Sleep, the Witching Hour & Clocks Going Back

In England the clocks are turned back an hour this Sunday, 27 October. British Summer Time switches to winter time at 2am in the morning, meaning it becomes 1am Greenwich Meantime, or GMT. Afterwards there will be more light in the mornings but dusk will fall an hour earlier. 

The Witching Hour

Various different times in the night have traditionally been called “The Witching Hour”. According to Britannica: “Some beliefs set the witching hour’s boundaries between 12am and 3am or between 3am and 4am.” 

It was considered a dangerous time when spooky things happened. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the ill-fated Prince says: “’Tis now the very witching time of night, When churchyards yawn, and hell itself breathes out Contagion to this world.”

I’ve always had sleep patterns that mean I usually wake up some time between 3am and 4am, then go back to sleep after a while. I learnt that  in bygone centuries it was considered normal to have two sleeps. People would often do things in the middle of the night, which could include praying, having sex, or getting up to witchcraft.

My brain is at its most creative between my two sleeps, during the witching hour. I’ve long accepted my sleep patterns are like that and don’t fret about it unless I can’t get back to sleep again. I’m currently writing a new book, which follows on from my first gothic novel Erosion. I’ve been finding the middle of the night is when I get some of my best ideas about what to write next, and even solutions to problems I’m having with the plot. 

On the subject of my writing, here’s another reminder that if you want to buy any of my witchcraft books or my novel Erosion really cheaply, now’s your chance. My publisher Moon Books, which is part of Collective Ink, is offering 50 per cent off all e-books until October 31st. 

All you need to do is:

• Click here > https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/ 
• Choose your e-book(s)
• Click ‘Add to basket for direct download.’
• Click on your shopping basket
• Click on ‘Do you have a coupon?’
• Apply promo code Spooky50  and Validate.
• Proceed to Checkout.

If you want to search for my books, you can go straight to my Lucya Starza author page. I’ve written on candle magic, poppets, guided visualisations, scrying and the wheel of the year as well as my gothic novel Erosion. 

Notes: The photo at the top was taken by me and shows a clock in my witchy room. It was taken at 4pm, not 4am. I should also point out I earn commission from some links

Prevous related posts

http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/10/seance-with-skull-from-my-gothic-novel.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/03/celebrating-book-sale-success-poppets.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/07/review-pagan-dreaming-by-nimue-brown.html

To read more posts like this visit A Bad Witch’s Blog at www.badwitch.co.uk