Divination for the Day: Oak and the Magic of Nature

I decided to draw an oracle card for the day and was drawn to use The Magic of Nature Oracle. The card that came to me was Oak. The word on it is discipline and in this deck, that card relates to doing what you can to keep your body healthy. That means a healthy diet, exercise and plenty of sleep.

This is actually something I need to be reminded of at the moment. I'm in the last month of doing an MA course and for the next few weeks will be doing little except sit at a desk writing my dissertation. I've been working on it slowly for a couple of months already, but I know I still need to do a massive amount of research, writing and editing if I want to get a good grade.

It is really easy to snack on junk food at a time like that and I would do well to switch to things like fruit and nuts instead of biscuits! (Actually, my real downfall is peanut butter and jam on toast.) I also ought to make sure I get up from the desk and go for walks to get exercise regularly. Sleeping isn't something I have *too* much of a problem with, but I know my brain is clearer when I have plenty of sleep.

This is the second reading I have done for myself in the past week that gave me a message about eating healthily for general well-being. I used the Ocean Oracle while I was away at the coast last weekend and it gave me a similar reading. I'm intending to blog more about that oracle set soon.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.themagicofnatureoracle.com/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/01/review-magic-of-nature-oracle-set.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/07/divination-for-day-truth-and-shamans.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/01/weekly-divination-callanish-sacred.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/09/the-bad-witch-goes-back-to-school.html

Magical Dolls: A Kitchen Witch for Home Protection

Here is an extract from my book Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls on the history of kitchen witches and how to make one to protect your home:

Kitchen witches
A kitchen witch – as well as being a real-life witch who brews up magic in the heart of her home – is the name given to a doll that looks like an old crone flying on a broomstick.

These magical charms, or poppets, are supposed to ward off evil. The tradition comes from northern Europe, although one hint that they may have at one time been an English folk custom appears in the will of a John Crudgington, of Newton, Worfield, Shropshire, dated 1599. In it, he included among his household possessions ‘one witche in the kytchyn’.

This one is relatively simple to make.

You need:
Green felt
Black stretchy velvet
Some dark brown wool
A green pipe-cleaner
Two small black buttons
Stuffing material (ideally use a combination of dried leaves associated with protection such as: ash, blackthorn, elder, hawthorn, hazel, nettle, rosemary, rowan, sage, willow or witch hazel)
Sewing needle
Black and green sewing thread
A short hazel or ash stick (or a wooden dowel)
Some short birch twiglets

Make the head of the witch by cutting two circles of green felt, 5cm in diameter. Trim both circles into a witchy face in profile, with a hooked nose and upwardly pointing chin to one side. Overstitch around most of the face, leaving a gap at the neck. Fill the head with stuffing and then complete the outer stitching.

To make the body, fold the pipe-cleaner in two and stitch the middle of the pipe-cleaner to the bottom of the head.

To make a witch’s cloak, cut a 20cm square of black stretchy velvet, then cut a very small hole in the middle of the square. Thread the pipe-cleaner ends through the hole and stitch the fabric to the bottom of the head around where the pipe-cleaner is attached.

To make a witch’s hat, cut a triangle of black stretchy velvet, with each side 10cm. With right side facing, stitch two sides of the triangle, then turn it so the right side of the fabric is on the outside and the seam on the inside. Stitch the open edge of the hat around the witch’s face.

Stitch the two buttons either side of the face as eyes and cut a bunch of strands of wool, 15-20cm long, for the hair. Stitch the middle of the bunch of wool to the top of the head, just in front of the edge of the hat. Let the strands fall loosely on either side of the face. Stitch a long loop of wool to the top of the head to hang the witch up from.

To make the broom, take the hazel or ash stick (or dowel) and tie the birch twiglets (or more strands of wool) to the bottom. Wrap both ends of the pipe-cleaner several times around the broom’s middle so the cloak hangs down far enough to hide all the pipe-cleaner.

Do a ritual to enchant your witch. Cast a circle and say: ‘Kitchen witch, I name you XXX. I charge you to guard my kitchen, my hearth and my home.’

Hang your witch up by the kitchen door or back door to your home.

My book Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls has lots more information on the subject. You can view Poppets and Magical Dolls on Amazon, order it via publisher Moon Books. or buy it from Treadwell's bookshop in London.

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/08/witchy-craft-how-to-make-sewn-cloth.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/11/magical-dolls-history-of-poppets-effigy.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/10/magical-dolls-poppet-of-protection-for.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/08/books-poppets-magical-dolls-is.html

London Gods & Goddesses: Diana of Greenwich Park

One of the best known tales of London Lore is that St Paul's Cathedral was supposedly built on top of an ancient temple to the goddess Diana. Although there is no archaeological evidence to back that up, many people like to believe the site - on the the highest point in the City of London - is sacred to the virgin huntress who cares for women, children and wild places.

Whatever the truth of that might be, Diana is still a London goddess. Archaeologists have excavated the remains of a Romano-Celtic temple in Greenwich Park that is associated with her. In a 1902 dig, one of the finds was part of a statue thought to represent Diana. An ivory figurine of a woman holding up a shield was also found (see picture right). That is now thought to represent Victory, but I keep seeing the modern Wonder Woman, who is also called Diana, in it.

Later excavations found tiles with inscriptions to the god Jupiter and to the spirits of Roman emperors, so it wasn't exclusively a temple to Diana. Nevertheless, it does seem likely that she was honoured there.

There isn't much left to indicate where the Greenwich temple was except a board with details of the digs and discoveries. You can see it in the photo at the top. However, when I was in the park earlier this week, I noticed the hot summer had scorched the grass browner in outlines that might show the location of old walls below the ground. I do recommend popping along and having a look before the grass gets green again.

Another Royal Park - Hyde Park - has a statue of Diana, called The Huntress Fountain, in the Rose Garden. It dates from 1906 and was made by Countess Feodora Gleichen, who was the first woman member of the Royal Society of British Sculptors.

This year, one of my resolutions was to blog about London's gods and goddesses. Below are links to several of my earlier posts, and some other links:

http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/01/looking-back-at-gods-and-goddesses-of.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/02/walking-in-search-of-hidden-goddesses.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/03/london-goddesses-isis-her-temple-by.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/05/goddesses-of-london-trivia-and-cloacina.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/06/gods-goddesses-of-london-painted-ceiling.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/08/goddesses-of-greenwich.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/03/review-secret-lore-of-london.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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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

Wednesday 28 August; 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 28 August; 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 28 August; Virgo 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 28 August; An Evening with Nicholas Pearson, author of a new book on crystals and minerals. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, London, Eng WC1A 1LY. Tickets: £10. Time: 7.30pm. For more details, call 020 7405 2120 or visit http://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Wednesday 28 August; Poltergeists and Possession. Lecture by Alan Murdie, chairman of the Ghost Club, at London Fortean Society. Venue: The Bell, 50 Middlesex Street, London E1 7EX. Time: 7.45pm. Tickets: £4/£2. http://forteanlondon.blogspot.com/

Wednesday 28 August; Hertford and Ware Moot Moot - this month's topic is The Dark. (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/

Thursday 29 August; Kabbalah and the 22 Paths of Healing. Talk and signing with Marco Marini. 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 29 August; Metaphysics in Science Fiction and Fantasy with Elizabeth Crowens, author of The Time Traveler Professor series. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, London, Eng WC1A 1LY. Time: 6pm. You must RSVP to reserve a space by emailing atlantis@theatlantisbookshop.com or call 020 7405 2120. Website: http://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Thursday 29 August; Black Moon with Wolf Sister. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London E9 7AD. Two sessions: Time: 7pm. Tickets: £40. www.sheslostcontrol.co.uk

Thursday 29 August; Live Seance at The Old Red Lion Theatre Pub, 418 St John Street, London, EC1V4. Tme: 8.30pm. Tickets: £14. http://www.theknockknockclub.co.uk/

Friday 30 August; Fundraiser - Bat Walk for Heritage. Venue: Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, The Soanes Centre, Southern Grove, London E3 4PX. Time: 6pm. Tickets · £42.15. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fundraiser-bat-walk-for-heritage-tickets-67201207621?

Friday 30 August; 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 30 August;  Wicca New Moon Training Circle with London Woodland Witches. Venue: Queen's Woods, Highgate, North London. Meet at The Woodmans pub patio area at 7pm to be led to the woodland site. Cost: £3. Wear outdoor clothing and bring food and drink. Details: https://www.meetup.com/London-Woodland-Witches-Pagans-Magicians/

Saturday 31 August; Pagan Pride UK: Anglia Festival 2019. Venue: Mentmore Road, Linslade,  Leighton Buzzard, LU7. Time: Noon-7pm. Free family-friendly festival. https://www.facebook.com/events/412476462633854/

Saturday 31 August; Witches' Tea Party. Tea and biscuits, a chance to chat with fellow witches, the odd spell will be cast and you could perhaps have a reading. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Road, London SE9 6SH. Time: noon - 5pm. The tea party is free, but readings cost £20. No appointment necessary. For further details contact Shirlee@wiccamoon.org.uk, call 0208 850 7803 or visit https://www.facebook.com/WiccaMoonEltham/ or http://www.wiccamoon.co.uk

Saturday 31 August; Witch Bottles Workshop with Tanya Moulding. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 1pm-4pmpm (with a break in the middle). Cost: £30. You can reserve a place by visiting the shop or online: https://www.treadwells-london.com/

Sunday 1 September, 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 1 September, Sacred Smoke - Workshop on making incense and smudge mix with Anthea of  Shamanism and Evolving Consciousness. Venue: Buddha on a Bicycle, 27 Endell St,· London. Price: £85, all materials included. Time: 12.15pm-5.30pm. https://www.meetup.com/Shamanism-and-Evolving-Consciousness/

Sunday 1 September, Sigil Magic Class with Mark Vincent.  Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 1pm-5.30pm. Tickets £40. Book online at https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

Sunday 1 September, Stag-Watch and Walk in Richmond Park with London Woodland Witches, Wiccans and Pagans. Meet at Richmond Park, Richmond Gate, Richmond Hill TW10 6RP at 1pm. Event ends 6pm. Tickets £5/£3. Reserve a place here: https://www.meetup.com/London-Woodland-Witches-Pagans-Magicians/

Sunday 1 September; Doreen's 20th Anniversary Tribute. Online event hosted by Doreen Valiente Foundation. Time: 7pm – 8pm. Free. Details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1047045122167514/

Sunday 1 September, Temple of the Goddess Isis - Divine Feminine Heart and Womb Awakening with Kundalini Serpent Sisters. Venue in Croydon. Time: 4pm-7.30pm. Tickets · £25 - £35. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/womb-healing-and-inner-divine-feminine-resurrection-at-our-temple-of-isis-tickets-66169313197?

Sunday 1 September; Heart Beat - Monthly Drumming Collective with Gong Master Olaf Nixon. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, Kensington, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 6pm. Tickets: £21/£23.  https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Monday 2 September; 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 2 September; Candle Magic Workshop. Evening workshop based on my book Pagan Portals - Candle Magic. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Cost: £20 per person. You can book online at https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

Tuesday 3 September; 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/

Tuesday 3 September; Tea Ceremony and Labyrinth at St. Augustine's Tower with Sound Mysterium. Venue: St. Augustine's Tower, Hackney, London E8 1HT London, United Kingdom. Time: 7.15pm. Tickets: £25. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tea-ceremony-labyrinth-at-staugustines-tower-tickets-56675606264?

Tuesday 3 September; Candle Magic Workshop at Romford Pagan Moot. Venue: The Golden Lion, 2 High Street, Romford RM1 1HR. Time: 7pm. Entry: £4 and raffle in aid of Essex wildlife £1. https://www.facebook.com/Romford-Pagan-Moote-634178063700381/

Tuesday 3 September; Talismans and Sacred Objects at The Witches' Inn Gathering. Venue: The Hatch Public House, 44, Hatchlands Road, Redhill, RH1 6AT. Time: 8pm. Free pagan moot, just turn up. https://www.facebook.com/events/1107189122818970

Thursday 5 September; Rough Waking: Living Free. Talk and signing with Julian Daizan Skinner. 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 5 September; Thoth Tarot Introduced. Seminar. Venue: Treadwell's, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Tickets £20. Book online at https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

Thursday 5 September;  Woodland Witches Moot. Venue: Queen's Woods, Highgate, North London. Meet at The Woodman pub patio area at 7pm, bring money to buy food and drink at the pub. Details: https://www.meetup.com/London-Woodland-Witches-Pagans-Magicians/

Thursday 5 September; New Moot: The Witches' Inn Gathering - Whyteleafe. This month's subject will be candle magic. Venue: Whyteleafe Tavern, 208 Godstone Road,  Whyteleafe, CR3 0EE. Time: 8pm. Free event. https://www.facebook.com/events/502749476936704/?event_time_id=502749483603370

Friday 6 September; The Positive Psychology of Synchronicity. Talk and signing with Chris Mackey. 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/

Saturday 7 - Sunday 8 September, Spiritual Psychology: The Outer Personality and the Deeper Self– Two-day workshop with Vivianne and Chris Crowley.  Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 10.30am-5.30pm. Tickets £85. Book online at https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

Saturday 7 September; Festival of the Great North Wood at Spa Wood, The Lawns, London, SE19. Time: 11am-4pm. https://www.facebook.com/events/482295995690776/

Saturday 7 September;  Rescuing the past: Lake Nasser and the Temples of Nubia - Gallery Talk. Venue: Room 65, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Time: 1.15pm. Free, just turn up. For more details visit: https://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/events_calendar/gallery_talks.aspx

Saturday 7 September; Forest Bathing in the woods, in Queen's Wood, Highgate. Meet in the cabin behind Queen's Wood Cafe, Highgate. Time: 5pm. Price: £25. https://www.meetup.com/London-Forest-Bathing-Nature-Connection-Meetup/

Please note: I am not responsible for any of these events except my candle magic workshop at Treadwell's. Although I try to make sure the details on my listings are accurate, I do not always know about late changes or ticket availability for events that I'm not involved with. Please contact the organiser before attending any event. If you spot anything that needs changing, please email me at badwitch1234@gmail.com

Pagan Eye: A Stone Skull with a Crystal Eye

I found this stone on a beach over the Bank Holiday just gone. I think it look as little bit like a skull. One of its eyes is a geode, meaning the cavity is lined with sparkly crystals. The other eye is just a hollow in the stone.

I've always been fascinated by rock and crystal skulls - they do seem to have an individual personality, even if that is just a illusion. What do you think mine is like?  Should he or she have a name?

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.

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/08/book-review-crystal-skulls-by-judy-hall.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/05/oysters-pearls-and-treasure-from-sea.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/08/spell-keep-holiday-spirit.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/06/scotland-holiday-stones-on-beach-by.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/06/pagan-eye-sea-kale-on-sussex-beach.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/06/pagan-eye-secret-life-of-rocks.html

Witch School: Candle Magic, Magical Dolls and Scrying

I will be teaching several workshops on candle magic, poppets and scrying (divination with crystal balls, mirrors and water) in London and nearby this autumn. Here are the details:

Monday 2 September; Candle Magic Workshop. Evening workshop based on my book Pagan Portals - Candle Magic. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Cost: £20 per person. You can book online at https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

October 5, Making a Magical Doll. Workshop with me, with Lucya Starza, on poppets and how to use them, based on my book. Venue: Friends Meeting House, Hemnall Street, Epping, CM16 4LL. Time: 1.30pm to 5.30pm.  The cost will be £20 which will include all materials, there is a suggested donation for materials of £2.  To reserve a place in advance text 07927 288904 or email rainbowhealingsanctuary@outlook.com More details: https://artfromtheheart1.blogspot.com/

Thursday 17 October; Candle Magic Workshop. Evening workshop based on my book Pagan Portals - Candle Magic. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Cost: £20 per person. You can book online at https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

Sunday 20 October, 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/

Monday 25 November; Candle Magic Workshop. Evening workshop based on my book Pagan Portals - Candle Magic. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Cost: £20 per person. You can book online at https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

You can find out more about my books Pagan Portals - Candle Magic, Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls and Every Day Magic on my author page at publisher Moon Books' website or at my Amazon author page or at Treadwell's bookshop in London.

Pagan Eye: Willow Tree in Sydenham Wells Park

This wonderful picture of a willow tree was sent to me by Nathalie Andrews, who said it is in Sydenham Wells Park, in south-east London. She described it as "absolutely stunning", and I agree.

Wells Park gets its named after springs that were found in Sydenham in the 17th century. The springs were said to be medicinal and attracted crowds of people to the area, for their health-giving properties. Some of the springs are still active, though mainly below ground.

Nowadays the park contains a sensory garden, planted to stimulate all the five senses. The garden has a water feature that uses recycled water and is powered by solar energy, symbolising the underground springs. A perfect place to visit over the Bank Holiday weekend if you are in the area.

On each Pagan Eye post, I show a photo that I find interesting, with a few words about it. I'm not quite sure what I'll be including - it could be a seasonal image, a pagan site, an event, or just a pretty picture.

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 and you must confirm that you are submitting it for A Bad Witch's Blog.

The photo is copyright Nathalie Andrews.

Links and previous related posts
https://lewisham.gov.uk/inmyarea/openspaces/parks/sydenham-wells-park
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/02/pagan-eye-west-wickham-oak.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/08/pagan-eye-druid-oak.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/11/pagan-eye-trained-oak-at-plotlands-essex.html

This Week's Pagan Events In and Near London

The August Bank Holiday weekend is nearly here and there's plenty to do if you are in London. You could even go for a walk on the Thameside beach, as in the picture above. I regularly post a listing of pagan events in and hear London over the following week or so - plus a few things further afield. Here's the latest. 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/

Wednesday 21 August; 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 21 August; 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 21 August; When Plants Dream: Ayahuasca and the Global Psychedelic Renaissance. Talk and signing with Vicky Hartley. Watkins Books, 19-21 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 6pm. Free event. For more details visit the websites http://www.watkinsbooks.com/  or https://www.meetup.com/WatkinsBooks/

Wednesday 21 August; The Cosmovision of Shamanism. Venue: New Acropolis Cultural Association
19 Compton Terrace, London, N1 2UN. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £5/£3. https://www.facebook.com/events/300670604150008/

Wednesday 21 August; 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 22 August; Performance: find out how paranormal phenomena can be explained by psychology with Professor Christopher French, an expert in paranormal experiences, cognition and emotion. Venue: Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE. Free admission. Times: 1.30pm and 2.30pm on Tuesday, 6.30pm and 7.30pm on Thursday. Free entrry, but spaces limited. https://wellcomecollection.org/events/XNV9XxAAANssft2A

Thursday 22 August; Crowley on Film. Talk by Gary Parsons.  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.

Thursday 22 August and Friday 23 August; Tea Ceremony and Labyrinth at St. Augustine's Tower with Sound Mysterium. Venue: St. Augustine's Tower, Hackney, London E8 1HT London, United Kingdom. Time: 7.15pm. Tickets: £25. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tea-ceremony-labyrinth-at-staugustines-tower-tickets-56675606264?

Friday 23 August; 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/

Friday 23 August; 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/#

Saturday 24 - Monday 26 August; Luna Iter Camp at Moat Mount. Venue: Moat Mount Outdoor Centre, Barnet Way, London NW7 3A. Full price adult tickets £20. https://www.facebook.com/events/754232751645931/

Saturday 24 August; Wicca Moon Presents a Day of Ritual and Magic to Honour Goddess Diana and Aradia her daughter the  Queen of witches. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Road, London SE9 6SH. Time: 11am till 4.30pm. Early bird price £45.For further details contact Shirlee@wiccamoon.org.uk, call 0208 850 7803 or visit https://www.facebook.com/WiccaMoonEltham/ or http://www.wiccamoon.co.uk

Saturday 24 August; Blended Incense Making. Afternoon Workshop with Rebecca Beattie. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 1pm. Cost:£40. You can reserve a place by visiting the shop or online: https://www.treadwells-london.com/

Sunday 25 August; The Marseille Tarot Introduced. Workshop with Adrien Mastrosimone. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 11am-5.30pm (with a break in the middle). Cost: £75. Deposit £40. You can reserve a place by visiting the shop or online: https://www.treadwells-london.com/

Sunday 25 August; NWK Moot. Venue: Chistlehurst caves.  Time: 11am. You must be a member of the group to attend. https://www.facebook.com/groups/445487428816887/

Sunday 25 August; Mythic London Walking Tour with Caroline Wise organised by Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Starting place for walk: Ye Olde Cock Tavern,  22 Fleet St, Holborn, London EC4Y 1AA. Time: noon-3pm. Ticket price £22 includes programme. Book online at http://www.treadwells-london.com or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

Monday 26 August; Jane Harrison: Classics for Paganism. Talk by Dr Liz Williams. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets £10. Book online at https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

Tuesday 27 August, Workshop on natural cordage with nettles (and raffia) at So Moot It Bee Pagan Moot. Venue: The Good Intent, 3 John Street, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1YL. Time: 7.30pm. https://www.facebook.com/events/2331697053586402/

Wednesday 28 August; Virgo 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 28 August; An Evening with Nicholas Pearson, author of a new book on crystals and minerals. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, London, Eng WC1A 1LY. Tickets: £10. Time: 7.30pm. For more details, call 020 7405 2120 or visit http://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Wednesday 28 August; Poltergeists and Possession. Lecture by Alan Murdie, chairman of the Ghost Club, at London Fortean Society. Venue: The Bell, 50 Middlesex Street, London E1 7EX. Time: 7.45pm. Tickets: £4/£2. http://forteanlondon.blogspot.com/

Wednesday 28 August; Hertford and Ware Moot Moot - this month's topic is The Dark. (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/

Thursday 29 August; Metaphysics in Science Fiction and Fantasy with Elizabeth Crowens, author of The Time Traveler Professor series. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, London, Eng WC1A 1LY. Time: 6pm. You must RSVP to reserve a space by emailing atlantis@theatlantisbookshop.com or call 020 7405 2120. Website: http://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Thursday 29 August; Live Seance at The Old Red Lion Theatre Pub, 418 St John Street, London, EC1V4. Tme: 8.30pm. Tickets: £14. http://www.theknockknockclub.co.uk/

Friday 30 August; Fundraiser - Bat Walk for Heritage. Venue: Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, The Soanes Centre, Southern Grove, London E3 4PX. Time: 6pm. Tickets · £42.15. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fundraiser-bat-walk-for-heritage-tickets-67201207621?

Friday 30 August;  Wicca New Moon Training Circle with London Woodland Witches. Venue: Queen's Woods, Highgate, North London. Meet at The Woodmans pub patio area at 7pm to be led to the woodland site. Cost: £3. Wear outdoor clothing and bring food and drink. Details: https://www.meetup.com/London-Woodland-Witches-Pagans-Magicians/

Saturday 31 August; Pagan Pride UK: Anglia Festival 2019. Venue: Mentmore Road, Linslade,  Leighton Buzzard, LU7. Time: Noon-7pm. Free family-friendly festival. https://www.facebook.com/events/412476462633854/

Saturday 31 August; Witches' Tea Party. Tea and biscuits, a chance to chat with fellow witches, the odd spell will be cast and you could perhaps have a reading. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Road, London SE9 6SH. Time: noon - 5pm. The tea party is free, but readings cost £20. No appointment necessary. For further details contact Shirlee@wiccamoon.org.uk, call 0208 850 7803 or visit https://www.facebook.com/WiccaMoonEltham/

Saturday 31 August; Witch Bottles Workshop with Tanya Moulding. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 1pm-4pmpm (with a break in the middle). Cost: £30. You can reserve a place by visiting the shop or online: https://www.treadwells-london.com/

Sunday 1 September, 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 1 September, Sacred Smoke - Workshop on making incense and smudge mix with Anthea of  Shamanism and Evolving Consciousness. Venue: Buddha on a Bicycle, 27 Endell St,· London. Price: £85, all materials included. Time: 12.15pm-5.30pm. https://www.meetup.com/Shamanism-and-Evolving-Consciousness/

Sunday 1 September, Sigil Magic Class with Mark Vincent.  Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 1pm-5.30pm. Tickets £40. Book online at https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

Sunday 1 September, Temple of the Goddess Isis - Divine Feminine Heart and Womb Awakening with Kundalini Serpent Sisters. Venue in Croydon. Time: 4pm-7.30pm. Tickets · £25 - £35. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/womb-healing-and-inner-divine-feminine-resurrection-at-our-temple-of-isis-tickets-66169313197?

Sunday 1 September; Doreen's 20th Anniversary Tribute. Online event hosted by Doreen Valiente Foundation. Time: 7pm – 8pm. Free. Details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1047045122167514/

Sunday 1 September; Heart Beat - Monthly Drumming Collective with Gong Master Olaf Nixon. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, Kensington, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 6pm. Tickets: £21/£23.  https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Monday 2 September; 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 2 September; Candle Magic Workshop. Evening workshop based on my book Pagan Portals - Candle Magic. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Cost: £20 per person. You can book online at https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

Please note: I am not responsible for any of these events except my candle magic workshop at Treadwell's. Although I try to make sure the details on my listings are accurate, I do not always know about late changes or ticket availability for events that I'm not involved with. Please contact the organiser before attending any event. If you spot anything that needs changing, please email me at badwitch1234@gmail.com

Magic School: Spellbound: A History of Magic

There's an evening class course on the history of magic starting this October at Imperial College, in London. It offers to teach the true history of magic, witchcraft and occultism from ancient times to the present day. It runs on Monday evenings from 6pm to 8pm and the first class is on October 14.

Here is the programme:

Autumn term
1. Religion’s weird sister: defining magic
2. Voodoo dolls and cursing slates: effigy magic since ancient times
3. Stone circles and healing wells: magic and the landscape
4. Celtic folklore: fairies and curses
5. A ‘witch craze’? Witchcraft in Europe, c. 1400-1750
6. Obeah and Voodoo in the Caribbean
7. The cunning-craft
8. Shamans and shape-shifters
9. Grimoires: the history of magic books

Spring term
10. Mesmerism, spiritualism, and the Victorian occult revival
11. Devils and demons: jinn, exorcism and deliverance
12. Alas poor ghost: restless spirits and second lives
13. Cursed Britain: evil magic after the witch trials
14. Making a fortune: fortune-telling and tarot cards
15. Military magic: the supernatural during war and conflict
16. Curse of a continent? Witchcraft in modern Africa
17. From Brothers Grimm to Harry Potter: the power of the magical imagination
18. Traditional Chinese folk magic
19. New witchcrafts for a New Age? Baphomet and Satanism, wicca and hedge witchcraft
20. A global magical revival? Occultism today

The tutor is Tom Waters, a university history lecturer and the author of Cursed Britain: A History of Witchcraft and Black Magic in Modern Times. Fees for the entire course are from £210 to £395. Classes will take place at Imperial College's South Kensington Campus. You can find the full details here: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/evening-classes/autumn-spring-courses/october-courses-list/history-of-magic/

The photo at the top shows a 16th century picture of witches by Hans Baldung Grien

Motivation: Five Ways to Boost Your Confidence Daily

Here are some tips from motivation speaker Wendy Smith on how to boost your confidence:

Modern life sees us surrounded by beauty – Instagram filters, Love Island bombshells and picture-perfect celebrities. The result? Our confidence can be knocked. Whether it is body confidence, confidence in our ability or the confidence to be ourselves each and every one of us faces their own struggle.

However, there are some simple daily activities you can do to help you feel good. Wendy Smith, neuro trainer, sports coach and motivational speaker, says: “Anyone has the ability within them to change their thinking and therefore change their reality. If you want to be confident you can – it’s all a matter of how you speak to yourself and the actions you take.”

Here are five daily activities you could try to boost your confidence:

1. Get up and show up
Stop hitting the snooze button! Get up and decide how you want your day to play out. From the moment you open your eyes choose which thoughts are going to run your day. You have around 60,000 thoughts a day influencing your emotions and behaviours. Spend a few minutes jotting down your beliefs about yourself each morning then decide if they are really true. Whatever you think, you are never wrong so if you want to feel confident you should think confident.

2. Choose your colours wisely
Wear something you love! Clothes and colours have the power to make us feel confident. Have you got that particular outfit that makes you feel on top form? If not, find a colour specialist who can look at your skin tone and wardrobe and help you find the colours that make you feel great. Colours are powerful, they can drain the life out of us or empower us.

3. Take a long hard look in the mirror
There is no ‘perfect’, don’t believe the filters and the Photoshop. Instead of looking in the mirror and being critical of yourself wondering why you aren’t skinny enough, toned enough, tall enough, short enough etc, stop worrying about what you think you should be and see what you love about you. Every day pick three things that you love. Are you a great dancer, the best friend, an awesome lover, have the best legs or beautiful eyes? Start looking and noticing the beauty of you and notice how doing this everyday adds to your confidence.

4. Commute the right way
What do you do on the way to work – social media, listening to the news, reading a paper? Is it a habit that will generate confidence within you? If not change it! Create a morning track list to motivate you into the state you want to be in. Choose music that makes you feel really good. Music is a great state changer, choose the songs that make you want to get up and dance, stand tall and smile wide. What songs put a spring in your step? These are your morning playlist!

5. Spend some time imagining the most confident you
Our mind does not recognise the difference between imagined reality and the here and now, so the more you see yourself as a confident person, walking tall, smiling, having fun, the more your mind will create this with your body. Confidence is something we create on the inside, you cannot buy it from a shop. Imagine yourself confident and true confidence will follow.

For more information on feeling confident and happy visit https://wendysmith.me.uk

The picture shows Wendy Smith. After overcoming a high-speed motorbike accident in her youth which caused severe spinal injury, cardiac arrest and years of rehabilitation Wendy went on to compete for Great Britain in the 2005 Paralympics. Now she spends her time giving motivational talks and offering 1:1 coaching.

Pagan Eye: Strange Sightings in Clowes Wood

This picture was sent to me by Jodie Hibbert Scobie, who said: "I was researching the history of Clowes Wood when I came across your blog. I was here yesterday. I absentmindedly took a photo of my son's friend. We were walking and chatting. When we arrived home, I was scrolling through my photos. I spotted what seems to be a black hooded figure in the background on the right. My son spotted what appears to be a face on the left hand side.

"I have attached them in case they are of interest to you and also in case you're able to shed any light. The atmosphere in Clowes Wood yesterday was very 'off'. My son walked under a tree and just after he'd passed it, a branch fell right where he'd been walking. We just laughed it off as coincidence, but I'm not wondering if there may have been anything to it. We heard little to no birdsong.

"Anyway, feel free to use my name and photo if it creates a blog of interest. I look forward to hearing from you or, potentially, reading a blog."

Thanks very much, Jodie, for sending in the picture. It is mysterious, I agree. I can't quite make out what the black shapes outlined might be, although it is possible that they are two people wearing robes to do a ceremony to honour the season of Lammas out in nature. If so, that would be perfectly innocent, although might look surprising to passers-by. Or, of course, the figures could be more supernatural. If anyone has any other ideas, do leave a comment.

Clowes Wood is in Kent, near Canterbury. You can find more details here: https://explorekent.org/activities/clowes-wood/

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.

The photograph is copyright Jodie Hibbert Scobie.

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/03/pagan-eye-glastonbury-tor-in-sea-of-mist.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/01/pagan-eye-hobby-horse-at-pagan-wassail.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/11/pagan-eye-trained-oak-at-plotlands-essex.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/03/pagan-eye-rollright-stones-in-snow.html

Extract from Crone! - Earth Mysteries and Magic

As promised, here is another excerpt about it from Crone! - An Old Craft Witch's Year, by Melusine Draco. It is a section about Earth Mysteries and Magic. I posted excerpts about Lammas and the Feast of Cromn Dubh earlier this month.

Earth Mysteries and Magic
The terms ‘gateways’, ‘portals’ and ‘doorways’ speak for themselves, and as a witch’s magical ability develops these psychic ‘gateways’ will begin to open – maybe in one, or even several directions simultaneously.

Personal advancement along the Old Craft path depends on an individual’s willingness to pass through or stay put, since these gateways open as a result of personal progress – serving as an indication that the time has come to move on and to climb to the next level.

Sometimes this transition can be difficult and painful but in magical learning everything has a reason (and a price!), so we must never ignore the opportunity, no matter how strange or vague it feels. The price of an Old Craft practitioner’s progress can be exacting but I believe the end result is well worth it; to ignore it will only result in personal loss (in terms of both spiritual and mystical development). In time, the same situation will return and the trial begins all over again. If the opportunity is not taken, it may be many years along the line before it occurs again, in which case there are many years lost in an individual’s progress as it will be akin to starting anew; or it may not occur again in this lifetime.

Gateways or portals can appear in the Circle; during meditation; or in a dream, but we should not be afraid of these blinding flashes of inspiration, as they only appear when the ‘powers that be’ feel that we are ready for them. For an experienced witch it may be a boot in the bustle to suggest they have spent long enough at a particular level and that it is time to take the next step. Not taking the chance on these new openings will be the individual’s loss, since those who have chosen not to pass through these gateways, even after many years of practice, remain at exactly the same level as when they first began. Their magic and understanding has never altered; their progression halted due to their own fear and misunderstanding. They have tried to batter down the door for years without success; the true witch finds that the door swings open at just the lightest touch of a finger when the time is right.

Magically speaking, passing through the portal also brings awareness that there are all manner of other different currents and movements on the planet that affect us on a deeper magico-mystical level, as I observed in Traditional Witchcraft and the Path to the Mysteries (2015). Let us also consider for a moment the comment made on television by British astronomer and physicist Professor Brian Cox that every blade of grass has 3.8 billion years of history written into it. Or what we often blithely refer to as ‘earth energy’ that can produce a mild tingling sensation, which sets the pendulum swinging; or a burst of warm energy in our hands and feet. But do we stop to think that this could be caused by the swirling molten layer under the Earth’s crust, creating the electro-magnetic field that surrounds the planet by the spinning outer crust around the solid part of the inner core? Or is our Elemental Earth just a quiet ramble in the countryside and a container of sand marking the northern quarter?

We may sit meditating by a rippling stream, watching the sunlight dance in the water as it trips over the stones and pebbles in its path – but do we allow our minds to explore the greater picture of where that crystal clear water comes from? Do we realise that this stream began its brief chapter of life being drawn up as vapour from the ocean and falling as rain on the hills and mountain sides, before flowing down into the river valley, bringing rocks and stones tumbling in its wake? Do our magical energies focus on the stream; the rainfall on the mountain; or the ocean? Are we constantly aware of the force of that water-flow throughout the seasons – the spring floods, the summer drought, the clogging of the channel with autumn leaves, and the frozen surface in winter? Or does our concept of Elemental Water begin and end with the symbolic bowl of tap water marking the western quarter of our magic Circle?

Similarly, nothing on the planet can live without clean, breathable air but the witch needs to think beyond soft summer breezes and rainbows after a spring shower. Air is the stuff from which tornados and hurricanes are made; it brings puffs of cumulus cloud or a billowing thunderhead some ten miles high; not to mention the thousands of feet high dust storms that are created when a monsoon collides with dry air currents above it; or the sirocco, the Mediterranean wind that comes from the Sahara and can reach hurricane speeds. Or is our Elemental Air merely the smoke from a perfumed joss stick or bowl of incense marking the eastern quarter in our magical workings?

Fire, even in its most modest form, has the capacity for destruction – a box of matches in the hands of a child, a fallen candle, or a carelessly discarded cigarette. On a grander and more epic scale, we are well acquainted by television coverage of devastating wildfires destroying anything that stands in its path, the eruption of a volcano, or the power of solar winds that reach out from the sun to interfere with electronic equipment here on Earth. Or is our contact with Elemental Fire restricted to a candle burning at the southern quarter of our Circle?

These, for example, were just some of the lessons taught by Bob and Meriem Clay-Egerton in the Coven of the Scales. That it was not necessary to rely on group dynamics, psycho-drama, ritual, Circle casting, chanting and dancing to generate magical energy because it is there, all around us on a permanent basis. It means that a natural witch can be on his or her contacts in seconds; knowing what type of energy, or ‘witch-power’ is needed to cure a headache, or channel the strength to walk the death-path with confidence after being diagnosed with a terminal illness. It really is a belief that can move mountains – if the application is right – and all witches draw on this natural energy to cause change through the application of Will.

In more simplistic terms, ‘witch-power’ is similar to the energy raised by Tai Chi – and that is widely used within art and sport without any magical significance whatsoever. It is a perfectly natural energy or force that can be harnessed or tapped into on a daily basis – to a greater or lesser extent. A true witch can generate the magical powers necessary by channelling this natural energy from the natural world – in its widest possible sense. Coven working produces the same energy by artificial means via psycho-drama and group dynamics. Old Craft uses both methods, of course, but if a solitary witch needs to be instantly on his or her contacts, then it could be a long wait between coven meetings.

Crone! by Melusine Draco is published by Ignotus Press UK and available direct from the printer as a special price. You can also view Crone! on Amazon.

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/01/folklore-hagiography-of-craft-by.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/03/coarse-witchcraft-trilogy-excerpt-i.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/07/dictionary-of-magic-mystery-lammas.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/08/excerpt-from-crone-feast-of-cromn-dubh.html