Today's the day my Gothic novel, Erosion, is officially published!   This afternoon I'm doing a free online event to mark the launch. You're welcome to drop in and say hello if you want. I'll be reading a short section from the book and answering any questions. I'll be going live at 3pm, but the recording will be available to watch later if you prefer. You can find the details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/426303556406630/? If you want a taster of what the book's like, I blogged with another short extract, which you can read here: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/04 ..read more

Beltane and May Day are in a week's time, on May 1, although the bank holiday is the following 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, I also list in-person things taking place in or near London - and a few larger events further afield.   Now - 22 June; Making More Mischief: Folk Costume in Britain. Folklore exhibition. Venue:  LCF East Bank, 105 Carpenters Rd, Stratford,  London E20 2AR. Time: 10am - 5pm. Free entry. https://www.arts ..read more

Divining or dowsing rods are a traditional tool used by witches and cunning folk to find water, lost items, and even buried treasure. There are many kinds, but the easiest type are simply made from local twigs.  All you need to do is go for a walk in a wood, park or your garden after there's been a storm and pick up a suitable fallen branch with a Y-shaped fork. Trim it down to a suitable length so you can use the two branching parts of the Y as handles and the single stem as the pointer. About 30-45cm is probably about right, but you can leave it longer or cut it shorter if you prefer ..read more

    Today is Earth Day, and the focus this year is on trying to reduce single-use plastic. Obviously it's best to avoid buying plastic things in the first place, but most of us still sometimes do. The video at the top shows how to turn a plastic bottle into a bird feeder, created by the Natural History Museum. I'm going to have a go at crafting one myself today from the empty squash bottle you can see in the photo on right. Here are instructions in writing: Materials neded Plastic bottle (with cap) A stick (or two) A pin Scissors String Making the bird feeder Clean the bot ..read more

The beautiful photo of lilac in bloom at the top of this post was taken by my witchy friend Jane Mortimer. She sent it to me with the message: "Just thought I'd send you a snap I took of the lilac blossom in my back garden before it goes over. It smells absolutely divine, and each time I go out there I just have to bury my nose in it. I wish I could bottle the lovely scent.  The dried flowers don't smell anything like as good as when they're fresh, so I just have to accept that lilac blossom is one of the fleeting pleasures of April!" I replied: "Just the other day I was walking through ..read more

If you haven't seen The Cult of Beauty at London's Wellcome Collection, I recommend popping in and having a look before it closes. I was surprised at how many objects are related to magic, spirituality and world religions.  The photo at the top, which I took when I was there, shows the sculptures 'Esquiline Venus' and 'Idolino' from 500 BCE. They are typically what many think of as ideal male and female bodies. Behind them you can glimpse another marble statue: ‘Sleeping Hermaphroditus’, which apparently combines ideas of the beauty of Venus with that of Dionysus/Bacchus.  In anoth ..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 - 22 June; Making More Mischief: Folk Costume in Britain. Folklore exhibition. Venue:  LCF East Bank, 105 Carpenters Rd, Stratford,  London E20 2AR. Time: 10am - 5pm. Free entry. https://www.arts.ac.uk/colleges/london-college-of-fashion/cultural-programme/making-more-mischief Now - 2 June; Rediscovering Gems - Exhibition of gems depicti ..read more

Pagan Portals - Rounding the Wheel of the Year,  which was published exactly 6 months ago, has reached a milestone! My publisher, Moon Books, has told me it's sold more than 500 copies.  A big thanks to everyone who bought it, left reviews, or told me they've enjoyed reading it. In the book I go into the history behind seasonal folklore, annual customs and modern pagan traditions as well as offering practical suggestions for celebrating the turning of the year. Here's the description: "Every month is full of magic, each day has its own energy, and the seasons rotate as par ..read more

Making More Mischief is an exhbition of folk costume that's currently on at the London College of Fashion's building on the bank of the River Lea in East London. It shows the variety of folk costumes in Britain, and explores the reasons people create them, wear them, and use them to perform traditional and annual customs.  I visited and took the pictures you can see on this post. All but the buttons are from the main gallery, which displays a variety of folkloric costumes I expect most of my blog readers will recognise, including those from Morris dancing, Jack-in-the-Green parades ..read more

Nature's Confetti is a beautiful animation of falling cherry tree blossom, and you can see it for free at the Now Building, behind Tottenham Court Road Underground station. I took the photo last weekend after teaching a practical magic class at Treadwell's and then doing a book signing. I felt I wanted to sit somewhere beautiful and chill out. This was perfect. The Now Building is a huge public atrium with LED screenson the walls, ceiling and everywhere except the floor. It shows a daily schedule of entertainment - usually short films, photography and animations. You can go in for free withou ..read more