Yule presents

It is December 1 and time for me to think about presents. As a pagan, I celebrate midwinter, or Yule, as a religious festival rather than Christmas, but I think it is wonderful that pretty much every culture has some sort of celebration at this time of year.

Here are a few items on my personal wish list:

This gorgeous hand-crafted dress is my favourite in a range made by a lovely witch called Hazel and sold through her eBay shop, Wytch-Haze-Medieval-Designs.

It is made in a rich black crushed velvet and is a really flattering style.

Each gown Hazel makes is a bespoke, one-off original, so you know you will never bump into another witch wearing the same robe. This dress costs £100, which I think is very reasonable.

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Wytch-Haze-Medieval-Designs


Raw Gaia is a range of living skin care products made using only cold-pressed, organic and vegan ingredients, infused with essential oils and floral waters of the finest quality. I've used some of the products in the past and they are really good.

This complete skin care set contains some of Raw Gaia’s best selling items and is a real pampering treat. The gift set costs £48.

www.rawgaia.com/

This lovely Celtic moon pendant by Pagan Angel is made of silver with a knotwork pattern set with a moonstone. The pendant has two slider style loops on the reverse to take a chain or a cord. Price: £15

www.pagan-angel.com/


I love chocolate and my favourite kind is made by a small firm called The Chocolate Alchemist, based in Sussex. This organic chocolate is made with strict ethical values and using high quality ingredients.

www.thechocolatealchemist.co.uk/history.html

Yule is a festival when I love to burn a ritual fire but, living in the city, it can be tough to find the correct wood.

Spirit of Old firesticks are ideal for ritual, spellworking or festival fires and I am very keen to try out the Yule firestick bundle. Prices for the firestick bundles start from £14.99.

www.spiritofold.co.uk/general_shop/firesticks.htm

Magic in photographs

Some people say photography is incompatible with magic. I disagree.

Certainly there is rarely a place for a camera in a ritual. To work that kind of magic you need to symbolically step outside time and into the realm of the timeless - to be in touch with the past, the present and the future in order to make change possible.

To create that kind of space, witches try to use tools that are ancient in style such as besom brooms, candles and wands handcrafted from wood. They also avoid anything that fixes the moment such as clocks, watches, TVs - and cameras.

But a photograph can be more than just a precise record of an event. A photograph can resonate with us on a subconscious level and inspire our imaginations.

Magic and the imagination are very much intertwined. The words even come from the same root.

To do magic you need to be able to imagine things as being different than they currently are. Pictures can help this process, especially if they are resonant with symbolism, hint at possibilities just around the corner, or just out of view or make us wonder about the chain of events that lead to that captured moment.

I took the photograph of a hedge a month or so ago. It shows an early twilight in autumn when the leaves were turning. The green image of a tree can be seen in the hedge where it was protected from the sun all summer. It is a kind of photograph created by nature.

To me the image seems magical. It hints at a strange shadow land glimpsed at that border between the seasons when the leaves are just starting to turn gold and fall. And it also makes me wonder what lies beyond.

A fox's tail

My local fox was back in my garden again today but I was upset to see she is not in good condition.

Her tail, or brush, is quite bald and she has sore patches on her behind.

I have been told this is not uncommon during the summer in vixens with cubs, although I am unsure whether the cubs cause the problem by chewing their mother's tails or whether the parents use their fur to help line their dens.

In the winter, however, this can't be the explanation and I am concerned for her health as the weather turns colder.

If anyone reading my blog knows more about what could be causing the problem, or suggestions as to what I could do to help, do let me know either by leaving a comment or sending an email to badwitch1234@gmail.com.

What witches use their brooms for...

A besom, or broomstick, is as much part of the traditional image of a witch as a pointed hat. The difference is, witches do still use besoms. Not for flying about on - obviously - but for sweeping the room before working magic.

I suppose you could use an ordinary broom, or even a Dyson, but an old-fashioned besom makes a symbolic connection to times gone by and all the witches in history who have prepared their magical space. Besoms are also pretty good for clearing up leaves in the garden.

In centuries past a besom was a common household item used for sweeping the house or yard. The broom was made from a tightly-bound bundle of twigs - usually birch - with a wooden shaft inserted into the centre. They certainly weren't only used by witches

The other myth about besoms is that witches use them to apply hallucinogenic drugs to their personal regions for a private thrill.

There is little evidence that witches ever used their brooms for such sensational purposes, or at least no more than any other single woman might have eyed up a curiously-shaped item before the advent of Ann Summers. It just makes a titillating story.

Here are some links to sites on how to make a besom and more about their history and magical use today:

http://www.briar-rose.org/Besom.asp

www.straightdope.com/classics/a990903.html

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/spiritwolf/what_is_a_witch.htm

www.wiccaweb.org.uk/tools.html

www.the-tree.org.uk/BritishTrees/birch.htm

www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DBY/BygoneIndustries/BesomMakers.html

homepage.ntlworld.com/spiritwolf/cleansing.htm

Fox in the city

This morning I looked out of my bedroom window and saw my local fox asleep in a pile of leaves at the end of my garden.

I feel honoured to share my garden with this lovely creature. Over the past few years I have seen her raise two litters of cubs and they are wonderful to watch.

It is true that foxes can be a pest. My fox and her family have frequently made a mess of my garden by digging holes and running all over the flower beds. However, I consider this to be a small price to pay for the joy of having foxes as such close companions.

Talk on prediction

Oracles, Seers and Prophets is the title of a talk this Wednesday at The Devereux pub in London.

Michael Bingas will look at the predictive styles of the Delphic Oracle of ancient Greece, Caroline Robertson will consider Britain's most famous prophetess, Old Mother Shipton, and Gareth Medway will examine the prophecies of Nostradamus.

I predict it will be a great evening.

The talk is on 28 Nov and starts at 8.30pm, upstairs at the Devereux pub, 20 Devereux Court, off Essex St, London WC2. The doors open at 7.30pm. Ticket price £2. The talk is organised by The Secret Chiefs, London’s longest-running pagan talks forum.


Links:
www.pflondon.org/html/secret_chiefs.html

Mourning Moon

There was a beautiful full moon this weekend and I took this blurry picture late at night on my way home from a great party. I then remembered to turn on the flash to get a sharper result (see below). In retrospect, I think the unfocused and shaky image looks a bit more magical.

This month's full moon is sometimes called the Mourning Moon as November is a traditional time to grieve for that which has gone, before entering into the festive season of Yule.

Below is a link to a lovely Mourning Moon ritual - the kind of thing a witch should be doing on the night of the full moon rather than going out partying:

http://members.tripod.com/~solitarywitches/index-88888.html/

Those adverts...

You've probably noticed my blog now features an advert sponsored by Google at the top of the page.

I decided to allow adverts because I was told they could help bring in a little money. It doesn't cost a lot to run a blog but it is quite time consuming to update it regularly and earning a little bit of beer money is always nice.

I also hope some of the adverts might be useful. I've noticed an advert for handmade candles from Cornwall that I wouldn't mind having a look at.

However, do let me know if any of the ads are offensive. There is a facility for blocking any that are inappropriate for this site.

Superstitions and folk traditions

I blame England's dismal results in the football earlier this week on the fact that too few supporters were wearing their lucky underpants.

Are you superstitious?

Many of us are, in some way or another. Perhaps we avoid ladders, say "Hello Mr Magpie" to ward off sorrow if we see a solitary bird, or have an item of clothing or jewellery we believe brings us luck.

I suffered a series of misfortunes after my black cat smashed a precious antique mirror. My boyfriend dumped me, a huge and unexpected bill landed on my doorstep and then my clumsy feline sadly had one accident too many. Was it coincidence? Maybe. Sometimes misfortune just happens.

I believe superstitions are a form of magic. Our belief in them and the energy we invest in them helps give them power.

If you worry about impending doom when, for example, someone mentions The Scottish Play or spills the salt, my advice is to just put it out of your mind. Or, if a little mantra helps, tell yourself confidently:

"That has no power over me. I am in control of my own fortune."

On the other hand, if you want your team to win in future, wear your lucky underpants with pride.

Some superstitious links:

www.whimsy.org.uk/superstitions.html/

www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A254468

www.kevrobertson.supanet.com/index.htm

webworkerdaily.com/2007/07/13/web-worker-superstitions

http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-superstitions.htm/

http://www.kresy.co.uk/pol_christmas.html/

Sacred places

If you read my blog regularly you might notice that only a few of my posts are about magic. Many of them are about the world around me - my home, my garden and what I notice about the changing seasons.

That is because, to me, being a witch is as much about the world I live in as it is about the supernatural or casting spells. As a wiccan, I follow a religion that reveres nature and respects humanity as well as honouring the ancient gods and goddesses that are, if you like, a personification of the natural world around us.

In ancient times places such as Avebury or Stonehenge were probably important meeting places for our ancestors as well as having a religious function. Nowadays, my local park serves as an informal meeting place for teenagers hanging out with their mates, mothers watching their children play, old people walking their dogs and, of course, those down on their luck, drinking a can of lager and watching the world go by.

My local park is, to me, as important a place as Avebury or Stonehenge. It might not have the history of those places and it might not be the right place to don robes for a magical ritual - or throw off your clothes and go skyclad. Yet walking through the park on my way to the station or the shops I can watch the seasons change from day to day, experience the rain and the sunshine and feel in touch with something sacred.

Merry Meet

If you are in Ipswich this Saturday, don't miss Baby Broomcon - a one-day pagan festival with talks, workshops, music and a chance to meet other witches. It is being held at The Oddfellows Hall, in central Ipswich next door to the Ipswich Museum.

Baby Broomcon is the offspring of the larger Broomcon pagan conventions, which began in the mid 1990s. Event organiser Carol Tierney said:

"This is a much smaller venue than in previous years as we are aiming for a cosy, friendly feel."

The event will feature talks from Robin Herne, Terry Smith, Carol Tierney and other speakers. There will be a musical jam session at lunchtime, so bring your drum, bells or whatever else you have to make a big noise.

Tickets for Baby Broomcon, on 24 November 2007, are £5 for adults and free for accompanied children. The full address is Oddfellows Hall, 37 High Street, Ipswich IP1 3QH. In the evening there will be a social upstairs at the nearby Lloyds Tavern.

For more information, email broomcon@gmail.com or visit http://www.keristor.net/broomcon/

For a map of how to get there, click here: map

Witchcraft: Cleansing and Purification

Most witches will do a purification ritual before starting any magical work, but the word 'purification' can be confusing. It isn't about absolving sins (in fact most witches don't go along with the concept of sin, regarding it as a Christian rather than a pagan idea).

A purification ritual is meant to help people clear their minds and rid themselves of thoughts or emotions that could get in the way of the real purpose of the endeavour ahead. To work magic you need to focus, so if your mind is on other things then your energy will be dispersed. Feelings such as anger, jealousy and hate are particularly destructive. Take time to calm down.

The first purification ritual I learnt was taught to me by Shan Jayran of the now defunct House of the Goddess and the author of Circlework: A DIY Handbook of Practical Ritual. It is simple but effective - my favourite kind of magic.

Take a bowl and fill it with water. Dissolve some salt in the water - traditionally by stirring it widdershins (anti-clockwise) because that direction is associated with banishing or letting things go. Salt and water are used because they are among the oldest cleaning products known to man.

Draw a deep breath, let it out and relax, then speak your worries into the water. If you are on your own, take as long as you need and then a little longer. If you are in a large group think of others who may die of boredom before you finish. Speak out loud if it is practical or just think things through if you prefer. Go into as much detail as you feel is necessary. End by saying out loud:

"May I be free of all doubt and anxiety"

When everyone has finished, throw the water away. Do not use it to water plants or make the tea.

A tale of two seasons

I saw snow yesterday for the first time this winter - a sudden flurry between long bouts of driving rain - yet tomatoes are still ripening on the vine in my porch.

I feel quite proud of my tomatoes this year. I consider myself to be a bad gardener in the same way that I am a bad witch; I like to think I am one, even though I generally put in as little effort as I can get away with.

The tomatoes are only growing in my porch because I bought some small plants at a stall raising funds for a local school and I can't say I have done much to care for them except water them most days. Yet despite it having been a really bad summer for tomatoes, my vines have been producing large and tasty fruits since August.

One food that I always crave in the cold weather is tomato soup. Heinz soup will do, but homemade soup is better. Then again, I'm also a pretty bad cook and, as in many circumstances, I go Googling for some easy options:

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2075/tomato-soup.jsp

www.allotment.org.uk/recipe/69/recipe-for-rugbymads-tomato-soup/

www.lunched.co.uk/Light/tomato_soup.html

www.francethisway.com/frenchtomatosoup.php

www.cookingindex.com/recipes/1752/tomato-soup.htm

Fortean Talk

Next Wednesday, 21 Nov, The Moot With No Name will be hosting a talk on Charles Fort in London.

Charles Fort (1874-1932) was the man behind the philosophy of Forteanism and wrote:

“In every field of phenomena… is somewhere the unexplained, or the irreconcilable, or the mysterious.”

Fort was an American but visited London during the 1920s. While staying in Bloomsury he experienced a number of strange events and developed a fascination into happenings that seem to defy explanation. He spent much time in the British Library while developing the school of thought that was named after him.

The talk, which is being held at the The Devereux pub, is being given by John Rimmer. It starts at 7.30pm. The Devereux is at 20 Devereux Court, off Essex St, London WC2. For a map of how to get there visit: www.multimap.com/maps/?&hloc=GBWC2R%203JJ

For more details:
www.pflondon.org/html/moot_with_no_name.html

Some links giving more details about Charles Fort:
http://www.forteantimes.com/
www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A803521

Candle Craft

Yesterday I said you can do candle magic with pretty much any candle you happen to have around.

That’s true, but your magic can seem more personal if you make your own equipment. Luckily, candles are really simple to make.

Rolled candles are the easiest. You can buy beeswax sheets from most candlemaking shops and an 8in by 8in sheet will roll into a candle that is 1in wide.

When you buy the wax, ask for a suitable wick. Cut the wick 1/2in longer than the sheet of wax and put it 1/4in in from one edge. Then just carefully roll it up. Seal the edge by warming it briefly against a radiator.

For candle magic, you can slightly flatten an area of the wax sheet with a warm knife then inscribe a word or symbol for your spell on the flat bit before rolling it.

Candlemaking kits usually include a mould, some wick and some wax granules. To make a candle with a mould, make sure the wick is threaded through the mould before you pour the wax in. If the mould doesn’t have a little hole at the end, make one. You can seal it with Blu-tak. Tie the other end of the wick to a pencil balanced across the open end of the mould.

Melt the wax slowly on a very low heat or, ideally, over a bowl of hot water. Then tip it into the mould and leave it to set. Do not be tempted to insert the wick after making the candle by melting a hole through the set wax, even if your kit’s instructions tell you to do it. That method rarely works well.

Previous post
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2007/11/candle-magic.html

Candle Magic

A week into my blog and I haven’t yet talked about casting spells. So that I don’t entirely live up to my name of Bad Witch, that situation is about to change.

Candle magic is one of easiest types of spell to cast and is perfect for a solitary witch with a hectic schedule. It is also the most common form of magic in the world – who hasn’t made a wish over a birthday cake?

A lot of books and websites explain how to do candle magic but they can make it sound more complicated than it needs to be, specifying colours and scents for the candle and the time of day to cast the spell.

These things may help, particularly if they feel appropriate to the person doing the magic, but they aren’t essential. You can do candle magic with a plain tealight at whatever time you find a quiet moment alone in your day. After all, a couple of hundred years ago a witch had to make do with a lump of stinky tallow.

What is vital is that you think carefully about what you wish for. Consider the consequences if your wish comes true.

Clear your mind before starting the spell. You can do this using specific cleansing rituals or meditations, or you can just take a few deep breaths and relax.

Then, settle down in a quiet spot with your candle - and matches - in front of you and focus on your wish. You can write it on a piece of paper, inscribe it on the candle itself or just think it through clearly in your head. Once you have done that, light the candle. Concentrate on the flame for a few moments and then send your wish into the flame to be burnt.

You can meditate in front of the candle for as long as feels right. Sometimes this will help you understand your wish better or give you an insight into how you can achieve your desire. You don’t have to remain by the candle until it goes out, but it is important to let it burn down completely in one go. If you do leave it, make sure the lighted candle is in a safe place and is not going to set fire to the house.

When you have finished any spell it is important to readjust to the real world because magical work can leave you feeling a little spaced. The best way to come down to earth is with some food and drink – coffee and a biscuit will do just fine in my opinion.

Here are some links:
http://www.blogger.com/http//www.no-exit-studios.demon.co.uk/Candle_Crazy.htm
http://www.blogger.com/http//www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A7951539
http://www.blogger.com/www.earthchildpendants.co.uk/candle-magick.html

Witch workshop?

Two very talented people are running workshops on the same day and I can't decide which to go to.

I have just over a week to make up my mind as both events take place on Sunday 25 November.

Bringing the Treasure Home is being run by Hilde Liesens, a druid and a very experienced teacher. It is about facing our own wild nature, learning to integrate it with our everyday lives and striking the right balance between the two. The workshop will involve storytelling and guided meditations.

The workshop is at Treadwell's bookshop, 34 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7PB and runs from 11am until 6pm. it costs £40. To book a place call 07768 377 646 or email hilde@firetree.net

For more details, visit: www.firetree.net/wheel/Deertracks/Workshops/wild.html



The Dark Mirror is a workshop being run by visionary artist Cilla Conway, creator of The Intuitive Tarot and the Devas of Creation. It aims to show us the hidden side of ourselves - our shadow, who can also be our ally if we are brave enough to gaze into the dark glass.


Art is the focus of the workshop and those attending are asked to bring along a piece of artwork they hate, with the aim of transforming it during the day.

The Dark Mirror runs from 11am to 5.30pm and takes place in Sutton, Surrey. It costs £60 for the day plus £5 for materials. To book a place phone 07949 766634 or email cilla@cillaconway.com

For images from previous workshops, visit: www.cillaconway.com/

Autumn's end

Over the past week my apple tree shed its last autumn leaves and now stands stark and bare in a garden that sparkles with an early winter morning frost.

The only bright colour left is offered the glorious orange Chinese lanterns, or physalis. They were at their best over Samhain and to me they evoke the season more than a pumpkin lantern. Yet even they are dying back now, leaving skeletal cages around bright berries.

To me, being a witch is as much about appreciating the changings seasons as it is about doing magic. Possibly more important, in fact, seeing as I very rarely cast any spells but I do enjoy walking in the countryside and observing the beauty of the natural world.

Wicca, along with many other nature-based religions, considers the rotation of the seasons (or the Wheel of the Year) as central to its cycle of festivals. Samhain, which was celebrated a couple of weeks ago on 31 October, is symbolically the start of the year. It is the time when the plants are dying back in the fields and in the garden and it is also a time to remember our own loved ones who have died.

Samhaim was the date I intended to start my blog as it is a good time for a new beginning, but I guess I am running by pagan time - late.

Still, better late than never.

Some links:

A databaise of edible, medicinal and useful plants:
www.pfaf.org/

Details of how to create a sensory garden, including Chinese lanterns:
www.noahsarkgardens.co.uk/Articles/SensoryGarden.htm

A site selling seeds:

www.nickys-nursery.co.uk/seeds/pages/page10cc.htm

Information on the Wheel of the Year:

www.paganfed.org/pagan-wheel.php

Happy Birthday Paracelsus

This weekend is the anniversary of the birthday of the physician and alchemist Paracelsus who was born in 1493 on either 10 or 11 November, according to different accounts.

Far from being some fusty old academic, Paracelsus lead an adventurous life that would not look out of place for a character in a Harry Potter book.

He studied alchemy, surgery and medicine at the University at Basel but got chucked out for dabbling in necromancy.

Necromancy was considered a hanging offence back in Catholic Europe of the 15th century so Paracelsus was forced to flee the town.

His travels took him through Europe and Russia to the East where, according to certain accounts, he witnessed the wild magic of gypsies and desert dervishes as well as learning secret lore from an Arabian adept.

Returning to Europe, he became an army surgeon and was so good at patching people up that he was given a job at his old university as a professor of medicine.

Unfortunately, his magical practices got him into trouble again. Accused of heresy he was once more forced to flee and re-embarked on a life of travel.

He died in 1541 in Salzburg. After his death, his theories grew in fame.

To read more about the life and theories of Paracelsus, click on these links:
http://www.alchemylab.com/paracelsus.htm
http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/p/paracelsus.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracelsus

The Darker Edge of Faery

An event not to miss if you are in Central London next Wednesday is Debbie Gallagher talking about The Darker Edge of Faery.

Forget Tinkerbell and the Flower Fairies, the creatures Debbie will unveil are the unseelie court through legends such as Tam Lin to Thomas the Rhymer and the Vanir to the Sidhe. Better mind your manners.

Debbie Gallagher, a presenter on Psychic TV and the author of
The Spider's Bride, is not only an expert on her subject but also a very entertaining speaker.

Her talk is on 14 Nov and starts at 8.30pm, upstairs at the Devereux pub, 20 Devereux Court, off Essex St, London WC2. The doors open at 7.30pm. Ticket price £2. The talk is organised by The Secret Chiefs, London’s longest-running pagan talks forum.


Links:
www.psychic-tv.com/
www.pflondon.org/html/secret_chiefs.html

Book learning

Should I keep books I will probably never read? As I said in my last post, I inherited a large collection of occult books. Some of them are about a hundred years old: Blavatsky's Secret Doctrine, Alan Leo's Casting the Horoscope and a first edition of H G Well's A Year of Prophesying to name a few. I love to type at my computer at my Victorian schoolteacher's desk, surrounded by historic words of magical wisdom from long-dead masters, even though I may never take the dusty volumes from the bookcase shelves.

They also reminder me of my grandma and my father. My grandma wasn’t a witch but she was a theosophist and an astrologer. She died before I was old enough to learn much magical lore from her, but two things she told me when I was very young have stuck with me:

“You can do whatever you want so long as you don’t harm anyone.”

And

“Everyone has their own spiritual path and makes their own journey but they all
end at the same destination.”

At the age of around five or six I thought these things were just common sense rather than core beliefs of many pagan and occult traditions. And they are common sense, too.

But do I need those old books? They aren’t part of my spiritual path, at least at the moment. Should I keep them, unread, and let them moulder or should I pass them on to someone who would use them?

I recently had to box them up and send them into storage while the study was decorated so I decided to get them valued. I emailed a list of the titles to info@treadwells-london.com , the email address for Treadwells bookshop, 34 Tavistock St, Covent Garden, London, which specialises in cultural history and esoteric belief. Christina, the owner, suggested that I save myself a considerable fee and value them myself, using http://www.abebooks.co.uk/

Yes, the books were valuable. I could auction them and make enough money for a great holiday.

But I’m still undecided on what would be best for me and for the books.

When the books came out of storage, I freecycled the packing boxes and got a lovely email from the man I offered them to, signed:

“God bless you now and always.”

I was left with another dilemma: would a Christian want a load of boxes marked: “Occult tomes”?

Links:
http://www.treadwells-london.com/
http://www.abebooks.co.uk/
http://www.freecycle.org/

An auction house that specialises in books:
http://www.bloomsburyauctions.com/

Endings and beginnings

I confess, I'm not a good witch.

I don't mean I'm a wicked witch. I don't curse people or boil up their entrails in a cauldron. I mean I'm a lazy witch - a technopagan who likes things to be easy.

I'd rather find stuff quickly on the internet than spend hours reading old books. That is pretty sad considering I inherited a vast library of occult tomes both from my grandma and my father and have read maybe one.

As for being in a coven - after 10 years of absence I crept back to a meeting to find it was the last meeting ever; the coven was closing.

So, time for a new beginning. A Bad Witch's Blog is my attempt to collect some links to pagan sites and to put together my musings on pagan-related events and life in general.

I might even surprise myself and review a few books.

To start with, here are two links:

http://www.paganfed.org/

http://www.witchcraft.org/