Winter Solstice Pagan Events In and Near London

The Winter Solstice is on Thursday 21 December and there are many ways to celebrate it. Here are some of the events in London plus a few in other parts of the UK over the next 10 days or so that could be of interest to pagans.

Now – 16 December; Curses! by Bompas and Parr. Exhibition and immersive installation at the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology UCL, Malet Place, London, WC1 6BT. https://www.ucl.ac.uk/culture/events/curses-bompas-parr

Now to 31 December; The London Stone on Display. Venue: Museum of London, 150 London Wall, London EC2Y 5HN. Free exhibition during museum opening hours. http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london

Now – Wednesday 28 February 2018; Harry Potter: A History of Magic. Venue: PACCAR Gallery, The British Library, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB. Timed slots every day. Tickets £16 adult, £8 child. Enquiries: 01937 546546. https://www.bl.uk/
Now – 8 April 2018; Exhibition: Living with Gods: peoples, places and worlds beyond. Venue: British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Tickets: £15 standard, members free but booking essential. For more details visit: https://www.britishmuseum.org/

Now – Wednesday 28 February 2018; The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic: An exhibition dedicated to Cornwall’s most magical Museum, featuring photographs from Of Shadows: One Hundred Objects from The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic by Sara Hannant and Simon Costin. Last Tuesday Society. Venue: Viktor Wynd’s Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. http://www.thelasttuesdaysociety.org/

Wednesday 13 December; Time to Meditate – group meditation. Venue: Buddha on a Bicycle, Covent Garden, London. Arrive 6pm for 6.10pm start. Donations of £3 recommended. Details: http://www.meetup.com/meditation-trust-london/

Wednesday 13 December; Discussion Forum: The early SPR philosophers: their message for today.. Venue: Society for Psychical Research HQ, 1 Vernon Mews, London W14 0RL. Time: 6.30pm. Entry: Free for members. https://www.spr.ac.uk/

Thursday 14 December; Shakespeare’s Ghost Live. Talk by Adrian Parker-Reed and Annekatrin Puhle. Venue: Watkins Books, 19-21 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 6.30pm. Free event. For more details Tel 020 7836 2182 or visit the website http://www.watkinsbooks.com/

Thursday 14 December; Earthstars Group Meeting: In the dark time of the year, celebrating the return of the light. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London NW1 4SH. Time: Doors open 7pm for 7.30pm start. Entry by donation. https://www.facebook.com/Earthstars-Sacred-Space-104790729559515/

Thursday 14 December; Women’s Singing Circle with South London Red Tent. Venue: Balham Spiritualist Church, 211 Balham High Road, London SW17 7BQ. Time 7.30pm. Tickets: £15.73. https://www.meetup.com/South-London-Red-Tent/

Thursday 14 December; The Dark Side of Christmas. Talk at South East London Folklore Society (SELFS). Venue: The Old King’s Head, Kings Head Yard, 45-49 Borough High St, London SE1 1NA. Entry: £3/£1.50 concessions. Time: 8pm. (Meetings are normally the second Thursday of each month.) https://www.facebook.com/groups/2438110887/ To guarantee a seat, email [email protected]

Friday 15 December; Tales of Winter Magic at Butser Ancient Farm. Venue: Butser Ancient Farm Chalton Ln, Chalton, Clanfield, Waterlooville, Hampshire PO8 0BG. Time: 6.30pm. Tickets £15 adutls/£8 children. Tel: 023 9259 8838. www.butserancientfarm.co.uk

Friday 15 December; Magickal Alchemy – The Magick of the Moon. Hosted by Rain McManus. Venue: The Upminster Complementary Healing and Teaching Sanctuary, Pea Lane, Upminster, Havering, RM142XH. Time: 7pm. Tickets: £15/£18. https://www.facebook.com/events/1981421752134960/

Saturday 16 December; Meeting the Horned Goddess, Deer Mother Workshop – Caroline Wise. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 11am-5pm. Tickets £70 (deposit £40). Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: [email protected] http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Saturday 16 December; Winter Solstice Gorsedd at Coldrum Long Barrow. Hosted by Kent Gorsedd. Venue: Coldrum Stones, Neolithic Long Barrow, Trottiscliffe, Kent. Meet in the car park at noon. http://www.woodspirit.org.uk/Kent%20Gorsedd2.htm

Saturday 16 December; Free and Open Gorsedd of Caer Abiri Winter Solstice Ritual at Avebury Stone Circle, Wiltshire. Time: 1.30pm-3.30pm. https://www.facebook.com/events/160866117853505/

Sunday 17 December; Shamanic workshop. Venue: Woodford Church at 9 Grove Crescent, South Woodford, London E18 2JR. Time 11am-4pm. Cost: £10. http://woodfordchurch.com/
Sunday 17 December; Yule Ritual in Highgate with London Woodland Witches Magicians and Outdoor Pagans. Meet at The Woodman’s Pub, Archway Road, Highgate, from 2pm-2.30pm to walk to the woods Queens Woods. Fee: £3. You must reserve a place in advance. Wear outdoor clothes and bring lanterns and a drum if you have one. Details and bookings: https://www.meetup.com/London-Woodland-Witches-Outdoor-Pagans/

Sunday 17 December; A Blot for Holda. Heathen Winter Solstice rite in Greenwich Park. Time: 2pm.  Bring food and drink to share. Details: https://www.meetup.com/The-Kith-of-The-Tree-and-The-Well/

Monday 18 December; Winter Solstice Celebration. Organised by Alternatives. Venue: St James’s Church, 197 Piccadilly, W1J 9LL, Starts: 7pm. Tickets £10/£15 online. http://www.alternatives.org.uk/

Monday 18 December; Pagan Pathfinders Yule celebration and party. Meeting suitable for all pagans in Finchley, London N3. Time: 7.30pm. (Meeting is usually on the 3rd Monday each month.) Contact Pagan Pathfinders for more details: https://www.facebook.com/events/355637821529009/

Tuesday 19 December; Witches Gathering. Venue: front bar of the Cittie of Yorke, 22 High Holborn, London WC1V 6BS. Starting for 7.30pm. onwards. Meets on the third Tuesday of each month. For any questions email [email protected] or visit http://www.witchfest.net/

Tuesday 19 December; Vernacular: A Yuletide Celebration. Songs and Christmas traditions from around Britain with Lisa Knapp, Thom Ashworth, and Belinda Kempster and Fran Foote, plus storytelling and folklore from Cunning Folk. Venue: The Old Church, Stoke Newington Church Street, London, N16 9ES. Tickets: £11.05. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vernacular-a-yuletide-celebration-tickets-38863807695

Wednesday 20 December; Time to Meditate – group meditation. Venue: Buddha on a Bicycle, Covent Garden, London. Arrive 6pm for 6.10pm start. Donations of £3 recommended. Details: http://www.meetup.com/meditation-trust-london/

Wednesday 20 December; Folk Customs around the Winter Solstice. Seminar Evening with Will Hunter and Ellie Hughes. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7pm. Tickets £20. Tel: 0207 419 8507 or email: [email protected] http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Wednesday 20 December; Saturnalia at Atlantis. Venue: The Atlantis Bookshop, 49A Museum Street, London WC1A 1LY. Time: 7pm. Free event, but you must book a place in advance. https://www.facebook.com/events/1892251474436677/
Wednesday 20 December; More Mead Moot promoted by Pagan FutureFests. Venue: Hope Pub, 48 West Street, Carshalton SM5 2PR. Time: from 7.30pm. Meets on the third Wednesday of each month. https://www.facebook.com/Pagan-FutureFests-352385661439366/ http://www.meetup.com/Londonpagancommunity/

Thursday 21 December; Wheel of the Year Festival – Yule at Chalice Well World Peace Garden, in Glastonbury. Gather at the well head for midday meditation until 12.30pm, followed by conversation on the lower lawn, then Yule festivities at 2pm. Free admission to the gardens from 10am to noon. For more details, visit the website http://www.chalicewell.org.uk/

Thursday 21 December; Solstice Celebration with David Manning. Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 2pm-5.30pm. Cost: £40/£30. Advance booking recommended. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Thursday 21 December; Avebury: Winter Solstice Cosmic Connection Meditation. Venue Avebury Stone Circle, Wiltshire. Meet outside the Henge Shop on the High Street, Avebury, at 4pm. Contribution of £5 welcomed. Call 01225 850 821 for further information or visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1971595053116744/

Thursday 21 December; Bonnington Square Solstice Carols. Venue: Outside the Italian Delicatessen opposite the Bonnington Centre, Vauxhall Grove, London SW8 1TD. David Spofforth, priest of Avalon, will make a blessing at about 6.30pm. Free event, just turn up.

Thursday 21 December; Dark Waters – a winter storytelling walk with London Dreamtime. Venue Place: secret location in Nine Elms, Battersea. Time: 6.30pm. Price: Free but advance booking needed. https://londondreamtime.com/calendar  Bookings: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dark-waters-midwinter-storytelling-walk-tickets-39547742362

Thursday 21 December; PFL Winter Solstice Open Ritual hosted by The Pagan Federation London and guests. Venue: Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL, Time: 7.30pm for 8pm start. Entry £5/£6. https://pflondon.info/

Thursday 21 December; Midwinter/Yule/Winter Solstice Gathering with Angie and Ian. Venue Earth Templem 19 Bronte Grove, Dartford DA1 5EU. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets: £5.80. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/midwinteryulewinter-solstice-gathering-tickets-37157839097

Friday 22 December; Stonehenge Winter Solstice Managed Open Access with a celebration at sunrise at the stone circle. Free entry is allowed from 7.45am, but car parking costs £5. For full details: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/plan-your-visit/winter-solstice-2017/

Saturday 23 December; Crossbones Vigil to honour The Goose and the outcast dead of Cross Bones Graveyard and the dead and wounded of the London Bridge attacks. Bring a flower, a ribbon, a totem or memento to tie to the shrine. Gather from 6.45pm for a 7pm start in Redcross Way outside the Memorial Gates, London SE1 1TA. For more details, visit  http://crossbones.org.uk/

Saturday 23 December; London Reclaiming Open Winter Solstice/Yule Ritual. Venue: New Unity, 227a Upper Street, London N1 2TZ. Time: 12.30pm. Donations welcome. https://www.facebook.com/events/309099052908031/

Note: I do not organise any of these events. Although I try to make sure my listings are accurate, I am not responsible for late changes or ticket availability. Please contact the organisers before attending any event. If you notice something that needs correcting or changing, please email me at [email protected]

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