You wait ages for a scenario you wrote to be officially published, then two come along at once…

Well, earlier this week I posted that Murder in the Museum of Memories, a case file for Rivers of London The Roleplaying Game, had come out. Then last night I learnt that Foulness in the Fog, a stand-alone adventure for the game, is now available. What’s more, it is absolutely free to download as a pdf.

The 46-page scenario can be used as a one-off introductory scenario, or played as part of a larger Rivers of London campaign. Here’s the starting premise:

“Saturday 20th August, 2016: a boring afternoon cataloguing the Folly’s mundane library is thankfully interrupted by a call from Hammersmith Police Station. Three people were found unconscious in the street, and the first responding officer suspects this is a Falcon case. Can you figure out what happened to the casualties? And what does their predicament have to do with a strange fog seen in the area at the time of their collapse?”

Both Murder in the Museum of Memories and Foulness in the Fog were co-written by me - Lucya Szachnowski - and John Davies with the help of Lynne Hardy. They are published by Chaosium.

I’m absolutely delighted that both of these scenarios are now out as I’m very proud of them. I do hope you enjoy Foulness in the Fog. As it’s free, please go ahead and download it. I’d also be interested in what you think about it!

You can download a free copy from DriveThruRPG here

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I’m delighted to announce that a scenario I co-wrote for Rivers of London: The Roleplaying Game is now published. It’s in a collection of three ready-to-play mysteries called No Place Like Home. My scenario is Murder at the Museum of Memories. Here’s the description:

Someone known to the Folly was found dead in a museum in London’s East End this morning. But what was he doing there and how did he get in?

The case file collection is published by Chaosium. You can download the pdf for $24.99. A physical paperback edition will be available soon.

Rivers of London RPG rulebook and scenario bundle offer

If you’re curious about the Rivers of London Roleplaying Game, now’s your chance to discover the main rulebook and earlier scenarios in a wonderful offer. Humble is offering everthing released for the line so far except the very newest releases at a Pay What You Want amount that supports the World Wildlife Fund. The offer is a limited time deal. It looks as though some other Chaosium games are also available.

Find out more here.

You can also view the separate items on the Chaosium website.

More About Me and My Books

I’m Lucya Szachnowski and I’ve been writing for Chaosium’s roleplaying games including Call of Cthulhu and Rivers of London for many years. Under the pen name Lucya Starza I wrote the Gothic novel Erosion as well as books on practical magic in Moon Books’ Pagan Portals series. You can find my author page at Moon Books here.

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I got some great news from my publisher: Pagan Portals - Candle Magic has now sold more than 9,500 copies. It was the first of my books on witchcraft published by Moon Books, and has done really well since it was launched at Treadwell’s Bookshop ten years ago, in 2016.

Here’s what’s written about it on the back cover and on Moon Books’ website:

“Candle magic is something almost everyone has tried, even as a child - who hasn’t made a wish over a birthday cake? Candle spells are among the easiest yet also the most effective to perform. They are perfect for anyone who wants to have a go at casting a spell for the first time and for the solitary witch with a busy life. Yet candles are also an important part of modern pagan witchcraft rituals. They are used to mark the quarters of the circle, placed on the altar and can represent the changing seasons of the year. This book is aimed at all who want to use candle magic, from beginners to those experienced in the craft; with everything from simple castings to elaborate and beautiful ceremonies. It offers a background to candle magic as well as spells, rituals, divination techniques, meditations, a guide to making your own candles and more.”

I want to thank everyone who has bought my books, attended my events and supported me by writing reviews over the years. I also want to thank Treadwell’s for keeping all my books in stock at the lovely esoteric bookshop at 33 Store Street, London, WC1E 7BS.

Candle Magic Workshop In-Person at Treadwell’s

On Sunday 12 July I’m running a workshop based on Pagan Portals - Candle Magic at Treadwell’s Bookshop. It starts at 1pm and tickets are £25 per person. Find out more here or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

My Next Pagan Portals Title: Dowsing

My next title in the Pagan Portals series is Dowsing: A Witch’s Guide to Divining with Pendulums and Rods. It’s also published by Moon Books. This is the description on the website:

“In Pagan Portals - Dowsing Lucya Starza teaches the basics of using pendulums, rods, and the tingles in your fingers to find what you are looking for, whether that falls within the elemental categories of earth, air, fire, and water, or the boundless remit of the realm of spirit.”

The book is due to reach shops early in 2027 but can already be pre-ordered.

You can view Pagan Portals - Dowsing on Amazon.

You can also view Pagan Portals - Candle Magic on Amazon.

(Please note: I earn commission from some links)

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A year ago I started a challenge to write a short story each month with 12 fixed deadlines. I’m delighted to say I managed it and got the award you can see above. The 12 Short Stories Challenge is run by Mia Botha through Deadlines for Writers. It’s free to sign up, take part, and be in a supportive peer group offering feedback and encouragement.

Every month you get sent a prompt, a word count, and a set date to upload your short story. You read and review a few others, then get comments on your own in return. The idea is that strict deadlines are a great incentive to be productive. I really enjoyed the challenge, although it wasn’t always easy to come up with ideas.

Other free stuff!

Mia also offers a free challenge to write 12 poems in a year, plus there are some free classes. I’ve not tried the poetry, but I have attended a few talks and workshops, and recommend them. I’ve been highly impressed by Mia’s teaching.

There are paid-for courses too, if you want to get extra tuition. I’m sure they’re great though I haven’t done them myself.

Do you want to read my stories?

I’m really proud to say that one of my pieces has been accepted for an anthology which will come out in 2027, and I’m going to get paid for it. I’ve submitted another to a competition which will be judged in the autumn. Some have appeared on my Substack in the past or will do in the future. One of my favourites is The Doll. The rest are sitting in a folder on my laptop while I decide whether to self-publish or approach other publishers.

You can, of course, read my earlier novel - Erosion - which was published by Moon Books.

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I’ll be the guest speaker at a free event at Beckenham Library tomorrow. On Saturday I’m running a class on divination at Treadwell’s bookshop in London. The details are below.

Meet Me at Beckenham Library Wednesday Waffle

Tomorrow, Wednesday 13 Ma,y I’ll be talking about my inspiration for my gothic novel Erosion and my book of poetry on memories of my local area in South East London - Poems by a Pengeuin.

This will be at Wednesday Waffle, a regular meeting to chat about books and writing at Beckenham Library, 22 Beckenham Road, Beckenham, BR3 4 PE. The event runs from 10am-11.30am. The meeting is free and you can just turn up, but if you prefer you can reserve a place by phoning 020 8650 7090 or email beckenham.library@gll.org.

The photo at the top shows me talking at the recent Beckenham Library Book Fair.

Scrying Workshop at Treadwell’s in London

On Saturday 16 May I’m running an in-person scrying workshop on divination using crystal balls, mirrors and water. This is at Treadwell’s Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. It starts at 1pm and costs £25 per person. Find out more or book tickets here: https://www.treadwells-london.com/events-1/the-art-of-scrying-in-person-workshop-6

Celebrating a Milestone

I’m also celebrating as my book Pagan Portals - Scrying has reached a big milestone. My publisher, Moon Books, has told me it’s sold 4,000 copies, including selling more than 500 copies in the past 6 months alone. A big thanks to everyone who bought it, left reviews, or told me they’ve enjoyed reading it. The book is about divination in many forms including crystal balls, water, fire, clouds and tea-leaves.

Moon Books is an imprint of Collective Ink. Here’s the main website: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/

(Note: I earn commission from advertisers for some links.)

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Two years ago my Gothic novel Erosion was officially published. I’m still hugely proud of my story about a group of friends finding an ancient burial site on an eroding Kent cliff. Rather than tell the authorities, they decide to do a seance to contact the spirit of the woman they believe is buried there. You can see a quote from the book in the graphic below.

It’s a magical ghost story, but it’s also about friendship over a summer by the sea. Here’s the synopsis from my publisher Moon Books’ website:

‘’It all began when we found the bones…’‘ This is the start of Erosion, a gothic novel set on the English coast, in 1987, the year of the Great Storm. Violent weather is but one of the problems a group of friends face when they discover an ancient grave inside a crumbling cliff and decide to unearth a skull. Supernatural mystery intertwines with the problems of human relationships, of earning money, of following dreams.

If you want a further taster, I blogged with a short extract from the text. You can find it here: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/04/sea-magic-extract-from-erosion-my.html

Endorsements and reviews

I’m still very grateful to Ben Aaronovitch, author of the Rivers of London series of novels, for writing the endorsement that appears on the cover of Erosion:

“An elegiac tale of memory, growth and regret set along the crumbling coast of 1980s Kent.”

Other reviews have also been highly positive. Witch and author Ness Bosch wrote:

“Erosion is a great read. Lucya weaves a colourful story with great characters and the bittersweet emotional turmoil of the drama. Yes you need to get the bigger picture at the beginning, once you have it, it flows like water.

“No only is it engaging but Lucya manages to transport us back in time, to younger years, to the intense emotions, the frustrations, the bravery, the fears. That is pretty good already, but on top of that is the magic inside the book, the mystery, I would say beyond Gothic. I see proper Necromancy in these pages. I even loved the name of the ghost.”

Where to find my books

Here are some of the places you can find Erosion and my other books:

My publisher is Moon Books, an imprint of Collective Ink. You can see Erosion on the website via this link: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/our-books/erosion-novel

Before most shops had copies of Erosion, Treadwell’s bookshop in London hosted a signing event. The shop still stocks copies of my titles. Pop in or order online. Treadwell’s Bookshop is at 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. The website is: www.treadwells-london.com/ .

Erosion can be also be viewed on Amazon

(Note: I earn commission from some links.)

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At Beckenham Library Book Fayre last weekend I was asked to give a short talk about how to develop a regular writing practice, and a tips for getting over procrastination and writer’s block. You can see me doing that in the photo. If you missed it, here’s what I said:

• Schedule regular writing time. Ideally every day, but at least once a week. It doesn’t have to be hours, 15 minutes a day will get your book finished eventually.

• Are you an owl or a lark? Are you most creative in the evening or morning? Work when you’re in the best headspace.

• Inspiration can strike anywhere, any time. Always have something to write on. Jot ideas down before you forget them.

• Set realistic targets. Some people can churn out 10,000 words a day, but they’re rare. Others find 250 words a day is best. There’s no right or wrong. Start with an easy target. You can always write more.

• If a novel feels daunting, try short stories, poetry, non-fiction, or a blog.

Tips for beating procrastination

• Try a writing “sprint”. Set a timer for 10 or 15 minutes and write flat out until the bell goes. Don’t worry about quality.

• Opposite to that, reread what you’ve written. Edit and improve it. It can help you get back into the flow of what comes next.

• Deadlines and incentives help. I wrote my first Pagan Portals title when I was in a writers’ group. At the weekly coffee shop meetings I didn’t want to say I’d done nothing. I’m currently in a free online challenge called “Deadlines for Writers”. Everyone pens a short story each month, uploads them on deadline day, then peer reviews others and leaves feedback. You can find that at https://deadlinesforwriters.com/

Getting over writer’s block

• Brainstorm ideas on a fresh document.

• Plot. Think about the important plot points to aim for next, then fill the gaps.

• Go for a walk. I find walking around the park helps me come up with ideas. Take your notebook with you!

• I use oracle or tarot cards as prompts. You can buy things with prompts for writers too.

• Some people find listening to music helps.

• Do research. My novel Erosion is set in 1987. I researched 1980s fashions and music.

• Get sufficient sleep. It’s easier to write when your brain is fresh.

• Talk things over with a friend or fellow writer. Mind you, one meme about how to help an author get over writers block suggested sympathetically saying “There there, just give up, it was only a book,” to make the writer immediately keep going out of obstinacy.

In general

Be easy on yourself. If you miss a deadline or don’t feel like writing, allow yourself a break. That’s OK. With every book I’ve written I’ve needed a few weeks’ off in the middle.

Finally, writers aren’t all the same and we work in diverse ways. Some of those points might be useful for you, but if they aren’t that’s also fine.

My books

I’m Lucya Starza and the author of books in the Pagan Portals series on Candle Magic, Guided Visualisations, Poppets and Magical Dolls, Scrying, and Rounding the Wheel of the Year. My Gothic novel Erosion is also published by Moon Books.

You can borrow my books from Beckenham Library, find my books via Amazon and order them from other bookshops including Treadwell’s in London.

Please note I earn commission from advertisers for some links.

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It’s World Book Day, the annual event which champions reading for fun. There’s lots going on to encourage reading, and that’s fantastic.

But this is also the National Year of Reading 2026, and this Saturday I’m taking part in an event as part of it. The Beckenham Library Book Fayre is the first to be hosted by my local library, at 22 Beckenham Road, BR3 4 PE.

Seventeen authors, all from the area, will be there with copies of their books too. We’ll be chatting to anyone who wants to stop by. There will also be talks during the afternoon. Here’s the programme:

• 3pm author panel: sharing top tips for writing your first book

• 4pm discussion on publishing and getting your book out there

I’ll be on the 3pm panel, talking about how to develop a regular writing practice and a few tips for getting over procrastination and writer’s block.

Whatever kind of book you like to read, you’re bound to find something to interest you as the Fayre is showcasing over 200 different books in a wide range of genres. It runs from 2pm to 5pm and is completely free. Just turn up.

More About my Books

I’m Lucya Starza and the author of books in the Pagan Portals series on Candle Magic, Guided Visualisations, Poppets and Magical Dolls, Scrying, and Rounding the Wheel of the Year. My Gothic novel Erosion is also published by Moon Books.

You can borrow my books from Beckenham Library, or buy from me at the fayre. If you miss the event, you can find my books via Amazon and order them from other bookshops including Treadwell’s in London.

Please note I earn commission from advertisers for some links.

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Pagan Portals - Candle Magic is now 10 years old and has become a best seller for my publisher, Moon Books. Here’s the synopsis

“Candle magic is something almost everyone has tried, even as a child - who hasn’t made a wish over a birthday cake? Candle spells are among the easiest yet also the most effective to perform. They are perfect for anyone who wants to have a go at casting a spell for the first time and for the solitary witch with a busy life. Yet candles are also an important part of modern pagan witchcraft rituals. They are used to mark the quarters of the circle, placed on the altar and can represent the changing seasons of the year. This book is aimed at all who want to use candle magic, from beginners to those experienced in the craft; with everything from simple castings to elaborate and beautiful ceremonies. It offers a background to candle magic as well as spells, rituals, divination techniques, meditations, a guide to making your own candles and more.”

Pagan Portals - Scrying came out in February 2022. This is what it’s about:

“Scrying is the practice of looking into crystal balls, mirrors, water, fire, clouds and many other things to see visions, find messages and gain knowledge. It can be done for personal guidance, for inspiration, to find the answers to questions, to look at distant places or other realms, or for fortune-telling and prophecy. It is a form of divination that taps into our psychic senses and powers of intuition. Pagan Portals - Scrying shows how anyone can learn to develop the necessary skills to scry in a variety of different ways.”

Where to Find my Books

As well as ordering from Moon Books’ website, here’s where you can find these titles and others I’ve written:

• Treadwell’s Bookshop at 33 Store Street, London WC1E 7BS. If you aren’t in London or don’t feel like browsing in person, and you can make online purchases via the website: https://www.treadwells-london.com/

• The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London, SW7 2EB.

• The Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 1LY

• Watkins Books, 19-21 Cecil Ct, London WC2N 4EZ.

• You can borrow my books from Beckenham Library or search the Bromley Library catalogue. I’ll also be selling my books in person at the Beckenham Library Book Fayre - details below.

Another place to view my books is, of course, Amazon.

Please note that I earn commission from some links

Learn Scrying Online

On Wednesday 4 and 11 March I’m running a two-part online evening class on Scrying: Divination Using Crystals, Mirrors, Water and Fire via the College of Psychic Studies. Each class starts at 7pm. Tickets are £90 full price, with concessions for members including £20 off the full price of this course if you join at the same time. Find our more here: https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/workshops/psychic-training/scrying-with-crystals-mirrors-water-fire/?

Beckenham Library Book Fayre

I’ll be given a talk and have a stall at Beckenham Library Book Fayre on Saturday 7 March. This will be at Beckenham Library, 22, Beckenham Road, Beckenham, BR3 4 PE. it runs from 2pm to 5pm. Free entry. Just turn up.

In-Person Candle Magic Class in London

On Saturday 11 April I’ll be teaching a candle magic workshop based on my book. The venue is Treadwell’s Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. It starts at 1pm and tickets are £22 per person. To find out more and reserve a place visit: https://www.treadwells-london.com/.

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Today is National Shelfie Day in the UK, celebrated annually on the fourth Wednesday in January. It’s a fun and light-hearted day dedicated to showing off your bookshelves—also known as a “shelfie”.

Here’s a photo of some my own titles published by Moon Books, in my own bookcase. I’ve written several in the Pagan Portals series, including Candle Magic, Poppets and Magical Dolls, Scrying, Rounding the Wheel of the Year and Guided Visualisations. I’ve also written a gothic novel called Erosion, set on the English coast in the year of the Great Storm.

The photo also shows a few of my favourite magical dolls. Here’s where you can find details of all my esoteric books:

• Via my author page at Moon Books: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/authors/lucya-starza

• If you’re in London, you can buy paperback copies at Treadwell’s bookshop, 33 Store Street, London, WC1E 7BS.

• You can also view my books via Amazon

(Please note: I earn commission from some links)

Magical Workshops I’m Running in London

Here are details of the witchy events I’m involved with from now until the end of February at Treadwell’s Bookshop in London. There are workshops on candle magic, and cleansing and protection.

Candle Magic

On Saturday 31 January I’m running a candle magic workshop based on my book Pagan Portals - Candle Magic. The venue is Treadwell’s Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. The start time is 1pm and tickets are £25 per person. To find out more and reserve a place visit: https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

(This workshop will be repeated in April.)

Cleansing and Protection

On Saturday 28 February I’m running an in-person workshop on traditional methods of cleansing and protection in witchcraft and folk magic practices. Venue: Treadwell’s Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. Time: 1pm. Cost: £22 per person. As before, visit https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

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I’m celebrating because my book Pagan Portals - Guided Visualisations is five years old this month! It was published by Moon Books in December 2020 - which was a highlight for me in a year that was rather difficult overall, as I am sure most of us remember.

Anyway, a big thanks to everyone who bought it, left reviews, and told me that they’ve enjoyed reading it. Here’s the book’s description:

“The journeys in this book are all ones using the mind. Guided visualisations use an interactive story to help people know themselves better, find solutions to problems and get ideas for creative projects. They can also be used as a wellbeing tool using relaxation techniques. Many guided visualisations also have spiritual aspects. Within this book are visualisations created for those on the paths of paganism, witchcraft and earth-based spirituality. They were written to follow the Wheel of the Year, embrace the power of the moon and the elements, and develop magical wisdom. Through the pages of this book you will be guided to amazing places. It will be an adventure...”

Some of the visualisations are intended for this time of year, around the Winter Solstice. If you want to find out more you can view Pagan Portals - Guided Visualisations on Amazon . It is available in paperback or ebook.

You can also view all of my books on my author page at Moon Books.

Please note I earn commision from some links

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November 1 is National Authors Day in the US, but I’m celebrating being an author even though I live across the pond in the UK. One of my books has a special anniversary, and I’m going to be at a literary festival next Saturday. Read on for the details.

Seven-Year Anniversary for Every Day Magic

Seven is a lucky number! The community book I edited - Every Day Magic - A Pagan Book of Days - is seven years old this month. It was published in November 2017.

Every Day Magic contains contributions from nearly 50 pagan authors and practitioners from many different traditions across the world, including Atlantis Bookshop’s Geraldine Beskin, best-selling pagan authors Ellen Evert Hopman, Melusine Draco, Harmonia Saille, Rachel Patterson, Caroline Wise and Elen Sentier and other Moon Books writers. Here’s the description from publisher Moon Books’ website:

“Every Day Magic - A Pagan Book of Days contains 366 spells, rituals, meditations, Pagan prayers, divinatory techniques, poems to read and recipes and craft projects to try out, along with the details of festivals that take place throughout the year. All the activities are intended to be easy to follow so you can pick up the book, open it to a day and find something you can do. There are festivals from the ancient world and modern Pagan celebrations as well.”

As well as coming up with the idea for Every Day Magic, I edited and contributed to it - and I’m very proud of it. However, as it is a community book I do not receive royalties - I asked for any money raised from it to be used to help bring more pagan writers’ works into publication. Here’s places you can get copies:

• You can view Every Day Magic on Amazon

• Order it online via my publisher Moon Books: collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/our-books/pagan-portals-pagan-book-days

• Find me in-person at the Creative Book Fayre in south London on 8 November (see below for details)

Please note I earn commission from some links

The Creative Book Fayre

You can meet me in person at the Creative Book Fayre on Saturday 8 November. I’ll be talking about writing magic as part of the programme of talks. The event runs from 12.30pm to 5.30pm at Venner Road Hall, Sydenham, London SE26. There’ll be stalls where you can chat to authors about their books as well as the programme of literary speakers. Entry is free, so pop along to say hello, listen to talks, and maybe find your next read. You can find out more here.

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The Kent Artist Who Illustrated Erosion

I met up with the lovely artist Su Jolly at the exhibition of her work yesterday. Su painted the cover picture for my Gothic novel Erosion. The photo above shows the pair of us holding a copy of the book surrounded by some of her stunning watercolours, mainly showing the Kent coast and countryside.

My novel is set in Kent, and while I was writing it I was also seeing Su share pictures of scenes she was painting. Her art so much matched my vision of the landscapes described in Erosion, that I asked if she would do a cover picture for me, and I was delighted when she agreed.

Su’s current exhibition is called Hiraeth, which is Welsh for “longing”, and is part of South East Open Studios and the Canterbury Festival. The venue is Creek Creative, 1 Abbey Street, Faversham, Kent. It runs until 26 October. If you’re in the area, or fancy a day out at a beautiful historic Kent town, not too far from Canterbury and the coastal towns of Whitstable, Herne Bay, Ramsgate, and Margate, I very much recommend popping in to have a look at Su’s paintings. Admission is free. You can find out more here: facebook.com/events/1483324266223810/

You can also see Su’s art online at her website: sujollyartist.com/

Celebrating the Anniversary of Rounding the Year

My Pagan Portals title Rounding the Wheel of the Year is two years old this month. The book goes into the history behind seasonal folklore, annual customs and modern pagan traditions as well as offering ideas for celebrating nature in all her changing forms. Here’s the description:

“Every month is full of magic, each day has its own energy, and the seasons rotate as part of the cycles of nature. Pagan Portals - Rounding the Wheel of the Year looks at ways to honour each month with folkloric customs, herb and plant lore, traditional crafts, spells, visualisations, and pagan rites that go beyond the eight festivals of Imbolc, Spring Equinox, Beltane, Summer Solstice, Lammas, Autumn Equinox, Samhain, and Winter Solstice. The wheel of the year turns smoothly, it doesn’t bump over eight cogs, and that’s the meaning of the title of this book. Inside these pages you will find the history behind some much-loved folklore and modern pagan customs, as well as practical suggestions for ways to celebrate the turning of the year.”

The Creative Book Fayre

You can meet me in person at the Creative Book Fayre on Saturday 8 November. I’ll be talking about writing magic as part of the programme of talks. The event runs from 12.30pm to 5.30pm at Venner Road Hall, Sydenham, London SE26. There’ll be stalls where you can chat to authors about their books as well as the programme of literary speakers. Entry is free, so pop along to say hello, listen to talks, and maybe find your next read.

Scrying at Viktor Wynd’s Museum of Curiosities

On Sunday 16 November I’ll be teaching an in-person workshop on how to do divination with crystal balls, mirrors, fire, and water. It’s based on my book Pagan Portals Scrying. The venue is the weird and wonderful Viktor Wynd’s Museum of Curiosities, 11 Mare Street, London E8 4RP. It starts at noon and tickets are £30. The price includes a Cocktail with Devil’s Botany. Here’s the link: thelasttuesdaysociety.org/exhibition/scrying-workshop-with-lucya-starza-live-3/

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Circle in the Sand

“Charlie said that to do magic you need to make a circle and focus on what you really want. You can use a solid object and focus on that. A candle, or a wishbone or something. Then you let it go. You burn the candle or break the bone. You have to let it go, Charlie said, so it can come back true. That’s why you find broken things like swords left in lakes by people back in history. They were making wishes, making offerings to the spirits of the waters so their wish could come back true.”

So we made magic on the beach and thought of our wishes, our dreams, with the salt drying on our naked bodies under the sun with just the gulls as witnesses. We found washed up driftwood and drew a circle around us in the sand, held hands and danced until we were warm and tingling and out of breath. We chose pebbles and held them, pictured the thing we wanted to wish for, imagining it as real.

“What do we do now?” asked Jo, staring at her piece of white chalk like an egg. I looked at mine. It was dark grey, a hard, flattish, smooth oval.

“Let’s throw our stones into the sea,” Zoe suggested.

We ran down to the edge of the incoming tide and got ready to throw our little pebbles.

“I wish the world was a fairer place!” Jo hurled her ovoid chalk. It sploshed and disappeared into a swell.

“I don’t think you’re supposed to say it out loud,” said Zoe. “You have to keep it secret when you make a wish.”

The wave broke and I tried to spot the stone in the backwash, but it was gone. Zoe threw hers but said nothing and it was also lost to the sea.

“Is this how it works?” I turned to Zoe, disappointed. Why wasn’t there a flash of light or a sparkle of glitter. How was this magic and not just chucking stones? But, of course, magic in the real world wouldn’t be glitter and sparkles and flashes of light. It would be something so like things normally happen that you wouldn’t suspect it was magic unless you’d cast a spell. And, as it was a secret, no one but you would know.

“I think so,” Zoe said.

I thought for a moment, deciding on my secret before letting go and skimming my stone. It bounced across the water, once, twice…on the third time it went in and was lost.

Zoe smiled. “Three’s a lucky number!”

But it wasn’t three, was it? And the stone wasn’t broken. And a stone wasn’t precious like an ancient sword. Real magic isn’t glitter and sparkles: it’s sacrifice. That’s why the ancient swords were broken. I wondered what I’d have to do, let go of, to make my wish really come back true.

Where to find Erosion and my other books

My publisher is Moon Books, an imprint of Collective Ink. You can find Erosion on it's website: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/our-books/erosion-novel

Treadwell’s bookshop. at 33 Store Street, London, WC1E 7BS stocks paperbacks of my books. I’m also running a candle magic workshop there on Saturday 13th September./ here’s the website: https://www.treadwells-london.com/

Erosion can be also be viewed on Amazon.

(Note: I earn commission from advertisers for some links.)

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If you enjoyed my Gothic short story The Doll last month, you might also like my earlier non-fiction witchcraft book: Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls, about how to use effigy magic for help and healing as well as traditional curses. In fact I’m celebrating the seventh anniversary of that book and it's on the way to becoming a best-seller. Here's the description from the back cover:

Poppets are dolls used for sympathetic magic, and are designed in the likeness of individuals in order to represent them in spells to help, heal or harm. Pagan Portals – Poppets and Magical Dolls explores the history of poppets and offers a practical guide to making and using them in modern witchcraft. It also covers seasonal dolls, from Brigid dolls, used in celebrations for the first stirrings of spring, to fairy dolls enjoyed in tree-dressing at Yuletide.

A Guide to Dowsing

I'm currently writing a new title in Moon Books’ Pagan Portals series. It's on dowsing, or the art of divining using pendulums, rods and a few other traditional things.

If you’re searching for something, whether that's water, lost keys, the answer to a question or the best place for a witchcraft ritual when you're out in the woods, dowsing can help. In Pagan Portals - Dowsing I teach how to use pendulums, rods, and the tingles in your fingers to find what you’re looking for.

Working on this book is taking me back in my memories to my childhood, because my father was a good dowser and taught me how to do it. I can sense him guiding me as I write.

All My Earlier Witchcraft Books

Here's the full list of the witchcraft books I've written or edited, published by Moon Books:

• Pagan Portals - Candle Magic

• Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls

• Pagan Portals - Guided Visualisations

• Pagan Portals - Scrying

• Every Day Magic - A Pagan Book of Days

• Pagan Portals - Rounding the Wheel of the Year

Moon Books also published my Gothic novel Erosion. You can find my author page here

Shops that sell my books:

• Treadwell's bookshop, 33 Store Street, London or order online.

• The College of Psychic Studies usually has copies at 16 Queensberry Place, South Kensington, London SW7 2EB.

• Paperbacks can be ordered from Bookshop.org, which supports independent bookshops.

• Ebooks and paperbacks can be be viewed on Amazon

(Note: I earn commission from some links.)

I’m Teaching Magical Workshops Too!

Divination: On Wednesday 3 September and 10 September I'm running a two-part online evening class on Scrying: Divination Using Crystals, Mirrors, Water and Fire via the College of Psychic Studies. Each class starts at 7pm. Tickets are £65/£85 for both workshops. You can find out more and book tickets here: https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/workshops/psychic-training/scrying-divination-using-crystals-mirrors-water-fire/

Candle Magic: My next in-person candle magic workshop is on Saturday 13 September at Treadwell’s Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. The class starts at 1pm and tickets are: £22 per person. To find out more or book visit https://www.treadwells-london.com/ or reserve a place by visiting the shop.

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I made the doll at midnight. Into it I bound a dark lock of your hair, cut as you slept, unaware. I’d waited until your breathing slowed and deepened, then quietly reached for scissors I’d hidden surreptitiously under my pillow earlier. I hoped they were sharp enough to cut cleanly, not tug and wake you. I leaned in.

I brought the blades close to your lovely cheek, where a curl had tumbled against your perfect skin, and I fought the urge to kiss you. I could feel the warmth of your breath on my hand, and held my own for fear of waking you. Gently, I lifted the lock with my finger and thumb, and snipped cleanly. Not much. Enough. I brought my prize away and breathed again, while you slept sweetly, without stirring.

You were so wonderful. How could I lose you? And yet I did, but not as I’d imagined it. Not as I’d feared it, feared you would become bored with me; mousey quiet me. Everyone around us desired you, but you were my prize, and I wanted to keep you. All eyes would turn to you as you entered a room, and you loved it. How could I possibly keep your loyalty? I knew I couldn’t, unless… and so I did the thing. Made the doll in your likeness. Cast the spell at midnight under a dark sky without a moon, and only the cold, distant stars as witnesses.

I spoke the charm as I sewed that stolen part of you into a figure cut from cloth that had once graced your beautiful body. The garment I’d stolen too, but you never noticed it was gone. You had so many lovely things to wear. Your lusciousness wasn’t anything I could replicate even closely with my clumsy stitches. But it had something of your likeness, my doll, and I hoped it would do. I tied cord tightly around that crude shape and the precious lock within. With my words and a drop of my own blood, pricked from my finger with the sewing needle, I bound you to me, loyal forever.

And so you stayed with me, even though I knew you wanted to go. I saw you when you looked at another person, and smiled, and they smiled back, and neither of you glanced at me. I felt you grow more distant even though you never left. The space between us wasn’t physical, but even when we were skin to skin I knew your thoughts were elsewhere. My heart cracked a little each time, but I knew you would never break it, because you couldn’t. Until that night, of course.

Even after the row when you threw the key at me, and slammed the door behind you as you walked out into the night, I knew you’d return. I had the doll still, you see. I took it from where I’d hidden it, and hugged it close, yearning with all my heart and calling on that lock of hair trapped inside its ragged body.

When the doorbell rang, I knew it would be you. Except it wasn’t. They broke it to me gently, the two police officers. They told me what happened and how you died.

I nearly burnt that doll, then, but I couldn’t. It was you, you see, and that lock of hair all I had left. Or so I thought for a while as I cried and cried and felt my heart would break. Only slowly I realised you wouldn’t leave me. You couldn’t. Not after I’d bound you so strongly.

Now I stay awake. Listening, waiting for you, holding my doll. Because, you see, whatever happens, I know you’ll return, even after death. I lie here in stillness, in our bed, the curtains open and the distant stars as witnesses in the dark, moonless sky. I wait to hear you come to me; hear the door open, your feet on the stairs – perhaps not as fast or confident as they once were. I wait to turn and look again into your face, however ravaged the skin of your cheeks might be, and how blank your eyes. I wait for your touch, your hands and arms to reach for me. Cold. No breath from you on me, just the stench of rot as you hold me close. Your skin cold against mine, still warm. I know you will always be loyal. I stole the lock and I made the doll that binds you.

Copyright Lucya Szachnowski, July 2025

About Me

I’ve been writing for decades. For many years I worked on a local newspaper as well as creating RPG scenarios and supplements for Chaosium under the name Lucya Szachnowski. When I started blogging about magic, I was persuaded to choose a pen name that was easier to pronounce. I chose Lucya Starza, because Starza is a name in my family. That’s also what’s on the cover of my Moon Books titles in the Pagan Portals series: Candle Magic, Guided Visualisations, Poppets and Magical Dolls, Scrying, and Rounding the Wheel of the Year. I've also written a Gothic novel, Erosion, which is published by Moon Books.

You can buy my books at Treadwell's Bookshop, at the College of Psychic Studies in London and at other bookshops. You can find more about me at my author page at Moon Books, and on my Amazon author page.

Please note I earn commission from advertisers for some links.

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The Corner

Always walk with purpose, she’d been told. It keeps you safe. So she did, or pretended she did, along dark streets where lights were only on in shop windows. Walk as though you are going somewhere; as though you know where you’re going. That’s a good tip. Not the only thing, though. Be aware of your environment. That too. What woman isn’t? Hyper-aware of every little sound and shadow and scent: a cat prowling on low wall, the distant rumble of a lone car, an advertising flyer blown down the street in a gust of wind, something rustling in a heap of junk dumped by the roadside, the pungent smell of stale piss from an alley where she was definitely not going.

So she walked quickly, but not too quickly, not as though she was scared. She could feel hard pavement beneath the thin soles of her shoes – not really made for walking. That hadn’t been her plan even half an hour before.

But she had. She’d walked out. She’d done it. What now though, and where? She felt in her pocket, then in the bag she’d grabbed from the hall table before storming out, slamming the door behind her. With growing panic, she realised she’d not got her phone. She stopped, considered the options. No, she wasn’t going back for it, although she thought about it for a moment. That was behind her. Sighing, she told herself it didn’t matter, there was no one she’d call at this late hour. With a smile she realised it also meant she wouldn’t be bombarded with pings of texts, messages, rings, that could have tugged at her resolve. There was a sense of freedom to wander where she wanted and not be traced easily.

She walked on beyond the row of shops into the maze of narrower, darker, sleeping streets lined with blank-windowed houses where other people slept. Time passed in a way that was hard to measure except by the lengths of her steps, the soft sound of her tread, hard concrete beneath her soles. Apart from her walking, for a while, all was still and silent. Until it wasn’t.

Losing track of where she had walked, or where she was, she became aware not all was completely still or cast in night-time gloom. From around a corner, up ahead, she glimpsed flickering lights. It was a corner between high-walled houses, another alley really, the kind she would have walked past had those flickering lights not made her wary.

She considered turning back, reluctant to navigate that un-dark space; more disturbing and less natural seeming, than that stinking alley between shops. But she didn’t want to. She wanted to go on, not back. If she had been followed she didn’t want to be thought of as possibly returning home.

Not home, not now. She’d walked out, decisively, not wanting to be argued with any more, or persuaded to change her mind.

So she cautiously crept close to the corner, keeping in the shadow of the wall at the edge. Cautiously still, she peered around it, to see what was causing the flickering lights.

The alley wasn’t a tarmac road, or even paved, and it didn’t smell of rubbish and stale piss. It was gravelly, unmade, and smelled of woodsmoke. High walls loomed at the sides, and it stretched some distance, but at the very end, many metres away, a bonfire flickered. Orange and red flames rose from the top of what was probably a drum, sparks flying high, and the tang of smoke billowing. Around it, silhouetted as they passed in front of it, dark figures moved. They didn’t seem normal. They wildly differed in height and shape. Some were tall with long, spindly legs and moved with an uneven, jerky gait. Others were short, but with bobbing heads that were too large for their squat bodies, some were so round in the middle they were like balloons on feet.

She had only stuck her head around the corner, but she quickly ducked back. Maybe not quickly enough, she realised. Perhaps they’d seen her. Yet she realised she had to have another look, to check if they’d noticed her; if they were now coming her way. She braved another glance. All looked as before. She’d intended it to be a quick glance, but it wasn’t. She couldn’t help but be fascinated by what she saw. It was as though the figures were from some fairy tale, or horror story, which now sought to enthral and capture her attention.

Growing curiosity made her watch longer, trying to make out who or what she was witnessing. Was the jerkiness of the movements of the tall figures, and the peculiar shapes of their forms, just a trick of the firelight? Or had she really stumbled on something supernatural?

Then the fire blazed suddenly higher and at the same time a hot wind gusted outwards, towards her. The figures moved away from the burning drum, and stopped their movements around it. She didn’t react fast enough. She felt the blast of heat on her face as the same time the figures turned. And saw her.

Perhaps she should have been more cautious, kept more of that awareness she’d had when she set out, however purposefully. She should have turned away, she realised, perhaps too late.

She stepped back then though, ducked around the corner into the dark quietness of the ordinary night-time road, away from the strange fiery scene she’d stumbled upon. Her heart pounded, thumping in her chest, but she still dithered, weighing up whether to stay and face what came, or turn and run all the way back to her old home.

Time to Choose

Now you must choose what happens next. Should she turn and run back the way she’d come and hope to escape whatever is approaching from around the corner? If so, go to Ending 1. Alternatively, should she stay at the corner and see what happens then? If so, go to Ending 2.

Ending 1: Run Back The Way She’d Come

Horror stories, nightmare visions of monsters rushed into mind. At the very last moment, or so it felt, she turned and fled. The sound of her shoes pounding on the pavement echoed off the walls around her as she ran, back through nocturnal streets of houses, where still people slept in blissful ignorance, retracing her outward journey, now in fear of what had lurked in the alley outweighing her fear of what she had originally left.

But perhaps she hadn’t turned and run fast enough. Behind her she could hear other noises, indistinct cries, footsteps that struck the ground with hard thuds unlike those of shoes on pavement. Her chest began to burn with exertion and she struggled to gasp in enough air to fill her lungs, but fear kept her running, running, all the way until she reached the lit windows in the street of shops.

Then she stopped. A quick glance behind her told her she had not been followed, at least not this far, by whatever she had seen from that corner, whatever had been moving around the fire in the alley. The burning pain in her chest slowly lessened and her breathing returned to normal. She glanced up the street, towards the way home, and saw him standing there, illuminated by the harsh lights from a shop window. Her heart sunk and her shoulders sagged, but better the devil you know, she told herself, as she slowly, and defeatedly, walked towards him.

Ending 2: Stay at the Corner

She’d left it too late to escape. A face suddenly appeared in front of her. It was a skull.

She screamed, stepped backwards, pressing herself into the cold bricks of the high wall. The skull loomed close. It was on a bony neck above a skeletal body clad in the rags and tatters of a once-formal black tailcoat. Faded fragile lace ringed the neck of a once-white dress shirt. On top of the skull perched a tattered top hat.

She opened her mouth to scream again.

“Hey,” said the skull in a voice that was entirely human, “I didn’t mean to scare you.” The figure raised a gloved hand, tipped the top hat into it, then with the other hand peeled away its face.

No… a mask. A young man smiled at her, screwing the muscles on the perfectly natural skin of his cheeks, and blinking his eyes.

“That’s better. Gets hot inside that. Sorry though. I must have looked pretty spooky, right?”

Around the young man holding his skull mask were other figures. The tall, gangly ones were on stilts. The round ones wore hooped clownlike costumes. The squat ones were also costumed, with giant headdresses shaped like goblins and other fantastical things. One wore fake fur and now carried under his arm the fancy-dress snout of a comical bear.

“Didn’t mean to scare you,” the young man continued.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“Performers.” One of the figures handed her a flyer. She’d seen it’s like on the high street, fluttering in the wind.

“We were practising,” the young man said. “Want to join us for a while? Watch our show?”

She grinned. “Yes please,” she said, and with renewed purpose followed the troupe down the alley, to dance around the fire.

Which Ending did you Pick?

I’d be really interested to learn which ending readers chose, and also what you thought of the story. Please leave a comment.

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Here’s a blast from the past: some of the things I wrote many years ago for the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game, published by Chaosium. I was reminded of them when I attended ChaosiumConUK over the recent bank holiday, and enjoyed some great new tabletop games as well as some old favourites.

I’m still extremely proud of the scenarios and supplements in the photo above. Most of them are now sadly out of print, but you can pick up copies secondhand.

Magical Book Sale Success: Poppets and Magical Dolls

Moon Books, which publishes my non-fiction writing on witchcraft, told me this month that Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls has reached a big sales milestone, having sold more than 4,500 copies. Thanks very much to everyone who bought a copy, left a review, or told me they've enjoyed reading it.

About Me

I’ve been writing for decades. For many years I worked on a local newspaper as well as creating RPG scenarios and supplements under the name Lucya Szachnowski. I was persuaded to choose a pen name that was easier to pronounce when I started blogging about magic, and chose Lucya Starza, because Starza is a name in my family. That’s also what’s on the cover of my Moon Books titles. You can read a bit more about me on my author page.

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A year ago this month my Gothic novel, Erosion, was officially published!

The story is about a group of friends finding an ancient burial site on an eroding Kent cliff. Rather than tell the authorities, they decide to do a seance to contact the spirit of the woman they believe is buried there. It's a magical ghost story, but it's also about friendship over a summer by the sea.

Here's the synopsis from my publisher Moon Books' website:

''It all began when we found the bones…'' This is the start of Erosion, a gothic novel set on the English coast, in 1987, the year of the Great Storm. Violent weather is but one of the problems a group of friends face when they discover an ancient grave inside a crumbling cliff and decide to unearth a skull. Supernatural mystery intertwines with the problems of human relationships, of earning money, of following dreams.

If you want a further taster, I earlier blogged with a short extract from the text. You can find it here.

Endorsements and Reviews

I'm still very grateful to Ben Aaronovitch, author of the Rivers of London series of novels, for writing the endorsement that appears on the cover of Erosion:

"An elegiac tale of memory, growth and regret set along the crumbling coast of 1980s Kent."

Other reviews have also been highly positive. Witch and author Ness Bosch wrote:

"Erosion is a great read. Lucya weaves a colourful story with great characters and the bittersweet emotional turmoil of the drama. Yes you need to get the bigger picture at the beginning, once you have it, it flows like water.

"No only is it engaging but Lucya manages to transport us back in time, to younger years, to the intense emotions, the frustrations, the bravery, the fears. That is pretty good already, but on top of that is the magic inside the book, the mystery, I would say beyond Gothic. I see proper Necromancy in these pages. I even loved the name of the ghost."

Arietta the Crafty Witch has reviewed my Erosion on her YouTube Channel. You can see some other comments on the image below.

Where to Find my Books

Here are some of the places you can find Erosion and my other books:

• My publisher is Moon Books, an imprint of Collective Ink. You can see Erosion on the website via this link: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/our-books/erosion-novel

• Before most shops had copies of Erosion, Treadwell's bookshop in London hosted a signing event. The shop still stocks copies of all my titles. You can pop in or order online. Treadwell's Bookshop is at 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. The website is: www.treadwells-london.com/ .

• Paperbacks can be ordered from Bookshop.org, which supports independent bookshops.

• Erosion can be also be viewed on Amazon

(Note: I earn commission from some links.)

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On World Book Day, please buy from high street shops or order titles online via https://uk.bookshop.org/, which supports independant bookshops. Alternatively, use your local library and borrow something to read for free.

Where to find my books

I'm Lucya Starza and the author of books in the Pagan Portals series on Candle Magic, Guided Visualisations, Poppets and Magical Dolls, Scrying, and Rounding the Wheel of the Year. They are published by Moon Books, which is part of Collective Ink. If you prefer ebooks to paperbacks, then you can order them through Moon Books’ website.

If you are in London, you can buy my books at Treadwell's Bookshop (pictured top), which is at 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, at the College of Psychic Studies at 16 Queensberry Pl, South Kensington, and at many of London’s other esoteric shops.

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