This is the CoH Symbol, our community sigil if you like. It was designed by Sorita d’Este in 2010 as part of the formation of the Covenant of Hekate to be a new symbol to represent our work. In doing so she drew on extensive practical work she had done previously with the Goddess Hekate in past years.
As with all good symbols, it can have many different layers of meaning. Within the CoH this symbol is interpreted as being the combination of its parts, being:
Waves (top): Hekate’s association with the oceans and with the element of water. She is said to rule over a third of the oceans in the Theogony. This also represents her dominion over the oceans.
Crescent Moon: The goddess Hekate’s association with the Moon and with other goddesses such as Artemis and Selene (who share the crescent as a symbol). The horns point upwards to symbolise the bull-horns she is said to have, and also of course because horns upwards is how she is depicted, with the crescent upon her brow in ancient depictions.
The Circle Quartered: This is a symbol of Earth. It also represents the four elements (Air, Fire, Water and Earth). This represents Hekate’s association with the Earth, as Chthonia emerges from the Earth, like a seed bursting forth full of life and hope. Hekate also rules over a third of the earth according to the Theogony. – Also see below.
The four “stars”: Each of these have seven rays, each representing the classical planets: Sun, Mercury, Venus, Moon, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter, also referred to as the seven wandering stars. This represents Hekate’s association with the stars, both through her mother Asteria and her own dominion over a third of the starry heavens.
Members and those who are thinking of joining the CoH are invited to meditate on this symbol and contemplate its symbolism and meaning. You may well have additional meanings you would add to those given above!
A note from Sorita d’Este:
In October 2015 I had the privilege of visiting numerous ancient sacred sites in Europe and Asia Minor. This included the reliefs from the Temple of Hekate at Lagina in the museum in Istanbul (Turkey), followed by a visit to the remains at the temple site in a rural area of Southern Turkey. It was a wonderful experience for many reasons, but here it is relevant for me to share this image with you. It is one of dozens of equal-armed and circled crosses carved into the floor and steps of this extensive temple complex. The age of these carvings is unknown, possibly dating to a later (and short-lived) Christian occupation of the site, as symbols like this are also known as “Greek crosses”. But still, they are there, carved into the remains of one of the most important temples to Hekate in the ancient world. I was not aware of these carvings when I created the CoH symbol (above), so it was really special to find them (and many other interesting symbols, which I am currently researching) at this site.
