30 Days of Hekate: 29 – Tips for Beginners

30 Days of Hekate: 29 – Tips for Beginners August 29, 2016

This post is part of a blog challenge series, 30 Days of Devotion to Hekate.  Day 29 and we’re looking at suggestions for others who are just starting to learn about Hekate.

30 days of devotion hekate

Read Everything

Well, not everything – it is best to start with those writings that are historically accurate.  Once you’ve done that you can read everything and anything and be able to make the judgement call for yourself as to whether the work is any good.  To that end, the best to start with are the following.

Hekate: Liminal Rites
Sorita D’Este and David Rankine
This is a great look at the history of Hekate.

Hekate: Keys to the Crossroads
Edited by Sorita D’Este
This is an anthology, it looks at some of the history, includes a list of symbols and sacred things.  Has personal essays and devotionals, even recipes for incense and food offerings! This is a perfect all round beginners book.

Temple of Hekate
Tara Sanchez
This one includes bits about history and modern worship, but it is best as a book for those who want to get witchy with Hekate.

Those three alone will get you started right well. I wish I had them when I was a beginner, but I only just read them this year.  Even as someone more experienced with Hekate, Liminal Rites had a few eye opening pieces of information.  After you’ve read, at least Keys to the Crossroads and Liminal Rites, you can probably get started on anything else you want.

Of course you should probably read some of the classics, translations of ancient texts – those that speak of Hekate will be listed in tomorrows post.

Practice

Pagans have a problem, we like to read and learn – but sometimes we forget to do anything with what we have learned.  It’s all well and good to learn about Hekate, but it’s even better to start to connect and practice.  This series I have just written really does give you everything you need to get started – indeed more than you need to get started.  All you truly need is to know a little bit about Her, how to do a ritual, find a hymn and have the materials necessary.  You have those, you can do a basic ritual right now.

Go take a look at the post I did yesterday, a beginners ritual to Hekate.  You can do that any time you like.  You can also consider doing the Deipnon each lunar month, and definitely look into celebrating the Rite of Her Sacred Fires in May.

Connect

Doing rituals to Hekate is a good way to connect to Her, of course.  But you can also try connecting with other Hekateans, mostly online unless you’re lucky enough to know some in real life.  To that end, I suggest the Facebook group Hekates Crossroads.  I also suggest reading and commenting on Hekatean pages on Facebook such as Friends of CoH, The Goddess Hekate and Magical Lyceum.

As part of reading and connecting I also suggest reading and commenting on blogs by Hekateans, such as Neheti Sings for Hekate, Witch Alone at the Crossroads, Confessions of a Modern Witch and Adamantine Muse.

Hekate relief
By Zde (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

30 Days of Deity Devotion

– A basic introduction of the deity
2 – How did you become first aware of this deity?
– Symbols and icons of this deity
4 – A favourite myth or myths of this deity
5 – Members of the family – genealogical connections
6 – Other related deities and entities associated with this deity
7 – Names and epithets
8 – Variations on this deity (aspects, regional forms, etc.)
9 – Common mistakes and worst misconceptions about this deity
10 – Offerings – historical and UPG
11 – Festivals, days, and times sacred to this deity
12 – Places associated with this deity and their worship
13 – What modern cultural issues are closest to this deity’s heart?
14 – Has worship of this deity changed in modern times?
15 – Any mundane practices that are associated with this deity?
16 – How do you think this deity represents the values of their pantheon and cultural origins?
17 – How does this deity relate to other gods and other pantheons?
18 – What quality or qualities of this god do you most admire? And find the most troubling?
19 Art and music that reminds you of this deity
20 A quote, a poem, or piece of writing that you think this deity resonates strongly with
21 Your own composition – a piece of writing about or for this deity
22 – A time when this deity has helped you, and refused to help
23 How has your relationship with this deity changed over time?
24 Something you wish you knew about this deity but don’t currently
25 Any interesting or unusual UPG to share?
26 Bonus: Hekate in popular culture – TV, movies, plays, fiction books
27Bonus: Hymns to Hekate
28Bonus: Beginners Ritual Outline
29 – Any suggestions for others just starting to learn about this deity?
30 – Bonus: Resources and Sources about Hekate


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