What is First-footing and Can It Improve Your Year?
First-footing as a New Year custom is most common in Scotland and the north of England, but it does have regional, and international, variations.
Slavic Traditions: The Garlands of Midsummer’s Eve
In Poland, Midsummer’s Eve garlands would be set on water, their path on the surface foretelling the owner’s future, and protecting from spells and curses.
Luke Stephenson & Helen Champion: The Clown Egg Register
For over 70 years, the oldest established clowning organization has been painting the faces of clowns on eggs. Each is a record of a clown’s unique identity
The Clarke Charm Collection: Of Witch Bottles, Witch Cakes and Hag Stones
Clarke’s charm collection reveals a range of uses, including cures for sore throats, the protection of seafarers from drowning, and good luck charms.
What Is a Witch? Defining Witchcraft in the ‘Malleus Maleficarum’
The concept of a witch, that is a practitioner of magic, has been part of western folklore for centuries, yet throughout that time it has been subject to continuous reinterpretations.