Here's an extract from a new novel called Witches of Fawsetwood by Dorothy L. Abrams. It is set in 12th century Cumberland, Northern England, where witches grow wary as they try to avoid Church arrest.“[Me old lass will] no’ teach me. She says a girl has little choice in her fates if she take th’ Goddess ta her, an’ she’ll no’ have me do it. Yer may gar ta th’ Goddess an’ fly on her back, but me old lass will no’ let me cross ta th’ worlds beyond this. She says I be too young an’ will be all me life."  Els sounded bitter. “I trow yer mistook her meanin’,” Margot joined in. “Yer well ..read more

Practical Magic is the latest must-have interior decor theme, or so I've been told. Admittedly, my info came from an agency that promotes homeware shops, but I'm happy to accept what they said in this instance: "With autumn just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to infuse your home with a touch of enchantment. Inspired by the cult classic 90s movie "Practical Magic," this product round-up captures the whimsigothic charm and mystical allure of the Owens' iconic home. Think Victorian gothic elegance meets whimsical touches: antique furniture, rich textiles, and a palette of deep, moody ..read more

Here's a list of events for pagans, witches and those with similar interests over Lammas and the next couple of weeks. There are online things you can do anywhere plus in-person talks and workshops in or near London, and some rituals and festivals further afield. Now to 30 July; Seeing Beyond the Veil: Exhibition of Artworks by Clare Ormerod. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB. Starts: 11am. Free entry. https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/ Now to September; Let Me Be Mad! Absinthe Exhibition. Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 1 ..read more

Community gardens are springing up all over London. The one in the photo is in my home patch of south east London. It's on a housing estate behind a shopping centre in SE20. I've been blogging about green London over the past year to show the city and suburbs are places where nature thrives as well as where people live and work. I started doing this after several conversations with fellow pagans who believe  London is all concrete. It most certainly isn't. This summer I've been focussing on my local area, showing the a mixture of gardens, parks, and road verges allowed to grow wild. I wa ..read more

The Witching Hour is a ghost story about a haunted woodland house. It turns the theme of The Blair Witch Project on its head, showing patriarchal oppression as the real monster. I went to see the play at Bridewell Theatre earlier this week and found it suitably scary. At points I genuinely jumped out of my seat. It has a great set and is well acted, but what I liked most is the way it tackles the theme of witchcraft accusations The setting is Torhill Wood, a remote spot in the English countryside with a history of paranormal sightings and missing persons. Twenty-first century psychologist Eri ..read more

Here's a list of events for pagans, witches and those with similar interests. There are online things you can do anywhere plus in-person talks and workshops in or near London, and some conferences and festivals further afield. Now – Saturday 20 July; The Witching Hour theatrical performance. Venue: Bridewell Theatre, 14 Bride Lane, London EC4Y 8EQ.  Time: 7.30pm Monday - Thursday with two shows on Friday and Saturday. Tickets: £22.50-£29.50 https://www.thewitchinghourlive.com/ Now to September; Let Me Be Mad! Absinthe Exhibition. Venue: Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare ..read more

Here's the official announcement that I'm writing a new novel. It's another Gothic tale - this time a ghost story set at Christmas. One of the characters also appears in my first published novel: Erosion, but you won't need to have read that in order to enjoy this story. I started writing the new book a couple of months ago and am now up to chapter 8. I wanted to get at least a quarter of the book finished before announcing it on my blog, just in case I lost momentum. However, I'm pleased with how it's going and hope to have the first draft finished before this Yuletide. Of course I'm us ..read more

Here's another green London post about my home patch: Winsford Gardens in SE20. I was walking past the gates on my way to a shop the other day and accepted the invitation to come in and smell the roses. They were, indeed, in perfect bloom and their scent was wonderful. The gardens were once private, but were given to London Borough of Bromley as a public park in the 1970s. An active group of local residents currently manage the gardens and keep them in wonderful shape, as you can see from the photo at the bottom.  There's a lovely rosarium, areas planted with bee-friendly flowers, benche ..read more

Here's a bee enjoying some red dead-nettle beside a road in my home patch of south-east London. The local council has allowed wasteground below advertising hoardings to grow into a mini-wildflower meadow. I photographed the bee in the picture at the top, and other wildflowers in the picture below, yesterday. I've been blogging about green London over the past year or so. My aim is to point out that the city and suburbs are places where nature thrives as well as where people live and work. I started doing this after having several conversations with pagans who believe  London is all conc ..read more

I'm sure most witches and pagans have long known the benefits of havng plants around our homes. It seems others are catching up with us. New study shows more than half of Britain use houseplants to improve wellbeing.  In fact, it's such a growing trend that a luxury bedroom retailer, Feather and Black, did a study via OnePoll to find out how people like indoor greenery. It found that on average people have 6.5 houseplants in their home, with over a third of the population owning between three and five. One person in 20 has more than 20 plants indoors. What's even more interesting is that ..read more