In Nomine Hekate | Mat Auryn

A while back, I was asked by a close friend of mine to help come up with a daily devotional to Hekate for her. She comes from a Catholic background – a background that she no longer feels connected to and was telling me that she used to do prayers with a rosary, and that this was one of the practices she had down pat. So in response, I did a little “reverse engineering” and re-wrote a devotional based on aspects of the rosary prayer for her to use with a rosary that she made for Hekate with red, black, and white beads with a key at the end. I have a similar rosary that I had bought at a festival once.

in-nomine

Someone had posted on a Hekate group on facebook asking why people treat Hekate as a substitute for the Virgin Mary. I found this condescending rhetorical question amusing, as I found the Virgin Mary through working with Hekate and Diana, not the other way around. I have no Catholic background. In fact, the type of protestant Christian that I was raised in, saw Catholicism as idolatry. But I am neither, I am a witch. Now obviously some people are going to be upset by all of this – hard polytheists and monotheists. If you don’t resonate with any of this, just move on and do you, instead of ‘splaining Hekate to me. I understand that this is “unorthodox”, but I’m not a Hellenist. I am a witch.

Nonetheless, I have found this to be a fantastic devotional practice that can be quickly absorbed into anyone’s daily practice. While my daily devotional is more complex than provided here, I use this one if I’m short for time and had used it for many months daily after its creation.

I still believe there’s a strong current of energy connecting Hekate, Diana, and yes, even Mary together. Not in an “all goddesses are the same” type of way, but rather a strong energetic and historical connection between the three. This prayer is not only a reclamation of my friend’s past faith, but is also a reclamation of the goddess Diana and Hekate (who were often conflated and synchronized), whom the Virgin Mary absorbed a lot of her iconography, symbolism and titles from. One of the Virgin Mary’s shrines, The House of the Virgin Mary resides in Ephesus, which once had a temple to Diana and Hekate so marvelous that it was considered an ancient world wonder. It’s no coincidence that her shrine was placed in a part of the ancient world where these two goddesses were worshipped and many pilgrimaged to from around the world.

The following invokes three epithets, that of Einodia (‘Of the crossroads’, ‘Of the Roads’, ‘Of the Path’), Abronoê (‘Gracious-minded’, ‘Providing Grace’, ‘Gracious’) and Pammêtôr (Mother of All). I have reworked the “Hail Mary” part of the Rosary to fit Hekate. Instead of Amen, the phrase “In Nomine Hekate” is used, not only because it rhymes but because Catholic tradition tends to use this latin phrase “In Nomine” which means “In the name of” – with things referencing Jesus or the Lord, etc. after it. So here, Hekate takes that place, and it really has a great ring to it anyways. The sign of the Cross has been reworked as the Shield of the Crossroads to be a protective invocation (similar to say the LBRP). The Hymn to Hekate & Janus by Proclus Diadochus is also used, omitting the parts with Janus and Zeus.

Feel free to use this in your own personal practice. You can view it as a reclamation of goddess from the patriarchal religion or you can view it as beloved blasphemy, depending on where you stand with the Catholic tradition. This can be done with a rosary, mala beads, a simple beaded necklace or bracelet or without any physical tool at all. I incorporate candles and incense. If you don’t have access to either at the time of performing this visual, just imagine her standing before you with her torches lit. The beauty of this, is that you can hide your devotion to Hekate if you aren’t open about your beliefs. Hiding devotion to deities behind and within the images of saints is a historic practice of pagans.

Lighting of Devotional Candles:

[Light a devotional candle dedicated to Hekate, one placed on each side of a statue of her like torches]

Timeless Titaness! Fiery Flower of the Heavens! As the fire from your torches destroyed the giant Clytius, may you bless this fire to drive back all that comes to do me harm and burn it to cinders.

Shield of the Crossroads:

[Visualize the flame lighting your fingertips and see an equal armed cross of flames before you as you gesture]

Shield Me Hekate Einodia, Queen of the Crossroads. Crowned with celestial [touch forehead], watery [chest], sepulchral [left shoulder] and earthly [right shoulder] power.

[Visualize the lines of fire stretching all the way above, below and around you, until you’re encircled in an egg-shape. Then see these lines of fire begin to spin fast around you like a gyroscope, until you’re completely encased in this protective fire]

Hymn to Hekate & Janus [Omitting Janus]:

Hail, many-named Mother of the Gods, whose children are fair
Hail, mighty Hekate of the Threshold
Shape the course of my life with luminous Light
And make it laden with good things,
Drive sickness and evil from my limbs.
And when my soul rages about worldly things,
Deliver me purified by your soul-stirring rituals.
Yes, lend me your hand I pray
And reveal to me the pathways of divine guidance that I long for,
Then shall I gaze upon that precious Light
Whence I can flee the evil of our dark origin.
Yes, lend me your hand I pray,
And when I am weary bring me to the haven of piety with your winds.
Hail, many-named mother of the Gods, whose children are fair
Hail, mighty Hekate of the Threshold

Hail Hekate [x33 with mala / rosary]:

Hail Hekate Abronoê, full of grace.
Whom Zeus honors above all.
For blessed art thou amongst gods and titans,
And blessed are thy torches of illumination.
Holy Hekate Pammêtôr, Mother of All,
Guide us witches through the darkness,
Now and at the hour of our death.
In Nomine Hekate

Shield of the Crossroads:

Shield Me Hekate Einodia, Queen of the Crossroads. Crowned with celestial [touch forehead], watery [chest], sepulchral [left shoulder] and earthly [right shoulder] power.

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