Plus:Festival Fun, Tarot, Trees, Makes, Bakes and Regular Columns

Nemeton Energy System Explained

AncestorsNot just for Samhein

Edison’s ChildrenInterview with Eric Blackwood

From Dracula to Dooku - From Summerisle to Saruman:Eulogy To Christopher Lee

Samhein 2015 Issue #5

Pendle Craft

Meet The Team

Editorial Team

Editors: Ethan Kent & Tasha ClarkChief Sub-Editor: Victoria FurmingerSubeditor: Raquel M ReichertCopy Editor: Nimue BrownLayout/Graphic Designer: Sarah Miles Editorial Photographer: John Robinson

Contributors: Herbs: Adele SutcliffeUrban Druid: Andrew SutcliffeTarot: Mystic WindsMusic & Film Reviews: Lola HeartsOracles: Sheena CundyPoetry & Art: Anna Lawson Nemeton Energy : Vicky MacLean Travel : Yvonne Ryves Short Story : Lorraine Ellison Short Story: Eleanor Freeman Music : Denny Steve Bottley Politics and Disability Rights : Emma SmithRecipes: Pamela DawnRecipes: Liz Rose Young Pagan Interests: Samantha Wiltshire & Holly Dawson

Contents

Pg 4-5: A Question of Trick or Treat Pg 6: O.S. Maps & Sacred SitesPg 7-8: Pumpkin CarvingPg 8: Thoughts of An Urban DruidPg 9-13: Eulogy To Christopher LeePg 14-15:Edison’s Children Pg 16-17:Nemeton Energy System ExplainedPg 17: Invoking Nemetona Pg 18-19:Herb WorldPg 20-25:Chilling With Anna Lawson Pg 26-28:Ancestors Not Just For Samhain

Pg 29-31:Cord MagickPg 31: Rainbow Bridge Pg 32-33:Celtic Tree/AstrologyPg 34: TarotPg 35-38;Photo DiaryPg 39-41:Recipe CornerPg 42-43:Children’s CornerPg 44-46:Relaxing ColouringPg 47-49:A Journey In History Pg 50: Silver Fox Dog RescuePg 51-58 LITERARY CORNER

Submissions

If you would like to submit an article or any pictures to the Pendle Craft forconsideration in one of our forthcoming publications please do so by sending to the editors at thependlecraft@hotmail.com

The editorial team reserve the right to abridge content and edit for style, clarity and accurracy. We will of course contact you if we decide to make any major changes and the editors decision is final.

Next Issue is Yule 2015

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Pendle Craft

Letter From The Editor

Brightest Blessings Everyone.

For this edition, I became stuck on what I was going to write, but then I was given-the statistics for our magazine, and boy was I in for a shock. At first, I thought we were in the low fig-ures but after the win-dow opened, our site was scanned, and the figures appeared, my jaw dropped. 11,396 readers since our first edition in April, and 1509 downloads for our Mabon edition. I am so humbled, I really am. When I set out to produce the magazine and get it out there I honestly thought we would only have a few readers, but I had set my standards high. I approached Mike Stygal and asked for his advice on doing a magazine and looking for a name, and it was he, the president of the Pagan Federation, who took time out to help us pick a name, The Pendle Craft. I saw Pa-gan Dawn and I thought, I want us to be like that.

Initially it was just me and my wife, Tasha, doing the magazine but after doing an interview with the lovely and very warm Cat Treadwell, I was put onto our Sub-Editor Victoria Furminger and from there, you all came flooding in. So, a massive, massive thank you to all of you who have made this magazine what it is now, and what it will become, and a huge thank you to all the volunteers who make and design the magazine.

Ethan Kent

Graphics CreditsFront Cover designed by Sarah Miles using photographs by John Robinson and Victoria Furminger

Owl in editors notes is public domain from Thomas Bewick, A History of British Birds, 1809.

Edison’s Children Page 14-15

Pumpkin Carving Page 7-8

Relaxing Colouring Page

A Question of Trick or Treatby S.S Wiltshire

“But where does it come from?”In light of Samhain approaching and the autumn knocking on our doors, questions of tradition have been raised. I was having a nosey about on my local discussion Facebook page when a mother asked for people’s opinions on Trick-or-Treating. I, like many of my local townspeople, had to share my opinion on the matter. The seven-year-old girl wanted to go out Trick-or-Treating, but her mother felt as though it was an act of begging or just being a nuisance to others. Lots of other people happened to share the view in wanting to get rid of such a tradition, while a lot of people also chose to stand by it.

As a child, my mum would take my sisters and me out. Our costumes were only visible when the weather would allow it. So, we often went out in our winter coats, with our faces and hair made up, or masked. We’d often go to houses where we didn’t know people, because my mum had felt embarrassed, she too

felt the same way, but didn’t want to deprive us of the experience, so she herself never dressed up. The first year my sisters and I went to a party, we thought it was sacrilege and begged our mother to take us out beforehand. We really couldn’t bear the thought of not seeing the other kids out in costume, and knocking on peoples’ doors. So virtually every year until I was 16 I went Trick-or-Treating. When I was 16 I went out for the first and last time with my friends. But where does this tradition come from? There

was one particular character that commented on the thread claiming that Halloween was an American tradition and that we Brits had no right to it and that we shouldn’t bother following it. Of course, I came to retort and defend it. Halloween is based upon our tradition of Samhain. The character said that the Americans celebrated it bigger than we ever have. This person had clearly never met a Pagan, or even just walked around my neighbourhood. Anyway,

this tradition only landed in America in the 20’s.

“In this day and age, community is a rare thing.”

It had been a custom for a great deal longer in Britain, where it was known as ‘Souling’; which really does sound marvellous; where children and often poorer people would go from door to door singing songs and prayers for the dead in return for ‘soul’ cakes. In disguises known as ‘Guising’, they may have been given other food items or money. One of the earliest occasions of ‘Guising’, which Christianity adopted from Pa-ganism, was recorded, according to Wikipedia, in about 1895, in Scotland, where turnip lanterns were carried. Playing pranks was also a very prominent part of Samhain tradition, despite it not being as common today. To go back to the argument then, yes, it would appear, perhaps, to be a form of begging. However, if everyone does

it, is it a crime? If it is a celebration for children, does it make them bad? I think not. To trick or treat is rite of passage. I go to other people houses to collect Christmas presents at Christmas, and to eat dinner with them, but that is not classed as begging. This tradition is so old and so well-known that it seems to no longer be a case of begging, but of gift sharing. Sweets and other such treats are not expensive. However, you don’t necessarily have to give treats. This is where the complication lies and people are forgetful. Most older people get worried in case ‘troubling youths’ play the Trick card, leading to some kind of in-discretion. However, this is a holiday where, you too can Trick the Trick-or-Treater, if you choose. Of course, both sides need to be aware of the law, and need to make sure that they don’t over step over the line, but it is fun. One Halloween I re-member my sisters and I were squirted with pink rubber string spray. We found it hilarious. We had never encountered a trickster before, and we

ourselves had never thought of tricking be-fore. Upon this, we rang again, both parties in stitches at the transgression, and we were given Christ-mas biscuits. That is the magic of it that has been forgot-ten. In this day and age, community

is a rare thing. This sense of begging, comes from a lack of community and vanity, really, where one does not want to seem ‘lower’ than they are in Society. In keeping these traditions, we break down these barriers that we have created. Chil-dren should be allowed to have fun. I had a friend when I was young, who had never trick or treated before and was not allowed to go out. They told me that they had never wanted to go before, but when I asked if

“Let yourselves be remembered as ‘the funny one’ or ‘the generous one’, not ‘the humbug…”

they’d like to come with my family and I, they confessed that they did want to, but weren’t allowed. A parent, by telling their child once that they aren’t allowed to go, and by making it sound cheap, places this ideology into their child’s mind. You only have one childhood. It lasts for between 7-10 years, depending on the child’s family, friendship circles and education. What is the harm in giving a child 10 days, or so, of their life, to go and have fun with their friends and fami-ly, where they can dress up, and meet people? I understand a parent’s caution around strangers due to there being bad people in the world, but not everyone is bad. This is a minority, height-ened by the media. It shouldn’t matter too much, if you, as a parent, are there with your child and have clothed them sufficiently. Trick-or-Treating poses no physical threat to your kids when done properly.

Some expressed their opinion that they didn’t like the thought of teenagers Trick-or-Treating. While most crimes are likely to be committed by the older kids, that is what they are. By excluding a group of kids from this activity, you are alienating them. They are not old enough to be an adult and do adult things, but they are too old to do things children do. So where do they fit in society? I for one was not going to listen to anyone telling me that at 14-15 years old, I was too old to be out with my younger sisters. It’s nonsense. Let the kids be kids while they still have their youth. Don’t be the sour puss they look back on in ten, twenty years’ time and think: ‘Why were they so bitter?’ Because these memories do resonate with us. What you do, what you say on such a cele-brated day, will be remembered by someone. Let yourselves be remembered as ‘the funny one’ or ‘the generous one’, not ‘the humbug that refuses to participate’ or ‘the one that took things too far’. It works both ways.

I hadn’t thought about writing about this until a friend, Zoe, after seeing how in depth my replies were to the post, and being a reader of my blog, asked if I would write some ‘thought-provoking’ article. The answer to this is yes, and I hope that I have made you all think a bit about how you will conduct yourself this Samhain.

Thanks everyone, have a lovely Sabbat x

StonehengebyDenise Roberts-Bottley BSc. (Hons)As I drive down the A303 on a fine Lammas morning, there in the sunny haze of the warm summer sun stands Stonehenge. A magnificent seventh wonder of the world, a great silhouette of sarsen stones to which stand shoulder to shoulder on the mysterious landscape of the Salisbury Plain. This Neolithic stone circle to which dates to around 4,500 years ago, sits honourably elevated within time from our ancient past. It fills us with wonder and admiration for our Celtic ancestors together with an intrigue into lost times of old. On approaching the stones closer, their sheer magnitude and spiritual significance is overpowering, one feels dizzy with the intense like a long lost relative. Magically, sheer peace and tranquillity buzz through and around the great sarsen and blue centre stones of Stonehenge, like a warm wind to which carried our ancestors to Summerlands - an overwhelming sense of “Love and Belonging” presides. Stonehenge was constructed by neighbouring tribes from the chalk plains of the Wiltshire landscape. This circle resonates the sheer scale and devotion of the people who built this spiritual temple. Their dedication to erect such a prime focal stone circle to proclaim their religious culture was truly wondrous. Stonehenge was built by using colossal sarsen stones, to which were hauled tirelessly from the Welsh hills, with many a tedious journey. Incredibly, the largest of the stones weighs a phenomenal 50 tons, remarkably even today, the unique precise carvings on the top of the stone (lintels) to which enabled the solid structure of the circle, can still be visible. Indeed, each and every stone was accurately positioned within spiritual and astronomical importance of the people. For many hundreds of years, mystery has surrounded Stonehenge in terms of what the vast stone monument was used for - various archaeologists have endeavoured to seek out the

true symbolic significance behind Stonehenge - but still, no one theory can answer this timeless question. In terms of how our ancient ancestors erected Stonehenge, the blue-stones were put into place first, these were hauled using tree trunks as a roller construction from the Welsh bor-ders. The magnificent sarsen stones were then added to complete the circle. Predominately, the river Avon flowed close to Stonehenge, thus enabling stones to be transport-ed more easily. Ultimately, Stonehenge is interpreted into three specific forms - firstly, the bluestones which con-stitute the ‘Blue Stone Circle’ and Horseshoe. Secondly, a massive micaceous sandstone, the ‘Alter Stone’. Thirdly, the great sarsen stones to which encompass the ‘Slaugh-ter and Heel Stones’, the sarsen uprights and lintels and of course the sarsen Trilithon Horseshoe. Aesthetically, the progression of Stonehenge took shape between 4,500 BC and 1500BC. The defined structure of Stonehenge emerged around the middle of Neolithic times. Indeed, many ancestors had their cremated ashes buried within the henge, an estimated 240, making it the biggest Neo-lithic cemetery in England. Interestingly, the circular construction of the stones developed by around 2500BC. Stonehenge consists of 30 stones, the circle some 375 foot across, inside the circle stands 5 giant trilithons (25 feet high) with carved lintels. In addition to the construction of Stonehenge, by 2000BC, an Avenue was built to which carried through to the River Avon - some two miles. Within our ancient spiritual beliefs, the temple at Stone-henge is perfectly aligned in Axis dually with summer solstice sunrise - and winter solstice sunset. Ultimately, Stonehenge became the supreme temple to honour our ancestral dead, as well as observing the changing of the season’s with the celebrations of the Equinox’s and Sol-stice’s. Within a human context, Stonehenge is truly the only place on Earth where one can symbolically connect with one’s sense of “Being”, realising one’s ‘Significant Self ’ as well as experiencing inner peace, spiritually and with-in one’s ‘Human Entity’ - More importantly connecting with our ancestors. We can form our own relationships with the ancient ones, all united in a common bond - our desire and love for the “Old Ways”.... Blessed be.

O.S. Maps & Sacred SitesThe Search For Pagan History

“The most popular belief is that it came from the folklore tale of ‘Stingy Jack’. The story goes that Jack was being chased by some villagers….”

We all know that the Celtic holiday known as Samhain is an important time for us pagans. Starting at sundown on 31st October, it is the night to honour loved ones who have passed on. It is the night when the veil is the thinnest between their world and ours. We also know that for the general population, it is also known as Halloween and is filled with dressing up, sweets, ‘trick-or-treat’, and – most notably – pumpkins! On this magical night, carved pumpkins (or ‘jack-o-lanterns’) can be found adorning many houses and shop windows. Now they are mostly used for spooky decorations but originally they were set on porches or windows to not only welcome in deceased loved ones (as many of us still do, along with laying a place at the table) but they also acted to protect against malevolent spirits.

But where does this practice actually come from? The most popular belief is that it came from the folklore tale of ‘Stingy Jack’. The story goes that Jack was being chased by some villagers from whom he had stolen things and he was met by the Devil, who claimed it was time for him to die. The thief stalled his death by convincing the Devil to play a trick on the villagers but actually tricked the Devil himself by trapping him next to a cross. Jack told the Devil that he could be released as long as he never took Jack’s soul. The Devil agreed and both went free.

However, when Jack died many years later, he was refused entry to Heaven. He had nowhere to go as the Devil couldn’t take his soul. Mockingly, the Devil tossed Jack an ember from the flames of Hades. Jack carved out one of his turnips (his favourite food), put the ember in and began to endlessly wander the Earth looking for a place to rest. He became known as ‘Jack of the Lantern’.It seems strange that a very pagan tradition could stem from a tale that has Christian as-pects. However, with the commercialisation and evolution of the festival, it is not surprising that the origins have become distorted through time.

According to historian Ronald Hutton, in the 19th century, people in parts of Ireland and the Scottish Highlands commonly used jack-o’-lanterns made from turnips. They were “often carved with grotesque faces to represent spirits or goblins” (Hutton, Ronald. The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain. Ox-ford University Press, 1996. pp.382-383).

‘Jack-o-lanterns’ are also associated with the English folklore of ‘will-o’-the-wisp’, which is an atmospheric ghost light seen by travellers at night, especially over bogs, swamps or marsh-es. It resembles a flickering lamp and is said to recede if approached, drawing travellers from the safe paths (Wikipedia).

Pumpkin Carving By Victoria Furminger

All Designs And Carvings Done By Victoria Fuminger

This instructional narrative comes from Victoire and Perdue’s “The New Century First Reader”, published in 1899:

Will and Fred went to the barn. They got a pumpkin. The pumpkin was large. The pumpkin was yellow. The boys cut the top off. They cut the seeds out. They cut four holes in the pumpkin. They put a candle in the pumpkin. The light shone out. The boys said, “See our Jack-o’-Lantern.”

On a personal level, my partner and I carve pumpkins because we want to welcome those who have passed before us and keep the negative spirits at the door. We love to create amusing, spooky and fun images, and it’s a meditative task that we can do together. It also means we have lots of pumpkin innards to please the local wildlife with.

Thoughts Of An Urban Druid:Remembering

Even though I have aged My soul is still young Memories of a distant time Life was innocent and uncomplicated The climbing of trees The swimming in rivers The days stretching out in front of me with no end I look at those same trees I look at that same river A tear appears in these aged eyes Tears for a time when the world seemed magical with no limitations For friends no longer here But then a smile as I remember those times A smile for the fact that I am still here A smile as I think ‘Can I still climb that tree?’ My brain says ‘no’; my spirit says ‘Yes!’

By Andrew “Andruid” Sutcliffe

Photograph by John Robinson (Frameous Fotos)

From Dracula to Dooku - From Summerisle to Saruman: Eulogy To Christopher LeeBy Lola Hearts

June 7th 2015 was a bleak day for horror fans across the world as it marked the passing of one of cinema’s most veteran actors. At the grand age of 93 Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee passed away, but the legacy he left behind is as immortal as Dracula himself - just one of the many roles Lee is well known for. As well as the impressive number of movie roles to his name, Christopher Lee lived an extraordinary and awe-inspiring life. He was born in London on 27th of May 1922 (the same day as fellow horror legend Vincent Price, who was born eleven years prior) to Geoffrey, who was a Lieutenant Colonel in the 60th King’s Royal Rifle Corps, and Estelle Marie, an Italian contessa whose lineage could be traced back to that of Emperor Charlemagne. His

mother was the reason for the first of Lee's many incredible feats when, during the 1920's, while he was still a child, she introduced him to Prince Yusupov and Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, the two men who assassinated Rasputin. Then, at the age of 17, he witnessed the last public execution to ever take place n France when he saw murderer Eugen Weidmann die by guillotine. It is not difficult to see why he later went on to have such a strong fascination with villainous characters.

Lee was educated at Eton College and Wellington College where he studied both Greek and Latin, and by the end of his life he could speak an astounding six languages, including: the aforementioned Greek and Latin, French, German, Italian and Spanish. He was also able to ‘get by’ in Russian and Swedish, as well as being rumoured to speak conversational Mandarin. During the Second World War Lee served with the Royal Air Force, where he had hoped to become a pilot, but an issue with his optic nerve prohibited this. He also served in the Special Forces and was decorated for his services to his country. More notably

than this, however, was his service in Winston Churchill's elite Special Operations Executive, which went by the very befitting title of “Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare”. Many of the missions conducted by the S.O.E involved espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance in occupied Europe; however, the details of these missions are still classified to this day. While, by that point, Lee had managed to accomplish more than you or I will ever experience in our entire little lives, he had done it all by the seemingly impossible age of

25...that's right, 25! Lee didn't get married, however, until he was 39, when he married Danish model and actress, Birgit Kroencke – who also went by Gitte Lee – in 1961. Together they bore one daughter, Christina, and were happily married for over 50 years. When asked what the key to a successful marriage was, Lee responded saying: “Marry someone wonderful, as I did”. Alas, there is more. Once he had finished his service in WWII, Lee decided to try his hand at acting and made is first ever onscreen appearance in the 1947 Gothic romance ‘Corridor of Mirrors’ and, over the next 10 years, he appeared in almost 30 films. And this was only to be the beginning of his movie career. Any self-respecting horror fan knows that Christopher Lee is most well known for his work with Hammer. His first role with them was in 1957 when he played Frankenstein's monster in ‘The Curse of Frankenstein’, but his most widely recognised character portrayal came in the form of Dracula; a role which he would revisit on numerous occasions – the first of which was in 1958, in the aptly titled ‘Horror of Dracula’ (American title). In fact, Lee was cast in 50 horror films between the years 1959 and 1976, and he played the role of the infamous vampire in 10 of them, including: ‘Dracula Price of Darkness’, ‘Taste the Blood of Dracula’, ‘Count Dracula’ and ‘Scars of Dracula’. Lee was cast in dozens of Hammer productions, right up to and including the 1976 ‘To the Devil a

“Dracula Price of Darkness’, ‘Taste the Blood

of Dracula’, ‘Count Dracula’ and ‘Scars of

Dracula’….”

Daughter’, which was to be the company's last ever movie. Lee held recurring roles as Fu Manchu in ‘The Face of Fu Manchu’, ‘The bride of Fu Manchu’, ‘The Vengeance of Fu Manchu’ and ‘The Blood of Fu Manchu’, and, as well as his recurring roles as the famous detective, Lee was able to say that he had not only played Sherlock Holmes, but also his brother Mycroft and Sir Henry Baskerville of ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ – a trifecta that no other actor has been able to achieve to date.He was also well known for his collaborations with popular director Tim Burton. Lee played/voiced characters in five of Burton's spooky masterpieces, including: ‘Sleepy Hollow’ (1999), ‘The Corpse Bride’ (2005), ‘Charlie and the

Chocolate Factory’ (2005), ‘Alice in Wonderland’ (2010) and finally, ‘Dark Shadows’ (2012).

Stepping away from the horror genre, Lee appeared in ‘How the West Was Won’ and the World War

Two comedy, ‘1941’ by Steven Spielberg. But villainy was in his blood; it was something he was good at, and he portrayed some of cinema’s most prolific bad guys, such as: Lord Summerisle of the British mystery, ‘The Wicker Man’, or James Bond's arch nemesis, Scaramanga, in ‘The Man with the Golden Gun’. He even played the title role in 1959's ‘The Mummy’. Lee was a self professed Tolkien fan, claiming to read his books at least once a year, and in 2001 he was given the chance to play one of the ‘Lord of the Rings’ leading characters... the White Wizard,

Saruman. He continued this role in ‘The Two Towers’ and ‘The Return Of The King’, and again in the Hobbit trilogy, which made its debut in 2012 with ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’. On top of being the only cast member to have personally met J.R.R Tolkien, Lee also

told director Peter Jackson, after being instructed to imagine the sound one would make if they were stabbed in the back, that he had seen people being stabbed in the back, and knew exactly what sound they made. You don't get much more bad-ass than that! However, this was not the only project Lee tackled that already possessed a cult following spanning over decades. In 2003, a mere two years after signing on to do the mammoth production that was ‘The Lord Of The Rings’, Lee also took on

“He was awarded the The Bram

Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1994…”

the role of Count Dooku in the sci-fi classic ‘Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones’, and again in ‘Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith’ (2005) On top of his almost incomprehensible movie repertoire, Sir Christopher Lee also has an astounding list of awards, titles and records to his name:* He was awarded the The Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1994* He was made a Commander of the Venerable Order of Saint John in 1997* French culture minister Jean-Jacques Aillagon awarded him Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters in December 2002* 2004 saw him help to set the record for the first ever spoken dialogue in an ‘M.M.O.R.P.G, Everquest II’, and, five years after that, he voiced Diz/Ansem in ‘Wise in Kingdom Hearts’, which allowed him to set the record for oldest video game voice actor * In 2007 he was acknowledged for setting the Guinness World Record for most screen credits for a living actor after appearing in an amazing 244 film and TV movies* In 2008, he was recognised by Guinness World Records again, this time for being the world’s most connected actor alive, and, in the same year, he also received a lifetime achievement award at the Pula Film Festival* He was knighted in 2009 for services to drama and charity work, as well as being made a Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire

* 2011 saw him earn the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Fellowship and he was made a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government* His towering 6' 5” height led him straight into the record books as the tallest actor in a leading role – which he would go on to share with Vince Vaughan – and earned him his inescapable popularity as one of cinema’s most recognised villains. * Finally, over the course of his prolific movie career, Lee set the record for most films with a sword fight by an actor. A grand total of 17 films saw him duel with foils, swords, billiard cues and even a light saber or two. Despite this expansive list of lifetime achievements, the one thing Lee never managed to receive was an Oscar. But there is more. As if a prolific film career and more awards than you can shake a stick at weren't enough, Lee was also an opera singer and he composed and released two symphonic metal concept albums. The first of which, ‘Charlemagne: By

“A grand total of 17 films

saw him duel with foils,

swords, billiard cues and

even a light saber or

two…”

the Sword and the Cross’, was released in 2010 and the second, ‘Charlemagne: The Omens of Death’, followed in 2013.

!

On the morning of June 7th 2015 Sir Christopher Lee passed away at Westminster hospital in London from respiratory problems and heart failure. The announcement of his death was made four days later by his wife and daughter. In the days that followed, social media was flooded with messages from fans and celebrities alike, all paying homage to a man that not only lived a full

and meaningful life, but will continue to live on through the incredible work he produced. He is, and forever will be, a legend in his own right. References http://www.biography.com/people/christopher-lee-20702949. 04/10/2015 http://io9.com/22-incredible-facts-about-the-life-and-caree…. 04/10/2015 http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/…/sir-christopher-lee-1…. 04/10/2015 http://www.theknightshift.com/…/knight-shift-exclusive-chri…. 04/10/2015 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/…/Christopher-Lee-died-week-foug…. 04/10/2015 http://controversialtimes.com/…/christopher-lee-the-ww2-na…/. 04/10/2015 http://m.imdb.com/name/nm0000489/trivia. 04.10.2015 http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000489/bio. 08/10/2015 http://www.vh1.com/…/27…/christopher-lee-most-metal-moments/. 08/10/2015 http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000489/?ref_=nv_sr_6. 09/10/2015

FRAMEOUSFOTOSBespoke Photos, Portfolios, And Family ShootsFind Out More At: http://www.frameousfotos.weebly.com/or email: frameousfotos@gmail.com

Interview with Edison’s Children Songwriter and Guitarist - Eric Blackwood

By Victoria Furminger

Samhain is nearly upon us. It creeps up with an evocative hand, bringing memories and remembrance alongside it. On the eve of the year, those who have parted come to us and stand at our sides.And the perfect accompaniment to this poignant time of year is the brill iant, stimulating works of Edison’s Children, a “haunting rock band”.Edison’s Children so far has three albums out and is currently working on the forth. One of the most emotional albums is the epic ‘The Final Breath Before November’, which has pagan undertones running throughout.In an interview with Eric Blackwood, the band’s guitarist and singer-songwriter, I asked him about the band’s albums and the pagan

themes that cascade through the songs. Here is what he had to say:

Vix – Is the pagan backdrop in your music something you intended?Eric – There is something about the onset of the Samhain where the entire world seems to take on this beautiful, unique and haunting tone ... and it's not just because we've had this instilled in us as kids through Halloween rituals.I feel it, really feel it when it comes on. It's very inspirational to me and the entire album is about ... well a lot of things... but it is really mostly about that intense dark beauty that happens at this time of year.There is something special about the coming of the Samhain and if you don't feel it, you're really not in touch with the earth around you.

Vix – You mention Samhain and have a song called ‘Solstice’ on the new album. Is it fair to say you consider yourself Pagan?Eric – I don't like to label myself as anything because I honestly don't know what I am. I know that I understand things that seem to fall on deaf ears to others and I think a lot of Pagans feel that way too. Like there's something bigger out there... a bigger picture so to speak ... it's not just what we put into a basket and say ‘this is what it is’. If anything I have no idea what "it" is. I just know that something is guiding us no matter how much we may fight it.One thing I've learned after these years on earth is the fact that I know nothing. I used to think I knew everything. Now it's just the opposite. There's so much more to learn and understand but you have to open that box and be willing to search for it. If that makes me "Pagan" then so be it.

Vix – And how will you be spending Samhain?Eric – Like I always do... feeling that unique chill on your face for the first time of the year; watching the red and golden leaves falling to the ground. Understanding what it all means, that the things that have given us beauty throughout the spring and summer are now giving us their most beautiful display as their final performance before the snows come. This is why I wrote Edison's Children's album ‘The Final Breath Before November ’ with Pete Trewavas of Marillion and Transatlantic. To capture that moment... that solitary sense of ultimate beauty before death...So I wrote 80 minutes of music that takes you on a journey from life to the moment of when you feel the impact of what you have done and what the earth and wind and stars have done for you... reaching their zenith before falling to the ground to be covered in a grave of white snow.

When asked about the album and the concept behind it, Eric wowed me with a harrowing, desperately sad tale.

Eric – I once met a young man who was struggling with finding his peace and he became the sort of protagonist in this story. We see the world through the eyes of someone who made a fatal mistake... he lived and died purely on his emotions and put himself in a place that he cannot return from.

It’s a sad tale of a lad named ‘Joe’, who appeared to Eric and told him about his 17 year old beau had told him that she no longer wanted to be with him and how they should see other people. In a rage, Joe got on his motorbike and rode it as fast as he could into the wall of the very cemetery that he now lays. Now from that point, he watches the world unable to control it any longer... just an observer and a very very distraught one.

Eric – So for "The Final Breath Before November" I had to write lyrics and sing from Joe's mouth and it was a very difficult process as it was a very sad and frightening place to be. To be singing from his point of you and from his voice. The part of "Where Were You" when I'm singing "It's in my head"... while little voices taunt him...where he sees the world but cannot do anything to touch it and change it and more importantly... affect it.I put myself in this crazy point of view or In "The Longing" where he can see his girlfriend now pining away for him after he took his life because of her and he can't comfort her. All he can do is try to break glasses or create some cold winds or something to let her know he's there.

Vix – How would you describe your music to new listeners?Eric – The world’s first ‘haunting rock band. I've always loved really dark music ... stuff that makes you really feel the essence of "Halloween" as the layman could say. Songs like Entangled by Genesis, or Empty Cages by Dan Fogelberg or Bells for Her by Tori Amos where she softly says, "can't stop what's coming,   can't   stop   what   is   on   its  way".  You  can  almost  feel  that  chilly  autumn  wind  blow  past   you  as   she  whispers   that.   That's  what  has   inspired   me   and   hopefully   what   Pete  Trewavas  and  I  bring  to  Edison's  Children.  

All   three   albums,   including   deluxe   images   and  l y r i c s   C D S ,   a r e   a v a i l a b l e   a t  www.edisonschildren.com,   where   you   can   learn  more  about  what  the  band  is,  how  they  came  to  be  and   purchase   some   wonderful   merchandise  (including   a   lovely   hoodie   that   I’m   currently  wearing).    

Especially   at   Samhain,   when   the   veil   is   the  thinnest,   Edison’s   Children   provides   a   perfect  seCng   for   remembering   spirits   gone   by,   and   the  lives,  loves  and  losses  that  can  be  forgoDen  during  the  rest  of  the  year.  Happy  listening.  

Nemeton Energy System Explained

By Vicky MacLeanNemeton Energy is all about connecting to ancient Earth energies contained in the spirit of trees and plants. It is not a religion but a life path. Religion is based on dogma, a created response to life as seen from the opinions of individuals. As much as their beliefs may arise from a good heart, “one size” most definitely does not fit “all”. It is in this “there is only one truth” philosophy that we create conflict; after all, everyone has an opinion.

Nemeton has no dogma; it is a system of connecting to the healing power of Nature, using the qualities of each tree or plant to initiate a positive change within our energy field. Nature does something we humans have lost sight of - natural and harmonious energy flow. We are so busy trying to be in control, forcing our lives to conform to unnatural rhythms and ar-tificial time frames that we forget to acknowledge our biological needs and cycles. We have disconnected from nature, living in temperature con-trolled rooms, subscribing to artificial lighting which disrupts sleep patterns, stressing about being stan-dardised pre-programmed units. Small wonder then that we are emotionally unbalanced, fatigued and depressed. So much so we slide into ingesting chemical “solutions” or scientific mind therapies. When more often than not taking a step back, changing our diets, reconnecting to nature and simplifying our lives would produce a gentle effective change of mind, body and spirit.

Many people continue down the self-destructive path because they fear losing social status, material gain and their “place” in the madness of modern society. We are controlled by fear and it consumes us.

Nemeton came into being following a connection I made around 2005 with another

energy healer, Wendy Jackson of Wisconsin. We were both members of the Celtic Reiki Fed-

eration. However, when that organisation dis-solved we continued to work alongside each

other in the fields of Reiki, Crystals anD

associated disciplines. We both enjoyed

working with Earth based energies and in 2010 Wendy

considered creating a system of tree and plant energy healing. We both began

“tuning” in and very quickly the system began to form.

Many trees and plants in the original format came from the

US forests and fields, and are extremely

effective in initiating changes in the human energy field.

We needed a name for our newly birthed system. I sat

down to meditate and,

inspired by the energy of the Oak groves, I searched for a word that

described them. The name ‘Nemeton’ came out, it being a sacred grove, within which

Druids and ancient Celts held ceremony. I then found the connections to the Goddess

Nemetona.

Little is recorded of this ancient deity other than her connections to the Germano-Celtic people known as the Nemetes; evidence of

her veneration is found in their former territory along the Middle Rhine as well in the Altbachtal sanctuary in present-day Trier, Germany. She is also discovered in Bath, England, where an altar to her was dedicated by a man of the Gallic Treveri people. Her primary role would seem to be as the guardian deity of sacred groves and spaces. At this point our system was given the title Nemeton Reiki; however, it quickly became apparent that as this was Earth based energy from nature, Reiki was not descriptive under the circumstances. Reiki when translated from the Jap-anese means Universal Lifeforce, REI = Universal and KI = Lifeforce, and the energy tends to be drawn from above through the crown chakra. Nemeton is channelled from below the feet as roots draw energy up through the tree or plant. In this respect Nemeton Energy System is far more descriptive of the process.

Invoking Nemetona,

“She Of The Sacred Grove”By Vicky MacLean

Nemetona Goddess of The Sacred Groves, protector of sacred spaces,

Walk with me in Avalon. By the Healing Springs I invoke your power, in the whispering of the trees I hear your voice.

The strength of the Oaks sustains me, The Holy Thorn protects me, Beith renews me.  

Nemetona Goddess of the Land, guide my steps as I walk the ancient ways.

I honour your name and create my Nemeton within myself and there I find peace and the echoes of Ancient Wisdom.

Samhain Now that the Autumn Equinox has come and gone, I am going to talk about Samhain; at this time of year I really enjoy making loose incense, more so for Samhain than any other time. Pronounced Sah-win or sow-win, this festival marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the winter or darker half of the year, and usually celebrated on October 31. It’s also one of the two spirit nights, the other being Beltaine. It’s a magical interval, when the mundane laws of time and space are suspended temporarily, the veil between the two worlds ids at its thinnest. Communicating with our ancestors and dearly departed loved ones it easy at this time, for they journey through this world on their way to the summerlands. So if you’re celebrating

this wonderful sabbat, here are some things for you and as before I have listed some herbs and given a bit about them etc., but just for Samhain I wish to concentrate on that and that alone, so I have come up with an aroma oil to use during the day or in the evening if you wish, you can make a larger amount too, to keep to one side.

Samhain oil blendRECIPE 1

• 4 drops pine, • 2 drops Frankincense, • 2 drops Patchouli, • 2 drops lavender.

Herb World By Adele Sutcliffe

RECIPE 2 • 2 drops Rosemary, • 2 drops pine,• 2 drops bay, • 2 drops Apple, • 2 drops Patchouli

RECIPE 3• 1 drop Clove, • 1 drop Cedar wood, • 1 drop Rosemary, • 1 drop Frankincense, • 1 drop Patchouli,

(NB.... Please Take Care Using Oils, I make these and dilute them with water in an oil burner, you can do this on the day.) ♦ Now on to the loose incense blends - I have to say Thanks to my great friend Simon at "Alchemy Incense” for this as he worked with me and guided me so it's just perfect for you. As before start this one by gathering all your herbs and resins and oils that you intend to use, look through your cupboards too, you may be surprised at what you have in there that can be used and like the other recipes we are working in parts, so don't worry if some parts look bigger than others, it's the end result that matters. There are quite a lot that can be used at this time too, which I will list after, but for now we are going to concentrate on these few resins oils and herbs.

The resins I have chosen are: Frankincense and Myrrh (Stand-alone Resins not combined)

The herbs are: Cedar, Cinnamon, Sandalwood, Rosemary, Sage, Wormwood, Patchouli.The oils are: Patchouli, Rosemary, Pine/ Spruce, 1/2 part Sage or 1 drop oil, and 1 part Heather. ♦ Now this isn't set in stone, as I am aware some may not like certain herbs or resins or oils, I add the oils as this is a binder for the incense, plus it makes it easier to burn on the charcoal disk. The following can also be used if you wished:

FRANKINCENSE, MYRRH, SANDALWOOD, HEATHER, PINE, SPRUCE, CEDAR, MACE, CINNAMON, CLOVES, CYPRESS, JUNIPER, OAKMOSS, MARIGOLD, IVY and SAGE.

As before, set out a piece of tissue paper, get all your herbs and resins and oils out, then begin making you incense. once you have them in little piles in front of you, begin mixing them together, omitting the oils till last, when you are happy, take a small amount and a charcoal disk, and test burn, this will give you an indication of what the smell will be like, This is where you can add more if you wish, you may decide that sandalwood is good and wish to add more of that, you may prefer to make a larger quantity, that's fine, make sure that if you do it needs to be stored in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid and label well, but for smaller amounts its fine to wrap in tissue paper and label it.

NB.... please do take care when using oils

Chilling with Anna Lawson -

Frank Look Into The LifeOf Our New Contributor

Thank you for agreeing to do an interview for The Pendle Craft.

1) Could you introduce yourself for the readers, please, Anna.I am Anna Lawson, I am 57, daughter, mother, grandmother, wife and me – not always in the order that is expected of me.

2) How long have you been a Pagan or on a spiritual path?

This is complicated however I would say I have been on a spiritual path from the beginning of my consciousness of the things around me. Both sides of my family lineage brought their own belief systems and they were often poles apart. My maternal grandfather was a Marxist socialist agnostic who was seen, by others to be fay – he knew things before they happened and had a great knowledge of the land – its history and its bounty, including herb lore. My maternal grandmother was a first generation immigrant – a German Jew whose family hid in Catholicism. My paternal grandmother’s family were staunch Methodists. My paternal grandfather, a coal miner and a Union man, was the son of a Licensed Victualler. He even-tually became a Methodist, probably due to family pressure and took the pledge not to

drink alcohol – although I do remember him enjoying ginger wine that my grandmother made for yuletide. My father converted to Catholicism to marry my mother, who had just qualified as a teacher. Rather than buying a house and settling down, they moved to London as my father attained a scholarship to further his studies at the Royal College of Art. They bought a partially converted Officers Landing Craft and called it HMC Keel Row - the ‘Keel Row’ being a Geordie folk song, and moored it in Burgoine’s Boatyard by Kingston Bridge on the Thames. That is where I began my life, on the river with parents who sang the songs of the North East of England and who braved the stigma of being ‘of no fixed abode’. It was a brave move from the relative safety of the coal mining villages in the North East, to the Capital city, in the mid 1950’s. They moved back to the North East to teach what they had learned, turning their backs on great offers from galleries and fame. Learning was at the centre of our family life and there was a polarity between the strictness of Catholicism and learning about, and respecting the flora and fauna of the countryside (we all still apologise if we step on an unsuspecting daisy), the freedom of creativity, dance, playing musical instruments, craft skills and the arts. Debates and

questioning were always plentiful and almost obligatory around the dinner table. These foundations, as well as love and care from all around us, made for a well-rounded upbringing. When I left home I thought I was too busy grappling with a world I didn’t understand to engage in any form of spirituality however, looking back, I find I made altars everywhere – not Catholic altars per se but with offerings to the home and to the universe – candles, feathers that fell in front of me (I have collected boxes of them over the years) fossils, shells, quartz and random found objects. I taught my children the same ethos, sang the same folk songs as my parents sang to me, although at the time I thought I was the complete opposite. It is strange isn’t it, when one thinks they are rebelling (especially about religion) but we are still following the pattern of our forebears? My children and I lived in Somerset, near to a town but nearer the countryside where they could run free and learn the sounds of the river and listen to the stories nature tells of itself. Financially we struggled, very much so, but homemade everything was a choice rather than a chore or a grumble – it was just natural to make things. My parents have recently moved house and my mother came across some of the stories I had written for my children – the bedtime ritual, mammy’s story time. I thought they had been lost a long time ago – some I remembered, some not but the content made me reflect and realise that I have been on this path for a very very long time.

3) You set up recently a group for Pagans with disabilities...why?During a discussion on the Pagan Federation Facebook page it transpired that there are quite a few members there who have disabilities. I guess I hadn’t thought about why so many people used the PF Facebook page or how they had the time to do so. I assumed that most folk had remunerative employment and they dipped in and out when they could as a learning resource – which of course it is. I use Social media as a way to keep in touch with family and friends who are scattered around the world and also as a political platform for my own interests in some pressure groups and in groups of interest – such as the Pagan Federation. My mind was immediately jolted back to how and when I started to use Facebook and remembered it was because I was unwell.

Being in bed a great deal and generally housebound was a very lonely space for me as I had previously been so active with never a minute to myself. I discovered Facebook and Farmville (I know!!). Farmville led to Castle Age where I started to find a community of people, worldwide, with whom I became friends – and while I don’t play these games now, some of us have forged deep and lasting friendships. That community certainly assuaged my loneliness and I learnt to communicate on a virtual level whereby one had to be very careful about the typed word and what it might mean in another culture. During a particular activity that I had organised, one of the members asked me to describe her husband to her. She had never seen him with her eyes, only with her fingertips and wondered what he looked like to the rest of the world. I was astounded. I had spoken with her almost daily for over two years and had absolutely no idea that she was unable to see. A few months later, another friend died after a long illness that he had kept from us. Then the final realisation came when a dear friend told the group about his health issues and the prognosis. I guess the penny dropped at that moment – many of us were on-line because we were disabled in some way and building a community around a shared interest helped to combat our loneliness, stretched our imagination and learning and enabled us to socialise albeit in different countries and time zones. We were not judged because no one could see the real us. We didn’t have to discuss our health issues and what the GP or specialist did or didn’t say. We didn’t have to tell anyone that we needed help with bathing, dressing or mobility etc. We didn’t have to have the pitying glance from family and friends nor the expectation of having to try to do the thing we used to do and failing miserably only to get a ‘tut’ or “pull yourself together” or “we all feel like that for goodness sake, pull your socks up and just get on with it”. ‘Real life’ friends who were too embarrassed to be with me, too worried about how to deal with a medical emergency or too annoyed that I hadn’t turned up, yet again, for a dinner party, retreated from my life but the online community remained intact. We were just us – I was just me and it was empowering rather than self-deprecating or condemnatory in any way.

It was with the benefit of this experience that I discussed creating a disability working group with Mike Stygal. A team of volunteers was

formed, some with disabilities, some working in the area of disability and some who have encountered it in one way or another. From there it was a natural progression to roll out one of our aims which is ‘to combat loneliness and isolation of disabled Pagans, particularly supporting disabled pagans in meeting with others and in continuing their faith and religious practice in the face of obstacles arising from disability’. As some of us do not manage to get to moots, meetings and events because of our disabilities – the PF social media platforms, including forums and Facebook, bring information, discussion and friendship into our homes.

4. Do you feel the Pagan Federation is open to Pagans with disabilities?

Absolutely – the proof of the pudding is in the support I have received from the PF Officials. It has been superb and includes the rolling out of the PF Working Party for Pagans with Disabilities, the new PF Facebook group for Pagans with Disabilities, a regular feature in Pagan Dawn and the commitment to do whatever is needed to help. They have pulled out all the stops to help facilitate, advise and be proactive within the groups and indeed volunteering time to help administer them. The PF are an inclusive community with an ethos that is wholesome - its spirit holds us together and keeps us touch with our belief systems.

Notice I say “the PF” a lot Aaron?” I am not an Officer so I feel I can speak from my heart rather than with an official voice. The Pagan Federation is important to all Pagans and just now, with their support, the Disability groups are high profile however it doesn’t mean to say that accessibility has not been something they have worked on – it has. I come from a socialist background and live on the North Durham Coalfield – who helped my grandparents? Who helped my mother and father get the education they so needed in order to give back to the community in which they live so that growth and wellbeing would flourish? It was the community organisations, for example, the Miner’s Union, Mothers Union and the Faith groups helping to make the community a safer place. I think about the PF as a support network who weave the weft and warp, tightly and silently, under all of us, so that if, or when, we stumble into the prejudices, injustices and

sadness’s of life, they are there to soften the blow, to fight for the rights of Pagans, to listen and so so much more. Officers and admins, all over the country, are working voluntarily at this very moment. The movement does not stop. I hear people ask “Why should I join the PF when they don’t do anything for me?” My response is “Really? You are free to be a Pagan because of the PF. Look at what they have achieved over the years, look at the services they provide and if you are in need then they will help you but right now, if you are not, you can rest assured they are volunteering their own precious time, using their own money to help a whole range of people who are. Is that not enough for your membership fee? ” I believe that unless people join the PF, they can’t grumble about what it does or doesn’t do. In fact, by not joining, they will never know.

5) Do you yourself have a disability?

I have many conditions, none curable, a couple fairly critical; some painful; some annoying and some I manage quite well – most bring hilarity (not the pain – that’s just painful) and some excellent yarns to entertain the family with. By far the most annoying are the conditions under the umbrella of Sleep Disorder. I have too many to list but having narcolepsy and cataplexy can be problematic. In hindsight I can see there have been many indications of this condition throughout my life but the struggle for diagnosis became necessary when I was falling asleep in my own lectures and waking up in the staffroom. In medical terms I have auditory and visual hallucinations but I don’t see them like that, although they can be a nuisance especially when I expect someone to walk through me in a shop and find that they are alive. Collisions are often avoided as I have worked out that the people who carry shop-ping baskets or pushing trolleys are in fact solid. It is not however, an exact science. The shop assistants in the shop across the road from my house are superb. They have exchanged the positioning of two sets of products although I am not sure whether it is for their benefit or mine however the outcome is symbiotic. After a couple of narcoleptic episodes where I have fallen asleep in the fizzy drinks section, causing bottles to burst and spurt over unsuspecting customers, shop assistants and other products, leaving a sticky mess to clean up, they have now replaced that area with toilet rolls which

make for a much softer and cleaner landing. On a more serious note though, disability is a great struggle, minute by minute of each hour of every day and night. Even dreams are filled with physical pain and sometimes I am so terrified I don’t want to sleep but then I am terrified to stay awake as well. Sometimes my disabilities are visible sometimes they are not, sometimes I am housebound for long periods, sometimes I can get out in the wheelchair but someone needs to push it, sometimes I can walk a little way without support, sometimes I cannot. I can never be left alone and that is so very frustrating. Obstacles are everywhere, planning goes awry, arranging and re-arranging everything is constant – so much else to impart but this is turning into a thesis already. I do need to say that people with disabilities are forced to adapt and think outside the box, creativity is a necessity.

6) How do you feel your disability helps you on your path? Ah, well I feel that my conditions actually enhance my path – I feel that without them I may not have found it. I was too busy to notice that I was on a path although, as I havealready mentioned, I was but it was more about being intuitive, instinctive and impulsive as well as subconscious patterning. During a rare and wonderful visit from my youngest brother (who lives in Scotland) he said “Anna, don’t you think this is the universe’s way of telling you to stop for a while and just be. You haven’t listened to it for years and this is like a smack around the head – it is forcing you to stop and just listen, just be.” I have left out the expletives for those who have a delicate sensibility unlike my guru brother.

His words resonated and the ensuing debate about the impossibility of it all resulted in a working plan on how to work towards not to work. I knew he was right I just didn’t know how to stop.

Three and a half years ago I felt I had completely lost myself, the ‘self’ that I had known for decades. I was in a suicidal space – I tell you this because it is important. The feeling of needing to die is not talked about, it is seen as not commonplace and it is a mental health issue – well in that case we are all doomed for it is a part of the human condition: laughing

is fine, crying isn’t. What is wrong with society that doesn’t allow these basic human traits? It is something I want to bring out into the open so that people who feel this way do not feel guilty, so that friends and family do not view it as ‘selfish’ and a ‘cowards way out’. I have had both said to me. We all sometimes want to close our eyes and wake up when it is all over and things are back to ‘normal’ – whatever that word means I have still to find out. Sometimes we do want to die. My little dog saved my life – he instinctively knew something was wrong – I wont go into detail - however part of me did die that day. It was the part that constantly hankered over needing to be as I used to be, the part that grieved the past so deeply that I didn’t want to face another minute. I engaged with MIND and they were superb. The outcome was that I arose like a phoenix albeit a rather large one and learned how to dreadlock my hair. I re-invented myself because I could. That is when my more mindful path began. It hasn’t cured me of the thoughts but they are lessened by the coping strategies I have learned although every now and then there is a curved ball that hits me square on. Then I struggle.

7) How do you feel your disability helps you on your path?

My range of disabilities do hinder my intended path – by that I mean that if I intend to do a ritual for a particular moon phase and I am not well enough or go to sleep, that hinders my intended path. But maybe the conscious path is not the one that is relevant – maybe it is just that the Universe doesn’t mind or doesn’t need me to do it. My rational side gets an-noyed and then my reasoned side comes to terms with it and tells me I cant change what has already happened anyway so there is nothing constructive to be gained by dwelling on it. It is a balance. I have regrets that I cant do some of the things I loved doing, like playing instruments or singing folk songs but at least I had the privilege to do it while I could – everything in this life is time bound, one just has to adapt and find something else. It is all part of the path.

8) Where do you see yourself in 10 years time? Older and more wrinkly but still with dreadlocks.

9) If you could set up a dinner party, who would be the first five people you would invite?

Hard question because I would invite loads of family and friends. I am making the assumption here that you mean ‘well known’ people regardless of the period of time in which they lived, so here goes:

Greg Lawson because he is amazing and my guru. Ok so he is my little brother but he is the best company ever. He can tell stories like no one else – all in the most amazing accents and with the funniest of facial expressions somehow managing to move his eyebrows independent-ly of each other. He is a brilliant fiddler (of note) so he might even be persuaded to give us a couple of tunes.

Käthe KollwitzI have attempted to see several exhibitions of her work but I cannot get past the first few prints without crying in a heap on the floor and having to leave the building. When I studied her for my thesis my daughter covered her illustrations with sticky notes so I didn’t have to endure the pain in them. When someone is able to communicate humanity and lack of it through the visual arts, I would find her pres-ence humbling. Her upbringing was an amazing melting pot of socialism and religion – a bit like mine really.

Frida KhaloI feel her pain and like her gutsy politics. It would probably be a disaster because my house isn’t big enough to wheel her bed into and she wouldn’t like the cold weather up here in the North East but I am sure we would work it out somehow.

Cuthbert of Farne I live in Durham, and am one of Cuthbert’s folk - we call him Cuthbert Greenpeace in our family. I want to know exactly what happened at the Synod of Whitby in 664, what Hilda was like and why they didn’t use a binding spell on Wilfred – oh how things may have been different.

Nelson Mandela. I didn’t meet Madiba, the Xhosa man who thought he was “ordinary”. I miss the world without him, I miss his gentleness and who could not invite someone who lived and breathed the ethos of “to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others”.

I try to live by that.

10) With being a PF member, running the disabilities group, what do you like to do to just kick back and relax?I don’t know what relaxing means Aaron. I lose too many hours in the day to my health conditions so every minute is precious. I am always busy much to everyone’s frustration. If I am silent for more than a couple of minutes people tend to leave the room to avoid the musings of the next grand idea and allocated tasks to fulfill it. I do love the sea though and cannot resist wading and swimming in it. I can only go when I am mobile and it is not very often. But even there ask the tide to bring me goodies that I collect. Sea glass and boody (pieces of pottery) are easily carried – well, carried by my husband. The sea throws up so many interesting objects and the last treasure was the netting from an old lobster pot that now adorns my back yard.

11) You studied fine-art and art history, who would you say would have to be your favourite artist?This is a very difficult question to answer and I have pondered it at length and looking up at my bookshelves I really can’t choose between all of them. You see, art is not comparative and as long as it fits into its own authenticity of experience then who am I to judge? What makes something or someone a favourite? Maybe familiarity – if you know about an artist, really understand their struggle, their soul and study their work deeply, not merely the three second glance at images in galleries, then selection is not reactive. On that basis I would have to choose my father, Fenwick Lawson who is a great man, a great sculptor and not rich in monetary terms – he turned his back on galleries so he could be free to communicate what he needed. Of the fine arts he says “ If you have nothing wholesome to communicate then keep your mouth shut”. I will leave it to your readers to find out who he is if they wish.

12) Favourite music and why, Folk music without a doubt – it tells stories and its lilting and reeling tunes allow my mind to learn history of old and to fly high and soar above the everyday drudge of daily chores into different places and timeframes. Of course I like other genres but the folk tradition is where all music began – telling stories and spreading

information from village to village, like the beat of a drum.

13) Favourite Place And Why, South Africa because when my feet touched the bare ground I knew I was home.

14) If you were stuck on a desert island, what could you not live without;This list could be endless Aaron – a bit like my bags, full everything I can think of carrying and things I have forgotten about. So, apart from my family and friends who bring love, laughter and hugs, here goes: The Internet – it is my world library and it helps me when I can’t think of something that I knew beforeMy Swiss army knife A Fire stick – still haven’t got one but it is on a wish listThe Little Prince by Antione de Saint-ExupéryWaiting for Godot by Samuel BeckettDrawing material: pens, watercolour crayons, ink (although I might manage this if gifted by a jelly fish or two) Paper (just enough while attempt to make my own).

15) What could you live withoutI could live without loads and loads but the main thing would be noise, man-made noise – cars, lawn mowers, drills etc. Television and telephones. Pain – I could happily live without pain.

Ancestors: Not just for Samhain

By Nimue Brown

“Then on top of this, there’s the issue that many of our ancestors were not the glorious and honourable, wisdom laden dead that we want them to be.”

At Samhain we honour our dead; those who passed over in the last year, and our ancestors. Not just blood ancestors, but those who lived on the land before us, and those who are part of our traditions. And even if you have to do some mental gymnastics to get there, we honour the good ones.

For many people, ancestry is an issue, all year round, and one that doesn’t really get dealt with at the end of October. For the greater part we stay away from all the awkward things about our ancestors while continuing to be influenced by them – something that prompted me, a few years back to write a book on the

subject (Druidry and the Ancestors). It’s not been a runaway success, because it’s an uncomfortable topic.

Not all of us have good relationships with our blood ancestry. Pagans who

have broken with family religions to follow their own path are many, and for

some that’s still a sore point. Pagans whose families were abusive in some

way, or neglectful, or

didn’t understand them at all.

Pagans who describe

Paganism as ‘coming

home’ are often also

recognising that they’ve

been short in the ‘home’

department up until now. A lack of connection to where you come from, a

lack of ease.

There are many places in the world where the odds are that your ancestry of blood and ancestry of land are very different. You can’t think about ancestry without considering the relationship between the people of your blood, and what they did to the people previously on ‘your’ land.

Then on top of this, there’s the issue that many of our ancestors were not the glorious and honourable, wisdom laden dead that we want them to be. Given the amount of time humanity has been stumbling about the planet, it is fair to assume that every family line has its nasties. We will all have abusers, rapists, murderers, thieves, and villains in our family history. People who profited from war. People who manipulated for more power. People who lied and cheated, swindled, and backstabbed. It is unthinkable that any of us could have a pristine and untainted bloodline free from all the horrors human nature is capable of.

“The further back we go, the easier it gets. We run out of names and dates. We become short on details.”

All too often, we stand in circle at Samhain and invite the dead to be with us. We mean the nice ones. The ones who would approve of us. The ones it would feel ok to have stood behind you.

They came from worlds unlike our own, these ancestors. Most of them will have held beliefs very different from our own. Even the Pagan ones. Perhaps especially the Pagan ones. The values

held by cultures shift over time. What seems obvious to us compared to what our ancestors of a hundred years ago took as self-evident gives you a big enough difference, and for each hundred years, that difference must keep growing.

The further back we go, the easier it gets. We run out of names and dates. We become short on details. Imagination is allowed to fill in the gaps, and we can populate more distant history with the people we wanted our ancestors to be. Wise men and women. Enlightened nature worshippers who share our values. Honest and innocent children of nature. They can be anything we want them to be, and that is as problematic as it is attractive. On one hand, peering into the past with rose tinted glasses on might inspire us to do better in our own lives. It might also distort our understandings of the world, and have us building on unstable foundations.

The ancestors who lived closest to the land are the least visible. History is not just written by the victors, it’s written by the people who can write. Perceptions of the world, records of ways of life... the written evidence from the past is left by those who had the time and money to be taking notes. The presence of the poor can be inferred from what the rich occasionally say of them, but often that’s all there is. The vast majority of us are descended from invisible people who left no records of their thoughts and feelings, their beliefs or hopes.

The poor leave little in the way of objects as well. If everything is used

until it breaks and then recycled as something else, it does not make it through to future generations. The dress that becomes a child’s dress, that becomes patches for something else... these vanish. And if all else fails, you burn what you can no longer use and get some heat out of it. Living close to the land leaves fewer traces, and the signs of our ancestors of place aren’t in the history books or the museums for the greater part, but in the soil itself. Footpaths, old hedges, lanes and field shapes, old ploughing methods, hints of lost houses... the past is with us, suggestive but still not speaking of belief.

We are only here because our ancestors lived and loved and survived and kept their children alive sufficiently to enable us to eventually be born. They are present in our bodies. The land we live on has been walked by countless feet and worked by countless hands. While traditions celebrate their big names, they only get to be traditions because of all the many nameless and forgotten people who kept the ideas alive and passed them down. Everything has a history, even if we can’t see it.

We have a knack for telling stories about history that make it all look inevitable – when you look backwards of

course it can only have gone the way it went. And so we see time as an arrow, and the human march of progress taking us forwards towards our destiny. If we aren’t careful, we start believing in our trajectory, and seeing the direction our ancestors set us in as some kind of truth

that we must uphold. We can never go back, but we are not obliged to go forward in the direction suggested by the past. We can do differently. There have always been other possibilities, and there will always be choices.

Progress is not a straight line drawn through time. If we can get our ancestors into useful perspective, we can stop re-enacting their mistakes, and question the paths they seem to have chosen for us.

Cord MagicBy Peter Nash

“One advantage of this type of cord magic is that it is easily adapted for use by the solitary practitioner…”

There are numerous ways of working practical magic in Wicca, some highly ritualised and complicated, others very simple. Probably one of the most popular in the craft today is cord magic, not least because it is a very powerful method of working in a coven environment, but also it is easily adapted for use by the lone spell worker.

The cord as a magical tool certainly has its own characteristics and symbolism, it is particularly suitable for spells that involve for example binding and/or grounding; and certainly they gen-erate an energy of their own, and are particularly useful for spells where other forms of magic may be inappropriate such as banishing spells. In the binding of the initiate in the first-degree initiation, the cords represent the restriction of the womb before the candidate is symbolically reborn, furthermore the blindfold represents the darkness therein. Powerful symbolism indeed!

In my parent coven, the main method of working cord magic was that after the power had been raised and everyone had fallen to the ground to welcome it and show respect, the assembled coven would then sit around the perimeter of the circle man/woman alternately as far as possible. Each brother or sister present would then name the petition. This would continue, with the invocation being repeated over and over again, faster and faster until the High Priestess decided that enough power had been raised, and all would release their end of the cord so that the cords would then collapse in a bundle in the centre of the circle whilst the coven concentrated on the power being discharged into the astral sphere and the universe. The cords were then gathered up and placed on the altar with the knots still intact; these were not undone until just before the next circle.

One advantage of this type of cord magic is that it is easily adapted for use by the solitary practitioner, with this mode the lone worker simply holds the cord at each end in each hand

and ties the knots him/herself, but the method is essentially the same; the knots being tied not just as an aid to concentration, but to represent the accumulated power summoned and gathered together. The other main method of cord magic is by the use of the so-called Witches’ Ladder, more of which later.

Another variation of cord working in a coven context was that sometimes the High Priestess may lie beneath the

“Clearly a very experienced High Priestess is required as well as a skilled coven working completely in tune psychically with one another…”

wheel of cords as the coven worked, with the hub of the cords wrapped round her athame which then acted as a sort of lightning conductor. The will of the High Priestess then directed the power raised, amplified by the efforts of the rest of the group. This style of working however should only be attempted by an experienced coven as there can be side effects; indeed headaches, nausea, dizziness and extreme fatigue have all been reported, presumably the result of the energy not being directed properly or by a psychic overload of the mental, psychic and etheric bod-ies. Clearly a very experienced High Priestess is required as well as a skilled coven working completely in tune psychically with one another and in perfect harmony. Great care must be taken to ensure that the power is directed accurately and that no “residue” as it were remains.

Cords may also be used in the celebration of the Sabbats, where the coven may again gather around the perimeter of the circle; man-to-woman, with a witch of the opposite sex holding each end of the cord. Here the spokes created by the cords represent the wheel of the year. If the coven then performs a ritual or spiral dance, the symbolism of the working is further amplified. This form of sympathetic cord magic I feel is particularly potent at the solar festivals, i.e. the equinoxes and the solstices. I have even seen the cords released at the conclusion of the raising of the power so that the cords then fell into the burning cauldron on a bonfire. This was at Yule, and obviously the sacrificed cords represented the death of the Sun at this time of year. A new set off cords were then produced to represent his simultaneous rebirth during the remainder of the ceremony.

To return to the Solitary Practitioner; there is a very old method of cord working known as the “Witches’ Ladder” (mentioned earlier). The traditional length of cord for this mode of work-ing is 18 inches, however any multiple of 3 may be used. Similarly any colour of cord may be employed, although red, white, or blue is traditional. Gold, however is a good general pur-pose colour. To begin, sit quiet in a contemplative / meditative state of mind. You must then visual-ise very strongly the end result of what you are trying to achieve. (First class visualisation and concentration skills are an absolute must for any practitioner of the craft or any magical discipline at all for that matter.) Next, take the cord in hand and recite a rune, preferably self-composed, as this will have more power and meaning to the spell worker. A typical example would be something like:

“By the knot of one, the spell’s begun...by the knot of two, it cometh true...by the knot of three, my will shall be...by the knot of four, the power is more...by the knot of five, my spell’s alive...by the knot of six, the energies mix...by the knot of seven, the stars of heaven...by the spell of eight, the power of fate...by the power of nine, the (name object of spell) is mine!”

The first knot is tied in the centre of the cord, the next two are tied in the left and right ends respectively with the remaining knots tied in between, on the left and right sides of the centre knot alternately. This method of working is therefore very similar to the mode of solo cord magic previously described, the chief difference being that more knots are used and in a specific pattern , and there is greater emphasis on a verbal spell recited in conjunction with it.

“To return to the modern craft, however, many covens keep several sets of cords for practical magic purposes;”

Having completed the knots, the operator then concentrates hard on the object to be accomplished before letting the cords go, again imagining the power dispersing in all directions into the universe, charged and ready to bring about the desired result.

Once the ladder spell is completed you may either put the cord safe if you intend to use it again or return it to the elements by burning it, burying it, throwing it into running water in the same direction that the water is flowing or abandoning it on a hilltop or other high place. This should be done after one full lunar phase.

If the spell is successful before the end of the lunar month, you may undo the knots within the circle, say a prayer of thanks to the gods and pass the cords through the elements once again to neutralise the cord so that it is ready to be used again.

If however the spell has not produced a result, undo one knot each day for nine days, again concentrating on your intent coming to pass. Sail-ors are believed to have used a spell similar to the Witches’ Ladder many years ago to try and raise winds of sufficient force and correct direction to aid their journey. Cord magic may even be one of the oldest forms of magic to be practiced at all; it seems that prehistoric man may have used a form of sympathetic magic to bind clay models of animals, thus symbolising them being ensnared in traps. Legend has it that a form of Witches’ Ladder was used by wives to inflict impotence on faithless husbands. But one of the first recorded historical accounts of cord magic is from Burchard, Bishop of Worms in the Rhineland of Germany who observed peasants placing knotted ropes in the branches of trees in order to divert harmful influences away from their cattle.

To return to the modern craft, however, many covens keep several sets of cords for practical magic purposes; some kabbalistically inclined groups keep cords corresponding to the ten se-phiroth of the Tree of Life for use in appropriate invocations. Furthermore binding parts of the body with cords restricts blood flow and alters consciousness which can lead to the opening of the third eye for clairvoyance and possibly even astral projection. Great care must be taken however for if the binding is too tight physical damage can occur.

Some witches wear a cord around the waist during coven meetings with the colour then denoting rank within the craft; e.g. white for first-degree; red for second-degree and blue for third-degree. Although there are reasons for each colour being assigned to a particular degree it

This Special Section of the Pendle Craft will be devoted to honoring those readers’ familiars whom have crossed over… You can submit a small photograph, their name and date of crossing, for publication. Should you wish to place an order for a hand-made, honorary place maker (shipped to your home) please contact the The Pendle Craft directly for your order form.all submissions and order enquiries to: thependlecraft@hotmail.com

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge“When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing: they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; his eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together…. “ ~Author Unknown

NAME: SaberBREED: Olde English MastiffAge: 4Cause: Brain Tumor

would not be appropriate for me to reveal them here.

Cord magic can then be seen to be a simple and yet highly effective form of magic and indeed meditation on the cords in relation to colour can provide much food for thought and insight. The cord also links matter to spirit, the material world to the realm of the gods, and it binds not just the material base of the craft but the four elements and the four points of the compass.

Peter Nash Short talk to the coven, 1987

Rainbow Bridge

 

Celtic Tree Calendar The Celtic Tree calendar shows the sacred trees that govern each phase of

the year, unlike own regular calendar they do not begin on the 1st of the month and end around 30 days later, below is the Celtic Tree calendar most commonly in use, there are some schools that would take issue with it, however that’s a subject for another time.

Birch covers the period 24th December to January 20th

Rowan covers the period 21st January to 17th February

Ash covers the period 18th February to 17th March

Alder covers the period 18th March to 14th April

Willow covers the period 15th April to 12th May

Hawthorn covers the period 13th May to 9th June

Oak covers the period 10th June to 7th July

Holly covers the period 8th July to 4th August

Hazel cover the period 5th August to 1st September

Vine covers the period 2nd September to 29th

Ivy covers the period 30th September to 27th October

Reed covers the period 28th October to 24th November

Elder covers the period 25th November to 22nd December

Celtic AstrologyREED - The InquisitorOctober 28 - November 24

Reed signs among the Celtic tree astrology signs are the secret keepers. You dig deep inside to the real meaning of things and discover the truth hidden beneath layers of dis-traction. When there is a need to get to the heart of the mat-ter, most certainly the Reed sign will find the core. You love a good story, and can be easily drawn in by gossip, scandals, legend and lore. These tendencies also make you an excel-lent historian, journalist, detective or archeologist. You love people because they represent a diversity of meanings for you to interpret. You are adept at coaxing people to talking to you, and sometimes you can be a bit manipulative. How-ever, you have a strong sense of truth and honour so most of your scheming is harmless. Reed people join well with other Reeds, Ash or Oak signs.

December 23rd is not ruled by any tree as this is the old year and a day period used in the most ancient of courts of law. For example we still use a version in cases of murder. One cannot be charged with murder if the victim dies after 1 year and one day have elapsed.

So at this time coming up to and including Yule the trees represented are REED for 28th October to 24th November and also ELDER 25th November to 22nd December, then the cycle begins again with Birch.

The Reed is a practical plant and for many years was the essential floor covering, and also roofing material. Its roots were used as a remedy for flea infestation. And they were the basis of the taper for room lighting once they were dipped in animal fat. Also as writing tools, flutes and as an herbal relief for eye problems, altogether a most useful plant.

Elder often called Elder Mother has many medicinal qualities, the berries, leaves provide us with vitamin C, herbal tea. The bark is a laxative, and of course let us not forget an excellent wine from both flower and berry or if you prefer the non-alcoholic version wonderful cordials. The magical use of the Elder is for banishing negative energy, drawing in prosperity/abundance. Use the leaves and berries for protection, undoing spells made against a person. An Elder on your property provides protection. Always treat the Elder with respect if you have to cut it you must seek its permission, it does no harm to leave a token gift for the tree, wine poured over the root is an easy one to use, or I like a silver coin buried just beneath the surface, it’s a personal thing, but always be mindful of the Elders power, an Elder wand is likewise a wonderful tool to work with. Elder can help us to see ourselves truly, it is also associated with acceptance of our own mortality.

©Vicky MacLean – October 2015

Eight of Vessels: Rebirth. Description: From the middle of the fast -flowing stream we see an ancient cauldron hanging from a great chain. In the trees above it are three smaller cauldrons. Water and energy flow from them, filling the great cauldron, which in turn overflows and fills four more, which sit on the rocks below and overflow into the stream.

Meaning: By looking at the past, acknowledging our mistakes and learning from them, we grow and attain new wisdom. The future waits to be unfolded by our positive action as we become ' The Eighth Vessel' and receive powerful rejuvenating energies of rebirth.

Reading Points: Rejoice!  A time of renewal and potential is here. The cycle of rebirth and healing brings inner peace and confidence. Once you accept that all the blessings and gifts of life can be yours or, indeed, already belong to you, the fear of asking is gone.  It is time to shed the skin of the past and accept and utilise the overflowing potential of the present that is freely available to you. Do not be afraid to make mistakes. Do not be afraid to ask: ' Why not me?' See potential where others only see barriers. See challenge as others see impossible odds. Apply all that you have learned through experience and toil to any problem and you will not fail. You have striven to survive and absorb insight; you have endured loss to retain your integrity. All of these trials have made you stronger, wiser and more effective. Drink of this new fountain of opportunity and renew your life objectives. You have endured the past, it's your gifts that we're hard won; now the challenge of the future unfolds. Grasp it and shape it in your hands as you would have it manifest in your life.

My Thought: Everyone in this life has and will make mistakes but the whole object of when making these mistakes is learning from them.  Each time we make mistakes we grow and learn but also in learning from them we have grown in wisdom and strength it is now time to rejuvenate and a time to rebirth a time to leave behind that....that others may think is impossible for you to do...It is now time to step out and take what is rightfully yours and apply it to your life...Blessings...

Photo Diary Burnley and Pendle in Pictures - John Robinson

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The Fallen By Robert Laurence Binyon (1869 -1943)

Published in the Times Newspaper, 21st September 1914

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,

England mourns for her dead across the sea.

Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,

Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal

Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.

There is music in the midst of desolation

And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,

Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.

They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,

They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;

They sit no more at familiar tables of home;

They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;

They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,

Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,

To the innermost heart of their own land they are known

As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,

Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,

As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,

To the end, to the end, they remain.

The Fallen

On November 11th, 1916, war had ended, the cease-fire

announced, the killing and maiming finally stopped. We

do not glorify war, we remember. We remember those

who went before us, who gave their lives for us to be free

from tyranny and oppression.

I ask, that on 11.11.2015, at 11 am, you bow your heads in

silence and remember the fallen, to remember those who

gave their lives.

We do not glorify war, we remember, so please,

remember your great-grandfathers’, your grand-fathers’,

your brothers’, or your friends who have all given their

lives.

Brightest Blessings.

HALLOWEEN WITCHES BREW PREP:30MIN › COOK:10MIN › READY IN:40MIN

INGREDIENTS

• 300g (11 oz) frozen raspberries, thawed• 600ml (1 pt) cranberry juice• 14g powdered gelatine• 2L (3 1/2 pt) ginger ale• 2L (3 1/2 pt) sparkling apple juice (non-alcoholic)• 6 Gummi snakes

DIRECTIONS

1. To make the frozen hand: Wash and rinse the outside of a rubber glove. Turn glove inside out and set aside. In a 1 litre measuring jug, combine the thawed raspberries and cranberry juice.

2. Pour half of the raspberry mixture into a small saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatine over and let stand 2 minutes. Warm over low heat, stirring constantly, just until gelatine dissolves. Mix back into the reserved raspberry mixture in the measuring jug.

3. Pour raspberry mixture into the inverted glove. Gather up the top of the glove and tie securely with kitchen string. Freeze until solid, or several days if possible.

To serve: Carefully cut rubber glove away from frozen hand. Place frozen hand, palm side up, leaning against side of a large punch bowl. Pour in ginger ale and sparkling cider. Garnish with Gummi snakes.

OTHER  ITEMS  NEEDED  

Item  1  -­‐  Rubber  Glove  

Item  2  –  1  Litre  Jug  

Item  3  –  Punch  Bowl  

Hubble bubble pumpkin pot

Get your kids to help you cook this simple pumpkin, bacon and rice dish - you can make in the microwave too

Ready in: 35-45 minutes

Skill level : Easy

Servings: Serves 4 hungry trick or treaters

INGREDIENTS

2 leeks, thickly sliced and washed to remove any grit

8 rashers smoked bacon, chopped

350g/12oz pumpkin flesh, cut into chunks (or use butternut squash)

50g butter

1 chicken stock cube

250g long grain rice

METHOD

1. Hubble. Toss the leeks, bacon and pumpkin together in a large microwaveable bowl. Dot the butter on top and cover the bowl with cling film or a plate. Pierce the cling film a couple of times if using and

microwave on High for 5 minutes until everything’s hot and starting to cook.

2. Bubble. While the veg is cooking, bring a kettleful of water to the boil and make 700ml/1.5pints stock using the cube. Carefully remove the bowl from the microwave and uncover, watching out for the hot steam. Tip in the rice and season with salt and pepper, then pour in the stock and stir to mix.

3. Worth the trouble. Cover the bowl with a fresh piece of cling film or the same plate and microwave on High for 10 minutes. Uncover and give it a stir, then microwave for 5-10 minutes until the rice is cooked. Leave to stand for 5 minutes before giving everything a final stir. Serve scooped straight from the bowl.

Spider web chocolate fudge muffinsSpecial Halloween chocolatey bakes for lucky trick or treaters - you can make ahead and freeze

Cooking time:

Ready in: 40-45 minutes

Skill level: Moderately easy

Servings: Makes 10

INGREDIENTS

50g dark chocolate (55% cocoa solids is fine)

85g butter

1 tbsp milk, water or coffee

200g self-raising flour

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

85g light muscovado sugar

50g golden caster sugar

1 egg

142ml carton soured cream

For the topping

100g dark chocolate (as above)

100g white chocolate

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to fan 170C/ conventional 190C/gas 5 and line a muffin tin with 10 paper muffin cases. Break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl, add the

butter and liquid. Melt in the microwave on Medium for 30-45 seconds (or set the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water). Stir and leave the mixture to cool.

2. Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and both sugars in a bowl. Beat the egg in another bowl and stir in the soured cream, then pour this on the flour mixture and add the cooled chocolate. Stir just to combine – don’t overmix or it will get tough.

3. Spoon the mixture into the cases to about three quarters full. Bake for 20 minutes until well risen. Loosen the edges with a round-bladed knife, let them sit in the tins for a few minutes, then lift out and cool on a wire rack.

4. For the topping, make two piping bags out of greaseproof paper (or cut the ends off two clean plastic bags). Break the dark and white chocolate into separate bowls and melt in the microwave on Medium for 2 minutes (or over a pan as in step 1). Put 2 spoonful’s of dark chocolate in one bag and the same of white chocolate in the other.

5. Working with one muffin at a time, spread with dark chocolate from the bowl, letting it run down a bit, then pipe four concentric circles of white chocolate on top. Using a small skewer, drag through the circles at regular intervals, from the centre to the edge, to create a cobweb effect. Repeat with four more muffins. On the remaining five, spread over the white chocolate and decorate with the dark. Best eaten the day they’re made – even better while the chocolate’s soft.

   Children’s Corner…. ………Samhain edition

Who doesn’t love a cool bone necklace or salt dough bats and pumpkin garland or maybe even a cool spooky display plate to hang on wall….

Let’s start with the salt dough recipe… you can use any one you like, the internet is full of different recipes, but here is a quick handy one… once you’ve made your dough… grab some cookie cutters, (ghosts, bats, witch hats or just a big ol plate will work too) AND don’t forget the glitter and the string! You’ll need that too…

Roll out your dough and start cutting the shapes you’ve selected with the cookie cutters. I recommend painting or adding glitter AFTER the shapes have baked. Now, you have all your little goals, goblins, pumpkins and such, now the fun really begins… Your options are limit less….

-cover the cut out in glue and sprinkle with glitter

-paint them with nail polish (I swear this is the easiest, best way to paint them)

-if you’re doing a plate to hang on the wall, draw out your image AFTER its been baked, then paint with either nail polish or sharpie markers or paint pens… I recommend spraying all items with a clear coat, just to protect them for years to come. If you plan to do a

string of garland or a necklace charm, don’t forget to poke a hole with a straw at the top of your design BEFORE you bake it.. then use whatever string, yarn or chain, that makes you smile! Have fun! Take photos and share with the e-zine… we’d love to see your creative works of art!

Don’t forget to share with us your creations……………..      

thependlecraft@hotmail.com                                                        

                                                                       

FOOTSTEPS IN HISTORYWoodend Mining Museum By Ethan Kent

What does Samhain mean? To many now it has been taken over by that Americanised tradition of Halloween, but too many of us in the Pagan community it means more, much more. To us, it means the end of the summer and beginning of the winter months, a time when the veil is at its weakest and we can honour our ancestors, usually those who have passed over in the last year or so, but to me, with the veil being at its weakest I like to think we can honour all our ancestors.

For many in and around Lancashire, they will have ancestors who have worked in both the milling industry and the coal. To honour this, I wanted to give a special mention to Harry and Carol, from Smithson Farm, home to the Woodend Mining Museum. I have lived in Brierfield since May, 2012, and it has, I have to say, taken me quite some time to take a proper look around the area I live in, but, thanks to our photographer, John Robinson of Frameous Fotos, I have seen a lot. It was as we were out on a drive one Monday, that John turned and said: “Did you know there was a coal mining museum in Burnley?” Of course I didn’t. As far as I was concerned the area was all mills and cloth, but John was insistent and I realized he was honestly telling the truth, there was a coal mining museum in Burnley. After racing around the narrow lanes of Fence, Barley, and Newchurch-in-Pendle, John turned the car around and we headed for Woodend Mining Museum; as we turned right from Fence, half way along Barden Lane, John pointed to a now derelict building and said, “Used to be a pub that. Closed when the mine closed.” I shook my head and watched the road ahead, mind racing, expecting to see a full blown coal mine, something I had not seen since my days in security at Monktonhall Colliery in Midlothian. To say I was a little disappointed with what I saw was an understatement as we pulled into Smithson Farm camping area, but that was soon to change after John introduced me to Carol, a lovely woman with such a bubbly personality and a fiery enthusiasm for the history of coal mining.

As we pulled to a stop, Carol was outside tidying up; John, having taken photos for John and Carol before, introduced us and discussed why we were there, explaining that I wanted to do a historical piece on the museum. I hadn’t actually decided on that, I just wanted to see this coal mine, but

what I saw next made my mind up. “Any publicity we can get, John,” Carol said leading the way into the small tea-room, “is fantastic, helps us no ends...” and then bang, there she was against one wall of the tea-room. A full, life-sized working pit-pony. WOW! A life-size, paper-mache model of Kexwith Bess.

I took my eyes of this model long enough for Carol to introduce us to her husband, Harry, and direct us to a round table laid out like all the other tables with black and white photos of coal-miners hard at work in very harsh conditions. I was no longer disappointed. I wanted to know everything about this place. My mind was racing. I no longer cared there was no longer a mine on the site. I was like a child in a sweet store. Since my time at Monktonhall and growing up around farms, I have loved horses and ponies. The stories of the pit-ponies and how they worked in the darkness of the mines has always, always taken my breath away. Now, you probably think, “so it’s a story of the ponies…” NO! Come with me and let me take you on the journey Carol took me on.

“Woodend Colliery was one of the smaller pits in the Burnley Coalfield, it opened in 1912 and closed completely in 1959 and it was in fact the last vertical pit shaft to be sunk in the area.

Although there were a lot of pits in this area there is unfortunately very little left on the surface for us to see and so when Harry and Carole Johnson bought the old colliery site in September 2009 little did they know of the history it held. As the site was cleared small artefacts were discovered and as the saying goes “from little acorns do mighty oak trees grow” in this case from a few rusty tools has a small but superb museum grown.

The site is now home once again to all manner of mining equipment dating from Victorian Britain to the recent past. Also in the collection are Social History items which serve to remind us all of the hardships endured by families not that long ago, in fact well within living memory for a lot of people.

Although most of the Museum is dedicated to the Burnley mines there are also artefacts from other mining areas and any donations of information or memorabilia will always be gratefully received.” (http://www.woodendminingmuseum.org.uk/)

“During its lifetime,” Carol told us, as we drank our brews, “the mine produced 50,000,000 tons of coal. “ If we look at that figure, that means that between 1912 and 1959, the mine was producing on average some 1.1 million tons of coal per year over 47-years. When the mine closed, it was deemed no longer viable and, like many of the mines that were

closed in the 1970’s and 80’s causing what we all saw as violent scenes of brutality from both police and striking miners.

After finishing our teas’, Carol led us back outside and along a paved area to where the museum itself is housed, inside an old stable block. To some it may not sound grand, but believe me when I say it is more than grand. Our first stop was the main entrance, where, on our left, were two life-sized dummies inside a miner’s cage, dressed in “old” style clothing and preparing to be lowered deep into the earth. Next to this, was a scaled model of the full working mine with all the miners and support staff, including blacksmiths for the horses and making all the miners tools; just beneath the scaled model was another life-sized mannequin and as I looked at it, Carol explained how the men would work in confined areas measured out by the length of their pick-axes. We continued our journey through the museum with carol stopping at every item and speaking passionately about each, a 17th-century stove, a pair of bellows from the mine’s blacksmiths, conveyor belt pieces, Plates commemorating the miners strikes of the 1980s’ and some even earlier, helmets, and lamps. Carol new everything about every little piece that was on display. I was in awe.When we had wrapped things up and John had finished taking the photographs we needed, we headed back outside into the cool fresh air. I could breath. Everything had its own energy. I work with psychometry and as I touched objects, I found myself transported back. Outside, John continued to snap more pictures, “Have you seen our lamp, John” Carol asked. Expecting a small lamp hanging from the end of the tea-room, Carol again astounded us with the most enormous Davey Lamp I had ever seen.

Well, that’s our journey at an end for now, we will be covering more of the miner’s story with the help of Carol and Harry’s museum over the next few editions. Look out for the next article in Yule’s edition as we lead you into the heart of mining and what it was like for the poor families.

I would like to say a big thank you to Carol and Harry

You can find the museum at Reedley Hallows, SAT NAV BB12 9DR.

Go on, pay them a visit today and listen to Carol as she takes you through time.

The museum is open Tuesday – Sunday 11 am to 4 pm. Through winter months you need to call 07809 274910 to book your visit but trust me, it’s worth it.

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Alice In ChainsBy Holly Dawn

“A psychotic laugh escapes my lips as I breathe in the crisp October air…”

My wrists burn and sting but somehow, I do not feel it. These manacles are tight but I am long since used to them. My white hair is matted with blood and is so long that it is thoroughly tangled in these chains, which have kept me prisoner for so long, but I could not care less. Mud, blood and pain are streaked across my face. How far I have fallen. But nothing affects me anymore. My whole body is numb; my mind too. Days, weeks,

maybe even months pass and I do not even notice.

Suddenly, the sun hits me… the door has been opened, those Goddess Forsaken chains are gone! I can feel again! I climb out of the pit that was once my Wonderland and is now my grave, my prison, my Hell.

A psychotic laugh escapes my lips as I breathe in the crisp October air, I am free. That laugh dies as I realise what day it is… and why I have been freed.

“The  Nightmare”(Henry  Fuseli  1781)

“Little Alice and the miniature queen start to laugh and then clasp hands in friendship…”

It is my birthday, my death day, it is Halloween. The day when the strongest of the dead may return to their previous home.

My legs carry me down a road until I catch sight of some houses.

I have been released to finish what I started… to win the Red Queen, once and for all. For if I do not, no one else will.

As I approached the houses, I see an intriguing sight…

Dozens of children in costume, intruding on neighbouring lands and receiving sweets. What is this foreign activity?

And then, I see my saviour.

A little girl with long curly blonde hair in a blue dress with a little white stuffed

rabbit toy tucked into the crook of her arm.

She looks like me when I first fell down the rabbit hole. Panic erupts within me; I cannot not let this young girl be condemned to the same fate as I!

Before I can warn her, a little red-haired girl in a red dress with a crown perched proudly on her head approaches. The Red Queen!

“Off with your head!” she hollers at little Alice.

I begin to run but I am stopped dead.

Little Alice and the miniature queen start to laugh and then clasp hands in friendship.

I do not need revenge, I need rest. I feel my soul ease and I let myself slip away.

Because, on Halloween, souls are put to rest.

Turning DarknessBy Victoria Furminger

As the tentacles of mist search the sky

As the moon casts a watchful eye

As the fog ambles across the path

And the wind howls a haunting laugh

A figure shrouded in shadows and veiled in black

Stalks the path of the lonesome track

Cloak pulled tight and head hung low

No human features stood on show

Such as it was, try as it might

It could easily have vanished into the night

Hidden away, lying in wait

It watches hungrily at the gate

Approaching footfalls reaches its ears

It straightens up as the noise source nears

Letting out a predatory growl

Its evil hunts like a wolf of the prowl

A man appears through the foggy air

Coming ever closer to the captor’s lair

Together as one, they both spied

Before they’d had chance to hide

Bearing claws and canine teeth

It came the time of life’s thief

Blanketing in a cloud of humanity

It underwent its plan of insanity

Sliding up beside the young man

“Good evening to you,” it began

“What brings you out at such a time?”

Came the reply: “I’m meeting a friend of mine.”

The air hung heavy with dread and fear

As the creature whispered in the youth’s ear

“Brave young man, with a brave young heart,

‘Tis dangerous in this here part.”

Said the younger to the older

Though glancing quickly over his shoulder,

“What fanciful tales you do tell.

Truly, old man, all is well.”

It was now or never for the creature to assail

Whilst the youngster was on this lonely trail

No one would hear, no one would find

Another body left by this kind

Too many had fled with unrelenting fright

Leaving the town in a hopeless plight

Death and decay blanketed the town

Hope and faith beaten down

The young turned to face the old

No fear in his eyes was to be told

Only hunger and greed could be seen

As he exposed his fangs by the moonlit gleam

The vamp launched and pierced the older flesh

Tasting blood that was sweet and fresh

But having lain in wait

The old man had used himself as bait

Quicker than his age implied

He pulled a silver dagger from his side

Plunging deep into the vampire’s heart

He drove the athame to keep them apart

The vampire released and looked at his chest

Crimson poured from the wound in his breast

He collapsed clutching the old man tight

His life slipping away through the night

The euphoria of pain that he had never felt

Swept over him as he knelt

In his moments of death, stolen by the knife

He knew more emotions than he’d felt all his life

The love that he had always missed

The lover he had never kissed

Never his to hold and embrace

An existence that had left no good trace

Only destruction and pain

Had his actions so lain

Too late to repent

As his life became spent

No longer controlled by a blood craving

He began to wish a life worth saving

His eyes held a heart-felt plea

“Oh sir, can you help me?”

The old man knew better than to trust a vampire

And turned on his heel to fetch the town squire

But as the elder started to leave

A change overtook him, he did perceive

Realisation hit, he knew what was to come

“Dear Lord, what have I done?”

His teeth extended and his eyes shone red

He had not defeated but replaced the vampire instead

 

PUMPKINS By Holly Dawn

Pumpkins are orange,

Our moon is blue,

Halloween is here,

The ghosts are too,

The veil is weak,

Incense is burnt,

Offerings are given,

Lessons are learnt,

Candles are lit,

Prayers are said,

Spirits are summoned,

Paths are led,

This is Halloween!

PHOTO  CURTESY  OF  RAQUEL  REICHERT

A HUNTERS TALEBy Lorraine Ellison

Sara sat watching the rain trickle down the, she gave a sigh as she knew this would be a long night, the children played noisily upstairs, her headache was getting worse.

Molly and her dad were sat at the kitchen table making markings on the three giant pumpkins, most of the decorating was done. The gruesome party food laid out, new batteries were put into the Dracula doll outside in his coffin, cotton cob webs and huge spiders were draped over the entrance hall, bats, witches, moons and lanterns were everywhere, this was going to be one hell of a spooky night.

The moon cast an eerie glow that night, children were getting ready in their fancy dress costumes. One little girl watched longingly at her bedroom window, her eyes stone cold, “stupid children” she whispered as her window frosted over, she sang quietly to herself “ring around of roses, a tissue they all lose their heads tonight” as the girl walked away from the window.

Across the hall a light shone in a bedroom, the girl opened the door and skipped in. laying there in their bed was her parents, she muttered to them, but they were unable to hear, you see they were dead, their rotting corpses where now just mere bones. The girl danced around the bed, making horrible screeching noise, she then climbed up onto the bed and said “are you ready for some fun?” looking down at them. With that she jumped off the bed and raced to grab two chairs and place them, one either side of the bed. She went around and grabbed her mother, placing her in one chair and her father in the other. Bones rattled as she did so, her mother’s head rolled off a couple of times, placing it back on her mother the little girl said “now mother, that’s no way to behave the witching hour hasn’t begun yet” the girl opened the wardrobe that stood in her parent’s room, inside she found the box covered in green silk cloth. Clothes were also taken out, a beautiful black lacy dress and a cloak, silk gloves and a black hat and vail for her mother. For her father she grabbed black dress pants along with a black frilly shirt, a waist coat, pocket watch, a long dress coat, a top hat and a long black cane with a red jewel on top, everything was now ready, even the candles were lit, the light they gave was an eerie glow in the room, it was perfect.

Sara felt the chill in the air, the night was drawing in, a full moon was enchanting the night, her children already dressed in their Halloween costumes, their father was taking them to the neighbour’s party.

Molly greeted her guests, she showed them around, monster music was playing in the background. Molly’s dad was running around shouting “I want to drink your blood”, little kids were crying and holding onto their parent’s, he didn’t mean to scare them, one little boy fainted as he opened a door and a skeleton fell on top of him, poor mite wet himself.

The girl took great delight in getting her parents ready. How noble they looked, she dashed in her bedroom to get herself ready, just then the door bell rang ‘bugger’ she thought to herself, she raced down the stairs, her hand on the door knob. Her red eyes a glow, her pale white paper thin skin and her fang like teeth were already in the making,

she opened up the door to the gang of children and parents, her heart was beating fast, her blood pumping through her veins, they smelt so good she thought to herself. With an intake of breath she said “what have we here” everyone yelled back “trick or treat”, oh how she would love to treat, she placed candy into their already over flowing bags, she shut the door and climbed back upstairs. Time was getting on, her parents had already started to stir, flesh on flesh was growing at an alarming rate.

Sara needed to get ready, she snuffed out her last candle and placed her altar stuff back in the travel trunk she had under her bed, in it also contained her book of shadows, magic potions, herbs, and books she had collected over a life time, she unwrapped the brown paper and took out a silk piece of material she unwrapped it carefully, her dress and hat was still intact, her besom was hidden behind the wardrobe, she took out the box that held her holy water, salt,but also contained her silver dagger, blessed with the breath of a dragon, she was a vampire hunter, but also a witch, her forefathers and other ancestors were also vampire hunters and witches, she took the silver dagger and pricked her finger, the blood dripped down on a piece of paper. She took the paper to the window and said “tonight I will fight by the light of the moon, may I return victorious” with that she lit the paper and let it burn, before turning to get dressed. She placed the dragons tooth around her neck, it burnt her slightly.

Molly’s party was in full swing, the food was going down a treat, in fact too well, they had to call out for pizza. Three figures joined the party just as the pizza man arrived, “great costumes guys” he shouted as he climbed back on his bike. Molly arranged the pizza on the table, refilled the punch bowl with funny looking drink her dad made.

The girl and her parents was wondering around pretending to look like they belonged, every time the girl walked past a child her fangs would grow a little bit longer, her heart rate would go up, her flesh felt like tiny ants climbing up and down her, she licked her lips, she knew her parents would be ready for a feast soon, she felt the little bottle in her pocket, “sleepy, sleepy time children, mums and dads”. She quietly whispered to herself.

Sara watched the party from the window, she saw the girl and her parents, the dragons tooth glowed bright red, she knew her vampires were inside, but she needed to wait, the door opened with the flood of light, Sara hid behind a large bush, her husband and children were leaving the party, “good” she said in a whispered voice, he had listened to her. Sara moved to the window and watched………………… to be continued.

MOOTS & MEETS

TODMORDEN PAGAN MOOT – HELD BY VICTORIA & TONY FURMINGER TOMORROW, THURSDAY,

30TH September, 2015 – TODMORDEN PAGAN MOOT – Just for this month only, we're going to try

The Queens instead of the Golden Lion. This isn't a reflection on The Lion at all, it's just that it's

unfortunately too noisy with the open mic night going on too. We hope to be in a more settled

location next month, where we will have an exciting talk by Christaeon and Claire Baker

Abergavenny Moot second Tuesday of every month, Hen and Chickens pub, flannel street,

Abergavenny Starts 7pm Contact Laura or Craig, you can also e-mail the.shadows.light@hotmail.com

Albion Moot First Thursday of the Month 7:30pm Start The Old Queens Head Pub, 40 Pond Hill,

Sheffield https://www.facebook.com/ groups/72533580743/

Albion Moot - https://www.facebook.com/groups/72533580743/ - First Thursday of each month,

starts @ 7.30pm, location is the Old Queens Head pub, Pond Hill.

CoA Bath Gathering Local Gathering in Bath. We will meet on the first Tuesday of every month at

the Saracens Head, 42 Broad Street, Bath, BA1 5LP at around 7.30PM Everyone is welcome to come

along, look for the table with a Witchcraft&Wicca Magazine on it. For more details please email

coacentral@witchcraft.org or follow our official facebook page on:

https://www.facebook.com/coabathgathering

Belfast Pagan Moot First Tuesday of the month 7pm start Croabh Rua Community Temple, Conway

Mill, Belfast https:// www.facebook.com/groups/BelfastPaganMoot/ Bishops Stortford Gathering

Third Monday of the month 8:00pm Start The Castle public house, Castle Street, Bishops Stortford

Bradford Social Moot Last Wednesday of the month 8:00pm Start The Castle Pub, 20 Grattan Rd,

Bradford Cannock Moot Third Sunday of the month 7:30pm Start Bridgetown Social Club,

Bridgetown , Cannock Cardiff Pagan Moot Second Monday of the month Upstairs in the Rummer

Tavern, Cardiff. Open from 7pm, starts properly at 730pm. Contact Catherine Abbott or Derek Storey

or visit the page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/167919513251601/

Cardiff Coffee Moot Third Saturday of the month At Pipi's on Caroline Street, Cardiff Starts 10am

Contact (to be added) Caerphilly Moot Every Thursday location varies, currently at the Grazing

Ground on the high street (Nov 2014) Starts around 11am onwards A really informal group of mostly

pagan people who like to meet up and have a natter :) Shout out on the South Wales Pagans group

for up to date info.

Camarthen Pagans Last Thursday of the month Get Stuffed Pizza, John Street, Carmarthen 7:30pm

onwards Contact the Camarthen Pagans group -

https://www.facebook.com/groups/CarmarthenPagans/ Central London Gathering Last Tuesday of

the month 6:00pm Start Bishopsgate, venue is subjected to change so please check our facebook for

further details: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CarmarthenPagans/

Chesterfield Moot Second Tuesday of the month 7:30pm Start The Telemere Lodge, Hasland,

Chesterfield

Clacton on Sea Moot Third Monday of the month 7:00pm Start The Plough, 1 North Road, Clacton

on Sea

Coventry Earth Spirit Moot Third Wednesday of the month 8:00pm Start The Broomfield Tavern,

Spoon End, coventry Cowbridge Moot First Saturday of the month Upstairs at the Little Shop of

Calm, Cowbridge starts 11am-1pmKids welcome, tea, coffee and cake provided Contact Siany or vist

their page https://www.facebook.com/groups/231922846985828/

Doncaster Pagan Moot at Mystical Offerings, Carcroft, Doncaster. The 3rd Sunday of every

month at 4pm.

Gloucester Moot Last Thursday of the month 8:00pm Start The Fountain Inn, Westgate Street,

Gloucester

Hertford Gathering Last Wednesday of the month 8:00pm Start The White Horse pub, 33 Castle

street, Hertford

Lampeter Pagan Society Folkmoot First Sunday of the month Cwmanne Tavern 7.00 - 7.30pm

onwards Contact the Lampeter Pagan Society group ffi -

https://www.facebook.com/groups/24065160648/

Lancaster CoA Gathering Meeting last Wednesday of the month. Table 11, Pendle Witch Public

House, Penny Street Lancaster. For more information just email:

friendsofthelancashirepagans@outlook.com or the official Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/ Lancaster-CoAGathering/457553581070731

Long Eaton Moot Last Tuesday of the month 7:30pm Start The Harrington Arms, Derby Road, Long

Eaton

Long Eaton Coffee Morning Second Tuesday of the month 10:30am Start The Harrington Arms,

Derby Road, Long Eaton

Lyndon Moot Every Tuesday The Lyndon Pub, Olton, Solihull 8:00pm Start

Manchester CoA Gathering Social meeting held on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 7pm at the

upstairs of Churchill’s Public House, 37 Chorlton Street. For more details please email

coacentral@witchcraft.org or like the page at: https://www.facebook.com/manchestercoagathering

Mansfield Moot First Tuesday of the month 7:00pm Start William IV pub, Stockwell Gate,

Mansfield Market Moot first Saturday of every other month Bettws near Newport. Starts at about 1

pm. Have a look on their page for details of the next Market Moot

https://www.facebook.com/groups/270507793048162/

Neath Pagan Moot last Thursday of the month, Upstairs in the Highlander Pub, (2-4 Lewis Road

Neath, West Glamorgan SA11 1EQ) Starts 7:30pm until close Contact (to be added) Threefold Pagans

Nidd Pagan Moot A friendly informal moot for all paths held in my home in Knaresborough near

Harrogate. We are usually held on the 1st Friday of the month, although the October moot is on

28th to be nearer to Samhain. For more information visit our page in facebook under "Nidd

Pagan Moot" or email me at stivellchild@hotmail.com.

Okehampton Gathering Third Tuesday of the month 7:30pm Start The Highwaymans Inn, Sourton,

Devon

Pagan Moot In Mold Meet monthly at Liz Rose’s home, Glan Aber, 123, Chester Rd, Mold, Flintshire,

CH7 1UJ. We have a Facebook page called Pagan Moot in Mold,

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1000777406628448/

Sheffield Pagan Moot - https://www.facebook.com/groups/22297514876/members/

Tefi Pagan Moot Last Thursday of the month (unless it clashes with something else) Camarthen

(contact for venue details) 7pm - 9pm Contact Tamra at tamra66@hotmail.com

True Spirit Moot Last Thursday of the month 7:30pm Start The Taste of England, Newbury

Thatcham in Berkshire Valleys Moot First Wednesday of every month At the GRIFFIN INN,

Hendreforgan, Gilfach Goch Times 7:30pm til 10:30pm Contact Richard Blackburn for details

Wyldwood Moot Fourth Monday of the Month The Royal Oak, Stafford7:30pm Start