This weekend is the annual Occult Conference in Cardiff, run by Dragonoak Coven, this year titled: Earth, Sea, and Sky. I was asked to come and share some stories about fairies to finish the day and it sent me down a research rabbit hole weaving a talk with stories from history and legend on one of my favourite topics: the relationships between cunning folk and those fairy spirits that are our neighbours and allies.
(They also have a bonus online event on 8th November with some excellent speakers! Get your tickets here!)
This weekend is the annual Occult Conference in Cardiff, run by Dragonoak Coven, this year titled: Earth, Sea, and Sky. I was asked to come and share some stories about fairies to finish the day and it sent me down a research rabbit hole weaving a talk with stories from history and legend on one of my favourite topics: the relationships between cunning folk and those fairy spirits that are our neighbours and allies.
While there is no substitute for in person performance, my first draft was much longer than it should have been so I offered the long version as a work-in-progress talk for my lovely Patrons & students!
It also got me thinking that I’ve been writing, speaking and teaching on fairy magic for about half my life, because I have loved them for as long as I can remember. When I was small, I wanted to be a fairy when I grew up, and even then I didn’t mean tiny and sparkling… I meant magical.
Throughout history, the “cunning folk” – a term for those healers, wise-folk, and “service magicians” who have made magic for their communities – have worked closely with spirits in general, including the Fair Folk. There are stories of magical skills taught and granted, of lovers and parents, and of conjuring kings and queens.
This relationship between magicians and our Good Neighbours runs deep, and it has always been a blessing in my life that they encourage me to share.
So here are a few resources for those of you that want to dive in deeper.
FREE TALK
Sign up here to access the “On Fairies” Masterclass from TEA free!
If you haven’t heard of Babalon (the Goddess, not the city “Babylon”) then here’s the short version: Babalon is a modern goddess with ancient roots, and could be best summarised as an earthy goddess of life, death, love, lust, and everything in between.
She embodies total, unconditional, self-acceptance, and is a powerful ally in reclaiming your personal power, pleasure, and freedom. For many she is a symbol of feminine empowerment and liberation, but she goes beyond that, encompassing all genders as she encompasses all of life, and even being the moment of dissolution-creation that is the gateway between potential and manifestation.
Creatrix, seductrix, initiatrix.
Babalon found her birth (or rebirth) as we know her today within the occult religion/philosophy of Thelema, founded by Aleister Crowley in 1904 – in which learning your True (Divine) Will and striving to live it is key – and through ritualists and devotees inspired by her vibrant, challenging appearance within, but, as you can see, she has much to offer people outside of Thelema as well. (To my Thelemite friends, please excuse the simplification!)
Perhaps you’ve met her in her role as goddess of pleasure through my book, Crimson Craft, (or in my magical poetry in Twisted) perhaps you’ve caught glimpses of her in occult spaces as a femme fatale figure, or as a goddess that holds space for feminine rage in modern writings about her.
Perhaps you’ve been put off by the hypersexualised imagery that so often gets associated with her – she was, after all, presented as a stereotypical model of women’s sexual liberation, with titles such as Holy Harlot. Or perhaps you’ve heard her whispers of queer understanding and felt that there is something behind the sensationalism in the “Woman Girt with a Sword”.
Babalon is all of these things, and more.
The hypersexualised, free-loving, femme fatale, and the unconditional love. The Earth of the womb and the tomb. The queer space of the othered, the reclaimed rage, the sweet touch under the tough personae.
And this is why I’m writing about Babalon as a pagan and an occultist, as a queer woman and a sensual witch. I first met her over 15 years ago and about 10 years ago began to work with her in earnest. Most people I meet seem to feel like you must be promiscuous, masochistic, or hedonistic to connect with her, but that isn’t true.
You can be, of course.
Babalon calls you to be those things if they are true to you. And she calls you to not be if they are not.
Babalon asks one thing: that you live your life as your full self.
And I can’t wait to introduce you!
Meet Babalon
In celebration of the new book contract I’m offering a live class, free and online, on 16th June. “Introduction to Babalon” – will be a talk on the basics of Babalon as I understand her, with a magical mini-ritual to connect with her magic, plus a special offer on an upcoming adventure with Babalon…
As always, there will be a replay, but I always make time after the recording for those who do come live to ask questions and share… so pop it in your calendar now and make sure you’re signed up to get the Zoom and replay link here.
Do you know Babalon? Share in the comments what she means to you, I’d love to hear.
Is she new to you? What does the description above make you feel?
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 becauseAll 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.
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!
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.
*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.
Morgan Daimler has a very different background to me, so it was fascinating to read about a few of the Irish and Scottish named Queens of Fairy.
Daimler, as ever, takes an academic starting point to tease out the threads of these powerful beings, exploring the etymology of their names – because names hold power. If we understand the meanings held in a name we can uncover the nature of the name-holder, and Daimler unpicks these tangles with skill and conciseness.
This book holds discussions of several specific Irish and Scottish Fairy Queens, including Nicnevin, Aine, Una, Mab and Titania as literary fairies, the Queen of Elfhame, and others, followed by guided meditations to meet several of them, and suggestions for how to decorate an altar to them, and offerings that each one might like.
I enjoyed the exploration of lore and legend surrounding these Queens, and the presentation of the different courts, and though I found the details of courtly hierarchy a little literal compared to my experience, I come from a different landscape and a different tradition. I did, however, very much appreciate Daimler’s sensible approach of urging manners and caution in engaging with these very real and powerful Ladies.
On a different note, the opening section also includes a thoughtful discussion on how to traverse in a magical journey if you are physically disabled and find that your disability travels with you, including the reminder that mobility aids can in themselves be spirits that travel with you, if you set things up that way.
There are many different traditions for working with the Fair Folk, and definitely different approaches to working with the Fairy Queens, (at least as many as there are Queens themselves, I suspect) and this is a great introduction to the particular Queens and relationship styles that Daimler works with, and has some excellent pointers for any interaction with the Queens of Fairy. Make space for them, mind your manners, bring a gift, and remember; they are real, powerful, wonderful, and entirely untamed. Just the way they should be.
You can order Fairy Queens by Morgan Daimler from your local indie bookshop, the usual place you get books, or directly from the publisher.
Frigg is one of those deities that I’ve met, and valued at a distance, but never really been close to having found myself swept up by her wandering husband, Odin, who I prayed to often during my 12 year self-sacrificing, initiatory, search for knowledge (otherwise called PhD studies), and Freyja who, well, is all the things I adore; magic, sensuality, passion, the vibrancy of the land…
But Frigg, Frigg’s domain and I have a tricky relationship. On the one hand I need to do those practical housekeeping things that Frigg rules over, and I know her stories and attributes, and absolutely respect her power and value. On the other, my ADHD brain means I’m sporadic at it at best and never really felt her presence as an actual goddess. It happens sometimes, we’re not going to resonate with every deity, even if we get on with their family, and I had accepted that this was the case.
So it was an absolute delight to read Ryan McClain’s book, or rather love letter, to the “Beloved Queen of Asgard” and come away with a sense of this powerful, important goddess, having glimpsed her in a new light.
McClain clearly adores Frigg, and in this book he shares a balanced blend of personal experience and lore-based research, recontextualising her, for me, as the Love that is Home.
This book is, as a Pagan Portal, only a brief introduction to Frigg, but it covers Early Sources, the Norse Record, her roles, symbols, and (importantly) relationships, all as keys and signposts to understanding her better. McClain also dedicates a chapter to her “Handmaidens”, those goddesses that carry her support and guidance through many different areas of life, and finally outlines ways in which you can begin to work with Frigg and her ladies.
I doubt she and I will ever be close, but I came away from this book with a new perspective on the Beloved Queen of Asgard, and a feeling that I’d, finally, been properly introduced.
You can order Frigg, Beloved Queen of Asgard by Ryan McClain from your local indie bookshop, the usual place you get books, or directly from the publisher.
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…
On Monday 29th May ’23, at 10:30am Pacific / 6:30pm BST (UK time) Irisanya Moon (she/they) will be joining me in the Crimson Coven Collective Zoom Room for a deep dive into the waters of love… discussing Aphrodite, life as a love spell, and the goddess as both inspiration and powerful initiator. I’m really looking forward to this conversation as Irisanya is a fellow Moon Books author and Reclaiming teacher… but we’ve never actually had a proper conversation… and what better topic to start with than the goddess of love Herself?
You can watch the livestream directly in YouTube even if you’re not a member, or perhaps you might consider joining us… read on for more!
Life is a Love Spell: Aphrodite as Inspiration and Initiator
Aphrodite is a misunderstood deity, often limited to the role of a seductress or the most beautiful of beings. But Love has always been wider than the ocean, with more waves and movement than is comfortable: challenging and desperate, an initiation of surrender.
Irisanya Moon (she/they) talks with Halo Quin (they/she) about her popular book, “Aphrodite: Encountering the Goddess of Love & Beauty & Initiation,” as well as about how initiations into the mysteries of love may not be wanted, but they are necessary. They are vital for reclaiming and restoring our lifeforce while nourishing the deepest parts of ourselves to fuel activism and the challenges of being a human in this world.
About Irisanya Moon:
Irisanya (she/they) is an author, Witch, priestess, international teacher, and initiate in the Reclaiming tradition. She is a priestess of Aphrodite who is passionate about the idea that life is and we are a love spell, a dance of desire and connection, moving in and out of the heart, always returning to love. Irisanya seeks to cultivate spaces of self-care/devotion, divine relationship (whatever that means to you), and community service as part of her heart magick and activism.
The Crimson Coven is our private group for exploring divine love, sacred sexuality, and embodied magic through a pagan lens. Each week there are prompts and a livestream on a related topic, usually including a meditation to support your connection to the divine within and without.
Each month or so I host a guest speaker for a Crimson Chat… and members of the Collective get to hang out in the Zoom room after the livestream and chat off the record with our guests.
My new book of sexual magic is out!!! This is the longest book I’ve written to date, and I’m so proud of it. It is a work of healing, of magic, of embodied, sensual, loving, witchcraft. If you’re looking for an inclusive, gentle guide to uncovering your own inner sexual power, exploring ritual and creative ways of healing and becoming more embodied, and of opening the possibility of deep, devotional connection with the Divine… then Crimson Craft was written for you.
Crimson Craft felt both vulnerable and deeply healing to write, to share the ways in which I’ve healed myself, built relationship with the divine, and tapped deeper into my own inner power through pleasure and embracing the erotic. I deliberately wrote it for a solo practitioner because this is one key way we can reclaim our own personal authority, and take responsibility for something that is so often presented as dependent on others (with their own needs, challenges, wounds). But also to make it inclusive, to offer up these tools and processes to people of all and any gender and genitalia, because, honestly, sexual magic goes much further than what might be in our pants.
As living, embodied beings we are capable of great pleasure, and the magic that arises from being alive. In this, the power of eros is our ultimate guide.
(Crimson Craft can be found in all the normal places for buying books. The links in this post are affiliate links that support independent bookstores across the UK. Your local bookstore will also be able to order it in!)
Crimson Craft is not your normal sex magic book, rather than focusing on the casting spells powered by orgasmic energy (though that definitely gets included!), this book takes us deeper into healing the perceived split between body and mind, opening up greater power and magic for use in all our witchcraft.
It also discusses working with deities of love and passion in building loving relationships with one’s self and one’s gods, the foundations of ecstatic mystical union, and the shadow work of facing cultural and personal taboos.
And it lays the foundation for self-love, which is a fundamental act of rebellious magic in a world that would rather keep us small.
Halo has created a safe space for anyone who wants to explore their own nature as a sexual being. This is an invitation to be open to healing, sacredness, wonder, spirituality and magic. It’s a deeply affirming and inclusive book full of things to explore and the affirmation that exploring is something you are entitled to do… Get it right, and sex can be magic, and mystery, wonder and sacredness. We have in ourselves, and between us, a capacity to make beauty and joy. That should be honoured and celebrated.
Rediscover the sacred nature of sex, pleasure, and the divine erotic in Halo Quin’s Crimson Craft, a guide for sexual magic and a tool for personal healing, spell-casting, and devotional practices in witchcraft. By theorizing the ethics of embodiment and pleasure within these practices, Quin provides exploratory exercises (and tips for taking them further, and safely, with a partner) . Crimson Craft includes an introduction not only to archetypes, deities, and divine powers but also to the context and benefits of using kink in ritual and creative writing, inviting you – the witch and magic-worker – to deepen your understanding of sexual magic’s possibilities and sweetness.
~ from the official blurb
Alongside the book, I have opened up a space for people to come together who want to explore and discuss, ritually, creatively, and respectfully, their journeys with the magic of embodiment and pleasure. In the Crimson Coven Collective there are discussion/journal prompts, creative inspiration, healing rituals, and mutual support.
On Monday 30th January we’ll be kicking off the live online events with a Book launch party and ritual, and then, on the full Moon, Sunday 5th February, we’ll gather for a healing Imbolc ritual. Come and join us to be a part of this magical collective!
(Scroll down for – A recap of 2022 – Some tips for navigating real-life plot-twists with the Witches Pyramid – and a glimpse of what’s coming in 2023)
“Oh gods, now this? Really?” ~ This pic is from about a decade ago when I played Miranda in the Tempest with the Longwood Players and, well, isn’t that play as full of surprises as life!
Ok, ok, so we’re 3 weeks into 2023, but we’ve just had the New Moon, kicking off the Lunar New Year (of the Rabbit!) and Imbolc is just around the corner with the new shoots of Spring.
Well, in case you’re not following me on social media, or have missed my emails on my mailing list, here’s the short version of the subsequent events of 2022:
Goblin Masquerade! Great success!
I had a couple of weeks off adventuring in Glastonbury with my coven, and then at an Aurora gig.
And then I ended up in hospital for a night in so much pain I couldn’t walk. Still not sure why.
Recovery. And more recovery. And very, very very slow walking. (I’m much better now, btw.)
I did mentoring for the NDSA (NeuroDivergent Self-Advocacy forum) and studied for my Life Coaching Certificate.
Aaand I learned songwriting and music production. I’ll be sharing more about that very, very soon…
As much as the world was opening up in 2022, I was back in hermit mode, adjusting, healing, rebuilding my foundations. As autumn went on and I got stronger I returned to teaching cycle 3 of Star Club (multi-disciplinary training for Magicians), opened a little space in the local market – The Rabbit Hole – and an online space, The Crimson Coven Collective. All with lots of rest-time factored in.
Adjusting Course with the Witches Compass
It’s not unusual to have to adjust course, for something unexpected to happen (plot twists abound!) and we can look for the story of “why”, or we can focus on the “next right thing” as the trolls advised in Frozen 2.* While this certainly felt like a stumbling block, I didn’t feel like I’d been thrown entirely off course, which is always a risk if you’ve got a dream.
Instead, I came back to my heart, my compass, my guiding star.
I definitely spent a bit of time wondering how the hell I was going to travel if I could barely walk, when one of my big dreams has always been adventuring and exploring the world, but I didn’t wallow in this too much. Instead I asked myself the questions that guide much of my life.
What do I dream of? How do I want to feel, today?
What can I choose, at this point in time, that feels like a step towards my dreams?
How can I take that next step?
Rather than relying on a set plan for the journey ahead, I follow my compass, my heart. Asking in each moment how I can make this now closer to what I most long to feel. Perhaps the next step isn’t the last one needed but allowing myself to be guided each day in what brings more joy now means I’m enjoying every part of my life as much as I can.
I invite you to try it. When life gives you a plot twist, look for how you can feel more like you choose to feel in this moment. Ask yourself what the next step towards your dreams is from here. Ask yourself what tiny change you have control over that will support you in your adventure-called-life and help you feel more joy today.
Not everything is fun and games – ouch, seriously – but when we carry our compass with us we can always point ourselves towards our True North, our dreams. Let your heart guide you.
The witches pyramid is a useful model to help with this, and is sometimes called the “witches compass” because it is a guide to the steps of our magic.
To Know, To Will, To Dare, To Keep Silent.
~ The Witches Pyramid
And that’s what we do when we find our path disrupted. We ask questions of ourselves so we KNOW what we dream of, and the feeling we desire that we think the dream will bring. What we long to feel. And then, we set our WILL toward it. We choose to orientate ourselves towards our chosen feelings and our dreams. And then we DARE to take that leap. The final step, of KEEPing SILENT, means we don’t reveal things before it is time. Often our dreams are tender things and there is a lot of pessimism that can encourage doubt before we take the steps we need, so they need the nurturing dark of the soil, the silence of the night’s sky, to hold them safely while we carry them into the world.
(*I finally watched this and I loved all the elemental stuff, the animistic environmentalism, the magic, there’s some fun music… it’s far from perfect but there is a lot I liked.)
What’s Next?
Well, firstly, you can join The Crimson Coven Collective where we’re exploring how to embody our magic more fully! There are journaling and creativity prompts, and online circles, and I’m active there every week.
From the group description:
“The Crimson Coven Collective is for magical, creative, and ritual exploration of embodied, sensual magic.
Do you want your life to be magical, filled with playful, pleasurable, practice?
Do you want to be curious, to get creative with your magic, to explore what feels good and learn how to feel what’s right for you?
We aspire to be…
* Open hearted explorers of wyrd, enchanted, possibilities.
* Creatives conjuring beauty and desire.
* Divine beings embodying sensual spirit.
* Witches delving into the darkness and light of magic.
Online Ritual: Full Moon/Imbolc ritual with healing meditation and feasting afterwards. Sunday 5th February ’23, 7pm GMT (Join the collective to attend!)
Halo Quin 