In the left side of Hecate is a fountain of Virtue,Which
remaineth entirely within her, not sending forth its virginity
-the Chaldean Oracles of Zoroaster
Hekate in Antiquity
Hekate is a deity known from Antiquity, a divinity whose form and function
covers a very broad range of religious and magical concerns. From the Witch’s
Goddess of the Classical poets, she is a Thesselain divinity who is, infamously,
invoked:
"Come, infernal, terrestrial, and heavenly Proserpina, goddess of the
broad
roadways, of crossroads, you who quest to and fro at night, torch in your left
hand, a sword in your right hand, enemy of day, friend and lover of darkness,
you who does rejoice when the bitches howl and warm blood is spilled, you who
are walking amid the phantoms and in the place of tombs, Queen of the Manes
and of the Summanes, you whose thirst is blood, you who does strike chill fear
into mortal heart, Gorgo, Mormo, Bombo, Moon of a thousand forms, cast a propitious
eye upon our sacrifice."
Hippolytus , the "Philosophumena"
As will be seen, Hekate developed (or was degraded) into a dark, terrible divinity,
though this may largely be a function of emphasis rather than definition. I
shall return to this passage and the description of its associated ritual presently.
Hekate is classified as a Titan, and is described as being of various origins
depending on the source. One Fragment say that she is the “Self from Self”
borne daughter of Nyx which, interestingly is also found in antiquity:
"Torch-bearing Hekate, .. holy .., daughter of great-bosomed Nyx."
-Greek Lyric IV Bacchylides, Fragments, C5th BC.
As for the name Hekate, it seems to have several possible meanings. 'She who
works her will' is one interpretation, possibly the most well known, but 'the
far-off one' or 'far-going one' are also legitimate possibilities. These names
suggest that her power is unbounded by spatial/temporal concerns and that she
comes from beyond the borders of the ordered universe. This, as we shall see,
is an important concept in the development of this work.
As to her name and its interpretation, however, consider also:
An alternative derivation, 'most shining one', is borne out in representations
of Hekate from the forth century BCE which show a young goddess of both beauty
& power, carrying a torch & wearing a headdress of stars. 'Hekate' is
the female equivalent of 'Hekatos', an obscure epithet of Apollo, with whom
she is sometimes associated.
The Goddess is also referred to by a series of epithets some of which are collected
here:
1) Aidonaia (Lady of Hades)
2) Kourotrophe (Nurse of the Young)
3) Enodio (Wayside Goddess)
4) Brimo (The Angry/Terrifying One)
5) Trimorphos (Three-formed)
6) Zerynthia (Lady of Zerynthos)
7) Perseis (Daughter of Perses)
8) Antania (Enemy of Mankind)
9) Kleidouchos (Keeper of the Keys)
10) Khthonia (Underworld)
11) Krataiis (Strong One)
12) Kurotrophos (Protector of Children)
13) Monogenes (Only Child)
14) Phosphoro (The Light-Bringer)
15) Propylaia (The Guardian)
16) Soteira (Savior)
17) Trevia/Trivia (Of 3 Ways)
18) Tricephalus/Tricephalos (Three- Headed)
Since Hekate, like the Egyptian Set (who was identified with the Titan Typhon),
is a deity who rules the places outside of the boundaries of the (relative)
safety of civilization, she is also the ruler of everything that is unknown,
unexplored and untamed. Hekate is also, like Set, a “foreign” deity,
not native to the place where she is invoked. This may account in part for her
inconsistent origin myths, since her very nature is such that she is never a
local goddess. In the Fragments from the Coiled Dragon, we see this aspect in
her origin in the Heavenly region or Pleroma (fullness) that exists apart from
the Universe, forever separated from the Earth by the Great Outer Abyss. The
myth may be read allegorically and from such explorations certain formulae have
been discovered.
In her form as a Titan , Hekate's power was maintained after the Olympian gods
imposed order on the primeval Chaos . Zeus gave her dominion over Heaven and
Earth. She is also, in her conception as the daughter of Night an object of
respect from no less the Zeus Himself, and even the King of the Olympian gods
was loathe to incur the displeasure of Hekate. In fact, they shared the right
to grant or withhold gifts from humanity. Also, Hekate was worshipped as goddess
of abundance and is said to be generous to those who recognize and worship her.
Hekate is a teacher of magic, a guide for the candidate for initiation and revealer
of the hidden, secret and dangerous. Interestingly, she performs many functions
of the Later Classical age concept of the Great Mother Goddess even though (or
perhaps because) she is of a different (Titanic or Primeval) form and was never,
in all of her guises, an Olympian.
Hekate is often referred to as a triple goddess, called three headed and is
invoked, as we have seen, by three names . She is often thought of as part of
a trinity with Persephone and Demeter. In her degraded state in late Antiquity,
she was a hag or crone, emblematic of the then current conception of the Witch
or sorcerer. her role is often variant and there is evidence that in the triple
form, originally Demeter represents the old crone woman, Persephone the wife\mother,
and Hekate is the Maiden. Every early Greek representation of Hekate shows her
as a young woman. It is in later, Roman times that she is represented as Crone,
which is reflective of the image of the worshipper of Hekate (that is, the witch)
that became popular at the time. As we shall see, Hekate was originally (in
her “home” in Asia Minor) a Great Mother Goddess, and in her wanderings
through the mythic minds of her worshippers and devotees gradually taking on
a darker tone as the world changed and history moved inexorably on. I would
argue, however, that the emphasis on one aspect does not exclude or deny the
others, as this is clearly the case in modern Christianity which, in various
flavors and sects, emphasizes radically different aspects or viewpoints while
still paying lip service, at least, to what is believed to be the earliest (and
therefore most ‘authentic’) beliefs of the Pauline ‘Jesus
movement’. We thus live in a world where the followers of the Prince of
Peace are endlessly beating the drums of war in His name. It is therefore instructive
to keep in mind that the conception of a divinity is at least as much a product
of her worshippers (and often, those whom they are in conflict with) as any
mythological precedence.
The epithet Phosphoros may indicate a symbolic link with Venus, perhaps through
the torches, representing the Morning and Evening stars, that Hekate is so often
portrayed carrying. This is related to her form as daughter of Nyx (Night) and
she would therefore be the herald of the Dawn. There could also have been, as
in the Fragments, a version where she herself binds or slays the Dragon and
guides the Sun on its nightly journey through the underworld.
At Eleusis the famous Mysteries were enacted yearly, usually thought of by
modern scholarship as a celebration or enactment of spiritualized fertility
rites. It is certain that Hekate was honored there too, as she has a role in
the Demeter - Proserpine myth and may have been seen as a guide for initiates
into the Mysteries.
Hekate Exoterica
One of the keys (and Hekate was herself bore the title the “key bearer”)
of our understanding of Hekate is, of course, her “adoption” into
the Greek Pantheon as recorded by Hesiod in the Theogony. It is worth quoting
in full the passage that demarks her position in the three realms of the Cosmos;
Heaven (and Earth), Sea and the Underworld (or Zeus, Poseidon and Hades):
Then the goddess through the love of the god conceived and
brought forth dark-gowned Leto, always mild, kind to men and to
the deathless gods, mild from the beginning, gentlest in all
Olympus. Also she bare Asteria of happy name, whom Perses once
led to his great house to be called his dear wife. And she
conceived and bare 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 judgment, 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 discomfort able 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 (17), 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(ll. 404-452)
It seems generally accepted by modern scholarship that Hekate, whom we know
was, like Dionysus, an “alien” or foreign god adopted by the Greeks,
was originally worshipped as a Great Mother Goddess. This reflects a cosmic
or archetypal divinity whose function transcended the peculiarities of local
cult and myth . It is unclear how much of this role was consciously ascribed
to her in the Paleolithic age and how much was a product of inward experience
formalized as initiation, a process that has been intellectualized in modern
times. There seems compelling evidence of the Magna Mater cult in pre-literate
times though, again, this is likely a product of the goddess’ function
and her importance to the society that worshipped her. As cities and then empires
grew more people tended to live lives disconnected from the cycles of nature
and so the role of the gods in fertility was less immediate, at least by comparison
to their agrarian forebears.
It seems to be a modern, or at least later, development of religious thinking
to “universalize” the gods and to merge cultic divinities by reducing
them into abstract formulae. This is, at least in part, a reflection of the
continued mutation of human conceptions of the cosmos and the relationship of
humanity to nature, as well as the development of philosophical thinking which
tends to reduce everything to concepts which, even without the problems that
language itself raises in such circumstances, are unable to express the numinous
and emotional connection that the devotee experiences in contact with his or
her god(s). So we may say that philosophical reductionism is itself an agent
in the experience of divinity no matter how much one tries to be ‘objective’.
Simply put, words cannot fully comprehend the gods and such concepts are, in
any event, untranslatable in terms of the modes of expression available to early
agrarian cultures who we know about mostly from artifacts and images rather
than words.
Hekate is synchronized to several contemporary Goddesses in the late Classical
Age, the first of which seems to have been the Moon Goddess Artemis. In the
course of the morphing of Artemis into the well known figure of the “Virgin
Huntress”, Hekate assumed her role of fertility Goddess, which is, of
course, the central role of the Great Mother as it relates to human maternity
and the fecundity of Nature. Hekate was already worshipped as such (as was Artemis
in her earlier form) and so the “transfer of titles” was natural.
Hekate was, as ruler of boundaries also capable of facilitating communication
and between realms. In this role she was invoked by sorcerers raising the dead
(as in some of the literary records we do have) and by those who sought her
aid in petitioning the gods of Olympus and Hades. As key-bearer and guardian
of doorways, she is also, naturally, the opener of the portals she protects.
The evidence also supports Rabinowitz’s assertion that her transcendental
position in regard to the Heavens, Earth, Sea and Underworld, that Hekate is
a mediatrix between these realms and thus between the “deathless gods”
and men. That she is the Hekate Trivia, Goddess of the cross-roads and clearly
is a ruler over transition, as she is often found where one world (the world
of nature and another, whether the underworld or heaven, are joined, intersected
or transited) in some form throughout her development seems conclusive evidence
for this mediating role.
Rabinowitz also compares this function of Hekate as mediator to the Voudon
Loa Legba and provides ample proof that this attribution. As Lord (Lady) of
the Crossroads, it is in her power to transcend the boundaries of Heaven and
Earth. By examining the cult of Legba and comparing him to what we know of the
ancient symbol and myths of Hekate, we see confirmation of our speculation that
pagan gods are reflective of archetypal thinking and formed at least in part
by the social world of the worshippers. Recalling that in Voudon, Legba is invoked
and sacrificed to before any other god so that he may open the ‘gate’
between realms and allow them to enter this world, the passage upon which this
assertion rests is worth quoting:
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 (sic).
This does indeed seem to place Hekate in a functionary role similar to Legba,
especially considering the similarities in the symbolism of the crossroads.
So demonstrated, this opens the door, so to speak, to understanding Hekate in
a very primal form. Her relation to the World Tree, so central to shamanic cosmology,
places her firmly in the systems of the oldest known magical and religious expressions
of humanity. Through this understanding, it would be possible to “reconstruct”,
or at least devise reasonable facsimiles of some of the most ancient ritual
practices associated with Hekate and, perhaps most importantly, to understand
her development into her form as represented in the Late Classical world and
down through the two millennia since she was ‘demonized’ and her
worship was driven underground. Rabinowitz explores these themes in his book
but, since shamanism is not within the scope of this brief essay, I recommend
The Rotting Goddess as both an excellent survey as well as a documented source
for further research for any of the points touched on here.
Hekate is often (again no doubt due to her later development as portrayed in
the literary works of the late Roman Empire) associated with the Moon. While
this attribution is not without foundation as we have seen, and will find later,
the Lunar aspect of Hekate is marginal at best during most of the time she was
openly worshipped compared to other forms of the Goddess. It seems likely, in
fact, that the Lunar attributions are largely due to ‘contamination’
by other deities as Hekate was synchretised into the Greek and then Roman Pantheons.
This is important for two reasons. The first is that popular or later conception
of a god may often be at odds or at least skewed compared to their actual myth
or cult, particularly if the goddess in question has her roots, so to speak,
in the distant past. Second, it is a perfect example of how gods mutate and
develop over time and across cultural boundries.
Queen of Darkness and Night
Hekate is most well known in modern times from the classical
representations of her as a Goddess of Witchcraft and ruler of “Darkness”
which is at once the gestating Kaos from which the world is created, the sun
opposing Night (as in the Egyptian myth of Re and the Apep serpent) as well
as the “ordinary” or worldly night, the time of criminals, sorcery
and the unquiet dead. In medieval Europe, Hekate was sometimes associated with
pagan “holdovers” such as legends of the Wild Hunt.
In the Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities we are told that
Hekate “was only worshipped at night by torchlight”. She is consistently
associated with “deeds of darkness, the Goddess of the Crossways, which
held to be ghostly places of evil magic. An awful divinity" . These representation
are certainly indicative of how she was conceived in Late antiquity, mainly
in the works of the “Poets” such as Lucan and Ovid, but are not,
by any means, the entire story of her place in the mind and religions of the
Ancient world.
Nevertheless, it is not my intent to rehabilitate, as
it were, the concept of Hekate, as this depth and mythically rich background
is clearly part of the reason the Goddess still arouses interest in scholarly
studies and modern “Occult” movements. She may be identified the
“Goddess” of Wicca as well as the modern hypostasis of the Primeval
Mother found in Thelema, Babalon . Neither should we think of the Hekate of
later Antiquity as less authentic or in some way wrong, simply as an aspect,
from which we attempt to create our portrait. I wish to draw as complete a picture
of Hekate as possible and so wholly reject political correctness in our search
for understanding. This is for the simple, and, in my view, conclusive reason
that social perspectives of the various forces of Nature and Spirit are products
of historical and cultural themes that, while valid for the moment, do nothing
for our desire to approach her essence, by reason of the very temporal nature
of these concepts. In short, social and political views come and go (and often
come around again). It is our perspective that changes. What this comes down
to, in a practical sense, is the inclusion of all aspects of the Goddess, regardless
of modern sensibilities. This doesn’t mean I am advocating or practicing
animal sacrifice any more than writing about Kali advocates the practices of
the Thugees, but we should not shy away from or gloss over aspects of Hekate
for any reason, no matter how terrible or corrupt they seem , at least in a
historical sense.
As we have discussed, the Magna Mater was a primary deity
in many cultures but any survey of pagan religions will reveal a rich cultic
and artistic array of goddesses and gods, many of which are honored by unique,
deeply profound myths and rituals. The function of a deity, as we have seen,
is a product of culture, symbolism and the worshippers experiences and so likely
to morph, warp and flower in the most unexpected ways . Our brief survey of
Hekate and her conception validates this position.
In modern writing, it is common to find Hekate mixed
in with goddesses from very different mythic backgrounds, often based on nothing
more than the perception of some commonality. Some of this is a product of Christian
thinking being taken as an objective point of view, which it is not. Kali is
a perfect example of a Goddess that, while she does share some traits and symbolism
with Hekate, is part of a deep tradition and her cultic practices go back into
prehistory. She is still actively worshipped today. While they are both goddesses
with terrible forms and are associated with Darkness and Night, for instance,
the cultural and environmental (in the sense of the other religions\cults practiced
along side of the particular deity) raise many conflicts and difficulties that
cannot be brushed aside without reducing the two Goddesses to mere symbols.
This is not to say that comparisons and cross reference
is not legitimate or valuable. Rabinowitz’s comparison of Legba and Hekate
produced some valuable insights. Alain Daniélou, in his excellent Gods
of Love and Ecstasy, explores the similarities between the Hindu Shiva and Greek
Dionysus with astonishing results, arguing convincingly for a common origin
for both. The comparison with Legba clearly demonstrates, however, that it is
not the same to say that god A and god B share points of ritual, symbolism and
myth, and to say they are the same god . This is true even for gods thought
to have a common origin if, as with Shiva and Dionysus, there is a large period
of time where the two derivations develop independently of one another . To
do so, I believe, lessens the depth and power of the deities so identified and
denies the devotee contact with the more profound aspects of the god by reducing
the god in question to a “lowest common denominator”.
In spite of the difficulties we face when attempting
to construct an image of Hekate from the Classical sources we do have and the
fact that there is a long stretch between the modernist philosophical and psychological
reduction of the concept of a ‘god’ and the worshippers and initiates
of the mysteries in Antiquity, there is a considerably rich representation,
in concept if not in quantity, of Hekate to be found in what has come down to
us from that period. Keeping in mind the status of Hekate had, by this point,
been reduced (in the popular imagination at least) to a rather dark, chthonian
Goddess who was the patron of witches and necromancers, there is no doubt that
there is much to learned from these sources, which I now turn to.
Hekate in the Classical Greek and Roman world – Literary Remains
The pagan religions of the Classical world do not, of
course, have anything comparable to the concept of theology as practiced by
many of the World religions of the modern era. The gods were experienced directly,
and heard through their myths, which were enacted and ritualized in festival
and the later Mystery cults. As mentioned, there is very little conclusively
known about the rituals and mysteries of Hekate, which leaves mainly literary
sources such as have survived the Dark Ages that enveloped the Hellenized world
when Rome collapsed. How much weight to lend the various works we possess is
a difficult question. Undoubtedly there is a mixture of fact, legend and artistic
license in all of them, but since the pagan gods were not revealed, this is
true of all of their forms and as we have seen, the gods are shaped to fulfill
the needs of their worshippers as much or more than the worshippers are shaped
by the gods.
The fragments that follow are a selection of quotes from
many diverse sources. There is a large amount of collected material, often published
as “source books” that shall not be covered here and the reader
is encouraged to explore them. These fragments are mainly drawn from narratives
and give not only a description or quotation of a god’s function or form,
but also examples of the practices associate with these functions. As such,
I shall briefly comment on each passage as appropriate but the reader is encouraged
to draw his or her own conclusions as to the validity of the text.
Literary Fragments
“Then he (Aeson & Alkimede using magic to summon up the ghosts of
the dead) appeased the goddess of triple form (Hekate who had to be appeased
so the summoned spirits of the dead would be allowed entrance back into Haydes),
and with his last sacrifice offers a prayer to the Stygian abodes, rehearsing
backward a spell soon, soon to prove persuasive; for without that no thin shade
will the dark ferryman (Charon) take away, and bound they stand at the mouth
of Hades- Flaccus
Here we have a description of a rite to invoke certain aspects of Hekate for
magical purposes. Note the opening and mediating functions of Hekate as the
ritual is calling forth the dead from Hades.
"There stands a wood, enduring of time, and strong and erect in age, with
foliage aye unshorn nor pierced by any suns … Nor do the shadows lack
a divine power: Latonia’s (Artemis-Hekates’) haunting presence is
added to the grove … her arrows whistle unseen through the wood, her hounds
bay nightly, when she flies from her uncle’s (Haydes’) threshold
and resumes afresh Diana’s kindlier shape (Diana is here regarded as a
dual Artemis-Hekate) …
(Teiresias performing the rites of necromancy) bids the dark-fleeced sheep and
black oxen be set before him ... Then he entwined their fierce horns with wreaths
of dusky hue, handling them himself, and first at the edge of that well-known
wood (sacred to Hekate) he nine times spills the lavish draughts of Bacchus
into a hollowed trench, and gifts of vernal milk and Attic rain (honey) and
propitiatory blood to the Shades below; so much is poured out as the dry earth
will drink. Then they roll tree trunks thither, and the sad priest bids there
be three altar-fires for Hekate and three for the maidens born of cursed Acheron
(the Erinyes); for thee, lord of Avernus (Haydes), a heap of pinewood though
sunk into the ground yet towers high into the air; next to this an altar of
lesser bulk is raised to Ceres of the Underworld (Persephone); in front and
on every side the cypress of lamentation intertwines them. And now, their lofty
heads marked with the sword and the pure sprinkled meal, the cattle fell under
the stroke; then the virgin Manto (daughter of Teiresias), catching the blood
in bowls, makes first libation, and moving thrice round all the pyres, as her
holy sire commands, offers the half-dead tissues and yet living entrails, nor
delays to set the devouring fire to the dark foliage. And when Tiresias heard
the branches crackling in the flames and the grim piles roaring – for
the burning heat surges before his face, and the fiery vapor fills the hollows
of his eyes – he exclaimed, and the pyres trembled, and the flames cowered
at his voice:
‘Abodes of Tartarus and awful realm of insatiable Mors (Thanatos, death),
and thou, most cruel of the brothers (Haydes), to whom the Shades are given
to serve thee, and the eternal punishments of the damned obey thee, and the
palace of the underworld, throw open in answer to my knowing the silent places
and empty void of stern Persephone, and send forth the multitude that lurk in
hollow night; let the ferryman (Charon) row back across the Styx with groaning
bark. Haste ye all together, nor let there be fore the Shades but one fashion
of return to the light; do thou, daughter of Perses (Hekate), and the cloud-wrapped
Arcaidan (Hemes) with rod of power lead in separate throng the pious denizens
of Elysium; but for those who died in crime, who in Erebus, as among the seed
of Cadmus, are most in number, be thou their leader, Tisiphone, go on before
with snake thrice brandished and blazing yew-branch, and throw open the light
of day, nor let Cerberus interpose his heads, and turn aside the ghosts that
lack the light." –Thebaid
Note here the triple lights and nine draughts, as numerical formulae are most
important in circumscribing of the kabalistic formulae of Hekate. Also note
the other deities (Death and hermes) that are called upon in the same rite.
Medea : “'By the goddess I worship most of all, my chosen helper Hekate,
who dwells in the inner chamber of my house, none of them shall pain my heart
and smile at it! Bitter will I make their marriage, bitter Kreon's marriage-alliance,
and bitter my banishment from the land!"
–Euripides, Medea
Medea of course being great sorcerer, the identity of Hekate as the ‘goddess
I worship most of all’ makes sense as Hekate is, by the time this was
written, best known as a patron for magicians, witches and sorcerers.
“The goddess Hera kept (Medea) in the house, though as a rule she did
not spend her time at home, but was busy all day in the temple of Hekate, of
whom she was priestess.” –Argonautica
This concept, that the sorceress Medea is a “priestess” is a reminder
that even in later Antiquity, the division between magic and religion is not
clear in regards to the pagan gods.
Medea: “And yet I wish (Jason) had been spared. Yes Sovran Lady Hekate,
this is my prayer. Let him live to reach his home.” –Argonautica
Here an aspect of Hekate’s dominion is demonstrated, since Medea clearly
believes that her request is within Hekate’s power.
Argos: “’You (Jason) have heard me speak of (Medea) who practices
witchcraft under the tutelage of the goddess Hekate. If we could win her over,
we might banish from our minds all fear of your defeat in the ordeal (yoking
the fire breathing bulls of Arêtes).” –Argonautica
Hekate is called the tutelary spirit of ‘witchcraft’ that is the
art of sorcery as opposed to the ‘religion’ of witchcraft of the
European Middle Ages. While there are groups of ‘witches’ mentioned
in the Classical literature , the organization of the coven is not found in
any form related to Hekate. There is some similarity at least with the Dionysian
cults however, and Dionysus was also part of the Eleusinian mysteries.
Medea: “‘At dawn I will go to Hekate’s temple with magic medicine
for the bulls (to protect Jason from their fiery breath).” – Argonautica
“She (Medea) wished to drive to the splendid Temple of Hekate; and while
were getting the carriage ready she took a magic ointment from her box. This
salve was named after Prometheus. A man had only to smear it on his body, after
propitiating the only-begotten Maiden (Hekate) with a midnight offering, to
become invulnerable by sword or fire and for that day to surpass him in strength
and daring. It first appeared in a plant that sprang from the blood-like ichors
of Prometheus in his torment, which the flesh-eating eagle had dropped on the
spurs of Kaukasos … To make the ointment, Medea, clothed in black, in
the gloom of night, had drawn off this juice in a Caspian shell after bathing
in seven perennial streams and calling seven times on Brim o, nurse of youth,
Brimo, night-wanderer of the underworld, Queen of the dead. The dark earth shook
and rumbled underneath the Titan root when it was cut, and Prometheus himself
groaned in the anguish of his soul.” –Argonautica
Here the worship of Hekate and the performance of magic are linked. In both
cases Medea is going to Hekate’s temple and the creation of magical potions
are described. It seems likely that the products of sorcery, such as potions
etc. would be taken to the temple and Hekate propitiated and or entreated as
part of the magical working.
“Medea forced herself to speak to him (Jason). ‘Hear me now,’
she said. ‘These are my plans for you. When you have met my father and
has given you the deadly teeth from the serpent’s jaws, wait for the moment
of midnight and after bathing in an ever-running river, go out alone in somber
clothes and dig a round pit in the earth. There, kill an ewe and after heaping
up a pure over the pit, sacrifice it whole, with a libation of honey from the
hive and prayers to Hekate, Perses’ only Daughter. Then, when you have
invoked the goddess duly, withdraw from the pyre. And to not be tempted to look
behind you as you go, either by footfalls or the baying of hounds, or you may
ruin everything and never reach your friends alive. In the morning, melt this
charm, strip, and using it like oil, anoint your body. It will endow you with
tremendous strength and boundless confidence … neither the spear-points
of the earthborn men nor the consuming flames that the savage bulls spew out
will find you vulnerable.” –Argonautica
“Jason waited for the bright constellation of the
Bear to decline, and then, when all the air from heaven to earth was still,
he set out like a stealthy thief across the solitary plain. During the day he
had prepared himself, and so had everything he needed with him; Argos had fetched
him some milk and an ewe from a farm; the rest he had taken from the ship itself.
When he had found an unfrequented spot in a clear meadow under the open sky,
he began by bathing his naked body reverently in the sacred river, and then
put on a dark mantle which Hypsipyle of Lemnos had given him to remind him of
their passionate embraces. Then he dug a pit a cubit deep, piled up billets,
and laid the sheep on top of them after cutting its throat. He kindled the wood
from underneath and poured mingled libations on the sacrifice, calling on Hekate
Brimo to help him in the coming test. This done, he withdrew; and the dread
goddess, hearing his words from the abyss, came up to accept the offering of
Aison’s son. She was garlanded by fearsome snakes that coiled themselves
round twigs of oak; the twinkle of a thousand torches lit the scene; and hounds
of the underworld barked shrilly all around her. The whole meadow trembled under
her feet, and the nymphai of marsh and river who haunt the fens by Amarantian
Phasis cried out in fear. Jason was terrified; but even so, as he retreated,
he did not once turn round. And so he found himself among his friends once more,
and Dawn arrived.” –Argonautica
This selection is a detailed description of a non-initiate (Jason) calling on
the Goddess. The sacrifice is made under the guidance of Medea who is functioning
as Priestess, advising Jason and not, herself, performing the magic. Also note
the mention of the Constellation of the Bear, Ursae Major and its declination
as the sign that the time is propitious for the rite. See the Dragon of Darkness
for much more on the seven stars of Ursae Major .
”Rising from the distant east, the Lady Selene (Moon), Titanian goddess,
saw the girl (who is Medea) wandering distraught, and in wicked glee said to
herself: ‘So I am not the only one to go astray for love, I that burn
for beautiful Endymion and seek him in the Latmian cave. How many times, when
I was bent on love, have you disorbed me with your incantations, making the
night moonless so that you might practice your beloved witchcraft undisturbed!
And now you are as lovesick as myself. The little god of mischief has given
you Jason, and many a heartache with him. Well, go your way; but clever as you
are, steel yourself now to face a life of sighs and misery.’ So said Selene.”
The statement of the Moon Goddess, which seems to be distinct from Hekate here,
is interesting in the mention of the Witch having control over the Moon (in
the sky) and her ability to cast the Night into total darkness in order to practice
her (Medea’s) rites as if it were the Dark moon.
“ (The Dragon) writhed (when) he saw (Medea) take her stand, and heard
her in her sweet voice invoking Hypnos, the conqueror of the gods, to charm
him . She also called on the night-wandering Queen of the world below to countenance
her efforts. Jason from behind looked on in terror. But the giant snake, enchanted
by her song, was soon relaxing the whole of his serrated spine and smoothing
out his multitudinous undulations … Medea, chanting a spell, dipped a
fresh sprig of juniper in her brew and sprinkled his eyes with her most potent
drug; and as the all-pervading magic scent spread round his head, sleep fell
on him.” –Argonautica
This fragment may be a retelling of an older, cosmic myth. In any case, the
battle with serpent or dragon shall be discussed in detail below.
”She (Medea) reinforced her words with magic, scattering to the four winds
spells of such potency as would have drawn wild creatures far away to come down
from their mountain fastnesses.” –Argonautica
Mentions of magical practices that no doubt call on Hekate, as she is a goddess
of wild animals who, it is believed, would be drawn to her presence invoked
by the ritual.
“ ‘Nor let them (the Argonauts) go too near the hateful den of Ausonian
Skylla, that wicked monster borne to Phorkys by night-wandering Hekate, whom
men call Kratais.” –Argonautica
Hekate named as the mother of the Sea Monster Scylla. In this passage Circe
is speaking.
“I swear by Helios’ sacred light and by the secret rites of Perses’
night-wandering Daughter .” –Argonautica
Note the fact that she swears by both. This should not be viewed as playing
both sides of the proverbial fence but, rather as the fact that Hekate spans
both the Light and Darkness. Recall that Medea is a devotee of Hekate first
and foremost. Diodorus Siculus names Hekate as Medea’s actual mother though
this seems to be a spiritual relationship and may indicate a ritual adoption
of her consecrated priestess. Hekate was often linked with other gods and after
Artemis and Hermes, Helios was most often associated with Hekate. This may be
one reason she became associated with the Moon.
“‘Listen to me,’ (Medea) said (speaking to the Argonauts).
‘I think that I and I alone can get the better of that man, whoever he
may be, unless there is immortal life in that bronze body. All I ask of you
is to stay here keeping the ship out of range of his rocks till I have brought
him down.’
They took the ship out of range, as Medea had asked, and rested on their oars
waiting to see what marvelous device she would employ. Medea went up on the
deck. She covered both her cheeks with a fold of her purple mantle, and Jason
led her by the hand as she passed across the benches. Then, with incantations,
she invoked the Keres (Spirits of Death), the swift hounds of Hades who feed
on souls and haunt the lower air to pounce on living men. She sank to her knees
and called upon them, three times in song, three times with spoken prayers.
She steeled herself of their malignity and bewitched the eyes of Talos with
the evil in her own. She flung at him the full force of her malevolence, and
in an ecstasy of rage she plied him with images of death.
Is it true then, Father Zeus, that people are not killed only by disease or
wounds, but can be struck down by a distant enemy? The thought appalls me. Yet
it was thus that Talos, for all his brazen frame, was brought down by the force
of Medea’s magic. He was hoisting up some heavy stones with which tow
keep them from anchorage, when he grazed his ankle on a sharp rock and the ichors
ran out of him like molten lead. He stood there for a short time, high on the
jutting cliff. But even his strong legs could not support him long; he began
to sway, all power went out of him, and he came down with a resounding crash..”
–Argonautica
This fragment is another, rather detailed example of a magical operation. Note
again the three times invocation as well as, in this case, that Medea uses spoken
spells without any implements or ritual paraphernalia.
“They (the Argonauts) made fast their stern cables on the Paphlagonian
coast at the mouth of the River Halys. Medea had told them to land there and
propitiate Hekate with a sacrifice. But with what ritual she prepared the offering,
no one must hear. Nor must I let myself be tempted to describe it; my lips are
sealed by awe. But the altar they built for the goddess on the beach is still
there for men of a later age to see.” –Argonautica
This passage provides an enigmatic and suggestive description of a ritual sacrifice.
It should be well noted that sacrifice is most important to the performance
of Hekate’s rites and the magic she teaches. This is of course true of
all Classical gods but also a sign of her Titanic nature as well as an indication
of her role as giver of sacrifice in the Mysteries.
“(Medea) said (to the Argonauts) that she had brought with her many drugs
of marvelous potency which had been discovered by her mother Hekate and by her
sister Kirke; and though before this time she had never used them to destroy
human beings, on this occasion she would be means of them easily wreak vengeance
upon men who were deserving of punishment."
-Diodorus Siculus
This is a unique passage in that Medea discusses a moral basis for the use of
her power learned and derived from her ‘mother’ Hekate.
” (Medea) in her sacred fillets by the twin torches’ light –Valerius
Flaccus
Again Hekate’s rites are described as lit by torch light (held by the
priestess, in this case Medea) as a symbol of her aspect as guide – as
a bringer of Light – and Medea here was invoking the Goddess, it seems,
and assuming her form by imitation.
“Persean Hecate dwelling in her lofty groves beheld her … and from
the depth of her heart uttered these words: ‘Alas! Thou dost leave our
woodland and thy maidens’ bands, unhappy girl, to wander in thy own despite
to the cities of the Greeks. Yet not unbidden goes thou, nor, my dear one, will
I forsake thee. A signal record of they flight shalt thou leave behind, nor
though a captive shall thou ever be despised by thy false lord, nay, he shall
know me for thy teacher, and that I grieved with shame that he robbed me of
my handmaid.” –Valerius Flaccus
Even when Medea turns from her path Hekate vows not to forsake her, which is
indicative of her benevolence toward her worshipers if not humanity in general.
Of course there are traditions that Medea was actually the daughter of Hekate
but is reasonable to believe that she (Medea) can be considered to represent
the worshipper (as such devices of serve this purpose in myth).
Ritual Practice from Antiquity
Aside from the descriptions of the sacrifices in the
previous section there is not much in regard to the religious rites of Hekate.
Of course, we must look at the mention of her by the poets at least skeptically
since her stature in the Roman Empire was considerably debased compared to earlier
conceptions. There is of course a wealth of material pertaining to ritual and
magic in practice in Antiquity, from many different periods and locations in
Europe. It is reasonable to consider the “technology” that was used
in the worship of one god would likely share many similarities with the worship
of another dependant on a host of factors such as geography, if secrecy were
part of the rites, and what the practitioners were trying to achieve. As an
example: from Caerleon, Wales near the camp of the Legio Secunda Augusta, dating
to the first or second century CE: "Domna Nemesis, do tibi et galliculas,
qui tulit non redimat ni vita sanguinei sui" or in English, "Lady
Nemesis, I give you this cloak and these shoes. May the person who has worn
them not redeem them except with his own life and blood." This seems to
be a common type of curse, dedicating stolen property to a god or goddess, which
they are then left to collect. This one is interesting in calling upon Nemesis,
as she is not usually found in Greek defixiones (sic). Other Roman defixiones
(sic), where deities are mentioned, usually dedicate their victims to Proserpina,
and less so to Pluto. But the most common actually call upon the spirits of
the dead in whose tomb these curse tablets were placed. Rites to Hecate that
are mentioned being used by practitioners of the Religio Romana that would associate
her with the Manes, but not necessarily is she chthonic, nor a goddess of the
Religio Romana. she is called upon in Latin defixiones (sic) as an avenger of
wrongs.
There is a (comparatively) large body of literature that
survives regarding this type of magic, including Hekate’s role in the
creation of so called curse tablets and magical collections of Late Antiquity
(the so-called magical papyri) though it shall not be discussed here, being
in our view worthy of an entire paper on it its own, the student is encouraged
to investigate and adopt from these sources as she will.
At the beginning we quoted the invocation from Hippolytus’
"Philosophumena" in order to show the nature of Hekate as she was
known in late Antiquity. The passage also contains a description of the rite
and read in conjunction with the ritual performed by Jason gives a good outline
of the sacrificial rite as practiced in conjunction to magical practice.
The entire passage reads:
Build a shrine and deck it with wild laurel boughs, set there in my image which
adore with fervent orison, and in thy sleep I will stand before you." Form
a statue of well-planed wood by mystic formula. Smear the figure with rue, and
then with a paste of myrrh, storax, frankincense and lizard's tail, confected
when the moon is but a sickle. When the moon is full vow your solemn vows in
the words, "Come, infernal, terrestrial, and heavenly Proserpina, goddess
of the broad roadways, of crossroads, you who quest to and fro at night, torch
in your left hand, a sword in your right hand, enemy of day, friend and lover
of darkness, you who does rejoice when the bitches howl and warm blood is spilled,
you who are walking amid the phantoms and in the place of tombs, Queen of the
Manes and of the Summanes, you whose thirst is blood, you who does strike chill
fear into mortal heart, Gorgo, Mormo, Bombo, Moon of a thousand forms, cast
a propitious eye upon our sacrifice. (Hippolytus "Philosophumena")
Here we see, among other things, the practice of creating
a shrine or image of Hekate before which the ritual is to be performed is detailed.
Notice also that although the invocation references the desire for blood attributed
to Hekate, there is no mention of an offering of blood in this passage. It is
probable that, as a Goddess linked to both life and death as well as the transitions
between them (i.e. birth and death) the Great Mother aspect degraded along with
the image of the gods as she was, in the “civilized” world, less
immediate as a ruler of natural fertility and thus these aspects were her most
immediate for those who worshipped her.
Another description of a ritual is given here:
Using a pottery shard, on which an offering of grain, beans, honey and oil is
placed, the sacrifice is made to Hecate at a crossroads three days before a
full moon (also on the priedi Kalends Februalis). then when Luna's "horns
joined in their circle to flood earth and sky, in silver splendor, loose cloaked
and barefoot, hair fallen over naked breasts and shoulders, Medea stepped abroad
in silent midnight...three times she raised her arms to the stars and sky. And
three times wheeled about and three times splashed her hair with moonlit water
(in a running stream)...three times she scream, then fell upon her knees to
pray, "O Night, Night, Night! whose darkness holds all mysteries in shade,
O flame-lit stars, whose golden rays with Luna floating near are like the fires
of day, O Hecate, who knows untold desires that work our will, and are the mistress
of our secret spells..." (Ovid)
Notice the invocation of Night and then Hekate that seem
to imply a formula . This passage does not indicate what the ritual was intended
to achieve but it does show in addition to the formula that not all sacrifice
was of blood.. Though the Goddess Nyx is not as well known as the Olympian gods,
she is important in regard to the development of the Greek pantheon as she is
(in some accounts) the Mother of the more primal divinities (i.e. the Titans).
Psychologically, the personified night undoubtedly held its symbolic link to
the unknown in the relation of darkness with the mysterious which is also an
attribute of Hekate.
Now we have seen the forms and, perhaps deduced some
of the theory that underlies the ritual practices in late Antiquity, at least
insofar as they are recorded by the literati of the Roman Empire. Ultimately,
the magician who desires to work this current will, due to lack of sources,
have to create his or her own ritual formulae, or at least adapt from unrelated
sources techniques to achieve his or her ends. For this reason, I believe, many
have found Hekate to be a most advantageous goddess to form an alliance with,
by reason of her function as a tutelary spirit even in the days of her open
worship. Aside from this, the student also may draw on the vast amount of literature
published during the so-called occult ‘explosion’ that began in
the 60’s and continues to this day. While a large majority of the material
available is derivative and often written by people with no practical experience,
or with absurd (inconsistent or self contradictory) views of cosmology and ethics
, the fact is that anyone with the desire can discover enough information to
get a running start and, if they are serious, to progress significantly toward
what was known to the highest initiates of ages past, provided the proper ‘inner’
contacts are made.
In concluding this section, it seems appropriate to mention
the fact that, in this time when the ‘secrets’ of magic are so openly
published (often for free on the World Wide Web) that the goals that are sought
in the of performing the blood sacrifice can be safely said to be attainable
through the use of certain formulae that do not involve the killing of an animal
(or other illegal acts) and that these formulae are of at least as potent a
form (when understood and applied) as the ‘real thing’. It could
be argued that animal sacrifice is a primitive or exoteric form of the techniques
advanced by Crowley and all of those that have come after, most of them simply
paraphrasing and footnoting what Crowley taught or doing what we are here, commenting
on ancient (and not so ancient) sources. Additionally, it ought to be apparent
to the practitioner, male or female, that though different in form (from both
perspectives) these techniques will prove more efficient than attempting recreate
the Classical period rites if for no other reason than the modern apartment
dweller would have a difficult time procuring the animals and establishing a
place for regular practice, never mind the legal and moral questions. As always,
the individual must decide the ethics of any proposed the course of action
Hekate in the Chaldean Oracles of Zoroaster
The Hekate discussed in the preceding section seems,
at first glance, to be very loosely related, at best, to the Goddess of the
same name who is a major (cosmic) power described in the Chaldean Oracles of
Zoroaster. Whereas Hekate in the pagan cult (at least as it was imagined by
later writers) was a divinity of great power, she was a force that existed outside
of the Pantheon of Greek gods. A primal force to be sure but closer, so to say,
to the Earth. Nevertheless, the Chaldean Oracles provides an important view
on the impact that civilization had, not only in regard to Hekate but to religion
in general. The book is valuable for several reasons. It not only shows how
the pagan divinities were ‘modernized’ in various ways, as in the
Oracles but also provides a glimpse into what may have become of the gods had
not Constantine triumphed at the Milvian Bridge.
The Chaldean Oracles, a work attributed to Zoroaster, were said to have been
revealed to Julian the Theurgist, also known as the Chaldean. This work, of
which only fragments are preserved, is a theosophical text in verse composed
in the second century AD, that combined Platonic elements with others that were
Persian or Babylonian. The Chaldean Oracles were regarded by the later Neo-Platonist
as a sacred text, sometimes, even above Plato himself.
The same source also quotes the Pagan Emperor Julian who attempted to revive
the, for lack of a better term, “Philosophical Paganism” of the
Sol-Mitra cultus that, though Julian was unsuccessful, eventually flowered as
Hermetic Philosophy and Alchemy in the European Renaissance.
"And if I should also touch on the secret teachings of the Mysteries in
which the Chaldean, divinely frenzied, celebrated the God of the Seven Rays,
that god through whom he lifts up the souls of men, I should be saying what
is unintelligible, yea wholly unintelligible to the common herd, but familiar
to the happy theurgists." - Julian - Hymn to the Magna Mater
Before going into specifics of the text, it should be noted that Theurgy is
“Divine magic, as opposed to mere thaumaturgy or sorcery. Its goal is
apotheosis or, less ambitiously, the "knowledge and conversation of the
Holy Guardian Angel" and the working of sublimation both of self and world.”
Hekate in the Chaldean Oracles is identified as the principal Goddess involved
in magical and spiritual practices (that is, Theurgy), for she is the Anima
Mundi, the World Soul or spirit. She is the mediator between the Empyrean Realm,
where the Gods reside, and the manifest Universe; in Gnostic terms, the Pleroma
of Light and the Worlds below the Abyss; she is also the psycho pomp or guide,
the one who shows the way back to the Eternal Gods through Theurgy which we
identify as the conquest of the Ladder of Lights, the Descent into the Underworld
and subsequent binding of the Demon Choronzon and crossing of the Great Outer
Abyss. It would be a mistake to think that the two systems (if the Fragments
in and of themselves can be called a system) are interchangeable; however, once
again we take encouragement in the fact that the Book is so internally consistent
in its form and doctrine with historically (though obscure) valid precedent.
There are of course points of divergence in the myth structures. The Demiurge
(the Platonic concept, not the Gnostic false or lesser creator) and Hekate together
create the Aetherial Realm where the Celestials are. These bodies are or have
a material form in the Chaldean Oracles, while the Fragments contains a version
of the Combat Myth and they are the imprisoned Archons formed out of the slain
Dragon. Nevertheless, it is most important to see the points of agreement, as
in both Hekate is the force (or a force) in the creation of the heavenly spheres
and Hekate mediates between the Upper and Lower realms, however they are conceptualized.
She stands at the lowest point of the Empyrean Realm and exists in both the
Empyrean and Material simultaneously separating and connecting the realms, while
in the Fragments, she is Present in both realms by means of her Hypostatic relationship
with Nyx who dwells in the Realm of the Pleroma and the Terrestrial Universe.
In other terms, she mediates between Zeus, the Transmundane Sun, who rules the
Olympian Gods and the Mundane Sun (Helios, Sol), or between Lucifer and the
Fire of the Depth (Bythos) she is also the separator (preserver of the cosmic
order),
for as a Girdling Mental Membrane she divides
the First and Other Fire, hastening to mix,
This Hymen enwraps the material world to which she gives birth. In another Goddess
herself places her fiery Girdle at the lower extremity of the Noetic Realm:
The Father's Thoughts are these, and then's My winding Fire.
What becomes critical to grasp at this point is that while we have the Nyx-Hekate
distinction, the Oracles call both the Upper and Lower Hekate by the same name.
Or probably more accurately, the Fragments makes the distinction between the
in a philosophical sense, though there is no real separation of the Being of
Nyx-Hekate. This can be seen in the declaration
... is a Worker, Giver of Life-Bringing Fire,
and fills the Womb Life-Giving of Hekate…
the universe is created in the Womb of Nyx as the Dragon and then His Twin Lucifer,
the two that shall be mystically unified in the successful completion of the
Alchemical Work.
She is an emanation from the Father, the Uncreated and the means to His further
emanation (extension):
for from Him leap the Thunderbolts Implacable
and Lightning-Storm-receiving Wombs of Radiant Light
of Father-born Hekate, and Girdling Flower of Fire,
and mighty Spirit from beyond the Fiery Poles.
The Pneuma is Hekate as Anima Mundi and Nyx as the Spirit filled vessel of the
Logos.
A detailed analysis of Hekate in the Chaldean oracles, written by G.R.S. Meade
provides a thorough examination of the portions of the text that relate to Hekate.
As this provides a valuable resource for research vectors it is included as
an appendix to this section. The entire text of the Chaldean Oracles are included
in the appendix.
Other Sources
In 1909 Aleister Crowley performed a series of magical
operations with the aim of entering the 30 Aethyrs that are the Aeons, which
make up the structure of the (magical) universe. In the course of the working,
Crowley was attempting to learn the mysteries of each Aeons which, when entered
in order (from 30 to 1) provide an initiatory experience for the magician. This
culminates in the 10th Aethyr, ZAX the Great Outer Abyss. He also encountered
the Goddess Babalon and her mysteries that are part of the initiation. Since
Babalon is at least related to the Hekate of the Fragments, the knowledge Crowley
brought back with him provides an additional source by which the Fragments may
be interpreted. He also encountered Hekate in her lesser guise as the Moon Mother
and goddess of witchcraft.
In the 27th Aethyr he encounters Hekate:
Lonely am I and cold in the wilderness of the stars{SUP:7}. For I am the queen
of all them that dwell in Heaven, and the queen of all them that are pure upon
earth, and the queen of all the sorcerers of hell{SUP:8}.
I am the daughter of Nuit, the lady of the stars. And I am the Bride of them
that are vowed unto loneliness{SUP:9}. And I am the mother of the Dog Cerberus{SUP:10}.
One person am I, and three gods{SUP:11}. -The Cry of the 27th Aethyr, Which
is Called ZAA
Note the identification of her formulae that she is queen of all them that dwell
in Heaven, and the queen of all them that are pure upon earth, and the queen
of all the sorcerers of hell. This is an indication that Hekate retains the
functions of her early form as a young Goddess of the (solar) light, which belies
her apparent marginalization, here demoted virtually the lowest of the Celestial
Aeons (27th of 30).
Crowley's Star of Babalon
In the 12th Aethyr he is shown the Grail and the mysteries of it and the Goddess
to whom it belongs:
Glory unto the Scarlet Woman, Babalon the Mother of Abominations, that rideth
upon the Beast, for she hath spilt their blood in every corner of the earth
and lo! she hath mingled it in the cup of her whoredom.
With the breath of her kisses hath she fermented it, and it hath become the
wine of the Sacrament, the wine of the Sabbath; and in the Holy Assembly hath
she poured it out for her worshippers, and they had become drunken thereon,
so that face to face they beheld my Father. Thus are they made worthy to become
partakers of the Mystery of this holy vessel, for the blood is the life. So
sitteth she from age to age, and the righteous are never weary of her kisses,
and by her murders and fornications she seduceth the world. Therein is manifested
the glory of my Father, who is truth.
The voice continues: This is the Mystery of Babylon, the Mother of abominations,
and this is the mystery of her adulteries, for she hath yielded up herself to
everything that liveth, and hath become a partaker in its mystery. And because
she hath made herself the servant of each, therefore is she become the mistress
of all. Not as yet canst thou comprehend her glory.
Beautiful art thou, O Babylon, and desirable, for thou hast given thyself to
everything that liveth, and thy weakness hath subdued their strength. For in
that union thou didst understand. Therefore art thou called Understanding, O
Babylon, Lady of the Night!
Here we see that Hekate in her relationship (or even outright identification)
with Babalon is the instrument by which the universe is redeemed, by her sacrifice
“because she hath made herself the servant of each, therefore is she become
the mistress of all” and that of the magician who sacrifices his/her Self
in order to transcend the Universe. The full implication of this may be found
only in the understanding of the formulae of the Goddess, which are given in
the Fragments from the Book of the Coiled Dragon.
In Magic and Theory and Practice (Weiser 1988) Crowley discusses the formula
as it pertains to his cult of Thelema:
The Formula of I.A.O. This formula is the principal and most characteristic
formula of Osiris, of the Redemption of Mankind. "I" is Isis, Nature,
ruined by "A", Apophis the Destroyer, and restored to life by the
Redeemer Osiris. There is a quite different formula in which I is the father,
O the Mother, A the child --- and yet another, in which I.A.O. are all fathers
of different kinds balanced by H.H.H., 3 Mothers, to complete the Universe.
In a third, the true formula of the Beast 666, I and O are the opposites which
form the field for the operation of A.
This is also identical with the Word Lux, L.V.X., which
is formed by the arms of a cross. It is this formula which is implied in those
ancient and modern monuments in which the phallus is worshipped as the Savior
of the World.
The doctrine of resurrection as vulgarly understood is
false and absurd. It is not even "Scriptural". St. Paul does not identify
the glorified body which rises with the mortal body which dies. On the contrary,
he repeatedly insists on the distinction.
The same is true of a magical ceremony. The magician
who is destroyed by absorption in the Godhead is really destroyed. The miserable
mortal automaton remains in the Circle. It is of no more consequence to Him
that the dust of the floor.
The Alchemists themselves taught this same truth. The
first matter of the work was base and primitive, though "natural".
After passing through various stages the "black dragon" appeared;
but from this arose the pure and perfect gold.
There is an etymological identity between Tetragrammaton
and "I A O", but the magical formulae are entirely different, as the
descriptions here given have schewn. It will now be understood that this formula
of I A O is a formula of Tiphareth. The magician who employs it is conscious
of himself as a man liable to suffering, and anxious to transcend that state
by becoming one with god
It was this key that thus unlocked the Book. Formulae shall be covered in detail
presently, but for now suffice to say that the formula is not only the key to
the cosmogony but also a further proof which is contained in Crowley’s
rectification of IAO to FIAOF.
Finally, we would mention a few other contemporary sources for information about
Hekate.
Kenneth Grant – as mentioned above, another source that has been invaluable
to finding a context for the Fragments is Kenneth Grant’s “Typhonian
Trilogies”. Anyone familiar with these books probably knows that Grant
titled one of the second trilogy books Hecate’s Fountain after the verse
from the Chaldean Oracles:
In the left side of Hecate is a fountain of Virtue, which remaineth entirely
within her, not sending forth its virginity. (v. 187)
Much more detail concerning Grant and his work will be discussed throughout
this book and an overview of his work can be found later in the chapter “The
Shadows of Set”.
For now, however, I will only mention Grant’s Aleister
Crowley and the Hidden God, which revealed the full implication of Hekate via
the formula of the Gnostics, IAO . Grant himself interprets the formula as:
The three-fold formula of Babalon…is also the magical significance of
the formula of IAO (Isis-Apophis-Osiris).
Having found a connection to Babalon (and thus Hekate), Grant interprets the
formula:
I, Yod …is the solitary seed attributed to Virgo, represented by the Virgin.
A is Apophis, the ‘evil’ serpent of corruption and dissolution,
represented by the Whore. O is the true Eye or Yoni…
Grant references Crowley’s Magick in Theory and Practice (Book 4, part
3) and notes that this formula is a key to Crowley’s system.
We shall complete our brief overview of Hekate and her
evolution, having compiled a considerable amount of data. As we shall see in
the next section, the conception of Hekate that we have managed will be more
than validated. In working toward our understanding of Hekate, we have drawn
on fragments and debased images, hints and lucky guesses, trying to see through
the smoke of centuries to find the center from which we could begin to measure,
trying to draw a map in the dark.
Now, having laid our foundation, we will turn to the
contemporary views of Hekate and the so called Divine Feminine.