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Witchcraft and Wicca
Betwixt God and the Devil (Special edition) by Richard Ward
£140.00
Standard Hardback edition, limited to 60 copies
Richard Ward’s book ‘Betwixt God and the Devil’ was born of a lifelong interest in the folk magic traditions of his native Essex, an area long known as 'The Witch County.’ as such, it is key to the history and development of modern traditional Witchcraft.
Drawing on a wide variety of source materials, some of which are obscure and difficult to obtain, Ward demonstrates that the history of Essex magic is far more complex than it first appears. In doing so, he shows that attitudes which portrayed witches as purely evil and Cunning folk as entirely good were far from the truth, despite the opinion of the Witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins and his ilk during the 17th century. Even the popular belief that witches were exclusively pagan is shown to have been incorrect, an ambiguity popularly known as the dual observance.
In terms of history, Ward’s study covers the period from the 16th century onwards, although it begins with an outline of the origins of this suitably nameless arte during the Anglo-Saxon era. This was a time of great change when anything deemed magic and the worship of pagan deities was outlawed and denounced by the newly adopted Christian Church, which they labelled as the Devil’s work.
In documenting the survivals of Essex magic during the 19th century, Ward includes detailed accounts of James Murrell, the last of the great Essex Cunning folk, and Canewdon’s George Pickingill. In particular, Ward’s book examines the myths that have built up around Pickingill, offering a significant reassessment of the Pickingill legend.
Ward also acknowledges the importance of incoming Romany clans that breathed new life into the county’s magical traditions and kept them alive well into the early to the mid-20th century.
Ward goes on to note the rise of Essex witchcraft in popular culture during the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was at this time, according to some accounts, that Essex witchcraft became linked with the likes of Gerald Gardner and Aleister Crowley. On examination of the evidence, Ward has not shied away from challenging these and other dubious claims, some of which have been widely perpetuated by academics and popular authors alike. Ward’s history concludes with brief accounts of modern Essex-born practitioners, from the likes of witches Alex Sanders, Stewart Farrar and Paul Huson through to Typhonian magician Kenneth Grant and modern Cunning man Andrew Chumbley.
The second part of Ward’s book examines the county’s magical folklore, delving into such important areas as the true and multi-faceted nature of the Devil in Essex, its genius loci and familiar spirits, and the widespread belief in dreams, omens, and superstitions, whose observation was considered essential to the successful practice of magic in all its forms.
In the last part of his book, Ward reveals the magical practices traditionally used by witches and Cunning folk in Essex, such as charms and herbal remedies, methods of divination, curses and anti-curses. As he demonstrates that the core practices of Essex magic were longest preserved in remote farming communities, Ward includes a chapter specifically related to agricultural magic. This final section of the book also features accounts of the Horseman’s Word ritual, the related rite of the toad witch and the magical use of other bones and natural talismans within the county.
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The Serpent Ikons by Helena van El & Shandi AzK Bouscatier
£95.00
Limited Book and Deck set.
The Serpent Ikons: A Sorcerous Distortion of the Tarot de Marseille Major Arcana is a card deck, philosophical commentary, and grimoire; combining at the very heart of its creation primal art, writing, and magickal practice. Forged in the fire of passion for the Mysteries, the Serpent Ikons are an oblation to the Self and its Daemon in the most sacred of experiences – one’s Life as a deliberate, Initiatory journey fashioned by the creativity and will of the magician.
The Serpent Ikons have their roots in the revolt against any religious authority imposing a singular and unilateral relationship with spiritual forces. They embrace the Witch’s way; that torturous path that defies dogma and distorts order. In The Serpent Ikons, the major arcana of the Tarot de Marseille have been subverted to act as a transgression of the Tarot tradition: the Operant needs only the Self for guidance, and prognostications are consciously chosen then brought into being through ritual with one’s Daemon.
Witchcraft - The Library of Esoterica by Jessica Hundley and Pam Grossman (ed)
£30.00
Initiating readers in the fascinating and complex history of witchcraft, from the goddess mythologies of ancient cultures to the contemporary embrace of the craft by modern artists and activists, this expansive tome conjures up a breathtaking overview of an age-old tradition. Rooted in legend, folklore, and myth, the archetype of the witch has evolved from the tales of Odysseus and Circe, the Celtic seductress Cerridwen, and the myth of Hecate, fierce ruler of the moonlit night. In Witchcraft we survey her many incarnations since, as she shape-shifts through the centuries, alternately transforming into mother, nymph, and crone-seductress and destroyer.
Edited by Jessica Hundley, and co-edited by author, scholar, and practitioner Pam Grossman, this enthralling visual chronicle is the first of its kind, a deep dive into the complex symbologies behind witchcraft traditions, as explored through the history of art itself. The witch has played muse to great artists throughout time, from the dark seductions of Francisco Jose de Goya and Albrecht Durer to the elegant paean to the magickal feminine as re-imagined by the Surrealist circle of Remedios Varo, Leonora Carrington, and Leonor Fini. The witch has spellbound through folktales and dramatic literature as well, from the poison apples of The Brothers Grimm, to the Weird Sisters gathered at their black cauldron in Shakespeare's Macbeth, to L.
Concerning Witches and Apparitions by Joseph Glanvill
£45.00
Joseph Glanvill's Saducismus Triumphatus updated and revised. One of the most important texts concerning witchcraft and the paranormal in 17th century Europe. Ghosts, hauntings, witches, enchanted objects, poltergeist phenomena are featured. Witch trials from Somerset, Scotland, Ireland, and Sweden are described in detail using contemporary accounts from witnesses and the accused.
Paranormal activity, including the famous Drummer of Tedworth are also described in vivid, almost journalistic, language. There are ghosts, poltergeists, murder victims seeking post-mortem justice, a “knocking” banshee foretelling death, and a demonic stalker among others. There is a lengthy Introduction, which explains the historical and philosophical background to Saducismus, including the important role played by Cambridge Platonist Henry More, and the circle around Lady Ann Conway.
We have kept the frontispiece from the original and have included it as an illustration.
Limited edition of 200 copies only, with a hand-numbered limitation page.
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