In ancient Rome, small towers were erected at crossroads to house the Lares Compitalicii , guardian spirits to whom offerings were left. The shrines provided a focus for the religious and social life of their community, particularly for the lower classes. This may be the origin of the concept of Watchtowers in Western magic. There were many different types of Lares , or guardian spirits, in ancient Rome. The concept of familiar spirits may be based on the Lares Familiares, guardian spirits of the household. A shrine was usually kept to the household Lar near the hearth or in a corner of the atrium, in the form of a cupboard or niche containing a small statue or painting. The familiar spirits were called upon as witnesses for important family occasions such as coming-of-age rituals, marriages, births and adoptions. Offerings such as spelt wheat and grain-garlands, honey cakes and honeycombs, grapes and first fruits, wine and incense were presented to the Lares. If any food fell on...

I have applied to exhibit my work at the New Forest Fairy Festival, so I'm thinking about fairies a lot and what they mean to me. Fairies seem to have become smaller and cuter over the centuries, to the point where in the Victorian era the fairies became tiny children with insect wings. But what were fairies seen as back in the middle ages? They were scary creatures, and you could be condemned to death for consorting with the fair folk. In 1691, a Scottish clergyman, Robert Kirk, recorded popular folklore of the time in The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns and Fairies: "These siths, or fairies, they call Sleagh Maith, or the Good People, it would seem, to prevent the dint of their ill attempts, (for the Irish use to bless all they fear harm of,) and are said to be of middle nature betwixt man and angel, as were daemons thought to be of old; of intelligent fluidious spirits, and light changeable bodies, (like those called astral,) somewhat of the nature of a condensed...

Shortly after the summer solstice, I took a walk to the cliff tops, just ten minutes from where I live. I have been thinking about doing this for a long time, debating with myself whether or not it was a good idea. I decided to put a face to the name and say hello to you all. I have just uploaded this video and my palms are sweating with anxiety. I am quite a shy person. I speak in a hushed voice around people I don't know and struggle to meet them in the eye when I'm not feeling confident. It took me a long time to build up the ability to stand in front of a group of people and speak to them. When I was in university and had to give a presentation to the class, I would feel sick and quake in my boots! But when I started to make videos, I felt a lot more at ease. I gradually became less shy about public speaking, and would fearlessly offer my opinion infront of the class in university. I'm still very awkward around people and it takes me a long time to get to know someo...