DianaB - Voices of the Covenant - Hekate's Dutch Keybearer

Diana B is a Keybearer for the Covenant of Hekate living in the Netherlands whose magical path began in 2005–2006 as a Wiccan priestess and witch within Greencraft. She later joined Alexandrian Wicca, but in 2025 chose to follow her Hekatean path more fully. Rooted in devotion, historical study and lived experience, her work with Hekate includes ongoing study of Qabalah, Tarot and the Greek Magical Papyri.

Through the Sanctuary of Hekate Drakaina, Diana supports others on their journey with Hekate, with a particular commitment to making reliable information and devotional practice more accessible to Dutch and Flemish-speaking seekers. 1. When did you first join the Covenant of Hekate, and what inspired you to become part of it?

My very first steps with the Covenant of Hekate would have been somewhere around 2018–2019. I was still part of a Wiccan coven at that time and was experiencing shadow work, which eventually led me to the call of Hekate. I then dove into that very complex and mysterious Goddess, and from that moment on She kept pulling me. I discovered Sorita’s books about Hekate, and I haven’t stopped reading since. Her Sacred Fires and Circle for Hekate were both eye-openers for me, and at that point there was no hesitation in joining the Covenant. On 18 May 2019, I became a Devotee.

2. What first drew you to Hekate, and how has that initial connection developed over time?

All my life I have had connections with the chthonic, sensing when someone was about to die and often feeling a kind of trace from the other side, which I actually couldn’t do anything with because I simply didn’t know how to. Once I had welcomed Hekate into my life through shadow work and She showed me Her path, I discovered aspects of Her that resonated exactly with what I was feeling — things I hadn’t really been able to give shape to until then. During the Torchbearer Bootcamp in 2024, through conversations with Sorita and others about this subject, I delved deeper into the Restless Dead. This journey has brought me to the point where I am ready not only to facilitate the Restless Dead, but also to guide those seeking support in that process. My connection with Hekate now is one of perfect love and perfect trust; She is my All.

3. What led you to become a Torchbearer and a Keybearer within the Covenant?

I really enjoyed the Covenant’s Facebook group, with its short lessons, meditation exercises and the like, but when it ended, I realised that sitting passively on the sidelines was not enough for me anymore. The announcement of the Torchbearer Bootcamp was the sign I needed. My sanctuary’s initial goal was to focus primarily on Dutch and Belgian speakers, as there is significant demand for reliable information about Hekate in those regions, yet people often seem to face a barrier to entry. Since then, I have realised that the demand for quality historical and modern information is international, and that I can better reach this wider audience by operating as a Membership Centre and Keybearer. My own experience with Hekate and the Covenant has given me so much, and I really wish to share that with others and give back to what I have already been privileged to receive.

4. How do you understand your role as a Torchbearer or Keybearer today?

Well, I have only just started as a Keybearer, so ask me this question again in a couple of years — hahahaha! The reason I have started as a Keybearer and Membership Centre is to guide people on their path with Hekate, and to be the person I needed when I was looking for guidance myself. I want to encourage people to keep learning about Hekate and themselves, and to keep developing myself too.

5. Has your understanding of Hekate changed since joining the Covenant? If so, what shifted?

My relationship with Her has changed. It has evolved from seeing Her purely as a guiding light, helping me discern Her intentions for my path, to discovering Drakaina — the epithet where my love for snakes and dragons converges with my love for Hekate. That has deepened my relationship immensely.

6. Which name, title, symbol or image of Hekate is most meaningful to you, and why?

I am still discovering epithets, and by examining them, they become valuable to me because each one is a piece of the Goddess Hekate. The one after whom I named my Sanctuary, Drakaina, holds the most meaning for me. Snakes shed their skin and transform; dragons are masters of the elements; and the title Drakaina has so much depth that is often overlooked, while also being a delightful rabbit hole to dive into.

Then there is, above all, the key. A key opens not only doors, but also levels of consciousness. The dagger also holds special significance for me because I literally use it in rituals to cut away what needs to be cut away. The image of Drakaina from the British Museum is most meaningful to me because it is one of the few original images of Hekate Drakaina.

7. How does your devotion to Hekate shape your personal work, practice or service?

Since the beginning of 2025, I have left the coven I belonged to and moved on from Wicca — to the extent that is possible after some 26 years of study — to dedicate myself fully to Hekate. I have conducted trial classes on Hekate in Dutch, and I would like to further develop and structure those lessons.

Despite having a memory and concentration disorder, I love continuing to learn and read, and I notice that while studying, She always pushes me just a little further. I am currently delving deeper into the PGM, driven by my preference for historically accurate information, as well as the Chaldean Hekate, as that is where my roots lie. The richness of Her history keeps me a forever student.

8. What role does community play in your Hekatean path?

The CoH community is very dear to me. Cherished friendships have formed and are still welcome, and there is a sense of not being alone — of always having people to turn to with questions, and vice versa. This is especially important now that I am finding my own path as a solitary Wiccan and witch. The Witch Cafés I participate in also have that goal: sharing experiences and having people to talk to. Many people are in survival mode, so being heard and seen matters. Being there for one another matters, despite, or perhaps precisely because of, the hectic nature of modern life.

9. How do you balance personal experience, devotion and historical sources in your work with Hekate?

My devotion is based on history. I follow the Chaldean Hekate, and through the various hymns and my exploration of the PGM, I can incorporate my passion for origins and history into what I do for Hekate and the Covenant.

10. What do you feel is most often misunderstood about Hekate in modern Pagan or magical communities?

The Maiden, Mother and Crone trinity, which has absolutely nothing to do with Hekate, yet is uncritically adopted without any investigation into historical sources or even a reading of the myths. Furthermore, there is the conflation of historical facts with personal experiences, simply to make Hekate fit the image that a particular person wishes to have of Her because it suits them.

11. Is there a Hekatean practice, prayer, ritual or observance that has become especially important to you?

I have created various videos for the CoH YouTube channel, where quite a bit of material can already be found, but Thomas Taylor’s translation of the Orphic Hymn to Hekate is part of my daily routine and devotion. In addition, I perform the Deipnon almost every dark moon, as well as a ritual to guide the Restless Dead to Hekate.

Then there is also the Crossroads Collective, for which I handle the Dutch translation to ensure accurate information circulates on social media. There is my own website and Sanctuary, to which I plan to add more information, as well as my Membership Centre, where I can guide people.

12. Is there any Hekate-related work, project, group, writing, art, ritual or service you would like to share with readers?

As I mentioned before, on the YouTube channel of the CoH there are videos I have made that can be watched in Dutch and in English. There are also the Crossroads Collective videos on the Instagram account of the Covenant of Hekate. My own website and Membership Centre have just started, but I will be adding more information about Hekatean subjects I find interesting. Of course, I would also recommend all the hymns, because when you first read them, they may not speak to you, but the further you get to know Hekate and Her epithets, the more layers you will find in them.

13. What advice would you offer to someone who is just beginning their path with Hekate?

Read! Try to avoid social media that makes you feel lesser, or that gives information without a historical or modern source and relies only on personal experience. Everybody walks a different path, and every path is sacred. Have I mentioned reading yet? The books by Sorita are a good start, and on the website of the Covenant there is a reading list and a great deal of good, solid information about Hekate. There is also a book list on my website. Did I mention reading?

Besides reading — sorry, it is so important — a small everyday connection with Hekate is important. Just light a candle while focusing on Her, or burn some incense connected with Her. Take those five minutes in your daily routine, and it will pay off.

Find out more about DianaB's work as a Dutch Keybearer for the Covenant of Hekate, see:

www.sanctuaryofhekatedrakaina.org Instagram: sanctuary.of.hekate.drakaina Facebook: Sanctuary of Hekate Drakaina Email: sanctuaryofhekatedrakaina@gmail.com Also see: CoH Sanctuaries

How to become a member of the Covenant of Hekate?