Museum by Candlelight - Saturday 30 May 8pm - 11pm

We are open by candlelight tomorrow (Saturday) 30 May, 8pm til 11pm.  

Normal entry fees apply.

Come and see the Museum by beautiful and magical candlelight!

Pagan Funeral in Cornwall

Our thoughts are with the friends and family of Ian Wilson, Friend of the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, who died two weeks ago.

http://www.cornishguardian.co.uk/Wizard-pagan-funeral/story-26576169-detail/story.html

Window display for Summer Solstice

The Museum has always displayed information about the Wheel of the Year in the window.  This year, we have moved it from the shop window to the large window.  This is enabling us to give more attention to the different seasons.  

In each window display, we are going to try to achieve several things.  We will display the text of the Wheel of the Year and try to have a display that relates to it.  This will involve objects hanging from the stag’s antlers which link in with the festivals or with objects from the Museum’s collection.  

We will also place an object (or objects) in the window to inform visitors about the collection (and also entice them to visit)  We will also try to link this object to the season of the year but we always need to take into consideration the well being of that object (the window gets a lot of light and it gets very hot so we will need to take that into consideration). 

So far this year, we have had the stag’s antlers decorated with Easter eggs for the Vernal Equinox (and Easter)  The object for this display was a lovely pewter hare.

We then had a display for Beltane which involves the stag’s head being used as a maypole.  It is festooned with ribbons.  The object for this season was a statue of the Goddess.

The theme of the current window display is the Sun (as it is nearly the time of the Summer Solstice). The stag's antlers are festooned with yellow and orange flowers to symbolise the Sun.  There is a large picture of sunrise at Stonehenge and we have a series of objects relating to the Sun and protection magic in the window (including horse brasses, an insurance disk and a door knocker). 

"Time passed. God was busy some place else, so mankind made do with the sun. He is not a bad god at all, this god of light, without the warmth of his smile everything would die, the only worry is that he hides deep in the sea at the end of each day. Will he, won't he turn up again tomorrow? that is the question. So to help things along someone came up with the idea of setting up big stones in a round ring - temples to the sun. Here in the south west we still have some such left and the witches still do the sun dances in them."  Cecil Williamson

From now on, we'll write a blog on each window display and its links to the Wheel of the Year.   Below is the text from the current Wheel of the Year window display...

Summer   Solstice

June  21st

The Summer Solstice is one of the most important and widespread festivals in Europe and throughout the world.

Midsummer's eve is a time for great magic - herbs picked at midnight have special protective qualities.

It is also a good time for love magic and charms.

The Summer Solstice is a fire festival and traditionally fires are lit on hilltops to mark the sun’s change in course.

All witches will be celebrating this time of year- many will stay up all night to watch the Sunrise on Solstice morn.

The Christian Church adopted this ancient pagan festival as St John’s Day.

The longest day, plants and animals flourish, light and life are abundant.

CELEBRATE THE SUN KING!

  

Candlelit opening this Saturday!

The first of our 2015 candlelit openings is this Saturday 30 May, 8pm - 11pm.

Come along to round off your evening with the world's most intriguing collection of magical objects, and see parts of the Museum lit in beautiful candlelight.  Not to be missed!

Last entry will be 10.30pm.

Hope to see you then!

New place for visitors to leave their comments

This visitor comment box used to be in the shop.  Changing the door in the entrance has created space for us to have it there.  A nice little hand holds down the blank cards (the wind does sometimes gust through here!) and we have a cute little black quill pen for people to write their comments.  We've been getting some great ones here recently and also on tripadvisor.

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g528825-d612699-Reviews-The_Museum_of_Witchcraft-Boscastle_Cornwall_England.html

What's been going on at the Museum...part five

The next area of our tour of the refurbishment of the Museum is 'Persecution'.  The walls and woodwork have been painted black and a new area has been added to house the weighing chair.  This section now focuses on trials and methods of "proving" witchcraft so it includes the weighing chair, the pricking pin and a section on swimming.

A major addition to the Persecution display is a Timeline of laws relating to, or impacting upon, magic and witchcraft which starts in the time of Ancient Babylon and goes up to 2008.

The main persecution display includes a life size "figure of persecution".  This model has been dressed in seventeenth century style clothing and has on a scold's bridle, manacles, a waist shackle and thumbscrews.  We have also extended our display of persecution texts.  Previously, only James I's Daemonologie was on display but now visitors can see works by Jean Bodin and Joseph Glanvill.

This part of the Museum also remembers those who died as a result of persecution with a list of the names of some of those who died and a memorial to the Pendle witch case of 1612.

International Witch travels

If you haven't been following the movements of Kerriann and Graham as they travel through Europe, here are the witch related highlights.  Their journey has been rather epic as they have travelled through France, Spain and Portugal.  They've visited some amazing places. You can read more on their fantastic blog http://travelsindickie.blogspot.co.uk/ which also features the gorgeous Hugo (photo to the right).

Spain's Museum of Witchcraft
http://travelsindickie.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/wine-witches-and-not-so-near-death.html

Portugese Witch Country
http://travelsindickie.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/witch-country.html

Phallic Stones
http://travelsindickie.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/the-phallic-stones-of-monsaraz.html

Chapel of Bones
http://travelsindickie.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/evora.html

Witchcraft in Alsace
http://travelsindickie.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/the-burning-place.html

Japanese Tour Group visits the Museum

We had a visit from some lovely people from Japan yesterday.  They had a tour of the Museum (led by Peter) and were fascinated by the collection.

One gentleman also kindly donated a book to the library of an exhibition on witchcraft which is currently being shown in Japan called Secret Witches (which looks really interesting).

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/events/2015/02/16/art-guide/mixed-media-art-guide/secret-witches-exhibition/#.VWGrPE9VhBc

http://www.osaka-info.jp/en/events/art_exhibitions/secret_witches_exhibition.html

The book/exhibition catalogue contained a picture of a mole's claw charm which is very similar to the ones we have here.  

http://www.museumofwitchcraft.com/displayrecord_mow.php?ObjectNumber=1038

It also has a little mini book at the back for "Secret Witches".  

Day of Straw Crafts - sign up now!

Summer is with us, and Lammas not so very far away. The crops are ripening in the fields, and following on from our Lammas window of last year, the Museum will this year be hosting a straw craft work shop. Come and learn about the materials used, the stories and legends surrounding the spirit of the harvest, and have a go at making a corn dolly or two to take home with you.

The workshop will be tutored by Gillian Nott, who has been involved with straw work for nearly 40 years. Although principally a researcher, historian and archivist, she has produced work for many museums, theatres, newspapers and various designers, and collaborates closely with the Eden Project and the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in Boscastle.

The workshop will be held on Saturday 12^th September in the Conference Room of the National Trust building adjacent to the Museum. Times: 10am til 4pm.   Cost £20 per person (to be paid on the day). Places are limited, so to avoid disappointment, please book early through the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, contact Judith Hewitt, 01840250111 or email: museumwitchcraft@aol.com.

Below are the sorts of things you could be making...

Lots of great books and magazines for sale in the Museum

We now have a dedicated book shelf in the Museum shop.  This has enabled us to expand the range of books we sell in the Museum and on the online shop.

We will continue to review these works and add new titles in future.  For now, here are a selection some of our new titles (for a full list see our online shop).
http://www.museumofwitchcraft.com/shop/gb/10-books

We also stock the Cauldron magazine for sale in the Museum shop and Merry Meet magazine (these are not available to buy from us online).

New shop stock available

This winter, Hannah and Judith spent a lot of time researching new shop stock.  Many items have been selling really well in the Museum shop and now they are starting to be added to our online shop as well (thanks Joyce!)  We are adding new items regularly now so keep an eye out.

One of the most popular objects in the Museum is the hare lady statue by Lionel Miskin and now you can take home a miniature version (which was made and hand painted in Cornwall for us).

We've also worked closely with a local pewter maker who has made pewter replicas of some of objects from the Museum collection.  A selection of items are pictured below, there are many more on the website.

We have Museum badges, pencils, broomstick pens and erasers (in the style of a book of magic).  

We have also worked on things which are "inspired by the Museum" so we have a scented candle which replicates the smell of the Museum (more precisely its incense) and a Wheel of the Year stained glass sticker which gives you another way of appreciating this work of art.

The story of the new Temporary Exhibition space

Once upon a time, there was an old building in Boscastle (see photo below).  One man (Cecil Williamson) had the vision to convert it into the Museum of Witchcraft.

He created lots of different rooms inside the building (see his plans below).

In one of these rooms, he displayed tableau known as The Witch's Cradle (see photo below).  According to documents in the Museum archive written by various people, "The witches cradle helps the mind and spirit to leave the body..."  Another document mentions, "...experimenting with balanite and ash, and find that even without certain aids, it works remarkably well combined with a witches cradle."  One other document states, "The darned trouble is, while I have no knowledge of the use of any Witches Cradle...I can quite imagine something of the sort being made and used..."

The room stayed that way for many years until the display was removed and replaced by the stone circle (seen below looking lovely by candlelight).  For many years, this display was a central part of the Museum and held a special place in many hearts.

This year, the stone circle was removed to make way for the room's next incarnation as a temporary exhibition space.  The idea is to have different displays here each year.  This might be objects from the collection that are currently in store or haven't been displayed for a while or it might involve getting new objects in or on loan (as is the case this year).  The first exhibition is an art exhibition but it is not intended that every future exhibition will be art - we could do anything with this versatile space.  

For a while this year, the room was an empty cream box.

But then, the paintings (which were held up in customs) arrived, were framed and Peter and Simon sprang into action (here is an action shot of them deep in concentration).

And now, the Museum's first ever temporary exhibition (to the writer's knowledge) is installed.  There are around thirty paintings on display and each has an interpretation panel or caption with it.  These texts are either from Erica Jong's book itself, comments from the artist or comments by individuals who have been influenced and affected by the book.  Special thanks must go to Desdemona McCannon for helping with the interpretation texts.

Most of the paintings are on the wall, some are on tables.  The title of the exhibition is Witches and Witch Lore: the Illustrations of Jos A Smith.  It will be on display until November 2015.  Limited edition signed prints of some of the artwork are available in the Museum shop and online shop.  Greetings cards will be coming soon.  

So it started out as what looks like an empty building, then it housed a witch's cradle, then a stone circle and now some original artworks.  Who knows what it will hold next?  Things keep moving...hope to see you here soon.

Still seeking hagstones

Many thanks to everyone who has donated hagstones to the Museum already.  We are still looking for more (all sizes - from huge to tiny).  If you have any that you would be willing to donate we would be very grateful to receive them next time you are in the area.

Candlelit Evenings this year

Our candlelit evenings were really popular last year.  If you would like to join us for one this year, we have just announced the dates (see poster below).  The first one is in a week's time (Saturday 30th May).  We will be open from 8pm until 11pm (last entry at 10.30pm).  If you know of anywhere that these posters could be put up or promoted on social media etc. please help us out by promoting these events.

Hope to see you there!

New guidebook for the Museum

After selling out of the old guidebook, it was decided that now would be a good time to update the guidebook.  The new Museum guidebook includes an atmospheric front cover of Boscastle which also incorporates the name change and re-brand, inside there are new texts and photos.  It is still available for the bargain price of £1.50 from the Museum shop or the online shop.

http://www.museumofwitchcraft.com/shop/gb/books/73-guide-book.htm

May Event - read all about it!

MAGIC AND FOLKLORE ANCIENT AND MODERN

A day of talks hosted by the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic

Many thanks to Joyce Froome for writing this summary of this fantastic day.  Many people were saying it was one of the best day of talks they had been to.   

Jonathan Hughes’ presentation on ‘Alchemy and the Occult and the English Kings’ plunged us into the complexities of medieval occult beliefs and politics. In fact Jonathan untangled it persuasively into the basic polarity of Mercury (white) and Sulphur (red) – with Mercury associated with Christ and spirituality, and Sulphur associated with the Devil, but also with worldly power and attributes such as military skill. Jonathan’s insights into how this alchemical symbolism was picked up by medieval kings cast fascinating new light on enigmatic figures such as Richard II, and enigmatic works such as the great magical poem ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’ – and also suggested a new dimension to the symbolism of the red and white Tudor Rose. Also fascinating was the intricate connection between alchemy and the Arthurian mythos, which, interestingly, began when English Christians were looking for a way to appropriate alchemy for themselves and deny its Middle Eastern Islamic origins.

In ‘Cthulhu in Cornwall: Adventures in the Lovecraftian Abyss’, Paul Weston drew some very intriguing comparisons between H.P. Lovecraft and Aleister Crowley, before describing some of his own weirdly significant experiences. His presentation was an evocative and often witty exploration of sea-related strangeness, taking in ancient gods, the subconscious, fish people, the Loch Ness Monster and Cornwall’s sea monster Morgawr. With the harbour so close it was of course particularly interesting (and maybe just a little unsettling) to be lured into reassessing our fascination with the ocean and its otherworldly depths.

The day of talks coincided with the official opening of the Museum’s first exhibition in the new temporary exhibition space – the remarkable artworks by Jos A. Smith that became the illustrations for Erica Jong’s book ‘Witches’. After lunch Jo allowed himself to be interviewed by our director Simon Costin, and talked about his working relationship with Erica Jong (often she based her text around his pictures, rather than the other way round), and how his work has been inspired by trance states, dreams and Shamanism. Discussing the relationship between magic and art, he described how both can be used to explore other worlds and transitional states. He also gave an entertaining account of his connection with the Heavy Metal music scene, as a result of several bands adopting one of his pictures as a tattoo.  This photo shows Jos signing some fine art prints in the library.  These limited edition prints are available for sale from our online shop.

The last talk was Alex Langstone’s ‘Folklore of Cornish Holy Wells’, a reminder of what beautiful, inspiring and powerful places Cornish Holy Wells are, and also of the extraordinary wealth of legends and folktales surrounding them. In spite of the long association of Holy Wells with healing, many also have an eerie or downright sinister side, particularly if they are not shown the respect they deserve. If you fail to leave an offering at St Nun’s Well at Pelynt, the Piskies will follow you home in the shape of moths. And the precipitous path than runs down the cliff past the Fairy Well at Lelant is haunted by the bizarre ‘Cliff Creature’ – and local children still dare each other to walk down the path at dusk and risk a terrifying encounter. As Alex remarked, Holy Wells are an embodiment of the magic of the landscape.

The afternoon was rounded off with a discussion of a selection of objects from the Museum, which had been chosen by Hannah and Joyce as being particularly mysterious or thought-provoking. The knowledgeable and perceptive comments from the audience demonstrated just how valuable a resource you, our supporters, are, with so many interesting ideas put forward that Deborah had to volunteer to write them all down!

In the evening Mark Norman on accordion and Jane Cox on guitar formed an unexpected but very successful impromptu musical partnership in the Wellington bar, bringing the day to a spirited and convivial end.

Many thanks to all the speakers, to Jason for his gracious hosting of the event, to Steve for all his organisational work, to Tamsin and the Wellington staff for the friendliness and helpfulness that make it such a great venue, and to everyone who attended.  If we missed anyone who deserved thanking - we're sorry and thanks for your help!