Folklore: Abbots Bromley Horn Dance & Wakes Week

The Abbots Bromley Horn Dance is one of the most intriguing annual autumn customs that still continues today. Or,  more precisely, happens every year on Wakes Monday — the day following the first Sunday after 4 September. This year, 2026, it will be on Monday 7 September. 

People gather early in the morning in the Staffordshire village to collect sets of reindeer antlers from the church. Dancers don them, then spend the day in a musical procession through the surrounding parish. They stop at pubs and landmarks before returning to the village in the evening. These days there are also craft stalls, exhibitions and places to get food and drink. I wrote about the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance in my book Rounding the Wheel of the Year:

"Here’s the scene: six deer-men wearing reindeer antlers, a fool, a hobby horse, a bowman and Maid Marian dance around an English village to the sound of a melodeon, while people cheer them on with ale from local pubs. The Abbots Bromley Horn Dance takes place on the Monday after Wakes Sunday, closest to September 4, in the Staffordshire village of that name. This annual custom might have its origins in ancient pagan rites to ensure a good hunt. No one knows. Records show it was performed at least as far back as the Barthelmy Fair in August 1226. It’s probably older. Carbon-dating showed the current antlers are from the 11th century, but might have replaced older ones. Whatever the truth, it’s a fascinating event."

The picture  at the top shows the players in the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance of 1899, from Sir Benjamin Stone's Pictures - Festivals, Ceremonies and Customs, published by Cassell and Co. London in 1906.

The celebration takes place during Wakes Week, which was originally a series of religious feast days and late night vigils or "wakes" - from the Old English word "waecan". In the 19th century it became a time when manufacturing industries shut for a week to give their employees an annual holiday. 

If you want to read more about seasonal customs, have a look at my book Pagan Portals - Rounding the Wheel of the Year, viewable on Amazon. It's published by Moon Books. 

(Note: I earn commission from advertisers for some links.)

Previous related posts
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/08/folklore-customs-londons-historic.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/05/folklore-customs-bromleys-broom-day.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/07/folklore-st-swithuns-day-rain-apple.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/06/midsummer-lore-street-parties-and-st.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. There are online things you can do anywhere (bolded) plus in-person talks and workshops in or near London, and some festivals further afield.

Now – 29 November; The Coming of Age Exhibition - including displays on witches and crones. Venue: Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE. Open daily 10am-6pm.  Free. https://wellcomecollection.org/

Now - 8 September; The Sun and The Moon: Art Inspired by the Celestial. Exhibition. Venue: Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Road, London, SW3 4RY. Open 10am-6pm. Tickets from £13. https://www.saatchigallery.com/whats-on

Now to 13 September;  Hail, Delirium! Surrealist Dorothea Tanning art exhibition.  Venue: The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society.  Time: during normal opening hours. Free entry. https://thelasttuesdaysociety.org/museum/

Now - 25 October; Richard Dadd - Beyond Bedlam exhibition. Venue:  Royal Academy, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BD Time: 10-6pm every day. Tickets £15. https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/

Now - 11 September; After Fragments by Hannah Hughes - Exhibition. Venue: Swedenborg House, 20/21 Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2TH. Time: during daytime opening hours. Tickets free. https://www.swedenborg.org.uk/

Now – 13 September; The Material Heart: Front Line to Home Front. Exhibition of WWI folk art. Venue: Fashion and Textile Museum, 83 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XF.  Open: Tuesdays – Saturdays, 11am – 6pm. Tickets free with general museum admission ticket or a ticket to the Paint, Pattern, Print exhibition that's also on, costing £11.50. https://fashiontextilemuseum.org/

Now to 9 January 2027; Anne Ryan’s Folkmoot art exhibition on London archaeology. Venue: London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE, 12 Walbrook, London, EC4N 8AA. Free entry during opening hours. https://www.londonmithraeum.com/bloomberg-space/

Every Tuesday to Sunday except over bank holidays; College of Psychic Studies -  pop in to have a look around the lovely building.  Venue: College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 11am-4pm. Free entry. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk

 https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Most lunchtimes and some other times: Meditation - in-person or online. In-person venue: Inner Space, 36 Shorts Gardens, Covent Garden, London · WC2H 9AB. Time: 1pm (for lunchtime meditation). Free. https://www.meetup.com/inner-space-covent-garden/events/

Every lunchtime: Rainbow Spirit offers a shared vegetarian lunch from a flat in Soho, London, for all people LGBT+Allies. The foundation is British witchcraft. Each meal is followed by Ancestor Circle, passing the talking stick. Alcohol-free event. To attend join the Whatsapp chat group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/LhDxaCzGsmE2YI6AReyw3W

or email: rainbowawakening1@gmail.com

Wednesday 2 September; Allan Johnson leads a discussion of 'Piranesi', Susanna Clarke’s novel of labyrinths at Treadwell's Esoteric Book Club. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £15. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Wednesday 2 September;   The Queer History of Magic, Myth and Legends with Sacha Coward  via Seed talks. Online event.  Time: 7pm. Tickets from £15. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/seed-talks-online-1262239?

Wednesday 2 September;  An Evening of Fairy Tales and Folklore with Dr Sharon Blackie  via Seed talks. Online event.  Time: 7pm. Tickets £13.50 - £32. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/seed-talks-online-1262239?

Wednesday 2 September (every Wednesday); Feeling Sound. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £18.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Wednesday 2 September (and other dates); Gong Bath. Venue:  Akasa, Hackney Wick,  London E9. Time: 7pm. Tickets:  from £23.46. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/sunita-kaur-34415293427

Wednesday 2 September (first Wednesday of the month); Drumming and Meditation online with Taz Thornton. Time: 7pm. Free  https://www.facebook.com/TazThorntonOfficial

Thursday 3 September (every Thursday); 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 3 September;  Alchemical Traditions with Aaron Cheak. Talk and signing, Venue: Watkins Bookshop, 19-21 Cecil Ct, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 5pm. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

Thursday 3 September;  Britain's Accused Witches. Launch and Soirée with Marion Gibson. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £10. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Thursday 3 September; Energy Tools of the Future. Talk by Gemma Petherbridg. Online event via The College of Psychic Studies. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £22. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 3 September; The Folklore of Solstices, Seasons and Sacred Sites. Talk by  Seren Hawley-Plows via Seed Talks. Hybrid event. Venue: Hackney Bridge Block C, East Bay Lane, #Units 1-28 London E15 2SJ. Time: 7pm. Tickets: from £13. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/seed-talks-in-london-1252979?

Thursday 3 September;  Aleister Crowley and Frieda Harris's Thoth Tarot. Part of a series by

Keith Broad, Kingfisher Coven. Venue: Lost Souls Pizza Camden, 245 Eversholt Street, London NW1 1BA. Time: 7pm. Tickets  £6.13. https://www.eventbrite.com/o/88810783003?_

Friday 4 September (every Friday); Live Chat hosted by Rachel Patterson, author of Gods and Goddesses of England and the Kitchen Witch series of books. Online event. Time: 9am. Free. https://www.facebook.com/RachelPattersonbooks/

Friday 4 September; Art Tour to Wallace Collection: Muses, Lovers and Goddesses in Art. Venue: The Wallace Collection, Manchester Square, 

London W1U 3BN. Time 11am. Tickets:  £10. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/121514186500?

Friday 4 September (tbc but usually 1st and 3rd Friday each month); Pagan Portal Podcast by Moon Books. Time: noon (or listen to recording later). Free event. https://open.spotify.com/show/11N4kNj65tTz9NFUcZTMa7?

Friday 4 September; My Pregnancy Yoga Journal with Tara Lee and Clare Daniell. Talk and signing, Venue: Watkins Bookshop, 19-21 Cecil Ct, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 5pm. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

Friday 4 September;  Magick in Seven Objects with  Dr Thomas Waters. Talk presented by London Fortean Society. Venue:  Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London, WC1R 4RL. Time: 6.45pm.   Tickets £15/£10. http://forteanlondon.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/LondonForteanSociety/ or  https://www.conwayhall.org.uk

Friday 4 September (recurring event); Welcome Women's Circle. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House | 35 Park Road, London, NW1 6XT. Time: 7pm - 9pm. Tickets: optional donation of £5 - £15. https://rsh.anth.org.uk/whats-on/

Friday 4 September; Vidar – The Silent Spirit of The North. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House | 35 Park Road, London, NW1 6XT. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets: £15. https://rsh.anth.org.uk/whats-on/

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Friday 4 September (and other dates); Holistic Sound Bath Meditation - Summoning The Sacred. Venue: Training Points Fitness and Therapy, 5-6 Cooper's Yard, London SE19 1TN. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £25.  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/20043657289?

Friday 4 September (and other dates);  Thoth Tarot study group. Free online event. Time: 7pm. https://www.meetup.com/astrotarotkitchen/events/

Friday 4 September; Queer folk horror storytelling with Ed Jollyboat, talk via the Folklore Centre. Venue: Wholefood Cafe, 65 Halifax Rd, Todmorden OL14 5BB,  Time: 7pm. Tickets tbc https://www.folkloremythmagic.com/

Saturday 5 September; Bexley Eco and Wellness Festival. Venue: Lesnes Abbey, London. Time 11am. Free. https://www.facebook.com/events/915890844786784?

Saturday 5 September; Painting Consciousness class with Qian Qian. Online event via The College of Psychic Studies. Time: 10am. Tickets: £47.50. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 5 September; Trance Mediumship: Going Deeper. Workshop with Sarah Tyler-Walters. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 5 September; Feng Shui and Heart Home Energy. Workshop with Vicky Sweetlove. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 5 September:  Lilith Shadow Work Workshop. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 1LY. Time: 11am  Cost £60 https://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Saturday 5 September: Forest Bathing in Crystal Palace Park. Meet at Sydenham Gate, CP Park, London SE20. Time: 2pm. Free, but parking is paid. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/parkbathe-34393467709

Saturday 5 September; Poppet-Inspired Brooch Workshop. Venue: Learning Pavilion, Museum of the Home, 136 Kingsland Road, E2 8EA. Time: 2pm - 4.30pm. Tickets: £40. https://museumofthehome.org.uk/whats-on/poppet-inspired-brooch-workshop/

Saturday 5 September; In Search of Mami Wata: a celebration of African Water deities By

Black History Walks. Venue: Fulham Palace, Bishop's Avenue, London SW6 6EA. Time:  2pm. Tickets: £8. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/2849465606?

Saturday 5 September (date tbc but usually first Saturday each month); Gong Bath. Venue: Upminster Sanctuary Pea Lane, Upminster, RM142XH. Time: 7pm. Tickets: tbc.  https://upminstersanctuary.com/

Sunday 6 September;  Wisdom and Wyrd Psychic Market. Venue: Chislehurst Caves, Imperial Place, Chislehurst, NW Kent. Time: 11am. Free entry. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1335736923852705/

Sunday 6 September; The Connected Medium. Workshop with Jeremy Turner-Welch. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 6 September; The Magic of Balance with Isis with Liesl Duffy. Online event via The College of Psychic Studies. Time: noon. Tickets: £95. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 6 September; Fruity Walks: Folklore. Venue: Chelsea Physic Garden, 66 Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, London SW3 4HS. Time:  2pm. Tickets: £20. https://www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk/visit/whats-on/

Sunday 6 September; Wild Edibles: Foraging, History and Folklore. Venue: Chelsea Physic Garden, 66 Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, London SW3 4HS. Time:  2pm. Adult tickets:

£20-25. https://www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk/visit/whats-on/

Sunday 6 September;  How to Read Tarot Cards via Seed talks. Online event.  Time: 7pm. Tickets from £17. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/seed-talks-online-1262239?

Sunday 6 September (first Sunday each month); Grounding and Stability - Collective World Meditation with Pauline Flitton. Online event. Time: 7:30pm - 8:30pm. Free. Contact Pauline 07415 054280 or Email

contact@crystal-manifestations.co.uk for the free Zoom link. Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1514249646502331/?

Sunday 6 September; Omens and Superstitions from the Ancient World with Dr Julia Phillips. Talk online via The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society.  Time: 8pm. Tickets ·from  £6.59. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Monday 7 September (and other dates); Ascending with Angels, led by David Goddard. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 1LY. Time: 6.30 pm. Tickets £40.   https://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Monday 7 September; Possessions, ghost weddings and demonic spirits: Talk and tasting with Wet Ink. Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets  from £26.20, includes a cocktail. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-last-tuesday-society-viktor-wynd-museum-33776720489

Monday 7 September; Theosophy. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London, NW1 6XT. Time: 7pm. Tickets free https://www.meetup.com/rudolf-steiner-spiritual-science/events/

Monday 7 September; Introduction to Horary Astrology: Is the Chart Valid. Talk by Jadranka Coic via the Astrological Lodge of London. Online event. Starts 6.45pm. Tickets £6/£9. https://astrolodge.co.uk/

Monday 7 September; The Witch's Apprentice: Spirits and Deity. Start of 4-Part Course with Rebecca Beattie author of Planetary Magic via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm start, delayed viewing available. Tickets: £80. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Monday 7 September; Nature’s Omens: The Roman Art of Augury with Graham Banwell. Online event. Time: 7pm Tickets £10. https://www.field-studies-council.org/courses-and-experiences/static-courses/biodiversity-shorts-online-webinars/?

Monday 7 September (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/ or https://www.facebook.com/druidry

Tuesday 8 September; The Lost Goddesses of Britain with Kim Willis. Free online webinar. Time: 6pm. https://advaya.life/learn/webinars/the-lost-goddesses-of-britain?

Tuesday 8 September (every Tuesday); Yoga for Mind, Breath and Body. Venue: Beckenham Place Mansion, Place Park, The Mansion, Beckenham BR3 1SY. Time: 6.15pm. Tickets: £12. https://www.beckenhamplace.org/whatson/

Tuesday 8 September (and other dates); Viktor Wynd Museum Guided Tour and a Devil's Botany Absinthe. Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. Time: 6pm. Tickets from £16. Price includes a cocktail with Devil’s Botany. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-last-tuesday-society-viktor-wynd-museum-33776720489

Tuesday 8 September; Develop Intuition and Psychic Awareness. Start of  6-session course with Daniel Pitt. Online event via The College of Psychic Studies. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets: £165. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Tuesday 8 September; Beginner Tarot (Major Cards). Start of 4-Part Course with Delphine de la Mar. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Cost: £150 per person.  https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

Tuesday 8 September; Dreamcraft: Visionary Creativity talk by Tree Carr. Online event via The College of Psychic Studies. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £22. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Tuesday 8 September; Chaos Magic in Practice. Start of 4-Part Course

Julian Vayne. via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm start, delayed viewing available. Tickets: £100. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Tuesday 8 September; Storytelling in the Fens, with Tabitha Stanmore. Talk via the Folklore Society online. Time: 7pm. Tickets £6. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-folklore-society-32190494089

Tuesday 8 September; THE NINE! Start of monthly 3-part webinar series devoted to the Nine Maidens of Lyfjaberg with Imelda Almqvist. Online event. Time: 8pm. Tickets for the series: £92. https://www.tickettailor.com/events/surbitonshamaniccircle/2341175?

Tuesday 8 September;  Magic Mushrooms with Robert Dickins. Talk online via The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society.  Time: 8pm. Tickets ·from  £6.59. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Wednesday 9 September;  An Illustrated Guide to Ibn Arabi with Dr Eric Winkel. Talk and signing, Venue: Watkins Bookshop, 19-21 Cecil Ct, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 5pm. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

Wednesday 9 September;  The Occult Temple of Agape - Exhibition Private View. (Exhibition itself runs until 8 November)/Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. Time: 6pm. Tickets free but reserve a place. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-last-tuesday-society-viktor-wynd-museum-33776720489

Wednesday 9 September (2nd Wed each month); Raising Power. Training group workshop by the Wytchery. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store St, London WC1E 7BS, UK. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £10. https://www.meetup.com/the-wytchery/

Wednesday 9 September (and other dates);  New Moon, Full Moon or Divine Union Cacao Ceremony,Heart Ritual and Gong Bath. Venue: Private Location near Wandsworth Town/Clapham Junction. Time: 7pm. Tickets from £36.17. https://www.eventbrite.com/o/7885666957?

Wednesday 9 September; Autumn Witchcraft Practices. Workshop with Levannah Morganvia Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm start, delayed viewing available. Tickets: £15. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events 

Wednesday 9 September;  Vampires Before Dracula with Lena Heide-Brennand . Talk online via The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society.  Time: 8pm. Tickets ·from  £6.59. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Thursday 10 September; How to Become A Medium: Intermediate. Start of  10-session course with Jeremy Turner-Welch. Online via The College of Psychic Studies. Times: 5pm or 7.15pm. Tickets: £290. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 10 September; Connect to the Power of Sekhmet. Workshop with Pixie P Carney. Online event via The College of Psychic Studies. Time: 6pm. Tickets: £90. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 10 September; The Wisdom of The Fool. Talk by Julian Vayne. Online event via The College of Psychic Studies. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £22. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 10  September; Monsters, Outcasts and the Medieval World. Talk with Dr Amy Jeffs via Seed Talks. Hybrid event. In-person venue: The Guild Church of St Katharine Cree

86 Leadenhall Street, London EC3A 3BP Time: 7pm. Tickets: from £15. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/seed-talks-in-london-1252979?

Thursday 10 September; Learn to Read the Akashic Records. Start of  5-session course with Gemma Petherbridge. Online  via The College of Psychic Studies. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £180. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 9 September  (2nd Wed each month);  Enfield Town Circle Moot. Venue: Crown and Horsehoes, Horseshoe Lane, Enfield, EN2 6PZ.  Time: 7pm. https://www.facebook.com/groups/EnfieldTownCircle/

Thursday 10 September; Ghosts of the British Museum. Online talk via Watkins Bookshop. Time: 5pm. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

Thursday 10 September; launch of the book Magick: Decoding the visual culture of spells, illusions and psychic powers. Venue: Word on the Water bookshop, Regent's Canal Towpath, London N1C 4LW. Time: 6pm. Tickets free but you must reserve a place. rsvp@thameshudson.co.uk

Thursday 10 September (2nd Thursday each month); Magick Without Tears Moot. Venue: Fitzroy Tavern, 16 Charlotte St., London W1T 2LY. Time 6pm. https://www.facebook.com/groups/mwtpubmoot

Thursday 10 September  (every full and new moon); Moon Space online event via She's Lost Control. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £15.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Thursday 10 September; Mystical Experiences in Role-Playing Games. Lecture and Soirée with Dr Anna Milon. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £10. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Thursday 10 September;  Way of the Witch monthly online circle with Samantha K. and Jacqui C. Time: 8pm. Tickets: £10. https://www.meetup.com/sammi-k-shamanic-practitioner-psychic-medium/events/

Thursday 10 September;  Mummies, Magic, and the Macabre with Dr Jay Sullivan. Talk online via The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society.  Time: 8pm. Tickets ·from  £6.59. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Thursday 10 September;  Fortune Telling Across the Ages. Talk by Cunning Folk at South East London Folklore Society. Venue: The Electric Elephant Cafe, 186A Crampton Street, London, SE17 3AE. Time: 8pm, Free but £5/£8 donations welcome.  Email cunningfolkmusic@gmail.com to book a space or visit  https://www.eventbrite.com/o/cunning-folk-7829505560 or https://connectionwithwonder.com/events/

Friday 11 September: Wellness Festival with Wicca Moon. Venue: East London Cemetery and Crematorium, 230a Grange Road, London, E13.  Time: from 11am  Free entry. https://www.facebook.com/wiccamoonuk/

Friday 11 - Saturday 12 September:  Tarot Readings with Titania Fae. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 1LY. Time: from 11am  Cost £50 https://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Friday 11 - Sunday 13 September; Oneness Jams Community Campout: Strong End Gathering. . Venue: Berkeley farm, Berkeley Farm, Lambourne End, Manor Rd, Essex RM4 1NH , a few miles outside London. Tickets:  £60. https://www.aho.community/

Friday 11 September: Wicca Training Circles (1 /9) with WoodlandWitches.  Meet at Wimbledon Commons outside Windmill Tea rooms, Windmill Road, London SW19 5NR. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets £11.55. More info: https://mani.org.uk/ or visit  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/mani-woodland-witch-34325436803

Friday 11 September; An Evening of Mediumship with TJ Higgs. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 7pm. Tickets: £30. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 12 September: The 40th Year Anniversary of The International Thelemic Symposium.  Venue: Old Fire Station, 51-53 George Street, Oxford, OX1. Starts 9am. Tickets Tickets £15-£50. https://www.visible-college.org/tickets/international-thelemic-symposium

Saturday 12 - 16 September. Open House Days with tours and guided walks. Venue: Swedenborg House, 20/21 Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2TH. Time: during opening hours. Tickets free. https://www.swedenborg.org.uk/

Saturday 12 - 13 September; Fairies and Folklore: painting with watercolours and ink. Weekend art making course at the Royal Academy. Venue: Clore Learning Centre, Burlington Gardens

Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BD Time: 10.30am - 5.30pm. Tickets £480. https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/

Saturday 12 September;  Forest Bathing in Betts Park. Meet at Park Entrance in Anerley Road, London SE20 8TQ. Time: 11am. Free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/parkbathe-34393467709

Saturday 12 September; Are You Psychic? Develop Your Intuition with TJ Higgs. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 12 September; Healing Group: Be Bold, with Lucy Aumonier. Online event via The College of Psychic Studies. Time: 11am. Tickets: £35. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 12 September: Charm Making and Folklore with Titania Fae. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 1LY. Time: 3pm  Cost £45 https://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Sunday 13 September; Talk on The Black Madonna at North West Kent Pagans Moot. Organised by NWK Pagans for members of the group. Venue: Chislehurst Caves, NW Kent. Time: 11.30am. https://www.facebook.com/groups/445487428816887

Saturday 12 September; Crystals for Highly Sensitive People with Nicholas Pearson. Online class via The College of Psychic Studies. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £95. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 12 September; Astrology’s Zodiac Archetypes with Carmen Turner-Schott. Online class via The College of Psychic Studies. Time: 6pm. Tickets: £90. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 13 September; Are You a Medium? Connect with Spirit with TJ Higgs. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 13 Sept (then 18 Oct, 15 Nov);  Base Chakra. Wicca Women’s Circles Focus on a Chakra. Venue: Crystal Wicca,  West Wickham, BR4. Time: tbc. Tickets: £33 or £55 for two classes. https://www.facebook.com/TheCrystalWicca

Sunday 13 September (usually second Sunday of the month); Luna Iter (Ritual in the Tower). 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: £10. https://www.hildegardmaier.co.uk/luna-iter or https://www.facebook.com/groups/1230392930656154 

Sunday 13 September;  Sound Bath Meditation. Venue: Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, 3 Pilgrim's Place, London NW3 1NG. Time: 7pm. Free, but donations welcome. https://www.rosslynhillchapel.org.uk

Sunday 13 September;  Are you a lizard person? with Joseph P Laycock. Talk online via The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society.  Time: 8pm. Tickets ·from  £6.59. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

For activities after these dates please visit my events page. 

Please note that I am not responsible for the content of these events except my own talks and workshops. Contact organisers directly if you have questions or to check ticket availability. Where a practitioner is offering information about magical healing, this is *not* medical advice. If you're running an event you want included, please email me at badwitch1234@gmail.com Also please note I earn commission for some links.

Authors On Their Writing: Primis Nati on Satanism

Continuing my interview series Authors On Their Own Writing, I chatted to Primis Nati about her new book, which is on her experience of Satanism as a spiritual path.

Q: Out of all that you've written, which is your favourite published work?

A: I'm most proud of my latest book, The Satanic Self. The subtitle is A Guide to Metaphysical Empowerment.

Q: What’s it about?

A: At its heart, The Satanic Self is about self-empowerment, but it also presents Satanism as a genuine spiritual path rather than simply an atheistic social movement or, on the other extreme, a belief in Satan as a literal external deity.

I describe it as something of a third way. The spiritual dimension is real, but divinity is not something outside of us to which we submit. The divine is encountered through the Self. Ultimately, the distinction between the inner Self and the divine begins to disappear.

The book also explores Satanism as a continuation of older pagan and esoteric traditions. Christianity absorbed and demonized many aspects of the pagan world, and over time those older gods, symbols, instincts, and ideas became folded into the Christian image of Satan. So part of the book is about recovering what lies beneath that image.

Q: Why is it your favourite?

A: Because it is probably the clearest expression of my own spiritual path.

It brings together ideas I had been exploring for most of my life and turns them into something I believe can offer genuine empowerment to other people. It's an esoteric path, and I don't expect everyone to understand it or agree with it. In some ways, it is deliberately written for the relatively small number of people who recognize something of themselves in it.

For those people, though, I think it can be transformative. It says that the object of the spiritual journey is not submission, self-erasure, or escape from the Self, but the discovery, cultivation, and ultimately the assertion of the Self.

Q: Tell me a bit more about yourself and anything else you’ve written.

A: I've been on some form of spiritual journey for most of my life. I began as a Christian, later practiced Buddhism, explored paganism and esotericism, and over time began developing the ideas that eventually became The Satanic Self.

I've also written a book dealing much more directly with society and political philosophy. Some of those ideas appear briefly in The Satanic Self, particularly where individual sovereignty and social structures intersect, but the other work develops them much further.

One of the things my spiritual journey taught me is that realization and worldly existence do not have to be enemies. There is an old Zen saying: "After enlightenment, wash the dishes." I think that's true. But it would be equally true to say, "After enlightenment, conquer the world."

Those are both choices.

Spiritual realization does not require retreat from life. It can just as easily become the foundation from which someone acts, creates, achieves, builds, loves, and succeeds.

Q: What are you working on now?

A: I'm currently working on a continuation of The Satanic Self that is much more personal.

It traces the spiritual journey that eventually produced the philosophy in the first book, beginning particularly with my youth and my years within Christianity. I want to explore why I left, what I discovered through Buddhism and paganism, and how each of those stages contributed to the development of The Satanic Self.

It's partly memoir, partly spiritual criticism, and partly a roadmap for people who may find themselves asking some of the same questions I did.

Primis Nati's website is thesatanicself.com

You can view The Satanic Self on Amazon.  

(Please note: I earn commission from some links)

Previous related posts

https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/07/authors-on-their-own-writing-green.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/07/authors-on-their-own-writing-lisa.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/07/authors-on-their-writing-feminist-witch.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/07/authors-on-their-own-writing-katie-ness.html

My Witchy Events: Poppets, Scrying & Candles

Here are details of the witchy events I'm involved with from now until the end of October. Tomorrow, Tuesday September 1st, I'll be at Romford Pagan Moot to talk about poppets and magical dolls, then in October I'm teaching an online divination course and an in-person candle magic workshop. 

September

Poppets and Magical Dolls at Romford Moot
On Tuesday 1 September  I will be talking about Poppets and Magical Dolls at Romford Moot. This monthly Pagan gathering meets at The Golden Lion, 2 High Street, Romford. it starts at  7.30pm. Entry is just £4, pay at the event. You can find out more about the moot here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064489640955

October

Scrying Online via the College of Psychic Studies 
On Wednesday 7 and 14 October; I'm running a two-part online evening class on Scrying: Divination Using Crystals, Mirrors, Water and Fire via the College of Psychic Studies. Each class starts at 7pm. Tickets are £90, with discount for members. Find out more here: https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/workshops/psychic-training/scrying-with-crystals-mirrors-more/?

Candle Magic in London
On Sunday 18 October I'm teaching a candle magic workshop based on my book Pagan Portals - Candle Magic. The venue is Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. It starts at 1pm and tickets are £25 per person. To find out more and reserve a place visit: https://www.treadwells-london.com/.

About me

I'm Lucya Starza and as well as writing A Bad Witch's Blog I'm the author of books in the Pagan Portals series on Candle Magic, Guided Visualisations, Poppets and Magical Dolls, Scrying, and Rounding the Wheel of the Year. My Gothic novel Erosion is also published by Moon Books.

You can buy my books at Treadwell's Bookshop, via Amazon, at the College of Psychic Studies in London and at other bookshops as well as at my author page at publisher Moon Books. Please note I earn commission from advertisers for some links.

Art: Richard Dadd: Beyond Bedlam at the RA

I went to see Richard Dadd exhibition that's currently on at the Royal Academy of Arts. The Victorian artist is best known for his fairy scenes drawn from Shakespearean subjects, but he also depicted pagan subjects and believed ancient mythology was still relevant.

Recognised early for his skill at rendering detail, Dadd was invited in 1842 on an ambitious tour across the Eastern Mediterranean that would shape the course of his life and work. The experience had a profound influence on his artistic imagination, but the itinerary was rushed and Dadd began experiencing delusions. On his return to England, he killed his father, believing his true father to be the Egyptian God Osiris, and fled to France where he was apprehended. He spent the remaining four decades of his life in hospitals – first at Clermont north of Paris, then at Bethlem in Lambeth and finally at Broadmoor in Berkshire. During this time, he continued to work from memory, imagination and earlier sketches.

What I found particularly interesting was that Dadd could be said to have held pagan beliefs beyond his delusions about his father. For example, one of the pictures in the exhibition, Esculapius Discovered by Shepherds on the Mountain (pictured), was done as a nativity scene, but instead of showing the birth of Jesus, shows that of the Greek God of medicine Aesculapius, which was also attended by shepherds according to legends. Information next to the painting reads:

"Dadd was convinced that nothing of importance had changed since the times of the great ancient  civilisations, the remains of which he had encountered on his travels. He saw all human history as cycling back to these founding cultures."

In his early life, after studying at the Royal Academy, Dadd made his name by exhibiting his fairy paintings, which reveal his mastery of elaborate detail and evocation of the uncanny. He continued to work while at Bethlem and Broadmoor Hospitals. At Bethlem, he returned to the Shakespearean fairy subjects of his youth, and produced some of his most celebrated works, including Contradiction. Oberon and Titania, 1854-58, and The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke, 1855-64. 

Richard Dadd: Beyond Bedlam is on until 25 October at the Royal Academy, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BD Tickets are £15. https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/

Photos: Richard Dadd, Contradiction. Oberon and Titania, 1854-58. Oil on canvas, 61 x 75.5 cm. Private Collection. Photo © David Parmiter; Richard Dadd, Esculapius Discovered by Shepherds on the Mountain (1851); Richard Dadd, The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke, 1855-64. Oil on canvas, 54 x 39.4 cm. Tate: Presented by Siegfried Sassoon in memory of his friend and fellow officer Julian Dadd, a great-nephew of the artist, and of his two brothers who gave their lives in the First World War 1963. Photo: Tate