Hecate
An image of the ancient Greek Goddess Hecate. Hecate was a protective Goddess associated with light, the Moon, magic, witchcraft, knowledge of herbs and poisonous plants, necromancy, and sorcery, as well as crossroads,
entrance-ways, and dogs.
(Taken from ‘Hieroglyphica, sive, De sacris Aegyptiorvm aliarvmqve gentivm literis commentarij’, published 1575.)
Dear friends,
I have always been interested in Greek Gods, Goddesses as well as the Egyptian pantheon. It is interesting in every culture they have gods and goddesses and they seem to be described doing the same things in their ethereal heavenly worlds. They remind me greatly of Buddha’s description of the six realms in samsara of which two realms were inhabited by long life gods/goddess or titans. They are not gods in the Judaic sense but more beings who are subject to death but had various special powers and very long lives that make them seem immortal and wield power over other realms. Humans would invariably worship them throughout history and since the dawn of time. Here is a particularly interesting Goddess Hecate of the crossroads. For you Greek/Roman enthusiasts on the divine, enjoy this read. Take note, in ancient times she is depicted with three heads (one with a snake’s head, one with a horse’s, and the third a boar’s head). Hecate interests me as she is depicted with many heads, with animal heads and many arms like the sacred depictions of divinity in the East. I’ve always been attracted to divine beings with multiple arms and heads which is traditionally Eastern in popularity. We can see in the West, it was popular too.
Since she is the goddess of magic, sorcery and the underworld, people in ancient times would have three faced masks made of her and hang over their doors to protect them from spirits. It is said with her face on the door, the ghosts will not pass into your household as she hold sway over them being goddess of the underworld.
It is said before Hecate arrives there will be the howling of dogs to herald her coming. Sometimes at night when your dogs bay at the moon for no reason suddenly, it could be Hecate travelling across your path and the dogs see her.
Tsem Rinpoche
Nice Hecate tsatsa (relief)
From Wikipedia:
Hecate or Hekate (/ˈhɛkətiː, ˈhɛkɪt/; Greek Ἑκάτη, Hekátē) is a goddess in Greek religion and mythology, most often shown holding two torches or a keyand in later periods depicted in triple form. She was variously associated with crossroads, entrance-ways, dogs, light, the moon, magic, witchcraft, knowledge of herbs and poisonous plants, necromancy, and sorcery.In the post-Christian writings of the Chaldean Oracles (2nd-3rd century CE) she was regarded with (some) rulership over earth, sea and sky, as well as a more universal role as Saviour (Soteira), Mother of Angels and the Cosmic World Soul.She was one of the main deities worshiped in Athenian households as a protective goddess and one who bestowed prosperity and daily blessings on the family.
Hecate may have originated among the Carians of Anatolia, where variants of her name are found as names given to children. William Berg observes, “Since children are not called after spooks, it is safe to assume that Carian theophoric names involving hekat- refer to a major deity free from the dark and unsavoury ties to the underworld and to witchcraft associated with the Hecate of classical Athens.” She also closely parallels the Roman goddess Trivia, with whom she was identified in Rome.
Representation
In Egyptian-inspired Greek esoteric writings connected with Hermes Trismegistus, and in magical papyri of Late Antiquity she is described as having three heads: one dog, one serpent, and one horse. In other representations her animal heads include those of a cow and a boar. Hecate’s triplicity is elsewhere expressed in a more Hellenic fashion in the vast frieze of the great Pergamon Altar, now in Berlin, wherein she is shown with three bodies, taking part in the battle with the Titans. In the Argolid, near the shrine of the Dioscuri, Pausanias saw the temple of Hecate opposite the sanctuary of Eileithyia; He reported the image to be the work of Scopas, stating further, “This one is of stone, while the bronze images opposite, also of Hecate, were made respectively by Polycleitus and his brother Naucydes, son of Mothon.” (Description of Greece 2.22.7)
Hecate also came to be associated with ghosts, infernal spirits, the dead and sorcery. Shrines to Hecate were placed at doorways to both homes and cities with the belief that it would protect from restless dead and other spirits. Likewise, shrines to Hecate at three way crossroads were created where food offerings were left at the new moon to protect those who did so from spirits and other evils.
The modern understanding of Hecate has been strongly influenced by syncretic Hellenistic interpretations. Many of the attributes she was assigned in this period appear to have an older basis. For example, in the magical papyri of Ptolemaic Egypt, she is called the ‘she-dog’ or ‘bitch’, and her presence is signified by the barking of dogs. In late imagery she also has two ghostly dogs as servants by her side. However, her association with dogs predates the conquests of Alexander the Great and the emergence of the Hellenistic world. When Philip II laid siege to Byzantium she had already been associated with dogs for some time; the light in the sky and the barking of dogs that warned the citizens of a night time attack, saving the city, were attributed to Hecate Lampadephoros (the tale is preserved in the Suda). In gratitude the Byzantines erected a statue in her honor.
As a virgin goddess, she remained unmarried and had no regular consort, though some traditions named her as the mother of Scylla.
Triple Hecate
Although associated with other moon goddesses such as Selene, she ruled over three kingdoms; the earth, the sea, and the sky. She had the power to create or hold back storms, which influenced her patronage of shepherds and sailors.
According to Hesiod, she held sway over many things:
Whom she will she greatly aids and advances: she sits by worshipful kings in judgement, and in the assembly whom she will is distinguished among the people. And when men arm themselves for the battle that destroys men, then the goddess is at hand to give victory and grant glory readily to whom she will. Good is she also when men contend at the games, for there too the goddess is with them and profits them: and he who by might and strength gets the victory wins the rich prize easily with joy, and brings glory to his parents. And she is good to stand by horsemen, whom she will: and to those whose business is in the grey discomfortable sea, and who pray to Hecate and the loud-crashing Earth-Shaker, easily the glorious goddess gives great catch, and easily she takes it away as soon as seen, if so she will. She is good in the byre with Hermes to increase the stock. The droves of kine and wide herds of goats and flocks of fleecy sheep, if she will, she increases from a few, or makes many to be less. So, then, albeit her mother’s only child, she is honored amongst all the deathless gods. And the son of Cronos made her a nurse of the young who after that day saw with their eyes the light of all-seeing Dawn. So from the beginning she is a nurse of the young, and these are her honours.
Animals
Dogs were closely associated with Hecate in the Classical world. “In art and in literature Hecate is constantly represented as dog-shaped or as accompanied by a dog. Her approach was heralded by the howling of a dog. The dog was Hecate’s regular sacrificial animal, and was often eaten in solemn sacrament.” The sacrifice of dogs to Hecate is attested for Thrace, Samothrace, Colophon, and Athens.
It has been claimed that her association with dogs is “suggestive of her connection with birth, for the dog was sacred to Eileithyia, Genetyllis, and other birth goddesses. Although in later times Hecate’s dog came to be thought of as a manifestation of restless souls or demons who accompanied her, its docile appearance and its accompaniment of a Hecate who looks completely friendly in many pieces of ancient art suggests that its original signification was positive and thus likelier to have arisen from the dog’s connection with birth than the dog’s underworld associations.”The association with dogs, particularly female dogs, could be explained by a metamorphosis myth. The friendly looking female dog accompanying Hecate was originally the Trojan Queen Hekabe, who leapt into the sea after the fall of Troy and was transformed by Hecate into her familiar.
Some tidbits:
HEKATE (or Hecate) was the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy. She was the only child of the Titanes Perses and Asteria from whom she received her power over heaven, earth, and sea.
The Greek goddess Hecate reminds us of the importance of change, helping us to release the past, especially those things that are hindering our growth, and to accept change and transitions. She sometimes asks us to let go of what is familiar, safe, and secure and to travel to the scary places of the soul.
New beginnings, whether spiritual or mundane, aren’t always easy. But Hecate is there to support and show you the way.
She loans her farsightedness for you to see what lies deeply forgotten or even hidden, and helps you make a choice and find your path. Oft times she shines her torch to guide you while you are in dreams or meditation.
Hecate teaches us to be just and to be tolerant of those who are different or less fortunate, yet she is hardly a “bleeding heart”, for Hecate dispenses justice “blindly” and equally.
Whether the Greek goddess Hecate visits us in waking hours or only while we sleep, she can lead us to see things differently (ourselves included) and help us find greater understanding of our selves and others.
Although her name may mean “The Distant One”, Hecate is always close at hand in times of need, helping us to release the old, familiar ways and find our way through new beginnings.
Not surprisingly, the people thought it best to give the goddess Hecate (and any friends that might be accompanying her) a lot of honor and a fairly wide berth. When darkness descended they wisely retired to the fireside for supper, but put the leftovers outside as an offering to Hecate and her hounds.
That the homeless and destitute were often the actual beneficiaries hardly mattered…after all, they were under Hecate’s protection.
In a similar fashion, food was often left at the crossroads to honor Hecate, especially at junctions where three roads converged –what we often call a “Y-intersection”.
Frequently a pole was erected at the intersection and three masks would be hung from it to pay homage to Hecate and to request her guidance in helping to choose the right direction.
Three-faced masks also adorned the entrances of many homes, honoring the goddess Hecate who could, of course, wield her influence over “the spirits that traveled the earth” to keep them from entering the household.
Hecate’s ability to see into the Underworld, the “otherworld” of the sleeping and the dead, made her comfortable and tolerant in the company of those most would shun out of fear or misunderstanding.
In her role as ‘Queen of the Night’, sometimes traveling with a following of “ghosts” and other social outcasts, she was both honored and feared as the protectress of the oppressed and of those who lived “on the edge”. In Rome many of the priests in her sacred groves were former slaves who had been released to work in her service.
The goddess Hecate was often accompanied on her travels by an owl, a symbol of wisdom. Not really known as a goddess of wisdom, per se, Hecate is nevertheless recognized for a special type of knowledge and is considered to be the goddess of trivia.
Hecate’s farsightedness and attention to detail, combined with her extraordinary interest in that which most of us discount as irrelevant or arcane, gave her tremendous powers.
She knew what the rest of us did not.
Like Artemis, Hecate was usually depicted with her sacred dogs, although Hecate and even her animals, were sometimes said to have three heads and that they could see in all directions. Although usually depicted as a beautiful woman having three human heads, some images are fearsome indeed (one with a snake’s head, one with a horse’s, and the third a boar’s head).
This farsightedness, the ability to see in several directions at once (even the past, present, and future) featured largely in her most famous myth, the abduction of Persephone. For it was the goddess Hecate who “saw” and told the frantic Demeter what had become of her daughter.
The goddess Hecate continued to play an important role in the life of Persephone, becoming her confidante when she was in the Underworld. Hades, thankful for their friendship, was more than hospitable, honoring Hecate as a prominent and permanent guest in the spirit world. Surely this had the effect of enhancing her reputation as a spirit of black magic with the power to conjure up dreams, prophecies, and phantoms.
Hecate – Goddess of Witchcraft & Magic
The ancient Greeks worshiped Hecate as the goddess of magic, witchcraft, and (along Selene and Artemis) the moon. She is commonly (but not always) depicted with three heads facing in different directions and holding two torches. Hecate possesses two animal familiars, a black dog and a polecat, which Ovid tells us were once women.
Sources:
- http://www.theoi.com/Khthonios/Hekate.html
- http://www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/greek_goddess_Hecate.htm
From the movie: Jason and the Argonauts where Hecate is being worshipped in her temple by a priestess. In her three-headed representations, discussed above, Hecate often has one or more animal heads, including cow, dog, boar, serpent and horse.
A close up of her three heads-one with a snake’s head, one with a horse’s, and the third a boar’s head
One of my favorite movies-Jason and the Argonauts 1963 . In this classic Hecate is depicted as the main Goddess. As well as Poseidon arising out of the ocean to assist Jason. Neat effects for 1963!
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/jason-and-the-argonauts-1969.mp4
“From the neopaganism perspective, which can differ from the old religion, Hecate can be seen as one of the Triple Goddesses that honours the cycle of the moon, which is representative of the female energy. We have the fair maiden represented by the new or waning moon. She is young fresh, a virgin, energetic and ready for an adventure. And then the full moon, which is symbolized by the mother. She is nurturing, caring and a potent sign of birth, creation and fertility. Finally, in old age, she is known as the crone – wise, profound, powerful and very much an attained yogini if I may dare suggest. That’s the stage of the dark or waxing moon. As such, Hecate is obviously the Crone. She is wise as symbolized by the owl but her knowledge is specific and it is the type of knowingness we feel from our grandmothers because she has lived life and experienced more bitterness than we ever can imagine. As she kisses death each time she breathes, Hecate reminds us of our mortality; so fearful and yet it is a truth if understood rightly will set us free.” ~Wendy Loh
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It was Hekate that brought me to buddhism, I worked with her for a long time as a practitioner and mostly just gave offerings out of respect, if I prayed it was usually just for patience. I started getting/finding random things like a Quanyin statue, having dreams etc. I put it off and ignored it because starting an entirely new practice & with such extensive texts and paradigm shifts that it seemed daunting and I put it off until Hekate straight up left. I had a good feeling about Tsem Renpoche when I found his videos about DS, I don’t know if many other people would understand that even some gods and titans might bring their followers to Dharma because even they want enlightenment – and especially a being like Hekate whose canonical self-imposed “duty” is to go to different realms, finding lost beings, even animals and humans or gods who were reincarnated as animals
Interesting article of Hecate, is a goddess in ancient Greek religion and mythology. Have seen pictures of this so called Hecate but do not understand much of it till I came across this article. Known to be the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the creatures of the night, moon and ghosts. Recording to legends she was the only child of the Titanes Perses and Asteria from whom she received her power over heaven, earth, and sea. She is most often depicted as having three heads; one of a dog, one of a snake and one of a horse. Sound interesting to read.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.
This is the first time I read about Hecate in details. She is the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy, and sorcery. Yet people worship her. She was one of the main deities worshiped in Athenian households as a protective goddess and one who bestowed prosperity and daily blessings on the family. I find this juxtaposition very interesting on two level. How people will readily submit themselves to a powerful being bestowed with supernatural powers.
On the other hand, Hecate, who is associated with dark powers are being worshipped as a protective goddess could mean she uses her power for doing good that benefits people. This goes to show that some who possesses dark power like witchcraft, necromancy and sorcery are not necessary bad and will not necessary harm. It all depends on their motivation.
Thank you very much Rinpoche for this insightful article on Hecate.
The concept of “darkness” in the time of the ancient Greeks wasn’t about evil but rather about the unknown, mystery, or unseen. Witchcraft isn’t inherently evil, it’s a taboo for some and for some specially in ancient Rome they view witchcraft as a weapon that could be use against the Roman emperor.
Growing up I’ve been taught that any worship of statues especially in the non-human form at related to satanism. So I have always stayed away from religious places with statues. I have always like Greek mythology though. Their Gods and various “animal” like beings. I found them fascinating.
I would often wonder if these beings are real and if they were at some point in our ancient history, what happened to them, why they do not appear to us now?
In this human realm that we so called exist in, there is human and there are animals. But yet many statues, art and literature from our past depicts beings who are part human and part animals. How is that biologically so? Is it really just symbolic or do these beings exist physically as well?
While the form of part human and part animal may seem “scary”, it is surprising that what this goddess actually represents. One that is mentioned in the article is that the Greek goddess Hecate reminds us of the importance of change, helping us to release the past, especially those things that are hindering our growth, and to accept change and transitions. Although her name may mean “The Distant One”, Hecate is always close at hand in times of need, helping us to release the old, familiar ways and find our way through new beginnings.
This is not something I would immediately associate Hecate image or outward appearance with. It goes to say how wrong perception can sometimes be.
Regardless of what culture you are from, people’s treatment of the divine is always the same – they worship, they request, they propitiate, they make offerings to them. And regardless of what culture you are from, your reasons for doing so are always the same – we want money, a good career, enough food on the table, protection from spirits, healthy children, a happy family, a relationship, etc. We want the ability to influence the elements and control the weather, to ensure a good harvest and crops, to heal and prevent disease. We want clairvoyance and the ability to predict the future, to prevent calamities before they occur.
Whilst we might regard these types of aspirations mundane, the common theme here is happiness. Everyone, regardless of their culture, wants happiness and does not want to suffer and regardless of culture, these are the aspects which we feel will bring us suffering if we fail in them.
But as there are this many people with mundane aspirations, so too are there people who have higher aspirations. In all religions, you will always have the people requesting for worldly results but you will also have the people who devote themselves to the worship, study and practice of these deities. They create images in these deities’ honour, and propitiate them to become closer to them, either to receive boons or even become one with them and to achieve the same state as them. These are the people who keep the traditions alive by dedicating themselves and becoming monks, nuns, priests, priestesses. So in the case of Hecate and other Hellenic religions, you have the shrines and the mythology, and the reliefs and busts and statues of these deities they worshipped.
Obviously Hecate’s worship must have been successful otherwise people would not have continued to propitiate her as widely as they did (according to the history of her worship, there is evidence her name spread from Greece to Egypt). After all, it’s the powerful, effective deities whose names you remember, not the ones who do not grant you your requests.
This is the first time I have come across the Goddess Hecate, as compared to other Greek gods like Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Apollo etc etc. She has so many attributes and strengths. Thank you Rinpoche for sharing us with the story of Hecate. In Buddhism the more heads and arms that a buddhist deity had it denotes the power of the deity to benefit and help us.
Dear Rinpoche,
This certainly was an interesting post. I’m glad to see that Greek/Roman Gods such as Hecate can have similarities to that of Buddhas 🙂 This just goes to show that every religion are generally the same. 😀 Thank you for posting this!
Your humble student,
Keng Hwa.
It is just so cool that both in the West and East people believe that some divinity are being depicted with many head, with animal heads and many arms.
It is really cool that people of the West also believe that by hanging holy items in this case hanging of Hecate’s mask on their doors, ghosts will not enter to their houses.
I really like how Rinpoche explain how the howling of the dogs ir staring into the moon may mean that Hecate is crossing paths in the area and the dogs see her. This is very true as it is often said that dogs would be able to see some of the things that we are not able to see. Like spirits for an example.
I really like the fact that how Hecate have the power over heaven, earth, and sea. I love the fact that Hecate reminds us of change. This is exactly what is being taught in Buddhism, impermanence. Only with that we would be able to forgo our past and grow in our spiritual paths.
Based on the article, the Greek Goddess also sound like a Protector in a way. It would guide the people towards the correct path of their spiritual path, protect them, as well as help the unseen beings.
Greek mythology fascinated me since I was young due to various influences such as books and movies. However, this is only the second time I really heard of Hecate. The first time being when I was told by a friend that his divine patron is Hecate.
Hecate is a very interesting deity which leads me to believe that there may have been eastern influences when it comes to western deities. Isn’t it an interesting coincidence that there are many similarities between the supernatural beings of different cultures? An example would be Bigfoot in American lore and the Yeti of Tibet 😀
While reading this post, I was reflecting how whether in the West or East and the Middle East (the position I will place Greece) the elements of faith are the same.
With faith and trust and in order to gain ”assistance” from the Gods we need to have good motivation, intentions that benefits others and great reverence to the God from whom we request help.
At the same time we need to put in all efforts and not be complacent and leave it to Gods. There is this saying that ‘GOD HELPS THOSE WHO HELPS THEMSELVES”.
The ancient mythology reminds me of some of the elements of Taoism where there are also many worldly gods who grant wishes and on obtaining fulfilment of our requests we make thanksgiving.
However with the Buddhas, there is no need for thanksgiving as Buddhas need nothing from us. To practise appreciation, I always give thanksgiving even when the Buddhas do not need but it is I who need to practise appreciation.
East and West, there is really no divide – wherein lies east and wherein lies west, the division is man-made for reference point. The essence of beliefs are all similar as we are all sentient being carrying within us our past life imprints which surfaces when we have certain experiences – fear, happiness, sadness, all related to our ego which cause us to want to protect us.
Ancient Greek God/Goddess is a subject I had never dwelt into before, so this is a good “introduction” for me. There are indeed many similarities between the gods/goddesses of different culture/believes, and it is very interesting to know.
@Wendy, as Rinpoche said, you are really knowledgable in many different fields 🙂 From big foot, to mystical beings to Greek Gods/Goddesses, your interest is really vast 🙂 I pray that you will absorb the Dharma well and write about it to bring benefits to the millions!!
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you very much for the posting on Hecate. She is my favourite Greek Goddess as she reminds me of Kali, the Dark Mother, who is also my favourite Hindu Goddess. A few years ago, I was invited to join a witches covenant in honour of the Queen of the Night. It was a very strange experience as it was conducted in silent and darkness to release all the negative elements that were within all participants to the kind Goddess of the Crossroad. Her energy is not for those who are not ready especially for those who prefer the lighter angelic feel good sensations. It is believed that when Hecate comes into your life, she can be brutal, harsh and extremely fierce because she is helping you to release a very deep attachment that is so subtle and yet influential in one’s life. We have to be strong and prepared to face Hecate as her presence will call upon the dark side of our personality to the light so that we can learn our karmic lessons and move on in our lives. She is destructive but in a positive sense. Thus, she is only acting out of compassion, as that of a mother for a child who is treading on the wrong path. In this sense, the Hecate mythology has a rather Buddhist interpretation in terms of its meaning and philosophy.
From the neopaganism perspective, which can differ from the old religion, Hecate can be seen as one of the Triple Goddesses that honours the cycle of the moon, which is representative of the female energy. We have the fair maiden represented by the new or waning moon. She is young fresh, a virgin, energetic and ready for an adventure. And then the full moon, which is symbolized by the mother. She is nurturing, caring and a potent sign of birth, creation and fertility. Finally, in old age, she is known as the crone – wise, profound, powerful and very much an attained yogini if I may dare suggest. That’s the stage of the dark or waxing moon. As such, Hecate is obviously the Crone. She is wise as symbolized by the owl but her knowledge is specific and it is the type of knowingness we feel from our grandmothers because she has lived life and experienced more bitterness than we ever can imagine. As she kisses death each time she breaths, Hecate reminds us of our mortality; so fearful and yet it is a truth if understood rightly will set us free.
I remember one participant during the witches covenant said that if the circle was held earlier in her life, she would have feared Hecate. The facilitator witch said that she only fear facing certain truths in her life that she was denying. Hecate is just holding a mirror before everyone to reflect upon.
I really appreciate Rinpoche sharing so much about Greek deities and the reasons behind paganism because it helps the readers to understand better why certain rituals and signage are used to invoke the latent subconscious archetypes and programming that most of are unaware of. In this case, we get to know ourselves better and why we behave and respond in certain ways, which Rinpoche calls our habituation.
I love to learn more about these deities, civilizations and belief systems that are set in antiquity and how they are still relevant today.
Here is an awesome song on Hecate (very witchy hee hee)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bY1s3of4Hk
With folded hands,
Wendy
Dear Wendy,
I really like VERY MUCH the knowledge you have shared and the inner meaning behind it. There are very few people I can share this type of information with here. So it comes as a very pleasant surprise what you wrote. Your sharing of Hecate is certainly better than mine. Thank you!
You are indeed a good writer as you have the capacity to absorb and re-share out in succulent writing. A writing others can be absorbed in for hours. Captivating.
I hope very much you will absorb the Dharma whose depth and breath is beyond what I can describe here for now and rarely someone can absorb it’s profoundness entirely as it arises from an unobstructed mind of a Buddha. To understand it perfectly, we would have to have to be another Buddha. Someone like you who can do multi-dimensional thinking especially for subjects related to other states of mind, altered states of mind, mysticism, spirituality and enlightened states of mind can really benefit many if you learn more and write. It will help to quench a thirst you have inside for very long now. I hope you will be an in-depth practitioner and not just a scholar. Being a scholar of spirituality brings us no benefits except scholarly lectures which can be dry and turn to dust in the mind of the listener. There is a Zen saying, “A donkey carrying a pile of holy books is still a donkey”. That means, we have to practice what we have learned. Otherwise to know, understand and be around spirituality is like being next to a large crystal clear lake and not drinking water yet we are parched with thirst. This is not referring to you, but a general sharing of engaging in spirituality and not just gaining knowledge for the sake of it or for a living.
I hope very much you can learn dharma and absorb and write. Write in ways that will benefit. As once it’s written, it will be preserved for long periods and it will touch the lives of many even after we are gone. To be this type of thinker and writer, there are ‘sacrifices’. The sacrifices will be not thinking along the norm, withdrawal of some useless secular distractions and the willingness to be seen as strange or even abnormal by and large society. But then we shouldn’t live what others deem as beneficial anyways to certain extents. I don’t think you are living or thinking in a ‘normal’ sense of the secular life anyways. I think you can be beyond the box. I think you being or thinking ‘different’ wouldn’t frighten you at all in the spiritual pursuits. I guess what I am saying is to gain knowledge, share knowledge, awaken knowledge in others, we have to be a Merlin and pay our spiritual dues. You must be and should be ready for that as I have been doing. Truly the ‘sacrifice’ will be worth it simply because of the benefits it brings. We are here to gain, share and benefit during our short time in this form on earth in this plane. For life has no other rhyme or reason no matter how much the ‘drunk satyrs of senseless samsara may apostolize’ to just enjoy and that’s life’s purpose.
Learn, absorb, practice, gain results and share. Write! Gyenze would be a perfect focal practice long term for you to bring forth these results. Gyenze will be your perfect karmic divinity.
Tsem Rinpoche
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you very much. I have accepted and understood all with deepest gratitude.
And I have asked Pastor David Lai on the proper way to practice Gyenze. He is most helpful and knowledgeable.
With folded hands,
Wendy
Dear Wendy, I like what you wrote in your 2nd paragraph and I’ve included it into my post above. Thanks. Tsem Rinpoche
Thank you, Rinpoche. 🙂
It is interesting how Hecate share resemblance to Buddhist deities. Makes me think that mankind have so much in common despite the geographical distance in the past, presently and probably in the future. Reading this reminds me to look at the similarities I share with others instead of the difference that separate us.
I especially love the “Some Tidbits” section as it reminds me so very much of Dharma teachings on impermanence, attachment and liberation.
The mysticism of Greek Gods awes me, their proximity to protect and guide mankind humbles me. Thank you Rinpoche for this post.
Wow Rinpoche! Thank you for this incredible post on the exotic Hercate! I am not totally familiar with Greek Mythology but have read some in my childhood and enjoy the divine tales that somehow reflect social norms of ordinary Greeks. Anyway, she reminds me of some of the more exotic Tibetan Yidams like those in the entourage of Vajrayogini and others. I like how a culture so remotely different from India and Tibet would worship divinity with similar physical appearances.
I like how she is so beneficial in ancient times and surprisingly not as popular as the other Greek Gods and Goddesses. Thank you for exposing us to such incredible knowledge that opens our horizons and for some of us, exposes us to the possibility of divinity manifesting in strange multi-armed and animalistic physical appearances.