#hekate deity

[the-purvashadha]

When you step into sunlight, you honor Apollo. When you admire the moon, you honor Artemis. When you admire cloud shapes, you honor Hera. When you smell petrichor, you honor Zeus. When you laugh at a joke, you honor Hermes. When your body twitches to dance at a particularly upbeat music, you honor Dinoysus. When you enjoy the first bite of your breakfast, you honor Demeter. When you choose your peace over any conflict, you honor Athena. When you warm yourself up by sheltering yourself in blanket, you honor Hestia. When you listen to Ocean sounds, you honor Poseidon. When you smell flowers, you honor Persephone. When you admire the coolness of first day of Autumn, you honor Hades. When you wear your favourite jewellery, you honor Hephaestus. When you smile, you honor Aphrodite. When you exercise, you honor Ares. When you light a torch in a dark room, you honor Hekate.

Your body is a shrine to Gods, your being an act of devotion for them. You, by yourself, are enough for them.

[diana-thyme]

Greek Gods 101: Hecate

Hecate is a goddess of witchcraft, Magic, night, the moon, ghosts, and necromancy. Excluding the universal offerings, some common offerings include:

Divination Tools

Witchcraft Tools

Imagery of the Moon or Stars

Imagery or Depictions of Ghosts

Imagery or Depictions of Torches

Items Associated with Hunting (Boots, Bows, Arrows, Bones, Etc.)

Imagery or Depictions of Dogs

Imagery or Depictions of Polecats

Depictions of Darkness

Veils

For devotional acts, some activities that can be done for her include:

Performing Spells

Watching the Night Sky

Stargazing

Learning About Astronomy

Visiting Graveyards

Visiting Crossroads and Other Liminal Spaces

Lighting Candles to Help Ghosts Find Their Way

Volunteering at Animal Shelters

Hunting

She is celebrated in 4 Athenian holidays:

Hekate’s Deipnon

Noumenia

Lesser Mysteries

Heliogenna

[esoteric-chaos]

Hekate's Blessing Deity Oil

"HEKATE (Hecate) was the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy." - Theoi

I work with Mother Hekate to heal generational trauma, dream work, introspection, and my clairsenses. I venerate her on Saturdays as the planetary correspondences of Saturn fit her well.

She's been with me for over a decade, since the start of my practice. She took on the mother figure role when I personally did not have anyone.

This blog is actually dedicated to her for helping others learn about witchcraft and the occult.

She's a stern teacher, who will take off your training wheels on your bike and push you. However, she'll help you up when you fall. She's kind and nurturing when you need it.

I made an oil for her to call upon her. I use it to carry her with me, to wear for certain purposes and as a candle-dressing. It helps me with my intuition, clairsenses, protection, spiritual communication and divination.

You will need

A clean and cleansed jar

Myrrh - The moon, introspection, protection, spiritual connection, she just loves myrrh (UPG)

Cypress - Historical herb, strength, protection, enhances spirit connection, grief

Lavender - Dreamwork, enhances spirit connections, peace

Thyme - Clairsenses

Carrier Olive Oil - Traditional offering

You can either do the folk method or the hot method. You can find my post on infused oils here to learn how to make infused spell oils. I suggest if you are an animist or someone who wants more power from your oils. Speak to the herbs kindly, treat them less like an ingredient and ask them respectfully for their aid and the purpose they'll have in your oil. Use intention. The same goes for the Olive oil.

You can sub any of these, however, Cypress is historical for her. So is Olive Oil among the Greeks. Try to keep within the theme of the underworld, death, spiritual connection and psychic work.

Blessings!

Looking for all of my posts in one place? Check out the Masterpost

[czortofbaldmountain]

A Hekatean Spell for Body Pain

This spell calls upon Hekate as Soteira - the Saviour, Einalia - of the Sea and Kratais - the Mighty or the Rocky, an epithet also connected to the sea. I've created it to deal better with my chronic pain, and I hope it can help some of you as well.

Take a warm shower or at least wash your hands and face. If you cannot, lie down somewhere comfortable. Whatever you do, imagine water washing away your pain and filling you with strength to go. Try to not just visualize, but invoke the feeling. Engage your inner senses as much as you can in this act. Begin chanting:

Hekate, Hekate, Hekate,

Soteira, come to my aid.

Hekate, Hekate, Hekate,

Einalia, give me relief.

Hekate, Hekate, Hekate,

Kratais, come, send me your strength.

Chant - doing so, continue calling upon your imagination and, unless you really cannot use physical water, to wash yourself - as long as you find appropriate. When you feel better, say thank you.

Divider by @firefly-graphics.

[devieboii]

Y’all my partner just told me that when he buys wine he looks for wine bottles that could go on my altars- like excuse me while I sob

[thegodsaremyhome]

Hekate’s Deipnon

History

In Greek, “deipnon” means evening meal, usually the largest meal of the day. Hekate’s Deipnon was a special feast held on the final day of every lunar month, during the New Moon. It’s main purpose was to honor Hekate and placate vengeful souls who were unavenged or wrongfully killed. However, it was also a day for purifying the self, the home, and the altar, and atoning for any wrongdoings that may have cause Hekate to withdraw Her favor. Some accounts say that the poor and less fortunate were also given to on this day. It was said that those who were poor would come and take the offerings left on Hekate’s altar outside. And while some believed this incurred the wrath of Hekate, others believed this was welcomed by the Goddess.

Foods most often mentioned used as offerings on the Deipnon were typically offerings associated with the dead, like raw eggs, small cakes garlic/leeks/onions, and fish. The offering was placed on or inside the household altar to Hekate after sunset. The altar was usually located outside their door, as the street in front of the house and the doorway created a 3-way crossroad, which was sacred to Hekate. After the meal was left out, they would not look back. believing that any spirits there would become enraged if anyone saw them. Athenians would then spend the rest of the Deipnon inside. 

If a household believed that one or more of it’s residents commited an act against Hekate and lost Her favor, they would all perform a ritual involving the sacrifice of a dog, her sacred animal. They would each touch the dog, transfering their misdeeds into it, then sacrifice it. Following the sacrifice, they would do a divination reading with it’s entrails to ensure that the sacrifice was accepted by Hekate.

Cleaning and purification was also an important part of Hekate’s Deipnon, which was executed in two parts. Part one was fumigation, where one would carry a censer made of clay burning insence through the house. Afterwards, they would place the censer on the altar or at a crossroads for disposal. It wasn’t used again, as it was seen as a leftover, which was disposed in the second part of the purification. Other leftovers included, ashes from incense or sacrifices, blood, or any remaining food that had fallen on the floor. This is because food that had fallen was said to belong to Hekate, which she would then distribute to the spirits. Leftovers were deposited on the altar, preferably at the same time as the meal since you weren’t supposed to look back at the altar once it was placed, and then they would go inside, lock their doors, and not come out again. However, it’s not clear how these offerings were then disposed the following day.

Modern Celebration

For your main offering, some do replace the meal with an offering of incense or something else. And while most don’t have an altar to Hekate outside as they did in ancient Greece, you can definitely just leave the offering on your altar to be disposed of in any way you see fit later. You could leave the offering on your altar, and then leave it at a crossroads outside if that space is available to you. Although our ritual leftovers, or “sweepings” would be different these days then back then, you could still offer ashes from incense and other burned offerings, leftovers from candles, or other leftovers from rituals of the previous month. If you do leave your food and sweepings at a crossroads, then try leaving them on a disposable plate, that way you can just throw the plate away in your trash can outside after. 

Donations of money, food, or volunteer work has become an increasingly popular way to celebrate. Any way you can think of to help those who are less fortunate than you. Even if it’s just donating a dollar to a charity you like. This is also a day to get any cleaning done that you would like. Tidying up your room, cleaning out the fridge, dusting and sweeping, etc. doesn’t have to be any deep cleaning, just the surface level stuff. Some clean out their Kathiskos* while also cleaning out their pantry, altough this could also be done on the following day Noumenia as well. Cutting ties from anything you don't want to bring into the next month, finding closure, and tying up any lose ends is what this holiday is all about. So try to fulfill any promises, or obligations from the previous month, as well as paying off any dues or debts if you can.

Other ways to celebrate:

Use this day to honor and remember your ancestors, passed on loved ones, and the spirits around you, if you work with spirits.

Do some sort of protective spell to put on your home

Do a ritual to cleanse yourself as well!

Sit in meditation, reflecting on the past month and things you are proud of yourself for achieving in this time. Maybe reach out to Hekate and ask for guidance if you need to do so.

You could also do a tarot reading, or any other means of divination that you wish to use in order to commune with Hekate.

Sources : Deipnon - Wikipedia  Hekate’s Deipnon - Hellenion  Hekate’s Deipnon - Backyard Banshee

Other links:

* Kathiskos - Hellonion

-Hellenic Festivals Masterlist-

[belladonna-moon]

Hekate Reading List

The Goddess Hekate by Stephen Ronan (1992)

Hekate in Ancient Greek Religion by Robert Von Rudloff (1999)

Hekate Liminal Rites by Sorita d'Este and David Rankine (2009)

Circle for Hekate by Sorita d'Este (2017)

An Introduction to Hekate’s Modern Witchcraft by Cyndi Brannen (2019)

Hekate: Goddess of Witches by Courteney Weber (2021)

Notes:

Books 1-4 focus on Hekate’s history and mythology

Books 5 and 6 while also providing information, have a more practical side to them including spells and rituals

[messywitch]

okay i actually finished some other user boxes (that i still don't know if they're a thing anymore) but! you're free to use them, just say Aterios made them.

i'm open to making these under request, just send me an ask with the deity you'd like a box for!! please be nice, too.

gods in this post: Hades, Persephone, Thanatos, Hypnos, Hekate, Helios, Selene, Asteria, Eros & Nyx.

[hekates-torch]

May Lady Hekate guide you through uncertain times

[ravenandmoon]

I'll meet you at the crossroads,

Mighty Goddess of the liminal spaces,

Borderless night-wanderer.

Hekate, born of the Stary Night,

She who blessed all the souls,

I'll let your darkness swallow me,

For i'm your devotee.

[praise-to-the-theoi]

To Lady Hekate for protection during the night

Hear me, Light-bringer Hekate,

Daughter of Star-bright Asteria and Perses the Destroyer.

She who guided Holy Demeter on her search for Maiden Persephone, with her flaming torches that oversaw their reunion,

Tender-hearted Hekate who is worshipped as a protector of oikos and travel,

If I have ever honoured your spirits, accept this prayer, Mighty Hekate,

I ask for your protection during the night and to grant me safe passage to my destination,

I ask for your favour with a token of my praise, I offer to you (offering)

[hestiashearthfire]

My new Hekate icon slaps. That is all.

[candlelit-cemetary]

I made prayer beads for Hekate using 2 brackets I had (garnet and black tourmaline) and honestly I am very proud of the results. I wish I had tied it tighter but that’s ok I’m still pleased.

[trials-of-a-spirit-worker]

Witchtok is Witchtoking Again.

So there's some witch going around claiming they cursed/hurt Hekate and is now going for Persephone and Hades next.

This isn't a cause for concern for our deities and not why I'm making a post here. This is for my beginner witches or for anyone who worships anyone who may not know things like this.

Let Me Make One Thing Clear

This witch didn't do shit to Hekate other than possibly piss her off. I don't even need to contact her to know this witch didn't do shit. Hekate is a fucking goddess for fucks sake. Not to mention she is a goddess of WITCHCRAFT. Even if this witch had an iota of a chance, they wouldn't touch her or any deity for that matter.

But trust me, she could definetely touch them.

Bottom line: Don't worry about your deities when someone claims to have hexed/cursed/done anything to them. (Because this stupid shit will probably happen again.)

They are fine and they will be fine. Untouched. Probably just insulted at the very worst. Which trust me, ain't no skin off your nose when the karma hammer comes down, cause it won't be coming for you.

Some of us remember the Hex the Fae/Hex the Moon bullshit. This is this...again. Because some people never learn. But you can learn from their dumbassery.

DON'T. TRY. STUPID. SHIT. LIKE. THAT!!!! (See, I did my job.)

Also...

This person is doubling down by trying to go for Persephone and Hades. Which is just double dumb. If they somehow didn't piss off Hekate, they're gonna piss off one or both of them. Especially because they claimed they were going to force divorce them.

Good luck with that. And by good luck I mean they're probably fucked if either Persephone or Hades decide to do something about it.

I need y'all to understand something. I don't care how powerful you are, you will never hurt let alone beat a god. Anyone who claims otherwise is a fool and will get what's coming to them tenfold for the pure disrespect.

[czortofbaldmountain]

Litany to Hekate for Protection

Mother Hekate, Apotropaia,

O Fearsome Brimo, be my defender.

Mother Hekate, Apotropaia,

Night's Radiant Daughter, be my defender.

Mother Hekate, Apotropaia,

Light of the Abyss, be my defender.

Askei Kataskei Eron Oreon Ior Mega Samnyer Baui Phobantia Semne.

Photo by Henning Schlottmann on Wikimedia Commmons.

[30fury]

hail to hermes, swift as he goes down the road, kicking up party posters around the children's feet, alighting each doorstep with a kiss of laughter &

hail to artemis and apollo, humming to themselves as they watch from above, sparks in the sky as the sun sinks deep and the moon rises &

hail to dionysus, standing in the kitchen with wine-red teeth, catching the drunk and steering them to safety, twirling dancing women with a firm hand &

hail to hekate, who travels where the barriers thin to gossamer pale, cross-legged at the crossroads, dogs with milky eyes licking at her heels &

hail to hestia, the light flickering at home, welcoming the child and the mother and the father, the drunk and the ride home, the friends and the family and everyone in-between, all who collapse in the living room to count their blessings and collect their beings &

hail to the gods, as the cold draws nearest to the skin; hail to the gods, as the year comes closing in.