Author Profile: Isobel Bird

Three Is The Magic Number

Isobel Bird

Bio

Isobel Bird has been involved in the world of paganism and witchcraft for many years. She lives and dances beneath the moon somewhere in New England.

Interview

Think modern day witches look like the one in The Wizard of Oz and spend their days stirring spells in a big pot? Think again. Author Isobel Bird has brought the true story of Wicca to teenagers with her CIRCLE OF THREE series. High schoolers Cooper, Annie, and Kate learn about that old time religion, friendship, and themselves, all the while negotiating the minefield of daily teen dramas. Teenreads reviewer Lucy Burns recently had the opportunity to ask Bird a few questions about the religion, why she writes, and where the two crafts intersect.

Teenreads: What were your reasons behind writing a series about Wicca for teenagers? And why a series of fiction books as opposed to how-to or scholarly books?

IB: I'd wanted to write a series about Wicca for a YA audience for several years, primarily because I was seeing a lot of young people who were interested in the Craft and who wanted good books to read that would inspire and entertain them. There were already a number of good how-to and nonfiction books, but there was no fiction with Wiccan themes. More importantly, there were no books that really captured the experience of studying Wicca. Wicca is an experiential spirituality --- you really can't understand it fully from books, you have to just do it --- and I wanted to write a series that followed a group of young people learning about the Craft, with all of their mistakes and joys, so that readers could get a taste of what practicing Wicca is like and perhaps be inspired to find out more on their own.

Teenreads: Do you think Americans have funny ideas about witches in general and Wicca in particular? Do you think libraries and schools might have a hard time when they recommend your books as they show Wicca practitioners in a very positive and objective way?

IB: I do think that people have funny ideas about what Wicca and witches are, mainly because the popular images in books, movies, and television shows are based on fantasy instead of on reality. I love watching shows like "Buffy," "Sabrina," and "Charmed," but these shows don't depict real witchcraft. When people see witches doing things like the witches on those shows do, it's difficult for them to understand that Wicca is actually a very serious, very spiritual practice that has little to do with what they see on TV or read in most books. As far as librarians recommending my books, I've found that the majority of librarians care deeply about their patrons and their needs, and are almost always willing to suggest books they think readers will enjoy. One of the reasons I wrote CIRCLE OF THREE is because I met a lot of librarians who complained about the lack of quality fiction addressing the world of Wicca for a young adult audience.

Teenreads: Kate, Annie, and Cooper are such well drawn characters, I feel like I know them. Do you have friends you modeled the girls on or are you like any of them?

IB: The characters in the books are sometimes modeled after people I know. The character of Archer, for instance, is modeled after one of my best friends, also called Archer. Kate, Cooper, and Annie are based in part on friends, but primarily each one is a part of myself. Each of them represents a different way of approaching learning about Wicca, and each of them is based on my own experiences learning about the Craft. Cooper is the headstrong one who just jumps right in. Annie wants to believe in magic but because of her logical way of seeing the world she sometimes has a hard time trusting in it. Kate struggles with the conflict between her desire to fit in and her desire to follow the Wiccan path. I've felt like each one of them at some point in my life, so it's easy to draw on those feelings when I write about the girls.

Teenreads: Who is your favorite Young Adult writer?

IB: I have many favorite writers, but perhaps my favorite is Carson McCullers. Some people might not consider her a young adult writer, but she writes about young people and how they feel as they learn about who they are and what their place in the world is. Her book THE MEMBER OF THE WEDDING is one of my all-time favorites, and it greatly influenced me as a young person and as a writer. I also very much love the work of Shirley Jackson, best known for the short story "The Lottery." Again, she is not considered a young adult writer, but she writes books that many young people can relate to, particularly her book WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE.

Teenreads: Did you have a teacher who inspired you to write?

IB: For many years my teachers told me that I should be a writer. Strangely enough, I didn't really pay attention to them. In high school I had two English teachers who encouraged me to write more, and I did. But I still didn't think of myself as a writer. It wasn't until I graduated from college that I actually began writing seriously. So I have my teachers to thank for believing in me and for introducing me to books and writers that inspired me, but it took a long time for me to be convinced that I was supposed to write.

Teenreads: How long did you work on the idea for the series? Was it hard finding a publisher because of the "edgy" material? Did you have to deal with rejection? Do you have advice for young writer girls?

IB: The CIRCLE OF THREE series actually happened in quite a magical way. A number of years ago I suggested it to an editor I had worked with on some other things. She liked it, but the time wasn't right for it to happen because no one thought a series about real witchcraft would be accepted. I put it away and did some magical exercises asking the Goddess to perhaps give it a little push when it was time for it to happen. Then, several years later, another editor called me and asked if I might want to write a series about Wicca for young adults. I took out CIRCLE OF THREE and sent it to her, and that's how it all started. I always tell this story as an example of how real magic can work. I put the intention for this series out into the universe, and it manifested when the time was right. But yes, I have often had to deal with rejection in my work. I would like to say that it's easy to take, but of course it isn't. However, I truly believe that everything happens for a reason, and I believe that books that are meant to happen will happen. As far as advice for young writers, my advice is to write for yourself first. Don't think about getting published. Write what you need to write and then think about how to get it out to people to read. And don't try to do what other people are doing. Write your own story. It's easy to want to imitate writers you like, but it's only when you let your individual voice come out that your writing takes off.

Teenreads: I really love how you write about Kate, Annie and Cooper's learning journey: they are finding out both more about themselves and Wicca. Did you have someone who guided you when you first started learning about the Craft?

IB: I started reading about the Craft on my own, when I was in college. I have always been interested in religion, and that's how I first started studying it. It was actually several years before I started seriously working in Wicca. Once I did, I found that teachers came to me in many forms. Some were actual teachers at workshops and retreats that I went to. Others were friends, and still others were writers whose work I read. One of the beautiful things about the Craft is that once you decide to seriously pursue it, you find many different paths opening up to you and many teachers appearing to help you on your way.

Teenreads: What advice would you give to teens who are interested in learning more about Wicca?

IB: The biggest piece of advice I can give is to say that you should never let anyone tell you that there is only one way to practice the Craft. If a teacher says you have to do something one way and one way only, question that. Read everything you can find. Try different ways of practicing and doing rituals. Find what works for you. If you have a Wiccan community in your area, see if they offer workshops or open rituals for those who want to learn more. If you have friends who are interested, start your own study group. Go slowly, trying different things and seeing how you feel about them. Learning about Wicca takes a lifetime, and there's no hurry. Start simple, and don't think you have to know everything at once.

Teenreads: I have read all the books currently out and I'm jonesing to know more. Will we get to learn more about Sasha and Tyler and the other members of the coven? What will happen when Annie, Kate, and Cooper graduate?

IB: Well, there are some exciting and surprising things coming up in the series. One of the things you learn when you start studying Wicca is to be ready for anything, and the characters in CIRCLE OF THREE are going to have some tough challenges ahead of them. The series is structured so that we follow Kate, Annie, and Cooper through their year and a day of study, ending with their initiation. I'm not sure what will happen after that. There are several characters --- including Sasha --- who would make great students of Wicca if we continue to a second year, so who knows...

Teenreads: A lot of teens have to deal with rejection (and worse) by their families and friends when they choose "alternative" lifestyles. In the CIRCLE OF THREE books, Kate's family and friends are very conservative and think the other girls are bad influences/freaks. How did your family deal when you decided to learn about Wicca?

IB: I wasn't living with my family when I began studying Wicca, so it wasn't an issue. But you're right that many families and friends think it's something strange. Some of my friends certainly did. And it can be very, very difficult explaining what Wicca is to people who just don't understand or don't want to understand. At that point you often have to make tough decisions about whether or not having those people in your life is really helping you or not.

As far as young people and their families not understanding their interest in Wicca, that's even harder. The best thing you can do is try to honestly explain your interest in the Craft to them.

Teenreads: What is your favorite Wiccan ritual? Do you have one you do before or after you write? Do you have a special Goddess whom you ask for help from when working?

IB: There are many rituals that I enjoy. In fact, I pretty much enjoy all of them. I don't really have a favorite because each one brings something new to my experience of the Craft. The one ritual I do more than any others is a basic meditation to begin my day. This is one that I have the characters do quite a bit in different forms, because it's so important to any study of the Craft. Usually I sit and envision myself in my own magical grove. I draw energy into myself and let it fill me, burning away any negative feelings I might be struggling with and replacing them with positive feelings. I also ask the Goddess to inspire me and help me complete the work I need to do that day. As far as working with particular goddesses, I do have some that I like to work with frequently. When I'm writing, for example, I sometimes ask the goddess Brigid for inspiration, because she was believed to inspire poets and writers.

--- Interviewed by Lucy Burns