Friday, 29 July 2011

Pagan events for Lammas week

This weekend and over the coming week, Pagans are celebrating Lammas - or the festival of the first fruits of the harvest. Here are some events taking place in London and within travelling distance of the capital:

Now until Sunday 31 July; Glastonbury Goddess Conference. Goddess event with ceremonies, workshops, talks, visits to holy wells and entertainment. The events of the conference take place at venues in Glastonbury including Glastonbury Town Hall, The Goddess Hall and Glastonbury Assembly Room. Some events are open to the public, while rituals and some other events are only open to conference members and ticket holders. For Information and to book tickets, visit The Goddess Conference, 2-4 High St, Glastonbury, BA6 9DU, Somerset, call 01458 831518 or visit the website http://www.goddessconference.com/

Saturday 30 - Sunday 31 July 2011; The Eastbourne Lammas Festival. Two-day festival with live music, belly dancing, Morris dancing, stalls, pagan ceremonies and more. Location: Western Lawns, Eastbourne Seafront, Eastbourne, Sussex. For more details, visit the website: http://www.lammasfest.org/

Saturday, 30 July; Free and Open Gorsedd Lughnasadh by the Free and Open Gorsedd of Caer Abiri at The Sun Circle, Avebury stone circle, Wiltshire. Druidic style open ceremony to celebrate the first harvest - all faith paths welcome. Meet at the Red Lion pub at Avebury from noon for a ceremony from 1.30pm. Offerings of bread, cake, mead, poetry and song are welcome.

Saturday 30 July: Lughnasa at Butser Ancient Farm, Chalton Lane, Chalton, Hants. Celebration of the Celtic harvest festival with music, dancing and a BBQ. Time: 7pm - 10pm. Tickets £10/£8. For more details, call 02392 598838 or visit http://www.butserancientfarm.co.uk/

Sunday 31 July; Understanding Lammas. An intensive one-day course on symbolism, folklore, custom and magic by Wiccan priestess Suzanne Corbie at Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 11am - 6pm. Cost £35, advance booking and deposit essential. Tel: 020 7240 8906 or email: info@treadwells-london.com. www.treadwells-london.com/lectures.asp

Sunday 31 July; Druidic Lammas Ceremony on Primrose Hill with the Druid of Wormwood Scrubs. The event starts at 12.45pm and ends at 1.45pm. Meet on Primrose Hill, London NW1 8YH at the entrance opposite Rothwell St.

Sunday 31 July; Anderida Gorsedd Lughnasadh 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.

Sunday 31 July; Lammas Picnic Moot in the Park in Reading with Kennet Pagans, starting at 2pm For full details, join the Kennet Pagans groups on Facebook: http://www.kennet.tk or Yahoo: http://www.kennetpagans.tk

Monday, 1 August; The Circle of Ankerwycke Litha Lughnasadh Ritual and Celebration. Location: woods at Ankerwycke, near Staines. Event starts at 7.30pm. Places are limited, if you want to attend, call 07889 126311.

Monday, 1 August; Race of Magicians - Judaic Pagan Magic. Talk by Richard Levy at pagan forum Secret Chiefs. 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/

Tuesday, 2 August; Romford Sacred Hart Moot. Magical Morality. Peer-led discussion of ethics. This pagan moot meets on the 1st Tuesday of every month, from 7pm to 10.30pm in La Tasca, The Brewery, Romford, Essex RM1 1AU. Email Sarah at: romfordsacredhart@hotmail.com. More details on http://www.sacredhart.350.com/

Wednesday 3 August; Weekly pagan moot 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. Visit http://www.theatlantisbookshopevents.com

Friday 5 August; Pagan quiz night at Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. 7.15pm for 7.30pm start. Ticket price £3 on the door but advance registration necessary. Tel: 020 7240 8906 or email: info@treadwells-london.com. www.treadwells-london.com/lectures.asp

Friday 5 August; Open House and Social Evening at The College of Psychic Studies 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 4.30pm - 9pm. Cost: £10. Advance booking essential. Tel: 020 7589 3292. http://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/index.html

Saturday, 6 August; The Nurturing of Kerr. Goddess workshop with priest of Avalon David Spofforth. Venue: Bonnington Centre, 11 Vauxhall Grove, London SW8 1TD. Time: 1pm for 1.30pm start. Ends at 5.30pm. Cost: £15 on the day, £10 in advance. For more details and to book places visit http://www.priestofavalon.com/

Saturday, 6 August; Lammas Gathering at Richmond Park, London. Family-friendly gathering and picnic organised by Hern's Tribe, from 2pm-5pm. For more details, email info@hern-tribe.org or call 077689-41373. http://www.hern-tribe.org/

Thursday, 28 July 2011

News: Witchcraft in fairgrounds, fashion and fun

Blackpool Tower "hangs" people as witches as part of fairground ride: http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/life_and_style/s/1453773_blackpool-banks-on-the-power-of-the-tower

Artist AA Bronson talks about being inspired by witches: http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/columnists/Coven/5169884/story.html

Wookey Hole tourist attraction has trouble recruiting a wizard: http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/Wookey-Hole-wizards-8217-disappearing-act-ahead/story-12981742-detail/story.html

Online witchcraft and magic portal gets a makeover: http://newyork.dbusinessnews.com/shownews.php?articletitle=The%20Largest%20Online%20Magic%20and%20Witchcraft%20Portal%20Is%20Getting%20A%20Makeover&newsid=239533&type_news=latest&s=sbcn

A poem or chant for healing

I wrote this poem yesterday, to use as a chant for someone I know who is seriously ill.

The ever-flowing cup, chalice or grail is a powerful symbol for friendship and for healing. My wishes are for their full recovery - and I hope they won't mind me sharing the poem with you on my blog.

May your cup always be full

By the bubbling brook and the clear mountain stream
May your cup always be full
By the waters that spring from the earth so deep
May your cup always be full
By the rain that falls from the sky above
May your cup always be full
By the seas and oceans vast and wide
May your cup always be full
By tears we shed in joy and grief
May your cup always be full
With all your hopes and all your dreams
May your cup always be full
With the curing of ills and a long, long life
May your cup always be full
With the love and cheer that friendship brings
May your cup always be full
May your wounds be healed both in body and soul
And may your cup always be full.
The image shows the Ace of Cups from the Crowley Thoth Tarot Deckwhich you can order through Amazon

Related links and previous posts:
Crowley Thoth Tarot Deck Standard

Wednesday, 27 July 2011

Window Shopping: Magical hare jewellery

I've decided to start running a regular feature on my blog called Window Shopping - in which I write about beautiful things I have seen for sale, but can't really afford to buy.

This lovely handmade silver brooch of a magical hare with a gold moon and three stars running across his coat is available from Iapetus. It costs £109 - which is probably very reasonable for the amount of work that had gone into making it, but nevertheless my budget only runs to window shopping at the moment.

As window shopping goes, the Iapetus website is a great place to spend some time even if you don't actually spend any money.

Links and previous related posts
www.iapetus.co.uk

Tuesday, 26 July 2011

Oz fiction author visits hot dog festival

Author James C Wallace II, a regular reader of A Bad Witches Blog, has sent me his latest press release. It was the least I could do to publish it in full. Here it is:
Return of the Hometown Oz Author!

West Virginia native James C. Wallace II leaves the Land of the Hoosiers and returns to his hometown of Huntington, West Virginia just in time to attend the 7th Annual West Virginia Hot Dog Festival on July 30th, 2011.

He will be introducing his hometown of Huntington to his latest children’s book, Family of Oz,which features Stewart’s Original Hot Dogs as one of the ingredients of the story. Stewarts’s Original Hot Dogs were a cherished memory of Mr. Wallace’s youth and as such, he felt compelled to immortalize them in the Land of Oz. They are also the creator of and an ongoing sponsor of the West Virginia Hot Dog Festival.

Family of Oz is the third and final volume of the Royal Magician of Oz Trilogy and completes the saga of young Jamie Diggs and his coronation as the new Royal Magician to Princess Ozma; Sovereign Ruler of Oz.

The Royal Magician of Oz Trilogy is a 3 volume tale of magic and wonder that recalls the cherished values of friendship, loyalty and courage. This timeless tale of Oz reminds us of the value of overcoming our deepest fears and conquering the challenges that might otherwise defeat us. Volume One, Magician of Oz;Volume Two, Shadow Demon of Ozand Volume Three, Family of Oz are now available and will be featured during Mr. Wallace’s appearance.

James C. Wallace II is currently working on his 5th book in the Oz and/or Wonderland series. #5 is a spin-off of Family of Oz and is called The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless and Blu, all about Nicholas Pickleless (a pickle farmer who hates pickles) and Aadon Blu (the Caretaker of the Pinwheel Fields).

The Royal Magician of Oz Trilogy is based on the written works of L. Frank Baum (May 15, 1856 – May 6, 1919) and include The Wonderful Wizard of Oz(1899).

Mr. Wallace will speak out on issues of Oz, literacy and his lifetime of experiences working with youth. Blending decades of experience, both professionally and as a parent & grandparent, with those around him, Mr. Wallace will speak out in encouragement of the youth in attendance and promote the values of literacy which influenced his life, including the vision of the Royal Historian, L. Frank Baum’s and his Land of Oz.

Cabell County Public Library Appearance

In addition to his appearance at the 7th Annual West Virginia Hot Dog Festival on Saturday, July 30th, James C. Wallace II will make a minor journey down the road of red brick to make an appearance at the Cabell County Public Library at 11am, that same morning to promote youth literacy and support the library of his youth. More info can be found at http://cabell.lib.wv.us/ .
Links and previous posts

Monday, 25 July 2011

Pagan Eye: Black Bird and Rose Window

On Saturday I went on a photowalk around London. I signed up for the guided tour and photography class because I normally take pictures of flower, animals and country scenes but I wanted to learn more about photographing architecture.

But, just as I was snapping this photo of the Rose Window in the ruins of the old Winchester Palace, in Southwark, a bird must have flown right between my lens and my subject matter. I was quite surprised to see it there when I reviewed my images, as I hadn't been aware of the bird flying past at all.

Shame it is a bit blurry. Perhaps it is a sign that however much man builds over the landscape, nature will always find her way in?

On each Pagan Eye post, I show a photo that I find interesting, with a few words about it. I'm not quite sure what I'll be including - it could be a seasonal image, a pagan site, an event, or just a pretty picture.

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 and you must confirm that you are submitting it for A Bad Witch's Blog.

Links and previous related posts:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/01/my-white-pigeon.html

Sunday, 24 July 2011

Pagan events near London for Lammas

Lammas, or Lughasadh, is the festival of first fruits and is celebrated at the start of August, usually on August 1 or the closest weekend.

Here are some open rituals taking place in the UK to celebrate the start of the harvest:

Monday, 25 July; Witches, Wizards and Warlocks: A Guided Walk in Magical London with Delianne Forget, organised by Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. 6.50pm for 7pm start. Ticket price £8 in advance. Tel: 020 7240 8906 or email: info@treadwells-london.com.

Tuesday 26 July - Sunday 31 July; Glastonbury Goddess Conference. Goddess event with ceremonies, workshops, talks, visits to holy wells and entertainment. The events of the conference take place at venues in Glastonbury including Glastonbury Town Hall, The Goddess Hall and Glastonbury Assembly Room. Some events are open to the public, while rituals and some other events are only open to conference members and ticket holders. For Information and to book tickets, visit The Goddess Conference, 2-4 High St, Glastonbury, BA6 9DU, Somerset, call 01458 831518 or visit the website http://www.goddessconference.com/

Tuesday July 26, Chertsey Moot at The Golden Grove Pub, Ruxbury Road, St Annes Hill, Chertsey. Time: 8pm - 11pm. This moot meets on the last Tuesday of each month.

Wednesday 27 July; Sacred Egypt. Talk by Katy Noura Butler at weekly pagan moot 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. Visit http://www.theatlantisbookshopevents.com

Thursday 28 July; Paganism in Britain Today: Observations, Issues, Trends. Talk by Dr Christina Oakley Harrington, owner of Treadwells at her shop at 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. 7.15pm for 7.30pm start. Ticket price £7 in advance. Tel: 020 7240 8906 or email: info@treadwells-london.com

Thursday 28 July; Pagan Federation London Lammas Open Ritual with Romuva. Venue: Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, Holborn, London. Turn up by 7.30pm for pre-ritual social. The ritual starts at 8pm. Entrance: PF members/conc £5. All others £6. Please bring seasonal/home-made food and drinks to share at the feast after the ritual. For more information, visit the PFL website at http://www.pflondon.org/index.html

Friday 29 July; Through A Glass Darkly: Performance Inspired by Victorian Seances of the Fraudulent Mediums by The London Magician at Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. 7.15pm for 7.30pm start. Ticket price £10 in advance. Tel: 020 7240 8906 or email: info@treadwells-london.com

Saturday 30 - Sunday 31 July 2011; The Eastbourne Lammas Festival. Two-day festival with live music, belly dancing, Morris dancing, stalls, pagan ceremonies and more. Location: Western Lawns, Eastbourne Seafront, Eastbourne, Sussex. For more details, visit the website: http://www.lammasfest.org/

Saturday, 30 July; Free and Open Gorsedd Lughnasadh by the Free and Open Gorsedd of Caer Abiri at The Sun Circle, Avebury stone circle, Wiltshire. Druidic style open ceremony to celebrate the first harvest - all faith paths welcome. Meet at the Red Lion pub at Avebury from noon for a ceremony from 1.30pm. Offerings of bread, cake, mead, poetry and song are welcome.

Saturday 30 July: Lughnasa at Butser Ancient Farm, Chalton Lane, Chalton, Hants. Celebration of the Celtic harvest festival with music, dancing and a BBQ. Time: 7pm - 10pm. Tickets £10/£8. For more details, call 02392 598838 or visit http://www.butserancientfarm.co.uk/

Sunday 31 July; Understanding Lammas. An intensive one-day course on symbolism, folklore, custom and magic by Wiccan priestess Suzanne Corbie at Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 11am - 6pm. Cost £35, advance booking and deposit essential. Tel: 020 7240 8906 or email: info@treadwells-london.com. www.treadwells-london.com/lectures.asp

Sunday 31 July; Druidic Lammas Ceremony on Primrose Hill with the Druid of Wormwood Scrubs. The event starts at 12.45pm and ends at 1.45pm. Meet on Primrose Hill, London NW1 8YH at the entrance opposite Rothwell St.

Sunday 31 July; Anderida Gorsedd Lughnasadh 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.

Sunday 31 July; Lammas Picnic Moot in the Park in Reading with Kennet Pagans, starting at 2pm For full details, join the Kennet Pagans groups on Facebook: http://www.kennet.tk or Yahoo: http://www.kennetpagans.tk

Monday, 1 August; The Circle of Ankerwycke Litha Lughnasadh Ritual and Celebration. Location: woods at Ankerwycke, near Staines. Event starts at 7.30pm. Places are limited, if you want to attend, call 07889 126311.

If you know of an event that you want listed, or spot any errors on my events page, please email the details to me at badwitch1234@gmail.com

Saturday, 23 July 2011

News: Witch festival planned for Paisley

Paisley, in Scotland, is planning a new festival to commemorate people killed in 1697 on suspicion of being witches.

You can read the full story on the Paisley Daily Express website: http://www.paisleydailyexpress.co.uk/renfrewshire-news/2011/07/20/new-witches-festival-is-planned-for-paisley-87085-29080752/

Friday, 22 July 2011

Rose Moon

The moon will be full tonight and will be at its fullest in the early hours of Friday morning.

One of the magical names for this full moon is Rose Moon, according to the online Pagan Calendar, which seems wonderfully romantic to me. Other sources say that the Rose Moon actually happened last month, in June, and that July's full moon is better called the Mead Moon.

Mead is sometimes called the drink of lovers and is supposed to be a natural aphrodisiac. So, whatever name you give to the full moon, as Friday is also associated with the Goddess of Love I hope tomorrow proves to be a wonderful day for everyone who is in love - full of passion and beautiful surprises!

Links and previous posts:
http://pagancalendar.co.uk/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_moon
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/05/first-rose-of-summer.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/05/pagan-eye-red-rose.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/12/pagan-eye-winter-rose.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/05/pagan-eye-yellow-rose.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/05/pagan-eye-dog-rose.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/05/pagan-eye-dog-rose.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/11/freya-bad-witchs-goddess-of-week.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/06/taste-of-honey.html

Festival of the week: Neptunalia

Tomorrow is Neptunalia, the Roman festival of Neptune, God of the Sea, according to the online Pagan Calendar.

Very little is known about this ancient festival, except that it was honoured in the heat of the summer on July 23. Romans probably feasted, drank and generally had a bit of a party in honour of the God of Waters.

I expect they also enjoyed a day out at the seaside when the weather was hot and the sun was shining - much as we do today.

If you are at the coast this weekend, think of Neptune, raise a toast to the God of the Sea and celebrate Neptunalia however you fancy!

The photo was taken at Lulworth Cove, in Dorset.

Links and previous related posts

Thursday, 21 July 2011

The Fellowship of Isis London Gathering

Last Sunday I took part in a Fellowship of Isis gathering in London. It was a rare chance to meet and work with Olivia Robertson, co-founder of the Fellowship of Isis and a truly amazing woman. Olivia is 94 years old, but has a huge amount of energy and is one of the most powerful priestesses around as well as being a fascinating character and a delightful person.

I signed up for the gathering as soon as it was announced. I'm glad I got in quickly because the event sold out in hours. I didn't list it on my blog's events page, because by the time I'd done so there would have been no tickets left.

The FoI gathering was organised by priestess Caroline Wise and the guest speakers were Wiccan author and teacher Vivianne Crowley and art expert Fleur Shearman as well as VIP Olivia. It took place in the basement meeting room at Treadwells.

Before the event, the organisers conducted a short ritual to invite Isis, Goddess of The Thames, to bless the meeting space. I think it worked.

As we all took our seats, water began to flood up through the floor - from no apparent source and for no apparent physical reason. There was a little panic - everyone rushed upstairs, and mops and buckets were found to bail out as much of the water as possible. After a while the inundation subsided and we all returned to our slightly wet seats and the gathering began.

The first talk was by Fleur Shearman, an expert on the Goddess in art, on the subject of Minerva and the Muses.

From classical times, the Muses have been seen as goddesses of inspiration. There are nine Muses: Calliope, Muse of epic song, Clio, Muse of history, Euterpe, Muse of lyric song, Thalia, Muse of comedy and bucolic poetry, Melpomene, Muse of tragedy, Terpsichore, Muse of dance, Erato, Muse of erotic poetry, Polyhymnia, Muse of sacred song, and Urania, Muse of astronomy. The Muses are often depicted in art with their half-sister Minerva, Goddess of poetry, art and wisdom.

Fleur's talk showed the Muses and Minerva as they have been depicted in art throughout history and the influence they have had on important cultural figures over the ages.

Vivianne Crowley gave a talk on the Black Madonna. Statues of the Black Madonna appear all over Europe band other parts of the world. They often have huge local popularity, appealing to people of all classes and ethnic origins as well as people of different faiths, but their origins are a little mysterious. Many of the statues are very old or are modern replacements for old statues that have been damaged or lost.

Some were brought back by Crusaders in the Middle Ages and may have come from Coptic churches in North Africa. This was not necessarily done for the sake of looting - the Christian soldiers may have been trying to save these works of sacred art from destruction.

Some of the Black Madonna statues may have originally been images of the Goddess Isis with the child Horus, and were renamed as the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus when the pagans who venerated them were Christianised.

These were fascinating talks, but the highlight of the day was a pathworking by Olivia. She said she was inspired for the pathworking by travels abroad when she felt she was visited by three goddesses, Yemaja, African mother Goddess of the Oceans, Pele, Hawaiian Goddess of fire and volcanoes, and a celestial Goddess of the stars.

The pathworking took us to meet these three goddesses on a journey through the dark underworld womb of the mother Goddess, through rebirth into the light and then up into the heavens to the realm of the gods, goddesses and ancestors.

It was a powerful pathworking - at first painful as we had to face our inner fears, but eventually uplifting and reassuring as we learnt that nothing is truly lost and everything is reborn, recycled or renewed.

During the pathworking, something rather amazing happened to me on a personal level. I met the spirit of my grandmother in the realm of the ancestors. She had been an astrologer and a member of the Astrological Lodge, in London, when she was young. Recently, while clearing out the attic and some old cupboards in my family home, I came across my grandmother's letters, notes, photos and paperwork relating to the Astrological Lodge and its founder Alan Leo, dating back to the early part of the 20th Century.

I had emailed the lodge some time ago asking if anyone there would like to look at this paperwork, but had had no reply.

In the pathworking, I felt that my grandmother approved of my actions - she approved of me being at the FoI gathering and contacting the lodge. The very next day I got two emails from members of the lodge - one offering to help store the documents and another from a historian studying the history of the lodge who was interested in seeing them.

Whatever goddesses were listening on Sunday - and my grandma, and Olivia - thank you!

If you are disappointed at missing the FoI London gathering, you will have another chance next year. Hopefully it will be at a bigger venue so more people will be able to attend.

The Fellowship of Isis is dedicated to honouring the Goddess in her many forms. It was founded at Clonegal Castle, Ireland, in 1976 by Olivia Robertson with the late Lawrence and Pamela Durdin-Robertson. Membership is free and you can find out how to join on the FoI website.

The photo shows the Goddess altar at the FoI gathering in London.

Links

Wednesday, 20 July 2011

News: Hindus greet pagans for Lammas

Hindus have sent an early Lammas greeting to pagans all over the world, together with the wish that all religions work together for a peaceful world.

You can read the full story on the Daily India website: http://www.dailyindia.com/show/451735.php

Pagan Eye: Waterfall

This lovely photo is of a waterfall flowing into the River Dyfi about a mile down the road from Machynlleth, in Powys, Wales.

It was taken by Matthew Turner. He said: "I took it in late May this year."

Waterfalls can symbolise renewal, rebirth, an overflowing of emotions and feminine energy - and they certainly seem magical to watch as the water cascades down the mountainside!

On each Pagan Eye post, I show a photo that I find interesting, with a few words about it. I'm not quite sure what I'll be including - it could be a seasonal image, a pagan site, an event, or just a pretty picture.

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 and you must confirm that you are submitting it for A Bad Witch's Blog.

Links and previous posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/12/pagan-eye-where-witches-walked.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/05/pagan-eye-jack-in-green.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/08/pagan-eye-druid-oak.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/07/its-in-trees.html

Tuesday, 19 July 2011

Review: Reclaiming Happiness

If I'd been looking for a good book to read after The High-Heeled Guide to Spiritual Living - or if I'd been feeling depressed and wanted some guidance on how to cheer up - I couldn't have picked a better one than Reclaiming Happiness: 8 Strategies for an Authentic Life and Greater Peace,by psychologist Nicola Phoenix.

In fact, I read the book with something of an open mind after being sent a press release about it, because I thought it looked suitable to review on my blog. But once I'd started it, I realised it had arrived in my life at the right time.

Generally speaking, I consider myself reasonably content with life, but I still get my off days - when nothing seems to go right, I get stressed and then either lose my temper or dissolve into floods of tears. Reclaiming Happinessnot only offers practical advice on how to remain calm in trying situations like that, but also how to develop a new way of looking at life and at ourselves to be truly happier.

The press release about the book, which I was sent by publisher Findhorn Press, asks: "Stop for a minute. How many people around you are really happy? Are you really happy? Observe the lengths people will go to to distract themselves from a natural state of happiness. What do you think you’d need to do, own or succeed at in order to experience real happiness? What do you think you would need to change about your life? The Spiritual Psychologist, Nicola Phoenix, says in reality, it’s ourselves that are the most important thing and if we choose to, we can all be happy."

In the book, Nicola examines misunderstandings we often have about happiness.

Many of us think that those with more money, bigger homes or better jobs are somehow happier than we are, which isn't necessarily the case.
Nicola says that the moments when we feel lost, in pain, alone, or that life is dealing us blow after blow are actually the best times to start reclaiming happiness. The first step is to realise that we are OK as we are. “We are all right now and in every way complete,” she says.

Reclaiming Happiness offers practical exercises and techniques to deal with specific problems the moment you find yourself facing them, and also to generally realign one's outlook on life to learn to be happy.

I'm certainly going to be trying out some of those techniques next time I find myself wound up or down in the dumps, as well as taking on board some of the pointers to a generally happier life.

Monday, 18 July 2011

Pagan events in and near London

Here are highlights of this week's events in London and other parts of the UK that could be of interest to pagans. If you know of an event that you want listed, please email the details to me at badwitch1234@gmail.com

Monday, 18 July; Medway's Pagan Past. Talk by Keith Gulvin at pagan forum Secret Chiefs. Venue: Devereux public house (pictured), 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, 18 July; Croydon Crows. PF moot held every 3rd Monday of each month at the Skylark pub, South End, South Croydon from 8pm onwards.

Tuesday 19 July; Our Eternal Souls. Lecture by Andy Tomlinson and Reena Kumarasingham at The College of Psychic Studies 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm - 8.30pm. Cost: £8/£12. Advance booking essential. Tel: 020 7589 3292. http://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/index.html

Wednesday 20 July; The Mask of Lam. Talk by Gary Dickinson at Pagan forum The Moot with No Name, arranged through Atlantis Bookshop. Venue: Devereux public house (pictured), 20 Devereux Court, off Essex Street, London WC2R 3JJ. Meet from 7.30pm, event starts at 8pm. Admission £5.

Thursday 21 July; Witches, Wizards and Warlocks: A Guided Walk in Magical London with Delianne Forget, organised by Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. 6.50pm for 7pm start. Ticket price £8 in advance. Tel: 020 7240 8906 or email: info@treadwells-london.com

Thursday 21 July; Occult London: A Walk for Occultists: A Guided Walk in Magical London with Paula Dempsey, aimed at those who already know a bit about London's occult characters and history. The walk is organised by Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. 6.50pm for 7pm start. Ticket price £8 in advance. Tel: 020 7240 8906 or email: info@treadwells-london.com. You can read my review of this walk here: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/06/occult-london-walk-for-occultists.html

Friday 22 July; Advanced students demonstration of mediumship hosted by Anthony Kesner at The College of Psychic Studies 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm - 8.30pm. Cost: £5/£8. Advance booking essential. Tel: 020 7589 3292. http://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/index.html

Saturday, 23 July; Cross Bones Vigil and Ceremony to honour The Goose and the outcast dead of Cross Bones Graveyard. Gather from 6.45pm in Redcross Way outside the Memorial Gates, SE1, opposite the Boot and Flogger, just north of the junction with Union Street. Nearest tubes Borough or London Bridge, 5 minutes walk away. The event is free and starts at 7pm. http://www.crossbones.org.uk/

Friday, 15 July 2011

Pagan Eye: Wooden thing...

While I was enjoying a woodland walk with my partner I saw this tree with a strange appendage growing out of its bark. It looked so odd that I had to photograph it.

But my partner and I couldn't agree on what it actually looked like. Personally, I thought it was just like a penis - except of course that it was made of wood and growing from a tree - but my partner said they had never seen a male member look anything like that.

What do you think?

On each Pagan Eye post, I show a photo that I find interesting, with a few words about it. I'm not quite sure what I'll be including - it could be a seasonal image, a pagan site, an event, or just a pretty picture.

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 and you must confirm that you are submitting it for A Bad Witch's Blog.

Links and previous posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/12/pagan-eye-where-witches-walked.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/05/pagan-eye-jack-in-green.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/08/pagan-eye-druid-oak.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/07/its-in-trees.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/12/eye-of-winter.html

Thursday, 14 July 2011

News: Pagans 30 - Christians Nil

When a Christian group called Christian Soldiers Dorset planned a protest outside a pagan moot, 30 pagans turned up to the moot (three times the usual number), but no one arrived to protest...

You can read the full story at View Online: http://www.viewfrompublishing.co.uk/news_view/12073/7/1/bridport-protester-no-show-at-pagan-meeting

And you can read my post about the intended protest here: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/06/and-another-attack-on-paganism.html

News: Wookey Hole seeks Wizard

Wookey Hole is looking to employ a sorcerer to live in the caves for £60,000 a year.

You can read the full story at Mail Online: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2014471/Wizard-wanted-Wookey-Hole-offers-60-000-year-live-sorcerer-occupy-magical-caves.html

Wednesday, 13 July 2011

On this Day: John Dee's birthday

Today is the birthday of the famous Elizabethan scientist, astrologer and occultist John Dee. He was born on this day, 13 July, in 1527, in London.

In his early life he made a name for himself as an astronomer and mathematician, but later turned to the occult to acquire knowledge.

In the 1580s he began scrying to try to contact angels with the help of "shew-stones". The photograph to the right shows his dark mirror and a crystal ball that he used for that purpose. Dee's dark mirror and some of his other items are currently in the British Museum.

He teamed up with a scryer called Edward Kelley (or Kelly). Together they wrote down details of the Enochian language - supposedly the language of the angels - revealed through their scrying sessions.

The British Museum website says about the mirror: "The mirror, made of highly-polished obsidian (volcanic glass), was one of many Mexica cult objects and treasures brought to Europe after the conquest of Mexico by Cortés between 1527 and 1530. Mirrors were associated with Tezcatlipoca, the Mexica god of rulers, warriors and sorcerers, whose name can be translated as 'Smoking Mirror'. Mexica priests used mirrors for divination and conjuring up visions. Dee had an interest in optics and optical mirrors or 'glasses' as described in his private diary and works. he was also interested in psychic phenomena and, from 1583, worked with Edward Kelly as his medium. Kelly would see visions in the 'shew-stones' of 'angels' that communicated by pointing to one square after another in tables of letters and unknown symbols, which Dee and Kelly transcribed."

To celebrate Dee's birthday, you can join John Dee enthusiasts for Dee Tea either at St Mary's Church, Mortlake High Street, London (and the Green at Tapestry Court), or the Ashmolean Library, Oxford, from 3pm-5pm for tea and chat. All profits will go to the John Dee plaque to be placed in the church. For more details, visit http://johndeemortlakesoc.org/

Links and previous related posts:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/11/review-witchfest-international-2009.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/11/witchfest-international-2008.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/05/review-of-witchfest.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/01/review-occult-london.html
http://www.britishmuseum.org/
http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/pe_mla/d/dr_dees_magic.aspx
http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/pe_mla/d/dr_dees_mirror.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dee
http://johndeemortlakesoc.org/

Tuesday, 12 July 2011

Monday, 11 July 2011

Pagan events in and near London

Here are highlights of this week's events in London and other parts of the UK that could be of interest to pagans. If you know of an event that you want listed, please email the details to me at badwitch1234@gmail.com

Tuesday, 12 July; Occult London: A Walk for Occultists: A Guided Walk in Magical London with Paula Dempsey, aimed at those who already know a bit about London's occult characters and history. The walk is organised by Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. 6.50pm for 7pm start. Ticket price £8 in advance. Tel: 020 7240 8906 or email: info@treadwells-london.com You can read my review of this walk here: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/06/occult-london-walk-for-occultists.html

Tuesday, 12 July; Open social at London Earth Mysteries Circle. Admission is £4.50, concessions £4, members £3, concessions are £4. Talks are usually held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 7.15PM at First Floor, 50 Gloucester Place, London W1U 8EA. http://www.londonearth.com/

Wednesday 13 July; Dee Tea: Join John Dee enthusiasts either at St. Mary's Church, Mortlake High Street (and the Green at Tapestry Court), or the Ashmolean Library from 3pm-5pm for tea and chat on Dee's birthday. Tea and a bring-and-share lunch planned. All profits will go to the John Dee plaque to be placed in the church. For more details, visit http://johndeemortlakesoc.org/

Wednesday 13 July; Past Lives. Psychic Cafe event at Pagan forum The Moot with No Name, arranged through Atlantis Bookshop. Venue: Devereux public house, 20 Devereux Court, off Essex Street, London WC2R 3JJ. Meet from 7.30pm, event starts at 8pm. Admission £5.

Thursday 14 July; Talk by John Constable, author of The Southwark Mysteries, at South East London Folklore Society (SELFS). Venue: The Old King's Head (pictured), Kings Head Yard, 45-49 Borough High St, London SE1 1NA. Entry: £2.50 / £1.50 concessions. No need to book in advance. Meetings are the second Thursday of each month. http://www.selfs.org.uk/

Friday 15 July; Enchantment - An Evening of Chant and Mantra with Stewart Pearce at The College of Psychic Studies 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm - 8.30pm. Cost: £10/£15. Advance booking essential. Tel: 020 7589 3292. http://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/index.html

Saturday 16 July; Pan's Picnic. Free pagan social event with singing, dancing and a picnic organised by Pagan Federation London. Location: Trent Park, North London. It will run from 2pm to 6pm. Bring your own picnic and suitable clothing. Getting there: The nearest tube is Cockfosters, on the Piccadilly line. You can read my write-up of this event here: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/07/event-pans-picnic.html For more details, visit: http://www.pflondon.org/

Friday, 8 July 2011

Spellbound: Whodunit? fun and games

Last weekend I was invited along to play a whodunit? game called Spellbound, set at a fictional magic school for witches and wizards, where all sorts of skulduggery and mischief was going on while the pupils were trying hard to study for their exams in potions, transformation and foretelling.

This was a bit like a murder mystery game, except that the main mystery wasn't actually a murder. The headteacher had lost his memory - and if the culprit who'd caused this wasn't found the school would be forced to close.

The game was run by a company called Freeform Games, which sells murder mysteries and other party-type roleplaying games that you can buy via the website http://www.freeformgames.com

Although the version of Spellbound that I took part in was only a playtest - the final version is due to be on sale by Halloween - it was immensely enjoyable. If you are looking for something to entertain a crowd of people - whether they are real life witches and wizards, fans of fantasy fiction such as Harry Potter, or anyone who likes to dress up and have fun - I can thoroughly recommend this game. Do look out for it this autumn.

The photos show people taking part in the playtest of Spellbound (none of the pictures show me, as I am a bit camera shy).

Thursday, 7 July 2011

Review: High Heeled Guide to Spiritual Living

I review lot of books for my blog, but rarely do I find myself nodding in agreement as much as I did while reading The High Heeled Guide to Spiritual Living.

To be honest, I suspected this new book by Alice Grist, who previously wrote The High Heeled Guide to Enlightenment,would be my kind of thing when I read the description of it by publisher O-Books: "The High Heeled Guide to Spiritual Living is a fiery account of one woman's mission to bring the deeply soulful into mundane everyday life." After all, my own blog is all about finding magic and meaning in the seemingly mundane.

Alice describes her new book as "a basic recipe by which bog standard human life can be entwined with the divine". She says: "Spiritual living can be done between feeding the kids, doing the laundry and catching up on paying all those irksome bills."

And the book explains how to do just that. The High Heeled Guide to Spiritual Livingdescribes simple ways to open yourself to spirituality in order to find greater fulfilment in life than you can get just from work, a social life and material possessions. The most important step is to accept a change in perspective.

Alice believes that our consumer society is the biggest thing that gets in our way when we are looking for deeper meaning in life. Advertisements, TV shows, movies - and sometimes our friends - give the impression that we can buy happiness; that if we have a new car, a big house, designer clothes and the latest beauty products, then we just might be able to attain the degree of perfection necessary to be really happy.

This is, of course, an illusion. Supermodels, film stars and the ultra-rich can be just as unhappy as anyone else, but people waste a heck of a lot of time, money and energy pursuing that kind of dream.

But you don't need to go and live as a hermit in the wilderness - or pay vast amounts of money to professional gurus - to find spirituality. All you really need to do is work at seeing through those illusions and open yourself up to spiritual guidance from the goddess, the angels, your higher self, or whatever you believe in.

The keys to doing that are faith and love - faith that there is more to life than mere material existence and love for ourselves, our fellow humans and mother Earth.

Alice's writing style is forthright, thought-provoking and sometimes confrontational, but she writes from her heart, with passion and sincerity. I didn't agree with everything she says in her book, but it would be a dull world if we all thought exactly alike.

The High Heeled Guide to Spiritual Livingis Alice Grist's second book. Her first book, The High Heeled Guide to Enlightenment,charts Alice’s journey from party girl to sassy spiritual woman. Alice is also the founder and managing editor of Soul-Cafe.net, an online network and magazine for soulful and spiritual living.

Links
http://www.o-books.com
The High Heeled Guide to Spiritual Living
The High Heeled Guide to Enlightenment
http://soul-cafe.net



Wednesday, 6 July 2011

Event: Pan's Picnic

There are far too few family-friendly pagan events, but one annual outing that is well worth going along to is Pan's Picnic.

This social day out for pagans, organised by Pagan Federation London, is taking place on Saturday 16 July this year at Trent Park, North London. It will run from 2pm to 6pm.

Pan's Picnic is designed as a family-friendly outdoor event in a beautiful woodland location, with a cafe, toilet and a play area for children conveniently close.

As well as the picnic, there will be drumming, singing, circle dancing and a guided walk in the woods. Bring food and drink and musical instruments if you have them. This is a great opportunity to chat with other pagans and have a good time.

The event will go ahead come rain or shine, but do wear appropriate clothing and something to sit on.

Getting there: The nearest tube is Cockfosters, on the Piccadilly line. From Cockfosters station, take the exit onto Cockfosters Road. Stay on the same side as station, turn right, and walk for 5 to 10 minutes. After passing a petrol station and a crematorium, you will reach the Cockfosters Gate at Trent Park. Once inside the park, walk about 20 yards and turn into the field on your right.

For more details, visit: http://www.pflondon.org/

Tuesday, 5 July 2011

The owl and the pussycat

Yesterday I broke one of my favourite mugs. It was one of a set of four mugs decorated with purple owls (as pictured right) that I'd only just bought to replace one of my other favourite mugs that I'd also broken.

I'm a bit superstitious about mugs. As well as getting sentimentally attached to certain mugs, I also feel that they can bring me luck - or at least make me feel more cheerful when I am drinking out of them.

Owls, being a symbol of wisdom, could help me when writing my blog, I thought as I popped the set of crockery into my trolley in Tesco while doing my weekly shop.

My previous favourite mug - the one I broke earlier - had a cheerful ginger cat on it (see picture below). It was one of a pair bought for me and my partner as a gift just after we got our two ginger kittens many years ago. You can see them in the picture at the top, as they were when they were kittens.

When I broke the mug, I had a moment's worry that I might mean one of my real ginger cats was going to have an accident. But my fears where unfounded. Nothing bad has happened to my moggies - they seem happy and healthy as ever. I'm also sure my broken owl mug won't mean I suddenly get writer's block and find myself at a loss for what to post on A Bad Witch's Blog.

What these breakages are is just a reminder that nothing lasts forever and that material possessions are not as important as our friends, family, loved ones and beloved pets. Relationships are what really need treasuring; a set of mugs can be replaced.

And, if I'm feeling particularly industrious, I might even recycle those broken mugs into a mosaic-covered flower pot: http://www.ehow.com/how_4507174_recycle-broken-china-mosaic-pots.html

The picture of the set of four Tesco owl mugs was sent to me by Jo Offord, a kind PR person. The set is available in store for £6, I have been asked to mention.

Links and previous related posts:

Monday, 4 July 2011

News: Witches persecuted over magic shop

Two pagans who opened a shop called The Whispering Witch in Alcester, Warwickshire, have been subjected to a campaign of persecution, according to a story on the Sunday Mercury website.

One of the shop owners said: “People shout ‘burn the witches’ as they go past and we’ve had others urinating up the window.”

The witches believe the attacks are from Christians because they have also received hate mail quoting the Bible.

Pagan Eye: Bald Eagle

This being the fourth of July, American Independence Day, I thought I'd post this photo of a Bald Eagle in honour of all my friends across the pond.

As well as being the national bird of the United States of America, the Bald Eagle is considered a sacred bird in many North American cultures. Eagles are thought of as spiritual messengers between gods and humans. The Pawnee considered eagles to be symbols of fertility, while the Bald Eagle is a symbol of peace for the Choctaw.

Eagle feathers - particularly those of the Bald Eagle - hold great religious significance for many Native Americans, and form part of traditional regalia such as head dresses. The Lakota give an eagle feather as a symbol of honour to those succeed at a challenge or complete a difficult task.

During the Sun Dance, conducted by many Plains Indian tribes, the eagle is represented in several ways. The fork of the lodge where the dance is held represents its nest, a whistle made from the wing bone of an eagle is played during the dance. Medicine men can use the power of the dance for healing purposes, by directing healing energy to those who need help using a fan of eagle feathers. They then hold the fan towards the sky.

I took the picture of a Bald Eagle at a bird of prey display at Eagle Heights wildlife centre, in Kent, England. It is a magnificent bird.

On each Pagan Eye post, I show a photo that I find interesting, with a few words about it. I'm not quite sure what I'll be including - it could be a seasonal image, a pagan site, an event, or just a pretty picture.

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 and you must confirm that you are submitting it for A Bad Witch's Blog.

Links and previous related posts:
http://www.eagleheights.co.uk/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/06/pagan-eye-eagle-owl.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/01/birds-divine-messengers-big-garden.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/01/bird-watching-portents-and-ornithomancy.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/01/pagan-eye-swan-on-pond.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bald_Eagle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Day_%28United_States%29