News: Witchcraft, Paganism, Art and Lammas

"The Witch by Ronald Hutton review – why fear of witchcraft hasn't gone away" - review of Professor Hutton's latest book about witchcraft at The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/jul/28/witch-history-of-fear-ronald-hutton-review

"How Witchcraft Became A Brand" - story at BuzzFeed News: https://www.buzzfeed.com/corinfaife/how-witchcraft-became-a-brand?utm_term=.thG0VnG11#.wnLM6QZoo

"9 Celebrities Who Are Honestly Low-Key Witches" - story at ELLE: http://www.elle.com.au/culture/celebrity-witches-13910

"Loxwood Joust: Hubble bubble, toil and trouble" - story at West Sussex County Times: http://www.wscountytimes.co.uk/whats-on/loxwood-joust-hubble-bubble-toil-and-trouble-1-8045836

"Mystical Symbolists in All Their Kitschy Glory" - art review at New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/13/arts/design/mystical-symbolists-in-all-their-kitschy-glory.html

"The Meaning of Lughnasadh for Neo-Pagans" - story at HuffPost: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-meaning-of-lughnasadh-for-neo-pagans_us_596cd857e4b09e26b6d769b6

"Bread recipes to celebrate Lammas" - story at Mountain Mail Newspaper: Bread recipes to celebrate Lammas: http://www.themountainmail.com/opinion/columnist/article_2e1052dc-7200-11e7-a2b8-af2e42cf0a2e.html

You can view Ronald Hutton's latest book The Witch on Amazon.

Louise Fenton: Witchcraft & Voodoo Cultural Confusion

Poppets, Pins and Power: The Craft of Cursing, is the title of the exhibition that is currently on at the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in Cornwall. Earlier this year I went to the museum’s annual conference, which was also on the subject of cursing. Here are the notes I took at a talk given there by Dr Louise Fenton of the University of Wolverhampton, who is the curator of Poppets, Pins and Power. Her talk was called Cultural Confusion Between Witchcraft and Voodoo

At the start, Dr Fenton said that she has been researching the representation of voodoo for 20 years. In that context, she has worked with priestesses in New Orleans also with Haitian Voodoo practitioners. It was her academic work in that field that brought her to Boscastle’s Museum of Witchcraft and Magic.

She started her talk with a focus on poppets, which are dolls used for magic. She said that dolls feature in multiple cultures throughout history and have been used for healing and love spells. Traditional European folk magic has dolls stuck with pins as a stereotype, but before that sympathetic magic goes back thousands of years. In Ancient Egypt, Ramesses III was said to have been killed by wax image magic.

Ancient Greeks used sympathetic magic for love spells and defense - Kolossoi are Greek dolls that were said to contain spirits, but were also also used for harming. One old description is of putting an image in a lead box inscribed with a curse, designed to be hidden or destroyed. The lead boxes were disposed of where they could not be brought back - buried in graveyards or at sea, for example. The counter curse is to dig them up and unbind them.

The Greek poet Theocritus in his Idylls wrote about love magic using curses with effigies. The Wonderful Discovery of Witches by Robert Potts, written at the time of the Lancashire witchcraft trials, shows that considerable evidence against the women involved clay images. Elizabeth Sowtherns, alias Demdike, confessed that the quickest way to murder someone was to make a clay image, take a thorn or a pin and put it in the body to consume away, then burn it.

It is believed that slaves brought to Haiti either brought fetishes made of wood or clay with them or made them afterwards. The death penalty was a possibility if a slave was found with one of these, so it is possible that cloth dolls started at that point.

Poppet magic was made popular in New Orleans after the Civil War, but there are disagreements about the use of poppets historically in that region. There is not much evidence of poppet use in Haiti, but there is in New Orleans.

In 1865 plantations owners went to Louisianan with slaves and Haitian voodoo came to New Orleans; there was a huge mix of cultures and voodoo changed quite a lot at that point.

In 1890 The Golden Bough was published. A passage in that gives an overview of how cursing was understood and mentions the use of poppets and dolls.

“Perhaps the most familiar application of the principle that like produces like is the attempt which has been made by many peoples in many ages to injure or destroy an enemy by injuring or destroying an image of him, in the belief that, just as the image suffers, so does the man, and that when it perishes he must die...”

Another description says that drawing a figure of a person in sand, ashes or clay and pricking it with a sharp stick does a corresponding harm to the person represented. "Wherever the needle pierces, his foe will be seized with a sharp pain, but to kill him burn or bury it."

There is an awareness that this was happening on a global scale.

Boccio are carved images from Africa that are connected with magic. They were used as African magic merged with European and were traditionally designed to be mediators with the spirit world - both positive and negative. Voodoo dolls started in New Orleans in the late 19th century. With both artistic and cultural collision, poppets and boccio merged into voodoo dolls. This is not something that happened a long while ago; it is very much of today and still being practised.

The concept became popularised through things like William Seabrook’s The Magic Island, published in 1929, which gave a vivid account of voodoo in Haiti. It was a very racist book, but much of this was lifted and used in the movie White Zombie starring Bela Lugosi. Lafcadio Hearn actually wrote the first zombie novel, but many others followed – usually very inaccurate and offensive. Cannibal Cousins by John Craige mentions someone in Haiti finding a doll made in his likeness and in his clothes. He then gets ill.

These books sold in their millions and there were also several highly racist films following White Zombie. They perpetuate myths and are cinematic. However, they popularised the use of the voodoo doll. The words witchcraft and voodoo started to be used together.

Commercialisation of poppets was unavoidable although for many the emphasis was on making money without understanding the background. You can can buy poppets for sale today. In New Orleans poppets are sold with Spanish moss hands and feet. However, there are original dolls in collections. Many from the 20th century are vernacular and of their time. They are often knitted from patterns widely available.

The commoditisation of voodoo dolls in New Orleans has continued. For example, some come with white and black headed pins (and "made in China" printed on the back). Dolls authentic to New Orleans rarely have pins with them. They are often made of papier mache and Spanish moss and not a pin in sight.

Curses are available, but very rarely will priestesses offer to do curses. Witchcraft is also emerging in the French quarter and is more open. There is some suspicion and wariness between voodooists and witches in the French quarter.

To round up,  Dr Fenton said there has been a collision of European and African traditions, but the exhibition Poppets, Pins and Power aims to explain the differences between the two.

Poppets, Pins and Power, the exhibition on the craft of cursing with poppets, is on at the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, Boscastle, Cornwall until the end of 2017.

Pictured (from top): Dr Louise Fenton at the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic conference, poppets and magical dolls at the exhibition, photo of slide from Dr Fenton's talk showing wooden figures, The Golden Bough cover, The Magic Island cover, doll from the exhibition.

Links and previous related posts
http://museumofwitchcraftandmagic.co.uk/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/05/a-weekend-of-cursing-at-museum-of.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/10/review-of-shadows-museum-of-witchcraft.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/05/demetrius-lacroix-haitian-vodou-cursing.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/05/worlds-of-witchcraft-african-and.html

School: Investigating the Origins of the Paranormal

Goldsmiths University is running a course this autumn called Investigating the Origins of the Paranormal: Reality, Entertainment and Manipulation. Here are the details from the website:

Paranormal beliefs have become extremely widespread in recent years, and are now a focus of many forms of popular entertainment (with paranormal themes informing many contemporary films, TV dramas and reality shows). Why is this? Why do so many of us believe in paranormal phenomena such as ghosts, UFOs, and Bigfoot? Are such beliefs harmful or even dangerous?
In examining the origins, history and contemporary significance of the paranormal, this course critically uncovers some of the ways in which paranormal beliefs not only help us in dealing with the anxieties of living in a rapidly changing, globalised world, but also how those beliefs have been subject to political manipulation around issues of race and national identity.

This is a 10-week short course with tutor Dr Justin Woodman. Weekly sessions are from 6.30pm-8.30pm at Goldsmiths, University of London. It starts on Thursday, 5 Oct 2017. The fees for the entire course are £260.

You can find out more here: http://www.gold.ac.uk/short-courses/origins-of-the-paranormal/

Magic School: Bewitched - 17th Century Witch Trials

If you live in Kent, there are two opportunities to study the history of witch trials in the 17th century. A course called Bewitched: 17th Century Witch Trials is being run both in Tonbridge and Maidstone this October. The Tonbridge classes are on Thursday mornings for four weeks and the Maidstone classes are on Friday afternoons for three weeks.

Here is the description of the Tonbridge syllabus from the Kent Adult Education website:

Bewitched: 17th Century Witch Trials
This course will examine the witch trial frenzy of the 1600s – in both Britain and the US – with particular focus on the celebrated cases of Pendle Hill in Lancashire and Salem, Massachusetts. We will examine the circumstances that gave rise to the arrests and look at the witness statements and defence evidence offered during the trials. We will also consider the general perception of witchcraft in Britain and the US during the early modern period.

By the end of this course you should be able to:
• Place the C17th witch trials in the wider context of British domestic and colonial history
• Name a number of the prominent persons involved in the witch prosecutions
• Describe a number of cases and/or their outcomes

Here are the details for the two locations:

Venue: St Faiths Adult Education Centre, Maidstone
Price: £42.00
Starts: 06/10/2017; Ends: 20/10/2017
Time: 1pm - 3pm
Tutor: Naomi Louise Dickins
Website: https://www.kentadulteducation.co.uk/products/pid_34656/History---Bewitched---British-and-American-Witch-Trials-of-the-17th-Century.aspx

Venue: Tonbridge Adult Education Centre
Price: £56.00
Starts: 12/10/2017; Ends: 16/11/2017
Time: 10am - 12pm
Tutor: Naomi Louise Dickins
Website: https://www.kentadulteducation.co.uk/products/pid_34633/History---Bewitched---17th-Century-Witch-Trials.aspx

The picture at the top shows a reconstruction of the execution of the Pendle witches for the Lancashire Witches weekend at Lancaster Castle this August.

Free Online Tarot at Tell My Tarot

Fourth generation tarot reader and astrologer Charmaine Frapp sent me a link to a personal website she has created called Tell My Tarot.

Charmaine said: "I've spent the past year developing an online tarot reading platform that works well on mobile phones and is free for anyone to use. After a lot of hard work, it's finally live."

I used it just now and it gave me some very insightful readings - specifically to use my intellect rather than my emotions when deciding what to do next in a project. That ties in well with a reading I did for myself the other day, suggesting that I should do more research before writing further chapters on a book I am currently working on.

You can find the Tell My Tarot website here: https://tellmytarot.com/free-tarot-reading

Lammas Pagan Events In London and Elsewhere

Lammas is on August 1 and is a pagan festival to celebrate the start of the harvest. Here are details of some of the events in London plus a few in other parts of the UK that could be of interest to pagans up to that time and in the week ahead. If you know of an event that you want listed, please email the details to me at badwitch1234@gmail.com.

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/

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 26 July; 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 26 July; 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 26 July; Midweek Tarot. Event with the Tarot and Healing Group. Venue: The Plough 27 Museum Street, Bloomsbury, WC1A 1LH, London. Time: 7pm. Tickets £5, advance reservation necessary. https://www.meetup.com/Tarot-and-Healing-Group/

Wednesday 26 July; London Energy Share. Venue: The Skylight Centre, 49 Corsica Street, London N5 1JT. Time: 7pm. Tickets £10. https://www.meetup.com/londonhealingshare/

Wednesday 26 July; Lamiae, Transgression and Double Lives. Brooke Magnanti in discussion with Christina Oakley Harrington. 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/

Wednesday 26 July; 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 27 July; Gerry Thompson, author of Astral Sex to Zen Teabags, a New Age Spoofapedia, about humour for spiritual development. 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 27 July; Free Social: Peaceful Meditation and Picnic with the London Spirituality Meetup Group. Meet outside Regents Park Station, London between 6pm and 6.30pm to walk to the park. Bring a picnic. https://www.meetup.com/londonspirituality/

Thursday 27 July; Magic of the Iron Pentacle with Jane Meredith, based on her book of that name. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49A Museum Street, London WC1A 1LY. Time: 7pm. https://www.facebook.com/events/479245622415159/

Thursday 27 July; We're All Gonna Die: Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint. Talk by Dr Andrew Chesnut at London Fortean Society. Venue: The Bell, 50 Middlesex Street, London E1 7EX. Tickets £4/£2. Time: 7.45pm. Details: https://www.facebook.com/LondonForteanSociety/

Thursday 27 July - 28 July. Rite of the Flamekeeper with Aphrodite's Flame. Wherever you are, you can light a flame to honour Aphrodite. To find out how to get an Aphrodite's Flame candle and for mor information about the event, visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/1718636448430160/

Friday 28 July; An Evening with Tiokasin Ghosthorse at the London College of Spirituality. Venue: Columbia Hotel, Windsor Room, 95-99 Lancaster Gate, London, W2 3NS. Tickets £15/£30. Time: 7pm. https://www.meetup.com/londonspirituality/

Friday 28 July; Open Circle every Friday for anyone wishing to develop their psychic and mediumistic abilities. Venue: Woodford Church at 9 Grove Crescent, South Woodford, London E18 2JR. Time 7.30pm. Cost: £3. http://woodfordchurch.com/

Saturday 29 July; Online Lughnasad Festival 2017 hosted by Pagan Federation Disabilities Team. John in wherever you are to hear talks from pagan authors and teachers including Rachel Patterson, Mabh Savage, Nimue Brown and Debi Gregory. Time: 10am- 7pm. https://www.facebook.com/PFDisabilities/

Saturday 29 July; Festival of Paganism 2017; Venue Ipswich Oddfellows, The Oddfellows Hall, 37 High Street,  Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 3QH. Time: 10am-4pm. Free entry. https://www.facebook.com/events/154429345102050/

Saturday 29 July; Goddess Epona 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.

Saturday 29 July; Self-Love Healing Workshop with Sensing Energy and Intuition Development. Venue: Latvian House, 72 Queensborough Terrace,· London, W2 3SH. Time: Noon. Price: £15. https://www.meetup.com/Sensing-Energy-and-Intuition-Development/

Saturday 29 July; The Masonic Magician. Talk and book signing with Philippa Faulks. Venue: Watkins Books, 19-21 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 5pm. Free event. For more details Tel 020 7836 2182 or visit the website http://www.watkinsbooks.com/

Saturday 29 July - Sunday 30 July; Eastbourne Lammas Festival. Lammas ritual plus music, dance, stalls, food and drink on Eastbourne seafront. Western Lawns, Eastbourne Seafront West, King Edwards Parade, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 4EE. Free. http://www.lammasfest.org/

Sunday 30 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 30 July; The British Museum and the Awakening of English Magic. Walking Tour with Caroline Wise organised by Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 10.30am. Ticket price £15. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Sunday 30 July; Silver Chalice Lammas Celebration in the sun circle Avebury henge, in Wiltshire. Time: 12 noon. Free event, everyone welcome. Afterwards there will be a handfasting, again all welcome.

Sunday 30 July; Woodland Lammas: Wiccan Harvest Ceremony open ritual with London Woodland Witches Magicians and Outdoor Pagans. Meet in the garden  of  the Woodmans Pub on Archway Road, Highgate, North London at 2pm for a short walk to the woods where the ritual will take place. 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/

Sunday 30 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

Sunday 30 July; Lammas Wheel of the Year ritual at Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, 3 Pilgrim's Place, London NW3 1NG. Time: 7pm. Tel: 020 7433 3267. http://www.rosslynhillchapel.com/

Monday 31 July; Aspecting the Goddess. Morning workshop with Jane Meredith, author of Aphrodite's Magic and Journey to the Dark Goddess (links view the books on Amazon). This workshop covers material from her next book in the series. Venue: Goddess Hall, Glastonbury, Somerset. Time: 10am-4pm. Fee: £50. https://www.facebook.com/events/1974627612775237/

Tuesday 1 August - Sunday 6 August. Glastonbury Goddess Conference. Week of events at various venues in Glastonbury, Somerset. Tickets for the entire week: £390, but you can buy tickets to individual talks, workshops or storytellings from £10/£12. http://goddessconference.com/2017/

Tuesday 1 August; Wheel of the Year Festival - Fruition 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/

Tuesday 1 August; Conspiracy Theories are for Losers. Talk by Joseph Uscinski, author of American Conspiracy Theories. Venue: LG02 in the Professor Stuart Hall Building, Goldsmiths College, New Cross, London, SE14 6NW. NB: Not LG01. Time: 6:10 pm. Free. http://www.gold.ac.uk/

Tuesday 1 August; Karen Phillips talking on the history of Spiritualism. Romford Moot hosted by Mamma Moon Magick, Venue: Golden Lion, Romford, Essex. Time: 7.30pm. Entry £4. https://www.facebook.com/mammamoonmagick/

Tuesday 1 August; Salon Du Voile. Talk on occultism with Ian "Cat" Vincent. Venue: The Horse Hospital, Colonnade, London WC1N 1JD. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets £9. https://www.designmynight.com/london/whats-on/something-a-little-different-events/salon-du-voile-ian-cat-vincent

Tuesday 1 August; Knot Magic at the 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/events/1219954618115987/

Thursday 3 August; Freda Bedi and Tenzin Palmo. Talk and book signing by Vicki Mckenzie. 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 3 August; PFL Lammas Open Ritual with Kith of the Tree and the Well hosted by The Pagan Federation London and guests. Venue: Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL/, Time: 7.30pm for 8pm start. Entry £5/£6. https://pflondon.info/

Thursday 3 August; Guildford Moot (every 1st Thursday). Venue: Kings Head, Quarry Street, Guildford, Surrey. Time: 7.30pm. Details on Facebook, meetup and Twitter.

Thursday 3 - Monday 7 August; The Green Gathering. Venue: Piercefield Park, Chepstow, NP16 6BE. Tickets: Adults £95, young adults £75, youth £55, children free. http://www.greengathering.org.uk/where-how/

Friday 4 August; Open Evening at the College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 4.30pm-9pm. Cost: £25. Advance booking recommended. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Friday 4 August; Bronze Oak Grove. Storytelling from London Dreamtime with Royal Parks for children aged 4-10 and their families. Venue: North Flower Walk Kensington Gardens. Time: 3pm and 5pm. Price: £5. http://londondreamtime.com/calendar/

Friday 4 August; Shamanic Journeying Circle run by Shamanic Spirit at a venue in New Addington, Croydon, South London. Time: 6.30pm. For details and to book places call 07952 041477 or visit http://shamanicspirit.co.uk/

Saturday 5 August; Magical Bloomsbury Walking Tour with Christina Oakley Harrington. Meet at Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 1pm. Ticket price £15. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Saturday 5 August; Magical Baths - Folk Magic at Home. Mini-workshop with Rebecca Beattie . Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 1pm. Ticket price £20. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Saturday 5 August; Conan Doyle and the Mysterious World of Light. Paranormal talk by Matt WIngett, the author of a book of that name, with Spooky London Pubs. Venue: King and Queen Hotel, 1 Foley St, London W1W 6DL. Time: 7pm. Entry by donation of £2 to charity. Copies of the book will be available at £10. https://www.meetup.com/spookylondonpubs/

Sunday 6 August; North West Kent Green Pagan Circle Moot. Venue: Chislehurst Caves, Bromley, BR7 5NL. Time: 10am-noon. https://www.facebook.com/groups/445487428816887/

Sunday 6 August; 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 6 August; Druidic Lughnasadh/Lhammas Celebration on Primrose Hill with the Loose Association of Druids. Gather in the Hawthorne Grove at Primrose Hill, London, NW1 8YH, between 12.30pm and 12.45pm to prepare the site ready for a prompt 1pm start. Nearest tube: Chalk Farm. Bring a small contribution of food and drink to share. All are welcome.

Sunday 6 August; The Woman Most Wild Workshop with author Danielle Dulsky. Venue: About Balance, 14 East Street, BN1 1HP Brighton. Time: 1pm-4.30pm, Pre-registration required: https://www.facebook.com/events/229554254191017/

Note: I do not organise any of these events. For more information and to check ticket availability and any changes to details, please contact the organisers.

Pagan Eye: A View of the Thames and a Cat Statue

Here is a view of the Thames as the sun set last Saturday at the end of the 10-hour, 10-pub psychogeography walk run by Minimum Labyrinth, based on Peter Ackroyd's books about London.

I took the photo at Bermondsey and the cat in the foreground is part of a group of statues called Dr Salter's Daydream, which commemorates Dr Salter and his wife - a local couple who dedicated their lives to helping the local community.

This is one of my favourite parts of the Thames. It is much less crowded than the banks of the river in Central London and very atmospheric. There are good pubs there too, including the Angel and the Mayflower, which were the last two drinking stops at the end of the pub crawl.

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/2015/04/event-peter-ackroyd-charity-pub-crawl.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/07/images-and-reflections-of-thin-veil-of.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/04/walking-into-grey-soul-of-london.html
http://www.bewsgorvin.co.uk/sculpture-dr-salters-daydream.html
https://londonist.com/pubs/pubs/the-angel
http://www.mayflowerpub.co.uk/

News: Witches in History, Today & in Entertainment

"Sudden death of much-loved Glastonbury witch and astrologer leaves family grief-stricken as tributes poor in" - story at Somerset Live: http://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/sudden-death-much-loved-glastonbury-221218

"Disney to release new English translations of fantasy comic series ‘W.I.T.C.H.’" - story at Inquirer: http://entertainment.inquirer.net/235790/disney-release-new-english-translations-fantasy-comic-series-w-t-c-h

"Meet the kawaii witches of the East" - Story at The Japan Times: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2017/07/13/films/meet-kawaii-witches-east/

"Salem, Danvers ceremonies to honor Witch Trials victims" - Story at The Salem News: http://www.salemnews.com/news/local_news/salem-danvers-ceremonies-to-honor-witch-trials-victims/article_4b9280d7-a39e-5663-8c3d-767d03c3f411.html

"Warding Off Witch Hunting" - story at The Regulatory Review: https://www.theregreview.org/2017/07/19/wong-witch-hunting/

"Woman, two sons killed over witchcraft" - story at Times of India: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/woman-two-sons-killed-over-witchcraft/articleshow/59726851.cms

"In Image's Redlands, Witches Are Feared Not Just for Their Magic, But Because They're Women" - story at Gizmodo: http://io9.gizmodo.com/in-images-redlands-witches-are-feared-not-just-for-the-1796832446

"The Witch's Mark review" - story at Entertainment Focus: http://www.entertainment-focus.com/theatre-section/theatre-reviews/the-witchs-mark-review/

July Mandala: Lavender, Mint, Meadowsweet & Mallow

Every month this year I have been making a picture from flowers. It is both a record of the passing seasons and serves as a mandala to meditate upon.

This month - July - I created one pretty much at random  - scattering tiny petals from buddleia, lavender, mint, meadowsweet, enchanter's nightshade and mallow picked either from my own garden or the verges beside the roads near where I live.

More than encouraging meditation, this month's mandala felt it was calling me to divine from the patterns, like tea leaf reading. After a while, I could see a heart-shaped face in the middle of the image. I'm not sure what it means, but it seems a good omen - perhaps the counterpoint to the sad face I created in my mandala for January.

But, more than the picture itself, it was the smell of the flowers that was most inspiring for me. The cooling, soothing scent of lavender, mint and meadowsweet - among the other less-scented blooms - was perfect for a hot summer's afternoon. I spent more time lying on the sofa in the afternoon heat enjoying the perfume and wishing there was a way I could share that on my blog as well as a photo, than I did studying the mandala. I do recommend picking that combination yourself and letting the fragrance fill the room as you quietly meditate.

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/06/june-mandala-summer-solstice-sun-in.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/01/january-mandala-lips-as-red-as-blood.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/09/buddleia-for-bees-butterflies-and.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/07/lavender.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/07/flower-magic-and-folklore-enchanters.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/04/review-herbs-of-sun-moon-and-planets.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/01/tea-leaf-reading-my-first-attempts.html
https://wildplants.wordpress.com/tag/edible/

Occult London: The London Stone Myths and History

Despite being just a modest-sized lump of limestone, the London Stone has huge symbolic significance in the folklore of England's capital. For many with an interest in the occult, it is the stone heart of London, as important to the city as Stonehenge is to England (although considerably smaller and less impressive to look at).

There is nothing wrong with the stone having mythic importance, but it is always worthwhile examining the facts before confusing powerful stories with recorded history.

In an article on the Museum of London website, curator Emeritus John Clark looks at seven myths about the London stone - and the truth behind them. The are:

1: It has been in London from prehistoric times
It more likely dates from Saxon or Medieval times. Some think it was originally a Roman milestone, but there is no evidence to support this.

2: Ancient Druids used it as a sacrificial altar
It is too late to be Druidic.

3: Medieval kings and queens ceremonially took control of London by touching the stone
In 1450, Jack Cade, leader of the Kentish rebellion against Henry VI, entered London and struck the London Stone claiming to be ‘lord of this city’. However, there is no recorded precedent for this and chroniclers at the time were bemused as to why he did it.

4: The London Stone has never (until now) been moved from its site
It was moved a few times in the 18th century because it was a traffic hazard. It was also briefly at the Royal Exchange in the 1960s.

5: London will fall if the stone is moved or destroyed
This is a fantasy made up in the 19th century (a time when many such legends were created), based on a suggestion first stated in the late 18th century.

6: The stone has been protected by a long line of guardians
This is a relatively modern legend, although in recent times some people have enjoyed the unofficial title of custodian of the stone.

7: London Stone is the magical heart of London
It seems this idea began in the late 19th century when folklorist George Laurence Gomme said it was London’s ‘fetish stone’ and that when London was just a village, the head man made an offering to it once a year. Since then many books on legendary London and urban fantasy novels have built on or used this idea. There is no evidence that it is true, but it makes a great story.

What I would say is, whatever the London Stone might have been in the past, today it serves as a powerful symbol of London's history and legends as well as the ability of those who live here to create wonderful ideas from very little.

You can read John Clark's full article here: https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/discover/london-stone-seven-strange-myths

You can also read a blog post I wrote back in 2009, when the London Stone was in a metal cage embedded in the wall of an old bank at 111 Cannon Street: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/10/ancient-stone-heart-of-london.html

It is interesting to see that much of what I wrote in that early post has now been debunked. Nevertheless, for me, the London Stone is still London's magical heart, even if it isn't a very ancient one.

The London Stone is currently on display at the Museum of London, 150 London Wall, London EC2Y 5HN. You can see it for free during museum opening ours until 31 December 2017.

Links and previous related posts
https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london
https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/discover/london-stone-seven-strange-myths
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/10/ancient-stone-heart-of-london.html

Lancashire Witches Weekend at Lancaster Castle

Lancaster Castle is to host a Lancashire Witches Weekend on the 19th and 20th of August 2017, with a series of immersive events and entertainment created by local theatre company Little Gargoyle Ltd. Commemorating the 405th anniversary of the arrest, trial and execution of the Lancashire Witches in 1612, the festival includes a range of events and entertainment for visitors of all ages.

Visitors will be able to enjoy a bespoke Pendle Witch Walk, a character-led tour where audience members become the accused and explore the historic superstitions and practices of the time. The Well Tower will also be opened up to visitors, giving participants an opportunity to hear Ol' Demdike speak of the 'evidence' that placed her in this place of incarceration.

The three witches from Shakespeare's Macbeth will be 'toiling and troubling' in the castle courtyard, and for the young (and the young at heart), there will also be broomstick training and a Little Witch Show where younger visitors will be invited to help the little witch come up with a spell to catch a dragon.

Other displays, exhibitions and visitor attractions organised as part of the festival will include a special exhibition of Carol Ann Duffy's poem commissioned in 2012 as part of the 400th anniversary of the Lancashire witches and the latest visual representation of the story from PhD student and artist Alisa Reed.

Stonemason Alan Ward will be displaying his unique range of carved faces, heads and calligraphy created at the castle and local Corio Raptor will be bringing their birds of prey to the courtyards.

This is a ticketed event so visitors are advised to prebook. Many of the events are covered in the £1 entry fee (payable on the door) with additional charges for the optional Pendle Witches Walk (£8), broomstick training (£6) and visits to the Well Tower dungeon to meet Ol'Demdike (£3).

For full details of events and to book tickets visit www.lancashirewitches.co.uk or call 01524 419486.

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/07/history-of-pendle-witches-their-magic.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/06/pagan-eye-pendle-hill-in-snow.html

Review: Woman Most Wild: Liberating the Witch Within

I love this book - and that is a big deal for me to say.

Having been a witch for several decades - and having reviewed books on witchcraft on my blog for one of them - I've read countless tomes aimed at teaching witchcraft and it takes a lot to impress me these days. But Woman Most Wild: Three Keys to Liberating the Witch Within by Danielle Dulsky really did.

I love the way the book is written. It is poetic and inspiring. It teaches more through story-weaving than through dry instruction. It reminds me of the much-acclaimed Women Who Run With the Wolves, by Clarissa Pinkola Estés, which Danielle Dulsky cites early on in Woman Most Wild.

I love the way it teaches an intuitive approach to magic - trusting your feelings and sensing the magic in the world rather than learning lists of correspondences or Goddess charges by rote.

And I love that the form of magic the book promotes is inclusive and non-hierarchical. Although it is aimed at women and written from a gentle feminist perspective, Danielle Dulsky is clear that you do not have to have a womb to honour the divine feminine in each of us.

The book itself is in three sections - the "three  keys to liberating the witch within" that are in the subtitle. The are: alignment with the cycles of nature, understanding the importance of ritual, bonding with a circle of like-minded seekers. The chapters in each section offer experiential ways to sense the energies within the cycles of the moon and sun, the seasons and our bodies - then to use those energies to empower our lives and work ritual and magic.

The last section offers advice for setting up a witches circle - specifically not called a coven to get away from more structured groups. In the circles described by Danielle Dulsky, there is no high priestess (or high priest) and all women are equal.

As it said in press release I was sent by publisher New World Library:

Woman Most Wild helps us all reclaim the power we were born with and asks us to come home to our inner witch. Instead of being shamed for our “wildness” [Danielle] validates it as our birthright, which includes a deep connection to nature. In her own words from the book: “The wild is your human way of relating to the life-force that is beyond human but wholly natural.”

You can view Woman Most Wild on Amazon and also view Women Who Run With the Wolves on Amazon.

Links
http://newworldlibrary.com/#
http://danielledulsky.com/
Twitter: twitter.com/NewWorldLibrary
Facebook: facebook.com/NewWorldLibrary

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

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/

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 19 July; 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 19 July; 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 19 July; Wendy Rule - Witch Songs - Acoustic Performance. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.30pm. Ticket price £12. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Wednesday 19 July; 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 20 July; Dada Jyotirupananda - Meditation - Being All You Can Be. Talk on Tantric meditation. 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 20 July; Cochranian Tarot Philosophy with the London Wicca Meetup Group. Venue: tba, Time: 7pm. Details and reservations: https://www.meetup.com/The-London-Wicca-Meetup-Group/

Thursday 20 July; 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 20 July; Conspiracy Theories are for Losers. Talk by Professor Uscinski at London Fortean Society. Venue: Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL. Tickets £5. Time: 7.30pm. Details: https://www.facebook.com/LondonForteanSociety/

Thursday 20 July; 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 21 July; Amanda Roberts Presents her Students at the College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm. Cost: £10/£12. Advance booking recommended. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Friday 21 July; Open Circle every Friday for anyone wishing to develop their psychic and mediumistic abilities. Venue: Woodford Church at 9 Grove Crescent, South Woodford, London E18 2JR. Time 7.30pm. Cost: £3. http://woodfordchurch.com/

Friday 21 July; Cacao and Ecstatic Dance - with Ecstatic Dance London. Venue Skylight Centre, 49 Corsica Street, London N5 1JT. Time: 8.30pm. Tickets: £15 / £12 earlybird. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cacao-ecstatic-dance-with-ecstatic-dance-london-friday-nights-tickets-33380995456

Saturday 22 July; Peter Ackroyd Thames psychogeography pub crawl with Minimum Labyrinth in aid of charity trees for cities. A walking tour from Westminster to Rotherhithe, taking in 10 pubs’ worth of real ale, from 11am-9pm. Tickets £20 - all money goes to charity. http://www.minimumlabyrinth.org/peter-ackroyd-thames-pub-crawl.html

Saturday 22 July; Myth in the Tarot - Intermediate Workshop.  Day Workshop with Suzanne Corbie. 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/

Saturday 22 July; Experience Spirits of Nature (Introduction: Come and Touch One!). Meet at the Gandhi Statue in Tavistock Square, Bloomsbury, London at 4pm. Cost: £10. https://www.meetup.com/Experience-Spirits-of-Nature/

Sunday 23 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 23 July; July Red Tent - Make Room for your Womb! Event organised by South London Red Tent. Venue is a private house and you must be a member of the group to sign up. Time 11.30am. Wear something red. https://www.meetup.com/South-London-Red-Tent/

Sunday 23 July; The Kith of the Tree and the Well moot. Venue: The Horseshoe Inn, 26 Melior Street, London SE1 3QP. Time: 2pm. https://www.facebook.com/events/1575434692486979/

Sunday 23 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

Sunday 23 July; Nurture your Aphrodite - Women's Circle. Venue: Chisenhale Dance, 64-84 Chisenhale Road, London E3 5QZ. Time: 3pm. Cost: £10. https://www.facebook.com/events/809989095822050/

Sunday 23 July; Rose Quartz Crystal Healing with Wolf Sister. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Rd, London E9 7AD. Time: 6pm. Tickets: £30. http://www.sheslostcontrol.co.uk/

Sunday 23 July; Crossbones 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/

Sunday 23 July; Tribal Chanting Ritual to invite magic, even if this magic is nothing but poetry. Meet at Hampstead Heath Overground Station, South End Road, Hampstead, London NW3 2QD at 7.30pm to walk to the site. Bring water and a blanket to sit on. You must reserve a place in advance. https://www.meetup.com/Tribal-Chanting-Ritual/

Monday 24 July; 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 24 July; The Magical World of Transylvania. Lecture by Will Hunter. 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 25 July; LDN Talks @ Night: A Skeptic's Guide to the Paranormal. Talk by Professor Chris French. 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-the-paranormal-8357

Wednesday 26 July; Midweek Tarot . Event with the Tarot and Healing Group. Venue: The Plough 27 Museum Street, Bloomsbury, WC1A 1LH, London. Time: 7pm. Tickets £5, advance reservation necessary. https://www.meetup.com/Tarot-and-Healing-Group/

Wednesday 26 July; London Energy Share. Venue: The Skylight Centre, 49 Corsica Street, London N5 1JT. Time: 7pm. Tickets £10. https://www.meetup.com/londonhealingshare/

Wednesday 26 July; Lamiae, Transgression and Double Lives. Brooke Magnanti in discussion with Christina Oakley Harrington. 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/

Wednesday 26 July; 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 27 July; Gerry Thompson, author of Astral Sex to Zen Teabags, a New Age Spoofapedia, about humour for spiritual development. 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 27 July; Free Social: Peaceful Meditation and Picnic with the London Spirituality Meetup Group. Meet outside Regents Park Station, London between 6pm and 6.30pm to walk to the park. Bring a picnic. https://www.meetup.com/londonspirituality/

Thursday 27 July; Magic of the Iron Pentacle with Jane Meredith, based on her book of that name. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49A Museum Street, London WC1A 1LY. Time: 7pm. https://www.facebook.com/events/479245622415159/

Thursday 27 July; We're All Gonna Die: Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint. Talk by Dr Andrew Chesnut at London Fortean Society. Venue: The Bell, 50 Middlesex Street, London E1 7EX. Tickets £4/£2. Time: 7.45pm. Details: https://www.facebook.com/LondonForteanSociety/

Thursday 27 July - 28 July. Rite of the Flamekeeper with Aphrodite's Flame. Wherever you are, you can light a flame to honour Aphrodite. To find out how to get an Aphrodite's Flame candle and for mor information about the event, visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/1718636448430160/

Friday 28 July; An Evening with Tiokasin Ghosthorse at the London College of Spirituality. Venue: Columbia Hotel, Windsor Room, 95-99 Lancaster Gate, London, W2 3NS. Tickets £15/£30. Time: 7pm. https://www.meetup.com/londonspirituality/

Saturday 29 July; The Masonic Magician. Talk and book signing with Philippa Faulks. Venue: Watkins Books, 19-21 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 5pm. Free event. For more details Tel 020 7836 2182 or visit the website http://www.watkinsbooks.com/

Saturday 29 July; Festival of Paganism 2017; Venue Ipswich Oddfellows, The Oddfellows Hall, 37 High Street,  Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 3QH. Time: 10am-4pm. Free entry. https://www.facebook.com/events/154429345102050/

Saturday 29 July; Goddess Epona 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.

Saturday 29 July; Self-Love Healing Workshop with Sensing Energy and Intuition Development. Venue: Latvian House, 72 Queensborough Terrace,· London, W2 3SH. Time: Noon. Price: £15. https://www.meetup.com/Sensing-Energy-and-Intuition-Development/

Saturday 29 July - Sunday 30 July; Eastbourne Lammas Festival. Lammas ritual plus music, dance, stalls, food and drink on Eastbourne seafront. Western Lawns, Eastbourne Seafront West, King Edwards Parade, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 4EE. Free. http://www.lammasfest.org/

Sunday 30 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 30 July; The British Museum and the Awakening of English Magic. Walking Tour with Caroline Wise organised by Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 10.30am. Ticket price £15. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Sunday 30 July; Silver Chalice Lammas Celebration in the sun circle Avebury henge, in Wiltshire. Time: 12 noon. Free event, everyone welcome. Afterwards there will be a handfasting, again all welcome.

Sunday 30 July; Woodland Lammas: Wiccan Harvest Ceremony open ritual with London Woodland Witches Magicians and Outdoor Pagans. Meet in the garden  of  the Woodmans Pub on Archway Road, Highgate, North London at 2pm for a short walk to the woods where the ritual will take place. 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/

Sunday 30 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

Sunday 30 July; Lammas Wheel of the Year ritual at Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, 3 Pilgrim's Place, London NW3 1NG. Time: 7pm. Tel: 020 7433 3267. http://www.rosslynhillchapel.com/

Note: I do not organise any of these events. I try to make sure the details are accurate, but please contact the organisers for more information or tickets. If you spot anything that needs correcting on my listing, email me at badwitch1234@gmail.com.