Hecate

Among the Greeks, Hecate was a goddess of the moon, the Underworld, enchantment, and the night spirits. Hecate belongs to that class of goddesses known as the torchbearers. Such goddesses possessed the knowledge of spirit realms and held the secrets of nature in their hands. She was also known as Anthea, the sender of night visions. She is usually portrayed as a triple-faced goddess, representing the maiden, mother and crone and the three phases of the moon. As such she controlled the three great mysteries: birth, life, and death. Hecate is one of the oldest goddesses in Western culture associated with witchcraft. As the goddess of witchcraft, she was worshipped at night with torches placed at cross roads. From this practise she came to be called Trivia, goddess of the three paths. She represents fertility, the menstrual cycle, crossroads, intuition, fluctuation, and hope when people are confused and their understanding is vague. She is invoked through dreams, feelings and arts. Ancient statues and iconography depict Hecate in three forms: holding a torch, a dagger, and a serpent.