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
Our unconscious misogyny colours the view we have of the way Norse society would have considered those who stepped outside of gender norms. Archaeology and historical interpretation have meant skeletons with weaponry and armour were given the title “male” without much thought. Yet we have sagas which include clear examples of women warriors. Read more
I find the October half term the most difficult school holiday in terms of entertaining my kids. The weather isn’t great and there are no family visits to look forward to. My money is being saved for Christmas so there’s no budget for buying craft materials. This year much of the UK is in renewed lockdown. We’re somewhat lucky over on the Kent coast to remain in Tier 1. This means we can still sit in cafes with families we... Read more
Paganism and magickal practise are a big part of my life. Witchcraft and meditation have helped me through some of the hardest times I’ve lived through. Yet there are days my energy levels are so low engaging with magick takes more inner battery power than I can muster. For those of you unfamiliar with the ‘spoons theory’, it goes like this. A person has a bunch of metaphorical spoons. These spoons they can assign to tasks. A healthy person might... Read more
It's hard to unpick what is and isn't cultural appropriation but as authors and practitioners within paganism it's time to say "let's try and do better" Read more
Now the public expects to consume art for free. It’s not their fault, it’s the myth we’ve been fed. Read more
Fatima’s next job could be in Cyber! I’m sure many people have spoken about this advert. However, as someone who has worked within education, recruitment, and mentoring long term unemployed, I can’t keep quiet on this. Fatima could be reskilled. Fatima I’m sure is an amazing human being who can do whatever her heart wants and her life needs. We all are. People’s resilience, motivation, and drive will continue to impress and delight me until the day I die. But... Read more
It’s World Mental Health Day, here’s my tale of being too mad to be supported by the standard services yet not mad enough for crisis care. Read more
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