Hekate Propolos: Companion and Guide to the Mysteries of Life

February 9, 2025 / The Torch and Key: Melissa M. / Leave a comment

Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve, Clifton Park NY / © Melissa M.

One of Hekate’s most well-know epithets is “Propolos”, which means “companion” or “guide”. I began actively honoring Hekate about 15 years ago, though She made an entrance in my life many years before that, however I was not fully aware of it at that time. Fast forward to the Spring of 2010, when I sought out Sorita d’Este on social media after reading her book on Artemis and discovered a project she was working on that was dedicated to Hekate – “Her Sacred Fires” anthology due to be published, with a global “Rite of Her Sacred Fires” being planned for the May Full Moon to coincide with the book’s release. I took an interest in that, and I can say that my life has never been the same since.

I learned a lot about myself while I explored a relationship with Hekate, and incorporated daily devotionals to Her in my day to day life. To say it was transformative is an understatement. I read everything I could get my hands on about Hekate – modern books by modern authors, ancient texts, the PGM, scholarly papers and books written by some of those scholars, poetry, classical texts by Hesiod and others from that time, and connecting with other devotees of Hekate from all sorts of backgrounds through my (past) involvement with the Covenant of Hekate, which I applied to be a member after the first RoHSF in 2010. Learning about the “historical” Hekate, and ancient practices and researching known sites of cults/worship was an integral part of this process for me. I was like a sponge, soaking up every bit of information I could and learning as much as possible about historical and modern practices.

Aside from that, She was ever-present in my life and She always will be. There were times when She “went dark”, and was largely silent and there were gaps in devotionals. But I know Her presence and guiding force is always with me, and I carry that knowledge every day. Hekate’s torches burn bright no matter what, just waiting for that moment where Her devotee borrows it to rekindle that spark and illuminate their path. Everything I do, everything I say – has intent, and She is there.

In classical literature, Hekate was Persephone’s companion and guide as she traveled between the realms of the living and dead to be with Demeter part of the year, and with Hades in the Underworld for the other part of the year. The Homeric Hymn to Demeter tells this story, and the presence of Hekate at major sanctuaries to Demeter and Persephone is documented with archaeological evidence.

Today, as I write this, I am undertaking some transformative projects for myself. I am returning to college after many (many) years of putting that on the back-burner to care for my family. I am going to finish my degree; I am determined to see this through. What will come of that once I finish – I don’t know. But I will do it. The other project is in the very, very early stages of planning, and it involves the eventual building of community. Strangely, there are no goddess-centered devotional temples in my area despite the widespread Pagan community in New York. I want to change that. I want to create a space where the sacred, divine feminine is honored in all of Her forms and names, with Hekate as Propolos. I expect the beginnings of this will involve meeting in a dedicated public space that will have to be reserved as needed. My ultimate dream is to have a permanent space of our own for this, and hopefully this will be manifest one day. The seeds have been planted, and I will make this a reality one day in the near future, however long it takes.

The Epiphany of Hekate – #hekateworldsoul

March 11, 2018April 13, 2020 / The Torch and Key: Melissa M. / Leave a comment

Photo © Melissa McNair / The Torch and Key

Fragments 146, 147, and 148 of the Chaldaean Oracles, as revealed by Hekate:

Having spoken these things, you will behold a fire leaping skittishly like a child over the aery waves;

or a fire without form, from which a voice emerges;

or a rich light, whirring around the field in a spiral.

But that you will see a horse flashing more brightly than light,

or a child mounted on the swift back of a horse,

a fiery child or a child covered with gold, or yet again a naked child;

or even a child shooting arrows, standing upon a horse’s back.

If you say this to me many times, you will observe all things growing dark,

For the curved bulk of the heavens disappears and the stars do not shine; the light of the Moon is hidden and the Earth does not stand steady. All things are revealed in lightning.

But when you see the sacred fire without form,

Shining skittishly throughout the depths of the Cosmos,

Listen to the voice of the fire.

Source:

“Hekate Soteira” by Sarah Iles Johnston

Hekate’s Cosmic Womb

February 23, 2018April 13, 2020 / The Torch and Key: Melissa M. / Leave a comment

Photo © Melissa McNair / The Torch and Key

In keeping with the Covenant of Hekate’s February theme of celebrating Hekate as Cosmic World Soul, here is another short post about Hekate’s Cosmic Womb in the Chaldaean Oracles.

In a nutshell, Hekate’s role in the Chaldaean Oracles is that of mediatrix between the Paternal Intellect – the Father – and the sensible / physical world. The passage in fragment 35, quoted in the above photo, suggests that the Father (intellect, thought) “impregnates” the Cosmic Womb of Hekate with ideas (thunderbolts), and creation bursts forth from Her fiery womb to the universe.

This sort of reminds me of the biblical passage from John 1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

The “Word” as described in the Bible is philosophically similar to the Paternal Intellect of the Chaldaean Oracles. “Word” is translated from “Logos” (λόγος), which is Greek for reason, or thought. The Paternal Intellect of the Oracles is thought, reason, the word. The foundation for creation.

Hekate, as the Cosmic Womb, receives the ideas from the Paternal Intellect, and births these ideas through Her womb, which then helps form the physical world.

Fragment 34 of the Chaldaean Oracles states:

“From here springs forth the genesis of varied matter;

From here the sweeping lightning obscures its flower of fire

As it leaps into the hollows of the Cosmoi; for from here all things

Begin to stretch forth towards that place beneath the wondrous rays.”

Fragment 38 explains further:

“These are the thoughts of the Father, after which is my enwrapping fire”

Hekate is known as a liminal goddess; one who oversees the boundaries in life, whether they are physical or beyond. It makes sense that She mediates the ideas of the Paternal Intellect, forming boundaries and helping to separate these ideas into the physical world.

Honoring Hekate in February

As mentioned earlier, the Covenant of Hekate is celebrating and honoring Hekate as Cosmic World Soul for the entire month of February. A hashtag of #hekateworldsoul is being added to all public projects, so if you are on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or any other medium that utilizes hashtags, you may find these other works by searching #hekateworldsoul . Also, if you feel inspired to share your own experiences, be sure to include the hashtag so others can find you.

For Hekate as the Cosmic World Soul, February 2018 – a CoH devotional project – www.hekatecovenant.com

Hekate Phosphoros — #hekateworldsoul

February 7, 2018April 13, 2020 / The Torch and Key: Melissa M. / Leave a comment

Photo © Melissa McNair / The Torch and Key

Hail, Hekate Phosphoros!

Hail, Bright Goddess of the Mysteries!

Hail, Radiant One!

Your golden radiance encompasses all, bathing us in your warm and loving glow;

Light-bearing Mother, bright-shining creatrix,

Illuminate our souls and purify us with your primordial flames;

Hekate Phosphoros, resplendent in your luminous crown,

May your brilliant light encircle the whole of the universe

and kindle within ourselves the sacred flame of love, knowledge and devotion;

En Erebos Phos, In Darkness There Is Light

___________

Honoring Hekate in February

For Hekate as the Cosmic World Soul, February 2018 – a CoH devotional project – www.hekatecovenant.com

Hekate as Cosmic World Soul: Purification and Cleansing

February 2, 2018April 13, 2020 / The Torch and Key: Melissa M. / Leave a comment

In keeping with the Covenant of Hekate’s February theme of celebrating Hekate as Cosmic World Soul, here is another short post about ritual purification & cleansing. This is more of a personal post which includes my own purification incense blend recipe for all to use.

As most reading this will know, ritual purification of yourself and your sacred space is key when performing devotional or formal rituals. Theurgists believed in ritual purification, as evidenced in these excerpts from the Chaldean Oracles:

“The oracles of the gods declare, that, through purifying ceremonies, not the soul only, but bodies themselves become worthy of receiving much assistance and health: “for (say they) the mortal vestment of bitter matter will, by this means, be preserved.” And this, the gods, in an exhortatory manner, announce to the most holy of Theurgists.”

“The Theurgist who presides over the mystic rites of Apollo, begins his operations from purifications and sprinklings. “The priest, in the first place, governing the works of fire, must sprinkle with the cold water of the loud-sounding sea,” as the oracle says.”

I think it is incredibly important to ensure that yourself and your sacred space is purified before presenting to the gods you are honoring. I created an incense blend for purification purposes. The ingredients are basic and easily found, but the result is powerful and achieves my goal of purifying my sacred space. Plus I love the way it smells, that’s always a bonus! This incense may be burned before formal rituals, or it may be used on a regular basis for routine cleansing of your sacred space. Or both; this incense may be used however you prefer to cleanse your sacred space.

Basically, this blend consists of frankincense resins, myrrh resins, dried lavender flower buds, and dried rosemary (I included a photo below). That’s all. 4 basic ingredients. Nothing fancy, or top secret. It’s very simple to obtain and blend.

Using top-quality ingredients is very important to me personally. Frankincense and myrrh resins are readily available just about anywhere; do an internet search and the results are endless. The quality of these resins, though, can be suspect depending on the source. I personally prefer to purchase my resins from Mountain Rose Herbs. The price per pound may be a little higher than most places, but I know 100% without a doubt that they will be premium quality resins. They know where their stuff is harvested from, and that’s important, too. I am not affiliated with them in any way – I just like their offerings, and have been shopping with them for years. But use a supplier you know and trust. When buying myrrh, be sure to purchase pure myrrh resins – not the opopanax variety. It’s a slightly different variation of myrrh that is less expensive and (in my opinion) a lesser quality. For the rosemary, you can find that easily in your local market where the fresh herbs are or you can buy them already dried. Same for the dried lavender, though there are plenty of online resources for those too (such as bulk spice importers, or Mountain Rose as well).

To create this blend, crush the frankincense and myrrh resins with your mortar and pestle until they are in small pieces and try to have them uniform in size as best as you are able to manage. Use equal amounts of both. Once the resins are crushed to your liking, add the lavender and blend well. Then add the rosemary and blend well. I don’t measure anything when making incense… it sounds odd, I know, but I just eyeball everything and if it feels right, then I will leave it. Or, I will add a little more if I feel it needs a bit more. I never start out with too much, because you can always start with a little and add as needed, but you can’t take away if you add too much at first. You will just end up adding more of everything else to compensate and then end up with an enormous amount of incense that you won’t know what to do with. (been there!) Also, lavender has a pretty powerful aroma – try not to use too much of it.

Once you are satisfied with your blend, store any extra in a glass jar or an airtight container, out of sunlight.

I hope you enjoyed this little essay and if you decide to try this incense – I hope you enjoy that, too!

Honoring Hekate in February

For Hekate as the Cosmic World Soul, February 2018 – a CoH devotional project – www.hekatecovenant.com

Hekate as Cosmic World Soul

February 1, 2018April 13, 2020 / The Torch and Key: Melissa M. / Leave a comment

Within the Covenant of Hekate, we celebrate and honor Hekate’s many different forms. Her identity as Cosmic World Soul and Soteira is, however, the root of our work within the CoH.

The Covenant of Hekate is dedicating February 2018 to Hekate as Cosmic World Soul, and members are collaborating on a devotional project that includes poetry, artwork, personal stories, and rituals inspired by Hekate as Soteira. This is my contribution; please feel free to share this blog post with a link back here.

What does “Cosmic World Soul” mean?

In the Chaldean Oracles, Hekate is irrevocably defined as the Cosmic World Soul – the Great Mother, the Anima Mundi, Creatrix of All. The source of primordial fire.

I have experienced many different sides to Hekate over the years, but the one that I “feel” the most is Hekate as this Great Mother; as one who facilitates life, death, rebirth, and everything in between. This excerpt from the Chaldean Oracles sums it up well, and the accompanying text (version from G.R.S. Mead), describes Hekate as “Great Mother/Magna Mater”, “Life of the Universe”, “Mother of Souls”, “Inbreather of Life”.

45

“About the hollows beneath the ribs of her right side there spouts, full-bursting, forth the Fountain of the Primal Soul, all at once ensouling Light, Fire, Aether, Worlds.”

47

“After the Father’s Thinkings, you must know, I, the Soul, dwell, making all things to live by Heat.”

In the Chaldean Oracles, the “Father” is described as existing as intellect or pure thought, while Hekate, as the Anima Mundi, puts forth his thoughts through creation.

During my personal devotionals, I often feel Hekate’s presence as this warm, glowing light. It’s hard to describe – but I when I feel Her presence in this way, I feel an abundance of Love. It is so pure; it’s hard to put into words. There were a few times where I actually witnessed a warm, golden glow appear around me. It is a very emotional and powerful experience; and very real. It doesn’t always happen. But when it does, I will most definitely bask in this sacred glow and honor Her radiance.

I also feel Her presence in this way every May Full Moon when I perform the annual Rite of Her Sacred Fires. This global rite honoring Hekate is always a wonderful experience; knowing that thousands of others from across the globe are celebrating the same rite at (more or less) the same time for the same purpose is it’s own special kind of magic.

Honoring Hekate in February

For Hekate as the Cosmic World Soul, February 2018 – a CoH devotional project – www.hekatecovenant.com