I think it is fair to say that I have been well and truly bitten by the Hekate bug. She has been a popular Goddess for many involved in the various magickal traditions, but a particularly strong current seems to be sweeping the occult world at the moment and I think it is fair to say that I have been well and truly caught up in it.
It began with certain books I have been reading for the last couple of years. It developed into dark dreams, hypnagogic "hallucinations" (audible, and more amazingly for me, visually on some occasions) It led to signs and symbols EVERYWHERE until eventually I just HAD to make contact. I tried last year with a permanent shrine and a regular devotional practice. Events unfolded but seemed to stop dead in their tracks and lead me nowhere, feeling lost and confused at Her crossroads. Hekate is all about the in between and the liminal. She rules boundaries and crossroads (especially three way crossroads)
Feeling confused and slightly pissed off with the constant dark dreams and hitting astral brick walls, I quit. I packed up the Hekate shrine, put it all away and continued on with my core practices and almost tried to ignore Her.
Then a few months down the line, I had another dream. I'm standing in the centre of a three way crossroads and a black dog is pacing menacingly around me in circles, staring up into my eyes. I wake up and know it's Her again. The dreams She sends are always dark, but have never been terrifying. I have never woken up in a cold sweat as a result of these astral events, I tended to just wake up and shudder mildly to myself upon recalling the imagery and themes.
In May of this year, a short but potent rite was to take place for anyone in the world that was interested. The rite of Her Sacred Fires. A ritual to coincide with the publication of "Hekate - Her Sacred Fires" an anthology including the personal accounts and experiences of 50 devotees and magickal practitioners with this mysterious Goddess, edited by Sorita d'Este. The ritual was all over the Internet and the goal was for at least 1000 people around the world to take part. It was far more than a simple celebration of a new publication, it was a call to the Lady for a deeper understanding of Her mysteries.
I decided to take part, since it seemed clear that Hekate was wanting me to do something, I felt very much obliged. I took part in the rite with a Priestess of Hekate and two other magickal women. The rite was even recorded and put on youtube (!) as had been encouraged, perhaps in a sense of creating a communal feel to the whole experience. Over 3000 people in 6 continents took part! I decided that the rite would mark the outset of a relationship I intended on building with Hekate, to see what the hell it was She wanted from me, or what lessons She wanted to teach me.
The devotional work recommenced. An icon of the Lady was purchased for the shrine, and other items found themselves popping up in unexpected places over the ensuing weeks, which have all become a part of the devotional space. Offerings are made, and invocations recited. She ALWAYS makes her presence known with the barking of dogs in the distance, usually seconds after invocation (such a phenomenon was noted in the ancient world) I would see dogs at three way crossroads regularly in my daily life. Sometimes the dogs (usually black) would stare up into my eyes with a knowing expression, something I have since noted other devotees report.
A few months later I had the opportunity to meet some very magickal people whose work I have held great respect for, for several years. The location was dramatic and a large ritual was performed. A couple of days before the ritual, I saw a woman and her dog get hit down by a car in a three way crossroads. Neither of them seemed to be seriously injured, but they both jumped up out of the road and the dog ran off into the distance, leaving a very distressed and angry woman (with a foreign accent, which was quite possibly Greek!) literally screaming for her beloved dog. This all occurred just outside the supermarket I was heading into to purchase offerings for Hekate. The experience was shocking, and the pure symbolism played out in front of me was too blatant to be ignored. I knew it was a sign from Hekate, and it didn't feel good at all. A friend/acquaintance passed away a couple of days later due to a longstanding health issue.
Do I believe Hekate is responsible for what happened? No. Do I believe that I was being given advance notice that bad news was imminent? Perhaps.
August has definitely brought me into a much more immediate contact with some very interesting and dynamic magickal people, exciting opportunities have arisen and the seeds for some pretty big plans have been set.
So, it's all been a weird mixture of fear, excitement and mild grief and sadness.
I am STILL doing my email correspondence course on Astrology for Tarot Readers, and finding it a very valuable exercise. I plan to do more professional readings in the not so distant. I am also immersing myself in Qabalah and, (no surprises here) Isis has been raising her crown at me again. Of course, I could never forget Her, despite all the Hekate work. There is actually an Isis-Hekate (those Romans loved their two for the price of one Goddesses) but I prefer to keep them separate.
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