Welcome to H A G
Welcome to H A G
where female senescence intersects with Irish landscape, mythical and natural
Céad míle fáilte, a hundred thousand welcomes to H A G! I’m Ali Isaac, author, mother, historian and guide. My book, Imperfect Bodies, will be published by Héloïse Press in the spring of 2026.
Hi! I founded H A G back in November 2022 when I was going through the trauma of perimenopause. I had no older women around me whose wisdom I could draw upon. The only information available to me was medical, and limited to symptoms such as hot flushes and loss of libido. What I was experiencing was so debilitating and overwhelming that I thought I was losing my mind. My doctor offered me antidepressants, but I knew that wasn’t the solution to my problems.
I had been writing about Irish mythology for over a decade on aliisaacstoryteller, but I felt I was now being drawn in a different direction. I wondered how the women of the past experienced their hag years, what herbal lore they used, what activities occupied them once their child-rearing years were done. I understood that mythlore did not merely entertain, but was also a tool for education at a time when most people were illiterate. I remembered the Cailleach, the mysterious old woman credited with creating the landscape, and in knowing her, I began also to know myself. As my hands explored ancient crafts, such as spinning wool, weaving baskets, making cordage, my relationship with the land deepened. I befriended my local wild plant neighbours, and was amazed at their generosity that could heal and nourish humans.
And so H A G was spun into being.
Since you’re here, I’m guessing you’re walking a similar path. Let’s support each other.
H A G contains three sections: Mythscape, The Cailleach Project, and the Hedgerow Hag. Please click each link to explore, or click the ‘back’ arrow in the top left corner to go back to the ‘Home’ page.
My very first post (I can’t tell you how nervous I was clicking ‘publish’ on this one):
