Blessings, friends, family, folk and fellow travelers of the Bardic Path! Here is a personal update on the crazy, fantastic, fun, wild and wacky, and occasionally perilous times on the road with Beltana Spellsinger & Spellsinger this year thus far, and a glance into future possibilities. Please, come along for the ride.
Where I Am
Well, so far this year, I can confidently say that we have had an amazing time traveling and playing music for so many people in such a variety of delightful, magical places. And not a transportation issue even once! Whew!
For the ability to even play music at all, I am, and will always be, ever so grateful. For all of the good folk who have invited me (and us!) to do so, I am equally appreciative. Thank you.
This year, I’ve been blessed enough to share some of the road (and lots of the stage) with my talented daughter, Béla, and my Timekeeping compatriot, Mister RL Macdornáin, who has been keeping us in “time” and in line, literally and figuratively. They have been such a boon. I am not getting any younger, as much as I’d love to deny that. And it certainly helps to have people that you love by your side, not only for music making, but for sharing camping spaces and chores with as well! I don’t know what I’d do without them, so that’s been quite special and helpful.
Excitingly, there are more musical folk to join us. Soon.
Touring Solo or With the Pack
As I head out this weekend to a Mabon event in Hannibal, Missouri, this time I’ll be leaving alone. I’ll get there. I’ve done it a hundred times or more by myself. But I’ve come to realize that playing with others not only carries the benefits of camaraderie. It also brings the feeling of love and companionship – and sometimes, undoubtedly, frustration, too.
I haven’t always been this way. I used to LOVE to travel alone. In fact, I preferred it. No one to answer to but myself. No one to keep up with or keep track of. No one that I need to “check in” with, and the feeling of freedom that only comes with a tent out in the deep woods, far from anyone and anything else.
But then, my kiddo came along, and I’ve dragged her – not quite kicking and screaming, so there’s that to be thankful for – along for the ride with me for two decades now. I think she’s been okay with it.
A New Tour “Companion”
In other wonderful news … I am now the proud owner of a new, INCREDIBLE SOUNDING acoustic guitar! A NICE one. And I LOVE IT. (Thank you, Johnny.) It is a Yamaha AC3M DLX and honestly, it sounds like smooth, buttery goodness. When looking over all of the impressive Taylors and Martins and Gibsons, and all of the other choices, I kept going back to this one. The music store representative (who unnervingly reminded me of another famous musician I know) said to me specifically, “I think this one sounds like a dream.” He was right.
I chose Him. Yes, this guitar is a “he,” and I’m not sure why. I still haven’t found the right name for him yet.
But it has made playing this year so much easier on my fingers. And I’m not afraid it’s gonna break in half.
My poor old Takamine, that I’ve had for longer than my daughter has been alive now, has finally said, “Enough. Enough with the woods, though I do love them. Enough with the tents and the rain and the storms. It is time for me to rest on the wall, as a symbol of how much and how well I was loved.”
And that’s okay. One old guitar on the wall, one new guitar in my hands. And one beautiful electric guitar that needs an intonation adjustment, so I can get to playing that one, too. She DOES have a name. “Blue.”
Return to Oak Spirit Sanctuary
The spring started with a lovely journey to the familiar, but too-long-unvisited, Oak Spirit Sanctuary in Boonville, Missouri, for a celebration of Beltane when my daughter and I get to share a birthday. Mine is on the eve of Beltane, hers is on the day, and we chose to spend it there. The significance of this place to me is that it is the very first place where I ever attended a pagan festival of any kind.
Back in the early 90s long before it was Oak Spirit Sanctuary, it was called Ozark Avalon. Before that, it was called Renaissance Ridge. It’s where I had my first kiss from a pagan man. I’m a little ashamed to say that I don’t even remember his name. But I won’t forget it!
I remember hanging around the fire there, not knowing many people, feeling a little out of place. Someone was cooking bacon and eggs (and coffee!) over the fire. They asked me if I had anything to offer at the bardic circle. I knew little at all about how to play a guitar, so I had to borrow one. I didn’t even really want to do it. But I had this song. And I wanted to share it. That night, I got up there (skyclad, at that!) and played my song for a rather large (to me) group of people. It was … erm, terrifying. I got through it, though.
Then someone asked me to write more songs.
I’ll never forget that.
Coming back over the years, these are the things I’ll always remember about Oak Spirit Sanctuary. This was one of my very first wanderings into that kind of space and I felt so welcome. I felt like I had finally found the family I’d always been looking for, but never knew just how or if I’d ever even find them. It was a crazy relief to know that I wasn’t some lone weirdo who believed in magick. There were others out there like me. Come to discover, over the years, many, MANY others.
Our set this Beltane was met with a few difficulties, though they tried their very best. The sound system and the lights for the stage, powered by a pickup truck, kept going on and off. But we laughed about it and just kept on playing. We had as much fun as we could, and the good folks from over at the nearby bonfire, wanting to stay warm, cheered us on.
I remember that one of the festival facilitators, a very sweet young man who is dear to my heart, sat right in front of the stage while we played Black Goddess, and his eyes were wide with wonder. I heard him say, after we’d finished, “GOD, I love that song.”
I’ll never forget that, either.
The people who attend the events there now are largely a completely different group of people, many much younger these days, and the hosts are absolutely amazing. The last two times that I’ve been there, they’ve been so helpful and accommodating, and have made sure that they could assist us in any and every way that they possibly could. And we appreciated them for that.
There is a huge Oak tree that I always visit when I’m there. Each time I sit under that tree and hug him, I tell him thank you, and always try to mention that I am aware that he’s seen a lot. Years and years of laughter and celebration, and ribbons wrapped around Maypoles, and children playing in his shade. I even remember Béla (my girl) playing under that tree when she was a toddler. She and two other girls her age used to play on the playground near the big old magnificent house there, and that’s a picture that I’ll take with me forever.
All smiles at the St. Louis Pagan Picnic in STL, MO
Top Left: Béla & Bel, Top Right: RL, Bel & Dennis Pettit running sound, Bottom Left: Bel & River Higginbotham, Bottom Right: The band Rachel is KoZi & Bel
A Stop at St. Louis Pagan Picnic
Next, and onward, we journeyed to the St. Louis Pagan Picnic in Tower Grove Park. I got to visit with some of the facilitators there and got to hear several of the wonderful bands that they had each day. I helped run the sound board (with a bit of help). I even got to see an old friend of mine who I hadn’t seen in decades! Blast from the past.
They helped us trolley all of our musical gear over to the stage and back,. And River, one of the main organizers, even let RL stay in one of his apartments, which was much appreciated. We practiced there a little bit and got to all go out to dinner together with my family at one of our favorite pubs, Suwallers. It was all in the dripping heat of the June summer, but it was marvelous.
Bel and Béla at Sirius Rising, Brushwood Folklore Center in NY
Memories of Brushwood Folklore Center
We journeyed to one of my favorite places on this Earth – Brushwood Folklore Center in upstate New York, for the Sirius Rising festival.
Sonorus Sanctum by Beltana Spellsinger
This place is significant, and especially poignant to me, because this is one of the first places that I ever attended a BIG festival, and yes, I went basically alone. This year I got to share this place and its magic with Béla and RL. And got to see and spend time with many great friends and musical family members whom I’ve known for years and years!
The first time that I went to Brushwood, I went as a worker, a helper for a mead vendor. It was either 1999 or 2000, and we stayed for both Sirius Rising and Starwood, and I think that I actually ended up being on that land for about a month, all told. It was one of the best, and most memorable, times of my life. Tate’s Dream, Sonorus Sanctum, The Crown, and many of the songs that I eventually wrote came from that experience and the years that followed.
Tate’s Dream by Beltana Spellsinger
When I first set foot on that land, I knew it was magical, and I knew I’d return as often as I could. And I did. Back in the early 2000s, I revisited and played there several times, I believe, with SONA. I asked the spirits there, very specifically, for a guitar player and a mandolin player when I first discovered the land, and I found them there that very same week. The Joes, father and son, and I formed a trio that became SONA, and we stayed together for many years as a result of all three of us visiting that place at the same time.
Happy musicians at Sirius Rising
Clockwise: Béla, RL, Bel & Ginger Doss. Photo by Ginger Doss.
Returning to Sirius Rising
This year, it was just as magical, but in a much different way. The music – fucking phenomenal. Each and every band and act. The sound engineer, Roofie and his helpers: absolutely amazing. They were as professional and as prepared as I’ve ever experienced, and made us feel so comfortable and welcome. Sound check was smooth and fun and we played the very best we could. And we had fun!
RL and I both volunteered to take shifts at the Brushwood Radio station. And oh my gosh, it was SO MUCH FUN! We discovered a new little Brushwood family just by doing that! The groups of seasonal campers had grown. My goodness. Little paradises in the middle of the woods, everywhere. The pool. A hot tub. The all-night drum circles at the Roundhouse. The passing out and sharing of food and nourishment with everyone who came hungry.
The fires. The MAIN BONFIRE. There really isn’t anything anywhere else quite like it. Jason and his team did an incredible job, as usual.
And one night I found myself sitting at the feet of the Venus shrine. Intent. Peaceful. Home. My Goddess. My long-lost Home. Or, one of them.)
All was as it should be nearly two decades later, and I will never miss an opportunity to play (or just BE!) there ever again.
Bel and RL at Heartland Metaphysical Gathering in Wright City, MO
Heartland Metaphysical Gathering
Down the road, we made off to the wilds of Wright City, MO, and attended our first (and their first!) Heartland Metaphysical Gathering. The vendors had so many delicious gemstones, singing bowls, skirts and witchy clothing, and I found two little silver pinky rings that fit just perfectly.
Bel and RL at Heartland Metaphysical Gathering
It was hot, and we were outside, and honestly I wasn’t feeling my best, but RL and I pulled off what I think was probably our best set yet. To be fair, we are (and I am) fairly new to playing with other people again, so it’s taken us some time to get into that kinda groove together,. But I think that we are doing it pretty well. That solidified the weekend for me. It felt good.
Great show, good vibes, and seeing/hearing Cole Adams do their positive, uplifting chant songs was just what was needed to lift the spirits of all. They were so fun, you couldn’t help but groove out with them and their fun tunes!
All in all, a splendid spring/summer, and I look forward to our last two shows of the “hawt season” with joy.
Where I Am Going
Soon I’ll be heading out to Hannibal, Missouri, to play for some dear friends of mine, whom I’ve known for a long time, at a fairly private event. By the time you read this, I’ll be back home from celebrating Mabon with the Wild Folk and will be readying for the beloved Autumn Fires gathering at Wisteria in Ohio.
Autumn Fires is a festival that you should absolutely attend, if you have the means and the way to get yourself there. Hell, if it’s possible and you read this in time, you can meet me along the way and we can travel there together. Autumn Fires is family-friendly, fun, and has some of the finest entertainment anywhere out there. The drum circle, “Paw Paw,” is unmatched. It’s LIT. The nights are as exciting as the daytime there. It is its own little celebratory Autumn paradise in this place out of time, just surrounded by cornfields. You’d love it there, and you’d have a magnificent time. I promise.
I attended for the first time last year, and it’s one of those festivals that I’d absolutely go to again and again. The last time I was there, I was camped near a group of young musicians who borrowed my guitar (my old Takamine, at the time), and they were ever inviting others to come and play with them. This is the kind of place where music is happening pretty much all the time. Pumpkins are being carved and kids are doing crafts. People are getting their hands in the clay. The stars are crisp, bright, and clearly seen at night, while you are all wrapped up in your covers at your campsite near the crackling fire. People share coffee in the mornings, and there is always something going on. Yet, there is a sense of slowing down, resting, taking it easy, and taking it all in.
And now it is a bright, joyful return to one of my favorite seasons, Autumn, and the celebration of Alban Elfed or the Light of Autumn. When the festivals are done, I will return home to Wolvenwood to write and record my next album!
Wishing you a bountiful season!
Beltana!
For more information about Beltana Spellsinger, including her collected articles here on Pagan Song, her bio, and links to her sites on the web, check out Bel’s author page here on Pagan Song.
Featured photo taken by Beltana is Seymour the Sycamore Tree at her home in Wolvenwood. All photos, except where indicated, are from Beltana Spellsinger.
Visit our homepage to see the full list of the musicians who write for the Pagan Song blog.
Please support the Pagan Song project. We’re on Substack, where we post each week’s blog post, and also other goodies, like posts curated from our archives and extra messages from the writers. It’s $5 a month. All funds go to paying the authors of our posts. They thank you for your support!