30 Days of Hekate: 18 – Qualities Good and Bad

This post is part of a blog challenge series, 30 Days of Devotion to Hekate.  Day 18, we’re moving along.  Today we’re looking at what qualities I admire about Hekate and which qualities trouble me.

Well, this should be interesting and fun.  There are many qualities I admire in Hekate, but I can really only think of one that troubles me.

Admirable Qualities

Independence

I have mentioned a few times that Hekate is a maiden in perhaps not the virginal sense, but in the sense that She is an independent woman and doesn’t rely on males to help Her.  I like this about Her, a lot.

Compassion

This is actually one of the values that we of the Covenant of Hekate (CoH) are supposed to focus on for ourselves, in Her name.  Compassion is shown to Demeter when Hekate finds Her and tells Her of what She heard of Kores capture.  She didn’t have to do this.  We have no records of Hekate being any friend of Demeter (they may have been, we don’t know).  The Gods were not always all that helpful to one another.

But She chose to help Demeter and by doing so, offered comfort and hope.

Justice

Hekate sided with the younger Gods against Her own contemporaries, Her own generation of Titans and Her elders.  Why?  She isn’t any sort of warlike Goddess, so it wouldn’t have been for pleasure.  I can only think it is because She saw the right in siding with the younger Gods instead of the elder.  She saw the wrong in what the Titans were doing to the younger Gods.  This is also another of the values we of the CoH are supposed uphold.

Wisdom and Knowledge

Hekate is the one who can help us to discover wisdom and knowledge, especially hidden knowledge.  Even that within ourselves.  I like wisdom and knowledge, so this is certainly something I admire.  Wisdom is also a CoH value.

Courage

Hekate pushes us to face the unknown, face the future and past, face our hidden selves and the secrets and truths of those around us.  These things take courage for us to face, and She helps us with that too.  It must have taken some courage for Her to face Her own family and help the younger Gods in the war against the Titans.  It must have felt like a betrayal of some kind – but She had the courage to face that.  How can She not inspire that same courage in us too?  Courage is also a value of the CoH.

Troublesome Qualities

Humour

Humour is my thing, I am hilarious.  It’s pretty obvious.  Okay I am not so humorous on this blog, sometimes, but not often.  But if you go look at my personal Facebook you’ll probably die from my the laughter that overwhelms you.  Seriously.  I am funny as.  At least I think so anyway.

But Hekate, well, there are really only two things that I notice I never encounter with Hekate – sexual anything (which doesn’t bother me) and humour.  I get the feeling that what I find funny, She does not.  Those things I laugh at, She scowls at.  Those things that would offend most people to experience, they make me laugh because there is something terribly wrong with me – but I don’t think She likes that in me.

I am amusingly self-deprecating, I make fun of myself, my parenting abilities, my homeschooling, my religiousness, my intelligence. I make fun of my kids, and my friends (to their faces, they do it back). I am sarcastic and sardonic. I take plenty of things seriously, but there are things I should take seriously – or that others in my position would take seriously – that I just laugh about.

People call me names – I laugh, in true amusement.  People tell me I worship the devil, I laugh and tell them the devil is a pussy.  People tell me I will go to hell, I laugh and say I hope so, because at least then I will be warm.  People make statements about homeschooling and I laugh and then lament about how I don’t have a basement to lock my kids in, as a good homeschool mum should.

I get the feeling that Hekate doesn’t find any of these things funny and does not, in any way, approve of the way I handle these situations.  I get the feeling She enjoys taking things seriously and She doesn’t, perhaps, understand how I can or why I do laugh about it all.

I have never heard anyone speak of Hekate as being humorous.  But that doesn’t mean She isn’t, with others.  Just with me, She is not a funny Goddess.

I don’t really find this troublesome, but it is something that I kind of wish were different.

30 Days of Deity Devotion

1 – A basic introduction of the deity
2 – How did you become first aware of this deity?
3 – Symbols and icons of this deity
4 – A favourite myth or myths of this deity
5 – Members of the family – genealogical connections
6 – Other related deities and entities associated with this deity
7 – Names and epithets
8 – Variations on this deity (aspects, regional forms, etc.)
9 – Common mistakes and worst misconceptions about this deity
10 – Offerings – historical and UPG
11 – Festivals, days, and times sacred to this deity
12 – Places associated with this deity and their worship
13 – What modern cultural issues are closest to this deity’s heart?
14 – Has worship of this deity changed in modern times?
15 – Any mundane practices that are associated with this deity?
16 – How do you think this deity represents the values of their pantheon and cultural origins?
17 – How does this deity relate to other gods and other pantheons?
18 – What quality or qualities of this god do you most admire? And find the most troubling?
19 – Art and music that reminds you of this deity
20 – A quote, a poem, or piece of writing that you think this deity resonates strongly with
21 – Your own composition – a piece of writing about or for this deity
22 – A time when this deity has helped you, and refused to help
23 – How has your relationship with this deity changed over time?
24 – Something you wish you knew about this deity but don’t currently
25 – Any interesting or unusual UPG to share?
26 – Any suggestions for others just starting to learn about this deity?