To speak for those without a voice. The women, children, lgbtqia+, the minority groups, the people who have been oppressed, the animals whom humans silence, the plants who can't make a sound, the earth that speaks to us all but many choose to ignore.

I was put here to help.

If nobody is going to, then we will.

We will be the change we want to see.

Even if we have to go into the corrupted world of politics to get our voice heard so we can speak for those who can't.

Hold out hope, soon I will fix it.

I will make everything ok.

I will not rest until I fulfill my journey,

Until I have done what I was put here to do

Will you come with me?

● I don't know who started this, but this is a fun little personal survey I wanted to participate in! If you see this you can do it too if you'd like! You don't need to be a pathandpractice member nor do you need to be tagged (although I will be tagging some people at the end). ●

● If your magick had a theme song, what would it be?

This was actually the hardest one of these to answer. I still don't really know. None of the songs I really adore quite sum it up for me, and none of the more classic witchy songs/artists really do it for me either.

Guess I'll have to keep looking. If anyone knows of any rock/punk artists that have witchy vibes or tunes, please let me know!

● What's the weirdest substitute component you've ever used?

I don't know how weird it is, really, but I use cannabis leaves a lot, including as a substitute for anything related to grounding, protective, etc.

● What's a superstition you don't believe?

I don't really believe in any, but that doesn't stop me chucking salt over my shoulder to blind da de'el!

● What's the most chaotic spell outcome? How off target did it go?

I've never had a spell go off the rails, my worst outcomes have been things just not working. Possibly cos I don't really do anything too adventurous or complex, most of my workings are low key self and home care, which doesn't leave much room for chaotic or off rail results.

● What's something completely mundane that feels magickal to you?

Picking up litter. Transforming my frustration and anger at others into action, into an act of devotion to the land. And, if I'm honest, transforming it into a little self righteous smugness, too. Which is not an attractive trait, perhaps but it's less upsetting than just being angry at selfish, disgusting people, so hey-ho. Maybe one day I'll transform the smugness into something better, too!

● What kind of magick are you bad at?

Anything really complex with a bunch of parts to it, I don't have the oomph or the spoons.

● What's a sign or omen you completely misred at first?

The call to witchcraft in the first place. It took me a fair damn while to realise, or maybe more to accept, that this was my path. I've mentioned before about being raised by pretty judgy sceptic atheists, it took me a long time to unlearn their opinions and even longer to acknowledge my own spiritual and witchy side.

● If your altar could judge you, what would it say you're neglecting?

My queer ancestors space, it's been too long. Pride month coming, though so if there's ever a time to tend it, it's now.

Also, if I'm honest, neglecting myself, too. I'm doing a little better with self care rituals, but some dedicated work would not be a bad thing right now. Literally saw a post about an altar to myself after starting to write this, so taking that as a we prompt from the universe!

● What is one witchcraft hill you will die on?

That anyone can be a witch. Witchcraft can totally be inherited, of course, but ultimately, practising witchcraft is a choice.

● What's a habit you've turned into ritual?

My morning and evening routines, which I've dreamed of doing for years!

● If you could take the shape of an animal for a day, what would you choose?

(Laszlo voice) A baaaat! Seriously, to "see" the world in sound, to fly and swoop so fast and free, to whirl in the sky all night and sleep all day. Bliss, pure bliss.

● If your magic had a moral alignment, what would it be?

Chaotic good. I do slightly more good than not, I think, but definitely chaotically.

● What's a belief you had early in your practice that you laugh at now?

Not exactly laugh at, but I did very much fall into the trap of buying things for my craft and thinking I had to follow what others did. Took me a wee while to find my own path, and to generally become less consumerist in my life and in my craft.

● If you could bottle one type of feeling and use it for spellwork, what would it be?

That elusive and painfully rare feeling of being confident within myself. Sometimes I know I can do anything I set my mind to, if I could bottle that to use any time it would change my life.

● What's your "shouldn't work but does" method?

For me, working intuitively. I have never been able to trust myself, my intuition. I have learned to in my witchcraft. And that is huge for me.

● What's the most aesthetic over practical thing you've done in your practice?

Oooh, a few things! But aesthetics matter to me, and when something I do looks nice as well as being practical that's a lovely bonus that helps me connect to my workings!

● If your practice had a warning label, what would it be?

Caution - the witch is Scottish, autistic, and perimenopausal, prod at your own risk.

● What's the first magickal book you read?

Wild Magic - Tamora Pierce. Daine has wild magic, which lets her work and communicate with animals. In hindsight, it definitely sparked something in Wee Rach all those decades ago now.

A Hedge Druid is someone who walks the Druid path for the most part alone, they seek wisdom from research and practical experience in order to create their own tradition. They seek to become more connected to the natural world as well as navigate between our realm and the spiritual realm. They search for the reality in nature. The land and power of the divine flows through them. The knowledge of the ancestors is in their blood and in the land around them. They seek out knowledge in both ancient and modern lore and find what resonates within their soul.

————

Druidry is the quest to find our place in the world and to work in the world in balance and harmony. They believe we are all connected and part of an eco system. We weave threads of inspiration and find our place in the world in harmony and with respect.

Druids were the intellectual and spiritual leaders of the ancient Celtic societies in Gaul, Britain, and Ireland. Emerging over 2,500 years ago, they functioned as priests, philosophers, judges, and teachers. But because they left no written records, their true origins remain shrouded in historical and archaeological debate.

The name Druid started in the Iron Age and they followed and oral tradition. Much of what we know about Druids was written form a Roman perspective. It is believed that before Druidry a shamanistic/animistic religion or spirituality existed in Gaul, Ireland, and Britain. The Druid belief is shaped by their environment and natural habitat.

There are two prominent theories:

1) it evolved from the indigenous spirituality of the British isles and influenced by the celts

2) the celts brought Druidry with them when the settled in the British Isles.

There are three modern strands of Druidry: Bards, Ovates, Druids

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Bard 🌿

The path of inspiration, story, creativity, and finding your voice

The Bard works with:

* Poetry and storytelling

* Music and song

* Myth and symbolism

* Inspiration (often linked with Awen, the flowing spirit of inspiration)

* Emotional expression and beauty

* Speaking truth through art

Traditionally, Celtic bards carried history, wisdom, and memory through stories and song. They kept the soul of a people alive.

Questions a Bard may ask:

* What is trying to sing through me?

* What story am I living?

* How do I give shape to what I feel?

A Bard’s lessons often involve learning to listen deeply and then express what is heard.

Ovate 🌙

The path of mystery, intuition, and the hidden currents beneath things

The Ovate works with:

* Nature observation

* Dreamwork

* Divination

* Healing traditions

* Ancestor work

* Symbolic and intuitive understanding

* The cycles of life, death, and rebirth

Historically, ovates were associated with prophecy, healing, and reading signs in the world.

Questions an Ovate may ask:

* What is beneath the surface?

* What patterns are unfolding?

* What is nature quietly teaching me?

Many people who are drawn toward mysticism, emotional depth, dreams, and inner worlds feel a pull here.

Druid 🌳

The path of wisdom, integration, and service

The Druid works with:

* Philosophy

* Spiritual leadership

* Ritual

* Ethics

* Deep relationship with nature

* Bringing all the strands together

Traditionally, Druids were teachers, mediators, advisors, and wisdom keepers.

Questions a Druid may ask:

* How do I live in harmony with the world?

* How do I embody wisdom instead of only seeking it?

* How can I serve?

The Druid path isn’t necessarily about authority; it is more about becoming rooted enough that wisdom can move through you.

Some traditions see them as a ladder you climb, others see them as a spiral:

Bard: I express, Ovate: I perceive, Druid: I integrate

———-

Hedge Druids choose a more solitary path in order to connect even more deeply with nature. The ride the hedge, which means the travel between the realms. They may be solitary practitioners but they are never truly alone. They are surrounded by nature and all its creatures. They are part of the interconnected web of connection. They live that connection and weave the threads of their life to that essence and environments and everything in it which means: there is no separation or isolation.

In the mystical sense they search for reality in nature. The songs of the land and power of the gods flow through them. The knowledge of the ancestors is deep within their blood and in the soil and land around them.