Pagan Events for the Summer Solstice and Midsummer

The Summer Solstice is this coming Monday, 20 June. It is most celebrated festival of the pagan Wheel of the Year. The full moon also falls on the same day, so there is lots to celebrate. Here are some of the events taking place in the days leading up to it and over traditional midsummer. Many are in London, because that is where I am based, but some are in other parts of England including the famous stone circles at Stonehenge and Avebury.

Now to 30 September; Folklore, Magic and Mysteries: Modern Witchcraft and Folk Culture in Britain – exhibition of artefacts, manuscripts and documents from the Doreen Valiente Foundation. Venue: Preston Manor, Preston Drove, Brighton BN1 6SD. Time: Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm; Sunday 2-5pm. Free entry to exhibition with Preston Manor admission (adult £5.85, child (5-15) £3.15). Details: http://brightonmuseums.org.uk/prestonmanor/

Now – 29 July 2016; Scholar, Courtier, Magician: the lost library of John Dee. London exhibition. Venue: Royal College of Physicians, Regent’s Park, London, NW1 4LE. Entry free. Opening times vary but normally only Monday-Friday until 5pm, visit the website for details: https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/events

Now to 27 November, Sunken Cities – Egypt’s Lost Worlds. Major exhibition at the British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Tickets £16.50. For more details visit: https://www.britishmuseum.org/

Wednesday 15 June; More Mead Moot promoted by Pagan FutureFests. Venue: Hope Pub, 48 West Street, Carhsalton SM5 2PR. Time: from 7.30pm. Meets on the third Wednesday of each month. https://www.facebook.com/Pagan-FutureFests-352385661439366/

Thursday 16 June; You Can Have An Amazing Memory. Talk and book signing with Dominic O’Brien at Watkins Books, 19-21 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 6.30pm. Free event. For more details Tel 020 7836 2182 or visit http://www.watkinsbooks.com/

Thursday 16 June; Guest speakers and talk from the Church of Rational Satanism at London Magicians Forum. Venue: Souk Media, 1a Short’s Gardens, London, WC2H 9AT. Time: 6.30pm for 7pm start. For more details and to reserve a place visit: http://www.meetup.com/LondonMagicians/

Thursday 16 June; Shelley and the Supernatural. Lecture by Suzi Feay. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.15pm start. Ticket price £8. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: [email protected] http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Thursday 16 June; PF-London Summer Solstice Open Ritual run by Hern’s Tribe and friends. Venue: Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, Holborn London. Time: 7.30pm for 8pm start. Ritual ends around 9pm followed by feasting until 10pm. Entrance: £6/£5 PF members. Please bring seasonal food and drinks to share at feast after ritual. For more details, visit http://london.paganfed.org/

Thursday 16 June; 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.

Thursday 16 June; Drum Circle to Shamanic Journey. Venue: Caer Corhrain, 1 Southleas farm cottages, Lower Road, Minster, Sheppey ME12 3SW. Time: 8pm. This takes place on the third Thursday each month. For more information visit http://www.touchtheearthuk.com/

Friday 17 June; Wake Up and Soar – Master Your Own Wellbeing. Talk by Chris Nelson. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm-8.30pm. Cost: £10/£12. Advance booking advised. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday, 18 June; Pagans with Disabilities online Midsummer Festival. Starts at 10am and you can take part wherever you are. Details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1749834171941032/

Sunday 18 June; Remembering Gerald Gardner – a day of talks at Preston Manor, Brighton, organised by the Centre for Pagan Studies. Venue: Preston Manor, Brighton, BN1 6SD. Time: 10.30am-5.30am. Online tickets £5.95: http://brightonmuseums.org.uk/prestonmanor/plan-your-visit/buy-tickets-online/ More details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1005942649459572/

Saturday 18 June; Hilly Fields Midsummer Fayre. Annual summer community fair in a lovely park with its own stone circle. This is not a specifically pagan event, but has a lovely atmosphere of a traditional summer fair with stalls, children’s rides, farm animals, crafts, refreshments, arena entertainments and more. Location: Hilly Fields, Hilly Fields Crescent, London SE4 1QA. From noon to 5pm. Free entry. Visit http://www.brockleysociety.org.uk/event/hilly-fields-midsummer-fayre/

Sunday 18 June; Snoozy Storytime afternoon at Meltdown (Southbank Centre) with Vanessa Woolf of London Dreamtime and guests. Venue: The Clore Ballroom, Southbank Centre, London. Free event. 1pm-3pm. For more detials email [email protected] or visit http://londondreamtime.com/calendar/

Saturday, 18 June; London Occult Conference. Venue: Islington metalworks, 7 Torrens street, Angel. London, EC1V 1NQ. Starts at noon. Tickets: £27.57/£32.84. Details and booking: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/london-occult-conference-tickets

Saturday, 18 June; Midsummer Ritual with London Woodland Witches Ritual Magicians and Outdoor Pagans. Venue: Richmond Park. Meet at Richmond Gate, Richmond Hill London TW10 6RP. Time: noon. Cost £3 per person. Wear suitable clothes and bring picnic food and drink. Full details and place reservation here: http://www.meetup.com/London-Woodland-Witches-Outdoor-Pagans/

Saturday, 18 June; Introduction to Kabbalah – Open Lecture. Venue: Blackfriars Settlement, 1 Rushworth Street, London SE1 0BE. Time: 1pm-2pm. Free event but you must register in advance. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/introduction-to-kabbalah-open-lecture-in-london-registration-25762230525

Saturday, 18 June; Free and Open Gorsedd of Caer Abiri Summer Solstice Rite. Druidic ceremony to celebrate the Summer Solstice at Avebury stone circle in Wiltshire. Meet at the Red Lion pub from Noon for ceremony around 1.30pm. The ritual should end at 3pm, then back to the pub. Offerings of bread, mead and song or poetry welcome. Overnight camping is allowed in the overflow car park.

Saturday, 18 June; Robert Kingham of Minimum Labyrinth will be leading a walk through the ‘Grey Soul’ of Arthur Machen’s London from 2pm – 7pm. Tickets: £12 (£8 concessions). Details and booking: http://www.minimumlabyrinth.org/the-grey-soul-of-london.html

Saturday, 18 June; Mid Summer’s Eve picnic and meditation with the London Wicca Meet-up Group. Time: 3pm-6.30pm. Meet at the top of Primrose Hill, North London, at 3pm to walk to the meditation site. Bring a picnic. For details and to book a place visit: http://www.meetup.com/The-London-Wicca-Meetup-Group/

Saturday, 18 June – Sunday 19 June; Pentacle Drummers Summer Solstice Festival 2016. Venue: Langney Sports Club, Priory Lane, Eastbourne BN23. Overnight camping is available. Starts 10am on Saturday. Tickets £6. http://www.thesummersolstice.co.uk/tickets.html

Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 June. Open Squares Garden Weekend. One of the gardens you can visit is the medicinal garden at the Royal College of Physicians – and also get to see the John Dee exhibition. Venue: Royal College of Physicians, Regent’s Park, London, NW1 4LE.  Tickets for Open Squares Gardens cost £12: http://www.opensquares.org/ The RCP website is: https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/events

Sunday 19 June; 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 19 June; Fortune Telling, an historical overview and practical exercises. Venue: The Yoga Shed, 62b College Rd, Bromley, BR1 3PE. Starts at noon. Cost £25. Details: https://www.facebook.com/events/619187674898048/

Sunday 19 June; Alban Heriun, Celebrating the Summer Solstice on Primrose Hill with the Loose Association of Druids. Open ritual hosted by Jeremy Morgan, the Druid of Wormwood Scrubbs. Venue: The Hawthorne Grove, Primrose Hill, Regents Park, London NW1. Meet at 12.30pm for a 1pm start, ends at around 2.30pm. Nearest tube: Chalk Farm.

Sunday 19 June; Anderida Gorsedd Summer Solstice open ritual at the Long Man of Wilmington, Sussex. Meet near the car park between 1.30pm and 2pm for a walk up to the chalk hill figure at 2pm. Afterwards back to the Giants Rest pub in Wilmington for a social drink together.

Sunday 19 June; Dawn of the Oak. Pagan moot on the third Sunday of each month. Venue: Upstairs at The Castle, 34-35 Cowcross Road, Farringdon, London EC1M 6DB (near Farringdon tube). Time: 3pm-6pm.

Sunday 19 June; Summer Solstice. Evening service led by the Wheel of the Year Group at Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, 3 Pilgrim’s Place, London NW3 1NG. Time: 7pm. http://www.rosslynhillchapel.com/

Monday 20 June; Summer Solstice Shine Bright Candle Lighting – event that anyone can do in their own homes, organised by The Wicked Witch of West Somerset. Light a candle at any time during the day to honour the Summer Solstice. Details: https://www.facebook.com/events/954157934700896/

Monday 20 June; Wheel of the Year Festival – Summer Solstice Meditation at Chalice Well World Peace Garden, in Glastonbury. Gather at the Well Head at noon for celebration and meditation until 12.30pm, followed by a chance to chat on the lower lawn. Free admission to the gardens from 10am to noon. http://www.chalicewell.org.uk/

Monday 20 June; Summer Solstice Celebration hosted by the Alternatives team and guests. Venue: St James’s Church, 197 Piccadilly, London W1J 9LL. Doors open 6.30pm. Talks: 7pm – 9pm. Tickets £15/£10 online. For more details and to book tickets: http://www.alternatives.org.uk/

Monday 20 June; Researching Pagans and Paganism. Joint Round-table Talk – Dr Doug Ezzy and Jonathan Woolley. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.15pm start. Ticket price £8. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: [email protected] http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Monday 20 June-Tuesday 21 June; Stonehenge, the 5,000-year-old megalithic monument on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, is the most famous place in England to celebrate the solstices. Entry is normally restricted although English Heritage, which manages the site, will be providing what it calls “managed open access” to Stonehenge for the Summer Solstice. English Heritage allows individuals and groups to conduct their own ceremonies and rituals during the opening times, from 7pm on 20 June until 8am on 21 June. No camping is allowed. There is a car park half a mile from the stones, but it costs £15 to park there, buses run from Salisbury railway station. Note, this year no alcohol is allowed at Stonehenge during Solstice. For details about access to the stones, visit: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/plan-your-visit/summer-solstice/

Monday 20 June-Tuesday 21 June; Summer Solstice: Stars, Moon, Sleepover and Sunrise at Butser Ancient Farm. Venue: Butser Ancient Farm, Chalton Lane, Chalton, Waterlooville, Hants, PO8 0BG. Starts 10pm on the 20th. Non-sleepover evening tickets are £10. For more details and to book tickets visit http://www.butserancientfarm.co.uk/

Tuesday 21 June; Shamanic Trance Dance and Meditation with Shamans of London. Venue: Chisenhale Dance Space, 64-84 Chisenhale Road, London. Time 4pm. Tickets: £15. Details: http://www.meetup.com/Shamans-of-London/

Tuesday 21 June; The Secret Teachers of the Western World. Talk by Gary Lachman. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm-8.30pm. Cost: £10/£12. Advance booking advised. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Tuesday 21 June; Awaken Your Hero – Free Evening Workshop. Venue: Grange Wellington Hotel, 71 Vincent Square, London SW1P 2PA. Time: 7pm-10pm. Free, but you must book tickets in advance: http://www.academyofgreatness.co.uk/Awaken_Your_Hero.html

Tuesday 21 June; Meditation and Emotional Intelligence. Lecture by Kim Goode. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35, Park Road, London, NW1 6XT. Time: 7.30pm – 9pm. Entry £3.50 (£1 concessions, students and under 25s). No bookings required – just turn up. http://www.rsh.anth.org.uk/

Wednesday 22 June; Free Lunchtime Meditation near Bond Street. Part of the free lunchtime events listed by Light in London. Venue is shown to members of the group. Time: 1pm. Free. Details: http://www.meetup.com/Light-in-London/

Thursday 23 June; St John’s Eve Festival, Crossbones Bards and Vigil. A guided tour with performances by Crossbones Bards in the Crossbones Garden of Remembrance on the site of the outcasts’ burial ground. Followed by the Vigil at the gates in Redcross Way and a ceremony for St John’s Eve. Venue: Crossbones Graveyard (Union St entrance) SE1 1SD. Garden opens at 5pm for performances, vigil at 7pm. The event is free, but donations are welcome. Bring a cushion to sit on. For more details, visit http://www.crossbones.org.uk/

Thursday 23 June;  The Gift of An Angel. Talk and book signing with Wendy Erlick at Watkins Books, 19-21 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 6.30pm. Free event. For more details Tel 020 7836 2182 or visit http://www.watkinsbooks.com/

Thursday 23 June; Connect with the Source: Crown Chakra Meditation with Sound Journey run by Himesh with the London College of Spirituality. Venue: Columbia Hotel (Regency Suite), 95 – 99 Lancaster Gate W2 3NS,. Time: 7pm. Tickets £15. Details and booking: http://www.meetup.com/londonspirituality

Thursday 23 June; Constructing Magical Prague: Ghettos, The Golem and the Alchemical Emperor. Lecture by Dr John Callow hosted by London Fortean Society. Venue: The Bell, 50 Middlesex Street, London E1 7EX. Tickets: £4/£2. Time: 7.30pm. https://www.wegottickets.com/event/362370

Friday 24 June; Anthony Kesner Presents his Students. The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm-8.30pm. Cost: £10/£12. Advance booking advised. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 25 June; John Michell Symposium 2016: the Earth Spirit. Venue: Workers Guild, Bloomsbury, London. Time: 10am-5pm. Tickets £50/£45 concessions; £25 students, from Stephen Overy (01233) 813 663, [email protected]. https://www.facebook.com/events/239767086374585/

Saturday 25 June; Complete Wicca – A one day woodland-based Course for Beginners with London Woodland Witches Wiccans Ritual Magicians and Pagans. One-day course teaching the basics of Wicca and aimed at newcomers to the Craft. Meet at The Windmill Cafe, Wimbledon Windmill Museum, Windmill Road, Wimbledon Common, SW19 5NR at 11.30am to walk to nearby woods for the outdoor workshop. Price: £27 per person, pay online. Details: http://www.meetup.com/London-Woodland-Witches-Outdoor-Pagans/

Sunday 26 June; 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 26 June; Blot and Picnic For Holda. Bring a picnic. Venue: Holda’s Well, Greenwich Park, London, SE10 8QY. Time: 2pm-6pm. Details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1565082997121737/

I am not responsible for any of these events and I recommend checking with the organisers before turning up to any of them. If you know of an event that you want listed, please email the details to me at [email protected].

To read more posts like this visit A Bad Witch’s Blog at www.badwitch.co.uk