Kernow Passports

The Museum of Witchcraft is now a Kernow Passport Agency and visitors can get their Cornish passports stamped here!

This initiative has been launched by Celtic Nation Passports.  We have been selected as one of twenty "must see" places in Cornwall.  The passports can be bought for £5 and then stamped at all twenty places.  We're proud to be part of a celebration of Cornish culture and we thank the organisers for including us.

For more information and for a list of places to buy the passport contact: billpearce1934@gmail.com
The Kernow Passport is not currently for sale in the Museum Shop.

Late night openings this summer

We will be having late openings of  the Museum this summer on the first Saturday of every month.  We will be open from 8pm till midnight on the following dates: Saturday July 5th, Saturday August 2nd, Saturday September 6th and Saturday October 4th. 
 

At each of these times, we will be open by candlelight and there will also be an opportunity to see some of the objects in depth (out of their display cases for you to have a closer look)  The objects will include: black mirrors, crystal balls, corn dolls and gemstones and crystals.

The last two candlelit openings were hugely popular with visitors.  It was a truly magical and beautiful way to see the Museum and really gave people chance to take in the objects without the daytime hurly burly.  Lots of people have said that they were sorry they missed the last candlelit opening: now is your chance if you missed it before - come along!

Book Review - Magic in Modern London by Edward Lovett (1925)

Judith from the Museum writes:

This book looks lovely: great cover, lovely layout, unique pictures and a nice size but I wasn't sure what to expect not knowing who Lovett was (sorry for my ignorance!) and not having that much interest in modern London either (sorry again to lovers of modern London!)  I picked it up one day and I absolutely loved it.  I ended up reading the whole thing and looking in the Museum library for other works by him.  

The book is full of great stories and magical practices.  There is a remedy for whooping cough (cut a piece of hair from the sufferer, put it in between two pieces of buttered bread, throw the bread outside into a street, you will see a dog there, he will eat the bread. shut the door) and the story of where the term moonraking came from (it is to do with hiding kegs of brandy from excise men).  There are lots of examples of lucky charms that people used during World War One.  All these stories are illustrated with examples from the Museum collection. There are too many different examples of charms and cures to mention here - you really should read it yourself.   

Reading the book really helped me to gain a better understanding of some of the objects in the Museum.  The collection of objects that stands out are the horse brasses.  I see them every day but I hadn't really thought about them that much (there are so many other amazing objects in that part of the Museum which steal the limelight!)  So I found the section of the book on brasses with its connections to the importance of the horse in the past and with hag riding and protection magic really interesting.  My favourite thing about the book was Lovett's tone and his conversational style.  He seems to have almost goaded and kidded people into 'confessing' their beliefs.  He regularly recounts himself saying "You don't believe that rubbish do you?" to which people usually reply "Of course I do!"  Magic was alive and thriving in modern London.

Magic in Modern London is available from the Museum shop for £25

http://www.museumofwitchcraft.com/shop/gb/books/144-magic-in-modern-london.html

The Museum of Witchcraft on Japanese TV

We welcomed Mai, Hanako and a TV crew from Japanese TV station TBS to the Museum this morning.  They were here filming for a television show which will air in Japan at the end of July.  

They were particularly interested in moles feet charms, wands and mandrakes - anything to do with Harry Potter!  The show is part of the 'Discovery of the World's Mysteries' series (Sekai Fushigi Hakken), and pulls huge audiences in Japan on its Saturday 9pm slot.

http://www.tbs.co.jp/f-hakken/

We need you - help us to (offically) become the Best Museum in Cornwall

Voting time is here for the Cornwall Today Magazine Awards and we're up for Best Museum.  There are three other Museums nominated and we really need your help to win the much deserved title of 'Best Museum in Cornwall'  Voting is really simple.
1.  Visit this website: http://www.cornwalltoday.co.uk/awards/#/awards/vote-now or search the internet for Cornwall Today Awards and visit the website
2.  Scroll down to the Best Museum Category and click next to our name
3.  Scroll down again and enter your details
4.  Click submit

If that doesn't work for whatever reason you can e-mail your vote directly.  In your e-mail say you want to vote for the Best Museum Award for the The Museum of Witchcraft and then put your name.
E-mail address: awards@cornwalltoday.co.uk
The results are announced in September.  Thanks in advance for all your help and support.  Fingers crossed!

Teddy visits Museum and enters competition!

Joyce from the Museum writes:

Children’s Art Week has got off to an entertaining start – although the first picture handed in at the Museum was not by a child but by Jed the teddy bear.

Jed is a member of the Guymer Gang, an association of intrepid explorers, and arrived at the Museum dressed in a splendid wizard costume. Although he is only 8 years old, he did agree that he isn’t strictly a child, and so not eligible to compete for prizes in the competition, but he was delighted with his purple Art Week sticker – and we felt his self-portrait certainly deserved a mention on our blog.

Proudly associated with the Museum of British Folklore

Visitors to the Museum of Witchcraft will notice a new display near the entrance.  This celebrates our connection with the Museum of British Folklore and offers visitors the chance to find out more about it.  Many visitors have inquired about the Museum and picked up the postcards which are now available.  We now also stock some items from the Museum in our shop as well.

How to enter our Drawing Competition

The Drawing Competition started today and there is a photo of the resources provided to visitors to the Museum above.  Here are the details of how to enter (if you can't visit the Museum you can still enter!)

Museum of Witchcraft Drawing Competition How to enter The Competition is open to all young people aged between 3 and 18. The closing date for entrants is June 30th. There are pencils, paper, clipboards and a dedicated 'drawing area' in the Museum. Entrants can complete their work while visiting the Museum or take their work away with them for completion/improvement and either send it in by post or scan it and send it electronically by e-mail.  The best entrants will probably use colour and possibly paint and other media to create a quality piece of work. We are looking for imaginative responses to the Museum. Some ideas for artworks: ·  draw an object on display ·  draw a room or display  in the Museum ·  draw the exterior of the Museum ·  imagine how an object might have been used in the past and draw that ·  imagine the story behind an object and draw it ·  research witches and witchcraft more and come up with a picture on this theme ·  draw a picture about magic ·  use your imagination There are addressed envelopes available in the Museum or work can be sent to: The Museum of Witchcraft The Harbour Boscastle Cornwall PL35 0HD e-mail: museumwitchcraft@aol.com There will be prizes for the best work and the opportunity to have the work displayed in the Museum of Witchcraft, exhibited as part of an online exhibition and used in promotional materials for the Museum (potentially this may include mugs, T-shirts, postcards, posters)

Museum of Witchcraft Drawing Competition

The Museum of Witchcraft is taking part in Children's Art Week from Monday 16th June to Sunday 22nd June.  Young people are encouraged to visit the Museum and draw pictures of the objects in the Collection and use their imaginations to come up with an imaginative interpretation of witchcraft and magic.  They can bring your own sketchpad and pencils or use ours.  The best pictures will be exhibited and there will be prizes for the winners.  

Museum of Witchcraft receives Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence Award

Another successful year for the Museum with positive visitor feedback and glowing reviews.  One recent review said:
"Best Museum in Cornwall"
This is a fantastic little museum and covers absolutely everything to do with all aspects of witchcraft, occult, paganism etc.  Nice atmosphere and friendly staff.  Not too scary for children either.  Very cheap entrance fee as well.  I would highly recommend this attraction to visitors.  Where it is situated is lovely too.  Right next to the river running down to the sea.  National Trust cafe next door.  Ideal.

Book Donation by a Museum admirer

We received a lovely letter from a visitor to the Museum.  It was so nice that we thought we'd share it with you.

"I visited the Museum last summer as part of my honeymoon (a visit I had wanted to make for some years!) and was beguiled by the place.  I later wrote a short piece about the trip on my blog, to share my enjoyment.

In the same vein of love and respect, I am now sending a copy of my first published work for your perusal - I hope it is enjoyed, and I would be genuinely honoured if it could be given a place in your marvellous library.

Thank-you for your time and I wish the Museum every success in the future.  Hopefully I will see it again myself before too long (perhaps an anniversary!)"

Thanks so much for the letter and the book: it will be catalogued and put in the library and be of use to future library users no doubt.  The book itself is available for sale online and has received some really positive reviews.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Magic-Esoteric-Occult-Stephen-Wakefield/dp/1907126201/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401966858&sr=8-1&keywords=magic+esoteric+the+occult+wakefield

Museum of Witchcraft shortlisted for Best Museum Award

We just found out that the Museum has been shortlisted in the Best Museum category by Cornwall Today Magazine Awards 2014.  We are one of four Museums shortlisted for this award.  We'll get to see the full list and find out more details when the next edition of the magazine is published on June 19th.  There will be a public vote so we'll keep you informed on how to have your say.  Well done to us for getting shortlisted!  I'm sure you'll agree that we would be worthy winners.