Cider with Billy Idol at Glastonbury Stone Circle?

Okay, I can't be sure that the bloke with the cider at the left of the photo above is actually Billy Idol, but the girl on the right with the blue fascinator said he was when she offered me some of the cider to drink.

I took the photo up at the stone circle at Glastonbury Festival, where there is always a really friendly atmosphere. It is a great place to chill out away from Babylon (the nickname given to the main festival area) and get offered stuff like cider.

I'm going to be sorting out the rest of my photos - and memories - from Glasto later today and will put a few more on my blog tomorrow. In the meantime, what do you think? A Rebel Yell for the real Billy or Eyes Without a Face for a lookalike?

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/06/supporting-oxfam-with-big-kiss-from.html
http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/

Supporting Oxfam with a Big Kiss from Glastonbury

I've just got back from Glastonbury Festival. I had a fantastic time and will be posting lots of pictures over the next few days, but here is one to start with - me with my lips painted green taking part in Oxfam's Big Lip Sync to fight poverty.

Oxfam were at the festival persuading people to have a go - and why not. It was fun and all for a good cause. If you fancy taking part too, you can. All you need to do is paint your lips bright green and share your photo #biglipsync

The images are being used to raise awareness of extreme poverty and persuade world leaders to set goals to help those in need. You can find out more here: www.oxfam.org.uk/biglipsync

I'm off to Glastonbury Music Festival!

Yes indeed - I'm away at Glastonbury Festival. This probably means I won't be able to blog until I get back. I certainly won't be taking my laptop with me and it will do me good to have a bit of a break from it anyway.

My neighbour's daughter is minding my house, watering my plants and cat sitting while I'm away, so I have peace of mind from that point of view. I am just going to relax and enjoy the music!

Hopefully there will be plenty to share on A Bad Witch's Blog when I return.

This Week's Pagan Events In and Near London

Here are events in London and other parts of the UK over the next week and a bit that could be of interest to pagans.

Now to Sunday 19 July. Numinous - photographic exhibition by Sara Hannant inspired by the tradition of offering votive rags at Cornwall’s Holy Wells. Venue: Forty Hill, Enfield EN2 9HA. Free to enter, opening times: Tuesday–Friday 11am–5pm, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays noon–5pm. For more details, call 020 8363 8196 or visit: http://www.fortyhallestate.co.uk/

Wednesday 24 June; Middle Pillar Ritual. Workshop with Marysia Kolodziej. Venue: Treadwell's, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.30pm - 9pm. Tickets £15. Advance booking required. Call 0207 419 8507. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Wednesday 24 June; Free Outdoor Event - Guided Meditation and Picnic Social with Himesh and the London Spirituality Meetup Group in Regents Park. Meet at Regents Park tube at 6.40pm to walk to St Johns Lodge. Free event but bring a picnic and something to sit on. Details: http://www.meetup.com/londonspiritualcommunity/

Thursday 25 June; The Magical Tools In The Four Worlds - The Wand, the Sword, the Cup and the Platter. Lecture by Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, London WC1A 1LY. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £10. You must reserve a place in advance by calling 020 7405 2120.

Thursday 25 June; How UFOs Conquered The World. Talk by Dr David Clarke at the London Fortean Society. Venue: The Vaults Bar, Dirty Dicks, 202 Bishopsgate, City of London EC2M 4NR. TIme: 8pm (doors 7.30pm). Tickets: £4 / £2 concessions. http://forteanlondon.blogspot.co.uk/

Friday 26 June; The 12 Type Enneagram. Talk and book signing by Matthew Campling 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/

Friday 26 June; Sunset Gathering in Battersea Park with Meditation for Inspirational Healing with the London Spirituality Meet-up Group. We will meet at Battersea train station at 6.45pm for a walk to the park. Event ends 11pm. For more details and to reserve a place visit www.meetup.com/inspirationalhealing or http://www.meetup.com/londonspiritualcommunity/

Friday 26 June; Exploring the Higher Dimensional Chakras. Lecture by Judy Hall. 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 27 June; Pagan Federation London Annual Conference. Theme is 'Sacred Journey'. Day event with talks, workshops, pagan market and opening and closing rituals. Venue: Leytonstone Business and Enterprise Specialist School, 159 Colworth Rd, London E11 1JD. Starts at 10am. http://london.paganfed.org/

Saturday 27 June; Enchanting the Name - Learn how to intone, vibrate, and chant Words-of-Power, the Divine Names. A one-day workshop with David Goddard. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, London WC1A 1LY. 11am-5pm. £50. You must reserve a place in advance by calling 020 7405 2120 or email atlantis@theatlantisbookshop.com.

Saturday 27 June; Digital workshop - Ancient Egyptian journey to the afterlife. Venue: Samsung Centre, 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 27 - Sunday 28 June; Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki in London: Astral Doorways. A workshop hosted by Lodge Mercurius. Cost: £135, deposit £70. For further information email Maria-Teresa at: mariateresaharmer@yahoo.co.uk or visit http://www.servantsofthelight.org/event/dolores-in-london-astral-doorways-27-june-2015/

Sunday 28 June; Pagan Pride Parade, organised by the Pagan Federation London at Russell Square Gardens in London. Time: 11.30am. Details: http://london.paganfed.org/

Sunday 28 June; Numerology Workshop with Cobwebs at Cauldrons at Unit 137, Romford Shopping Hall, 43 Market Place, Romford RM1 3AB. Cost: £20. Time: 11am. More details at http://www.cobwebsandcauldrons.co.uk/ or email cobwebsandcauldrons@gmail.com

Sunday 28 June; Introduction to Wicca and Witchcraft. Venue: Shamanic Spirit, New Addington, Croydon, CR0 0AW. Time: 2pm to 7pm. Cost: £40. More details and to book a place: http://alisonspiritweaver.co.uk/special-events/intro-to-wicca-witchcraft/

Sunday 28 June; Sacred Walks and The Kingston Zodiac Adventure - walking the Cancer sign. Meet at Hampton Court train station, London KT8 9AE, at noon. Cost £10/£5, advance booking required: http://www.meetup.com/Sacred-Walks-Kingston-Zodiac-Adventure/

Sunday 28 June; Poetry and Picnic in the Park (Free Your Heart) with the London Spirituality Meetup Group. Meet outside Lancaster Gate Tube at 1pm for a walk to Hyde Park. Bring a notebook, pen, something to sit on and a picnic. Free outdoor event but you must reserve a place in advance. http://www.meetup.com/londonspiritualcommunity/

Monday 29 June; Tarot Meditation: The Wheel of Fortune, 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 29 June; The Age of Conscious Evolution – Evolving By Choice, Not By Chance. Talk by Nicolya Christi. 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 29 June; Light Energy Channelling: Healing and Activation with Aang and Vaz of the London College of Spirituality. Venue: Latvian House, 72 Queensborough Terrace, London, W2 3SH. Time: 7pm. Cost: £33. Details: http://www.meetup.com/londonspirituality/

Monday 29 June; London Energy Share meet-up. Venue: Friends Meeting House, 52 St Martins Lane London WC2N 4EA. Cost: £10. Time: 7.15pm. To reserve a place: http://www.meetup.com/londonenergyshare/

Tuesday 30 June; Sound Meditation. Venue: Goose Green Clinic, 57 East Dulwich Road, London SE22 9AP. Time: 10.45am. Cost:£12/£10. More information and booking: http://www.meetup.com/Holistic-SoundBath-Meditation-Summoning-The-Sacred-Dulwich/

Tuesday 30 June; Meditation and Yoga. Free weekly meetings hosted by Ruth, Katka and Galya. Venue: Phoenix Community Centre, 66 Westow Street, Crystal Palace, SE19 3AF. This takes place on Tuesday mornings from 11am - 12pm. Free event, just turn up. http://www.meetup.com/Free-Meditation-Yoga-South-London/

Tuesday 30 June; 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 30 June; Gateway to the Heavens.Talk and book signing by Karen L French at Watkins Books, 19-21 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 6pm. Free event. For more details Tel 020 7836 2182 or visit the website http://www.watkinsbooks.com/

Tuesday 30 June; The Terror of London: Spring-heeled Jack and the Victorian Metropolitan Press. Talk by Dr Karl Bell, author of The Legend of Spring-Heeled Jack: Victorian Urban Folklore and Popular Cultures.at the London Fortean Society. Venue: Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL. Tube: Holborn. Time: 7.45pm - 10pm. Entry: £5. For more details, visit http://forteanlondon.blogspot.co.uk/

Tuesday 30 June; Bringing Anthroposophy to the British - What did Rudolf Steiner expect? Talk by Dr Jenny Josephson at Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London NW1 6XT. Doors open at 7pm, event from 7.30pm - 9pm. Entry: £3.50 (£1 concessions, students and under 25s). http://www.rsh.anth.org.uk/

Tuesday 30 June; 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/

Wednesday 1 July; Wicca Full Moon Ritual and Magical work - Jupiter conjunct Venus - run by Wiccan High Priest Mani Navasothy. Part of a monthly training group organised through the London Woodland Witches Wiccans Eco-Magicians Outdoor Pagans. Location is on Wimbledon Common, Parkside, London SW19. Time: 7pm start, ends 10pm. To find out the exact meeting location and to reserve a place, visit http://www.meetup.com/London-Woodland-Witches-Outdoor-Pagans/

Wednesday 1 July; The Witches' Inn Gathering Beltane Bash. Venue: The Feathers Hotel Merstham in Merstham, Surrey RH1 3EA. Starts at 8pm. Moots are normally on the first Wednesday of each month. For more details and to reserve a place visit: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Witches-Inn/1568424150049437

Thursday 2 July; Myth in Life, When the Dragon Wins. Evening Workshop with Francesco Dimitri. Venue: Treadwell's, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.30pm - 9pm. Tickets £15. Advance booking required. Call 0207 419 8507. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Friday 3 July; Dark River with London Dreamtime. Venue: a secret location near Bermondsey Tube. Meet at 8.30pm. Tickets £3, booking essential, email vanessa@londondreamtime.com. For more details, visit http://londondreamtime.com/calendar/

Friday 3 July; Amanda Roberts Presents her Angel and Guide Students. 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 4 July; Crop Circle Trip. Talk and visit to a crop circle with Francine Blake, organised by Alternatives. Coach trip from London. Time: 9am - 9pm. Tickets £75 standard. For more details and to book tickets: http://www.alternatives.org.uk/

Saturday 4 July; Kensal Green Cemetery Open Day including art exhibition in the Dissenters Gallery Catacombs, using video projection that works with the viewer's image, driven by water and sound. Venue: Kensal Green Cemetery, Ladbroke Grove, London W10. Time: 11am to 6pm. For more details visit http://www.kensalgreen.co.uk/ and http://oppositefields.com/

Saturday 4 July; 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.

If you know of an event that you want listed, please email the details to me at badwitch1234@gmail.com.

My Local Wildlife: A Goldfinch and a Stag Beetle

I know these aren't the best wildlife photographs - the one at the top was taken with a camera phone and the one to the right was taken quickly from my kitchen window - but at least I managed to get snaps of some of the wildlife I've seen in my town.

A pair of goldfinches have been regular visitors to my garden since early this spring. In this photo one of them is nibbling at a flower head, but they usually seem to like my silver birch tree around breakfast time.

I saw the stag beetle lying on his back, wiggling his legs in the air and looking very much in trouble, so I righted him and sent him on his way. He gave me a little nip to the finger as I did so, but I expect he didn't realise I was trying to help him.

People sometimes ask me if I find it difficult to be a nature-worshipping pagan while living in London. My answer is that there is no shortage of nature in the city, you just have to be aware of it.

Community, Paganism and the Missing Monkey

I didn't go to Stonehenge for the Solstice. I didn't even leave my home town.

I meant to. I don't mean I meant to go to Stonehenge, but go somewhere. I meant to celebrate the festival of Litha, or the longest day of the year, with fellow pagans in ritual as usual, but I didn't. I didn't even perform any devotions on my own. Instead, I wandered around my home town following a jumble trail.

It wasn't just some random boot fair - it was a real community endeavour, and the first of its kind in my area. Around a hundred people from all over the town created the event. The idea was that between 10am and 4pm on Sunday, June 21 people set up table sales in their own front gardens. Beforehand, they signed up on the jumble trail website with their address and the kinds of things they were going to be selling. A co-ordinator created a printed map so people knew which streets to visit on the trail.

Residents weren't only selling things like their unwanted clothes, books and bric-a-brac, they also offered things they had made and cakes they had baked. At one stall I was given a lovely refreshing glass of home-made elderflower cordial. People had hung out bunting and balloons, made posters and done all sorts of other things to make the event feel more like a village fete than a suburban jumble sale. There was a wonderful atmosphere - I got to talk to people who I had never met before and explored side streets I didn't even know existed. Everyone seemed happy, friendly and full of community spirit.

But in taking part, did I neglect my spiritual duties as a pagan priestess and witch? Would it have been better if I had gone to Primrose Hill or Greenwich to honour the solstice with druids? Should I have gathered together with my witchy friends to cast a circle and offer libations to the gods and goddesses of summer?

Many years ago, when I was still a novice pagan, I read the book A Witch Aloneby Marian Green. At the time I was surprised that many of the exercises Marian suggested involved getting to know your area - learning about its traditions, folklore and history - rather than just concentrating on how to honour the ancient gods. Yet I soon realised that these things were all important aspects of being a true pagan witch. Marian also emphasised getting to know your own community and being part of it.

In those terms, what I did on the Solstice was exactly the right thing to do as a pagan and a witch. I supported my own community, I learnt more about my area, and in a small way I helped with something that I hope will grow to be a tradition. Traditions aren't always about things that happened long ago in ancient pagan times and they aren't always about something religious.

One of the things I bought at the jumble trail was a pair of wooden monkeys. You can see them at the top. They represent 'hear no evil' and 'see no evil'. There should, of course, be a third: 'speak no evil' - sometimes called 'do no evil'. I know I sometimes I speak my mind a bit too freely. The symbolism of the missing monkey is not lost on me. Although pagans don't really believe in Evil with a big E in the monotheistic sense, they certainly accept that sometimes people say things or do things that aren't the right things to say or do.

But what do you think? Am I living up to my blogging name a bit too much? Was I in fact a bad witch?

News: Stories about the Summer (and Winter) Solstice

Summer Solstice News from the UK

"Thousands mark summer solstice at Stonehenge" - story at BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-33211353

"Summer solstice sun rises on gathering of 23,000 at Stonehenge" - story at the Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jun/21/summer-solstice-23000-stonehenge

"Sun rises over the longest day of the year: Thousands of pagans, druids and hippies descend on Stonehenge for this year's Summer Solstice" - story at MailOnline: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3133182/Thousands-mark-summer-solstice.html

"Summer solstice: All you need to know about Sunday's pagan festivities" - story WalesOnline: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/summer-solstice-you-need-know-9494746

"Adults who on average spend just 79 minutes outdoors" - story at Eastbourne Herald: http://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/news/local/adults-who-on-average-spend-just-79-minutes-outdoors-1-6807000

Winter Solstice News from Australia

"Winter solstice on Monday a time for pagans and druids to celebrate" - story in the Sydney Morning Herald: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/winter-solstice-on-monday-a-time-for-pagans-and-druids-to-celebrate-20150620-ght1xb.html

Moon Books Selfie Competition Reminder

If you are going to be out and about celebrating the Summer Solstice today, why not take the opportunity to enter the Moon Books selfie competition?

All you need to do is take a photo of yourself holding something published by Moon Books and post it to via Twitter or Facebook with the tag ‪#‎moonbookselfie‬. Obviously you do need to have, borrow or buy a book published by Moon Books to hold in the photo, but I'm guessing quite a few Bad Witch's Blog readers might have copies. The rules don't specifically state  it has to be a dead tree format book in the photo, so holding up your Kindle showing the ebook cover of a Moon Book title would probably do as well.

There are prizes of paperbacks for the best entries and the closing date is the end of June 2015. Moon Books has published some wonderful pagan titles, including Grimoire of a Kitchen Witch, Journey to the Dark Goddess and Witchcraft Today - 60 Years On, which you can see in the picture to the right (albeit strangely reversed for some reason).

So, why not pop a Moon Book book in your bag today along with your phone or camera and get snapping?

Visit Moon Books' Facebook page to find out more details about the competition: https://www.facebook.com/MoonBooks?

News: Etsy Spell Ban, Tarot, Satanism, Solstice, More...

"Etsy Bans Sale of Spells, Irks Witches, Pagans" - story at newser: http://www.newser.com/story/208478/etsy-bans-sale-of-spells-irks-witches-pagans.html

"Publication of newly-discovered Austin Osman Spare tarot deck" - story at boingboing: http://boingboing.net/2015/06/18/publication-of-newly-discovere.html

"Breaking news about the Satanic Temple unveiling Baphomet statue in Detroit" - story at examiner.com: http://www.examiner.com/article/breaking-news-about-the-satanic-temple-unveiling-baphomet-statue-detroit

"Pagan Remains Being Excavated In The Westfjords" - story at Grapevine: http://grapevine.is/news/2015/06/08/pagan-remains-being-excavated-in-the-westfjords/

"Druid school in Castlerea granted charitable tax-exemption status" - story at The Irish Times: http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/druid-school-in-castlerea-granted-charitable-tax-exemption-status-1.2256557

"Toil and trouble: the myth of the witch is no myth at all" - story at The Conversation: http://theconversation.com/toil-and-trouble-the-myth-of-the-witch-is-no-myth-at-all-42306

"Summer solstice 2015: What to do on the longest day of the year?" - story at Manchester Evening News: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/summer-solstice-2015-what-longest-9490418

"Summer Solstice Quotes 2015: 18 Sayings To Share On Facebook, Instagram, Twitter" - story at International Business Times: http://www.ibtimes.com/summer-solstice-quotes-2015-18-sayings-share-facebook-instagram-twitter-1975172

Street Art: Solar Image for the Summer Solstice

I've been posting photos of London street art over the various pagan festivals since last Yule, including for Earth Hour, Ostara and Beltane. Here is another for the Summer Solstice showing a rather apocalyptic view of the evolution of man against a solar disc.

If you want to see this picture or any of the other street art I have photographed, travel to Hoxton in London's East End.

Links to previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/12/hugs-under-hood-seasons-greetings-in.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/05/street-art-beautiful-green-eyed-goddess.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/03/pagan-eye-east-end-street-art-promotes.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/03/pagan-eye-march-hare-in-london-street.html

Best Place to Watch the Solstice Sunrise in London

If you are in London over the Summer Solstice this weekend, where should you go to get the best view of either the sunset on Solstice Eve or the sunrise at dawn on the Solstice itself?

Well, any of the bridges on the stretch of the Thames that runs west to east are a good bet. Waterloo Bridge offers a view that is just as spectacular as suggested in the Kinks' song Waterloo Sunset. Tower Bridge also offers great views, which my own effort at the top doesn't entirely do justice to.

For pagans, Primrose Hill, in North London is one of the favoured vantage points. Parliament Hill is also very good. South of the river, Greenwich Park is also a great place to see the solstice.

Of course, any of London's tall buildings can offer a superb vantage point too.  However, you will have to get up early if you want to see the sunrise, it is at 4.43am on Sunday 21 June 2015.

If you have any other good suggestions, please leave a comment, or email your photos to me at badwitch1234@gmail.com

Here are some links offering more suggestions:
http://londonphotoroutes.com/2012/10/17/sunrise-sunset/
http://maybeldner.com/london-fives-sunrisesunset-spots/
http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/attractions/midsummer-night-in-london-make-the-most-of-the-longest-day-8663704.html?action=gallery&ino=13
http://www.theguardian.com/cities/guardianwitness-blog/gallery/2014/apr/04/best-spots-london-skyline-readers-pictures

Would You Brave the Test for an Occult Music Album?

I've been sent an intriguing advert for Sigillum Invocatio Daemoni, an occult album. This is what it said:

This album is so difficult to obtain that you must pass a test to listen to it. The reason: it's about black magic.

"This is the only piece of art that chooses its users" - Prometheus L.

The author doesn't want that his art could be reached by everyone. Art should be meritocratic. This is the synthesised thinking that comes from the website: http://www.artsobscurae.com

The mysterious Prometheus L. is the author of the opera inside a website about black magic, written under a trance state. It is is possible to have Sigillum Invocatio Daemoni for free, but only if you deserve it.

Being a powerful instrument of communication with daemonic forces, finalised for hi-level ritualistic purposes, the opera needs a prior knowledge to be used, splitting the real initiates who need it from the normal people.

In the era of Spotify and YouTube, the world is accustomed to have everything with a click, without effort, and without the satisfaction of having to conquer what you desire.

So, Sigillum Invocatio Daemoni overturns the paradigm of a too easy way to have music, giving the way to the people who dig in the mysterious dark side of the web to accomplish the test about occult and esoteric themes, and find if they deserve the album for free.

Obviously it is possible to buy Sigillum Invocatio Daemoni, but only for a very huge price…

I visited the website www.artsobscurae.com but haven't yet tried the test. Do you know why?  I actually find exams more scary than demons. Maybe I'll pluck up the courage and give it a go later...

Pagan Events for the Summer Solstice and Midsummer

The Summer Solstice is this weekend, on Sunday 21 June. It is most celebrated festival of the pagan Wheel of the Year. Here are some of the events taking place over Midsummer. Some are in London and some are in other parts of England including the famous stone circles at Stonehenge and Avebury.

Now to Sunday 19 July. Numinous - photographic exhibition by Sara Hannant inspired by the tradition of offering votive rags at Cornwall’s Holy Wells. Venue: Forty Hill, Enfield EN2 9HA. Free to enter, opening times: Tuesday–Friday 11am–5pm, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays noon–5pm. For more details, call 020 8363 8196 or visit: http://www.fortyhallestate.co.uk/

Wednesday, 17 June; Guided Meditation and Picnic Social in Regents Park with Himesh of the London Spirituality Meetup Group. Meet at Regents Park tube station at 6.40pm for a walk to St Johns Lodge, Regents Park. There will be a meditation at 8pm. Free outdoor event. http://www.meetup.com/londonspiritualcommunity/

Wednesday, 17 June; Book Launch: Journey Through Astrology: Charting the Astrological Voyage of Discoveryedited by Laura Andrikopoulos, Cat Cox and Carole Taylor. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, London WC1A 1LY. Arrive from 6.45pm. You must reserve a place in advance by calling 020 7405 2120.

Wednesday, 17 June; Gawain and the Loathly Lady. Storytelling by Annette Armstrong. Venue: Treadwell's, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.30pm - 9pm. Tickets £10. Advance booking required. Call 0207 419 8507. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Wednesday, 17 June; The Rose Bridge. Workshop and talk about the transformative nature of the goddess with Heather Andrew Dobbs. Venue: Canbury Pavilion, Kingston, SW London. Time: 6.30pm - 9pm. Online advance tickets £20/£10. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-rose-bridge-speaker-heather-andrew-dobbs-tickets-16993588280?

Thursday 18 June; The Circle of Ankerwycke moot on the third Thursday in each month. Venue: Function room at the back of the Two Rivers Pub, 43 Church Street, Staines-upon-Thames, TW18 4EN. Time: 8pm.

Thursday 18 June; Babaji: The Lightning Standing Still.Talk and book signing by Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath at Watkins Books, 19-21 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 6pm. Free event. For more details Tel 020 7836 2182 or visit the website http://www.watkinsbooks.com/

Thursday 18 June; Croydon CoA Gathering: Social evening open to all Pagan Paths at 1 Mathews Yard off Surrey Street, Croydon. Event held on the third Thursday of the month at 8pm. For any questions email coacentral@witchcraft.org or visit http://www.witchfest.net/

Thursday 18 June; Philip Carr-Gomm (Head of OBOD) talk on Grail Chapel in Brittany. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London NW1 6XT. Doors open at 7pm, event from 7.30pm - 9pm. Entrance is £12 Concessions and donations possible. Doors open at 7 pm, pay at the door – all welcome. For more detailsm, visit www.philipcarr-gomm.com or http://www.meetup.com/London-Pagan-Circle/

Thursday 18 June; Fortnightly Druid Order Open Introductory Evening. A chance to learn more about at The Druid Order (A.D.U.B.) at an evening with talks and a meditation. Venue: Treadwell's, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.15pm for 7.30pm start. Price: £8 on the door. For more details, call Druid Order on 020 8659 4879.

Thursday 18 June; Sacred Heart Awakening: Believing in Yourself with Aang of the London College of Spirituality. Venue: Latvian House, 72 Queensborough Terrace, London, W2 3SH. Time: 7pm. Cost: £15. Details: http://www.meetup.com/londonspirituality/

Thursday 18 June; Geomantic Divination workshop hosted by Wiccan High Priestess Caroline Westbury. South London Wicca Meetup meeting at a private house in Tooting Bec. Time: 6pm. Free but you must reserve a place in advance. Details at: http://www.meetup.com/South-London-Wicca-Meetup/

Friday 19 June; Demonstration of Spiritual Mediumship by Edwin Courtenay. 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/

Friday 19 - Sunday 21 June; Woodland Midsummer Ritual and Epping Forest Camping 2015 with Hern's Tribe and Wiccan High Priest Mani Navasothy. Venue: Debden House Campsite, Epping Forest. Tickets from £8 per person per night. To find out more and to reserve a place, visit: http://www.meetup.com/London-Woodland-Witches-Outdoor-Pagans/

Saturday 20 June; The Summer Solstice Festival at Stone Cross, Sussex, with Pentacle Drummers. Lots of live entertainment and solstice rite. Venue: Stone Cross Nurseries, Dittons Rd, BN24 5ET Pevensey, East Sussex. Time: 10am - 10pm. Tickets £5. http://www.thesummersolstice.co.uk/

Saturday 20 June; Free and Open Gorsedd of Caer Abiri Summer Solstice Rite. Druidic ceremony to celebrate the Summer Solstice at Avebury stone circle in Wiltshire. Meet at the Red Lion pub from Noon for ceremony around 1.30pm. The ritual should end at 3pm, then back to the pub. Offerings of bread, mead and song or poetry welcome. Overnight camping is allowed in the overflow car park.

Saturday 20 June; Hilly Fields Midsummer Fayre. Annual summer community fair in a lovely park with its own stone circle. This is not a specifically pagan event, but has a lovely atmosphere of a traditional summer fair with stalls, children's rides, farm animals, crafts, refreshments, arena entertainments and more. Location: Hilly Fields, Hilly Fields Crescent, London SE4 1QA. From noon to 5pm. Free entry. Visit http://www.brockleysociety.org.uk/event/hilly-fields-summer-fayre-2015/

Saturday 20 June; Outdoor Midsummer Open Ritual with Hern's Tribe and London Woodland Witches Wiccans Eco-Magicians Outdoor Pagans. Location: Coombe Woods, Croydon. Meet at Coombe Lane tram stop at 2pm for a walk into the woods. Event will last until 6pm. Bring your own picnic and wear suitable clothes and shoes. To find out more and to reserve a place, visit: http://www.meetup.com/London-Woodland-Witches-Outdoor-Pagans/

Saturday 20 June; Summer Solstice Festival. Family-friendly pagan festival with entertainment, storytelling, workshops, healing sessions and tarot readings. Venue: Bedfords Park Walled Garden, Romford, Greater London RM4 1QL. Time: 2pm - 10pm. Full details: http://bedfordswalledgarden.org/events/summer-solstice-festival/

Saturday 20 June; Occult London: Guided Walk with Delianne Forget organised through Treadwell's bookshop. Meet 2pm at a central London tube station - details given after you book. Price: £10. Call 020 7419 8507. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Saturday 20 – Sunday 21 June; Celebrate the Summer Solstice at Moonhenge with the Pagan Federation. Two-day camping event with talks, entertainment and market at Woodwalton Cambridgeshire, north of Huntingdon, a few minutes from the A1. Tickets Adults £30, Children 13-15 £15, 12 and under free, camping £5 per person per night. Full details: https://paganfed.org/

Saturday 20 June-Sunday 21 June; Stonehenge, the 5,000-year-old megalithic monument on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, is the most famous place in England to celebrate the solstices. Entry is normally restricted although English Heritage, which manages the site, will be providing what it calls "managed open access" to Stonehenge for the Summer Solstice. English Heritage allows individuals and groups to conduct their own ceremonies and rituals during the opening times, from 7pm on 20 June until 8am on 21 June. No camping is allowed. There is a car park half a mile from the stones, but it is more environmentally friendly and probably easier to use public transport to get there, buses run from Salisbury railway station. For details about access to the stones, visit: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/plan-your-visit/summer-solstice/

Sunday 21 June; Wheel of the Year Festival - Summer Solstice Meditation at Chalice Well World Peace Garden, in Glastonbury. Gather at the Well Head at noon for celebration and meditation until 12.30pm, followed by a chance to chat on the lower lawn. Free admission to the gardens from 10am to noon. http://www.chalicewell.org.uk/

Sunday 21 June; Summer Solstice Picnic in the Park with London Energy Share. This will be in Regent's Park, London, and start at 10am with the exact location sent to members who sign up on the London Energy Share Meetup Group: http://www.meetup.com/londonenergyshare/

Sunday 21 June; Midsummer 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. Meet at 12.30pm for a 1pm start, ends at around 2.30pm. Nearest tube: Chalk Farm.

Sunday 21 June; Anderida Gorsedd Summer Solstice open ritual at the Long Man of Wilmington, Sussex. Meet near the car park between 1.30pm and 2pm for a walk up to the chalk hill figure at 2pm. Afterwards back to the Giants Rest pub in Wilmington for a social drink together.

Sunday 21 June; Alban Hefin - Summer Solstice Ritual - with Oak Druid Order and London Pagan and Heathen Circle. Meet in front of The Greenwich Picture House, 180 Greenwich High Road, London SE10 8NN at 2.30pm to walk Maidenstone Hill for the ritual. Free event, bring food and drink to share in a picnic afterwards. More details: http://www.meetup.com/London-Pagan-Circle/events/223198691/

Sunday 21 June; Dawn of the Oak. Pagan moot on the third Sunday of each month. Venue: Upstairs at The Castle, 34-35 Cowcross Road, Farringdon, London EC1M 6DB (near Farringdon tube). Time: 3pm-6pm.

Sunday 21 June; Crossbones Walk tracing the lost history of Crossbones, the outcasts' burial ground, led by writer-performer John Constable, who revealed the Cross Bones story in his book The Southwark Mysteries. Meet 1:45pm for a 2pm departure, Tabard Street Piazza, Borough High St, London SE1 1JA. Free event. visit: http://www.crossbones.org.uk/

Sunday 21 June; Midsummer Ritual - Working with Faeries to Enhance our Powers session with Global Wicca Earth Healing Temple London. Meet at St Marks Gate, Victoria Park, Hackney Wick, E9 5HT at 3pm. Bring a mat to sit on. To reserve a place and for more information, visit http://www.meetup.com/Global-Wicca-Earth-Healing-Temple-London/

Sunday 21 June; Midsummer Festival and the Archangel Uriel at Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London NW1 6XT. Time: 2pm - 7pm. Entry is free. for full details, visit http://www.rsh.anth.org.uk/

Sunday 21 June; Summer Solstice. Evening service led by the Wheel of the Year Group at Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, 3 Pilgrim's Place, London NW3 1NG. Time: 7pm. http://www.rosslynhillchapel.com/

Monday 22 June; Solstice Energy and Sound Bath with Carly Grace of the London College of Spirituality. Venue: Latvian House, 72 Queensborough Terrace, London, W2 3SH. Time: 7.30pm. Cost: £15. Details: http://www.meetup.com/londonspirituality/

Monday 22 June; 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/

Tuesday 23 June; Sound Meditation. Venue: Goose Green Clinic, 57 East Dulwich Road, London SE22 9AP. Time: 10.45am. Cost:£12/£10. More information and booking: http://www.meetup.com/Holistic-SoundBath-Meditation-Summoning-The-Sacred-Dulwich/

Tuesday 23 June; Meditation and Yoga. Free weekly meetings hosted by Ruth, Katka and Galya. Venue: Phoenix Community Centre, 66 Westow Street, Crystal Palace, SE19 3AF. This takes place on Tuesday mornings from 11am - 12pm. Free event, just turn up. http://www.meetup.com/Free-Meditation-Yoga-South-London/

Tuesday 23 June; Crossbones Festival for St John's Eve with tours, workshops, performances and vigil. Venue: Crossbones Garden, Redcross Way, London SE1 1HA. 3pm - 8.30pm including the 7pm vigil. Free. Donations welcome. For more information on the BOST events contact Nicola: info@bost.org.uk or visit http://www.bost.org.uk/ Also visit: http://www.crossbones.org.uk/

Tuesday 23 June; Surrealism, Austin Osman Spare and the Occult Underground of Early 1990s London. Lecture by Nadia Choucha at the The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities, Fine Art and Natural History, 11 Mare St, London, E8 4RP. Time: 6.30pm - 8pm. Tickets £10/£5 concessions. More details and to book tickets: http://www.thelasttuesdaysociety.org/

Tuesday 23 June; New Pagan Moot. Venue: Souk Medina Tea Room, 1a Short's Gardens,Covent Garden, London WC2H 9AT. Time: 6pm-9pm. Free event. http://www.meetup.com/London-Pagan-Holy-Wells/

Tuesday 23 June; Solstice Gong Bath with Olaf Nixon. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm-8.30pm. Cost: £18/£20 Advance booking advised. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 24 June; Free Outdoor Event - Guided Meditation and Picnic Social with Himesh and the London Spirituality Meetup Group in Regents Park. Meet at Regents Park tube at 6.40pm to walk to St Johns Lodge. Free event but bring a picnic and something to sit on. Details: http://www.meetup.com/londonspiritualcommunity/events/223278983/

Wednesday 24 June; Middle Pillar Ritual. Workshop with Marysia Kolodziej. Venue: Treadwell's, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.30pm - 9pm. Tickets £15. Advance booking required. Call 0207 419 8507. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Thursday 25 June; The Magical Tools In The Four Worlds - The Wand, the Sword, the Cup and the Platter. Lecture by Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, London WC1A 1LY. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £10. You must reserve a place in advance by calling 020 7405 2120.

Thursday 25 June; How UFOs Conquered The World. Talk by Dr David Clarke at the London Fortean Society. Venue: The Vaults Bar, Dirty Dicks, 202 Bishopsgate, City of London EC2M 4NR. TIme: 8pm (doors 7.30pm). Tickets: £4 / £2 concessions. http://forteanlondon.blogspot.co.uk/

Friday 26 June; The 12-Type Enneagram.Talk and book signing by Matthew Campling 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/

Friday 26 June; Exploring the Higher Dimensional Chakras. Lecture by Judy Hall. 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 27 June; Pagan Federation London Annual Conference. Theme is 'Sacred Journey'. Day event with talks, workshops, pagan market and opening and closing rituals. Venue: Leytonstone Business and Enterprise Specialist School, 159 Colworth Rd, London E11 1JD. Starts at 10am. http://london.paganfed.org/

Saturday 27 June; Digital workshop - Ancient Egyptian journey to the afterlife. Venue: Samsung Centre, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Time: 11am-4pm. Free event, just drop in. For more details visit: https://www.britishmuseum.org/

Saturday 27 - Sunday 28 June; Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki in London: Astral Doorways. A workshop hosted by Lodge Mercurius. Cost: £135, deposit £70. For further information email Maria-Teresa at: mariateresaharmer@yahoo.co.uk or visit http://www.servantsofthelight.org/event/dolores-in-london-astral-doorways-27-june-2015/

Sunday 28 June; Pagan Pride Parade, organised by the Pagan Federation London at Russell Square Gardens in London. Time: 11.30am. Details: http://london.paganfed.org/

Sunday 28 June; NumerologyWorkshop with Cobwebs at Cauldrons at Unit 137, Romford Shopping Hall, 43 Market Place, Romford RM1 3AB. Cost: £20. Time: 11am. More details at http://www.cobwebsandcauldrons.co.uk/ or email cobwebsandcauldrons@gmail.com

If you know of an event that you want listed, please email the details to me at badwitch1234@gmail.com.

Looking for Tips on How Write a Book in Three Months

I don't think I've mentioned it before on my blog, but I am writing a book. I'm not yet ready to reveal exactly what the title is but, as you might expect, it is a book about witchcraft and will be published by Moon Books.

So far I have written most of the first draft, but I confess I'm struggling to find the time to finish it. When I started writing it, I really wanted to get it done within three months, but it's already taken me longer than that. I'd love to get it finished before another three months is up, so could probably do with some good advice. So, I was delighted to get an interesting press release entitled How to Publish a Book in Three Months ... or Less. The press release is by prolific author, Tom Evans.

Here is what he suggests:

It might sound counter-intuitive, but by taking 10-20 minutes of ‘me time’ each day, you claw it back in bucket loads throughout the day. The latest book from Tom Evans, author and author’s mentor, is a testament to how he practices what he preaches and teaches.

New Magic for a New Era: How to Live a Charmed Lifewas available for sale worldwide at the end of February 2015, yet he only started writing it at the beginning of December 2014. Here are the seven steps he took to manage this extraordinary creative feat. 

Step #1: Have a Cracking Idea
Tom engaged a coach to look at his business in October 2014. She pointed out that although he’d written and published 10 books, he’d never told the story of how an ex-BBC TV engineer came to be doing what he was now doing.

His immediate response was that his story was boring, nothing exciting had happened to him and that he had lived a rather charmed and easy life. She said that surely some other people would like their life not to be so tough, so why not share the secret of how he’d done it. The seed was sown. 

Step #2: Have an Immovable Deadline
Tom normally writes his main book of each year starting on the Spring Equinox – ‘Springing Forward’ so to speak. Before the end of last year, it occurred to him that it would be fun to break with his self-imposed tradition and get the book of his life written and published before his next birthday, at the beginning of March. With a bit of time bending and stretching, he ended up being two weeks ahead of that deadline. The secret of how he does this happens to be in the book. 

Step #3: Slowing Down Time
The first tip Tom uses to get more done in less time is to breathe more slowly. To begin we need to use our diaphragm and to do belly breaths. This of course is how a baby breathes. We’ve just got out of the habit. 

Now you don’t have to do it all the time but just doing seven to nine deep and slow breaths at the start of the day is enough to slow things down. It works especially well if you are running late for a meeting. By breathing more slowly, we ‘expand’ time.
If you want to know how this works, ask an elephant or a tortoise why they live so long. 

Step #4: Connecting with Your Muse
Before Tom started meditating about 10 years ago, he thought it was both a waste of time and that there was no way he could make his over-active mind go quiet. Nowadays, if he misses his morning meditation, he actually has a worse day. 

It might sound counter-intuitive but by taking 10-20 minutes of ‘me time’ each day, you claw it back in bucket loads throughout the day. You become less stressed and notice serendipitous events. So one chance encounter can save you hours in searching for just the ‘right thing’.

Meditation is not about sitting in a dark room in the lotus position chanting “Om”. A walk in nature or a park is a great tonic too. So before writing each chapter, Tom would either meditate or walk his dogs. The whole structure for the next chapter would appear just like magic.

Step #5: One Thought at a Time
The normal human mind can only have one thought at a time. So just think about what you are thinking about right now and the thing you are thinking about gets replaced with the thought you are having about that thought. 

Just pause for a moment, read the above sentence again and check the validity of this notion. 

Armed with this knowledge about the way we think, this gives us the most amazing insight when it comes to our time management. If we are focused on anything else other than the task in hand, time will slip away from us. Accordingly, these are the three sources of time leaks: 

• Fretting over the past
• Worrying about the future
• Thinking about something else other than what you are working on 

So the key to making the most of our time is to ‘get in the zone’ and focus solely on what you are doing right now. When thoughts other than the ones we want to think arrive, a simple way to make them go away is to ask them about their purpose — and as to who sent them.

Step #6: Whole Brain Thinking
It is an urban myth that the left brain is logical and the right brain is creative. When it comes to time, it appears that the left hemisphere sits inside space and time and that the right hemisphere sits everywhere and ‘everywhen’ else.

When we are ‘in the zone’ what is happening is that both hemispheres are working at the same time. The left brain handles the detail while the right brain holds the whole of the work ‘in mind’. To get both sides of the brain working together, Tom breathes through alternate nostrils five times before writing. 

Step #7: Printing on Demand
As soon as Tom got the initial proofread of his book back in mid-February, he converted it to Kindle format and with 24 hours it was available for download worldwide. He also formatted it for print and ordered a single book from CompletelyNovel, his print-on-demand supplier for real proofing. The proof copy arrived within a week and he sat down with no distractions to really read it as if he was a reader. 

It’s here where you see just a few residual errors that are not so much typos but are places where you can make the book flow much better. He also speaks the chapters as he reads them as, if you can’t read it ‘out loud’, a reader won’t easily be able to read it ‘in loud’. 

So armed with a book that now flows much better, a new version is uploaded to Kindle and a final version sent off to be available via distribution worldwide — all in time for his birthday.

I think I am lucky in that I don't have to self-publish because my book is going to come out via Moon Books, which is a great pagan publishing company. However, I think I will be taking on board some of Tom's advice in order to get that first draft finished.

More details about Tom, his books, courses and podcast can be found online at www.tomevans.co
You can order his book via Amazon: New Magic for a New Era: How to Live a Charmed Life

Natural Beauty in Sun, Sea and Sacred Space

Like quite a few people I know, I seriously disliked the message put across in the recent controversial advert for a slimming product, featuring a bikini-wearing model and asking: “Are you beach body ready?”

It implied that women should only go to the beach if they look like an improbably thin 20-year-old with silicon boobs. Ridiculous, of course. And I was really pleased to learn most women in the UK also think that idea is ridiculous.

According to research, it appears British women are becoming happier in their own skins than in previous decades, shunning those heavily made-up looks we see in celebrity selfies or the artificial images in adverts.

In the survey commissioned by beauty retailer QVC to celebrate June Beauty Month, 68% of women stated they would not want to emulate a celebrity beach look. However, the research did show that women aren’t completely unconcerned about what they look like in their swimming costume. In fact about 28% of the women surveyed said they have a complete make-over before going on holiday - including manicures, pedicures, facials and applying fake tan. For most women, the things they least want to show on the beach are excess hair, sunburn and a costume that goes transparent when wet.

I think that pagans – maybe Wiccans in particular – are less concerned about others seeing our naked flesh than the general populace. After all, tradition in Wiccan covens is to perform rituals naked whenever possible and I have been to some lovely summer celebrations on beaches where nudity is allowed. Both Gerald Gardner, the founder of modern Wicca, and Ross Nichols, who founded the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids were keen naturists. Their belief that working skyclad is the best way to show perfect trust and honesty has had a lasting impact on paganism.

After attending a few skyclad rituals you realise that pretty much everyone has wobbly bits, scars and stretch marks, but I think even pagan women still have some concerns about wanting to look good naked. I will admit I scrupulously shave my legs and armpits before showing them to anyone who isn’t immediate family. I’ve also been known to apply a little fake tan to my skin, which is otherwise pasty white after being covered up throughout the English winter and spring.

Even off the beach, I don’t like to be seen looking a total scruff. A couple of weeks ago I was working from home and slobbing. Then I realised I need to pop to the shops. I went out wearing one red sock and one blue sock, yoga pants that were too short and speckled in cat fur, no bra under my T-shirt, no deodorant, unwashed hair and I hadn't even put in my false tooth (I knocked out a tooth in a car accident years ago). I wasn't expecting to bump into anyone I know, except I did. I bumped into a pagan friend who lives locally. I should have known a real friend wouldn’t care how I looked, but I felt so embarrassed I made a hasty excuse and rushed out of the shop as fast as possible.

I don’t feel proud of myself for that. I don’t even feel proud of my need to shave my legs before baring them in public. I know I should be able to feel comfortable in my natural skin – warts, hairs and all - on the beach or anywhere else. But, I doubt that I will ever be able to completely shake off the social conditioning that says women should look a certain way.

What do you think?

Do leave a comment.

The picture is from a greeting card: Skinny Dippers by Peter Adderley Card