Museum of Witchcraft, BOSCASTLE

Over winter, we had quite a lot of book donations to the library. These all needed sorting to check for duplicates, then cataloguing, then covering, then having a label made for them and then arranging in our library. Yesterday was a momentous day for us as we finally finished tidying the library! All the books are catalogued, covered, labelled and put away! Thanks to everyone who donated books to us (they are going to a good home!) and also to the volunteers (members of the Friends of the Museum organisation) who helped make this happen – Skylark, Rebecca and Steve.

Here are some photos of Peter and Steve tidying the library. If you want to use the library (it is available to all by prior appointment), please contact the Museum and give us at least 24 hours notice before your planned visit.

http://museumofwitchcra ... the-library/

We were very grateful to receive a donation of an witch shop sign from Sheffield. It is now catalogued and on display in the Museum.

The following is taken from the donor’s website (http://www.wessexarch.c ... ies-new-home)

One of the more unusual artefacts that Wessex North inherited from ARCUS was a large wooden sign from a building on Corporation Street in Sheffield, removed during the demolition phase of sites along the ring road. Affectionately known as ‘The Witch’ the sign comprises a silhouette of a witch on a broomstick with the word MAGIC underneath. Discussions on local forums suggest that the sign was erected as part of a Halloween promotion advertising mattresses at ‘magic prices’. Since it was not directly relevant to the building it came from, Sheffield Museum didn’t want to add it to their social history collection. After some quick research, I found a museum in Cornwall called ‘The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic’ and I thought they might be interested in having the sign. It turns out they are! So after a long stay in the basement in the Sheffield office, she is finally flying down south to her new home in Boscastle.

By Jess Tibber, Finds and Archives Officer. Thanks to Jess for arranging this donation to the Museum.

http://museumofwitchcra ... f-shop-sign/

A parcel arrived in the post a few weeks ago containing this rather fabulous jigsaw puzzle. It was sent to us by the designer/maker Adam Higton. Thanks so much for the donation! The jigsaw has been catalogued as a Museum object as it is part of our ever evolving collection of “Images of Witchcraft. ”

http://museumofwitchcra ... n-of-jigsaw/

We had a really busy winter at the Museum and we’ve had a great start to the season too. Here is an update on what’s new/what to look out for next time you visit. And if you can’t visit for a while, here is a look at some of our new displays. We started with a look at the outside of the Museum (see: http://museumofwitchcra ... open-hooray/) Now let’s move inside the Museum and see what has been happening…

We have a new cat in our iconography of the witch display exploring why the image of the witch is so closely associated with the cat, the hat, the broom and the cauldron.

We have a new introductory panel which is larger and has more images in it. The “Images of Witchcraft” wooden sign has been revamped by the carver Steve Patterson.

We also made a couple of slight changes to the “History of the Museum” display which mainly focuses on the life of the Museum’s founder – Cecil Williamson. You can see a new interpretation panel on the left which includes more images of Cecil and the Museum in his day.

We also added more objects to this display including objects from the Witches’ Mill (left) and from Cecil’s home altar (right).

A major new display in Images of Witchcraft explores the connection between witches and animals (with a special focus on shapeshifting). The focal point is this wonderful taxidermy fox which is a recent acquisition.

In the Images of Witchcraft display proper, we have added a new section called “Famous Witches” with sections on Mother Shipton, Joan of Arc, Morgan the Fay, Medea and Circe.

Another area which we have altered a little is the display near the Macbeth plaque in Images of Witchcraft. This display now considers the idea that a lot of representations of the witch suggest that witches come in threes. We have expanded this to consider the origins of this idea in triple aspect Goddesses, the Three Fates and the Three Graces. All of these images of magical women existed long before Shakespeare’s Three Weird Sisters.

As you may now, we also have items in drawers in the Images of Witchcraft display and we have had a bit of a move around here as well. Here is a photo of a drawer on the Witch of Wookey Hole.

A drawer looking at images of wizards:

A drawer with objects relating to Salem in the USA:

Baba Yaga:

We have also found space for one of the text panels from last year’s Halloween exhibition which looks at the connection between October 31st and witchcraft. This has also enabled us to keep out some of the Halloween postcards from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries which show very varied and playful images of witches and their connection with this festival.

Another “what’s been happening at the Museum” blog coming soon…

http://museumofwitchcra ... um-recently/

Hi Ben,

It was great seeing you - and others - last weekend in Boscastle.
The museum is a real 'must visit' if you are in the area. [Very happy]

How was the rest of the conference on 'cursing'?

Hope you had a safe journey home...
bright blessings,
Morgana

Well, what an amazing (and an exhausting and exhilarating) weekend! Last year, we held a conference in October to coincide with and augment our 2016 exhibition (Glitter and Gravedust: Halloween past and present), this weekend we held two days of talks on the theme of cursing to link in with our 2017 exhibition (Poppets, pins and power: the Craft of Cursing). In May 2018, we will be holding another conference on the theme of next year’s exhibition which is Ritual Magic (more details on this to be announced, probably around October time).

So, here is a run down of our second annual exhibition conference. We hope to turn each of these talks into an essay and to publish a conference book in due course.

First up was the ever wonderful Mogg Morgan, author of “The Ritual Year in Ancient Egypt” and publisher of Mandrake ofOxford. He spoke about cursing in Ancient Egypt: making smaller replicas of things to control them, the mutiliation of hieroglyphs to deny them power, the binding and tying of knots, the Evil Eye and spitting as a method of cursing. His talk particularly focused on Apophis or Apep (the large snake in the photograph behind) and considered whether this entity was seen as an absolute evil in Ancient Egyptian eyes, what its relation to magic and the origin of magic was and when and where the imagery of this great snake first emerges.

Our second talk began with music/magical music making to invoke the protection of the spirits. Demetrius Lacroix talked enthusiastically and knowledgeably about Haitian Vodou Cursing including its origins in slave societies and the practises of Ekspedisyon (to expediate, associated with zombification) and Ak Pelene (to trap). Demetrius also closed his talk with chanting/singing and used instruments that had ritual significance. It was a privilege to listen to him.

Up next was Steve Patterson, folklorist and author (and long-term Friend of the Museum). Not only did he speak about a curse – he brought it with him! This talk focused on an inscribed roof slate which was found on a Cornish farm in 2008. The slate says:

“May he who steals my round stones

Make early dry bones

Repent return and live forever. ”

There was much speculation on the meaning of this enigmatic language and Steve provided us with some possible interpretations as well as a look at the history and folklore of similar curses from Ancient Greece to the present day.

After a brief break (and a chance to peruse the stalls!) we reconvened to hear Al Cummins talk on “Curse Craft and Humoural Theory”. His discussion of humours really added another dimension to our understanding of cursing in the past and beliefs about the origins of well being and misfortune being linked to the body, the elements and astrology. For those who missed this talk, Al has published a book called “The Starry Rubric: Seventeenth Century Astrology and Magic” (which is going to be in the Museum library very soon!)

Camilla Schroeder spoke next about Cursing in Grimm’s Fairy tales. She explored three stories in detail: The Frog King, Briar Rose (or Sleeping Beauty) and the Twelve Brothers noting how in the stories women tend to be cursed with silence and men when cursed are generally turned into creatures. She discussed the significance of this and the moral of “good women are silent women” which arguably emerges.

Next, Judith Noble, Friend of the Museum, spoke about her own experience of a curse (the details of which I won’t divulge here) but which involved the founder of the Museum (Cecil Williamson), a mirror, a candle and a spider’s web. This was a very personal account and we were pleased Judith felt able to share it with us and tell us about her experiences and emotions surrounding this event.

The next talk considered the idea of “cursed races” and the origins of these so-called curses in sacred texts. Yvonne Knopp looked at the “Blood Curse” which has been used to justify the persecution of the Jews, the curse of Ham/the Canaanites which was used historically as a justification for the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the Curse of the Lamanites which appears in the Book of Mormon (and which has since been renounced as doctrine).

Mireille Fauchon shared with us her journey into the landscape of Lowestoft to discover more about the Suffolk witch trials. She described her personal journey, her attempt to connect with this traumatic part of our past and her artistic/creative response to it. Her ongoing project can be viewed online: http://www.mireillefauchon.com/

The final talk was by Peter Hewitt, one of the managers of the Museum. His talk focused on one field in Cornwall and what a field it turned out to be! A witch’s curse, black dog sightings, spectral clouds of mist, smugglers, wreckers, ancient burials, priceless Bronze Age antiquities and so much more! Peter speculated about the significance of this field to the people of the area: does the curse of Mother Ivey actually protect the field?

The first part of the day ended with questions for the speakers and then we went our separate ways for a few hours (many people headed to the Museum) and reconvened at 8pm for the evening event which started with a talk by Simon Costin, the Director of the Museum on poppets in films. Clips from films such as “White Zombie” and “Burn Witch Burn” were shown and interspersed with an analysis of their representation of poppets and their cultural influence.

The day ended with a truly unforgettable experience – a performance by Folklore Tapes. This is really impossible to describe so I won’t try! All I will say is that you ever get chance to see them you should go! http://www.folkloretapes.co.uk/ Here are some photos to give you a flavour of it.

After a few drinks in the bar and lots of interesting conversations, day one of the conference ended. At 10am on Sunday, we met again to hear the remaining talks. Paula McBride talked us through cursing in the early modern Midlands by examining several cases in detail: the case of Thomas Darling from Staffordshire in 1596, the Belvoir Witch trial in 1618-1619, the case of Cherrie of Thrapston, Northamptonshire (1647) and finally the mercer’s wife Katherine Atkins of Warwick who in 1652 was said to have disappeared after an argument about alms giving/food which led to “mumbling” which was interpreted as cursed words.

After this, our theme of cursing remained the same but we changed continents. Jesse Hathaway Diaz took us on a whistlestop tour of Cursing in Colonial Mexico. He explained the folk magic practices of Mexico with too many amazing examples to even attempt to recount. The audience were particularly intrigued by his exploration of “left handed Saints” and their role in cursing and also his explanation of how love spells are viewed as cursing in Mexican culture.

After this, James Riley presented a talk about one curse in detail. The curse was performed against the Moka Bar in London in 1972. William Burroughs used tape recordings to curse this espresso bar which had terrible service and “poisonous cheesecake”! James considered Burroughs the author and Burroughs the magical practitioner and made a compelling case for continuity in his ideas (using different mediums). His discussion of the importance of words and meaning to Burroughs gave a modern example to an ancient practice.

After a quick break, we met again to hear Jon Kaneko-James discuss cursing in Medieval and early modern England. His particular focus was on cursing in churches and how people may have “learned” the style and language of cursing from Biblical and liturgical examples (such as a Bill of Excommunication). He broke down cursing in this period into three categories and considered the connections between each: curses, oaths and spells.

Our penultimate talk was by Jonathan Hughes (Boscastle resident and author of several books on the Middle Ages and alchemy in particular). He presented us with the case of Eleanor Cobham and Margery Jourdemayne, a case which involved the alleged use of poppets and a case of treason against the King – Henry VI. Jonathan’s talk focused in particular on Eleanor’s husband, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester and his interest in Renaissance ideas and alchemy.

The final speaker was the curator of our exhibition this year – Louise Fenton – who explored the confusion between witchcraft and voodoo. She explored the history of images used for magic making from the time of Ancient Egypt to the modern day and considered the role of books and films in creating confusion between practices of witchcraft, voodoo and voodou.

The conference came to a close with more stimulating debate during the final question and answer session for each of the speakers. After that, people enjoyed another chance to visit the Museum and its current exhibition (as well as some well deserved ice creams in the sun!)

We have had some great emails giving us positive feedback, here are a few:

“Just a few word to say thanks for putting on such a fab weekend what a cracking conference! Great curation and presentation. A good range of talks and some great conversations were had.by one and all …you even managed to arrange some good weather. ”

“Thanks and congratulations on a wonderful, mind expanding conference this weekend. Great speakers and beautifully facilitated! ”

“It was a great weekend and it went incredibly smoothly, thanks to you. You did an amazing job! ”

“I have to say that I thought the speakers were all superb, so very well done…for the excellent selections you made. They all complemented each other exceptionally well, too, which gave a cohesion to the event that you don’t often see, even in themed events. ”

We are so pleased people enjoyed their weekend and we owe a big thank-you to all our speakers and also to the Wellington Hotel in Boscastle for making this event possible.

A reminder that next year’s conference will be on Ritual Magic (as will next year’s exhibition). It will be held in early May. Speakers TBA. Tickets should go on sale around October...

http://museumofwitchcraftandmagic.co.uk/news/

Yes indeed Morgana it was great to see you and so many other friends back.
I returned home safe an sound (that's what I hope)
I'll contact you this weekend about the ongoing things.

Ben

Many thanks for your superb report Ben.

I am really sorry now that I didn't plan to go.
Still, my visit to Cornwall was also enlightening. We went to see the Hurlers and Trevethy Quoit etc at Minions Moor.

Here is one of my pictures.

Looking forward to discussing things more privately,
Blessings,
Morgana

I still do not understand in which country and in what city this museum is located. I want to visit. Thank you!)

Jennifer,

The museum is situated in Boscastle, a tiny town in Cornwall which itself is in the most western part of the United kingdom.

This is the link to the tourist website of Boscastle and Tintagel :http://www. visitboscastleandtintagel. com/

This is the link to the museums webpage: http://museumofwitchcraftandmagic.co.uk/

Hope this helps you in your way to visit our wonderfull museum.

we were very pleased to welcome Anthony Quenten to the Museum on Wednesday and Thursday this week.

Anthony is a Friend of the Museum and volunteered his time to engage with the public and demonstrate to them some of his mentalism and magic. He bended spoons and did card tricks for a couple of hours each day. Visitors really enjoyed it and some were more than a little perplexed! One of the most popular things Anthony did involved a card, a statement on paper and a photograph being taken using a camera phone. This really puzzled the many people who participated in it with him!

He plans to return in June and we look forward to seeing him then. We thank Anthony for so generously donating his time to engage with our visitors and offer them something fun and unusual during their time in Boscastle He also donated some lovely things for us to sell – very kind!

http://museumofwitchcraftandmagic.co.uk/news/

Chattering Magpie - Summoner of the Hearth
Welcome to the page of the Chattering Magpie, Summoner of the Hearth of the Turning Wheel. The Hearth of the Turning Wheel is an independent and progressive Pagan group based in the English Midlands. Our praxis and ethos are inspired by but not necessarily limited to, the traditional custom and belief found within British and European Folklore. To contact Chattering Magpie and the HTW please email thechatteringmagpie::at::yahoo.co.uk
Monday, 22 May 2017
THE CRAFT OF CURSING: A review of a weekend conference in Boscastle, Cornwall UK in May 2017 by Carol Keith

Earlier this month I had the pleasure to attend an excellent two-day conference in Boscastle concerning the craft of cursing. Hosted by the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, it linked to the museum’s new exhibition curated by Dr Louise Fenton, University of Wolverhampton. Dr Fenton has been researching cursing and cursing poppets since 2010. The museum itself hosts a wealth of cursing paraphernalia that includes many poppets collected by its founder, Cecil Williamson. The exhibition itself will continue until the end of the 2017 season, and the museum is well worth a visit at any time!

Cursing poppet in the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic. Boscastle, Cornwall.

The weekend saw a wide variety of speakers whose topics reached not only across time, but spanned the entire social spectrum and took us to places both near and far. Mogg Morgan was up first, speaking on Apophis and the Mother Of All Curses. He led us to Ancient Egypt where Apep the serpent of chaos dwells. Apparently Apep was a colossal demonic entity that inflicted all types of harm with its terrible ‘Biting Eye’.

Mogg Morgan at Boscastle, Cornwall. May 2017

It was enlightening to hear that the mechanics of Egyptian cursing magic remain with us today. They take the form of wax images, spitting, binding, enclosing, trampling, burning and sticking. Mogg asked the question: Could cursing magic have begun in Egypt? Specifically this might have been during the period in Egyptian history known as ‘The Bad Times’, a period of great despair occurring in the gap between the Old and Middle Kingdoms.

Ritual spitting when cursing Apep, the colossal serpent.

Of course we all realize that tales of an eternal struggle between man and harmful serpent occurred not only in Egypt as similar stories can be found in many regions and religions of the world, both past and present. England’s own Saint George is depicted fighting a great serpent (dragon), and it is interesting that the image we best associate with him curiously mirrors that of the Egyptian god Set overcoming the colossal serpent.

Set depicted fighting the colossal serpent, and St George fighting the dragon.

As medieval medicine has long been one of my ‘hobbies’ I was eager to hear Dr Alexander Cummins speak on Curse-craft and Humoural Theory in Early Modern England, and he did not disappoint. Humoural Theory is an ancient system of medicine thought to have its origins in either Egypt or Mesopotamia. It was used for diagnosis and prognosis in the Classical period and throughout the Middle Ages, and is still used today in Indian Ayurveda medicine. Dr Cummins explained how this same system was also employed in cursing magic. Known as Humours, four fluids are believed to affect the subtle workings of the body on a variety of levels for they control not only a person’s health, but the personality and temperament as well. In humoural theory they are known as Blood, Phlegm, Yellow Bile and Black Bile. The heart was thought to be the seat of the humours but it was believed that the (Christian) Devil was able to affect how the humours operated within the human body.

Dr. Alex Cummins. Boscastle, Cornwall. May 2017.

Although I had not previously considered this system of medicine for use in cursing, it was fascinating to hear about the manipulation of humours to negatively affect a victim’s emotional, psychological and physical health. For instance, if the magic worker’s intent for the victim is impending doom, anxiety or stupefaction, then the phlegmatic humour might be targeted. Utilizing, of course, the appropriate materia magica to attract, infuse and radiate the necessary influences.

Humoural Talismans. Image from Dr Cummins’ presentation.

During his talk on Cursing and Ill wishing: witchcraft, the illness of a King and the Death of a Prince, historian Jonathan Hughes suggested that certain humours contained within the land itself (hot/cold/dry/wet) might be disturbed when dug or ploughed into, thereby shift the natural balance of the area to affect such things as the wellbeing of those living nearby, atmosphere or even change in the political climate.

Jesse Hathaway Diaz’ talk on Cursing in Colonial Mexico definitely brought some spice to the session; as did Demetrius Lacroix speaking on The Art of Haitian Vodou Cursing.

Demetrius Lacroix. Boscastle, Cornwall. May 2017.

On Saturday Demetrius explained a system of magic where, as in ancient Egypt, the soul is believed to be made up of several different layers each of which can be targeted by a magical worker. Demetrius told us about Port au Prince, in Haiti, where thousands of curses can be seen nailed to trees. Not only that as everywhere can be found offerings of dolls, tobacco, liquor and chicken or goat meat. He went on to say the art of Ekspedisyon (to expedite) can cause zombification or death. The art of Dispatch (to send, dispatch) commands a spirit to help fulfil obligations or, for an annual fee, a spirit will help you with medicines and healing. On the other hand the soul of a dead person can be purchased to haunt your enemy’s dreams. Pelene (to trap) causes the victim to be stuck in some way, unable to advance or move forward in life. Crab shells are often used in this magic since crabs can only move sideways, not forwards. The kidneys, heads, lungs or stomachs of animals are often used in this kind of cursing magic to represent the victim. I will leave to your imagination the symbolism of binding such body parts with cords.

Jesse Hathaway Diaz. Boscastle, Cornwall. May 2017.

On Sunday Jesse spoke to us of how the religion of invading Conquistadores had merged with the ethnic magic and practices of Colonial Mexico. It produced an indigenous belief system ‘dressed’ in Catholic clothes. The Christian cross itself was incorporated as a magical symbol of power and the properties of Catholic saints were used for all kinds of magic, both good and ill. Fascinating to me was the idea of seizing the right-handed (good) power of a saint and funnelling it toward left-handed (bane) practices. Stolen communion bread – concealed in the mouth until well away from the church – could be used to curse an enemy. While wax figures of body parts - a hand, a foot or heart, etc. – that were typically placed at shrines for help in healing, could be stolen away by the magical practitioner and used for sending harm to an enemy instead.

Examples of Christian magic in the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic. Boscastle, Cornwall.

Wax votive heart in the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic. Boscastle, Cornwall.

Traditionally, prayers were offered to statues of saints for help in healing and daily life. St Anthony is the saint to turn in order to find love and marriage. Gifts, candles and petitions are offered to a ‘’right-handed saints’’ to have them work their benefic magic on the petitioner’s behalf. However using them as ‘’left-handed saints’’ is an entirely different thing. To entrap or force a person into love or sex the statue of St Anthony might be turned upside down and its head replaced with a lemon, only to be returned if the saint complied with the petitioner’s demands. But the most surprising information for me about this tradition was to hear that, once a year at Eastertime, there is literally no god between 3pm on Good Friday and sunrise on Easter morning. It makes sense, of course!

Saints can be used as ‘’right-handed’’ or ‘’left-handed’’ depending on purpose.

As you might guess, it has been difficult for me to write about only a handful of the fifteen excellent speakers that were present at this conference. Each one of them offered something very special and thought provoking to the whole. I find myself wishing it had been recorded so that I could listen to them all speak again! The museum staff put on some fine conferences. Rumour has it that the subject for next year will be Ritual Magic. In the meantime, should you wish to see the full line up of speakers and their topics for this particular weekend, you may find that information here, while the museum’s blog account of the conference may be found here. See you in Boscastle!

Text ©Carol Keith 2017.
Photography ©Chattering Magpie 2008 and ©Carol Keith 2017

http://chatteringmagpie ... end.html?m=1

We had a lovely day yesterday, not only were we visited by the Trustees of our Friends of the Museum organisation but we also had music and dance outside the Museum for most of the day. Hunter’s Moon Morris gathered quite a crowd outside the Museum in the morning. They then spent the day in and around Boscastle before returning to the Museum in the afternoon. They were wonderful (as always!) and everyone had a great day. Hope to see them here again soon!

http://museumofwitchcra ... -the-museum/

We were very fortunate to have Joanna at the Museum recently. She is studying at Falmouth University and did a two week long internship at the Museum. We were all really impressed with her work and look forward to seeing her here again soon. Here is her write-up of her time at the Museum…

When I was invited to write a blog article for the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic’s blog, I was terrified. I smiled and nodded at Judith, Peter, Joyce and Hannah… and then panicked because I wasn’t sure of what I was going to say to them. How exactly is it that overwhelming gratitude can be put into words? But don’t tell my lecturers I said this!

Above: Joanna at the Museum

As an English with Creative Writing student at Falmouth University, doing an internship in the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic gave me the best of not two, but three worlds. One, I gained a formidable experience of library cataloguing, by putting some of the Museum’s previously uncatalogued assets into their system. Two, I enjoyed being in an academic environment, where I got to know interesting visitors, staff and contributors. And finally, the third (and best) part: I will now be able to have a place where I can go and do some solid research for my own writing. Won’t I?

Above: the library “No, I won’t leave! ”

My cataloguing adventures focused mostly on the Museum’s audio estate. From Cecil Williamson’s lost interviews, to Pagan chants, all the way through to the trance sessions of the late Alex Sanders, I had the pleasure of hearing it all. In fact, my favourite bits were indeed these Alex Sanders tapes. In some of them, I could hear Sanders talking as if he was incarnating an extra-terrestrial being called The Avatar, from a planet called Ganymedes. I confess, I may not know much about Sanders, but I did notice that his voice seemed a tad different during these sessions, when I compared them to other more ‘regular’ recordings. For one, his speech didn’t seem as fragmented or incoherent.

I later found out that Sanders would also use a device called ‘The Machine’ during these trances, which can be seen in the last room of the Museum (photograph above), “where it still goes on today” … He would stand, sit or lie down in it, while his friend Derek Taylor would act as his scribe. If you ever get the chance to look at this object, I dare you to say that it doesn’t at least look a little bit weird!

The most brilliant part of all of this was realising that these tapes came to be in the Museum’s hands (and in mine!) because they were donated. They passed on from friend, to friend, to friend, until they found their little corner in Boscastle. Which made me realise just how much of what was inside the MWM came to be there due to the precious cooperation and friendship of those that have visited it over the years. What fascinated me even more was knowing that there is a group of people called (fittingly) Friends of the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, who are willing to give hours of their own time to help organise workshops, walks, and just overall contribute to the magic of Magic. It’s like the Museum belongs to everyone!

Above: the view from one of the office windows. Joanna said, “I feel like the Museum belongs to me now too. ”

Another task that I was assigned to during my time in the MWM was picking out the objects for this past Saturday’s workshop: Behind the Scenes and Into the Magic, with Julian Vayne. I got the chance to dig my hands (with gloves of course!) into the enchanting secret room where all the objects are kept. My favourite ones were the West African horn and pouch, where a spirit had been trapped to help women conceive… I don’t want to know how.

Above: selecting objects from the Museum store.

Another one, was a Chinese Cursed Idol made out of a root. According to a newspaper clipping that is attached to this idol, it was first owned by a man who was found in a boat wreck, with all of the other crew members dead. He was staring deeply into the idol’s eyes, and wouldn’t let go. Later on, when he returned home, his house burned down, with him inside it, as well as his wife. His son found that among the debris of the fire, the only thing that had been left untouched by the flames had been the idol. The son kept it as a memento of his deceased father, saying that he had nothing else to remember him by. But a few years passed, and the son’s own family came to be plagued with misfortune, until a priest came by and said that the idol was the reason for all of that malediction, and that it must be exorcised.

I didn’t feel anything when I touched it. To me it was just a smiley old chap with a long beard, and it made me smile too, so I guess that means the exorcism must have worked.

Above: What a happily Cursed Chinese Idol!

I must admit, it bothered me for a while that I wasn’t fully aware of all of the stories behind of what I saw, heard and experienced at the Museum. I even felt quite ashamed of writing down in some of Alex Sanders’ tapes, descriptions such as “several voices in background”, because I simply didn’t know who was speaking. But as Judith and Peter said, now someone will be able to find them in the Museum’s catalogue, and provide their own expertise into finding out their mysteries. How magical is that?

Which in conclusion, made me see that one of the most precious lessons that I learned during my time at the MWM was how much a person can be like a museum. Throughout our lives, every bit of knowledge that we accumulate is transmitted through the wisdom that other people donate to us. In our minds, each of us comes to create their own collection of experiences, memories and characteristics that, sometimes, we don’t really know much about. Now and then, someone will come along and give us a gift, whether it is their time or their expertise, but most importantly, something that will help us to find out more about ourselves.

So, thank you everyone for helping me find out more about myself.

And thank-you Joanna, for your time, hard work and enthusiasm and for this thoughtful blog post too.

http://museumofwitchcra ... nna-varanda/

We were lucky enough to have Levannah Morgan at the Museum on Saturday. She hosted a workshop in the library on the subject of the Mabinogion. As a Welsh speaker with a deep attachment to this literary work she offered us a real insight into the world of the Mabinogion.

The day started with an exploration of the history of the texts and how they came to be collected together by monks in Wales in the Middle Ages and written in Welsh (not Latin as one might expect). We then heard about the different versions which are held in different collections today: the Red, White and Black Book. Mabinogion roughly translates as Branches which can also mean genealogies and it contains great mythic tales and Arthurian romances. The works were made available to the public thanks to the work of Lady Charlotte Guest in the 19th century. There are now many different versions available and the text is a source of inspiration to many artists, poets, musicians, witches, Pagans, Druids (and many, many other.

In the afternoon, we listened to several of the stories with our eyes closed, “making a picture in our mind” as Levannah said. We heard about Alwen “she of the white track” or the Milky Way and the mad, bad, Cornish boar. The Story of the Oldest Animals: the blackbird, stag, eagle and salmon was particularly remarkable as was a section of the Mabinogion describing black sheep on one side of the river and white sheep on the other and a tree half of which was aflame and the other half of which was in leaf. We heard about Bran and his cauldron and the burial of his head, Rhiannon and “the birds of Rhiannon” and the place names in Wales derived from tales from the Mabinogion. These mysterious stories led to some interesting discussions amongst the group about their meanings, significance and resonance with us today.

Levannah told us about each of the Four Branches of the Mabinogion and summed up the contents of each. The First Branch exploring a hero’s right to be King, the Second Branch which features Brannwen and Bran, the Third Branch with Pryderi and the Fourth Branch (which we later dwelt upon) which includes Arianrhod.

Levannah then spoke to us about her connection with Arianrhod and shared with us her experiences as a child, through to her reading of the White Goddess by Robert Graves and a powerful dream/vision she had about a place in Wales near Anglesey. She has written a booklet on this subject and generously gave a copy of it to each of the course attendees. It was a privilege to hear Levannah’s experiences and insights and the Museum are so grateful to her for giving us her time and expertise.

The next workshop will be on the Qabalah on September 16th. For more details see: http://museumofwitchcra ... tember-16th/

http://museumofwitchcra ... on-workshop/

A reporter from BBC Radio Cornwall dropped in to the Museum on Thursday morning to conduct an interview about the Museum, its collection and events we have coming up. It is due to air sometime this weekend. Here is Judith Hewitt, the Museum Manager with the reporter outside the Museum.

http://museumofwitchcra ... n-interview/