Goddess Hecate on the Hidden Consequence of Wickedness

Summary of Contents: Hecate in Mythology | Arrival and Appearance | Bitter Sweet Goddess | Technology and Information Storage | Underworld Facility | Hecate's Birthday | The Trophy Room | Hecate the Glorious

Festival Day - 2 September

Hecate in Mythology

Hecate is listed by poet Hesiod as the daughter of Zeus and Hera.

Often included as one of three moon goddesses together with Artemis and Selene, Hecate is said to represent the dark moon.

Hecate is occasionally depicted as a triple-headed goddess, and according to some devotees to the dark arts is patroness of black magic and witchcraft.

Hecate mythological references.

"Is Hecate the goddess of Black Magic?" Nick Hammond asked out-of-body survivalist Margo Williams.

Arrival and Appearance

"Does she favour the dark arts and evil-doers? No. That is a very dangerous misconception to make.

But she does have a place for those who participate in that activity. In the same way as Hades, her work is education. Hecate told me she processes more females.

Obviously I didn't know any of this when first she arrived. Given the sinister legends, understandably nervous I awaited Hecate’s arrival.

Flash of lightning lit the air, then vanished.

A hooded figure formed, clad in dark grey robe long to the floor. Robe sleeves opened wide at the wrists revealing thin bony hands, big for a female.

I noticed she wore a thick white girdle round her waist, its decoration matched the curved white edging at the neckline of her robe.

Hood shadowed her face, but wisps of straggly dark hair were visible.

"Interesting," she said. Voice slightly hoarse. "It is pleasant to be honoured. Few paid homage to me in the past, they were too scared."

A big bony finger and thumb pulled my hair, sharply. "I know you have been busy, yet I have had to wait a long time for this homage to be paid me. I am not a patient goddess, but I accept your devotions. You are privileged."

"I see you fear me." She cackled, a horrible back-of-the throat sound. "So you should. I am a goddess to be feared and with good reason. I can be cruel. Yet I can be kind."

She grabbed hold of my arm. "Now, I take you."

Bitter Sweet Goddess

We travelled by lightning flash into a cave of dark rock. On arrival she let go and walked away.

Larger than a cave, it was a rock-vaulted cavern with a flat-stone floor. It felt like the Underworld, or deep inside a mountain.

A large plain dark wood table stood in the centre, heaped with piled papers and yellowing parchments. A huge feather protruded from an upturned human skull that lay like a paperweight on a pile.

There seemed no source of light, not a candle or a lamp to be seen but a gloomy illumination came from somewhere.

Hecate returned, strode toward me; each step the robe hem lifted to reveal dark lace-up ankle boots. Dagger-point toes. She handed me a goblet. "Drink."

It felt like clay to touch, a black design spread like ivy upon the side. I didn’t want to drink whatever it contained but an atmosphere hung in that cave, impossible to describe; strange and doom-laden. It told me to do what she said, or perish.

Hecate picked up a stick and hit me. "Drink it!"

The bitter-tasting liquid passed down my throat.

She took back the goblet, put it on the table and seized hold of my hand. Upward we flew at frightening speed, up through darkness into dazzling light. Travelled high into the sky.

The ground was far below a haze of cloud. Cold air chilled me as I held on to Hecate’s robe, fearing to fall. Didn’t want to but there was no alternative until reassuringly, she cradled me in one arm.

With her free hand she offered another goblet, same orange colour and design but with a slightly different rounded shape.

"Drink," she said softly. "Please drink it."

I still couldn’t see her face for the hood’s shadow but took a sip. It tasted sweet. In fact it had such lovely flavour I drank it all.

"That is how I am," said Hecate. "Bitter, yet sweet."

Technology and Information Storage

During the months that followed, I had to remember that moment and savour its rare and precious occasion, for Hecate is crueller than Hades. He didn’t ever beat me. Hecate did, and she enjoyed it.

Yes, Hecate took me high into the sky on that single occasion but she did not ever take me further. She is not a moon goddess, is my guess, though she did not confirm that to me nor did I ever feel brave enough to ask.

Survival was always my focus.

However, I often was taken into her suite of cave chambers and so gained some insight into what she does and how she does it.

Hecate sat at the table, its surface always was cluttered with papers and old yellowing scrolls. As was the stone shelf that ran along three of the cavern walls.

I saw no sign of technology, no computer screens.

Quiet, I stood in front of the table close enough to see the contents of the skull.

The feather looked too big to use as a writing quill even in her huge hands. I guessed it had a purpose, so too the various other objects that protruded out from the skull. Rods thicker than a pencil but not of any great length.

Hecate read a parchment. I still couldn't see her face, head-hooded as always. "Souls on their way to me." She twitched the parchment as if that action explained its content.

She put it down on the desktop, scraped back her chair; strode round the desk and came at me.

Hecate's Underworld Facility

Hecate is an Underworld goddess. I say this because her cavern complex was accessed from the main Underworld tunnel.

Half way down on the right-hand side, a large cave-like opening in the rock led into a damp dank-smelling ledge passage. Filled with spiders and other unpleasant crawling insects.

The main tunnel continued downward and heated up, but that cooler bug-infested passage led into Hecate’s suite of rooms and caverns.

As months passed I visited some of them. Mostly her realm was cavernous stone chambers but nothing like Hades’ great chamber; no stinking smoke and fire, no dark sewer pools.

Hecate’s suite included a big chamber with earth walls and floor like a massive rabbit burrow. Another was meeting-hall sized with wooden floor and wood panelled walls, filled with wooden cages.

She also showed me a special spider-infested cavern with several big rocks, one shaped like a seat with back and arms. Cobweb hung like curtain around the interior of that cave. She used it as a throne room.

The chamber I most feared was a darkened rock dungeon furnished only with a tall solid gold bar-stool. Every time there was bad, some worse than others.

Hecate explained she beat the evil out of me, and so she did. There probably wasn't much but she scared me so badly I would never add to it thereafter.

Don't do evil, is my advice to everyone. You do not want to be Hecate's work-in-progress.

Hecate's Birthday

"It is the anniversary of my creation," Hecate beckoned me close. She stood slightly hunched, as always.

I didn’t want to get close.

She pinched the flesh of my face and chest between bony talon-like thumbs and forefingers and twisted, hard. "Allow me a little fun on this, my day."

She wanted me to scream and twisted harder when I didn’t but she knew by the tears in my eyes how much that hurt.

"You have been given the gift of courage that you can face up to what the gods and goddesses mete out." She twisted some more, then let go of my skin.

"Come, I will show you something." She pushed me into a small adjacent room.

Instantly I recoiled at the revolting stench of decay, and its macabre exhibits.

On a matching pair of star-shaped iron tables stood two human sk..ls displayed on decorative wood plinths. Hecate tapped a finger to one, then the other.

"These are all that remain of two famous mur......rs."

The Trophy Room

I stared at the grinning objets d'art, looked for caption plate to indicate their previous owners but saw nothing. She pointed to the wall.

A human l.g b..e hung in display, beside it was a big human p..lvis b..e.

Hecate gestured to one then the other. "That belonged to a wicked king, and that belonged to a wicked bishop. I have many treasures." She turned her hooded head to me and momentarily I glimpsed Hecate’s face.

She cackled, the sinister sound snapped me to attention.

"It is time a book is available for mortals to read. So far only lies have been written, or half-truths. Yours at least is honest." She paused, thoughtful. "To include me may scare the feeble minds of most mortals."

Other exhibits hung in display, mostly smaller trophies. I guessed her collection was not complete, and probably never will be. Chances are fewer kings and bishops will be added, their power for wickedness has mostly passed to politicians.

Several uncomfortable-looking iron chairs were the only other furniture in the room, solid-backed seats without upholstery or cushions. Hecate didn’t sit and did not invite me to do so.

She pinched my cheek flesh again.

"I appreciate the homage that you give me. There are some who honour me but do not worship me. This makes me angry. Do you worship me?" she asked, low slow and menacing.

I feared to reply.

"Answer me."

"I worship all gods and goddesses," I replied.

She pinched harder. "Do you not think me the mightiest?"

"I am but mortal so think all gods and goddesses are mighty."

She cackled, nastily. "You know the right answers. You have nothing to fear, although you tremble. As long as I am worshipped and remembered."

She let go and waved me away with a big bony fist. "You are brave, but could be braver. I give you my loving blessings. The blessings of the goddess Hecate are given to few. Go!"

Hecate the Glorious

Old stories told of how Hecate had three heads and a fondness for crossroad junctions but I only ever saw her single-headed.

And that day of her celebrations I saw her face.

I had always thought of Hecate as the terrifying dark-hooded, hard-fisted figure of fear. Ferocious goddess of d..th as gift, but later that night I saw a second glimpse.

Permitted to stand in the doorway I looked in to where her celebration party was staged, only for a moment.

A wide, walled roofless area where vegetation protruded here and there through the masonry. Including in one part, a tree in the wall; its branches sticking up.

The venue was busy with a multitude of party-going Gods, some of whom I recognized though many I did not.

Receiving greatest attention, an east Asian female stood in the centre of a group. Long straight black hair and dark eyes, deep red lips and cream-toned skin. She wore a long flowing gown, a gold and silver girdle around her waist.

Whenever she responded to invitation, Hecate appeared robed and hooded. Gave the deceptive impression of being thin and frail and slightly hunched over.

But that night, graceful and regal she shone brightest among the community of Gods.

Thank you for your company on this short introduction to goddess Hecate. If you would like to know more about Margo Williams' experiences and suggestions for how to survive in the hereafter read this book. Now available from Amazon.