By Emma-Jane Cross As the days drift past, the sun edges closer to the north, journeying towards the pinnacle of its path. Now normally for those of us living in the northern hemisphere this would mean lazy-hazy hot days filled with sunshine, however it seems like someone didn’t get the memo this year as June 2024 is everything from grey and drizzly to stormy with hail! And although the weather feels topsy-turvy, behind all those clouds the sun is still on its pilgrimage and thousands of people will soon be on a mission to sacred historic sites across the world to celebrate the shortest ..read more

By Sadhguru “Yoga” is a comprehensive word suggesting union. Whatever leads to union can be called yoga. Or in other words, from the simple act of breathing, to sitting here, walking, eating, and whatever else a human being does – all of it can be transformed into yoga. So if I am eating and I am conscious that I am making something that is not me a part of myself – I am uniting with something that I was not till ten minutes ago – if that is your experience, you can call this “eating yoga.” The word “yoga” has been used in the past with a certain understanding, but today it is used loosely, f ..read more

One of the first, and indelible Greek mythology stories that I encountered in the early days training as an astrologist was the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice. The heart-wrenching plot stands as a poignant symbol of love, loss, and the tumultuous journey towards healing. This ancient narrative, while draped in divine elements, offers timeless wisdom on the human condition and the enduring quest for solace amidst the shadow of grief. Sing, O’muses, of Orpheus, the legendary musician and poet, whose dulcet music could charm even the gods and soften the hearts of the fiercest. He was of unparallele ..read more

By Emma-Jane Cross Paganism and Nature Spirituality  Despite the best efforts of the rains and ever returning frost the blossoms are… Well they’re blooming. Which can only mean one thing: Beltane is here! Beltane, celebrated from 30th April to May 1st, is very much a festival on the wheel of the year that is known to be of Celtic origin. Beltane is a Celtic word, a combination of the Celtic God ‘Bel’*, meaning ‘the bright one’ and the Gaelic word ‘teine’ meaning fire. Beltane is held at the peak of spring. At Beltane our Celtic ancestors wanted to encourage Bel’s support, ergo the sun, t ..read more

Greg Branson explores how to express the psychic gifts within a mystical nature. It was May 1972 when I enthusiastically left my home in Australia and flew off on a three month sabbatical to the mother country in search of my true purpose in life. My previous spiritual activity had been confined to reading books and attending occasional lectures at the theosophical meeting house which were far too stuffy and arcane for my liking. A couple of Indian gurus had come and gone and, after two years as the only man in a hatha yoga class, I gave up subjecting my knees to torture in the lotus position ..read more

 by Emma-Jane Cross   The wheel of the year soon turns to Imbolc. Ever so gently the land is awakening from its winter slumber and beginning to stretch its roots and shoots. Finally, even amidst a blanket of snow we can see the first signs of life, telling us that spring will soon return.   Imbolc is a special festival on the wheel not only because it is the festival that celebrates that winter is coming to an end, but also as its placement on the wheel denotes it as a cross quarter festival. Meaning it is a festival not dictated by the movements of the sun, but is a festiv ..read more

We are delighted to share with you Watkins’ 2024 list of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People – spiritual teachers, activists, authors and thinkers that change the world. The list came out in print in the issue 76, Winter 2024 of Watkins Mind Body Spirit magazine on January 11 and you can get a copy of this issue here or take out a full year’s subscription here. Watkins bookshop in London has been encouraging spiritual discovery and providing seekers with esoteric knowledge for over 120 years. In 2011, we started publishing the 100 list with the goal of celebrating the world’s li ..read more

by Kevin Walker   As a professional oral storyteller, researching, creating and writing a collection of Buddhist folk tales, was an exciting prospect. I have been telling stories for a living for well over twenty years but only writing since 2018.  My first book, also published by The History Press, is a collection of short stories entitled Queer Folk Tales and I relished creating and writing those original stories. Buddhist Folk Tales was a totally different project. Most of these tales are retellings of stories already told by one of the greatest storytellers ever known, Buddha him ..read more

by Emma-Jane Cross   The leaves are rustling. There’s a hint of ice in the rain. And the nights grow ever darker. The wheel is turning, the veils between the worlds are thinning and Samhain is drawing near…. Which also means that everyone is obsessing over pumpkin spiced lattes, and the desire to hibernate under blankets grows stronger each day. The wheel is definitely turning and nature is reminding us that we are well into autumn and moving on our way to winter. But before we get there Samhain comes on the 31 October, a bridge between the seasons, giving us a point of transition from th ..read more

by Jason Pack Is humour more like wine or more like a magic trick? Worded differently, if you are a comedy lover, is it better to know more about how humour works as then you can appreciate it more? Or, does knowing more spoil the wonder? Knock, Knock: In Pursuit of a Grand Unified Theory of Humour by William Hartston (2023, Watkins Books) is a fantastic and wide-ranging investigation of how humour works. Firstly, the book is a potted history of Western philosophical inquiries into the nature of humour. Secondly, the book attempts to synthesize its own universally applicable theory of hum ..read more