Weird, Strange and the Unexplained

This article is the first of many. Each When? What? Why? feature will give a brief factual overview of a certain object or tradition, explain its origins, what it is for and why people still embrace these rituals and traditions. Over the past year my close friend has become more and more involved with Tarot reading. At first it was simply for novelty but she was pulled in deep and the more she practised the art of cartomancy the more accurate her readings have become. You could say its smoke and mirrors, confidence trickery or just a social exercise, a link between two people perhaps, if you are more cynical and of course that is okay. I don't judge, believe what you will. However her ability to predict pitfalls, promotions and hurdles within a multitude of peoples lives got me interested. image via Pxfuel I enrolled in a course led by   Tunisia Ali ,  Spiritual Healer, Author, Educator, Hypnotist & Life Coach, in an effort to gain an understanding of what the ...

Not many places can claim to have cultivated mushrooms, stored ammunition and an effective shelter during war time. The labyrinthine tunnel network that is Chislehurst Caves has been used for all of these purposes and far more.  Covering 22 miles (35.4km), the tunnels found in Chislehurst in South East London, England.  The origins of the tunnel network is unknown but it is theorised that the initial mines were made by Romans, Saxons and Druids. This is supported by the first written recording of the mine coming from a 9th-century Saxon charter. While initially it was used for chalk and lime-burning pits the caves were used between 1830 and the 1860s for producing lime.  Most famously the entirely man-made cave network was used as an air raid shelter. This became home nightly to 5,000 people, but was capable of housing up to 15,000 at any one time. It contained washing facilities, toilets, a hospital and even a functioning chapel. Prior to this the network was u...

  The worldwide pandemic has altered everyone’s lives for good. Shut off from the outside and without employment I’ve found myself asking a lot of questions. About the world, myself and the sheer expanse of things in life that are beyond our understanding. This unknown is what captivated me as a child and has always been of interest to me.  Now within the constant lockdown of the UK, I found myself reaching back into all kinds of areas I used to pay an interest in. Folklore, mythology, strange occurrences and the unexplained. You may be stuck at home, locked into your local area with your freedoms restricted. Yet no matter where you are there is history, oddities and locations you’ll be able to explore.  If for whatever reason you are housebound, high risk or dislike the idea of galivanting around, then I will be featuring virtual tours also of some online escapes into the weird and wonderful.  Throughout this blog I shall be posting articles of curiosities both...