About the Author

Mortellus is the High Priestex of the Coven of Leaves in Western North Carolina, a Gardnerian Coven operating an Outer Court training group who like to say that they are a bubbling cauldron of bitter esoterica slithering their way through Western North Carolina. Additionally, Mortellus is a Mortician, Author, Medium, and Necromantrix. Her book of pagan death rites and rituals for Llewellyn, Do I Have To Wear Black? is set to come out February 8th, 2021 with multiple additional book projects under contract. Currently, she resides on three acres that are hastily becoming overgrown again with her partner, adult child, two-year-old afab/amab twins, and one really, really ridiculous dog.


Interested in supporting this author’s work?

I do not have a Patreon at this time, nor do I have any plans to make one available. For those who are able and choose to support content creators monetarily, there are a few ways to support my many projects.
  • Attend an event.
  • Purchasing items from my shop.
  • Direct donation: paypal.me/mortellus
  • To contribute to the coven library: bit.ly/CoLWishlist
  • Speak to your local pagan shops and bookstores about carrying my book or goods.
  • Inquire with your favorite event about having Mortellus as a guest speaker.
  • Pick up a copy of Do I Have To Wear Black? or reach out to your local library and mortuary science programs about adding Do I Have To Wear Black? to their resource collections.
  • Book readings or services. You can book directly by clicking here.
  • As always, like, share, and tag!

FAQs

Can you help with a haunting or a missing persons case?

I’m happy to clear something spooky out of your house/place of business/garden shed, or to assist with missing persons or cold case. Please reach out here.

I’m interested in attending a workshop, or using your services, but cost is a barrier.

In the event that cost is a barrier to any services, classes, or videos, please reach out directly through the contact page for a code that will provide 100% off the cost. Be certain to note which specific service, class, or video you were interested in.

Where can I purchase an autographed copy of “Do I Have To Wear Black?”

Just click here! Signed copies are personalized with the name of your choosing, a doodle by the author, and spirit-led magic keyed to the purchaser. At this time first edition paperback copies are available to ship February 8, 2021.

Where did you go to school?
My degrees are an AA in Graphic Design from McDowell Technical Community College, Bachelors of the Fine Arts from Savannah College of Art and Design, AA in General Education from Fayetteville Technical Community College, and an AAS in Funeral Services (for those not in the know, that’s dual funeral directing and embalming) from Fayetteville Technical Community College. Additionally I hold a metric ton of utterly unrelated professional certifications because much like a crow, I never seem to stop being curious about the world and just love learning things.

Are you affiliated with any certain traditions?
I am a 3° Gardnerian High Priestex, and whatever you heard, I promise we’re not all the GOP of Wicca. My personal practice is pretty eclectic and ranges from old timey necromancy to alchemy, ceremonial magic, and the appalachian folk practices native to the area in which I was born and raised.

What the hell is a High Priestex?
I am a non-binary person who was assigned female at birth, was female socialized, am “femme-presenting,” and I prefer honorifics that do not define me by my gender. Priestex is that for me, and more. In Wiccan traditions you often see a binary of roles – generally High Priestess and High Priest though many of us out there doing The Work™ don’t have working partners and wear all the hats. For me, those titles aren’t about gender, but are about the roles we fill. Life and death, creation and destruction, east and west. I lead my Coven all on my lonesome, and for me Priestex is not only a word that is void of gender, but one that says I’m something in the middle, capable of filling all those roles at once.

What are your pronouns?
My pronouns are she/they, and prefer X suffixed honorifics and titles for examples Mx, Directrix, Necromantrix, Priestex, and so on.

 


CRAAP Seal

I’m happy to state that this blog received a passing grade on the CRAAP test. To learn more about the CRAAP test and how to apply that to other Pagan/Occult materials, blogs, and so on, check out The Gardnerian Librarian on Instagram.