Semmens, Jason. The Witch of the West or the Strange and Wonderful History of Thomasine Blight. Plymouth, 2004, £3.99. (review)

Cornwall certainly holds an important place in Britain's esoteric history and culture, and in terms of witchcraft, Cornwall has a particularly 'witchy' reputation. Local legends of standing stones and other landscape features suggest a history of witches' night meetings, Cornwall is the home of the Museum of Witchcraft, and today the territory hosts a vibrant Pagan community and receives Pagan spiritual tourism from around the globe. There are witches, pellars and cunning folk who were captured in legend by Cornish folklorists such as Robert Hunt and William Bottrell, but what of the stories behind the legends? It is doubtful that Cornwall was historically any more witchy than other place in Britain, but the idea that Cornwall is perhaps a more suitable conduit for supernatural activity has certainly helped to establish quite a reputation for this western peninsula. There have been quite a few small books addressing witchcraft in Cornwall but the majority has been written to suit a popular or tourist interest in the topic. Despite the incredible interest in witchcraft in Cornwall, there have been very few rigorous and unbiased studies of actual historical Cornish witchcraft traditions.

Finally, some of the history surrounding legendary Cornish witches and witchcraft practices is starting to emerge. Jason Semmens' valuable contribution The Witch of the West: or the Strange and Wonderful History of Thomasine Blight is a microhistory and biography of the Cornish Cunning Woman more popularly known as Tammy Blee. This book is truly a step forward in research about Cornish witchcraft traditions. Semmens, who hails from the Camborne area of Cornwall, is certainly no stranger to the material. Currently a documentation officer for a museum in South Wales, Semmens holds an MA in Witchcraft and Literature from the University of Exeter, and was previously a curator for the vast witchcraft related holdings in the private library of the late Robert Lenciewicz. In The Witch of the West, Semmens provides a detailed account of Blight's life and work in Cornwall in the mid nineteenth century, drawing upon archival material, newspaper accounts and early folklore research.

We learn that Blight was born Thomasine Williams in Gwennap, a mining town near Redruth in 1793, and had two marriages. It's likely that she practiced her trade in conjuring in Redruth market at first, and then later took private clients in her home after her reputation had been established. Her trade consisted of finding lost objects, taking spells off of ill wished livestock, keeping people from being bewitched, and telling fortunes. Blight was a keen strategist, moving to Helston after her first husband's death, to expand her trade and opportunities, and was often able to manipulate local gossip and personality conflicts to her advantage. Semmens portrays Blight as a resourceful and independent woman who was cunning in many senses of the word, defying the common stereotype of such people as being simple and superstitious. Blight was certainly a dynamic personality, and well known as a local character which ensured that a number of her escapades and encounters were chronicled by well known Cornish folklore collectors of the nineteenth century, William Bottrell and Robert Hunt. Yet despite her contribution to our understanding of popular beliefs of the past, we must remember that Blight was a shrewd, individualist business woman who was thriving off of her wits in an often harsh economic and social climate.

Perhaps the most important contribution of this volume, however, is that it places Cornish witchcraft and Cornish conjurors in a historical context. Cornish witchcraft is moving out of legend and speculation into the realm of history and ethnography. These were real people, who had motivations and good reasons for taking up this trade. Almost more importantly, we learn about the people who became her clients and what they believed. The stories, especially those of ill wishing, healing sick animals and securing a good harvest, are similar to stories of witchcraft worldwide and we find almost identical practices in Ireland and Africa.

This microhistory and biography is an excellent contribution and a great companion piece to wider studies of witchcraft and folk belief such as Owen Davies' book Cunning Folk: Popular Magic in English History. Of course it has special relevance for anyone specifically interested in Cornish folklore or the supernatural in Cornwall, which is generally a pretty hot topic.

Amy Hale

Embodiment and Environment

Westminster Institute, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK 5-8 July 2005 Call for Papers This conference is designed to bring together people working in the areas of embodiment and environment. These two important topics of contemporary concern have considerable areas of overlap, yet there is a tendency for researchers to consider one with little reference to the other. This conference offers the opportunity for dialogue and creative exchange, and will initiate a new kind of reflection on these subjects. We are seeking papers in: Embodiment: gender, sex, ethnicity, consciousness, cognition, performance, sensuality, embodied knowledge, ritual, disability, body practice, feminist approaches to religion and philosophy, body theology, thealogy, therapy… Ecology: paganism, goddess spirituality, ecotheology, personalism, deep ecology, scientific approaches to the environment, religious environmentalism, activism, cosmology, ethics, ecoeroticism… Creative fusions and further suggestions welcome! Contact: Beverly Clack (bclack@...) and Graham Harvey (g.harvey@...)

Voodoo Queen

The Spirited Lives of Marie Laveau

'The forty-four cemeteries of New Orleans lend themselves to mystery, ghost stories and occult tourism. Local citizens call them 'cities of the dead'. First time visitors receive a surreal shock - ancient ruins, marble monuments and tall crypts celebrate death and refuse to sterilize, deny or make it merely a medical fact Against the skyline, angels, crosses and statues of grieving mothers make the aura of decomposition exquisite. Mile after mile of tombs resemble houses, small mansions or places of worship - neighborhoods where another branch of the family lives . . . The Creole citizens of New Orleans came to be infatuated with tales of open graves, gruesome deaths and skeletons or ghosts who lead independent lives along the avenues of the cities of the dead. . . (p. 94)

This new biography by Martha Ward is published by University of Mississippi Press, at approx 20 UK pounds (ISBN 1-57806-629-8). Beneath the dull gray cover lurks a colorful hardback documenting the history of the New Orleans Voodoo clan of Marie Laveau and her eponymous daughter. Marie I, born in 1801 died 1881, is buried in the famous New Orleans Tomb which every year is visited by many thousands of pilgrims. She and her daughter lived extraordinary lives, spanning the purchase of Louisiana by the fledgling USA, the civil war, the decline and suppression of Voodoo and the rise of segregation.

Its unlikely that any earlier author had as much freedom to research the subject, using original documentary material, her own intuition and the extensive archive of oral history compiled during the years of the depression by the Federal Writer's Project. Marie Laveau's magick is clearly neither wholly black nor white - she was charismatic enticing her second racially white husband to declare himself black despite the vicious race laws of the time. Time and time again her actions emerge as not quite what they seem - the accusation that she owned slaves changes significance when the author's painstaking research exposes how she and her husband manipulated the law to resist slavery and secure a kind of freedom to anyone in their orbit.

Her daughter (also Marie Laveau) at first resisted but later embraced Voodoo. 'she liked parties, she loved the attention men paid to her striking good looks. She danced the Bamboula and the Calinda in Congo square on Sunday afternoon. There each time she ran into Jim Alexander (Dr Jim not Dr John??) a voodoo practitioner and respected two-headed doctor of Hoodoo, he confronted her; he told her that she radiated power. He offered to initiate her, to be her mentor, to take her through the door to the spirits. She turned him down time after time, because "she would rather dance than make love". One night however ' a great rattlesnake entered her bedroom and spoke to her.' p110.

Some say that in 1999 she returned to a St John's Eve Voodoo gathering on Bayou St John - hopefully she will return. Highly recommended book [Mogg]

Now That’s What I Call Chaos Magick
Greg Humphries Julian Vayne

12.99 1sbn 1869928741 188pp

(with foreword by Dave Lee)

Now That’s What I Call Chaos Magick gives the beginner and experienced practitioner alike a modern, 21st century view into the powerful and often misunderstood magical current called ‘Chaos Magick’. Written in a clear and easily accessible style it examines the theory behind many techniques used in magical, artistic, religious and scientific systems of thought; then links and applies them towards desired goals. Separated into two volumes the book can be used by the reader as a workbook with rituals, techniques and exercises to be followed, as a window into contemporary magical thought at the turn of the century or simply as a rollercoaster of a good read! However you choose to use it, ts book will leave you feeling positive, inspired and ready to apply any of the methods presented to your own life.

‘we cannot recommend this book to anybody who is frightened of magic, of self-discovery or of adventure; to anybody who wants ritual experiences that are absolutely risk-free and have a guaranteed result; to anybody whose concept of ceremony depends on the provision of scripts for all participants, carefully typed out and enclosed in polythene wrappers; to anybody who believes that magical practices should follow set traditions, without mixing ideas from different ages or cultures; to anybody who believes that human beings are firmly subordinated to deities and must do their will; and to anybody whose favourite words of condemnation for others are ‘irresponsible’ or ‘self-indulgent’. Above all, I cannot recommend it to anybody without a sense of humour. Anybody else should love it: it provides an experience of ritual that is energetic, fresh, investigative, exciting and fun, in a completely individual way.’ – Ronald Hutton.

Julian will be spoeaking at the IOT convention in August (see below)

Course on Thoth Tarot at Treadwells (London)

THE THOTH TAROT DECK: AN INTENSIVE SYMBOLISM SEMINAR COURSE
With Allison Brice
7 September onward

This seminar-style course explores in depth the symbolisms in the Thoth Tarot deck: alchemical, Egyptian, kabbalistic, astrological, hermetic, thelemic., and compositional. The aim is to deepen any workings people may subsequently undertake with the deck, be they divinatory, magical or contemplative. The approach is intensive, both analythical and contemplative, and is made up of a combination of lecture, discussion, meditation, and individual research. In seminars, approximately one hour will be devoted to each card, so as to permit consideration at length.

This course is for those already possessing a working knowledge of astrology, kabbalah, and tarot. It is also suggested that prospective students read two simple introductions to the deck, namely Duquette’s Understanding Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot and Banzhaf’s Keywords for the Crowley Tarot, in addition to Crowley’s own work on the deck, The Book of Thoth. Allison Brice is Treadwell’s in-house tarot reader and has worked exclusively with the Thoth deck for over ten years. A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, she is a long-term student of the hermetic arts. All sessions start at 7.30 pm and are on these Tuesday evenings:
--7 September --14 September --21 September --5 October --12 October --19 October Registration now. £65.00 includes refreshments, handouts and all materials used in class. Ring or email Treadwell’s for application form: info@..., or 0207 240 8906.

The Pagans/C4
written and present by Richard Rudgley

In Sexy Beasts, the first of four shows on monday nights, C4 received a cautious welcome from all sides of the pagan community. Here's a typical example: 'I was very pleased with the program. I thought it a little hard on the Christians and also the "dead house" in Estonia was unnecessarily scary as it seems to me it was about contacting one's ancestors or kin. I have buried animal heads to deflesh them and use them in a similar way. But full marks in presenting difficult topics in a popular and easy to understand way. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.'

[Mogg]

URGENT APPEAL ON BEHALF OF THE MUSEUM OF WITCHCRAFT

On 16th August 20004 the Museum of Witchcraft in Boscastle, Cornwall, UK, which holds one of the most significant Pagan and Witchcraft collections in the world, was seriously damaged by flash floods which have devasted Boscastle.

Graham King and all the Museum staff are safe. The building is still standing, but there is serious damage to the collection. We will not know the extent of this for a while yet.

The Museum is appealing for help from the Pagan community. They would like to assure all their friends and supporters that the Museum will be back.

The friends Of The Museum and the Pagan Federation Devon and Cornwall are co-ordinating the appeal for help. Two kinds of help are needed:

Donations; If you are able to send donations, please make them payable to:Pagan Federation Devon and Cornwall and send them to: PO Box 314, Exeter, EX4 6YR, UK. Please send cheques, postal orders or IMOs (not cash) and mark the envelope "Museum Of Witchcraft". All donations will be acknowledged (eventually!). On line and/ or credit card donations can be made by PayPal via the Children of Artemis website at: _www.witchcraft.org_ (http://www.witchcraft.org)

Practical help: All kinds of volunteer help will be needed to clean up, save the collection and re-build the Museum. This help will not be needed for a few days yet, but if you can help, please email your details to either: thecrowman@thehouseof the oldways.fsworld.co.uk or: levannah@....

Someone will contact you when we know what is needed. We will also email updates as we get them.

Many thanks and Goddess Bless to everyone who has already been in touch to offer help and support. The Museum will not be beaten by this.

Please circulate this information as widely as you can. Blessings of the Old Ones Levannah Morgan and Adrian Bryn-Evans (Friends of the Museum Of Witchcraft and Pagan Federation Devon and Cornwall).

Groups

Bath Omphalos, a Moot for LHP magicos in Bath area. For more details contact omphalospaganmoot@.... Essentially a discussion group at the moment, open to all. The first speaker meeting is

Conferences

Tesseract: The Side Unseen

A conference for magical practitioners.

An altered space created as a forum to stimulate and share ideas, perspectives and techniques, from traditional to postmodern magic.

September 4 5, 2004. Lancaster University Conference Centre

Like the Hydra, the Occult Underground is a many-headed beast. The Tesseract Projekt plans to present a conference that will allow practitioners from a wide array of traditions, schools, paths and approaches to benefit from a mature sharing of experiences. Based in Lancaster a small northern city with a pleasantly surprising amount of history and culture, the weekend will consist of a day of talks, lectures and workshops on the Saturday, followed by an evening of relaxed socialising and insidious plotting. On the Sunday there will be a chance to spend time at some noted, mysterious and hidden sacred sites in the area, guided by local folk.

All are welcome. At this first event we can guarantee something of interest for magicians (of chaos and hermetic persuasions!), witches, Thelemites Setians...and all those with a passion for magical places and landscape, be they druids, heathens or modern antiquarians.

Confirmed speakers so far:
Rufus Harrington
Nathaniel Harris
Jaq D. Hawkins
Ian McNicol
Mogg Morgan

Tickets - £15 (£20 on door) Send cheque payable to 'Tesseract Projekt' and an SAE to: Tesseract Projekt 61 Park Road Lancaster LA1 3EJ

For further information visit our web site: www.tesseract.org.uk Or contact us: gimp@... and ask to sign up to our information list.

Spirit of Peace

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spiritofpeace2k/

"How wonderful! a garden in the fire.
My heart transmutes itself to all forms;
A meadow for wild gazelles,
a monastery for Christian monks,
a temple for Pagan gods,
the kabba for Muslim pilgrims
Tablets for the Jewish Law,
and pages for the Quran.
I proclaim the religion of Love,
and wherever it carries me,
this is my creed and faith".
-by Ibn Arabi, (Sufi poet: 1165-1240).

Spirit of Peace conference IV Saturday 18th September, 2004, 10:30am-10pm. Friends Meetings House, St. Giles, Oxford. The 4rd Spirit of Peace conference is on 18th September to mark the United Nations Global Cease-Fire Day. This one-day charity event consists of talks and workshops form mystical and esoteric traditions from around the world. FFI email Payam: nabarz@...

Provisional Programme:
SPEAKERS:
Jane Clark on "Following the Religion of Love: The tradition of Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi".
Caitlin Matthews on "Ancestral Healing".
Shahin Bekhradnia on "Zoroastrianism".
+more speakers to follow.
WORKSHOP:
Lesley Harris "Finding the divine within".
WORLD MUSIC:
From Senegal: Jali Fily Cissokho "voice Kora". Andy Gilpin "French bagpipes".
Skeleton Crew: European Medival Folk Music.
Finale with "Oxford Drum Troupe" West African polyrthmic rhytms at its finest.
Ticket price £10 advance, £12 on door. contact Mike: mikehuds@...
Tel: 01865 863340.

Witchcraft Conference

The conference is at Ludlow, south Shropshire, on Sat 18th sept 2004 from 11am (sharp) until 5pm. The speakers who have confirmed so far are, Philip Heselton on Gerald Gardner and the Witchcraft Revival, Mark Olly on Knights Templar and Gnosticism, Andrew Chumbley (Magister of the Cultus Sabbati) speaking on Chaldean Theurgy, Paul Deveraux on Earth Mysteries, and Steve Pollington on Leechcraft (early English plant-lore and charms). There will be several secondhand occult book stalls there. The price of a ticket is £8 and stalls are £15. This is the first conference here and hopefully it will be repeated next year. Tickets from Verdelet, PO Box 58, Craven Arms, SY7 8WG. Cheques/po pay Verdelet. The advertising for this event is still going out and so far demand has been encouraging, as there is limited seating for this conference those who are interested are advised to buy their tickets sooner rather than later to avoid dissapointment. http://www.paganfed.demon.co.uk

Witchcraft Seminar (Cornwall)

Annual Witchcraft Seminar at Camelot Castle, Tintagel. Friday 22nd-Sunday 24th October 2004 Spend an exciting informative weekend in the romantic baronial surroundings of Camelot Castle. Speakers from the pagan community will cover a variety of subjects include Pete Jennings, Dianne Firmin, Jan Brodie, Maxine Sanders, Dave Evans, Mogg Morgan, Levannah Morgan, Marian Green, Ralph Harvey Nathaniel J. Harris. Visit our web site at www.witchcraftseminar.com or ‘phone Adrian on 01749 674712 but as the number of places are limited, we advise you to book early to avoid disappointment.