Magickal Events Near London & Online Over Yuletide

The winter solstice is on Sunday 21st December. Here's a list of pagan, witchy and magical events to celebrate the rebirth of the sun and the festive season until early January. I've listed a mixture of online and in-person things to do over Yuletide. Many are in or near London, but some are further away including at Stonehenge. 

Now to 11 January 2026; Mumbai + London. Free exhibition of new perspectives on the ancient world with a cultural comparison between the British Museum sculptures of the Indian god Vishnu, the ancient Egyptian goddess Sekhmet and the Roman god Bacchus (or Greek Dionysos). Venue: British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. https://www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/mumbai-london-new-perspectives-ancient-world

Now on; Dark Secrets: The Esoteric Exhibition. Venue: The Vaults, Leake Street, SE1 7NN. Open Wednesdays to Sundays. Tickets from £21. https://darksecretsexhibition.com/london/

Now to 20 April  2026; Welcome To Fairy Land - Luciana Nedelea Art Exhibition. Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. Time: Museum opening hours, free entry https://thelasttuesdaysociety.org/museum/events-exhibitions/

Now – 19 April 2026; Expecting: Birth, Belief and Protection Exhibition. Venue: Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE. Free https://wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions/thirst-in-search-of-freshwater

Now - 31 January 2026. The Medium is the Message. An exhibition at The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Open Tuesday - Sunday daytime. Free entry. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk

Now to 10 January 2026; Jane and Louise Wilson: Performance of Entrapment. Exhibition investigating parallels between the Roman Temple of Mithras in London and Ise Jingu shrine in Japan. Venue: Bloomberg Space, 12 Walbrook, London, EC4N 8AA. Free. https://www.londonmithraeum.com/

Now to 16 May 2026; Broken, Burnt, Buried. Exhibition of Egyptians objects deliberately broken as part of ritual and religious practices. Venue: Petrie Museum of Egyptian and Sudanese Archaeology, Malet Place, London WC1E 6BT. Free. https://www.ucl.ac.uk/museums-collections/

Now – 26 February 2026;  Exhibition: Elective Affinities. Venue: Swedenborg House, 20 Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2TH , Time: 10am-5pm Monday - Friday. Free, but book a ticket. https://www.swedenborg.org.uk/events/elective-affinities/

Now – 1 February 2026; Thirst: In Search of Freshwater. Exhibition about humanity’s vital connection with freshwater, including pagan, spiritual and mystical aspects. Venue: Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE. Free https://wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions/thirst-in-search-of-freshwater

Most lunchtimes and some other times: Meditation - in-person or online. In-person venue: Inner Space, 36 Shorts Gardens, Covent Garden, London · WC2H 9AB. Time: 1pm (for lunchtime meditation). Free. https://www.meetup.com/inner-space-covent-garden/events/

Various dates; London Witches and Chilling History Bankside Walking Tour. Meet at Southwark View Point, Minerva Square, London, SE1 9DF. Times various. Tickets from £16.31. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/enthral-experiences-58960674733

Now - 19 December; Visual History of European Alchemy Short Course in 5 classes wrth Sergei Zotov. Online via Zoom through the Warburg Institute. Tickets £130 (concessions available). Time: 2pm. https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/news-events/events/visual-history-of-european-alchemy-2025

Wednesday 17 December; A Tudor Christmas. Hybrid talk via Gresham College. In-person venue Gresham College, Barnard's Inn Hall, Holborn, London EC1N 2HH. Time: 6pm. Free to register for online viewing. https://www.gresham.ac.uk/

Wednesday 17 December; Astrological Sound Bath with Nicole Bettencourt Coelho. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Cost: £30 per person.  https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

Wednesday 17 December (tbc but usually 3rd Wednesday each month); The More Mead Moot. Venue: The Hope pub, Carshalton, Surrey. Time: 7pm. Free. https://www.facebook.com/Pagan-FutureFests-352385661439366/

Wednesday 17 December (every Wednesday); Sound Bath. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £15.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Wednesday 17 December (and other dates); Gong Bath. Venue:  Akasa, 5a Prince Edward Rd, Hackney Wick,  London E9 5LX. Time: 7pm. Tickets:  from £25.63. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/sunita-kaur-34415293427

Wednesday 17 December; Winter and Creative Writing Workshop with Bernadette Russell  via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm start, delayed viewing available. Tickets: £15. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Wednesday 17 December; The Hooden Horse of Kent. Talk via the Folklore Society online. Time: 7pm. Tickets £6. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-folklore-society-32190494089

Thursday 18 December (most Thursdays); 30 Minute Guided Meditation. Online via Rest Less Events. Time: 9am. Tickets £3.99 per class. https://events.restless.co.uk/event-calendar/

Thursday 18 December (most Thursdays); Shamanic Dance with Luisa Passalacqua. Venue near Wandsworth Town Station, London. Time: 11am. Tickets donations (or free) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/luisa-passalacqua-16972493584?

Thursday 18 December; Poetry Evening. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London, NW1 6XT. Time: 7pm. Tickets free https://www.meetup.com/rudolf-steiner-spiritual-science/events/

Thursday, 18 December; Yuletide Seance. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Road, Eltham SE9. Doors open: 6.30pm. Tickets £25. https://www.wiccamooninherservice.co.uk/ or https://www.facebook.com/wiccamoonuk/

Thursday 18 December; Witch Choir with Nicole Bettencourt Coelho. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS.Time: 7pm. Tickets: £15. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Thursday 18 December; PF London Yule Open Ritual via Pagan Federation London. Venue: Pirate Castle, Gilbey's Wharf Oval Road NW1 7EA London, UK Time: 7.15pm. Entry £8 for PF members, £10 for non-members (cash only). https://www.facebook.com/PaganFederationLondon

Thursday, 18 December; The Life and Stories of H.C. Andersen. Talk by Lena H Brennand and Cat Irving on Zoom via The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society. Time: 8pm. Tickets ·from  £3.49. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Friday 19 December; Waffling Witches Yuletide special.  Live Chat hosted by Rachel Patterson, author of Gods and Goddesses of England and the Kitchen Witch series of books. Time: 9am. Free. https://www.facebook.com/RachelPattersonbooks/

Friday 19 December (1st and 3rd Friday each month); Pagan Portal Podcast by Moon Books. Time: noon (or listen to recording later). Free event. https://open.spotify.com/show/11N4kNj65tTz9NFUcZTMa7?

Friday 19 December and other dates; Tea with a Medium. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 1LY. Time: 2.30pm  Cost £60 https://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Friday 19 December;  Winter Solstice Tea Ceremony and Sister Circle. Venue: London,  SW11 6RP. Time: 6pm.  Tickets from £8. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/73770623733?

Friday 19 December; New Moon Sound Bath and  Meditation with Spiritual Tiik. Online event. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets Free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/spiritual-tiik-29294295627

Friday 19 December (and other dates); New Moon, Full Moon or Divine Union Cacao Ceremony, Heart Ritual and Gong Bath. Venue: Private Location near Wandsworth Town/Clapham Junction, London. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets:  From £32.93 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-moon-full-moon-or-divine-union-cacao-ceremonyheart-ritual-gong-bath-tickets-169545022727

Friday 19 December; Winter Solstice Ceremony and Shamanic Journey by Priest of Indigo Earth Joseph Atiase. Venue: Hackney Marshes, East London. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets by donation. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/priest-of-indigo-earth-joseph-atiase-35528479563

Friday 19 December (last session this year); Way of the Witch monthly online circle with Samantha K. and Jacqui C. Time: 8pm. Tickets: £10. https://www.meetup.com/sammi-k-shamanic-practitioner-psychic-medium/events/

​Saturday 20 December; Celtic Goddesses - An experiential day exploring Celtic goddesses led by Caroline Wise and Carrie Kirkpatrick. Venue: ​Highgate, North London. Time: 11am - 6.30 pm. Price: £80. https://www.goddessenchantment.com/

​Saturday 20 December; Winder Solstice at Coldrum Stones with Kent Gorsed. Venue: Coldrum Long Barrow, West Maling, Kent. Time: noon. Free. https://www.facebook.com/kentgorsedd/

Saturday 20 December; Sacred Sweat Lodge for Winder Solstice. Venue: Shamanic Centre Caer Corhrain Kent. Run by Lynn Gosney. Time: 12.30pm. Tickets £tbc, email lynn.gosney@hotmail.com for info and to book. https://www.facebook.com/shamaniccentrecaercorhrain/

Saturday 20 December; Winter Solstice Magic Workshop with Joanna Gilar. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 1pm. Tickets: £25. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Saturday 20 December; Yule/ Winter Solstice Free and open Gorsed of Caer Abiri ritual at Avebury stone circle in Wiltshire. Meet at the Red Lion pub from noon for druidic ceremony at 1.30pm. Offering of bread, mead, or Bardic performance always welcomed. Free event, just turn up. https://www.facebook.com/groups/49080749624/

​Saturday 20 December; Woodland Winter Solstice 2025 Ritual Gathering with London Woodland Witches and Pagans. Meet at the entrance to Queen's Woods, Queen's wood Road, London N6 5UU, to be led into woods to the ritual spot. Bring a torch and wear suitable clothing and footwear. Time: 3pm. Tickets: £8. https://www.meetup.com/londonwoodlandwitches/

​Saturday 20 December; Queen of the Witches: A Yule Ritual by Miss Jayne. Venue in London  W10 6B. Time: 3pm to 6:30pm . Tickets from  £16.96. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/queen-of-the-witches-a-yule-ritual-tickets-1968249587500?

Saturday 20 December (every full and new moon); Moon Space online event via She's Lost Control. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £15.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Sunday 21 December; Winter Solstice at Stonehenge. English Heritage allows managed free open access to the stones for the sunset and sunrise, although the car parking is charged. Access to stones from: 5.15am-10am. Details: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/things-to-do/solstice/  The event is usually also livestreamed on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/EnglishHeritage

Sunday 21 December;  Winter Solstice Listening Walk. A listening walk along the Thames, from dawn in Rotherhithe, to dusk in Brentford, to mark the winter solstice. Time: 7.30am to 5pm. Tickets by donation. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/ethan-cohen-60098896903

Sunday 21 December;  The Merry Macabre Xmas Market at The Last Tuesday Society. Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. Time: 10am-2pm. Tickets free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-last-tuesday-society-viktor-wynd-museum-33776720489

Sunday 21 December (and other dates and times); Soul Restore Sound Healing. Venue: The Mandrake, 20-21 Newman Street, London W1T 1PG. Time: 11am. Tickets: £30. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-mandrake-17825575648

Sunday 21 December; Mythic London – Walking Tour with Caroline Wise organised by Treadwells. Meet outside St Mary Le Strand Church, Strand, London WC2R. Time: 11.50am. Tickets: £35. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Sunday 21 December (on the closest Sunday to the festival); Druidic Ritual to celebrate Winter Solstice on Primrose Hill with the Loose Association of Druids. Gather in the Hawthorne Grove at Primrose Hill, London, NW1 8YH, at 12.30pm to prepare the site for the ritual at 1pm. Nearest tube: Chalk Farm. Bring a small contribution of food and drink to share. https://www.facebook.com/LooseAssociationOfDruidsOfPrimroseHill

Sunday 21 December (tbc but usually on the closest Sunday to the festival); Anderida Gorsedd Winter Solstice open ritual. Venue: Long Man of Wilmington, Wilmington, near Eastbourne, East Sussex. Meet near the car park between 1.30pm and 2pm, walk up to the chalk hill figure at 2pm. Afterwards, the Giants Rest pub. https://www.facebook.com/groups/227609495203/

Sunday 21 December (usually on the closest Sunday to the festival); Yule at Woodspirits. Free in-person event for members of Woodspirits group.   Venue: Queens Wood, North London. Time: Noon: optional meeting at Queens Wood Cafe, 2pm woodland ritual. https://www.facebook.com/groups/4032235040150960

Sunday 21 December; Dawn of the Oak Pagan moot. Venue: The Sir John Oldcastle, Farringdon Road/Greville Street, London EC1M 3JF. Time: 3pm. https://www.facebook.com/groups/dawnoftheoak/

Sunday 21 December; The Snow Queen Storytelling with London Dreamtime. Venue: The Asylum chapel, Caroline Gardens, London SE15. Time: 3pm. Tickets from £5.   https://londondreamtime.com/calendar/

Sunday 21 December; Wicca Women's Circle with Crystal Wicca. Venue in Westerham, TN16 . Time: 3pm. Tickets: £33. https://www.facebook.com/TheCrystalWicca

Sunday 21 December; "Rough Magic" fireside story telling for adults for the Winter Solstice with Bernadette Russell. Venue: Lesnes Abbey Lodge, East London, Time: 3pm to 5pm. Tickets: £11.55. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/rough-magic-fireside-story-telling-for-adults-for-the-winter-solstice-tickets-1917737758259?

Sunday 21 December; Return of the Light Winter Solstice Sound Bath and Candle Ceremony. Venue: The Mandrake, 20-21 Newman Street, London W1T 1PG. Time: 4pm. Tickets: £40-£45. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-mandrake-17825575648

Sunday 21 December; Ritual in the Tower (Luna Iter). In-person ritual in Hackney, East London for members of the group, guests and seekers on the path. Meet at the Pembury Tavern, 90 Amhurst Rd, London, from 4.30pm, moving on to a historic site to start the ritual at 6pm. Entry: £9.73. https://www.hildegardmaier.co.uk/luna-iter or https://www.facebook.com/groups/1230392930656154 

Sunday 21 December (every Sunday); Mindfulness Meditation. Venue: Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, 3 Pilgrim's Place, London NW3, 1NG. Time: 6pm. Free, but donations welcome. https://www.rosslynhillchapel.org.uk

Sunday 21 December (closest Sunday to the festival); Wheel of the Year: Winter Solstice/Yule Pagan Ceremony. Venue: Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, 3 Pilgrim's Place, London NW3, 1NG. Time: 7pm. Free, but donations welcome. https://www.rosslynhillchapel.org.uk

Sunday 21 December; Winter Solstice Shamanic Ceremony with Beáta Alföldi. Online via the College of Psychic Studies. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £25. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 21 December; OBOD Online Alban Arthan/ Winter Solstice Ceremony live on the OBOD Facebook page and OBOD YouTube Channel. Time: 7pm https://www.facebook.com/druidry

Sunday 21 December; “Bah! Humbug!” with Giles AbbottVenue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. Time: 7pm or 8pm. Tickets from £10. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-last-tuesday-society-viktor-wynd-museum-33776720489

Sunday 21 December (and other dates); Solstice Special London Witches Walking Tour with Maria Beadell's organised by Treadwell's Bookshop. Meet Meet outside Farringdon tube Station, Cowcross street, London EC1M 6BY, UK. Time: 7.50pm. Tickets: £25. https://www.treadwells-london.com/

Monday, 22 December  (tbc but usually every Monday); Tea With a Druid. Free online event by the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. Time 8pm. https://druidry.org/ or https://www.facebook.com/druidry

Tuesday 23 December; Winter Solstice/ Christmas All Faiths Crossbones vigil to honour the outcast dead of Crossbones Graveyard, Southwark. Location: Redcross Way, London, SE1 1TA. Time: 6.45pm for 7pm. Free, just turn up  You can also view the vigil online.   http://crossbones.org.uk  

Tuesday 23 December; An Unusual History of Fish. Talk by Amorina Kingdon on Zoom via The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society. Time: 8pm. Tickets ·from  £3.49. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Friday 26 December (tbc but usuallly 4th Friday of the month);  The Wild Wood Tarot study group. Free online event. Time: 7pm. https://www.meetup.com/astrotarotkitchen/events/

Saturday 27 December (tbc but usually every 4th Saturday of the month until February 28, 2026) Psychic Development - Beginners Mediumship. Venue: Yurt,  11, Strathearn Rd SW19 7LH,  London. Time: · 5pm. Tickets by donation. https://www.meetup.com/astrotarotkitchen/events/

Sunday 28 December; Women's Mindful Stroll and Forest Bathing in South Norwood Lake and Grounds. Meet at Sylvan Road, London SE25 4AN. Time: 1pm. Free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/parkbathe-34393467709

​Monday 29 December; Woodland Cacao - Angelic magic for new Beginnings with London Woodland Witches and Pagans. Meet at the entrance to Queen's Woods, Queen's wood Road, London N6 5UU, to be led into woods to the ritual spot. Bring a torch and wear suitable clothing and footwear. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £11. https://www.meetup.com/londonwoodlandwitches/

31 December; Cirque de Curiosities: New Years Eve at The Last Tuesday Society. Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. Time: 9pm. Tickets £26.94 include a glass of Devil's Botany Chocolate Absinthe Liqueur. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-last-tuesday-society-viktor-wynd-museum-33776720489

Thursday 1 January (and other dates); Holistic Sound Bath Meditation - Summoning The Sacred. Venue: Training Points Fitness and Therapy, 5-6 Cooper's Yard, London SE19 1TN. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets: £25. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/holistic-sound-bath-meditation-summoning-the-sacred-tickets-223970159777?#

Friday 2 January  (tbc but usually every Friday); Live Chat hosted by Rachel Patterson, author of Gods and Goddesses of England and the Kitchen Witch series of books. Time: 9am. Free. https://www.facebook.com/RachelPattersonbooks/

Friday 2 January; Full Moon Ritual by the Thames with London Woodland Witches and Pagans. Meet at Millennium Bridge, Thames Embankment, · London. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £5. https://www.meetup.com/londonwoodlandwitches/

Saturday 3 January; Connecting with Trees, a Call to Arms with South East London Pagans. Venue: One Tree Hill, Honor Oak, South London. Time: 1.30pm. Free. https://www.facebook.com/groups/7046502195365834

Saturday 3 January; Storytelling Around The Fire – Warm Tales for Winter with  Vanessa Woolf and London Dreamtime. Venue: Plot 9 Maze Hill, Greenwich. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets £5-£15.  https://londondreamtime.com/calendar/

Sunday, 4 January; Twelfth Nigh celebration. Mummers' Play, the Bankside Wassail and more seasonal entertainment with The Lion's Part. Venue: Shakespeare's Globe, Bankside and Borough Market, Southwark, London, SE1 9DT. Starts at noon. This is a free event. https://thelionspart.co.uk/

Sunday 4 January;  Sacred Reset with Crystal Wicca. Venue Crystal Wicca, West Wickham, BR4. Time: 3pm. Tickets: £26. https://www.facebook.com/TheCrystalWicca

For details of events after 6 January 2024 please visit my events page.

Notes: I'm not responsible for the content of these events. I don't always know about changes or cancellations to events I don't run - tbc means to be confirmed. Contact event organisers directly with questions but please let me know if you are aware of something that needs correcting, via badwitch1234@gmail.com . Where a practitioner is offering information about magical wellbeing and healing, this is *not* medical advice. The picture at the top is from Dicken's A Christmas Carol.

Tips for Cutting Down on Stress in the Festive Season

Christmas is undoubtedly a busy time for many of us. With more things to do than you can shake a candy cane at, the nights out, visits to family and the added expense not to mention more alcohol (and hangovers) added into the mix. Perhaps you're a bit of a perfectionist and agonise over buying the perfect gift, cooking a flawless lunch or getting everything just right on the day for your kids. Or maybe it's being out of your normal day-to-day routine that adds to your list, especially if it means you have less time for yourself or are getting less sleep.

I'll unashamedly admit I was sent a press release with some tips to make the countdown to Christmas festive, happier and less stressful and I'm sharing the details. Chloe Brotheridge, hypnotherapist, coach and author of The Anxiety Solution, offers six practical strategies to help ease some of the holiday load.

1. What would 'good enough' look like?

If you're prone to being a perfectionist, remember perfectionism isn't about high standards, it's about never feeling that things are good enough. It's not the pursuit of what's good, but instead the pursuit of what's bad. It's a way to burn out and never feel satisfied. If this is the case for you, ask yourself what 'good enough' would look like. What is a good enough gift, outfit or dinner? Remind yourself that good enough is enough.

2. Rethink your triggers

The festive period can be a minefield for our triggers, where the words or actions of others can trigger painful emotions within us. The colleague who asks you 'why you're still single' at the Christmas party, the parent who treats you like you're still 15 or your partner having one too many drinks and being argumentative. An effective way to navigate these difficulties is to think beforehand about what may come up and mentally rehearse how you'd like to respond instead. That might look like coming up with the ideal pithy reply, deciding to take the high ground and stay in your integrity or choosing to walk away and take some deep breaths. Making a plan for how you'll respond will help you to manage these difficult moments more easily.

3. Try the 'Physiological Sigh'

Braving the shops on Christmas eve? Up until midnight wrapping presents? Roast potatoes setting off the smoke alarm? Try this breathing method to quickly promote feelings of calmness. Dr Andrew Huberman from Stanford University created the 'physiological sigh'. It can be done discreetly, and the resulting calmness happens right away. To do this, take a deep breath in through your nose followed by another smaller, quicker breath through the nose. After both in-breaths, exhale slowly out through the mouth. Do this one to three times to calm your nervous system quickly.

4. Ask for help

Many of us are great at helping others but find it hard to ask for or accept help ourselves. If you're feeling overwhelmed, think about specific ways others could help out. Make the decision beforehand that if someone offers you help, you'll say yes - even if it feels uncomfortable for you to do this. Write a list of tasks that could be taken off your plate, such as bringing a dessert to Christmas dinner, helping wrap the kids' presents or taking the dog for a walk. There are no prizes for doing everything yourself and many people want to help out and feel useful. Don't deny them the joy of helping!

5. Switch off and unplug

With everything extra that Christmas brings, it can be helpful to remove some of the mental noise from our lives so that we don't get overwhelmed. Whatever that looks like for you, find a way to unplug and switch off. That might mean deleting the social media apps from your phone, steering clear of the news for a few days, making sure your out-of-office is firmly on, or deciding to put your phone in airplane mode after 7pm in the evening.

6. Stick with some routine

Our routine can be like an anchor that helps us feel secure and safe. If you find yourself away from home for the holidays, try to maintain some level of normalcy in your routine. Whether that means going on a couple of runs or keeping up with your daily 10-minute meditations, sitting down to drink a calming tea before bed; staying consistent with certain aspects of your routine will help you to take care of yourself and make it easier to get back into the swing of things once Christmas is over.

The press release was issued by the RESCUE® brand. RESCUE® Remedy is a combination of five Bach™ Original Flower Essences. The products are available from Boots, Holland and Barrett and some supermarkets and pharmacies.

Author Interview: Imelda Almqvist on Winter Solstice

This December I'm chatting to authors about their favourite festive reads and what they love most about the time of year. Today I talk to Imelda Almqvist, an international teacher of sacred art and Seiðr/Old Norse Traditions. Her books include Natural Born Shamans: A Spiritual Toolkit for Life, Sacred Art: A Hollow Bone for Spirit, Medicine of the Imagination, and North Sea Water In My Veins.

Q: What's your favourite part of the festive season?

I perceive Winter as a Mother!

My favourite part of the festive season is going back to foundational principles and asking myself: what is my relationship to both light and darkness? What does the return of light mean in my life? The Sámi people in Arctic Scandinavia and Finland have a story about a Reindeer Mother (some say Reindeer Goddess) who carries the Sun in her antlers and returns the Sun at the Winter Solstice. The Sun herself is viewed as a deity as well, called Beaivi.

Many people identify as “light workers” but I consider myself a “darkness worker”: I do my deepest dreaming during the dark time of year. I do my best work in darkness, wearing my invisibility cloak. As a shamanic practitioner I am often plunging into the deepest and darkest recesses in people’s minds, bodies and family field to unravel intergenerational imprints and find the cause of current maladies or diseases (or dysfunctional behavioural patterns). As a mother of three I try to be an advocate for children. I spent years doing spiritual toolkit work with groups of children. I keep educating myself about all the challenges young people face in our world, especially children from disadvantaged backgrounds, or who live in areas of armed conflict, who face incredible adversity.

My work often leads me into dark places indeed, sometimes including the world of organised crime, murders and paedophile rings. That is what I mean by darkness worker, being willing to step into these places energetically, and sometimes physically as well. Then stepping back out and educating others, hammering on safeguarding issues, training other practitioners in shamanic work with children and ancestral healing work with adults.

For me December 21st is the Night of the Ancestral Mothers: Modranigt or Mōdraniht. This was an Anglo Saxon celebration which opened the new year.  For ancient people, whose lives were not ruled by screens, apps or smart watches, the true new year occurred when the light returns, and the days start getting longer.

In the past intense preparation occurred, such as cleaning the house and making sure all animals were well looked after. In Scandinavia Modraniht was viewed as quite a dangerous night, a night when trolls and gnomes drew closer to human settlements and checked on what human beings were up to. If they were not pleased they would make their presence felt and sabotage things! Women put their spinning wheels away and cleared their distaffs, knowing that Frau Holle would visit and check everything was ready for Yule.

I am often alone in the forest in Sweden that day. If I'm lucky there's snow! I perform a ceremony for the ancestral mothers by a large ancestral cairn I have built on our land, on the forest edge. I honour all mothers, including animal mothers, plant and tree mothers and spiritual ancestors and teachers. I call out names, leave food offerings, ask for protection and guidance for my own children and ask for blessings for all the children of our world.

Q: What book have you most loved as a Yuletide read?

My all-time favourite book for the festive season is Bland Tomtar och Troll, which is was translated into English as Among Gnomes and Trolls, illustrated by the Swedish artist John Bauer. I re-read this book every Christmas! A new edition was published in 2019, which was translated into English as An Illustrated Treasury of Swedish Folk and Fairy Tales. My husband gave me the centenary Swedish version as a Christmas present. We have inherited the older version as well, but it is more than a century old and rather fragile, so I preserve that precious copy by reading the new edition instead.

We have a forest house in Sweden and we always spend Christmas there. To my mind, (speaking as a writer and illustrator of picture books for children), winter is the season of “Tomtar and Trolls”. In modern culture tomtar (plural of tomte) are depicted as small gnomes wearing red outfits including a pointed hat (called tomteluva in Swedish). However, historically speaking they represented guardian spirits watching over the homestead or farm.

The word tomte is derived from the Swedish word tomt (plot or piece of land) and it refers to the guardian of this land, and by extension any homestead, farm or barn on it. The tomte was believed to live in the barn, the hay loft or sometimes under a homestead. It's important to maintain a good working relationship with tomtar: keep a tidy farm, provide excellent care for the animals and leave out food offerings. If people didn't do this, it was commonly understood that accidents would occur, the farm would fall into disarray or disrepair, key items would go missing, cattle would fall ill etc. As such they are similar to the “house gods” known and venerated in other locations.

Our own tomte receives homemade Christmas porridge and a glass of whisky on Julafton (Christmas Eve). This isn't shop-bought porridge, or any old porridge. It's prepared from scratch and served with butter. I also sprinkle cinnamon on top! This is called julgröt (Christmas porridge), also known as tomtegröt (porridge for tomte) in Swedish.

Swedish children are told the tomtar make their Christmas presents (julklappar in Swedish) in their workshops in the forest and deliver them on Christmas Eve. On my Substack I wrote the following Swedish glossary for the festive season:

• Tomt = a plot of land.
• Tomte (single tense) = a gnome.
• Tomten (definite article is glued to the back of the word) = The tomte.
• Tomtar (plural) = two or more of them.
• Tomtarna (the tomtar, plural + definite article glued to the back of the word).
• Jultomte = the Christmas Tomte (Santa Claus or Father Christmas).
• Tomteluva = a red and floppy Christmas hat (often with white trim).
• Tomtefar and Tomtemor (Father Tomte and Mother Tomte, used in the sense of Father Christmas and Mother Christmas, for instance warning the children who is about to pay a house visit!)
• Tomtenisse or Tomtekarl = other versions of the word/concept Tomte.

Q: Which of your own books would you most recommend either to give someone else as a present or for a gift for oneself?

I have just finished teaching a Sacred Art Retreat in London, titled Dancing the Bear so I am going put forward my book: Sacred Art: A Hollow Bone for Spirit (Where Art meets Shamanism). 

Last week my sacred art students and I made ourselves a bear costume and Danced the Bear, inspired by the ancient Brauronia Festival in Greece, at the temple of Artemis. There young girls dressed up as bears and then danced, as part of a rite of passage or initiation ceremony. This dance is known as the Arkteia or the Dance of the Bears (arktos means bear in ancient Greek and our word Arctic is derived from that).

I appreciate that not everyone has the resources to spend a week going on a sacred art retreat but my book explains the underlying principles for all courses I teach (and indeed the way I myself work in a spirit-led way). Every chapter closes with a chapter exercise. Anyone who works through those will have a small art portfolio by the time they reach the final page! This book also addresses issues such as dissolving creative blocks and building alternative art communities, which are not governed by the principles of competition and exclusion (ruling much of the mainstream – hyper masculine - world of Fine Art). Many people have found it an immense relief to be introduced to (and given permission and encouragement to) develop ways of working that honour their soul and their spiritual beliefs.

Q:  What are your next books?

My next book is about the runes, Portals, Patterns and Pathways - A Handbook for Rune Magicians, Star Gazers and Myth Makers. It will be published by Collective Ink on 26 May 2026. I'm currently working on a book about Inuit deities and mythology.

Here are Imelda Almqvist's social media handles:

• Website: http://www.shaman-healer-painter.co.uk/
• YouTube Channel: youtube.com/user/imeldaalmqvist
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/imelda.almqvist/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/almqvistimelda/

You can find Imelda Almqvist's author page at Moon Books, an Imprint of Collective Ink: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/authors/imelda-almqvist

You can also view Sacred Art: A Hollow Bone for Spirit on Amazon.

Please note: I earn commission from some links.

Books: Fifth Anniversary for Guided Visualisations

I'm celebrating because my book Pagan Portals - Guided Visualisations is five years old this month! It was published by Moon Books in December 2020 - which was a highlight for me in a year that was rather difficult overall, as I am sure most of us remember.

Anyway, a big thanks to everyone who bought it, left reviews, and told me that they've enjoyed reading it. Here's the book's description:

"The journeys in this book are all ones using the mind. Guided visualisations use an interactive story to help people know themselves better, find solutions to problems and get ideas for creative projects. They can also be used as a wellbeing tool using relaxation techniques. Many guided visualisations also have spiritual aspects. Within this book are visualisations created for those on the paths of paganism, witchcraft and earth-based spirituality. They were written to follow the Wheel of the Year, embrace the power of the moon and the elements, and develop magical wisdom. Through the pages of this book you will be guided to amazing places. It will be an adventure..."

Some of the visualisations are intended for this time of year, around the Winter Solstice. If you want to find out more you can view Pagan Portals - Guided Visualisations on Amazon or buy copies through Treadwell's Bookshop. It is available in paperback or ebook. You can also view all of my books on my author page at Moon Books.

Please note I earn commision from some links

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2020/12/midwinter-meeting-guided-visualisation.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/11/books-seven-year-anniversary-for-every.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/11/books-milestone-of-success-for-guided.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/09/guided-visualisation-messages-from-holm.html

Author Interview: Ness Bosch on Winter & Festive Reads

This December I'm chatting to authors about their favourite festive reads and what they love most about the time of year. Today I talk to Ness Bosch, who is a priestess, shamaness and author. A mother of three, she lives in beautiful Ayrshire, Scotland. Ness is the founder of the Covenant of the Waters, and a founding  member of the Goddess Community Scotland and the Temple of Astarte. Her animistic call is the Path of the Bones. Here's the interview:

Q:  What's your favourite part of the festive season? 

A: The connection to the elements and the ancestors. I love the festive lights everywhere. Winter is more bright because of them. 

Q: What book have you most loved as a Yuletide read? 

A: I'm very fond of Russian folklore books as a winter read. 

Q: Which of your own books would you most recommend either to give someone else as a present or for a gift for oneself? 

A: Sacred Bones Magic Bones. There is a lot there about the ancestors, I think is the perfect book for the season. 

You can find Sacred Bones Magic Bones at publisher Moon Books.  

You can also view the book on Amazon.

Please note: I earn commission from some links

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/12/author-interview-favourite-festive.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/12/books-divine-wounds-finding-healing.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/11/craft-making-long-lasting-yuletide.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/12/author-interview-festive-reads.html