Goddess Wisdom Series – Part 2: Hecate’s Crossroads – Leading Through Uncertainty

In Part 1 of this series, we explored how many powerful goddess stories were reshaped, silenced, or twisted as male gods became dominant figures in mythology. Their once complex roles as creators, warriors, lovers, and leaders were fragmented, and some were recast as villains or forgotten entirely.

Hecate, the goddess of magic, thresholds, and transformation, is one such figure.

Who Was Hecate Before the Patriarchy Dimmed Her Light?

Long before she became known as the dark, witchy figure haunting crossroads and graveyards, Hecate was revered across ancient cultures. In early Greek mythology—and particularly in the Hesiodic tradition, Hecate was honoured above all, even by Zeus, who granted her dominion over the heavens, earth, and sea. She was associated with abundance, protection, and guidance.

But as patriarchal storytelling took root, Hecate’s expansive power threatened the new hierarchy. The narrative shifted. Her celestial titles were stripped. She was gradually relegated to the shadowy margins of myth, associated with witchcraft, ghosts, and sorcery—symbols that made her “other,” mysterious, and feared.

The same happened to many powerful women—mythological or real—when their wisdom didn’t conform to systems built to contain them.

In every woman’s life, there comes a moment of choice. A moment where the road ahead splits into many paths. Each one asks something of us: courage, surrender, reinvention, rebirth.

It’s at this threshold where we meet Hecate, the ancient Greek goddess of magic, transitions, and the unseen realms. She stands not at the beginning or the end, but at the crossroads.

Often depicted holding torches or keys, Hecate was the guide between worlds: light and dark, known and unknown, the self we are and the self we’re becoming. In today’s language, she would be a master coach, quietly illuminating the choices we’re too afraid to see clearly. She teaches us that we don’t have to have the answers—we only need the willingness to stand in the unknown long enough for the truth to rise.

Despite the distortion, Hecate's essence remains. She is the torchbearer—the one who walks with us when we stand between what was and what will be.

In coaching, this is the liminal space—the in-between where transformation happens. We don’t yet have the answer, but we’re no longer who we used to be. That’s where Hecate lives. She doesn't rush us through; she lights the space so we can breathe, reflect, and choose with courage.

The Coaching Connection

For women in leadership, the crossroads appear in many forms:

• Do I stay in this role or start something new?

• Should I step away or speak up?

• Is it time to pivot my purpose?

• How do I lead with heart in a culture of burnout?

• Can I trust my intuition over external expectations?

• How do I lead differently without losing myself?

Like Hecate, a skilled coach doesn't choose the path for you. She lights the way, asks deeper questions, and holds space as you claim your own direction. Hecate reminds us that uncertainty isn’t a weakness. It’s a place of potential. And a true leader is one who doesn’t fear the dark - she knows how to walk through it.

Reclaiming Her Power

Hecate wasn’t always a shadowy figure. In pre-Olympian mythology, she was a celestial being - a goddess of the heavens, the earth, and the sea. But as patriarchal myths evolved, her role diminished. She became associated with witchcraft, feared for her independence and power.

Sound familiar?

How many women in positions of power are still portrayed as “too much”? Too emotional, too intense, too spiritual, too assertive. Hecate reminds us that power doesn’t have to look like dominance—it can look like stillness, like patience, like standing at the threshold and waiting for the right door to open.

Why I Love Hecate’s Wisdom

I’ve always been drawn to the stories of women who walk between worlds. Hecate speaks to the part of me, and many of my clients, that is both wildly intuitive and deeply strategic. The part that feels something shifting before the world catches up.

Her myth is an anchor for those of us leading in uncertain times, asking not for control, but for clarity and presence.

This series is about more than stories. It’s about reclaiming parts of ourselves we were taught to hide. Hecate’s light isn’t here to blind us—it’s here to remind us that even in the dark, we can still choose.

Why I Love Ancient Greek Wisdom (And Why This Series Matters)

I’ve always felt a deep connection to ancient Greek stories—not just the well-known myths, but the lesser-told truths buried beneath them. These tales speak to a time when the divine feminine was celebrated in her many forms: wise, wild, grieving, growing, fierce, and nurturing.

This Goddess Wisdom Series is my way of bringing those stories forward—reclaimed and reimagined—to inspire women today who are navigating change, leadership, identity, and power. Part 1 explored how the patriarchy shifted divine feminine power toward the masculine. Part 2 dives deeper into how those shifts affect how we see ourselves and the roles we play.

I want every woman who reads this to feel seen in these archetypes—not as fantasy, but as mirrors. Hecate stands with us at every life crossroads, reminding us we are not lost—we are simply deciding what kind of leader, healer, mother, or warrior we choose to be next.

Next in the Series: Demeter’s Grief – Leading Through Loss and Renewal