10/13/2026
I've recently been asked-"So what are you?" and it took me a minute to pull my thoughts together. You see, my work isn't something that is always viewed positively. Of course, that is based solely on firsthand experience. If that hasn't been your experience, I think that is wonderful.
So, to answer the question, "So what are you?"
I'm a Cunning Woman....one who is still learning
And I'm ready to stop tip toeing around that word, explaining it away, or worrying about how it might be received by the people who know me.
I'm Maggie. I'm a Cunning Woman, an ordained Reverend, a Healing Arts Practitioner, a grief practitioner, an artist, a student, and a woman whose life and work are deeply connected to the earth around her.
These aren't separate boxes that I put myself into.....They are all what makes me....ME.
I'd like to share a little about how I got here.........
My relationship with spirituality has never been as simple as choosing one side or another. You see, my Pa (Grandfather) was an elder within the church, and I attended church with him for 15+ years (give or take). I grew up learning about Christianity, faith, scripture, and relationship with the divine. I respect the fact that those experiences were part of my life and helped shape my understanding of people and their beliefs.
But I also had my Mama (Grandmother). She never called herself a witch or cunning woman, nor did she claim that title. In fact, she was very clear that she was not Christian. Her upbringing mirrored mine, in the sense she to attended church as a child. When it came to her own worship, she simply stated this: "I talk and sing to the pines. They know me and they listen" Those words were spoken to me as a very young girl, and they have never left me.
There is something about that simple statement: "I talk and sing to the pines. They know me and they listen." She never needed a label to describe her relationship with the world around her. She knew and he owned it. She knew exactly what her spirituality meant to her.
I learned from both my Pa and Mama. I learned that your path can and will look different from one person to the next, that people can hold vastly different beliefs. But, understanding that another person's path doesn't equate you abandoning your own.
When my Pa was dying from multiple health issues earlier this year, I shared my path with him. I remember him meeting me with peaceful accepting eyes. He shared "I've lived most of my life in judgement and regret. Don't make those same mistakes. While I don't agree with what you say you are, I accept it. There is nothing I have seen you do that I would ever say was evil. Be smart about it."
Those words have stayed with me.....and they always will.
My Pa didn't have to agree with me to love me. He didn't have to understand every part of my path to see the person standing beside his bedside. And even in his final days, he gave me something I will carry for the rest of my life......The reminder that we don't have to live our lives in fear of other's judgements.
I truly wish more people understood that!
We can agree to disagree all while being respectful of one another. We can have different beliefs without making someone else the enemy. We can love the people in our lives without the expectation that they fit perfectly into our perception of what life should look like.
I shared my truth with my Pa while I fortunately had the opportunity to do so. And....that made me realize there are so many that never get that opportunity to do so. How many have spent years hiding the very part of themselves that make them who they are.......I don't want to spend the rest of my life doing that.
So.......what does that mean precisely for myself and my business The Quiet Whisper??? It means that transparency has always been important to me, and moving forward, I want to be fully transparent about exactly who I am, what my path is, and what that looks like in the work that I do.
I'm not going to "tip toe" around the terminology or leave certain things unnamed. All because I wanted to be more palpable to others. I'm a Cunning Woman. My practice is part of who I am, and honestly its always been a part of who I am. It's not something that I just recently discovered. It's part of my life that I have always carried with me, learned from, studied, and continued to cultivate over the years.
Moving forward I will be open about my practices, my training, my continued education, and the work I offer through The Quiet Whisper. This includes my divination practices, home clearings and blessings, ceremonial work as an ordained Reverend, and my work surrounding grief and healing. I too am eager to start sharing my journey toward sustainable horticulture and my commitment to learning how to work respectfully with the earth around us.
I want people to understand not just what I do, but the WHY! I don't claim to know everything, and I don't believe that learning ever ends. I believe the value of approaching your work with humility, continued education, and honesty.
I know that my path won't be everyone's.....and that's Okay! I'm not asking anyone to change their beliefs, only to approach mine with the same respect I offer theirs. I hope that by being transparent and open, I can encourage curiosity, meaningful conversations, and a better understanding of the folklore and traditions of our Appalachian home. I'll end with sharing this article for anyone interested in learning more about Southern Ohio Appalachian witchcraft and the traditions surrounding cunning women: https://www.markhroe.com/post/southern-ohio-appalachian-witchcraft
I am a Cunning Woman, one who is still learning, and I'm ready to walk this path openly, with respect for those who came before me, the earth around me, and all I have yet to learn.
