News: Witchcraft, Witch Hunts, Occult, Paganism

Here is a round-up of news stories from around the world the past week relating to witchcraft, paganism and the occult. Several stories are about events in the US:

"France: Ancient pagan burials shows slow path to Christianity" - story at International Business Times UK: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/vast-ancient-necropolis-southern-france-reveals-path-christianity-was-slow-1602573

"From severed heads to the 'Hex on Becks' – charting football's pagan past" - story at Scroll.in: https://thefield.scroll.in/827855/from-severed-heads-to-the-hex-on-becks-charting-footballs-pagan-past

""Plenty to explore on this perfect half-day stroll" - story at the Harrogate Advertiser about the Druids Temple, a folly created by William Danby of nearby Swinton Hall (pictured top): http://www.harrogateadvertiser.co.uk/lifestyle/outdoors/plenty-to-explore-on-this-perfect-half-day-stroll-1-8343533

"W.I.T.C.H. Rises Again to Take on the Patriarchy, White Supremacy, and More" - story at The Daily Dot: http://www.dailydot.com/irl/witch-is-back/

"Doctors are scarce on India's river island – so the witch-hunters are back" - story at The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/29/witch-hunters-return-river-island-assam-india

"'Psychic cat' is bought by a Siberian witch for £66750" - story at Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4161012/Psychic-cat-bought-Siberian-witch-66-750.html

"The Brattle Theatre presents a weeklong celebration of the occult" - story about a week of films and talks about the occult in movies, in the US, at Metro.us: http://www.metro.us/boston/the-brattle-theatre-presents-a-weeklong-celebration-of-the-occult/zsJqaA---Bh9Q7DCY5Qpc/

"Russians seek secrets of future with pagan traditions" - story at The Daily Star: https://www.dailystar.com.lb/Life/Living/2017/Jan-20/390149-russians-seek-secrets-of-future-with-pagan-traditions.ashx

"Religious Services Now Being Held in OH and WV Prisons for Pagans, Wiccans, and Satanists" - story at World Religion News: http://www.worldreligionnews.com/religion-news/religious-services-now-being-held-in-oh-and-wv-prisons-for-pagans-wiccans-satanists

"'Nazi druid' Burghard B. detained on terror charges" - story at Deutsche Welle: http://www.dw.com/en/nazi-druid-burghard-b-detained-on-terror-charges/a-37291335

"Salem finalizes plans for memorial where 19 'witches' were executed" - story at The Boston Globe: https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/01/27/salem-finalizes-plans-for-memorial-where-witches-were-executed/mB4UOukHKKsFtENzhTA9BP/story.html

Photo copyright details: This image was taken from the Geograph project collection. See this photograph's page on the Geograph website for the photographer's contact details. The copyright on this image is owned by Paul Allison and is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license.

Mysteries of Covent Garden is Moving

Mysteries of Covent Garden, the new age bookshop and crystal store that had been on Monmouth Street for more than 30 years, is moving. The old store closed last weekend, and the new shop at 34 Short's Gardens, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9PX, will open in a few days. The telephone number will remain the same (0207 240 3688).

Mysteries took over the new premises after Pavilion Books surrendered its lease. The shop says it will still be offering readings and the product range will remain unaltered. Call 0207 240 3688 for more details.

Link: http://robincalver.com/mysteries-move-to-shorts-gardens/

Pagan Eye: Hobby Horse at a Pagan Wassail

Here is a photo taken at a wassail at Langford Pumping Station in Essex on Sunday 22nd January.

The picture was sent to me by someone who reads my blog. They said: "It was a fun day, though a bit cold!"

The hobby horse looks wonderful and the picture is great!

My Pagan Eye posts show photos that I find interesting - seasonal images, pagan sites, events, or just pretty pictures. If you want to send me a photo for a Pagan Eye post, please email it to badwitch1234@gmail.com Let me know what the photo shows and whether you want your name mentioned or not. For copyright reasons, the photo must be one you have taken yourself.

The photo is the copyright of the person who took the photo and has been used here with permission.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/01/magical-wassail-under-frosty-full-moon.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/11/pagan-eye-strange-beastie-from-folklore.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/11/pagan-eye-native-american-horse-totem.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/08/pagan-eye-uffington-white-horse-in-rain.html

Review: Oxford Illustrated History of Witchcraft & Magic

If you are looking for a book about the history of witchcraft that is comprehensive and impeccably researched, but also well written and fascinating to read, then the new The Oxford Illustrated History of Witchcraft and Magic is what you should pop out an buy - or stick on your wishlist if you are a bit skint at the moment. The hardback RRP is £25, but it is worth it.

The book is edited by professor of social history Owen Davies and consists of chapters covering the story of witchcraft and magic from the ancient world right up to the fictional wizardry of Harry Potter. It looks at all aspects of the subject including depictions of witches in art and on screen and the anthropology of magic and practices in other parts of the world as well as Europe. Personally, I particularly enjoyed Owen Davies' chapter on The World of Popular Magic - about cunning folk and also spells cast by ordinary people for healing and protection.

Covering 4,000 years of magical practices and ideas, the book starts with exploring the first examples of spells inscribed on clay tablets in the ancient world. It goes on to look at the magical beliefs of the Roman, Greeks, Jews and early Christians as well as the role Arabs played in preserving ancient magical knowledge. It investigates what archives really tell us about the witch trials of the 16th and 17th  centuries then goes on to cover post-Enlightenment magic and the rise of  modern pagan witchcraft, including Wicca, in the 20th century. As well as looking at Western magic, the book examines the anthropology of magic in other parts of the world in the 19th to 21st centuries and finally looks at movie and TV portrayals of witches and magicians.

The description on the Oxford University Press website says:

This richly illustrated history provides a readable and fresh approach to the extensive and complex story of witchcraft and magic. Telling the story from the dawn of writing in the ancient world to the globally successful Harry Potter films, the authors explore a wide range of magical beliefs and practices, the rise of the witch trials, and the depiction of the Devil-worshipping witch.

The book also focuses on the more recent history of witchcraft and magic, from the Enlightenment to the present, exploring the rise of modern magic, the anthropology of magic around the globe, and finally the cinematic portrayal of witches and magicians, from The Wizard of Oz to Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

The illustrations, which include colour plates, really add to the book. As a practising witch myself, a photograph of what an ancient magical item or spell really looks like is more use than just a description.

And, of course, it is good to know that the book is reliable history. The contributors are all names to conjure with in the academic sense: Peter Maxwell-Stuart, Sophie Page, James Sharpe, Rita Voltmer, Charles Zika, Robert J. Wallis and Willem de Blécourt. The editor Owen Davies is Professor of Social History at the University of Hertfordshire. He has written extensively on the history of magic, witchcraft, ghosts, and popular medicine, including Grimoires: A History of Magic Books, Paganism: A Very Short Introduction, Magic: A Very Short Introduction and America Bewitched: The Story of Witchcraft after Salem.

Links and previous related posts
www.oup.com
@OUPAcademic
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/02/review-america-bewitched-witchcraft.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/10/review-grimoires-history-of-magic-books.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/02/review-magic-very-short-introduction.html

Pagan Eye: Lucky Cat for Chinese New Year

Here is a the Oriental lucky cat that I was given at Yule, on my altar for Chinese New Year.

It is the start year of the rooster in 2017 - not the year of the cat. In fact, there is no cat in the Chinese Zodiac, although there is a year of the tiger.

According to one Chinese folk tale, the reason that the cat is absent from the animals that form the 12-year cycle is also the reason why cats and rats are enemies. This is how the story goes:

Back in the day when the Jade Emperor was still arranging the zodiac, he organised a race to decide which animals would have a year named after them. At that time, the cat and the rat were friends and the cat asked the rat to wake her up so they could both get to the start of the race together. However, the rat forgot. The cat overslept and, despite running as fast as she could, she reached the finish line long after the other animals. Since then, cats have chased rats whenever they see them.

Actually, the real reason there is no year of the cat in Chinese astrology is that there were no domestic cats in China at the time the system was developed. I guess in some ways that means the cat was late for the heavenly race after all, but it had nothing to do with rats.

The lucky cat with the waving hand actually originated in Japanese culture, but is popular in China too.

On each Pagan Eye post, I show a photo that I find interesting, with a few words about it. It can be a seasonal image, a pagan site, an event, or just a pretty picture.

If you want to send me a photo for a Pagan Eye post, please email it to badwitch1234@gmail.com Let me know what the photo shows and whether you want your name mentioned or not. For copyright reasons, the photo must be one you have taken yourself and you must confirm that you are submitting it for A Bad Witch's Blog.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/03/pagan-eye-dragon-at-magical-lantern.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/01/ten-chinese-new-year-customs-and.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/12/lovely-presents-what-i-got-for-yule.html

Lighting a Candle For My Book's Birthday Today

Exactly a year ago today I held the launch party for my book Pagan Portals - Candle Magic.

Although the official publication date was in February, Treadwell's Bookshop had early copies in stock and Christina, who owns the shop, kindly let me hold my launch party there on January 29, 2016. The reason for the early launch party was that I wanted it before Imbolc and Candlemas, on February 1 and 2, a traditional time for the blessing of candles.

Since then I have also run regular workshops on candle magic at Treadwell's. The next one is on Sunday March 4 and the details are here: https://www.treadwells-london.com/event/practical-candle-magic-5/

I've also run talks and workshops on candle magic and scrying by candlelight at other places including Atlantis Bookshop and the Pagan Federation London Conference. My next workshop at Atlantis is next weekend and the details are here: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/01/magic-school-scrying-divination-and.html

I've been delighted at how well my book has been received, with lovely reviews on several websites and in magazines including Spirit & Destiny. It has also gone on sale worldwide - I was even sent a picture of it in a shop in Tasmania!

So, today I am going to light a candle on a birthday cake and make a wish - and you can join in too. Just get a cake, pop a candle on it and wish for whatever you desire. It doesn't have to be your birthday to do that kind of candle magic!

Copies of Pagan Portals - Candle Magic can be ordered from Treadwell's, Atlantis Bookshop, via the publisher Moon Books website, or through Amazon.

News: Witchcraft, Occult, Wicca, Health, History

"Our growing fascination with witchcraft" - story at The Week UK: http://www.theweek.co.uk/80927/our-growing-fascination-with-witchcraft

"Magick as strategy in World War Two" - a look at the history behind a novel called Aleister and Adolf, at Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-warcollege-24jan-idUSKBN1582G1

"Pagans, Wiccans, Satanists can now practice religion in Ohio prisons" - story at Columbus Dispatch: http://www.dispatch.com/news/20170121/pagans-wiccans-satanists-can-now-practice-religion-in-ohio-prisons

"No wicked witches lurk in the dark" - story at Newcastle Advertiser: http://newcastleadvertiser.co.za/110973/no-wicked-witches-lurk-in-the-dark/

"Wiccan Beliefs And Habits: 4 Health Practices That Are Not Witchcraft" - story at Medical Daily: http://www.medicaldaily.com/wiccan-beliefs-and-habits-4-health-practices-are-not-witchcraft-409308

"East Java's villagers hunt witches to put an end to nightmares and sickness" - story at The Sydney Morning Herald: http://www.smh.com.au/world/witchhunts-fuelled-by-vivid-dreams-20170118-gtu5z0.html

"The mysterious monument to a witch called Maggie Wall" - story at Scotsman: http://www.scotsman.com/news/the-mysterious-monument-to-a-witch-called-maggie-wall-1-4346725

Pagan Eye: The Air Loom Human Influencing Machine

This amazing machine looks like something out of a steampunk fantasy, but is on display at Bethlem Museum of the Mind at the moment. It is an installation based on the Air Loom, which was detailed by James Tilly Matthews, a 19th century Bethlem patient who believed it was being used in secret to mind-control people in power.

I actually went to the museum because I wanted to see the Louis Wain exhibition before it closes. Although I very much enjoyed looking at the illustrations and paintings of cats that Louis Wain is famous for, I was so fascinated by the Air Loom that I decided to put a picture of that on my blog today instead of a Louis Wain cat, which had been my original idea.

The art installation, called The Air Loom: A Human Influencing Machine, is by Rod Dickinson and the museum website says:

This artwork is a materialisation of the paranoid delusion of James Tilly Matthews, a Bethlem patient of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
Matthews believed that influencing machines were hidden close to the corridors of power and were being operated to devastating effect by a shady gang of French revolutionaries bent on plunging Europe into war. He was also convinced that one of these enormous machines had been placed in or near Bethlem Hospital with malign intent towards him.

There is also a book out called The Influencing Machine, by author Mike Jay, and the description of that says: "Here [Matthews] delusions are celebrated as the most complex and bizarre ever recorded and strangely many of the incredible events he claims to have been involved in are entirely true."

Bethlem Museum of the Mind is part of the Bethlem Royal Hospital and is at Monks Orchard Road, Beckenham, Kent BR3 3BX. It is open to the public for free from Wednesday to Saturday each week. The Air Loom is on display until February 25 and the Lou Wain exhibition runs until February 4.

Links and previous related posts
http://museumofthemind.org.uk/
http://www.theairloom.org./
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/01/review-steampunk-tarot-gods-of-machine.html

Imbolc Pagan Events in London and Elsewhere

Here are some of the events over Imbolc - the festival in celebration of the first signs of spring - that might interest pagans. Most of those I list are in London but some are in other parts of southern England. If you know of an event that you want listed, please email the details to me at badwitch1234@gmail.com.

Thursday 26 January; Developing Extrasensory Abilities: The Energy of Books with the Meditation, Sensing Energy and Intuition Development Meetup Group. Venue: St Stephen's Church,
Gloucester Road, London SW7. Time: 6.30pm. Price: £12. Details and booking: https://www.meetup.com/Sensing-Energy-and-Intuition-Development/

Thursday 26 January; Connect with Source: Crown Chakra Healing Journey with Sound with Himesh of the London College of Spirituality. Venue: Columbia Hotel, 95- 99 Lancaster Gate, London W2 3NS. Time: 7pm. £20/£25. Details and reservations: http://www.londoncollegeofspirituality.co.uk/

Thursday 26 January; The Spirits of Crossbones Graveyard - talk at London Fortean Society. Oxford anthropologist Prof Sondra L Hausner looks at the historical practices of sex work. Venue: The Bell, 50 Middlesex Street, London, E1 7EX. Tickets £4/£2 plus online booking fee. Time: 7.45pm. Bookings: https://www.wegottickets.com/event/383003 Details: https://www.facebook.com/LondonForteanSociety/

Thursday 26 January; The Art House and the Crick Crack Club Present Cinema of the Imagination! Rebranding Beelzebub. Venue:  ArtHouse Crouch End, 159A Tottenham Lane, N8 9BT. Time: 8.30pm. Audience: 14 (Or Thereabouts) + Tickets £8/10. http://www.arthousecrouchend.co.uk/crickcrackclub/

Thursday 26 January; Oscar Wilde's Supernatural Lecture - Nina Antonia. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.15pm for 7.30pmstart. Ticket price £8. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Friday 27 January; Shamanistic Healing. Talk by Francesca  G. Rossetti. Venue: Rilko (Research Into Lost Knowledge). Public lecture. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35, Park Road, London, NW1 6XT. Time: 6.45pm, lecture starts 7.15pm. Entrance: £8/£6. http://www.rilko.net/EZ/rilko/rilko/home.php

Friday 27 January; Ancestral Healing. Lecture by Jez Hughes, author of The Heart of Life. Venue: College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm. Cost: £14/£18. Advance booking recommended. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Friday 27 January; Earthstars Group Meeting. Chris Street will speak about the Earthstars Healing Chant, where it comes from and how it fits with the geometry of the Earthstar. Venue:  Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Rd, London NW1 6XT. Time: doors open 7pm, talk at 7.30pm. Entry by donation.  https://www.facebook.com/Earthstars-Sacred-Space-104790729559515/ or http://www.earthstars.co.uk/

Friday 27 January; Free London College of Spirituality Family Community Gathering: Celebrating 10 years of the college. Venue: Saint Pauls Church, 5 Rossmore Rd, Marylebone, London NW1 6NJ. Time: 7pm. Free, but you must book a ticket in advance: http://www.londoncollegeofspirituality.co.uk/events

Saturday 28 January; Introduction to shamanism, shamanic journey and healing with Behind the Veil Shamanism. All welcome, Venue in Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. Time: 11am. Entry: £85. Details: http://www.meetup.com/Behind-The-Veil-Shamanism/

Saturday 28 January; Herbal Magic with Macbeth's Witches Afternoon Intensive with Trefor Wickens. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 1pm - 5.30pm. Ticket price £40. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Saturday 28 January; South London Red Tent Meetup - welcoming the new year. Make a vision board for the year ahead. Women-only event and you must be a member of the group to attend. Venue: The Horse and Groom, 60 Streatham High Road, South London. Time: 11am-1pm. Details and booking here: https://www.meetup.com/South-London-Red-Tent/

Saturday 28 January; Religion, Myth and Superstition in London's History - guided tour at the Museum of London. Venue: Museum of London, 150 London Wall, London EC2Y 5HN. Time: 11am. Tickets: £12.50/£10. Booking and details: http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london/event-detail?id=90610

Saturday 28 January; Imbolc Ceremony in Queens Wood, Highgate, with London Woodland Witches Magicians and Outdoor Pagans. Meet in the back garden of The Woodman's pub near Highgate tube, North London at 2pm to walk to the woods shortly after that, set up an altar and do ritual. Cost £3. You must reserve a place in advance. Wear outdoor clothes and bring food and drink to share. Details and bookings:  https://www.meetup.com/London-Woodland-Witches-Outdoor-Pagans/

Saturday 28 January; Wassail in South London with Pagan Future Fests. Time: 2pm. Details: https://www.facebook.com/Pagan-FutureFests-352385661439366/ and  https://www.meetup.com/Londonpagancommunity/events/235506706/

Saturday 28 January; Goddess of the sacred Flame Vesta/Hestia Workshop. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Road, London SE9. Time: 11am-5pm. Tickets £39.99, includes a light lunch. contact Shirlee@wiccamoon.org.uk or call Wicca Moon on 0208 8507803. https://www.facebook.com/events/385185715168050/

Sunday 29 January; Meditation at Russell Brands Trew Era Cafe, 30 Whitmore Road, London N1 5QA. Starts 10.15am. Free event. Details: https://www.meetup.com/meditation-trust-london/

Sunday 29 January; London's Chinese New Year Festival to celebrate the start of the Year of the Rooster. The event starts at about 10am with a parade to Shaftesbury Avenue, followed by free performances in Trafalgar Square and activities in nearby Chinatown. Free, public event. http://www.chinatownlondon.org/

Sunday 29 January; Anderida Gorsedd Imbolc 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 29 January; Ageless Wisdom for Everyone - talk about Theosophy. Venue: The Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place London, W1U 8EA. Time: 2pm. Details: https://www.meetup.com/Theosophical-Society-in-London/

Sunday 29 January; South London Wicca Meetup. Imbolc Celebration, Venue: Tooting Bec, London - a private house. Time: 3pm. You must be a member of the meetup group to reserve a place on this event: http://www.meetup.com/South-London-Wicca-Meetup/

Sunday 29 January; Consciousness Expanding Talks, Yoga, Meditation, Sound and more! Event with Steve Nobel. Venue: Brady Arts and Community Centre, 192-196 Hanbury St, London, E1 5HU. Time: noon-6pm. Tickets £12. Details: http://www.ourgom.com/event/consciousness-expanding-talks-yoga-meditation-sound-and-more/

Sunday 29 January; Kith of the Tree and Well Moot. Heathen moot with talk and blot. Venue: The Horseshoe Inn, 26 Melior Street, London SE1. Time: 2pm. Details: https://www.facebook.com/groups/860184530737157/

Sunday 29 January; Imbolc/Candlemas Wheel of the Year ritual drawing from Celtic earth/pagan traditions at Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, 3 Pilgrim's Place, London NW3 1NG. Time: 7pm. http://rosslynhillchapel.org.uk/

Monday 30 January; Hand Magic Class: Energy of the Sun with the Meditation, Sensing Energy and Intuition Development Meetup Group. Venue: St Stephen's Church, Gloucester Road, London SW7. Time: 6pm. Price: £10. Details and booking: https://www.meetup.com/Sensing-Energy-and-Intuition-Development/

Monday 30 January; Creating a New Spiritual Initiative. Talk and book signing by Daniel Pinchbeck. Organised by Alternatives. Venue: St James's Church, 197 Piccadilly, London W1J 9LL, Doors open 6.30pm. Event starts: 7pm. Tickets £15/£10 online. For more details and to book tickets: http://www.alternatives.org.uk/

Monday 30 January; The Divine Feminine. Conference hosted by Gnosis London. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London NW1. Time: 7pm. Details: https://www.facebook.com/events/249644208805011/

Monday 30 January; Moonlight Goddess Gathering - monthly event organised by Anoushka through Funzing. Venue: Clifton Gardens, London, W9 1DT. Time: 7.15pm. Tickets: £20. Details and bookings: http://uk.funzing.com/funz/2940?

Monday 30 January; Soul Connections: Ancestral Healing Workshop with the Meditation, Sensing Energy and Intuition Development Meetup Group. Venue: St Stephen's Church Hall, 48 Emperor's Gate, London SW7 4HJ. Time: 7.15pm. Price: £15. Details and booking: https://www.meetup.com/Sensing-Energy-and-Intuition-Development/

Monday 30 January; Witches Gathering (was Croydon Children of Artemis Gathering. Usually meets on the last Monday of each month.) Venue: downstairs in the cellar of the Cittie of Yorke, 22 High Holborn, London WC1V 6BS. Starting for 7.30pm. onwards. For any questions email coacentral@witchcraft.org or visit http://www.witchfest.net/

Tuesday 31 January; Neuro-Magica: Weaving Apophenia, Aporia and Awen. Talk by David Luke, author of Breaking Convention: Essays on Psychedelic Consciousness, at the Ecology, Cosmos and Consciousness Salon. Venue: October Gallery 24 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AL. Entry £8 /£6 Concessions. Arrive 6pm for 6.30pm Start - drinks available. Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/neuro-magica-weaving-apophenia-aporia-awen-tickets-31238324670? https://www.facebook.com/groups/EcologyCosmosConsciousness/

Tuesday 31 January 2017; 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

Wednesday 1 February; Wheel of the Year Festival - First Stirrings 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 around the fire on the lower lawn. Free admission to the gardens from 10am to noon. For more details, visit the website http://www.chalicewell.org.uk/

Wednesday 1 February Let's Meditate - group meditation. Venue: Buddha on a Bicycle, Covent Garden, London. Starts 6pm. Donations of £3 recommended. Details: http://www.meetup.com/meditation-trust-london/

Wednesday 1 February; Greenwich Skeptics in the Pub - Chris French talking about Satanic Abuse Claims. Venue: The Star and Garter, 60 Old Woolwich Road, Greenwich, London SE10 9NY. Time: 7.30pm. Details: http://greenwich.skepticsinthepub.org/

Thursday 2 February; Every Breath You Take. Talk and book signing by Rose Elliot. Venue: 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 2 February; Water, Altered States and Psi. Talk by Callum Cooper, author of Telephone Calls from the Dead. Venue: Society for Psychical Research, 1 Vernon Mews, London W14 0RL. Time: 7pm. Members free, nonmembers £5/£2. https://www.spr.ac.uk/

Friday 3 February; A Demonstration of Spirit Portraits and Clairvoyance with Angela Watkins and June-Elleni Laine. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm-8.30pm. Cost: £14/£18. Advance booking recommended. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Friday 3 February; The Crick Crack Club presents Wild Ones - an evening about our wild side at the Wellcome Collection. Venue: Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Rd, Kings Cross, London NW1 2BE. Time: 7pm until late. Entry: Free, but some events must be booked in advance (booking opens 27th Jan). Info: https://wellcomecollection.org/events/friday-late-spectacular-wild-ones

Friday 3 February; Psychedelic Magic Lecture - Julian Vayne. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.15pm for 7.30pmstart. Ticket price £8. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Saturday, 4 February; AnderidaFest 2017. Venue: Southwick Community Centre, Southwick, West Sussex. Tickets £25/£20. Details and booking: http://www.anderidagorsedd.org/anderidafest/anderidafest-2017/

Saturday, 4 February; Day of talks about science, religion and spirituality, part of a year-long festival called Belief and Beyond Belief about what it means to be human. Venue: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. Saturday tickets £15 for the whole day of talks. More details and booking: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/festivals-series/belief-and-beyond-belief

Saturday, 4 February; Magical Working with Baphomet. All-day Intensive Workshop with Julian Vayne, co-author of The Book of Baphomet. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 10.45am-5.30pm. Ticket price £70. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Saturday, 4 February; Imbolc - Celtic Spring Festival at  Butser Ancient Farm, Hampshire. Ticket: £12 including vegetarian meal. 1pm– 4pm. Call 023 9259 8838 or visit www.butserancientfarm.co.uk.

Saturday, 4 February; Scrying by Candlelight - afternoon workshop on crystal ball reading, mirror and water divination run by myself, Lucya Starza. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49A Museum St, London WC1A 1LY. The shop is near the British Museum. The workshop runs from 2pm to 5pm, with a break for refreshments in the middle. The cost is £20 per person. All materials, as well as tea, coffee and biccies, are included. To book a place, email atlantis@theatlantisbookshop.com, phone 020 7405 2120 or pop in to the shop.

Saturday, 4 February; Gallery Talk - Greek Gods. Venue: Room 13, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Time: 1.15pm. Free, just turn up. For more details visit: https://www.britishmuseum.org/

Saturday, 4 February; Sacred Cacao Ceremony and Journey to Meet your Spirit Animal. Venue: The Hive Dalston, 260-264 Kingsland Road, London E8 4DG. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £25, Details: https://www.meetup.com/Dreameca-Cacao-Ceremonies-Womens-Circles-Reiki-Yoga/ 

Sunday 5 February; Imbolc on Primrose Hill with the Loose Association of Druids. Open ritual hosted by Jeremy Morgan, the Druid of Wormwood Scrubbs. Venue: The Hawthorne Grove, Primrose Hill, Regents Park, London NW1. Starts at 1pm, ends at around 3pm. Nearest tube: Chalk Farm. https://www.facebook.com/events/239732333138945/

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

Note: I do not organise any of these events except my scrying by candlelight workshop. Although I try to make sure the details on my listing are accurate, I do not always know about late changes or ticket availability etc. Please contact the organiser before attending any event.

Craft: My Straw Brigid Doll for Imbolc

After making a Brigid's cross for Imbolc, I decided to use the leftover straws to make a Brigid doll.

In some parts of Ireland and Scotland it is traditional to parade a doll representing St Brigid around the town on January 31, which is the eve of St Brigid's Feast Day. This doll is then given place of honour while everyone taking part in the festivities has a bit of a party, then she is put to bed before being greeted again in the morning. According to folklore, this would bring blessings upon the household for the coming year, and clothes left by the doll overnight would also be blessed to help protect those who wore them.

For Pagans, the goddess Brigid is celebrated in a similar way - although most pagans I know parade the Brigid doll around their house rather than around the town, then put her on their altar and light a candle to honour her.

The doll, which is known as a Brídeóg (also called a 'Breedhoge' or 'Biddy'), is often made from rushes, reeds or straw and is dressed in white cloth, shells or flowers. For many pagans Brigid is the bride of spring. Her arrival at the festival of Imbolc coincides with the first signs of green shoots growing in the soil and perhaps a few snowdrops starting to bloom.

I made the doll in the photo above by adapting the instructions I found on the Colorful Crafts website, but there are many other ways of making a Brigid doll that you can find online or in books. The basic instructions for the one I made are relatively easy.

Soak a bundle of straws in water so they become pliable.

Take a bunch of them and tie string or cotton a couple of centimetres from one end, then fold the long ends of the straw over the tied section to form a neat head.

Tie more string or cotton around the straw where the neck would be.

Take a few straws and push them through the doll to form the arms, then tie string or cotton underneath the arms to hold them in place and to help the remaining straws splay out to look like a skirt.

Form the hands by tying string or cotton where the wrists would be, then trim the straws to the length you desire.

You can adorn the Brigid doll with seasonal flowers or dress her in white fabric.

My Brigid doll will be going on my own Imbolc altar along with my Brigid's cross and a candle carrying Brigid's sacred flame.

Additional note: Since I originally wrote this post, my Brigid doll has appeared on the front cover of my own book Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls, which covers a variety of dolls for seasonal celebrations.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/02/candle-magic-brigids-flame-snowdrops.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/02/candle-magic-brigids-flame-snowdrops.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/01/celebrating-imbolc-start-of-spring.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/03/review-pagan-portals-brigid-celtic.html
http://colorful-crafts.com/how-to-make-a-brigid-doll-straw-doll/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imbolc

Craft: How to Make a Brigid's Cross for Imbolc

Brigid's crosses, like the one in the photo above, are traditionally made in Ireland on 1 February, which is St Brigid's feast day. They are also often by pagans for the festival of Imbolc on the same day, celebrating the first stirrings of spring. While Catholics honour St Brigid, Pagans honour Brigid who is the Celtic Goddess of poetry, the fires of the smith's forge and healing wells as well as having a variety of other roles too.

A Brigid's cross is usually woven from straw or rushes. As well as looking like a cross it represents the sun, which is noticeably increasing in strength as the days lengthen.

The crosses are traditionally hung over doors or windows as a protective symbol and are particularly associated with keeping homes safe from fire. Personally I would get a smoke alarm too, but a little magical help can't hurt. You can, of course, also put them on Imbolc altars to honour the goddess, then light a candle to represent her sacred flame.

I decided to have a go at making one. There are lots of easy to follow instructions to be found in books and online, but I've set out the basic steps using strips of paper in the other photos on this post.

You need about 14 straws or rushes. I bought natural crafting straws from a hobby shop, but you could pop into your garden and pick suitable dried plant stalks if you prefer to follow olden ways.

Soak the straws to make them supple.

Start the cross by placing one straw straight upwards, then fold a second straw in half and place it around the middle of the straight straw, as in the photo top right.

Turn the two straws 90 degrees to the left, fold a third straw in half and place that around the folded second straw so that it is parallel to the right half of the first straw.

Turn the cross 90 degrees again, fold a fourth straw in half and place it around the third straw, holding that in place.

Keep on turning the cross, folding a new straw and placing it around the previous one until you have a suitable sized woven square in the middle of the cross. Then tie the ends of the arms with string or cotton.

It is a bit fiddly, but not really that difficult once you get the hang of the basic process. The picture at the top shows my first attempt and I'm reasonably pleased with it.

If you want to find out more about the goddess Brigid, I recommend the book Brigid: Meeting The Celtic Goddess of Poetry, Forge, and Healing Well. It is by Morgan Daimler and is in Moon Books' Pagan Portals series. You can read my review of it here: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/03/review-pagan-portals-brigid-celtic.html

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/03/review-pagan-portals-brigid-celtic.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/02/candle-magic-brigids-flame-snowdrops.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigid's_cross

Psychogeography of Protest & Hope for Hard Times

Phil Smith, author of On Walking and The Footbook of Zombie Walking, has written a psychogeographical response to the upset, anger and despair many feel at Trump's inauguration.

He told me: "I have somehow dreamed up a response, an attempt to explain what is happening and why and what we can do about it. I hope you enjoy it, find it useful and can draw actions and ideas from it."

Phil's mythophilosophical guide to ways of countering the current seemingly Orwellian situation is called Dreaming Invisible Things: A New Politics of Hope for Difficult Times. You can read it online or download it as a free pdf here: http://www.triarchypress.net/mythophilosophy.html

Witchcraft & Poison: By Wolfsbane & Mandrake Root

The beautiful but deadly flower in the photo above is wolfsbane, also known as also known as aconite, monkshood, devil's helmet and Queen of all Poisons. I took the photograph on a plant tour of Kew Gardens last summer, but I am sharing the picture now because it features in the title of a fascinating new book about witchcraft - By Wolfsbane and Mandrake Root: The Shadow World of Plants and their Poisons, by Melusine Draco, which is launched tomorrow.

Melusine, who is also the author of the Traditional Witchcraft series of books, shows how witchcraft and knowledge about poisons have a long and intertwined history. The crime of poisoning, or ‘veneficium’, was associated with sorcery and witchcraft back into ancient times, but witches also made use of poisons in controlled amounts for such things as flying potions for shamanic journeying or astral travel. And, of course, many poisons also have medicinal uses to heal as well as to harm.

By Wolfsbane and Mandrake Root offers a history of the use of poisons and their remedies and is also something of an encyclopedia of poisonous plants, listing the scientific and botanical details of pretty much any dangerous plant you are likely to encounter or read about. Being a book about witchcraft, it also mentions their magical uses. For example, wolfsbane, "One of the most beautiful and also oldest and most deadliest of poisons," has, "Magical propensities for invisibility and protection from evil. Excellent for redirecting predators."

The book is not encouraging anyone to use or take poisons. Melusine points out that the information in the book is for interest only. However, learning to recognise poisonous plants can also protect us from accidentally picking or eating them. Some are so dangerous they should not even be touched. Forewarned is forearmed.

Publisher Moon Books describes the book on its website as: "A study of poisonous plants, many of which have beneficial uses in both domestic medicine and magic."

It goes on to say: "A large number of poisonous plants have beneficial uses in both domestic medicine and magic. Needless to say, when utilising a toxic plant in magic, we are adding certain extra deadly or potent energies into the mix and it is inadvisable to start messing about with deadly poisons unless we’ve made a thorough study of the subject - and not just by glancing at a paragraph in a book on herbal preparations!"

By Wolfsbane and Mandrake Root: The Shadow World of Plants and their Poisons can be ordered via Amazon.

The photo at the top shows Aconitum hemsleyanum (climbing Monkshood) at Kew Gardens and was taken by myself, Lucya Starza. Credit my name and www.badwitch.co.uk if you reuse the image

Links and previous related posts:
By Wolfsbane and Mandrake Root: The Shadow World of Plants and their Poisons
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/03/review-traditional-witchcraft-for.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/08/pagan-eye-magical-mandrake-or-mandragora.html
http://www.moon-books.net/
http://www.kew.org/

Shopping: Witch Spoon Holder For Your Cauldron

I love this adorable witchy spoon holder that is also designed to slightly lift the lids of pots, pans and cauldrons to release the steam and prevent them boiling over.

The little wicth is called Agatha and is by Ototo Designs.

You can order Agatha via Amazon and she is due to be released at the end of this month. I've added her to my wishlist and am sure she will become indespensable to my kitchen witchcraft.

National Hugging Day: Who Needs a Hug?

Yesterday, I had a tooth extracted at the dentist. Today, I could really do with a hug. So, it is probably a good thing that today is National Hugging Day.

Here are some details I was sent about the science behind why hugs make us all feel so much better about pretty much anything:

• Hugs release oxytocin – a chemical which can make us happy – yet a third of us receive no hugs at all
• 3.2m Brits believe hugging relieves stress and helps them relax and want 6 a day… but have to settle for 2
• Family hugs are the tops – with partners, sons/daughters and mum making the top 5 favourite huggers
• • Dogs awarded title of ‘most huggable’ followed by cat, rabbits, horses and… elephants!

In pursuit of happiness, people traverse the globe, explore the world’s wonders, splash out millions on material goods, yet often still carry that empty feeling. If only the happiness chemical, oxytocin, could be homegrown – well it can!

According to research, a hug lasting seven seconds or longer can work the magic of releasing the happiness hormone, perking us up from gloomy blues. That’s great news for Brits – to mark National Hugging Day, which takes place on 21 January each year, and inspired by the huge positive response to the ‘Duggee Hug’ featured in the BAFTA award-winning CBeebies’ show Hey Duggee, BBC Worldwide commissioned research, which reveals that the average hug lasts 7.7 seconds. However, Brits are in desperate need of more hugs.

The poll shows that we would like an average of nearly six hugs a day, with those in the Midlands being the most huggable – demanding a whopping 12 hugs a day! Unfortunately we fall short, with Brits only getting an average of two hugs a day, and 33% (17.2m) not receiving any hugs at all.

So where are all the hugs going? Research shows that Brits may hug their partners the most (50%). However, daughters (23%) and sons (19%) come a close second and third, showing that we are still hugging our children more than our female friends (17%) and our mums (13%). It would seem that family is oxytocin central – 37% believe their partners give the best hugs, followed by daughters (13%) and sons (10%). 35% of folk say they enjoy hugging as it shows affection and increases bonding, and many also say it relaxes them, relieves stress and gives them a sense of belonging.

As a nation of pet lovers, 9% of Brits even believe that their cats and dogs give better hugs than their male friends and colleagues! Dogs were deemed the most huggable pet (44%) with cats in second place (19%) and rabbits hopping into third (7%).

If you’re single, fret not since female friends (9%) and mums (7%) are not too far behind in giving good hugs. Men, unfortunately lag behind in this category as well and lose the battle to pets again with dogs and cats found to give better hugs than male friends and colleagues.

You would think with a shortfall in hugs, we would take as many as we can get! Women think otherwise with stats revealing that 48% of women are more likely to avoid hugs than their male friends, and in total, 21.5m Brits have dodged a hug at some point in their life.

What Experts Think
Happiness and hugging expert, Andy Cope, has plenty to say about the humble hug, “Hugging stimulates the production of oxytocin, a neurotransmitter that acts on the brain's emotional centre. It promotes feelings of contentment and reduces anxiety and stress as well as promoting feelings of devotion, trust and bonding. But there’s more. A mum's touch even seems to mitigate pain – remember when you were a child and you fell down and grazed your knee? A loving hug made it all go away.

“There’s research that indicates hugging releases hormones that are immunoregulatory and have a deep impact on the health of our immune systems. Hugging also releases dopamine, another wonderful chemical that can help stave off depression and, it’s believed, even Parkinson’s Disease. Dopamine changes how our bodies handle stress, both physical and social.”

CBeebies’ Hey Duggee certainly knows the benefits of hugs. A pre-school series that encourages young children to embrace the embrace, each episode ends with the animal characters gathering together for a #DuggeeHug – the perfect end to a day of activities at The Squirrel Club, all compassionately overseen by our loveable canine hero, Duggee.

Andy Cope, concludes “It’s remarkable that such a complex surge of events in the brain and body are all initiated by a simple, supportive touch. Regardless of your touchy-feely preference level, hugging can convey a message that words often can’t, so be sure to give and get your quota of hugs.”

The research for Hey Duggee was carried out online by Opinion Matters between 06/01/2017 and 09/01/2017 amongst a panel resulting in 2,001 general respondents in the UK. All research conducted adheres to the MRS Codes of Conduct (2010) in the UK and ICC/ESOMAR World Research Guidelines. Opinion Matters is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office and is fully compliant with the Data Protection Act (1998).

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HEYDUGGEE
Twitter: @HEYDUGGEE

News: Witches, Tarot, History, Culture, Occult

"Mesmerizing Depictions of Magic and Witchcraft Throughout History" - Review of Christopher Dell’s new book The Occult, Witchcraft and Magic: An Illustrated History at Atlas Obscura: http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/mesmerizing-depictions-of-magic-and-witchcraft-throughout-history

"The Artists Recreating the Tarot Deck for the 21st Century" - story at Broadly: https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/the-artists-recreating-the-tarot-deck-for-the-21st-century

"region debates Nutcracker 'occult' row" - story at BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-38652926

"Eight Secrets of Blarney Castle" - one of them involves a witch. See Travel+Leisure: http://www.travelandleisure.com/culture-design/architecture-design/blarney-castle-unique-facts-history

"Bizarre ways folks used to pinpoint witches" - story at K24 TV: http://www.mediamaxnetwork.co.ke/entertainment-and-lifestyle/290226/bizarre-ways-folks-used-pinpoint-witches/

"12 Pop Culture Witches, Ranked By Actual Witchiness" - story at Refinery29: http://www.refinery29.com/2017/01/136849/best-witch-movies-tv-shows-real-witchcraft#slide

Walk: Harry Potter's London with Strawberry Tours

If you read my blog regularly you will probably know that as well as being a real-life witch, I am a fan of the fictional wizardry of the Harry Potter books. Here are the details from a press release I was sent by about guided Harry Potter walks in London - I could be tempted to go on one myself:

Following in the footsteps of Harry Potter with Strawberry Tours

At 3.30pm every day in Leicester Square, something wonderful happens. Potterheads, families, tourists, and a whole mix of people gather to be led on a free tour of London like they've never seen it before. They're going to be shown Harry Potter's London, from the Ministry of Magic to The Leaky Cauldron, revealed as if by magic!

Strawberry Tours' Harry Potter walking tour is a great way to see some of the most iconic buildings, streets and neighbourhoods which inspired JK Rowling, and appeared in the Harry Potter films. The tour guides are as educated about the Harry Potter world as any muggle can be – and luckily they’re at hand to show some of the most well-known Harry Potter attractions located in and around central London. This includes a stroll down Diagon Alley, and even some shops selling one-of-a-kind Potter-related merchandise that you can't find anywhere else in the Harry Potter world.

Of the company running as a “free tour” operator, City Manager Charles Purdue-Pulido said, “We believe that everyone, no matter their budget, should be able to experience and enjoy what London has to offer. We also believe that the price of the tour should correlate with your budget and how much you enjoyed it. Therefore, our tours run on a “Pay-What-It’s-Worth” basis so that everyone can choose to donate whatever they thought it was worth.”

About Strawberry Tours: Strawberry Tours, recently re-branded from Free Tours of London, is one of the very first tourism companies to offer a pay-what-you-want walking tour in London. Their tours have 4.9 or 5-star ratings on TripAdvisor, which has also granted them a Certificate of Excellence. Their Harry Potter tour runs every day in English and Spanish and it's a must for Harry Potter fans, families, budget travellers or anyone looking for a unique London experience.

You can visit the Strawberry Tours website on https://strawberrytours.com/london, call 0207 859 4996 or email hello@strawberrytours.com

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/05/harry-potter-and-bricket-wood-coven.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/08/british-library-to-host-harry-potter.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/12/lovely-presents-what-i-got-for-yule.html

This Week's Pagan Events In and Near London

Here are events over the next 10 days or so that could be of interest to pagan. Most are in London, because that's where I live, but I often mention a few that are in other parts of southern England. If you know of an event that you want listed, please email the details to me at badwitch1234@gmail.com.

Now to 3 Feb. Exhibition - Art and Consciousness, by Peter Miles. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35, Park Road, London, NW1 6XT. http://www.rsh.anth.org.uk/

Thursday 19 January; Wisdom of the Body - movement class with live drumming with Behind the Veil Shamanism. All welcome, Venue: The Hall, St Philips Church, Earls Court Road, London W8 6QH, London . Time: 7pm for 7.15pm start. Entry: £18. Details: http://www.meetup.com/Behind-The-Veil-Shamanism/

Thursday 19 January; 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 19 January; Drum Circle to Shamanic Journey. Venue: Caer Corhrain, 1 Southleas farm cottages, Lower Road, Minster, Sheppey ME12 3SW. Time: 8pm. This takes place on the third Thursday each month. For more information visit ;http://www.touchtheearthuk.com/

Friday 20 January; How to Break Free from the Herd. Talk and book signing by Wendy Treynor. Venue: 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/

Friday 20 January; Spiritual Alchemy and the Philosophers Stone. Talk by Edwin Courtenay. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm-8.30pm. Cost: £14/£18. Advance booking recommended. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Friday 20 January; Being Deep Awake. Talk by Tim Freke at the London College of Spirituality. Venue: Columbia Hotel, 95-99 Lancaster Gate, London, W2 3NS. Time: 7pm. £10. Details and reservations: http://www.londoncollegeofspirituality.co.uk/events

Saturday 21 - Sunday 22 January; The Search for the Meaning of Life - two days of talks on subjects such as shamanism, mysticism and other aspects of spirituality, part of a year-long festival called Belief and Beyond Belief about what it means to be human. Elen Sentier is part of the panel on Saturday afternoon. Venue: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. Saturday tickets £15, weekend tickets £25. More details and booking: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/festivals-series/belief-and-beyond-belief

Sunday 22 January; Meditation at Russell Brands Trew Era Cafe, 30 Whitmore Road, London N1 5QA. Starts 10.15am. Free event. Details: https://www.meetup.com/meditation-trust-london/

Sunday 22 January; Ageless Wisdom for Everyone - talk about Theosophy. Venue: The Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place London, W1U 8EA. Time: 2pm. Details: https://www.meetup.com/Theosophical-Society-in-London/

Sunday 22 January; Zodiac Perfume Oils Workshop with Tanya Moulding. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 11am - 5.30pm. Ticket price £70. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Monday 23 January; Hand Magic Class: Water Energy with the Meditation, Sensing Energy and Intuition Development Meetup Group. Venue: St Stephen's Church,
Gloucester Road, London SW7. Time: 6pm. Price: £10. Details and booking: https://www.meetup.com/Sensing-Energy-and-Intuition-Development/

Monday 23 January; Water and the Age of Aquarius. Talk and book signing by Timothy Shieff. Organised by Alternatives. Venue: St James's Church, 197 Piccadilly, London W1J 9LL, Doors open 6.30pm. Event starts: 7pm. Tickets £12/£8 online. For more details and to book tickets: http://www.alternatives.org.uk/

Monday 23 January; Crossbones Vigil to honour The Goose and the outcast dead of Cross Bones Graveyard. Bring a flower, a ribbon, a totem or memento to tie to the shrine. Gather from 6.45pm for a 7pm start in Redcross Way outside the Memorial Gates, London SE1 1TA. For more details, visit http://www.crossbones.org.uk/ The new website is: http://crossbones.org.uk/

Monday 23 January; British Witchcraft Documentaries of the 1970s hosted by the London Fortean Society. Venue: Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets £5 plus booking fee. http://forteanlondon.blogspot.co.uk/

Tuesday 24 January; Creating paranormal drama for film and TV. Talk by Stephen Volk. Part of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit Invited Speaker Series at Goldsmiths. Venue: Room LG01, Prof Stuart Hall Bulding, Goldsmiths, University of London, New Cross, London SE14 6NW. Time: 6.10pm. Free entry, no need to book. Details:http://www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/apru/speakers

Tuesday 24 January; Spirit Circle: Connecting with the Spirit World, with Tim Braun. Venue: College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm. Cost: £14/£18. Advance booking recommended. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Tuesday 24 January; Healing Energy Workshop: Healing the Future with the Meditation, Sensing Energy and Intuition Development Meetup Group. Venue: St Stephen's Church Hall, 48 Emperor's Gate, London SW7 4HJ. Time: 7pm. Price: £15. Details and booking: https://www.meetup.com/Sensing-Energy-and-Intuition-Development/ or http://www.mariasuniverse.com/

Wednesday 25 January; Let's Meditate - group meditation. Venue: Buddha on a Bicycle, Covent Garden, London. Starts 6pm. Donations of £3 recommended. Details: http://www.meetup.com/meditation-trust-london/

Wednesday 25 January; Hertford Pagan Moot. Venue: White Horse Pub, 33 Castle Street, Hertford, Herts SG14 1HH (45 mins from central London). The pub does not have disabled access. This moot meets on the last Wednesday of each month at 8pm. contact via Facebook page Hertford Pagan Moot.

Thursday 26 January; Connect with Source: Crown Chakra Healing Journey with Sound with Himesh of the London College of Spirituality. Venue: Columbia Hotel, 95- 99 Lancaster Gate, London W2 3NS. Time: 7pm. £20/£25. Details and reservations: http://www.londoncollegeofspirituality.co.uk/

Thursday 26 January; The Spirits of Crossbones Graveyard - talk at London Fortean Society. Oxford anthropologist Prof Sondra L Hausner looks at the historical practices of sex work. Venue: The Bell, 50 Middlesex Street, London, E1 7EX. Tickets £4/£2 plus online booking fee. Time: 7.45pm. Bookings: https://www.wegottickets.com/event/383003 Details: https://www.facebook.com/LondonForteanSociety/

Thursday 26 January; The Art House and the Crick Crack Club Present Cinema of the Imagination! Rebranding Beelzebub. Venue:  ArtHouse Crouch End, 159A Tottenham Lane, N8 9BT. Time: 8.30pm. Audience: 14 (Or Thereabouts) + Tickets £8/10. http://www.arthousecrouchend.co.uk/crickcrackclub/

Thursday 26 January; Oscar Wilde's Supernatural Lecture - Nina Antonia. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.15pm for 7.30pmstart. Ticket price £8. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Friday 27 January; Shamanistic Healing. Talk by Francesca G. Rossetti. Venue: Rilko (Research Into Lost Knowledge). Public lecture. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35, Park Road, London, NW1 6XT. Time: 6.45pm, lecture starts 7.15pm. Entrance: £8/£6. http://www.rilko.net/EZ/rilko/rilko/home.php

Friday 27 January; Ancestral Healing. Lecture by Jez Hughes. Venue: College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm. Cost: £14/£18. Advance booking recommended. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Friday 27 January; Earthstars Group Meeting. Chris Street will speak about the Earthstars Healing Chant, where it comes from and how it fits with the geometry of the Earthstar. Venue:  Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Rd, London NW1 6XT. Time: doors open 7pm, talk at 7.30pm. Entry by donation.  https://www.facebook.com/Earthstars-Sacred-Space-104790729559515/ or http://www.earthstars.co.uk/

Saturday 28 January; Introduction to shamanism, shamanic journey and healing with Behind the Veil Shamanism. All welcome, Venue in Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. Time: 11am. Entry: £85. Details: http://www.meetup.com/Behind-The-Veil-Shamanism/

Saturday 28 January; Herbal Magic with Macbeth's Witches Afternoon Intensive with Trefor Wickens. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 1pm - 5.30pm. Ticket price £40. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Saturday 28 January; South London Red Tent Meetup - welcoming the new year. Make a vision board for the year ahead. Women-only event and you must be a member of the group to attend. Venue: The Horse and Groom, 60 Streatham High Road, South London. Time: 11am-1pm. Details and booking here: https://www.meetup.com/South-London-Red-Tent/

Saturday 28 January; Religion, Myth and Superstition in London's History - guided tour at the Museum of London. Venue: Museum of London, 150 London Wall, London EC2Y 5HN. Time: 11am. Tickets: £12.50/£10. Booking and details: http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london/event-detail?id=90610

Saturday 28 January; Imbolc Ceremony in Queens Wood, Highgate, with London Woodland Witches Magicians and Outdoor Pagans. Meet in the back garden of The Woodman's pub near Highgate tube, North London at 2pm to walk to the woods shortly after that, set up an altar and do ritual. Cost £3. You must reserve a place in advance. Wear outdoor clothes and bring food and drink to share. Details and bookings:  https://www.meetup.com/London-Woodland-Witches-Outdoor-Pagans/

Saturday 28 January; Wassail in South London with Pagan Future Fests. Time: 2pm. Details: https://www.facebook.com/Pagan-FutureFests-352385661439366/ and  https://www.meetup.com/Londonpagancommunity/events/235506706/

Sunday 29 January; South London Wicca Meetup.  Imbolc Celebration, Venue: Tooting Bec, London - a private house. Time: 3pm. You must be a member of the meetup group to reserve a place on this event: http://www.meetup.com/South-London-Wicca-Meetup/

Sunday 29 January; Consciousness Expanding Talks, Yoga, Meditation, Sound and more! Event with Steve Nobel. Venue: Brady Arts and Community Centre, 192-196 Hanbury St, London, E1 5HU. Time: noon-6pm. Tickets £12. Details: http://www.ourgom.com/event/consciousness-expanding-talks-yoga-meditation-sound-and-more/

Note: I do not organise any of these events. Although I try to make sure the details on my listing are accurate, I do not always know about late changes or ticket availability etc. Please contact the organiser before attending any event.