Invoking Goddesses of Magic

Deity Work Series Part 1:

Invoking Goddesses of Magic

Hekate & Isis

Whenever it comes to deity work, it is beneficial to understand who you’re wanting to work with and why. Learning their story, the energy they embody, and what offerings they enjoy can help to establish a relationship with them out of respect and admiration. Deities may call out to you through signs and give support of their own will, the same goes for humans. We have the power to connect with them as well; although, they may not always reciprocate interest, so it is best to use your intuition to discern if the energy of the dynamic is favorable and mutual. I have found most otherworldly beings to be quite generous and accepting, even the ones tied to death and destruction. Showing that you want to understand them is an offering in and of itself. I had the idea to create this Deity Work blog series to recommend gods and goddesses best suited to work with the specific intentions inspired by my Potent Spell Jars. I hope to bring more awareness and love of the old gods amongst this modern world, not only for witches, but for anyone looking for a spark of spiritual faith and fun in their life! Anyone, no matter how you identify, is able to invoke divine energies. We truly don’t give humans enough credit of being just as powerful as the gods themselves. We all hold a great reservoir of magic within us waiting to be utilized. It all starts with believing in yourself and your capacity for greatness, beyond the illusions of limitation established by our physical world. For all intentions and spell work there are countless divine beings to invoke, but alas, I am just one witch with only so much time on my hands, so we will be breaking this series into focused segments. First discussing my favorite goddesses of magic and psychic prowess in Greek and Egyptian pantheons.

I am by no means a historian, in fact, history was one of my least favorite subjects growing up. I very much maintained a “see it to believe it” type of mentality that kept me focused on science and physical arts. I will say however, the only part of history that kept my attention was learning about mythology. Even in elementary school one of the only projects I remember doing (and still possess in my memory box) was a scrapbook I made of the Greek gods and a clay sculpture of Medusa. My knowledge on the gods definitely varies between them. For Hekate I hardly had to do any recent research to write her column as I have been a long-term devotee of her, but Isis on the other hand only came into my life recently. I strive here to not only bring awareness of the old gods to you all, but for my own benefit and practice as well. Knowledge is and will always be power, allow it to aid you and your magic to the highest degree.

Hekate, or Hecate, (Heh-kAH-teh) is one of my most beloved. Her name is either seen spelled with a “k” or a “c” because of Greek and Roman transliteration, so technically both spellings are correct and refer to the same goddess. I pretty much use them interchangeably, as you’ll notice my inconsistent spelling throughout this entire piece (I only noticed this after finishing and figured, why even bother unifying the spelling, ya know?) She is a Titaness known as the three faced moon goddess of magic, necromancy and the night. She can appear as the Maiden Mother and Crone. She rules over the crossroads, liminal spaces, thresholds, and doorways as she is a powerful guardian of transition. Thresholds are known to be energetically charged gateways where connection between realms is more potent and accessible. Keep in mind, thresholds also relate to transitional periods in life that are over a period of time. They can work as energetic portals. These periods are typically volatile, expansive, life changing and may turn you into a different version of yourself.

A healing and motherly being, known as the “Throne Goddess” and mother of all kings and people alike. She shows no judgement or bias over class or backgrounds. Isis was said to appear to humans in many forms such as a pregnant mother mourning, or a homeless woman fighting for her family, thus making her relatable to the masses of Egypt. Isis was distinguished as having greater power than most other gods. Similar to Hecate, she governed the skies, the natural world, and presumably having influence over fate herself. Both being psychopomps, escorts of the afterlife, they are fierce protectors that symbolize connection to both the conscious and unconscious realms. Both are referred to as “Soteria” in Greek, which means they are savior deities. As a witch who works mostly with goddesses of death and of darkness, I can vouch for the peace that is entailed by holding hands with the gods that walk between worlds. Acceptance of death is seemingly one of the most fearful things for human beings, however these wonderful goddesses make it known that you can rest assured your spirit will be cared for and guided regardless of “sins” or mistakes.

As the dynastic period progressed and upper and lower Egypt united word of her began to grow. Based in the Nile River, the Abydos Triad was a sanctuary dedicated to Isis, Osiris, and their son Horus. Her cult following gradually expanded further away from the Nile Delta to unified Egypt onto Athens and other famous cities. Later, amongst the Hellenistic period, when Egypt was profoundly ruled by the Greeks (only after the Romans conquered the Greek lands, which was their initial expansion), her name was then adopted as a universal deity. This is specifically where her influence begins to coincide with Hecate’s in late syncretism, which basically describes the merging of these different cultures and religions. In the Greco-Roman world, many deities were ascribed traits of Greek deities and Isis is no exception. I am not necessarily saying there is a direct correlation between the two, it isn’t as simple as copy and pasting one over to the other; more so that throughout time, both Hekate and Isis adopted similar characteristics of other, more popular Greek deities. Furthermore, Hecate’s following grew much later than Isis’s and they were not explicitly compared to one another until about the second century of the Common Era, which is around the end of the Roman Empire. I personally love how the Romans basically threw all of their favorite beliefs into a blender and hoped for the best. It’s the epitome of polytheism that I plan to discuss on a future blog post focused on Roman paganism. But seriously, their conquests established a new ideation of religions while also integrating the significant history of different regions and their deities.

Isis embodies the essence of magic, fertility and motherhood. Many festivals and acts of celebration have been devoted to Isis since the dynastic period all mostly incorporating grieving the dead, honoring the afterlife, and rituals that emphasize the importance of community. As a resurrector, Isis is a symbol of eternal life, an immortal being that illuminates love and loss. Her story depicts boundless connection, unbreakable bonds of devotion, and raw feminine power. She is truly elucidated as the ideal wife and mother. She may be invoked for love, fertility, and transformation spells, as well as funeral rites, help with emotional healing, spiritual protection and amplifying your magical connection. I personally felt very drawn to Egyptian culture after I packed my whole life up and moved across the country by myself. I came across an antique bust of Queen Nefertiti which made me begin researching the history of Egypt and the deities. What established my connection to Isis after this was naming my new apartment actually. A witch’s house is alive, have you heard? It is important to me to connect with my home like I would any divine being or part of the earth, so choosing a name for my home, or rather, letting my home choose its name, allows me to give proper offerings and feel totally connected. Anyways, I just couldn’t get Isis out of my

Her domain runs far and wide. She basically has a foot in with higher dimensions, the earth, and the underworld. An over seer, a guide, an otherworldly protector. Typically depicted accompanied by packs of dogs, torch and keys in hand, and a long dark robe shrouding her body in darkness. A being that not even the other gods could control or command. Almost mad with complexities of creation and destruction, Hecate was feared and revered by other gods in the pantheon.

In the classical period, the late 5th century, our multifaceted and Hellenic goddess was celebrated as a guide during birth, the ultimate portal, as a nurturing and formidable figure. In Ancient Athens, on the last day of every month offerings would be left for her at crossroads to keep restless or malevolent spirits at bay under her protection. She was (and is) a force to be reckoned with should you overstep and cross her or her devotee’s boundaries; yet for those that respect her, Hecate’s presence is motherly, loving, and supportive. A wise and fiercely independent woman whose influence has persisted through the advent of Christianity thanks to those that refuse to be limited, tamed and oppressed. Witchcraft at the end of the day is, after all, an act of rebellion and resistance... to the patriarchy, to societal norms, to injustice, to corrupt powers and empires. The list goes on. If we look at the Salem Witch Trials for example, a profoundly known and historically discussed microcosm, it perfectly displays how witchcraft has always been misunderstood and slandered due to ignorance, fear and adversity, all of which leading to hellish acts of control, particularly of innocent women. The blatant misogyny that surrounds the term “witches” stems from societal disparities and religious vehemence that directly correlates with widespread paranoia and fear mongering in order to keep masses in check and divided. In any era, fear and control have only led us to our demise. That is exactly where witchcraft comes in to bring awareness, information and power to marginalized communities. I believe in this century these themes are especially important considering the absolute political shit show commencing before our eyes. Happenings of war, greed, and false power that coincide with the literal dark ages. Hekate is all for hexing ice and dismantling the inner workings of our corrupt government. Witches may as well be synonymous with resilience. The triple goddess weeps over the persistent persecution of witches. She is an embodiment of both sacred knowledge and trifling history, and her energy reaps the wounds and strengths of all wise women and witches that come before us, are alive with us, and will come after us. A witch’s spirit surpasses the concept of time and is abundantly autonomous, and to me, there is no better way to describe the goddess of the crossroads.

If you seek a clear path forward, a crossroads ceremony with her might be exactly what you need. If you’re seeking connection to the dead or to higher incomprehensible dimensions, try sitting with her in meditation under candlelight. If you're like me and despise the havoc state of the world right now, inform yourself on baneful magic and get to work with her on dismantling the system. Invite her to your home to assist with warding and shielding psychic or energetic harm. Hecate invites all to ask for her help in enhancing intuition and setting boundaries as well. You may also invoke her to simply aid in your day-to-day magic and manifestations. Be respectful, be concise, and keep your heart and mind open. As long as you aren't someone that idolizes oppressors like maga or ice, (yes, it is that deep.) she will come when you call.

Continuing, if we look at similarities between mythologies, you could say that Hecate has an Egyptian counterpart. To me, their energy feels very similar and opposite. Both goddesses represent powerful divine feminine energies, are known to guide beings through transitions, as well as aid and protect magic users, women, and the oppressed. The Egyptian Goddess Isis is renowned for the resurrection of her lover Osiris. So, I see Isis as more of a life-giving counterpart to Hecate’s necromancy and dark arts, although they share common themes of rebirth and the cyclical nature of life.

head. So yes, my apartment is named after the one and only powerful goddess of rebirth, Isis. An incredible, colorful statue of her adorns my altar of Light.

I believe Isis appreciates offerings of color, like fruit, flowers, intricate crystal jewelry, and trinkets with Egyptian symbolism. If I can give any advice as a practicing witch, it is that offerings establish your own unique and personal relationship with spirits and deities. They can always differ between witches as there is no one singular way to practice or communicate with the divine. Honestly, that will always be my favorite part of witchcraft. Offerings need not always be physical, which is something essentially important to note as the goddesses discussed here have a hold in all realms. Acts of service go a long way as well as simple conversation or meditation. Taking care of your loved ones, friends or family or honoring the dead is also a simple and effective way to connect to Isis. Remember, it is all about intention after all.

Thank you so much for making it to the end of my very first original post. I sincerely hope that this was a pleasant read. Starting this series really means a lot to me and I am putting a lot of work and time into describing the old gods as best as I possibly can. This is pretty much a creative outlet and way for me to better understand and connect to the gods myself, while hopefully encouraging another person to do the same. Sharing my knowledge and my craft is one of my favorite past times and I am just so grateful for anyone willing to listen. Stay tuned for Part 2 where we will dive into two goddesses of the heart.

Remember to stay magical, open-minded, and unwavering in your faith. Till next time!

With love & gratitude,

Raina

I personally felt called to connect with her after watching The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Please don’t call me out... Honestly it wasn’t much of a stretch for me. I grew up heavily into Satanism so when the witches of the Church of Night steered away from Lucifer, they recognized and invoked an even higher power, our very own High Priestess. When they brought their sister back to life I felt like I was tapping into the energy of Hekate as well. I felt like my eyes were finally open. Who better for me to work with in my craft than the goddess of magic herself? Working with her after that really added momentum to my spiritual journey. I began to feel increasingly connected to the energy around me and divination became easier and easier. She is so loving to new witches and those curious of magic. I genuinely feel so much acceptance and support from her. She explains to me that magic is a gift to be shared and to be protected. I like to typically offer her old keys of mine or those I have come across, as well as moon water, sage, green herbs or incense, jade, amethyst, black or purple candles and my very own menstrual blood. Witch’s hour, midnight, is a threshold to every new day, making it an excellent time to put out offerings and communicate with her, along with the beginning of every month, or full and new moon phases. Other examples of strong thresholds include birthdays, sabbats, equinox/solstices, eclipses, and rare planetary alignments.

Copyright © May 21 2026. Rainy Oracle. All rights reserved.

No AI was used in the making of this website.