You mentioned The Theogony of Hesiod, which also describes Hekate as highly respected by Zeus above all others. This is where I recall reading about Hekate’s involvement in an intriguing story. It tells of Hekate stealing Hera’s beauty salve and giving it to her rival, Europa. This act enraged Hera, leading to her pursuit of Hekate. Hekate’s escape took her through a series of significant events. First, she sought refuge at the bedside of a woman during childbirth. Then, she joined a funeral procession, and ultimately, she found herself at Lake Acheron in Hades, where the Cabeiri cleansed her. This transformation left Hekate more powerful, solidifying her status as a goddess associated with birth, death, and purification.
This remarkable journey is thought to be why she governs the passages between the realms of life and death and is often invoked by necromancers.
Another approach considers how Hekate assumes a transformative role, cleansing us not from the impediments to finding peace in death but rather from the obstacles that hinder our progression in life. While it’s certainly not her sole function, this aspect is intrinsic to her essence. There come moments when we must release and let go of the burdens we place upon ourselves, shedding the baggage that accompanies our life choices. More often than not, it’s about granting ourselves the peace to coexist harmoniously with our own selves rather than seeking penance from a deity. Hekate offers a pathway to achieve this, allowing us to confront the abyss and liberate ourselves from the pains of the past or the unhealthy expectations we impose on ourselves.
In the ancient Greek context, the closest concept to what we now refer to as “sin” would have been “miasma.” Miasma is a contagious force that possesses its own vitality. It represents impurity resulting from the actions of an individual or a community. Until proper sacrifices are made and the impurity is purged, the wrongdoer, or even an entire society, was believed to be afflicted, leading to ensuing catastrophes. There existed no notion of non-contagious religious danger in Greek belief. Some dangers were commonly seen as transmissible through contact, while others threatened the descendants of the guilty party.
Consequently, every member of a community, in principle, lived under the spectre of suffering for the transgressions of their neighbours. How divine wrath could manifest against a community was diverse. The contamination of miasma was thought to have afflicted the Atreus family and was regarded as the root cause of several violent crimes, with one leading to and exacerbating another.