Magical Alphabet: E is for Esbat

"Esbat" and "Sabbat" are two terms you come across a lot in witchcraft and paganism, although Esbat tends to be used more in Wiccan circles it is now used across many Pagan paths.

Where as a Sabbat is a celebration of one of the seasonal festivals, an Esbat is a gathering of magical practitioners purely for magical work, often falling on the full moon or new moon.

An Esbat can be used for healing work, initiation rites, or purely to bring together a coven or group of magical practitioners for a social gathering.

The word Esbat is thought to come from the French ébat meaning simply "frolic". This indicates a greater enphasis on socialising and fun than is experienced at Sabbats.

Some Witches DO Curse

Ok, it's been a while since I did a "let's get this straight" type of post, and this is one I should really have done a while ago.

There seems to be this ever growing misconception that modern witches don't curse. Well that's partially true, as some modern witches don't curse, others however most certainly do.

This belief seems to stem from the fact that in some of the more modern ritualistic manifestations of witchcraft, Wicca for example, things like the Three Fold Law seem to inhibit cursing and hexing. However, not all witchcraft practitioners belong to paths like this. A lot of re-constructionist practitioners will often quote "If ya cannea curse, ya cannea cure!" Meaning to curse is as natural a part of our nature as it is to cure.

Cursing and hexing form a huge part of our magical heritage, from poppets to spoken charms. In years gone by some cunning folk made a living from protecting people against them and undoing them. This is documented everywhere from court records dating from witch trials, right through to the large collection of poppets displayed at the Museum of Witchcraft in Boscastle.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting some witches lock themselves away in a tower with flying monkeys reining terror and misfortune over everyone. What I'm saying is, occasionally, usually by way of defense, you need to very firmly take action against someone, and there's no reason that this can't be magical.

It's true, the universe has a way of balancing itself, so randomly hexing people into oblivion will most likely come back and bite you on the backside. However, there is also a school of thought that believes that as a magical practitioner, you can be the means by which balance is restored. In other words, eventually a jackass will annoy a witch, and that witch may well be the source of that persons karmic comeuppance.

Magical Alphabet: D is for Dancing

Dancing forms an important part of many Pagan traditions and rituals. Some practitioners use dance and movement during rituals as a “power building” exercise, in the same way drumming and chanting may be used. There are also more specific examples.

It's fair to say that no Beltane celebration would truly be complete without a dance around the May Pole. Their origin is still debated, with many people believing they stem from Germanic tree worship, and others believing they are a phallic symbol. However, regardless of you're views on their origin, it's hard to dispute their place in British magical customs.

Dancing around poles very similar to May Poles also occurs at Midsummer in some countries. Though even without the pole dancing around a fire at sunrise or sunset is a widely held Litha custom in many traditions.

Dance certainly plays a part in modern celebrations. At the larger Summer festival the sun going down often marks the beginning of some fantastic displays of fire dancing, belly dancing and other traditional dances, usually accompanied by drumming. 

Magical Alphabet: C is for Cleansing

Cleansing is a word you hear a lot in magical groups, but want exactly does it mean?

Well from time to time you may feel a negative energy in a place, or that something isn't quite sitting well with ritual tools, or that your tarot deck feels heavy and clumpy. These are signs that there is cleansing work to be done. If you use magical energy in your life, over time you become a lot more aware of it, and it will soon become apparent that if energy is... well... sticky! A part of the energy you call in for each spell, ritual or reading, will remain. This is why you get such an apparent atmosphere at certain historic site, which is the good side of this. The bad side is that if you use a tool or place a lot, for lots of different types of ritual, the energies can start to get a little confused with one another. Cleansing is the practice of removing the affects of that energy. A lot of people view it as totally removing the energy all together, but I feel leaving it there in a sort of “dormant state” adds a power to the place or object.

There are a lot of different ways to cleanse, and it can involve some very elaborate ritual work, but other methods are very simple.

Bells – The sound of ringing bells is a good way to cleanse and clear any space.

Citrine – This crystal is said to not only clear negative energies, but is also thought to be “self-cleansing”. I keep tumble stones of citrine in the bags where my tarot decks are kept for this reason.

Incense – Burning Sage, Frankincense or Copal (to name but a few) will cleanse a space, objects and tools can also be passed through the smoke.

Moonlight – People often leave objects and tools that need cleansing out in direct light from a full moon.

Salt – Burying objects in salt (natural sea salt) will cleanse them.

Here we go again! This time: The Metro & The Mirror...

So as we know the media occasionally likes to make a cheap buck out of pointing at Pagans and shouting, "Oooooh look at the weirdos!". Now when they do that to the whole community it's bad enough. However when they single out those Pagans who are putting their lives on the line and serving our country, it's damn right despicable.

Yesterday a story by Jimmy Nsubuga, a journalist - (and I use the term "journalist" loosely) - for Metro appeared on their website entitled "Witches and Druids among new recruits for army according to MoD data". Hmmmm... let's take a closer look at it shall we.

"Figures released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) showed almost 1,000 new staff had declared themselves members of the niche faiths, according the Sunday People."

It becomes clear at this point the rest of the article is a quick rehash of another article that appeared in the Mirror on Saturday, written by Sean Rayment. Well done Mr Nsubuga & the Metro, not only do you pass on bigoted drivel, you pass on bigoted drivel you ripped-off from someone else!

So to the Mirror article.

"Witches, pagans, ­druids and spiritualists have joined our armed forces in the past two years, recruitment figures reveal."

Yes I remember that big advertising campaign the armed forces did to welcome us freaks, letting us know we could all go and serve our country... oh... no... wait... the other thing! What actually happened was that after having many people of minority faiths serving in the armed forces for years, they eventually got acknowledged and their numbers recorded on some statistics.

The rest of the article continues in derogatory style, making shoddy jokes about "Witches and warlocks [finding] their broomsticks handy in the RAF" and "HMS Hogwarts".

From here Mr Rayment makes an hilarious attempt to give his article some sort of credibility.

"...sources claim the MoD has been forced to widen its recruiting base after sacking thousands of sailors, soldiers and airmen."

Really? What sources would they be? People working for the MoD? An advertising professional who worked on this recruitment drive? A bloke you met in the pub? Someone you made-up?

"Another explanation is a fear of discrimination accusations if applicants are rejected on grounds of faith."

WHAT!? You're not allowed to discriminate on grounds of faith anymore!? Next you'll be telling me you can't be birched for disobeying your husband!

"An insider said: “They’re obliged to accept any religion, however inappropriate. Do we really want soldiers who believe they can cast spells on the enemy? This is about being ‘on ­message’ and has nothing to do with being combat-effective.”

An insider in the MoD? An insider of your local chippy? An insider inside your own head? You can't just give the statements of one bigoted moron credence by attributing them to "an insider"

At least they actually bothered to get a statement from the MoD, which was as we'd all expect.

"We want to create a workforce which is drawn from the breadth of the society we defend. We give the opportunity to practise religious observances, provided it does not conflict with core values and standards."

  

Everyone associated with the publication of these articles should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. If you're as disgusted by this as I am, you may wish to complain the PCC.

You can also complain to those involved directly:

The Metro, can be contacted via Facebook and Twitter.

The Mirror, can be contacted via Facebook and Twitter.

Magical Alphabet: "A is for Apples"

Welcome to a new series of articles I'm calling "Magical Alphabet", as you can see from the title, we're starting with "Apples".

© Jekaterinavlassova | Dreamstime Stock Photos
& Stock Free Images

Apples and apple trees pop-up in a variety of magical traditions and Pagan beliefs... if you slice them in half they even have a pentacle at their core! For this reason apple recipes are often included at ritual meals.

One thing apples are said to be magically linked to is eternal youth or immortality. In Irish tradition the eating of apples is what kept those in the faery realm ever young ( Connla the Fair). This has similarities with the Norse stories of the Goddess Idunn, who fed apples to the gods to maintain their youth.

Apples are also linked to love... especially divination of romantic situations. It is said that if you peel an apple in a continuous strip and then drop it on the floor, it will fall to form the initial of your true love. Another practice is to cut an apple into 9 sections, eat the first 8 standing in front of a mirror and then throw the last one over your shoulder. When the last section is thrown, the face of your intended should appear to you in the mirror.

To ensure plentiful supplies of apples, wassailing apple trees is still practiced throughout many counties of England. This is a practice designed to awaken the apple trees and scare off bad spirits to ensure a good harvest. This is a rather jolly affair which involves lots of singing and cider drinking.

Here’s to thee, old apple tree, 

Whence thou mayst bud 

And whence thou mayst blow! 

And whence thou mayst bear apples enow!

Hats full! Caps full! 

Bushel--bushel--sacks full, 

And my pockets full too! Huzza!

-Gentleman's Magazine, 1791

Super Moon

Book Review: A Witch's Mirror, by Levannah Morgan

A Witch's Mirror: The Art of Making Magic offers you an overview of traditional witchcraft as practised in Devon. The book stays away from complex and ceremonial rituals that are often found in modern magical practices, and focuses more on the simple ways in which witchcraft can become part of your everyday life. The back cover reads:

“Magic is something that should be lived. Much of the magic in this book is about apparently simple things, it is the author's belief that these things, experienced with all the senses, and done with intent, can be deep forms of magic and have the most profound effect, and be just as powerful as complex rituals, if not more so.”

The book is largely the author, Levannah Morgan's, personal accounts of different spells and rituals. Sometimes books based mainly on one persons personal experience can be slightly limited as to what the reader can take away and relate to their own practice, with this book however this is not the case. Due to the large focus of the book being how to connect to your natural surroundings and building an intimate relationship with magical energies, the personal slant delivered by this book works perfectly.

The book is certainly an interesting read, especially for those who frequently visit the South West of England. It makes frequent reference to many landmarks as well as the Museum of Witchcraft in Boscastle.

On a practical level this book is brilliant, all of the general advice given is very clear and easy to understand. One of my favourite sections was on “Sitting Out”, this is a practice that is sorely lacking from a lot of similar books and notoriously hard to describe, however Levannah manages to convey the essence of it with the same clear cut ease she applies to everything else in the book.

The other thing that I love about this book is the fact that all the spells in the book are very adaptable and could work for a number of different situations. They are also ones that can be completed using things that most people would have in their house already, or could easily find. A lot of other books make claims to deliver such spells, but rarely do.

For the those more experienced with witchcraft this book offers some interesting information and fascinating perspectives on a number of points, particularly on working with the Moon and the Sea. I've practised for a number of years and still found it a very engaging read with a lot of stop-and-think moments.

All in all I would thoroughly recommend this book to magical practitioners both new and old.

Book Review: Hedge Witchcraft, by Harmonia Saille

“Hedge Witchcraft” is written by Harmonia Saille, and published by Moon Books as part of their Pagan Portals series.

The description reads:

“This book will guide readers to read more about hedge witchcraft as a pathway, or are already following such a path and wish to progress. It only has a little about hedge riding as this book has too small a scope to include it. Please read the accompanying book in the Pagan Portal series, Hedge Riding.”

This is a really nice little book about traditional British witchcraft. It ties all the information together with personal accounts from the author which heavily adds to the readability of this book. I enjoyed the section about tree lore, and liked the healthy does of folklore that was included in it. I also really liked the section on "Spirit of Place". This is a topic woefully overlooked in lots of similar books, and Harmonia does a fantastic job of eloquently, but unpretentiously, describing this. 

However, I can’t help but feel quite disappointed with this book, simply because it isn't specifically about Hedge Witchcraft. As the description indicated, it made little mention of hedge riding, referring you to another book by the same author. Given that neither book is hugely long I don't see why they weren't integrated, especially given the importance of hedge riding to this path. Although it made the very truthful claim that all hedge witches will follow a slightly different path, it didn’t highlight the key points that unite them. 

If you are after a short guide to traditionally based witchcraft then this is a really interesting little read, it will provide you with a general overview of  pagan festivals, and examples of how they are practiced. It also goes into elemental correspondences, and how these tie the everyday world to the magical one. But, if you have a decent background knowledge of general traditional witchcraft and modern pagan spirituality, then you may be left feeling a let down by this title.


The book market really needs some good titles about true hedge witchcraft, and if can be in a small, easy to read format like this, then so much the better. Unfortunately I don’t think this book does that. It will however keep it’s place on my bookshelf, due to the traditional folklore facts, interesting personal antidotes, and the style of writing, with turns this from a reference book, to an enjoyable quick read.

Treasuring our naivety

I spent last weekend at a large MBS event at the Olympia in London. This was a much bigger event than we normally attend, and put me in contact with an entirely different set of people. Lots of the people approaching the stall were drew by the name "Hedge Witchery Books", and not having had any contact with witchcraft before wanted to know all about it. Answering their questions put me in a somewhat reflective mood, not about witchcraft or Hedge-Witchery, but about learning, knowledge and our attitude to it.

You see, unsurprisingly, there are lots of things I do differently after 10 years plus of magical/pagan practise than I did in my first few years. Had I started the websites and business now rather than then, I may have chosen to call it Haegtessa, to avoid the modern misconceptions of the practise. I may have written about the moons and festivals differently, tying them to the natural calender I now use, rather than the Gregorian one I used to, and still refer to in articles and beginners books. But in some ways I'm very thankful I started the site and business whilst I was still a little more green.

Way back when I was first starting out on this path, there is no way I could have worked to an entirely natural calender... it would have baffled me. There's no way I could have pronounced Old-English terms and charms... let alone used them. There's no way I would have felt comfortable using different names for festivals and celebrations, to the majority of people on a similar path to me... let alone go into details as to why the ones I use seem more appropriate.

Now I'm meeting people in the same position, just starting down their paths and looking for few helpful sign-posts and a way to make the journey easier.

Some people will say that I should only pass on the practises I practise now, that the reason I have evolved my practises over the years was because what I learnt earlier on was "incorrect" or "modern mis-teaching"... or in the case of one writer I had this debate with recently "uneducated". However, as all spiritual and magical practises have a personal relevance to each individual, this is not the case.

Hedge-Witchery.com has always been a "beginner friendly" site... and it always will be. Although we've recently started providing resources for people a little further down there path with the online and in person courses, we'll never -(I hope!)- lose the way absolute new-comers can jump into the beginners articles and books and find a way to practise that they can easily relate to and fit into their lives.

The lessons I learnt and the way I practised in the past is what enabled me to be comfortable and build skills in my path and what led me to where I am now. Had I not learnt those lessons I would not have learnt all the ones that followed. You will no doubt meet writers who have turned the first lessons they learnt, and the people who still pracise them, into negative things that they now point to as "inaccurate", wielding them like hammers to be thrown at new-comers they find disdainful and un-deserving of their self-supposed advanced knowledge, but, in my humble opinion, you should pay them no heed.

I will always hold onto the terms and practises I learnt in my more naive days, although I may not use them in all situations, they are still very relevant. They hold a certain magic of their own, a kind personal to me, a kind of energy that relates to wonder, excitement, curiosity and a desire to learn more. Who knows, another 10 years down my path and the terms and practises I use now may hold the same magic.

What is a Hedge-Witch?

Powerful Magic...

A few different things this week led me to thinking about "powerful" magic. Story books are full of illustrations of Mages surrounded by whirl-winds of fire and ice, changing the very fabric of the universe... but how does this translate to real witchcraft and modern magical practices?

I started by asking some friends "What is the most powerful magic spell/ritual you know of?" I received a range of answers. A few people said they were the personal ones that cause an emotional/spiritual shift. Some said the most powerful magic is that which happens naturally, like falling in love or life itself. Someone said it's the rituals that seem to write them selves, flowing naturally from your lips or pen. Others looked to ancient magical text, such as the Abra-Melin.

Obviously there is no definitive answer to this, it's really dependant on what you view as powerful. But, I've thought on this for a while and came to a rather unexpected conclusion.

For me powerful magic has three main ingredients:

   - Focused intent

   - A historical/ancestral connection, a pre-set pattern of some sort that magical energies are already imprinted on.

   - Utter un-questioning belief in what you are doing.

No-one can focus on what they want more than a child, desired objects and outcomes are decided on instantaneously, almost instinctively. When they decide they want something, they really want it.

Since 1940 a man named Walt planted a singing cricket and mis-guided puppet into the hearts of generations of children... and a ritual to be repeated a hundred times a night, all over the world was born... and the innocence of childhood, and instinctive knowledge of magic means there is not a doubt in their minds that their wish will go un-noticed.

I cast my most powerful magical spell aged about 4 in order to conjure a new doll!

Letting the witch out of the bottle... a load of tosh!

Today I awake and flick on the laptop to once again be greeted by a "journalist" full of steam, bluster and wholly inaccurate facts. Todays buffoon is Christopher Howse, and it's his article "Letting the witch out of the bottle" that has led to the annoyance of myself, and so many others.

Well the few paragraphs arn't even worth responding to as they are just cut and paste quotes taken from other poorly researched articles written by people as bigoted and prejudice as he is.

He goes on...
"So it seems there are now two kinds of witchcraft: the bad kind that black people believe in, and the kind that should be celebrated because it is believed in by Cornish people" 

No, there is one type of witchcraft, that is celebrated and practised as a folk custom by some and as part of a spiritual path -(often Paganism)- by others. Unfortunately some people take the term "Witchcraft" and apply it to horrific atrocities as some sort of self justification. The same way the good name of many religions are dragged through the mud by certain individuals and minority groups that either take some of it's beliefs and twist them beyond recognition, or simply think "that looks like a good label to justify our actions".

"The other problem is that if paganism is taught alongside the religion that children’s parents practise at home, it implies that paganism is a religion just as well-founded as Presbyterianism or Islam." 

I think a Christian arguing that a pre-Christian religion is less well founded is hilarious. In the 2001 census 30,569 people listed their faith as Pagan, a further 7,227 as Wiccan, and a further 1,657 as Druid. Not only are the numbers expected to have increased significantly since then, but the original figures are thought to under estimate the actual numbers of Pagans in the UK. On the 2001 census many Pagans listed their individual pagan path rather than "Pagan" as a representation of their faith group. The Pagan Federation got behind the Pagan Dash campaign to address this issue, so all in all the latest census results are expected to show much higher figures.

Christianity is indeed still shown as the biggest religion in the UK, however although in the 2001 census 72% of the population listed themselves as Christian, British Social Attitude results show that around half of these people do not actually practise the faith, and it is simply what they write on forms.

"But nobody knows what standing stones represent. The astronomical, social, ritual, pacific or bloody uses they might have had are lost in prehistory. They might have been linked with spring flowers or with human sacrifice. No one knows.
What we do know is that there is no continuity between pre-Christian religions in Britain and the various branches of modern paganism."

Erm, again, no. Nobody knows the exact practises surrounding a lot of ancient sites, that is very, very true. But the investment of time and resources studying pre-christian culture in the UK certainly seems to be on the rise... my "to read" pile of books on pre-christian religious practises is certainly on the rise. As these are not un-substantiated books written by "Princess Rainbow Moondove" these are textbooks written by historians.Of course eradicating Paganism from the education of future generations will help to slow that, and might help keep your collection plates topped up, wouldn't it?

All in all the article is just another ill informed rant by a bigot in the guise of an actual journalist.

The St. Osyth Witches

During the late 16th and 17th century Essex felt the force of the witch trials that were sweeping Europe more than most places. In total the county saw well over 700 people accused of either being witches, or associates of witches. This was largely due to it being the main stomping ground of Matthew Hopkins, aka Witchfinder General. One of these trials was that of the St Osyth Witches.

In 1582 fourteen people were put on trial for witchcraft, the best documented of all the charges are the ones made against Ursula Kemp. Ursula was a local midwife and nursemaid. She was first accused of witchcraft by Grace Thurlow, who had once been a friend and neighbour of Ursula’s.

Grace claims that Ursula came to her aid when her son became seriously ill, casting spells to cure him. Grace also turned to Ursula a few months later when she became ill herself, following the untimely death of her baby daughter. Ursula agreed to cure Grace’s condition as long as she paid her. However, some time after Grace then refused to pay Ursula claiming she could not afford it. After this disagreement Grace’s condition worsened dramatically, leading to Ursula being accused of cursing her.

During Ursula’s trial, her own son was called as a witness against her. Thomas Kemp gave an account as how his mother kept four familiars, two cats, a lamb and a toad, that she fed on her own blood. Later in the trial Ursula herself pointed the finger of accusation at others. She named Elizabeth Bennet, Alice Hunt, Alice Newman and Margery Sammon as witches. Not only did these women confess to witchcraft but made accusations of their own. Agnes Glascock, Cicely Celles, Joan Turner, Joan Pechey, Elizabeth Ewstace, Anis Herd, Alice Manfield, Margaret Grevell and Anne Swallow were all subsequently named as witches. Most of the women were either fond not guilty, or found guilty of lesser charges and sent to prison, only Ursula Kemp and Elizabeth Bennet were sentenced to death and hanged.

This however is not the last we hear of these women, over 300 years later, in the mid 1900’s this tale takes a slightly grizzly turn. In St Osyth two female skeletons were discovered by accident, buried on unconsecrated ground with metal spikes through them. Pinning witches into their coffins was a technique employed during the witch trials to stop their corpses rising from the dead and seeking revenge. It was widely believed that these were the remains of Ursula and Elizabeth. The one believed to be Ursula went on to be displayed in an open coffin as a tourist attraction, before becoming part of the private collection of Robert Lenkiewicz.

The Witch of Youghal

The 'Witch of Youghal', was a woman by the name of Florence Newton. She found herself on trial at Cork Assizes on the 11th September 1661, where she stood accused of bewitching a young servant girl, and later of using witchcraft to kill a man.

The case stands out as there were very few witch trials in Ireland. In fact, up until this trial there had not been one recorded in Ireland for 83 years, the previous one being in Kilkenny in 1578.

The first accusation came from Mary Longdon, who worked as a servant for John Pyne. Mary said that Florence had called at John's house near Christmas 1660 begging for food. When she was turned away she threw curses at him. Later on Mary met Florence on the street outside where she kissed her. From that moment on Mary was plagued by sickness and fits. Mary said that whilst she was having fits she would go into a trance and see Florence's face. She also claimed that she would vomit things such as wool, straw, pins and nails. Mary also claims to have been haunted by a poltergeist following that ill fated meeting with Florence. John Pyne was called as a witness at the trial. He confirmed that on numerous occasions he had seen small stones hurled at Mary, seemingly out of nowhere.

Florence was also accused of using witchcraft to cause the death of David Jones. His widow said that Florence had met David in prison and kissed his hand. After that David became incredibly ill, dying shortly after screaming Florence's name on his deathbed.

Florence's trial ended in dramatic fashion. According to accounts as recorded by Joseph Glanvill, and later quoted by John Seymour in 'Irish Witchcraft and Demonlogy'. Whilst Mary Longdon was there to testify Florence raised up her manacled hands, looked at Mary at shouted “Now she is down”. At this point Mary collapsed shrieking, shaking and began biting herself.

However, the tale of The Witch of Youghal ends as somewhat of a mystery. Due to missing court records, no one knows what verdict was recorded. After her courtroom attack on Mary Longdon, most people have drawn the conclusion that she was found guilty and subsequently executed. But maybe, just maybe, the court records suddenly cut off for a reason. Could Florence have used her powers to bewitch herself free and live to curse another day? That, I'm afraid, is a question you will have to answer for yourself.

The Bideford Witches

The town of Bideford in Devon has it’s place firmly marked in the history of British Witchcraft. It was the home of Temperance Lloyd, Mary Trembles and Susanna Edwards. In 1682, these 3 woman became the last people in England to be executed for Witchcraft.

Temperance was the first to be accused. A local shop keeper, Thomas Eastchurch, claimed she had used witchcraft to torment local woman Grace Thomas. After a chance meeting between to two woman, Grace took ill with severe internal pains. Temperance was also accused of conversing with the devil, who took the shape of a black man. She was also said to have sent the Devil, in the guise of a magpie, to Grace’s windowsill at night. She was accused of causing Grace’s pains by using a wax doll and pricking it with pins. An accusation based on nine marks Grace claimed to have on her knee. When Temperance admitted to pricking a piece of leather nine times her fate was made. She was sent to Exeter Assizes.

Suspicion of Mary and Susanna began merely due to them being seen in public with Temperance. When another local woman, Grace Barnes, began having fits they were quickly blamed. At the local magistrates, it was claimed that Mary had been seen loitering outside her house. Grace was physically carried into the town hall to give evidence. To add to the drama a man who was present, Anthony Jones, began foaming at the mouth, jumping around as if possessed, and shouting “I am now bewitched by this Devil.” Mary and Susanna were then sent to join Temperance in Exeter.

The three woman were held awaiting trial for over a month. Within this time public interest grew, and with it outrageousness of some of the accusations. At one point it was claimed that Temperance Lloyd had the Devil suckle at unnatural teats that grew on her body. All the women fell apart under questioning and not only admitted to the charges levied against them, but all began to blame each other. They were all found guilty.

They were sentenced to death by the judges presiding, one of which was Rodger North. The motives for this sentence are debatable. Lord North - (Rodger North’s brother) - wrote to the secretary of state following the trial. In this letter he stated that the women must be put to death, or else the country would loose faith in the capability of the legal system in dealing with cases of witchcraft. He claimed this would lead to illegal, vigilante witch hunts being carried out, outside of the legal system. Sir Francis North later completed an investigation into the case and found it to be deeply flawed.

The women were put to death at Heavitree, on the 25th August 1682. The English legal system eventually abolished the death penalty for witches in 1736.

The Pendle Witches

In 1612, the town's of Pendle in Lancashire played host to one of the most famous witch trials in British history.

The story begins with a relatively mundane argument between Alizon Device, and pedlar John Law. When John refuses to sell her pins, she threw a casual curse at him. When the pedlar was then instantly gripped by a seizure and collapsed, a panicking Alizon, convinced that she is the cause, confesses she has laid a curse on him and apologised.
The story might of ended here had it not been for Abraham Law, John Law's son, who brought Alizon's confession to the attention of magistrate Rodger Nowell. This led to suspicion falling not only on Alizon, but also her mother, Elizabeth Device, brother James Device and grandmother Elizabeth Southern (known as Demdike).

Demdike was also accused of using witchcraft to kill the daughter of Richard Baldwin, after he refused to pay the family wages due to them after they carried out mill work. It was during a statement from Demdike that Anne Whittle (known as Chattox) and her daughter Anne Redferne became implicated. Demdike said she had found them making clay poppets of the Nutter family.

Chattox stated that she had targeted Robert Nutter not only because he had tried to seduce her daughter Anne but also because his own grandmother, Elizabeth Nutter had requested she help kill him, offering her land in exchange for her assistance.

Both Chattox and Demdike were rumoured amongst locals to be experienced witches, and a feud had developed over the years. This led to the two women and their families making various statements and allegations against the other throughout the investigation. Alizon claimed Chattox burgled her family and even used witchcraft to kill her farther. Chattox claimed that the only reason she became embroiled in witchcraft to start with was due to Demdike's influence.

As the investigations continued more and more people were implicated. Partially due to the 'witches sabbat' that was said to have taken place at Malkin Towers on Good Friday 1612. This meeting, and other general strange occurrences surrounding Malkin Towers featured throughout various statements made. A large number of the people who attended that sabbat made up the accused.

There were 13 people that made up the Pendle Witches. Ten were hanged at Lancaster Gaol, these were; Alizon Device, Elizabeth Device, James Device, Chattox – (Anne Whittel), Anne Redferne, Alice Nutter, Katherine Hewitt, John Bulcock, Jane Bulcock and Isobel Robey. Due to living just over the county boarder Jennet Preston was tried in Yorkshire and hanged at York. Magaret Pearson was found guilty for the crime of witchcraft, but innocent of using it to murder anyone, and sentenced to one year in prison.

Demdike – (Elizabeth Southerns) – was never found guilty of witchcraft or murder. She died whilst in Lancaster Gaol still awaiting trial. Though, the tales of the Pendle witches has led her to be one of the best known witches in British history.

Circle Casting

Casting circles for spells and rituals is something practiced by many branches of witchcraft and Paganism. The purpose and necessity of casting a circle is something that will vary between practitioners and covens.

Some believe that circles are cast to create a protected area in which to practice magic. Others see them as a way of building magical power and focusing it into the ritual that is being carried out. There are others that believe they are a way of acknowledging, paying respect to, and thanking the deities and magical energies that are present during rituals and spells.

As you can imagine, due to the difference in believes as to what a circle is for, there is also a large sliding scale as to how important and elaborate a part of rituals it becomes.

Personally, as a Hedge Witch, circle casting as we know it today isn’t really a big part of my chosen tradition, but it’s still something I often do. Granted in a very short simple format, but I find it creates a nice start and finish point to spells. This may sound a little strange but after a day at the office or running round after children having something you do as a regular prelude to workings is a good way to enter the right mind set and clear away the cluttered thoughts that may distract your concentration.

Below is a very simple example of circle casting, as with all magical workings it’s best to come up with your own adaptation and make it personal to you.

The circle itself may or may not be marked out physically. This can be done with anything you choose but rope and salt are common choices. Sometimes candles are used to mark the directional correspondences on the circumference of the circle, (Green for North, Yellow for East, Red for South and Blue for West). Sometimes representations of each element is used to mark directional correspondences, either around the circumference or on an alter within the circle, (Earth for North, Air for East, Fire for South and Water for West).

Before the circle is cast the person leading the ritual will welcome the Lord and Lady, or specific deities that they wish to be present.

They will then walk round the edge of the circle in a clockwise direction (traditionally starting at the East) marking it out with either an athame, a staff, a wand or simply their finger. They may stop at each compass point to welcome the energies / God / watchtower, or they may complete the circle and then welcome them. An example of what they may say would be:

“Energies of the East, I ask you watch over this rite with powers of knowledge and communication, guided by Air, I bid you ‘Hail and Welcome’,
Energies of the South, I ask you to watch over this rite with powers of strength and will, guided by Fire, I bid you ‘Hail and Welcome’,
Energies of the West, I ask you to watch over this rite with powers of peace and emotion, guided by Water, I bid you ‘Hail and Welcome’,
Energies of the North, I ask you to watch over this rite with powers of prosperity and stability, guided by Earth, I bid you ‘Hail and Welcome’.”

Once the circle is cast it is generally believed you should not cross it’s boundary, and break the circle, if it can at all be helped. Some practitioners will cut a doorway in the circle if someone needs to leave by using whatever they used to draw the circle to mark two small lines across the boundary of it. Once the person has left / re-entered they then re-connect the two edges.

One, if not the, most important part of casting a circle is for all the participants to visualise it as clearly as they can. For most people this will be a circular wall or sphere of light, but it is a very personal thing and will vary for everyone.

Once the spell or ritual has been complete, it is important to then take down the circle. Confusingly this is often called ‘opening’ the circle as people often visualise the energy or light dissipating outwards, rather than falling in on itself.

To do this the person leading the ritual will walk around the circumference in an anticlockwise direction tracing the outline of the circle. Either whilst they are walking and reach the compass points, or after they have finished they will say something along the lines of:

“Energies of the East, thank you for joining me in this rite, stay if you can, go if you must, I bid you ‘Hail and Farewell’,
Energies of the North, thank you for joining me in this rite, stay if you can go if you must, I bid you ‘Hail and Farewell’,
Energies of the West, thank you for joining me in this rite, stay if you can go if you must, I bid you ‘Hail and Farewell’
Energies of the North, thank you for joining me in this rite, stay if you can go if you must, I bid you ‘Hail and Farewell’.”

They will often use a similar statement format for thanking and saying goodbye to the Lord and Lady or other deities, which they will do next.

As I said previously this is a basic outline of how circles are cast. Some are much more complicated, and by the same token some or much simpler. Some plainly consist of visualising the circle and mentally acknowledging the different elements and directions associated with them.

However you choose to embrace this practice, like all things magical, it will develop personal power and meaning the more you do it.

The Riding Mill Witches

In 17th century England the Tyne valley was said to be the home of up to 5 covens of witches. But while not much is known of the majority of those magical practitioners, or whether they were indeed real or not, one coven has had it’s story told over and over again.

In Riding Mill, a short walk from the station will bring you to a rather charming Public House called ‘The Wellington’. A place once known as ‘The Riding House’, which was said to play host to the now infamous Riding Mill witches. In the early 1670’s a woman by the name of Anne Armstrong of Birches Nook, decided to appoint herself a local witch finder.

Her accusations began with tales of witches becoming swallows and flying under horses bellies to curse them and their riders. Before long her finger of accusation was pointed firmly at three local women. Anne Foster of Stocksfield, Anne Dryden of Prudhoe and Lucy Thompson of Mickley all took starring roles in Anne Foster's colourful accusations.

One off the better known stories tells how Anne Armstrong had woken one night to find herself saddled like a horse. She claimed Anne Forster rode her across the pack horse bridge where she witnessed the three women dancing with the Devil at The Riding House.

In 1673, the three woman stood trial for Witchcraft at Morpeth Magistrates. Anne Armstrong was, of course, called to the witness box, and certainly didn’t hold back. She told of how she had seen the women shape shift on numerous occasions, not just into cats and hares, but also into bumble bees that rode on wooden spoons. She also told how she had witnessed them at The Riding House dancing and swinging on ropes before a man they called God.

After a particularly harrowing performance in the witness box the Judges presiding over the case decided Anne Armstrong’s accounts were too far-fetched to have any truth to them. The case was thrown out and the three women released.

Whether they really were a practicing coven or not is a question you’ll have to answer for yourself. It isn't, however, the only unanswered question in this story. Shortly after the women’s release Anne Armstrong was found hanged in The Riding House scullery.

Did the stress of the trial become to much for her? Or, was it the witches' revenge?

Harvest Moon

Tonight you can see the full Harvest Moon - (aka Blood Moon and Hunters Moon). This not only has the usual magical connotations connected with other full moons but has a large significance for wildlife. It is the brightest moon of the year and many animals wait for it as a signal to start migration, hence the name Hunters Moon as due to the effect on wildlife it is indeed a very good night to go hunting.