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

Magical Beltane Events in London, Online + a Few More

Beltane is this Friday May 1, although the May Day bank holiday is next Monday. Here's a list of talks, workshops, rituals and other events for pagans, witches and those with similar interests over that time. As well as online activities (highlighted in bold), I also list in-person things taking place in or near London - and a few larger events further afield.  

Now - 25 May; Hawaiʻi - a Kingdom Crossing Oceans exhibition. Venue: British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Adult tickets £18. https://www.britishmuseum.org/

Now - 5 June; The Everyworld Redux exhibition. Venue: Swedenborg House, 20/21 Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2TH. Time: 10.30am To 5pm, Monday To Friday With Saturday Openings. Tickets free. https://www.swedenborg.org.uk/events/the-everyworld-redux/

Now to 2 May; Conspiracies exhibition. Venue: Warburg Institute, Woburn Square, London WC1H 0AB. 11am to 6pm. Free entry. https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/news-events/events/conspiracies

Now to end of May; Dark Secrets: The Esoteric Exhibition. Venue: The Vaults, Leake Street, SE1 7NN. Open Wednesdays to Sundays. Tickets from £21. https://darksecretsexhibition.com/london/

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 to 16 May; Broken, Burnt, Buried. Exhibition of Egyptians objects deliberately broken as part of ritual and religious practices. Venue: Petrie Museum of Egyptian and Sudanese Archaeology, Malet Place, London WC1E 6BT. Free. https://www.ucl.ac.uk/museums-collections/

Now – 16 May; Witch/Craft. Art and Photography exhibition by Anne Jackson’s and Sara Hannant. Venue: St Barbe Museum, New Street, Lymington, Hampshire, SO41 9BH. Open Monday – Saturday 10am-4pm. Adult tickets £6. https://www.stbarbe-museum.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/witch-craft/?

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/?

Now - 1 November; Exhibition: The Saxons. Venue: Discover Bucks Museum, 9 Church Street, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP20 2QP. Time: Monday – Saturday 10am – 4pm. Sunday noon – 4pm. Adult tickets from from £5.90. https://discoverbucksmuseum.digitickets.co.uk/tickets

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

 https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

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

or email: rainbowawakening1@gmail.com

Various dates; London Witches and Chilling History Bankside Walking Tour. Meet at Southwark View Point, Minerva Square, London, SE1 9DF. Times various. Tickets around £15. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/enthral-experiences-58960674733

Wednesday 29 April (most Wednesdays); Gong Bath. Venue:  Akasa, 5a Prince Edward Rd, Hackney Wick,  London E9 5LX. Time: 7pm. Tickets:  from £23.46. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/sunita-kaur-34415293427

Wednesday 29 April (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 April; Secret Book Club - Hedge Witch by Rae Beth, organised by Bibi's Circle. Venue: Rons Coffee House, Holdrons Arcade 135a, Rye Lane London SE15 4ST. Time: 6pm. Tickets £10.46 (includes copy of the book) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/56277271483?

Wednesday 29 April; British Folk Magic workshop with Julian Vayne, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets: £90. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 29 April (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 April; Working with Land Spirits. Class with Hannah Sanders via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm start, delayed viewing available. Tickets: £15. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events 

Wednesday 29 April; Sacred Gong Meditation with Joe Summerfield. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 7pm. Tickets: £45. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 30 April (most Thursdays); Shamanic Dance with Luisa Passalacqua. Venue near Wandsworth Town Station, London. Time: 11am. Tickets donations (or free) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/luisa-passalacqua-16972493584?

Thursday 30 April (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 April; Prophecies with Christopher Dell. 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 April; The Intuitive Drawing Circle. Venue: The Paxton Centre, 52 Anerley Hill, Crystal Palace London SE19 2AE. Time: Time: doors open from 6.30pm for refreshments - workshop 7pm. Tickets £22. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/12615056555?

Thursday 30 April; Earth Grids and Ley Lines. Start of 2-session course run by Gemma Petherbridge, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £95. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 30 April; Moon City with Mimi Mollica and Iain Sinclair. Talk via the Swedenborg Society. Venue: Swedenborg House, 20/21 Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2TH. Time: 7pm. Tickets free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/8460713300?

Thursday 30 April; Liminal Space in Horror. Discussion and Launch of a anthology exploring liminality and the uncanny thresholds of horror. Drinks follow.  Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £10, or £30 with book. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Thursday 30 April; Spooky Isles Walpurgis and Beltane Social Evening. Venue: The King and Queen, 1 Foley Street, London W1W 6DL. Time: 7pm. Tickets £10. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/121088529614?

Thursday 30 April; Wild Women Writers Salon 23 - Tracing Footsteps. Live online, BSL supported. Recording available.  Time  7–8.30 pm. Tickets: Pay what you can. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/wild-women-writers-salons-4364153?

Thursday 30 April; Psychedelics as Catalysts of Creativity with Dr Sam Gandy. Talk online via The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society.  Time: 7.30pm. Tickets ·from  £3.35. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Thursday 30 April (last Thursday every month); 16th anniversary event 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

Thursday 30 April - Friday 1 May; Beltaine Celebrations at Avebury stone circle, Wiltshire, from sunset on Thursday to sunrise on Friday 1 May, and continuing through the day with various groups and activities including a Maypole and well dressing. https://www.facebook.com/events/1649289326310484/?

Friday 1 - Monday 4 May;  Rochester Sweeps Festival. This starts early on May 1 with a Jack in the Green awakening, but most of the events start on Friday evening. Tehre's music, dancing, pagan ritual, a fun fair, food and drink. Venue: Rochester. Kent, ME1 1SW. Various times over the 4 days. Plenty of free activities. Details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1473836500995140/?  or https://www.medway.gov.uk/sweepsfestival

Friday 1 May; Glastonbury Beltane May Day Celebrations. Activities all day, including a Druidic Sunrise Ritual at 5am from the Tor, Chalice Well Fire Ceremony from 6.30am to noon, music and dancing in the market square, and a procession of the May pole from 12.30pm. Venue: various locations in Glastonbury, Somerset. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1849255562019819/

Friday 1 - Monday 4 May; Hastings Jack-in-the-Green Festival - traditional annual event to celebrate May with music, a procession, talks and workshops, Morris Dancing, a May Queen and Jack-in-the-Green. Full four-day festival programme culminating on Bank Holiday Monday with the Jack in the Green parade itself. https://hastingstraditionaljackinthegreen.co.uk/

Friday 1 May; Fowlers Troop and the Deptford Jack in the Green are usually out and about in Deptford and Greenwich on May Day from noon to 6pm. Everyone is welcome and this is a free event. However, the event is no longer advertised as widely as it used to be, as numbers need to be kept low for safety reasons. If you are local to the area, keep an eye out for Jack and his followers. One of the stops on the route is usually Deptford Market.

Friday 1 May (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 1 May; The Intuitive Magician. Talk on stage magic with Justin Higham. Venue: Watkins Bookshop, 19-21 Cecil Ct, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 5pm. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

Friday 1 May (and other dates); Stars In Their Eyes: A Zodiac Themed Tour of the British Museum by Sacha Coward. Venue: The British Museum, Great Russell Street. London WC1B 3DG Times 6pm. Tickets: £19.12. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/25512092243?

Friday 1 May; Heartspaces - Beltane Pagan Ceremony. Venue: Essex Hall, Essex Street, London WC2R 3HY. Doors at 6PM. Free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/heartspaces-beltane-pagan-ceremony-tickets-1985959466224?

Friday 1 May; Hekate - Guardian of the Threshold Festival. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Road, Eltham SE9. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets £20. https://www.wiccamooninherservice.co.uk/ or https://www.facebook.com/wiccamoonuk/

Friday 1 May;  Women's Full Moon Gong Bath. Venue:  Felstead Street, London E9 5LT. Time: 7pm. Tickets:  from £25.63. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/sunita-kaur-34415293427

Friday 1 May; Beltane Pagan Ceremony Online via Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel. Time: 7pm. Free. https://www.rosslynhillchapel.org.uk

Friday 1 May; Woodland Full Moon on Beltane Ritual with London Woodland Witches and Pagans. Meet at the entrance to Queen's Woods, Queen's wood Road, London N6 5UU, to be led into woods to the ritual spot. Bring a torch and wear suitable clothing and footwear. Time: 7pm. Tickets from: £5. More info: https://mani.org.uk/ or visit  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/mani-woodland-witch-34325436803

Friday 1 May (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: 7.30pm. Tickets: £25. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/holistic-sound-bath-meditation-summoning-the-sacred-tickets-223970159777?#

Saturday 2 May; Walking in the Footsteps of Your Year, at this Beltane Solar Festival, with 

Jeremy Rye. Meeting: Tower Hill Terrace, The Tower of London, EC3N 4EE. Time: 10am. Tickets   £25. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/31055883021?

Saturday 2 May;  'Not With a Pen But a Broomstick': The Witchcraft of Shirley Jackson'. Online talk exploring the life and work of Shirley Jackson via Romancing the Gothic. Times: runs twice at 10am and 7pm. Tickets by donation. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/30996677463?

Saturday 2 May; The Original Essex Beltane Witchcraft Market. Venue: Mistley Village Hall, Furze Hills, Shrubland Rd, Manningtree, CO11 1HS. Starts 10.30am. https://www.facebook.com/events/1474179850742973?

Saturday 2 May; Heartwood Family - 'Jack in the Green' May Time Gathering 2026. Family-friendly event by Go Wild With Us UK. Venue:  Heartwood Woodland Wellness, Featherbed Lane, Croydon CR0 9AA. Time: 11.30am. Tickets: Free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/39763045473?

​Saturdays 2 May (tbc but usually Saturday closest to the festival); Beltane at Coldrum Stones with Kent Gorsed. Venue: Coldrum Long Barrow, West Maling, Kent. Time: noon. Free. https://www.facebook.com/kentgorsedd/

Saturdays 2 May and 9 May; Making, Breaking, Sharing: Ritual Practice in Ancient Egypt. 2-part pottery workshop organised by the Petrie Museum of Egyptian and Sudanese Archaeology. Venue:  1 Rochester Square, off Camden Road, London NW1 9SD. Time: noon–2pm. Tickets £65 for both classes.  https://www.rochestersquare.co.uk/

​Saturdays 2 May (Saturday closest to the festival); Beltane 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 2 May; Sisters Gathering to Celebrate Beltane. Venue: Berkeley farm, a few miles outside London. Time: noon. Tickets:  free. https://www.aho.community/

Saturday 2 May; Forest Bathing in Crystal Palace Park. Meet at Sydenham Gate, CP Park, London SE20. Time: 2pm. Free, but parking is paid. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/parkbathe-34393467709

Saturdays 2 May; Beltane  Ritual  Celebration with South East London Pagans. Venue: Peckham Rye Common, 190 Peckham Rye, London, SE22 9QA. Time: 6pm. Free. https://www.facebook.com/groups/7046502195365834

Saturday 2 May (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 2 May (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

Sunday 3 May; Pagan Federation Online Beltane Festival. Starts 10am. Free. https://www.facebook.com/events/1357752266113061/?

Sunday 3 May; Writing and rewriting fairytales course via City Lit. Venue: Keeley Street, London. Time: 10.30am. Fee: £79/£40. https://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/writing-and-rewriting-fairytales

Sunday 3 May (and other dates);  Mythic London Walking Tour with with Caroline Wise, organised through  Treadwells. Meet outside St Mary le Strand Church, Strand, London, WC2R (nearest tube: Temple). Time: 11.50am. Tickets: £35. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events 

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

Sunday 3 May (tbc but usually on the closest Sunday to the festival);  Anderida Gorsedd Beltane 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 3 May; Beltane Goddess Gathering. Venue: 19 Castle Close, London E9 5TN. Time: 3pm. Tickets: £44.04. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/beltane-goddess-gathering-tickets-1987603400275?

Sunday 3 May; Beltane Women's Circle by Yoga with Heidi Gowthorpe. Venue: Move studio London, Dane Place, London E3 5EJ. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £31.05. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/beltane-womens-circle-tickets-1987682039487?

Sunday 3 May (closest Sunday to the festival);  Wheel of the Year: Beltane 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 3 May (first Sunday each month); Compassion and Kindness - Collective World Meditation with Pauline Flitton. Online event. Time: 7.30pm - 8:30pm. Free. Contact Pauline 07415 054280 or Email

contact@crystal-manifestations.co.uk for the free Zoom link. Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1514249646502331/?

Monday 4 May; Mixed Adult Forest Bathing in South Norwood Lake and Grounds. Meet at Sylvan Road, London SE25 4AN. Time: noon. Free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/parkbathe-34393467709

Monday 4 May; Mayfest with music, dancing, Jack in the Green and workshops. Venue: Brixton Windmill, Blenheim Gardens, Brixton, London, SW2 5DA. Time: 1pm to 5pm. Free entry. https://www.brixtonwindmill.org/events/may-fest/?

Monday 4 May; The Planets (Part 1). Free online talk via the Astrological Lodge of London. Starts 5pm. Tickets free. https://astrolodge.co.uk/

Monday 4 May;  Ascending with Angels workshop Led by David Goddard. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 1LY. Time: 6.30pm  Cost £40 https://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Monday 4 May; Creatures of the Night: Vampires, Sexuality and the Unconscious. Talk by Katie Evans . 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 4 May;  Theosophy. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London, NW1 6XT. Time: 7pm. Tickets free https://www.meetup.com/rudolf-steiner-spiritual-science/events/

Monday 4 May; Chart Discussion followed by talk on  Rectification of the Horoscope with Primary Directions ny  Alexey Borealis. Online talks via the Astrological Lodge of London. Starts 7.15pm. Tickets £6/£9. https://astrolodge.co.uk/

Monday 4 May (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

Monday 4 May; Blodeuwedd, Taliesin, and Artificial Life with Dr Mark Williams. Talk online via The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society.  Time: 8pm. Tickets ·from  £3.35. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Tuesday 5 May; Work with Spirits: Angels to Elementals. Start of 5-session course run by Julian Vayne, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £180. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Tuesday 5 May;  Lily-of-the-valley Customs: a Window on France. Talk by Cozette Griffin-Kremer via the Folklore Society online. Time: 7pm. Tickets £6. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-folklore-society-32190494089

Tuesday 5 May (first Tuesday each month); Beltane - Was This Festival a Shagfest? 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 5 May;  Beginner Tarot. Start of 4-Part course with Delphine de la Mar. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £150. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Tuesday 5 May; The Witch's Apprentice: Group Magic. Start of 4-Part course with Rebecca Beattie, author of Planetary Magic and Nature Mystics, via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm start. Tickets: £80. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events 

Tuesday 5 May; Drawing ghosts - a workshop with Sian Ellis. Talk online via The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society.  Time: 8pm. Tickets ·from  £3.35. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Wednesday 6 May; Self-Healing: Chakra by Chakra. Start of 8-session course run by Julia Shepherd, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 10am. Tickets: £255. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 6 May (and other dates); Tea with a Medium. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 1LY. Time: 2.30pm  Cost £60 https://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Wednesday 6 May; Dionysus: Lord of Misrule. Hybrid talk by Professor Ronald Hutton, author of Triumph of the Moon and Blood and Mistletoe, via Gresham College. In-person venue Gresham College, Barnard's Inn Hall, Holborn, London EC1N 2HH. Time: 6pm. Free to register for online viewing. https://www.gresham.ac.uk/

Wednesday 6 May; Isis, Mithras and Christ: iconography and mythology. Start of 10 session course with Micheal Bloomfield. Venue: City Lit, Keely St, London. Time 6pm. Fee £210.  https://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/isis-mithras-and-christ-iconography-and-mythology/rc221-2526?

Wednesday 6 May (and other dates and times); Viktor Wynd Museum Guided Tour and a Devil's Botany Absinthe. Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. Time: from 6pm. Tickets from £12. Price includes a Cocktail with Devil’s Botany. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-last-tuesday-society-viktor-wynd-museum-33776720489

Wednesday 6 May (usually first Wednesday of the month); Drumming and Meditation online with Taz Thornton. Time: 7pm. Free  https://www.facebook.com/TazThorntonOfficial

Wednesday 6 May (usually on a Wednesday each month);  Amanda Edmiston Traveller's Tales and Healing Herbs. Online talk via the Folklore Centre. Time: 7pm. Tickets £5. https://www.folkloremythmagic.com/

Wednesday 6 May; The Queer History of Magic, Myth and Legends, with Seed Talks. Venue: The Blues Kitchen, Brixton, London. Time: 7 PM. Tickets From £13.50. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/36463428713?

Wednesday 6 May; Beyond Nine Forests: Tales of Hidden Bulgaria concert and book launch. Venue: Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regents Park Road, London, NW1 7AY. Time: 7.30pm Tickets £15. https://www.efdss.org/

Wednesday 6 May;  Annouchka Bayley’s Elizabeth Bathory. Talk online via The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society.  Time: 8pm. Tickets ·from  £3.35. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

​Thursday 7 May; Thai Tattoo Magick: The Initiatory Practices of Thai Buddhist Magicians, with Sheer Zed. 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 7 May; Aleister Crowley and Frieda Harris's Thoth Tarot. Event with Kingfisher Coven. Venue:  Lost Souls Pizza Camden, 245 Eversholt Street, London NW1 1BA.  Time: 7pm. Tickets: £6.13 https://www.eventbrite.com/o/keith-broad-kingfisher-coven-88810783003

Thursday 7 May; Journalling to Clarify Mind and Soul. Talk by Tia Price, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £22. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 7 May; Hoax: A Ghost, a Witch, and a Princess in the Age of Enlightenment. Talk at London Fortean Society. Venue: Conway Hall, London, WC1X 8. ime: 7pm. Tickets: £15. https://www.conwayhall.org.uk/

Thursday 7 May; May Day Seasonal Living Craft Workshop (Beltane) by Jana Des Forges. Venue: Hoxton Hall, 130 Hoxton Street, London N1 6SH. Time: 7.15 PM. Tickets:  £18.04. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/105547489551?

Thursday 7 May; On the Nature of Rituals and Repetition with Inna Didenko. Talk online via The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society.  Time: 8pm. Tickets ·from  £3.35. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Friday 8 May (and other dates); Drum Birthing Workshop with Lynn Gosney. Venue: Shamanic Centre Caer Corhrain, Minster, Kent. Starts 8.45am. Tickets £225/£250. https://www.facebook.com/shamaniccentrecaercorhrain

Friday 8 May (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 8 May; Travel with the Sacred Drum with Heather McDonald. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 6.30pm. Tickets: £45. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Friday 8 May; Welcome Women's Circle. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House | 35 Park Road, London, NW1 6XT. Time: 7pm - 9pm. Tickets: optional donation of £5 - £15. https://rsh.anth.org.uk/whats-on/

Friday 8 May (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: £20.21. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/claire-the-soul-nurturer-35479207053

Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 May; Experience Braco's Gaze: Small Intimate Sessions. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Various times from 10am. Tickets: from £30. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 9 May; The Soul (Esoteric) Planetary Rulerships . Talk by Wanda Sellar. Online talks via the Astrological Lodge of London. Times 10.30am. Tickets £9/£6. https://astrolodge.co.uk/

Saturday 9 May; Greco-Egyptian Magic with Hekate. In-Person Workshop with Jules McArthur.  Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 1pm. Tickets: £50. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Saturday 9 May; Crystal Divination workshop with Nicholas Pearson, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £95. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 9 May; Grandfather Night time Ceremony with Renato Guerrero. Venue: Berkeley farm, a few miles outside London. Time: 4pm-8am. Tickets:  contact Renato for further details on Bookingssonidosmedicina@gmail.com. https://www.aho.community/

Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 May; Knights Templar Symbolism and Alchemy. Two-day workshop with Helena B. Scott via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 4.30pm. Tickets: £240. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 10 May;  Group Family Constellation Workshop by Avideya. Venue: House of Transformation, Hoxton, Unit 4, 222 Kingsland Road, E2 8AX. Time:  from 10am to 5pm.  Tickets £75.47. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/avideya-30020254011

Sunday 10 May; British Museum and the Magical Revival Walking Tour with Caroline Wise organised by Treadwell's. Time: 10.50am. Meet outside the British Museum (North Entrance), Montague Place, London, WC1B 3DG. Tickets: £50. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Sunday 10 May; Broom Day 2026, a celebration of community and local history. Venue: The Glades, High Street, Bromley BR1 1DN. Time: from 11am to 4pm. Free but donations to charity welcome. https://www.theglades.co.uk/events/broom-day-2026-at-the-glades?

Sunday 10 May (and other dates and times); Soul Restore Sound Healing. Venue: The Mandrake, 20-21 Newman Street, London W1T 1PG. Time: 11am. Tickets: £30. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-mandrake-17825575648

Sunday 10 May;  Orpington Alternative Market. Venue: The Priory, Church Hill, Orpington. Time: 11am. Free entry. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1335736923852705/

Sunday 10 May;  Crystals workshop at North West Kent Pagans Moot. Organised by NWK Pagans for members of the group. Venue: Chislehurst Caves, NW Kent. Time: 11.30am. https://www.facebook.com/groups/445487428816887

Sunday 10 May; Navigating End-of-Life Care. Workshop with Tree Carr. Online event. Time: 1pm. Tickets: £95. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 10 May (date tbc); Ritual in the Tower (Luna Iter). 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 10 May; Fallen Angels: 12th House in Astrology. Class with Carmen Turner-Schott. Online event. Time: 6pm. Tickets: £90. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 10 May;  Sound Bath Meditation. Venue: Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, 3 Pilgrim's Place, London NW3 1NG. Time: 7pm. Free, but donations welcome. https://www.rosslynhillchapel.org.uk

Sunday 10 May; Book Curses through Book History - Dr Eleanor Baker. Talk online via The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society.  Time: 8pm. Tickets ·from  £3.35. 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 any of these events except my own amulets workshop. 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 I earn commission from advertisers for some links.

Pagan Eye: A Witch at the Coming of Age Exhibition

This etching of A Witch at Her Cauldron is part of the Coming of Age exhibition at London's Wellcome Collection. I went there and took the photo above, but it isn't the only item relating to witches or magic. There's also Japanese figures from mythology representing long life, images showing the concept of the fountain of youth, and a large display on crones.

It's a really good exhibition, but I did tut slightly at the description of the depiction above. It read:

"This 1626 etching depicts a young witch in her magic circle conjuring up monsters and pipe-smoking demons. In Europe, witches were generally imagined as women. Roles in cooking, midwifery and healing gave women control over the health and wellbeing of their families. In a male-dominated society, accusations of witchcraft were a way to suppress this power. In the 1500s and 1600s, fear of witches led to the execution of thousands of women."

In fact, midwives were generally well respected even during times of historic witch persecutions. Although there are some examples of midwives being accused of malefic practices, that wasn't widespread. You were far more likely to be accused of witchcraft if you were someone the community found inconvenient or you just pissed off the wrong person. 

Don't let that minor criticism put you off going to the Coming of Age Exhibition, as it's generally thought-provoking and highlights important social issues about how we view people young to old. And it's totally free to go round.

Coming of Age is on at the Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE. It is open daily from 10am to 6pm until 29 November. You can find out more here: https://wellcomecollection.org/

Pagan Eye Posts

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 Links

https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/03/pagan-eye-gods-from-hawaii-at-british.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/03/pagan-eye-woodland-witch-from.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/05/exhibition-gods-goddesses-in-luxury.html
badwitch.co.uk/2022/09/pagan-eye-goddess-aphrodite-at-feminine.html

Tarot: The Great Fire Of London (Eight of Wands)

I drew a card for the world using the London Lore Tarot and revealed The Great Fire of London. This corrresponds with the 8 of Wands. The picture in this deck shows someone rushing from the banks of the River Thames with a bucket of water while flames rise above silhouetted rooftops. 

The meaning is clear: urgent action is needed to stop destruction currently taking place, and threatened in the future. 

The fire of London started in 1666, probably by accident, in a bakery. It burnt for four days, reducing much of the medieval city - homes and businesses - to ashes. I'm sure most people can see how that might related to situations in the world at this time.

In the Rider–Waite-Snith deck, the artwork shows eight staves seeming to fly through the air across an open landscape. While in the past I've seen this as potentially representing swift travel or communication, at the moment I can't help but visualise those staves as something more destructive.

The card calls for swift change and a call for us to all work together as much as possible to avoid further disaster.

Other previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/06/london-lore-tarot-tower-ravens-eight-of.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/10/london-tarot-reading-sewer-gas-lamp-2.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/08/london-lore-tarot-king-of-wands-henry.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/12/review-london-lore-tarot.html

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

Previous related posts

https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/05/a-poem-for-beltane-we-walk-through.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/01/book-review-pantheon-romans.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/12/books-fifth-anniversary-for-guided.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/12/settle-in-for-yuletide-with-pagan.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/05/green-london-hawthorn-blossom-in-ion.html