Hekate’s Torch: Honouring the Goddess of Witchcraft

Hekate’s Torch: Honouring the Goddess of Witchcraft

As the long nights of winter approach, the torch-bearing goddess Hekate appears to us. She is the keeper of the crossroads, the guardian of thresholds, and the guide through shadowed places. November 16th marks a night of venerating this ancient goddess of death, magic, and liminal spaces—a time to honor her as the green life of summer fades and the earth sinks into dormancy. In this darkening season, we call upon Hekate to light the path ahead and to shield us as we move through the frozen stillness of winter.

Hekate the Lightbringer

Hekate is often depicted holding a pair of blazing torches, their flames illuminating what lies hidden in the darkness. In Greek mythology, she is the only deity who retained her power when Zeus divided the heavens, earth, and sea—a testament to her strength and autonomy. Her torches appear throughout myth: most famously, she uses them to guide Demeter through the night as the grieving mother searches for Persephone. In this way, Hekate becomes a literal and spiritual light-bringer—one who leads the lost and the sorrowful toward understanding and transformation.

Over time, Hekate also became linked to the moon, her triple form representing the lunar phases: maiden, mother, and crone. Each face of Hekate corresponds to a stage of the moon’s cycle and to a stage of life itself—birth, maturity, and death, perpetually turning. Her connection to the moon and torches alike reminds us that even in the darkest night, illumination can be found.

Mullein Torches

Just as Hekate’s torches pierce the night, so too can the humble Mullein plant be transformed into a source of flame and protection. Mullein is a soft, velvety herb long associated with healing, purification, and banishing negativity. Folk names include Candlewick Plant, Hag’s Taper, and Witch’s Taper—titles that speak to its magical nature and practical use. The tall, dried stalks of Mullein can be dipped in wax or oil to create natural torches, while the fluffy leaves were once used as lamp wicks.

Traditionally, Mullein has been burned to ward off evil spirits, cleanse sacred space, and promote health and vitality. The herb carries the energy of fire and light, making it a perfect offering or tool in workings that invoke Hekate. At Asheville Raven & Crone, Mullein Tapers are crafted and used for a variety of magical purposes—from protection spells to seasonal rituals of renewal and illumination.

Invoking Hekate’s Light

As we journey into the dark half of the year, we can welcome Hekate’s guiding flame into our homes. Lighting a Mullein torch in her honor is both a devotional act and a practical charm. Use it to purify your space, to banish unwelcome energies, and to petition the Goddess’s protection. 

Let your Mullein torch stand as a symbol of Hekate’s eternal flame—a reminder that the goddess lights the way even in the deepest night. With her torches burning brightly beside us, we move forward through winter not in fear, but in knowing that the light will always return.

Informative Witchcraft Blogs

  • Celestial Contemplations: Energetic Astro-Report for March

    Celestial Contemplations: Energetic Astro-Report for March

    March begins in a fog, as we collectively navigate the major astrological shifts that have recently occurred in our orbit. Energetically, we are beginning to feel the developing impact of Saturn and Neptune's movement into the sign of Aries (through March 2039 and April 2028, respectively). We're also smack-dab in the middle of another Mercury Retrograde, and Eclipse Season.

    The first three weeks of March may feel especially rough or disorienting because of this layered energy: There's a lot happening. It makes sense if you're feeling spread thin, depleted, reflective, or fatigued. Many people are feeling energetically or physically sick. We are collectively adjusting to heightened intuition and the sudden unveiling of personal and public shadows. Nervous systems are shot, anxiety heightened, awareness keen. Empaths will need to be especially discerning of their boundaries.

    Though the fiery momentum of the Fire Horse has our minds wound up in all that needs to be done, this astrological period is not asking for frantic action. It is asking for rest. Attention. Mindfulness. Deep and compassionate reflection. We're not crossing off everything on our "to do list," we're mindfully choosing what feels most aligned. Avoid making major, irreversible decisions during this period if possible. Retrograde decisions are known for producing unexpected or sideways results.....

    Though, Intuition is especially strong this month, Eclipse season can feel as though everything is crumbling at once. Mercury Retrograde reminds us, again, that misunderstandings and mistakes are often sacred redirections, clearing the path for new timelines to emerge. We cannot build in this new energy until we inspect our foundations for cracks or structural damage. We cannot step fully into a new life while still gripping tightly to the thoughts, beliefs, and systems that bind us to outdated narratives.

    All of the “hold your horses” energy seemed to disappear as we entered the Year of the Fire Horse alongside the eclipse gateway, yet paradoxically, this moment calls for profound stillness. The culmination energy around the early March lunar eclipse urges sacred presence. It invites us to let go of the illusion that we must orchestrate every outcome and instead practice acceptance. Trusting that whatever is unfolding is part of a larger, divine perfection, even when it doesn’t feel “good.” Divine Perfection recognizes, forgives, and includes imperfection as a part of the whole picture, rather than an outcasted piece of the puzzle. This is the version of yourself that is no longer triggered by the external world, finding peace instead, within your own internal landscape.

    Old stories will resurface this month, but we are asked to mindfully change the narrative rather than let the past define our identity. Wisdom is gained not by carrying our baggage forward, but by choosing what to release so our hands are free to receive what is new.


    The Total Lunar Eclipse in Virgo early in the month (3/3 at 3:33 a.m.) highlights purification, discernment, and sacred organization. Virgo energy illuminates the places where our daily habits, routines, and responsibilities no longer align with who we are becoming.

    The eclipse energy itself is not traditionally used for direct manifestation work; it carries a wild, unpredictable quality that can bring unexpected results. Instead, we sit with eclipse energy. We witness it. We allow it to reveal where we have outgrown old skins. There is a Gorgon-like symbolism here: the eclipse confronting us with reflections we cannot ignore, asking us to face what has been turned to stone within us and gently breathe life back into those frozen parts.

    Anticipate miscommunications, sudden shifts in direction, and the need to revise plans. This is a powerful time to meditate, pray, listen deeply, sense intuition, process emotions, and work intentionally with dreams. What feels unclear now is gestating clarity beneath the surface.

    From March 6–10, Venus moves into close alignment with Saturn and Neptune in Aries, testing the integrity of our relationships, values, and commitments. What is built on fantasy may dissolve. What is rooted in truth may deepen. Notice what flows and what requires force. Notice where compassion is needed, but also where boundaries must be reinforced. Empaths, again, will need to be discerning. Loving does not mean abandoning oneself.

    On March 13 and again on March 18, Mercury Retrograde forms connections with the North Node in Pisces, bringing karmic conversations, intuitive downloads, and moments of fated realization. Act gently on inspiration, but do not rush to finalize anything yet. Let ideas breathe. Let dreams speak. This is a period where listening to emotion, symbol, and synchronicity can reveal pathways that logic alone could not see. Misunderstandings may still occur, yet they can open doors we would not have consciously chosen but deeply need. Forgive yourself easily. Offer that same compassion to others. Follow inspiration wherever it sparks joy.

    The New Moon on March 18, occurring in the final degree of Pisces, asks us to surrender and release the white-knuckle grip on certainty. We're meant to trust that something larger is gently guiding the unfolding. If you’ve felt scattered, unable to identify exactly what is wrong, be kind to yourself. Gentle supports for the nervous system, such as rest, quiet reflection, and soothing herbal allies like lemon balm, can help calm the mental static so you can settle into the movement that is coming.

    By the third week of March, the pace begins to quicken. Mercury stations direct on March 20, right as the Spring Equinox arrives, helping to propel prayers, dreams, and insights into forward motion. What felt foggy begins to clarify. What felt stagnant begins to stir. This is the emergence point- the slow but undeniable shift from inward processing to outward embodiment.

    We are asked to become the living flame that lights the way forward through courage rooted in authenticity. The more we release outdated identities and narratives, the more space we create for aligned action. Your quiet bravery, your willingness to heal, your commitment to truth over comfort; these qualities may inspire others more than you realize. Remember though, we are only here to plant seeds, we can't force them to grow. Be sure to focus inward at this time, and refrain from projecting internal struggles onto those around you. Be mindful how projections reflect your own internal shadows, and use the awareness to foster compassion for yourself and others.

    March, overall, will not bring instant clarity or easy answers. It is a month of sacred unraveling. Of gentle release. Of tending to the roots before the visible bloom. Sit with the chaos and look for the order within it. Trust your spiritual practice. Trust your intuition. Trust that mistakes are redirections, endings are initiations, and what is dissolving is making room for a more authentic life to take shape.

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  • Healing with Magical Self-Love

    Healing with Magical Self-Love

    February is often associated with love and Romance. Thanks to Valentine’s Day and its predecessor, Lupercalia, these themes pervade all aspects of our society for this short month. Many of us began our magical journeys with love at the forefront of our thoughts: we wanted to find, attract, or even test the strength of our love. If you’re a spiritual reader, you will know that love is one of the most common themes in reading for other people. 

    The connection between love and magic is so strong in our culture, that it even makes its way into our literature and storytelling.

    Witchcraft as an Act of Self-Love 

    One important aspect that often gets glossed over in the conversation of love and magic is the love we need to have for ourselves. Self-love needs to precede any romantic love, otherwise it lacks a good foundation. Many of us come from cultures steeped in patriarchy and colonization, which encourages our own self-loathing. Choosing to practice witchcraft is in many ways a denial of that culture and a rejection of self-hatred. Walking the path of the witch is a decision we make to empower ourselves, and that very decision is an act of self-love. The rituals we practice show us that we matter to ourselves and that we believe we deserve better. Any magic we perform, whether for ourselves or as a service to others, is fueled and empowered by that self-love. 

    What is a Cord-Cutting Ritual?

    This month, we wanted to share a cord-cutting ritual for letting go and inner healing. Releasing past relationships and making way for new ones is an act of self-love. Cord-cutting has its roots in shamanism and Eastern philosophies, although cords and knots have been used in spell crafting all around the world. A cord often represents ties to a person or object, and in mythology, it also represents a person’s life. Today, a cord-cutting ritual is performed to release energetical ties to a person, an object, or a memory. These rituals can be beneficial in helping you to move forward from a past relationship or situation that is no longer serving you. In releasing these unhealthy ties, you free up your energy and make way for new connections. The ritual outlined below is designed to do just that.

    Cord-Cutting Ritual

    This ritual is for anyone who is ready to move on from an energy/person/place/habit that energetically seems to be taking a slow time to transform. Sometimes we get entangled with energy, willingly at one point and time in our lives, but are feeling the call to grow and expand. We are ready for that new beginning but are finding it hard to get that movement going forward or just feel plain stuck and unavailable for new energy. Our conscious minds and hearts are saying “YES PLEASE I'M READY!!”, but the energy still doesn’t seem to be moving. Well cord cutting the energetic ties of the old, outdated patterns may be exactly what you need. It can release you, to then start anew. It may be the last thing that needs to happen for you to move on properly, so the same patterns don’t repeat. It’s a clean start. A resurrection if you will. This time of the year is perfect for this. Releasing yourself with a cord-cutting ritual and resurrecting the pieces of your soul that have laid dormant. Once wholeness is obtained you may manifest more wholeness instead of fragments.

    1st- Gather ritual items: 1 white chime candle and holder and fireproof dish, a pair of tweezers or small tongs, 1 small bowl and fill with water, Salt in a small bowl, lighter or matches, Incense or smoke bundle of choice, 4 small pieces of paper or bay leaf, and a pen or ink of choice. 1 flower or offering to be left at a crossroad.

    2nd- Set the sacred space. Make sure you set the tone of the ritual by giving yourself private sacred space. Pick a nice quiet space with no distractions, no phones, or extra people.

    3rd- Ground. Protect. Connect. Consecrate your space with smoke by lighting the incense and saying a beginning incantation that calls on the elements to awaken the forces within the elements assisting your ritual. Something like, “I call on the spirit of water to come forth and assist in this ritual” holding the bowl in your hands whilst doing so. Set your altar and light the candle. On the 4 pieces of small paper, write the name of the person, place, or things/aspects that you are energetically cutting or releasing on one side of the paper. On the other side draw an upside-down pentagram for releasing of the energy. While the candle is burning focus on all the ways that you see your life as whole and complete. It is entirely important that what is focused on is your wholeness. While the cords are being cut out of your life it is vitally important you fill your energetic space with more of you and where you see yourself going.

    Suggestions- Take out a journal and write about where you visualize yourself and your life at its highest and best. Contemplate your soul’s purpose and what you feel called to during this time of your life. As you release you are also calling in your soul’s purpose to take up more space in your life from here on out. You can also meditate or listen to soft music or meditations that are inspiring. This will set the tone for a new way. When the candle is almost burned out fold up all the pieces of small paper with the pentagram on the outside as it is folding in on the things being released. Burn all 4 pieces over a fireproof dish. You can hold them with a pair of tweezers or tiny tongs. Recite if you feel called, ‘I release myself from all negative attachments and I dedicate all thoughts to union.” Thank the spirit of fire and make sure the candle burns all the way out. Next release the water into the toilet then flush or pour down the sink, while reciting the words and thanking the spirit of the element. If there are any ashes left from the ceremony release them into the wind, and again reciting the words and thanking the spirit of Air. Bring the salt from the ceremony and any wax, if any is left, at a crossroads of choice. Preferably away from where you reside. Dig a tiny hole, pour in the salt and wax cover with dirt, and on top leave a flower or offering of choice. Recite the words and thank the spirit of the earth. When you turn to walk away, DO NOT LOOK BACK. Walk with gratitude and know it is done.

    Blessed be.

    Take some time this month to perform an act of self-love. This cord-cutting ritual can be part of a wider journey to healing and empowering yourself spiritually and physically. Another important tool in your spiritual journey will be a Grimoire or magical journal. Historically a grimoire was used by a witch to record spells and incantations. As Mercury transits through Pisces over the next few weeks, you will want to write down your spiritual thoughts and ideas and record any spellcrafting you perform. Use these magical tools to build yourself up and release anything that is not serving you right now. May we always remember the immutable connection between witchcraft and self-love. 

    All materials for the cord-cutting ritual can be found in our online store or at Asheville Raven & Crone on Merrimon Avenue. 

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