The world’s key-bearer — An Orphic Hymn to Hecate

“Hekate Einodia, Trioditis [Trivia], lovely dame,

 of earthly, watery, and celestial frame,

 sepulchral, in a saffron veil arrayed,

 pleased with dark ghosts that wander through the shade;

 Perseis, solitary goddess, hail!

 The world’s key-bearer, never doomed to fail;

 in stags rejoicing, huntress, nightly seen,

 and drawn by bulls, unconquerable queen;

 Leader, Nymphe, nurse, on mountains wandering,

 hear the suppliants who with holy rites thy power revere,

 and to the herdsman with a favoring mind draw near.”

The Titan Goddess Hecate was not as minor as some people would think. She plays an integral role in the story of Persephone and Demeter as she is the one who eventually tells Demeter the fate of her daughter. She is also one of the few Gods that is as welcome on Olympus as in the Underworld. This is probably part of the reason that she became the Goddess of the Crossroads (Trioditis).

As the only daughter of the (second-generation) Titans Perses and Asteria, she holds an interesting place in the cosmology as she is of the same generation as the younger Olympians and Persephone. She was honored there each month at the dark of the moon with the Deipnon associated with her — when those who could afford to placed food outside their doors or at the crossroads for any being who needed it. This offering can be made in the modern day by donating to local charities and food banks.

Hecate is probably best known for her association with Magic, Necromancy and Ghosts. This is the association that most modern Witches know, even including her as a Triple Goddess with Selene and Artemis — who are also goddesses of hunting although Hecate was often identified with other Goddesses as well (For references see: http://www.theoi.com/Khthonios/Hekate.html ) She is probably one of the  Goddesses about whom the most has been written because of these associations and I leave it to the reader to discover more if they wish to.