With a mischievous smile, an impish wit, and curiosity about all things mystical, and especially supernatural, Mistress Mudpuppy once reigned supreme in the deep woods of Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland’s own Divine Miss M of the wood, as they called them, (preferring they/them pronouns in later years). Their name, Mudpuppy, was given to them by the infamous Harry Hay during their first “virgin” mud ritual at a Spiritual Conference for Radical Fairies in the late 1970s. Who is Harry Hay you ask? He started the first U.S. gay rights organization, the Mattachine Society, in 1950.
Miss M. was born Rowan Ó Ruairc, converted to O'Rourke when the family relocated from Ireland to Cleveland, when they were age 6. They were a rare and wonderful child with a penchant for pink and a gift of gab. They were a loner in school, most would describe them as an Emo or Goth, but neither fit, Rowan just happened to like black clothing with shocks of pink, and especially guy-liner. Emo and Goth follow a style of music originally a subgenre of punk rock and post-hardcore with emotionally charged lyrics, but with Rowan, it was ABBA all the way!
When Rowan was asked to “go on an adventure” one fateful day to that Spiritual Conference at the Sri Ram Ashram near Benson, Arizona, that is when they found their true self. They were destined to be Fae and that they embodied for the rest of their days as a valued member of the now lost Radical Faerie Sanctuary in the Cleveland wood. Miss M entertained and cared for many a lost soul during their life. Touching “the chosen” spiritually and treating them as though they were kin. They had a magical gift of healing those in great pain. The Divine Miss M will never be forgotten by the souls they touched. Stay Magical!