This Samhain I went to visit a place that I hadn't seen in quite a long time, even if I come in the area at least once a month. I come from the Dutch town of Helmond, and one of its most beloved spots is the Warande, an old forest and park. At the center … Continue reading Personal places of power – the Grave Island of Helmond
netherlands
Possible ancient precursor to the Wiccan wheel of the year? Also, happy summer solstice!
Since my visit to the Bronze Age exhibition in Leiden last winter, I'm adding some new information about this era to my website. One very interesting subject is a relatively new find of the solar observatory near the Dutch town of Tiel, which you can read about more here. The observatory has popularly been dubbed … Continue reading Possible ancient precursor to the Wiccan wheel of the year? Also, happy summer solstice!
New information about religious and spiritual beliefs in the Netherlands, from recent research by Pew Research Center
Can you be pagan without actually calling yourself pagan? That is a question that is worth pondering, considering certain developments in people’s spiritual beliefs that are not explicitly labelled as pagan, heathen and the like, but are certainly shared by pagans, heathens and witches. (With pagans, heathens and witches I mean those, mostly in the … Continue reading New information about religious and spiritual beliefs in the Netherlands, from recent research by Pew Research Center
Gold steals the show at Bronze Age exhibition
The Rijksmuseum van Oudheiden (RMO, National Museum of Antiquities) in Leiden is a must for everyone who loves ancient history and archaeology. It gives a great overview of the Western canon, from Prehistory via Egypt, the Middle East and Greece, to the late Roman era. I feel, but am not sure, that there is a … Continue reading Gold steals the show at Bronze Age exhibition
Inspirational fire: pagan voices, inspiration, and action
This blog is a rather quiet place. The world outside is not, hell, it seems to be on fire lately. I therefore feel that my little corner of the internet needs an update, to get by with the times. This website has mostly been about the history of paganism in what we now call the … Continue reading Inspirational fire: pagan voices, inspiration, and action
Zwarte Piet/Black Pete, a short history+update on the cultural debate
As many undoubtedly know, the celebration of Sinterklaas has been the centre of a heated cultural debate in the Netherlands in the past years. It was not so much about Sinterklaas himself, but mostly about his help, Zwarte Piet - or Black Pete in English. According to some (and later many) Piet was sorely in … Continue reading Zwarte Piet/Black Pete, a short history+update on the cultural debate
National witch monument – a ritual of commemoration
In the last couple of weeks there has been a lot of discussion among Dutch witches, pagans and heathens about the initiative of the “Nationaal Heksenmonument”, the national witch monument. I wrote a bit more about it here. In short, this project is meant to commemorate the people who died in the Netherlands during the … Continue reading National witch monument – a ritual of commemoration
A national witch monument in the Netherlands
The face of witchcraft has greatly changed throughout the centuries. The last few decennia, it has grown fast as a (for some religious) way of life, as a form of Art. Some people however see witchcraft merely as superstition and then there are some who still see witchcraft as of the devil. Worldwide, people still … Continue reading A national witch monument in the Netherlands
New book on witchcraft: Johan Ottens ‘Duivelskwartier’
A new book has appeared about witchcraft in my area! It's written by Johan Otten, a journalist who studied the subject of witchcraft in Noord-Brabant (the Netherlands) for over three years with the following book as result. Duivelskwartier. 1595: heksen, heren en de dood in het vuur (Devil's quarter. 1595: witches, lords and death in … Continue reading New book on witchcraft: Johan Ottens ‘Duivelskwartier’
The magic of landscapes
When starting this website, I wanted to focus as much as possible on Dutch heathenism, witchcraft and folklore. I soon stumbled upon a problem: 'the Netherlands' as we now know them are only 200 years old. The borders we have now were unheard of in ancient times. What's more, many people who lived in this … Continue reading The magic of landscapes
thimsternisse 