The goddess Hecate is one of the minor Greek goddesses, and you may remember her from the play Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare. Hecate was known as the goddess of many different things, depending on the story or play you are reading. Some refer to her as the goddess of the household. Others call her the protector of children. She was also known as the goddess of the crossroads. Then there are the stories about her being the goddess of witchcraft. This is how she is depicted in Macbeth.

The goddess Hecate is often included in the stories with the Goddess Demeter and her daughter the goddess Persephone. If you remember the stories, Persephone was abducted by Hades and taken to the Underworld. Hecate witnessed the abduction and told Demeter what had happened. Persephone ate a piece of fruit because she was hungry. This cursed her to have to spend half of each year in the Underworld with Hades for the rest of her life.

The goddess Hecate helped Persephone to adjust to the Underworld by becoming her friend and comforting her. Hades was happy with Hecate for this and gave her permission to come into his kingdom any time she liked. Zeus was also very fond of Hecate. He gave her the ability to be able to grant any wish she wanted to humans or to use magic for trickery on those she did not like.

Survival of the Goddess Hecate
Hecate often kept to herself in the stories. She also was called the Queen of the Night, and hellacious creatures and ghosts sometimes were seen walking alongside her. She looked after the dying and helped them with their journey into the spirit world when they passed on. She was also said to help prepare souls to come back into the world in their next life.