My story:

Merry Meet! I am Willow Callyberry, also known as Laura Lenhard, a 43 year old Hedgewitch and mother of four who currently lives in Shelton, Connecticut. I was raised in Southern California as a Catholic, but my family's Irish ancestry and folk magick therein always played a part in my upbringing. Dreams, signs and psychic visions were never discounted. I left California at 14 and lived with my grandmother who shared with me basic folk magick of her childhood (really folklore) and I'm grateful not to have had some of the earlier difficulties shared by so many pagans with strictly Christian parents.

Like so many of us, I am a voracious reader from a very young age and California's public libraries contained many New-Age Books - so I began meditating with a sense of the logic of it all in the 6th grade, and never stopped. Scrying followed, I began with Tarot in my teens. Spent much time with many pets and gardening, hiking in the woods and walking along the beach; horseback riding and exploring old cemetaries, first alone then with my children once they started arriving. I really began searching for spiritual clarity after my first child was born, in seeking religious truth to answer the question of not just what I believe, but why I believe it. The polarity of Wicca - God and Goddess - articulates perfectly and exactly what I believe to be the Truth for me. I have always kept a pottager, or formal herb garden, in every home I have owned (4 thus far) and my third child was born with a midwife in attendance. In addition, I am homeopathic and deeply concerned with environmental issues - and thus, the path of a solitary Hedgewitch is perfect for me.

But I am truly only solitary in that I do not belong to a Coven. In April of 2007 I realized a dream when I opened Talisman, a New-Age store that embraces Universal Spirituality and offers for sale all things mystical, magickal and natural. Along with the obvious herbs, gems, candles and incense we offer folk art, handmade jewelry and craft tools made by local artists, many of whom are pagan. A particular thrill are the classes we hold on Monday evenings, on topics as diverse as Wicca 101, "Introduction To" classes on religious paths ranging from VooDoo, Buddhism, Heathenism, etc.; meditation, past life regression, psychic protection and so many others. We have wonderful psychic readers and all share personal ethics that make the business of running a store tremendously satisfying. Young people early on their path find their way to Talisman, as do others who have experienced ghosts or metaphysical phenomenon - or, people who are just curious or who love natural objects. It's all good!

The biggest blessing has been the circle of friends who have emerged from the Store's beginnings. I think it is important that even if you identify as solitary that you have some sense of community or family to count yourself as part of. Sites such as Pagan-Heart provide the means to such ends, and I am deeply grateful to be even a little part of this! You can email me at Willow Callyberry or learn more about Taliman

Bright Blessings to All - Willow Callyberry