The Magic Within: Author & Hedge-Witch Lily Oak

Magic is a fascinating subject, taking the imagination from Brothers’ Grimm old fairytales, to the wild fantasies of Harry Potter, to a special kind of magic in The Golden Compass. But who really thinks about magic in the modern world? Can one still embrace a sense of magic; can one influence the elements or earth’s vibrations to create a happy outcome? My third VBT guest is author and Hedge-Witch Lily Oak who has put together a special kind of book for a very special cause.

The Story of 'Hope Moon'

Hope Moon is a collection of short stories, poetry, artwork, and articles inspired by the moon and its influence over us. How did it come about? Lily says: “Let me paint you a picture. One January morning earlier this year, I sink into the sofa, cup of tea in hand, recovering from manic morning getting kids to school. I flick on the TV and am greeted with harrowing news pictures from the Haiti earthquake disaster. I wish I could do something I thought. Just then my phone started chirping at m, I recognized the number as my temp agency. "...they said they didn't need you after all. We've got you another placement though it starts on Monday." Never mind I thought, I've already booked child care so I guess I get three quiet days to myself... I'm sure I'll find something to do. Something. Then it clicked, being a firm believer in everything happens for a reason, what else would I do?!”

Hope Moon contains a wide range of things from a wide range of people. It includes a lesson in basic moon magic, contributed by Dawn Gribble and taken from the Pagan-Magic.com witchcraft e-course. Some brilliant articles on how the moon affects us all in different ways by Lidia Tremblay, Scarlet Page, and Laura Goodfellow. It also has its fair share of creative writing. There are two beautifully haunting short stories by Chris Bartholomew and Kaolin Fire. All of these components are punctuated with poetry by Julie Carty, Isabelle Newbill, Laura Goodfellow, and Rob Bond (whose stunning painting adorns the cover).This pagan-esque anthology was put together in just 3 days in order to help raise money for the Haiti earthquake appeal, and for every copy sold a donation is made.

Here’s a wonderful poetic contribution from Lily

The Night I Died I Came Alive
The night I died was the night I came alive,
It happened by the light of the Full Cold Moon.
My friends and family all mourned,
They thought it happened too soon.
I had spent the day following the foot fall of deer,
I noticed that darkness had began to descend.
I knew I should head home but felt comfort in The Wood,
That was my beginning, though most thought it my end.
I don’t remember pain, or cold, or dark,
I just stared at the sphere above shining bright.
All my troubles and worries seemed further away,
The world seems much more peaceful when it’s wrapped in the night.
The air became icy whispers as the hours wore on,
It was like learning secrets as I lay back amongst the trees.
I felt so at home watching the midnight mist swirl,
I knew I never wanted to leave, so from my body my spirit I eased.

Copyright © Lily Oak 2010 - taken from 'Hope Moon'


To learn a bit more about magical elements, I visited Lily’s site Hedge-Witchery to have my eyes opened. There’s magic everywhere, as you’ll find if you visit this special place. I thought I’d let Lily tell us about herself in her own magical words.

What is Magic?
If you are reading this expecting long mysterious explanations of cryptic ceremonies used to conjure magic, I am afraid I am about to disappoint you.
What is magic? Everything.
Where is magic? Everywhere.
You just have to learn to see it. For me at least, magic isn't something we create it is something we use. A type of energy given of by every natural thing. Think more Lyra's dust, than Mr. Potter’s Wand. Just as all natural things differ in species, mineral type, personality, etc, so does the magic they radiate. From the purification properties of copal, to the deep passions inspired by garnet. Sometimes these magical energies combine in a way that jumps out at us, makes itself so tangible that even the most stoic of skeptics would struggle to deny it. The moment the dipping sun hits the right spot on the horizon that floods the sky crimson. Sunlight catching dew drops on unfurling ferns in spring. Frost encased spiders’ webs on crisp autumn morns. It is how magic is utilized that gives us the diverse make-up of witchcraft and spell casting we have today. Due to witchcraft being a lot more publicly discussed than it once was, practitioners are now able to talk about the way they see magic, discuss their path, its history and its beliefs. This enables us to not only look at what magic is to ourselves, but also what it s to others. It allows us to change our perspective of what magic is and learn and grow because of it.
Magic is something that affects all of us whether we choose to work with it or not. At some point in your life, no matter what your views on witchcraft or spell casting, you'll be affected by it.

Of course, if you’re curious (like me) you’ll want to visit Hedge-Witchery and find out what exactly is a Hedge-Witch. You might be surprised...

To purchase a copy of Hope Moon and donate to a wonderful cause, visit Amazon.