Sorry, not much of a blog post today. I was up all night with toothache - and there is a cat on my computer. Well, that's my excuse anyway.
Friday, 30 June 2017
Not Much of a Blog Today, Just a Cat Picture
Sorry, not much of a blog post today. I was up all night with toothache - and there is a cat on my computer. Well, that's my excuse anyway.
Thursday, 29 June 2017
News: JK Rowling, Witchcraft, Supernatural, Drama
"JK Rowling: The muggle who became the greatest witch of all time" - story at Times Now: http://www.timesnow.tv/the-buzz/article/jk-rowling-harry-potter-20-years-of-hp-hermione-granger-ron-weasley-albus-dumbledore-deathly-hallows/64281
"This is Why 'Witches' Are Using Binding Spells To Oppose Trump" - story at World Religion News: http://www.worldreligionnews.com/religion-news/wicca/witches-using-binding-spells-oppose-trump
"Ask a Witch: How To Bring Witchcraft Into Your Regular Life" - story at NYLON: https://www.nylon.com/articles/ask-a-witch-bring-witchcraft-into-your-life
"Scary, strange and supernatural" - write up about the Haunted America Conference, at AdVantage News: http://advantagenews.com/news/scary-strange-and-supernatural/
"The Occult Roots of Modernism" - story at The New Yorker: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/06/26/the-occult-roots-of-modernism
"Bewitching historical drama for Barnstaple Fringe TheatreFest" - details of a play about witchcraft, at North Devon Gazette: http://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/what-s-on/bewitching-historical-drama-for-barnstaple-fringe-theatrefest-1-5080893
"This is Why 'Witches' Are Using Binding Spells To Oppose Trump" - story at World Religion News: http://www.worldreligionnews.com/religion-news/wicca/witches-using-binding-spells-oppose-trump
"Ask a Witch: How To Bring Witchcraft Into Your Regular Life" - story at NYLON: https://www.nylon.com/articles/ask-a-witch-bring-witchcraft-into-your-life
"Scary, strange and supernatural" - write up about the Haunted America Conference, at AdVantage News: http://advantagenews.com/news/scary-strange-and-supernatural/
"The Occult Roots of Modernism" - story at The New Yorker: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/06/26/the-occult-roots-of-modernism
"Bewitching historical drama for Barnstaple Fringe TheatreFest" - details of a play about witchcraft, at North Devon Gazette: http://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/what-s-on/bewitching-historical-drama-for-barnstaple-fringe-theatrefest-1-5080893
Wednesday, 28 June 2017
This Week's Pagan Events In and Near London
Here are events in London plus a few in other parts of the UK over the next week or so that could be of interest to pagans.
Now to 31 December; The London Stone on Display. Venue: Museum of London, 150 London Wall, London EC2Y 5HN. Free exhibition during museum opening ours. http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london
Now to 30 September; Austin Osman Spare exhibition at the Last Tuesday Society. Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. http://www.thelasttuesdaysociety.org/
Tuesday 27 June; The Future of Mother Earth - Messages from an Okinawan Shaman. Lecture by Kazumi Ohishil at the College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm. Cost: £14/£12. Advance booking recommended. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/
Tuesday 27 June; Meeting Aleister Crowley and his Magick. An evening seminar with Marco Visconti. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Ticket price £20. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/
Tuesday 27 June; Manifesting Dreams with Lara Waldman. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Rd, London E9 7AD. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £25. http://www.sheslostcontrol.co.uk/
Wednesday 28 June; Stillness and Meditation at Mandeville Place. Venue: School of Economic Science, 11-13 Mandeville Place, London. Free lunchtime event starting 1pm. https://www.meetup.com/Light-in-London/
Wednesday, 28 June; Goddess Awakening Workshop London. Venue: Secret Studio On Clapham, Near Clapham Junction Station, St. Johns Hill, London SW11 1SP. Time: 6pm. Cost: £45. https://www.meetup.com/Goddess-Awakening-here-now/
Wednesday, 28 June; Midsummer Magic Workshop hosted by Living the Ancient Way: Myths and Magic of Old. Venue: Pimp Hall Park and Nature Reserve, Entrance off Kings Road, London E4 7HR. Time: 7pm. https://www.facebook.com/events/462797190730271/
Wednesday, 28 June; An Evening of Acceleration in Consciousness with Deborah Mills at the College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm. Cost: £14/£16. Advance booking recommended. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/
Wednesday, 28 June; The Secret Garden Sharing Circle, Women-only event. Venue: Little Venice, London. Time: 7.15pm. Tickets: £20. https://www.meetup.com/The-Goddess-Space/
Wednesday, 28 June; 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 29 June; Sufism and Holistic Education. Talk and book signing with Daniel Thomas Dyer. 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 29 June; Thursday evening Tarot (All abilities). Event with the Tarot and Healing Group. Venue: The Plough 27 Museum Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1A 1LH. Time: 7pm. Tickets £5, advance reservation necessary. https://www.meetup.com/Tarot-and-Healing-Group/
Thursday 29 June; Abbé Boullan: Paris’ Satanic Priest. Talk by Madeleine Ledespencer. Hosted by London Fortean Society. Venue: The Bell, 50 Middlesex Street, London E1 7EX. Time: 7.45pm. Tickets: £4/£2. http://www.wegottickets.com/event/402504
Friday 30 June; A Demonstration of Mediumship with Q and A by Maria Antoniou at the College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm. Cost: £14/£12. Advance booking recommended. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/
Friday 30 June; The Spiritual Structures of Social Organisations. Lecture by Angus Jenkinson. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35, Park Road, London, NW1 6XT. Time: 7pm. Entry £5/£3. http://www.rsh.anth.org.uk/
Saturday 1 July; Coach trip to Glastonbury from Romford to visit the Wytches Market, organised by Mamma Moon Magick. Adults £40, advance booking required. Details: https://www.facebook.com/mammamoonmagick/
Saturday 1 July; Here Be Dragons Workshop. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Rd, London, SE9 6SH. Time: 11am. Tickets £20 in advance, £39.99 on the day. For details or to book a place email shirlee@wiccamoon.org.uk or call 020 8850 7803.
Sunday 2 July; Really Get to Know Your Wild Plants Through the Seasons - Pea Family. Venue: Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, The Soanes Centre, Southern Grove, London E3 4PX. Time: 10am-3.30pm. Tickets: £30. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/really-get-to-know-your-wild-plants-through-the-seasons-pea-family-tickets-35202359204
Sunday 2 July; 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 2 July; North West Kent Green Pagan Circle Moot. Venue: Chislehurst Caves, Bromley, BR7 5NL. Time: 10am-noon. https://www.facebook.com/groups/445487428816887/
Sunday 2 July; Cochrane Memorial Rite with the London Wicca Meetup Group. Venue: The Woodman, 414 Archway Road, Highgate, North London. Time: Meet at 2pm to go to do the rite at 3pm. Details: https://www.meetup.com/The-London-Wicca-Meetup-Group/
Sunday 2 July; The Ageless Wisdom For Everyone. Venue: The Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place London, W1U 8EA. Time: 2pm. Entry: Donations welcome. Details: https://www.meetup.com/Theosophical-Society-in-London
Monday 3 July; Making the Leap. Talk by Steve Taylor organised by Alternatives. View the book on Amazon. Venue: St James's Church, 197 Piccadilly, W1J 9LL, Talk starts: 7pm. Tickets £12/£8 online. http://www.alternatives.org.uk/
Monday 3 July; 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?
Tuesday 4 July; Healing the Ancestors. Lecture by Joan Osborne at the College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm. Cost: £14/£12. Advance booking recommended. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/
Tuesday 4 July; LDN Talks at Night: A Skeptic's Guide to Ghosts with Professor Chris French, author of Anomalistic Psychology: Exploring Paranormal Belief and Experience. Venue: Hoxton Street, London, N1 6PJ (exact address provided after booking). Time 7pm. Tickets: £12. http://uk.funzing.com/funz/ldn-talks-night-a-skeptic-s-guide-to-ghosts-9019
Tuesday 4 July; Kenneth Grant: Foundations of the Typhonian Trilogies. Lecture by Michael Staley. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.30pm. Ticket price £8. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/
Tuesday 4 July; Romford Moot hosted by Mamma Moon Magick, Venue: Golden Lion, Romford, Essex. Time: 7.30pm. https://www.facebook.com/events/815290371979834/
Tuesday 4 July; Witches' Inn Gathering. Venue: Red Lion, 48 Linkfield Lane, Redhill, RH1 1DP. Starts at 8pm. Moots are the first Tuesday of each month. For more details visit: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Witches-Inn/1568424150049437
Thursday 6 July; Swami Saradananda and talk about The Power of Breath. 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 https://www.meetup.com/WatkinsBooks
Thursday 6 July; Guildford Moot (every 1st Thursday). Venue: Kings Head, Quarry Street, Guildford, Surrey. Time: 7.30pm. Details on Facebook, meetup and Twitter.
Friday 7 July; ‘Quiet of Quintilis’ - A Gongbath with Diana Vernon (MCSH). Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16. Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm-8.30pm. Cost: £20 Members/£22 non-Members. www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk
Friday 7 July; Wicca Full Moon Ritual by river Thames (Central London) with London Woodland Witches Magicians and Outdoor Pagans. Venue: Meet at Tate Modern green outside Tate Modern and Bankside Gallery, London SE1. Time: 7.30pm. Cost: £2. You must reserve a place in advance. Wear outdoor clothes and bring a blanket to sit on. Details and bookings: https://www.meetup.com/London-Woodland-Witches-Outdoor-Pagans/
Friday 7 July; Our Inter-Dimensional Selves are Aligning to Make Contact. Talk by Loraine Doherty hosted by Earthstars Sacred Space. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35, Park Road, London, NW1 6XT. Time: 7.30pm. Entry donations. https://www.facebook.com/Earthstars-Sacred-Space-104790729559515/
Saturday 8 July; Psychic Saturday hosted by Crossed Palms. Venue: Brooklyn Bar and Billiards, 9 Queensway,Redhill RH1 1QT. Time: Noon-5pm. Free admission. https://www.facebook.com/events/1831152730534002/
Saturday 8 July; PF London and other pagan groups are marching in Pride in London this year. Although all wristbands to take part in the parade are allocated, you can still watch the march and celebrate afterwards: https://www.facebook.com/events/1374969055930484/
Saturday 8 July; Enchanted Woolwich - dusk wander and storytelling with London Dreamtime and Living London. Venue: Secret location in Woolwich. Time: 7.30pm. Price: £6. For details email vanessa@londondreamtime.com or visit http://londondreamtime.com/calendar/
Sunday 9 July; 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 9 July; Farnham Pagans (every 2nd Sunday). Venue: Caffe Nero, Castle Street, Farnham, Surrey. Time: 2pm. Details on Facebook and meetup.
Sunday 9 July; Drawing Down the Moon ritual with Leatherhead and Guildford Pagan and Witchcraft Group. Meet at: Newlands Corner Car Park, Shere Road, Nr Guildford, Surrey GU4 8SE. Time: 8.30pm. https://www.meetup.com/The-Guildford-area-Witchcraft-and-Pagan-Meet/
Note: I do not organise any of these events except my candle magic workshop at Treadwell's. I try to make sure my list is accurate, but please check with the organisers before going to any event. If you know of an event that you want listed - or spot a correction that needs to be made - please email the details to me at badwitch1234@gmail.com.
Tuesday, 27 June 2017
News: Magic, Pagans, Fire Warning, Far Right Warning
"Ritual Skulls and Other Magical Objects, in Photos" - Atlas Obscura looks at Sara Hannant's book Of Shadows: http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/museum-of-witchcraft-magic-photos"Russian pagans revive ancient solstice celebration" - story at Journalducameroun.com: http://journalducameroun.com/en/russian-pagans-revive-ancient-solstice-celebration/
"Q and A: Monica Bodirsky, a practising witch, on Canada's newly repealed witchcraft ban" - story at Toronto Life: http://torontolife.com/city/life/qa-monica-bodirsky-witch/
"Warning over crystal balls causing house fire risk" - story at The Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/10660160/Warning-over-crystal-balls-causing-house-fire-risk.html
"Inside the European Far Right's Weird Obsession With Paganism" - story at OZY: http://www.ozy.com/fast-forward/inside-the-european-far-rights-weird-obsession-with-paganism/79101
Monday, 26 June 2017
I've Bought My Early Bird Ticket to Witchfest 2017
I've just bought my ticket for Witchfest International, which claims the record as the largest witchcraft festival in the world. It takes place in Brighton, on the Saturday 7th October 2017, and early bird ticket prices are available until the end of June - so you have until Friday to get one. After that, prices go up and they can sell out as it gets closer to the day.
Witchfest starts with a gig on Friday 6th October, the night before the main festival. Throughout the day on Saturday there are talks, workshops, a market and entertainment; then in the evening there is live music and dancing until the early hours of Sunday morning.
The event is organised by Children of Artemis and used to take place in Croydon, but moved to Brighton last year. You can read one of my reviews of a previous Witchfest here: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/11/witchfest-2014-short-review-of.html
Full details of Witchfest International 2017 are here: www.witchfest.net/wf_international.htm
Tickets can be bought here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/witchfest-international-2017-tickets-31394224972
Friday, 23 June 2017
Review: The Crane Bag - A Druid's Guide
On the day of the Summer Solstice I received a lovely and unexpected present - a copy of the book Pagan Portals - The Crane Bag: A Druid's Guide to Ritual Tools and Practices.It really cheered me up because I had not been able to spend the solstice celebrating. On the solstice eve I had had to go the dentist to get a crown put on tooth I'd managed to break and on the longest day itself I had been working in an office all day. To come home and find The Crane Bag on my doorstep was a reminder that the best gifts can be totally unexpected.
Pagan Portals - The Crane Bag is by Joanna van der Hoeven, whose previous books on Druidry include The Awen Alone: Walking the Path of the Solitary Druid, which is deservedly a best-seller.
Her new book, which is officially launched in July, focuses on the practical tools and rituals of Druidry. The crane bag is a theme that runs through Celtic mythology - created to honour and remember the tragic tale of a woman who was turned into a crane by magic, it was said to hold the treasures of ancient Ireland. Bags used to hold ritual items as well as herbs and foraged items for spellwork are also often called crane bags by Druids and this book gives all the details.
Publisher Moon Books says about The Crane Bag on its website:
An introduction to the ritual tools and practices found in the Druid tradition. Held deeply within Celtic mythology, the crane bag is both a symbol of sovereignty, as well as an item containing the ritual tools of the Druid. With the proper use, it can further the Druid in working with the tides of nature, finding his or her own place in the environment, living in balance, harmony and peace. In ritual, these tools and practices can guide one to deeper levels of meaning and understanding within the tradition, helping the Druid on his or her journey through life and towards integration with the natural world.Getting this book has inspired me to make my own crane bag to take with me when I am out and about. I'm always filling my pockets with things I find for my altar or for the mandalas I've been creating from flowers each month this year. A crane bag will not only be a better place to put them, it will make my foraging seem more a part of a traditional spiritual practice.
View Pagan Portals - The Crane Bag on Amazon.
Links and previous related posts
http://www.moon-books.net/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/06/june-mandala-summer-solstice-sun-in.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/11/review-awen-alone-solitary-druidry.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/05/review-pagan-portals-dancing-with.html
Thursday, 22 June 2017
Midsummer Pagan Events In and Near London
The Summer Solstice has passed, but Midsummer's Day is this weekend. Here are events in London plus a few in other parts of the UK over that time and the week ahead that could be of interest to pagans. If you know of an event that you want listed, please email the details to me at badwitch1234@gmail.com.
Now to 30 September; Austin Osman Spare exhibition at the Last Tuesday Society. Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. http://www.thelasttuesdaysociety.org/
Now to the end of 2017; Poppets, Pins and Power - an exhibition on the craft of cursing at the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, Boscastle, Cornwall. http://museumofwitchcraftandmagic.co.uk/
Now to 31 December; The London Stone on Display. Venue: Museum of London, 150 London Wall, London EC2Y 5HN. Free exhibition during museum opening ours. http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london
Thursday 22 June; Rising Sign astrology workshop with Madeleine Botet de Lacaze. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Rd, London E9 7AD. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £30. http://www.sheslostcontrol.co.uk/
Thursday 22 June; Shamanic Healing, Drumming and Journeying Circle with Behind The Veil - Shamanism. Venue: The Hall, St Philips Church, Earls Court Road, London W8 6QH. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets: Price: £25. https://www.meetup.com/Behind-The-Veil-Shamanism/
Friday 23 June; Crossbones St John's Eve Vigil to honour The Goose and the outcast dead of Cross Bones Graveyard and the dead and wounded of the London Bridge attacks. 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://crossbones.org.uk/ or https://www.facebook.com/events/1680720662232878/
Friday 23 June; Women's Empowerment with Mamma Moon Magick. Venue: The Upminster Complementary Healing and Teaching Sanctuary, Pea Lane, Upminster, Havering, RM142XH. Time: 7pm. Cost: £15. https://www.facebook.com/events/315494282226854/
Friday 23 June; The City of Djinn. Illustrated Lecture by Darragh Mason Field. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.30pm. Ticket price £8. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/
Saturday 24 June; Introduction to Shamanism. One-day workshop with Trefor Wickens and Shell North. London venue, details given to those who book. Time: 11am-4pm. Tickets: £45. https://www.facebook.com/events/161796861023556/
Saturday 24 June; Midsummer meanders, meditation and munch in Woking, Surrey. Meet in Woodham Common car park, just off the 6 ways Roundabout, on Monument Road, Woking, at 10.30 am, for a meander to the two longbarrows. The group will then go on to The Peace Garden, which is the former Muslim burial ground for a guided meditation, before retiring to Sands at The Bleak House for refreshment. This is close to the sand pits which HG Wells used as the landing point for his martians in War of The Worlds.
Saturday 24 June; Rainbow Summer Solstice Festival 2017. Venue: The Five Bells, Tydd St Mary, Peterborough PE13 5QH. Time: 11am-7pm. Cost £2 on the door. https://www.facebook.com/events/449947178526242/
Saturday 24 June; South London Red Tent. Venue: Private house in London SW16. Time: 11.30am. https://www.meetup.com/South-London-Red-Tent/
Sunday 25 June; 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 25 June; Tarot Reading for Intermediate Students. Day Workshop with Sue Merlyn Farebrother. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 11am-5.30pm. Tickets £70 (deposit £40). Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/
Sunday 25 June; Alban Heruin/Lithe/Mid-Summer Solstice on Primrose Hill with the Loose Association of Druids. Open ritual hosted by Jeremy Morgan, the Druid of Wormwood Scrubbs. Venue: The Hawthorne Grove, Primrose Hill, Regents Park, London NW1. Starts at 12.30pm, ends at about 2.30pm. Nearest tube: Chalk Farm.
Sunday 25 June; Experience Spirits of Nature - Come and Touch One! Venue: Gandhi Statue, Tavistock Square, Bloomsbury, London. Time: 2.30pm. You must reserve a place in advance. https://www.meetup.com/Experience-Spirits-of-Nature/
Sunday 25 June; The Ageless Wisdom For Everyone. Venue: The Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place London, W1U 8EA. Time: 2pm. Entry: Donations welcome. Details: https://www.meetup.com/Theosophical-Society-in-London/
Leatherhead, Guildford KT24 6AR. Time: 2.30pm. https://www.meetup.com/The-Guildford-area-Witchcraft-and-Pagan-Meet/
Sunday 25 June; Psychic and Spiritual Development Class with the London NW8 Psychic and Spiritual Development Group. Venue: Violet Hill Studios, 6 Violet Hill, St Johns Wood, London
NW8 9EB. Time: 7pm. Cost £10. https://www.meetup.com/London-NW8-Psychic-and-Spiritual-Development-Group/
Monday 26 June; Talk and Water Ceremony – Water, Science and Spirituality with Kazumi Ohishi - Kaminchu Okinawan Shaman and Dr. Yasuyuki Nemoto of IHM Hado Institute. Venue Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London NW1 6XT. Time: 10am - 8.30pm. Talk: £50 tickets: https://goo.gl/Gkhjf7, ceremony:£20, tickets: https://goo.gl/4dS4Ty, both £60, tickets: https://goo.gl/dO2GH2.
Monday 26 June; Wicca New Moon: Gaia-Selene Circle (monthly, outdoor circle) with London Woodland Witches Magicians and Outdoor Pagans. Venue: Outdoor location Queen's Woods, Highgate. North London. Meet at The Woodmans' pub garden by 7pm then go to the woods. Cost: £3 You must reserve a place in advance. Wear outdoor clothes and bring a blanket to sit on. Details and bookings: https://www.meetup.com/London-Woodland-Witches-Outdoor-Pagans/
Monday 26 June; The 3 Things That Will Change Your Destiny Today. Talk by Paul McKenna organised by Alternatives. Venue: St James's Church, 197 Piccadilly, W1J 9LL, Talk starts: 7pm. Tickets £20/£15 online. http://www.alternatives.org.uk/
Tuesday 27 June; Wildflower Walk. Guided walk hosted by Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park. Venue: Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, The Soanes Centre, Southern Grove, London E3 4PX. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets: £10/£12. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/evening-wildflower-walk-3-tickets-32884973842
Tuesday 27 June; The Future of Mother Earth - Messages from an Okinawan Shaman. Lecture by Kazumi Ohishil at the College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm. Cost: £14/£12. Advance booking recommended. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/
Tuesday 27 June; Manifesting Dreams with Lara Waldman. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Rd, London E9 7AD. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £25. http://www.sheslostcontrol.co.uk/
Wednesday 28 June; Stillness and Meditation at Mandeville Place. Venue: School of Economic Science, 11-13 Mandeville Place, London. Free lunchtime event starting 1pm. https://www.meetup.com/Light-in-London/
Wednesday, 28 June; Goddess Awakening Workshop London. Venue: Secret Studio On Clapham, Near Clapham Junction Station, St. Johns Hill, London SW11 1SP. Time: 6pm. Cost: £45. https://www.meetup.com/Goddess-Awakening-here-now/
Wednesday, 28 June; An Evening of Acceleration in Consciousness with Deborah Mills at the College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm. Cost: £14/£16. Advance booking recommended. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/
Wednesday, 28 June; The Secret Garden Sharing Circle, Women-only event. Venue: Little Venice, London. Time: 7.15pm. Tickets: £20. https://www.meetup.com/The-Goddess-Space/
Wednesday, 28 June; 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 29 June; Sufism and Holistic Education. Talk and book signing with Daniel Thomas Dyer. 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 29 June; Abbé Boullan: Paris’ Satanic Priest. Talk by Madeleine Ledespencer. Hosted by London Fortean Society. Venue: The Bell, 50 Middlesex Street, London E1 7EX. Time: 7.45pm. Tickets: £4/£2. http://www.wegottickets.com/event/402504
Friday 30 June; British Museum talk on British Witchcraft part 2 with the London Wicca Meetup Group. Venue: The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3DG, Time: 7pm. Details and reservations: https://www.meetup.com/The-London-Wicca-Meetup-Group/
Friday 30 June; A Demonstration of Mediumship with Q and A by Maria Antoniou at the College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm. Cost: £14/£12. Advance booking recommended. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/
Saturday 1 July; Beginners Tarot workshop. Event with the Tarot and Healing Group. Venue: The Knights Templar, 95 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1DT. Time: 11am. Tickets £18, advance reservation necessary. https://www.meetup.com/Tarot-and-Healing-Group/
Sunday 2 July; 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 2 July; North West Kent Green Pagan Circle Moot. Venue: Chislehurst Caves, Bromley, BR7 5NL. Time: 10am-noon. https://www.facebook.com/groups/445487428816887/
Sunday 2 July; Cochrane Memorial Rite with the London Wicca Meetup Group. Venue: The Woodman, 414 Archway Road, Highgate, North London. Time: Meet at 2pm to go to do the rite at 3pm. Details: https://www.meetup.com/The-London-Wicca-Meetup-Group/
Note: I do not organise any of these events. I try to make sure that the details on my list are accurate, but please check with the organisers before attending any event.
Wednesday, 21 June 2017
June Mandala: Summer Solstice Sun in Flowers
Here is my mandala for the month of June, celebrating the Summer Solstice with a sun wheel made from wild grasses and flowers from my garden. In the photo at the top I boosted the colour saturation with Photoshop to bring out the vibrant yellows and greens and make it look more sun-like. The picture at the bottom shows the natural colours.
I wanted to make the sun mainly from grasses partly because June is when the grass pollen gives me trouble with hayfever. I've struggled through many summer solstice rituals out in the countryside while suffering with sneezing, watering eyes and itching skin. But grasses are also a vital part of the natural world, and I wanted to celebrate their beauty and variety too.
In the centre of the mandala are honeysuckle and tutsun. According to folklore, if honeysuckle grows near your home it will attract money, love and good luck. Its sweet scent is also supposed to help clear the mind and promote psychic powers. Tutsun is a shrub that is a type of St John's wort - associated with midsummer and the feast of St John on 24 June. The yellow flowers quickly turn to berries, which you can see in the very centre of the mandala.One of my new year resolutions for 2017 was to create a mandala each month to show the changing seasons and including things from my own garden - and I've now kept that resolution for half of the year. You can see links to my earlier mandalas at the bottom of this post.
I was inspired for my resolution after I created a mandala for the front cover of a Moon Books community book I edited - Every Day Magic: A Pagan Book of Days - which is due to be released this autumn. It offers ideas for things to do every day of the year to celebrate the changing seasons. You can view the book on Amazon.
Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/01/january-mandala-lips-as-red-as-blood.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/02/february-mandala-hearts-flowers-seeds.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/03/mandala-for-march-goddess-of-life-death.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/04/april-mandala-blossom-and-shadows.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/05/may-mandala-stone-circles-and-wild.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/01/the-bad-witchs-10-new-years-resolutions.html
Tuesday, 20 June 2017
Review: Goddess Wisdom - The Sacred Feminine
In the past week I have gone to see the movie Wonder Woman and I've read the book Goddess Wisdom: Connect to the Power of the Sacred Feminine through Ancient Wisdom and Practices. The two are comparable in that both have the theme of reclaiming feminine power in the world of men.
About Goddess Wisdom, publisher Hay House says on its website:
Ancient civilizations worshipped female deities, and women were the leaders, counsellors, and healers of nations. However, through various historical events, such as the arrival of Christianity in many cultures, the worship of the goddess was lost. In this book, author Tanishka shares the long-lost ancient culture of the goddess.Now, while both the film and the book offer a view of history that some might want to debate, when it comes to offering empowering views of women, they are both the business.
Goddess Wisdom covers goddess traditions in the ancient world, goddess archetypes, women's life stages, paths of initiation, tools for understanding and aligning with the cycles of nature and rituals and exercises to reconnect with your inner goddess. Like all in the Hay House Basics series it is a beginner's book, but is well written and offers a good introduction to pagan spirituality with an emphasis on goddess worship. Where it excels is in the lessons it offers for personal development.
I particularly like the way it covers dealing with life's downward spirals - approaching events like the break-up of relationships, losing jobs and the death of loved ones as initiatory journeys. One technique suggested is to draw a spiral and write on it the sequence of events and feelings on the journey of descent, then to write the lessons learnt from those experiences as the upward path back out of the spiral.
Women in the world today need both positive role models and practical advice on how to be confident about our abilities. Wonder Woman is certainly a good example of the first, while Goddess Wisdom is a good example of the second.
View the book on Amazon.
Links and previous related posts
http://www.hayhouse.co.uk/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/05/review-witch-unleashed-untamed.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/06/review-hay-house-basics-shamanism.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/05/review-hay-house-basics-past-lives.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/03/mandala-for-march-goddess-of-life-death.html
Pagan Eye: Hearts for Peace at Southwark Cathedral
This is a picture of hearts on the wall outside Southwark Cathedral created l to promote love and peace in the wake of the attacks at Borough Market on 3 June. I took the photo yesterday as I walked through the area, and they are just two of the hearts made by children from Phoenix Primary School to remember those who died and in a spirit of hope for the future.
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.
Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/09/green-london-southwark-cathedral-herb.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/10/pagan-eye-pumpkins-in-borough-market.html
http://cathedral.southwark.anglican.org/
http://boroughmarket.org.uk/
Monday, 19 June 2017
News: Summer Solstice, Witchcraft & Persecution
"Your guide to hosting a summer solstice women's circle" - story at Well+Good https://www.wellandgood.com/good-advice/your-guide-to-hosting-a-summer-solstice-womens-circle/
"4 Sexy Ways To Celebrate The Summer Solstice" - story at Refinery29: http://www.refinery29.com/2017/06/159294/summer-solstice-women-sex-tips
"When is the longest day of the year and why is it called the Summer Solstice" - story at Metro: http://metro.co.uk/2017/06/14/when-is-the-longest-day-of-the-year-and-why-is-it-called-the-summer-solstice-6707483/
"Exorcisms, egging and abuse: Gloucester witch appeals for more tolerance after nine-year hate crime campaign from 'Christian fantatics'" - story at Gloucestershire Live: http://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/gloucester-news/exorcisms-egging-abuse-gloucester-witch-117627
"From owning a broomstick and a black cat to accidentally cursing her EX: Mother of three, 52, lifts the lid on life as a modern WITCH (and yes she has a cauldron and a book of spells too)" - story at MailOnline: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4609584/Sydney-woman-discusses-life-modern-day-witch.html
Sunday, 18 June 2017
An Afternoon of Guilty Pleasure with the Gin Whore
I feel a bit guilty. Instead of going to a summer solstice ritual yesterday, run by my lovely druid friends in leafy woods on the outskirts of London, I was visiting the Gin Whore in Bloomsbury for an afternoon of pleasure.
The Gin Whore, otherwise known as Kate O'Neil, is not actually involved in the sex industry, I should add. However, she has been in the drinks trade for a good number of year, has run a mobile cocktail bar, served drinks to famous people including the Rolling Stones and now entertains her clients with a show about the history of gin and prostitution, which includes several delicious servings.
Apparently the history of gin was very much tied up with the history of prostitution. For example, according to Kate, at the height of the Gin Craze of 1750, in London, one in four women prostituted themselves to fuel their gin addiction.The show tours around the country and was only in London for two days this summer - at the Museum of Comedy, which is below the church that appears in Hogarth's engraving Gin Lane, about the evils of "Mother's Ruin".
Nowadays, gin has again become a fashionable tipple and Kate's Gin Tour explains the different types available, with samples of each to try.
One of the varieties was One Gin, which is not only delicious, but is produced by an ethical company and the profit from sales go to fund life-changing water projects in some of the world’s poorest communities.
You can find out more about the Gin Whore - and where she will be welcoming clients next - here: http://www.theginwhore.com/
The picture shows the Gin Whore Kate and her drink-serving Gin Gigolo.
Links
http://www.theginwhore.com/
http://www.onedifference.org/en_UK/campaign/one-gin/
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/hogarth-gin-lane-t01799
Friday, 16 June 2017
News: Hitler & Occult, Witchcraft, Witch Hunts, Solstice
"Did Hitler's obsession with the occult lose him the war?" - article about a new book called Hitler’s Monsters: A Supernatural History of the Third Reich by Eric Kurlander, at Spectator.co.uk: https://www.spectator.co.uk/2017/06/did-hitlers-obsession-with-the-occult-lose-him-the-war/"More witch markings found at Wookey Hole" - story at BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-40262004
"Family of murdered 'witch' demands compensation from government" - story at GhanaWeb: http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/regional/Family-of-murdered-witch-demands-compensation-from-government-547415
"A Rare Deposition from the Salem Witch Trials Goes to Auction" - story at Hyperallergic: https://hyperallergic.com/384870/a-rare-deposition-from-the-salem-witch-trials-goes-to-auction/
"The Pagan Meaning of the Longest Day of the Year" - story at Seattle Weekly: https://www.seattleweekly.com/arts/the-pagan-meaning-of-the-longest-day-of-the-year/
Review: Pulsin Snack Bars, Protein Bars & Brownies
I was absolutely delighted when I was offered the chance of trying out the above selection of snack bars, brownies and protein bars from Pulsin.
When I'm not blogging or writing my own books, I often work freelance shifts on a national newspaper and sometimes I really need an energy and protein boost to get me through the day. I prefer to take healthier snacks - like Pulsin - in with me rather than crisps or ordinary chocolate.
Pulsin products are 100 per cent natural. They have no artificial colours, additives, preservatives or GM ingredients. They are all gluten-free, suitable for vegetarians and low in sugar, so ideal.
I have to say they all tasted really nice as well as keeping me feeling full up and able to concentrate on my work. There’s also a large range of vegan, dairy-free, organic, soya-free and paleo friendly products – so something for everyone
Pulsin is celebrating it s10th anniversary and has rebranded all its bars, so the packaging looks a lot more up to date than it used to - not that the packaging matters as much as the taste and ingredients of course.
You can find out more about the range here: https://www.pulsin.co.uk/
Thursday, 15 June 2017
New Look at Traditional Witchcraft for Urban Living
Traditional Witchcraft for Urban Living is one of my favourite books about urban witchcraft. I reviewed it on my blog back in 2011 when it was first published under its original title of Mean Streets Witchcraft. Now author Melusine Draco has written about the background to the book and her reasons for writing it:Traditional Witchcraft for Urban LivingTraditional Witchcraft for Urban Living is published by Moon Books and available in paperback and e-book format. For more information go to www.moon-books.net or Amazon.
Originally called Mean Streets Witchcraft, this first title in the Traditional Witchcraft series came from a young witchlet’s comment to Meriem Clay-Egerton, that Meriem couldn’t possibly be a real witch because she lived in lived in a town and was confined to a wheelchair.
Now Meriem loved the countryside and everything about it but a chain of circumstances had forced her and Bob to abandon rural life and to remain in a densely urbanised environment for the rest of their lives.
At the time I was also town-bound and having an awful difficulty with my magical practice since the area I was living in at the time was one of those economically depressed areas due to the mines closing two generations before, with no hope of recovery in sight. True I had a large medieval holly wood to roam and a nearby granite out crop for energy raising, but the community feeling was that of wading through molasses.
Needless to say, many of our lengthy conversations related to the effect this type of urban environment had on psychic energies and the long-term problems it could cause. In fact, Meriem thought ‘good’ town-bound witches were probably more proficient than their rural cousins, simply because in the countryside it is enough just to be! The urban witch had to conduct guerrilla warfare against the constant attack of negative energies the town-dweller encounters at every turn at the office, in the supermarket, and even when walking along the street…
And since the majority of witches don’t have the luxury of the rural dream, there was obviously a niche for a book on urban witchcraft and the differences in perspective of which we all need to be aware. There are no ‘Oh wow!’ moments in Traditional Witchcraft for Urban Living and most of the content is pure common sense, but sometimes we all need someone to point out the obvious … more like ‘Oh yeah!’
Melusine Draco
Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/02/review-mean-streets-witchcraft.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/08/review-secret-people-parish-pump.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/03/review-traditional-witchcraft-and-path.html
Wednesday, 14 June 2017
Summer Solstice & Midsummer Pagan Events
The Summer Solstice in 2017 is a week away - at 5.24am on Wednesday, 21 June - but there are lots of things to do over the next week or so to mark the moment when the sun appears to stand still before the lengthening days turn into lengthening nights. The Summer Solstice is most celebrated festival of the pagan Wheel of the Year, while traditional midsummer is a few days later on 24 June. Here are pagan events over that time. Many of the ones I list are in London, because that is where I am based, but some are in other parts of England including the stone circles at Stonehenge and Avebury.
Now to 30 September; Austin Osman Spare exhibition at the Last Tuesday Society. Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. http://www.thelasttuesdaysociety.org/Now to 31 December; The London Stone on Display. Venue: Museum of London, 150 London Wall, London EC2Y 5HN. Free exhibition during museum opening ours. http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london
Now to the end of 2017; Poppets, Pins and Power - an exhibition on the craft of cursing at the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, Boscastle, Cornwall. http://museumofwitchcraftandmagic.co.uk/
Wednesday 14 June; Mind Magic. Two classes with Gary. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35, Park Road, London, NW1 6XT. Time: First class 6.30pm, second class 7.30pm. Entry £10 for one class, £18 for two. Booking essential https://www.facebook.com/events/881889881963429/
Wednesday 14 June; Angelic Healing Circle with Katie-Jane Wright. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Rd, London E9 7AD. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £35. http://www.sheslostcontrol.co.uk/
Thursday 15 June; Witchcraft of Enchantment for the Solitary Witch: Moon 3 with the London Wicca Meetup Group. Venue: South East London location - more details given to those who book a place. Time: 7pm. Details: https://www.meetup.com/The-London-Wicca-Meetup-Group/
Thursday 15 June; Oxford Illustrated History of Witchcraft - Launch Event with Author Presentations. (Read my review) Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.30pm. Free event but advance booking essential. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/
Thursday 15 June; House of Heron Drum Circle to Shamanic Journey. Venue: Caer Corhrain, 1 Southleas farm cottages, Lower Road, Minster, Sheppey, ME12 3SW. Time: 7.30pm. This takes place on the third Thursday each month. For more information visit http://www.touchtheearthuk.com/
Thursday 15 June; PFL Summer Solstice Open Ritual with Kith of the Tree and the Well hosted by The Pagan Federation London. Venue: Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL/, Time: 7.30pm. Entry £5/£6. https://www.facebook.com/events/903563746451902/
Thursday 15 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.
Friday 16 June - 18 June; Pentacle Drummers Summer Solstice Festival 2017. Venue: Langney Sports Club, Priory Lane, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 7QH. Tickets: Weekend £10, Evening or day only £6. www.thesummersolstice.co.uk
Friday 16 June; The Magdalene. Talk and book signing with Lars Muhl. 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 16 June; Magicians in the Matrix. Lecture by Andrew Martin at the College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm. Cost: £14/£12. Advance booking recommended. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/
Friday 16 June; Exploring the Visionary Landscape hosted by Earthstars Sacred Space. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35, Park Road, London, NW1 6XT. Time: 7.30pm. Entry donations. https://www.facebook.com/events/685133041696983/
Saturday 17 June; Free and Open Gorsedd Summer Solstice Rite at Avebury Stone Circle in Wiltshire. Open Druidic style ceremony to celebrate the Summer Solstice. Meet at the Red Lion pub from Noon for ceremony at 1.30pm until 3pm. Free event - offerings of song, poetry, cake, mead are welcomed. https://www.facebook.com/events/1890402041207576/
Saturday 17 June; Woodland Midsummer Ritual by Hern's Tribe with London Woodland Witches Magicians and Outdoor Pagans. Venue: Outdoor location Queen's Woods, Highgate. North London. Meet at The Woodmans' pub garden from 1pm then go to the woods at 2pm. Cost: £3 You must reserve a place in advance. Wear outdoor clothes and bring a blanket to sit on. Details and bookings: https://www.meetup.com/London-Woodland-Witches-Outdoor-Pagans/
Saturday 17 June; Litha Summer Solstice Sabbat at the Rollright Stones hosted by Watchers of the Old Ways. Venue Rollright Stones, Little Rollright, Warwickshire, OX7 5. Time: 2pm. Bring a picnic. https://www.facebook.com/events/1379230478829940/
Sunday 18 June; Discovering the Decks - The New Mythic Tarot. Event with the Tarot and Healing Group. Venue: The Crosse Keys, 9 Gracechurch Street, London. Time: 12.30pm. Tickets £8, advance reservation necessary. https://www.meetup.com/Tarot-and-Healing-Group/
Sunday 18 June; The Ageless Wisdom For Everyone. Venue: The Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place London, W1U 8EA. Time: 2pm. Entry: Donations welcome. Details: https://www.meetup.com/Theosophical-Society-in-London/
Sunday 18 June; Outdoor Cacao Ceremony and Journey by Sadiye Dreameca with London Woodland Witches Magicians and Outdoor Pagans. Venue: Trent Park, Cockfosters Gate, Cockfosters Road,
Enfield, Barnet. North London. Time 3pm. Cost: £14. You must reserve a place in advance. Details: https://www.meetup.com/London-Woodland-Witches-Outdoor-Pagans/
Sunday 18 June; Summer Solstice Celebration. 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 19 June; Energy Tune-Up. Talk by Lee Harris organised by Alternatives. Venue: St James's Church, 197 Piccadilly, W1J 9LL, Talk starts: 7pm. Tickets £10/£15 online. http://www.alternatives.org.uk/
Monday 19 June; Personal Power for the Young Urban Witch. Evening Mini-Workshop with Rebecca Beattie. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets £20. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/
Monday 19 June; Pagan Pathfinders - June meeting. Venue in Finchley, London N3. Time: 7.30pm. https://www.facebook.com/PaganPathfinders/
Tuesday 20 June; LDN Talks at Night: Urban Legends of London with Scott Wood. Venue: The Dead Dolls House, 181 Upper Street, London N1 1RQ. Time: 7pm. Tickets £10. http://uk.funzing.com/funz/ldn-talks-night-urban-legends-of-london-9875?
Tuesday 20 June; West Byfleet and Woking Monthly Moot. Venue: The Station Pub next to West Byfleet Station. Time: evening, but check before turning up as this might be cancelled due to people going to Litha events elsewhere. More details can be found on NW Surrey Pagans meetup group, or West Byfleet and Woking Moot's Facebook page. Alternatively email Westbyfleetmoot@gmail.com
Wednesday 21 June; Secret Summer Solstice Party in London. Details to be given out nearer the time. https://www.facebook.com/events/207450106363619/
Wednesday 21 June; Wheel of the Year Festival - Summer Solstice at Chalice Well World Peace Garden, in Glastonbury. Gather at the well head for midday meditation until 12.30pm, followed by conversation 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 21 June; Lake District event: The Birkrigg Druids' Standing Stones Summer Solstice Ritual. Birkrigg stones are on Birkrigg Common near Bardsea between Ulverston and Barrow, off the coast road. All paths are welcome; the circle is hosted by Paul the druid and supported by Libra Crystals Ulverston. Time: 12 noon. Bring a picnic to share, your drum/guitar/flute etc.
Wednesday 21 June; Stillness and Meditation at Mandeville Place. Venue: School of Economic Science, 11-13 Mandeville Place, London. Free lunchtime event starting 1pm. https://www.meetup.com/Light-in-London/
Wednesday 21 June; World Peace and Prayer Day. Global Sacred Fire Ceremonies (Pujas) for World Peace and Healing Venue: Wherever you are in the world. Details: http://www.pujasforpeace.org/
Wednesday 21 June; Summer Solstice. Talk and book signing with John Awen. 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/
Wednesday 21 June; 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 21 June; Summer Solstice Gong Immersion with Gong Master Olaf Nixon at the College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm. Cost: £44/£40. Advance booking recommended. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/
Wednesday 21 June; More Mead Moot promoted by Pagan FutureFests. Venue: Hope Pub, 48 West Street, Carhsalton SM5 2PR. Time: from 7.30pm. Meets on the third Wednesday of each month. https://www.facebook.com/Pagan-FutureFests-352385661439366/ http://www.meetup.com/Londonpagancommunity/
Thursday 22 June; Rising Sign astrology workshop with Madeleine Botet de Lacaze. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Rd, London E9 7AD. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £30. http://www.sheslostcontrol.co.uk/
Thursday 22 June; Music Gig: Gallows Ghost - Acoustic Performance. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 8pm. Tickets £12. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/
Friday 23 June; Sensing the Spiritual in Medicinal Plants. Lecture by With Pamela Tinker. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35, Park Road, London, NW1 6XT. Time: 7pm. Entry £5/£3. http://www.rsh.anth.org.uk/
Friday 23 June; Women's Empowerment with Mamma Moon Magick. Venue: The Upminster Complementary Healing and Teaching Sanctuary, Pea Lane, Upminster, Havering, RM142XH. Time: 7pm. Cost: £15. https://www.facebook.com/events/315494282226854/
Friday 23 June; The City of Djinn. Illustrated Lecture by Darragh Mason Field. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.30pm. Ticket price £8. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/
Saturday 24 June; Midsummer Sacred Chant Workshop with Chloe Goodchild, Nikki Slade, Illumina snd Sudha organised by Alternatives. Venue: Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regent's Park Rd, London NW1 7AY. Time: 10am-5pn. Tickets £50/£40. http://www.alternatives.org.uk/
Saturday 24 June; South London Red Tent. Venue: Private house in London SW16. Time: 11.30am. https://www.meetup.com/South-London-Red-Tent/
Saturday 24 June; Midsummer meanders, meditation and munch in Woking, Surrey. Meet in Woodham Common car park, just off the 6 ways Roundabout, on Monument Road, Woking, at 10.30 am, for a meander to the two longbarrows. The group will then go on to The Peace Garden, which is the former Muslim burial ground for a guided meditation, before retiring to Sands at The Bleak House for refreshment. This is close to the sand pits which HG Wells used as the landing point for his martians in War of The Worlds.
Saturday 24 June; Gallery Talk - Greek mythology on Greek vases. Venue: Room 69, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Time: 1.15pm. Free, just turn up. For more details visit: https://www.britishmuseum.org/
Sunday 25 June; 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 25 June; Alban Heruin/Lithe/Mid-Summer Solstice on Primrose Hill with the Loose Association of Druids. Open ritual hosted by Jeremy Morgan, the Druid of Wormwood Scrubbs. Venue: The Hawthorne Grove, Primrose Hill, Regents Park, London NW1. Starts at 12.30pm, ends at about 2.30pm. Nearest tube: Chalk Farm.
Sunday 25 June; Informal chat over coffee "Ethics in Witchcraft" with Leatherhead and Guildford Pagan and Witchcraft Group. Venue: Squires Garden Centre, West Horsley, Epsom Road
Leatherhead, Guildford KT24 6AR. Time: 2.30pm. https://www.meetup.com/The-Guildford-area-Witchcraft-and-Pagan-Meet/
Sunday 25 June; The Secret Journey of Doctor Dee - Mortlake with London Dreamtime. Venue: Secret Location in Mortlake. Time: 3pm. Price: £4 per person - advance booking essential. Email vanessa@londondreamtime.com or visit http://londondreamtime.com/calendar/
I am not responsible for any of these events and I recommend checking with the organisers before turning up to any of them. If you know of an event that you want listed, please email the details to me at badwitch1234@gmail.com.
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