Temple of Ascending Flame

OPEN PROJECT

The Cauldron of Hecate

By Asenath Mason, Kahinat Alsahra & Temple of Ascending Flame

27th April – 11th May 2021

This series of workings is the second open project dedicated to Hecate. The first one, conducted in
2014, explored the symbolism connected with Hecate as a three-formed goddess. Right now the
original workings can be downloaded from our website, and the expanded version of the project is
included in our new anthology: Hecate: Witchcraft, Death & Nocturnal Magic. Also there you will find
more information about the goddess herself and her role in Draconian self-initiatory magic.

The present project is centered on Hecate’s role as an initiatrix, the goddess of witchcraft, and opener
of the way. This time it is also different than our other projects. Instead of conducting a series of
workings on several days in a row, the project is carried out over the span of two weeks, and the main
rituals are aligned with the phases of the moon: full moon, last quarter, and new moon. There are only
three rituals to be performed on those days, but in the meantime, each day you will have to do a small
devotional prayer to Hecate and a dreamworking exercise. The workings included in the project are
derived from our new anthology as well, but here they have been adjusted and split into several
consecutive workings. All workings should be done individually, at any hour of the evening/night.
The devotional prayer to Hecate should be done when you start the day, and the dreamworking
exercise - before sleep.

In this project, we will invoke Hecate as the goddess of witches. In myths and works of literature,
witches often summon her name in their spells and rites, like e.g. in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. In the
play, Hecate is the queen of witches invoked by the “weird sisters” who seek assistance in their grim
prophesies. Shakespeare mentions Hecate also in his Midsummer Night’s Dream, referring to her as a
personification of black magic. This image is rooted in medieval tradition, when Hecate was the
goddess of death and the moon, the mistress of the dead, the Wild Hunt, warriors, and presided over
nocturnal gatherings of witches and their malevolent spells.

Here, we will use several motifs derived from myths and legends of the goddess. The first one is
Hecate’s Supper, which is described in detail further in the text. Another thing used in the project will
be a personal petition to the goddess aimed at manifesting a chosen intent in your life. The third is a
magical potion that will be created and consecrated over the span of the entire project. The potion is
based on strong alcohol, so if for any reason you cannot or do not want to use alcohol in magic, you
need to leave this part out of the project. It is not recommended to replace it with any other potion,

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unless you have enough background and experience in herbalism. We do not take responsibility for
whatever happens if the recipe is not followed exactly as it is described here.

After each working, write down experiences, visions, or anything else that happened and keep it all
for your own records. When the whole project is finished, prepare a report (a few sentences about the
main rituals and your thoughts about their impact on your life) and send it to us. After gathering all
reports, we will prepare a summary of results which will be shared with all participants. If you do not
feel comfortable with the idea of sharing your vision and experience, you do not have to send the
report (this will not exclude you from participation in future open projects), BUT if you would ever
like to work with us in the Temple of Ascending Flame and participate in our inner projects, you have
to be active, open-minded, and able to talk about your work. The purpose of our work is to make the
Draconian Current spread dynamically among the practitioners and grow in strength as we all grow
together with it. You do not need to be an advanced practitioner to take part in the project, and we do
not charge anything for this material. All we ask for in return for our work is a report with the
feedback and description of results.

Please send your report within 10 days following the final day of the project. We will cease gathering
reports on May 21st and shortly after you will receive the summary of results. Thank you for interest
in our work and good luck with the project!

***

Preparations
- Create an altar to Hecate. If you already have one, add the sigil used in this project to the other items
on it. If you do not have an altar dedicated to the goddess, make it now. It does not have to be big and
you can take it down after the project is finished, but creating it is necessary for the sake of these
workings. What it looks like is up to you. Some ideas involve a statue or portrait of Hecate, silver,
green or black candles, a chalice, a dagger, keys, a skull or bones representing her chthonic aspect,
dried flowers or herbs for offerings, etc.

- Prepare the sigil for the workings. It is provided on the next page. The sigil represents the feminine
energy of the goddess, her aspect of the torch bearer, the keys with which she opens the gates of the
underworld, and the moon in the three phases. It should be printed out or painted in green, silver or
black colors, but you can also use the red, gold and black colors characteristic for the Draconian
Current.

- Prepare ingredients for Hecate’s Supper. Traditionally, it was a meal served to the goddess and her
retinue of spirits on the dark of the moon or the last night of the lunar month. It was left at the
crossroads or in front of the home between public and private space. Traditional food for Hecate’s
Supper included eggs, fish, goat and sheep cheese, sprats, red mullet, garlic, mushrooms, and honey
cake. Sometimes it was surrounded by blazing torches or cakes decorated with candles. Work with
what you have, but put some effort into these preparations, and it is strongly recommended to make
something yourself, e.g. cakes. They can also serve as daily offerings on the days between the three
main rituals.

- Gather items necessary for the creation of Hecate’s Potion. For this, you will need the following
materials:
1 airtight glass container. Store in a cool, dark place when not in use.
1/2 cup (100 mL) absinthe (vodka may be substituted)
Lavender
Dandelion
Mint
Honey or sugar cubes (A sugar cube is the traditional method of preparing absinthe, but honey is a
common offering to Hecate and may be better suited to the working.)

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Do not make the potion before the workings – you will add the particular ingredients during the three
main rituals.

- Prepare a statement of intent to manifest through the ritual. This can be a sentence written on
paper or you can transform it into a sigil. A statement of intent is something you wish to manifest in
your life. It can be something general, like asking for prosperity and abundance to flow into your life,
or specific, e.g. asking to recover from a disease or receive a promotion. It can and should be personal,
and you do not have to share it in the report. Place it on the altar with the other items.

- Obtain a cauldron representing the initiatory aspect of Hecate. It can be something small, but it has
to be shaped like a cauldron. If you cannot find anything like that, you can make your own e.g. from
clay.

***

The Sigil of Hecate

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 The First Ritual
27th April – Full Moon

Invocation of Hecate and Presentation of Offerings

Begin this working by preparing Hecate’s Supper – you can use the traditional offerings or your own.
When it is ready, leave it all at the crossroads or in front of your house. If that is not an option, simply
leave them in an isolated place, where they can be eaten by animals, birds, or even maggots. In either
case, do not eat them yourself or throw them away like trash - this is a feast for the goddess and it
should not be wasted. Then walk away quickly without looking back. Traditionally, it was believed
that people should not look at the offerings once they were served because the very sight of the
goddess and her retinue could cause insanity. In the best-case scenario, it was simply bad luck. We
will honor this belief here, and once the offerings are served, go to the place of the ritual and perform
it without being distracted by other things in the meantime.

When you return to your temple (unless you can perform the whole working outdoors), light the
candles, burn some incense (e.g. rosemary) in the cauldron (the best way to do it is to use a charcoal),
and begin the working. Start it with meditating for a while on the sigil of the goddess to open the gate
to her current and to create a shift in your consciousness, allowing for communication with the Other
Side. Combine it with chanting the mantra: “Hecate-Nocticula, open for me the way of the night!”
Keep gazing at the sigil until you can easily memorize and visualize its shape. It is not only the gate to
the Nightside but also connects you with other participants. Visualize them as standing/sitting in the
circle around you, as black shadows with dark faces. Like in other Draconian workings, it is also
recommended to take a moment to raise your inner energy through your favorite Kundalini
technique.

When you feel ready to proceed, face the altar and focus on the initial phase of making the potion.
Take the glass container, fill it with absinthe, and while you recite the following invocation, add 1 tsp
(4g) of lavender flowers, fresh or dried:

I invoke Hecate,
The Three-Formed Goddess,
She who has every form and many names,
Guardian of the Dead,
Immortal One,
Daughter of the Night,
Lady of the Crossroads.
I invoke the Mistress of the Three Ways,
She who comes from Darkness into Light,
Shining and beautiful,
Glorious and kind.
I invoke the Lady of the Threshold,
She who cloaks the world with Eternal Night,
Ghastly and terrible,
Cunning and maleficent.
Snake-Girdled One,
Nocturnal One,
Heavenly One,
Blood-drinker and Flesh-eater,
Who devours hearts of those who died untimely,
Who feasts among the graves,
Who comes with hounds and beasts of prey,
With fearsome wolves and venomous snakes,
With howling and hissing,
And in ominous silence.
I invoke the Mistress of All,

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 Goddess of Darkness and Light,
Born of Primordial Chaos
She who frightens and blesses,
Who holds Cerberus in chains,
And grants the Key to the Gates of the Night.

I call you through your names:

Hecate, Chthonia, Enodia, Antaia, Kourotrophos, Propylaia, Propolos, Phosphoros, Soteira, Triodia,
Trimorphis, Klêidouchos, Anassa Eneroi, Apotropaia, Nocticula!

Come forth!

As you recite, feel her energies flowing into your ritual space and manifesting in the temple, awaiting
an invitation to enter your consciousness. Imagine her energy around you, sparkling with flashes of
silver, lunar current, and direct it into the potion. When you feel ready to continue, say:

I charge this potion by the Blood of the Dragon,
And in the name of Hecate, Queen of Witches!
Ho Ophis Ho Archaios,
Ho Drakon Ho Megas!

While you are doing all that, visualize that the incense smoke from the cauldron transforms into a
silver mist, filling the ritual space and blurring the border between the mundane and the astral. With
each line of the invocation, the mist becomes thicker and more tangible. When you finish the
invocation, anoint the piece of paper or parchment with your statement of intent with a few drops of
your blood. Then focus on it, imagining the outcome manifesting in your life.

After that, close your eyes and envision the goddess taking shape in front of you from this astral mist.
You can envision her in her traditional form, i.e. as three women or one woman with three animal
heads, or you can visualize her as a witch dressed in a long black hooded robe, with her face hidden
under the hood. Envision that she blesses the sacrament on the altar and it begins to sparkle as well,
glowing with the lunar essence of the goddess. Take a moment for a personal communion with her,
and when it is over, return to your mundane consciousness, blow out the candles and finish the
working. Seal the potion and leave it on the altar, covered by a piece of black cloth, or put it in a place
that is dark and cold.

***

The Second Ritual

3rd May

The Cauldron of the Goddess

Start this working in the same way as in the previous ritual: prepare the temple, light the candles and
burn some incense in the cauldron. Then sit in a comfortable position and put the sigil in front of you,
focusing all your attention on the image. Again, visualize it glowing and flashing with Hecate’s silver
lunar current. At the same time chant the words of calling: “Hecate-Nocticula, open for me the way
of the night!”

When you feel ready to proceed, take the glass container with your potion. Then use the same
procedure – recite the invocation of Hecate, and while you do it, add 1 sprig of fresh mint to the
potion. Then say:

I charge this potion by the Blood of the Dragon,
And in the name of Hecate, Queen of Witches!
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 Ho Ophis Ho Archaios,
Ho Drakon Ho Megas!

After you do that, anoint the piece of paper or parchment with your statement of intent with a few
drops of your blood. For a moment, focus on it, imagining the outcome manifesting in your life. Then
continue with the visualization.

Lie down now if you want to, or continue the working in a meditative posture, and focus on your
third eye. Feel how it opens, the whole world around you disappears, and you find yourself standing
at the point of three crossing roads, facing Hecate, who is standing next to her cauldron. Envision her
in the same way as you saw her in the first ritual. The cauldron is the same as the one on your altar,
but here it is bigger, large enough to boil a human being. And this is exactly what happens - Hecate
shows you to get into the cauldron and sets her fire under it. This process of boiling the Initiate in the
cauldron has a long tradition in various rites of passage. It is mentioned e.g. in shamanic mysteries of
dismemberment and resurrection, and in Celtic myths of Cerridwen, whose cauldron contains the
mystery of transformation and rebirth (in one of myths, it has the power to resurrect the corpses of
dead warriors placed in it). The cauldron of Hecate is symbolic of the womb of the Dark Mother, the
place of death and decomposition, but also transformation and resurrection, containing the mystery of
the eternal cycle of nature. Having all that in mind, visualize that you immerse yourself in her sacred
fire as you enter the cauldron, letting yourself be killed, transformed, and then resurrected. Feel the
heat burning your body and your flesh dropping off of it piece by piece as you remain in a dark,
warm place, which feels like the mother’s womb. Continue this visualization until there is nothing left
and you are free from the bonds of the flesh. Then finish the meditation, return to your temple, seal
the potion, and close the ritual with a few personal words.

***
The Third Ritual
11th May - New Moon

Resurrection

Like in the two previous rituals, start the working with preparing the temple, lighting the candles, and
burning some incense in the cauldron. Again, sit in a comfortable position and put the sigil in front of
you, focusing all your attention on the image. Visualize it glowing and flashing with Hecate’s silver
lunar current, and at the same time chant the words of calling: “Hecate-Nocticula, open for me the
way of the night!”

Then take the container with your potion, focus on it, and while reciting the invocation of Hecate, add
1/2 tsp (2g) dandelion leaf or flowers, fresh or dried. Then say:

I charge this potion by the Blood of the Dragon,
And in the name of Hecate, Queen of Witches!
Ho Ophis Ho Archaios,
Ho Drakon Ho Megas!

Like before, anoint the piece of paper or parchment with your statement of intent with a few drops of
your blood, and focus on it, imagining the outcome manifesting in your life. Then continue with the
visualization.

Again, sit down or assume your preferred meditative posture. Like in two previous rituals, envision
the goddess standing by her cauldron and recall the feeling of being inside of it. Proceed with the
meditation until you reach the point where you left off last time. Focus for a moment how it feels to be
free and unbound by any physical limitation. Then rise and join the goddess and her spectral retinue
in their nocturnal passage through the night. Let her guide you through the experience and initiate
you in her mysteries of the craft. Visualize that while walking with her, your body crystallizes anew
with each step, becoming more real, more tangible, and stronger than ever before. All the weaknesses,
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diseases, imperfections – everything that does not serve you in your mundane life has been dissolved
in the cauldron. Now you are free to shape and mold yourself as you wish. Let Hecate guide you
through this process and open yourself to whatever she chooses to show you. Write down your
visions and insights after the working, or do it while staying in the charged, meditative state of mind.

Empowered and awakened to a new stage on your path, return to your temple, face the altar once
again, and turn your attention to the potion. Strain the mixture and pour 1 oz (30 mL) of the liquid
into a glass. Add 5 oz (150 mL) water poured through a sugar cube, or add the water and 1 tsp (4g) of
honey. If vodka was used, simply strain and pour 1oz (30 mL) into the glass to be consumed. Drink.

As you drink the potion, feel how it spreads all over your body, making you burn and vibrate with the
energy of Hecate’s current. For the last time, focus for a moment on the statement of intent and then
burn it in the flame of the candle, letting it rise through the planes and work its way toward
manifestation.

Take a while to meditate on all you have experienced throughout the project. Let this final meditation
be a time of reflections and perhaps new inspirations in your spiritual journey on the Path of the
Dragon.

When you feel ready to finish the ritual, close it with the words:

And so it is done!

****

All days between the rituals

In the morning

Face your altar and speak the following prayer:

Hail to you, Hecate, mother of witchcraft,

Goddess of the crossroads and opener of the way.
Open for me the way to fulfill my desires,
May your torches shine upon the path I walk,
And guide me through the darkness of confusion to clarity and understanding.
Thank you for your assistance and your presence in my life,
To you I give my offerings: (place now your offering on the altar)
Ho Ophis Ho Archaios,
Ho Drakon Ho Megas!

When you say the words, focus on your statement of intent. Whether it is a written sentence or a
painted sigil, gaze at it for a while, letting it become planted in the fertile soil of your subconscious
mind. Remain in this meditation for a while, then proceed to your daily activities.

***

Before sleep

Sit or lie down on your bed and focus for a moment on the sigil of Hecate. As you gaze at it, repeat a
few times or chant like a mantra the words of calling from the first ritual: “Hecate-Nocticula, open for
me the way of the night!” When the sigil becomes embedded in your inner mind, lie down, close your
eyes, and relax, letting the image form before your eyes. Then let yourself slowly drift off to sleep,
trying not to be distracted by any other thoughts or images.

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If you wake up, focus again on the sigil and try to keep this vision in your mind while falling back
asleep. Write down your dreams when you wake up and take a moment to meditate on their
symbolism and messages contained in them. Do not worry if they seem irrelevant at first, their
meaning may be revealed at a later time. Keep it all for your records and reference if you would ever
like to work with the goddess again in the future.

__________________________

Thank you for participating in the project!

The workings by Asenath Mason, also available in the book: Hecate: Witchcraft, Death & Nocturnal Magic.

The potion recipe by Kahinat Alsahra, Draconian Sorceress and member of the Temple of Ascending Flame.

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