May Day and Jack in the Green

On May Day, the foliage-clad figure of Jack in the Green, accompanied by musicians and people in fancy dress, is now almost a familiar sight on the streets of London and other towns in southern England.

This spring tradition was revived in Deptford in the 1980s by the Blackheath Morris Men, after seeing a curious photograph of a Jack in the Green procession dating from the 1900s.

The Morris dancers weren't quite sure what the event in the photograph was really all about - the only caption on the photo being that it was The Fowler's Troop Jack in the Green - but it looked fun, and suitable for the season, so they thought they'd give it a go themselves.

It proved popular, and the revived Fowlers Troop and man dressed up in a wickerwork frame covered in leaves now returns every May 1, visiting various pubs in London's City and suburbs.

Since those early days, folklorists have delved into the history of the tradition to find out a bit more about it.

At first glance, Jack in the Green does bear a striking resemblance to The Green Man - a figure found carved in many old English churches and thought by some to be a relic of pre-Christian nature worship.

However, similarities in appearance aside, the current theory is that the tradition of Jack in the Green began only a couple of hundred years ago and developed totally independently of any earlier folklore.

The Fowler's Troop website states:

"The Jack in the Green tradition developed from the 17th Century custom of milkmaids going out on May Day with the utensils of their trade - silver cups, pots, spoons - decorated with garlands and piled into a pyramid which they carried on their heads. By the mid 18th Century other groups, notably chimney sweeps, were moving in on the milkmaids' territory as they saw May Day as a good opportunity to collect money."

Whatever the true origins, it is hard to see Jack in the Green celebrations today and not feel you are witnessing something a little wild and pagan and full of the spirit of Beltane.

If you want to see it for yourself, Fowlers Troop will be dressing Jack tonight, Thursday 30 April , at the Market Porter pub, Stoney Street, London SE1 from 8.30pm. On May Day, The Deptford Jack in the Green will start processing from the Market Porter at 11am and return there later in the day.

Other towns also have Jack in the Green events, including Guildford, Rochester and Oxford.

One of the biggest is in Hastings, with May Day activities all over the Bank Holiday weekend, including the crowning of a May Queen, Morris dancing, live music and the release and symbolic slaying of Jack, to set free the Spirit of Summer.

The picture above is by Sarah Crofts and shows Fowlers Troop and the Deptford Jack in the Green on May Day 2007.

Links
http://www.deptford-jack.org.uk/
http://www.cityjackinthegreen.com/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/classic/A1048439
http://www.hastingsjack.co.uk/
http://home.freeuk.net/bristoljack/
http://www.madjacksmorris.co.uk/jackinthegreen.html
http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/folk-song-lyrics/Jack_in_the_Green.htm
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Jack-Greenarticle-770205-details/article.html
http://www.1066country.com/hastings/events/jackinthegreen/default.aspx
http://www.england-in-particular.info/greenman/gr-index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Man
http://www.indigogroup.co.uk/edge/greenmen.htm

Enchanted: The Faerie & Fantasy Art of Linda Ravenscroft

These beautiful fairy images are from a new book called Enchanted: The Faerie and Fantasy Art of Linda Ravenscroft.

I've long been a fan of Linda Ravenscroft's pictures of fairy creatures - sometimes mischievous, sometimes poignant, but always beautiful. So, when I found out a new book of her artwork had just come out, I wanted a copy.

Enchanted is a gorgeous gilt-edged hardback book full of fairy art that I could gaze at for hours.

The picture at the top of this page is called Sanctuary. The text that accompanies it in the book, appropriate for May Day, says:

"A place of safety and protection, within the care of the Green Man, a sanctuary for all nature's creatures"

The picture to the left is called Morning Rose. This fairy watches the sunrise above a rose garden, dewdrops glistening on the petals. It makes me wonder what she is thinking as this new day dawns.

A lot of the Linda Ravenscroft's pictures set me thinking, wondering what they are really about, and that is one of the reasons I like them so much. Some deliberately seem to be asking a question, by the words that go with them or by the expressions of the creatures they portray. Others pictures have secrets in them only the most observant will spot - little faces tucked behind leaves or symbols hidden within intertwined foliage, folds of fabric or richly patterned backgrounds

Linda Ravenscroft, who lives in Cheshire, England, gets her inspiration from nature and also from emotions and her imagination. She says: "My home is situated close to a very small wood, which is a constant source of inspiration to me."

When asked why she paints fairies, she says: "They chose me! I have always painted fantasy images, which were born of my emotions. When I was a child I would paint myself as a beautiful princess who could fly and and magically remove all the bullies and dragons from my life. Now that I am an adult I still paint from my heart.

"I truly believe that we all have a little bit of faerie light within our hearts, helping us to make the right decisions within our everyday lives."

Enchanted by Linda Ravenscroft is published by AAPPL at £14.99 hardback. Her previous work includes The Mystic Faerie Tarot published by Llewellyn.

For more information, visit http://www.lindaravenscroft.com/store/

Poverty, Choice and Liberation

Poverty can be liberating, or so I’ve been told.

The Independent this week is publishing a series of leaflets called The New Good Life: Simple Skills and Pleasures for the Credit Crunch Era. These offer tips on such things as DIY, making and mending clothes, money management and cheap entertaining.

The idea is that although we are in a global recession, people are losing their jobs and everyone is tightening their belts, these circumstances can force us to improve our lives and save the planet at the same time.

The back of the leaflet says: “There are few activities so satisfying as creating from scratch an item of clothing that you or a loved one can wear – or saving a much-loved garment from landfill with a timely repair.”

It goes on to say: “You may be astonished at how liberating it feels to rediscover a simpler way of living and to become less dependent on other people to provide life’s essentials.”

I must say, I have very mixed feelings about this sentiment.

On one hand, I have always been in favour of minimising waste, mending things where feasible and recycling rather than throwing things away. I’ve also always tried to manage my cash to cut down on unnecessary expenses – but then I’ve had to, I’ve never had much money and sometimes I’ve been downright poor.

Which leads to the other hand: being poor is not fun, especially when you live in a consumer society where people’s worth is often judged by whether they have posh homes, big cars and the latest gadgets. I agree it is satisfying and sometimes money-saving to knit your own jumper or sew your own dress, but it is still depressing to fall in love with something in a shop window and know you can’t afford it. And it is far worse to know that your roof needs mending, but all you can do is bung a bucket under the hole and hope it catches the rain!

Of course, some spiritual paths praise poverty. Christian monks swore to remain poor – as well as swearing chastity and obedience.

But I am more in agreement with the Buddhist way of thinking; that while too much attachment to material things gets in the way of spiritual growth, poverty itself is generally bad.

Those for whom poverty is a lifestyle choice – monks, volunteer charity workers, people who have given up their job to be a carer and unpublished writers starving in garrets, for example – are probably going to be more content to be on a low income than those who have lost their job unexpectedly and have a big mortgage and a family to feed.

So, while I’ll keep my copy of The New Good Life – and may even try out some of the ideas in it – I don’t agree that poverty is liberating.

Choice is liberating, not enforced hardship.

The New Good Life: Simple Skills and Pleasures for the Credit Crunch Era was written by Eithne Farry, author of the book Yeah, I Made it Myself: DIY Fashion for the Not Very Domestic Goddess, with an RRP of £12.99, available for £5.99 via Amazon.

Links
http://www.independent.co.uk/
http://www.independent.co.uk/incoming/live-the-new-good-life-with-ithe-independentis-green-living-series-1672287.html
http://www.buddhachannel.tv/portail/spip.php?article3707
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/01/bad-witchs-guide-to-work.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/03/spell-to-make-money.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/10/that-devil-money.html
Yeah, I Made it Myself: DIY Fashion for the Not Very Domestic Goddess

Review: London Lore Conference

I bought my ticket for the London Lore conference back in January, and had been really looking forward to it, but it was still a tough decision to go there rather than head into the woods for the Pagan Federation London's Beltane festival last Saturday, April 25.

Outdoors enjoying the spring or indoors in a stuffy conference hall? Dancing and chatting or sitting on a hard chair taking notes? Wine and cakes or gulping down coffee between lectures?

If you've been reading my blog for a while, I bet you think I went to the party - but I didn't. I went to the London Lore conference organised by the Bishopsgate Institute with the South East London Folklore Society and I don't regret my decision one little bit.

It was a day full of fascinating talks on a variety of subjects from traditional customs to modern urban legends.

The morning session began three different looks at seasonal celebrations, starting with May Day - which is, of course only a few days off. Sarah Crofts talked about Fowlers Troop and the Deptford Jack in the Green, a revival of an old May Day custom of dressing a man up in greenery and parading around town with music and festivity. I'll be writing more about Jack in the Green celebrations on A Bad Witch's Blog later this week, just before May Day itself.

Sarah was followed by Sonia Ritter, who is a member of The Lion's Part theatre company, which puts on Twelfth Night, October Plenty, May Games and St George's Day pageants in London and other cities.

Doc Rowe, who has been photographing folk customs for many years, gave a contrasting view of seasonal celebrations with slides showing how retail chains have taken over so many old traditions, with cards for all occasions, mass-produced fancy dress costumes and disposable plastic tat.

Rats, ravens and foxes followed morning coffee, in talks by Paul Cowdell and Noel Rooney. Both pointed out how people see these creatures as visitors to our city, although it is an environment we all share. Folk tales about these urban creatures often credit them with being much smarter than they really are, and much more of a threat than they really pose.

Richard Barnett talked about folklore, medicine and the body, covering such things as body snatching, primitive medicine and people's time-honoured delight at creating folk art in the shape of improbable genitalia.

Before lunch, London Lore organiser Scott Wood regaled the audience with the urban legend of the helpful terrorist; a hoax email about a bomb warning "leaked" by the terrorist to a girl who helped him a day or so before the supposed attack.

One of the most important London folklorists of the 19th century was Edward Lovett, an avid collector of amulets, charms and folkloric material. His legacy is so important that three speakers - Steve Roud, author of London Lore: The Legends and Traditions of the World's Most Vibrant City, historian Neil Gordon Orr and Ross MacFarlane of the Wellcome museum, all spoke after lunch about the man and his collection, which is now spread across many museums in London and further afield.

Things turned a little more weird and wonderful towards the end of the day, as Mark Pilkington talked about The Brompton Cemetery time machine - something I intend to visit for myself and write about on a Bad Witch's Blog soon. John Constable, author of Southwark Mysteries, talked about his fight to get a memorial garden for the dead of the Crossbones Graveyard.

Finally, Antony Clayton looked at the folklore of London pubs, before the conference ended and the delegates and speakers themselves all headed down the road to Dirty Dick's pub.

It was a great day and has certainly given me plenty of inspiration for places to visit - and, of course, write about.

For more details about talks at Selfs, visit http://members.lycos.co.uk/skitster/

For details about lectures and events at The Bishopsgate Institute, visit http://www.bishopsgate.org.uk/

Links
http://members.lycos.co.uk/skitster/
http://www.bishopsgate.org.uk/
http://www.deptford-jack.org.uk/
http://www.thelionspart.co.uk/
http://www.docrowe.org.uk/
London Lore: The Legends and Traditions of the World's Most Vibrant City
Southwark Mysteries
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/cross-bones-graveyard-heritage-site.html
http://pflondon.org/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/12/what-i-got-for-yule.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/01/london-lore-at-bishopsgate-institute.html

This week's pagan events

Monday 27 April. Epping Dark Sky Moot. Pagan moot that meets on the last Monday of each month from 7pm at The Black Lion Pub, Epping High Street. For more details call 07534120611 or email: shimmeringblue16@yahoo.co.uk.

Wednesday 29 April; The Forgotten Mage: Bishop Leadbeater - His Personal and Cosmic Mythologies. Talk by Ken Rees at pagan forum Secret Chiefs, Devereux public house, 20 Devereux Court, off Essex Street, London WC2. Meet from 7.30pm, event starts at 8pm. Admission £2.

Thursday 30 April; Surrealism and the Occult. Talk by Stuart Inman at Treadwells, 34 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7PB. 7.15pm for 7.30pm start. Entry £5, booking advised. Tel: 020 7240 8906 or email: info@treadwells-london.com. www.treadwells-london.com/lectures.asp

Friday 1 May; The Deptford Jack in the Green procession. This traditional May Day event will start from and finish at the Market Porter pub, 9 Stoney Street, Borough, London, SE1 9AA. For more details, visit http://www.deptford-jack.org.uk/

Friday 1 May; Launch party and book signing for Liber Nigri Solis: An Aeonic Astrochymical Grimoire of the Black Sun, edited by Victor Voronov. Venue Treadwells, 34 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7PB. 7pm start. Entry is free but prior booking is essential. Tel: 020 7240 8906 or email: info@treadwells-london.com. www.treadwells-london.com/lectures.asp

For details of future events/ future events visit my new events page at http://paganevents.blogspot.com/

If you know of any pagan events and want them listed on A Bad Witch's Blog, email me at badwitch1234@gmail.com or leave a comment below.

Baby ducks and fox cubs

I love this time in spring, when the trees are in blossom and baby birds and animals are venturing out of their nests and dens for the first time.

Sadly, I have been working so hard this week I didn't have time even to get to the park to see them, but a friend sent me this gorgeous picture of ducklings on the pond.

Then late yesterday evening I saw four fox cubs in my back garden. It was far too dark to photograph them - in fact I could only just make them out, scampering about with their mother under my apple tree. They were so playful - running around and pouncing on each other, even mummy vixen was joining in the fun.

They seem a far more confident family of foxes than the shy mum and her offspring that made their home in a den under my leaf pile last spring.

I will be watching out for them in future and hopefully take some photos to post to A Bad Witch's Blog.

PF Beltane picnic, festival and open ritual

This Saturday, 25 April, PF London is holding an afternoon festive event at Queen’s Wood, High Gate, London.

The event includes Earth attunement, shamanic drumming, a barbecue and a beltane ritual by Bacchus Border Morris. Everyone is welcome.

The event runs from 12pm-5pm.

The nearest tube station is High Gate. To find the picnic site, come out to Archway Road and turn right. There will be a meet-up at the Woodman's pub by 1pm for those who don't know the way to the ritual/picnic spot.

For more information, visit the PF London website http://www.pflondon.org/

For details of future events/ future events visit my new events page at http://paganevents.blogspot.com/

If you know of any pagan events and want them listed on A Bad Witch's Blog, email me at badwitch1234@gmail.com or leave a comment below.

England: Isle of Fantasy and Magic

England doesn't exist, it is more fantasy than reality. The English believe in ghosts, built follies, founded Wicca - the modern religion based on witchcraft - and love to watch re-enactments of history that may or may not really have happened.

That was the view of Dutchman Peter Brusse back in the 1970s, when he wrote the book England Doesn't Exist. The London correspondent for a Dutch newspaper talked to members of the Ghost Club, visited the Museum of Witchcraft on the Isle of Man and had tea with the local witches, celebrated midsummer with druids at Stonehenge, took part in an English Civil War battle with re-enactment society The Sealed Knot and investigated the English fascination with all things antique and historic at auction houses, stately homes and on steam trains.

Although Brusse wrote his book more than a quarter of a century ago, I am proud to say England is still as fantastical as he described it. Wicca and druidry are perhaps even more popular as religions and you only have to look at all the programmes about antiques and history on TV to see that our fascination with the past is as strong as ever.

On St George's Day we celebrate what it means to be English, even though our patron saint probably never visited England. As I wrote in A Bad Witch's Blog last St George's Day, the real St George was from Cappadocia in Asia Minor, which is now Turkey, so he certainly wasn't English. We also tell the tale of St George killing a dragon, despite the fact that dragons don't exist.

April 23, St George's Day, is also celebrated as the birthday of Shakespeare - England's greatest poet. Yet there are those who say Shakespeare doesn't exist either, and that his plays were actually written by Francis Bacon. The evidence for Shakespeare's non-existence is that there are no known descriptions or portraits of him. Nevertheless, The Bard is one of England's greatest legends.

And I am proud to live in a country were people can look beyond reality and find meaning in myth, legend and magic. The English have traditionally loved eccentrics and been tolerant of those who express a variety of beliefs. UFO spotters, ghost hunters, Loch Ness Monster seekers and those who believe in fairies are a much-loved part of our culture. Plenty of people have teased me gently for being a witch, but I've rarely encountered serious prejudice in this country.

Peter Brusse ends his book by saying England's greatest contribution to civilisation is "the cult of eccentricity". He says:

"England is a state of mind, rather than a geographical expression, and although in theory an Englishman could happen anywhere ... this island is particularly conducive to bringing out the Englishness in people. It may be the weather, it may be the tea, but whatever the reason England produces more Englishmen than anywhere else. They are the products of their own imagination. Since this makes the Englishman an imaginary being it is hardly surprising that he believes in other imaginary beings. Which is why an Englishman believes in ghosts."

I am happy to admit that I am a fully signed up member of the English cult of eccentricity, and if the fantastical and magical Isle that is England ever slides away from reality entirely to join such fabled lands as Avalon, Lyonesse and Atlantis, I would rather go with it than give up the imaginary.

England Doesn't Exist by Peter Brusse is available secondhand through Amazon.

The image of Stonehenge was supplied by Freefoto.com

Links:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/04/st-george-man-and-myths.html
http://www.museumofwitchcraft.com/about_mow2.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare#Speculation_about_Shakespeare

Spells to heal the Earth

All over the world today people are working together to help the planet, so why not join in - with a little magic.

Every year, April 22 is Earth Day, a global event to raise awareness of ecological issues and encourage environmental projects. With people all over the world focused on saving the planet, this is a great day to cast a spell to heal the Earth.

Earth energy is often visualised as a dragon, and Raising the Dragon is the name often given to a spell to use this energy to help the Earth heal herself. The Raising the Dragon spell is described in full in Kate West's book The Real Witches' Handbook: A Complete Introduction to the Craft, but the essence of the magic is quite simple.

Imagine a great dragon curled up inside the centre of the planet. Take time to visualise it, then call to it with your heart and mind. When you feel you have its attention, tell it about a particular environmental concern and the result you would like to see. Ask the dragon to combine its own energy with that which you are offering, then ask the dragon to rise up into the sky, circle clockwise around the Earth three times while working its magic, then return once more to its home. Then, give thanks to the dragon and bid it farewell.

When choosing an environmental issue it is often best to tackle something close to your own home and heart. For example, saving a wood in your area might be more effective than asking the dragon to generally save the world's trees. It is always good to back up this spell with your own practical efforts, such as taking part in a green activity day.

There is another simple spell to heal the earth on the website Pagan Magic. This involves planting a tree, shrub or bed of wildflowers that are native to your area. As you water what you have planted, say:

"Gentle Goddess, mighty Earth.
Take this offering of mine.
Blessings I shower upon your earth.
And heal you in the fullness of time."

For April 22 this year, Llewellyn's 2009 Witches' Spell-a-day Almanac offers a more traditional Earth Day spell.

Take some freshly baked bread and a square of cloth out into your garden. Kneel on the ground and sprinkle crumbs onto the earth. Take a handful of soil from the garden, knead it into a ball and place it on the cloth. Let it dry in the sun - or take it back into the house to dry if the weather is wet. When the ball of soil has dried, tie it up in the cloth and place it on your altar or on a sunny window sill. While you are doing this, reflect on how the Earth provides us with crops and offer your thanks.

Whatever you do on Earth Day, remember that we should treat the Earth with respect. If we use the planet's resources responsibly, we ourselves will benefit in the long run.

The Heal the Earth poster pictured above is available from the online store Pagan Magic for £22.99.

Llewellyn's 2009 Witches' Spell-a-day Almanac is available from Amazon for £6.49. The Real Witches' Handbook: A Complete Introduction to the Craft by Kate West is also available from Amazon.

Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_day
http://pagan-magic.co.uk/shop/heal-earth-colour-poster-11x17-p-3655.html?ad=badwitch
http://pagan-magic.co.uk/shop/spell-heal-earth-a-1071.html?ad=badwitch
Llewellyn's 2009 Witches' Spell-a-day Almanac
The Real Witches' Handbook: A Complete Introduction to the Craft
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/04/gaia-bad-witchs-goddess-of-week.html

Gaia: The Bad Witch's Goddess of the Week

Gaia, the Greek Goddess of the Earth, is for many pagans today the spiritual embodiment of our planet. And because Earth Day - a worldwide event intended to inspire appreciation for the Earth and the environment - is on April 22, I have chosen Gaia as The Bad Witch's Goddess of the Week.

Gaia was worshipped widely in ancient Greece. In the Roman pantheon, she was called Terra - which is also a name often used for the Earth itself. She was seen as a mother goddess and was often worshipped in enclosed spaces such as caves, symbolic of the womb, or out in nature in groves of trees.

Gaia, the name for the Earth personified, is often also used by environmentalists when they talk of the planet as behaving like a living organism, capable of fighting back against things that harm her. And, in fighting back against such things as vanishing rainforests and pollution, Gaia is seen as punishing us, her thoughtless children, for the harm they have caused.

In his book The Vanishing Face of Gaia: A Final Warning, James Lovelock says:

"If we fail to take our planet seriously, we will be like children who take their homes for granted... we will not notice as we enjoy our daily lives that the cost of our neglect could soon cause the greatest tragedy in the memory of humankind. The Earth, in its but not our interests, may be forced to move to a hot epoch, one where it can survive although in a diminished and less habitable state. If, as is likely, this happens, we will have been the cause."

Whether you are a pagan or an environmentalist, or both, Earth Day is the perfect time to honour Gaia in a practical way by getting involved in a project to help save the planet or simply by trying to reduce your own carbon footprint.

The Vanishing Face of Gaia: A Final Warning by James Lovelock is available from Amazon for £11.99.

The Mother Gaia Egg Window Sticker in the picture top right is available from the online store Pagan Magic for £2.99.

Links
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/03/magna-mater-goddess-of-week.html
http://pagan-magic.co.uk/shop/mother-gaia-window-sticker-p-6230.html?ad=badwitch
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_day
The Vanishing Face of Gaia: A Final Warning
http://www.deepdalefarm.co.uk/earthday/
http://www.bankholidays.org.uk/important-dates/earth-day-2009

This week's pagan events

Monday 20 April; Introducing Shamanism: Spirit Helpers, Power Animals and the Three Worlds. Seminar at The Open Centre, 188 Old Street, London EC1V 9FR. 6.30pm -9pm. Cost £12, £8 concessions. Booking essential as there is no reception on the door at the centre. Tel 07748 964 986 or visit http://www.shamanintheuk.blogspot.com/ or http://www.shaman.uk.net/.

Wednesday 22 April; Earth Day Event: Clean up of Brighton beach with Eco-friendly Pagans. Meet at 11am at the pier, Brighton. Bring). a bag to collect litter. The clean-up will be followed by cakes and wine on the beach, or in a nearby pub.

Wednesday 22 April; The Cunning Craftsman. Steve Patterson talks about the crafting of magical tools at The Moot With No Name, Devereux public house, 20 Devereux Court, off Essex Street, London WC2. Meet from 7.30pm, event starts at 8pm. Admission £2.

Thursday 23rd April; St George's Day ceremony at Cross Bones Graveyard. Vigil and celebration to remember the outcast dead of Cross Bones and to honour St George as an inclusive patron saint, with The Goose and John Crow. Free entry, bring flowers. Meet 6.45pm for prompt 7pm start in Redcross Way, London SE1 by the shrine at the gates of the Cross Bones burial ground, between Union St. and Southwark St. To sign the petition for a remembrance garden visit http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/cross-bones-graveyard-heritage-site.html

Friday 24 April; The Mysteries of Mithras: Seven Initiatory Rites. Talk with slides by Payam Nabarz, author of the book The Mysteries of Mithras: The Pagan Belief That Shaped the Christian World. Venue: Treadwells, 34 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7PB. 7.15pm for 7.30pm start. Entry £5, booking advised. Tel: 020 7240 8906 or email: info@treadwells-london.com. www.treadwells-london.com/lectures.asp

Saturday 25 April; Spring Clean Detox, Herb Day, Walk ‘n’ Workshop with The Wild Wicked Witches. Venue Lee Valley Village YHA, Hertfordshire. Time: 10.30am -5pm, Cost: £60 / £45 concessions, deposit of £20 and booking essential. For details, call Karen on 07865081927 or Fiona on 07830195745. http://www.sensorysolutions.co.uk/

Saturday 25 April; London Lore. Conference run by the Folklore Society and the South East London Folklore Society at The Bishopsgate Institute, 230 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 4QH. Tickets cost £10 or £8 concessions. The event runs from 9am to 5.30pm . To book tickets call 020 7392 9220 during office hours. For more details, visit http://www.bishopsgate.org.uk/events_details.asp?EventsID=343

For details of future events/ future events visit my new events page at http://paganevents.blogspot.com/

If you know of any pagan events and want them listed on A Bad Witch's Blog, email me at badwitch1234@gmail.com or leave a comment below.

The Mystery of the Snail Goddess

When you buy a box of assorted greeting cards, there's always one that has the kind of picture you don't feel you can send to anyone - like this naked woman lying in a rain-drenched leaf bed, covered in snails.

Yet this lonely and slightly sad looking lady is, in fact, a goddess. And, because after days of rain this month my garden seems over-run with snails, I have chosen her as The Bad Witch's Goddess of the Week.

She came into my life about five years ago - one of a set of otherwise delightful images of Goddesses in a box of notecards called just that - Goddesses.

All the illustrations are by Japanese artist Mayumi Oda, but neither the cards nor the box they came in give the goddesses' names and I'm not sufficiently familiar with Japanese deities to recognise them.

The snail lady seems to me to suggest sexuality - in a kind of wet and slimy way - so perhaps she is a fertility deity.

According to a note on the box, the pictures all originally appeared in a book entitled I Opened the Gate, Laughing: An Inner Journey, which looks a lovely book. It isn't one I own, but I think I'm going to be adding it to my wish list soon. Maybe it will help me solve the Mystery of the Snail Goddess.

In the meantime, if anyone reading A Bad Witch's Blog thinks they can identify her - do let me know by leaving a comment below.

I Opened the Gate, Laughing: An Inner Journey, by Mayumi Oda, costs £2.45 through Amazon. Goddesses Deluxe Notecards, featuring illustrations by Mayumi Oda are also available through Amazon.

Margot Adler: Drawing Down the Moon

April 16 is the birthday of Margot Adler, author of the highly influential pagan book Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America.

The book, which first came out in 1979, was a study of neopagan beliefs and practices in America at that time. Many editions have been released since then, most recently in 2006, with extra material and updated contact details to keep it up to date.

Margot Adler is a radio producer, journalist and Wiccan priestess. She lectures on paganism and is considered one of the most influential pagan authors in America.

In an interview with The Wiccan/Pagan Times, Margot Adler said that she first became interested in paganism when taking part in traditional May Day celebrations as a child and then studying ancient Greek myths at school. During the 1970s, as a journalist, she became heavily involved in reporting on political and environmental issues, but found that she wanted to be part of a "environmental religion" and was attracted to Wicca.

Margot Adler was initiated into a Gardnarian coven in 1973, was running her own coven by 1976 and was asked to write a book on the subject of witchcraft by a literary agent. Drawing Down the Moon was the result.

About the book, she said: "I think at the time my main goal was to show the broad breadth of the Pagan Movement."

Drawing Down the Moon has certainly continued to do that over the decades.

Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America is available from Amazon for £9.99.

Links
http://margotadler.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drawing_Down_the_Moon:_Witches,_Druids,_Goddess-Worshippers,_and_Other_Pagans_in_America_Today
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margot_Adler
http://twpt.com/adler.htm
Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America