The Burning: Witchcraft at the Edinburgh Fringe

A theatre show heading to the Edinburgh Fringe this summer takes on the anarchic nature of witches, following the lives of ‘witches’ and their hunters in an epic story through time. It is called The Burning, and here are the details from a press release I was sent:

Good witch. Wicked witch. White Queen. Red Queen. Madonna. Whore. 

Following back-to-back sell out shows, including All Quiet on the Western Front and Tobacco Road, Incognito return, in their award-winning physical style, with a formidable tale of corruption, persecution and roaring rage. The Burning explores the derogatory depictions of women who do not conform, who live on the fringes of society and who challenge established patriarchal structures. It boldly takes on the anarchic nature of witches. 

The Burning follows the lives of ‘witches’ and their hunters in an epic story through time. 

Incognito’s all-female creative team use live music and true historical accounts to breathe life into mysterious fiery worlds. Exposing the effects of capitalism and fear, it interrogates and lacerates the endless female trade-off between goodness and power. 

Unearthing the complexities behind the definition of a ‘witch’, the production goes back to the origins of the word to explore the moments in history that fractured it into the simplistic duality of the fairy tale image – an ugly hag or the puritan image of the hyper-sexualised woman who cavorts with devils. The Burning unapologetically celebrates womanhood, examining our connection to our ancestors in that we must know where we came from to move forward. 

Director Roberta Zuric comments, "It's a joy to be back working with Incognito on a brand new show. It feels like we’re at a global turning point in the way we think about gender and identity, and Incognito's style will bring an interesting and vibrant angle to the conversation. Working with a brilliant all-female team, I'm looking forward to delving deep into and examining our society's relationship and history to the word 'witch'."

The Burning performance dates are Wednesday 31st July to Monday 26 at 3.15pm. It is on at Pleasance Courtyard (Upstairs), 60 Pleasance, Edinburgh, EH8 9TJ. Box Office Tickets cost between £7 and £13 and are available from www.pleasance.co.uk or 0131 556 6550.

Excerpt: Standing & Not Falling: A Sorcerous Primer

Here is an excerpt from a book called Standing and Not Falling: A Sorcerous Primer in Thirteen Moons by Lee Morgan:

When I speak to people about belief they are quick to assure me they already believe in magic. Why else would they be here in the first place, trying to learn it? In fact, enquiry about where their belief levels is often met with mild offence and at the very least, resistance. Belief relates back to the fundamentals of why we practise occultism at all, it asks of us big questions about the universe and it seems to demand of us some kind of answer. Yet it can be hard to be honest with others about belief, with many claiming a certainty that may in fact be exaggerated.

I think if we have to search for why people defend themselves and over-exaggerate their belief in magic when questioned I would say this reaches back to the fact our society is still largely Christian in mindset, in ways it’s only half aware of, and belief equated with faith, faith is equated with virtue. To not possess faith is to lack in virtue and the appropriate response to being told you lack virtue is shame. So to some, me asking them about their belief-levels is like questioning their virtue and state of belonging in the magic-practising community and seems like an attempt to shame them.

This is a way of thinking I believe needs shaking up considerably from the get-go. For a start, there are more shades of grey between belief and non-belief. Whilst I would agree that most people who actively seek out magical practice ‘believe’ in the potential for its efficacy to some degree, there are still a lot of stages of belief actualization that you watch a student pass through. You only have to witness the expression of disbelief and wonder on a person’s face when they witness their first semi-miraculous happening as the result of sorcery to know that you are seeing someone whose belief has just jumped up a notch.

Most people begin with a kind of provisional belief; as they have certain experiences that begin to build, their power as a sorcerer also grows. There are a few reasons for this, which I will return to later, but for now let’s just accept the connection between what I like to call ‘belief-belief’ (belief confirmed by experience) and increased ability to practise magic. We can experiment and prove the connection to ourselves later, for now let’s have a look at what creates blocks in this process.

Overwhelmingly, the people I meet who practise witchcraft or occultism of any stamp have a far above average education level and many of them the IQ to go along with it, something that due to failings in the school system they may or may not be aware of. Higher education means being exposed to a whole intellectual universe where scepticism is embedded in the language, formed by certain half-unspoken assumptions that the writer is speaking to a sceptical, scientific atheist.

Recently I was reading The Mind in the Cave: Consciousness and the Origins of Art by David Lewis-Williams. I was on my way home from an international trip where I had seen rock art from the Paleolithic in person and wanted to learn more. It might have been because I was reading on the plane, and in an exhausted and vulnerable state, but part of the way through the read I began to feel a subtle yet pervasive sensation akin to a mild magical attack. It had been invisible to me during the days of my university education, being immersed as I had been in the language of scepticism. But having spent some time writing in isolation, what had been an invisible force suddenly became something I was conscious of.

I found myself feeling very aware of the author’s utter assumption of cultural superiority over anyone who engages in ‘magical thinking’ including our ancestors and peoples around the world who still live traditionally. It was so clear that he had not gone out to find any possible explanation for the phenomenon he was looking at, he had gone out to find one that fitted with the leading assumptions of academia as an institution. There were certain possible conclusions that were off the table from the get-go and yet the premise that led to them was neither exposed nor explored.

In Graham Hancock’s treatment of similar subject matter in Supernatural he puts forward a radical proposition: what if the simplest explanation for the belief in every culture around the world, prior to our own, about interaction with spirits is that people are telling the truth as they experienced it? So rather than assuming they are all mentally ill or in some way dishonest, or childishly inferior to ourselves, let’s at least keep our mind open to all possibilities, with one of those possibilities being that their experiences reflect a reality of some sort. Or in other words, in some way or another, spirits exist, consciousness echoes on outside of time and not all forms of sentient life assemble bodies in the way we do.

You can view Standing Not Falling on Amazon. It is published by Moon Books

Things To Look For In A Reputable Online Psychic

This post was written by Alissa Monroe

Everyone is a bit of a psychic to one extent or another. We all pick up on different vibrations and tend to have strong intuitions about things that are often unexplainable.

However, professional psychics are people who have much stronger connections to these ethereal realms. They are able use these abilities to help us better understand our own lives.

With that said, not every person who claims to be a psychic is as legitimate or as powerful as they may want you to believe. There are many so-called psychics out there who are simply looking to make some cash and they are willing to lie and exploit people. This is particularly unfortunate because these types of people give a bad name to the truly special and well-meaning psychics out there.

Many people nowadays are turning to online psychics. This is mainly because online psychics can be a safe and easily accessible way to get a psychic reading. Read on, and we'll show you the things to look for in an online psychic.

1. Read Reviews
Perhaps the safest part about using an online psychic is that you can read their client reviews. If you visit a reputable psychic website, they should have a list of all of their available psychics. Under each psychic, there should be an overall rating. According to this Asknow psychic review from Psychics4today.com, the site should also provide unedited customer reviews.

A reputable site will not only show you the good reviews but the bad ones as well. You may see hyperbolic reviews with exaggerated words like "the best", "incredible", and "amazing". Remember that these clients just experienced a grand, emotional reading and are still experiencing those heightened feelings. This can be a good sign for picking a psychic.

2. Find Out Which Intuitive Method They Use
If your chosen psychic is legitimate, they should be open and transparent with you. A real psychic will not mind sharing which method they use to make their predictions and get their psychic insights from.

All psychics are unique and access their abilities through different ways. For example, they might utilize divination cards such as Angle or Tarot cards. They can also use rune casting, spirit connection, Vedic or Western astrology, the crystal ball, spirit connection, or another method.
In combination with these techniques, many professional psychics will also use their intuitive clair-senses such as clairaudience or clairvoyance. These are senses which come naturally to them and many of them practice meditation to sharpen their skills.

Whichever method they use, make sure that they list it on their profile and are open to talking more about it as well.

3. Read Their Profile
When looking for a new psychic, you might feel more comfortable using one who has been on the site for many years and has earned a high rating for themselves. Also, look at how they describe themselves.

If they say that they have the ability to help unite lovers 100% of the time, they are probably not being truthful. A psychic who says that they have helped people find love in the past is probably talking from experience and actually being genuine.

Also, almost every online psychic out there has their own profile picture. The psychic you choose should have a picture of their own face. Be cautious of a psychic who uses an image of something like a sun or tarot card as their profile picture.

4. Use Live Chat
If you have been tricked before or are particularly worried about a psychic's legitimacy, it could be a good idea to do a live chat.

By chatting with a psychic through messaging only, you are able to remove your superficial reactions from the situation. Your psychic will not be able to sense your facial expressions, body language, voice changes, or emotional reactions. They also can't see the clothes you wear which could indicate to them your socio-economic status, the stores you patron, and other personality traits.

Plus, many live chats are completely anonymous. This means that your psychic can only give a reading based on whatever information you provide to them and their own psychic intuitiveness. Also, with a live chat, you are able to review your transcripts later and analyze how the reading went.

5. See If You Can Get Free Minutes
There are many online reading companies that offer free trials as a way to prove their efficacy to clients. Online individual psychics should be no different.

Many reputable psychic websites will give users their first few minutes of a reading for free. This allows you to get comfortable with the format as well as your chosen psychic without feeling like you are taking a stab in the dark.

Choosing the Right Online Psychic For You
You can never be 100% sure how a psychic reading will go. Even one psychic that works wonderfully for one person may not work at all for another. But by using the techniques above, you should be able to better your chances of finding a reputable online psychic that is right for you.

Question: Can You Shed Light On This Candlestick?

This picture of a fascinating candlestick with a snake coiling up it was sent to me by Susan Arbos, who wants to learn more about it.

Susan said: "This candlestick was found in my mother's possessions, no idea where it came from. Do you have any ideas what and when it would have been used for? Any info would be helpful."

Apart from thinking that it looks vaguely Victorian, I have no idea idea where or when it was made. I've never seen another one like it.

So, I throwing the question open: can anyone shed any light on when or where this candlestick might have been made?

Do you think it would have been intended for a normal domestic home or some special purpose?

If you have any ideas, either leave a comment below or email Susan at sarbos@hotmail.com

I am always happy to be sent witchy photos to put on A Bad Witch's Blog, whether they are of things you have questions about or not.  You can send pictures to badwitch1234@gmail.com

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/08/pagan-eye-lammas-meltdown.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/10/a-little-history-of-candle-making.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/08/the-museum-of-witchcraft-magics.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/02/review-pagan-portals-candle-magic.html

This Week's Pagan Events In and Near London

Here are events in London plus a few in other parts of England 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 - 8 September; Museum of the Moon. Luke Jerram's artwork featuring NASA imagery of the Moon. Venue: The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD. Free to visit Various classes including meditation and yoga are bookable at an extra charge https://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/exhibitions/museum-of-the-moon.html

Now - 15 September; Smoke and Mirrors - exhibition about the psychology of magic. It includes items from the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic. There are also live performances of stage conjuring on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Venue: Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE. Free admission. https://wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions/W_vuwBQAACoA_SY2

Now - 27 October, Secret Rivers: discover the secrets of London's historic waterways. Exhibition at the Museum of London Docklands. Venue: No.1 Warehouse, West India Quay, London E14 4AL. Free entry. https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london-docklands

Now - 31 October; Betwixt and Between: Isobel Gowdie, the Witch of Auldearn - the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic's summer exhibition. Venue: The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, Boscastle, Cornwall. Entry with museum ticket. https://museumofwitchcraftandmagic.co.uk/

Now - Friday 28 June; Art Exhibition - The Book of Shadows - the Lost Code of the Tarot by Andrea Aste. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, London, Eng WC1A 1LY. For more details, call 020 7405 2120 or visit http://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Wednesday 26 June; Forest Bathing in Queen's Wood, Highgate. Meet in the cabin behind Queen's Wood Cafe, Highgate. Time: 9.30am. Price: £25. https://www.meetup.com/London-Forest-Bathing-Nature-Connection-Meetup/

Wednesday 26 June; Free Guided Tour of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology (takes place every Wednesday). Venue: UCL, Malet Place, London, WC1 6BT. Time: 2pm. Free, but you must book in advance: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/event-ticketing/booking?

Wednesday 26 June; 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 26 June; Book Launch: Beyond the North Wind by Christopher McIntosh. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, London, Eng WC1A 1LY. Time: 6pm. Call 020 7405 2120. http://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Wednesday 26 June; Magic in West Africa and Beyond. Talk by Dr Tim Landry.  Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.15pm. Tickets £10. Book online at https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

Wednesday 26 June; Resurgence Talks: Green Changes Everything with Siân Berry. Venue: 42 Acres, 66 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LW. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets: £12. For more details visit: https://www.42acresshoreditch.com/events/

Wednesday 26 June; Saints, Sleep-Surgery and Medieval Dream Miracles. Lecture by Dr Bill MacLehose, at London Fortean Society. Venue: The Bell, 50 Middlesex Street, London E1 7EX. Time: 7.45pm. Tickets: £4/£2. http://forteanlondon.blogspot.com/

Thursday 27 June; Shamanic Journeying with a Drum with Sarah Fox. Venue: Clearly Destiny, 12 Woburn Walk · London. (Every Thursday until July 11) Time: 6.30pm. Tickets: £12. https://www.meetup.com/Shamanic-Journeying-with-a-drum/

Thursday 27 June; Living a Life of Harmony. Talk and book signing with Darren Cockburn. Watkins Books, 19-21 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 6.30pm. Free event. For more details visit the websites http://www.watkinsbooks.com/  or https://www.meetup.com/WatkinsBooks/

Thursday 27 June; The Occult in British Horror Cinema talk and screening. Venue: Helgi's, 177 Mare Street, London E8 3RH. Time: Doors open 6pm, talk at 7pm. Tickets: £6.66. https://www.wegottickets.com/event/474538?

Thursday 27 June; Holistic Sound Bath Meditation - Summoning the Sacred. Venue: Brown and Green Life Cafe, Crystal Palace Park,Thicket Road, London SE20 8DT. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets: £20. https://www.facebook.com/summoningthesacredsound/

Friday 28 June; Meditation and Om Healing. (Weekly event, usually on a Friday). Venue: The Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place, London, W1U 8EA. Time: 7pm. Entry free. http://theosophicalsociety.org.uk/#

Friday 28 June; Intuitive Tarot Readings Night - Beginners Welcomed - with the Tarot and Esoteric Discovery Group. Venue: The Light Zone, Apt B, 61 Compayne Gardens, London NW6 3DB. Time: 7pm. Cost: £13. https://www.meetup.com/Tarot-and-Esoteric-Discovery-Group/

Friday 28 June; Know Yourself, Free Yourself. Talk organised by Golden Rosycross. Venue: Pullens Centre, 184 Crampton Street, London SE13 3AE. Time: 7pm. Tickets: free, but you must reserve a place: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/know-yourself-free-yourself-tickets-63575593311?

Saturday 29 June; Herbal Harvest - Making your own products, with Capital Growth. Venue: Trowbridge Gardens (Hackney Herbal), 1 Trowbridge Road, London, E9 5LD. Time: 10.30am. Tickets: £27.09 – £42.99. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/herbal-harvest-making-your-own-products-tickets-57007708591?

Saturday 29 June; Online Pride Festival, hosted by The Pagan Federation and Pagan Federation Community Support Team. Starts at noon. Free. https://www.facebook.com/events/2267967366623767/

Saturday 29 June; Candle Magic Workshop. Afternoon workshop based on my book Pagan Portals - Candle Magic. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 1pm-3.15pm. Cost: £20 per person. You can book online at https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

Saturday 29 June; Welsh Language Workshop with Elin Heron. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, London, Eng WC1A 1LY. Time: 1pm-5pm. Tickets: £40. For more details, call 020 7405 2120 or visit http://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Saturday 29 June; Pop-up workshop on using a pendulum, for divination and spell casting and ghost busting. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Road, London SE9 6SH. Time: 2pm. Free event, to book a place contact Shirlee@wiccamoon.org.uk, call 0208 850 7803. https://www.facebook.com/WiccaMoonEltham

Saturday 29 June; Songs of High and Low Magic - performances by Cunning Folk. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, London, Eng WC1A 1LY. Time: 7pm. For more details visit https://www.facebook.com/CunningFolkMusic/

Sunday 30 June; Sunday Meditation class with Lisabetta every Sunday. Drop-in class suitable for beginners and more experienced meditators. Venue: The Little Escape Therapy Centre, 4 Paxton Mews, off Westow St, London SE19 3RW. Time: 10am-11am. Cost: £12 per class, £30 for 3 classes. https://harmonious-healing.com/

Sunday 30 June; June Red Tent - Poetry and Dreams. 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 30 June; NWK Moot. Venue: Chistlehurst caves.  Time: 11am. You must be a member of the group to attend. https://www.facebook.com/groups/445487428816887/

Sunday 30 June; A Blot for Holda. Heathen ritual in Greenwich Park. Meet at 2pm, ritual at 3pm. Bring food and drink to share and a mask if you have one. Free event. Details: https://www.meetup.com/The-Kith-of-The-Tree-and-The-Well/

Sunday 30 June, “The Baal Shem of London”. Storytelling by London Dreamtime for the Big Jewish Fete 2019. Venue: Highbury Fields, north of Highbury Pool, Islington, London N5 1QP. Time: 2pm main stage, 3pm literary tent TBC. Entry: Free, but email vanessa@londondreamtime.com to reserve a place. For more details visit https://londondreamtime.com/calendar/

Sunday 30 June; Waking the Witch - A Look at Nature Based Beliefs. Event with Mamma Moon Magic. Venue: The Upminster Complementary Healing and Teaching Sanctuary, Pea Lane, Upminster, Havering, RM142XH. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £20. https://www.healingandteaching.co.uk/course/waking-the-witch-a-look-at-nature-based-beliefs/

Monday 1 July; Free Beginners Astrology Class by Astrological Lodge of London. (Every Monday evening). Venue: 50 Gloucester Place, London W1U 8EA, Time: 6pm-6.50pm. Tickets: Free. https://astrolodge.co.uk/

Monday 1 July; Diverse Wisdom - Short Talks, Big Message. Talk and book signing by writers of colour in the personal development, holistic health and spirituality space. Venue: St James's Church, 197 Piccadilly, W1J 9LL. Doors open 6.30pm. Event starts: 7pm. Tickets £20. https://www.alternatives.org.uk/

Tuesday 2 July; Tree of Life - talk. Witches' Inn Gathering. Venue: The Hatch Public House, 44 Hatchlands Road, Redhill, RH1 6AT. Starts at 8pm. Moots are usually the first Tuesday of each month. Suggested donation £5. For more details visit: https://www.facebook.com/The-Witches-Inn-1568424150049437/

Tuesday 2 July; Talk on Psychic and Spiritual Awakening at Romford Pagan Moot. Venue: The Golden Lion, 2 High Street, Romford RM1 1HR. Time: 7pm. Entry: £4 and raffle in aid of Essex wild life £1.  https://www.facebook.com/Romford-Pagan-Moote-634178063700381/

Tuesday 2 July; Why Science Leaves So Much Out: What lies Beyond the Observable and the Measurable. Lecture by Oliver Robinson. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, Kensington, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £15/£13.  https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 3 July; Astral Projection Workshop with Jade Shaw. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London E9 7AD. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £30. www.sheslostcontrol.co.u

Wednesday 3 July; Cancer New Moon Gong Bath. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London E9 7AD. Two sessions: Time: 7pm and 8.30pm. Tickets: £20. www.sheslostcontrol.co.uk

Wednesday 3 July; Tuning into Summer and the Fire Element. Venue: 42 Acres, 66 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LW. Time: 7.15pm. Tickets: £5.98. For more details visit: https://www.42acresshoreditch.com/events/

Thursday 4 July; Tibetan Yoga. Talk and book signing with author Ian Baker. Watkins Books, 19-21 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 6.30pm. Free event. For more details visit the websites http://www.watkinsbooks.com/  or https://www.meetup.com/WatkinsBooks/

Thursday 4 July; Wicca New Moon Circle with London Woodland Witches . Venue: Queen's Woods, Highgate, North London. Meet at The Woodmans pub patio area by 7pm to be led to the woodland site. Cost: £3. Wear outdoor clothing and bring food and drink to share. Details: https://www.meetup.com/London-Woodland-Witches-Pagans-Magicians/

Friday 5 July; Magic of the Elements - Evening Talk and Trance with Jane Meredith. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49A Museum Street, London WC1A 1LY. Time: 7pm. Tickets · £7. Call or email the bookshop to reserve your place on 020 7405 2120 or atlantis@theatlantisbookshop.com. Details: https://www.facebook.com/events/2322851591295953/

Friday 5 July; Launch Event for The Brazen Vessel, Scarlet Imprint, by Alkistis Dimech and Peter Grey Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Cost: Free entry but you must reserve a place https://scarletimprint.com/events/london-launch-the-brazen-vessel?

Friday 5 July; Animal Healing and Communication. Lecture by Angela Watkins. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, Kensington, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £15/£13.  https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 6 July, Scrying for Beginners. Four-hour afternoon workshop on divination with crystal balls, mirrors, water and flame. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 1pm-5.30pm (with a break in the middle). Cost: £40 per person. You can reserve a place by visiting the shop or online: https://www.treadwells-london.com/

Saturday 6 July, Heart Beat. An evening of drumming and song with Gong Master Olaf Nixon. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, Kensington, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 6pm - 7.30pm. Tickets: £21/£23. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 7 July; London Permaculture Festival. Venue: Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regent’s Park Road, London NW1 7AY. Time: 11am-6pm. Tickets on door: £10/£5 concs. www.londonpermaculturefestival.com

Please note: I do not organise any of these events except my scrying and candle magic workshops at Treadwell's. Although I try to make sure the details on my listing are accurate, I do not always know about late changes or ticket availability etc. Please contact the organiser before attending any event. If you want an event listed on my blog, or spot anything that needs changing, please email badwitch1234@gmail.com.

Folkloric Items Viewed at York Castle Museum

This post was written by Adele Butler for A Bad Witch's Blog. It is about items she saw when she visited York Castle Museum.

Ceramic Victorian Witch Ball
This item (to the left) appears in a Victorian montage dated to 1872 and the witch ball was mentioned in the description of the décor as a fashionable item of the day.

One appeared at auction on Google called a Victorian decalcomania internally decorated glass “witch ball”. One similar to the York example, called a free-blown glass potichomania-decorated witch ball, was advertised in an auction.

Chiara Montani, who works in collections and loans management at Historic Environment Scotland says:

"In the early 18th century, watch balls became popular features in nurseries with the name later evolving into witch’s balls. 

"These pretty toys were hung up in nurseries to catch a child’s eye. These were called ‘watch balls’ and were possibly intended for the protection of children from malevolent spirits. 

"With time, their name was corrupted into witch ball. This caused immediate association of these toys with superstitions of witches and evil eye."

The witch’s ball in the HES collection originally belonged to two sisters, Jane and Louisa Macdonald, of Arbroath, who helped to establish a local history museum in the Abbot’s House at Arbroath Abbey. Last December, experts at HES were able to establish the date of the object for the first time by analysing the glass.

Ms Montani said an “important breakthrough” was made in understanding the witch’s ball and its use.

Dr Maureen Young and Aurélie Turmel, who work within the HES science team, used a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer to test the chemical composition of the object.  A peak in the presence of arsenic suggested the object may have dated to 1835-1870. However, the high level of pigmentation additives such as chromium, iron and copper strongly points to the 20th century as possible date of production.

During the Victorian era, the ball may have been placed at the front of the house to see calling visitors or used in the dining room to help the service, Ms Montani said. However, she added: “Objects of this kind show superstitions of witches and evil eye were very much alive in the Victorian period. Witch’s balls had a steady market, being manufactured in many different sizes."

I was surprised and interested to learn that these decorative ceramic balls were actually a desirable item in the Victorian home – also that they were thought to derive from the term “watch ball”.
My understanding formerly was that witch balls had once been the glass floats from fishermen’s nets that the superstitious adopted.

The Blessing Parson
There were two of these in a glass case and this was a photo of one of them. They were prevalent from 1730 – 1840 and were made from the vertebrae of a bullock or horse and were kept in the house as a good luck charm.

Now I have never come across these before. According to an article on the York Museums website:

"Made of a horse or bullock vertebra, a Blessing Parson was a painted bone ornament. In the past, many people believed that certain objects such as these would help protect them from evil. Superstitions and good luck charms were prevalent in rural Yorkshire and took a variety of forms. Many superstitions are still believed today while others have long been forgotten. Dr Kirk collected a variety of talismans that were an important part of rural life in Yorkshire."

The photos and text are copyright Adele Butler

Jumble Trail Buys: Witch's Hat, Cards & Candle Bits

Yesterday I went around my local town on a jumble trail.

The jumble trail is an event that takes place as part of the annual Penge Festival and involves people putting up tables of things they want to sell in their front gardens. However, it is also a chance to wander around streets that are a bit off the main roads and meet other residents that you might not otherwise socialise with.

I bought the things you can see in the photo to the right, except the owl. The owl is just modelling a rather fetching witch's hat I bought. I'm looking forward to using The Angel Oracle, by Ambika Wauters, which is a lovely boxed set including a hardback book and beautiful oracle cards.

The candle snuffer and small brass holders will be useful additions to the bits and pieces I take along to my candle magic workshops at Treadwell's.

You can view The Angel Oracle on Amazon.

Links and previous related posts
https://www.facebook.com/festivalpenge/
https://www.treadwells-london.com/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/06/community-paganism-and-missing-monkey.html

Summer Solstice 2019: The Good and Bad in the News

Here is a round-up of news stories about events over the Summer Solstice. While many newspapers reported peaceful celebrations at ancient sites, there have sadly also been reports of vandalism and crime.

"Druids have their moment in the sun" - story at The Times: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/druids-have-their-moment-in-the-sun-9mk3n5n9q

"10000 People Gathered at Stonehenge to Welcome the Summer Solstice" - story at Mental Floss: http://mentalfloss.com/article/586303/summer-solstice-stonehenge-celebration

"Swindon Extinction Rebellion condemn logo graffiti on West Kennet Long Barrow" - story at Swindon Advertiser: https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/17723559.swindon-extinction-rebellion-condemn-logo-graffiti-on-west-kennet-long-barrow/

"East London churches targeted in 'satanic' arson attacks" - story at The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jun/21/east-london-churches-arson-attacks

"Isle Of Wight Man Arrested At Stonehenge Summer Solstice" - story at Isle of Wight Radio: https://iwradio.co.uk/2019/06/22/isle-of-wight-man-arrested-at-stonehenge-summer-solstice/

"Mysterious 'Altar' unearthed in Holyrood Park most likely used by pagans not devil worshippers" - story at The Scotsman: https://www.scotsman.com/news/people/mysterious-altar-unearthed-in-holyrood-park-most-likely-used-by-pagans-not-devil-worshippers-1-4952469

Interview on Witchery as Part of London's Diversity

I've been interviewed about witchery, alongside fellow London witch and blogger Bobby, for a magazine about London's diverse cultures. The magazine is called To Different Perceptions.

I enjoyed reading all the articles and found it interesting to see witches included alongside lifestyle photographers, tattoo artists, London's Asian and Latin American communities, Extinction Rebellion protesters and, sadly, women who have experienced sexual harassment in the city.

The project was put together by Natalie Lyddon, who has been studying magazine journalism and publishing, for her final degree show at London College of Communication. I was happy to get involved because, many years ago, I also studied journalism at the college - back when it was London College of Printing. I wish Natalie all the best for her future after getting her degree.

If you want to read the magazine online, for free, here's a link: https://live.editiondigital.com/e/196vbjngc/artefact-2019-natalielyddon#!page1

The picture to the right shows the magazine's front cover image.

New Buds on my Yule Tree on Summer Solstice Eve

On Summer Solstice Eve I noticed new buds on my Yule tree for the first time this year. It seems a poignant sign that the Wheel of the Year is turning.

Today is the longest day of the year. People are celebrating the middle of summer, with hopefully weeks and weeks of glorious sunshine to come. Yet, after today, the nights lengthen and we slowly get fewer and fewer hours of daylight. In six month's time, my little fir tree will be indoors again, decorated for the Winter Solstice.

Some pagans celebrate the Summer Solstice Festival with a symbolic battle between the Oak King of Summer and the Holly King of Winter. This is when the Holly King strikes a victorious blow against his rival and takes the crown to lead us on into autumn.

To be honest, although I've enjoyed watching Oak and Holly ritually fight in the past, it has always felt a little out of sync with the seasons for me. I prefer the Beltaine and Samhain battles of the summer and winter dragons at Glastonbury. However, I can certainly celebrate the renewal of a winter king at the Summer Solstice, just as I honour the rebirth of the sun at midwinter.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/10/an-autumn-leaf-and-king-of-trees.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/12/tales-from-witch-room-my-real-yule-tree.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/05/dragons-of-summer-winter-battle-in.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/03/dreams-of-trees.html

Happy Summer Solstice from Crystal Palace Park!

Happy Summer Solstice from Crystal Palace Park!

Here are a few photos I took this morning from the terraces at the top of Crystal Palace Hill.

It was a beautiful morning, as you can see.

I got up before dawn to watch the Solstice sunrise at 4.45am with a small group of people from Penge and Crystal Palace. Although most of us had never met before, we  shared coffee, tea, mead and chocolate, wished each other a happy solstice, and felt the spirit of friendship.

Although Crystal Palace might not be a famous sacred site like Stonehenge or the Pyramids of Giza, it is just a short distance from my home and high enough to get great views. And it does have sphinxes too!

I particularly liked the way the golden early morning light silhouetted the treetops and made the dew on the grass appear to glow.

The Sun Temple: Summer Solstice Guided Visualisation

Throughout the world, many ancient sites from Egypt to South America align with the Summer Solstice. Most of the UK's megalithic monuments align more primarily to the Winter Solstice, but some - including Bryn Celli Ddu in Wales - have a summer alignment.

This is a guided visualisation in which you imagine that you are travelling to a temple sacred to the sun. I have tried to write it so that you can visualise a temple anywhere in the world. It can be one that exists now, one that used to exist, or one from your own imagination. Before starting the visualisation, you can start to think about where you want to visit or you can just see what comes to you.

Summer Solstice Visualisation: The Sun Temple
Find somewhere safe, where you will not be disturbed. Sit comfortably and close your eyes. Take three deep breaths in and out and relax, then visualise the following in your mind's eye:

Visualise that you are walking through a landscape, travelling to a temple sacred to the sun on the day of the Summer Solstice. It is a sacred route. Look around you, what landscape are you travelling through? What is the path like, that you are walking on? Are you alone, or are others also on this route? What do you see? What do you hear? What do you smell?

Spend some time visualising your journey as you travel along the route to the Temple of the Sun.

After some journeying, you see that you are starting to approach the temple. You see it in the distance at first, on the horizon, but appearing to grow larger as you move towards it. What does it look like?  How does the landscape change? What sounds, sights and smells are there now?

Walk on, towards the temple. Spend some time visualising your approach until you stand before its outer boundaries.

Look up at the temple. What does it look like? What is happening? What are the sounds and smells of this place?

You see that the entrance to the temple itself is guarded. Only those who pass their scrutiny and behave appropriately will be allowed to pass. Spend some time preparing yourself before you walk closer.

When you are ready, walk up to the entrance guardian. Great them, and go through the rituals required to enter the Temple of the Sun. Answer any questions, do what is asked of you and perform any actions necessary to pass through into the temple.

You have passed the scrutiny of the guardian and pass through the entrance.

What sights greet you inside?  Look around, look down, look up. Then, find the way inwards to the sacred space at the heart of the temple.

You enter the sacred space where the sun will align at the moment of the solstice. You have arrived in time, and must now wait. Look around you. Are you in light or darkness? What can you see? What can you hear? What can you smell?  Are others with you? What do you do as you wait?

Slowly a focused ray of light from the sun enters the sacred space, moving slowly over the ground and highlighting the features of this sacred space. What does it look like? What is happening? Watch and do what you know is the right thing at this time and in this place.

The sun reaches its zenith. For a moment it seems as though the sun is standing still, as though time is standing still, as though you are connected through space and time to all those who have been in the sun's sacred space in the past and in the future. It is a magical moment and you know that if you make wish now, it may come true. Make a wish, in the light of the sun.

At last, the stretched moment ends. The ray of sunlight starts to move again over the ground. You watch as its last focused ray leaves the area of the sacred space.

It is time to leave. You walk out of the space and through the temple, back to the entrance. You pass the guardian and leave the temple behind you. You head back along the route you travelled, to the place you started from. Stop and look around you once more at the landscape, then prepare to return to normal reality.

Shake your arms and legs and open your eyes to the real world. 

The photo at the top shows a shaft of light in Bryn Celli Ddu. The photo is copyright Pat and Plant yr Yd Coven and was sent to me with permission to use on A Bad Witch's Blog some time ago.


You can find more guided visualisations in my book Pagan Portals - Guided Visualisations.

Summer Solstice and Midsummer Pagan Events

The Summer Solstice in 2019 is on Friday, 21 June. There are lots of things to do over the next week or so to mark the moment when the sun stands still before lengthening days turn into lengthening nights. The Summer Solstice is the most celebrated festival of the pagan Wheel of the Year, while traditional midsummer is a few days later on 24 June. Most of the pagan events I list are in London, because that is where I am based, but some are in other parts of England including the stone circles at Stonehenge, Avebury and the Rollrights.

Now - 8 September; Museum of the Moon. Luke Jerram's artwork featuring NASA imagery of the Moon. Venue: The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD. Free event. https://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/exhibitions/museum-of-the-moon.html

Now - 15 September; Smoke and Mirrors - exhibition about the psychology of magic. It includes items from the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic. There are also live performances of stage conjuring on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Venue: Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE. Free admission. https://wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions/W_vuwBQAACoA_SY2

Now - 27 October, Secret Rivers: discover the secrets of London's historic waterways. Exhibition at the Museum of London Docklands. Venue: No.1 Warehouse, West India Quay, London E14 4AL. Free entry. https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london-docklands

Now - 31 October; Betwixt and Between: Isobel Gowdie, the Witch of Auldearn - the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic's summer exhibition. Venue: The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, Boscastle, Cornwall. Entry with museum ticket. https://museumofwitchcraftandmagic.co.uk/

Now - Friday 28 June; Art Exhibition - The Book of Shadows - the Lost Code of the Tarot by Andrea Aste. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, London, Eng WC1A 1LY. For more details, call 020 7405 2120 or visit http://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Now - 22 June; Magical Exhibitions in York: Magic and Mystery. Exhibition exploring the fine line between science, religion and magic in medieval society. Venue: Barley Hall, 2 Coffee Yard, York, YO1 8AR. Open 9am-5pm daily. Normal admission costs. https://barleyhall.co.uk/whats-on/magic-mystery/

Wednesday 19 June; Free Guided Tour of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology (takes place every Wednesday). Venue: UCL, Malet Place, London, WC1 6BT. Time: 2pm. Free, but you must book in advance: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/event-ticketing/booking?


Wednesday 19 June; 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 19 June; Sagittarius Full Moon Gong Bath. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London E9 7AD. Two sessions: Time: 7pm and 8.30pm. Tickets: £20. www.sheslostcontrol.co.uk

Wednesday 19 June; Return of the Children of the Sun: Initiations and Solar Practice. Workshop with Jorge Luis Delgado. Venue: The Columbia Hotel, 95-99 Lancaster Gate, London W2 3NS. Time: 7pm. Tickets £30. https://www.alternatives.org.uk/

Wednesday 19 June; Solstice Social at Hertford and Ware Moot Moot. (Usually the last Wednesday of each month.) Venue: The White Horse, 33 Castle Street, SG14 1HH Hertford, Hertfordshire. Time: 8pm. Entry: £3. https://www.facebook.com/groups/104788436218047/

Wednesday 19 June; 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/

Thursday 20 June; Dr. Emoto's The Message from Water with Michiko Hayashi. Venue: Watkins Books, 19-21 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 6.30pm. Free event, just turn up. For more details visit the websites http://www.watkinsbooks.com/  or https://www.meetup.com/WatkinsBooks/

Thursday 20 June; Meditation and Om Healing. (Weekly event, usually on a Friday, but on a Thursday just for this date). Venue: The Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place, London, W1U 8EA. Time: 7pm. Entry free. For further details, visit: http://theosophicalsociety.org.uk/#

Thursday 20 June; Shamanic Journeying with a Drum with Sarah Fox. Venue: Clearly Destiny, 12 Woburn Walk · London. (Every Thursday until July 11) Time: 6.30pm. Tickets: £12. https://www.meetup.com/Shamanic-Journeying-with-a-drum/

Thursday 20 June; Artificial Intelligence - the Golem. Talk hosted by Golden Rosycross. Venue: Holborn Citadines Hotel, 94-99 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6LF. Time: 7pm. Tickets, free, but you must reserve a place: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/artificial-intelligence-the-golem-tickets-62170711271?

Thursday 20 June; PFL Open Ritual for the Summer Solstice led by the Coven of the Hare and the Heron. Venue: Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL. Time: 7.30pm for 8pm start. Entry: £6/£5 (PF members and concessions). https://pflondon.info/

Thursday 20 -  Friday 21 June; Stonehenge, the 5,000-year-old megalithic monument on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, is the most famous place in England to celebrate the solstices. English Heritage, which manages the site, allows free "managed open access" to Stonehenge for the Summer Solstice. English Heritage allows individuals and groups to conduct their own ceremonies and rituals during the opening times, from 7pm on 20 June until 8am on 21 June. No camping is allowed. There is a car park (charged) and buses run from Salisbury railway station. http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/plan-your-visit/summer-solstice/

Friday 21 - Saturday 22 June; 3rd Annual Summer Solstice 26-Hour Global Healing Event with 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/

Friday 21 - Sunday 23 June; Heal Her London: The Art and the Ritual of Protest. Three days of events including  ritual, performance, and workshops, in an activism festival supporting environmental justice and women's empowerment. Various locations and times: https://www.facebook.com/events/2375166709396472/

Friday 21 June; Summer Solstice soulful gathering in the woods, in Queen's Wood, Highgate. Meet in the cabin behind Queen's Wood Cafe, Highgate. Time: 9.30am-noon. Price: £35. https://www.meetup.com/London-Forest-Bathing-Nature-Connection-Meetup/

Friday 21 June; Earth Festival: Wheel of the Year Meditation - Summer Solstice, gather at the well head for meditation at noon, followed by conversation on the lower lawn. Venue: Chalice Well World Peace Garden, in Glastonbury. Free admission to the gardens from 10am to noon. For more details, visit the website http://www.chalicewell.org.uk/

Friday 21 June; Meditation and Om Healing - weekly event. Venue: The Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place, London, W1U 8EA. Time: 7pm. Entry free. http://theosophicalsociety.org.uk/#

Friday 21 June; An Evening of Psychic Mediumship with a Difference, with Gerrie March. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, Kensington, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £15/£13.  https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Friday 21 June; Summer Solstice Ritual with Chloe Isidora. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London E9 7AD. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £35. www.sheslostcontrol.co.uk

Friday 21 June; Solstice Evening Meet with NWK Pagans. Venue: Coldrum Long Barrow, West Malling, Kent. Time: 8.30pm. Free, but you must be a member of the group to attend. https://www.facebook.com/groups/445487428816887/

Saturday 22 June; Temenos John Michell Symposium 2019. Venue: Art Workers’ Guild, 6 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AT. Starts 10am, Tickets £55 or £50 concessions, £25 full-time students with ID. Contact Stephen Overy (01233) 813-663 or temenosacademy@myfastmail.com https://www.facebook.com/events/2223804821220558/

Saturday 22 June; Unleash your Creativity through the Power of your Menstrual Cycle - Day 1. Workshop with A.Pope and S.Wurlitzer. Women-only event. Venue: The Columbia Hotel, 95-99 Lancaster Gate, London W2 3NS. Time: 10am-5pm. Tickets £85. https://www.alternatives.org.uk/

Saturday 22 June; Summer Solstice Drumming Picnic with Spirit of the Drum. Venue: Hundred Acre Wood, Wickham, Hampshire. Time: 11am. Free, but parking costs £5. https://www.facebook.com/events/330792944220166/

Saturday 22 June; Self Healing Goddess Workshop. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Road, London SE9 6SH.  Time: 11.30am start. Cost: £45 per person. Bring your lunch. For further details contact Shirlee@wiccamoon.org.uk, call 0208 850 7803 or visit https://www.facebook.com/WiccaMoonEltham/  Bookings here: https://www.wiccamoon.co.uk/ourshop/prod_6763031-Self-Healing-Goddess-Workshop-June-22nd.html

Saturday 22 June; Intermediate Tarot Workshop with Sue Merlyn Farebrother. 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/

Saturday 22 June; Saxons, Romans and Druids in London - two-hour walking tour with Ross Norman. Meet outside  McDonald's Liverpool Street Station, The Concourse, London, EC2M 7PY. Time: 1pm. Free, but donations welcome. https://www.facebook.com/events/816416625403850/

Saturday 22 June; Sisters of the Stones of Cear Aribi Summer Solstice Meet Up. Avebury Stone Circles, Marlborough, Wiltshire. Time: 1pm. Free event. https://www.facebook.com/events/2734743209900430/

Saturday 22 June;  London London Woodland Witches Midsummer 2019 Ceremony and Festive Gathering. Venue: Queen's Woods, Highgate, North London. Meet at The Woodmans pub patio area by 2pm to be led to the ritual site for 3pm. Cost: £5. Wear outdoor clothing and bring food and drink to share. Details: https://www.meetup.com/London-Woodland-Witches-Pagans-Magicians/

Saturday 22 June; Watchers of the Old Ways Summer Solstice Litha Ceremony. Venue: Rollright Stones, Off A3400, Chipping Norton, OX7 5QB. Time: 2pm. https://www.facebook.com/events/311605152849796/

Saturday 22 June; “Tell” with London Dreamtime (Part of Art Night 2019). Stories as part of an exhibition and a mapped self-guided tour during the E17 Art Trail June 2019. The exhibition will take place within a domestic dwelling transformed into a vessel where artworks and storytelling create a space of idea exchange. On Art Night, Vanessa Woolf will tell stories to a small intimate audience. Venue: Hewing Wittare, 93 Fleeming Rd, Walthamstow, London E17 5ET, UK
Time: Performances at 7pm, 8pm and 9pm.. Tickets: free just turn up. For more details email vanessa@londondreamtime.com or visit https://londondreamtime.com/calendar/ or visit https://2019.artnight.london/artist/emily-vanns-georgie-white-and-vanessa-woolf/

Saturday 22 June; Midnightwalk. Solstice Midnight Stroll along the River for Tales. Meet at Bus stop ‘’R’, 21 Duke St Hill (Tooley St), London Bridge  SE1 2SW.. Time: 11.45pm. Tickets free, but you must book a place: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/midnight-summer-solstice-walk-by-the-thames-river-tickets-62615027232?

Sunday 23 June; Corral your Inner Critic – Liberate your Creativity  - Day 1. Workshop with A.Pope and S.Wurlitzer. Women-only event. Venue: The Columbia Hotel, 95-99 Lancaster Gate, London W2 3NS. Time: 10am-5pm. Tickets £85. https://www.alternatives.org.uk/

Sunday 23 June; Becoming the Alchemist. Workshop hosted by Anthea of Shamanism and Evolving Consciousness . Venue: 14 Neal's Yard, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9DP. Time: 10.15am-5.15pm. Price: £75. https://www.meetup.com/Shamanism-and-Evolving-Consciousness/

Sunday 23 June; Sunday Meditation class with Lisabetta every Sunday. Drop-in class suitable for beginners and more experienced meditators. Venue: The Little Escape Therapy Centre, 4 Paxton Mews, off Westow St, London SE19 3RW. Time: 10am-11am. Cost: £12 per class, £30 for 3 classes. https://harmonious-healing.com/

Sunday, 23 June; Alban Heruin - Summer Solstice on Primrose Hill with the Loose Association of Druids. Open ritual hosted by Jeremy Morgan, the Druid of Wormwood Scrubbs. Venue: The Hawthorne Grove, Primrose Hill, Regents Park, London NW1. Gather at 12.45pm for 1pm start. https://www.facebook.com/LooseAssociationOfDruidsOfPrimroseHill/

Sunday, 23 June; The Art of Goddess Worship: Altars, Charms, and Talismans, part of the Heal Her festival. Venue: The Old Baths, 80 Eastway, London E95JH. Time: 1.30pm. https://www.facebook.com/events/361749167817495/

Sunday, 23 June; Anderida Gorsedd Summer Solstice open ritual at the Long Man of Wilmington, Wilmington, East Sussex. Meet near the car park between 1.30pm and 2pm, walk up to the chalk hill figure at 2pm. Afterwards, the Giants Rest pub. https://www.facebook.com/groups/anderidagorsedd/

Sunday 23 June; Summer Solstice rite at Luna Iter for Pagan and Wiccan Seekers. Pub moot followed by a ritual close to each full moon. Venue: Pembury Tavern 90 Amhurst Rd, London E8 1JH. Moot usually starts at 5pm, then at 6pm moving to a historic site for the ritual. Fee: £4/£5. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1230392930656154/

Sunday 23 June; St John's Eve 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/

Sunday 23 June; Litha Summer Solstice Wheel of the Year meditation at Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, 3 Pilgrim's Place, London NW3 1NG. Time: 7pm. http://www.rosslynhillchapel.com

Monday 24 June; Free Beginners Astrology Class by Astrological Lodge of London. (Every Monday evening). Venue: 50 Gloucester Place, London W1U 8EA, Time: 6pm-6.50pm. Tickets: Free. https://astrolodge.co.uk/

Monday 24 June; SATTVA – the Ayurvedic way to live consciously. Talk and book signing by Emine Rushton. Venue: St James's Church, 197 Piccadilly, W1J 9LL. Doors open 6.30pm. Event starts: 7pm. Tickets £20. https://www.alternatives.org.uk/

Monday 24 June;  Group Study - The Temple Legend at Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Rd, Marylebone, London NW1 6XT. Time: 7pm. Entry £3. https://www.meetup.com/rudolf-steiner-spiritual-science/

Tuesday 25 June; Sacred Sounds Monthly Gong Bath with Gong Master Olaf Nixon. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, Kensington, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £22/£25.  https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 26 June; Forest Bathing in Queen's Wood, Highgate. Meet in the cabin behind Queen's Wood Cafe, Highgate. Time: 9.30am. Price: £25. https://www.meetup.com/London-Forest-Bathing-Nature-Connection-Meetup/

Wednesday 26 June; Book Launch: Beyond the North Wind by Christopher McIntosh. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, London, Eng WC1A 1LY. Time: 6pm. Call 020 7405 2120. http://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Wednesday 26 June; Magic in West Africa and Beyond. Talk by Dr Tim Landry.  Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.15pm. Tickets £10. Book online at https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

Wednesday 26 June; Resurgence Talks: Green Changes Everything with Siân Berry. Venue: 42 Acres, 66 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LW. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets: £12. For more details visit: https://www.42acresshoreditch.com/events/

Wednesday 26 June; Saints, Sleep-Surgery and Medieval Dream Miracles. Lecture by Dr Bill MacLehose, at London Fortean Society. Venue: The Bell, 50 Middlesex Street, London E1 7EX. Time: 7.45pm. Tickets: £4/£2. http://forteanlondon.blogspot.com/

Thursday 27 June; Living a Life of Harmony. Talk and book signing with Darren Cockburn. Watkins Books, 19-21 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 6.30pm. Free event. For more details visit the websites http://www.watkinsbooks.com/  or https://www.meetup.com/WatkinsBooks/

Thursday 27 June; The Occult In British Horror Cinema talk and screening. Venue: Helgi's, 177 Mare Street, London E8 3RH , United Kingdom. Time: Doors open 6pm, talk at 7pm. Tickets: £6.66. https://www.wegottickets.com/event/474538?

Friday 28 June; Intuitive Tarot Readings Night - Beginners Welcomed - with the Tarot and Esoteric Discovery Group. Venue: The Light Zone, Apt B, 61 Compayne Gardens, London NW6 3DB. Time: 7pm. Cost: £13. https://www.meetup.com/Tarot-and-Esoteric-Discovery-Group/

Saturday 29 June; Candle Magic Workshop. Afternoon workshop based on my book Pagan Portals - Candle Magic. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 1pm-3.15pm. Cost: £20 per person. You can book online at https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

Saturday 29 June; Welsh Language Workshop with Elin Heron. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, London, Eng WC1A 1LY. Time: 1pm-5pm. Tickets: £40. For more details, call 020 7405 2120 or visit http://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Sunday 30 June; NWK Moot. Venue: Chistlehurst caves.  Time: 11am. You must be a member of the group to attend. https://www.facebook.com/groups/445487428816887/

Sunday 30 June; A Blot for Holda. Heathen ritual in Greenwich Park. Meet at 2pm, ritual at 3pm. Bring food and drink to share and a mask if you have one. Free event. Details: https://www.meetup.com/The-Kith-of-The-Tree-and-The-Well/

Sunday 30 June, “The Baal Shem of London”. Storytelling by London Dreamtime for the Big Jewish Fete 2019. Venue: Highbury Fields, north of Highbury Pool, Islington, London N5 1QP. Time: 2pm main stage, 3pm literary tent TBC. Entry: Free, but email vanessa@londondreamtime.com to reserve a place. For more details visit https://londondreamtime.com/calendar/

Please note that I am not responsible for any of these events except my own candle magic workshop at Treadwell's. I try to ensure my listings are accurate but do not always know of late changes, cancellations or ticket availability. If you do spot anything that needs correcting, please email the details to badwitch1234@gmail.com