As you may know, my husband is a magical metal-worker and bladesmith. One of the reasons we moved to the Peaceable Kingdom was so he could have a dedicated home forge and workshop space. Of course we didn’t know that I’d get diagnosed with cancer literally the week after we moved in and that he’d spend most of the next year taking care of me and unpacking the entire house almost completely by himself.
But during that time, he kept forging (and myself and a number of our friends have benefited as he gifted and bartered his creations). He recently unearthed and completed the finish work on a project that he’s finally ready to release to a wider audience. He’s asked me if I wouldn’t mind sharing more about his process and this particular key on my site before he officially launches his own later in the month.
Bryn is a practicing bardic magician with many decades experience in spell-casting, witchcraft, and chaos magic. After an accident ended his career as a professional chef, he started smithing metal as a way of keeping his injured body moving. His forge – Aule forge – is naturally dedicated to Hephaestus (the lame smith). My husband is a skilled magician and smith, but also an incredible perfectionist and really, frankly, awkward about attention, so I figured I’d tell everyone how amazing he is (since he won’t).
This Hecate’s key was hand forged from a single piece of cold steel with hammer and anvil (not cast or cut from a blank). It was heated red hot and quenched in blessed oil dressed with pure frankincense just before 8:00am (PST), 31 October 2020 — when the Full Moon in Taurus exactly conjoined Uranus while the Orphic hymn to Hecate was recited. This both hardened and dedicated the key blank. The key was then cut under the auspices of connection to Hecate and hand polished and oiled to a silvery satin finish.
This key is a lightening rod, bringing the disruptive energy of Uranus down to Earth. It’s also a potent road opener and a direct connection to the Lady of the Dogs (or so She tells me). Hung for protection of the house against harm or chaos, it can also be used in divination to unlock secrets.
Note, this key is currently unused, but I have a similar Hecate’s key (quenched at a different time) and have used it successfully in the following ways:
- On my altar for Hecate workings
- In use for connection with my witchy ancestral lineage
- As a talisman during divinations where I try to unlock knowledge
- To draw down the power of the moon (by centering the full moon in the hole in the handle during outdoor ritual)
- For road opening and uncrossing work
This key is one of a kind. There will never be another. There were only three keys quenched at this particular moment — each different — and there only ever will be three. At 21 cm / 8.25 inches, this is the largest.
This key is the result of many hours of work and skilled magic and so should be worth way more than Bryn wants to charge for it. That said, it’s his to sell, and he is making it available for $250 USD including free shipping in the continental US (fully tracked and insured). For International addresses, we’ll need to give you a quote. I’m going to add the condition that the buyer send us a review of the piece that we can use on his site and social media. First person who emails me at ivy@circlethrice.com and pays the invoice I send gets it.
So what if you really, really want one of these but didn’t get this one? Well, you could commission one. He’ll make one just for you (small ~4 inches or large ~8 / black finish or satin silver) and quench it at a time of your choosing — or if you can’t choose, let us help you find the right time. It won’t look just like this one though. It will look like its own thing and be totally unique to you. It can be quenched and cut for any Deity that you choose or under the rulership of any planet — or you can have a general blessing and dedicate it yourself.
Thanks for reading and letting me brag about my amazing husband and his amazing work.
