The second Goddess suggested for the “Stone Assisted Soul Retrieval practice” is Hekate : The Triple Goddess of the Liminal Crossroads, Chthonia “earthly one”, gatekeeper, cave dweller, co-weaver.


As Initiatrix, Hekate is crone - grandmother. Her liminality is expressed in her three faces, three forms, and her movement and protection between three realms.


Born of Asteria [Starry One] and Perses [destroyer] is Hekate, She is a psychopomp - a guide of the souls of the deceased. And thus can also be called on in terms of healing if you are ready for ego-cleanse/dismemberment and rearranging!


Apotropaic [evil-averting] protector and guide, her primal nature is expressed in the many animals she is depicted with - but of course in her cave she is mostly friend of black dog [grim/depression] and serpent [poison/antidote].


If you have those animals in your dreams a lot, Hekate is likely near. Don’t be afraid of those animals in your dreams… Welcome them - protect them, pet them, feed them. How you do this in your waking life for dreams is ‘giving attention to’ - get pictures of them or draw them.


Infernal Queen of the Underworld, Goddess of dreams and Oracles - Hekate was the only one who heard Persephone being taken into the Underworld by Hades - [from inside her cave].


She does listen to our painful journeys into wisdom with a knowing and agreement of the unfathomably painful aspects of what it is to be truly alive - what it is for a girl to loose her naivety about the world. Which all woman must if they want to inhabit their true power.


[ie: This grandmother doesn’t coddle and won’t interfere if you've still got lessons to learn from getting smacked down into the grit. She’ll watch and wait until we are softened, humbled, open…]


Standing at the threshold with the keys to our Mysteries in her hand, she leads in an elusive nameless manner.

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“A baying of hounds was heard through the Half-light: the goddess was coming, Hekate!”

- Aeneid, Virgil, late C1st BCE, trans. J.Dryden.

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Her names:

Dadouchos “torch bearer”
Enodia “of the ways”
Kleidouchos ‘key-bearer’
Kourotrophos ‘child’s nurse’
Phosphorus ‘light-bearer’
Propolos ‘companion’
Propylaia ‘ before the gate’
Soteira ‘three bodied’ Trioditis ‘of the three ways’

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I met Hekate in dreams, for a long time, without realising who she was…


She appeared with a bright green serpent wrapped around her belly, which outstretched and pressed itself into the palm of my hand.

I looked to her face and her eyes were bright yellow/blue, crystal clear and shining as the calmest ocean. Within and through her eyes opened an expansive cosmos, constellations, galaxies.

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[A “Big Dream” is a life changing inner event. Some dreams are without a doubt, for shamanic practitioners - created totally / intervened by Spirits. These come bringing initiations, healing, messengers. This is why I refer to Hekate as Crone within the stones for soul retrieval rituals because she came always with me as Grandmother, in deep, soul healing interactions.]

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Text Reference:

Sonia D’Este and David Rankine, ‘Hekate Liminal Rites, A Study of Rituals, Magic and Symbols of the Torch Bearing Triple Goddess of the Crossroads.’

Background Image: “Hecate”, or “The Night of Enitharmon's Joy”, or “The Three Fates”, William Blake, (ca 1795, Pen and ink with watercolour), Tate Collection ”