The Sanctuary of Hekate Potnia Theron
Land & Spirit Based Practice
~ Under the auspices of The Covenant of Hekate ~
About Lotus
I’ve been interested in the esoteric ever since I can remember. I started out with a bit of Wiccan based witchcraft in the 80's as a teenager, and I still recall the wonder I felt browsing books in an early occult book shop in Victoria. In the 80's of course there was no internet, thus no ability to have everything at the tip of one's fingers and a real limitation on what was available.
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Besides being a broke teenager who lived on the streets at that time, which means my ability to buy books was severely limited as well!
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Mostly I recall reading Wiccan based books, Robin Skelton, and some Aleister Crowley which definitely sparked something. It was astounding to me when I got my first computer in the early 2000s to understand how much wider and more complex the occult world really is. At that time though, back in my teens, I suppose I didn't find what I was looking for and so by age 20 ended up immersed in Tibetan Buddhism, life-changing teachings that will forever be with me. I was very fortunate to have a teacher who had toured and translated for HH the 41st Sakya Trichen.
The Soul of the Rose 1903 John William Waterhouse (1849–1917)
Eventually though I found I missed having a spiritual practice with a deep connection with nature, a practice connected with the land and it's Spirits. And year by year I found myself becoming more disillusioned with the insistence in Buddhism that animal lives are lower than human ones, something that does not ring true for me. I also longed for connection with my own ancestors and culture(s) and thus, with the assistance of that first computer, I delved back into paganism and the occult. Some amazing synchronicities have occurred since then, and mental, emotional and physical healing has happened as well, so I feel sure I continued onwards in a good direction for myself.
I’m very eclectic, learning from various paths/traditions but in the early days have been particularly influenced by journeywork and astral work, along with the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids where I am a member, and whose teachings reflect well with island living, in a place full of nature and wildlife. From OBOD I first learned how to make an 'Sacred Grove', and from someone I'd consider a mentor, Sorita d'Este, how to build and work in an astral temple, both of these which have become vital in my practice.
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I'm half Slavic, mainly Ukrainian & Polish, (my remaining ethnicity is a real mixed bag, but a pretty large portion is English/Scottish & Swedish) and so I am especially interested in pagan practices in those parts of the world. As well I have a single line into the Pennsylvania Dutch community where I learned about a book called "The Long Lost Friend" which sparked an interest in Powwowing and a variety of folk magic from various places. I studied in Hoodoo and then found myself initiated onto the path of Obeah, both surprising developments but ones that have felt quite right. I have been assured by my teachers that neither Hoodoo nor Obeah are closed practices. Even so, I would never call myself an Obeahwoman or a Rootworker/Conjurewoman without many more years of practice and experience.
I have spent a lot of time reflecting on paths and traditions. I think I have always yearned for an ancestral cultural & spiritual path of my own, but being a Canadian, born on colonised land with no true ancestral land of my own, and of parents of mixed heritages - the best I have come up with is a land and spirit based practice, with a deep current of Ancestral veneration. My ancestry is too mixed to feel any really deep connection with a specific culture.
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I made the acquaintance of Hekate while doing journeywork initially, having no clue who She was at first. After these initial meetings, I finished reading a book by Emily Carding and noticed in her author’s blurb it stated she was part of something called ‘The Covenant of Hekate’ (CoH). This is what I mean by synchronicities! I did the Rite of the Red Cord and joined the Covenant on August 20th, 2013. In the following years I participated in many roles and projects before taking a sabbatical to process the grief of losing my sweet horse companion. Around the same time one of our beloved cats died as well, leaving an even larger hole. A few years later I became an active member once again along with renewing my Torchbearer vows; making the commitment of connecting CoH across the world outside of social media and when possible, off the internet completely. This became cultivated when in 2020 became the editor of the newsletter, Noumenia News and founded the CoH Postcard Swap. I recently became a Keybearer in 2022 with this pledge and hence, the inspiration for the creation of this site...
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“I Lotus ______, hold the key to Hekate & Nature, with a specific focus on Animals, Trees & the Cosmos, within the Circle of Keybearers.”
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"With this key I will look deeper into the historical references of Hekate and Nature, with a focus specifically on Animals, Trees and the Cosmos. As well as sharing my research and reflections, I will incorporate that information into modern times to foster growing a connection with Nature though Hekate and vice versa. Ways to do this will include such things as an astral landscape being created for the sanctuary for devotees to access, various kinds of visualisation work including shapeshifting, tree meditations, hymns & rituals, workshops, and possibly (hopefully!) a book or two. The goal of the website is to be community orientated with the input of many, not just myself ,with a plan to run the sanctuary jointly with another Torchbearer. There will also be a section of the site for candle devotionals and prayers that devotees can request."
[Well you will note from the 'About Sara' page, I now have another Torchbearer partnered with me! We also have Alyssa who is co-founder of The Temple of Hekate. The Temple is partnered with The Sanctuary of Hekate Potnia Theron, but very much their own entity. We share the Discord server with them.
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So that is about it! If you actually read all of the above, I'm amazed and grateful! I know I ramble on way too long!
And please feel welcomed to this sanctuary! I've created it in honour of the Goddess, and in service to the CoH and all devotees to Hekate, as well as for a personal creative outlet and a place to muse on things. If it helps anyone out along the way, by comforting them with shared experiences, or helping them deepen their practice with Hekate, then that would be a worthy thing.
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lotus aka nèamh
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William Blake’s ‘The Night of Enitharmon's Joy’ also known as ‘Hecate’ though it is technically not as Blake entirely created his own mythology. 1795, Tate Gallery, London