Dear all,

Finally, after months of “finishing it today” David and I completed
our book ‘WICCA Magickal Beginnings’ last week and it is now with the
printers. (lots of hoorays!) It will be available for pre-order from
our website early next week, so keep an eye out for that if you are
interested. We think that this book brings a unique and challenging
perspective to the study of the history of the modern Wiccan
tradition in relation to its early magickal roots – we focused on the
actual practices, rather than the somewhat tedious debates about
personalities and speculation of initiations, lineages etc. It will
interest those of you who have an interest in the origins of the
practices found in the tradition today, so for example we looked
carefully at the precedents for the use of a black handled knife for
casting magick circles, and at other antecedents for the way in which
the magick circle is cast in the Wiccan tradition, finding examples
going back several thousand years in some instances. Some of the
evidence we presented seems to support the claim by Gerald Gardner
that he simply added to an existing tradition, rather than the modern
conclusions that he somehow ‘made it all up’ himself. Anyway, enough
about that, it will be out soon enough for you all to make up your
own minds about the veracity of the material we included…

Well we drove through some of the Brecon Beacons this morning and the
cattle all seemed to be up on the hills, this is of course an old
portent for good weather:

“When cattle remain on hill-tops, fine weather to come;
When cattle lie down in the open during light rain, it will soon pass,
When cows slap their sides (or a hedge) with their tails, it is a
sign of rain…”
( from “Folklore Guide to the Weather, by David Bowen, 1953)

Tomorrow is St George’s Day (23rd April) which is a good day to
celebrate if you have a dislike of dragons, because of course St
George liked killing these beautiful fiery creatures. Usually there
were some sacrificial virgins involved, probably stereotypically
dressed in white and screaming shrilly for St George to rescue her,
and then only if everyone promised that they would adhere to the new
religion (ie. Christianity). Oh well, interestingly 1700 years after
his death in the 4th century it would seem that those promises were
hollow as there are still many heathens, pagans and adherents of
dozens of other religions alive and well in these green isles of
Britain. So maybe the Christians should celebrate the life and work
of St George and the rest of us, can celebrate the survival of a few
Dragons who escaped this Christian knight!

If you find yourself in Lincolnshire, near Willoughton on St Mark’s
Eve (24th April) then you may be interested that there are ways you
will actually be able to see the Devil himself if you know how. All
you need to do is hide in the stable and wait for the horses to go
down on their knees and begin talking, the horses will swap stories
about future events and whilst this is going on the Devil will ride
in on the back of a black pig. Of course this is the night that the
Devil is meant to be out blessing the Fern (or Devil’s Harvest) to
ensure their yearly blossoming and seeding. So you could go around
trying to catch fern seeds between two pewter plates if you wish to
become as wise as the Devil himself – and you don’t have to be in
Lincolnshire for this either.

Then just before the end of the month it is time for Floralia, that
old Roman festival in honour of that lovely Roman goddess of fruit,
flowers and vegetables lora (not to be confused with the margarine!),
followed sharply by Mayday celebrations, usually involving dancing
around a pole with lots of ribbons, lots of green things and if the
weather is good, staying out in the woods all night a-conjuring
Summer in…

But for now, here are a few exciting things you may want to know
about!

Blessings
Sorita d’Este

www.avalonia.co.uk

In this Newsletter:

1\ Alex Sanders Memorial
2\ Forthcoming from Sorita & David
3\ Pagan Dawn Magazine
4\ Walkers on the Wild Side (Chiswick, London)
5\ Ludlow Esoteric Conference (Ludlow, Shropshire)
6\ Pagan Camp on the Gower (Wales)

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1\ Alex Sanders Memorial

Being organized by that occult establishment of London, The Atlantis
Bookshop, this event is a celebration of the life of Alex Sanders.
Here are the details:

“Alex died twenty years ago on Beltane Eve 1988. To celebrate his
life, there will be a commemorative meeting on Sunday April 27th from
Noon till 6pm at “The Studio”, Browning Street, off Walworth Road,
London SE17.

This is a ticketed event; tickets are £10.00 and must be bought in
advance. For further details, please contact the Atlantis Bookshop
via email or telephone 0207 405 2120. Please feel free to bring a
robe if you wish, otherwise come as you are. Food and Drink will be
provided…”

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2\ Forthcoming from Sorita & David

We’ve been asked several times recently whether we are planning any
events, books etc for the coming year. Well, the answer is yes, but
we are still focusing our time and energy on private projects and of
course our baby boy in the coming months. However, for those of you
who are interested, we will both be speaking at Witchfest England and
Witchfest Wales (www.witchfest.net) in the coming months, and will
be joining up with PF Wales organisors for a summer camp on the Gower
coast on the weekend of 4-6 July. Neither of us are speaking at the
Ludlow bookfair this year, though if you just want to catch up for a
chat, we will of course be attending this excellent event on Saturday
28th of June in Shropshire. Details of all these events can be
found in the “Events” section of the Avalonia Forums –
http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk/forum

Many of the Lapis Companions `regulars’ have been asking if we plan
on holding a reunion event of some description this year, as it will
be two years since we dissolved this group this Summer. Well, if
there are enough of you interested, maybe we can organize a gathering
later in the year, August or September maybe? Let me know what you
think, with suggestions of what, when and where and I will see what
can be done. Our own micro-conference with informal talks, rituals
and workshops? A picnic? A camp? A seasonal ritual? Something more
formal? Suggestions by email to avalonia93@gmail.com for
consideration. No promises though! I will be hosting
another “Hekate Day” again this year, probably a bit more organized
that the one I did last year when I was 7 months pregnant! If you
are interested, please email me to be put on the mailing list for
details when they are confirmed.

In May our book “Wicca Magickal Beginnings” will finally be
available, followed by a second edition of “Circle of Fire” (our book
on Wiccan practice); Later in the year David’s next project with
Stephen Skinner should also be in print, being a very exciting new
Greater Key of Solomon, the first in a hundred years. More about all
these and our other projects in due course, just be patient!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3\ Pagan Dawn Magazine

For those of you who haven’t looked at the magazine of the Pagan
Federation in recent times, you might find yourselves pleasantly
surprised by the new format it is now presented in by its new
editor. The Beltane issue is now available, details can be found
at: http://www.paganfed.org/pdawn.php . Apparently there is a
really cool pull-out on the subject of pagan handfasting in it, so
worth checking out if this is something you are considering sometime
in the not too distant future.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4\ Walkers on the Wild Side (Chiswick, London, W4)

If you live in or frequent the lovely town of Chiswick in West
London, then you will know it is a great place. Well it also has
many links to the historical world of magick, and this is the latest
offering. Walkers on the Wild Side is hosted by experienced people
in a private home within walking distance from Turnham Green and
Stamford Brook stations on the first Thursday of the month. It comes
in the form of a lecture / study group and is well worth checking
out – no prior knowledge/experience required! For more information
get in touch with Shah by ringing 07796268516 and tell him that you
found out about it here in the Avalonia Newsletter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5\ Ludlow Esoteric Bookfair and Conference (Ludlow, Shropshire)
This annual event is great if you, like me, love interesting books –
mostly secondhand books, but also some new books – with lectures
throughout the day. This year the speakers include Julia Phillips,
Robin Cousins and Ken Rees. Full details of this great event
organized by the people behind Verdelet magazine, and held in this
lovely market town can be found on the Avalonia Forums:
http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3168

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

6\ Pagan Camp on the Gower (Wales)

Talks, rituals and workshops by facilitators from Wales, on a wide
variety of topics in what sounds like a wonderful location. Details
of this event can be found on the Avalonia Forums:
http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3260

Or by visiting the Middle Earth website: http://www.myddle-
earth.co.uk/events.htm

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www.avalonia.co.uk
www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

“Let your imagination roam free…”