• Study Magic with Me
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Books
    • BOOK: Your Faery Magic
    • BOOK: Gods and Goddesses of Wales
    • BOOK: All That Glitters
    • BOOK: TWISTED
    • BOOK: Folktales, Faeries, and Spirits
    • BOOK: Crimson Craft โ€“ sexual magic for the solo witch
    • BOOK: Storytelling for Magic
    • Resources for My Readers
  • Storytelling
  • Music
  • Poetry
  • Press
  • Podcast

Halo Quin

~ Author, storyteller, singer-songwriter, witch

Tag Archives: Druidry

Becoming a Druid – Druid Camp 2025

25 Monday Aug 2025

Posted by Haloquin in Druidry, Events, Following Delight, Philosophy

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Bard, Druid Camp, Druidry, Identity, Journey, Pagan, Witch

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?


Speaking of community…

The Enchanted Academy Community

Or T.E.A. for short, because tea is magic. Doors open for the free community now, join today for:

  • Magical community
  • Oracle & healing swaps
  • Magical Masterclasses & events
Join the TEA Community on Discord

An academy and forum for learning magic. Sign up to my mailing list to hear about upcoming courses and get my monthly news and musings.

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!

To Re-enchant the (already Enchanted) World

11 Tuesday Feb 2025

Posted by Haloquin in Druidry, Enchanted, Magic, Philosophy, Reflections

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Bard, Bardic Magic, Bardic Skills, Become a Bard, Ceridwen, Cerridwen, Druidry, learn magic, Magic, musings, Pagan, Pagan Author, paganism, Strangeness of Life, Taliesin

Re-enchant the world.

If you’re already deep into magical space this might sound like a contradiction, as the world is already Enchanted.

Well, yes, your world is.

And my world is.

But for many, the world is disenchanted.

This is a phrase I use a lot, and for me it is very specifically about “world” as our Web of relationships, it isn’t about the universe, or the earth, or the realms of spirits and magicians, which are of course already and always Enchanted.

Communication always has an audience, right, so for those that feel their world is disenchanted, “reenchant the world” is for you, to encourage you to shift your relationship to the universe, the beings, your self.

It’s an invitation to re-enchant your experiences and understanding of that which is.

If “the world” is “where we live,” then many people do live in a disenchanted world, because they do not remember or accept or relate to the enchantment present beyond *their* current lived world.

“Worldview” is a way of describing it, but it also includes the “worlds” we live in culturally – my world is enchanted, but I move in worlds that are not, on occasion, because I’m interacting with other humans who do not grasp the enchanted nature of life any more, and I try to re-enchant pieces of those worlds for the others there, so they may remember their way home too.

And it’s a “re-enchantment” because Enchanted is our natural state, it is the human state, the state of all beings, and most cultures throughout history and space. The materialist culture I was raised in is the odd one, let’s be honest.

So yeah, I agree with those who critique this phrase because All is enchanted. Yes, it is indeed. And I also suggest that this is for communicating with those of you who feel you have lost that enchanted part of your world, those relationships and meanings and understandings that you live within… And this is also for those know the truth, but who see other people who have lost this knowledge that the All is Enchanted, and want to help re-enchant their world.

It’s good to re-enchant the worlds our worlds nest within.

You know, like the dominant materialist overculture that influences and shapes so much of our lives.

It’s why I use it as a catch phrase, and then, in classes and rituals and all my teaching, remind folk that the process is one of remembering, of realising that, in reality, the disenchantment is the illusion.

In the moment that is grasped, your world, like mine, is enchanted again.


Decorative banner - Cauldron of Awen, a course and bardic initiation at TEA with Halo Quin

NEW COURSE – STARTING 1ST APRIL 2025

The Cauldron of Awen is a three month adventure in storytelling, creativity, and inspiration with the witch-goddess of initiation: Ceridwen… and Taliesin, the legendary Bard of Wales.

Dive into the Cauldron’s brew and emerge inspired, with a toolkit of magical skills to enchant your audience and never fear the blank page again!

Discover More

Coming Soon – Storytelling for Magic

02 Monday Dec 2024

Posted by Haloquin in Druidry, Magic, Storytelling

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Bardic Magic, Bardic Skills, Become a Bard, books, Druidry, Faery, Fantasy, How to do Ritual, How to Learn a Story, How to Tell a Story, learn magic, Magic, New book, OBOD, Pagan, Pagan Author, Reclaiming Witchcraft, Storytelling, Storytelling For Magic, Storytelling in Wales, witchcraft, writing

Have you ever wished you could tell a story and enchant your listeners?

Have you ever wanted to explore the magic of a myth?

Have you ever been curious about how to use your voice, and your words, effectively in ritual and spells?

Do you want to create and perform powerful rituals that change your life?

Then this book is for you.

MY NEW BOOK – STORYTELLING FOR MAGIC – IS OUT 28TH JANUARY 2025!

Cover: Storytelling For Magic by Halo Quin - Bardic Skills & Ritual Craft for Witches and Pagans - text over image of a cloaked figure in warm colours, moving through wintery trees with a bird flying overhead
Pre-Order Storytelling for Magic Today!

A few years ago I began dabbling with the title “Enchantress/Enchanter” alongside “witch” because one of my favourite ways to weave magic is through my voice, through words, and through storytelling.

In ancient times, and in many cultures, those who told stories and recited poetry were recognised as powerful magicians, capable of turning the tide of history, bringing good fortune or misery as they chose.

This power of storytelling connects us to our ancestors as in storytelling we use the language they passed us to shape a world, whether for a moment or a lifetime.

It connects us to those that come after us, for in the stories we keep alive we choose what to offer to them, what world and magic we are passing on.

We all tell stories to connect, to entertain, to teach, to inform, to persuade, and for many other reasons besides, even if we don’t think we are storytellers.

Yes, even you.

I love storytelling, and I often do it as a devotional act. I learn stories that connect to my gods and spirits, that remember the Fair Folk, or that carry wisdom from older times, and I share them to keep them alive. I craft new stories, such as the Goblin Circus, to bring that healing which comes from playfulness, so needed in today’s world.

One of my home traditions, Reclaiming Witchcraft, works deeply with stories in ritual and as teaching tools, and this has long inspired me. RJ Stewart’s work taught me how the folk and fairy tales can carry the keys to Faeryland. OBOD begins with the “Bardic Grade”, and encourages creativity as you work through learning the foundations of modern pagan magic. In these and many other modern traditions we have felt the importance of storytelling, and it is common to invite folk to tell tales… but very often there is no guidance on how to do so.

Often people say to me: “I wish I could do that, but I couldn’t remember a whole story!”

But storytelling is a natural human activity, so you already tell stories! And to tell a tale in a way that enchants is a set of skills which you can learn. To craft ritual and magic from stories is, too, another skill you can learn.

In a culture where we receive our stories from media it is easy to forget that storytelling is a natural expression of humanity. And if you have a longing to be part of that ancient lineage, then you can remember that, and recover those skills for storytelling as enchantment, whether you’re performing, bespelling your life, or sharing the tales with the trees.

I wrote this book to show you exactly how you can take each step. Some of the questions answered within are:

How can I connect with the magic of air, words, breath, voice?

How can I find a story? And make it my own?

How can I remember a whole story?

How can I tell a story in a way that is natural for me?

How can I use the magic of myth to empower my spells?

How can I create a ritual from a story, to bring me closer to the magic within?

And, while my focus is on the voice, there are many ways to tell a tale. I’ve included suggestions for how you can use the skills and exercises in this book without sound, and how you might adapt the magic within to your own practice, both solo and for groups.

Pre-Order Storytelling for Magic Today!

Cover: Storytelling For Magic by Halo Quin - Bardic Skills & Ritual Craft for Witches and Pagans - text over image of a cloaked figure in warm colours, moving through wintery trees with a bird flying overhead
Order Storytelling for Magic Here*

*Affiliate link for UK folk. Also available wherever you buy your books!

Storytelling for Magic

Learn the bardic art of storytelling to craft rituals, empower your magic, and enchant your life.

In this book are the keys to bringing the gifts of the ancient magic-weavers, the storytellers, into your life. The Bards of old wove magic with their words. Through myth and legend, history and inspiration, they shaped the world around them. Just like them, you can connect with the magic of storytelling to create powerful change.

Join professional performer, ritualist, bard, and witch Halo Quin, and discover how to use your voice in magic, how to unravel the secrets of stories, how to craft your own rituals to bring the power of myths and folk tales into your life, and how to find, learn, and tell stories to enchant the world inside and outside the circle.

Out 28th January 2025

Storytelling for Magic is from Moon Books, at Collective Ink Publishing – order direct here.

Lammas Land Magic

01 Thursday Aug 2024

Posted by Haloquin in Crimson Craft, Druidry, Magic, Witchcraft 101

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Druidry, earth, Festival, Imbolc, Lammas, learn magic, learn witchcraft, Lughnasadh, Magic, Pagan, paganism, Shapeshifting, Urban Magic, Urban Pagan, Wheel of the Year, Witch Class, witchcraft

Happy Lammas, Lughnasadh, Calan Awst, and Imbolc for my Southern Hemisphere folk! Here it’s the start of the grain harvest, and Leo season is in full swing.

The rowan berries are out, turning the small dark trees brilliant red, and, as I write this, the sun has burned away the cooling clouds to bake the stone paths that wind through my town, and the tourists have arrived bringing the scent of sunscreen and the sound of holiday-makers.

Growing up in a large urban space I found it was easy to lean into the abstract idea of the festivals, the land being mediated by the buildings, the clockwork cycles of city life rather than the ebb and flow of sun and rain, but even there it made sense to reflect on the changing colours of the trees, the shifting light and dark of the sky, the warmth and cool that shaped the rhythm of life. I was lucky that the pagan festivals fit with the landscape I lived in, despite the concrete streets and fluorescent lighting I could watch the hawthorn blossom in the hedgerow at Beltane and the grain in the fields turn golden for Lammas.

Even so, it didn’t make sense to me to fix a festival of the magic of the land to a calendar date, as some years the hawthorn was earlier than May 1st, or later, so I began to listen to the magic visible in the rooted people of the land and the movement of the sky instead.

Soon I found myself connected across the growing internet to witches and pagans in other lands, and their struggles with the clash between the calendar dates and what their land was actually doing reinforced that intuition.

We can use the beautiful model of the wheel of the year to help us learn what patterns might be worth looking for, but the key in land based magic, in paganism, is rooting into the land that you are on.

I invite you to reflect on what your land is doing now. Is it harvest time where you are? Is the sun baking the land and drying the grain? Or is the light just breaking the frosts? Or are you heading into monsoon season? What is shifting in the land where you are? Does this have a name in the language of the land you belong to?

This is the same with the magic of the body. We can use maps – chakras, cauldrons, worlds – to explore what might be present for us, but the key that unlocks this magic is listening. Feeling into the body. Being present with what is.

I work a lot with the classical elements of the Western Magical tradition and these can be a really fun way of exploring intuitively. What feels earthy in your body? How are your watery emotions flowing? Where feels alive, pleasurable, good in these energies?

This week in The Enchanted Academy I shared an in-depth energy practice in a ritual working with the Elements of Eros, the magic of love and life as it flows through your body, and expands into pleasure, support, strength, and creativity. The replay is now up in the Crimson Collective community space at TEA, do go and give it a go, I’d love to hear about your experiences with the Elements of Eros!

Red icon with text "Elements of Eros - a crimson craft course with witch & author Halo Quin" and a rose border
Check out the Elements of Eros here
Button - Magical Masterclass: Shapeshifting at The Enchanted Academy - candle background.
Free Masterclass at TEA on Shapeshifting here!
I choose Magic ~ Enter TEA here

An Embodied Lammas Practice

If you’re practicing on your own you might want to mark the turning season with a ritual, here’s one for when it feels right for you. (โ€‹If you’re at the point of Imbolc, click here for a meditation for you!โ€‹)

If you’re feeling the beginning harvest energy then you can tune into that, you could reflect on the magic of Leo, where the Sun is in the zodiac at this time, or you can choose to tap into the web of magic of pagans across the globe celebrating the games of Lugh.

Find somewhere safe to light a fire – a campfire, hearthfire, bonfire, or candle flame. Or find a moment to let the sunlight fall on your skin.

Feel the warmth and breathe it into your heart. This is the home of Leo, which is the sign the Sun is strongest and happiest in.

Let that warmth spill out of your heart and flow through your body, warming and blessing every part of you.

Take a moment to feel gratitude for what is ready to harvest and gather in in your life. Perhaps that includes the food that you have access to, or any community that nourishes you.

When you have that sense of sunny gratitude breathe it out as a blessing on the world. Let the magic be shared.

Remember to put the fire out in an appropriate and respectful way, and if you’re in an area prone to wildfires right now, do stick to sunlight!

Button with text: TEA - The Enchanted Academy - with Halo (on an orange, gold, & red patchwork background)

The Enchanted Academy

A home for real magic, real community, open now!

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

Find out more here or click to join now:

I choose Magic ~ Enter TEA here

On Identity, difference, and community

01 Monday Apr 2024

Posted by Haloquin in Events, Reflections

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Community, Crimson Craft, Druid Camp, Druidry, Magic, musings, Pagan, process, witchcraft

Back in February at the โ€‹Glastonbury Occult Conferenceโ€‹ 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 (โ€‹thanks to the activist, King Arthur, and his Warbandโ€‹) 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. โ€‹It completely changed my perspective.โ€‹

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 ๐Ÿ™‚ )

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!

โ€‹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!โ€‹


Upcoming Offerings at The Enchanted Academy:

Find all the details in my latest newsletter and subscribe here!

  • WEEKLY LIVESTREAMS: Thursdays & April at the Crimson Coven Collective, including talks & magic. โ€‹Join the Crimson Coven Collective.โ€‹
  • CLASS: April 16th – 7-8:30pm (UK) – Deities of Love: Class 2 – The Red Goddess (Join the Coven here and get the class 1 replay and materials so far!)
  • ENCHANTED CIRCLE: April 22nd – Magical Protection (Find last month’s replay on Pagan Priest/ess/xing here)
  • STORYTELLING SHOW: April 26th – Thereby Hangs a Tale with Milly Jackdaw, at Aberystwyth Arts Centre (THaT details hereโ€‹)
  • GUEST TEACHING: April 27th at the Awakening Intuition Conference – โ€‹Get your tickets to a whole weekend of classes here!โ€‹
  • STORYTELLING SHOW: April 30th – Storytelling with the Faery Doctor at the Bank Vault (live in Aberystwyth)
Find all the details in my latest newsletter and subscribe here!

Imbolc, Inspiration, and Bardic Magic

31 Wednesday Jan 2024

Posted by Haloquin in Druidry, Following Delight, Magic, Music, My Books, Storytelling, Witchcraft 101

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Bard, Brigid, Ceridwen, Druidry, FAWM, Imbolc, Magic, Moon Books, Pagan, Pagan Author, Songwriting, Storytelling, Taliesin, Wheel of the Year, witchcraft

I finally submitted the last of the edits for my next book…

Storytelling for Magic!

A practical book calling on the skills of the bard as a storyteller, performer, and magic-weaver to make better magic. It includes techniques for finding, learning, and telling stories, transforming them into rituals, and sharing their magic with confidence, in your own style.

Perfect timing as tomorrow is Imbolc. And the start of February Album Writing Month (FAWM), a challenge to write 14 songs in February. I signed up last year and discovered a hugely supportive community, filled with so much inspiration and encouragement, that I actually wrote 16 songs!

Several of these made it into my first solo-singing show in December. One became my third released single, Two Wolves, No Masters. I think it’s safe to say that FAWM had an impact.

And as the FAWM community gears up to start again tomorrow, I’m noticing that it’s Imbolc eve.

Imbolc – the festival of the light breaking through the cold

Imbolc – the celebration of the first signs of spring

Imbolc – the day of Brigid, Bridie, Ffraid. Saint, Goddess, and Divine Power.

Brigid is considered to be a Goddess of Inspiration, of poets. (As well as healing, and forging/creativity)

So it struck me that this is brilliant timing for the month of FAWM!

I don’t work with Brigid often, but I’ll be lighting a candle for the two deities who most guided my book writing, Taliesin the bard and the goddess Ceridwen, whose cauldron brews all Inspiration. And I think I’ll say a few words for Brigid, as it’s her day too, and it never hurts to have deities of inspiration and creativity on your side.

You can find a talk on Storytelling As Magic on my Patreon as part of January’s Enchanted Circle, for this month only I’ve released the recording to the public – Patrons get to join me live, ask questions, and choose topics – as well as meditations, courses, and classes at different tiers! Go, watch, and sign up for more…

Find Storytelling as Magic Here

What Do Pagans Believe?

07 Thursday Dec 2023

Posted by Haloquin in Druidry, Magic, Reflections, Witchcraft 101

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Activism, Druidry, Magic, magick, Modern Witchcraft, Pagan, pagan theology, paganism, Reclaiming Witchcraft, Religion, spirituality, Wicca, witchcraft

(and how does that look in the world?)

Today I flicked through a copy of “Cults and New Religions; A History” by Douglas E. Cowan and David G. Bromley, and I naturally went straight to the chapter on “Wicca and Modern Witchcraft”, to see what they were saying about my religion – Pagan Witchcraft (and yes, I consider myself religious, but not dogmatic!).

The bits I saw I thought were quite accurate – Modern Witchcraft and Wicca are both paths under the “Pagan” umbrella, alongside Heathenry (generally speaking) and Druidry… with a fair amount of overlap! Not every Witch will consider themselves Pagan, and that’s ok, but most seem to be happy to sit under that umbrella.

What I did really like was how they characterised “Pagan” paths as, for the most part, sharing three common beliefs (paraphrased!):

  1. The Earth is Sacred.
  2. The Divine is immanent (in the world, including us).
  3. We have the ability to interact with the divine/spiritual/magical forces of the world. (i.e. Magic is possible!)

There will be a few pagans who disagree, or want to elaborate, but I think that’s a pretty good description.

So if you believe these three things and don’t subscribe to another faith, and the vibe of Paganism appeals to you, you might be one of us! You don’t even have to pick a tradition or a specific Path, you can just be Pagan. Or you can be Pagan and… like me.

Picture of autumnal trees by a frosty patch of grass in the sunshine – the beauty of the world is all around us.

I do have some thoughts, of course, like recognising that just because we can “interact with the spiritual forces of the world”, doesn’t mean we all do, or that what we do always works out as we intend, but many of us do absolutey do things that we call magic based on this understanding of the world.

And this makes me wonder about “belief” vs “experience” – I don’t just “believe” these things, I experience Nature as Sacred, the world as Divine, and magic as possible.

Our understanding of the world shapes how we treat it and how we experience it.

The stories we tell change the world we live in.

Our experiences.

And our actions.

In my Crimson Craft teachings I often speak about how “love” is a verb, it isn’t just something we feel, it is also something we do.

And if nature is Sacred, the world is Divine, and we can effect it, then how does that understanding, those beliefs, shape how we act in the world?

Many of my friends are protestors, street-activists, and campaigners for change in policy.

Most people I know are trying to live more lightly upon this beautiful, sacred, earth.

In Reclaiming Witchcraft, we’re having conversations about how we can treat each other better, be better allies to indigenous folk, queer folk, disabled folk, BIPOC and folk disproportinately effected by the systems of power that would rather keep us apart. We’re working to remember and act from the understanding that we are each divine.

We each take the steps we can, and one piece of this is remembering that we are part of the world.

Remembering that, if the divine is in the world… it is in us too.

If the Earth is Sacred, then you too are Sacred.

So how will you choose to treat yourself as such? To treat others as such?

All while holding those essential boundaries and practicalities of life, of course, which can seem paradoxical!

(Which is why I love working with the Red Goddesses who hold both radical Love and strong boundaries, they are lovers and fighters… but that’s a story for the future… join my mailing list to make sure you don’t miss it!)

What do you think? Is that a good way of describing the fundamental beliefs/ethos of Paganism? And if you are Pagan, what ways do you treat yourself, others, and the world as holding the divine?

Join my Mailing list for Magical Musings & Blogpost Roundups!

Cryptids and Listifying…

05 Sunday Mar 2023

Posted by Haloquin in Creative Process, Following Delight, Magic, Music, Storytelling

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

ADHD, Adventuring, Art, Bard, Bardic, courage, Druidry, Magic, Music, Storytelling

So this February I joined FAWM – an online challenge to write 14 songs in 28 days. I decided I’d aim for 7 rough songs, to both make it less pressure and to get myself over sharing things that aren’t perfectly finished.

And partly because I approached it as play… I ended up with 16 songs.

All bar one with melodies. And quite a few with some backing beats to go with them. More than meeting that target, however, I got to practice sharing my creations while they were still raw, with others doing the same, and a community of musicians committed to lifting each other up, and it stretched my courage.

Last night at the local storytelling cycle, Fables, I shared one of them live.

Cryptozoologist.



I messed it up several times, but it was still much fun!

It was particularly healing because I’d spent the week before feeling more and more overwhelmed by all the little things that needed my attention. All the things that need sorting and fixing and doing and… Finally I remembered my tools. As an ADHDer I need to externalise the processes my brain struggles with, like prioritisation and short term memory, much more than someone might expect for a Dr. When I start to feel overwhelmed it’s often because I’ve been trying to keep it all in my head so… I sat down with a cuppa, told my FB friends what I was up to for accountability, and emptied my brain onto the page. (credit to Talis Kimberley for the wonderful term “listifying”!)

Then I sorted the things that needed doing into a list… And then filtered that into my diary pages so each thing has a time to be done. Suddenly I only needed to worry about the task for that afternoon: Fables.

Today, according to my new list, is a day of goblin wrangling with my lovely helper, the Folklore Faery, and a plotting session for something exciting I get to go do this summer! Tomorrow I might record a version if this song to share with you lot… We’ll see ๐Ÿ˜

This week I also revamped my mailing list, so if you’d like a monthly magical musing with tips to support you in rooting deeper into magic, and updates on my magical offerings, then you can join me, and the Crimson Coven Collective here…

5 ways to do magic when you feel disconnected

18 Friday Jun 2021

Posted by Haloquin in Magic, Witchcraft 101

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Druidry, learn magic, Living Life, Magic, Witch, witchcraft

Last month I had one of my “I’m not quite feeling it” phases, where the sparkle just kinda gets ironed out of the world. I wasn’t unhappy, just not sparkly. It happens sometimes, and I often get to a point where I worry that it’ll last forever… it’s the “but what if I never get that magical, enchanted feeling again” or worse “what if the magic is gone?””. That’s normally the thought that kickstarts me into using my tools and finding the magic very quickly. It wasn’t gone, just out of sight for a little while. And these always help me, so I thought I’d share them because maybe they’ll help you too.

1. When I’m tired it’s really hard to *feel* the magic, but that doesn’t mean it is gone. It just means my senses are tired! Instead of trying to push myself and work harder at feeling it, I trust that it is there and look for ways the universe and my spirits are supporting me. What signs are they sending me that I am not alone? So look for those signs. The white feathers that appear when you think of your ancestors, perhaps, or the unexpected tip…

2. Rather than pushing my personal energy at these times, I lean into kitchen witchery. Add ginger to your meals for a bit of extra fire. Soothe your nerves (and your stomach) with peppermint tea. Let the plants support you.

3. A daily practice can help ground you and carry you through rough times. Even something as simple as a prayer at bedtime for restful sleep and sweet dreams can help nourish your spirit and strengthen the relationship between you and those you pray to.

4. Candles. Fire is magic. Light a candle (safely) and let the fire warm your spirit and light your way. Using the aesthetic aspects of magic engages our senses and gets more of us in alignment with magic again. If you’ve got the energy, make a ritual of your candle lighting and let it be an act of magic that brings the sense of magic back.

5. Go and sit with a tree, or a river, or the ocean. Spend some time outside with one of the bigger beings that hold a steady connection to spirit. Let the waters, or the woods, hold you for a little while and wash away the muck of daily living. It’s good for you on all levels.

And as a bonus:

6. Rest and refill your creative well. Read something that inspires you, doodle or play with something creative, or have a cuppa with a friend (in person or over a video call). Magic is hard when you’re depleted so refuel, sleep well, and trust that things will feel better soon.

How do you recover that spark of enchantment when life starts getting grey? What advice would you give to someone struggling to reconnect to their magic? Let’s support each other in the comments and remember our way home together.

In delight,

~ Halo x


Originally posted on Patreon. Thank you to my Patrons for your support! If you like what I write then please do consider supporting me as a Patron here. Your support means I can write more for you! And you get the posts early… *tempts*

You can also tip me via ko-fi, it all helps!

You can also Follow the blog, Share this post, and find me on Twitter to join in the conversation for free!

Over to you in the comments.

(Comments are moderated for spam so may take a day or two to appear.)

Equinox Blessings!

21 Sunday Mar 2021

Posted by Haloquin in Enchanted, Herbology, Reflections, Witchcraft 101

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Aberystwyth, Adventures, beauty, Blodeuwedd, Ceredigion, Change, Craft, cycles, Diary of an Adventuress, Druidry, earth, Enchantment, Faery, Garden, gratitude, growing things, Healing, Herbalism, Land, learn magic, learn witchcraft, Magic, Pagan, paganism, Plants, process, Roses, self acceptance, Self Care, Self Empowerment, summer, Wales, Welsh Magic, Welsh pagan, Witch, witchcraft

Happy Equinox!

As spring is here I’m thinking about the allotment I’ll be working on this summer, and that reminded me of my indoor plants and of course the thought train then got all metaphorical…

ID: Roses, back-lit in a window, next to a barely recovering mint plant.

People tell me that indoor roses are fussy and mint is impossible to kill… But roses were the first plant I managed to keep alive for more than a season, and this is the first potted mint plant that has recovered from meeting me… And trust me, I’ve tried many times!

Perhaps those of us that are “fussy”, “difficult”, “sensitive”, or “too much” are simply in the wrong environment… And the apparently hardy ones are mostly just getting more of what *they* need? I’ve heard it before, but it bears repeating…

Plants are tenacious, and so are we. But we all need different things. Look for your magic, your relationship with the world, your rhythm and home, in the places that make sense to you. Don’t treat yourself like mint if you’re a rose, or rose if you’re a mint.

But remember, either way, to breathe, rest, bathe in the growing sunlight, and drink your water!

I’m learning to do better with mint, at least. And I’ll be repotting both (separately!) soon.


(Oh, and there’s a meditation up for my Patreons for the Equinox – Spring or Autumn – use whenever you need a moment of calm before a change.)

← Older posts

(c) Halo Quin ~ author, storyteller, witch

Re-enchanting the world, one story, one song, one spell, at a time.

The Enchanted Academy - learn real magic - click here

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Halo Quin
    • Join 133 other subscribers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Halo Quin
    • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...