Free copies of The Worst Witch

The Daily Mirror newspaper is giving away free copies of children's book The Worst Witch, by Jill Murphy.

I have to admit I haven't read the book myself, but I've been told it is very good. The synopsis in the Mirror says:

"Mildred Hubble is a trainee at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches, but she's making a mess of it. She keeps getting her spells wrong, and crashing her broomstick."

To get your copy of the book, which is published by Puffin, you have to buy today's Daily Mirror, cut out a coupon and take it along to Martin's or Toys R Us stores.

The Mirror is giving away a different Puffin children's book each day this week. On Monday it is giving away The Hodgeheg (Dick King-Smith), followed by The Werepuppy (Jacqueline Wilson), Mr Majeika (Humphrey Carpenter), The Hundred-Mile-An-Hour Dog (Jeremy Strong), The Diary of a Killer Cat (Anne Fine) and Milly-Molly-Mandy Stories (Joyce Lankester Brisley).

According to the Daily Mirror website, the coupons will be repeated next Sunday and you can also claim your books by post if there isn't a shop stocking them near you.

To find out more about the offer, visit the website: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/01/31/7free-puffin-books-115875-22007683/

If you miss out on the offer, you can buy copies of The Worst Witch through Amazon for £3.47.

Imbolc moon of inspiration

The full moon tomorrow, 30 January, falls close to the eve of Imbolc, the pagan celebration of the start of spring.

Imbolc is sacred to Brigit or Bride, Celtic maiden goddess of the hearth, marriage, healing, poetry and smithcraft. She is the bride of spring; clothed in white. She heals old wounds and offers new beginnings. She inspires poets, artists and craftspeople. She brings hope of plenty in the months ahead.

We greet her when the sun is just beginning to warm the land after the cold of winter, when ice and snow melt and green shoots begin to emerge from the dark earth. Her festival is celebrated with fire and water - elements essential for life and growth.

Here is a little full moon imbolc ritual to honour Brigit and to ask for inspiration and help with new creative projects.

You will need: a clean sheet of white paper and your favourite pen, a white candle, a glass of spring water, a white robe (or something white to wear).

On the night of the full moon or before dawn, bathe and put on your white robe. Sit at a small table by a window through which the moon shines. Light your white candle and pour a glass of pure spring water. Hold the glass of water up to the candle flame and then to the moonlight, then take a sip. Say:

"Brigit, bride of spring, patron of artists, I ask for your help in this project I wish to start. Please grant me inspiration."

Then write any thoughts that come into your head onto the sheet of white paper. It doesn't matter if you have to wait for a while before you get any ideas. If you are stuck, gaze into the candle flame, the water in your glass and the moonlit landscape outside your window and be patient. Inspiration will come.

When you have finished, thank Brigit for her help, blow out the candle and use the water that is left in your glass to pour on plants in your home or garden. Keep your paper of inspirations safe so you can refer to it when necessary.

The ivory handfasting dress pictured above is by Wytch Haze Medieval Designs. You can see other lovely dresses like this at http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Wytch-Haze-Medieval-Designs

Links
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/01/imbolc-celebrations-and-open-rituals.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/01/celebrating-imbolc-start-of-spring.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/02/snowdrops-in-fable-and-folklore.html
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Wytch-Haze-Medieval-Designs
http://www.pagancalendar.co.uk/
http://www.pagan-magic.co.uk/shop/article_info.php/february-belongs-bridghid-a-244?ad=badwitch

Spring flowers and winter apples

I don't normally put pictures this large on my blog, but January has been such a cold and miserable month that I felt I needed something to cheer myself up. I took this photo in spring 2008 in my local park.

At the same time as I took the picture, leaves were just beginning to bud on the trees, so it was still early spring. It won't be long before we see these colourful sights again this year. In the meantime, I hope this brightens your day a little.

Mind you, if you are in Exeter, you can go and see a profusion of apples still growing on a tree its owner has called "magical".

Despite the bitter winter, with deep snow and freezing temperatures, the tree in Summer Lane, Exeter, Devon is covered in red fruit. These should have all fallen to the ground late last year, before the first frosts, but they are still growing.

Experts are astounded. Horticulturalist Jane Schofield said: "It is a very magical thing to see apples in January. I am very surprised they haven't fallen off through the cold weather."

Apple grower Chris Patt suggested that the tree might be lacking the hormones that normally cause fruit to fall in the autumn, or it might have a genetic mutation.

Whatever the reason, the apples are still juicy, edible and perfectly good for making apples pies or cider. Sounds magical to me.

Links:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7071735/Apple-tree-defies-coldest-winter-to-retain-fruit-crop.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article7002276.ece
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1245902/Hardy-tree-defies-harshest-winter-decades--producing-bumper-crop-delicious-apples.html

Imbolc celebrations and open rituals

Spring is on its way!

January is nearly over, the days are noticeably a little longer and the first snowdrops are just beginning to peep out of the ground. Imbolc, sometimes called Candlemas, on February 2, is traditionally the first day of spring. So why not get out and celebrate?

Here are some of the Imbolc open rituals, festivals, workshops and events taking place in the UK:

Thursday 28 January; Pagan Federation indoor Imbolc ritual at Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, Holborn, London WC1R 4RL. `Ye Olde Unicorns’ will be facilitating this ritual, and dedicating it to Maureen Brown, Wiccan High Priestess, who passed away five years ago. 7.30pm for 8pm start. Entrance £5 (£4 for members). Bring food and drink to share. No photographs allowed. Visit http://www.pflondon.org/

Saturday 30 January; Big Garden Bird Watch Weekend. This might not be a pagan event, but it seems a very appropriate way to get in touch with nature at this time of year by helping to contribute to the world's biggest bird survey from your own garden. For details, visit http://www.rspb.org.uk/ or call 01767 680551.

Saturday 30 January, druidic-style open ceremony at Avebury stone circle in Wiltshire. All faith paths are welcome. Please bring offerings of music, poetry, flowers, fruit, mead, ale, bread and cakes. Meet at the Red Lion pub, in Avebury, from noon. The ceremony will start at 1.30pm. The car park will be open overnight.

Sunday 31 January, Cross-Quarter day Festival of Imbolc celebration with the Loose Association of Druids in the Hawthorne Grove on Primrose Hill, London NW1 8YH (entrance opposite Rothwell St) from 12.45pm - 1.45pm. Afterwards there will be a social at The Washington Public House, 50 Englands Lane, London NW3 4YD. All are welcome.

Sunday January 31 Anderida Gorsedd open ritual at the Long Man of Wilmington, Sussex. Meet near the car park between 1.30pm and 2pm for a walk up to the chalk hill figure at 2pm. Afterwards back to the Giants Rest pub in Wilmington for a social drink together.

Monday 1 February; Open Imbolc ritual at Joss Bay, Broadstairs, Kent. Gather in the car park above Joss Bay beach, just below the North Foreland Lighthouse. The ritual will take place on the beach unless it rains, in which case it will take place in the Red Lion pub in Ramsgate. The event starts at 7.30pm. All are welcome. Call 01843 228011 for more details.

1 February - 15 March; Scottish Snowdrop Festival. This public event is a chance to enjoy beautiful gardens of snowdrops at various locations in Scotland. For more information, visit http://white.visitscotland.com/white_things_to_see_and_do/events_and_festivals/festival.aspx

Saturday 6 February; Beautiful Bridget - An Imbolc Experience. This workshop runs from 10am to 4pm at The Crystal Dragon, Caversham, Reading, Berkshire. Join with Vicky at the magical time of Imbolc to meet Bride, the patron Goddess of the festival of Imbolc. The workshop involves making Bridie's crosses and learning about her healing nature. It will culminate with a ceremony to honour the Lady of Spring. The cost is £35; concessions available. For more details or to book, call Vicky on 07792 279789 or visit the website http://www.sacredisle.webeden.co.uk/#

Saturday 6 February; Imbolc Fire Festival. This public event is said to be based on a 2,000-year-old Celtic celebration marking the first signs of spring. It features a procession, a fire circus, drama and music. The event Starts at Marsden Station at 6pm and continues in Marsden Village Centre, Marsden, HD7 6DU. Admission is free. For more details, visit http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/events/eventdetails.asp?evID=6179

Saturday 6 & Sunday 7 February; Imbolc - Earth, Health & Mystic Fayre at the Princess Pavilion, Melvill Rd, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 4AR. The doors open from 10am until 5pm each day. Admission is £2.50, OAPs get in for £1 and accompanied children under 16 will be admitted free. For more details visit the website http://www.mysticfayre.co.uk/eventsfeb.htm

If you fancy doing your own Imbolc celebration, pagan website Pagan Magic has a library of rituals, spells, recipes and ideas including A Candlemas Rite for One, a recipe for Brigit's Cross Cookies and Imbolc Celebration Activities for Small Children.


The Imbolc Birthday Charm pictured above left is available from Pagan Magic for £9.99. The photograph of snowdrops was taken in my garden last spring.


Links
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/01/celebrating-imbolc-start-of-spring.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/02/snowdrops-in-fable-and-folklore.html
http://www.pagan-magic.co.uk/shop/articles.php/imbolc-spells-t-26?osCsid=57ae9ec8e7bf5c9e69da6e29d4434948?ad=badwitch

800-year-old shaman bears seeds of love

Archaeologists have discovered the 800-year-old grave of a shaman in Peru, buried with 500 seeds that are thought to have aphrodisiac properties.

The ancient love doctor was probably from the pre-Incan Lambayeque culture. He was found near the valley of the Tucume Pyramids at La Pava de Mochumi, Peru.

The director of the La Pava de Mochumi archaeological complex, in Marco Fernandez, who is involved with the dig said that as well as helping with matters of fertility, the shaman would have cured ailments and interceded with the gods of the Mochica and Lambayeque people.

A ceramic vessel containing 500 nectarine seeds was the first finding on the site and led to the discovery of the body. Nectarines have long had a reputation as being a natural aphrodisiac, along with such foods as chilli, chocolate and avocado.

For more details, see the news story on http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=350950&CategoryId=14095

Links
http://www.andina.com.pe/Ingles/Noticia.aspx?id=4nfLNOVg1gQ=
http://www.rd.com/content/printContent.do?contentId=57406&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=500&width=790&modal=true

Review: The Faeries' Oracle by Brian Froud

Faerie oracles must be like buses. You wait ages for one, then two come along at once. At least, that was the case for me, getting The Faerie Callie, which I reviewed last week, closely followed by The Faeries Oracle designed by Brian Froud with text by tarot teacher Jessica Macbeth.

Actually, that isn’t quite true. Although The Faerie Callie has only just been published, The Faerie’s Oracle has been out for a while – I’ve just never had a copy before. I’m delighted I do now as it has become my deck of choice.

The two systems are quite different. The Faerie Callie is inspired by nature – specifically trees – and works best if you go out into woodland to collect fallen twigs on which to inscribe your personal divination set of symbols, asking permission of the faeries of nature before you do so.

The Faeries’ Oracle springs from the artistic vision of Brian Froud who, with Jim Henson, designed the amazing creatures in the fantasy movies Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal. Brian’s books of illustrations include Faeries, Brian Froud's Goblins! and The Goblins of Labyrinth.

This oracle, featuring Brian’s amazing artwork, is a set of cards inspired by faeries and intended to open a connection with them.

The faeries are, as anyone familiar with Brian’s work might expect, wonderfully drawn, highly detailed and hugely varied. Some are beautiful figures with gossamer wings; some are grotesque goblinesque creatures. There are ethereal beings of light and fire; wizened old men moulded from earth; things half humanoid, half animal; dreamlike creations and those that hint of nightmares.

Each seems to have its own character. If you stare at any one for more than a moment, it almost seems to come alive, to whisper secrets to you. Hidden depths seem to open up and offer those glimpses of meaning that any fortune teller needs if they are to read the cards. Even the backs of the cards (pictured right) are fascinating, with faces that are the right way up whichever way you look at them.

This set, like most divination decks you can buy, comes with a book explaining what the cards represent. With regular tarot decks I normally pretty much ignore the official book and mostly rely on my own knowledge. With more unusual decks I tend to skim through the book, but after that only use it to look up unfamiliar cards.

Jessica's book that accompanies The Faeries’ Oracle is different. For a start, it says it is different. It teaches an intuitive way of reading cards, focusing on discovering one’s own individual interpretations for them rather than memorising the official ones.

Jessica says: “Don’t read someone else’s definitions of the cards until you already have some idea of what they mean to you.”

Fantastic advice; which I followed.

As instructed by the book, I spread the cards all out over the table and took time to study them, dividing them into groups as I felt like. I picked my own personal favourites – and those I liked least of all – and thought hard about why. I turned them over and practiced picking cards that seemed to call to me before seeing what they were - with some wonderful results. And I thought, what great advice as a way to get to know any deck of cards – though particularly so with one that promises communication with the faeries.

Out of my quite large collection of divination decks, I know this is one that will get used far more than most.

The Faeries Oracle is published by Simon & Schuster.

Links
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/01/review-walking-faery-pathway.html
The Faeries Oracle
Faeries
Brian Froud's Goblins!
The Goblins of Labyrinth
Dark Crystal/Labyrinth [DVD] [1982]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Froud

This week's 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 nearby:

Saturday 23 January; Cross Bones Vigil and Imbolc Ceremony to honour The Goose and the outcast dead of Cross Bones Graveyard. Ritual starts at 7pm promptly. Gather from 6.45pm in Redcross Way, London SE1, outside the Memorial Gates. The Red Gates, hung with ribbons and mementos, in Redcross Way, are opposite the Boot and Flogger, just north of the junction with Union Street. Nearest tubes Borough or London Bridge. Bring fresh flowers, fabric flowers, jewelry, ribbons and other totems of beauty and truth to tie to the Gates as offerings.

Sunday 24 January; Bloodsongs: Blood-Lamp and Necromancy in the Fraternitas Borealis. Lecture by David Beth at Treadwells, 34 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7PB. 7.15pm for 7.30pm start. Entry £7, advance booking necessary. Tel: 020 7240 8906 or email: info@treadwells-london.com.

Sunday 24 January; Broom Making. A family craft session to make seasonal brooms from natural materials gathered in woodland. The event takes place at High Elms Country Park, Shire Lane, Farnborough, Kent BR6 7JH. Cost £4 per broom. Booking essential, call 01689 862815.

Monday 25 January; Shamanism and Creativity, seminar by Shaman UK. From 7pm - 9.30pm at The Open Centre, 188 Old St, London EC1V 9FR. Cost £12 waged, £8 unwaged. Booking essential. For more details or to reserve a space email Zoe on info@shaman.uk.net.

Tuesday 26 January; The Mysteries of London's Camelot. Talk by Chris Street at The London Earth Mysteries Circle, The Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place, W1U 8EA. Cost £4.50, members £3, concessions £4.Talks are on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 7PM. http://www.londonearth.com/

Thursday 28 January, Pagan Federation indoor Imbolc ritual at Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, Holborn, London WC1R 4RL. `Ye Olde Unicorns’ will be facilitating this ritual, and dedicating it to Maureen Brown, Wiccan High Priestess, who passed away five years ago. 7.30pm for 8pm start. Entrance £5 (£4 for members). Bring food and drink to share. No photographs allowed. Visit http://www.pflondon.org/

Friday 29 January; An Evening with Master Chou and Friends. Lecture on spirit communication with Sarah Tyler-Walters at The College of Psychic Studies 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm - 8.30pm. Cost: £5/£8. http://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/index.html


For details of future events, visit http://paganevents.blogspot.com/2008/09/pagan-events.html

Wanted: Retreat

A friend recently posted on her blog that she was looking for a retreat for the spring.

"Not Christian; not Buddhist; not tantric sex; not a B&B with pretensions; not a health farm," she said.

She has been on retreats before, to Oxenhoath, a country estate retreat in Kent, but fancies a different retreat centre this year. On her blog, she said:

"Oxenhoath is totally lovely, but I've been there three years in a row now, so I thought maybe a change. But I'm finding the word 'retreat' is often used as a euphemism for holiday, which means I keep getting 'Romantic Retreats in the Devon Countryside' or similar, which is a little frustrating. And I don't want anything involving angels or colonic irrigation, thank you."

I've never personally been on a retreat, although the idea of getting right away from my everyday problems to stay in some beautiful, tranquil place for a few days of peaceful repose and spiritual contemplation does sound appealing.

So, to see if I could help my friend and also to satisfy my own curiosity, I decided to do a bit of web searching on the subject.

I first came across http://www.theretreatcompany.com/ . The Retreat Company seems to offer a huge range of retreats - and a lot of other activities too. The list of topics includes dreamwork, meditation, self discovery, healing, even an "Amazonian Ayahuasca & Authentic Shamanic Healing Retreat".

I had wondered why my friend specifically said "nothing to do with colonic irrigation", but I must admit I was surprised at just how many colonic irrigation retreats were on offer. Presumably people go on these for their health rather than as a spiritual experience, but I hadn't realised that having water pumped up one's bottom was such a popular pastime.

Another website I found (and one not offering any form of rectal intrusion) was http://www.heartspring.co.uk/soul.htm. Heartspring, a lovely looking retreat centre based in Carmarthen, Wales, says it offers three types of retreats: relaxation retreats, retreat apartments and soul connection retreats. The website says these "help you connect with the deeper side of your being, your intuition and to learn simple practical meditation to suit your own unique lifestyle and situation". Sounds good.

In the past I have found Neal's Yard Holidays offers some wonderful spiritual getaways, so I had a look on its website to see if it offers retreats. I didn't find exactly what my friend was after, but I was quite taken with the Cornish Tipi Holiday, recommended as "a great place to do your own retreat - a blissfully secluded nature reserve situated close to the coast yet away from the crowds".

The website says: "In this peaceful spot you can retreat from the city and reconnect with nature as you stroll through the woods, swim in the sea or in the beautifully still lake on site, and curl up at night under the stars in your very own tipi." When the weather warms up a bit, I could be very tempted to try that.

When I emailed all those website details to my friend, I re-read her original post and, ever curious, I couldn't help asking why she had specifically mentioned tantric sex retreats? Had she seen details of one?

Indeed she had. It was called Alto Sax she said, but it wasn't really her thing. I looked on the website, which says the retreat centre teaches "tantra, tantric massage and tantric sexuality to individuals and couples".

"Come and explore yourself in a wonderful, safe and sacred environment", it added. I bet that includes anal intrusion...

If you know of any retreats taking place this year, or you have been on one and want to offer a recommendation, do leave a comment below.

Links
http://www.oxonhoath.co.uk/oxonhoath/index.cfm
http://www.nealsyardagency.com/Page/view/home
http://www.theretreatcompany.com/
http://www.heartspring.co.uk/soul.htm
http://www.alto-sax.co.uk/
http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1997.aspx?CategoryID=69&SubCategoryID=69
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Retreat+%28spiritual%29

Review: Walking the Faery Pathway

As anyone who regularly reads my blog will know, I love pretty much anything to do with faeries and I'm also fascinated by methods of divination. So, I was very pleased to get a new book called Walking the Faery Pathwayby Harmonia Saille, which also includes The Faery Caille, Oracle of Wands.

The description on the publicity that came with the book says:

"Take a trip down a faery pathway and meet the folk of the Otherworld, the realm of the faeries in this charming and practical guide. Harmonia Saille will take you step by step along the faery pathway, teaching you all about faery culture on the way, and showing you how to connect and communicate with them."

Walking the Faery Pathway seems a very personal book, full of Harmonia's own experiences. She describes particular points that seem to act as portals to the faery realms and what happened when she visited them. This is interspersed with interviews with children on the subject of faeries, which is particularly interesting as the young are often said to be more able to see the elusive little people than adults.

Combined with this is an introduction to the faeries of Europe and Scandinavia - their local names, descriptions, tales and also details of techniques to find faeries yourself.

These include dowsing for ley lines, which could reveal faery sites; pathworking exercises to meet faeries through guided visualisations; and advice on growing a garden or window box that will attract them to you and your home.

But, as I said earlier, this is really two books in one. The second half being The Faery Caille, Oracle of Wands- a divination system using twigs of wood from various trees, inscribed with symbols. This is a little similar to Ogham, an early Irish alphabet that is also used for fortune telling, but the markings and meanings are not exactly the same.

Nevertheless, the Faery Caille is a tree oracle that draws inspiration from the symbolic meaning attached to trees. For example, oak means strength and stability, hawthorn represents good luck with protection, willow is for healing, rowan offers magical protection, and yew means something must die so that rebirth can take place.

The divination system also links the traditional aspects of trees with associated faeries, such as dryads, elves, gnomes and figures such as fairy queens and fairy godmothers. This is intended so that the symbols can act as a communication channel between you and the faeries as well as to tell the future.

If this intrigues you, however, you will have to make your own set. Ideally, this means finding each of the trees and asking permission to gather a fallen twig on which to inscribe the appropriate symbol. This might seem like hard work, but I'm sure a divination set you have gathered and created yourself would be far more personal than one bought in a shop.

Nevertheless, if traipsing round woods and carving on twigs seems just too much effort, Harmonia also offers a description of how to make a set of Faery Caille by drawing the symbols on cards.

The publisher, O Books, describes Walking the Faery Pathway as being suitable for young adults upwards. If you are an oldie like me, don't let that put you off reading it. This is a lovely book offering some delightful insights into the Realm of Fearie as well as offering an unusual divination system.

Walking the Faery Pathway: Includes "The Faery Caille, Oracle of Wands" by Harmonia Saille is published by O Books and has an RRP of £11.99.

Thorrablot - feasting in the face of hunger

On the Pagan Calendar of festivals, January 20 is Thorrablot - an Asatru feast day dedicated to Thor, God of Thunder.

Thorrablot actually means "starvation time celebration". January is a harsh month and would have been particularly arduous in the frozen Viking lands of centuries past. With food scarce, the winter storms would have made every day a fight for survival, but those tough Icelanders loved to show their strength against all challengers - in this case against the threat of starvation.

Mind you, I think one might need to have the strong stomach of northern Viking warrior to enjoy some of the items on the Thorrablot menu. As a wussy western Wiccan, I would indeed have to be starving before putrefied Greenland shark (hákarl), ram's testicles cooked in lactic acid (súrsaðir hrútspungar), singed sheep's head (svið) and blood suet (blóðmör) looked appetising

Nevertheless, the food festival of Thorrablot is still popular in Iceland today and you can find details of events on tourist websites.

For followers of Asatru, however, raising a glass of strong drink (or several) in a toast to Thor on Thorrablot is just as important as eating putrefied fish. So at least there is something I can join in with for the celebration.

The picture above shows a Thor's Hammer amulet, available from Pagan Magic for £6.99. In Norse mythology, Thor's hammer Mjolnir is one of the most fearsome weapons and has reputation of being able to defeat any challengers. Followers of the Asatru religion often wear a Thor's Hammer amulet as a demonstration of their faith.

Links

http://members.iquest.net/~chaviland/calendar.htm

http://www.pagan-magic.co.uk/shop/product_info.php/norse-thors-hammer-p-4886?ad=badwitch

http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/09/goddess-of-week-elli.html

http://www.pagancalendar.co.uk/event.php?zodiac=astrological&getdate=20100119&tz=Europe/London&id=186

http://odin.org/faq.html

http://www.icelandtravel.is/about-iceland/annual-events/thorrablot-viking-celebration/

http://www.godchecker.com/pantheon/norse-mythology.php?deity=THOR

Tea-leaf reading - my first attempts

One of my ambitions this year is to learn tea-leaf reading. I don't just mean read a book on the subject then try it out once or twice, it is a skill I would really like to master.

My grandma had a special tea-leaf reading cup that sat in the china cabinet. I was fascinated by the strange symbols on it, but never learnt how to use it for fortune telling. Mind you, neither did my grandma as far as I can recall. It had long parted from its instruction book and no-one could remember how to interpret the pictures in relation to dregs of tea deposited at the bottom of the cup.

At Yule, a friend gave me a book called The Art of Tea Leaf Readingby Jane Struthers, which I eagerly read. This describes a method of reading tea-leaves with just an ordinary teacup and loose leaf tea, which I suspect is how tea leaves are usually read.

I was keen to have a go, but although I had a nice teacup and easily bought a packet of loose Earl Grey at my local supermarket, I then discovered I also needed a new teapot. That was less easy to find.

The book said that leaves are best read from the first cup poured, and I soon found that my huge family-size pot retained so many of the leaves that I didn't get enough in my cup to be any use.

I quickly discovered that individual-sized pots are hard to find in ordinary high street shops. I could have ordered one online, but I was too impatient to wait for it to be delivered. So, I ended up buying a sweet little teapot in a charity shop for £1.50, which was great because I love getting a bargain. It looked unused, so maybe someone had been given it as an unwanted present.

Then came my first attempt at reading the leaves.

As the book suggested, I put the kettle on, warmed the pot, put in a spoonful of loose tea, added freshly-boiled water, waited for it to brew, then poured my cup and drunk it while in quiet contemplation of a question to ask.

When I had finished, I swirled the dregs three times widdershins (anti-clockwise) while forming my question in my thoughts, then upended the cup into the saucer to drain off the excess liquid. Turning the cup back upright, I peered inside hoping to see shapes that were recognisable as symbols in the directory of meanings at the end of the book.

For example, a gate might mean some sort of obstacle that needs to be overcome, a bell might mean a wedding in a question about romance or an important message in relation to careers, a bee might represent a hectic journey with a full itinerary in a question about travel or that you should take care not to get stung in matters of money.

Did I see anything like that? No.

I stared at the mess of soggy leaves in my cup for quite a while, turning it round and round to see if it looked more promising from a different angle, but it really did just look like used tea. Oh well, maybe better luck next time.

I tried each day for a week. Then, when I was just about to give up, I saw something. On asking about money, I just about thought I could make out two dogs sniffing each other's bottoms, and I eagerly looked this up in the book.

The symbol of the dog, it said, represents loyalty and devotion. There was nothing about interpreting this in relation to any activity, however. Perhaps it was suggesting that to get a pay rise at work I needed to do a bit of brown-nosing? I suppose, in the month that job appraisals are looming, it doesn't do any harm to be extra nice to the boss. But I have no intention of doing anything to his bottom!

I'm going to continue to learn about tea-leaf reading, including having a go at using my grandma's old fortune-telling cup. Although she passed away many years ago, the cup still sits in the china cabinet that now belongs to my mother. I'm sure mum won't mind me using it.

Links:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/12/perfect-yule.html
Tea Set for One - Polka Dot
The Art of Tea Leaf Reading

This week's pagan events in and near London

Monday 18 January; Cybervoodoo - Human Upgrade; Ion Will, an eccentric shamanic, will give at talk on what he says "will really happen on 21 Dec 2012" at pagan forum Secret Chiefs at its new 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.

Tuesday 19 January; One-Minute Mystic. Masterclass with Simon Parke at The College of Psychic Studies 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm - 9pm. Cost: £8/£12. http://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/index.html

Wednesday 20 January; A Night with Zachary Cox: A Life of Poetry, Philosophy and Magic at Treadwells, 34 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7PB. 7.15pm for 7.30pm start. Entry £7, advance booking necessary. Tel: 020 7240 8906 or email: info@treadwells-london.com.

Thursday 21 January; Cinema of the Occult: Pacting and Desirous Demonology. Second of four fortnightly evenings of rare film with theoretical critiques by Patricia MacCormack, reader in Communication and Film at Anglia Ruskin University at Treadwells, 34 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7PB. 7.15 for 7.30pm start. Entry £10, booking essential. Tel: 020 7240 8906 or email: info@treadwells-london.com.

Friday 22 January; Performance of Sound Mandalas with June-Elleni Laine and Ian Dale at The College of Psychic Studies 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm - 8.30pm. Cost: £5/£8. http://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/index.html
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 England:

Friday 22 January; Align: a hallucinatory journey along a atraight line through the psychogeography and myth of London. A performance by Robert Kingham and Rich Cochrane at Bridewell Theatre in the City of London behind St Bride's Church. This is a two-hour evening performance. More details on http://bigi.org.uk/align/

Sunday 24 January; Bloodsongs: Blood-Lamp and Necromancy in the Fraternitas Borealis. Lecture by David Beth at Treadwells, 34 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7PB. 7.15pm for 7.30pm start. Entry £7, advance booking necessary. Tel: 020 7240 8906 or email: info@treadwells-london.com.

Sunday 24 January; Broom Making. A family craft session to make seasonal brooms from natural material's gathered in woodland. The event takes place at High Elms Country Park, Shire Lane, Farnborough, Kent BR6 7JH. Cost £4 per broom. Booking essential, call 01689 862815.

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.

Review: On Monsters - a history of our fears

Hearing the word monsters - what do you think of? The Cyclops, Gorgons or dragons from ancient tales? Grendel and his mother? Werewolves or demons? Frankenstein's creation? Godzilla and King Kong? Serial killers? Nazi war criminals? Aliens? Genetic mutations? Monsters from the Id?

In medieval times and in some parts of the world today witches were thought of as monsters and accused of such things as stealing babies and making men's penises vanish.

All of these and more can be found in the pages of On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears, a new book by Stephen T Asma.

Sometimes the monsters live in distant lands - weird and wonderful creatures from traveller's tales. Sometimes they live among us - those who look strange or even those who look normal but are monstrous inside. Sometimes they live within our own minds, in our nightmares or in feelings we struggle to control.

However much the rational mind might say "There are no such things as monsters", human beings from ancient times to the present day have nevertheless always managed to find them. They are ever-present, despite what we have done to banish or kill them.

The ancients attempted to lock them in the land of monsters, behind a huge iron gate that was believed to exist somewhere beyond the explored world. Medieval Christians exorcised or executed them. Rationalists dissected them. Today we try to capture them in the pages of novels, the silver of the screen or the virtual worlds of our computers.

But such containments are never strong enough. Monsters seem to have a power to mutate that defeats all attempts to eliminate them for good. As we lay one type of monster to rest, another springs up to take its place within the realm of our fears.

So perhaps it time to take a good look at them - which is exactly what On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears does.

On Monsters is far more than just catalogue of beasties and their backgrounds - or a "bestiary" as such things have been called. As the subtitle says, it is a history of our worst fears - and delves deeply into what what we have found so terrifying about monsters as well as why we are so fascinated with them.

Whatever creature stirs your darkest thoughts, you will probably find it in the pages of this book. Open it with care, for may not only find yourself walking amongst monsters, you may recognise them lurking within yourself.

Asma suggest that monsters embody our deepest anxieties and vulnerabilities and how we handle monsters reflects how we handle uncertainty, ambiguity and insecurity. Understanding them helps us to live in a world that is becoming increasingly less secure and more ambiguous.

It's been about a month since I was sent a preview copy of this lovely book from publisher Oxford University Press and it has taken me quite a while to finish it. I've really enjoyed reading it, but it is one of those books I've wanted to take my time over. That isn't because it's boring - quite the opposite in fact - it is just so full of fascinating and thought-provoking facts that I found I wanted to digest each section before going on to the the next one.

The book was officially launched on January 14 at £16.99 in hardback. It is available in bookshops and via Amazon

Links
On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears
http://www.oup.com/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/12/ghosts-and-monsters.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/10/steve-ash-on-great-old-ones.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/10/god-of-week-dagon.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/08/necronomicon-lecture.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/07/circe-bad-witch-radical-feminist-or.html

Tickets on sale for Day for Gerald

Tickets are now on sale for A Day For Gerald Gardner - a Wiccan conference organised by the Centre For Pagan Studies. The event takes place on Sunday 12 September at Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL.

The conference follows on from A Day for Doreen Valiente in 2009. Speakers will include Join Lois Bourne, Zach Cox, Philip Heselton, Professor Ronald Hutton and Fred Lamond in a celebration of the life and work of Gerald Brosseau Gardner, the founder of Wicca. There will also be an exhibition of his belongings and artifacts.

The conference organisers said:

"What started out as a promise of inclusion for those people that could not be at Doreen Valiente’s funeral, and because so many people asked ‘who are we going to honour next?’, the one off event has now turned into an annual day celebrating the life and work of our Pagan Elders. It is also a way of raising much-needed finances to help fund the transfer of Doreen’s famous collection of artifacts into a public trust and a museum so that we can all share them. Please be aware that last year's conference sold out in advance. For this year’s conference about Gerald Gardner which includes those that knew him, tickets are going to sell very quickly. Before today’s launch date for tickets, we already have over 140 reservations for tickets.

"The atmosphere at last years event was so intimate and special, we decided to stay with a limit of just 500 people. Our advice is, if you wish to be included, book very early to avoid disappointment."

To book a ticket, call the hotline on 07733 581504 or buy online using Paypal at http://centre-for-pagan-studies.doreenvaliente.com/

You can see my review of A Day for Doreen at: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/09/day-for-doreen-valiente.html

The picture above shows Conway Halls.

A solar eclipse, a god & time for change

There is a solar eclipse tomorrow, January 15.

Eclipses of the sun are often thought of as times when big changes can happen. At the moment, many of us may be considering changes at work - perhaps wanting a pay rise, more flexibility of hours, a promotion or just a new job. This could be a time to do something about it.

Unfortunately, the eclipse won't be visible from the UK.

According to Nasa, an annular eclipse will be visible from a 300km-wide track across central Africa, the Indian Ocean and eastern Asia. A partial eclipse will be seen in eastern Europe, most of Africa, Asia and Indonesia. It will start in the Central African Republic at 5.14am. The best place to view it will be the Maldive Islands at 7.26am. People in the capital city of Male will experience an eclipse lasting 10 minutes 45 seconds.

In Mayan mythology, the God of Eclipses is Ah-Ciliz. He is also a powerful deity to call upon if you feel overly put-upon at work and could really do with a change of status.

According to Godchecker.com Ah-Ciliz is a servant of the sun who waits upon him at table. Every so often, he gets really pissed off with his boss and turns the tables on him by devouring him, which causes a solar eclipse. The website says: "Why he should occasionally take it upon himself to devour his master is unclear. Pay and conditions not good enough? They should try for arbitration."

So, if you are unhappy in your current job why not use the energy of the solar eclipse to look for something new or to ask for changes - but, unlike Ah-Ciliz, don't make too much of a meal of it...

The image of a Total Solar eclipse, 11 July 1991 from Science Photo Library is available from Amazon

Links
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/07/solar-eclipse-myths-and-meanings.html
Total Solar eclipse, 11 July 1991 from Science Photo Library
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/OH2010.html
http://www.godchecker.com/pantheon/mayan-mythology.php?deity=AH-CILIZ

In the News: Witch King aims for Parliament

According to a story in Cambridge News, an occultist who has proclaimed himself "King of all Witches" is standing in the next general election in a bid to be Cambridge's next MP.

Before having these parliamentary ambitions, Magus Lynius Shadee made the news by claiming he could bring back the dead.

I have never met Mr Shadee and knew nothing about him before a quick Google search this morning, but whenever I hear of someone calling themselves King or Queen of All Witches I groan. There really is no such thing.

Well, OK, in the Alexandrian tradition there are titles of Witch King and Witch Queen. The founders of that tradition, Alex and Maxine Sanders, have often been called that, but even they don't claim to rule all witches.

There are many groups and traditions of witches, including Gardnerian Wicca, hedge witchcraft, fairy witchcraft and so on, with no ruling body and certainly not recognising any witchy royal family.

I have no idea if Mr Shadee would make a good MP, but I suspect he is more likely to alienate pagan voters than attract them by adopting such a grandiose title.

What do you think? Do leave a comment below.

Links
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/cn_news_home/displayarticle.asp?id=476235
http://peeringthrough.blogspot.com/2009/10/necromancy-in-uk.html
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/cn_news_home/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=452959

Faeries return to Canterbury

This Easter, The Faerie Festival is returning to the cathedral city of Canterbury, in Kent. It runs from 3rd-5th April and the night before, on 2nd April, there will be a Faerie Ball at The Abode Hotel ballroom from 7.30pm.

The festival starts at 10am on the Saturday morning with a Faerie Parade through Canterbury, starting and ending at The Westgate Hall.

Entertaining festival goers will be Judy Mastrangelo from the United States, singer Beck Siàn (cousin to Kate Bush), rock group Inkubus Sukkubus, Feorin, Kim Thompsett, Nick Ashron of Elfin Spiral and Rigantona. More than 60 exhibitor stands will be trading in the Faerie Market.

The Faerie Festival will take place at The Westgate Hall, on Westgate Hall Road - Canterbury’s main high street. It is next to a large public car park. Tickets are £6 per day for adults and £3 for children and OAPs.

For further information visit http://www.magicalfestivals.co.uk/ or phone 07845438340.

The festival is organised by the publishers of The Magical Times magazine: http://www.themagicaltimes.co.uk/.

Spring courses in shamanism

Shaman UK is running two courses in London this spring

Adventures in Shamanism 1: Introduction to Shamanism

This intensive six-week course runs from 8 February to 15 March on Monday evenings, from 7pm – 9.45pm.

Offering an introduction to the world and work of the shaman, the course will explore the history and traditions of shamanism.

Students will discover where and why shamans go when they ‘journey’; learn how to journey and meet spirit helpers and power animals; and work with the spirits of nature to heal.

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.

The cost is £160. Concessions are available on request.

Adventures in Shamanism 2: Deepening Connection

This weekend course is taking place on 27 & 28 March from 10am – 6pm.

It aims to explore the nature of our emotional connection with others. Participants will be invited to experience interpersonal connection from fresh perspectives, including as a power for healing and resolving past loss.

This course is open to anyone who has experience of shamanic journeying. It costs £160 for the two days. Concessions available on request.

Both courses take place at The Open Centre, 188 Old St. London EC1V 9FR

All UK Shaman courses are run by Zoë Brân PhD. For further details of events or to book, call 07847 894453, or email info@shaman.uk.net.

The coldest night...

We still seem to be gripped in Narnia-like winter with snow thick on the ground and fresh falls masking slippery ice.

Several times over the past week I've seen news headlines proclaiming "The Coldest Night of the Year". It certainly seems a time when any sensible creature - human or otherwise - would want to be hibernating rather than venturing outside.

Unfortunately, unlike in Narnia, Christmas has been and gone but winter is still here and the summons back to work can't be avoided if one wants to earn enough to pay the bills and eat.

One lunch hour last week I went for a wintry stroll around London's Bunhill Fields Burial Grounds. Part of the ancient graveyard is a public park and the lane running through it is often used by pedestrians as a shortcut so it is usually a busy place, but on that day it was almost deserted.

I found myself wandering alone among the silent tombs with only a hopeful squirrel, a few pigeons with their feathers puffed up against the cold and a solitary sorrowful magpie for company.

On my iPod, while standing on freezing station platforms waiting for delayed trains home, I've been listening to The Coldest Night [The Crow & the Salmon] from Rigantona's Daughters by Scott Jasper and Susan Garlick:

"Has there ever been a night as cold as this?
Has the land ever been so frozen deep in winter's grip?
If so, it must have been far and long ago,
I call to seek the answer from one who might know..."

The song is about the coldest night in history, far colder than our winters these days and only recalled in legend or perhaps in ancestral memory of the oldest animals of our lands.

In Irish and Welsh tales, the crow and the salmon are mythological creatures of cunning and wisdom. The song The Coldest Night describes a battle between them that is both a physical struggle for survival in a land where water is frozen and food is scarce, and a magical contest of wits between the king of water and the queen of air for knowledge that comes from deep within the land.

Well, if I was seeking ancient creatures of wisdom, I was certainly out of luck at Bunhill Fields Burial Ground. There weren't any crows about, although I guess the magpie might be considered their mischievous cousin. Pigeons certainly aren't known for their intelligence and the grey squirrel is a recent American visitor to our shores. I suspect the closest salmon was probably in a tin on a supermarket shelf.

But there was one thing I realised as I watched the magpie, pigeons and squirrel trying to find food and shelter from the cold in the frozen graveyard - wild creatures can do with a bit of help to survive this bitter winter.

So, over the weekend, I didn't entirely hibernate inside my centrally-heated home, I ventured outside with scraps of food and bird seed for any of the birds, squirrels, foxes and other wildlife in my garden.


Links
http://www.dragonflymoononline.co.uk/Music_CDs.htm
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/02/green-and-pleasant-land.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/08/blake-rising-spot-of-lunchtime.html

This week's 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 England:

Tuesday 12 January; Mystery Animals in London. Talk by Neil Arnold at The London Earth Mysteries Circle, The Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place, W1U 8EA. Cost £4.50, members £3, concessions £4.Talks are on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 7PM. http://www.londonearth.com/

Wednesday 13 January; Aleister Crowley’s Egypt. Talk by Paul Feazey, editor of Thelema website LAShTAL.com at Treadwells, 34 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7PB. 7.15pm for 7.30pm start. Entry £7, advance booking necessary. Tel: 020 7240 8906 or email: info@treadwells-london.com.

Thursday 14 January; Stories from the City Walk with Scott Wood of South East London Folklore Society. Meet up at 7.30pm for a walk from the steps of the Royal Exchange, London, at the confluence of Threadneedle Street and Cornhill for an introduction the world of SELFS: ruined megaliths, pagan London, urban witch trials, marital strife from beyond the grave, contemporary shrines and more folklore and strangeness. Cost: £2.50 / £1.50 concessions. http://members.multimania.co.uk/skitster/

Saturday 16 January. Wassail by Hunters Moon at Middle Farm, Firle, East Sussex BN8 6LJ. An open ritual in the apple orchards plus barn dance, Morris dancing and a barbecue. Dress warmly and bring your wellies. Free entry. From 6pm to 11pm. For more details call 01323 769848 or visit http://www.middlefarm.com/02_whatson.htm or http://www.huntersmoonmorris.co.uk/

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.

God of the Week: Odin

January 9 is the Day of Remembrance for Raud the Strong, according to Pagan Calendar.co.uk

It says that King Olaf Tryggvason of Norway, who converted the country to Christianity in 995, tortured Raud with hot irons then executed him by making him swallow a snake. His crime was refusing to give up Norway's pagan religion of Asatru.

The Pagan Calendar suggests that on Saturday we "Praise Raud by lifting a horn (or cup or glass) in his honor and do something deliberate to spread the religion King Olaf tried so hard to stamp out."

Well, I'll be more than happy to raise a toast to Raud the Strong this Saturday night - perhaps even with a glass of the old Punk cocktail Snakebite, which seems sort of appropriate.

And in honour of Asatru, I have picked one of their top gods - Odin - as the Bad Witch's God of the Week.

Odin is the ruler and father of the gods according to the Asatru. Pagan website Pagan Magic states:

"His very name is related to the word oor, meaning fury and excitation, as well as poetry and mind. forging a complex origin paves the path for his complicated role as chief of the Norse Gods. The lord of wisdom, war, battle, and death he was also known to have held sway over magic, poetry, prophecy, victory, and the hunt; a complex mingling of many of the virtues that the Norse people held sacred.

"It was he who received the souls of valiant warriors that died in battle and the women he favored become the legendary Valkyries, who strode among the battlefields and brought the valiant dead to the halls of Valhalla, where they would wait, training and feasting. Then, when Ragnorok came, they would take up arms again and fight for Odin in the battle that was foretold to mean his death."

The picture above shows a statue of Odin that is available from Pagan Magic. Sculpted of cold-cast resin and painted in muted tones that give the appearance that he is sculpted of brass, the statue is 10" tall and 8 " wide and costs £99.99.

Links
http://www.pagan-magic.co.uk/shop/product_info.php/odin-statue-p-10118?ad=badwitch
http://asatru.org/Holidays.html
http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/pagantraditions/p/Asatru.htm
http://pagancalendar.co.uk/event.php?zodiac=astrological&getdate=20100106&tz=Europe/London&id=185
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olaf_I_of_Norway
http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink2072.html

Unconventional or just unfocused?

I've just been sent a flyer about fair called The Unconventional Market, which is taking place at Northampton Saints Rugby Club in Northampton, on Sunday 24th January.

It describes the event as:

"A new 'one stop shop' for all alternative requirements, squarely aimed at people with a lifestyle, belief system, or any interesting pursuit which is not really catered for by the mainstream retail outlets. Bringing together specialist traders and craftspeople who supply Pagans, Goths, Witches, Wicca, Re-enactors, Faeries, Role Players, Mind Body & Spirit Events, and those drawn to the Alternative, the Paranormal, and Supernatural."

It goes on to claim:

"There is considerable cross-over and inter-connection between these areas, and this market which addresses all of these areas will have considerable appeal."

I must admit, I'm not sure if attempting to cater for this wide variety of groups will actually appeal to everyone with an interest in any one of those areas, or just to pagan goths who also enjoy dressing up as Vikings and running around in the mud hitting each other with blunted weapons, then go home to watch Most Haunted on the telly and role play Dungeons & Dragonson the kitchen table.

I'm not saying there aren't people around with that intersection of interests, but I'm not sure how many.

That isn't to say I wouldn't consider going to The Unconventional Market if it was in my area.

I was certainly a goth in my youth (some would say I still am). I rather enjoy a bit of dressing up and role play (though mostly in the bedroom). And I once had a lodger who did Dark Age re-enactment and although I never ventured out into muddy fields to watch him wield his broadsword, I must admit he looked drop-dead gorgeous standing in my living room in his skimpy leather kit with his mighty weapon strapped across his back...

Yes, OK, I've now convinced myself I would have sufficient reason to see what this market had to offer, but I wonder what other witches, Wiccans and other pagans will think about their religion and serious spiritual beliefs being lumped together with things that are primarily hobbies and fashion statements?

What do you think? Do leave a comment below.

For more information about this event, email organiser David Smith at david.smith34@ntlworld.com

The picture above shows the Tetley Stand at the Northampton Saints Rugby Club in Northampton. The event takes place in the conference suite.