Keeper of the Grove
Sandy the swamp witch
Sandy Simpson is the founder of Avalon’s Grove. She is a traditional green kitchen witch that practices a family tradition deeply rooted in her Scottish/Welsh heritage balanced with honouring the land that she lives on and its ancestral peoples. She was raised in a Pagan home with back to the land values and works closely with its spirits. She has a deep connection and passion for her bio-region, as evidenced by her extensive knowledge and practical application of growing and wild-crafting food, medicines and magickal ingredients.
As an avid gardener and wildcrafter, she and her family grow, raise or gather a lot of what they need on their homestead. She is passionate about utilizing local wild-food ingredients in her cooking and is well known for her amazing wild food creations! Sandy is enthusiastic in her commitment to teaching and facilitating Goddess centered principles and practices, including herbal and magick based workshops, Goddess study groups, Pagan youth groups, open circles, and rituals which she has been offering since the early 90's. Sandy has led circles and youth groups in various communities in Alberta including Wainwright, Lloydminster, Edmonton and Leduc.
Now she is the keeper of Avalon’s Grove, an hour northwest of Edmonton, Alberta and in this sacred space, she hosts open rituals, teaching circles, deity studies, herb walks, workshops, retreats and an annual three day Lughnasadh festival. Like her ancestors, she is skilled in divination and reads tarot, tea leaves, and the Ogham. Sandy is a home herbalist and crystal healer and has studied herbalism, astrology, numerology, astronomy, crystal healing, aromatherapy, pet aromatherapy, acupressure, color therapy, multiple magickal traditions, Goddess history and symbolism. She wrote the Kitchen Witch column for Auracle magazine and for Goddess rising Magazine.
She has been an organizer and board member for the Edmonton Pagan Pride day society since 2017 and is currently the President and is a founding member of A Witches’ Chorus a pagan acappella singing group based in Edmonton, Alberta that has been singing together since 2012.
OUR SISTERHOOD
Sallyann Herbert
December 1, 1947-July 19th 2017 AKA SpiritSister was the Mother of Sandy Simpson and co -founder of Avalon’s Grove. Sallyann explored and practiced paganism most of her life. She and her husband Kent raised Sandy in a Goddess centred home that honored the wheel of the seasons and the spirits of the land.
Sallyann was raised in a musical home and passed on her love of all things musical to her children and grandchildren. She loved to sing and was instrumental in starting A witches chorus in 2012. She wrote and co wrote many Goddess chants and songs over the years. She loved to dance and was a dance instructor for many years teaching ballroom, ballet and jazz.
She belonged to a Goddess circle dance group for over a decade and belly danced for many years as well. She was a homesteader, master gardener, herbalist, master brewer and wildcrafter. She was an animal lover and was a trained vet tech who worked in wildlife rescue for many years.
A classic cat lady she wore the title with great pride and was a devoted worshipper of Bast. She took in many lost souls over the years animal and human. She was the Mom and Grandmother too many who were not her blood and Gramma to all of the Sisterhoods children!
Hoodoo Mama Juju
Hoodoo Mama Juju (as she is humorously called) is a Witch with a strong rootworker and ancestral folk magick influence. Her practice is eclectic, embedded in Goddess spirituality (especially Hekate), nature, and ancestral wisdom.
She found a home in Avalons Grove that welcomes and embraces her background. She is a piece of a loving and powerful sisterhood that all started in the Grove. She finds joy in following a nature-based path that includes working with plants/roots/herbs, divination, rootwork and spellcasting, writing, and gathering in circle and ritual.
Hoodoo Mama Juju absolutely loves the sun, trees, rocks, and working magick wherever she goes.
Nighean Morrigu
Nighean Morrigu (Shirelle) has been a practising eclectic pagan witch for over ten years. She is a sister of Avalons Grove and was a priestess initiate, blessed as an Avalonian priestess 3 years ago. She has a strong love for divination and is working on becoming a registered Herbalist.
Crystal-Moon
I have been a practicing pagan for most of my life, although I didn’t always have a name for it, and I have been a practicing witch for about 10 years. It is a way of life for me. From the outside looking in you may not see this, as I am a private person, I work in local government and don’t openly discuss my practice with everyone.
Those that know me, know what I am, those that don’t, will probably never ever see me as I truly am. I am a part of two sisterhoods each with its own special characteristics and ways of practicing. I am the secretary for the Edmonton and Area Pagan Pride Society and was instrumental in helping the group gain “society status.”
I am an initiate into the Priestess of Avalon under the tutelage of the Keeper of the Grove who is my High Priestess. The knowledge I have gained from being a part of Avalon’s Grove is invaluable and has helped me to openly practice when I am with them. I spend as much time as I can at Avalon’s Grove although it isn’t always easy for me to get there, as I live a three-hour drive away in North Central Alberta.
It is always worth the drive to join my “sisters” and friends at Avalon’s Grove and spend time with them communing in nature, practicing with them, and learning from each other. If you can join us and be a part of Avalon’s Grove, you should take it. Even if it is only to attend a ritual, retreat or herb walk you may never want to leave, as it has its own welcoming energy, and is a safe place to be.