Pagan Portals - Temple of the Bones: Rituals to the Goddess Hekate

by Jennifer Teixeira author of Pagan Portals -

'The relationship that Jennifer Bird Teixeira has with Hekate is palpable; rich and deep, with an undercurrent of ancient mystery. Whether you've loved Hekate for many years, or seek to know her better now, you could not ask for a better guide than Bird.' Sharon Knight ~ Musician and Producer of Hexenfest; A Festival of Myth, Music and Magic

The Temple of the Bones is a gathering of witches, priest/ess/xes, and pagans under the dark of the moon to honor Hekate through public ritual. This book contains information on witching herbs, daily practices, moon magic and how the Temple seeks to strengthen community through the honoring of the dead. As they are, soon we shall be and their message often is to not waste your precious time on the things that do not serve your highest purpose. The Temple of the Bones encourages you to look into your own power. What wants to be brought to the surface? Are you using your strengths, or are you feeding your weakness? How are you creating magic in your own life with the wisdom of your bones?

Genres: Witchcraft, Paganism, Magick, Religion, Spirituality

122 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 28, 2021

Reviews

[Alexia ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been waiting for this book to come out since I first heard of it, a couple of months back. I'm going to be honest that I was expecting a bit... more? The book is mostly a gathering of rituals and information for the working of the Temple of the Bones, a Temple dedicated to the Goddess Hekate. It is not a book *about* Hekate but about the Temple, how it works, examples of their working, rituals, among others. It's interesting from the POV to learning how other practitioners work with the Goddess and how the work in a Temple is developed but, when it comes to learning about Hekate, I would recommend this book to someone who already has some basis on it. The bibliography at the end is pretty good, wish it could have some more important books on the topic though. Overall, it's a good book but maybe I hyped it too much in my mind.

[Edric Unsane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well done collection of practices, information, and rituals centered around the Greek Goddess Hekate. Short and to the point, I am very pleased with the book and will be keeping it on my shelves.

[Rebecca (Medusa's Rock Garden) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. About the only things I liked in this book was the small section on bees and honey and the few recipes. Other than those the information was lacking, sometimes a little wrong, and honestly poorly presented. I've written and read better blog posts than this.

[Madelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slightly disappointed with this one. I was hoping it would be more so a history of cultural and magical practices associated with Hecate, so if you know of any please send them my way! But reading it did make me feel slightly more in tune with my magical self. An interesting read nonetheless.

[Autumn (Triquetra Reviews) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must preface this review by saying that I am not dedicated to Hekate, and have only worked with Her in passing.

That being said, I believe this book would be best for those who have a working relationship or knowledge of Hekate. Rather than a 101 overview, this book is a deeper delve into what and how the Temple of Bones works - a group that meets together in California.

While this is an interesting look into one group's rituals and activities, for someone like me, this book wasn't very valuable.
Being the wrong audience isn't a bad thing, which is why I am giving this 3 Triquetras as a rating. The information was interesting, but doesn't seem to be helpful to someone starting out their own practice with Her.

I suppose you could adapt some of the ritualistic materials within the book to fit a practice, but it really seems to be a way to connect with the wider Hekate community, to see what others are doing and to see how others are honoring your Goddess.

The information on the bone oracle, and creating your own, was interesting! The section on offerings also seems to be very helpful!
The various recipes and correspondence also seem helpful for those who would like to incorporate that knowledge into their practices and workings!

Overall it isn't a bad book, just something that I don't find useful as someone who doesn't have a spiritual or deeply emotional ties to Hekate and Her communities.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Pagan Portals/Moon Books Publishing!
This book is for you if you are a ritualist, love to read about ritual spells, and want ideas on how to offer a group ritual to her. The book goes into some of her epiphanies and personal exploration, and chapters are broken up into each portion of the ritual.
Great breakdown, digestable short and sweet chapters.
Fantastic if your practice involves ancestor work, shadow work and working with spirit.

[Amanda Papenfus · Rating 3 out of 5]

This made a nice multi-evening short-burst read. I learned some new things. There were some parts that were repetitive though especially in the rituals, but I suppose the benefit is that one could go directly to the ritual they want and everything be there vs having to flip back to the first mention of the repeated steps.

[Megan Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not get as much from this one as I would have liked. :(

The formatting and structure of the book were weird, and it needed some additional editing. It felt like a wild mishmash of information thrown together, but ideas didn't feel connected, and there was no overall 'flow' throughout.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is what Keeping Her Keys should have been like. I much prefer the more casual tone of this book compared. Interesting information for someone that is still developing a relationship with Hekate. Or even someone who is just interested in Her.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative information and history about the Goddess Hekate.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome resource for encountering and worshipping the goddess

[Lodestarwytch · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful devotional book for anyone working with or interested in Hekate & Her ways.