Underwing

A personal exploration of our ancient, complex relationship with animals - how they are entangled with our spirituality and their associations with the darker side of life.
'Why do some animals still awaken our primordial fear, while others are cosily nestled on our sofas? In an age of security cameras and lamplit streets, can some creatures still tie us to the magickal world of folklore and shapeshifting spirits? Can they help us remember what it was like to live in a pre-scientific world where every encounter might have held a mystical double meaning?'
Underwing is a journey with only animal destinations - born from the importance of animals in pagan faiths, the urgency of our connections to the non-human community and the deeply felt affection we have with those beloved, individual creatures which fascinate and even define us.
Jennifer Lane delves into the world of folk stories and lore to explore our relationship with the eerie elements of nature and the creatures whose calls have often kept us up at night. She travels around the UK and further afield to look at animals, traditions and perspectives from across the world to paint a picture of our magickal connection with the wild and reclaim our wonder for the natural beings of this world.

Jennifer Lane is the author of The Wheel: A Witch's Path to Healing Through Nature and The Witch's Survival Guide. She has written for Vogue, The Week, Dazed, Cunning Folk, the BBC, Wildlife Trusts and the RSPB. She discovered Wicca when she was twelve years old and became fascinated by the craft, and since then has woven together her passion for wildlife with a Pagan lifestyle.