This is a familial ritual I would like to share with everyone! To raise a witch’s power under the patronage of Pan, at night under a Full Moon go to a clearing in a forest or field, or in a secret secluded place outdoors or in a very well ventilated room. It can be done alone or with a group.
Bring an image of Pan that has been prepared and awakened as a cult idol. You should preferably be nude, but this is not required. Hang wind chimes and bells around the area to signal the God’s presence. If you have a hand drum you can play it as you perform the ritual Consecrate the area with an incense made of the following:
1 part benzoin
1 part frankincense
1 part myrrh
1 part dragon’s blood
½ part savory
½ part wormwood
¼ part camphor
Make an offering of honey and milk to the nymphs and spirits of the place, and pour a libation of sweet red wine to Pan. In a cauldron brew a potion made from:
spring water
a small bit of *hemlock
1 part wormwood
1 part orchid root or calamus root
1 part oakmoss
1 part greek mountain tea
1 part pine
1 part coffee bean
Once the brew is at a boil, raise your hands toward the moon and evoke Pan:
“O Night, Mother of Mysteries, and You bright Stars and Moon, Hail and welcome! I summon The Wanderers, the Nymphs of the meadows, forests, mountains, and streams, I summon Great Gaia, sure foundation of Gods and humankind, and I summon You, Mistress Hekate, Queen of Witches, make strong my workings! All Ye Gods of Groves, All Ye Gods of Night, be present! Hail and welcome!”
Take a moment to feel the powers around you, to raise your own power, add more incense, gesture your hands toward the cult image and continue:
“I call to You, Strong Pastoral Pan, God of the Wild, Lord of Lust, King of Witches, approach and attend here! Come from Your nocturnal tricks, and celebrate under the light of the Moon, whom You love! I am the witch, NN, Your servant, and my words have power! Let Your spirit move me, and ignite within me the Great Flame of Witches, for it is You Who carries the Fiery Ether between Your Mighty Horns! You are the Lord of the Sabbath, Goat of Mendes, come and rejoice in my offerings! Play now the Hemlock Pipes, whose fine cries keep witchcraft on its course! Horned Lord, crack Your Iron Whip and destroy my enemies and cast out all that seeks to harm me! You are the hidden force that rules the shadows, Your seed gives power and potency to all mushrooms, herbs and roots, ordained for our witch’s rites giving life to enchantments! I am gathered here for You, O Lord, to receive and give thanks for all that You offer! Hear now my incantations and come in pleasant form, ithyphallic God, Hail and Welcome!”
At this point listen for the sounds of the chimes and bells and perform any specific spellwork, divinations, or recite any petitions you have for the God. The brew you made is used to empower tools, charms, and other cult objects used in witchcraft so it should be strained and bottled, kept in a dark place. Add to it ⅓ grain alcohol like Everclear or Aguardiente.
*It is toxic due to the hemlock so make sure it isn’t ingested and keep away from children and pets. If you want to use a non toxic plant you can do so with hemlock tree rather than the plant.
Sacred vessels are basically physical “bodies” for divine energy, also known as manna, dynamis, or numen, to be stored in, kind of like a rechargeable battery. This ritual can be customized and personalized but I will go over the basic principles of theurgy that will be used in its creation. That is, a reduction of Cosmic forces to their simplest symbola. If we follow the chain from Celestial Divinities, the largest and greatest force, we reduce Them to the power of a corresponding heavenly body, such as a star or planet, then to a sentient being like an animal, then plant material, and finally to inanimate objects like minerals, metals, stones, and dirts. This creates a sort of divine microcosm that makes the divine energy safe to work with. What we are doing is creating a cosmic link to the God, manifesting Them in the physical world. The concept is that all things are linked to specific divine energies through the ether and the more links in the chain, the more powerful the connection. As an example lets use Hekate as Queen of Witches.
For Her vessel I would use the following:
a piece of iron or meteorite to represent the ether and Hekate for the central stone
animal materials of dogs and snakes which are sacred to Her and aligned with the Underworld, so a bit of dog hair and or bones, snake skin and or bones, or bones from a human (legally acquired).
plants such as wormwood, datura, belladonna, hemlock, henbane, pomegranate, yew, mandrake and poplar (a little added boost of numerology 3×3 herb ingredients)
metal such as lead, iron, or silver
stones such as garnet, obsidian, or black labradorite (also called black moonstone to represent the New Moon)
dirt or mineral such as dirt or stones from cemeteries and or triple crossroads
Combining all of these together makes a vessel strong enough to channel the energy of Hekate, each link making the energy more and more safe to be in the presence of. If you cannot get every link that is totally ok. There is no right or wrong way of doing this, so construct it within your means.
These vessels are created for one specific God or spirit and one specific epithet, so to begin clarify which divinity and Their specific epithet you will be making it for. You will need:
a vessel with a lid such as a sugar bowl, cauldron, baby food or mason jar, terracotta pot with a lid, wooden box, and so on. Let it be aesthetically pleasing to you and fit the nature of the divinity.
herbs sacred to the divinity
stones and minerals sacred to the divinity or collected from that being’s domain, create one central stone that can represent the God Themselves, or Their corresponding heavenly body.
animal materials sacred to the divinity- metal sacred to the divinity- appropriate libations
dirt from a sacred location
Once you have chosen your deity and vessel, burn an appropriate incense and draw a symbol of the deity on the inside bottom. Fumigate the vessel by passing it over the incense filling it with smoke. Add the crushed heads of nine matches to the symbol or sigil and light it to activate it. Next place the central stone in the middle on top of the deity’s symbol. Surround this with the earth, then the sacred stones, then the metals, then animal, and finally plants. You can add any charms or other materials that symbolize the deity, again using Hekate as an example, charms and amulets symbolizing witchcraft, silver toned coins, little mini statues of the Goddess, or parchments with hymns and prayers. Once done splash the contents with libations to feed it, fan some incense smoke into it and close it.The entire process should be accompanied by prayers to the deity and the vessel should be left on the altar next to your statue (agalma) or image. You can open the vessel on sacred days to re-libate, and fumigate with incense.
*Remember that for libations, anything that is wet will start to decay the plant and animal material so you can use a “syrup” made from evaporated libations that have been gathered from the altar of the God the vessel is for. Honey is also an appropriate all purpose libation and is especially preferred for chthonic Underworldly Gods to sweeten Them to you. Nothing is to be removed from the vessel. Once it is a part of the cosmic system within it, it is permanent. These elements are going to be imbued with dynamis as well as your petitions, prayers, and witchcraft.
*The vessel also does not NEED to be covered. My little sister constructed an open vessel for Hekate and crowned it with bones of deer, and the skull of a cat (found on our property). If you do this form of vessel your agalma can also be enthroned in the center of the vessel itself.
The Anemoi are the Wind Gods of the Hellenic Pantheon. Each corresponds to a cardinal direction and a season. Hesiod mentions only three of the Wind Gods, Boreas, Notos, and Zephyros. When he wrote his “Theogony” the Greeks only observed three seasons: Winter (Boreas), Summer (Notos), and Spring (Zephyros). By the time of Homer’s “Odyssey” we see the inclusion of Euros, the Wind God of Autumn. Sadly this leaves Euros out of the Orphic Hymns, but I decided He needed one so I made my own. I have included the traditional Orphic Hymns to Boreas, Notos, and Zephyros with my own personal hymn to Euros included, based on the hymns of His brothers. Interestingly Notos is given the more flowerly description rather than Zephyros. They appear in order of the changing Seasons.
Orphic Hymn 79 To Boreas, the North Wind, God of Winter
The Fumigation from Frankincense. Boreas, Whose wintery blasts, terrific, tear the bosom of the deep surrounding air; cold icy power, approach, and favoring blow, and Thrace a while desert exposed to snow: the misty station of the air dissolve, with pregnant clouds, whose frames in showers resolve: serenely temper all within the sky, and wipe from moisture, Æther’s beauteous eye.
Orphic Hymn 80 to Zephyros, the West Wind, God of Spring
The Fumigation from Frankincense. Sea-born, aerial, blowing from the West, sweet Aurai, Who give to wearied labor rest: vernal and grassy, and of gentle found, to ships delightful, through the sea profound; for these, impelled by You with gentle force, pursue with prosperous Fate their destined course. With blameless gales regard my suppliant prayer, Zephyrs unseen, light-winged, and formed from air.
Orphic Hymn 81 to Notos, the South Wind, God of Summer
The Fumigation from Frankincense. Wide coursing gales, Whose lightly leaping feet with rapid wings the air’s wet bosom beat, approach benevolent, swift-whirling powers, with humid clouds the principles of flowers: for flowery clouds are portioned to Your care, to send on earth from all surrounding air. Bear, blessed powers, these holy rites attend, and fruitful rains on earth all-parent send.
Personal Hymn To Euros, the East Wind, God of Autumn
The Fumigation from Frankincense. Euros, soft breathed Wind, sending cool and faithful breeze over the fields at harvest’s end; bring celebration: garlands of golden shafts of grain and fiery tempered leaves, so we may rejoice and rest before bitter Winter’s reach. Turn Your gaze to this honored rite, and may You come at all times with victory and might.
Over the years I have taken hundreds of commissions, creating one of a kind sacred cult images ensouled with amulets to harness the power of the Gods. When I started taking commissions a statue would take me a little under 12 hours to create from start to finish. However, the more I sculpted, the more I studied the work of artists in museums, and the more my husband challenged me my artistic style evolved and became infinitely more detailed. A statue that would take me that 12 hours now started taking days, sometimes up to a week to finish. This put me significantly behind in commissions, balancing sculpting with running a successful store. But the results are worth it, and I am so excited to get my best work out to my patient clients, and to give form to some amazing Gods!
Below are a few examples of how my art has changed. While I absolutely love every single piece I have done, I am so proud of where I have come as a self taught artist!
My proportions have improved significantly as well as my detail of Her torches, faces, and jewelry. Because I no longer sculpt my statues around what my husband so lovingly refers to as “a stump on a stick”, I am able to add more movement. Again my proportions and detail are a lot more refined. Even in statues where I keep the similar pose, I am able to add significantly more detail in the musculature, hands, face, and in this case, horns and phallus. Draping and fabric movement is one of my greatest advancements. Compared to my prior work which I would remove clay from the base to try to replicate fabric, now I add layers to create more movement and realism.
I can’t rush my art as frustrating as it is, and I cannot revert back. I simply do not know how to go back to the quicker sculpting technique. When I have tried in an attempt to save time I still add more and more detail. I want to assure every client waiting that not only will the statue be a significant increase in worth, but in energy. I know it has been several years for many of you, but I cannot tell you how much I appreciate being able to exceed your expectations! Nocturnal Blessings!
As an artist that specializes in cult iconography I am often approached by clients who are looking for a representation for obscure Gods. Often times these Gods have no known representation, or representations that have not gained popularity to join the mass production market. I have even found myself sculpting statues of Gods I couldn’t find for my personal cult such as Nemesis, Melusine, and Hekate Einalia. But most of the time I adopt an easier approach of re-purposing statues.
On my altar to Selene and Helios I have two large representations, Selene made from a generic female statue I sculpted bull horns for, and Helios made from a Statue of David. As Eros led me to explore the Anemoi, the Wind Gods, I started to research Their mother, Eos, Goddess of Dawn. Needless to say She has no representation that really fits with my Hellenic view with the exception of the statues of Aurora that came out of the turn of the century. So I began to look for a statue I could use and transform into Her.
To begin I researched classical imagery of the Goddess to figure out a baseline of what I was looking for. Then I began to research Her a little more in depth. Eos, the Goddess of Dawn, actually shares a source with other Dawn Goddesses such as the Roman Aurora, the Vedic Ushas, the Lithuanian Ausrine, and the Germanic Ostara (Eostre). All of these incarnations come from the Proto-Indo-European Goddess Hausos. She is a Goddess of Dawn and renewed of life (possibly where the Spring associations come from with Eostre) so my first search was “angel with flowers statue” because I wanted this image to give a nod to Her associations with renewal despite them missing in Hellenic mythology. After combing over pages I settled on one that fit what I was looking for, a fairly standard angel on a cloud with a billowing cloth and flowers.
Whenever I re-purpose statues I try not to look at the original paint job because repainting them is my primary way of consecrating the image to the God I am creating. So for this one I set out to get inspiration and found my color scheme in the painting of Eos by Evelyn De Morgan. I actually liked the yellow dress the statue had so I kept that color. As I painted Her I continuously read Her myths and hymns ( I work at my desk in front of my computer screen).
I repainted the flowers in colors one would find in a sunrise, and by the time I was done the statue was completely transformed into the perfect Eos! I have similarly used angel statues for other winged Goddesses such as Iris and Khione and I find them to be perfect base images that can function as sacred art for those hard to find Celestials we want to celebrate but have a hard time manifesting in physical form, perhaps hiding in those statues all around us.
It is no surprise that my favorite art subjects are my patron Gods, Pan and Hekate. However, overwhelmingly it is Hekate Who has been my most popular, especially among polytheistic witches. This is because my representation specifically focuses on Her as Queen of Witches. It is for this reason that my iconography of Hekate has been so controversial.
My cult iconography pulls from many sources, either personal or historical. So what do they all mean? To start, we need to understand the cult itself. This is not the conventional cult we see widespread across the Hellenic world that primarily focuses on Hekate’s role as guardian of boundaries. The imagery, most often from Athens, contains many familiar attributes one would expect to find representing the various guardianship functions.
The History of Her Image
Most notably are Her three forms. These three forms , either as three figures back to back (Trimorphis) or as three faces (Triceps), watch the triple crossroads (Enodia, or Trioditis). This element is universal among most representations of Hekate both ancient and modern, of course with exception. This is because the crossroads is an element that has depth of meaning. First, it is a physical boundary where scoundrels, both natural and supernatural, converge particularly at night. It is Hekate Who guards this space, and when She looks favorably on a person they are under Her protection there. The crossroads is also deeply spiritual in the sense that it is a place where energy crosses and overlaps and is in constant motion. This makes crossroads attached to the ether of the Cosmos itself, a place where supernatural energy is evoked. Lastly, it is a place of the Dead. In ancient times the bodies of criminals would be buried at triple crossroads to prevent them from rising from the grave and finding their way back to town, wreaking havoc on their executioners. In modern times, sadly, many fatal accidents happen at crossroads and that death energy permeates the area. With Hekate’s guidance and guardianship a witch is free to summon these forces to do their bidding.
The next familiar attribute on most depictions of Hekate are Her twin torches. These have many interpretations but distinctly there are two. This separates Hekate’s iconography from that of other torch carrying Goddesses such as Demeter and Persephone, and even our Statue of Liberty depicting the Goddess Libertas here in the United States. The function of these torches illuminate (Phosphoros, or Lucifera). They burn with the fiery ether of the Cosmos, what I refer to as the Witch Flame. They also serve as watchtowers that guide the devotee through the darkness. Some have interpreted the twin nature of Her torches as being one to guide, and one to pass to the one being guided, much like when Hekate escorts Persephone through the Underworld. Her torches also have a defensive purpose. She can use them to immolate Her enemies as She did when battling the giant Klytios. Another function Her torches serve are as the lights that attract the wandering dead whom She collects on Her nocturnal haunts.
Past these attributes Her iconography starts to vary based on function. It is important to note that most of the representations we have of Hekate from antiquity come from household shrines called Hekataion. The elements held by the Goddess typically represented a protector of the home and entrance among other divine functions. For example, a lot of statues carry a patera and pitcher. This can be seen to represent Her self sustaining ability, that She does not depend on the libations of mortals because She can do it Herself. We see this as a recurring motif in the ancient Greco-Roman world, Gods libating to Themselves at Their altars. Next She is often holding a key (Kleidouchos) which represents Her ability to open ways, unlocking all doors. In the case of the Hekataion, She is saying it is She Who carries the key to the house and She Herself can prevent or allow entry. Often She is depicted holding a serpent, Her sacred animal. The serpent represents the Underworld and the spirits of the home whether familial such as ancestors, or the genius loci. Another animal seen on these statues is the dog, a known guardian keeping watch over the threshold.
Other attributes include an egg for purification, knife for sacrifice, a scourge or whip for punishment, often surrounded by the dancing Graces to bring happiness and pleasure to the home. To satisfy the conservative Athenian sensibilities She wears Her iconic chiton dress. Despite Her khthonic and Underworldly nature, this image was welcomed into the Athenian home, and the homes of the other Greek city states primarily because they didn’t overtly focus on Her more sinister aspects. Hekate is indeed a Goddess of many faces, and one that has been deprived of representation is Her face as Queen of Witches. When we reflect on the poetic descriptions when She is evoked in witchcraft an entirely different image emerges. She comes as a colossal, terrifying Goddess (Brimo) with locks of writhing serpents. As She ascends from the Underworld the dogs howl, serpents slither all around, and the nymphs wail and flee. In the Greek Magical Papyri She comes as a gorgon, or with the feet of wolves. Here we find Hekate Ereshkigal, Hekate as Mistress of Corpses, sender of demons and the ghosts of the dead. This is the cult my iconography emphasizes.
So why did the ancients neglect to depict Hekate in Her role as Queen of Witches associated with the Underworld that we find in rites of witchcraft and poetry on the subject? Simply put they were afraid. Physical representations of the Gods drew Their attention. The ancients avoided depicting Underworld Gods in cult imagery outside of storytelling to avoid evoking Their presence. It is the reason we do not see cult statues of Hades or even Ereshkigal (with the possible exception being the Burney Relief which is not agreed upon).
The Queen of Witches
Many modern witches have no choice but to use the iconography of the Athenian Hekataion for their work because it is largely all that is available. When I first started sculpting I also represented Her as such. That all changed when Hekate came to me in a dream and everything I used to think about how I represented Her changed. In the dream I remember being surrounded by darkness. I could only see or sense the movement of snakes all over the ground and She appeared out of the darkness, a gigantic Goddess with pale skin, the color of moonlight, Her eyes seemed to disappear as if they contained the blackness around the stars. Her hair twisted with snakes and She bore Her breasts which were garlanded by jewels. Around Her waist were chains that rang like bells as She walked. I could hear dogs barking and wolves howling in the distance and it felt like the dead were closing in around us, attracted to the light of Her torches. After the dream I instantly sculpted a new statue for myself and immediately began to depict the attributes She showed me in my iconography.
The first change, and the most controversial, are Her bare breasts. Many have criticized this attribute primarily out of a lack of understanding where it comes from and what it represents. Despite the obvious flair for nudity in Greek devotional art, something that was controversial itself when it first began, we see it primarily used to represent male Gods, whereas most Goddesses are depicted fully clothed with few exceptions such as Aphrodite, a Goddess Who embodies sexuality. When we do see the nude female regarding the divine femanine it is either used to represent pleasure and sexuality, or when one breast is exposed, nurturing. But there are also more sinister associations with the bare breasts. When depicting the feminine as wild and untamed the symbolism of the bare breasts was used, for example in the case of the sphinx or sirens. This directly correlates to the idea of female morality in the Attic citystate. It is what separates the “heroic” nude male, and the “sensual or wild” nude female. The bare breasts when not used sensually was a woman or Goddess absolved of conservative values. In ritual it is used during mourning for the dead as we see in the rites of Adonis where women bare their breasts and wail. But it was also a huge element in witchcraft. Seneca describes Medea performing her rites of witchcraft to Hekate with bare breasts and a crown of serpents reflecting the Goddess Herself. In the ancient mind, the image of a woman performing witchcraft with her breasts exposed was terrifying. It was the ultimate symbol of defiance.
But it also represents a strong association with the Gods of Darkness and the Underworld. Many Goddesses we find used as epithets for Hekate in various works of witchcraft are often depicted with exposed breasts such as Persephone, the Erinyes, Nyx, and Ereshkigal. In the Mesopotamian story of the Descent of Inanna, when the Goddess reaches Her sister in Irkalla, having passed through the seven gates stripped of all belongings She finds Her sister Ereshkigal, Goddess of the Underworld with Her breasts bare and hair down as She mourns the loss of Her husband who died because of Inanna. We also see this vaguely hinted at in vase paintings representing divinities associated with Night and the Underworld. Hekate Herself is oftentimes shown with an extremely sheer chiton with visible breast detail. For these reasons the bare breasts are one of the most identifiable features in the Cult of the Witch Queen despite the opinion of orthodox polytheists.
The next feature I include are the locks of serpents. Typically I add a snake on each side of Her primary face. For me this is a huge part of this specific cult because it is the attribute most often referenced in historical witchcraft. When scouring the market for iconography specifically representing this aspect of Hekate it is shocking to say the least that this one element is always missing. Not only do the snakes symbolize the Underworld, but they are also apotropaic, driving away evil and enemies, they reflect Her nature as Gorgon Eyed Queen Who only the brave gaze upon, those brave enough to break from convention and walk the nocturnal roads of witchcraft. The snake in the context of this cult also represents the Underworld, the force of the dead and of Darkness that is often called upon in witchcraft.
Her torches also serve a more occult role within the Cult of the Witch Queen. They hold the fiery ether that ensouls all witchcraft, that divine force that permeates everything within the Cosmos, from the stars and planets, to the minerals and plants we use. With Her torches She guides the witch, but She also passes on the Witch Flame, anointing only those selected with its power. Referencing back to necromancy and work with the dead, they also serve as a tool of attraction for the wandering and restless dead to aid in our witchcraft.
Each original statue I make to serve as a sacred agalma (cult statue) will always contain an amulet within the heart that contains stones, animal materia, herbs, oils, and honey along with written symbols and incantations to harness the power of theurgy to ensoul and animate the statue so it becomes more than just a common work of art, but a living idol. As witches we do not shy away from idol worship. To us we serve our divinities through various cult objects such as statues and fetishes without a care for Abrahamic law of monotheism. When a statue is awakened and enthroned on the altar it becomes a direct line to Hekate’s current, a powerful sympathetic representation that stores Her energy and opens a way for communication.
I could write an entire book centered around my personal cult, and in fact I am, but this is the basic principle behind my iconography for Hekate. It is extremely personal and owes no explanation to those outside my cult. To others, they may find entirely different meanings behind the attributes I sculpt and depict on Hekate, and that is perfectly fine if they mean something different to different people, in fact, I would encourage that. My only objective with my art is to serve the Gods, and to serve Hekate, our beloved Queen of Witches.
