The Occult of Hecate
The Occult of Hecate is not an organized Religion by any means, her Clerics have formed few if any orders and prefer a life of quiet research of ancient arcana, guardianship of the material plane, and quiet simple prayer.
Public Agenda
As a whole, those who worship Hecate tend to be rather secretive. But their one goal that most are familiar with, if they even have heard of her Occult, is to protect the crossings between the planes.
History
The history of Hecate's Clerics is spotty due to the fact there is no evidence of when it began and there has been minimum literature written about them as an organization. Just a vast collection of scraps, hearsay, rumors, legends, and personal accounts of those who encountered these wandering Clerics.
Religion
Those who worship Hecate do so in a form of power exchange; she gives them the ability to seek out cures to maladies both magical and domestic and in return they are to watch the crossings of planes and to prevent malicious interlopers.
Education
There is no formal education or training within the Occult of Hecate, her Clerics just one day hear her call and are blessed with her gifts. As young Clerics in Occult gain experience and aid others, the more abilities of hers they can channel.
Mythology & Lore
Hecate was the chief goddess presiding over magic and spells. She witnessed the abduction of Demeter’s daughter Persephone to the underworld and, torch in hand, assisted in the search for her. Thus, pillars called Hecataea stood at crossroads and doorways, perhaps to keep away evil spirits. Hecate was represented as single-formed, clad in a long robe, holding burning torches; in later representations she was triple-formed, with three bodies standing back-to-back, probably so that she could look in all directions at once from the crossroads. She was accompanied by packs of barking dogs.
Divine Origins
The origin of the name Hecate (Ἑκάτη, Hekátē) and the original country of her worship are both unknown, though several theories have been proposed. She is not of this plane, she is a Celestial Deity from the Upper and Outer Planes. Her exact home plane is unknown.
Cosmological Views
Hecate was associated with borders, city walls, doorways, crossroads and, by extension, with realms outside or beyond the world of the living. She appears to have been particularly associated with being 'between' and hence is frequently characterized as a "liminal" goddess. Hecate mediated between regimes—transitions between nobility and dynasties—but also between mortal and divine spheres.
Tenets of Faith
Generally there are 7 tenets that Clerics of the Occult of Hecate know:
- To recognize her as your goddess if you choose to worship and no others, if you are her Cleric then you are only her Cleric and no others.
- To observe and protect the crossings between the planes, permit no malicious being to cross and do harm.
- To respect the gifts she has bequeathed to you, Divine or otherwise.
- To return lost or trapped beings to their home planes, the balance must be kept
- To punish those who have abused the crossings between planes and done harm to others
- To fear nothing and no one, you are her Cleric and her vanguard
- To remember that magic exists everywhere, even in the most unassuming of places
Ethics
The general ethics of the Clerics within the occult of Hecate is to be kind to others within the Material plane unless they show themselves to be malicious. But when it comes to celestials, elementals, feys, demons, devils, or undead... they are to be sent home as soon as possible. For such beings do not belong upon the material plane.
Worship
Worship occurs on an individual level traditionally, Hecate has very few chosen daughters in her service. Morning prayer is always done quickly and quietly, Hecate does not need overly complicated worship or rituals to be done in her name. The best worship of Hecate is done in following her tenets and protecting the crossings of the planes.
Priesthood
There is no real hierarchy, let alone any patriarchy, when it comes to those who worship Hecate. All her followers sisters and daughters in her eyes, none are truly higher and more "beloved" in her eyes.
Granted Divine Powers
Hecate oversees the Domains of Arcana, Twilight, and Grave. Arcana for those who seek cures to the darkest of curses in order to heal, Twilight to those who stand vigil in the dark against the dark, and Grave to those who seek to prevent all forms of Undeath to remain and return to Death.
Political Influence & Intrigue
The Occult of Hecate has never truly climbed socially or economically. It was never a strong covert or overt religious order, nor did it ever pursue to be. Hecate has always been on minor and small side, pushing and prodding gently in history in order to preserve the material plane and to protect the mortals that dwell there... and by extension protect the other planes from mortals in some cases as well.
Sects
Every Cleric within the Occult has their own agenda, each one has their own personal need to worship Hecate. By extension however Hecate has her own machinations and plans for each and every one of her Clerics.
"In her Divinity, many Doors once closed shall open"
Type
Religious, Other
Alternative Names
Daughters of Hecate, Sisterhood of Hecate, The Blue Witches
Demonym
Clerics, Priestesses, Maidens, Witches
Divines
Manufactured Items
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