Witch’s Hill: An Original Fairy Tale

Red blood out and black blood inMy nanny says I’m a child of sin—How did I choose me my witchcraft kin?Know I as soon as dark’s dreams beginSnared is my heart in a nightmare’s gin… ~Walter de la Mare, “The Little Creature” As the young woman entered the lone cottage on the edge of the

The Movies and Stories that Inspired Dave Arneson to Invent the Dungeon Crawl — DMDavid

Around 1971 Dave Arneson and his circle of Minneapolis gamers invented games where players controlled individual characters who grew with experience and who could try anything because dice and a referee determined the outcomes. The group tried this style of play in various settings, but Dave invented one that proved irresistible: the dungeon. Dave’s Blackmoor… The

Thousands gathered at Stonehenge to celebrate the annual winter solstice. — Stonehenge Stone Circle News and Information

Crowds came together for the biggest gathering at Stonehenge since the pandemic began. Thousands of people gathered at Stonehenge on Wednesday morning to celebrate the annual winter solstice. The event, which marks the first sunrise after the longest night of the year, saw 2,500 people visit the World Heritage site in Salisbury – the largest gathering at […]

Stonehenge’s Builders May Have Feasted on Mince Pies and Sweet Treats — Stonehenge Stone Circle News and Information

Excavations near the iconic English monument revealed traces of fruits and nuts. Excavation work has been led by English Heritage at Durrington Walls, Wiltshire Durrington Walls was inhabited by the builders of Stonehenge in about 2,500 BC Evidence suggests traces of hazelnuts, sloes, apples and other fruits at the site  NEOLITHIC MINCE PIE RECIPE: Download open fire mince […]

“These Are Not Holes. This is The Great Realm and City of The Dwarrowdelf.” Gimli Speaks of The Glory of Moria Of Old. — Wisdom from The Lord of the Rings

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R Tolkien (Harper Collins 1991) pp. 306-310 After a night spent in silent thought at the door to the guardroom Gandalf announces to a rested company the way that he will lead them. “It is time we began to climb up again.” He leads them along what was once […]

A Journey in the Dark

This post contains spoilers for both the film and book versions of The Lord of the Rings. Some of you may recall that back in September I declared my intent to begin re-reading J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings that month for the first time in many years (since the Peter Jackson

Hundreds of druids and pagans descend on Stonehenge to celebrate the 2021 Autumn Equinox which marks the official start of autumn. — Stonehenge Stone Circle News and Information

Visitors headed to famous 5,000-year-old site in Wiltshire to see the sun rise this morning Autumn equinox is one of four public annual events when people can get so close to stones Hundreds of attendees sang and wore variety of extravagant outfits as onlookers watched on Hundreds of druids and pagans descended on Stonehenge today […]

Dreaming Stones: Second Sight… — France & Vincent

We had returned to the stones of Callanish for a second attempt at getting the feel of a place of which we had a little knowledge but no real understanding. Facts are not enough, you have to walk the land before you can begin to know it. We knew, for example, that there are astronomical […]

Dreaming Stones: Invisibility and Other Weirdness… — France & Vincent

Just beyond the standing stones of Callanish is a small hillock of boulders and green earth. It was here we sat, partly to contemplate the enormity of the site before us… a place we had both long wanted to visit and thought we might never see… but also to await the departure of the latest […]

Dreaming Stones: First Sight… — France & Vincent

“Oh good grief…” “I can see it…” The distant silhouette of the great stones of Callanish were unmistakeably outlined on the horizon. In spite of all the challenges, including fully-booked ferries, deflating tyres, a distinct lack of beds, food and coffee, we had made it… and made a dream come true. And, as if to […]