Kitchen Witch Hel Ritual for Transformation

You will need:

2 candles – both in a colour that speaks of transformation to you – suggestions would be black/white, pink/red, yellow/orange, light blue/dark blue. If you would like to inscribe your candle with a rune or sigil, please add a pin, or something sharp to your list to inscribe it with.

Lighter or Matches and Candle Holders.

An empty jar with a lid.

Small strips of paper – big enough to write your petitions on.

Pen or Pencil to write with. 

Fireproof vessel or Cauldron.

Something to eat and drink

Circle Casting and Element Invocation

By the power of the depths of the underworld and the highest peaks

By the might of winter storm winds and gentle spring breezes

By the warmth of glowing embers and the heat of a summer sun

By the waters of a trickling stream and the raging tides of the sea

We are connected!

Hel – Queen of the Underworld, of compassion, reflection, and inner truth

We invite you to our ritual to lend your energies so that we may bring about the transformation in our lives that we need.

Welcome!

Hel – her name meaning ‘hidden’ is the Norse Goddess of the dead. I say ‘Goddess’, but the word ‘Goddess’ isn't mentioned in any of the ancient stories about her. She was looked upon more as the Queen who oversaw the underworld palace of Helheim. 

Hel is the daughter of the trickster Loki and the Giantess Angrboda. She became the Queen of Helheim after it was said that Odin threw her from the sky into the depths of the Underworld. Unperturbed, she made the realm her own and crowned herself Queen. There are other texts which say she was appointed by Odin to rule over the realm of Niflheimr the realm of the dishonoured dead. 

There are different versions of what Hel looks like – one describes her as half blue skinned, half flesh, another speaks of her being half in darkness, half in light – one side as black as soot, the other as white as snow. The one I found that resonated with me was that one half was a living person, beautiful with long flowing hair and porcelain skin, the other half was of a skull face and her skeletal bones exposed for all to see. 

According to the 13^th century Icelandic Scholer Snorri Sturluson as written in the Prose Eddas, the realm which Hel ruled was, in parts, not a pleasant place. The dead souls of those that died in battle went to Odin’s palatial home of Valhalla. But if you were a particularly nasty piece of work and you arrived at her realm, you could expect to be greeted by her guardian at the gates, a blood-stained wolf called Garmr before having your blood sucked out in its entirety by a dragon called Nidhogg. Once inside, you would be in a place where you would hear constant wailing from within walls that were made of worms and the bones of the dead. 

As with all things, there are two sides to every story. Like the two sides to Hel, she also had a softer side. She watched over the souls of those that died peacefully in their sleep of old age or of illness. She tended to the souls of women that passed in childbirth and those that passed as infants or children. 

It is said that her appearance was as it was for a reason – she was not interested in hiding or euphemizing the true nature of death. It is a part of the cycle of life and is just as sacred as living. Hel was said to be compassionate, and no lies were ever uttered from her lips. Her realm was also one of peace, reflection and truth. 

Names: Hel, Hela 

Symbols: The rune Hagalaz, Crows, Snake or Serpent, Wolves 

Plants: Elm, Elder, Yew, Ivy, Ash, Juniper, Blackthorn, all Evergreens 

Offerings: tea blends, dried apple or berries, red wine, incense. Fenix Flames Dei-ties Lilith Coffee (my own offerings to Hel)

Crystals: Onyx, Obsidian, Jet, Black Tourmaline, Hematite 

Month: October to February, but you can work with her all-year round

Working

The intent for this spell is personal transformation. This may be because of a change that you are struggling to come to terms with, or you wish to change something about yourself. You might wish to view certain situations differently, change thought patterns or habits that are weighing you down. 

Take a few moments to think about anything that is not sitting right with you. You might have one thing, there may be several, or you may feel that you are content right now, but if there was something that you could change, what would it be?...

Light your first candle. This is the candle that represents you at this present moment. 

Take a slip of paper and write down what it is that you want to change. If this is a change that you are struggling to come to terms with, write that down. Write as many as you need. 

One by one, light the slip of paper from the candle and place it or them into your fireproof vessel. 

Now take a few moments to think about how you will manifest those changes, how will you transform?...

Take the second candle and light it from the first candle. This signifies changing your thoughts, patterns or habits from the old to a new way of thinking and represents you going forward. 

Again, take your slips of paper and write down the transformation that you wish to bring about. How are you going to move forward, what are you going to do differently?

This time, place the slips of paper into the jar and when you are finished, place the lid on top. You can place the candle on top of the lid if you wish.

Wait for the candle to burn down or relight again, if you wish to extend the spell.

You can add other slips of paper if you think about something afterwards. 

Eat, Drink and Chat

Close Down

Hel, Queen of the Underworld, we thank you for your presence at our ritual today.

Farewell!

By the power of the depths of the underworld and the highest peaks

By the might of winter storm winds and gentle spring breezes

By the warmth of glowing embers and the heat of a summer sun

By the waters of a trickling stream and the raging tides of the sea

This ritual here is done but we will always remain connected!