A bad witch's blog

Midsummer Lore: Street Parties and St John's Wort

2026-06-23T08:00:00.000+01:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

St John's wort

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

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

More seasonal lore

My book Rounding the Wheel of the Year offers more ways to acknowledge and celebrate the seasons in magic, folklore and nature.

You can view Rounding the Wheel of the Year on Amazon, find it at esoteric bookshops or via my publisher Moon Books: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/our-books/pagan-portals-rounding-wheel-year

(Please note: I earn commission from some links.)

My Candle Magic Book Has Sold a Milestone 9,500 Copies

2026-06-22T08:00:00.000+01:00

I got some great news from my publisher: Pagan Portals - Candle Magic has now sold more than 9,500 copies. It was the first of my books on witchcraft published by Moon Books, and has done really well since it was launched at Treadwell's Bookshop ten years ago, in 2016.

Here's what's written about it on the back cover and on Moon Books' website:

"Candle magic is something almost everyone has tried, even as a child - who hasn’t made a wish over a birthday cake? Candle spells are among the easiest yet also the most effective to perform. They are perfect for anyone who wants to have a go at casting a spell for the first time and for the solitary witch with a busy life. Yet candles are also an important part of modern pagan witchcraft rituals. They are used to mark the quarters of the circle, placed on the altar and can represent the changing seasons of the year. This book is aimed at all who want to use candle magic, from beginners to those experienced in the craft; with everything from simple castings to elaborate and beautiful ceremonies. It offers a background to candle magic as well as spells, rituals, divination techniques, meditations, a guide to making your own candles and more."

I want to thank everyone who has bought my books, attended my events and supported me by writing reviews over the years. I also want to thank Treadwell's for keeping all my books in stock at the lovely esoteric bookshop at 33 Store Street, London, WC1E 7BS.

Candle Magic Workshop In-Person at Treadwell's

On Sunday 12 July I'm running a workshop based on Pagan Portals - Candle Magic at Treadwell's Bookshop. It starts at 1pm and tickets are £25 per person. To find out more visit https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

My Next Pagan Portals Title: Dowsing

My next title in the Pagan Portals series is Dowsing: A Witch’s Guide to Divining with Pendulums and Rods. It's published by Moon Books. This is the description on the website:

"In Pagan Portals - Dowsing Lucya Starza teaches the basics of using pendulums, rods, and the tingles in your fingers to find what you are looking for, whether that falls within the elemental categories of earth, air, fire, and water, or the boundless remit of the realm of spirit."

The book is due to reach shops early in 2027 but can already be pre-ordered.

You can view Pagan Portals - Dowsing on Amazon.

(Please note: I earn commission from some links)

Previous Related Posts

https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/03/revealing-cover-of-my-next-book-dowsing.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/06/my-witchy-events-charms-dowsing-dolls.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/02/craft-recycled-wax-candle-for-magical.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/03/easy-candle-wishing-spell.html

Sacred Traveler Solstice Divination: Fogged In, Go Slow

2026-06-19T08:00:00.000+01:00

I drew a card for the world from the Sacred Traveler Oracle in the days before the Summer Solstice. "Fogged In" is what it said. At first glance it seemed a strange divination when the sun is at its peak and many of us are planning exciting things like festivals or holidays. But the message is "Go slow; take time."

It makes more sense when you consider that many of us are living in a state of almost constant uncertainty. We don't know what the future holds in terms of security and even freedom to be ourselves. This is the fog that surrounds us. If the way forward is unclear, go carefully and mindfully. The book that comes with the set offers these words, which put it into greater perspective:

"When you take the time to go slowly, new perceptions emerge that you can't see if you're moving fast. Move away from the rapid pace of everyday life, and step into the majesty of stillness."

Solstice is often interpreted by pagans as being when the sun appears to stand still. In astronomical terms it doesn't, but psychologically this rings true. This is the perfect time to put stresses and worries on hold. Be quiet and still in the moment. Think and ponder rather than rushing into anything rashly. The book definition continues:

"Resist the impulse to go ahead with your first instinct. Take time to tune in to your deeper intuition. Power is born in those times when you relax into the present moment."

While the fog muffles sight and sound, we can still use our our psychic awareness to sense our best way forward - carefully.

The Sacred Traveler Oracle is one I regularly use in my readings for the world at in early summer. It's when many of us travel. There can be a spiritual element, including visiting sacred sites or going on a pilgrimage.

You can view The Sacred Traveler Oracle on Amazon It is by Denise Linn and published by Hay House.

(Please note I earn commission from some links)

Craft: Making a Viking Glass Bead at Greenoaks

2026-06-18T08:00:00.000+01:00

Here's a photo of me in a Viking glass bead workshop, run by Scarlet Impressions at the Greenoaks Gathering last weekend. You can see the finished item inset in the picture.

It was the first time I've done anything with molten glass and I was a bit nervous before I started but Scarlet - who you can see on the left - was reassuring and gave expert tuition.

The basic technique is similar to making rolled paper beads, which is something I've done many times before. The difference is that this time I was rolling layers of molten glass around a rod rather than strips of paper. You have to keep turning the molten glass in a flame to keep it even and make the layers blend properly.

The pattern is created by adding dots of molten glass of different colours, then keep turning so that they stick. My finished bead is a little wonky, but I'm sure I'd get better with practice.

The technique of placing dots of different coloured glass on top of each other is the same used to make blue eye patterned amulets traditionally worn to protect against the evil eye.

You can read my earlier general review of Greenoaks here: https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/06/i-had-wonderful-time-at-greenoaks.html

Other previous related posts
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/05/witchy-craft-making-polymer-clay-charm.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/05/poppet-craft-pipecleaner-and-clothes.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/04/craft-i-painted-pebbles-it-was-easier.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/03/upcycling-crafts-paper-flowers-from.html

Magickal Events for the Solstice and the Week Ahead

2026-06-17T08:00:00.000+01:00

The Summer Solstice is on 21 June. There are lots of pagan-friendly events you can take part in. I've listed rituals, talks, workshops and exhibitions for the next couple of weeks. For in-person things, I mostly mention events in or near London, because that's where I live. I also include a few big festivals further away and online events you can do anywhere.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wednesday 17 June; 'A History of Science in Reverse: The Doctrine of Signatures, 1885-1609'- Lecture. Venue: Warburg Institute, Woburn Square, London WC1H 0AB. Time: 2pm. Free but book a ticket. https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/news-events/events

Wednesday 17 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 17 June; The Morrigan: The Nightmare Queen. 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 17 June; Space for Storytelling Free Workshops (Theme: “Site Specific”) with London Dreamtime. Venue: St Johns Waterloo crypt, London SE1. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets free https://londondreamtime.com/calendar/

Wednesday 17 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 17 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 17 June; Rebecca Tamás and Malcolm Gaskill: The Book of Mysteries. Venue: London Review Bookshop, 14 Bury Pl, London WC1A 2JL. Time: 7pm Tickets £10. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/rebecca-tamas-malcolm-gaskill-the-book-of-mysteries-tickets-1987077846329?

Wednesdays 17 June; An Introduction to Inspired Writing. Start of 2-session course with Anne-Marie Bond, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £90. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 17 June; Threshold Magic. Workshop with Hannah Sanders via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm start, delayed viewing available. Tickets: £15. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Wednesday 17 June; Wakefire: An Incantation To Summer. Venue: Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regents Park Road, London, NW1 7AY. Time: 8pm. Tickets £23. https://www.efdss.org/

Wednesday 17 June (tbc but usually 3rd Wednesday each month); The More Mead Moot. Venue: The Hope pub, Carshalton, Surrey. Time: 7pm. Free. https://www.facebook.com/Pagan-FutureFests-352385661439366/

Thursday 18 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 18 June; The Alphabet of Happiness with Klaudia Mitura. 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 18 June; Private View: That Large Ghost, Curated by Jack Catling (Exhibition Run: Friday 19 June-Friday 17 July). Venue: Swedenborg House, The Swedenborg Society, 20/21 Bloomsbury Way London WC1A 2TH. Time: 6pm. Free but reserve a space. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/private-view-that-large-ghost-curated-by-jack-catling-tickets-1990949444383

Thursday 18 June; Drumming for Infinity. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Road, Eltham SE9. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets £15. https://www.wiccamoonuk.com/shop/ or https://www.facebook.com/wiccamoonuk/

Thursday 18 June; Heartspaces spiritual gathering. Venue: Essex Hall, Essex Street, London WC2R 3HY. Doors at 6.30pm. Free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/121061473538?

Thursday 18 June; Live Welsh Folk Music. Talk and Performance by Chris Avery. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £10. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Thursday 18 June; Poetry Evening. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London, NW1 6XT. Time: 7pm. Tickets free https://www.meetup.com/rudolf-steiner-spiritual-science/events

Thursday 18 June; Summer Solstice Ritual Online Ceremony with Julian Vayne via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm start, delayed viewing available. Tickets: £15. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Thursday 18 June; Natalie Haynes – The Myth of Medea. Live In Conversation with Robin Ince. Venue: Saint James Church, Clerkenwell Close, London EC1R 0EA. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets: £35/£15. https://howtoacademy.com/events/natalie-haynes-the-myth-of-medea/?

Thursday 18 June; PF London Midsummer Open Ritual via Pagan Federation London. Venue: Pirate Castle, Gilbey's Wharf Oval Road NW1 7EA London, UK Time: 7.15pm. Entry £8 for PF members, £10 for non-members (cash only). https://www.facebook.com/groups/pflondon/events

Thursday 18 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

Friday 19 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 19 June; Solstice Dawn Chorus Walk at Camberwell Old Cemetery with London Wildlife Trust. Venue: Camberwell Old Cemetery, Forest Hill Road, London SE22 0RU. Time: 4.30am. Free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/7357843879?

Friday 19 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 19 June; Summer Solstice Yoga and Meditation plus Optional Wild Swim on the Heath. Venue: Hampstead Heath, Next to Mixed Bathing Ponds, London NW3 1BP. Time: 6pm. Tickets: From £10.19. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/summer-solstice-yoga-meditation-optional-wild-swim-on-the-heath-tickets-1990899509025?

Friday 19 June; Hex and the City Walking Tour with Maria Beadell of Herstorical Tours. Meet: Cowcross St, Farrringdon, London EC1M 6BY. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets: £25. https://www.herstoricaltours.co.uk/

Saturday 20 June; Hand Reading Made Simple with Robin Lown. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 20 June; Mediumship and Spirit Communication with Sean Collyns. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 20 June; Understanding Tarot Court Cards with Avril Price, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 11am. Tickets: £120. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 20 June; Feeling Spirit: Clairsentience with Hernan Cotroneo, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 11am. Tickets: £120. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 20 June; (almost the) Summer Solstice exhibition and open day. Venue: Wild Cat Wilderness

53 Riverview Park, London, SE6 Starts 11am. Last entry 2pm. Free but book a place. https://www.facebook.com/events/1774593763916122?

Saturday 20 June; Summer Picnic. Venue: Primrose Hill, Primrose Hill Road, London NW1 4NR. Time: noon. Free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/summer-picnic-tickets-1990773505144?

Saturday 20 June (Saturday closest to the festival); Summer Solsice at Coldrum Stones with Kent Gorsed. Venue: Coldrum Long Barrow, West Maling, Kent. Time: noon. Free. https://www.facebook.com/kentgorsedd/

Saturday 20 June; Sea Witches Fancy Dress Tea Party. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Road, Eltham SE9. Time: noon, Free event just turn up https://www.wiccamooninherservice.co.uk/ or https://www.facebook.com/wiccamoonuk/

Saturday 20 June; Sacred Lodge Sacred Ceremony Celebrating Summer Solstice. Venue: Shamanic Centre Caer Corhrain Kent. Run by Lynn Gosney. Time: 12.30pm start Tickets £30 min donation, email lynn.gosney@hotmail.com for info and to book. https://www.facebook.com/shamaniccentrecaercorhrain/

Saturday 20 June; There will be Summer Solsice rituals taking place at Avebury Stone Circle from noon on Saturday to sunrise on Sunday. One of these is the annual 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. There will also be a Sunset Ceremony and a Sunrise Ceremony that are also free to attend. Be respectful and leave no litter. https://www.facebook.com/groups/49080749624/

Saturday 20 June; Spooky Isles Midsummer Eve Social Gathering. Venue: The King and Queen, 1 Foley Street, London W1W 6DL. Time: 2pm. Tickets £8 - £17 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/121088529614?

Saturday 20 June; Oracle of the Celestial Deities and Legends, Heroes and Villains Oracle with Letao Wang. Talk and signing, Venue: Watkins Bookshop, 19-21 Cecil Ct, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 2pm. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

Saturday 20 June; Woodland MidSummer Ritual 2026 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: 2pm. Tickets £6.13. More info: https://mani.org.uk/ or visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/mani-woodland-witch-34325436803

Saturday 20 June; Wolf Pack Solstice. Venue: Watermill Wolves, TN39 5JB; Time: 4.30pm. Tickets £21. https://www.tickettailor.com/events/whiteravenceremonies/2064917?

Saturday 20 June; Summer Solstice Gig with Tamesas and DFC. Venue: Devonshire Road Nature Reserve, 170 Devonshire Rd, Forest Hill London SE23 3SZ. Starts 5.30pm. Tickets £10. https://www.facebook.com/events/2129172960990754?

Saturday 20 June; Summer Solstice Circle. Venue: 145 Willersley Avenue, Sidcup DA15 9EP. Time: 6pm. Tickets: From £11.55. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/summer-solstice-circle-tickets-1988510077170?

Saturday 20 June to Sunday 21 June; Summer Solstice at Stonehenge. English Heritage is allowing managed free open access to the stones for the sunset and sunrise, although the car parking is charged. Times: 7pm Friday to 8am Saturday. Details: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/things-to-do/solstice/ The event will also be livestreamed on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/EnglishHeritage

Sunday 21 June; Crown Chakra. Wicca Women’s Circles Focus on a Chakra . Venue: Crystal Wicca, West Wickham, BR4. Time: tbc. Tickets: £33 or £55 for two classes. https://www.facebook.com/TheCrystalWicca

Sunday 21 June (closest Sunday to the festival); Pagan Federation Online Summer Solstice Festival. Starts 10am. Free. https://www.facebook.com/paganfederation/events

Sunday 21 June; An Introduction to Dowsing with Vicky Sweetlove. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 21 June; Mythic London Walking Tour with with Caroline Wise, organised through Treadwells. Meet outside St Mary Le Strand Church, Strand, London WC2R 1ES. Time: 11.20am. Tickets: £35. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Sunday 21 June; Druid Fest. Venue: Flopsy Wood, Cock Lane, Hoddesdon EN11 8LS. Noon-6pm. Entrance by donation. https://www.facebook.com/HertsEvents

Sunday 21 June (closest Sunday to the festival); Druidic Ritual to celebrate Summer Solstice 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 21 June; Summer Solstice Open Ritual and Picnic with members of Hertford and Ware Pagan Moot. Meet at: Pindar Lane Car Park, Windmill Lane Cheshunt EN8 9AJ. Time: 1pm. Free. Bring your own picnic. https://www.facebook.com/events/1004451185387095/?

Sunday 21 June (tbc but usually closest Sunday to the festival); Anderida Gorsedd Summer Solstice 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 21 June; Wild South London Midsummer Nature Festival in Beckenham Place Park. Venue: Beckenham Place Mansion, Beckenham Place Park, Beckenham BR3 1SY. Time: from 1.30pm. Tickets free but reserve a place. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wild-south-london-midsummer-nature-festival-in-beckenham-place-park-tickets-1989902891114?

Sunday 21 June; 'What the Folk?: Solstice Late' at Museum of the Home and picnic with the Saturday Morning Folklore Club. Venue: St Mary’s Secret Garden,

50 Pearson Street, Hoxton, London. Time:· 2pm. Tickets free but reserve a place. https://www.meetup.com/saturday-morning-folklore-club/

Sunday 21 June; Summer Solstice Picnic with South East London Pagans. Venue: Greenwich Park, South London. Time: 2pm. Free. https://www.facebook.com/groups/7046502195365834

Sunday 21 June; Solstice - 21st June an afternoon of vocal music, movement, and art. Venue: St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace, 78 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AG. Various times from 2pm,. Tickets £0 - £16.50. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/solstice-21st-june-tickets-1985522287611?

Sunday 21 June; Dawn of the Oak Pagan moot. Venue: The Sir John Oldcastle, Farringdon Road/Greville Street, London EC1M 3JF. Time: 2pm. https://www.facebook.com/groups/dawnoftheoak/ or https://allevents.in/london/dawn-of-the-oak-london-pagan-and-heathen-meeting-15th-february-2026-tickets/80001854227648

Sunday 21 June; Wild Pavements - a Summer Solstice urban walk with Amanda Tuke and Bookseller Crow, followed by a talk. Meet at: Bookseller Crow On The Hill, 50 Westow Street, London, SE19 3AF. Various times from 2.30pm. Tickets £5 to £22. https://www.outsavvy.com/event/35151/wild-pavements-an-urban-walk-with-amanda-tuke-and-bookseller-crow?

Sunday 21 June; Southwark Hysteries Solstice Special with Maria Beadell of Herstorical Tours. Meet: Green Dragon Court, London SE1 . Time: 4pm. Tickets: £22.50. https://www.herstoricaltours.co.uk/book

Sunday 21 June; Free Global Solstice Ceremony Live-streamed from Glastonbury. Hybrid event. Time: 5pm. Free. https://soul.rebeccacampbell.me/solstice/

Sunday 21 June; Talk and Tarot: The Sun Card - Solstice Special. Venue: Bonnington Cafe and Community Centre, 11 Vauxhall Grove, London SW8 1TD. Time: 6pm. Tickets £7. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/talk-tarot-the-sun-card-solstice-special-tickets-1989183151353?

Sunday 21 June (closest Sunday to the festival); Summer Solstice Litha Wheel of the Year: Pagan Ceremony. Venue: Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, 3 Pilgrim's Place, London NW3 1NG. Time: 7pm. Free, but donations welcome. https://www.rosslynhillchapel.org.uk

Sunday 21 June; Summer Solstice Shamanic Ceremony with Beáta Alföldi, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £25. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 21 June; Midsummer and Creative Writing. Workshop with Bernadette Russell via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm start, delayed viewing available. Tickets: £15. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Monday 22 June (every Monday); MHA The Wilderness forest bathing walk (all mobilities welcome). Meet MHA The Wilderness, 17 Shirley Church Road, Croydon CR9 5AL. Time: 11am. Free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/parkbathe-34393467709

Monday 22 June; Chart discussion followed by talk on A Look At Lilith by Naomi Martin, via the Astrological Lodge of London. Hybrid event. In-person venue: Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London, NW1 6XT. Starts 6.30pm. Tickets £6/£9. https://astrolodge.co.uk/

Monday 22 June; Mummies, Warrior Queens and Raucous Rulers: tasting and talk with Wet Ink. Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets from £26.20, includes a cocktail. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-last-tuesday-society-viktor-wynd-museum-33776720489

Monday 22 June (monthly); Melissa's Tarot Club. Monthly online Workshopvvia Treadwell's Bookshop. Time: 7pm. Cost: £15 per person. https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

Monday 22 June; Develop the Intuitive Mind: Foundation. Start of 6-session course with Maria Antoniou, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £200. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Monday 22 June (usually 4th Monday each month); Dancing with Wyrd: Upstairs at the Angel with Meggie Reid. Talk at Nova Stella pagan moot. Hybrid event. In-person venue: The Angel, City Road, London EC1Y 18D. Time: 7.30pm. Entry £5/£6.13. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1472510443017948 or https://www.eventbrite.com/o/120712003251?

Monday 22 June; Summer Solstice Ritual. Venue: Crystal Wicca, West Wickham, BR4. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets: £22. https://www.facebook.com/TheCrystalWicca

Monday 22 June; Summer Solstice Restorative Yoga and Sound Bath - Beckenham. Venue: Azelia Hall, 258 Croydon Road, Beckenham BR3 4DA . Time: 7.30pm. Tickets £25. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/120958978057?

Monday 22 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

Tuesday 23 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 23 June; Crossbones Vigil for St John's Eve to Honour the Outcast Dead of Crossbones Graveyard, Southwark. Location: Redcross Way, London, SE1 1TA. Time: 6.45pm for 7pm. Free, just turn up You can also view the vigil online. http://crossbones.org.uk

Tuesday 23 June; 'Green’ myths, legends and folk tales with Rosalind. Talk via the Folklore Society online. Time: 7pm. Tickets £6. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-folklore-society-32190494089

Tuesday 23 June; Develop the Intuitive Mind: Beginner. Start of 6-session course with Maria Antoniou, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £200. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 24 June; Qabalistic Psychology and the Path of the Initiate with Dr. David Shoemaker, via The Atlantis Bookshop. Venue: The White Hart, 191 Drury Lane, London, WC2B 5QD. Time: 6.30 pm. Tickets £15. https://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Wednesday 24 June (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 24 June; 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 25 June; Witch Choir with Nicole Bettencourt Coelho 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.

Thursday 25 June; Quantum Healing of the Future. Talk by Gemma Petherbridge, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £22. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 25 June (last Thursday every month); Hertford Pagan Moot. Venue: The White Horse Pub, 33 Castle Street, Hertford, Herts SG14 1HH) (45 mins from central London). Time: 8pm. https://www.facebook.com/groups/104788436218047

Friday 26 June (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 26 June; Releasing the Knot of the Mind with Anam Thubten. Talk and signing, Venue: Watkins Bookshop, 19-21 Cecil Ct, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 5pm. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

Friday 26 June; Friday Lates: Art beyond the human - spirits, ecologies, and A.I. Workshop with
Christopher Collier via City Lit. Online event. Time: 6pm. Full fee: £19. https://www.citylit.ac.uk/

Friday 26 June (4th Friday of the month); The Wild Wood Tarot study group. Free online event. Time: 7pm. https://www.meetup.com/astrotarotkitchen/events/

Friday 26 June; An Evening of Soul Mediumship with Claire Broad. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 7pm. Tickets: £30. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Friday 26 June; Woodland Cacao and Angelic Magic 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 £8.83 - £15. More info: https://mani.org.uk/ or visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/mani-woodland-witch-34325436803

Saturday 27 June; Earthfest 2026 family-friendly community day celebrating sustainability. Venue@ Aga Khan Centre, King’s Cross, London. Time: 10am-5pm. Tickets free. https://web-eur.cvent.com/event/bf21234d-d776-479f-8984-620cb1e7e3b9/summary?

Saturday 27 June - 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/

Saturday 27 June; Rebalance with the Chinese 5 Elements. Workshop with Doe Warnes. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11apm. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 27 June; Divination to Meet Your Inner Oracle. Workshop with Tyrone Cusacks. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11apm. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 27 June (and other dates); 9D Transformative Breathwork. Venue: Hilton, 61 - 67 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3HU. Time: 12.30pm. Tickets £30. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/121074557489?

Saturday 27 June (and other dates); Crowley Crawl 2026 with Marco Visconti, author of The Aleister Crowley Manual. Venue: West End London walk. Time: 2pm. Tickets £50, For £70 for walk plus visit to The Hidden Society cocktail bar on Goodge Street. https://www.marcovisconti.org/events/crowleycrawl2026?

Saturday 27 June; The Forgotten Dimension. Workshop with Lars Muhl and Naleea Landmann, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £90. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 27 June; Tarot and the Miraculous Body. Workshop with Davide De Angelis, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £95. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 27 June (and other dates); Full Moon Ceremony. Venue: Hilton, 61 - 67 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3HU. Time: 7pm. Tickets £45. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/121074557489?

Saturday 27 June (and other dates); Magic, Mystics and Martyrs Walking Tour with Maria Beadell of Herstorical Tours. Meet: Fish St Hill, London EC3R 8AH. Time: 8pm. Tickets: £18. https://www.herstoricaltours.co.uk/book

Saturday 27 June; When the Spirit Moves You: The Strange History of the Poltergeist, with Deborah Hyde. Online event via the Folklore Library and Archive. Time: 8pm. Tickets: £6.13. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-folklore-library-archive-68703440013?

Sunday 28 June; Crystals for Beginners. Workshop with Sarah Jane Dennis. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 28 June; Connect with the Archangels of Joy. Workshop with Liesl Duffy, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 11am. Tickets: £90. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 28 June; Mediumship and Spirit-Inspired Art. Workshop with June-Elleni Laine. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 28 June; Shamanic Group with Les Fuller. All welcome Venue: Woodford Church at 9 Grove Crescent, South Woodford, London E18 2JR. Time 11am-3pm. Tickets: £10. http://woodfordchurch.com/

Sunday 28 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 from noon. 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

Sunday 28 June; Women's Mindful Stroll and Forest Bathing in South Norwood Lake and Grounds. Meet at Sylvan Road, London SE25 4AN. Time: 1pm. Free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/parkbathe-34393467709

Sunday 28 June; The Healing Portal of 'Know Thyself. Workshop with Lars Muhl and Naleea Landmann, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £90. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 28 June; The Art History of Folk Horror and Women. Talk via Seed talks. Hybrid event. In-peson venue: 21 Soho, 3 Sutton Row, London W1D 3QPTime: 4pm. Tickets from £13. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/36463428713?

For activities after these dates please visit my events page.

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

I Had a Wonderful Time at the Greenoaks Gathering!

2026-06-16T08:00:00.000+01:00

I was away at the Greenoaks Gathering last weekend and it was absolutely bloomin' brilliant, despite my tent half collapsing on the Friday night.

I danced so much that my 66-year-old body really felt the aches the next day. As well as music and dancing, the pagan festival offered talks and workshops. I taught one on dowsing. It's the first time I've run the class, but I hope to offer it again at other events. There was also a market, lovely food and drink, and the campsite even had some real flushing toilets with sinks and soap and loo paper!

The collage above shows some of the photos I took. Here's the details:

Inkubus Sukkubus, the Saturday headline act.
Fire dancers in the meadow.
Handmade witch dolls with individual personalities plus and other creations by Hook and Broom.
Mari Lwyd (horse skull hobby horses) face off against each other in the marquee.
Music by guitar and fiddle in the market.

While I was there I had a go at crafting a Viking-style glass bead in a workshop run by Scarlet Impressions. I'll be blogging more about that later this week.

Greenoaks Gathering is an annual event at Hatters Campsite in the Cambridgeshire countryside. You can find out more here: https://www.greenoaksgathering.co.uk/

Festival TIme: I'm Off To The Greenoaks Gathering!

2026-06-11T08:04:16.848+01:00

I'm off to the Greenoaks Gathering tomorrow morning. It's a lovely Pagan gathering in the beautiful Cambridgeshire Fens, at an eco venue called Hatters Campsite and it runs from Friday 12 to Sunday 14 June. There'll be music, talks, workshops, kids activities, rituals, and a magickal market.

I'll be running a dowsing workshop on Saturday afternoon, teaching how to used pendulums to find answers to questions. Then, on Sunday afternoon, I'll be giving a talk on poppets. All the activities are free - it's only the festival itself that requires a ticket

There are still some camping weekend tickets available, costing £122 for adults, but you can also just come for a day. An adult Saturday day and evening ticket is £61. Remember that includes all the entertainment and talks etc. You can find out more and book here: https://www.greenoaksgathering.co.uk/

Hatters Campsite, can be found at Second Drove Adelaide, Ely CB7 4UD.

The pictures are ones I took at last year's Greenoaks Gathering.

Magical Online & London Events in the Next Weeks

2026-06-10T08:00:00.000+01:00

Here's a list of events for pagans, witches and those with similar interests over the next couple of weeks, including the Summer Solstice. There are online things you can do anywhere (highlighted in bold so you can see them easliy) plus in-person talks and workshops in or near London, and some conferences and festivals further afield.

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/

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

or email: rainbowawakening1@gmail.com

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 (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 10 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 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 (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 11 June; The Hieroglyphica of Horapollon with Sasha Chaitow. Online talk via Watkins Bookshop. Time: 5pm. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

Thursday 11 June; 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 (and other dates); Kundalini Yoga and Sound Healing with Claudia Chapman. Venue: The Goddess Studio, 116 Whitehouse Way, London N14 7LU. Time: 7pm. Tickets from £13. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/20248016862

Thursday 11 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

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 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, 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; The Secret History of the Universe with Jonathan Black. Talk and signing, Venue: Watkins Bookshop, 19-21 Cecil Ct, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 5pm. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

Friday 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/

Friday 12 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/

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: The Light in the Dark Oracle -Lucia Dami. Talk and signing, Venue: Watkins Bookshop, 19-21 Cecil Ct, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: noon. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

Saturday 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; Pagan School Under 35s Summer Solstice. Venue: Queen's Wood Road, London. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £10 - £12. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/87136041303?

Sunday 14 June; Honouring the Sun Deities at 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

Monday 8 June; The Zodiac (Part 2). Free online talk via the Astrological Lodge of London. Starts 5pm. Tickets free. https://astrolodge.co.uk/

Monday 15 June; Bibi's Circle - Summer Solstice. Venue: Rons Coffee House, Holdrons Arcade 135a, Rye Lane London SE15 4ST. Time: 6pm. Tickets free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/bibis-circle-56277271483

Monday 15 June; Dracula Returns To Derby with Dan Webber. 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 15 June; Witchcraft’s Big Ideas class with Rebecca Beattie, author of Planetary Magic and Nature Mystics, via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm start. Tickets: £15. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Monday 15 June; 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 15 June; Talk on The Astrological Sappho with Heather McVey followed by chart discussion. Online talks via the Astrological Lodge of London. Starts 7pm. Tickets £6/£9. https://astrolodge.co.uk/

Monday 15 June; The Principles of Kabbalah. Start of 5-session course with Mike Bais, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £180. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Monday 15 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

Tuesday 16 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/

Wednesday 17 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 17 June; Threshold Magic. Workshop with Hannah Sanders via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm start, delayed viewing available. Tickets: £15. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Wednesday 17 June; Wakefire: An Incantation To Summer. Venue: Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regents Park Road, London, NW1 7AY. Time: 8pm. Tickets £23. https://www.efdss.org/

Wednesday 17 June (tbc but usually 3rd Wednesday each month); The More Mead Moot. Venue: The Hope pub, Carshalton, Surrey. Time: 7pm. Free. https://www.facebook.com/Pagan-FutureFests-352385661439366/

Thursday 18 June; Drumming for Infinity. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Road, Eltham SE9. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets £15. https://www.wiccamoonuk.com/shop/ or https://www.facebook.com/wiccamoonuk/

Thursday 18 June; Poetry Evening. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London, NW1 6XT. Time: 7pm. Tickets free https://www.meetup.com/rudolf-steiner-spiritual-science/events

Thursday 18 June; Natalie Haynes – The Myth of Medea Live In Conversation with Robin Ince. Venue: Saint James Church, Clerkenwell Close, London EC1R 0EA. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets: £35/£15. https://howtoacademy.com/events/natalie-haynes-the-myth-of-medea/?

Friday 19 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 19 June; Summer Solstice Yoga and Meditation + Optional Wild Swim on the Heath. Venue: Hampstead Heath, Next to Mixed Bathing Ponds, London NW3 1BP. Time: 6pm. Tickets: From £10.19. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/summer-solstice-yoga-meditation-optional-wild-swim-on-the-heath-tickets-1990899509025?

Saturday 20 June; Understanding Tarot Court Cards with Avril Price, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 11am. Tickets: £120. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 20 June; Feeling Spirit: Clairsentience with Hernan Cotroneo, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 11am. Tickets: £120. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 20 June; Summer Picnic. Venue: Primrose Hill, Primrose Hill Road, London NW1 4NR. Time: noon. Free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/summer-picnic-tickets-1990773505144?

Saturday 20 June; Spooky Isles Midsummer Eve Social Gathering. Venue: The King and Queen, 1 Foley Street, London W1W 6DL. Time: 2pm. Tickets £8 - £17 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/121088529614?

Saturday 20 June; Wolf Pack Solstice. Venue: Watermill Wolves, TN39 5JB; Time: 4.30pm. Tickets £21. https://www.tickettailor.com/events/whiteravenceremonies/2064917?

Saturday 20 June; Summer Solstice Circle. Venue: 145 Willersley Avenue, Sidcup DA15 9EP. Time: 6pm. Tickets: From £11.55. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/summer-solstice-circle-tickets-1988510077170?

Saturday 20 June (date tbc); Summer Solstice Pagan Ceremony Online via Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel. Time: 7pm. Free. https://www.rosslynhillchapel.org.uk

Sunday 21 June (closest Sunday to the festival); Pagan Federation Online Summer Solstice Festival. Starts 10am. Free. https://www.facebook.com/paganfederation/events

Sunday 21 June; Druid Fest. Venue: Flopsy Wood, Cock Lane, Hoddesdon EN11 8LS. Noon-6pm. Entrance by donation. https://www.facebook.com/HertsEvents

Sunday 21 June (tbc but usually closest Sunday to the festival); Summer Solstice 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 21 June; Summer Solstice Picnic with South East London Pagans. Venue: Greenwich Park, South London. Time: 2pm. Free. https://www.facebook.com/groups/7046502195365834

Sunday 21 June; Summer Solstice Shamanic Ceremony with Beáta Alföldi, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £25. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

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.

Green London: Bloomsbury's Secret Gardens

2026-06-09T08:00:00.000+01:00

Here's a view of Montague Street Gardens, which is normally a private secret garden hidden behind buildings in Bloomsbury, near the British Museum. I visited for London Open Gardens weekend, organised by London Parks and Gardens.

It's a really lovely green space with trees, lawns, swirling gravel paths and some great statues. Planting includes evergreen hedging, camellia beds, a pocket meadow and a bee garden supporting pollinators.

I also visited Bedford Square Gardens, also in Bloomsbury, and photographed below.

As it says on the London Parks and Gardens website:

"Built between 1775 and 1786, Bedford Square is London's finest and most complete Georgian squares... Many of the elegant surrounding buildings were once fashionable townhouses, and are now offices. Pre-war iron railings enclose the large oval garden at the centre while shrubberies and mature London plane trees provide screening and shade. A restored summerhouse provides shelter."

London Open Gardens is an annual event, with over 100 green spaces to visit that are normally closed to the public. However, there are still many public parks that are open all year round.

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

Dowsing: I've Shopped For Crystal Pendulums

2026-06-08T08:00:00.000+01:00

I've been shopping for crystal dowsing pendulums for people to use at the dowsing workshop I'm running at Greenoaks festival next weekend. They came with a velvet chart. Here's what they are as they're photographed from left to right, top row to bottom row:

Strawberry quartz: Helps with questions of the heart
Zebra agate: Good for intuition
Peach moonstone: For questions on personal happiness and creativity
Kambaba jasper: For help with grief, anger, and sadness
Red aventurine: Boosts confidence, for help with getting the most out of life
Vesuvianite: For questions to help get over negativity and about the past
Black tourmaline: Helps block unwanted thoughts and insecurity when doing psychic work
Cream moonstone: For questions about creativity, imagination and fertility
Mahogany obsidian: For questions about sex and passion as well as creativity
Banded agate: A good-luck stone that can help with answering difficult questions
Red jasper: Help with questions about your ambitions and goals

I'll be adding these to the ones I already owned. These include ones made from rose quartz which is good for questions about love and friendship, garnet which is associated with passion and confidence, and wood which is grounding.

Greenoaks Gathering

The Greenoaks Gathering runs from Friday, 12 - Sunday 14 June 2026. It's a lovely Pagan gathering in the beautiful Cambridgeshire Fens (picured), at an eco venue. There'll be nusic, talks, workshops (including a couple run by myself on dowsing and poppets), kids activities, and a magickal market. The venue is Hatters Campsite, Second Drove Adelaide, Ely CB7 4UD. Tickets are from £0 – £114.47. Find out more here: https://www.greenoaksgathering.co.uk/

Pagan Portals - Dowsing

My next book in the Pagan Portals series is Dowsing: A Witch’s Guide to Divining with Pendulums and Rods. It's published by Moon Books. This is the description on the website:

"In Pagan Portals - Dowsing Lucya Starza teaches the basics of using pendulums, rods, and the tingles in your fingers to find what you are looking for, whether that falls within the elemental categories of earth, air, fire, and water, or the boundless remit of the realm of spirit."

The book is due to reach shops early in 2027 but can already be pre-ordered.

You can view Pagan Portals - Dowsing on Amazon.

(Please note: I earn commission from some links)

Previous Related Posts

https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/03/revealing-cover-of-my-next-book-dowsing.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/06/my-witchy-events-charms-dowsing-dolls.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/11/i-bought-pendulum-at-college-of-psychic.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/10/using-pendulum-as-divination-to-make.html

Rounding the Year: Bees and Blackberry Blossom

2026-06-05T08:00:57.448+01:00

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

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

What's in flower or fruit in your area?

Share your Pictures

Since my book Rounding the Wheel of the Year came out I've been inviting people to share seasonal pictures, art, crafts, words and other creativity. I'd love to encourage readers to record what's happening in nature in various ways including photographs, as well as other seasonal journalling, musings, drawing, painting and crafting.

Here are ways to share the things you're doing or what you see out and about as the wheel turns:

Leave a comment on this post about what you're up to
Find my prompts to share on my Facebook Page: Lucya Starza Pagan Portals Author
Share on Instagram with the tag #RoundingtheYear

Where to find Rounding the Wheel of the Year

My book offers more ways to acknowledge and celebrate the seasons in ritual, magic, folklore and nature. You can view Rounding the Wheel of the Year on Amazon, find it at esoteric bookshops or via my publisher Moon Books: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/our-books/pagan-portals-rounding-wheel-year

(Please note: I earn commission from some links.)

Other previous Related Posts
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/04/rounding-year-helping-birds-in-nesting.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/02/rounding-year-daffodils-narcissus.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/03/springtime-camellias.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/01/rounding-year-flower-of-love-hope-or.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/03/rounding-year-too-soon-for-silver-birch.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/03/rounding-year-damson-blossom-green-buds.html

Customs: Summerween - Festival or Fakelore?

2026-06-04T08:00:00.000+01:00

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.

Magical Online & London Events in the Next Weeks

2026-06-03T08:00:00.000+01:00

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 - 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/

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

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

or email: rainbowawakening1@gmail.com

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; 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

Thursday 11 June; The Hieroglyphica of Horapollon with Sasha Chaitow. Online talk via Watkins Bookshop. Time: 5pm. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

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; 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/

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 (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

For activities after these dates please visit my events page.

Green London: Visit Secret Gardens Next Weekend

2026-06-02T08:00:00.000+01:00

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

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

My Witchy Events: Charms, Dowsing, Dolls & Candles

2026-06-01T08:00:00.000+01:00

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 Sunday 12 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.

Review: Portals, Patterns, and Pathways - Rune Magic

2026-05-28T08:00:00.000+01:00

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/

Magical Online & London Events in the Next Weeks

2026-05-27T08:00:00.000+01:00

Now - Saturday 30 May; Austin Osman Spare and his books exhibition. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 1LY.

Open: Mon-Sat, 11am~6pm. Free entry. www.theatlantisbookshop.com

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

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

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 27 May; A Quest into the Past, Present and Future Akashic Records with Vicky Sweetlove. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 5pm. Tickets: £90. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 27 May; Working with The Ancestors. Class with Hannah Sanders via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm start, delayed viewing available. Tickets: £15. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Wednesday 27 May (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 27 May (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 27 May; Ghosts, Ghouls, and Spirits of Medieval Britain. Hybrid event. In-person venue: T21 Soho, 3 Sutton Row, London W1D 3QP. Time: 7 PM. Tickets From £13.50. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/36463428713?

Wednesday 27 May; The Crystal Familiar Experience. Venue: Crystal Wicca, West Wickham, BR4. Time: 7.30 - 9.30pm. Tickets: £44. https://www.facebook.com/TheCrystalWicca

Wednesday 27 May (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 27 May (and other dates); Kundalini Yoga and Sound Healing with Claudia Chapman. Venue: The Goddess Studio, 116 Whitehouse Way, London N14 7LU. Time: 7pm. Tickets from £6.50. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/20248016862

Wednesday 27 May; Ossian’s Last Stand? Talk by Dòmhnall Uilleam Stiùbhart . 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 28 May (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 28 May (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 28 May; Lucifer: Praxis with Peter Grey. Online Talk via Watkins Bookshop. Time: 5pm. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

Thursday 28 May; The History of Witchcraft and Women: Magic, rituals and the patriarchy. Talk by Dr Julia Phillips via Seed talks online. Time: 7pm. Tickets £13.50. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/36463428713?

Thursday 28 May; Numerology: Essential Skills. Start of 10-session course run by Richard Abbot, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £280. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 28 May; Angels and Guides: Foundation. Start of 8-session course run by Liesl Duffy, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £255. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 28 May; Gary Lachman on Music and Magic. 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 28 May; Storytime x Connection With Wonder: A Woodland Excursion by London Dreamtime. Venue: Secret location near Honour Oak Park, London. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets £10 https://londondreamtime.com/calendar/

Thursday 28 May (last Thursday every month); 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 28 May; The I Ching Oracle with Professor John Lai. 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

Friday 29 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 29 May-Saturday 30 May; Lolly Willowes at 100. 2-day conference with talks by people including Professor Ronald Hutton and Diane Purkiss, organised by the Sylvia Townsend Warner Society. Venue: University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT. Starts 10am. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lolly-willowes-at-100-tickets-1981938823373?

Friday 29 May; An Evening with…Maevius Lynn - The Holy Days found within the Book of the Law. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 1LY. Time: 7pm Cost £15 https://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Friday 29 May; Demonstration of Spirit Portraits with June-Elleni Laine. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm. Cost: £30. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Friday 29 May; Woodland Cacao - Heart Opening and Wellness Circle 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: £8.83. More info: https://mani.org.uk/ or visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/mani-woodland-witch-34325436803

Saturday 30 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

Saturday 30 May (and other dates); 9D Transformative Breathwork. Venue: Hilton, 61 - 67 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3HU. Time: 11am. Tickets £30. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/121074557489?

Saturday 30 May; Angels of Health, Career, Love and Plenty, Workshop with Kim Pilkington. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 11am. Cost: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 30 May; A Day of Remote Viewing with Ann Théato. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 11am. Cost: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 30 May; Manifestation Poppet Workshop. Venue: Crystal Wicca, West Wickham, BR4. Time: 11.30am. Tickets: £44. https://www.facebook.com/TheCrystalWicca

Saturday 30 May (and other dates); Reiki and Sound Healing. Venue: Hilton, 61 - 67 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3HU. Time: 1pm. Tickets £30. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/121074557489?

Saturday 30 May; Cutting Cords for Self Healing with Giancarlo Serra via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 1pm. Tickets: £95. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 30 May; Power Animals in Mediumship. Workshop with Claire Broad. via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £90. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 30 May (last Saturday of each month until October); Crowley Crawl 2026 with Marco Visconti. Venue: Central London walk from The Needle to Altantis Bookshop. Time: 2pm.

Tickets £50, For £70 for walk plus visit to The Hidden Society cocktail bar on Goodge Street. https://www.marcovisconti.org/events/crowleycrawl2026?

Saturday 30 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

Saturday 30 May; The Everyworld – Redux: The Memory Blocks Screening And Conversation with Andrew Kötting. Venue: Swedenborg House, 20/21 Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2TH. Time: 7pm. Tickets free but booking needed. https://www.swedenborg.org.uk/

Sunday 31 May; Shamanic Group with Les Fuller. All welcome Venue: Woodford Church at 9 Grove Crescent, South Woodford, London E18 2JR. Time 11am-3pm. Tickets: £10. http://woodfordchurch.com/

Sunday 31 May; Trance Mediumship: First Steps. Workshop with Sarah Tyler-Walters. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 31 May; Grounding and Protection. Workshop with Martha Brett and Maryrose Moses O'Brien. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 31 May; 3rd Eye Chakra. Wicca Women’s Circles Focus on a Chakra . Venue: Crystal Wicca, West Wickham, BR4. Time: tbc. Tickets: £33 or £55 for two classes. https://www.facebook.com/TheCrystalWicca

Sunday 31 May; Women's Forest Bathing in South Norwood Lake and Grounds. Meet at Sylvan Road, London SE25 4AN. Time: 1pm. Free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/parkbathe-34393467709

Sunday 31 May; London Rivers Week: Honouring Mama Osun. Run by Thames21 Limited. Meet at The Moorings, Battersea Church Rd, London SW11 3NA. Time: 1pm. Free, but reserve a place and wear white or yellow and bring light coloured sweet fruit as offerings. https://book.plinth.org.uk/e/zeRTjrbPrLl5o4AbxJGv

Sunday 31 May; Meeting of Heathen Kindred Blot (was Kith of the Tree and the Well). Venue: The Horseshoe Inn, 26 Melior Street, London SE1 3QP. Time: 1.30pm. Entry £3. https://www.facebook.com/groups/dawnoftheoak/events and https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/113978234531?

Sunday 31 May;Tarot Spells. Workshop with Bel Senlle. via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £90. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 31 May; Elevate Your Intuitive Readings. Workshop with Jeremy Turner-Welch. via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 5pm. Tickets: £95. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 31 May; Heartspaces - Soulfuel. Venue: Essex Hall, Essex Street, London WC2R 3HY. Doors at 6.30PM. Free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/121061473538?

Sunday 31 May; Full Moon Ritual by the Thames with London Woodland Witches and Pagans. Meet at Millennium Bridge, Thames Embankment, · London. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £6.13. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/mani-woodland-witch-34325436803 or https://mani.org.uk/ or https://www.facebook.com/PaganFrontiersOfLondon.

Sunday 31 May; Live Music and 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 31 May; Aleister Crowley, Libel, Litigation and the Law Courts with Andrew Wiseman. 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

Monday 1 June; 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 1 June; Chart discussion followed by talk on The Diverse Astrological Approaches of W. J. Tucker by Philip Gravest, via the Astrological Lodge of London. Hybrid event. In-person venue: Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London, NW1 6XT. Starts 6.30pm. Tickets £6/£9. https://astrolodge.co.uk/

Monday 1 June; Dark German Fairy Tales with Viktor Wynd. Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets from £15, includes a cocktail. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-last-tuesday-society-viktor-wynd-museum-33776720489

Mondays 1 and 22 June; Animal Healing and Communication Level 2 with Elizabeth Whiter, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £95. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Monday 1 June; Gods of Love and Sex workshop with Rebecca Beattie, author of Planetary Magic and Nature Mystics, via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm start. Tickets: £15. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Monday 1 June; 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 1 June; Full Moon Celebration with South East London Pagans. Venue: One Tree Hill, Honor Oak, South London. Time: 7pm. Free. https://www.facebook.com/groups/7046502195365834

Monday 1 June; Lilith, Maman Brigitte and Pomba Gira -with Lilith Dorsey. 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

Monday 1 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

Tuesday 2 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 2 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 £16. Price includes a Cocktail with Devil’s Botany. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-last-tuesday-society-viktor-wynd-museum-33776720489

Tuesday 2 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 2 June; Inspirational and Automatic Writing. Start of 6-session course with Sarah Tyler-Walters, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets: £200. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

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

Tuesday 2 June; How Grimoires Depicted Angels and Demons, with Sergei Zotov. 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 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 (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 (first Wednesday of the month); Drumming and Meditation online with Taz Thornton. Time: 7pm. Free https://www.facebook.com/TazThorntonOfficial

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?

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; ; 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 (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?

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; 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; 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 (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/?

For activities after these dates please visit my events page.

Poppet Craft: Pipecleaner and Clothes-Peg Doll

2026-05-26T08:00:00.000+01:00

I was inspired to make this little doll using a craft idea on the Hobbycraft website. It was part of a selecton of mindful projects for kids produced for Mental Health Awareness Week earlier this month. The website described it as a worry doll, intended for children to talk to about their anxieties. The idea is that sharing a problem with a toy can be a comfort.

The concept of worry people originates in Guatamala. I've blogged about that custom in the past and you can find the link here.

The version in my picture is made from an old-style clothes-peg, pipecleaners and wool. I already had them in my crafting box - along with scissors, glue and pens - so thought I'd have a go. It only took me a few minutes. It didn't require any sewing, knitting, modelling or carving, so is a good technique for anyone who wants to make an easy doll but doesn't have much in the way of crafting expertise.

It could also be made as a focus to represent a person in spellwork. As I explain in my book Poppets and Magical Dolls:

"Poppets are dolls used for sympathetic magic, and are designed in the likeness of individuals in order to represent them in spells to help, heal or harm."

Although that mentions harm, it's a misconception that poppets are only used as curses. My book explores the history of effigy magic, and offers a practical guide to making and using dolls in modern witchcraft. It's published by Moon Books, but you can also find copies on Amazon.

(Please note I earn commission from some links)

Other previous related posts

https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/08/witchy-craft-how-to-make-sewn-cloth.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/08/books-seven-lucky-years-for-poppets.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/02/craft-comfort-or-izzy-dolls-poppet.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/03/poppet-craft-doll-to-do-three-things-at.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/07/poppets-paper-doll-magic-to-release.html

A Tarot Reading for the World: The Ace of Wands

2026-05-22T08:00:00.000+01:00

I drew a card as a reading for the world using my new copy of the Greenwood Tarot. The Ace of Wands revealed itself.

The image shows a bow drill and the text on the card says "Spark of Life". The book that comes with the set gives this definition:

"The turning of the cosmic axis that generates the spark of life. The drill symbolises the skills that exert control over the environment, directed by human intellect."

Aces in general are about new beginnings. In the Greenwood Tarot they are all placed in the position of Imbolc on the Wheel of the Year chart, That's a time when the world is still bleak and dark, but we are beginning to see the evenings getting lighter and make plans for better times ahead.

Of course in the actual year as I write this post we are between Beltane and Summer Solstice, but in terms of world energy, it makes sense. The world is bleak right now.

This card tells us to make a new start. To direct our thoughts to making plans, and to use our energy and skills towards effecting change in our environment. A bow drill creates a tiny spark that sets a fire going. Make your own spark matter and create change in the world.

You can read my earlier post on the new edition of the Greenwood Tarot here.

Other previous related posts
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2020/10/wind-harp-ace-of-air-from-witches.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/03/tarot-ace-of-cups-signs-of-new.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/04/review-shadow-seer-tarot-dark-archetypes.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/01/art-theatre-deli-tarot-supporting.html

Pagan Eye: Austin Osman Spare Exhibition at Atlantis

2026-05-21T08:00:00.000+01:00

The photo shows a corner of the current exhibition at Atlantis Bookshop in London. It's on the work of Austin Osman Spare. Commemorating the 70th anniversary of the artist and magician's death, the exhibition offers a glimps into his writing and illustrations.

Austin Osman Spare and his Books is on until Saturday 30 May at Atlantis, 49a Museum Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 1LY. It's open Monday to Saturday, 11am~6pm. Entry. is free. www.theatlantisbookshop.com

On each Pagan Eye post, I show a photo that I find interesting, with a few words about it. It could be a seasonal image, a pagan site, an event, or just a pretty picture. 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.

Magical Online & London Events in the Next Weeks

2026-05-20T08:00:00.000+01:00

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 - 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 - Saturday 30 May (except Wed 20 May); Austin Osman Spare and his books exhibition. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 1LY.

Open: Mon-Sat, 11am~6pm. Free entry. www.theatlantisbookshop.com

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/

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

or email: rainbowawakening1@gmail.com

Wednesday 20 - 22 May; Awaken Your Psychic Gifts, a free 3-day online event hosted by Wendy Mata and Irisanya Moon. Free: www.bruja.us/summit

Wednesday 20 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 20 May; Secret Book Club - The Magic of Herbs by David Conway, organised by Bibi's Circle. Venue: Rons Coffee House, Holdrons Arcade 135a, Rye Lane London SE15 4ST. Time: 6pm. Tickets £10.46 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/56277271483?

Wednesday 20 May; Magical Plants and Creative Writing. Workshop with Bernadette Russell via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm start, delayed viewing available. Tickets: £15. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Wednesday 20 May; Astrological Sound Bath with Nicole Bettencourt Coelho. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Cost: £30 per person. https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

Wednesday 20 May; The Shamanic Path to Love and Courage, Workshop with Beáta Alföldi. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 7pm. Tickets: £45. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 20 May (tbc but usually 3rd Wednesday each month); The More Mead Moot. Venue: The Hope pub, Carshalton, Surrey. Time: 7pm. Free. https://www.facebook.com/Pagan-FutureFests-352385661439366/

Wednesday 20 May (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 20 May (every Wednesday); Feeling Sound. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £18. https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Thursday 21 May (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 21 May; Qigong Energy Medicine and Self-Love for Healing. Workshop with Blake D Bauer. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time noon. Tickets: £95. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 21 May (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 21 May; Anatomy for Energy Workers. Start of 6-session course run by Doe Warnes, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets: £200. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 21 May; Drumming for Infinity. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Road, Eltham SE9. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets £15. https://www.wiccamoonuk.com/shop/ or https://www.facebook.com/wiccamoonuk/

Thursday 21 May; Awaken The Goddess Within. Start of 5-session course run by Mark Wentworth, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £180. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 21 May; Spirit Communication Through Art. Start of 8-session course run by June-Elleni Laine, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £255. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 21 May; Develop the Intuitive Mind: Intermediate. Start of 10-session course run by Maria Antoniou, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £290. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 21 May; Paganism Persisting with Robin Douglas and Francis Young. 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 21 May; The History of Women in Spiritualism, with Seed Talks. Hybrid event. In-person venue: T21 Soho, 3 Sutton Row, London W1D 3QP. Time: 7 PM. Tickets From £13.50. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/36463428713?

Thursday 21 May; Poetry Evening. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London, NW1 6XT. Time: 7pm. Tickets free https://www.meetup.com/rudolf-steiner-spiritual-science/events/

Thursday 21 May; Women's Circle - Mother Earth and Divine Feminine, organised by Bibi's Circle. Venue: East Dulwich Community Centre, 46-50 Darrell Road, London SE22 9NL. Time: 7pm. Tickets £16.96 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/56277271483?

Thursday 21 May; A Journey with Spirit. Start of 10-session course run by Gary Wright, via the College of Psychic Studies. Hybrid event. In-person address : The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB.Time: 7.15pm. Tickets from: £240. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 21 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

Thursday 21 May; The Witchcraft of Wales - Benjamin Stimpson. 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 22 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 22 May-Monday 25 May; Mind Body Spirit Festival. Venue: Olympia London, Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UX. Time: 10am-5pm. One-day standard ticket £24.22, other tickets available. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mind-body-spirit-festival-london-olympia-2026-tickets-1383721220419?

Friday 22 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 22 May; The Brazilian Spiritual Path of Umbanda. Talk by Pai André Evangelho. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 7pm. Tickets: £25. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Friday 22 May (4th Friday of the month); The Wild Wood Tarot study group. Free online event. Time: 7pm. https://www.meetup.com/astrotarotkitchen/events/

Friday 22 May; Southwark Hysteries with Maria Beadell of Herstorical Tours. Meet: Green Dragon Court, London SE1 . Time: 6pm. Tickets: £22.50. https://www.herstoricaltours.co.uk/book

Saturday 23 - 24 May; Women Only Sweat Lodge Ceremony. Venue: Shamanic Centre Caer Corhrain Kent. Run by Lynn Gosney. Time: 11am start Tickets £40, email lynn.gosney@hotmail.com for info and to book. https://www.facebook.com/shamaniccentrecaercorhrain/

Saturday 23 May – 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/

Saturday 23 May; Working with Umbanda Healing Spirits. Workshop by Pai André Evangelho and Mãe Adriana. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11amm. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 23 May; Crystal Skull Masterclass – Part 1 and 2. Venue: Crystal Wicca, West Wickham, BR4. Time: 12.15pm/3.15pm. Tickets: £30 or £50 for two classes.. https://www.facebook.com/TheCrystalWicca

Saturday 23 May; Goddess of the Moon – May Women’s Circle with Claudia Chapman. Venue: The Goddess Studio, 116 Whitehouse Way, London N14 7LU. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £33. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/20248016862

Saturday 23 May; Hoodoo Mojo Bag Workshop. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Road, Eltham SE9. Time: 2pm. Tickets £35. https://www.wiccamooninherservice.co.uk/ or https://www.facebook.com/wiccamoonuk/

Saturday 23 May; Connecting the Trees ritual with Trefor Wickens. Venue: Crossbones Graveyard, Southwark. Location: Redcross Way, London, SE1 1TA. Time: 5pm. Tickets free. https://www.facebook.com/events/950316210811851/?

Saturday 23 May; Crossbones Vigil to Honour the Outcast Dead of Crossbones Graveyard, Southwark. Location: Redcross Way, London, SE1 1TA. Time: 6.45pm for 7pm. Free, just turn up You can also view the vigil online. http://crossbones.org.uk

Sunday 24 May; Psychic Surgery with a Spirit Surgeon. Workshop by Pai André Evangelho. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11amm. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Monday 25 May; The Thin Veil of London with Minimum Labyrinth. Walk around Holborn and Bloomsbury, interwoven with mysteries from the stories of Arthur Machen. Time: 5pm. Tickets From £17.50. http://minimumlabyrinth.org/

Monday 25 May; Ghost Films: A Seance of Early Cinema with Alex Kirstukas. 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 25 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 25 May (4th Monday each month); Nightflights, Shapeshifting and Witches with Trefor Wickens. Talk at Nova Stella pagan moot. Hybrid event. In-person venue: The Angel, City Road, London EC1Y 18D. Time: 7pm start of social for 8pm talk. Entry £5/£6.13. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1472510443017948 or https://www.eventbrite.com/o/120712003251?

Tuesday 26 May; The Original Full Moon Gong Bath – Sound Meditation in the Mansion. Venue: Beckenham Place Mansion, Place Park, The Mansion, Beckenham BR3 1SY. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £35. https://www.beckenhamplace.org/whatson/

Tuesday 26 May; Learn Marseille Tarot (Major Cards). Start of 4-Part Course with Adrien Mastrosimone via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm start, delayed viewing available. Tickets: £150. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Tuesday 26 May; A 21st-Century Werewolf in Hull? Talk by Deborah Hyde presented by London Fortean Society. Venue: The Bell, 50 Middlesex Street, London, E1 7EX. Door time: 7.30pm. Start time: 8pm Tickets £5.50/£3.30. http://forteanlondon.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/LondonForteanSociety/ or https://wegottickets.com/f/19274?

Tuesday 26 May; Runes as Portals with Imelda Almqvist. Online workshop. Time: 8pm. Tickets: £35. https://www.tickettailor.com/events/surbitonshamaniccircle/2117821?

Tuesday 26 May; Symbolism in Art: Geometrical shapes, with Mariska Beekenkamp. 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 27 May; Working with The Ancestors. Class with Hannah Sanders via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm start, delayed viewing available. Tickets: £15. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Wednesday 27 May; Gong Bath. Venue: Akasa Felstead Street, London E9 5LT. Time: 7pm. Tickets: from £23.46. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/sunita-kaur-34415293427

Wednesday 27 May; The Crystal Familiar Experience. Venue: Crystal Wicca, West Wickham, BR4. Time: 7.30 - 9.30pm. Tickets: £44. https://www.facebook.com/TheCrystalWicca

Thursday 28 May; Lucifer: Praxis with Peter Grey. Online Talk via Watkins Bookshop. Time: 5pm. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

Friday 29 May-Saturday 30 Ma; Lolly Willowes at 100. 2-day conference with talks by people including Professor Ronald Hutton and Diane Purkiss, organised by the Sylvia Townsend Warner Society. Venue: University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT. Starts 10am. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lolly-willowes-at-100-tickets-1981938823373?

Saturday 30 May (and other dates); 9D Transformative Breathwork. Venue: Hilton, 61 - 67 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3HU. Time: 11am. Tickets £30. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/121074557489?

Saturday 30 May; Manifestation Poppet Workshop. Venue: Crystal Wicca, West Wickham, BR4. Time: 11.30am. Tickets: £44. https://www.facebook.com/TheCrystalWicca

Saturday 30 May (and other dates); Reiki and Sound Healing. Venue: Hilton, 61 - 67 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3HU. Time: 1pm. Tickets £30. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/121074557489?

Saturday 30 May; Cutting Cords for Self Healing with Giancarlo Serra via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 1pm. Tickets: £95. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 30 May; Power Animals in Mediumship. Workshop with Claire Broad. via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £90. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 30 May; Crowley Crawl 2026 with Marco Visconti. Venue: Central London walk from The Needle to Altantis Bookshop. Time: 2pm.

Tickets £50, For £70 for walk plus visit to The Hidden Society cocktail bar on Goodge Street. https://www.marcovisconti.org/events/crowleycrawl2026?

Saturday 30 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 31 May; Shamanic Group with Les Fuller. All welcome Venue: Woodford Church at 9 Grove Crescent, South Woodford, London E18 2JR. Time 11am-3pm. Tickets: £10. http://woodfordchurch.com/

Sunday 31 May; Women's Forest Bathing in South Norwood Lake and Grounds. Meet at Sylvan Road, London SE25 4AN. Time: 1pm. Free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/parkbathe-34393467709

Sunday 31 May;Tarot Spells. Workshop with Bel Senlle. via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £90. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 31 May; Heartspaces - Soulfuel. Venue: Essex Hall, Essex Street, London WC2R 3HY. Doors at 6.30PM. Free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/121061473538?

Sunday 31 May; Live Music and Meditation. Venue: Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, 3 Pilgrim's Place, London NW3 1NG. Time: 7pm. Free, but donations welcome. https://www.rosslynhillchapel.org.uk

For activities after these dates please visit my events page.

My Set of the New Greenwood Tarot Edition Arrived!

2026-05-19T08:00:00.000+01:00

Here's a look at the cards in the new edition of the Greenwood Tarot by Mark Ryan and Chesca Potter. The first edition had long been out of print and was exceedingly rare. I'd long wished to have a copy.

Then, about a year ago, Mark Ryan created a Kickstarter to produce a new edition. My copy arrived a couple of days ago and I took this photo of them as I wash-shuffled them before use. I'm really delighted to finally have a set.

The reproduction quality isn't quite as good as the first edition. I suspect that's because of issues relating to the original artwork, which I won't go into here because I don't have 100 per cent of the facts. However, I am just pleased to have the chance to do readings with a copy I own. I'll be posting a divination for the world with them soon.

One interesting thing about the new edition is that it contains two Lovers cards, one of which is gender neutral. You can see them photographed below.

Occult London: Peeking into a Magical Special Collection

2026-05-18T08:00:00.000+01:00

I got a chance to both see and handle some of the arcane tomes and magical objects in University College London's Special Collections. How exciting!

The archive contains many items related to the history and practice of magic and western esotericism, including astrology, tarot, spirit summoning and folk traditions. There are books and manuscripts that have influenced the development of subjects such as astronomy and cryptography or are part of modern esoteric traditions. Last Friday morning. the department held an open morning to showcase objects from the collection. Of course I jumped at the chance to go along.

The photos here show just a couple of things on display. At the top you can see a famous cunning man's notebook. James Murrell, or Cunning Murrell, was a 19th century folk magician living in Hadleigh, Essex. His work involved astrology, herbalism and exorcism. The book is primarily an almanac and contains astrological charts.

The photo at the bottom shows Hebrew mezutot (parchments inscribed with material from the Torah) including amulets.

Experts were there to talk about the items on show, answer questions, and presumably make sure no one sneaked off with anything or attempted to summon something using any of the rituals in the grimoires!

UCL Special Collections is in the basement of the university building on Gower Street,

London WC1E 6BT. You can find out more and get on the list to learn about future open days here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/special-collections

Book Review: Witchitorium - A Glossary of Magic

2026-05-15T08:00:00.000+01:00

Someone just starting to learn about witchcraft recently asked me where they could look up terms they came across. Luckily, I'd just seen a copy of Witchitorium - A Glossary of Magic, Witchcraft and Spirituality. I immediately recommended it.

Witchitorium is a new title by one of my fellow authors, Nixie Vale, and is published by Moon Books. It's a mini encyclopedia of esoteric facts. This is the official synopsis:

"A one-stop-space for all your witchy jargon needs! Whether you are new to witchcraft or an experienced veteran, at times there are words and terms that catch you off guard. Witchitorium brings together a diverse collection of terms that you may come across on your path through the craft to provide insight and understanding."

You might be asking why use a book rather than just look a term up online. Most of us Google stuff these days, and it's fast and easy. However, you can come across a huge amount of incorrect information there too - increasingly so in these days of AI overviews which notoriously struggles to differentiate between fact, fiction, or popular misconception.

Witchitorium, on the other hand is well researched and trustworthy. I'd say it's more aimed at beginner witches than those who've been practicing the craft for years, but can still be useful if you've specialised in one path of witchcraft but come across a more obscure term from another.

About the Author.

Nixie Vale is the creator of Ramblings of a Rainbow Witch. She began her spiritual path with Wicca, and has also studied a wide range of things from Ancient Egyptian, Ancient Greek, Ancient Norse and Ancient Roman beliefs and practices. She has also written articles for Magical Recipes Online, The Spooky Isles and others.

You can view Witchitorium on Amazon.

(Please note: I earn commission from some links)

Pagan Eye: What Do You Think The Girl's Holding?

2026-05-14T08:00:00.000+01:00

What do you think the girl in this street art is holding? When I first glanced I thought she was gazing into a crystal ball, so I took this photo. When I studied it more closely I thought that maybe she's actually got a metal lampshade with a lit bulb inside. Whatever it is, I think the image is rather fascinating.

My part of London - SE20 - has become well known for wonderful street art. This is one of the new works near where I live. Links to previous related posts at the bottom of this page will take you to my earlier photos and information about where you can enjoy these outdoor art exhibitions.

I was particularly curious as to whether the painting is supposed to depict a crystal ball because of my own interest in scrying and divination. I've written a book on the topic and teach classes, as you probably know if you follow my blog.

At the time of writing there's still a couple of place available in my scrying class in London this Saturday. You can find the link here: https://www.treadwells-london.com/events-1/the-art-of-scrying-in-person-workshop-6

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.