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Willow Polson was born in San Francisco in 1966, so some of that magic must have rubbed off during her childhood. After moving to the suburbs at age eight, she learned about vegetable gardens, fruit trees, embroidery and other crafts, fantasy novels, how to build forts with unwanted lumber in the back yard and, most importantly, about magical nights watching the full moon rise over the mountains, wondering what mysteries might still be in the world, hiding in the little forgotten places of nature.
As a teen she learned traditional Miwok Indian style basketry from Julia Parker in Yosemite Valley, following the native methods of gathering materials from the wild and cultural practices surrounding the disappearing art of traditional basketmaking. Later she became an Art major at San Francisco State University, with emphasis in Ethnic Arts (after switching from Anthropology), and was just beginning the path toward a teaching credential when fate made her take an off-ramp into a publishing company where she was a graphic artist and editor for ten years on a number of magazines.
As a stay-at-home mom after that, she decided to combine two things she knows intimately (Paganism and crafts) to create her first book, Witch Crafts, which has gone into multiple printings from Kensington Publishing. Sabbat Entertaining followed, then The Veils Edge, Pagan Rituals, and now her fifth book, published in September 2007 by Kensington, The Crafty Witch. She has taught numerous workshops and classes over the years, including at Pantheacon, Elderflower Womenspirit Festival, and various local Pagan Pride Day celebrations.
Willow is currently living on her 10-acre homestead in the mountains near Yosemite National Park with her husband and son, complete with wood heat, sheep for the wool which she spins, chickens, a large organic vegetable garden, and so on. She always has multiple creative projects going at any given time, whether focused on crafts or writing (or both).
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