A bad witch's blog

News: Ancient Meteorite and Druid History

2012-02-10T01:40:00.000-08:00

Archaeologists have found a large meteorite in an ancient pagan burial mound near Stonehenge. You can read the news story on DiscoveryNews: http://news.discovery.com/space/druids-meteorite-stonehenge-ice-age-120209.html

A history fan has discovered a 100-year-old document about druid initiation: You can read the news story on This Is Kent: http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/History-fan-hopes-solve-druid-mystery/story-15176674-detail/story.html

PF Devon and Cornwall Spring Conference

2012-02-10T00:02:00.000-08:00

If you happen to be in Cornwall, or fancy a holiday in the south west of England this March, here is a pagan event worth going to while you are there.

The Pagan Federation Devon, Cornwall and Channel Isles Spring Conference takes place on Saturday 10 March at Penstowe Manor, Kilkhampton, Bude, EX23 9QY

The speakers and performers include chaos magician Julian Vayne, Anglo Saxon Specialist Steve Pollington, storyteller Mike O’Connor, Bronze and Iron Age archaeologist Paul Bonnington and Cornish piper Merv Davey. There will also be stalls, a raffle and a competition to make a poppet.

The doors open 9.30am on Saturday and the closing ritual finishes 6pm. On Saturday evening there will be music and stories with Damh The Bard and Kate and Corwen.

Tickets cost £19 for PF members and £23 for non-members. For more information and to buy tickets online visit the Pagan Federation Devon and Cornwall website: http://www.paganfederationdevonandcornwall.co.uk/pages/conference2012.htm

For Accomodation at Penstowe Manor call 01288 321 354.

The photo at the top is of St Michael's Mount, Cornwall. I took the picture while on holiday many years ago.

Previous related post:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/06/pagan-eye-museum-of-witchcraft.html

Valentine's Day Spell: Scented Love Heart

2012-02-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

Valentines Day is the time of year when it is easiest to get up the courage to tell someone you love them. Rather than just buying a Valentine's Day card from a shop, here is a love heart that you can make yourself to give as a special gift - and you can add a little extra oomph to it with some magic.

You will need:
Enough fabric to cut out two small heart shapes
A bit of ribbon
Needle and thread
Dried lavender
A little cinnamon
A little vanilla
Optional:
More ribbons, beads, buttons and embroidery thread to decorate the heart
A little frankincense

When you are choosing what fabric to use, you could buy new material or you could reuse something, perhaps from a beautiful dress that you love but has seen better days. Not only would it be environmentally friendly to recycle a garment in this way, it would also add to the magic because the material would have a very personal connection to attract your intended Valentine to you.

To make the heart:
Cut out two heart shapes from the fabric, slightly larger than you want the final love heart to be.

Then, place the two hearts with the right sides of the fabric facing each other and stitch a seam around the edges, leaving a small bit unstitched at the indented bit at the top of the heart (where the ribbon to hang it from will go).

Turn the heart right side out by pulling the fabric through the unstitched bit. Stuff the heart with a mixture of the lavender, cinnamon, vanilla and (optionally) a little frankincense. These herbs and spices are not only magically associated with love spells, but are also scents that people - especially men - find attractive.

Fold the ribbon in two and poke the ends into the unstitched bit of the heart to form a loop, then sew the ribbon in place and complete the seam with neat stitches to keep everything in place.

Finally, decorate the heart as you desire. You could attach ribbons or buttons or embroider "Be My Valentine" on the front.

Now for the magic:
When the heart is finished to your satisfaction, visualise the object of your affection, hold the heart in your hand and say:

"Goddess hear this wish of mine
That (X) should be my Valentine"

It is best if you cast this spell on a Friday, which is sacred to Venus, Goddess of Love.

If you don't feel confident enough to make your own love heart, you could cast the spell with one you bought in a shop.

I have to admit that the photo doesn't show my own work. It is a silk lavender heart which is available at The Vintage and Handmade Gift Co. I did have a go at making a love heart, but it didn't look as good as the one in the picture.

I've used the image with permission, but have been asked to state the PR bit: "Add a bit of luxury with this beautiful handmade heart made of a pink, pure silk and embellished with ribbons, beads and buttons." It is stuffed with lavender, measures 5 inches across and costs £9.95.

You can visit The Vintage and Handmade Gift Co's website at http://www.thevintageandhandmadegiftco.com/

Links and previous related posts:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/02/books-of-love.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/02/divining-love-with-eros-oracle.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/02/spell-to-attract-love.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/02/lovespells-authentic-collection-of.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/02/tarot-lovers-card.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/09/day-with-aphrodite.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/11/review-medidating-for-fearless-romance.html

The Ethics of Love Spells

2012-02-08T00:02:00.000-08:00

Love spells are the kind of magic witches are often asked about. So, with Valentine’s Day approaching, I thought it might be a good time to write about the ethics of love magic.

Many Wiccans believe that you should never cast a love spell to try to win the affections of a specific person. The theory is that to do so is to try to influence their free will and that is a bad thing – effectively black magic.

If you believe that – or you genuinely don’t fancy anyone in particular - then the answer is to cast a spell to attract love, but without any individual person in mind. By sending a general invitation for romance into the ether, the right person will soon arrive in your life – hopefully bearing a big bunch of red roses and an invitation to dinner. There are very many spells of that kind that you can try, including this one that I published on my blog a couple of years ago.

I must admit that, back then, I also believed one should always play safe with magic and avoid drawing the wrath of the universe by casting any potentially naughty spells. The theory of the Law of Threefold Return, which states that if you curse someone or do any type of black magic then bad things will rebound on you three times over, was enough to make me want to play safe in my spellcasting.

Since then, I have rather changed my mind when it comes to love magic. I really can’t see that helping to bring a little love and romance into the world is in any way like a curse and, if someone comes to me saying they have a huge crush on someone who hardly seems to notice them, then I would like to try to help them have at least a chance at happiness. I've posted a love spell for Valentine's Day on A Bad Witch's Blog here.

If that rebounds on me and I suddenly get three would-be Romeos serenading me under my window, what a hardship...

The photo at the top shows the altar to Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, at Jane Meredith's Aphrodite Workshop in London last summer.

Links and previous related posts:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/02/books-of-love.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/02/divining-love-with-eros-oracle.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/02/spell-to-attract-love.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/02/lovespells-authentic-collection-of.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/02/tarot-lovers-card.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/09/day-with-aphrodite.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/11/review-medidating-for-fearless-romance.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/05/pagan-eye-red-rose.html

February's Full Moon, Ice and Snow

2012-02-07T00:03:00.000-08:00

There is a full moon tonight - at 9.54pm London time to be precise.

The Celtic name for February's full moon is Moon of Ice, while some modern-day pagans call it Snow Moon. Both of those names seem rather apt considering that London had its first snow of this winter just a couple of days ago. The medieval name given to this full moon is Storm Moon - maybe there will be storms on the way.

Here's a link to a full moon spell that I wrote a few years ago that is suitable for this time of year: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/01/imbolc-moon-of-inspiration.html

I took the photo of a spring camellia blooming as the snow started to melt yesterday.

Television: Britain's Wicca Man

2012-02-06T08:10:00.000-08:00

Britain's Wicca Man - (C) Matchlight from Matchlight on Vimeo.

This video is a trailer for a documentary called Britain's Wicca Man, which is due to be shown on Channel 4 on February 20 and tells the story of Wicca and its founder, Gerald Gardner. The trailer is narrated by Professor Ronald Hutton and has a a short interview with Philip Heselton, author of Witchfather: Into the Witch Cult Volume 1: A Life of Gerald Gardner.

This is a programme not to be missed!

Links and previous related posts
http://vimeo.com/35964445
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/09/charge-of-goddess-conference-2010.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/01/pagan-eye-witchs-house.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/12/pagan-eye-where-witches-walked.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/12/book-witchfather-life-of-gerald-gardner.html

This Week's Pagan Events In London

2012-02-06T00:03:00.000-08:00

Here are highlights of this week's pagan events in and near London. To find out about future events, click on the events link at the top of the page and if you want an event mentioned, please email the details to badwitch1234@gmail.com

Now to 25 March; Witch Hunt - a touring exhibition about the East Anglian witch-hunt of 1645-47, put on by Epping Forest District Museum. Location: Vestry House Museum, Vestry Road, Walthamstow London E17 9NH. Tel Tel 020 8496 4381. Email vhm.enquiries@walthamforest.gov.uk or visit http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/index/leisure/museums-galleries/vestry-house/vhm-whats-on.htm

Tuesday 7 February; Tribe of Avalon Imbolc Ceremony. Bonnington Cafe, Vauxhall, London. Time: 7pm - 9pm. Cost - £5 to help cover room hire cost, bring a snack or drink to share. For more details visit http://www.tribeofavalon.co.uk/

Tuesday 7 February; Evolution of the Guidance of Spirit. Lecture by Becky Walsh at The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm - 9pm. Cost: £5/8. Advance booking essential. Tel: 020 7589 3292. http://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/index.html

Wednesday 8 February; Atlantis Bookshops Presents (formerly The Moot with No Name) An Evening With Paul Weston. Talk on 2012: Axis Mutatis and Eternal Return at Devereux public house (pictured), 20 Devereux Court, off Essex Street, London WC2R 3JJ. Meet from 7.30pm, event starts at 8pm. Admission £5. Visit http://www.theatlantisbookshopevents.com//

Thursday 9 February; Unearthing South East London’s Ritual Landscape. Talk by Simon Webb, author of Unearthing London: The Ancient World Beneath The Metropolis at South East London Folklore Society (SELFS). Venue: The Old King's Head, Kings Head Yard, 45-49 Borough High St, London SE1 1NA. Entry: £2.50 / £1.50 concessions. No need to book in advance. Meetings are the second Thursday of each month. http://www.selfs.org.uk/

Thursday 9 February; Imbolc Full Moon Meditation with priest of Avalon David Spofforth. Venue: Bonnington Centre, 11 Vauxhall Grove, London SW8 1TD. Time: 8pm - 9pm. Cost: £3 donation. For more details and to book places visit http://www.priestofavalon.com/

Friday 10 February; Some Secret Place. Monthly ritual evening for solitary pagans looking to explore group ritual. Time 7pm for 7.15pm start to 9.30pm. Location: Conway Hall, Holborn, London WC1R 4RL. Some experience of pagan ritual necessary. Small group sizes - advance book via the website http://www.somesecretplace.co.uk/. A £7 contribution towards equipment and room hire is required.

Pagan Radio is now live!

2012-02-03T01:00:00.002-08:00

The picture above shows Eleanor Bennet, the creator and managing director of Pagan Radio, just after its successful first broadcast last night. The big switch-on took place at Atlantis Bookshop, in London.

I was very lucky to be invited along to the launch party for this momentous new venture, as this is the first time pagans in the UK have had their very own radio station.

To listen to Pagan Radio, just visit http://www.paganradio.co.uk/ and click the green button at the top that says "Listen live click here".

Back to Magic School: Mystery Traditions Pt 2

2012-02-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

A six-week course on Mystery Traditions is running in London from February to March. The course is part two of the course on mystery traditions run by pagan tutor Ken Rees in January, but also complements the Magical Consciousness and Magicians of the West courses run by Ken Rees.

Ken said: "For people interested I would recommend early enrolment as part 1 was oversubscribed and a waiting list had to be put in place."

A flyer advertising the course says:

The Mystery Traditions of Europe did not die out consequent on the rise of Christianity from the 4th – 5th centuries onwards. The need of many people to find solace in esoteric rather than exoteric institutions continued, often discretely and covertly. While we only have a broken chain of links from the classical Mediterranean schools to the present day, various orders and societies have carried secret knowledges forward including the Knights Templars, the medieval witch cult and the revived gnosis of the Albigensians.

The 17th and 18th centuries saw a re-invention of tradition. This creative activity expressed itself in a myriad of ways, key representatives including Druidism, the Rosicrucians and Freemasonry. Similarly, the 19th century saw a revival of magic best exemplified by the original Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

The 20th/21st centuries have seen the rise of eclectic New Age philosophies including the Arcane School of Alice Bailey, Neo-Platonic groups such as the Universal Order and, within the Christian mystery tradition, the Anna Kingsford influenced Order of the Cross. A number of hermetic societies on both sides of the Atlantic now exist, often incorporating the phrase `golden dawn’. While contemporary nature religion such as the Wicca version of witchcraft also embody elements of mystery tradition.

This course will explore some of the examples given above.

Mystery Traditions Pt 2 takes place on Tuesday evenings from 8pm – 10pm from 21 February – 27 March 2012 (6 wks). The venue is The Mary Ward Centre, Queen Square London WC1. Nearest tube stations – Russell Square or Holborn. Fees are: £44 Cons. £15. For more details, call 020 8671 6372. To enrol, call 020 7269 6000 quoting course No: 439

For further information you can also email kenrees@talktalk.net or look at the website www.marywardcentre.ac.uk

Previous post
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/12/back-to-magic-school-mystery-traditions.html

Happy Imbolc!

2012-02-02T01:00:00.000-08:00

These are the first snowdrops to bloom in my garden this year - and I took this photo of them just a couple of days ago.

The timing seems perfect as today is Imbolc - the pagan celebration of the start of spring, when flowers are just beginning to return after the winter and the first lambs are being born.

Previous posts:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/02/snowdrops-in-fable-and-folklore.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/01/imbolc-celebrating-start-of-spring.html

Pagan Radio Launches Tomorrow

2012-02-01T01:00:00.001-08:00

From tomorrow, Pagans in the UK will have their very own radio station.

Pagan Radio has its official switch-on at 7pm on 2 February 2012.

The launch takes place at Imbolc, traditionally the start of spring and the perfect time for a new venture.

Pagan Radio aims to provide information and resources for pagans, help those who produce books, music, crafts and art promote their endeavours and to be a companion for solitary practitioners who can't always get to moots and meetings.

To listen to Pagan Radio and for more information, visit http://www.paganradio.co.uk/

Window shopping: Viking drinking horn

2012-01-31T01:00:00.001-08:00

On the last day of my recent holiday to Norway I saw this lovely drinking horn in a shop window. It is obviously inspired by ancient Viking designs - and even though I'm a Wiccan rather than a follower of the Norse pagan traditions I thought this would look lovely on my altar.

Sadly, the shop was closed and I had to be at the airport before the shop was due to open that day.

I know it isn't too hard to find drinking horns on sale at pagan events that have stalls selling stuff, but the polished shininess of this horn and the elegant stand it rested on appealed to me more than any other drinking horn I've seen. I took this photo to remind myself of what it looked like and maybe I'll get find one like it on sale somewhere that is open some time.

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/01/questing-for-northern-lights.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/01/reindeer-huskies-and-northern-lights.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/01/arctic-ice-and-snow.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/07/window-shopping-magical-hare-jewellery.html

News: Remembering Historic Witch Trials

2012-01-30T01:00:00.001-08:00

Here are a few news stories from the past couple of days about commemorations of historic witch trials:

Pendle witch camp and folklore festival, aimed to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the Pendle witch trials, is being billed as the “biggest and most accessible yet”. You can read the full story on The Citizen website: http://www.burnleycitizen.co.uk/news/9498485.Pendle_Witch_Camp_and_Folklore_Festival_set_to_be__biggest_and_most_accessible_yet_/

Local historians hunt copies of out-of-print book containing tales of witch trials. You can read the full story on the Bo'ness Journal website: http://www.bonessjournal.co.uk/community/hunt_on_for_old_witch_trial_book_1_2082047

Norway gets two memorials to the 91 victims of a famous witch trial in 1621: You can read the full story on the Wall Street Journal website: http://blogs.wsj.com/ideas-market/2012/01/27/a-cross-cultural-monument-to-victims-of-witch-trials/?mod=google_news_blog.

News: London Stone to be Moved

2012-01-29T08:09:00.000-08:00

Developers want to move The London Stone, an ancient stone that, according to legend, protects the City of London from doom. English Heritage, the Victorian Society, the Ancient Monument Society and many others who are interested in the folklore, traditions and superstitions of London, are opposed to the plans.

You can read accounts of the news story at these sites:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2091093/London-Stone-Fury-developers-plan-legendary-rock-historic-site.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/between-the-covers-the-london-stone-the-costa-prize-and-salman-rushdie-6296077.html

Previous related post:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/10/ancient-stone-heart-of-london.html

TV: Atlantis and Fairies

2012-01-28T01:49:00.000-08:00

There are a couple of things on television this weekend that could appeal to those interested in the unexplained.

Atlantis: The Evidence - a Timewatch Special is being shown on BBC4 tonight (Saturday) at 8pm. In the documentary, historian Bettany Hughes looks at the historical evidence for Atlantis. This was first shown on BBC2 and is very good.

Fairy Tale: A True Story is on Channel 5 tomorrow (Sunday) at 4.05pm. This is a period drama based on a true story. In 1917 two young girls claimed to have seen and photographed fairies - which became known as the Cottingley Fairies. The film originally came out in 1997 and gets four stars in the Radio Times. However, if you miss it, you could always buy the DVD through Amazon or rent it on Lovefilm.

Recent related post:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/01/review-fairies-magical-beings.html

Pagan events for Imbolc in London and the UK

2012-01-27T00:02:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the pagan events in London over the time of Imbolc - and some rituals in other parts of the UK to celebrate the first stirrings of spring.

Friday, 27 January; Demonstration of the Art of Palmistry and Tarot by Avril Price and Robin Lown and Reena Kumarasingham at The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm - 8.30pm. Cost: £8/12. Advance booking essential. Tel: 020 75893292.
http://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/index.html

Friday, 27 January; The Geometry of Creation. Talk by Milena Ivovic based on her book Memento 13: Remembering the Self Through the Geometry of God's Loveat Research into Lost Knowledge Organisation (Rilko). Venue: Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place, W1U 8EA. Admission £7 non-members, £5 members. Doors open 6.45pm, lecture at 7.15pm.
http://www.rilko.net/EZ/rilko/rilko/home.php

Friday, 27 January; The Story of Rebecca West and The Art of Crafts. Two plays about the witch craze of the 1640s. Venue: Colchester Castle Museum, Castle Park, Colchester, Essex, CO1 1TJ. Time: 6pm. Tickets: £5. To book, call 01206 282940 or visit Hollytrees Museum, Colchester. http://www.cimuseums.org.uk

Saturday 28 January; Free and Open Gorsedd of Caer Abiri Imbolc Rite at Avebury Sun Circle, in Avebury, Wiltshire (pictured). Open druidic style ceremony to celebrate the first stirrings of spring. Meet at the Red Lion Pub, Avebury, around noon for rite at around 1.30pm, ending around 3pm. Bring bread, cakes and drink to share, bring poetry to read.

Sunday 29 January; Mysteries of Imbolc: Intensive Day Course on Symbolism, Folklore and Magic with Suzanne Corbie. The one-day course aims to teach the customs associated with the pagan festival of Imbolc and culminates with a ceremony. Location: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Price: £35 (£20 deposit, balance due on the day). Time: 11am to 6pm. Advance booking essential. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Sunday 29 January; London's Chinese New Year festival to celebrate the start of the Year of the Dragon. Festivities start at 10am with New Year’s parade through Chinatown, Shaftsbury Avenue, Charing Cross Road and Rupert Street, ending at Trafalgar Square at 12pm for the official opening ceremony. Activities will continue with music, performances, a dragon dance and a lion dance until 6pm. This is a free, public event so just turn up and have fun. http://www.chinatownlondon.org/

Monday, 30 January; Dark Tantra Tarot. Talk by Mark Ramsden, former editor of Fetish Times, at pagan forum Secret Chiefs. Venue: Devereux public house, 20 Devereux Court, off Essex Street, London WC2R 3JJ. Meet from 7.30pm, event starts at 8.30pm. Admission £2. http://secretchiefslondon.wordpress.com/

Tuesday 31 January; Chertsey Pagan Moot. All welcome to this social event, which takes place on the last Tuesday of every month. Venue: The Golden Grove Pub, Ruxbury Road, St Annes Hill, Chertsey. Time: 8pm-10pm. email: sian_ap_pysgotwr@yahoo.co.uk.

Tuesday 31 January; Out of Body Experiences and the Benefits of Controlling them. Lecture by Patricia Sousa at The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm - 8.30pm. Cost: £5/8. Advance booking essential. Tel: 020 7589 3292. http://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/index.html

Wednesday 1 February; First Stirrings Festival at Chalice Well World Peace Garden, in Glastonbury. Gather at noon at the well head for a meditation on the lawn at 12.30. This is a free event, although normal admission prices to the garden apply from noon. For more details, visit the website http://www.chalicewell.org.uk/

Wednesday 1 February; Atlantis Bookshops Presents (formerly The Moot with No Name) An Evening With The Old Dowser. Talk on dowsing at Devereux public house, 20 Devereux Court, off Essex Street, London WC2R 3JJ. Meet from 7.30pm, event starts at 8pm. Admission £5. Visit http://www.theatlantisbookshopevents.com/

Thursday 2 February; Pagan Federation London Imbolc Open Ritual to honour the Goddess Bride. Venue: Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, Holborn, London. Doors open 7.30pm. Ritual starts at 8pm, feasting and social 9pm-10pm. Entrance: PF members/conc £5. All others £6. Please bring seasonal/home-made food and drinks to share at the feast after the ritual. For more information, visit the PFL website at http://www.pflondon.org/index.html

Thursday 2 February; An Evening of Serendipity and Calamity. Folk singer Nigel Of Bermondsey and storyteller Vanessa Woolf will be exploring the collection of folklorist Edward Lovett through words and music at The Cuming Museum, 151 Walworth Road, London SE17 1RY. Time: 6pm to 8pm. This free event is part of National Storytelling Week.
http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200162/the_cuming_museum

Thursday 2 February; Glastonbury: A Magical Site through the Twentieth Century. Talk by Dr Liz Williams at Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.15pm for 7.30pm start. Tickets £7. Reserve a place by emailing info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Friday 3 February; Healing all Life. Lecture by Elizabeth Whiter at The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm - 9pm. Cost: £10/15. Advance booking essential. Tel: 020 7589 3292.
http://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/index.html

Saturday 4 February; Marsden Imbolc Fire Festival. Famous annual event in Marsden, West Yorskshire. It usually features a procession, a fire 'circus', drama and music. The free event starts at noon and goes on until midnight. Meet at Marsden Information Point, 20-26 Peel Street, Marsden, Kirklees, HD7 6BW. For more details, call 01484 845595 or visit
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=28897413498

Saturday 4 February; Outdoor Imbolc Ritual with Hern’s Tribe in woods in Croydon. For more details call 077689 41373 or visit http://www.hern-tribe.org/

Tuesday 7 February; Tribe of Avalon Imbolc Ceremony. Venue: Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, London. Time: 7pm - 9pm. Cost - £5 to help cover room hire cost, bring a snack or drink to share. For more details visit http://www.tribeofavalon.co.uk/

Related posts:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/01/spell-for-springtime-wishes.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/01/imbolc-celebrating-start-of-spring.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/01/imbolc-moon-of-inspiration.html

Dating site uses Mayan calendar to boost business

2012-01-26T00:04:00.000-08:00

Marital Affair, an adult dating site, has issued a press release suggesting that if the world is going to end on 21 December 2012, as some people are predicting, then people might want to spend the year before the apocalypse having more sex.

The press release states:

The Mayan Calendar tells us the end of the world will be December 21st 2012 and should this be true, it poses a lot people a small dilemma. What haven’t I done, what will I do with the time I have left and finally and of course, most importantly, have I had sufficient sex in my lifetime? Most people will answer this question with a resounding, hesitation free “no”. Ricky Gervais uses the classic, yet slightly optimistic chestnut of ‘The world is going to end’ in the film, The Invention of Lying in order to gain his wicked way with a believing blonde. The end of the world has power, especially when it comes to getting more sex.

When your time is cut short, people propel themselves into a frenzy of must do’s before I die. Sky Diving maybe a primary choice, god knows why, as this only increases the odds of the death knell chiming a littler sooner; some opt for seeing The Great Barrier Reef or hitting Vegas where they’ll spend their life’s savings trying to pull off a gamblers dream, but most, if they are honest, will bring sex into the equation. It’s like in the final hours of our inevitable death; our instincts allow us to think of nothing, but creating more life.

Marital Affair is an adult dating site, offers people, both married and single, the doorway to uncomplicated encounters with other members. Averaging 700 new members a day the site has seen a substantial increase, some 40% in fact, in people joining over the previous week to over a 1000 new members a day. This incredible spike is very interesting as the spike coincides with the recent run of articles in the press about the alleged closure of planet earth. To add further evidence that people are joining on the back of the looming Armageddon, member profiles have been found with humorous yet catchy one liners such as “I’m going out with a bang” and “free till December 21st”.

Paul Graham the founder of Marital Affair says, “We can’t put the huge surge in membership down to anything else, January is typically very busy for us, but numbers are very, very high, particularly over the last week. Maybe this rise in numbers is down to people wanting to fulfil their fantasies before it’s too late. If we do have a whole host of people opting for 10 months of fantastic sex and the world doesn’t end, I’d say they’ve had a pretty good time preparing for it.”

Adult Dating site Marital Affair is a UK-based extramarital and infidelity service founded in 2006 and is now available through desktop and mobile.Visit http://www.maritalaffair.co.uk/

News: Campaign to pardon Pendle witches

2012-01-25T01:33:00.000-08:00

A brewery has launched a campaign to get the Pendle witches pardoned. You can read the full story on the Burnley Citizen website: http://www.burnleycitizen.co.uk/news/pendle/9488752.Burnley_based_brewery_Moorhouses_launches_official_campaign_to_pardon_the_Pendle_Witches/

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/12/news-pendle-witchs-cottage-discovered.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/08/news-kids-excavate-pendle-witch-site.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/07/history-of-pendle-witches-their-magic.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/05/witch-way-now-for-pendle-pub-walk.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/02/calls-to-mark-anniversary-of-pendle.html

Review: Fairies & Magical Beings

2012-01-25T00:03:00.000-08:00

Fairy lore is one of my favourite subjects and I can rarely resist adding to my collection of books on fairies if I see one that interests me. When I was in a bookshop looking for a gift for a pagan friend, back before Yule, I saw A Complete Guide To Fairies And Magical Beingsby Cassandra Eason. I ended up getting two copies - one for them and one for me.

I'm a big fan of Cassandra Eason, having read a few of her books - my favourite being Cassandra Eason's Complete Book of Natural Magick- and having heard her talk at Witchfest. She is a very knowledgeable witch and her practical, down-to-earth brand of spellcraft makes a lot of sense to me. Cassandra originally published A Complete Guide To Fairies And Magical Beings back in 2000, but an new edition by Piatkus came out a few months ago - that was the one I picked up.

Fairies can be different things to different people. They vary from culture to culture throughout the world and views of what they are like have changed through history. Cassandra's book looks at all of these things - from modern depictions of fairies back to the way our ancient ancestors saw them. This includes evidence for their existence such as photographs and written accounts as well as fiction, fairy tales and folklore.

There are also many different opinions as to what fairies might be. To some people they are nature spirits or elemental entities, to others they are angels or ancient pagan gods while some people view them as beings from another dimension that sometimes overlaps with our own. Cassandra's book discusses each of these points of view evenly and in some depth.

A chapter on the darker side of fairies looks at tales of abduction, changelings, fierce fairy creatures and malevolent fairies and explains that in history fairies were often seen as troublesome and dangerous.

What I particularly like about this book is that as well as being very informative, each chapter ends with a practical exercise to connect with the world of fairies. Exercises include things like spending time in nature and attempting to sense the spirits that dwell there, visualising a fairy story in order to gain personal insights and walking a ley line to discover fairy sites along the way.

At the end there is an A-Z of fairy beings, a list of suggested reading and addresses of useful shops and organisations.

I would certainly recommend A Complete Guide to Fairies and Magical Beings as a good introduction to fairy lore and fairy magic and I've very glad I treated myself to buying a copy.

Other books on fairies in the Bad Witch's Bookcase:
Charles Perrault: The Complete Fairy Tales
Enchanted: The Faerie and Fantasy Art of Linda Ravenscroft
The Faeries Oracle
The Book of Faery Magic
A Faerie Treasury
Walking the Faery Pathway

Links and related posts:
http://www.piatkusbooks.net/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/11/cassandra-eason-on-spontaneous-magick.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/10/how-to-find-fairies.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/03/david-boyle-on-fairy-superstitions-at.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/05/forget-me-nots-and-crocks-of-gold.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/02/fairytale-tarot.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/10/do-you-believe-in-fairies.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/11/cassandra-eason-on-spontaneous-magick.html

Review: The Book of Mirrors

2012-01-24T00:02:00.000-08:00

There are many, many books on the market aimed at those wanting to learn about Wicca; none to date have been quite like The Book of Mirrors. Most of the other offerings are written by experienced Wiccan teachers and are intended as training manuals, explaining the basics of what Wiccans believe and providing a simplified introduction to the rituals Wiccans perform.

The Book of Mirrors is different because it was written by a trainee rather than a trainer. It began as the diary of Luthaneal Adams as he was considering joining a coven, continued after every meeting with the group and then before and after he took the big step of being initiated as a Wiccan priest himself. With the permission of his coven, he decided to have his diary published as his first book.

It is an insightful, honest and thought-provoking account of one man’s spiritual journey; and is intended as a helpful guide to others considering training as a witch within a traditional Wiccan coven.

Luthaneal was by no means a newcomer to paganism - or to witchcraft - before he began writing The Book of Mirrors. He had been a solitary witch and pagan for many years, creating his own spells and magical rituals that were Wiccan in style. One of his questions at the outset was just how much Wicca differs from other forms of modern witchcraft and pagan practise.

The Book of Mirrors is full of such questions - but also full of answers. These are not necessarily the pat answers a high priest or priestess might give to newcomers, but personal answers found after much thinking, soul-searching and research.

Luthaneal’s research is particularly thorough. For example, in one chapter he explores the origin of the Wiccan concept of “The Law of Threefold Return”, which is a theory that any magic you do, good or bad, will return three times the amount of good or bad respectively to the caster. From books, newspaper articles, talks and interviews from various well-known Wiccan teachers - including Gerald Gardner, Doreen Valiente, Patricia Crowther, Stewart Farrar and Fred Lamond - Luthaneal reaches the conclusion that The Law of Threefold Return was not originally a law, but more an interpretation of the idea that all spells have karma-like repercussions.

This same insistence on accuracy means that The Book of Mirrors is very plain about the origins of Wicca. At one time, official Wiccan teaching was based on the idea that Wicca was an ancient religion and that its priests and priestesses were part of an unbroken initiatory line of Great Goddess worshippers, dating back into prehistory. That has now been pretty much disproved. The Book of Mirrors recognises and embraces that.

Luthaneal states: “It remains a glaringly obvious fact that the religion of Wicca and its particular way of worshipping the God and Goddess are very recent developments in the pagan world and that claims to the contrary are potentially harmful to Wicca and its reputation among other world religions.”

Yet many other books for trainee Wiccans still trot out the fallacy of Wicca being The Old Religion. I must admit, the insistence that this was true despite historical evidence to the contrary, by the person who trained me nearly 20 years ago, almost put me off becoming a Wiccan. Trainees deserve the truth even when it isn’t as romantic as the myth.

For all of the reasons I’ve mentioned above, I hope The Book of Mirrors becomes recommended reading for all would-be Wiccans, those currently in training with a coven and those who are in the position of teaching newcomers to the Craft.

I met Luthaneal at the launch party for The Book of Mirrors, at Atlantis Bookshop, earlier this month - you can see a photo of him signing copies at the top of this page. At the launch he told me he has two more books due to be published. If they are even half as good as his first book, they will be worth reading.

The Book of Mirrors is published by Capall Bann and the RRP is £11.95.

Links
http://www.theatlantisbookshopevents.com/
http://www.capallbann.co.uk/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/09/charge-of-goddess-conference-2010.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/09/day-for-doreen-valiente.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/01/wicca-witchcraft-finding-out-basics.html

Holiday Relaxing and Reading

2012-01-23T12:35:00.000-08:00

I'm now back home safely from my holiday in Norway, where I had a fantastic time! When I wasn't out and about, hunting for the Northern Lights and photographing reindeer and snowy mountains, I spent lot of time relaxing on board ship on the observation deck and, after nightfall, reading.

Over the next couple of days I'll be posting to my blog reviews of a couple of the pagan books that I read.

The photo above shows the observation deck - the wheel in the picture was just an ornament, it wasn't used to steer the ship!

Previous post:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/01/questing-for-northern-lights.html

Pagan events in London over Chinese New Year

2012-01-23T00:11:00.000-08:00

Today, 23 January 2012, is the start of Chinese New Year. It is the Year of the Water Dragon - a powerful and auspicious sign that can mean success, luck and happiness. I do realise that the picture above shows a Chinese lion rather than a dragon, but lion dances are a traditional part of Chinese New Year celebrations.

Below are general events over the coming week in that could be of interest to pagans and others, including London's Chinese New Year Festival on Sunday 29 January.

Monday 23 January; Cross Bones Vigil to honour The Goose and the outcast dead of Cross Bones Graveyard. Gather from 6.45pm in Redcross Way outside the Memorial Gates, SE1, opposite the Boot and Flogger, just north of the junction with Union Street. Nearest tubes Borough or London Bridge, 5 minutes walk away. The event is free. http://www.crossbones.org.uk/

Monday 23 January; Spiral Moon Lodge. A chance for women to gather at the new moon to share our knowledge and honour the Divine Feminine in the context of the seasonal cycle of the year. Location: Chingford, North London. Time: 7pm-10pm. Women aged 18+ only. Free, suggested donation of £1. Coffee and tea provided, please bring a healthy snack to share. For more details and to reserve a place email to Tressy at quathia@hotmail.com

Tuesday 24 January; Detecting and Releasing Intrusive Energies. Lecture by Andy Tomlinson and Reena Kumarasingham at The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm - 8.30pm. Cost: £8/10. Advance booking essential. Tel: 020 7589 3292. http://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/index.html

Wednesday 25 January; Eliphas Levi: Father of Modern Occultism. Talk by Dr Christopher McIntosh at Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.15pm for 7.30pm start. Tickets £7. Reserve a place by emailing info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Wednesday 25 January, Magic Manuscripts. Lecture by Sophie Page at the Wellcome Institute, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE. Time: 7pm-8pm. Free event. To book a ticket visit http://www.wellcomecollection.org/

Wednesday 25 January; Atlantis Bookshops Presents (formerly The Moot with No Name) An Evening With Gary Dickinson. Subject: Esoteric Symbolism of the Dragon and the Chinese New Year. Venue: Devereux public house, 20 Devereux Court, off Essex Street, London WC2R 3JJ. Meet from 7.30pm, event starts at 8pm. Admission £5. Visit http://www.theatlantisbookshopevents.com/

Thursday, 26 January; Mark Pilkington, Geraldine Beskin and John Rimmer talk at Fortean London. Venue: upstairs at The Bell pub, 50 Middlesex Street, London, E1 7EX. TIme: 7.30pm – Fortmanteaux; 8pm – talks; 9pm - break; 9.30pm - Q&A; 10pm - end. Entry cost: £3/£2 concessions.

Friday, 27 January; Demonstration of the Art of Palmistry and Tarot by Avril Price and Robin Lown and Reena Kumarasingham at The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm - 8.30pm. Cost: £8/12. Advance booking essential. Tel: 020 7589 3292. http://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/index.html

Friday, 27 January; The Geometry of Creation. Talk by Milena Ivovic based on her book Memento 13 – Remembering the Self through the Geometry of God’s Love at Research into Lost Knowledge Organisation (Rilko). Venue: Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place, W1U 8EA. Admission £7 non-members, £5 members. Doors open 6.45pm, lecture at 7.15pm. http://www.rilko.net/EZ/rilko/rilko/home.php

Friday, 27 January; The Story of Rebecca West and The Art of Crafts. Two plays about the witch craze of the 1640s. Venue: Colchester Castle Museum, Castle Park, Colchester, Essex, CO1 1TJ. Time: 6pm. Tickets: £5. To book, call 01206 282940 or visit Hollytrees Museum, Colchester. http://www.cimuseums.org.uk

Saturday 28 January; Free and Open Gorsedd of Caer Abiri Imbolc Rite at Avebury Sun Circle, in Avebury, Wiltshire. Open druidic style ceremony to celebrate the first stirrings of spring. Meet at the Red Lion Pub, Avebury, around noon for rite at around 1.30pm, ending around 3pm. Bring bread, cakes and drink to share, bring poetry to read.

Sunday 29 January; Mysteries of Imbolc: Intensive Day Course on Symbolism, Folklore and Magic with Suzanne Corbie. The one-day course aims to teach the customs associated with the pagan festival of Imbolc and culminates with a ceremony. Location: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Price: £35 (£20 deposit, balance due on the day). Time: 11am to 6pm. Advance booking essential. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Sunday 29 January; London's Chinese New Year Festival to celebrate the start of the Year of the Dragon. Festivities start at 10am with New Year’s parade through Chinatown, Shaftsbury Avenue, Charing Cross Road and Rupert Street, ending at Trafalgar Square at 12pm for the official opening ceremony. Activities will continue with music, performances, a dragon dance and a lion dance until 6pm. This is a free, public event so just turn up and have fun. http://www.chinatownlondon.org/

The picture shows a Chinese Lion Illustrated Print by Emily Golden Illustration. The print costs £30. Website: www.emilygolden.co.uk Telephone: 07717822484

Homeward Bound

2012-01-22T02:54:00.000-08:00

Crossing the Arctic Line

2012-01-22T00:46:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of the marker on the edge of the Arctic Circle, seen as I crossed the Arctic Line heading south on my way home.

Arctic Ice and Snow

2012-01-21T02:40:00.000-08:00

Above, pictures of Norway's Snow Hotel at Kirkenes. Below, pictures taken inside Magic Ice - an ice sculpture gallery and ice bar at Svolvaer. I particularly liked the huge ice statue of Thor.