Hekate is a goddess that has had ties to the natural world since antiquity, in this essay I intend to explore these connections, review the relevance they have to the modern devotee and how they can in turn be honored throughout our daily lives.
The Chaldean Oracles recognizes Hekate as Cosmic World Soul, by recognizing Hekate in this role, one is called to make the connection between this function and life. This concept shouldn't only be limited to human life but all life, including the lives of the flora and fauna in which we exist parallel to. In a fragment of the Chaldean Oracles, it is stated that Hekate is "...the mistress of life and holds the plentitude of the full womb of the cosmos" which supports this idea. There is also a more direct link to Hekate and the
natural world found in the Argonautica, by Apollonius, in which a whole garden is attributed to Hekate.
This garden is centered by an oak tree and includes other familiar plants such as garlic, chamomile, and saffron, thus solidifying this connection. This connection is valuable to us as devotees, especially those of us seeking a connection with the natural world, particularly aspects associated with healing and magic. Seeking this connection is likely to add a sympathetic relationship to the world around you thus deepening the connection of a devotee not only to the natural world in which we rely for life itself, but to Hekate herself. This connection brings about a recognition of life and deepens the connection to Hekate as World Soul as well as the teacher of herbalism, as it was Hekate that taught Medea the magical use of herbs. This is a valuable connection to any devotee, but especially those who use plants as a means of healing or in our magical practices. Taking the initiative to protect the environment is a modern and simple approach to honoring the goddess.
These initiatives can make for an excellent devotional act. Taking the initiative to protect the natural world in which we've connected to the goddess Hekate, honors the goddess, and helps to strengthen the aforementioned connection which is vital for those of us who rely on the natural world for
healing and magic. Taking actions, such as those mentioned in the next section can easily be made a regular devotional activity, or one we invest in when we look to honor this aspect of Hekate.
There are many ways in which action can be taken, this can be recycling, fixing broken items as opposed to creating waste by throwing them away. Substituting single use items like paper towels and plastic bags with reusable items. Donating and mending textiles as opposed to creating waste by throwing them
away. Composting food scraps and other organic materials. Volunteer initiatives and raising awareness about the environment and climate change. Even monetary donations to organizations working towards protecting the environment can be ways to get involved and honor this aspect of the goddess.
To highlight how taking the aforementioned initiatives serves the goddess Hekate, I will share some statistics and ideas connected to those options and express how they seek to honor and serve the goddess. Composting creates nutrient rich soil, this can help both the home gardener and at the industrial level, farmers. Composting serves to not only safe guard the environment but also directly loops back to the very plants in which we use in our healing and magical journeys.
To recycle an aluminum can takes 95% less energy and water than it does to make a new can. This reduction of energy usage and the preservation of a vital resources like water is easily connected to minimizing our negative impact to the environment. With Americans throwing out 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour, and recycling one ton of those plastic bottles saving the equivalent of the energy usage of a household of two for a year, recycling plastics alone could be an impactful act of devotion.
With the ten warmest years in historical record occurring in the past decade (years 2014 to 2023) it's time to take action, as much as we're able, and I encourage us all to take action to honor the goddess Hekate and embrace these aspects of her associated with the environment. May we serve her valuable gift of life well and take up a torch of guardianship for the natural world that offers us healing and magic. ith the ten warmest years in historical record occuring in the past decade (years 2014 to 2023) it's time to take
action, as much as we're able, and I encourage us all to take action to honor the goddess
Hekate and embrace these aspects of her associated with the environment. May we serve her valuable gift of life well and take up a torch of guardianship for the natural world that offers us healing and magic.
Sources:
(1) Circle for Hekate- Volume I: History & Mythology, Sorita D'Este
(2) www.recycleacrossamerica.org
(3) www.climate.gov
Ah wonderful! I work for an environmental charity and the premise of thinking long term absolutely comes under Hecate. It's not just about immediate or quick fixes, it's about what we can do for future generations.
Thank you for shining a light on this important topic. It's the most important topic of our times, i would say. <3
Wonderful 🥰