Showing posts with label wheel of the year. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wheel of the year. Show all posts

Wednesday, 29 July 2026

Lammas Rites & Pagan Events Near London & Online

Lammas is on August 1 and is a festival to celebrate the start of the harvest in the Pagan Wheel of the Year. Here are details of some of the magical events in and near London over that time and the week ahead, as well as a few further afield and some online talks and rituals.


Now – 29 November; The Coming of Age Exhibition - including displays on witches and crones. Venue: Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE. Open daily 10am-6pm.  Free. https://wellcomecollection.org/

Now - 8 September; The Sun and The Moon: Art Inspired by the Celestial. Exhibition. Venue: Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Road, London, SW3 4RY. Open 10am-6pm. Tickets from £13. https://www.saatchigallery.com/whats-on

Now to 13 September;  Hail, Delirium! Surrealist Dorothea Tanning art exhibition.  Venue: The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society.  Time: during normal opening hours. Free entry. https://thelasttuesdaysociety.org/museum/

Now – 16 August; Olivia Plender: Little Fennel’s Complaint Exhibition. Venue:: Modern Art Oxford, 30 Pembroke Street, Oxford, UK, OX1 1BP. Open from 11am Tuesday - Sunday. Tickets from £7.21. https://modernartoxford.org.uk/

Now – 13 September; The Material Heart: Front Line to Home Front. Exhibition of WWI folk art. Venue: Fashion and Textile Museum, 83 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XF.  Open: Tuesdays – Saturdays, 11am – 6pm. Tickets free with general museum admission ticket or a ticket to the Paint, Pattern, Print exhibition that's also on, costing £11.50. https://fashiontextilemuseum.org/

Now on; Vikings: The Immersive Experience. Venue: Dock X, Unit 1 Canada Water, Surrey Quays Rd, London SE16 2XU.  Opening hours: daily from 9am. Adult tickets from £23 and children from £16. https://vikings-immersive.co.uk/london/?

Every Tuesday to Sunday except over bank holidays; College of Psychic Studies -  pop in to have a look around the lovely building.  Venue: College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 11am-4pm. Free entry. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk

Now – Friday 31 July; Celtic Lughnasa Celebration: The Games! Family days out. Event organised by Celtic Harmony Camp. Venue:  Brickendon Lane, Brickendon SG13 8NY. Times from 10am. Tickets  £16.96. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/celtic-lughnasa-celebration-the-games-tickets-1993344076793?

Most lunchtimes and some other times: Meditation - in-person or online. In-person venue: Inner Space, 36 Shorts Gardens, Covent Garden, London · WC2H 9AB. Time: 1pm (for lunchtime meditation). Free. https://www.meetup.com/inner-space-covent-garden/events/

Every lunchtime: Rainbow Spirit offers a shared vegetarian lunch from a flat in Soho, London, for all people LGBT+Allies. The foundation is British witchcraft. Each meal is followed by Ancestor Circle, passing the talking stick. Alcohol-free event. To attend join the Whatsapp chat group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/LhDxaCzGsmE2YI6AReyw3W

Wednesday 29 July; Bloomsbury Folklore Club – Merfolk. Via London Dreamtime. Venue: Gower Street Waterstones event space, 82 Gower Street, Lower Ground Floor, London WC1E 6EQ.  Doors at 6.30pm.Tickets  £10. https://connectionwithwonder.com/events/

Wednesday 29 July;  Members-Only Summer's Night at The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 6.30pm. Tickets: free. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 29 July (monthly); Melissa's Tarot Club. Monthly In-Person Workshop. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Cost: £15 per person.  https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

Wednesday 29 July (every full and new moon); Moon Space online event via She's Lost Control. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £15.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Wednesday 29 July;  Full Moon Walk in Richmond Park with London Woodland Witches and Pagans. Meet at Richmond Park Gate, Star and Garter Hill, Richmond TW10 5HU. Time: 7pm. Free. More info: https://mani.org.uk/ or visit  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/mani-woodland-witch-34325436803

Wednesday 29 July (every Wednesday); Feeling Sound. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £18.  https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Wednesday 29 July;  Spirit of Creativity with Zara Waldeback. Creative writing session online via The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society.  Time: 7.30pm. Tickets ·from  £6.59. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Thursday 30 July - 11 September; After Fragments by Hannah Hughes - Exhibition. Venue: Swedenborg House, 20/21 Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2TH. Time: during daytime opening hours. Tickets free. https://www.swedenborg.org.uk/

Thursday 30 July (every Thursday); Midweek Meditation with the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 3pm. Tickets: free for members/£7.50 non members. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk

Thursday 30 July; Sian Sibely on Black Paths and Green Cathedrals. Talk and signing, Venue: Watkins Bookshop, 19-21 Cecil Ct, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 5pm. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

Thursday 30 July;  Death Rituals. Talk and Soirée with Dr Sarah Hiepler-Basty. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £10. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Thursday 30 July; PF London Lammas Open Ritual via Pagan Federation London. Venue: Pirate Castle, Gilbey's Wharf Oval Road NW1 7EA London, UK Time: 7.15pm. Entry £8 for PF members, £10 for non-members (cash only). https://www.facebook.com/groups/pflondon

Thursday 30 July;  Full Moon Celebration with South East London Pagans. Venue:  One Tree Hill, Honor Oak, South London. Time: 7.30pm. Free. https://www.facebook.com/groups/7046502195365834

Thursday 30 July (last Thursday every month); Celebrating Lammas and Lughnasad at Hertford Pagan Moot. Venue: The White Horse Pub, 33 Castle Street, Hertford, Herts SG14 1HH) (45 mins from central London). Time: 8pm. https://www.facebook.com/groups/104788436218047

Friday 31  July  (every Friday); Live Chat hosted by Rachel Patterson, author of Gods and Goddesses of England and the Kitchen Witch series of books. Online event. Time: 9am. Free. https://www.facebook.com/RachelPattersonbooks/

Friday 31 July; Women's Circle - Harvest, Gratitude and Renewal, with ReNurture. Venue:  Northumberland Road, Harrow HA2 7RB. Time 7pm. Tickets tbc. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/womens-circle-harvest-gratitude-renewal-tickets-1994204018903?

Friday 31 July; Harvest Healing: A Lammas Ceremony and Guided Shamanic Journey by Priest of Indigo Earth Joseph Atiase. Venue: Hackney Marshes, 146 Lea Bridge Road, London E5 9RB. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets by donation. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/35528479563?

Friday 31 July (and other dates); Cosy Candlelit Gong Bath by Claire The Soul Nurturer. Venue: Secret Soul Sanctuary, Sydenham Hill, London SE23 3PH. Time: 7.45pm. Tickets: £21.84. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/claire-the-soul-nurturer-35479207053

Saturday 1 August; Walking in the Footsteps of your Year, at this Lammas Solar Festival. Walk with Jeremy Rye. Meet under the Tower of London sign, Tower of London, London EC3N 4AE. Time 10am. Tickets:  £26.64. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/31055883021?

Saturday 1 August;  Equine Healing and Communication classs with Elizabeth Whiter. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 10am. Tickets: £135. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 1 August; Essex Witches and Pagan Lammas Festival by by Earth Spirit Events. Venue: Galleywood Heritage Centre, CM2 8TR. Time: 10:30am – 4pm. Entry £3. https://www.facebook.com/events/1098254762270990/?

Saturday 1 August;   Family: Folk Craft Morning to celebrate Lammas, also known as Lughnasa. Venue: Chelsea Physic Garden, 66 Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, London SW3 4HS. Time:  11am-1pm. Tickets:

Saturday 1 August;  Ancestral and Past-Life Influences class with Julia Shepherd. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 1 August;  Lammas Mini Outdoor Retreat with Cacao and Fire Ceremony and Gong Bath. Venue: Private Location near Wandsworth Town/Clapham Junction. Times from 11.45am. Tickets from £64.63. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lammas-mini-outdoor-retreat-with-cacao-fire-ceremony-gong-bath-tickets-1993928329308?

Saturday 1 August (tbc but usually Saturday closest to the festival); Lammas at Coldrum Stones with Kent Gorsed. Venue: Coldrum Long Barrow, West Maling, Kent. Time: noon. Free. https://www.facebook.com/kentgorsedd/

Saturday 1 August; Blessing Your Home With Solar Magic. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Road, Eltham SE9. Time: 12.30pm. Tickets £25. https://www.wiccamoonuk.com/shop/events-and-workshops/blessing-your-home-with-solar-magic-workshop-25-00/  or https://www.facebook.com/wiccamoonuk/
Saturday 1 August (Saturday closest to the festival); Lammas free and open Gorsed of Caer Abiri ritual at Avebury stone circle in Wiltshire. Meet at the Red Lion pub from noon for druidic ceremony at 1.30pm. Offering of bread, mead, or Bardic performance always welcomed. Free event, just turn up. https://www.facebook.com/groups/49080749624/

Saturday 1 August (Saturday closest to the festival);  Woodland Lammas Harvest Ritual 2026 with London Woodland Witches and Pagans. Meet at Queens woods cafe', 42 Muswell Hill Rd, London N10 3JP, to be led into woods to the ritual spot. Time: 4pm. Tickets £6.13. More info: https://mani.org.uk/ or visit  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/mani-woodland-witch-34325436803

Saturday 1 August;  Lammas Day Yoga, Cacao and Sound Healing Ceremony with Little Pause Retreats. Venue Light Centre Monument, Idol Lane, London EC3R 8DU. Time: 5.30pm. Tickets £22.38. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lammas-day-yoga-cacao-and-sound-healing-ceremony-tickets-1991716356237?

Saturday 1 August;   Folklore Feast of Gold with the Kitchen Witch for Lughnasa. Venue: Chelsea Physic Garden, 66 Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, London SW3 4HS. Time:  6.30pm-8pm. Tickets:

Saturday 1 August (date tbc but usually first Saturday each month); Gong Bath. Venue: Upminster Sanctuary Pea Lane, Upminster, RM142XH. Time: 7pm. Tickets: tbc.  https://upminstersanctuary.com/

Saturday 1 August;  Concrete Atlantis presents: A Lammas Night Gathering with Gilroy Mere live. Venue: The Horse Hospital, Colonnade, London WC1N 1JD. Time: 7pm. Tickets:  £11.55. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/concrete-atlantis-present-a-lammas-night-gathering-with-gilroy-mere-live-tickets-1991469794765?

Sunday 2 August (closest Sunday to the festival); Pagan Federation Online Lammas Festival. Starts 10am. Free. https://www.facebook.com/paganfederation/events

Sunday 2 August;  Introduction to Shadow Integration with Charlie Morley. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 2 August; Orpington Alternative Market. Venue: The Priory, Church Hill, Orpington. Time: 11am. Free entry. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1335736923852705/

Sunday 2 August;; Tree Walk with David Hamblin via  North West Kent Pagans Moot. Organised by NWK Pagans for members of the group. Meet outside the coach house cafe, Beckenham Place Park. Time: 11.30am. https://www.facebook.com/groups/445487428816887

Sunday 2 August (closest Sunday to the festival); Druidic Ritual to celebrate Lammas on Primrose Hill with the Loose Association of Druids. Gather in the Hawthorne Grove at Primrose Hill, London, NW1 8YH, at 12.30pm to prepare the site for the ritual at 1pm. Nearest tube: Chalk Farm. Bring a small contribution of food and drink to share. https://www.facebook.com/LooseAssociationOfDruidsOfPrimroseHill

Sunday 2 August (closest Sunday to the festival); Lammas  ritual for members of the Woodspirits group. Venue: Highgate, London. Meet from noon for a social then ritual at 3pm. https://www.facebook.com/groups/4032235040150960

Sunday 2 August;   The Bard’s Garden: Folk Songs of Herbs and Healing. Venue: Chelsea Physic Garden, 66 Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, London SW3 4HS. Time:  1pm. Tickets:

Sunday 2 August (tbc but usually the closest Sunday to the festival); Anderida Gorsedd Lammas open ritual. Venue: Long Man of Wilmington, Wilmington, near Eastbourne, East Sussex. Meet near the car park between 1.30pm and 2pm, walk up to the chalk hill figure at 2pm. Afterwards, the Giants Rest pub. https://www.facebook.com/groups/227609495203/

Sunday 2 August; Tarot Psychogeography class with Bel Senlle, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £90. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 2 August; Lammas Festival. Venue: Flopsy Wood, Cock Lane, Hoddesdon EN11 8LS. 2pm. Readings £20. https://www.facebook.com/HertsEvents

Sunday 2 August (closest Sunday to the festival);  Lammas Wheel of the Year: Pagan Ceremony. Venue: Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, 3 Pilgrim's Place, London NW3 1NG. Time: 7pm. Free, but donations welcome. https://www.rosslynhillchapel.org.uk

Sunday 2 August (first Sunday each month); Gratitude and Abundance - Collective World Meditation with Pauline Flitton. Online event. Time: 7:30pm - 8:30pm. Free. Contact Pauline 07415 054280 or Email

Sunday 2 August;  The History of Mermaids, Sea Spirits and Women via Seed talks. Online event.  Time: 10pm. Tickets from $19.95. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/seed-talks-online-1262239?

Monday 3 August; Family Activities: Witch’s Knots and Braiding Spells. Venue: Chelsea Physic Garden, 66 Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, London SW3 4HS. Time:  2pm. Tickets:

Monday 3 August; The British Cemetery with Dr Roger Bowdler. Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets  from £16.14, includes a cocktail. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-last-tuesday-society-viktor-wynd-museum-33776720489

Monday 3 August; Radio Sorcery with  Dr Matteo Polato. Talk online via The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society.  Time: 8pm. Tickets ·from  £6.59. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Monday 3 August  (tbc but usually every Monday); Tea With a Druid. Free online event by the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. Time 8pm. https://druidry.org/ or https://www.facebook.com/druidry

Tuesday 4 August (fortnightly);  Writing Group. Venue: Swedenborg House, 20/21 Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2TH. Time: 6pm. Tickets free. https://www.swedenborg.org.uk/

Tuesday 4 August (and other dates); Yoga for Mind, Breath and Body. Venue: Beckenham Place Mansion, Place Park, The Mansion, Beckenham BR3 1SY. Time: 6.15pm. Tickets: £12. https://www.beckenhamplace.org/whatson/

Tuesday 4 August; Overcoming Magical Self-Sabotage. Start of 2-Part Workshop with Mark Vincent via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm start, delayed viewing available. Tickets: £50. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events 

Tuesday 4 August; Beginner Tarot (Major Cards). Start of 4-Part Course with Adrien Mastrosimone. via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm start, delayed viewing available. Tickets: £150. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events 

Tuesday 4 August; Beginner Tarot (Minor Cards). Start of 4-Part Course with Delphine de la Mar. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Cost: £150 per person.  https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

Tuesday 4 August (tbc but usually first Tuesday each month); Talk at Romford Pagan Moot. Venue: The Golden Lion, 2 High Street, Romford. Time: 7.30pm. Entry £4: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064489640955

Tuesday 4 August; Academy of Witchcraft (Advanced) Online Introduction Evening via Wicca Moon. Free Event. Time: 9pm https://www.wiccamoonuk.com/shop/events-and-workshops/academy-of-witchcraft-advanced-introduction-evening-free-event/

Wednesday 5 August (montlhly);  Allan Johnson leads a discussion of 'Lolly Willowes', Sylvia Townsend Warner’s novel of witchcraft and freedom at Treadwell's Esoteric Book Club. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £15. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Wednesday 5 August; A Demonstration of Psychic Mediumship with Daniel Pitt. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 7pm. Tickets: £30. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 5 August  (first Wednesday of the month); Drumming and Meditation online with Taz Thornton. Time: 7pm. Free  https://www.facebook.com/TazThorntonOfficial

Wednesday 5 August; An Exploration of Tarot and Comic Books with B.Earl. Talk online via The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society.  Time: 8pm. Tickets ·from  £6.59. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Thursday 6  – 10 August; Out To Grass - Malvern: The Great Heathen Gathering - Friggsmoot. Venue: Woodend Farm/Bromyard Rd, Malvern WR13 5JW. Adult tickets £140/£125/£45. https://www.asatruuk.org/

Thursday 6  August;  Sussex Coils and Loops with Paul Holman. Talk and signing, Venue: Watkins Bookshop, 19-21 Cecil Ct, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 5pm. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

Friday 7 August  (tbc but usually 1st and 3rd Friday each month); Pagan Portal Podcast by Moon Books. Time: noon (or listen to recording later). Free event. https://open.spotify.com/show/11N4kNj65tTz9NFUcZTMa7?

Friday 7 August;  Know: Where the Status Quo Ends and You Come to Life with Amy Vasterling. Talk and signing, Venue: Watkins Bookshop, 19-21 Cecil Ct, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 5pm. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

Friday 7 August; Lions Gate Ritual. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Road, Eltham SE9. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets £25. https://www.wiccamoonuk.com/shop/events-and-workshops/lions-gate-ritual/? or https://www.facebook.com/wiccamoonuk/
Friday 7 August (and other dates); Holistic Sound Bath Meditation - Summoning The Sacred. Venue: Training Points Fitness and Therapy, 5-6 Cooper's Yard, London SE19 1TN. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £25.  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/20043657289?

Friday 7 August (and other dates); Magic, Mystics and Martyrs Walking Tour with  Maria Beadell of Herstorical Tours. Meet: Fish St Hill, London EC3R 8AH. Time: 8pm. Tickets: £19. https://www.herstoricaltours.co.uk/book

Saturday 8 August; Karmic Configurations talk by Zsuzsanna Griga. Online talks via the Astrological Lodge of London. Starts 10.30am. Tickets £6/£9. https://astrolodge.co.uk/

Saturday 8 August;  Source Healing to Meet Your Multidimensional Self workshop with Giancarlo Serra. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 8 August; Hindu Gods Tarot with Iulia Filipovscaia. Talk and signing, Venue: Watkins Bookshop, 19-21 Cecil Ct, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: noon. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

Saturday 8 August; 8/8 Lionsgate Portal Soul Alignment with Gemma Petherbridge. Online event. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £90. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 8 August; Son’s Of Shadow: Men Of Craft. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Road, Eltham SE9. Time: 2pm. Tickets £10. https://www.wiccamoonuk.com/shop/events-and-workshops/lions-gate-ritual/? or https://www.facebook.com/wiccamoonuk/

Saturday 8 August (and other dates); New Moon, Full Moon or Divine Union Cacao Ceremony, Heart Ritual and Gong Bath. Venue: Private Location near Wandsworth Town/Clapham Junction, London. Time: 3pm. Tickets:  From £32.93 https://www.eventbrite.com/o/fouzia-javaid-7885666957

Sunday 9 August; 8/8 Goddesses of Land, Sea and Sky workshop with Frances Billinghurst. Online event. Time: 10.30am. Tickets: £90. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 9 August; The British Museum and the Magical Revival Walking Tour with Caroline Wise organised by Treadwell's Bookshop. Meet at: British Museum (North Entrance), Montague Place, London, WC1B 3DG. Time: 10.50am. Tickets: £50. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Sunday 9 August; Unseen - Alexandrian Witchcraft x Bexhill Museum.  Live online viewing Alex Sanders exhibition  with walkthrough by Julian Porter.  Time: 4pm. Tickets: £7.50. https://www.alexandrianwitchcraft.com/unseen

Sunday 9 August (tbc); Luna Iter (Ritual in the Tower). In-person ritual in Hackney, East London for members of the group, guests and seekers on the path. Meet at the Pembury Tavern, 90 Amhurst Rd, London, from 4.30pm, moving on to a historic site to start the ritual at 6pm. Entry: £10. https://www.hildegardmaier.co.uk/luna-iter or https://www.facebook.com/groups/1230392930656154 

Sunday 9 August ; Psychedelic Plant Medicines and Faerie Realms with Zina Brown. Talk online via The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society.  Time: 8pm. Tickets ·from  £6.59. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

For activities after these dates please visit my events page

Please note that I am not responsible for the content of these events except my own talks and workshops. Contact organisers directly if you have questions or to check ticket availability. Where a practitioner is offering information about magical healing, this is *not* medical advice. If you're running an event you want included, please email me at badwitch1234@gmail.com Also please note I earn commission from advertisers for some links.

Tuesday, 30 June 2026

Rounding the Year: Taking Stock of my Goals & Wishes

How has the past 6 months gone for you? It seems to have gone quickly for me, and it's been a rollercoaster of good things and unpleasant surprises.

Every January I make a list of ambitions (you can see it here) and a Wheel of the Year vision board, which you can see in the picture above. I try to check how I'm doing regularly. The half-year mark is a good time. 

When it comes to my blogging intentions, I've been on track with what I aimed to do each month, including writing about seasonal folklore, books, crafting, and posting divinations for the world. 

One of my resolutions I've not worked towards yet is "Interview at least 6 pagan authors". So, if you are a pagan author who hasn't been interviewed by me yet but wants to be, let me know. You can email me at badwitch1234@gmail.com

The vision board reflects some great social events and a writing opportunity that flowered between Spring Equinox and Beltane. The Greenoaks Gathering was fun and something of an adventure before the Summer Solstice. I hope there'll be more days out and holidays before Lammas, rather than just "coming home", which I wrote on the chart. I wonder if I manifested those things, or if they'd have happened anyway?

The worst unpleasant surprise of the year so far was my cat Tommy dying suddenly. I still miss him. When I look at the vision board, however, I see that dark spiral before Imbolc. I intended it to mean a time for rest and introspection, but not laying my cat to rest. Still, I accept life always has moments of sadness. No one can guarantee they won't happen at any time.

Looking further round my Wheel of the Year vision board I see the time of harvest. I was in my garden yesterday and noticed fruit and berries filling out on the trees and bushes, although some fell prematurely in the recent thunder storm. I hope we don't have too many more of them before summer ends.

How are your plans for the year doing?  Please leave a comment. 

Rounding the Wheel of the Year

My book Pagan Portals - Round the Wheel of the Year 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.)

Other previous related posts

https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/01/the-bad-witchs-10-new-year-resolutions.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/01/magical-craft-my-2026-wheel-of-year.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/12/rounding-year-reflections-on-new-years.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/12/new-year-resolutions-looking-back-at-my.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/01/the-bad-witchs-10-new-year-resolutions.html

Tuesday, 23 June 2026

Midsummer Lore: Street Parties and St John's Wort

Tomorrow, June 24th, is traditionally Midsummer's Day and was once among the most widely celebrated festivals in England. Modern pagans put more emphasis on the Summer Solstice, on June 21st, but according to Steve Roud in The English Year: 

"...from the time of the earliest records, midsummer in in England was celebrated with bonfires, processions and parades, and by decorating houses and churches with greenery."

In Christian terms, June 24th was also the feast day of St John. Steve Roud also points out that the time from St John's Eve on the 23rd right up to St Peter's Day on June 29th was something of a holiday. John Stow, writing in the 1590s, described London during those days as being filled with street parties. People set out tables for all the neighbours to feast, drink, and have fun together. 

Bonfires would be lit as part of the festivities, but also because it was thought fires would clear the air of any malignancy. Stow also describes various herbs and flowers that were traditionally hung over doorways on St John's Eve:

"...every man's door being shadowed with green birch, long fennel, St John's wort, orpin, white lilies...garnished upon with beautiful flowers."

He also mentions the streets being hung with lamps that were kept alight late into the night.

St John's wort

Historically, St John’s Day was when it was particularly customary to gather St John's Wort. This herb with yellow flowers has long been seen as a means to keep evil away magically and as well a  herbal remedy. From at least medieval times it's been hung over doors and windows to keep away malefic spirits. In some areas, the flowers were traditionally dipped in a bowl of water and left outside exposed to the night until the following morning, when people washed their faces in the flower dew.

You can see St John's Wort in the photo at the top.


More seasonal lore

My book Rounding the Wheel of the Year offers more ways to acknowledge and celebrate the seasons in 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.)

Previous related posts

https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/06/customs-summerween-festival-or-fakelore.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/05/folklore-customs-bromleys-broom-day.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/06/collecting-magical-herbs-on-st-johns.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/07/pagan-eye-echinacea-flowers-in-bloom.html

Friday, 5 June 2026

Rounding the Year: Bees and Blackberry Blossom


While walking down my street this week I saw this patch of blackberry brambles in blossom being visited by dozens of bees. You should be able to spot three in the photo. Earlier in the day, a friend in another country had posted a picture she'd taken of ripe fruit on a blackberry bush. It reminded me how  seasonal changes vary throughout the world. 

This is one of the reasons I prefer to celebrate what I can see happening in nature around me rather than stick to a fixed structure of eight pagan wheel of the year festivals. 

What's in flower or fruit in your area?

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.)

Other previous Related Posts
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

Thursday, 30 April 2026

Folklore & Customs: May Eve, Walpurgis & Mischief Night


May Eve is sometimes called "the other Halloween". In Northern England in bygone centuries it was celebrated as Mischief Night with rowdiness and trickery. Steve Roud in The English Year quotes an 1896 book on customs as reporting:
"At Oldham, the Eve of May is known as Mischief Night when it was custom for people to play tricks on their neighbours. My informant remembers seeing a thatched house, in a village near Oldham, adorned with mops, rakes and brushes, on top of whcih were stuck mugs, tubs, and pails."
An article on Grimsby Live went further, saying it was a night for firestarting and lighthearted devil-worship:
"Around Grimsby it was the original ‘Mischief Night’, when the normal rules of society did not apply and friends would get together to play pranks, start fires or hold ‘Satanic’ rituals."
While human troublemakers were obviously a nuisance, supernatural ones such as fairies were more generally feared in the UK. They were more easily kept out, however, by placing seasonal flowers over doorways. Hawthorn blossom (pictured above) is the most widespread floral protection, but in Lincolnshire there was a tradition of hanging up cowslips (pictured right), which look a bit like primroses. 

Walpurgis Night

April 30th is also Walpurgis Night, named after Saint Walpurgis, an 8th century nun who lived in Germany and was canonised when healing oil supposedly flowed from her tomb. Sadly, she beecame more associated with protection against - and persecution of - witches. As I wrote in Rounding the Wheel of the Year:
"In parts of Europe, especially Germany but also England, it’s known as Walpurgis Night when witches were thought to gather and were historically seen as not the nice folk we are now. People would protect their homes against them."
It's a traditional time to light bonfires to ward against harmful entities. Fire customs might have originated long before the early modern era's witch burnings.* In some countries that horrible form of execution became part of seasonal celebrations. In the Czech Republic, April 30th is Pálení čarodějnic, or "Burning of the witches". Witch effigies or puppets are thrown onto large bonfires as part of public displays. 

May Eve witchcraft traditions are most famously associated with Germany's Walpurgisnacht or Hexennacht, which translates as Witches' Night. Witches were said to hold a large sabbat on the Brocken, the highest peak in the Harz mountains. Nowadays this has been adopted as a time of celebration by modern practitioners of the Craft, showing that the way we view folklore and customs can change with the times.

*Note: It's always worthwhile pointing out that not all countries burnt those accused of witchcraft. In England hanging was the usual execution method, but burnings did happen in places including Scotland, Germany, and Switzerland.

The Wheel of the Year

My Pagan Portals book Rounding the Wheel of the Year 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.)

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/2014/04/news-beltane-walpurgisnacht-and-witch.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/04/news-walpurgisnacht-beltane-may-day.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/01/game-review-call-of-hill-witchcraft-larp.html

Friday, 24 April 2026

I'm on a Podcast: Beltane with Moon Books Witches!

 

I'm in the special Beltane episode of The Pagan Portal Podcast, along with host Rachel Patterson, Jessica Howard, and Katie Ness. We are all Moon Books authors, and enjoy a witchy get-together to share our thoughts.

We chat about what Beltane, or May Day, feels like in practice, covering things from Jack in the Green processions and Victorian folk customs to the awakening of creativity, working with the land as it is, and allowing the Wheel of the Year to turn naturally instead of following fixed dates.

This conversation focuses on experiencing Beltane rather than just following a set of rules. The discussion highlights anticipation over arrival, why Beltane can feel like a personal new year, how modern Paganism carries ancient energies into new forms, and why celebrating life, creativity, and connection is essential to the season.

Whether you celebrate Beltane through ritual, art, offerings, community events, or simply by noticing the changes in the land around you, this episode invites you to slow down and connect with the season in your own way. 

You can also find the podcast on spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11N4kNj65tTz9NFUcZTMa7


Tuesday, 14 April 2026

Rounding the Year: Helping Birds in the Nesting Season

Here's a coot sitting on a nest in Crystal Palace Park, near where I live. I took the photo at the weekend, but I've also been watching bluetits, magpies and other birds getting reading to raise chicks. 

I regularly go for walks in my local parks and see birds returning to the same sites each year, including coots at Crystal Palace. Sometimes they're successful, sometimes the weather is against them and the nests flood or a dry spell causes other problems. At the moment, avian flu is also killing many birds.

This year the RSPB is pointing out that bird feeders can spread diseases as birds congregate there, so it's best to pause them from early May to October. Only have them up in the colder months and keep them scrupulously clean. You can put out fat balls or mealworms during the breeding season. Better still, plant wildllife friendly flowers and plants in your garden.

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.)

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
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/03/rounding-year-damson-blossom-green-buds.html

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

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.)

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

Friday, 13 March 2026

March Customs: Braggot Sunday - Time for Honey Beer

Everyone in England knows this Sunday is our Mother's Day - a different date from that celebrated in the US. You might not know it's also Braggot Sunday, a traditional time to partake in one of the oldest alcoholic beverages: braggot. I learnt this snippet of folklore from Steve Roud's book The English Year, a month-by-month guide to customs and festivals.

Braggot is fermented honey and ale, which is apparently similar to mead or metheglin, but with a more beery taste. I'd love to give it a try. A bit of web searching showed that Colchester Brewery still produces it, sold as a type of honey beer. I've posted a picture of the label, which I found on the brewery website. You can find the link here. A bit of research also revealed that braggot is still often drunk in Wales.

Steve Roud mentioned that Braggot Sunday always falls on the same day as Mothering Sunday, in mid Lent. The drink is mentioned in Chaucer's The Miller's Tale: "Her mouth was swete as bragot or the meeth."

So, if you aren't visiting your mum this weekend, or you need a drink after you've got home, you could treat yourself to a glass of braggot if you can get hold of it. I think any honey beer, or mead, would do at a pinch.

You can find out more about seasonal customs and crafts in my book Rounding the Wheel of the Year.

Other previous related posts
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/01/january-folklore-distaff-day-when-women.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/02/customs-galentines-day-and-tarot.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/02/folklore-shrove-tuesday-pancake-day.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/01/pagan-eye-horse-brasses-in-south-london.html

Tuesday, 3 March 2026

Rounding the Year: Camellias - Another Spring Herald

The camellias in my garden always bloom later than many others I see outside houses in my street, but they're another flower that heralds the arrival of spring with splashes of bright colour.

Camellias come from southern China, where they have been cultivated since about 1725BC, when the Chinese emperor found that an infusion of camellia sinensis leaves was his favourite drink. This became known as tea. Buddhist priests prized it as a stimulant and spread its popularity to Japan,  developing the tea ceremony.  

The tea plant and ornamental camellias are closely related, but are not the same. Don't boil up an old camellia leaves to see what they taste like. In England, ornamental species such as camellia japonica became popular in the early 1800s because of their lovely flowers. They bring colour to even the greyest day.

This particular shrub reminds me of my mum, because she planted it in our garden and loved it.

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.)

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

Thursday, 19 February 2026

Rounding the Year: Daffodils, Narcissus & a Tragic Tale

Daffodils are blooming in my garden again. They're a bit earlier than last year, but I'm pleased to see their bright yellow buds. Another word for daffodil is narcissus. That's the name of the Greek mythological character who fell in love with his own reflection, and associated with the term narcissism, meaning someone very self-centred. 

However, the full version of the ancient tale is more complicated and nuanced. Narcissus was loved by both a young woman called Echo, and a young man, Ameinias, but was unable to reciprocate the feelings for either. Echo wasted away, while Ameinias called on the goddess of revenge, Nemesis. She cursed Narcissus that whoever he did love wouldn't be able to return the affection either. This came true, but his passion for his own image burned so brightly he was transformed into a golden flower.

It's a sad story, isn't it?  But it does perhaps offer the message of accepting that not everyone we desire will necessarily share the same feelings. Don't go cursing someone just because they don't fancy you. Love can be bittersweet, but keep the tragedy in fiction please.

As much as I enjoy being reminded of a good tale, I also love to see the flowers at this time of year, which can be bitterly cold even though beautiful flowers are brightening the days.

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.)

Other previous Related Posts
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/01/rounding-year-when-snowdrops-bloom.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/01/rounding-year-flower-of-love-hope-or.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/09/rounding-year-when-do-you-think-autumn.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/01/rounding-year-sharing-seasonal-pictures.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/03/rounding-year-too-soon-for-silver-birch.html

Tuesday, 10 February 2026

Rounding the Year: The First Garden Primrose

Here's a photo of the first primrose to bloom in my garden this year. They are one of the most recognisable flowers of early spring. The name itself comes from the Latin prima rosa, meaning "first rose". 

What flowers can you see near where you live?

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.)

Other previous Related Posts
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/01/rounding-year-when-snowdrops-bloom.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/01/rounding-year-flower-of-love-hope-or.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/09/rounding-year-when-do-you-think-autumn.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/01/rounding-year-sharing-seasonal-pictures.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/03/rounding-year-too-soon-for-silver-birch.html