2023 Speaker: Byron Ballard

Photo of Byron Ballard smiling, wearing a white scarf loosely draped around her neck over a black sweaterm her head covered in a grey and black striped scarf

H. Byron Ballard, BA, MFA, is a western NC native, teacher, folklorist, and writer. She has served as a featured speaker and teacher at the Sacred Space Conference, Pagan Spirit Gathering, Southeast Wise Woman’s Herbal Conference, Hexfest, and other festivals and conferences. She serves as a senior priestess and co-founder of Mother Grove Goddess Temple and the Coalition of Earth Religions/CERES, both in Asheville, NC. She podcasts about Appalachian folkways on “Wyre Mountain Gals.” Her essays are featured in several anthologies and she writes a regular column for Sage Woman Magazine. Her books include “Staubs and Ditchwater” (2012), the companion volume “Asfidity and Mad-Stones” (2015), “Embracing Willendorf” (2017), “Earth Works: Ceremonies in Tower Time” (2018), “Roots, Branches and Spirits: The Folkways

Byron’s Witchshop will be
Effective Social Justice Work: the Pick Three Technique 

It is easy to get overwhelmed (and burned out) with all the social inequities and the myriad issues facing modern society. This is a perfect opportunity for effective magic use. Byron Ballard explains her concept of Pick Three, a helpful way to deeply engage in challenges close to your heart.

What you will need to participate

I’m going to demonstrate an egg binding. They will need a raw egg, a pencil, and 3 yards of biodegradable yarn in black or red.