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It’s interesting to me how since Hecate started coming to my attention, we’ve been seeing a lot of animals around. Not just any old critters, but unusual things and unusual experiences with them.
Right before Hecate’s name started filling my head and I started researching Her, Eric and I saw an owl outside over the field near our house. We’ve heard the owl before, but never seen it. For a few glorious moments we got to see it silently swooping over the tall grasses, a place where we know there are rodents. It was so lovely, big and deathly silent. We were amazed that we just happened to step outside and look in the right direction, at the very moment that it came to that spot. A few nights ago we saw it again. We were just sitting out in the night air chatting, and something large and bright caught my attention. I looked up and saw this huge pair of wings coming in, and it landed on the street light at the end of the circle. It stayed for a couple of minutes before swooping down and disappearing into the darkness. I think it was a barred owl, since they’re known for making strange shrieks, and this one around here is always making these weird cries that make me think a pterodactyl is about to swoop in. Owls are said to be Hecate’s messengers.
A few days before my dedication, I was sitting outside talking, and a big blue dragonfly lit on my finger. I was waving my hands around while talking, as I often do, and suddenly I felt it grip my fingertip and I stopped talking mid-sentence. I’m used to them landing on my toes, but this was wild, with it sitting right there in front of me like that. It stayed for a fair while before continuing off. It’s long been thought that dragonflies were once dragons, and dragons pulled Hecate’s chariot. (They were replaced by dogs in later stories, but the oldest history tells of dragons.) Dragonflies represent a change in perspective, self-realization and deeper meaning.
Recently a young husky crossed behind our property and we caught sight of it, which was out of the ordinary. Dogs are sacred to Hecate, and it’s said that wen you see them or hear them, she’s nearby.
Another creature that happened by was an armadillo. I have never seen a live armadillo in my life. (I’ve seen a few as roadkill, but never a live one.) Not only did I get to see this one, I got to within a few feet of it. We spied it walking by the end of the driveway, and I walked across the yard to get a better look. I got to about 5 feet away and had a really good look at it as it ate ants from along the drive. It just wandered away after that. Armadillos don’t have any direct connection to Hecate, but they symbolize trust, protection, and they find answers for you in the spirit realm. Seeing one out here was surely something out of the ordinary.
I’ve also seen quite a few more spiders than usual. Some of them have even gotten on me. Legend says that Athena turned Arachne into a spider using a potion made by Hecate. Spiders symbolize how our choices construct our lives and our limitless abilities.
As you can see, there have been a lot of creature signs around here in the last few weeks. I wonder what she’ll have wander or flit by next!
