Category: Blog

The Pendle Witches

The Pendle Witches

Perhaps the most notorious witch trial of the 17th century, that of the Pendle witches, is one of the tales of imprisonment and execution at Lancaster Castle. Twelve people were accused of witchcraft; one died while held in custody, eleven went to trial. One was tried and found guilty at York and the other ten were tried at Lancaster. Only one was found not guilty. It was an unusual trial in that it was documented by the clerk of the court therefore has remained available to be read. Also, just over three centuries saw witch trials held in England but…

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Truth behind the Nursery Rhymes we grew up with. 

Truth behind the Nursery Rhymes we grew up with. 

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick,Jack jump over the candle-stick. The rhyme is first recorded in a manuscript of around 1815 and was collected by James Orchard Halliwell in the mid-nineteenth century. Jumping candlesticks was a form of fortune telling and a sport. It’s has been said, that the kids poem was created to explain the practice of candle jumping, which was famous way back in the 1600’s. Generally practiced at festivals in England, young girls would leap over a lit candle, trying not to extinguish its flame. Good luck was said to be signalled by clearing a candle without…

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Guest Blog by Paula Roscoe

Guest Blog by Paula Roscoe

10 Things to know about Goddesses Okay, I know all of us women are goddesses in our own right and we are magical in all that we do, but for this article I am going to touch on just a few goddesses that are worshipped around the world as we embrace the May energy of fertility, re-birth, purity, maiden and love, as abundance of creation is everywhere. I can only write so much here as the subject is vast, but if you join my newsletter via my website www.pjroscoe.co.uk, I go a little deeper into some of the goddesses later…

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The Coronation of King Charles III

The Coronation of King Charles III

Saturday 6th May Today sees the first coronation service in 70 years at Westminster Abbey. Crowds are sure to gather along the Mall, Whitehall and Parliament Square, where the King’s procession can be watched. The viewing areas will be open from 06:00am on Saturday. Invited guests will begin arriving at the Abbey early in the morning. The King’s Procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey will take place before the Coronation Service, which starts at 11:00am. Once the service is over, it will be followed by the Coronation Procession from Westminster Abbey back to Buckingham Palace. Later in the afternoon,…

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May Day Traditions

May Day Traditions

The first day of May is known as May Day, a time of year when warmer weather brings newly grown flowers and blossoms to the trees. A lovely month of the year, it is the time when people’s thoughts move from winter to the coming summer. Even though summer only officially begins in June, May opens the door; and May Day has had a rich history in England for over 2,000 years. Floralia The Romans celebrated the cycle of life at the festival of Floralia from the end of April until the early days of May. Flora was the Goddess…

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Truth behind the Nursery Rhymes we grew up with. 

Truth behind the Nursery Rhymes we grew up with. 

Of all the dark meaning of children’s nursery rhymes, one of the worst must be  ‘ Mary Mary quite contrary.’ This rhyme is usually said to be about Bloody Mary, daughter of King Henry VIII and concerns the torture and murder of Protestants. Queen Mary was a staunch Catholic and her “garden” here is an allusion to the graveyards which were filling with Protestant martyrs.The ‘silver bells’ were a type of thumbscrew and the ‘cockle shells’ were also instruments of torture, used on Protestant martyrs to ‘persuade’ them to change faith. The ‘maiden’ was an instrument used to behead people…

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St George’s Day 23rd April

St George’s Day 23rd April

Saint George’s Day represents the feast day of  Saint George, celebrated by Christian churches, countries, and cities of which he is the patron saint, including Bulgaria, England, Georgia, Portugal and Romania, Saint George’s Day is celebrated on 23 April each year which is  the traditionally accepted date of the saint’s death in the Diocletianic Persecution  of Christians. St George stands for the courage to face adversity in order to defend the innocent. The triumph of good over evil, through courage. The choice of St George as England’s patron saint was predominantly that of one man, King Edward III, who reigned…

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