Gnomes, disillusionment, and an introduction to my Substack

Why I decided to create a Substack and what you can expect to see here.

Forest-dweller, mushroom-botherer, toad-whisperer, and weaver of folkloric tales. 🍃 I search for the magic in everyday life and explore the ancient edges of the world. Lune Letters explores folklore, fantasy, nature, and the magic of being alive.

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Welcome! To many of you receiving this post via email, you may be wondering why this is coming to you from Substack instead of a regular email. I’ve recently made the decision to transition over onto this platform as a way of sharing long-form writing and connecting with you more deeply. (Of course, if this is no longer for you, feel free to unsubscribe at any time.)

Why have I decided to do this?

For the past few years, I have been feeling the decline of many traditional social media platforms. Increasingly, I’ve become further disillusioned as time has gone on, and now find them draining to use. Instagram, which was once a place to find inspiration, like-minded souls and a few moments of rest, is now a minefield of over-stimulation, negativity, unwanted content, and little reward for the effort put into creating content.

I’m grateful for the folk I have connected with on Instagram (including some who are now my best friends in real life!), and my account is still there to be posted on occasionally, but for a long while I’ve been deciding how to take a step back from that platform. A month ago, I deleted my Instagram app and have accessed from a browser here and there to reply to a friend’s messages. The longer I spend away from Instagram, the more overwhelming and transparently odious it is when I return. It seems that thousands of voices shout at me constantly from reels - explosive sounds and inane music repeating and screaming into an unbearable cacophony. For me, Instagram simply does not provide sufficient tools to control my feed.

I’ve been enjoying posting on YouTube very much, and have felt that a lovely community is starting to form on that platform. I’ve been feeling an urge to share deeper insights, thoughts and musings with like-minded souls, in a way I can’t achieve through short-form media. I’ve found myself wondering what else I can create, where can I share, and how can I connect more deeply with you wonderful folk out there.

This has led me to Substack.

Substack is a unique platform, and so far my experiences have been very positive. On here I’m able to share written pieces, sorted by themes and topics, as well as videos and even podcasts. You’re able to view my Substack for free, or if you choose, you can set up a small payment to support my work. My plan is to offer additional writing, stories and videos to those who would like to become a paid subscriber, but more on that later.

So, who am I?

As the beginning of this post declares, I am a self-identified forest-dweller, mushroom-botherer, toad-whisperer, and weaver of folkloric tales. 🍃 I search for the magic in everyday life and explore the ancient edges of the world.

As a child, I spent my time building fairy houses in the forests, singing to woodlice and inventing tales of maidens and deep sea creatures. The first thing I ever wanted to be ‘when I grew up’ was an author, and I remember stapling together my very first ‘novels’ age six (a tale of a witch in the woods, illustrated with pastels by yours truly.)

I was a voracious reader (and still am), devouring countless tales of historical women, epic quests, enchanted animals and, if I am honest, way too much Jacqueline Wilson for one tiny mind.

This passion set root as I got older, and I’m keen to share my word-weaving with the world. I currently have a book of dark folktales available, called Oaken Tongue, and am working on a full-length novel next.

I live in a little house in northern England, where I spent much of my time reading and writing, tending to my cottage garden, and taking long walks in the woods. I’m also a big lover of music, and am often attending gigs and festivals.

So what can you expect to see on this Substack?

• Folklore ~ From gnomes (don’t get me started!) to kelpies, morris-dancing to tar-barrel parades, I will explore elements of folklore of interest and intrigue.

• History ~ Accounts of the explorations I go on, delving into the mysticism of ancient spaces and the folk who have gone before us.

• Fantasy ~ Discussions of books I’ve read, world-building, fantasy lore and writing talk.

• Magical Life ~ Paganism for the modern day, finding the magic in everyday life, keeping in tune with the seasons, and honouring the old ways.

• Fiction and poetry ~ Here you will find my short stories and poetry to immerse yourself in.

• Nature writing ~ Explorations on our connection with the natural world around us, nature journalling and insights into plants and animals.

I’m really looking forward to connecting with a lovely community on this platform and am excited about writing for Substack going forward!

If you would like to subscribe and support my work, that would mean a lot. Thank you!