Review: The Science Spell Book by Dr. Cara Florance

I might be a witch but I also love science so I was delighted to review The Science Spell Book by Dr Cara Florance. It's a children's book designed to inspire kids to experiment with all sorts of things that seem magical but are firmly scientific. It's activity-based with oodles of exciting things to try, inspired by potions, sorcery, alchemy and transformations. 

Here's the description from publisher Sourcebooks:

"Have you ever wanted to brew a potion, conjure a spell, or cast a hex? The Science Spell Book is your guide to everything magical – using science! Written by biochemist Dr. Cara Florance, this enchanting Halloween activity book is perfect for witches of all ages, making it a great way for adults to share science and magic with their children. Each experiment includes simple instructions, diagrams, and an explanation of the science behind each magical experiment."

Reading it took me back to my school days - in a good way. The first "spell", for example, is a herbal elixir that changes colour when you add lemon juice. I can imagine children being enchanted to watch this happen and have a lovely butterfly pea tea to drink. It works because the flowers act as a pH indicator, so change from blue to pink when the acidic lemon is added to the brew. I remember being fascinated by litmus paper tests in classes, but this experiment is an even more fun way to learn about an basic aspect of chemistry. 

Moving on from this, a further seemingly magical experiment, where a liquid changes colour just by breathing on it, shows how the water in our rivers and oceans can become acidic due to excess CO2 in the atmosphere. This is an important lesson in how humans are damaging the environment and how essential it is to reduce emissions. 

Further chapters cover: 

• Electricity, including making a wand that glows at the tip
• Magnetism, including making an oracle a bit like the old Magic Robot game (if you are old enough to recall that!)
• Alchemy, including making paints and pigments from natural materials
• Mimicry, including growing crystals. This conjured another nostalgic memory of doing this in school!

Although The Science Spell Book is for kids, I love it. I believe it would inspire youngsters to see the wonder of nature and learn science can be fun. Dressing the projects up in the form of spells gives them extra appeal. 

My only criticism is that author Dr Cara Florance hasn't researched pagan traditions as much as science. The two times she mentions specific pagan practices, she's a bit off-mark. She writes that runes are used by Wiccans. They're really more generally associated with Heathenry. She also describes Druids as dancing around megalithic stones, when they would more likely be in a grove of trees. That criticism is a very minor one though. Overall, this book is brilliant.

You can view The Science Spell Book at Amazon.

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

Pagan Eye: The Temple of Isis at Dion in Greece

This is the temple of Isis at Dion, an archeological park at Mount Olympus in Greece. Over the past couple of weeks I've been sharing pictures taken at Dion by someone who reads my blog, and this is another. Dion contains the archaeological remains of sanctuaries from the Hellenistic and Roman periods and the park shows the importance of the location in ancient times.

The temple to Isis was built there in the 2nd century BC under the instructions of Alexander the Great. Earlier temples had been devoted to Aphrodite and Artemis, the latter seen as the goddess of childbirth.  Isis Lochia, an aspect of Isis who also protects women after childbirth, was particularly venerated at Dion. I'm happy to honour Isis Lochia at the moment, as my niece recently gave birth to a beautiful daughter who I saw for the first time at the weekend.

I'll be sharing a few more pictures from Dion over the next weeks. 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. 

The photo is copyright the photographer and used here with permission

Links and other previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/11/pagan-eye-spring-of-dionysus-at-dion-in.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/10/pagan-eye-medusa-mozaic-at-dion-in.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2020/05/book-excerpt-pagan-portals-isis-great.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/03/london-goddesses-isis-her-temple-by.html

Review: Once Around the Sun: Stories, Crafts & Recipes

Once Around the Sun: Stories, Crafts, and Recipes to Celebrate the Sacred Earth Year is a new book by Druid Ellen Evert Hopman aimed at helping children learn about Pagan traditions. It is gorgeously illustrated and contains original stories based on folk tales from around the world about Gods, Goddesses, and seasonal customs. As well as stories, there are practical projects for each festival in the Wheel of the Year including crafting, cookery, and herb lore.

On its website, Publisher Inner Traditions offers these words: 

"Once upon a time, when only candles lit the inside of homes and people traveled on foot or by horse, the family would finish their supper, wash and dry the dishes, and sit down before the hearth to hear a tale. These tales were not only entertaining but also passed down both history and tradition to the next generation. And as the wheel of the year turned, these tales also served to teach the children about holy days and festivals and the Gods and Goddesses who reigned over the changing seasons.

"In this beautifully illustrated book, Ellen Evert Hopman shares rich stories drawn from traditional folktales, hands-on crafts, and seasonal recipes to help families and classrooms learn about and celebrate traditional holy days and festivals of the sacred earth year."

The tales are based on folklore from around the world. I was particularly delighted to read about Kupalnocka, the Polish feast of wreaths at midsummer. This chapter not only includes instructions for making a flower crown, but also a recipe for cherry pierogi - one of my favourite foods! Other mythology covered includes the Cailleach, the ancient Gaelic Goddess of Winter; La Befana, the Italian new year’s witch; Eostre, an Anglo-Saxon Goddess of spring; Yule among the Vikings; and Brigid, who is celebrated with doll-making and protective magic at Imbolc in Ireland.

There's a demand for more Pagan books for children, and this is a lovely addition to what's already available. 

Once Around the Sun: Stories, Crafts, and Recipes to Celebrate the Sacred Earth Year, will be on sale in April in the US, and May in the UK. It is available for pre-order at Destiny Books, which is the publisher's imprint. In the UK you can view the book on Amazon.  You can also order in some countries via Simon and Schuster.

Previous posts on books for Pagan Children
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/01/interview-pagan-childrens-book-author.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/10/review-journey-back-to-great-before.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/03/review-wimps-guide-to-supernatural.html

Interview: Pagan Children's Book Author Debi Gregory

Here's an interview with Debi Gregory, Pagan Federation Community Award Winner 2020 and author of a book for Pagan children called The Elemenpals.

Q: I understand that The Elemenpals is a children’s book with a story about woodland creatures, which teaches about the elements and caring for Mother Earth. Can you tell me a bit more about it?

A: So, the Pals are essentially the children of the elements. There’s a lot of narrative out there about elemental beings and their power and whatnot but very little about any juvenile, learning years. So this is the Pals learning about the Earth and her children, creatures and all of nature. The book is essentially the introduction into their stories and the world they inhabit.

Q: What inspired you to write it?

A: My daughter, when she was about seven. She’s autistic and we’ve struggled with her sleeping patterns her whole life. In the process of trying out various bed time routines and stories that enhance a feeling of peace and sleepiness, she asked me if there were any stories about people like her, but all the ones I found including neurominority children were very chaotic. They were stereotyped and didn’t actually represent who she is at all, so I started telling her about these little elemental imps. One of the characters, Menme, is non-verbal and autistic and one character, Gwynt, has ADHD and communication difficulties, but none of this is explicitly stated in the book. It’s not a plot point, it’s just who they are. Menme speaks with hands and expression and Gwynt is easily frustrated when words are needed. So my daughter now had characters that reflected her and her cousin and her brother but who just fit in, without needing to explain or justify them.

Q: How would you describe your Pagan path and how does that influence your writing?

A: I’ve been Pagan for a little over twenty years now and I’ve explored it all from Wicca to Heathenry and everything between. I don’t tend to divulge exactly what my personal practice is as I feel it’s private but there’s definitely some aspects of Witchcraft, Druidry, Animism and Heathenry, to reflect who I am, reflect my ancestors and my creative expression and also my affinity with science. 

Q: You are very active in the pagan community, championing inclusivity and dealing with social media for the charity Pagan Aid. Can you tell me a bit more about your work in those areas?

A: I worked for the Pagan Federation for around six years and I helped them to create many of their resources for supporting marginalised Pagans, which they still use now. I try to run the social media for Pagan Aid, which funds projects that fight poverty in Earth-friendly ways, but I’ve found myself very busy so I’m looking for people to help me expand that team across the various social media platforms. 

PaganAid is the only charity of its kind in the community and we fund projects across the whole world such as our latest one to aid the conservation of the Amazon rainforest. 

Q: What would be your top advice for Pagan parents and for young people and children who are interested in Paganism?

A: I would say read everything but take it all with a pinch of salt. There are so many folk coming to Paganism right now after watching modern televised versions of historical or fantasy narratives and that’s fine, whatever resonates with you. It was certainly that way for many of the people I’ve met. But that can lead to a very superficial and limited understanding of the faith community. Immerse yourself in it! There are so many books, blogs, podcasts and groups out there full of information. Just devour it all and then take out what resonates with you personally because the only person who has to answer for your beliefs to yourself and any deities you may devote yourself to is you. It’s all about your growth and your spiritual enrichment. 

For parents, I would say to stand back and watch the kids work. Children are smart, insightful and adventurous by their very nature, it’s how their brains are wired. They may not all be adventurous or express their knowledge and excitement in the same way but it’s still there, and giving them the room to grow without too much interference is actually the best thing you can do. Just give them the opportunities they need to experience as much as possible and their miraculous minds will do the rest! I always say that we can learn as much from our children as they can learn from us and, as told by Vygotsky, children are active agents in their own learning. We just need to encourage that as best we can. 

Q: What are you working towards at the moment?

A: Mostly I’m just focusing on my academics. I’m doing a lot of work with my university and others in supporting neurominority students and it’s taking up a lot of my time. Not very exciting in terms of the Pagan community though, I’m afraid.

Q: Do you have any plans to write another book in the future, and if so what topic?

A: I have seven other Elemenpals books already written and have been considering my publishing options. I also have a project in the works with my dear friend Mabh Savage. We’re exploring the ways that our faith and faith community can support parenting and family life and what we can learn from our faith culture and heritage to enrich our families as we develop, both as parents and as individuals. So that’s rather exciting! 

Q: Is there anything else you would like to say?

A: It’s really important to me that people recognise that the book is more than a simple story. It’s been written specifically with child development in mind, empowering children to take control of the narrative and engendering a feeling of personal ownership for the reader. The characters are diverse and left ambiguous at the same time, to allow readers to put their own world into that world and bring them together. With this book and the sequels, the children are in charge and that’s a gift that all children should have.

You can view The Elemenpals on Amazon and on publisher Moon Books' website.

Pagan Eye: Toys & Dreams at the Museum of Childhood

This tableau depicting dolls observing toys coming alive at night is part of an exhibition called Dream On at the V and A Museum of Childhood. In the background are children's descriptions of their dreams with photos illustrating them.

The exhibition is surreal and beautiful - and is suitable for both adults and children to go and see. I would recommend it if you are interested in the worlds of dreams and the imagination. It is free to get in and runs until January 2019.

I have always been fascinated by dolls and toys and their associations with the magical and the fantastical - one of the reasons I wrote a book on Poppets and Magical Dolls. The  Museum of Childhood also contains a few other magical dolls from around the world, which I will be blogging about in the future.

The Museum of Childhood is at Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 9PA. Admission is free.

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.

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/10/review-what-dwells-within-haunted-dolls.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/12/shop-bewitching-anthropomorphica-dolls.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/02/the-strange-dolls-and-magical-worlds-of.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/03/pagan-eye-easter-bunnies-with-attitude.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/12/first-copies-pagan-portals-poppets.html

Review: Natural Born Shamans - Teaching Children

Books that show ways of teaching pagan subjects to children are few and far between. Good ones are even rarer, but Natural Born Shamans - A Spiritual Toolkit for Life, about using shamanism creatively with young people of all ages, does that brilliantly.

The author, shamanic practitioner Imelda Almqvist, has heaps of practical experience as she teaches a training group for young people called the Time Travellers.

As well as explaining how to run sessions for children, the book contains 32 tried and tested plans for classes Imelda has run - and they sound amazing. If you are a pagan parent and want to include some shamanic work with your own children, this really is the book to read.

The book also details of rites of passage suitable for both young people and adults - it really is intended to help parents themselves as well as offering advice on bringing up children in a shamanic way.

Publisher Moon Books says on its website:

Natural Born Shamans - A Spiritual Toolkit for Life covers all aspects of performing spiritual or shamanic work with children and young people. It is aimed at anyone who has an interest in young people and their spiritual journey, and covers all age groups from “in utero” until age 18+.
The book explains what shamanic parenting is and describes ways of doing spirit-led work, even with both unborn babies and spirit children (after miscarriage, abortion or early death). It also provides 30 “tried and tested” session plans for people looking for inspiration and “where to start”.

Author Imelda Almqvist is a shamanic teacher and painter based in south London and pioneered her shamanic programme for young people, The Time Travellers, in 2012. Her book Natural Born Shamans can be ordered via Amazon.

(Please note I earn commission from some links)

I've Won a Bundle of Books from Watkins Publishing

I've won a competition! My prize was a big bundle of books from Watkins Publishing, which you can see in the photo above. How lovely to get a big box of books arrive on the doorstep! I think the one I am most interested in reading is Play the Forest School Way by Peter Houghton and Jane Worroll.

Although I don't have kids of my own, many of my friends do and one of them has just started running a group where both pagan adults and children can learn traditional crafts and skills as well as celebrate the changing seasons in a family-friendly way. This could be a very useful reference book. The description of Play the Forest School Way on Watkins' website says:

Help your child connect with nature, be adventurous and most of all have fun, with these woodland games, crafts and skill-building activities from Forest School.

The ultimate guide to woodland fun with kids! Forest School is founded on a philosophy of nature-based play and learning that encourages children to develop confidence and self-esteem. This book will get your kids outside, making and building in the real world (instead of on a computer screen!). Whether your local woodland is a forest or a strip of trees along the edge of an urban park, these activities provide fantastic opportunities for family time and will encourage your children to fall in love with outdoor play. This is the first book to share Forest School games, crafts and skill-building activities with families and friends, its magical illustrations and simple instructions drawing children easily into a world of wonder.

* Be a fox tracking its prey, a moth evading a bat, a rabbit fleeing a forest fire!
* Make a working bow and arrow, spectacular headdresses, beautiful woodland jewellery, magic wands – all with materials gathered from the forest floor.
* Learn wilderness survival skills: build a shelter, make fire, forage and cook wild food.

I'm looking forward to reading this and then maybe help my friend run a workshop or two!  I think I'll enjoy doing fun stuff outdoors as much as the kids.


Links and previous related posts
http://www.watkinspublishing.com/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/04/review-magical-year-by-danu-forest.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/07/review-sacred-sites-oracle-cards.html

News: Winter Solstice, Witchcraft, Witch Hunts, Yule

"Thousands Celebrating Winter Solstice" - story at Sky News (and if you are involved in the London pagan scene and watch the video, you will recognise a few faces in the ritual): http://news.sky.com/story/1610390/thousands-celebrating-winter-solstice

"Shortest day of the year: Everything you need to know about the winter solstice" - story at The Mirror: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/shortest-day-year-everything-you-7049131

"Meet the North Shields festive witch contacting the dead for Christmas" - story at Chronicle Live: http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/meet-north-shields-festive-witch-10615233

"Saying "boo" was a sign of a witch in Worcestershire" - story at Worcester News: http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/14152088.Saying__boo__was_a_sign_of_a_witch_in_Worcestershire/

"The mysteries of mistletoe: Druids, Celts and Christmas kisses" - story at examiner.com: http://www.examiner.com/article/the-mysteries-of-mistletoe-druids-celts-and-christmas-kisses

"Winter Solstice 2015: Facts About Pagan Yule Holidays, Wicca Traditions, Ties To Christmas" - story at International Business Times: http://www.ibtimes.com/winter-solstice-2015-facts-about-pagan-yule-holidays-wicca-traditions-ties-christmas-2226814

"‘The Witches: Salem, 1692’ and ‘We Believe the Children: A Moral Panic in the 1980s’" - a review of two books on California Lawyer: http://www.callawyer.com/2015/12/the-witches-salem-1692-and-we-believe-the-children-a-moral-panic-in-the-1980s/

You can order The Witches: Salem, 1692and We Believe the Children: A Moral Panic in the 1980svia Amazon.

Review: Journey Back to the Great Before – Zaro Weil

Witch and Ridge Radio DJ Rebecca Bird has written this review of a pagan children's book called Journey Back to the Great Beforeby Zaro Weil:

This magical tale is told through the first person throughout, but what is interesting is that the first person changes constantly throughout, so we see the story through the eyes and words of all the main characters. This can occasionally be a little confusing as it is not always clear who is currently speaking, so a chapter title that clarifies this better would perhaps be of benefit.

I found that as I read, I wanted more and more to be a member of the Jolicoing family, experiencing the magic of communication with animals.

The story itself unfolds naturally and effortlessly, and it is easy to empathise with the situations and characters. Joy, fun, excitement and worry are all approached well, and a real sense of involvement is achieved. Although set, for the most part, in the South of France, many different accents of the animals are written out literally, which can make for difficult reading at times, but gives an understanding of the personality that the writer is conveying.

All in all this is an enjoyable book, and ideal for a parent to read to a younger child, or for an older child to read alone. Anyone who has a yearning to be ‘Dr. Doolittle’ will thoroughly enjoy this story!

Journey Back to the Great Before is being promoted by Girl and Cat publishing

Links and previous related posts
Journey Back to the Great Before
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/08/pagan-publisher-seeks-authors-and.html
http://www.girlandcat.com/tell-your-story.html

Pagan Publisher Seeks Authors and Offers Fiction

At a lovely local craft market I met someone I had a lot in common with - a publisher who lives quite close to me and who is a pagan. Nathalie Andrews runs Girl and Cat Publishing and her aim is to change the way authors look at non-traditional publishing. She teaches classes in self-publishing and encourages novice writers to consider it as equal to traditional publishing while allowing them to retain the integrity and control of their work.

She said: "Our authors are expected to take the same pride in their work as they would if they were approaching a traditional publisher."

Nathalie says Girl and Cat is not a vanity press. Instead of offering self-publishing services, the company teaches authors to self-publish and market in a professional manner. She added: "We guide them through the process so that they gain the skills to format, market, network and sell their books without ever using a vanity press. In such a way, Girl and Cat seeks to encourage professionalism and skill in the community and to encourage good practice in independent publishing."

At the stall, Nathalie was promoting a children's fantasy novel with pagan themes called Journey Back to the Great Before,by Zaro Weil, as well as her own book, The Thief of Red Mountain.You can find out more about Journey Back to the Great Before here: www.journeybacktothegreatbefore.com/

Girl and Cat Publishing is currently looking for new authors. Visit www.girlandcat.com for more information.

Witch Games for NSPCC's Really Big Board Game Day

Tomorrow evening I'm taking part in the NSPCC's Really Big Board Game Day to help raise money for charity to rebuild the lives of vulnerable children through play therapy. The idea for the fundraising event is that you get together with friends, play some board games and donate money to the charity.

What I learnt when I recently read the book A Storm of Witchcraft is that there is a actually a connection between board games and witches. Parker Brothers, the company famous for producing Monopoly, was founded in the Witch City of Salem in 1883. One of its first games was called Ye Witchcraft Game, released in 1888. It isn't something I've played and I suspect it is rare as I can't find much out about it with a web search.

In 1960 Parker bought the rights to produce Ouija boards,which went on to be a best seller and you can still buy sets today. The fact that Ouija boards are sold as games is considered controversial by many, and debates continue about whether letting kids dabble in necromancy is a good idea. I've already blogged about my own thoughts on the subject.

Parker brought out yet another witch-themed game in 1970. It was called Witch Pitch and the idea was to throw hoops onto a haunted house. Apparently it never sold that well.

My favourite game about witches is Terry Pratchett The Witches Boardgame. Each player takes on the role of a trainee witch in the land of Lancre under the watchful eye of Granny Weatherwax. You travel around curing sick people and farm animals, helping deliver babies, consoling bereaved relatives and competing to be the best witch in the valley. I was given the game for Yule two years ago and I hope to play it again this Friday.

I've also got a card game called Schoko Hexe,which I understand translates as Chocolate Witches. The idea is that witches make the best chocolate, but are trying to keep their recipe secret. Players collect cards to try to get all the things they need to make chocolate, but if a witch turns up she steals your ingredients. It sounds simple and is intended for kids, but all the adults I've played this game with find it great fun too.

Witch Trial by Cheapass is another card game, but even though I bought a copy a few years ago I've not yet played it. Players represent lawyers in a Salem-type courtroom and try to make the most money through prosecuting or defending those accused of witchcraft. It is meant to be humorous, but my suspicion that the humour could be a bit poor taste is probably the reason it has remained unplayed by me. I suspect it will stay in the box tomorrow evening too, but then again I don't think I'll be getting out the Ouija board either. But Schoko Hexen and Terry Pratchett the Witches will hopefully get played.

If you fancy taking part in the NSPCC Really Big Board Game event, or just want to donate money to a good cause, visit: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-you-can-do/events/really-big-board-game-day/

Please note I earn commission from some links

Links and previous related posts
http://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-you-can-do/events/really-big-board-game-day/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/01/review-terry-pratchett-witches-boardgame.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/02/a-storm-of-witchcraft-salem-trials.html
Ouija Board Mystifying Oracle by Parker Brothers
Ravensburger 23082 - Schoko Hexe - Mitbringspiel
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1203/witch-trial
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/12/question-ouija-boards-good-or-bad-gifts.html

Question: Toys for Pagan Boys and Girls

There seems to be a lot more discussion about what toys are suitable for our children these days.

When I was a kid toy shops just had shelves of toys, there didn't seem to be be signage indicated any gender appropriateness. I am glad because as a kid I was delighted to get a toy train set one Christmas and I collected Matchbox cars as well as loving my Teddy bear and dolls.

So, here is a question, or rather a few questions.

What was your favourite toy when you were young?

Do you like the modern trend for the pink aisle for toys aimed at girls, while toys such as action figures are labelled as being for boys?

If you are pagan, does that influence what toys you would choose for children at Yule?

Follow the Grey Tarmac Road - A Memory of Summer

There was a shimmering in the air in the allyway that ran between the back gardens behind the houses. It beckoned like a rent in the fabric of reality offering a portal to a world that was larger, more exciting than this one; somewhere where the colours were brighter, like somewhere over the rainbow, or where Narnian adventures might be had. But I knew it was just a heat haze caused by the sun on the tarmac. And it was getting late in the afternoon; the time for adventures – even adventures of the imagination – was slipping away.

I was 11 then. It was the end of August, nearly the end of the long summer holiday before I went to the new school. And I was old enough to realise that adventures like that don’t really happen, and that heat hazes are similar to those desert mirages that promise wonders to parched travellers, but only lead to dry sand.

That was a long time ago, but that image is still clear in my memory. More vivid than anything else from that sunny summer at the end of childhood. And I do wonder if I should have walked down that alleyway and followed the grey tarmac path through the shimmering air, to find a world that was larger, brighter, more exciting than one where science rules; a world where the imagination could create wonders for everyone and not just the very young.

The photo shows a different alley, in a different time, with added effects.

Previous stories and memories of childhood:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/03/witchs-niece-and-magical-key-tree.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/08/a-story-ammonite-dream.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/10/an-autumn-leaf-and-king-of-trees.html

Review: Children of the Green - Pagan Kids

I'm not a mother, but in the coven I was trained in I was considered a bit strange because I didn't want babies. Many of my witchy friends are parents - and I often hear them bemoaning the fact that there are so few books about bringing up children in pagan families.

Children of the Green: Raising our Kids in Pagan Traditionsfills that gap. I'm writing about it here because although I don't have children myself, I think it is a book many pagans would be interested in.

Author Hannah E. Johnston, herself a parent, says in her introduction: "This book came about because I was looking for inspiring work on raising kids from within earth-centred spiritual traditions, something that helped me embrace this new identity as a parent and as a person who now had responsibility for two little ones."

She adds: "All of us are implicated in the raising of children, in the raising of a healthy new generation, whether or not we are parents." And seeing as I have tried to write child-friendly rituals in the past and hope to do so again, I feel I could do with all the advice I can get on that matter.

Children of the Green looks at the issues of bringing up children in terms of the elements - earth representing children's physical needs, air their minds, fire their activities and also their wants and water their emotions. It also looks at the fifth element - spirit.

For many Wiccans, a big dilemma is whether to tell their children that they are witches. Some feel it is best kept secret until their kids are in their mid teens because of the stigma that is still attached to witchcraft. They don't want their children teased at school because of it - some even fear that if their child reveals their secret to outsiders, people might consider them to unfit parents simply because of their beliefs.

That is a choice each parent has to make on their own. However, Children of the Green shows ways in which children can be brought up with pagan spirituality as a part of their life. It looks at the theories behind childcare techniques as well as ways to teach youngsters a pagan way of looking at the world. It also includes practical exercises such as grounding meditations that can be done even with five-year-olds; teaching the cycles of the season by growing, harvesting and cooking vegetables in the garden; telling them stories from pagan mythology; using herbs as part of the family first-aid chest and performing simple, seasonal rituals that they can take part in.

The book is well researched, thought-provoking and, I would think, offers much for pagan parents to consider and perhaps adapt for their own use.

Publisher Moon Books says on its website: "Children of the Green is an in-depth consideration of child raising from within pagan spirituality. Written by a long-time pagan witch, educator and parent, it considers the deeper questions of raising children within pagan spirituality, and the building of community for pagan families. Taking a unique approach, Children of the Green focuses not solely on sharing the festivals and celebratory cycles of paganism, but also discusses the moral, ethical and practical issues of raising kids as pagans; from working with schools, handling family changes and crises, child development from a pagan perspective and facing the challenges of a changing world."

Links and previous related posts
Children of the Green: Raising our Kids in Pagan Traditions
http://www.moon-books.net/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/04/how-to-run-child-friendly-outdoor-pagan.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/10/news-children-in-britain-avoid-natural.html

News: Children in Britain Avoid the Natural World

Large numbers of children in Britain are missing out on the natural world according to a three-year study from the RSPB. A news story about the study, on the BBC website, says just one in five children are connected to nature. Most kids in Britain avoid the natural world because they have been taught it is boring, dirty and dangerous.

You can read the full story here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24532638

Astrologer Predicts Royal Baby Will Marry Foriegner

According to a press release I've just received from the office of celebrity astrologer Nicolas Aujula, the royal baby will "enjoy combat and marry a foreigner". To be honest, I suspect that is quite likely considering that many princes in the past have joined the armed forces and married foreign princesses. Here is the rest of the press release:


The official Royal zodiac sign is Cancer!

Leading Astrologer Nicolas Aujula reveals “The new Royal Baby Prince shares the same star-sign as father Prince William and his late grandmother Princess Diana that will help keep the popularity of the Royal family alive”.

Born at St Mary's hospital in Paddington, London at 4.24pm on 22nd July 2013, the monarch in waiting becomes the third in line to the throne. Had he been born 30 minutes later the future King would have been a Leo.

Born with four planets (the Sun, Mercury, Mars and Jupiter) in the sign of Cancer and Scorpio Rising, gives the new arrival a highly watery personality that will easily relate to people through a caring and compassionate nature - the public will simply adore him. Later on this can easily transcend into pursuing charitable efforts, just like his late grandmother Princess Diana.

The Prince will be sentimental, intuitive, family orientated and protective to those he cares about, ensuring a strong nurturing bond between mother and child. Other notable Cancerian public figures include Nelson Mandela, Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise and Cheryl Cole.

The Royal Baby would be no stranger to combat and the armed forces could be off interest that he follows in the footsteps off uncle Prince Harry who was part of Army deployments in Afghanistan. At birth Mars, the war planet was conjunct expansive Jupiter that enlarges the traits off any planet it touches - highlighting that the future monarch will exemplify strong Martian solider-like qualities.

The 'Beverly Hills Times' Astrologer further adds: “The prince will display a wilful, adventurous and go-getting spirit that loves the outdoors, sports and adrenaline pumping activities. He'll be fearless and no stranger to fighting for what he believes in, expect to see a head-strong and fiery individual taking centre stage”.

Glimpsing into his future love life, Nicolas Aujula has a revelation “His Venus indicates marriage to a foreigner or someone with a cultural difference that may surprise his family and the public in years to come. Like fellow Cancerian King Edward VIII who abdicated the throne in 1936 when he married American divorcee Wallace Simpson - could there be parallels?”

The Royal Baby and the Sacred Mother and Child

Of course the birth of the royal baby is the big news this week, but the image of a mother and her child is something timeless - and sacred.

The beautiful sculpture is one I photographed earlier this year at Rochester Cathedral. The small statue caught my attention more than anything else in the building - although it is an impressive Norman structure.

I was taken by the sense of all-encompassing maternal love that the piece evokes. The child is asleep in the mother's arms as she holds him or her close to her heart. Although it is meant to depict the Virgin Mary, to me it symbolises the archetypal mother - whatever name we might choose to give her.

What surprised me further was that I discovered the statue is called the Blisland Madonna, and was made in the village of Blisland, in Cornwall, which I visited last year on holiday. Blisland really is a village that deserves its name - a blissful place full of lovely old buildings, a superb pub, a great sense of community and, indeed, talented artists living there.

The Blisland Madonna was carved from Cornish yew that was over 150 years old. Yew itself is a sacred wood, a tree associated with the dark mother of death and rebirth. Yew trees are often found on ancient sacred sites and represent gateways to the Otherworld, where the ancestors can be contacted and magical healings can take place.

The sculptor, Michael Marshall, said about the piece: "I wanted the figures to emerge from the wood, the base being the log, in as natural a form as possible. The mother is bent showing her humanity, and the face I wanted to register a 'stunned awe', a realisation, a humility, a heavy burden mingled with great joy."

Although I have never had a child myself, I expect all new mothers feel emotions similar to that expressed above. It doesn't matter if your new babe is a prince or a pauper, all children embody the hope for the future. They may be destined for great things, and all mothers know it is a huge responsibility to bring their child up to fulfil their highest potential.

Caring for a child can be a huge burden, particularly in this time of recession and hardship, but ultimately a mother's love is worth more than all the wealth in the world when it comes to comforting their babe in arms.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.rochestercathedral.org/history
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/09/the-blisland-inn-pub-full-of-witches.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/11/book-review-god-tree-by-janis-fry.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/05/the-rochester-catalpa-tree.html

Recalling a Prophecy about the Queens of England

Watching the news that the new royal baby is due any moment, and speculating that if the child is a girl it might be called Victoria, reminded me of a prophecy I once heard that went something like this:

From the reign of Queen Elizabeth I to the reign of Queen Victoria I, some things will be gained and some things will be lost. From the reign of Victoria I to Elizabeth II, more will be gained than will be lost. From the reign of Elizabeth II to Victoria II more will be lost than will be gained. But the reign of Queen Victoria II will be a golden age in which great things will take place.

However, I can't recall it exactly or where I heard it. Anyone know?

How To Run A Child-Friendly Outdoor Pagan Ritual

My first experience of running an outdoor open ritual was on a beach, and it didn't go that well. Although the beach was reasonably secluded and it was late at night, in any public place there is always the risk of passers-by gawping and heckling. On that occasion a bunch of drunks wandered past. One of them pointed at us and shouted: “Look – hippies!” The rest laughed loudly. Things like that rather spoil the mood.

With that experience in mind, when I offered to organise a child-friendly open ritual in a country park on a Saturday afternoon earlier this month, I did my best to avoid potential problems. For a start, I said we should just wear our ordinary clothes. Although it might seem right to put on a robe to do a ritual, robes can look rather like kaftans – and outside a 1960s party that isn’t a cool look.

My next concern was what equipment we should use. There were three things to consider: health and safety as there were young children present; the rules and regulations within the park itself; and what we could comfortably carry up and down the hills from the station and car park to the ritual site out in the wilds. This meant no athames or other sharp knives; no glass bottles, glass chalices or other breakable items; no naked flames – so no candles or incense; nothing too heavy and nothing unnecessary. And, of course, there was fruit juice for the chalice instead of wine.

We used a wooden bowl just with spring water in it for a simple purification before the ritual – asking everyone to dip their fingers in the water like a finger bowl. I didn’t put salt in the water, although it is traditional to add some. Salt is a herbicide and we were later going to pour the water on the ground where grass and wildflowers were growing.

We used a lightweight picnic box as our altar, covered in a cloth; we cast the circle with a wand; we used a wooden plate and wooden goblet for the cakes and fruit juice to share at the end. Being outdoors in the sunshine with the fresh spring air all around us, there was no need for incense or altar candles.

I spent a lot of time wondering what we should use to mark the quarters. Normally we use tea light candles in suitably coloured glass jars – but with the no glass and no naked flames allowed, they were out of the question. My eventual brainwave was to use soft toys of suitable animals. We had a rabbit in the north (the favourite toy of one of the children), an owl in the east, a dragon in the south and a frog in the west. I thought about using a cuddly Cthulhuin the west, but quickly realised that even a plushy eldritch horror from the abyssal deep might not be that child-friendly :)

As for the words of the ritual, we kept them simple. The ritual was to celebrate Earth Day, so we said a few lines from an ancient hymn to Gaia that still seems meaningful today. We sang a few songs with words and tunes that children could easily learn – including Happy Earth Day to the tune of Happy Birthday. Finally, I had filled a felt witch’s hat with slips of paper that had on them things to do to help the environment and asked everyone, including the children, to pick one.

A full-on Wiccan rite it wasn’t, but being out in the open air of the countryside with friends, family and young ones seemed pretty magical itself. The ritual didn’t need to be complicated.

To deal with any potential drunken hecklers I had asked one person to stay outside the ritual, mind our bags and picnic food, and answer any questions if passers-by should ask what we were doing. A few people did walk past, but no one bothered us and everything went to plan.

Previous related post:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/04/celebrating-earth-day-with-hymn-to-gaia.html

Review: The Wimp's Guide to the Supernatural

Today is World Book Day, an annual event run by a charity with the aim of encouraging children and young people to read more books. I don't normally review children's books on my blog - not having youngsters of my own - but today seemed like a good excuse to make an exception.

If you've got kids who are into things that are a bit spooky, The Wimp's Guide to the Supernaturalmight keep them occupied for a while. I know I would have loved this book if it had been out when I was a child. The title caught my eye when I was browsing the shelf of new books at my local library so I borrowed it and enjoyed reading it even though I'm an adult.

With lots of cartoon-like drawings, The Wimp's Guide to the Supernatural offers facts about ghosts, zombies, werewolves and vampires taken from legends, movies and fiction in a highly entertaining fashion. Being a witch, I pride myself on being moderately well informed about the supernatural, but I still learnt a thing or two.

Did you know that horror writer Dennis Wheatley had a terrifying childhood encounter with a ghost when he was at school in Kent? He claimed to have seen a white, bloated face on the stairs as he was on his way to bed. The school was searched, but no intruder was found. It later turned out that the teachers had been holding a seance and thought they might have summoned up the spectral figure. I guess that incident set him on his way to writing such novels as The Haunting of Toby Jugg.

The guidebook also suggests haunted places to avoid if you are a wimp when it comes to spooky things. Visitors to  Glamis Castle, in Scotland, are reported to have been scared by a vampiric lady, the ghost of Earl Beardie who is doomed to gamble forever with the Devil in one of the rooms, and other ghosts including a butler, a boy who was imprisoned there, a grey lady and even King Malcolm II of Scotland.

Author Tracey Turner offers scientific explanations for the mysterious phenomena as well as the gory details, and suggests what to do if you see a ghost or monster (mainly be polite and then run away as fast as you can). So that you can see just how wimpy you are, every monster comes with a wimp rating and there's a quiz at the end to see how easily you scare. It turns out I ain't afraid of no ghost, to quote the film Ghostbusters :)

The World Book Day website explains how to get £1 book tokens that can be used to buy children's books. The Wimps Guide to the Supernatural might be a good choice.

Publisher Franklin Watts says on its website: "Tracey Turner has written more than 30 books for children on a variety subjects, from rude words to the entire history of the universe. Her books include the best-selling 101 Things You Need to Know, and the acclaimed Comic Strip series. She lives in Bath with Tom and their son Toby."

Links and previous related posts
http://www.worldbookday.com/
The Supernatural (EDGE : The Wimp's Guide)
http://www.hachettechildrens.co.uk/homepage_franklinwatts.page
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/10/halloween-reading-witchs-handbook.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/10/review-collected-ghost-stories.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/02/review-way-of-horned-god.html