The serpent-girded Goddess- A introduction to Hekate Ouroboros - TB Essay - Maby Leite
- Renee
- May 11
- 9 min read
The serpent-girded Goddess- A introduction to Hekate Ouroboros:
Hekate, one of the most enigmatic goddesses of Greek mythology, has captivated scholars and practitioners of magic for years. Known as the goddess of magic, witchcraft, and crossroads, it is often these very animals that allow her identification; they also represent the authors' knowledge and familiarity with the Goddess.
These companions of the Goddess represent not only symbols of her worship but also the activities with which she is associated and her dominion over the wild. Hekate is often
associated with elements that evoke power and transformation, and among these, serpents play a particularly important role.
In the Greek Magical Papyri, we find some of the main evidence of this relationship, such as in the well-known Prayer to Selene for any Spell, which presents the following description of the Goddess Hekate:
● “Of fearful serpents on your brow…”
● “With pois’nous rows of serpents down the back…”
● “And you keep Kerberos in chains, with scales
Of serpents are you dark,
O you with hair,
Of serpents, serpent-girded…”
This association also becomes evident in various epithets attributed to her, such as:
● Ophioplokamos (with curls coiled by serpents);
● Ouroboros (the one who eats its tail);
● Speirodrakontozonos (surrounded by spirals of serpents);
● Zonodrakontos (covered/intertwined with snakes).
In this article, I intend to discuss Hekate's relationship with serpents and, beyond that, the
relationship we have, in popular imagery, with these creatures that evoke both fear and
fascination. I believe that, in this way, we can understand why these slithering animals align so well with Hekate.
Serpents and the Collective Imagination
Although in our society the mere mention of serpents makes most people shudder with
disgust or terror, it is undeniable that these fascinating animals have been part of the
mystical and popular imagination of the world since ancient times. We have examples such as: the serpent goddess Wadjet, as the personification of protection for Egyptian pharaohs; the powerful Python slain by Apollo among the Greeks; the fearsome
Jörmungandr in Norse cosmology; the feathered serpent Quetzalcoatl of Aztec mythology; and one of the Bible's most famous characters—the serpent that tempted Eve—among many other examples we could cite here.
The mythical and cultural significance of these beings varies greatly depending on each
society and period. However, efforts have been made to identify the serpent's appeal to the human psyche. Among them, we highlight the psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961), who, in his work Symbols of Transformation (vol. 5, 1973), speaks extensively about
serpents, emphasizing their dual role: feminine and masculine, rigid and flexible, threatening and healing, creators of the cosmos and destroyers of all they touch:
“In reality, the serpent is a cold-blooded animal, unconscious and indifferent. It
is mortal and curative, at the same time a symbol of the spirit of evil and the
spirit of good (Agathodaimon), of the devil and Christ. To the Gnostics, it is
considered a representative of the brainstem and spinal cord, aligning with its
predominantly reflective psyche. It is an excellent symbol of the unconscious,
expressing its unexpected and sudden presence, its uncomfortable or dangerous
intrusion, and its frightening effect. Understood as a pure psychologem, the
hero is a positive, favorable act of the unconscious, while the dragon represents
a negative, unfavorable act—not a birth, but a devouring; not constructive good,
but petty repression and destruction.” (JUNG, 1973)
Following Jung's (1973) analytical and psychiatric perspective, the snake represents our
libido and our lower psyche, which bring aspects of ourselves we tend to hide from
others—our mystery and even our incomprehensible side to ourselves. These images are
part of what Jung called archetypes, psychic images existing in a kind of collective
unconscious that we share with all humanity.
Hekate’s Serpents
In the books Hekate Liminal Rites and Circle for Hekate, Sorita d’Este compiles Hekate’s
association with these cold-blooded beings, which often appear at her feet, entwined in her hair or body, or even forming part of her physical composition, as previously mentioned regarding her epithets.
D’Este’s excerpts are precise and illustrate well what has been mentioned above, so I take
the liberty of bringing them here:
● Sophocles describes Hekate as:
“She who is crowned with oak-leaves And the coils of wild serpents.”
● Other authors also mention Hekate’s serpents, such as Eusebius:
“White robes, and feet with golden sandals bound.
Around the waist long snakes run to and fro,
Gliding o'er all with undefiled track,
And from the head down even to the feet
Wrapping me fairly round with spiral coils.”
In the Chaldean Oracles, where Hekate is described as Anima Mundi, the image of a
“snake-girdled” goddess also appears.
● Ogden states:
“…an Aristophanes fragment speaks of 'Hecate of the earth (Chthonia) rolling coils of
snakes,' whilst a Sophocles fragment describes her as 'garlanded with oak and the twisted
coils of savage drakontes.'”
It’s not just written sources that represent Hekate accompanied by serpents. Archaeological
finds such as statues, coins, and gems depict Hekate carrying snakes in her arms or
surrounded by these animals.
A striking image of Hekate found in Athens, dated to the first century CE, is described by
Ogden as:
“...a striking image of ca. 470 BCE, actually the earliest positively identifiable
image of the goddess to survive, represents her as an anguipede, her serpent
tail making one large coil behind her clothed humanoid form, with a pair of dogs
emerging as far as their forelegs from the lower part of her humanoid frontage.”
Associations and Symbolism
Considering all the textual and archaeological references presented above, it becomes easier to understand why serpents are closely linked to Hekate.
Firstly, it is important to remember that serpents are related to the earth and the
underworld, as they live in contact with the soil and often seek shelter underground, similar to Hekate herself, who is often described as Chthonia, goddess of the underworld. The earth is also strongly connected to fertility and generation, the same concepts associated with serpents in some cultures.
Furthermore, serpents are cold-blooded animals, so their behavior is dictated by their
surroundings. Hekate is also highly mutable and versatile. She has a unique ability to act in multiple realms: the heavens, the earth, and the underworld, as described by Hesiod in
Theogony. This mutability of both Hekate and serpents makes their connection even more plausible.
Another aspect that aligns the serpents with Hekate is their role as guides and protectors in many traditions. Hekate, as the goddess of crossroads, also serves as a guide for travelers and souls, providing protection along the way.
Serpents shed their skin as they grow, symbolizing renewal, rebirth, and
transformation—qualities strongly associated with Hekate’s mysteries. She is often invoked in rituals and prayers related to personal and spiritual transformation.
Finally, it’s worth mentioning the serpents’ dual symbolism of life and death, wisdom and
danger. Hekate embodies this same duality, representing the balance between light and
darkness, creation and destruction, and guiding practitioners through the liminal spaces of existence.
Ouroboros
Of particular importance to this analysis is the image below, where Hekate is depicted on an obsidian gem from the late Roman period (probably 3rd century CE) alongside a serpent
with a lion's head (which, in my view, may represent the Agathos Daimon) and, on the
reverse, a snake devouring its tail with seven stars in the center. This gem is categorized by the British Museum as “ouroboros enclosing two lines of stars.”
The Ouroboros, from Ancient Greek οὐροβόρος, from οὐρά oura 'tail' plus -βορός -boros
'-eating,' is an ancient symbol representing a serpent devouring its own tail. According to
Robert K. Ritner (2016) in A Uterine Amulet in the Oriental Institute Collection:
"The image of a serpent biting its tail is first attested in the Eighteenth Dynasty where it is
found on the exterior panel of the second shrine of Tutankhamun. Depicted twice, it
encircles the head and feet of a mummiform figure of the king and is identified in enigmatic hieroglyphs as Mhn, 'The Encircling Serpent.' The protective companion of the solar bark, this 'Umringlerschlange' is well known from reliefs, hymns, and funerary literature in which the sun god travels the underworld securely within his coils. This early circular ouroboros is merely a logical variation of the standard coiled image of the guardian serpent whose name derives from the verb 'to encircle or surround.'”
This serpent appears in various Egyptian representations, such as in a uterine amulet
belonging to the Oriental Institute. This gem, according to Ritner (2016), “Osiris flanked by
Isis and Nephthys stands within a ouroboros above a stylized representation of a uterus
closed by a key.” The author also highlights that the scholar A. Dellate associates the serpent in this amulet as “a representation of the human matrix” and as protection for this matrix through the gem.
According to author Nanno Marinatos in The Cosmic Journey of Odysseus, the Ouroboros
was invented by the Egyptians and was typically drawn as “encircles the sun disc; in the
centre is a child representing the young sun god.” In the same article, Marinatos (2001)
grants the Ouroboros the title of “cosmic serpent” when explaining that two characters are intertwined in a cosmic journey, as “This can be argued because a cosmic serpent, an
ouroboros, encircles the bowl and bites his own tail.”
In the text Alchemical Symbols at the Museum of Pharmacy of the Jagiellonian by Leszek
Ekiert, the author highlights:
"Ouroboros, the Greek and Egyptian dragon-snake devouring its own tail became a symbol of the material and spiritual unity of the universe for the Gnostics. Alchemists then changed its meaning into the representation of the secular cycle of destruction and revival. The Ouroboros symbol is present in alchemical and hermetic writings dating to the 3rd century A.D. at the time of the Alexandrian school. Bugßj also describes Ouroboros as a symbol of Hermes Trismegistos, and the symbol can also be traced to the old hieroglyphic sign for earth."
This serpent is used to illustrate concepts such as eternity, the cycle of life and death, and self-sufficiency, frequently associated with the idea of continuous renewal and the intrinsic connection between opposites. The Ouroboros is utilized in various esoteric and
philosophical traditions throughout history, also appearing in pop culture. As previously
mentioned, Hekate is associated with this serpent because of the Obsidian gem.
Hekate Ouroboros: A Modern Personal Experience
In Entering Hekate's Cave, author Cyndi Brannen relates the epithet Anassa Eneroi, queen of the dead, with the motion of the Ouroboros:
"Anassa Eneroi is the calm comfort of the stillness after a period of great suffering. But she is also chaos, the whirring energy of the Wheel. [...] Covered in the serpents symbolic of the Great Mother, she represents the soul serpent within and the endless cycle of the
ouroboros. She offers succor to unquiet souls.”
The chapter specifically discusses the duality of life and death of Anassa Eneroi, but I take the liberty here to add my vision, which corroborates with Cyndi's earlier statement about this cycle being connected to the Ouroboros. Hekate Ouroboros, as in Anassa Eneroi, fulfills this dual role for me, always bringing rebirth to the journey, as well as the inevitable death of some aspects we experience in life.
Upon learning about Hekate's epithets associated with snakes, I began working in my
witchcraft with these fantastic animals in four aspects: protection and life, and healing and death.
This animal is firmly established in my imagination as one that brings the duality of poison
and medicine, which reminds me of Paracelsus' famous phrase: “The difference between
medicine and poison is its dose.”
In this way, I see serpents primarily as apotropaic beings, protecting themselves and their
territory fiercely and meaningfully. They are excellent magical allies to have as protectors of oneself when diving into the world of occultism, into the underworld of one's shadows.
Here, they represent life that needs attention to be full and happy. By protecting
ourselves—without, of course, failing to understand ourselves deeply—we celebrate life and how we can transform traumatic experiences into new ways of seeing and living in our own skin.
In my imagination, they also have the function of devourers, reminding me that these
animals have the ability to swallow large animals like oxen. Thus, I frequently work with the snake when I also need healing and renewal, bringing its imagined being to me to devour everything that sickens me and hinders my journey. Here, the aspect of death is
present—what must be eliminated so that we can continue our journey healthily, accepting processes of loss so that they give way to new beginnings and return to the cycle of life and protection.
Working in these two ways reminds me of the renewal of the epithet Ouroboros, as it is the constant change between healing, protection, death, and rebirth that will bring new types of healing and protection. Thus, it is the act of “endlessly devouring oneself”—continuous, constant, inexhaustible.
Conclusion
Hekate’s serpents evoke her power, her mysteries, and her role as a guide and protector.
They encapsulate the liminality, transformation, and duality she represents. By
understanding the connections between Hekate and serpents, we can deepen our
understanding of this enigmatic goddess and the profound symbolism she carries.
Sources:
● BETZ, Hans Dieter. The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation: Including the Demotic
Spells. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992.
● D’ESTE, S. Circle for Hekate - Volume I, History & Mythology: Dedicated to the
Light-Bearing Goddess of the Crossroads in All Her Many Faces, Manifestations, and
Names. Londres: Avalonia, 2017.
● EKIERT, Leszek. Alchemical Symbols at the Museum of Pharmacy of the Jagiellonian.
1999.
● JUNG, C. Símbolos da transformação: análise dos prelúdios de uma esquizofrenia.
São Paulo: Vozes, 2016.
● MARINATOS, Nanno. The Cosmic Journey of Odysseus. Ithaca: Cornell University
Press, 2001.
● Magical Gem: Harpocrates, Hecate, Chnoubis, Ouroboros, Seven Stars, CBd-129, 3rd
c. CE, obsidian. From The Campbell Bonner Magical Gems Database. Disponível em:
2=Hekate. Acesso em: 3 set. 2024.
● Podcast: Os muitos nomes/epítetos de Hekate. Avaiable in:
tml. Access in: 3th set. 2024.
● RANKINE, D.; D’ESTE, S. Hekate Liminal Rites: A Study of the Rituals, Magic and
Symbols of the Torch-Bearing Triple Goddess of the Crossroads. [s.l.]: Tantor Audio,
2021.
● RITNER, Robert K. A Uterine Amulet in the Oriental Institute Collection. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 2016.
A great essay, thank you so much 🤗💜
This reflection beautifully captures the profound duality of snakes in both mystical and medicinal traditions. Hekate’s association with serpents speaks to her liminal nature—standing at the crossroads of life and death, healing and harm. Your approach to working with snakes in witchcraft mirrors ancient understandings of balance, where the same force can be protective or destructive depending on its application.
Paracelsus’ insight on dosage as the defining factor between medicine and poison is particularly resonant here. It underscores the wisdom required to navigate power—whether in herbalism, magic, or personal transformation. Snakes, with their ability to shed their skin, also symbolize renewal, making them potent allies in both healing and protective work.
This perspective aligns closely with the Crooked Path, where…