Sometimes It's Good to Take a Screen Break

The sun is shining the natural world is looking beautiful in spring colours, so I've decided to spend a little less time staring at tech and brooding about grim news this bank holiday. Instead, I'm going to recharge my batteries by getting out and exploring more of Green London over the next few days. This means I won't be doing any more blog posts until Tuesday April 22. However, I might share a few photos of flowers on Instgram. You can find me there as starzalucya. 

I hope everyone who reads my blog does fun things over the bank holiday too. Self care is important, and getting out in nature is good for general wellbeing. 

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/03/green-london-londons-first-botanical.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/03/green-london-plumstead-common-its.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/03/green-london-japanese-gardens-in.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/08/green-london-ruins-of-st-dunstans-in.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/07/green-london-strange-things-in-soho.html

Divination: Finding Sanctuary as a Sacred Traveler

I drew a card for the world for Lammas Eve from the Sacred Traveler Oracle. It was Finding Sanctuary. It offers the idea that everyone can benefit from resting, rejuvenating, and listening to their guiding spirit in a place of peace. The book that comes with the set says: 

"It's in times of retreat and inner sanctuary that you can truly hear the voice of your soul... Find your inner refuge... Take moments of reflection... Difficult situations can be averted by taking time to go within."

August is a month when many of us go on holiday. This card points out the value holidays can bring. Even if you can't go away anywhere, try to find some time for yourself. Nature can provide a perfect place to relax. Seek a quiet green space, or somewhere close to water, where you can stop for a while and listen to what your heart and soul are telling you. Even in a city such as London, there are many parks and gardens that are at their best at this time of year. 

The world is a tough place, but there is nothing wrong with finding sanctuary from your worries and woes. After some rest, and time for contemplation, you will feel more able to face the outer world again.

You can view The Sacred Traveler Oracle on Amazon It is by Denise Linn and published by Hay House.

(Please note I earn commission from some links)

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/06/divination-begin-now-sacred-traveler.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/01/a-reading-10-of-swords-reversed.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/06/divination-five-of-arrows-from-wildwood.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/05/divination-knave-of-diamonds-from-aos.html

Learning to Slow Down & Go With the Flow

First, I want to apologise to anyone who was expecting to make corn dollies with me at the Sussex Fairy Festival last weekend. I wasn't able to get there due to an unavoidable change of plans.

I'm half way through a two-week holiday with my husband. We spent the past week in Sussex and the first day went well. I attended the Society of Leyhunters' conference in Lewes, where I gave a talk on psychogeography then listened to fascinating lectures about folklore and living history. 

That night my husband had an excruciating sciatica flair-up. After a sleepless night, chats with a pharmacist and NHS advice, I collected some strong painkillers for him, which helped. However, he was unable to get out of bed and I had to be there to help him. That was last Sunday, the day I'd been intending to go to the Fairy Festival, but I really couldn't.

His sciatica is slowly getting better, but he still can't take more than a few steps at a time. Instead of days walking along beaches and exploring the South Downs together, we've been enjoying sedentary activities like watching movies and playing games. It was my birthday last Monday and luckily my husband had bought me a really enjoyable game as a present. It's called Septima and is about witches. We played it several times during the week and I'll be writing a review of it soon. 

I have managed a few strolls around the harbour myself over the past few days and the picture at the top is one I took. The image sums up what I felt I've got from this holiday: the importance of slowing down and going with the flow. It hasn't been the holiday I planned, but apart from missing the Fairy Festival and my husband being in pain, it's been a nice change from the usual routine.

I'm still having a staycation for the next week, but I'm back in London and intend to get out and visit a few more places around town. Normal blogging service will resume after the end of May.

Having Some Fun Days Out Until the End of the Month

Everyone needs a bit of a break from normal service from time to time, and I'm taking a holiday over the next two weeks. As well as really needing a change of pace, the last two weeks of May include both my own birthday and that of my husband. We're planning what these days seems to be called a staycation, although we won't be just staying at home. I'll be going to festivals and short visits to other places as well as exploring more of London.

I've also taken the decision to blog a bit less frequently until the end of May. Instead of writing 5-6 posts per week, I'll be sharing stuff on A Bad Witch's Blog 2-3 times per week. I'll also be cutting down on my Facebook, Twitter and email time. However, I will try to keep my events page updated, so you can find out what talks and workshops are happening. I'll also share a few snaps to Instagram - you can find me there as starzalucya. 

I'm Having a Bank Holiday Weekend Not Blogging

I'm having a bit of a holiday from blogging this weekend and the bank holiday on Monday. I'll also be cutting down on my Facebook, Twitter and email time. However, I will try to keep my events page updated, so you can find out what talks and workshops are happening. I'll also share a few snaps to Instagram - you can find me there as starzalucya. 

If you're also on holiday this weekend, whether that's a staycation or going away, I hope you have a lovely time!

I'm Having a Bank Holiday Weekend Not Blogging

I'm having a bit of a holiday from blogging this weekend and the bank holiday on Monday. I'll also be cutting down on my Facebook, Twitter and email time. However, I will try to keep my events page updated, so you can find out what talks and workshops are happening. I'll also share a few snaps to Instagram - you can find me there as starzalucya. 

If you're also on holiday this weekend, whether that's a staycation or going away, I hope you have a lovely time!

On a Quest for Beaches, Bluebells, Art and the Labyrinth

I'm off in search of the sea, bluebell woods, art and the famous Labyrinth of Knossos, and I'm hoping for good weather and adventure.

Actually, I'm not travelling too far. It's going to be a week's staycation with some days away to the seaside and countryside, a trip to Labyrinth: Knossos, Myth and Reality at the Ashmolean Museum, and exploring an open house art trail. But it does mean I'll be spending bit less time at my desk and probably not blogging quite as frequently as usual. I will take photos when I'm out and about, and I'll share some to Instagram. You can find me there as @starzalucya.

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/03/what-are-you-planning-to-do-over-easter.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/08/coastal-scenes-pictures-from-sussex.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/07/holiday-memories-did-i-see-sleipnir-on.html

Coastal Scenes: Pictures from a Sussex Beach

I'm back from a week's holiday in Sussex, which was lovely. I had no internet where I was staying and I think it did me good to take break from blogging, spending hours on social media or doing much writing. As a freelance blogger and author there's always the pressure to do a bit of work every day even when I'm supposed to be on holiday, but everyone needs screen breaks!

I took the photos above on the beach I could see from the window of my bedroom. There were sunny days but also some thunder storms and I enjoyed the variety. I'll blog a bit more about some things I saw later, but I wanted to share these pictures first.

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/08/im-having-summer-holiday-but-no-wifi.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/08/pagan-eye-collage-of-my-holiday-photos.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/05/sea-purification.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/03/review-traditional-witchcraft-for.html

I'm Having a Summer Holiday, But No WiFi

I'm away on holiday this week, but discovered there's no internet and hardly any phone signal. So, I won't be able to blog much. I'll try to upload photos to Instagram of places I visit and things I get up to. You can find me there as starzalucya. Getting out and about with a break from tech can be good every so often.

Pagan Eye: A Collage of my Holiday Photos

I'm back from my holiday in Sussex by the sea! I had a lovely time, the weather was gorgeous, and I did a lot of walking and taking photos. Here's a collage of some of the pictures I took while I was away showing the blue sky, the sea, an elm tree, wildflowers on the South Downs, a footpath behind Pevensey Castle, a witch on the wall of the Beachy Head museum, and street art inspired by local archaeology. 

I'll be blogging more about the street art tomorrow, but as a brief explanation it was on a trail through Eastbourne called Walking Through the Town I Followed a Pattern on the Pavement That Became the Magnified Silhouette of a Woman's Profile. Yes, that's a really long title, but it is accurate!

The witch picture at the Beachy Head museum was part of a display about local legends and folklore, and included an animation about wind knots. Cunning women and witches by the coast would sell these to sailors to help them manage the weather. I've blogged about this type of magic in the past and you can find that here.

Although I took a break from blogging last week, I did share some more holiday snaps to Instagram - you can find me there as starzalucya.

On each Pagan Eye post, I show a photo that I find interesting, with a few words about it. I'm not quite sure what I'll be including - it could be a seasonal image, a pagan site, an event, or just a pretty picture. 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 and you must confirm that you are submitting it for A Bad Witch's Blog.

Previous related posts

http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/03/review-traditional-witchcraft-for.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2020/07/pagan-eye-white-butterfly-on-sea-kale.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/05/pagan-eye-picture-of-perfect-bluebell.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/05/sea-purification.html

I'm Having a Week's Holiday from Blogging

I'm having a bit of a holiday from blogging this week. I'll also be cutting down on my Facebook, Twitter and email time. That means I'm probably not going to be posting anything other than this until next Monday. 

However, I will try to keep my events page updated, so you can find out what talks and workshops are happening. I'll also share a few holiday snaps to Instagram - you can find me there as starzalucya. 

If you are also on holiday this week, whether that's a staycation or going away, I hope you have a lovely time!

A Halloween Map of Spooky Folklore Worldwide

A holiday company has created a world map of monsters, magic and folklore, which is rather fun. Although it isn't exactly a complete map of every cryptid or other mysterious manifestation on the planet, it does show some of the fascinating myths and monsters around the globe. You can use it to virtually explore magical places to hunt for ghosts, spot fantastic beasts and discover urban legends.

Obviously Holidaycottages.co.uk has timed this for Halloween and the forthcoming release of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, but I'm sure anyone who reads my blog would be interested in this kind of thing anyway.

Holiday Cottages says nowadays a simple beach break doesn’t always cut it for a vacation. More people are seeking to bring some magic and quirkiness to trips away. It created the new interactive map to inspire adventures, showing famous legends from a variety of locations in the UK and abroad. Pop-ups detail places to go on a ghost hunt or swim in a mermaid cove, for example. The map includes the supernatural, the unexplained, traditional folktales and creatures long believed extinct.

Here are three of the destinations worth checking out to make a holiday a touch more fantastic:

1. Spot the Cat Sìth in Scotland. This massive cat is believed to steal the souls of the dead before the Gods can take them and stalks Highland graveyards looking for his victims. The mysterious moggy is also known for cursing the livestock of villagers who don’t leave him tributes outside their door.

2. Search for the Huldufolk in Denmark. A community of elves held responsible for landslides, death and droughts when they’re feeling mischievous. However, catch them on a good day and they bless farmers with good weather and a fruitful harvest

3. Roam the streets navigated by pirates in Cornwall and splash in waves where mermaids hide. As the stunning Cornish coast was a hotbed for smugglers until the end of the 18th century, you’ll hear all manner of brilliant tales in the county’s pubs. Mermaids have been spotted in the choppy waves off the rugged coastline for centuries, calling sailors to their watery doom.

Holidaycottages.co.uk has gathered information on the legends and myths in each area and shared some great ideas on what to do in order to make the best of its unique heritage.

James Starkey, marketing director at Holidaycottages.co.uk, says: “Booking a cottage somewhere steeped in fascinating folklore brings a magical charm to your holiday plans.

"The UK alone has some spectacular locations, and if you set your mind to discovering a rarely-spotted monster or braving a haunted cemetery, you’ll set your break apart and make memories you can’t wait to amaze your friends with. Embracing a region’s myths and legends gives an important insight into its people and traditions that no normal holiday resort can provide.”

Research credit: Holidaycottages.co.uk

Links and previous related posts
https://www.holidaycottages.co.uk/magical-myths-fantastic-folklore/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/05/seriously-monstrous-dragons-more-than.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/01/review-on-monsters-history-of-our-fears.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/04/witch-games-dark-gothic-supernatural.html

Photo Memories: Heading Home from my Holidays

Today I'm heading home from my holidays. All this week I've been sharing some old memories of summers in wonderful places because I knew that, where I was staying, internet access wouldn't be good enough for regular blogging.

While looking through my photo albums I came across this picture of my front door with a sign I was given as a present from a friend. Holidays are great, but there's no place like home.

Holiday Memories: Boats on a River Estuary in Sussex

As I am away on holiday this week, staying somewhere with limited internet access, I've been sharing photos I took in previous summers. Yesterday I shared a photo of a barge on a canal; here is a photo of boats on a river estuary in Sussex.

Holiday Memories: Summer Morning Walk by a Canal

As I am away on holiday this week, staying somewhere with limited internet access, I've been sharing some photos I took in previous summers. Here is a picture I took in August 2010. I was on a camping holiday and every morning enjoyed a wonderful walk along the bank of this beautiful canal.

Holiday Memories: The King of the Harvest for Lammas

Today, August 1, is Lammas - the festival to celebrate the start of the harvest in the Pagan Wheel of the Year.

I took this picture of the Corn King at Eastbourne Lammas Festival a few years ago. I wasn't able to get to the event this year as I am away on holiday in another part of the UK.

I'm staying somewhere with limited internet access, so all week I have been sharing some photos that bring back old holiday memories for me.

The start of the harvest isn't just a time to celebrate grain being brought in from the fields. Lammas is also a time to think about all the joys and successes we have had in our own lives. I think looking back at happy memories is part of that.

When I get back from my current holiday I hope to share a photo or two that I've taken while I am away.

I wish everyone a wonderful Lammas and the blessings of a good harvest. I hope the rest of the summer brings you all that you desire.

Holiday Memories: Did I See Sleipnir on a Sussex Hill?

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm on holiday this week and probably won't have much internet access. Not wanting my blog to be devoid of posts while I'm away, I decided to look back at some of the photos I've taken in summers past and share a few of the best that never made it to my blog until now.

I took this photo at the top of Cissbury Ring, in Sussex, last summer. At first glance it looked like a horse with eight legs and I took a double-take before getting out my camera. But no, it wasn't Sleipnir, just two horses close to each other creating an optical illusion.

Links and previous related posts
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cissbury-ring
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/11/review-sussex-folk-tales.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/09/ghost-hunting-and-book-shopping-in.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/07/wildlife-walks-through-sussexs-pagan.html
https://www.10adventures.com/hikes/south-downs/cissbury-ring-circular-walk/

Holiday Memories: The Ring of Brodgar on Orkney

I'm on holiday this week and probably won't have much internet access, so might not be able to blog about it until I get home.

Not wanting my blog to be devoid of posts while I'm away, I decided to look back at some of the photos I've taken in summers past and share a few of the best that never made it to my blog until now.

This is a picture of two of the stones in the Ring of Brodgar, on Orkney. You can read my original post when I visited the stone circle here: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/06/scotland-holiday-ring-of-brodgar-or.html

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/09/pagan-eye-watchstone-on-orkney-scotland.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/06/scotland-holiday-standing-stones-of.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/06/scotland-holiday-barnhouse-neolithic.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/06/scotland-holiday-ring-of-brodgar-or.html

Predictions: Storms, a Blood Moon and a Long Journey

Tonight there's a Blood Moon. It is going to be the longest lunar eclipse of the century, or so the news stories I've been reading say. Some of them are also prophesying doom and gloom.

Earthquakes and lightning are predicted, much like the old Creedence Clearwater Revival song. Even the weather forecast says thunder storms are likely.

A friend who I respect as an astrologer has told me that, due to several planets going retrograde at the time, it is a bad night to be driving anywhere.

Despite all that, driving somewhere is what I'll be doing. I'll be heading off for a long road trip with a pair of witchy friends just as the moon turns blood red.

The photo on the right shows a design on a t-shirt for Ambercon - a roleplaying game convention based on the fantasy book Nine Princes in Amber, by Roger Zelazny. It is a book that is heavily based on tarot cards and is one I love. I'm not actually going to a games convention this weekend, I'm just off on a holiday with witchy friends. I came across the t-shirt when I was doing my packing and felt it aptly illustrated the potential for trouble on the way.

Am I a bit nervous?  Well, we'll be three witches in a car in a thunderstorm on the night of a lunar eclipse, setting off for a potentially 10-hour drive. I'm really looking forward to it!

Please note I earn commission from some links

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/02/blood-moon.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/06/i-see-bad-moon-rising.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/09/pagan-eye-last-nights-blood-supermoon.html

Book Review: A Pilgrimage in Japan by Joan Stamm

This book is perfect summer reading.

A Pilgrimage in Japan takes you on a delightful journey to the 33 temples of Kannon, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, through the words of Joan Stamm.

This is an ancient pilgrimage route in Western Japan, which has been travelled for over a thousand years. It is a Buddhist pilgrimage, but honestly you don't have to be a Buddhist in order to enjoy the delightful and evocative descriptions of travelling to places of historic interest and natural beauty in a far-off country.

Nevertheless, publisher Mantra Books concentrates on the spiritual aspects of A Pilgrimage in Japan on its website, where it says:

Kannon, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, is the one who “hears the cries of the world” and vows to “assist anyone in distress.” As the author embarks on the pilgrimage route that extends from the Japan Sea to the Pacific Ocean, through the ancient city of Kyoto and the modern city of Osaka, and to the many mountain tops in between, she allows the special characteristics and sacred presence of each place to bring forth relevant Buddhist teaching; letting go of attachment, contemplating impermanence, engaging in right livelihood, being of service, and other teachings found in classic Buddhism. The dharma, or doctrines of Universal Truth, intertwines with rich descriptions of mountain hikes, remote temples, modern Shugendo practices, sacred icons and the author’s spiritual insights.

Journeys change us. Those embarked on especially to contemplate or confront specific concepts can change us even more. However, Joan Stamm's contemplations aren't preachy - she isn't trying to convert anyone to Buddhism.

She describes the thoughts she has as she takes difficult routes to remote sacred sites, and well-travelled paths to quiet sanctuaries within busy cities. She contemplates the messages associated with each one when she arrives. She makes it clear that these are her own thoughts and feelings.

Through her beautiful descriptions she has inspired me to look for my own pilgrimage route; to seek answers to my own spiritual questions by travelling in body, mind and spirit to those ancient and sacred sites that call to me, on my pagan path.

You can view A Pilgrimage in Japan on Amazon.

Please note I earn commission from some links

Links and previous related posts
http://www.mantra-books.net/books/pilgrimage-in-japan
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/02/ley-line-pilgrimage-to-brides-well.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/12/lot-of-bottle.html