She is however far more than just a Goddess of Death. Her role in the process of death is one of giving clarity and leading one through the bardo or underworld to the best possible outcome. She is also a granter of mercy and is said to occasionally take the place of the condemned to spare them suffering. By invoking Hekate on the Dark Moon/first day of the New Year you are opening yourself to the currents of the earth, underworld, and dark. This is not evil in anyway of course. It is in the Dark that we can see the farthest and become open to things that are beyond the norm.