Bad Witch Answers: A Spell to Grow Knowledge

Someone who read my blog emailed me with a question: "Do you have a spell to grow my knowledge?"

My short answer is that magic is no substitute for learning. If you really want to gain indepth knowledge about any subject then you need to read books on the topic or take classes on it or do lots of your own research. However, mythology does offer supernatural ways in which humans have gained knowledge without the hard study.

In Irish mythology a story goes that a salmon ate nine hazelnuts that fell into the Well of Wisdom. The magical mix of the nuts and water turned the fish into the Salmon of Knowledge. It didn't do the salmon a whole lot of good though, because a poet, Finegas, got the idea that if he ate the salmon he'd gain all that knowledge himself. However, it's a little unclear if it was knowledge or wisdom that he hoped to gain, or both. It took Finegas seven years to catch it, but he did. He then asked his servant, Fionn, to cook it but told him not to eat any of it. Of course Fionn had a little taste, as most cooks will, meaning Fionn gained the knowledge - or wisdom - and Finegas got very angry. 

You could use the symbolism of this tale in the quest for knowledge. Here's a spell idea:

First get a notebook, pencil, nine hazelnuts and spring water. 

Take the hazelnuts and spring water out into a place in nature, ideally beside a natural waterway, and leave the nuts and springwater as an offering. Then, spend some time in that place contemplating the specific topics in which you wish to increase your knowledge, why you want to do so, and what practical efforts you are going to make towards that goal. Make notes about any thoughts that came to you. 

Return to the same place seven times. Continue your contemplations and make any further notes. On the seventh visit, look around the area for something you know is edible and which it is OK for you to pick. You might have to research those things as you really don't want to poison yourself and you also don't want to break any laws about foraging. You don't need to take much. Fionn gained the knowledge of the salmon just by licking some fat from it that was on his fingers. As this is symbolic rather than a reenactment, you don't have to go fishing! It could be something like a single dandelion leaf that was growing in the grass. 

As you eat, ask the Salmon of Wisdom to guide you in your efforts to gain the knowledge you desire.

The photos were taken by myself. One shows a waterway out in nature, the other shows nine hazelnuts

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/11/review-pagan-portals-gods-goddess-of.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/01/celtic-mytholology.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/01/candle-magic-spell-for-springtime-wishes.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/04/inspiration-mantras-and-bead-necklace.html

Interview: Author Luke Eastwood on Irish Tales & Folklore

Luke Eastwood is druid and a prolific author, particularly of books about Irish folklore. Dingle Folk Tales is his second collection of stories from Ireland, following Kelly Folk Tales. I chatted to him.

Q: What interests you about tales from Ireland? Does this relate to your background in Druidry?

A: It's not essential to modern Druidry, however the bardic arts would be a major component of the Druidic path both in ancient times and in the neo-druidic movement. Geaneology, wisdom tales, songs, poems and histories would all be part of the cannon in the past, with a massive amount of memorization required. Today the learning by heart is not a requirement,  which suits me as that is not one of my  strengths.

Nonetheless, the creative arts are vitally important in druidism and story-telling is significant part of that, especially in Ireland. The Seanchaí (bearer of old lore), Seanchaidh in Scotland, is a role that still exists in a less formal way within society - with people telling stories in houses, at funerals etc to this day. In the modern Druid movement it is a distinct role as a story-teller of lore, the mythology, most commonly told from memory.

I've always loved stories, reading and mythology, I grew up hearing and reading stories of the British Isles, Rome, Gaul, Greece and the Vikings and I accidentally stumbled across Egyptian mythology in a library and loved it immediately. Sadly, I am not the best at remembering all the elements or names in a story, I have to sometimes use a flashcard or post-it to remind myself! If I can remember where I am and all the key names I can usually manage a decent tale, but I find they are always slightly different as I will ad lib around the main story.

Q: Which are your favourites from your book, and why?

A: I found the Ryan's Daughter story a  lot of fun, not least of all the scandalous goings-on of Robert Mitchum during the filming around Dingle, some of which was very amusing indeed. I also loved the story "The Leprechaun and The Old Couple", which is another very funny, although very short story. A more serious one is "Inis Tuaisceart", about the most northerly Blasket isle, which serves as somewhat of an environmental horror story, a warning if you will, of what happens when people are stupidly greedy and destroy their own means of living.

Q: What do you feel is the importance of storytelling in general, and folk tales in particular?

A: Real physical culture is more important than ever in this ages of virtual communication. There's nothing like sitting under the stars by a campfire and sharing stories, poems and songs. It's very direct and real and can often be quite touching, sad or joyful and emotional. It feels  to me like we are losing the ancient culture and connection with the past to an armada of technology. Personally I don't think it's a good road for humanity, although on the flip side it can connect people who are in far away places or people who are isolated by disability, lack of money etc, so that they can also join in or watch. I guess  it's  how you use the tech that's the key here and if it can be used to keep traditions and knowledge alive then I guess that's a good thing.

Q: How did you go about collecting and editing the tales for publication?

A: It took me 2 or 3 years to collect all that's in this book. I had to stop somewhere as there were so many possibilities, otherwise this book could have ended up 1,000 pages and taken over a decade! I was lucky to meet many people who were either directly involved in some of the more modern stories or who had connections with the places or people in the older stories. I also had access to some old books as well as the Dúchas Schools Collection from the 1930s. I tried to get a good mixture of the ancient mythology,  stories from the past few hundred years and also modern stuff - such as Fungie the dolphin.

Q: What advice would you give to people who wanted to explore the folk tales of their own area?

A: I guess the most obvious places to start are seeking out old people and visiting your local library. Often librarians will prove to be useful (they were for me) and many older people may either remember interesting stories or know an older person who has an interest in history and/or mythology. A lot can also be gleaned from mythology books if you don't have anyone to physically ask for stories.

Q: Are you working on any more anthologies or other writing?

A: I'm working on an illustrated children's book (with Elena Danaan) and also a photographic book on sacred sites in Ireland. That's also a collaboration with a photographer, which will hopefully result in a large format book, with some historical lore/info to accompany the images. These are both long finger (put-off) projects  that I'd like to complete  this or next year, but I am trying to avoid starting anything completely new for a while.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to say?

A: Recently I've come across quite a few artistic people who are now doing okay or very well despite a slew of rejections and disheartening events in the past. Being artistic is not easy and you really need to have confidence in your abilities if you're ever going to succeed. Of course, you need to be realistic about your potential but, at the same time, not be deterred by all the nay-sayers. At the end of the day, most of these people who judge you harshly or hold power over you have money and profit as their primary motivation and are often the least qualified to judge authenticity, passion and talent. If you can remember that and not let the industrial/corporate paymasters undermine and dishearten you, then you have some chance. Even if you do fail, artistic endeavours are worth doing for their own sake anyway!

You can visit Luke Eastwood's website here: https://lukeeastwood.com/

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/02/review-druids-primer.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/10/book-review-samhain-roots-of-halloween.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/03/book-extract-druid-garden-by-luke.html

Book Swap Find: Irish Witchcraft from an Irish Witch

I'm incredibly lucky that my local station has a brilliant book exchange library. There's set of shelves in the waiting room where you can leave books you've finished with and take any that interest you. I love browsing there while waiting for a train - my only guilt is that I probably take more books than I leave.

Earlier this week I saw a copy of a book called Irish Witchcraft from an Irish Witch, by Lora O'Brien, and it is now mine.

I've no idea how good it is, and I won't have time to start reading it for a while as I have two essays and a creative project to write by the end of the month for my MA course. However, it was a find that made my day.

I must make more effort to dig out books to donate to the station swap library, but parting with books is so much more difficult than acquiring new ones!

You can view Irish Witchcraft from an Irish Witch on Amazon.

Survey Leads to Book & Map of British & Irish Fairies

Where to find fairies in the UK

Today, a major modern history of British and Irish fairies is officially published. The book Magical Folk: British and Irish Fairies – 500 AD to the Present is by Dr Simon Young and Dr Ceri Houlbrook, who conducted a survey on modern fairy beliefs.

Britain's Belief in Fairies is Going Up

Dr Simon Young, lead scholar of Magical Folk: British and Irish Fairies – 500 AD to the Present, concluded as part of the research the first scholarly online fairy survey over four years that British people's belief in fairies is increasing.

Only four per cent said they did not believe in fairies, while 44 per cent of the respondents said they had actually seen fairies. Twenty-three per cent they had seen a fairy once, 57 per cent saw them occasionally and 20 per cent saw them regularly. The rising number of sightings correlates with the popularity of films about myths and the supernatural such as The Lord of the Rings (based by JRR Tolkien on a Worcestershire fairy recorded as being seen near his aunt's house).

The online questionnaires included detailed questions about the geographical, social and religious background of the respondents as well as their actual experiences. Dr Simon Young and Dr Ceri Houlbrook (Fellow at Hertfordshire University) were supported by a team of leading folklore and history researchers from the Universities of Chichester, Bristol, Cardiff, Cork, Dublin, the Folklore Society and Bourne Hall Museum.

Britain's Fairy-Map: British Fairies Like Cities

All of those who provided detailed descriptions of their sighting of British and Irish Fairies also added geographical locations where they saw (or continue to see fairies). This data allowed Dr Simon Young to draw up the first fairy map for Britain. The map of sightings by respondents addresses at least one previously unanswerable question – where in Britain one is most likely to encounter fairies and where fairy researchers are most likely to encounter people who see fairies.

Overall, 80 per cent of people saw fairies once or occasionally, which suggests that a special sensory talent is not necessary to come across British or Irish fairies.

Britain's top fairy towns are London (more than 50 per cent of regular city sightings), Birmingham, Bath, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

Britain's top fairy counties are Devon, Cornwall, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, London, Essex and Oxfordshire. Yorkshire, where the Cottingley Fairy photographs were taken, is still one of Britain's most active counties where fairies are regularly sighted

British and Irish Fairies are Not Necessarily Nice

British fairies are not necessarily nice tutu-wearing butterfly-sized creatures. Respondents who encountered British and Irish fairies reported that they were angry (particularly in Essex and Scotland) and mischievous. Some respondents reported that their encounters were sexually and erotically charged (especially in Essex, Hampshire and Somerset). Fairy sizes varied from leaf-size to 15ft giants.

For further information on the results click on this link: Britain's Fairies Are Not Necessarily Nice

You can view Magical Folk: British and Irish Fairies – 500 AD to the Present on Amazon

Craft: How to Make a Brigid's Cross for Imbolc

Brigid's crosses, like the one in the photo above, are traditionally made in Ireland on 1 February, which is St Brigid's feast day. They are also often by pagans for the festival of Imbolc on the same day, celebrating the first stirrings of spring. While Catholics honour St Brigid, Pagans honour Brigid who is the Celtic Goddess of poetry, the fires of the smith's forge and healing wells as well as having a variety of other roles too.

A Brigid's cross is usually woven from straw or rushes. As well as looking like a cross it represents the sun, which is noticeably increasing in strength as the days lengthen.

The crosses are traditionally hung over doors or windows as a protective symbol and are particularly associated with keeping homes safe from fire. Personally I would get a smoke alarm too, but a little magical help can't hurt. You can, of course, also put them on Imbolc altars to honour the goddess, then light a candle to represent her sacred flame.

I decided to have a go at making one. There are lots of easy to follow instructions to be found in books and online, but I've set out the basic steps using strips of paper in the other photos on this post.

You need about 14 straws or rushes. I bought natural crafting straws from a hobby shop, but you could pop into your garden and pick suitable dried plant stalks if you prefer to follow olden ways.

Soak the straws to make them supple.

Start the cross by placing one straw straight upwards, then fold a second straw in half and place it around the middle of the straight straw, as in the photo top right.

Turn the two straws 90 degrees to the left, fold a third straw in half and place that around the folded second straw so that it is parallel to the right half of the first straw.

Turn the cross 90 degrees again, fold a fourth straw in half and place it around the third straw, holding that in place.

Keep on turning the cross, folding a new straw and placing it around the previous one until you have a suitable sized woven square in the middle of the cross. Then tie the ends of the arms with string or cotton.

It is a bit fiddly, but not really that difficult once you get the hang of the basic process. The picture at the top shows my first attempt and I'm reasonably pleased with it.

If you want to find out more about the goddess Brigid, I recommend the book Brigid: Meeting The Celtic Goddess of Poetry, Forge, and Healing Well. It is by Morgan Daimler and is in Moon Books' Pagan Portals series. You can read my review of it here: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/03/review-pagan-portals-brigid-celtic.html

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/03/review-pagan-portals-brigid-celtic.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/02/candle-magic-brigids-flame-snowdrops.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigid's_cross

Review: Pagan Portals - Gods & Goddesses of Ireland

If I ever want to know anything about Irish mythology, the person I turn to is Morgan Daimler, because she really is a fount of knowledge on the subject.

Morgan is an Irish Reconstructionist, a druid and a witch. She teaches classes on Irish myth and magical practices, fairies, and related topics in the United States, and is the author of several books. Her latest, Pagan Portals - Gods and Goddess of Ireland, is a superb introduction to the subject and a fabulous reference book for any pagan who wants to work with the deities of Ireland.

Publisher Moon Books says on its website: "A concise guide to the Gods and Goddesses of pagan Ireland, their history, mythology, and symbols. Rooted in the past but still active in the world today, the Gods and Goddesses of Ireland have always been powerful forces that can bless or challenge, but often the most difficult thing is to simply find information about them. This short introductory text looks at a variety of different Irish deities, common and more obscure, from their ancient roots to the modern practices associated with honoring them in, an encyclopedia-style book with entries in easy-to-use sections."

Gods and Goddesses of Ireland is a great addition to the Pagan Portals series, which offers short, well-written and affordable introductions to pagan subjects. You can order it via Amazon.

Links and previous related posts:
http://www.moon-books.net/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/10/review-morrigan-meeting-great-queens.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/03/review-pagan-portals-brigid-celtic.html

Review: Pagan Portals - The Cailleach

With the Summer Solstice behind us, winter is coming...

...and one of the most famous goddesses of winter is The Cailleach from Gaelic mythology. Her name means "hag" in Scottish, but she appears in tales from Ireland, the Isle of Man and some parts of England as well as from the northern lands. Also, according to a new book called Pagan Portals - The Cailleach by Rachel Patterson, she is far more than just a winter crone.

In fact, Rachel says in her introduction: "She has many myths and legends all passed down verbally and most of them have the same theme, that of renewal, each generation adding or changing bits of the story to suit the times...turning her from a goddess of creation, wisdom, harmony and rebirth into a dark and evil hag. She does seem to have been given the ‘Hollywood’ treatment making her out to be the ‘bad guy’ and trapping her in the confines of winter. But she is so much more…"

Primarily she is a goddess of the landscape, according to Rachel, and is associated with many mountains, caves, rivers and landmarks. Much of the work Rachel has done in researching her book is in collating tales and folklore from around the British Isles that might have a connection with The Cailleach. I thought this was fascinating reading and has given me a real urge to visit some of these ancient sites to photograph and blog about them. Some are even relatively close to me in southern England - so The Cailleach certainly doesn't only have Scottish associations.

Publisher Moon Books says on its website: "The Cailleach - goddess of the ancestors, wisdom that comes with age, the weather, time, shape-shifting and winter. Within the pages of this book Rachel Patterson gives the reader an introduction to the mysteries, myths, legends and magic of the ancient hag goddess The Cailleach, drawing upon ancient legends, stories told and her own experiences."

There are also chapters on practical ways of working magic with the Cailleach, the lessons she teaches and a ritual to honour her. Rachel says that the book offers an introduction to this ancient goddess. I would say it goes a beyond being just an introduction. The small books has a wealth of information packed into it.

The photo at the top shows The Carlin's or Hag's Stone at the Commoncraigs, by Roger Griffith, shared from Wikimedia in the public domain. The stone is associated with The Cailleach.

Rachel's previous books include Arc of the Goddess, Grimoire of a Kitchen Witch and Pagan Portals - Moon Magic.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.moon-books.net/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/05/review-arc-of-goddess-by-rachel.html

http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/05/review-grimoire-of-kitchen-witch.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/01/review-moon-magic-for-full-moon.html

News: Health, Vikings, Occult, History, Witchcraft,

"Studies Reveal "Smudging" Eliminates Dangerous Bacteria in the Air" - story at EWAO: http://www.ewao.com/a/1-studies-uncover-the-medicinal-smoke-from-herbal-smudging-rituals-eliminates-dangerous-bacteria

"This ancient liquor popular among Vikings may be the answer to antibiotic resistance" - story at Business Insider UK: http://uk.businessinsider.com/r-honey-based-mead-may-curb-antibiotic-resistance-say-makers-2015-6?r=US

"W.B Yeats’s obsession with the occult celebrated with a major new exhibition" - story at Irish News: http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/wb-yeatss-obsession-with-the-occult-celebrated-with-a-major-new-exhibition-31297771.html

"There's a secret society of journalists who try to sneak a certain phrase into their stories" - story about the Order of the Occult Hand at Business Insider UK: http://uk.businessinsider.com/there-is-a-secret-society-of-journalists-who-try-to-sneak-a-certain-phrase-into-their-stories-2015-6?r=US

"Prevention of Witch Hunt Cannot Remain on Paper" - story at The New Indian Express: http://www.newindianexpress.com/editorials/Prevention-of-Witch-Hunt-Cannot-Remain-on-Paper/2015/06/11/article2859769.ece

"How Satan went viral: Interactive map shows where the Salem witch trials spread - and pinpoints the source of hysteria to a local reverend" - story at Mailonline: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3119165/How-Satan-went-viral-Map-reveals-Salem-witch-trials-spread-pinpoints-source-hysteria-local-reverend.html

The picture at the top shows three sage sticks for smudgingwhich can be ordered via Amazon.

News: Paganism, Archaeology, Hoax, Intolerance

"NI’s first pagan priest speaks of his hopes for pre-Christian religion" story at Belfast Media Group: http://belfastmediagroup.com/nis-first-pagan-priest-speaks-of-his-hopes-for-pre-christian-religion/

"The Minoans of Crete" - story at Archaeology: http://archaeology.org/issues/174-1505/features/3145-crete-minoans-gournia-excavations

"Haunted house prank scares the c**p out of London estate agents" - story at the Metro: http://metro.co.uk/2015/04/12/haunted-house-prank-scares-the-cp-out-of-london-estate-agents-5146308/

"IS executes an accused witch" - story at the Examiner: http://www.examiner.com/article/isis-executes-an-accused-witch

"Vatican Exorcism Course Aims Comes Amid Growing Interest in Occult" - story at NBC News: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/vatican-exorcism-course-aims-educate-both-priests-doctors-n343516

"Wiccan Priestess Blesses Iowa Legislature; Legislature Responds With Ignorance and Intolerance" - story at the Mary Sue: http://www.themarysue.com/wiccan-priestess-iowa-legislature/

News: Occult Books, Pagan Statue Theft, Imbolc, Art

"Book thieves target the occult' - story at East Oregonian: http://www.eastoregonian.com/eo/local-news/20150129/book-thieves-target-the-occult

"Penn Libraries Acquires Collection of 18th-Century Occult and Alchemical Manuscripts" - story at Fine Books and Collections: http://www.finebooksmagazine.com/press/2015/01/penn-libraries-acquires-collection-of-18th-century-occult-and-alchemical-manuscripts.phtml

"Bard behaviour: Burns transformation into witch hunter" - story at BBC News Scotland: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-30227774

"Manannán Mac Lír: Pagan priest says statue theft a hate crime" - story at the Londonderry Sentinal: http://www.londonderrysentinel.co.uk/news/local-news/manannan-mac-lir-pagan-priest-says-statue-theft-a-hate-crime-1-6543319

"Witchcraft in the US: Imbolc 2015 History, Facts and Celebration Ideas" - story at The Latino Post: http://www.latinopost.com/articles/13406/20150129/witchcraft-in-the-us-imbolc-2015-history-facts-celebration-ideas.htm

"Students inspired to create unusual art" - read to the bottom of this story in the Ilkeston Advertiser to find out about art based on an Wiccan shrine: http://www.ilkestonadvertiser.co.uk/news/local/students-inspired-to-create-unusual-art-1-7080951

News: Shamanism, Witchcraft, Harry Potter

"Summoning the spirits of their ancestors: Shamans from around the world gather in Siberia for ceremony timed to coincide with cosmic cycles" - picture special at the Mail Online: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2751139/Summoning-spirits-ancestors-Shamans-world-gather-Siberia-ceremony-timed-coincide-cosmic-cycles.html

"The witches of Winsford" - interview with a witch at the Chester Chronicle: http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/news/chester-cheshire-news/the-witches-of-winsford-7761513

"Lay of the land: I am not living next door to Alice" - the Independent.ie explains that Ireland does not have a history of witches: http://www.independent.ie/life/lay-of-the-land-i-am-not-living-next-door-to-alice-30585078.html

"‘Harry Potter’ Goes High Fashion With Fan-Made Witch Weekly Covers" story at MTV News: http://www.mtv.com/news/1929373/witch-weekly-harry-potter-memes/

News: Irish Hill of Tara Standing Stone Vandalised

Two news stories about the desecration of an ancient sacred site:

"Ireland’s Lia Fail Vandalized" in Archaeology: http://archaeology.org/news/2148-140529-ireland-tara-vandalism

"Pictured: Vandals desecrate ancient standing stone at Hill of Tara in Co Meath" in the Irish Mirror: http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/pictured-vandals-desecrate-ancient-standing-3621509

News: Handfasting, Samhain Dig, Power of Myth, History

"UK's first NAKED Pagan wedding takes place in Forest of Dean" on Gloucester Citizen.

"Dig at Halloween ritual site to get under way" on the Irish Examiner.

"Ancient warrior myths help veterans fight PTSD" on Yahoo! News

"How the Germans went crazy for witch hunts" on The Local

This Week's Pagan Events In and Near London

Saturday 13 April; Drum Mantra and Urubu's Four-Year Anniversary - evening of live music, dance, meditation and celebration. Venue: St. Peter's Church, 310 Kennington Lane, London SE11 5HY. Time: 7pm - 10.30pm. Tickets: £25 on the door/ £15 if rsvped on meetup: http://www.meetup.com/london-ecstatic-dance

Sunday 14 April; Treadwells Social Sunday: A chance to socialise with a cup of tea and at 2pm and 4pm there will be a ten-minute reading from pagan classic the Ulster Cycle (See Early Irish Myths and Sagas.Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Shop open from noon. Free social event. info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Sunday 14 April; The Alternative Bring and Buy Sale. Venue: The Dome, 178 Junction Road, London N19 5QQ.Time: 11am to 5pm. Entry 50p.

Monday 15 April, Through the Eyes of Love: Journeying with Pan, Book Three.Talk and book signing by Michael Roads at Watkins Books, 19-21 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 5.30pm. Free event. For more details Tel 020 7836 2182 or visit the website http://www.watkinsbooks.com/

Monday 15 April; Croydon Crows. PF moot held every 3rd Monday of each month at the Skylark pub, South End, South Croydon from 8pm onwards.

Monday 15 April; The Spirit of the Inca. Talk by Juan Nunez del Prado at Alternatives, St. James's Church, 197 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9LL. Time: 7pm to 8.30pm. Tickets £10/£5 concs. Advance booking essential. To book tickets and for more info visit the Alternatives website: http://www.alternatives.org.uk/Site/Talks.aspx

Tuesday 16 April; Plant and Tree Identification and Lore Bushcraft Evening Workshop with Liz Palser at Caer Corhain Shamamic Development Centre of the Isle of Sheppey, North Kent. Cost: £10. For more details on how to book, visit http://www.touchtheearthuk.com/

Tuesday 16 April;  Transforming the Global Agenda. Talk by Andy Thomas at the London Forum for the Study of Crop Circles and Other Mysteries Meetup Group. This group meets once a month at the George Pub, 213 Strand, London WC2 1AA. Starts at 7pm. Entrance £8. Details: http://www.meetup.com/The-London-Forum-Meetup-Group/ and http://www.londoncircles.net/

Thursday 17 April; Author Kristie Cook. Meet and greet the author of Soul Saversin store at Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Price: Free. Time: 5pm-7pm. info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Thursday 17 April; Akashic Jukebox - British Occultism and Music. Talk by Mark Pilkington at Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Price: £7. Time: 7.15pm for a 7.30pm start. info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Thursday 18 April; Weird Science: An Intro to Anomalistic Psychology - a talk by Prof Chris French. Venue: Brockway Room, Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL. Time: Doors open 6.30pm, 7pm start. Cost: donations. http://www.meetup.com/Central-London-Humanists/events/102778612/

Thursday 18 April; Croydon CoA Witches Gathering with talks and social activities at the The Green Dragon, High St, Croydon. 8pm start. For more details visit: http://www.witchfest.net/

Thursday 18 April; Druid Order Open Introductory Evening. A chance to learn more about at The Druid Order (A.D.U.B.) at an evening with talks and a meditation. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.15pm for 7.30pm start. Price: £7. For more details, call Druid Order on 020 8659 4879.

Saturday 20 April; Underground London: Welcome to Plato's Cave: "under-standing" and the Meaning of Life. Debate and discussion with philosopher Rick Lewis. Venue: Bishopsgate Institute, 230 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 4QH. Time: 2.30pm. Free entry and no booking required but limited places. http://www.bishopsgate.org.uk/event/299/Underground-London-Welcome-to-Platos-Cave-

Sunday, 21 April 21, 2013. Belostra 2013. A one-day pagan festival organised by Pagan FutureFests, with bands, talks, workshops, readings and stalls. Tickets £13 all day or £7 for evening entertainment only. 12 noon until 10pm. Details at www.paganfuturefests.org.uk

Sunday 21 April; Dawn of the Oak. Pagan moot on the third Sunday of each month. Venue: Upstairs at The Castle, 34-35 Cowcross Road, Farringdon, London EC1M 6DB (near Farringdon tube). Time: 3pm-6pm. For more details contact  peter@dawnoftheoak.co.uk, or Eugenie eugenie@dawnoftheoak.co.uk.

Russian Sun Festival and St Patrick's Day in London

This weekend there are two celebrations in London to mark world festivals.

Maslenitsa, the Eastern European Festival to mark the return of the sun and the end of winter and which has its roots in both pagan and Christian traditions, is being celebrated in London on Saturday, 16 March. This is a free event in Trafalgar Square with music, crafts, food, theatre for children, games, demonstrations of craft skills and stalls selling souvenirs. Anyone going there can also enjoy food such as blini (pancakes). Blini are enjoyed just before Lent in Eastern Europe, much like their equivalents are eaten on Pancake Day in England.

The VandA Museum is also putting on a Russian fashion show for Maslenitsa, and Waterstones in Piccadilly is hosting a Russian literary event. You can find out more on the Maslenitsa Festival website: http://www.maslenitsa.co.uk/

On Sunday, it is the turn of the Irish to celebrate with the annual St Patrick's Day Parade.

I know some pagans refuse the celebrate St Patrick's Day because the Christian saint has the reputation of banishing the druids from Ireland, symbolised by the idea that he drove all the snakes into the sea. Neither idea is historically accurate, however. The Ice Age was responsible for Ireland's lack of snakes and there is no particular evidence of him putting an end to druidry in the country. Those Irish pagans who like to celebrate their national day without reference to any Christian saints can always just think of this festival as a heritage day and still enjoy the fun.

The St Patrick's Day Parade, on 17 March, involves marching bands, floats, street theatre and more. This year's parade starts at 12 noon in Piccadilly. It proceeds to Trafalgar Square, where you can enjoy the free St Patrick's Day Festival until 6pm. Something worth looking out for is the Puca, a giant inflatable dragon, winding its way through the streets during the parade. In Trafalgar Square there will be dancing; a comedy tent hosted by the London Irish Comedy Festival; films and a food market.

You can find out more here: http://london.gov.uk/events/st-patricks-day-parade-and-festival

The photo at the top shows a set of Russian Matryoshka nesting dolls  that I have owned for some time. The photo bottom right shows Saint Patrick from a stained glass window in the Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland, CA. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Patrick

Review: Wood Wisdom - A Guide to the Sacred Forest

I'm currently reading a lovely book called Wood Wisdom. It is all about tree lore and has a wealth of information about the trees made famous in the ancient Irish Ogham tree alphabet. It is illustrated with mandala-like images for each tree, with circular patterns derived from the leaves, seeds, berries and symbolic associations.

I must admit the book by H Catherine Watling has been on my to-read pile for a little while - I got it at the same time as The God Tree, which I wrote about at the end of last month - but I am really wishing I'd read it sooner because it is fascinating.

Wood Wisdom begins with a guided meditation called Treading the Forest Path. This can be used to meet the sacred trees of our land, and the rest of the book covers the trees in detail. It offers facts as well as folklore, Celtic myths and legends, poetry, seasonal rituals, crafts such as wand-making and a meditational paragraph on each tree that can incorporated into the forest pathworking.

The Capall Ban website says: "Wood Wisdom is designed as a companion to exploring the sacred forest, both in the physical world and the inner realm of imagination, vision and dream."

As well as being a treasure trove of delightful information, the book acts as a divinatory set. A card set is being produced to accompany the book, so you can draw one and look up its meaning for guidance or inspiration.

Although I haven't seen the card set, I can see from the illustrations in the book that it would be delightful to use. Jon of publisher Capall Ban told me: "The author is also the artist and is producing the cards as a separate colour set. Originally the book wasn't going to include the cards, but we're changing it to have the cards as a black-and-white set bound in the back. We'll supply b/w cards to people with the original version."

I think this could well be the book I was looking for to help me explore the Ogham in greater depth, but I'm sure I'll also be taking it with me on woodland walks - as well as trying out the visualisations. And I look forward to hopefully seeing the cards some time too.

Links and previous related posts
Wood Wisdom
http://www.capallbann.co.uk/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/11/book-review-god-tree-by-janis-fry.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/11/one-covens-ways-book-of-rites.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/11/damh-bard-on-ogham-at-witchfest.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/08/review-wildwood-tarot.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/11/act-now-to-save-our-ash-trees_4.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/12/in-search-of-londons-camelot-and-grail.html

BBC Radio Programme About the Druids

I've just been told about a programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4 called In Our Time: The Druids in which Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Druids, which the programme description calls "the mysterious priests of ancient Britain, Gaul and Ireland." You can listen to it here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01mqq94/In_Our_Time_The_Druids/

I've not had time to listen to it myself, but will certainly do so.

News: Irish Pagan Weddings To Get Full Legal Status

Pagan weddings - often called handfastings - are to get full legal status in Ireland under proposed new legislation. The same legislation will give non-religious wedding ceremonies the same legal status.

You can read the full story here: http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Irish-government-to-give-full-legal-status-to-Pagan-weddings-149628925.html

Previous related posts:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/03/news-pagan-weddings-legal-in-ireland.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/03/review-ceremony-for-every-occasion.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/04/review-discovering-folkore-and.html

Review: Words Alone - Yeats

On this day, 10 December, in 1923, W B Yeatswas awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. He was the first Irishman to be honoured with the prize, for what the Nobel Committee said was "inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation".

As much as I like Yeats' poems, the reason I'm writing about him on A Bad Witch's Blog is that Yeats, as well as having a life-long interested in mythology and folklore, was also an influential occultist and a member of societies including The Ghost Club and The Golden Dawn. He was influenced by the writings of theological philosopher Emanuel Swedenborg and studied Theosophy. Yeats said: "The mystical life is the centre of all that I do and all that I think and all that I write."

I've just finished reading a book about Yeats by historian R F Foster called Words Alone: Yeats and his Inheritances.

The book is primarily about Yeats' literature rather than his occult or magical activities, but I found it interesting because it describes the background to Yeats' work, interests and beliefs - literary and political, but also his fascination with spirituality, folklore and the supernatural.

Publisher Oxford University Press says on its website: "W B Yeats is usually seen as a great innovator who put his stamp so decisively on modern Irish literature that most of his successors worked in his shadow. R F Foster's eloquent and authoritative book weaves together literature and history to present an alternative perspective. By returning to the rich seed-bed of 19th-century Irish writing, Words Alone charts some of the influences, including romantic 'national tales' in post-Union Ireland, the poetry and polemic of the Young Ireland movement, the occult and supernatural novels of Sheridan LeFanu, William Carleton's 'peasant fictions', and fairy-lore and folktale collectors that created the unique and powerful Yeatsian voice of the decade from 1885 to 1895."

One of the things I found most fascinating about the book was its discussion of Irish fairy lore and beliefs. Yeats - and others of his contemporaries - were avid collectors of fairy stories and folk tales that otherwise only existed in oral traditions. Apparently Yeats' favourite stories were Irish occult tales, including one in which a country boy with an eye for the girls is punished one evening by a fairy band. They tie a corpse to his back and rule that he must bury it by sunrise, but make the task more difficult as other corpses rise from the ground throughout the night to terrorise him.

Yeats was apparently also intrigued by a piece of folk magic he was told: "If you love in vain, all you have to do is go to a graveyard at midnight, dig up a corpse, and take a strip of skin off it from head to heel, watch until you catch your mistress sleeping and tie it round her waist, and thereafter she will love you forever."

R F Foster was unable to discover if Yeats ever tried out this ghoulish spell. Perhaps that is a question best left unanswered.

Links and previous related posts:
Words Alone: Yeats and his Inheritances
www.oup.com

http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1923/yeats-docu.html?print=1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._B._Yeats

http://www.theosophical-society.org.uk/
W B Yeats Major Works

Petition to save the corncrake

Corncrakes, which used to be common in fields around the British Isles, are dying out.

Although the light brown birds might be hard to spot because they nest on the ground among long grass, virtually never taking to the air, their "crek-crek" call is easy to identify.

The harsh song of the corncrake sounds so much like a cry of despair that, in times gone by, hearing the bird was considered a bad omen in parts of Scotland.

Nowadays, most people would consider it a sign of hope that the rare species is still with us and could possibly be saved. However, to do so we need to take action.

Yesterday, a friend called Paul, who reads my blog, emailed me with this message:

"I have just signed the RSPB's Letter to the Future. Bit tardy of me really, as they've been asking for about six months, but signing it has made a few things come into a closer focus for me. In particular, the possibility of losing the Higher Level Environmental Stewardship scheme for farms could be the death knell for many British species.

"The RSPB is using the large number of signatures on the petition as a campaigning tool with politicians, and they need as many signatures as they can, including non-RSPB members.

"Since you have environmentally sensitive readers reading Bad Witch, I wondered if you would like to post the url there? here it is: http://campaigning.rspb.org.uk/ea-campaign/clientcampaign.do?ea.client.id=13&ea.campaign.id=7241"

On the RSPB site, the corncrake is one of the birds particularly mentioned as being at risk.

It would be such a shame to lose the corncrake - a bird that has featured in stories and poems for centuries - particularly in Ireland. One verse of The Song of Finn in Praise of May goes:

Corncrake sings from eve till morn,
Deep in corn, a strenuous bard!
Sings the virgin waterfall,
White and tall, her one sweet word.

So please take time to sign the RSPB petition and make sure the corncrake's "one sweet word" is not its last.

The Photographic Print of Corncrake - On open ground from Ardeais available from Amazon

Links:
http://campaigning.rspb.org.uk/ea-campaign/clientcampaign.do?ea.client.id=13&ea.campaign.id=7241
Photographic Print of Corncrake - On open ground from Ardea
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A635799
http://www.luminarium.org/mythology/ireland/finnboyhood.htm
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/01/bird-watching-portents-and-ornithomancy.html
Birds of Ireland: Facts, Folklore and History