Hecate

The Patron Goddess of Witchcraft and Magic (Art by Stéphane Mallarmé)

**Hecate** is the goddess of magic, witchcraft, crossroads, boundaries, ghosts, necromancy, and the dark side of the moon venerated by the ancient Greeks. She is the attendant of Persephone and is the chthonic queen's most trust servant.

## Overview

Together with the Titan Helios, Hecate mothered Circe, Aeëtes, Perses of Colchis, and Pasiphaë. She is also the creator of the Empousai and the patron goddess of Witches and other magic casters.

## Appearance

As a triple goddess, Hecate could appear in three forms: a young girl (the maiden), an adult woman (the mother), and an old woman (the crone). She sometimes appears as a woman with three separate heads, or three entirely different forms for the morning, noon, and night.

However, no matter in what form, she is exceptionally gorgeous, with intricate features like that of a Greek statue - pale, beautiful, and ageless. She is dressed in dark robes, holding twin torches in her hands, a poisonous snake hanging from her shoulders, and a ring of keys and a dagger tied around her waist. She is often accompanied by a pole-cat and a she-dog.

## Powers and Abilities

* **Immense Power**: As a descendant of Dʰéǵʰōm, a half-Titan half-Goddess, keeper of the Crossroads and the Dead, and the first witch, Hecate's power cannot be estimated.
* **Mastery Over Arcane Arts**: Like the True Archangels & Demons, Hecate displays extreme mastery over witchcraft and the mystical craft. She is a power source and a mentor to multiple witches worldwide and throughout history.
	+ **Spellcasting**: As the most talented in witchcraft, only paralleled by Gabriel and Lucifer, Hecate is adept in spellcasting. This is displayed when Hecate created a spell that tied souls eternally to Hades, raised the dead, created a species of supernatural beings, trapped an Eldritch Terror within a parallel universe, and so on.
		- **Spell Creation**: Some spells, like the Time Manipulation spell, were written by Hecate herself.
	+ **Divine Channeling**: As a divine being and a hybrid, Hecate can draw inestimable amounts of power from her own being.
	+ **Alchemy**: Hecate is adept in creating potions and mixtures that serve magical purposes.
	+ **Possession**: Hecate, when given permission by her followers, possesses them and uses them as a disguise to enact her will. Hecate still has access to her abilities while in a host body.
	+ **Divination**: Hecate can study reality and gain the knowledge she seeks within a matter of seconds.
	+ **Necromancy**: Existing in both the realm of the Dead and Living, Hecate displays high prowess in the art of Necromancy. She was able to summon thousands of dead spirits within seconds.
* **Dimensional Travel**: Hecate annually travels to the underworld to collect Persephone and briefly bring her back to Earth.
* **Time Manipulation**: Hecate has displayed the ability to manipulate time, like when she caused the host body of Leviathan to fully age, wither and decompose within seconds after he tried to trap her soul on Earth to prevent her from seeing Persephone.
	+ **Time Travel**: Hecate cannot be bound by time, as she exists in the past, present and future through her manifestations, the Mother, the Maiden and the Crone. Witches who have called on her in the past have been able to divine knowledge from any point in time via her existence in all timelines and moments in time.
* **Spirit Manipulation**: She is able to manipulate, relocate and compel spirits. This is demonstrated when she annually extracts herself and Persephone from Hades. She can also bring spirits back from the dead, as demonstrated when multiple witches asked her to.
* **Magic Manipulation**: As the first witch to ever come into existence, Hecate has full control over the forces of magic, giving her multiple powers like:
	+ **Magic Negation**: A coven of spirit witches tried to trap one of her follower's soul within the house of Sarah Good but failed as Hecate had bound their powers.
	+ **Magic Conversion**: Hecate was able to turn Yin energy into magic.
	+ **Magic Permittance**: Those who follow her cause or who she deems moral and fit can be given the powers of a witch regardless of their prior species.

## History

When Persephone was kidnapped by Hades, Hecate was one of the beings who knew of the kidnapping, being able to sense the earth being split apart by the powerful magic of the gods. However, due to Zeus' meddling, she wasn't able to specifically sense who was the one that kidnapped her.

Later on, when she was performing one of her rituals, she discovered a distraught Demeter travelling to find her missing daughter. When heard about what happened, she quickly connected the kidnapping with the burst of magical energy she felt earlier, and offered to help Demeter on her journey. She would then assist her every night, lending out her silver torches to show the goddess her way.

When Persephone and Demeter were finally united, Hecate was rewarded handsomely, even given the rank of a goddess, which was extremely rare for a Titan born after the Titanomachy. Hades then recognized her talents, being able to sense his magical energy from such a far place and offered her a position in his court, which she quickly accepted, fully know the benefits it would give him.

Hecate then became the Court Magician of Hades' court, working as the goddess of magic and sorcery. She and Persephone then became friends, to the point where the chthonic queen would proudly call Hecate her best of friends.

## Trivia

* According to myths, Hecate has a habit of kidnapping young maidens and turn them into nymphs.