Fáilte!
🕳️Circle of Stinging Nettle🍃
A Freshly Formed Coven in Eugene OR
Looking for 5-11 Members
Finnegan is ainm dom
🌙 Join Me In Creating A Magical Community ☀️
Hello fellow witches, magic practitioners, cunning folk and polytheists!I am Finnegan, I’m a cosmic, hedge folk witch, and I invite you to join me in crafting a unique magical haven - Circle of Stinging Nettle. 🌿✨About Me:
At the core I am foremost an Astrologer, based in Hellenistic Astrology and working with planetary magic. But I am also a practitioner of folk magic, learning specifically Appalachian, Irish, Scottish and some Swedish and English folk traditions, which are where my ancestral roots lie. I focus heavily on spirit work and am a strong animist - I believe in the sacredness and spirit within all things. I venerate my ancestors, the Tuatha Dé Danann (Irish deities), as well as Loki and his children & partners(Norse deities). I believe in a magic that embraces diversity, respects the roots from which it springs, decolonization, antifascism, abolitionism, anarchy and harm reduction. To be clear, I consider myself an informal community member and organizer - I am not someone of any title or association. Meaning I am not a Priest/ess, Druid, or a master of anything. I simply want to hold a container for this community (since I can’t find what I am looking for!), not hold power over it. I will not try to dictate your practices or beliefs (outside of agreed upon guidelines within the container of the coven space). It is important to me to find balance among structure and shared responsibilities in a way that is community-led.
I am 27 years old, use it/its pronouns, am nonbinary, bi, autistic, and a disabled wheelchair user. I am very Covid Vigilant.
go raibh maith agat
What The Coven Offers 🧙
📜 Folk Magic: Together, we will delve into the enchanting world of folk magic, where traditions are woven into our rituals, spells, and practices. We will learn and grow together, connect to our ancestral ties and learn the folk traditions that were built by those who came before us.
🌌 Astrological Insights: Speaking for myself, I have been a student of Astrology for over 8 years now, ranging over time from casually to studiously. I have a certificate from The Hellenistic School of Astrology run by Chris Brennan. I’ve completed several Astrology workshops at NORWAC (online in 2020). I would love to share what I’ve learned and learn from others.
🔮 Divination: All kinds of divination forms, we will practice together or sharing skills with one another. I have personal (very amateur) experience in Oracle and Tarot cards, Regular Cartomancy, Runes, Ogham, Pendulums, Shufflemancy, and more.
🌳 Animistic Connection: A strong focus on fostering a deep connection with the living spirit of nature, where every leaf, stone, and breeze carries its own magic and life. A focus on honoring the land and acknowledging, giving back to, and educating ourselves on the Indigenous tribes whose stolen land we occupy.
👻 Spirit Work + Hedge Magic: Outside of ancestral and deity spirits, I personally focus a lot on spirit work in my practice. Not only land, nature, and house spirits but ones from the Otherworld as well. This I include in part, in what I consider Hedge Magic. Particularly in hedge riding, or journeying to the Otherworld and working with liminal spaces and thresholds. Including dreamwork, using divination for communication, and developing psychic clair-abilities. I also find the cross-over with Hearth Magic in another definition of Hedge Magic to be intertwined - and incorporates a lot of folk magic by imbuing magic into everyday and mundane life. I’m learning how to incorporate things like automatic writing and even things like EMF and spirit boxes into my spirit work.
🕊 Ancestral Veneration: Honoring our roots and ancestors, those from our bloodlines, found family and/or archetypal, creating a bridge between the past and present. Learning about our ancestry and where our roots lie and how we can honor our ancestors, their traditions and the places they lived.
🕯️ Deity Veneration: For those of us who worship or work with deities of various pantheons, we can take part in shared rituals and holiday observances. UPG is welcome as long as it is stated to be so.
📚 Studying: Shared studying, much like a book club. Continuously learning and growing through verifiable resources. Learning traditions and languages together.
🏘️ Community Outreach: I am not at all referring to proselytizing here. By this I mean mutual aid, volunteer work, cleaning community spaces and ect. I also mean eventually hosting gatherings, open rituals or spaces for those outside of the coven who want community.
cad is ainm duit?
Who I’m Looking For 🔎
I extend an invitation to like-minded folks who resonate with this magical blend to apply. If you yearn for a community rooted in authenticity, intolerance for cultural appropriation, and a celebration of diverse paths, your journey may intersect with mine. Join us to network, socialize, cultivate mindfulness, and grow in your practice within a like-minded and safer community.You are welcomed to apply if you are:
🔞 Over 21
😷 Actively masking or willing to adapt to the shared vigilance within the coven.
🧠 Open minded and excited to learn
🎓 Seasoned or brand new
🧙 Either a witch/magic practitioner, polytheist, animist or other form of “pagan”
🪄 Interested in doing magic and rituals with a close group of 6-12 people
📖 Want to share your knowledge
🏘️ Are community driven
💭 Are informed and/or willing to learn about pervasive cultural appropriation vs appreciation
☠️ Are accepting of appropriate baneful magicThose who are not welcomed to apply:
🚫 Folkists or any other form of white supremacists
🚮 Informed appropriators (including non-Jewish Lilith devotees)
⛔️ Racists
🙅 Ableists
👎 Queerphobics or transphobics
✋ That includes of course; terfs, transmeds, exclusionists of ace/aros or those who use neopronouns or unconventional labels
🙉 Anti-Semitics
🇵🇸 Pro-Israel or zionists
😬 Fatphobes
🤢 Anti-maskers (or just not masking bc u don't care anymore!)
💩 Harm apologists
🚽 Anyone who talks down about religions, yes - even Christianity. This is not to say you should have no criticisms of religions or cults or feel rightfully harmed/are traumatized by their dogma and followers. Many of us have religious traumas, but speaking down about religion as a whole or on the foundations of religions is not welcome.
🧝 Anyone focused solely on ceremonial magic
👀 Anyone bringing in-cohesive ideologies or philosophies.
🧍 Anyone, of course, just wanting to be a solitary practitioner
FAQ ❓
Is there an initiation process?
I’m not planning on us having traditional initials or rites like the ones in Wicca or otherwise. Folk magic traditions are diverse and have different forms of initiation or none at all. For this reason, as we will not be following one specific path as a group, I will not require an initiation or rite. However if that is something you desire, we can talk about what that would look like for your practice. Or if the coven as a whole are wanting that, we could also discuss it. So- No, for now at least. Here’s a resource about folk traditions and initiations- Click Here Side note… I might require paperwork in terms of agreeing to keep confidentiality and just little legal covering-bases.
Is there a member fee?
Currently, I don’t have plans to request a member fee. I would hope that we take on community roles and responsibilities, including monetarily as appropriate or viable, and show up with what we’re able to offer. If things become unbalanced or I end up bearing a lot of the financial burden because of activities we’re wanting to do, then I may revisit it.
Why the name ‘Circle of Stinging Nettle’?
I chose the name Circle of Stinging Nettle, because Stinging Nettle is a plant with lots of magical properties and it is native to Oregon. It’s a perennial plant that grows at low elevations. It’s been used for hundreds of years to treat pain and many medical conditions and has been used as an anti-inflammatory. Stinging Nettle has lots of ancient magical uses as well. Most often used as a form of protection or warding, creating boundaries or thresholds. It’s also sometimes used in rituals to promote growth and healing. That said, this doesn’t have to remain the name of the coven. If the coven is formed and a new name is suggested and agreed upon - even better!
Do I have to practice or partake in all the things you listed?
No! Consent is important. You’re free to practice whatever you want, engage in what you want and what you’re comfortable with. The things I listed are based on what I personally have experience with and practice, and what I would like to practice in this group setting. As long as something listed is something you’re interested practicing with a group or learning about, these are just starting points. I’m not specifically making this coven a Gaelpol practicing-only or anything else like that. People of any cultures and practices are welcome to apply. Just keep in mind that the main activities we do will likely include various versions of folk magic, spirit work, astrology and everything else I listed above and will not be doing traditional ceremonial magic (though some things may be similar) and won’t be tolerant of any appropriation practices. That all said, we all grow and change our practices overtime and I imagine the coven will evolve together as well.
How often will we be meeting?
That is fully dependent on the consensus of the coven. In the application I ask if you have any preferences for this. Once I have enough applicants to start forming a group (Last updated 2.12.24 - There is 2) which I would consider to be 4-5 others outside myself, I will try to make the majority’s vote the baseline. Personally, I think meeting at bi-weekly would be a good starting point.
How secretive will this be?
Outside of maintaining CCPA - Coven Confidentiality, Privacy, and Accountability, what I refer to as a witch’s HIPAA (I made this up,) the coven itself will not be a secret. While it’s application only and not open-door, I am of course, sharing it online to find members and we will be doing community outreach as a coven. So to recap- Think of the coven as being similar to an AA group or therapy confidentiality. Anything private that we do together or things we share with/tell each other during a coven meet-up, should remain between only the members of the coven. UNLESS. Someone is actively in danger and their well-being or another person’s is at risk. Mandatory reporters should also be transparent about being so. That said, if you talk or hang out privately with another member - Your boundaries are between the two of you. Outside of that, doing community events or what we agree to share on social media will be public. If you are a closeted witch or have people close to you that you don’t want to know about your beliefs, let us know so we can accommodate that in what we share!
Can I invite a friend to apply
Sure! Feel free to share this website.
Do I have to read all those books on the last page?
No. I haven’t read them all myself, but the ones I haven’t I have heard about from sources I trust and plan on reading them. I highly encourage you to read New World Witchery if you haven’t, but none are required.
sláinte!
How To Apply 🌿👯
If this all resonates with you or you feel called to join, fill out our application to share a glimpse into your spiritual journey, your connection with folk traditions, and what draws you to Circle of Stinging Nettle, to see if you align with the goal of forming this container.It is a long one, so make sure you have plenty of time, a glass of water or cup of tea, and energy to expend. It’s very thorough to ensure that I can weed out anyone who may not have the best of intent or be harmful, and also so that we can form the most cohesive group that will be set up for success.I’ll respond to you as soon as I can!
Reccommended Reading for Folk Magic:
| Title | Author | Link |
|---|---|---|
| New World Witchery (an absolute Must Read) | Cory Thomas Hutcheson | — |
| Braiding Sweetgrass | Robin Wall Kimmerer | — |
| A Beginner Witch’s Handbook | Leah Middleton | — |
| Folk Witchcraft | Roger J Horne | — |
| Irish Witchcraft | Laura O’Brien | — |
| Of Blood & Bones | Kate Frueler | — |
| Wild Witchcraft | Rebecca Beyer | — |
| Cunning Folk & Familiar Spirit | Emma Wilby | — |
| Backwoods Witchcraft | Jake Richard’s, Starr Casas | — |
| Mutual Aid | Dean Spade | — |
| Magical House Protection | Brian Hoggard | — |
| Wild Magic Celtic Folk Traditions | Dani Forest | — |
Reccommended Reading for Astrology & Celestial Magic:
| Title | Author | Link | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| You Were Born For This | Chani Nichols | — | Beginner |
| The Magick of Brithdays | Hannah Hawthorn | - | Beginner |
| Astrological Magic | Benjamin N. Dykes | - | Intermediate |
| Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fate & Fortune | Chris Brennan | - | Textbook level |
| Ancient Astrology in Theory and Practice | Demetra George | — | Text Book Level |
| Practical Planetary Magick | David Rankine | - | Intermediate |
| Traditional Astrology For Today | Benjamin Dykes | - | Advanced |
| Cosmos & Psyche | Richard Tarnas | — | Intermediate |
| Astrology For Yourself | Douglas Bloch & Demetra George | — | Beginner |
Reccommended Reading for Celtic Polytheism:
| Title | Author | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Irish Paganism: Reconstructing Irish Polytheism | Morgan Daimler | - |
| Tales of Old Ireland Retold | Lora O’Brien | — |
| Gods And Goddesses of Ireland | Morgan Daimler | — |
| Fairy Faith In Ireland | Lora O’Brien | — |
| Fairies or Aos Sidhe or any of her Fairy books | Morgan Daimler | — |
| The Morrigan | Morgan Daimler | — |
| Brigid | Morgan Daimler | — |
| Cath Maige Tuired (Irish myth translations) | Morgan Daimler | — |
Reccommended Reading for Norse Polytheism:
| Title | Author | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Pantheon: The Norse | Morgan Daimler | — |
| The Norns | Irisanya Moon | — |
| The Norse Myths: A Guide To Gods & Heroes | Carolyne Larrington | — |
| Playing With Fire | Dagulf Loptson | — |
| Loki Trickster & Transformer | Dagulf Loptson | — |
| Loki & Sigyn | Lea Svendsen | — |
| Thor | Morgan Daimler | — |
| Freya | Morgan Daimler | — |
| Odin | Morgan Daimler | — |
| The Poetic Edda | Carolyne Harrington | — |
Reccommended Reading for Animism & Green magic:
| Title | Author | Link |
|---|---|---|
| The Handbook of Contemporary Animism | Graham Harvey | - |
| Forest Walking | Peter Wohlleben | — |
| Grow Your Own Medicine | Ava Green & Kate Bensinger | — |
| The Modern Herbal Dispensatory | Thomas Easley & Steven Horne | __ |
| Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants | Scott Kloos | — |
| Pacific Northwest Edible Plant Foraging & Mushroom Field Guide | Stephen Fleming | — |
| Pacific Northwest Foraging | Douglas Deur | — |
Reccommended Reading for Ancestral & Spirit work:
| Title | Author | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Honoring Your Ancestors: A Guide To Ancestral Veneration | Mallorie Vaudoise | - |
| The Book of Ancestors | Claire Goodchild | - |
| The Oxford History of Magic and Witchcraft | Owen Davies | — |
| The Tradition of Household Spirits | Claude Lecouteux | — |