Gloomth & Embracing Darkness for a Gothic Yuletide

We are approaching the time to celebrate the returning light in the depths of winter. At Yuletide we often do all we can to brighten our lives in the darkest month of the year. We might bring evergreens into the homes. We put up sparkling lights, eat, drink and try to make merry, but our ancestors knew much of this was in the face of struggles against cold, poverty, and hardship. 

Many people are finding this winter particularly tough for a whole variety of reasons. I’m not going into any specifics of current social, political and financial problems. Instead I’m writing about how this season's trend for a Gothic Christmas can help us cope with miseries we might face. 

I’ve had a taste for Gothic things for decades, and I was pleasantly surprised back in early November when I got sent a press release saying “Scroogecore” was in this year. It said this trend brought together moody blacks, charcoal greys, and deep blues as a colour scheme. I’ll quote from the press release directly: 

“Sophisticated yet quirky, it combines darker colour palettes with tongue-in-cheek decorations for a playful, sardonic take on traditional elements.”

This is exactly what the term "gloomth" is about. By the way, the picture at the top shows an image from the suggested range of styles: a luxuriously dark bedroom decorated with Bee Bloom blue wallpaper that is almost black, by Hattie Lloyd. [There's the plug I have to give to use the image.]

Comforting gloomth

A few weeks after seeing the press release, I attended a talk on "gloomth", the word for things that are both Gothic but somehow comforting at the same time. The online event was run by a pair of Americans, Sara and Brittany of the Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastc, who run courses in the Gothic. 

Their message was that Gothic fiction and fashion can be empowering, especially when all seems bleak. Many novels of the genre depict strong female characters who overcome societal pressures, particularly in relation to gender stereotypes and oppression. Embracing the Gothic can be subversively empowering for us in the real world too. 

I'll be talking more about some subversive Yuletide tales and folklore at Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities on Monday 9 December. I'm giving an in-person illustrated lecture on Magic for Yuletide and New Year’s Eve Divination. Tickets are from £16.26 and the price includes a cocktail with Devil’s Botany. Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, is at 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. Doors open at 6.30pm and the talk is at 7pm. You can find the details here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/magic-for-yuletide-and-new-years-eve-divination-with-lucya-starza-live-tickets-935414177987

Read my Yuletide folk horror tale for free

I'll admit I seem to have tapped into this trend myself this festive season as I've written a Yuletide cosy folk horror novel and am serialising for free on Lucya's Substack. It's called Christmas Ghosts and the Holly Queen. You can find the first installment here and read later chapters on the substack as well. If you want to, you can subscribe to get them sent to your inbox.

Get 50 per cent off my other books

My other Gothic novel is called Erosion, and is published by Moon Books which is part of Collective Ink. The company is offering 50 per cent off all e-books until December 31st, including mine. 

All you need to do is:

• Click here > https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
• Choose your e-book(s)
• Click 'Add to basket for direct download.'
• Click on your shopping basket
• Click on 'Do you have a coupon?'
• Apply promo code WINTER50  and Validate.
• Proceed to Checkout.

If you want to search for my books, you can go straight to my Lucya Starza author page. I've written on candle magic, poppets, guided visualisations, scrying and the wheel of the year as well as my novel Erosion. You can read an excerpt from Erosion here: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/10/seance-with-skull-from-my-gothic-novel.html

WINTER50: The Special Code to get 50% off my Books

If you want to buy Rounding the Wheel of the Year or any of my Pagan Portals witchcraft books, or my Gothic novel Erosion cheaply, now's your chance. My publisher Moon Books, which is part of Collective Ink, is offering 50 per cent off all e-books until December 31st. 

All you need to do is:

• Click here > https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
• Choose your e-book(s)
• Click 'Add to basket for direct download.'
• Click on your shopping basket
• Click on 'Do you have a coupon?'
• Apply promo code WINTER50  and Validate.
• Proceed to Checkout.

You can order any e-books from any of Collective Ink's imprints. Moon Books publishes well respected titles on magickal topics, particularly the Pagan Portals series. Other imprints cover mind, body, spirit subjects, culture and politics, history and fiction.

If you want to search for my books, you can go straight to my Lucya Starza author page. I've written on candle magic, poppets, guided visualisations, scrying and the wheel of the year as well as my novel Erosion. You can read an excerpt from Erosion here: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/10/seance-with-skull-from-my-gothic-novel.html

Magical Online & London Events in the Next Weeks

Here's a list of events for pagans, witches and those with similar interests over the next couple of weeks. I mainly include in-person things in or near London, because that's where I'm based, as well as online talks and workshops you can do anywhere and a few conferences further afield.

Now - March 2025. 4 Witches and a Warlock Exhibition. Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. https://thelasttuesdaysociety.org/museum/

Now - Friday 20 December. Swedenborg's Lusthus: Objects of Memory and Imagination exhibition. Venue:  Swedenborg House, The Swedenborg Society, 20/21 Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2TH. Time: 10am to 5pm Monday to Friday. Free entry https://www.swedenborg.org.uk/

Wednesdays and Fridays; College of Psychic Studies -  pop in to have a look around the lovely building.  Venue: College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 11am-5pm weekdays. Free entry. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk

Wednesday 4 December (and other days and times); The London Witches Bankside Walking Tour. Meet at: Southwark View Point, Minerva Square, London SE1 9DF. Time: 4pm. Tickets: £15.87. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/london-witches-history-bankside-walking-tour-tickets-945086096957?

Wednesday 4 December; Kundalini Meditations to Reset and Restore. In person with Gemma Bliss. Venue: College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets: £35. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk

Wednesday 4 December; Hapé Circle and Live Concert Venue: Portico Gallery, 23B Knights Hill, London SE27 0HS. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets: from £33.22. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hape-circle-and-live-concert-book-a-private-1-1-healing-tickets-1080346869569?

Wednesday 4 December; Tia Xixa Tarot Cafe. Venue: Ron's Coffee House, Holdrons Arcade, 135a Rye Lane, London SE15 4ST. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £16.96. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/bibis-circle-56277271483

Wednesday 4 December (every Wednesday); Feeling Sound Bath. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £15.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Wednesday 4 December (first Wednesday of the month); Drumming and Meditation online with Taz Thornton. Time: 7pm. Free  https://www.facebook.com/TazThorntonOfficial

Wednesday 4 December; ‘Dear Father Christmas’. Talk by Dr Ceri Houlbrook on Zoom via The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society. Time: 8pm. Tickets · from £6.72. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Wednesday 4 December (but usually last Wednesday of every month); Hertford Pagan Moot. Venue: The White Horse Pub, 33 Castle Street, Hertford, Herts SG14 1HH) (45 mins from central London). Time: 8pm. https://www.facebook.com/groups/104788436218047

Wednesday 4 December; Tibetan Sound Bowl Meditation with Spiritual Tiik. Time: 8.30pm. Tickets £12.74. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/spiritual-tiik-29294295627

Thursday, 5 December (every Thursday); Psychic Development Workshop - part of series of classes. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Road, London, SE9 6SH. Time: noon. Tickets: £15 per class. https://www.facebook.com/wiccamoonuk

Thursday, 5 December; Midweek Meditation with the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 3pm. Tickets: free for members/£7.50 non members. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk

Thursday, 5 December; Nurturing Sound Bath with Reiki by Candlelight. Venue: Beckenham Place Mansion, Place Park, The Mansion, Beckenham BR3 1SY. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £14. https://www.beckenhamplace.org/whatson/

Thursday, 5 December; Blue Lotus and Shamanic Drum Journey. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £35.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Thursday, 5 December (every fortnight); Inquisitive Spirit open circle. Learn Mediumship and Psychic development with a group.  Venue: Bretons Manor, 411 Rainham Road, South Hornchurch RM13 7LP. Time: 7.30pm-9.30pm. Cost £10 per session  Text 07549 638276 for details.

Thursday, 5 December; The Almanac of an Australian Cunning Man. Talk by Dr David Waldron on Zoom via The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society. Time: 8pm. Tickets · from £6.72. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Friday 6 December; Drum Birthing Workshop with Lynn Gosney. Venue: Shamanic Centre Caer Corhrain, Minster, Kent. Starts 8.45am. Tickets £225/£250. https://www.facebook.com/shamaniccentrecaercorhrain

Friday 6 December (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 6 December (usually 1st and 3rd Friday each month); The Pagan Portal Podcast by Moon Books. Time: noon (or listen to recording later). Free event. https://open.spotify.com/show/11N4kNj65tTz9NFUcZTMa7?

Friday 6 December; Strumpets and Harlots Yule Special Walking Tour with Maria Beadell's organised by Treadwell's Bookshop. Meet at Covent Garden tube Station, Long Acre, London WC2E 9JT. Time: 7.20pm. Tickets: £18.50. https://www.treadwells-london.com/

Friday 6 December; Gothic Yuletide Medieval Wine Walk. An Immersive Tour with Dr Matthew Green organised by London City of the Dead. Time 7.30 pm  Tickets £42 including wine and a 20% donation to Guy's and St Thomas' Charity. https://londonmonthofthedead.com/

Friday 6 December (first Friday of the month); Holistic Sound Bath Meditation - Summoning The Sacred. Venue in Crystal Palace, SE London. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets: £25. https://www.makeitsacred.co.uk/holistic-sound-bath-meditation-summoning-the-sacred?

Saturday 7 December; A Past Life Journey to Lemuria and Atlantis. In person with Gemma Petherbridge. Venue: College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 11am. Tickets: £115. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk

Saturday 7 December; Traversing the Liminal: Psychopomps in Grief and Shadow Work. A workshop with Tiffany Lazic. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 1LY. Time: 11am. Tickets tbc https://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Saturday 7 December; The Gazing Pool: Myth and Magic Guided by the Runes. In person with Andreas Kornevall. Venue: College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 11am. Tickets: £115. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk

Saturday 7 December;  The Dreaming Oracle Talk and Signing Session with Cara Roxanne. Venue: Watkins Bookshop, London, 19-21 Cecil Ct, London WC2N 4EZ, UK. Time: noon. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

Saturday 7 December; Carshalton Frost Fair. Venue: Central Carshalton, South London. Time: 1pm - 6pm. Free entry. https://www.facebook.com/events/1104394121232341

Saturday 7 December; Forecasting the Year Ahead. Four-hour workshop with Daniel Pitt online via the College of Psychic Studies. Time: 1pm. Tickets: £80. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 7 December; Swedenborg Film Festival 2024. Venue: Whitechapel Gallery, 77-82 Whitechapel High Street, London E1 7QX. Time: 1pm. Tickets: £3. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/swedenborg-film-festival-2024-tickets-1088774115689?

Saturday 7 December;  Hoodoo  Divination Workshop. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Road, London, SE9 6SH. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £50. https://www.wiccamoonuk.com/shop/

Saturday, 7 December; Ben Edge 'Avebury' Premiere film screening. Venue: All Hallows-On-The Wall, 83 London Wall, London EC2M 5ND. Time: 5.30pm. Tickets £21.29. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/ben-edge-68151432823

Saturday, 7 December; Goblin Market. A Performance with Spoken Word and Golden Harp with Elizabeth Jane-Baldry and Maxine Dubois organised by London City of the Dead. Venue: at Guys Hospital Chapel, London. Time 7pm  Tickets £16 including a cocktail and a 20% donation to Guy's and St Thomas' Charity. https://londonmonthofthedead.com/

Saturday 7 December (tbc but usually first Saturday each month); Gong Bath. Venue: Upminster Sanctuary Pea Lane, Upminster, RM142XH. Time: 7pm. Tickets: tbc.  https://upminstersanctuary.com/

Sunday 8 December; A Soul’s Sacred Journey. Three-hour workshop with Frances Billinghurst online via the College of Psychic Studies. Time: 10.30am. Tickets: £75. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 8 December; Holly, Ivy and Mistletoe: Sacred Solstice Plants. In person with Gerrie March. Venue: College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 11am. Tickets: £115. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk

Sunday 8 Dcember (and other times and dates); Soul Restore Sound Healing. Venue: The Mandrake, 20-21 Newman Street, London W1T 1PG. Time: 11am. Tickets: £35. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-mandrake-17825575648

Sunday 8 December (repeated 26 January);  Herbal Astrology: Enchanted Candle-Making Workshop and Cocktails. Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. Time: 11am. Tickets from £31.94. Price includes a Cocktail with Devil’s Botany. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-last-tuesday-society-viktor-wynd-museum-33776720489

Sunday 8 December; Satanic Flea Market. Venue: Electrowerkz 7 Torrens Street, London, EC1V 1NQ. Time: noon. Tickets £4. https://www.facebook.com/events/957885079484356/?

Sunday 8 December; ParkBathe at Stambourne Woods. Meet: 122 Auckland Road London SE19 2RP. Time: 1.30pm. Free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/parkbathe-34393467709

Sunday 8 December (and Sundays until 12 January 2025); The Way of Equalia course with Jocelyn Chaplin. Venue: The Serpent Institute, Kentish Town, London NW5 1UE.  Time: 3pm-5pm. Each session can be attended on its own for £15, £60 for the whole course. For more details, contact  jochaplin@yahoo.com or call

02074850264 https://www.serpentinstitute.com/?

Sunday 8 December (tbc but usually second Sunday of the month); 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: £8. https://www.hildegardmaier.co.uk/luna-iter or https://www.facebook.com/groups/1230392930656154

Sunday 8 December; 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 8 December; Labyrinth Walking Meditation. Venue: Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, 3 Pilgrim's Place, London NW3, 1NG. Time: 7pm. Free, but donations welcome. https://www.rosslynhillchapel.org.uk

Sunday 8 December; Nightmares Before Christmas. Candlelit Ghost Stories For Christmas with Adam Z Robinson organised by London City of the Dead. Venue: Guys Hospital Chapel, London. Time 7pm  Tickets £16 including a cocktail and a 20% donation to Guy's and St Thomas' Charity. https://londonmonthofthedead.com/

Sunday 8 December; An Animist Ethics. Talk by Robin Herne on Zoom via The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets · from £6.72. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Monday 9 December; Magic for Yuletide and New Year’s Eve Divination with me, Lucya Starza. Price includes a Cocktail with Devil’s Botany. Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets from £16.26. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/magic-for-yuletide-and-new-years-eve-divination-with-lucya-starza-live-tickets-935414177987

Monday 9 December (second Monday of the month); Power of Fire Training group workshop by the Wytchery. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store St, London WC1E 7BS, UK. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £10. https://www.meetup.com/the-wytchery/

Monday 9 December; Community Drumming Sessions. Venue: Nemca, Woodland Way, Mitcham, CR4 2DZ. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £5 https://www.facebook.com/events/567441725760751

Monday 9 December (second Monday of the month); South East London Pagans Moot. Venue: The Ivy House, 40 Stuart Rd, London SE15 3BE. Time: 7.30pm. Free. https://www.facebook.com/groups/7046502195365834

Monday 9 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 10 December (and other dates); Tea with a medium. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 1LY. Time: 2.30pm  Cost £55 https://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Tuesday 10 December; Rising Tides: Water beings as agents of change in environmental activism. A Folklore Society online talk by Veronica Strang. Time: 6pm. Tickets £6. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-folklore-society-32190494089

Tuesday 10 December; Garlands and Greenery for Yule. Workshop with Hannah Sanders via Treadwells Online, delayed viewing available. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £10. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Tuesday 10 December; Tarot at Yuletide: What will 2025 bring?. In person with Avril Price. Venue: College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £24. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk

Tuesday 10 December; Green Grow the Rushes, Oh: Hidden Meanings in an Old Folk Song. Talk by Sean Jefferson online via the College of Psychic Studies. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £16. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Tuesday 10 December; Britain’s Last Witch - Hellish Nell. Talk by Prof Malcolm Gaskill on Zoom via The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets · from £6.72. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Tuesday 10 December;  The Magic of Language - Esezezus. Talk by Orryelle Defenestrate-Bascule. Venue: Helgi's, 177 Mare Street, London E8 3RH. Time: 8pm. Tickets £10 https://www.facebook.com/helgisbar or https://wegottickets.com/event/640449?

Wednesday 11 December; Fairy Whispering/ Oracle of the Fairies. Talk and Signing Session with Karen Kay. Venue: Watkins Bookshop, London, 19-21 Cecil Ct, London WC2N 4EZ, UK. Time: noon. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

Wednesday 11 December (tbc but usually 2nd Wed each month); Enfield Town Circle Moot. Venue: Crown and Horsehoes, Horseshoe Lane, Enfield, EN2 6PZ.  Time: 6pm. https://www.facebook.com/groups/EnfieldTownCircle/

Wednesday 11 December; Crystals of Light: Stones of Gratitude, Peace and Good Cheer for Winter Solstice. In person with Nicholas Pearson. Venue: College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 6pm. Tickets: £75. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk

Wednesday 11 December; Tom Hirons Poetry Reading – Performance and Soirée. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store St, London WC1E 7BS, UK. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £10.  https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Wednesday 11 December; Family Constellation Online Workshop with Emma Hewitt of Salamay Tarot and Healing Arts. Time: 7pm. Tickets  £11.55. https://www.eventbrite.com/o/emma-hewitt-salamay-tarot-healing-arts-38061527643

Wednesday 11 December; The Holly King and The Oak King. Writing Workshop with Bernadette Russel via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm start, delayed viewing available. Tickets: £15. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Thursday 12 December; Theosophy. In-person study group. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Rd, London · NW1 6XT. Time: 10.30am. Tickets £3 https://www.meetup.com/rudolf-steiner-spiritual-science/events/

Thursday 12; Unleash Your Creative Spirit Through Automatic Drawing. Workshop with Allen Moore o2o online via the College of Psychic Studies. Time: Noon. Tickets: £75. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday, 12 December; Winter Warmer:  wreathmaking, mulled wine and live music. Venue: Red Cross Garden, 50 Redcross Way, London SE1 1HA. Time: 5pm. Free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/winter-warmer-tickets-1089907355239?

Thursday 12 December; Healing with Words Alone: The History of New Thought. Talk and signing by Dr Ruth L. Miller. Venue: Watkins Bookshop, London, 19-21 Cecil Ct, London WC2N 4EZ, UK. Time: 5pm. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

Thursday 12 December; Releasing Negative Thinking and Worries: Healing Meditation. Talk by Hernan Cotroneo online via the College of Psychic Studies. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £25. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 12 December; Winter Lore. Talk by Cunning Folk at South East London Folklore Society. Venue: The Electric Elephant Cafe, 186A Crampton Street, London, SE17 3AE. Time: 8pm, Free but £5/£8 donations welcome. Turn up on the night or email cunningfolkmusic@gmail.com to book a space.  https://www.eventbrite.com/o/cunning-folk-7829505560

Thursday, 12 December; Full Moon Soundbath in-person at Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Cost: £30.  https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

Thursday, 12 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: 7pm. Tickets:  £29.70. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-moonfull-moon-or-divine-union-cacao-ceremony-heart-ritual-gong-bath-tickets-943638406877?

Thursday, 12 December; Pussy Portal. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £35.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Friday 13 December (every full moon); Peace Fires Full Moon Event. Online event or light a candle wherever you are and wish for peace and healling throughout the world. Free.  http://peacefires.org/

Friday 13 December; Full Moon Ritual by the Thames with London Woodland Witches and Pagans. Meet at Millennium Bridge, Thames Embankment, · London. Time: 7pm. Tickets: free. https://www.meetup.com/londonwoodlandwitches/

Friday 13 December; Liz Overs in performance for The Folklore Society. Venue: 50 Fitzroy Street London W1T 5BT. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets £6. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-folklore-society-32190494089

Friday 13 December; London Witches Yuletide Walking Tour with Maria Beadell's organised by Treadwell's Bookshop. Meet outside Farringdon tube Station, London EC1M 6BY. Time: 7.50pm. Tickets: £18.50. https://www.treadwells-london.com/

Friday 13 December; Winter Tales of Ice and Fire with Hannah Brailsford on Zoom via The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society. Time: 9pm. Tickets · from £6.72. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Saturday 14 December; Constructing the witch: how women became maleficent. Class with Ann Jeffers. Venue: City Lit, Keeley Street, London. Time: 10.30am-1pm. Tickets: £69/£55/£45. https://www.citylit.ac.uk/

Saturday 14 December; Sacred Sweat Lodge for Yule. Venue: Shamanic Centre Caer Corhrain Kent. Run by Lynn Gosney. Time: 11.30am. Tickets £30, email lynn.gosney@hotmail.com for info and to book. https://www.facebook.com/shamaniccentrecaercorhrain/

Saturday 14 December; Cord Cutting workshop with Giancarlo Serra online via the College of Psychic Studies. Time: 1pm. Tickets: £80. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 14 December; Self-Care Rituals for Wintering workshop with Dr Rebecca Beattie online via the College of Psychic Studies. Time: 1pm. Tickets: £80. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 14 December; Drum Circle with Emma Hewitt of Salamay Tarot and Healing Arts. Venue: Forest Hill Friends Meeting House, 34 Sunderland Road, London SE23 2QA. Time: 2pm. Tickets  £20. https://www.eventbrite.com/o/emma-hewitt-salamay-tarot-healing-arts-38061527643

Saturday 14 December;  Making Gifts for Yule. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Road, London, SE9 6SH. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £60. https://www.wiccamoonuk.com/shop/events-and-workshops/making-gifts-for-yule/

Saturday 14 December; An afternoon with…Sacha Coward, Author of t Queer as Folklore. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 1LY. Time: 2.30pm. Tickets £20   https://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Saturday 14 December; Kirtan, Cacao and Singing Circle at Aho. Venue in London. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £15. www.aho.community

Sunday 15 December; Shamanic Group with Les Fuller. All welcome Venue: Woodford Church at 9 Grove Crescent, South Woodford, London E18 2JR. Time 11am-3pm. Tickets: £10. http://woodfordchurch.com/

Sunday 15 December; Hearing Spirit: Clairaudience workshop with Hernan Cotroneo online via the College of Psychic Studies. Time: 11am. Tickets: £105. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 15 December; Dawn of the Oak. Pagan moot. Venue: The Sir John Oldcastle, Farringdon Road/Greville Street, London EC1M 3JF. Time: 3pm. https://www.meetup.com/the-kith-of-the-tree-and-the-well/events/

Sunday, 15 December; Full Moon Gathering: Chakra Dancing, Sound Bath  and Gratitude Circle organised by By AmberOmYoga. Venue: Beckenham Place Mansion, Capital Ring, Beckenham BR3 1SY. Time: 5pm. Tickets: from £11.55. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/amberomyoga-17572952579

Sunday 15 December; A Group Healing with Students of the Spirit Doctor Team Practitioner Programme and Susan Gash online via the College of Psychic Studies. Time: 5pm. Tickets: free. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 15 December; Full Moon Workshop and Ritual for members of the Kitchen Witch Coven and School of Witchcraft, with Join Rachel Patterson, Ness Armstrong and Heather. Free online event. Time 6pm. https://www.facebook.com/events/3332164220422545/

Sunday 15 December; Full Moon Ritual In Person Event. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £30.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Sunday 15 December; (usually every full and new moon); Moon Space online ritual with Tree Carr via She's Lost Control. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £15.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Sunday 15 December; Victorian Christmas Stories with Lena Heide-Brennandon Zoom via The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society. Time: 9pm. Tickets · from £6.72. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

For activities after these dates please visit my events page. 

Please note that I am not responsible for the content of these events except my own talks and workshops. Contact organisers directly if you have questions or to check ticket availability. Where a practitioner is offering information about magical healing, this is *not* medical advice. If you're running an event you want included, please email me at badwitch1234@gmail.com Also please note I earn commission for some links. 

Rounding the Year: Wintery Bare Trees in Betts Park

I took this photo of a wintery scene in Betts Park, near where I live, just before 4pm and the sun is low in the sky. It is less than a month to the Winter Solstice. I still enjoy getting out and going for a walk in my local parks and observing the changes as the wheel of the year turns. This time of year can still be beautiful. 

Betts Park was once ancient common land called Penge Common, so walking here also helps me feel a connection to my ancestors of place. You can read more about it here: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/06/green-london-betts-park-tales-of.html

Sharing seasonal photos

Inspired by ideas in my book Rounding the Wheel of the Year, I've sharing seasonal pictures, art, crafts, words and other creativity. I'd love to encourage readers to record what's happening in nature in various ways including photographs, journalling, drawing or painting and crafting. 

Here are ways to share the things you're doing or what you see out and about as the wheel turns:

• Leave a comment on this post about what you're up to
• Find my prompts to share on my Facebook Page: Lucya Starza Pagan Portals Author
• Share on Instagram or X (formerly Twitter) with the tag #RoundingtheYear

Where to find my books

You can order both the ebook and the paperback of all my books from publisher Moon Books' website as well as view Pagan Portals - Rounding the Wheel of the Year on Amazon. 

(Notes: I earn commission from advertisers for some links.)

Other previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/09/rounding-year-rosehips-and-raindrops.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/11/rounding-year-fallen-leaves-in-my-local.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/10/rounding-year-mushrooms-in-my-local-park.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/11/rounding-year-first-frost-of-winter.html

Pagan Eye: Me, Yule Tree & Mummy at Treadwell's

Here's a photo of me standing by the Yule tree and mummy at Treadwell's bookshop in London. I was at the shop to run a workshop on magical dolls and seasonal folklore. 

In the picture I'm holding a copy of Pagan Portals - Candle Magic, which was my first title published by Moon Books and is always kept in stock at Treadwell's. I'll be running a candle magic workshop there in January. Treadwell's is at 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. You can also order books and sign up for workshops online at https://www.treadwells-london.com/.

On each of my Pagan Eye posts, I show a photo that I find interesting, with a few words about it. If you want to send me a photo for a Pagan Eye post, please email it to badwitch1234@gmail.com Let me know what the photo shows and whether you want your name mentioned or not. For copyright reasons, the photo must be one you have taken yourself and you must confirm that you are submitting it for A Bad Witch's Blog.

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/04/pagan-eye-signing-copies-of-my-novel-at.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/06/pagan-eye-pride-indie-bookshop-week.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/11/rounding-year-first-frost-of-winter.html