Blogging Highlights of 2018

I've had a small core of readers for years, and believe me, you are very close to my heart. However, I want to reach more people, and recently that has begun to happen. But why? I don't think that my writing has improved dramatically, but I am probably better at writing titles and choosing lead pictures, which is essential for social media (okay, facebook, because I can't be bothered to expand beyond it). Having a second blogging platform on Patheos has also boosted the Go Deeper blog. I will try to keep both blogs going, because I like to cover a wider array of topics and share poetry and things that don't feel like a good fit on Patheos.

Most Popular
Interestingly, my two most popular posts this year are my two most recent ones. I really hope that's the start of a trend! These were Ideas for Celebrating Epona’s Day, here, and Why You Should Be Wary of Celtic Facts on Patheos. I really poured my heart and soul into the Epona piece, and although it’s aimed at one day of the year, most of the content is applicable any time.

I’ve only been on Patheos for a few months, and most of my posts there have done well, but one which was especially popular was Horses of the Dark Time, the first in a series of pieces about horse mumming traditions. This one covered Cheshire souling plays that take place around Samhain, and feature a skull horse. For an unsensational piece on folklore, I can only guess that its popularity was due to the timing and a striking lead photo of a Mari Lwyd.

photo by Rhyn Williams

Back at Go Deeper, another popular post was Halloween is Pagan, Trick-or-Treat is Traditional. Yes/No/Maybe in which I stirred the pot a bit regarding the tackiness of Halloween in the US, vs the mid-20th century traditions surrounding bonfire night in the UK.

The Story Shawl was the first piece of fiction I ever published on the blog, and it also did well. It was intended as a metaphor concerning the value of mythology to a society. I was pleased with how it turned out, and that it was popular, but amused that many readers seemed to miss the analogy between the fictional shawl and mythology. Oh well!

In Contemplating Lughnasadh I explored Lammas fairs and the myth of Tailtiu clearing the land for agriculture. As some of you know, I feel that we should be putting wild nature at the centre of our concerns, and that the neo-Pagan wheel of the year, with its emphasis on agricultural cycles, creates a bit of a conflict. This is something I expect to write more about in the future.

In October I was haunted by the tale of The Wild Mare. It came to me in instalments over a few mornings while I was still in bed, almost in the same way that much of the story itself unfolds in the main character’s dreams. I hardly feel that I can claim credit for this one. I wrote it down, but I have no sense of having composed it. I hope there will be more like it, but who knows? You can now buy it in print, along with some poems on a horsey theme, in chapbook form.

My personal favourites
I only write about things I love, and there are a few posts that I especially wish had been read more widely. If you have time, check some of these out. If you find one you love, perhaps you will share it.

The Blackface Sheep Speaks is a post that sits close to my heart. I believe that my oracle cards have a lot to teach us, and this one is among my favourites from this year. The overarching spirit of the card felt very close when I was writing this one.

The Evil That Efnisien Did explores an episode from the Mabinogi that had been bothering me for some time. The answers I came up with in some ways dovetail with what I wrote in the Lughnasadh piece mentioned above.

Another post that meant a lot to me was The Romany Gentleman, my review of Tom Lloyd’s film about his father, Walter Lloyd and their associations with the Romany and Traveller communities at Appleby horse fair. Not only is it a great film, but I so much enjoyed doing research about Walter Lloyd, who turned out to be one of the most ildánach people I have ever encountered.

Tom LLoyd and friends

Back in January I was preparing to do a talk and a ritual for Imbolc. Reasearch for the talk inspired me to write Cailleach Rant, a prose poem that is also available in print now, along with some of my older poems about Imbolc.

In Making Friends with Celtic Mythology I offered what I hope is some useful advice to readers who aren’t sure how to approach this awfully big subject of study. I see a lot of questions about this on social media. Here are a few answers.

On Patheos I also have a couple of favourites. One is Mabon is a God, in which I try to explain that I don’t mind people honouring Mabon at the Autumnal Equinox, but why I do object to them using His name as the name for the day. The other is Moon Drum, in which I describe the events of a particularly potent full moon ritual.

Moon Drum

Have a wonderful new year, dear readers!