Witchfest International 2008 was tremendous fun. Apart from some really amazing craft stalls selling everything from books to clothing, ceremonial swords, incense, herbs crystals etc., it was a great opportunity to get to see and hear a wide variety of speakers and performers.

I did my talk, on Murderous Mandrakes and Witches' Flying Ointment down in the Green Room at 4pm. It was a great turn out and a wonderful audience and I really enjoyed myself. I then did a book signing at 6pm which was another opportunity to meet and chat with yet more people from many different walks of life. I also met my publishers, Jon and Julia from Capall Bann, and it was lovely to browse through their wonderful bookstall at the Fair.

As I mentioned here earlier, I always give a prize to the main raffle - in this case a pastel painting of the Green Man - and also run a free raffle for those hardy souls who stick with my talk until the end. This time I even raffled the pictures of mandrakes which I'd painted (copied from old Herbals) to illustrate my talk.

I always feel it's important to give something back to the audience. It's all too easy to forget that festivals and talks are a two way process... the audience give you their attention and interest, and I feel it's important to give something back.

Also, I can still remember what it's like to turn up at a festival having spent all your money on the ticket without any hope of buying anything while you're there! So I feel it's important to give the audience a chance of something for free.

Although I regard myself as a solitary, attending meetings like the Witchfest does recharge the batteries. You realise that you're not alone, that there are many other pagans out there, and that's good because sometimes when you've been solitary all your life you tend to forget that we are really part of a great network even though we may not realise it at the time.

Over the next couple of days I will be posting up photos of the paintings I raffled, along with extracts from my talk on Mandrakes.