Mabon House in 2022 - A Letter to My Readers

As I write this post winter has arrived in all its simple splendor. Outside my window the gardens and trees sleep peacefully, awash in soft shades of white, gray, green and brown. The blue skies are softer this time of year, as if the sunlight is perpetually filtered by thin clouds and sharp air. Every season has its own beauty and winter is no exception. 

I’ve wanted to write to you all for some time, to let you know I have not fallen off the face of the earth. The seasons turn and here in Maine, it’s a time for nature to rest and recharge. And that, dear friends, is what I’ve been doing these past few months. My body and spirit were both calling out for me to slow down, wayyyy down and pause. And I’m finally old enough to know that when the body and spirit call, you had best listen. And so I’ve rested. I went on a total creative hiatus and just spent time focusing on the present moment, my health and my family. 

And I spent a lot of time thinking about Mabon House and if I still wanted to keep it running. 

What had started as a lovely creative idea had morphed into a full fledged micro-business almost overnight. It was delightful - who knew so many people would dig my printables? - but also added a new layer of stress to an already over-stressed life. I felt pressure to produce a steady stream of new prints and planners. I began thinking in terms of SEO, keywords, traffic and open rates. All the joy and creativity that had motivated me to start Mabon House in the first place was gone. 

And there was also the imposter syndrome. 

I’ve been open about the fact that I don’t identify as any particular denomination or as a witch. While I do draw strength from nature and the seasons, my interest in the Wheel of the Year was more cultural & academic than spiritual. I have my undergrad degree in history (at the time, my practical parents were not thrilled about my liberal arts major - what kind of paying job will you get with a history degree?!) and I have always been fascinated by the history of holidays and other cultural celebrations and how they have evolved over time. 

I saw a gap in the digital  printables market - there were like, 8 million Christmas planners on Etsy, but nothing for Yule let alone for the lesser known holidays like Imbolc or Lughnasadh. And the few witchy printables I found all looked like halloween party invitations - so much gothic fonts and skulls and bats. To me, that did not represent a celebration of the seasons and nature. So I decided, on a bit of whim if I am being honest, to make my own and share them. I chose the name Pagan Planner because it sounded catchy and would be easy for folks to find in a search - not because I was a pagan. 

As Mabon House grew, occasionally readers would reach out with very specific questions about sabbats or manifestations or how to honor loved ones who had died, and I was kind of like…erhhh…I don’t know?  I mean, I have trouble meditating during yoga - I would never be able to cast a spell that worked.  And death is not something I am at all qualified to discuss with strangers.  And so all of this gave me an uneasy feeling that I was fooling people and eventually someone was going to figure out I was full of beans. And so, rather than deal with all that anxiety and stress, I just opted out. 

But the thing is, I really like writing for Mabon House and creating pretty printables. And I love sending out this newsletter and hearing from folks (but please don’t ask me how to honor your late cat - it’s just not my thing). 

So, I’ve decided on two things about the future of Mabon House: 

The first is that I am not reopening the Etsy shop. Thank you to everyone who bought something from Etsy - you helped me grow this site and printables library so much over the past couple of years. Moving forward, all the printables I make will live right on Mabon House in the Members Library, for free. I’ll be adding in printables previously only available on Etsy over the next couple of months, including the 2022 Pagan Planner. 

The second thing I’ve decided is that I am going to write more from my heart about things I enjoy. This will include some Wheel of the Year topics, but also more content on styling, saving money, sustainability and simplifying life (AKA minimalism for people who don’t want to give away all their stuff). I love sharing with others how I live beautifully, inside and out, on a budget.   

I think the world - especially the digital world - needs more authenticity and transparency.  And I want Mabon House to be a reflection of myself, not a carefully curated brand. 

So, over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing more about the new look and feel of Mabon House, new content and new printables.  You can check out all the free printables right in the Members Library.