Meet the author is a series of articles intended to introduce you to our wonderful authors. Learn about the books they’ve written, the spiritual pathways they’ve traversed and some fun little tidbits… introducing Daniela Simina!

Tell us a bit about yourself…

I am an author writing for Moon Books and a teacher of various esoteric subjects. I am also a folklore enthusiast, an avid reader and researcher of folk magical practices, particularly those related to elves and fairies, which make up the crux of my spiritual and professional paths. I grew up in Romania, and since my grandmother was a folk medicine woman and a fairy seer, I also grew up steeped in folk magic and fairy lore, which shaped my beliefs and approach to spirituality.

What books have you written?

I wrote “Where Fairies Meet: Parallels Between Irish and Romanian Fairy Traditions”, “A Fairy Path: The Memoir of a Young Fairy Seer in Training”, “Fairy Herbs for Fairy M: A Practical Guide to Fairy Magical Herbalism”. Also, I recently contributed material to a larger work by Winifred Hodge Rose, “Orlog Yesterday and Today: The Shaping of the Norns”.

How would you describe your spiritual pathway?

I would describe my path as a confluence of rivers, with Norse-Germanic paganism as the main stream and the Irish and Romanian fairy traditions as tributaries. Also, there’s no real separation between what I do as a profession, which is writing and teaching, and my spiritual life. Both revolve around relationships with fairy-beings, nature spirits and also deities. Most of the things I write, whether books or articles, are materials I wish I had available at different stages in my personal journey with the numinous. I might say that most of my work models the saying “Write the book you wish to read”, and by extension “teach the class you wish to take”. I see my work as a devotional act toward the spirit-beings who guide my path. I also see my work as a small act of service toward people seeking inspiration or plain and solid information to guide them on a nature-based, magical, fairy-led path.  My spiritual pathway informs my work, and then, the research and experimentation that go into my writing and teaching further shape my beliefs and practice. Things are never static on my spiritual pathway, and while this may be occasionally tiresome, I accept it as a normal part of the process: my path grows, and changes because I grow and change, and my writing is both product and catalyst in this process. 

What tips do you have for folk beginning their spiritual journey?

I would suggest beginning the journey with reading as much genuinely old folklore and lore as possible to gain an understanding of the beings one seeks to engage with.  Additionally, I recommend reading modern lore that features the said beings because it shows how people’s perceptions have changed over time. I use the term modern lore in reference to experiences that people had with fairies, gods, land spirits and so on, in recent times. This is not the same as creative writing. One must learn to distinguish creative writing from authentic lore and folklore because they are different things.

As a next step, l would recommend getting into the habit of spending time with the entities that populate the spiritual landscape you are drawn toward. Meditate and leave offerings to deities, fairy beings, land spirits and/or ancestor spirits. Reading the lore is important for personalizing offerings and finding guidelines for interaction. When spending time with spirit beings and making offerings to them has become an established practice, one shall begin to look for signs or omens. These can be as subtle as feeling you are not alone even when knowing for a fact that there is no other human around. Also, encountering plants, birds or animals that are rare or completely strange to one’s area, brief but outstanding and very isolated weather anomalies might signal an Otherworldly presence. For example, last winter,  I was in my backyard carrying out a ritual for my elven allies. The weather was exceptionally cold. When I got to the part where I was presenting the food and drink offerings to the elves, I felt a stream of warm air wrapping itself around my ankles. It stayed with me until the end of the ritual, when it vanished as suddenly as it appeared. 

Be consistent in your work and practice (study, offerings, monitoring your surroundings), but don’t have expectations for things to happen immediately: spirit-beings may or may not take an interest in a person right away. Journey work and guided meditation are great ways to tackle contact and find out who might be willing to become an ally. Some connections made this way could become long-term relationships. Others will stick around only for a short while. It is also possible to have more than one spirit-guide, become resonant with more than one deity, and even with more than one single pantheon of deities. Monitoring one’s dreams, taking omens, and using divination tools are means to communicate with otherworldly beings.

What is something quirky about yourself?

My spiritual path turned out very different from what I imagined. There was a point in my life when, for a variety of reasons, I tried to convince myself that I should not follow a spiritual path guided by specific fairy beings. The funny part is that the harder I tried to distance myself from such a path, the more the path drew me in, and we all know how that ended. 

What Deity(ies) would you love to have dinner with?

I would love to have dinner with Freya and Odin, but preferably somewhere in Midgard, our world, rather than in their Halls, if you know what I mean.

What magical items would you take with you if you had to live on an island for a year?

As a minimum, I would take my two staffs, cloak, rune set, drum, ritual axe and knife, wool and spindle, black salt, and some oil for blessing and protection. I wouldn’t worry about carrying along my broom, because a makeshift one, a bundle of twigs tied together with wool that I spun, will work equally well.

Where can people find you?

I can be found on various social media platforms:

YouTube @danielasimina

Facebook, as Daniela Simina Author Page

TikTok, Whispers in The Twilight, @whispersinthetwilight

Instagram @danielasimina1

Blue Sky @danielasimina.bsky.social

For more details: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/authors/daniela-simina

Daniela Simina grew up in Romania, immersed in the rich local fairy lore. Since young, she apprenticed with her grandmother, a fairy seer and medicine woman, and became a medicine woman and fairy witch herself.
Daniela is passionate about researching Irish, Norse, and Romanian fairy folklore and traditions. She studied under the guidance of scholars and writers native to Irish culture, who are invested in preserving the historical and folkloric heritage. Daniela Simina travels periodically to Ireland, to cultivate the connection with the Fair Folk in situ. In addition to writing, she teaches classes on energetic balance and various esoteric subjects, including fairies. She lives in Georgia, USA.