Pagan Events over Yule and the Winter Solstice

The Winter Solstice – the shortest day of the year – is on 22 December this year. Here are some of the events in London and a few in other parts of southern England over the Winter Solstice and Yule that could be of interest to pagans.

Now – 31 January 2016; Celts: Art and Identity Exhibition. Venue: Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery (Room 30), British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Tickets £16.50, children under 16 free. Booking online at: http://www.britishmuseum.org/ and by phone: 020 7323 8181

Thursday 17 December; Workshop: End of Year Reflection Journey with Himesh. Venue: Latvian House, 72 Queensborough Terrace, London, W2 3SH Time: 7pm. Tickets £10. Details and booking: http://www.meetup.com/londonspirituality

Thursday 17 December; Croydon CoA Gathering: Social evening open to all Pagan Paths at 1 Matthews Yard off Surrey Street, Croydon. Event held on the third Thursday of the month at 8pm. For any questions email [email protected] or visit http://www.witchfest.net/

Thursday 17 December; The Circle of Ankerwycke moot on the third Thursday in each month. Venue: Function room at the back of the Two Rivers Pub, 43 Church Street, Staines-upon-Thames, TW18 4EN. Time: 8pm.

Friday 18 December; Gallery talk – Hoards from Ancient Britain. Venue: Room 69a, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Time: 1.15pm. Free event that you can just turn up for. For more details visit: https://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/events_calendar.aspx

Friday 18 December; Winter Solstice (ODO) Celebration and Talk on Druidry and Freemasonry. Venue: Souk Medina Tea Room, 1a Short’s Gardens, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9AT. Time: 6.30pm-8.30pm. Free event. http://www.meetup.com/London-Pagan-Circle/

Friday 18 December; Christmas Special: Evening of Sacred Music, Chanting and Connection with Illumina. Venue: Windsor Suite, Columbia Hotel, 95- 99 Lancaster Gate, W2 3NS. Time: 7pm. Tickets £20. Details and booking: http://www.meetup.com/londonspirituality

Saturday 19 December; Lore and Mystery of Yule. One-day workshop about the lore of Yule with Wiccan priestess Suzanne Corbie. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 11am-5.30pm. Ticket price £55, deposit of £30 in advance. Tel: 020 7240 8906 or email: [email protected] http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Saturday 19 December; The Snow Queen – storytelling with London Dreamtime at  Clore Ballroom, The Southbank Centre, London. Time: 11am. Free event. For details email [email protected]. For more details, visit http://londondreamtime.com/calendar/

Saturday 19 December; Free and Open Gorsedd of Caer Abiri Winter Solstice Ritual at Avebury Sun Circle, in Avebury, Wiltshire. Open druidic style ceremony to mark Alban Arthan. Meet at the Red Lion Pub, Avebury, around noon for rite at around 1.30pm, ending at around 4.30pm. Contributions of song, poetry, mead and cakes are welcome. There will be music and entertainment in the Red Lion pub in the evening. Overnight camping will be allowed in the nearby overflow car park.

Saturday 19 December; Hern’s Tribe Mid-Winter Gathering – Wicca Seasonal Ritual and Midwinter social with Mani of London Woodland Wiccans Meet-up group. Location: Woods near Croydon. Meet at Coombe Lane tram stop at 2pm to be met and taken to the site. Wear sensible clothing and bring food and drink to share. More details and to reserve a place: http://www.meetup.com/London-Woodland-Witches-Outdoor-Pagans/

Saturday 19 December; Group Past Life Regression and Talk with the Sensing Energy and Intuition Development Meetup Group. Venue: Latvian House, 72 Queensborough Terrace, London, W2 3SH. Price: £15. Time: 5.30pm. Details and booking: http://www.meetup.com/Sensing-Energy-and-Intuition-Development/

Sunday 20 December; Meditation at Russell Brands Trew Era Cafe, 30 Whitmore Road, London N1 5QA. Starts 10.15am. Free event. Details: http://www.meetup.com/londonspiritualcommunity

Sunday 20 December; Winter Blot to Holda hosted by the Kith of the Tree and the Well, Hendon Heathens and The Dawn of the Oak to celebrate the Winter Solstice at Holda’s Well, Greenwich Park, south London. Afterwards there will be drinks in a nearby pub. Gathering at noon for a 1pm start. Bring a mask if you can. For details on how to reserve a place, visit the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/184246301922593/

Sunday 20 December; Druidic Winter Solstice (Alban Arthuan) Celebration on Primrose Hill with the Loose Association of Druids. Gather in the Hawthorne Grove at Primrose Hill, London, NW1 8YH, between 12.30pm and 12.45pm to prepare the site ready for a prompt 1pm start. Nearest tube: Chalk Farm. Bring a small contribution of food and drink to share. All are welcome.

Sunday 20 December; Portals and Pathways – storytelling with London Dreamtime at  Brompton Cemetery, London. Time: 6pm. Tickets £5. To reserve a place email [email protected]. For more details, visit http://londondreamtime.com/calendar/

Monday 21 December; Solstice and Christmas special healing share with London Energy Share. Venue: Friends Meeting House, 52 St Martins Lane, London WC2N 4EA. Time: 7.15pm. Free event, but you must reserve a place in advance. http://www.meetup.com/londonenergyshare/

Tuesday 22 December; English Heritage is welcoming people to Stonehenge to celebrate the Winter Solstice. The monument field opens at 7.45am and sunrise is just after 8am. Visitors will be able to access the monument as soon as it is light enough to do so safely. For more details, visit: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/

Tuesday 22 December; Wheel of the Year Festival – Winter Solstice Meditation at Chalice Well World Peace Garden, in Glastonbury. Gather at the Well Head at noon for meditation until 12.30pm, followed by a chance to chat on the lower lawn. Free admission to the gardens from 10am to noon. There will be Winter Solstice festivities from 2pm as well. You can find out more book tickets here: http://www.chalicewell.org.uk/

Tuesday 22 December; Winter Solstice Ceremony and Transmission, Stepping into Wholeness with Aang. Venue: Viceroy Suite, Columbia Hotel, 95- 99 Lancaster Gate, W2 3NS. Time: 7pm. Tickets £20. Details and booking: http://www.meetup.com/londonspirituality

Tuesday 22 December; Spirit and Channelling Circle run by Shamanic Spirit at a venue in Croydon, South London. The circle is held on Mondays fortnightly starting at 7.30pm. Cost £5. For more details and to book places call 07952 041477. For more information, visit http://shamanicspirit.co.uk/

Wednesday 23 December; Crossbones Vigil to honour The Goose and the outcast dead of Cross Bones Graveyard. Gather from 6.45pm for a 7pm start in Redcross Way outside the Memorial Gates, SE1 1TA, opposite the Boot and Flogger pub, just north of the junction with Union Street. Nearest tubes Borough or London Bridge. The event is free, but donations are welcome. For more details, visit http://www.crossbones.org.uk/

Wednesday 23 December; A Christ-mass Celebration of the Soul. Christmas sacred sound journey with Grace Puskas. Venue: Fox and Phoenix, 139 Fonthill Road, London. Free event. Time: 7pm to 10pm. Details: http://www.meetup.com/londonspiritualcommunity

Boxing Day, 26 December: Fowlers Molly Dancers with Blackheath Morris performing in Blackheath. Venues and times: noon at the Princess of Wales, 2pm the Crown, 3pm the Hare and Billet. Free event, just turn up. More detail: http://www.blackheathmorris.com/Blackheath_Morris_Men/Diary.html

I try to make sure all the details in these events listings are correct, but I am only human and sometimes make a mistake. If you spot something that needs changing, or if you know of an event that you want listed, please email the details to me at [email protected]. If you want any more information about any of the events, contact the organiser directly.

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