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Halo Quin

~ Author, storyteller, singer-songwriter, witch

Tag Archives: OBOD

Announcing the Summer of loveliness

13 Thursday Apr 2023

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Beltane, Blodeuwedd, Ceridwen, Cerridwen, Crimson Coven, Crimson Craft, Druid Camp, Events, Goddess, learn magic, learn witchcraft, Magic, Neo-Tantra, OBOD, Pagan, Storytelling, Storytelling in Wales, Taliesin

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.

Treelore: Silver Birch

20 Friday Nov 2020

Posted by Haloquin in Herbology, Magic, Poetry, Starlore, Stories, Treelore

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Bardic, Birch, Druidry, learn witchcraft, Magic, OBOD, ogham, Ovate, poem, story, Treelore, Witch, witchcraft

birch leaves in sunlight
 Ghostlike,
 we begin.
 Skin stretched paper-thin,
 act two nears its end.
 A Wisp carried us here,
 a wind-wish winding 
 ever onwards,
 blown by whispered promises,
 secrets, 
 declarations
 of love and longing.
 We settled.
 Our roots are deep enough,
 nestling in blown soil,
 but leaves turn 
 and winter carries our wishes far from here. 
                                                                                                         ~ By Haloquin

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Silver Birch, the tree of beginnings. First sign of the forest, carried by the wind, bright bark peeling and waiting for wishes to be inked on its curls. White lady watching over the keys to the otherworld, she keeps her counsel. Her footsteps across the threshold lead the way into lands beyond the everyday, wherever we wish to go, she has been there before. Her delicate fingers point the way, gusts whipping her pale green shawl about her shoulders as she turns back to her current craft, carving a love spoon to stir fresh flying ointment, bubbling over the bright fire.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Latin Name: Betula pendula

Edible: (In moderation) Sap can be made into syrup/wine, full of vitamins and minerals. Steep leaves in apple cider vinegar for a few weeks to extract nutrients. Buds are high in vitamin C.

Herbal Properties: Anti-inflammatory, astringent, laxative/stimulates digestive system, diuretic. Buds are antibiotic and diuretic. Steep leaves in water to make an astringent skin wash. 

Contraindications: Contains methyl salicylate, as in aspirin. Avoid if allergic to aspirin, using medications containing aspirin or blood thinning meds, if elderly, or have blood related issues. Use with caution if pregnant or nursing.

Magical Properties: Linked to the Norse rune Berkana and the Ogham letter Beith, beginnings, renewal, courage. Psychic protection from spirits or on (astral) journeys. Resilience. Love and fertility, particularly inception. 

Historical Notes: Once used to flavour chewing gum and soft drinks! 

Practical Properties: Pale wood, used in handicrafts, furniture making and to make paper, good kindling/tinder. Used to make besom brooms. Resin makes a waterproof glue. It grows fast, spread by the wind, and is a pioneer species, often one of the earliest trees to grow in an area, and one of the first to leaf in spring… A hardy tree, even though it appears fragile.

Clues for Identification: White birch that peels like paper in young trees, catkins in spring, small, smooth, triangular leaves with serrated edges, visually delicate branches. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Please consult a qualified herbalist if using medicinally, this information is shared for inspirational purposes only!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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. Please share your tales of Silver Birch… your memories and imaginings… I’d love to hear them.

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

Happy Solstice!

20 Saturday Jun 2020

Posted by Haloquin in Enchanted, Following Delight, Magic, Reflections

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Ceridwen, Community, Druidry, Fire Magic, Magic, Meditation, OBOD, Pagan, Patreon, Pride, Religion, Self Empowerment, Summer Solstice, Welsh Magic, witchcraft

I’ve just finished giving a talk based on my book, Gods and Goddesses of Wales, at an online moot for a group in South Wales, the sun is shimmering on the waters of the bay outside my window, and I’m filled with joy. I shared the tale of the Birth of Taliesin, about my philosophy for connecting with deities through stories, and about how we are our own authority in our relationships with the gods (just, y’know, don’t claim it is an independent truth if it’s a personal one!)

I’ve been so busy doing that I’ve not been updating here as much as I used to, but I’ve got some major projects in the works which I will share with you all very soon, so watch this space.

For today, however, I wanted to share a little meditation for the Solstice. Light a candle if you can, read the following, and then reflect. You can listen to the audio and sign up to support my work on Patreon here.

Today is the Solstice, where the sun stands still in the sky. In the Northern hemisphere we are bathed in light, and we can feel the sun strengthening our spirits. In the Southern Hemisphere it is the longest night, where the stars are held in the deep dark sky. There is a saying that every flame is part of the same fire, from the flame in your candle to the fire of the sun and the stars, so we are all connected in community together through the flame and the light.

The light casts a shadow, it illuminates and it obscures. In the darkness is the potential of all that could be, it is the belly of Ceridwen’s cauldron and the darkness of the fertile soil. We stand, bathed in light, whilst the world turns to head back into the darkness of potential and dreams. Even at the greatest point of light, darkness is, just as at the points of most darkness, light resides.

Place your hand on your heart and feel the sunlight fill it with golden light. Let that light grow with each breath. Spend some time reflecting on who you are when you are your biggest, brightest self. When do you feel most fully who you are in all your glory? When do you feel strongest, most powerful, most alive? Breathe in that feeling. Hold that feeling for a moment as you let yourself relax into this space. Feel the light of the sun filling your heart holding the light of your brightest self. Know that at any point you feel like you are struggling and the world is darkening, you can place your hand over your heart and remember this light, remember your strongest self. This is always a part of you, no matter what, so you can let it guide you through any darkness you encounter ahead.

Happy Solstice, lovely folk.

To listen on Patreon, click here.

And Happy Pride Month. For those that are still in the closet-shadows, and those that stand in the light, may we all be safely seen and accepted for who we are.

In Delight,

~Halo

IMG_20190627_161811_879

You can order my book on Amazon, or through your local bookshop! 

NEW BOOK RELEASED!!! – Gods and Goddesses of Wales

28 Friday Jun 2019

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

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Arianrhod, Art, Bard, Bardic, Barn, Blodeuwedd, book, Branwen, Ceridwen, creativity, druid, Druidry, Goddess, gods, gratitude, Gwydion, life, Manawydan, Neopagan, New book, OBOD, Publication, Published, Religion, Rhiannon, Stories, Taliesin, Wales, Welsh pagan, witchcraft, writing

It’s here!!! Midsummer 2019 has completed a piece of devotion for me…

IMG_20190627_161811_879

Pagan Portals: Gods and Goddesses of Wales is out!!!

I’m really excited to announce the manifestation of my newest book, a practical introduction of Welsh deities and their stories, through their stories. It’s designed as a primer to get started on your journey with beings such as Rhiannon, Blodeuwedd, Taliesin, Gwydion, and more. There’s even a pronounciation guide at the back (thanks Sarah!)

Here’s the official blurb:

An introduction to Welsh deities through traditional myths and practical exercises. Written by a practising witch, living in the heart of Wales and working with the deities woven into the land, this book contains the major stories and backgrounds for the Gods and Goddesses of the heartland of the Druids. Within its pages you will find information on the major deities and where their stories can be found, alongside suggestions on how to connect with them and weave relationships with them into a modern pagan practice.

You can order this through your favourite bookstore, they’ll find it under author “Halo Quin” (publisher: Moon Books) or through amazon.

Looks like I’m living the dream… a published author 😀 Thanks to everyone who supports me, who encourages, proofreads, inspires, shares, buys, reviews and generally cheers me on. Couldn’t do it without you (In fact, without you all, there’d be no point.) This last year has been a wild ride and in amongst it all the gods of this land have been woven…I’m glad to do my part in sharing their stories. What is remembered, lives.

Happy Thoughts,

Halo Quin x

Overlooking a sunny Ceredigion Bay in wild, West, Wales.

Book Cover YFM

My first “Moon Book” can be found here!

 

Let me be Wild

03 Sunday Jun 2018

Posted by Haloquin in Druidry

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Bard, Faery, Magic, OBOD, Pagan, poem, Poetry

Let me be wild and free,
not the wildness of wolves,
but the wildness of weeds.
The tenacity of swallows,
the dancing of bees,
the blossoming hawthorn,
the sunlit sea.
Let me be wild
and let me be free.
Not the wildness of storms,
but the wildness of me.

~ Spring Equinox 2017

Inspired by the Bardic course of OBOD (The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids)

Beauty ~ Magic ~ Delight

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

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