Today, 23 January 2012, is the start of Chinese New Year. It is the Year of the Water Dragon - a powerful and auspicious sign that can mean success, luck and happiness. I do realise that the picture above shows a Chinese lion rather than a dragon, but lion dances are a traditional part of Chinese New Year celebrations.
Below are general events over the coming week in that could be of interest to pagans and others, including London's Chinese New Year Festival on Sunday 29 January.
Monday 23 January; Cross Bones Vigil 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. http://www.crossbones.org.uk/
Monday 23 January; Spiral Moon Lodge. A chance for women to gather at the new moon to share our knowledge and honour the Divine Feminine in the context of the seasonal cycle of the year. Location: Chingford, North London. Time: 7pm-10pm. Women aged 18+ only. Free, suggested donation of £1. Coffee and tea provided, please bring a healthy snack to share. For more details and to reserve a place email to Tressy at quathia@hotmail.com
Tuesday 24 January; Detecting and Releasing Intrusive Energies. Lecture by Andy Tomlinson and Reena Kumarasingham at The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm - 8.30pm. Cost: £8/10. Advance booking essential. Tel: 020 7589 3292. http://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/index.html
Wednesday 25 January; Eliphas Levi: Father of Modern Occultism. Talk by Dr Christopher McIntosh at Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.15pm for 7.30pm start. Tickets £7. Reserve a place by emailing info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/
Wednesday 25 January, Magic Manuscripts. Lecture by Sophie Page at the Wellcome Institute, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE. Time: 7pm-8pm. Free event. To book a ticket visit http://www.wellcomecollection.org/
Wednesday 25 January; Atlantis Bookshops Presents (formerly The Moot with No Name) An Evening With Gary Dickinson. Subject: Esoteric Symbolism of the Dragon and the Chinese New Year. 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, 26 January; Mark Pilkington, Geraldine Beskin and John Rimmer talk at Fortean London. Venue: upstairs at The Bell pub, 50 Middlesex Street, London, E1 7EX. TIme: 7.30pm – Fortmanteaux; 8pm – talks; 9pm - break; 9.30pm - Q&A; 10pm - end. Entry cost: £3/£2 concessions.
Friday, 27 January; Demonstration of the Art of Palmistry and Tarot by Avril Price and Robin Lown 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
Friday, 27 January; The Geometry of Creation. Talk by Milena Ivovic based on her book Memento 13 – Remembering the Self through the Geometry of God’s Love 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
Friday, 27 January; The Story of Rebecca West and The Art of Crafts. Two plays about the witch craze of the 1640s. Venue: Colchester Castle Museum, Castle Park, Colchester, Essex, CO1 1TJ. Time: 6pm. Tickets: £5. To book, call 01206 282940 or visit Hollytrees Museum, Colchester. http://www.cimuseums.org.uk
Saturday 28 January; Free and Open Gorsedd of Caer Abiri Imbolc Rite at Avebury Sun Circle, in Avebury, Wiltshire. Open druidic style ceremony to celebrate the first stirrings of spring. Meet at the Red Lion Pub, Avebury, around noon for rite at around 1.30pm, ending around 3pm. Bring bread, cakes and drink to share, bring poetry to read.
Sunday 29 January; Mysteries of Imbolc: 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 Imbolc 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 29 January; London's Chinese New Year Festival to celebrate the start of the Year of the Dragon. Festivities start at 10am with New Year’s parade through Chinatown, Shaftsbury Avenue, Charing Cross Road and Rupert Street, ending at Trafalgar Square at 12pm for the official opening ceremony. Activities will continue with music, performances, a dragon dance and a lion dance until 6pm. This is a free, public event so just turn up and have fun. http://www.chinatownlondon.org/
The picture shows a Chinese Lion Illustrated Print by Emily Golden Illustration. The print costs £30. Website: www.emilygolden.co.uk Telephone: 07717822484
1 comment:
Interesting. Many people also confuse the Chinese dragon from the Chinese lion. I always enjoy these festivities that celebrate the Chinese New Year.
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