Pagan Eye: A White Butterfly on a Coastal Walk

I went for a lovely walk along the seashore in Sussex at the weekend and photographed this cabbage white butterfly on a patch of sea kale. In folklore, the plant represents resilience as it grows in harsh environments, and was symbolic of the hardy people who lived and worked by the sea. 

Nowadays, however, it is most likely to be associated with vegans, vegetarians and people who try to eat a healthy diet. Sadly, that's often in a jokey way, although kale is full of nutritious things, and I personally like the slightly nutty taste. Don't go foraging for it though, as it is a protected plant in UK law. Grow your own or buy it if you want some. 

Sea kale is really good for the environment as it provides food for wildlife, including the caterpillars of the cabbage white butterfly, and helps prevent coastal erosion. Having used that word, I'm going to shoehorn in a little plug for my gothic novel called Erosion. It's set on the crumbling coast in southern England. You can find more about it at my publisher, Moon Books: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/our-books/erosion-novel

On each of my Pagan Eye posts, I show a photo that I find interesting, with a few words about it. 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/2024/08/art-and-writing-coastal-erosion-and.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/06/pagan-eye-ribbon-of-wildflowers-in.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/04/pagan-eye-good-year-for-bluebells-in-my.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/04/books-my-gothic-novel-erosion-is-one.html

Book Review: The Magic of the Seal

Seals are beautiful creatures that can often be seen on the coast of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. I often visit the Sussex coast where I have seen them at a distance, posing in that banana-shape that helps them keep warm in the sun. Wishing to learn more about their lore, I was delighted to be gifted a review copy of The Magic of the Seal by Melanie Godfrey.

It's a charming book, in two parts. Part I focuses on myths and legends of the shapeshifting selchie. Part II focuses on connecting to the spirit of the seal. In the last chapter Melanie shares her experience of rescuing a three-day old pup in Cornwall's Boscastle harbour.

It's clear Melanie has done lots of research into what's been said and published about seals and their folklore. This includes studying scholarly writing as well as talking in depth with traditional storytellers. She also shares her personal experience of working with seals and their spiritual energy in magical and religious practice. The Magic of the Seal offers guided visualisations, altar creation tips, and more to connect with the spiritual power of seals.

Publisher Moon Books offers this description on its website:

"This book will take you on a journey to awaken a spiritual relationship with the seal, familiarizing you with the seal’s anima as well as its history with the Gaelic ancestors of the British Isles. The Clan of the Seal on North Uist, and the traditional oral storytellers, were the transmitters and custodians of folklore, who told tales about the kindly selchie and revered seals as sacred, akin to their own family. The gentle seal will help reclaim what is lost within as we remember our Celtic heritage and identity in this fragile world. Seal lore teaches valuable lessons in integrity and kindness, and ignites our imagination, leading us to the seal’s inner landscape of presence and peace - inevitably towards our own inner peace."

Author Melanie Godfrey lives in Cornwall. She is a qualified Therapeutic Counsellor and studying the Druid grade with the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids. 

I previously posted an extract from The Magic of the Seal and you can find it here: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/07/book-extract-magic-of-seal.html

You can view The Magic of the Seal on Amazon. (Please note I earn commission from some links.)

Get The Magic of the Seal at 50 per cent off

Publisher Moon Books, which is part of Collective Ink, is offering 50 per cent off all e-books until December 31st. All you need to do is:

• Click here > https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
• Choose your e-book(s)
• Click 'Add to basket for direct download.'
• Click on your shopping basket
• Click on 'Do you have a coupon?'
• Apply promo code WINTER50  and Validate.
• Proceed to Checkout.

Other Previous Related Posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/04/sea-magic-extract-from-erosion-my.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/02/a-book-for-lupercalia-wolf-untamed.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2020/10/book-pagan-portals-artio-and-artaios.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/08/art-and-writing-coastal-erosion-and.html

Art and Writing: Coastal Erosion and the Sublime

The word "sublime" often gets used to mean beautiful, but originally it was something immeasurably awe-inspiring rather than just pretty. In fact, it didn't have to be beautiful at all. In the 18th century, the term was particularly employed to describe landscapes that inspired fear, such as huge, jagged mountains or standing on the edge of a crumbling cliff in a storm, with jagged rocks below.

That's the meaning used in the description of an exhibition currenly on at Eastbourne's Towner Gallery. Emma Stibbon's Melting Ice - Rising Tides displays her paintings of polar glaciers and melting ice-sheets next to her pictures of coastal erosion along England's Sussex coast. She works mainly outdoors, recording moments when waves crash, cliff faces collapse, and massive blocks of frozen water break away and tumble into the sea. 

As it say on the Towner website, her work is: "provoked by the wonder and drama of nature but underpinned by contemporary anxieties about our precarious future."

My photos, above and to the right, don't do the exhibition justice. Emma Stibbon's work is awe-inspiring, scary, yet also starkly beautiful - genuinely sublime. Rather than simply being a recording of scary landscapes in the 18th century sense, there's environmental horror here too. It shows how much of our much-loved coastline we are losing and will continue to lose.

I found the exhibition particularly moving because it shows places in and near Eastbourne I've visited and love. Some have already disappeared due to erosion. The steps to Hope Gap are no longer accessible, and the cafe on the clifff at Birling Gap has had to be demolished. More needs to be done to record places like this for posterity, as well as acting to preserve the cliffs and beaches.

However, this exhibition is far more than another attempt to shock us into reducing our use of oil and gas, it's a brilliant display of art. Melting Ice - Rising Tides is on until 15 September at The Towner, Devonshire Park, College Road, Eastbourne, BN21 4JJ. It is free to enter, but you can book tickets in advance. 

My Writing: Erosion

I also felt a personal resonance with Emma Stibbon's art, because my own Gothic novel, Erosion, is set on the crumbling coast of southern England. In it, cliff erosion causes an ancient grave to be revealed and the characters in the book decide to do a seance to contact the spirit of the bones they find there. It is set at the time of the Great Storm of 1987, which could certainly be described as sublime.

Here's where you can find Erosion and my other books

• My publisher is Moon Books, an imprint of Collective Ink. You can see Erosion on the website via this link: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/our-books/erosion-novel
• You can get signed copies at Treadwell's Bookshop 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS www.treadwells-london.com/ .
• Erosion can be also be viewed on Amazon. 

(Note: I earn commission from some links.)

Other previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/04/sea-magic-extract-from-erosion-my.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/06/world-oceans-day-making-promise-to.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/04/pagan-eye-lamassu-of-nineveh-goes-on.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/07/pagan-eye-sacred-spring-on-sussex-beach.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/05/walking-art-of-tides-stones-god-of-sea.html

Book Extract: The Magic of the Seal

Here's a sneak peek into 'The Magic of the Seal - Ocean Messengers' by Melanie Godfrey which will be published by Moon Books on 26th July 2024.

On the shoreline where aquamarine waters gently ebb and flow, you will find seals basking on emerald and vermillion seaweed-covered rocks, relaxing amidst the liminality of land and sea. They stay in one place for only a short period of time, as they belong to neither. They rest between solitary foraging pursuits, seeming incredibly lazy, as if they spend all their lives relaxing whilst their silky silver fur glistens in sunlight. But seals are misleading, and they are far from idle. Sleeping a minimal six-and-a-half hours a day, these sensitive beings who are elegant in the water and clumsy on land, need rest. They need to lay down their weary heads by sleeping undisturbed, as they are conscientious hunters by day, with some seals hunting at night. They sleep to aid in recovering oxygen levels, on top of restoring body temperature. The seal people are spirited, harmless folk, shy, timid, a little nervous, but who only want to be left in peace to go about their day.

Seals are Albion’s natural treasures and ocean’s messengers, bringing valuable evidence of environmental changes to our shorelines. Evidence of oceanic warming and pollution is seen in the seals’ stomachs, with increased parasitic growths and entanglement with plastic waste. Seals are messengers of the afterlife and bring hope in times of grief. A belief is held among fishermen and crofters in Ireland, and the islands of Scotland, that folk who have drowned at sea go to live with the seal people, or become one. They are, therefore, our ancestors. Seals and humans are kindred, with their human cries, the tears they shed from compassionate eyes, and their intelligent and curious characters. Is there any wonder our ancestors connected so profoundly to these Otherworldly creatures?

In the not-so-distant past, there were seal clans. The seal clan of North Uist – the MacCodrum of the Seals – and the Conneely clan of West Ireland, who both remain a mystery. Little was documented about these clans, yet, as I went in search of evidence, I found a rich heritage on the lands where the clans originated. Kindly storytellers on the Outer Hebrides told me tales about seals, and before long a story formed in my mind; a story I will share in the coming pages of this book.

Seals are instinctive, confident, and proactive, as they intuitively sense the tidal force, and navigate the ocean. They dance in the rolling waves of the perpetually moving ocean, and have learnt to adapt and survive for millennia through skilfully knowing the sea and the forever changing tides. If they did not have an understanding of the ocean’s ways, they would be gone. They are in a state of oneness with the world – equal to all marine mammals, animals, and humans alike. Seals possess skills they have fine-tuned throughout the centuries, having individual insight of the world – an insight humans will never truly understand. We are all connected to a subtle energetic web of the earth and live in symbiotic relationship. We need the seals, as much as they need us. This book is written to give seals a voice – with goodwill, I hope I have managed to do this.”

Where to find the book

You can view The Magic of the Seal on Amazon and on publisher Moon Book's website, part of Collective Ink: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/our-books/magic-seal-ocean-messengers. Please note I earn commission from some links.

Previous related posts

http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/03/books-folklore-magic-of-cats-by-andrew.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/02/a-book-for-lupercalia-wolf-untamed.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2020/10/book-pagan-portals-artio-and-artaios.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.

My Gothic Novel Erosion is Published Today!

Today's the day my Gothic novel, Erosion, is officially published!  

This afternoon I'm doing a free online event to mark the launch. You're welcome to drop in and say hello if you want. I'll be reading a short section from the book and answering any questions. I'll be going live at 3pm, but the recording will be available to watch later if you prefer. You can find the details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/426303556406630/?

If you want a taster of what the book's like, I blogged with another short extract, which you can read here: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/04/sea-magic-extract-from-erosion-my.html

Here's the synopsis from my publisher Moon Books' website:

 ''It all began when we found the bones…'' This is the start of Erosion, a gothic novel set on the English coast, in 1987, the year of the Great Storm. Violent weather is but one of the problems a group of friends face when they discover an ancient grave inside a crumbling cliff and decide to unearth a skull. Supernatural mystery intertwines with the problems of human relationships, of earning money, of following dreams.

I know some people got copies of Erosion a bit earlier. I did a book signing at Treadwell's earlier this month. The shop still has a few signed editions left, so if you want one pop in or order online. Treadwell's Bookshop is at 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. The website is at https://www.treadwells-london.com/

You can also view Erosion on Amazon in both paperback and ebook formats.

(Note: I earn commission from some links. This helps subsidise my blog at no extra cost to readers.)

Sea Magic: An Extract from Erosion, my Gothic Novel

Erosion, my Gothic novel, is published this month. Here’s an abridged excerpt from it, to give you a taste of what's inside:

Circle in the Sand

“Charlie said that to do magic you need to make a circle and focus on what you really want. You can use a solid object and focus on that. A candle, or a wishbone or something. Then you let it go. You burn the candle or break the bone. You have to let it go, Charlie said, so it can come back true. That’s why you find broken things like swords left in lakes by people back in history. They were making wishes, making offerings to the spirits of the waters so their wish could come back true.” 

So we made magic on the beach and thought of our wishes, our dreams, with the salt drying on our naked bodies under the sun with just the gulls as witnesses. We found washed up driftwood and drew a circle around us in the sand, held hands and danced until we were warm and tingling and out of breath. We chose pebbles and held them, pictured the thing we wanted to wish for, imagining it as real. 

“What do we do now?” asked Jo, staring at her piece of white chalk like an egg. I looked at mine. It was dark grey, a hard, flattish, smooth oval. 

“Let’s throw our stones into the sea,” Zoe suggested. 

We ran down to the edge of the incoming tide and got ready to throw our little pebbles.

“I wish the world was a fairer place!” Jo hurled her ovoid chalk. It sploshed and disappeared into a swell. 

“I don’t think you’re supposed to say it out loud,” said Zoe. “You have to keep it secret when you make a wish.”

The wave broke and I tried to spot the stone in the backwash, but it was gone. Zoe threw hers but said nothing and it was also lost to the sea.

“Is this how it works?” I turned to Zoe, disappointed. Why wasn’t there a flash of light or a sparkle of glitter. How was this magic and not just chucking stones? But, of course, magic in the real world wouldn’t be glitter and sparkles and flashes of light. It would be something so like things normally happen that you wouldn’t suspect it was magic unless you’d cast a spell. And, as it was a secret, no one but you would know.

“I think so,” Zoe said. 

I thought for a moment, deciding on my secret before letting go and skimming my stone. It bounced across the water, once, twice…on the third time it went in and was lost.

Zoe smiled. “Three’s a lucky number!”

But it wasn’t three, was it? And the stone wasn’t broken. And a stone wasn’t precious like an ancient sword. Real magic isn’t glitter and sparkles: it’s sacrifice. That’s why the ancient swords were broken. I wondered what I’d have to do, let go of, to make my wish really come back true.

Where to find Erosion and my other books

My publisher is Moon Books, an imprint of Collective Ink. You can find Erosion on it's website via this link: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/our-books/erosion-novel

On Saturday 6 April I'll be signing copies of Erosion at Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. The event will start about 3.15pm, but I'll be there for a while. Please pop in and say hello if you’re in the area. I'll be happy to chat. This event is completely free. You can just turn up, but you can reserve a place if you prefer, at www.treadwells-london.com/ .

Erosion can be also be viewed on Amazon. (Note: I earn commission from advertisers for some links.)

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/02/book-news-my-novel-erosion-is-at.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/03/poppet-craft-doll-to-do-three-things-at.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/07/excerpt-from-naming-god-gods-of-london.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/02/excerpt-from-paganism-101-my.html

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

Pagan Eye: A Sacred Spring on a Sussex Beach

If you Google "Holywell Eastbourne", you'll probably find details of a nice beach at the end of the Sussex seaside town's Western Parade. There's an excellent a cafe, public toilets, some chalets and a path leading up the cliff to pleasant gardens. It's a nice place, but you won't find an actual well there. To see the holy well I've photographed above, you need to go further along the cliff top and then down a very narrow path and steep steps. It's one of the area's hidden gems.

Technically, it isn't a well. It's a freshwater spring that emerges from the side of the cliff and forms a beautiful pool on the beach. The site feels sacred and there's plenty of evidence people go there to remember lost loved ones. Painted stones have been left beside the pool with names and poignant messages. Leaving things at sacred sites is a controversial subject. Personally I don't leave anything except footprints and I don't take anything except photos and a tiny bit of water if permitted.  I've blogged in the past about what not to do at holy sites. 

However, it was good to see no one had left plastic tat. As I'm sure everyone who reads my blog is aware, people should always take all their own stuff home with them and if possible also try to clear up any other litter they see lying about.

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.

Other previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/12/sacred-sites-st-cedds-well-north.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/11/pagan-eye-spring-of-dionysus-at-dion-in.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/05/pagan-eye-beltane-fire-ceremony-at.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/05/walking-art-of-tides-stones-god-of-sea.html

Book News: First Real Copies of my Novel Erosion

Something very exciting arrived in the post - the first physical copies of my novel Erosion. It won't be officially published until early 2024 - these are my advance author copies - but it feels so good to hold copies of the book in my hands after so much time writing it, editing it and submitting the manuscript to my publisher, Moon Books.

Erosion is a contemporary gothic novel filled with magical weirdness, set in a run-down English seaside town in the year of the Great Storm. The subtitle is Of Friendship, Dreams and the Edge of a Cliff. Here's a little more detail from the synopsis:

"'It all began when we found the bones…' This is the start of Erosion, a gothic novel set on the English coast, in 1987, the year of the Great Storm. Violent weather is but one of the problems a group of friends face when they discover an ancient grave inside a crumbling cliff and decide to unearth a skull. Supernatural mystery intertwines with the problems of human relationships, of earning money, of following dreams." 

I'm also very grateful to Ben Aaronovitch, author of the Rivers of London series of books, for writing the endorsement that appears at the top of my novel: 

"An elegiac tale of memory, growth and regret set along the crumbling coast of 1980s Kent." 

The painting on the cover is by Su Jolly, a Kent artist who specialises in beach lansdscape pictures. I feel the image very much reflects the fiction.

Although Erosion isn't published yet, you can already pre-order copies via Moon Books' website and view it at online book stores including 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.)

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/04/my-novel-and-rpg-writing-with-ben.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/12/magical-games-rivers-of-london-rpg-now.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/11/im-writing-gothic-horror-novel-set-in.html

Walking: The Art of Tides, Stones & a God of the Sea

I went for a walk through Eastbourne's Old Town last week, as I was in Sussex after the Faery Festival. I took these photos of sculptures and art I saw on the route. The structure that looks a bit like Seahenge is called Eighteen Thousand Tides. Artist David Nash constructed it from worn oak groynes that had once been on Eastbourne beach. 

On the right you can see an ancient Cornish Celtic cross - or perhaps a pagan megalith - in the grounds of St Mary the Virgin in Eastbourne. According to Quirky Sussex History by Kevin Gordon, It was effectively stolen 200 years ago by Davies Giddy, an antiquarian and curate from Cornwall. He spotted the cross being used as a gatepost and decided to rescue it, which I guess is a good intention.

He married Mary Jane Gilbert, whose family owned a manor in Eastbourne, and interestingly for the time took her last name. He came to live in Eastbourne and brought the stone with him. 

The cross is unusual and has carvings on it that aren't traditionally Christian. In 1975, pagan historian Colin Murray suggested it was originally a ‘megalithic measuring stone’ dating back to ancient pre-Christian times. However, there isn't enough evidence to be absolutely certain.

The photo at the bottom show a statue of Neptune at Motcombe Pond, the source of the Bourne stream which gives Eastbourne its name. I suspect the god of the sea might have originally been holding a trident or maybe a shell or something, but as he is at the moment, it looks like he's making a rude gesture, don't you think?

(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/2016/09/ghost-hunting-and-book-shopping-in.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/11/review-sussex-folk-tales.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/04/rivers-of-london-walking-course-of.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/09/pagan-eye-avebury-stone-circle-on.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/07/holiday-memories-ring-of-brodgar-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

Divining with Natural Objects on a January Beach Walk

On New Year's Day I went for a walk along a beach. It's a beach I often visit, but particularly on New Year's Day ever since I found a book on Celtic Mythology just lying there one cold and misty January morning over a decade ago. Every year since, when I've been able to, I've visited the beach to look for signs and portents to guide me on my path. I've never found anything quite as odd as that book, but even natural objects can be used as a form of divination. 

I look for things that particularly catch my eye and spark my curiosity, using my intuition to work out what they might mean. On January 1st this year I found a curious pebble. It had a golden centre surrounded by blacker stone. You can see it pictured below on this post. It looked to me like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and made me feel that this year we will at least start to see better things ahead. 

Now, I realise you aren't supposed to remove stones from beaches. Although most councils turn a blind eye to people who just take one or two, it isn't great to reduce the sea defences. So, I don't permanently remove stones or shells. I take them back later. 

Another of my New Year customs is to return shells and pebbles I've borrowed in the past year. Before finding my new stone, I threw a handful of shells back into the waves, thanking the Goddess for them and asking for a new sign of things to come. I also try to do a bit of a beach clean, removing plastic and any other man-made rubbish I see.

You don't have to go to a beach to scry or divine with natural objects. A wood or even a park near where you live will do just as well. Go for a walk and be aware of the things you see - plants, twigs, stones or even wildlife. If it's something that really shouldn't be removed, just take a photo to contemplate in days ahead.

My book Pagan Portals - Scrying as more about divination with crystals, water, clouds and trees. It is published by Moon Books and is also available from Treadwell's bookshop . 

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/01/celtic-mytholology.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/08/guided-visualisation-element-of-water.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/12/yule-gifts-get-early-copies-of-pagan.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2020/03/witchcraft-on-shoestring-scrying-on.html

I'm Away at the Seaside for an Equinox Break

I'm taking a short break by the sea for the Autumn Equinox. I'm making the most of the late September sunshine to get out in nature and away from social media a bit, so I won't be doing a blog post tomorrow. Normal service will be resumed next week. In the meantime, enjoy this picture of a Sussex beach. 

I hope you have a lovely weekend and have an opportunity to enjoy sunshine too!

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/08/guided-visualisation-element-of-water.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/04/book-extract-natural-tides-in.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/06/pagan-eye-sea-kale-on-sussex-beach.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/03/a-walk-to-sea-over-sussex-downs.html

Guided Visualisation: The Element of Water - To the Sea

 

 

I've recorded a video of me reading from my book Pagan Portals - Guided Visualisations. This is on the element of water and takes you on a journey from the source of a river to the sea. Enjoy!

(Please note I earn commission from some links)

Lammas Ritual by the Sea & Corn Dolly Offering

Some years ago I wrote a ritual for Lammas by the Sea for a Wiccan coven that I was part of. The coven no longer exists because members moved away, but I still keep in touch with them. I've got permission to share the important parts of the ritual that aren't oath-bound, and you can find them later on in this post.

Wiccans have quite specific words they use for preparing ritual space, casting a circle, and raising energy etc. I've not included them, because they are supposedly secret, and instead just written basic instructions for those bits. They aren't exactly a well-kept secret these days, but I'm not sharing them here. There are many ways to cast a circle - use the form you prefer or use something like this.

As the name suggests, this ritual was done on a beach, but you could adapt it for other locations near water. Do make sure you don't cause pollution. While casting a little grain into the sea isn't going to be an issue, it might not be suitable everywhere.

Lammas by the Sea

Before you begin, you will need whatever ritual tools you use for cleansing, circle casting, raising energy, and sharing cakes and ale. You will also need enough wheat stalks or other grains or long grasses for everyone to plait simple loops as corn dollies.

Prepare the space for your ritual. Start by doing a beach clean. Collect any man-made rubbish to take away for recycling later. You can then cleanse the area in more magical or ceremonial ways.  

Everyone taking part should then spend a little while meditating. Either use meditational words, or sit mindfully for a short while.

Cast a circle.

Raise energy by singing, chanting dancing or drumming. Then say the following words:

Call to Lugh, Lord of the Harvest:

Lugh, God of Many Talents

Who rules this time of the year

We ask you to give us your blessings

As we honour the harvest this day.

Corn Dolly Rite Intro:

Out of grain, cut ripe from the field, 

We will make tokens of those things 

That have grown to fruitfulness.

In our own lives this year.

Everyone then makes a corn dolly and, while they are doing so, thinks about all those things that have grown in their lives from seeds of intent planted during the past year – from autumn through to spring – and how they have manifested. 

The very easiest corn dolly is simply be a plait of three or four stalks of grain, tied into a loop with natural biodegradable thread. 

When everyone has made a corn dolly, Someone opens a doorway in the circle and everyone processes to the edge of the water.

Call to Morgan, Lady of Magic and of the Sea:

Morgan, Lady of the Sea and Mistress of Magic

We ask you to give us your blessings

And to accept this token of the harvest

For the sea is the source of all things

And to the sea, all waters return.

Everyone throws their corn dolly into the sea, as a token of thanks.

Thanks to the Goddess:

Morgan, Lady of the Sea 

We thank you for your blessings

And for accepting our gifts

Everyone then processes back to the circle, and someone closes door that was opened.

Thanks to the God:

Lugh, God of Many Talents

Lord of this Festival

We thank you for your blessings

And enabling the harvest.

Everyone then shares cakes and ale, first pouring a small libation as an offering.

Open the circle and say any final words. 

Afterwards, enjoy a picnic on the beach, then take home all your own things and recycle the items from the beach clean.

We Can Never Tell Exactly What the Future Holds

At the weekend I took the photos of wildflowers in this collage. They are all on a patch of land beside the sea in an area of Sussex that I love. Back in 2016, there were plans to build a row of houses and a huge blog of flats there. I was part of a campaign to save the land for wildlife, but we failed. 

However, although the houses got built, the flats weren't and most of the land has returned to a state of wildness. In 2018, I took a photo of a bank of wildflowers there, but fences were still up and people couldn't walk there. Now, the fences have pretty much all been toppled and you can stroll about without any hindrance. A few bits of concrete and twisted metal are reminders that this was once a building site, but they are being reclaimed by the elements.

Five years ago I commented that it is hard to tell what the Goddess wants, and wondered whether homes for people are actually more important than homes for wildlife. Now, my thoughts are that you can never tell what the future holds. Things might seem bleak - an outcome might appear inevitable - but you can never tell. There's always room for hope.

World Oceans Day: Making a Promise to Clean Beaches

Today is World Oceans Day, and there is an online day of virtual events on the wonders of the ocean, explaining how it is our life source, supporting every living thing on Earth. Many see paganism as a nature religion with caring for the environment as a spiritual responsibility we all share. 

We can all do our bit, if we visit waterways and beaches, by helping to clean up plastic and other rubbish that's been left there or has washed up with the tide. I would add that flotsam and jetsam can sometimes even be repurposed. A length of rope could be used in knot spell, perhaps to do weather magic or as a binding promise to do more to help the Earth in future. In the past, I found a piece of wood while beachcombing, which I turned into a staff. 

If you've found anything interesting on the beach, or have examples of ways to upcycle beachcombed items, do leave a comment. But even if all you do is remove a few discarded bottles, as least you've done your bit to keep plastic out of our seas and oceans. 

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

Pagan Eye: The Moon at Dusk at Sovereign Harbour

I took this photo of the full moon visible in the sky at dusk this weekend. I was at Sovereign Harbour, in Sussex, enjoying a little time away at the coast.

One thing this picture shows is that the moon isn't only ever visible at night, although I've met quite a few people who assume that you can't see the moon during daylight hours. The full moon is more visible at night because the rest of the sky appears darker, but its orbital cycle often means that it can be seen faintly above the horizon during the day.

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 http://www.blogger.com/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/2016/11/charging-spell-candles-by-light-of.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/07/pagan-eye-lunar-eclipse-viewed-from.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/07/pagan-eye-debras-story-about-moon-at.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/07/pagan-eye-moon-garden-at-charlton-house.html