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How to Honour the Summer Solstice Celtic Celebration Without Summoning a Goat (Again)
I wanted to celebrate the Summer Solstice with reverence. You know—connect with nature, honour ancient traditions, maybe light a symbolic candle or two. What I didn’t plan on was being chased into my suburban bathtub with flaming tuna cans and salad tongs while the fire department pulled up outside. If you’ve ever felt spiritually drawn to seasonal celebration but allergic to organized woo, this one’s for you. We’re diving into the real roots of the solstice—Celtic fire festivals, Oak Kings in dramatic custody battles, Indigenous wisdom that actually makes sense—and how to honour it all without summoning your inner influencer or an accidental fire spirit.
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Meet Owen Blackthorn: Backcountry Mystic HVAC Tech, and Family Fixer
Some people ease into your life with a polite knock and a thank-you-for-having-us fruit basket. Owen Blackthorn came back into mine wielding a crowbar and a wet-vac. That’s how he became part of Backcountry Mystic, whether he meant to or not. To be fair, he wasn’t exactly planning to move in. Not at first. But if you’ve ever had to help your adult son and his long-time partner evacuate their mold-riddled basement apartment after a freak flood turned their IKEA futon into a floating sponge, you know how these things escalate. One minute you’re offering them a guest room “just for a week,” and the next, you’re stepping over his…
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🥁 Celtic Drum Making, Spiritual Meaning, and What the Land Taught Me About Listening
I invited an Anishinaabe woman to Backcountry Mystic to teach us how to make drums—and for once, nobody rolled their eyes. Not even Maris. Which is good, because I’m weirdly excited. Not Etsy-shopping excited. Not “look what I impulse-bought during a full moon” excited. I mean bone-deep, slightly-nervous, spiritual-awakening excited. Like something old and buried in me just perked up and whispered, Finally. We’re all standing around the café’s long table—me, Isaac, a few brave customers, Nova (who’s already named her future drum “Thunderpants”), and even Nate, who’s mostly here for the snacks. The hide soaking in the tubs smells vaguely like wet barn and possibility. I keep telling myself…
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Meet Calliope: Glitter, Google Docs, and the Witch Label I Didn’t Ask For
She showed up in sequins and said the word “brand strategy” before I’d had coffee. Meet Calliope, the digital whirlwind behind Backcountry Mystic’s chaotic glow-up—and the woman trying to convince me I’m a witch.
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How to Find Your Celtic Roots (No DNA Test Required)
Looking for a deeper connection to your Celtic roots? You don’t need a DNA test—just story, land, and a willingness to remember.
Midlife magic, misfires, and manifesting… eventually
