When people ask me what book they should read to learn more about Hekate, Sorita d’Este and David Rankine’s Hekate Liminal Rites: A Study of the Rituals, Magic and Symbols of the Torch-Bearing Triple Goddess of the Crossroads is always my first recommendation. In my opinion it is the best historical crash-course on Hekate that there is. Coming in at only 194 pages, the book is short but packed with accurate information. The authors cover Hekate throughout the ages from some of her pre-Greek origins to the Hekate of the Classical Era to Hekate Soteira of the Chaldean Oracles to Hekate of the Greek Magical Papyri. The power of this book is it’s broad scope and the authors’ ability to easily convey areas of research in an extremely understandable manner with a clear writing style.

The book covers some of her main symbols and animals and their significance, historical spells and offerings as well as devotees of hers both historical and mythical. Diving into the Greek Magical Papyri or the Chaldean Oracles can be difficult for someone new to Hekate. Works that focus on Hekate in one era of history like Hekate Soteira: A Study of Hekate’s Roles in the Chaldean Oracles and Related Literature by Sarah Illes Johnston or Hekate in Ancient Greek Religion by Robert Von Rudloff, while fantastic as well, can be a bit inaccessible, complicated and confusing for someone completely new to Hekate. The authors do a great job of providing a quick, accurate and informative platform for the seeker to have enough of a crash-course in these areas to start exploring other texts that dive a bit deeper on Hekate.

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