Event: London Heathen Moot Today

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I've just seen that there is a pagan moot taking place in London this afternoon, Sunday 30 September.

It is being run by The Kith of Yggdrasil, which is a UK based heathen organisation.

The moot will take place at Shakespeare Room, The Anchor pub, 34 Park St, Bankside, London SE1 9EF. It will run from 2pm to 4pm and will be a chance to socialise and chat with fellow heathens and other interested pagans.

Impressions of the Mind Body Soul Experience

I've spent the day at the Mind Body Soul Experience at the Olympia exhibition centre in London and, if you are in London over the weekend, I can thoroughly recommend going there.

It is a pretty inexpensive event, too. Tickets are £10 on the door or cheaper if booked in advance over the internet and many of the talks and workshops are free. I took part in a 20-minute Raja yoga relaxation session in the meditation area for free, then a free workshop on contacting spirit guides.

The spirit guide workshop was probably the highlight of my day. It was run by hedgewitch Lily Oak, who you can see pictured in the photograph at the bottom of this page.

Her workshop took the form of a guided visualisation in which those taking part journeyed to meet their spirit guides. Lily explained that this was a shamanic exercise normally undertaken by those with some experience of shamanic journeying, but she had specially tailored her guided meditation to be suitable for beginners as well. Lily has a stall at the Mind Body Soul Experience selling books and her own meditation CDs, which are published under Hedge Witchery Books. You can also visit her website at http://www.hedge-witcherybooks.com/

I was also rather impressed by my experience at the Aquarian Therapy stand, which was selling aromatherapy mist sprays. The woman running this stall asked me to choose two sprays from a row of coloured bottles - I picked a purple coloured bottle and an aquamarine coloured bottle simply because they looked nice. I was then asked to close my eyes while a fine mist from each was sprayed over me. They smelled lovely.

The stallholder then chatted to me about what was going on in my life. I explained that my mother had sadly died last year and I still had to declutter a lot of her things, but was finding it difficult to tackle the task. She they showed me the names of the sprays I had chosen. The first one was called "Mummy Relax"; the second one was called "Clear". How very appropriate!

Also at the Mind Body Soul Experience I listened to Anne Malone perform a Sacred Sound Oasis session on the live music stage (pictured left), had a reading done for the reasonable price of £12, watched people being energetic in the experience zone (pictured right) and resisted the temptation to spend a lot of money on a beautiful shawl being sold on one of the stalls.

All in all, it was a good day out.

The Mind Body Soul Experience is at Olympia Two, Kensington, London, W14 8UX on 28th, 29th and 30th September. For more info and to book tickets, visit http://www.mbsevents.co.uk

Links and previous related posts
http://www.mbsevents.co.uk
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/09/event-mind-body-soul-experience-in.html
http://www.hedge-witcherybooks.com/
http://www.hedge-witchery.com/
http://aquariantherapy.com/

Harvest Moon, Singing Moon or Barley Moon?

There is a full moon this weekend. If you live in England, it is at 4am on Sunday morning, September 30, to be precise.

According to the online pagan calendar, the medieval name for the late September full moon is Barley Moon, the Celtic name for it is Singing Moon, while the neopagan name is Harvest Moon.

I'm not really sure which of those names I like the most, so I thought I put out the question: What do you prefer to call the full moon at this time of the year?

The photo above is copyright Anne Reckless.

Links and previous related posts
http://pagancalendar.co.uk/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/10/gathering-harvest-by-moonlight.html

Event: Folklore in Photography Exhibition

The amazing photo above, called Skeletons, Samhain, Chalice Well, Glastonbury, 2007, is by Sara Hannant. It is part of an exhibition called Collective Observations: Folklore and Photography from Benjamin Stone to Flickr, which is on at the Towner Gallery in Eastbourne, Sussex, from 13 October to 6 January 2013. What's more, it is a free event.

Sara, who is the author of Mummers, Maypoles and Milkmaids: A Journey Through the English Ritual Year, emailed me to let me know about the exhibition, and said: "I have several photographs of seasonal rites in this show including images of Samhain, Winter and Summer Solstices, wassailing and Sussex Bonfire Societies."

This new exhibition explores the relationship between photography and folklore. It features pictures from Faye Claridge, Matthew Cowan, Doc Rowe, the Benjamin Stone Collection, Homer Sykes, Brian Shuel, Tom Chick, David Ellison and Henry Bourne as well Sara Hannant. It is curated by the Museum of British Folklore in conjunction with the Towner.

The photo Skeletons, Samhain, Chalice Well, Glastonbury, Somerset, 2007 is © Sara Hannant

Links and previous related posts
http://www.townereastbourne.org.uk/exhibition/collective-observations-folklore-photography-from-benjamin-stone-to-flickr/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/10/review-mummers-maypoles-and-milkmaids.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/10/chalice-well-goddess-and-grail.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/02/dark-monarch-magical-exhibition.html

Spell To Help Get a Good Night's Sleep

This spell to help you get a good night's sleep was inspired by three things - a herbal remedy from the TV series and book Grow Your Own Drugs by ethnobotanist James Wong, instructions on how to make a lavender favour from a book called Crafts from the Countrysideand a short visualisation I devised long ago when I felt my mind needed a little guiding to the land of sleep.

You need 13 long-stemmed heads of lavender, three hop flowers, a metre of narrow ribbon and a little cotton thread.

Small pillows containing dried a mixture of dried lavender and hops are a traditional way of encouraging sleep as the smell is one that naturally makes people feel drowsy. James Wong showed how to make lavender and hop pillows in Grow Your Own Drugs, but I think enclosing the hops and lavender in a favour (like the one you can see in the picture on the right) looks prettier than a pillow.

Here's how you make the lavender and hop favours. Take the 13 long stems of lavender and tie them very firmly with cotton just below the heads. Then, tie one end of the length of ribbon over the cotton, to secure the ribbon in place.

Bend each of the lavender stalks back over the flower heads, encasing the knotted cotton, tied ribbon end and flowers within them. Then weave the ribbon in and out of the stalks, forming a basket around the flowers.

Carry on weaving beyond the tops of the flowers for a couple of centimetres, then stuff the three hop flowers into the basket you have woven, on top of the lavender.

With some more cotton, tie the stalks again around the top of the flowers, fully enclosing them so they can't fall out. Once more, tie the ribbon over the cotton. Make a little loop to form a ribbon handle at the top of the favour, then tie a small bow of ribbon tightly around the loop to hold the handle in place and make the favour look pretty.

Trim the stalks so that just a little of them stick out at the top. The finished result should look something like the one in the photo to the right.

If you use fresh hop and lavender flowers, the scent will be very strong and effective, but will fade a bit after a while. If you use dried flowers then the whole thing will last longer, but the scent will be weaker.

Hang the favour at the head of your bed.

Now for the visualisation part. When you are tucked up in bed wanting to drift off to sleep, visualise a long, long ribbon, just the colour of the one that is tied around the lavender and hop favour. This ribbon is so long that it has no end you can see. It starts at the favour, and spirals off into the night sky. It leads to the land of dreams.

Visualise holding the ribbon and ask it to lead you safely to sleep. Imagine yourself following it. You drift into an indigo mist, but the ribbon still guides you; on and on it takes you, and you feel yourself getting sleepier and sleepier. Just follow it on and on and on. Eventually, you will fall asleep.

I find this much more effective than counting sheep.

Note: This spell is for entertainment/information only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified medical herbalist before taking or using any herbal remedy. If you suffer from insomnia, often have trouble getting to sleep or feel unwell consult your GP.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/03/grow-your-own-drugs-2.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/03/tv-grow-your-own-drugs.html
Crafts from the Countryside

Pagan Eye: Fire Breather

This photo of a fire breather was taken by Joolz Darling at the Mercian Gathering, where she also took  the picture of a burning wicker man that I posted on my blog earlier. Both are great images and it looks as though it was an amazing event.

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

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

The photo is copyright Joolz Darling and is used with permission. Please do not download it or copy it without permission.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/09/pagan-eye-wicker-man-on-fire-under-full.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/08/pagan-eye-face-in-tree.html
http://www.merciangathering.com/merciangathering.htm

This Week's Pagan Events In and Near London

Monday 24 September. Initiation and the Wiccan Mysteries. Talk by Tam Campbell 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 September; Dying to be Me. Talk by Anita Moorjani, author of Dying To Be Me: My Journey from Cancer, to Near Death, to True Healingabout her near death experience. Venue: Alternatives, St. James's Church, 197 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9LL. Time: 7pm to 8.30pm. Tickets £10/5 concs. To book tickets and for more info visit the Alternatives website: http://www.alternatives.org.uk/Site/Talks.aspx

Tuesday 25 September; How to Use Crystals in Everyday Life. Talk by Andie Hudson at The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 12.30pm.- 1.30pm Cost: £5/£8. Advance booking advised. Tel: 020 7589 3292. http://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/index.html

Tuesday 25 September; The Magdalene Prophecies - An Ancient Secret Revealed. Talk by Dr Manjir Samanta-Laughton MBBS at The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm.- 8.30pm Cost: £8/£12. Advance booking advised. Tel: 020 7589 3292. http://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/index.html

Tuesday 25 September; Chertsey Moot. A social moot held on the last Tuesday of the month at the Golden Grove pub, Ruxbury Road, St Annes Hill, Chertsey, Surrey, KT16 9EN. All welcome. From 8pm to 11pm. For more details, email: sian_ap_pysgotwr@yahoo.co.uk

Wednesday 26 September; The Pygmalion Syndrome: Sex Dolls, Solipsism and Statues. Lecture by Dr. Stephen Alexander at Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.15pm for 7.30pm start. Tickets £7, advance booking recommended. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Wednesday 26 September; Atlantis Bookshops Presents... Aleister Crowley in 1910: The Year of the Beast. Talk by Steve Wilson at The Blue Posts at 81 Newman Street just off Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 3ET. Meet from 7.30pm, event starts at 8pm. Admission £5.

Thursday 27 September; Fortean London: The Natural Historie of the European Werewolf. Venue: The Bell 50 Middlesex Street, London E1 7EX. Time: 8pm until 10.30pm. Entry on the door: £3/£2 unwaged.

Friday 28 September; A Demonstration of Theta Healing. Talk by Deborah Talalay at The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm.- 8.30pm Cost: £8/£12. Advance booking advised. Tel: 020 7589 3292. http://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/index.html

Friday 28,Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 September; London Mind Body Soul Experience. Big weekend event with stalls, therapies, classes, talks, workshops and more. Venue: Olympia 2, London.
Opening Times: Friday 11am-6pm, Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 10am-5pm. Day ticket prices £10/£8, 2-day passes £16/£13, 3-day passes £22/18. For more details and to book online visit http://www.mbsevents.co.uk/

Saturday 29 September; At the Centre of Chaos - A Chaos Magick Workshop with Nikki Wyrd, co-author of The Book of Baphometat Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 11am to 5.30pm. Tickets £45, £25 advance deposit required. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Sunday 30 September; Shakespeare Readers Society meets at Treadwells,  33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS to read a Shakespeare play each month, in order that the Bard wrote them. Parts are divvied out, or one can follow along without having to speak. Price: small donation towards room hire. Time: 6.30pm. For details, visit http://www.shakespearereaderssociety.co.uk/

If you know of any pagan event taking place in or near London and want it mentioned on the events listings on A Bad Witch's Blog, please email the details to badwitch1234@gmail.com

News: Persecution, Witch Trials and Brooms in Space

A winning picture in The Royal Observatory's 2012 Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition is an image of a witch's broom in space - the Witch s Broom is the glowing debris from a supernova explosion. You can read the full story on the Metro website.

A look back in time 400 years to the Northampton Witch Trials. You can read the full story on the Northampton Chronicle website.

An academic study has found ‘substantial’ discrimination of pagans in the UK. You can read about this in the Wild Hunt blog on the Patheos website.

Pagan Eye: Swans on a River

Autumn Equinox is here and summer is over, but here is a photo of two swans on a river with lush green grass on the bank beyond. I took the picture on a country walk back when the days were longer. Still, I love autumn too - and summer will come again.

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

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

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/01/pagan-eye-swan-on-pond.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/06/pagan-eye-blue-butterfly-on-south-downs.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/12/pagan-eye-where-witches-walked.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/08/pagan-eye-longstone-mottistone.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/04/pagan-eye-easter-at-seven-sisters-sheep.html

BBC Radio Programme About the Druids

I've just been told about a programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4 called In Our Time: The Druids in which Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Druids, which the programme description calls "the mysterious priests of ancient Britain, Gaul and Ireland." You can listen to it here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01mqq94/In_Our_Time_The_Druids/

I've not had time to listen to it myself, but will certainly do so.

Highlights: Day With Ronald Hutton and Friends

Last Sunday I went to an event I’d been looking forward to for ages. It was called A Day with Ronald Hutton and Friends and was a pagan conference in London organised by The Centre For Pagan Studies in association with Greenmantle Magazine.

Now, Ronald Hutton (pictured right) is a very well known figure, especially in pagan circles. He is Professor of History at the University of Bristol and specialises in Early Modern Britain, British folklore, pre-Christian religion and contemporary paganism. He regularly appears on TV and radio, recently on Channel 5’s The King's War On Witches: Revealed. Among Wiccans, he is probably best known for his book The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft,which examined the history of Wicca in a way that cleared up many misconceptions about the modern pagan religion, but also gave it credibility.

Previous CFPS conferences honoured the founders of modern Wicca, Gerald Gardner and Doreen Valiente, both of whom have passed to the Summerlands. This event honoured someone still alive because, as master of ceremonies Brian Botham said: “If anyone deserves an event for giving paganism a high profile in this country it is Ronald Hutton – and why not say something good about someone while they are still around to appreciate it?” Absolutely.

The day was packed with illustrious speakers, including Rufus and Melissa Harrington, Prudence Jones, Philip Hessleton, Peter Nash and Professor Ronald Hutton himself. The talks were all superb, concentrating on the history of paganism and revealing many bits of information of which I was previously unaware.

However, I’ve decided that my write-up of the day isn’t going to be a precis of lecture notes. Instead it is going to be my list of 10 things that made the day delightful for me. Here goes:

1) Morning coffee in the Cafe in the Park opposite the Conway Hall conference venue before the event even started. Breakfast in lovely company and lovely surroundings, then just strolling in as the doors opened. You can see the cafe pictured on the right.

2) Meeting friends. Too many to name. I think I could have hugged almost everyone there if there’d been time.

3) Conway Hall itself (pictured above left), an amazing London venue that hosts many pagan events. It has above the stage the words: “To thine own self be true” - a quote from Hamlet and also a principle of modern pagan spirituality.

4) Window shopping. I couldn’t afford to buy much, but I was tempted. One company that had a stall there was Bel Bucca, maker of idols and altar pieces of the Old Ones. These are the craftsmen who made the goddess statue that Doreen Valiente had on her own altar and you can see a couple of examples of Bel Bucca’s work in the picture on the right.

5) Learning lots – including discovering, from Ronald Hutton’s talk, that Stonehenge was built by cowboy builders and was pretty much a disaster from the start. Those fallen down stones were like that almost as soon as the last lintel was put in place.

6) The Panel - a chance for the audience to put difficult questions about past, present and future of paganism to those in the know. You can see the panel in the picture at the bottom, from the left they are Prudence Jones, Philip Hessleton, Caroline Wise, Marian Green (I think), Peter Nash, Julia Phillips, Rufus Harrington and Melissa Harrington.

7) The raffle. Ronald Hutton drawing the tickets and then saying what happened in history in the year of each ticket number. Oh, and winning a prize in the raffle too – that rather nice plaque of Bacchus you can see pictured left, which I believe was donated by TV psychic Carrie Kirkpatrick. I have been lucky in raffles over the years.

8) Getting a little drunk with several other witches in a pub down the road in the evening; catching up on gossip. I don’t even regret the fact that staying in the pub too long meant I missed The Dolmen,about which a friend later posted on Facebook “Taloch makes middle-aged married ladies like me go all peculiar”.

9) Supporting a good cause. Money raised at the event went to The Doreen Valiente Foundation, a recognised UK charity set up for the protection of the collection of Doreen Valiente's legacy.

10) Going away from the conference feeling good about the future of Wicca and of paganism in general. Knowing that there are so many amazing people out there working in the interests of the pagan religion in the UK and that we will see many great things happen in the years to come.

I do apologise that the photos of people on the stage are rather poor quality. I don't use flash when I'm taking pictures of people during lectures because I think it could be distracting.

Links
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/09/pagan-eye-panel-at-day-with-ronald.html
http://centre-for-pagan-studies.com/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/09/channel-5-kings-war-on-witches-revealed.html
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/history/staff/hutton.html
http://doreenvaliente.org/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/09/charge-of-goddess-conference-2010.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/09/day-for-doreen-valiente.html
http://www.conwayhall.org.uk/
http://www.belbucca.com/
The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft

News: Concern at South African Occult Crime Blitz

South African pagans are concerned they may be persecuted after it was revealed the SA Police Service is training detectives to be specialists in “occult-related crimes”. You can read more about the story on The Citizen website and Business Day website.

You Can Now Join The Pagan Federation Online

The Pagan Federation, one of the UK's main pagan organisations which aims to promote a positive profile for Pagans and Paganism, has now made it possible for people to join the PF online.

To join, go to http://www.paganfed.org/paypal/join.shtml and complete a short form. Membership is £20 for singles, and £25 for joint membership.

Links
http://www.paganfed.org/
http://www.paganfed.org/paypal/join.shtml

Pagan Eye: Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony

These amazing photos were taken at the Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony by Melanie Dymond Harper, who was one of the artistic performers at the London Games events.

Like many people, she was surprised and delighted to hear the pagan words spoken by Rory Mackenzie of Help For Heroes, which where originally written as part of a druid ritual. Rory opened the festival by calling upon the seasons and the elements, as is often done when casting a circle as part of a pagan rite.

If you missed the Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony or want to watch it again, it is on YouTube at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIRHMmM2z7c The pagan parts start about
22 minutes in, followed by a fantastic parade of steampunk vehicles, including the fish in the bottom photo. More pagan words are said at about 31 minutes in. The middle photo shows the magical-looking symbol on the floor that many people spotted.

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

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

The photos are copyright Melanie Dymond Harper. Do not copy or download them without permission.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/09/paralympic-closing-ceremony-based-on.html
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2012/09/druid-liturgy-in-paralympics-closing-ceremony.html
http://www.druidry.co.uk/2012/09/09/bdo-ritual-in-paralympics-closing-ceremony/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIRHMmM2z7c
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/01/magical-wassail-under-frosty-full-moon.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/09/pagan-eye-wicker-man-on-fire-under-full.html

Atlantis Bookshop Presents... has a new home

Weekly pagan moot Atlantis Bookshop Presents... has a new home.

The moot, which was also at one time called The Moot With No Name and takes place every Wednesday evening, now meets at The Blue Posts at 81 Newman Street just off Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 3ET. The doors open at 7.30pm for an 8pm start and tickets are still only £5.

This week's speaker is Lon Milo DuQuette, author of My Life With The Spirits: The Adventures of a Modern Magicianand Low Magick

The event is organised by Atlantis Bookshop. The Blue Posts pub serves food as well as wine and beer.

Links
http://www.theatlantisbookshop.com/
http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/clubs_bars/venue-1385.php

Pagan Eye: The Panel at the Day with Ronald Hutton

Here is a photo of the illustrious panel of Wicca and paganism experts on stage at the Day with Ronald Hutton and Friends yesterday.

This superb pagan conference was organised by The Centre For Pagan Studies in association with Greenmantle Magazine and took place at Conway Hall, in London. I'll be writing more about the event later this week, when I get more time, but this picture is for starters. From the left, the photo shows: Prudence Jones, Philip Hessleton, Caroline Wise, Marian Green (I think), Peter Nash, Julia Phillips, Rufus Harrington and Melissa Harrington.

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

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

Link
http://centre-for-pagan-studies.com/

An Evening of Fairy Tales and Visionary Fairy Art

Last Wednesday I enjoyed a double bill of fairies. First, I went to a talk on The Americanization of the Grimms' Fairy Tales by Professor Jack Zipes, then I went to a viewing of the visionary fairy paintings of Sean Jefferson (pictured above) and a launch party for his book new, Greater Nature. Both events were really enjoyable.

The Americanization of the Grimm's Fairy Tales talk was organised by the Folklore Society in celebration of the bicentenary of the first publication of Grimm's Fairy Tales and was held at the Warburg Institute, part of the University of London. Lecturer Professor Jack Zipes is a real expert on fairy tales. He has written numerous books on the subject and his translation of the Grimm's talesis possibly the best around .

Professor Zipes talked about the history of the classic fairy tales. The Brothers Grimm were German academics who collected the traditional folk stories. These had been part of an oral tradition that had been enjoyed by people of all ages for centuries.

When they were later translated into English, they were sanitised and adapted as stories for children. It was because of this that they came to be thought of as only suitable for kids. In America, they were adapted even more, both as tales in books and as movies and cartoons. Most of the Disney and other movie company adaptations have very little resemblance to the original tales. Up until recently many were saccharine sweet, with all the sex and violent deaths removed. Current American trends, however, often try to change the roles of female characters such as Snow White from victims in need of rescue into warriors wielding swords.

Professor Zipes felt that there was a danger that the stories of the original folk tradition would be lost completely to American and British audiences, which would be sad. However, books such as his own translation (pictured top right) do their bit to keep the old tales alive.

Immediately after the talk on fairy tales and just down the road from the Warburg Institute, at Treadwell's bookshop, was the launch party for Greater Nature: The Faerie Vision of Sean Jefferson (which you can see on the table in the picture left below the bread, cheese and painting).

The event was a real eye-opener for me. I had been totally unaware of Sean Jefferson's work before that evening and only really decided to get a ticket for the Greater Nature book launch and art show because I was already going to the earlier talk on fairy tales. The moment I saw Sean's pictures, I was captivated.

I have long been a fan of the fairy paintings of Victorian artist Richard Dadd - and Sean's visionary pictures can only be inspired by the same fairies. Sean describes himself as a visionary artist. He said that when he works he is definitely channelling something.

Sean was born near Bexleyheath, in Kent. Although he studied science at university, since his teens he had also been fascinated by the world of the magic.

Bexleyheath library in the late 1970s apparently had an excellent collection of occult books on its shelves, including works by Aleister Crowley, material on the Qabalah and John Dee and even the grimoire The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abra-Melin the Mage. Sean said that since his late teens he had often also fallen into alternate states of consciousness and later joined a group of spiritualists where he learned to use that ability properly.

Sean said: "I got interested in science to find the truth about things, but in science there are always still questions. I wanted to find insight within my lifetime and science just didn't deliver." So, he decided instead to use his visionary talents to paint what he saw in alternate states of consciousness.

"Unlike John Dee, I see fairies rather than angels," he said.

You can see photos of Sean's paintings above and below, but they really don't do justice to the real thing. You can see some of his paintings at Clerkenwell Fine Art or you can buy Greater Nature: The Faerie Vision of Sean Jefferson from Treadwell's bookshop.

Links and previous related posts
The Complete Fairy Tales (Vintage Classics)
http://www.folklore-society.com/
http://www.treadwells-london.com/
http://www.clerkenwellfineart.com/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/10/charles-perrault-complete-fairy-tales.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/01/review-fairies-magical-beings.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/10/how-to-find-fairies.html

Autumn Equinox Pagan Events In and Near London

The Autumn Equinox falls on 22 September. Also called Mabon or the late harvest festival, it is celebrated when day and night are of equal length. It is a time of balance before the descent into the darkness of winter and a time to stake stock of the fruits of the harvest - whether they are real fruit and vegetables you have grown yourself, or things you have achieved in your life since the start of the year.

If you want attend a public Autumn Equinox celebration, here are some of the events taking place in London and southern England as well as events of general interest to pagans over the next week:

Sunday 16 September; A Day with Ronald Hutton and Friends - Modern witchcraft: Building a future from history. Pagan conference organised by The Centre For Pagan Studies in association with Greenmantle Magazine. Venue: Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London, United Kingdom WC1R 4RL. Time: 10am until 11pm. For more details, visit http://centre-for-pagan-studies.com/

Sunday 16 September; Dawn of the Oak. Pagan moot on the third Sunday of each month. Venue: Upstairs at The Castle, 34-35 Cowcross Road, Farringdon, London EC1M 6DB (near Farringdon tube). Time: 3pm-6pm.

Monday, 17 September; Croydon Crows. PF moot held every 3rd Monday of each month at the Skylark pub, South End, South Croydon from 8pm onwards.

Monday 17 September; Practical Wisdom in Precarious Times. Talk by Catherine Ingram, author of Passionate Presence.Venue: Alternatives, St. James's Church, 197 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9LL. Time: 7pm to 8.30pm. Tickets £10/5 concs. To book tickets and for more info visit the Alternatives website: http://www.alternatives.org.uk/Site/Talks.aspx

Tuesday 18 September; You And Your Angels. Talk by Amanda Roberts at The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 12.30pm.- 1.30pm Cost: £5/£8. Advance booking advised. Tel: 020 7589 3292. http://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/index.html

Tuesday 18 September; Inspired Address And Demonstration Of Mediumship. Talk by Dr Angela Watkins at The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm.- 8.30pm Cost: £8/£12. Advance booking advised. Tel: 020 7589 3292. http://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/index.html

Tuesday 18 September 18; A Review of the Crop Circle Season with Andy Thomas at
the London Forum for the Study of Crop Circles and Other Mysteries Meetup Group. This group meets once a month on Tuesdays at the George Pub, 213 Strand, London WC2 1AA. Starts at 7pm. Entrance £8. Details: http://www.meetup.com/The-London-Forum-Meetup-Group/ and http://www.londoncircles.net/

Wednesday 19 September; Atlantis Bookshops Presents... New venue: The Blue Posts at 81 Newman Street just off Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 3ET. Meet from 7.30pm, event starts at 8pm. Admission £5. Visit http://www.theatlantisbookshopevents.com//

Wednesday 19 September; A Household of Witches? The Leimbach Case and Witch belief. Lecture by Dr Alison Rowlands (University of Essex) at Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.15pm for 7.30pm start. Tickets £7, advance booking recommended. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Thursday 20 September; Croydon CoA Witches Gathering with talks and social activities at the The Green Dragon, High St, Croydon. For more details visit: http://www.witchfest.net/

Friday 21 - Sunday 23 September; The Sussex Mind Body and Spirit Gathering 2012. Magical Festivals' weekend event in beautiful Sussex countryside during the Autumn Equinox. Features entertainment, live music, workshops and stalls as well as an Autumn Equinox ritual. Weekend Tickets (Fri, Sat & Sun) £50 and includes free parking and camping as well as entry to the live music and workshops. For more details and to book tickets, visit http://www.themagicalcamp.co.uk/

Saturday, 22 September, Magic of Hypnosis. Workshop with Ursula James, author of The Source: A Manual of Everyday Magic.Venue: Cartwright Room, University of London, 12-18 Cartwright Gardens, London WC1H 9EE. Time: 10.30am to 5pm. Cost: £55. To book and for more details visit http://www.meetup.com/londonspirituality/events/74029882/

Saturday 22 September; Wheel of the Year Festival - Autumn Equinox Meditation at Chalice Well World Peace Garden, in Glastonbury. Free admission to the gardens between 10am and 12pm. Gather at the Well Head at 12pm for celebration and meditation until 12:30, followed by a chance to chat around a fire on the Lower Lawn. Normal admission prices after noon. For more details about Chalice Well, visit the website http://www.chalicewell.org.uk/

Saturday 22 September; Free and Open Gorsedd Autumn Equinox Rite. Open Druidic ceremony to celebrate the Autumnal Equinox and the balance of day and night at Avebury stone circle in Wiltshire. Meet at the Red Lion pub from noon. Ceremony 2pm until 3.30pm. Free, but offerings of music, poetry, bread, mead, cakes welcome. Camping: The overflow car park at Avebury stone circle will be available for camping (tents only) on Sat 22, Sun 23 and Mon 24 September.

Sunday, 23 September; Autumn Equinox: Custom, Lore, Magic. One-day workshop with Wiccan priestess Suzanne Corbie at Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 11am-5.30pm. Ticket price £35, deposit of £20 in advance. Tel: 020 7240 8906 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Sunday, 23 September; Treadwells Social Sunday: Incense. At 3pm Eleri Jay will give a ten-minute lesson introducing the use of loose incense, one of the skills useful in pagan practice. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Shop open from noon to 7pm. Free social event, but please book your place in advance. info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Sunday, 23 September; Open Druid Ritual. Celebrate the Autumn Equinox or Alban Elued in the Hawthorne Grove, on Primrose Hill, London NW1 8YH, with the loose association of Druids. Then nearest Tube stations are Chalk Farm and Swiss Cottage. For more details contact Jeremy on 07956 831503 during social hours.

Sunday, 23 September; Anderida Gorsedd Autumn Equinox 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 23 September; Autumn Equinox Celebration. Wheel of the Year ritual drawing from Celtic earth/pagan traditions at Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, 3 Pilgrim's Place, London NW3 1NG. Time: 7pm. Tel: 020 7433 3267.

Sunday, 23 September; Autumn Equinox - Crossbones Centennial Vigil to honour the outcast dead at Crossbones graveyard and to renew the shrine. 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/

Pagan Eye: The Rodez Stone

This photo of a carved stone from Rodez, in France, was taken by Steve Dempsey. He said that it is a statue menhir dating from Neolithic times and sent me links to the Wikipedia pages about it in English and French. The statue appears to be of a person with a very long nose and a rather peculiar set of whiskers - odd.

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

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

Note: The photo is copyright Steve Dempsey and is reproduced here with his permission. Please do not download it, copy it or use it anywhere else without permission.

Links and previous related posts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_menhir
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/08/pagan-eye-austin-osman-spares-scrying.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/07/pagan-eye-silbury-hill-on-summers-day.html

Event: Mind Body Soul Experience in London

The Mind Body Soul Experience is back at Olympia in London at the end of the month.

This is the 10th anniversary of the show and promises to be bigger than previous events with a new Experience Zone running sessions throughout the three days including TaiChi, belly dancing, pilates, yoga and salsa.

The Mind Body Soul Experience is an eclectic collection of complementary health, spiritual awareness, and personal development. With more than 150 exhibitors, the event aims to encourage visitors to use all five senses to see, feel, hear, smell and taste the rich diversity on offer: from fairies to food blenders, runes to raw chocolate.

"The MBS show offers an experience like no other with the aim of helping visitors to develop a healthy mind, healthy body and healthy soul," said MBS organiser Julie Saunders. "Visitors will be taking away new ideas and ancient wisdom and leave with a spring in their step."

From Latin rhythm, to sultry sitar, the multi-cultural assortment of entertainment on the stage will also be worth watching. There will be plenty of space to unwind, relax, refresh and renew and also plenty of hot and cold healthy food available.

Mind Body Soul Experience is on at Olympia, Kensington, London, W14 8UX on 28th, 29th, 30th September. Tickets range from £8 for a one-day ticket booked in advance online (£6.50 concessions) to £22 for a three-day adult ticket booked on the door. For more info and to book tickets, visit http://www.mbsevents.co.uk

Previous related posts:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/05/mind-body-soul-event-for-people-and.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/10/mind-body-soul-experience.html

News: Henge Discovered, Witchcraft Claims, Occult TV

An ancient henge, as large as Stonehenge, has been discovered on the North Downs near Hollingbourne, in Kent. You can read the full story on Kent Online

The wife of a goalie in a Premier League football team claims to be "witch" who wrecked her husband's career. Her husband says she was "spiritually manipulated" into believing this by a church. You can read the full story in the Daily Mail

MTV in the USA is looking for students of the occult to appear in a ‘True Life’ television series. You can read the full story in the Examiner

Pagan Eye: Wicker Man On Fire Under a Full Moon

This fantastic picture of a wicker man being burnt under a full moon was taken by Joolz Darling at the Mercian Gathering. As well as this wicker man photo, Joolz sent me other amazing pictures from the event, including a fire eater and a burning labyrinth, which you can look forward to seeing on my Pagan Eye blog posts in the future.

Joolz previously sent in a picture of a face in a tree in Swansea. Thanks very much indeed for the lovely photography!

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.

The photo is copyright Joolz Darling and is used with permission. Please do not download it or copy it without permission.

Links and previous posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/08/pagan-eye-face-in-tree.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/07/pagan-eye-wicker-man.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/08/pagan-eye-wicker-woman.html
http://www.merciangathering.com/merciangathering.htm

TV: Vikings on BBC 2 with Neil Oliver

A new TV documentary series called Vikings began on BBC 2 last night.

In it, archaeologist Neil Oliver went to Scandinavia to look at what surviving evidence can tell us about legend of the Vikings. Neil began by exploring the Vikings' prehistoric ancestors, including the remains of weapon-filled war boats, skeletons of long-haired Bronze Age farmers, a Swedish site of a royal palace and a site of ritual sacrifice.

He also looked texts about the religion of the Vikings, explaining that the Vikings remained pagan long after most of Europe became Christian.

Programmes on BBC TV Channels are usually available to watch on iPlayer for at least a week after they are shown: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/

A book called Vikings: A History to accompany the series is due out in October.

Links
http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b01ms4xm/
Vikings