Hecate's Wheel, also called Stropholos of Hecate, is an ancient Greek symbol that represents the Moon Goddess Hecate. The symbol is a circle within a circle labyrinth that surrounds a spiral. The labyrinth symbolizes rebirth, while the spiral at the center depicts divine thought.
Hecate’s Wheel is a Wiccan emblem of Hellenic Recon as well as Dianic Traditions. Given its significance, it is a popular symbol in the modern age.
What Is Hecate’s Wheel?
The Hecate’s Wheel is a unique image of the goddess Hecate. Often referred to as the Strophalos of Hecate, it is a circle with a round labyrinth encompassing a spiral.
The symbol gets the motivation or power from celestial elements like the Earth, Moon, Sea, and Sky. It highlights the fact that Hecate is the leader of the circles of the universe.
History of the Symbol
Hecate’s Wheel features a six-sided star surrounded by a circle, a three-sided labyrinth, and an outer ring. One of the earliest depictions of the Hecate wheel is along the ancient Greek lunar goddess Hecate found in the 1st century CE.
Hecate is also known as Diana Lucifera, the goddess is associated with sorcery, witchcraft, magic, necromancy, and extensive knowledge of herbs. The goddess has dominion over everything, including the sea, sky, and earth, which also associates her with the trinity.
These ancient depictions of Hecate feature her alone. However, the later versions from the 5th century BCE depict her in the triple form, from having three bodies to one with three different faces.
The goddess also has an association with womanhood and the three phases of the life of females.
The triple moon goddess Hecate is a trinity that defines aspects of femininity. It is the maiden, the mother, and the crone, which symbolize the three moon phases – waxing, waning, and full moon. This trinity is visible in the labyrinth part of the symbol.
What Does Hecate Symbolize?
There is a meaning associated with the shape related to every tier present in the design. However, the overall symbol is a sign of transmitting knowledge or energy with divine forces.
The symbol also consists of Iynges, which are associated with the Chaldean Oracles. The Chaldean Oracles are a Neoplatonic metaphysical view that an omniscient and omnipotent Father with divine intellect created the universe and is also the source of all knowledge.
The Father overlooks his emissaries charged with giving the intellect to the world. On the other hand, Hecate is responsible for transmitting information to humans so that they can comprehend and benefit from it.
Every layer of the Hecate’s Wheel symbol has a different meaning.
The Star
The star in the center stands for the all-knowing Father, who is the source of intellect in the universe. It consists of six sides, signifying the divine spark in every soul that links them to the divine and mortal planes.
The Inner Circle
The first circle depicts Hecate as a gatekeeper of divine information. She disseminates this information to the mortals by reflecting on the divinity of the First Father.
The Labyrinth
The labyrinth symbolizes three stages of life an individual navigates while learning about their spark before their soul returns to the First Father. It’s also a loop showing the continuing cycle and how everyone in this material world goes through the same.
Life
During this stage, the immortal soul is bound to flesh to become a physical manifestation.
Death
The stage where mortal bodies separate from the immortal souls, ascend, and then return to the divine plane.
Rebirth
In the last stage, the soul can achieve a state of enlightenment, manifesting as second life in the material world.
The Outer Circle
The second circle represents the limits of the goddess Hecate as the energy she uses to manifest the knowledge passed down from the divine First Father to the humans.
The space between the two is between the intellectual and material worlds, which the goddess utilizes to fulfill the purpose. It’s also associated with rebirth as the shape resembles a labyrinthine serpent that spirals.
There are many meanings associated with the serpent in ancient Greek traditions. The snake symbol was on the staves of Asclepius and Hermes, often associated with healing or medicine.
Serpent Symbolism
The serpent is also a part of many depictions of Hecate, along with daggers, keys, and torches. According to Greek mythology, the serpent symbolizes rebirth and fertility. People believe the entire creation was initiated from an egg incubated by the giant snake.
Snakes shed their skin to emerge with rejuvenated, renewed skin symbolizing their rebirth.
The Iynges spiral also transmits divine information from the gods to humans as it was a part of performing rituals like the whirling of the Iynx Wheel. The Wheel produces a sound to attract Hecate, who helps in the ascension of the souls.
What Are Hecate’s Three Forms?
The symbol Hecate’s Wheel focuses on the three phases of the triple Hecate, the goddess of the moon. It also highlights the three phases of the female cycle. The life of a female begins as a Maiden, graduates to that of a Mother, and then later to a Crone.
What Is The Name Of The Goddess Who Is Hecate’s Daughter?
Circe is a minor Greek goddess renowned for her knowledge of potions and herbs. According to the myths, she is either the daughter of Hecate and Aeetes or Perse and Titan Helios.
What Does The Strophalos Mean?
Strophalos is a spinner or a wheel that is the emblem of Hecate, a Greek goddess. They whirl the Strophalos over the devotees’ heads as it creates a humming sound that causes a change in the state of awareness to drive the predators away.
If you’ve found this article helpful, check out this post about important Wiccan symbols.