Working with Kourotrophos

The epithet Kourotrophos (from the Greek κουροτρόφος) means “she who nourishes and protects children”. In Greek tradition, this title was given to deities who watched over gestation, birth, and growth.

In her aspect as Kourotrophos, Hekate is the cosmic midwife and spiritual nurse: the one who accompanies the soul from the maternal womb into maturity, ensuring that each vital passage is protected. Her care encompasses both body and spirit, healing and guiding throughout the journey of life.

To invoke Hekate under this epithet is to open oneself to the healing of the inner child, to the restoration of innocence, and to the assurance that the spark of love received at the beginning of life remains alive, safeguarded by the Goddess.

If you want to try to connect with her energy with this name, here you have a pathworking. It was created by me for my first group in Madrid 16 years ago.

The Descent

Take a moment to sit comfortably, with your back supported and your body at ease. Close your eyes gently and allow the breath to flow in and out without effort.

With each inhalation, feel the air entering through your nose, reaching deep into your chest. With each exhalation, let go of any tension you may be carrying.

Bring your awareness to the centre of your chest, to the rhythm of your heart.

Feel its steady beat, the pulse of life within you.

Place your hand lightly over your heart and connect with its warmth.

Know that in this moment you are safe, you are present, and you are held by the Goddess. Allow yourself to soften, to open, and to prepare for the journey within.

When you are ready, let us begin the descent…

Before us lie narrow stairs, 21 steps descending into the depths. They are carved into what seems to be a grotto; the walls are adorned with stalactites and precious stones. As if leading to a great treasure, the steps are perfectly shaped, offering us a sense of safety. We begin to descend, step by step, feeling ourselves moving ever deeper within, beyond our ordinary consciousness.

At the end of the stairway we find a door, our name inscribed upon it in golden letters. We must open it. We open the door and enter a beautiful cave filled with amethysts, radiating a tranquil and peaceful energy. We close the door behind us. Lying down in the centre of the cave, we notice that the ground itself is pulsing with a heartbeat. With each beat we feel more comfortable, almost as though drifting into sleep.

We begin to float and realise the cave has become the womb of our mother. We are no longer adults: we are unborn. We hear the beating of her heart, resonant like the heartbeat of the Earth. Our heart synchronises with hers. We hear her voice and feel the energy of her hands upon the walls of the womb, the vitality of her blood flowing into us. The umbilical cord shines, and with it, our solar plexus glows. Each heartbeat brings not only physical nourishment, but also love. Abundant love.

We are ready to be born. Something within the womb begins to stir, and though we feel fear, we are prepared for the passage. Then we hear a voice, distant yet arising from within ourselves. It is a woman’s voice, different from that of our mother: Hekate Kourotrophos speaks to us. Perhaps she lends us strength for the passage, perhaps she herself urges us forward. A warm mantle falls upon us; filled with power, we are no longer afraid. We are born. Our mother receives us into her arms, and the cave is left behind. The doctor cuts the umbilical cord, yet Hekate seals it so that the energy is never lost. The light with which our mother nourished us remains within, now blessed by the Goddess.

Healing the Inner Child

We grow a little, moving forward in time. We recall a moment in childhood that once caused us fear. In that memory, we visualise the presence of the Goddess. Ask Hekate Kourotrophos what happened, and how to repair it. Allow her energy to heal any wound that may remain in your aura. Permit the Goddess to restore the energy of the child you once were. Now grow into the light that she bestows upon you.

Visualise yourself continuing to grow, guided by Hekate at every step of life (and, if you feel called, also with Artemis in the background, as sister and guardian of youth). Recognise how Kourotrophos has always walked with you, until you became an adult and learned to stand on your own.

At every moment remember: the energy of your mother, sealed by the Divinity, lives within you, preserving the love that brought you into being.

The Bond Towards the Children

Now you are an adult, returned to the cave, which still pulses in rhythm with your heart. You have walked a hard road through life, and your reward is life itself. Your whole body responds to the world: your eyes see with clarity, your hands are skilful and strong, your mind is quick, and your heart comes back from this journey filled with the same love of life you once held as a child. Let that golden energy, clear, pure, and luminous, overflow.

From your navel, watch as a new silver cord emerges, strong and radiant, linking you to other beings. Lift your head and see them: they are your children. If you already have them, you will recognise their bright and pure faces; if you do not yet have them, you will still know them, for they are already your children in potential, awaiting their time. From their hearts flows an energy that travels through the cord you share. They carry within themselves the light you gave them at birth, and which you give them each day.

Allow the Goddess to draw near to them, covering them with her mantle. Ask her, as the parent you are, to watch over them, to guide them into becoming healthy adults, good people, whatever blessings you desire for them. See Hekate surrounding them with her light. If they are not yet born, ask Kourotrophos to assist them in their coming into the world, to guide them through the passage, and to walk with them in their growth.

When the Goddess has finished blessing them, you will see in your hands a part of the light that Kourotrophos gave you at your own birth. Place this light within the hearts of your children and bless them yourself, as their mother or father. Let them leave the cave, yet keep the vision of the bond between you: it stretches without breaking. If they are not yet born, tell them you are waiting. If they are already with you, tell them you will share tomorrow with them.

(If your daughters or sons are in pre-adolescence, you may call upon Artemis to teach them to be strong, to fight for their dreams, and to battle for what they believe in, until they find companions worthy of them.)

The Return

Finally, once your children have left the cave, turn calmly, open the door, and ascend the 21 steps. Return to yourself, bringing back all the energy and memories of the experience.

I really hope you send me your feedback or doubts about this travel. I will be here!