Greek Mythology: “Hecate, Goddess of Crossroads” / Literature: D.G. Kaye’s New Book: “Words We Carry”.-

►Greek Mythology: “Hecate, Goddess of Crossroads”:

►Literature: D.G. Kaye’s New Book: “Words We Carry”:

“Hecate” by Richard Cosway. Pen and brown ink with traces of graphite underdrawing. Early 19th century.

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Hecate ( In Greek: “influence from afar”) was the Goddess of  Crossroads, Magic, Witchcraft, The Night, Ghosts and Necromancy. 

According to the most common tradition, Hecate was a daughter of Persaeus and Asteria, whence she is also known as Perseis. Hecate’s Roman equivalent was Trivia.

She was most often shown holding two torches or a key and in later periods depicted in triple form.

Hecate has always been a deity with strong lunar associations.

She was sometimes portrayed as wearing a glowing headdress of stars, while in other legends she was described as a “Phosphorescent Angel” of the Underworld.

Hecate was associated with borders, city walls, doorways, crossroads and, by extension, with realms outside or beyond the world of the living.

The idea of borders is related to the fact that she mediated between regimes – Olympian and Titan-,  but also between mortal and divine spheres.

She is mentioned in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter and in Hesiod’s “Theogony”. 

She has been described as of terrible appearance, either with three bodies or three heads, the one of a horse, the second of a dog, and the third of a lion. 

She was identified with a number of other goddesses, including Selene, the Goddess of the Moon.

For being as it were the queen of all nature, she was identified with Demeter, the Goddess of the Harvest and her daughter Persephone, Hades’ wife and Queen of the Underwold.

On a note aside regarding this previous point, Hecate was also the Goddess who assisted Demeter in her search for Persephone, guiding her through the darkness with flaming torches.

It is said that Hecate was the only one watching when Hades abducted Persephone and that it was Hecate who supplied her with the seeds of the pomegranate. Whence, condemning Persephone to spend part of the year with Hades, in the Underworld, being only able to meet her mother Demeter during the spring.

Hecate’s aspect of threes is also noted  as she was probably referred to as a triple Goddess. Those Goddesses were Demeter, Persephone and Hecate. Demeter represented the old crone woman, Persephone the wife woman and Hecate the maiden.

For being a huntress and the protector of youth, Hecate has also been regarded as Artemis, the haunter Goddess.

In this sense, Apollonius Rhodius in his book “Argonautica” describes her as a virgin goddess, similar to Artemis.

In Ancient Greece she was seen as a mighty divinity, to whom mysteries were celebrated, particularly in Samothrace, Aegina, Argos and at Athens.

Hecate’s magic was that of death and the underworld, but also of oracles, of herbs and poisons, protection and guidance. 

Her torches provided light in the darkness, much like the Moon and Stars do at night, taking the seeker on a journey of initiation, guiding them as the psychopomp, like she guided Persephone on her yearly journey to and from Hades. 

Hecate’s retinue included the souls of those who died before their time, particularly children, or who were killed by force.

As she was the goddess of purifications and expiations, she was usually accompanied by Stygian dogs, from Hades’s domains.

Dogs were closely associated with Hecate in the Classical world. In art and in literature Hecate is constantly represented as dog-shaped or as accompanied by a dog. Besides, her approach was heralded by the howling of a dog.

According to other less important versions, the polecat was also related to Hecate.

The frog, an animal that supposedly can cross between two elements, also has become sacred to Hecate in modern Pagan literature.  

As to the plants linked to Hecate, the most important ones were the willow, the yew and the garlic. Also a number of other plants (mostly  psychoactive o medicinal) such as the belladonna, and the mandrake were associated with Hecate.

Hekate was also associated with a curious wheel shaped design, known as Hecate’s Wheel, or the “Strophalos of Hecate”.

It was a circle which enclosed a serpentine maze with three main flanges, that in turn were situated around a central, fiery spiral. The symbolism refers to the serpent’s power of rebirth. 

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“Hecate: Procession to a Witches’ Sabbath” by Jusepe de Ribera (17th century).

“Hecate” by Maximilián Pirner (1901).

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►Slideshare: Goddess Hecate:

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“The Night of Enitharmon’s Joy” by William Blake (1795).

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►Links Post: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hecate

http://mythmaniacs.com/hecate.htm

http://www.theoi.com/Khthonios/Hekate.htm

https://home.comcast.net/~subrosa_florens/witch/hekate.html

http://hemlockandhawthorn.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/dogs-in-mythology/

http://symbolreader.net/2013/10/27/hekate-the-goddess-of-the-crossroads/

http://hekatecovenant.com/about-hekate/hekate-goddess-of-magic-sorita-deste/

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► Worth Checking Out:

►Spotlight on D.G. Kaye’s New Book, “Words We Carry”:

Canadian Author D.G. Kaye. Find her at: http://www.amazon.com/author/dgkaye7

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Overview/ Synopsis: “Words We Carry” focuses around women’s self-esteem issues. She talks about how and why the issues evolve, how she recognized her own issues, and how she overcame her insecurities.

Kaye writes for the woman of all ages. Her writing is easily relatable and her insights about the complexities of being a woman are expressed in her writing.

The author says: “I have been a great critic of myself for most of my life, and I was darned good at it, deflating my own ego without the help of anyone else”.

Following the paths of her own story, D.G. takes us on a journey, unlocking the hurts of the past by identifying situations that hindered her own self-esteem. Her anecdotes and confessions demonstrate how the hurtful events in our lives linger and set the tone for how we value our own self-worth.

Words We Carry is a raw, personal accounting of how the author overcame the demons of low self-esteem with the determination to learn to love herself.

You can find D.G. at: Twitter, GoodReads, Facebook and Google Plus. 

She also owns a great blog at:  http://dgkayewriter.com/

Visit D.G.’s author page at www.amazon.com/author/dgkaye7

And Check out her Three Books “Conflicted Hearts”, “Meno-What? A Memoir” and her latest release “Words We Carry”.

Last But not Least, make sure to follow D.G. Kaye’ s advice: “Live, Laugh, Love . . . And Don’t Forget to Breathe!”.~

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“Words We Carry” by D.G Kaye. Click on the Book Cover to Check it out. Or Find it at: http://www.smarturl.it/bookwordswecarry

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