Hekate Her Sacred Fires: Exploring the Mysteries of the Torchbearing Goddess of the Crossroads [A collection of essays from devotees, witches & magicians]

by Sorita d'Este, Jade Sol Luna, Emily Carding

Hekate Her Sacred Fires is an exceptional book for an extraordinary, eternal and universal Goddess. It brings together essays, prose and artwork from more than fifty remarkable contributors from all over the world. Their stories and revelations are challenging, their visions and determination in exploring the mysteries are inspirational, and their enthusiasm for the Goddess of the Crossroads is truly entrancing and sometimes highly infectious. Hekate is a Goddess of great antiquity. She is primordial, powerful and sometimes animalistic – and yet, she is also sophisticated, modern and capable of adapting to different cultures. She is the Torchbearer, the Cosmic World Soul, the Guide and Companion. She is Mistress of the Restless Dead, who rules over the Heavens Earth and Sea. She is the Keybearer and so much more. Her devotees today, as throughout the ages, include philosophers, poets, sorcerers, theurgists, witches, root-cutters, enchantresses and ordinary people. In her introduction, the author and priestess Sorita d’Este brings together an exciting wealth of material on the history and development of how the goddess Hekate has been seen through the ages. As well as a fascinating discussion of her possible origins and mythological connections, the introduction also includes a timeline providing glimpses into her portrayal through the ages, with extracts from literature and examples of amulets, coins and art. The spectrum of material covered in this anthology is as diverse as the forms of Hekate herself, emphasising her role as lightbearer, keybearer, initiatrix, world soul, child’s nurse, mistress of crossroads and serpent mysteries. Her devotees describe her role in traditional witchcraft and initiatory Wicca, healing and paganism, her approachability through her angels and trance oracles, her assistance in overcoming traumas and helping the dead continue their journeys. From the reestablishment of the ancient worship of the great mother goddess as Hekate in Thrace (Bulgaria) to meteorites and pilgrimages, Hekate’s presence around the world and beyond is vividly described and illustrated by her torchbearers.

Genres: Witchcraft, Occult, Spirituality, Paganism, Nonfiction, Religion, Mythology

310 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 27, 2010

About the author

Sorita d’Este is an author, researcher and priestess who has devoted her life to the Mysteries. She is the author of around 20 books exploring subjects related to the practice and history of magic, mythology, religion, folklore and witchcraft. Her previous books include titles such as Hekate Liminal Rites, Practical Elemental Magick, Visions of the Cailleach, Wicca: Magickal Beginnings and The Isles of the Many Gods. Her latest release is Circle For Hekate: Vol I. She lives on a hill in Glastonbury (Somerset, UK) from where she works as a publisher and writer. She is frequently distracted from her work by her love of gardening, exciting visitors and the promise of interesting esoteric knowledge.

Reviews

[Isis Rea-rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sorita d'Este has an understanding of what pagans and others with an interest in magic wants to read when they are beyond the 'beginner' level of their understanding and study. Whilst other authors continue to take the spotlight with yet more 101 books on the Goddess and how to do basic candle spells, she is creating the books for the next generation. People who are tired of yet another book telling you stuff you already know.

Hekate Her Sacred Fires is an excellent example of a book which pushes out the boundaries, not just a little - but a whole heck of a lot! Don't believe for one moment that you already know what the book is about, or that you know what to expect, because that is not possible.

Firstly this is a LARGE A4 size book. As such the price is really very reasonable.

Then, the introduction by Sorita d'Este, together with the timeline she created showing how the Goddess Hekate was viewed throughout the centuries alone is worth the cover price. It compliments, rather than repeat the material she previously presented in her historical study Hekate Liminal Rites.

Finally, we get to the substance that makes this book the best available on the subject from the perspective of those interested in exploring the Goddess Hekate through practice, ritual, meditation, ceremony and mystical experiences: essays by dozens of people from around the world, representing between them nearly every imaginable type of magical and pagan tradition (Wiccans and Druids, Traditional Witches, Luciferians, Ceremonial Magicians, Mystical Christians, Chaos Magicians and a whole lot more!). Their experiences are diverse, their opinions differ and they all have something unique to add. I loved the essays, disagreed with many things, agreed with many things and learned from all of it.

Simply a wonderful addition to my learning and understanding, though I am not a devotee of the Goddess Hekate, I found myself swept along with the stories and 'seeing' the Goddess through the eyes of the devotees.

Excellent work, Highly Recommended!

[Steve Cran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Avalonia has went ahead and put out another anthology dedicated to Hekate. This would mark the second of such a work  . Grand total  I think they have put out about four or five books dedicated to Hekate. This attest her popularity among the neo-pagans. Several well known authors in the pagan community have made their contributions to this work among them are: Shani Oates,John Canard, Emily Carding, Vikki Bramshaw, Rqaven Digitalis, Katherine Sutherland plus several others including David Rankine and Sorita D' Este.

A little background on Hekate is called for. Originally she is one of the titans and after the war between the Titan and the Gods she was one of the few that were not imprisoned in Tartarus. She was allowed to keep her domains as Goddess of Earth-Land-Sea. Her parents were Asteria, Goddess of the stars and Perses, a solar deity. Hekate took Asteria's jobs after she left the Earth. Through out the mytholgy she has been conflated with Persephone, Demeter,Isis and Ereskigal just to name a few. She is not known for her dalliances with other Gods but according to legend she has coupled with Hermes, and Zeus with a possible liason with Hades the king of the underworld.

Triplicate Goddesses appear a lot in ancient mythologies and Hekate is often depicted as having three heads, sometimes in animal form. She is the Goddess of the crossroads where three roads meet. Hekate like Hermes is a psychopomp which means that she guides people too the underworld and sometimes back . Dogs, owls, raven, pigs and wolves are sacred to her as are such herbs as aconite, wormwood, mugwort, cannabis and nightshade. She likes red wine, roses and jewel. She was a popular goddess back then and her popularity is growing with her resurgence.

Many of the authors or authoresses have had experiences where they went through loss and the worst part of their life and it was Hekate who guided them out of it or at least held their hand through it all. One woman had an abusive husband who beat her and killed her only son. She went to jail but ended up getting released in the end. One gentleman dedicated his life to Hekate and she took him to the next level. He lost everything and went through the lowest point in his life. This was part of an initiatory experience.

The reader will gain a lot of knowledge reading this book. Howver if one wishes to work with Hekate on a regular basis I would also like to advise reading Tara Sancehz's book "The temple of Hekate"

[Letitia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that will be read and reread many times over.
As a devoted, solitary Priestess of Hekate, I always love to hear of the ways in which others connect to and work with Her.

I love that these stories have such variation, from full ceremonial magicians, to just-starting-out solitaries.
There is so much food for thought and inspiration among these pages, that it will take me several readings more, just to digest it all.

Sorita has done it again, with another wonderful tome of Hekate, that will be treasured by Her devotees for many years to come.

[Seana Hnoss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so glad that the light of the Hekate’s torches has guided me through this magical, advanced and thoughtful collection of selected writings on the Queen of Witches.

You are about to deal with various authors, their mix of writing styles, different social/cultural contexts, sheer spiritual/emocional life experiences, and also some academic information. I mean, for some chapters, the empathy and previous knowledge are required, eh?

Don’t worry, the editor Sorita d’Este worked hard to select and organize all writings in a way that we have here an amazing book that will worth your time.

If you are still not convinced to get this book, maybe I can help saying that originally, I was draw in because of the first 25% of it, which contains valuable and advanced information about Hekate. But reading beyond this, I laughed with the jumping frogs, sobbed due to the domestic violence story, got excited with beautiful rituals, started a new research based on the perfect references, and absolutely fell in love with this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🐸

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

K: Disappointing

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit that I bit off more than I could chew with this book. I've been coveting it for quite some time now, and when I was finally able to get my hands on a copy, I realized it was definitely not the foundational text on Hekate that I needed. However, I enjoyed reading others' experiences of the goddess; it added an element that another sort of book most likely would have lacked. Many shared very vulnerable experiences of trauma and abuse and how Hekate lent a guiding torch to them in their most desperate hours. The oral history aspect of this work is nothing to disregard.

Essays I found most helpful for my purposes:

"The Hekate Chronicles" & "Timeline: Visions of Hekate" by Sorita d'Este
"The Hekatine Strain: Hekate and Traditional Witchcraft" by Trystn M. Branwynn
"Personalizing the Mystery: Developing a Bond with the Lady of the Crossroads" by Raven Digitalis (extra kudos to this essay. It was perfect for the layperson.)
"Shining Her Light on Fear" by Connia Silver
"Healing the Soul" by Kay Gillard
"Ancient Rites, Modern Times: How Ancient Sources Inspire Modern Day Magic" by Yuri Robbers
"A Goddess for All Seasons" by Amelia Ounsted

I'll most likely explore Hekate: Liminal Rites by the same author next. It seems to be more like what I was looking for.

[Samantha Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting anthology of different perspectives

I like this book a lot. It gives a lot of different perspectives, and as the editor states, they're taken from many traditions across the world. I can tell that Sorita d'Este is a devoted and loving follower of Hekate, and I'm extremely happy to have acquired and read this book.

The reason I won't give these five stars is the editing portion. As an editor myself, I understand the stated intention not to change the various contributors' voices. Yet I also found parts of this difficult to read; some essays needed copy edits, but some needed heavier editorial interactions. Setup of the essay, further elucidation on the experience, and perhaps even some paring back of repetitive information. This is what an editor does, and if it had been, it surely would have received five stars from me.

[Charles Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've decided to change my life for good, so I'm new to this journey in life that I've chosen but I'm having this on and off attraction to Hekate. And I'd like to more do more and believe more in her. I don't have any place where I can freely start to know her better for now I'm just trying to communicate threw meditation and trying to visualize her in my mind's eye. But these books will definitely help me on my journey and I'll not stop to find what I need including her. Blessed Be brothers and sisters, with harm to none so mote it be....

[Alexia ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book that I highly recommend to anyone interested in learning more about the devotion to the Goddess Hekate. In this book you have texts and devotional pieces (art, poems, etc) from several devotees from all around the world and from all types of spiritual and religious paths. It's so beautiful to see the diversity that worships our Lady Hekate and we are all connected through Her.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was a lot of really good information in these essays regarding Hekate. Some of the essays are hard to read because they seemed a bit rambly, but then there are the ones that are written really well that have a lot of interesting details. It took me a long time to read this book because of the rambly essays, so I would suggest to try and skim through those so that you can get to the really good stuff.

[Joey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really wanted to get a better understanding of the deity Hekate, and this was the first book I managed to come across covering the topic in any detail.

I have found it incredible getting to read about peoples experiences, it was much easier to get an understanding for me than when I try and look at Greek myths.

after reading this i believe a good sentence explanation for this collection would be

"experiences with the many faces of Hekate"

[Kelly Miess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this over almost three months, a good way to go in my opinion. I didn't read more than one essay a day, which allowed me to differentiate between them. There's so much good here that despite some of the shorter, less detailed entries, there's a whole lot of treasure to be found. As one who is newish to Hekate, I really enjoyed reading about the diversity of practices and experiences of this goddess.

[S. Roit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a how to—which is a good thing.

I enjoyed reading not only historical/mythological backgrounds of Hekate, but also so many personal experiences being shared. While they won’t all resonate the same (of course not!) it’s fascinating and I think, useful, to see how she appears to different people, while at the same time, there is a common thread.

[Christer Ellingsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely inspirational,all these Voices communicating their relationship to the Goddess

[Swikruti Das · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my absolute favorite books on Mother Hekate. This book and the content feels so personal to me, this book helped me forming my deity worship with a sense of dedication not dogma

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Joseph “Millennium Man”]

Book starts with background and history of the goddess. Next is a collection of essays of personal experiences with Hackate from various different contributors. There is also a glossary and more material at the end of the book. I recognized names of a few familiar pagan/wiccan authors. I believe I made an excellent choice for a book about the goddess Hakate.

[Παλλαδία Σόρια · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book full of histories with the Lady of the Misteries...
Easy to read, full of information, with a fantastic introduction for Sorita D'Este. This book may be in your library if you are a devotee of the Goddess.

[Edric Unsane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of differing opinions and beliefs surrounding the goddess Hecate. This was a most excellent collection of essays, and I have to say that I did find the book to be informative and enjoyable.

[Reagan Day · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slow and dry. I could not finish the book.