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Halo's Journal

~ Enchantment, Philosophy & Fairies – Magic and the mundane, kissing.

Halo's Journal

Tag Archives: Pagan

On Earth, and a Free Class

23 Tuesday Feb 2021

Posted by Haloquin in elemental magic, Magic, Witchcraft 101

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Belly dance, Breathing, Community, Craft, Dancing in Wales, Devotion, Druidry, earth, elemental magic, elements, Empowerment, Energy, fire, Fire Magic, Herbalism, learn magic, learn witchcraft, Magic, Meditation, neo-paganism, Neopagan, occultism, online course, Pagan, pagan workshop, paganism, Reclaiming, Ritual, Self Empowerment, Spell, Spellwork, Spirit work, Witch, witchcraft

I’ve been working a lot with Earth this past winter, getting into my body, experimenting with herbal medicine, grounding the magic. Focusing on the practical, manifest steps of the day by day, and the sensual nature of living as an embodied creature of the earth.

Physically embodying divine aspects of myself as Priestess.

Growing up I spent a long time in the realm of air, escaping into imaginary landscapes and worlds woven of words. I even studied philosophy, a subject known for residing firmly in the domain of the mind. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love words and the space in which air manifests, but coming back down to earth has its own pleasure and gifts… And I struggled with it!

Dance helped me with enjoying being in my body a lot, but working with the element of earth has been key to really getting into a healthy relationship with the physical realm. Each time I return to this work, I feel more at home in my body and in the land, and my material life improves. (Yes, by this I mean money, home, and physical health!)

Literally feeding your body is earth work…

I’m looking forward to starting the elemental magic course on 10th March, and I thought it’d be nice to share some pointerd with you lovelies before that kicks off, so 7:30pm (GMT/UTC) next Wednesday, 3rd March 2021, I’ll be hopping onto discord and hosting an introductory chat on the elements of magic and my relationship with them, including a guided meditation for you to tune into them and hints for getting started with them (or revitalising your practice!) Sign up to my mailing list for the invite!

Sign up to my email list below to get the invite to join the conversation. You’ll get access to a forum for chatting with other like minded souls too. And there are still spaces on my Elemental Magic course starting Wednesday 10th March if you’d like to join us for 10 weeks packed with practical magic!

Elemental Magic course includes weekly materials, Fortnightly chats, group support, theory & practice.
Sign up to my mailing list here!

Solstice Meditation

21 Monday Dec 2020

Posted by Haloquin in Magic, Meditation, Starlore

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Festival, learn witchcraft, Magic, Meditation, Pagan, Solstice, Summer Solstice, Wheel of the Year, Winter Solstice, Witch, witchcraft

Happy Solstice!

This summer I recorded a little impromptu meditation for my Patreon, inspired by the Solstice Sun and designed to work at both the Summer and Winter Solstice.

Feel free to listen and enjoy here.

If you’d like to support me in making more material please do sign up to Patreon if you can, it really does help. I intend to share most things for free, though Patrons often get early access, and I’ll be making bonus things (like readings, previews, and opportunities to choose topics) as this channel grows.

I hope you enjoy this meditation, and please, feel free to share it with anyone you think who might benefit from it today.

Now, I invite you to light a candle, get comfortable, and hit play.

Transcript:

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.

In Delight,

~ Halo

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!

How’re you all doing this Solstice? How does the changing of the sun change the rhythms of your life? Do drop a comment below.

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Treelore: Alder

11 Friday Dec 2020

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Bardic, Druidry, learn witchcraft, Mabinogian, Magic, ogham, Pagan, paganism, Treelore, Welsh pagan, Witch, witchcraft

The Raven calls, watching, waiting,
shield raised and spear tip bright,
blood river flows, tumbling, turning,
from the darkness to the light.

Pass my weapons, hexing, healing,
teach me truly I ask you and pray,
walking in both worlds, softly, safely,
to bring to each the brightest of days.

~ by Haloquin

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

The Cad Goddeu tells of Bran being known for the alder leaf on his shield. Bran, whose body formed a bridge for his army to cross in order to rescue his sister. Bran, whose head continued to prophecy after his death. Bran, whose ravens guard Britain yet.

Bran, if you’re listening, I could really use your help right now…

The whispered wish melted into tears turned inward. He was drowning in them, barely holding onto thoughts for the grief that was washing him away down the river at his feet. 

A rough cough intruded.

He raised his head. 

No-one in sight.

The cough repeated.

He looked higher. There in the branches of the riverside tree a great black bird peered down. 

For a moment, time stood still and all was peaceful. 

Then, a single thought; the door is not locked, there is always a path ahead.

The raven clacked its beak and launched itself into flight, a single feather falling in its wake as time clicked into place. It landed in the river and span, caught in an eddy, until he scooped it out from between the alder catkins.

For the first time, Gwern felt strong enough to leave.

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

Latin Name: Alnus glutinosa

Clues for Identification: Smooth leaves shaped like a shield with an indented tip and serrated edges. It has male (long, smooth) and female (round) catkins. The female catkins become tiny cones in their second year. The bark is dark brown/grey. It is often found by rivers as it spreads its seeds by floating them downriver.

Herbal Properties: The leaves are antibacterial and, fresh, may repel insects. A bark decoction may treat burns, wounds and inflammation. (Reminder; I’m not a herbalist. Please check for details and contraindications before self-medicating!)

Interesting facts: Alder fixes nitrogen into the soil and its roots prevent erosion of the riverbank, so it literally heals and protects the land! When cut it turns an orange colour, as though bleeding… A proper wounded healer thing going on there.

Practical Properties: It will not rot in water, but burns with an intense heat if seasoned well. Its bark will make a red dye, the twigs will make a brown dye, and its flowers will make a green dye, said to have been the dye that colours the clothes of both Robin Hood and the Fair Folk as it was used by outlaws.

Magical Properties: Unlucky to encounter on a journey in Ireland, but the fresh leaves are lucky when placed in a traveler’s shoes. (Perhaps because he seeks difficult situations, but will lend you his shield?) It is said that you can divine prophecy from the smoke and the flickering flame. Alder is associated with both fire and water, and thus balance. The warrior-king connection leads to associations with sacrifice and defense, and I associate alder with fatherhood and the divine masculine as a protective principle, as well as endurance, particularly emotional. 

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. What is your shield? Where is your strength? What do you know of the riverside alder?

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The Wildness of Weeds

14 Saturday Nov 2020

Posted by Haloquin in Art Craft and Beauty, Enchanted, Following Delight, Magic, Poetry

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Bardic, daily practice, Druidry, learn witchcraft, Magic, Neopagan, Pagan, paganism, Poetry, Ritual, Witch, witchcraft

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.

~By Haloquin
First published in Touchstone, OBOD's community magazine.

Stepping outside of the known into magic, into the wildness of that which is untamed, is the path of a witch. There are paths of magic which are tightly controlled, where precise words must be said at precise times, and there are paths where one follows the ebb and flow of the moon, the tides, the whispering winds. Both paths have benefits. A formulaic ritual gives structure and consistency, it gives guidelines for when one lacks energy to innovate, or the self confidence to trust the tug of intuition. It carries the magic of repetition and trains the mind to follow set pathways which have a history of working. The wilder paths, however, take self-trust, and teach it. They require listening, but that means you are always seeking the path of least resistance. They weave into your everyday life and movements until you are crafting magic with every step, every breath, every word.

This is true in so much of life. There are structured ways of doing things, and more intuitive ways. Cooking, dancing, making music, making love. Even answering emails, planning your day, going to sleep. Often a balance between the two makes for the best life. Structure as a container and foundation – deliberate and daily checking in with the magic through prayer, meditation, ritual, offerings – and honing one’s intuition and the courage to follow it – paying attention to the niggling feeling in the gut, the pulling and longing in the heart, the flow of life and making a wish on the first star of the evening – combine together to build the skills you need to live a magical life, and the habit of thinking to use them, along with the freedom to step outside the expectations of the everyday and into an enchanted way of being… 

What is it that you do, or could do, every day to remind yourself of the magic in your life? To start bringing it to your attention more fully? What container can you build yourself to encourage the wildness of magic which brings the possibility of miraculous transformation?

In case you’re stuck, here are some ideas:

* Step outside at bedtime and make a wish on the first star you see

* Spend a few minutes each day paying attention to your breathing, whilst sitting still or whilst walking. Your breathing is where you connect to the world. Where the edges of yourself opens to the energy around you.

* Stop and hug or say hi to your favourite tree every time you walk past it, or at least the first time each day that you do so. Remind yourself that trees are alive and respond to us.

* Sing a little song to your houseplants. They can hear us.

* Pick a prayer to whichever god/s or spirit/s most appeal to you. This could even be your Divine Spirit. Ask for their blessing on your day each morning. 

* Tell the trees your dreams. Let the spirits know that you remember that you are a spirit being walking between this world and the dream world. Remind yourself of this often.

* Feed the birds. Each time you do it, dedicate the action to the spirits of the air.

* Begin to notice when the world feels brighter, more alive, enchanted…

Above all else, make it playful.  Dance with the world and the world will dance with you.

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. What will you do to invite that magic and wonder deeper into your life?

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

NEW PODCAST!

31 Monday Aug 2020

Posted by Haloquin in Blue Hare Podcast, Following Delight, Stories, Storytelling

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Art, BlueHarePodcast, Legend, Magic, myth, Pagan, Podcast, Stories, Storytelling, Welsh Magic

Hello my lovely people!

I’ve been a busy bunny gathering stories and crafting gifts for you all and I’ve just completed episode one of the new Blue Hare Podcast! This will be audio adventures in storytelling, magic, and life with myself and featuring guests such as the musicians and street performers, the Brilliant Resiliant Safely Distant Damsels, archaeologist and bard, Will Rathouse, and storyteller and wise woman Milly Jackdaw.

You can listen to episode one here! Where I, your host Halo Quin, introduce the whole endeavour and share the legendary Welsh tale; The Birth of Taliesin. 

Come, join the adventure! https://anchor.fm/haloquin/

You can also support me via Patreon and get access to material early…

(And you can find the episodes on Spotify, Breaker, Google Podcasts and more… go check out the link to see allllll the options!)

Here’s wishing you all happy thoughts and pixie dust,

~Halo

(Living happily by the sea on the coast of West Wales, and very grateful for the magic and love in my life.)

 

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! 

Folkloric Faery Magic – Online Course!

01 Monday Jul 2019

Posted by Haloquin in Faery, Following Delight, Magic

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Faery, faery course, faery magic, fairies, Fairy, fairy magic, folklore, learn witchcraft, Magic, Pagan, pagan workshop, witchcraft, Workshop

Folkloric Course Postcard

What is Folkloric Faery magic?

Faery magic is working magic in relationship with faery spirits, who are primarily (arguably) spirits with close ties to the land and the “green” world. I’ve spent my entire life working with the Fae in one way or another, from greeting them everywhere as a child, to my current practise of prayer, honouring the Land Spirits, storytelling to share their magic, and travelling to Faeryland (in a manner often described as shamanic).

In this course I will be guiding you through some folkloric elements of faery magic so you can deepen your understanding and build your own practice in relationship with these spirits.

The six main lessons are:

  1. What is Folkloric Faery Magic? Getting Started, altars, and understandings.
  2. Opening the Way: A Foundation for working safely with the Fair Folk.
  3. Beginning On the Path: Recognising Faery Magic, making contact, and offerings.
  4. Crossing the Rivers: Magical Housework, Faery gateways, and the Beloved Dead.
  5. Entering Faeryland: Faery taboos and customs, and dreamwork.
  6. Returning Home: Finding clues to continue onwards, house spirits, and your path ahead.

How does this Online Course work? Beta Testing!

This course is delivered by email, six main lessons sent out weekly for you to work on at your own pace. For this first round I will be taking questions each week and potentially adding in new material in a variety of media – for example, I intend to send out audio recordings of the stories, weekly Q&As, and to be on hand for support via email.

Special Offer for beta testers!

Alongside the six main lessons you will receive:

  • Email Q&A – ask me questions and I’ll send out a weekly round up of questions asked by everyone on the course and my responses, advice, and recommendations for resources. This has the potential to be a huge resource for everyone as every individual brings something to the table and questions inspire new connections and information sharing of what you find important in your practice.
  • Random extra materials – audio, video, art, poetry, suggestions for creative projects… who knows! I’ll be listening to the spirits and responding to the participants so this beta testing round will be growing and expanding in new and interesting ways.
  • You get to shape the course! The main lessons are all written, but there is so much more to play with and explore. Tell me what you want from it as we go along and there’s a good chance it will appear!
  • The option to connect with others working through this in real-time. In future I will be setting this up as a home-study course so folk will be engaging at different speeds, so not only do you get my feedback and support if you join this time around, you also get to make like-minded connections and support, inspire, and encourage each other!

As you’ll be helping to improve this course and I’m excited to create it with you, but I’m going to be offering a lot more support than in future cycles, I’m going to limit this course to a maximum of 12 participants and offer it at an introductory price…

£60 (GBP) for the 6 weeks through Paypal (click here!)

Deadline for Booking: Midnight (BST), Sunday 28th July, 2019.

Course starts Monday 29th July, 2019

Your place is secured on receipt of payment. Contact me for installment plans, or alternative methods of payment.

Any Questions? Email me on haloquin (at) gmail (dot) com!

About Halo:

I’ve spent my entire life pixie led, and have been explicitly devoted to the Faery Queen for about a decade, with two decades of faery relations, magical work, and training under my belt. I’ve taught classes on working with the elements, the spirits of the land, stories old and new and many others, but my favourite classes are always those working with the Fae. It is my honour to share this work with you. My book, “Pagan Portals: Your Faery Magic” has found a home with over 1000 faery lovers and my storytelling show The Goblin Circus, born of a union between faery magic and performance, has appeared at many events across Britain, enchanting as we go. For more from me, explore this site

 

A Faery at Druid Camp

07 Wednesday Sep 2016

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

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Camp, Druid Camp, Druidry, Event, gratitude, Labels, learning, Pagan, paganism, process, Rainbow Spirit, review

Before I pontificate, let me just say: Druid Camp itself was marvellous! A community of like-minded people, on many different paths, all made welcome. A sharing of magic, of song and dance and learning, delicious food, laughter and sunshine. Each morning we’d gather in Morning Meeting to hear about the offerings of the day. Each afternoon we’d gather for a talk by a prominent (usually academic) member of the community. And each evening we’d meet for ritual and then music in the cafe tent. Throughout the day volunteers would teach their skills or support the practical running of the event.  Community, learning, sharing, celebrating and ritual. Magic in all it’s forms. I fully recommend it to even the just-curious as a gentle, relaxed event with plenty of space to choose what you will engage with, no pressure to know anything beforehand, and a very welcoming place which gives you the chance to meet many people on different paths.

On that note…

I’m not a Druid, not really. I’m not a member of OBOD or ADF or BDO or any other religious group with a name made of alphabet soup. I don’t introduce myself at pagan gatherings as a druid. It’s not a word or an image that resonates with me (and there is probably a good reason for that, which I’ll tell you about one day). And yet I feel very at home at the Rainbow Spirit Druid Camp.

I’ve done a fair amount of studying druidry (or at least neo-druidry, the modern pagan practice inspired by tales of ancient druids), and what I’ve found most often in recent years is that the ethics and attitudes align strongly with my own, the stories often come from the land I call home and I do love a good public ritual.

I still don’t feel like a Druid – though my path is very similar – and that’s ok.

I took an active part in the opening and closing rituals. I volunteered my time and skills to the community by working in the kid’s area. I danced to Morrigan’s Path and Hawkwind’s Nick Turner’s band Space Ritual. I was made welcome.

Part of me wonders if all that makes me a Druid in denial. But we never fit into neat little boxes, do we? I’m coming to accept that my Faery path weaves through several different groves, round the cauldron and into the wildwood. I can stand with the oaks, toast the gods, gather herbs and howl at the moon.

I often catch myself thinking that I’d like a tidy label for what I do, so I knew what I was meant to be doing, and then I remember, I know what I’m meant to be doing. I’m meant to follow the magic of my heart. The guidance of the spirits and the gods and of my deepest truest self. That’s what we’re all meant to do. For some that means finding an official path early on, for me it means that I can find myself at home in many temples. It’s an understanding that I may not be a Druid, but I’m certainly Pagan.

Faeosophy; Are Faeries Real?

06 Sunday Mar 2016

Posted by Haloquin in Enchanted, Faery, Philosophy, Reflections

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Faeosophy, Faeries, Faery, Faery philosoper, fairies, Fairy, Feyhearted path, Magic, musings, Pagan, paganism, Philosophy, Stories

Faeosophy – the philosophising of and about faeries and fae-ness.

Back in this post I shared some questions I’ve been pondering in my development of a Faerie philosophy. Of the questions listed I though these were a good place to start:

“Who and what are the Fae? How metaphorical are they? How metaphorical is our relationship to them?”

enchanted-grove-header-small.jpg

On the path of working with faeries, it’s useful to know what they are…

When working with faeries this is a kinda fundamental question on the one hand, and completely irrelevant on the other. My bottom line is that this work works for me, and it works best when I act as-if they are real. From a pragmatic perspective, then, I will continue to act as-if, and to believe that, faeries are literal, non-metaphorical beings.

One other thing – your mileage may well vary. Just because I encounter Faeries in this way does not mean that this is the only way of doing it, or that I’m right! Faeries are notoriously tricky to pin down. They are known for living in liminal spaces, for being betwixt and between, for leading us astray. They are perfectly capable of being kind and cruel, tangible and otherworldly, here and not both at once.

In which case – one answer to the question “what are the Fae?” is “paradoxical, illogical and variable.”

That’s not quite the kind of answer I was looking for though, so I’ll try again.

Little Lilith

They are the magical consciousness of nature.

In the stories they are a people with a different ethic and attitude to us. Or they are creatures intent on leading us away from human civilisation. They live in wilder places than we are used to. They can offer us help and unexpected wealth. They are uncompromising when their rules are broken. They are powerful, but subject to certain rules. They are beings of the natural world, but beings with magical powers.

 

In which case, they are the magical consciousness of nature.

But is this just a metaphor? Are they actual beings or are they stories we tell ourselves about the natural world but actually we don’t mean it?

When we encounter anything we have an experience, which we then understand in a certain way. We hear laughter – soundwaves are generated by someone, they enter our ears and are interpreted by our brain as laughter – just as we feel that something otherworldly is at play in the depths of the wildwood. When the laughter does not come from another human but we still hear it, echoing like bells over the waves, or when we are unsettled and certain something fae is watching us, whatever the tangible facts, we are experiencing faeries. The experience is not a metaphor, it is very real.

And, as I’ve said before, when I act as-if, when I believe that something more than what I would expect is possible, magic happens. I see or hear things that don’t make sense until I tell myself the story of faeries. They are a real something, there is a reality to them, and they make the most sense to me when I approach these experiences as faeries.

If they were just metaphors, however, they’d still be useful. If I told you a tale of dryads as a metaphor for the ways in which trees communicate through fungi and care for seedlings and stumps, and if you listened to that tale and treated trees better for it, then the metaphor would have given you a healthier way of relating to the world.

This is different to saying they have a reality independent of our stories – I and others have definitely encountered something when we’ve gone looking for faeries. When I say “I’ve seen a faery.” I don’t mean I’ve seen a flower do something I can’t explain, or that I’ve run across a natural process which I’ve needed to respect according to it’s rules. I mean I’ve had an experience, a real experience, which I understand as seeing a faerie.

Waiting for the Sun

The have a reality which is based in our personal and direct experience and so they walk alongside us, as family.

When I say “Faery”, I’m not talking metaphorically, I really mean “Faery”, because that is how I experience them. Ultimately, there is a reality here, it is my reality, and it works for me.

And perhaps that’s part of the magic of faeries; our relationship with them, our connection to them, is inherently and essentially personal and direct. We meet them, for the most part, one-to-one. They are not distant beings directing things from afar, they are walking beside us through the woods. Those that work with us are holding our hands, tripping us up, pointing out shiny things… like cousins ready for a giggle at our expense, but also, often, ready to be our family.

 

Workshop in Wales! Spirits of the Land!

17 Wednesday Feb 2016

Posted by Haloquin in Enchanted, Faery, Magic

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Arawn, Faeries, fairies, Fairy, Feyhearted path, Mabinogian, Magic, Pagan, paganism, Pwyll, Reclaiming, Rhiannon, spirits, spiritwork, Stories, Wales, Workshop

Spirits of The Land Workshop! Sunday 5th June, 10am -7pm

Spirits of Place Workshop by HaloquinJoin us in the wild hills of West Wales for a day of magic!

Working with the spirits of the land and the stories of Pwyll, Arawn and Rhiannon we will delve deeply into working with the Spirits of the Land and developing our own practices for building and deepening our relationship with those spirits and powers.

This one-day event is in the tradition of Reclaiming Witchcraft in which we often honour the “Spirits of Place” or the “Spirits of the Land”, so in this workshop we will explore what this means and ways in which we can recognise and honour those spirits who graciously allow us to work our magic in their homes, and who support us as we do.

***

Little Foal

Rhiannon, who once ruled over Dyfed, returns to help us learn to honour the spirits of the land…

In the first branch of The Mabinogian, Pwyll meets the Lord of the Otherworld, travels there, learns its ways and returns with a deep connection and friendship which benefits both worlds. Then, one of their ladies, the Goddess and Faery Queen Rhiannon, comes to live in our world and offer her wisdom and compassion to the people of her land. Through engaging with these stories and working directly with the spirits of the land in which those tales were born we will develop our skills for recognising and honouring the spirits in (almost) any place we find ourselves, building a foundation for future work with the spirits of the land and the faeries.

Who is this for?

This will be a practical, intensive day of magic. Some experience is helpful, but an open mind and willingness to participate is essential. If you would love to honour the spirits of the land and the Fae, deepen your relationship with them, and gain skills for continuing your own journey with them, this is for you. If you love the Welsh tales and gods, this is for you. If you enjoy hands-on, magical experiences, this is for you.

This is not a lecture. This is not therapy. This is not spellwork. This IS experiential work focussed on supporting you in developing your relationship with the spirits who have been here long before we have, in the way they present themselves to us now.

Visit my website for more details!

Questions? Want an online version of this? Fancy inviting us to put this on in your home town? Comment below or email Halo!

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Gods and Goddesses of Wales

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Pagan Portals: Gods and Goddesses of Wales – a practical introduction to the deities of Wales through their stories. Out Now!

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And for the over 18s… My alter-ego, Ms Quin, writes erotica, kinky poetry, on sacred sexuality and the like. You can explore some of Her writings and poetry readings, and find her sexy book of poetry via links at Twisted Ms Quin.

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