Interview with Arie Briant

Hi fellow devotees! Welcome to a new interview! This time, Arie Briant, Hekate devotee and future Torchbearer, shares with us a bit about her life, her relationship with Hekate and her plans for the future! Please, let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Please, share a bit about you. Anything you'd like the readers to know about who you are.

Hello! I’m Arie. I am 26 years old. I live in the Twin Cities of Minnesota in the US. I am a pharmacy technician at my local hospital. I have a husband and a stepdaughter. I have always been interested in the paranormal, Greek mythology and supernatural beings since I was young. I officially became a pagan witch in 2021 after connecting with an ancestor in a dream. I started a relationship with Aphrodite and Ares and a few months later Hekate came along. Now I honor and work with a few other Greek Gods as well as a few Norse Gods.

How did Hekate enter your life? When did you first hear about Her?

I first heard about Hekate in 2020 when my mom went as Her for Halloween one year. She entered my life in December of 2021 after doing a small amount of research about her and I asked her if I could work with her. Silly me, she was there the whole time. The very first night I officially contacted her, I was told she has plans for me. She told me if I choose to, I could be a priestess of hers when the time is right. After multiple divination sessions, I’ve concluded that myself as well as my mother and sisters were devotees of her in Ancient Greece in a past life.

Are there any particular books or articles that resonated with you and defined your relationship with Hekate? If yes, which ones?

Jason Miller’s Sorcery of Hekate course has been a very important addition to my practice. I recently received Jack Grayle’s Hekataeon and the energy I feel from the book is in intense. Of course, Sorita D’este has very good books on Hekate as well that are very informative and have helped teach me. The first book I read about Hekate was Circle of Hekate by Sorita.

How did you find out Hekate's call? from that moment onwards... how did you start a "relationship" with Her? (Through daily devotions, for example).

Hekate’s call was very strong. Looking back, she was the reason I met an ancestor in my dream. She basically kicked off my journey into paganism and witchcraft. I started a relationship with her by giving her offerings and doing divination with her.

How do you feel your practice has evolved through time?

I definitely feel like my connection with her has gotten stronger. I think about her often, I feel urged to research topics relating to her like ancestors, liminality, spirits, etc. I feel more confident in my craft and feel like I want to be a teacher of hers.

Are you part of a "tradition"? Is there anything related to this tradition that includes Hekate in your practice?

I’m not a part of any tradition, even though I’m trying to learn more about Hellenic Paganism. I want to learn about how the ancients worshipped the Gods and apply that to my practice while also modernizing when necessary, such as with animal sacrifies.

Do you celebrate Deipnon? How do you celebrate it?

Yes I do. I give Hekate an offering in accordance with Jason Miller’s Sorcery of Hekate. I usually give eggs, garlic, onion, honey, olive oil and some kind of dessert. I would love to eventually have a Little Free Pantry in my front yard as an offering to her as well.

And on another note, why you decide to become a member of the CoH?

I decided to become a member because my intuition told me that this would be a good opportunity for me to learn more about her and to better devote myself to her.

Is there anything else about yourself, your practice, or your Sanctuary that you'd like to add?

I’m hoping to set up Sanctuary of Hekate Apotropaia-Psychopompos by the end of the year. I plan on at least getting it set up online within the next month and then go from there. I’ve always been drawn to her protective aspects and her connection with the dead. I would love to be a paranormal investigator to help spirits and their loved ones cross over and become at ease with their death. I want to help the living and the dead.