On Saturday evening, at 8.30pm, people all over the world will turn off electric lights for Earth Hour. This is an annual event that takes place as a symbol of commitment to the planet on a Saturday close to the Spring Equinox. Many of those who take part, do things by candlelight.  Candles offer the perfect light for creating change as they alter the atmosphere in a room. We use them to make a meal for two a romantic dinner, to turn our bathroom into a relaxing spa, to make a ghost story really spooky, or to make our homes feel more comforting. Even if the effect is only psychological ..read more

One of my resolutions this year was to write a poem for each of the eight festivals in the Pagan Wheel of the Year.  The Spring Equinox is today, March 20, in 2025. It's when day and night are equal length, and can be viewed as the turning point from winter to summer. Yet, as we are well aware, in England the weather doesn't suddenly switch from being cold to being warm. The shift is more gradual than that, which is what inspired this poem. Equinox Winter, Summer Day, Night Before, After Goddess, God. Are these opposites? Or might they meet in spring and half-light? Mingling and mergin ..read more

Tomorrow, 20 March, is the astronomical equinox. The day and night will be equal and it is a celebration of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. There are magical events taking place from now onwards, and here's a list of online and in-person things to do. I generally list events in the UK, especially in or near London because that's where I live, but some are a bit further afield. Now - 30 April; Tarot Then and Now exhibition. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 1LY. Times: Mon-Sat 10.30am-6pm, Wednesdays until noon. Talks: Wednesday from 14.30pm. F ..read more

Plumstead Common, in South-East London, exists today because of historic protests. Back in the 19th century common land was sold off for development, preventing local residents from grazing their cattle or using the space for leisure. A massive protest - and riots - eventually saved the land for the people. The Plumstead Common Act 1878 ensured 100 acres of land remained public green space. The photos show a small part of the common near the bus stop, taken as the sun broke through clouds. I was on my way to visit a friend, so didn't have time to explore further. However, other parts of the c ..read more

Here are photos I took at the weekend when I visited two Japanese gardens in West London's Holland Park. They are the Kyoto Garden, which was created to celebrate the Japan Festival in London in 1992, and the Fukushima Garden, which opened in 2012 as memorial for the nuclear power station trajedy that shocked the world. Both are beautiful quiet places for reflection and contemplation. As you can just make out in the photos, blossom was just starting to appear on the cherry tree and camellia by the waterfall. I suspect this week both will be in full bloom, so do pop along to see if you have a ..read more

Tarot is all the rage in London right now. The pictures on this post show displays at Tarot Then and Now, an exhibition of decks, art, and other related items that's currently on at the Atlantis Bookshop. There's a second exhibition at the Warburg Institute: Tarot – Origins and Afterlives. I blogged about that when it first opened. Yesterday, I popped into Atlantis to compare the two. They're very different. The Warburg exhibition offers a historical overview from a scholarly perspective, but the one at Atlantis shows fascinating, rare, and unique objects owned and used by dedicated prac ..read more

In the early hours of Friday March 14, people in England will be able to watch a lunar eclipse. It will be visible in London between 3.57am and 5.09am. Although Londoners will only see a partial eclipse, viewers in some parts of the world, including America and Ireland, will get to see the eclipse in full. This is the first lunar eclipse of 2025, the second taking place in early September. Blood Moon A lunar eclipse occurs when the sun and the moon are on opposite sides of the Earth. The Earth casts a shadow over the moon, making it turn red and giving it the name Blood Moon. A eclipse only h ..read more

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, and festivals further afield.   Now - 30 April; Tarot: Origins and Afterlives Exhibition. Venue: The Warburg Institute, Woburn Square, London WC1H 0AB. Free entry with prebooked timed tickets  https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/ Now - 30 April; Tarot Then and Now exhibition. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, Bloomsb ..read more

Daffodils seem to be out everywhere after a few days of sunshine. The picture above shows one of many growing in my garden.  They are an iconic flower of March and the weeks around the Spring Equinox. However, seeing them always makes me feel a little sad because this is the time of year that my mum died.  She loved the daffodils that grew around our house. Shortly before she died I picked a large bunch of them to put in a vase near her bed. Now, the sight of them reminds me of her, and the happy memories are tinged with lingering grief. Sharing seasonal photos Inspired by ideas in ..read more

  Tunbridge Wells, in Kent, is famous for it chalybeate springs, the water from which was fashionably drunk for health-giving properties in the 18th and 19th centuries. The best known spring can still be seen at the Pantiles in the town, but another can be found at nearby Dunorlan Park.  I went to the park for a picnic and a walk in the warm, sunny weather last Saturday. While I was there I video'd the iron-rich water bubbling to the surface. An ancient yew tree stands on the grassy bank above it, which you can see in the photo below.  Water from the spring feeds a small stre ..read more