House of Covvens - New Moon opening at Harts Lane SE14

It was the opening night tonight of 'House of Covvens' at Harts Lane SE14 (the road next door to Sainsburys).

Conceived by artist Jodie Chinn, House of Covvens is  'an imagined political system based on empathy, inspired by ideas and practices found in Wicca, shamanism and the Riot Grrrl Movement...

From the new to the full moon (15th-29th May), ‘House of Covvens - South East London’ will create a space for local people to come together, reflect, tell stories and share ideas against the backdrop of the current social climate. It will be centred around a series of ten group discussions called ‘Covvens’, which, through their structure aim to create a non-hierarchical, communal exploration of ideas and social issues using both conversation and creativity'

The Harts Lane space was decorated with foliage gathered during a herbalist-led expedition to Nunhead Cemetery earlier in the day, and included a sound performance to mark tonight's New Moon from Chloe Owen - a soothing piece with synth tones, violin and singing bowl, felt like a sound bath after the day I'd had at work.

There will be discussions and more performances over the next two weeks, culminating with the full moon on the 29th. Further information at House of Covvens and on facebook

Interesting to see these ideas about radical witchcraft being considered again in a new context in what was once the South East London heartland of eco magic and the Dragon Environmental Network (whose main facilitator lived nearby in Pepys Road for some years).

Lucifer Over Lancashire - the Pendle Witch Trials

This Thursday night (March 9th 2017), South East London Folklore Society will be examining The Pendle Witch Trials of 1612 - some of the best recorded and famous witch trials of the 17th century.

SELFS host Nigel Hoyle has a rather fine folk music project, The Cunning Folk, and they have written a song about the Pendle trials entitled Lancashire, God's Country.  So I wouldn't be surprized to hear a tune or two on Thursday.

SELFS meets in the upstairs room of The Old King's Head off Borough High Street SE1, from 8 pm. £3/1.50 concs -walk-ups are very welcome however you may wish to email cunningfolkmusic@gmail.com to book a place.

All of which reminds me that the very first post on Transpontine, back in October 2004, was for a SELFS talk (then at the Spanish Galleon in Greenwich), with Kathleen Blackmore talking about one of the last witch trials in England. In 1701 Sarah Morduck was accused of causing a neighbour's illness at Bankside (near the site of the Tate Modern). Even though she was found not guilty, she was beaten up and left for dead.



Oh and happy 60th birthday to Mr Lucifer Over Lancashire himself