St George's Mushrooms Growing in my Garden

These are - I believe - St George's Mushrooms and are, appropriately, abundant in my garden in time for St George's Day on April 23rd. They grow in a delightful fairy ring which has expanded to about 4m in diameter over the years. I see them in my garden quite often in late April and May, but at the moment I have a bumper crop.

St George's mushrooms are edible, but need to be cooked thoroughly and can be mistaken for poisonous varieties of shrooms so I'm not recommending foraging unless you really know what you are looking for. Sandra Lawrence, in The Magic of Mushrooms, writes that studies of St George's Mushrooms have shown them to have antibacterial properties, so I'm happy they're on my lawn.

Collin's Nature Guide on Mushrooms and Toadstools of Britain and Europe describes them as having creamy white caps, with white flesh, stems and gills. The caps can be 10cm in diameter. They typically grow in rings. The photo to the side shows one section of the arc of the circle in my lawn.

Folklore would suggest that stepping inside a fairy ring, or even disturbing a fairy ring in any way, is inviting trouble. However, this is in my garden and frankly I've walked all over my garden thousands and thousands of times and I don't think I've been abducted by fairies yet. I mow the lawn a few times each year although I do like to let it grow wild to some extent and take part in No Mow May. As you can see from the pictures there are probably more wildflowers than grass there. 

Notes: This is not medical advice or foraging advice, it is just for information purposes. Never eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely sure it is safe to do so. I earn commission from advertisers for some links. This helps support my blog at no extra cost to those who read my posts.

Other previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/03/recipe-egg-mushroom-and-thyme-turnover.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/09/dozmary-pool-and-death-of-dragons.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/09/mushrooms-and-fungi.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/04/days-out-st-georges-day-and-dragon-hill.html

Online & London Events: Dragons, Beltane & Witchcraft

Here's a list of events and activities for pagans, witches and those with similar interests over St George's Day, the Full Moon and Beltane. Most things are still online, but there are an increasing number outdoors and socially distanced. If you know an online or London-based ritual, talk, meeting or workshop you want included, please email me at badwitch1234@gmail.com

Wednesday 21 April; (every Wednesday); Wellbeing Wednesdays with Nadine and Caitriona. Online event. Time: 12.30pm. Tickets: £6 per session or £20 per month. https://behappiest.co.uk/ 

Wednesday 21 April,  Jan Machielsen: ‘The Alchemist’s Witch-Hunt: Jean d’Espagnet and the Witches of the Pays de Labourd’. Online talk via the The Warburg Institute. Free, but you must reserve a place. Time: 2pm. https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/

Wednesday 21 – 26 April, Evolutionary Festival. Schedule of online talks on spiritual subjects. Basic tickets are free. https://evolutionaryfestival.com/

Wednesday 21 April; Intuition Masterclass. Digital event organised by She's Lost Control. Tickets: £5-£20. Time: 7pm. https://www.sheslostcontrol.co.uk/digital

Wednesday 21 April; Seidr Class #4 The Disir and the Mountain of Healing. Online with Imelda Almqvist. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £35. https://pregnant-hag-teachings.teachable.com/p/seidr-class-4-the-disir-the-mountain-of-healing/

Wednesday 21 April; The Philosophy of Monsters: Online Illustrated Lecture by Dr Stephen Asma, author of On Monsters, hosted by The Last Tuesday Society and The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets · £4.77-£11.04. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-philosophy-of-monsters-an-illustrated-lecture-by-dr-stephen-asma-tickets-137566770915?

Wednesday 21 April (every Wednesday); The Witching Hour on the Witches Inn YouTube channel. Time 8pm. Free. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw4Kl-MbdjsApFvodCnvANA

Wednesday 21 April; Calming Sound Journey. Digital event organised by She's Lost Control. Time: 8.30pm. Tickets £5-£15.  https://www.sheslostcontrol.co.uk/digital

Thursday 22 April; Work with Shamanism to Grow Personally and Professionally. Online event with Harriet Goudard every Thursday. Time: 10am. Free. https://www.meetup.com/awaken-the-inner-shaman-london/

Thursday 22 April; (weekly event); Midweek Meditation with the College of Psychic Studies. Time: 3pm. Tickets: free for members/£7.50 for non members. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 22 April; Earth Day: Queens Woods Eco-Ceremony 12.30pm and online Eco-Event at 8pm with London Woodland Witches, Wiccans and Pagans. For the woodland walk meet by the entrance to Queen's wood,  Wood Lane, Highgate, North London. The evening event is via Zoom. Both are free but you must reserve a place. https://www.meetup.com/LondonWoodlandWitches/

Thursday 22 April; Cats and other felines in Ancient Egypt. Online curator's chat run by The Egypt Centre. Time: 3pm. Tickets: Free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cats-and-other-felines-in-ancient-egypt-tickets-151606646561

Thursday 22 April; Earth Day Live. Online talks, workshops and discussions from 5pm UK time: https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2021/

Thursday 22 April; Friends of Fulham Palace: The Secret Journey of Dr Dee. Online storytelling by Vanessa of London Dreamtime. Time: 5.30pm. Price: £8/£5.  https://www.londondreamtime.com/calendar/ 

Thursday 22 April (every Thursday); Matt Arnold on 'Holy Ghostly'. Online ASSAP talk. Time: 7pm. Free event. Tickets available to ASSAP members. To join for £5 per year, visit http://www.assap.ac.uk/

Thursday 22 April; London City of the Dead: Purging Demons - Exorcisms and Ancient Possession Rites. A Live, Illustrated Zoom Talk with Historians Andrew Chesnut and Kate Kingsbury via Antique Beat and A Curious Invitation. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £4.80. https://londonmonthofthedead.com/events.html

Thursday 22 April; Practical Magic: Chants and Incantations. Online Workshop with Hannah Sanders via Treadwell's Online. Time: 7pm start. Tickets: £20/£18. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Thursday 22 April (tbc); Shooting the Wild Witch Breeze. Facebook Live Chat with Rachel Patterson and Elen Sentier. A new chat video usually every two weeks on a Thursday. Time: 7pm.  Free. https://www.facebook.com/MoonBooks

Thursday 22 April; Psychedelic Magic. Online workshop with Julian Vayne via Treadwell's Online. Time: 7pm start. Tickets: £20/£18. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Thursday 22 April; Contemporary Satanic Feminism. Zoom Lecture by Per Faxneld via The Last Tuesday Society. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets:· £4-£10. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/contemporary-satanic-feminism-per-faxneld-zoom-lecture-tickets-142106009901?

Thursday 22 April; Arwald Dreaming - The Last British Pagan King. Free  · online storytelling by Paul AT Wilson and Wight Mummers. Time: 7.30pm. https://www.facebook.com/events/825721534962848/

Friday 23 April; Mystic Chat: Magical Books and Grimoires. Free  · online event with Chris Allaun, author of Otherworld. Time: 01.00am Price: free. https://www.facebook.com/events/532849858102861

Friday 23 April (every Friday); Friday Live Chat hosted by Rachel Patterson, author of the Kitchen Witch series of books. Time: 9am. Free event. https://www.facebook.com/RachelPattersonbooks/

Friday 23 April; De Morgan's Dragons. Online talk by De Morgan Curator Sarah Hardy, for St George's Day. Time: noon. Tickets: £5  · Online event. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/de-morgans-dragons-tickets-144851232937?

Friday 23 April; Death and the Warrior Maiden. Free  · online storytelling with Sally Pomme Clayton. Time: 6.30pm. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/world-book-night-sally-pomme-clayton-presents-death-and-the-warrior-maiden-tickets-138922909161?

Friday 23 April; Transformation and Liberation. Free online talk with Puma Quispe via the College of Psychic Studies. Time: 7pm. Tickets: free but you must reserve a place. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Friday 23 April;  Aphrodite's Flame Vinalia Urbana. Join Aphrodite's Flame Keepers to tend a candle flame from for as long as you wish in your own home, from dusk to dusk. Venue: Worldwide. Details: https://www.facebook.com/aphroditesflame/

Friday 23 April; Crossbones Online Vigil. On the 23rd of every month since June 2004, people have honoured the outcast dead of Crossbones Graveyard, Southwark, but at the moment this are virtual events. Time: 7pm. Free. Details here: https://www.facebook.com/GooseandCrow/  

Friday 23 April;  The Fenstanton Witch, by M R James - Online reading. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets: by donation. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-fenstanton-witch-by-m-r-james-tickets-149299886981?

Saturday 24 April; SPR Study Day No.80 Life, Death and the Nature of Reality. Online Zoom via the Society for Psychical Research. Time: 9.30pm-5pm. Tickets: £20-£35. https://www.spr.ac.uk/

Saturday 24 April; Wild Medicine Woman Taster Weekend with Iris Lican: Elen of the Ways. Online event by Glastonbury Goddess Temple. Time: 10am. Tickets · £60. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wild-medicine-woman-taster-weekend-with-iris-lican-elen-of-the-ways-tickets-144467854241?

Saturday 24 April;  1-Day Spellcraft Workshop. Outdoor event with Mani via London Woodland Witches, Wiccans and Pagans. This will follow government regulations for meetings. Meet at 12.30pm at the Woodman pub garden, Archway Road, Highgate to leave at 1pm for the woods. Tickets: £15,  you must reserve a place. https://www.meetup.com/LondonWoodlandWitches/

Saturday 24 April; Ancient Magic Symposium: Day of online talks via Zoom, through The Magickal Women Partnership. Tickets: £30. https://www.magickalwomenconference.com/

Saturday 24 April; Full Moon Event with Peace Fires. Light a candle or fire for peace wherever you are in the world, for just for 10 minutes or an hour or longer and state the intention: “Let there be peace on earth and love for one another.” Free. Details: http://peacefires.org/

Saturday 24 April; Finding Stillness Through Meditation with Geoffrey Beitz. Online workshop with the College of Psychic Studies. Time: Noon - 4pm. Tickets £60/£80 . https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 24 April; Floralia: is the Roman Pagan Festival the origin of May Day? Online talk by Angela Puca via the Doreen Valiente Foundation. Time: 4pm. Tickets by donation of up to £20; a £20 donation includes the membership of the Doreen Valiente Foundation. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/floralia-is-the-roman-pagan-festival-the-origin-of-may-day-angela-puca-tickets-144654127389?

Saturday 24 April;  Smoke and Mirrors. A storytelling and sketch-along hosted by storyteller Vanessa Woolf and artist Hannah Lee Miller via Zoom. Time: 7pm. Price: Donation £5 recommended).  https://www.londondreamtime.com/calendar/ 

Saturday 24 April; 'Unlocking the Love-Lock: The folklore and heritage of a modern-day custom'. Online lecture by Dr Ceri Houlbrook organised by the Folklore Podcast. Tickets: £5. Time: 8pm. https://thefolklorepodcast.weebly.com/store/c9/Tickets.html

Sunday 25 April; Science and Spirituality. Online Conference via The Weekend University. Time: 9.30am - 5pm. Tickets from £4.50  . https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/science-and-spirituality-online-conference-tickets-145971275013? 

Sunday 25 April; Altered States of Awareness with Daniel Pitt. Online workshop with the College of Psychic Studies. Time: 1pm - 5pm. Tickets £60/£80 . https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 25 April; Outdoor Beltane Celebration with Luna Iter. Venue: Hackney Marshes, East London (details to follow on Facebook Group). Time: Meet at 4pm, ritual at 6pm. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1230392930656154/

Sunday 25 April; Healing Collective Trauma. Online event with Anthea of Shamanism and Evolving Consciousness. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets: £25. https://www.meetup.com/Shamanism-and-Evolving-Consciousness/

Sunday 25 April; Of Ravens, Wolves and  People.- Zoom Lecture by Prof. John Marzluff via  The Last Tuesday Society and The Viktor Wynd Museum. Time: 8pm. Tickets from £4. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/of-ravens-wolves-people-profjohn-marzluff-zoom-lecture-tickets-143963708327?

Monday, 26 April (every Monday); Mindful Still Life Monday Sessions with London Drawing, via Zoom. Two sessions: 12.30pm and 6pm. Free, but donations welcome. https://londondrawing.com/online-creative-sessions/

Monday, 26 April (every Monday); Mindful Mondays with Caitriona of Be Happiest. Online event. Time 7pm. Tickets: £7 per session or £25 per month. https://behappiest.co.uk/ 

Monday, 26 April; Wheel of the Year: Beltane. Zoom event with Rebecca Beattie, author of Nature Mystics, via Treadwell's Online. Time: 7pm start. Tickets: £20. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Monday, 26 April; Full Moon Circle. Digital event organised by She's Lost Control. Time: 7pm. Tickets £5-£20.  https://www.sheslostcontrol.co.uk/digital

Monday, 26 April; Open full moon tea ritual. Online via Children of Circe, a private pagan group run by Richard Levy and sponsored by the Doreen Valiente Foundation. You have to join the group to take part. Time: 7pm. Free event. https://www.facebook.com/groups/725752541262809

Monday, 26 April; Home Energy and Manifesting. Free webinar with Kahreela Anhara of Goddess Awakening. Time: 8pm. Free but you must reserve a place. https://www.meetup.com/GoddessAwakening/

Tuesday 27 April; Scorpio Full Moon Breath Ceremony online event with Lisa Li. Organised by Aho Studio. Time: 6pm. Tickets: £22. www.aho.community 

Tuesday 27 April; Scorpio Full Moon Ceremony with Mani via London Woodland Witches, Wiccans and Pagans. Online event. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets free but you  must reserve a place. https://www.meetup.com/LondonWoodlandWitches/

Tuesday 27 April (usually every fortnight); Heron Drums Online Shamanic Drum Circle via Facebook or Zoom. Time: 7pm: Details: https://www.facebook.com/herondrumsuk/

Tuesday 27 April; Building Spiritual Immunity for Witches. 
This class follows on from Healing The Witch Wound Through Sacred Art, Webinar #1Online with Imelda Almqvist. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £35. https://pregnant-hag-teachings.teachable.com/p/meet-the-norns-changing-the-weave/

Wednesday 28 April; Cord Cutting Meditation with Lucy Porter. Digital event organised by She's Lost Control. Tickets: £5-£20. Time: 7pm. https://www.sheslostcontrol.co.uk/digital

Wednesday 28 April then 5, 12, and 19 May; Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot - Major Arcana Course via Treadwell's Online. Time: 7pm start. Tickets: £100. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Wednesday 28 April; Talk and Q and A with author Josephine Winter (Fire Magic) at Hertford and Ware Pagan Moot. Free  · online event. Time: 8pm. https://www.facebook.com/events/220087093227140/

Thursday 29 April and 6 May; Hypersigil Magic. A two-part online workshop led by Julian Vayne, author of Chaos Craft, via Treadwell's Online. Time: 7pm start. Tickets: online live £40, delayed viewing of recorded lecture £36. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Thursday 29 April; The Language of Flowers. Online Workshop with Hannah Sanders via Treadwell's Online. Time: 7pm start. Tickets: £20/£18. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Thursday 29 April; Make Your Own Magic Breathwork. Digital event organised by She's Lost Control. Tickets: £5-£20. Time: 8.30pm. https://www.sheslostcontrol.co.uk/digital

Friday 30 April;  Walpurgisnacht: Stories of the witches' night. Online event with Jason Buck Storyteller. Time: 7pm. Tickets from £2.50. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/walpurgisnacht-stories-of-the-witches-night-tickets-138446578443?

Friday 30 April;  Glastonbury Goddess Temple Beltane Ceremony (Online): Flame Lover Goddess. Time: 7pm. Tickets £5. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/goddess-temple-beltane-ceremony-online-flame-lover-goddess-tickets-150186687425?

Friday 30 April; Meditation Magic for Beltane with BalanceTime. Time: 7pm. Tickets by donation. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/meditation-magic-for-beltane-tickets-151327969029?

Friday 30 April; The Pagan Federation Community Quiz, Episode 4: A Trivial Hope. Free  · online event. Time: 8pm. https://www.facebook.com/events/199821218365563/

Saturday 1 May;  The Elements Within: earth, air fire, water, spirit.  An Evening with Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki. Online talk as part of the Magickal Women Conference Spotlight Speakers. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £10. https://www.magickalwomenconference.com/events

Saturday 1 May;   Aphrodite's Flame Beltane Flame Vigil. Join Aphrodite's Flame Keepers to tend a candle flame from for as long as you wish in your own home, from dusk to dusk. Venue: Worldwide. Details: https://www.facebook.com/aphroditesflame/

Sunday, 2 May; Pathways Online Beltane Festival 2021. Starts 10am. Tickets: £4.50 – £6. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pathways-online-beltane-festival-2021-tickets-132474567999?

Sunday, 2 May; Beltane - online ritual with by Corr réisc Grove. Online gathering to celebrate the Beltane festival from a druidic perspective. Time: 10.30am. Free. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beltane-online-ritual-tickets-150485228369?

Sunday, 2 May; The Fireworker. Live storytelling by Vanessa of London Dreamtime, for just 6 people. Time: 6.45pm. Venue: secret outdoor location in Smithfield near the city of London. Price: £10. If this is sold out, email vanessa@londondreamtime.com for alternative times. https://www.londondreamtime.com/calendar/ 

Sunday, 2 May; Kent Goddess Group Virtual Beltane Gathering. Free  · online event. Time: 1pm. https://www.facebook.com/events/1948108568662627/

Sunday, 2 May; Deanna Petherbridge on Witches and Wicked Bodies: An Illustrated Zoom Lecture by The Viktor Wynd Museum and The Last Tuesday Society. Time: 8pm. Tickets: £4.77 – £11.04. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/deanna-petherbridge-on-witches-wicked-bodies-an-illustrated-zoom-lecture-tickets-137859564669?

Sunday, 2 May; London Woodland Witches Beltane Show - an online event with magical guests, video contributions and online Beltane Ceremony. Via Zoom. Time: 8pm. Free. https://www.meetup.com/LondonWoodlandWitches/

Monday 3 May; Ways into Witchcraft: Modern Paganism. Online workshop with Rebecca Beattie, author of Nature Mystics, via Treadwell's Online. Via Zoom. Time: 7pm start. Tickets: £20/£18. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Thursday 6 May; Practical Magic: Posies and Pouches for Love. Online Workshop with Hannah Sanders via Treadwell's Online. Time: 7pm start. Tickets: £20/£18. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Friday 7 May; Magic for the Month: May. A free talk by me (Moon Books author Lucya Starza) on Facebook Live  about the folklore and festivals of May. I'll also be talking about magic and giving a guided visualisation. Time: 4pm. Free. https://www.facebook.com/events/744767222850385/

Notes: I am not responsible for the content of any of these events. Contact the organisers directly if you have any questions or to check any changes or cancellations. I generally list things in the UK, especially in or near London, but some are outside that time zone. Where a practitioner is offering information about magical wellbeing and healing, this is *not* medical advice. If you are attending an in-person event, make sure you are aware of regulations regarding meetings. 

Days Out: St George's Day and Dragon Hill at Uffington

St George's Day is tomorrow, April 23, which this year is of course a Saturday and so good for getting out and visiting places associated with the legendary dragon-slayer. One such place is Dragon Hill in Oxfordshire. It is a small chalk hill with an artificial flat top immediately below the Uffington White Horse. Folk tales say that it was on its summit that Saint George slew the dragon.

A bare patch of chalk upon which no grass will grow is purported to be where the dragon's blood spilled. It has also been suggested that it is an Iron Age ritual site associated with the chalk horse.

It is part of the White Horse group of monuments in the care of the National Trust, which include the chalk figure and Wayland's Smithy.

I visited the area last August Bank Holiday on a particularly wet and foggy day. I blogged more about it at the time and you can read that post here: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/08/pagan-eye-uffington-white-horse-in-rain.html

If you are wondering why a pagan witch is writing about a Christian saint, here is a blog post that explains why I feel the legend is inspiring: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/04/st-george-man-and-myths.html

St George's Day: Historic Castle Mural of St George

Today being St George's Day, here is a very early mural of St Geroge that is on the chapel wall at Farleigh Hungerford Castle, in Somerset.

The site is owned by English Heritage, and the website states:

"The chapel of St Leonard stands in the outer court. It was built as the parish church by Sir Thomas Hungerford between about 1370 and 1383. The small north chapel...was added in about 1400 to house his tomb. It became the castle chapel in the 1440s... The east end of the main chapel displays the remains of earlier wall-paintings, including a nearly life-sized depiction of St George, probably commissioned in the 1440s by Walter, 1st Lord Hungerford."

Although St George is a Christian saint - the patron saint of England - I like to view his dragon-slaying legend as symbolising facing one's fears, championing a cause - whatever that cause may be - and triumph in adversity.

Farleigh Hungerford Castle is worth visiting if you are in Somerset because it is a fascinating place quite apart from the chapel wall painting. However, I understand photography is no longer allowed in the chapel itself in order to protect the works of art. (I took those photographs a long while ago.)

If you are in London today and have some time to spare, you could pop along to the St George in Southwark Festival 2015 at St George the Martyr Church, Borough High Street, London SE1 1JA. This free event offers traditional celebrations of St George's Day and is suitable for adults and accompanied children. Activities include quests, performances and storytelling. It starts at 10.45am with a quest led by John Constable, author of The Southwark Mysteries.For more details, visit: http://www.stgeorgefestival.org.uk/

Links and previous related posts:
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/farleigh-hungerford-castle
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/04/st-george-man-and-myths.html
The Southwark Mysteries (Oberon Book)
http://www.stgeorgefestival.org.uk/

This Week's Pagan Events In and Near London

Here are events in London over the next week or so that could be of interest to pagans.

Now - 25 May; Goya: The Witches and Old Women Album. Art Exhibition at The Courtauld Institute of Art, Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 0RN. Open 10am-6pm daily. Entry: £7.50. Details: www.courtauld.ac.uk

Now - 31 May; Surreal England - Leonora Carrington, Pailthorpe and Mednikoff, Robin Ironside and Austin Osman Spare. Exhibition at The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities, Fine Art and Natural History, 11 Mare St, London, E8 4RP. Museum open Wednesday - Sunday 11am - 10pm. Tickets £3. More details: http://www.thelasttuesdaysociety.org/

Friday 17 April; Screen and Scream - a talk on Lewisham's paranormal past, a ghost tour of Manor House Library followed by a screening of a cult 1960s horror film. Venue: Manor House Library, 34 Old Road, SE13 5SY. Time: 6.30pm to 9.30pm. Free event. To book call 020 8314 7794. Website: http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/libraries/branches/Pages/manor-house-library.aspx

Friday 17 April; Cunning Folk At Sutton House - Music from Wiz Jones and Nigel of Bermondsey and scary storytelling from London Dreamtime by candlelight. Place: Sutton House, Hackney, London. Time: 7pm. Price: £10. For more details, email vanessa@londondreamtime.com or visit http://londondreamtime.com/calendar/

Friday 17 April; South Essex Red Tent. Women only event. Venue: Fairkytes Art Centre, 51 Billet Lane, Hornchurch RM11 1AX. Time: 7.30pm. Suggested donation to cover costs is £5. Wear something red. https://www.facebook.com/events/1624397721138461/

Saturday 18 April; Incense Making workshop with Christina Oakley Harrington. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 1pm to 5.30pm. Tickets £30. Advance booking required. Call 0207 419 8507. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Saturday 18 April; The Peter Ackroyd Charity Pub Crawl - a guided walk lead by Robert Kingham from Clerkenwell to St Giles. Tickets are £20 per person, 100% of which goes to Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Time: 2pm to 9pm. . For more details and to book tickets, visit, http://www.minimumlabyrinth.org/peter-ackroyd-charity-pub-crawl-2015.html

Sunday 19 April; Free Social: Walk, Meditate, Picnic - Live From Your Heart - with the London Spirituality Meet-up group. Meet at 11:45am at Highgate tube station on the Northern Line. Walk and picnic will be in Highgate Wood, Muswell Hill Road, Muswell Hill, London. Picnic from 1:45pm To reserve a place and find out more, visit http://www.meetup.com/londonspiritualcommunity/

Sunday 19 April; Meditation and Divination Session with Global Wicca Earth Healing Temple - London. Venue: Hyde Park, London. Meet the Isis statue at south side of the Serpentine near Diana memorial fountain at 3pm. Booking essential: http://www.meetup.com/Global-Wicca-Earth-Healing-Temple-London/

Sunday 19 April; Dawn of the Oak. Pagan moot on the third Sunday of each month. Venue: Upstairs at The Castle, 34-35 Cowcross Road, Farringdon, London EC1M 6DB (near Farringdon tube). Time: 3pm-6pm.

Monday 20 April; Tales the River Tells: later prehistoric finds from in and around the Thames. Conference at the British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Time: 1pm-5.15pm. Free event but advance booking essential. For more details visit: https://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/events_calendar.aspx

Monday 20 April; Life Loves You.Talk by Robert Holden. Venue: Alternatives. Venue: St James's Church Piccadilly, 197 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9LL. Time: 7pm - 8.30pm. Tickets £12/£8 online. For more details and to book tickets: http://www.alternatives.org.uk/

Monday 20 April; Psychic Circle run by Shamanic Spirit at a venue in Croydon, South London. The circle is held on Mondays fortnightly starting at 7.30pm. Cost £5. For more details and to book places call 07952 041477. For more information, visit http://shamanicspirit.co.uk/

Tuesday 21 April; Meditation and Yoga. Free weekly meetings hosted by Ruth, Katka and Galya. Venue: Phoenix Community Centre, 66 Westow Street, Crystal Palace, SE19 3AF. This takes place on Tuesday mornings from 110am - 12pm. Free event, just turn up. http://www.meetup.com/Free-Meditation-Yoga-South-London/

Tuesday 21 April; Drumming Circle run by Shamanic Spirit at a venue in New Addington, Croydon, South London. Every second Tuesday starting 7.30pm. Cost £10. For more details and to book places call 07952 041477. For more information, visit http://shamanicspirit.co.uk/

Wednesday 22 April; Earth Day 2015 - pledge to plant a seed or a tree in your area, wherever you are in the world. For more details, visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/327883710751172/

Wednesday 22 April; Earth Day 2015 Walk, Picnic and Earth Ceremony with London Woodland Witches Wiccans Eco-Magicians and Outdoor Pagans. Venue: Richmond Park, Richmond Hill, Richmond, Surrey TW10 6RP. Meet at Please get to Richmond Gate at Richmond park by 4pm. Event runs to 7pm. Bring food and drink to share. For more details and to reserve a place, visit: http://www.meetup.com/London-Woodland-Witches-Outdoor-Pagans/

Wednesday 22 April; Terry Pratchett and Paganism. Talk by Richard Levy. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.30pm - 9pm. Tickets £7. Advance booking required. Call 0207 419 8507. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Thursday 23 April; St George in Southwark Festival 2015; Traditional celebrations of St Georges Day for adults and accompanied children including quests, performances and storytelling. Venue: St George The Martyr Church, Borough High Street, London SE1 1JA. Starts at 10.45am with a quest led by John Constable. Free event. http://www.stgeorgefestival.org.uk/

Thursday 23 April; Marginal Presences. A one-day symposium on the life, work and impact of the marginal minority with their restless doubts, controversial lifestyles and utopian dreams, from a Theosophical Messiah to the zombie researches of William Seabrook. Venue: Senate House Library, University of London, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU. Tickets £15. Tel 0207862 8500. http://senatehouselibrary.ac.uk/

Thursday 23 April; Book launch: Jerusalem!: The Real Life of William Blakea biography by Tobias Churton. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, London WC1A 1LY. Time: from 7pm. Book costs £25. If you want to attend the launch, you must reserve a place. Email: atlantis@theatlantisbookshop.com

Thursday 23 April; Fortnightly Druid Order Open Introductory Evening. A chance to learn more about at The Druid Order (A.D.U.B.) at an evening with talks and a meditation. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.15pm for 7.30pm start. Price: £8 on the door. For more details, call Druid Order on 020 8659 4879.

Thursday 23 April; The Wild Women’s Club – Spring Clean Your life – Cut the Energy Drains. Venue: Nutri Centre Bookshop, The Hale Clinic, 7 Park Crescent, London, London W1B 1PF. Time: 7pm - 9pm. Tickets £12. http://www.alternatives.org.uk/

Thursday 23 April; Animal Wisdom.Talk and book signing by Linda Bender at Watkins Books, 19-21 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 6.30pm. Free event. For more details Tel 020 7836 2182 or visit the website http://www.watkinsbooks.com/

Thursday 23 April; Crossbones Vigil to honour The Goose and the outcast dead of Cross Bones Graveyard. Gather from 6.45pm for a 7pm start in Redcross Way outside the Memorial Gates, SE1 1TA, opposite the Boot and Flogger pub, just north of the junction with Union Street. Nearest tubes Borough or London Bridge. The event is free, but donations are welcome. For more details, visit http://www.crossbones.org.uk/

Thursday 23 April; Conversations with a Raven God: Tales of Odin. Storytelling – Abbie Palache. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.30pm - 9pm. Tickets £7. Advance booking required. Call 0207 419 8507. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Thursday 23 April; Talk: Shamballa, My Story of Healing with Dominic Houston at the London College of Spirituality. Venue: Latvian House, 72 Queensborough Terrace, London, W2 3SH. Time: 7pm. Cost: £5. Details: http://www.meetup.com/londonspirituality/

Friday 24 April; The Evidence for Prehistoric Surveying. Annual Robert Cowley Memorial Lecture by Robin Heath at Rilko (Research Into Lost Knowledge). Venue: 50 Gloucester Place, London W1U 8EA. Doors open 6.45pm, lectures starts 7.15pm. Entrance: £8/£6. http://www.rilko.net/EZ/rilko/rilko/home.php

Saturday 25 April; Mysteries of Beltaine. One-day workshop including a full ritual at the end of the day with Suzanne Corbie, creator of the Goddess Workshop meditations.Venue Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Tickets £45 (£25 deposit, balance due on the day). Time: 11am to 5.30pm. Booking essential and limited places. Tel: 020 7240 8906 or email: info@treadwells-london.com. http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Saturday 25 April; Caer Cohrhain Beltaine Celebrations at Caer Corhain Shamamic Development Centre of the Isle of Sheppey, 1 Southleas farm cottages, Lower Road, Minster, Sheppey ME12 3SW. Day of celebrations people of all ages with maypole dancing, a sweatlodge and other celebrations. For more details and information on how to book, call 07885682295 or 01795 874542, email ccearthevents@live.co.uk or visit;http://www.touchtheearthuk.com/

Saturday 25 April; Magical Astrology workshop - The Ascendant and Your Chart Ruler with Cat Cox. Venue The Atlantis Bookshop, Museum Street WC1. Time: 11am-5pm. Cost: £55. Contact Cat on 020 7377 0563 or the Atlantis Bookshop on 020 7405 2120 to reserve a place.

Saturday 25 April; The Peter Ackroyd Charity Pub Crawl - a guided walk lead by Robert Kingham from Clerkenwell to St Giles. Tickets are £20 per person, 100% of which goes to Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Time: 2pm to 9pm. . For more details and to book tickets, visit, http://www.minimumlabyrinth.org/peter-ackroyd-charity-pub-crawl-2015.html

Sunday, 26 April; 45-minute Viking Workout with Eugene Weldon Natural of THA Arts on Clapham Commom. on Clapham Common, London, SW4. Time: 1pm. Details: https://www.facebook.com/events/944385715572082

Sunday, 26 April; Learn to Meditate. Venue: Kadampa Meditation Centre London, 1a Ashridge Way, London SM4 4EF. Time: 10am to 1pm. Tickets: £15. http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/learn-to-meditate-apr-26-tickets-15659851036

If you know of an event that you want listed, please email the details to me at badwitch1234@gmail.com. Please also email me if you spot any errors in my listings.

London Pagan Events For Earth Day & St George's Day

Now to Sat 27 Apr; Signs, Symbols, Secrets: An Illustrated Guide to Alchemy. Free exhibition of images and writings about the quest for the philosophers’ stone. Venue: Science Museum, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London SW7 2DD. For more details visit: http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/

Saturday 20 April; Magical Mystical Fair with stalls, readers, healers and more. Venue: Belmont Village Hall, Grays, London. 2pm start, Free entry. https://www.facebook.com/events/552233828148727/

Saturday 20 April; Underground London: Welcome to Plato's Cave: "under-standing" and the Meaning of Life. Debate and discussion with philosopher Rick Lewis. Venue: Bishopsgate Institute, 230 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 4QH. Time: 2.30pm. Free entry and no booking required but limited places. http://www.bishopsgate.org.uk/event/299/Underground-London-Welcome-to-Platos-Cave-

Sunday, 21 April 21, 2013. Belostra 2013. A one-day pagan festival organised by Pagan FutureFests, with bands, talks, workshops, readings and stalls. Tickets £13 all day or £7 for evening entertainment only. 12 noon until 10pm. Details at www.paganfuturefests.org.uk

Sunday 21 April; Earth Day Picnic with a small open ritual. Family friendly event at Beddington Park, Hackbridge, South London, Time: Midday-3.15pm. Free event, but please bring your own picnic. For more details, visit http://www.pflondon.org/html/news_-_info.html

Sunday 21 April; Dawn of the Oak. Pagan moot on the third Sunday of each month. Venue: Upstairs at The Castle, 34-35 Cowcross Road, Farringdon, London EC1M 6DB (near Farringdon tube). Time: 3pm-6pm. For more details contact peter@dawnoftheoak.co.uk, or Eugenie eugenie@dawnoftheoak.co.uk.

Monday 22 April; Earth Day Walk in Richmond Park with Mani of Quantum Pheonix. Meet at Richmond Gate, Richmond Park at 1pm for a 30min- 45min silent walk to celebrate Earth Day. This will be followed by a picnic. Free event, but bring your own picnic. For details, visit http://quantumphoenix.net/2013/04/01/earthdday2013-london-come-walk-with-us-in-richmond-park/

Monday 22 April; Fey Magic - A Personal Encounter. Talk by Steve Ash at pagan forum Secret Chiefs. NEW VENUE: Ye Olde Cock Tavern, 22 Fleet Street, London EC4Y 1AA. Meet at 8pm and the talk starts about 8.30pm. Admission £2. http://secretchiefslondon.wordpress.com/

Monday 22 April; Infinite Abundance. Talk by Jason Chan, author of Seven Principles for Radiant Living.Venue: at Alternatives, St. James's Church, 197 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9LL. Time: 7pm to 8.30pm. Tickets £10/£5 concs. Advance booking essential. To book tickets and for more info visit the Alternatives website: http://www.alternatives.org.uk/Site/Talks.aspx

Monday 22 April; Sigil Magick: Evening Workshop with Mark Smith at Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Price: £15 advance booking essential. Time: 7.15pm for 7.30pm. info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Tuesday 23 April; St George's Day Crossbones Vigil to honour The Goose and the outcast dead of Cross Bones Graveyard. Gather from 6.45pm in Redcross Way outside the Memorial Gates, SE1, opposite the Boot and Flogger, just north of the junction with Union Street. Nearest tubes Borough or London Bridge, 5 minutes walk away. The event is free. http://www.crossbones.org.uk/

Wednesday 24 April; Maya Deren: Occultism in film with Judith Noble at Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Price: £7 advance booking recommended. Time: 6.45pm for 7pm. info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Thursday, 25 April; Rupert Sheldrake: The Science Delusion Talk at the London Fortean Society, upstairs at the Bell, 50 Middlesex Street, London E1 7EX. 7.30pm for 8pm start. £3/£2 concessions - advance booking essential for this talk. Society meets on the last Thursday of each month. For more details, visit http://forteanlondon.blogspot.co.uk/

Friday, 26 April; AGM followed by lecture on The Reality Of Wolfram Van Eschenbach’s Parzival and the Grail Mysteries of Antiquity by Sylvia Franke. Venue: Research into Lost Knowledge Organisation (Rilko). Venue: Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place, W1U 8EA. Doors open 6.30pm. Admission £7 non-members, £5 members. http://www.rilko.net/EZ/rilko/rilko/home.php

Saturday 27 April; Beltane: Symbolism, Folklore, Custom, Magic. One-day workshop including a full ritual at the end of the day with Suzanne Corbie at Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Tickets £45 (£25 deposit, balance due on the day). Time: 11am to 5.30pm. Booking essential and limited places. Tel: 020 7240 8906 or email: info@treadwells-london.com. www.treadwells-london.com/lectures.asp

Saturday 27 April;  The Goose and the Crow, walking workshop with John Constable. Ends at Crossbones Graveyard in Southwark with a ritual to honour the dead. Book tickets at Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Price: £20 advance booking essential. Time: 1.45pm for a 2pm start. info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/