The Story Behind Hekate Hair & Body Oil
Featured in the Mythologies Collection, Hekate Hair & Body Oil celebrates Hekate (also Hecate), Goddess of Witchcraft, Queen of the Crossroads (among other titles). Hekate is a goddess of witches, sorcery, life, death, and regeneration. She shows up in every place that exists between worlds (doorways, crossroads, thresholds, birth, moments of transformation, death, graveyards).
Key ingredient symbolization in the Hekate Hair & Body Oil formulation:
- Pomegranate: Pomegranate is tied to Hekate, as it is the fruit of the Underworld. Pomegranate seeds represent fertility, death, and rebirth, and the blood-like juice of the pomegranate is used to symbolize Hekate's cyclical power
- Honey and Vanilla (often used in cakes and backed goods), as cakes are made as offerings and gifts to Hekate, especially honey cakes
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Amber: Amber absorbs heavy energy and protects, and is considered a dark scent, perfect for attracting Hekate.
- Cherry-symbolize dark to light cycle of seasons, rebirth, and the nature of the Underworld; the cyclical return of life and the opening of thresholds between realms; also tied to Persephone;
Heaven, Earth, Sea, Life, Transformation, Death
Hekate, the Goddess of Witchcraft and Queen of the Crossroads is heavily respected by Zeus above all others and is one of the most honored in Hesiod's Theology. Hekate rules heaven, earth, and sea, all realms in between, and holds the power to grant most anything those who pray to her might desire, including wealth, victory in war, and good luck. Ancient worshippers left offerings at crossroads and her statues.
Hekate is older than Greek mythology and she was worshipped as a supreme deity long before her entrance into Greek mythology. She is not just at every opening or door; she is the opening. She faces every crossroad and rules over all boundaries and transformations. When you are going through something or experiencing a major change or tragedy in life, you might call on Hecate for help or guidance, to alter your fate, or give you courage to face it. Ancient worshippers left offerings at crossroads and at her statues.
Hecate is also associated with snakes. A snake has the ability to shed its own skin, move in and out of earth appearing and disappearing, representing the ability to move seen or unseen between realms -characteristics that made them a symbol of death and regeneration in ancient times.
Hekate protects witches, herbalists, diviners, dog lovers, children, maternity nurses (midwives), doctors who perform abortions, marginalized women, and she can exact justice for crimes of sexual abuse of women and children.
She is invoked for help making difficult decisions and navigating transitions in life -Hekate can light a path to guide you through dark experiences, bring clarity, and protect you from danger seen and unseen, especially when traveling at night.
Hekate can grant victories in battles, vengeance, fertility and reproductive health, wisdom in the art of witchcraft, and healing. The Goddess of the Crossroads knows all paths between realms and can mediate and open a pathway to communicate with ancestors and spirits, and guide lost loved ones in the right direction in life and after death.
The Patron Goddess of Witches and Witchcraft
Hekate, known as the Patron of Witches, was/is an expert botanist/herbalist with extensive healing powers. She had a famous magical garden attached to her temple in Colchis, and some historians believe that Greek women under the matronage of Hekate, had the responsibility of gathering and maintaining hallucinatory and poisonous plants there, likely to induce visions and communicate with spirits.
Practitioners of Pharmakeia (a term for magic that works through herbs, poisons, and medicines) used plants to heal, change or alter fate, and to curse. These practices later became connected with Hekate.
Hekate is a goddess with organized cults to this day.
Hekate Suppers
Hekate Suppers are dinners held in Hekate's honor by her devotees. These feasts featured cakes, fish, honey, cheese, garlic, and eggs, and also served purposes of purification -a practice that The Church continued to try to eradicate as late as the Eleventh century. Hekate Suppers still take place.
Hekate is Still Praised and Invoked Today
Hekate is still venerated and favors midwives, witches, herbalists, healers, dog lovers, gatekeepers, and others who guard thresholds. The Witch Queen continues to be a matron of not only witches, but of all women.
The last day of each month is dedicated to Hekate, the night of the Dark Moon, the final day of the lunar cycle before the new moon.
Pomegranate seeds and artifacts are often placed on Hekate's altars to honor her and used as talismans.
Those who wish to conjure the spirits of the dead invoke Hekate, as she rules the passages between the realms of life and death-bringing offerings at night under the light of candlelight or torches. Leave the offering and walk away without turning back.
All ceremonies and rituals in Hekate's honor are held after dark by the light of candles and/or torches only.
The last day of each month is dedicated to Hekate.
November 16th is Hekate Night in modern Neo-Pagan and witchcraft traditions.
August 13th: Hecatean Ides or the Festival of Diana/Nemoralia is celebrated on August 13th. (a Friday the 13th in August is very sacred)
May Full Moon: Rite of Her Sacred Fires festival
Hekate Suppers
Hekate Symbols and Depictions
Hecate is the goddess of boundaries and transformations, life, and death and all roads in between, and it may be for this reason, that she is often depicted with three bodies or three faces, back-to-back, each facing a different direction, holding torches to guide through darkness, realms, and transitions, and with her hounds -black dogs at her feet. The hounds accompany Hecate, protecting her and helping to guard the crossroads.
Hekate is a shapeshifter who occasionally manifests as a mermaid, a black cat, a snake, or a dragon.
Hekate is sometimes depicted as a winged woman carrying a snake.
Attributes/Symbols: keys, torch, cauldron, howling dogs, crescent moons, knife, broom, dragon, snake, cats, wheel, and crescent moon
Colors:
- Black- represents the night, the Underworld, and the dead
- Red- symbolizes her torches, blood, holy fire
- White-represents her connection to the moon, her purity, and her heavenly powers
- Yellow (gold) is tied to her wardrobe of saffron robes and bronze or golden sandals described in ancient epithets
- Deep purple (used to evoke witchcraft and mystery during devotionals
Celestial Bodies: the moon (the Dark Moon phase), Sirius the Dog Star
Number: 3 is her primary number and symbolizes the realms of land, sea, and sky (Hekate is historically depicted with three bodies or heads); numbers 7 and 13 or also used
Trees: pomegranate, yew, date palm, black poplar
Plants: mandrake, garlic, lavender, henna
Wait...Hekate vs Hecate?
It's actually both! Hekate is the original ancient Greek spelling. Hecate is the Latinized version. Pronunciation: the "H" is actually silent. It's "Eh-KAH (like the word cot)-TI (tee). "Eh-KAH-tee."
Other names:
Patron of Witches, Goddess of Witchcraft, Goddess of the Crossroads, The Triple Goddess, Light Bringer, The One Before the Gate, Influence from Afar, The Most Lovely One