Review: Dragon Oracle Cards by Diana Cooper

Who could resist a box full of dragons? Obviously not me, which is why I've got a set of the new Dragon Oracle Cards by Diana Cooper, with artwork by Carla Lee Morrow.

Dragons are fantastic beasts that have symbolised many different things to people from a wide range of cultures throughout history. Over time they have been depicted as gods, monsters, guardians, elemental beings and spiritual allies. Diana Cooper firmly places them in the helpful category rather than seeing them as forces of greed and destruction that burn down cities unless appeased by gifts of fair maidens or slain by knights errant.

In the book that comes with the boxed set, Diana Cooper says: "Dragons are beautiful, wise, open-hearted etheric beings of the angelic realms who are sent here by the Source to assist us... They operate on a different vibrational frequency to us, which is why most people can’t see them, but they are very willing to connect with us if we are ready to tune in to their wavelength. Dragons really love the planet and everyone on it, and are pouring into Earth now to help us with the transition to the new Golden Age."

If that view of dragons appeals to you, then you can use this deck to ask their assistance in answering questions about issues in your daily life, about your "soul mission" or about helping the planet in general.

As with most oracle decks, you can pick one card for a quick answer, three cards to represent the past, present and future, or do a more complicated spread. The cards are good quality and come in a sturdy box with full instructions in a booklet.

The set is published by Hay House. You can view the Dragon Oracle Cards on Amazon.

(Note: I earn commission from some links. This helps subsidise my blog at no extra cost to readers)

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/05/seriously-monstrous-dragons-more-than.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/04/divination-water-dragons-gifts-from-sea.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/09/dozmary-pool-and-death-of-dragons.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/04/dragons-of-london.html
http://www.dianacooper.com/
https://www.hayhouse.co.uk/

This Week's Pagan Events In and Near London

Here are some of the events in and near London that could be of interest to pagans over the next week or so. If you know of an event that you want listed, please email the details to me at badwitch1234@gmail.com.

Now - 16 December; Curses! by Bompas and Parr. Exhibition and immersive installation at the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology UCL, Malet Place, London, WC1 6BT. https://www.ucl.ac.uk/culture/events/curses-bompas-parr

Now to 31 December; The London Stone on Display. Venue: Museum of London, 150 London Wall, London EC2Y 5HN. Free exhibition during museum opening hours. http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london

Now - Wednesday 28 February 2018; Harry Potter: A History of Magic. Venue: PACCAR Gallery, The British Library, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB. Timed slots every day. Tickets £16 adult, £8 child. Enquiries: 01937 546546. https://www.bl.uk/

Now - 8 April 2018; Exhibition: Living with Gods: peoples, places and worlds beyond. Venue: British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Tickets: £15 standard, members free but booking essential. For more details visit: https://www.britishmuseum.org/

Now - Wednesday 28 February 2018; The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic: An exhibition dedicated to Cornwall’s most magical Museum, featuring photographs from Of Shadows: One Hundred Objects from The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic by Sara Hannant and Simon Costin. Last Tuesday Society. Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. http://www.thelasttuesdaysociety.org/

Wednesday 29 November; Time to Meditate - group meditation. Venue: Buddha on a Bicycle, Covent Garden, London. Arrive 6pm for 6.10pm start. Donations of £3 recommended. Details: http://www.meetup.com/meditation-trust-london/

Wednesday 29 November; Lean into Love - Awakening your Heart Chakra. Fourth session in the Chakra Series with Rachael of Welford Wellbeing. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London E9 7AD. Time: 7pm. Tickets from £18 per session. www.sheslostcontrol.co.uk

Wednesday 29 November; 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. https://www.facebook.com/groups/104788436218047/

Thursday 30 November; Curator's introduction to Living with Gods: peoples, places and worlds beyond. Venue: BP Lecture Theatre, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Time: 1.30pm. Free, but advance booking required. For more details visit: https://www.britishmuseum.org/

Thursday 30 November; Earthstars Group Meeting: King Arthur’s Camlan. Presentation by Laurence Main. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London NW1 4SH. Time: Doors open 7pm for 7.30pm start. Entry £12. https://www.facebook.com/Earthstars-Sacred-Space-104790729559515/

Thursday 30 November; The Key to Theosophy study class. Venue: The Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place, London, W1U 8EA. Time: 7pm. Free entry but donations welcome. https://www.meetup.com/Theosophical-Society-in-London/  and http://www.theosophicalsociety.org.uk/

Thursday 30 November; Kenneth Grant's First Typhonian Trilogy. Lecture by Michael Staley . Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets £8. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Thursday 30 November; Helen Duncan: Medium on Trial. Talk by Geraldine Beskin (pictured left) at The London Fortean Society. Venue: The Bell, 50 Middlesex Street, London E1 7EX. Time: 7.45pm. Tickets: £2/£4. http://forteanlondon.blogspot.co.uk/

Friday 1 December; Crystal Goddess event - learn about the uses of crystals. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Rd, London, SE9 6SH. Free event. Time: noon. For details  email shirlee@wiccamoon.org.uk or call 020 8850 7803. You can also visit the facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WiccaMoonEltham/

Friday 1 December; Crowleymass - celebrating the anniversary of the death of Aleister Crowley. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49A Museum St, London WC1A 1LY. Time: 7pm. Cost tba, advance booking essential. Tel: 020 7405 2120 or email atlantis@theatlantisbookshop.com. Website: http://www.theatlantisbookshop.com/

Friday 1 December; The History of Witchcraft: part one in the British Museum with the London Wicca Meetup Group. Venue: The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3DG, Time: 7pm. You must reserve a place in advance. Details: https://www.meetup.com/The-London-Wicca-Meetup-Group/

Friday 1 December; How to Hack Your Own Life - using eurythmy as rescue remedy. Workshop with Hanne Kristiansen Risvik. Hosted by Earthstars Sacred Space. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London NW1 4SH. Time: Doors open 7pm for 7.30pm start. Entry £12. https://www.facebook.com/Earthstars-Sacred-Space-104790729559515/

Saturday 2 December; Digital workshop: Teens code the collection: lucky charms. For ages 13-15, but must be accompanied by an adult. Venue: Samsung Centre, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Time: 11am-4pm. Free, just drop in. For more details visit: https://www.britishmuseum.org/

Saturday 2 December; Talk and Northern Rite for Winter Lecture with Heathen Blot, with Andre and Amanda Henriques. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 5pm. Tickets £10. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Sunday 3 December; Yule Solstice. Magical workshop with Edwin Courtenay. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 10am-5pm. Cost: £75/£95. Advance booking recommended. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 3 December; Fungus Foray, with The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park. Venue: Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, The Soanes Centre, Southern Grove, London E3 4PX. Time: 1pm. Tickets: £10/£12. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fungus-foray-tickets-38843394639

Sunday 3 December; Care of Magical Creatures with Patrick Aryee. Hogwarts Curriculum Lecture - part of a series running alongside the Harry Potter Exhibition. Venue: British Library Knowledge Centre, The British Library, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB. Time: 2pm-3.15pm. Tickets: £15/£10. Visit https://www.bl.uk/events/hogwarts-curriculum-lectures? or call 01937 546546

Sunday 3 December; Faiths in Tune - interfaith music performances: light and fire. Venue: Great Court, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Tickets: free. Time: 2pm. For more details visit: https://www.britishmuseum.org/

Sunday 3 December; Full Moon Magic Ceremony. Venue: Hazelwood Crescent, London, W10 5FT (Exact address will be provided after booking). Time: 4pm start. Tickets: £10 http://uk.funzing.com/funz/full-moon-magic-ceremony-11769?

Sunday 3 December; She sings to the Moon: Distance Meditation for the Full Moon, with Women Who Dance With Their Souls. Venue: your own home. Time: 8pm. https://www.meetup.com/Women-Who-Dance-With-Their-Souls/

Monday 4 December; Tarot practise evening with the Tarot and Healing Group. Venue: First floor, The Knights Templer, Carey Street, London, WC2A 1DT. Time: 7pm. Entry: £5, but you must be a member of the meetup group and reserve a place in advance. https://www.meetup.com/Tarot-and-Healing-Group/

Monday 4 December; Venus Rising SoulSisters Online Woman's Temple. Online event. Time: 4pm-6pm. Donations of £11+ welcome. Details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1667039529994833/

Monday 4 December; Fairies - Human Relations in British Lore. Lecture by John Kruse. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets £8. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Tuesday 5 December; Women, Witches and Witch Trials. Anita Anand chairs a panel of expert historians including Margo Burns, the x10 great-granddaughter of one of key protagonists of the Salem Witch Trials, Malcolm Gaskill, and Ulinka Rublack. Venue: Knowledge Centre, The British Library, 96 Euston Road, London. NW1 2DB. This is also being live-screened to various libraries in city centres in other parts of the UK. Full Price: £15, members/unemployed: £10. Enquiries: 01937 546546. boxoffice@bl.uk https://www.bl.uk/events/women-witches-and-witch-trials

Tuesday 5 December; Romford Moot Yule event organised my Mamma Moon Magic. Yule social at The Golden Lion, Romford. Time: 7.30pm. Bring a wrapped gift and food to share. https://www.facebook.com/mammamoonmagick/

Tuesday 5 December; 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/The-Witches-Inn-1568424150049437/

Wednesday 6 December; Traditional Tibetan spiritual chanting from the Dalai Lama’s Gyuto monks. 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 6 December; Time to Meditate - group meditation. Venue: Buddha on a Bicycle, Covent Garden, London. Arrive 6pm for 6.10pm start. Donations of £3 recommended. Details: http://www.meetup.com/meditation-trust-london/

Wednesday 6 December; Greenwich Skeptics in the Pub. (Note change of talk and speaker) Deborah Hyde talking on fairies. Free mince pies will be available. Venue: The Star and Garter, 60 Old Woolwich Road, Greenwich, London SE10 9NY. Time: 7.30pm. Details: http://greenwich.skepticsinthepub.org/

Thursday 7 December; Curator's introduction to Living with Gods: peoples, places and worlds beyond. Venue: BP Lecture Theatre, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Time: 1.30pm. Free, but advance booking required. For more details visit: https://www.britishmuseum.org/

Friday 8 December; Gallery talk: Lost or found? Anglo-Saxon beliefs before Christianity. Venue: Room 41, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Time: 1.15pm. Free event. For more details visit: https://www.britishmuseum.org/

Friday 8 December; Open Evening at The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 5pm-9pm. Cost: £25. Advance booking essential. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Friday 8 December; Oasis of Sound - Sound Bath and Mantra with Anne Malone. Organised by the Oasis of Sound Meetup Group. Venue: The Life Centre Islington, Brittania Row, North London. Tickets £15. Time: 7.30pm. Details: https://www.meetup.com/Oasis-of-Sound-Sound-Bath-n-Sound-Scape/

Saturday 9 December; Radical Potions: exploring herbal folk medicine of London's past, hosted by Gone Wild Herbs and others. Venue: The Imaginarium of St Nick London, 32 Southwark Street, London SE1 1TU. Time: noon. Tickets £30/£25.  www.designmynight.com  and https://www.facebook.com/events/326274791179635/

Saturday 9 December; Mars, Planet of Passion. Afternoon Seminar with Chris and Vivianne Crowley. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 1pm. Tickets £20. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Saturday 9 December; Psychic Saturday hosted by The Witches' Inn and Crossed Palms. Venue: The Essential Training Organization, The Pilot Building Quarryside Business Park Thornton Side Unit 1, Redhill, RH12LJ. Time: noon. https://www.facebook.com/events/339063503188595/

Sunday 10 December; Tarot Cards for the Absolute Beginner. Day workshop with Sue Merlyn. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 11am-5.30pm. Tickets £75. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Note: I try to ensure my listings are accurate, but am not responsible for any of these events. Please contact the organiser for full details before turning up to anything. If you notice something that needs changing or correcting on my listing, please email badwitch1234@gmail.com.

November Mandala: Leaves, Roses and a Rowan Cross

Here is my mandala for the month of November, showing fallen leaves from my garden along with roses - the only flowers still blooming there - and a rowan cross that was given to me by a friend earlier this year.

One of my new year resolutions for 2017 was to create a mandala each month including things from my own garden to show the changing seasons. I was inspired to do that after I made a mandala for the front cover of a book I edited last year - Every Day Magic: A Pagan Book of Days. That mandala used natural and found items, jewellery and trinkets that held a personal meaning for me.

I enjoyed creating that mandala and it helped me explore the cycle of the seasons in a personal way, both from learning more about my own garden in a search for suitable things for the craft project and thinking about what the Wheel of the Year actually means to me.

My mandala for November feels very much about the Wheel of the Year as autumn ends and winter starts. The leaves are mostly brown now, but the roses include a bud, a full bloom, dying petals and rose hips.

The rowan cross is a symbol of protection and traditionally the sticks would be gathered in springtime, but the berries gathered and dried in the autumn. A cross within a circle is more than just a Christian symbol - it also represents the cycle of life and all the elements in balance.

You can view the book Every Day Magic: A Pagan Book of Days on Amazon and it was published just a few days ago, on November 24.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/01/the-bad-witchs-10-new-years-resolutions.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/03/mandala-for-march-goddess-of-life-death.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/06/june-mandala-summer-solstice-sun-in.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/10/craft-halloween-mandala-for-october.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/10/pagan-eye-gift-of-rowan-cross.html

Review: Animal Tarot by Doreen Virtue

I love this tarot set. Okay, it's fluffy - but really, what else would you expect from deck about animals?

The Animal Tarot is the latest deck by Doreen Virtue and Radleigh Valentine and I was very curious to see it. After all, earlier this year Doreen publicly stated she was giving up creating tarot decks due to a change in her spiritual beliefs. So, I'm guessing this one might be her last set.

I've reviewed several of her earlier decks on A Bad Witch's Blog, including the Fairy Tarot, the Angel Tarot and the Guardian Angel Tarot. I like all them and think they are ideal when you want a gentle reading. However, the Animal Tarot is my favourite.

I love the way that animals have been used for their symbolism and the artwork is delightful. There's cuteness, humour, awe and wonder in the cards. They are lovely to look at and I've found them good for doing readings.

Sure, this isn't a traditional deck, but that doesn't bother me - I've got plenty of those in my collection when I want a traditional reading. This is for when I want to be cheered up, entertained and also get great insights into the way my life is unfolding.

The deck is good quality, comes in a sturdy box with a booklet and also has a very reasonable recommended price. It would make a nice Yule gift for anyone who collects tarot decks or loves animals.

You can view The Animal Tarot on Amazon.

(Note: I earn commission from some links)

Links and previous related posts
https://www.hayhouse.co.uk/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/09/review-guardian-angel-tarot-cards.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/05/review-angel-tarot-cards-by-doreen.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/11/review-fairy-tarot-cards-by-doreen.html

John Callow on Isobel Gowdie at Haunted Landscape

Dr John Callow, author of Embracing the Darkness: A Cultural History of Witchcraft, gave a talk called 'I Shall Goe Unto a Hare' - Isobel Gowdie, Covens, Shamans and Familiar Spirits in 17th Century Scotland, at the London Fortean Society conference, The Haunted Landscape, last week. 

Isobel Gowdie was a Scottish woman who confessed to witchcraft at Auldearn in 1662. Her testimony has been interpreted by many modern pagans, witches and writers in a variety of ways, but the facts behind her case are sometimes obscured by desires of modern writers to make her what they want her to be. Dr Callow examined the evidence of the case and here are the notes I took during his talk:

Dr Callow (picture below left) started by saying that the Isobel Gowdie case demonstrated how, with limited evidence, we can project cultural stereotypes and wish fulfilments on the past.

His interest in Isobel Gowdie started 17 years ago when he was writing short biographies of 17th century figures. For each one he had to fill in a standard form with boxes for things like their job and the manner of their death. He said that is easy for a clergyman or soldier, for instance, but Isobel Gowdie’s said “witch” - and that is debatable in itself. However, we have a tendency to fit people into neat boxes – particularly  journalists who want a single word to describe someone - and a moment is enough to define a life.

Isobel Gowdie was unnoticed for much of her life and probably would have gone on like that except that in 1662 she confessed to witchcraft in a court. She seems she was filled with guilt and from 13-17 May gave for confessions of witchcraft. From these statements we get glimpses of her. All the rest is conjecture.

Court records say she was married, sexually active and where she lived. She went in to court to unburden herself. It was her tragedy that the authorities had preconceptions about what did or didn’t happen in the practice of witchcraft so she had no freedom to express her evidence as she had planned. We don’t know if she was coerced or beaten.

The judges wanted to make sure list of her crimes were reworded and clarified to fit with accepted texts on witchcraft. Her narrative breaks off – she is talking of a hollowed hill splitting asunder and elf balls frolicking on hillside, but the court recorder was not interested and ended his detailed transcript, writing “etc, etc, etc”.

That means you are not going to get all the details about fairy lore as the court didn’t want that, so quickly you get to the formulaic account – she met devil and entered covenant with him, denied Christianity and was baptised in a parody of Christian rites.

She got more and more lurid about her sexual relationship with devil, describing leaving her husband with a broom to double as her in the bed and talking about the devil’s prowess luridly. She confessed that with her familiar she ruined crops, soured milk and transformed herself into hares and crows. Then she said she entered the houses of the gentry to eat and drink. Rich food is rife in all her confessions; she eats and drinks and is not hungry – that is even a big part even of her fairy confessions.

However, the court is more interested in people she killed. She said the bloke she couldn’t kill was the local clergyman. She wanted to kill him, but the devil couldn’t bring him down. It is conceivable that her guilt made her prepared to say anything. Just before sentence was passed she said she wanted a bad thing to happen to her – a harsh sentence.

The traditional view is that she is was burnt at the stake, but there is no record that happened. The court papers were forwarded to the Scottish Privy Council, but were also returned to Auldearn. In the Privy Council reply, the first side offered a pat on back to the authorities. To paraphrase, it said: “You have done really well, all we could wish for. The privy council is pleased and you have convicted her, good, she is guilty.”

However, there are 15 separate articles in which you begin to get germ of enlightenment vision. The articles asked: “Is there any evidence she was depressed or deluded? Is she suicidal? Does she desire to die? Has she been coerced or tortured? If any of these things are true, you should show leniency and let her go.”

So, she might have been let go.

Dr Callow then looked at why she is significant as cultural icon and for the modern pagan movement.

Scottish antiquary Robert Pitcairn discovered Isobel Gowdie’s records in 1833 and sent the details to Walter Scott, who had been toying with the idea of writing about witchcraft. His 1830 book, Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft was published in time for Christmas. It was a book designed to make money and he turned it around fast for that reason.

Scott set down the confessions of Isobel Gowdie, describing her as archetype of Macbeth’s three witches and mooting the idea of the coven. This became rooted in tradition – with Isobel as the maiden of a coven of traditional witches.

Isobel was later recast in several books of fiction, including describing her as a beautiful girl from a good family fallen on hard times, a good Catholic, and having long red hair.

Dianic witchcraft took inspiration from Isobel’s confession that she met her female neighbours in a kirkyard and one book described her drawing down the moon naked there. Margaret Murray tried to systematise witchcraft, so she downplayed the off-the-wall stuff in Isobel’s confessions and overemphasised a system of covens. Margaret Murray posited a ritual calendar in which  witches met at Candlemas. This influenced the modern pagan witchcraft movement. Actually, Isobel more accurately said “about the time of Candlemas" she went into the kirkyard at Auldearn.

With modern rave movement the shamanic power of Isobel’s confessions came to the fore. But if shamanic practices had been going on, there might be more evidence than we have of it.

Dr Callow said that Isobel Gowdie gives us the freedom to dream about the past, because in between the gaps in the court records, “your guess is as good as mine”.

To wrap up, he said that Isobel Gowdie’s case was of conflicting cosmologies, highland traditions and lowland traditions. Without evidence of execution, she probably left court and lived on in obscurity. She was probably just a poor woman who was often hungry and knew folk charms.

You can view Embracing the Darkness: A Cultural History of Witchcraft on Amazon.

The picture at the top shows the main slide at the London Fortean Society Haunted Landscape conference.

Links and previous related posts
http://forteanlondon.blogspot.co.uk/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/11/2-days-of-gods-curses-haunted-lansdscape.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/05/worlds-of-witchcraft-african-and.html

Every Day Magic: The Start of Winter Festivities

When I say it's time to start celebrating the winter festivities, you might be thinking I'm talking about Black Friday. But not exactly.

According to Every Day Magic - A Pagan Book of Days, which is celebrating its own official launch today, November 24 is the start of the festival of Brumalia.

Today's entry in the book says of Brumalia: "This Ancient Roman winter festival was similar to modern Christmas. The festival, which involved feasting, drinking and merrymaking, was in honour of Saturn, God of plenty, renewal and time, and Ceres, Goddess of agriculture. Bacchus, God of wine, was also honoured.

"The holiday started earlier and earlier over the years – much like modern Christmas celebrations. By the Byzantine era, it began on November 24th and lasted for a month until the return of the light at Saturnalia. Share a drink with friends, with the traditional blessing, ‘Vives annos’, or, ‘Live for years’."

Every Day Magic contains 366 spells, rituals, meditations, Pagan prayers, divinatory techniques, poems to read and recipes and craft projects to try out, along with the details of festivals that take place throughout the year. All the activities are intended to be easy to follow so you can pick up the book, open it to a day and find something you can do.

There are contributions from nearly 50 pagan authors and practitioners from many different traditions across the world, including Atlantis' Geraldine Beskin, best-selling pagan authors Ellen Evert Hopman, Melusine Draco, Harmonia Saille, Rachel Patterson, Caroline Wise, Elen Sentier and other Moon Books writers. I edited the book and also contributed some of the entries, including today's one about Brumalia.

You can order a copy of Every Day Magic from Amazon or buy it at The Atlantis Bookshop in London or at Treadwell's Bookshop.

The pictures on this post show me holding a copy of Every Day Magic outside The Atlantis Bookshop and a copy of the book surrounded by cakes at the launch party.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.moon-books.net/
http://theatlantisbookshop.com/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/11/where-to-buy-every-day-magic-pagan-book.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/11/pagan-eye-cakes-and-magic-at-atlantis.html

Pagan Eye: The Roman Temple of Mithras in London

Yesterday I went to see the newly opened reconstructed Temple of Mithras in London - and it is really impressive. The temple is underneath the Bloomberg building on Walbrook, and is now part of a three-floor installation and gallery. On the first floor there is a display of finds from the archaeological dig on the site, which you can explore using a tablet device that you get handed as you enter.

On the stairs, as you descend to the lower levels, are depictions of the layers of history you are passing through and what was in the area at different dates in the past. The second level has an introduction to the the practices and symbols associated with the cult of Mithras, with interactive screens, models of cult items and an audio-visual display.

The temple itself is on the lowest level. Although you aren't allowed to walk on the actual stone of the temple floor, you can walk around it and over it on transparent platforms. As you enter, the lights dim and you see and hear a reconstruction of what a Mithraic ritual might have been like. I found it a very powerful experience. Then the light levels are raised and you can explore the temple and look at it in more detail. You are allowed to take photographs, but not with flash, which is why the photo at the top is a bit grainy.

You can visit the London Mithraeum free of charge, Tuesday to Sunday, from 10am to 6pm, although advance booking is required via londonmithraeum.com.

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
https://www.londonmithraeum.com/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/11/reconstructed-temple-of-mithras-opens.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/12/pagan-london-temple-of-mithras.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/06/pagan-eye-altar-stone-at-verulamium.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/09/pagan-eye-roman-goddess-luna-at-bath.html

This Week's Pagan Events In and Near London

Here are events in London plus a few in other parts of the UK 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 - 16 December; Curses! by Bompas and Parr. Exhibition and immersive installation at the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology UCL, Malet Place, London, WC1 6BT. https://www.ucl.ac.uk/culture/events/curses-bompas-parr

Now to 31 December; The London Stone on Display. Venue: Museum of London, 150 London Wall, London EC2Y 5HN. Free exhibition during museum opening hours. http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london

Now - Wednesday 28 February 2018; Harry Potter: A History of Magic. Venue: PACCAR Gallery, The British Library, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB. Timed slots every day. Tickets £16 adult, £8 child. Enquiries: 01937 546546. https://www.bl.uk/

Now - 8 April 2018; Exhibition: Living with Gods: peoples, places and worlds beyond. Venue: British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Tickets: £15 standard, members free but booking essential. For more details visit: https://www.britishmuseum.org/

Now - Wednesday 28 February 2018; The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic: An exhibition dedicated to Cornwall’s most magical Museum, featuring photographs from Of Shadows: One Hundred Objects from The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic by Sara Hannant and Simon Costin. Last Tuesday Society. Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. http://www.thelasttuesdaysociety.org/

Wednesday 22 November; Woodland Thanksgiving feast with Hern's Tribe. Meet at Coombe Lane tram stop, Croydon, by 5.30pm. You must reserve a place in advance. Wear outdoor clothes and bring a torch and food to share as part of a main meal. Details and bookings: https://www.meetup.com/London-Woodland-Witches-Outdoor-Pagans/

Wednesday 22 November; Time to Meditate - group meditation. Venue: Buddha on a Bicycle, Covent Garden, London. Arrive 6pm for 6.10pm start. Donations of £3 recommended. Details: http://www.meetup.com/meditation-trust-london/

Wednesday 22 November; Reclaim your Power through your Solar Plexus Chakra. Third session in the Chakra Series with Rachael of Welford Wellbeing. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London E9 7AD. Time: 7pm. Tickets from £18 per session. www.sheslostcontrol.co.uk

Wednesday 22 November; Irving Finkel on Magic, Mesopotamia, and Ancient Board Games. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49A Museum St, London WC1A 1LY. Time: 7.30pm. Cost £15, advance booking essential. Tel: 020 7405 2120  or email atlantis@theatlantisbookshop.com. Website: http://www.theatlantisbookshop.com/

Thursday 23 November; Lecture: Water beings: historical and contemporary religious beliefs in the powers of water. Venue: BP Lecture Theatre, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Tickets: free but advance booking essential. Time: 1.30pm. For more details visit: https://www.britishmuseum.org/

Thursday 23 November; 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/

Thursday 23 November; Gwen Tate Memorial Lecture: Children's Experiences of Reincarnation, by Prof. Erlendur Haraldsson. Venue: Society for Psychical Research HQ, 1 Vernon Mews, London W14 0RL. Time: 7pm. Entry: Free for members, £5 non-members. https://www.spr.ac.uk/

Thursday 23 November; Harry Potter Quiz Night. Venue: Entrance Hall, The British Library, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB. Full price: £12. Time: 7.30pm. Booking: 01937 546546
boxoffice@bl.uk

Friday 24 November; Every Day Magic - A Pagan Book of Days, which I edited, officially launches today. You can order copies from Amazon, The Atlantis Bookshop orTreadwell's Books. You can also support the launch by joining in with a Thunderclap on social media: https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/61034-every-day-magic

Friday 24 November; The Voice of the Gongs: Optimum Healing through the Fullness of Tone with Gong Master Olaf Nixon. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 6pm-9pm. Cost: £40/£44. Advance booking recommended. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Friday 24 November; The John Michell Memorial Lecture: Voices of the Ancestors: Adventures in Prehistoric Sound. Rilko (Research Into Lost Knowledge) lecture by Adam Steve Marshall. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35, Park Road, London, NW1 6XT. Time: 6.45pm. Entrance: £8/£10. Details: http://www.rilko.net/EZ/rilko/rilko/home.php or https://www.facebook.com/rilkotrust/

Friday 24 November; A Crowley Rite: The Star Ruby  (Liber XXV). Evening Mini-Workshop with Marco Visconti  Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Tickets £20. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Friday 24 November; Haunted Hampstead - storytelling with London Dreamtime. Venue Place: secret location in London NW3. Time: 7pm. Price: £10 tickets must be bought in advance. https://londondreamtime.com/calendar

Friday 24 November; Introduction to Paranormal Detection Equipment - Paranormal Discussion Night with Spooky London Pubs. Venue: King and Queen Hotel, 1 Foley St, London W1W 6DL. Time: 7pm. Entry: £2 donation to Macmillan Cancer Support https://www.meetup.com/spookylondonpubs/

Friday 24 November; Goddess and the Divine Feminine - The Morrigan hosted by Mamma Moon Magick, Venue: The Upminster Complementary Healing and Teaching Sanctuary, Pea Lane, Upminster, Havering, RM142XH. Time: 7pm. Entry £15 in advance, £18 on the door. https://www.facebook.com/mammamoonmagick/

Saturday 25 - Sunday 26 November;  'Know Thyself' - Spiritual Psychology The Outer Personality and the Deeper Self. Two-day workshop with Vivianne and Chris Crowley. First of a series of three workshops. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 10am Saturday - 4.30pm Sunday. Tickets £130 - deposit £70. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Saturday 25 November; Pagan Future Fests Yule. A celebration of Yule – all traditions welcome! Live music, stalls, readings, talks and workshops. Venue: Stanley Hall, 12 South Norwood Hill, London SE25 6AB. Time: noon-10pm. Tickets £15 all day or £9 evening only (from 5pm). http://www.paganfuturefests.org.uk/  https://www.facebook.com/events/1945685695703740/

Saturday 25 November; 'Hecate's Wheel' - A day of Transformation and Magic dedicated to the Great Goddess Hecate. Facilitated by Caroline Wise and Carrie Kirkpatrick in North London. Price £55, places limited. To book please contact carriedivinemedia@gmail.com or call 07957 000 974. https://www.facebook.com/GoddessEnchantment/

Saturday 25 November; Sekhmet ritual. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Rd, London, SE9 6SH. Free event but donations welcome. Time: 2pm. For details or to book a place email shirlee@wiccamoon.org.uk or call 020 8850 7803. You can also visit the facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/127437511301642/

Sunday 26 November; Introduction to Your Inner Divine Goddess. Workshop with Valerie Pitts. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 10am-5pm. Cost: £75/£95. Advance booking recommended. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 26 November; Surrender to the Season - learn to live in harmony with nature's phases, with Join Blo.aum, SLC and Pip Roberts. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London E9 7AD. Time: 1pm. Tickets: £48. www.sheslostcontrol.co.uk

Sunday 26 November; Meeting of Kith of The Tree and The Well. Venue: The Horseshoe Inn
26 Melior St, London SE1 3QP. Time: 2pm Entry £2. https://www.meetup.com/The-Kith-of-The-Tree-and-The-Well/

Sunday 26 November; Potions with Jane Pettigrew. Hogwarts Curriculum Lecture - part of a series running alongside the Harry Potter Exhibition. Venue: British Library Knowledge Centre, The British Library, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB. Time: 2pm-3.15pm. Tickets: £15/£10. Visit https://www.bl.uk/events/hogwarts-curriculum-lectures? or call 01937 546546

Sunday 26 November; “The Snow Queen” beneath the winter branches - storytelling by Vanessa Wood of London Dreamtime. Venue: A secret location hidden in W1. Time: 3.30pm start. Tickets: £3, you must reserve a place by emailing vanessa@londondreamtime.com. Details: https://londondreamtime.com/calendar

Sunday 26 November; 'Witchmas' Festival: Gong Bath with Lani Rocillo. Venue: House of Hackney Flagship Store, 131-132 Shoreditch High Street, London, E1 6JE. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets: £20. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/witchmas-festival-gong-bath-with-lani-rocillo-tickets-39191293213

Monday 27 November; The Transformative Power of Near-Death Experiences (NDEs). Talk by Dr Penny Sartori and Kelly Walsh. Organised by Alternatives. Venue: St James's Church, 197 Piccadilly, W1J 9LL, Starts: 7pm. Tickets £10/£15 online. http://www.alternatives.org.uk/

Wednesday 29 November; Lean into Love - Awakening your Heart Chakra. Fourth session in the Chakra Series with Rachael of Welford Wellbeing. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London E9 7AD. Time: 7pm. Tickets from £18 per session. www.sheslostcontrol.co.uk

Wednesday 29 November; 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. https://www.facebook.com/groups/104788436218047/

Thursday 30 November; Curator's introduction to Living with Gods: peoples, places and worlds beyond. Venue: BP Lecture Theatre, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Time: 1.30pm. Free, but advance booking required. For more details visit: https://www.britishmuseum.org/

Thursday 30 November; Earthstars Group Meeting: King Arthur’s Camlan. Presentation by Laurence Main. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London NW1 4SH. Time: Doors open 7pm for 7.30pm start. Entry £12. https://www.facebook.com/Earthstars-Sacred-Space-104790729559515/

Thursday 30 November; The Key to Theosophy study class. Venue: The Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place, London, W1U 8EA. Time: 7pm. Free entry but donations welcome. https://www.meetup.com/Theosophical-Society-in-London/  and http://www.theosophicalsociety.org.uk/

Thursday 30 November; Kenneth Grant's First Typhonian Trilogy. Lecture by Michael Staley . Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets £8. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Thursday 30 November; Helen Duncan: Medium on Trial. Talk by Geraldine Beskin at The London Fortean Society. Venue: The Bell, 50 Middlesex Street, London E1 7EX. Time: 7.45pm. Tickets: £2/£4. http://forteanlondon.blogspot.co.uk/

Friday 1 December; Crowleymass - celebrating the anniversary of the death of Aleister Crowley. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49A Museum St, London WC1A 1LY. Time: 7pm. Cost tba, advance booking essential. Tel: 020 7405 2120 or email atlantis@theatlantisbookshop.com. Website: http://www.theatlantisbookshop.com/

Friday 1 December; The History of Witchcraft: part one in the British Museum with the London Wicca Meetup Group. Venue: The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3DG, Time: 7pm. You must reserve a place in advance. Details: https://www.meetup.com/The-London-Wicca-Meetup-Group/

Friday 1 December; How to Hack Your Own Life - using eurythmy as rescue remedy. Workshop with Hanne Kristiansen Risvik. Hosted by Earthstars Sacred Space. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London NW1 4SH. Time: Doors open 7pm for 7.30pm start. Entry £12. https://www.facebook.com/Earthstars-Sacred-Space-104790729559515/

Saturday 2 December; Digital workshop: Teens code the collection: lucky charms. For ages 13-15, but must be accompanied by an adult. Venue: Samsung Centre, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Time: 11am-4pm. Free, just drop in. For more details visit: https://www.britishmuseum.org/

Saturday 2 December; Talk and Northern Rite for Winter Lecture with Heathen Blot, with Andre and Amanda Henriques. Venue: Treadwell's, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 5pm. Tickets £10. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Sunday 3 December; Yule Solstice. Magical workshop with Edwin Courtenay. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 10am-5pm. Cost: £75/£95. Advance booking recommended. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 3 December; Fungus Foray, with The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park. Venue: Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, The Soanes Centre, Southern Grove, London E3 4PX. Time: 1pm. Tickets: £10/£12. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fungus-foray-tickets-38843394639

Sunday 3 December; Care of Magical Creatures with Patrick Aryee. Hogwarts Curriculum Lecture - part of a series running alongside the Harry Potter Exhibition. Venue: British Library Knowledge Centre, The British Library, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB. Time: 2pm-3.15pm. Tickets: £15/£10. Visit https://www.bl.uk/events/hogwarts-curriculum-lectures? or call 01937 546546

Sunday 3 December; Full Moon Magic Ceremony. Venue: Hazelwood Crescent, London, W10 5FT (Exact address will be provided after booking). Time: 4pm start. Tickets: £10 http://uk.funzing.com/funz/full-moon-magic-ceremony-11769?

Please note that I do not organise any of these events except the launch of Every Day Magic - A Pagan Book of Days. I try to make sure the details on my weekly events listing are accurate, but please contact the organisers before attending any event. You can also let me know if any corrections need to be made to any of the details on this page, by emailing badwitch1234@gmail.com