A bad witch's blog

My Witchy Events: Divination, Books, Amulets & Dowsing

2026-05-08T08:00:00.021+01:00

Here are details of the witchy events I'm involved with from now until the end of June. There are workshops on scrying, amulets, poppets and dowsing. I'll also be giving a free talk at the Beckenham Library Wednesday Waffle about the craft of writing.

May

Beckenham Library Wednesday Waffle

On Wednesday 13 May I'll be talking about my writing, including my inspiration for my gothic novel Erosion, at Wednesday Waffle, a regular meeting to chat about books and writing. Venue: Beckenham Library, 22 Beckenham Road, Beckenham, BR3 4 PE. Time: 10am-11.30am. Free but reserve a place by phoning 020 8650 7090 or email beckenham.library@gll.org.

Scrying In-Person at Treadwell's

On Saturday 16 May im running an in-person scrying workshop, on divination using crystal balls, mirrors and water. This is at Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. It starts at 1pm and costs £25 per person. Find out more or book tickets here: https://www.treadwells-london.com/events-1/the-art-of-scrying-in-person-workshop-6

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/

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.

Green London: Send a Local Nature Photo to Your MP

2026-05-07T08:00:00.001+01:00

I sent a picture of my favourite park as a postcard to my MP. It wasn't just a random thing - the RSPB website has a crafty project at the moment that lets you turn a favourite nature photo into a postcard, then write a message and send it to your local Member of Parliament. As it says on the site:

"This is all about celebrating the nature that’s nearest to you. It could be your local park, a street tree, ‘your’ garden birds – or anything else. It’s the place nearest to you that brings you that daily joy that puts a smile on your face and a spring in your step. Show your MP the place that lifts your spirits, and inspire them to help protect it."

The image at the top is a screen shot of the RSPB page and shows how easy it is to do. As you can see, the park near to where I live that I most love is Crystal Palace, in South London. The photo is one I took a couple of years ago and shows a ribbon of wildflowers stretching into the distance.

I'm keen to do all I can to preserve London's green spaces for wildlife and humans. Going for a walk in nature is good for the mind and body, while trees and plants help keep the air clean.

Cast Your Vote Too!

Today, 7 May 2026, I'll be going to vote in the local elections. All London borough councillor seats are up for appointment. I'll be making sure I vote for those individuals who are most likely to support the amenities in my area, including green spaces. If you are in a position to vote, please go out and do so too.

Green London

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.

Magical Online & London Events in the Next Weeks

2026-05-06T08:00:00.005+01:00

Here's a list of events for pagans, witches and those with similar interests. I include online things you can do anywhere (bolded so you can see them easily) plus in-person talks and workshops in or near London, and some festivals further afield.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Every Tuesday to Sunday except over bank holidays; College of Psychic Studies - pop in to have a look around the lovely building. Venue: College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time: 11am-4pm. Free entry. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk

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

Most lunchtimes and some other times: Meditation - in-person or online. In-person venue: Inner Space, 36 Shorts Gardens, Covent Garden, London · WC2H 9AB. Time: 1pm (for lunchtime meditation). Free. https://www.meetup.com/inner-space-covent-garden/events/

Every lunchtime: Rainbow Spirit offers a shared vegetarian lunch from a flat in Soho, London, for all people LGBT+Allies. The foundation is British witchcraft. Each meal is followed by Ancestor Circle, passing the talking stick. Alcohol-free event. To attend join the Whatsapp chat group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/LhDxaCzGsmE2YI6AReyw3W

or email: rainbowawakening1@gmail.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thursday 7 May - 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

Thursday 7 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 7 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 7 May; Thai Tattoo Magick: The Initiatory Practices of Thai Buddhist Magicians, with Sheer Zed. Talk and signing, Venue: Watkins Bookshop, 19-21 Cecil Ct, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 5pm. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

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

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

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

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

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

Friday 8 May (every Friday); Live Chat hosted by Rachel Patterson, author of Gods and Goddesses of England and the Kitchen Witch series of books. Online event. Time: 9am. Free. https://www.facebook.com/RachelPattersonbooks/

Friday 8 May; Water by Jalal Ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, with Haleh Liza Gafori. Online event via Watkins Bookshop. Time: 5pm. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

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

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

Friday 8 May (and other dates); Cosy Candlelit Gong Bath by Claire The Soul Nurturer. Venue: Secret Soul Sanctuary, Sydenham Hill, London SE23 3PH. Time: 7.45pm. Tickets: £20.21. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/claire-the-soul-nurturer-35479207053

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday 10 May; Mixed Adult Forest Bathing in South Norwood Lake and Grounds. Meet at Sylvan Road, London SE25 4AN. Time: 11am. Free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/parkbathe-34393467709

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday 10 May; Book Curses through Book History - Dr Eleanor Baker. Talk online via The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society. Time: 8pm. Tickets ·from £3.35. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Monday 11 May; Ascending with Angels workshop Led by David Goddard. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 1LY. Time: 6.30pm Cost £40 https://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Monday 11 May; Undertakers and Death. Talk by Dr Dan O’Brien. Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets from £10.90, includes a cocktail. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-last-tuesday-society-viktor-wynd-museum-33776720489

Monday 11 May; Chart Discussion followed by talk on Rectification of the Horoscope with Primary Directions by Alexey Borealis. Online talks via the Astrological Lodge of London. Starts 7.15pm. Tickets £6/£9. https://astrolodge.co.uk/

Monday 11 May; Cleansing Your Space and Aura. Start of 2-session course run by Tia Price, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets: £90. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Monday 11 May (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 11 May; Horror Everything: 2016 – Forever. Talk by Dr Joe Ondrak at Greenwich Skeptics. Venue: The Plume of Feathers, 19 Park Vista, Greenwich, SE10 9LZ. Time: 7.30pm. Ssuggested donation: £4. https://greenwichskeptics.org/

Monday 11 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 11 May; How Chemistry Shaped Alchemical Allegory - 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

Monday 11 May; Implicit Psi with Deborah Patton. Online presentation hosted by the Society for Psychical Research via Zoom. Time: 8pm. Tickets: Free for members/£5 non members. https://www.spr.ac.uk/

Tuesday 12 May (and other dates); Journalling and Creative Writing for Wellbeing. Online via Rest Less Events. Time: 2.30pm. Tickets £3.99 per class. https://events.restless.co.uk/event-calendar/

Tuesday 12 May (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 12 May; An Evening of Fairy Tales and Folklore with Dr Sharon Blackie hybrid event with Seed Talks. In-person venue: Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regent's Park Road, London NW1 7AY. Time: 7pm. Tickets From £13.50. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/36463428713?

Tuesday 12 May; Develop the Intuitive Mind: Beginner. Start of 6-session course run by Maria Antoniou, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £200. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Tuesday 12 May; Strange Tales from the Seance Room with Dr Kate Cherrell. 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 13 May; I'll be talking about my writing, including my inspiration for my gothic novel Erosion, at Wednesday Waffle, a regular meeting to chat about books and writing. Venue: Beckenham Library, 22 Beckenham Road, Beckenham, BR3 4 PE. Time: 10am-11.30am. Free but reserve a place by phoning 020 8650 7090 or email beckenham.library@gll.org.

Wednesday 13 May; Under the Same Moon - Pocket Altar, organised by Bibi's Circle. Venue: Rons Coffee House, Holdrons Arcade 135a, Rye Lane London SE15 4ST. Time: 5.30pm. Tickets tbc https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/56277271483?

Wednesday 13 May (tbc but usually 2nd Wed each month); 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 13 May; Magic Mirrors for Protection. Class with Hannah Sanders via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm start, delayed viewing available. Tickets: £15. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Wednesday 13 May (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 13 May; Foraging for Healing Herbs with Adele Nozedar. 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

Wednesday 13 May; The Power of Psychic Reiki. Start of 6-session course run by Nicholas Pearson, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £200. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 13 May; Hand Reading for Beginners. Start of 10-session course run by Robin Lown, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £280. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 13 May; The Ancient Alchemical Process and How To Use This To Higher Your Vibration. Start of 6-session course run by Pixie P Carney, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £200. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 13 May; Exploring the Dream Realms. Start of 10-session course run by Tree Carr, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £280. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

14 May - 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

Thursday 14 May; Magick Without Tears Moot. Venue: Fitzroy Tavern, 16 Charlotte St., London W1T 2LY. Time 6pm. https://www.facebook.com/groups/mwtpubmoot

Thursday 14 May; Navigating States of Dazzling Darkness. Talk online via The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society. Time: 6pm. Tickets ·from £3.35. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Thursday 14 May; 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 14 May; Brigit: Goddess, Saint and Fairy Woman. Talk by Pauline Breen, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £22. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 14 May; Journey Through The Dreamiverse. Start of 10-session course run by Tree Carr, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £305. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 14 May; Wyrd Stuff. 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 15 May; UCL Special Collections Open Morning: Magic and Western Esotericism. Venue: UCL Special Collections, South Junction Reading Room, Basement Level Main Building, Gower Street,

London WC1E 6BT. Time: 10 am to noon. Tickets free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ucl-special-collections-open-morning-magic-and-western-esotericism-tickets-1986427018686?

Friday 15 May; Alchemy and Art with Kate Southworth. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Friday 15 May (1st and 3rd Friday each month); Pagan Portal Podcast by Moon Books. Time: noon (or listen to recording later). Free event. https://open.spotify.com/show/11N4kNj65tTz9NFUcZTMa7?

Friday 15 May; Astrologers at Work - Book Launch, Venue: Warburg Institute, Woburn Square, London WC1H 0AB. Time: 4pm. Free. https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/news-events/events

Friday 15 May; Le Calendrier Magique. Talk by Laetitia Barbier. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 7pm. Tickets: £25. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Friday 15 May; Tarot Advanced. Start of 10-session course run by Avril Price, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £305. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Friday 15 May; 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/

Saturday 16 May; The Merrie Merrie Month of May at the VWML - Library and archive day. Venue: Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regents Park Road, London, NW1 7AY. Time: 1pm - 5pm free entry. https://www.efdss.org/

Saturday 16 May; Breaking Convention One Day Summit 2026, organised by Seed Talks. Hybrid event. In-perosn venue: Woolwich Works, 11 No 1 Street, London SE18 6HD. Starts 10am. Tickets: £29 - £207.67. https://www.eventbrite.com/o/36463428713?

Saturday 16 May; Brothers Fireside Gathering. Venue: Berkeley farm, a few miles outside London. Time: noon. Tickets: free. https://www.aho.community/

Saturday 16 May; In-person Scrying workshop - divination using crystal balls, mirrors and water, with me - Lucya Starza. 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/the-art-of-scrying-in-person-workshop-6

Saturday 16 May; Soul-Loss Retrieval Ceremony with Pixie P Carney. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 1pm. Tickets: £95. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 16 May; Moon Magic Circle. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Road, Eltham SE9. Time: 2pm. Tickets free. https://www.wiccamooninherservice.co.uk/ or https://www.facebook.com/wiccamoonuk/

Saturday 16 May; Antlered Goddesses: A Challenge to Tradition? Online talk with Anna Milon via Romancing the Gothic . Time 7pm. Tickets free or by donation. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/antlered-goddesses-a-challenge-to-tradition-with-anna-milon-tickets-1983270165453?

Saturday 16 May; Tree Folk Tales. Online event via the Folklore Library and Archive. Time: 8pm. Tickets: £6.13. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-folklore-library-archive-68703440013?

Saturday 16 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 16 May; Hex and the City Walking Tour with Maria Beadell of Herstorical Tours. Meet: Cowcross St, Farrringdon, London EC1M 6BY. Time: 8pm. Tickets: £25. https://www.herstoricaltours.co.uk/

Sunday 17 May; Live from Norway: Celebrate the 17th of May! Live Stream with Lena online via The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society. Time: 9am. Tickets ·from £3.35. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Sunday 17 May; Tarot and the Sacred Circle with Avril Price. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 17 May; The Soul Sings with Joan Osborne. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 17 May; Meditation for Magic. In-person workshop with Lucia Ring-Watkins. 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/the-art-of-scrying-in-person-workshop-6

Sunday 17 May; Dawn of the Oak Pagan moot. Venue: The Sir John Oldcastle, Farringdon Road/Greville Street, London EC1M 3JF. Time: 3pm. 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 17 May; Witch Fulfilment: The Witch as Theatrical Type with Jane Barnette Talk online via The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and Last Tuesday Society. Time: 8pm. Tickets ·from £3.35. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

For activities after these dates please visit my events page.

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

Occult London: The Labyrinth at Fen Court

2026-05-05T08:00:00.014+01:00

This is the labyrinth at Fen Court, in the City of London, which I walked for World Labyrinth Day on Saturday. You can, of course, visit at any time you like as it's in a tiny public garden off Fenchurch Street. I'd been feeling stressed in the morning before I visited, but walking the labyrinth as a moving meditation very much helped improve my state of mind.

The lovely couple in the background gave their permssion for me to take the photo with them in the background. They both walked the labyrinth after me.

Fen Court also contains a sculpture called The Gilt of Cain', by Michael Visocchi, which commemorates the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. Nearby is The Garden at 120 - a recently opened rooftop green space with a viewing platform. It's normally free to visit and you can just turn up, but was closed for a private event on Saturday. I plan to go another time.

Aldgate East Station labyrinth

I used Aldgate East Station to get to Fenchurch Street and took the opportunity to find and photograph the labyrinth there too. It's part of a series created by Mark Wallinger for the Art on the Underground programme. There are 270 in the series with one at each of London's Underground stations that existed in 2013. You can see it in the photo below.

Other previous related posts
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/03/occult-london-maze-and-labyrinths-in.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/10/book-review-labyrinth-walking-radiant.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/04/occult-london-atlantis-bookshop.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/05/occult-london-sir-john-soanes-museum.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/07/occult-london-london-stone-myths-and.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/01/review-occult-london.html

Occult London: A Path to Follow on World Labyrinth Day

2026-05-02T08:00:00.059+01:00

Today is World Labyrinth Day, when everyone is invited to walk a labyrinth at 1pm local time. As the WLD website says, this is "to help create a rolling wave of peaceful energy passing from one time zone to the next around the globe."

You don't have to walk it with your feet - you can follow a small path with a finger or just your eyes if it's public art on a wall!

The photo above shows a labyrinth at London's Cannon Street Station. It is part of a series created by Mark Wallinger for the Art on the Underground programme. There are, according to TfL, 270 different labyrinths designed by Mark, with one at each of London's Underground stations that existed in 2013.

A Guinness World Record Tube challenge is to visit them all in the shortest time. I've not done that, but I do look out for them when I use a station that isn't a part of any of my regular journeys.

Today I am planning to find more labyrinths in London, and walk one I've not visited before. I'll share photos at a later date. I've been fascinated by labyrinths for many years. I've walked them when I get the opportunity, I've read about them, visited them, written about them, and drawn them on paper. Here are links to some of my earlier posts:

World Labyrinth Day is a modern-day custom, but walking labyrinths is such a widespread folkloric custom in general that I've given this post a "folklore" tag too.

Green London: Beltane Flowers on the Street Where I Live

2026-05-01T08:00:00.032+01:00

Today is Beltane, or May Day, a time to celebrate flowers (as well as frolicking). But, of course, it's also Friday and the bank holiday isn't until Monday. Even if you're working today, take a break and go for a walk to see what's blooming. Just looking at trees, plants and blossom can lift your mood and help you feel in touch with the energy of the season.

I took the photos in the collage above in the streets around where I live in South East London. Most were growing wild on verges. 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.

You don't need to know the names of plants in order to enjoy their beauty, but here's what I think are in the pictures:

Calendula
Rose
Wild cabbage
Hawthorn
Pink sorel
Lilac
Three-cornered leek

I did a very similar thing back in March, and you can see that post here, to compare: https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/03/green-london-flowers-on-street-where-i.html

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

Other previous Green London Posts
badwitch.co.uk/2026/02/green-london-urban-park-and-ancient.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/03/green-london-londons-first-botanical.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/03/green-london-japanese-gardens-in.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/09/green-london-riverview-walk-river-pool.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/10/green-london-ancient-woodlands-around.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/04/green-london-rookery-streatham-common.html

Folklore & Customs: May Eve, Walpurgis & Mischief Night

2026-04-30T08:00:00.020+01:00

May Eve is sometimes called "the other Halloween". In Northern England in bygone centuries it was celebrated as Mischief Night with rowdiness and trickery. Steve Roud in The English Year quotes an 1896 book on customs as reporting:

"At Oldham, the Eve of May is known as Mischief Night when it was custom for people to play tricks on their neighbours. My informant remembers seeing a thatched house, in a village near Oldham, adorned with mops, rakes and brushes, on top of whcih were stuck mugs, tubs, and pails."

An article on Grimsby Live went further, saying it was a night for firestarting and lighthearted devil-worship:

"Around Grimsby it was the original ‘Mischief Night’, when the normal rules of society did not apply and friends would get together to play pranks, start fires or hold ‘Satanic’ rituals."

While human troublemakers were obviously a nuisance, supernatural ones such as fairies were more generally feared in the UK. They were more easily kept out, however, by placing seasonal flowers over doorways. Hawthorn blossom (pictured above) is the most widespread floral protection, but in Lincolnshire there was a tradition of hanging up cowslips (pictured right), which look a bit like primroses.

Walpurgis Night

April 30th is also Walpurgis Night, named after Saint Walpurgis, an 8th century nun who lived in Germany and was canonised when healing oil supposedly flowed from her tomb. Sadly, she beecame more associated with protection against - and persecution of - witches. As I wrote in Rounding the Wheel of the Year:

"In parts of Europe, especially Germany but also England, it’s known as Walpurgis Night when witches were thought to gather and were historically seen as not the nice folk we are now. People would protect their homes against them."

It's a traditional time to light bonfires to ward against harmful entities. Fire customs might have originated long before the early modern era's witch burnings.* In some countries that horrible form of execution became part of seasonal celebrations. In the Czech Republic, April 30th is Pálení čarodějnic, or "Burning of the witches". Witch effigies or puppets are thrown onto large bonfires as part of public displays.

May Eve witchcraft traditions are most famously associated with Germany's Walpurgisnacht or Hexennacht, which translates as Witches' Night. Witches were said to hold a large sabbat on the Brocken, the highest peak in the Harz mountains. Nowadays this has been adopted as a time of celebration by modern practitioners of the Craft, showing that the way we view folklore and customs can change with the times.

*Note: It's always worthwhile pointing out that not all countries burnt those accused of witchcraft. In England hanging was the usual execution method, but burnings did happen in places including Scotland, Germany, and Switzerland.

The Wheel of the Year

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

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

Other previous Related Posts
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/01/rounding-year-when-snowdrops-bloom.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/02/rounding-year-daffodils-narcissus.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/04/news-beltane-walpurgisnacht-and-witch.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/04/news-walpurgisnacht-beltane-may-day.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/01/game-review-call-of-hill-witchcraft-larp.html

Magical Beltane Events in London, Online + a Few More

2026-04-29T08:00:00.050+01:00

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

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

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

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

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

or email: rainbowawakening1@gmail.com

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

Wednesday 29 April (every Wednesday); Feeling Sound. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £18. https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

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

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

Wednesday 29 April (monthly); Melissa's Tarot Club. Monthly In-Person Workshop. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Cost: £15 per person. https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

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

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

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

Thursday 30 April (every Thursday); Midweek Meditation with the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 3pm. Tickets: free for members/£7.50 non members. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk

Thursday 30 April; Prophecies with Christopher Dell. Talk and signing, Venue: Watkins Bookshop, 19-21 Cecil Ct, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 5pm. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thursday 30 April (last Thursday every month); 16th anniversary event at Hertford Pagan Moot. Venue: The White Horse Pub, 33 Castle Street, Hertford, Herts SG14 1HH) (45 mins from central London). Time: 8pm. https://www.facebook.com/groups/104788436218047

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

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

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

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

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

Friday 1 May (1st and 3rd Friday each month); Pagan Portal Podcast by Moon Books. Time: noon (or listen to recording later). Free event. https://open.spotify.com/show/11N4kNj65tTz9NFUcZTMa7?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friday 1 May (and other dates); Holistic Sound Bath Meditation - Summoning The Sacred. Venue: Training Points Fitness and Therapy, 5-6 Cooper's Yard, London SE19 1TN. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets: £25. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/holistic-sound-bath-meditation-summoning-the-sacred-tickets-223970159777?#

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturdays 2 May (Saturday closest to the festival); Beltane Free and open Gorsed of Caer Abiri ritual at Avebury stone circle in Wiltshire. Meet at the Red Lion pub from noon for druidic ceremony at 1.30pm. Offering of bread, mead, or Bardic performance always welcomed. Free event, just turn up. https://www.facebook.com/groups/49080749624/

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

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

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

Saturday 2 May (date tbc but usually first Saturday each month); Gong Bath. Venue: Upminster Sanctuary Pea Lane, Upminster, RM142XH. Time: 7pm. Tickets: tbc. https://upminstersanctuary.com/

Saturday 2 May (every full and new moon); Moon Space online event via She's Lost Control. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £15. https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

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

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

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

Sunday 3 May (closest Sunday to the festival); Druidic Ritual to celebrate Beltane on Primrose Hill with the Loose Association of Druids. Gather in the Hawthorne Grove at Primrose Hill, London, NW1 8YH, at 12.30pm to prepare the site for the ritual at 1pm. Nearest tube: Chalk Farm. Bring a small contribution of food and drink to share. https://www.facebook.com/LooseAssociationOfDruidsOfPrimroseHill

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

Sunday 3 May (tbc but usually on the closest Sunday to the festival); Anderida Gorsedd Beltane open ritual. Venue: Long Man of Wilmington, Wilmington, near Eastbourne, East Sussex. Meet near the car park between 1.30pm and 2pm, walk up to the chalk hill figure at 2pm. Afterwards, the Giants Rest pub. https://www.facebook.com/groups/227609495203/

Sunday 3 May; Beltane Goddess Gathering. Venue: 19 Castle Close, London E9 5TN. Time: 3pm. Tickets: £44.04. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/beltane-goddess-gathering-tickets-1987603400275?

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

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

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

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

Monday 4 May; Canewdon Beltane May Day Celebration and Fayre. Venue: Canewdon Village Hall, Lambourne Hall Road, Canewdon SS4 3PG. Time: 11am - 4pm. Free entry.

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

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

Monday 4 May; May Day celebration around Plumstead Common. 4pm: A procession with ritual, starts at Puddingstones by Blendon Terrace, London SE18 7RS and finish outside Ye Olde Mill.

7pm: Free entertainment in the Old Mill pub. https://www.facebook.com/events/948840820965079?

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

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

Monday 4 May; Creatures of the Night: Vampires, Sexuality and the Unconscious. Talk by Katie Evans . Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets from £16.14, includes a cocktail. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-last-tuesday-society-viktor-wynd-museum-33776720489

Monday 4 May; Theosophy. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London, NW1 6XT. Time: 7pm. Tickets free https://www.meetup.com/rudolf-steiner-spiritual-science/events/

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

Monday 4 May (tbc but usually every Monday); Tea With a Druid. Free online event by the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. Time 8pm. https://druidry.org/ or https://www.facebook.com/druidry

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

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

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

Tuesday 5 May (first Tuesday each month); Beltane - Was This Festival a Shagfest? Talk at Romford Pagan Moot. Venue: The Golden Lion, 2 High Street, Romford. Time: 7.30pm. Entry £4: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064489640955

Tuesday 5 May; Beginner Tarot. Start of 4-Part course with Delphine de la Mar. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £150. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday 10 May (date tbc); Ritual in the Tower (Luna Iter). In-person ritual in Hackney, East London for members of the group, guests and seekers on the path. Meet at the Pembury Tavern, 90 Amhurst Rd, London, from 4.30pm, moving on to a historic site to start the ritual at 6pm. Entry: £10. https://www.hildegardmaier.co.uk/luna-iter or https://www.facebook.com/groups/1230392930656154

Sunday 10 May; Fallen Angels: 12th House in Astrology. Class with Carmen Turner-Schott. Online event. Time: 6pm. Tickets: £90. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

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

For activities after these dates please visit my events page.

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

Pagan Eye: A Witch at the Coming of Age Exhibition

2026-04-28T08:00:00.332+01:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pagan Eye Posts

On each of my Pagan Eye posts, I show a photo that I find interesting, with a few words about it. If you want to send me a photo for a Pagan Eye post, please email it to badwitch1234@gmail.com Let me know what the photo shows and whether you want your name mentioned or not. For copyright reasons, the photo must be one you have taken yourself and you must confirm that you are submitting it for A Bad Witch's Blog.

Previous Related Links

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

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

2026-04-27T08:00:00.107+01:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

I'm on a Podcast: Beltane with Moon Books Witches!

2026-04-24T08:00:00.047+01:00

I'm in the special Beltane episode of The Pagan Portal Podcast, along with host Rachel Patterson, Jessica Howard, and Katie Ness. We are all Moon Books authors, and enjoy a witchy get-together to share our thoughts.

We chat about what Beltane, or May Day, feels like in practice, covering things from Jack in the Green processions and Victorian folk customs to the awakening of creativity, working with the land as it is, and allowing the Wheel of the Year to turn naturally instead of following fixed dates.

This conversation focuses on experiencing Beltane rather than just following a set of rules. The discussion highlights anticipation over arrival, why Beltane can feel like a personal new year, how modern Paganism carries ancient energies into new forms, and why celebrating life, creativity, and connection is essential to the season.

Whether you celebrate Beltane through ritual, art, offerings, community events, or simply by noticing the changes in the land around you, this episode invites you to slow down and connect with the season in your own way.

You can also find the podcast on spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11N4kNj65tTz9NFUcZTMa7

Folklore & Customs: Dandelions on St George's Day

2026-04-23T08:00:00.182+01:00

St George's Day, 23 April, is the traditional date to brew dandelion wine. Although National Dandelion Day is actually 5 April, folkloric customs state the cheery yellow flowers are most abundant and produce the sweetest wine if you pick them on the 23rd. Maybe the earlier date was chosen because climate change has meant they now ripen earlier. However, there are more of them in my garden at the moment than there were a couple of weeks ago.

In the Kitchen

If you want to give dandelion wine a go, here's a link to a recipe. I've not tried it personally, but I have made dandelion tea, which is supposedly good for the complexion. Cut off the yellow heads and steep four in a cup of boiling water for 20 minutes. I've also added the leaves to salad. They taste a little like rocket but are quite bitter. I recommend adding a few to other ingredients then use a sweet dressing.

Nowadays, some vegans make dandelion syrup from the flowers, which supposedly tastes like honey. Recipe link here. I've seen some critics remark that dandelions are best left for the bees, which is certainly true in early spring, but there are so many of them growing now that picking a few is no problem so long as you only take what you need. Also, many gardeners mow lawns in April, so you could ask to forage before the wildflowers get chopped down anyway.

By the way, if you make dandelion wine in April, it should be ready in time for Yule, when it's perfect to raise a glass in honour of newborn sun.

Flowers of the Sun and Moon

Dandelions are flowers with two different faces. The bright yellow flowers with petals like the radiant sun, close up in the evening and transform. They re-emerge as a dandelion clock - a moonlike white sphere - translucent and fragile. If you blow on one, the fluffy white seeds scatter to the wind. That's the time to whisper your dreams and make a wish.

The Wheel of the Year

I've written a book offering 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. None of my posts are medical advice, always consult a qualified medical professional if you have health concerns.

Magical Online & London Events in the Next Weeks

2026-04-22T08:00:00.014+01:00

Here's a list of events for pagans, witches and those with similar interests over the next couple of weeks. I mainly include in-person things in or near London, because that's where I'm based, as well as online talks and workshops you can do anywhere (bolded for easier identification) and some bigger events further afield.

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

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

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

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

or email: rainbowawakening1@gmail.com

Wednesday 22 April (most Wednesdays); Gong Bath. Venue: Akasa, 5a Prince Edward Rd, Hackney Wick, London E9 5LX. Time: 7pm. Tickets: from £23.46. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/sunita-kaur-34415293427

Wednesday 22 April (every Wednesday); Feeling Sound. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £18. https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Tuesday 21 April; Intermediate Tarot (Essential Spreads), 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 21 April (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

Wednesday 22 April; Earth Day Ceremony with Sacred Earth Activism, Faith Bridge, Red Rebels, XR, Safe Landing and Movements. Starts at Trafalgar Square, London, with gentle march toward Parliament Square . Time: 10.30am. Free. https://www.facebook.com/SacredEarthActivism

Wednesday 22 April (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 22 April; A Quest into the Past, Present and Future Akashic Records. Workshop 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 22 April; The Grammar of Tarot. Start of 2-session course run by Laetitia Barbierk, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £120. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 22 April; Shakespeare's Magic and Creative Writing. Online Workshop with Bernadette Russell via Treadwell's Bookshop. Time: 7pm. Cost: £15 per person. Delayed viewing available https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

Wednesday 22 April; Book Launch: Treasures on Earth by Jeremy Harte. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 1LY. Time: 7pm. Tickets for talk free but reserve a place, signed book £15.99. https://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Wednesday 22 April; Woodland Cacao - Earth Day special with EcoMagic 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 £11.55. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/mani-woodland-witch-34325436803 or https://mani.org.uk/ or https://www.facebook.com/PaganFrontiersOfLondon.

Wednesday 22 April; A Short History of Celebrity Seances with Dr Kate Cherrell. 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 23 April - 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/

Thursday 23 April (every Thursday); Midweek Meditation with the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 3pm. Tickets: free for members/£7.50 non members. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk

Thursday 23 April; Water by Jalal Ad-Din Muhammad Rumi with Haleh Liza Gafori. Online poetry reading and talk via Watkins. Time: 5pm. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

Thursday 23 April; 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 23 April; St George's Day 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

Thursdays 23 April; Work with the Fae and Forest Elementals. Start of 2-session course run by Pixie P Carney, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £95. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Healing in Everyday Life. Start of 6-session course run by Lars Muhl & Naleea Landmann, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £375. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 23 April (most Thursdays); Shamanic Dance with Luisa Passalacqua. Venue near Wandsworth Town Station, London. Time: 11am. Tickets donations (or free) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/luisa-passalacqua-16972493584?

Thursday 23 April; PF London Beltane 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/PaganFederationLondon

Thursday 23 April; James Macpherson’s Epic Journey with 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

Friday 24 April (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 24 April; 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 24 April (4th Friday of the month); The Wild Wood Tarot study group. Free online event. Time: 7pm. https://www.meetup.com/astrotarotkitchen/events/

Friday 24 April; Demonstration of Spirit Portraits with June-Elleni Laine. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 7pm. Tickets: £30. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 25 April; To Sleep Perchance for Psi. Full day event via The Society for Psychical Research (SPR). Venue: 1 Vernon Mews, West Kensington, London, W14 0RL. Doors open 9.45am. Tickets: Members £32/£25, Non-Members £38. https://www.spr.ac.uk/

Saturday 25 April; Crystals to Heighten Your Creativity. Workshop with Melissa Alley. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 25 April; Sacred Sweat Lodge. Venue: Shamanic Centre Caer Corhrain Kent. Run by Lynn Gosney. Time: noon Tickets £30, email lynn.gosney@hotmail.com for info and to book. https://www.facebook.com/shamaniccentrecaercorhrain/

Saturday 25 April; The Warrior of Love Tarot by Luna Marie. 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 25 April; An Afternoon with Goddess Lilith. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Road, Eltham SE9. Time: noon . Tickets £55. https://www.wiccamooninherservice.co.uk/ or https://www.facebook.com/wiccamoonuk/

Saturday 25 April; Caer Corhrain Shamanic Development Centre Beautiful Beltane Celebrations . Venue: Shamanic Centre Caer Corhrain Kent. Run by Lynn Gosney. Time: 1pm. Donations welcome, email lynn.gosney@hotmail.com for info and to book. https://www.facebook.com/shamaniccentrecaercorhrain/

Saturday 25 April; Connecting the Trees ritual with Trefor Wickens. Venue: Oxleas Wood, Crown Woods Lane, London, SE18 3JA. Time: 1.30pm. Tickets free. https://www.facebook.com/events/950316210811851/?

Saturday 25 April; The Kings and Queens in Tarot. Workshop with Amanda Watson, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £95. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 25 April; Woodland Beltane and Maypole dance 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. Time: 2pm. Tickets £7/£5. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/mani-woodland-witch-34325436803 or https://mani.org.uk/ or https://www.facebook.com/PaganFrontiersOfLondon.

Saturday 25 April (and other dates); Magic, Mystics and Martyrs Walking Tour with Maria Beadell of Herstorical Tours. Meet: Fish St Hill, London EC3R 8AH. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets: £18. https://www.herstoricaltours.co.uk/book

Sunday 26 April; Shamanic Journeying for Beginners. Workshop with Andréa Ararê. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 10am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 26 April; Healing Through Ancestral Wisdom. Workshop with Frances Billinghurst, author of Contemporary Witchcraft and other books, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 10.30am. Tickets: £90. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 26 April (and other dates and times); Soul Restore Sound Healing. Venue: The Mandrake, 20-21 Newman Street, London W1T 1PG. Time: 11am. Tickets: £30. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-mandrake-17825575648

Sunday 26 April; 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 26 April; Group Constellation Workshop by Avideya. Venue: 30 Friern Watch Avenue, London N12 9NT. Time: from 10am to 5pm. From £53.80. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/avideya-30020254011

Sunday 26 April (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 26 April; 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 26 April; The Folklore and Women Course. Start of 6-session online course by Prof Diane Purkiss via Seed Talks. Time: 5pm. Tickets £35 - £80. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/36463428713?

Sunday 26 April; Medieval Necromancy and the Cursed Imagination with Sophie Page. 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 27 April; Protection, Boundaries and Trust. Class with Renee Baribeau, The Practical Shaman, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 6pm. Tickets: £90. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Monday 27 April; Chart discussion followed by talk by Alex Trenoweth: Zeus on the Loose: Unleash Your Inner Thunderbolt, via the Astrological Lodge of London. Venue: Steiner House, 35 Park Road,

London, NW1 6XT. Starts 6pm. Tickets £6/£9. https://astrolodge.co.uk/

Monday 27 April; Dark Fairy Tales - Arabian Nights with Viktor Wynd. Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets from £15. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-last-tuesday-society-viktor-wynd-museum-33776720489

Monday 27 April; 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/

Monday 27 April; Prosperity Magic. Class with Rebecca Beattie, author of Planetary Magic and Nature Mystics, via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm start, delayed viewing available. Tickets: £15. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Monday 27 April (4th Monday each month); John Callow speaking on Gerald Gardner. 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?

Monday 27 April; Sylvia Plath, Witchcraft and Radical Poetry. Talk by Dr Dorka Tamás via Seed Talks. Hybrid event. In-person venue: 21 Soho, 3 Sutton Row, London W1D 3QP. Time: 7pm. Tickets from £11.50. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/36463428713?

Monday 27 April (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 28 April (and other dates); Journalling and Creative Writing for Wellbeing. Online via Rest Less Events. Time: 2.30pm. Tickets £3.99 per class. https://events.restless.co.uk/event-calendar/

Tuesday 28 April (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 28 April; The occult on screen. Start of evening class course with Gillian McIver via City Lit. Venue: Keeley Street, Londn. Time: 6pm. Full fee: £149. https://www.citylit.ac.uk/

Tuesday 28 April; The Magic of Place (Psychogeography). Class with Julian Vayne, via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm start, delayed viewing available. Tickets: £15. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Tuesday 28 April; David Southwell on The Fortean and Folklore Origins of Hookland. Talk 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/

Tuesday 28 April; The Great Mandrake Robbery with the Seed Sistas. 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 29 April; Secret Book Club - Hedge Witch by Rae Beth, organised by Bibi's Circle. Venue: Rons Coffee House, Holdrons Arcade 135a, Rye Lane London SE15 4ST. Time: 6pm. Tickets £10.46 (includes copy of the book) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/56277271483?

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

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

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

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

Thursday 30 April (tbc but usually last Thursday every month); Talk at Hertford Pagan Moot. Venue: The White Horse Pub, 33 Castle Street, Hertford, Herts SG14 1HH) (45 mins from central London). Time: 8pm. https://www.facebook.com/groups/104788436218047

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

Friday 1 May (1st and 3rd Friday each month); Pagan Portal Podcast by Moon Books. Time: noon (or listen to recording later). Free event. https://open.spotify.com/show/11N4kNj65tTz9NFUcZTMa7?

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

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

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

Saturday 2 May; Walking in the footsteps of your year, at this Beltane Solar Festival, with

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

Saturdays 2 May (tbc); Beltane at Coldrum Stones with Kent Gorsed. Venue: Coldrum Long Barrow, West Maling, Kent. Time: noon. Free. https://www.facebook.com/kentgorsedd/

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

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

Saturday 2 May (date tbc but usually first Saturday each month); Gong Bath. Venue: Upminster Sanctuary Pea Lane, Upminster, RM142XH. Time: 7pm. Tickets: tbc. https://upminstersanctuary.com/

Saturday 2 May (every full and new moon); Moon Space online event via She's Lost Control. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £15. https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

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

Sunday 3 May (first Sunday each month); Compassion and Kindness - Collective World Meditation with Pauline Flitton. Online event. Time: 7:30pm - 8:30pm. Free. Contact Pauline 07415 054280 or Email

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

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 for some links.

Music: Scream! - A Passionate Song for Earth Day

2026-04-21T08:00:00.080+01:00

I'm delighted to share Scream!, a call to action for Earth Day, which is Wednesday 22 April in 2026. The link and info were sent to me by Pagan musician Alexian, who is based in Oviedo, Florida, USA.

Released for Earth Day, Scream! is a poignant single with an urgent environmental message. The track aims to resonate with listeners across the globe who are concerned about climate change and ecological damage.

"Art is the whisper that becomes a roar when words are not enough," said Alexian. "With 'Scream!', we give voice to the planet's cries for help amidst the silence of complacency."

Written over two decades ago but relevant today, “Scream!” offers an emotional narrative on humanity's impact on nature. The timing aims to galvanize listeners into awareness and action.

"In moments where destruction feels inevitable, music offers both solace and solution," said Alexian. "We must recognize art’s potential as a catalyst for transformation, both personal and planetary."

More than just another addition to his repertoire, “Scream!” exemplifies Alexian’s aim to art that transcends entertainment by fostering spiritual connection and introspection. It taps into global conversations around Earth Day, period marked by reflection on human-environment interaction.

You can find it here: www.AlexianMusic.com/scream

What are you doing for Earth Day?

On Wednesday 22 April, if you are in London you could take part in an Earth Day Ceremony with Sacred Earth Activism, Faith Bridge, Red Rebels, XR, Safe Landing and Movements. It starts at 10.30am in Trafalgar Square, London, with gentle march toward Parliament Square . There's more info here: https://www.facebook.com/SacredEarthActivism

Due to work, I won't be able to take part in the march or ceremony, but I will do something I've often done before, which is clear up the scattered litter in my street and put it in the recycling. It's a small thing, but everything anyone does helps a bit.

Book Excerpt: Love Philtres - Magicis Materiae of Witches

2026-04-20T08:00:00.057+01:00

Here's an extract from a new book called Love Philtres by Jon G. Hughes. The subtitle is The Magicis Materiae of Witches, Cunning Folk, Druids, and Conjurors. It's published by Inner Traditions International and Bear and Company:

Ethics Governing Love Magic

Cautionary Considerations on the Dangers of Crafting and Using Love Philtres and Other Love Magic Devices

One of the enduring dichotomies of the use of love potions is whether they may be cast with a genuine desire to enhance and direct an individual’s loving emotions toward another, or whether their use is a planned and deliberate attempt to coerce, entrap, or subjugate an unwitting individual, by someone wishing to manipulate and control them. The simple answer to this prevailing question is that, like all other forms of magic, Love Magic’s purpose and use is ultimately dependent upon the integrity of the adept employing it. Without exception, every aspect of magic is open to deliberate abuse, distortion, and exploitation. Similarly, every element of magic may be misused unintentionally, through the ignorance or lack of experience of the newly initiated adept. For millennia, the teacher–learner paradigm of the Druidic tradition has ensured that no neophyte can inadvertently misuse their burgeoning powers. However, there are no safeguards to prevent an experienced adept who is fully conversant with the ethics governing the use of all Love Magic from deliberately misusing the powers and knowledge they possess.

With this in mind, I make no apologies for choosing this section on the ethics and dangers of Love Magic as the first that readers encounter in this book, and I have little doubt that it may also be the most contentious. Since the earliest mention of the use of Love Magic recorded in the cuneiform tablets of the ancient Near East around 2300 BCE, we see repeated examples of the use of Love Magic as a means of coercion and entrapment, in a way that would most certainly be considered inappropriate, if not illegal, in the majority of today’s societies. While it may be easy to demonize the use of animal organs, human corpses, and many of the other bizarre substances used in these early love philtres, it should also be remembered that the borders between magic, religion, and nascent science were nonexistent when these early accounts were recorded some 4,300 years ago, and that the social and cultural mores of the time were very different from today’s.

While the use of the “blood from a blind infant, the flesh of a dead brigand and the black dust from a decomposing tomb” are recommended ingredients of a love potion devised by the Italian Girolamo Folengo (1491–1544 CE) in his “Le Maccheronee” (1519 CE),1 this does not mean that such materials would be considered acceptable ingredients for a modern-day love philtre. However, does this imply that using love philtres per se must be dismissed out of hand, even if other, more palatable (and legal) ingredients were to be employed? Furthermore, just because the infamous Bavarian physician and alchemist Albertus Magnus (c. 1200–1280), also known as St. Albert the Great or Albert of Cologne, recommended that a particular love charm should be “given to her to drinke when she knoweth not, and she shal desire no other man,”2 does this therefore suggest that all love philtres, or “love charms” as he refers to them, must be administered secretly without the knowledge of the subject for them to be effective?

Historical accounts drawn from ancient Greece, classical Rome, the Near East, and other arcane sources, tell us that such philtres and potions were used by scheming, manipulative individuals who would cast a spell upon an unsuspecting ingenue for their own malevolent purposes. Few if any of these spells appear to have turned out well. Medieval texts and later references from Shakespearean literature reinforce the sinister aspects of the use of such love philtres, once again with predominantly dire consequences. It must be noted, however, that these historical and literary references surely represent a very small proportion of the many, many occasions when love philtres were used, and moreover, we have no reliable information on the success or failure of the efforts that went unrecorded. One thing is consistent across all these accounts, however, which is that none of them suggest that the recipients/victims knowingly consented to the administration of the love philtres.

There is not a single account that may be interpreted as: Girl meets boy. Girl falls in love with boy. Boy is not so keen. Girl says to boy, “I’ve made this special drink that I believe will make you love me deeply, even though you may not want to. Will you drink it please?” Boy replies, “That seems like a good idea! Pass me the bottle!”

No matter how hard you try, it seems impossible to interpret any of these ancient accounts as anything other than coercion when viewed within today’s societal mores. Having said that, it seems unlikely that a person with little or no affection for another would willingly consent to taking a draft that would alter their feelings in such a profound way, sacrificing their own free will to the whims of someone who, by definition, they have no real affection for. Taking a love philtres by mutual consent seems an extremely unlikely (and infrequent) event. Does this then leave us with a definition of all love philtres as being solely malevolent potions that may only be used for unwitting coercion and entrapment? This takes us to the core of the love philtres dichotomy: are they malevolent, manipulative concoctions used for ill intent, or may they be innocuous, beneficial philtres, innocently used to amplify and direct existing, unrecognized emotions with harmless and loving intent?

It is imperative that these challenging ethical dilemmas be considered and resolved by anyone intending to craft and use any form of Love Magic in today’s world.

About the Author

Jon G. Hughes is from of a lineage of Druids that has been practicing for five generations in a remote area of Wales. He is now teaching the tradition at his home in western Ireland and gives workshops and seminars throughout Europe under his Welsh name, Cynon. Author of Sexual Practices of the Druids, he is the director of the Irish Centre for Druidic Practices.

Love Philtres is published by Inner Traditions International and Bear & Company, © 2026. All rights reserved. http://www.Innertraditions.com Reprinted with permission of publisher. Available wherever books are sold.

Pagan Eye: Samurai Goblin Helmet at the British Museum

2026-04-17T08:00:00.054+01:00

The helmet on the right depicts a Japanese mythological creature. I took the photo at the Samurai exhibition currently on at the British Museum. Here's the details about the two items of head gear:

"Helmet designs could be inspired by nature, myth, or the wider world. These helmets are formed to represent the mythological tengu goblin... The cylindrical brimmed hat shows how the arrival of European objects...also inspired new designs."

The Samurai is an iconic figure, evoking images of formidable fighters possessing ideals of courage, honour and self-sacrifice. The exhibition shows how much of this is actually invented tradition, but I was fascinated by the amount of mythology and spirituality that inspired customs and designs.

The Samurai exhibition runs until 4 May. The British Museum is at Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Adult tickets are £25 but members get in for free. Find out more here: https://www.britishmuseum.org/

Pagan Eye Posts

Previous Related Links

https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/03/pagan-eye-gods-from-hawaii-at-british.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/05/british-museum-exhibits-ancient-india.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/03/pagan-eye-woodland-witch-from.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/02/pagan-eye-roman-dragon-standard-at.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/05/exhibition-gods-goddesses-in-luxury.html
badwitch.co.uk/2022/09/pagan-eye-goddess-aphrodite-at-feminine.html

Review: Shadow Seer Tarot - Dark Archetypes

2026-04-16T08:00:00.252+01:00

Shadow work is an important part of spiritual development in many magical practices. It's about looking into aspects of ourselves that are unconscious or we shy away from because we don't like them. The Shadow Seer Tarot, by Maja D’Aoust, is a new deck of cards to help us do that.

It uses the traditional tarot format, but with dark archetypes relating to the familiar cards. For example, when I was trying out it out I drew Forlorn, the Shadow Seer version of the Star. The book that comes with the set said that everyone likes to wish upon a star, and is happy when the hopeful major arcana card appears. The flip side is relying too much on false hope, then feeling despondent if it fails. It's better to recognise that we don't know for sure what will happen in the future. We can best work towards a good outcome by being realistic.

The reading came when my moods were oscillating because I was going through a time of uncertainty. The message was helpful. Also, it wasn't a particularly nasty card to draw. I reckon most people would feel more uncomfortable if, for example, they drew the Murderer (Death) or even the Spoiled Brat (6 of Cups). This deck doesn't condone criminal activity or bad behaviour. What it does is show us that these are still part of the human experience.

Shadow work is about recognising that many of us might feel like we want to kill someone even if we never would, or behave in a selfish way without realising it. The messages are gentle reminders to consider our needs and desires. Rather than shove them back into our subconscious or, indeed, do something terrible, we can consciously take actions that are helpful for personal and social development.

This is what publisher Inner Traditions says on its website:

“The Shadow Seer Tarot deck and guidebook give methods to see through the blind spots of ordinary tarot readings into the heart of what is often hidden. Using Hermetic principles, Maja D’Aoust defines oppositional energies as they relate to the cards of the tarot. With the alchemical method of reconciliation through opposition, she looks deeper into the familiar meanings of the Major and Minor Arcana to give readers insight into the shadow energies at work in their lives to reveal a path toward wholeness. By inverting the archetypes and revealing their shadow side, or “darchetypes,” Maja opens portals of understanding to the bad behaviors that we often attempt to conceal, repress, or deny.”

The artwork on the cards is white line drawings on a black background, emphasising hands, faces and eyes. These are important to human communication. Maja D’Aoust writes that the art was inspired by a visionary journey to the underworld and seeing the images of hands in ancient cave paintings. Our hands are a major part of how we identify as humans, and the physical way we manipulate the material world.

While I like the artwork, and understand the symbolism, what impressed me most were the words in the book giving definitions of the cards and suggestions on how to work with them. I'll be continuing to use the deck for personal guidance going forwards.

You can view the Shadow Seer Tarot on Amazon as well as on Inner Traditions' website, linked to above. It is officially published in May 2026, and is available for pre-order, but I was lucky enough to see a preview copy for review.

(Please note: I earn commission from some links)

Magical Online & London Events in the Next Weeks

2026-04-15T08:00:00.019+01:00

Now – Friday 17 April; An Exhibition of Handcrafted Artifacts by the Artistic Workshop LOGOS 373, relating to Aleister Crowley and Thelema. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 1LY. Time: 11am – 6pm (closed Sunday) Free entry https://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Now to 20 April; Welcome To Fairy Land - Luciana Nedelea Art Exhibition. Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. Time: Museum opening hours, free entry https://thelasttuesdaysociety.org/museum/events-exhibitions/

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

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

Now – 19 April; Expecting: Birth, Belief and Protection Exhibition. Venue: Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE. Free https://wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions/thirst-in-search-of-freshwater

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 - 1 November; Exhibition: The Saxons. Opening day has talks, storytelling, crafts and other live events. 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

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

or email: rainbowawakening1@gmail.com

Wednesday 15 April (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 15 April; Tarot Twins: Doppelgangers and Duals, workshop with Laetitia Barbier. Online via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets: £90. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 15 April; Manifestation Poppet Workshop. Venue: Crystal Wicca, West Wickham, BR4. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets: £44. https://www.facebook.com/TheCrystalWicca

Wednesday 15 April (most Wednesdays); Gong Bath. Venue: Akasa, 5a Prince Edward Rd, Hackney Wick, London E9 5LX. Time: 7pm. Tickets: from £23.46. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/sunita-kaur-34415293427

Wednesday 15 April (every Wednesday); Feeling Sound. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £18. https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

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

Wednesday 15 April; Spring Witchcraft Practices. Workshop with Levannah Morgan via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £15. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Wednesday 15 April; Researching the Weird and Wonderful. Talk by Dr Ciaran O’Keeffe 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 16 April (most Thursdays); Shamanic Dance with Luisa Passalacqua. Venue near Wandsworth Town Station, London. Time: 11am. Tickets donations (or free) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/luisa-passalacqua-16972493584?

Thursday 16 April; Awakening the Serpent Power. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Road, Eltham SE9. Time: 2.30pm. Tickets £20. https://www.wiccamooninherservice.co.uk/ or https://www.facebook.com/wiccamoonuk/

Thursday 16 April (every Thursday); Midweek Meditation with the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 3pm. Tickets: free for members/£7.50 non members. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk

Thursday 16 April; Respell Your Reality with Lisa Lister. 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 16 April; Swedenborg’s core texts: Afterlives: Influence and Legacy. Venue: Swedenborg House, 20/21 Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2TH. Time: 6pm. Tickets £3. https://www.swedenborg.org.uk/events/introducing-core-texts-swedenborgs-heaven-hell/

Thursday 16 April; The Art of Intuitive Colour. Start of 2-session course run by Tyrone Cusack, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £95. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 16 April; May Folklore with Three Ravens. 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 16 April; 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 16 April; Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris on The Book of Birds: A Field Guide to Wonder and Loss. Vemue: The MCT at Alleyn's School, Townley Road, London, SE22 8SU. Time: · 7.30pm. Book plus ticket: £45 (includes a signed copy of The Book of Birds, book RRP £35) Standard ticket: £12. Concession ticket (under 18): £10. https://www.village-books.co.uk/events/robert-macfarlane-and-jackie-morris-on-the-book-of-birds-a-field-guide-to-wonder-and-loss

Thursday 16 April; New Moon Women's Circle - Spring Renewal. Venue: East Dulwich Community Centre, 46-50 Darrell Road, London SE22 9NL. Time: 7pm. Tickets £16.96. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/bibis-circle-56277271483

Thursday 16 April; 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

Friday 17 April (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/

17-19 April; Inipi Sweatlodge Ceremony Weekend with Joseph Christlow organised by Aho Studio. In-person camping event. Venue: Berkeley farm, a few miles outside London. Tickets: Full event £210, day tickets from £70. https://www.aho.community/

Friday 17 April (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 17, Saturday 18 April (and other dates); Stars In Their Eyes: A Zodiac Themed Tour of the British Museum by Sacha Coward. Venue: The British Museum, Great Russell Street. London WC1B 3DG Times 6pm/2pm. Tickets: £19.12. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/25512092243?

Friday 17 April; 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/

Friday 17 April; Hex and the City Walking Tour with Maria Beadell of Herstorical Tours. Meet: Cowcross St, Farrringdon, London EC1M 6BY. Time: 8pm. Tickets: £25. https://www.herstoricaltours.co.uk/

Saturday 18 April; Strange Central: Mysteries, Monsters, Ghosts and UFOs. One-day conference with London Fortean Society. Hybrid event. In-person venue: Conway Hall Ethical Society, London, WC1X 8. Time: 9.30am-5pm. Tickets from £12. https://conwayhall.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/1173671347?f

Saturday 18 April; Special Event: Techniques of Prediction, talks by four top astrologers. Online event the Astrological Lodge of London. Starts 10am. Tickets £10/£15/£20. https://astrolodge.co.uk/

Saturday 18 April; Madder Mill Molly. Venue: various locations around London Bridge, SE1. Time: from 10.30am. Free, just turn up to watch. https://www.facebook.com/events/1272810307803031?

Saturday 18 April; Enhancing Your Mediumship Messages. Workshop with Tony Stockwell. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 18 April (and other dates); Reiki and Sound Healing. Venue: Hilton, 61 - 67 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3HU. Time: 11am. Tickets £30. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/121074557489?

Saturday 18 April (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 18 April (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 18 April; Walking the Weirdstone. Archaeology and the Works of Alan Garner lecture by Dr James Wright. 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 19 April; Group Constellation Workshop by Avideya. Venue: 30 Friern Watch Avenue, London N12 9NT. Time: from 10am to 5pm. From £53.80. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/avideya-30020254011

Sunday 19 April; Year of the Fire Horse. Start of three-session lunar experience with Crystal Wicca. Venue: West Wickham, BR4. All-day workshops. Tickets: £200 for the entire course. https://www.facebook.com/TheCrystalWicca

Sunday 19 April; Women's Forest Bathing in South Norwood Lake and Grounds. Meet at Sylvan Road, London SE25 4AN. Time: 11am. Free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/parkbathe-34393467709

Sunday 19 April; Birthing the New Earth with 5D Energy. Workshop with Natasha Astara. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Time 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 19 April (and other dates and times); Soul Restore Sound Healing. Venue: The Mandrake, 20-21 Newman Street, London W1T 1PG. Time: 11am. Tickets: £30. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-mandrake-17825575648

Sunday 19 April; The Riddle of the Sphinx. Museum visit with London Wiccans. Venue: British Museum, Great Russell St, London WC1B 3DG. Time: 2.30pm. Tickets tbc. https://www.meetup.com/london-wiccans/events/313308728/?

Sunday 19 April; Dawn of the Oak Pagan moot. Venue: The Sir John Oldcastle, Farringdon Road/Greville Street, London EC1M 3JF. Time: 3pm. 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 19 April; Shamanic Breathwork Journey withg Linda Star Wolf. Online via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 6pm. Tickets: £90. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 19 April; Pagan Speed Folk Acoustic Night with PerKelt and guests.Venue: Top Floor, 6 Manor road, Stoke Newington,, London, N16 5SA. Doors open 6.45pm. Tickets: £16.75. https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/London/The-Others/Pagan-Speed-Folk-Acoustic-Night-with-PerKelt-and-guests/42278085/

Sunday 19 April; Works from The Witchcraft Series: Anne Jackson. 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 20 April; Meditative Art and Visualisation. Online via Rest Less Events. Time: 10am. Tickets £3.99 per class. https://events.restless.co.uk/event-calendar/

Monday 20 April; The Rise and Fall of Witch-hunting 1450-1700. Start of evening class course with Vanessa King via City Lit. Online event. Time: 3.15pm. Full fee: £139. https://www.citylit.ac.uk/

Monday 20 April; Beltane by Bibi's Circle. 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 20 April; Initiatory Wicca vs Solitary Witchcraft Class with Rebecca Beattie, author of Planetary Magic and Nature Mystics, via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm start, delayed viewing available. Tickets: £15. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Monday 20 April; The Cleveland Experiment: An Experimental Approach to Sufi Healing Phenomena, with Jamal Hussein. Online presentation hosted by the Society for Psychical Research via Zoom. Time: 8pm. Tickets: Free for members/£5 non members. https://www.spr.ac.uk/

Monday 20 April; Voodoo and Afro-Caribbean Paganism 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 20 April (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 21 April; Introduction to Astrology - The Houses. Part of series of astrology talks via Rest Less Events. Time: 2.30pm. Tickets £3.99 per class. https://events.restless.co.uk/event-calendar/

Tuesday 21 April (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 21 April; Picturing The Dead: Spirit Photography c.1860-1940. Talk by Dr Helen Frisby via the Folklore Society online. Time: 7pm. Tickets £6. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-folklore-society-32190494089

Wednesday 22 April (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/

Thursday 23 April; Water by Jalal Ad-Din Muhammad Rumi with Haleh Liza Gafori. Online poetry reading and talk via Watkins. Time: 5pm. Free but reserve a place https://www.watkinsbooks.com/events

Thursday 23 April; 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 23 April; 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

Friday 24 April; 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 24 April (4th Friday of the month); The Wild Wood Tarot study group. Free online event. Time: 7pm. https://www.meetup.com/astrotarotkitchen/events/

Sunday 26 April; 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 26 April; 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 26 April; The Folklore and Women Course. Start of 6-session online course by Prof Diane Purkiss via Seed Talks. Time: 5pm. Tickets £35 - £80. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/36463428713?

For activities after these dates please visit my events page.

Rounding the Year: Helping Birds in the Nesting Season

2026-04-14T08:00:00.012+01:00

Here's a coot sitting on a nest in Crystal Palace Park, near where I live. I took the photo at the weekend, but I've also been watching bluetits, magpies and other birds getting reading to raise chicks.

I regularly go for walks in my local parks and see birds returning to the same sites each year, including coots at Crystal Palace. Sometimes they're successful, sometimes the weather is against them and the nests flood or a dry spell causes other problems. At the moment, avian flu is also killing many birds.

This year the RSPB is pointing out that bird feeders can spread diseases as birds congregate there, so it's best to pause them from early May to October. Only have them up in the colder months and keep them scrupulously clean. You can put out fat balls or mealworms during the breeding season. Better still, plant wildllife friendly flowers and plants in your garden.

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/2026/01/rounding-year-when-snowdrops-bloom.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

Celebrating My Gothic Novel Erosion Being 2 Years Old

2026-04-13T08:00:00.035+01:00

Two years ago my Gothic novel, Erosion, was officially published. I'll be celebrating the anniversary.

I'm still hugely proud of my story about a group of friends finding an ancient burial site on an eroding Kent cliff. Rather than tell the authorities, they decide to do a seance to contact the spirit of the woman they believe is buried there. You can see a quote from the book in the graphic above.

It's a magical ghost story, but it's also about friendship over a summer by the sea. Here's the synopsis from my publisher Moon Books' website:

''It all began when we found the bones…'' This is the start of Erosion, a gothic novel set on the English coast, in 1987, the year of the Great Storm. Violent weather is but one of the problems a group of friends face when they discover an ancient grave inside a crumbling cliff and decide to unearth a skull. Supernatural mystery intertwines with the problems of human relationships, of earning money, of following dreams.

If you want a further taster, I blogged with a short extract from the text. You can find it here: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/04/sea-magic-extract-from-erosion-my.html

Endorsements and Reviews

I'm still very grateful to Ben Aaronovitch, author of the Rivers of London series of novels, for writing the endorsement that appears on the cover of Erosion:

"An elegiac tale of memory, growth and regret set along the crumbling coast of 1980s Kent."

Other reviews have also been highly positive. Witch and author Ness Bosch wrote:

"Erosion is a great read. Lucya weaves a colourful story with great characters and the bittersweet emotional turmoil of the drama. Yes you need to get the bigger picture at the beginning, once you have it, it flows like water.
"No only is it engaging but Lucya manages to transport us back in time, to younger years, to the intense emotions, the frustrations, the bravery, the fears. That is pretty good already, but on top of that is the magic inside the book, the mystery, I would say beyond Gothic. I see proper Necromancy in these pages. I even loved the name of the ghost."

Arietta the Crafty Witch has reviewed my Gothic novel Erosion on her YouTube Channel. You can find the link here.

I put a few of the other comments I've received on an image that you can see below.

Where to Find my Books

Here are some of the places you can find Erosion and my other books:

My publisher is Moon Books, an imprint of Collective Ink. You can see Erosion on the website via this link: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/our-books/erosion-novel
Before most shops had copies of Erosion, Treadwell's bookshop in London hosted a signing event. The shop still stocks copies of my titles. Pop in or order online. Treadwell's Bookshop is at 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. The website is: www.treadwells-london.com/ .
Paperbacks can be ordered from Bookshop.org, which supports independent bookshops.
Erosion can be also be viewed on Amazon

(Note: I earn commission from some links.)

Other Previous Related Posts

http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/08/art-and-writing-coastal-erosion-and.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/04/video-launch-of-erosion-my-gothic-novel.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/04/my-gothic-novel-erosion-is-published.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/11/heres-how-to-read-my-christmas-ghost.html

Book Review: The Fairy Courts by Morgan Daimler

2026-04-10T08:00:00.163+01:00

In popular imagination, fairies are largely divided into two types: the nice Seelie court, and the bad boys of the Unseelie. In a new book, The Fairy Courts, Morgan Daimler delves into the history of this concept - and finds it isn't quite that clear-cut. In fact, the terms seelie and unseelie were originally only used in lowlands Scotland, not in Ireland, Wales, England, France or indeed anywhere else in the world.

Nevertheless, fairies have frequently been described as being part of a royal court system, usually under a queen, but sometimes also a king. This has nothing to do with how mean they were likely to be if a human encountered them. It was more a set-up in the same model as human royal retinues, with knights, ladies in waiting, and servants etc.

Here's a synopsis of The Fairy Courts, from Moon Books' website:

"The Fairy Courts is an in-depth exploration of its subject, from the original Scottish to modern fiction, mapping out beliefs and how they have evolved. It covers the social structure of fairies, the history of the Scottish Seelie and Unseelie courts, the fairy courts outside Scotland, and it offers a look at how fairy courts are being adapted today in fiction and belief. The Seelie and Unseelie courts have become a staple in fiction and a common idea in pop culture, yet their origins and how they were and are understood in Scottish folklore have become obscure. The Fairy Courts discusses the history of belief as it is traced from the 1500s to today, concluding with a chapter about the ways that folk belief and anecdotes show us how a human might survive in a fairy court."

As that synopsis says, Morgan explores exactly how the terms Seelie and Unseelie developed and spread. To a large part, it's down to fiction of the past 50 or so years. So, as well as delving in to folk beliefs through 500 years of history, The Fairy Courts has a chapter on urban fantasy, showing that a literary need for easy protagonists, antagonists, threats, allies and love interests, popularised the concept of opposing groups of fairies. Another chapter on RPGs shows how the concept of seelie and unseelie fairies fitted nicely in the Dungeons and Dragons alignments system, and the different houses and clans of the World of Darkness games.

Overall, it's a fascinating read - a must for anyone with an interest in the history of fairy beliefs and fantasy literature.

About the author
Morgan Daimler teaches classes on Irish myth and magical practices, fairies, and related subjects internationally. She has been published in multiple anthologies as well as articles in various magazines, and she is one of the world's foremost experts on all things Fairy. Besides the titles available through Moon Books Morgan has a high fantasy novel Into Shadow through Cosmic Egg and has an urban fantasy/paranormal romance series called Between the Worlds. Morgan has also presented papers on fairies and on fairies and witches at several university conferences.

You can find The Fairy Courts at publisher Moon Books' website (linked to earlier), and view it on Amazon.

Please note I earn commission from some links

Occult London: Atlantis Bookshop Celebrates Crowley

2026-04-09T08:00:00.111+01:00

"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law" is Aleister Crowley's most famous quote, and it comes from The Book of the Law.

Every year, the Atlantis Bookshop in London celebrates the anniversary of Crowley's reception of The Book of the Law by publicly declaring the three chapters, over three days. There's an open invitation to pop in and experience this annual occult event. I was there yesterday and listened to Geraldine Beskin reading Chapter One – Nuit (pictured above).

Today, Thursday 9th April, you can go along to hear Chapter Two – Hadit, starting at noon. At the same time on Friday you can hear Chapter Three – Ra Hoor Khuit.

What's special this year is that from now until Friday 17th April the shop is also hosting an exhibition of magical robes and handcrafted ritual artifacts relating to Thelema, the magical tradition founded by Aleister Crowley. The Art and Beauty of True Will is the creation of the artistic workshop LOGOS 373. You can see a photograph of part of it below.

The Atlantis Bookshop is at 49a Museum Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 1LY. It's open from 11am – 6pm (closed Sunday). Entry to the exhibition and readings is free. You can just turn up. More details here: https://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Magical Online & London Events in the Next Weeks

2026-04-08T08:00:00.022+01:00

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

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

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

Every Tuesday to Sunday; 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/

or email: rainbowawakening1@gmail.com

Wednesday 8 – Friday 17 April; An Exhibition of Handcrafted Artifacts by the Artistic Workshop LOGOS 373, relating to Aleister Crowley and Thelema. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 1LY. Time: 11am – 6pm (closed Sunday). Free entry https://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Wednesday 8 - Friday 10 April; Celebrating Aleister Crowley's Three Days of the Writing of The Book of the Law. Annual event. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49A Museum St, London WC1A 1LY. Time: noon. Free event, just turn up. https://theatlantisbookshop.com/

Wednesday 8-10 April; Finding Your Life’s Purpose: An Interactive Workshop on the True Will with Dr. David Shoemaker, hosted by Atlantis Bookshop. Venue: The Plough, 27 Museum St, London WC1A 1LH. Time: 7pm each evening. Tickets £16 www.totss.org or https://theatlantisbookshop.com/events/event/finding-your-lifes-purpose-an-interactive-workshop-on-the-true-will/

Wednesday 8 April; Meet Your Guides, Helpers and Gatekeepers. Start of 8-session course run by Hernan Cotroneo, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £255. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 8 April (most Wednesdays); Gong Bath. Venue: Akasa, 5a Prince Edward Rd, Hackney Wick, London E9 5LX. Time: 7pm. Tickets: from £23.46. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/sunita-kaur-34415293427

Wednesday 8 April (every Wednesday); Feeling Sound. Venue: She's Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road, London. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £18. https://sheslostcontrol.co.uk/collections/all-events

Wednesday 8 April; An Evening With the Author of 'Pixie', Jill Dawson. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Times 7pm. Tickets: free, but reserve a place. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 8 April (2nd Wed each month); Spirits of Place 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 8 April; Crowley's 'Book of The Law'. Start of 2-part workshop with Julian Vayne via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm start, delayed viewing available. Tickets: £50. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Wednesday 8 April (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 8 April; Calm Within: A Breathwork and Sound Bath Journey. Venue: Beckenham Place Mansion, Place Park, The Mansion, Beckenham BR3 1SY. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £45. https://www.beckenhamplace.org/whatson/

Wednesday 8 April; Wealth and Wicca Series: Protection, Banishing and Reversal. Venue: Crystal Wicca, West Wickham, BR4. Time: 7.15pm. Tickets: £30. https://www.facebook.com/TheCrystalWicca

Wednesday 8 April; Britain’s Black Hauntings and The Future. Talk by Tré Ventour-Griffiths 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 9 April (most Thursdays); Shamanic Dance with Luisa Passalacqua. Venue near Wandsworth Town Station, London. Time: 11am. Tickets donations (or free) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/luisa-passalacqua-16972493584?

Thursday 9 April; HERMĒNEIA 2026 Esotericism in the Modern World: Bridging Scholarship

and Public Engagement. Venue: Swedenborg House, The Swedenborg Society, 20/21 Bloomsbury Way London WC1A 2TH. Time: 11am - 6pm. Tickets £100 https://www.marcovisconti.org/hermeneia?

Thursday 9 April; Heal Your Shadow, Reclaim Your Power, workshop with Abiola Abrams, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £95. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 9 April (every Thursday); Midweek Meditation with the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 3pm. Tickets: free for members/£7.50 non members. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk

Thursday 9 April; The Going Down by Duncan Barford. 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 9 April; Magick Without Tears Moot. Venue: Fitzroy Tavern, 16 Charlotte St., London W1T 2LY. Time 6pm. https://www.facebook.com/groups/mwtpubmoot

Thursday 9 April; Swedenborg’s core texts: Reading Heaven and Hell. Venue: Swedenborg House, 20/21 Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2TH. Time: 6pm. Tickets £3. https://www.swedenborg.org.uk/events/introducing-core-texts-swedenborgs-heaven-hell/

Thursday 9 April; Noke Kuin Fundraising Hapé Circle and Concert with Pana and Memy Kamanawa. Venue: Shoreditch and Soul, The Sanctuary, London E2 6EJ. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets: £37.50. https://www.tickettailor.com/events/junglegateway/2090848

Thursday 9 April; Bran: A Mabinogion Tale. 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 10 April (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 10 April; Celtic Magic: A Practitioner's Guide by Brigid Ehrmantraut. 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 10 April (and other dates); Southwark Hyseries with Maria Beadell of Herstorical Tours. Meet: Green Dragon Court, London SE1 . Time: 6pm. Tickets: £22.50. https://www.herstoricaltours.co.uk/book

Friday 10 April (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 10 April; 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/

Fri 10 April; Greco-Egyptian Statue Magic. In-person workshop with Jules McArthur. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Tickets £25 per person. https://www.treadwells-london.com/.

Friday 10 April (Normally the 2nd friday of every month); Wiccan Apprentice Circle (1 of 9) 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: free, but donations welcome. More info: https://mani.org.uk/ or visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/mani-woodland-witch-34325436803

Friday 10 April; Game of Crones - performance. Venue: Stanley Hall; 12 South Norwood Hill, London, SE25 6AB. Time 7:30 pm till 9:15 pm. Tickets £17. https://stanleyarts.org/event/game-of-crones/?

Friday 10 April (and other dates); Cosy Candlelit Gong Bath by Claire The Soul Nurturer. Venue: Secret Soul Sanctuary, Sydenham Hill, London SE23 3PH. Time: 7.45pm. Tickets: £20.21. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/claire-the-soul-nurturer-35479207053

Saturday 11 April; Palmistry for Beginners workshop with Madalyn Aslan. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Times 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 11 April; The Tools of a Medium, workshop with Maria Antoniou. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Times 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 11 April; Belostra 2026 organised by Pagan Future Fests. Live music, market stalls, readers, talks and workshops. Venue: Cryer Arts Centre, 39 High St, Carshalton SM5 3BB. Time: noon - 11pm. Tickets: £30 all day - £15 evening only (5pm - 11pm) https://www.paganfuturefests.org.uk/tickets-for-belostra-2026?

Saturday 11 April; Brothers: Meet Up, Work and Fireside Gathering. Berkeley Farm. Event organised by Aho. Venue: Berkeley farm, a few miles outside London. Time noon-6pm Tickets: free. https://www.aho.community/

Saturday 11 April; Candle magic workshop based on my book Pagan Portals - Candle Magic. The venue is Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. It starts at 1pm and tickets are £25 per person. To find out more and reserve a place visit: https://www.treadwells-london.com/.

Saturday 11 April; Death and Dreams: The Liminal Realms. Workshop with Tree Carr, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 1pm. Tickets: £95. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 April; Festival of Magical History with 4 talks each day. Online 2-day event via the Folklore Library and Archive. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £11.55 per day. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-folklore-library-archive-68703440013?

Saturday 11 April; Moon Magic Circle. Venue: Wicca Moon, 50 Well Hall Road, Eltham SE9. Time: 2.30pm . Tickets £20. https://www.wiccamooninherservice.co.uk/ or https://www.facebook.com/wiccamoonuk/

Sunday 12 April (and other dates and times); Soul Restore Sound Healing. Venue: The Mandrake, 20-21 Newman Street, London W1T 1PG. Time: 11am. Tickets: £30. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-mandrake-17825575648

Sunday 12 April; Malice Market. Venue: Chislehurst Caves, Imperial Place, Chislehurst, NW Kent. Time: 11am. Free entry. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1335736923852705/

Sunday 12 April; Learn to Interpret Playing Cards with Bel Senlle. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Times 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 12 April; Poetry as Ritual and Revelation. Workshop with Sarah Fletcher. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Times 11am. Tickets: £130. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 12 April; Crystals workshop at North West Kent Pagans Moot. Organised by NWK Pagans for members of the group. Venue: Chislehurst Caves, NW Kent. Time: 11.30am. https://www.facebook.com/groups/445487428816887

Sunday 12 April (and other dates); Mythic London Walking Tour with with Caroline Wise, organised through Treadwells. Meet outside St Mary le Strand Church, Strand, London, WC2R (nearest tube: Temple). Time: 11.50am. Tickets: £35. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Sunday 12 April; Magic For Overcoming Creative Blocks. In-person workshop with Mark Vincent. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 1pm. Tickets £60 per person. https://www.treadwells-london.com/.

Sunday 12 April; Crystals for the Heart and Soul, workshop with Nicholas Pearson, via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 2pm. Tickets: £95. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Sunday 12 April; Mindful Stroll and 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 12 April; Ritual in the Tower (Luna Iter). In-person ritual in Hackney, East London for members of the group, guests and seekers on the path. Meet at the Pembury Tavern, 90 Amhurst Rd, London, from 4.30pm, moving on to a historic site to start the ritual at 6pm. Entry: £10. https://www.hildegardmaier.co.uk/luna-iter or https://www.facebook.com/groups/1230392930656154

Sunday 12 April; Labyrinth Walking Meditation. Venue: Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, 3 Pilgrim's Place, London NW3 1NG. Time: 7pm. Free, but donations welcome. https://www.rosslynhillchapel.org.uk

Monday 13 April; Graveyards, mourning and boozy burials: Talk and tasting with Millie Milliken of Wet Ink. Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. Time: 6pm. Tickets from £26.20. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-last-tuesday-society-viktor-wynd-museum-33776720489

Monday 13 April; Rachel Pollack's 'Trans Central Station. Talk and Soirée with Sarah Schulman and Morgan M Page. Venue: Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £10, or £15 with book. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Monday 13 April; Hermetic Magical Training. Start of 4-Part course with Course with Julia Phillips via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £120. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Monday 13 April (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 13 April; River Spirits, Drowned Ghosts and Water-Witchest. Talk by Lena Heide Brennand 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 13 April (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 14 April (and other dates); Journalling and Creative Writing for Wellbeing. Online via Rest Less Events. Time: 2.30pm. Tickets £3.99 per class. https://events.restless.co.uk/event-calendar/

Tuesday 14 April (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 15 April; Manifestation Poppet Workshop. Venue: Crystal Wicca, West Wickham, BR4. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets: £44. https://www.facebook.com/TheCrystalWicca

Wednesday 15 April; Spring Witchcraft Practices. Workshop with Levannah Morgan via Treadwells Online. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £15. https://www.treadwells-london.com/events

Wednesday 15 April; Researching the Weird and Wonderful. Talk byDr Ciaran O’Keeffe 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 16 April; 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/

Friday 17 April (tbc but usually 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 17 April (tbc but usually 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 17 April 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/

Friday 17 April; Hex and the City Walking Tour with Maria Beadell of Herstorical Tours. Meet: Cowcross St, Farrringdon, London EC1M 6BY. Time: 8pm. Tickets: £25. https://www.herstoricaltours.co.uk/

Saturday 18 April (and other dates); Reiki and Sound Healing. Venue: Hilton, 61 - 67 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3HU. Time: 11am. Tickets £30. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/121074557489?

Saturday 18 April (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 19 April; Group Constellation Workshop by Avideya. Venue: 30 Friern Watch Avenue, London N12 9NT. Time: from 10am to 5pm. From £53.80. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/avideya-30020254011

Sunday 19 April; Women's Forest Bathing in South Norwood Lake and Grounds. Meet at Sylvan Road, London SE25 4AN. Time: 11am. Free. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/parkbathe-34393467709

Sunday 19 April; Shamanic Breathwork Journey withg Linda Star Wolf. Online via the College of Psychic Studies. Online event. Time: 6pm. Tickets: £90. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

For activities after these dates please visit my events page.

Pagan Eye: Constable's Stonehenge at the Tate Britain

2026-04-07T08:00:00.005+01:00

Constable's watercolour of Stonehenge with a rainbow in the sky above it is one of my favourite paintings of the famous ancient monument. I took this photo of it at the Turner and Constable exhibition at the Tate Britain, in London, which I went to see over the bank holiday. It's only on until 12 April. I'm so glad I managed to get there before it closed as it's a fabulous chance to view paintings by two of England's most famous artists.

Many years ago I managed to take an actual phtograph of Stonehenge with a rainbow above it. It's hardly anything to compare with Constable's work of art, but if you want to have a look, here's the link: www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/01/pagan-eye-rainbow-over-stonehenge.html

My Pagan Eye posts show photos that I find interesting - seasonal images, pagan sites, events, or just pretty pictures. 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.

Other previous related posts
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/08/pagan-eye-women-artists-and-moon-goddess.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/08/art-tate-britains-ithell-colquhoun.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/02/british-museum-exhibition-world-of.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/03/pagan-eye-woodland-witch-from.html

Craft: I Painted Pebbles - It was Easier Than Expected

2026-04-03T08:00:00.039+01:00

Ages ago I picked up a craft kit called Paint Your Own Mandala Stones, but the designs on the front looked so complicated I put off using it. This week, with Easter coming up, I realised the techniques might not be much different from painting seasonal eggs. As I didn't have any wooden eggs to paint, and didn't want to waste real eggs for environmental reasons, I thought I'd give rock art a go. You can see my attempts in the picture at the top.

The kit contained four pebbles, tiny pots of paint, brushes, thin dowels or sticks and the booklet. The instructions gave a clear explanation of how to get those dot patterns. You use a stick to dob tiny spots of paint onto the surface. You also need a set of compasses to draw circles and arcs, and a ruler for straight lines.

My attempts weren't as neat as those in the book, but it was pretty easy to do and I quickly got better with practice. Apart from teaching the techniques and instructions for various patterns, I'd say you don't need the kit if you already have paint and paintbrushes. You can use flat pebbles you find in your own garden, if you have one, or buy them cheaply from craft shops. The wooden end of a paintbrush can be used to apply the blobs of colour if you don't have dowels, or you can paint things freehand of course.

The kit calls them mandala stones because they're loosely inspired by Hindu and Buddhist spiritual symbols used for meditation and to contemplate harmony in the world. I actually found the process of creating them was relaxing - the perfect antidote to a stressful week. They will go on my altar.

Previous related posts

https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/04/craft-slow-stitch-scraps-and-scents-egg.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/01/magical-craft-my-2026-wheel-of-year.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/09/craft-autumnal-wheel-of-origami-leaves.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/04/april-mandala-blossom-and-shadows.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/03/upcycling-crafts-paper-flowers-from.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/08/mandalas-spiritual-circles.html