I’ve been working with Hekate for many years now, though the months of working with her for Spring Mysteries were by far the most intense.

Hekate is the patron Goddess of the Aquarian Tabernacle Church. She is known by many names – Torchbearer, Keeper of the Keys, Goddess of the Crossroads, Mother of Witches, Psychopomp…

Hekate has a lot of various aspects, and she works with you wherever you are at, with whichever skills and interests you have that align with Her. You don’t need to learn EVERYTHING!

In modern paganism, a lot of people see Hekate as the Crone face of the Triple Goddess, the wise woman. Others see her as the hidden fourth face, the Dark Mother. To the Greeks she was a young woman, or the triple Goddess all on her own (Hekate Trivia). One thing Hekate kept telling me is “Just because I am ancient doesn’t mean I am old!”

Walking with Hekate, I’m seeing more patterns in the world.

“It’s all been done before.”

“There is nothing new under the sun.”

Hekate has been around for a very, very long time. I personally believe she is pre-Greek. I believe she was a Goddess of Place, local to the area that became Greece, long before the Olympian mythology. Not unlike Brigid to the Irish, she was popular enough among the people that the incoming (invading?) religion could not push her out. They included her as one of the Titans, one who came before the Olympians.

After the Titanomachy (the overthrow of the Titans by the Olympians), Zeus divided up the rule of the worlds between all those who had assisted him. Hesiod tells us:

"And she [Asteria, wife of Perses] conceived and bore Hecate whom Zeus the son of Cronos honored above all. He gave her splendid gifts, to have a share of the earth and the unfruitful sea. She received honor also in starry heaven, and is honored exceedingly by the deathless gods. For to this day, whenever any one of men on earth offers rich sacrifices and prays for favor according to custom, he calls upon Hecate. Great honor comes full easily to him whose prayers the goddess receives favorably, and she bestows wealth upon him; for the power surely is with her. For as many as were born of Earth and Ocean amongst all these she has her due portion.

The son of Cronos did her no wrong nor took anything away of all that was her portion among the former Titan gods: but she holds, as the division was at the first from the beginning, privilege both in earth, and in heaven, and in sea. Also, because she is an only child, the goddess receives not less honor, but much more still, for Zeus honors her. Whom she will she greatly aids and advances: she sits by worshipful kings in judgement, and in the assembly whom she will is distinguished among the people. And when men arm themselves for the battle that destroys men, then the goddess is at hand to give victory and grant glory readily to whom she will.

Good is she also when men contend at the games, for there too the goddess is with them and profits them: and he who by might and strength gets the victory wins the rich prize easily with joy, and brings glory to his parents. And she is good to stand by horsemen, whom she will: and to those whose business is in the grey discomfortable sea, and who pray to Hecate and the loud-crashing Earth-Shaker, easily the glorious goddess gives great catch, and easily she takes it away as soon as seen, if so she will. She is good in the byre with Hermes to increase the stock. The droves of kine and wide herds of goats and flocks of fleecy sheep, if she will, she increases from a few, or makes many to be less.

So, then, albeit her mother’s only child, she is honored amongst all the deathless gods. And the son of Cronos made her a nurse of the young who after that day saw with their eyes the light of all-seeing Dawn. So from the beginning she is a nurse of the young, and these are her honors."

~Hesiod, Theogony

We see here that she had a great many roles and honors, more than some of the Olympians even!

Another piece that spoke to me is the lovely Orphic Hymn to Hekate:

Hekatê of the Path, I invoke Thee, Lovely Lady of the Triple Crossroads,
Celestial, Chthonian, and Marine One, Lady of the Saffron Robe.
Sepulchral One, celebrating the Bakchic Mysteries among the Souls of the Dead,
Daughter of Persês, Lover of Solitude, rejoicing in deer.
Nocturnal One, Lady of the Dogs, invincible Queen.
She of the Cry of the Beast, Ungirt One, having an irresistible Form.
Bullherder, Keeper of the Keys of All the Universe, Mistress,
Guide, Bride, Nurturer of Youths, Mountain Wanderer.
I pray Thee, Maiden, to be present at our hallowed rites of initiation,
Always bestowing Thy graciousness upon the Boukolos.

While I was working with Hekate leading up to Spring Mysteries Festival, I started doing an exercise I read in The Temple of Hekate: Exploring the Goddess Hekate through ritual, meditation and divination by Tara Sanchez, called the Tetrahedron. The book said it was for balancing your energy. I found it connected me with my guides better, and my intuition.

One of the biggest lessons Hekate gave me was about surrendering. Hekate taught me about the grace in surrendering my will to the will of the Gods, and about letting go of control – something I struggle with quite a bit. For example, I rarely give up control when I am invoked. Deity is there, and yet everything filters through me. Hekate worked with me to step aside, to let go and observe, rather than filter.

Shrine scenes were the most intense they have ever been for me. I worked hard to step out of the way, and it’s probably the best I have done so far. I remember fragments and glimpses. I would recognize people, and then not recognize them – at least not in the same way. There were musicians playing on the green, and I would think, “I like this song…” and then be reminded to step aside. Hekate appreciated the talent, and the service they were providing. She even sent out tokens in thanks.

At one point, a bee or a wasp that had been buzzing around the upper window of the shrine came down and landed on my chiton. We tried to encourage it away. I wasn’t afraid of it, as I might have been if I was fully myself. It kept moving from one flower to another on the chiton. We finally asked the petitioner to open the door, and walked to the entrance. We shooed it off, and it wouldn’t go at first, then it flew away to freedom. It was a very magical moment.

Hekate has an interesting relationship with Aphrodite. For me, I felt exasperated with Aphrodite’s shenanigans, and yet also felt a respect for a fellow ancient energy, as though Aphrodite was the impulsive one who acts on whatever whim she feels, and Hekate is the one who has to clean up the mess. There’s respect for getting things done, just not for HOW they are done.

Coming home, I felt like I was in a strange place. It’s always difficult returning from extended magical space – whether it is a festival or a course or just time with loved ones – and moving back into the mundane day to day life. Returning from Eleusis is no different.

I was in a world outside of time and space, a world apart from the concerns of daily life. It wasn’t that time didn’t exist – there was definitely a sense of treasuring and honoring the moments that I had with the family that was not of my blood, serving my community in such a unique and special way.

The most challenging part of coming back is reflecting on the lessons and integrating what I’ve learned. Once out of the magical space, it starts to fade, like waking from a dream.

One thing that doesn’t fade is the connection that I worked so hard to establish with the Goddesses I worked with in the months leading up to Spring Mysteries – Hekate and Ereshkigal.

These two work very well together. I even learned that in the Greek Magical Papyri, they were event conflated as Hekate-Ereshkigal. Many people are afraid of the Dark Mother, and of the Underworld. And I’ll admit, if you are not ready to meet Her, or your own Shadow, She can be frightening. She is not soft and gentle, though She is beautiful. Terrifyingly beautiful.

Hekate and Ereshkigal will hold you accountable. She will kick your butt to keep you going. She pushes you to grow. And I love Her for that. She pushed me a lot. She is STILL pushing me to be more, be better, keep growing, and keep serving.