Witch-y Spotlight | Interview with the Goddess Hecate

Today's Witch-y Spotlight is a very special one -- we're going to be chatting with Hecate, a Titan, a Goddess, the World Soul -- she has so many monikers because she is so ancient. If you want to go there, Hecate's so old, Shakespeare wrote about her. (He really did!)

So, without further ado, please greet meerily, the Goddess Hekate...

Image from Anthony the Witch tumbler

Merry Meet Hekate! Many thanks for agreeing to this lovely little chat with me.

Not at all. <snakes undulate around her body, as her midnight black dog lowers his body to rest on the ground; eyes fixed on me>

There are so many things I want to ask you! But, I'll begin simply. Tell us about yourself.

<Hecate's tinkling, yet rich laughter fills the room and somehow reverberates beyond hearing into my soul.> This is a question you need not ask, simply look deep into your bones, your marrow, your heart and you will find me there. I am everywhere. I've been with you [humans] since the dawn of time. Zeus, thought he could...manage me. 'Twas not for him to do. <Hecate laughs softly, as her eyes glaze just a bit.>

How could he even think of trying to control me when my parents are Titans -- Perses and Asteria? They gave me dominion over heaven, earth, and the seas; not Zeus. No matter what the fool Hesiod said with his pretty words, I came before the Greek pantheon, and I am still here. In short, most cannot fathom from whence I sprung. It was when the world was new, young, fresh -- untampered with and still whole. One of my key roles is being the soul of the world; its saviour...Sôteira. All is encompassed within me - light, dark, good, bad, fear, love, joy, antipathy, hope. All a human need do is petition me to come near. I will hear, but I may take my time in responding depending upon what I see in their heart. With my twin torches, I see all that does not want to be seen. I am the embodiment of what you now call -- shadow work -- interesting choice of words; very apt. The thing with humans is they think they see everything, but they only see what their ego wants them to see.

Here is the quote from Hesiod:

Hesiod, Hecate was greatly honored and respected by Zeus.

“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.”

Thank you, Hecate. That was a lot to take in. Can you tell us more about Shadow Work?

Of course. Some use my epithet, Pyrophoros, Torch Bearer, to come into closer union with the light of the fire that can remove the stain of the naysaying ego; to obliterate the pain, trauma and damaging emotional stains that mar the purity of one's soul. With my torches held high, and my hounds afoot, we thrum light into all parts of a human's being to elucidate all that is within to help with reconciliation, acceptance and finally onto to progressive movement towards what that soul truly wants.

How do you think a human should go about this? Are there any specific steps you would suggest?

Openness. The first step is being open to that fact that you don't know what you think you know. That there are forces working upon one that they may, or may not, be aware of, and the human may not have been the one to put that force inside of them. By being open to knowing one does not know all, it allows for one to SEE truly for the first time. If one comes to the door, before you knock you must clear the veil of ego.

Next, the human should be relaxed. The insight that will come could bring strong emotions to the fore, emotions that have long been buried, hidden, deep within that human's psyche. So, calm relaxation is needed. Take a soothing bath, or take a dip in a shallow waterfall, or, ride in your chariot to a lovely meadow and breathe in the sun... <Hecate paused at my perplexed expression.>

Did I speak of something you don't understand?

No, no! <I smile.> Just translating in my mind to modern times, that's all -- a shower, a long relaxing drive, or a bike ride -- that makes a lot of sense.

<Her laughter soothes my soul.>

Ah. Yes, shower, car, wheeled carriage, err, bicycle. Yes, yes. This is what I speak of.

The final step is the hardest. To sit, or lie down, and just BE. Ask me, or whomever you work with, to show you what you need to see. To show you what is holding you back, to show you the key instigator in why you're in the place/space you find yourself in now. Ask to be shown the initial incident that led to the snowball of experiences that brought you to where you are right now. It is your intention of finding out this key experience that will bring you to the place you need to see to re-witness, or re-member, what it is.

Once you see what was the key thing in your situation, in your life, that was the beginnings of your current issue, ask of me, or whomever you are working with, to help you deal with the emotions, the pain, the hurt, the emotion(s) so you can manage them without falling into them. You want to just see them, as if you are watching the screen with the moving pictures. You are an insect on the wall observing something out there. This is the stance that you ask for; it is a buffer, a space in between, this way you can breathe, and know that you are fully completely safe; that no one can hurt you now, where you are. This is the past, and it holds no power over you now, except for the energy YOU give to it.

Ask me to help you sever the energetic ties of attachment you have to this incident/experience. Watch me use my torch fire to burn the energetic ties and watch them turn to ash and fall away from your body, your mind...your heart.

Do this with me, or whomever you work with, as many times as you need until you feel free, clear of the old baggage and emotions.

Thank you, Hekate. That was beautiful. Shifting gears a bit, many call you: The Queen of the Witches. Speak to us more about this.

You're not really asking a question, are you? Dear One, you are asking me something else. Something under the surface. You're asking me about the Dark, aren't you? As with all gods, goddesses, and spiritual entities, we are 'good', 'bad', and 'indifferent'. We are all a continuum from left to right, from light to dark, from dawn to night. Can you say a needle is bad because it was dipped in poison then pricked you? No. The needle, itself, is unable to move and think for itself. The needle just is. Animals are the same; they are following their nature.

You might then say, isn't there a natural resting energy in each and every spiritual being out there? Yes, there is. However, the range of said energy is different for all spiritual beings. Not every spiritual being has the bandwidth to go from right to left. Some only can do left, some only can do right. Some can do left, right, and everything in between these two polarities. I am one such Being. There are many others like myself. The only way to know which Being is which, is to work with that Being, breathe with that Being, so you can know them intimately. It is the only way. You don't have to ask anyone, it is all your in-perience with the Being.

Yes, it is very clear. Thank you, Hekate. I feel at a loss for words. I know I need/should ask more questions but I'm not sure what to wrap up with. So, I'll ask you, Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

Yes. Touching your minds/hearts is something I do from time to time. While I may not choose to work with each and every human, I do touch each human at various times in their lives, and most definitely in their afterlife (in my role as a Psychopompe). My message to you will be clear whether I speak in your dream, or through my owls, hounds, snakes, or with the numbers 3, 6, 9 (usually in repeating patterns), you will know that it is me. If your garlic bread is very garlicky, think of me, especially if you called on me. If you pass a sweets shop and a particularly delicious honey cake, or honey bread draws you, know that it is me drawing attention to the thought you just had in mind, or the thing you just conversed about, or overheard in some way. I speak through the myriad of things in the world. Get to know my symbols so you know when I speak to you. If you had a gnawing in your gut about a decision, and awake with a thought that you should go this way, and while you get your coffee together, you hear a cacaphony of dogs -- I am answering you. If you're on the road, and a large sleek black dog crosses your path, or even a sweet little black pooch, I am there, responding to you.

I am a Necromancer. I am a Good Witch. I am a Crone. I am Vengeful. I am full of Surprises. I am Hekate, the One Who Came Long Before Your Time. I am Prostistos, a Primordial. I cannot be placed in a box. I cannot be defiled. I hear and see all. I remember all. I can choose to save all. It is with my blessings, and the blessings of all other Beings of spirit, that you are here reading this message. Think thrice before attempting to stain one who came long before. That is all.

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I hope you enjoyed this interview with Hekate. May Her torches ever light your path.

For more epithets of Hekate: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/matauryn/2017/07/19/many-epithets-hekate/.

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