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“Hekate” or “Hecate” ?

Hecate or Hekate? (with a c or a k?)

The name of the Goddess is sometimes written as: Hecate and sometimes as Hekate. This can be confusing, but do not despair, both spellings are valid and refer to the same goddess!

The spelling of HEKATE (with a K) is closer to the transliteration of the name of this goddess directly from Greek into the English language.

The spelling of HECATE (with a C) is the Latin transliteration of the name of this goddess, as it was used by the Romans.

It is normal for Greek and other names in languages where a different alphabet is used (for example Russian) to be written in slightly different ways when transliterated into English, but Hekate is the more accurate transliteration, and therefore the one preferred by scholars writing about and also by devotees who honour the Greek Hekate.  Those whose studies or devotion is focused more on the later form of the Goddess, as she was seen during the Roman period, may sometimes prefer Hecate – but this varies, many still prefer Hekate.

As an aside:

Heckate is never the correct spelling!

The Egyptian goddess Heket (Hequet) is not historically linked to the goddess Hekate.  The “sounds-like” connection between their names is incidental, especially as we don’t actually know what Ancient Egyptian sounded like exactly, and as the “H” in Hekate in Greek is not pronounced in the same way.  The goddesses also don’t share much symbolism or history in common, other than the general link to birth.  Hekate has more similarities with Hathor (The Cow-Headed goddess) even though she was also not really historically linked to her, and of course with the Greco-Egyptian Isis (Egyptian Aset) with whom she was conflated, and also merged as Isis-Hekate in many locations throughout Europe and Anatolia (Turkey), as well as in Egypt.

Hekate is also not linked to the Egyptian God Heka.  They both share a connection with magic in common, and of course another “sounds-like” but there is no known historical connection, or other similarities.

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Who is the Goddess Hekate?

Who is Hekate?

Hekate or Hecate is a multifaceted goddess who has and continues to reveal herself in many different forms to devotees.

From: Circle for Hekate, d’Este – 2017

“The goddess Hekate continues to inspire awe today. She is one of the most ancient Pagan goddesses, closely linked to the worship of the Great Mother Goddess Kybele and the Ephesian Artemis, as well as with the Mysteries of the Grain Goddess Demeter and her daughter Persephone. She was worshipped alongside gods such as Zeus, Hermes, Apollo and honoured at the entranceways into cities, temples and homes, as well as crossroads.

In Hesiod’s Theogony, the earliest and most complete surviving literary account of the Greek Gods, Hekate is given the unique position of being honoured by both Zeus and the other immortal gods.

“…Hecate whom Zeus the son of Cronos honoured above all. He gave her splendid gifts, to have a share of the earth and the unfruitful sea. She received honour also in starry heaven, and is honoured exceedingly by the deathless gods…”[1]

She is described as a benevolent goddess, capable of granting success in many different aspects of life, as well as being a nurse to the young. Hekate is a shapeshifting goddess, manifesting in various forms and faces, single and triple-bodied, and with the heads of maidens as well as those of animals. She wields her torches illuminating the Mysteries, guiding, protecting and defending that which is under her care. She uses her serpents or whips to strike fear in those who are unprepared for her Mysteries, gifting her devotees with the ability to understand the serpent energy and knowledge. With her daggers, she cuts away that which is no longer necessary, whether the umbilical cord at birth or life itself upon death.

Numerous other goddesses were syncretised with Hekate, in different geographic regions and at different times in history. Her worship may have originated in the ancient Minoan or Mycenaean cultures, and was well attested throughout the Greek and Roman periods, spreading to the very corners of those Empires with those who travelled there. Evidence for her ancient worship has been found not only in Greece, but also as far apart as Sicily and Southern Italy, Egypt, Libya, Turkey, Bulgaria and Syria.

[1] The Theogony, circa 8th or 7th century BCE, Hesiod, trans. Evelyn-White, 1914.”

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Love it or hate it - Hekate is a Goddess who is finding a footing in all kinds of corners of our world! 

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Perhaps it was Hermes, as the Trickster God  (and also the God of Thieves) who maneuvered himself and his staff to represent aspects of the healing profession in the 20th and now into the 21st centuries?  There is no denying that the world has evolved and that communication (a function of Hermes) is central to the work of the modern medical profession.  So perhaps it is not only appropriate, but inevitable that Hermes’ staff became so strongly associated with medicine.  Also, Hermes (and his Roman counterpart Mercury) are both associated with alchemy, which is often thought of as a forerunner of science.  Today scientific research and thought are central to medicine and through this association there is another reason for the staff of Hermes to be so closely associated with medicine and healing today.

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Hekate is sometimes named as Brimo, which is also used an epithet for Hekate.   Do you use this title for Hekate?  Why?  What inspired you to do so?

This video is a short reading from my book Circle for Hekate on the topic.

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Artemis and Hekate are goddesses whose histories are intertwined.  This is a short discussion and reading from my book Circle for Hekate (volume 1) about the connection between these two goddesses.  I hope you enjoy this introduction! 

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Living Theurgy is a masterpiece combining scholarly excellence with lucid practicality. Theurgy ('god-working') is a combination of ritual mystical practices interwoven with philosophy and theology. It was developed by Iamblichus and other Neoplatonists inspired by the works of philosophers including Plato, Aristotle and Pythagoras, and Julian the Chaldean.

https://www.avaloniabooks.com/product-page/living-theurgy-by-jeffrey-s-kupperman

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In The Cosmic Shekinah the authors present a concise history of the different influences of earlier wisdom goddesses on the development of the Shekinah. These goddesses include the Sumerian Inanna, the Egyptian Ma'at, the Greco-Egyptian Isis, the Semitic Anat and Astarte and the Canaanite Asherah. They show that from these ancient sources arose the unnamed Wisdom Goddess and wife of God portrayed in the Old Testament and early Jewish wisdom literature. It is this unnamed Wisdom Goddess who would subsequently become the source for the development of the Shekinah as well as the Gnostic Sophia. The influence of the feminine divine as the Shekinah has continued to find expression, with the Virgin Mary and the Holy Spirit of Christianity and the Sakina of Islam all being shaped by the enduring influence of the Wisdom Goddess.

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The Shekinah is the manifestation of the Wisdom Goddess of the Kabbalah, the Old Testament and Merkavah Mysticism. She encompasses the primordial light of creation, the wisdom of the serpent and the inspiration of the dove. She is the beauty of the lily and the embodiment of the Tree of Life. She is also the World Soul, heavenly glory, mother of angels, inspiration for prophecy, and source of souls, as well as being the Shabbat Bride and the wife of God.

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“Hail to you, O Thoth, in whom is the peace of the gods.”  - The ancient Egyptian Coffin Texts, Spell 9 In Thoth: The History of the Ancient Egyptian God of Wisdom, author and researcher Lesley Jackson presents a comprehensive and wide-ranging study of this unique god spanning six millennia. Drawing on the latest archaeological and textual research, from magical papyri and stelae to statues and wall carvings, the author explores Thoth's diverse functions including god of writing, magic and wisdom, creator god, judge, healer, psychopomp, reckoner of time and lunar god.

https://www.avaloniabooks.com/product-page/thoth-by-lesley-jackson

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The Seven Names of Lamastu is an exploration of the religions and mysteries of the cradle of civilisation, Mesopotamia by Jan Fries, author of Kali Kaula and Dragon Bones. The Sumerians developed the first functional script (3500-3200 BC), the priests wrote god lists, dictionaries, catalogues, recorded spells, myth and poetry – and committed the first known medical prescriptions and rituals into writing. In the centre of their faith lurks the lustful animal-headed goddess DIM.ME/Lamaštu , exiled from Heaven for her forbidden desires, and charged by the council of Gods with a fearsome task: to cull the vulnerable and keep the human population within manageable limits. For all but a few, her name conjured terror in the hearts of Mesopotamians.

https://www.avaloniabooks.com/product-page/the-seven-names-of-lama-tu-by-jan-fries

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Francine and I first met at CWED in  Sao Paolo (Brazil) in 2014.  I will never forget how she quietly came up to me and presented me with a bag of vegan snacks, including a massive block of goiabada, a Brazilian sweet made from guava (a fruit) as she had found out that I loved guavas!  In the years since then, Francine has impressed me deeply with her kindness, her passion for Hekate, as well as her dedication to learning, serving her community; and her work ethic.  She is part of the new generation of young people who are taking the celebration of the Mysteries into the future.