Hekate in Eleusis: Visiting the Sacred City.

I will never forget my first visit to Eleusis. After discovering with disappointment that the Sacred Way had turned into an ordinary road over the centuries—and accepting that progress had devoured us all—I arrived at the Sacred City without expecting much.

And then, the blessed land of Demeter opened its arms.

My wife and me in our last visit. This is the Propylaia.

I went there with my partner, my son, and a dear friend whom I consider family. The first thing she did, after showing me the powerful cave of Pluto—where you can still leave offerings and honor the god at his altar—was to take me to the temple of Hekate, which is right next to it.

“Look, Palladia, can you imagine the goddess’s priestesses waiting here for the future initiates?” she called to me from the other side, pointing to the stairs and also indicating where the Ageslastos Petra, the Rock Without Laughter, is—the very place where Demeter sat and wept over the sorrow of losing her daughter.

Since then, I have had the honor of bringing many devotees of the goddesses there. It is part of the mission of the Amaimaketon Basilian Sanctuary: to guide those who come from outside Greece in search of the goddess to the sacred sites where she was once worshiped and which are still open for visitors today. And although we do not have exact evidence of the goddess’s role in Eleusis, we can infer her presence by following the clues that Homer left us in the Hymn to Demeter, where Hekate seems to be the only one who hears Persephone’s cries and is the one who accompanies Demeter to Helios in search of her daughter.

So, where is the place dedicated to Hekate? The temple of Hekate in Eleusis is located just to the right of Pluto’s Cave, on the path leading to the Telesterion. It is a small sanctuary that overlooks the entire sacred precinct. Most of the sanctuary consists of steps facing the pathway. There, and in the Telesterion, votive statues and reliefs have been found, confirming Hekate’s role in the Mysteries and her presence in the Sacred City.

Meditating in the Pluto's Cave

The guardians of the archaeological site are usually quite tolerant with visitors and do not mind if you sit in the temple to meditate, pray to the goddess, or perform your rituals, as long as nothing is poured onto the stones. Because of this, we usually inform the staff at the entrance that we are religious visitors. Occasionally, we have encountered issues, but most of the time, they are quite receptive. I usually leave my offerings in places where they won’t cause any problems, or after completing my ritual, I leave them by the seashore, which is less than a five-minute walk from the site.

Visiting the Ploutonion, meditating inside the cave, honoring Hekate afterward, and finishing at the Telesterion is, in my view, the perfect way to experience this place. Entering the space of the Telesterion and realizing that, from the stands, the initiates would watch the ceremony of the neophytes; walking alongside the Anaktoron and knowing that inside this space were the sacred objects that played a central role in the initiation ritual… It is something that leaves anyone speechless, but it has an indescribable impact on the children of the ancient gods.

If you visit and have some extra time, do not miss the museum. The Kore "fleeing maiden" awaits you, along with an exhibition dedicated to the Mysteries, where, among other things, you will see a fragment of the Hierophant’s throne and two of the sanctuary’s torches. You will also find the Caryatid of Eleusis, who, mute without her sister, stands as a silent witness to history.

My wife Galena and me in the Temple of Hekate in Eleusis.

If you come to Athens and would like me to accompany you to Eleusis, don’t hesitate! It is always a pleasure and an honor to return to the Sacred City with devotees of our goddess.