Ariadne

Black Magic, or Supper at the Crossroads

November 16th is the Night of Hecate, which begins at sunset. Her ability to see into the Underworld, or the “Otherwhere” of the sleeping and the dead makes her sympathetic to those who would generally be shunned out of fear and misunderstanding. Other gods or goddesses might not feel at home roaming city streets at…

Supermoon lucky horoscopes for you

As we all take to the rooftops tonight, gazing anxiously through the clouds to see the supermoon at its closest point to the Earth in 69 years, what will be going through your mind? Will it be the question of the windchill factor up there? or whether the silvery rays of light will help you…

The Séance

The word “séance” has come to be most associated with a group of people gathering and sitting to attempt to contact spirits, either loved ones who have passed away, or other entities who roam the alternative planes of reality. These entities are generally held to comprise of remnants of the ancient gods and pagan spirits….

Out Of Your Skull

Won’t somebody think of the worms? Time was, a worm in a bottle of tequila was all the rage, everybody loved the tequila worms. They proved it was all natural and made of agave plant, not something brewed up in a lab. Some said they were aphrodisiacs. Some said they were hallucinogenic. Agave farms needed…

Beer – here? A Lagerita for Oktoberfest

Although we generally lean towards arcane cocktails of subtle and complex composition on this site, we admit that there is a time and place for beer. The ideal time and place is Oktoberfest in Germany. Beginning as a celebration for the wedding of Ludwig I of Bavaria in 1810, this has grown into a worldwide…

The Time of the Singing Moon

Like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel – Mabon is here again, a time when light and dark balance before the winter draws in. The late harvest festival, it coincides with the Chinese Moon festival or the Time of the Singing Moon. To celebrate Mabon at home, you should gather…

Fomenting Friendship With Fermentation

Cue ominous music In the heart of Hackney…..a storm is brewing……..a storm with a heart of fire…. Or rather, a Dark’n’Stormy is brewing….. OK, I’ll just come out with it – I am brewing my own ginger beer. As a long time ginger fan, I can hardly believe it’s taken me this long to get…

The Last Frozé of Summer

Open all three of your eyes. Face south between 8.30pm and 9pm on a clear night this weekend. You’ll see a celestial triangle of three bright stars – Lyra, Cygnus and Aquila – also known as The Summer Triangle. starry starry night As the end of summer approaches, this trio culminate and reach their…

Fizzy Flip for Luonnotar the Water Mother

Today is the feast day of Luonnotar or Ilmatar the Finnish creator-goddess, who inspired the tone-poem by Sibelius. According to Finnish legend, in the beginning, there was only the Goddess Luonnotar. Tone poem There was no world then, only the chaos of the Dream Time. She was becoming bored of being alone in the void…

Blues vs. Lavender

“Sorrow can be alleviated by good sleep, a bath and a glass of wine” – Thomas Aquinas (Philosopher, theologian, Catholic saint & priest b.1225-d.1274) How true that is, Doctor Angelicus – but why not take this a step further and involve lavender at each stage? With the power to relax and uplift simultaneously, it can…