Hekate & Her Mysteries

[Wanderer]

Surgat is used to open any door. Hekate has the keys to the world. I think that is where their connection starts and possibly ends. I don't think the connection lies in a shared identity but rather a shared function. But I could be way wrong. Hekate newbie here lol

I agree that these particular functions are similar, but the astrological attribution is interesting and takes it beyond a common functionality association. I was in no way suggesting they are the same, nor is JSK! I found it more interesting as it was the first time I have seen someone identify a tangible link between the two beyond the 'lock and key' analogy. Being linked to the same lunar mansion does offer a potential magical application, and gives some credence to at least this aspect of Mark Alan Smith's 'Queen of Hell'. Which in and of itself is surprising.

[Wanderer]

Surgat is used to open any door. Hekate has the keys to the world. I think that is where their connection starts and possibly ends. I don't think the connection lies in a shared identity but rather a shared function. But I could be way wrong. Hekate newbie here lol

All that follows is my own opinion so take it for what that implies.

Hekate and keys I think gets very personal in how each of us take that concept. About the only rite we have in historical context comes from Lagina and that is the Procession of the Keys. About all we know of that is the High Priestess removed Sacred Key(s) from the temple and through a procession marched with them to the city of Stratoneceia. As to what the actual event as for we really do not know.

Now I speculate that the ritual would suggest that the key would suggest access to both wealth (based at the temple treasury and the wealth of the city) but also access to the mysteries of the temple. Taking the Key (access) to the city would also show access between the residents of the Polis and the temple complex that Hekate watched over them all and granted both wealth and spiritual access to all. Sort of by default the idea of the Key and Dice also became part of the home altar and similar but smaller processions would take place within the home. The "Key & Dice" being used to bring both wealth & Success as we well as spirituality into the home. Then the key & Dice and other items returned to the home altar's.

I think the "Keys" also later come to represent the Chaldean idea of the Cosmic Soul. That would touch upon the idea where in the Orphic Hymm to Hekate she is called the "Holder of the Keys to the Cosmos". Which in my opinion would tie into her role as the one who gives out souls (birth) or claims them from the dead.

There is an idea of her holding keys to the Underworld but in truth to me that doesn't make much sense. Yes, she has free passage to come and go from the underworld and to some extent release some dead. Yet, she does not have the ability to pardon or release the dead or pass the dead over the rivers. She is a companion to Persephone, allowed to come and go at will. But even Hermes who also carries the dead to the underworld does not have that power. Her association with the dead lies mostly outside of the underworld and is with the restless dead, not those who've already passed into the underworld. So if she does hold a key to the underworld it makes more sense for it to be for her alone to exit and enter than to bring others in or out.

Personally I see her as holding keys to the hidden secrets. In that light I see three keys in that it manifests as the physical world, spiritual world and what might be called the inbetween world or daimon world. Physical world is easy, that is the material, Spiritual is fairly easy as that is the world of the Gods & goddesses, yet the daimon world was harder as that was the world of the demi beings and mental places outside the body.

[Wanderer]

Fascinating discussion guys, and I've very much enjoyed what I've read thus far. I'd like to contribute as well, given my awareness of the topic. I imagine you're correct, FR137, about the shared role of keybearer. It, to me, is not dissimilar to the role of Cailleach or Gatekeeper, in that there is much in the way of overlap between those who perform this role, even if they aren't the same being or otherwise related in any other way. We can view Doctors in the same light, as they share a discipline while not necessarily having the same skillset or tendencies. Thank you, monsnoleedra, for sharing the historical link to the Procession of the Keys, too..I clearly need to do some research on this to have a deeper opinion of the matter aside from what my own UPG (and related synchronicities) has shown me.

Like you, I see the Keyholder role as being an indication of having both possession of secrets and the ability to access them. Its a bit like being a Librarian, as who else has better access to the secrets within? I've noticed that Hekate doesn't always outright explain or show me the things I ask about when I approach her in her Keybearer role, but she seems to unlock the door to its understanding within me. Its a slight difference, but a pertinent one.

With respect to Hekate as an aquatic being or having some other connection to the sea, I know nothing about it other than that its fascinating. Its new to me, but it'd make a good deal of sense, given her ability to act as a Torchbearer (as who but seafaring beings require a Lighthouse to guide their way). If you're to work as a psychopomp, then the rivers and other bodies of water in the underworld would require at least some understanding of how to voyage across them, too, so its a logical affiliation.

Speaking of Hekate in her other roles, I had a vision of Hekate that was directly related to a sigil I created for her. She showed me that the sigil itself would need to change in order to access different "versions" or "aspects" of her being, and I then had a related vision of the moon and its light circling about her. As it did so, her disposition shown in her face changed, as did each and every tool in her hands. It was as though both the nature of the call to her and her position relative to the moon was pertinent, as each described some different aspect of her being. She'd then instructed me to place a candle in a different position about an image of her such that it could be illuminated correctly to call that particular aspect.

This was many years ago, but it still stands out in my mind. Has anyone else experienced anything similar?

[Wanderer]

As far as I am aware the only place I’ve seen Surgat attributed to the 25th Mansion is in JSK’s Geosophia. If anyone knows a another reference to this I’d love to see it. I take it that the association is his own invention and he goes into pages and pages of logic about it. My own UPG suggests something else.

[Wanderer]

:goodpost all.

@Monsnoleedra - I remember you mentioned the procession of the keys before in a thread last year, thanks for elaborating on this. I got an energy rush on reading the Keys being associated with the cosmic soul. I have no basis to expand on it, but intuitively it feels very right.

@Wanderer - This makes a lot of sense to me, and I have had other spirits provide alternative sigils to engage with different aspects of them. Further, my UPG at least indicates that the spirits arrive in certain forms depending on the ritual process too, so using one system they will appear in a different form to another approach.

@ Moonlit Hermit, I agree, other than JSK I haven't come across another author other than Mark Alan Smith making the link, and Mark just brings them together. And thanks, I'll have to go back and have a look at Geosophia, I didn't pick up the extended analysis on the first read through. But it was some time ago and I probably didn't resonate at the time.

I have to say I would have paid double for a footnoted and fully referenced Geosophia.

At the end of the day I am not sure that it makes a tangible difference, I have no need to work with them both at the same time. But it is an interesting link nonetheless.

[Wanderer]

Side note here but almost wish we could cut out the Hekate discussion from this thread and create a new thread. Would that be possible?

@ Wander - I to find that many times Hekate acts both as a keyholder in the role of one who holds the key to a doorway I need access to or as one who inspires me to seek new information. On the surface those two might seem to be the same thing, yet I often find they are not. As keyholder to a door or gateway it could be a life change of major or minor importance. Yet as an inspiration of new information it might simply be due to a curiosity. Equally, one she might answer and explain directly, the other leave me to explore and struggle on my own to understand.

It's like one of her keyholder roles I think is the psychopomp. For certain she deals with the restless dead and gathers them or drives them. Via the curse tablets she is called on to send or command the dead to perform things through the dead against the living. IN her Cosmic Soul role she takes the souls of the dead, which would also imply she can speak to the dead. My own opinion is on some level she can bestow upon her priest / priestess or practitioners some level of psychopomp / necromancy abilities. I know from my shamanic practices I've been a spirit keeper which is a psychopomp function and have acted as a guide. Definitely ties into her Chthonic aspects. Does make me wonder at times if there is a death of her priest / priestess / practitioners component as there is to many shamanic practitioners? I died in my youth.

She's shown me things but its been more relative to time, place and history than relative to position of the moon or its cycles. Its like some stories she's gone to great extent to ensure I understand the time periods they were written to understand the content of the story. But also show how the names were changed through time.

I don't know about sigils or such for her to be honest. I once though about getting the so called Hecate's Wheel and she out and out told me if I got that thing she'd punish me. Said it wasn't her's and you'd never find it at any of her ancient temples, sanctuaries, or sites. To be honest never have seen anything like it at any of them. Needless to say I don't have one of those. It also does not match the so called line from the Chaldean Oracles that so many site as it's source. Instead I basically got the idea for an image and drew out a rough draft for it.

Not that great of a drawing to be honest but it works for me. Has all the elements of her presence. The "Y" crossroads, The serpent, the Dice, The Keys, the twin torches (long torches), 2 daggers, the spheres of Earth, Ocean, Heavens (Birds). The serpent also represents (life & Death) plus her chthonic influence advancing up the road with its head approaching the three keys, of influence of the 3 realms of physical / spiritual / damonic and the influence of fortune / luck behind your pathway. Of course at the end the dagger will cut your life regardless of which pathway you take at the end of your time.

Edited to add: There was supposed to be one other thing on the image that I never got around to putting in. That was a series of dog paw prints that would be on either side of the serpent and along the base of the "Y". It would represent the present of the "Dog" symbolgy associated with Hekate. Yet I didn't want it to dominate the image but be suggestive of both the spiritual presence of the dog but also the idea of the sacrifice and hounds that run with her in the night / echowing howls in the darkness. Yet I was never able to get the dimensions correct though I am still working on that aspect

[Wanderer]

Now that this thread has been split off from the one about the Headless Rite, I'll respond more fully.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, @monsnoleedra. I have found something similar in her tendencies, as I've been inspired to seek the means of entering a new doorway many times over. For instance, some time ago I was working on a project that involved her, and she became so present as to essentially overtake my mind as a means of insisting that I go out and do something that was necessary to the work.

I followed that impulse, took care of the act that she required, and things took off like a bat out of hell. It was clearly necessary for the Work I was engaging in, though her 'suggestion' came in from left field.

As with you, she has likewise instructed me in acts of necromancy, but her Works in this arena are totally different from the attitude and behaviors taken on by Hermes. Hermes, for me, tends to talk spirits up into specific roles or function, leading them to and fro as though he were the Pied Piper. Hekate, on the other hand, is rooted into a sense of being among them and, at times, one of the dead, inspiring me to do things like stand in a river with stones and bones to achieve the intended result.

Both paths are powerful, but they are substantially different in their attitudes and the related manifestations.

Curiously, the sigil you've created is strongly reminiscent of some of what I've seen and utilized in working with her. In fact, she had me create a ritual involving three crossed keys, a knife, sand, water, and a candle anointed in oil made from bone dust and juniper. The arrangement was not all that different from what you've drawn here, and there seems to be a like energy flow.

I can confirm her dog-attribution, too, as that's a huge part of how she manifests in my life on the day to day. When I don't "hear" her, one of my dogs gets my attention for her...she clearly has some pull with them, but lacks the same affinity with felines.

[monsnoleedra]

Now that this thread has been split off from the one about the Headless Rite, I'll respond more fully.

Thanks for splitting the thread.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, @monsnoleedra. I have found something similar in her tendencies, as I've been inspired to seek the means of entering a new doorway many times over. For instance, some time ago I was working on a project that involved her, and she became so present as to essentially overtake my mind as a means of insisting that I go out and do something that was necessary to the work.

I followed that impulse, took care of the act that she required, and things took off like a bat out of hell. It was clearly necessary for the Work I was engaging in, though her 'suggestion' came in from left field.

I've found that when she decides to "Influence" she can be either like a whisper at the back of the neck or like a brick up against the head. Though it really doesn't take much for her to transition from one to the other either. Yet what always strikes me as odd is the fact some suggestions seem so logical you wonder why you didn't make the connection right away. Yet others come so far out of left field its a wonder they connect at all. Something that even makes a makes a "Leap of Faith" questionable. Yet she presses it upon you so hard you'd not even not consider doing it.

Her delivery method can be taxing though. I've had dreams that were pleasant where things came to be or out and out night mares where things came. Had instances where total strangers walked up and just started talking and told me they just had to tell me something but didn't know why. Instances where words, phrases or names just filled my name and became over powering until I searched on them and discovered something. Sometimes she ties into shamanic trances or influences where I see things or get compelled to go to places.

As with you, she has likewise instructed me in acts of necromancy, but her Works in this arena are totally different from the attitude and behaviors taken on by Hermes. Hermes, for me, tends to talk spirits up into specific roles or function, leading them to and fro as though he were the Pied Piper. Hekate, on the other hand, is rooted into a sense of being among them and, at times, one of the dead, inspiring me to do things like stand in a river with stones and bones to achieve the intended result.

Both paths are powerful, but they are substantially different in their attitudes and the related manifestations.

Never had much dealings with Hermes. But I agree they have a big difference in how they react with the shades of the dead.

Funny you mention rivers or streams. Water is my main element and from both a shamanic and Hekate aspect I find myself working near it or in it. A couple times I've been "Talking" to both landspirits and Hekate and either have ended up at spots where the rivers have washout and deep holes or springs that rise from the earth and run into ponds. Where I used to live my altar and all was at a site where the spring rose from the ground and ran into the pond. It was also a natural Y where one leg opened into the valley, one ran back into a ravine and the other went up the mountain. Formed a tight little pocket. Only element I had to bring was fire. On the hillside above it was a natural barrier that was enclosed with vines, then again enclosed with animal trails with a depression formed from a hole formed from a unburied rock. At the base of it a V formed tree the always caught the rising moon during winter and a Y shaped tree to the left of it from a cedar tree. Darn I miss that place. Sad part is the land turned bad and the landspirits and Hekate told us it was time to leave there. The last few days we actually heard the spirits tell us to get out it was time to go. Ironically we moved and found and purchased the house we now live in and closed it all in 6 months after we got out.

Interestingly I was told I could do no magic in that time frame and my wife had to do all the magic to close on things. All I could do was advise her. She had to do all her stuff to Artemis while I advised.

We didn't go free though it cost us one of our black dogs who died in the shelter. That was Hekate's payment. He died in the night. We still have his ashes and when I die he'll be buried with me along with the other dog who died due to old age when we moved from that place. That dog was white and the father to the black dog. We had to put him down as he wouldn't survive the shelter and we couldn't keep him with us for the few months we'd be in a trailer per the landlord. Sad part is we later found out the landlord would have let us keep our older dog but I know in my heart he was ready to go and wanted to go. I could see it in his eyes every time he looked at me and heard him cry but didn't want to admit it at the time.

Curiously, the sigil you've created is strongly reminiscent of some of what I've seen and utilized in working with her. In fact, she had me create a ritual involving three crossed keys, a knife, sand, water, and a candle anointed in oil made from bone dust and juniper. The arrangement was not all that different from what you've drawn here, and there seems to be a like energy flow.

Never used bone dust but she's had me use chalk. Had me use Hemlock (the tree) as well but at the time I think it was because it was connected to the notion of it being sacred and I had been reading about it being a sacred tree to the Pacific Northwest. In that regard it connected to the idea of Cedar also being a sacred tree and being used for purification ceremonies. I got a sense that it appealed to her, well that and a sense of deception as people believe the hemlock also has a bit of poison in its makeup.

I can confirm her dog-attribution, too, as that's a huge part of how she manifests in my life on the day to day. When I don't "hear" her, one of my dogs gets my attention for her...she clearly has some pull with them, but lacks the same affinity with felines.

I know I'll be just talking to her around dusk at times and all of a sudden i'll hear some howls echoing down the mountains. Sometimes I know it's the dogs down the road but still think its a sign from her. But other times the howl comes from up high on the mountain and has a haunting reverberation to it along with that howl the wind has off the mountains. Those tend to happen when I'm really troubled and my mind is doubting it seems. Especially so though when it is late at night and I am standing outside and it's deathly quite to begin with, doesn't matter if it's a dark moon period or the moon is blazing bright in the sky.

[Wanderer]

You're certainly welcome, Monsnoleedra. This will allow us to discuss Hekate without derailing other conversations. I hope to see others contribute here, given the nature of Hekate and her rather varied manifestations.

To that end, after reading your post I'm amused by how much we align within our experiences of Hekate. Its not surprising, but it is a rather stark indication of her nature and the veracity of our individual experience. What I thought of as UPG has often been confirmed by others who share the same thought. Hail Hekate!
...Now, to dive right in, as befits her.

I've found that when she decides to "Influence" she can be either like a whisper at the back of the neck or like a brick up against the head. Though it really doesn't take much for her to transition from one to the other either. Yet what always strikes me as odd is the fact some suggestions seem so logical you wonder why you didn't make the connection right away. Yet others come so far out of left field its a wonder they connect at all. Something that even makes a makes a "Leap of Faith" questionable. Yet she presses it upon you so hard you'd not even not consider doing it.

THIS! Whenever she's made these "mentions", they're always subtle but have this weird ring of truth to them. They're never really out from left field where you'd question or doubt the suggestions...they're just kind of obviously true and applicable. Often to the point where not following through on that advice doesn't feel right....it becomes almost a burning sensation, in a matter of speaking, as I find myself inspired and excited to use the suggestion.

It makes the Leap of Faith...easy? I'm not really sure how to refer to it, but it becomes so obviously correct that there's not really the same leap of faith sensation that one would expect or experience elsewhere.

Her delivery method can be taxing though. I've had dreams that were pleasant where things came to be or out and out night mares where things came. Had instances where total strangers walked up and just started talking and told me they just had to tell me something but didn't know why. Instances where words, phrases or names just filled my name and became over powering until I searched on them and discovered something. Sometimes she ties into shamanic trances or influences where I see things or get compelled to go to places.

Its the same for me. When I've received that manifestation of "loud advice", its always led to me having a substantial amount of energy to get things done, but then followed by zonking for hours on end. Its as though she ties our energy into the idea of doing whatever it is that needs doing, and that then drains us more effectively, leading to this need to rest and recover. Its never cruel or troubling in and of itself, but there's a loud insistence to it that's relatively easy to flow with.

However, the act of doing so makes everything else easier as a result. I've noticed this falling away of obstacles when working with her along those lines, and that speaks to her power and potency as a being. For me, that means she's the Alma Mater and the Axis Mundi, acting as a kind of feminine Head Spirit with respect to the flows the World follows. I dunno if I'll make any sense to others reading this, but I imagine you'll have some idea of what I'm referring to, Monsnoleedra.

She's a phenomenally powerful being, but she also works from afar until its time to work with closeness. There's a substantial shift in the feeling of that change, but its always definitely her. Nothing else feels the same way.

With that in mind, however, I'm glad I'm not the only one she's flat out conked into a trance. She's done that with me more than a few times, and essentially dragged me into places and zones with the express intention of causing us to meet the appropriate spirits and assistants. There's only one other being that's ever done that with me, so its rather refreshing to see. Intimidating, at times, but refreshing.

Never had much dealings with Hermes. But I agree they have a big difference in how they react with the shades of the dead.

For sure. They clearly know of each other, but they're not the same being, and they don't have the same function within the realms of the dead. One leads the others down a path, while the other works with them while on that path? Not sure how else to conceptualize it in a written format.

Funny you mention rivers or streams......

Thank you for sharing this, and I'm glad you and your wife were so successful in finding your new home. The "payment", however, was high...knowing her, it was likely his time to go & she took him as payment so that all would benefit. We've seen something similar here, as one of my dogs is named after her, and the pup's a service animal who was helping me for several years. Well, "little Hekate" got me through some shit in the past several years, redefining me and helping me to work through my issues by tasking when my PTSD stuffs had gotten to be pretty bad, but in recent history there's been something of a role reversal.

There was a year of pretty extreme difficulties to be had, so she was tasking constantly for about 13 months. At the end of those 13 months, the pup was attacked by another dog and then had a siezure a week later. Ever since, the pup hasn't been the same, as its like her cognitive functions "broke". She's now essentially a permapuppy, always filled with joy but largely unable to learn new tasks or processes since her siezure. At about the time this happened, I was told "my namesake helped you through all of this, and now its time for you to take care of her for me....", and thus the roles have shifted since that point.

I love this dog to bits, but I'm now definitely her caretaker for Hekate. Its redefined the nature of our relationship entirely and changed the way I do magical things, to some extent. Its also left me in awe of what Hekate can do, though its frankly heartbreaking to watch and be responsible for. But I do this in honor of the Goddess, as this is my gift in exchange for what Hekate empowered the dog to do for me. This is her way.

Never used bone dust but she's had me use chalk. Had me use Hemlock (the tree) as well but at the time I think it was because it was connected to the notion of it being sacred and I had been reading about it being a sacred tree to the Pacific Northwest. In that regard it connected to the idea of Cedar also being a sacred tree and being used for purification ceremonies. I got a sense that it appealed to her, well that and a sense of deception as people believe the hemlock also has a bit of poison in its makeup.

I can confirm this, as there's Poison Hemlock and Water Hemlock. Neither are a good idea to ingest, and they look somewhat similar to Elderberry during the nonflowering time of year...at least to someone who is a bit of a plebian when it comes to plant identification such as myself. There's a deceptive element to it, as it appears to be what it is not. Hekate has said more than once that its a useful attribute for shapeshifting, though I've not had an opportunity or cause to apply it.

I know I'll be just talking to her around dusk at times and all of a sudden i'll hear some howls echoing down the mountains. Sometimes I know it's the dogs down the road but still think its a sign from her. But other times the howl comes from up high on the mountain and has a haunting reverberation to it along with that howl the wind has off the mountains. Those tend to happen when I'm really troubled and my mind is doubting it seems. Especially so though when it is late at night and I am standing outside and it's deathly quite to begin with, doesn't matter if it's a dark moon period or the moon is blazing bright in the sky.

I hear that. We have a "pack" of chihuahuas that a crazy lady near me owns, and its not uncommon for them to just go off when Hekate comes near. When that doesn't happen, its not uncommon for the wind to start howling like mad.

[monsnoleedra]

You're certainly welcome, Monsnoleedra. This will allow us to discuss Hekate without derailing other conversations. I hope to see others contribute here, given the nature of Hekate and her rather varied manifestations.

To that end, after reading your post I'm amused by how much we align within our experiences of Hekate. Its not surprising, but it is a rather stark indication of her nature and the veracity of our individual experience. What I thought of as UPG has often been confirmed by others who share the same thought. Hail Hekate!
...Now, to dive right in, as befits her.

I'd like to see other's speak about how they interact with her. It always intrigues me. In my many years though it seems I've only encountered 1 or 2 people that utilize her Celestial or Watery aspects most tend to stay within her chthonic / witchy functions. I suppose you could even narrow that down to the idea of the "Crone" for the majority of them it seems. Which is a stark contrast to how I usually find her in dreams and visions, never appearing as a crone.

THIS! Whenever she's made these "mentions", they're always subtle but have this weird ring of truth to them. They're never really out from left field where you'd question or doubt the suggestions...they're just kind of obviously true and applicable. Often to the point where not following through on that advice doesn't feel right....it becomes almost a burning sensation, in a matter of speaking, as I find myself inspired and excited to use the suggestion.

It makes the Leap of Faith...easy? I'm not really sure how to refer to it, but it becomes so obviously correct that there's not really the same leap of faith sensation that one would expect or experience elsewhere.

I agree about being both inspired and excited to use her suggestions. Yet I also find I'm sort of eager in an anticipating way to see what will come next. In some ways it's like being a child around Christmas, you know there is something special under the tree but can't wait to see what it is. It's never what you expected. Its not a good or bad thing and you always learn from it in some way but also have fun though it could also burn your fingers if not careful.

Its the same for me. When I've received that manifestation of "loud advice", its always led to me having a substantial amount of energy to get things done, but then followed by zonking for hours on end. Its as though she ties our energy into the idea of doing whatever it is that needs doing, and that then drains us more effectively, leading to this need to rest and recover. Its never cruel or troubling in and of itself, but there's a loud insistence to it that's relatively easy to flow with.

However, the act of doing so makes everything else easier as a result. I've noticed this falling away of obstacles when working with her along those lines, and that speaks to her power and potency as a being. For me, that means she's the Alma Mater and the Axis Mundi, acting as a kind of feminine Head Spirit with respect to the flows the World follows. I dunno if I'll make any sense to others reading this, but I imagine you'll have some idea of what I'm referring to, Monsnoleedra.

She's a phenomenally powerful being, but she also works from afar until its time to work with closeness. There's a substantial shift in the feeling of that change, but its always definitely her. Nothing else feels the same way.

I agree about the energy to get things done. Ironically its not just the idea of "Magical" that she applies to us in that one. The same applies to the point where she can be so intent inside us and pushing us that we cook down. But the thing is in my experience she doesn't specifically release her hold over our bodies though our minds might be allowed to shut down somewhat.

Years ago I had to drive to a new assignment so had been driving for hours on end. Somewhere in there I zoned out and the last thing I recall is being behind a tractor trailer in the darkness of a Georgia night headed to Tennessee. The next thing I recall is waking up to the lights of Millington Tennessee. What made it so bad was nearly a month later when I was leaving I would take the same route out and would drive nearly 80 miles before I would recognize anything. So I know I had to drive nearly 80 miles completely "Blank". That's 80 or more miles on a road averaging 50 - 75 miles per hour as the average speed limit. Parts double lane, parts an old rural single lane road that was windy and twisty.

With that in mind, however, I'm glad I'm not the only one she's flat out conked into a trance. She's done that with me more than a few times, and essentially dragged me into places and zones with the express intention of causing us to meet the appropriate spirits and assistants. There's only one other being that's ever done that with me, so its rather refreshing to see. Intimidating, at times, but refreshing.

I had a friend that was connected to Kali as his Goddess but went into a period where he wasn't hearing her. Was talking to him and he was telling me all this when I got the sense of Hekate being very near and about when was filled with the idea that she was going to let Kali "use" me as a Hollow Bone for a bit. It was a bit interesting and I admit unnerving to be sitting in a place where these two beings one bright and glowing and the other bluish, sitting in a dark recess and sort of inky blackness before you. That was an interesting yet strange time. Got contacted by Kali a few times for that person.

So yeah, Hekate can take you to some interesting places when she desires to do so. That or open gateways to other places.

For sure. They clearly know of each other, but they're not the same being, and they don't have the same function within the realms of the dead. One leads the others down a path, while the other works with them while on that path? Not sure how else to conceptualize it in a written format.

It is hard to put into words and visualize how Hermes and Hekate work with the dead. It might sounds crazy but in some ways I sort of see it as Hermes deals with the willing dead while Hekate deals with the restless dead who are unwilling. But the aspect I haven't quite resolved though is death meals are left out for Hekate but I don't recall them being left out for Hermes. Might be mistaken I admit regarding Hermes but all I recall are for Hekate. So that would, to me anyway, suggest that Hekate deals with though's that are a threat to the living.

Thank you for sharing this, and I'm glad you and your wife were so successful in finding your new home. The "payment", however, was high...knowing her, it was likely his time to go & she took him as payment so that all would benefit. We've seen something similar here, as one of my dogs is named after her, and the pup's a service animal who was helping me for several years. Well, "little Hekate" got me through some shit in the past several years, redefining me and helping me to work through my issues by tasking when my PTSD stuffs had gotten to be pretty bad, but in recent history there's been something of a role reversal.

There was a year of pretty extreme difficulties to be had, so she was tasking constantly for about 13 months. At the end of those 13 months, the pup was attacked by another dog and then had a siezure a week later. Ever since, the pup hasn't been the same, as its like her cognitive functions "broke". She's now essentially a permapuppy, always filled with joy but largely unable to learn new tasks or processes since her siezure. At about the time this happened, I was told "my namesake helped you through all of this, and now its time for you to take care of her for me....", and thus the roles have shifted since that point.

I love this dog to bits, but I'm now definitely her caretaker for Hekate. Its redefined the nature of our relationship entirely and changed the way I do magical things, to some extent. Its also left me in awe of what Hekate can do, though its frankly heartbreaking to watch and be responsible for. But I do this in honor of the Goddess, as this is my gift in exchange for what Hekate empowered the dog to do for me. This is her way.

That dogs name was Blackie. We had taken him to the vet as he had taken ill. We had x-rays and everything else done we could think of. Nothing was showing up but he was getting worse refusing to eat. Once he passed they discovered he had eaten part of a towel and it had ruptured his intestine and he got septic inside. No x-ray or anything would have shown it up. It was a 1 in a million type thing and nothing we did could have saved him. The piece of towel actually laid in align with his intestine track so didn't show up but cut through and caused it to leak. They said he didn't feel pain he just got weaker and weaker and sicker and sicker before he died. Supposed to make you feel better but it didn't really help because we put the towel in his kennel to give him something soft to sleep on vice the cold plastic. Just one small strip of cloth. Our friends and other vets told us it was just one of those things. He had eaten and passed it before, we found some in his stool about that time.

I can understand the seizures as well. Blackie was part of a large litter and one of the pups had jumping seizures. Poor little thing had so many of them that we had to have him put down due to the fact they were killing it. It was suffering rolling seizures that were wracking it's little body. 1 or 2 we could have dealt with but by the time we got him to the vet he had already had close to 15.

Sorry to hear about the PTSD and about Little Hekate.

I can confirm this, as there's Poison Hemlock and Water Hemlock. Neither are a good idea to ingest, and they look somewhat similar to Elderberry during the nonflowering time of year...at least to someone who is a bit of a plebian when it comes to plant identification such as myself. There's a deceptive element to it, as it appears to be what it is not. Hekate has said more than once that its a useful attribute for shapeshifting, though I've not had an opportunity or cause to apply it.

Ah, shapeshifting or shiftshaping. Now that falls under the shamanic side of my practice. One is to shift the mind the other to shift the body. Sometimes the two actually align sometimes they do not.

I hear that. We have a "pack" of chihuahuas that a crazy lady near me owns, and its not uncommon for them to just go off when Hekate comes near. When that doesn't happen, its not uncommon for the wind to start howling like mad.

Have you ever smelt her passing? Sometimes it's after the dogs have gone by and the wind carries a subtle scent of what to me smells like cinnamon. Sort of spicy yet it has a slight burn to the nose. Almost acidic. I've smelt it on a hot med night far out to sea, I've smelt it on a cold winter night in the mountains of West Virginia.