Hecate

Hecate, Hekate (Hekátē), or Hekat was orginially a goddess of the wilderness and childbirth originating from Thrace. Due to popular cult following as a mother goddess her persona was integrated into Greek and Egyptian culture where she ultimately achieved her more modern connotations as a goddess of sorcery and her role as the ?Queen of Ghosts.?

Hecate in neo-Paganism

In modern neo-Paganism Hecate can take numerous roles. Modern Neopagans, particularly Hellenistic sects in the United States, often view Hecate as a goddess of Magic. Hecate is not seen as a necessarily benevolent goddess, and her favor is often seen as fickle. Hecate is thought to grant magical power to those who please her, and sometimes punish those who displease her. Examples of punishment may include inflicting madness in some cases, or sickness, posion, and disease in others. However Hecate is not thought to be malevolent, and to those who gain her favor she is thought to grant boons, including relief from pain, ease in child birth, the curing of disease and physical ailments, and (some believe) unnatural longevity. In regards to unnatural longevity, some believe that Vampires and other immortals may exist among us as examples, but it's worthy of note that no such immortal has ever been found outside of various myths and works of fiction. Hecate is believed by many to be unconcerned with mortals unless they earn her attention, reserving most of her favor for innately magical beings and favoring her Nymphs above all else.

Related Topics:
Neo-Paganism - Neopagans - Sect - United States - Vampire - Nymph

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Worship of Hecate can take many forms. In some cases animal sacrifices have been alleged. Most modern pagans very actively discourage the practice of animal sacrifice, in part due to fear of being associated with satanist and in part due to concerns for the humane treatment of animals.

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Hecate is thought to favor those who show conviction, commitment, and adoration for her, which leads many to conduct chanting and prostration in hopes of gaining favor and magical power. The most common forms of worship include prostration, chanting adoration for Hecate, fasting, the collecting of lanterns, the burning of oils and incense, and the burning and bread and other foods as sacrifices. According to some pagan websites Hecate is worshipped by both men and women evenly.

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Many groups worship Artemis instead due to Hecate's supposedly fickle nature and lack of benevolence. Other gods commonly worshipped by such groups are Theia and Hyperion.

Related Topics:
Artemis - Theia - Hyperion

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