Thursday 24 October 2013

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.

3 comments:

hollywood venues said...

I was fortunate enough to visit a place like this, we found awesome things one after another after another. It was all very exciting. The place itself is stunning and the seats are very comfortable.

TitusL said...

Tnak you Bad Witch for this list :D
Thought you might like Samhain Song,
my machinima animation of this very special pagan festival xx ~
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXa5BMorxT0
Bright Blessings By Star & Stone ~

Badwitch said...

Thank you very much! I always love your animations! BB