Walking on the beach in Kent my footsteps are littered with hag stones. These are rocks which have a natural hole formed all the way through so you can pick up the stone and look through it. Hag stones have a fascinating amount of folklore and myth associated with them. They’re also known as Adder Stones, Witch Stones, or Odin stones and are mostly formed by water. They’re often found on the beach or by waterfalls, both considered to be... Read more
“You can’t change the world, only your reaction to it” Yes, this is true. But what would happen if no one tried to change a single thing for other people? Humanity is (mostly) a pack creature. It doesn’t thrive in ones and twos, we thrive in interwoven groups, learning from each other and interacting. We need interaction. We need connection. People can’t do everything for themselves all of the time. Helping others and making a difference mostly makes individual humans... Read more
The best kind of spiritual bouncer, I reasoned, was one who’d already been given the job of keeping you safe. The disir, your ancestral female guardians. Read more
In Wicca we have a standard invocation style of one god plus one goddess in all rituals. This goes for British Traditional Wicca (or simply Initiatory Wicca as I prefer to call it) and generic. We spend a great deal of time working out which god fits with which goddess and what multiple deity options match the theme of our rite. But do we really have to do this? I know what you’re thinking… there she goes again breaking Wicca,... Read more
My empathy means I notice things maybe others don’t, but my hyper vigilance means I also seek them out. Just in case. Read more
Not only are we living through a time with high numbers of deaths; we’re also dealing with a process which reduces the ability to say goodbye. Read more
Whilst the elements are still an important addition to my pagan beliefs, the "Mighty Ones" are more important than air, fire, water, and earth. Read more
We live in a time of incredible binaries in politics. It feels as though hate speech, selfish politics, and destruction comes at us every time we engage with current affairs. Amongst the frustration and terror there are witches and activists calling out for direct action. Once upon a time my instincts would fall towards wanting to fight destruction with destruction; to meet hate with cursing. Then I met a group of people who changed my whole magical worldview. I asked... Read more
This Halloween season has seen a challenge meme on Facebook proudly displaying the tag #whatwitcheslooklike The wording goes something like this: “Responding to the challenge asking those who self-identify as witches to post a picture of themselves during Halloween. Not in costume or ritual clothing. Not a stereotype. Just yourself, in the season of the witch. I extend that invitation to others.” I decided to take this opportunity to ask my witch-identifying friends for selfies. Witches. Every single one of... Read more
As a Pagan I don’t technically celebrate ‘Christmas’, but it’s a cultural festival and therefore part of the collective holidays for me. This year I’ve seen so many blog posts, articles, and social media memes urging people to cancel Christmas. “Stop spending money you don’t have on tat you don’t need.” There’s a lot of wisdom in this. We don’t need to spend so much money on things our friends and family haven’t asked for. So many of the presents... Read more
