Saturday, 28 February 2015
News: I've Been Quoted in a Feature on Wicca
The other day I was briefly interviewed by a journalist and have been quoted in the feature she wrote. You can read the story: "Are More 20 Something Women Turning To Witchcraft? We Asked An Expert" on The Debrief website: http://www.thedebrief.co.uk/2015/02/are-more-20-something-women-turning-to-witchcraft-we-asked-an-expert#.VPCx-fmsWSo
Friday, 27 February 2015
This Week's Pagan Events In and Near London
Friday 27 February; Yoga and Gong - Vauxhall Gong Bath. Venue: Bonnington Centre, 11 Vauxhall Grove, London SW8 1TD. Time: 7pm. Cost: £15. Details and booking: http://www.meetup.com/Vauxhall-Gong-Bath/events/219503831/
Friday 27 February; Springtime - The Morning Of The Year. Talk by Louise Coe at Rilko (Research Into Lost Knowledge). Venue: 50 Gloucester Place, London W1U 8EA. Doors open 6.45pm, lectures starts 7.15pm. Entrance: £8/£6. http://www.rilko.net/EZ/rilko/rilko/home.php
Friday 27 February; Spirit and Channelling Circle run by Shamanic Spirit at a venue in New Addington, Croydon, South London. Starts 7.30pm. Cost £10. For more details and to book places call 07952 041477. For more information, visit http://shamanicspirit.co.uk/
Saturday 28 February; Winter Goddess Ancestral Women's Workshop at Caer Corhain Shamamic Development Centre of the Isle of Sheppey, 1 Southleas farm cottages, Lower Road, Minster, Sheppey ME12 3SW. Time: 9.30am - 5.30pm. Cost: £35. For more details and information on how to book, call 07885682295 or 01795 874542 or visit;http://www.touchtheearthuk.com/
Saturday 28 February; The London Medieval Society Colloquium: Magic and Miracles. Speakers: Sophie Page, author of Magic in the Cloister,
Hilary Powell (Hearing the Voice); Jacqueline Borsje, and Hetta Howes. Venue: Lock Keeper's Cottage, Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End London E1 4NS. Time: 11am to 5pm. Free registration. http://londonmedievalsociety.com/Saturday 28 February; Tantra: A journey into the senses with Mahasatvaa Ma Ananda Sarita, organised by Alternatives. Venue: Colet House, The Study Society, 151 Talgarth Road , London, W14 9DA. Time: 10.30 am - 5pm. Tickets £65/£55. Details: http://www.alternatives.org.uk/
Sunday 1 March; Tarot Workshop - The Fools Journey. Workshop at Cobwebs at Cauldrons at Romford Shopping Hall. 10am-4pm. Cost is £40. http://www.cobwebsandcauldrons.co.uk/
Sunday 1 March; Walks in Nature: Rickmansworth Lakes with the Family of Light Spiritual Community. Meet at Rickmansworth station, Station Approach, Rickmansworth WD3 1QY at 11.30am. For more details and to reserve a place visit: http://www.meetup.com/familyoflight/
Sunday 1 March; Sacred Geometry: Hidden Patterns And Awareness Of Eternity. Talk by Malcolm Stewart. Venue: 50 Gloucester Place, London W1U 8EA. Starts at 6pm. Tickets: £7, £5 concessions, £4 TS members. For full details: http://www.theosophicalsociety.org.uk
Monday 2 March; Tarot Meditation: Justice, with Marysia Kolodziej. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.15pm for 7.30pm start. Tickets £10. Advance booking required. Call 0207 419 8507. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/
Monday 2 March; Psychic Circle run by Shamanic Spirit at a venue in Croydon, South London. The circle is held on Mondays fortnightly starting at 7.30pm. Cost £5. For more details and to book places call 07952 041477. For more information, visit http://shamanicspirit.co.uk/
Monday 2 March; Antibiotics and Life’s Toxins: how to repair the inner damage! Talk by Shann Nix Jones, author of Secrets from Chuckling Goat.
Venue: Alternatives. Venue: St James's Church Piccadilly, 197 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9LL. Time: 7pm - 8.30pm. Tickets £12/£8 online. For more details and to book tickets: http://www.alternatives.org.uk/Monday 2 March; Qi Gong: Awaken Your Creative Power with Lidija of the London College of Spirituality. Venue: Latvian House, 72 Queensborough Terrace, London, W2 3SH. Time: 7pm. Cost: £10. Details: http://www.meetup.com/londonspirituality/
Tuesday 3 March; Cobwebs and Cauldrons Moot. Sarah Arkle will be speaking on Imbolc and Brigid. Venue: White Horse Pub, Chadwell Heath, Essex. Moot takes place on the first Tuesday of every month. 7.30pm start.
Tuesday 3 March; What is Destiny Learning?. Talk by Malcolm Daniels at The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm-8.30pm. Cost: £10/£12 Advance booking advised. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/
Tuesday 3 March; The Karma of Human Relationships in Steiner's Mystery Dramas. Talk by Adrian Locher. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London NW1 6XT. Time: 7.30pm – 9pm, Cost: £3.50 (£1 concessions, students and under 25s), No bookings required, just turn up. http://www.rsh.anth.org.uk/
Wednesday, 4 March; Interpreting the Unusual. Talk by Paolo Viscardi at Greenwich Skeptics in the Pub. Veue: The Star and Garter, 60 Old Woolwich Road, Greenwich, London SE10 9NY. Time: 7.30pm. http://greenwich.skepticsinthepub.org/
Wednesday, 4 March; The Witches' Inn. Pagan moot at The Feathers Hotel, 42 High St, Merstham, Redhill, Surrey RH1 3EA. Starts at 8pm. Moots are on the first Wednesday of each month. https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Witches-Inn/1568424150049437
Thursday 5 March; Sacred Walks and The Kingston Zodiac Adventure - walking the Pisces Walk in the The Kingston Zodiac.
Meet at Cranford Countryside Park, The Parkway, Hounslow TW5 9RZ at noon. Cost £10/£5, advance booking required: http://www.meetup.com/Sacred-Walks-Kingston-Zodiac-Adventure/
Thursday 5 March; Screening of the film Sea Without Shore. Venue: The Barbican, Cinema 2 Beech Street, London. Time 7pm. Tickets: Standard £9.50. http://www.barbican.org.uk/film/event-detail.asp?ID=17724
Friday 6 March; Shakespeare and Self-Knowledge with Elizabeth Crofts. Venue: Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place, London W1U 8EA. Starts at 7pm. Tickets: £5, £3 concessions, £2 TS members. Later in the day, at 6pm. http://www.theosophicalsociety.org.uk
Friday 6 March; Demonstrations of Mediumship plus question and answers session with Anthony Kesner. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm-8.30pm. Cost: £10/£12 Advance booking advised. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/
Saturday 7 March; Seriously Possessed Conference co-organised by ASSAP (the Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena) and the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit at Goldsmiths College, University of London. Venue: Goldsmiths College, University of London, New Cross, London SE14 6NW. Time: 10am - 7pm. Advance tickets booked online £15, regular tickets £30. More details and ticket booking: http://assap.ac.uk/Possessed/
Saturday 7 March; Digital workshop - Ancient Egyptian journey to the afterlife. Venue: British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Time: 11am-4pm. Free event, just drop in. For more details visit: https://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/events_calendar.aspx
Saturday 7 March; Spirit of Me - Celebrating Women in Paganism. Organised by the Pagan Federation London with talks by Christina Oakley Harrington of Treadwell’s Bookshop; Fiona Mackenzie, lead Seidrkona for the Kith of Yggdrasil; Philip Heselton, author of Witchfather: A Life of Gerald Gardner;
Michelle Hawcroft and Avril Price, of The College of Psychic Studies. Venue: Dragon Hall, 17 Stukeley Street, London WC2B 5LT. Time: Noon-5pm. Tickets £10/£8. For details and tickets: http://london.paganfed.org/spirit-of-me/Saturday 7 March; Wicca: The elements of Wiccan ritual and practice - South London Wicca Meetup meeting at a private house in Tooting hosted by Wiccan High Priestess Caroline Westbury. Start time 7pm, ends 10pm. Free but you must reserve a place in advance. Details at: http://www.meetup.com/South-London-Wicca-Meetup/
Saturday 7 March; Hendon Heathens Moot, Venue: Greyhound Pub, Church End, Hendon, London, NW4 4JT. Time: 6pm. Hendon Heathens meets at this pub the first Saturday of every month.
Sunday 8 March, Spring Goddess Temple at Waltham Forest International Women's Day Hosted by London Temple Creative. Venue: Walthamstow Assembley Hall, London E17 4JD. Admission is free and for women only. Time: noon - 6pm. For more details visit: http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/Pages/Events/International-Womens-Day-Waltham-Forest.aspx
Sunday 8 March, Beginners' Tarot - part of a series of six classes with Cobwebs at Cauldrons at Romford Shopping Hall. Time: 1.30pm - 4pm. Cost £20 per session, £20 deposit to secure place on course. http://www.cobwebsandcauldrons.co.uk/ Email: cobwebsandcauldrons@gmail.com
I do not organise any of these events myself and am not responsible for them. Although I try to be as accurate as possible, it is always worth checking the details if you want to go to an event. If you know of an event that you want listed, please email the details to me at badwitch1234@gmail.com.
Thursday, 26 February 2015
News: Eclipse, Witchcraft, Haunted Dolls, Doctor Who
"Next UK solar eclipse: Country will be plunged into darkness next month in biggest blackout since 1999" - story at the Mirror: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/next-uk-solar-eclipse-country-5223674
"Season of the witch: why young women are flocking to the ancient craft" - story at The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/24/witch-symbol-feminist-power-azealia-banks
"What's With Wicca and Witches?" - story at The Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yolanda-shoshana/whats-wwith-wicca-and-witches-_b_6725690.html
"'You can buy a doll and the spirit comes with it': Mother spends thousands on toys she claims are HAUNTED... and even hires a babysitter to watch them when she's out" - story at the Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2958303/Mother-spends-thousands-pounds-HAUNTED-toys.html
"Guest Cast Confirmed For The Magician’s Apprentice/The Witch’s Familiar" - Doctor Who news at Kasterborous: http://www.kasterborous.com/2015/02/guest-cast-confirmed-magicians-apprentice-witchs-familiar/
Wednesday, 25 February 2015
Emergencies and Jobs - Good News or Bad?
When an ambulance rushed my hubby into hospital with a suspected stroke on Sunday evening, I kept stopping myself from imaging the worst by repeating to myself the phrase: “You don’t know the whole story yet.” That comes from an often-repeated allegorical Taoist story:
He spent all Monday having tests at the hospital. The results that came back seemed to indicate that he didn't have a TIA. The doctor he saw said the tests hadn't shown exactly what had caused his symptoms, but suggested a rare type of migraine aura. The migraine itself struck later that day.
But, of course, he had to phone up to delay the start of the new job - and was promptly told that the company had decided to terminate his contract before he started. Apparently they weren't happy with employing him after his medical emergency.
So, good news or bad? Obviously I am very relieved my husband did not have a stroke. I'm also relieved he didn't get that job. Does that sound strange? Well, the money would have been nice - at the moment we are both living on my meagre freelance earnings (neither of us is on benefits) - but we'll survive. My relief is because I think my hubby had a narrow escape from working for a very unsympathetic company.
But, of course, none of us know the whole story yet. The message of that Taoist tale is to take each day as it comes, go with the flow and appreciate our own unfolding life story without trying to anticipate the ending. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?
Previous related post
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/02/trousers-of-change.html
An old farmer had a horse. One day it ran away and his neighbours offered sympathy.“What bad news”, they said.My hubby had been due to start a new job on Monday. He was sorting out his suit and shirt on the Sunday evening when he suddenly lost the use and feeling down one side of his body. This only lasted for a few minutes, but we called an ambulance and he was rushed to A and E. The medics said he had probably had a TIA, which is a temporary mini stroke, but anyone having one is considered at high risk of an imminent full-on stroke.
“Maybe,” the farmer replied, “but we don’t know the whole story yet.”
The next day the horse returned, bringing with it three wild mares. The neighbours said: “What great news!”
The farmer simply said: “Maybe, but we don’t know the whole story yet.”
The next day the farmer’s son was thrown by one of the mares while trying to tame it, and broke his leg.
“What bad news,” the neighbours said.
“Maybe,” the farmer replied again. “We don’t know the whole story yet.”
The day after that, conscription officers came to the village to draft young men into the army. They took away all the neighbours’ sons, but left the son of the farmer because he was unable to walk.
The neighbours were desolate at losing their sons, who they feared would go off to die in a war, and were envious of the farmer because he still had his son at home.
But the farmer said, “Let us all wait and see what happens – we don’t know the whole story yet.”
He spent all Monday having tests at the hospital. The results that came back seemed to indicate that he didn't have a TIA. The doctor he saw said the tests hadn't shown exactly what had caused his symptoms, but suggested a rare type of migraine aura. The migraine itself struck later that day.
But, of course, he had to phone up to delay the start of the new job - and was promptly told that the company had decided to terminate his contract before he started. Apparently they weren't happy with employing him after his medical emergency.
So, good news or bad? Obviously I am very relieved my husband did not have a stroke. I'm also relieved he didn't get that job. Does that sound strange? Well, the money would have been nice - at the moment we are both living on my meagre freelance earnings (neither of us is on benefits) - but we'll survive. My relief is because I think my hubby had a narrow escape from working for a very unsympathetic company.
But, of course, none of us know the whole story yet. The message of that Taoist tale is to take each day as it comes, go with the flow and appreciate our own unfolding life story without trying to anticipate the ending. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?
Previous related post
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/02/trousers-of-change.html
Tuesday, 24 February 2015
Sacred Springs and Wells: Frome Holy Spring
I had no idea what Frome was like before I got there, but I was really taken with the town. It has lots of lovely arty shops in narrow, picturesque streets - including Cheap Street, which you can see in the photo to the right. That leads up to the spring and a stream from it runs down the centre of the pavement. The spring itself is set into the wall of St John the Baptist Church at the top of the hill. There is a nice coffee shop opposite it, where I sat to appreciate the view while enjoying a nice flat white.
As you can see in the photos, the weather was a bit overcast when I was there, but was still lovely. The people I spoke to said I should come back in the summer as it is even more beautiful then. I might just do that, too, as I noticed the town holds an arts festival in July. You can find out more about that here: http://www.fromefestival.co.uk/
Sadly the spring water isn't drinkable - at least according to a sign by the fountain. I don't know much about the history of the spring either. Apparently the town itself dates back to Saxon times although a hoard of Roman coins was found in a field nearby and the name Frome comes from the Brythonic word ffraw meaning fair, fine or brisk and describing the flow of the river that runs through the town.
Another intriguing fact I discovered courtesy of Wikipedia is that: "Frome is reputed to have one or more systems of tunnels beneath the streets of the older parts of the town. Some entrances are visible above ground; for example, in the wall at the top of Stony Street, with other entrances in the cellars of shops and houses. Their purpose and full extent remains unknown..." Interesting.
Links
http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=8316
http://www.fromefestival.co.uk/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frome
Monday, 23 February 2015
The Bad Witch Goes UFO Spotting at Cradle Hill
I'm going to be be straightforward here and say I am a UFO sceptic. I accept the possibility that if there is intelligent life on other planets then just maybe some ETs have paid a visit to earth, but I have never personally seen a UFO or an extra terrestrial. I would want to consider all the possibilities when anyone says they have seen strange lights in the sky.
My dad, on the other hand, was a true believer. He said he had seen a UFO during WWII when he was a soldier fighting at Monte Cassino. Both sides fired at a strange craft that appeared overhead, which he took as evidence that neither side thought it was theirs. It then flew off in a manner that was unlike any aeroplane the soldiers recognised. That was my dad's story, and he was just a little obsessed with finding out the truth. And this is the reason I have many childhood memories of standing around in muddy fields with my parents, and being very disappointed at not seeing any flying saucers.
Last week I was on the way to Glastonbury for a short spring break with my hubby, when he suggested we stop on the way to visit Cradle Hill. It was a lovely day for a country walk, and the view from the top was good. Although we seemed quite alone there that morning, graffiti on the wall of a large barn (photographed to the right and below) informed us otherwise. It seems UFO spotters still visit Cradle Hill 50 years after Arthur Shuttlewood made the area famous.
Mind you, although I didn't see any UFOs, something slightly strange did happen while I was there. The batteries on my camera and my husband's phone suddenly drained completely just after we started taking photos. Then when I got out my phone, all I got was a message saying "Sim not recognised". Cue that spooky electronic refrain...
Friday, 20 February 2015
Event: From the Forest to the Sea: Emily Carr
I went there on the off-chance because I had couple of hours to spare and an Art Pass - and was absolutely blown away. I'd been looking for something to do and browsed on the Art Pass website to find out if there were any interesting exhibitions at the moment. The title of the Emily Carr exhibition - From the Forest to the Sea - caught my eye, as forests and seascapes are my favourite kind of landscapes, but I didn't know anything about the artist.
According to the information on the Dulwich Picture Gallery website, this is the first UK exhibition dedicated to Emily Carr, who lived from 1871 to 1945. She is virtually unknown outside Canada, although there she is one of the most loved and esteemed artists. The first room at the exhibition displays pictures of trees in a style that is modernistic and vibrant; often dark and brooding, but full of mystery and very evocative.
Her writings show she experienced trees as living beings with their own spirits who will whisper wisdom to those with the patience to sit, listen and watch - and that is what comes across in her paintings. As someone who often spends time chatting to trees myself, I kept finding myself thinking: "Yes! This is what trees are really like! Just like this!"
For a pagan, the exhibition just gets better and better. Emily Carr was also heavily inspired by the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast. She recorded aboriginal villages, including many items of spiritual and religious importance such as totem poles and carvings of animals and deities.
This was done at a time when disease was wiping out huge numbers of the native people in Canada and their traditional lifestyles were falling into decline. Her paintings are a fantastic record of things that have now been lost, but also show her respect for the the indigenous peoples, their way of life and their beliefs.
At the exhibition, Carr’s paintings are accompanied by real indigenous objects including masks, baskets, feast bowls, shamanic items and ceremonial objects by Haida, Kwakwaka’wakw, Nuu-chah-nulth, Salish, Tsimshian and Tlingit makers.
Carr herself was what I would call a nature mystic. She was influenced by Theosophy as well as feeling drawn to indigenous spirituality and obviously highly sensitive to the energy within nature.
The description that goes with the exhibition explains that it traces "...a dramatic trajectory from darkness to light. Visitors will first encounter Carr’s brooding, often claustrophobic forest scenes and the show will culminate in a display of Carr’s later euphoric sky paintings, rhythmic light-filled beach scenes and clear-cut landscapes."
The pictures in the final room - showing enchanting seascapes and landscapes full of warmth, light and sky - are indeed a counterpoint to the earlier forests of green shadows. This is portrayed as the contrast between winter and summer - again a very pagan perspective on the turning of the year and the balance between light and dark.
Linking these displays is a look at Carr’s explorations of the aboriginal communities, including her writings and sketches as well as related archival photography.
As I said earlier, I can only recommend this exhibition - especially for pagans and other nature lovers. From the Forest to the Sea: Emily Carr in British Columbia is on until 15 March 2015. It is open every day except Mondays, with tickets at £10, or £5 for concessions or for those with an Art Pass.
Dulwich Picture Gallery is at Gallery Road, London, SE21 7AD. You can find out more here: http://www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk/
Thursday, 19 February 2015
Pagan Events in London over Chinese New Year
Today is Chinese New Year and the start of the Year of the Goat. Although this isn't specifically a pagan celebration, it is marked in London with a big free festival. Here are details of that and lots of other events that could be of interest to pagans.
This week: Chinese New Year half-term activities for families with children: Year of the Goat. Venue: Great Court, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Time: 11am-4pm. Free event, just drop in. For more details visit: https://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/events_calendar.aspx
Thursday 19 February; Pearls of Consciousness: An Invitation to Meet Remarkable Beings. Talk and book signing by Dominica at Watkins Books, 19-21 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 6.30pm. Free event. For more details Tel 020 7836 2182 or visit the website http://www.watkinsbooks.com/
Thursday 19 February; Spiritual Q and A with Social: Meaning of Dreams with Kathleen O'Hara of the London College of Spirituality. Venue: Latvian House, 72 Queensborough Terrace, , London, W2 3SH. Time: 7pm. Cost: £10. Details: http://www.meetup.com/londonspirituality/
Saturday 21 February; Incense Making workshop with Christina Oakley Harrington. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 1pm to 5.30pm. Tickets £30. Advance booking required. Call 0207 419 8507. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/
Saturday 21 February; Shakti Dance: The Yoga of Dance with Debbie Reynolds of the London College of Spirituality. Venue: Conference Room, Nutford House, Nutford Place, Marble Arch, London W1H 5UL. Time: 2PM. Cost: £15. http://www.meetup.com/londonspirituality/
Saturday 21 February; Drum Mantra Ecstatic Dance Journey and Sound Healing Ceremony with Urubu. Time: 7pm-10.30pm. Cost: £20. Location is in London but is shown only to members of the meetup group: http://www.meetup.com/london-ecstatic-dance/
Sunday 22 February; Astrology - your year ahead with Cobwebs at Cauldrons at Romford Shopping Hall. Time: 10am-1pm. Cost £30http://www.cobwebsandcauldrons.co.uk/
Sunday 22 February; Awakening Chakra Energies Through Sound. Workshop with James D'Angelo. Venue: Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place, London W1U 8EA. Starts at 2pm. Tickets: £15, £10 concessions, £7 TS members. Later in the day, at 6pm, James D'Angelo is also doing a talk on the healing power of sound. For full details: http://www.theosophicalsociety.org.uk
Sunday 22 February; Contemplative Druid Events is running at Introduction to Contemplative Druidry for Druids and fellow travellers. Facilitated by James Nichol, Elaine Knight and Julie Bond, this will begin with a short introduction to the development of contemplative Druidry over the past three years and the writing of James Nichol’s book Contemplative Druidry: People Practice and Potential.
From there on the taster will be experiential, including a group sitting meditation and the practice “Awen Space”. Venue: the Bonnington Centre 11 Vauxhall Grove, London SW8 1TD. Time 2.30pm-5.30pm. Cost: £15 waged and £10 unwaged .Contact grovelight@hotmail.co.uk for further information or to make a booking. http://contemplativedruidevents.tumblr.com/Sunday 22 February; Planetary Gridwork: Green Park's Circle of 13 Trees with the Family of Light Spiritual Community. Meet at Green Park Station, Piccadilly, London W1J 9DZ at noon. For more details and to reserve a place visit: http://www.meetup.com/familyoflight/
Monday 23 February; Music of the Plants with Tigrilla Gardenia. Venue: Alternatives. Venue: St James's Church Piccadilly, 197 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9LL. Time: 7pm - 8.30pm. Tickets £12/£8 online. For more details and to book tickets: http://www.alternatives.org.uk/
Monday 23 February; Meditation and Journeying Circle run by Shamanic Spirit at a venue in New Addington, Croydon, South London. Starts 7.30pm. Cost £10. For more details and to book places call 07952 041477. For more information, visit http://shamanicspirit.co.uk/
Tuesday 24 February; Carol Felstead and the creation of a Satanic Myth in the United Kingdom. Talk by Dr Kevin Felstead. 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 event. For more details, contact Duncan Colvin on d.colvin@gold.ac.uk or visit http://www.gold.ac.uk/apru/speakers/
Tuesday 24 Febraury; Drumming Circle run by Shamanic Spirit at a venue in New Addington, Croydon, South London. Every second Tuesday starting 7.30pm. Cost £10. For more details and to book places call 07952 041477. For more information, visit http://shamanicspirit.co.uk/
Tuesday 24 February; 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 26 February; The Improbability Principle: Why Coincidences, Miracles, and Rare Events Happen Every Day. Talk by Professor David J. Hand at the London Fortean Society. Venue: The Vaults Bar, Dirty Dicks, 202 Bishopsgate, City of London EC2M 4NR. Time: 7.30pm - 10.30pm. Entry: £3/£2 concessions. For more details, visit http://forteanlondon.blogspot.co.uk/
Thursday 26 February; The Immortal Mind: Science and the Continuity of Consciousness Beyond the Brain.
Talk and book signing by Anthony Peake at Watkins Books, 19-21 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 6.30pm. Free event. For more details Tel 020 7836 2182 or visit the website http://www.watkinsbooks.com/Thursday 26 February; LGBT and Vodou in Haiti. Talk by Gabriel Toso at Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.15pm for 7.30pm start. Tickets £7. Advance booking required. Call 0207 419 8507. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/
Friday 27 February; Yoga and Gong - Vauxhall Gong Bath. Venue: Bonnington Centre, 11 Vauxhall Grove, London SW8 1TD. Time: 7pm. Cost: £15. Details and booking: http://www.meetup.com/Vauxhall-Gong-Bath/events/219503831/
Friday 27 February; Springtime - The Morning of the Year. Talk by Louise Coe at Rilko (Research Into Lost Knowledge). Venue: 50 Gloucester Place, London W1U 8EA. Doors open 6.45pm, lectures starts 7.15pm. Entrance: £8/£6. http://www.rilko.net/EZ/rilko/rilko/home.php
Saturday 28 February; Winter Goddess Ancestral Women's Workshop at Caer Corhain Shamamic Development Centre of the Isle of Sheppey, 1 Southleas farm cottages, Lower Road, Minster, Sheppey ME12 3SW. Time: 9.30am - 5.30pm. Cost: £35. For more details and information on how to book, call 07885682295 or 01795 874542 or visit;http://www.touchtheearthuk.com/
Saturday 28 February; The London Medieval Society Colloquium: Magic and Miracles. Speakers: Sophie Page, author of Magic in the Cloister: Pious Motives, Illicit Interests, and Occult Approaches to the Medieval Universe,Hilary Powell (Hearing the Voice); Jacqueline Borsje, and Hetta Howes. Venue: Lock Keeper's Cottage, Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End London E1 4NS. Time: 11am to 5pm. Free registration. http://londonmedievalsociety.com/Saturday 28 February; Tantra: A journey into the senses with Mahasatvaa Ma Ananda Sarita, organised by Alternatives. Venue: Colet House, The Study Society, 151 Talgarth Road , London, W14 9DA. Time: 10.30 am - 5pm. Tickets £65/£55. Details: http://www.alternatives.org.uk/
Sunday 1 March; Tarot Workshop - The Fools Journey. Workshop at Cobwebs at Cauldrons at Romford Shopping Hall. 10am-4pm. Cost is £40. http://www.cobwebsandcauldrons.co.uk/
Sunday 1 March; Walks in Nature: Rickmansworth Lakes with the Family of Light Spiritual Community. Meet at Rickmansworth station, Station Approach, Rickmansworth WD3 1QY at 11.30am. For more details and to reserve a place visit: http://www.meetup.com/familyoflight/
Sunday 1 March; Sacred Geometry: Hidden Patterns and Awareness of Eternity. Talk by Malcolm Stewart. Venue: 50 Gloucester Place, London W1U 8EA. Starts at 6pm. Tickets: £7, £5 concessions, £4 TS members. For full details: http://www.theosophicalsociety.org.uk
I do not organise any of these events myself and am not responsible for them. Although I try to be as accurate as possible, it is always worth checking the details if you want to go to an event. If you know of an event that you want listed, please email the details to me at badwitch1234@gmail.com.
Wednesday, 18 February 2015
Green London: A Stroll Around Crosbones Garden
I was lucky enough to have a little unofficial stroll around Crossbones garden last week and took the photos on this page. Here's a bit about its history.
Cross Bones is an unconsecrated burial ground at Bankside, south of the Thames, which dates back to the 1500s. Up until the Victorian era it was used as a graveyard for prostitutes and paupers. It was closed in 1853 because of overcrowding and was lost until the Jubilee Line underground rail extension in the 1990s, when bones were unearthed.
Since then campaigners including John Constable, author of The Southwark Mysteries,
have petitioned for a memorial garden to be put on the site. Since the 1990s, vigils have been held on the 23rd of each month outside the gates to honour those who are buried there. At these events people have been invited to tie ribbons to the bars of the gates to create a shrine for the dead, It was always hoped that one day these services, which are open to those of all faiths and none, could be held inside the gates in a memorial garden. That dream is finally becoming a reality.Last summer the gates were moved to allow a better view of the site and the Bankside Open Spaces Trust has started work on the project for a peaceful green space on the site of the graveyard, with the help of volunteers. Inside, trees and shrubs have been planted, flowerbeds are being created there are places where you can stop and meditate or say a prayer if you want. Over the coming months I hope to return and see the garden truly blooming.If you want to help, BOST is still looking for volunteers and will be launching a crowdfunding campaign outside the garden gates at 1.30pm on Sunday 8 March, for International Women’s Day. To find out more and to take part, visit the BOST website: http://www.bost.org.uk/
Links and previous related posts
http://www.crossbones.org.uk/
http://www.bost.org.uk/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/08/pagan-eye-new-look-gates-at-crossbones.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/11/death-sex-at-cross-bones-graveyard.html
Tuesday, 17 February 2015
Music Review: Morrigans Path - Call to Avalon
The music and vocals are inspiring, uplifting and very pleasant on the ears. There are also several tracks on it that make me want to dance about as I'm doing the hoovering - or stirring the cauldron :) And, yes, it is very witchy music with songs such as Earth Chant, Beltane Heart, Morrigans Prayer and, of course, the title track Call to Avalon.
The band gets its name from one of the most powerful Celtic deities, the Morrigan, goddess of battle, sex and death. The music is suitably varied, powerful and inspiring. As it says on their website: "Morrigans Path are a band of Essex minstrels casting their own musical spell - Morrigans style. It’s a fusion of eclectic sounds, a fluctuation of energies rooted in the souls of their creators, deep down and earthy."
The main songwriter and lead vocalist is multi-talented Sheena Cundy, who is also one of the creators of the lovely Magic of Nature Oracle. The other band members are Ian Cundy, Jim Olley, Lyz le Fay and Mark Barnard.
I do hope to see Morrigans Path at pagan music festivals this year. In the meantime, I suspect Call to Avalon will continue to be frequently played in my house.
You can order Call to Avalon from Morrigans Path's website at http://www.morriganspath.com/. It costs £12, inclusive of UK postage.
Links and previous related posts
http://www.morriganspath.com/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/01/review-magic-of-nature-oracle-set.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/10/review-morrigan-meeting-great-queens.html
Monday, 16 February 2015
Moon Books Wants Bloggers to Review Pagan Books
If you have a blog, do you fancy getting sent free books on pagan subjects to review? If so, then you might be interested to learn that pagan publisher Moon Books is actively looking for bloggers and will send out free pdfs of its titles to those who promise to review them.Nimue Brown, author of Druidry and the Ancestors and Druidry and Meditation (pictured), has recently taken over the role of promotions at Moon Books and is currently looking for a team of bloggers to write reviews.
Moon Books publishes some really excellent titles on subjects including druidry, shamanism, heathenry, wicca and witchcraft. I regularly review Moon Books publications on A Bad Witch's Blog and have really enjoyed most of those I've written about. Here are links to some of my examples:
Witchcraft Today - 60 Years On
Grimoire of a Kitchen Witch
Pagan Portals: Blacksmith Gods
The Awen Alone - Solitary Druidry
The Shaman Within
If this opportunity interests you and you want to be put on Nimue's list of reviewing bloggers, then you need to get your name and contact details to her. The easiest way to do this is to leave them in a comment on her own blog here: https://druidlife.wordpress.com/2015/02/14/calling-pagan-bloggers/
That link is to Nimue's post about her new role at Moon Books and her ideas on promotion, so do read it if you are interested in finding out more.
Links
http://www.moon-books.net/
https://druidlife.wordpress.com/2015/02/14/calling-pagan-bloggers/
Saturday, 14 February 2015
Russell Grant - Love isn't just for Valentines!
Today might be Valentine's Day, but most of us would want to be loved all year round. Here, TV celebrity astrologer Russell Grant shows the love prospects of all 12 sun signs for 2015. Rather than focusing on just one day, Russell's guidance covers the whole year whether you're single or already in a loving relationship.
Aries (Mar21/Apr20)
Love: The secret to attracting romance throughout 2015 is setting yourself apart from the crowd. By drawing attention to your unique talents and unusual tastes, you’ll gain a legion of admirers. Your charm, good looks and wit will be potent and powerful from late February through mid-March. If you’re looking for love, you’ll have a good chance of finding it during this magical time. Be sure to attend as many parties and professional gatherings as possible. If you’re in a serious relationship, it will reach an important turning point in early April. This is a great time to get engaged, married, or cohabitate. Going on a second honeymoon might also be a good idea. The opportunity to reignite a passionate relationship will arrive in during August. This is the perfect time to take a trip to a glamorous city or luxury resort. Between late September and mid-October, you’ll feel a strong urge to assert your independence. Going away on a solitary jaunt can actually strengthen a committed relationship. Resist the urge to part ways over a silly argument. 2015 is a year to strengthen ties, not break them.
Taurus (Apr21/May21)
Love: 2015 finds you thinking seriously about love, particularly from June through to mid-September. If you’re already in a relationship, you will have to make some sort of sacrifice for your amour. You might have to work extra hours while your partner focuses on building their skills base. Alternatively, you could assume their household responsibilities while they recover from an illness. It’s also possible you will have to provide emotional support while they struggle with a family drama. By coming forward when your partner needs you most, your relationship will emerge stronger and more resilient. If you’re single, it may be difficult to meet someone special during this period, because you will be reluctant to embark on a romance while attending to so many personal responsibilities. Happily, your prospects will improve in late September, when you’ll have more time to frolic and have fun. A talented artist who is very good with their hands will catch your eye. You will add a lot of laughter and levity to each other’s lives. Chances of a long term commitment are very strong.
Gemini (May22/Jun21)
Love: The desire to settle down will be powerful between January and mid-June. It’s hard for a flirtatious person like you to make a commitment, but 2015 will change your tune. If you’re already in a serious relationship, it looks as though you’ll have to make a personal sacrifice for your partner. It’s possible you’ll have to cut back your work hours to take over some of their domestic responsibilities. Alternatively, you could become the sole bread winner in your home when your amour changes their role or adjusts to a new one. You might even be called upon to nurse your partner if they get poorly. There are many possibilities, but one thing is certain. If you do your duty, you and your beloved will fall even deeper in love. Are you single? You could meet the love of your life through work or at a professional conference. Things will lighten up during the second half of June, so be sure to take a holiday any time between then and September. You’ll be back on duty for the remaining four months of the year.
Cancer (Jun22/Jul23)
Love: Power struggles will continue to characterise your love life throughout 2015. If you’re single, it will be difficult to find a partner who isn’t intimidated by you. Adopting a softer approach to romantic interests is critical if you’re going to get a relationship off the ground. It looks as if you’re about to join forces with someone who is a respected expert in their own field. You’re particularly drawn to those who have an impressive background in art, culture, or religion. By respecting each other’s professional achievements, you’ll be able to strike a healthy balance in your home life. If you are already in a relationship you will rediscover the passion that first brought you together between June and late September. This is a wonderful time to go on a romantic holiday for two. Hire a sitter to watch the children and pets while you’re away. This interlude should be strictly for adults. By the time you return home, you will have a renewed commitment to the future together.
Leo (Jul24/Aug23)
Love: A serious romance will bloom and blossom in the early part of 2015. It looks like the object of your affection shares your devotion. You are sure to share some wonderful times together, just gazing into each other’s eyes. Friends might be a little jealous of this affair, because you will spend every spare moment with your amour. Your social life will suffer as a result, but that won’t make much difference to you. If you’re already in a relationship, you will make a renewed commitment to your partner, setting aside more time for intimate evenings and enjoyable outings. If you don’t make a concerted effort to spend time together, work could tear you apart so it’s very important to put your relationship first in the early stages of 2015. There won’t be any problems as far as your physical union is concerned. That will remain idyllic throughout the entire year, much to your mutual delight. Taking a romantic holiday near the water will be especially stimulating. Pick a destination known for its art, culture and restaurants.
Virgo (Aug24/Sep23)
Love: Romance continues to be idyllic throughout 2015, but remember to take those rose coloured glasses off from time to time. A little dose of reality will sustain your relationship through the tough times. If your partner lets you down, try not to be too disappointed. Together you can overcome any challenge, provided you both praise each other’s strengths and downplay your respective weaknesses. If you’re single, the best time of the year to meet someone special is in early January, when you could meet up with an impressive executive type at a professional conference. Prospects for finding romance are also strong during the second half of July and then again from early October through to late November. As far as physical intimacy is involved, prepare for a wild lover to shatter a few of your taboos. Let your partner push the envelope a little and you’ll be pleasantly surprised. It’s time for you to get in touch with your sensual side. If that means turning your back on some attitudes instilled in you during childhood, so be it.
Libra (Sep24/Oct23)
Love: Your love life continues to resemble a rollercoaster ride. If you’re single, you’ll be drawn to someone who is radically different from anyone you’ve ever dated before. You will raise plenty of eyebrows when you go out together. This study in contrasting personalities will be exhilarating at times, but exhausting at others. One thing is certain: You will never be bored with this renegade. Are you already in a committed relationship? You need to give your partner plenty of space. Take this as an opportunity to become more self reliant. Going on separate holidays is strongly advised. Visit a destination that has always appealed to you, but doesn’t appeal to your amour. Early April is ideal for this journey. In mid-September, you’ll decide whether to stay together or break up. By that time, you will have decided whether this relationship is worth salvaging. If you do decide to part ways, keep your chin up. You’ll enjoy the single life and discover quite a few hidden talents while you fly solo.
Scorpio (Oct24/Nov22)
Love: Your love life has an idyllic quality throughout 2015. You feel a strong urge to put your partner on a pedestal, thanks to their compassion, creativity and caring. Of course, this tendency to view your partner as an angel will create the occasional problem. Nobody can live up to your exalted expectations so it’s important to keep a sense of perspective if your beloved lets you down. Instead of questioning their worth, remember their humanity. Are you single? You have a good chance of meeting someone special at a religious or cultural organisation. Falling in love with someone who shares the same values and admires the same artists will be quite easy. The difficult thing will be retaining your own identity. You have a tendency to become completely immersed in romantic relationships. When this happens, you neglect the friends, relatives and hobbies that sustained you when you were single. Do your best to avoid this temptation in 2015. Your love life will prove especially exciting in late March, when an ardent admirer sweeps you off your feet.
Sagittarius (Nov23/Dec21)
Love: Your love life will be a continual source of surprise to you. If you’re in a relationship, your amour will run hot and cold with alarming frequency. Your challenge will be adapting your mood to suit theirs. That won’t always be possible and fights will erupt. The good news is that you’ll enjoy these arguments, because they’ll lead to steamy make up sessions. Deep down inside, you don’t want a predictable relationship. The best time to make your love official falls between mid-April and early May. Are you single? Then you’ll have your pick of several unusual admirers. Artists, scientists and entrepreneurs will have a tremendous attraction for you. Creative types always make your pulses pound. You’ll sometimes have difficulty understanding a person who has just entered your life. If you embark on a serious relationship this year, you’ll know by late September whether it should continue. Don’t be afraid to walk away from a romance that doesn’t meet your needs. There are plenty more fish in the sea. Keep searching until you find the creature that is just right for you.
Capricorn (Dec22/Jan20)
Love: Your sensual side will make its presence felt in the first half of 2015. Attracting admirers will be no trouble at all. In fact, you might have to discourage someone who is obsessed with you. If you have a lover you will spend plenty of time together during the first eight months of 2015. In fact, it will be difficult to tear yourself away from each other. Your bond will be so intense that it may cause you to neglect other areas of life. That’s actually a good thing, as you tend to be hyper focused on work. Balancing your professional life with a rewarding love life will make you much happier. If you’re single, you could meet someone special at a museum, concert, movie, or sporting event, probably in September. Although you will feel as if you have the upper hand in this relationship, your partner will quickly disabuse you of this notion. If you can manage to give way to your partner from time to time, you’ll both win.
Aquarius (Jan21/Feb19)
Love: Intimate relationships will be a profound source of joy during the first eight months of 2015. If you’re single, you’ll have your pick of admirers. At first, it will be fun playing the field. By August, you will have set your sights on a lover who radiates warmth, glamour and good humour. You will make an interesting study in contrasts. Your cool, logical outlook will counterbalance their impassioned approach to life. Don’t be surprised if your desire for freedom evaporates this year. 2015 is one of the best years ever to settle down. If you’re already in a relationship you’ll get lots of financial, emotional and practical support from your other half. Go ahead and ask for help if you want to take some time off work or go back to the classroom. Your partner will happy to shoulder some of your burdens while you work towards a cherished dream. Once the second half of August arrives, you’ll become more aware of your sensual side. Expanding your bedroom repertoire will be a labour of love.
Pisces (Feb20/Mar20)
Love: Your love life will be rather tame for the first eight months of the year and then it takes off in mid-August. If you’re in a relationship, you will feel a renewed affection and reinvigorated intimacy with your amour. Your partner will receive thrilling news in September, prompting a lavish celebration. This would be a lovely time to go on a romantic holiday together. Getting engaged or married is a possibility, as is cohabitation. Do anything you can to declare your devotion for one another. Are you single? You will meet someone special during the final four months of 2015 who will give your life a welcome sense of organisation, while you’ll add an element of whimsy to theirs. Don’t be afraid of settling down with someone practical. Wild rebels are a lot of fun, but they’ll ultimately break your heart. Take this opportunity to pair up with someone who will love, honour and cherish you. Contrary to popular belief, you can have an exciting love affair with a partner who treats you well. Take a walk on the tame side.
© COPYRIGHT RUSSELL GRANT ASTROLOGY LTD
To find out more visit www.russellgrant.com
Friday, 13 February 2015
Unlucky in Love: Friday 13 and the Three of Swords
The three of swords is the card that makes my heart sink more than any other when it comes up in a reading - and I use those words deliberately because the card does indeed show a pierced heart in a deluge of rain. Although it is only one of the minor arcana, I fear it more than any of the other supposedly scary cards – more than Death, the Devil or the Tower. It is the card of heartbreak – which is why I’m blogging about it on Friday 13 February, the day before Valentine’s Day and a day associated with back luck.
The traditional image of the three of swords comes from the Rider Waite
deck - that’s the card second from the right in the photo at the top. To me that depicts exactly the way it feels when love ends tragically - it can seem as though there is nothing left in the world but tears and pain.It is a negative card – generally considered one of the most negative in the entire tarot deck – but if you bear with me I will show why there is always hope and something positive that can be found even in this card of despair. First I am going to discuss meanings give to the three of swords in a few different decks.
I’ll start with the Rider-Waite, which defines the three of swords as: “Removal, absence, delay, division, rupture, dispersion, and all that the design signifies...” That’s the grim, traditional definition for the three of swords - but to really understand the card and learn the lessons it teaches, or to help someone you have done a reading for who is feeling all that anguish, you need to look a little further.
The Lover’s Path Tarot (far right in the picture at the top), replaces the suit of swords with the suit of arrows, and is more to the point in its initial definition: “Loss, sorrow, oversensitivity: A sharp pain to the heart – disappointment, end of a love relationship, separation.”
Another deck that uses arrows instead of swords is the Wildwood Tarot (top left). The card in question in that deck shows three arrows piercing a heart-shaped target on a tree while drops of blood fall from it to the ground. The name on the card is “Jealousy”. The book that comes with this set gives a different slant to the meaning of simple heartbreak, saying it is about: “A tension of emotions creating fear, jealousy and envy between people.”
The Animal Wisdom Tarot uses feathers to represent the suit of swords and the three in that suit is the Grosbeak. The card (second from the left) shows three birds in a rainstorm. The theme starts with sorrow, heartbreak and pain, but moves on to recognition, resolution and healing. The card meaning says: “A secret is revealed and pierces our heart with betrayal, rejection, loss, grief, regret.”
However, it goes on to show the way out of this situation: “Feel your emotions, express them fully, then let go.” When you feel really upset, it is not only OK to cry, it is therapeutic. Most of us will at some time or other experience heartbreak in our lives, whether that is because of a lover’s betrayal, the break-up of a relationship, a forced parting or ending, or even a death. No one wants to feel the pain of that loss, but sometimes it is unavoidable.
At first, you really do need to let your feelings out – probably by crying. But the suit of swords (or arrows or feathers) is mainly about thoughts rather than emotions (the suit of cups is more focused on feelings). Those swords – or arrows – are your own thoughts that are stabbing at you with regrets and recriminations – and you need to look at them carefully.
The Animal Wisdom Tarot says: “Look to the heart of the matter to identify painful patterns in your life. Move beyond pretence.” The Wildwood Tarot offers the advice of learning to accept and forgive, even if life isn’t always fair. The Lover’s Path Tarot also shows the way to move on from the sorrow: “The need to transform grief into understanding.” It explains that sorrow can be part of the path to enlightenment.
The final card I photographed (right) is from The Guardian Angel Tarot, which neatly renames the suit “Thought”. The Guardian Angel Tarot is specifically intended to give gentle answers. It interprets the traditional cards in the least scary way possible, without actually losing their meaning. The three of thought doesn’t show any pierced hearts or storms of tears – instead it shows an angel. The definition states: “Loving angels surround you to heal and comfort you. The sadness you feel will fade with time.” That last part is true for all readings in which the three of swords, arrows, feathers or thought comes up. Time really is a great healer.
The first part – the bit about angels – might be easy to scoff at if you don’t believe in angels. But I don’t think you need to have faith in literal angels to get comfort from that card. Most of us will have someone we can turn to in times of need – friends or family members who we can get in contact with and who will be a shoulder to cry on.
Even if we feel we are all alone in the world, without a single friend, there are still helplines that can be called. For example, the charity Relate has counsellors available to chat to by phone or email about relationship issues. The Samaritans also offers confidential emotional support for those who are experiencing despair.
If you are suffering the heartbreak shown on the three of swords remember, you are not alone unless you choose to be, it is OK to cry, these feelings will pass, learn from this situation and move on. Another day – perhaps as soon as tomorrow – you will find happiness again.
Links and previous related posts
http://www.relate.org.uk/relationship-help/talk-someone
http://www.samaritans.org/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/09/review-guardian-angel-tarot-cards.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/08/review-wildwood-tarot.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/02/review-lovers-path-tarot.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/05/review-animal-wisdom-tarot-boxed-set.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/02/sex-and-sacrifice.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/02/friday-13th-lore-luck-and-superstitions.html
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