Witchcraft In Britain.pdf

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Scpfember 27. I9I2-ILLUSTRATID

'10

An express Ietter brings a coPy

of a curse. and a plea lbr ad-

vice . . . The black art is rrot dcad.

has merelv

become

hidden

ECIL WILIANISON, .rvho <lirects the

"Witcbes' Iiitchen" at Castletorvnin

\-zthe Isle of l{an, is a witchcraft consul-

tant. It is his full-time occupation. And

rvben, for example, he receives an express

letter imploring him to remove a spell set

on the rwiter, he is sufihciently learnerl in the

lore of witchcraft to compound a remcdy.

A rvom,in rvho'rvrotc to him recerrtly encloecd

a rnalevolent screed, 'rrittcn in magical charac-

ters, which she hatl received frorn a {orrner

woman friend. lt implicd that, besruse Williarn-

son's correspondent rvas at'out to marry. an old

tien.3sli;, :;as b:'g}:':::. liilaoi accii*nt.-" cc.;-

vinced,her a spell wa-s v,'rrking and sbe demarrdcd

:: ;:nur:terlgpell rgai:rsl: thc i!l-wisbc;.

lVilliamson decirled to rnake a doll, or poppet,

re-presentir:g the ill-wishing u'itch. Thc l)asis ..vas

clir.y.,from a rivcr Lrcd r*'orked rvitir u'ater frorn a

fall. Hc collected s"'rlt-u'ater lrorrns .to rcprcscnt

thc witch's ritals, pinc gum {or thc csience <.rf

lifc, Flibben ivy bi:rrir:s grorving in ::,ghurr:hyar<I

Ior the eyes. and whitr: q:rartz fronr-:i )righ clifl

for the teeth and Lnrres.

' Hc burned thr: bodics of three black toads, a

pregnant brown ra'; ln<l rr blaclc cocl< on arr altar

to the sun. On :rnotbcr to tbe rnocn he burned

another mixtttre,

'"he rnost pleasant ingreclient of

s'hictr rvas herbs.

f'hc ashes wert

corflporrntJecl

into

thc

popl>et. rvhich had lifc'synrboiicrlly

breathcd

into

ancl vr:u 1>asscd tlrrough

tht:

elcments oI cartlt, air, fire i-nd rvater.

I'Ic thrust glass sp)intcrs into the poppet.

shrourlcrl it, an<l <lisp:rtchr:rlil: to bi.s clir::rl-. ilt:r

irrstructions wcrc lo tlury it irr a shallovr rrncon-

cealed grave near the rvitch's home, light a fir':

over it anC intone a prrvlerful, prescribecl counter-

slrcll.

spcll. Thcn the strength r:f the

sanncd anrl thr: original cursr: fail.

Thr:n the strength

r:f the witr.:h rvould he

dhe

sappcd anrl thr: original cursr:,fail.

Why dtrcs Willianrson go to so much trouble?

liis

interest

profcssional,

partly

_partly

To dcfeat thc cursc in thc lettcr, rvltch-

craft cxgrcrt Cecil

Williamson

p;rsscs

etpoppct"

imagc

through

firc

27. 19s2

ILtUSTRATED-SePlember

EEfiCurruH

An o Ffeederl For

lYitchcr&l{

Things

Sirange

Worrns dug up on.thc satrds ;rt srtnsct arc need

as cntrails. Thc rvitch rtill

chippcd from a lonclY cliffon

to make the bones and teeth

Whitc quartz !s

thc Islc of Alan,

will

be the e1'es of the

from a graveyard

Bcrries

ago

have internal

is to bc cast

poppet with which

a countcrsPell

tastlyr a ritual fire has blcn lit at an old alta

thc forcst. Ashcs are mixcd

must h

or china

Hcrbs from a ruined gardcn stand for sincws

and musctes. They n'ill bc burned, rvith a chant

in thc clay in

against it, thcir irtterlockc<l hands exten'Jed

abo.rc th<:ir he;rds. To do this they hatl had to

clambt:r ovcr thc cighl;-TcxrtI':rilirlgs, Jrtrt thcrc

to s.'.vr:thc stortc fronr l>qirrg<li:rfigurt:<ll;y iclltr

carvings. or chippccl to n\akt' itrgrer.licrrts ust:d

in colnpoun<ling :rnr:ient mt:<licirtcrs.

il{trch hrorc rccctrtly'--:tt tttxrtt, in f:rct, otl

Scptcmbcr 7, l9:i2-it ttlatt itt ;r Cilot:ct:str:rs!rirt'

village bctrvr:en i\Icort IIill :rrtrl [-ttnt Compton

adrnittr:<l th;rt hr: lutcl bcttt itttrlrvtt [o 'coltsttmt

ir tlcr-t of yottrt;;, h;tirl,'s:;fill, l''1t1,,'' ltc rs:tsht:<:

rlorvn thr: strlttgr'. tnr:;tl rlit.lt ;r't1tt;rr'tof .t:i<lcr

\\'itn<:sscss:ri<lhc 11111

irr s'hiclt thc bay'fork was uscd wits exactly

sirnil;rr to thr: rnurder in 1875, in. nurrbv Long

(Jonrpl.orr. of Ann Turrrcr, killed by a marl

" l.,cc:rtrsr shc rvas a rvitbh, " and also to :rlt

t.;rrlicr' ha1'-fork stabbirlg rvhcn John Hayrvocxl

rrtt;rclccrl:tIr ol<l womatl. llc had sai<l hc r+'oul<l

kill ":rll sixtccn rcitchcs " in Long Conrptott.

It is qrrictly believecl localll' that 'thrce men

:rrrrl forrr rvorricn, survivors of a cult practisirrg

rrc;rr l\!e<rnI'lill, continrtc to Int:ct. 'fhc tnttrder

rlf (lir:rrlt:s Waltcln, still ulrsolved, rnay havc

;rrist'n fr<lrtt ,itrl intt:rnal

academic. He had found this spell in an old book

and was curious to usc it. He ex1>laincdto his

clicnt. in order that she mighi bc adequately

irnpressed, the full contplicrtions oI the formrtla

he-had used on hcr bchalf, and he sees littlc

<li{Icrcncc bctrvcclt this rorrtine ancl other nrorc

rnoclerrt nrcthods o[ pcrsuadirlS ;r petriorl throrrgh

a forrn of hypnosis or suggcstion that

fancicd

ill-lrrck has left hirr'.

Ilut this is orrly one asl)cct. Ilorv significant is

thc r*'holc practice of rvitchcraft in llritr-in tochy i

For one tlrirrg, it is kttorvtr that in acidition to a

ntrrnber of pl;rccs a.otttr<l thc sorrth co:rst, 8t'oups

oI s'itchcs irt: oPr:r;rtirtg ;rt I''iverlxxrl' :rt F]:rrltt:t

altrl irr Crrrtrl>crlan<1.

Ancl not maIlY )rcnrs ago, orl Fcl>ruary r4,

rr;15 (Carr<llclras lr1' thc Old Calcndar), Ch;rrlt:s

Wiiton, ;rgc<l stv('rrty-f()rlr, :trr .agricrrlturai

s'orker, rvai founcl <lc:rd irt ir tlitch near i\trt:otl

IIill, Wanvicl<shirc. I"li:; thrtxrt llacl b':cn lai<l

opcn l:v his owrl ht:<lgirrg-hortk an<lhc rvaspinttt:d

fice <lo',rnrvlrr<ls

ferrcl rvith'a

barrrl

lssr:rlthis rr:P;rst;rs a rlttbcr

l;rurttf introrlttctiorttrr ;t rii.trlrlr,.'lticht.trlrlrinatrx

irr l,rr,phcci<r:;

of v,-i'.clri's.

At rrrirlrright<'r' trIay rz, t,).1Q, thc night of

thr: frril nr()on t'lc:trr:stWaitrrrrgis Night (anr.lNl;ty

,,vr: lry tlrt Olrl Crlendar), a cotrccnletl obscrvt:r

l,), tli,' Iiollright Stone( ()n th'.' C)xfordshirr:

l.irrrrrrl:trvir rniic :rbovt: I.ortg CorrrPton s:trv fiv'-:

t'.lo;rii.'rliigurcs paying obcris;tnccto thc soliterl'

I(irrg Storrt', rvhich nrch:rcologist:; {xli4 l1r i.rt:rt

,y,rii,.rl of ft'rtility.

rlt:livrirt'rlilt slt;rrrllrltttgrltyrrrt:. IJttl

this t:i'i<k:nct'lrt: cottittr:rr'tl. I lt: sirnllly, :rn<

shrr:rv<llv, s;riri:

" It's iiii'r;:rl 1o tt'll fortrtrt,,'s

isrr'tit ? "

'l-hr: l<rcltlc(,t:c('rttl'alliorr

o[ [ll(':;(:illst:to ji'.': o

foi-ms oI nrulcrtr rvitt:ltr:r:r.fi,

i:: llot: ittt,:ittlctl tt

sin.r;lcottt this:rre;t, r'isilrt. fr.;n tlrt: i;ortr Shii'c:

Sto:rr :rt ltlxl<lr<1, ;l:-i;r P;rrl ir,'rrl;rr ltrltlrcrI rr

rn:r1;ic.--llt<ltrgh

'i'liey charr-tc<l

lrs thcy <l:rnc.t:tl

,rrorinrl it, Ihr:n ft:ll lirostratc ltcft:rc

l:v :t lt:rv-fork <lrivert tlrrorrgh

his trodv into thc rorrts lrt'lor.;;

..1irl,l,'rsltirrs

thc tlislrir'l trt:ry'ltt' (rt!(' (\[ th'

( .,'t!!nutti i,rr f,',t/.('

'l'hc Initllllcr

!;irr:rll)' tltr-'r' Irt:sst:tl thctttst:lvcs r:Pright

it..

'.!J:

! ittF'

i';. i'

;:..r

to makc thc ('poppct)'

rat and a black cock

Po-"."d: thc comp_ound

Williamson

crouched by his brazicr, rvitchcraft

consultant

Betorv ground,

To strcngihcrr thc spci!, hc lras !ru:'ne<! the bodics of thrcc black toads, a bro*'n

of thc ivildocr.

\Vhilc

Insidctht:sinistcr trianglc,glasssplintcrs.;rrc I)rcssc<l

into thc [ro<l,r'.

I.Ic has appcaled to thc spirits for porvcr. Norv he brcathcs throrrglr .r

str:rrt into ihc .J".t mouth of tlrc poplrct. This s.r'mbolicritc qivcs it "lifc"

this rvill bring torntcntslrarpcrthanthc:;ting o['rrccdlcs

thc can<llcbrrrns,

nY JULIIITTE LASSTItE

I'l{OTOGlfAPlll:l)

sclenter

27. Ie 12-ILLUSIRATFp

t t^

Witchcraft is rnore than

the Black Mass

CONTINUED FROM PAGE zr

'i In the '( Witchest Kitchen " of Cecil Williamson's Isle of Man

rriuseum there is a monument to "The nine million human beings

knorvn to have been burnt at thc stake as a sacrifice to supcrstitiontt

few containing a vicar'who

claims he

nrembers of the coven, those who

came from a generation when magic

enjoyed a matter-of-fact acceptance

in some households, could remember

family talk of a similar rite against

" Boney " at the time of the threat-.

ened Napoleonic invasion.

A coven of witctes is traditionally

composed of members of either sex,

thirteen in number, with one of them

acting as officer.'Before the days of

witch-hunts the . coven organized

public and popular beanfeasts on the

great days of }fay Eve, Hallorve'en,

Candlemas and La.mruas - t}re

Witches' Sabbats, sometimcs called

Frolics. Their private business meet-

ings were called esbats.

kno'*'s of three

witches

in his con-

does sho*" the

gregation.

But

wide scale and

varying

gravity

some people

the obseiwance of rrhat

call the Old Religion.

This observance is not restricted to

any one part of Britain, nor ever ex-

clusively to the rural areai. It is true

that tbe most sophisticated-and also

the most vicious-practices ard found

in the large towns. But it is possible

to cite in London,'Ior instance, not

only'narcotic orgies in r\faida Vale,

which generally end in the blackmail

of those taking part, but also the

ritual preparation of simple herbal

brews in the Old Kent Road-though

it mav be that some of the clients in

this

Acid

lndi$,estion Nrytr

--;(

\r\

rrS

'( , y'=,4. 0,,

\ tr<St//

Persecution

'iopen"

killed

tle

Sabbats and in-

c;crsed

tbr.r *'itchcs'

iircte

are

most

interester-l

stcaltir

sur-

aphrodisiacs, or love potions.

rounding sutxcquent meelings.

Covens cannot usrraliy. raise

thirtccn loc.rl nrcrnbe* thr:sr: dnys.

Here<iitary witchcs, wh,c iravc thc

lore handed down to them, form a

proportion of the covens, whose

average.ages are rathcr high. They

make up their numbers by inviting

certain known enthusiasts to join

. them. These have. madc a rvider

study than the locals, and corrstitutc

thc intellr:ctual rving of a covcn.

.I"{agic Against Hitler .

For r'r'itchcraft is not merelv the

Black'trIass, the blood and thl lust

rumoured to have been loosed in

South Audley Street, l-ondon, as well

as in the remote temples of Aleister

Crorvley,the notoriousi'Great Beast. "

It is also tying a knot in your hand-

kerchief to enclose the magic of re-

membrance. And there was no cvil

intendecl on the night of the first of

August (Lammas). r94o, when an itr-

vasion o{ Britain seemed imminent;

then an extraordinary summons lvas

scnt out to members of the Southcrn

Coven of British Witches. It brought

seventeen mcn

REf{ilfE$

wiil

€

Fefieve

GoddessOf Fertility

The gods of the witchcs are thc

oldcst of all-fertility and dcath. A

coven is nowadays led by a'woman.

olhcer becruse o( a shift in <:nrrrha-sis

towards the life-goddess*-a ruornan-

and away from thc lord of death.

Thcre arc. moments in a ccrernony

rvhen the god is'belicved to entcr thl

body of the olficiant.' During the

Iv1ay llve fcrtility ritcs the prir:stess

may. easily be assumcd to tre the

goddcss. During rvintcr cel':lrrations

she will for a momcnt place hcr hands

on thc oppositc shouldcrs to makc

thc crossed bones bt:neath thcr skull

-the symbol for thc presirling dcity

--but rvill irrrnre<li;rtcly opr:rrht.r ;trrns

anrl s'tan<lastrirlc to forrrr thr: Pcnta-

gon o{ lifc.

In g:neral, lnoclern rvitcht:s l>clicve

and

women

clcaring in the New Forest.

Thcir ceremonial firebrands were

cxpertly kcpt dim, yet alive, by such

of the conlpany as were air-raid

wardens, and the coven procceded.to

conduct rites intcnded to raisc thc

rnost colossal " cone of porver " they

had cvcr produccd-and dircct it

a.gainstHitlcr. The climax of a long

ritual qrme with the mcmbers, in a

statr: of tcnsc cxcitcmcnt, projccting

lhcir <lr:fi;rncc in shouts of rhythmic

rrnis<lrr: " You cn:r't cross thc sr:1.

you can't cro:is'thc sca. Not ablc io

come, rrot ablc to come."

Thc

pain nod distrcss of iodigcrtioo

can cosily bc rclicvcd

with

just likc rwcctr

Rcnoics..

lYtrcn you srck

Rcooic,

ootacidg

io your

tricklc

into thc digcsrivc

systcm.

naturnlly.

own

solivn.

In o mattcr

of minutcs

you'll

bc fcclinf

casier . . . suddcoly

yorr

rdolisc tlrnt thc poin is f one.

If Rcnnies

doa't rclicvc

your indi{cs.

tion, it's high timc you sow your doctor.

nl[ clrcmirts.

?ricct

2llo.

l17 aad l0d.

IIANDYTRIAL

SIZE 4d.

Oldcr

lLf-USTRATtD-Scpicnbcr

27, t952

.tr.

Gods of Magic

ffi

The

4""

WORTHfI

Oldest of All

ffiAIWfQmeffil

Bt'f*"ff

*'1,',i'""f.#.{,:**t%"I91f,

-[l:

:4.

revtng tf,tout ! Pral*d

by THOUSAIIDS

..how-todo-1t..

malt

oomplct!.

uFtodlte

sulde cycr publlshed t

Dnaurcs SjUCCE$S !

tbverE ti

rr?at

tna

ell

work

,lctrnr

grrden, greenhour* and' altotmcnt-thr-

JlJil

yur

rcrnr| t

"donr-to-carthl.

tfltlt

Instrucuons

a-nd pracucat

.rrcx€{

nrnrt t-or hcglnnctn-e

trcegrtry <f esr:nUnl InformaUon nnd

!!n-tn-dE0c Ratldtrnc.c

for oxJnrleircc.d trrsn or corrntry lnntene.n.'

lrr.a- ai .0 ia3rr. itsa!!3ri

rrDrrlfncr I

lX:rij fl:!lr. wlur

crltlrril.nr

t.rilllr.n,

pelhr,

frnilnl.

i..t

crntrcl. ;rrnln3.

lt;s$^toct

grfaaftr, tl..

Hou lo nal]c a.4. mo.t Of liu tnql!

.s1ncl;rl *-Z

4am?n!

ttcc0lons .alt": dctnllcd

Infoinatlorr

orr

&cwctr, fruh

arrd vegcteblts-lxf! varletlc-r to .trrow. wlrcn

and lpw to Dlant. trrunustlon.

atc- Gtlorul

. . tffilliamson

Isle of witches.

naints on his front

door

a sign to

ward offthe'(evil

eye.t' And level-crossing

keepen William

Mcfiarie

ttknows

there are witches in thc Isle of Man.tt But he does not meddle

that ttrey will achieve controlled

power by ritual, some of which is

primitive, From observing old cus-

toms,'tiey get the sentime-ntal satis-

flction that others get from keeping

Christmas.

damn fool if he didn't.'r

Indeed, thq

bulk

of rural

people

wbo

believe in

' the. strength

of magic

are practical

tn tnerr arms-

Witches in t:he past were wise in

the application oi herbs and. tle

treatment'of cattle. They have been

supplanted by tbe rise in status of

ttre doctor and tie vet. Aad tlere

are scores .of modern instances of

people who gather herbs or treat be-

Iongings in compliance r+.ith a tradi-

tional ceremonial of action: the

downward sweep of a new knife, for

instance; the chanting of old rhyming

fpells; the practice of dressing with

hair loose a-nd {eet bare.

-feel

They

that

theii

meetings

ti6C.

!rcH.uon

bring

them

emotional

-stimrrlus

and

old-Iashioned

goo{

BI4CK LET?ZRS

luck.

These are, of course, the "pule"

practitioners, who base tleir ritual

on instructions handed down from

the elders, eked out with the

Clauides OJ Solomon, an obscure

book which-changes hands at some

sixty guine:.s a time. There are in

addition the over - sophisticated

adherents who live blacli magic its

permanent notoriety. A Vatican

order made in. 1938, for the better

protection in'altar tabcrnacles of tic

reser.red,consecrated Host, is said to

have been an acknowledgemen!

l'ult Pootel

........ NAMI:

.....:..

.... AI)DRESS

'tirt 1ll.

x.t.2...!7i9l5?

Investigation Needed \

But for'otlrers ttre observanccs aie

sheer spiritual exercises, more srtis-

fying tha_n modern creeds. One group

has evolved from book-stud-y of

.ancient ways a pretty C-andiemal

ceremony on tbe South Downs.

Eleven people usc the Drruids'Circle

near lies*'ic;.: for arrcient ancl

apparently sinccre ccremonies. ,. you

get so close to God,"

the prevalence

of thefts

carried

out

for blasphemous purlxrses..

Magic In Brighton '

Circles practising magic of an in-

volved, cabalistic nature havc been

noted, among other places, irr

Brighton, r+,here a large garage is

used; iri Finchiey iioaci, London,

where proceedings approach the

erotic; in a churchvard in rural

Yorkshire; and in Brbmpton Road,

London, wheri love-charms and

vengeance-spells have been cast, but

wbere a ritual pririst has been

ollended by the rrse of a gas-ring,

.instead of " natural " fiame, to soften

..vax inrages.

The least sopbisticated of the

rnodern observcrs of t}le Old Relieion

are tvpified by' tld shepherd at

Stel'ning, Sussex, whc protects his

{locks by making ritrral observances

one of tlem

cxplains.

But there is no doubt that

of toda;*'s 'practices

are .un-

many

BIG frTONEY

riesirabie, in nee,.! oi further

investi-

gation .and regulation.

Cecil Willamson's wort is

admittedly largely the research tech_

nique of a student. He finds that his

" practice " brings him constantly

widening knorvledge of the. tbeorics

of witchcraft held today.

It is, ' certainly, a' round.rbout

route for a research rvorker to takc,

but it may be, for him and.thoce lilie

hirn, the only method to counier the

shyness of the present-day believcr

in magic. But there is one

development that is *'orth D.onder-

ing. f'hat occurs when the student

of rvitchcraft rr'nk<:s orrc <l:ry to fincl

himsclf.:r <tcvotcc-

NERruS

s75,S0@

...includingPerrns

that have won

Fully illustratcd and simplc

to understand, tlris new

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from Pcrnrs that havc

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and declarcd bluntly

to i

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r,r'orrld bc :r

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