Poppet Craft: A Doll to Do Three Things at the Same Time

I confess, this isn't some wonderful magic that allows you to be in three places at once. I wish I had that power. However, I made this doll to combine a celebration of three very different events happening this week: World Book Day, International Women's Day and Mothering Sunday. 

Celebrating Being an Author

Today is World Book Day, which is all about the love of books. I made the doll in the picture to represent myself as the proud author of quite a few titles. I photographed my poppet surrounded by some of them published by Moon Books. In the Pagan Portals series I've written Candle Magic, Scrying, Guided Visualisations, Rounding the Wheel of the Year, and Poppets and Magical Dolls. 

My first novel, Erosion, is due to come out in April and I'm incredibly proud of the achievement. It's a Gothic tale set in 1987 - the year of the Great Storm - on the English coast. I'll be doing a book signing at Treadwell's in London on Saturday 6 April and it would be lovely to see anyone who wants to pop in and say hello. You can find the details here: https://www.treadwells-london.com/events-1/book-signing-erosion-of-friendship-dreams-and-the-edge-of-a-cliff-lucya-starza.

Celebrating International Women's Day

International Women's Day, on March 8, is a global celebration of women's achievements, and also an activism movement for greater equality and inclusivity. 

The pattern I used to sew my poppet was created especially for International Women's Day by Sew Jessalli. The doll honours diversity because she can be made in a variety of skin tones, there's an option to add glasses (like I did) and a headscarf as well as other clothing options. The pattern is available to download completely free from the Hobbycraft website here: https://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/ideas/how-to-sew-a-doll.html?

Although Hobbycraft includes a long list of materials it suggests you buy, I made my doll entirely from scraps of fabric, wool, thread, and filling that I already had. I also hand-sewed her rather than use a machine. The poppet's trousers are upcycled from one of my old pairs of holey leggings, to link her more closely to me. I made the top from a scrap of fabric in my mother's old sewing box, which leads me on to how my doll also helps me remember my mum.

Celebrating Mothering Sunday

In England, Mothering Sunday takes place at a different time of year from American Mother's Day. It's a custom dating back to the Middle Ages, and is always on the fourth Sunday of Lent. Back then it was a Christian festival when people were supposed to go to their "Mother Church" as well as visit their real mums and maybe give them some flowers. Nowadays most of us just do the latter unless, like me, our mums have passed on.

I always do something on this day to remember the happy times I shared with my mother. She taught me to sew and knit, and inspired my love of crafting. She also made dolls, which she sold to raise money for the charity Age UK. This year I honoured her memory when I made this doll myself, partly using materials from her old sewing box. 

Poppets

My book Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls has lots of other suggestions for ways to use dolls for spells, seasonal celebrations and inspiration. Here's the description from the back cover: 

Poppets are dolls used for sympathetic magic, and are designed in the likeness of individuals in order to represent them in spells to help, heal or harm. Pagan Portals – Poppets and Magical Dolls explores the history of poppets and offers a practical guide to making and using them in modern witchcraft. It also covers seasonal dolls, from Brigid dolls, used in celebrations for the first stirrings of spring, to fairy dolls enjoyed in tree-dressing at Yuletide.

On Saturday 16 March I'll be teaching a workshop on poppet magic at Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. The class starts at 1pm and tickets are £22 per person. You can find out more or book a place here: https://www.treadwells-london.com/events-1/poppet-magic-workshop

You can view Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls on Moon Books' website, buy copies via Treadwell's and other pagan bookshops, or view it on Amazon. It's available in paperback or ebook.

Note: I earn commission from some links. This helps subsidise my blog at no extra cost to readers.

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/07/poppets-paper-doll-magic-to-release.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/11/poppets-magical-dolls-prickly-subject.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2020/02/folkloric-dolls-bulgarian-martenitsa.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/03/mothering-sunday-christian-or-pagan.html

Magical Online & London Events in the Next Weeks

There are a lot of special days old and new this week: World Book Day on March 7, International Women's Day on 8 March, and Mother's Day on 10 March. What's more there's always lots of weird and wonderful things to celebrate and enjoy. Here's my regular list of online and London-based in-person events for pagans, witches and those with similar interests - plus a few festivals further afield in the next week or so. 

Now - 2 June; Rediscovering Gems - Exhibition of gems depicting deities, mythology and more. Venue: British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Free entry. https://www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/rediscovering-gems

Now - 4 April;  Exhibition - Swedenborg’s Lusthus.  Venue: Swedenborg House, 20-21 Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2TH. Tickets free but reserve a place https://www.swedenborg.org.uk/

Now - 17 March, Elemental Art Exhibition by Chelsea Gallery. Venue: King's Road, London SW3 5EZ. Free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/elemental-art-exhibition-tickets-837314619567?

Every Wednesday and Friday: Pop-In 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, 6 March (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 March;  Riddles of Humanity - Conversation Group. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Rd, London · NW1 6XT. Time: 2pm. Tickets £3 https://www.meetup.com/rudolf-steiner-spiritual-science/events/

Wednesday, 6 March (and other days this week); Admission to the The Viktor Wynd Museum of UnNatural History. Venue: 11 Mare Street, London, E8 4RP. Various times from 3pm. Tickets from £6.72 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/admission-mar24-viktor-wynd-museum-of-curiosities-unnatural-history-tickets-741978466567?

Wednesday, 6 March; Ritual Nudity in History and Religion. Hybrid talk by Professor Ronald Hutton, author of Queens of the Wild, via Gresham College. In-person venue Gresham College, Barnard's Inn Hall, Holborn, London EC1N 2HH. Time: 6pm. Free to register for online viewing. https://www.gresham.ac.uk/

Wednesday, 6 March (and other dates); Witches and Witchcraft History - Pay What You Can Walking Tour by Wonders of London. Meet outside the exit of Tower Hill Station by Trinity Square Gardens, Tower Hill Station, London EC3N 1JL. Time: 6pm  Tickets by donation https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/witches-witchcraft-history-pay-what-you-can-walking-tour-london-tickets-687827950917?

Wednesday, 6 March (and other dates); Tibetan Sound Bowl Meditation - online meditation class with Spiritual Tiik. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets from £12.74. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/spiritual-tiik-29294295627 

Wednesday, 6 March; Mundane to Magic: The Keys to Living Life on Fire. Venue: The Columbia, 95-99 Lancaster Gate · London. Time: 7pm Price: free. https://www.meetup.com/london-guided-meditation-spiritual-events/events/298905997/

Wednesday, 6 March (first  Wednesday of the month); Drumming and Meditation online with Taz Thornton. https://www.facebook.com/TazThorntonOfficial

Wednesday, 6 March;  Old Witch Ways for Today: Finding Treasure. Class with Hannah Sanders via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm start, delayed viewing available. Tickets: £10. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Wednesday, 6 March; Learn to Read Tarot (Major Cards). Start of four-week online course with Delphine Leblanc via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm start, delayed viewing available. Tickets: £120. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Wednesday, 6 March (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, 6 March; Tibetan Sound Bowl Meditation - online meditation class with Spiritual Tiik. Time: 8.30pm. Tickets from £12.74. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/spiritual-tiik-29294295627 

Thursday 7 March; 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 March; Source Magic: The Origin of Art, Science, and Culture. Webinar with Carl Abrahamsson via Watkins Bookshop. Time: 5.30pm. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

Thursday 7 March; Alchemical Mandalas: Exploring Their Cosmological and Spiritual Symbolism. Online workshop with Marco Visconti via The College of Psychic Studies. Time: 6pm. Tickets: £80. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 7 March; International Women's Day Sacred Rage Ceremony. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets: £45. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Thursday 7 March; The Druid Order of Stonehenge public meetings (talk and meditation). Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, The Conference room, 35 Park Road, London NW1 6XT. (future date 4 April) Time: 6.45pm-9pm. Cost £5 toward cost of room hire. Just turn up.

Thursday 7 March (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 7 March;  Alice in Wonderland. Storytelling by Lena Heide-Brennand on Zoom through The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society. Time: 9pm. Tickets · from £6.72. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Friday 8 March; Stories of Women and the Past: International Women’s Day 2024. Hyrbid event. Time: 10am - 5pm. https://www.sal.org.uk/event/stories-of-women/

Friday 8 March; Ignite your Innner Fire Ceremonial Yoga. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 12.15pm. Tickets: £25. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Friday 8 March; Magic in Bloomsbury walking tour. Meet at Euston Square Station, Euston Square London NW1. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £21. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/magic-in-bloomsbury-tickets-707054839057?

Friday 8 March (and other dates); 2-4-1 London Witches and History Walking Tour. Meet at Southwark View Point, Minerva Square, London SE1 9DF. Time: 6pm. Tickets: £14. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/2-4-1-london-witches-history-walking-tour-tickets-852453670877?

Friday 8 March; Mind, Body Restore Online Yoga. Time: 6.15pm. Free online event. https://www.meetup.com/freestuffandfreeevents/

Friday 8 March; Journey Into the Wild Power Animal Retrieval. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets: £29. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Friday 8 March, First Pagan meet up for In the Meantime. Venue: The Old Mill pub, London, SE18 1QG. Time: 7pm. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555658315696

Friday 8 March;  Online Meditation Session. Time: 7.30pm. Free online event, but donations welcome. https://www.meetup.com/freestuffandfreeevents

Friday 8 March, Book Launch - Paths on the Tree of Wisdom by Kabbalist Mike Bais. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49A Museum St, London WC1A 1LY. Time: 7pm. Tickets: free but reserve a place. https://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Saturday 9 - Sunday 10 March and following weekend; Forest Garden and Permaculture Design Course organised by Aho Studio. In-person event. Venue: Berkeley Farm, a few miles outside London. Time: 9am. Tickets: £120/£220. www.aho.community 

Saturday 9 March; Learn How to Read Your Own Astrological Birth Chart. Online workshop with Jackie Henry via The College of Psychic Studies. Time: 10am. Tickets: £105. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 9 March (and other dates); Canterbury Mystical Market organised by Magical Festivals. Venue: Westgate Hall, Canterbury, Kent. Starts 10.30am. Entry £2.50.  https://www.themysticalmarket.co.uk/?

Saturday 9 March; Pagan Phoenix SW Spring Conference ‘Magical Beasts and Animal Spirits – Working with the More Than Human’. Online event. Starts 10.30am. Tickets: £20. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events-1/pagan-phoenix-sw-spring-conference-2

Saturday, 9 March; Herbal Healing at The Hithe. Venue: 71-75 Albion Street, London SE16 7JA.  Starts 11am. Tickets: Free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/herbal-healing-at-the-hithe-tickets-815630150737?

Saturday 9 March; Spagyrics: Alchemy for Herbs. One-day workshop with Paul Wood. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49A Museum St, London WC1A 1LY. Time: 11am. Tickets: tbc. https://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Saturday 9 March; Channelling Dimensions: Integrating Psychic Mediumship and Remote Viewing Skills. In-person class 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 9 March; Manifesting Your Creativity. In-person class with Paola Bay. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 11am. Tickets: tbc. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 9 March; Clairsentience: The Psychic Feeling. Online workshop with Hernan Cotroneo via The College of Psychic Studies. Time: 11am. Tickets: £105. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 9 March; Transform with the Goddess Meditation Journey. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 3pm. Tickets: £111. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Saturday 9 March; MoonCon 2024 - Celtic Pantheons. Free online conference with talks by Moon Books authors including Morgan Daimler and Mhara Starling. Time: 6pm. https://www.facebook.com/events/1116925919314246/

Saturday 9 March; A ceremonial opening to the year of the Wood Dragon. Venue: AKASA, Dalston London N16. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets: £44-50. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/enter-the-dragon-a-ceremonial-opening-to-the-year-of-the-wood-dragon-tickets-849514289107?

Saturday 9 March; Breathwork - Transforming Ancestral Lines Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £57. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Saturday 9 March; Mystical Evening Of Tea and Celtic Goddess Storytelling. Venue: Globe House Yoga, London Bridge The Tanneries London SE1 3XL. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £35. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-mystical-evening-of-tea-celtic-goddess-storytelling-tickets-822646737537?

Saturday 9 March; London Witches Walking Tour with Maria Beadell's organised by Treadwell's Bookshop. Meet outside Farringdon tube Station, London EC1M 6BY. Time: 8pm. Tickets: £18.50. https://www.treadwells-london.com/

Sunday 10 March; Practical Tarot: How to Perform a First-Class Reading. In-person class with Avril Price. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 10am. Tickets: £115. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 10 March; Grounding, Protection and the Violet Flame. In-person class with Joan Osborne. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 11am. Tickets: £115. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 10 March (and other times and dates); Soul Restore Sound Healing. Venue: The Mandrake, 20-21 Newman Street, London W1T 1PG. Time: 11am. Tickets: £35. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-mandrake-17825575648

Sunday 10 March; Talk on the Magic of Mushrooms. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: noon. Tickets: £15. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Sunday, 10 March; Hekate Symposium: Visions of the Goddess now and in the future. Online conference. Starts 1pm. Tickets from £31.05. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hekate-symposium-visions-of-the-goddess-now-and-in-the-future-tickets-793243471577?

Sunday 10 March; A Journey to Know Yourself Through the 7 Hermetic Principles. Online workshop with Pixie P Carney via The College of Psychic Studies. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £80. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 10 March (usually second Sunday of the month); Ritual in the Tower (Luna Iter). 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 March; Women's Circle in Brockley. Venue: 179 Brockley Road, London SE4 2RS. Time: 6pm. Tickets: £35/£40. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/theresa-royle-18442369190

Sunday 10 March; 30 minutes Mindfullness. Venue: Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, 3 Pilgrim's Place, London NW3 1NG. Time: 6pm. Free, but donations welcome. https://www.rosslynhillchapel.org.uk

Sunday 10 March; 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 10 March; New Moon Sound Bath and Meditation with Spiritual Tiik London. Free online event. Time: 7.30am. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/spiritual-tiik-29294295627

Sunday 10 March; Monthly New Moon Circle. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £42.96. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Sunday 10 March; Moon Space Online New Moon Coven with She's Lost Control. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £15.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Sunday 10 March; Stolen Penises - historic witch beliefs. Talk by Prof. Marguerite Johnson on Zoom through The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society. Time: 8pm. Tickets · from £6.72. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Monday 11 March; Magical Universe of William S. Burroughs. Talk with Matthew Levi Stevens. Venue: The Viktor Wynd Museum of UnNatural History, 11 Mare Street, London, E8 4RP. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets £20. https://www.thelasttuesdaysociety.org/museum/events-exhibitions/

Monday 11 March (second Monday of the month); Power of Water class. Training group workshop for solitary witches hosted by the Wytchery. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store St, London WC1E 7BS, UK. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £10. https://www.meetup.com/the-wytchery/

Monday 11 March; The ‘T’-Square, with Martin S. Moritz (7pm); The Olympian Family, with Jessica Adams (8pm). Two online talks on astrology via the Astrological Lodge of London. Tickets £12 per talk for non members. https://astrolodge.co.uk/

Monday 11 March (second Monday of the month); South East London Pagans Moot. Venue: The Ivy House, 40 Stuart Rd, London SE15 3BE. Time: 7.30pm. Free. https://www.facebook.com/groups/7046502195365834

Monday 11 March (every Monday); Crimson Circles. Livestream by Halo Quin, author of Crimson Craft. Time: 8pm. Tickets: various options including Patreon membership. https://www.facebook.com/groups/crimsoncoven/

Monday 11 March (every Monday); Tea With a Druid. Free online event by the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. Time 8pm. https://druidry.org/

Tuesday 12 March; '...A Big Grey Wolf Came out of the Forest'. Online talk by Dr Juliette Wood (Cardiff University) via the Folklore Society Online. Time: 6pm. Tickets: £6. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-folklore-society-32190494089

Tuesday 12 March; Fortnightly Men's Circle. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £10. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Tuesday 12 March; Folk Horror Fashion: Sacrificial Maidens and Ritual Robes. Talk by Catherine Spooner on Zoom through The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets · from £6.72. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Wednesday 13 March (usually 2nd Wed each month); Enfield Town Circle Moot. Venue: Crown and Horsehoes, Enfield  Time: 6pm. https://www.facebook.com/groups/EnfieldTownCircle/

Wednesday 13 March; Space for Storytelling. Venue: The Bridge St John, Waterloo. Time: 6.30pm.  Free (crowdfunded) workshops guest-hosted by Niall Moorjani with London Dreamtime. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/space-for-storytelling-crowdfunded-workshops-free-to-access-tickets-678030446317 or https://www.londondreamtime.com/calendar/

Wednesday 13 March;  Icelandic Folk Magic - Launch Event. Albert Bjorn Shiell talks Icelandic folk sorcery on the sofa, hosted by our Christina Oakley Harrington, followed by party. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Cost: £10/£20 per person.  https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

Wednesday 13 March; Monthly Astrology Circle. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £37. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Wednesday 13 March;  The Yellow Nineties Book Launch by Catherine Fisher. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49A Museum St, London WC1A 1LY. Time: 7pm. Tickets: tbc. https://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Wednesday 13 March;  The Psychology of Coincidences. Talk by Professor Chris French at Greenwich Skeptics in the Pub. Venue: The Star of Greenwich, 60 Old Woolwich Road, Greenwich. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets: donations of £3 welcome.  https://sitp.online/sitp/greenwich

Wednesday 13 March; The Beastly Prophet: Aleister Crowley and Thelemic Magick. Talk by Julian Vayne on Zoom through The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society. Time: 8pm. Tickets · from £6.72. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Thursday 14 March; Energy Healing and Breathwork. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 8am. Tickets: £18. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Thursday 14 March; The First Alchemists. Webinar with Tobias Churton via Watkins Bookshop. Time: 5.30pm. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

Thursday, 14 March; An evening of  candle magic with Rachel Patterson, author of Practical Candle Magic. Venue: Waterstones, 77 High Street Staines-upon-Thames TW18 4PQ. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets from £3. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/an-evening-with-rachel-patterson-at-waterstones-staines-tickets-801084373927?

Thursday, 14 March; Yoga and Sound Bath. Venue: Beckenham Place Mansion, Place Park, The Mansion Beckenham Beckenham BR3 1SY. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £12. https://www.beckenhamplace.org/whatson/

Thursday, 14 March - 13 April; Lyric Hammersmith Theatre presents the play Faith Healer by Brian Friel. Directed by Rachel O'Riordan. Venue: yric Hammersmith Theatre, Lyric Square, King St, London W6 0QL. Time: Mon – Sat, 7.30pm. Tickets: £15, £25, £34, £44. https://lyric.co.uk/shows/faith-healer/?

Thursday, 14 March; Celebration and launch of Kester's God-like: A 500-year history of Artificial Intelligence in myths, machines, monsters. Venue: The Bookseller Crow on the Hill,  50 Westow Street, London, SE19 3AF. Time: 7.30pm. Free event, just turn up. https://booksellercrow.co.uk/

Thursday, 14 March; Sheela-Na-Gigs: Power, Politics and Sexuality. Talk by Jenny Butler on Zoom through The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society. Time: 8pm. Tickets · from £6.72. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Thursday, 14 March; Ancient Places of London. Talk 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.  Turn up on the night or email cunningfolkmusic@gmail.com to book a space.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/2438110887/events

Friday 15 March; Goddesses of the British Museum. Walking tour in the British Museum  with Bernadette Vallely of The London Goddess Temple. Time: 11am - 4.30pm. Tickets: £44. https://www.facebook.com/events/331086846515731/

Friday 15 March;  IRIE! dance theatre: Palaces and Prophecy. Site-specific work inspired by the research of Invisible Palaces. Venue: Upper Terrace, Crystal Palace Park, Anerley Hill gate adjacent to Crystal Palace Museum, SE19 2BA. Time: 5pm. Free, just turn up. 

Friday 15 March; A Brief History of Love. Talk by Liat Yakir. Venue: Watkins Bookshop, London, 19-21 Cecil Ct, London WC2N 4EZ, UK. Time: 5.30pm. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

Friday 15 March (1st and 3rd Friday each month); The Pagan Portal Podcast by Moon Books. Time: noon (or listen to recording later). Free event. https://open.spotify.com/show/11N4kNj65tTz9NFUcZTMa7?

Friday 15 March; Strumpets and Harlots Walking Tour with Maria Beadell's organised by Treadwell's Bookshop. Meet at Covent Garden Tube Station, Long Acre, London WC2E 9JT. Time: 8pm. Tickets: £18.50. https://www.treadwells-london.com/

Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 March; Experience Braco's Gaze: Small Intimate Sessions. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Various times. Tickets: from £30. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 16 March; Quest Annual Conference. Organised by Marian Green, editor of Quest magazine. Venue: Southville Centre, Beauley Road, Bristol BS3 1QC. Tickets: £35. 

http://www.magicalquest.co.uk/conference.html

Saturday 16 March; Sacred Sweat Lodge for Spring Equinox. Venue: Shamanic Centre Caer Corhrain Kent. Run by Lynn Gosney. Time: 11.30am. Tickets tbc, email lynn.gosney@hotmail.com for info and to book. https://www.facebook.com/shamaniccentrecaercorhrain/

Saturday 16 March; Poppet workshop based on my book Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 1pm. Cost: £22 per person.  https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

Saturday 16 March; Walking in the footsteps of your year, at this Ostara Solar Festival. Sacred walk. Starts at: London Stone (TBC prior to the walk), 111 Cannon Street London EC4N 5AR. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £25. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/jeremy-rye-31055883021

Saturday 16 March; Sun Magic. Online workshop with Rachel Patterson via The College of Psychic Studies. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £75. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 16 March; Watchers of the Old Ways Spring Equinox Ceremony. Venue: Rollright Stones, Off A3400, Chipping Norton, OX7 5QB. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £1 entry to stones, £2 donation welcome for ritual. https://www.facebook.com/events/658017606339829/

Saturday 16 March; Spring Equinox Seed Swap. Venue: Hackney Herbal Garden, Trowbridge Rd, London E9 5LD. Time: 2.30pm. Tickets: free https://www.hackneyherbal.com/events

Saturday 16 March; Love Your Body - Harness Positivity. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 3pm. Tickets: £33. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Saturday 16 March; Kitchen Witch free online GROWTH ritual. Time: 7pm. https://www.facebook.com/events/327881919654087?

Sunday 17 March; 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 17 March (date tbc); North West Kent Pagans Moot. Organised by NWK Pagans for members of the group. Venue: Chislehurst Caves. Time: 11.30am. https://www.facebook.com/groups/445487428816887

Sunday 17 March; Energy Cleanse and Inner Guidance. Venue: Fire and Alchemy Spiritual Sanctuary, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP. Time: 12.30pm. Tickets: £35. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fire-alchemy-58665271283

Sunday 17 March; Dawn of the Oak. Pagan moot. Venue: The Sir John Oldcastle, Farringdon Road/Greville Street, London EC1M 3JF. Time: 3pm. https://www.meetup.com/the-kith-of-the-tree-and-the-well/events/

Sunday 17 and 24 March; Roleplaying the Occult Imagination.  2-Session Workshop with Peter Bebergal and Gareth Branwyn. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Cost: £40 per person.  https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

Sunday 17 March; Rosarium Philosophorum and the Ripley Scrolls. Talk by Prof Evans Lansing Smith on Zoom through The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society. Time: 8pm. Tickets · from £6.72. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Saturday, 23 March; Amulets and Talismans: An Exploration of Magical Objects. In-person workshop by me, Lucya Starza. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 1pm - 5pm. Tickets: £80/£60. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

For activities after these dates 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 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  I earn commission from advertisers for some links, this helps support my blog at no extra cost to readers.

Rounding the Year: Camelia & Forsythia Blossom

The sight of forsythia blossom in my front garden fills me with joy every spring. It reminds me of my mum, who planted it there many years ago. It also shows me that things don't always turn out as badly as I fear they might. Back in 2016 I was told the forsythia would have to be removed so a crack in my garden wall could be fixed. I blogged about how sad I was about that, and you can read that post here. 

In the end, the wall got mended and the forsythia was spared. The bricks are starting to crack again, but I think I can live with a crack in the garden wall if the alternative is losing my lovely hedge that blossoms so cheerfully.

Camelias are also starting to bloom in my garden - early this year. They bring back memories of my mum too, as we planted that bush together. I always remember my mum when I see the forsythia and camelias in bloom, more than I do on Mothering Sunday, which is generally a few weeks later. 

English Mother's Day is on Sunday, 10 March in the UK this year, and has a different origin from American Mother's Day. We call it Mothering Sunday, and it takes place three weeks before Easter Sunday as part of traditional Lent customs.

You can see photos of my forsythia and camelia on this post. 

Join me for an online talk on spring folklore tonight

I'm giving an online talk called The Magic and Folklore of Springtime this evening, Tuesday 27 February, via the College of Psychic Studies. It starts at 7pm, with a recording available later. Tickets are £16/£14.  You can find out more details and book tickets here: https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/talks/myth-magic/the-magic-and-folklore-of-springtime/

Share your seasonal photos!

I recently started prompts to share seasonal pictures, art, crafts, words and other creativity. I'll continue this over the months ahead. I'd love to encourage readers to record what's happening in nature in various ways including photographs, journalling, drawing or painting and crafting.

Here are ways to share the things you're doing or what you see out and about as the wheel turns:

• Leave a comment on this post about what you're up to
• Find my prompts to share on my Facebook Page: Lucya Starza Pagan Portals Author
• Share on Instagram or X (formerly Twitter) with the tag #RoundingtheYear

My book offers more ways to acknowledge the Wheel of the Year and celebrate the seasons in ritual, magic, folklore and nature. You can find it at estoeric bookshops and via my publisher Moon Books: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/our-books/pagan-portals-rounding-wheel-year

Mothering Sunday: Christian or Pagan? Does it Matter?

Mothering Sunday, often shortened to Mother's Day - is a traditional day in English customs to bring our mum a bunch of flowers and maybe treat her to a nice dinner.

The day always falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent, three weeks before Easter Sunday. The middle Sunday of Lent has long been associated with mothers in the Christian calender; as on that day - Laetare Sunday - it was traditional for people to return home to their mother church.

Mothering Sunday was formalised in the UK in the early 20th century when a vicar’s daughter named Constance Smith read a newspaper report of a campaign in America to celebrate such a day across the Atlantic.

So far, so Christian.

However, there are some suggestions the festival had pagan antecedents. The 1959 edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica gave this description of Mother's Day: "A festival derived from the custom of mother worship in ancient Greece. Formal mother worship, with ceremonies to Cybele, or Rhea, the Great Mother of the Gods, were performed on the Ides of March throughout Asia Minor."

That's definitely pagan.

Of course, just because festivals to honour mothers happened in Ancient Greece and Rome, doesn't mean there is any direct link to the Christian festival. The fact that the happen at about the same time of year could just be coincidence.

American Mother's Day, in May, is considered a secular holiday.

But does it matter whether the festival is purely Christian or has pagan roots, or if other countries have secular days at different times of the year to honour mothers? Personally, when my mother was alive, I would always bring her a gift for Mother's Day and usually take her out for Sunday lunch. I did it because I wanted to make my mum happy.

The other issue is whether Mothering Sunday is too commercialised these days. It is estimated that close to £1.5 billion was spent on Mother’s Day in 2017. That figure includes money spent in shops and also dining and entertaining. It is clearly big business.

However, research suggests that mothers aren’t bothered about receiving a lavish gift on the day. Rather, they’d happily spend time with their children instead.

What are your thoughts on the matter?

The photo at the top shows the Four Mothers - a Roman carving at the Museum of London.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.fossilizedcustoms.com/mothersday.html
https://www.fungglobalretailtech.com/research/uk-mothers-day-2017-retail-preview/

Remembering Mum on Mothers Day

Today, March 16, is Mothering Sunday - or Mothers Day in the UK. It is a difficult time for those whose mothers have passed on.

My own mum died a few years ago, shortly before Mothering Sunday. It felt as though every shop window and every advert I saw reminded me of my grief. But, as time went on and Mothers Days rolled around with the wheel of the year, I began to see the occasion as one on which to remember my mother and the happy memories I have of her, rather than an event to try to shut out entirely.

I usually go into the garden and pick daffodils to put next to a photograph I have of her on my desk. I also light a candle for her and chat to her as if she can still hear me, telling her about things that have happened and that I love her.

Many pagans believe in the importance of honouring our ancestors. Samhain is often seen as the most important festival on which to remember those who have gone before. That is something I do too - scrying for messages from friendly spirits from the Otherworld; ancestors of blood and place and tradition. But Mothers Day is reserved for talking with my mother.

Of course I can never be certain whether she hears me. Even if there is life after death we can't tell if those who have passed through the veil are listening to us. However, it is well documented that those who have lost loved ones can gain comfort from trying to communicate with them, even if all we are talking to is our own memories and our image of them in the place they still hold in our hearts.

Recipe: Egg, Mushroom and Thyme Turnover

Ever since my mum died, I've tried to avoid things relating to Mother's Day because they remind me of my loss, but something that happened earlier this week made me think that perhaps her spirit is still watching over me.

As I reached up to get a cookery book from the shelf, instead of just getting the one book I wanted a whole avalanche of recipes showered down on my head - cuttings from magazines, little cards picked up at the supermarket and many scraps of paper on which recipes had been jotted down. 

As I tidied them up to put them back, one of my mum's favourite vegetarian recipes fluttered out, scribbled in her handwriting on a piece of paper that had gone brown with age. It was a dish she cooked for me quite often if I came round for Sunday lunch. The recipe easily serves three people, I seem to recall. I thought I would share it here:

Egg, Mushroom and Thyme Turnover

You need:

Puff pastry

3 hard boiled eggs

6 oz mushrooms (sliced)

Thyme

Milk

Cornflour

Black pepper

Salt

Chop the onion and lightly fry until soft but not brown. Add sliced mushrooms and continue to fry until soft. Add milk, cornflour, pepper, salt and thyme. Cook until right [thick] consistency (stirring all the time). Remove from stove and added chopped hard boiled eggs. Put aside until cold.

Roll out the puff pastry into a big square. Put the mixture into the middle. Roll pastry over it and seal the edges with a little water. Make three or four cuts in the top with a blunt knife. Cook on a baking tray at regular 7 [Gas Mark 7]  until very... 

There was something crossed out after "very", but I couldn't quite read it, so I guess it will be a bit of trial and error to see how long it takes to cook. I wouldn't think it would take too long. At least modern ovens have a glass front so you can peer in and see if the pastry has puffed up and turned a nice golden colour.

I might try cooking this on Mother's Day in her memory, but I think it would also be a great vegetarian recipe to eat at Easter. 

And thanks, mum.

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/03/mothers-day.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/03/sharing-stories-of-our-family-and.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/02/review-you-can-heal-your-heart.html

Review: You Can Heal your Heart

Heartbreak can come in many forms - obvious ones such as a break-up, divorce or bereavement, but also things like redundancy or retirement from long-term employment, the loss of a pet and from recognising that any stage of our life is over and that we must put it behind us.

A new book called You Can Heal Your Heart: Finding Peace After a Breakup, Divorce or Death, by Louise Hay and David Kessler, offers some gentle and common-sense advice about ways to recover from heartbreak.

Recognising that grief is real, and that part of getting over any loss is to grieve for it, Louise Hay and David Kessler explain that by telling ourselves positive affirmations we can learn to reach a state of peace. We can recognise the value of the past and learn lessons from it, but still enjoy all that life has to offer us in the future.

Positive affirmations are simple phrases that we can  repeat to ourselves as a kind of mantra. Three very generic ones that I like from the book are:  "I love life, and life loves me," "I have lived and loved," "I am healed."

I've used positive affirmations myself in the past, when times are difficult. My personal favourite positive affirmation - although not one mentioned in You Can Heal your Heart - is a quote from the historic anchoress Julian of Norwich: "All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well." Those simple words remind me that things can get better, and usually do.

The chapter of You Can Heal your Heart that most struck a chord with me was the one on bereavement. My mother died nearly three years ago, on 9 March 2011. Whenever the anniversary of her death approaches I still start to feel sad. I also miss her a lot at the time of her birthday, at Yule, on Mothering Sunday and even at Pancake Day.

You Can Heal your Heart includes several stories about people who had lost their mothers and how they came to terms with it. What I realised from reading the book is that it is OK to recognise my grief and to shed a few tears even years after her death. It simply shows that I still love her. However, this year I will put a moment aside on each of those days to recollect a joyful time when she was alive, and I will say to myself: "I remember my mother with love".

You Can Heal Your Heartis published by Hay House.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.hayhouse.co.uk/
You Can Heal Your Heart: Finding Peace After a Breakup, Divorce or Death
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/02/valentines-day-reading-you-can-heal.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/06/review-honeymoon-effect-heaven-on-earth.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/05/soul-centred-transform-your-life-with.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/04/review-power-of-then-sages-of-past.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/03/my-mother-has-died.html

Sharing the Stories of our Family and Ancestors

One of my biggest regrets is that I didn't talk to my mother and father enough about their pasts. As a pagan, I like to think I honour my ancestors - yet my family photo album has pictures of my parents when they were younger with people I don't know and places I cannot identify.

A new study by a company that produces journals for recording family history information shows most of us spend little or no time talking to older relatives, including our parents, about their lives. This means that years of family stories could be lost to future generations.

Three quarters of those who responded to the survey admitted they spend little or no time talking to older relatives about their lives and the family stories of their parents.

More than half of us do not talk to our parents or grandparents about our family heritage, while close to 30 percent have never talked to their mother about their own lives. Even more have not chatted to their father about what they did when they were young.

Close to 40 percent of us don’t know how our parents met, 48 percent don’t know when they met and 86 percent don't know how their  or where their dad proposed to their mum, if they are married. More than 60 percent of us don’t know what our parents’ hobbies were when they were children, 40 percent don’t know where our grandmother or grandfather were born and almost a third don’t know our grandmother’s full name.

However, according to the survey it seems that most of us think it’s important to know about the stories from our relatives’ lives to capture this information before it is lost forever. We just don’t seem to be following this through. The results of the survey showed that the older one gets, the stronger these feelings become.

One way to learn more about your relatives before it is too late is to ask them to write down their stories in a journal. The ‘from you to me’ journals, pictured above, are designed to give as gifts to help families do this. The books contain inspiring questions and prompts - as well as space to write the answers - to help capture stories about the people close to you

Rhoda Breakell, head of Genes Reunited, commented on the ‘from you to me’ research results: "The amount of people who don't spend time listening to their parents and grandparents about their family heritage is surprising. We feel it's so important that people listen to the older generations within their families before their stories are lost forever."

As someone who has lost her own mother, I think this is a lovely idea. And with Mothering Sunday (often called Mother's Day) coming up, I think giving your own mum one of these journals as a gift would make an unusual but very appropriate present, especially for a pagan.

Links and previous related posts
www.fromyoutome.com
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/02/pancake-day-is-sad-time-for-me.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/02/festival-of-week-parentalia.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/10/review-druidry-and-ancestors.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/03/mothers-day.html

Gardenia folklore and flower symbolism

Thanks to everyone who identified the plant I inherited from my mother as a gardenia. It is has a beautiful, soft white flowers with a gorgeous perfume and loves its sunny spot in my porch.

Knowing that the lovely flower is a gardenia, I did a bit more research into its folklore.

Gardenias originally came from Africa, Asia and Australasia. The English name simply means "garden flower".

According to the Victorian language of flowers, to give someone a gardenia is to say: "You are lovely." Magically, they can be used as a component for spells of harmony and healing.

According to the website http://www.silverenchantment.com/: "Gardenias, because of their beautiful creamy white color and pleasant fragrance, are often worn by daughters on Mother's Day in memory of their mother if she has passed away." As my mum recently died, and then her gardenia bloomed on my birthday, I shall definitely remember that piece of folklore next Mothering Sunday.

Links and previous posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/05/my-best-birthday-present.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/05/pagan-eye-red-rose.html
http://www.silverenchantments.com/Flowers/gardenia-charm_2055.html
http://www.grandpasgeneral.com/learcanfrag.html
http://www.livingartsoriginals.com/infoflowersymbolism.htm#gardenia

Nanshe: Goddess of Orphans and Justice

This Sunday is Mother's Day in the UK. Having recently lost my mum I realised just how difficult this time of year is for those who have no mother - particularly children. So I have chosen Nanshe Goddess of Orphans, Widows and Social Justice - as well as being a mother goddess - as The Bad Witch's Goddess of the Week.

In Sumerian mythology, Nanshe was a popular goddess, with many roles. Although she was primarily a goddess of fertility and fishing, she was also a goddess of prophecy through dreams and social justice - particularly championing the causes of widows and orphans.

One of the verses in an ancient hymn to Nashe, translates as: "She is concerned for the orphan and concerned for the widow. She does not forget the man who helps others, she is a mother for the orphan; Nance (sic), a carer for the widow, who always finds advice for the debt-slave; the lady who gives protection for refugees. She seeks out a place for the weak."

As that hymn suggests, Nanshe also gave advice to those in debt and took in refugees from war-torn areas.

Although Nanshe might be a very ancient goddess, it seems to me that a prayer to her this weekend could be very appropriate. Not only is this a particularly difficult time of year for orphans, we are also living through a year of considerable social unrest and injustice. Many people are suffering debt, and there are many refugees from strife-torn lands. Nanshe, I call upon you, please give your aid to those who need your comfort and protection...

I had trouble finding a picture of Nanshe. She appears as the Justice card in the Babylonian Tarot by Sandra Tabatha Cicero, but I don't own the deck and could only find an image of the cover of the boxed set, plus a few of the other cards in it. I might have to go and buy a copy...

Links
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/03/mothers-day.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/03/magna-mater-goddess-of-week.html
http://www.pantheon.org/articles/n/nanshe.html
http://www-etcsl.orient.ox.ac.uk/section4/tr4141.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanshe
Babylonian Tarot (deck & book) by Sandra Tabatha Cicero