paganism
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There are no margins in the circle
I started my project Open Coven almost ten years ago and in that time it has gone through various iterations from blog to creative business. Only a couple of months ago I was all in with making Open Coven an embroidery business. Each stage of this project reflects what was going on for me personally…
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Sacred space tour
a change in the weather means I can be in my greenhouse more. the winter saw it hibernate but now it invites me to return and be communion.
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Embroidery as Ritual
Looking for a beginner embroidery guide? Discover how to turn slow stitching into a ritual practice. Includes symbolic embroidery kits for modern makers. Embroidery has always been more than decoration. Long before it became a hobby, it was a way to mark time, to tell stories, to protect, to bless, to remember. Cloth carried symbols.…
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The Evolution of Open Coven
I am deep into the work of finally launching my new embroidery kits. This work is so joyful and exciting but has also been challenging and required patience. I can’t wait to share them. In the run up to the launch, I thought I would talk a little bit about why I chose the name…
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Choosing to Act
I grieve, I mourn and I worry. I compartmentalize, I steel myself. It’s all I can do while I stare down machines of hatred, greed and fear that seem to be moving across the world. In Tianmen Square, Beijing 1989 the footage and image of a man standing in front of a line of tanks…
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The Power in Creativity
Here in the UK we are experiencing a significant arctic blast. Freezing temperatures and heavy snow have seen our landscape transformed. I walked with my family along the canal and we marvelled at the light filtered through the sparkle of snow frosted branches and the mysterious patterns on the frozen water. The world felt magical…
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Stand Still
Stand Still We are truly in the Yuletide season. The darkness seems never so close as these days leading up to the longest night, and this year that darkness is particularly heavy. Solstice comes from the roman word ‘solstitium’ meaning ‘sun standing still’. I welcome it, this opportunity to be still. I want to wrap…
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A Witch’s Pilgrimage
A challenge for me after moving from Asheville in the US to North Staffordshire in the UK was the loss of the bond with where I lived. Over fourteen years I had developed a precious, reciprocal relationship with the genius loci and leaving the spirit of that place was very hard. I know of course,…
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A Potteries Pagan
The organization B Arts in Stoke-on-Trent recently asked locals to embroider patches for a picnic blanket on the subject of what the city means to us. With the patch was to be a piece of writing describing the design we chose. Unfortunately, I didn’t finish mine in time to be included so I’m sharing it…
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Free Zine
For several years I have had a Mailchimp account, but recently I’ve become a bit frustrated with several aspects of the tool. In particular, you now have to pay to create an automated response for new members so I can’t offer any incentives for signing up for my newsletter. So instead, I am offering a…