Hecate is the ‘Goddess of all magic and witchcraft’ inextricably linked with the night, who ‘predates all Greek deities’, but was ‘adopted’ by Zeus. Hecate appears at the ‘three-way’ crossroads, ‘with hounds’, ‘holding the knife’ or ‘athame’, a tool of witchcraft used in the same way as a staff or wand, to cast circles, a ‘midwife’s tool’, and a ‘torch to light the darkness’. The remarkable thing about Puck’s reference to her is that he states her as ‘triple Hecate’s team’. One of the names by which Hecate is referred is ‘Hecate Trivia’. The word ‘trivia’ does not suggest Hecate is negligible, but ‘literally means ‘three roads’’, this coupled with Hecate being ‘understood to be a triple-Goddess by herself, appearing as maiden, mother and crone’, being symbolic of youth and beauty, motherhood and wisdom and death. Puck’s reference is paramount to understanding Shakespeare’s use of, and relationship with magic because he understood it more intimately than initial examination of the text would imply. This presents in Oberon and Puck’s conversation regarding Cupid,

"But I might see young Cupid’s fiery shaft Quench’d in the chaste beams of the watery moon; And the imperial votress passed on, In maiden meditation, fancy-free."(2.1.363-895)

Yates purports that the depiction of the ‘chaste moon’, is one of Elizabeth as a ‘vestal virgin’ who ‘defeats the assaults of Cupid’ being an ‘imperial votress’. He follows that in a ‘well know portrait’ of Elizabeth she ‘holds a sieve’ symbolic of ‘chastity, and ‘behind her rises the empire’. This is praise of Elizabeth, by Shakespeare, but given the aforementioned reference to Hecate, it is twinned with a deeper, more profound compliment.

The moon to which Shakespeare refers is symbolic of the moon Goddess Diana. Much as Shakespeare blended the legend of ‘Puck’, so mythology has done so with Goddesses. Diana is linked with Hecate in this method. The moon is a symbol of Diana, and therefore Hecate. The three incarnations of Hecate are linked with the lunar cycle, the new moon is the ‘maiden’ the full moon the ‘mother’, and the waning moon, the ‘crone’. If Shakespeare has the intimate knowledge of magic witnessed through Puck’s mention of Hecate, what he is saying is that Elizabeth is akin to a Goddess, not only that, but she is in ‘maiden meditation’, the youngest, most virginal of all her representations. This portrayal corresponds with Yates’ non-magical perspective, which cannot be mere coincidence. Shakespeare is complimenting his queen using Pagan imagery, in addition to the conventional. There is more pagan language apparent in the play; this is without further
mention of Puck’s speeches. Near the end of the play, the fairies bless the wedding bed, with ‘to the best bride-bed will be / which by us shall blessed be.’(5.1.397-912) ‘Blessed be’ is an international phrase used by the Pagan community, and is used in hand-fasting, a symbolic joining of two people much like a wedding. It is also used in ritual as part of the ‘Five fold Kiss’,

The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess and gives her the Five Fold Kiss; that is, he kisses her on both feet, both knees, womb, both breasts, and the lips, starting with the right of each pair. He says, as he does this:

"Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways.
 Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar.
 Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be.
 Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty.
 Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names."

For the kiss on the lips, they embrace, length-to-length, with their feet touching each others. When he reaches the womb, she spreads her arms wide, and the same after the kiss on the lips.