Aidonian's blog

Hekate, the Goddess of the Underworld, the Sea, the Heaven, Magic and Witchcraft is one of

the few deities that are so misunderstood by so many people. Khthonic deities have always

been feared, loathed and avoided, but with Hekate, that was not always the case.

In the beginning, Hekate was a deity – well to say that she was extremely popular might be

over the top – but she wasn’t loathed or feared or even avoided by most. The transition from –

let’s say admired to being feared and loathed was a slow one. Hesiodos shows us his profound

love for this Goddess, but by the time of Apollodorus Rhodios – who wrote the Argonautica –

Hekate has become like Aidoneos; feared and avoided. Why did this happen, you might ask?

It is a valid question, a question, I ask myself. I don’t know the answer to it. I do have a

opinion on what happened, but I will save that for my essay where I go deeper on this deity.

On her origins, many have theories and opinions. There are some books dedicated to Hekate

like those of Sarah Iles Johnston or by Van Rudloff, discuss her. Even though I haven’t read

any of them, I did hear some bad things about the books. I will not go into what went wrong. I

can say that there is something wrong with how many people today perceive her. Many

Wiccans want to throw off the oppressive patriarch rule that oppressed them for so long, but

yet some hold on to some of the ideas introduced by patriarchal Christians; the one that

Hekate is a crone. By the time of Christians, Hekate was already to a certain degree

demonized, but she kept her human-like appearances. It were the Christians in the Dark Ages

who spread the caricature that witches were old women with long noses, etc.. The type of

witch we see in fairy tales and Disney movies. I somehow doubt that the Christians of that era

really perceived witches to be like that. Oh well. It does bother that Wiccans perceive her as a

crone, in a maiden-mother-crone triple goddess aspect. The whole m/m/c concept is new and

doesn’t do anyone good by limiting her to an archetype.

If it works for them, so much the better, but they must accept that Hekate wasn’t seen that

way in history. I like to study Hekate and her origins, because – for me – to study Hekate’s

history and origins is to gain a better understanding of her – even if it conflicts with my

beliefs. So, according to me, putting her in a limited role of a crone, or an archetype, is

stripping her of some of her powers. It’s better to see her as a real goddess who is

multifaceted and multifunctional, than a deity with only one face and one function. To me,

this is like following the easy road, to do what is easy and not what is hard. This is not an

attack on Wicca or Wiccans. I know some Wiccans who are good people, but it is a critique

on Wicca theology. Anyway, from what I know, the origins of Hekate lie in Asia Minor,

modern day Turkey. Perhaps she is from Hittite origin, but definitely not from Egyptian origin

under the name Heqat or Hequat. Besides the obvious name association, there are no real

similarities between the two deities.

Hekate’s importance to people is somewhat overlooked, because most people don't look

behind the whole Goddess of witchcraft and magic. Hekate can be a guide on the path of your

life, to the afterlife, when you have died. She can help you protect you from the demons of the

world. By demons, I mean the perils of the world. Karisse, told me that during one of

nightmares, Hekate intervened and drove the demons that were attacking her away. So Hekate

is the type of Goddess that helps you overcome your demons and helps you on your road of

your life. By demons I don’t mean the Judeo – Islamic – Christian demons, but the

metaphorical demons, the mental/ psychological demons that can plague us from time to time.

At this time, I don’t know enough on her to write down more than 3 points of view. I need to

do some more reading on Hekate, to gain a better understanding of this deity. Through

reading, I can learn more on her and form an opinion on her. Well, we will see where it takes

me. I owe her allot. She stood by me in times I needed her most. I thanked her with the whole

of my heart for the support she and Aidoneos have offered to me. Without them, I would have

gone insane or committed suicide. They are the rocks in my life. Karisse calls Aidoneos

“Dark father” and Hekate “the Dark Mother”. I never really understood it until now. They are

my dark parents, who watched over me and guided me through me.

Of course Apollon played a role in my life too, but I don’t call him “Father” or any other title

that are giving to family members. He’s one of my patron deities, and I don’t feel the need to

call him “uncle” or “brother”. There are some people who take this to far and start calling

Hekate their mother or grandmother. The danger of not separating the human from the divine

parent is possible, as they might start to think that Hekate is really their mother or

grandmother to the point that they don’t accept anything else. No, there are to many people on

the net spreading their beliefs based on fallacies.