30 Days of Hekate: 30 – Resources on Hekate

30 Days of Hekate: 30 – Resources on Hekate August 30, 2016

This post is part of a blog challenge series, 30 Days of Devotion to Hekate.  Day 30, it’s the final day and I am sharing a list of resources for those wanting to really learn about Hekate.

30 days of devotion hekate

The list of resources, and subsequently sources used for this series, is rather large.  So instead of adding them to the Suggestion post yesterday, as I originally said I would, I thought a separate post would be more appropriate.

For sourcing of this series, I of course do not have access to all of the books and texts available, but I do have access to snippets from various websites and modern books – most of which are also listed in this post.  Everything I have written in this series can be sourced via the things listed below, except that which was UPG or SPG, and I was careful to specify in those cases.

Websites

Of course, online is where everyone looks first, so here are some good info websites and good blogs!  Not all websites and blogs are created equal, so these are ones that are based on historical accuracy where possible (and personal posts of course, for the blogs).

Suggested Reading

I am going to cheat a whole lot here and just copy/paste from somewhere else, that being the Facebook group Hekates Crossroads.  I could type out my own list, but it will look pretty much identical to this anyway so… Why not save my fingers?

Don’t expect to get all of these texts though, some are hard to find and some are super expensive.  And when it comes to the classical ancient texts in translation, there is nothing wrong with beginning with older and less reliable translations which are often free of copyright and therefore can be found online.  Google is your friend, but so is Project Gutenberg and Sacred Texts.

Historical and Greek Religion

  • Hekate in Ancient Greek Religion ~ R.Von Rudloff
  • Hekate Liminal Rites ~ Sorita d’Este and David Rankine
  • Hekate Soteira ~ Sarah lles Johnston
  • The Goddess Hekate ~ Stephen Ronan
  • Arcana Mundi: Magic and the Occult in the Greek and Roman Worlds ~ Georg Luck
  • Magic in the Ancient World ~ Fritz Graf
  • Magic, Witchcraft and Ghosts in the Greek and Roman Worlds ~ Daniel Ogden
  • Magika Hiera: ancient Greek Magic and Religion ~ Christopher Faraone and Dirk Obbink (eds)
  • The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation ~ Hans Dieter Betz (ed)
  • Religions of the Ancient World: A guide ~ Sarah Iles Johnston. A great book for understanding the context of Mediterranean religion as a whole, with lots of information on both Greece and Rome.
  • The Chaldean Oracles. Text, Translation and Commentary by Ruth Majercik, Brill, Leiden, 1989.
  • Hekate in Ancient Greek Religion – Rob Von Rudloff
  • Kourotrophos: Cults and Representations of the Greek Nursing Deities (Studies of the Dutch Archaeological and Historical Society) T.H. Price

Devotional, Prayer Books and Anthologies

  • Hekate Her Sacred Fires ~ numerous contributors from around the world. Edited by Sorita d’Este
  • Hekate Keys to the Crossroads ~ numerous contributors from across the world. Edited by Sorita d’Este
  • Bearing Torches ~ A Devotional Anthology ~ Bibliotheca Alexandrina
  • A Paean of Hekate – Shani Oates

Books on Specific Practices and Traditions

  • Hekate 1: Death, Transition and Spiritual Mastery ~ Jade Sol Luna
  • Hekate 2: Awakening of Hydra ~ Jade Sol Luna
  • Hekate The Witches’ Goddess ~ Gary R. Varner
  • Crossroads, the Path of Hekate – Greg Crowfoot.
  • Queen of Hell – Mark Alan Smith ( limited issue)
  • Lunatik Witchcraft by Shay Skepevski
  • The Temple of Hekate ~ Tara Sanchez
  • Witchcraft Medicine ~ Muller-Ebeling, Ratsch and Dieter Storl…. This has a brilliant chapter on the Garden of Hekate, her sacred plants and overall symbolism, association and resource. Beks note: My favourite of all books regarding Hekate.
  • Hecate : Queen of the witches or wise crone? (Celebrate the Divine Feminine; Reclaim Your Power with Ancient Goddess Wisdom) – Joy Reichard
  • Hekatean Magick – B. Morlan
  • The Dance of the Mystai – Tinekke Bebout
  • Thracian Magic – Georgi Mishev
  • Rotting Goddess: The Origins of the Witch in Classical Antiquity by Jacob Rabinowitz it is a comprehensive study from the time of Homer to the Greek Magical Papyri and examines the slow stages of how Hekate was demonized and the mythology of the evil witch arose.
  • Restless Dead, Sarah Iles Johnston, Encounters between the Living and the Dead in Ancient Greece, University of California Press, Berkeley 1999 See, in particular, chapter 6 “Hecate and the Dying Maiden”, pp. 203-249
  • Mysteries of the Dark Moon: The Healing Power of the Dark Goddess – Demetra George

Classic Texts

  • Aeneid by Virgil – Robert Fagles (trans), Penguin Classics, 2010
  • Aeneid by Virgil – Stanley Lombardo (trans), Hackett Pub. Co. 2005 (6 references)
  • Argonautika by Apollonios Rhodios – Peter Green (trans), University of California Press, 1997
  • Description of Greece Vol.1-2 by Pausanias – W.H.S. Jones(trans), (Loeb Classical Library), Harvard, 1918, (5 references), (vol. 3 likewise makes a brief mention of Hekate)
  • Diodorus Siculus: Library of History Vol. II, Books 2.35-4.58 – John Henry Mozley (trans), (Loeb Classical Library no. 303), Harvard, 1935
  • Diodorus Siculus: Library of History Vol. III, Books 4.59-8 (Loeb Classical Library no. 340), Harvard, 1939
  • Fasti by Ovid, – Anne Wiseman and Peter Wiseman(trans), Oxford, 2013
  • Frogs and Other Plays by Aristophanes – David Barrett (trans), Penguin Classics, 2007
  • Greek Magical Papyri in Translation – Hans Dieter Betz, University of Chicago Press, 1997
  • Homeric Hymns – Apostolos N. Athanassakis (trans)
  • Homeric Hymns: A Verse Translation – W.H.D. Rouse (trans), WW Norton & co. 1975
  • Library of Greek Mythology by Apollodorus – Robin Hard (trans), Oxford, 2008 (2 in-text references to Hekate)
  • Medea by Seneca – Frederick Ahl (trans), Cornell, 1986
  • Metamorphoses by Ovid – Charles Martin (trans), WW Norton, 2010 (9 references)
  • Nonnos: Dionysiaca, vols. 1, Books 1-15 – W.H.D. Rouse (trans), (Loeb Classical Library, No. 244), Harvard 1940, (5 references), (volumes 2 and 3 each have one reference to Hekate)
  • On the Nature of Animals by Aelian – Gregory McNamee (trans), Trinity University Press, 2012
  • Orphic Hymns – Apostolos N. Athanassakis and Benjamin M. Wolkow (trans), John Hopkins Uni Press, 2013
  • Phaedra by Seneca – Frederick Ahl (trans), Cornell, 1986
  • Strabo: Geography, Books 10-12 – Horace Leonard Jones (trans), (Loeb Classical Library No. 211), Harvard, 1928 The Chaldean Oracles – G.R.S. Mead, Book Jungle, 2007
  • Thebaid: A Song of Thebes by Statius – Jane Wilson Joyce (trans), Cornell University, 2008 Valerius Flaccus, vol. 286 of the Loeb Classical Library – John Henry Mozley (trans), Harvard, 1936. (11 references)
  • Works and Days, and Theogony by Hesiod – Stanley Lombardo and Robert Lamberton (trans), Hackett Publishing Co, 1993
  • Works and Days, Theogony, and Shield by Hesiod – Apostolos N. Athanassakis (trans), John Hopkins Uni Press, 2004

Books on Hekate

And that’s it and that’s all, not the resources – I am sure there are more still I haven’t mentioned. But that is our 30 days done and dusted.  Of course it is not all I have to write on Hekate, in fact I even made a page just for listing all Hekate related posts, so be sure to check that out every now then for new Hekate stuff.

I do hope this series has been helpful to everyone reading, or at least interesting and thought provoking.  I especially hope I have managed to pique the interest of some people, so they now wish to get to know Hekate better.


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?
30Bonus: Resources and Sources about Hekate


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