Monday, 31 October 2011

News: Guardian looks at witch trials

The Guardian examines a database of historic witch trials in Scotland and discovers the patterns of witchcraft in the past: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/oct/30/halloween-witches-scotland

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London Necropolis: Brompton Cemetery

For Halloween - or Samhain as pagans prefer to call this time of honouring the dead - here are some pictures I took at London's Brompton Cemetery when I went there to investigate the Brompton Cemetery Time Machine.

This splendid Victorian cemetery, built at the same time as Highgate and Nunhead burial grounds, has plenty of intriguing monuments quite apart from the mausoleum that - according to legend - was designed by an eccentric scientist as a means of travelling through time.

Take that strange archway in the photo at the top, for example. It lies flat on the earth rather than standing upright. Perhaps it was simply a victim of a German bombing raid during the Second World War, toppled by the blast and never restored. Or perhaps it was built that way - and if one was to sweep away the autumn leaves one would find a Gothic doorway which, if opened, would reveal a staircase leading down into an underground world of sepulchral chambers.

One interesting fact I learnt about Brompton Cemetery is that Beatrix Potter used names from tombstones she saw there as inspiration for some of her animal characters in her books.Inscriptions on headstones include Mr Nutkins, Mr McGregor, a Tod, Jeremiah Fisher, Tommy Brock - and even a Peter Rabbett. It is also said that Mr McGregor's walled garden was based on the colonnades.

The photo below shows the supposed Brompton Cemetery Time Machine standing behind rows of tombstones.

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Sunday, 30 October 2011

Last chance to enter competition

The competition I'm running to win a copy of Collected Ghost Stories by MR James ends at midnight on October 31 - Halloween - so this is your last chance to enter.

Here is a reminder of how you can win a copy of MR James' Collected Ghost Stories. All you need to do to be in with a chance of getting the prize is answer this multi-choice question:

What is the title of MR James’ most famous ghost story?

A) Oh, Scream and I’ll Come to You, My Lad
B) Oh, Whistle and I’ll Come to You, My Lad
C) Oh, Text Me and I’ll Come to You, My Lad

Email your answer to me, the Bad Witch, at badwitch1234@gmail.com by the closing date of Monday, October 31, 2011, to be in with a chance of winning. There is one prize, which is a copy of MR James' Collected Ghost Stories in hardback.

Please include your name and postal address with your entry so I will know where to send the book.

You can enter if you live in the UK or anywhere in Europe. However, if you live in the US, Canada or Australia you aren't eligible to enter.

You can find out more about MR James' Collected Ghost Stories at the OUP website at http://ukcatalogue.oup.com .


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Village of the Dead: Hetty Pegler's Tump

I was going to post these pictures of Hetty Pegler's Tump, a well-preserved long barrow on a hill overlooking the Severn Valley, as part of my series of necropolis pictures in the run-up to Halloween - or Samhain, as pagans call the festival to honour the dead on 31 October.

But although 19th century archaeologists discovered 24 skeletons inside this tomb, I can't really think of it as a city of the dead because it is in the middle of beautiful countryside and 24 people are more like a village than a city. So, I think I'll stick with my title of Village of the Dead. I rather like that name actually.

Hetty Pegler's Tump is a Neolithic chambered mound and is 37 metres long. 'Hetty Pegler' was its 17th century landowner and the site is named after her.

The picture at the top shows the entrance to the long barrow - and two children about to go inside it. They didn't stay inside very long and I'm not surprised because it is quite spooky there. You have to crawl through a very narrow opening on your hands and knees. Inside is a passageway and two chambers, which are totally dark unless you have a torch.

I visited the site on a summer's day - but I certainly don't think I'd like to be there after night fell - or at this time of year when the veil between the worlds is thin.

Tomorrow, Halloween, I'll be posting some more pictures of a necropolis.

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Saturday, 29 October 2011

Worldwide Ouija experiment this Halloween

Facebook users are being invited to take part in the world's largest Ouija experiment this Halloween.

Although this is being done partly as a PR stunt by a computer adventure game company, it is intended as a genuine experiment.

Called The Ouija Experiment, it aims to attract 100,000 people worldwide to take part in the world's first large-scale attempt to contact the deceased through the medium of the internet.

Facebook participants will be connected to a live seance streamed in real-time on the 31 October at 10pm Eastern Time - which I calculate should be 3am GMT - from a secret venue in New York and the developer's offices in London and Toronto. You can find out more and join in here: http://www.ouijaexperiment.com/

You can read a press release about The Ouija Experiment here: http://www.easier.com/96062-quija-board-experiment-halloween.html
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Friday, 28 October 2011

Pagan events over Samhain near London

Here are events in London and other parts of the UK over Samhain - or Halloween - and the following week 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.

Now to Sunday 9 September 2012; Mummers, Maypoles and Milkmaids. Free exhibition, coinciding with the publication of the book of the same name, bringing together 50 photographs of regional rituals performed throughout the year from Cornwall to Northumberland to mark the changing seasons and celebrate nature's bounty. Location: Horniman Museum, 100 London Road, Forest Hill, London SE23 3PQ. For more details, visit www.horniman.ac.uk

Friday 28 October; an evening for adults to celebrate Samhain with live music and a bar at Butser Ancient Farm, Chalton Lane, Chalton, Hants. For more details, call 02392 598838 or visit http://www.butser.org.uk/

Friday 28 October; Spooky Smithfields And Beyond. A Haunted History Walk with Phantasmagoria Events. Meeting point: The Butchers Hook and Cleaver, West Smithfield, London, EC1A 9DY. Time: 7.30pm-9.15pm. Price: £10 - advance booking essential. To buy tickets or for more details visit: http://www.londonparanormal.com/hauntedhistorywalks/

Friday, 28 October; Evening of Mediumship with Henry Cumming 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

Friday, 28 October; John Michell's Signals - Cosmic Codebreaking from Outer Space to Patterns on Earth. John Michell Memorial Lecture by John Nicholson at Research into Lost Knowledge Organisation (Rilko). Venue: Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place, W1U 8EA. Admission £7 non-members, £5 members. Doors open 6.45pm, lecture at 7.15pm. http://www.rilko.net/EZ/rilko/rilko/home.php

Saturday 29 October; Witching Herbs Workshop with Sensory Solutions at Triple Moon Apocathery, Crews Hill, EN2 9DG. Time: 2pm-4pm. Cost £20 advance booking essential. Call Fiona on 07830195745 or Karen on 07865081927. http://www.sensorysolutions.co.uk

Saturday 29 October; Outdoor Samhain Ritual with Hern’s Tribe in woods in Croydon. Time: 5pm-8pm. for more details call 077689 41373.

Saturday 29 October; New Halloween Festival, Unity, 277a Upper Street, Islington London, N1 2TZ. Doors open at noon followed by an opening ritual by Chris and Vivienne Crowley. There will be stalls, bands, tarot readers, pagan crafts etc, numerous speakers and a reasonably priced cafe. Entry tickets £12 on the door. For more details, visit http://paganfestivals.com/

Saturday 29 October; Free and Open Gorsedd of Caer Abiri Samhain Ritual at Avebury Sun Circle, in Avebury, Wiltshire. Open druidic style ceremony to mark Samhain, the end and beginning of times. Meet at the Red Lion Pub, Avebury, around noon for rite at around 1.30pm, ending at around 3pm. As it is Halloween there will be small gifts for children in fancy dress. Contributions of song, poetry, mead and cakes are welcome. There will be music and entertainment in the Red Lion pub in the evening. Overnight camping will be allowed in the nearby overflow car park.

Sunday 30 and Monday 31 October 2011, as part of the 5th Native Spirit Festival, a delegation of indigenous elders from South America will be visiting Avebury. These include 78-year-old shaman Delfin Payaguaje and Minister of Education and Culture for the Secoya people, Luke Weiss. Workshops and Q&A sessions will take place at the village hall on the High Street. Youtube link showing Delfin's ordinary day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG-pQTBL6kw For more details email adamxhearn@gmail.com or natascha.kenyon@btinternet.com or visit www.nativespiritfoundation.org

Sunday 30 October; Mysteries of Samhain: Intensive Day Course on Symbolism, Folklore and Magic with Suzanne Corbie. The one-day course aims to teach the customs associated with the pagan festival of Samhain and culminates with a ceremony. Location: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Price: £35 (£20 deposit, balance due on the day). Time: 11am to 6pm. Advance booking essential. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Sunday 30 October; Pagans for the Future Halloween Party. Halloween party with workshops, tarot readers, stalls, singing, dancing, live music with Gothic rock bands and an opening and closing ritual. Venue: Bedford Arms Public House, Balham. South London. Entry £10 on the door. Everybody welcome. Bring a drum if you have one. Visit http://www.paganfuturefests.org.uk/

Sunday 30 October; Anderida Gorsedd Samhain 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 30 October; Samhain Workshop for women only in Southwick, Sussex. The day will include discussion, meditation and arts and crafts. This is being run by The Goddess Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation. Time: 10.30am-4pm. Cost: £10 donation per person towards the day's expenses. Drinks and materials are provided, but bring food for lunch. For more details, visit http://www.goddessfoundation.org.uk

Monday 31 October; Open ritual for Samhain with The Cauldron of Cerridwen at St Annes Hill in Chertsey. This is an over-18-only event. Meet in the Golden Grove pub, Ruxbury Rd, St Annes Hill, Chertsey at 8.30pm. Wear sensible footwear, waterproof clothing and bring a torch and food and drink to share. For more details and to reserve a place, call Sian on 07746365980 or email sian_ap_pysgotwr@yahoo.com

Monday 31 October; The Circle of Ankerwycke Samhain Outdoor Open Ritual. Location: Warysbury, near Staines. Places are very limited. For more information and to reserve a place, email Eileen at ankerwytch@hotmail.co.uk

Monday 31 October; All Hallows Eve Festival at Chalice Well World Peace Garden, in Glastonbury. Children's garden adventure and fancy dress parade from 4.30pm; adult ceremony at 8pm. Entrance is by prebooked ticket only. Tickets cost £7 for adults, and £4.50 for children. For more details and to buy tickets visit the website http://www.chalicewell.org.uk/

Monday 31 October; Spooky Smithfields And Beyond. A Haunted History Walk with Phantasmagoria Events. This is not a specifically pagan event but should be fun. Meeting point: The Butchers Hook and Cleaver, West Smithfield, London, EC1A 9DY. There are two walks, one early evening and one late night Halloween special. Price: £10 - advance booking essential. To buy tickets or for more details visit: http://www.londonparanormal.com/hauntedhistorywalks/

Tuesday 1 November; Hope - Healing our People and the Earth. Special event with Dr Jude Currivan 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

Wednesday 2 November; Ritual in Early Jewish Mysticism: Descent to the Chariot and Angelic Adjuration. Talk by S Leigh at Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. 7pm start. Tickets £7 advance booking essential. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Wednesday 2 November; Psychic Cafe at Pagan forum 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. Visit http://www.theatlantisbookshopevents.com/

Thursday 3 November, The Druid Order: Public Evening - Talk and Meditation at Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.15pm for 7.30pm start. Ticket price £5, payable on the night. Tel: 020 8659 4879. http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Saturday 5 November; Foraging for Herbs: A Hedgewitches' Teaching Walk with herbalist Natasha Richardson. This is organised through Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS, but meet at Hainault Tube Station at 12.45pm for 1pm start. Tickets £8 advance booking essential. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

The photos at the top are of a broken angel statue at Highgate Cemetery and a headless statue at Crystal Palace.

Related post: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/10/how-to-celebrate-samhain.html
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Thursday, 27 October 2011

Review: MR James Collected Ghost Stories

It was late in the evening when I settled down to read the Collected Ghost Stories of MR James. I was alone in the house and the weather had turned chill, so I shut the curtains against the dark outside my window and took myself to bed to huddle under my quilt and be entertained by some tales of terror.

My book was the new edition of MR James' stories, just published by Oxford University Press. It is a lovely hardback with crisp pages, a soft ribbon bookmark bound into it and a suitably foreboding image on the front cover. This was just the right sort of book to be reading as Halloween approached, I thought.

I like classic horror fiction, but although two of MR James' short stories have been turned into films that I love - Oh, Whistle and I'll Come to You, My Lad and Casting the Runes - I had not read much of his writing.

I was expecting to enjoy the short stories. I was not expecting to actually be scared by them.

Yet, as I read - starting with Canon Alberic's Scrapbook, a tale in which a man suspects there is some hidden demonic creature in his bedroom - I began to feel somewhat ill at ease myself. I began to imagine that I could hear the sound of footsteps in my house, although I knew I was the only living thing in it. With a tingle both of fear and pleasure I realised that this is exactly what a good horror story should do. And I read on, late into the night.

If you haven't read any stories by MR James, I can thoroughly recommend this new volume. Although it is quite easy to buy the edition that originally came out in 1931, this new publication includes all of those stories plus three previously uncollected tales. It also has an introduction that explores James' conservative, donnish background and the character traits that contributed to his powers at ghost story writing; an appendix with the prefaces and introductions to James' individual story collections; and three short articles by James about the ghost story.

As the OUP website says about the book: "Stories that were first read aloud in James' study late on Christmas Eve have the power to haunt us still."

You can buy the book either through Amazonor Oxford University Press.

However, if you want to be in with a chance of winning a copy of Collected Ghost Stories by MR James, published by Oxford University Press, all you have to do is enter this competition and answer this multi-choice question:

What is the title of MR James’ most famous ghost story?

A) Oh, Scream and I’ll Come to You, My Lad
B) Oh, Whistle and I’ll Come to You, My Lad
C) Oh, Text Me and I’ll Come to You, My Lad

Email your answer to me, the Bad Witch, at badwitch1234@gmail.com by the end of the day on Monday, October 31, 2011. There is one prize, which is a copy of MR James' Collected Ghost Stories in hardback.

Please include your name and postal address with your entry so I will know where to send the book.

The competition is open to people who live in the UK or anywhere in Europe. However, if you live in the US, Canada or Australia you aren't eligible to enter.

Links and previous related posts:
Collected Ghost Stories
http://ukcatalogue.oup.com
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Wednesday, 26 October 2011

Into the labyrinth of the Minotaur

I took these pictures at an art installation called The Minotaur, which transformed The Old Vic Tunnels, in London, into a subterranean maze.

The exhibition was put on by Lazerides Gallery Group following last year's Hell's Half Acre.

While the 2010 event was themed around Dante's Inferno, The Minotaur was inspired by the ancient Greek myth of a monster that dwelt in an underground maze and whose hunger could only be quenched by the blood of beautiful youths and virgins. This unnatural creature, described by Roman poet Ovid as "part man and part bull", was eventually slain by the hero Theseus with the help of the princess Ariadne using a ball of twine and a magic sword.

The artists who took part in the exhibition used giant frescoes, interactive installations, films and slide shows and giant sculptures to interpret the ancient story in various ways. The labyrinth was displayed as a modern city, constantly changing, and there was also a series of dark, narrow twisting tunnels to explore. The Minotaur itself was portrayed as a creature of nightmares, but also as a tragic, sacrificial animal - helpless against its fate despite its great strength.

The exhibits were challenging and shocking; many were surreal and thought-provoking; some were beautiful and unearthly. I don't think many people would want to live with these works of art in their homes - but I suspect quite a few of those who went to see The Minotaur will now be seeing them in their dreams.

The Minotaur art exhibition is now over, but you can find out more about it at http://theminotaur.co.uk/ You can also buy prints from the show at The Outsiders online art store: http://www.theoutsiders.net/

The book On Monsters - An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears, by Stephen T Asma, discusses the myth of the Minotaur and its psychological meanings. It has just been released in paperback by Oxford University Press and you can read my review of the hardback edition here: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/01/review-on-monsters-history-of-our-fears.html


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Tuesday, 25 October 2011

Demeter, Persephone, love and death

Back in September I went to a workshop called Demeter & Persephone - The Mother-Daughter Story with Jane Meredith, author of Aphrodite's Magic, at Treadwell's bookshop in London.

It has taken me a while to write my account of the event because it was extremely thought-provoking.

In Greek mythology, Persephone - sometimes called Kore - was the daughter of Demeter, goddess of the harvest. According to the usual telling of their story, Persephone is abducted - or possibly seduced - by Hades, the king of the underworld. In grief at the loss of her daughter, Demeter turns the world to winter.

Persephone, meanwhile, refuses to eat or drink anything in the realm of the dead because she knows that if she does, she will have to remain there. Eventually, Zeus declares that Persephone can return to the land of the living.

However, at the last moment, Persephone eats six pomegranate seeds. The upshot of this is that she is allowed to spend six months of each year with her mother Demeter above ground during the spring and summer, but the other six ruling the underworld alongside her husband Hades during the winter. Whether Persephone chooses to eat the pomegranate seeds deliberately, because she has fallen in love with Hades or because she likes her new role as queen of the dead, or whether she simply eats them out of hunger, is unclear.

Jane Meredith's workshop was for women only and explored this myth and how it can relate to our own experiences as daughters and mothers - and as wives or partners and lovers.

I must admit that before the event I was really in two minds about whether to go along or not. I have never been a mother myself, and my own mum had died quite suddenly just a few months earlier. I really wasn't sure if this workshop would be right for me at that time. To be honest, I think my concerns were justified; although the workshop was brilliant, I personally found it incredibly difficult.

For the first part we had to make a collage or drawing that showed in some way our memories and feelings about our relationship with our mothers when we were children. My own memories of that time are all good ones - summer days in the garden; cooking in the kitchen; my mum reading stories to me in bed late at night. What hurts so much is that all of those things were lost long before my mother died.

I cared for my mother for the last few years of her life. She was disabled, incontinent and suffered increasingly from memory loss and dementia. Towards the end, conversations with her were not easy as she was very confused and couldn't remember things she had only just said.

It is difficult to look after someone who needs constant physical care, but I think it is even more difficult to look after someone who is suffering from dementia. To put it bluntly, they are not good company and I know I do not have the patience of a saint. I often felt resentful and irritable. There were frequent rows.

I still loved my mother, because she was my mother, and I willingly cared for her. But the difficulties of doing that put a serious strain on those feelings of love.

Before my mum died, a friend who was considering moving in with her own elderly mother to care for her asked me if my experiences of what my mum was like in old age somehow marred my memories of what she had been like before. I had to say they did - and I didn't like it.

The first part of the workshop helped bring those good memories back, but with that came grief - and guilt that I had allowed those memories to be overshadowed by the difficulties of looking after my mum when she was old. It brought tears then and tears many times afterwards when I think about it. But, despite the grief, those bright and happy memories have put my memories of the difficult times into the shade - and that is very good.

In the latter part of the workshop everyone taking part symbolically entered the underworld ourselves. We cut open a pomegranate fruit - which has juice the colour of blood - and each contemplated what reason we would have to eat a few pomegranate seeds to give us the power to visit the realm of the dead and stay there for at least a short time.

For me, the reason became clear: it is the realm of the ancestors. I would willingly take that choice for the chance to visit the spirit of my mother and tell her how much I love her, how much I cherish my memories of her, and how much I miss.

But I wouldn't eat too many of those pomegranate seeds - I know I still have many more years to enjoy in the land of the living. I have a wonderful partner and a life to lead. Yet I also know that when I reach a very old age, death will not be anything to fear.

On her own blog, Jane Meredith says:
"Each part of Persephone’s story can be correlated to actions of our own, and understandings we gain, as we journey in our own dark times… and further, the myth can point out clear directions to take; such as the obvious one of if we chose NOT to eat the pomegranate, NOT to accept what we have learnt and integrate it – we would not be accepting the treasures of the Underworld, not be moving through our own story, but rather remain unchanged…"
Despite my tears, I am glad I attended Jane's workshop on Demeter and Persephone. I just wish I had done it before my mum actually died.

For details of Jane's teaching, see her website at http://www.janemeredith.com/index-2.html

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Monday, 24 October 2011

How to Carve the Perfect Pumpkin Lantern


Lanterns carved from pumpkins, gourds, turnips or mangel-wurzels are a traditional part of Halloween celebrations. With a candle popped inside and lit up at night either inside or outside your home, they are a splendid way to show that you are celebrating the scariest night of the year and frighten away any evil spirits.

This step-by-step guide on how to create the perfect pumpkin lantern was sent to me by Dremel - which makes arts and crafts tools.

Materials Required
Dremel 3000 Series and High Speed Cutter accessory
Pumpkins, squashes, gourds or other suitable vegetables
Pencil
Candle or tealight


Step One
Using the pencil, draw your design onto the pumpkin. Press lightly at first until you are happy with the design and then go over the lines to clearly define them.

Step Two
Cut around the top of the pumpkin to form a lid. Set to one side. Scoop out the seeds and some of the flesh of the pumpkin with a spoon making sure that you do not puncture the skin.

Step Three
Using the cutting tool, carefully cut out the shapes. Work into the corners and curves carefully to ensure a neat finish.


Step Four
Put a candle or nightlight inside the pumpkin and light to finish.
The Dremel Hobby 3000 kit and accessories is available online from Dremel at http://www.dremel-direct.com  and you can also order it through Amazon. The high speed cutter is also available separately online or from BandQ.
http://www.dremel-direct.com
http://www.dremel.co.uk

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Sunday, 23 October 2011

News: Former curator at Crowley house dies

A former curator of an occult collection belonging to rock musician Jimmy Page has died. The collection was at one time housed in a former home of Aleister Crowley. You can read the full story on the Daily Record website: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2011/10/23/death-of-jimmy-page-s-boyhood-friend-and-occult-curator-86908-23509365/
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Halloween horror with MR James

As I am currently running a competition on my blog to win a new edition of MR James' collected horror stories, I thought I'd mention an event taking place at Belsay Hall Castle and Gardens, Northumberland, run by English Heritage.

Next weekend there will be three shows of six classic spine-chillers from the Master of the English Ghost Story - M R James. The performances are by Nunkie Theatre Company. Here are the details:

Saturday 29 October: A Pleasing Terror, Cannon Alberic's Scrapbook and The Mezzotint.
Sunday 30 October: Oh, Whistle and I'll Come to You, My Lad and The Ash Tree.
Monday 31 October: A Warning to the Curious and Lost Hearts. Suitable for ages 13+.

Performances are at 7pm and 9.30pm. Prices: Adults £12/Concessions £10/Children £10
English Heritage Members: Equal Prices. For more details, visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/belsay

Here are the details again of the competition I am running to win a copy of Collected Ghost Stories by MR James, just published by Oxford University Press. All you need to do to be in with a chance of getting the prize is answer this multi-choice question:

What is the title of MR James’ most famous ghost story?

A) Oh, Scream and I’ll Come to You, My Lad
B) Oh, Whistle and I’ll Come to You, My Lad
C) Oh, Text Me and I’ll Come to You, My Lad

Email your answer to me, the Bad Witch, at badwitch1234@gmail.com by the closing date of Monday, October 31, 2011, to be in with a chance of winning. There is one prize, which is a copy of MR James' Collected Ghost Stories in hardback.

Please include your name and postal address with your entry so I will know where to send the book. You can enter if you live in the UK or anywhere in Europe. However, if you live in the US, Canada or Australia you aren't eligible to enter.

You can find out more about MR James' Collected Ghost Stories at the OUP website at http://ukcatalogue.oup.com and I will be reviewing the book on A Bad Witch’s Blog closer to Halloween.

The photo at the top right was supplied by English Heritage photo library.



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Saturday, 22 October 2011

Samhain / Halloween rituals and events

Halloween has become such a hugely popular time for celebrations of all things spooky that there are large numbers of events taking place. Pagans, meanwhile, like to celebrate Samhain - when the veil between worlds is thin and we can pay our respects to the dead. Here are some of the events in London and other parts of England over the next or so that pagans and others might enjoy:

Saturday 22 October to Sunday 9 September; Mummers, Maypoles and Milkmaids. Free exhibition, coinciding with the publication of the book of the same name, bringing together 50 photographs of regional rituals performed throughout the year from Cornwall to Northumberland to mark the changing seasons and celebrate nature's bounty. Location: Horniman Museum, 100 London Road, Forest Hill, London SE23 3PQ.For more details, visit www.horniman.ac.uk You can read my review of the book here: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/10/review-mummers-maypoles-and-milkmaids.html

Saturday 22 October; Witching Herbs Workshop with Sensory Solutions at Triple Moon Apothecary, Crews Hill, EN2 9DG. Time: 2pm-4pm. Cost £20 advance booking essential. Call Fiona on 07830195745 or Karen on 07865081927. http://www.sensorysolutions.co.uk

Sunday, 23 October; October Plenty. Autumn harvest celebration combining ancient seasonal customs and contemporary festivities with The Lion's Part. Venue: Shakespeare's Globe, Bankside and Borough Market, Southwark, London, SE1 9DT. Free event from noon to 4pm. For details visit http://www.thelionspart.co.uk/octoberplenty/

Sunday, 23 October; Cross Bones Vigil and Ceremony to honour The Goose and the outcast dead of Cross Bones Graveyard (pictured top right). 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/

Monday, 24 October; Modern Wicca and Paganism. Talk by Dave Mercer 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/

Monday 24 October: The Ghost Walk with John Constable, author of Southwark Mysteries (Oberon Book)and Secret Bankside: Walks Around the Outlaw Borough.Chance to visit haunted pubs and learn about a magician, a female gladiator, the Crossbones graveyard and and the spookiest stretch of the Thames. Meet at Tabard Piazza by St George the Martyr church, Borough High Street, London SE1. Time: 6.45pm for 7pm start. Tickets: £7/£5 concs - pay on arrival. For more details visit http://www.crossbones.org.uk/ and www.southwarkmysteries.co.uk

Monday 24- Friday 28 October; A week of Samhain celebrations at Butser Ancient Farm, Chalton Lane, Chalton, Hants. There are activities for children and families from Monday- Thursday and an evening for adults to celebrate Samhain with live music and a bar on the Friday evening. For more details, call 02392 598838 or visit http://www.butser.org.uk/

Tuesday 25 October; Out of the Darkness. Talk by Steve Taylor, author of a new book called Out of the Darkness: From Turmoil to Transformation,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

Tuesday 25, Wednesday 26 October and Friday 28 October; Spooky Smithfields And Beyond. A Haunted History Walk with Phantasmagoria Events. Meeting point: The Butchers Hook and Cleaver, West Smithfield, London, EC1A 9DY. Time: 7.30pm-9.15pm. Price: £10 - advance booking essential. To buy tickets or for more details visit: http://www.londonparanormal.com/hauntedhistorywalks/

Wednesday 26 October; Close Encounters of the Sexual Kind. Talk by Howard Rodway and Tarona Hawkins, authors of Witch's Guide to Sexuality and Good Relationships,at Pagan forum 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. Visit http://www.theatlantisbookshopevents.com/

Thursday 27 October; Treadwell's Hallowe'en Party at Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. 7pm to 11pm. Free event but advance booking essential. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Thursday 27 October; Pagan Federation London Samhain Open Ritual by Caroline Wise and the Goddess Group. 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, 28 October; Evening of Mediumship with Henry Cumming 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

Friday, 28 October; John Michell's Signals - Cosmic Codebreaking from Outer Space to Patterns on Earth. John Michell Memorial Lecture by John Nicholson at Research into Lost Knowledge Organisation (Rilko). Venue: Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place, W1U 8EA. Admission £7 non-members, £5 members. Doors open 6.45pm, lecture at 7.15pm. http://www.rilko.net/EZ/rilko/rilko/home.php

Saturday 29 October; Witching Herbs Workshop with Sensory Solutions at Triple Moon Apothecary, Crews Hill, EN2 9DG. Time: 2pm-4pm. Cost £20 advance booking essential. Call Fiona on 07830195745 or Karen on 07865081927. http://www.sensorysolutions.co.uk

Saturday 29 October; Outdoor Samhain Ritual with Hern’s Tribe in woods in Croydon. Time: 5pm-8pm. for more details call 077689 41373.

Saturday 29 October; New Halloween Festival, Unity, 277a Upper Street, Islington London, N1 2TZ. Doors open at 12 followed by an opening ritual by Chris and Vivienne Crowley. There will be stalls, bands, tarot readers, pagan crafts etc, numerous speakers and a reasonably priced cafe. Entry tickets £12 on the door. for more details, visit http://paganfestivals.com/

Saturday 29 October; Free and Open Gorsedd of Caer Abiri Samhain Ritual at Avebury Sun Circle, in Avebury, Wiltshire. Open druidic style ceremony to mark Samhain, the end and beginning of times. Meet at the Red Lion Pub, Avebury, around noon for rite at around 1.30pm, ending at around 3pm. As it is Halloween there will be small gifts for children in fancy dress. Contributions of song, poetry, mead and cakes are welcome. There will be music and entertainment in the Red Lion pub in the evening. Overnight camping will be allowed in the nearby overflow car park.

Sunday 30 October; Mysteries of Samhain: Intensive Day Course on Symbolism, Folklore and Magic with Suzanne Corbie. The one-day course aims to teach the customs associated with the pagan festival of Samhain and culminates with a ceremony. Location: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Price: £35 (£20 deposit, balance due on the day). Time: 11am to 6pm. Advance booking essential. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Sunday 30 October; Pagans for the Future Halloween Party. Halloween party with workshops, tarot readers, stalls, singing, dancing, live music with Gothic rock bands and an opening and closing ritual. Venue: Bedford Arms Public House, Balham. South London. Entry £10 on the door. Everybody welcome. Bring a drum if you have one.

Sunday 30 October; Anderida Gorsedd Samhain 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 30 October; Samhain Workshop for women only in Southwick, Sussex. The day will include discussion, meditation and arts & crafts. This is being run by The Goddess Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation. Time: 10.30am-4pm. Cost: £10 donation per person towards the day's expenses. Drinks and materials are provided, but bring food for lunch. For more details, visit http://www.goddessfoundation.org.uk

Monday 31 October; Open ritual for Samhain with The Cauldron of Cerridwen at St Annes Hill in Chertsey. This is an over-18 only event. Meet in the Golden Grove pub, Ruxbury Rd, St Annes Hill, Chertsey at 8.30pm. Wear sensible footwear, waterproof clothing and bring a torch and food and drink to share. For more details and to reserve a place, call Sian on 07746365980 or email sian_ap_pysgotwr@yahoo.com

Monday 31 October; The Circle of Ankerwycke Samhain Outdoor Open Ritual. Location: Warysbury, near Staines. Places are very limited. For more information and to reserve a place, email Eileen at ankerwytch@hotmail.co.uk

Monday 31 October; All Hallows Eve Festival at Chalice Well World Peace Garden, in Glastonbury. Children's garden adventure and fancy dress parade from 4.30pm; adult ceremony at 8pm. Entrance is by prebooked ticket only. Tickets cost £7 for adults, and £4.50 for children. For more details and to buy tickets visit the website http://www.chalicewell.org.uk/

Monday 31 October; Spooky Smithfields And Beyond. A Haunted History Walk with Phantasmagoria Events. This is not a specifically pagan event but should be fun. Meeting point: The Butchers Hook and Cleaver, West Smithfield, London, EC1A 9DY. There are two walks, one early evening and one late night Halloween special. Price: £10 - advance booking essential. To buy tickets or for more details visit: http://www.londonparanormal.com/hauntedhistorywalks/
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Friday, 21 October 2011

Most haunted English Heritage sites

If you are looking for somewhere spooky to visit with the family this Halloween, you might be interested in learning about the places that English Heritage has named as its top five most haunted sites. Here they are:

1) 1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield, East Sussex
Paranormal phenomena and sightings over the 944 years since the Battle of Hastings have been rife. On the anniversary of the battle (October 14), the ghost of the former King Harold is said to appear at the spot of his demise, which is now occupied by the grand high alter of the abbey church. Visit the site on a rainy day and see the battlefield awash with the "blood" of this gruesome battle (although sources suggest the likely reasoning for this is iron oxide in the soil).

Visitors can hear about the site’s sinister past and chilling tales of mysterious monks and spooky soldiers when they join Professor Midnight for a ghost walk around the haunted grounds
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/1066

2) Pendennis Castle, Cornwall
Pendennis Castle was home to a number of garrisoned soldiers during the late 19th and early 20th Century so it is hardly surprising that among the many restless spirits which have been seen lurking inside the castle have been several soldiers in red tunics.

Legend also has it that desperate soldiers trapped in the castle during the Civil War siege were driven to eat their own horses. Previous custodians of the castle have been woken by the sound of ghostly hooves even after the cobbles were turfed over.

Another member of staff has seen apparitions of a woman haunting the keep and other spooky sightings include the ghost of Anna, a scullery maid, who fell down the stairs to her death. Recently, fearful screams have been heard from the stairwell - said by some to be Anna's final moments. Visitors have also reported seeing strange green lights in the kitchen and the figure of a ghostly woman climbing the stairs. You can experience Pendennis Castle’s darker side for yourself this October with family Halloween trails and adults-only tours.
www.english-heritage.org.uk/pendennis

3) Dover Castle
The castle at Dover has what can only be described as a turbulent history, which stretches back 2,000 years to Roman times. Over the years, more than nine ghosts have been reported, most notably the recognition of a mysterious woman in red and a Napoleonic drummer. More recently, Second World War Naval Officers have been seen, as well as creepy sounds of some of the wartime operations which took place in the tunnels. Dover Castle has a well-deserved reputation and English Heritage's Haunted Castle event this month is set to keep visitors on their guard as they are led around the castle by eerie costumed characters.
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/dover

4) Portland Castle
This garrison stronghold built in 1540 has a sinister past. Visitors to the site have experienced members of the Tudor force, while others have felt themselves being barged by inexplicable forces in an otherwise empty room, unoccupied by any other visitors. During the Civil War, surgery was performed on the kitchen table, where odd scents and smells are still regularly picked up. Visitors to English Heritage's “Spooky Stories” event can enjoy Halloween tales about the castle and fun activities and games offering prizes.
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/portland

5) Whitby Abbey
Best known as the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s "Dracula", Whitby Abbey has had its own fair share of reports of ghosts and spooky happenings. The Abbey’s founder, St Hild, is said to be sometimes seen in the upper windows of the Gothic ruins, while on 6 January – the old Christmas Day – a phantom choir can sometimes be heard within the ruins. There are also stories of a mysterious horse-driven stagecoach being driven over the cliffs at Whitby Abbey and local legend dictates that the lack of seagulls in the area is due to St Hild forbidding them from flying over the abbey. The abbey has taken a Gothic twist to celebrate the Halloween period, with both day and evening events to choose from.
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/whitby-abbey/

The picture at the top is of Whitby Abbey and was supplied by English Heritage photo library.
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Thursday, 20 October 2011

London Necropolis: Animal graveyard

This strange memorial to the animals that died in the foot-and-mouth epidemic stands in a small private garden in Greenwich on the bank of the Thames. I'm not sure if the skeletal goat figure beside the tombstone is the remains of a real animal or just creepy art.

Although one small grave hardly counts as a cemetery - let alone a city of the dead - I am posting it as part of my series of necropolis photos on my blog in the run-up to Halloween because it is right to remember all the animals that have suffered and died as well as humans.

Animal graveyards and memorials are few and far between. This one is worthy of noticing.

Links and previous related posts
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Wednesday, 19 October 2011

London Necropolis: Highgate Cemetery

A Necropolis is a city of the dead and with Samhain, or Halloween, nearly upon us, I thought I'd post a series of photos I've taken of places that deserve that description. Highgate Cemetery, in London, is first on that list.

The picture above shows Highgate's Egyptian Avenue, which leads onto the Circle of Lebanon (right). Walking through these silent streets of tombs, it really does feel like some ancient and crumbling city where only the dead reside.

Highgate Cemetery was built in 1839 at a time when London's churchyards and older burial grounds were full to bursting. In fact, they often did burst - disgorging rotting corpses to the horror of the public and posing an appalling threat to health. Highgate was one of seven new private cemeteries to be built around London to tackle this problem, along with Kensal Green, West Norwood, Abney Park, Brompton, Nunhead and Tower Hamlets.

Highgate Cemetery soon became the most fashionable place to be buried - and the Victorians did love elaborate death rites. The more impressive the mausoleum one could erect for a departed loved one the better.

Egyptian Avenue was built as the centrepiece of Highgate Cemetery, expressing a vogue for things exotic. It consists of 16 vaults on either side of a passageway, entered through a great arch. Each vault has its own front door, and inside has space for 12 coffins so that a family could use it to house their dead for generations.

The avenue leads to the Circle of Lebanon, which was built in the same style around the circumference of a vast Cedar of Lebanon tree. Gothic-style catacombs were later added in terraces.

Although this was the fashionable place to be seen if you were a dead Victorian, conservative church-going members of the community were shocked by all the pagan symbolism that was rife in the cemetery. This was obvious in Egyptian Avenue with its columns and lotus flowers, but other pre-Christian motifs were common too.

Urns represent the classical Roman way of holding ashes after a cremation, obelisks are an Egyptian symbol of eternal life and evergreen wreaths are also a symbol of eternity.

A couple of tombs at Highgate display a snake eating its own tail, known as Ouroboros, which is a Greek symbol representing cycles of renewal and eternity, as well as being associated with Gnosticism and hermetic magic.

There are, of course, plenty of Christian symbols at Highgate too - including many beautiful statues of angels. Indeed, it has something of a claim to fame regarding angel statues, as the only cemetery that has an angel sleeping on the job. You can see her looking lovely in repose in the photo at the bottom.

Highgate Cemetery is run entirely by charity and relies on donations and people buying tickets for its funding. The West Cemetery can only be viewed on guided tours. Tickets cost £7 for adults and £5 for students. Entry to the East Cemetery costs £3/£2. For details of opening times, visit the website http://www.highgate-cemetery.org/

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Tuesday, 18 October 2011

News: Cat bones used to ward off witches

Contractors refurbishing a hotel in Norfolk have discovered the skeleton of a cat in the ceiling. It is believed the dead cat was put there 300 years ago to ward off witches or evil spirits.

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Review: Mummers, Maypoles and Milkmaids

"A picture is worth a thousand words", goes the old adage - and that is certainly true of a new book of photographs of England's seasonal festivities captured by Sara Hannant.

The book is called Mummers, Maypoles and Milkmaids: A Journey Through the English Ritual Year and it is full of wonderful photos taken at events such as the Imbolc Fire Festival in West Yorkshire, Jack in the Green celebrations on May 1, midsummer at Stonehenge, the Sussex Bonfire Societies' displays on November 5 and the Druidic midwinter ritual on London's Primrose Hill.

It holds few words - brief details of what each event is called, where it takes place and when, followed by a short description of what goes on and the history. Sara's sources are reputable - she lists folklorist Steve Roud's The English Year,books by respected historian Professor Ronald Huttonand material from archives of The Folklore Society - but her pictures show what words can't.

They capture a sometimes humorous juxtaposition of old tradition and the modern world. In one image a man dressed up as a straw bear goes into a travel agency; in another an advertising poster of an angry face seems to be shouting at girls dressed in white milkmaids' dresses. A shot taken during Eastbourne's Lammas parade shows giants reflected in a car window with the high street shop Past Times in the background; druids processing along the ridge of Primrose Hill are photographed against a skyline of tower blocks and high-rise buildings.

The pictures also show that the English weather can be less seasonal than the celebrations themselves. In one, people shiver in winter coats and under blankets while watching young girls perform a maypole ribbon dance.

But Sara Hannant manages to capture the magic of the festivities too - smiling faces, enthusiastic dancing, wild bonfires and people of all ages and all walks of life sharing a joyful holiday. These are occasions when the English are at liberty to let go of their reserve, to sing and dance, to eat and drink and make merry, to dress up as a king or queen or play the fool just for a day.

Although many of the seasonal rituals depicted in Mummers, Maypoles and Milkmaids are relatively recent revivals of older traditions - or even completely modern inventions - they are in my opinion a far more honest form of entertainment than much of the mass-market fare churned out by the media.

They bring communities together, inspire creativity and boost the local economy as well as allowing those who take part to celebrate the changing seasons and connect with history.

Sara's book will hopefully inspire many more people to find a seasonal celebration near where they live and to go along and take part.

Mummers, Maypoles and Milkmaids: A Journey Through the English Ritual Yearis published by Merrell and can be ordered through Amazon.

A free exhibition, coinciding with the publication of the book, is running from Saturday 22 October to Sunday 9 September at Horniman Museum, 100 London Road, Forest Hill, London SE23 3PQ. It brings together 50 photographs of regional rituals performed throughout the year from Cornwall to Northumberland to mark the changing seasons and celebrate nature's bounty. For more details, visit www.horniman.ac.uk

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