Spell: from Old English spell (‘news, story’), from Proto-Germanic spellą (‘speech, account, tale’.)
The poet, the scop, the skald, the bard – spell-weavers all. Story-tellers were once recognised as such. Shaman-like, through feats of imagination, they undertook journeys into the unseen worlds and returned bearing fundamental truths of existence. Then, by their word-magic, they conjured this wisdom for the benefit of others; through their direct participation with the spirits, the story-teller wove the myths of the people.
It is imagination that reveals the gateway to the otherworld, that sharpens the blade in order to cut the veil. It connects us to the deepest recesses of the unconscious and the highest summits of the spirit-realms. This is why stories possess power. They transform reality, bestow revelation and change the profane into the sacred. They grant identity and provide both a link with the past and a direction for the future.
The relationship between magic and story-telling is so inextricably intertwined as to be self-evident. This is the basis for everything I write or publish: the imagination as the preeminent organ. There is nothing pejorative about storytelling. It is en-chantment, poesis, mythopoeia.
I am a practitioner, poet, author and researcher. Nemglan Press is the propagatory vehicle for some of my work, issued in very limited quantities under certain pseudonyms. If you’ve bought any of those emanations, thankyou. My next book, Avalon Working, will be published by Scarlet Imprint in Spring 2024. I’ll post updates on this site in due course.
In the meantime, please find me on Instagram or, to receive advance notification of new releases, join the mailing list.