My name is Tressa. I’m a native Arkansan, steeped in Ozarks culture and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. I’ve been Pagan most of my life (since 1986) and a mom for over 25 years. I’ve been making crafts, crafting ritual, creating shrines, cooking vittles, and raisin’ youngins for ages. I started this blog in 2009 to share some of that journey with you.
Ozark Pagan Mamma 
are you in arkansas? :]
yes
great! i am too. someone recommended your blog on offbeatmama today, and of course the ozarks and “heathenry” caught my attention. haha glad to have found your blog. :]
That’s great! Maybe we’ll see each other around some time.
I love your Pagan Parenting posts! You have such a wealth of information to share 🙂 It’s very interesting reading. I have friends who are Druid, so this give me quite a bit of insight into their practice. We’re more eclectic, but I love learning about other paths. Thanks!!
In N. Little Rock here~! Nice to find another “local” 🙂
It’s good to see a pagan nearby. I live in south Missouri, and there doesn’t happen to be another pagan within a hundred miles, it seems.
Hi Billie! I am in the Joplin area – it’s nice to know there are other Pagan’s around my area! 😀
There are more! We are in Fairland OK.
Well I’m glad you found me! There’s plenty of Pagans in Northwest Arkansas.
I just found this blog and noticed the comments about Arkansas, I am in Western Arkansas. My hubby and I are buying land and homesteading slowly, but we are getting the job done.
That’s great!
Thanks so much for your site and posts. As someone new to Paganism, some of your posts have really struck home in terms of how to get out and connect with the Divine all around us, especially in nature. Sorry I’ve missed the last couple of group gatherings, but your posts are helping to fill that void and provide a quick recharge until I can get to another meet.
Thank you so much for sharing your journey. You are helping me greatly on how to explain things to my daughter. Blessed Be. Sending Love & Magick on a Boomerang back to you.
I’m glad you find my words useful in your life! Loads of ❤ right back at ya!
Hey Tressa! I’m an admin for One Witch’s Wonderland on Facebook. I would LOVE for you to be a guest adin with me for a few weeks! If that is something you would be interested in doing could you please get a hold of me and we can set you up! ❤ Eva
Sorry, Eva. I don’t think I can fit it in my schedule.
Hey Tressa! Your stuff is so awesome and I love what I’ve seen so far. I have found a new read. ^^
But I wanted to mention something to you! I have been reading your posts on salt dough (which are awesome btw!) and you say they don’t last forever. Something I wanted to share is that you can seal them with polyurethane, clear finishes and/or acrylic paints and they will really last practically forever. 🙂 I assume from your statements that you didn’t know this, but figure you could preserve your lovely, lovely works with this and you can share this info with your readers now when you write about salt dough. ^^ Thanks so much for sharing your salt dough creations. I only wish there were a big-sized picture gallery of them so I could admire them better. The details on your goddess statues are hard to see but they look so pretty. Thanks again!
Thanks Arsh, I do sometimes use a light coat of sealant on some of my salt dough projects- not wanting to overdo it with chemicals and such. All of the ones that are painted are painted with acrylic paint. A lot of my creations bit the dust this summer when we had extra high humidity; moisture permeated them and they fell off the wall. Most of them were saved with glue, however. I’ll consider using thicker layer of polyurethane for my favorites.
tressabelle,
I’m doing research for a novel based on druids. I am wondering if there was another way in which I could get in contact with you about some of the items you have posted here on this site?
Any help would be great, even if it’s to show me where to look. My local library has little, and despite being in a highly Celtic region of Canada, there really isn’t much available.
Are you able to see my email as I wrote it in the section below?
Sure, I’ll send you an email.
Hi Tressa
I was wondering if you would be interested in doing an article for me (with compensation)? If so, just contact me via the email I’ve used to make this post. Love reading your blog and the hands-on information.
Hi from Wyoming 🙂
Loving all your posts!
Thanks for sharing all your knowledge and yummy recipes.
Currently working on a T.V. series to follow families who are wicca/pagan/etc.- was wondering if you would be interested in sharing your story and talk further. You can contact me at the e-mail provided! Hope to speak to you soon!!
Is there an RSS feed to your blog or somewhere to get email alerts for new posts? I’ve looked but maybe overlooked it. Just found you today & love your blog.
I don’t think there is, sorry. I haven’t been posting much this year, and may be winding down to a farewell article by the end of the year. Enjoy the archives, though!
I just found your site and I absolutely love it I just wanted to say thank you !
I’m glad you like it!
Hi Tressa! I just found your blog. You’re doing a great job so don’t give up quite yet. I was reading about your parlay into Waincraft and it looks really interesting. How has it resonated with you spiritually? Have you found any difficulty integrating it with your ADF practice?
Thanks so much and may the Kindreds bless you mightily!
Hi Scott! It has been more difficult for me to come up with articles this year than in years past, for a number of reasons. Waincraft seems to blend quite nicely with ADF,and there are some similarities. It helps that ADF is orthopraxic rather than orthodoxic. Waincraft doesn’t have it’s own official ritual style. For my own (solitary) rituals, I use an “ADF-lite” format (like in my article “semi-daily devotionals”) or at times, a simple blót. The fuller “core order” rituals we have for Ozark Druids resonates with me as well.
Hi there, I found your weblog and wanted to say Merry Meet from Holland. Also a pagan mom here, trying to survive my sons toldler years 😉
I think i will enjoy your upcoming articles as well as the ones a have already read.
Blessings Súrion
Merry Meet! I’m glad you found me! 🙂
Kindreds bless.
Hi, I’m curious if you’re familiar with the Northwest Arkansas Kindred (aka White Wolf Kindred)? I was a member there for many years before I moved away, but they are still going strong. They’ve been there in the Fayetteville-Springdale, AR area since the late 90’s. Let me know if you’d like to contact them and I’ll put you in touch. They’re a fun bunch of folks.
I know of the group. I have been to a few of their meetings and have some friends in that kindred.
Hi, Tressa, I came to your blog via a search for “Tailtiu coloring page” I’m an ADF member and servant of the Morrigan. I hope you don’t mind if I copy off that picture of Tailtiu to use as a coloring page for kids coming to ritual tomorrow (and some grown ups who need the stress relief). Also, do you know who the artist is ? I try not to take stuff without giving credit and making sure it’s ok.
When I get some time I’m going to be reading through your blog. I’m just starting the Dedicant Path now, and am probably going to be organizing a protogrove here is Upstate South Carolina next year. Bright Blessings, Maria.
Hi Maria, feel free to use any materials from my blog, that’s what it’s here for. 🙂 The Tailtiu picture is actually an image I altered from a picture I found in a google image search. The original was in color and much more detailed. Sorry I don’t know who the original artist was.
I just want to say how delighted I was to discover your inspirational website. I am a retired pastor from a Christian denomination that does not respect the lovely spiritual path followed by Pagans. Since retiring I have become attracted to Paganism and I want to learn all that I can about it, especially about seeing the divine in all things. I love your website. It is so enlightening for me. Thanks and compliments and blessings to you.
Thank you, I’m glad you like my blog! I don’t post on here very often anymore, but there are years of articles in the archives, so enjoy!
I know how old this post and all of the comments are but I needed to express how excited it made me to see so many people in Arkansas! I’m in Little Rock and sooooo alone lol 😆 love this regardless of age lol 🖤
Hi Amber, thanks for your comment! I haven’t written anything on this blog in a long while, but I do still check on it from time to time. If you want to meet some Arkansas Pagans near you, I think the Central Arkansas Pagan & Witches Meetup still going on.
(aka Lady Lucina), Merry Meet everyone! It warms my heart to learn that there are so many of us in the 4-states! Being disabled with a nasty, chronic disease keeps me close to home, add being a solitary kitchen witch to that & it’s easy to understand why I’m not miss popularity! Pagan mama, I can’t wait to delve into all the info you’ve assembled here. Who knows, I might even find a Pagan friend or 2. Blessed Be ya’ll
Hi Tressa! I hope you’re well. My name is Eve and I help run the Kith of the Earthen Star Pagan group here in York, England. I was looking on the internet for a nice picture for our next moot and I found this lovely one of yours (the Thanksgiving toast one, red words Hail the Gods, Ancestors… etc on yellow background.) I’d like to ask your permission to maybe use it (crediting you) on our Facebook moot event post, please? It’s ok if no. Thanks! Love and hugs, Eve xx
Sure thing!
Hi Tressa! You mentioned an article I wrote back in 1996, when I was active with ADF. I love that that thing is still wandering around the internet, and I’d be delighted to chat about ADF, Wicca, Druidry, Pagan parenting, etc. Blessings and merry meet!
Hi Kami! Yes, that would be cool, look me up on Facebook! (I’m not hip enough for to keep up with other social media platforms lol!) This ole blog of mine is a long time inactive, though I occasionally think about restarting it. It would be completely different now, as I too left ADF (in 2016 or 17). Though am still very much inspired my Celtic and Norse traditions, I’ve been building more of a specifically Ozark practice for a while.
I don’t remember how I stumbled upon your articles, just wanted to say I enjoyed them and hope to read more of goings on and thoughts and inspiration. Thank you for sharing
Hi. I’m new here, and new to paganism. I’m very intrigued by this strong call I’ve been getting to come and see and practice. Just looking for community. Thanks for this trove of incredible information!
Welcome to the grand adventure that is Paganism! I’m glad you like my blog!