Review: ASSAP's Seriously Strange Conference

It was great to be back at a weekend-long in-person conference on the weird. Seriously Strange celebrated 40 years of ASSAP - the Association for the Scientific Study of Anomolous Phenomena. There were talks on the paranormal community itself, UFOs, demonic possession, Gothic literature, criptids and ghosts, among other things. Actually, there were a lot of talks on ghosts of all kinds, from how to study them to famous cases of hauntings to a machine that gave people a ghostly experience. 

Before Covid, Assap ran two-day conferences and a series of one-day events on specific subjects, including Seriously Bewitched on witchcraft and Seriously Enchanted on fairies. Over the past two years there have been weekly online talks on a huge variety of subjects via Zoom. They've all been great, but it was particularly enjoyable to socialise with real people inbetween talks, in the bar and at the gala dinner on the Saturday evening. 

Seriously Strange took place at the University of Bath on September 3 and 4. The picture at the top shows the panel discussion, where people could but questions to the speakers. The one lower down shows the gala dinner at the Huntsman pub in the town centre. 

Assap's Zoom talks take place on Thursday evenings at 7pm and are free for members with a link emailed out each week. To find out more or join ASSAP for £5 per year visit http://www.assap.ac.uk/.

Links to write-ups of previous Assap events
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/09/highlights-of-assaps-seriously-strange.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/05/seriously-monstrous-dragons-more-than.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/03/witches-and-faeries-assaps-seriously.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/11/seriously-suspicious-conspiracies-helen.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/11/seriously-bewitched-joan-wytte-and.html

Magickal Events In and Near London Over Yuletide

Here's a list of pagan, witchy and esoteric events over Yuletide, with a mixture of online and in-person things to do. I generally list events in the UK, especially in or near London, but some are outside that time zone. If you know an online or London-based event you want included, please email badwitch1234@gmail.com 

Wednesday 22 December; Winter Solstice 2021 Stonehenge Sunrise Live . Facebook live event by English Heritage. Time: 7.24am. Free.  https://www.facebook.com/events/874860293180138/

Wednesday 22 December; Winter Solstice Sunrise livestreamed from within Newgrange.  gov.ie/opw and heritageireland.ie

Wednesday 22, 23, 30 and 31 December; Crossbones Graveyard will be open for quiet contemplation from noon - 2pm. Location: Redcross Way, London, SE1 1TA: http://crossbones.org.uk/category/events/

Wednesday 22 December (every Wednesday); Wellbeing Wednesdays with Nadine and Caitriona. Online event. Time: 12.30pm. Tickets: £22 per monthly subscription. https://behappiest.co.uk/ 

Now to Friday 24 December; Lunchtime Yule stories. Online event by Jason Buck Storyteller. Time: 3pm. Tickets: £1.49-£6.99 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/225739832917

Wednesday 22 and 29 December; Free taster sessions in mindfullness with Caitriona. Online event. (A course on the ther subject starts on 5 January). Time: 7pm. https://behappiest.co.uk/

Now to 24 December; Supervision. An esoteric art exhibition by Cathy Ward. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, London WC1A. http://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Thursday 23 December; Midweek Meditation with the College of Psychic Studies via Zoom. Time: 3pm. Tickets: free for members/£7.50 for non members. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 23 December;  Lilith Dorsey, author of Orishas, Goddesses and Voodoo Priestesses - Meet and Greet, Drinks and Book Signing. In-person event at Treadwell's, London, 33 Store St, London WC1E 7BS, UK  Time: 4pm. Free, just turn up. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Thursday 23 December; Yule Ceremony on Hampstead Heath by Mani and Freya W via London Woodland Witches, Wiccans and Pagans. Meet outside Bistro Laz Restaurant, 1 Highgate West Hill, London N6 6JS to walk to the spot. Time: 5pm. Tickets: £10. https://www.meetup.com/LondonWoodlandWitches/

Thursday 23 December (every 23rd day of the month); Crossbones Vigil to honour the outcast dead of Crossbones Graveyard, Southwark. Location: Redcross Way, London, SE1 1TA. Time: 7pm. Free. Details here: http://crossbones.org.uk/category/events/

Thursday 23 December; Randy Liebeck on the Warrens. Online ASSAP talk. Time: 7pm. Free event. Tickets available to ASSAP members. To join for £5 per year, visit 

http://www.assap.ac.uk/

Friday 24 December; Legends and Lore of Winter: with Chad Lewis with Sycamore Library. Time: Midnight to 1am. Free online event. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/legends-and-lore-of-winter-with-chad-lewis-tickets-217177432547

Tuesday 28 December; A coach trip from London to Rendlesham Forest with audio commentary, pub lunch and guided tour of the 1980 UFO sightings, by Minimum Labyrinth. Starts 10am. Tickets: £45-£65. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/rendlesham-tickets-133661401851?

Tuesday 28 December; Gawain and the Green Knight. Online event by Jason Buck Storyteller. Time: 7pm. Tickets · £2.50-£9.50.

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/199427993497

Thursday 30 December; 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 30 December; Online ASSAP talk by CJ Romer. Time: 7pm. Free event. Tickets available to ASSAP members. To join for £5 per year, visit 

http://www.assap.ac.uk/

Thursday 30 December; Conscious Light Film: Free online screening via Aho Studio. Time: 7.30pm. https://www.aho.community/

Friday 31 December; New Year's Eve 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/

Sunday 2 January; Woodspirits in January - Tin Casting (and a bit of a Wassail). Meet at Cheshunt station before walking to Lee Valley Park. Time: 2pm. Free in-person event for members of Woodspirits group. https://www.facebook.com/events/1191153314622387/

Sunday 2 January; New Moon Circle with Tree Carr. Digital event by She's Lost Control. Tickets: £15. Time: 8.30pm. https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Now to 3 January 2022 Fantastic Beasts™: The Wonder of Nature. Exhibition at the Natural History Museum, Waterhouse Gallery, South Kensington, London. Tickets: Adult £22, Conc £17.50. https://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/exhibitions/fantastic-beasts-the-wonder-of-nature.html?

Notes: I'm not responsible for the content of these events. I don't always know about changes or cancellations to events I don't run - tbc means to be confirmed. Contact event organisers directly if you have any questions, and please let me know if you are aware of something that needs correcting. 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.

UFOs: Back to the 80s with a Trip to Rendlesham Forest

In 1980, between Christmas and New Year's Eve, Rendlesham Forest was the site of a UFO flap that has been described as ‘Britain’s Roswell’.

Several United States Air Force personnel from the twin bases at RAF Woodbridge and RAF Bentwaters, on the edge of the forest, witnessed strange lights through the trees, in the sky and over fields. Some even claimed to have seen a strange craft that had landed in the Suffolk woodlands. One said he touched hieroglyphics on its side that caused the machine to light up and had a peculiar psychological effect on him.

Yesterday, the master storytellers and event organisers of Minimum Labyrinth, took a coach party on a trip from London to Rendlesham Forest. I was among the group. On the journey there we were entertained with a recording of the facts, tales and growing legends of what occurred on those winter nights at the height of the Cold War and what has been said or discovered since. After lunch at Black Tiles - an excellent pub - we were taken on a guided walk on the UFO trail from gates of the MOD base to the supposed landing site. The pictures on this page are a few I took while I was there.

On the walk, a particularly uncanny thing was seen by all - a group of strange lights through the trees, moving slowly from side to side. I don't think they were caused by aliens, but I have no idea quite what they were.

Minimum Labyrinth plans to run more dates dependent on demand. You can contact the group to be added to the mailing list to hear about further dates.

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/02/the-bad-witch-goes-ufo-spotting-at.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/08/witch-room-tales-ufos-papers-all-over.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/07/pagan-eye-cley-hill-in-wiltshire.html

Witch Room Tales: UFOs & Papers All Over the Place

At the moment I can't use my witch room for witchcraft. There are papers all over the floor and it wasn't me who put them there - my husband did that while I was on holiday.

I'm not actually complaining about it though. At least, not yet. My hubby asked me if, while I was away, he could go through my late dad's collection of newspaper cuttings and reports about UFOs from the 1960s and 70s. My dad, who wrote about the paranormal and unexplained under the name Valerian Starza, was absolutely fascinated by flying saucers. He believed he had seen one during the war when he was fighting in Italy under General Anders. That started his big interest in unexplained phenomena.

My hubby has long wanted to sort out my dad's UFO papers - which he has been called the Starza Files - and either write a blog or a book using the information. I'm glad he is now getting on with that, although I do hope the papers are off my witch room floor before I next have friends around for some tea and magic.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/04/tales-from-witch-room-pointy-hats.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/02/witch-room-tales-saving-alan-leos-papers.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/12/tales-from-witch-room-decorating-done.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/02/the-bad-witch-goes-ufo-spotting-at.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/06/remembering-my-dad-on-fathers-day.html

Learning: Investigating the Origins of the Paranormal

Goldsmiths University is running an evening course starting on 26 April called Investigating the Origins of the Paranormal: Reality, Entertainment and Manipulation. The tutor is Dr Justin Woodman, who I previously heard talk at Seriously Possessed and Cthulhu and Contemporary Occultures.

Here are the details about Investigating the Origins of the Paranormal: Reality, Entertainment and Manipulation from Goldmsith's website:

Paranormal beliefs have become extremely widespread in recent years, and are now a focus of many forms of popular entertainment (with paranormal themes informing many contemporary films, TV dramas and reality shows). Why is this? Why do so many of us believe in paranormal phenomena such as ghosts, UFOs, and Bigfoot? Are such beliefs harmful or even dangerous?

In examining the origins, history and contemporary significance of the paranormal, this course critically uncovers some of the ways in which paranormal beliefs not only help us in dealing with the anxieties of living in a rapidly changing, globalised world, but also how those beliefs have been subject to political manipulation around issues of race and national identity.

Whilst social media and online sources have played an important role in popularising the paranormal, these sources often offer incomplete and uncritical perspectives; alternatively, this course offers participants the opportunity to discuss and debate the contemporary importance of the paranormal in an engaged, academically-informed and enthusiastic manner with Justin Woodman: a social scientist and anthropologist who has researched the impact and significance of paranormal for the past 15 years..

This is an introductory ten-week short course with weekly sessions on Thursdays from 6.30pm-8.30pm at Goldsmiths, University of London, New Cross, London SE14 6NW. It runs from Thursday, 26 April. The cost for the course is £260.

You can find out more here: https://www.gold.ac.uk/short-courses/origins-of-the-paranormal/

School: Investigating the Origins of the Paranormal

Goldsmiths University is running a course this autumn called Investigating the Origins of the Paranormal: Reality, Entertainment and Manipulation. Here are the details from the website:

Paranormal beliefs have become extremely widespread in recent years, and are now a focus of many forms of popular entertainment (with paranormal themes informing many contemporary films, TV dramas and reality shows). Why is this? Why do so many of us believe in paranormal phenomena such as ghosts, UFOs, and Bigfoot? Are such beliefs harmful or even dangerous?
In examining the origins, history and contemporary significance of the paranormal, this course critically uncovers some of the ways in which paranormal beliefs not only help us in dealing with the anxieties of living in a rapidly changing, globalised world, but also how those beliefs have been subject to political manipulation around issues of race and national identity.

This is a 10-week short course with tutor Dr Justin Woodman. Weekly sessions are from 6.30pm-8.30pm at Goldsmiths, University of London. It starts on Thursday, 5 Oct 2017. The fees for the entire course are £260.

You can find out more here: http://www.gold.ac.uk/short-courses/origins-of-the-paranormal/

This Week's Pagan Events In and Near London

Here is a list events over the next week or so that could be of interest to pagans. Most of them are in London, but a few are in other parts of southern England. If you know of an event that you want listed, please email the details to me at badwitch1234@gmail.com.

Wednesday 3 May; Let's Meditate - group meditation. Venue: Buddha on a Bicycle, Covent Garden, London. Starts 6pm. Donations of £3 recommended. Details: http://www.meetup.com/meditation-trust-london/

Wednesday 3 May; Healing With the Tao. Talk with Mantak Chia organised by Alternatives. Venue: St James's Church, 197 Piccadilly, W1J 9LL, Doors open 6.30pm. Event starts: 7pm. Tickets £10/£15 online. For more details and to book tickets http://www.alternatives.org.uk/

Wednesday 3 May; The Ancient Wisdom Teachings. Venue: The Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place London, W1U 8EA. Time: 7pm. Entry: Donations welcome. https://www.meetup.com/Theosophical-Society-in-London/

Wednesday 3 May; Chill Out with Rachael of Welford Wellbeing. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Rd, London E9 7AD. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £20. http://www.sheslostcontrol.co.uk/

Wednesday 3 May; Greenwich Skeptics in the Pub - Is it Time to Ditch the Tin Foil Hat? What psychology can tell us about belief in conspiracy theories. Talk by Christopher Thresher-Andrews. Venue: The Star and Garter, 60 Old Woolwich Road, Greenwich, London SE10 9NY. Time: 7.30pm. Details: http://greenwich.skepticsinthepub.org/

Thursday 4 May; Mood, UFOs and the Supernatural. Talk about the changing emotional landscape of the UFO by Greg Eghigian. Venue: The Horse Hospital, Colonnade, London WC1N 1JD. Time: 6pm. Tickets free but must be booked online: qmulemotions.eventbrite.com

Thursday 4 May; Soul Story: Evolution and the Purpose of Life. Talk and book signing with Tim Freke. Venue: 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 4 May; LDN Talks at Night: Beyond Ayahuasca. Venue: 182 Stoke Newington Road, London. Time: 7pm. Tickets £10. http://uk.funzing.com/funz/10131/

Thursday 4 May; Tantra and Trance Possession Tantra History Lecture 2 with Phil Hine. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.30pm. Ticket price £8. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Friday 5 May; Unconditional Self-Love: The Key to Healing, True Love. Lecture by Blake Bauer at the College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm. Cost: £14/£16. Advance booking recommended. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Friday 5 May; Earthstars Group Meeting. Earthstars group, The Perpetual Choirs and the Earthstar. Multimedia presentation by Giles Bryant and Chris Street. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Rd, London NW1 6XT. Time: doors open 7pm, talk at 7.30pm. Entry £12.  https://www.facebook.com/Earthstars-Sacred-Space-104790729559515/

Friday 5 May; Holistic Sound Bath Meditation - Summoning The Sacred. Venue Training Points Fitness and Therapy, 5-6 Coopers Yard, Crystal Palace, SE19 1TN. Entry £25. https://www.facebook.com/events/751432495029980/

Saturday 6 May - Tuesday 23 May; Hay House World Summit 2017. Series of free online talks on mind, body, spirit subjects. For more details and to sign up visit: https://www.hayhouseworldsummit.com/

Saturday 6 - Sunday 7 May; For Good or For Ill: How Has Religion Shaped Society? Weekend of talks, part of a year-long festival called Belief and Beyond Belief about what it means to be human. Venue: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. Weekend tickets £25. More details and booking: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/festivals-series/belief-and-beyond-belief

Saturday 6 - Sunday 7 May; Elements of Magic Weekend Intensive in Glastonbury. Journeying together through air, fire, water, earth and spirit, we will work with the tools of trance, movement, sound, silence, divination and more. This is the first of the four core classes of Reclaiming, a tradition of Witchcraft. Venue: Close to centre of Glastonbury, Somerset. Cost : £130-£200 sliding scale
More details https://www.facebook.com/events/425824621094319/ or contact raven@greenwomancrafts.com

Saturday 6 May: Workshop with Tim Addey: Orpheus, Plato and Myths of Initiation hosted by New Acropolis UK. Venue: New Acropolis UK, 19 Compton Terrace, Lodnon N1 2UN. Time: 10.15am - 5.30pm. Tickets £45. newacropolisuk.org

Saturday 6 May; Chants for Enchantment - Afternoon Mini-workshop with Hannah Sanders. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 3pm. Ticket price £20. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Sunday 7 May; Meditation at Russell Brands Trew Era Cafe, 30 Whitmore Road, London N1 5QA. Starts 10.15am. Free event. Details: https://www.meetup.com/meditation-trust-london/

Sunday 7 May; Beltane/May Day on Primrose Hill with the Loose Association of Druids. Open ritual hosted by Jeremy Morgan, the Druid of Wormwood Scrubbs. Venue: The Hawthorne Grove, Primrose Hill, Regents Park, London NW1. Gather at 12.45pm for 1pm start, ends at around 2.30pm. Nearest tube: Chalk Farm.

Sunday 7 May; Call of The Ancestors walking meditation organised by London Practical Witchcraft Theory and Practice. Meet at Stepping Stones Pub, Westhumble Street, Nr Dorking, RH5 6BS at 1pm to later walk to attune with nature. Donations welcome. Bring a picnic. https://www.meetup.com/Grove-of-The-Green-Goddess/

Sunday 7 May; Woodland Beltane Gathering and Maypole Dancing with London Woodland Witches Magicians and Outdoor Pagans. Venue: Outdoor location Queen's Woods, Highgate. North London. Meet at The Woodmans' pub garden  from 1pm then go to the woods at 2pm. Cost £3. You must be a member of this group and reserve a place in advance. Wear outdoor clothes and bring food and drink to share. Details and bookings: https://www.meetup.com/London-Woodland-Witches-Outdoor-Pagans/

Sunday 7 May; The Ageless Wisdom For Everyone. Venue: The Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place London, W1U 8EA. Time: 2pm. Entry: Donations welcome. Details: https://www.meetup.com/Theosophical-Society-in-London/

Sunday 7 May; Let's Meet Up in the Dance with the Movement Medicine Women's Circle, Venue: Siobhan Dance Studio, 85 St George's Rd, London SE1 6ER,. Time: 3pm. Entry £15. https://www.meetup.com/Movement-Medicine-Womens-Circle/

Sunday 7 May; The Laws of Nature. Venue: The Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place London, W1U 8EA. Time: 4pm. Entry: Donations welcome. Details: https://www.meetup.com/Theosophical-Society-in-London/

Monday 8 May; Living Gracefully in Changing Times. Talk by Miranda Macpherson, author of The Journey Home, organised by Alternatives. Venue: St James's Church, 197 Piccadilly, W1J 9LL, Doors open 6.30pm. Event starts: 7pm. Tickets £8/£12 online. For more details and to book tickets http://www.alternatives.org.uk/

Monday 8 May; London Energy Share - Healing Share, Venue: The Skylight Centre, 49 Corsica Street London N5 1JT. Time: 7pm. Cost £10. https://www.meetup.com/londonhealingshare/

Monday 8 May; Sex and the Sea Priestess: Dion Fortune's Quest for a Western Tantra. Lecture by James North. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.30pm. Ticket price £8. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Tuesday 9 May; Austin Osman Spare private view of new exhibition. Event by The Last Tuesday Society. Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. Time: 6pm. Tickets free but must be booked in advance. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/austin-osman-spare-an-exhibition-the-hendricks-private-view-tickets-32664825372

Tuesday 9 May; South London Wicca Meetup. Nova Stellar Presents an Evening With Terry Dobney. Venue: The Castle, 34-35 Cowcross Street, London EC1M 6DB. Time: Doors open 7pm, talk starts at 8pm. Entry £3. You must be a member of the meetup group to reserve a place on this event: http://www.meetup.com/South-London-Wicca-Meetup/

Wednesday 10 May; Stillness and Meditation at Mandeville Place. Venue: School of Economic Science, 11-13 Mandeville Place, London. Free lunchtime event starting 1pm. https://www.meetup.com/Light-in-London/

Wednesday 10 May; Let's Meditate - group meditation. Venue: Buddha on a Bicycle, Covent Garden, London. Starts 6pm. Donations of £3 recommended. Details: http://www.meetup.com/meditation-trust-london/

Wednesday 10 May; The Ancient Wisdom Teachings. Venue: The Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place London, W1U 8EA. Time: 7pm. Entry: Donations welcome. Details: https://www.meetup.com/Theosophical-Society-in-London/

Wednesday 10 May; Smokey Quartz Full Moon Magic with Wolf Sister. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Rd, London E9 7AD. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £30. http://www.sheslostcontrol.co.uk/

Thursday 11 May; Witchcraft of Enchantment for the solitary witch Moon Two. London venue, details tba. Time: 7pm. Details and reservations: https://www.meetup.com/The-London-Wicca-Meetup-Group/

Thursday 11 May; The Druid Order Open Meeting. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.30pm. Entry £5. http://druidorder.macmate.me/meetings.html

Thursday 11 May; Chambers of Light Ceremony - Shamanic Journey Skills Needed - with Behind The Veil - Shamanism. Venue: The Hall, St Philips Church, Earls Court Road, London W8 6QH. Time: 7.30pm. Price: £28. https://www.meetup.com/Behind-The-Veil-Shamanism/

Thursday 11 May, Bedlam. Talk by Catharine Arnold at Folklore Society (SELFS). Venue: The Old King's Head, Kings Head Yard, 45-49 Borough High St, London SE1 1NA. Entry: £3/£1.50 concessions. Time: 8pm. (Meetings are normally the second Thursday of each month.) http://www.selfs.org.uk/ To guarantee a seat, email nigelofbermondsey@gmail.com

Friday 12 May; Oasis of Sound - Sound Bath and Mantra with Anne Malone. Organised by the Oasis of Sound Meetup Group. Venue: The Life Centre Islington, Brittania Row, London. Tickets £15. Time: Afternoon (tba) Details: https://www.meetup.com/Oasis-of-Sound-Sound-Bath-n-Sound-Scape/

Friday 12 May; Gallery Talk - More Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses. Venue: Room 4, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Time: 1.15pm. Free, just turn up. For more details visit: https://www.britishmuseum.org/

Friday 12 May; Looking After a Loved One or Friend Nearing the End of Life. Lecture by Felicity Warner at the College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm. Cost: £14/£16. Advance booking recommended. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 13 May; Crystal Angel Workshop. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Rd, London, SE9 6SH. Tickets: £20/£40. Time: 11am-4pm. For details or to book a place email shirlee@wiccamoon.org.uk or call 020 8850 7803.

Saturday 13 May; Crossed Palms Psychic Fayre hosted by Crossed Palms. Stalls, readers, talks and workshops. Proceeds will be going to The Children's Trust. This is an event run in tandem with The Witches Inn. Venue: Q's, 9 Queensway, Redhill, RH1 1QT. Time: 11am - 5pm. Free admission. Details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1833284793660753/

Sunday 14 May; Meditation at Russell Brands Trew Era Cafe, 30 Whitmore Road, London N1 5QA. Starts 10.15am. Free event. Details: https://www.meetup.com/meditation-trust-london/

Sunday 14 May; Pagan Pride London hosted by The Pagan Federation London. Starts at: Russell Square, London. Time: 1pm - 5pm. Free public event. Details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1778613145801243/  and http://london.paganfed.org/

Sunday 14 May; The Crick Crack Club presents Mr Sandmann: bringer of dreams and nightmares (storytelling). Venue: BP Lecture Theatre, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Time: 2.30pm. Tickets £8, advance booking essential. For more details visit: https://www.britishmuseum.org/

Note: I do not organise any of these events. Although I try to make sure the details on my listing are accurate, I do not always know about late changes or ticket availability etc. Please contact the organiser before attending any event.

Magic School: Anthropology, Paranormal and Culture

Goldsmiths University is running a course this autumn called Anthropology, The Paranormal, and Popular Culture. Here are the details from the website:

On this course, we explore what is meant by 'the paranormal', and examine the claim that the intersection between paranormal beliefs with popular culture – both online and within televisual media (including films, TV dramas and reality shows such as the ‘Paranormal Activity’ franchise, ‘Supernatural’ and ‘Most Haunted’’) - constitutes an alternative to ‘traditional’ forms of religiosity in contemporary Euro-American societies. Specifically, we will examine what the proliferation of beliefs in ghosts, ufos, psychic powers, and Bigfoot in popular culture can tell us about modern society. Drawing on a multidisciplinary academic perspectives – including anthropology, folklore studies, psychology, sociology, and cultural and media studies – we will investigate the psychological mechanisms and socio-cultural contexts that shape our interest in and fascination with the paranormal.

This is a ten-week short course with weekly sessions from 6.30pm-8.30pm at Goldsmiths, University of London.

It runs from Thursday, 6 October 2016 - Thursday, 15 December 2016. The cost for the course is £260.

You can book here: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/anthropology-the-paranormal-and-popular-culture-goldsmiths-university-tickets-25511189655

News: Burning Times, Witchcraft, Aliens, Pagans

"Monk admits telling lesbian witches: 'We used to burn people like you'" - story at The Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/11775991/Monk-admits-telling-lesbian-witches-We-used-to-burn-people-like-you.html

"Life-threatening witchcraft accusations still a grim reality for women worldwide" - story at Daily Buzz: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-buzz/life-threatening-witchcraft-accusations-still-a-grim-reality-for-women-worldwide-174354467.html

"Rights groups laud Witchcraft Act" - story at eKantipur: http://www.ekantipur.com/2015/08/01/national/rights-groups-laud-witchcraft-act/408747.html

"2,000-Year-Old Strange 'Alien' Skeleton Unearthed in Russia!" - story at Latinos Post: http://www.latinospost.com/articles/68187/20150730/2-000-year-old-strange-alien-skeleton-unearthed-russia-details.htm

"In Memorium: Deborah Ann Light — Conservationist, Feminist, Pagan Priestess" - story at East End Beacon: http://www.eastendbeacon.com/2015/07/24/in-memorium-deborah-ann-light-conservationist-feminist-pagan-priestess/

"GP Taylor: Tempted to pin my hopes on paganism" - story at The Yorkshire Post: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/debate/columnists/gp-taylor-tempted-to-pin-my-hopes-on-paganism-1-7347055

"Shadow of the Horns: An interview with Lucifer" - interview with an occult rock musician at treble: http://www.treblezine.com/24628-lucifer-interview-shadow-horns/

Pagan Eye: Cley Hill in Wiltshire

For those hoping to catch a glimpse of alien visitors from other worlds, Cley Hill is UFO central. Apparently there have been hundreds, if not thousands, of strange lights spotted in the sky from the Wiltshire hill over the past 50 years or so. It is quite close to Cradle Hill, which I visited earlier this year and is also considered to be a UFO hotspot.

I drove past Cley Hill on my way back from Glastonbury Festival after my sat nav decided to take me on a cross-country scenic route rather than via main roads. I didn't see any flying saucers or little green men while I was there. As a pagan, my interest in the site is more that there is an ancient burial mound at the top and rare orchids grow on its grassy slopes.

The description on Megalithic Portal simply says: "Hillfort in Wiltshire. A freestanding hill with views in all directions, owned by the National Trust. Part has been damaged by chalk quarrying in the past. There is a round barrow on top. Apparently orchids can be found growing here."

My Pagan Eye posts show photos that I find interesting - seasonal images, pagan sites, events, or just pretty pictures. If you want to send me a photo for a Pagan Eye post, please email it to badwitch1234@gmail.com Let me know what the photo shows and whether you want your name mentioned or not. For copyright reasons, the photo must be one you have taken yourself.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire/moonraking/spooky_ufo.shtml
http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=8364
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/02/the-bad-witch-goes-ufo-spotting-at.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/07/glastonbury-learning-to-live-in.html

Magic School: Anthropology of the Paranormal

City Lit, in London, is running a five-week course called Anthropology of the Paranormal this summer.

The course uses an anthropological approach to paranormal beliefs in contemporary European and American societies - including ghosts, psychic powers, UFOs and monsters - to examine the cultural meanings of these modern types of folklore.

The lessons are on Mondays from 1pm to 3pm, starting on 20 July 2015 and finishing on 17 August. They take place at City Lit, Keeley Street, Covent Garden, Camden, London WC2B 4BA.

Full fee: £82
Senior fee:£57
Concession:£36

For more details, visit: http://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/anthropology-of-the-paranormal or call 020 7831 7831 to enrol.

The Bad Witch Goes UFO Spotting at Cradle Hill

That picture at the top shows me at spot I last visited in the 1960s. Yes, I was very little then. I was taken to that spot, which is the top of Cradle Hill in Wiltshire, by my father who was a keen UFO spotter. Back then there was something of a UFO flap taking place in the area. Local journalist Arthur Shuttlewood and his friends claimed to have spotted hundreds of unidentified flying objects from that hill in just a few weeks in 1965.

I'm going to be be straightforward here and say I am a UFO sceptic. I accept the possibility that if there is intelligent life on other planets then just maybe some ETs have paid a visit to earth, but I have never personally seen a UFO or an extra terrestrial. I would want to consider all the possibilities when anyone says they have seen strange lights in the sky.

My dad, on the other hand, was a true believer. He said he had seen a UFO during WWII when he was a soldier fighting at Monte Cassino. Both sides fired at a strange craft that appeared overhead, which he took as evidence that neither side thought it was theirs. It then flew off in a manner that was unlike any aeroplane the soldiers recognised. That was my dad's story, and he was just a little obsessed with finding out the truth. And this is the reason I have many childhood memories of standing around in muddy fields with my parents, and being very disappointed at not seeing any flying saucers.

Last week I was on the way to Glastonbury for a short spring break with my hubby, when he suggested we stop on the way to visit Cradle Hill. It was a lovely day for a country walk, and the view from the top was good. Although we seemed quite alone there that morning, graffiti on the wall of a large barn (photographed to the right and below) informed us otherwise. It seems UFO spotters still visit Cradle Hill 50 years after Arthur Shuttlewood made the area famous.

Mind you, although I didn't see any UFOs, something slightly strange did happen while I was there. The batteries on my camera and my husband's phone suddenly drained completely just after we started taking photos. Then when I got out my phone, all I got was a message saying "Sim not recognised".  Cue that spooky electronic refrain...

News: UFO Could Be Hovering Over Primrose Hill

People walking on Primrose Hill, in North London, have reported hearing a strange humming sound coming from the sky and from all directions. Some people have speculated that it might be a UFO. You can read the full story on the London 24 website: http://www.london24.com/news/health/ministry_of_defence_expert_probes_new_primrose_hill_ufo_hum_reports_1_1388450

News: Police called out for 28 UFOs

Humberside police have been called out to investigate 28 UFOs in the past five years, according to a story on the This Is Hull and East Riding website. Two ghosts, two zombies, a witch and a warlock were also reported to the police in that time.

As the news article points out, there is very little the police can do about aliens or supernatural creatures - unless, presumably, they are committing a crime. And being a witch has been legal in Britain since 1951, when the Witchcraft Act was repealed.

If you do happen to see a UFO, ghost, zombie or any other strange thing, probably the best thing to do is take photos and post them on the internet immediately. I am sure you will soon get a huge number of paranormal investigators turn up to help you verify your sighting and possibly save you from alien abduction.

Of course, if you spot someone in a fancy dress costume trying to break into your house or steal your car, call the police on 999 straight away.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/news/gonna-999/article-3608668-detail/article.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/04/news-ufos-zombies-ghosts-and-witches.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witchcraft_Acts

News: UFOs, zombies, ghosts and witches seen in Wales

Police in Wales have released details of the number of times they have been called out to investigate UFOs, zombies, ghosts and witches during the past five years.

Dyfed Powys Police said they received 14 reports of UFO sightings, 26 reports of ghosts, 11 phone calls about witches and reports of a pair of zombies and vampires.

Many of the calls made about witches turned out to be from a person with known mental health problems. Seeing as Wales must contain many hundreds of real witches, it just goes to show that most are very law-abiding and discrete seeing as the police had so few genuine complaints about them.

The full story is reported on the County Times website at: http://www.countytimes.co.uk/news/101792/ufo-zombie-ghost-and-witch-sightings-revealed.aspx

Crop Circles

Crop circles continue to fascinate people. They are often amazingly complex designs that appear overnight in fields of crops without anyone witnessing who made them or how.

They first came to public attention on 14 July 1988, when one was spotted on Silbury Hill, the mysterious neolithic earth mound in Wiltshire. It was a simple pattern of circles that seemed to defy rational explanation. The Atlas of the Super Natural, published in 1990, said: "The walls of the standing crops defining the circle are perfectly sharp. The evidence clearly excluded human agency."

Since then, people have claimed responsibility for creating that circle and even shown how they made it, using planks of wood to flatten the crops. The website circlemakers.org is a forum for crop circle makers, describing the techniques used, and clearly proves that at least a large number of crop circles are man made.

Nevertheless, the debate still rages over whether all crop circles are of human construction. The website Crop Circle Secrets says:

"Crop circles are scientifically proven to be manifestations of energy under intelligent guidance. Over 80 eyewitnesses describe them to be made by tubes of light, in less than fifteen seconds, and this was once proved by a Japanese camera crew in 1990. The evidence for crop circles as a genuine phenomenon is found in Freddy Silva's book Secrets In The Fields."

Crop circles were around before 1988, and were given a variety of explanations. An English woodcut from the 17th Century, called The Mowing Devil, shows a demonic figure creating a circle in a field. In 1966, an Australian farmer claimed to see a flying saucer hovering over a sugar cane field. When he went to investigate, he found a flattened circle below where he said he saw the craft hovering. In the early 1980s, mysterious flattened circles in crops growing in Surrey where blamed on a freak storm.

The early reports described shapes that were simple circular patterns. Since then, crop circles have become increasingly more elaborate.

Last month, timesonline reported a massive pattern in a field in Wiltshire that has been identified as a mathematical symbol depicting the first 10 digits of Pi. Debate rages over whether it is the work of aliens trying to communicate with us, or a group of clever engineering students prepared to get up at dawn, which is 4am in mid June.

The picture above shows a friend of mine sitting in a crop circle. She said: "I tried sitting in the middle and waiting for the mothership, but it never came for me. I guess even aliens get fed up with spirographs pretty quickly."

What do you think? Are all crop circles man made? Are those that currently defy explanation just very clever hoaxes or are they caused by something else - natural or supernatural? Could freak storms cause these patterns or are aliens trying to tell us something using complex symbols in our fields? Is there some other paranormal explanation - perhaps mischievous imps or fairy folk with a knowledge of maths?

Leave a comment on my blog to have your say. If you have any pictures of crop circles, email them to me at badwitch1234@gmail.com

Photo by DMWCarol

Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crop_circle
http://www.cropcircleconnector.com/interface2005.htm
www.circlemakers.org/
skepdic.com/cropcirc.html
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article4160477.ece
www.cropcircleresearch.com/
http://home.clara.net/lovely/crop_circles_early.html
http://www.cropcirclesecrets.org/