I’ve just finished a month-long devotional cycle, where I deeply connected with Hekate’s different aspects. Thirty Days of Hekate. I’ve been sharing the Book of Shadows creations from scrap paper and my imagination over on Instagram. What can’t been seen in these photos is the deep work I was engaged in, from exploring new avenues of scholarly research on the epithets to personal healing.
Here’s the completed Book of Shadows from this devotional cycle.
I’m staying down here in Chthonia’s realm, inviting you into her depths. This isn’t the easy path of artificial light. It’s the bravery to face our shadows, to commit to the intentional underworld journey so we eventually emerge whole.
Her darkness is so vast, and she knows suffering so well, there is nothing we can offer her that is ever refused.
Chthonia (usually pronounced "ka-thon-ee-ah," but also as "thon-ee-ah") is one of Hekate’s most ancient titles. A deity is considered chthonic if they abide in the Underworld, as opposed to ouranic deities, who reside on high.
It is Hekate’s chthonic energy that often presents to us when we are at our lowest. This is a symbolic representation of our own "earthiness," an indication that we feel deeply when our internal Underworld calls us to deep healing. Chthonia comes at these moments and especially during autumn, when all is returning to the earth.
Chthonia is a call to healing, a path of resistance against the false gods of artificial light, and an awakening to our own witch powers. I welcome you into her territory. Go gently, trust she abides, and you’ll unlock a richness within and with her.
She crouches in the corner,
Shivering from eons of damp neglect.
Then Titaness, with eyes shooting fire-arrows.
Next, ancient stone mother with snakes for hair.
Daughter.
Crone.
Mistress of life,
Bringer of death.
The transforming
Wild goddess.
Trembling, dancing.
Relentless thrumming.
Whispers, shouts.
Cave and mountain.
River and desert.
Pulse of the universe.
Go ahead, she says,
Remain.
With your doom-scrolling, panic-inducing nonsense.
Plucking eyebrows, yet
Avoiding the mirror.
I’ll still be here.
Getting water all over the bathroom floor.
Sitting at your desk.
In the corner of your bedroom,
Black eyes shining watching you slumber.
Legs stretched out from a kitchen chair,
Watch out, don’t trip.
Until. You. See.
That it is a reflection.
from Entering Hekate’s Cave: The Journey Through Darkness To Wholeness
Meditation: Healing In Hekate’s Cauldron
The cauldron, the iron womb, is symbolic of Hekate’s Cave. I view the cauldron as the center point on her great altar in the heart of the cave. All energy flows from this cauldron, and to it we all return. In this meditation, I add the sacral healing power of the color orange, which I associate with Chthonia in addition to more obvious hues like black and brown.
Practice Notes
Working with Chthonia includes facing our own inner mysteries, from shadow work to better boundaries, while descending into her calling.
Get your feet and hands into the earth. Chthonia translates as “of the earth,” including not only the symbolic underworld but also the actual earth. Venture into caves, bury yourself in sand, contemplate a bog. Burrowing insects and other chthonic creatures are messengers of Hekate’s chthonic aspects. Look for them in unexpected ways as you connect with Chthonia. Christen was recently burying a release spell we did with the coven, and in the hole were the largest grubs we’ve ever seen.
The eschara was a type of altar-brazier that the ancient used in venerating Hekate. Meant to be placed low to the ground to connect with Chthonia, create a modern version with a tray and make your offerings to her upon it. Even an altar cloth, when we see it as emblematic of the chthonic realm, helps us connect. In almost all of my photos, there is a tray under the objects, so the down belowness of Hekate is always present.
Root work: Chthonia dwells in the lower realm of emotions, intuition, magick, and the deeper world of dreams and spirits. What areas are unlocking for you?
Practice prompt: Create your own shadow mask and offer it to Hekate.
All this month in the Hekate’s Keys Program, we’re connecting to Hekate Chthonia. Today, we’re working on our collaborative hymn in preparation for the upcoming (very chthonic) eclipse, here’s my personal contribution:
Write your own hymn or letter to Hekate Chthonia, expressing your feelings, offering her what you are releasing, and committing to the deeper journey she offers. If you are called to our coven community, you’ll experience the mysteries of Chthonia all this month.
Hail Hekate Chthonia! 🗝️🖤