New Temporary Exhibition for the Museum

Simon recently flew to New York to meet with Jos A. Smith, who illustrated Erica Jong's 1980 book, 'Witches'. The museum will host an exhibition of Smith's original water colours for the book, when we re-open in the Spring of 2015. Joe will also be coming over for the launch of the exhibition, details of which will be posted in due course. Several of the images from the show will be available to buy as signed prints too, to help raise money for the museum.

It's official - we are a dog friendly day out!

We've been welcoming well behaved witch's familiars (dogs) for a while now.  We are now recognised as a dog friendly day out http://www.dogfriendlybritain.co.uk/directory.asp?Category=4.  No need to stand outside or postpone your visit due to your furry friends - they are very welcome!

Great article about the Museum can now be read online

Read the online article by the Museum's Director, Simon Costin here:
http://civilianglobal.com/features/the-museum-of-witchcraft-boscastle-cornwall-simon-costin/

Friends of the Museum event coming up

If you aren't already a member of our Friends of the Museum of Witchcraft Boscastle organisation, perhaps you can be enticed by the line up of the next Friends event in November?  Held in Boscastle, this is a chance to hear interesting speakers, meet like minded people and show your support for the Museum.  This event is only open to Friends of the Museum.

The Friends of the Museum are a separate organisation to the Museum of Witchcraft.  It is best to contact them directly rather than going through the Museum.  More details about the Friends organisation, its work and how to join can be found here http://museumofwitchcraftfriends.blogspot.co.uk
or email friendsbmw@googlemail.com

October Book Review

Every month, we review a book from the Museum Library.

Alan Watts

The Book on the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are

(Vintage Books)

One of our American supporters, Walter Cambra, recently donated a copy of the 60s classic of alternative philosophy, The Book on the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are by Alan Watts.

As the title suggests, Alan Watts discusses how society and belief systems conspire to suffocate our awareness of our true relationship with the universe. Much of what he says, for example about our dependence on technology most of us don’t understand, is (perhaps depressingly) even more relevant now than it was fifty years ago.

Strongly influenced by Indian Vedanta philosophy, he argues that the distinction between the inner self and the outer universe is an illusion – an idea that will strike a chord with many who take a mystical view of magic. Rather than “a separate person caught up in a mindless and alien universe” each of us is in fact “one particular focal point at which the whole universe expresses itself.”

This is a slim book densely packed with challenging ideas, and written in just the right tone of wry indignation to be provocative and inspiring. At one point Alan Watts claims, “It is symptomatic of our rusty-beer-can type of sanity that our culture produces very few magical objects.” It is encouraging to think that our collection at the Museum of Witchcraft shows there are people trying to put this right at least! 

Reviewed by Joyce

Event in London at the end of October

An upcoming event in London might be of interest to those who have enjoyed their visit to the Museum (it was flagged up to the Museum team by some researchers using the library)

http://residual-noise.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/weekend-other-world.html

Museum receives mention in blog

Shai Feraro spent some time in the Museum and has just started writing an online blog.  We receive a mention - thanks Shai!  You can read the blog here: http://shaiferaro.wordpress.com

Interesting event at the Eden Project in February

Museum hosts its very own mini Food Festival

It is Food Festival weekend here in Boscastle and the Museum of Witchcraft is taking part.  Luscious Lucy Cornwall have set up their beautiful stall in the Museum shop/shrine area.  Visitors have been buying jams, chutneys and syrups which are all handmade from locally foraged ingredients.  The hots syrup drinks have proven particularly popular and come in a variety of flavours - rosehip, rose syrup and the very popular elderberry.  A lovely hot drink to leave the Museum with and to enjoy while taking in the beauty of Boscastle Harbour.  Come in tomorrow if you can.

West Country Folklore and Magic Event a great success

We had a good turn out for our day of talks and discussion on West Country Folklore and Magic which was hosted in the Museum library by Simon Costin and Steve Patterson.  There was an interesting consideration of the origins of folklore studies and a discussions of what folklore was.  We were then taken on a journey through the calendar looking at festivals and events from Cornwall from the more well known (Padstow's Obby Oss) to the less well known (sparrow mumbling)  The day was insightful and interesting but also relaxed and anecdotal - a very good balance!  Everyone seemed to enjoy the day which finished with a look round the Museum.  Thanks to Simon and Steve for this event and to Peter for organising the details of the day.  Maybe we will hold another one (or something similar) soon...

Great article on Museum Director can now be read online

For those of you who might have missed it (or don't live in the West Country) there is a lovely article in the Western Morning News magazine which profiles the Museum's Director, Simon Costin.  The in-depth interview took place a month or two ago and the article can now be viewed online as well. The article starts at page 15.

http://issuu.com/marketingswmg/docs/west_24_08_14

Don't miss out - last candlelit evening of the year on Saturday night!

Our candlelit evenings have proven very popular.  If you are anywhere near Boscastle this weekend please pop in for a special evening visit to the Museum.  If you go to the Food Festival we are offering £1 off all Museum entry tickets (on presentation of a valid Food Festival ticket)  This offer is also available on Saturday night so after a day at the Festival you can enjoy a bargain night at the Museum!

Even babies love the Museum!

We had a visit from a gorgeous little lad the other day.  He visited Boscastle to see his Auntie and Uncle and to celebrate his first Birthday.  He loved the Museum which he visited with his Mum, Dad and grandparents.  Here he is looking at the Open Sesame doors.

And here he is walking like a zombie in the Herbs and Healing section.  The Museum managers are very proud of their little nephew (but slightly worried about his zombie inclinations) and make no apologies for blatant nepotism!   

Museum hailed as one of the "must see" things in the UK

We have just received notification that we are considered one of the top museums worth travelling to the UK for.  To see the others click on this link:

http://www.flipkey.com/blog/2014/09/26/top-uk-museums-worth-traveling-for/

Article which was researched in the Museum now published

Pomegranate: the International Journal of Pagan Studies have published an article which was researched in the Museum Library by Shai Feraro (a PhD candidate in the School of Historical Studies at Tel Aviv University)  An annotated copy of The Wiccan journal which is in the Museum library is mentioned on page 51.  The article looks at the connections between British Wicca and Radical Feminism - an interesting read.  Subscription needed to read the article online.

http://www.equinoxpub.com/journals/index.php/POM/search/results

Lots going on at the Museum this weekend

There are lots of events happening at the Museum this weekend.  First of all, there will be the last candlelit evening of the year on Saturday night.  We are open from 8pm til midnight (no need to book)  We are also taking part in Boscastle Food Festival with sample tastings of Cornish foodstuffs and a stall in the Museum to try food made from foraged hedgerow goodies.  We are also offering £1 off entry to the Museum if visitors present a valid entry ticket for the Food Festival.  Lots of extra reasons to visit us (and Boscastle) this weekend!

You can now watch the Museum on Antiques Road Trip online

If you missed this programme when it was on TV yesterday afternoon then you can watch the it online.  There is a nice roam around North Cornwall (Wadebridge, Tintagel and then Boscastle)  If you want to see the Museum, that section begins at 19 minutes in and lasts around five minutes .

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04kmkbt/antiques-road-trip-series-9-episode-7

A really excellent piece with a good look around the Museum - brilliant work as always Joyce!

Museum of Witchcraft to be on Antiques Road Trip Tuesday 30th September at 4.30pm!

Don't miss it - see Joyce from the Museum on BBC1 tomorrow at 4.30pm.  After it has shown we will post the iplayer address in case you missed it.

Leaflets available to view online

Our new "I like" leaflets are proving very popular with visitors to the Museum.  People pick a subject that interests them and the leaflets guide them to objects in the Museum's collection that fit with that theme.  There isn't much information on each leaflet as the visitor can find the object and the text that goes with it in the Museum.  These leaflets can now be viewed online as well.

There are four leaflets:
I like nature
http://www.museumofwitchcraft.com/leaflet1.php
I like art
http://www.museumofwitchcraft.com/leaflet2.php
I like a good story
http://www.museumofwitchcraft.com/leaflet3.php
I like unusual things
http://www.museumofwitchcraft.com/leaflet4.php

Cecil Williamson book by Steve Patterson now available to buy from Museum Shop

We are really pleased to announce that you can now buy Cecil Williamson's Book of Witchcraft: A Grimoire of the Museum of Witchcraft by Steve Patterson from the Museum Shop in Boscastle but also from our online shop for £27.
http://www.museumofwitchcraft.com/shop/gb/books/183-cecil-williamson-s-book-of-witchcraft.html

This is the first book to do justice to the remarkable role played by Cecil Williamson, founder of the Museum of Witchcraft, in preserving our magical traditions. It consists of the text of his magical notebook, together with detailed notes and a biography of Cecil by Steve Patterson (whose long relationship with the Museum and profound understanding of British magic make him the ideal editor).

In his Introduction, Steve writes, “Cecil Williamson’s ‘Witchcraft’ Manuscript falls roughly into two halves; the first two sections being a collection of folklore, witchcraft, spells and charms. The final two sections are quite different, seeking to link the magic of Ancient Egypt with the witch traditions…. One could well imagine the first part as being his record of the traditions imparted to him by his informants over the museum counter, whilst the latter part was the result of his musings and observations whilst wandering around the British Museum.”

It is published by Troy Books to their usual high standard of book production, and illustrated with a wealth of black and white photographs of Cecil and the Museum in its various stages of development.