A bad witch's blog: dolls

Showing posts with label dolls. Show all posts

Friday, 28 February 2025

Craft: Comfort or Izzy Dolls & Poppet-Making

One of my resolutions this year was to continue to blog about about crafting every month. Last week I was inspired to knit this little doll after seeing social media page devoted to making ones like them. I followed a free pattern from Ravelry called Pretty Izzy Dolls, which you can find here. It's really simple, but I think looks great.

The website shows ways of customising the pattern to create many different types using the same basic form. The social media page I looked at included versions that were animals and even little witches with point hats.

The name “Izzy” comes from dolls of this type knitted to commemmorate Mark Isfeld, who was killed in Kakma, Croatia, on June 21st 1994, while removing landmines serving with One Combat Engineer Regiment, United Nations Protection Force. However, the name "comfort doll" has also been used in the past and I've seen examples of patterns like this dating back to the mid 20th century. Mine is more a comfort doll, and I have attached her to my handbag.

I think this kind of doll would be wonderful to use as a poppet, which are are dolls used for sympathetic magic. They are designed in the likeness of individuals in order to represent them in spells. While the popular view of poppets is that they are stuck with pins as curses, I use them for more helpful purposes!

One of my Pagan Portals books, Poppets and Magical Dolls, explores the history of poppets and offers a practical guide to making and using them in modern witchcraft.

In-person workshop on poppets

On Sunday 16 March I'm teaching a Poppets and Magical Doll-Making workshop at Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. It starts at noon. Tickets are from £31.94 and include a drink. You can find details here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/poppets-magical-doll-making-workshop-with-lucya-starza-live-tickets-692548169217

Thursday, 28 November 2024

Poppet Craft: How to Make a Magical Yule Tree Fairy

The two little fairies in the photo above will be adorning my Yule tree this festive season. I saw the one on the left in a charity shop earlier this week and was struck by how it was constructed in the same way I make many of my poppets. As I'm sure you know, poppets are little dolls created with magical intent in English folk practices. They can be made for all sorts of purposes, including for protection.

After buying the little charity shop fairy I had a go at making a similar one. You can see my effort on the right. To start with, I cut three paper pattern pieces.

A gourd shape for the body
A pair of wings with a strip in the middle joining them
A circle for the face (or you could cut an oval)

Patterns for the body and wings were made by folding some paper down the middle, drawing and cutting out half the shape I wanted against the crease, then unfolding the paper to get even shapes. For the circle, I drew around an egg cup.

For the fabric, I chose felt - which is what the original was made from too. I used the patterns to cut out two identical body pieces, for the back and front; a pair of wings, and a face. The body pieces were sewn together with blanket stitch, inserting some stuffing before doing the final stitches. I also put a few cloves inside to give my fairy a Christmassy scent as well as to magically offer protection, cleansing, and attract abundance.

The wings, face and string were stuck on with glue. I drew features with a marker pen and added a few extra adornments from things in my crafting box.

If you want to, you can bring extra enchantment to your Yuletide decorations with this guided visualisation for Winter Solstice Magic: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/12/yule-tree-visualisation-for-winter.html

In-Person Workshop in London this Sunday

On Sunday 1 Dcember I'm running an in-person workshop on Poppets and Magical Dolls with a special look at Yule customs. It will be held at Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. The class starts at 1pm and costs £22 per person. More info and booking here: https://www.treadwells-london.com/events-1/poppets-magical-dolls-and-yuletide-lore-workshop

Books on Poppets and Guided Visualisations

You can find even more information and practical crafting ideas in my Pagan Portals books, which are published by Moon Books. Two of them are:

My other books are Candle Magic, Scrying, and Rounding the Wheel of the Year as well as my novel Erosion. You can also buy the paperbacks at Treadwell's Bookshop .

Other Previous Related Posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/10/craft-video-make-cloth-poppet-for.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/12/winter-solstice-tree-topper-sun-star.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/03/poppet-craft-doll-to-do-three-things-at.html

Thursday, 24 October 2024

Craft Video: Make a Cloth Poppet for Protection

I've recorded a video of how to make a traditional poppet for protection. Here are the written instructions too:

You need a clean square of cotton fabric, some lavender (or rosemary), a strand of your own hair, and wool or string.

Place the hair and herbs in the centre of the square of fabric. This will form the head.
Bunch the fabric over the stuffing.
Tie the wool or string around it to form a neck. Three knots is a magic number.
Leave either end of the yarn to be the poppet’s arms.
Trim the yarn to a suitable length. The rest of the cloth, under the head and arms, represents a loose body or clothing.
You can draw on any features you want,

To enchant it say: "From ghosties and ghoulies and long legged beasties and things that go bump in the night, may my poppet protect me."

Learn Poppet-Making In-Person

On Sunday 27 October I'm teaching an in-person workshop on poppets and magical dolls. It's at Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4R and starts at noon. The price is £31.94 and includes a lovely cocktail with Devil’s Botany. You can find out more and get tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/poppets-magical-doll-making-workshop-with-lucya-starza-live-tickets-692548169217

Spooky50: The special code to get 50 per cent off my books

If you want to buy any of my Pagan Portals witchcraft books really cheaply, now's your chance. My publisher Moon Books, which is part of Collective Ink, is offering 50 per cent off all e-books until October 31st.

All you need to do is:

Click here > https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/
Choose your e-book(s)
Click 'Add to basket for direct download.'
Click on your shopping basket
Click on 'Do you have a coupon?'
Apply promo code Spooky50 and Validate.
Proceed to Checkout.

If you want to search for my books, you can go straight to my Lucya Starza author page. I've written on candle magic, poppets, guided visualisations, scrying and the wheel of the year as well as my Gothic novel Erosion.

Friday, 22 March 2024

Pagan Eye: A Garden for Children in Times of Conflict

I photographed this line of dolls by a lovely garden installation outside the Guildhall. It was created by the The Worshipful Company of Gardeners as this year's Veterans Garden, in conjuction with the Army Benevolent Fund. This has been an annual event since 2014. This year the theme is children of military families, but the painted dolls represent more than that: unity and love for children everywhere who are suffering in times of conflict.

On each of my Pagan Eye posts, I show a photo that I find interesting, with a few words about it. If you want to send me a photo for a Pagan Eye post, please email it to badwitch1234@gmail.com Let me know what the photo shows and whether you want your name mentioned or not. For copyright reasons, the photo must be one you have taken yourself and you must confirm that you are submitting it for A Bad Witch's Blog.

Thursday, 7 March 2024

Poppet Craft: A Doll to Do Three Things at the Same Time

I confess, this isn't some wonderful magic that allows you to be in three places at once. I wish I had that power. However, I made this doll to combine a celebration of three very different events happening this week: World Book Day, International Women's Day and Mothering Sunday.

Celebrating Being an Author

Today is World Book Day, which is all about the love of books. I made the doll in the picture to represent myself as the proud author of quite a few titles. I photographed my poppet surrounded by some of them published by Moon Books. In the Pagan Portals series I've written Candle Magic, Scrying, Guided Visualisations, Rounding the Wheel of the Year, and Poppets and Magical Dolls.

My first novel, Erosion, is due to come out in April and I'm incredibly proud of the achievement. It's a Gothic tale set in 1987 - the year of the Great Storm - on the English coast. I'll be doing a book signing at Treadwell's in London on Saturday 6 April and it would be lovely to see anyone who wants to pop in and say hello. You can find the details here: https://www.treadwells-london.com/events-1/book-signing-erosion-of-friendship-dreams-and-the-edge-of-a-cliff-lucya-starza.

Celebrating International Women's Day

International Women's Day, on March 8, is a global celebration of women's achievements, and also an activism movement for greater equality and inclusivity.

The pattern I used to sew my poppet was created especially for International Women's Day by Sew Jessalli. The doll honours diversity because she can be made in a variety of skin tones, there's an option to add glasses (like I did) and a headscarf as well as other clothing options. The pattern is available to download completely free from the Hobbycraft website here: https://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/ideas/how-to-sew-a-doll.html?

Although Hobbycraft includes a long list of materials it suggests you buy, I made my doll entirely from scraps of fabric, wool, thread, and filling that I already had. I also hand-sewed her rather than use a machine. The poppet's trousers are upcycled from one of my old pairs of holey leggings, to link her more closely to me. I made the top from a scrap of fabric in my mother's old sewing box, which leads me on to how my doll also helps me remember my mum.

Celebrating Mothering Sunday

In England, Mothering Sunday takes place at a different time of year from American Mother's Day. It's a custom dating back to the Middle Ages, and is always on the fourth Sunday of Lent. Back then it was a Christian festival when people were supposed to go to their "Mother Church" as well as visit their real mums and maybe give them some flowers. Nowadays most of us just do the latter unless, like me, our mums have passed on.

I always do something on this day to remember the happy times I shared with my mother. She taught me to sew and knit, and inspired my love of crafting. She also made dolls, which she sold to raise money for the charity Age UK. This year I honoured her memory when I made this doll myself, partly using materials from her old sewing box.

Poppets

My book Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls has lots of other suggestions for ways to use dolls for spells, seasonal celebrations and inspiration. Here's the description from the back cover:

Poppets are dolls used for sympathetic magic, and are designed in the likeness of individuals in order to represent them in spells to help, heal or harm. Pagan Portals – Poppets and Magical Dolls explores the history of poppets and offers a practical guide to making and using them in modern witchcraft. It also covers seasonal dolls, from Brigid dolls, used in celebrations for the first stirrings of spring, to fairy dolls enjoyed in tree-dressing at Yuletide.

On Saturday 16 March I'll be teaching a workshop on poppet magic at Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. The class starts at 1pm and tickets are £22 per person. You can find out more or book a place here: https://www.treadwells-london.com/events-1/poppet-magic-workshop

You can view Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls on Moon Books' website, buy copies via Treadwell's and other pagan bookshops, or view it on Amazon. It's available in paperback or ebook.

Note: I earn commission from some links. This helps subsidise my blog at no extra cost to readers.

Monday, 11 December 2023

Craft: Needle Felting - Pin-Sticking Can Be Therapeutic

I tried my hand at needle felting for the frst time at the weekend and made these three little penguins to hang on my Yule tree. I used an easy kit from Hobbycraft, in case you're tempted to try something similar.

Making the little birds reminded me of something I say when I teach poppet-making workshops: when you stick pins into an effigy it isn't always for doing harm. Your intention is what's important. If you're making a poppet - or magical doll - of a person for spellwork, you can visualise pins and needles as being for help or healing. You can imagine them as wands directing energy, as connecting things together, or as acupuncture needles.

While using the felting needle to craft my penguins, I was visualising being creative and making something. It was a meditative and relaxing process and felt quite therapeutic. I certainly wasn't imagining harming any penguins!

I'm quite pleased with my first efforts although I know I'll get better with practise. I'm thinking of making more felt ornaments for my tree, but I might use the technique for poppet-making without worrying about doing harm to anyone except maybe myself if I accidentally pricked my own fingers.

You can find out more about poppets and magical dolls in my book on the subject.

I'm giving an online talk on Magic for Yuletide tomorrow, Tuesday 12 December, through The Last Tuesday Society. I'll be talking about some midwinter folklore and customs. The event starts at 7.30pm and tickets ·are from £5.82. You can find more details and book here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-viktor-wynd-museum-amp-the-last-tuesday-society-12203346619

Thursday, 16 November 2023

Poppets & Magical Dolls: The Prickly Subject of Pins

In popular culture, poppets and pins go together like a witch and her cat – not entirely without reason. However, strictly speaking, when a witch pokes pins, thorns or other pointed objects into a poppet they’re using them to focus their energy and magical intent. They can be used as miniature wands or athames (which are ritual knives). It can be done for all sorts of purposes - if no harm is wished, no harm will be done. It can be done for healing – visualising the pins as acupuncture needles or surgical instruments, for example.

Pins are great for joining things. That’s what they are designed for. You can pin flowers, leaves, paper, felt shapes, charms or whatever to your poppet as part of a spell to attach whatever the item symbolises to the person. You could pin a heart shape onto a poppet for a spell to attract love, or a lucky charm for luck, or a piece of paper with writing on for whatever effect you are hoping for. Intention is everything. The magic of a poppet isn’t fully active until you enchant it. While you are making the doll, it is a work in progress. If you pin fabric together before sewing you’re not causing harm.

I'll be teaching an in-person poppet workshop at Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities this Sunday, 19 November. The Museum of Curiosities is at 11 Mare Street, London, E8 4RP. The workshop starts at noon. Tickets are £31.94, which includes a glass of Devil's Botany Absinthe - perfect to sip while working witchcraft! You can find out more and book here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/poppet-workshop-with-lucya-starza-live-tickets-692548169217?

You can also find out more about the subject in my book Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls. Here's the description from the back cover:

Poppets are dolls used for sympathetic magic, and are designed in the likeness of individuals in order to represent them in spells to help, heal or harm. Pagan Portals – Poppets and Magical Dolls explores the history of poppets and offers a practical guide to making and using them in modern witchcraft. It also covers seasonal dolls, from Brigid dolls, used in celebrations for the first stirrings of spring, to fairy dolls enjoyed in tree-dressing at Yuletide.

You can view Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls on Moon Books' website, buy copies via Treadwell's and other pagan bookshops, or find it on Amazon. It's available in paperback or ebook.

(Note: I earn commission from advertisers for some links. This helps support my blog at no extra cost to those who read my posts.)

Friday, 14 July 2023

Poppets: Paper Doll Magic to Release Negativity

Here's a little doll magic I did for myself yesterday. I was feeling quite down for a few reasons, partly because I've been unwell with a gastric bug, I'm behind with my work and also been putting off some other things I really need to do. The poppet I created, which you can see in the photo, really helped me.

I used a cardboard mannequin shape from a crafting shop, but you could draw or cut out a person shape from paper or card yourself. I then got a pencil and wrote on it all the things about myself that I felt were wrong and were holding me back. I tried to put them on an appropriate part of the body, but soon realised most of them were in my head, like fear of rejection, overthinking, imposter syndrome. Some were in my body, such as aches and pains.

Once all my fears and worries and feelings had poured out and were in words on the mannequin, I could see them in better perspective. I then got a pink marker pen (I tried happy yellow, but it didn't show well) and wrote positive thoughts and feelings all ove the negative ones: I forgive you and release you, you are loved, do your best.

I then realised that I did actually feel much better. I felt forgiven, loved and that it was OK to do my best, it didn't matter if that wasn't perfect. My paper doll is sititng next to my computer now as I work.

I'm teaching a Poppet Magic workshop on Saturday July 15, based on my book Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls at Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. It starts at 1pm and the cost is £22 per person. You can find out more here: https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop, which also stocks copies of my books. You can also view my author page at publisher Moon Books.

Friday, 12 May 2023

Another Milestone for my Poppets & Magical Dolls Book

My publisher, Moon Books, has told me that Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls has reached another big sales milestone, having sold more than 3,500 copies since it was launched. A big thanks to everyone who has bought a copy, left a review, and told me they've enjoyed reading it.

Here's the description from the back cover:

Poppets are dolls used for sympathetic magic, and are designed in the likeness of individuals in order to represent them in spells to help, heal or harm. Pagan Portals – Poppets and Magical Dolls explores the history of poppets and offers a practical guide to making and using them in modern witchcraft. It also covers seasonal dolls, from Brigid dolls, used in celebrations for the first stirrings of spring, to fairy dolls enjoyed in tree-dressing at Yuletide.

On Saturday 15 July I'll be teaching a workshop on poppet magic at Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. The class starts at 1pm and tickets are £22 per person. You can find out more or book a place at https://www.treadwells-london.com/

You can view Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls on Moon Books' website, buy copies via Treadwell's and other pagan bookshops, or find it on Amazon. It's available in paperback or ebook.

Note: I earn commission from some links. This helps subsidise my blog at no extra cost to readers.

Thursday, 23 March 2023

Craft: A New Witch's Hat For My Mouse Helper

These three plushy soft toys in the photo above might not be the classic witch's familiars, but they've all been my companions in my witchy room for some time. The little mouse in the middle has certainly helped me in my magic in the past.

She now has a new hat, made by me, as well as her broomstick and book of spells. I feel she deserved it.

I found the witch mouse doll in a charity shop a few years ago, but she had nothing on her head except a patch where something once glued there had plainly fallen off (pictured right). Seeing as this year one of my resolutions is to do some witchy crafting each month, I decided March was a great time to make her a new one. It was far more appealing to me than crafting an Easter bonnet.

The first thing I did was make a pattern out of some scrap paper and check that it was the right size and shape. I then pinned them to some black felt and cut out the pieces for the hat. I stitched a seam to make a cone for the top part, then stitched the brim piece to the bottom of that.

You can see the shapes in the photo to the left on this post. The same method could be used to make a larger witch's hat for a person rather than just one for a toy. Finally I glued the hat to her head. I hope it will stay on this time.

I think she looks a lot happier on the shelf in my witchy room with Greebo the cat and my beanbag frog.

You can find out more about crafting magical dolls in my book on poppets, published by Moon Books in the Pagan Portals series. You can view it on Amazon too.

(Note: I earn commission from advertisers for some links. This helps support my blog at no extra cost to those who read my posts.)

Other previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/10/a-lucky-black-cat-poppet-for-black-cat.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/01/witchy-crafts-mini-broomstick-jewellery.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/03/spring-crafts-spell-scarecrows-to-guard.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/04/tales-from-witch-room-pointy-hats.html

Tuesday, 17 January 2023

Poppets, Dolls and Effigies for Healing, not Harm

When I talk about poppets, I often find people saying that they don't like them because they're only for cursing. It really isn't true. Dolls and effigies have been widely used for healing and protection throughout history and in cultures all over the world. The photo at the top, which I took at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, shows effigies used by people wanting magical or divine healing.

Since ancient times people have made little wax, stone or metal figures as votive offerings to represent themselves if they were ill or injured. Sometimes this was a model of a part of their body that needed healing, like the arm, leg, head and ear on the top picture. They would leave the effigies at sacred sites like temples or churches with the idea that this would send them healing energy even when they weren't there. This is still done in countries including Greece, Italy, Spain and Latin America.

The models could be all sorts of body parts. The Science Museum in London has votive male genitalia made of marble from Ancient Rome, possibly made in the hope of a cure for impotence or in thanks for improved function.

I'm giving an online talk on Poppets and Magical Dolls in History, Folklore and Practical Spellcraft this Thursday, 19th January, at the College of Psychic Studies. It starts at 7pm UK time. Tickets are £16 for non-members, with discount for members of the college. You can find the details here: https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/talks/myth-magic/poppets-and-magical-dolls-in-history-folklore-and-practical-spellcraft/

You can find copies of my book Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls at my publisher Moon Books, at the College of Psychic Studies shop and at other booksellers. You can also view the book on Amazon.

(Note: I earn commission from advertisers for some links. This helps support my blog at no extra cost to those who read my posts.)

Tuesday, 31 May 2022

Pagan Eye: A Little Witch Doll Made From A Cork

This delightful little witch was made by Pat McNally of the Rainbow Healing Sanctuary. The doll has a cork for a body, stick-on eyes, and a crochet dress and pointy hat in black wool.

Pat McNally writes a blog about art as a means of healing at http://artfromtheheart1.blogspot.com. She is extremely talented and uses fibre art to make a huge range of things in aid of good causes. I recieved my cork-and-crochet witch doll in the post yesterday and I absolultely love her!

My Pagan Eye posts show photos that I find interesting - seasonal images, pagan sites, events, or just pretty pictures.

If you want to send me a photo for a Pagan Eye post, please email it to badwitch1234@gmail.com Let me know what the photo shows and whether you want your name mentioned or not. For copyright reasons, the photo must be one you have taken yourself.

Friday, 24 December 2021

Folklore: Revealing a Wassail Doll or Christmas Doll

That video is my attempt at a Wassail Cup, or Vessel Cup, Christmas Doll. I love all folklore related to dolls and learnt about this curious custom in The English Year by Steve Roud.

He explained that in past centuries, girls or women would go around houses before Christmas displaying a doll in a decorated box or bowl, singing a wassail song. It was called a Vessel Cup, but that's probably a corruption of wassail, which I've blogged about earlier. The doll would be decorated with evergreens among other things and then covered with a cloth. The carriers asked people if they wanted to see inside, and only reveal the doll if they said yes. Sometimes people would have to pay a coin or two for the privilege.

My doll is in the Wassail bowl I found in a charity shop. She's a vintage tree angel, although only about 40 years old and made of plastic rather than anything antique. To decorate her, I went into the garden and picked ivy. I couldn't find any holly with berries on it - or mistletoe - but I did find a tiny rosebud that had remained undamaged despite the morning frost. I picked that to put in her hands.

I think this might be the start of a Yuletide tradition in which I decorate a Wassail Cup Doll every year, and photograph or video her for the blog. If you prefer to see a regular photo of this year's effort rather than the video, I took one of them too and you can see it to the right.

Doing a web search for more information about Christmas dolls, I found quite a bit on the blog In Search of Traditional Customs and Ceremonies: https://traditionalcustomsandceremonies.wordpress.com/2015/12/31/custom-demised-the-vessel-or-wassail-cup/

National Geographic also some information about Nisse Dolls, a Scandinavian traditional of decorating dolls that look like gnomes with red hats: https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/family/2020/12/seven-symbols-that-say-christmas-around-the-world

You can find out more about other doll traditions in folklore and witchcraft in my book Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls. It is published by Moon Books.

Tuesday, 14 December 2021

Poppets & Magical Dolls Reaches Another Milestone

My publisher, Moon Books, sent me a message to say that my book Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls has reached another big sales milestone, having sold more than 2,500 copies since it was launched. That's another 500 copies since May. You can see a screenshot of the message at the top, and a photo of the cover with a lucky black cat talisman to the left.

I'd really like to thank everyone who has bought the book, left reviews, and told me that they've enjoyed reading it. If you've not seen the description yet, here it is:

Poppets are dolls used for sympathetic magic, and are designed in the likeness of individuals in order to represent them in spells to help, heal or harm. Pagan Portals – Poppets and Magical Dolls explores the history of poppets and offers a practical guide to making and using them in modern witchcraft. It also covers seasonal dolls, from Brigid dolls, used in celebrations for the first stirrings of spring, to fairy dolls enjoyed in tree-dressing at Yuletide.

I realise the email was a generic one they send to all authors with books that sell in sufficient quantity, but it's still good to know that Moon Books is interested in seeing any more books I'm writing. They've already given me a contract to write Pagan Portals - Wheel of the Year and my Scrying book comes out early in 2022, but I'm also thinking about what to write next.

If you want to find out more, you can view Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls on Amazon, on Moon Books' website, or buy copies through Treadwell's Bookshop. It's available in paperback or ebook. You can also view my other books on my author page at Moon Books.

Notes: Moon Books is an imprint of Collective Ink. I earn commission from some links. This helps subsidise my blog at no extra cost to readers.

Previous related posts:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/08/magical-dolls-poppet-i-made-to-help-me.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/08/magical-dolls-how-to-make-knotted-wool.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/10/magical-dolls-poppet-of-protection-for.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/05/another-milestone-for-my-poppets.html

Thursday, 25 November 2021

Egyptian Ushabti Figurines & Thoughts on Archaeology

Most museums that exhibit items from Ancient Egypt will have little effigies like this on display. They are coffin servants known as ushabtis or shabtis. Ancient Egyptians buried them in tombs to serve the occupant in the afterlife. They are often displayed with things like farming tools, indicating the role they were supposed to play.

I took this photo some time ago when I was at Maidstone Museum for a Terry Pratchett exhibition, but was reminded of it when I was reading the entries for November in the Moon Books community book Every Day Magic:

"November 26. Egyptian Book of the Dead: On this day in 1922, Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon were the first people for 3,000 years to enter the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Look up The Egyptian Book of the Dead online and learn more about Ancient Egyptian funerary rites and afterlife beliefs."

While I think it's good to learn about the funerary customs of those who lived in the past, I also know that excavating people's graves is a controversial subject. I recently engaged in a heated debate in a pagan group about just that. Many pagans these days feel it is wrong to interfere with ancient burial practices, or remove bodies from the place in which they were laid to rest. Others feel that archaeological excavations and scientific examination of both bones and burial sites are the best ways we can learn about our ancestors from the distant past. To be honest, I'm in the latter camp, although I do believe human remains should always be treated with respect.

What are your thoughts on the subject? Please leave a comment.

You can view Every Day Magic on Amazon.

http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/11/event-ancient-egyptian-curses-at-petrie.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/02/pagan-eye-sphinx.html

Saturday, 7 August 2021

Magic for the Month of August with Lucya Starza

Here's the video of my talk on Magic for the Month of August, which I gave on Facebook Live on Friday and have uploaded to my YouTube channel. It cover Lammas and other festivals of August, corn dollies, harvest lore, Friday 13, cats and holidays.

You can find out more about my books, including Candle Magic, Poppets and Magical Dolls, Guided Visualisations and Scrying at my Moon Books author page. You can also view my author page on Amazon.

Saturday, 6 March 2021

Video of My Talk on Magic for the Month of March

Here's the video of my talk on Magic for the Month of March, which I gave on Facebook Live on Friday and have uploaded to YouTube. It includes seasonal doll folklore, spiritual spring-cleaning, a spell to protect any seeds you plant, and a guided visualisation for balance.

There are other guided visualisations in my book Pagan Portals: Guided Visualisations. If you want a copy, Treadwell's bookshop in London has some. You can also order copies from uk.bookshop.org, from Amazon, from Waterstones, via publisher Moon Books’ website and from other pagan bookshops.

Here's the link to last month's talk, Magic for the Month: February: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/02/video-of-my-talk-on-magic-for-month-of.html

My next month's Facebook Live talk will be on Thursday 1 April at 4pm and I'll talk about April Fool's Day, trickster deities, the folklore and symbolism of eggs, a guided visualisation and other magic for the month. It will be at 4pm and free to attend. Here are the details: https://www.facebook.com/events/2843616205957635/

Friday, 5 March 2021

Spring Crafts & a Spell: Scarecrows to Guard your Seeds

March time is often when people start to plant seeds after the last frost, and a scarecrow is a traditional guardian of the fields to try to stop birds from eating what's been sown. If you're looking for a springtime craft to do when your stuck indoors - perhaps if the weather isn't good enough to get out and start tidying up the garden - then how about making one yourself or with your children, if you have them?

Scarecrows are usually made from old clothes and pillowcases, and hung on a cross-shaped piece of wood - although you could use an old broom or rake that's seen better days. Most of them used to be stuffed with straw, but if you don't have that to hand because you don't live on a farm, then you could get away with stuffing them with other old clothes or old pillows.

The pictures on this page are ones I took when out and about a couple of years ago. The one at that top was at a farm, and the one lower down shows mini scarecrows I saw in a shop. It would be particularly easy to make ones like the small scarecrows. They would be ideal for window boxes, potted plants, or small gardens. If you want to make it extra magical, here’s a little spell you could chant when you've made your scarecrow:

Scarecrow, Scarecrow
Guard my seeds
Keep my plants
For me and the bees

I'm going to be talking more about seasonal folklore relating to dolls in my Facebook Live event on Magic for the Month of March at 4pm today, March 5th. The video will stay on Facebook so you can watch it later if you aren't around at 4pm. It will be completely free and you can find it here: https://www.facebook.com/events/434963721152542/

I'll also put it up on my YouTube channel after the event.

You can find out more about my book Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls on my author page at publisher Moon Books' website or at my Amazon author page or at Treadwell's bookshop in London. Note: I earn commission from some links. This helps subsidise my blog at no extra cost to readers.

Tuesday, 2 March 2021

Doll's Day Festival: Hina-matsuri Celebrated in Japan

Tomorrow is Doll's Day, or Hina-matsuri, which is celebrated in Japan on 3 March each year. On that day, mothers and daughters display a set of ornamental dolls representing the Emperor, Empress, attendants, and musicians in traditional court dress. They usually set them out on red fabric on a set of small steps or tiers, with the Emperor and Empress at the top.

I took the photograph on this page of Hina-matsuri dolls at the V and A Museum of Childhood, in East London, back in 2018. The information with the display said the dolls are often passed down from one generation to the next. Celebrating this festival is supposed to bring good luck and fortune to the girls who take part. Part of it involves making offerings of food and drink to the dolls.

The Horniman Museum, in South East London, also had a display of Hina-matsuri dolls last time I was there. Sadly neither of these museums are open just at the moment, but hopefully people will be able to visit museums again soon. I'm really looking forward to that!

You can find out more about folklore relating to dolls in my book Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls, which is published by Moon Books.

Note: I earn commission from some links. This helps subsidise my blog at no extra cost to readers.

Tuesday, 13 October 2020

Scrying for a Spell: A Poppet Charm for Protection

The words and idea for this poppet charm for protection came to me when I was scrying the other day.

I had been feeling anxious about the concept of winter in a plague year, and looking for something to make me feel better. I clearly saw the image of this poppet amulet in my crystal ball, and the words for the charm came into my head.

Little poppet stay with me.
Keep me safe as safe can be.
Keep me healthy, keep me sane.
Protect me from all trouble and pain.

I then visualised a circle of little poppets surrounding me and keeping me safe, and felt happier immediately. After I'd finished scrying I wrote the words down and knitted the doll using the pattern from my book Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls. If you want to do something similar but can't knit, you could instead sew one from felt. When you have finished crafting the doll, cast a circle and say the words three times. Carry the doll around with you in a pocket or bag and when you feel anxious, repeat the charm again in your head.

No protection spell is a substitute for following regular health and safety guidelines, being sensible about avoiding risk, or doing what your doctor tells you, but I believe a little magic can help boost our mundane efforts.

You can view my book Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls on Amazon

Note: I earn commission from some links. This helps subsidise my blog at no extra cost to readers.

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