Hecate - Triple Goddess and Protector of All

Cross-Post Edition: On Devotion, Pagan Pride Long Beach, and a Special Hecate Crossroads Tarot Spread

Hecate: Triple Goddess of The Crossroads

Erica's (left) and Alysia's (right) Hecatean Key

Hecate (Hekate in Greek) is an ancient Goddess Alysia Moonrise and I work with. We answered her call this past year, and it has been an extraordinary journey. We hope our readers enjoy stories about the manifestation of Hecate in our lives.

At the end of this post, I offer a tarot spread channeled from my Guides in January 2024 for times when you are at a crossroads and need her guidance. I hope Hecate can offer the path needed - light a candle and use this when you feel called to ask for her blessings.

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Prayer to Hecate, Mistress of Balance on the Spring Equinox

Hail Hekate Pasikratea, Queen of the Universe.
Hail Hekate Aglaos, Creator of the Sun.
Hail Hekate Erigeneia, Ruler of the Moon.
As creator of the Sun,
You shine down upon us,
Bringing life to all things,
As Ruler of the Moon,
You light up the darkest nights.
On this day when the day equals the night,
And the sun and moon are balanced,
I honor you as Divine Keeper of Balance.
On this day when the day equals the night,
May I understand the balance of my own life, 
The the darkness and the storms
Yield to the winds of change,
Ushering in a new season.
Hekate Enodia, my road
May be a difficult one,
But my faith that all will be born anew is strong.
I offer my gratitude, Blessed Hekate.
Hail Hekate Pasikratea, Queen of the Universe.
Hail Hekate Aglaos, Creator of the Sun.
Hail Hekate Erigeneia, Ruler of the Moon.

-Cyndi Brannen, "Keeping Her Keys: An Introduction to Hekate's Modern Witchcraft", p. 247

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Erica:

During the Fall of 2023, I started mediumship workshops with the very talented Cindy Kaza. I learned so much in her courses, and my first hint that Hecate would make an appearance in my life was during a lesson. While learning automatic writing, where you let your hand write of its own accord, messages from guides or spirits direct the channeling of information. I was absolutely shocked that my hand really did write on its own while I had my eyes closed, even if it was indecipherable.

However, I was aware of what word my hand was writing. When I opened my eyes, I saw that I wrote, very poorly, Hecate. Hecate! She is a fierce Goddess I turn to in times of strife and emotional upheaval. She is an ancient, prominent Goddess among the pantheon of Greek deities in my spiritual work. This was not a casual message to receive from my Guide - to be called to work with Hecate . . . its serious business. I acknowledged the gift I received and filed this away in my mind, wondering what this meant for my life. I also received my first meeting with my spirit animal, a great wolf (turns out a “She”), and one of many “8” symbols I use with in my energy work today. The “8”, actually, is the infinity symbol. I also got that I would need to meet her at the crossroads. See how this works? We have to put together the clues.

In the Spring of 2024, I met Alysia here on Substack. I was going through a whirlwind of healing, resolving medical issues, and accelerated mediumship/energy work. She was also on her own journey of healing and, while different than mine, we bonded instantly in our mutual support. She is my Sister to the end. We have a synchronicity I simply cannot put into words. I live in the High Desert out here in California, near Joshua Tree. Alysia lives in San Diego - distance is an issue, but not impossible. It took until the Fall 2024 to find a day to meet halfway to finally see each other. Around 3 hours between us, so we decided to meet halfway at Pagan Pride in Long Beach on October 13th.

Just before Pagan Pride happened, I had a vision experience while trying to fall asleep, in the alpha state of almost asleep and very relaxed. Hecate was calling, loudly - it is time. I initially thought this would be a semi-fictional story idea, but the next morning I knew it was a call to a spirit journey into my unconscious. I called my hypnotherapist with a special request to help me navigate this journey safely - the appointment booked a few days after Pagan Pride.

I wrote about this journey in its entirety here:

I now have Hecate on my altar and she will be there for the foreseeable future. Hecate is a dominant energy at this time of my life, and she has given me so much strength. I am a devotee, and I trust that what she has to say will not be what I want to hear necessarily, but what I need to hear.

Alysia:

Hecate was first introduced to me last summer. I’d heard the name in passing a few times over the years but never paid much attention until I got an up-close and personal experience about who Hecate was—the Triple Goddess residing in the deep places of earth, fire, and alchemizing power. Erica was my first proper introduction to Hecate. She shared her stories and experiences where she directly connected with Hecate in what I describe as a “call-to-arms” kind of way. At first, I didn’t quite know who Hecate was or the powerful effect she brought with her Kali Ma energy. It was only through more conversation with Erica, hearing her stories with Hecate, as well as how much transformation Hecate called Erica into, that I realized the power this dark feminine goddess carried.

I became curious about this transformative, alchemical, fiery-depths energy that is Hecate and the ways that she may be working in my life, too, without me even realizing it. Erica and I were on very similar descent journeys that spiraled deep last summer for both of us and lasted through the entirety of winter. It’s uncanny how similar our journeys were and still are, honestly. When I noticed that Hecate was a powerful aspect of this descent for Erica, I became curious if Hecate was also calling me, only I couldn’t hear her… yet.

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Pagan Pride Long Beach 2024

Pagan Pride is a day of lovely pagan vendors, public ritual, workshops, and a healthy variety of divinatory practitioners. We wandered the vender booths until I found the a lovely tarot reader who specialized in all things Egyptian, and my obsession with Ancient Egypt led that choice. We approached her and sat down to receive wonderful wisdom from a natural intuitive who had immense talent at what she does. Fresh from our readings and very happy with our day, we walked out to the open center of the event, a wide circle of space reserved for public ritual.

Erica

As we walked into the circle, deciding what to do next, we saw the Hecate ritual participants gathering. Here she was! Hecate! She was calling - and we obliged.

Joining the circle of fellow heathens, dozens of them at least, we took our place. It had been a long time since my last public or large ritual . . . years! For me, it was a deep remembrance of my calling, a calling I neglected over the years. I lost my place of worship years prior (a goddess temple) and moved out of the area, so I was needing this reconnection. As the priest and priestesses of our ritual led us into the opening, we turned to each watchtower - north, south, east, and west - and brought in the elements - earth, fire, air, and water. I remembered all the responses, the physical motion of ritual, the feeling of unity with each heathen here for the same reason - Hecate, the Triple Goddess.

As our ritual progresses, we split into two circles, inner and outer. Inner walking one way, out walking the other, in circles. Alysia and I are separated into different circles. But it is quite fitting, yes? I had a path I was walking distinctly different than hers. I was a seasoned heathen, and she was only just discovering her own path. We were given a chant to proclaim while we circled one another to build energy. I wish I could recall the entire chant, but I only remember it ending with “. . . Hecate!”.

As we circle and circle invoking Hecate at full volume, we heard the protests of two Christian “Bros” nearby on bullhorns, spouting all the usual nonsense - change our ways, come to Christ, we are going to hell . . . nothing new. This only fed our energy to counter their efforts with our magical workings - don’t fuck with Hecate.

The spewing of hate from the bullhorns seemed to falter at times as we invoked Hecate while running in our double circles. I met eyes with Alysia each time we passed one another, and with every other heathen. We all knew the power of what was happening. It was amazing. As we slowed down and settled back into our single circle, we all felt alive - Hecate was flowing. Her fierce protective shield around us all.

The “bullhorn bros” kept at it after we finished. We followed the ritual Priest to his vendor tent to get a ritual item. After we retrieved the key, we walked over to where our new bullhorn bro friends were causing havoc. It was getting heated. They were trying to persuade us to come to Christ, and all they got in return was “Christianity is WHY we became Pagan”. The larger men started to circle the bullhorn bros, and it got heated. We left to get lunch - the police were already called. By the time we returned, all was quiet again.

Alysia:

This curiosity was confirmed when Erica invited me to Pagan Pride last October and we attended a Hecate ritual. I shared a little about my experience back in October. If you want to read that, you can find it here:

Liberation of the Witch

But, there’s so much more to share now, months later, risen from the descent I was deep into at the time of Pagan Pride.

I want to remember it from start to end and write it as truthfully as I can from my perspective. Before I do, it’s important to share that this moment in the Hecate ritual at Pagan Pride was a very activating moment for me and triggered the witch wound that runs deep in my bones. It was the moment I realized just how deep this wound wove through me and how much I was afraid to speak my truth for fear of being attacked or persecuted. This wound shone like a blazing flame to my awareness as I chanted and circled fellow witches, priestesses, and healers—all the while terrified that I would be “found out” and that someone would come for me.

It began before the day even arrived. Erica checked the schedule and saw there would be a Hecate ritual. It was decided we had to make sure we were there for that because of how powerful Hecate had been in Erica’s life (and mine, unknowingly) for months. So, going into Pagan Pride, there was already an excited expectation for this ritual. As I remember it, we’d just finished at a booth where we’d each had a tarot reading. We were walking to the center of the grass area where all the events of the day were being held. It just happened that we entered this area right as the Hecate ritual was getting set up and people were gathering. We’d lost track of time and still somehow got there right on time. As if Hecate herself beckoned us to her, calling us into the darkness and the light all at once.

We stood in circle with dozens of others, the three leading the ritual at the circle’s center. It was one man and two women. They opened the circle, alternating, calling out to each of the directions. We all turned toward each direction as it was called, arms raised in honor of Mother Earth and Father Sky.

As the opening of circle completed and those leading it began to explain the ritual, I noticed it for the first time, though it must have been happening for a few minutes by that point. I say this because there was a subconscious awareness within me that heard someone’s voice carrying through the whole event and I’d assumed it was someone leading another ritual at Pagan Pride. I was wrong.

I looked at Erica. It felt to me like she’d just noticed, too. A megaphone in the background. I can’t tell you the words that caught my attention. I think I’ve blocked them out intentionally. What I can tell you is the feelings that rose in me at that moment.

The man’s words over the megaphone sank like a heavy weight in my gut. I turned to look at where it was coming from and saw three young men gathered on the outskirts of the booths. Clean-cut, “my shit don’t stink” young men. The heavy weight shifted to fury as I listened to their words, which were preaching the Bible and all the reasons we were wrong for what we were doing. I looked to Erica again as we both realized what we were witnessing, no living, in real-time—a modern-day witch hunt.

To my gratitude and satisfaction, the three leading our circle handled it with grace and called us together to raise our voices louder than the megaphone as we began to walk two circles in opposite directions while chanting a prayer to Hecate. I’ll never forget this moment because it was the most powerful moment of the entire event, and my entire life, where I felt the call of the witch urging me to come out of the broom closet.

Erica and I were in opposite circles. I can’t say accurately from my memory but for visual purposes, I’ll say I was in the inner circle going clockwise and she was in the outer circle going counterclockwise. As we raised our voices in unison and walked in circle, Erica and I kept passing by each other and each time felt like an old layer of patriarchal lies and fears shedding off my skin and bones.

Erica appeared to be loving this rebellion against the megaphone, as most in circle were. I felt terrified. But, she empowered me to stay in the light and keep walking and chanting because I knew I’d see her again, and again, as we circled around each other. At that moment, she was my safe place in unknown territory.

The voice on the megaphone started to waiver as these young men witnessed our ritual, surely certain we must be casting some evil spell over them. A crowd of Pagan Pride attendees began to swarm the men and instigate them. We kept our focus on the ritual—which just happened to begin at the exact time these men decided to show up. I look back on the synchronicity and also see Hecate at work, empowering each of us to stand strong in the name of the witch.

It was time for each person to walk into the circle and grab one of Hecate’s keys. Like beautiful fireflies, one person would break away from the circle, go to the center to get their key, then return to walk the circle.

By the end, everyone had a key except for a few because they’d run out. I was one of the few that didn’t get a key. So, we walked up to the man who had led the ritual and asked him if he had any more. This man was a breath of fresh air in contrast to the men on the megaphone. I remember distinctly acknowledging this for myself in the moment we went to speak to him. Where the men on the megaphone were righteous, forceful, and misled, the man who stood before us was grounded, patient, and wise. He had the strongest earth energy I’d ever felt in a man before up until that point. After the tightness I’d just breathed through in that ritual, his earth energy was a welcome, healing energy and one that I believe helped me come to terms with what I’d just experienced in my inner world.

So many, if not all, of the people who participated in that ritual, seemed eager and proud to shout at the top of their lungs to rise above the ill attempt of these young men. I could be wrong, but I felt like the only one who wanted to hide. But I didn’t. I stayed for all of it, got my key, and then Erica and I went to get lunch before the police arrived. (Oh right, the police were called.)

I learned a lot about myself that day. I learned that I was a witch. I learned that I’d been persecuted in other lifetimes for being a witch and that I still carried those wounds with me. I learned that nothing bad happened for being in ritual. I remembered that Erica was a fellow witch sister I’d journeyed through many lifetimes with before. That we had this experience together confirmed that. Her power in that situation helped me rise into my power and start being seen as the witch that I am. Five months later, I’ve come a long way. I feel embodied in my witchiness and proud of it. Even though there’s still more healing to be had, I feel so grateful for this experience with Erica, which I will never forget because it changed me at a cellular level.

It felt freeing to rise up in the face of adversity. It felt incredible to let my witch out.

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Hecate’s Crossroads Tarot Spread

This spread was given to me in January 2025 by my Guides at a time when I needed it most. I find it really helpful if you need wisdom and a path forward.

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