Anna Womack Conjures Wizards of the Forest

On Saturday, September 20, 2025, Anna Womack, Elizabeth Kirwin, Debrah Morkun and Elizabeth Guthries read at Shivastan Poetry Ashram in Woodstock New York. What an excellent way to bring in the fall equinox, marked by an auspicious solar eclipse in Virgo.

Shivastan is a longstanding member of the poetics community. The store has hosted weekly readings throughout the summer – out back, around the bonfire, Pagan style, for many many years. It’s a legendary spot in Woodstock, NY and known in NYC and across the country as an eclectic poetry venue. It was a real treat to give a reading there.

I was personally blown away when Anna Womack brought out her drum and began to sing incantations to the wizards of the forest. This song, Trøllabundin by Eivør, is so incredibly magical. It sent shivers up my spine the first time she sang and played the drums. I asked her for a reprise, so I could record her work on video and publish it on FairiesInAmerica.com.

Anna Womack is sitting by the fire.  It reminded me of an old school pagan gathering, like the ones I used to attend in Southeastern Virginia and later at Short Mountain Sanctuary in TN. Compared to these gatherings, the crowd was pretty tame (no half naked dancing around the fire). It still moved me to listen to Womack chant. It reminded me that we can easily call the gods and goddesses or summon each other into the magic circle.