Event: Aphrodite's Magic - Last Day for Cheap Tickets

I've just been sent details of a two-day workshop on Aphrodite's Magic being run by Jane Meredith in Sheffield in October. Today, August 31, is the last day for booking early bird tickets with a reduced price, so I thought I'd post the flyer about the event.

Anyone who reads A Bad Witch's Blog regularly will realise that I'm a big fan of  Jane Meredith's work. You can read some of my previous reviews of her books and workshops here:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/05/review-aphrodites-magic.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/09/day-with-aphrodite.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/07/review-journey-to-dark-goddess.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/10/demeter-persephone-love-and-death.html

Blue Flowers for a Blue Moon in August

Here's a collage of all the beautiful blue flowers I could find to photograph this month - to celebrate the fact that August 2012 is a month with a blue moon in it.

And that blue moon is today.

In England, 31 August is the day of the full moon and there was also a full moon on August 2. Most months only have one full moon, and most years have 12 full moons, one each month. Sometimes, however, a year has 13 full moons in it - and the thirteenth moon is a blue moon.

Now, there is some disagreement as to which of the 13 moons is the blue moon. Some say it is the fourth moon in a season, others say it is the moon closest to Lent, but many people nowadays say a blue moon is the second full moon in a calendar month.

The saying, "Once in a blue moon" means a rare event, so a blue moon is always good for spells and magic that are a little out of the ordinary. Is there something you've always desired but thought was unobtainable? If so, wish for it tonight and your dream might come true.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/12/once-in-blue-moon.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_moon
hhttp://pagancalendar.co.uk/

Pagan Eye: The Hurlers Stone Circles

This photo shows The Hurlers, a group of three stone circles arranged in a line on Bodmin Moor, in Cornwall. I visited the stone circles and took the picture above while I was on holiday in Cornwall last week. It is in a very atmospheric location and probably has the best preserved stone circles on the moor. Another good thing about them is that they are free to visit and you can park nearby.

Archaeologists think the ceremonial megaliths date from the Neolithic or early Bronze Age. They are called The Hurlers because of a local legend that says men who were playing the game of hurling on a Sunday were magically transformed into stones as punishment for doing fun stuff when they should have been in church.

The Hurlers are managed by the Cornwall Heritage Trust on behalf of English Heritage.

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
A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/hurlers-stone-circles/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/08/a-few-views-of-stonehenge.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/06/pagan-eye-rollright-stones.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/12/photos-of-avebury-stone-circle.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/11/review-sacred-stones-and-crystals.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/08/pagan-eye-derreenataggart-stone-circle.html

Back to Magic School: Magical Evening Classes

Fancy learning about the history of magic, mythology and symbolism? Esoteric lecturer Ken Rees is running two evening classes in London this autumn. The first is called The Magical Consciousness and the second is entitled Fools, Shamans And Magicians: Facilitators of the Cosmos.

The Magical Consciousness

According to the course description, these classes cover the traditions of alternative ways of thinking in cultures including Western rationality.

These have been expressed in many forms including Renaissance Hermeticism, the Rosicrucian enlightenment and various angelologies from the Judao-Christian matrix and can be summed up by the term ‘the magical consciousness’. They are underpinned in symbolic discourse, mythology, Neo-Platonism and Gnosticism. Alchemy, the Jewish kabbalah and theurgy all share similar philosophies of magic that had innumerable devotees throughout the ages. They never fully died out, only being partially submerged by later scientific thinking.

Increasingly, the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries saw revivals of interest in such traditional thought forms and practices informing esoteric spirituality. This found expression in cultural phenomena including the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the Theosophical Society and the O.T.O.

You can learn about the magical conciousness at the six-week course on Tuesdays evenings from 8pm to 10pm, starting on 18 September and running until 23 October. Fees are £47, or £16 for concessions. If you want to enrol, The Magical Consciousness is course No: 440 at The Mary Ward Centre, Queen Square, London WC1N 3AQ. For more details, call 020 8671 6372, e-mail: kenrees@talktalk.net or visit www.marywardcentre.ac.uk. For enrolment, call 020 7269 6000/6005.

Fools, Shamans and Magicians: Facilitators of the Cosmos

The Fool, Shaman and Magician all carry archetypal imagery and are abiding figures across time and cultures. This course explores all three as agents of cosmic and human integration via their healing, initiatory and teaching roles.

Classes examine the role of the fool, the jester and the trickster in mythology, literature and society to illustrate what lessons this complex figure may have to teach us today - for his/her higher wisdom, expressed both in tragic and comedic aspects, finds a resonance in everyday life and in our own personalities.

In turn, the course clarifies the meaning of the terms `shaman’ and `shamanism’, recognising the cross-cultural breadth and historical depth of this phenomenon. The shaman’s role is distinguished from other inspirational specialists. Contemporary expressions of revived shamanism will be identified and the value of a shamanic perspective for personal development will be appraised.

Finally, the place of the magician both past and present will be considered – as a manipulator of hidden realities, a practitioner of esoteric skills and aspirer towards a higher self. The continuing role of magic in today’s world will be evaluated, giving examples of key figures and significant orders in the field, including John Dee, Aleister Crowley, Dion Fortune and post-modern chaos magic.

There is an `elective affinity’ between these three character-types. They are the leading players around which our inner cosmos and wider universe revolves, moving the energies of both inner and outer worlds.

The Fool, Shaman and Magician is a six-week course on Tuesdays evenings from 8pm to 10pm, starting on 30 October and running to 4 December. Fees are £47, or £16 for concessions. If you want to enrol, it is course no 441 at The Mary Ward Centre, Queen Square, London WC1N 3AQ. For more details, call 020 8671 6372, e-mail: kenrees@talktalk.net or visit www.marywardcentre.ac.uk. For enrolment, call 020 7269 6000/6005.

The picture shows The Magician card from the The Rider Waite tarot deck

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/03/trickster-magician-and-hard-times.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/03/tarot-fool.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/05/review-fools-wisdom-oracle-cards.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/08/review-wildwood-tarot.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/07/review-medicine-for-soul-shamanic.html

Tintagel Castle and the Legacy of King Arthur

I'm back from a fantastic holiday in Cornwall, but still have plenty to blog about. I'll start with Tintagel Castle.

In legend, Tintagel Castle, perched high on the windswept, rocky cliffs of North Cornwall, is the place where King Arthur was born - or at least conceived. This is the story told by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his 12th century book The History of the Kings of Britain.

Although the ruins of the castle that stand in Tintagel today date from the Middle Ages, archaeologists have found artifacts from Romano-British times at the site. Of course, whether King Arthur ever existed or not is a matter of debate and speculation, but tales of England's Once and Future King have only gone from strength to strength. Tourists have long flocked to Tintagel hoping to connect with Arthurian legend, to walk in the footsteps of Arthur Pendragon, Guinevere and Lancelot, and maybe discover a hint of magic in nearby Merlin's Cave.

Whatever your thoughts about King Arthur, Tintagel Castle is a spectacular place to visit. To get there you will have a long walk on a steep and narrow path, then a climb up a very long flight of steps that cling to the side of the cliff, but the views are worth it. You can explore the romantic ruins, look out over the sea and watch seagulls wheeling overhead while waves crash on the rocks below. Bring a picnic, as it is a beautiful spot for one on a sunny day. If it is stormy, then bring your most serious waterproofs.

However, the town of Tintagel is, by contrast, rather tacky – full of Arthurian-themed tourist tat. Of course, that's only my opinion – maybe you fancy being The Girl Who Pulled the Plastic Sword from the Bucket, slaying slot machine dragons in Camelot amusement arcade and then gobbling down Lancelot's giant sausage in a bun from Ye Olde Excalibur Kebab Shoppe (OK, I made that last one up, but the first two are for real). I suppose you can't really blame the local traders for trying to cash in on the Arthurian hype, but frankly it put me off wanting to spend any money in the town at all.

If you happen to be in Cornwall this week, then I'd recommend visiting Tintagel Castle tomorrow, 29 August, as you'll be treated to costumed storytellers relating King Arthur's Tales. I went last week and enjoyed the performance more than I expected - it really isn't just for kids. You can find out more about it here: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/events/king-arthurs-tales-tc-29-aug/

The pictures top and bottom show views of Tintagel Castle, the top side photo shows the King Arthur's Tales being performed, the bottom side picture shows the kind of stuff on sale in the town of Tintagel.

Links
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/tintagel-castle/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tintagel_Castle
The History of the Kings of Britain (Classics)
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/events/king-arthurs-tales-tc-29-aug/

This Week's Pagan Events In and Near London

Now 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 http://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 The photo above is in the exhibition and is copyright Sara Hannant.

Now to Sat 27 Apr 2013; Signs, Symbols, Secrets: An Illustrated Guide to Alchemy. Free exhibition of images and writings about the quest for the philosophers’ stone. Venue: Science Museum, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London SW7 2DD. For more details visit: http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/galleries/signs_symbols_secrets_alchemy.aspx

Tuesday 28 August; 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

Thursday 30 August; Fortean London: Ghosts, Magic and the Hackney Bear. Venue: The Bell
50 Middlesex Street, London E1 7EX. Time: 8pm until 10.30pm. Entry on the door: £3/£2 unwaged.

Monday 3 September; The Mindful Manifesto. Talk by Dr Jonty Heaversedge and Ed Halliwell at 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/EventDescription.aspx?EventID=1019

Spell: Keep the Holiday Spirit

How often have you felt wonderful at the end of your holiday - refreshed, relaxed and full of the joys of life - only to lose that great feeling a few days after returning to work? Here’s a spell that could help you keep the holiday spirit a little longer. It is mainly intended for those on holiday at the seaside, but could be adapted.

On the last day of your holiday, ideally in the early morning or around dusk, go for a walk on the beach to find a small pebble to serve as a memento. You should take your time searching for the pebble that feels just right – you could select it because of its colour or shape, or you might be lucky enough to find a piece of crystal or a gem. If you find a stone with a hole right through it – often called a hagstone – that is particularly magical.

Once you have chosen your pebble, stand in a beautiful spot on the beach and say:
“Spirits of the land, sea and sky; spirits of this place; I thank you for my wonderful holiday here and ask your blessings. Let me keep this tiny pebble to remind me in the months to come of this happy time and place.”

Then spend some time holding the stone and thinking about all the happy memories you will be taking with you from the holiday. Try to focus your thoughts and feelings into the pebble. When you have finished doing this, thank the spirits of the land, sea, sky and place once more, put the pebble somewhere safe and say farewell.

As an extra thank-you, either before or after doing this spell, you could also do a some litter clearing from the beach and put any bottles, cans or whatever into the appropriate recycling bins.

The second part of this spell is more practical than magical. You need to keep the pebble with you as much as possible after you return from holiday. You could just keep it in your pocket, purse or handbag, but you are likely to forget about it or end up regarding it as a bit of clutter – which means the spell won’t work so well.

I think the ideal way to store your magical holiday memory pebble is on your keyring. Our keys are usually something we carry around with us, and very much tie us to our everyday lives as they open the doors to our homes. If you found a stone with a hole in it then it is really easy to attach it to a keyring. If not, I recommend buying a keyring with a crystal cageand pop your pebble inside it. These spiral cages can be bought at many shops that sell crystals and at New Age or pagan retailers. You can also order them from Amazon.

Now, how to use your magical stone once your holiday is over. Your pebble will work as a memento and a talisman just by you carrying it around. However, if you need a bit of extra help – when you feel that the stresses of everyday life are getting you down and sapping that holiday feeling – hold your pebble in your hand and let those thoughts and feelings that you stored there flow back into you. Know that the spirits of the sun, sea, sky and place have blessed you. Breathe deeply, and allow yourself a moment of peace and joy.

Note: Before taking any pebbles do make sure that you are not breaking any local laws by doing so. Never remove any stones, even tiny pieces, from sacred sites such as stone circles.

Links and previous related posts
Spiral Cage Keyring ~ 25mm
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/11/review-sacred-stones-and-crystals.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/03/crystals-birthstones-and-their.html

Pagan Eye: On the Camel Trail

I took this photo in Cornwall, on the Camel Trail. No, I'm not foolishly searching for creatures more commonly found in Africa, I was walking along a lovely footpath on the route of a former railway line beside the beautiful estuary of the River Camel.

I've been on holiday in Cornwall since last weekend and doing a lot of walking and exploring. I'll blog more about it more when I return to London and get a better internet connection. Expect pictures of castles, stone circles, an unusual rock on Bodmin Moor carved with masonic symbols and a even pub full of witches.

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.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=13412
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/12/photos-of-silbury-hill-near-avebury.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/01/pagan-eye-west-kennet-and-silbury-hill.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/07/pagan-eye-waylands-smithy-on-sunny-day.html

Boscastle and the Museum of Witchcraft

If you are a witch and you visit Boscastle, you have to visit the Museum of Witchcraft. Mind you, I've visited Cornwall Several times in the past and failed to get there despite having got to every meadery and cider farm in the county.

Now, as a somewhat older and wiser witch, I was determined to see what Boscastle has to offer - although I did fortify myself with a jolly fine glass of St Austell ale in The Cobweb Inn before tackling the Museum of Witchcraft.

Actually I think I needed that drink because some of the exhibits are a bit harrowing, including instruments of torture and persecution used on poor unfortunates accused of witchcraft back in the days when it was illegal to be a witch in England.

But the museum is a lot more than just a chamber of horrors. It houses a collection of artefacts relating to the craft of cunning folk, wise women, occultists and magicians as well as witches since about the Middle Ages. It aims to entertain as well as to educate visitors about witchcraft as a religion and a way of life through the ages.

The exhibits include artwork showing how witches have been portrayed in paintings, advertising and the media, grimoires and books of spells and rituals, tools of the craft and the remains of spells that have been found in old houses and donated to the museum. There is even a collection of mandrake roots that have been used for magic, which fascinated me after being sent a photo of the live plant last week.

What’s more, the museum staff are very helpful and friendly. If you have any questions about the items on display or about witchcraft, they are more than happy to tell you what they know.

The influence of magic can also be seen throughout Boscastle. As well as being a pretty little Cornish coastal village it felt a bit like a mini Glastonbury, being absolutely full of shops selling crystals, books about paganism, witchy clothing and general New Age paraphernalia.

If you go, allow yourself plenty of time to go around the museum and also to explore the town. I only paid for three hours in the car park and it wasn’t nearly enough.

The pictures show: The outside of the Museum of Witchcraft from across the estuary, a tableaux of witchcraft-related items in the museum, an old book of shadows, a mandrake root, a pretty New Age shop called The Otherworld in Boscasle.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/08/blogging-from-cornwall.html
http://www.museumofwitchcraft.com/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/08/pagan-eye-austin-osman-spares-scrying.html

A Few Views of Stonehenge

I took these photos at Stonehenge last Sunday. I stopped off at the famous megalithic stone circle in Wiltshire while on my way down to Cornwall on holiday.

Before I went, I had mixed feelings. “It’s a real tourist trap,” friends told me. “You can’t get near the stones,” others pointed out, while a few felt I shouldn’t go out of principle, because they disapproved of the way English Heritage had managed the site in the past.

But I wanted to go, to judge for myself. I hadn’t been to Stonehenge since I was a kid and at that time you could just wander up to the stones and touch them. The problem was, some people had been doing more than touch them, even prising off bits to take away as souvenirs, which was why Stonehenge needed to be protected.

These days, a tall fence encompasses the site and you have to either be a member of English Heritage or pay to get in. The car park and main entrance are actually over the road from Stonehenge itself. You queue to buy your ticket or show your pass, then go past a small security check in which I saw a few people have their bags examined. After that you queue again to get an audio guide that tells you about the stones as you walk round. After starting to listen to the commentary, you walk through a subway under the road which takes you to the path that leads up to and around the stone circle itself.

The path is separated from Stonehenge by a rope - low enough that it doesn’t obscure your vision of the stones, but thick enough that it is clear you shouldn’t cross the line. There are obvious no entry signs too, to make it clearer.

Now, I don’t think this is entirely a bad thing - quite apart from the need to stop vandalism. The fact that even on really busy days you can get a clear view of the megaliths and take photographs without lots of tourists in the shot is useful for photographers like myself. Even though I deliberately took some pictures of the crowds - as you can see - I also managed to get some shots of Stonehenge looking pretty empty of people. Even the wide shots contained just a few people on the edges - easy enough for anyone with a modicum of Photoshop skill to remove.

I didn’t feel the place was overcrowded, even though Stonehenge is, without doubt, an extremely popular tourist attraction and was very busy on the sunny summer Sunday that I went. There was plenty of space to move about in. You could get a clear view of the stones and for a rest you could sit on the grass - or even on a bench if you could find one free.

However, my visit to Stonehenge the other day definitely wasn’t a spiritual experience. When my parents took me to the stone circle when a kid I remember seeing people meditating - and I vaguely recall my dad having a go at dowsing for ley lines, which was a popular activity for alternative types like my parents back in those days. Last Sunday, I saw nothing of that kind taking place. It wouldn’t have felt appropriate at all.

English Heritage promotes Stonehenge as a site of historical and archaeological interest. That is what the audio guide concentrates on, although it does mention that people still visit the stone circle at the solstices for spiritual reasons and also relates some of the legends about the site.

If you do want to get up close to the stones to try to experience their spiritual meaning for yourself, English Heritage allows managed open access at the Summer Solstice and also, I believe, allows druids to celebrate the sunrise there at the Midwinter Solstice. Seeing as current thinking based on archaeological evidence is that our ancient ancestors used Stonehenge for ritual purposes in midwinter rather than midsummer. Perhaps that is a more appropriate time to go there and I should put it on my list of things I want to do.

However, I would say that if you have never been to Stonehenge, visiting as a tourist these days and walking around the outside of the stones while listening to the audio guide and taking a few pictures is worth doing. I enjoyed my visit and got some good photos to add to my collection. It was really much better than those friends who tried to dissuade me from going had said.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/06/why-ive-never-been-to-stonehenge-for.html
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/stonehenge/
A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/03/build-your-own-stonehenge.html
http://www.onlineuniversity.net/history/stonehenge/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/01/nazi-sorcerers-at-stonehenge.html

Blogging from Cornwall

I've been in Cornwall for a couple of days now on holiday and have been really enjoying myself - going for walks on Bodmin Moor, drinking scrumpy in country pubs and getting lost down country lanes.

However, I've struggled to get a good enough internet connection to blog until now. Today, I decided to come to Boscastle to visit the Museum of Witchcraft, but am currently taking shelter from the rain in a pub called The Cobweb Inn, which serves great beer and has free Wi-Fi. You can see the pub in the photo above.

I'll blog more over the next few days, but only when I can get internet access again.

The Bad Witch is on Holiday

I'm off on holiday. I'm heading down to Cornwall for a week where I'll be staying in remote cottage in woods near Bodmin Moor.

While I'm there I hope to explore some legends of the moors, including Dozmary Pool where, according to Arthurian legend, Sir Bedivere threw Excalibur to The Lady of the Lake, and I'll be keeping a lookout for the fearsome Beast of Bodmin.

As usual, I'll try to blog when I can while I'm away, but it depends on where and when I can get internet access. If you don't hear from me again, please send a search party to find the Beast's lair...

BB

The Bad Witch

Link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodmin_Moor

This Week's Pagan Events in London and Elsewhere

Saturday 18 August; GAIATICA Mind Body Spirit Fair - Worthing. Tarot and other readers, stalls, therapists, free workshops, talks and live music. Venue: St Paul's Centre, 55b Chapel Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 1EE. Time: 10am-4pm, Free admission. For more details visit www.goddessfoundation.org.uk

Saturday 18 August; Ancestral Voices at the British Film Institute. Documentary examining correlations between mainstream religions and African spiritual practices such as as Juju, Obeah or witchcraft. Venue: BFI Southbank, South Bank, Waterloo, London, SE1 8XT. Time: 2pm. Telephone: +44 (0)20 7928 3232. Trailier: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LqxMegWSqI

Sunday 19 August; Foraging for Herbs: Teaching Walk with herbalist Natasha Richardson. Meet at Regents Park Tube Station. Organised by Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 12.45pm for 1pm start. Tickets £8, advance booking required. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Sunday 19 August; 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, 20 August; Croydon Crows. PF moot held every 3rd Monday of each month at the Skylark pub, South End, South Croydon from 8pm onwards.

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

Thursday 23 August; Did the Magic Work? Occult Practices and Sport. Talk by Chris Robert, author of Football Voodoo: Magic, Superstition and Religion in the Beautiful Game.Venue: 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/

Friday 24 August; London Dreamtime present...Darkness - Enter the secret heart of the Urban Forest at the Heygate Estate; wander through the magic of the Elephant’s derelict wonderland (and up on the roof again) with stories and songs from Nigel and Vanessa. Outdoor locations on the Old Kent Road, London SE15. Time: 9pm. £2 per person. Get more details and book by sending an email to neckingernell@yahoo.com.

Friday 24 August; Maitreya Project Relic Tour; Relics of the Buddha visit Glastonbury. Venue: Chalice Well World Peace Garden, in Glastonbury. Free admisstion via Wellhouse Lane (around the corner from Chalice Well, at the foot of Glastonbury Tor.) Time: Opening ceremony 5pm-7pm. You can also view the relics over the weekend. For more details about Chalice Well, visit the website http://www.chalicewell.org.uk/

Sunday 26 August; Embodied Magic Workshop with Orryelle Defenestrate Bascule. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 1pm to 5.30pm. Tickets £25, advance booking required. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

News: EBay Bans Sales of Spells, Potions and Magic

According to a story on the Los Angeles Times website, online auction site eBay is banning sales of occult and witchcraft-related services and items including: “Advice; spells; curses; hexing; conjuring; magic services; prayers; blessings; Psychic, Tarot, Reiki, and other metaphysical readings and; services; magic potions; healing sessions.”

I'm not sure how this will affect eBay in the UK or Europe. I'm also not sure if it is a good thing or a bad thing. I do hope the site doesn't also stop selling magical supplies such as candles, cauldrons and crystal balls.

You can read the full story here: http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-ebay-supernatural-ban-20120816,0,6214536.story

Guided Visualisation: Fish in a Pond

This lovely photograph of fish in a pond with lily pads and reflections of clouds in the sky above was sent to me by the same person who sent the pictures of the mandrake and dahlia that I posted earlier in the week.

I love to be sent pictures like this and normally show them on my regular Pagan Eye posts of photography. But this time I was inspired to write a guided visualisation. Here it is:

Guided Visualisation: Fish in a Pond

Sit comfortably. Close your eyes and take three slow, deep breaths.

Imagine that you are sitting beside a pond in a beautiful, peaceful garden. It is a warm day, the sun is shining and the sky is blue with just the occasional little white fluffy cloud.

Around you flowers are blooming, filling the garden with a wonderful perfume. The grass is green and soft. Only the sounds of birds song can be heard. You look at the pond. There are huge water lilies on its surface and the sunlight sparkles on the water. You feel relaxed and happy to be there.

Spend a little while enjoying being in the beautiful garden beside the pond.

After a while, a little cloud drifts in front of the sun, throwing a shadow over the garden. It feels suddenly a bit cooler and sunlight no longer sparkles on the surface of the water in the pond.

For a moment, this disturbs you. You think to yourself, why can't it always stay so warm and sunny?

Then you notice that without the light reflecting off the pond, you are able to see more clearly below the surface of the water. You realise the pond is quite deep and although the bottom is lost darkness, the water towards the top is clear even if tinged with green. You can see fronds of bright pondweed and water lily stalks stretching down into its depths.

Peering into the water of the pond, you glimpse a dark shape moving somewhere far below the surface. It is a fish; a huge mottled mottled silver-grey carp. As you watch, you see another, then another.

You realise that the pond is home to a shoal of lovely sleek carp. This is their home - it is peaceful and cool and they are happy to live there. Some seem to be at rest, only moving their gills as they take their oxygen from the water. Others swim about in a slow and graceful dance around each other. You are fascinated to get this glimpse into their watery world, so different from the land above that you live in.

Then, you notice one carp that is golden in colour, yet it swims in harmony with its grey-silver cousins.

Spend a little while watching the shoal of carp in the depths of the pond.

After a while, you begin to think that the golden carp has become aware of you. It seems to be watching you, as you are watching it. It rests for a moment, then slowly starts to swim upwards, towards the surface of the water, as though it wants to get a closer look at the human who is peering in from outside the pond.

As it gets close to the surface of the water, your eyes meet. There is an odd sense of understanding suddenly between you and the golden fish. You feel that it has a message for you; a secret it wants to tell you and that you want to hear.

You bend down close to the surface of the water, just as the fish rises up to just below the surface. Then, just for a moment, the face of the golden carp breaks through the surface with a gentle splosh and a ring of little bubbles.

And, just maybe, you got the message it was trying to impart - perhaps in words, perhaps in images, perhaps just in your mind.

The golden carp swims back down to the bottom of the pond to join its silver-grey cousins and you sit back up, beside the pond.

At that moment, the sun comes out from the other side of the cloud, its rays of light flooding the garden with warmth once more and sunlight sparking from the surface of the pond.

Shortly you will return to your normal world, but for a little while longer stay in the garden and enjoy its beauty while pondering on the message from the golden carp.

When you are ready, open your eyes and stretch your limbs before standing up.

The picture is copyright the photographer. Do not copy it or download it without permission.


You can find more guided visualisations and meditations in my book Pagan Portals - Guided Visualisations.

Pagan Eye: Moonfire Dahlia

This beautiful flower picture was taken by the same person who photographed the magical mandrake that I wrote about earlier this week. It shows a stunning dahlia called "Moonfire", which sounds a very witchy name and was seen in Oxford Botanical Gardens.

In the language of flowers, the gift of a dahlia means good taste. However, if you are giving a floral present to a loved one you should only give a single dahlia bloom as to give big bunch indicates instability.

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 photograph is copyright the photographer and should not be reproduced without permission.

Links and previous related posts:
Language of Flowers
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/08/pagan-eye-magical-mandrake-or-mandragora.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/11/poppy-day-and-poppy-folklore.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/04/red-tulips-for-love-and-protection.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/06/gardenia-folklore-and-flower-symbolism.html

Review: Palmistry Made Easy

I wish the new book Palmistry Made Easyhad been around when I was a kid.

Back when I was young I rather got into palmistry, thanks to my dad. He discovered he had a natural gift for telling people’s futures from their hands after volunteering to run the fortune teller’s booth at a local annual charity fete. He was so good at it that the ladies on the charity committee begged him to come back and do it again for many years afterwards. Perhaps one could say he was feted to do it (ouch!)

Of course, after finding out that he had a talent for palmistry, my dad wanted to learn to do it properly . He bought a copy of the classic palmistry textbook Cheiro's Language of the Handand practised reading the palms of all our family and friends. Inspired by my dad, I borrowed the book and tried to pick up the palmist’s art. I was never as good as my dad – but perhaps that was because I never had the right book.

I’ve just finished reading Palmistry Made Easyby Johny Fincham and I think that if I had had this to learn from I might have done better. It is, as the title suggests, aimed at beginners and is a very easy book to use for picking up the basics.

One of the tips it starts with is to take a print of people’s hands and then spend as long as you like studying the lines to discern their meaning, rather than trying to work it all out in a few minutes while the hand’s owner is pressing you for answers to their questions. The book also has lots of photographs of prints taken from real hands to demonstrate each point.

The chapters in Palmistry Made Easy are straightforward and cover each of the main things to consider when reading palms – the shape and size of people’s hands, skin texture, fingers, the patterns found on fingerprints and palm prints, the main lines on the hand and also the minor lines. None of the chapters are too long – and neither is the book too long. It is quick to read then to use as a reference when practising reading from prints of hands.

I also like the way in which the focus of palmistry seems to have moved on since I first had a go at it. Back then, it all seemed to be a bit fatalistic - prophesying things like when you would get married, how many children you might have and even how long you were likely to live. Now, it is more about understanding someone’s personality, strengths and weaknesses to help them become happier and healthier.

Our futures are not fixed. Johny Fincham points out: “The lines of the palm change over time.” To demonstrate this, the book shows prints taken from the same hand but several months apart, showing how acting on advice from a palmist can bring about change for the better.

Publisher Dodona Books sums it up on its website: "Palmistry has traditionally been blighted by superstition and hocus-pocus. It's been impossible to learn the art from a long list of signs, markings and squiggles to remember. Until now that is. Here's a simple, commonsense guide that works. You can start palm reading after a few hours of study with this book. Using the modern language of psychology, rational observation and common sense, you'll be amazed at how much you can see in your own or anyone's palm. Try it - it works!"

Johnny Fincham began the study of palms at age 25 while at university (in 1988) joined the (now defunct) chirology society, started to read hands professionally in 1996.

Links and previous related posts
Palmistry Made Easy
http://www.dodona-books.com/welcome-new.html
http://www.johnnyfincham.com/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/06/jack-or-jill-of-all-trades.html
CHEIRO'S LANGUAGE OF THE HAND.

Pagan Eye: Magical Mandrake, or Mandragora

This rare mandrake plant was photographed by someone who reads my blog.

They kindly sent me the picture they had taken and said: "I was pottering around in the Oxford Botanical Gardens yesterday and took this photo of a mandrake plant, which was in the 'medicinal' area, because the witchy associations made me smile - and then I thought of you!"

The watchful photographer said they didn't want to be named, which is fine, but thanks very much indeed for letting me publish it!

Mandrake is, indeed, a very magical plant.

It is the common name for members of the plant family Mandragora and is related to nightshades. Mandrake contains hallucinogenic alkaloids including atropine, scopolamine, apoatropine, hyoscyamine and is very poisonous. Although you obviously shouldn't eat it, it has been used by witches as a spell ingredient for countless centuries. The main part of the plant used for magic is the root, because it resembles a human figure.

According to Cunningham's Encyclopaedia of Magical Herbsthe plant has powers of protection, fertility, money, love and health. A whole mandrake root can be put on the mantelpiece or other central place in a house to protect the building and those within it. Money placed next to it is said to increase.

According to folk tales, the root screams if it is dug up, a sound that kills all who hear it. The traditional way around this is to half dig it up, then tie one end of a string to the plant and another to a dog. The dog's owner then runs away fast - presumably with his fingers in his ears - and the dog uproots the plant when trying to follow him. Frankly, this seems horribly cruel to dogs and, in any case, if it was true that digging up mandrake roots is lethal then I guess there'd be a lot of dead gardeners at the Oxford Botanical Gardens.

Apart from protection, the main use of a mandrake root in witchcraft is as a poppet - which is a humanoid form used for sympathetic magic. The idea is that the root can be dressed up as the person it is to represent, then spells cast on the root work instead on the person it symbolises. Wiccans and other nice witches would use this for healing purposes, although legends abound in which pins are stuck in the poppet in order to cause a person excruciating pain. Not very pleasant.

Mandrake roots are also frequently associated with love magic. In the Bible, in the chapter of Genesis, Leah gives Rachel mandrakes in exchange for a night of sleeping with her husband. In 1518 Machiavelli wrote a play called Mandragola (The Mandrake) with a plot that involves the use of a mandrake potion as a ploy to bed a woman.

In modern fantasy fiction, the mandrake root is cultivated by Professor Sprout in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It is used to cure the petrification of several characters who had looked into the eyes of the basilisk. In that book the characters use earmuffs to avoid hearing the scream of the root when it is unearthed - much easier than dodgy schemes involving dogs I would have thought.

The photographer who sent me the photo of the mandrake also sent me a photo of a lovely Dahlia called "Moonfire" and the Botanic Garden's fishpond, which looked very picturesque. I'll be posting them up on my blog later!

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 on this page is copyright the photographer. Do not copy or download it without permission.

Links and previous related posts
Encyclopaedia of Magical Herbs (Llewellyn's Sourcebook Series)
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/08/pagan-eye-face-in-tree.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/09/buddleia-for-bees-butterflies-and.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/09/common-mallow-and-marsh-mallow.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/04/review-herbs-of-northern-shaman.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandrake_(plant)

This Week's Pagan Events in London and Elsewhere

Now to Sunday 9 September; Mummers, Maypoles and Milkmaids: A Journey Through the English Ritual YearFree exhibition based on 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 http://www.horniman.ac.uk/

Monday 13 August; Pagan rituals in Unitarian churches. Talk by Hildegard Maier 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 13 August; Nemoralia: Festival of Torches. A Talk and Ceremony in honour of the Roman goddess Diana with Caroline Wise. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.15pm for 7.30pm start. Tickets £10, please book your place in advance. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Tuesday 14 August; The Butterfly Experience: Transforming Your Life from the Inside Out.Talk and book signing by life coach and author Karen Whitelaw-Smith. Venue: Watkins Books, 19-21 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 5.30pm. Free event. For more details Tel 020 7836 2182 or visit the website http://www.watkinsbooks.com/

Tuesday 14 August; Witches in the Witch Hunts. Talk by Dr Philip Almond, author of The Witches of Warboys,England's First Demonologistand The Lancashire Witches Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.15pm for 7.30pm start. Tickets £7, advanced booking recommended. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Thursday 16 August; My Life with Baphomet - talk by chaos magician Nikki Wyrd. Venue: 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/

Saturday 18 August; GAIATICA Mind Body Spirit Fair - Worthing. Tarot and other readers, stalls, therapists, free workshops, talks and live music. Venue: St Paul's Centre, 55b Chapel Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 1EE. Time: 10am-4pm, Free admission. For more details visit www.goddessfoundation.org.uk

Saturday 18 August; Ancestral Voices at the British Film Institute. Documentary examining correlations between mainstream religions and African spiritual practices such as as Juju, Obeah or witchcraft. Venue: BFI Southbank, South Bank, Waterloo, London, SE1 8XT. Time: 2pm. Telephone: +44 (0)20 7928 3232. Trailier: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LqxMegWSqI

Sunday 19 August; Foraging for Herbs: Teaching Walk with herbalist Natasha Richardson. Meet at Regents Park Tube Station. Organised by Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 12.45pm for 1pm start. Tickets £8, advance booking required. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Sunday 19 August; 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.