Witchcraft Unchained: History & Traditions of British Craft

I've been reading Witchcraft Unchained: Exploring the History and Traditions of British Craft by Craig Spencer. It both explores the history of British witchcraft in recent times and explains what witches do in a practical way. Craig doesn't limit himself to offering a how-to guide for a single strand within British witchcraft, he covers Wicca, the Cochranian tradition, older forms of the Craft and modern paths instigated by people including Raymond Buckland. He tries to show they are all basically compatible and have remarkable similarities as well as some differences. That's a big objective, and one I applaud. 

When it comes to analysing and explaining the practical, spiritual and magical aspects of British Witchcraft, Craig does a great job. I particularly like the fact that he aims to be inclusive rather than devisive. However, I'm a bit more critical when it comes to considering Witchcraft Unchained as a history book. Here's part of the description from publisher Crossed Crow Books:

"On June 22, 1951 the last of the Witchcraft Acts was repealed in the UK. This single action would lead to the rise of what would become the global witchcraft revival movement. Despite another year marking the passing of this historical event, so much of our history still remains lost, misunderstood, or frankly made inaccessible to the magical community at large. There is a craving for better information about the more recent history of Witchcraft in the hopes that these gaps in knowledge may be filled, and it's the author's intention to make Witchcraft Unchained: Exploring the History and Traditions of British Craft the book that will do just that."

Any new book on the recent history of wtichcraft in Britain is going to be compared with those already out on the subject, especially ones by academic historians such as Ronald Hutton, Malcolm Gaskill, Owen Davies and John Callow. Any writing about the life and legacy of Gerald Gardner will be held up against that of his biographer Philip Heselton, and anything on English folklore will be considered against works of Steve Roud. 

Craig has evidently done a huge amount of research and Witchcraft Unchained is full of citations to respected secondary sources as well as some primary texts. However, I felt some of the information in Craig's book stated as fact could benefit from double-checking or greater clarification and more citations. For example, Craig states: "Gerald Gardner was initiated by Dorothy Clutterbuck" yet both Ronald Hutton and Philip Heselton have offered considerable evidence that was unlikely. He was probably initiated by Edith Woodford-Grimes ("Dafo"), who was secretive about her involvement with witchcraft. Gerald's stating Dorothy's name as his initiator could possibly have been an obfuscation to protect Dafo. 

To summarise, as a practical guide to British craft, Witchcraft Unchained is excellent. As a history book, it would serve as a useful introduction for seekers on the path, but I wouldn't recommend as a reliable source for academic purposes. Nevertheless, I very much enjoyed reading Craig's latest book and have learnt a lot from it about paths slightly different from my own.

The paperback and hardback editions of Witchcraft Unchained can be viewed via Amazon or at the publisher. You can find out more here: https://www.crossedcrowbooks.com/shop-crossed-crow-books/p/witchcraft-unchained

(Note: I earn commission from advertisers for some links. This helps support my blog at no extra cost to those who read my posts.)

Magical Online & London Events in the Next Weeks

Here's a list of events for pagans, witches and those with similar interests over the next couple of weeks. I mainly include in-person things in or near London, because that's where I'm based, as well as online talks and workshops you can do anywhere.

Every Wednesday and Friday; Open Days at the College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 11am - 4pm. Free, just pop in. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Now to 29 September;  For a Better Understanding of Life, exhibition. Venue: Swedenborg House, 20-21 Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2TH. Tickets free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-swedenborg-society-8460713300

Now to 16 September. Deep Time: Uncovering Our Hidden Past an exhibition of contemporary sculpture by Angela Palmer. Venue: Pangolin London, 90 York Way, London N1 9AG.  Free entry. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/deep-time-uncovering-our-hidden-past-tickets-661182844687

Wednesday 30 August; College of Psychic Studies Guided Tour with Curator and Archivist Vivienne Roberts. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £10. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 30 August (every Wednesday); Feeling Sound Bath. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £15.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Wednesday 30 August; Full Blue Moon Sound Ceremony. Venue: The Mandrake, 20-21 Newman Street, London W1T 1PG. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £45. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-mandrake-17825575648

Wednesday 30 August; An Interactive Workshop on Astral Projection and Scrying with Dr. David Shoemaker. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49A Museum St, London WC1A 1LY. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £15. https://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Wednesday 30 August; Healing the Mother Wound. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £35. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Wednesday 30 August; Huni Kuin Rapé - Song Circle organised by Aho Studio. In-person event. Venue: Shacklewell Lane Mosque, London E8. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £30. www.aho.community

Wednesday 30 August; Full Moon Drum and Song Goddess Circle. Venue: The Goddess Studio, Whitehouse Way, London N14 7LU.  Time: 7pm. Tickets: £25.63. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/claudia-chapman-reikilifecoach-20248016862

Wednesday 30 August; Meeting Your Spirit Guides, Helpers and Gatekeepers. Start of eight-session evening class. Online event by Hernan Cotroneo via The College of Psychic Studies. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £220. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 30 August; The Cryptozoological Fiction of Robert W. Chambers. Talk by Justin Mullis on Zoom through The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities. Time: 8pm. Tickets · from £5.82. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Wednesday 30 August; Meet Geraldine, a Wiccan High Priestess. Talk at Hertford Pagan Moot. Venue: The White Horse, 33 Castle Street, Hertford. Time: 8pm. https://www.facebook.com/groups/104788436218047

Thursday 31 August; Kambo Circle organised by Aho Studio. In-person event. Venue: Shacklewell Lane Mosque, London E8. Time: 9am. Tickets: £50. www.aho.community

Thursday 31 August; Full Moon Peace Fires. Light a candle or fire for peace wherever you are in the world, for 10 minutes or longer and state the intention: “Let there be peace on earth and love for one another.” Free.  http://peacefires.org/

Thursday 31 August; Blue Moon Ceremony and Magic by the Thames with Mani via London Woodland Witches, Wiccans and Pagans. Venue: Meet by the Millennium Bridge, · London. Time: 7pm. Tickets £5. https://www.meetup.com/londonwoodlandwitches/events/

Thursday 31 August; Riches for Witches Book Launch on Facebook Live.  Join Sheena and Ian Cundy, on a blue super moon to celebrate the birth of Riches for Witches, Sheena's second book in The Witch Wavelength series. Time: 7pm. Free online event. https://www.facebook.com/events/147144145060358/

Thursday 31 August (every Thursday); Talk on a paranormal subject for ASSAP members. Time: 7pm. Free event, with Zoom link details emailed out to members. To join ASSAP, for £5 per year, visit https://assap.ac.uk/

Thursday 31 August; Monthly Full Moon Women's Circle. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £25. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Thursday 31 August; Moon Space - SLC's cosmic cyber circle with Tree Carr. Online via She's Lost Control. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £15.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Thursday 31 August; Your Body is Your Temple. Online workshop with Halo Quin. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £25 https://haloquin.ck.page/products/body-temple-workshop?

Thursday 31 August; Full Moon Celeration with South East London Pagans. Venue: One Tree Hill, Honor Oak, London. Time: 7.30pm. Free, bring food and drink to share. https://www.facebook.com/groups/7046502195365834/

Friday 1 - Mon 4 September; Creatures of the Kelp. A performance  by Camilla Brendon exploring the crossover between mythology and science around unidentified marine object sightings. Venue: Watermans Arts Centre, 40 High St, Brentford, TW8 0DS. Time Noon - 4pm. Tickets free but donations welcome. https://thamesfestivaltrust.org/whats-on/

Friday 1 September;  The Heart of Sekhem. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £30.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Saturday 2 - Sunday 3 September; Saints and Mystics in Legend and Tradition. A two-day conference as the seventeenth Legendary Weekend of the Folklore Society. Venue: The Chapter House, St Albans Cathedral, Sumpter Yard, St Albans, Herts AL1 1BY. Tickets: £70. https://folklore-society.com/event/saints-and-mystics-in-legend-and-tradition/

Saturday 2 September; Remote Viewing to Unlock Your Intuition with Ann Théato. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 11am. Tickets: £115. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 2 September; Past Life Regression. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 11am. Tickets: £35. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Saturday 2 September; Healing Temple Journey Back to Lemuria. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 5pm. Tickets: £45. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Saturday 2 September (and other dates); Witches and Witchcraft History - Pay What You Can Walking Tour - London by Wonders of London. Meet outside the exit of Tower Hill Station by Trinity Square Gardens, Tower Hill Station, London EC3N 1JL. Time: 7pm  Tickets by donation https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/witches-witchcraft-history-pay-what-you-can-walking-tour-london-tickets-687827950917?

Saturday 2 September; Wild Wonder: Animism and Ecology in Fairy Tales. Online Talk Presented By Dr Joanna Gilar via the Folklore Podcast. Time: 8pm. Tickets £5. http://www.thefolklorepodcast.com/

Sunday 3 September; Conscious Cocktails and Crystal Discovery. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 2pm. Tickets: Free but reserver a place. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Sunday 3 September; Storytelling Co-Operative with London Dreamtime. Venue: Pullens Centre (Green door) 184 Crampton St SE17 3LL. Time: 2.30pm for  3pm. Tickets  Free. https://www.londondreamtime.com/calendar/

Sunday 3 September (first Sunday of the month); Blackberrry Magic at Woodspirits. Meet at new location in Chorleywood (this will be used again next year). Time: 3pm. Free in-person event for members of Woodspirits group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/4032235040150960

Sunday 3 September; Women’s Drumming Circle in Hilly Fields Park, organised by Emma Hewitt of Salamay Tarot and Healing Arts. Venue: Hilly Fields Park, London SE4. Time: 3pm. Tickets  Free b ut reserve a place. https://www.eventbrite.com/o/emma-hewitt-salamay-tarot-healing-arts-38061527643

Sunday 3 September (and other times and dates); Soul Restore Sound Healing. Venue: The Mandrake, 20-21 Newman Street, London W1T 1PG. Time: 4pm. Tickets: £35. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-mandrake-17825575648

Sunday 3 September;  Vortex Awakening Sound Bath. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London. Time: 5pm. Tickets: £25.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Sunday 3 September (every Sunday); 30-Minute Mindfulness for people of all beliefs. Venue: Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, 3 Pilgrim's Place, London NW3 1NG. Time: 6pm. Free, just turn up. https://www.rosslynhillchapel.org.uk

Monday, 4 September; Trees and Wildlife in Hyde Park with John Wells. Meet at Mayfair Library 25 South Audley Street London W1K 2PB. Time: 4pm. Tickets: £5. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/trees-and-wildlife-in-hyde-park-with-john-wells-tickets-675202016407?

Monday, 4 September (1st Monday each month); Drum Healing. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £15.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Monday, 4 September (every fortnight to Sept 18); Summer Study Group On Zoom - Fairy Tale Of The Green Snake and The Beautiful Lily. Free online seminar with Rudolf Steiner - Spiritual Science, Time: 7pm. https://www.meetup.com/rudolf-steiner-spiritual-science/events/

Monday, 4 September (every Monday); Tea With a Druid. Free online event by the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. Time 8pm. https://druidry.org/

Monday, 4 September; Wild Welsh Tales. Talk by Kestrel Morton on Zoom through The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities. Time: 9pm. Tickets · from £5.82. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Tuesday 5 and Wednesday 6 September; Tea with a Medium - Gary Wright. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49A Museum St, London WC1A 1LY. Time: 2.30pm. Tickets: £55. https://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Tuesday 5 September; Planet Pulse Astrology Circle. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £20.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Tuesday 5 September; Launch Party - Love Alchemy: Heal Your Heart and Open Up To Love.  Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £11.11. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Tuesday 5 September; Talk on Victorian Death and Mourning by Robert Stephenson. Venue: Dissenters' Chapel, Kensal Green Cemetery, 391 Ladbroke Grove, London W10 5AB. Doors open at 18.45pm for refreshments and wine. talk at 7.30pm. Tickets: £12/£7. More details  on the Friends of Kensal Green Cemetery website: https://www.kensalgreen.co.uk/

Tuesday 5 September (first Tuesday each month); Everyone Can Read Tarot. Talk at Romford Pagan Moot. Venue: The Golden Lion, 2 High Street, Romford. Time: 7.30pm. Entry £4. https://www.facebook.com/Romford-Pagan-Moote-634178063700381. 

Tuesday 5 September; Freud and the Occult. Talk by Dr. Vanessa Sinclair on Zoom through The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities. Time: 8pm. Tickets · from £5.82. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Wednesday 6 September (every Wednesday); Live Chat hosted by Rachel Patterson, author of the Gods and Goddesses of England and the Kitchen Witch series of books. Time: 9am. Free. https://www.facebook.com/RachelPattersonbooks/

Wednesday 6 September; Spellcrafting for Thresholds.Workshop with Hannah Sanders, via Treadwells Online, delayed viewing available. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £10. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Wednesday 6 September;  Restorative and Healing Breathwork. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £40. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Wednesday 6 September (tbc but usually first Wednesday of the month); Drumming and Meditation online with Taz Thornton. Time: 7pm Price: free. https://www.facebook.com/TazThorntonOfficial

Wednesday 6 September; The Cosmology of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona. Talk by Wes Bernardiniir on Zoom through The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets · from £5.82. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Thursday 7 September; Midweek Meditation with the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 3pm. Tickets: free for members/£7.50 non members. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 7 September; The Thames: Its Myths and Mysteries. Talk by Robert Stephenson. Venue: Guildhall Library, Aldermanbury City of London, London, EC2V 7HH. Time: 2pm - 3pm. Tickets free but donations welcome. https://thamesfestivaltrust.org/whats-on/

Thursday 7 September; 20 Years of the Da Vinci Code: The Inside Story – A Talk By Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince, Authors of The Templar Revelation. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49A Museum St, London WC1A 1LY. Time: 2.15pm. Tickets: £15. https://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Thursday 7 September; Pagans: The Visual Culture of Pagan Myths, Legends and Rituals by Ethan Doyle White. Venue: Watkins Bookshop, 9-21 Cecil Ct, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 5.30pm. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events 

Thursday 7 September;  Inner Child Integration. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £35. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Thursday 7 September; Occultism in an Age of Transparency - Philosophy Seminar with Dr Stephen Alexander. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Cost: £10 per person.  https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

Thursday 7 September; Gods, Spirits and Servitors. Class with Julian Vayne, via Treadwells Online, delayed viewing available. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £15. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Thursday 7 September; Soulful Gatherings for Women of Colour. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £30.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Friday 8 September; Make Sex Sacred Again. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £35.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Friday 8 September; A Spell A Day Book Signing and Launch Party with Tree Carr. Venue: She's Lost Control, 74 Broadway Market, London. Time: 7pm. Tickets: Free but you can reserve a place.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Friday 8 September;  Celestial Soundscapes Sound Journey. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £35. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Saturday 9 September; Astrology and Science All-Day Online Event by the Astrological Lodge of London.  Time: 10am. Tickets £25/£20. https://astrolodge.co.uk/

Saturday 9 September; The Invisible College. Explore the collection of the College of Psychic Studies and try your hand at various techniques in this one-day workshop with Julian Vayne. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 11am. Tickets: £115. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 9 September; Trance Mediumship: Going Deeper. One-day workshop with Sarah Tyler-Walters. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 11am. Tickets: £115. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 9 September; MoonCon 2023  Autumn Edition. Free online event by Moon Books Publishing with talks by authors throughout the day from noon. https://www.facebook.com/events/1603863840135867/

Saturday 9 September; Love Eternal: The Magdalene Feast. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London. Time: 1pm. Tickets: £65.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Saturday 9 September;  Norse Pagan and Shamanic Ceremony - Seidr Oracular Ritual. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 3pm. Tickets: £15. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Saturday 9 September; Shifting Realities: Landscape, Myth and Folklore in Alan Garner's early novels of the 1960s. Online Online event on weird fiction with Sue Terry Esoteric Academic Owl House Seminars. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £7.50. https://www.sueterryacademic.com/

Saturday 9 September;  London Witches Walking Tour with Maria Beadell's organised by Treadwell's Bookshop. Meet outside Farringdon tube Station, London EC1M 6BY. Time: 8pm. Tickets: £16.50. https://www.treadwells-london.com/

Sunday 10 September;  Reawaken The Goddess  Drum Meditation and Statue Sculpting. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 10.30am. Tickets: £55. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Sunday 10 September (date tbc but usually every 2 months); Meeting of Kith of The Tree and the Well. Venue: The Horseshoe Inn, 26 Melior St, London SE1 3QP. Time: 2pm. Entry £2. https://www.meetup.com/the-kith-of-the-tree-and-the-well/events/

Sunday 10 September;  Journey of the Dark Feminine Shamanic Drumming Circle. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 3.30pm. Tickets: £27. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Sunday 10 September (tbc but usually second Sunday of the month); Luna Iter Ritual. In-person ritual in Hackney, East London for members of the group, guests and seekers on the path. Meet at the Pembury Tavern, 90 Amhurst Rd, London, from 4.30pm, moving on to a historic site to start the ritual at 6pm. Entry: £8. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1230392930656154

Sunday 10 September; Woodland Bard Online - Oak. Event by Walkwithtrees. Time: 6pm. Tickets: £8. https://www.eventbrite.com/o/jonathon-huet-at-walk-with-trees-30650264428

Sunday 10 September; UFO Religions and Spirituality. Talk by Benjamin E. Zeller on Zoom through The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities. Time: 8pm. Tickets · from £5.82. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

For details of things to do after Sunday 10 September please visit my events page.

Please note that I am not responsible for the content of any of these events. Contact organisers directly if you have any questions or to check ticket availability. Where a practitioner is offering information about magical protection, this is *not* medical advice.  If you know an event you want included, please email me at badwitch1234@gmail.com

Authors On Their Own Writing: Steven C. Davis

I asked my fellow authors to tell me which of their own books they most liked and why. Here's the first in the mini interview series: a Q and A with multi-talented performer and writer of dark mythology stories, Steven C. Davis.

Q: Of all the books you’ve written, which is your favourite?

A: Lore of the Sælvatici, without a doubt.

Q: What’s it about?

A: It’s a collection of ‘found tales’, a darker, previously unknown Pagan history, referring specifically to the character of Robin Hood and those times. Being a collection of fragments there’s mention of re-interpreted characters such as Robin, John and Scarlet, but there’s also new gods, an epic poem in the style of Anglo Saxon / Norse epics and so much more. I should say it is also quite visceral and maybe not for the faint hearted: it’s grim, dark and bloody.

Q: Why is it your favourite?

A: It’s my favourite because I’ve always been interested in the Robin Hood mythos, and it’s part of the ‘Sælvatici’ world that I’m creating, which is my folk-horror interpretation of the Robin Hood mythos, and includes several short stories on Audible, a play, ‘Mother Hode’, performed by Joanna Swan, and a theme tune, ‘From the Dark’ by Dark Sinfonia. I’ve been fortunate to perform the dark ritual (aka the epic poem in the Anglo Saxon / Norse style from ‘Lore of the Sælvatici’) at several festivals and events, including performing it multi-voiced, which has been and continues to be a fantastic opportunity and experience. There are also several poems set in that world, which are performed by Poetic Malevolence, a dual-voiced harmonic and disharmonic poetry duo with Laura Jane Round. A friend has described the book as a performance piece intended to let the old gods into your head ... and I quite like that description! All this springs forth from ‘Lore ..’ which is not bad, given it’s a collection of less than 150 pages! It’s also the best introduction to the ‘Sælvatici’ world.

B: Tell me a bit more about yourself and your other writing.

A: I am a bit prolific in writing projects; a friend calls me a machine but I prefer the phrase Word Witch. I feel like it’s almost a geas – because I can write anything, I must write (almost) anything that comes to me. As an example, a conversation with a friend about a forthcoming film (Slotherhouse) led to a 2.5k short story.

In addition to the ‘Sælvatici’ world, I’m also writing a Were-series, which is about human rights and the issues around being true to yourself and being who you are in a world which doesn’t like/ want/ accept you. The series is called ‘Less than Human’, and six have been published so far. It’s kind of paranormal romance without the paranormal – shapeshifting is simply down to DNA – you either have it or you don’t, so the usual Were-tropes don’t work.  It’s not quite an homage to or rebuttal of Laurell Hamilton’s ‘Anita Blake’ series, which I love, but I wanted something that was inclusive and about building a community, as opposed to simply “killing the monster”. It’s also set in grim inner city locations in the UK, which makes a nice change from most paranormal romances.

I’m currently putting together a mini tour for the Mother Hode play, which will also feature a performance piece from the book, performed by a small troupe under the title of the Sælvatici. The tour will also feature Ash Mandrake and Poetic Malevolence and other guests, and is scheduled for a dozen dates or so across 2023 – 2025.

You can see Lore of the Sælvatici at Amazon or at Saturday Books in Dudley. A website for the publisher, Tenebrous Texts, is currently under construction. The cover art is by John Chadwick.

(Note: I earn commission from advertisers for some links. This helps support my blog at no extra cost to those who read my posts.)

I'm Having a Bank Holiday Weekend Not Blogging

I'm having a bit of a holiday from blogging this weekend and the bank holiday on Monday. I'll also be cutting down on my Facebook, Twitter and email time. However, I will try to keep my events page updated, so you can find out what talks and workshops are happening. I'll also share a few snaps to Instagram - you can find me there as starzalucya. 

If you're also on holiday this weekend, whether that's a staycation or going away, I hope you have a lovely time!

Green London: The Ruins of St Dunstan's in the East

This is one of my favourite gardens in the heart of the City of London. The ruins of St Dunstan's in the East, a historic church near the Tower of London, was deliberately given over to nature after it was bombed during WW2. 

The parish church was originally built in Norman times. It was later rebuilt by Wren after being heavily damaged in the Great Fire of London in 1666. When the church was almost destroyed in the Blitz it was decided not to rebuild it. Instead, the City of London decided to turn the ruins into a public garden, which opened in 1970. To me, it now feels like a place that's sacred to nature.

Ivy and vines grow over the walls and trees offer shade. There are grassy areas shaded by trees and a circular courtyard with bubbling water feature in the centre, surrounded by benches.  It's a popular place for City workers to spend their lunch hour unwinding from the stresses of their jobs, and it's also very popular with tourists. But even when there are a lot of people there, the atmosphere still feels peaceful and relaxing.

If you want to visit, you can find out more here: https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/city-gardens/find-a-garden/st-dunstan-in-the-east-church-garden

I've been blogging regularly about London's green spaces in an effort to dispel a prevalent myth in the pagan community that it's just all concrete. Even in the City, which is of course heavily built up, there are still places where nature thrives.

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/07/green-london-strange-things-in-soho.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/07/green-london-st-jamess-park-ghost-and.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/06/green-london-lincolns-inn-fields.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/06/green-london-great-plane-in-brunswick.html

Magical Online & London Events in the Next Weeks

 Here's a list of events for pagans, witches and those with similar interests over the next couple of weeks. I mainly include in-person things in or near London, because that's where I'm based, as well as online talks and workshops you can do anywhere.

Now to 29 September;  For a Better Understanding of Life, exhibition. Venue: Swedenborg House, 20-21 Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2TH. Tickets free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-swedenborg-society-8460713300

Now  to 16 September. Deep Time: Uncovering Our Hidden Past an exhibition of contemporary sculpture by Angela Palmer. Venue: Pangolin London, 90 York Way, London N1 9AG.  Free entry. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/deep-time-uncovering-our-hidden-past-tickets-661182844687

Every Wednesday and Friday; Open Days at the College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 11am - 4pm. Free, just pop in. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 23 August (every Wednesday); Live Chat hosted by Rachel Patterson, author of the Gods and Goddesses of England and the Kitchen Witch series of books. Time: 9am. Free. https://www.facebook.com/RachelPattersonbooks/

Wednesday 23 August (every Wednesday); Feeling Sound Bath. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £15.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Wednesday 23 August (every 23rd of the month); Crossbones Vigil to honour the outcast dead of Crossbones Graveyard, Southwark. Location: Redcross Way, London, SE1 1TA. Time: 6.45pm for 7pm. Free, just turn up  http://crossbones.org.uk/

Wednesday 23 August; New Witches' Club - Beginners to Witchcraft. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £25. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Wednesday 23 August (and other dates); Witches and Witchcraft History - Pay What You Can Walking Tour - London by Wonders of London. Meet  outside the exit of Tower Hill Station by Trinity Square Gardens, Tower Hill Station, London EC3N 1JL. Time: 7pm  Tickets by donation https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/witches-witchcraft-history-pay-what-you-can-walking-tour-london-tickets-687827950917?

Wednesday 23 August; Introduction to Crystals and Healing  (pt 2) with  Hannah Jones. Venue: Crystal Wicca, 4a Station Buildings, Station Approach, Hayes BR2 7EN. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets: £15. https://crystalwicca.co.uk/

Thursday 24 August; Morning Meditation. Free online event via Rest Less Events. Time: 9am. https://events.restless.co.uk/event-calendar/30-minute-morning-meditation/?

Thursday, 24  August; Unseen Beings: How We Forgot the World Is More Than Human. Talk by author Erik Jampa Andersson. Venue: Watkins Bookshop, 19-21 Cecil Court, · London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 5pm. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

24-28 August; Into the Wild Festival. Venue: Chiddinglye Farm, East Grinstead, United Kingdom. Adult early full ticket £140. Sunday only ticket: £65. https://www.intothewildgathering.com/summer-festival-2023?

Thursday, 24 August;  Radical Embodiment Dance Journey. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £35.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Thursday, 24 August; How did monsters help unlock the secrets of life? Talk by Professor of Victorian Literature, Andrew Mangham. Venue: The Royal Institution 21 Albemarle Street London W1S 4BS. Time: 7pm Tickets  From £7.79. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-did-monsters-help-unlock-the-secrets-of-life-tickets-566463175607?

Thursday, 24 August; An Evening With Dr Patrick Hinds - music performance. Venue: Crystal Wicca, 4a Station Buildings, Station Approach, Hayes BR2 7EN. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets: £35 (includes a glass of bubbly). https://crystalwicca.co.uk/

Thursday 24 August (every Thursday); Talk on a paranormal subject for ASSAP members. Time: 7pm. Free event, with Zoom link details emailed out to members. To join ASSAP, for £5 per year, visit https://assap.ac.uk/

Friday 25 August; A Druid in Psychologist's Clothing. Online talk by Ian C. Edwards via Watkins Bookshop. Time: 5.30pm. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events 

Saturday 26 August; Pagan Picnic in the Woods with Mani via London Woodland Witches, Wiccans and Pagans. Venue: Queen's Wood, Highgate, North· London. Time: 2pm. Tickets: free https://www.meetup.com/londonwoodlandwitches/events/

Saturday 26 August; Understanding Mediumship. Online event by Anthony Kesner via The College of Psychic Studies. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £80. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 27 August; Shamanic Group with Les Fuller. All welcome Venue: Woodford Church at 9 Grove Crescent, South Woodford, London E18 2JR. Time 11am-3pm. Tickets: £10. http://woodfordchurch.com/

Sunday 27 August; Sacred Rage Ceremony and Sound Journey. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 3pm. Tickets: £40. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Sunday 27 August (and other times and dates); Soul Restore Sound Healing. Venue: The Mandrake, 20-21 Newman Street, London W1T 1PG. Time: 4pm. Tickets: £35. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-mandrake-17825575648

Sunday 27 August (every Sunday); 30-Minute Mindfulness for people of all beliefs. Venue: Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, 3 Pilgrim's Place, London NW3 1NG. Time: 6pm. Free, just turn up. https://www.rosslynhillchapel.org.uk

Sunday 27 August; Loki's Banishment. Online event via Bennu's Table. Within Bennu’s Table, Katie Gerrard blends psychology with witchcraft and shamanism. Time: 6pm. Tickets: £2. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/bennus-table-48276445013

Sunday 27 August; The Tools of the Ancient Magical Practitioner. Talk by Prof. Marguerite Johnson,. part of the Magic and Witchcraft in Ancient Greece and Rome Series on Zoom through The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets · from £6.86. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Monday 28 August; Moon Ritual: Earth Mother Magic and Tarot, for women and non-binary people, by Intimate Animals and Ugly Duck. Venue: Ugly Duck, 49 Tanner Street, London SE1 3PL. Time: 7pm. Tickets by donation. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/intimate-animals-ugly-duck-48346099203

Monday 28 August; Taking Nature's Hand: September. What has nature in mind for you this month? Online event with Jeremy Rye.  Time: 7pm. Tickets: £20. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/jeremy-rye-31055883021#

Monday 28 August (tbc but usually every Monday); Tea With a Druid. Free online event by the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. Time 8pm. https://druidry.org/

Tuesday 29 August; Lilith, Maman Brigitte and Pomba Gira: The Dark Goddesses of Your Dreams. Online talk by Lilith Dorsey via The College of Psychic Studies. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £16. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Tuesday 29 August; Tarot Symbolism of the Major Arcana - Online workshop with Suzanne Corbie, via Treadwell's. Time: 7pm, but delayed viewing avaiable. Tickets: £15. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Tuesday 29 August; Venus RX Gong Bath. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £25.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Tuesday 29 August; Sound Healing Journey. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £31.05. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Tuesday 29 August; Shifting Realities - Myth and landscape in Alan Garner's novels. Talk by Sue Terry at London Fortean Society. Venue: The Bell, 50 Middlesex Street, London, E1 7EX. Door time: 7:30pm, Starts: 8pm. Tickets: £5/£3. http://forteanlondon.blogspot.com/

Tuesday 29 August; Mythical Monsters of Greenland. Talk by Maria Kreutzmann, on Zoom through The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities. Time: 8pm. Tickets · from £5.82. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Wednesday 30 August; College of Psychic Studies Guided Tour with Curator and Archivist Vivienne Roberts. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £10. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 30 August; Healing the Mother Wound. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £35. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Wednesday 30 August; An Interactive Workshop on Astral Projection and Scrying with Dr. David Shoemaker. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49A Museum St, London WC1A 1LY. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £15. https://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Wednesday 30 August; Full Moon Drum and Song Goddess Circle. Venue: The Goddess Studio, Whitehouse Way, London N14 7LU.  Time: 7pm. Tickets: £25.63. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/claudia-chapman-reikilifecoach-20248016862

Wednesday 30 August; Full Blue Moon Sound Ceremony. Venue: The Mandrake, 20-21 Newman Street, London W1T 1PG. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £45. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-mandrake-17825575648

Wednesday 30 August; Meeting Your Spirit Guides, Helpers and Gatekeepers. Start of eight-session evening class. Online event by Hernan Cotroneo via The College of Psychic Studies. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £220. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 30 August; The Cryptozoological Fiction of Robert W. Chambers. Talk by Justin Mullis on Zoom through The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities. Time: 8pm. Tickets · from £5.82. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Wednesday 30 August (last Wednesday every month); Meet Geraldine, a Wiccan High Priestess. Talk at Hertford Pagan Moot. Venue: The White Horse, 33 Castle Street, Hertford. Time: 8pm. https://www.facebook.com/groups/104788436218047

Thursday 31 August; Full Moon Peace Fires. Light a candle or fire for peace wherever you are in the world, for 10 minutes or longer and state the intention: “Let there be peace on earth and love for one another.” Free.  http://peacefires.org/

Thursday 31 August; Blue Moon Ceremony and Magic by the Thames with Mani via London Woodland Witches, Wiccans and Pagans. Venue: Meet by the Millennium Bridge, · London. Time: 7pm. Tickets £5. https://www.meetup.com/londonwoodlandwitches/events/

Thursday 31 August; Monthly Full Moon Women's Circle. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £25. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Thursday 31 August; Moon Space - SLC's cosmic cyber circle with Tree Carr. Online via She's Lost Control. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £15.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Thursday 31 August; Full Moon Celeration with South East London Pagans. Venue: One Tree Hill, Honor Oak, London. Time: 7.30pm. Free, bring food and drink to share. https://www.facebook.com/groups/7046502195365834/

Friday 1 - Mon 4 September; Creatures of the Kelp. A performance  by Camilla Brendon exploring the crossover between mythology and science around unidentified marine object sightings. Venue: Watermans Arts Centre, 40 High St, Brentford, TW8 0DS. Time Noon - 4pm. Tickets free but donations welcome. https://thamesfestivaltrust.org/whats-on/

Friday 1 September;  The Heart of Sekhem. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £30.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Saturday 2 - Sunday 3 September; Saints and Mystics in Legend and Tradition. A two-day conference as the seventeenth Legendary Weekend of the Folklore Society. Venue: The Chapter House, St Albans Cathedral, Sumpter Yard, St Albans, Herts AL1 1BY. Tickets: £70. https://folklore-society.com/event/saints-and-mystics-in-legend-and-tradition/

Saturday 2 September; Past Life Regression. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 11am. Tickets: £35. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Saturday 2 September; Herbs of the Sun - A Planetary Herbal Workshop. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49A Museum St, London WC1A 1LY. Time: 11am-5pm. Tickets: £60. https://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Saturday 2 September; Remote Viewing to Unlock Your Intuition with Ann Théato. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 11am. Tickets: £115. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 2 September; Healing Temple Journey Back to Lemuria. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 5pm. Tickets: £45. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Saturday 2 September; Wild Wonder: Animism and Ecology in Fairy Tales. Online Talk Presented By Dr Joanna Gilar via the Folklore Podcast. Time: 8pm. Tickets £5. http://www.thefolklorepodcast.com/

Sunday 3 September; Conscious Cocktails and Crystal Discovery. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 2pm. Tickets: Free but reserver a place. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Sunday 3 September (first Sunday of the month); Blackberrry Magic at Woodspirits. Meet at new location in Chorleywood (this will be used again next year). Time: 3pm. Free in-person event for members of Woodspirits group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/4032235040150960

Sunday 3 September; Storytelling Co-Operative with London Dreamtime. Venue: Pullens Centre (Green door) 184 Crampton St SE17 3LL. Time: 2.30pm for  3pm. Tickets  Free. https://www.londondreamtime.com/calendar/

Sunday 3 September; Women’s Drumming Circle in Hilly Fields Park, organised by Emma Hewitt of Salamay Tarot and Healing Arts. Venue: Hilly Fields Park, London SE4. Time: 3pm. Tickets  Free b ut reserve a place. https://www.eventbrite.com/o/emma-hewitt-salamay-tarot-healing-arts-38061527643

Sunday 3 September;  Vortex Awakening Sound Bath. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London. Time: 5pm. Tickets: £25.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

For details of events after Sunday 3 September 2023, visit my events page.

Please note that I am not responsible for the content of any of these events. Contact organisers directly if you have any questions or to check ticket availability. Where a practitioner is offering information about magical protection, this is *not* medical advice.  If you know an event you want included, please email me at badwitch1234@gmail.com

Crafty Ways for Getting the Point of a Witch's Hat

When I asked people to suggest ways of making a droopy witch's hat less floppy, in a post earlier this month, I got lots of suggestions. Thank you all very much indeed! Ideas included:

• Lining with a cardboard cone
• Lining with stiff fabric or iron-on lining material
• Stuffing the hat with soft toy stuffing
• Attaching wire inside
• Spraying it with starch or using a similar fabric stiffener.

As you can see from the second picture at the top, my hat has a lot more shape now. I decided to try lining it, but cardboard was just too stiff and made it look the shape of traffic cone. I was going to pop out to the local haberdashery to get some fabric lining material when I spotted some foam packing sheets that seemed the right thickness. I decided to try that. 

I cut out a cone shape (pictured right) and stuck it inside with double-sided sellotape. I thought that way I could easily remove it again if it didn't create the effect I wanted. Actually, it looked great. However, when I tried wearing the hat, the foam sheet lining was too smooth and so the hat had a tendancy to slip off my head after while!

What I'm going to do is take the foam out but use it as a pattern for some proper lining material. Sometimes crafting is trial and error, but at least I learnt something about various ways to get a floppy hat to stand up firmer!

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/10/witches-cats-tuppence-in-her-halloween.html

badwitch.co.uk/2020/04/lets-see-your-witchy-hats-classic-black.html

http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2020/04/lets-see-your-witchy-hats-carla-bohan.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/04/pagan-eye-me-looking-very-witchy-at.html

London Lore Tarot: King of Wands, Henry Curtmantle

I drew a card for the world using the London Lore Tarot. It was Henry Curtmantle, King of England in 1154 and father to Richard the Lionheart and King John. He represents the King of Wands and the description says:

"Henry was known for his energy and drive - and the Plantagenet rages infamous of his family. He is considered to have laid down the basis for English Common Law."

This card is all about leadership and strength. The meaning given is: "Charm, ambition, liveliness and passion. Impulsiveness and a commanding presence."

Normally I only draw a single card when I do readings for the world as posts on my blog, but this time I picked another two for clarity. They were the London Stone, or the Nine of Coins or Pentacles, and the Camden Horse Hospital, or Temperance. 

The London Stone is a block of limestone considered by some to be the magical heart of London. I've blogged about it in the past and nowadays you can find it on Cannon Street, in the City. As the Nine of Coins it represents self-mastery, self-sufficiency and a desire for financial security as well as success. 

The Camden Horse Hospital was once a place where injured work horses were brought for treatment. It's now an arts venue and often hosts esoteric events. Don't Keep The Wicker Man Waiting, an exhibition celebrating 50 years of the British cult folk horror movie, was recently on there. As Temperance, it represents moderation, balance, tolerance and prudence.

The message from the King of Wands together with the Nine of Coins and Temperance is that this is a good time to take charge of a situation relating financial or material security. Be prepared to lead others if necessary but also be in control of your own life. Passion and energy can help us succeed in our endeavours, but we should avoid being too impulsive. Tolerance and balance are also important.

Other previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/06/london-lore-tarot-tower-ravens-eight-of.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/10/london-tarot-reading-sewer-gas-lamp-2.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/12/review-london-lore-tarot.html