A bad witch's blog: environment

Showing posts with label environment. Show all posts

Tuesday, 4 August 2026

Green London: Nature Suffering in the Drought

I often write that London is one of the world's greenest cities, but it is now far less green than it should be. We might not be experiencing wildfires here, but everywhere is suffering in the extreme heat. The photos on this page show expanses of brown grass, a river far lower than it should be, and ducks in the mere puddles that remain of their dried-up lake.

A few years ago I walked part of Waterlink Way through South East London following the Pool and Ravensbourne rivers. It was a idyllic corridor of natural beauty running throught the city, and you can see what it looked like here. Last weekend I decided to continue the walk to the Thames, then under it by the Greenwich foot tunnel. It still took me through urban nature reserves, parks and beside flowing water, but it was tragic to see how much plants and wildlife are struggling in the heat.

What makes it even more poignant for me is that I did my earlier walk as part of an eco-awareness project, involving writing to hightlight the problems of climate change and other environmental issues. I hope this post continues to do that.

We can all do a bit to help by conserving water. Personally, I'm not flushing the toilet every single time I go for a wee. If everyone one reduced their number of flushes, it would make a bit of a difference. I'm also leaving bowls of water out in my garden for birds and animals. I know there's still more I could be doing, and I'd welcome comments with suggestions how how we can all do our bit.

London's 'Green' Places Pictured

Woman and Fish statue at Millwall Park with London's Docklands skyline in the background
The lake at Brookmill Park. If you look closely you can see a sad looking duck at the edge. This park also contains a small nature reserve
The Ravensbourne river at Lewisham, SE London
Island Gardens, which is next to the Thames on the north side of the Greenwich foot tunnel.

I regularly write Green London posts to show that the city isn't all concrete. It has many parks, commons, woods, nature reserves and other places where nature usually thrives.

Other Previous Related Posts

https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/06/green-london-bloomsburys-secret-gardens.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/07/green-london-strange-things-in-soho.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/07/green-london-st-jamess-park-ghost-and.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/06/green-london-lincolns-inn-fields.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/06/green-london-great-plane-in-brunswick.html

Monday, 20 July 2026

Authors On Their Own Writing: Green Witch Sian Sibley

Sian Sibley is both a witch and a scientist, and is passionate about the environment. She's also a prolific author. I've interviewed her about her books including Black Paths and Green Cathedrals, which highlights how paganism has been seduced by consumerism, and the dangers inherent in that.

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

A: Without a shadow of a doubt, my most important book so far is Black Paths and Green Cathedrals.

Q: What's it about?

It's a look at the impact pollution and consumerism has on the world, and whether paganism is truly a move away from that, or whether we've simply dressed the same appetites in different robes.

Because that's the uncomfortable question underneath the book. We like to think of paganism as the antidote to consumerism, and then we walk straight into the same trap wearing different clothes. Crystals are mined, and mining is mining, whether it's coal or quartz. The ground doesn't care what we intend to do with what we tear out of it. Witch boxes, the subscription kind, curated and shipped in plastic month after month, are consumer culture with a pentacle stuck on the lid. We didn't reject the machine. We just gave it a different altar to sell from.

And then there's what we do to the land itself when we go looking for magic in it. Clooties left to rot and choke a hawthorn instead of biodegrading the way they're supposed to. Rock piling, cairns built by hands that think they're honouring a place, when really they're rearranging it, leaving a mark where the point was always to leave none. We tell ourselves we're closer to the earth than the world we're rejecting, and then we behave exactly like it.

Black Paths and Green Cathedrals looks at all of that straight in the eye and does not flinch. If paganism is going to mean anything as a force for change, it has to survive its own reflection first. We cannot preach reverence for the land while we're still buying our way through it.

Q: Why is it your favourite?

Because it was filled with my rage. Rage at what I could see happening to a culture I love, watched from the inside, which makes it so much harder to say plainly. We accept greenwashing far too easily. We call ourselves a green religion, a green culture, and repeat that claim until it feels like fact, while some of our own actions are blatantly not green at all. I could not keep pretending not to see that. I carry a two-fold identity too, a scientist who trusts data and a witch who trusts the land, and Black Paths and Green Cathedrals asked me to stop keeping those two selves separate and let them judge the same evidence together. I wrote it slowly. I wrote it angry. Then I wrote it clear-eyed, because rage on its own teaches nobody anything, it only exhausts the person carrying it. It's the book where my biology and my magic finally sat at the same table and stopped arguing, and where my love for this path had to survive being honest about it. Every book since owes something to what I learned writing that one.

Q: Tell me a bit more about yourself, what else you've written, and any books due to be published.

I'm a short, rather plump Welsh woman who has had the extraordinary luck to spend her working life in fields she actually loved. I trained as a biologist first, and my early career was in pharmaceutical research. Later I spent years in a classroom teaching children how ecosystems work, how everything is owed to everything else, before I ever called myself an author. I lead a coven of wild witches called DragonOak, here in South Wales, and we have circled together for around thirty years now. Ye gods. I am old.

Alongside Black Paths and Green Cathedrals, I've written Drinking Tea and Herding Spiders and Unveiling the Green. As for what's coming, the one closest to my heart right now is a new book with Moon Books, out in January, Pagan Portals: Medusa about working with the serpent-crowned goddess. It's another book of rage, in its way. Rage at how the female is treated in this world, and at how we go on carrying that treatment as though it were simply weather. It calls on Medusa's power to help us work through trauma, both personal and ecological, because I don't believe those two kinds of harm are as separate as we like to pretend. It's my first real foray into eco-feminism, and I'm deeply proud of it. I've worked with Medusa for a long time, using that relationship to help others find their way through sexual assault and trauma, so this is a book I have been living inside for years before I ever put it on the page. I will love seeing it out in the world.

Q: What are you working on now?

I have several projects on the go at the moment. I run magical conferences all over the UK, and the latest one lands in October this year, with authors and practitioners travelling in from all corners to present their work. It's one of my favourite parts of the year, watching that many strands of practice sit in one room together.

Book-wise, I'm mid-edit on The Slow and Fatal Dance for Aeon Publishing, a history of healing and its intersection with the modern medical world. There's a little bit of rage in that one too, if I'm honest. Seems to be a running theme with me.

I've also written a bit of a strange little book called Wisdom in Wet Knickers, coming from O Books, which shares my experience, both magical and scientific, with that wonderful thing called the menopause. So many of us go into it blindly, because it's something we simply don't talk about, and I'm hoping this book is one of the things that finally breaks that silence for the women who read it.

Beyond that, I've got several ideas for next year circling round my head, though nothing settled yet. I'm planning to properly rest from August through to January, because I have been writing without a break since the Covid shutdown, when I started out of a real need to keep myself occupied and my mind busy. A rest is overdue, and I intend to actually take it this time.

Meet Sian Sibley at Watkins Bookshop in London

On Thursday 30 July; Sian Sibely will be talking about Black Paths and Green Cathedrals at Watkins Bookshop, 19-21 Cecil Ct, London WC2N 4EZ. The talk starts at 5pm and is free but you can reserve a place. Find out more here: https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

You can also view Black Paths and Green Cathedrals on Amazon

(Please note: I earn commission on some links)

Friday, 21 March 2025

Spells: A Candle Magic Ritual for Earth Hour

On Saturday evening, at 8.30pm, people all over the world will turn off electric lights for Earth Hour. This is an annual event that takes place as a symbol of commitment to the planet on a Saturday close to the Spring Equinox. Many of those who take part, do things by candlelight.

Candles offer the perfect light for creating change as they alter the atmosphere in a room. We use them to make a meal for two a romantic dinner, to turn our bathroom into a relaxing spa, to make a ghost story really spooky, or to make our homes feel more comforting. Even if the effect is only psychological, we can tap into it to create change in the world and in our lives.

Most witchcraft rituals that take place after dark do so by candlelight. The soft glow helps transport us outside normal space and time, to a liminal place where all things are possible – the best place for magic to work. We can do that to help the planet this Earth Hour.

Candle Magic Ritual for Earth Hour

Here's a ritual you can do for Earth Hour using candles. Tealights are fine. Please make sure they are in secure containers such as jam jars, or proper holders, to avoid the risks of unintended fires. You also need some food and drink (preferably locally produced), and a journal or notebook and pen.

Clear a space and set out a circle of candles in holders around you. Light each one and say: “As I light these candles I cast a circle to be a safe and sacred space within which to work for Planet Earth for Earth Hour.”
Light a candle inside your circle, perhaps on an altar if you have one.
Invite the elements and any deities you honour to attend your working, and bid them welcome. Gaia, the Greek Goddess of the Earth, is for many pagans today the spiritual embodiment of our planet. Or you could call on Mother Earth.
Ask what the elements and deities would like you to do to help the planet.
Spend some time praying or conversing with each element, and with any god or goddess you have welcomed. If you prefer not to call on deities, you could meditate with the candle and ask your own inner self what you can do.
When you have answers, write them in your journal. Writing by candlelight can feel more enchanting than by electric light.
Eat and drink, giving thanks to Gaia or Mother Earth for the sustenance she provides.
Give thanks to the elements and again thank any deities you have called upon, and bid them farewell.
Open your circle by extinguishing each candle. Say: "The circle is open."

Earth Hour is organised in conjunction with the World Wildlife Fund. You can find more details here: https://www.earthhour.org/

There are more ideas for candle spells in my book Pagan Portals - Candle Magic, published by Moon Books.

Tuesday, 24 October 2023

Authors On Their Writing: Bard of Ely Steve Andrews

I've interviewed eco-spirituality writer, naturalist and musician Steve Andrews, the Bard of Ely, about which of his own books he most liked and why, continuing my mini interview series with authors. I'm sharing this post on International Day of Climate Action.

Q: Of the books you’ve written, which is your favourite?

A: Earth Spirit: Saving Mother Ocean

Q: What’s it about?

A: As the title suggests, it is about marine conservation and saving the seas.

Q: Why is it your favourite?

A: It's my favourite, not so much because of the subject matter, but because I think it is my most important book. This is because Mother Ocean is where all life originated and because life on this planet depends on a healthy ocean. This is not widely known enough and yet, as Sea Shepherd founder Captain Paul Watson, who endorsed my work says: "If the ocean dies, we die."

Q: Tell me a bit more about yourself and any other books you’ve written.

A: I am an author, singer-songwriter, poet, naturalist and activist. I am also a Druid as a Quest Knight of the Loyal Arthurian Warband and a Bard of the order. I was also given the title Bard of Ely by Big Issue Cymru when I lived in Cardiff and was a columnist for the publication back in 1998. These days I live in Portugal. Besides Earth Spirit: Saving Mother Ocean, I have the following books published by Moon Books: Herbs of the Northern Shaman, Herbs of the Southern Shaman, Pagan Portals: Herbs of the Sun, Moon and Planets, and The Magic of Butterflies and Moths.

My books are available from many bookstores, from book suppliers online, and from my publisher: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/authors/steve-andrews

You can also view Saving Mother Ocean on 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.)

Here are detiails of where you can find Steve Andrews online:

https://steveandrews.info/
https://linktr.ee/steveandrews
https://www.instagram.com/bardofely/
https://bardofely.bandcamp.com/follow_me
https://www.reverbnation.com/bardofely
https://www.facebook.com/TheBardofEly/
https://twitter.com/bardofely

Friday, 22 September 2023

Craft: Macrame Charm Bracelet for the Autumn Equinox

I made this macrame charm bracelet for the equinox using some cord left over from another crafting project and an old button. I was inspired by Phil Smith's Silversnake Project, which invites reflection and ritual practices on environmental themes with a toolkit of actions. One of the suggestions in the book is to make a charm bracelet. It says:

"Use something simple like string or wool, then tie on any charms you find around the home or in the street: a badge, a safety pin, a button fallen from a coat, a lost key, whatever you have or can find that has meaning for you... The charms can be things that make you feel protected or reflective, they can.... connect you to other things... or... remind you of important principles."

I thought of using macrame as that's traditionally a craft with string and I found several easy online tutorials on making a macrame charm bracelet. However, I ended up using that golden-yellow cord instead because it was thinner so easier to thread through my button and because the colour reminded me of this time of year: golden sunlight in the afternoon and the changing leaves before they fall.

The metal button was one I found around the house. It had once been on a jacket belonging to my mother, so had an ancestral connection. It also looked like an equal-armed cross in a circle, which is a sign representing the balance of the four elements and the equinoxes and solstices in the Wheel of the Year, quite apart from being a Celtic Cross similar to the carved stone on the front of The Silversnake Project book.

The Silversnake Project is published by Triarchy Press and there's still time to read it and try the activities if you fancy doing so. You can view the book on 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.)

Friday, 8 September 2023

Altars: Household Gods Assemble! - For Eco-Magic

Here's a bit of eco-magic. It's based on a suggestion from The Silversnake Project, an environmental project in book form by Phil Smith of Plymouth University.

One of the actions in the book's toolkit says: “assemble your ‘household gods’ and place them on a mantelpiece”. It adds that you could model deities out of clay or use found objects or toys.

I already have an altar on a mantelpiece. I regularly change it to reflect the seasons, pagan festival and spells I’m doing. Putting things on my altar to reflect the ritual acts of The Silversnake Project toolkit made sense.

In the picture you can see my altar containing various goddess effigies, including a statuette of Gaia, a replica of a plaque showing three Celtic goddesses found near Bath, and two clay goddesses I made some time ago. I added three plastic toys. I found the toys while I was looking for things in the litter outside my home to make a charm bracelet for another of toolkit projects. The green alien was in the flowerbed in my front garden and the two little dogs were under a bush down the road. They’re too big to use as charms, but they are perfect on my altar.

I feel the alien complements the Celtic trio of goddesses, who have alien eyes in my opinion. None of them seem scary though – it’s a reminder that difference isn’t anything to be afraid of.

Dogs are one of the earliest animals to have befriended humans and have long symbolised protection as well as guarded entrances. Archaeologists have found Ancient Mesopotamian clay figures of dogs buried beside or under doorways. Dog amulets were also carried by people at the time in the belief they would help keep them safe.

It feels good to have repurposed plastic things that had been dropped in the street, but also serves as a reminder that humans leave far too much plastic waste lying around, which is harmful to wildlife. These plastic toys are cheerful, but also a reminder to reduce plastic waste and to clear up the litter left by others out and about.

The Silversnake Project book is published by Triarchy Press and can be found on Amazon. Yesterday I posted about how it prompted me to find out about a local river and walk along the banks. You can find the link here. I'll be trying out more of the suggested actions and blogging about them as well.

(Note: 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/2023/03/altars-sacred-space-for-march-with.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/04/earth-day-clean-ups-media-magic-what.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/03/pagan-eye-east-end-street-art-promotes.html

Monday, 6 February 2023

Witchy Recycling: Old Packaging Makes a Chalice Case

These days pagan ritual organisers often ask people to bring their own chalice. Wine or milk is poured out rather than a communal cup passed around for people to sip from. There's less chance of catching a cold or worse if everyone has their own drinking vessel.

I was at an outdoor Druid Imbolc celebration at the weekend with my own chalice. I also brought vegetarian snacks because everyone was also asked to contribute to the feast. I felt a bit guilty because I'd bought my offering at the supermarket rather than baking it at home. However, I then discovered my chalice fitted perfectly into the leftover packaging.

Rather than throw the plastic into the recycling box, I took it home, washed it up and am going to use it to carry my chalice to other rituals. It'll protect the goblet and catch drips. I know it would be better if nothing was sold in supposedly single-use plastic, but reusing or repurposing packaging is better than it going into landfill or ending up in the ocean.

You can see my chalice in the clean tub in the photo. I'd also add that I found the pottery goblet in a charity shop, so that was another example of reuse.

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/03/global-recycling-day-lets-talk-about.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/11/witchcraft-on-shoestring-upcycled.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/05/witchcraft-on-shoestring-upcycled.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2020/05/witchcraft-on-shoestring-useful-jars-to.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/04/review-practically-pagan-planet.html

Tuesday, 3 January 2023

Book Endorsement: Earth Spirit: Honoring the Wild

Environmental issues are causes close to the hearts of most pagans. I'd think it is true that all of us, in some way, try to live sustainably. A beautiful book by Irisanya Moon, called Earth Spirit: Honoring the Wild, is aimed at people like us. Irisanya offers gentle inspiration to perhaps do more, by showing us what others are doing in many different fields - from physical activism through to art. I read the book before it went to press, and this is the endorsement I wrote:

“Most pagans already are, in some way, doing what they can to help the planet. Earth Spirit: Honoring the Wild is a collection of voices from the Reclaiming witchcraft tradition, showing the range of their achievements. It is one of the most inspiring books about environmental activism I have read. As author Irisanya Moon writes: 'Activism shows up in many ways, in many forms.’ Not everyone can go on long marches or stand for hours in protest, although many do. If you reuse and recycle, if you do magic to protect wildlife, if you write poetry to raise awareness – you are still an activist. If you are looking for ideas about what more you can do, read this book.”

You can view Earth Spirit: Honoring the Wild on Amazon. It is published by Moon Books and comes out this month.

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

Monday, 25 July 2022

In the Heatwave: Seeing the Value of Not Mowing My Lawn

Everyone's aware of the serious environment problems of the current heatwave. However, I'm seeing the value of not having mown my lawn since April. I took part in No Mow May to let the grass grow and wildflowers flourish, then let it grow more in June and early July. The photo above shows what it looks like now, despite very little rain for weeks and the hottest London temperatures since records began.

There are parched patches, but there are still areas of green and long grass offering a bit of shade for animals. It might not look great, but it's a huge contrast to my neighbour's lawn. He's been mowing his grass regularly and it's now completely brown. I've also done very little other gardening this year. I probably should have done more to stop the brambles proliferating, but other wildflowers are attracting butterflies and bees. The picture doesn't show them, but I assure you I have lavender, honeysuckle, hollyhocks and quite a few other things insects like.

Nevertheless, we could do with an end to the dry weather. Yesterday late afternoon there were a few spots of rain which didn't last long, so I went into my garden to do a little rain magic. Later in the evening it rained some more, although not enough. Weather magic works best when there's a chance of change, so I'll be looking at the forecast to see when rain is most likely and trying a spell to encourage it to fall.

Other previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/06/counting-buttercups-in-my-lawn-for.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/04/review-practically-pagan-planet.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/03/when-to-leave-wildflowers-and-when-to.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2020/07/pagan-eye-bee-on-flowering-lavender.html

Thursday, 2 June 2022

Counting the Buttercups in my Lawn for Citizen Science

Here's some buttercups in my lawn as I took part in the citizen science survey Every Flower Counts, run by conservation charity Plantlife. The idea is you randomly select a patch of grass in your garden by throwing a ball and seeing where it lands. Then you mark out a square metre and count the flowers in it. Plantlife's website has a handy recognition chart which you can also see in the photo - not that I needed it to recognise buttercups, but it might have been handy if I'd found some unusual orchid.

After counting your flowers, you enter the results on the website and it tells you how many bees your garden would support for how long. I also took part in Plantlife's No Mow May campaign, meaning I didn't cut my grass all month. The idea is that if more people leave their garden a bit wild then plants will grow that bees, butterflies and other insects need to survive.

As I've blogged about in the past, these days I feel helping nature is just as valid as a modern pagan activity as doing spells and rituals. In fact, I genuinely believe that doing practical things to care for the environment can be an act of worship, honouring Mother Earth and the spirits of place wherever you are.

Other previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/04/review-practically-pagan-planet.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/03/when-to-leave-wildflowers-and-when-to.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/03/book-extract-druid-garden-by-luke.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2020/07/pagan-eye-bee-on-flowering-lavender.html

Friday, 6 May 2022

Eco-Paganism: Nature More Important than Ancient Gods

Honouring nature in the here and now is more important to me, as a modern pagan, than worshipping ancient gods. There, I've said it. I know that might be a controversial thing to say - some might even consider I'm not really a pagan, just someone who cares about the environment. That's a valid view, but there are many definitions of what paganism means. To me it is a nature religion, so caring for nature is a sacred task as well as a sensible one for protecting the world for the future.

I blogged on Earth Day that I was going to do a local clean-up and I was *not* going to mow my lawn that day. Well, I've now signed up for No Mow May - a campaign organised by Plantlife. The idea is to let lawns grow this month to allow wildflowers flourish as food for bees, butterflies and other insects. Plantlife says on its website: "Lawns are sometimes considered to be wastelands for wildlife but...under the right management, they can be biodiversity hotspots."

The conservation charity runs a citizen science survey called Every Flower Counts, which last year recorded almost 100 species of pollinators on lawns including 25 types of moth and butterfly and 24 types of bee. Plantlife adds:

"A one metre square on a typical EFC lawn last year had 17 daisies and a smattering of buttercups and dandelions. Across lawns, germander speedwell and field forget-me-nots were next most likely to show. Such a square of lawn would produce about two milligrams of nectar sugar and three microlitres of pollen per day. Dandelion-clad lawns are particularly wildlife friendly as they are disproportionately important for pollinators."

People are starting to embrace wilder gardens in general, and more accept that lawns don't need to be barren swathes of cut grass to be attractive. In fact, they can be more beautiful with a few wildflowers among the green. That's certainly my opinion.

I will confess I mowed my lawn for the first time this year on April 29th. I considered not mowing it at all, but I had a forest of sycamore saplings growing among the grass that my little Flymo would have been unable to tackle if I'd left it any longer. I'll now leave it unmown in May, and cut it as infrequently as possible after that. I also hope to take part in the Every Flower Counts survey later in the month, and discover what beautiful and useful plants I can spot. If you're interested in the magic and folklore of some of the most common wildflowers in our lawns, I wrote about that over at the Moon Books Blog.

You can find out more about No Mow May here: https://nomowmay.plantlife.org.uk/what-is-no-mow-may/

Monday, 25 April 2022

Some Candle Magic to Celebrate a Success Milestone

I got some really exciting news from my publisher: Pagan Portals - Candle Magic has now sold 7,000 copies worldwide.

It was the first of my books on witchcraft published by Moon Books, and has sold really well since it was launched at Treadwell's Bookshop six years ago. That means it is still selling about 1,000 copies per year.

To celebrate, I decided to do some traditional candle magic and light a birthday cake candle. I didn't put it on a cake - I did eat some cake, but it was the squishy kind and I didn't want to get creamy filling all over my books. Instead I put the small candle into a holder I'd made from air-drying clay. As I lit the wick, I said a few words of thanks to the universe and to everyone who supported me over the years.

The reason I used that kind of candle was partly because of associated with celebrations, but also because of environmental concerns. Candles might not be the worst polluters in the world, but using the smallest size possible for whatever you are doing makes a slight difference to your carbon footprint. Small candles also take less time to burn down, which is good for spells that require you to wait until the flame goes out naturally.

Looking at the monthly sales figures for all my books, I was also really pleased to see that the latest one, Pagan Portals - Scrying, has sold about 800 copies since it was published just over a month ago. You can find out more about all of my books via my Moon Books author page and my Amazon author page as well as order copies via Treadwell's.

Othe previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/01/candle-magic-spell-for-springtime-wishes.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/03/witch-room-tales-when-candle-is-too.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/10/a-little-history-of-candle-making.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/01/my-candle-magic-book-has-sold-milestone.html

Monday, 4 April 2022

Review: Practically Pagan – Planet Friendly Living

Most pagans I know are environmentally aware and try to do their best to minimise their impact on the world. However, I've also come across a few pagans online - particularly some starting out on their path - who haven't completely joined the dots between following a nature religion and the more practical aspects of taking care of nature. I think we can all still learn a few tips for being greener too.

Practically Pagan – An Alternative Guide to Planet Friendly Living is a new book aimed at pagans offering ways to do more for the planet. It should be just as much essential reading for newcomers on the path as beginners' guides to witchcraft. I'd recommend this book above any general book on sustainibility because it's specifically aimed at at pagans.

The description on publisher Moon Books website says: "In Practically Pagan – An Alternative Guide to Planet Friendly Living, Mabh Savage brings pagan paths and green living together. Mabh Savage explores the connections between environmentalism and paganism, shedding light on the small but powerful changes individuals can make to live a planet-friendly lifestyle."

It covers recycling leftovers from spells or rituals, and points out it's fine to reuse old items from around the house. One thing I often see beginners ask is what containers they should buy to store herbs or for bottle spells. I rarely buy new containers, but instead repurpose things like jam jars. New witches don't always believe it's okay to do that. Well, it is, and this book puts it clearly in writing. There's also suggestions for more experienced practitioners, including upcycling tips for making tools of the craft and other things to use in our pagan practice. There are ideas for incenses from plants that grow locally, and poppets made just from grasses - perfect to avoid pollution if you are intending to leave them in nature.

One of the biggest issues for pagans is environmental concerns at sacred sites. It seems remarkable that so many people seem to need reminders to take away everything they brought and not leave litter - or toxic "offerings" The book goes into details about ways of celebrating at ancient places or sites of natural beauty without causing any problems.

What I particularly like about Practically Pagan – An Alternative Guide to Planet Friendly Living is the way it's written. It's gentle, supportive, sensible, but not preachy. It also offers practical suggestions to try out. Mabh Savage recognises that we all have different needs and requirements. It's okay to buy ourselves treats from time to time too. For those, like me, who have been trying to live a greener lifestyle for decades, this book encourages us that we are doing well already, but reminds us of - or suggests - things we could do to boost our efforts in future.

Mabh Savage is a Yorkshire witch with a particular interest in Irish spirituality. She’s been a member of the UK Green Party for many years, and believes firmly that it’s possible to reverse the damage being done to our planet with the right focus and action now.

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