Join me as I explore the healing journey at the crossroads of modern life and the deeper world. Claim, and keep, your unique keys. Devoted to the ancient goddess Hekate as World Soul. About me: Cyndi Brannen is an author and teacher, dedicated to reclaiming the divine feminine through personal inquiry, rituals, and more. Learn more about Cyndi's work at keepingherkeys.com
Christen and I delve into the lore and meaning of The Cailleach, and then I guide us through a meditation.
Conversation
We explore the significance of The Cailleach in Celtic folklore, highlighting her role as a symbol of winter, wisdom, and the land. With our personal connection to her, we reflect on how she is the earth itself - land, sea, and sky. She is primordial, she before she had a name, and offers us deep attunement to her ...
In this episode, Christen and I talk about the profound connections between Hekate and the themes of darkness, night, and the afterlife, while contrasting her illuminating aspects. The discussion highlights the importance of embracing darkness as a sacred journey towards personal healing and empowerment, featuring rituals and practices guided by Hekate. Christen and I share personal stories illustrating the challenges of confrontin...
Suitable for The Night of Hekate on November 16, this meditation evokes the threshold of light and dark, symbolized through Hekate's torches and the cave-womb of the divine feminine. Through an exploration of the three selves, attune to the power of the dark mysteries, for shadow healing and empowerment.
It's been eight years exactly since I first wrote about November 16, and the entire month, being a time for sacred darkness. As Ch...
This classic meditation, the earliest in what's become hundreds, works to attune our seven energy centers, aka chakras, with the celestial forces of the original seven planets. Goes with my first book, True Magic: Unleashing Your Inner Witch.
Also works well when connecting with Hekate Ourania, Queen of The Heavens.
Just in time for the Taurus Full Moon on Nov. 5, 2025.
The Orphic Hymn to Hekate
Lovely Hekate of the roads and of the crossroads I invoke.
In heaven, on earth,
then in the sea, saffron-cloaked,
tomb spirit reveling in the souls of the dead,
daughter of Perses,
haunting deserted places,
delighting in deer,
nocturnal, dog-loving,
monstrous queen,
devouring wild beasts,
ungirt and repulsive.
Herder of b...
This conversation delves into the symbolism of Hekate's twin torches, representing the duality of creation and destruction. We begin by lighting candles with a new sigil for Lampadios, exploring the significance of fire in both personal experiences and recent wildfires. Hekate's various fire-related epithets highlight her role in spiritual illumination and guidance, particularly in shadow work. Our conversation reflects on ...
Experience profound connection to Hekate and Persephone in this meditative journey. Unlock your inner mysteries as we descend into HER realness, for inner exploration, healing, and transformation. We begin this journey by activating our energetic roots, summoning what sustains and releasing what burdens. Persephone's message of balance, mercy, and grace, comes through, reminding us that we are not meant to be perfect, but whole...
Explore the essence of Gemini, a sign embodying duality, communication, and adaptability through this attuning meditation.
Governed by Mercury, Gemini emphasizes the importance of sharing ideas and embracing diverse perspectives. The attunement process fosters grounding and mental agility, while promoting emotional balance and acceptance of internal dualities.
Discover how Gemini season encourages growth and connection, and reflect...
In this episode of the Keeping Her Keys podcast, Dr. Cyndi Brannen guides listeners through a transformative ritual dedicated to the divine feminine, specifically focusing on the energies of Hekate during the Aries New Moon eclipse. The conversation explores themes of rebirth, cleansing, and connection to the deeper world, culminating in a meditative journey into Hekate's cave, where participants are invited to embrace their tr...
In this episode of the Keeping Her Keys podcast, Cyndi explores the meaning of Imbolc with Christen and then leads a guided fire and ice meditation. Our conversation delves into the significance of this time in the Celtic Wheel of the Year, emphasizing the importance of inner reflection, rituals, and the connection to Hekate. The meditation guides listeners through the process of embracing both the challenges and the potential for ...
Cyndi Brannen and Christen Bennett delve into the tragic story of Hecuba, the Queen of Troy, exploring themes of power, grief, and the divine feminine, and why she has much to teach us right now. They discuss Hecuba's transformation from a powerful queen to a symbol of loss and rage, examining the implications of her story in the context of modern life. The conversation highlights the importance of empathy, the role of women in...
In this episode Dr. Cyndi discusses the significance of Hekate as we enter the new year, particularly focusing on the astrological implications of Hekate's position in Scorpio, then she guides us through a meditation based on Proclus' Hymn To Hekate and Janus. The conversation delves into some other astrological highlights for this year, the teachings of the ancient philosopher Proclus, and the importance of rituals and meditations...
This ritual is held live every Night of Hekate around November 16. The text of the ritual can be found in Lesson 6 of the Keeping Her Keys book. In this episode I read through the ritual so you can perform it with me guiding your through it. The second recording is a meditative journey for after the ceremonial components, available in Covina for those who cannot attend live.
This is deep work, go gently. If you are not feeling up to connecting with our ancestors who were persecuted and murdered, or your own witch wound inflicted by hurtful others, you may want to take a pass on this meditation.
This meditation honors witch ancestors and acknowledges the historical persecution of witches, including the Salem witch trials. It emphasizes deep lineage healing and encourages participants to connect with t...
Cyndi Brannen and Amy Blackthorn discuss the intersection of witchcraft and social media, focusing on Amy's new book, the Social Media Spellbook. They explore the collaborative process behind the book, the importance of rituals in the digital age, and how to share magical practices online while maintaining personal boundaries. The conversation also touches on the significance of vetting sources in the witchcraft community, the ...
This episode combines meditation and discussion to ignite our connections with Hekate's Torches.
Explore a transformative meditation centered on Hekate's torches, symbolizing creation, nourishment, and destruction. Participants engage in breathwork to ignite their inner fire, while acknowledging local spirits and ancestors. The session emphasizes grounding through visualization, activating the heart for emotional balance, ...
We delve into catharsis through Hekate, emphasizing personal empowerment and release via witchcraft. Join us in a candlelit ritual symbolizing letting go, while a protective circle welcomes spirits of release. Key contributors share insights on creative processes, magical crafting, and the integration of psychology with witchcraft. The focus is on shadow work, personal growth, and practical tips for starting a catharsis journey, ...
Embark with us on a mystical journey, attuning with goddesses and practicing healing witchcraft. Light candles, invoke mystical experiences, and embrace wild and free goddesses. Through poetry and sacred creativity we deepen connections, without rigid rules, following the way of the wild and free goddesses. We discuss balancing everyday life with sacred practices, the benefits of documenting mystical experiences, and cover exercis...
Some announcements: new free space, livestreams, and courses.
Go to keepingherkeys.com for all the details and links.
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Burden is a documentary series that takes listeners into the hidden places where justice is done (and undone). It dives deep into the lives of heroes and villains. And it focuses a spotlight on those who triumph even when the odds are against them. Season 5 - The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance On April Fools Day 1999, 26-year-old Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home. David Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, was instantly a suspect. Another young man admitted to the murder, and David breathed a sigh of relief, until the confessed murderer fingered David; “He paid me to do it.” David was sentenced to life without parole. Two decades later, Pulitzer winner and podcast host, Maggie Freleng (Bone Valley Season 3: Graves County, Wrongful Conviction, Suave) launched a “live” investigation into David's conviction alongside Jason Baldwin (himself wrongfully convicted as a member of the West Memphis Three). Maggie had come to believe that the entire investigation of David was botched by the tiny local police department, or worse, covered up the real killer. Was Maggie correct? Was David’s claim of innocence credible? In Death and Deceit in Alliance, Maggie recounts the case that launched her career, and ultimately, “broke” her.” The results will shock the listener and reduce Maggie to tears and self-doubt. This is not your typical wrongful conviction story. In fact, it turns the genre on its head. It asks the question: What if our champions are foolish? Season 4 - The Burden: Get the Money and Run “Trying to murder my father, this was the thing that put me on the path.” That’s Joe Loya and that path was bank robbery. Bank, bank, bank, bank, bank. In season 4 of The Burden: Get the Money and Run, we hear from Joe who was once the most prolific bank robber in Southern California, and beyond. He used disguises, body doubles, proxies. He leaped over counters, grabbed the money and ran. Even as the FBI was closing in. It was a showdown between a daring bank robber, and a patient FBI agent. Joe was no ordinary bank robber. He was bright, articulate, charismatic, and driven by a dark rage that he summoned up at will. In seven episodes, Joe tells all: the what, the how… and the why. Including why he tried to murder his father. Season 3 - The Burden: Avenger Miriam Lewin is one of Argentina’s leading journalists today. At 19 years old, she was kidnapped off the streets of Buenos Aires for her political activism and thrown into a concentration camp. Thousands of her fellow inmates were executed, tossed alive from a cargo plane into the ocean. Miriam, along with a handful of others, will survive the camp. Then as a journalist, she will wage a decades long campaign to bring her tormentors to justice. Avenger is about one woman’s triumphant battle against unbelievable odds to survive torture, claim justice for the crimes done against her and others like her, and change the future of her country. Season 2 - The Burden: Empire on Blood Empire on Blood is set in the Bronx, NY, in the early 90s, when two young drug dealers ruled an intersection known as “The Corner on Blood.” The boss, Calvin Buari, lived large. He and a protege swore they would build an empire on blood. Then the relationship frayed and the protege accused Calvin of a double homicide which he claimed he didn’t do. But did he? Award-winning journalist Steve Fishman spent seven years to answer that question. This is the story of one man’s last chance to overturn his life sentence. He may prevail, but someone’s gotta pay. The Burden: Empire on Blood is the director’s cut of the true crime classic which reached #1 on the charts when it was first released half a dozen years ago. Season 1 - The Burden In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname. Then the story changed. Scarcella ran into a group of convicted murderers who all say they are innocent. They turned themselves into jailhouse-lawyers and in prison founded a lway firm. When they realized Scarcella helped put many of them away, they set their sights on taking him down. And with the help of a NY Times reporter they have a chance. For years, Scarcella insisted he did nothing wrong. But that’s all he’d say. Until we tracked Scarcella to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, where he started to talk..and talk and talk. “The guilty have gone free,” he whispered. And then agreed to take us into the belly of the beast. Welcome to The Burden.
"SmartLess" with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, & Will Arnett is a podcast that connects and unites people from all walks of life to learn about shared experiences through thoughtful dialogue and organic hilarity. A nice surprise: in each episode of SmartLess, one of the hosts reveals his mystery guest to the other two. What ensues is a genuinely improvised and authentic conversation filled with laughter and newfound knowledge to feed the SmartLess mind. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of SmartLess ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!