Cold Moon- Full Moon Blog Post
Remembering the West Kilbride Witches – Online Talk: 6/1/2026
Welcome to the Full Moon Blog series!
I’m delighted to announce that I will be giving an online talk in January about the women who were accused of witchcraft in West Kilbride. I’ll explore their stories in the context of the 17th Century Scottish witch hunts, and explain how the Pockets of Love memorial project will honour their lives.
West Kilbride has a hidden history of witch hunting – like so many towns and villages across Scotland it was touched by witch panics during the 17th century. The names of the accused women appear in court documents but beyond that, they have been forgotten in history. Behind each name recorded in trial documents, there was a real woman, with her own home, community and people who cared about her.
I’ll be sharing what we know from the historical records about how these accusations shaped the community at the time and why remembering these women now is an important act of compassion and cultural healing. We’ll look at the wider context of the Scottish witch hunts and the human cost of the witchcraft panic. This talk is an opportunity to bring the accused witches stories to life and speak their names again.
Tickets
The talk will be at 7pm GMT on Tuesday, the 6th of January 2026. The ticket price is £8 (plus admin fee).
Tickets are available via eventBright
I’ll also be introducing the Pockets of Love project – a Scotland wide community memorial that invites people to create hand embroidered pockets each dedicated to an individual accused woman. These pockets draw on 17th century traditional pocket patterns and are intimate acts of remembrance made slowly and mindfully with creativity and kindness.
Seeking a way to honour their lives
West Kilbride is one of the first places in Scotland where this project is being shared publicly and I’m deeply moved by the response from local people who are already interested in learning, remembering and stitching together. Whether you’re from West Kilbride, Ayrshire or further afield, you are warmly invited to join us and listen to the stories of the West Kilbride witches – and if you feel drawn to do so – to become part of the Pockets of Love project. As we revisit this difficult history we do so with gentleness and purpose for the women who were wronged, creating something meaningful and beautiful together in their memory.
The Cold Moon
As promised, I will end with some Moon magic! In December the days are at their shortest and the nights at their longest. I’m writing this as cold rain and wind whirl around my home here in Ayrshire.
The Cold Moon is the last full moon of the year, and this year it is a super full moon, as the moon is still at its closest point to the earth – which is a true blessing for these long dark nights.
The darkness of this time of year naturally draws us inward, to rest, reflect and gather strength for the new year to come. This healing moon reflects its gentle light over what has lain hidden in the dark asking us to bring our love and attention to it.
This beautiful image comes from the Green Wheel Oracle, a buccolic set of cards featuring the animals of the English countryside, the 13 moons and the Wheel of the Year festivals. Artist: Danielle Barlow (the oracle deck is available on Etsy)
