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At the Poetry Pharmacy we don’t usually prescribe by star sign. But we do have a fondness for curiosities, mysteries and for star gazing..
In our York shop there is even a Cabinet of Curiosities, a small room devoted to the strange and curious and wonderful and astrology certainly belongs in that tradition.
So in the spirit of curiosity, we’re delighted to welcome Liz Ison who has kindly accepted an invitation to write something for our newsletter. Liz has edited a new anthology Poetry of the Zodiac which gathers together poems inspired by the heavens above us. Whether you’re a devoted horoscope reader or simply someone who enjoys a good poem about the stars, her piece feels like a fitting way to mark the Spring Equinox.
“Ye stars! which are the poetry of heaven!”
A cosmic message from Liz Ison
Happy Spring Equinox and Happy New Zodiac Year, dear Poetry Pharmacy community! Long ago, when Zodiac thinking and astrological practice developed, it would have made perfect sense that Spring was marked as the beginning of the year, with Aries taking the helm. If our January new year celebrations are now but distant memories we only have to tune into the signs of spring all around us to notice a whole lot of new beginnings everywhere.
“…human rhythm again
Heard in the vigorous early spring earth,
Its cautious silence. And what is to come
seems reflavoured”
Rainer Maria Rilke translated by Marielle Sutherland
I love that word “reflavoured” – it gets to the heart too of what poetry can do. For I believe poetry is for life – a dynamic presence in our lives; resonating as a quiet inner hum or a bigger vibration of sound; for both the first read of a great poem, and the many re-reads after that as the words and their rhythms take root in our memory.
If you would like this type of new year to be your opportunity for a cosmic (or smaller sized) reset why not look to poetry to help you rise to the challenge of change. Whether you are a dreamy, contemplative Pisces (completing the end of the Zodiac year) or an energetic, creative Aries (ushering in the new) or simply have a bit of the inner Pisces/Aries about you (after all, aren’t we all connected), the poetry of the Zodiac is a great place to turn your gaze.
Ye stars! which are the poetry of heaven!
If in your bright leaves we would read the fate
Of men and empires, – ’tis to be forgiven,
That in our aspirations to be great,
Our destinies o’erleap their mortal state,
And claim a kindred with you; for ye are
A beauty and a mystery, and create
In us such love and reverence from afar,
That fortune, fame, power, life, have named themselves a star.
Lord Byron
From Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage Canto III
You can find more poems to inspire in my anthology Poetry of the Zodiac, published 19 March 2026 with Batsford Books and you can buy it from us here.
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Joy First Aid Kit
To be used for the emergency application of beauty and solace in troubling moments
Store in bathroom cabinet, car, office, kitchen or bedside table
A bee settled
on a rose petal.
It sipped, and off it flew.
All in all, happiness too,
Is something little. - Trilussa
Decoctions of Delight to be taken in Small Doses, our collection of three bottles of poetry pills: Joy, Carpe Diem, and Happy Pills.
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Let your creativity lead the way in this safe and
supportive free flow creative writing session
Start your morning with a burst of creativity at the Poetry Pharmacy London! Join poet Laurie Bolger for a relaxed, playful session of free flow writing in our lush first-floor space on Oxford Street. Tea, stationery, and warm vibes are provided—just bring yourself and your imagination. No experience needed, newbies welcome, and spaces are limited!
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Jen is an award-winning poet and creative copywriter who transforms feelings, memories and ideas into heartfelt, personalised poetry. At her regular drop in events at the Poetry Pharmacy on Oxford Street, she crafts bespoke poems live on her trusty vintage typewriter, capturing individual stories and emotions and turning them into unique keepsakes.
“Jen is an exceptionally talented writer. Her poetry conjures such vivid images that transport you somewhere else, and the way she puts words together is a beautiful art in itself.” Ceri, Poem recipient
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Wild Words: Spring, with Rhiannon Hooson
Throughout April: Sign up by 1 April
Bright green leaves still new to the air and dark grey clouds banked up behind the hill.
In the wood, anemones are opening like a secret. Spring stars rattle calls out of the owls all night,
and the air is strung with the smell of wild garlic and its promise of plenty.
Rhiannon's Wild Words are low pressure writing courses which help you ground your creativity in the turning year, and help you build a sustainable, daily creative habit. The courses are built on the philosophy that creativity should be organic, plentiful, and joyful.
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As a special online event for International Lucid Dreaming Day, this workshop is perfect for creatives: poets, writers, artists, and anyone else who is interested in learning about how to use lucid dreaming for creative purposes.
In this introductory workshop, you’ll learn the basics of lucid dreaming and
how it can be used to generate ideas for poems and other creative projects.
You’ll explore the subject through a blend of teaching, writing exercises, reflective practices, discussion and poetry, in a supportive and imaginative space.
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Join award winning poet Caroline Smith to discover how the mundane & the life critical can be the raw materials for creativity. The snatched fragment of time, the poignant, the humorous. How can experience be caught and transfigured.
We will explore poetry of consolation and poetry of warning: of care for the self and family and care for our communities and world. Why does a poem work, why does it fail, when does the tender become sentimental, a passionate cause become ‘a design on others.’
Using sources, inspirations and prompts we will generate new poems and write in unexpected ways - exploring passion and heartbreak, care we have received, care we have given, poetry that steps forward and poetry that lets go.
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To Write the Unruly Body Kate Noakes presents a number of approaches and exercises for writing about illness, dis-ease and disease.
Deriving from her new book, Sublime Lungs, the writing of which saw her explore diverse images and metaphors to explain and celebrate her chronic asthma, she invites you to the Poetry Pharmacy for a morning of reflection and expression, and occasional light-heartedness. Y
ou should leave with notes and ideas for poems and short pieces of writing related to these medical humanities topics, and with luck at least one new draft poem. There will be an opportunity to share your work, but absolutely no pressure to do so.
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After the March 2026 release of impressionist Alistair McGowan’s second poetry collection Like Never Before, we are delighted to announce this exclusive Bishop’s Castle reading from the book. Alistair will also offer the opportunity for an audience Q&A after the reading.
This show is an exclusive performance of Alistair's poems, separate from his 3-in-1 piano and poetry performance tour. This is Alistair - like never before - commenting on a world that is accelerating "like never before".
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Join poet Jonathan Davidson for a Poetry Walk starting and finishing at The Poetry Pharmacy Lab in Bishop's Castle.
Using a circular route, we will stroll along small roads and footpaths, stopping now and then to hear some poems read aloud in the open air. Copies of poems – by various carefully selected poets – will be provided, although participants are welcome to bring along short poems of their own to share.
While the walk will only be a few kilometres and therefore not too strenuous, it will involve stiles and quite possibly mud, so participants will be asked to bring along suitable footwear and clothing. We’ll walk at the pace of the slowest, the better to chat and enjoy the views. The ticket includes a drink and cake at journey’s end and numbers will be limited to 12 participants.
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