If you have read some of my previous blogs, or taken a workshop that I taught, or listened to me ramble at the store – there is a good chance you have heard me sing the praises of author Katherine Genet and her book series Wilde Grove. The Wilde Grove series, and it’s spin off series, tell the story of a group of people who walk the ancient paths of mysticism, witchcraft, and Druidry – honoring the Earth.
What is Wilde Grove?
The Wilde Grove series introduces us to the magic of Wilde Grove and the potential to live life in tune with nature and spirits. Readers are able to learn about this amazing community and its teachings through various characters such as Erin, a young lady who moves to Wilde Grove after learning about her birth family, and Winsome, the new local Vicar for the Church of England.
As soon as I began reading the Wilde Grove books, I knew I never wanted to leave. It was very obvious that Genet was a practicing Pagan. The teachings, prayers, and ideas in the books are not some Hollywood version of Paganism. They are real, honest, and practical approaches to spirituality. Although the books mention the goddess Elen of the Ways, and occasionally the characters refer to themselves as druids, the books are not teaching a specific spiritual path.
Practices for Everyone
The way Genet writes and teaches the readers about a daily spiritual practice, of communing with the elements, of living in tune with the turning of the Wheel – these are spiritual and Pagan ideas yes, but they area not specifically Druidic or Wiccan or Celtic. They are teachings and ideas that can be adopted by all, regardless of spiritual alignment. Just ask Winsome, Wilde Grove’s vicar who befriends the local witches and becomes the bridge between the greater village and the grove of druids.
Katherine Genet also wrote a spin off series called the Selena Wilde series. This spin off series follows the teachings and tales of Selena Wilde, who left Wilde Grove in England to follow the calling of Spirit all the way to New Zealand. Genet is from New Zealand and the Selena Wilde books give us a glimpse at what life could be like in New Zealand – a country that many of us probably don’t think about a lot outside of Lord of the Rings. I must admit that I now have a strong desire to visit New Zealand.
Fiction and Non-Fiction Alike
And to further make my heart happy, Genet has also begun writing non-fiction books that include the prayers, rituals and teachings of her books. She also has plans for more non-fiction books that take the teachings of Wilde Grove out of their fiction format and into a more traditional Pagan learning book.
Although if you ask me, having the characters of the books learn about and practice these teachings is just as instructional as reading them from a non-fiction book. In the Wilde Grove books, you see (albeit fictional) people struggle with concepts like forgiveness or accepting your path, and you can see how the spiritual teachings affect them and how the characters learn to implement them into their lives. I have threatened more than once to use the Wilde Grove books in my Wiccan church’s degree classes.
Interview with Katherine Genet
I was blessed to be able to sit down virtually with Katherine Genet and talk with her about writing, walking our spiritual paths, and how we can all be beacons during these difficult times. Genet was also gracious enough to answer some interview questions about Wilde Grove, her practice and writing. My questions and her answers are as follows.
What made you want to write about Wilde Grove?
Emily: What made you want to write about Wilde Grove?
Genet: When my wife Valerie and I came together in 2015, we had a great many extraordinary experiences, particularly around healing, soul retrievals, past life memories, and a great deal of weirder stuff too, such as blackbirds appearing in locked rooms and so on. I had already been writing and publishing for a number of years, and once I started branching out with my healing work, it seemed natural to want to write about it.
While I have published both fiction and non-fiction, we really thought that fiction would present the sorts of things we wanted to tell about in a way that would make it more immediate for the reader. So much more is in existence and available to us that we’ve been conditioned by our society and cultures to believe in that we thought it I wrote it as fiction, then the experience would be more visceral for the reader, and make them want to reach for the real experience.
While I would be writing anyway, I do consider the Wilde Grove books to be part of my larger service to the world, and I’m still astonished that I’ve been as successful in touching people’s hearts with them as I have been.
Which Characters Do You Identify With?
Emily: This question is really two in one, or perhaps more of a two part question. Do you identify with one character in particular? Which character is most/least like you?
Genet: I identify with Morghan more than any other character, because I’ve given her my practices. I’ve always had a talent for Otherworld journeying and spirit work, and many of my experiences have gone directly into the book, where they fit with the storyline. Having said that, however, Morghan has developed her own personality, and has become an aspirational character to me. I have found myself asking ‘what would Morghan do’ in certain situations, and have gained a lot of calmness and strength from her.
Which is least like me? Probably Erin, because of her background of being adopted and her almost desperate search for belonging. Although she was brought up in a situation of financial privilege, she was to a great extent lost and alone. I’ve been though some uncomfortable times, but I’ve never felt lost the way she did. I’m just glad she was found, and stuck around long enough to really begin growing into who she really was all along. I love her for that.
Is Your Spiritual Path Similar to that of the Characters in Your Books?
Emily: This may be a more personal question, so please only share what you are comfortable with. How similar is your personal spiritual path to that of the characters in your book?
Genet: Really, their spiritual path is mine. I kind of took that old chestnut ‘write what you know’ and ran with it. I experience a depth of magic and connection in my life and practice that I really felt there was a place to share that. So much of what we’re missing in our current world is that deep sense of connection, of being more than flesh and blood. My experiences show me that the world of spirit, of spirit kin, ancestors, guides, of past lives, of the Otherworld – all of it is real, and it’s all right there, waiting for us to remember our connection with it.
Did You Have to Cut Anything Significant from Your Books?
Emily: Did you have to cut anything significant from the final version of one of your books that you wished you could have left in?
Genet: I’m not sure that I would have been able to find a publisher interested in these books, but I was an independent publisher for years before I wrote and released them, which suits me perfectly. It also has the benefit that I get the last say about what stays and goes in the stories!
Tower Times
Emily: Your Wilde Grove series focuses on the changing world of Spirit and how those who are in tune with Spirit navigate the changing times. When I first read your books, this part of the plot made me think of the “Tower Times”, a phrase I learned years ago from some of my teachers. Byron Ballard coined the phrase to describe the end of empire and the patriarchy that supports it. It’s named for The Tower card in the Tarot, a card that foretells sudden, dramatic, and irreversible change. The false is burned away and those who built on unstable foundations are cast down, making room for something better. Had you heard of the concept of the “Tower Times” when you began writing?
Genet: Yes, I had. Back in about 2017, I read a mention of it in John Beckett’s blogs on Patheos, then hunted down Byron Ballard’s work. It struck a chord with me because it aligned with what I was seeing in my own work and journeying. I wrote it into the books because it belongs there, because these are the times we live in and must negotiate.
Where did the Prayers in the Books Come From?
Emily: You have beautiful prayers written throughout your books. Are they prayers that you use in your personal practice or did your create them for the series?
Genet: Mostly they’re prayers I wrote for the series. But what has happened now, is that I use several of them in my own daily devotions, which just tickles me, really. It has a nice symmetry to it.
Writing About a Different Part of the World
Emily: How difficult is it to write about living and maintaining a spiritual practice in a different hemisphere than the one you live in?
Genet: It’s not too difficult, but I do have to make sure that I check and double check dates and so on if I’m writing one of the bigger ritual scenes. Since they’re all tied to the natural year and the seasons, I’m familiar enough with them from my own practice – it’s all the opposite. Beltane is Samhain, Winter Solstice is summer.
Cute story – Valerie and I married in the US on summer solstice in June. Back in Aotearoa New Zealand, that date is the winter solstice. So now we get to have two anniversary celebrations, which just makes us happy.
Taking on Students
Emily: I know that your website is currently being updated, and the answer to this question may be there once it is updated. Have you ever considered taking on students and teaching them to sing the world into being?
For my readers who have not yet read the series, singing the world into being is a phrase that is used in the books. It describes our connection to all the worlds and how we connect with them and each other. When I first started communicating with Katherine Genet, her website was being updated and was temporarily down.
Genet: The website is up and running again, finally, and I’m very happy with it. Along with that, I’ve just opened an online community group called ‘The Beaconage at the Grove of the Wild Heart’ for all of us who want to learn and share and support each other while walking together a path of connection to spirit, magic, each other. I’m really dedicated to this group, and I think it’s going to be somewhere I spend a lot of time growing and deepening the experience of it for the members.
I’m also planning a series of non-fiction books called ‘Stations of the Heart’ which will pretty much walk the reader step by step all the practices in the novels. I’m really looking forward to getting into writing these this year, as I can see how they will complement the experience of the novels, and help people walk this path themselves and weave themselves more deeply into the warp and weft of our true reality of being a soul incarnated, while also giving them the tools to be resilient in these troubling times.
Rune Cards
Emily: Forgive me for asking you a question that might be better put to your wife. I love the runes cards that Valerie makes and that are included in your emails. Is there a plan to publish a rune deck once she has designed them all?
Genet: There absolutely is! We’ve always planned to, so we’ll be spending some time figuring out the best way to go about it. I love the cards – they’re beautiful, and I’ve used runes for so many years now, it’s a lot of fun to see them presented in this way. We’re also planning a Wilde Grove Oracle deck, and I’m really looking forward to making some decisions on that later this year as to how to go about writing, illustrating, and producing it.
What’s Next?
Emily: What is next for Wilde Grove?
Genet: Good question, and one I’ve started to think about. There are two more planned books in the main series, and I’ll have one of those out before the end of the year. There are plenty more stories to tell both in the spinoff world, and around the main series. Stations of the Heart is a priority, as is the oracle deck, so I’ll probably concentrate on those while finishing up the last two books.
There’s hopefully also going to be a Wilde Grove series made for television. Negotiations are underway for that now, which is exciting. I’d love to see Erin, Winsome, Ambrose, Morghan, and everyone on the screen. We’ll be putting lots of magical energy into helping that one come to pass!
What is Next for All of Us?
If it isn’t already obvious, I am a huge fan of Katherine Genet. I first encountered her through her writing, and immediately recognized an authentic soul, someone deeply rooted in their spirituality. I knew I had found someone I could learn from and aspire to be more like. Through my communications with her, I can confidently say that Katherine is a beautiful soul who lives what she writes about and is doing her best to answer her calling as a keeper of knowledge and a teacher of souls.
If you already love Wilde Grove as I do, I hope you enjoyed hearing from the Lady of the Grove herself. If you have not yet read the Wilde Grove books, I highly recommend them and I hope you find something in them that supports your path and passion for life.
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