Review: Align - Ley Lines in the Limelight

Last Wednesday I went to see Align, a live show on London history, myth and psychogeography, at the Museum of London.

The museum gave it the subtitle of Ley Lines in the Limelight. It was essentially a theatrical talk and artistic slideshow presentation about London's ley lines and psychogeography.

As most readers of A Bad Witch's Blog will know, ley lines are straight lines that run through prominent points in the landscape. One theory about why ley lines exist is that they follow prehistoric tracks, often leading through sites of spiritual or cultural significance such as wells, megaliths, mounds and temples. Some people also believe that earth energy is channeled along ley lines, empowering - or powered by - the holy sites along the way.

Psychogeography is the theory that the landscape and geography of a place affect the psychology of those who live or work there so that similar types of activity tend to reoccur in the same place throughout history.

In Align, psychogeographers Robert Kingham and Richard Cochrane (pictured right) explore the secret landscape, history and myths of London. They concentrate on places and events that have happened along the Strand Ley, which runs through St Martin-in-the-Fields, St Mary-le-Strand, St Clement Danes, St Dunstan's in Fleet St and Arnold Circus (pictured above), which was once the site of a friary and later became a notorious area of poverty.

Of course, much of the history of these sites is well documented in regular guide books - and even their secret history has been written about in books such as Christopher Street's Earthstars, John Matthews and Chesca Potter's Guide to Legendary Londonand Merlin Coverley's Occult London.

But if you think you are an expert on London's past, Align might still open your eyes to a few things you didn't know, as Robert Kingham and Richard Cochrane have done a wonderful job of unearthing strange and fascinating facts about England's capital.

I personally learnt two things about the area where I worked in for three years, near Old Street, in East London.

The first thing was that The Tower Theatre Company, while excavating the foundations for a new theatre, found they were building directly on the site of London's first ever purpose-built theatre.

The second thing I learnt was that the office I worked in, in Scrutton Street, was next to a vinegar yard owned by the family that later had the dubious claim to fame of discovering and mining blue asbestos. Blue asbestos was found to cause asbestosis and is a substance that has killed many people who came into contact with it. Scrutton Street is also the possible former location of an ancient mound said to have been the site of plague burials.

Those types of synchronicity are points of similarity on the time-line of places that can be compared to points of interest on geographical lines that are called leys. That seems to me to be the comparison that Align tries to make between ley lines and psychogeography.

Of course, I can't help realising that, by that theory, my working in that area of East London makes me a prime candidate to become either an aspiring thespian or a mass killer. I don't think I've killed anyone yet...

You can find out more about Align and watch a six-minute trailer for it at http://bigi.org.uk/align/. Robert Kingham and Richard Cochrane are planning future dates for Align, possibly at the Museum of London or at universities, so check their website for updates.

Link:
http://bigi.org.uk/align/
http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/01/ley-lines-and-london-walkiing.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/09/mystical-legendary-london-in-day.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/02/psychogeography-by-merlin-coverley.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2007/12/spirit-of-city.html
http://www.leyhunter.com/archives/tlh2.htm
http://www.earthstars.co.uk/visionary-landscape-walks/
Earthstars: Geometric Groundplan Underlying London's Ancient Sacred Sites and Its Significance for the New Age
Guide to Legendary London
Occult London

Pagan events in and near London

For details of future events visit my events page at http://paganevents.blogspot.com/, but here are this week's events of interest to pagans in London and other parts of the UK:

Now until Sunday 5 September. Myths and Monsters; exibition at Horniman Museum, 100 London Road, Forest Hill, London SE23 3PQ. Telephone 020 8699 1872 or visit http://www.horniman.ac.uk/. The opening hours are 10.30am – 5.30pm.

Monday 30 August; Epping Dark Sky Moot. Pagan moot at 7.30pm at The Black Lion Pub, Epping High Street, CM16 4DA. For more details call 07534120611 or email: shimmeringblue16@yahoo.co.uk.

Tuesday 31 August; Crowly and Jung. Talk by Paul Weston at pagan forum Secret Chiefs (note this is on Tuesday due to the Monday being a Bank Holiday). Venue: Devereux public house, 20 Devereux Court, off Essex Street, London WC2R 3JJ. Meet from 7.30pm, event starts at 8.30pm. Admission £2. http://secretchiefslondon.wordpress.com/

Wednesday 1 September; Talk at The Moot with No Name. Venue: Devereux public house, 20 Devereux Court, off Essex Street, London WC2R 3JJ. Meet from 7.30pm, event starts at 8pm. Admission £5/3.

Wednesday 1 September; Irish Gods Come Back to Life: AE and the Tuatha Dé Danann, and After. Talk by Dr Mark Williams of Peterhouse, Cambridge, at Treadwell's, 34 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, London. Price: £7: Time: 7.15pm for 7.30 start. For more details call 020 7240 8906 or email info@treadwells-london.com

Thursday 2 September; Occult London in the Sixties & Seventies: Interview with Francesca Rossetti at Treadwell's, 34 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, London. Price: £7: Time: 7.15pm for 7.30 start. For more details call 020 7240 8906 or email info@treadwells-london.com

Saturday 4 September; Pagan Federation of the South-East annual Pagan picnic. Venue: Preston Park, Brighton, Sussex. Meet at 11.30am at the clocktower. Bring food and drinks to share, and accoustic musical instruments.

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.

Back to Magic School: Talismans

Marian Green, author of A Witch Alone: Thirteen moons to master natural magic, is running a weekend course called Planetary Powers for Modern Talismans on 18 and 19 September in Sussex.

The weekend workshop will cover the nature of charms, amulets and the essential arts and ethics of magical talisman making.

Participants will use magical correspondences to design and make talismans and consecrate them, making them sacred and dedicated to a purpose. Meditation and visualisation may be used for inspiration in making unique talismans.

Planetary Powers for Modern Talismans runs from 10.30am to 4.30pm each day. The venue is in Littlehampton (Rustington), West Sussex and the cost is £50 per person.

For further information or to book a place, call Marie on 01903 717000 (evenings) or email mariedragon@hotmail.co.uk

A Witch Alone: Thirteen moons to master natural magicis available from Amazon along with other books by Marian Green, including Natural Witchcraft: The Timeless Arts and Crafts of the Country Witch: The Natural Wayand Wild Witchcraft: A Guide to Natural, Herbal and Earth Magic.

Back to Magic School: Mythology & Witchcraft

Kensington and Chelsea College is running a series of courses called Mythology, Folklore and Witchcraft.

Part 1 is a 10-week introduction to the Wheel of the Year and the pagan festival cycle. Lecturer Kenneth Rees will also cover alternative archaeology and earth mysteries research - the Neolithic legacy, ancient sites and their puzzles, ley-lines and geomancy; the Celts and the ancient Druids.

Running through the autumn term, this first course will concentrate on the festivals of Samhain (Halloween) and Yule (Christmas).

The course begins on 23 September and is on Thursday nights from 7pm to 9pm. The cost is £96, or £32 for concessions.

Mythology, Folklore and Witchcraft Part 2 begins on January 11, 2011, and follows on from Part 1, covering the spring festivals.

Both courses are being run at Hortensia Centre, Hortensia Road, London SW10 0QS.

For more information call 020 7573 5333, email enquiries@kcc.ac.uk or visit http://www.kcc.ac.uk/

The Wheel of the Yearposter pictured above is available from Amazon

Previous Back to Magic School posts:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/08/back-to-magic-school-wicca-and.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/08/back-to-magic-school-crystals.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/08/back-to-magic-school-druidry-shamanism.html

Back to Magic School: Druidry & Shamanism

Spirit of Druidry

An evening study group, called Spirit of Druidry, is starting this autumn in Kent for those wanting to explore the British shamanic practice of modern pagan druidry.

The course consists of six evening workshops exploring modern pagan druidry. This is a study group for anyone interested in exploring an earth-ancestor based, British tradition of shamanic practice.

It is suitable for those already following druid or other pagan traditions as well as complete beginners. Each of the workshops will be themed around the elements. You can do all six workshops or one or two. However, in its entirety it leads to a grounded introduction to the practice of shamanic druidry.

The first workshop is on Monday 25 October. Then on Friday 3 December, Friday 4 February 2011, Friday 1 April, Friday 3 June and Friday 5 August. Each session will run from 8pm - 11pm and costs £10 per workshop.

The main venue is Addington Village Hall, Addington, Kent. For more details, email Rob at rob@woodspirit.org.uk For more information about Rob's work and courses visit http://www.woodspirit.org.uk/ & http://www.woodspiritovaticarts.blogspot.com/

Adventures in Shamanism

An intensive, six-week, Monday evening course called Adventures in Shamanism 1: Introduction to the Shamanic Journey is starting in London this autumn.

It provides a comprehensive introduction to the world and work of the shaman. Participants will explore the history and traditions of shamanism; discover where and why shamans go when they ‘journey’; learn how to journey and meet spirit helpers and power animals and how to work with the spirits of nature and with power, to heal and renew.

The course aims to help people experience a greater connectedness to themselves and to the world around. The adventure can be a transforming and life-changing experience. This course is open to anyone who would like to experience shamanism for themselves, including those already experienced who would like to renew their practice.

Adventures in Shamanism takes place at The Open Centre, 188 Old St, London EC1V 9FR on Monday evenings from 6.45pm – 9.30pm. The course runs from 11 October – 15 November and costs £160. Concessions are available on request.

All the courses are facilitated by Zoë Brân PhD. For further details of all events or to book, call 07847 894453, or email info@shaman.uk.com. For general information about shamanism, visit http://www.shaman.uk.net/.

The photo above shows an oak tree in my local park

Previous related posts:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/08/back-to-magic-school-wicca-and.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/08/back-to-magic-school-crystals.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/04/review-animal-spirit-guides.html

Dragons and unicorns on show

I've finally got around to visiting the Myths and Monsters exhibition at the Horniman Museum - and it was brilliant!

Myths and Monsters is only open for about another week and I am so glad I didn't miss it. On show are huge animated models of monsters from myth and legend with displays explaining the stories about them and possible factual explanations for mysterious beasts such as dragons, unicorns, the yeti and the Loch Ness monster.

OK, there isn't actually a life-size animated model of the Loch Ness monster - that would be just too big, but there is an amazing dragon that bares its teeth in a most menacing way.

Another of my favourite exhibits is a unicorn amid a forest of wishing trees. In legend, unicorns are reputed to have amazing healing powers and can grant wishes to those who are pure of heart. Looking at the messages tied to the trees, most seemed to be from kids wishing they had their own pet dragon or unicorn to ride. I do hope their wishes are granted!

Of course the exhibition is primarily aimed at children, but if you are a grown-up kid like me you will definitely still enjoy it.

Entry to Myths and Monsters is £5 for adults, £3 concessions and £2.50 for children. However, entry to the rest of the museum is free and is well worth seeing too. It includes a huge gallery of shrines and religious objects from all over the world, which, as a pagan, I find fascinating.

There is also a temporary exhibition of healing plants in the museum gardens, open until August 30, which is fascinating for anyone interested in herbalism.

Horniman Museum and Gardens is at 100 London Rd, Forest Hill, London, SE23 3PQ. It is open daily from 10.30am - 5.30pm. For more details or to book tickets for Myths and Monsters call 020 8699 1872 ext. 119. For further details, visit the website at http://www.horniman.ac.uk/

Links:
http://www.horniman.ac.uk/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/01/review-on-monsters-history-of-our-fears.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/02/exhibition-of-myths-and-monsters.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/04/dragons-of-london.html

Pagan Eye: Beautiful Moon III

As there is a full moon today, I thought it was a good time to post the fourth in the series of lovely photographs of the moon sent to me by James C Wallace II. The first three pictures showed a bare tree with the moon behind it, a crescent moon and a partial lunar eclipse.

This picture is called Blue Moon. Blue moons are considered to be rare - and beautiful - events. However, there is some disagreement over the actual definition of a blue moon. The most common idea is that whenever there is a second full moon in a single month, it is called a blue moon. That next happens in August 2012.

To read about other definitions of a blue moon, look at my post on the blue moon that took place last New Year's Eve.

My Pagan Eye posts show photos that I find interesting - seasonal images, pagan sites, events, or just pretty pictures.

If you want to send me a photo for a Pagan Eye post, please email it to badwitch1234@gmail.com Let me know what the photo shows and whether you want your name mentioned or not. For copyright reasons, the photo must be one you have taken yourself.

Previous Pagan Eye - Beautiful Moons:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/07/pagan-eye-beautiful-moon.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/08/pagan-eye-beautiful-moon-ii.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/08/pagan-eye-beautiful-moon-iii.html

Blue Moon Links
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/12/once-in-blue-moon.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_moon
http://home.hiwaay.net/~krcool/Astro/moon/moonnames.htm
http://www.farmersalmanac.com/what-is-a-blue-moon

Pagan events, festivals and lectures

For details of future events visit my events page at http://paganevents.blogspot.com/, but here are this week's events of interest to pagans in London and other parts of the UK:

Now until Sunday 5 September. Myths and Monsters; exibition at Horniman Museum, 100 London Road, Forest Hill, London SE23 3PQ. Telephone 020 8699 1872 or visit http://www.horniman.ac.uk/. The opening hours are 10.30am – 5.30pm.

Monday 23 August; Cross Bones Vigil and Ceremony to honour The Goose and the outcast dead of Cross Bones Graveyard. This event is free at takes place at 7pm on the 23rd of each month. Gather from 6.45pm in Redcross Way outside the Memorial Gates, London SE1 - just north of the junction with Union Street. Nearest tubes are Borough or London Bridge, 5 minutes walk away. Bring flowers or ribbons to adorn the gates.

Monday 23 August; Witches, Wizards and Warlocks: The London of Medieval and Later Magic. A Guided Walk with Delianne. This walk is organised by Treadwell's bookshop. Price: £7 in advance through Treadwell's. Time: 6.50pm for 7pm start. To book tickets, Call 020 7240 8906 or email info@treadwells-london.com

Wednesday 25 August; Witches, Wizards and Warlocks: The London of Medieval and Later Magic. A Guided Walk with Delianne. This walk is organised by Treadwell's bookshop. Price: £7 in advance through Treadwell's. Time: 6.50pm for 7pm start. To book tickets, Call 020 7240 8906 or email info@treadwells-london.com

Wednesday 25 August; Align. Live show on London history, myth and psychogeography. Venue: the Museum of London's plush and comfy new auditorium. Time: 6pm - 8pm. Tickets cost £5/£3 from the Museum of London box office. For more details, visit http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English/

Wednesday 25 August; A Forest of Gods - Druidry and Polytheism. Talk by Robin Herne at The Moot with No Name, upstairs at the Devereux Public House, 20 Devereux Court, off Essex Street, The Strand, London WC2R 3JJ. Price £3/£5. Time 7.30pm. http://www.theatlantisbookshopevents.com/page2.htm

Saturday 28 August, Pooka's Pageant - an annual pagan performing arts convention. Venue: The Oddfellows Hall, next to Ipswich Museum, Old High Street, Ipswich. Tickets £5 on the door, £3 in advance. For details, visit the website http://pookaspageant.webs.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.

Back to Magic School: Wicca and Witchcraft

Children of Artemis is running a course called Wicca Introduced on 11 September, in Croydon, Surrey, just south of London.

The course is aimed at beginners to the craft who want to learn about Wicca with expert tutors. It assumes no prior knowledge and is suitable for both solitary witches and those who wish to join a coven.

There will be a wide variety of practical demonstrations, talks, discussions and group activities.

Wicca Introduced runs from 11am to 6.30pm and ends with a question and answer session and chance for a social chat at a nearby pub from 6pm.

Ticket Prices are £20 for CoA members and £25 for non members.

For more details and to book tickets, visit http://www.witchfest.net/wiccaintro.htm

Previous posts:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/01/wicca-witchcraft-finding-out-basics.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/08/back-to-magic-school-crystals.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/08/merlyn-and-golden-ticket.htm

Back to Magic School: Crystals

City Lit, in London, is running a one-day course called Working with Crystals on Saturday, 25 September.

The course aims to teach the vibrational healing applications of crystals, how to use chakras for chakra balancing and for self-healing. It is an introductory course and is ideal for those with no previous knowledge.

The crystal workshop will take place at City Lit, Keeley Street, Covent Garden, London.

The fee is £48 for the course and crystals will be available to buy on the day if you want to. To enrol or for more details, call 020 7492 2622 or visit the City Lit website at http://www.citylit.ac.uk/

The Chakra Crystal Packpictured above is available from Amazon.A Crystal Stone Set of 12 Healing Crystalsis also available from Amazon,where it gets some good reviews.

Previous related posts:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/03/review-crystal-chakra-heaing.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/06/review-crystal-bible-v2.html

News: Witch House (music)

The news stories I've been reading about pagans and witches over the past few days seem to have been very arty.

Yesterday I posted links to news stories about theatrical witches and pagan vampire acting jobs. This morning I wrote about an art exhibition with some pagan-themed sculptures. Now I've just seen a story on The Guardian's website about witch house music.

I have to admit that not only I have never heard any witch house music, I had never even heard of the term before.

Now I do realise I am an old fogey when it comes to music and totally out of touch with the latest trends, but I do think I ought to try to find out more about witch house music - because of the name at least.

Is it any good? Anyone got any recommendations?

You can see the story in The Guardian here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/aug/19/witch-house-musical-genres

Pagan art in exhibition

The sculpture above, called The Cauldron of Rebirth, and the Green man sculpture below are both part of an open art exhibition at Hall Place, in Bexley, Kent, which is on until 6 September.

I visited Hall Place a few days ago to take some pictures because I wanted to write about the historic building and its ghosts. I will definitely still write about that, but while I was at the historic building I had a look around the temporary exhibition of sculpture that was on show.

These two pieces particularly caught my eye because of their pagan themes. I photographed them, but sadly couldn't buy either. The Cauldron of Rebirth, by sculptor Owen Legg, is on sale for £5,000 - far more than I could afford - while the mounted wooden mask called Greenman, by Derek Tryhorn, is not for sale.

Admission to Hall Place and to the exhibition is free and the venue is open daily from 10am to 5pm. To find out more, call 01322 526574 or visit the website http://www.hallplace.org.uk/

News: Witches and pagans act the part

Wookey Hole witch in trouble over X Factor appearance
Fiona Robertson, who works as a witch entertaining tourists at Wookey Hole caves, appeared on the television talent show X Factor earlier this year to do a routine as the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz. However, according to a news story in The Telegraph, she is now facing disciplinary action because she took time off work with flu at the time the TV show was recorded. You can read the full story at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7951870/Wookey-Hole-witch-caught-skiving-on-X-Factor.html

Regent's Park Theatre stages fairytale about a witch's curse
The Guardian has published a review of Into the Woods, a play being performed at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park, London, which is about a boy's attempt to lift a witch's curse. The play aims to show that many fairytales are about childhood fears. It is on until 11 September and you can call the box office on 0844 826 4242. You can read the review at http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2010/aug/17/into-the-woods-review

Tour company seeks pagan vampires
A promotional company is advertising on Gumtree for models for a web-based vampire project. The successful candidates would act the part of vampires as tour guides and as hosts at entertainment venues. The advert says: "The vampires will be based on real European pagan myths and legends, not the traditional gothic genre". You can view the advert at http://www.gumtree.com/london/98/64088298.html

Pagan Eye: Beautiful Moon III

Here is the third in a series of lovely photographs of the moon, sent to me by James C Wallace II. The first two pictures showed a bare tree with the moon behind it and a crescent moon.

This picture shows a partial lunar eclipse. A lunar eclipse is sometimes called a Blood Moon, because the moon takes on a reddish tinge. The next lunar eclipse this year will take place on December 20-21 - the time of the midwinter solstice.

My Pagan Eye posts show photos that I find interesting - seasonal images, pagan sites, events, or just pretty pictures.

If you want to send me a photo for a Pagan Eye post, please email it to http://www.blogger.com/badwitch1234@gmail.com Let me know what the photo shows and whether you want your name mentioned or not. For copyright reasons, the photo must be one you have taken yourself.

Previous Beautiful Moons:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/07/pagan-eye-beautiful-moon.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/08/pagan-eye-beautiful-moon-ii.html

Merlyn and the Golden Ticket

I've just had a phone call from Merlyn.

No, not the legendary wizard of Arthurian tales (that one is spelled Merlin, with an i), but nevertheless someone who is still pretty legendary in his own right - for doing wizardly amounts of work for pagan group Children of Artemis. In particular, this Merlyn is one of the main organisers of Witchfest, CoA's international witchcraft festival, held every year in Croydon, in south east England.

Merlyn phoned me to ask if I wouldn't mind writing a review of Witchfest for CoA's magazine, Witchcraft & Wicca. Of course, I said I was happy to. Not only do I go to Witchfest every year and really enjoy it, I also review it on A Bad Witch's Blog. I said I'd be delighted to write about the festival for Witchcraft & Wicca too.

While we were chatting, Merlyn gave me an update on a rumour that had been circulating - that Children of Artemis had been dissolved as a company. I wrote about this back in May, when Companies House confirmed the rumour. Now, Merlin assured me, the company was back on track, with a new registration number at Companies House.

He said: "There have been some changes in administration. We dissolved the old company but have registered a new company. This won't affect any of the events CoA organises, or the magazine."

He added that CoA is profitable as a company, everything goes back into the organisation and no individual makes anything out if it. The organisation runs on a tight budget with volunteers and this change wasn't done to boost anyone's income.

However, there has been a new development with membership - something that sounds worth looking into if you ever go to Witchfest with a group of friends or with your family. It's called Gold Membership.

The benefits of Gold Membership are everything you get with regular CoA membership plus you can buy two tickets for one for any Children of Artemis/Witchfest event, up to a limit of five ticket purchases per year - meaning in effect 10 tickets. You always pay the members' price for any ticket, you get two copies of each issue of the magazine and 20% discount on purchases at the CoA stall at events. Gold Members also get a fancy gold membership card and a free black Witchfest wristband.

Merlyn said this package was aimed at families, covens or groups of friends who could club together to make the most of the CoA ticket deals.

I'm certainly very glad to hear that Children of Artemis is still going strong, and I'm looking forward to the next Witchfest, on November 6.

For more details, visit the CoA site: http://www.witchcraft.org/

Links
http://www.witchfest.net/wf_international.htm
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/05/children-of-artemis-is-dissolved.html
http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/006382aa8a5eee95c16da4b5b26e6633/compdetails
http://www.witchcraft.org/members.htm
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/05/review-witchfest-south-2009.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/11/witchfest-international-2008.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/11/review-witchfest-international-2009.html

TV: King Arthur and the Green Knight

BBC 4 is showing programmes about King Arthur and about Sir Gawain and the Green Knight back to back this evening.

The Making of King Arthur is a new documentary being shown at 9pm. In it, poet Simon Armitage looks at how the legend of King Arthur became ingrained in the British cultural consciousness. He examines how the story, originally created by Welsh bards, was used by the Normans to make themselves more popular after they conquered England, and then adapted and built upon by others throughout the centuries.

But, of course, the story of King Arthur and his knights of the round table is far more than just propaganda - even if it has been used for that purpose by many different people. Simon Armitage says he is less interested in whether King Arthur really existed than in what he has come to represent.

The programme should be interesting, intelligent and thought-provoking and I'm looking forward to watching it.

The programme after it, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, is also presented by Simon Armitage.

Although this is the first time it has been shown on BBC 4, I think this is a repeat of a documentary first shown as part of a BBC poetry series. If it is, and you missed it the first time round, it is definitely worth watching as it really brings the 600-year-old poem to life with a journey through England showing places that might have inspired it. If it is something entirely new, then it is even more worth staying tuned in for.

The picture at the top, left, shows a Photographic Print of Excalibur being reclaimed by the Lady of the Lake, 1893. from Heritage-Images, which is available through Amazon.

Links:
Selected Poems of Simon Armitage
The Acts of King Arthur and his Noble Knights (Penguin Modern Classics)
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00tg2q2
Photographic Print of Excalibur being reclaimed by the Lady of the Lake, 1893. from Heritage-Images

Pagan events in and near London

For details of future events visit my events page at http://paganevents.blogspot.com/, but here are this week's events of interest to pagans in London and other parts of the UK:

Monday 16 August; Self-healing techniques for everyone. Talk by Philena Bruce at pagan forum Secret Chiefs at its regular meeting time of every other Monday. Venue: Devereux public house, 20 Devereux Court, off Essex Street, London WC2R 3JJ. Meet from 7.30pm, event starts at 8.30pm. Admission £2. http://secretchiefslondon.wordpress.com/

Monday 16 August; Witches, Wizards and Warlocks: The London of Medieval and Later Magic. A Guided Walk with Delianne. This walk is organised by Treadwell's but does not start at the shop. Meet at Westminster Tube Station, Exit Four. The tour guide will be holding a sign. Price: £7 in advance through Treadwell's. Time: 6.50pm for 7pm start. To book tickets, Call 020 7240 8906 or email info@treadwells-london.com

Wednesday 18 August; Terry Welbourn – TC Lethbridge, Dowser. Talk at The Moot with No Name, upstairs at the Devereux Public House, 20 Devereux Court, off Essex Street, The Strand, London WC2R 3JJ. Price £5. Time 7.30pm. http://www.theatlantisbookshopevents.com/page2.htm

Wednesday 18 August; It's a Right Royal Brew: It's the Middle Ages and the Devil's Afoot in London. A Guided Walk with Delianne. This walk is organised by Treadwell's but does not start at the shop. Meet at Westminster Tube Station, Exit Four. The tour guide will be holding a sign. Price: £7 in advance through Treadwell's. Time: 6.50pm for 7pm start. To book tickets, Call 020 7240 8906 or email info@treadwells-london.com

Saturday, 21 August; Foundations of Tarot: A Journey through the Major Arcana. One-day workshop, which will be the first of two workshops teaching the Tarot, run by Hilde and Cilla, The second workshop will be on the minor arcana. Venue: Atlantis Bookshop, Museum Street, London WC1. Time: 11am - 5.30pm. Cost is £50 per workshop. To book phone Atlantis Bookshop (020 7405 2120), Cilla (07949 766634)or Hilde (07768377646, or email atlantis@theatlantisbookshops.com, hilde@firetree.net or cilla@cillaconway.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.

Nemoralia - Festival of Diana

In ancient Rome, 13 August was the start of the festival of Nemoralia - or the Festival of Torches. It took place over over three days in honor of Diana, goddess of the women, children, animals, hunting and the moon.

Nemoralia was a time of rest and celebration, especially for women. They would bathe, wash their hair and then take part in a torchlit procession around the shores of a lake sacred to Diana, called Lake Nemi, under the moon at night.

People would make offerings to Diana, including fruit or small statues of animals. They would also ask for her blessing by tying ribbons to trees in the groves by the lake. Sometimes they would write specific requests, spells or prayers on the ribbons.

Afterwards there would be dancing and singing.

These days, Diana is a goddess much revered by witches as she is a symbol of feminine strength. Although hunting for sport may no longer be politically correct, the concept of Diana the Huntress can be applied to things such as pursuing a goal or tracking down an object of desire.

Personally, I see her as being a goddess of photographers, as there is as much skill needed in getting a great shot of an animal with a camera as there is in shooting one with a bow and arrow.

If you want to offer a prayer to Diana today, here are some suitable words

Prayer to Diana, Goddess of the Moon

Oh beautiful Lady of the Moon
Diana, virgin huntress
Protector of the innocent
I call upon you and ask you
to give me your blessings
and grant me my wish.

The Bronze Effect Statue of a Huntress with a Wolfpictured above is available from Amazon

Links:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/03/goddess-of-week-artemis.html
http://www.godchecker.com/pantheon/roman-mythology.php?deity=DIANA
http://pagancalendar.co.uk/event.php?zodiac=astrological&getdate=20100812&tz=Europe/London&id=1060

A Friday 13 spell for luck

This week there is a Friday 13 - an unlucky day according to superstition. On the last Friday 13, perhaps foolishly, I dismissed suggestions that anything bad was any more likely to happen on Friday 13 than on any other day - then my partner was rushed into hospital with a slipped disc while a storm raged and roads flooded.

So, this time, I have written a spell particularly designed to bring good luck on any Friday 13.

All you have to do is say 13 times: "Today is a lucky day." While you say it, try to visualise all the good things you would like - sunny weather, your favourite food, a fun evening in great company or whatever you want.

Then, throughout the day, take notice of all the lucky things that happen to you, however small or insignificant. Perhaps you get a seat on the train or bus if you commute to work, maybe someone you fancy smiles at you, perhaps a cat crosses your path (if you like cats, that is), perhaps you get an invitation to an exciting event, maybe you simply notice something in the newspaper that makes you smile. Whatever it is, focus on the happy thoughts it brings and know that your spell is working.

The 13th birthday Teddy bear pictured can be ordered via Amazon

Links
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/02/friday-13th-lore-luck-and-superstitions.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/11/friday-13-2012-and-age-of-stupid.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/11/friday-13-unlucky-for-some.html
me to you happy 13th birthday

Petition to save the corncrake

Corncrakes, which used to be common in fields around the British Isles, are dying out.

Although the light brown birds might be hard to spot because they nest on the ground among long grass, virtually never taking to the air, their "crek-crek" call is easy to identify.

The harsh song of the corncrake sounds so much like a cry of despair that, in times gone by, hearing the bird was considered a bad omen in parts of Scotland.

Nowadays, most people would consider it a sign of hope that the rare species is still with us and could possibly be saved. However, to do so we need to take action.

Yesterday, a friend called Paul, who reads my blog, emailed me with this message:

"I have just signed the RSPB's Letter to the Future. Bit tardy of me really, as they've been asking for about six months, but signing it has made a few things come into a closer focus for me. In particular, the possibility of losing the Higher Level Environmental Stewardship scheme for farms could be the death knell for many British species.

"The RSPB is using the large number of signatures on the petition as a campaigning tool with politicians, and they need as many signatures as they can, including non-RSPB members.

"Since you have environmentally sensitive readers reading Bad Witch, I wondered if you would like to post the url there? here it is: http://campaigning.rspb.org.uk/ea-campaign/clientcampaign.do?ea.client.id=13&ea.campaign.id=7241"

On the RSPB site, the corncrake is one of the birds particularly mentioned as being at risk.

It would be such a shame to lose the corncrake - a bird that has featured in stories and poems for centuries - particularly in Ireland. One verse of The Song of Finn in Praise of May goes:

Corncrake sings from eve till morn,
Deep in corn, a strenuous bard!
Sings the virgin waterfall,
White and tall, her one sweet word.

So please take time to sign the RSPB petition and make sure the corncrake's "one sweet word" is not its last.

The Photographic Print of Corncrake - On open ground from Ardeais available from Amazon

Links:
http://campaigning.rspb.org.uk/ea-campaign/clientcampaign.do?ea.client.id=13&ea.campaign.id=7241
Photographic Print of Corncrake - On open ground from Ardea
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A635799
http://www.luminarium.org/mythology/ireland/finnboyhood.htm
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/01/bird-watching-portents-and-ornithomancy.html
Birds of Ireland: Facts, Folklore and History

Isaac Bonewits - sadly missed

I've just caught up with the news that Isaac Bonewits, an influential American pagan writer and teacher, has died.

He was diagnosed with cancer on October 25 last year, but sadly lost his fight against the disease yesterday, August 9.

I never met Isaac Bonewits in person, but I really liked his book Bonewits' Essential Guide to Witchcraft and Wicca: Rituals, Beliefs and Origins, which I reviewed on my blog a couple of years ago. He left a lovely comment on my post - and seemed a really nice guy as well as extremely knowledgeable.

He will be missed.

Links:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/08/bonewitss-essential-guide-to-witchcraft.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Bonewits

Pagan Eye: The Druid Oak

These two gorgeous photographs were taken by Donna Pascoe. She said:

"This is a fantastic Oak tree in the grounds of Tapeley Park, an eco-friendly stately home near Instow in North Devon. The tree is thought to be over 1,500 years old, and tests have shown that it contains five different species of Oak in one tree. It is known as the Druid Oak because it is said that Druids spliced together five different trees into one. The atmosphere around the tree is incredibly peaceful, with a small section on the trunk that is level and just big enough to sit on and meditate.

"As you can see from one of the photos, the trunk is quite an impressive size. My step-dad is stood next to it to give you some idea of the scale.

"Tapeley Park hosts several festivals a year, including a Didgeridoo festival at the start of May and the Save Our World festival in the summer. It is also available as a venue for weddings and the gardens are open to the public to visit, which includes a woodland walk leading to a lake.

"This is truly one of my favourite places in the UK. For more info, the website is http://www.tapeleypark.com/

"I would love to raise awareness for Tapeley as they rely on tourists to keep the house and grounds running."

If you want to send me a photo for a Pagan Eye post, please email it to badwitch1234@gmail.com

Let me know what the photo shows and whether you want your name mentioned or not. For copyright reasons, the photo must be one you have taken yourself, but it can be of anything you find interesting - seasonal images, pagan sites, events, or just pretty pictures.