The Corner Crone: Theory, Practice, and Play at Mystic South

I’ve never gotten out into the larger Pagan community much, even before the pandemic and lockdown. It wasn’t until 2017 while I was still living in the Chicago area that I began to step into a more visible “public witch” role, which then came to an abrupt halt in 2018 with a couple of personally catastrophic events followed by an unanticipated across-the-country move in 2019. Seven months after my move came Covid and lockdown. I’ve had the “opportunity” to take a couple of years to review what happened, to reevaluate its impact on me and how I choose to interact with the world, and to reset my expectations both of myself and of my communities.

If you’re a first-timer at a large Pagan gathering there’s often the mild concern that there’ll be a sort of Inner Court and Outer Court dynamic going on – an awareness that the folx who’ve been attending for years have formed relationships that might be fairly impermeable to newbies. I experienced that at a large Pagan gathering a few years ago, where attendees were friendly enough but still fairly tribal. And I know myself well enough to recognize that I likely co-created that dynamic in my interactions.

And so I approached this year’s Mystic South with a determination to get over my darn self, to get out of my own way, and to embrace the personal connections that being visible in the larger community offered.

Theory

John Beckett has already written about how many outstanding workshops filled the schedule. Heron Michelle’s workshop on Elemental Witchcraft and a New Witch’s Jewel of Power made my little theory-loving heart get up and tap dance like Snoopy on their doghouse. Heron is an engaging and witty presenter, and her Jewel of Power theory is simply brilliant – it’s an intellectually satisfying system of magick that is structurally consistent across all of its domains. I have a low “woo” tolerance and workshops like Heron’s and Debra Burris’ The Science Behind Weather Lore were absolute highlights of my conference experience.

Practice

I’m a ritual wonk and liturgy geek, and could happily spend more time than most people are comfortable with talking about and exploring ways to craft effective ritual. I have a tendency to slide into an observer’s mindset during ritual, noting what seems to be working and – I’ll own it – what I would do differently.

As a result, many (many) times, ritual doesn’t take me out of myself. It’s not that I don’t value the rites I’ve experienced, but I’m rarely swept away into an ecstatic state wherein I’m distilled into simply being, doing, and feeling. That’s a neat trick to accomplish, especially in large-group ritual, yet Jason Mankey’s Witchfather rite managed to get me out of my observer mindset into a state of being utterly in the moment, and as a result I had a disconcerting encounter with the Horned One. I’m still trying to sift through what happened to me that night and, for me, that’s a hallmark of a successful ritual. I’m feeling its impact days afterwards. It has changed me, and I am profoundly grateful for the ways my spirit has been enlarged.

Play

The majority of my interactions in the Pagan world have been online, and online is a pretty flame-y place these days. There’s often way too much drama for this mama, but the ways folx talk to (or, more often, at) each other is interesting to observe and reflect upon, and one can often suss a person’s character through their online communications.

Thus, I already had a high level of trust for Mystic South’s Board before I ever met any of them face-to-face. Several BNPs (John Beckett, Jason Mankey, Ivo Dominguez, Heron Michelle, Thorn Mooney, Kelden, Laura Tempest Zakroff, and more!) also attended, and I have to say this was the friendliest bunch of folx you could ever hope to meet. I never felt as if anyone wished I would just move along so they could get back to being with their friends. I was beyond excited to finally meet and spend time with my co-author Vincent Higginbotham, with whom I’ve written Thrifty Witchery (available April 2023), and the Llewellyn Team. And – of course – to finally meet and spend time with Jason Mankey, who has become a very dear and trusted friend over the last several years.

In Conclusion

So what do I take from all this? Perhaps it’s simply because we’ve all been missing our Pagan festivals and conferences these past couple of years, but there’s some real joy to be found in the company of like-minded folx whether or not you’re already part of their tribe.

There’s often so much drama (and so much flouncing!) in our online communities, perhaps as a byproduct of wanting to be seen, heard, and valued. And because the interwebz are primarily how we’ve connected recently, many of us have been thirsty for face-to-face, side-by-side interactions.

As a long-time lurker, it was immensely gratifying to physically come out from the shadows and realize that the reason the Mystic South community looked safe from the edges is because it is safe at the center. That sense of safety and acceptance is a direct result of the mindfulness of everyone in attendance, and their willingness to interact in ways that authentically embody our aspirational precepts of perfect love and perfect trust.

Those aren’t just bywords; they’re the words by which we stitch and shape our community into vibrant being. I watched those threads being cast, woven, and rewoven countless times over the course of the conference. And that, my friends, is magick in action.

Mystic South is a massive endeavor with a lot of moving parts, and I’d like to close by thanking the Board (Marla, Stacy, Heather, Ryan, Gypsey, Star, and Nathan), the presenters, the sponsors, the vendors, the musicians, and the volunteers for all of your work before and during the conference, and for creating and holding a space where everyone – including this introverted witch – can feel connected, seen, and valued for who they are just as they are. I can hardly wait to come home again to you next year.

You can hear more of The Corner Crone during her Moments For Meditation on KPPR Pure Pagan Radio on TuneIn or on YouTube. Follow her on Facebook and on Instagram.