In the pediment above the Main Gate is a group of sculptures representing the famous sorceress Circe (said to have had the power of turning men into swine) teaching her niece, the equally famous Medea, the arts of magic under the light of the full moon (represented in traditional fashion as a full circle with a woman's head in profile), while two hounds look on. Hounds are sacred animals to Our Lady, acting both as messengers and guardians. In fact, some authors gave Hecate herself the title of "The Great Bitch", and She was said to roam the countryside with a pack of dogs, seeking out the souls of the departed. While this might be a term that caused some humor today, the title was one of deep respect or fear, depending on the author. In certain respects, this symbolism also calls to mind the mythological concept of the Wild Hunt, so prevalent in other European pagan religions.

For those who are unaware of the tale of Medea, she was known as a priestess of Hecate and a princess in the land of Colchis (located on the Black Sea in what is now the Republic of Georgia). Jason, the so-called hero in the Quest for the Golden Fleece, came to Colchis, seeking it for its miraculous powers. He managed to seduce Medea and convinced her to aid him in its theft, and together they left with the magical pelt for his homeland. however, he betrayed her, by scheming to marry another woman. For this she exacted bloody vengeance upon him by killing her own children and sending her rival an enchanted dress that burst into flames when the other woman put it on. She then left Athens, and it was said, eventually became enthroned as an immortal presiding over the Elysian Fields of the Underworld. Jason, for his part became blind, and wandered the world until one day he stopped to rest under what turned out to be the ruined prow of his old ship, the Argo. It fell upon him, killing him instantly.