The pagan summer festival is a celebration that dates back to ancient times and is still observed by many today. This festival is typically held in the summer months and is a time for people to connect with nature and honor the changing seasons. During this festival, participants engage in various rituals and traditions that are meant to promote fertility, abundance, and good fortune. These rituals often involve dancing, singing, and the burning of bonfires. People may also decorate their homes and altars with flowers and offerings to the gods. One of the main ideas behind the pagan summer festival is the belief in the interconnectedness of all living beings and the importance of living in harmony with nature.
She came across Norton’s story in the tabloid papers, while researching 2011’s Recipe for Murder – another documentary set in postwar Sydney.
Her paintings, some of which were seized by police and burned, could loosely be defined as esoteric canvases often filled with hectic images of women embracing the Greek god Pan, snakes and horned demons. Set within the tantric healing community, docu Sex Magic Manifesting Maya centers on the Sedona Temple s sacred sex shaman Baba Dez, forced into self-reflection when his beloved, Maya, leaves him, and fellow therapists accuse him of inappropriate use of his, uh, holy rod, in healing work.
One of the main ideas behind the pagan summer festival is the belief in the interconnectedness of all living beings and the importance of living in harmony with nature. This is reflected in the rituals and practices that are carried out during the festival. The festival is also seen as a time for personal and spiritual growth, as participants are encouraged to reflect on their own lives and set intentions for the future.
Sex magic, occult art and acid: the story of the infamous witch of Kings Cross
They didn’t quite burn witches in Australia in the 1940s and 50s, but they didn’t make it easy for them either.
Take Rosaleen Norton, an artist and self-identified witch who the tabloids called “the witch of Kings Cross”. She was repeatedly arrested, had her artwork burned and was shunned and mocked by society.
Norton eked out a modest living selling her art, and putting spells and hexes on people. Her story has been captured in a new documentary, released online on Tuesday.
Norton, who lived in Kings Cross in the postwar years until her death in 1979, had been fascinated with the occult since she was a child.
Ban on Aleister Crowley lecture at Oxford University - archive, 4 February 1930 Read moreAged 23 and living away from her conservative family in a variety of lodgings and squats in the seedy Sydney suburb, she began to practise trance magic and, later, sex magic. The former involved invoking spells, rituals and taking substances with the aim of achieving a higher form of consciousness; the latter was popularised by the British occultist Aleister Crowley and involved having sex with multiple partners that invoked rituals similar to Tantra.
The fascinating story of Norton’s life may have been lost had it not been for the commitment of Sonia Bible to bring it to the screen.
Made on a shoestring budget, and largely crowd- and self-funded, the documentary is a labour of love. The film-maker managed to track down several of Norton’s contemporaries before they died, and sourced diaries and artworks that were in private hands; she melds the historical documents with dramatic recreations (Norton is played by Kate Elizabeth Laxton).
Film-maker Sonia Bible says the woman dubbed the ‘witch of Kings Cross’ lived life on her terms and in her 60s was still dropping acid and making art
“When I started making the film, I knew this story was on the edge of living memory,” Bible says. “This would be the last film on the late 50s, because the people have died. The oral history of people who were there – that has gone now.”
She came across Norton’s story in the tabloid papers, while researching 2011’s Recipe for Murder – another documentary set in postwar Sydney.
“It was a time of great social change,” Bible says. “A dark noir time before pointy cars and rock’n’roll, but in the lead-up to the counterculture.
‘If she had been launching herself in the 1960s, with the counterculture and feminism in full swing, she would have been like Brett Whiteley’: Bacchanal by Rosaleen Norton. Photograph: Burgess family
All her life, Norton combined her interest in the occult with art. Her paintings, some of which were seized by police and burned, could loosely be defined as esoteric: canvases often filled with hectic images of women embracing the Greek god Pan, snakes and horned demons.
Australia in the postwar years was almost 90% Christian, and Norton was made a target for her beliefs. Surveillance and raids from the vice squad, and seizure of her work, criminalised her, and turned her into a notorious and shocking tabloid figure. One of her sex magic partners, the celebrated Sydney Symphony Orchestra conductor Sir Eugene Goossens, was forced to flee Australia when his luggage at Sydney airport was found to contain pornography. The pair each suffered in their own way for transgressing the strict moral boundaries of the time.
“There was a rapid change in relationships between men and women, social conventions and politics,” Bible says. Right now we are also living in a time of great change, but when you are in it, you can’t analyse it.”
Norton with her painting The Adversary in 1949. Photograph: Fairfax Media
Part of the tragedy of Norton’s story is that she was born too soon – in 1917. If she were alive now, there would be a whole community of witches to connect with on TikTok – but even being born 10 years later would have made a difference, according to Bible.
“If she had been launching herself in the 1960s, with the counterculture and feminism in full swing, she would have been like Brett Whiteley … She was at the vanguard and she did have an impact and inspired people. Young people went up to the Cross looking for her.”
But even though Norton’s life was hard, Bible cautions about viewing her with pity.
“She lived the life she wanted. She didn’t value money. She was very happy. She had her art and her religion. She lived life on her own terms and towards the end she had a flat in Kings Cross, given to her by the church.
“People felt sorry for her, this old woman living in the Cross with her cats. But in her 60s she was dropping acid and still making art. She was very happy.”
The Witch of Kings Cross releases worldwide on 9 February on Amazon, iTunes, Vimeo and GooglePlay; it will be in selected cinemas from 11 February
It is a time for renewal and the beginning of a new cycle. Overall, the pagan summer festival is a time to celebrate and honor the beauty and abundance of the natural world. It is a time to come together as a community and reconnect with our ancient roots..
Reviews for "Creating Sacred Spaces: Altars and Rituals at Pagan Summer Festivals"
1. John - 2/5 - The Pagan summer festival was a huge disappointment for me. It lacked organization and cohesion. The workshops and activities were poorly planned and I didn't feel like I learned anything substantial. The vendors were limited and not very interesting. Overall, the festival felt like a missed opportunity to celebrate and promote Paganism in a meaningful way.
2. Sarah - 1/5 - I had high hopes for the Pagan summer festival, but it fell far below my expectations. The atmosphere was chaotic and disorganized. The speakers lacked charisma and failed to captivate the audience. The food options were limited and overpriced. It was clear that the festival was more focused on making money than creating a positive and inclusive experience for attendees.
3. Michael - 2/5 - The Pagan summer festival was a letdown. The entertainment was lackluster and failed to engage the crowd. The performances seemed rushed and poorly executed. Additionally, the festival grounds were overcrowded, making it difficult to fully enjoy the experience. I left feeling unsatisfied and wishing I had spent my time and money elsewhere.
4. Emily - 2/5 - I was excited to attend the Pagan summer festival, but I left feeling unimpressed. The workshops and classes were disorganized, with some sessions starting late or overlapping. The presenters lacked expertise and were unable to provide insightful knowledge or guidance. Furthermore, the overall ambiance of the festival felt forced and inauthentic. I wouldn't recommend this event to anyone seeking a genuine Pagan experience.