Creative Devotion - Interview with Kenn Payne

The Oracle of the Hekatean Path is widely used deck in our community. In my exploration of the connections between art, creation, and devotion, I had the opportunity to interview Kenn Payne, the creative mind behind this deck and he was kind enough to share every detail of the Oracle’s story with us.

I hope you will enjoy discovering Kenn’s journey into creation as much as I did.!

Can you tell us a little about yourself and your spiritual journey that led to creating the Oracle of the Hekatean Path? What inspired you to create an oracle specifically dedicated to Hekate?

I have been actively Pagan since around the age of fifteen, my early years revolved around learning Wicca and Witchcraft from books and it wasn’t until around the early 2000s that I began to explore specific deities and pantheons in more detail. Ancient civilisations and mythology had always fascinated me at school, so it was easy for me to immerse myself in the lore and view it as something more than just historical

record.

When Hekate specifically came calling, it was around 2006/7, during a particularly difficult period of my life. In the midst of a nervous breakdown, She came forward, placing a hand on my shoulder and lifted me out of the darkness; not the whole way, but just enough that I could begin to see the light again. For a long time during my recovery I always sensed Her behind me, gently supportive and guiding me towards the light at the end of the tunnel.

Afterwards, I whole heartedly threw myself into researching about this goddess but largely found the same tropes repeated in books and on websites that Hekate was a “crone goddess”, “dark”, “monstrous” and “should not be called upon”.

This intrinsically did not make sense to me, and try as I might, She would not fit into the pigeonhole of “Crone”. I thought there had to be more. Where was the evidence for these claims, outside of the books and websites that were – on the whole – without reference or citation?

From there I fell down a rabbit hole of fact finding eventually finding more historical and archaeological information via Hellenic Reconstructionist groups. For a while I developed a more reconstructionist practice myself, feeling it was more authentic and

brought me closer to the divine. In time however, I began to find that I didn’t quite fit the mould of a reconstructionist 100% - much like Hekate herself – and so I stepped back from it, taking a deeper understanding of Hekate with me.

In 2010 I stumbled across the launch of the book Hekate: Her Sacred Fires just three days before the planned full moon launch that the editor, Sorita d’Este, was planning to mark with a ritual called the Rite of Her Sacred Fires (RoHSF).

There was something palpable about that first RoHSF. It is hard to describe adequately but equally I will never forget it. And I don’t think anyone expected the momentum of this ritual to snowball quite like it did; becoming an annual event celebrated globally and spawning the founding of the Covenant of Hekate, of which I have been a member

since the start, acting as a Torchbearer and Keybearer in that time. I currently am a Companion with the Covenant, which is a semi “retired” role.

My relationship with Hekate has been neither easy, nor straightforward. I have felt Her presence/proximity wax and wane, I have changed direction on my Path in a continued quest for knowledge but through all of it Hekate, above all else, has been a constant fixed point in my life.

2. Did the inspiration for this oracle come as a vision, dream, or other form of divine message? Or was it your/the artist's idea and your work became an offering to the Goddess?

The creation of the Oracle of the Hekatean Path is directly inspired from my passion and experience of being a devotee of Hekate. I had long used forms of divination (predominantly tarot) in my practice, and though Hekate would on occasion appear as a single card in thematic decks, I felt the need for a form of divination specifically tailored to Hekate.

The inspiration for the original concept was for a personal tool that I could use to divine messages from Hekate. How this then went on to become the Oracle as it exists today came directly from Hekate’s voice in my ear telling me to “ask him” when I was considering contacting Chris Butler about a possible collaboration, after beginning to “see” in my mind images in his signature style.

The deck has always been an offering to the Goddess, first and foremost, and due to its publication it became my gift to the Hekatean community as well.

3. Were there any particular experiences or practices that helped you to connect with Hekate during this process? Was She guiding your work?

I definitely felt Her guiding presence throughout the entire project. This was very much a collaboration with the Divine. When Chris and I would get stuck with a design or concept, Hekate was quick to help smooth the path.

She was also, at times, a tad over-eager; showing me design ideas and inspirations for cards we hadn’t started yet, whilst in the process of tying to focus on the design at hand. Though I was positive and eager, this was a little exasperating for Chris who was trying to remain focused.

I don’t like to use words like “channelled”, as they can be a loaded term, but it was very much a “Hekate take the wheel” sort of collaboration at times! Oracle of the Hekatean Path is as much Her deck as it is mine, Chris’ and the wider community.

6. How did the idea for the oracle evolve from inspiration to a tangible project?

In its earliest form, the Oracle consisted of small stones marked with simplistic symbols to represent the most well known symbols of Hekate (key, moon, knife, garlic, skull, torch etc). From there I eventually created a rudimentary card-based version for my own use; printing out images as “cards” on photo paper. This allowed me to expand the concept

visually because of the us of images I could find on the internet.

It always struck me as odd, especially with the “Hekatean Renaissance” of the last fifteen years, that no one had created a tarot or oracle deck focusing just on Hekate. In recent years that has changed, with several decks being created since, but at the time of me developing the earliest forms of the Oracle for my personal practice, none existed.

This served me for a long time; I still have that early deck and because it was not laminated, I get ink on my fingers when I shuffle it and the images are fading slightly from use.

7. Could you describe your collaboration with the artist who designed the oracle? How did your vision and their artistic interpretation come together?

Prior to approaching Chris about working together, I was trying to write up how to make a rudimentary oracle set on stones (like how it started for me) as an appendix for a book. However, through using one of Chris’ decks (the Healing Light Tarot) I began to “see” ideas and designs for a Hekate focused deck, crafted in his signature style: the use of

silhouettes over defined forms, the interplay of light and shadow, the colour palette and textural layering.

When I first approached Chris to discuss a collaboration, I didn’t think it would actually happen. I thought a nobody like me trying to break in to the world of published creators was not going to get lucky first time around.

Unbeknownst to me at the time, Chris had had two prior collaborations fail due for varying reasons, so he was cautiously sceptical when I came calling. He decided to grill me via a video call, imagining his demands for details of thematic and conceptual outlines, card design ideas, deck structure etc. would be enough to put me off. He was shocked when I didn’t miss a beat in replying “ok, I have all that, I’ll ping it over when we get off this call”. After he drafted a couple of images, we arranged for me to stay with

Chris for 4-5 days (as he lived a fairly short train journey away). During these periods we would work intensively and draft between 3 and 5 cards.

Because my concepts and vision of the deck were already so thorough, little to no time was lost in trying to think on the go, and there were only really a couple of cards that caused us any problems/friction. Chris was coming into this project cold, at least from the point of view of the Divine Feminine, with both of us coming from very different

backgrounds, spiritually speaking. Although he had published several decks previously, and had experience of Christian theology, and had endured the barbarism of conversion therapy, it was a joy to watch Chris explore and develop an entirely new layer of understanding.

After the deck’s initial completion, we printed two “test copies” that we could use to ensure that the Oracle worked as a system, rather than just a concept (even though I had experience of this via earlier personal iterations). What became apparent was that not only did this deck work for devotees like myself, but also for people not strictly in the camps of “pagan” or “devotee”. Chris’ readings with the Oracle proved as powerful

and pertinent as my own. This was an added bonus as it meant the deck

could potentially be used effectively by anyone.

Not everyone likes digital art, but there was something about Chris’ style that spoke to me, and allowed the Goddess to communicate through. Some people find the deck is “too dark”, some think it is AI (it isn’t), there was even one review that said you could tell “it was created by men” – but the power and directness of the readings prove that if you are willing to engage with it, it can be hugely rewarding and enlightening.

8. Were there any moments during the design process where you felt Hekate’s guidance influencing the artwork?

In short, yes, from start to finish. From her initial whisper in my ear to reach out to Chris, to the “backseat driving” She did when I was sat with Chris, guiding him as he formed the

images. She knew what She wanted and I just had to interpret that and try to communicate it to Chris.

For the most part that was seamless. There were a couple of occasions when Chris was holding himself back and I had to keep nudging him (because I knew and Hekate knew) that he could achieve what we were trying to do.

There was only one card that really gave us both a headache in trying to bring it to life, but aside from that our collaboration was highly efficient and one that fostered a professional partnership and personal friendship.

I could also feel her guidance and influence as we searched for publishers. She guided us away from some unsavoury deals and was clear in Her message to me that the integrity of the deck (its raw energy, darker visuals etc.) was paramount and non-negotiable.

9. What do you hope users will experience or take away from working with the Oracle of the Hekatean Path?

The hope has always been that people will use it as a tool in order to deepen their connection with and understanding of Hekate. Although it evolved from humble beginnings as my own personal form of divination, it proved that it served for deep, raw and truthful messages, and this is something I hear from many people who start using the deck.

I love to see people using it on social media. I’ve also had people contact me to say they found the deck and are using it daily as part of their practice. That is deeply humbling and rewarding for me. It shows me that I created something that is as diverse and universal as the Goddess Herself and that is its own reward.

I would also like to point out that I share in the disappointment many people have noted with the limitations of the guide booklet. This was a decision not in my control and set by the standard of the publisher. It was always my intention for a more detailed book to accompany the deck, not only to provide deeper meanings but also to enable the deck to be used as a learning tool for those just coming to Hekate, or wanting to expand their knowledge of Her.

I am still hopeful that at some point I can get that book out there. It has

been written, I just need the green light to publish it.

10. Looking back, what was the most surprising or meaningful part of creating this oracle?

The journey of the Oracle’s creation was very meaningful as a whole, but I was particularly moved by the excitement and committal that the community maintained right from the first tantalising tease that I was working on this.

When we completed the project, the world fell into chaos thanks to the onset of the Covid pandemic, and paired with some other hiccups with regards to securing a publisher it was nearly four years between the completion of the project and actual publication. But in all that time the buzz remained constant and strong and this has equally reflected in post publication too. As the deck approaches the two-year mark since its release, it continues to be a strong and steady seller.

For the future I am in the process of creating Tarot of the Hekatean Path. This will act both as a complimentary and standalone deck, modelled after the Rider Waite Smith system. I want to get back in to creating content for my social media channels, and I am also (finally) getting another book project underway, after many years of stop/start and

rewriting. This book will be about Hekate, and my own experiences and inspirations with rituals, and recipes for incenses, oils etc. Once it is nearer to a complete draft I will look into options for publication.

If you’d like to keep up with Kenn’s work, support him, and stay updated on future projects, you’re welcome to follow him on his social media channels:

Instagram - @thehekateanwino

Facebook – Adyton of the Heatean Path

YouTube – Adyton of the Hekatean Path/@thehekateanwino

TikTok - @thehekateanwino