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Welcome

Pagan Conferences and Witchy Events UK

  Compiled by George Knowles

These Conferences and Events are regularly up-dated and confirmed, but individual contacts should be consulted before attending their events.  If you would like your event added to this page, please send your details with a short description and a contact reference to me at:  George@controverscial.com  I shall endeavour to add your listing once I have confirmed your details.

June 2008

Saturday 7^th

Arabic Alchemy at The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford  -  10.15 - 5pm.  Professor Theodore Abt will examine the third to fourth century AD Egyptian manuscript The Book of Pictures attributed to Zosimus of Panopolis.  This newly discovered material, which includes a description of the psychological transformation of the adept in quest of immortality, corroborates the discoveries of C.G. Jung concerning religious symbolic alchemy, notably his findings concerning the psychology of transference.  Arabic alchemy’s role in reconnecting Western culture to the culture of Hellenistic antiquity will be noted, as well as its significance for depth-psychology and our time in general.  Advance booking essential.  Contact: 01451 821 947 for further details.

Thursday 12^th

Adventures in Urban Folklore:  Scott Wood goes through the contemporary ritual year in London, stopping off at twentieth and twenty-first century folklore.  Meet the Deptford Jack-in-the-Green.  Hear of how Bridget and Imbolc scared the horses in Wimbledon.  Remember Solstices in south London, Goddess worship in Southwark and Greenwich, recoil at accounts of young men being "banged out" on Clerkenwell streets, discover the truth about the friendly terrorists warning in Harrods and much more.  Talks start at 8.00pm  -  £2.50 / £1.50 concessions.  All Welcome. Led by the South East London Folklore Society (SELFS), see Moots below.

Thursday 12^th

The Elf, The Witch and The Devil:  Northern Traditions by Dr Cyril Edwards (St Peters Collage, Oxford)  -  19.15 for a 19.30 start  -  £5

Cyril Edwards tonight looks at Germanic sources for Elves, Witches and the Devil, asking “What, in Germanic history, was meant when one said elf? Witch? Devil?”  He will lead us through descriptions of these three creatures, moving backwards in time.  He will start with the eighteenth-century German literary sources (Goethe, Tieck), go back through the witch-trials (Germany, Scotland), then back further into medieval German, and then further back still to Old Norse (Snorri Sturlusson, of course).  Finally he will show us actual elf and witch charms of Anglo-Saxon England.  There will be lots of handouts and readings as the Cyril Edwards presentations are always interactive.  Questions and open discussion will follow.  This talk will be invaluable to people studying any number of subjects:  German culture, the modern Northern Tradition, and the development of folk magic in the British Isles.  For more information contact:  Treadwells Bookshop.  34 Tavistock St., Covent Garden WC2E 7PB  -  website:  info@treadwells-london.com  or  Tel. +44 (0)20 7240 8906.

Friday 13^th

13^th – 15^th:  Pagan Federation East Midlands  -  Summer Camp at a site in Elvaston, Derbyshire.  For more information and bookings contact Maz:  Tel  -  0115 9563197  Email  -  mazels@talktalk.net  Website  -  http://www.paganfedeastmids.co.uk/paganfed/camp08.php  

Thursday 19^th

The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, London WC1A 1LY.  Presents – An Evening with Tim Hopkinson Ball, who will be talking about his recent book “The  Rediscovery of Glastonbury”, which is about Frederick Bligh Bond, the Architect of the new Age.  So much about Glastonbury Abbey was re-discovered in the twentieth  century by The Avalonians and due to the tenacity of people like Bligh Bond.  Come and discover some of the reasons why Glastonbury is so important to us all.  For more details contact:  Tel - 020 7405 2120.

Friday 27^{th –} 1^st July: 

Wild Witchcraft course  -  Contact:  Kris Hughes & Michelle Axe  -  07922 899176 or 07984 641430.  Venue in Shropshire.

Saturday 28^th   

Esoteric Conference & Occult Book Fair 2008 (now in its fifth year).  Venue is at the Assembly Rooms in Ludlow, Shropshire from 11am - 6pm.  As usual an impressive line up of speakers who know their subject matter very well.  Because this is the only UK event which solely promotes the 2nd hand occult book trade in this country, the only stalls will be for 2nd hand occult books.  Stalls are now all booked.  This is the place to come to if you are looking for hard to find and rare occult material and also to make contact with practicing occultists.  (It is promoted and sponsored by Verdelet magazine which writes about occult, magic and witchcraft.  

Speakers include:

Tracy Thursfield on Eliphas Levi & the 19c French Occult Revival.  Tracy is a member of the English Alchemical Renaissance and is often consulted by Phil Rickman on esoteric points for his supernatural novels set on the welsh border.

Julia Philips on Madeline Montalban (an illustrated talk).  Montalban headed up the 1950-60's occult group 'The Order of the Morning Star'.  Whilst she is little known she was highly influential and trained several of today's leading occult names. 

Robin Cousins on John Dee (an illustrated talk).  John Dee had connections with the Welsh border area of Shropshire, Herefordshire and Radnorshire, and was known to have been in this area on several occasions.  I saw this talk at the Dee day conference organized by Atlantis bookshop London three years ago and it is very worthwhile.

Alan Richardson on William Gray.  Gray was another influential magician and writer from Cheltenham, who influenced a generation of today's magicians.

Ken Rees on The Regency.  The Regency was/is a witchcraft grouping from the 1960/70s who came about after the demise of Robert Cochrane aka Roy Bowers.  After their supposed demise in the mid 70's some of them decamped to Shropshire, where I am reliably informed they carried on with their practices.  Two of the founding members Ronald White and George Winter aka Stannard are buried in Shropshire.

Bookstall traders are:  Atlantis, Midian books, Les Bowers Books, Man, Myth and Magic, Labyrinth and Crowsbone. Also present will be the magazines Pentacle, Hedgewytch, White Dragon and Verdelet.

Tickets are £15 each, and are available through Verdelet at:  PO Box 82, Craven Arms Shropshire SY7 8JW UK.  For more information contact:  Gary Nottingham via email at:  heartstone06@yahoo.co.uk

Monday 30^th

The Woman Magus:  A Woman’s Adventures in the World of Modern Magick by Jaq Hawkins  -  19.15 for a 19.30 start  -  £5

Jaq D Hawkins talks informally in an intimate environment about her experiences in the magical communities of Chaos magic and the wider magical community.  Looking at the almost silent subculture of women magicians in a world where most of the well-known practitioners are male, she considers the differences of what draws a woman to the practice of ritual magic rather than the more popular path of the witch.  Western European magic of the ceremonial variety evolved in the Middle Ages in a largely patriarchal society, which was reflected in the books written by known practitioners.  We have heard of the figures from Agrippa to Eliphas Levi to Aleister Crowley and Austin Osman Spare.  Yet several women contributed significantly to the study of magic, often in conjunction with husbands or male partners.  The 20th century saw women more openly come into this tradition, though they appear to be relatively few in number.

Jaq D Hawkins is a female magician who grew up with a quest to understand the nature of magic, which has taken her through many paths since her first studies of such authors as AE Waite and Eliphas Levi at the age of 12.  She eventually settled within the identity of Chaos magician, although she maintains a general Pagan attitude due to her connection with nature spirits.  After nearly four decades of magical study and practice, she looks back to the subtle differences in approach and natural advantages that she has observed not only in herself, but in other female magicians that she has met along the way.  She is the author of numerous articles and books on magic.  For more information contact:  Treadwells Bookshop.  34 Tavistock St., Covent Garden WC2E 7PB  -  website:  info@treadwells-london.com  or  Tel. +44 (0)20 7240 8906.

July 2008

Friday 4^th

4^th – 6^th:  Pagan Federation Mid-West & Wales Summer Camp and Conference.  Held near Llanmadoc, Gower Peninsula, South Wales SA3 1DE.  For more information and bookings contact:  Steve Ludford:  Tel  -  01691 679066  Email  -  offasring@lineone.net  Website  -  http://www.myddle-earth.co.uk/events.htm

Thursday 3rd – Sunday 6th

Witchcraft Camp 2008.  Held at the Gorsedd Centre, Isle of Anglesey, North Wales.  Cost:  £165 per person, which includes pitch for camping and all materials for workshops etc.  The food for the Great Cauldron Banquet is included in your ticket but we are asking everyone to bring food to share for the Witches Picnic on our first evening.  Accommodation:  plenty of camping on our gorgeous 18acre nature reserve available.  If you don’t have a tent and would like to rent one we have a 6man, 12man and 14man tent you can hire for the cost of £2.50 per person per night.  Numbers are limited to 100, so please book early.  You are welcome to arrive anytime on the Thursday.  Contacts Kris Hughes & Michelle Axe on 07922 899176 or 07984 641430 Email:  wyrdenweave@btinternet.com or angleseydruids@hotmail.com

Saturday 5^th – 6^th

Thelema for The Terrified:  A Serious Introductory Course to the Tradition by Marcus Katz  -  09.45 arrival for 10.00 am start, finishing 16.30 pm both days  -  £93

Course runs Saturday and Sunday, and has never before been offered in London.  This course offers a serious yet highly approachable introduction to Thelema and Aleister Crowley.  It looks at Thelema as a philosophy and its place in the Western esoteric tradition - then go on to experience practices and texts that communicate Crowley's magic, including key rituals, the reception of the Book of the Law (Liber Al), and the designs of the Thoth Tarot deck.  Throughout, the tutor will explain and explore the world-view underpinning this tradition, to enable familiarity with concepts such as the Aeons, the Gods and Goddesses of the Book of the Law, initiation and the grades of attainment.  Marcus Katz will be using material unavailable to the general public, including research conducted in Egypt and notes from Crowley’s original manuscripts.  There will be lecture, discussion, document examination, ritual work and meditation.

Marcus Katz is a longstanding magical practitioner who also holds an MA in Western Esotericism (Exeter), now doing doctoral research on western occult groups.  He is an inveterate world traveller but currently lives in Cumbria, where he runs an esoteric teaching centre, The Faraway Centre http://www.farawaycentre.com.  The course is not affiliated with any particular interpretation or of Crowley's work.  For more information contact:  Treadwells Bookshop.  34 Tavistock St., Covent Garden WC2E 7PB  -  website:  info@treadwells-london.com  or  Tel. +44 (0)20 7240 8906.

Friday 11^th – 13^th

Woodspirit Lammas Camp – Lancashire, contact:  email:  dizziwitch@blueyonder.co.uk for further information.

Saturday 12^th

Tarot Workshop with Oephebia  -  Tarot reader and psychic hosts a one-day workshop.  For more details see her website www.oephebia.com or email her on oephebia2@oephebia.com.

Thursday 17^th

Yeats’ Golden Dawn:  Magic, Women, Passion, Celts, Mystics by Mike David  -  19.15 for a 19.30 start  -  £5

Women and magic are two of the most vital themes underpinnig the work of WBYeats, who was arguably the greatest poet of the twentieth century.  And the two themes were interlinked:  Florence Farr, Olivia Shakespeare, Annie Horniman, Maud Gonne and George Yeats - each of these were also associated with magic, in particular the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

Tonight’s performance by Mike David is made up of readings from letters, some poems and bits of plays.  There will also be illustrated handouts and informational chat.  It will bring to life WB Yeats’ literature, his magic, the Golden Dawn and the contributions of the extraordinary woman in Yeats’ circle.  You will hear about automatic writing, ghosts, fairies, Celtic heroes, astrological cycles, revolutionary passions, Irish mysticism, and ceremonial magic.

Mike David is an actor, writer, and lover of things mystical, with over 30 years in the theatre.  His performances bring together a variety of threads:  the passionate monologue, the inspired lecture, the intense playreading and the one-man drama.  His evenings are riveting.  For more information contact:  Treadwells Bookshop.  34 Tavistock St., Covent Garden WC2E 7PB  -  website:  info@treadwells-london.com  or  Tel. +44 (0)20 7240 8906.

Friday 18^{th -} 20^th

Pagan Federation Scotland Summer Camp and Conference.  Held at Inchberry Hall, Morayshire IV32 7QB.  For more information and bookings contact Jo Campbell:  Email  -  jo@dragonflight.fsnet.co.uk  Website  -  http://www.scottishpf.org/camp.html

Saturday 19^th

Anderida Conference (near Brighton), organised by Damh the Bard.  This is a new event which needs support if it is going to continue, see:  http://www.anderidagorsedd.org/Site/Anderida_Conference.html  for more details.

Friday 25^{th -} 28^th

Oakleaf Lammas Camp 2008.  Held at Limetree Farm, Grewelthorpe, Nr Ripon, Yorkshire.  For more information email: dizziwitch@blueyonder.co.uk

Wednesday 30^{th -} Sunday 3^rd Aug

The “Back to Bardic” Druid Camp 2008.  A druid camp including the Lammas Games.  Camp location:  in the Forest of Dean on the south Wales/England border.  Event organized by The Druid Network in the Forest of Dean, see:  http://www.druidcamp.org.uk/2008/index.html  for more details.

Thursday 31^st

Madame Blavatsky Introduced and Celebrated  -  By Christina Oakley Harrington & Treadwell's Friends  -  19.15 for a 19.30 start  -  £5

An evening of short talks, readings and slides in honour of the world’s most famous female occultist in history.  She was a huge woman with a huge personality, her favourite insult was “Flapdoodle” , and her exuberance was equally passionate.  All are invited to come and learn more about this extraordinary woman, who pioneered much of the key features of occultism.  The 31^st July was Madame B’s Birthday - she lived 1831-1891.  Christina Oakley Harrington has a doctorate in history and a passion for the history of Western esoteric movements, with a special fondness for the tradition’s many remarkable women.  For more information contact:  Treadwells Bookshop.  34 Tavistock St., Covent Garden WC2E 7PB  -  website:  info@treadwells-london.com  or  Tel. +44 (0)20 7240 8906.

August 2008

Friday 1^st

Lammas Ritual and Celebration - Ankerwycke near Staines.  Nobody celebrates Lammas with more vigour and enthusiasm than the Circle of Ankerwycke, which is the biggest Pagan Lammas celebration in the UK, held in a private setting outdoors.  Numbers for this celebration are restricted, so early contact is advised.

No tourists munching burgers and chattering loudly.  No strangers walking into your sacred circle.  No children kicking a ball around.  This is a wonderful private spiritual occasion that is normally impossible to achieve in public events that turn into a peep show for the curious.  Rituals are held away from prying eyes, allowing you to really get into the spirit of things.

If you come along, be prepared to join-in as we do not permit onlookers.  Prepare to enjoy great company, a lot of laughs and a great party from 8pm onwards.  For more information and details see:  http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/circle_of_ankerwycke/  or Telephone: (07889) 126311

Saturday 9^th

Heathenfest 2008.  Conference to be held at The Fleet in Peterborough.  The Festival starts at 10am - 6pm.  There will be a number of Speakers, Workshops, a Viking re-enactment by Clan Wulfhar, and a display by the local Raptor centre of Owls and Falcon.  There will be a Bar, Tea and Coffee, and a Raffle.  Authentic food will also be available as part of the price.  Tickets in advance are £8 adults and £4 children, which includes a meal of Viking Fayre.  Tickets on the door are £10 and £5 and also includes a meal.  All tickets can be purchased from Wodens Hearth:  http://www.wodenshearth.co.uk/heathenfest.html  Contacts email:  suficat@yahoo.co.uk or Tel:  01733 768799

Saturday 9^th

Pan's Picnic – A Family-friendly Lammas gathering.  Queens Wood, Highgate, North London.  More information at:  PFLondon

Friday 08^th – Sunday 10^th

Children of Artemis Gathering.  An outdoor event in a friendly family atmosphere camped in 35 beautiful acres of the Oxfordshire countryside  -  Horley Campsite, Wroxton Road, Horley, Oxfordshire, OX15 6AU.  See:  http://www.witchfest.net/artemis_gathering.htm  for more information.

Thursday 28^th - Sunday 31^st

Pagan Camp - Blackland Lakes Nature Reserve, Wiltshire.  Pagan Camp is a small camping event established in 2004, giving people from many different paths an opportunity to get to know others in an atmosphere of tolerance and fun. It is especially popular with families, including those with young children. For many, this is one of the only chances in the year for children to socialise with others from Pagan families.

The unique feature of Pagan Camp is that all the workshops, stalls, and entertainment are provided by the guests. We do not pay speakers or facilitators, but instead encourage all our guests to contribute something to the camp, no matter how big or how small. Working together for the good of the group creates a sense of community that means many people choose to come back year after year.  For more information see:  http://www.pagancamp.org.uk/

September 2008

Friday 5th - 7th 

The Mercian Gathering near Nuneaton, Warks – 4th year!! Wicker man, archery, flaming labyrinth, rituals, free healing tent, café, showers and hot tub.  Speakers include:  Philip Carr-Gomm, Anna Franklin, Tallyessin, Terry Mace, Bob Trubshaw, Anne Harris, Paul Mason, Martin Evans, Mick Summer, John Crow, Kim Huggins, Graham Joyce, Angela Paine, Jayne Milner [Apothecary], Karen Cater, Troll.  Workshops include:  weaving, kid’s workshops, peace making circles, Reclaiming the Masculine, Cabala, Qi Gong, Stav, wand making, rebirthing, shamanism, runes, garland making, belly dancing, morris dancing, animal powers, Sacred Alchemy and the Doors of Plant Perception, book binding, Celtic herbs, I Ching, Yoga, meditation, crystal healing, reiki, chanting, regression, ogham, wildlife samctuary.  Entertainment includes:  Ash and Ian, Endless-Knot, Damh the Bard, Gary Brienholt, Tallyessin, Waywyrd, Morris Dancers, Vikings.  Adults £38, children 6-16 £14, under 6s free.  Website:  http://www.geocities.com/annafranklin2/merciangathering.html

Friday 12^th – Sunday 14^th 

The Anderida Gorsedd Autumn Camp.  The camps are held on an organic farm near Lewes in Sussex.  The field is an oasis of calm and peace, bordered by a stream, completely private.  There is a meditation area, a communal central fire, friendship, and community.  The camps are sacred journeys held on sacred space.  For more information see:  http://www.bardicarts.com/anderidagorsedd/Site/Anderida_Camps.html

Friday 19^th - 22^nd

The Astrological Association of Great Britain 40th Annual Conference and 50th birthday.  Held in a 4-star conference centre at Staverton park, Staverton, Daventry, Northamptonshire NN11 6JT.

Speakers includes:  Lynne Bell, Bernadette Brady, Geoffrey Cornelius, Darby Costello, Robert Currey, Martin Davis, Ben Dykes, John Etherington, Sasha Fenton, Liz Greene, John Green, Mike Harding, Michael Lutin, Chris Mitchell, Alan Oken, Lindsay Radermacher, Luis Ribeiro with Helena Avelar, Komilla Sutton, Sue Tompkins and many more!  A live video link with “The Blast” conference in Arizona is being planned, and Rob Hand and others will be address both conferences on the Friday evening.  Meanwhile, Ben Dykes will address the US conference, then fly over to our conference, while we track his journey via videolink and astrolocality charts.

For full information and bookings, go to:  http://www.astrologicalassociation.com/conference/conf2008/index.php

Saturday 27th - 28th 

Astrological Images with Judy Hall.  Beginners and experienced astrologers welcome.  Two day workshop at Nash Manor, Steyning.  Contact Nash Manor on 01903 814988 or email:  info@nashmanor.co.uk  For further details and other workshops see http://www.nashmanor.co.uk/ or http://www.judyhall.co.uk/astro_images.htm

October 2008

Saturday 4th

Nu Thelemic Symposium Oxford.  Speakers include:  Lon Milo Duquette; Charlotte Rogers; Jake Stratton-Kent (Goetia).  Gnostic Mass and social.  Details: http://www.dowhatthouwilt.com/

End.

That's all for now!!

Best wishes and Blessed Be