At The Crossroads of Modern Life and Hekate’s Deeper World
In the depths, she is Chthonia, keeper of what hides.
At the crossroads, she is Enodia, the ground beneath your feet.
In the heights, she is Ourania, queen of the heavens above.
Fires flowing through all, lighting the way.
The wheel turns as it has always turned,
Iynx spinning since before memory,
Drawing her power down through fire into flesh.
Becoming her whirring wheel,
Descending, releasing, rising - until the wheel stops,
And in that stillness, she meets you at her crossroads.
Walk the crooked path.
Carry the flame.
The keys are already yours.
Welcome to the crossroads of modern life and the deeper world of Hekate. I write and teach about Modern Hekatean Witchcraft.
Hekate abides at all junctures. Here I am at one of my favorite crossroads - land, sea and sky. High above the roaring ocean, surrounded by the fog that I love.
I come to this work as a feminist lesbian scholar and a modern witch, with a background as an academic working at the crossroads of teaching and research. For a long time, I wondered if my identity and perspective might somehow compromise my academic credibility or make my interpretations less valid. And, honestly, it did. I sometimes think it still impacts how certain people view my work, even though Modern Hekatean Witchcraft itself is now a subject of scholarly analysis. What I’ve come to understand through decades of study, practice, and engagement with feminist scholarship is that my positionality isn’t a limitation. It’s a strength that allows me to see what others have missed or deliberately obscured.
It’s been a very long time since I worked in academia and applied health research, almost twenty years at this point. However, it still is embedded in my approach to writing and teaching about Hekate and modern witchcraft. For far longer, I’ve been a seeker of the deeper world, studying - and participating in - different traditions. All this like, being a lesbian, informs my approach.
Back in 2017, I was at a personal crossroads. I had been quietly teaching workshops about modern goddess spirituality for about a decade. I’d led rituals, held circles, and participated in local events. This was unacceptable in the combined setting of academia and healthcare. I had to choose. It was a massive three-way crossroads. The dual paths behind me were no longer an option. There were two roads - one back to a career that I knew was not right for me, and the other ahead into the unknown - following Hekate’s Torches. It’s obvious today which one I chose. That wasn’t an easy choice. I was a single mother with two sons, who I needed to provide for. Taking the risky path that Hekate called me to meant walking away from financial safety. I’m the first person in my family to go to university. I didn’t have money in the bank to finance our life without the steady income. But, I did it. Honestly, I felt like I had no choice. It was Hekate’s way or it was the path of inauthentic misery.
I choose to be my authentic self. I started a blog, with absolutely no intention of writing books or teaching courses. She lit a fire that said “speak,” and I did. That was 2017. Hekate was not the popular goddess she has since become. As She often does after I take a risk, she opens amazing avenues that I hadn’t anticipated. A friend mentioned a private house sale, and, against all odds, I bought that ramshackle cottage on the coast of rural Nova Scotia. I wrote, I renovated. This was my life for the first few years. I also taught. Because if there is one thing Hekate put me in this world to do, it is to teach. I’ve been teaching since I was five or six, lining up my stuffed animals and dolls to teach them the alphabet.
“Sometimes people are afraid of Hekate’s calling. They’ve heard a bit about Her – maybe that She’s The Dark Mother or Queen of the Witches. Perhaps they feel content with their established spiritual practice (or lack thereof). They might not have a clue who She is or what is going on. Typically, She persists with complete disregard for personal resistance or ignorance.” - from “When Hekate Calls”
I was an outcast as a child, teaching toys, wandering the woods and coastline, never quite fitting into my families, or societies, views and expectations. I am simply a creature of the shadows, anchored in the dark embrace of Hekate. After questing for years to find my spiritual homebase, Hekate called me. And here we are.
“Our culture avoids the darkness, running from its shadows, while I find my absolute truth directly within them. Perhaps, like her ancient sorceresses, I am simply not their kind. Like Circe and Medea, I am whole yet always divided between the spirit world and the corporeal plane. Different. A wild witch dancing with bones and spirits. To me, those who aren’t similar feel like the “other,” living in a completely different reality. However, they are the ones who provide the exact adversarial challenges I must conquer in order to claim another of my Mother’s Keys. Wisdom comes with a price. Witchcraft exacts a toll. I would never have it any other way.” - from “Opening The Gate of Autumn: Hekate’s Fire Ignites”
Now, it’s October 2026, exactly nine years after I started that blog. Hekate is very popular these days. The world needs her more than ever. I quit the platform I was writing on back in 2020 because I needed to be truly independent, you’ll still find those articles when you search for me because they track in the almighty algorithm, while my personal website keepingherkeys.com, without ads or powerful forces behind it, chugs along. I abide at Hekate’s Crossroads, following her torches and keeping the keys she brings me. The most unexpected key she’s offered has been the love of my life, Christen.
Our feet after we adorned each other’s the night before our Winter Solstice wedding in 2024.
Christen left her life in Mississippi to join me and my sons in rural coastal Nova Scotia. That was an epic “Enodia,” (epithet that means “of the road”) journey.
Read more about who I am and my approach in this article.
Writings
I write here on Substack now, although you can access my back catalogue of articles that are right on the keepingherkeys.com website HERE.
Books
My books on Hekate’s Modern Witchcraft have found their place in the world. While I was renovating, blogging and trying to stay afloat, I wrote a book called Keeping Her Keys: An Introduction to Hekate’s Modern Witchcraft. This was my blending of ancient history, personal development and modern practice. It was rejected by so many publishers, but then Moon Books decided to take a chance on it. I didn’t know if anyone would read it, all I knew that was I had to write it. That little book has travelled the world, finding it’s way to thousands of readers. It’s not so much that I wrote the book, it’s that the book came through me. More of a transmission from Hekate than anything I came up with on my own.
“Mighty Hekate, Queen of the Witches,
Blessed am I,
To call myself one of your chosen.
Mighty Hekate, Queen of the Witches,
You are both the dark and the light,
You are the way,
And You are the light along it.”
Excerpt from The Witches Prayer to Hekate, from Keeping Her Keys: An Introduction to Hekate’s Modern Witchcraft, 2nd edition.
WATCH A VIDEO READING AND MEDITATION.
Since then, I’ve written a trilogy of books about Hekatean Witchcraft that explore different facets of modern practice.
The first was Entering Hekate’s Garden, which delves into the mythical origins of her sacred grove, with her “daughters” Medea and Circe, and their natural witchcraft. While popularly known as “green witchcraft,” today, the ancient title best suited is “pharmakeia.” The book has history, practices, and 39 (the triple matrix of Hekate, and if you are into numerology, perhaps you see the intention underlying this number) monographs. There’s spells, rituals, meditations and more. Most importantly, the book begins with a channeled message from Medea herself. I didn’t want that to the prologue for the book. Medea, sent by Hekate, insisted:
“There are many stories told about us. Few of them are true. You already know that for you are one of us. This is not a new story for you, but a memory long forgotten, now awakened. The plants of our Mother called out and you answered. Return with me now to her garden. Sit within her sacred grove and remember.”
Watch this episode of the Keeping Her Keys Podcast where Christen and I explore Medea in depth.
The second book, Entering Hekate’s Cave, grew from a course on shadow work that I’d been teaching for a few years at the time. I firmly hold that Hekate calls us to go into our own darkness. Built around the tale of Persephone, with Hekate as guide, it walks the reader through different epithets (aspects) of Hekate through history, modern depth psychology, and practice. The central core of the book are three ritual gates: catharsis, soul retrieval and rebirth.
“She is the darkness, and she is the fire.
She is the cry of “enough.”
She is the sigil written in stone.
She is the silent walking away of the betrayed.
She is the lonely raising arms to the moon.
She is the lie told to live the truth.
She is the secret circle drawing down her moon.
She is the poison that heals.”
Excerpt from Entering Hekate’s Cave: The Journey Through Darkness To Wholeness.
LISTEN TO THIS INTERVIEW DISCUSSING HEKATE’S CAVE.
My newest book is sort of a book of shadows that weaves together Hekate’s history, spirits, spells, and rituals. Entering Hekate’s Cauldron takes the reader through the four paths of modern witchcraft - foundations, knowledge, the craft, and the mystery. There’s a bit of everything in it, all centered around my beloved Crossroads Queen.
“Hekate beckons us into the mysteries of her cauldron, from whence the essence of witchcraft flows. We feel its touch in our intuition, in the tingle in our fingers when we craft spells, and in the knowing that abides in every witch’s soul. To enter her cauldron is to be reborn, built anew from her mysteries. Within the cauldron, knowledge and spirits and spells abide. Gather round the cauldron with me as I share a compendium of rituals, rites, spells, and spirits.” - Excerpt from Entering Hekate’s Cauldron: Spells, Spirits, Rites and Rituals.
This interview started out about the book, but became so much more. One of my favorites. Listen to “Hekate The F*ck Out of It.”
My first book, True Magic: Unleashing Your Inner Witch is not Hekate-centric. LEARN MORE ABOUT IT.
Key Articles on Hekate
Hekate: Goddess of Crossroads, Witchcraft and Spirits
Your definitive foundational essay outlining her triple-formed nature, historical context, and introductory symbols.
Honoring Hekate on the Dark Moon: History, Meaning and Practices
An exploration of the ancient origins of honoring Hekate on the Dark Moon (new moon in modern astronomy), with ways to make offering and perform rituals.
Hekate’s Three Forms: Exploring the History and Meaning
A deep look into her Triformis nature across land, sea, and sky, and her transition into an Underworld guide alongside Persephone.
Hekate’s Name Names: Working With Her Epithets
A highly practical article with tips for modern practitioners on how to connect with her ancient historical titles for specific ritual focuses.
Hekate as The Great Mother Goddess
Going back before the Greeks adapted her, this article and video explore her as Magna Mater.
Hekate: The Soul Guide for Troubled Times
Discusses how the turbulent times we live in, and our own personal crossroads, are connected to Hekate.
Devotion to Hekate: The Fire and The Vessel
Explores the meaning of walking the devotional path, which is the intentional practice of turning towards her every day, allowing ourselves to become open to her presence.
Exploring Hekate’s Animal Alliances
Hekate is so connected with animals, from her epithets to the different beasts in her menagerie. This article explores the history and personal practice associated with animals allied with Hekate.
Hekate Kleidoukhos: Keeper of The Keys
From their cosmic meaning to personal offerings, I unlock the history and personal practice associated with my favorite epithet.
Teaching
I teach one live course at a time, if the link below takes you to a page that has a join option, then it means there’s room for you in the course.
I also have an extensive archive of on-demand courses that you can work through at your own pace.
The Via Hekate
I’m currently teaching an immersive devotional course, known as The Via Hekate, which appears to want to become a future book. This is the “vertical path,” of deeper world work, while still keeping our feet at the crossroads of the horizontal reality.
“We come as we are.
We stand upright at Your crossroads,
in sovereign reciprocity,
and we offer You this:
our honest presence,
our willingness to show up,
our commitment to walk your Via
not only when the path is clear,
but especially when it is not.
We light this flame as our anchor.
We step into the fire.
We turn the Strophalos with our devotion.”
Learn more about The Via Hekate.
Meditations
Going into Hekate’s deeper world through guided meditations is a foundational component of my teaching and writing.
Watch a selection of meditations HERE.
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Paid Subscribers Bonus
All paid subscribers can become a student in the foundational program of Hekate’s Modern Witchcraft, known as “The Crossroads.” Includes recorded classes, notes and downloadable comprehensive resource guidebooks.
These are the lessons included in Hekate’s Crossroads:
1. Hekate’s Crossroads: Exploring Ancient Origins and Modern Meanings Covers Hekate’s origins and how her ancient roots translate into modern practice and meaning-making.
Resources: Hekate’s Crossroads Guidebook and Strophalos Guidebook
2. Exploring Hekate’s Epithets Introduces Hekate’s many epithets as a gateway into practice, including a Triformis of the Three Selves ritual, a meditation on embodying the epithets, an introductory talk, the Illuminated Key divination reading, and deeper notes on full embodiment and a modern epithet case study.
Resource: Working With Hekate’s Epithets Guidebook
3. Honoring Hekate on The Dark Moon A Triformis of the Crossroads ritual, a khernips/oil/smoke purification practice, a physical-and-etheric pilgrimage meditation, a Dark Moon divination reading, and a talk plus Q&A on the tradition.
Resource: Honoring Hekate Guidebook
4. Hekate of The Middle World: Crossroads of Foundations An orientation to the course itself and the Cauldron framework, a welcome ritual, a “good enough” meditation, the Quotidia daily-practice resource, and an introduction to Enodia as the steadying, foundational epithet.
Resources: Hekate of The Middle World Guidebook and Quotidia of the Middle World.
5. Hekate of The Upper World Moves practice upward into Hekate Ourania - her celestial, “Queen of the Heavens” aspect - through ritual, meditation, a talk, and a dedicated divination reading.
Resources: Hekate of The Upper World Guidebook and Quotidia of the Upper World.
6. Hekate’s Keys: From Ancient History To Modern Gnosis Explores Hekate Kleidoukhos as key-bearer of thresholds and initiation, building through a Triformis of Keys ritual, a “receiving a new key” meditation, the Thirteen Keys of Hekate, a collective divination reading, and shared sharing-circle reflection.
Resources: The Thirteen Keys of Hekate.
7. Hekate of The Depths: Exploring Her Underworld Aspects Descends into Hekate’s chthonic aspects with ritual and meditation, a talk on her underworld nature, a tarot reading practice, and a debrief covering her animal epithets. Lesson 8 continues with this journey, focusing on shadow work.
8. Hekatean Shadow Work Connects Hekate and Circe to confronting shadow material, a Triformis of Convergence ritual, a shadow-focused meditation, a talk, a wheel ritual, and practical work on healing shame and imposter syndrome.
Resources: Hekate of The Under World Guidebook, Quotidia of The Under World, and The Shadows of Hekate’s Wheel.
9. Exploring Hekate’s Fiery Aspects Introduces fire as a core element of practice: a Pentacle of Fire ritual, a talk on the evolution of Hekate’s flames, sacred-flame practice, a sharing circle on fire and candle work, and preparation notes for the Evocation of Hekate. Lesson 9 and 10 both explore Hekate’s Fire.
10. Hekate’s Fire: Aspects of The Sacred Flame and The Cauldron of Mystery Deepens fire work into the Cauldron of Mystery, with a khernips invocation ritual, an entry meditation, a talk on fiery aspects, fire witchery fundamentals, and a closing sharing circle/Q&A.
Resources: Hekate’s Fires Guidebook and Quotidia of Fire.
11. The Evocation of Hekate Suitable for Any Rite The course’s capstone: a standalone Evocation of Hekate ritual, adaptable to any rite, with its own participant guidebook.
Resource: The Evocation of Hekate Guidebook.
Learn more about my soul school, The Covina Institute, click HERE.
Yours in Hekate’s Modern Witchcraft,
Cyndi Brannen, PhD
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