A Dartmoor witch who grew up on the moors has explained how childhood gave her an appreciation of the power and joys of nature.

Yelverton-based Rebecca Beattie is a “modern Pagan witch and Wiccan Priestess” – and she’s encouraging people to “embrace the magic of the season” as nights draw in.

Rebecca is also a writer, with a new book coming out soon, and she’s explained how Dartmoor has influenced her craft.

She said: “Dartmoor is a really meaningful, special place and growing up on the moors has been really significant to me and my writing. Even in the winter, there’s beautiful ways to harness good energy on the moors, such as going out into nature and stargazing.”

Rebecca explained that being a “green witch” encompasses daily rituals that we can all follow, to ground ourselves.

She said: “We tend to think rituals need to be words or ceremonies, but It can be something as small as making a tea, if you do it with intent. Or by lighting a candle or incense. My book covers everyday things including craft activities like decorating a jar for a candle.”

Rebecca grew up in a “tiny high Dartmoor village” and went to primary school in Princetown. As a young adult, she moved to London to “learn more about witchcraft” and join Pagan gatherings.

But, she missed the fresh air of Dartmoor and headed back to her homeland as soon as she could.

She said: “I wouldn’t be the person I am now if I hadn’t grown up on Dartmoor. Missing nature while in the city brought me to the life of a Pagan witch. I really missed the moor when I was away from it, so eventually, I came back.”

Rebecca explains that people can find solace by living closer to nature’s seasons and cycles – and embracing the magic of the seasons, including autumn and winter.

Although winter can be the toughest time in nature’s calendar and is often seen as a time to hibernate, for witches and druids, getting outside can offer an alternative way of marking a passage through the colder months.

In her book, Rebecca shares her advice on how to stay positive, and how to celebrate the light in the darkest months of the year.

Rebecca also writes about how we can “re-find” the lost and forgotten goddesses of the British Isles in the landscape through the names of rivers and forests, including Tamara, the river nymph of the River Tamar. Most of her work is based around the wild landscape of Devon and Cornwall.

A Wiccan priestess and practitioner, she is a highly acclaimed and informed teacher of the theory and practice of modern witchcraft and she is also author of The Wheel of the Year (2022) and The Way Through the Woods (2024).

Rebecca’s new book, The Season of Frost and Fire: A Witch’s Winter in 13 Rituals is out on October 8, 2026.