Odd Insights into Hekate

Syncretic Egyptian / Graeco-Roman magic from the collection of texts known as the Papyri Graecae Magicae.
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monsnoleedra
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Re: Odd Insights into Hekate

Post#61 » Thu Nov 09, 2017 2:30 pm

The Warlock King wrote:
monsnoleedra wrote:In most lore I am familiar with Hekate's sacred wood is Hemlock which also has a connection to both the underworld and is deadly.


Do you mean the Hemlock tree (Tsuga ssp.), native to Japan and North America, or the Hemlock herb (Conium maculatum), native to Europe and North Africa? It is the latter that is known as the Bane of Socrates. But because of the name, there have been much confusion...

:thinking


The herb conium maculatum specifically but through association the tree has become associated by name. That's one I used to go over and over in explaining but got tired of arguing about. So many people try to sell the smaller Hemlock pine cones as being sacred to her, used to see them on etsy and eBay all the time. Yet the Hemlock tree in it's own right is also toxic to a degree.

But in her actual lore I can't think of any named tree's.
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monsnoleedra
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Re: Odd Insights into Hekate

Post#62 » Thu Nov 09, 2017 2:43 pm

What gets interesting with Hekate I think is she get's many things assigned to her as "sacred" due to association. Things found in graveyards such as Yew Tree's tend to become "Sacred" not because they are associated to her in lore but because they are found in graveyards.

One I find funny, well to me anyway is for a number of years I saw people saying the letter "X" was sacred because of the crossroads. Yet in ancient times you would not find an "X" shaped crossroads ever. All crossroads would be "Y" shaped yet the letter "Y" was hardly ever seen as being sacred to Hekate because people didn't equate it with a crossroad. Realistically nor did they equate the broken "T" with a "Y" crossroad either but that was also a "Y" shaped crossroad but not as pronounced and might be found in mountainous areas.

Yet the three headed pillar sat at the juncture or the three mask's upon the pillar was at the juncture. Perhaps upon a small island or simple driven into the center of the Y. Which makes one wonder if you were supposed to drop your offering there and leave without looking back.

At times the hangman's tree would or could also be in the center of the Y and the burial of murder's or outcast would be at the Y so they couldn't find their way back to the town. Their spirit's trapped and confused as to which way to go and the faces on the pillar deceiving, ensnaring or confounding.

Sorry mind shift there.
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Pleiades
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Re: Odd Insights into Hekate

Post#63 » Mon Feb 19, 2018 7:24 am

I think there were many reasons Yew trees were planted in graveyards.These vary from the belief they repelled evil spirits through to being representative of Immortality.Some schools of thought put Yew as the original axis mundi while Druidic lore explains its magical associations within the framework of Irish mythology.

In the older witchcraft cult one might find wands of Yew employed and these had a three prong terminal that represented Hekate as Guardian of the Crossed Road and the three headed pillar with all its symbolism.As already stated the original Crossed Road was not exactly four but three way.The path that led to these three ways were counted as a 'way' thus making four but by doing so one lost the associations and mysticism of the original.

As much lore as reasons for introducing the Yew into churchyards 'can be found universally and one interesting belief found within local English folklore concerning the Yew in graveyards is likely to have arisen from fallen uprooted Yew that revealed its roots had wrapped themselves around the bones of those interred nearby.Fittingly this prompted locals to refer to the Yew as 'The spirit that gathers the dead villagers together'.

I have read accounts of the Yew being associated with use in Shamanism but sadly could not find anything specific on this.

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Pablo
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Re: Odd Insights into Hekate

Post#64 » Mon Feb 19, 2018 8:01 am

Pleiades wrote:
As much lore as reasons for introducing the Yew into churchyards 'can be found universally and one interesting belief found within local English folklore concerning the Yew in graveyards is likely to have arisen from fallen uprooted Yew that revealed its roots had wrapped themselves around the bones of those interred nearby.Fittingly this prompted locals to refer to the Yew as 'The spirit that gathers the dead villagers together'.


This seems very likely to me as I have found to my cost that many english graveyards and even the surrounding land has unmarked graves.
The vulgar is at everyone's command. Eirenaeus Philalethes - The marrow of Alchemy

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monsnoleedra
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Re: Odd Insights into Hekate

Post#65 » Mon Feb 19, 2018 10:31 am

Just an aside note but makes one wonder why the Weeping Willow hasn't gained an association to Hekate considering it pretty much replaced the Yew in many cemeteries and pubic graveyards. It was both a representation of eternal weeping over the deceased but also representation of the memory of about 3 generations of remembrance as that is the typical life span of the tree as well.
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Pablo
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Re: Odd Insights into Hekate

Post#66 » Mon Feb 19, 2018 10:50 am

monsnoleedra wrote:Just an aside note but makes one wonder why the Weeping Willow hasn't gained an association to Hekate considering it pretty much replaced the Yew in many cemeteries and pubic graveyards. It was both a representation of eternal weeping over the deceased but also representation of the memory of about 3 generations of remembrance as that is the typical life span of the tree as well.


Good question!

Could this not simply reflect a "frozen" or "fossilised" or fixed correspondence that does not reflect current thinking. Occultists and folklorists being a somewhat conservative bunch. IDK
The vulgar is at everyone's command. Eirenaeus Philalethes - The marrow of Alchemy

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monsnoleedra
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Re: Odd Insights into Hekate

Post#67 » Mon Feb 19, 2018 11:11 am

Pablo wrote:
monsnoleedra wrote:Just an aside note but makes one wonder why the Weeping Willow hasn't gained an association to Hekate considering it pretty much replaced the Yew in many cemeteries and pubic graveyards. It was both a representation of eternal weeping over the deceased but also representation of the memory of about 3 generations of remembrance as that is the typical life span of the tree as well.


Good question!

Could this not simply reflect a "frozen" or "fossilised" or fixed correspondence that does not reflect current thinking. Occultists and folklorists being a somewhat conservative bunch. IDK


Pure speculation on my part but I've though about it possibly having something to do with "age". The Weeping Willow falls into more recent historical times so it doesn't have the nostalgia and romance of being "Archaic" in perspective. Which means the Occult and Mystical / Romance movements of the late 1800's / early 1900's didn't really latch onto it. It wasn't "Roman or Greek" enough. Then with the return of the Neo-Pagan / Occult movement's of the 1960's / 1970's it wasn't there to be noticed.

Basically to late for one and to early for the other.

Sort of like Death Roads, some I've read had Yew Bushes along them. Yet again you don't really see Hekate associated with those death paths though she did gather the restless dead or drive the dead that Hermes missed. Yet the Roman's and Hellene's also had something similar to death road's or path's if you consider their dead were also buried outside the cities / town's but not along the major roads.

Been thinking about ordering The Work of the Dead: A Cultural History of Mortal Remains Hardcover – October 13, 2015
by Thomas W. Laqueur Looks to be a good research into the subject.
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Pleiades
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Re: Odd Insights into Hekate

Post#68 » Mon Feb 19, 2018 11:14 am

Pablo wrote:
This seems very likely to me as I have found to my cost that many english graveyards and even the surrounding land has unmarked graves.

An enigmatic reply.Can you elaborate on 'to my cost''?

Another side note is to take into account that there are often many other species of tree planted in the churchyard(known as 'God's Acre')including Rowan which has as much magical lore attached to it as the Yew.Outside of small trees planted in memory of a loved one,all plantings in the English churchyard require the approval of the Archdeacon.

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Pablo
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Re: Odd Insights into Hekate

Post#69 » Tue Feb 20, 2018 3:35 am

The simple point is that hekate was always an imported deity to the Britsh Iles. Her priesthood left no indication of any work of incorporating any local flora and fauna.

On a different note Iread somewhere that the red mullet is a fish that is sacxred to her and is eaten in her Mediterranean rituals. This fish is now present in British fishmongers in ethnically diverse areas due to the West Indian influence. The red mullet is known as the goatfish in Jamaica
The vulgar is at everyone's command. Eirenaeus Philalethes - The marrow of Alchemy

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Pleiades
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Re: Odd Insights into Hekate

Post#70 » Tue Feb 20, 2018 8:03 am

Pablo wrote:The simple point is that hekate was always an imported deity to the Britsh Iles. Her priesthood left no indication of any work of incorporating any local flora and fauna.

On a different note Iread somewhere that the red mullet is a fish that is sacxred to her and is eaten in her Mediterranean rituals. This fish is now present in British fishmongers in ethnically diverse areas due to the West Indian influence. The red mullet is known as the goatfish in Jamaica

I am not sure how you define 'her Priesthood' but imported or not Hekate is closely associated with both trees and plants.Oak and Yew as well as the poisonous Aconite and Atropa Belladonna are all native to Britain.Monkshood and Nightshade are psychoactives linked to Hekate and to witchcraft of which cult she was deemed a Goddess.
Dogs were her principal sacrifice and depictions of her in the,possibly later,three headed guise included the Cow,Dog,Boar,and Horse.All native to Britain.
In her association with wisdom she is also depicted with an Owl,again a native British bird and along with the Horse and Dog,the Owl is a principal feature found in representations of witchcraft.

Red Mullet was indeed a feature within Hekate rites in ancient times.Always an expensive fish,it is now a common summer visitor to southern Cornish waters specifically the Lizard peninsula.Back in the late 80s early 90s this fish was so prized hostilities erupted among groups of local Cornish fishermen with claims of sabotaging rivals equipment to actual fights being commonly reported.Current UK prices see Red Mullet more expensive than most cuts of Beef.

Perhaps like the Red Mullet,Hekate was self-imported into Britain!

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