Hawthorn & Key · Essays & Stories
The Hawthorn Journal is the editorial journal of Hawthorn & Key: a quiet collection of essays on British folklore, local legends, seasonal customs, old symbols, curious places and the small domestic traditions that continue to give ordinary life a little more character.
Here, folklore is approached with respect, curiosity and a sensible amount of scepticism. Old beliefs do not need to be treated as proven facts in order to remain interesting. They tell us how people remembered places, explained uncertainty, marked the seasons and made their homes feel a little less ordinary.
Read slowly. A rainy afternoon is not required, although it rarely does any harm.
Water care is material-specific. Gypsum and halite give clear reasons to avoid soaking, pyrite has a different moisture problem, and several stones routinely labelled “water unsafe” can actually be cleaned with warm soapy water according to professional gem-care guidance.
Read the reflectionTeeth dreams are often reduced to anxiety or loss of control, but research suggests waking dental sensations may also contribute. Start with sensation, emotion and context before symbolism.
Read the reflectionThree tarot cards are enough to create a useful reflective reading. This beginner guide explains a simple situation / attention / next-step spread, how to interpret card relationships and when to stop drawing clarifiers.
Read the reflection
The waning moon begins with a change so slight that it is easy to miss. On the nights immediately after a full Moon, the bright disc still looks almost round. Only gradually does its illuminated portion narrow, passing through the last quarter…
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Elder folklore belongs to a familiar British tree that often attracts little attention until it comes into flower. Its reputation, however, is unusually complicated: householders valued the plant for its flowers and fruit while repeating warnings about cutting its branches or burning…
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The Lancashire witches are usually remembered through Pendle Hill, the Device and Chattox families, and the trials of 1612. Those events deserve careful attention, but they occupy only part of the county's recorded history of witchcraft accusations. At the same Lancaster assizes,…
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Boggarts in Northern England were never as easy to recognise as the creatures in a modern bestiary. In one Lancashire account, a boggart interferes with the work of a farm. Elsewhere the same word belongs to a lonely lane, a frightening animal,…
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The ghosts of the Tower of London have become part of the fortress's public history, but their stories belong to different centuries and come from different kinds of evidence. Looking across the river towards the White Tower, it is easy to understand…
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The Green Man looks out from some of Britain's oldest churches. His face may be framed by leaves, almost hidden inside them or crossed by stems growing from an open mouth. You can pass beneath such a carving without noticing it, then…
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An evening ritual can be a practical way to mark the end of a working day, especially when unfinished tasks have a habit of following you into the kitchen or onto the sofa. A message still needs answering, a conversation continues in…
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