A bad witch's blog

Thursday, 4 June 2026

Customs: Summerween - Festival or Fakelore?

I've not seen the movie Gravity Falls, but apparently it started a tradition called Summerween. In the film, the residents of a fictional American town love Halloween so much they celebrate in a similar way on June 22nd or the nearest Friday. They make melon lanterns instead of using pumpkins and tell spooky stories suitable for midsummer rather than summer's end.

I had no idea this had become something people actually celebrated - or at least were encouranged to celebrate by retailers - until I got sent a press release saying:

"Summerween brings a spooky edge to the sunnier months, blending long summer days with horror-movie nostalgia and playful gothic details. First introduced in Gravity Falls, the fictional celebration has since grown into a moment of its own, helped along by the many cult horror stories set around summer camps, road trips and lakeside escapes."

I was also sent the picture and links to where you can get those things and others like it. The image includes a spiderweb cushion from the Range, which I admit I like although I have sufficient spooky cushions already. There are also some appealing witchy mugs. If I didn't already have enough of them too, I might have bought Emma Bridgewater's Wise Witches Mug.

I'll admit I'm a sucker for most things Gothic, but I'm not a fan of anything overly commercialised. Some of that plastic in the photo above makes me cringe. How much of it will go straight into landfill after a party?

What do you think?

So, what do you think? Is this an interesting contemporary custom, in which a film has become modern folklore, or is it just commercialised fakelore to be shunned and discouraged?

Would you hold a Summerween party and tell ghost stories in the days - or nights - after Summer Solstice? Are you tempted to watch Gravity Falls if you haven't already? Will you be getting out the Halloween decor?

Please leave a comment.

Wednesday, 3 June 2026

Magical Online & London Events in the Next Weeks

Here's a list of events for pagans, witches and those with similar interests. There are online things you can do anywhere (bolded to spot more easily) plus in-person talks and workshops in or near London, and some conferences and festivals further afield.

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 - 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/

Last day 3 June; Relics exhibition. Venue: Warburg Institute, Woburn Square, London WC1H 0AB. Time: Mon-Thur 9.30am to 8pm, 10-5pm Fri/Sat. Free entry. https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/news-events/events

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

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 - 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

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 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

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

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

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/

Wednesday 3 June; Book Talk: Sylvia Plath and the Supernatural. Talk by Dr Dorka Tamas via the Centre for Victorian Studies, Royal Holloway, University of London. Venue: Royal Holloway, Egham Hill, Egham TW20 0EX. Starts 10.30am. Free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/book-talk-sylvia-plath-and-the-supernatural-tickets-1988822039257?

Wednesday 3 June (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 3 June; Psychic Mediumship for Beginners. Start of 6-session course with Sarah-Jane Jay, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 5pm. Tickets: £200. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 3 June; Hail, Delirium! Dorothea Tanning Preview and Alyce Mahon's Biography Signing. Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. Time: evening. Tickets free/£30, includes a cocktail. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-last-tuesday-society-viktor-wynd-museum-33776720489

Wednesday 3 June (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 3 June (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 3 June (usually on a Wednesday each month); Brett Hollyhead: Fossilised Magic. Online talk via the Folklore Centre. Time: 7pm. Tickets £5. https://www.folkloremythmagic.com/

Wednesday 3 June; The Hidden World of Fairies and Women. Talk by Diane Purkiss via Seed talks online. Time: 7pm. Tickets £13.50. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/36463428713?

Wednesday 3 June; The History of Greek Mythology. Talk by Dr Emily Hauser via Seed talks online. Time: 7pm. Tickets £13.50. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/36463428713?

Wednesday 3 June (first Wednesday of the month); Drumming and Meditation online with Taz Thornton. Time: 7pm. Free https://www.facebook.com/TazThorntonOfficial

Wednesday 3 June; Crystals for Psychic Development. Start of 6-session course with Sarah-Jane Jay, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7.15pm. Tickets: £200. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 3 June; Nocturnes, Symphonies and Seances: Whistler’s Life and Art, with Antony Clayton. 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 4 June (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 4 June (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 4 June 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/

Thursday 4 June; Black Stars In Dim Carcosa with Marco Visconti. 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 4 June; 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

Thursdays 4 and 11 June; Tree Magick and the Wisdom of the Ogham with Pixie P Carney, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £95. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 4 June; Freemasonry and Nature. Talk by Helena B. Scott. via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £21. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 4 June; ; Recognise and Clear Negative Energy. Start of 8-session course with Martha Brett, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £255. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 4 June; Islamic Occultism – with Amal Salem. Talk and Soirée. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £10. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Thursday 4 June; Psychometry: Learn to Read Objects. Start of 10-session course with Tia Price, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets: £240. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Friday 5 June (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 5 June (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 5 - Sunday 7 June; North Wales Pagan Fest 2026. Venue: Halkyn Castle Wood, CH8 8DF. Starts noon. Tickets £80/£45. https://www.tickettailor.com/events/halkyncastlewoodeventsandeducationltd/1772715?

Friday 5 June (and other dates); 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 5 June (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?

Weekend 6 and 7 June; Magical Spiritual Event in aid of Fibromyalgia Action UK. Venue: Inn on the Lake, Shorne, Gravesend DA12 3HB. Starts 10.30am. Free entry. Donations for charity welcome.

Weekends 6 and 7 June then 15 and 16 August; Akashic Records: Heart and Soul Connections workshops with Vicky Sweetlove. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: £490. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 6 June: Honouring the Self workshop with Joan Osborne. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 6 June; Rose Priestess Temple Devotional Day. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Road, Eltham SE9. Time: noon. Tickets free. https://www.wiccamooninherservice.co.uk/ or https://www.facebook.com/wiccamoonuk/

Saturday 6 June; Amulets, Talismans and Charms. In-person workshop by me on the lore behind – and art of making – these important magical objects. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 1pm. Cost: £25 per person. Find out more or book tickets here: https://www.treadwells-london.com/events-1/amulets-talismans-charms-in-person-workshop-3

Saturday 6 June: Divination with Coffee, Eggs and Mirrors. Workshop with Tia Price, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 1pm. Tickets: £90. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 6 June (date tbc but usually first Saturday each month); Gong Bath. Venue: Upminster Sanctuary Pea Lane, Upminster, RM142XH. Time: 7pm. Tickets: tbc. https://upminstersanctuary.com/

Sunday 7 June (and other dates); Kundalini Yoga and Sound Healing with Claudia Chapman. Venue: The Goddess Studio, 116 Whitehouse Way, London N14 7LU. Time: 10.30am. Tickets from £6.50. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/20248016862

Sunday 7 June; Wisdom and Wyrd Psychic Market. Venue: Chislehurst Caves, Imperial Place, Chislehurst, NW Kent. Time: 11am. Free entry. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1335736923852705/

Sunday 7 June: The Seven Veils of Women Mystics. Painting workshop with Nicole Frobusch. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 7 June: London's Sacred Landscape - afternoon of talks via London Monthy of the Dead. Venue: Swedenborg House, 20/21 Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2TH. Time: 1.30pm. Tickets £30 for the entire event. https://londonmonthofthedead.com/index.html?

Sunday 7 June; 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

Sunday 7 June: The Feminine and Masculine in Tarot. Workshop with Amanda Watson, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £95. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 7 June: Activate Psychic Skills with Astrology. Start of 5-session course with Carmen Turner-Schott, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 6pm. Tickets: £180. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 7 June (first Sunday each month); Light and Expansion - 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 8 June; The Zodiac (Part 1). Free online talk via the Astrological Lodge of London. Starts 5pm. Tickets free. https://astrolodge.co.uk/

Monday 8 June; Beauty Esotericism: Ritual and Identity with Charlotte Logue. Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets from £16.77, includes a cocktail. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-last-tuesday-society-viktor-wynd-museum-33776720489

Monday 8 June; Talk on How to read a consultation chart with Marcos Patchett followed by chart discussion. Online talks via the Astrological Lodge of London. Starts 7pm. Tickets £6/£9. https://astrolodge.co.uk/

Monday 8 June; The Medium's Path for Beginners. Start of 6-session course with TJ Higgs, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £200. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Monday 8 June (usually a Monday early in the month); South East London Pagans Moot. Venue: The Ivy House, 55 Stuart Road, London, SE15 3BE. Time: 7.30pm. Free. https://www.facebook.com/groups/7046502195365834

Monday 8 June (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 8 June; Sister Sharing Circle by Claire The Soul Nurturer. Venue: Secret Soul Sanctuary, Sydenham Hill, London SE23 3PH. Time: 8pm. Tickets: £14.79. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/claire-the-soul-nurturer-35479207053

Monday 8 June; Egyptian mythology with Garry Shaw. 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 9 June (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 9 June; Advanced 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 9 June; Creating a Magical Servitor. Start of 2-Part Workshop with Mark Vincent via Treadwell's Online. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £50. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Tuesday 9 June; Earth Magic in Esoteric Art. Talk by Hazel Florez, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £22. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Tuesday 9 June (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

Tuesday 9 June; Britain’s Empire and Its Afterlives with Tré Ventour-Griffiths. 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 10 June; Collage on Discarded Ceramics with House of Frisson. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 1LY. Time: 2.30pm Cost £50 https://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Wednesday 10 June (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: 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 10 June (2nd Wed each month); The Power of Practice. Training group workshop by the Wytchery. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store St, London WC1E 7BS, UK. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £10. https://www.meetup.com/the-wytchery/

Wednesday 10 June; Spirit Allies for Support. Class with Hannah Sanders via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm start, delayed viewing available. Tickets: £15. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Wednesday 10 June (tbc but usually 2nd Wed each month); Enfield Town Circle Moot. Venue: Crown and Horsehoes, Horseshoe Lane, Enfield, EN2 6PZ. Time: 7pm. https://www.facebook.com/groups/EnfieldTownCircle/

Wednesday 10 June; Light Language. Start of 2-session course with Gemma Petherbridge, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £95. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 10 June; On Collecting as a Psychological Condition with Viktor Wynd. 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 11 June (date tbc); Magick Without Tears Moot. Venue: Fitzroy Tavern, 16 Charlotte St., London W1T 2LY. Time 6pm. https://www.facebook.com/groups/mwtpubmoot

Thursday 11 June; Heartspaces - Heart and Soul spiritual gathering. Venue: Essex Hall, Essex Street, London WC2R 3HY. Doors at 6.30pm. Free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/121061473538?

Thursday 11 June; The Symbols of Alchemy with Eliza Swann. Talk and Soirée. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £10. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Thursday 11 June; Way of the Witch monthly online circle with Samantha K. and Jacqui C. Time: 8pm. Tickets: £10. https://www.meetup.com/sammi-k-shamanic-practitioner-psychic-medium/events/

Thursday 11 June; Luck. Talk by Cunning Folk at South East London Folklore Society. Venue: The Electric Elephant Cafe, 186A Crampton Street, London, SE17 3AE. Time: 8pm, Free but £5/£8 donations welcome. Email cunningfolkmusic@gmail.com to book a space or visit https://www.eventbrite.com/o/cunning-folk-7829505560

Friday, 12 - Sunday 14 June 2026; Greenoaks Gathering 2026. Pagan gathering in the beautiful Cambridgeshire Fens, at an eco venue. Music, talks, workshops (including a couple run by myself), kids activities, and a magickal market. Venue: Hatters Campsite, Second Drove Adelaide, Ely CB7 4UD. Tickets: £0 – £114.47. https://www.greenoaksgathering.co.uk/

Friday 12 June; 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/

Saturday, 13 June; Folklore Inspired Creative Session with the Saturday Morning Folklore Club. Venue: The Crosse Keys, 9 Gracechurch Street, · London. Time:· 10am. Tickets free. https://www.meetup.com/saturday-morning-folklore-club/

Saturday 13 June; Sacred Power of the Serpent Queen. Workshop with Frances Billinghurst, author of Encountering the Dark Goddess, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 10.30am. Tickets: £90. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 13 June: Tantric Symbols for Self-Empowerment workshop with Nishant Sharmaa. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 13 June: The Gifts of a Highly Sensitive Person workshop with Mel Collins. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 13 June: Mediumship and Spirit Communication workshop with Sean Collyns . Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: contact the college. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 13 June: Wild And Witchy Day Retreat. Venue: Station Approach, Leatherhead KT227SQ. Time: 2pm. Tickets: from £108.51. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wild-and-witchy-day-retreat-tickets-1989903435743?

Sunday 14 June: The Way of the Ankh workshop with Pixie P Carney. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 14 June; The Magic of Trees 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 14 June;. Betts Park - Mixed Adult Forest Bathing. Meet at Anerley Road, London SE20 8TQ. Time: 1pm. Free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/parkbathe-34393467709

Sunday 14 June; The Dark Night of the Soul. Workshop with Julia Shepherd, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £90. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 14 June (date 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 14 June; Menstruation, Folklore, Tradition and The Power of Women.Workshop with Dr Deirdre Nuttall via Seed talks online. Time: 5pm. Tickets £17 - £26.50. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/36463428713?

Sunday 14 June (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 14 June; Labyrinth Walk Meditation. Venue: Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, 3 Pilgrim's Place, London NW3 1NG. Time: 8pm. Free, but donations welcome. https://www.rosslynhillchapel.org.uk

Sunday 14 June; 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 £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. 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.

Tuesday, 2 June 2026

Green London: Visit Secret Gardens Next Weekend

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

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

About My Green London Posts

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

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

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

Monday, 1 June 2026

My Witchy Events: Charms, Dowsing, Dolls & Candles

Here are details of the witchy events I'm involved with from now until the end of July. There are London-based workshops on amulets and candle magic. I'll also be at the lovely Greenoaks Gathering in Cambridgeshire where I'll be teaching dowsing and giving a talk on poppets and magical dolls.

June

Amulets, Talismans and Charms In-Person at Treadwell's

On Saturday 6 June I'm running an in-person workshop on amulets, talismans and charms at Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. It starts at 1pm and tickets are £25 per person. Visit https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

Greenoaks Gathering 2026

This lovely pagan festival runs from Friday 12 to Sunday 14 June. The Greenoaks Gathering takes place in the beautiful Cambridgeshire Fens, at an eco venue. There's music, talks, workshops, kids' activities, and a magickal market. I'll be talking about poppets and running a workshop on dowsing. Venue: Hatters Campsite, Second Drove Adelaide, Ely CB7 4UD. Tickets: £0 – £114.47. https://www.greenoaksgathering.co.uk/

July

Candle Magic Workshop In-Person at Treadwell's

On Saturday 11 July I'm running a workshop based on my book Pagan Portals - Candle Magic at Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. It starts at 1pm and tickets are £25 per person. Visit https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

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

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

Thursday, 28 May 2026

Review: Portals, Patterns, and Pathways - Rune Magic

Are you ready to take a deep dive into runic lore? Portals, Patterns, and Pathways, a new book by Imelda Almqvist, shows you how. The subtitle is A Handbook for Rune Magicians, Star Gazers, and Myth Makers - and that's exactly what it is.

Don't read it expecting it to be beginners' guide on how to read the runes. You need to already have a basic understanding first. Portals, Patterns, and Pathways takes you beyond basic knowledge, exploring rune groupings and the spaces between them. As the title suggests, these can be portals to greater wisdom.

In its pages you will find an in-depth course on using runes for advanced divination, magic, and greater understanding of cosmology, plus reference material to use going forward. This is the synopsis on publisher Moon Books' website:

"The runes map a mythical or imaginal realm where cosmic blueprints share their stories and wisdom through archetypal figures, deities, personifications, alchemical images, and symbols. Years ago, Imelda Almqvist wrote in her Rune Journal: 'Every liminal space between runes is a mystery school, and its curriculum is mythology!' This insight proved to be incredibly fertile ground for mapping the liminal spaces between the runes. The letter sequence of many early alphabets appears to be connected to the night sky and star patterns. Does such a correspondence exist for the runes? Does the Poetic Edda contain astronomical numbers and references to celestial events? Before the Enlightenment, astronomy and astrology represented different faces of one unified field of study. What happens if we arrange the Runes of the Elder Futhark in a Circle and then look at that circle the way an astrologer reads a natal chart? This book shares the author’s discoveries, and she hopes that its readers will join her on this adventure!"

Portals, Patterns, and Pathways is more than just a book to read once. It's something to work through carefully then keep as a valuable resource in future.

About the author

Imelda Almqvist is an international teacher of Sacred Art and Seidr/Old Norse Traditions (the ancestral wisdom teachings of Northern Europe). Her earlier books include Natural Born Shamans: A Spiritual Toolkit for Life, Sacred Art: A Hollow Bone for Spirit and Medicine of the Imagination - Dwelling in possibility. She appeared in the TV programme Ice Age Shaman, talking about Neolithic arctic deer shamanism. She has an on-line school, Pregnant Hag Teachings.

Website: www.shaman-healer-painter.co.uk
Online School: https://pregnant-hag-teachings.teachable.com/courses/

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