Welcome, Word Witches!

Introductions, this space, and word magic.

Are you a Word Witch?

I started this Substack as a way to share my love of all things witchy, wordy, and Northern. I’m a Word Witch in Minnesota, where the winters are long, the auroras spectacular, and the Saltless Sea (aka Lake Superior) a raging, fierce beauty. Wolves roam our North woods, candles flicker behind frosted glass, and, just when we think we can’t handle another snowstorm, daffodils poke their heads out of their frosty winter blanket.

Aurora sighting this past June! It was GLORIOUS.

You’re a Word Witch if you love words and magic - fantasy books, tarot cards, synchronicities, energy work, cats! Do you feel drawn to living seasonally, can’t resist a tincture, and get goosebumps every time you hear a wind chime? I think you’re in the right place!

This is Luna (L) and Circe, my familiars. Notice the cozy! We’ve got warm amber light, flannel sheets, a cat mug filled with coffee, plants, COLOR. This is peak Word Witch of the North.

Let’s Get Hygge

Though we have all four seasons here in MN, this substack will focus most on winter and on the benefits of hygge culture—a Danish/Norwegian word that translates to a sense of coziness, that deep contentment you get when it’s -21 outside and you’re sitting in front of your fireplace filled with candles, a cat on your lap and a good book in your hands.

Word Witch of the North top recommendation for wintry fantasy! I love this series.

This is a space to hear about tea rituals and how to beat SAD any season of the year, what things you can do to feel like a Word Witch all the time, from that perfect mystical scarf to writing with the scent of amber wafting through your room.

We’ll talk about candles (and how to make them - so easy!) and the best blankets and book nooks and the perfect cozy YouTube videos to act as the soundtrack while you read and write.

I’ll also dip into living seasonally and how that ups the magic in your life - from drawing on Wiccan holiday practices to seasonal lore shared on my new favorite podcast. As the world get more sci-fi and less fantasy, I want to create a sanctuary for those of us who love fountain pens and ceramic teapots and vintage clothing. I don’t want to lose my connection to nature for so many reasons, but mostly because that means I lose my connection to myself, especially the part of me that writes fantasy.

Writing and Reading Fantasy

This is also a space for fantasy writers and readers. Nerding out, talking technique, how to find inspiration, and how listening to our intuition gives creativity lots of permission to play. I’ll be talking about my books, what inspires me, and the everyday magic needed to be a fantasy writer.

We’ll look at witchy and magical mythology, with deep bows to the OG Word Witch of the North, Baba Yaga (I’m a tiny bit Ukrainian and very Slavic, so slavic lore will be woven throughout!).

Soviet stamp featuring Baba Yaga, image Public Domain.

Nautical and Sometimes Naughty

My book Curse Keeper and my work-in-progress, Witches of the Saltless Sea both take place near or in large bodies of water. In Curse Keeper, it’s the Pearl Sea in the made-up world of the Thålesson Archipelago. In Witches, the book takes place in a fictional version of my favorite place in the world, Grand Marais, MN, the jewel of Minnesota’s famed North Shore.

Grand Marais sunrise

Artist’s Point, Grand Marais

Sailing on the Saltless Sea - boats like these are all over Curse Keeper!

I adore the sea, and large bodies of water. I feel like they encapsulate the expansiveness and awe of fantasy. Being near them fills my well like nothing else. In fact, I got my idea for Witches of the Saltless Sea while driving up North!

For fantasy writers (and readers) it’s all about PLACE. So this substack is a space to celebrate that, too. I’ll share travel experiences, bits about the North Shore, and more.

As for naughty, Curse Keeper follows a band of sailor gangsters who hang out in an underground cabaret in a 1930’s bright light city called Brink, where light comes from green stones and palm wine flows freely…

My Other Hangouts

The moss and sticks above were collected along the Saltless Sea this past November….

My Instagram is updated regularly with hygge writer’s life, magical musings, cat pictures, and seasonal practices.

You can find me on my website, where there’s a soundtrack to Curse Keeper and updates on my books and appearances.

In the meantime, I hope this missive finds you feeling cozy and magical.

Until the next moon,

Rilla

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