Hekate - by Sorita D'Este (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Hekate: Keys to the Crossroads is a collection of personal essays, invocations, rituals, recipes and artwork from modern Witches, Priestesses and Priests who work with Hekate, the Ancient Greek Goddess of Witchcraft, Magick and Sorcery.

Hekate is one of the most fascinating Goddesses of the Ancient World. Loved, feared, hated and worshipped by people throughout history, the Witch Goddess of the Crossroads, facing three-ways, with her three faces, remains an image of power and awe in the modern world today, amongst those who understand and respect her power.

This book brings together the experiences and perceptions of more than twenty modern day Witches, Priestesses and Priests all of whom work with this awesome Greek Goddess in the UK today. Through their essays, rituals and artwork they present a unique view into the realms of this multi-faceted and popular Goddess.

Part I - Hekate's History, Myths & Powers Here author and Priestess Sorita d'Este presents a detailed and comprehensive study of the history, myths and powers of Hekate. This invaluable section offers the reader insights to some of the roles, relationships and powers Hekate held in the Ancient World.

Part II - Hekate's Witches This section contains essays by sixteen Witches, Priestesses and Priests who work with Hekate on a regular basis. Each contribution is as unique as the person who wrote it, clearly illustrating through both their differences and similarities that the many faces presented by Hekate in the ancient world continue on today in the twenty-first century. Hekate is a Goddess of transformation, initiation, childbirth, death and rebirth. She is the Mistress of Magick, Witchcraft and Sorcery. She is the key-bearing Goddess of Night who illuminates the paths through the mysteries with her bright torches, guarding the entranceways and guiding travellers through the realms of Heaven, Earth and Sea. Powerful and respected by Gods and mortals alike, she has the power to bestow gifts and blessings upon those who call upon her with honour and truth.

Part III - Recipes, Rites & Rituals A collection of modern invocations, pathworkings, incense and food recipes, together with a group mystery play of the Abduction of Persephone by Hades in which Hekate plays a key role.

Combining the best of research with a wide range of experiences this compact volume opens doorways in to many of Hekate's realms. It is a unique journey - enchanting, funny, scary, magickal and daring, challenging and informative. Whether you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing with the perceptions you will find within, one thing is certain: there is always more to learn and experience when it comes to Hekate!

Review Quotes

Good book. Very interesting with a lot of personal experiences.

I really like this book- some of the reviews I read about it stated the spelling was really bad, but this book is from England- I lived there & learned a lot of words are spelled differently(which I probably wouldn't have known if I wasn't there) I like reading about people's personal experiences, and with so many in one book it's nice to read all of the different stories. - Tara W, Amazon reviewer

Great read. Very informative

I like the varying details from different people regarding Hecate and special ceremonies. I really like this book and very happy I purchased it. - Sandra Waine, Amazon reviewer

Accurate, personal, and a must-read

To be honest, I almost passed this book by because of its home-spun appearance. I was afraid that it was just another pseudo-spiritual, misinformed New Age compiliation by people who don't really know the subject. I went ahead and bought it anyway, and I am so glad that I did! Do not let the apparent simplicty of this book fool you. Although written in everyday language, the content is among the best I've seen on the subject of Hekate. It is well-researched, and avoids (and actually debunks, much to my delight) many of the most common misconceptions of this amazing deity that even many pagans are guilty of perpetuating.

My only peeve is with Part II, the personal essay portion of the book. I loved hearing the multiplicty of voices and perspectives, but it's obvious that the essays were published exactly as they were submitted; there are numerous typos, grammatical errors and other issues that could easily have been remedied with even a simple editing job. These errors detract from what are otherwise very engaging pieces.

This charming and informative book should be essential reading for anyone interested in Hekate. As a scholar of religion with a personal appreciation of Hekate, I've already done much research on Her and therefore did not really learn anything "new" in Part I ("Hekate's History"), but the rest of the book definitely gave me new things to ponder. It was spiritually uplifting and thought-provoking...which is, I suppose, the point. Although academically sound, this is much more than a book for academics. It is a book for practitioners, and anyone interested in developing a relationship with Hekate would be wise to read it. - Lynne M. Meyer, Amazon reviewer