Baphomet Atop the Plinth

Had a great time in London on the weekend culminating in the appearance of Julian Vayne (one of our Friends' trustees) appearing on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square. He is one of the more interesting performers who have performed on the plinth and was resplendent in full Baphomet costume (well not quite full - the 'cod piece' was deemed a tad too risque) with an amazing leather mask made by a very talented chap called Peter who was in the immediate audience. Julian used the experience to promote the museum and banners were placed on the plinth. He also performed a ritual, had a bubble machine & a punching bag-esque Axis Mundi (seen left in red) which the crew asked to keep. I have a couple of pics but Simon Costin took some excellent ones so when I get a copy of these I'll put them up. Thanks Julian for doing a fab job on the day - not something the tourists were expecting methinks!!

Thanks Exmoor Pagan Camp

Friends has received a lovely donation of £65.60p from the raffle at the Exmoor Harvest Pagan Camp. This is fab considering there were only around 50 attendees. Thanks to Yarrow for organising the camp. We are also able to claim Gift Aid on the donation which add to the total.

Joyce Froome's V & A Appearance

Keep an ear out for more news on Joyce's upcoming talk at the V & A Museum on the evening of October 30th. She will be giving two talks based on her new book ' Wicked Enchantments' which deals with medieval & early modern magic. It coincides with Simon Costin's tableau vivant 'Dining With Death' which is on at the V & A on the same evening. More news on this closer to the time.

Message from Graham re use of Museum name

Our name (The Museum of Witchcraft) has been quoted in a lot of correspondence regarding the Buzzard Fayre.
I would like everyone involved to know that we have not entered into any debate on this subject and will not do so other than to offer historical advice.
We have not offered any opinions on the debate.
As a matter of policy we do not enter into any political or religious discussions - this is not the role of a museum.
We will be delighted however to offer the use of our library and research facilities to anyone who wants to study the subject.

Hexenmuseum in Switzerland Under Attack

We have become good friends with a woman called Wicca who has started the Hexenmuseum in Switzerland recently and were shocked to hear that her museum has been suffering abuse on a political scale & has started a national debate. She has sent us a report on the situation so I will just add it here so you can read what is happening in her own words. Thanks for sending this through Wicca & we wish you good fortune in the future & hope the government continues its support.

Report:
You can not imagine what battle we fight, since April, since the opening of the "Hexenmuseum Schweiz" the Museum of Witchcraft Switzerland.
We started very well and then out of nothing started a political discussion in the whole country of Switzerland. I can say, we made the Wicca Tradition very famous in one week. So everybody is more or less informed, that there is a Museum of Witchcraft Switzerland and why.

A politician of a fundamental evangelical party in the Swiss Government, he is also a free church
Pastor (evangelical and new testament advocate) started that campain against us and the Hexenmuseum Schweiz, first of May. (he never visited before the campain)
He said, that it is not a Museum, but a hidden organisation to attract people and turn them into witches.
Especially young girls from 12- 16 years, men and boys are not so stubid to be attracted (nice).

He said that it must be forbidden to all school kids to visit and that he ask the government to speak law that all people must be 18 of age to visit that "esoteric" place, where a "Known" Swisswitch and Wicca priestess is the head of Museum (me!) He also impeached, that only a person who is a doctor or has some title is able to open and run a Museum. And that I and my husband do not have any title.
That a priest or pastor should guide and lead such a Museum and not a WITCH, for heaven's sake.

He also impreached that we are not allowed to call us "Museum" (because of the hidden organisation- in his mind) and the name Switzerland. Because the word Switzerland in connection with "HEXE" is a pollution forthe country.

You may say, what a stupid man. Believe me, I thought the same, but in his role of politician he has ways that a private person does not have.
We were run down by press, media and all kind of reactions. Radio and TV. But we kept nice and quiet. I thought that I will not give oil in the fire. I gave some short and emotionless interviews about the fact and always said, that we are looking for the answer of the government.

The answer came! In July now. (They visited us in advance, they asked us a million questions, they sent experts and so in advance!)
The government of Switzerland says that: The small Privatmuseum detail is richly furnished and provides a clear and carefully presented brief overview of folk beliefs, superstitions, mythology, rituals and magical herbs, supplemented by biographical information and time tables. The contents of the museum follows a subjective selection criteria, but can in no way be offensive to minors or designated.

That they think that is important for schools to visit especially in Ethnic, religions, history studies.
That Wicca is a way of life and a natural way of religion and that is free to anybody to choose.
As we are a Privatmuseum and paid it all out of our pocket, we are free of requirements and rules. We made all needed licences in advance and we got them all. We can call us how ever we like, as there is a free name choosing for companies.

You can imagine that the guy is not happy with that descision and barked in the press that the government is naive and that he will not give in and accept that. He has proves from abroad that Wicca is occult way of a cult, and that he will show now in August before the Government Meeting and change their minds.

We hope not! Bless us and send us protecting energy! thanks so much!!!


Website: www.hexenmuseum.ch


Blessings to all
Wicca

New Banners

Just wanted to say thanks to the Friends of the Museum who have purchased new banners which will be used at upcoming meetings, shows and, dare I say, Trafalgar Square plinths. Here is Hannah so beautifully modelling with one of the banners in the museum library along with some of our 5,000 books.

Friends Newsletters

All Friends newsletters have been posted 1st Class today so should arrive with you Monday or Tuesday next week. The exception being international ones which may take a bit longer. If you are a member of Friends & haven't received your newsletter by the end of the week please email me on witchnews@gmail.com and I will send you a PDF copy or a regular mailed version if you prefer. The First class stamps and envelopes were kindly donated by an anonymous donor.

As we are focusing on keeping costs to a minimum so Friends can donate as much as possible to the museum, we are asking Friends to sign up for the Newsletter to be sent as a PDF to their email addresses in future. Of course the regular version will still be available for those who prefer that format.

Coastguard Shouts Aplenty

Well two anyway - - - moments after returning from a Coastguard Shout in Tintagel where someone had broken both legs & had to be airlifted out of Merlin's Cave, the Boscastle Coastguards were called to another rescue in Boscastle Harbour. Another broken leg it seems as someone had slipped on the sewage pipe & was unable to be stretchered out. The Naval helicopter had to be called in for another airlift - Graham & the other Coastguards co-ordinated land based actions from the ground & kept crowds well clear. It was unable to land due to its size so the rescue worker was winched down & pulled the casualty up. Hopefully the injured person will make a full recovery. I managed to get a few pics. We're always grateful to the helicopter crews who do such an amazing job - as well as our lovely Coastguards.

Graham writes about the new tarot display

I have today finished the new Tarot display. You will recall that the previous display was destroyed by the flood five years ago.

Creating displays from scratch is not as easy as you might expect, especially when you have no budget, but lack of funds can drive one to find more unusual solutions.

The first task was to find an empty space – this is getting more and more difficult but we soon decided that the gap under the scrying mirror cabinet would be ideal. Our new Tarot display would be in the ‘divination’ area – very appropriate. After measuring up the long narrow space Kerriann and I wandered into the workshop looking for inspiration which soon came in the form of a lovely old mahogany and glass frame that once sat on top of a mineral display in The Natural History Museum. This was the last of the display cases that were donated after the flood. After removing the old glass the frame was cut to size, re glued and new safety glass ordered. Kerriann picked up an MDF panel which we covered with black Velcro sheeting and a new ‘made to measure’ display case was born.

A duplicate Rider Waite was found in the archive and whilst I spent a couple of days laying the cards out Kerriann wrote the accompanying texts. We jiggled cards and text around until they fitted and in the end looked very impressive.

However, in line with modern trends, we wanted to make the display more interactive so we racked our brains for a method whereby visitors could select a tarot card and get an interpretation. The easiest way would be to provide a pack of cards but I am sure that cards would ‘disappear’ within days so a more secure method had to be devised. We looked at rotary card filing systems, at various methods of laminating and chaining cards and other methods involving brass eyelets and key rings but none were going to be easy.

Inspiration came again in the workshop!

Before the flood we had purchased an old coin operated fortune telling machine. One popped an old penny into the top and the weight of the coin dropping turned a mechanism that span a pointer over a dial from which your fortune would be read.

This machine had been badly damaged in the flood and was sitting in a corner of the workshop looking unloved – it was about to get a new lease of life. The water-damaged dial was removed and replaced with images of cards from the major arcana and the mechanism modified to accept modern coinage. A lick of paint, some wood polish and a drop of oil and she worked like new! Drop a 2p in the top, the pointer spins and eventually stops – Hey Presto! you have selected a tarot card. Purl Wise has provided interpretations for a panel adjacent to the new display which may even raise us some extra pennies (or 2ps)

Still to add is a laminated copy of 'The Fool's Journey' by Roger Pratt , our expert tarot reading friend in New York (always like to enhance our trans Atlantic relations).

Lets hope our visitors appreciate all the work that goes into our wonderful museum!

Get Well Soon Adrian

We'd like to send a get well soon message to The Friends of the Museum's Honorary President Adrian Bryn-Evans who recently broke his collar bone. Adrian does a huge amount of work for the museum but he'll be taking it a bit easier at the moment while he recuperates. I'm sure he'd appreciate any healing thoughts you could send across the ether to help him recover.

Tarot Display

We've been making good progress with the tarot display. Graham has made the display box & placed the cards in a colourful manner. The text is next on the agenda. Here is a piccy of the work so far.

Some Gorge Reviews

Graham has found a website where people review places they've visited - it's called QYPE & I'd never heard of it before (am I the last person on earth who's unfamiliar with this site???) Anyway there were some gorge reviews about the museum so I thought I'd pop the link in so you could have a look. It's http://www.qype.co.uk/place/197733-The-Museum-Of-Witchcraft-Boscastle . Thanks to the contributors for the positive comments.

Latest News

Quite a few things to mention at the moment:

Firstly the museum is featuring in the latest Lammas issue of Pagan Dawn so grab a copy to read the interview with Graham about the history of & future plans for the museum.

Meredith & Mandrake the swallows have built a new nest & are presumably going to have a few new chicks in the next couple of weeks - Graham has the camera trained on their nest so we can watch their progress from the front desk.

We've introduced some lovely new soaps handmade for us by Namaste Therapy - one features a witch & the other a pentacle. I'll try to get some pics on & put them on http://www.theoccultartcompany.co.uk/ website on the weekend so you can purchase them online.

One of our favorite authors Owen Davies has a new book out 'Grimoires - The History of The Magical Book' and his previous one 'A People Bewitched' is back in stock. 'Grimoires' is a very attractive hardback with a fetching cover - it only arrived today so we have not read it yet but going by his previous works it will be well researched & highly informative.

By popular request, Graham has put together a 'Wise Woman's Spells & Charms' CD which retails at £ 4 . This is the sound track from the museum's wise woman's cottage featuring spoken spells and charms with the crackling of the fire in the background. Cassandra Latham reads the spells collected mainly by Levannah Morgan.

We now have witch key rings back in stock. They are not easy to come by for some reason.

That's all for now but watch this space for news on ........
MOW spirit boards & Joyce Froome's book

Pagan Dawn Lammas Issue

There's a fab article in the Lammas issue of Pagan Dawn. As it is the 13 year anniversary of Graham taking over the museum at Samhain & the 5 year anniversary of the flood on August 16 Pagan Dawn has published an interview with Graham outlining a bit of the history of him taking over & what's planned for the future. He makes mention of the fact that the collection has been donated to The Trust for the Preservation of the Museum of Witchcraft so that it will remain accessible to the public & cannot be broken up as unfortunately has happened to so many other collections.
Not everyone realises that the museum receives no government grants whatsoever & is funded solely by visitors & a small amount of retail sales, that's why it's so important that you all come along to support us when you can. We love to see you and get your comments. I've started putting a comment of the day on the twitter site (witchmuseum is the tweet) so you can see what people are saying about us. I'm also mentioning new retail products that we get in to sell in the shop.

Eastbourne Lammas Festival Notice

Our friends over at Eastbourne are organising this year's Lammas Festival as we speak. Here is some information for those who are keen to go along:

Eastbourne Lammas Festival 1st and 2nd August – Western Lawns, Eastbourne Seafront from 11amThe Eastbourne Lammas Festival is a pageant of morris dancing, carnival giants and live music from traditional and folk-rock to modern jazz. Now in its 9th year, Eastbourne Lammas Festival just gets bigger and better. Each day starts with Morris dancing in differing styles, with hosts Hunters Moon Morris and guests along with with drumming from the Pentacle Drummers. As always Saturday’s Carnival parade at 12.30 promises to be spectacular. The Eastbourne Giants Herne and Andred will once again lead dancers, drummers and festival-goers along the prom from the pier to the Western Lawns. Anyone, of any age is invited to join the parade if they come along to the Pier entrance at around noon, though children must be accompanied by an adult. Feel free to dress up! Raid your dressing-up boxes, strap on a pair of fairy wings or garland your hair with flowers and join in. The more the merrier!The afternoon features live bands and performers including Touchstone, Magic Folk, Black Strap Molasses and the Blue Shift Jazz Band. Lie back and laze in the sun by the sea as you listen to the music. Bring a picnic or chose from the variety of food and drinks that are on offer over the weekend. The Beer Tent is run by The 1648 Brewery who brew their excellent Lammas Ale for the event.With clothing, book, jewellery and craft stalls and demonstrations, plus children’s entertainment from face-painting and story-telling to Mouse Town, Punch and Judy and bouncy castle, there is something for everyone.
Saturday ends with the ritual “slaying” of John Barleycorn, the Festival’s traditional rite, at about 5.30pm. Sunday ends with a Scratch Ceilidh which is a chance to kick your shoes off, grab a likely partner and dance on the grass!The festival annually raises money for the RNLI. Please give generously throughout the weekend.

For more information and up to date details of bands, see website www.lammasfest.org

New Additions

Here are two of our recent donations. The colourful Golden Dawn Tools were used by a Canadian magician and are now on display upstairs as part of our Ritual Magic section. I must say I think they are truly fabulous but I've always been keen on a splash of colour. On a less colourful yet equally interesting note are the two concealed cats which were found in a house in Bristol during refurbishment work. The house was built in the late 1800s which makes this a fairly late example of cats concealed in walls. It is thought they were used as charms to protect houses from mice & rats. We are coming along with the Tarot display. We (& by we I mean Graham) are constructing the case from mahogony doors & toughened glass. We've also had some offers of images & text from some fabulous people. More on that later.

Thanks Exmoor Pagan Camp

A Big thanks go to Yarrow & all who attended the Exmoor Pagan Camp & took part in the raffle. £50 was raised for Friends of the Museum. Much appreciated.

Swallows a Big Hit

The live stream of the swallows' nest footage has proved a big hit with visitors to the museum!! The staff have even got a sweep stake on when they think the chicks will fledge. Derek, the largest of the chicks, appears ready to take off at any minute. Meredith & Merlin are great parents & all four of the little chaps are still doing well. Check out the latest video.

In the meantime Graham has been working on some new exclusive products for retail & I've introduced some new cards based around the Richel collection. They are doing very well & I'll be putting some on The Occult Art Company website shortly. As soon as Graham's new products are ready I'll put some info on this blog.

Mandrake it is

We're delighted to announce that the name of the male swallow is Mandrake (as suggested by Lesley). 'Meredith & Mandrake' has a nice ring to it. Their chicks are now popping their heads above the nest so we'll try to get a snippet of them having their lunch. Joyce is beside herself with excitement in the booth & is being easily distracted from her research. She's getting closer to finishing her book now so she needs to keep her eye on the ball - not the birds!! Chortle. I do amuse myself at times.

Cool Blog

I thought I'd draw your attention to a cool blog that has some info on the museum. You can find it by clicking this link http://www.squidoo.com/museum-of-witchcraft .