Interview with Torchbearer and Keybearer Giovanna Díaz

Greetings all! After the warm reception of the first interview I did with Marcel, I'm very excited to share that there are many more interviews with CoH members to come!

Today I present you Giovanna Díaz, Torchbearar and Keybearer for the CoH, she leads the Hekate Propylaia Sanctuary, and provides us with her Wisdom and how her relationship with Her evolved over time.

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

I first heard about Hekate I guess the same way and place most of us of my generation around: Internet pagan forums. However I was very scared of approaching her. She was depicted in a very gothy, “dark”, “black magic juju” devilish way. I was also very, very young and naive and starting out, so, Hekate was intimidating enough to make me run the other way around.

When I became a bit more experienced I attended a Samhain ritual where Hekate was channeled into someone and She gave me a message. I dedicated myself to Her after that.

A couple years later I joined The Covenant of Hekate.

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

The books by Sorita D’Este are my favorite. They’re the first that I read and I come back again to re read them every few years, as they’re packed full with knowledge, well documented and incredibly informative, written in an approachable languaje. I am still reading Circle for Hekate Vol 1 and waiting for Vol 2.

I can also reccomend to read classical sources (hello Theogony, The Golden Ass, Methamorphoses and Description of Greece!) and also classicist’s Master Thesis whenever possible to obtain such as Hecate- Selene- Artemis : Un estudio de sus asimilaciones a traves de los Himnos Orficos y el PGM IV 2785 28 90 by Pablo Rodriguez Valdez.

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).

She literally gave me a message in the mentioned ritual that I couldn’t just refuse. And after that and some other signals I had to just… go all in.

I started by searching for information

about her, first blogs and classical sources then gathered modern books when I was able to get my hands on an amazon kindle (which I adore and still keep after more than 10 years)

Frantically I just learned everything about her that I

could. I kept a journal and became very focussed on knowing. Which I still am doing.

I finally built a shrine and started doing offerings every day and then as I learned more my practice and relationship with her developped naturally, though ritual, service and dedication,helping others that wanted to learn more as much as I could, ect.

How do you feel your practice has evolved through time?

Well, it started when I was very young and inexperienced, from having a tiny altar leaving a stick of incense every

day to leading a Sanctuary and ending up being ordained a Priestess, so it has evolved as I’ve literally grown up and learned and gained more insight into a “know-how” just through sheer trial and error and learning from others what to do (and more importantly what not to do)

The building of a community here is essential since we all support each other. I am lucky in the CoH there are so many brilliant people I can admire and learn from that nurture each other’s practices and world view.

In my regard I am building a personal Tradition for my family to keep and Hekate has been with me every step of the way, through every book and candle, every recipe gone right or wrong and every spirit I encounter.

She has opened doors for me that I have never dreamed could be open and I am eternally gratefull and dedicated to her worship until she gets entirely annoyed of me and decides to make me a part of the landscape.

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

I am a Priestess of Isis and Hecate, and also Hierophant for the Fellowship of Isis

where we worship the Goddess in all her forms.

On the other hand I am a practitioner of traditional withcraft and I am building my own familiar tradition, that incorporates of course Hekate, elements of the

local folklore and magic, and the influences from my blood and roots.

Do you celebrate Deipnon? How do you celebrate it?

I celebrate every Deipnon, and will usually

do two rituals, one for my family alone and one hosting the Sanctuary of Hekate Propylaia members (and non- members can join if you’d like!)

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

The Covenant of Hekate seemed initially a group of dedicated like-minded members that I longed to belong, to learn more about the Goddess.

After a difficult period of transition in my life where I had to re-do everything in my spiritual path, I found the CoH to be the place where I found my refuge, where I could not only expand my knowledge but help other people work in the Goddess’s service, creatively expand my practice and worship, hold temple and to be a part of something bigger, a true community in the truest use of the word. That is very sacred to me.

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

I am very grateful for the all the brilliant and knowledgeable members of the Sanctuary of Hekate Propylaia that lean into my madness and join me in my structured organized classes, seminars, workshops, improvised impromptu rituals and general projects, help me and teach me every day. To yourself, Vanessa and Marcel S, that have been a guiding light within it, I thank you two deeply.

We will continue our shared shenanigans during these year and I will keep herding cats to keep the lighting of the fire and the Sanctuary alive and well.

In darkness, Light!

Gio

Keybearer and Torchbearer

Sanctuary of Hekate Propylaia