Blake Octavian Blair is a shamanic practitioner, ordained minister, writer, Usui Reiki Master-Teacher, tarot reader, and musical artist. Blake incorporates mystical traditions from both the East and West, with a reverence for the natural world, into his own brand of spirituality. Blake holds a degree in English and religion from the University of Florida. He is an avid reader, knitter, crafter, pescatarian, and member of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD). He loves communing with nature and exploring its beauty whether it is within the city or hiking in the woods. Blake lives in the New England region of the USA with his beloved husband. Visit him on the web at www.blakeoctavianblair.com or write him at blake@blakeoctavianblair.com.
Kate Freuler lives in Ontario, Canada, with her husband and daughter. She owns and operates www.whitemoonwitchcraft.com, an online witchcraft boutique. When she isn’t crafting spells and amulets for clients or herself, she loves to write, paint, read, draw, and create.
Michael Furie (Northern California) is the author of Supermarket Sabbats, Spellcasting for Beginners, Supermarket Magic, Spellcasting: Beyond the Basics, and more, all from Llewellyn Worldwide. A practicing Witch for more than twenty years, he is a priest of the Cailleach. He can be found online at www.michaelfurie.com.
Ember Grant has been writing for the Llewellyn Annuals since 2003. In addition, she is the author of three books: Magical Candle Crafting, The Book of Crystal Spells, and The Second Book of Crystal Spells. She lives in Missouri with her husband and two very spoiled feline companions. Visit her at EmberGrant.com.
JD Hortwort resides in North Carolina. She is an avid student of herbology and gardening. She has written a weekly garden column since 1991. She is a professional, award-winning author, journalist, and magazine editor, as well as a frequent contributor to the Llewellyn annuals. Recently retired from journalism, she continues to write on topics as diverse as gardening and NASCAR. When not at the keyboard, she spends time in her own landscape, taking trips with friends wherever the road leads, and with her nose buried in a book.
James Kambos is a writer and artist from Ohio. He has written many articles and essays about the folk magic traditions of Appalachia, Greece, and the Near East. He also designs cards and calendars. James has a degree in history and geography from Ohio University.
Jason Mankey is a Wiccan-Witch who lives in Northern California with his wife, Ari, and two cats. He’s the author of Transformative Witchcraft: The Greater Mysteries, along with several books in The Witch’s Tools series. He writes online at the blog Raise the Horns.
Mickie Mueller explores magic and spirituality through art and the written word at her home studio and workshop in Missouri. She is the author/illustrator of The Voice of the Trees, the illustrator of The Mystical Cats Tarot and The Magical Dogs Tarot, and the author of The Witch’s Mirror and Llewellyn’s Little Book of Halloween. Since 2007, Mickie has been a regular article and illustration contributor to Llewellyn’s almanacs and annuals and many Llewellyn books. Her art has been seen as set dressing on SyFy’s The Magicians and Bravo’s Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce. Visit her online at MickieMuellerStudio.etsy.com
Daniel Pharr was born and raised in the desert Southwest, and knew his path was a Pagan one after being introduced to the ancient ways of the goddess almost twenty years ago. He has studied extensively with several nationally recognized Pagan institutions and learned the arts of healing (including Reiki, reflexology, therapeutic touch, and massage), tarot, astrology, intuitive counseling, and herbalism. As a healer and psychic, he believes his experience in these areas have brought him in touch with the lunar energies he writes of in this book. It is the knowledge and use of these energies which make him successful, and his private practice extends to corporations and organizations as well as individuals. Pharr is also a scuba instructor, a martial arts teacher with a Black Belt in Kenpo Karate, and a Certified Firewalker Instructor.
Suzanne Ress has been practicing Wicca for about twelve years as the leader of a small coven, but she has been aware of having a special connection to nature and animal spirits since she was a young child. She has been writing creatively most of her life—short stories, novels, and nonfiction articles for a variety of publications—and finds it to be an important outlet for her considerable creative powers. Other outlets she regularly makes use of are metalsmithing, mosaic works, painting, and all kinds of dance. She is also a professional aromatic herb grower and beekeeper. Although she is an American of Welsh ancestry by birth, she has lived in northern Italy for nearly twenty years. She recently discovered that the small mountain in the pre-alpine hills that she inhabits with her family and animals was once the site of an ancient Insubrian Celtic sacred place. Not surprisingly, the top of the mountain has remained a fulcrum of sacredness throughout the millennia, and this grounding in blessedness makes Suzanne’s everyday life especially magical.
Charlynn Walls is an active member of her local community. A practitioner of the craft for over twenty years, she currently resides in Central Missouri with her family. She continues to share her knowledge by teaching at local festivals and producing articles for publication with Llewellyn Worldwide.
Charlie Rainbow Wolf is happiest when she is creating something, especially if it's made from items that others have discarded. Pottery, writing, knitting, astrology, and tarot ignite her passion, but she happily confesses she’s easily distracted; life offers such wonderful things to explore! A recorded singer-songwriter and published author, she champions holistic living and lives in the Midwest with her husband and special needs Great Danes. Visit her at www.charlierainbow.com.
Laura Tempest Zakroff is a professional artist, author, dancer, designer, and Modern Traditional Witch. She is the author of Weave the Liminal, Sigil Witchery, and The Witch’s Cauldron, and the coauthor of The Witch’s Altar. Laura blogs for Patheos and Witches & Pagans, contributes to The Witches’ Almanac and edited The New Aradia: A Witch's Handbook to Magical Resistance. Visit her at www.LauraTempestZakroff.com.