Introducing Hekate

Circle for Hekate -Volume I, History & Mythology: Dedicated to the light-bearing Goddess of the crossroads in all her many faces, manifestations, and names. by Sorita D'este
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sorita D’Este has to be the foremost practitioner / devotee to Hecate. Not only is she a priest to the goddess but she has also done more than ample research. What follows is an excellent book that give the reader a good solid over view of Hecate throughout her long history. If you are interested in learning about this goddess then this is a book you would do well to delve into.

The first chapter of the book deals with the family and lineage of Hecate. Her father was Perseus and her Mother was Asteria. Her grandfather was the sun god Helios. Among her cousins are Apollo and Artemis, their mother Leto was Asteria’s sister. Leto was hunted by Hera and a large python because Zeuss seduced her or attacked her. Asteria in the meantime turned herself into an island. Hera, as a reward to Asteria for avoiding Zeuss’s pleasure snares was able to give her sister some rest on the island of Ortygia which is located near Sicily.
As Hecate’s cult expanded throughout the Greco Roman world she tended to absorb other goddesses and become conflated with them. Some o the goddeses she was conflated with are Demeter and Persephone, Artemis, Isis, Ereshkigal and Ishtar. Sometimes they are named as a double name like Hecate-Isis other times they are mentioned separately. It seems she absorbed or was conflated wit other Goddesses such as Bendis, Kybelle, Selene and a few others. With tis she absorbed their symbols, jobs and functions.
It is rather hard to pinpoint where the worship of Hecate originated. After all she was a titan who sided with Zeuss against Kronos. She helped beat off some monsters with her torches and for that she was allowed to keep her domain as a goddess of the earth air land and sea. She was worshipped widely over the entire Greco-Roman world. Evidence of her sanctuaries and worship can be found in modern day Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, Jordan Valley, Syria, Egypt and parts of Italy. Certain places have her worshipped alone or paired up with Zeuss, Dionysus, Hermes and Pan.

Hecate is a liminal goddess which means she occupies those spaces in between like twilight, realms between death an life and passage ways. One of Hecate’s symbols is the key. Keys open doors and allow passage. Her shrine was at the entry way to shrines and houses. She was also an underworld goddess who escorted the dead, provided they had a proper funeral to the underworld. Those who died a violent death, suicide etc belonged to Hecate and became one of her ghosts. Black dogs were often associated with her as were bulls, cows, dogs. Staffs and snakes were associated with her as well as different head gear.
In her beginning years she started out as a solar goddess but now as time slips by she is associated with the moon. In the beginning she was a mother goddess and a maiden goddess. Thanks to Crowley and Robert Grave the krone epithet got added on. There are more volumes coming up. Keep your eyes open.


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Folk Saints on the Border

Folk Saints of the Borderlands: Victims, Bandits, and Healers by James S. Griffith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Along the border straddling the US / Mexico border a growing phenomenon is blooming. It has been going on for some time , probably starting in the late 19 th century. This is the veneration of folk saints. The folk saints answer prayers, bestow health and prosperity upon their followers. The most well known is Santa Muerte, but she is not discussed in this work.

These folk saints despite their wide veneration in Mexico, will most likely never be granted Saint Hood by the Catholic Church. That seems to be reserved for European white folks. These saints are healers, bandits and Robin Hoods.

Juan Soldano was a human soldier in Mexico, who was supposedly accused of a crime he did not commit. For that he was shot in a cemetery and buried there. He is one you pray to find justice. Actually the whole town wanted to lynch him. It was only later that he was believed to be innocent. In due time he was elevated to Saint Hood.

The second Saint was Mother Terresita. Her father was wealthy but has some political dispute with the governor. He moved further north in Mexico. Later when Porfiro the dictatorial president came to power and there was lots of fighting she went to live in California. Constantly revolutionaries invoked her name, despite whether she liked it or not.

Jesus Malverde was a sort of Robin Hood who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. He used to rob stage coaches. Some say he did not exist at all but was a combination of two other bandits. Supposedly he was hung. He is a narco Saint . In other words a Saint that helps drug dealer.

Pancho Villa was a revolutionary who opposed president Porofiro. Pancho would steal livestock from wealthy farmers and give it to the poor. He also was known to kill indiscriminately. He was eventually assassinated. Some time spiritists will channel his spirit. He is a great defender of the poor and week and he also used to grope women and has has several affairs.

Pedrito and El Niño Fidenci were healers who cares for the people and gave them all food when they came. There are more details to share but you have to read the book to find out more.

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Dancing with the Jinn

Trance Dancing with the Jinn: The Ancient Art of Contacting Spirits Through Ecstatic Dance by Yasmin Henkesh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Beyond the vale lies the unseen realm of the spirit world, according to Orion Foxwood, and that spirit world wants to work with humanity to repair the world. Now more than ever we need to communicate with them. Orion Fixwood is a faery seer and if he wrote the forward then you know the book has got to be good.

Good it is. Author Yasmin Henkesh is a belly dancer and has travelled the Middle East extensively. She has also done a ton of research which makes for a very informative read.

Starting off she gives us a history of trance dancing from the early ages in the Middle East and Mediterranean. Moving right along she discusses the scientific aspect of trance. This can get a bit hard to read but if your going to do this then you should be well informed of any pitfalls which she aptly identified.

The next section of her book talks about the Zara spirits of Egypt and the Sudan. The Zar or fire spirits are known to posses people. To drive the jinn away the sheikhas and their women hold ceremonial prayers to drive them away and figure out what they want. Yasmin gives great over views of the different spirits and the development of the movement,

The Jinn have been immortalized in the Koran and have been know as genies here in the west. Yasmin discusses their involvement in the Koran and how they interact with humans.

The last part of the book talks about Sufi Islam and their technique to reach a trance state. Once again Yasmin does a bang em up job of describing Sufi Islam
And it's development.

What follows was a broad review of an excellent book. I left out specific details cause I want you to read the book.

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