A review by theesotericcamel
Hekate Liminal Rites: A Study of the Rituals, Magic and Symbols of the torch-bearing Triple Goddess of the Crossroads by Sorita d'Este, David Rankine

3.0

Despite its slimness, there is a lot of information packed into this book regarding Hekate. For those unfamiliar, Hekate is the Goddess of Crossroads and witchcraft... Among other things, as I soon discovered reading this book. In fact, the book presented compelling evidence that perhaps Hekate pre-dates even her popular Greek avatar. Far from being a crone, she was actually quite polymorphous with the myriad animals associated with her. The approach of the writers of this book in presenting the information reminded me of a picture that is constantly being zoomed into, revealing further intricate details. The first couple of chapters dealt with her popular image, and her possible origins, tracing them through history. The subsequent chapters focused on specific symbols, traditions, and even trinkets associated with Hekate, with the chapters getting shorter and shorter. Be warned, despite "Rites" being part of the title, this is a mostly academic, historical and archaeological book about Hekate. Although it does include some English translations of fragments of rituals dedicated to Hekate, there is little in actual practical instructions of working with the Goddess. That being said, anyone interested in working or already working with Hekate will find useful information on which to build and improve their own praxis.