I have only ever been to Wales once. It was well over fifteen years ago, but I can still remember being silenced by the tameless landscapes, the true dark of the sky, the uncanny feeling of it being a place of otherness. I’ve been meaning to go back for ages, and now, after reading into… Continue reading The Darkest Days – Mari Lwyd
I’m usually dashing here, there and everywhere, rarely taking a moment to breathe…but on the odd occasion that I spot a robin outside, I come to a sudden standstill and squeal to whoever else is in the house, ‘there’s a robin in the garden, quick, come look!’ I’ll stay rooted to the spot, face and… Continue reading The Darkest Days – Robin Redbreast
I can remember when I was told Father Christmas and his flying reindeer didn’t exist. I was eight and it was Christmas Eve. My auntie said she needed to have a word with me about something and took me into her room. When she closed the door behind us, I knew it was serious. I… Continue reading The Darkest Days – Deer Mother
According to legend, in the early 17th Century a young girl by the name of Anne Cope was married to Lord Hugh Bethell at Bramshill House in Hampshire, England. When it was time to take to the marital bed, Anne suggested a quick game of hide and seek first. Her husband and guests obliged and… Continue reading The Darkest Days – The Mistletoe Bride
I’m not quite sure what’s been going on the past few days. Everything had been going so well with this Darkest Days project…then I hit a block. My ideas were fucking awful meaning my photos were terrible, I couldn’t find the words to express what I wanted to say and my anxiety about my capability… Continue reading The Darkest Days – The White Witch
I’m a bit ashamed about how little I know of Celtic folklore, especially considering I have roots in Scotland. But who better to start my exploration with than the Celtic goddess of Winter. The Cailleach – also known as ‘The Veiled One,’ ‘Lady of Beasts’ and ‘Goddess of the Cold’ – determines the length of… Continue reading The Darkest Days – The Cailleach
It's been about seven or eight years since I first wrote about the Wendigo and my curiosity about this intriguing cannibalistic spirit of the cold north shows no sign of diminishing. I initially wrote a poem called My Father The Wendigo, which then inspired a song, which then inspired a short story. However, despite being… Continue reading The Darkest Days – The Wendigo
Embarking on The Darkest Days project has opened up my world to dark lore I may never have otherwise encountered. With each passing day of researching and capturing with my camera the folklore, superstitions and traditions of this haunted time, I find myself becoming all the more ravenous for new knowledge, the darker and more… Continue reading The Darkest Days – Frau Perchta
More or less everything I create is centered around my sacred North. So it felt most strange today to be portraying Yuki Onna, a Japanese spirit of the snow. Strange, but ever so special. My knowledge of Japanese folklore is poor at the best of times, so it was thrilling to dig around a little… Continue reading The Darkest Days – Yuki Onna
When I first started researching into the dark traditions surrounding Yule, I came across a few sentences (I can't remember where exactly...) about a Norwegian tradition that peaked my interest. The tradition is that, on Christmas Eve, folk across the land hide their brooms so lurking witches won't steal them for their night ride. However,… Continue reading The Darkest Days – Hiding The Brooms (Or Not…)
Celebrating the strange and the shadowy, the damned and unseen 