I have a fox cub!

I've just seen a fox cub climb out of the den at the end of my garden.

For several months I have been eagerly watching fox hole in a leaf pile by my back fence to see if the fox who lives there has had any cubs.

I hadn't seen any so far this year and was beginning to give up hope. Then, about half an hour ago, I saw the fox climb out if its den, followed by a single cub. The cub looks as though it is a few weeks old. It sat on top of the leaf pile for a few moments, then went back inside. The adult followed it.

Although I grabbed my camera, by the time I had put the battery in it both foxes were gone. The camera is now ready and by the window so if I see them again I will try to take a photo.

Beltane frolics and the Wicker Man

May Day is a festival with pagan origins that survived long after Christianity tried to stamp it out, perhaps because it is hard to repress the urge to party when blossom is on the trees and the days are finally warm enough to throw off winter clothing.

On May 1 and over the bank holiday weekend, towns and villages throughout England will be choosing a Queen of the May and enjoying fetes, fairs and carnivals.

It was once also traditional to choose a King of the May as the May Queen's consort for the day. In some communities, a variation on the theme was to dress a man as Jack o' the Green. He was covered in a wickerwork frame dressed in leaves and flowers and would lead a procession through the town, inviting bystanders to join in and culminating in a dance. Unlike Edward Woodward's character in the film The Wicker Man, he wasn't likely to be burnt to death, although fire did play a big part in May Day celebrations.

For the ancient Celts, May Day was celebrated as "Beltane" or the "Day of Fire" - Bel or Belenus was a Celtic god associated with the sun and with heat. Celebrations involved burning bonfires and jumping over the flames and sometimes driving cattle through the smoke to give them the god's blessings. Apparently it was also a cure for parasites. The Saxons also celebrated this time of the year by lighting fires on the evening of April 30 t0 marked the end of winter, followed by games and feasting.

May Day as also a celebration of fertility and an example of this is the maypole, a phallic symbol around which young men and women would dance, holding on to the ribbons until they became entwined. The earliest written records of maypoles in England date from the 14th century but it is likely that they existed before that. In earlier traditions, a tree might have been danced around rather than a cut wooden pole.

For modern pagans - and possibly our ancestors - May Day fertility rites can sometimes be an excuse for a wild party. So, if you are invited to a Beltane ritual, it is worthwhile asking if it is likely to get nude and lewd...

The photograph is of the maypole at Kettlewell, Upper Wharfedale, in the Yorkshire Dales. It was supplied by: www.freefoto.com/.

For more information about Beltane and May Day:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Day
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beltane
http://www.visithastings.com/Hastings/events/jackinthegreen/OriginsofMayDay.aspx
http://pagan-magic.co.uk/shop/origins-traditions-mayday-a-683.html?osCsid=db16cdf4e05cfc0e79990eca4af8f5e
www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/paganism/holydays/beltane_1.shtml
www.lgfl.net/lgfl/leas/ealing/web/EGFL1/teaching_learning/subjects/REandSACRE/Festival_calendar/April/Beltane.htm http://tylluanpenry.blog.co.uk/2008/04/28/beltane-and-may-day-4104896
www.thewhitegoddess.co.uk/sabbats/beltane.asp
www.cassandraeason.co.uk/beltane.htm

Talk on Witchcraft Old and New

The word "witch" has had many different meanings at different times and places and to different people: anything from a woman who tells fortunes to a vampire owl who kills infants in their cradles.

Tomorrow evening, at Secret Chiefs, Gareth Medway will be talking about the patterns in this diversity and looking at what connection, if any, there is between people who meet naked in suburban living rooms and medieval women who reputedly flew around the world on broomsticks.

Gareth is a priest of Themis and a historian of occultism.

The talk is on Wednesday 30 April 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 Secret Chiefs, London’s longest-running pagan talks forum.

Madness, Magic & Mystics in London

Tomorrow, 29 April, Treadwell's is holding a lecture on Arthur Machen and the occult.

Arthur Machen (1863-1947) wrote terrifying tales of the supernatural, including the gothic fantasy The Great God Pan.

As well as being an author, Machen was a mystic, actor, journalist and magician. He was a member of the Order of the Golden Dawn and lived in London. In his writing he transformed London’s streets into a city of visions and nightmares. Student of magic Ed Gauntlett will be talking about Machen’s occultism, mysticism and religious belief.

Entry to the talk costs £5 and it is worthwhile phoning in advance to reserve a place. Arrive at 7.15pm for a 7.30pm start.

Treadwell's Bookshop is at 34 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden. Tel: 020 7240 8906. Web: www.treadwells-london.com/lectures.asp

If you know of any pagan events that you would like mentioned on A Bad Witch's Blog, email me at badwitch1234@gmail.com or leave a comment below.

Circle casting

Someone asked me whether it is necessary to cast a circle before doing magic and, if not, why witches bother.

It is an interesting question that got me thinking - and browsing the internet - to try to find an answer.

The answer to the first part of the question is, no, a circle is not essential. Plenty of people cast spells, perform rituals and do very effective magic without being in any kind of circular area.

You only have to look at temples in ancient Egypt and Greece - which are mostly oblong - to realise that. Some are circular, but not the majority, and if circles had been vital for magic then cultures that were heavily influenced by magical belief would certainly have created round ritual spaces.

Of course, Stonehenge and similar ancient stone structures are arranged in rings. The reason for that may have been magical. Or it may just have been that stones in that formation make ideal sundials. Greek theatres were round too, but that is because amphitheatres are a good shape for a performance, allowing the audience to gather at the edges to get a decent view.

Nevertheless, the fact that plenty of ancient structures were designed for religious, magical and ritual purposes seems to suggest that people have always found it helpful to define some sort of space for work that was beyond the mundane.

Modern pagans, however, seem to like to get out of doors whenever possible. As soon as sun peeps from behind the clouds and the weather turns vaguely warm and dry, we are outside cavorting in whatever wild spaces we can still find within our concrete jungles. Perhaps that is because, for us, big buildings are the norm, not the novelty they might have been for our ancient ancestors.

Yet, out in Epping Forest, Oxleas Wood or Hampstead Heath, witches will cast a circle to in which to work magic. It isn't a physical structure, but it is a perceived barrier to outside interference and a container for the energy raised for the work to be done. They usually do this by mentally visualising it, dancing or walking around it, or indicating it with the pointy end of a sword or athame or just some stick they've found lying around.

So why a circle? Well, it is simpler and easier to imagine than a square, oblong, triangle or whatever. Symbolically, it has no beginning and no end. It has strength and unity. It looks neat.

Most if not all cultures have given circles some symbolic significance. For example, the top of the Celtic cross is a circle divided into quarters and Buddhist mandalas, designed as aids to meditation, are circular.

However, if a circle doesn't seem appropriate to you, you don't have to use one. Some people imagine a barrier around their body before sitting down to meditate or to work magic, so their sacred space would be person-shaped. You could imagine a barrier around the edges of your room or around the woodland clearing or garden you are using for your ritual. Or you could just clear your mind and cast your spell without being in any specially-prepared or defined area.

In my experience, though, the location you are in can affect the spell you cast, so it is worthwhile considering creating a sacred space before doing magic if possible.

In a future entry of A Bad Witch's Blog I hope to talk about different ways of casting a circle. In the meantime, here are some very good examples that other people have written:

Simple circle castings:
www.psychicwise.biz/casting_a_circle.htm
www.scottishpf.org/circlecasting.html
http://silverbroom.co.uk/blog/2008/02/17/casting-a-circle-guide/

Wiccan style circles:
www.ladyoftheflame.co.uk/Rituals/circlecasting.htm
www.witches.org.uk/Rituals.html

For further information:
www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A9106995
www.sunion.warwick.ac.uk/pagan/articles_celticcircles.htm
www.gardenvisit.com/history_theory/garden_landscape_design_articles/sacred_gardens/buddhist_gardens_vihara http://altreligion.about.com/library/weekly/aa062003a.htm

If you have any questions for The Bad Witch, leave a comment on my blog and I will try to answer them.

Lots of change at the wildlife garden

Yesterday, I wrote about a woman's attempts to build a wildlife garden. I had gone to see the garden and exchanged some emails about a week earlier, but it seems a lot can change in a week. After posting on my blog, I got this email:

"Hi, I’m Jennifer "Jami" Wearn, the crazy lady who came up with the idea for the wildlife garden here in Burham Close, like in says in A Bad Witch's Blog I came up with the idea because I wanted some frogs to help with my veggies in my garden - they eat the slugs so I'm told..

I looked at the site and tried to picture what could be put into the garden and we were put in touch with a lovely lady from High Elms Centre. She came down and looked at the site and told me what could be put into the wildlife garden... I was surprised at how much could be done with such a little space but she convinced me it can all be done and a lot more...

So I went away and started some doodles as to what in time the garden could look like. I then had a meeting with some top bods at the council and they all agreed it would be a great idea. They looked at the temporary drawing I had done and could see its potential...

From here they told us what I would need to do next... the red tape... First we would need planning permission. Then a license to enable the group to lease the site... all of which would need to be paid for... so we went away and started to look at ways to fund everything..

I started to collect items from Freecycle and have almost completed the collection from just this site alone...

After talking with a friend of mine he suggested asking The Round Table if they could help with the planning fees and license fees so I complete these forms and I wait to hear from them in the very near future...

I was put in touch with Community Links who help groups like ours to get grants and funds for projects just like mine. So I’m filling in those forms too. They have also given me a mentor who will help with developing the plans in its progress and marketing it etc and publicity etc too.

I leafleted every house and flat on the estate to inform them all of what I planned to do in the hope I'd get more ideas and hopefully help when it comes to the hard work of changing the site... fingers crossed.

As time went by I was given other ideas and gained more knowledge and the original plans grew and grew. I’ve now got a shed which will act like a hide as well as a storage shed for tools. I’ve been lucky with the support I’ve had from Freecycle - not only ideas but people offering to do the drawings for me too, so the ball is rolling.
Now so we should have the garden up and running in no time at all.

Someone gave me ideas on having a tyre raised bed and then after visiting other wildlife centres I got more ideas to improve my garden (I don’t really like using mine as it will be everyone’s). I hope that schools and groups will use the site and will also help with its up keep but really the purpose is for the community to get together and work together to develop a bit of waste land into something really special. And to increase their own knowledge of the wildlife in the own back gardens as well as to help increase the ever declining wildlife...

I love butterflies and they mean so much to me... life is like a butterfly the more you struggle the more beautiful you become my nanny always said because the more the butterfly struggles to get out of their chrysalis the stronger and more beautiful their wings are..

We have had to change our group to a new one as the previous group folded but I wanted to continue with getting the wildlife garden up and running so with the help of some very lovely people who live either on the estate or close by have volunteered to help set up a new group with plenty of new ideas and new energy.

We hope the group will in time change every bit of waste land on the estate and hope other residents groups etc will get ideas for their local wasted spaces...

My next project will hopefully get the play area change here in Burham Close as it’s a very weak excuse for a playground... so watch this space

Many thanks and hope to hear from you soon

Jami"

For more information: www.bromley.gov.uk/leisure/parksandoutdoor/bromley_environmental_education_centre_at_high_elms.htm www.freecycle.org/
www.roundtable.co.uk/
www.community-links.org/

Wilding the city

From my posts about foxes, trees and flowers, you might think I live in an affluent, leafy suburb such as Hampstead. I don't. Much of my local patch is housing estates, rows of run-down shops and struggling industrial units - a normal urban part of Greater London.

Yet many of those who live here are passionate about making their home area greener.

Jennifer, who lives in a small estate in Penge, SE20, is one such person. Since November last year she has been fighting to create a wildlife garden on a patch of wasteland.

Jennifer said: "I grow my own veg in my front garden and wanted some frogs. I thought if only there was a wildlife garden and pond nearby, it would help."

"I saw this patch of waste ground on Burham Close. It's only used as a dumping ground and a dog loo at the moment, and it's not nice for the kids to play on. That was how the idea started."

Other residents have joined Jennifer in wanting to create a wildlife area to encourage bumble bees, butterflies, beetles and other species that are slowly being killed off as more and more land is built on for new homes.

The residents are promoting the garden via signs in the area and are collecting recycled tools and equipment.

Jennifer said: "We have collected over £4,000 worth of goodies from Freecycle and are trying to get funds and grants from other sources, but this isn't easy. There is also a lot of council red tape. They are asking us to do a scaled drawing of the wildlife garden but I don't know how to do this and am trying to find someone who can help."

Schemes like this should be encouraged. They not only help nature survive in our city, they also make it a more attractive place for us to live.

Celebrate Beltane

Beltane, or May Day, is the traditional start of summer. The official date for the festival is the first of May but you can celebrate it in Epping Forest this Saturday with The Pagan Federation London.

In an outdoor ritual, the Wood Spirits will be welcoming the god of heat and healing Belinos "The Shining One", and the Queen of May who brings the hope of growth for the harvest to come.

Everyone who wants to take part is welcome, so bring poetry, songs and tales of folklore to share as part of the ritual.

The ritual is on Saturday 26th April, with a 2pm start. To be escorted into the woodland site, meet at Loughton Station at 1pm. It is free to take part, but donations to PL London are encouraged.

Wood Spirits group gather in Epping Forest each month to connect with the spirits of the earth and share folklore, music, poetry and knowledge of the natural world.

To find out more about PF London visit: http://www.pflondon.org/html/open_rituals.html
The Wood Spirits website is: http://www.wood-spirits.org.uk/ '
For more information about Beltane visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beltane

Festival poll results

Thanks to everyone who voted in my poll to find out our favourite festival.

The poll has now ended and it seems Midsummer is our favourite festival, closely followed by Samhain. Beltane was in third place while only two of us enjoy Yule most of all.

To see the final results, scroll down to the bottom of the page in A Bad Witch's Blog.

St George - the man and the myths

Today English people everywhere will be celebrating St George's Day and feeling a little national pride as they honour the patron saint of England.

But why am I, a pagan and a witch, talking about a saint? St George is not only a Christian icon but in real life was famous for championing Christianity against pagan Rome and in folklore was famous for slaying a dragon - not only a symbol of paganism but also an endangered species.

I guess I am a romantic at heart, with a soft spot for a tale of chivalry. I can't resist the image of a knight in shining armour rescuing a damsel in distress from some loathsome beast, whether that story has any basis in truth or not.

The real St George was from Cappadocia in Asia Minor, which is now Turkey. His family were Greek Christians, which is why he has a Christan name. For most of his life he lived in Palestine and he never set foot in England.

He was chosen as patron saint of England around 1348, during the reign of King Edward III (1327-1377), because of his bravery in protesting against Rome 's persecution of Christians, prior to that our country's patron saint was St Edmund.

The red and white cross was adopted as England's symbol by Richard Lionheart, who is said to have dreamt of St George with a red cross banner during the Crusades.

We share St George with quite a few other countries. He is also the patron saint of Aragon, Canada, Catalonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Montenegro, Palestine, Portugal, Russia and Serbia.

The legend of St George slaying a dragon has no specific date. The earliest known depiction of it dates from early 11th century. According to legend, St George, a roman soldier, slew a dragon,using a sword named Ascalon, near Silena, in Libya.

Now that I know all these facts, should I stop celebrating England's national day? Should I scoff at us honouring a man who probably never even thought about England in his entire life?

No. Mythology and truth are often very different things. Myths have strength and value in what they symbolise to us. If a tale of a knight bravely facing a hideous beast and rescuing something precious from the maws of destruction makes us feel better about facing our own fears, that is what is important.

And that is why I will be celebrating St George's Day.

Magic in Shakespeare

Shakespeare's plays contain many references to magic and the occult.

On Wednesday, April 23, theatrical director Alison Rockbrand will be giving a talk entitled The Magic In Shakespeare at The Moot With No Name, in central London.

Alison will be discussing the bard's identity, his views on the occult and the esoteric symbolism in his works.

The Moot With No Name meets upstairs at the Devereux pub, 0ff Essex Street, London WC2, close to Temple tube station. The talk starts at 8pm and the doors open at 7.30pm. Entry costs £2.

The strange career of Good King Lud

Tonight, April 22, London Earth Mysteries Circle will be giving a talk on The Strange Career of Good King Lud.

According to Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain, Lud was a king of Britain in pre-Roman times. His fortress was built in London and he is supposed to be buried at Ludgate. However, he also appears as a mythological figure in the Welsh tales of the Mabinogion.

London Earth Mysteries Circle meets at 7pm on every other Tuesday from 7pm at the Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place, London W1U 8EA.

Visit: http://www.lemc.ic24.net/

A woodland bluebell walk

Tiptoe gently through the bluebells, for if you shake one it will ring out with a sound that only fairies can hear. And if you wade through a mass of blue flowers on the woodland floor you will summon an angry mob and set off spells they have hung among them, for the fairies do not like to be disturbed.

At least, that is what the folk tales say. It is good advice, even if you don't believe in fairies. Bluebells suffer badly from being trampled upon. In heavily trodden places, next year's plants will be sparse and straggly. Picking the flowers can also weaken the plants, so it is a good idea to leave bluebells alone and stick to the paths if you go for a bluebell walk.

I took advantage of a sunny few hours yesterday afternoon to visit Arlington Bluebell Walk, in East Sussex.

Arlington Bluebell Walk is in managed private woodland and offers eight walks covering woodlands, fields, riverbanks and farms. It is a great conservation project and raises money for charities including Relate, the RSPB and various local projects. There is also a tearoom, small farmers' market and charity bookshop.

The woods are a carpet of blue flowers at the moment, although they aren't fully out yet. They normally flower for just a few weeks in late April and early May. If you fancy a bluebell walk this spring then visit Arlington next weekend or over the early May bank holiday and you should see them at their best.

Arlington Bluebell Walk and Farm Trail is open daily from 10am to 5pm until May 7. It is at Bates Green Farm, Tye Hill Road, Arlington, near Polegate, East Sussex, BN26 6SH. Tel 01323 485151. Entrance is £3.50 for adults. The website is: www.bluebellwalk.co.uk/

For information about bluebell folklore, visit:
www.new-age.co.uk/flower-language.htm

The world's most ancient tree

The world's oldest tree has been discovered, in Sweden.

The tree is a spruce that first grew at end of the last ice age, more than 9,500 years ago. It was discovered in the Fulu Mountains, Dalarna, in central Sweden and is among a cluster of trees that have been carbon dated to over 8,000 years old.

Swedish scientists from Umea University believe that the trees have managed to survive for so long because every winter the snow pushes low-lying branches into the ground where they take root. Although the original mother trunk may die, the branches form new trunks that are genetically the same tree.

Ancient trees appear in many culture's mythologies and are often colossal, with their branches supporting the heavens, their trunk in the realm of the Earth and their roots in the underworld.

Yggdrasil is the World Tree in Norse mythology. It is a giant ash that links all the worlds. In the folklore of Siberia, the World Tree is also the symbol of Mother Earth who gave the Samoyed shaman a magical drum and helped him travel from one world to another.

World trees also feature in ancient South American mythology, where they embody the four cardinal directions as well as linking the sky and the ground.

No one is suggesting that the elderly spruces found in Sweden represent anything quite so mythic, but there is evidence that these trees were highly valued by our ancient ancestors. Scientists believe the original saplings may have been transported some distance and deliberately planted. Trees would have been in very short supply supply and their wood would have been vital for survival.

It is easy to understand why fabulous stories were told about them around fires of crackling pine cones on cold nights.

For more information:
www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=A1YourView&xml=/earth/2008/04/17/eatree117.xml
www.kheper.net/integral/tree.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_tree

What is your favourite festival?

Which pagan celebrations do you enjoy most - Beltaine, Midsummer, Samhain or Yule? Or do you prefer another festival?

If you scroll down to the bottom of the page on A Bad Witch's Blog you will see a poll to find our favourite festival.

The poll closes in a few days and afterwards I will write about the findings.

Full moon

On Sunday April 20 there is a full moon.

I love it when a full moon falls at a weekend because I can celebrate the occasion later into the night than I can if I have work the next day.

Most wiccan covens celebrate the esbat on the nearest weekend to the full moon anyway, but it always seems better to do it when the moon really is full in the sky.

If you are a solitary witch and fancy doing a full moon ritual on your own, here are some links to rituals designed for just one person:
www.witchway.net/ritual/solmoon.html
www.paganlore.org/solomoon.htm
www.thesacredpaths.com/village/2006/03/14/a-solitary-full-moon-ritual/

I often prefer to simply spend time meditating on the moon when I am on my own or, if the night is mild, I like to go for a moonlit walk in the country or along a beach.

For those who like to call the full moons by names each month, the full moon for April was apparently called the Seed Moon in medieval times - perhaps because April in the month when planting was done. Neopagan names include Awakening Moon and Wind Moon.

For more information about the magical significance of the full moon, follow these links: www.pagancalendar.co.uk/
www.pagan-heart.co.uk/articles/moonnames/moonnames.html
witchcraze.moonfruit.com/lunarmonths/4526627125
pagan-magic.co.uk/shop/moon-phases-a-27.html?osCsid=db16cdf4e05cfc0e79990eca4af8f5e
www.farmersalmanac.com/full-moon-names
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_moon tacircle.morbidlemon.co.uk/index.php?action=fullnews&showcomments=1&id=12

Apples to apples

New leaves are starting to sprout on the apple tree in my garden while this morning I opened a jar of homemade apple chutney, made with last summer's apples, which has been maturing since the autumn.

It was a good reminder of how the wheel of the year turns.

The apple chutney was delicious, although I didn't make it myself. It was an anonymous gift left on my doorstep before Yule.

My apple tree is the central feature of my garden and every year it produces an abundant crop - far too many apples for me to get through - so I give a lot away.

Last autumn I offered them on Freecycle, and had a large number of responses. I let each person fill one carrier bag, because that seemed the fairest way of sharing them.

Then I got the mysterious gift of chutney, with a little note saying: "Thanks for the apples. The chutney will taste better if left for a few months."

It was worth the wait. The cheese-and-chutney sandwiches I took to work look lovely and I am anticipating several similar lunches to come.

I wish I knew who had left the mysterious gift so I could thank them and, if I get a similarly large apple harvest this year I will definitely give away more on Freecycle, and consider myself blessed by the spirit of the apple tree.

For more on apple trees: www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/01/dancing-in-orchards.html

Talk on The Book of the Law

The Book Of The Law (What's It All About, Aiwass?) is the title of a talk at Secret Chiefs tonight.

Back in April 1904, Aleister Crowley received dictations from a preternatural entity, called Aiwass, while he was on honeymoon in Cairo with his wife Rose.

These dictations were three chapters of The Book Of The Law, the basis of Thelema.

Tonight, the pagan forum Secret Chiefs is presenting readings from The Book Of The Law, with a discussion of what it means.

The talk is on Wednesday 16 April 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 Secret Chiefs, London’s longest-running pagan talks forum.

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

Problems and opportunities

I really hate it when people say: "There are no such things as problems; there are only opportunities."

What rubbish. Being told some supposedly motivational tripe when what one really needs is a shoulder to cry on - or maybe an offer of assistance - doesn't help one little bit.

I've also been told that witches are supposed to treat problems as times of learning, teaching them the lessons for this lifetime so they can an overcome karma and progress on their personal spiritual journey.

Well, I am a bad witch. I'd just as soon do without those kinds of learning opportunities, thank you very much.

Like many people at the moment, my problems are to do with money.

Mortgages are going up. I've also had huge bills for gas, council tax, car tax and service, a new pair of glasses, my cats' annual vet check up and emergency repairs to my water heater during that recent unseasonal cold spell.

Have I learnt anything? Well, I realise my house could do with double glazing and better insulation, but how can I afford that when I can't pay off my existing bills?

It isn't as though it is the first time money has been tight. I know the procedures: phone calls to try to get the bills reduced or be allowed to pay them in installments; juggling things between credit cards; listing a few unwanted items on Gumtree in the hope of raising cash and cutting down on small luxuries like a morning latte on the way to work.

I realise I am not alone in suffering the effects of the credit crisis. We are all affected to some extent. So maybe the lesson is for all of us - that our economic system isn't working that well and as a society we ought to sort out our priorities a bit better. But that doesn't really help me right now.

To take my mind off my woes I sat down to listen to some music - and then found my CD player was broken. I think I must have reached the point where you either laugh or cry - give up or just accept the situation.

There was nothing I could do - I certainly can't afford to get that fixed or replaced. Then I remembered I had a drawerful of cassettes I hadn't listened to for years - and my cassette player was still OK, just very dusty.

So I did sit down and listen to music after all - Enya's Watermark. It was something I hadn't heard for about a decade because I only have it on tape and I had forgotten how much I like it.

So maybe I have learnt something after all - that, just sometimes, when dark clouds gather you do get to see a silver lining.

Faery Folk Festival

Sunday 27 April is the day to put on your fairy wings and fly down to beautiful seaside town of Deal, in Kent, for The Faery Folk Festival.

There will be talks, workshops, performances and exhibitors' stands on all things to do with the world of the fae and fairy magic. Special guest performers include Damh The Bard, Touch The Earth, Tony King and Electra.

The Faery Festival will also host the launch of a full colour magazine The Magical Times.

Fancy dress is optional, with Elves & Faeries as the theme.

The Faery Folk Festival is on Sunday 27 April from noon to 5pm at The Landmark Centre, High Street, Deal, Kent CT14 6BB. Tickets are available on the door and cost £2.50 for adults with under-12s getting in for free.

For further info & directions visit www.magicalfestivals.co.uk/

Dandelions: Brews, Folklore and Gardening

Many gardeners hate dandelions.

They don't appreciate their shaggy yellow flowers that look rather like a lion's mane - dandelion actually means "lion's tooth", named after their jagged leaves. Neither do they like the delicate white dandelion clocks that, as children, we learn to make a wish on before blowing to the wind.

Those wanting a pristine, manicured lawn see dandelions as a weed that spreads fast and is difficult to get rid of.

Luckily, more people are realising that wildflowers can enhance a garden. Bees and other creatures love dandelions because they are nutritious - and we can eat them too.

Dandelion tea is supposed to be good for the complexion. To brew it, just cut off the yellow heads and steep four of them in a cup of boiling water for 20 minutes. The green leaves can be added to salad and are said to taste a little like rocket.

If you are feeling a bit more adventurous, you can make dandelion wine. St George's Day, 23 April, is the traditional date to start brewing this, although you can do it whenever there are lots of flowers in bloom as you will need a large amount.

Herbalists have used dandelions for centuries for their medicinal properties. Culpeper, the 17th century herbalist, wrote:

"It has an opening and cleansing property and, therefore, very effectual for removing obstructions of the liver, gall bladder and spleen and diseases arising from them such as jaundice."

The root of the plant contains a lot of vitamin A and some B vitamins while the leaves contain vitamin C. Dandelions are a diuretic, which gives the plant its vulgar name "wet-the-bed". However, drinking dandelion tea early in the day can help empty the bladder before going to bed, which is reputed to help night-time incontinence.

The sap from the stems has also in the past been used to treat warts.

What's more, eating all the dandelions in your garden is a good way of reducing their numbers, if that's what you want to do.

This is not medical advice. Always seek expert advice before taking herbal remedies. .

The fox's friend

Another fox was in my garden yesterday morning. This one had a much fuller tail than my usual visitor and was quite bold. I took this picture when it was close to the house.

I'm not sure if one of the foxes is male and the other is female - although I am hoping a breeding pair are responsible for the den at the end of my garden.

If anyone knows the best way to tell the difference between a dog fox and a vixen without getting close enough to view their private anatomy, please leave a comment or send me an email.

Spring cleaning

Over the past few days I've had a bit of a spring clean.

It began last weekend at the start of the new financial year when I looked at the row of old cereal boxes I keep my accounts in and decided I didn't need bills and bank statements that were 12 years old.

It felt strange to watch my bygone life go into the shredder but psychologically it is good to get rid of stuff that is no longer needed to make room for new things.

Not that the space on my shelf stayed vacant for long.

I logged onto Freecycle, meaning to find a new home for some DVDs, and ended up accepting another Freecycler's offer of the entire partwork series Learn & Understand Astrology and Divination, published by Hachette a few years ago.

I'm not sure how well written the material is, but I will enjoy delving into it and will hopefully write a review of the publication in A Bad Witches Blog in the future.

As for all that paper I shredded, I have put some of it into my compost bin. Hopefully, in years to come, I will see flowers growing from the remains of all those old final reminders.


For the Hachette website, visit: www.hachettepartworks.co.uk/

More fox tales

I have seen my local fox in my garden regularly over the past week. Yesterday it was chewing what looked like a meat bone it must have stolen from a rubbish bin, then it disappeared into its den by my back fence.

If you have been following A Bad Witch's Blog you will know that I often see foxes in my garden and that there is a fox hole in the leaf pile by my back fence. I am hoping it is a breeding den but I haven't seen any cubs so far this spring. Nevertheless, I am pleased to see the fox looking so healthy because it had some sore-looking bald patches on its behind last autumn.

In British folklore, foxes are depicted as cunning creatures that are often able to trick those who chase them. Anyone who has watched foxes in real life will know that they are clever animals and very good at hiding when they want to. I am pleased that my urban fox has learnt to trust me to some extent and doesn't immediately run away when she sees me.

In Aesop's fable The Farmer and the Fox, the trickster nature of the fox is used to show that revenge can rebound on the avenger. In the tale, a farmer caught a fox that had been stealing his hens. To get his revenge, he tied dry grass to its brush and set fire to it, then let the fox go. However, the creature ran into the corn fields, which were ready to harvest, burning the farmer's entire crop.

Foxes are also often depicted as witches' allies or familiars and there are many tales of shape shifting.

In the legend of The Black Fox of Dartmoor, a wealthy landowner coveted the smallholding belonging to an old woman who the local villagers visited for advice and herbal remedies. He was furious that although he owned so much property the tiny plot and cottage belonging to the old woman were not his too.

One night the cottage mysteriously burned to the ground and the old woman died. After she was buried, a large black fox was seen lying on her grave every night. The villagers were scared of it and the landowner decided to hunt it down with his horses and pack of hounds.

He chased the fox over hill and vale, but it was so fast he could not quite catch it. At last, he thought he had the fox cornered but, as it turned to face him, it transformed into the old woman. In one version of the tale, his horse reared in terror at the sight and the landowner fell, smashing his head against a boulder. In another version, the landowner and his hounds were magically transformed into a spectral hunt that guard the ruins of the old woman's cottage to this day.

Foxes appear in the folklore of many cultures. In early Mesopotamian mythology, the fox is sacred to the mother goddess Ninhursag. In Chinese mythology, fox spirits, or huli jing, tempt men into infidelity. In Japanese folklore, the fox-like kitsune is a powerful animal spirit (Yōkai) with a mischievous and cunning nature and can take human form.

For more information on foxes in folklore visit:
www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/black_fox.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxes_in_culture
www.coyotes.org/kitsune/kitsune.html
www.businessballs.com/aesopsfables.htm http://www.mystical-www.co.uk/animal/animalf.htm http://www.thefoxwebsite.org/index.html www.icons.org.uk/introduction/partners/ea/nominations/the-red-fox

Tantra: review of a guide to sacred sex

The subject of sacred sex, such as tantra, probably earns more smirks than any other spiritual topic.

Yet we live in a society where sex is more important than religion to most people, so why do we laugh? Why aren't more of us trying to find the divine heights that tantric teaching tells us our lovemaking can reach?

I guess there are a few answers to that. One of them has to be that much of tantra is about ways to avoid having an orgasm. We all know orgasms are great, so why on earth would we want to avoid them?

Another important factor is that we lead very busy lives. Tantra is often perceived as being something that is difficult and time-consuming to learn, requiring years of regular practice to be proficient at.

A book I was sent last month, 28 Days to Ecstasy for Couples: Tantra Step by Step by Pala Copeland and Al Link, does a pretty good job of dealing with both of those problems.

It contains exercises for couples that take about 20 minutes each and are designed to be done one per day over a month to teach the basics of tantra.

None of the exercises are particularly difficult. They start with things such as simple visualisations, breathing exercises, loving eye contact with your partner and tensing and relaxing muscles. In fact, I think anyone trying them would be surprised at how easy they actually are - and enjoyable. After all, sex is meant to be enjoyable and tantra is all about experiencing the divine through joy.

At the end of each week there is a tantric lovemaking session that involves a little ceremony and ritual such as bathing together, creating a sacred space with lighted candles and incense and confirming your commitment to each other. There are also erotic exercises designed to increase sensual pleasure and help you learn to move sexual energy throughout your entire body.

Yes, but what about the "not having an orgasm" thing? I hear people ask. Actually, the book describes it more as "non-goal-orientated lovemaking". It explains techniques for prolonging sex in order to intensify the sensation and it certainly doesn't forbid anyone from having an orgasm.

What the book does not do is go into depth about theory. It is primarily a workbook of practical exercises, while the history of tantra and the thoughts behind it are covered in Soul Sex: Tantra for Two: Tantra for Sexual and Spiritual Pleasure, an earlier book by Al Link.

If you and your partner are looking for an easy, practical step-by-step guide on tantra, 28 Days to Ecstasy for Couples is a good book to begin with. It also has plenty of ideas for things to do after the first month, as the second half of the book contains plenty of suggestions for ways to continue practising sacred sex.

Published by Llewellyn, 28 Days to Ecstasy for Couples: Tantra Step by Stepby Pala Copeland and Al Link, costs $17.95 in the US, which should be about £9.50 in the UK.

April Snow

I woke this morning to see thick snow falling outside my window. Snow is such a rare sight in London these days that threw on my clothes, grabbed my camera, and rushed down to my local park to take pictures that wouldn't look out of place on a Yule card.

Before I arrived I could hear sounds of children's laughter as two small boys waged a gleeful snowball fight in the playground.

I think there is something about snow in England these days that brings out the child in all of us, especially when it is on a Sunday and we don't have to try to get to work.

Of course, snow was a lot more common when I was a child - it would first arrive not long after mid winter and was a frequent sight until March. After weeks of chilblains and long waits at freezing bus stops it soon lost its appeal.

However, what concerns me about snow this late into the year is how it will affect all the young animals that have recently been born.

Squirrel mythology

Yesterday, after while writing about squirrels in my garden, I decided to find out more about the folklore surrounding them.

In Norse mythology, the red squirrel Ratatosk is said to live in Yggdrasill, the World Tree. He was a messenger who carried news and gossip between the denizens of the tree. In particular, he ferried insults between Veðrfölnir, the wise eagle who lives at the top of Yggdrasill, and the dragon Níðhöggr, who inhabits its roots in the underworld.

In England from the end of the Ice Age up until medieval times, it was said that a squirrel could travel across the entire country through the ancient Wildwood without touching the ground once. These would, of course, have been red squirrels.

Grey squirrels were introduced in England from North America in 1876 and became very popular with the Victorians, particularly the Duke of Bedford who imported a large number for his park at Woburn Abbey. Sadly, they drove back our native reds, which now can only be found in protected areas where the forest conditions are ideal, such as the Isle of Wight and parts of the north west of England.

Squirrels have been used to symbolise a number of things in the past. In traditional needlework samplers, squirrels denote mischief and were particularly shown in embroidered scenes of the Garden of Eden. In native American traditions a squirrel represents trust and thrift. As a spirit guide, it can also mean that a person is caring, nurturing and always on the go.

One website I looked at said:

"SQUIRREL - teaches us to gather and prepare for the future. Squirrel, in preparing for winter, gathers only what it needs. This medicine teaches us to discard not only unnecessary physical objects but those negative beliefs which limit our trust in love and abundance."

This surprised me. I've seen squirrels take huge numbers of nuts from my bird feeder and I very much doubt they only gather what they need. I've watched them bury caches all over my garden and not only am I quite sure they forget many of these hiding places, I've also seen crows follow squirrels about digging up things they've just buried.

For more information about squirrels in folklore:
www.theearthangelconnection.com/Power%20%20Animals.htm
www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/animals2.htm
www.south-coast-central.co.uk/wildwood.htm
www.needleworksamplers.com/Simply_Samplers/sampler_motifs.shtml
www.brilliant-bliss.com/Totem%20Animals.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratatosk
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squirrel

Trouble with squirrels

Earlier this spring I hung a bird feeder from the apple tree in my garden and since then I have had to refill it every few days.

Although I have seen blue tits and other small birds visit it from time to time I was surprised at how quickly it was being emptied.

The other morning I found out why. A family of squirrels have been removing the seeds from the feeder and probably planting them all over my lawn.

Although I realise squirrels can be a bit if a nuisance - such as when they are stealing from bird feeders - I like watching them in my garden, even though they are grey squirrels and not the red variety. So, when I was doing some research about them for A Bad Witch's Blog I was shocked to discover just how much they are hated.

I browsed through hundreds of websites detailing squirrels' villainous deeds and recommending their extermination but only found a handful with any positive information.

The main reason grey squirrels are considered a threat is that they are partly responsible for driving out the red squirrels that are native to this country. I say partly responsible, because other factors including disease, hunting and changes of land use are also factors. Humans have to shoulder at least some of the blame because we are the ones who imported the greys from America, back in 1876.

While I am very much in favour of schemes to protect red squirrels where they still exist in the UK, such as the Isle of Wight, I don't approve of plans to poison or shoot grey squirrels in our capital. Even if we managed to kill every grey squirrel in London, it is extremely unlikely to bring red squirrels back to our parks and gardens. We would just live in a city without squirrels.

For my own garden I briefly considered buying a squirrel-resistant bird feeder, but decided against it. I enjoy watching the playful and inquisitive creatures in my apple tree, running about on my lawn and burying nuts and seeds.

What I am wondering, however, is whether my lawn will be a forest of sunflowers come the summer. I suppose I shouldn't be too concerned - only last week I was extolling the virtues of letting my garden grow wild.

For more information about squirrels visit: www.squirrels.info/uk/in_uk.htm

Archaeologists investigate Stonehenge

On Monday, archaeologists began a two-week dig at Stonehenge.

Professor Geoff Wainwright and Professor Tim Darvill, who are in charge of the excavation, are trying to ascertain exactly when England's best known stone circle was constructed.

The archaeologists believe that the first stones to be placed at Stonehenge were the Welsh bluestones, which are much smaller than the main sarsen stones. They were transported from Carn Menyn, which is 200 miles away, in Wales. In that area the blue stones were associated with healing magic.

Previous archaeological digs at Stonehenge have discovered human bones showing evidence of disease or injury and the professors believe Stonehenge may originally have been a place of healing.

Previous theories about Stonehenge have considered it as a place of death and sacrifice - and I have to say I have always felt something violent and threatening in the energy at the stones - so it will be interesting to see what the new dig unearths.

The BBC is covering the dig each day on its website and will be showing a Timewatch special about it later in the year.

For more information, visit:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7322753.stm
www.bbc.co.uk/history/programmes/stonehenge/

The image of Stonehenge was supplied by Freefoto.com

Cockney Wicca

Most people think of Wicca as having country origins, being a witchcraft tradition that survived in the west of England from pre-Christian times.

It was popularised in the 1950s by Gerald Gardner, who claimed to have been initiated into the ancient pagan religion. Witches who follow Gardner's teachings are known as Gardnerian Wiccans.

However, many London witches follow a different tradition - that of Cockney Wicca.

The best known figure of Cockney Wicca is Mother Brown, a prominent high priestess of the craft who was active in the East End of London in the Victorian times. She was a striking figure, characterised by her long black skirts and hat, covered in the buttons that denote a high-ranking Pearly Queen.

Mother Brown was well known throughout the East End and initiated nearly 300 people into the craft, teaching the now famous sacred dance, the Okey-cokey. She was known to enjoy a good party, which in the East End is known as a 'knees up', and it is after her that another famous song was named: Knees Up Mother Brown.

However, what is less well known is that Mother Brown was not her true name. Instead it has been the honorific title given to the ruling Pearly High Priestess of the true path of Wicca since the witchcraft tradition was started, before the fall of Atlantis.


Happy April Fool's Day!