Spotlight: Penelope Davis

1. What led you to explore metaphysical practices, and how did you first discover your unique path within the spiritual community?

I started out on this path from a young age. Family played a massive role in how I first learned and also my first taste at how diverse and dynamic this community can be. My family, both blood relation and otherwise, is multicultural and multifaith. And throughout my life, I’ve had to reflect, evaluate, and consider what resonates with me and what doesn’t. One of my favorite things about Druidry is that it varies so much from person to person. This adds richness and depth as Druidry encompasses a passion for lifelong learning and development. 

I define myself as a pagan reconstructionist in Druidry, but a weird and very laid back one! Meaning, in the tradition of the Irish Pagan School, I fully acknowledge that there is no going back to origins when it comes to Paganism or Druidry. I believe we have to take ancestral lessons and adapt them to the current time period. However, I do look at decolonizing my practice and explore what that means as a Druid. I have a strong affiliation with traditional practices and stories that I feel should be carried on. 

But also love and appreciate other cultures and I’m fascinated by globalization and how various cultures and beliefs interact with one another. I have been exceptionally blessed and will be forever grateful to all the people who took me under their wing and gave me a chance to learn from them. 

2. Can you describe a particular practice, tool, or ritual that is central to your work, and how does it enhance your spiritual connection or healing process?

My area of focus and research for the last decade has been trying to help people engage with their path in day-to-day life. Part of this comes from personalizing one’s path, this can also include localizing and only using things that you can grow, gather, or forage for oneself, but doesn’t have to. 

The biggest focus in my own practice is sustainability. Not just living the practice but trying to bring that practice in alignment with my values. One of which is living closely with the cycles of the Earth. This also includes living as sustainably as possible, which means I also have had to localize a lot of my practice. I owned my own Botanica with my brother in Colorado and learned very quickly that sourcing sustainable products and ingredients was nearly impossible and took a lot of trust in other suppliers. 

When it comes to sustainable products, the only ones I could guarantee were the ones I made myself, which limited what I felt comfortable selling. Most stones are mined through unethical and unsustainable means, often proceeds go towards organizations that promote terrorist activity, unsafe and forced mining, and unfair trade. Many herbs and resins are also unethically and unsustainably harvested. This has pushed many species close to extinction. Sandalwood, Frankincense, Copal, Dragon’s blood (depending on the variant), and many other common ingredients in incense, oils, and herbal blends are overharvested to the point of exhausting the resource. There are other issues including the discussion of cultural appropriation, but unless we are willing to expand that discussion to all herbs and spices that have circled the world via globalization, that discussion is missing key component and deserves deeper discussion and exploration. 

And I’m by no means asking people to change things that are meaningful to their practice. Only to educate themselves and others and really evaluate the meaning and importance of using these things in practice. Are we just doing things because we have been told to, or do they hold significant meaning for us? Is it just because we love aesthetics? Are we satisfied with that answer on a personal level? Ultimately, no one can answer these questions but the person involved and this is the core of living your path. 

3. What advice would you give to someone just starting out on their metaphysical or spiritual journey, especially when it comes to finding their own truth and path?

My first piece of advice is to build a solid foundation for yourself. Regardless of the path you decide to follow, you will need a foundation to work from. When I was teaching, I broke beginner lessons down into three things: cleansing, circle casting, and grounding. I am fully aware that many cultures and traditions don’t use a circle. However, I included it because it helps build a foundation for energy work that most people can conceptualize, particularly those coming from an etic perspective. But I acknowledge that much of the practices being taught are highly steeped in colonialism and are Eurocentric. 

My second piece of advice is to understand where you lie as a practitioner and really reflect and make sure that your personal values, your worldview, etc. aligns with the magick you’re doing. A tell-tale sign of this is if you are feeling guilty after doing spell work. I am, of course, leaving room for religious trauma as that can also be a source of guilt, but if you step away from your values you will also feel guilt. There tends to be two camps in magick, ritual (“High Magick”) and practical (“Low Magick”). I don’t like those terms, but some people may be familiar. In both camps you have right and left-hand paths. Right hand paths focus on community, one could consider it to be a more collectivistic path, while left hand paths are more focused on the self and could be considered more individualist. I don’t use terms like “black” and “white” for magick, but rather hard and soft. You can use hard healing magick and it can still be positive even while being more intensive. Or you can do a soft curse and banish someone from your life by cutting ties. 

Explore and really come to know what works best for you and what resonates with you. 

4. Share a fun fact about yourself or the metaphysical world!

A fun fact about me is that my first career was as a vet tech. I primarily worked in wildlife but was trained to treat all animals. I have had the privilege to see and work with animals that most people never get to see in person. I loved working in that field, and it taught me a lot about myself and my values. I’m forever grateful for the people who taught and guided me and places my medical knowledge has led me and how it has helped me to serve my community.