Occult London: Sir John Soane's Museum

If you're in London and like things weird, creepy and a bit occult, then do visit Sir John Soane's Museum. It's deeply strange and utterly worth seeing. During his life, from 1753 to 1837, the famous architect crammed his home with works of art, books, sculptures, and historic objects. 

He bought three houses and a stables on the edge of Lincoln's Inn Fields, knocking them together and redesigning the interiors so he could cram his collection into every possible space to turn it into a museum as well as a home. The upper floors were rooms to live in, but the lower area is a maze of corridors filled with ancient and medieval architecture as well as statues and sculptures of mythological beings and funereal objects including the huge Sarcophagus of Seti I of Egypt (pictured below left). 

Reached by descending spiral stairs, and mainly lit from windows in the roof, visitors might feel as though they are descending into the Underworld and quite possibly need to pass some initiatory test to find their way out again. Or you could ask the help of a friendly guide, as each room of the museum has a knowledgeable attendant who can tell you about the displays as well as point you in the right direction to leave.

I now have to admit that despite living in London pretty much all my life, I only went there for the first time last week. I'd heard about the place and been told it was worth visiting, but I honestly had no idea just how fascinationg the whole experience would be. 

If you're wondering why I've put this post under the Occult London label, I'll explain. For a start the museum has a lot of art depicting Pagan gods and goddesses and so on, but there is more to it. The huge collection of books Sir John Soane collected include occult tomes, including an early edtion of A System of Magick by Daniel Defoe, from 1728. But it goes further.

Sir John Soane considered himself a man of the Enlightenment. He didn't go along with organised Christianity. However, the death of his wife deeply affected him and his continued grief affected his outlook on life and, possibly, what might come after. He designed a tomb for her in the grounds of St Pancras Old Church, which became the family mausoleum. It doesn't contain any overt Christian iconography, but the roof has a pine cone finial which is a symbol for regeneration. Below that is a ouroboros - a serpent swallowing its tail - symbolising eternity.

His art collection contains a painting of Sir John Soane in Masonic robes. He was an active member of the Freemasons after being initiated on 1 December 1813. He famously designed both a Masonic ark and great hall for the organisation's London headquarters. According to the scholarly paper, "Freemasonry and Sir John Soane" by David Watkin, Soane regarded Freemasonry as the religion of the Enlightenment. He believed in a divine power as the architect of the universe, but not in a Christian-style God who constantly meddled in human affairs. Soane's architecture often includes Masonic symbols.

Soane established his  museum by a Private Act of Parliament in 1833, which took effect when he died in 1837. This Act meant it had to be kept as it was "as nearly as possible". The rather sad reason that he did this was to disinherit his son, with whom he had a long and bitter feud. The Act does, however, mean this wonderful house and collection exist today and can be visited by the public free of charge. As a final note, Sir John Soane also designed Dulwich Picture Gallery, which is close to where I live in south east London. 

Sir John Soane's Museum is at 13 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3BP. Here's the web address: https://www.soane.org/

The photos are ones I took at the museum

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/09/pantheon-of-pancras-gods-goddesses-women.html

http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/03/pagan-eye-in-dulwich-princess-who.html

http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/01/occult-london-place-in-exhibition-at.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/07/occult-london-london-stone-myths-and.html

Question: What Can You See in this Abandoned Room?

What can you see in this derelict room?

I was contacted by someone who reads my blog. Although the person wants to remain anonymous, they sent me this photo, which they took looking through a window into an abandoned psychiatric hospital.

They said: "Looking in one of the windows I saw a hanging shape. It looked like it was made of metal about 8 to 10 inches high. It was on the right hand side of the door frame leading out of the room whose window I was looking into. Hanging from a black point. I wondered if you had any ideas what it might be. I would say it looked a bit like a wicker man. The building was abandoned in the late 1990s and has been empty since. The building was the occupational therapy block. Any ideas would be great. Many thanks!"

I've looked at the photo and I can see something hanging there, but I'm not sure what it is. I have permission to share this photo and let other people have a look. What do you think?  Do leave a comment.

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/04/witchy-place-names-cackle-street.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/10/house-of-dead-darnley-mausoleum.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/06/pagan-eye-museum-of-witchcraft.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2020/12/review-hauntology-ghosts-of-futures-past.html

Returning to One of My Favourite London Museums

Visiting museums is one of the things I've most missed over the past months, but yesterday I returned to one of my favourites - the Horniman Museum in South East London. I have to say I felt completely safe as well.  

Entry is free, but you do have to book a timed ticket in advance. That means you're guaranteed to get in but the place isn't crowded. At the entrance, you scan the QR code using the Test and Trace phone app or give the staff your details if you don't have the app. Inside there are plenty of hand-sanitiser points and a clearly marked one-way system. I know that level of crowd control isn't popular with everyone, but frankly I'm perfectly happy to go along with it at the moment for the pleasure of seeing places that aren't my own home or the local shops.

Although I've visited the Horniman Museum and Gardens countless times in my life, as it's pretty close to where I live, I always find something new to see whenever I go. This time I discovered a little corner of the garden where there's a colourful bug hotel (pictured above left). 

Inside, many of the exhibits are like old friends - including the over-stuffed walrus in the centre of the Natural History Gallery (pictured at the top). I'm particularly fond of the walrus because I was once a runner up in a photography competition the museum ran, with a photo that included a walrus stuff toy. My favourite section is the World Gallery (pictured right), with thousands of objects from cultures across the continents, including oodles of items that are folkloric in nature, such as magical charms and a healing doll I blogged about in the past. 

The cafe is open, and you can choose to eat inside or outside. There are also picnic spots if you bring your own food.

The Horniman Museum and Gardens is at 100 London Road, Forest Hill, London SE23 3PQ. It is open daily, except Wednesdays, from 10am to 5.30pm. You can book tickets and find out more at the website: https://www.horniman.ac.uk/

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/10/a-night-of-magic-at-horniman-museum.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/07/pagan-eye-horniman-museum-wonderful.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/11/occult-london-merman-in-cabinet-of.html

Pagan Eye: The Roman Temple of Mithras in London

Yesterday I went to see the newly opened reconstructed Temple of Mithras in London - and it is really impressive. The temple is underneath the Bloomberg building on Walbrook, and is now part of a three-floor installation and gallery. On the first floor there is a display of finds from the archaeological dig on the site, which you can explore using a tablet device that you get handed as you enter.

On the stairs, as you descend to the lower levels, are depictions of the layers of history you are passing through and what was in the area at different dates in the past. The second level has an introduction to the the practices and symbols associated with the cult of Mithras, with interactive screens, models of cult items and an audio-visual display.

The temple itself is on the lowest level. Although you aren't allowed to walk on the actual stone of the temple floor, you can walk around it and over it on transparent platforms. As you enter, the lights dim and you see and hear a reconstruction of what a Mithraic ritual might have been like. I found it a very powerful experience. Then the light levels are raised and you can explore the temple and look at it in more detail. You are allowed to take photographs, but not with flash, which is why the photo at the top is a bit grainy.

You can visit the London Mithraeum free of charge, Tuesday to Sunday, from 10am to 6pm, although advance booking is required via londonmithraeum.com.

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
https://www.londonmithraeum.com/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/11/reconstructed-temple-of-mithras-opens.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/12/pagan-london-temple-of-mithras.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/06/pagan-eye-altar-stone-at-verulamium.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/09/pagan-eye-roman-goddess-luna-at-bath.html

Witchy Place Names: Cackle Street

As my witchy friends know, I do love a cackle from time to time, so when I passed a sign to Cackle Street I had to go and investigate.

Cackle Street is actually a country road in the village of Nutley, in East Sussex, on the edge of the Ashdown Forest - which was where I was heading before taking a detour to quest for a place with such a witchy name. Later I tried to do some research into how it got that name, but didn't find out.

According to a pdf I found online called Nutley Village Design Statement 2006, written by residents trying to make sure any new buildings in the area weren't eyesores, Cackle Street lies on the eastern side of the village and "passes through the Forest, linking the village to Fairwarp in the east".

Like most of the other lanes and roads in Nutley, Cackle Lane passes by fields and trees. It is bordered by hedgerows and grassy banks with a few picturesque cottages. Apparently Author Neil Gaiman lived in Nutley between 1987 and 1992, and his house there became the setting for his book Coraline. I'm not sure if he lived near Cackle Street though.

According to The Hastings Chronicle, there was once a Cackle Street in Hastings, but in 1904, "Hastings Council renamed Cackle Street as Frederick Road, in honour of Alderman Frederick Tuppenney, chairman of the workshop’s [sic] board of guardians, who had been the driving force in building the new extension to the workhouse."

The word cackle apparently means the sound a hen makes after laying an egg - as well as meaning a loud laugh, of course. Maybe at one time there were poultry farms in the area of Nutley? I just don't know.

The idea of witches getting together for a good cackle also reminds me of Terry Pratchett The Witches Boardgame, which I really like. One of the game mechanics involves getting together with the other witches - played by the other players - to have a cackle in order to mitigate the effects of things going wrong.

Laughter is one of the most powerful forms of magic and can really make you feel better when life is tough.

And if you happen to know the origin or meaning of Cackle Street's name, do leave a comment.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/01/review-terry-pratchett-witches-boardgame.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/09/origin-of-witches-lane.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/southerncounties/content/articles/2009/01/05/east_sussex_street_names_feature.shtml
http://wordsmith.org/words/cackle.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutley,_East_Sussex

London Necropolis: Cross Bones Graveyard

Before Samhain - or Halloween - for the past few years I've been posting photos of London's burial grounds in a series I've called London Necropolis - a Necropolis being a city of the dead.

The photos on this page are from one of London’s most unusual graveyards - Cross Bones, in Red Cross Way, Southwark. It is unusual because it is believed to have originally been was a graveyard for medieval outcasts, especially sex workers known as the Winchester Geese, because they were licensed to ply their trade by the Bishop of Winchester who owned the land.

It continued to be used as a burial ground for the poor until 1853, when it was closed because it was "completely overcharged with dead”. Despite protests by local people, Cross Bones was eventually built over and the dead who were buried there were forgotten.

Then, in the 1990s, archaeological excavations were conducted on the land before the Jubilee Underground line was built. The archaeologists found bodies piled on top of one another, mostly from Victorian times and earlier, of all ages, and many having died of diseases common to the poor.

In 1996 the poet John Constable had a vision about the history of place and was inspired to write a play about it – The Southwark Mysteries. He also instigated the tradition of meeting there on the 23rd of each month to commemorate the outcast dead with a vigil and the tying of ribbons of remembrance on the gates.

Thanks to the dedication of John Constable and other local people, Cross Bones Graveyard was eventually turned into memorial gardens, which are open to visit most weekdays at around lunchtime and on Saturdays. The graveyard gates in Redcross Way are permanently decorated by messages, ribbons, flowers and other tokens of respect.

It has also become a tradition for John Constable and others to hold a Halloween at Cross Bones – a night of entertainment including the enactment of part of the Southwark Mysteries. I went to one back in 2008 and you can read my review here: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/11/death-sex-at-cross-bones-graveyard.html.

Halloween at Cross Bones normally books up very early – this year’s event is already full, and it is possible that it will be the last one ever. However, you can go to the regular Crossbones vigil on Saturday night, 23 October, at 6.45pm in Redcross Way, London SE1 1TA. You can also find out more about Crossbones Graveyard and Memorial Garden, as well as events taking place, here: http://crossbones.org.uk/

The photos on this page were all taken by myself, Lucya Starza, in the past week. If you want to reuse them you must credit my name and www.badwitch.co.uk

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/08/pagan-eye-new-look-gates-at-crossbones.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/10/london-necropolis-tower-hamlets.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/11/death-sex-at-cross-bones-graveyard.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/02/green-london-stroll-around-crosbones.html
http://crossbones.org.uk/

London Necropolis: Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

Before Samhain - or Halloween - for the past few years I've been posting photos of London's burial grounds in a series I've called London Necropolis - a Necropolis being a city of the dead. I've also been visiting London's Magnificent Seven Victorian cemeteries. Up to last Samhain I had visited six of them: Nunhead, Highgate, Brompton, West Norwood, Abney Park and Kensal Green Cemetery.

I visited the seventh - Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park - after Samhain, just too late to include it in my London Necropolis series last year, although I did post a Yuletide picture of holly trees growing among the memorial stones. Here are some more of the photos I took of this truly magnificent Victorian burial ground.

It is called a cemetery park and nowadays is public woods. Situated in East London, it is free to wander around and is a nature reserve as well as being designated a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, a registered charity, looks after the woodlands and historic graves on behalf of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

Sometimes called Bow Cemetery by locals, it opened in 1841 as one of London’s Magnificent Seven Cemeteries that were built in the Victorian era to deal with overcrowding in urban churchyards, which was causing disease and ground water contamination. The other six are those I mentioned - and blogged about - earlier. Tower Hamlets Cemetery closed to burials and become a public park in 1966. In May 2000 it was declared a Local Nature Reserve.

Although it is the least well known of the seven, it is still a beautiful, atmospheric and peaceful place to visit. It is full of wildlife as well as being somewhere to remember our ancestors of place in the East End of London.

On the theme of honouring our local landscape and the ancestors of place, a thought-provoking book that I reviewed in October last year is This Ancient Heart: Landscape, Ancestor, Self. Edited by Caitlín Matthews. It is a series of essays by pagans including Emma Restall Orr, Philip Shallcrass and Professor Ronald Hutton about how the land we live in and those who have lived before us can inspire and affect our spirituality.

It was a book I read not long before visiting Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park and gave me plenty to contemplate as I wandered about the trees and tombs. You can read my review here: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/10/review-this-ancient-heart-landscape.html

London Necropolis: Novo Cemetery in Mile End

Before Samhain - or Halloween - for the past few years I've been posting a series of photos of London's burial grounds under the title London Necropolis - a Necropolis being a city of the dead. This October I'm continuing the thread. These photographs show Novo Cemetery, which is within the grounds of Queen Mary University of London, on Mile End Rd in East London.

I visited QMUL back in March for fascinating day of talks called Worlds of Witchcraft: Comparing African and European Histories of the Occult. I took the pictures of Novo Cemetery before the event in early spring - as you can tell by the daffodils growing on the graves.

The Novo Cemetery is Grade II listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens because it is the last remaining bit of one of Britain's historic Jewish cemeteries. It was one of the first to be built after 1650s when Jews were - after centuries - finally allowed to openly practice their religion and burial rites in England. One of the interesting things about it is that it doesn't have upright memorials, which symbolises the fact that we are all equal in death.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/05/prof-jim-sharpe-on-witch-hunts-at.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/05/worlds-of-witchcraft-african-and.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/10/london-necropolis-highgate-cemetery.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/10/london-necropolis-kensal-green-cemetary.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/10/london-necropolis-abney-park-cemetery.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/10/london-necropolis-st-bartholomew-great.html
http://www.qmul.ac.uk/media/news/items/126851.html

Pagan Eye: Yew Hedge Gate and Silver Birch

Yesterday afternoon my hubby and I decided to go to Down House, the home of Charles Darwin, particularly to walk in the lovely gardens. We wanted to get out to take our minds off the death of our beloved cat Pharaoh.

As well as being a place where Darwin's family relaxed and providing food for their table, the gardens were the famous scientist's ‘outdoor laboratory’. He spent many hours there conducting experiments and just walking to think. Walking to think and talk over ideas is also something I love to do with my husband.

We sat down for a rest on a bench near this gate in a yew fence. Magically, yew trees represent death, but also healing, resurrection and reincarnation. Beyond the gate lies a silver birch tree - the tree of new beginnings. Birch appears on the Death card in my favourite tarot deck - the Robin Wood Tarot, to symbolise new life returning as the seasons turn.

I saw this view just after my husband and I had come to the decision to take our loss as sign to make the most of the moments we have, because we never know what will happen in the future, and also a reminder that after a death, life goes on. After passing through the gate of grief, there is always a new beginning.

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.

Down House is in Kent and is managed by English Heritage. The photograph is copyright Lucya Starza. If you wish you use it elsewhere, please credit Lucya Starza and www.badwitch.co.uk.

Links and previous related posts:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/08/my-cat-pharaoh-died-in-night.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/09/pagan-eye-tree-roots-and-high-altar-at.html
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/home-of-charles-darwin-down-house/things-to-do/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/11/book-review-god-tree-by-janis-fry.html

Hare Women and Minotaur Men at Salisbury Cathedral

Green Men were not the only things at Salisbury Cathedral that seemed a bit pagan when I visited a few weeks ago. Both the grounds and the building are dotted with these amazing hare or rabbit women statues by Sophie Ryder.

The one at the top is called Dancing Ladies and the name plaque said: "Three tall and slender feminine forms with soft luxuriant rabbit ears, invite the viewer to join them in their dance. The lady hare friends exude a joie de vivre." They reminded me of the Three of Cups in Tarot, which also shows three dancing ladies and indicates it is time for joyful celebration.

The series of statues to the right were in the cloister garden and showed several hare-eared figures among a circle of poles that reminded me of nearby Woodhenge. The photo at the bottom shows huge head-and-shoulder sculptures of a female hare and a male minotaur.

The statues were all part of a temporary art display called Relationships. According to the Salisbury Cathedral website, the exhibition explored artist Sophie Ryder's own family interactions and relationships, at the same time challenging us to consider how we interact with each other and our own loved ones. It said: "She uses the hare-headed female figures and minotaur males both to portray those relationships and to disguise them, to render the emotions explored universal."

The website also implied that the exhibition ended shortly after I visited, which is a bit of a shame because it was really impressive, moving and thought-provoking.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/07/hunting-green-men-of-salisbury-cathedral.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/06/forget-hares-its-rabbit-awareness-week.html

Occult London: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities

On Wednesday afternoon, quite by chance, I went to a place in London that I have long wanted to go and really should have gone before. The place was the home of the Last Tuesday Society and the Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities in Mare St, London E8. It is one of the weirdest places I have ever seen – and believe me I have seen some weird places.

The reason I was wandering London’s East End before coming across the museum was sadly a serious one. I had gone to visit an old friend who was in a hospice, but who I had lost touch with until I was told that she was ill. I spent some time with her, glad to have come but ashamed I had not visited her sooner. When I left, her husband offered to show me to the bus stop. It was very kind of him, but as I had got lost on the way there I was grateful.

Glancing across the road from the stop, I saw the Last Tuesday Society sign and couldn’t help exclaiming that I’d long wanted to visit the place. Again, very kindly, my guide offered to take me around it. Despite feeling guilty for keeping him away from his wife’s bedside, I let him.

The museum is surreal. As the guidebook I got there states, it:

...presents an incoherent vision of the world displayed through wonder enclosed within a tiny space, no attempt is made at classification and comprehensiveness, instead the museum focuses on the pre-enlightenment origins of the museum as Wunderkabinett – a mirror to a world so suffused with miracles and beauty that any attempt at categorization is bound to fail.

Crowded into cabinets, on shelves and hanging from the ceiling are all sorts of strange things. There are skeletons and skulls, mummified animals with extra heads or limbs, artfully crafted mythical creatures and curiosities including a giant hairball and some dinosaur poo. Alongside these are artwork and ephemera relating to the bright young dandy Stephen Tennant and other colourful characters, including clothes and pictures. The museum also contains a large number of items relating to witchcraft, magic and the occult, not least of which is a big collection of paintings and drawings by occultist Austin Osman Spare.

It costs £5 to go around the museum, which is in the basement. On the ground floor is a bar and cafe, which is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 11am-10:30pm serving cocktails, and a gallery at the back, sponsored by Hendrick’s gin. It currently has an exhibition of pictures by Spare on display.

There’s plenty of weirdness on the walls of the cafe too, so you can just pop in for a drink and enjoy the atmosphere without the extra expense of going round the museum. Oh and if you fancy a rather peculiar private party you can hire a table in the museum, including one that is wonderfully called The Devil’s Table and costs £45 for an evening.

The Last Tuesday Society was founded in 1873 in Harvard, according to the website, but opened its London venue only 10 years ago. It calls itself a “pataphysical organisation”. The website states:

“The society is dedicated to subverting life, the universe and everything bored of the life and world it sees around it seeks to create a new world filled with beauty, wonder and the imagination. The Society presents a veritable feast of experiences and productions.”

It hosts lectures, storytelling evenings and workshops on weird and wonderful topics, including regular lessons on how to stuff animals, arranged via the British Academy of Taxidermy. I’ve frequently listed Last Tuesday Society talks on the events page of my blog as they have included many subjects relating to witchcraft.

I didn’t spend very long at the museum on Wednesday. I looked around, took the photos you can see on this post, then left to get that bus home. In the circumstances, I wasn’t really in the right head space for something quite so surreal. Although, thinking about it, maybe I was. Maybe I was in just the right head space to want to believe in miracles and magic and the outright impossible.

And now I know where the Last Tuesday Society is, and what bus stops right outside, I will certainly come back there and hear a lecture or two in the future.

You can visit the Last Tuesday Society website here: http://www.thelasttuesdaysociety.org/

Links and previous related posts
http://www.thelasttuesdaysociety.org/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/08/occult-london-sigil-art-at-cafe-in-crypt.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/09/occult-london-barbers-physic-garden.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/02/occult-london-five-spiritual-and-pagan.html

Green London: Tibetan Peace Garden in SE1

Today is the International Day of Peace, better known as World Peace Day. It is observed every year on 21 September – and I say observed rather than celebrated as there is so much conflict in the world at the moment.

The day is dedicated to world peace – specifically the absence of war and violence, even temporary ceasefires in a battle zones for humanitarian aid. The day was inaugurated in 1982 and is now honoured by nations, political groups, military groups and people all over the world.

The pictures on this post show the Tibetan Peace Garden, in Southwark, South East London. The garden was opened by the Dalai Lama in 1999. The website for the garden says: "The Tibetan Peace Garden honours one of the principal teachings of His Holiness – the need to create understanding between different cultures and to establish places of peace and harmony in the world."

The garden reflects Buddhist beliefs about peace – which feel to me quite in keeping with many pagans’ views on peace too.

As well as being full of scented herbs and beautiful climbing flowers, at the centre of the garden is a huge mandala, known as the Kalachakra Mandala, which is a symbol of transformation intended to help bring peace to those who gaze upon it. At the quarters – or directional points of north, south, east and west – are sculptures representing the four elements of earth, air, fire and water. There are benches on which to sit and meditate and a pillar with a message from the 14th Dalai Lama, which reads:

We human beings are passing through a crucial period in our development.
Conflicts and mistrust have plagued the past century, which has brought immeasurable human suffering and environmental destruction. It is in the interests of all of us on this planet that we make a joint effort to turn the next century into an era of peace and harmony.
May this peace garden become a monument to the courage of the Tibetan people and their commitment to peace.
May it remain as a symbol to remind us that human survival depends on living in harmony and always choosing the path of non-violence in resolving our differences.

For me, the location of the garden carries a stronger message than all the flowers, mandalas, sculptures and messages. It is right next to the Imperial War Museum.

When you walk through the garden and emerge from its protective circles of paths and hedges, you are immediately faced with two huge guns outside the museum. The effect is jolting, even shocking. Yet the guns are silent – and, although I have never been inside the museum, I am told it is more about honouring the lives – and deaths – of those who fought in wars that are now ceased than it is a celebration of all things martial.

May the guns fall silent in the world today.

The Tibetan Peace Garden is at Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park, St George's Road, London SE1 6ER. You can find out more here: http://www.tibet-foundation.org/page/peace_garden

Here are details of two pagan events taking place in London for World Peace Day on Monday, 21 September, 2015:

World Peace Day Picnic and Ceremony in Hyde Park with London Woodland Witches Magicians and Outdoor Pagans. Meet at the Italian Gardens, Hyde Park, London. Once gathered, the group will go to a slightly quieter place for the ritual. Time: 1pm-4pm. For more details and to sign up to this event: http://www.meetup.com/London-Woodland-Witches-Outdoor-Pagans/

Meditate in Trafalgar Square on World Peace Day. Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN. Time: 6.30pm to 7pm. Free event. Details: http://www.meetup.com/londonspirituality/events/225088025/

Links
http://www.peaceoneday.org/welcome
http://www.tibet-foundation.org/page/peace_garden
http://www.meetup.com/London-Woodland-Witches-Outdoor-Pagans
http://www.meetup.com/londonspirituality/events/225088025/

Pagan Eye: The Uffington White Horse in the Rain

Rain and fog are not the best conditions to climb up to the Uffington White Horse, but they are rather typical weather conditions for English August Bank Holidays.

This was the view I got yesterday. But although visibility wasn't exactly great I'm still glad I made the effort. I also walked around Uffington Castle, which is an Iron Age earthworks, and on to Dragon Hill. Today I am intending to visit Wayland Smithy, a couple of miles from the Uffington White Horse.

Although the weather has been a bit grim, I've been staying at a very welcoming pub nearby, called the Fox and Hounds. As well as offering views of the White Horse from the garden, it serves a really good Sunday lunch and this weekend has a beer festival on. Just the place to warm up and spend the evening.

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/2008/08/white-horses-of-england.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/10/pagan-eye-westbury-white-horse.html
http://www.uffingtonpub.co.uk/
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/white-horse-hill/

Holidays: Amazon Destinations Offers UK Breaks

It seems Amazon is offering pretty much everything these days. It has just launched Amazon Destinations to let customers discover, plan and book a UK escape close to home in the same way they buy books or get tickets to shows with the online retailer.

The 10 destinations at launch include: the Lake District offering natural beauty, the Cotswolds with picture-perfect villages, the pretty and accessible Home Counties, the fun of Brighton, stunning Devon, glorious beaches of Cornwall, magnificent Snowdonia, cultural Cardiff, artsy Edinburgh and rural Shropshire. Some of the locations on offer are close to ancient sites including stone circles and holy wells.

If this hot weather is making you think of taking a short break to enjoy the English summer while it lasts, why not check out Amazon Destinations to see if there is a holiday that appeals to your taste and budget?

Event: Bosnian Valley of the Pyramids Conference

What does the photo above look like to you - a natural hill or a man-made pyramid?  There is mystery and controversy over the fascinating Visocica Hill, in Bosnia. I must admit I hadn't heard anything about The Bosnian Pyramid until I saw there was a conference about it this April in London. To find out a bit more, I looked it up on Wikipedia, where I found the photo above. I was then sent a press release about the conference, which is being organised by Marion Briggs. Here it is in full:

The Bosnian Pyramid, Visocica Hill, is the first European pyramid to be discovered and is located in the heart of Bosnia, in the town of Visoko. 

Apart from this largest structure, the Pyramid of the Sun, there are four more ancient structures on the site, the Pyramid of the Moon, Pyramid of the Dragon, Pyramid of the Love and Temple of the Earth. There is also a network of underground tunnels under the pyramidal complex in Visoko. It is a labyrinth made of passages and chambers spreading across several kilometres. Many visitors to the site have discovered natural healing properties and for many people it is a life changing experience.

It starts with a call; perhaps you see a video, go to a talk or come across someone who has been there; or maybe this conference is the first thing that draws you in. Then there comes the feeling you really must got to see for yourself. The mysterious Valley of the Pyramids in the heart of Bosnia has made its mark.

What is it about this place that people are drawn to go there time and again? What is the experience of the Bosnian Pyramids? Hear for yourself at the conference.

Speakers Include:
• Semir Osmanagić Ph.D. (Discovered the Bosnian Pyramids in 2006)
• Loraine Doherty (Symbology and sacred markings of the megaliths and Ravne Tunnels)
• Urtema Dolphin (Bosnian retreat facilitator and sound frequencies)
• Nina Earl (Archeoacoustic and electromagnetic study of the Bosnian Pyramids and the Ravne Tunnels)
• Nigel Grace (Experience of a volunteer: Rejuvenation and healing whilst working at the Bosnian pyramids and tunnels and significance of the ancient pyramidal structure)
• Bob Harris (Historical and present day significance of the material used in the building of the pyramids)
• Adrian Incledon-Webber (Energy alignments, energy patterns and processional ways in the Bosnian landscape)
• Christian Kyriacou (Alchemy of space and the music and harmonics of the pyramids in Bosnia and Egypt)
• Harry Oldfield (Experiences in monitoring the energy fields seen at the Bosnian Pyramids and other sacred sites)

Who built these colossal structures and more importantly, why did they build them? Are the builders of the underground tunnels the same people who built the pyramids?

Many experts in geology, archaeologists, scientists, dowsers and others have visited and worked on this site and over the past five years, the “Archaeological Park: Pyramid of the Sun: Foundation” has organised International Summer Camps for volunteers. 

Participants have varying backgrounds, from archaeology and science, to cultural heritage, to archaeological tourism. This conference will reveal some of the results of this work and what it tells us about the consciousness of the ancient civilisation who built them and why this is vitally relevant for us today.

Conference Details:
Friday 10th April; 7pm-9.30pm (Doors open at 6.00pm)
Speakers: Semir Osmanagic and Loraine Doherty
Saturday 11th April; 9.30am - 9.30pm (Doors open 9am)
Speakers:
Semir Osmanagić Ph.D., Urtema Dolphin , Nina Earl, Nigel Grace,
Bob Harris, Adrian Incledon-Webber, Christian Kyriacou, Harry Oldfield

Venue: Steiner House, 35 Park Road, NW1 6XT. Nearest underground station Baker Street or Marylebone. (Lunch at Steiner House available to purchase)

Tickets cost £48 and should be bought in advance via this link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-call-of-the-pyramids-of-bosnia-the-mysteries-of-the-visoko-valley-and-the-bosnian-pyramids-registration-15220616273

The photo of the Bosnian Sun Pyramid is by TheBIHLover and is shared under the creative commons license via Wikipedia

News: Gay Pagan Handfasting, Closures, Blair Witch

"Same-sex couple married in pagan first" - story at BBC News Edinburgh, Fife and East Scotland: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-30885393

"London’s Curiosities are Quietly Closing Down" - story on Christopher Fowler's blog: http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/blog/2015/01/18/londons-curiosities-are-quietly-closing-down/

"Will Pagans appreciate the possibility of a ‘Blair Witch’ sequel?" - story at examiner.com: http://www.examiner.com/article/will-pagans-appreciate-the-possibility-of-a-blair-witch-sequel

Gerald Gardner and Witchcraft on the Isle of Man

Above is a photo of the home in Castletown that Gerald Gardner, the father of modern Wicca, lived in when he was on the Isle of Man. To the right is a photo of the mill building that once homed the Museum of Witchcraft on the Isle of Man, which Gerald Gardner helped run. The museum is now located in Cornwall.

The pictures were all taken by Lisa Lennon, whose used to live on the island and can remember visiting the museum when it was open.

She said: "The witches' mill was also a dance hall at times. It also had tuck shop and the kids at the high school next door would jump over the wall to buy lollies."

Lisa also took the photo at the bottom. She said: "This is the house of the witch Miss Greetam. She lived in the village where I grew up, Ballasalla.

"I don't know much about her except in the 1950s she would walk to Douglas in her black pointy hat and long black cloak with two wicker baskets to shop for corn cobs. She would bring them back to her house and feed the rats (or as they are known in the Isle of Man, long tails). The kids would be afraid of her but she was harmless. Alas when she died she was found days later and her beloved rats had eaten her. Grim, but a colourful local witch story."

I am really grateful to Lisa for sending me these fascinating photos and an wonderful insight into the witchy history of the Isle of Man. It is a place I would love to visit one day, full of amazing sites and intriguing legends.

If you have photographed anywhere with a pagan past and would like your pictures posted on A Bad Witches Blog, please email me at badwitch1234@gmail.com.

Photos copyright Lisa Lennon.

Links and previous related posts:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/12/book-witchfather-life-of-gerald-gardner.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/01/pagan-eye-witchs-house.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/06/photos-from-doreen-valiente-blue-plaque.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/11/pagan-places-gerald-gardners-home-and.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/08/boscastle-and-museum-of-witchcraft_3235.html