August 13, 2021

From FB:

“August 13th has become associated with the ancient Greek goddesses Hecate, who is most often shown holding a pair of torches or a key. She is variously associated with crossroads, entrance-ways, night, light, magic, witchcraft, knowledge of herbs and poisonous plants, ghosts, necromancy, and sorcery. Her earliest appearance in literature was in Hesiod’s Theogony in the last third part of the 8th century BCE as a Titan goddess of great honor with domains in sky, earth, and sea.

During her feast day, both Hecate and Artemis are propitiated appropriately in order to ward off storms that could potentially destroy crops. Interestingly, neither Hecate nor Artemis were considered agricultural goddesses In fact, Artemis (Diana) was known for her presence in the wild and her skill with a bow during the hunt, not the fields. Further, August 13 does not correspond with any Greek harvests that would give us some answers to ancient sources of this feast day.

What can be determined, however, is that the Roman Festival of Nemoralia (the Feast of the Torches honoring the Goddess Diana) was celebrated at the August Full Moon (August 3, 2020), with torches being one of the symbols of Hecate.

Hecate’s power appears in mythology and classical art in three forms: the new moon figure symbolized in white robe, golden sandals, and lighted torches; a woman bearing a basket, symbolizing the cultivation of the crops she causes to grow by her light; and the full moon as symbolized by a woman with “brazen” (brass) sandals, which were reflective of Hecate’s “cthonic” (underworld) powers.

Hecate was also called “Dadouchos” (torch-bearer) and was frequently depicted in ancient Greek artwork and writings carrying two torches, symbolizing her bringing light to the world.”