London Parks: Nature at Waterloo Millennium Green

I thought I'd share my photo of a giant metal spider in the run-up to Halloween, or Samhain, I hope you  aren't too scared of arachnids. The photo below shows a dragonfly that's also part of a nature trail at Waterloo Millennium Green, close to Waterloo Station and the Dark Secrets exhibition that's currently on.  

Waterloo Millennium Green is a lovely, if small, green space in the heart of central London. The precise adress is Baylis Road, Waterloo, London SE1 7AA. You can find out more here.

I've been blogging regularly about London's parks, gardens, woods and wild places in an effort to dispel a prevalent myth in the pagan community that it's just all concrete. Even in the most heavily built up areas, there are still places where nature thrives. Here are links to some of my earlier posts on Green London:

• The Ruins of St Dunstan's in the East: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/08/green-london-ruins-of-st-dunstans-in.html
• Lincoln's Inn Fields: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/06/green-london-lincolns-inn-fields.html
• Green Park's Grove and Haunted Trees: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/08/green-london-green-parks-grove-and.html
  St Mary Staining Garden and Plane Tree: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/02/green-london-st-mary-staining-garden.html
• Victoria Embankment Gardens: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/08/green-london-victoria-embankment-gardens.html
• St Alphege Gardens: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/09/green-london-st-alphege-gardens-city.html

Pagan Eye: White Butterfly on Sea Kale

I'm so enjoying being able to get to the seaside again this summer, but I'm keeping away from crowds by walking along the less-frequented coastal paths. Yesterday morning I took photographs of wildflowers, including this sea kale - being enjoyed also by a small white butterfly. Kale is one of those vegetables that some love and some hate. I happen to like it, but it is a protected plant so I didn't go foraging, even though it would have gone very well with the veggie sausages and mash I cooked for lunch.

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/2016/06/pagan-eye-sea-kale-on-sussex-beach.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/08/pagan-eye-stone-skull-with-crystal-eye.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/05/pagan-eye-sussex-beach-sea-and-sky-at.html

Dozmary Pool and the Death of Dragons

This sad and gloomy landscape is Dozmary Pool, on Bodmin Moor. Legend says it is where King Arthur was granted Excalibur and also where Sir Bedivere returned the magical sword as Arthur lay dying after the Battle of Camlann.

I very much wanted to visit the lake when I was in Cornwall last month, but foolishly left finding the site until the very end of my holiday. That turned out to be a day of rain and mists - not a good time to venture out on treacherous and boggy Bodmin Moor; hardly a day to venture outside at all.

It would have been much more sensible to find a cosy pub, enjoy a glass or two of Cornish cider and shelter from the storm. But I was determined to visit the home of the Lady of the Lake, so I donned my walking boots and waterproofs, grabbed my OS Map of Bodmin, and set out on my quest.

Luckily, Dozmary Pool is quite easy to find as it isn't too far from a well-marked, if narrow, lane. However, after weeks of bad weather, the footpath that leads to the edge of the pool was seriously waterlogged. Wellies would have been better than walking boots, I soon discovered, as the mud was up to my ankles in places. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the lake was deserted when I got there.

I'm not really sure what I expected to find. I guess everyone with a love of Arthurian Tales who visits Dozmary Pool faintly hopes they might spot some rusty old sword lying at the water's edge.

What I saw, apart from the dark waters of the lake, was a huge dragonfly in the long grass on its bank. When the creature didn't fly away as I crept closer to photograph it, I realised it was dead. Rest in peace, Child of the Dragon, I thought, wondering if there was some subtle, magical message here for me after all.

Turning round, I spotted a small, perfectly white mushroom also growing by the water's edge.

I'm no expert in wild fungi, but it seemed as though a voice whispered in my ear: "What you see is a Destroying Angel. It is deadly. This is a place of death; do not take anything, do not touch anything, do not stay longer than is necessary to pay homage to the dead and to that which has gone."

So I did. I stood in silent contemplation, listening to the sound of the wind and the lapping of water. I thought of the death of King Arthur, and how this place could not have changed much over the centuries. A distant house and a rusty barbed wire were all I could see of the modern world.

As I turned to leave, silently thanking the Lady of the Lake for letting me find this sacred place, it seemed the voice whispered again in my thoughts: "You do not need a sword, your words are your weapons of power. Use them well."

"I will," I thought. "I promise."

Links and previous related posts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dozmary_Pool
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destroying_angel
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/08/boscastle-and-museum-of-witchcraft_3235.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/08/tintagel-castle-and-legacy-of-king.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/08/pagan-eye-hurlers-stone-circles.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/08/tv-king-arthur-and-green-knight.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/08/ghosts-and-grails-of-lewes.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/10/chalice-well-goddess-and-grail.html

A Butterfly's Bid for Freedom

When I opened the door to let my cat out one morning, I saw a beautiful painted lady butterfly was trapped in my glass-fronted porch.

The porch is something of a greenhouse. It catches the sun and is full of brightly blooming flowers at the moment. Perhaps the butterfly had happily lived among my plants as a caterpillar then emerged from its chrysalis ready to fly away into the wider world, but found itself trapped in a glass prison. I saw it frantically fluttering against the invisible barrier, unable to escape.

Even when I opened the porch doorway, the butterfly failed to see that the way out to freedom was so close and continued to batter itself against the window. Carefully, I caught the delicate creature in my hands and released it into the garden where it flew up into the sky and out of sight.

Later that day, as I was sitting in my study writing with the window wide open, a painted lady fluttered past, so close that I felt I could have reached out and touched it before it flew off into greenery of a tree. I like to think it was my butterfly, showing me how happy she was to be free, although I realise it almost certainly was another, just like her.

Obviously I didn't have time to photograph the butterfly I rescued, but the book cover at the top depicts one.

Links and related posts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Painted_Lady
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/09/buddleia-for-bees-butterflies-and.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/06/pagan-eye-blue-butterfly-on-south-downs.html

Pagan Eye: Blue Butterfly on the South Downs

I photographed this pretty blue butterfly while walking on the South Downs, near Beachy Head, over the bank holiday weekend. I think the butterfly is an Adonis Blue, which is often found on chalky downlands in England in late May or early June. Apparently the Adonis Blue particularly likes horseshoe vetch, which is the yellow flower this butterfly is resting on.

Another blue butterfly that likes chalky downlands and is partial to horseshoe vetch is the Chalkhill Blue butterfly, but that has more black markings on its wings and is also more usually seen in July or August.

I'm not an expert on butterflies, so it is quite possible I've misidentified this one - if you recognise it, do let me know.

My Pagan Eye posts show photos that I find interesting - seasonal images, pagan sites, events, or just pretty pictures.

If you want to send me a photo for a Pagan Eye post, please email it to badwitch1234@gmail.com Let me know what the photo shows and whether you want your name mentioned or not. For copyright reasons, the photo must be one you have taken yourself.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/05/pagan-eye-solar-eclipse.html
http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?vernacular_name=adonis%20blue
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalkhill_Blue
http://twtpoll.com/63gbhf
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/12/pagan-eye-where-witches-walked.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/08/pagan-eye-longstone-mottistone.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/04/pagan-eye-easter-at-seven-sisters-sheep.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/05/beachy-head-lighthouse.html

Buddleia for bees, butterflies and breaking free

Buddleia - a tall plant with bright blooms that often grow on waste ground - has a special significance to me.

Many years ago, when I was quite new to paganism and had recently joined the Pagan Federation, I decided to go along to an open ritual. I hadn't been to many open rituals before and I was a bit unsure what to do, but the description said to bring along some flowers as an offering so I spent some time deciding what flowers to take.

Shop-bought flowers just didn't seem appropriate. Local wildflowers seemed a better choice, but I knew one should only pick flowers that aren't in any way endangered.

Growing in the car park behind the office I worked in was a huge plant with many tall stems and big purple flowers. I had no idea what it was, but seeing as there was so much of it - it was bursting through a crack in the concrete in vast quantities - I was pretty sure it couldn't be that rare. So I picked some.

Actually, that wasn't the first time I had noticed the plant. I noticed it often.

Although I didn't park a car in the car park - I couldn't afford to run a car - I used to chain my bicycle up there. On sunny days I also used to go and sit on a low wall in the car park during my coffee break. That huge purple plant was the one bright, wild and joyful thing in the entire dismal place.

It wasn't just the car park that was dismal; the place I worked was pretty dismal too - and my job. The work was dull and I was underpaid, undervalued and under appreciated. I was desperate to get out, but it was a time of recession and good jobs were few and far between. I needed the pittance I was earning to pay my bills, so I couldn't just tell my boss to get stuffed, even though I dreamed of doing so daily.

That plant inspired me and gave me hope. It didn't really look that strong, but it was driving a huge crack through the ground of the car park. It was breaking free, just like I would - one day.

So, I picked a bit and took it to the open ritual.

As I was putting it on the altar, someone who seemed to be a very knowledgeable witch said delightedly: "Oh, you have brought some buddleia! That's very appropriate - it is called the bombsite plant because it was the first plant to grow where bombs fell in London during the Blitz. It grows through cracks in concrete and brickwork and is great at breaking up old rubble. It attracts bees and butterflies too."

So, I learnt my plant was called buddleia - and how useful it was.

To many gardeners, buddleia is a weed - something that grows where it wants to, destroying property and hard to get rid of once it has taken root. But to me, buddleia is part of mother nature's secret army, breaking down barriers and giving hope of freedom.

Even though I have a much better job now, I still love to see buddleia growing in the city - particularly in unsightly car parks!

The photos show some buddleia growing on an industrial estate in south London (not anywhere I have ever worked, I should add).

Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddleja
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/michael.magee/awwls/01/125thedecayofacity.html
http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/forums/wildlife-gardening/23690-taking-cuttings-from-buddleia.html
http://butterflywebsite.com/articles/bgq/buddleia.htm
http://flowers-site.info/flowers-symbolism-associated-with-purple-tropical-flowers-2/
http://www.users.on.net/~arachne/bombsite.html
http://www.moonshadows-realm.co.uk/sab-esbat-correspondences.htm
http://pg.webring.com/cgi-bin/members/blog.cgi?userid=9970268710002&monthyear=Oct_2007

What on Earth? Biodiversity Week

If you have a plant, flower, insect, bird or animal in your garden that you are struggling to recognise, this week you can get some help and also be sent a free pack of seeds to encourage wildlife into your garden.

Biodiversity Week runs until March 21 and as part of it people are invited to send photos of anything unusual they see in their garden to the What on Earth? website.

The website says:

"British biodiversity is currently under threat, with thousands of our plants and animals facing habitat destruction and homelessness. What on Earth is a call-to-action to identify as many plants and animals as possible in UK parks, gardens and hedgerows."

You can upload photos of any plant, fungi or creature to the site, together with details of where you saw it, and scientists will try to work out what it is. You can also browse pictures that other people have uploaded and find out more about them. Everyone taking part will be sent a biodiversity information pack and some seeds, while stocks last.

For more details, visit http://www.whatonearth.org.uk/

The photograph above shows green alkanet growing in my garden, which I had trouble identifying back in 2008. To see my post on the subject, visit: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/05/identifying-wildflowers.html

Ladybirds

Ladybirds are a welcome sight in my garden. Not only do they feed on aphids and other insect pests but they are also a symbol of luck and good fortune.

Judging by the number of ladybirds I saw the other day, plenty of good fortune should be coming my way soon.

Ladybird is the popular name for beetles of the coccinellidae family. There are more than 40 species in Britain and more than 5,200 species worldwide. They range in colour from yellow to black as well as the best-known red. The number of spots they have also varies.

According to Christian folklore, only red beetles with with seven black spots are true ladybirds, gaining their name from the Virgin Mary. Red is the traditional colour of her cloak and the seven spots represent her seven joys and seven sorrows.

According to some legends the ladybird was also sacred to Freya, the Norse fertility goddess, and in northern Europe it was said that if a ladybird landed on a girl's hand she would be soon be married.

It is considered bad luck to kill or capture a ladybird. If one lands on you, gently puff it away, saying the rhyme: Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home. Your house is on fire and your children are gone. All except one, and that's little Anne; for she crept under the frying pan.

For more information visit:
http://fixedreference.org/2006-Wikipedia-CD-Selection/wp/l/Ladybird.htm
http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/browse/BL.HTM
http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0008361.html
http://www.whisperingspirits.co.uk/site/1/totem_animals.html
http://www.bishybindustries.com/intro.html
http://www.naturescalendar.org.uk/seasonwatch/insects/ladybird.htm

The stings in paradise

The sun is shining in a blue sky, in my garden the grass and leaves are a lush verdant, white petals are falling like soft confetti from my blossoming apple tree and the scent of flowers wafts gently on a warm breeze.

The past week of glorious weather has been wonderful after our drab, wet spring. I feel as though a few days of summer have transported me to a fairyland paradise - or perhaps a scene from an old Timotei advert.

Yet every paradise has its hidden stings - and there are plenty of those to be found in my garden. I am itching all over from gnat bites and squadrons of wasps are hovering in the air, just waiting for the chance to strike.

Bees and wasps, of course, look rather similar. You can easily tell them apart if you get up close - bees are furrier and have pollen baskets on their back legs - but who really wants to get up that close unless they have to?

Wasps are generally seen as vicious thugs. They can sting repeatedly, unlike bees, which leave their stinger stuck in their victim once they have attacked. Wasps are easily angered and will not hesitate to sting if they feel like it. It is easy to understand why people would want to destroy every wasps' nest they find and, if possible, eradicate them from our lovely gardens.

But wasps do hold a valuable place in ecology. They kill a huge number of flies and other bugs. This helps prevent plagues of insects, which could be occur this year because mosquitoes, midges and similar pests flourish in the kind of warm, damp weather we have had recently. Wasps are also one of the few natural predators of the bug that causes Dutch elm disease.

It is easy to tell the difference between a wasps' nest and a bees' nest. Wasps build their nests out of papery wood pulp, whereas bees construct their nests out of wax. If you see a nest, do not smash it up or try to move it - that will only anger the wasps. Avoid spraying chemical insect killers over it too, that will probably not kill the wasps but can be harmful to other creatures. If possible, just leave the nest where it is and remember that those vicious wasps are probably helping nature more than us vicious humans.

There are quite a few natural insect repellents. Citronella is an essential oil that is commonly used to deter insects. Lavender oil also repels insects and can help reduce mild swellings from mosquito bites or wasp stings. Geranium leaves are also reputed to be good for wasp stings. If you are stung by a bee, wasp or other insect and experience more than a mild irritation you should seek medical advice from a GP or casualty department or call NHS Direct on 08454647.

For more information:
http://www.scambs.gov.uk/environment/pestsandnuisance/insectpests/wasps.htm
http://www.scambs.gov.uk/Environment/Pestsandnuisance/InsectPests/bees.htm
http://www.the-piedpiper.co.uk/th4.htm
http://www.virginmedia.com/homefamily/health/allergies/beestings.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citronella_oil
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavender_oil
http://www.oldtimeremedies.co.uk/2008/05/leaves-of-geranium-good-for-bee-or-wasp.html