Cyndi Brannen - Entering Hekates Garden

Cyndi Brannen has taken the seeds of ancient and classical lore and grown something lush, beautiful, new, and extremely beneficial for any modern witch, while also maintaining the historical roots. I greatly enjoy all of Cyndi's works and books, but Entering Hekate's Garden is by far my favorite of hers to date. I know it will be a book that I reference often in my personal magickal practice and devotional work.

Mat Auryn, author of Psychic Witch:
A Metaphysical Guide to Meditation,
Magick, and Manifestation

Cyndi Brannen has written a profound, complex, and beautifully rich body of work. For those called by Hekate, the botanical lore and practices in this book serve to deepen a potently transformative and devotional path and practice. I truly believe we are witnessing a sacred download of wisdom and guidance through Cyndi's books.

Elena Rego, creator and
owner of The Witches Box

One cannot talk about Hekate without eventually talking about Medea and Circe. One cannot discuss the magic of these witches without talking about plants. For the Greeks, pharmakeia was synonymous with magic. In Entering Hekate's Garden, Cyndi Brannen manages to provide a cornucopia of plant magic that will be useful for anyone interested in Hekatean magic. I expect to be referencing the recipes and lore for years to come.

Jason Miller, author of
The Elements of Spellcrafting

Entering Hekate's Garden initiates the reader into the magickal realm of herbs, medicine, and plant-spirit witchcraft by unveiling knowledge, rites, herbal infusions, recipes, and spells made for the serious witch. Brannen uses Hekate and her daughters Medea and Circe to navigate the occult world of botanicals and mythology. Beautifully written, Entering Hekate's Garden is necessary for every witch and student of the craft!

Lawren Leo, author of Horse Magick:
Spells and Rituals for Self-Empowerment,
Protection, and Prosperity

Cyndi Brannen's gorgeously written Entering Hekate's Garden is not your average herbal. Its clear instructions, straightforward exercises, and incredibly detailed individual plant entries will be a long-time valuable tool for any witch who has already stained their fingers green, as well as those who've not yet stepped one foot into the garden. If you walk the Poison Path, read this. If you're an herbalist, read this. If you think you can't hear the voices of plant spirits, definitely read this. The torches are lit and the gate has been opened. Hekate awaits!

Tara-Love Maguire, coauthor of Besom, Stang,
and Sword: A Guide to Traditional Witchcraft, the
Six-Fold Path, and the Hidden Landscape

Entering Hekate's Garden removes the veil of separation between the reader and the magical world of plants. Cyndi Brannen generously shares her wisdom about thirty-nine species of plants associated with Hekate. Her deep insights on identification, harvesting, preparation, and spellwork can only be described as masterful. It's sure to inspire anyone interested in deepening their connection with herbalism or modern Hekatean witchcraft.

Astrea Taylor, author of Intuitive Witchcraft:
How to Use Intuition to Elevate Your Craft

CYNDI BRANNEN

This edition first published in 2020 by Weiser Books, an imprint of
Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC
With offices at:
65 Parker Street, Suite 7
Newburyport, MA 01950
www.redwheelweiser.com

Copyright 2020 by Cyndi Brannen

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC. Reviewers may quote brief passages.

ISBN: 978-1-57863-722-5

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available upon request.

Cover design by Kathryn Sky-Peck

Interior images by Vlada Young/Shutterstock

Interior by Jane Hagaman

Typeset in Goudy

Printed in Canada

MAR

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

www.redwheelweiser.com/newsletter

For A and T,

my branches and roots.

This book contains advice and information relating to herbs and is not meant to diagnose, treat, or prescribe. It should be used to supplement, not replace, the advice of your physician or other trained healthcare practitioner. If you know or suspect you have a medical condition, are experiencing physical symptoms, or if you feel unwell, seek your physician's advice before embarking on any medical program or treatment. Some of the substances discussed in this book can be lethal if mishandled or ingested in sufficient quantities. Extreme caution is advised in their handling and use. Readers using the information in this book do so entirely at their own risk, and the author and publisher accept no liability if adverse effects are caused.

The Garden of the Goddess beckons.

Hekate is Mother of the Eternal Garden,

With her first breath she created the Green World and her witches.

Her daughters are our sisters.

Eternal Circe and Medea,

And the others.

They are the witches' great teachers and companions.

High Priestesses of the Garden.

They offer the keys to their magick, medicine, and mystery.

Will you claim them?

T here are many stories told about us. Few of them are true. You already know that, for you are one of us. This is not a new story for you, but a memory long forgotten, now awakened. The plants of our Mother called out and you answered. Return with me now to her Garden. Sit within her sacred grove and remember.

In the beginning, there was only darkness and light. They bore a child who became our Mother. With her first breath she created the universe, and with her second, her children. She, in her infinite wisdom, made us of her, uniquely crafted so we could summon the spirits of the world she created for our use. Hekate knew that, without challenges to temper our talents, we would quickly become restless, so she created the others so that we might learn from them. Their love and hate taught us the lessons necessary so we could transcend our weaknesses. They were the humans, and we were her witches.

Mother knows best, although we often fail to see this. She created me and my sister, and all the witches, including you, are our descendants. She taught us medicine to heal ourselves and others. This medicine did not merely ease our suffering, but offered us entrance into her mysteries. She desired us to understand pain so that we could experience joy. We acquired power through weakness and hope through despair. Our companions were her Pharmakoi Kyrios, the plant masters, whom we wove into our charms and spells. They protected us from the harms of the humans who feared us. We were, and remain, one with her plants.

Our ways were not welcome by those who feared our power. At their hands, we suffered greatly. Through their words, we were reviled. It is now time for you to remember the truth and cast aside their lies. We are rising.

The men created their own gods, forever reminding Mother that she, too, must bear her burdens. These gods, made in the image of men, feared Mother. They sought to rob us of our rightful inheritance, that of the Green World. Through their so-called civilization, they defiled the natural ways. But you already know this.