Evoking Hecate:

The Goddess o f M agick

byA n o u se n Leonte

Copyright 2015

other works by the author:

G n o stic M agick

Sigil M agick: the Basics

Sigil Meditation

O lym p ick M agick

Evocation Through Sigil M agick

Scrying W ithout Tears

C h ao s M agick: Its Salient Features

Evoking Hecate:

T h e G o d d e ss o f M agick
1
In tro d u ctio n

Hecate is one o f the m ost interesting and beautiful concepts o f the G o d d e ss in an­

cient Greek religion, and she has been a personal favorite o f m ine since I first

learned o f her. I think a resurgence o f G o d d e ss w orship would be a wonderful

thing for the world at large, also, and with that in m ind I have decided to write a

sm all book about Hecate, detailing a few facts about her and so m e different ways

she may be evoked in m agickal ritual. If you are not fam ilia r with my other w ritings,
I look at ritual from the perspective o f C h ao s m agick, though I have a great love for

ancient Spirits. A m erger o f C h ao s m agick m ethods and ancient Spiritual pres­

ences is, for me, my preferred form o f m agick, and this book is written with th is in

m ind.

In ancient G reek p aganism , Hecate is the G o d d e ss o f m agick. H er nam e m eans

"worker from afar"— w hich is itself an interesting definition o f what a m agician is!

She has m any aspects and qualities, as we w ill see, but her m ain role is that o f the

G o d d e ss o f sorceries and enchantm ent. Though all Greek G o d d esses and G o ds

have m agickal connotations, Hecate is specifically m agickal, and represents a "pa­

tron" G o d d e ss o f m agick itself, sim ila r to how certain C hristian Saints are said to

be patrons over various things (I believe th is idea was co-opted by the C h ristian s

to make C h ristian izatio n o f pagans easier, in fact). M any deities in the Greek pan­

theon are very im portant in mythology and their specific character is revealed m ost

prom inently through myth, but the m yths regarding Hecate are relatively sparse.

She is more o f an em blem atic figure, representing certain im portant concepts in

G reek spiritual thought. It is th is w hich also m akes her so peculiar: she has a

personality, certainly, but her m ystical significance is what is m ost em phasized. In

a way, this harm onizes with her m agickal nature quite well, for m agick has less to

do with specific narrative content and m ore to do with expanding power in itself.

M agick is m erely another force o f nature and though it enters into the d o m ain of

personality, it is trans-personal in its ultim ate sense. Hecate is also th is way:

though she does play a role in myth, her m ain role is the living em bodim ent of

m agick.

But what is the significance or use in evoking Hecate in m agick, today? Being the
patron G o d d e ss o f m agick, she naturally would have the function o f increasing

m agickal power. In th is respect she is like a fem inine form o f H erm es, who also

has m uch m agickal significance However, whereas H erm es deals with m agick as a

form o f com m unication, Hecate relates to m agick in term s o f influence. She is more

concerned with action than experience in this regard, and if her power is consulted

from a m agickal standpoint, it would be to increase the efficacy o f the power of

influence or, to put it more colloquially, getting things done. H e rm es— especially in

his form as Trism egistu s or Th rice Greatest— is also a very philosophical and

contem plative deity, whereas Hecate is more associated with actions and results.

In a sense, th is typifies the natural difference between m ysticism and m agick, but

also their unity: m ysticism is sim p ly m agick when applied to areas o f introspection,

contem plation and passive experiences, w hereas m agick is sim p ly m ysticism as

applied to causing specific effects. If you evoke a Spirit m erely to feel its presence,

m aking no request, this is defined as "m ysticism ", w hereas if you evoke a Spirit

and make a request, this is "magick". Interestingly enough, all requests m ade

through prayer are a rudim entary form o f m agick under this definition, which

m eans there are m any m ore practitioners o f m agick than is co m m on ly adm itted!

W ith that being said, however, Hecate is both m ystical and m agickal, as with all

Spirits: she can be evoked to m erely feel her presence and gain knowledge o f her,

or she can be evoked to grant desires. Both form s are potentially beneficial, and

they also apply to all other Spirits, G o d d esses and G o d s as well: there is so m e­

thing useful in m erely feeling the presence o f a Spirit, w anting nothing m ore than
an encounter with it, ju st as there are benefits to having a Spirit act as a granter of

w ishes. Hecate is no exception.

A s we w ill see, Hecate has m any specific m agickal correspondences, also. Yet be­

cause she works with m agick as a whole, these are less im portant than realizing

her nature as em blem atic o f a ll m agick. W hereas m any Spirits are highly sp ecial­

ized and specific to certain areas, Hecate's influence is vast: she is m agick, in the

form o f the G o d d e ss, and there is no m agick w hich does not im ply or relate to her.

To restrict her to only certain d o m ain s is to m iss the point: she is qu in tessen tial^

m agickal and everything involved in m agick— whether it be enchantm ents, evoca­

tio n s, d ivination, etc.— is her d o m ain. I look at her as a m agickal Source, actually.
Just as water has m any uses and functions, but rem ains the sam e water, Hecate

has m any uses and functions, but rem ains m agick through and through. Anything

m agickal can be attempted involving Hecate.

T h is sm all book can also be looked at as giving basic inform ation on how any G o d ­

dess or God can be evoked. W hile I go into more detail in my other book Evocation

Through Sigil M agick, the basic m echanics are found here, as well, and if you take

the sam e principles I describe concerning Hecate and apply them to another Spirit,

sim ila r results can be expected. Someday, if I have tim e, I may write little booklets

on all my favorite Spirits, but the basic principles are the sam e to all: if you read

th is booklet and put it into practice, you w ill also know how to contact any Spirit

you desire through evocation. If you want further inform ation, I recom m end my

books Evocation Through Sigil M agick and Sigil M agick: The Basics and Sigil M edi­

tation.
2
Popular depictions o f Hecate

The m ost prom inent myth o f Hecate's origin and nature is found in H esio d's

Theogony. A ccording to th is myth, Hecate was the only begotten daughter o f Perses

(the destroyer) and Asteria (the starry w om an). Not long after she was born Zeus

bestowed upon her the greatest honor o f all d ivinities, giving her d o m in io n on

earth, heaven and in the sea. However, other G reek authors ascribed different par­

ents to her, saying she was the daughter o f Z e u s and Asteria, or that her m other

was Demeter. Som e even say her m other was Nyx, but A steria and Nyx are also

som etim es given equivalent status, though they play different roles in myth. It is

likely that different lands and villages may have had their own version o f the Hecate

myth adapted from their local cu sto m s, only som e o f w hich m ade their way into

G reek literature. O f course, her parents are not as im portant as who she actually is,

herself—w hich is true o f all o f us, I think.

H esio d then tells us that because Z e u s gave her such honor, she had the following

powers: to grant w ishes, to bestow great prestige, to give or increase wealth, to give

power to those in positions o f authority, to raise or exalt one's status, to give vic­

tory in warfare and conflict, to give victory in gam es o f athletics and to increase or

decrease the size o f flocks. It is said that she aided Z e u s in his political functions,

also, alig n in g her to powers associated with the planet Jupiter, and she is partic­

ularly fond towards horsem en and sailo rs. She is also the G o d d e ss who guards

newborn children. New m others sought her b lessings for this reason and vener­

ating her im ages was believed to confer her protection upon fam ilies and children.

In other w orks, Hecate is associated with the underw orld, where she is co-regentrix

with H ad es and Persephone. In addition to being an enchantress and the G oddess

o f witchcraft, she is also said to be the p unisher o f crim e and establisher o f ju stice.

N ecrom antic rites are often used to evoke her and when she is evoked in this co n­

text, she is said to appear as a snake-haired dem oness, surrounded by black dogs.

A lso, according to legend, she is able to call upon enorm ous, how ling phantom s

called Hecateans who were com pared to glow ing fire, with heads o f dragons and

lim b s and feet o f fiery brass. But ju st as she was able to call them up, she also had

the power to banish them at w ill. Som etim es she also was represented w earing a
horned headdress, like that o f a goat or bull. Other depictions o f her include a

dragon sitting atop her head with a dog resting at her feet, and she is also depicted

as having six arm s, holding a sword, a sm all dagger, torches, w hips, cords and a

key. In th is form , she w ears a crown o f laurel. Som e depictions sim p ly have her

holding torches, however, dem onstrating that she is a guiding light to those in the

underw orld— a significance w hich I interpret as m agick being the best guide to

navigating the deeper, u n co nscio us forces w ithin ourselves and learning to prop­

erly regulate and use them rather than to be used by them .

There is also strong sexual com ponent to Hecate. Som e in antiquity used her

forces to revenge them selves upon an unfaithful lovers, while others supplicated

her to secure them selves in love, or to make them selves m ore attractive o f love.

She is described as a virgin by som e, as well as the consort to H erm es Tris-

m egistus. H e r sexual power is particularly associated with the m oon and m enstrual

cycle. In fact, Hecate is viewed by som e as another form o f the Greek G o d d esses

A rtem is (the Rom an D iana) and Selene (the Rom an Luna). The two G o d d esses are

very interesting to study in them selves and it is not difficult to see why Hecate

formed a fem inine Trinity o f forces with them , called the Triform is and Tergem ina.

Later depictions o f Hecate have her with three faces and three bodies, though her

earlier form had one face, one body, show ing that her role in a G o d d e ss Trinity be­

cam e very popular as tim e went on, and she began to take on a m ore universal role

and aspect. In th is Trinity it is said that A rte m is /D ia n a rules the earth, Selene/Lun a

rules the heavens and Hecate rules the infernal regions or netherworlds. Yet these

netherworlds should not be m isunderstood; they are not "hell", in the C hristian

sense. They sym bolize the m ind's depths— the u n co nscio us or su b co n scio us lev­
el, where m agic is m ost potent— rather than places o f eternal torm ent. They are

spoken o f as places o f pun ishm ent in the sense that negative acts bring forth their

bitter fruit w ithin the depths o f the m ind, but such, also, is why th is location is so

m agically powerful. Sim ilarly, that Hecate is associated with sorcery is not to be

interpreted as an evil aspect, but rather as a point o f em p h asis, as sorcery can be

used to good, evil or neutral ends. M any o f her aspects can be m isinterpreted as

negative, but that is only because we are very used to sharp dualities, unaware o f

their ultim ate reconciliation.

In a public ritual, Hecate was evoked at the place where three roads meet, being the

goddess o f cro ssro ads. It was even custom ary to place her im ages before doors

and where three roads or path intersect. O fferings were often given to her in threes,

and w ealthier G reeks would provide feasts for the poor in her honor. Bread and

eggs were also offered as an atonem ent for transgressio n s. H e r holiday was cele­

brated every new m oon.

W ith private ritual, the situation is less clear. It appears she was evoked through

the com m on m ethod o f draw ing a circle on the ground and placing different occult

figures upon it. She was the goddess o f tom bs, ghosts and solitude, and her partic­

ular d o m in io n s— in addition to cro ssro ad s— were the w ilderness, m ountains and

tom bs. W hen not attending to other matters, she particularly enjoyed w andering in

these places alone, free and at ease in her solitude. The an im al m ost com m only

associated her was a black dog, and she was often depicted as being surrounded

by a pack o f black dogs— however, any black an im al was considered to potentially

represent her. Naturally, she rules the night. It was also said that she gives floral

w isd o m — that is, the knowledge o f plants in regards to their m agical and m edicinal

properties, whether in the earth or in the sea.

A s can be gleaned from the above, Hecate is a G o d d e ss o f unique power and beau­

ty. She is the patron o f all m agicians and though she has a deeply wrathful aspect,

there is also a tenderness and a kindness to her that is aw e-inspiring. Not only can

she be evoked as a w ielder o f m agick but, as we w ill see, there is also a spiritual

and m ystical com ponent to her— one w hich may likely connect us to truths o f the

co sm o s we may not otherwise see.

Beyond the popular m ythological and m agickal conceptions o f Hecate, there is an

even deeper d im en sio n — one w hich touches upon the nature o f reality itself.

To give a bit o f background, Greek m ystical thought reached an incredibly ad­

vanced stage at one point and would have gone m uch further had not authoritarian

C hristianity m ore or less eradicated it. T h is type o f m ystical thought was known as

N eo -Plato nism , as it took som e o f the ideas o f Plato and expanded upon them in

different ways. Part o f this m ystical thought was an appreciation o f the divine fem i­

nine as being a cosm os-creating power. Som e have theorized that the Greeks may

have derived this idea from the Babylonians— and it is true that the Chaldean
O racles, w hich are Babylonian in origin (though altered to accord with Greek

thought), speak highly o f the divine fem inine— but I am o f the opinio n that w hen­

ever m agickal or m ystical thought reaches depth, certain truths w ill be touched up­

on naturally, no matter what one's cultural background is. In C hin a, the divine

fem inine was spoken o f as the great Tao or Yin, ju st as in India it was spoken o f as

the Devi (G oddess) or Shakti (power). Hecate has a sim ila r role in Chaldean m ys­

tical theology: she is the G reat M other o f all things and the power w hich gives birth

to the co sm o s. And the fact that they chose to represent th is principle through the

G o d d e ss o f m agick and the infernal regions in Greek myth is quite significant, as

you w ill see.

A ccording to Chaldean theology, reality is ultim ately one being, called the M onad

or H eno s. It is also called the "Father" and is interpreted as a m ascu lin e principle.

However, co-eternal with th is M onad is the Duad w hich is fem inine. The two then

engage in sexual union, giving rise to a third principle, w hich is both herm aph­

roditic and eunuch— that is, w hich possesses both m ale and fem ale qualities and

w hich is also neither m ale nor fem ale. Together they constitute the Trinity at the

heart o f all existence: father, m other and child. A ll things that later em erge po ssess

the im p rint o f this Trinity, and the m other in th is Trinity is Hecate herself.

Therefore, outside o f her m ythical context, Hecate em bodies the philosophical

principle o f fem inine energy in a ll existence. But fem inine energy is not defined in a

lim ited or passive way, as so m e philosophers or m ystical theologians have done

so. Hecate is a vibrant, independent force, w ield ing power o f all the co sm os. She is

not m erely a passive consort, but the very Matrix and Operatrix o f all things.
Hecate and the M onadic Father are looked upon as co-creators, the fruit o f whose

union is the Triune nature o f existence. They work together, in perfect harmony.

T h is booklet is far too short to go too deeply into the rest o f what the Chaldean

O racles teach, and I have only scratched the surface in describing the significance

o f Hecate to the C haldean system . But what is very fascinating about this is the

philosophical im p licatio ns the system has for m agick as a whole. W hy was Hecate

singled out as the form o f the G o d d e ss to represent the C o s m ic M other? Clearly,

the author(s) did not make this equation w ithout an aw areness o f what Hecate

actually represented in G reek paganism . She was the G o d d e ss o f sorcery and

enchantm ents, the netherworld, black dogs, ghosts, w ildernesses and the enforce­

m ent o f pun ishm ents upon crim es (karm a). Does this fact in itse lf point to a deep­

er significance w ithin m agick as a pheno m ena? I believe it does. In portraying

Hecate as the C o s m ic Mother, the subtext is that m agick is the prim ary force o f uni­

versal manifestation. If Hecate is the great G o d d e ss o f life, and if she "works from

afar", through m agick, then this im p lies that the co sm o s is a m agickal process at

its m ost fundam ental level. And m agick is nothing more than action at a

distance— that is, m agick is to "work from afar", beyond the norm s o f direct m ate­

rial action or form s o f speech. The m agician causes things to occur and gains

knowledge in ways w hich would be im p o ssib le through m aterial m edium s. In this

way, every m agician em ulates Hecate. But if the entire universe is an em ulation of

Hecate and o f m agick, then this m eans that the co sm o s at its deepest level should

be understood as a m anifestation o f this principle o f action at a distance.

Now, I do not pretend to be a physicist o f any sort, but I do know that quantum

physics has uncovered that such a principle does indeed underly all existence. O n

a quantum level, the "norm al" rules o f larger scale matter do not apply, and there

are such strange and "ghostly" phenom ena as retrocausality and quantum entan­

glem ent. Peter J. C arroll— perhaps the m ost influential C h ao s m agician after A ustin

O sm an Spare— has investigated quantum physics and its relationship to m agick

and his works on the subject are definitely worth reading if you're interested in the

theoretical aspects o f m agick. But even if you're not, it is a fact that the Chaldean

O racles are the basis for m uch o f W estern cerem onial m agick and im p licit within

their philosophy is the idea that the m agickal G o d d e ss Hecate is the m other o f the

co sm o s. Therefore, m agick is the m other o f the cosmos, and when you work m agick,

you are participating in these deeper and stranger levels o f causation.

And it is not only in the C haldean O racles that we find an equation o f the mother

G o d d e ss with m agick. In H in d u Tantra, the G o d d e ss is called M aya and Shakti—

nam es w hich both have deeply m agickal significances. Maya literally m eans "illu ­

sion" or "m agical display" and Shakti m eans "power" and "force". In the different

system s o f H in d u Tantra, the G o d d e ss is identified explicitly with m agickal power,

and she is both evoked and meditated upon through m agickal visual sym bols

known as yantras and m agickal prayers or chants known as mantras. It is quite

sim ila r to the C haldean O racles in this regard, though we have less inform ation on

the Chaldean system due to the violence com m itted against pagans in the newly

C hristianized Roman world.

I am sure there are also parallels in Tao ism and B uddhism but I am not fam iliar

enough with these to explain them . If you're interested, let this be an avenue o f fur­

ther study for you!

3
O n Evocation

There are three general types o f evocation in the m agickal traditions o f the world:

im ageless evocation, evocation with an im age and evocation with a sym bol. The

last type is the m ost com m on in European cerem onial m agick— as well as m any

form s o f M iddle Eastern m agick— whereas evocation that is im ageless or uses im ­

ages is m ore co m m on in Greek paganism .

To describe this, im ageless evocation is where no visu al representation o f the Sp ir­

it is used at the tim e o f the evocation— neither a concrete im age, like a statue or

painting o f the Spirit, nor a sym bol. Prayer is the m ost readily identifiable form of

im ageless evocation. Hecate can be prayed to like any G o d d e ss or G od and this act

in itself can have m agickal results. O n e may also chant her nam e, or one o f her

m any epithets, or sing a hymn to her. All o f these m ethods can be useful. However,

im ageless evocation is not the m ost powerful form o f evocation, as it does not en­

gage the entire body and m ind.

Evocation with an im age is where a painting or sculpture o f the Spirit is used as the

focal point o f the ritual, and evocation with a sym bol is where an abstract or non-

representational form o f the Spirit is used instead. To understand the benefits and

draw backs o f these two m ethods, a little bit o f m agickal theory m ust be c o n sid ­

ered: when an im age o f a Spirit is used, the co nscio us m ind is engaged, whereas

when a sym bol is used, it is the un co nscio us w hich is engaged. W hen we look at

so m ething fam iliar, such as a hum an or an im al form , th is in sp ires the literal and

lin g u istic part o f our m in d s w hich recognizes and interprets the different facets of

experience. We are logical and sequential in our thinking. However, when a sym bol

is used— w hich looks like nothing fam iliar— the opposite is the case: the non-

lin g u istic and prim ordial depths o f the m ind are engaged, and these parts have

m ore to do with u n co nscio us or su b co n scio us desires and the ancient spiritual

powers w hich exist w ithin us. O u r co nscio u s m ind is bypassed and o ur u n co n­

scio u s understanding takes hold. For th is reason, w orking with sym bols is poten­

tially m ore powerful in term s o f influence or action, as m agickal influence com es

from the u n co nscio us rather than the co nscio us m ind. However, w orking with an

im age is especially good for a m ystical experience, where no influence is

particularly sought— for some that is. You may find that a sym bol works better.

Experiment!

Sym bols are called sigils in C hao s m agick, w hich is Latin for seal, as in the seals of

Spirits given in m any grim oires. But w hereas the old grim oire give pre-m ade seals

to be used, in C h ao s m agick you can make your own se al/sig il for evocation pur­

poses. If you want to evoke a Spirit using a seal but no seal exists, you sim p ly craft

a sigil based upon the Spirit's nam e— or design your own using lines and other

shapes— and use it as the focal point. If you doubt the efficacy o f th is method, try

evoking a Spirit from a grim oire using a traditional seal and then try evoking a Sp ir­

it from an ancient religion u sin g your own sigil for it. Note the differences. U lti­

mately, only results matter, and theory m eans nothing unless it actually works.

Luckily, you can always find out for yourself.

A few aspects o f evocation:

Tim ing: I think Hecate can be evoked on any day o f the week, although I have not

found her to have m any Solar correspondences (i.e. evoking her on Sunday is ruled

out for me). However, her traditional holiday was on the new m oon.

Ritual: Because we no longer have full length rituals to Hecate at our d isp o sal, we

m ust im provise. T h is is not necessarily a bad thing— at least not from a C haos

m agick perspective. If a ritual is highly personalized, it can increase the personal

connection we have to the Spirit. How ever, it is my b elief that a ritual should con­

tain as m any traditional elem ents as possible when trying to evoke a Spirit from out

o f a traditional culture (like Greece, for instance). The ideal is to com bine both per­

sonal and traditional elem ents into a unified ritual form . By this, the past and

present are connected, and the future is m ade clear.

Colored lam ps: For me, one o f the best ways to increase the intensity and power of

an evocation is to make use o f colored lam p s. They are very sim p le to make and

not too expensive. A ll you need to do is buy som e tea lights and the replaceable,

tube-shaped form o f hurricane lam p. T hese can both be bought at any craft store.

Then acquire so m e sponge brushes and heat-resistant glass paint. Paint the lam ps

the colors o f your ch o o sin g and place a tea light under them when you are ready to

do an evocation. Your altar w ill then have a delightful, steady and ca lm in g light to

both attract and harness the power o f the Sp irit you w ish to evoke, as well as to
orient your m ind to the ritual. If you don't believe me, try it out and see. I am confi­

dent you w ill not be disappointed.

There are a few different colors associated with Hecate. If you have already devel­

oped a color-coding system in how you work with the planets, it is a good idea to

not use colors w hich are not already associated with the particular energies you

seek to evoke through Hecate. However, Hecate has a wide variety o f planetary

associates. She is clearly Lunar, ruling the night and m agick. T h u s the white color

o f the m oon can be utilized for her. She is Jovian, too, being one o f Zeus's en­

forcers, and therefore the color blue can also be used. She is also quite M ercurial,

having H erm es or M ercury for her husband— a m ascu lin e G od o f m agick. O range

or saffron can be used in this regard, and it is actually said that she wore a saffron

robe on occasio n. Yet there are also M artial, Ven usian and Saturnian aspects to

her: red, green and purple are also appropriate. H er specific color is black, how­

ever.
My view is that when evoking a G o d d e ss o f such com plex and com prehensive

applications, m ultiple colors should be used. For instance, you can arrange your

lam ps into threes, em p h a sizin g the three planetary energies you w ish to

co m bine— white, purple and blue for the M oon, Saturn and Jupiter, or blue, purple

and red for Jupiter, Saturn and M ars. T h is way, m any different planetary energies

are evoked in unison for a specific purpose. A s I've stated earlier, Hecate has m any

astrological correspondences and m any colors are appropriate to her.

Scents: H er scent is the scent o f violets, orchids and other m usky, heavy fragrances

w hich rem ind you o f night and its prim ary lum inary— the M oon. Incenses or oils to

th is effect are recom m ended.

Offerings: A gift presented to a Spirit in ritual is always a good idea, as it heightens

the intensity o f the evocation. A s said earlier, bread and eggs were usually given to

Hecate in sets o f three. If you want to adhere to tradition, that is my recom m en­

dation. However, you can also offer flower petals or other food item s. O n e way of

offering food is not to eat it and, instead, place it later at a cross road for birds or

an im als. A s part o f an evocation, the Spirit partakes o f the food's essence and,

once th is this is done, it is returned to nature. O r you can also ingest the food dur­

ing the ritual— although ingesting three loaves o f bread is not obviously not
recom m ended! Non-food item s can be consecrated and then returned to nature, a l­

so.

Banishing: Before a ritual is performed it is custom ary to "banish". I have done

evocations without b an ish in g ju st as I have done evocations with b an ish in g and,

norm ally, I d id n ’t see a great difference in the effects. However, it may be good to

do in order to sim p ly orient and prepare you rself for the ritual to com e. You can de­

vise your own b an ish in g ritual if you want or you can use a tim e-tested method

such as the Lesser Banishing R itual o f the Pentagram.

License to depart: O nce you feel that the evocation ritual has reached its end you

can then express your gratitude to the Spirit, say your goodbyes and effectively end

the rite. N o rm ally this is called the "license to depart", and in old grim oires it in ­

volves a particular oration. It may or may not be necessary— I have always thought

it best to end a ritual on a grateful note, if for no other reason than that it settles for

the m ind that the ritual is over.

Here are som e exam ples o f a ritual:

Im ageless

At night, light the colored lam p s upon your altar then take so m e tim e to calm your­

self, breathing in and out slowly, not thin king o f anything in particular (if you can).

If you would like to, perform a b anishing ritual. Then begin.

Chanting: At first, you can slow ly chant the nam e Hecate, or another o f her nam es,

silently or out loud. A s you do this, focus on the light and its effect upon you. If

you find your m ind w andering, return to the recitation o f H e cate’s nam e. Do not try

and "feel" her, however— she w ill com e when she w ill com e. Instead, focus sim ply

upon the chanting and retaining an open and em pty m ind. Eventually she will ap­

pear.

Singing: If you do not want to chant or sim p ly want to try so m ething new, create a

m elody to Hecate (perhaps her nam e or a prayer to her) and sin g it softly or silen t­

ly to yourself. A ll o f the above still applies.

Prayerful speech: In addition to chanting or singin g, or in place o f them , you can a l­

so sim p ly pour your heart out to Hecate, askin g her presence to emerge before you

or stating to her your concerns or requests. You may also chant or sin g until you

feel her presence and then tell her your concerns or request. T h is is norm ally what
an evocation w ill evolve to, anyway, unless you are doing it for purely m ystical rea­

so ns.

O n ce you feel it is tim e, you can thank Hecate, say your goodbyes and end the rit­

ual.

Even though the ritual is fo rm less, you can visu alize Hecate d urin g any o f the

chants, taking her various qualities and characteristics and seeing them in your

m ind's eye, as visual thought.

W ith an im age or sym bol (sigil)

At night, light the lam p s and perform your m editation. You can either have the im ­

age or sigil set by the lam p (s), or you can set it there once the lam p has been lit. As

before, perform a ban ish in g ritual to clear the area if you want and begin.

Now gaze at the im age or sigil. You may rem ain silent, thin king and saying nothing,

or you can perform the chanting, sin g in g or prayerful speech outlined before. How ­

ever, keep eye-contact with the im age or sigil, and do not stray to anything else.

W hile looking at her im age you can also practice v isu alizin g her, but you do not

want to engage in visualizatio n o /H ecate's form if you are using a sigil, as the pow­

er o f the sigil is that it is non-representational and connects to the u n co nscio us. If

you find that your m ind begins to wander, silence it and return to looking at the im ­

age or sigil. However, ju st as before, do not spend anytim e anticipating her pres­

ence. Fo cusing on the im age or sigil is enough, and nothing else is required.

O n ce she arrives, you can make requests, ask questions, etc. and, when the tim e

feels right, express your gratitude to her for show ing you her presence then bid her

adieu.

A lso, both o f these types o f evocations can easily slip into meditations. Personally,

I've had m ore profound experiences in m editation when preceded by an evocation

and I'm not entirely sure why this method isn't m ore popular. Sitting and following

the breath can be quite relaxing, yes, but m editating in the context o f an evocation

can be really am azing.

I go into a more detailed form o f evocation in my book Evocation Through Sigil

M agick, but these instructions should be sufficient for now.

4
Form s o f Hecate

Hecate, like m ost G o d d esses, com es in m any form s and has m any different

nam es. Here are so m e suggested form s, to get you started, along with different

nam es that can be used. O f course, these are sim p ly suggestions and you can and

should im provise and innovate as m uch as you like.

To explain the categories, Hecate here is divided into a day-side and night-side as­

pect. H e r night-side aspect corresponds to the powers o f inspiration, destruction,

transform ation and travel and her day-side aspect corresponds to the powers of

healing, creation and stability. The night-side is not "evil" nor is the day-side

"good", though som e m ight have th is m isunderstanding. A ccording to occult lore,

all things require the balancing o f d ualities— but, ultimately, all dualities are one or,

at the very least, reconcilable. It is the sam e with Hecate: her two sides are one

spirit, though w orking in two separate ways. The day-side aspects may be looked

upon as those elem ents co m m on ly associated with the right-hand path o f sp iri­

tuality whereas the night-side corresponds to the left-hand. In right-hand or day-

side spirituality, the goal is purity and w isdom through engaging in things w hich

appear pure and w ise upon their surface. In the left-hand or night-side, the goal is

also purity and w isdom , but it is done through things w hich m ay appear im pure

and unw ise at first. A good example o f this is sexuality: norm ally, sexuality has not

been given a spiritual status and is looked upon as a necessary evil in right-handed

form s o f spirituality. Left-handed form s, however, celebrate it and view it as either

inherently beneficial or possibly beneficial, if it is put to the proper use and one has

the right intentions. That is one way to define the two. Another, more accurate way

is to look at the d ay-sid e/right-h and as the co nscio u s elem ents o f the m ind and the

night-sid e/left-hand as the u n co nscio us. We need both to properly function but if

they lose balance, serious problem s arise. Tho se who are not in touch with their

u n co nscio us are its slave, and though they may try to appear good and logical,

negative and irrational behaviors can suddenly m anifest or, worse, one may have a

secret but deeply destructive life (we've all seen cases o f sa nctim o n io u s in d i­

viduals exposed for engaging in quite "unholy" behavior, despite their procla­

m atio n s). And if one is not in touch with the co nscio us m in d , insanity results.
Balance is best in all things.

To evoke a day-side aspect o f Hecate is to evoke her aid in areas o f life com m only

associated with reason, prosperity, creation, health and am bition. To evoke the

night-side is to delve into other, less appreciated territories: m ystical perception,

disso lu tio n , destruction, personal m etam orphosis and occult knowledge. T h is is

not to say that Hecate was traditionally evoked this way— though she definitely had

different aspects w hich m ust have been addressed in a m agickal setting. It is s im ­

ply a convenient way to specify what energies you w ish to involve yo u rself with

when perform ing the evocation. You can, o f course, sim p ly evoke her without

specification or w ithout any m otives in m ind at all, sim p ly to feel her presence—

and there is great benefit in this, I believe.

The tim es, colors and uses are all based upon planetary or astrological correspon­

dences. Technically, whenever you evoke a planetary energy, you are evoking so m e­

thing w hich has the potential to influence everything involved with that planet, so

you may want to consult a table o f planetary correspondences if you have so m e­

thing m ore specific in m ind.

I have left the Sun out as I have not been able to find a direct correspondence be­

tween Hecate and the Sun— it seem s her energies are in conflict with so lar ener­

gies, actually. T h is , too, is sim p ly a suggestion and you're perfectly free to try evok­

ing her in a so lar context.

The sigils are my own. You can use them if you like, create your own or use no sigil

at all. Experim entation, I believe, is best: see what works for you and, once you've

found a w orking method, expand it and increase its intensity. For so m e th is best

occurs through using things som eone else has developed and, for others, it is bet­

ter to create one's own style. As you know, I com e at things from a C hao s m agick

perspective and C h ao s m agicians norm ally say both/and rather than either/or.
5
Day-side H ecate o f the M oon

N a m e : Phosphoris - Bringer o f Radiance

Tim e: M onday or on Full M oons

Colors: W hite and Blue

Uses: m ental health, clarity on situations, philosophical inspiration.

H e r sigil:
6
Night-side H ecate o f the M oon

N a m e : N iktip o lis - W anderer o f the N ight

Tim e: M onday or on Full M oons

Colors: W hite and Purple

Uses: dream control, artistic inspiration, m agickal power.

H e r sigil:

Г
7
Day-side H ecate o f M ars

N a m e : Perseyis - the Destroyer

Tim e: Tuesday or on the first day o f W aning Moon

Colors: W hite and Red

Uses: rem oving m aterial obstacles, physical strength, ending outward things.

H e r sigil:
8
Night-side H ecate o f M ars

N a m e : Brim o - the Awful O ne

Tim e: Tuesday or on the first day o f W aning Moon

Colors: Red and Purple

Uses: rem oving psychological obstacles, mental strength, ending inward things.

H e r sigil:
9
Day-side H ecate o f M ercury

N a m e : Trim o rp h is * She who has Three Form s

Tim e: W ednesday or on the first day o f W axing Moon

Colors: O range and Blue

Uses: co m m un icatio n with others, philosophical clarity.

H e r sigil:
n

Night-side H ecate o f M ercury

N a m e : Enodia - She o f the Cro ssro ad s

Tim e: W ednesday or on the first day o f W axing Moon

Colors: O range and Purple

Uses: co m m un icatio n with oneself, artistic inspiration.

H e r sigil:
12
Day-side H ecate o f Ju p iter

N a m e : Kouri M onogenes - the O nly-Begotten Daughter

Tim e: Thursday, anytim e when the M oon is waxing

Colors: Blue and Red

Uses: wealth and health in the m aterial sense, good so cial relationships, beginning

outward things.
H e r sigil:
13
Night-side H ecate o f Ju p iter

N a m e : Korotrophis - G u ard ian o f Children

Tim e: Thursday, anytim e when the Moon is w aning

Colors: Blue and Purple

Uses: wealth and health in the psychological or spiritual sense, personal insight,

beginning inward things.

H e r sigil:
ч
Day-side H ecate o f Venus

N a m e : A talis * the Delicate O ne

Tim e: Friday, anytim e when the M oon is waxing

Colors: Green and O range

Uses: m atters o f love and sexuality, artistic inspiration.

H e r sigil:
15
Night-side H ecate o f Venus

N a m e : D adophoris - She who holds Torches

Tim e: Friday, anytim e when the M oon is w aning

Colors: Green and Blue

Uses: personal attractiveness, m ystical inspiration.

H e r sigil:
Day-side H ecate o f Saturn

N a m e : A nassa Eneroy - Q ueen o f the Dead

Tim e: Saturday or on New M oon

Colors: Purple, W hite and Blue

Uses: prolonging things, rem oving obstacles o f any kind, protection from attack

and danger, estab lishin g justice.

H e r sigil:
'7
Night-side H ecate o f Saturn

N a m e : Chthoniya - She o f the Netherworlds

Tim e: Saturday or on New M oon

Colors: Purple, Red and Blue

Uses: deep contact with the u n co nscio us m ind, m agickal powers, spells o f destruc­

tion

H e r sigil:
i8
C o n clu sio n

W hile this sm all book gives you everything you need to start evoking Hecate,

please do not let this be the only book you read about Hecate, or G reek paganism

for that matter! The subject is vast and incredibly wonderful and in sp irin g. A s I

read over what I've read I see a hundred and one things I could have done better,

but even if I did my best it would still be no substitute for the m any great books

written on the subject. I look at m yself as a writer o f m anu als and a teacher o f

techniq ues— but I do not think I write that well, actually, and when it com es to

d escrib in g myths and the p h ilo so p h ica l/m ystical details o f o ccu ltism , I'm never

satisfied with what I produce. T h is is especially true when it com es to w riting about

Hecate, as she is such a m agnificent force that I feel even if I were to spend my en­

tire life w riting a proper book about her, it would still m iss the mark. The best I can

do is give techniques that could potentially put you into contact with her.
T h is leads m e to another developm ent: in A leister Crowley's work entitled Astarte

veI Liber Berylli sub-figura C L X X V , he advocates a form o f yoga called Bhakti or love

yoga, where one devotes o neself to a particular deity and establishes a loving rela­

tio n sh ip with it. It is originally a H in d u form o f yoga, and it is quite interesting from

a m agickal perspective. The idea is that you form a particular bond with a G od,

G o d d e ss or Spirit and practice everything in your life in the context o f this bond.

(Although I'm not a personal fan o f A leister Crowley, he is useful to study if you're

interested in learning about different types o f m agick and m editation, as it looks

like he practiced them all at one point or another and was able to write about them

eloquently. Still, I can't agree with m any o f the choices he m ade in his life.) I think

th is form o f yoga is particularly appropriate when d iscu ssin g Hecate, as she has

the characteristics and qualities o f a G o d d e ss to w hom you devote yo u rself rather

than a sim p le Spirit you evoke for a specific task. A lthough I haven't written about

it in this book, I would like to suggest to those interested in Hecate and m agick

involving the G o d d e ss to research Bhakti yoga also. Som e o f the principles and

practices o f Bhakti yoga are very com plem entary to evoking and w orking with G o d ­

desses in a m agickal context, as it seem s that devotion and love com e very natural

to us when encountering these beings. After all, Hecate is the Greek G o d d e ss o f

m agick and, therefore, the patroness o f all m agicians.
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You may have questions as to whether she exists obje

co n scio u sn ess or subjectively as a force w ithin ourselves, but I personally like to

keep my m ind open on th is matter. The real question is what results do you get

when you evoke? If you have a sensation o f her presence, receive v isio n s and

co m m u n icatio n s from her, and if you notice your requests granted by her, does it

really matter whether she is real as a separate, objective co n scio u sn ess or whether

or not she is som e deeply em bedded atavism o f your own psyche? M agick is a

journey, not a destination, and after a w hile I think we all realize that co nclusio n s

are never as certain as they first seem . There is so m ething wonderful about uncer­

tainty, actually, and though the unknown may be a source o f fear to som e, I find it

very beautiful. And whatever Hecate is, she is beautiful. To see the world as a

m anifestation o f her is to see it in such a way that the light and darkness both find

balance, for she is both wrathful and gentle, tender and terrifying. Learning about

her has given me a new way to look upon the world and myself, and I thin k that,

psychologically speaking, the best place to be is one where we balance both the

light and darkness w ithin ourselves so that they work together for a com m on good.

Hecate, ultimately, is the G o d d e ss that represents th is harmony. I hope you find

her as fascin ating and in sp irin g as I do! G ood luck!