Dear Hecate,
I've been a professional lobbyist for over 30 years and I really get annoyed at all these noisey disruptive tactics by some of these new special interest groups that come up to the state house with hundreds of people to sing and chant about an obscure bill that hasn't even had a hearing yet, and then march into the Governor's office with a petition signed by hundreds of folks who probably aren't even registered to vote. Only to turn around at 2:00 in the afternoon and march to their busses and go home. I've spent a lifetime building personal relationships with individual legislators by consistently offering them accurate information about my clients bills, writing small personal checks to their re-election campaigns and I have a pretty good track record. I am reminded of a comment Aristotle made about the people to the North of Greece in what is now Europe. He pointed out that they were full of spirit by lacking in intelligence and skill. What do you think?
Hecate says:
Aristotle was always a bit of a snob. As for those barbarians they sure showed Greece and then Rome didn't they?
Insider lobbyists who would rather spend their time talking to each other on the endless round of fundraisers should never underestimate the power any special interest group with the capacity for mobilizing hundreds of people to sing and chant and collect hundreds of signatures. You may find yourself facing them on the other side of an issue one day. Not fun.
Who is Hecate?
Hecate is a Greek Goddess who served as a guide and coach at the crossroads of Hades, where after crossing the River Styx, Greek souls found themselves facing three choices: the Elysian Fields, abode of the great and heroic; the Fields of Asphodel, for all who had led a blameless but ordinary life; or to Tartarus, a sunless land of punishment for criminals.
Hecate's best known role in Greek mythology was guiding Persephone, the goddess of spring, on her annual journeys between Hades and Earth. In the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, Hecate is portrayed as a nurturing and protective guide for Persephone on those annual journeys.
