The Unicorn Rests in a Garden (tapestry) or In Fairyland by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Or both. :)

Photo of Marilyn Carvin holding a copy of her historical novel, ¡Viva California!.

Photo of a bookmark picturing the cover of Marilyn Ball Carvin's novel, ¡Viva California!.

I'm so excited for Marilyn Carvin, a writer in the writing group I belong to. Her historical novel ¡Viva California! just came out, and it was such fun to attend her book launch. Congratulations, Marilyn! 💛

This was such a good, albeit sad, documentary. I was in high school in Southern California while they were starting to make it big--their music was on the radio all the time.

The Tylwyth Teg and Annwn (the Welsh Faeries and Otherworld) as Depicted in the Mabinogion - Steph Rae Moran This post introduces the Tylwyth Teg (Welsh faeries) and explores Annwn (Welsh otherworld) through a medieval manuscript, the Mabinogion.

Hello folklore friends! This month we begin a two-part series on the Tylwyth Teg (the Welsh faeries). In this initial post, we first look at the many names the faeries go by. Then we explore Annwn (the Welsh otherworld) as described in the Mabinogion, a medieval Welsh text. 💜

Photo of yellow wildflowers.

Photo of nature trail with grass and trees.

Photo of purple-blue wildflowers.

Photo of a sunset on the ocean.

Happy spring! I celebrated with a nature walk today and a sunset at the beach last night. Wishing you a lovely day! 💚

Photo of Steph in front of the Story Walk sign.

Photo of StoryWalk welcome sign, which explains to follow the path to read the story.

Photo of the cover of the book, Firenze's Light, by Jessica Collaço.

Photo of sign 18 with a page of the book.

I love that our local regional park has a StoryWalk along one of its paths. Each month they install a new children's book to read as you walk. For me, story sign 18 says it all: "Keep reading, stay active, and get outside!" 📚 + 🌿 = 🥰

Thank you! As a walker and a writer it made me so happy to be included.

Thank you!!

Photo of the poem "Birdsong" by Steph Rae Moran on a walking path.

The city where I live recently included my poem on a poetry path (a walking path near a lake)! 🐦💜

Sentiments and Poetry Found in the Language of Flowers - Steph Rae Moran This month we explore the language of flowers books, which were extremely popular during the Victorian era, and their connection to poetry and the show, Bridgerton.

Hello friends (& Dearest Gentle Readers)! Language of flowers books, which were popular during the Victorian era, shared flower meanings and often included poetry. Floriography (using flowers to send messages) was prevalent during the Regency era and has inspired set designs in the show, Bridgerton.

9 Superstitions About Fairies It's okay to give fairies certain gifts, but you'd better not accept one from them.

Not only is this Mental Floss article a fun read, but in the section on protective charms the author links to my article on four-leaf clovers (the link is on the word "glamours")! I'm always grateful (and thrilled!) when other writers reference or link to my writing. :)

Yay! I just subscribed!

Photo of a wilderness trail with lots of green grass alongside and oak trees in the background.

Photo of wilderness trail with grass alongside and oak and sycamore trees in the background.

Because of some early winter rain we've received, it's now very green alongside the trail. This is my happy place. :)

Love the Hunt for the Unicorn tapestries! My favorite is The Unicorn Rests in a Garden. Someday I hope to see them at the Met Cloisters.

Folklore of the Capricious Celtic Mermaid - Steph Rae Moran This month's post is an introduction to the enchanting, Celtic mermaid. We’ll look briefly at her origin story, highlight some of her characteristics, and explore a few folktales that include her.

Hi friends! This month's post is an introduction to the capricious (and enchanting!) Celtic mermaid. We look briefly at her origin story, discover some of her characteristics, and explore a few folktales that include her.

New Collector's Edition of Welsh Folk and Fairy Tales book released Ella Groves A new hardback Collector’s Edition of ‘Welsh Folk and Fairy Tales’ has been published this week. The publishers, Flame Tree Publishing, were established in the 1990s and have spent the las...

A new book on Welsh folk and fairy tales with an introduction by @folklorewales.com nation.cymru/culture/new-... #folklore #wales #welshlore #fairytales #fables

Photo of the poem, "Birdsong," by Steph Rae Moran.

Photo of the poem, "Birdsong," by Steph Rae Moran along the poetry path.

Photo of the Poetry Path sign at Lake Mission Viejo.

View of Lake Mission Viejo from the Poetry Path.

I was excited to learn that one of my poems has been included in a new Poetry Path alongside Lake Mission Viejo! It was originally part of the Poetry + Art Collaborative installation at the Mission Viejo Library. Thanks to the MV Library for including my poem!

What is Tradition? Plus Readers’ Favorite Winter Traditions - Steph Rae Moran This month we explore the concept of tradition within the scope of folklore, and we learn about some of our readers’ favorite winter traditions.

I really enjoyed putting together the December blog post! This month we explore the concept of tradition within the scope of folklore. We also learn about some of our readers’ favorite winter traditions. Plus, I share a few of my writing-related wins of 2025. ❄️

Such a fun and interesting episode to listen to!

There's only a few more days left to submit your favorite winter tradition for inclusion in my December newsletter and blog post. I've really enjoyed reading the responses I've received so far--can't wait to share them! 😊 Click through below to learn more.

Photo of Steph with a statue of Albert Einstein.

Photo of a mural depicting an owl and books on a bookshelf.

Photo of a mural depicting colorful flowers.

We recently took a trip to San Luis Obispo to check out the university (Cal Poly). (Our daughter is in the midst of applying to colleges.) Cal Poly is my alma mater, so it was fun to visit the campus. I love all of the new murals. And I took a selfie with Albert Einstein!

Share Your Favorite Winter Tradition! Do you have a favorite (or unique, fun, interesting) winter tradition that you’d like to share with our folklore-inspired newsletter and blog community? I thought it would be fun to collect and share ...

Do you have a favorite (or unique, fun, interesting) winter tradition that you’d like to share with our folklore-inspired newsletter and blog community? This could be a personal, family, or cultural winter tradition. Click through for more info and to share your tradition. ❄️

😂

Truly outrageous! I watched the TV show, but I didn't know they had dolls.

Maybe Think Twice Before Sharing a Meal With Faeries - Steph Rae Moran Many folktales describe how scrumptious faerie food was. But was it wise to eat faerie food? Were faeries interested in human food? Let’s find out!

Many folktales describe how scrumptious faerie food was. But was it wise to eat faerie food?

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Photo of Steph with a mini Halloween hat and faux skeleton hanging in the background.

Photo of the cover of Eve Bunting's book, The Bones of Fred McFee.

The bones of Fred McFee and I wish you a spooky Halloween! When my kids were young, Eve Bunting's book, The Bones of Fred McFee, was a favorite read during this time of year. And one year we found our own Fred McFee to help us celebrate the season. He's been hanging around ever since. 🎃

Nos Galan Gaeaf: A Traditional Night of the Supernatural - Steph Rae Moran In the Welsh calendar, October 31 is known as Nos Galan Gaeaf (Winter’s Eve, but also All Hallows’ Eve or Hallowe’en) and was once celebrated throughout Wales.

I have a Halloween folklore post for you this month! In the Welsh calendar, Oct 31 is known as Nos Galan Gaeaf (Winter’s Eve / Hallowe’en). It was once celebrated throughout Wales and while it included traditional customs and food, it was also considered to be a night of ghosts, spirits, and bogies.

The Outsize Influence of Wales on Fantasy, Music, and Movies Wales is a country with a population of 3.1 million. It’s about 8,000 square miles, which means it could fit inside Texas roughly 26 times. People like to debate whether Wales even counts as a coun…

Anna Fiteni examines the influence of Welsh culture on Fleetwood Mac, Lord of the Rings, Hayao Miyazaki, and so much more.

A photo showing that my Ophelia blog post had an increase in impressions on my website (up 675%).

I think I can safely thank Taylor Swift's new song, "The Fate of Ophelia," for the sudden increase in traffic to my blog post on Ophelia. It's my top-ranking post for the week and impressions got a huge boost. :)

stephraemoran.com/the-owl-was-...

Pop-up roller skating in downtown LA last night!