Poeaxtry's Prism

Spell. Stone. & Sparks that Ignite Change

Tag: spiritual practice

Spiritual Reflections, metaphysical thinking, rituals, spellwork, symbolic meaning, personal belief exploration. (wiccan, Pagan)

  • The 2026 Pivot: Navigating Ohio’s New Cannabis Landscape

    The 2026 Pivot: Navigating Ohio’s New Cannabis Landscape

    Best For:

    Ohio Locals used to make Michigan runs, people who keep their stash in their center console, individuals who don’t smoke in their house, but smoke in their car, hemp, and CBD customers, and those people who support small businesses.

    A man Smoking a rolled cigar of flower sitting in his car outside his house in a grey backwards hat and black sweater
    Sitting outside your house smoking in your car is now illegal!

    As an Ohio Local & Legal THC Advocate:

    In Ohio, the only thing that changes faster than the weather is the law. If you’re local of follow the Ohio government you know it’s true. While we all celebrated the “green wave” of 2023, the tide has officially shifted as of March 20, 2026.

    If you’re still operating under the old rules of Issue 2, you are walking into a legal minefield without a map. This isn’t just a “tweak” to the system; it’s a complete overhaul of how we buy, carry, and consume.

    Below i have broken down the breakdown of the new SB 56 landscape. Now you don’t have to hunt for the information or be ill informed. You can save and reuse this to stay informed, stay protected, and keep your peace of mind intact

    Ohio’s lawmakers – Making changes:

    For nearly two years, Ohioans operated under the framework of Issue 2. Which was the 2023 voter-approved initiative that legalized adult-use marijuana with a focus on personal freedom.

    However, as of March 20, 2026, the legal landscape underwent its most significant overhaul to date. Senate Bill 56. Which Ohio is now considering the law of this state. This bill introduced new criminal penalties and tighter restrictions. I feel every Ohio resident needs to understand it to remain completely informed.  

    Man in a multicolored hoodie, smoking a Rolex cigar in his car
    Sitting in a parked car & smoking now illegal in Ohio.

    The goal here isn’t to assist anyone in skirting the law. I aim to provide a clear, fact-based map of what the law is today. While we work at comparing the new laws to what they were yesterday. In a shifting legal environment, being informed is your only real protection.

    From Issue 2 to SB 56: What Changed?

    When Issue 2 first went into effect in December 2023, it was hailed as a relatively open system. It allowed for high-potency extracts and a flexible approach to where and how you could carry your product. SB 56, signed by Governor DeWine in late 2025, has “recriminalized” several behaviors that were previously considered safe under the original voter-passed statute.  

    Man smoking large orange bong, in shorts and green shirt, nose, lips, beard and down showing as well as exhale.
    Man smokes banning in his garage shop.

    The most jarring change is the Mandatory Local Sourcing rule. Under the original 2023 law, the source of your cannabis was less of a legal flashpoint as long as you were within possession limits. As of March 20th, 2026, it is explicitly illegal to possess any cannabis in Ohio that was purchased from another state.

    Yes. Even if you bought it legally in Michigan, or any other legal state. The moment you cross the state line into Ohio, that product is considered contraband. If it isn’t from an Ohio-licensed dispensary or a legal home-grow in Ohio, possessing it is now a criminal offense.  

    Potency Caps and the Hemp Ban:

    The Ohio lawmakers also used SB 56 to lower the “ceiling” on what can be sold in Ohio dispensaries. This affects both recreational users and medical patients who rely on high-concentration products.  

    • Extracts and Concentrates: The allowable THC limit has been slashed from 90% down to a maximum of 70%.  
    • Raw Flower: Dried plant material is now capped at a maximum of 35% THC.  
    • The Hemp Loophole: Previously, “intoxicating hemp” products like Delta-8 were sold in gas stations and smoke shops. SB 56 has effectively banned these sales outside of licensed dispensaries. Any product with more than 0.5mg of THC per serving is now legally classified as marijuana and must be regulated by the Division of Cannabis Control.  
    Man in Dunkin’ Donuts shirt, black backwards hat, and sunglasses smokes a rolled cigar in his car outside
    Smoking outside your house in your car is now illegal in Ohio.

    The Legal Blueprint for Transport:

    The most common way people find themselves in legal friction is during transport. SB 56 has introduced “Open Container” logic for cannabis, making it much easier to face a misdemeanor charge. Even for something as simply as having your product in the wrong part of your car. To remain 100% legal while driving, you must follow these specific storage protocols:  

    • The product must remain in its original, unopened packaging as dispensed by the retailer.
    • If the seal is broken or the package has been opened, the law now mandates that the product (and all associated paraphernalia like pipes or vapes) must be stored in the trunk of the vehicle.
    • If your vehicle does not have a trunk, such as a hatchback, van, or SUV, the product must be stored behind the last upright seat or in an area not normally occupied by the driver or passengers.
    • Having an open bag of gummies or a jar of flower in your glove box or center console is now a punishable offense.  

    Consumption Boundaries – Public vs. Private:

    The “where” is just as important as the “how.” Under the 2026 update, public consumption is no longer a grey area; it is a prohibited act.  

    While you can legally consume on private property provided you own the home or have explicit permission from the landlord. Meaning you also cannot consume in any public space. This includes smoking, vaping, and even the use of edibles in parks, trail systems, concerts, on sidewalks, or in parking lots.

    Additionally, being a passenger in a vehicle while consuming THC products is now a misdemeanor of the third degree. The law has also removed previous non-discrimination protections. This means that while using it is still “legal,” it can be used as a factor in certain professional licensing or child custody situations if not handled within the strict confines of the law.  

    A man in a shoulder brace, black t shirt with blue hair smokes a cigar in his car outside
    Smoking in the car, is now illegal in Ohio.

    The Death of the “Gas Station High” – Intoxicating Hemp & Beverage Bans:

    One of the most aggressive maneuvers in SB 56 is the total elimination of the “unregulated” market. For the last few years, gas stations, convenience stores, and smoke shops across Ohio operated in a legal gray area. That allowed the selling if intoxicating hemp derivatives like Delta-8, Delta-10, and THCa.  

    As of March 20, 2026, that era is officially over. The new law has redefined “intoxicating hemp” to include anything containing more than 0.5mg of THC per serving. This change effectively reclassifies these products as marijuana, meaning:  

    • Gas Stations and Smoke Shops are now strictly prohibited from selling vapes, gummies, or flower derived from hemp if they contain intoxicating levels of THC.  
    • The Beverage Veto: In a late-stage move, Governor DeWine used a line-item veto to strike down a provision that would have allowed bars, restaurants, and breweries to sell low-dose (5mg) THC-infused seltzers.  
    • Dispensary-Only Access: Because of that veto, THC-infused beverages (even those derived from hemp) can now only be sold inside state-licensed cannabis dispensaries. Your local brewery can no longer legally serve or sell these “mocktails” or seltzers for on-site consumption or carry-out.  

    This isn’t just a change in where you buy; it’s a change in what exists on the shelf. Thousands of Ohio businesses have had to clear their inventory this week to avoid felony possession and trafficking charges. If you see a “THC beverage” or “Delta-8 gummy” being sold at a non-licensed corner store today, that business is operating outside the law and risking immediate closure.

    Staying Compliant- Possession and Cultivation:

    Possession limits remain at 2.5 ounces of plant material or 15 grams of extract. For those who choose to grow at home, the limit of six plants per adult (and 12 per household) still stands. However, SB 56 adds a “visibility” clause: your plants must be in a secured, locked area that is not visible to the naked eye from any public space.  

    By following these updated 2026 standards, sourcing locally, transporting in the trunk, and keeping consumption strictly private, you can navigate Ohio’s new landscape with the confidence of someone who knows exactly where the line is drawn.

    Knowledge is Our Only Armor:

    The transition from Issue 2 to Senate Bill 56 represents a significant tightening of the “personal freedom” Ohio citizens originally voted for. Whether you see these changes as necessary protections or an overreach of state power, the reality remains: law enforcement now has a new set of teeth. 

    In order to stay 100% “above board” in 2026, remember the big three: Source locally, stash in the trunk, and smoke in private. As the legal landscape continues to evolve, I’ll keep tracking the shifts so you don’t have to guess where the line is. Stay safe out there, Ohio.

    Side view of a bearded pale skinned man smoking a yellow penis shaped pipe inside a home
    Smoking a penis shaped bowl inside a private residence.
  • When the Wish Card Flips: What This Daily Tarot Pull Taught Us

    When the Wish Card Flips: What This Daily Tarot Pull Taught Us

    Best for:

    Spiritual Individuals, daily ritual practitioners, tarot beginners, overindulgers, and anyone feeling unfulfilled.

    Delayed Gratification:

    There’s something sacred about the moment I clock out of work around 6AM, finally able to settle into my early morning. My laptop closes, notifications fade, and I reach for my tarot deck, to map out my days off. It’s a ritual of mine.

    A small but meaningful way to transition from doing to being. I shuffle slowly, sometimes asking a quiet question, sometimes just inviting whatever message needs to find me. Though, weekly I make sure to pull a few solo cards for my different daily outlooks, I do larger readings too.

    This morning, I filmed the pull for a TikTok. The card that surfaced was the Nine of Cups, the card often called the “wish card.” Except it wasn’t upright, glowing with satisfaction and self-congratulation. It was upside down. Reversed.

    In the video, you see me shuffling, the card flip and my pause. The moment a card about fulfillment shows up reversed, you know the universe is asking you to look a little closer. So let’s talk about what that really means, and what we can actually do about it.

    Two stacks of black cards sitting in wooden table
    The shuffle.

    What the Nine of Cups Means When It’s Right-Side Up:

    Before we dig into the reversal, it helps to understand why this card carries so much weight in the first place.

    In its upright position, the Nine of Cups is pure contentment. The traditional Rider-Waite-Smith image shows a figure seated with arms crossed, surrounded by nine gleaming cups arranged behind them. Their expression is one of quiet pride, not boastful, but deeply satisfied. This is the card of wishes granted, goals met, and emotional security achieved. It says: You have what you wanted. Rest in that.

    When I pull this card upright after a long workday, it feels like a pat on the back. A confirmation that my efforts are landing, my needs are being met, and I’m allowed to simply enjoy where I am.

    But when it appears reversed? That’s when the conversation gets more interesting.

    Unpacking the Reversed Nine of Cups – What’s Really Going On:

    A reversed card isn’t a curse or a bad omen. It’s usually an invitation to look at the energy of the card from a different angle. It is sometimes the shadow side, sometimes the blocked side, or sometimes the not-yet side. With the Nine of Cups reversed, there are a few distinct flavors this message can take.

    1. The Wish Is Delayed (Not Denied).

    Sometimes the reversal simply means timing. You put something out into the universe, a goal, a hope, a milestone, and it hasn’t landed yet. The cups are still being filled. This isn’t failure; it’s the space between the ask and the answer. The challenge here is patience, and the discomfort of not knowing when.

    1. You Got What You Wanted, but It Didn’t Feel Like You Expected.

    This is a sneaky one. You achieve the thing, the job, the relationship, the external marker of success. But instead of euphoria, you feel… flat. The Nine of Cups reversed can show up when we’ve been chasing something we thought would make us happy, only to realize it was the wrong wish altogether. The fulfillment was hollow because it wasn’t truly yours.

    1. You’re Performing Satisfaction While Feeling Empty.

    Another common expression of this card reversed is the gap between appearance and reality. Maybe to the outside world, everything looks fine. You’re functioning, you’re smiling, you’re checking boxes. But internally, you feel disconnected, lonely, or unfulfilled. This version of the card asks: Who are you pretending to be okay for?

    1. Overindulgence as a Substitute for Fulfillment.

    The upright Nine of Cups enjoys life’s pleasures. Reversed, that enjoyment can tip into excess. If we are using food, shopping, scrolling, or other comforts to fill an emotional void. It’s not about the indulgence itself; it’s about what you’re trying to soothe without actually addressing it.

    A Pale hand, with black lined fern leaf tattoo, and green sweater sleeve reaches for black card on wooden table.
    The flip.

    How to Shift the Energy – Practical Ways to Realign:

    One of the reasons I love pulling a daily card is that it’s never just a diagnosis. This is my compass. If the reversed Nine of Cups appears, here are concrete ways to work with its energy and create real change.

    1. Clarify What You Actually Want.

    Sit down with a notebook and ask yourself: What am I currently pursuing? If I achieved it tomorrow, would I genuinely feel fulfilled, or would I immediately need the next thing? Separate wishes that come from societal expectation, comparison, or old versions of yourself from wishes that genuinely align with who you are now.

    Action step: Write down one goal you’ve been chasing. Beneath it, write why you want it. If the “why” feels hollow, give yourself permission to pause or pivot.

    1. Practice Honest Inventory, Not Performance.

    If you suspect you’ve been projecting satisfaction you don’t fully feel, start small. Pick one person you trust and share something real about where you’re struggling. The goal isn’t to dump negativity, it’s to close the gap between your inner experience and outer presentation. Fulfillment can’t grow in a space where you’re constantly performing.

    Action step: This week, say one honest thing about your emotional state that you’d normally keep to yourself. Notice how it shifts the quality of your connection.

    1. Delay the Dopamine Hit.

    When the reversed Nine of Cups points toward overindulgence, the fix isn’t puritanical restriction, it’s intentionality. Before you reach for a comfort habit (snacking, online shopping, binge-watching), pause for sixty seconds and ask: Am I doing this to genuinely enjoy it, or to avoid something?

    Action step: Create a five-minute “pause practice.” When you notice the urge to numb or distract, take five deep breaths first. Then choose consciously rather than automatically.

    1. Reframe “Delayed” as “In Progress”

    If your wish simply hasn’t arrived yet, the antidote is often reframing. Instead of seeing the delay as a rejection, treat it as a building phase. What skills, resources, or emotional readiness does this wish require that you’re still cultivating?

    Action step: Make a short list: What is this waiting period preparing me for? Even if the answer is simply patience, that’s a legitimate form of preparation.

    Why the Daily Pull Matters – Even When the Card Isn’t “Good”:

    My daily card pull isn’t about fortune-telling. It’s about staying in conversation with myself. When I pulled the reversed Nine of Cups, the video captured a real moment, not a curated one. That’s the point.

    Rituals like this keep us honest. They remind us that fulfillment isn’t a permanent state; it’s something we navigate, lose touch with, and return to. A reversed wish card doesn’t mean the universe is saying no. It’s saying let’s check the fine print before you sign.

    White background card with black boarders and designs, on a wooden table, card is being placed down by pale fingers with slightly showing tattoo and green sweater sleeve.
    The card.

    The Wish Is Still Yours:

    The Nine of Cups reversed isn’t a cancellation of your desires. It’s an invitation to refine them. In my own life, pulling this card reminded me that I’ve been chasing a few things on autopilot. Things I assumed would bring relief but that I haven’t stopped to ask if I actually want anymore.

    Your wishes don’t disappear just because one card shows up upside down. But sometimes they need to be held up to the light, examined from a different angle, and maybe even let go of. This way something truer can take their place.

    So if this card has appeared for you, here’s my encouragement: don’t panic. Don’t dismiss it. Let it be the start of a better question. Not “When will I get what I want?” but “What do I truly want to feel? What is one honest step I can take toward that today?”

    The cups are still yours. They’re just rearranging themselves into something that actually fits.

  • From Pen to Peak: Creative Strategies for Processing Emotions

    From Pen to Peak: Creative Strategies for Processing Emotions

    What strategies do you use to cope with negative feelings?

    Best for:

    Shadow workers, Emotionally intelligent Individuals, journal readers, and those working through uncomfortable emotions.

    Navigating negative emotions:

    For me whether I’m overcome with grief, stress, or anxiety it requires more than willpower. I have found it helps knowing what works for me. I feel that we should al have intentional strategies that honor the way our minds process the world, to help us find our way back to the light.

    I have two practices that are essential to how I find my light through the bullshit: writing and hiking. One allows me to articulate what I cannot always say aloud; the other offers respite from the constant pressure to perform. Together, they form a sustainable approach to emotional regulation. These are supported by both personal experience and emerging research in psychology and neuroscience.

    Poetry Helps Me Process Feelings When Words Feel Impossible:

    For many, talking about intense emotions, especially grief, advocacy-related trauma, or even love can feel overwhelming or even inaccessible. Poetry offers an alternative pathway.

    • Externalizing emotion: Writing poetry moves feelings from the internal (where they can feel consuming) to the external (where they can be observed, shaped, and understood).
    • Processing in layers: Poetry allows for metaphor and abstraction, making it possible to explore complex emotions without needing to articulate them directly in conversation.
    • Grief, advocacy, love, and more: Whether I’m writing about loss, the weight of advocacy, queer life experiences, or the complexity of love, poetry helps me sit with my feelings. Or I’d be consumed by them. Poetry creates space to process on a deeper level so I can acknowledge emotions when they arise, without feeling trapped by them forever.

    Factual Backing:

    Research supports the idea that expressive writing including poetry, has been shown to reduce rumination and improve emotional regulation. A 2020 study in Frontiers in Psychology found that poetic writing facilitates cognitive reappraisal, helping individuals reframe distressing experiences. Additionally, narrative therapy principles suggest that structuring difficult experiences into written form restores a sense of agency and coherence.

    Hiking as a Strategy for Grief, Stress, and Reconnection

    When I miss my mom, I try to go hiking. The forest becomes a space where grief softens, where I feel close to her without needing to explain or perform. Hiking also offers something I struggle with in daily life: permission to pause.

    • A break from constant productivity: The trail demands nothing but presence. There is no to-do list, no inbox, only the choice to take the next step.
    • “Church in nature“: For me, nature is sacred. It’s where I find stillness, perspective, and a sense of being held by something larger than daily stress.
    • Closer to my mom: Being in the natural world creates space for memory and connection without the pressure to “process” grief in a prescribed way.

    Factual Backing:

    The mental health benefits of time in nature are well-documented. A 2019 study in Scientific Reports found that spending at least 120 minutes per week in nature significantly correlates with better health and psychological well-being. Moreover, ecotherapy research indicates that green spaces reduce cortisol levels, lower stress, and improve mood, particularly for those navigating grief or chronic anxiety.

    Expanding the Toolkit: Emotional Reflection Journals and Creative Writing:

    Beyond poetry and hiking, I’ve built a broader creative practice to help me, and hopefully others, process difficult emotions.

    • Emotional reflection journals: I create guided journals filled with prompts I’ve developed from my own emotional journaling practices. These are designed to help others explore their inner world in a structured, self-led way.
    • Helpful posts on grief, transitioning, and more: I write accessible content that blends personal insight with practical guidance for those navigating life transitions, identity shifts, or loss.
    • Creative short stories: I explore identity, nature, and psychologically thrilling themes through fiction. This allows me to examine complex emotions through character and metaphor. I often aim at revealing the truths that nonfiction alone cannot reach.

    Why This Matters: Creative Practices as Sustainable Coping Strategies:

    These practices share a common thread: they transform overwhelming feelings into something tangible, manageable, and meaningful. Whether through poetry, hiking, journaling, or storytelling, creative strategies offer:

    • A sense of agency over internal experience
    • Safe containment for emotions that feel too big to hold
    • Sustainable processing that doesn’t rely on constant verbal explanation

    For anyone navigating life, finding your own version of these practices, can make the difference between being consumed by feelings and learning to sit with them on your own terms.

    Feedback.

  • Three Simple Grounding Practices That Actually Work for Me

    Three Simple Grounding Practices That Actually Work for Me

    Best for:

    Those interested in grounding techniques or inspiration, creative writing enthusiasts, lover of indie writen works, or creative and community blog authors.

    What are three objects you couldn’t live without?

    Typical Things Others Cannot Live Without:

    When discussing material items, objects, or things we can’t live without a lot of things that aren’t necessities come to the forefront. People will name technological devices: phones, televisions, game systems, and other gadgets that are not even remotely close to something they actually need.

    Then they go on to list the person they are intimate with. This isn’t cute and is a very good way to show you’re not as emotionally mature as you think you are. Please unpack that and see how manipulative and untrue it is to insist you can’t continue living without another person. The three objects I would put on the list of things I can’t live without, would not be the expected modern, impressive, and expensive.

    My truth is much more minimal and simple. Survival, for me, is not about convenience or unrealistic intimacy. It is about self-regulation, imagination, and my favorite way me time is served.

    I chose my list of top three things carefully. I aimed to pick things that keep me steady when the world gets loud, educate me, ground me, entertain me, and fuel the fire in my soul. Obviously if you know me you would already assume that these are not luxury items, some aren’t even the typical thing you would consider an item.

    Three Things I Cannot Live Without:

    These are my three most reliable grounding practices for mental health.

    • My dog
    • A good book
    • Access to nature

    These all add their own different layer of how I function, create, escape, and/or stay mentally intact.

    My Dog as an Emotional Anchor: Unconditional Love and Grounding –

    Luna my dog, is not just my companion. She is a part of the structure that holds me together. She is loyal without fail or ulterior motives. She is familiar to me in a way that most people don’t get to experience. Luna knows how I feel and what I am saying without even sharing a language with me. She is rhythm and routine; her schedule helps me keep to mine through the rest of my day.

    She wakes up at the same time as me, she is always the little spoon, kisses my tears away, and never complains when I want to take her to a trail or a few. She gives me purpose, she needs me to feed her, walk her, and give her attention. That rhythm pulls me into motion on days when depression would prefer I stay still.

    There is something stabilizing about unconditional love that does not shift based on my perfection, what I say, or how I look. She does not care if I succeed in capitalistic hell, who gets my vote, or where I stand politically. She cares only that I am here and so is she.

    Luna in the snow wearing her blue tshirt and collar with yellow and blue leash
    Luna BABYYY!

    I do have an official Emotional Support Animal letter from my psychiatrist for Luna. That documentation protects housing access under fair housing guidelines. It ensures I cannot be denied a lease because of her. I do want to note that an emotional support animal and service dogs are separate categories with different legal protections, and they are not interchangeable. It is against the law and unethical to present a dog as a service animal, without it being true. Actions like this make it harder for individuals who have service animals to have access to the places they go without hassle.

    Having a dog around is physically and emotionally grounding. The weight of her leaning against my leg. The sound of her breathing. The feel of her cold nose pressing against my skin when she decides to be like Velcro to me. The familiarity of presence in every room.

    In a world that feels transactional most of the time, she is steady. That steadiness, emotional clarity, and connection keeps me functioning through daily life in a capitalistic hellscape.

    A Book: Classic Escapism & Mental Expansion –

    A good book is not a typical form of passive entertainment. Books are a practical way to transport yourself through eras of time no matter if they are past or futuristic landscapes. You can pick up a book and travel anywhere on any planet. Inside a book you can be whomever you want to be.

    Books contain:

    When I say a good book, I mean something worthy of my time and effort.

    • Pages.
    • Ink.
    • Weight.
    • The smell of paper.
    • The subtle sound of turning a page.

    That tactile experience matters sometimes. I do read digital books too, usually reading those on the go and the physical copies inside the comfort of my house. Adding the physicality into it makes it more worth it. It slows my nervous system down in a way I just can’t seem to find scrolling a light up screen.

    Black cover gold writing BLACK AF HISTORY the book
    A great booktok order.

    Books Provide:

    Books give me at least three things of importance in one swift action:

    • escape
    • entertainment and/or education
    • expansion

    Sometimes I just want to disappear into fiction, to inhabit someone else’s mind and leave my own troubles or sorrows behind for just a little bit. Then there are the times I wish to learn, history, how-to-do’s, cultural studies, deeper psychology, or poetry that challenges my thinking. When I can find something both educational and entertaining at the same time I tend to read it at least once more.

    Books Teach:

    Reading can also be used to sharpen one’s own writing. You cannot build voice in isolation. You absorb cadence, structure, risks other writers take, ideas of your own sparked by another, or even examples of what you don’t want to do. A good book is mentorship without being glued to a classroom.

    A Book is History:

    There is nostalgia in it for me also. Reading feels like a quiet act of protest, something humans have that can transport you throughout history. Reading is both grounding for me and a connection to all the people who have lived this life before. It predates feeds, updates, notifications, and doom-scrolling. Reminding me that a good thing to read has always been how humans survive chaos, boredom, loneliness, or even emotional pain.

    If the world shut down tomorrow, I would still need pages to turn, and I would still have things to learn.

    Pause Here:

    When was the last time a tactile item, actually calmed your emotional state?

    What do you think causes this item to help you in the same ways a book can help me?

    What did it provide you with? Was this a new experience?

    Think about that while you continue to further read.

    Nature – a Grounding Practice: Solitude & Reset-

    Nature is not just a way to create aesthetic content for me. It is recalibration. A break from society I’ve earned.

    Being with the things in nature:

    • trees
    • soil
    • running water
    • open skies
    • bees
    • birds
    • insects
    • wildflowers

    Being out there in nature just existing is the best reset switch I could find. At least, that’s what works for me. When I need space where nothing is demanding performance, if I am feeling overwhelmed, or even if everything is fine and when I just have free time.

    No Interruptions:

    Out there, I can walk without being perceived or judged. I can think without interruption or interference. I can be alone, or with the people I choose. All these distinctions matter to the peace nature provides. Choosing carefully who you share your escapes with feels much better than any forced proximity.

    Research Backed:

    There is also proven research on nature exposure and its effects on lowering stress hormones and supporting nervous system regulation. I do not need a study to know it works, but the research data still exists for those who need to see the proof. When your breathing deepens and your perspective widens you will see the proof without reading anything.

    Healthy Reminder:

    Nature reminds me that not everything is a race. Seasons change without my asking what anyone thinks. Leaves change and fall without debate. The ground does not argue with me or you about anything.

    Reset:

    When I chose to return home from time outside, I am much more clear than I was before leaving. I am less reactive and much more intentional in all I do.

    Without access to my personal form of church in the heart of our natural world, a pressure I can’t ignore begins to build inside me. With it, I can function, create, and respond instead of combust.

    Hayden Falls Flowing in Dublin, Ohio roughly 32 ft high.
    Hayden falls Columbus, Ohio.

    Three Things I Need

    My dog keeps me steady in unconditional love.

    A good book keeps me steady in my head.

    Nature keeps me steady in a more all encompassing manner.

    These are not flashy answers. They are foundational ones.

    Grounding, imagination, and space. That is the authentic human side of how I choose to lighten my load in a culture that rewards constant production, noise, and perfection.

    Sometimes we find it is true the most radical self-care for mental health is simply returning to what feels important and real to your soul.

    Sharing This With Someone Who Needs Grounding Support:

    If you are close to a person who is navigating mental health challenges, creative burnout, introvert overwhelm, perfectionism, or living with an intense pressure building inside of them, consider sharing this with them, in support of their own personal growth towards a more sustainable form of self-care.

    Send it to your friend who forgets to rest.

    The creative who gets lost in doom-scrolling and rarely unplugs.

    The avid animal lover who understands a pet’s silent loyalty.

    The word wizards who think they need permission to pause productivity.

    You may find that survival is not about needing more. It is about finding and maintaining the few things that keep you whole.

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  • Poeaxtry & the Prism Press: An Indie DIY Creative Brand

    Poeaxtry & the Prism Press: An Indie DIY Creative Brand

    Describe the most ambitious DIY project you’ve ever taken on.

    Hello & Welcome Misfits,

    The most ambitious do it yourself project I have ever taken on is not a single item, project, or idea.

    It is my decision to build an entire creative ecosystem from the ground up.

    Poeaxtry_ is not just a store. The Prism is not just a press. Together they are a system that moves from raw minerals in The Great Lakes to a polished ritual tool, from private poem drafts to interactive & gamified digital anthologies, from hiking confessional journals to printable & digital resources for minority voices.

    I did not buy a ready-made brand. I built infrastructure, life experience, and skill from the ground up.

    From Dirt to Designed Object

    This part of creating always starts outside for me.

    Rockhounding is not only aesthetic. It is labor. One minute we are kneeling in gravel pits, scanning riverbeds, carrying a backpack triple the weight it was when I left, back home. The stones are cleaned, sometimes sliced into slabs, or shaped. I then tumble polish or Dremel polished by hand using grit, time, and polish. Some become jewelry, keychains, or carved keepsakes. Some stones will become a part of a wand, wreath, or wind chime. Some fossils and minerals will be sold in specimen jars, providing you with an easy way to show off our awesome finds.

    Creative-Cycle

    This is basically my full-cycle creation. I source the material. I prepare it. I design it. I set it. I post it online or drop it off at a local store. Then I wait for it to sell. Nothing is outsourced. That control is intentional. It keeps the work honest and meaningful.

    Spiritual Supplies

    My spiritual items and supplies include: ritual kits and tools, oil rollers, natural sprays, tinctures, wands, windchimes, wreaths, custom spells, tarot and pendulum readings, digital collections that cover one topic historically to present, personal favorites BOS coming soon, digital / printable freebie book of spells inserts, and way more. All grown from that same foundation. Research meets lived practice. History meets respectful and ethical uses.

    This is spiritual craftsmanship rooted in community care and respect.

    Writing as a Release, Not An Escape:

    The writing and poetry side of my creative company is not just promotional filler. It was planted in life experience and watered by emotions.

    Hiking

    Hiking blogs documenting accessibility, dog & child friendliness, terrain near trails, vibe of the day, and my reflection.

    Emotions & Life Journals

    Emotional journal essays explore confessions, emotions, and thoughts without spectacles and chaos ensuing.

    Witchcraft

    Spiritual posts examine practice without performance. I share information without gatekeeping on an array of witchcraft related topics. These are all beginner and advanced practitioner friendly and you can save the webpage, print it out, or bookmark it as a cheat sheet if you wish.

    Advocacy

    Minority positivity resources confront erasure directly by sharing things like strands for trans info, community events, seminars, politically positive things, calls to submit things to be published that have zero or very small fees.

    Critic

    Media criticism calls out bigotry when it shows up in entertainment, politics, literature, art and more.

    BOS More from the author

    Behind-the-scenes poetry posts may reveal drafting poetry or writing processes from creation through final edit, additional info about how it’s made, Why, where, & with. BOS time lapse for crafting digital and physical items.

    Shorts

    Short stories are being written and mapped out into a ten-story collection. I am currently posting them here and always one at a time. The writing is on the walls and the writing style is psychological thriller, horror-gore, and splatter punk. Not just emotional poetry.

    Voice

    Axton Mitchell strives to make sure his voice remains consistent because it is always his.

    No ghostwriting.

    No content farm rhythm.

    Just sustained narrative built over time.

    Poetry as Interactive Architecture

    The digital poetry collections I curate are not single uploads tossed into the void. The larger books hold fifty plus original poems shaped across seasons. The smaller twenty to twenty-five poem zines are layered with hidden downloads, QR paths, hidden words to complete links to content all of this turns reading into exploration.

    There are free collections because access matters. There are smaller printable editions with drafting notes because process matters. There are minority-friendly positivity zines because representation matters.

    The design work inside Canva Pro becomes part of the art itself. Structure, navigation, hidden layers, and more.

    Poetry is not just expression here. It is experience design.

    Indie Press; Community Infrastructure:

    Poeaxtry & the Prism exists so minority voices are not waiting for permission any longer.

    It is a publishing house, but it is also a submission hub, a spotlight platform for indie creators, a space for collaboration, open mic nights online and in person, creative contests, and long-term plans for physical presence through stores, booths, and partnerships.

    This is infrastructure thinking. It is building a structure that can hold more than one voice.

    Why This Is the Most Ambitious Thing I’ve Built?

    Most DIY projects focus on one discipline or one core thing.

    Mine connects rockhounding, lapidary art, ritual design, tarot practice, hiking documentation, journaling systems, poetry publishing, short fiction, digital content and collections mapping, interactive ebook layering, minority advocacy, media critique, and community architecture into one ecosystem.

    From dirt to draft to download.

    It is ambitious because it refuses to separate craft from voice, spirituality from structure, or business from representation.

    It is ongoing. It is expanding. It is built slowly and deliberately.

    That is my biggest project.

    Before you go:

    Please consider sharing with other indie creative people you know, so they know there’s a place for them.

    Tips and Commitments

    If you can helps support the mission here in anyway at all we appreciate it more than words can explain.

    Ko-fi. Buy me a coffee. PayPal. Cashapp.

  • Salt Fork Kennedy Stone House – 1 Beautiful Winter Hike:

    Salt Fork Kennedy Stone House – 1 Beautiful Winter Hike:

    Best for:

    History enthusiasts, hiking with dog’s, intermediate hikers looking for semi-rugged terrain, and year-round exploration of Ohio’s landscapes.

    A Mid‑Winter Reckoning at Salt Fork Kennedy Stone House:

    Luna in a blue tshirt surrounded by snow at the trail head Salt Fork Kennedy Stone House
    Sign at the trailhead which is across the road from the parking lot. Make sure you look both ways when you cross.

    On February 11, 2026, we stopped at Salt Fork Kennedy Stone House, on the way home. We found history and nature under a sky whose color was reminiscent of spring time blue, while the sunlight played peek-a-boo with Luna and I. I decided we would take the trail named the stone house loop.

    Like a blessing we were the only ones there. This is a loop that sits just shy of 2 miles on AllTrails, i guess that’s if you don’t include the curious hikers’ wondering steps. My final count was closer to 2.5 miles. The park was transformed by mid‑shin snow drifts and a deceptive layer of melting ice and snow mixed into the layers underfoot. Trail physics and keeping my feet on the ground mattered here more than fast mileage.

    The Lake

    The lake reflected the stark winter quiet in the few places that reached fully thawed. The lake remained mostly frozen, with random thawed spots where the sun’s rays hit during the recent three-day warm spell.

    Ice does not just cover the water; it turns the landscape into a mirror, reflecting the quiet resilience of a forest waiting for the thaw.

    Salt fork lake mostly frozen surrounded by the bare winter branches and evergreens with sky’s of blue
    Salt Fork Kennedy Stone House view of the lake mostly frozen still.

    The slide at Salt Fork Kennedy Stone House

    Luna moved through the drifts with a canine confidence I couldn’t match even if you paid me. While I navigated the uneven terrain by digging my heel into the snow I placed each step carefully to avoid a full fall. I nearly slipped many times before the final hill pulled me down the majority of its length like a park slide. Which I followed up with a burst of uncontrollable laughter and cold adrenaline. A reminder that winter hiking is as much about surrender as it is about movement.

    The Vertical Timeline

    To walk this ridgeline is to traverse a vertical timeline of human history layered over land made by deep water, salt, and stone.

    Long before the 3,000‑acre lake was dammed in the 1960s, this land was a map of survival. The park’s name comes from the natural mineral springs and salt licks along Salt Fork Creek that brought deer, bison, and people long before written history.

    History is never truly buried; it is simply pressed into the soil, waiting for someone to walk the path and acknowledge the footsteps that came before.

    Native Americans

    Indigenous groups including Paleoindians, followed by Woodland and Mississippian cultures, left their signatures in stone tools, pottery fragments, and trail networks that would echo in the paths we walk today. Shawnee and Delaware people later moved through these hardwood ridges, using salt springs and creek corridors as seasonal food zones and travel routes.

    European Settlers

    Khaki pants green,orange, and yellow crocs surrounded by white mostly untouched snow
    Have you ever considered who shared this ground where we stand throughout history?

    By 1830s, the landscape shifted again with European settlement. Benjamin Kennedy purchased land here and chiseled local sandstone into what is now the Salt Fork Kennedy Stone House. Which was constructed from huge native blocks and positioned to be overlooking the lake and hills. The house stayed in the Kennedy family until 1966. Now Stone House sits on the National Register of Historic Places, preserved as a witness to a century of transformation in this valley, and is still used as a museum.

    Currently

    Standing before it in the snow, the house feels less like a museum and more like a witness to the layers of displacement, ambition, and “progress” that define Ohio’s geography. Time and time again we are reminded of the people and cultures that were destroyed by the European settlers, as we explore Ohio. Please make sure to pay respects to the original people of the land we stand on in this country.

    Salt Fork Kennedy Stone House: Trails & Terrain

    Salt Fork’s beauty is jagged and layered. While the Salt Fork Kennedy Stone House Loop provides the historical heartbeat, the surrounding acreage offers a deeper, more rugged silence. The park’s trails range from short nature loops to moderate terrain that follows forest ridges, caves, creek valleys, and some higher points overlooking the lake.

    A view of salt fork lake from witching the trees and snow
    A view from the snow, below.

    Other Trails in Salt Fork and Nearby Areas

    • Hosak’s Cave: This isn’t just a “cave” in the casual sense, it’s a sandstone formation sculpted by eons of wind and water, with crevices that hold ice inflows in the cold months. It’s tucked along a short trail that allow you to walk through ancient stone veins.
    • Morgan’s Knob: A quiet hike into higher forest where the wind feels a bit different. In other seasons the summit offers panoramic views of the reservoir and ridges. In winter it becomes a silent cathedral of bare branches, frozen lakeshores, and distant mostly barren ridgelines.
    • Salt Fork Ridge and Bridle Trails: A large group trails that makes up one interconnected single track. Winding through open meadows, steep climbs, and dense woods. A network of trails that mirrors the iconic Ohio terrain beyond this park.

    These trails are living corridors of history and just a few of those contained in Salt Fork. The soils that once held footprints of Indigenous peoples, settlers, and now hikers like us.

    Local Additional Day Trip Spots

    Moss covers a rock surrounded by snow
    I love the contrast winter brings like that of moss and snow.
    • Seneca Lake Park: 12–15 miles south.
      A smaller public park centered around Seneca Lake with wooded paths and shoreline walking. Trails here are shorter and gentler than Salt Fork’s ridges but still offer varied terrain and lake views in all seasons. It’s one of the most accessible local parks for a small companion hike or a secondary stop after Salt Fork.  
    • Wolfe Run State Park: 20-25 miles north. A classic Ohio state park with rugged woodlands. It features a section of the Buckeye Trail plus additional loop paths that dip into forest and around Wolf Run Lake. It’s a solid same-day alternative when you want elevation, trail diversity, and a quiet feel a bit closer to Salt Fork’s type of terrain.  
    • Dillon State Park- 45 miles west.
      A larger state park built around Dillon Reservoir with forested ridge trails, longer trail loops, and scenic overlooks. It has several established hiking options ranging from short nature routes to longer connector trails. Trails hug hardwood hills and bluff edges. This makes it great for a more demanding additional location to make full-day hiking trip either before or after a Salt Fork trail if you are looking for more.  
    Snow surrounds the Kennedy stone house and green historical sign at salt fork
    The Kennedy Stone House Historical Sign.

    The Industrial Shadow at Salt Fork Kennedy Stone House:

    The peace of Salt Fork is currently caught in a vice. Hiking here you are moving through the Utica Shale region. This is a landscape increasingly defined by extraction as much as it is recreation.

    In January 2025, the Groh well pad near Antrim, less than five miles from the park entrance, exploded and burned for more than half a day before fire crews could bring it under control. State crews closed State Route 22, evacuated nearby homes, and let the fire burn to avoid danger to responders. Thankfully no one was killed, but the explosion became a stark visual manifesto of the risks posed by fracking operations near public lands.

    According to environmental groups, this well pad was part of a site with requirements under an EPA consent decree that included pressure monitoring and corrective action plans. These may not have been timely implemented. Multiple other regional spills and past violations show the ongoing vulnerability of water and soil where oil and gas activity is permitted near wildlife areas.

    When we choose to step into the woods, we become witnesses to the tension between the fragility of the wild and the heavy reach of industry.

    This doesn’t even start to mention the disruptions to wildlife’s natural environment and their health.

    Save Ohio Parks and allied advocates argue against fracking under or adjacent to state parks. This is sending millions of gallons of water mixed with sand and chemicals into deep shale to crack rock and force hydrocarbons to the surface. Fracking is incompatible with protecting the natural and historical legacy of places like Salt Fork.

    Every quiet mile hiked here now feels like an act of quiet protest as much as it does a blessing we may not always get to experience.

    Luna in a blue shirt and Axton in tan khaki pants and a grey jacket outside the Kennedy stone house at saltfork surrounded by snow and green bushes
    Axton and Luna at The Kennedy Stone House.

    The Vibes of the Hike

    This wasn’t just a walk; it was a tactile engagement with history and the elements. Between Luna’s frantic leaps through snow and my own snow‑covered slide, the hike became a story of excitement, effort, and presence. Where snow that still clung mixes with thaw, every footfall feels like a negotiation with earth and water.

    Salt Fork Kennedy Stone House is a living document. From the Indigenous hunters of the mineral licks, the Kennedy family’s masonry, to now the modern threat and aftermath of the Groh well pad explosion. The land carries its scars and its beauty simultaneously. Salt fork left me woke to the precariousness of the wild spaces we have left.

    Moss covers Rocks that are covered with and surrounded by snow. Bare trees and evergreens surround it all.
    What can I say I like rocks.

    Check out my Hosaks Cave trip.

    Shop all digital collections, readings, and freebies Gumroad and Payhip.

  • Aullwood Audubon Troll Trail Winter Trek

    Aullwood Audubon Troll Trail Winter Trek

    Best for:

    Art Lovers, trips with friends, day trips with the kids, solo reflections, trail lovers.

    The troll that hatched an egg sign in Aullwood Audubon
    The troll that hatched an egg.

    Aullwood Audubon

    Winter mornings have a different rhythm. The quiet roads, pale skies, and the soft anticipation of snow-covered trails. So on February 5th we left the house around 8:30 a.m., heading toward Dayton, Ohio.

    Luna and I arrived mid-morning with one goal in mind: the troll trail at Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm. With Luna geared up in boots that refused to stay put. Wr set out to see what the snow-heavy woods would allow us to reach.

    The house on the hill surrounded by snow and bare trees
    The Aull House, built in 1909 on a grassy knoll, became a historic site and was gifted to Five Rivers MetroParks in 1977.

    The Trail Experience

    The troll installations at Aullwood were created by internationally recognized Danish recycle artist Thomas Dambo. These large-scale sculptures built from reclaimed materials are designed to draw people deeper into nature while telling environmental stories.

    The Dayton installation, “The Troll That Hatched an Egg,” features three trolls placed along forest and farm trails, encouraging visitors to hike between locations rather than view them from a single spot. 

    Snow was still thick across the trails that morning, slowing our pace and turning a simple hike into a small endurance test. We completed roughly 1.5 miles, reaching the first two trolls.

    Trolls

    Bo

    Sign for Bo surrounded by snow
    Bo’s sign

    Bo (Troll #85), sitting quietly among the stream.

    Snow covered Bo the troll by Thomas Dambo
    Bo sitting in her frozen stream.

    Bibbi

    bibbi’s sign at Aullwood Audubon
    LOOK OUT FOR BIBBI!

    Bibbi (Troll #83) trying to fly away, equally impressive.

    Luna in boots and a tie die coat with Axton in his yellow jacket in front of Bibbi the troll
    It’s giving: Where the Wild Things Are

    I love how the artist blends reclaimed materials with woodland surroundings

    The sculptures both form a surreal contrast against the white winter landscape. Wooden textures rising out of frozen grounds and leafless branches. Trails at Aullwood can be primitive in sections, often dirt or gravel with exposed roots and uneven terrain, which becomes significantly more challenging under snow and ice. 

    The boots

    Luna’s boots repeatedly disappeared into deep snow, forcing several stops to refit them after finding them. The sheer amount of snowfall we have had recently really just doesn’t mesh with her booties. Eventually, between the conditions and the repeated gear adjustments, we decided to save the third troll for a return trip later in the month.

    A nicely marked trail sign surrounded by snow
    Trail sign pointing towards Bo and Bibbi

    About the Location

    Located just outside Dayton, Aullwood Audubon operates as a nature sanctuary, sustainable farm, and environmental education center with miles of trails passing through woods, meadows, streams, and prairie habitat. This troll exhibition is one of 155 of Dambo installations across 5 continents. This makes the trail both an art destination and a conservation-focused outdoor experience. 

    Bibbi from the side surrounded by trees and snow
    Bibbi 🩷

    Vibes

    Even shortened by winter conditions, this hike delivered exactly what winter trails promise, quiet woods and the reminder that unfinished hikes are simply invitations to return. We headed out after completing the first section of the trail, planning to revisit the remaining troll next week.

    After leaving we stooped to see a Great Depression era rock garden!

    Have you seen any of the Thomas Dambo trolls? Tell me which you’ve heard or seen in the comments.

    Don’t forget to share with someone you want to see the Dayton installation with.

    Internal links

    Dublin art Hartman rock garden

    Trip 2 Thomas Dambo trolls

    External links

    poeaxtry’s links

  • A Reflective Hiking Journal by Axton N.O. Mitchell

    A Reflective Hiking Journal by Axton N.O. Mitchell

    Best for:

    Beginners interested in emotional nature journaling, hiking enthusiasts looking to emotionally reflect, independent press fans, and those who need a place to sit with their feelings.

    Published by Poeaxtry’s Prism

    Waterfall Confessions

    Some trails lead you forward.

    Some lead you inward.

    Waterfall Confessions is a guided reflective hiking journal designed for those who process life best with dirt on their boots and wind in their lungs. Built around immersive prompts rooted in real trail moments, this collection invites you to confront anxiety, memory, identity, forgiveness, and release while standing in front of something ancient and unmoved.

    Cartoon human sits on rock by waterfall
    Waterfall Confessions By Axton N.O. Mitchell

    This is not a “how was your hike?” notebook.

    This is a mirror made of water.

    Why I Made This Collection:

    • I hike because movement clarifies what sitting cannot. There are things I have only been able to admit to myself while standing in front of a waterfall.
    • The noise gives permission.The constant motion makes stagnation impossible. The scale reminds me that my spirals are small in the grand scheme, even when they feel overwhelming.
    • Too many journals feel disconnected from lived experience. Too many prompts float in abstraction without grounding.
    • I created this collection because reflection hits differently when your heart rate is elevated and your breath is syncing with something wild.
    • Mental health conversations belong outside fluorescent lighting. Some of us untangle trauma better in motion.

    This journal exists at the intersection of hiking, emotional processing, and radical self honesty.

    What Makes This Different:

    Trail grounded prompts inspired by real outdoor moments.

    Questions that move beyond surface gratitude into trauma, identity, fear, surrender, and growth.

    Space to document locations visited or reflected on.

    Designed for hikers, wanderers, overthinkers, and anyone healing in motion.

    Created by an indie poet committed to minority voices, accessibility, and community driven publishing.

    This is not fluff journaling.

    This is confrontation, softened by nature.

    Green background black writing title page for Waterfall confessions by Axton N.O. Mitchell with small waterfall doodle at bottom
    Title page of digital collection

    How to Use This Journal:

    • On the trail: Bring it printed or digitally accessible on your device. Pause at waterfalls, creek crossings, or other water features. Answer what hits. Skip what doesn’t. Come back later.
    • After the hike: Reflect on what surfaced physically versus emotionally. What shifted between movement and stillness?
    • At home: Use it as a meditative return to places that grounded you. The prompts work even if you are reflecting on memory instead of current terrain.
    • For repeat visits: Return to the same waterfall months later. See what changed. See what didn’t.

    There is no “right” way to move through it. It only asks for honesty.

    Green background watercolor texture with black font 2 prompts with black lines to add response
    Inside the Prompt Journal.

    Who This Is For:

    Hikers who journal

    Journalers who need a reason to go outside

    People processing anxiety, depression, trauma, or transition

    Minority creatives who do not see themselves centered in traditional wellness spaces

    Indie souls who prefer grassroots tools over mass market therapy aesthetics

    If you have ever stood somewhere wild and thought, I can admit it here, this is yours.

    Where to Buy:

    Waterfall Confessions: A Reflective Hiking Journal is available as a digital collection through:

    Payhip Gumroad Etsy

    Purchasing directly supports independent publishing, minority centered creative work, and future community driven projects through Poeaxtry and the Prism.

    Other ways to read:

    Barter, review exchanges, and accessibility conversations are always welcome. Paywalls were built to be questioned. Email poeaxtry@gmail.com and ask for more information.

    An Emotional Adventure Journal:

    Water erodes stone through persistence, not force.

    Healing often works the same way.

    Waterfall Confessions is an invitation to let something steady move through you.

    To name what you are carrying.

    To release even a fragment.

    To document the version of yourself that showed up that day.

    Not the polished one.

    The real one.

    Take it to the trail.

    Let it echo.

    Write anyway.

    Internal links:

    Care for You. Because Who Else Will?

    The text that almost scared me away.

    Staying human. Kelso 2. I like to read;

    Prince. Ramblings. Endings.

    External Links:

    Poeaxtry’s Links. Portfolio.

    Amazon Author.

    Goodreads.

  • Night Walk Through Moonville Tunnel , Snow, Steel, and the Lavender Lady

    Night Walk Through Moonville Tunnel , Snow, Steel, and the Lavender Lady

    Best For:

    History buffs, ghost story lovers, low grade trail walkers, night hikes with friends, individuals interested in Appalachian folklore.

    On February 4th, from about 8 pm to 10 pm, we finally did it.

    A late evening walk out to Moonville Tunnel in McArthur. Our headlamps and flashlights cutting through the cold air, snow still thick enough to slow our steps. What was supposed to be just Kylie, my new headlamps, me, and Luna turned into a small night crew. Kylie was still a little freaked out about going at night, so her sister Adi and her partner Houston came along. Kelsey, my partner decided they would come too.

    Snow snow snow
    Can you see the tunnel in the darkness?

    The Walk In

    There is a bridge right off of the trailhead. The fence on the bridge is threaded with hair ties and locks sticking in the metal. Little offerings, remnants, signs that people come here holding onto something.

    Our light cut through the Ohio cold while mingling with the shared, quiet thrill of reclaiming a place left behind by time.

    Hair ties on the fence on the bridge
    The hair ties on the bridge

    Moonville Tunnel

    The tunnel is not far past that bridge.

    Though, we did about 1.5 miles total. The mostly flat terrain was covered in snow. I would call this a highly accessible trail in better conditions depending upon what the material the ground is composed of under the snow. The snow slowed us down, almost mid-calf in some spots. We were thankful the grade itself stays gentle.

    At night, the tunnel does not announce itself. It absorbs light. Our headlamps and flashlights carved the dark into sections of stone, ice, breath, and silhouettes of my friends. I got some shots of the tunnel mouth, and others where my homies looked like figures in a story.

    I have been trying to do this walk for a while. Doing it at night made it better.

    Moonville tunnel at night in the glow of snow.
    The haunted moonville tunnel

    A Railroad That Refused to Die Quietly

    The Moonville Tunnel stands as the most prominent vestige of a once-bustling mining community. Thriving in the mid-to-late 1800s, Moonville was a vital coal and iron hub along the Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad. While the town faded into the forest by the mid-1900s following the decline of the mines, stone tunnel which was completed in 1856 remains a haunting monument to Appalachian industry and the ghosts of its labor.


    Standing as a monument to the labor that built Appalachia. The tracks might be gone, but the stone remains, holding the weight of communities left begind.

    The area now connects to the Moonville Rail Trail, a corridor through the Zaleski State Forest and surrounding public lands. Tracks that once groaned under the weight of coal and passengers now carry hikers, ghost hunters, and those of us simply wanting to see what the dark does to a place left behind.

    One of my favorite pieces of graffiti inside Moonville tunnel.
    Graffiti

    The Haunted Stories, Lavender Lady and Lantern Light

    Moonville Tunnel is considered one of the most haunted locations in Ohio folklore.

    Of all the restless spirits said to walk the Zaleski woods, the Lavender Lady is the most gentle. Legend says she was struck by a train near the tunnel’s mouth, some say while gathering wildflowers, others say while simply walking home. She is rarely seen, but often sensed; a sudden, misplaced drift of lavender perfume cutting through the damp, mossy scent of the stone tunnel.

    The Brakeman is the most famously seen or sensed apparition of them all. His story is etched into the local records of 1859, a man named Theodore Dixon. He was caught in the path of the very iron beast he served. Now, visitors speak of a rhythmic, swinging lantern cutting through the pitch-black bore of the tunnel. They hear the heavy crunch of boots on gravel where no one stands, and voices that bleed through the stone, echoing a warning that arrived a century too late

    Shadows here have a way of detaching themselves from the walls, and the air can turn bone-cold even in the humid swell of an Ohio summer. Whether it is the weight of collective grief, the power of suggestion, or something older that refuses to vacate the line, the stories cling to the stone like the moss that feeds on the damp. Decades of paranormal investigations have only deepened the silence that follows when the laughter of unseen voices fades.

    Houston got a piggie back ride from adi
    Houston and Adi

    Devils Head Table, A Daytime Return

    I have heard I will need to go back during daylight to see Devil’s Tea Table, a nearby rock formation. Night swallowed everything beyond our immediate beam range. The snow kept us focused on footing.

    So yes, I will be back. In daylight. Different lens, different mood.

    All of us from the trip in front of the tunnel in the dark
    The Homies

    What the Night Actually Felt Like

    It was not terror.

    It was tension, yes. Curiosity. A little adrenaline. A little laughter. Snow crunching.

    It felt like reclaiming space. An abandoned industrial scar turned into a nature trail. A haunted legend turned into a group walk with queer love, chosen family, and muddy boots.

    axton in grey hoodie and vest and Kelsey in black jacket
    My stink

    Accessibility

    Accessibility-wise, outside heavy snow, the grade is gentle and mostly straight. Minimal elevation change. Wide enough for side by side walking in most sections. If clear, this could be a solid accessible trail option for many people.

    Accessibility isn’t one-size-fits-all. In daylight, during warm seasons this trail is a gentle path.

    At night, it becomes a fight with shadows, shifting sensory makes your depth perception vanishes. All but your hands nearly invisible. Winter adds slippery ground and uneven footfalls.

    At night though, accessibility shifts. Vision narrows. Shadows distort depth. It becomes a different terrain entirely.

    Graffiti from inside Moonville Tunnel
    More cool tunnel art

    Moonville Tunnel is not just a haunted hotspot in Ohio folklore. It is a relic of Appalachian labor, industrial rise and fall, and the way stories survive longer than towns do.

    Walking it at night with people I trust made it less about ghosts and more about presence. Snow slowed us. The dark sharpened us. The tunnel held all of it.

    I will go back in daylight for Devil’s Tea Table. But I am glad my first full walk out there was under headlamp beams and winter air, because some places deserve to be met in the dark first.

    Poem written reflecting on moonville

  • The Rust Belts Beauty: Pride & Grit a Poem

    The Rust Belts Beauty: Pride & Grit a Poem

    Best For:

    Appalachian studies, residents of the Rust Belt, poetry enthusiasts, readers exploring regional identity, individuals interested in personal resilience, and mental health journeys.

    Heritage, Endurance, And Beauty in a Poem

    This original poem explores the intersection of Appalachian identity, the rugged history of the Rust Belt, and the personal resilience required to thrive in a landscape defined by industry and grit.

    Appalachia is not merely a place we come from; it is woven into the very structure of our bones and memories.”

    Through themes of heritage and endurance, this piece highlights the beauty often overlooked in the industrial corridors of the Midwest.

    Pride & Grit

    By Axton N.O. Mitchell

    Year after year, I laced my trainers, preparing
    to outrun the river valley’s rusted villages.

    Never noticing the erosion, the tributaries and creeks
    carved through my chemistry along my way.

    Steel-dusted lungs,
    rust-caked memories.
    Running through these
    rolling-hills.

    Appalachia doesn’t raise us,
    it’s welded to our
    skeletal systems.

    Grit isn’t bought,
    but earned through
    life experience.
    You carry this with pride
    Like a tiger’s does his stripes.

    Our personal gift from the
    Ohio River herself,
    should we see her beauty
    more clearly.

    True grit is never purchased at a store; it is carved out of the hard terrain of lived experience.”

    Appalachian Poetry

    The history of the Rust Belt is etched into our daily lives, but it is the quiet strength of our people that defines our true landscape. As we continue to navigate these changing valleys, let us hold onto the grit that shaped us. Thank you for walking through this reflection on heritage and resilience with me.

    Another day. Ogelbay.

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