Halloween News: Witches, the Occult, Books and Fun

"Halloween Google doodle lets you become a witch and create witch's brew": Read a report on this fun free game from Google on the Mirror website.

"From wicked witch to Wicca witch: A Romford Pagan explains his religion this Halloween": The Romford Recorder interviews Luthaneal Adams, author of The Book of Mirrors.

"Halloween witch: is travel sickness drug behind myth of the flying broomstick?": Find out on The Guardian website.

"Spellbound: why witchcraft is enchanting a new generation of teenage girls": Another story from The Guardian.

"A look back at Dennis Wheatley's black magic novels": Article about classic occult horror fiction at Den of Geek.

"When C.E.O.s Embrace the Occult": New York Times opinion piece.

"Witch Bones": A Halloween recipe from the Gloucester Times.

And not exactly news, but here is a link to a wonderful Halloween animation: Samhain Song by Celestial Elf

London Necropolis: Abney Park Cemetery & Arboretum

There's nothing quite like a visit to a Gothic graveyard to get in the mood for Halloween - particularly when a storm is brewing. Last weekend, under darkening skies, I visited Abney Park Cemetery in North London.

Abney Park is one of London's so-called Magnificent Seven Cemeteries, which were built in the Victorian era to relieve overcrowding in the city graveyards. The other six are Highgate, Brompton, Nunhead, West Norwood, Kensal Green and Tower Hamlets. Having visited four of them at Halloweens past, I'm now on a mission to see all seven. My husband decided that Abney Park was the next to visit, mainly because he is something of a fan of the eponymous steampunk band.

Abney Park was instated as a cemetery in 1840, but was also a semi-public park arboretum and garden. It took over from Bunhill Fields Burial Ground as the main cemetery for non-conformists and was planned as a landmark for religious tolerance as well as for botanical education. The site was never consecrated, yet by the 20th century it was full of the unconventional dead. Following years of neglect, Abney Park was saved by local people and turned into an atmospheric nature reserve.

A leaflet I picked up at the visitor centre by the grand Egyptian-style entrance was a guide to the Veteran Trees of Abney Park. One of these trees, I discovered, was a catalpa - and you can see that in the photo to the left.  I've been fascinated by catalpa trees ever since I saw one outside Rochester Cathedral earlier this year. This time, I could actually see one in leaf.

Another interesting tree in Abney Park is a dead trunk that has been carved with symbols including the sun and the moon (pictured right). I couldn't find much information about it on the leaflet - if you know anything more, do leave a comment.

In the centre of Abney Park Cemetery stands a magnificent Gothic chapel, which is sadly ruined and currently fenced off. I thought about climbing the wall and exploring inside, but as I circled around the perimeter there was a  flash of lightning, a clap of thunder and rain started to fall in earnest. With a storm fit for a horror movie opening sequence raging around me, I took it as an omen to leave the graveyard as quickly as possible.

Abney Park Cemetery is on Stoke Newington High Street, London N16 and is really easy to find with plenty of buses stopping just outside. There's also a rather good pub just over the road called the Jolly Butchers - it sells a wide range of real ales, real cider and delicious sausages. Just the place to shelter from the storm - and maybe hole up come the zombie apocalypse :)

Links
The Magnificent Seven: London's First Landscaped Cemeteries
Ancient World
http://www.abneypark.org/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/10/london-necropolis-victorian-cemetery.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/05/the-rochester-catalpa-tree.html

Pagan Eye: Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

This eerie black and white photograph of tombstones was taken by Mark Jones at Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, in East London. The burial ground is one of London's Magnificent Seven Victorian cemeteries. It is now closed for burials and has been turned into a nature reserve and woodland park that is home to rare plants, animals, insects and birds.

I visited Abney Park, another of the Magnificent Seven cemeteries, last weekend and I'll be blogging about that at Halloween, tomorrow.

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.

Mark, who earlier sent me a photo of Avebury Stone Circle in May, very kindly let me use his photo on my blog. It is his copyright, so please don't reproduce it or download it without permission.

Links and previous related posts
The Magnificent Seven: London's First Landscaped Cemeteries
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_Hamlets_Cemetery
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/10/london-necropolis-victorian-cemetery.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/07/pagan-eye-doorway-to-another-world.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/10/london-necropolis-hardy-tree.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/10/london-necropolis-postmans-park-and.html
http://www.fothcp.org/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/06/pagan-eye-avebury-stone-circle-in-may.html

Pagan Events over Halloween / Samhain and Next Week

If you haven't yet decided what you are going to do for Samhain - or Halloween - then here are some wonderful pagan events taking place, many of which are completely free to take part in:

Thursday 31 October; Ghost Night at The London Fortean Society. Talks about ghosts. Venue: The Bell, 50 Middlesex Street, London E1 7EX. Cost: £3/£2 concessions. Time: 8pm - 10pm. Just turn up, no need to book in advance. The society meets on the last Thursday of each month. For more details, visit http://forteanlondon.blogspot.co.uk/

Thursday 31 October; PFL Samhain Open Ritual with Wild Wood Circle. Venue: Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, Holborn London. Time: 7.30pm for 8pm start. Ritual ends around 9pm followed by feasting until 10pm. Entrance: £6/£5 PF members. Please bring seasonal food and drinks to share at feast after ritual. For more details, visit http://london.paganfed.org/

Thursday 31 October; Halloween Fancy Dress Walk and Samhain Ritual with Wiccan High Priest Mani of Pagan Frontiers. Meet outside the Tate Modern Gallery, opposite the Millennium Bridge / St.Pauls Cathedral at 7.30pm for a short Samhain ritual to honour the ancestors. This will be followed by a walk along the Thames embankment. Wear witchy fancy dress, bring lanterns and food and drink to share. Do not bring any sharp objects (such as athames). Free event. For more details: http://www.paganfrontiers.com/Events_-_Socials/events_-_socials.html

Thursday 31 October; Samhain Ritual and Feast with Inspiral Mediums. Venue: Grays, in Essex. Cost: £11. Time: Evening. For more details, visit: https://www.facebook.com/groups/paganmarket/permalink/704034089626469/

Thursday 31 October; Mystic Gazetteer - Nigel of Bermondsey invokes London mysteries in words and music, and John Constable aka Crow performs The Book of The Goose from The Southwark Mysteries.Venue: The Old King's Head, London SE1 1NA. Time: 9pm. Tickets: £3/£2 concessions. Details: http://www.nigelofbermondsey.com/nigelofbermondsey_wp/events/

Thursday 31 October; The Circle of Ankerwycke will be celebrating Samhain with a ritual and usual party after. Ritual is at the Ankerwycke Yew near Staines and starts at 8pm. No charge but bring food and drink to share please. Please contact ankerwytch@hotmail.co.uk for more details and an invitation or ring Rod on 07733 554321.

Thursday 31 October; The London Wicca Meetup Group is holding a Samhain / Halloween pub meet in Balham from 7pm to 8pm, followed by a rite at a private house. The venue is only told to members of the group, so if you want to find out more, visit: http://www.meetup.com//The-London-Wicca-Meetup-Group

Thursday 31 October; Sacred Love with Vaz arranged through the London College of Spirituality. Venue: Conference Room, Canterbury Hall, 11-18 Cartwright Gardens, London WC1H 9EE. Time: 7pm. Cost £12. Reserve places through: http://www.meetup.com/londonspirituality/


Friday 1 November; Soul Body Fusion - An Introduction and Demonstration by Jonette Crowley, author of Soul Body Fusion: The Missing Piece for Healing and Beyond.Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm. Cost: £10/£12 Advance booking advised. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit http://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/index.html

Friday 1 November; Ritual and Magic - a chance to delve into the supernatural side of the Museum of London's archives. Venue: The Museum of London Archaeological Archive, Mortimer Wheeler House, 46 Eagle Wharf Road, London N1 7ED. Tours take 1 hour, 30 minutes and start at 11am and 2pm. Cost: £5, advance booking essential. For more details and to book visit: http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/london-wall/whats-on/events-calendar/event-details/?eventID=6049

Friday 1 November; Treadwell’s Halloween Party Honouring the Feast of Samhain, for regular customers and guests. Short ceremony at 8pm. One free drink to everyone who comes wearing a witches’ hat. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm to 11pm. Tickets free but advance booking essential by calling 2027 419 8507. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Friday 1 November; Journey of Love: Spiritual Q and A and Social with the London College of Spirituality. Venue: Westminster Quakers Meeting House, 8 Hop Gardens, London WC2N 4EA. Time: 7:pm. Cost: £5. Advance booking: http://www.meetup.com/londonspirituality/events/146852222/?a=ea1_grp&rv=ea1

Friday 1, Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 November; Mind Body Spirit Festival in Brighton at The Brighton Centre. To find out more about this three-day event and to book tickets, visit www.mindbodyspirit.co.uk

Saturday 2 November; Free and Open Gorsedd Samhain Rite at Avebury Stone Circle, Wiltshire. An open Druidic style rite to celebrate Samhain. Meet at the Red Lion pub around noon for a ceremony about 1.30pm. Offerings of song, poetry, mead, bread and cake welcome. The overflow carpark will be available for camping (tents only) on the nights of 31 October and Friday 1 October.

Saturday 2 November; Hern's Tribe: Outdoor Samhain Ritual. Secluded woodland venue in Croydon, South London. Meet at Coombe Lane tram stop by 4.45pm. Ritual runs from 5pm-9pm. Free event but bring food and drink to share, and wear appropriate clothing and footwear. For more details, visit: www.Hern-Tribe.org

Saturday 2 November; Hendon Heathens Moot. The Greyhound, Church End, Hendon, London NW4 4JT. 6pm until 9pm (then over the road at a blues and rock club until the early hours). This moot meets on the first Saturday each month. https://www.facebook.com/groups/151618854867807/

Sunday 3 November; Samhain on Primrose Hill with the Loose Association of Druids. Open ritual hosted by Jeremy Morgan, the Druid of Wormwood Scrubbs. Venue: The Hawthorne Grove, Primrose Hill, Regents Park, London NW1. Starts at 12.45pm, ends at around 2.30pm. Nearest tube: Chalk Farm.

Monday 4 November; Spare - a new play inspired by the life and work of Austin Osman Spare, written and performed by John Constable. Venue: The White Bear Theatre, 138 Kennington Road, London SE11 4DJ. One night only. Time: 7.30pm: Tickets: £10. Book your place online: http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/search/searchPerformance.asp?performance_id=79688&sid=. More details at: http://www.whitebeartheatre.co.uk/productions/


Monday 4 November; Evensongs and Nightshades. Music with Nigel Shaw and Carolyn Hillyer at Alternatives, St. James's Church, 197 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9LL. Time: 7pm to 8.30pm. Tickets £10/£5 concs. Advance booking required. To book tickets and for more info visit the Alternatives website: http://www.alternatives.org.uk/Site/Talks.aspx

Monday 4 November; Treadwell's Open Circle. Wiccan-style ceremony for those with some experience led by Lisa Grace and Ellie Hughes. 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/

Monday 4 November; Book Launch and Lecture: The Spawn of Azazel by Steve Ash. Venue: The Bell, 50 Middlesex Street, London E1 7EX. Time: 7.30pm. Free entry, but buy your own drinks.

Tuesday 5 November; The Green Man - The Father Of Nature. Talk by pagan Edwin Courtenay. Edwin is also hosting workshops: The Green Man - The Father of Nature on Saturday 16 November and The Gnostic Trinity - Goddesses of the Ancient World on Sunday 17 November (www.edwincourtenay.co.uk). Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm. Cost: £10/£12 Advance booking advised. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit http://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/index.html


Tuesday 5 November; Cobwebs and Cauldrons Moot with Samantha Elen Marks talking about Elen - Walking The Edge of the Forest. Venue: White Horse Pub, Chadwell Heath, Essex. Moot takes place on the first Tuesday of every month. 7.30pm start. https://www.facebook.com/cobwebs.cauldrons You can read my review of a book about Elen of the Ways here: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/07/review-shaman-pathways-elen-of-ways.html

Wednesday 6 November; Church of Fear - Inside the Weird World of Scientology. Talk by John Sweeney at Greenwich Skeptics in the Pub, The Star and Garter, 60 Old Woolwich Road, Greenwich, London SE10 9NY. 7.30pm. http://greenwich.skepticsinthepub.org/

Friday 8 November; Gerrie March Presents Her Students. Demonstration of skills at The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm. Cost: £10/£12 Advance booking advised. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit http://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/index.html

Saturday 9 November; Witchfest International. Large pagan and witchcraft conference and evening entertainment with live music run by Children of Artemis. Stalls, talks, workshops, music, food, bar and more. Venue: Fairfield Halls, Croydon, South London. Early bird tickets £16 for CoA members, £20 for non-members. For more details and to book tickets, visit http://www.witchfest.net/

Saturday and Sunday 9 and 10 November; Gateways Of The Mind - An Immersive Exploration Of Lucid Dreaming, Shamanic Dreaming and Out-Of-Body Experiences. Venue: The Tabernacle, Notting Hill, London. One-day tickets £90, two-day tickets £150. For more details, visit: http://archetypeevents.com/gateways-london

Review: Quick and Easy Tarot by Lily Oak

If you want to learn to read tarot cards but don't know how to go about it, a new book called Quick and Easy Tarotby hedge witch Lily Oak is what you need. It is aimed at absolute beginners and guides learners through the very first steps from choosing a tarot deck to discovering what the cards mean and how to do simple readings.

What I particularly like about this book is that it is short, succinct and to the point. I read it from cover to cover in under an hour, but just because it is short doesn't mean it lacks information. In fact, it really does include all you need to know to get started and is written in a very practical way with a lot of common sense advice.

In particular, author Lily Oak stresses the importance of taking time to look at each card in the deck you buy and making a few notes about what it seems to mean to you personally. This really is the best way to learn tarot reading and to attune yourself to a specific deck. However, Lily also includes short descriptions of the standard definitions for each card, which are very useful to refer to when you are learning.

You can download Quick and Easy Tarot for the Kindleor order it as a paperback through Amazon.
Lily Oak also runs online courses in various aspects of hedge witchery through her website: http://www.hedge-witchery.com/

Links and previous related posts
Quick and Easy Tarot
http://www.hedge-witchery.com/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2007/12/birthday-cards.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/05/review-animal-wisdom-tarot-boxed-set.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/01/review-steampunk-tarot-gods-of-machine.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/05/review-angel-tarot-cards-by-doreen.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/08/review-wildwood-tarot.html

After the Storm - Time to Collect Wood!

Today is a fantastic day for going out and finding bits of wood to make into wands or staffs. I walked through the park this morning and selected several potential wands from all the fallen branches after the storm.

Halloween Mystery: The Case of the Bleeding Tree

While I was outside doing witchy stuff in a forest the other night I noticed a tree that looked like it was oozing blood. It had been chopped down, and where the axe marks had bitten into the trunk it looked like wounds in raw, red flesh.

That might sound the stuff of horror films but, being a practical witch, I expect there is a scientific explanation for what looked like a blood. I'm not sure what though. I am aware that some trees have blood-red sap. The most famous of these is the dragon's blood tree, but they don't grow in England. Eucalyptus trees also have red sap, but they are relatively rare in England too. I've  been told that some tree parasites and fungi can turn the sap red - maybe that was the case with this felled tree.

I guess I'm probably not as good with tree-recognition as a witch ought to be, so, I am admitting my ignorance and asking if anyone reading this can identify the tree with blood-red sap in the picture above. If you can solve the Case of the Bleeding Tree, please leave a comment below...

Links and previous related posts:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Dracaena_cinnabari
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Eucalyptus
http://www.ehow.com/info_8731983_kind-tree-red-sap.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/10/bleeding-doors-woodwork-and-tortured.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/10/news-new-threats-to-oak-and-ash-trees.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/10/an-autumn-leaf-and-king-of-trees.html

Back to Magic School: The Shamanic Inheritance

Starting in November, a six-week evening class course called The Shamanic Inheritance; The Healing Inheritance is being offered by pagan teacher Ken Rees at the Mary Ward Centre in London

The course looks at both traditional and revived forms of shamanism in order to assess their contribution to both the individual and to society. It covers:

• The shaman as a `technician of the sacred’ and a mediator between the worlds of the holy and the profane, underworld and otherworld.
• The shamanic healing traditions of Siberia, Latin-America, Africa, Europe – Shamanic recruitment and the initiatory process.
• Shamanic methods towards other realities – drum, trance, dance, plants, vigil and the spiritual quest.
• Shamanism reborn – psychotherapy and the healing arts, the medicine wheel teachings of the Plains Indian. The neo-shamanism of the shires and the urban shamanism of the city.
• Contemporary commentators – Mircea Eliade, Carlos Castaneda, Michael Harner, Joan Halifax

Tutor Ken Rees offers  DVDs, class handouts, discussion, and short exposition to go along with the lectures. Anthropology and psychology are used to analyse and appraise the value of the shamanic perspective for personal development today

The classes are on Tuesdays from 8pm to 10pm. The first is on 5 November and they run weekly until  10 December. The Mary Ward Centre is at Queen Square, London WC1.

Fees: £48.00 Cons. £18.00 Course No: 438
Enquiries: 020 8671 6372 or e-mail: kenrees@talktalk.net
Enrolment: 020 7269 6000 or www.marywardcentre.ac.uk

The photo shows a shaman's drum that I photographed at an exhibition in Norway.

Previous related posts:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/07/interview-with-author-and-shamanic.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/07/review-medicine-for-soul-shamanic.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/07/review-shaman-pathways-web-of-life.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/10/review-shaman-within-by-barbara.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/09/back-to-magic-school-magical.html

TV: Stories from the Dark Earth: Meet the Ancestors

There's a new documentary series starting on BBC Four tonight called Stories from the Dark Earth: Meet the Ancestors Revisited. The first episode is Pagans of Roman Britain. It is on BBC Four at 8pm today, Saturday October 26. You can find out more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01s74g9

Shopping: My New Little Wooden Altar

Here's a photo of the small wooden altar that I bought at the Mind Body Soul Experience in London on Friday. I bought it at a stall selling witchy stuff, run by witch and spiritualist medium Christine Francis. She told me that it was the only one she had for sale and was a handmade original carved from ash wood. I just loved it and had to buy it.

I think it will be perfect for outdoor rituals. In the past I've used an upturned crate covered in a cloth when I've done Wiccan seasonal rites outdoors, but this will be much better. It is quite small - about the size of a footstool - but would have room to put a votive candle, athame or wand, chalice and small plate of biccies on. It was also light enough to carry easily (I took it home on the train from Olympia with no difficulty).

Although I don't think you'll be able to get one just like it, Christine does know the woodworker who made it, and you can contact her on cpfrancis1961@aol.com - or visit her stall at the Mind Body Soul event if you go there this weekend.

I also noticed a slightly similar altar table on Amazon, although it looks much smaller - probably about half the size of mine. It can be ordered by clicking on the picture to the right or via this link: Wooden Pentagram Altar Table

Links and previous related posts
http://mbsevents.co.uk/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/10/a-great-day-at-mind-body-soul-event-at.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/04/how-to-run-child-friendly-outdoor-pagan.html
Wooden Pentagram Altar Table

A Great Day at the Mind Body Soul Event at Olympia

I've just got back from the London Mind Body Soul event, which is a three-day exhibition of all things related to complementary health, spiritual awareness and personal development. It is running alongside the OM Yoga show, and both are at Olympia, in London.

If you get a ticket to one, you get free entry to the other. In fact, it really was rather like one big event, just with more yoga-related stuff on the lower floor and more spiritual stuff on the upper floor.

I've been to the Mind Body Soul event for the past couple of years and I must say it gets better and better. My day was packed with exciting stuff from the moment I arrived. I started by going to a workshop called The Mystical Sounds of Amazonian Shamanism, run by Mimi Buttacavoli who demonstrated the icaros sung in healing ceremonies by tree shamans. You can see Mimi in the picture at the top, along with a range of tree essences that she also sells. You can find out more on the website: http://www.sacredtreeessences.com/

One of the things I was determined to make the most of, was the chance to walk a labyrinth. The Rev Lizzie Hopthrow was leading guided groups into a labyrinth and explaining their history and the way they can be used for walking meditations. You can find out more - and even buy your own portable cloth labyrinth like the one at the show (pictured below) - via www.labyrinthbuilders.co.uk.

After that, I enjoyed a guided visualisation, watched a psychic medium, had a reading done, sampled several healthy snacks that were being handed out, browsed the products and therapies on offer at various stalls and bought a small wooden altar that I think will be perfect for outdoor rituals.

Just as I felt I could do with a sit-down, I passed the Oracle Television stand at the perfect time - a bottle of bubbly was being opened. I enjoyed a refreshing glass of wine and had a chat with Carrie Kirkpatrick - who also runs Goddess Enchantments - about her new TV channel launch. Oracle Television is a micro channel that offers programmes for the Mind, Body, Spirit and esoteric genres. You can find out more about it, and watch programmes on everything from psychic readings to magic and mysticism, at www.oracletelevision.com

If you fancy visiting the London Mind Body Soul Experience yourself, it is on all weekend at Olympia, London. Day tickets are £12 for adults, £10 for concessions and children (under 16) go free. Many of the workshops, talks, demonstrations and other activities are free, while some are a small extra charge. For more details visit mbsevents.co.uk.

Links and previous related posts
mbsevents.co.uk
www.oracletelevision.com
www.labyrinthbuilders.co.uk
http://www.sacredtreeessences.com/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/08/event-mind-body-soul-weekender-on-25-to.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/10/walk-labyrinth-at-mind-body-soul-event.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/09/impressions-of-mind-body-soul-experience.html

Pagan Eye: A Haunted Lane in Historic Rye

Here is a photograph I took of a haunted lane. It  is Turkey Cock Lane, in Rye, Sussex. The narrow, cobbled passageway in the historic Cinque Port has the kind of name that might make those with a prurient mind want to snigger, but its origins are sad rather than salacious.

The story, which I pieced together from books including Portrait of Sussexby Cecile Woodford and Ghost Hunter Walks in Sussexby Rupert Mathews, is a tragic tale of doomed love. The lane once ran alongside a 14th century Augustinian Friary. All monks and friars were, of course, under a vow of chastity - with dire consequences should they break their oath. But one of the friars, known as Cantator because of his divine singing voice, fell in love with a girl called Amanda who lived in the house on the other side of the friary wall - and she fell in love with him, too.

He would sing from the friary gardens, and she would listen to his lovely voice. Occasionally, they would have a chance for a whispered and clandestine conversation. Eventually they planned to elope across the sea to France so that they could be together forever. But their secret was discovered before they could escape.

Cantator's cruel punishment was to be bricked up in the friary wall and left there to die a horrible death. Yet after his entombment he continued to sing songs of love to his Amanda, so she could hear his beautiful voice to the end. But, as thirst and starvation overtook him, his voice became cracked and hoarse. They say towards the end he went insane, and the sounds he emitted were like the gobbling of a turkey. Yet even his death was not the last that was heard of Cantator. A cowled ghost has often been seen on the site of the friary gardens - and so many people have heard a sound like that of a gobbling turkey cock that the lane was given the name it holds today.

On each Pagan Eye post, I show a photo that I find interesting, with a few words about it. The pictures can be a seasonal image, a pagan site, an event, or something of historic interest. If you want to send me a photo for a Pagan Eye post, please email it to badwitch1234@gmail.com Let me know what the photo shows and whether you want your name mentioned or not. For copyright reasons, the photo must be one you have taken yourself and you must confirm that you are submitting it for A Bad Witch's Blog.

Links and previous related posts
Portrait of Sussex
Ghost Hunter Walks in Sussex
http://www.paranormaldatabase.com/hotspots/rye.php
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/05/pagan-eye-old-photo-shows-medium-and.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/10/haunted-tunbridge-wells-gothic-ghosts.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/10/pagan-eye-cat-in-witchs-halloween-hat.html

Pagan Events Over Samhain In and Near London

Samhain is the most important festival of the year for Wiccans and many other pagans. Celebrated on October 31, the same day as Halloween, Samhain is when the veil between the worlds is thin and we can sometimes glimpse the spirits of the dead - whether they are our beloved ancestors, or scary ghosts intent on mischief. Here are some of the pagan talks, workshops, walking tours and open rituals taking place during the week around Samhain:

Friday 25 October; Interview with a Pagan Priest - The Dark Side. Christina Oakley Harrington interviews Cat Treadwell, author of Facing the Darkness.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 25 October; Samhain evening to celebrate the Celtic new year with live band. Venue: Butser Ancient Farm, Chalton Lane, Chalton, Hants. For more details and to book tickets call 02392 598838 or visit http://www.butserancientfarm.co.uk/

Friday, 25 October; The Melkarth Line and other Patterns in the Landscape. Lecture by Yuri Leitch at Research into Lost Knowledge Organisation (Rilko). Venue: Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place, W1U 8EA. Doors open 6.45pm. Admission £8 non-members, £6 members. http://www.rilko.net/EZ/rilko/rilko/home.php

Friday 25, Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 October; London Mind Body Soul Experience. Three-day event with talks, workshops, entertainment, stalls and lots, lots more. One of the workshops offers an exploration of the traditions and magic of Samhain with Suzanne Corbie on Saturday 26 October. Venue: Olympia Central (Level 1), London. Opening Times: Friday 25th October 11am - 6pm, Saturday 26th 10am - 6pm, Sunday 27th October 10am - 5pm. Admission: 1 Day Pass Adult £12, Concession £10, Children (under 16) free. If you book early online you can save money. For details visit mbsevents.co.uk

Saturday 26 October; Halloween Special: Ghosts, Zombies and Vampires! Presented by The Centre for Inquiry UK, The Skeptic magazine and Conway Hall. Venue: Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London, WC1R 4RL. Time: 10.30am - 3.30pm. Tickets: General £10, students £5, CFI members free entry. Advance booking recommended. Visit: https://humanism.org.uk/events/?page=CiviCRM&q=civicrm%2Fevent%2Finfo&reset=1&id=34

Saturday 26 October; On Liber Nigri Solis.An afternoon event about this modern astrychymical grimoire. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 1.45pm for 2pm start, runs till 5.30. Tickets £15, advance booking recommended. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Saturday 26 October; Ghosts and Monsters of Smithfield - a London walk organised by Scott Wood through the London Fortean Society. Meet outside Farringdon tube station on Cowcross Street at 6.30pm. Tickets £5, advance booking required through http://www.wegottickets.com/event/244908

Sunday 27 October; Herbs for Halloween with Natasha Richardson. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 10.45 for 11 am start. Finishes 5.30pm. £45 (£25 deposit, balance due on the day). For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Sunday, 27 October; Anderida Gorsedd Samhain open ritual at the Long Man of Wilmington, Sussex. Meet near the car park between 1.30pm and 2pm for a walk up to the chalk hill figure at 2pm. Afterwards back to the Giants Rest pub in Wilmington for a social drink together.


Monday 28 to Thursday 31 October every night; Halloween Ghost Walks with writer-performer John Constable, author of Secret Bankside: Walks in the Outlaw Borough.Meet from 6.45pm. Depart at 7pm sharp from Tabard Street Piazza, Borough High St, London SE1 1JA (Borough tube). Suitable for those aged 16 and over. All tickets £10 plus booking fee. Places limited. Book a place at: http://www.wegottickets.com/location/8698

Monday 28 October; The O Manuscript. Talk by Lars Muhl at Alternatives, St. James's Church, 197 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9LL. Time: 7pm to 8.30pm. Tickets £10/£5 concs. Advance booking required. To book tickets and for more info visit the Alternatives website: http://www.alternatives.org.uk/Site/Talks.aspx

Tuesday 29 October; 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

Tuesday 29 October; Satanic ritual abuse, false memories and multiple personalities: Anatomy of a 20-year investigation. Talk by Rosie Waterhouse, Journalist and lecturer, City University London. Venue: the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Room LG01, New Academic Building, Goldsmiths, University of London, New Cross, London SE14 6NW. Talks start at 6.10pm. Free entry, just turn up. For more details, visit http://www.gold.ac.uk/apru/speakers/

Tuesday 29 October; An Evolving Science Of Emotional Healing. Talk by Sir Tom Lucas. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm. Cost: £10/£12 Advance booking advised. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit http://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/index.html

Wednsday 30 October; Queen's Wood, Highgate, N6 - ritual site par excellence! Talk by Ken Rees about the history of Middlesex forest. Venue: The Moot With No Name. Venue: Devereux pub, Devereux Court (opposite the Royal Courts of Justice), London. 7.30pm for 8pm start. Cost £3/£2. This moot meets every other Wednesday.

Thursday 31 October; Ghost Night at The London Fortean Society. Venue: The Bell, 50 Middlesex Street, London E1 7EX. Cost: £3/£2 concessions. Time: 8pm - 10pm. Just turn up, no need to book in advance. The society meets on the last Thursday of each month. For more details, visit http://forteanlondon.blogspot.co.uk/

Thursday 31 October; PFL Samhain Open Ritual with Wild Wood Circle. Venue: Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, Holborn London. Time: 7.30pm for 8pm start. Ritual ends around 9pm followed by feasting until 10pm. Entrance: £6/£5 PF members. Please bring seasonal food and drinks to share at feast after ritual. For more details, visit http://london.paganfed.org/

Thursday 31 October; Samhain Ritual and Feast with Inspiral Mediums. Venue: Grays, in Essex. Cost: £11. Time: Evening. For more details, visit: https://www.facebook.com/groups/paganmarket/permalink/704034089626469/

Thursday 31 October; Mystic Gazetteer - Nigel of Bermondsey invokes London mysteries in words and music, and John Constable aka Crow performs The Book of The Goose from The Southwark Mysteries.Venue: The Old King's Head, London SE1 1NA. Time: 9pm. Tickets: £3/£2 concessions. Details: http://www.nigelofbermondsey.com/nigelofbermondsey_wp/events/

Thursday 31 October; Halloween Fancy Dress Walk and Samhain Ritual with Wiccan High Priest Mani of Pagan Frontiers. Meet outside the Tate Modern Gallery, opposite the Millennium Bridge / St.Pauls Cathedral at 7.30pm for a short Samhain ritual to honour the ancestors. This will be followed by a walk along the Thames embankment. Wear witchy fancy dress, bring lanterns and food and drink to share. Do not bring any sharp objects (such as athames). Free event. For more details: http://www.paganfrontiers.com/Events_-_Socials/events_-_socials.html

Thursday 31 October; The Circle of Ankerwycke will be celebrating Samhain with a ritual and usual party after. Ritual is at the Ankerwycke Yew near Staines and starts at 8pm. No charge but bring food and drink to share please. Please contact ankerwytch@hotmail.co.uk for more details and an invitation or ring Rod on 07733 554321.

Friday 1 November; Soul Body Fusion - An Introduction and Demonstration by Jonette Crowley. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm. Cost: £10/£12 Advance booking advised. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit http://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/index.html

Friday 1 November; Ritual and Magic - a chance to delve into the supernatural side of the Museum of London's archives. Venue: The Museum of London Archaeological Archive, Mortimer Wheeler House, 46 Eagle Wharf Road, London N1 7ED. Tours take 1 hour, 30 minutes and start at 11am and 2pm. Cost: £5, advance booking essential. For more details and to book visit: http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/london-wall/whats-on/events-calendar/event-details/?eventID=6049

Friday 1 November; Treadwell’s Halloween Party Honouring the Feast of Samhain, for regular customers and guests. Short ceremony at 8pm. One free drink to everyone who comes wearing a witches’ hat. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm to 11pm. Tickets free but advance booking essential by calling 2027 419 8507. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Friday 1 November; Journey of Love: Spiritual Q and A and Social with the London College of Spirituality. Venue: Westminster Quakers Meeting House, 8 Hop Gardens, London WC2N 4EA. Time: 7:pm. Cost: £5. Advance booking: http://www.meetup.com/londonspirituality/events/146852222/?a=ea1_grp&rv=ea1

Friday 1, Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 November; Mind Body Spirit Festival in Brighton at The Brighton Centre. To find out more about this three-day event and to book tickets, visit www.mindbodyspirit.co.uk

Saturday 2 November; Free and Open Gorsedd Samhain Rite at Avebury Stone Circle, Wiltshire. An open Druidic style rite to celebrate Samhain. Meet at the Red Lion pub around noon for a ceremony about 1.30pm. Offerings of song, poetry, mead, bread and cake welcome. The overflow carpark will be available for camping (tents only) on the nights of 31 October and Friday 1 October.

Saturday 2 November; Hendon Heathens Moot. The Greyhound, Church End, Hendon, London NW4 4JT. 6pm until 9pm (then over the road at a blues and rock club until the early hours). This moot meets on the first Saturday each month. https://www.facebook.com/groups/151618854867807/

Sunday 3 November; Samhain on Primrose Hill with the Loose Association of Druids. Open ritual hosted by Jeremy Morgan, the Druid of Wormwood Scrubbs. Venue: The Hawthorne Grove, Primrose Hill, Regents Park, London NW1. Starts at 12.45pm, ends at around 2.30pm. Nearest tube: Chalk Farm.