Here's a list of events for pagans, witches and those with similar interests. There are online things you can do anywhere (in bold) plus in-person talks and workshops in or near London, and some festivals further afield.
Wednesday, 15 July 2026
Magical Online & London Events in the Next Weeks
Tuesday, 14 July 2026
Folklore: St Swithun's Day, Rain & Apple Christening
Tomorrow, 15 July, is St Swithun's Day. Most people have heard the saying that if it rains then it will rain for 40 more. There's a rhyme that goes:
St Swithun's day if thou dost rain
For forty days it will remain
St Swithun's day if thou be fair
For forty days 'twill rain nae mare
The Bishop of Winchester, who died in the year 862, would probably be forgotten if it wasn't for that bit of folklore. However, he wasn't associated with rain until after his death. According to a legend, he had asked to be buried outdoors but his remains were later reburied inside the church. A storm brewed on the day his body was moved, and rain continued to pelt down for over a month. It didn't stop until he was reburied out in the churchyard. This was taken as a miracle.
But the rain wasn't always seen as a bad thing, and the saint's water-bringing powers became associated with growing apples. According to Steve Roud in The English Year, it was believed that rain on St Swithun's Day and afterwards was essential to produce a good crop. A Warwickshire saying was that you should never eat apples until St Swithun had "Christened them".
Having an apple tree in my own garden, I know that getting rain at this time of year is important to help the fruit plump out properly. Otherwise they can be too small and hard.
I've looked at the weather forecast for tomorrow and at the moment it isn't saying rain. I might do a spell to help the clouds water the garden.
Rounding the YearQuite a few annual customs linked to Christian saints' days are more about seasonal cycles and harvests than religion.
My book Pagan Portals - 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.)
Previous Related Posts
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/01/wassailing-my-apple-tree-with-lambswool.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/08/rounding-year-whats-your-lammas-harvest.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/07/rounding-year-wheel-turns-july-is-here.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/08/mandala-august-harvest-of-apples-and.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/04/folklore-customs-may-eve-walpurgis.html
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
Wednesday, 8 July 2026
Magical Online & London Events in the Next Weeks
Here's a list of events for pagans, witches and those with similar interests over the next couple of weeks. There are online things you can do anywhere (bolded) plus in-person talks and workshops in or near London, as that's where I'm based, and some conferences and festivals further afield.
Now - 11 July; Rediscovery: The Gary Dickinson Exhibition. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 1LY. Time: 11am-6pm Free entry https://theatlantisbookshop.com/











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