Hekate Night is mentioned in several modern Pagan books, by that name and sometimes not by any name, simply listed as a night sacred to Hekate. When these books cite other modern, but still older, books this makes the festival seem a touch more legitimate. Then you get a book by reputable or at least popular Pagan authors, they don’t even need to cite a source. They say it, it must be true.
“Her annual festival on August 13 (also that of the Roman Diana) was a propitiary one, to avert harvest-destroying storms.
The source was likely to be a book I do not have and haven’t read, Witchcraft Out of the Shadows by Leo Ruickbie. According to those who have read this book Leo notes in a side box that August 13th is a day the ancient Greeks would propitiate Hekate so She wouldn’t send crop-destroying storms. He does cite a source and it’s one I was able to access through Open Library.
“[August] The 13th. Celebration of Diana and Hecate of the Moon in The Goddess Book of Days, Diana Stein (first published 1988).
The piece from Goddess Book of Days about August 13th
So here we can see the progression quite clearly. Going backwards we have numerous internet sites stating we must offer to Hekate at a crossroads to prevent storms from destroying our crops. Farrar Bone, and Ruickbie seemingly don’t mention anything about crossroads offerings, but they do mention storms and crops/harvests and propitiation. Steins book on the other hand doesn’t mention storms at all, just protection for the harvest.
It’s like Chinese whispers.
