#Ouræsiphítis
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keysatthecrossroad · 23 days ago
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Epithets of Hekáte
Ouræsiphítis - She who haunts the mountains
Hekáte, Keeper of Hounds,
Guardian of the Gate, Garden Tender,
You bless us, You tend to us.
Ouræsiphítis, Lady of the Meadow,
She who calls deer,
You bless us, You lead us.
Hail Hekáte, Queen of Witches!
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scarletarosa · 5 years ago
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Hekate
Greek goddess of magick, spirits, crossroads, the night, and the Moon
Hekate was said to be the only child of the Titans Perses and Asteria from whom she received her power over heaven, earth, and sea. She appears to have been an ancient Thracian divinity, and a Titan, who, from the time of the Titans, ruled in heaven, on the earth, and in the sea, who bestowed on mortals wealth, victory, wisdom, good luck to sailors and hunters, and prosperity to youth and to the flocks of cattle; but all these blessings might at the same time be withheld by her, if mortals did not deserve them. She was the only one among the Titans who retained this power under the rule of Zeus, and she was honoured by all the immortal gods. Hekate is known to be a bringer of good luck due to her rulership over magick, since magick is an extreme bringer of change. She is the goddess who knows many secrets and is the one who guards gates, the crossroads, and entryways of all kinds.
While Hekate is often believed to be a “triple goddess”, a Wiccan concept of the stages of maiden, mother, and crone in a goddess, Hekate actually appears in triple form to represent the three-way crossroads. She is sometimes described as of terrible appearance, either with three bodies or three heads, the one of a horse, the second of a dog, and the third of a lion. There is another very important feature which arose out of the notion of her being a chthonic divinity, namely, she was regarded as a spectral being, who at night sent from the Underworld all kinds of entities and phantoms, who taught sorcery and witchcraft, who dwelt at places where two roads crossed each other, on tombs, and near the blood of murdered people. Although known to be associated with the powers of the Underworld, Hekate does not dwell there, as she prefers to wander. She makes no place her domain but instead roams dark and solitary places during the night, especially the isolated crossroads. She is said to wander with the souls of the dead, and her approach is announced by the howling of dogs. In Greek art, she was sometimes represented as a single being, but sometimes also as a three-headed monster.
When the ancient Greeks had begun to worship some gods they encountered from Egypt, one of them was Heka, the deity of magick. Heka is a very ancient deity who is both male and female, with obscure origins. They are also extremely powerful; one of the most powerful deities in our universe. The Greeks worshiped this god as a goddess and called them Hekate, who they viewed as a Titaness due to how ancient they are. Under the worship of the Greeks, Heka took on a female form and taught them the complex art of magick. She knows everything about sorcery, even including the knowledge of how to heal illness, perform exorcisms, summon storms, destroy enemies, and necromancy. She teaches the way of empowerment through severe discipline and constant learning, for any human who fully devotes themselves to magick will be able to rise above many challenges of this world.
Appearance: a woman in her 30’s with long black hair, black eyes (only the irises), and has pale skin. She has black-feathered wings and wears a black dress that comes down to her feet.
Personality: Hekate is often very quiet, mysterious, gloomy, and serious. She is extremely knowledgeable on all things regarding magick and can teach humans on the proper ways to perform this ancient craft, as well as how to improve one’s astral senses. Hekate is the very embodiment of magick, the ancient spiritual power that flows through creation; thus she knows best how one can become a witch and the many secrets regarding this path. However, one must earn her respect and prove their worth before being told such knowledge. If angered, Hekate becomes horrifying in appearance and puts powerful curses upon whoever wronged her. 
She takes magick very seriously and expects her devotees to act similarly, especially since magick requires great devotion and some personal sacrifice. She teaches the way of how magick can be harnessed through the astral and how one can greatly empower themselves through mastering the art of sorcery. The possibilities of magick are nearly endless, and it allows even humans to make powerful impacts on their reality, depending on how adept they are. With the moon, Hekate uses its connection with intuition as well as illusions and the unknown. She can teach people to enter into the dark, overcoming their fears and doubts, then reemerging with deeper understanding at the end. She can test people as well, especially if one feels ready to enter the Ego Death (the Dark Night of the Soul) to become masterful with magick by being painfully Reborn. 
Hekate doesn’t show anger towards those who view magick in simplistic ways, but she may refuse to speak to them if they are like this. Therefore, it is best to place serious devotion into magick and to be willing to work hard for its power before being devoted to the goddess of magick herself. Hekate tends to wander during the night at forests, crossroads, and desolate places. Crossroads have been regarded since antiquity as a place of meeting and unexpected changes. Thus, they are a good symbol for magick-workings and are sacred to Hekate. As for keys, this is a complex symbol that has multiple meanings for her, including keys of access to hidden realms, keys of arcane knowledge, and keys of access to forbidden places.
| Symbolism of Hekate |
Crossroads
Torches
Keys
Athames
Black dogs
Polecats
Serpents
The Moon
The Letter Y (three-way)
| Some of her epithets |
Æmbýlios (At the gate)
Amaimákrætos Vasíleia (Indomitable queen)
Dǽspina (Mistress)
Einodía (At the cross-roads)
Khthónii (Of the Underworld)
Nyktǽria (Of the night; hidden)
Ouræsiphítis (She who haunts the mountains)
Philǽrimos (Lover of solitude)
Phohsphóros (Bringer of light)
Dadouchos (Torch-bearer)
Própolos (Guide)
Sæmní (Revered)
Sóhteira (Protectress)
Deinos (Terrible)
Triodítis (Of the crossroads; the three-ways)
Trímorphos (Three-formed)
Tymvídios (Of the grave)
Vrimóh (The terrible one)
Offerings: red wine, pomegranate juice, dark chocolate, pomegranates, figs, blackberries, sour cherries, black and white beads, chess boards (black and white ones), bat wings, dragonfly wings, animal bones, snakeskin (from venomous snakes only), toadstools, queen of night orchid, nightflower perfume, Fiore del Dragone perfume, midnight dahlia perfume, bat figurines, black cat figurines, toad figurines, spider figurines, black feathers, starfish, cat eye crystal, moonstone, obsidian, black onyx, black fabric (to cover altar), scrying orbs, handheld mirrors, black mirrors, chicken feet, silver coins, dark-themed tarot cards, Oracle of Black Enchantment cards, Ouija boards/planchettes, athames, keys, occult tomes, traditional witchcraft books, images of the moon, a black candle with a red ribbon tied around it, and incense of opium or Queen of the Night
*her food offerings can be placed at a crossroads if available
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cherry-vennom · 5 years ago
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Hekate, she is very withdrawn, wise, mysterious, and often motherly. Her voice is gentle, yet is is full of power. Her presence is like the embrace of shadows in the darkest hours of the night and her voice is like the night breeze. Hekate is one with witchcraft and other forms of magic, and so she is able to greatly assist with these crafts and offer her vast knowledge on them. Due to this, she is one of the Witch Mothers. When Hekate appears, she is often a woman in her early thirties with long, black hair and is swathed in shadows that nearly conceal her form. She is normally calm and compassionate, but can be terrifying when angered.
| Symbolism of Hekate |
Crossroads
Torches
Keys
Daggers
Hekate’s wheel
Black dogs and cats
Polecats
Serpents
The Moon
Ravens
Mirrors
Black dahlias
Weeping willows
Spiders
Centipedes
| Some of her epithets |
Æmbýlios (At the gate)
Ærannín (The lovely one)
Amaimákrætos Vasíleia (Indomitable queen)
Dǽspina (Mistress)
Einodía (At the cross-roads)
Khrysosandalaimopotikhthonía (The earthly goddess who wears golden sandals and drinks blood)
Khthónii (Of the earth; earthly)
Kourotróphos (Nurturer of children)
Nyktǽria (Of the night; hidden)
Ouræsiphítis (She who haunts the mountains)
Philǽrimos (Lover of solitude)
Phohsphóros (Bringer of light)
Própolos (Attendant and guide)
Sæmní (Revered)
Sóhteira (Protectress)
Triodítis (Of the crossroads; the three-ways)
Tymvídios (Of the grave)
Vrimóh (The terrible one)
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Hekate, the Sympathetic Goddess
Hekate. You've heard about her at least in passing from one of the thousands of people who worship her. Her main reputation is as the Queen of Witches, Ruler of Sky, Sea, and Earth, but when looking at her epithets, one can find parts of her that are often overlooked. Most of her epithets fit perfectly with her reputation: the Terrible and Angry One (Vrimóh), Indomitable Queen (Amaimákrætos Vasíleia) and She Who Haunts the Mountains (Ouræsiphítis). However, a few epithets and her actions in myths reveal her softer side, as a protectress and sympathetic goddess.
Kourotróphos
Nurturer of Children
Hekate is known to have a soft spot for children, seen in this epithet. After Persephone's first descent into the Underworld, Hekate aided Demeter's search for her by lighting the way with her torches. This helped Demeter continue her search deep into the night.
Skylakítis
Protectress of Dogs
Along with the polecat, dogs, particularly black she-dogs, are Hekate's sacred animal. Both of these animals were adopted by Hekate as her symbols after she took pity on them. The original 'black dog of Hekate' was the Queen of Troy Hekabe, who leapt into the sea after the fall of Troy. Taking pity on her, Hekate transformed her into a black dog.
How the polecat became her symbol is a similar story also involving transformation. The first 'polecat of Hekate' depends on the version of the myth.
In one it is Alkmene, mother of Herakles. While giving birth to Herakles the Fates and Eileithyia, the goddess of childbirth, kept Alkmene in pain as a favor to Hera by sitting still with their arms crossed. Alkmene's best friend Galinthas, worried that the pain would drive her mad, ran to the Fates and Eileithyia and announced that a baby boy had been born to her. All the goddesses leapt up, and in that moment Alkmene's birthing pains subsided and Herakles was born.
The Fates, infuriated by being deceived by a mortal, transformed Galinthas into a polecat. Doomed to live in nooks and crannies with a grotesque method of mating and birth. Hekate took pity upon Galinthas and appointed her her sacred servant.
Apotropaia & Sóhteira
That Turns Away/Protects & Savior
Hekate all on her own is a very liminal goddess. Mediator between Titans and Olympians, and dealer of matters both mortal and divine. Borders, city walls, doorways, and crossroads were all considered liminal spaces where Hekate held power. At many crossroads, triformed statues of Hekate were placed to protect travelers as they went through these liminal spaces (this is why she is depicted in triform, not because she is a/the Triple Goddess) in the hopes that she would avert demons from them.
However, she was also known to refuse to avert them, and even drive them to certain individuals. 
In Byzantium (now Istanbul), temples to her were placed close to the gates of the city. It was said that she alerted the townspeople of Byzantium of a coming attack by Philip of Macedon by going through the city with her two torches and a pack of black dogs.
These are the softer sides of Hekate not often seen or discussed. Protectress of cities, one who takes pity upon those downtrodden by life, and a protector of children. This side of her is still present in the modern day, however, she only shows it to those she finds worthy.
Sources:
theoi.com
hellenicgods.org
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