Witch bottles back in stock

 We started stocking Gypsy Tequila's Witch protection bottles (hand made in Boscastle) about a month ago and they have proven very popular, so popular in fact that they sold out!  They are now back in stock and available to buy in the Museum and also online:
http://www.museumofwitchcraft.com/shop/gb/spells-charms-and-magical-tools/145-witch-bottle-protection-charm.html
If you want one of these unique items then act fast!

Wonderful new book available in the Museum shop

We have a beautiful new book in the Museum shop (which is also available online http://www.museumofwitchcraft.com/shop/gb/books/144-magic-in-modern-london.html/).
 

Edward Lovett's 'Magic in Modern London' and 'Folk-Lore & Legends of the Surrey Hills and of the Sussex Downs and Forests' are now luxuriously reprinted and illustrated with objects from the Museum of Witchcraft's 'Lovett' collection.

Edward Lovett (1852-1933) spent his spare time prowling the streets of London and surrounding countryside in search of the curios which filled his Croydon home.  In 1900 he joined the Folklore Society, publishing several articles in the Folklore journal.  He also began exhibiting his artefacts and delivering lectures in the Horniman Museum and the at Royal Society of Arts.

These works were originally published in the 1920s and they have been republished in one volume.  There is evidence that the Museum's founder Cecil Williamson and Lovett had dealings, and it's very possible that some of the charms on display in the Museum may have been acquired by Lovett himself.

Stocks are limited so order online or buy yours at the Museum today!

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

New additions to the Museum collection

Patricia Crowther has generously donated a collection of objects that belonged to Gerald Gardner.  The Director of the Museum, Simon Costin, visited Patricia in Sheffield recently to collect the pieces.

Gardner had a lifelong interest in weapons, and the objects include a 19^th century hunting sword with a stag’s antler hilt, a Zulu dagger with a beautiful leaf-shaped blade, and an elegant Jambiya – the kind of dagger worn by T.E. Lawrence in the famous photograph of him dressed in Arab robes.

There are also two bronze oil lamps that were excavated by Gerald Gardner in the ruins of an ancient Malay settlement he discovered at Johore Lama, in southern Malaysia.

These objects will be a wonderful addition to our Gardner display, and give further insight into the personality of this enormously influential figure in the Modern Witchcraft movement.

Final plans for Museums at Night

The Museum of Witchcraft – a magical place, all the more magical at night!  The Museum will be open for two nights until midnight on Friday May 16^th and Friday May 30th.  See the Museum as never before and as many of the objects were meant to be seen…in beautiful, flickering candle and lamplight (don't worry we'll be careful and follow all the Health and Safety procedures!).   The Museum of Witchcraft will be taking part in the Museums at Night initiative for the first time and will feature in a BBC2 documentary to be broadcast at 7pm on Friday May 17th. 

Friday 16th May

8pm till midnight

Friday 30th May

8pm till midnight

If you would like a poster to promote this event in your local area, please e-mail the Museum and we'll send you one.  Hopefully see some of you there.

Book Review from the Museum of Witchcraft Library

We’re going to start doing monthly book reviews to share with you some of the fantastic books that we have in the Museum of Witchcraft Library (which can be accessed by arrangement or as a Friend of the Museum).  Each review will be written by a member of the Museum’s staff. 

Witchcraft:  A History (2000) by P.G.Maxwell-Stuart, review by Judith

"This is a great introductory book on the history of witchcraft.  It starts with the Classical World and includes a fascinating section on different types of magical practitioner and the labels that were affixed to them.  Greek and Roman writers did not have one word for witch and the different terms really interested me and helped me to understand why at the Museum we find defining a witch such a problematic thing to do! 

Maxwell-Stuart then moves on to Christianity and the Church’s relationship with magic and witches which made me think more deeply about the Museum’s display of objects relating to religion and magic.  It seems the early Church drew a line in the sand and said “this is acceptable magic and practice but this, on the other hand, is unacceptable magic and practice.”

Moving onto the early modern period, there was a lot of information about the persecutors and their motivations which raised a lot more questions than it answered: definitely an area for further research.  I found the later period fascinating as it is not something that I am as familiar with (having done a traditional History degree I think I imbibed the simplistic idea that the Enlightenment destroyed traditional belief systems and that rationalism and organised religion reigned supreme from about 1800 onwards).  Maxwell-Stuart referenced another book on Witchcraft, Magic and Culture from 1736-1951 by Owen Davis which I plan to read next. 

This is a short book which skims over all the different periods and leaves one with a desire to find out more…"

Visit from Hexenmuseum

We had a visit today from Chris and Wicca from the Hexenmuseum in Switzerland.  We're going to be linking up with them electronically on International Museums Day (18th May).

Every year since 1977 International Museum Day has been organised worldwide in May.   The idea behind this year’s day is “Museum collections making connections”   We’re linking up with other museums specialising in witchcraft and the occult from around the world. 

Our other partners in this project are: the Salem Witch Museum in Massachusetts, the Musee de la sorcellerie in France and the Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft. 

As part of this unique day, there will be webcams in the Museum connecting us with the other institutions taking part.

Padstow May Day Celebrations Video

Click this link to see a great video of the day as experienced by Joyce and family.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUX6fmcCQ6g&feature=youtu.be

Handcrafted wands and staffs now available

 

Mark the Wand from Devon has brought us some more of his beautiful wands, staffs and hagstone charms for the Museum shop.

 

They include a quirky corkscrew hazel wand, an elegant white wand made from churchyard yew, a blackthorn wand with the shape of a hare’s head in the pattern of the wood, and a hazel stang with a wonderful combination of spirals and horns.

Our thanks to Mark for being such a generous and inspiring supporter of the Museum.

Prices and additional photos are available by email:  museumwitchcraft@aol.com

Swallows on camera (literally)

For the past few years, the Museum has kept an eye on the swallows that nest in between us and the National Trust Visitor Centre next door.  Two cameras have been set up to watch the swallows as they nest in the eaves and these cameras then link up with a screen in the Museum shop.  This year the swallows have chosen a very unusual spot: on top of one of the cameras!  Every day they are bringing in more mud and grass to construct a nest on top of the camera.  We have the other camera trained on them and are capturing their every move.

Pagan Dawn article

There’s a lovely article in the most recent edition of the Journal of the Pagan Federation about the Museum of Witchcraft.  It contains an interview with the Director of the Museum, Simon Costin and looks at the History and future of the Museum. 

http://www.paganfed.org/pdawn.shtml

Day of the Departed – last few places remaining

On Saturday May 10^th there will be a fantastic day of talks on death, dogs and ghouls at the Wellington Hotel in Boscastle.  This event has been organised by the Friends of the Museum of Witchcraft and will start at 10am and end at 4pm.  Tickets are £12 and all proceeds will go to the Friends of the Museum (a registered charity).

• Speakers include:

Kristoffer Hughes - 'The Other Side of Sadness'
Mark Norman - 'Saucer-Eyed Harbingers: Black Dogs in the Folklore of Death'
Jason Karl - 'Boscastle Haunted'
Simon Costin - 'By the Pricking of my Thumbs'

There will also be raffles, stalls, and a book launch.  Why not come and spend a weekend in Cornwall?

There's only a few remaining places so contact Kerriann Godwin at kerriwitch@aol.com to book your place.

Museums at Night - 2 weeks to go!

The Museum will be open until midnight and lit with lanterns and candles.  The dates for your diary are: 

Friday May 16^th

Friday May 30th (School holidays)

This is part of a nationwide museums project and links in with a BBC programme that will feature a 5 minute (or so) section on the Museum of Witchcraft (broadcast Saturday May 17th, BBC 2 @ 7pm).

Come down and see the Museum as you've never seen it before!

Temporary New Window Display

Marti Dean’s magnificent Stag’s Head sculpture in the Museum window now has his antlers adorned with hagstones, items which are amongst the oldest forms of protection charm and look particularly appropriate on the ancient symbol of a stag’s head.

Taking up the theme of the First World War charms already in the window, our latest display adds some other eye-catching objects from the protection magic gallery, including witch balls, glass walking sticks and Hand of Fatima amulets.

Museum of Witchcraft welcomes award winning illustrator Hayley Potter

This week the Museum welcomed Hayley Potter, illustrator and senior lecturer at Arts University Bournemouth.  Hayley was carrying out research for her new project 'Visualizing the British Witch'.  Hayley was particularly interested in our collection of charms and during her visit used the library to research folk magic and customs associated with the sea and the Cornish coast.

Here is Hayley's beautiful drawing of a Love Charm (Object No. 258).  Hayley is currently the online artist-in-residence with HATCH, an organisation that promotes the use of drawing as a tool for research.  You can read more about the current project here.

Here is the love charm itself - a fascinating object constructed in the 1930s from sea shells, red wax and bound in a rayon stocking.  It is currently on display in 'Sea Witchcraft':

Hayley was fascinated by the Museum's collection of spirit houses.  These are thought to be dwelling places for conjured spirits, which are filled with objects the spirit may like. 

This particular spirit bottle is very unusual:  it contains a star puff ball, an egg shell, some sycamore seeds, a lily root and bulb, a lump of sulphur and a lady's bra formed into a ball.   This beautiful and deeply personal object was collected by Cecil Williamson in Shepton Mallet, Somerset.  Cecil wrote the following:  "The thinking behind such fabrications is complicated to say the least, and calls for a deal of folklore knowledge and an understanding of the world of spirit force.  My advice, leave well alone".  I am sure Cecil would approve of its current location, safe, undisturbed, unopened and on display in Spells and Charms.  

Many thanks to Hayley for visualizing anew Britain's rich traditions of witchcraft!

BBC visits the Museum

Yesterday, the Museum hosted a BBC film crew as part of the Culture 24 and the BBC's Museums at Night Event.  The programme is scheduled to air on Saturday 17th at 7pm on BBC 2 (we'll keep you updated about the programme and what we've got planned for Museums at Night that weekend)  The producer loved the Museum and enjoyed spending time talking with Joyce and Graham.  Soon, the Museum will be opening at night and lit even more beautifully then usual.  We got a small flavour of that last night when certain parts of the Museum were lit by candles to give the BBC viewers a taste of things to come.

New Michael Howard Herbal book

A fascinating study of the uses, magic and folklore of herbs by Mike Howard, editor of 'The Cauldron' magazine.  Each plant is illustrated with a beautiful colour picture taken from one of the old herbals in the Museum of Witchcraft library.  Paperback; 119 pages.  Available from the shop and the online shop for £17.  
http://www.museumofwitchcraft.com/shop/gb/books/143-the-witches-herbal.html

Young visitors enjoy the Open Sesame Doors

The Friends of the Museum of Witchcraft initiated the Open Sesame project which is now in full swing.  The doors are located around the Museum and each door has a plague indicating exactly who made this lovely addition to the Museum possible.  Young visitors to the Museum are really enjoying the mystery of the objects and are learning lots more about witchcraft and magical practices.  Many visitors who love the Museum and have visited for years have commented on the new doors and think they're a great new initiative.  Many thanks to all involved in making this project a success.

Hunters Moon Morris

Many thanks to everyone at Hunters Moon for a great weekend.  Here are some of our favorite photos taken by the Museum team and friends!

Im Banne der Zauberin Morgan (Haunted by the Sorceress Morgan)

We have had another fascinating book donation, this time from German author Barbara Ortwein. Her book Im Banne der Zauberin Morgan (Haunted by the Sorceress Morgan) was inspired by a visit to magical sites in Somerset and Cornwall, including the Museum. Barbara describes it as a fantasy and travel novel, and it re-examines the legends surrounding Morgan Le Fay by exploring the places associated with her. It includes maps to inspire readers to visit the sites for themselves. It’s good to see Morgan given the importance she deserves as one of the South West’s great magical figures, rather than being overshadowed by her brother Arthur!

New witch bottles in the Museum Shop

We've got a beautiful new range of one of a kind witch bottles in the Museum shop.  They are created by Gypsy Tequila from Boscastle.  We currently have three different bottles: each is completely unique.  Gypsy says of the bottles, "These are an ancient object made for protection against bad energy and magic.  They are filled with objects such as magical herbs, sharp objects to impale, threads to entangle and catch the negative energy."  They are designed to be added to, re-sealed and buried.  Have a look at them below.

Come and enjoy Morris dancing this Easter Sunday

For the eighth year in a row, Hunters Moon Morris are visiting Cornwall and leading a dance procession through the village of Boscastle on Sunday which will start at the Museum of Witchcraft at around 11am.  

Pip and Christine Faulkner popped into the Museum today for a look round and a chat. They have a busy weekend planned including Port Isaac on Saturday morning and Tintagel on Saturday afternoon at around 3pm followed by an evening food and music night at the Wellington Hotel in Boscastle.  They will also be in the Cobweb Inn on Sunday night.

If you're in the area this weekend why not try to see them or better yet, come along to the Museum at 11am on Easter Sunday morning to join us?

Great visitor feedback

You may have noticed that the Museum has a little wooden box in the shop (near the entrance/exit) into which visitors can place their comments and thoughts about the Museum.  We thought a good way to get to know the Museum would be to read through these comments and we were overwhelmed at the positive responses and the love which people have for this special place. 


Some of the best comments are displayed outside the Museum on the board and this was changed on Monday.  It sounded like an easy task at first but it proved more problematic than anticipated due to the warping of wood etc.  We (mostly Peter) persevered and the new comments are now on display for all to see...

We’re going to start tweeting some of the comments that we receive to share all the wonderful words that people have to say about the Museum with all our friends and supporters out there in cyberspace!  Keep your eyes open on Social Media.

Sea kayaking

Judith, co-manager of the Museum writes:

Peter and I first visited Boscastle one wet and stormy weekend in January.  We were told then that the Harbour was ideal for sea kayaking but it was difficult to believe it at the time!  Today is a glorious spring day and Graham (and Malcolm) have taken out the sea-kayaks.  Since we moved down here, Graham has been an essential friend and helper.  He worked his socks off to get the Museum ready to open, he has befriended us both and made us feel so welcome.  He has trained us in the day-to-day working of the Museum and we owe him a great deal.  It is days like today when I imagine he enjoys his retirement...

The trip went well - Graham caught his first pollock of the season!

Open Sesame

Project Open Sesame is almost complete – most of the doors are in position in the Museum, and we now have the plaques engraved with the donor’s names, which will be put on the doors this week.  Look forward to seeing photos on this blog in a few days’ time!

Museum of Witchcraft welcomes Syd Moore

Author Syd Moore visited the Museum this week to research her latest novel, which is about the famous Essex witch Ursley Kempe.

She generously donated copies of her two previous books, Witch Hunt and The Drowning Pool, to the Museum library. One is about the Matthew Hopkins witch hunts, and the other about a 19^th century Essex fortune teller who was persecuted by her community.

It is always fascinating to exchange ideas with writers, and always a delight to meet one who is passionate about research and doing justice to the subject of witchcraft. Syd was very enthusiastic about the Museum’s collection, and particularly interested in Cecil Williamson’s vivid account of how he dug up Ursley Kempe’s skeleton at St Osyth.

We wish her well with her book, and are sure it will be an excellent read.

Simon recently paid a visit to an old friend, Ralph Harvey to discuss some donations to the museum. Ralph's purple ceremonial robe, Book of Shadows and 'Great Rite Belt' are just some of his things already on display in the Modern Witchcraft section of the museum. One interesting item is the original oil painting by Tom Paddle, which was rejected by Ralph's US publishers as being, 'too racey' for the cover of his book, 'The Last Bastion: The Suppression and Re-emergence of Witchcraft - The Old Religion'. We are delighted that Ralph has passed on this piece of social history. Ralph has a fine collection of magical objects and working tools, so expect to see some interesting thing added to the collection in 2015.