Pagan Events for Yule and the Winter Solstice

Here are some of the events in London plus a few in other parts of southern England over the Winter Solstice that could be of interest to pagans. However, you celebrate, I hope you have a wonderful Yuletide.

Now - 9 January 2019; Spellbound: Magic, Ritual and Witchcraft exhibition in Oxford. Venue: Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont St, Oxford OX1 2PH. Tickets: £6/£11.25/£12.25. https://www.ashmolean.org/  You can also view the exhibition catalogue, Spellbound, on Amazon.

Now - 12 January 2019; Divine Proportions. Dinner cabaret from Shotgun Carousel, based on the story of Dionysus, God of Pleasure and Mischief. Venue: The Vaults, Arch 234-236, Leake Street, London, SE1 7NN. Tuesday - Sunday, doors open 6.30pm. Tickets: Previews: £30, general admission: £35/£55. https://www.thevaults.london/divine-proportions

Now – Tuesday 19 February 2019; Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms: Art, Word, War. Exhibition at the British Library. Venue: PACCAR Gallery, The British Library, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB. Full price tickets £16. https://www.bl.uk/events/anglo-saxon-kingdoms

Now - 24 February 2019. I am Ashurbanipal, King of the World, King of Assyria. Exhibition at the British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. For more details visit: http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/events_calendar.aspx

Now to Sun 17 Mar 2019; Cats on the Page - free exhibition that includes a section on witches' cats. Venue: The British Library, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB. https://www.bl.uk/events/cats-on-the-page

Wednesday 12 December; Drink and Draw Night: Occulty Yule Themed Carminella Knight and friends. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm start. Tickets £10. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Wednesday 12 December; Time to Meditate - group meditation (every Wednesday). 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 12 December; Cunning Folk London Album Launch Party. Venue: Shortwave Cafe, Clements Road, Bermondsey, London SE16 4DG. Time: 7pm. Free event. https://www.facebook.com/CunningFolkMusic/

Thursday 13 December; John Matthews and Will Worthington on the Spirit of Nature Oracle. Talk at Watkins Books, 19-21 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 6.30pm. Free event. For more details Tel 020 7836 2182 or visit the website http://www.watkinsbooks.com/

Thursday 13 December; Earthstars Group Meeting Alban Arthan, Light of Winter at Earthstars Group. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Rd, Marylebone, London NW1 6XT. Doors open 7pm. Entry by donation. https://www.facebook.com/events/2260158487547802/

Thursday 13 December; The Secret Journey of Doctor Dee. Storyteller Vanessa Woolf at South East London Folklore Society (SELFS). Venue: The Old King's Head, Kings Head Yard, 45-49 Borough High St, London SE1 1NA. Entry: £5/£1.50 concessions. Time: 8pm. (Meetings are normally the second Thursday of each month.) https://www.facebook.com/groups/2438110887/ To guarantee a seat, email cunningfolkmusic@gmail.com

Friday 14 December; Saturnalia and the Pagan Origins of Christmas. Lecture by Sam Moorhead. Venue: BP Lecture Theatre, Room 26, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Time: 6pm.Tickets: £5.. For more details visit: http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/events_calendar.aspx

Friday 14 December; Celtic Drum Circle Hosted by Seán Ryan. Venue: Aho Studio, 13 Prince Edward Rd, London, E9 5LX. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £10. www.aho.community

Friday 14 December; The Nest Collective Yule Celebration at the Foundling Museum including storytelling with Vanessa Woolf of London Dreamtime. Venue: Brunswick Square, London, WC1, United Kingdom. Time: 7pm. Tickets: Tickets £12, £10 concessions & Foundling Friends (£14/12 on the door) https://foundlingmuseum.org.uk/events/yuletide-celebration/ For more details email vanessa@londondreamtime.com or visit https://londondreamtime.com/calendar/

Saturday 15-Sunday 16 December; two days of talks and workshops at the Henge Shop, High Street, Avebury, Wiltshire, SN8 1RF. Details: https://www.facebook.com/TheHengeShop/

Saturday 15 December; Early Egyptian Creation Myths - gallery talk. Venue: Room 4, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Time: 1.15pm. Free event. For more details visit: http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/events_calendar.aspx

Sunday 16 December; Shamanic workshop. Venue: Woodford Church at 9 Grove Crescent, South Woodford London, E18 2JR. Time: 11am-4pm. Cost: £10 pay at door.   http://woodfordchurch.com/

Sunday 16 December; The Art of Being: Love in the Afternoon. A warm winter workshop of nourishing connection. Venue: 42 Acres, 66 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LW. Time: 1.45pm. Tickets: £35. For more details visit: https://www.42acresshoreditch.com/events/

Sunday 16 December; A Blot for Holda hosted by Geoff Miles (this is instead of the Dawn of the Oak Moot). Venue: Greenwich Park, Blackheath Avenue, London SE10 8QY. Time: 1pm. https://www.facebook.com/groups/dawnoftheoak/

Sunday 16 December; Informal social gathering for members of the Red Tent Meetup Group. Venue in south east London. Time: 4pm. Meetings are free but you will have to pay for food and drink bought at the venue. https://www.meetup.com/South-London-Red-Tent/

Sunday 16 December; Luna Iter - Journey of the moon - for Pagan and Wiccan Seekers with Luna Iter- Wiccan Seekers London NE. Pub moot followed by a ritual close to each full moon. Venue: Old Ship Inn, Hackney. Moot starts at 4.30pm, then at 6pm moving to a historic site for the ritual. Fee: £4/£5. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1230392930656154/

Sunday 16 December; Winter Solstice Pagan Celebration with Rev Kate Dean at Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, 3 Pilgrim's Place, London NW3 1NG. Time: 7pm. Tel: 020 7433 3267. http://www.rosslynhillchapel.com/

Monday 17 December; Winter Solstice: Shaman healer Chris Waters will lead a magical invocation, ritual and ceremony at Alternatives. Venue: St James's Church, 197 Piccadilly, W1J 9LL. Doors open 6.30pm. Event starts: 7pm. Tickets £20 online. http://www.alternatives.org.uk/

Monday 17 December; The Folklore of Christmas: Cunning Folk Calendar Club. Venue: Shelverdine Goathouse, 7-8 High Street, London SE25 6EP. Time: 7pm. https://www.facebook.com/CunningFolkMusic/

Monday 17 December; Pagan Pathfinders. Meeting suitable for all pagans in Finchley, London N3. Time: 7.30pm. (Meeting is usually on the 3rd Monday each month.) Free, but bring food and drink to share. Contact Pagan Pathfinders for more details: https://www.facebook.com/PaganPathfinders/

Tuesday 18 December; Tuesday afternoon workshop with Patricia Mc Nally and Daniel Naughnane, known for their spiritual art. Venue: Woodford Church at 9 Grove Crescent, South Woodford, London E18 2JR. Time: 2.30pm-5.30pm. Cost: £6/£5. http://woodfordchurch.com/

Tuesday 18 December; Witches of London Gathering. Venue: front bar of the Cittie of Yorke, 22 High Holborn, London WC1V 6BS. Starting 7.30pm. Meets on the third Tuesday of each month. For any questions email coacentral@witchcraft.org or visit http://www.witchfest.net/  https://www.facebook.com/events/2150244674997111/

Wednesday 19 December; Winter Solstice Open Circle at More Mead Moot with Pagan FutureFests. Venue: Hope Pub, 48 West Street, Carshalton SM5 2PR. Time: from 7.30pm. Meets on the third Wednesday of each month.  http://www.meetup.com/Londonpagancommunity/  details: https://www.facebook.com/events/338567983409018/

Thursday 20 December; Morning tour: an introduction to ancient Egypt. Venue: Room 4, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Time: 8.50am. Tickets £30. For more details visit: http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/events_calendar.aspx

Thursday 20 December; PFL Winter Solstice Open Ritual with London Reclaiming. Venue: Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL. Time: 7.30pm. Entry: £6/£5 (PF members and concessions). https://pflondon.info/

Friday 21 December; Winter Solstice Festival: Wheel of the Year Meditation and Singing. Venue: 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, then Winter Solstice singing at 2pm. Free admission to the gardens from 10am to noon. For more details, visit the website http://www.chalicewell.org.uk/

Friday 21 December; Winter Solstice Ritual at the historic Camlet Moat in Trent Park near London. Celebrate the birth of the New Sun with the Cassi Grove - a small group of druids. Meet at the Ferny Hill Road entrance, EN4 0QA. Time: 2pm. For further info and details contact Anne on 07985506869.

Saturday 22 December; Stonehenge Winter Solstice Managed Open Access with a celebration at sunrise at the stone circle. Free entry is allowed from 7.45am, but car parking costs £5. For full details: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/plan-your-visit/winter-solstice-at-stonehenge/

Saturday 22 December; Winter Solstice with Kent Gorsedd at Coldrum Stones, Neolithic Long Barrow, Trottiscliffe, Kent. Meet in the carpark before the event. Time: noon. https://www.facebook.com/events/307255833385451/

Saturday 22 December; Sisters of the Stones of Caer Abiri Winter Solstice Circle at Avebury in Wiltshire. Time: meet at 1pm, event starts 1.30pm. Free to attend. https://www.facebook.com/events/200023027562974/

Saturday 22 December; Yule Winter Solstice Ceremony with Watchers of the Old Ways at the Rollright Stones, off the A3400, Chipping Norton OX7 5QB. Time: Picnic from 1pm then ritual from 2pm - 3.30pm. https://www.facebook.com/events/194195568149109/

Saturday 22 December; Woodland Mid-Winter Ritual and Yule Celebrations with London Woodland Witches and Pagans. Location: Queen's Woods, Near Highgate Station. Meet at the Woodman pub at 2pm to walk to the woods. Tickets: £5/£3. Details: https://www.meetup.com/London-Woodland-Witches-Pagans-Magicians/

Saturday 22 December; Full Moon Celebration - The Journey Home. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London E9 7AD. Time: 7pm-9.30pm. Tickets: £35. www.sheslostcontrol.co.uk

Sunday 23 December; Full Moon Peace Fires. Light a candle or fire for peace wherever you are in the world, for just for 10 minutes or an hour or longer and state the intention: “Let there be peace on earth and love for one another.” Details: http://peacefires.org/

Sunday 23 December, Winter Solstice 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. https://www.facebook.com/LooseAssociationOfDruidsOfPrimroseHill/

Sunday 23 December; Holly King – an ancient Pagan midwinter celebration for parents and children. Venue: Butser Ancient Farm, Chalton Lane, Petersfield PO8 0BG. Two sessions: 10.30am – 11.30am and 12.30pm to 1.30pm. Tickets £10. www.butserancientfarm.co.uk

Sunday 23 December; Christmas Vigil for the Outcast at Crossbones to honour The Goose and the outcast dead of Cross Bones Graveyard. Bring a flower, a ribbon, a totem or memento to tie to the shrine. Gather from 6.45pm for a 7pm start in Redcross Way outside the Memorial Gates, London SE1 1TA. For more details, visit  http://crossbones.org.uk/ or https://www.facebook.com/GooseandCrow/

Note: I do not organise any of these events. Although I try to make sure my listings are accurate, I am not responsible for late changes or ticket availability. Please contact the organisers before attending any event. If you notice something that needs correcting or changing - or if you want an event to be listed on my events page in future - please email me at badwitch1234@gmail.com