A bad witch's blog: trees

Showing posts with label trees. Show all posts

Tuesday, 8 September 2026

Rounding the Year: A Linden Tree in Early September

This linden tree was looking spectular in early autumn sunlight as I walked through my local park yesterday. The leaves are starting to turn golden and the branches are full of the small green fruit it bears at this time of year. Other names for it are small-leaved lime or pry tree in south east England.

As well as being great food for caterpillars, moths, bees and other insects, the linden is a symbol of fertility, especially in parts of Eastern Europe. In Switzerland it was associated with liberty and freedom as well as victory. The heart-shaped leaves are perfect to use in spells for love.

In springtime, herbalists sometimes brew the flowers into tea to help with insomnia. Apparently linden seeds can be used to make a substitute for chocolate. I've not tried either of these personally, and you should always check with someone qualified before consuming random plants you see growing.

For me, this is another sign of change in nature showing the turning of the seasons. That in itself seems full of magic and worth stopping to enjoy and photograph. The picture at the top shows the leaves and fruit, while the one below looks up into the branches.

Share your Pictures

Since my book Rounding the Wheel of the Year came out I've been inviting people to share seasonal pictures, art, crafts, words and other creativity. I'd love to encourage readers to record what's happening in nature in various ways including photographs, as well as other seasonal journalling, musings, drawing, painting and crafting.

Here are ways to share the things you're doing or what you see out and about as the wheel turns:

Leave a comment on this post about what you're up to
Find my prompts to share on my Facebook Page: Lucya Starza Pagan Portals Author
Share on Instagram with the tag #RoundingtheYear

Where to find Rounding the Wheel of the Year

My book offers more ways to acknowledge and celebrate the seasons in ritual, magic, folklore and nature. You can view Rounding the Wheel of the Year on Amazon, find it at esoteric bookshops or via my publisher Moon Books: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/our-books/pagan-portals-rounding-wheel-year

(Please note: I earn commission from some links.)

Tuesday, 25 August 2026

Rounding the Year: Beech Nuts & Tree Wisdom

Walking down my street on the way to the shops yesterday, I realised I was treading on a prickly carpet of beech nuts among fallen leaves. I stopped to take photos - the canopy of the tree looking magnificent and what was on the ground. A few I picked up and took home to put on my seasonal altar.

I was surprised there were so many on the pavement as it's still August, but then I noticed the tree's owner had plainly pruned some of the smaller lower branches, shedding their bounty. Although beech nuts are edible by humans, they're very bitter. Leave plenty for squirrels and other wildlife as they are a valuable source of native food.

Forked beech twigs are among the natural woods used as rods by dowsers. In English folklore, the beech is considered a mother or queen tree, paired with the oak, which is king of the woods. Historically, slivers of beech bark were used to write on. Anglo-Saxons called the tree 'boc', a word which later became 'book'. Magically, beeches are associated with written wisdom. Small slivers of birch are good for written spells still, but don't take any without permission of both the tree and the owner of the land.

Share your Pictures

Here are ways to share the things you're doing or what you see out and about as the wheel turns:

Leave a comment on this post about what you're up to
Find my prompts to share on my Facebook Page: Lucya Starza Pagan Portals Author
Share on Instagram with the tag #RoundingtheYear

Where to find Rounding the Wheel of the Year

(Please note: I earn commission from some links.)

Other previous Related Posts
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/06/while-walking-down-my-street-this-week.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/04/rounding-year-helping-birds-in-nesting.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/02/rounding-year-daffodils-narcissus.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/03/springtime-camellias.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/01/rounding-year-flower-of-love-hope-or.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/03/rounding-year-too-soon-for-silver-birch.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/03/rounding-year-damson-blossom-green-buds.html

Monday, 3 August 2026

My Witchy Events: Cloud & Tree Scrying + Poppets

Here are details of the witchy events I'm involved with from now until the end of September. I'll be at the Awakened Spirit festival in August where I'll be teaching cloud and tree scrying, then in September I'll be at Romford Pagan Moot to talk about poppets and magical dolls.

August

Cloud and Tree Scrying at the Awakened Spirit Festival
This lovely community based festival runs from Friday 14 to 16 August, offering workshops and live music. I'll be running a cloud and tree scrying session on Saturday afternoon. The venue is Crossland Riverside, Box End, Bedford, MK43 8RN. Weekend tickets including camping are £150, day tickets are £60. https://awakenedspirit.co.uk/

September

Poppets and Magical Dolls at Romford Moot
On Tuesday 1 September I will be talking about Poppets and Magical Dolls at Romford Moot. This monthly Pagan gathering meets at The Golden Lion, 2 High Street, Romford. it starts at 7.30pm. Entry is just £4, pay at the event. You can find out more about the moot here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064489640955

About me

I'm Lucya Starza and as well as writing A Bad Witch's Blog I'm the author of books in the Pagan Portals series on Candle Magic, Guided Visualisations, Poppets and Magical Dolls, Scrying, and Rounding the Wheel of the Year. My Gothic novel Erosion is also published by Moon Books.

You can buy my books at Treadwell's Bookshop, via Amazon, at the College of Psychic Studies in London and at other bookshops as well as at my author page at publisher Moon Books. Please note I earn commission from advertisers for some links.

Monday, 13 July 2026

Planning to Spend More TIme Enjoying Nature

If you follow my blog you probably noticed I didn't post anything on Thursday or Friday last week. I strained my back badly while taking gardening waste to the recycling centre on Wednesday, then spent the next couple of days in bed as I was hardly able to move.

While I couldn't do much that was physical, I did do a lot of thinking. This included reassessing what was really essential while I was unable to get about, but also what I wanted to spend time doing when I recovered.

From my bedroom window I could see trees and watch birds including a delighftul flock of parakeets. While I'd have much rather been able to move about more and get into the garden, just being able to watch nature through the window helped cheer me up.

Over the past few months I've been reading the novels of Ann Radcliffe for a course run by Sam Hirst via Romancing the Gothic. Radcliffe's heroines also often take consolation in nature. Even if they're imprisoned in some gloomy castle there is usually a window through which they can see forests and greenery outside, and feel their spirits improve.

Nowadays, science has shown the natural world can help us feel better if we have the blues. So, I've taken the decision to cut back a little on the time I spend sitting at a desk staring at my laptop screen this summer, and more time enjoying the outdoors. Instead of sharing things about 5 times a week, I'll probably post 3-4 times.

It isn't the first time I've taken a bit of a summer break from blogging, and I'll try to share more pictures of trees and flowers and birds via Insta. You can find me on Instagram as @starzalucya.

The photo at the top is one I took in my local park last year

Thursday, 2 July 2026

Pagan Eye: Catalpa Tree Blossom on a London Street

This beautiful blossom is on a catalpa tree growing near where I live in London, SE20. I photographed it with another flower behind it - an example of the street art that has also bloomed in the area.

At one time catalpa trees, or bean trees, were relatively rare in England. They're native to America. However, in recent years they've been planted more frequently in gardens and beside roads in my country because they're really pretty with heart-shaped leaves and huge blossom in summer rather than spring. Long bean pods appear in the autumn.

Many years ago I blogged about the Rochester catalpa tree. I tried to research what it meant in folklore and for magic, but didn't come up with much. Googling on the topic again, I learnt that now people are saying it can represent a huge range of things including tenacity, beauty, connection to spirit, and love. None of the sites mentioned their sources.

Apparently the tree has very long tap roots and can survive in areas with little rainfall, so I'd like to think it represents both beauty and tenacity in difficult situations.

If you are in the SE20 area, there's another bean tree in Crystal Palace Park and it's listed in a tree trail you can do. Here's the link: https://crystalpalaceparktreetrail.wordpress.com/

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:

https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/07/pagan-eye-camomile-growing-in-my-local.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/05/pagan-eye-what-do-you-think-girls.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/05/the-rochester-catalpa-tree.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/08/the-rochester-catalpa-tree-revisited.html

Tuesday, 9 June 2026

Green London: Bloomsbury's Secret Gardens

Here's a view of Montague Street Gardens, which is normally a private secret garden hidden behind buildings in Bloomsbury, near the British Museum. I visited for London Open Gardens weekend, organised by London Parks and Gardens.

It's a really lovely green space with trees, lawns, swirling gravel paths and some great statues. Planting includes evergreen hedging, camellia beds, a pocket meadow and a bee garden supporting pollinators.

I also visited Bedford Square Gardens, also in Bloomsbury, and photographed below.

As it says on the London Parks and Gardens website:

"Built between 1775 and 1786, Bedford Square is London's finest and most complete Georgian squares... Many of the elegant surrounding buildings were once fashionable townhouses, and are now offices. Pre-war iron railings enclose the large oval garden at the centre while shrubberies and mature London plane trees provide screening and shade. A restored summerhouse provides shelter."

London Open Gardens is an annual event, with over 100 green spaces to visit that are normally closed to the public. However, there are still many public parks that are open all year round.

About My Green London Posts

I've been blogging regularly about London's green spaces in an effort to dispel a prevalent myth in the pagan community that it's just all concrete. Even in the City, which is of course heavily built up, there are still places where nature thrives, while Greater London has huge areas of woods, commons, parks and beautiful gardens.

The pictures on this post were all taken by me. Please do not use them without my permission.

Some Previous Links
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/05/green-london-beltane-flowers-on-street.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/07/green-london-ruskin-park-tranquil-gem.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/04/green-london-rookery-streatham-common.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/03/green-london-plumstead-common-its.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/03/green-london-londons-first-botanical.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/09/green-london-st-alphege-gardens-city.html

Tuesday, 2 June 2026

Green London: Visit Secret Gardens Next Weekend

London is one of the leafiest cities in the world - something I often blog about. London Parks and Gardens, an organisation that protects the green capital, hosts an annual event to let people visit green spaces that are normally private or hidden. It's called London Open Gardens and is taking place next weekend, from Saturday 6 June to Monday 8 June.

Adult tickets cost from £11.31 and give you access to about 120 sites. There are also guided walks, talks and tours you can sign up for. You can find out more and book here: https://londongardenstrust.org/whatson/london-open-gardens-2026/

About My Green London Posts

The pictures on this post were all taken by me. Please do not use them without my permission.

Friday, 27 March 2026

Rounding the Year: Damson Blossom & Green Buds

Spring is marching on! Yes, that's a deliberate pun, as we're nearly at the end of the month of that name. I took this photo of my damson tree in blossom with the first few tiny green leaves just starting to show. A few days ago it was full of white flowers and not a leaf to be seen. The tree in the background is still bare.

I love this time of year, although sometimes I feel it rushes on just a little too fast. Earlier this month I photographed my garden's first camellia bloom this year. More flourished, and fell. The forsythia is now turning from yellow to green. But spring and the blossom season aren't over yet.

Share your Pictures

Here are ways to share the things you're doing or what you see out and about as the wheel turns:

Leave a comment on this post about what you're up to
Find my prompts to share on my Facebook Page: Lucya Starza Pagan Portals Author
Share on Instagram with the tag #RoundingtheYear

Where to find Rounding the Wheel of the Year

(Please note: I earn commission from some links.)

Other previous Related Posts
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/01/rounding-year-when-snowdrops-bloom.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/02/rounding-year-daffodils-narcissus.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/03/springtime-camellias.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/01/rounding-year-flower-of-love-hope-or.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/03/rounding-year-too-soon-for-silver-birch.html

Monday, 23 February 2026

Green London: An Urban Park and Ancient Woods

London is full of little parks much loved by locals. They are great places to get out and enjoy fresh air on a sunny Sunday. I took these photos yesterday afternoon. They show Forster Memorial Park in the London Borough of Lewisham.

What's unusual about this park is that the central grassed area is surrounded by a ring of ancient woodland. At this time of year you can see blossom starting to appear on the hedgerows, and leaf buds on the trees.

To give you its history, it was once woods and fields owned by Lord Forster, who lived in the area. He turned part of his estate into this public park as a memorial to his two sons who were killed during the First World War.

Green London

The pictures on this post were all taken by me. Please do not use them without my permission.

Previous Green London Posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/03/green-london-plumstead-common-its.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/03/green-london-londons-first-botanical.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/03/green-london-japanese-gardens-in.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/09/green-london-riverview-walk-river-pool.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/10/green-london-ancient-woodlands-around.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/04/green-london-rookery-streatham-common.html

Tuesday, 9 December 2025

Rounding the Year: Bringing in the Evergreen Tree

I love a real tree at Yuletide. Yet despite popular opinion to the contrary, ancient pagans didn't bring entire fir trees into their houses for midwinter celebrations. That only began in about the 16th century. Nevertheless, the Romans decorated their villas with sprigs of evergreen for Saturnalia in December, and the Druids considered mistletoe to be a sacred herb.

In England, Christmas trees in the home were a fashion started by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a secular, family-centric replacement for kissing boughs. The earlier decorations were hoops covered with greenery and hung from the ceiling. As the name suggests, kissing boughs were designed to encourage a more adult kind of party atmosphere. You can see a replica of one in a photo I took at the Museum of the Home, which has rooms decorated as they would have been in late December at various times in history.

Anyone who has read my book Rounding the Wheel of the Year will know I honestly believe people should enjoy the festive season with its wide variety of traditions from many cultures, countries and origins. We can sing Joy to the World, wish peace on Earth, and offer goodwill to everyone regardless of background or belief. We can share the things we love and appreciate each other's customs.

The picture at the top shows my real Yule tree, still in the garden. I bring it inside every year shortly before the 21st and take it back out after New Year. I've managed to keep it alive since 2017, when I bought it as a tiny sapling in a pot. You can read an earlier post about it here. I already have a fake tree inside. That's silver tinsel with changing coloured lights. It might not be the height of good taste, but has sentimental value and I love it. It's okay to like sparkles, baubles, and things that are a bit kitsch too.

Share your Pictures

Here are ways to share the things you're doing or what you see out and about as the wheel turns:

Leave a comment on this post about what you're up to
Find my prompts to share on my Facebook Page: Lucya Starza Pagan Portals Author
Share on Instagram with the tag #RoundingtheYear

Where to find Rounding the Wheel of the Year

(Please note: I earn commission from some links.)

Monday, 15 September 2025

Green London: St Alphege Gardens & City History

I walked past St Alphage Garden in the City of London while on my way to the Dark Fairytales book launch last week. I stopped to wander around and take these photos. Not only is it a delightful green space with grassy lawns, trees, flowers and benches to sit, it also nestles between the Gothic arches of a ruined church and the remains of the historic London Wall. The earliest mention of the former church, St Alphege Cripplegate, is from around 1108. London Wall was built by the Romans around 200AD to surround the city.

For any pagan in London, the gardens would be a beautiful place to sit and honour our ancestors of place, or just appreciate nature among the manmade buildings ancient and modern. Walls crumble and fall, but nature always finds a way of returning when they do.

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 City, which is of course heavily built up, there are still areas where nature thrives. Interestingly, some are where there used to be churches that are no longer sites of Christian worship. To me this feels symbolic of pagan nature worship subtly regrowing.

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

Monday, 4 August 2025

Green London: Green Park's Grove and Haunted Trees

I celebrated Lammas in London's Green Park with the Tamesis druid group. We celebrated in a peaceful grove while outside our secluded circle of plane trees other members of the public picnicked or relaxed on deck chairs, enjoying a pleasant Saturday in early August. However, a delve into the park's folklore and history reveals the trees hold more secrets than just a meeting of pagans for harvest rites.

These include a pair with a sinister reputation. One is known as the ‘Tree of Death’. Peter Underwood, in Haunted London, claimed to have spoken to two park attendants who said they had heard strange sounds coming from the tree:

"There is the harsh and loud sound of a man’s voice in conversation that ceases almost as soon as you become aware of it. There is a low and cunning laugh that strikes a chill into the hearer, and also a strange and sad groaning sound like that of someone in mortal agony and utter despair."

Another writer, James Clark, in his book also called Haunted London speculates these sounds might come from the ghosts of those who chose to end their lives there. He traced one tale to a book called More Haunted Houses of London by Elliot O'Donnell in 1920. O'Donnell relates that he was walking through Green Park one evening in September 1900 or 1901, when he heard a fiddle being played. The music came from a cluster of trees. He mentioned this to policeman who was passing on his beat, who told him a sad story.

The officer had, many years earlier, been approached by a distraught fiddler who said he had gone to sleep under the tree, but when he awoke, his instrument had been stolen. The victim refused to leave the area and spent the next few days desperately asking everyone who passed if they had seen his violin. Eventually the poor man hanged himself from a branch. After that, many people said they heard music coming from that same tree, especially in late September. No one could see who was creating this, except on one occasion the policeman himself thought he saw the figure of the fiddler, sitting beneath the tree, playing. Another ghostly figure has also supposedly been seen standing beside the tree – a tall, watchful being dressed in black, who disappears when approached.

Murderous Woman

Another of Green Park’s trees also has a mysterious legend attached to it. It's called the Pig Tree. I first encountered it one cold December evening on a tour of ghostly London. The guide told my group that the Pig Tree was so called because any man who went to sleep under it either died of fright or was turned into a pig, while any woman who slept there awoke with burning desire to murder men. Of all the tales I was told that night, the Pig Tree was the one that fascinated me most, and I felt compelled to learn more about it - although I've failed to remember exactly which tree it is.

In Clark’s book, I learnt a longer version of the tale. According to him, the Pig Tree's name was coined by homeless men who gathered on Green Park’s benches. They would refuse to go near that specific tree, because one of their number died of fright after sleeping beneath it one night. Others claimed to have seen a monstrous figure of a naked white woman with the head of a pig and hate-filled eyes. Although the men were terrified of the tree, women were reportedly drawn to it, but after spending time under its branches, they're filled with murderous hatred for men.

All the accounts I had heard were given from the point of view of men, not women. Perhaps I'd fallen under the spell of the tree myself, but I could see it from another angle. Was this Circe-like figure an empowering feminist archetype rather than a monster? Did the men somehow deserve the fate they met? Which side you choose to believe is up to you. I would also say that on a bright, summer day, Green Park is a lovely spot for a picnic, maybe some forest bathing, or even an afternoon snooze in a deckchair – although you might want to be careful precisely which trees you rest under.

Green London

The pictures on this post were all taken by me from the grove in which I enjoyed a druid ritual. Please do not use them without my permission.

Friday, 11 July 2025

Green London: Ruskin Park - A Tranquil Gem

With London weather set to be hot this weekend, this is a perfect time to visit one of the city's tranquil green spaces. The photos are of Ruskin Park in Denmark Hill, which is absolutely beautiful. It has lots of cool, shady spots as well as open grassed areas. There's a historic bandstand (pictured above), a lake (pictured below), a children's playground and paddling pool for little ones, plus a wide diversity of plants and trees.

Stroll around, take a picnic, but don't come by car because it doesn't have a car park. Buses and trains stop nearby at Denmark Hill Station.

Ruskin Park opened to the public in 1907 and is named after the Victorian writer and naturalist John Ruskin, who grew up nearby. It's situated in the Borough of Lambeth and has been designated a "Site of Importance for Nature Conservation" because it is a habitat for wildlife and gives Londoners the chance to enjoy being out in nature. Patients and staff from King’s College Hospital and Maudsley Hospital also benefit from having this park nearby as somewhere to walk and forget their worries.

Green London

The pictures on this post were all taken by me. Please do not use them without my permission.

Previous Green London Posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/04/green-london-rookery-streatham-common.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/03/green-london-plumstead-common-its.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/03/green-london-londons-first-botanical.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/03/green-london-japanese-gardens-in.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/09/green-london-riverview-walk-river-pool.html

Tuesday, 22 April 2025

Green London: The Rookery & Streatham Common

You might be forgiven for thinking The Rookery is somewhere birds roost, or perhaps a part of Dickensian London infamous as a hive of scum and villainy. Well, the word can mean either of those things, of course, but The Rookery nestled within by Streatham Common is a Grade II Listed Historic Garden. It has bubbling streams leading to ornamental ponds, beds of herbaceous plants and wildflower, an orchard, and a community garden.

It gets its name because it was originally the landscaped gardens of a large house called ‘The Rookery’ - which sounds delightfully Gothic to me. I'm sure it was full of ghosts, secret passages, maybe a family curse, and flocks of black corvids croaking ill-omens, but that's probably just my imagination. I don't know much about the history of the building except that it housed guests staying in the area to use the health-giving springs and spas Streatham was once famous for. You can still see one of the three original wells of Streatham Spa Water, dating from 1609.

In the early years of the 20th century, the site was going to be sold for redevelopment, but was saved by public subscription and the whole area beautifully planted and landscaped, opening to the public in 1913. It includes a traditional Old English Garden, and a White Garden in which only pale flowers bloom. The Rookery is also rich in wildlife. Part of it was declared a Local Nature Reserve in 2013, along with Streatham Common.

It's managed by Streatham Common Cooperative (SCCoop), a local community-led enterprise. A market takes place there every Saturday. Public toilets and a café can be found just outside, as well as a lovely paddling pool I remember enjoying in my childhood. When I visited over the bank holiday there was a dog splash day and I watched pooches happily running about in the water and wagging their tails.

Streatham Common

Once part of the Great North Wood, ancient woodland which stretched across the land south of London, Streatham Common was saved from redevelopment in 1884 for the public to continue to enjoy. It's still a large area of open green space containing woodland, grassland, meadows, streams and a picnic area, as well as surrounding The Rookery formal garden.

The Common is a key site within London Wildlife Trust’s 'Great North Wood' project, which aims to raise awareness of the original Great North Wood, offering guided walks, talks and and volunteering activities. Both Streatham Common and the Rookery are designated Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation for the London Borough of Lambeth.

Green London

The pictures on this post were all taken by me. Please do not use them without my permission.

Friday, 11 April 2025

Rounding the Year: The Trees Are (Mostly) Green Again!

The Wheel of the Year seems to speed up in April. Just a fortnight ago I blogged that we'd reached peak blossom; now new leaves - mostly green - are more prevalent than pink and white petals. Of course, it's worthwhile remembering that not all leaves *are* green! You can see some beautiful red ones in the picture above. Again, rather than write a load of words, I'm sharing photos I took in my garden, the local park, and in the streets around where I live.

Sharing seasonal photos

Inspired by ideas in my book Rounding the Wheel of the Year, I share seasonal pictures, art, crafts, words and customs as well as a record of what's happening in nature.

Where to Find my Books

If you want to buy Rounding the Wheel of the Year and any of my other Pagan Portals witchcraft books, or my Gothic novel Erosion you can find them via my publisher Moon Books, which is part of Collective Ink: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com

You can also find my books at London bookshop Treadwell's at 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury: https://www.treadwells-london.com/

Other previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/03/rounding-year-daffodil-in-my-garden.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/03/rounding-year-too-soon-for-silver-birch.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/12/rounding-year-wintery-bare-trees-in.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/01/rounding-year-wassailing-apple-trees.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/03/green-london-japanese-gardens-in.html

Monday, 17 March 2025

Green London: The Japanese Gardens in Holland Park

Here are photos I took at the weekend when I visited two Japanese gardens in West London's Holland Park. They are the Kyoto Garden, which was created to celebrate the Japan Festival in London in 1992, and the Fukushima Garden, which opened in 2012 as memorial for the nuclear power station trajedy that shocked the world.

Both are beautiful quiet places for reflection and contemplation. As you can just make out in the photos, blossom was just starting to appear on the cherry tree and camellia by the waterfall. I suspect this week both will be in full bloom, so do pop along to see if you have a chance.

In Japan, cherry blossom symbolises the ephemeral and transient nature of life, because it is short-lifved beauty, and have cultural importance. People hold flower viewing parties when the trees are in bloom and also like to picnic under the falling cherry blossom - a centuries-old tradition called "Hanami".

Holland Park is the largest park in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and includes large areas of woodland as well as several more formal gardens. You can find out more here: www.rbkc.gov.uk/parks-leisure-and-culture/parks/holland-park

I've been blogging regularly about London's green spaces in an effort to dispel a prevalent myth that the city is all just concrete. My posts cover everything from beautiful trees in the Square Mile itself, to Bloomsbury squares, to rivers running through meadows in south London, to woods where you can wander for hours, to East London's "People's Park", and now beautiful Japanese gardens in West London.

Other previous related posts

http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/11/green-london-victoria-park-in-autumn.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/10/green-london-ancient-woodlands-around.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/09/green-london-richmond-park-national.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/09/green-london-riverview-walk-river-pool.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/06/green-london-lincolns-inn-fields.html

Monday, 10 March 2025

Historic Spring & Yew Tree in Tunbridge Wells

Tunbridge Wells, in Kent, is famous for it chalybeate springs, the water from which was fashionably drunk for health-giving properties in the 18th and 19th centuries. The best known spring can still be seen at the Pantiles in the town, but another can be found at nearby Dunorlan Park.

I went to the park for a picnic and a walk in the warm, sunny weather last Saturday. While I was there I video'd the iron-rich water bubbling to the surface. An ancient yew tree stands on the grassy bank above it, which you can see in the photo below.

Water from the spring feeds a small stream that feeds a lake in the centre of the park. Dunorlan was once the private grounds of a Victorian mansion. The building is no longer there. The grounds are now a public park, but are still laid out much as they were in the 19th century. If you want to find out more about the park, here's a link: https://tunbridgewells.gov.uk/community-and-leisure/parks-and-play-areas/dunorlan-park

However, the spring was there long before the Victorian mansion. From what I can gather it was once called Burnt House spring. Descriptive Sketches of Tunbridge Wells and the Calverley Estate, published in 1816, described it as a "romantic spot" and also mentioned the wide brick basin that still exists.

http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/12/sacred-sites-st-cedds-well-north.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/09/review-pagan-portals-sulis-by-rachel.html

http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/11/pagan-eye-spring-of-dionysus-at-dion-in.html

Monday, 17 February 2025

Green London: St Mary Staining Garden & Plane Tree

The City of London is dense with office blocks, but there are still places where nature is allowed to thrive. In some of those green spaces, the law even forbids building. One example is at 100 Wood Street, which had to be constructed around the garden of St Mary Staining and the giant plane tree that grows there. On this page you can see a photo I took earlier this month.

The garden and a few gravestones on one side are all that remain of the church of St Mary Staining, which was destroyed in the Great Fire of London of 1666. When architects Norman Foster and Partners designed new offices at the turn of the millennium, they weren't allowed to build over the historic site and even had to bend the outer walls around the tree.

A friend of mine used to work there and took me to see the garden, which is one of London's hidden gems. Apparently the offices inside are very nice too.

If you want to find out more about this history of St Mary Staining, here are some links:

There's a good article online at The Lost Churches Project.
London on the Ground offers details about the recent architecture.

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
Outisde the Leadenhall Building and St Andrew Undershaft Church: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/06/green-london-keeping-city-cool-in-summer.html
Lincoln's Inn Fields: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/06/green-london-lincolns-inn-fields.html
Brockwell Park in South London: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/08/green-london-brockwell-park-in-south.html

Tuesday, 3 December 2024

Rounding the Year: Wintery Bare Trees in Betts Park

I took this photo of a wintery scene in Betts Park, near where I live, just before 4pm and the sun is low in the sky. It is less than a month to the Winter Solstice. I still enjoy getting out and going for a walk in my local parks and observing the changes as the wheel of the year turns. This time of year can still be beautiful.

Betts Park was once ancient common land called Penge Common, so walking here also helps me feel a connection to my ancestors of place. You can read more about it here: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/06/green-london-betts-park-tales-of.html

Sharing seasonal photos

Inspired by ideas in my book Rounding the Wheel of the Year, I've sharing seasonal pictures, art, crafts, words and other creativity. I'd love to encourage readers to record what's happening in nature in various ways including photographs, journalling, drawing or painting and crafting.

Here are ways to share the things you're doing or what you see out and about as the wheel turns:

Leave a comment on this post about what you're up to
Find my prompts to share on my Facebook Page: Lucya Starza Pagan Portals Author
Share on Instagram or X (formerly Twitter) with the tag #RoundingtheYear

Where to find my books

You can order both the ebook and the paperback of all my books from publisher Moon Books' website as well as view Pagan Portals - Rounding the Wheel of the Year on Amazon.

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

Other previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/09/rounding-year-rosehips-and-raindrops.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/11/rounding-year-fallen-leaves-in-my-local.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/10/rounding-year-mushrooms-in-my-local-park.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/11/rounding-year-first-frost-of-winter.html

Friday, 1 November 2024

Rounding the Year: Autumn Colours in my Local Park

The Wheel of the Year turns and we are in November. Leaves are changing colour on deciduous trees and falling fast. Soon, branches will be bare, but we have a little time left to enjoy the splendours of their autumn display.

This is a photo of one of my favourite trees in my local park. It is a sweet gum tree, named because it produces a sweetish resin. They are native to the eastern parts of the USA but this one seems to do quite well in south London. At this time of year the leaves turn from green to yellow, gold, red and purple.

Magically, the tree symbolises both endurance and the ability to adapt. These are qualities I think we could all benefit from as the nights get longer and the weather colder. If you see one of these beautiful trees spend a little while enjoying its beauty. If you want, ask permission to take a fallen leaf for an autumn altar. Use it in spells for resilience.

Sharing seasonal photos

Here are ways to share the things you're doing or what you see out and about as the wheel turns:

Leave a comment on this post about what you're up to
Find my prompts to share on my Facebook Page: Lucya Starza Pagan Portals Author
Share on Instagram or X (formerly Twitter) with the tag #RoundingtheYear

Where to find my books

You can order both the ebook and the paperback of all my books from publisher Moon Books' website as well as view Pagan Portals - Rounding the Wheel of the Year on Amazon.

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

Other previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/09/rounding-year-rosehips-and-raindrops.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/09/rounding-year-autumnal-michaelmas.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/10/rounding-year-mushrooms-in-my-local-park.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/10/rounding-year-foraging-for-sweet.html

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