Category Archives: Events

Becoming a Druid – Druid Camp 2025

25 Monday Aug 2025

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It’s been a long time since I first found myself at Druid Camp, while I haven’t made it to every camp since then it has become an important part of my calendar. This year it felt like more than a fun event, it felt like a homecoming, like finding paganism and witchcraft did all those years ago.

Which is ironic since we were on new land and the theme was “Re-birth”!

A campfire at night

Since the very wet Pembrokeshire-based camp in 2023 where we connected with Ceridwen and Taliesin (yay!) and I taught a pair of workshops working with them, the voice, inspiration, Awen… the old team led by powerhouse Mark Graham passed the baton to the wonderfully tenacious Esther (“Esther from Leicester” as she introduces herself) and a crew of talented, dedicated people. But Druid Camp had also moved away from the old Rainbow Spirit site in Gloucester and the Pembrokeshire site didn’t quite fit, so we needed a new home.

And Bear and Minx opened the doors of Dragonwood.

Over the past 18 months members of the camp community rallied and worked with the land, and this August Druid Camp settled into land that welcomed us like old friends.

Glorious sunshine, curious spirits, and whispering willows embraced us as Druid Camp was reborn.

I’m still integrating the gentle but powerful shifts I felt while there, and perhaps there won’t ever be words to tell you of the gifts I have received, and saw others touched by too, but I can tell you some things:

The team did an amazing job.

The land is used to magical folk and wants to speak with us.

And for the first time in 10 years I really felt like a part of this community, not hanging out on the edge but right in the heart of it.

A circular doorway of willow between two hawthorn trees, framing a stone altar.

This is not a criticism of previous camps, but a reflection of my journey!

I wrote about my second year here – “A Faery at Druid Camp” – and my wariness of “druids” in general in “The Trouble with Druids“. 2023 marked a definite shift for me and I shared my experience of “Being Bardic at Druid Camp” where I was feeling more at home, more recognised, and more like I belonged, but this year I was no longer asking the question “does this make me a druid?” but stating something that has become true:

“I am a druid.”

Now, I joined OBOD a few years ago and have worked my way through the grades of Bard and Ovate. As of writing this I’m halfway through the Druid Grade material, so I can claim the title on that technicality, but now, after the “Initiation into the Spirit of Camp” ritual held by the new lead ritualist of camp Jay “Beekeeper” Anderson, now I feel it. And yes…

I had studied storytelling and performance as enchantment as a Bard – and still do.

I had practiced the magic of the deep green land as an Ovate – and still do!

And I regularly lead rituals and teach (and spent 20+ years studying philosophy academically, a traditional druid past-time!)

But becoming a Druid, for me, isn’t just about knowing stuff. It’s about finding a home in a community where you can share those skills and where the land recognises you as well as the people.

Halo smiling at the camera with three golden dots of clay on their forehead and tents in the background.

I’ll always be a witch,

and I’m certainly a magician,

but now I know –

I’m a druid too.

I’m always fascinated by what people mean when they say that they’re a druid, a witch, a magician, a pagan, and so on. Sometimes the journey is quick – you find a term and it just fits. And sometimes the journey is long, and starts with a bad impression but you find yourself returning again and again.

I’d love to hear from you, please do comment below – what is your favourite word to describe yourself and the path you’re on, and how did you come to it?

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A wide shot of Halo on a dimly lit stage at Druid Camp, in a gold shirt, with audience sat on camping chairs - singing Cryptozoologist.
Singing Cryptozoologist – you are all fabulous time keepers!

PS: Cryptozoologist lyrics here – for those that want them! New verses will be added soon!

Occult Con Reflections – On Necromancy

09 Monday Dec 2024

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Part of a series of posts inspired by the South Wales Occult Conference in Cardiff on 2nd November 2024 – find the first post and index here.

It wouldn’t be a conference on death in the occult without at least one talk on, well, talking to the dead. Enter Dr Al Cummings. On video.

Poetically titled “Black Arts and Cunning Crafts”, Al’s talk was thick with information about Early Modern cunning folk practices and beliefs on speaking with the dead and enlisting their aid in supernatural endeavours.

Here, nowadays, we tend to be a bit skittish around the dead but that’s actually quite unusual for human beings throughout history and around the world. As Dr Al pointed out, of all the spirits dead humans are most likely to be invested in human life, and our ancestors even more so.

One of the factors which interrupted this relationship, we were told, was the fact that Christian orthodoxy held that the dead couldn’t return from the otherworld until Judgement Day, and as Judgement Day hasn’t happened yet the souls that Necromancers spoke to must be from Purgatory… except the Protestant reformation did away with Purgatory for political reasons. So who were these ghosts?

The devil? Catholic spirits? Demons pretending to care?

Whatever people were supposed to believe, and however the dead were supposed to behave, Necromancers and Ghosts continued to not only communicate with each other but to help each other.

Perhaps, Necromantic practice says, the Dead dwell beside us, “not restless but retired” and if so they likely have a lot of time on their hands. If they’re still interested in the things they were when alive, why wouldn’t they want to keep doing those things?

Dr Al shared stories and magical charms used in these practices, but one particularly interesting ritual included instructions for “Spectral Grimoire Delivery” – acquiring a book of magic with the help of the dead.

Specifically, someone who you make a deal with on their deathbed.

A deal that binds them after death to come when you call.

They are then sent to find a courier spirit to bring you a book of magic from the Elemental Kings, specifically a book of magic that you can use.

I find it fascinating that this ritual included them giving you their “christendom” – why? Because they’d lose it in the process? As a bargaining chip? Or because they can’t do the job if they are Christened? – and then you return it afterward, but retain the agreement that they’ll come when called.

The whole process suggests that you could find someone willing to do this task for you, which reminds me of the dead folk who turn up in a Spiritualist Church to prove that there is life after death to their congregants, and the promises others make to visit their loved ones.

We don’t stop wanting to be involved in community just because we died.

Dr Al mentioned the connection between the dead and the fertility and wellbeing of the community, and it is to our detriment that we’ve forgotten this as a culture.

There is a slow movement to bring more Ancestor Veneration within pagan spaces, though we’re often clumsy with it because it is both so simple, in many ways, and so complex in others.

To reconnect with our helpful dead many of us have to shift a fundamental understanding of the universe and the processes of life and death. To remember that Saturn’s sickle is not the end of existence, but rather the end of a chapter and we remain in community together.

The land of the dead, like the land of the Fair Folk, is not elsewhere but here. Our land, bleeding into planes of existence that we can’t quite see with our earthly eyes, but that are still here.

And if we ask really nicely, perhaps they’ll bring us wonders, and magic books, that are normally just out of reach.

Did you know that if you travel into faeryland you’re as likely to find the dead as you are to find the fae? The two are very closely connected, as you’ll find in Folktales, Faeries, & Spirits…

Cover of Folktales, Faeries, and Spirits book

One powerful way to build relationship with the spirits of your land is through the stories and folklore local to you. Folktales, Faeries,& Spirits is a guidebook to how you can find those tales and unpick the clues within.

Folktales, Faeries, and Spirits – a practical guide to working with faeries and the spirits of nature, by Halo Quin

Buy Folktales, Faeries, & Spirits here

Occult Con Reflections – On Initiation into a Modern Magical Order

22 Friday Nov 2024

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Part of a series of posts inspired by the South Wales Occult Conference in Cardiff on 2nd November 2024 – find the first post and index here.

As I shared previously, at the conference I teamed up with my friend Sef from The Visible College to speak on our joint project – Star Club.

Star Club is a syncretic magical training program rooted in the Western esoteric tradition, blending ceremonial and ecstatic pagan practices to give students the opportunity to develop themselves and their skills as magicians. We teach a bit, discuss a bit, and then apply it in group ritual to get results.

Of course, once we completed the first training cycle something else emerged with a life of its own. A new modern magical order (to quote Dr Bob Plimer), complete with initiation for those that want to be a part of it… and further support and training for our members, because we never stop learning!

At the Conference we talked specifically about initiation and it’s impact on individuals and the order itself. How initiation occurs as part of the process of becoming…

Sef and myself, with a PowerPoint!

Initiation is a funny thing.

It can be a change initiated within you.

It can be a new chapter begun.

It can be an initiation into a tradition or order – which can be like joining a club, being adopted, or getting married.

So what happens in initiation for a modern magical order?

Initiation is by definition a beginning, but when something new begins, the old dies.

Within Star Club we designed the whole training cycle as a process which supports the transformation of self, and the initiations themselves are a part of that.

In the final session of the training cycle our final group working is our version of the ritual known as “The Headless Rite”, developed from the “Greek Magical Papyri”, which acts as an initiation of completion and integration. And then, after the cycle is complete, practitioners are invited to initiate into the order itself and we come back together for a big ritual…

The first is an initiation of internal change, the second is an initiation of becoming part of something larger than yourself.

But what is always worth remembering is that when a new person joins a group, that person is changed in relationship, and the group is also changed. It now has something that it didn’t have before.

Initiation doesn’t just change the individual… It changes the order, the magic of the club.

And as magicians, witches, pagans, and company, we know that “as above, so below” – all parts partake of each other – and thus changing ourselves, and changing the order, also changes the world.

Your Turn:

What are your stories of initiation, whether explicitly magical or spontaneously occurring, that you can share publicly? When have you stepped through a gateway, or finished a chapter, and found that it wasn’t just you that had changed but the world around you changed too?

I’d love to hear your stories in the comments below. (Or you can join the conversation in The Enchanted Academy here!)

Our mission at Star Club? To share multidisciplinary magic that gets results and changes the world.

We have in-person training cycles each year in Bristol, and if you have a group who want to learn, we can often travel to you! Or you can join our online membership to access our solo practitioner program and bonus talks and materials.

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Occult Con Reflections – Plants of the Underworld

20 Wednesday Nov 2024

Posted by in Events, Magic, Reflections, Treelore

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Part of a series of posts inspired by the South Wales Occult Conference in Cardiff on 2nd November 2024 – find the first post and index here.

The South Wales Occult Conference is organised and hosted by Sian Sibley and her coven, DragonOak, and when a speaker had to drop out the day before the conference Siany stepped in and gave a really interesting talk on Plants of the Underworld…

Plants of the Underworld - Sian Sibley - Tied to Death, Remembrance, and Safe Passage .Photo of scrawled conference notes with doodled branch and pentagrams as bullet points, with the subtitle: Yew - Immortal trees.
Remember: don’t eat of the Yew tree… They’re immortal but you’re not!

As a witch I often think I should be better at herbalism. When I left college I went to study holistic therapies – massage, reflexology, aromatherapy – because it seemed important to me that I should know a healing skill.

(I then spent a year trying to set up a therapy business – named Flutterby Therapies – as I figured it was the best way to offer magical healing services in a way that fit with the culture I lived in. Unfortunately I didn’t have any real business skills and it didn’t take off, but I certainly learned in the process!)

My understanding of herbalism, however, has remained rudimentary, so I was curious to hear what Siany would share about plants

In her talk, Plants of the Underworld, Siany told us about plants that are connected to death, plants for remembering the ancestors, and plants for safe passage to (and from) the Underworld.

Notes on the plants of the Underworld talk with watercolour doodles noted in caption - Mostly illegible text.
By doodling I keep my concentration on the talk, and it gives a visual clue to the content! I wonder what story these images make: a tree, a drop of blood, a yew aril, a pomegranate…

One thing that I really enjoyed was the reminder of how much of this I already knew, because, actually, herbalism is only one way of working with plant spirits. Some part of my spirit relaxed, finally letting go of the “should” that I’ve felt around this piece of magic which is so deeply associated with my chosen Path.

You do not need to be a herbalist to work with plants. You don’t need to get a certificate, or take a long course, or learn all the Latin names (though that can definitely be fun!). Rather, you can take a basic identification guide out and talk to the plants themselves. You can pay attention to the stories, as always, and learn from the wisdom within.

But please, if you want to practice the kind of healing involved in herbalism – consuming or applying plant material to the body – then the study is important. Our powerful plant allies can be deadly!

Identification and a basic knowledge of toxicity is particularly important for those plants associated with death and the underworld – as the easiest way to reach the Underworld is through that final gateway, from which we do not return.

Siany shared with us about the Yew tree, ancient and immortal, whose song sounds, to me, like an eternal chorus of angels, and whose presence is patient peace.

Hemlock and Belladonna, as poisonous teachers of the underworld. Blackthorn, whose scratches are so often toxic, as both guardian and guide to the liminal.

And those plants who connect us to our ancestors – Rosemary, a European plant of memory, whose chemistry stimulates remembering, and whose presence protects and reminds us of who came before.

Lavender, to enhance dreams of our ancestors and make space for grieving. So often used as an essential oil in many households it is a sedative and lowers blood pressure – which is why many people find it helps with sleep. Taking us closer to the Underworld in a gentle way.

Though be careful, still, for if you already have low blood pressure lavender can make that worse, just as rosemary raises blood pressure! Our plant allies are powerful, even the gentle ones, so a little research and a lot of getting to know them is always key.

And this makes sense, because as witches our magic is rooted in relationship, and those relationships are going to be different for each person, so it is up to you to build the relationships that work for you rather than just picking something someone has told you in a book.

Even when a plant, or deity, or other spirit, normally behaves in a particular way with most people, it doesn’t mean it will work with you that way, and vice versa of course. Relationships take time and paying attention.

Yellow and orange marigolds gently closing as the sun sets over the sea

One lovely piece of lore that I didn’t know was that in (some) South American cultures the Marigold is a flower for honouring the ancestors, specifically as our pathway into this world. I loved hearing about this bright, beautiful, joyful flower as part of ancestor magic. Our Underworld allies need not always be gloomy, there is beauty and joy here too.

Finally Siany shared some plants for safe passage to the underworld – Poppy, the flower of sleep and remembrance, Hawthorn, the liminal tree of edges and boundaries that feeds the travellers with berry and leaf, Pomegranates, the fruit of Persephone, of life, fertility, and death, Mandrake, with its talismanic roots shaped like our human dead, and Mugwort, the plant of opening psychic senses and brewing dreamer’s tea.

This talk wasn’t just about who to approach for what task, though, but also about the practitioner’s encounters with those plants – and for that, well, you’ll have to ask Sian Sibley herself, for those are not my stories to tell.

I love that Siany combines both a magical experience with a scientist’s background, proving that these are not only compatible approaches, but enhance each other.

You can find Sian Sibley’s books on working with plant spirits here!



Your Turn:

Perhaps you have stories you’d like to share of when you’ve met these plants, or of things you’ve felt you “should” learn in order to be a witch, or druid, or pagan, or occultist, or whatever path you are on, and you realised that actually you don’t have to do it that way. Like me realising that I don’t need to learn herbalism, as I already have a relationship with plant spirits and there are many ways to work with them that suits me better…

Whatever they are, I’d love to hear your stories in the comments below.

Cover of Folktales, Faeries, and Spirits book

One powerful way to build relationship with the spirits of your land is through the stories and folklore local to you. Folktales, Faeries,& Spirits is a guidebook to how you can find those tales and unpick the clues within.

Folktales, Faeries, and Spirits – a practical guide to working with faeries and the spirits of nature, by Halo Quin

Buy Folktales, Faeries, & Spirits here

Occult Con Reflections: Egyptian Fetishes

18 Monday Nov 2024

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No, not that kind of fetish.

Part of a series of posts inspired by the South Wales Occult Conference in Cardiff on 2nd November 2024 – find the first post and index here.

Dr. Robert A. Plimer (of Black Lodge Publishing)  is an academic and a practitioner who I’ve heard speak on Egyptian magic several times now, and he’s always fascinating.

This was no exception.

Some of my notes, scrawled in black ink with red and yellow watercolour highlights.

Dr. Bob spoke on different types of Fetishes, magical objects, how they were made, what they were for, and their parallels with mummies.

How these were made of, or including, bone, seeds, milk… Things that are of the body… And smeared in blood, or red as a symbol of blood, to bring them to life.

And how they were the focal point for intention.

Between the matter and the mind and the life force in the blood… The Fetishes become living sites of spirit interaction, bridges between the practitioner and the Others.

What really struck me was the importance of the material aspect in this process – this is magic that is embodied, with no claim to be separate from this world. The Fetishes need all three aspects to work as magical objects.

I also really enjoyed hearing about the healing steles – carved stone images with script, as a charm for healing, activated by having wine poured over the carvings. The wine would flow in the shape of the healing charm and become imbued with that spell.

Magic you can eat, not just think about.

In my work I often remind students that to be the most effective practitioners possible we need to bring all of our parts to the magic in alignment: our physical self, our mental self, and our divine self.

This can appear many different ways, of course, but that principle is demonstrated here too.

The physical, mental, and spiritual/divine aspects all shaped with one purpose, and the magic is rooted in an understanding of how these are all inherently interconnected.

Dr Bob did also remind us that any work like this has to be within the context of the Practitioner’s culture, that an object to house spirits probably won’t work in a context that doesn’t allow for spirits to be housed… Which reminds me that it isn’t just our inner parts that need to work together to make magic, but that the world needs to have space for magic for it to happen.

Let’s continue to make that space.

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The South Wales Occult Conference 2024

04 Monday Nov 2024

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This weekend I had the pleasure of speaking at the South Wales Occult Conference again, organised by Sian Sibley and the Dragonoak Coven.

In 2022 I spoke on the Fair Folk, but this time I teamed up with Sef Salem to speak together on initiation in relation to our joint project – the practical training program and modern magical order: Star Club – and take the whole conference to the underworld. But I’ll tell you about that later.

Given my academic background it probably isn’t surprising that I like conferences, but you don’t have to be academic to be inspired by such a fascinating range of speakers and topics.

Poster with speaker line up: Life's Slow Fatal Dance - A Conference on Death, Dying and Working with the Underworld. The 2024 Welsh Occult conference is on the 2nd Of November 2024 in Cardiff. Speakers at the Conference Dr Al Cummins - Sorcerer and Necromancy practitioner. Sorita D'Este - Devotee of Hekate, Author, Publisher Dr Robert Plimer - Author and Dr of Classics Ben Stimpson- Author and expert in ancestor workings Brett HollyHead - Author and Witch Dr Frances Clynes - Lecturer Trinity St Davids Mark Norman - Folklorist - Specialising in Churchyard folklore and burial rituals. Sef Salem & Dr Halo Quin - Ritualist and Conference organisers. Sarah Janes - Author and expert on Dream Incubation for divination and development. ​ Dr Linda Severs -Expert on Otherworldism in the Anglo Saxon times. Online Recorded Videos ​ Ness Bosch - Working with the Bones of Our Ancestors Sian Sibley - Plant work with the Underworld.

As you can see from the line up, the theme was “Death, Dying, & The Underworld” and the talks themselves were full of inspiring ideas, interesting questions, and fascinating information.

One thing I love about these events is hearing about people’s research and practice and being inspired to look at things differently. A new perspective or chance quote can open beautiful doors to whole worlds of magical possibilities.

(I took notes on most of the talks and intend to share reflections inspired by each of them in the next couple of weeks!)

But the biggest reason to go… Is to connect with people who are as excited about magic as I am. Shared conversation, listening to people who aren’t in the public eye but have just as much wisdom to share, and remembering that we might be wyrd but we’re not alone.

Some of the attendees, loved having our Star Club crew there!

Thank you to Siany and everyone involved for such a lovely day, for the fantastic blend of paths, and for the community which is woven like a web, anchored in these events and the friendships made at them.

This weekend is Worldwide Witchcamp, which I’m part of the organising team for… More community! This time online, Reclaiming, and in many languages… Registration closes in 15 hours! http://www.worldwidewitchcamp.com

What are your favourite magical events and places to find inspiration and community?

Reflections on the Talks – index

Jung and Astrology – Frances Clynes

Plants of the Underworld – Sian Sibley

Creating Katabasis in the Star Club Initiation – Sef Salem & Halo Quin

Egyptian Fetishes – Dr Robert A Plimer

Immortality – Sorita D’Este

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Come and deepen your practice with experiential classes, discussion prompts, oracle and healing swaps, and courses available to embody your magic.

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On Identity, difference, and community

01 Monday Apr 2024

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Back in February at the ​Glastonbury Occult Conference​ I gave an introductory talk on the controversial topic of Kink, Magic, and Embodiment, drawing parallels between magical and kink techniques and busting some myths about BDSM, all from a magical perspective.

I’m not going to talk about it at length here, but there’s a chapter in my book Crimson Craft – Sexual magic for the solo witch which touches on the topic of kink and magic. It’s a sensitive one for a lot of people because there are so many misunderstandings, but there is such a huge connection between the two communities and modern magical practitioners have learned a lot from the kink community’s work around consent, care, and trance techniques, among other things, while the kink community has benefitted from the space magical folk have made for the sacred and spiritual healing.

There is much to learn from each other, and we have more in common than the stereotypes would have us believe!

It is easy to look for differences, to tie our identities to what we are not rather than what we share, and we do this all the time. Witch, druid, magician, occultist, cunning one, Wiccan, Priestess… the list of options goes on.

Each of us want to understand where we belong, to find a sense of home, and we often use difference to support this.

For a long time I associated druids with drunkards (​thanks to the activist, King Arthur, and his Warband​) and avoided Druid events.

Then one year I went to Druid Camp. Turned out that the druids there were more like me than they were different. We were all pagan, all believed in magic, all looking for connection in an earth-centered, spiritual space. ​It completely changed my perspective.​

A year later I joined OBOD – the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids! (And now I’m officially part of the Druid Grade… how things change 🙂 )

I still don’t consider myself a Druid per se, but I don’t tell people they’re wrong if they call me one. In fact, I’m more likely to describe myself publicly with that umbrella term “pagan”, to highlight the similarities instead.

Because ultimately, we’re a small bunch of lovely weirdos, and we’ve got more in common than we think. When we band together our differences inspire conversation and inspiration, and we are much better able to make change in the world for the better.

So whatever label you use, or don’t, I hope you feel welcome here. There’s space for all identities (but not bigots) and when we share, like the kinksters and occultists do, everyone gets to grow.

BTW: I’m planning an online course in self-tying for magic and trance (non-sexual!) And if there’s interest I’m happy to give a version of my talk online so that any of you who are curious can come and listen!

​If that sounds like your kind of thing, I’d love to hear from you… there’s a short form here you can tick boxes on!​

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Being Bardic at Druid Camp 2023

03 Thursday Aug 2023

Posted by in Druidry, Events, Following Delight, Magic, Reflections, Storytelling

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(Before I tell you where I’ve been let me just bounce excitedly about my debut single, Red Goddess, Come – out this week. Listen here! )

A green lady made of branches, cloaked in red, in a red and yellow big top with the sun shining in through the open doorway behind her.

It’s been a few years, as one would expect, since we’ve gathered at Druid Camp, and this year it returned to the world in a Welsh venue not too far from me. Pembrokeshire was very wet, but that’s rather the price we pay for such a gorgeous green land.

Hazel Bird - storyteller with a big beard - stood and lit by firelight.

Druid Camp has become a place where I find myself at home. Despite the rain, or maybe because of the utterly un-ignorable nature of nature, including the rain, it is a space set aside from the world where community happens. There is often storytelling and music around the fire, and this year local storyteller Hazel Bird shared epic tales including Gawain and the Green Knight, and how Albion got its name.


Oh, and the Epic of Gilgamesh.


Which Jos and I cheekily did a version of in 5 minutes for the Eisteddfod. And yes, there is a video… link coming soon! I also got to see Milly Jackdaw‘s show, Mochyn Merddyn, and bands including Mad Magdelen and Seize the Day!

I offered two workshops, rooted in the story of Ceridwen and Taliesin, journeying into connection with our own Awen, and then skills for trusting our own storytelling and ritual ability. As humans we are storytelling beings, and we are spirit manifest. When you anchor the story in your body, trust yourself, and breathe in deep… the magic flows.

It was a delight to come back to this space and remember what it’s like to be in community with other like-minded folk, to learn and the share with each other. Between the Seed SistaAs herbal preparations and “Poison prescriptions” classes I found myself feeling empowered to really engage with the plant spirits of this land, not just sharing space but actively working with them. I’ve dabbled before, but their witchy reminders that we are not dependent on anyone else to be our own herbal healers (with caveats that we need to be sure on our identification skills!) reminded me that this is one of the areas I still give my power away out of uncertainty. Well, no more of that.

A heart shaped window framing sunny blue sky and the tops of trees

In the Ritual Crafting workshop with Penny and Jos we explored memories of ritual and shared inspirations for deepening our seasonal celebrations and magic. There was tarot in the café, and music every night, and the big ritual ended up being that initiatory journey through the Welsh realms into Awen – the birth of Taliesin, the emergence of the Bard who serves and is seen in return.

In community we offer our gifts, receive and give and support and guide in return. You might not always know how you’ve helped, but that’s part of the brew. Pour it in and share it out and let the love flow.

I feel deeply nourished, and not just by the amazing work of the café and site crew looking after the practicalities, cleaning the loos, and making food I could eat with ease and delight. So much gratitude.

I’ve been to several Druid Camps before, but this time around I’m in a much better place in myself, and it showed in people’s responses to my presence and offerings. Over the past few years I’ve found a sense of trust in myself that I didn’t have before, and a chance conversation right at the start of Camp solidified this into a shining light in my heart. Suddenly I felt seen.

And here’s the thing about trusting yourself… about finding that sense of presence and rooting into your personal power… like Taliesin who shone so brightly he was named “shining brow”, your light shines out into the world and people feel it.

Part of this comes from a feeling of being at home in your body, as a child of the earth.

Part of this comes from feeling deep into your core and the fire of love and desire that guides you.

And part of this comes from finding your voice, speaking your truth.

Coming home, rooting deep, and letting the Awen flow.

Given that I used to freeze with stage fright when speaking to just two people at once, and now I’m making a crowd of druids laugh with a story learned that afternoon, I’d say I’ve learned to stand in my presence, step into my power, and shine with my own radiant light, wouldn’t you?

I’m not just a witch, rooted in my own power, I’m a bard, a storyteller, and a Priestess, sharing that light with others to re-enchant the world, and holding space to empower people to step into their own light too. And that, that right there, delights my heart. Does that make me a Druid, too?

Does this magic call to you too? Join me for the Lammas retreat this Sunday:

Radiance, Power, and Presence.

Sunday 6th August ’23 – 6-9pm BST (UK time)

Re-light your self love through courting Divine Love and the magic of the land.

This Lammas tune into the Sun’s power and conjure your own radiance.

Join us and learn how to:

~ strengthen your radiance,

~ deepen your power,

~ and boost your sensual confidence.

You were made for pleasure, for play, for love. All you need do is say yes.

Come join me on the eve of my birthday (yes, I’m a Leo) and find your inner sunshine.

Find your Radiance – details here
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Welsh Occult Conference 2023

17 Wednesday May 2023

Posted by in Events, Magic, Reflections

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Click for the Welsh Occult Conference Facebook Group (image taken from there)

It is often said that paganism is the religion with homework, and occultists (like reconstructionists) take this to the next level. We are the people of the library!

I love a good conference, and the Welsh occult conference is excellent. Organised and hosted by Sian Sibley and the DragonOak coven, there are always a wide range of speakers and topics, so there’s something for everyone. This May we gathered in Welshpool and topics ranged from Welsh folk magic to the issues of studying non-materialist societies in anthropology to how pagans can walk our talk better.

I loved all of it and took copious notes, but highlights for me have got to be the marvellous Mhara Starling outlining Welsh influences on modern pagan witchcraft – a topic dear to my heart! It was lovely to hear Gwyn Ap Nudd, Ceridwen, Arhianrhod and Rhiannon spoken about alongside the Egyptian, Greek, and Italian threads at the conference… and how present they’ve been (in name at least) in the history of Wicca, neo-paganism, and traditional witchcraft. The gods find a way.

Sara Mastros was inspirational, which is a good sign when someone is discussing the Orphic mysteries.

And special mention to Jack Hunter for bringing in phenomenology – which was the underlying approach in my PhD.

I have an entire notebook full of notes, as usual, because it all feeds into magical practice, even when something seems unrelated at first glance. Like questions of whether the spelling matters when, as Andrew points out, one version of the charm using the magical word “SATOR” spelled is “SAFOR” – I wonder, did the mis-spelled charm work? In which case, is it intention, Will, or vibration that makes a difference in spellcrafting? Janis Fry’s talk on Yew trees reminded me of many lovely trips to hang out in the branches of these ancient beings, hearing their time-bending music. Robert Plimer is always fun to listen to, his excitement about the parallels between ancient and modern techniques is palpable, and Sian called us to task on walking our talk as pagans who claim to honour the earth, both inspiring questions of how to improve my magical practice. Finally, Cristina’s piece on Italian folklore, of course, made me think of faeries and the similarities and differences across cultures in dealings with the spirit realm… though as Jack Hunter said: how do we know which experiences are real?

To which I have only one question: well, first we must define “real”.

And that’s a key takeaway from this event for me, we are always grappling with how to practice our magic in a world which denies magic. In a world that expects conformity, a life that steps beyond the lines is always going to be standing in the in-between. We are of the earth, but how do we walk of this earth but not in the world that denies the reality of our lives?

It’s as simple as taking a breath, slipping between, caring for the land and the spirits, and remembering that the magic is here, in the material, just a blink away.

Audience at the Welsh occult con

I’m writing something more in depth for the Star Club blog which can be found here – and which is going out to my mailing list now. Join that here if you so desire.

Welsh Occult Con – 8th Oct ’23

The next Welsh Occult Conference will be in Cardiff on the 8th October – get your tickets here.

And if you want to learn to speak with enchanted voice, you can join me this Sunday 21st May for my class Words of Love and Blessing, for details:

Words of Love and Blessing Workshop
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Announcing the Summer of loveliness

13 Thursday Apr 2023

Posted by in Crimson Craft, Events, Following Delight, Magic, Storytelling, Witchcraft 101

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Yesterday, storms rocked the town. Today, the sun is warming the land. Spring is definitely here, which means summer is just around the corner and I can’t wait! I’ve got a bunch of workshops and events lined up for you, including a workshop this Sunday, weekly livestreams in the Crimson Coven collective FB group, storytelling, rituals, and even a retreat or two already lined up.

Your Body is Your Temple (workshop)

Workshop Button: Your Body is your Temple - Embodying the Divine You

Embody the Divinity You Are

Join Halo on the 16th April, at 7pm, for a Crimson Craft workshop, where you will explore your body as the Temple to the Divinity you are, your Divine nature, and the Desire that is divine love seeking expression in your life.

In this workshop you will:

~ experience your body as a temple, paving the way for a deeper sense of safety in yourself.

~ tune into your desire as the holy fire of divine love, stepping into acceptance that allows for your heart’s desire to manifest in your life

~ explore ways to feel divinely embodied, even when it feels like your body has let you down, leading towards a greater connection between your body and spirit and a deeper capacity for love and pleasure.

Register for 16th April here.

Beltane Retreat: Untame your Heart with Blodeuwedd

30th April – 6-9pm (UK time)

A Beltane intensive with Blodeuwedd, Goddess of the Flowers, remembering what it means to be untamed and in love with life.

In this retreat working with the rising magic of Beltane, as spring begins to blossom in the Northern hemisphere, we will call on (and be called on by) the goddess of the flowers, Blodeuwedd, to support us in stepping into our desire and manifesting our dream lives.

30th April 2023, 6-9pm (UK time)

You were made for pleasure, for play, for love.

Are you ready to say yes to something wonderful?

Find out more about the Beltane Retreat here.

Retreat: Untame your heart with Blodeuwedd this Beltane - 30th April 2023, 6-9pm BST

And more!

Cream Flyer with text: Summer 2023 with Halo Quin 1. Your Body is a Temple. A Crimson Craft Workshop - online - 13th April 2. Beltane Ritual. A ritual at Star Club - Bristol - 22nd April 3. "Wild, Wise, or Wicked? Meeting Welsh divinities". A talk for Totnes Moot - online - 26th April 4. Beltane: Untame Your Heart with Blodeuwedd. A Crimson Craft Retreat - online - 30th April 5. The Soul Doctor - a storytelling walkabout at Portmerion's Steampunk Coronation Weekend - 6th-7th May 6. Land, Sea, & Sky and Magic of the Bard. Workshops at Druid Camp - Pembrokeshire - 26-30th July. 7. "Thereby Hangs a Tale" a Show at Willow Globe - Powys - 16th September. 8. Land, Sea, & Sky and Tales After Dark. Workshop & storytelling at Wylde Spirit Camp - Stonehenge - 22-24th September. 9. And weekly events in the Crimson Coven Collective!
  • Crimson Craft Workshop: Your Body is a Temple – Embody the Divine – Online, Sunday 16th April ’23 (Register for “Your Body is a Temple” here!)
  • Ritual: Star Club Beltane Ritual – Bedminster, 22nd April ’23 (Details and booking here)
  • Talk: “Wild, Wise, or Wicked? Meeting Welsh Divinities” – an online talk hosted by Totnes Moot – 26th April ’23 (Totnes Moot event page here)
  • Crimson Craft Beltane Retreat: Untame your Heart with Blodeuwedd – online, Sunday 30th April ’23 (Register for the Beltane Retreat here!)
  • Workshop: Land Sea and Sky – the World of Ceridwen – at Druid Camp in Pembrokeshire – 26th – 30th July ’23 (book your Druid Camp tickets here.)
  • Workshop: The Magic of the Bard – in the Footsteps of Taliesin – at Druid Camp in Pembrokeshire – 26th – 30th July ’23 (book your Druid Camp tickets here.)
  • Performance: Thereby Hangs a Tale – at the Willow Globe Theatre in Powys with Milly jackdaw – exploring folktales and Shakespeare…
  • Workshop: Land Sea and Sky – the World of Ceridwen – at Wylde Spirit Camp near Stonehenge – 22nd – 24th September ’23 (Book for Wylde Spirit Camp here.)
  • Storytelling: Tales After Dark – at Wylde Spirit Camp near Stonehenge – 22nd – 24th September ’23 (Book for Wylde Spirit Camp here.)

Button - click to find out more about The Crimson Coven Collective.