Keeping Her Keys: At The Crossroads of Modern Life and the Deeper World

In this episode, Christen and I explore the connections between Hekate and the crone archetype. Hekate embodies wild wisdom and inhabits the threshold—the space between worlds. The crone similarly occupies liminal territory. Like Hekate, crones are associated with magic and mystery. Hekate tends to restless spirits, helps us cross into the deeper world (and back), is associated with protecting children, and has been subjected to much denigration. When examining Hekate’s ancient attributes—guiding souls, serving as divine midwife, protecting children, and practicing magic—these qualities resonate strongly with what might be called “crone energy.” While a few lesser-known myths depict her mothering her own children, she generally appears in ancient Greek stories as a wise woman associated with the natural world and spirits, dwelling in caves or gardens rather than cities.I'm taking a break from the podcast and other public-facing activities for the new few months while I work on my new book. I'll be teaching a six-month long course diving deeper into my book, Entering Hekate's Cauldron, starting May 1. Go to keepingherkeys.com for more details.If you're interested in the crone, consider joining the Destination Crone course. LEARN MORE HERE.You can read an in-depth article exploring Hekate and The Crone on my SUBSTACK.

I'm sharing one of my favorite rituals, focused on healing with the five elements, in this episode. The ritual, inspired by Hekate’s epithet of Physis, connects deeply with the natural elements—earth, air, fire, water—and invoke divine guidance for healing and transformation - with the fifth of spirit. This practice offers a powerful way to release pain and align with your authentic self.Included:Steps to connect with each of the natural elements for healingHow Hekate’s energy enhances and guides the ritualUse of sacred symbols such as the pentacle and the Hekate sigilPractical tips for integrating elemental practices into daily lifeThe symbolism of the five elements and their role in spiritual cleansingVisualizations to embody your healed, empowered selfTiming and lunar considerations for ritual practice Go to Keepingherkeys.com to learn more about the courses I teach and my online coven.00:00 - Introduction to the elemental healing ritual and its origins00:32 - Personal reflections on connecting with the elements daily01:06 - Overview of Hekate’s Physis and its significance in nature01:52 - Preparing for the ritual: setting intentions and environment02:36 - Invocation of the elements and the sacred space03:05 - Casting the circle and calling upon the moon and Hecate04:37 - Visualization and calling upon Earth for grounding06:11 - Evoking Air with steam bowl and breathwork08:00 - Utilizing Fire through incense and flames10:04 - Water as a symbol of emotional cleansing12:12 - Receiving healing from the elements and lighting of the spirit candle15:03 - Embodying your healed self through visualization and imagery16:30 - Integration of the five elements and divine guidance17:29 - Closing blessings and gratitude to Hekate and the elements

The world is at a crossroads. This is Hekate's realm, where she can help us navigate the most turbulent times. In this new episode Christen and I sit down for another conversation about Hekate as Psychopomp, The Soul Guide.We explore the different ways we can experience Hekate as The Psychopomp. The first is how we can call upon her to help us find our way to our own soul, from soul retrieval work to past lives, and even more regular personal development. The second is her function as the one who guides souls between the living world and the deeper one. The final way is that she may share this key with us, enabling us to work as mediums, transmitting messages between the living and the other side, and as ones who can assist spirits in making the transition to the deeper world. A fascinating trio of topics to explore.We highlight her historical significance in facilitating transitions between life and death, while also addressing the evolution of psychology and the need to integrate soul work for deeper fulfillment. Our conversation touches on the responsibilities of those engaged in psychopomp work, emphasizing the importance of personal boundaries and self-care. Join Covina, become a student in Hekate's Keys and explore our intensive courses: Keeping Her Keys Book, Destination Crone, and Via Hekate.keepingherkeys.comChristen@covinainstitute.com

Christen and I delve into the lore and meaning of The Cailleach, and then I guide us through a meditation. ConversationWe explore the significance of The Cailleach in Celtic folklore, highlighting her role as a symbol of winter, wisdom, and the land. With our personal connection to her, we reflect on how she is the earth itself - land, sea, and sky. She is primordial, she before she had a name, and offers us deep attunement to her wild, natural world. We discuss our annual winter solstice ritual that honours the Cailleach with stone and story offerings. We encourage everyone to find and decorate stones, write letters sharing their stories, and engage in community discussions about their experiences, fostering a deeper connection to this powerful figure, and the power of place.MeditationEmbark on a meditative journey to The Cailleach's Cave. Sacred smoke from juniper and pine resin sets the tone for reflection and connection. Attune the three selves and journey into her Cave, offering stones as symbols of burdens and gratitude to the Cailleach, the Stone Mother and Bringer of Winter. The meditation invites wisdom and insights from winter's challenges, fostering a deeper connection to nature and personal growth before concluding with a renewed sense of purpose.Learn more at keepingherkeys.com

Suitable for The Night of Hekate on November 16, this meditation evokes the threshold of light and dark, symbolized through Hekate's torches and the cave-womb of the divine feminine. Through an exploration of the three selves, attune to the power of the dark mysteries, for shadow healing and empowerment.It's been eight years exactly since I first wrote about November 16, and the entire month, being a time for sacred darkness. As Christen reminded me, I declared back then that the "holy darkness is nigh." Perhaps a bit too-Scorpio, but that's my nature. Here's an excerpt from that original article:"November 16 is a night for deep spiritual work, of offering Hekate Borborophorba our internal refuse so we may work toward healing our shadow and beginning the process of rebirth. Hekate welcomes her chosen home, but the profane will be banished. Seek her out of sincerity, or risk her fierceness. This ritual will open you to the spirits of the Underworld. Participants have received messages from departed loved ones, animal allies, and Hekate's companions. Persephone, in particular, often meets those who perform this rite.In the same way we leave offerings at a crossroads for Deipnon, during this ritual, we need leave our spiritual junk, the miasma, in Her underworld, and we don’t look back. We offer her the toxic parts of ourselves that we are ready to let go of, in order to make space for our rebirth, space to take up her keys and move forward as sovereign, fire-walking, truth-weaving witches."What I wrote about in that article, and the ritual I included, has since evolved into The Animarum Catharsis in Hekate's Keys on the Scorpio New Moon each year. I also included a DIY version of that ritual in my book, Entering Hekate's Cave. While we are not accepting new students in The Gate of Release, the course within the Hekate's Keys program where the Animarum Catharsis is the concluding ceremony, enrollment is open for the next gate, The Gate of Retrieval. The first month is dedicated to Hekate's sacred darkness, through her epithet of Skotia. Christen and I just recorded a new class on Hekate's Darkness that's available in The Gate of Retrieval Playlist now.I recorded this podcast episode back in 2019, exploring Hekate's Holy Darkness. You can listen to it, and the meditation I shared above, wherever podcasts are found, and on the Keeping Her Keys website. Key themes:Standing at the threshold between light and darknessFollowing Hecate's torches into the sacred darknessReleasing what no longer serves before crossing the thresholdConnecting with Chthonia (of the earth) through root visualizationOpening to the season of the moon's dominion during the darkest time of yearLetting go of perfectionism and preconceived notions

Just in time for the Taurus Full Moon on Nov. 5, 2025.The Orphic Hymn to HekateLovely Hekate of the roads and of the crossroads I invoke.In heaven, on earth,then in the sea, saffron-cloaked,tomb spirit reveling in the souls of the dead,daughter of Perses,haunting deserted places,delighting in deer,nocturnal, dog-loving,monstrous queen,devouring wild beasts,ungirt and repulsive.Herder of bulls,queen and mistress of the whole world,leader, nymph,mountain-roaming nurturer of youths,maiden, I beseech you to cometo these holy rites,ever with joyous heart,ever favoring the oxherd.(Athanassakis translation)The Tauropolos meditation positioned at us the center of Hekate’s Crossroads, the convergence of the three worlds and selves, as we connected with her governance over the realms to bring a deep attunement within ourselves. Tauropolos connects Hekate to the crescent moon through bull’s horns, symbolizing majesty, power, and fertility. Beginning with The Orphic Hymn to Hekate as our invocation, which highlights her dominion over the underworld, middle world, and celestial realms, while also emphasizing her role as “The Herder of Bulls,” the meditation grounds us in her abiding power. Follow up the meditation with practices that honor the body and embrace sensual pleasure, aligning with the nurturing essence of Taurus moon energy.Go to my Substack for more.keepingherkeys.com

Experience profound connection to Hekate and Persephone in this meditative journey. Unlock your inner mysteries as we descend into HER realness, for inner exploration, healing, and transformation. We begin this journey by activating our energetic roots, summoning what sustains and releasing what burdens. Persephone's message of balance, mercy, and grace, comes through, reminding us that we are not meant to be perfect, but whole . Conclude with a return to awareness, integrating the insights gained from this enriching experience.Join the free Keeping Her Keys Library for tons of recordings and episodes. Become a member of the COVEN.Keepingherkeys.com

Happy New Year.Welcome to a new beginning. How fortunate we all are to be here at the start of a new calendar year. I'm sending out the sacred smoke, deep healing, cleansing and connection to the divine, to our beloved Hekate, to all the spirits and her deeper world as the new year commences. May you find meaning and value in wholeness in this new year.Hail Hekate,And Welcome to 2024. My NYD personal ritual for invoking 2024 included exchanging letters with the me of today with the me of January 1, 2025. If you're called to a deeper practice of Hekate's Modern Witchcraft, explore the options available at keepingherkeys.com

This episode explores the powerful archetypal Great Mother Goddess, a figure that spans many cultures, times, and traditions. Focusing on Hekate as one face of this primordial goddess, and others, including Kybele, Demeter, and Kali Ma, discussing how SHE can be a powerful ally for healing our personal mother wound. The mother wound is something that we all carry in different ways, from the consequences of early childhood trauma, to the collective denial of the sacred feminine. Associated with insecure attachment, the consequences of bearing this injury are significant, often infiltrating all aspects of our lives. This painful burden shows up as mistrust, self-denial, lack of purpose, and in many other distressing ways. We live in a time when the goddess is returning, from reclaiming The Madonna to connecting with Hekate, is occurring within many, and in mainstream western culture. This comes after centuries of being diminished due to the ubiquity of rational thought (part of patriarchy).  Restoring The Great Mother, whether you call her Hekate or otherwise, includes recognizing diversity and that we are all in need of healing. Finally, heeding the voice of the Great Mother is an invitation to not only personal healing, but to help restore balance to the world. This episode goes well with Chapter 12, Psychopomp, in Entering Hekate's Cave. Mentioned: The Greek Magical Papyri, The Chaldean Oracles, The Goddess and The Alphabet. Keywords: Great Mother Goddess, Hekate, Kybele, Demeter, Moon, Bull, Torch, Dagger, Anima, Animus, Fertility, Dark Goddess, Healing, Mother Wound, Mother Complex, Symbols, Archetype. Watch with CC and view the searchable transcript (click on magnifying glass): https://app.searchie.io/watch/ZxN3bEJyD0 Learn more: https://keepingherkeys.com/

In this combo episode, I talk about some of the so-called dark goddesses  that I write and teach about, the nature of the shadow and soul, within the framework of Hekate's triple nature. Then, in the spirit of Scorpio season, I guide you through a meditative journey to Hekate's Well in her sacred garden for deep emotional healing and reclaiming the dark goddess.  Goddesses discussed: Hekate, Circe, Medea, Persephone, Demeter, Artemis and Selene. Meditation starts at 12:03 Learn more about my books and studying with me at keepingherkeys.com Purchase the cover illustration HERE. Privacy and ethics HERE.

In the Keeping Her Keys book, I discussed what I believe to be three Key Principles for soulful living: the values of passion, kindness, and integrity. In the book, I wrote about the importance of principles for guiding our lives. These are sometimes referred to as “virtues,” but this word has such a loaded meaning to some witches that I’ve switched to “principles.” These are our personal keys. It was quite a process to develop three that reflected the ancient virtues ascribed to our soul's ascension and as flowing from Hekate in The Chaldean Oracles. In the end, I selected kindness, integrity and passion. I encourage you to journal about what each of these mean to you. I try to live the principles as best I can. They are a metric by which I evaluate myself on my monthly mini-pilgrimage during the New Moon. I encourage you to work through the lesson in KHK on the principles, and to develop your own. Learn more about the KHK book and my teaching at keepingherkeys.com You can purchase KHK from most major online booksellers.

Dr. Cyndi Brannen and Angela Natividad discuss the history and mythology of Drakaina, which translates as She-Dragon and/or Serpent Queen. We discovered this as a title of Hekate (Hecate) in a few ancient texts, and then found art that supports this ancient goddesses' association with dragons and serpents. Interesting, just like everything to do with women, snakes and god(dess). From Medusa to Game of Thrones, and all looping around those fateful events in the Garden of Eden, women's power has been connected with serpents, be they flying or slithering. Some of the books mentioned: The Dragon in The West The Greek Magical Papyri The Chaldean Oracles Ovid's Metamorphoses The Goddess Versus The Alphabet NOTE: We're giving Medusa a full episode that will air later in June 2022. Learn more at keepingherkeys.com

Recorded talk from MoonCon 2021. Dr. Cyndi Brannen discusses Hekate and her bestselling book, Keeping Her Keys: An Introduction to Hekate's Modern Witchcraft. Hekate (Hecate to some) is an ancient goddess typically associated with magic, the moon, and witchcraft. Yet, historical records equally show that she was understood by some as a Great Mother Goddess and even the World Soul. Answers to your questions about Hekate, from who is she to how to connect with her. Learn more about Dr. Cyndi's JULY 3, 2022 free talk at MoonCon 2022, HERE. More about all things Keeping Her Keys HERE.