The tickets for our day of talks on October 15th are selling well. The theme is Halloween and we have some fascinating talks lined up. An evening of poems, prose and music (complete with wine and nibbles) is also included in the ticket price. The event is being held at the Wellington Hotel in Boscastle.
Here is a preview of Judith Noble's talk. Judith is a Senior Lecturer in Film Production at the Arts University, Bournemouth. She researches and publishes on avant-garde and experimental film and the occult and esoteric. She is the author of “A Witch’s Mirror: The Art of Making Magic.”
Beyond Halloween
This paper traces the evolution of a Samhain ritual in one
Wiccan coven in Devon over a period of nearly 25 years, beginning in 1991. The
coven is not hierarchical, and its rituals are actively developed by all its
members. It was founded within the Gardnerian tradition but over many years has
developed a strong commitment to the forms practices of what might be termed
Traditional Witchcraft.
When this writer first became involved with the coven, its
Samhain ritual was broadly similar to that of other Gardnerian groups, marking
the passing of the year into darkness, a journey inwards to the world of spirit
and a point of contact with loved ones who have passed into spirit. However,
over the years it has evolved into a very deep and intense ritual of spirit
contact and inner vision, which demands a concentrated degree of engagement and
commitment and which has profound and sometimes very unexpected effects on the
participants. It works profound changes in all those who experience it, and
makes the world of spirit a very present reality for them.
In this paper I examine how this ritual has grown and
changed and consider its form and its meanings. Contained within the structure
of a Wiccan ritual are practices which have much in common with some forms of
Shamanism, with the possession states experienced in some African Diaspora
spiritualities and with deep trance. I also consider the effects of the ritual
on its practitioners.
This paper is written from personal experience and with the
consent of the members of the coven.
Tickets are £25 per person
Pre-payment essential
Ways to pay
By card: phone the Museum on 01840250111 and complete the
transaction using a credit or debit card
By cash: pop into the Museum and pay at the counter
By cheque: send a cheque made payable to Museum of
Witchcraft to our address: the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, the Harbour,
Boscastle, PL35 0HD
Any issues, email the Museum: museumwitchcraft@aol.com
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