Like others who have taken part in this exercise regarding Hecate, I often wonder if I'm following the same deity as my fellow Hecateans. Just a few weeks ago, in a Facebook group I belong to, someone asked if anyone had ever had to call upon Hecate by (and I'll use their words here) "open a can of whoop-ass on someone"
From her history, I understand that Hecate is no one to be trifled with. But to me, it never came across as some attack. Certainly not a "can of whoop-ass". She comes to me silently usually. She has a torch and she sheds light. You can see what is there. It has no emotion attached to it. It is simply the truth. To me, that is the quality in her I admire most. Revealing the truth is not always an easy thing to do. And sometimes people don't want to hear the truth. They want to live in their own little world and not really see what's going on. When you call upon Hecate, you need to be ready for two things. Truth and justice.
The troubling parts are, of course, the animal sacrifices. Throughout human history, we have felt the need to shed blood as a way to pay some price to our deities. Hecate is certainly no exception. She has had black dogs, puppies, ewes & bulls sacrificed to her.
As a follower of her today, I do not believe in harming any animals. My offerings to her consist of garlic, leeks, and honey.
Photo Credit - Sosanna Olson - Harvest Altar
On special occasions or in the case of special spell-work, I may use my own blood(1) as an offering.
Photo Credit - Sosanna Olson - Hecate Blood Offering
Photo Credit - Sosanna Olson - Blood Offering Altar
(1) Blood offerings are not for everyone, this blog is in no way suggesting that others use blood offerings or take part in blood offerings. This is a special situation and should not be taken lightly.
Originally posted on Blogger - 5/16/14 8:00 AM
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