TRADITIONAL

WITCHCRAFT

Q>rtiish Ъ о о 1^о /Wiys

Gemm a Gar y
TRADITIONAL
WITCHCRAFT

by
Gemma Gary
with line illustrations by
the author and photography
by Jane Cox
 © 2008 Gemma Gary

The Paperback Edit ions:

First Edition first printed O cto ber 2008
Revised Second Edition first printed November 2011
Revised Second Editio n with new preface first printed August 2015

ISBN 978-0-9561043-4-2

All rights reserved.

N o pa rt o f this publication may be reproduced, stored within a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, scanning, recording or otherwise, without the
prior written permission of the author and the publisher.

Any practices o r substances within this publication are pre sented as items
o f interest . The author and the publisher accept no
responsibility for any results arising from their enactment or use.
Readers are self responsible for their actio ns.

Published by Troy Books

www.troybooks.co.uk

Troy Books Publishing

BM Box 8003
London WC1N 3XX
 A ckn owl edg em ents

W ith grate fu l thanks to;

Jan e C ox, Christin e G ary,J ackD aw , J o M aquettes, G raham
Kang a nd th e te am at the Muse um o f W itchcraft, Steve
Patt ers on, Nig el Pearson, M ichael How ard, Martin Du ffy,
K elvin I. Jon es, M ardn C lea ver , and t he wo rk o f Cecil H.
Williamson.

W ith acknowle dgem ent also to th ose w ho have walked

the Ways with me, but would prefer not to be named.
 C ont ent s

Preface 11
In tr o d u ctio n 17
The C unni ng Path 35
The D ead and the O ther w orl d 43
Th e Bucc a 50
Pla ces o f Pow er 61
The Tool s o f C unn ing 73

The W it ch es’ Com pas s 93

The Hearthside Kite 98
The Compass Kite 100
The Troyl Hood 106
Kitu al o f Closing 107

Th e Trade 111
The H and o f the Wise 115
Planetary Virtu es 116
Magical Substances 119
Charm Bags 129
Workings o f Protection 132
Workings o f Healing 139
Workings o f Hove 144
Workings o f Good Fortune 147
Workings o f Sp irit Magic 148
Workings o f the Weather 157
Versatile Ways 158

K ites o f the M oon 165

The F urr y N ig h ts 17 1
Candlemas 172
M ay’s Eve 175
Go Iowan 180
Guldisy 185
A ll a n tide 188
Mon tol 193

I n itia tio n s on th e C u n n in g W ay 199

A Rite o f Dedication 204

Glossary 210
B ib lio graphy 215
In d e x 218
 List of Line Illustrations and Figures
by t he A u tho r

Tam m y lee 16
B oskenn a C ro ss 34
S p irit H ouse in the Landscape 42
The Bucca D a rk and F air 50
W he re A ll Con join 60
P ellar Tools 72
The Compas s Fo und 92
W itch Charms 110
The H an d o f the W ise 11 4
Plane tary Sq ua res 130, 131
W rit ten Prot ect ion C harm 132
W ri tten H eal ing Charm 140
W ri tten Love Charm 145
W itch M irror 156
The M oon and Troy Stone 164
O bsi dian M oon stone 169
The Fu rry N igh ts 170
The N in e K nots and Th irteen W itch ’s Po int s 198

List of Photographs
B y Ja n e C o x

Betw een Pages 4 8 a n d 4 9

1 The ho me o f Tam m y lee, 5 6 C oinageha ll S t, H e Iston.
2 G ranny Boswell - imag e cour tesy o f the M useum o f
W itchcraft
3 M useum o f W itchcraft W ise -wom an t ableaux
4 The Rocky Vall ey, N o rth C ornw al l
5 The Rocky Valley Labyrinths
6 Chu n Q uo it
7 T he M erry M aiden s stone Ci rcle
8 S k u ll used to represent t he Buc ca in o utdoor rites
9 Bucc a figu re carve d by B el Bu cca
10 T he a u th o r’s hea rth
11 C a m E u n y Fogou pas sa ge
12 A lsia H oly W ell, ne ar S t Bury an
13 Boscawen Un stone circle
14 ‘B irth ing ’ a t the M en-an tol

Betw een Pages 9 6 a n d 9 7

15 Thres hing fo r k and w orki ng stave s
16 Spirit whip and hook wand
17 M yst eri ous goa t head ed kn ife
18 W ise-wom an knives i n the M useum o f W itchcraft
19 W in d roarer, sweeping tools, swit ch an d ‘w itch ’s w h is k ’
20 Working stones
21 Sn ak e vertebrae an d ga rne t wi tch nec klace
22 п indoo r altar and worki ng surface
23 The author lighting the switch
24 The a utho r drawing t he sp irit s in by us e o f the swi tch
2 5 The st one, bone, s ta ff and flam e
26 The skull

Betw een Pages 144 and 145

27 The author working at her hearth
28, 29, and 30 The author working in the circle
31 an d 32 , collection o f household charms
3 3 The content s o f a p rotective w itch-bottl e
34 M n im a l bone and chai n charms
35 char m bag
3 6 The ‘w itch’s lum p fig u re ’ in t he M useum o f W itchcraf t
3 7 T ea d body p a rts fo r ‘stroking m agi c’
38 Sna ke skin and box fo r he aling
39 House dolls on the hearth
40 M and rake i n cof fin-box

Betw een Pages 192 and 193

41 very fin e thread -wo rk sp irit house
42 M ntl er tine ‘p ric k e rs ’fo r w ea ther magic
43 The author wo rki ng candle and p in mag ic
44 ‘G et-T o st-B o x’ in the M use um o f W itchcr aft
45 m irror bot tom ed copper basi n - M useum of
W itchcraf t
4 6 P adstow ‘O ld ’ or ‘R e d ’ ‘O bby ‘O ss
47 m ids umm er fire - M adro n
48 The Pen zanc e G uldi ^e N ec k
4 9 Cryi ng the N ec k - M adron
50 The nine knotted cord
The hum an s k u ll is t he symbol o f death. F or the wi tch
deat h holds a st range fascinati on. E a ch an d every one o f
us is born to die, b u t is deat h a fi n a l end to life? The witch
says n o. F or she kn ow s tha t: “there are o ther places a n d
other thin gs ”. H e r whole life a n d being is devoted to the
ever presen t b u t unseen w orld o f sp irit. To the witch the
sp irit world is a reali ty, a living t hing. To her everyt hing
has a sp irit, a soul , a persona lity, be it anim al, m ineral,
vegetable. T h a t is why t o u s in the south w est we kn o w
a n d believe in the lit tle people, oh ,yo u m ay laugh , m y fin e
up co un tryfolk, b u t beware fo r indeedyou are in the la n d
where gho ulies a n d ghosties, a n d long legged beasties s til l
romp, stomp and go bum p in the ni ght. Come, le t us show
y o u w hat the witches a n d their spirits d o ...’

Ceci l H . W illiam son 19 09 — 19 99

10
 20 14 P refac e

N 2008, ‘Traditional Witchcraft Cor nish Boo k o f W ays'

I
first became manifest as a small paperback, each copy
individually printed an d hand boun d by Ja ne C ox in our
little hom e in the West o f Cornw all. M y intenti ons fo r the
book back then were simply to place copies in a few local
shops, and to ma ke it available online, i n the ho pes o f stirring
a little interest locally in ‘modern traditional witchcraft’ with
a Cornish slant, or even discovering and making contact
with other traditional witches in the area. Believing that such

interests might possibly be found within the local pagan

community, the book was written, as far as possible, with a
neo-pagan audience in mind.
Howeve r, I quickly grew out o f my naiv e enthus iasm to
uncove r plenty o f traditional witches on m y doorstep and
bega n to a cce pt that such a thing is a rarity. W hilst a f ew copies
were sold locally, w e were amazed to find the book taken up
enthusiastically far and wid e to the point that thousands o f

copi es have now gon e out t o m any pa rts o f the world.

O f cour se, the hom e binding o f the boo ks became an
impossibility; the printing and binding was outsourced and a
revised edition produced in paperback and hardback.
So what exactly is this little book about that has gone to
so many far-flung places and where does its content come
from?
M y own experiences o f the Cr aft began as a solitary,

instinctual and self motivated affair. I dove headfirst at an

early age into the reading, and practice, o f all things witchcra ft
and folk-magical, absorbing all I could from as much time as
I could spend in school and later college libraries rather than

11
 T rad ition al W itchcraft — C orni sh b o o k o f W ay s

getting any ‘proper’ work done! It felt natural to explore the

folklore and magic of Cornwall, to adapt and incorporate
these into my practice and ponderings in the West Cornish
landscape. Brief involvement within Gardnerian and

Alexandrian covens proved valuable, yet not entirely my ‘cup

o f tea’ and i t was not unt il enteri ng int o co rresponden ce and
friendship with certain witches outside o f Co rnw all that I
discover ed the existence o f ‘tradi tional witchcraft’ , allowing
me to realise that there were others practicing in a similar
way. This was to be most dramatically illustrated to me w hen
a friendship began with JackDaw, whose Craft, built upon
a magical inheritance from his Devonshire Grandmother,
tallied with m y ow n so uncannily in a num ber o f ways.
It was aroun d the t ime o f this im portan t contact tha t
I beca me awar e o f the existence o f a loose net work o f
indi vidual s and a coup le o f smal l gro up s in West Corn wa ll,
most, if not all, it now seems had some connection or
lineage, initiatory or experiential, to what claimed to
be an ‘Old Craft’ tradition that arrived at some point
in Cornwall, rather circuitously, from another area of
England. Interestingly, this lineage, into which I was also
to be ini tiated , seems to have had a habi t o f identifying
local god forms and loci of power to incorporate into
its ways. The witches I encountered and worked with
in West Cornwall revered the Bucca and incorporated
Cornish folklore into their rites, and Cornish Charms
and mag ic into the operative side o f their Cra ft. It is the
friendship, group working and initiatory experience with
the Wes t Corn wa ll witc hes, t he form ation o f my ow n
workin g group and my ow n early and ongoin g personal
Craft practice which all coalesced to give rise to the ideas
presented within this book.

12
 Preface to the Second Edition

In case any should believe otherwise, it is necessary to

repeat my clarification in the srcinal preface; I make no
claims that t he content o f this bo ok represents a historical
Cornish witch tradition. There was no such ‘set in stone’
organised Cornish witchcraft. Traditional magical practice
has always been largely unique to the individual practitioner,
and it is an organic way that evolves and changes. The
‘tradition’ presented within this book is my own invention,
drawing from and inspired by my own response to Cornish
witch-lore, magic and folklore, modern traditional witchcraft
and my e xperience s with witches and magical pract itioners in
Cornwall and beyond the Tamar. It is for these very reasons
that I was car eful to give th e bo ok the su btide o f ‘ Cornish
Boo k o f mays’ rather than "The Cornish Boo k o f W ay s’.
Why ‘Traditional Witchcraft’? This is o f course a term
which has arisen since the emergence in the 1 960s o f Robert
Co ch ran e’s Cr aft writ ings, and the name given to a varied yet
particular witchcraft mo veme nt inclusive o f non G ardn erian/
Alexandrian witchcraft, witchcraft that is pre 19 39 in srcin
or revivalist forms that are inspired by historical witchcraft
practices.1
Ofte n there is con fusion by some o f ‘traditional’ with

‘historical’ despite the fact that the two words have entirely
different meanings. The word ‘tradition’ is derived from
the Latin tradere or traderer meaning simply to transmit. A
tradition is thus a transmission o r sharing o f ideas, concepts,
beliefs, practices etc. amongst groups or individuals. There
is in fact no official definition or rule as to how ‘old’ such
transmissi ons have to b e in ord er to q ualify as ‘tradi tional’.
Witchcraft in Cornwall, as elsewhere, has been subject to
a pattern o f revival. Fro m the 16 th to the 19 th cent uries, a

1. Howard, Michael, Children o f Cain, p. 15

13
 T rad itiona l W itchcraft — C orni sh T oo k o f W ay s

tradition o f profe ssion al operati ve m agical practi ce existed

in the form o f ‘white wit ches’ and cunning fol k. It i s from
this tradition that the ‘pellar cult’ o f Corn wall seems to have
arisen amids t an envi ronment o f numerous reviv als o f
witchcraft, ritual magic, occultism and cunning throughout
the 1 8th and 1 9th centuries.2
Th e emergence o f other forms o f popular occul tism and
spiritualism however may have played a part in the gradual
decline o f the pellar c ult as a promine nt presence, alongsid e
other rapid changes in society. A certain interest in such
things linger ed howev er, and it is from the wo rk o f William
Bottrell and Robert Hunt, who both collected a fascinating
bod y o f mate rial from the people o f Cornwall i n the mid
19 th Centur y, that much o f Corn wall’s fo lklore re lating to
witchcraft and magic comes and is often revisited.
A s an inclination and a way o f being, rather than a
profess ional service, the cult o f the pellar is not reli ant
on supporting social structures in order to continue. The
concep t o f V itch -b loo d’ fami liar to mo dern trad itional
witchcraft was also know n within the pellar cult. Pellar-blood
is suggestive o f not only fami lial lineage, but o f an innate
‘oth ern ess ’, and a heritage o f spirit.3 Suc h individual s may

arise in any period o f history, and indeed the present.

A landscape such as Cornwall’s wou ld seem to be a natural
environment to nestle and nurture those given to magic and
exch ange wi th the spirit world , and in whic h the individua listic
rather tha n organ ised wa y o f the pellar may perenniall y arise.
It is a landscape that possesses a powerful attraction to
artists, poets, mystics and eccentrics, amongst whom there
have always been those given to communion with the spirits

2. Ibid & Patterson, Steve, Serpent Songs, p. 95

3. Patterson, Steve, Serpent Songs, p. 98

14
 Preface to the Second Edition

and shado w form s o f the wild and l onely places.

One such figure was the surrealist, occultist and author
Ithell Colquhoun, who was an influence on my parent Craft
grou p via her friendshi p with its ‘D ev il’. A t a time whe n mid
20th century folklorists and historians were taking a more
academic interest in Cornish witchcraft, it was figures like
Ithell Colquh oun who were active in the revi val o f the actual
practice o f Cornish methods o f magic.4
O f course, a hugely important figur e in the revi val o f
Cornish magic and the pellar cult is Cecil H. Williamson,
founder o f the Museum o f Witchcr aft. Cecil d edicated a
lifetime to studying the work o f the ‘way side witch’, a nd, in
particular, the ways o f Co rnish witchcraft and magic which
were vivified within his research and operative practice.
T he old ways o f regional magic are qui edy kindl ed and
developed for the present day within the livi ng and evolving
currents o f mod ern Tradi tional witchcraft, amongst hidden
gatherings and individual practitioners.
In the fields , wo od ed vall eys, cottages and cragg y cliff-tops
o f Cornw all, ol d charms ar e re-worked by new hands, guided
by die spi rit presences and unseen potencies o f the Cornish
landscape which continues to feed, as but one tributary, the
far flowin g living s treams o f magic maki ng.

Gemma Gary,
West Corn wall, Febru ary 2 0 14

4. Ibid p. 112

15
 Int roduct i on

Cornwall’ s W itch H eritage

H E Tradit ional Craft, with i ts many and var ious

branches, is a Craft born largely from the very

T
landscape in which it is practiced. There exist
common threads that run throughout the various
recension s o f the ‘Eld er F aith’, but th e precise tradit ions ,
ways and pra ctices o f the ‘O ld C raft’ will always differ
and be flavoured by the preserved folk beliefs, traditions,
customs, lore, historical magical rites, charms and
imped imen ta o f the region i n wh ich its practice is rooted.
Traditional witchcraft is regional witchcraft, it is not and
never has been a standardised practice and long may this
continue to be the case. The day witchcraft loses regional
variation is the day trad itional w itchcraft ceases to exist.
O n top o f the well establ ished regional variat ion, th ere
is also the fact that a traditional witch’s practice is born
from thei r ow n respon se to th e ways o f the ir parti cular
locality and landsc ape, and an ind ividu al’s instinct, insight ,
inspiration and creativity come into play. If one were to
ask a tra ditional folk-ma gic practiti one r o f Co rnw all an d
of Norfolk, both today and in the 19thC, to speak of

17
 T rad itiona l W itchcraft — Cornish Book of Ways

the ways of their Craft one would hear of two practices,

distinct i n man y deta ils, and exactly the same resul t wo uld
occur if the same question were put to two practitioners
operating in neighbou ring vi llages in Cornwall.
W itch craft has always been practiced in Corn w all, or at
least that is how it would seem. In many ways the word
witchcra ft seems to be in extrica bly linked with Corn wall;
a remote horn of land which is home to countless
legends o f old magic and sorcery, fa ntastical beings and
many haunted ancient sites which inspire the imagination
to ponder the myst eri ous midnight goings on o f witche s
and joyous gatherings of Piskies...
Within the old folk tales o f every land there are
cont ain ed el ements o f truth and folk- mem ories o f the
‘Old Ways’ passed down through legend and custom.
Cornwall is certainly no different and behind the legends
there is a ‘fa ery fa ith’ and a W ise-C raft that have con tinued
to be observed and practised right up to the present day
(although sadly to an ever decreasing extent) where they
exist overshadowed by the modern, and in some respects
unrel ated, pop ular prac tice s o f W icc a.
Cornwall was indeed home to many folk-magic
practitioners, a tradition that reached a climax in the 1 9thC.
Such practitioners offered a range of services mostly
involving th e work o f hea ling, cur se l iftin g, exorcisi ng o f
evil spi rits, protection, love, and the restoring o f lost or
stolen property.
Clients were often provided with magical substances in
the form of small bags of earth or prepared powders.
Written charm s are also a com m on feature o f Cornis h
folk-magic, intricately folded and sewn shut inside small
square bags.

18
 Introduction — Cornw all’s Witch Heritage

Some Cornish practitioners achieved a certain degree

o f fame, two o f the most notabl e per haps being Tam sin
Blight and Granny Boswell.
Tam sin Blight, or Tam m y Blee as she would have b een
known, lived from 1798 to 1856 and was perhaps the
most famous historical practitioner in Cornwall. Plying
her trade within the Helston area, she earned a well
respected and feared reputation; for traditional Cornish
witch es have always maintained the ability to cu re and to
curse.
Client s we re k now n to have trave lled great dista nces for
a consultation with her, and at certain times people would
queue outside her small house in considerable numbers
to purchase new charms or have old ones re-empowered,
part icul arly in the springt ime wh en, according to Co rnish
tradition, a witch’s powers are renewed.
We know that she w ould provid e the traditional written
and seal ed charm bags, a s w ell a s small bags o f grave
earth, bones and teeth, as well as magical powders; most
notably W itch Po w der’ . She also had a strong reputa tion
for removing curses and healing, working with not only
people but cattle and horses.
Her powe rs o f sig ht were also held i n high repute for
she wou ld be consult ed on the whereabouts o f los t or
stol en money, and the i dentit y o f malevolent witches and
would w ork with spirits; m akin g use o f hallucinogen ic
substances to aid her visions and communications.
She had a husband, Jemmy Thomas, who also claimed
the pow ers o f a witch, but for the m ost part enjoyed a
fluctuating reputation for magic, although his obituary
celebrated his abilities in providing cures for people and
animal s and taming t he unruly beh aviour o f cattle and

19
 T rad ition al W itchcraf t — A C orni sh To ok o f W ay s

o f horses; a ski ll tra dit ion al amon g Cunn ing men acros s
Britain.
The following account, by the 19thC folklorist William
Bottrell (1816 —1881) whose work recorded a vast body
o f tradi tion al Corn ish witch-lore, gi ves a fas cinating
insight into Tammy and Jemmy’s Pellar’s practice which
they operated from the ir household:
Fro m ‘Ann ual Visit o f the W est-Country Folks to t he
Pel lar o f H elston, t o hav e the ir Protec tion Renew ed’:

“ . .According to anci ent u sage, the fo lk s fro m ma ny p a rts

o f the w est count ry m ak e their an nu al pilgri mage to some
whit e wit ch o f repute, fo r the sake o f havi ng wha t they call
“theirp rote ction renewed. ” T he spring i s alway s chosen fo r th is
object, because it is believed th a t when th e su n is retu rn ing the
Pell ar has more pow er t o protect t hem fro m bad luck than a t
any othe r season.
. . . There used t o be ra refu n among t he fo lk s ingoing to the
conjuror in the spring, when they were sure to meet , a t the wise
man’ s abode, persons o f a ll ages a n d con ditions, m any fro m a
gr ea t distance. Th en the inh ab itants o f the Scill y Isles ca me
over in crowdsfo r the pu rpose o f consul ting the whit e witches
o f Cornwall , an d th a t they m ight obt ain the ir prot ection,
charms, spe lls, a n d counter-spells. M a n y o f the c aptains o f
vessels, belon ging to H oy le, S t. Ives, a n d Sw ansea , o ften visited
the P ellar before they und erto ok a voyage, so that, w ith seam an
a n d tinners, there was sure to be g re a t variety in the comp any.
. . . Though the y arri ved a t the P ell ar’ s by t he middl e o f the
foren oon, such a crowd was already assem bled th a t they w aited
long before th eir tur n came to be ad m itted to the pres ence o f the
wise m an . T he conjuror received the peo ple a n d th eir offerings,

singly, in the room by courtesy styled the hale (hall). Few

20
 Introduction - Cornw all’s W itch Heritage

remained closeted with him more than half-an-hour, during

which t im e some were pr ovid ed w ith little bags o f earth, teeth,
or bone s ta ke n fr o m a grav e. These preciou s relics were to be
worn, suspended fr o m the neck, fo r the cure o f p re ve ntio n o f
fi ts , a n d other mysterious co m plain ts supposed to be broug ht
on by wit chcraft. O thers we re fu rn ish e d w ith a scrap o f
pa rchm en t, on which was written the A B R A C A D A B R A
or the foll ow ing charm:

SA T R
A R E P
TENET
OPERA
ROTAS

These charm s were enc losed in a pa per, curiously fo ld ed

like a valentine, sealed an d suspe nded fro m the neck o f the
ill-wished, spellbound, or otherwise ailing person. T he la st
char m is regarded as a n instrum en t o f grea t power, because
the m agical words read the same backw ards as forw ard s. A
gritty substance called witch-powders, that looked very much
like po un de d brick, was al so given to thos e who req uired i t.
A n aged crone o f the p ella r blood, m other or sister o f the w hite
witch in chief, received some o f the w omen u ps tairs to cur e such
o f the least difficu lt cases, as simple charm ing wo uld e ffect; bu t
the greatest p a r t o f them preferr ed the m an, as h is charm s only
were po w erfu l enough to unbew itch them.
In stead o f the earthy powder, some are fu rn is h e d w ith a
written charm, which varies according to the feelin gs o f the
recipients. M o st o f the ver y religious fo lk s have a ve rse o f
scripture, concluded with the comfortable assurance that, by

21
 T rad itiona l W itchcraft — A C orni sh B ook o f W ay s

the help o f the Cord, the W h ite W itch hopes to do them good.
B u t those who have no p a rtic u la r religious sentim en ts he
fu rn ish es w ith a charm, o f which the follow ing is a lite ra l copy:
O n on e side o f a b it o f paper, abou t an i nch an d a h a lf by
one inch;

NALG AH .

H ere follo ws a picture o f w hat m ust have been the conjurors

own creation, as such an object was never seen by mortal yes in
the heavens above, the earth beneath, nor in the waters under
the earth. The only object we can compare it to is a something
which is a cross between a headless cherub and a spread-eagle.

Un derneath w ha t m ight have been intended fo r angel or bird, there

is an egg, on which the creature appears to be brooding. There
is another egg a t the extrem ity o f one o f the outstretched legs o f
the creature. T his picture, which is the m ost singular p a rt o f the
charm, can only be represented by the ai d o f the pencil. The w ord
‘T E T R A G R A M M A T O N ” is under it. On t he reverse:

JE H O V A H .
J A H . E L O H IM .

SHADDAY.
AD O NAY.
H A V E M ERC Y' O N A POOR W O M AN .

Fro m the worn condit ion o f the charm (which ha d been in

use many yea rs before i t came into our hands) it is diffic ult to
make out the writing.
A n o th e r am ulet, which is com monly given by the Pella r to
his pa tients, to be worn suspende d fro m the neck, is a sm a ll
bag o f earth taken from a m an ’ s grave.

22
 Introduction — Corn w all’s W itch H eritage

Besides the above-mentionedprecious charm s, the P ellargives

his neophytes pow ders, to thr ow over th eir children, or cattle,
to preserve them ag ain st witchc raft, am ple direct ions as to the
lucky a n d un lucky times , a nd a green sa lve, which is sa id to be
an excel lent heal ing oi ntment. I have talke d with m any who
have visited t he Pe llar e very spri ng, fo r yea rs running , th a t they
m ight g et their protect ion renewed. Y et there is no fin d in g ou t
a ll t h a t take s place a t the ti m e o f this im portant pilgrimage,
as the directi ons are given to each in divid u al separately, a n d a ll
are bou nd to preserve the grea test s ecrecy a bo ut some po rtion o f
the charm, or i t w ill do no good.
O thers were sup plied w ith b lood stones, milpreves, or sn ak e-
stones, a nd other t rumpery, m an ufactured by the p e lla r fa m ily ,
to be worn a s am ulets. The blue-stone r ings, in which some
fa ncie d they sa w the fig u re o f an adder, or when m ark ed w ith
yello w vein s the p a ttern o f a sn ake , were pa rticularly p ric ed,
because it was believed that those who wore them were by that
means saf e fr o m being harm ed by any rept ile o f the serpent
tribe, a n d th a t ma n or bea st, b it a n d envenomed, being given
some wa ter to d rin k, where in this st one h ad be en infused, w ou ld
perfectly recover o f the po ison. The am ulets, reliques, and
charms supplied by the white witch served to tranquillize the
diseased fancy as w ell as the b read p ills, coloured waters, a n d
other innocent compounds o f more fash ionable practitioners, or
the hol y m edals a n d scapul ars o f other professor s. Th ere are
no new notions u nd er the sun; the only difference is the fas h ion
in which they are disguised.
.. ..A fte r dinner , the aft ernoon was spe nt in telling witch
stories. E veryo ne p re sen t h a d m any cases, each with in his
own exper ience, to vouc hfo r. Th ey com pared the m erits o f the
diff eren t conjurors o f repute, a n d a ll agreed th a t non e could
surpas s the Pell ar o f H elston. N o t even the “cun ning m a n ”

23
 T radit ion al W itchcraft — Cornish Book of Ways

o f Bo dm in nor t he “white witch o f E x e te r ” could poss ess

mor e pow er t o lift a spell or to pu n ish a witch, or to fin d out
who h ad st olen whate ver was mi ssed, an d to p u t ou t the th ie f’ s
eye.

Another renowned H elsto n W ise-w om an was G ranny

(Anne ) Bo swell, 1 8 1 3 —1906. A prac titioner kno wn to b e
o f Rom any bloo d, she was widely consulted for her s kills
in magic and foresight.
She entered into the large Boswell Romany family via
her marriage to her second husband Ephraim Boswell;
son o f a G ip sy King . She end ured hard, l ittle paid a nd
long working days on Helston area farms alongside
other wo m en o f her cl ass an d comm unit y, an d was lat er
burdened w ith the rai sing o f six children; giving birth to
them in her late forties.
The magical knowledge gained by her Romany
upbringing served her in her later years as she was able
to provide a num ber o f charm s, tr adit ional to both th e
Cunning and Romany folk, to those who consulted her
fo r ass istance. N ot ab ly these included a smal l curat ive bag
o f black spi ders to be hung i n th e bedcham ber o f the

ailing client. She w as consulted b y girls and you ng wo m en

on matte rs o f love, the li fting o f curses, and was skilled in
the curing of ringworm in cattle.
A n amusing incident in volv in g G ranny Bosw ell, often
recounted, illustrates perfectly the Cornish tradition of
W ise-fo lk havin g the ability not only to provid e cures,
but to curse, or ‘blast’. During the 1906 elections, Granny
Boswell was drinking herself into great intoxication in a
H elston inn, as was her custom, wh en she wal ked out int o
the st reet to ob serv e wha t may we ll have bee n the ve ry firs t

24
 Introduction — Cornwall’s Witch Heritage

m otor car she ha d ever la id eyes on; brou ght into Helston
to ferry voters to the poll. She stood there in the middle
o f the street f ascinated by t he polished, throbbin g and
ribbon-bow bedecked machine. The driver, frustrated by
this obs tacl e, tol d Gr an ny B osw ell to m ove out o f his wa y
in a very harsh manner, blasting at her with the vehicle’s
horn. This made Granny Boswell furious and she began
shriek ing in th e foulest o f language at t he mo torist and
informed him that the machine would not even get as far
as the other end o f the str eet. She storm ed o ff in a fury,
probably for another drink, as the vehicle attempted to
conti nue u pon its j ourne y. Th e thing only m anaged to get
h al f way dow n th e str eet be fore one o f the thi ck steel
tension rods broke clean in two leaving it stranded and
requiring a horse to tow it away.
Moving west from Helston, deep into remote Penwith,
the village o f St Bury an , and th e outlying a reas, have a
long and deeply ingrained association with witchcraft.
Co rn ish witch -lore is rich in stories, collected by folk lorists
—in parti cular Will iam Bo ttrell , abo ut one o f St Bu rya n’s
witch es; Betty Tre noweth . It is highly likely that these
stor ies t ell o f a real f igur e, a s with m uch o f folklore there

is no sm oke withou t fire, and as K elv in Jo n es explains

in his boo k ‘A n Joa n the Crone - Th e hist ory an d Craft
o f the Co rnish W itch’; “ nearl y all o f Bo ttrell’ s charact ers
can be tr aced to real famili es in the w est o f Co rnw all jus t
prior to the ti me he was collecting hi s tales” .
It is thought Be tty worked at Tro ve Mill n ear Lam orna ,
grinding corn brought in from St Buryan and the
surrounding are as. Tro ve Mill and B etty are associated wit h
the Co rnish play ‘D u ffy and the D ev il’, a ‘Rum plesti ltskin’

type story i n which B etty feat ures as th e leader o f a

25
 Tra dit ion al W itchcraft — A C orni sh Book o f Way s

coven o f local wit ches . Featured al so is Boleigh F og ou

(a mysterious ancient underground chamber of which
ther e are a num ber o f exam ples in west Co rnwa ll), t he
‘Buccaboo’ (Bucca Dhu), synonymous in Cornish lore
with the D evil, and an evocative description o f a w itches’
meeting:

“...tea rin g through brakes o f brambles an d thorn s, we

fo u n d ourselves in the G ram bler G rove. n d now, ” continued
he, aft er a p u ll fro m the flagon, ‘1 kno w fo r certain tha t
w hat ol d fo lk s say is true how witches m eet the D evil there o f
summer's nights. In winter they assemble in the Fuggo Hole,
we all know; because one may then often hear the devil pip in g
fo r th eir dance under our pa rlo u r fl o o r th a t’s right over the
inner end o f the F uggo. A n d now I believe w hat we took
fo r a hare w as a witch th a t we chased into th is haunted
wood. H oo king through the thic ke ts I spied, on a bare spot,
surr ounded by o ld withe red oaks, a glimm ering flam e rising
through clouds o f smoke. Th e dogs sk u lk e d back a nd st ood
around me like things scared. Getting nearer, and looking
through a n open ing, I saw sco res o f women some old a n d ugly,
othersyou ng an d pass abl e enow as fa r as looks go. M o st o f

them were b usy gathering withered fe rn s or dry sticks, to the

fire . I noted, too, th a t other witches, i f one m ightjudge by their
dress, were constan tly arriving fly in g in over the trees, some
m ou nted on ragwor ts, brooms, ladles, fur ge -p ike s, or an ything
they could g et astride of. O thers ca me on through the sm ok e
as comfort able as y o u plea se, sitting on three-legged stools; a nd
alight ed by the fire , w ith their black cats on their l aps. M a n y
came in through the thickets like hares, made a spring through
the flam e, a n d came o ut o f i t as decent lasses as o ne m igh t see

in Bu ryan Chu rch o f a holiday. A good large bonfire soon

26
 Introduction — Cornw all’s Witch Heritage

blamed up ; then, by its light, I saw, a little way b ack sitting

un de r a tree, who sho uld ‘e th in k ? W hy no less tha n old witch
Bet, o f the M ill. A n d by her side a strap pin g dark-face d
fellow, th a t w asn ’t bad lookin g a n d th a t one w ouldn’t ta ke to
be a devil a t a ll b u tfo r the compa ny he was w ith, an d the si ght
o f hi s fork ed tail th a tju s t pee ped o ut from unde r his coat-
skirt s. E ve ry now an d then O ld B et held to his mouth a black
leather ja c k , m uch like ours, a n d the D evil seem ed to lik e the
liquo r by the way he smacked his lip s.. . ”

“. . . The witches, locked hand-in-hand, dance d m add er an d

fa ster, p u lled each other right through the fire , an d they w er n’t
so much as s inged, the bitches. Th ey spun rou nd an d roun d
so fa s t th a t a t las t, especially when the D e v il jo in e d in, m y
head g o t light. I w anted t o dance w ith them an d cal led o u t as
I advanced, H u rra ! m y m erry D ev il, a nd witches a ll!’ In an
instant, quick as lightning, the music stopped, out went the
fire , a blast o f w in d sw ep t away um ers (embers) a n d ashes, a
cloud o f d u st an d fire came in m y eyes an d near ly blinded me .
W hen I again looked up they ha d a ll vanished. ”

For those interested in learning more about the

lives o f C orn w all’ s histor ical witches, I can thoroughly

recommend ‘An Joan the Crone’ by Kelvin Jones;
Oakmagic Publications.
Th ere are many sto ries o f Betty Trenow eth’ s witchcraft
and Wise-woman ways , one te lls o f how her powers were
gained, a nd m aint aine d, by her frequent co nfere nces with
the Devil. He would meet her, we are told, in the form
o f a great black bu ll on th e northern sid e o f St Buryan
churchyard; an eerie place that is even today no stranger

to the activi ties o f w itchcraft.

27
 T rad ition al W itchcraft — A C o rn is h T o o k o f W ays

W hilst u n doubtedly there w ill have been m uch lo st o f

the wisdo m and pr act ices o f Co rnw all’ s past Cunning
folk, Charmers, ‘White Witches’ and ‘Pellars’ (‘repellers’
o f evil spiri ts, illness, ill-fortu ne and il l-wish ing i n
Co rnish witc h
tradition), there is also undoubtedly much that has
survived and has been preserved.
A lo n gsid e the likes o f W illiam Bo ttrell and R ob ert
Hunt, whose collected tales and conversations with the
ordinary fol k o f Cornw all in the 19th Cen tury preserv ed
a great bo dy o f lore a nd folk -b elief relat ing to Co rnish
w itchcraft, w e are greatly in debte d to the w ork o f the
w itchcraft practitio ner, collecto r and researcher C ecil
W illiam so n (19 0 9 — 1999). T h e fou nder o f the M useum
o f W itchcraft, f irs t on t he Isle o f M an in the ‘W itches’
M ill’ in 19 5 1 , relocat ing several times befo re setding
in t he N orth Co rnish harbour vi llage o f B oscastle, i n
1960, where the museum remains today. Cecil claimed
to have first enco untere d the w orld o f tradi tional West -
Country witch beliefs as a child in the Devon village
o f N orth Bovey. H ere h e fought to prot ect an elder ly
w om an, under attack on the village green, from thug s

w h o suspecte d her o f bew itchin g cattle. T h is in cid ent

sparked a life lon g int eres t in the ways o f cou ntry
w itches and folk -m agic ians, not as a thin g extin ct but as
a rare yet living practice.
Cecil’s Craft interests were very much in the area of
traditional rural folk-magic, and what he termed the
Craft of ‘the wayside witch’. He was not at all fond or
app roving o f W icca, how ever h e inadvertentl y played
a major role in its development when he introduced
Doreen Valiente to Gerald Gardner, whom he had first

28
 Introduction — Co rnw all’s W itch H eritage

met in 1946 and had employed as ‘resident witch’ in his

museum. Follow ing t his introducti on, o f cou rse, Dore en
Valiente becam e one o f G a rd n er’s H ig h Prie stesses and
w ent on to produce m any beautiful W iccan ritual texts
in h er co-aut horshi p o f ‘The B oo k o f Shad ow s’ ( it mus t
be stated though, that Valiente was really, very much, a
traditional Sussex witch).
Throughout his collectorship and research of
w itchcraft, Cecil rem ain ed particula rly inte re sted in the
craft ways o f his nati ve Wes t Country. H e believed th e
best way to research was to acti vely pract ice his ar ea o f
study. In addition to encountering witch beliefs through
his ow n clients, i t is beli eved he enco un tered a nd learned
from eighty two practicing Wise-women. Evidence of
his practice being maintained right up to his death exists
in the ‘active’ magical and ritual items discovered in
his rooms after his passing and it is clear he pursued
the Traditi onal ‘do ub le-wa ys’ o f cursing a nd cur ing .
Through his work, Cecil bequeathed a rich corpus of
West C o u n try w itch ways in clu din g tools and w orkin g
impedimenta o f divi natory practi ce and magical rites o f
healing, curse lifting, exorcism and blasting.
Cornwall’s rich and extensive array of preserved
and surviving fragm ents o f lore and practice relat ing
to the ritual s o f heali ng, wo rt-cun ning, pro curing o f
love, l uck and wealth, and the lift ing and casting o f
curses, provides a rich and fertile foundation from
w hic h the ever livin g practice o f traditio nal w itchcraft
and the ‘Pellar Current’ may flourish and continue as
a con tem pora ry observa nce; for i t is a way o f life th at
can never die out entirely. The ingredients necessary for

such a continuation remain now as they did in 19thC

29
 T rad itiona l W itchcraf t — Cornish Book of Ways

Cornwall; now, as then, there are those called by virtue

o f their blo od to the Pellar Way. N ow , as then, t here ar e
those living in this mysterious and relatively unchanged
rura l landscape wh o fear supernat ural harm, or w ho seek
to i m prove their sit uati on via supernatural means and ar e
thus willing to seek out and consult a practitioner. Now,
as the n, the re i s a rich corpus o f establi shed C orn ish
magical lore and praxes to inspire and inform the work
o f the student Pel lar.
It cannot be cl aimed tha t the ways o f the contem por ary
practitioner remain unchanged from those of 19thC
and earlier practitioners, for such would be absurd, and
to attempt it via unchanging adherence to antiquity
does no t gain the ‘badge o f authentici ty’ but res ult s
only in empty ‘historical re-enactment’. Authenticity
rests in living practice, which must by its very nature
change a nd evolve wit h the passage o f time. H on esty
and discernment in one’s study and practice and the
proc uring o f result s are t he only authentic ity sta mp
there is.
T he cla ims o f som e histori ans that tradi tio nal witch
beliefs and magical practice in Cornwall had died out

entirely by the 1940’s and ’50s are unsurprisingly often

contradicted by evidence thrown up by their own
research; for the age old beliefs i n the pow er o f the curse
and o f ill-wishing ar e st ill ve ry m uch ali ve in t his rem ote
landscape. There have continued to be folk-magic
practitioners tucked away quietly all over Cornwall,
not only removing warts but providing charms and
preparati ons for al l mann er o f needs and r eversing t he
pow er o f the ill-wi sh. It is probab ly because Cornw all

was rapid ly becom in g m ore influ enced by m odern ideas

30
 Introduction — Cornwall’s W itch Heritage

by t he 19 4 0 ’s and ’ 50s, causing pe ople to no l on ger admit

op enly to such beliefs, for fear o f ridic ule, tha t these
activities ceased to be recorded in local newspapers. It
w ould seem this is where histo rians like to do m uch o f
their research , instead o f actually t alking to ordina ry
folk, as th e dil igent folklore co llectors o f the past had
done. It may als o be safely s aid that the mo dern Co rnish
folkloric mo vem ent, which flourished in this period, was
heavily the dom ain o f the Ch rist ian middl e class wh o
would be keen to prom ote the id ea that the witch beliefs
o f the ordinary Co rnish peo ple were a f irmly ext inct
thing o f the past.
However, farming families in Cornwall today still pay
local practiti on ers to pro tect their l and and Uvest ock from
supernatural and mundane harm, and ordinary folk do
still consult Cornish Wise Folk to have curses removed.
I have even known a Penzance estate agency call in the
services of a local Wise-Woman when selling a certain
property had beco m e troublesome , whils t in other area s
I believe they call in what is known as a ‘house dresser’
or ‘house doctor’. Here, a house not selling might just
as well be put down to negative energies, troublesome

spi rits or e ven the il l-wish o f a beg rud ged w itch, as it

would p o o r taste in decor or excess clutter. I m yself
receive, on a regular basis, requests for curse-lifting.
Th is, al ongside magic fo r matt ers o f love, is the m ost
requested magic. What may be said to have changed is
the request to divi ne and u nc ov er th e identity o f the
ill-wisher, a request often put to historical Cornish
practitioners. People today, for whatever reason, seem
con tent to just have the curse they are conv inc ed they ar e

suffering from removed and to receive protection from

31
 T rad itiona l W itchcraft — Cornish Took of Ways

future ill-wishing. This is not always the case though,

for such requests do arise on occasion but it must be
said they are a rarity. Despite this slight change and the
rel ati ve decrease in cli entel e, the W ise Folk o f Co rnw all
have gone nowhere. Slight change and decrease are not
by any st retch o f the ima gination the same thing a s
extinction. Neither can they be used to argue any un
authent ici ty o f con tem pora ry prac tice. Th is last matt er
is als o true o f the presence o f ‘o f f the sh e lf’ magi cal
and occult texts avail able to con tem po rary practit ioners,
w hen one consid ers that m uch o f the w orkin g know ledge
o f hist orical C orn ish C unn ing folk, regardi ng th e det ails
o f ritual practice, writt en charm s, planetary virt ues and
the like, is known to have been learned from the well-
kno wn grim oires that were read ily av ail able i n the 1 9thC
from book dealers by mail order. Being inspired by
published material is thus no deviation from tradition,
it is simply the case that modern practitioners need to
exercise greater discernment given the extraordinarily
vast and div erse te xts available today. Tra ditio nally
incli ned practitioners tend anyway to draw from materi al
complimentary to the preserved and established lore of

their local Craft.

Som e have also att empted to organise an d ‘p igeonh ole’
Cornish magical practitioners into distinct categories,
each having their own distinct skills; Cunning Folk,
Charmers, White Witches, Conjurers and Pellars - the
m ost pow erful o f all. In rea lity ho w ever thes e terms were
qui te i nterchangeabl e; Tam sin Blight, one o f Co rnw all’ s
most famous practitioners, was recorded under most
o f thes e labels at one time or ano ther. T h e ski lls th at
w ere offered did diffe r, som etim es only slightly, fr om

32
 Introduction — Cornwall’s Witch Heritage

practitioner to practitioner, but not with any real,

discernable or strictly adhered to hierarchical structure.
It was, and i s, a Craft o f service; em ploying w hatever
abilities were possessed by the individual practitioner
to provide for need, be it through divination, spirit
conjuration, the m aking o f charm s and s ubstances, t he
layi ng on o f hands o r the sending forth o f the spi rit.

33
 The Cunning Path
The Ta nd, the S er p en ta n d Becoming

H E Craft o f the Cornish wit ch an d Pe llar is one o f

practical ‘get thing s d on e’ magic, or what has been
called by others ‘operative’ or ‘results’ witchcraft.

T
Its practitioners; specialists in certain areas some, others
being ‘all-rou nd ers’, learn the practical ar ts o f physical
charm and substance mak ing to serve an a rray o f nee ds,
and magical ri tes fo r the exo rcisin g o f evil spir its, healing ,
the lifting o f curses, for m aking divinati ons and so fort h.
Such ways would be learned, by those with the calling,
either alone via intuit ion, awareness o f local tr aditional
pract ice and study o f magical t ext s, or via association and
an ‘apprentice’ like relationship with another practitioner,
be they a bl oo d relati ve or not. Sm all associations , societi es,
‘lodges’ and ‘hearths’ of traditional magical practitioners
are known to have existed across the globe, and so it
would seem re aso nable to assu m e that our culture should
be no different. However, where the Cornish Craft is
concern ed, the past unavai labi lity o f transpo rt and t he
har d working li ves o f the p oo r wou ld have m eant th at

the opportunity and free time for such gatherings and

35
 Traditi ona l W it chcraf t — A C ornish B o o k o f W ays

associations would be very scant indeed, and such things,

if they occurred, would have been extremely rare, very
small and ‘close-knit’. Certainly traditionalist groupings in
present day C ornw all, that exist with no such restri cti ons,
may be described in the same way.
Once learned, by whatever means, this traditional
Craft o f service was nearl y al ways provided in exchange
fo r a fee or trade; for the traditional Cr aft o f the village
practitioner in Cornwall, as in other areas, was primarily
a busine ss, ve ry much unl ike more m odern form s o f the
Craft which are primarily a religious pursuit and a form
o f spi ritual self -hel p.
A ll this is not to say that the w ay o f the traditional
Cornish witch is without its spiritual side, for the
relationship between the Pellar, the world of spirit and
the unseen for ces o f the land was, and sti ll is, a ver y
important working relationship.
In order to be able to do their job effectively; to work
magic, provide wisdom and divine people’s fortunes, the
witch ne eds first to develo p this rela tionship and becom e
attuned to bot h the physical and spirit ual reali ty o f the
lan d in wh ich they li ve. Th e turning o f the seasons, th e
potent forces within the land and the ‘hidden folk’ all

offer useful virtues, powers and wisdom that aid and

inform the Pellars’ Craft.
The Cunning Path is first trod out in the land where
the ‘nov ice Pella r’ is cal led t o go in search o f the na tura l
forces that will both em pow er and inform the ir Craft. Fo r
the Cornish witch, one of the most potent and useful
forces is know n as the R ed S erpent or S a rf RJ ith. T h is is th e
spir it force o r ‘sp row l’ t hat flow s within the lan d, ani mates
all living things and empowers the spirit within all natural

things; for traditional Cornish witchcraft is an animist

36
 The C unning Pat h

path which acknowledges spirit within such things as

stones, streams and buildings. Detecting and harnessing
the serpentine flo w is o f g reat i m portan ce to the Pe llar,
and they must kn ow the ways to thi s and the places where
this force will be best drawn forth. The desire to seek
these energies and draw upon them, and indeed the ability
to do so, should be naturally held within the true witch.
It is a thing ‘deeply kno wn ’ and th e ways o f it are not
easi ly put into words. O ften it i s just a case o f fine-t uning
familiar senses, desires and abilities within those who are
starting their way along the path, rather than something
alien having to be learned from scratch.
It i s a regul ar pr acti ce o f witches in C ornw all to walk
out into the land to gather sprowl to aid and empower
their Craft, such journeys may be known as ‘walking
the serpent path’ ; a path o f po w er and chthonic gnosi s.
The Pellar are very sensitive to the landscape in which
the y live and they kno w well t he pl aces o f po w er around
them from where the sprowl can be best drawn forth and
stored for later use; this is how the Cornish witch gathers
power. The highly important tool - the Pellar’s staff is
the traditional companion upon the serpent path, as the
sprowl may be drawn forth and stored within this as well

as within the bod y o f the Pel lar. T h e w inding serpent-l ike

paths that flow and meander through fields and valleys,
alongsi de and through the magical thorn-hedge, follow ing
streams or along the towering and dramatic sea cliffs, are
commonly travelled by the witch who ‘picks up’ sprowl
along the way. These serpentine tracks also have magical
and meditative uses. The hills, bolder strewn cams and
other high places, where the serpent will coil cone-like
in the land, are also places where this potent force may

be accessed in abundance as well as within the ancient

37
 Traditional Witchcraft — Cornish Book of Ways

stone circles where the serpent is literally danced alive by

the ci rcumam bulati ons o f the wi tch. In Co rnwa ll t hes e
ancient circles are known as ‘dancing stones’ and this is
the litera l translat ion o f the Co rnish name for th e fam ous
Merry Maidens stone circle; Dans Maen. The granite
stones o f these anci ent and pote nt places contain a high
quartz content which is held by the Wise to attract, and
‘po ol’ t he s erpent ine flow o f sprowl .
T h e ‘serpent o f the la nd’ may b e an an cient cousin o f
the m ode rn co ncep t o f ‘leys ’. An other, older rel ative is
perhaps the ‘fairy paths’, ‘ghost roads’, ‘spirit paths’ or
‘corpse roads’. These linear tracks link ancient tumuli, hill
forts and burial grounds and even solitary thorn bushes.
Budding upon them or obstructing them was taboo and
sure to bring ill fortune for they were held to be where
the spi rits o f the dead would travel acro ss the land, and
those that lead to churchyards were processional funeral
routes for carrying the body to burial. These spirit tracks
hearken back to the ancestral processional routes across
the ancient ritual landscape, and for the Pellar who walks
such pathways, or holds vigil upon them, they offer
com m union with th e powers, s pirits, and wisdo m o f the
places li nked up on thei r ways. O n the ‘high nights’, wh en
the gates between the worlds may swing ajar, the Pellar
might ob serv e the old tradi tion o f holding vigil in t he
churchyards; to see who in the village would die within
the com ing mon ths b y looking for thei r spi rit approaching
up on the ‘corp se ro ad’ . It was also the practice o f the
Co rnish w itch to co nd uct spir it divi nations by sitti ng up on
a stone sti le on a know n fairy path i n ord er to interrogate
passing spirits for wisdom.
W isdom m ay also be gleaned fr om the serpent. A t
times, especially at the f ull o f the m oo n whe n the serpent

38
 The C unning Pat h

is most potent and generative, the Wise are drawn down

into th e opening s o f the eart h; dow n into th e sea c ave s,
fogous and the holy wells, for in these damp, dark wombs
o f the land a hypno tic force is sues fo rth from the serpent
and ‘pools’ in abundance, this is known as the ‘serpents
breath’ or simply ‘snake breath’. In such places haunted
by the ‘breath’, the Wise dro wse in t his force to com mu ne
with the ‘earth spirit’ an d re ceive visio ns, hear v oic es, heal
and make magic.
In th e ti me approaching new m oon the Serpent becom es
an introspective and consumptive force; the Pellar needs
to take great care with it for it can be a destructive force,
but if util ise d wisely the dar k serpen t can be a u sefu l force
for tradi tiona l ‘get -rid -of ’ magic, introspective v ision and

underworld encounters with the spirit folk.

The ability to work with ‘spirit force’ and the serpent,
and indeed to better detect and perceive such things,
requires t he wit ch to enter a stat e o f mind w hich takes
the consciousness slightly ‘between the worlds’, or, as
Cornish witches put it, ‘between the horns’ or ‘between
the Buccas’. This has also become known within the
Tradi tiona l Cra ft a s the ‘ mystery o f Be com ing ’. T h e witc h
beco m es m ore acutely awar e o f not only the physicali ty

o f thei r surroun ding s but the spir itual or ethereal reali ty

o f ‘all ’, al ong with a stron g sense o r real isa tion tha t they
are conn ected to and part o f ‘all ’, both in spi rit and in
phys icality, t o the furthest reaches — a state o f being
cent ral to man y Cu nnin g tradit ions o f the British Isle s.
Fo r the witch, thi s stat e o f awareness between the worl ds
and connection to ‘all’ is not restricted by distance. This
is wh at al lows the witch to perfo rm acts o f ‘di stant m agic’
or ‘absent healing’ and to direct their Will and power to
w herever it is needed, to bring about the desired magical

39
 Traditi ona l W it chcraft — Cornish Book of Ways

change in an act that is known as ‘sending forth the

spirit’. Only when the witch has achieved this ability, can
they then focus their intent upon the target and utilise
and direct their powers, in accordance with their Will, to
effect changes upon places, beings and objects.
A s well as bein g proficient in ‘hands on healing’, m any
o f the Cunning Folk o f Cornw all were known to pra ctice
act s o f absent heal ing in t his way through ‘B eco m ing’ ,
indeed one may hear o f Charm ers i n Corn wa ll successf ully
healing clients as far away as Australia. Often, during an
act o f dist ant magi c, the practitioner will make use o f
such thi ngs as cords, stones, candles and pins or ‘p op pe ts’
representing the magical target. This gives the physical
body, in particular the hands, something to do in tune
with the workin g, whilst the m agical Will and intent is
‘sent fo rth ’ to the ac tual target o r recipient o f the spell ;
often w ith the ai d o f a famili ar spi rit.
Seeking to perfect and maintain this natural ability
should be at fir st the sole w ork o f the novice witc h, fo r
w ithout this a bility no magic o r d iv in ato ry work is possible.
E ac h practi tioner wil l have th eir own way o f Beco m ing
and it becomes a quick and instinctive function for the
experienced witch; only the individual can know when
this has been achieved. There are traditional techniques
that c an ai d the achi evement o f Bec om ing, using t ools ,
ritual m ove m ent and th e burning o f certai n her bs. Fo r
some, simply standing and feehng a connection with
the land below and the sky above, letting the mind slip
to a place betwixt, can induce Becoming. Another way
is t o do the same, but i nstead o f being sti ll, one might
walk a slo w sinistral or anti-clo ckwise circle, fo r all
repetitive movements and tasks are helpful, turning the
consciousness away from the everyday, rational world, to

40
 The Cunning Pa th

a place between the worlds. This method may also have

the ben efit, i f it is done well, o f sti rring and gathering
sprowl, which can be drawn upon when the desired state
o f m ind is achieved.
A traditional Cornish w it ch es’ tool useful for inducin g
trance s and th e sta te o f Be co m ing i s the Tr oy Stone;
also known as a ‘Mazey Stone’ from the Cornish ‘mazed’
meaning to be o f a maddened, en-tr anced or int oxi cated
state. Th is is traditi onally a sla b o f slate carve d with a
uni-cursal labyri nth. O ne m eth od o f use i s to s it w ith the
stone on the l ap, or on a ta ble o f com fortab le h eight in a
room lit dimly by a single candle, and to slowly follow the
labyrinth’s path repeatedly in and out with the left index
finger whilst rocking or swaying gently and humming
rhythmically.
However, by far the best way to achieve the states of
mind and natural wisdom useful to the witch is to simply
be in the land, to walk, find a place to setde, maybe in a
pla ce o f liminali ty —‘places betw een’ seen by the W ise a s
useful intersections between the worlds; such as a break
in a hedge, a stile, upon a cliff or beside a stream, and
simply sit, watch, feel and listen, but try not to think too
much! One must become quiet in body and in thought to
be rece pti ve to the wisdo m that deep ob servation o f the
com ings and goin gs o f nat ure can bring, and t he potent
forces o f the landscape so vital to t he wo rking o f the
Craft. It is difficult to put such things into words; for the
way o f the W ise is instinctive and intuitive. It is the mark
o f the tr ue witch for such thing s to com e natural ly a nd
for it to be part o f on e’s na tur al behaviou r to seek thi s
relationship with the land.

41
 The Dead and the Otherworld
The Faery Faith in Cornwall

O D A Y in Cornwall, a t lea st a vague knowledge

o f the Pis kies , Kn ock ers and Spri ggans as q uai nt

T
elements o f Co rnish folklore and legend is f airly
wid esp read; however, active belie f and observance o f the
Cornish ‘Faery Faith’ is extremely rare, and only survives
amongst a ver y few o f the very elder ly and o f course the
witch es, Cunnin g, W ise-folk an d Pellar o f Cornwall.
In Cornwall, the Otherworld is never far away, it
exis ts just at the l iminal edge o f no rm al sigh t, wh ere the
otherworldly comings and goings may occasionally be

gli mpsed out o f the corner o f on e’s eye. Slippi ng from

this world into Annown, often quite accidentally, was
never as difficult a thing as it may sound.
For the Cornish, the Piskies, have always been the
spirits o f the dead ; a Piskie and a gh ost were seen as bei ng
very m uch the same thing. It m ay confidently be said that
Cornwall was long a place of dual-observance; for whilst
the populace would almost always have professed to be
good Christians, there is absolutely nothing Christian
about the F ae ry F aith, and i t was staunchly and steadfas tly

43
 Trad it ional W it chcraft — A . C o rnish B o o k o f W ays

beli eved i n, a nd observ ed, by th e ordinary folk o f Cornw all

until re latively recently .
For the very Christian folk, who believed the souls
o f the dead mu st go to heaven, thei r paral lel be lief in
the Otherworld and the Piskies presented a problem; a
solution had to be found to accommodate these strong
old beliefs which refused to be buried. One solution
they thought up was that the Piskies were the spirits of
the ancient dead, our Pagan ancestors who dwell in the
O therwo rld re ality o f the Co rnish landscape, along si de
the livi ng a nd havi ng no kno wledge o f the hea ven o f the
Christians. One old story collected by William Bottrell,
‘Fairy Dwelling on Selena Moor’, illustrates this view; the

Piskies a re described as being “ not o f our rel igion but

star-worshipp ers” . O ther notions arose tha t the Piskie s
were the spirits o f un-b aptised ch ildren w ho could not
be admitted i nto heaven , yet had not live d lon g enou gh to
commit any sins to warrant their going to hell. Another
interesting Christian justification for the Piskies was that
the y were the ol d Pagan G od s o f Co rnw all and t hat since
the b irt h o f Ch rist they had been forev er diminishing in
size, until they became muryans (ants), and would one
day vanish altogether. It was thus taboo in Cornwall to
destroy a muryans’ nest, and it was believed that if a
piece o f tin w ere placed in such a nest duri ng the t ime
of the new moon, the old Gods, in their ant-form, still
had enough power left to turn the tin into silver. This is
interesting, for it is not normally the case for Christians
to acknowledge th e exis tence o f other Go ds , or t o pay
them respe ct through thei r harm ing being hel d taboo, nor
to retain faith in their magical powers to transform the
base into the precious. All this would again seem to point

44
 The D ea d and the Othe rwor ld

to at titudes o f dual-observan ce am ongst t he nominall y

Chris tian C orn ish populace.
T he attempts o f the new rel igi on to accom m odate
the Corn ish spir it wo rld o f the old were not taken on
board by everyone, and for many the Otherworld was
simply t he dwelli ng place o f the sp irits o f the d ead, an d
to becom e a Pis kie was the fa te o f all w ho pass from
the worl d o f the living. Th ere are accounts in Corn ish
stori es o f peo ple slippi ng ac cidental ly between the wo rlds
and ob servin g the act ivities o f the Piski es, wh ere am ong
their number are recognisable deceased loved ones and
the f amili ar faces o f the recend y dead, but no w in Piski e
form. D escriptions o f the Pis kies or ‘Pobel Vean’ ( sma ll
people) generally reveal them to be no more than two
feet in hei ght , the wo m en o f fai r com plexion, whilst t he
men are darker, swarthy in appearance. Red cloaks, or
someti mes caps and clot hes o f green ar e des cri bed. B y
night they are described as young and beautiful, but if
seen by day they appear old, wrinkled and liver-spotted.
Beh ind the lat er attempts o f C orn ish Christianit y to
explain and accommodate the Cornish spirit-world (and
we must be gratefu l that such attempts were mad e, fo r it

allowed, in however small a way, the old Faery Faith to

survive in Cornwall), there are very old death-traditions,
which maintain that the decease d remain as spirit fo lk
in Annown —the Otherworld, a world that was closely
interwoven with the wo rld o f the living. An interes ting
relationship existed between the ‘ordinary folk’ and the
inhabi tant s o f the Co rnish spirit wo rld and the re were a
few tradi tional ways o f int eract ion, which today cont inue
m ostly am ongst those o f the Cunning-way an d those f ew

elderly folk who remember.

45
 Trad it iona l W it chcraft — Cornish To ok o f Ways

Like all things, the Piskie have their light and their
dark sides. They were known to be compassionate to
the poor, and would hel p by carrying out much o f
their labours through the night such as threshing corn
or doing household chores. They were also known to
take vengeance on ric h folk w ho took advan tage o f the
poor. If, however, the Piskie knew they had been spied
upon whilst carrying out these helpful tasks, and were
rewarded, they would disappear and never return, for it
is a common thread that the Piskie hate being watched
by the living. The only permitted interaction was for the
living to make si mple off erings o f food and warm th to a
Piskie, and the Piskie would be beneficial to the running
o f the household, but otherwis e wished to be left well
alone.
Table scraps would often be left over night for the
Piskie, o n the hearth (the ancient al tar and srcinal sacred
centre o f the home) o r at the back doo r. A special treat
for them was milk and a saffron bun with a knob of
butter on i t. Acco un ts in Corn wall te ll o f cats bein g ill
after drinking milk left out for a Piskie, who would have
drunk the ‘astral’ part of it; what remained would have

disagreed with any living being who drank it, thus the
physi cal remai ns o f the se offeri ngs wou ld be best poured
away on the earth outside or buried the next morning. On
part icul arly c old and sto rm y nig hts , old Co rnish folk have
been know n to put down a go o d fire o f furze ( gor se) to
provide the wandering spirits some comfort. Given that
the Piskie were seen as th e spir its o f the dead, the re gular
provision of food offerings and comforting fires could
be viewed as the survival of a form of ancestor worship
amongst the Cornish.

46
 The D ea d and th e Othe rworld

Piskie are also known for their mischievous tendencies;

causing knocks and tapping noises around the cottage
was a com m on annoya nce , as was the hiding o f small
househo ld objects . Th e usual remed y fo r th is was to make
food offerings to the spirits to calm their behaviour. A
local Pellar could also be called in to provide, in exchange
for the app ropriate fee, a spi rit hou se to calm troub lesom e
spirits and keep them content.
A nother Piskie mischief, often suffe red by fo lk in
Corn wa ll, a nd I admit to having been a victim m yself, was
that o f becom ing ‘Piski e-l ead’. Th ere are many tal es o f
people walking out in some lonely place when a strange
mist descended and the walker completely lost their
path, even if it was a route well known to them, often
leaving the vicdm walking around in a circle for hours —
a frustrating and sometimes frightening ordeal that still
occurs to day. Such occurrences o f being Piski e-le ad may
occ ur at the liminal ti mes o f midnight or dusk, fo r the se
times are when the veil between the worlds grows even
thinner and the pat hs o f humans and the spi rits may m ore
easily cross. The traditional defence against being Piskie-
lead was to turn an a rtic le o f cloth ing inside-out. Usual ly,

to stop the situation once it had begun a glove would be

turne d inside-out and thrown to the grou nd, w here by the
mists would clear and the path would again be found. It
became a common practice for folk to wear their coats
inside out when walking from one village to another at
night. O ther tale s tel l o f time s wh en a human, ou t at nigh t,
has acc identa lly com e u pon a gathering o f the Piskie, for
the y are fond o f holding ‘fairs’ wh ere music, dancing a nd
feasting are enjoyed in some haunted and isolated spot.
Such spir it revel s remind one o f the O therwo rldly Sabbat ic

47
 Tra ditional W it chcraft — Cornish To ok o f Ways

gather ings o f witc hes. I f the human on looker made th eir

presence known, the spirit gathering would vanish in an
instant, and the human might be subjected to torments
from many unseen hands, ranging from being relentlessly
pinched to receiving a sound beating! Following tradition,
the vi ctim wou ld struggl e to rem ove a pie ce o f clothing
to turn inside out and stop the torment. Tales such as
thes e ag ain served to warn the Co rnish o f the da ngers o f
spying on the a cti vities o f the Piskie Folk.
Co rnish witches have knowledge o f an oi ntment c alled
‘Piskie Ointment’ which, if used to anoint the corner
o f one eye, all ows the user to see the sp irits norm ally
invisible to the living. This green salve is made from a
reci pe o f herbs wh ich some say are best gather ed from
K erris moor. O nce made i t must be pou red i n to a croggan
(limpet shell) to set. As Cornish tradition maintains; the
Piskie cannot abide the sea, nor things that come from
it, they will not be able to steal the ointment in order to
prevent the witch from spying on them. Cornish witch-
lore teaches thou gh, that the use o f this ointm ent i s ve ry
dangerous for two reasons: It can entrap the user into
an obsessive desire to watch the spirit world, and lose
interest in th e world o f the l iving, a nd secondl y, the user
must take the strongest care not to react in any way to
w hat th ey see o f the sp irits’ goin gs on. T h ey must act as
if they are oblivious to them, for if the Piskie become
aware that they are being spied upon they will strike the
anointed eye and it shall be rendered blind thereafter.
T he Kn ock ers, spi rits o f the mine s, were another
Cornish spirit tribe whose existence interwove with that
o f livi ng folk. T he se u nde rgroun d spi rits were sai d to
be the spi rits o f the a ncient miners, w ho w ere content
to remain in a playful sta te, forev er in t he dep ths o f

48
 Above;
The H elston home o f
Cornish ivitch; Tammy Blee

L e ft;
Phot o po rtrait o f H elston Rom any
W ise-woman; G ranny Boswel l.
Im age courtesy o f the M use um o f
W itchcraft
 A b o ve;
The C orni sh W ise-wom an t ableaux
in the M useu m o f W itchcraf t, Boscastle, N o rth C ornw all
Top; The R ocky Vall ey; a place o f windi ng pa ths, a qua rto-st rewn str eam, o f
sprowl an d the serpen t’s breath; a ll so ver y use ful to the w ork o f the wit ch.
Rottom ; T he Rock y V alley V abyr inths, thought an cie nt by some, a n d to have
been carved by a 17 th C ‘witch cu lt’ by othe rs
 Chu nQ uoit - The H ouse on t he Dow ns
(3500- 2500 B C)
A n ancestor sp irit dwelling o f the C ornish Lan dscape
 D a n s M aen , the M err y M aid ens dan cing stones
near the village o f S t B ury an

S k u ll used t o repre sent the B ucca during outdoo r ritual s,

an d Bucc a figu re carved fo r the auth or by B el Bucca

.
The author ’s hear th - a w orki ng place o f pow er
in the ho me o f the t ra ditiona l witch

‘Fuggy H o le’
The long pas sag e o f C am Tinny To go
The m agical and he aling A lsia H oly W ell
nea r S t Buryan
 Top;
Bosca w en AJn (the elder tree on the dow ns) stone circle
ne ar S t B ury an.

A b o ve;
A fe llo w w itch assists the author to ‘b ir th ’ a m ag ical item fo r a client,
the M en-a n-tol (stone with t he h ole), kno w n als o as T h e D ev il’ s Eye’
 The D ea d and the Otherworld

the earth. Miners would take great care to please the

Knockers, for those who gained their favour would be
lead by t he spirits’ tapping noises to rich l odes o f ore, so
they wou ld leave a po rtion o f their crou st (lun ch) to the
Kn ock ers. Sw earing or sho uting in thei r presence was said
to anger them and would ensure bad luck in the mine.
Given the extremely hazardous nature of mining, these
taboos would be obeyed with some enthusiasm.
Spriggan s ar e another tribe o f Co rnish spir its w ho se
path s shou ld ho pefu lly never have to cross those o f the
living; for these entities are the fearsome spirit guardians
o f Corn w all’s sacred l andscape, and t he hidden tre asures
of the ancient peoples. They are remarkably effective
in st riki ng terror into th e hear ts o f those w ho atte mpt
to damage the places o f pow er, or dig t he anci ent si tes
in sear ch o f treasur e. Le gen d tells o f swarm s o f tiny
Spriggans emerging from the land, and rapidly growing
to giganti c stat ure to fri ghten o f f those di gging for
treasure. When the terrified treasure-hunter returned to
the site they would find the hole they had dug filled in
and re-turfed, with no sign that the ground had ever been
disturbed.
In 1907 a farmer, who owned the field in which the
Merry Maidens, stand decided to clear the ancient circle
in order to make the field more workable and increase
its value. The farm workers were reluctant, fearing the
pow er o f such places , but the farm er insi sted and thr ee
shire horses were brought in to pull the stones from the
ground . W hen they were hitc hed up, and began to pu ll on
the first stone, the lead horse was struck by sudden panic
and fell down dead. No further attempts were made to
clear the site.

49
“H orn ed Fucca, both D a rk and Fair, D ivine Androgyn e, be in a ll
hearts an d on the tip o f every tongue. For jo u r time has come again as it
does with the beginning of each moment. ’’JackDaw

“... The breasts o f Ven us and the loins o f Pan,

The antique world kn ew theefo r Goddess-God.
M ystery manifest o f woman-man,
Fou nd thee o f old the sacred dance we tro d... ”
From Doreen Valiente’s Hermaphrodite Panthea
 T he B uc c a

H E H orned On e is hel d as witch- deit y in ch ief in

most ‘Old Craft’ recensions and expressions, and

T
as th e ve ry initiator o f the Cun ning Path i tself . In
Britain the old rural witch es’ go d w as o ften referred to as
‘Devil’, and this is still the case for many Crafters in many
areas and is still true in Cornwall.
T he D ev il o f the tradit iona l witch i s not qui te t he
same thi ng, o f course, a s the Sata n o f ‘Chu rchianity’,
but is instead intended as the old chthonic folk-god of
the land my steries and o f season al changes (particular ly

the Autumn and Winter months), weather (particularly

storms), death mysteries and the unseen forces and gnosis
of use to witchcraft.
This concept of deity as the very embodiment of the
land mysteries and the spir it o f nature is fou nd in th e
beliefs of the Romany folk, for whom God is D eve l and
the Earth is D e D ev ele ski; the Divine Mother. The ways,
beli efs and magic o f the Ro m and th e witch have many
similarities and it is certainly true that many practicing
Cunning folk were, and are, of Romany stock.

51
 Trad it ional W it chcraf t — Cornish Took of Ways

To traditional witches and Cunning folk in Cornwall,

in particular the Penwith region, the old Horned One
is known as Тисса, and in West Devon as Tuckie. The
meanings o f this mysterious and misun derstood deit y are
complex and have been lost to most. Commonly thought
of today as a kind of Cornish goblin or ‘naughty elf’,
but still acknowledged as a powerful deity in Cornwall by
those few aligned to Cunning practice and the Pellar way.
The most common misinterpretation is that Bucca
was a sea deity. T h is idea has arisen chiefly from the fact
that some fishermen in Newlyn used to offer a portion
o f the ir cat ch to Bu cca o n the sand and at the no w lost
Park-an-Grouse; The Field of the Cross’, which is an area
o f N ew lyn wh ere a stone cross once stood and was a
focus for B u cc a’s vener ati on. Th e exact l ocat ion o f this
site in Newlyn is now unknown. To offer something to
a sea deity that already belonged to it in the first place
just doesn’t seem to fit, and ritual offerings to the sea
are usual ly o f land produce such as a le or flowers. Also,
offerings to the sea would normally be made to the sea
itself, not to a cross on the land and (as anyone who lives
in Cornwall should know) any fish left on the sand would
stand a ve ry slim chance i ndeed o f remaining the re l ong
enough to be claimed by the incoming tide; they would
more likely be swiped by the ever watchful seagulls who,
by some unknown magic, descend en-masse out of
now here the ver y m om ent som ething eve n vaguely ed ibl e
hits the ground.
A s well as fish erm en, fa rm ers also made offerin gs to
Bucca. ‘M ou thfuls’ o f ale wou ld be spi lled upon the ground
and a portion o f bread thr own over the left s houlder t o
ens ure a go od har vest . Areas o f farm land were sac rif ice d
and left to grow wild to become ‘Bucca’s Land’. The area

52
 The Bucca

known as ‘Chybucca’, meaning ‘Bucca’s Dwelling’, near

Truro is about as inland as mid-west Cornwall gets. The
site m ay once have been the location o f som e B u cca ’s
Land. Farmers are very unlikely to have been bothered
at all about sea deities and much less likely to sacrifice a
po rtion o f thei r land t o one. H ow ever, one thing that is
o f vital con cern to both fisherm en and farmers ali ke is
the weather. This reveals that Bucca is more properly a
go d o f the weathe r, much o f w hich comes in land over
the sea, rather than a sea deity specifically.
In Cornish lore, Bucca manifests in the mysterious
duality of Bucca Gwidder and Bucca Dhu; the White
God and the Black God. Bucca Dhu is synonymous with
the D ev il o f British folk belief , and is ass ociated with

storms and the winter months, whilst Bucca Gwidder

may be associated with fair weather, nourishing rains and
the summ er mo nths. A s storm s com e rolli ng in acr oss the
land, it is said that Bucca Dhu is riding. On dark and cold
night s o f w inter , Bu cca D hu is al so described as r iding a
great black horse w ith blazing red eyes and sm ok y bre ath.
Such lore surrounding Bucca Dhu is cognate with the
wid espre ad fo lk traditions o f the D evil and O din /W oden,
as leaders o f the Wild Hu nt, which in British tr adition
runs along the Abbot’s Way towards Cornwall; the last
stop en route to t he Otherw orld. E ac h o f thes e figur es
is heavily associated with the winter months, stormy
nights, the death mysteries and passage to and from the
Otherworld:

‘intimations o f his approach can perhaps be sensed in dark

windswept woods in early winter, when the roar of the gale shakes
the tree tops and cloud-rack scuds over the coldstars —it is then that
one truly knows that he is hunting.. . ” N igel A ldcroft Jackson,
Call o f the H orn ed Piper .

53
 Tra ditional W it chcraft — Cornish Bo ok o f W ajs

The old associations between Bucca Dhu, the Devil

and Odin, come together in the traditions surrounding
another mysterious location in Newlyn - the Tolcarne.
K n ow n also as ‘Th e D ev il’s R oc k ’, the Tolcarne is a nat ura l
outcropp ing o f roc ks, hig h above St. Peter’ s Church. Th e
leg end o f ‘T h e D evil at the To lcarne’ t ells o f the da y
the devil fancied indulgi ng in a spot o f fishi ng and so
stole nets from the Newlyn and Mousehole fishermen.
W hen his theft was discovered, the D evil was pursued by
mem bers o f Pau l Church choir w ho cha nte d th e Ap ostle’s
Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. Distracted by this din, the
devil tripped and left his footprint and markings from the
nets in the rock where they fell. Furious, the Devil stood
and flapped his great wings whilst fiercely spitdng at the
choir; “BUCKAH! BUCKAH! BUCKAH!!!’ emitting all
the time fire and sulpherous fumes from his mouth.
Another tradition, ‘T h e Tolc arne T roll’, tells o f an
enti ty dw elling within the rock itse lf ‘since the time o f
the Phoenicians’. The Tolcarne Troll is interestingly
known locally as ‘Odin the wanderer’, and is described
as ‘pleasant faced’ and dressed in a tight-fitting hooded
leather jerkin. According to local lore, it was possible to
call upon the Tolcarne troll by reciting a secret Cornish
charm w hilst holding thr ee dr ied le aves; one o f oak, one
o f ash, and one o f thor n. O nce calle d, the Tolcarn e tro ll
had the power to grant insight into one’s past lives by
revealing himself as the enquirer in any state they had
existed in previous incarnations. All one had to do was
name the age or period.
Heavily associated with such Otherworldly and stormy
divinities as Bucca Dhu/Devil and Odin, is the horse.
Within the Cunnin g Craft traditions there exists a wealth
o f magica l equi ne lore i n wh ich the horse i s emblem atic

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 The Bucca

o f the vehi cle via which p ow er may tra vel for th. In
Heathen practice the horse became the vehicle for the
po wer o f blasting, via th e ‘spite stake’ — being the sk ull
of a horse, set open jawed upon a pole and, stood facing
the dir ecti on o f the quarry o f the curse or ba nishment.
H orse skul ls, and carved w ood en repres entat ions o f horse
heads, were also commonly hung high within the rafters
o f stabl es and l ivestock shelters, placed a bo ve entrances ,
or burie d beneath thresholds and em ployed as ‘concealed
charm s’, all as pow erful fet ishes o f protection. H orse
skulls were also placed beneath, or even in, the sick bed;
thus we see the horse was regarded as the vehicle also for
the protections and healing blessings of the divine force.
O ften it i s the skull o f a mare that is spec ifically ca lled
for; to protect the garden, encourage the healthy and
abundant grow th o f pla nts, herbs and crops, an d to
ward o f f verm in , the skull o f a mare was to be stood
upon a pole within the garden. Such a charm reveals the
Traditional Cra ft associ ations o f the mare skul l as vessel
and representati on o f the G od d es s o f the fer tile and
verdant earth.
Th e w itch’ s staf f, with in m ost expressi ons o f the
Traditional persuasion, is known as ‘the horse’. Here the
witch’s sta ff is co gnate with Yggdrasil — ‘the horse o f
the hanged’ or ‘Odin’s horse’, via which the ways below,
above, and t he fou r ways o f the middl e world m ay b e
traversed and their virtues accessed. Thus the horse
becomes the vehicle by which the Pellar may go forth in
egress, and the vessel by which the virtues and powers
are brou gh t int o the circle. T h ru st into the centre o f the
circle, plunging deep into the chthonic waters, running
up through the middle world where the cross-roads meet,
and rising up into the heavens; here are embodied within

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 Traditional Witchcraft — A C o rn ish B o o k o f W ays

the sta ff the thr ee fem inine principles o f w ater , earth and
air. V ia these, the masculine principle o f fiery force and
‘witch power’ may be drawn forth, from the depths to the
heights. Likewise, these feminine principles are embodied
within the traditional broom o f the witch; constructe d o f
an ashen staff (air), a birch brush (earth) and bound by
willo w (water). T h e traditional feminine broom becom es
the st eed and veh icle o f fiery sexual for ce and spir it flight
between the worlds, and is thus the ‘bridge’ in and out of
the witch’s circle.
Within the circles o f the Cunning, the mare is not only
the vehi cle o f force and virtue, be i t drawn in or sent
forth via th e shaft o f staf f, broom , wand or cord, an d a
means o f traversing the worlds, she is emblematic al so o f
the dark G od de ss as vehic le o f the ‘wild hunt’ and ni ght
terrors. He r face i s that also o f the Ank ow , draw ing her
death-cart to convey souls to the Otherworld. Hers is also
the white face o f the fert ile go dd ess o f the verdant ea rth;
cross culturally also associated with seasonal change, the
passage o f the sun, and t he ver y vehicl e o f its cyc lic journey
o f grow th and dec line through th e year. T he Hindu god
o f the s un, Surya, i s drawn forth by seven mares, vehicl es
o f fiery divine force and seasonal change s. C lose r to

home
Brittanyweand
have
in the skull-topped
Wales; where thepole ‘Oss Mari
various tradition,
Lwyd in—
‘G re y M are’ —‘O sses dance through the st reets around the
W inter Solstice; the time o f the sun’s death and rebirth.
The pole ‘Oss tradition exists also in West Cornwall
where it is under revival. In Penwith, the Penglaz —‘G rey
Head’ —‘Osses have over the past eighteen or so years
re-emerged to attend seasonal festivals with striking mare
skulls crowned with appropriate greenery and draped
in tatters. They stalk and leap through the streets with a
‘Teazer’, who, within one particular festival, interestingly

56
 The и сса

became known to some locally as ‘The Bucca’. Whilst a

Penglaz ‘O ss, as a revived figure, is essentially a mystery; a
potent set o f sym bolism is undou btedly presented, a nd it
is only inescapable human nature to find meaning in such
symbols; a process that has over the years undoubtedly
occurred. It is perhaps fortuitous that Penglazes fit
very nicely with already extant traditions o f the mare
as representative o f seasona l pas sage , the mare skul l as
a protective fetish o f divine blessing, the hors e as t he
veh icle o f pow er and likewise traditionally the vehicle o f
Bucca Dhu, the Devil and Odin.
Within Ros A n Bucca, and the beliefs and practices o f
others within the Cornish Craft, Bucca Dhu is the storm
god associated with the winter months, the inner worlds,

introspection, dark and defensive magic and the new

moon. Bucca Dhu is seen to rule from Allantide to May’s
Eve. Bucca Gwidder is thus the fair god, associated with
fair weather, the summer months, light nourishing rains,
generative and healing magic and the full moon. Bucca
Gwidder is seen to rule from May’s Eve to Allantide.
Both Bucca Gwidder and Bucca Dhu however are
associated traditionally with mischief and unpredictability
(re minis cent rathe r o f Co rnw all’ s remarkabl e and fam ously
chang eabl e weat her ). This may be seen a s som ething o f
a paradox when considering Bucca Dhu’s introspective
association; however, introspection can take us to the
deep er ani mali stic parts o f ou r being.
Bucca Gwidder and Bucca Dhu together embody the
opposing forces within nature and within ourselves, the
flip- side o f each other; light- dark, li fe-death, gene ration-
consumption, above-below etc. There is much wisdom
to be gained in meditating on the opposing forces of
Bucca Gwidder and Bucca Dhu; they are both intimately
bound, each leading both from and to the other: Light

57
 Tra ditional W it chcraft — Cornis h Bo ok o f Ways

emerges from the darkness, life leads ultimately to death

from where life re-emerges, generation must be fuelled
by consumption and what is generated will itself be
consumed, as above so below... An understanding of
this leads on to the realisation that the opposing are
but different points o f one process; opposite e nds o f a
jo urn ey are still one jo urn ey an d ultimately are the same
thing, j ust as opp osite points o f a circ le are s till one circle,
thus mystically Bucca Gwidder is Bucca Dhu; light is
dark, life is death, generation is consumption and above
is below.
Here w e m ay ulti mately fi nd in Bu cc a a mystic tr ipli city;
for Bucca Gw idder an d Bucca Dh u conjoi n in Bucca Gam ;
The Grand Bucca and the great Horned Androgyne, the

Sabbatic Goat and Goddess-God of the witch-way. For

some the Grand Bucca is simply referred to as Bucca,
being t he wh ole, with th e two o pp osing aspects o f that
whole bein g given the distinction o f B ucca G w id der and
Bucca D hu. In B uc ca we find th e resolving o f all opposites,
the traditional candle betwixt the horns symbolising the
light o f A ll-W isdo m ’, and the myst ic s tate o f ‘O ne-
pointe dne ss’ wh ich i s th e ult imat e goal o f the witch an d
is the light that illumines the Cunning Path. This state is

achi evedmby
to beco e bthe process
alanced andowho
f resolving altha
le, rat her l opposites wi thin
n po lari sing an d
separating op po sites; stic king them firmly a t either end o f
an enormous imaginary pole, as has become the practice
in s om e mo dern form s o f the Craft. T h e Pell ar will see k
inwardly in their rites to become both female and male,
dark and light, below and above and so forth in an act
o f inner al chemy. T o e m bo dy this is a huge task, and i s
literally to seek to become ‘as the gods’, but nevertheless
to wa lk th e path o f the Cu nn ing is to stri ve ever towards
the light o f w isdom betwixt the horns o f oppose.

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 The Bucca

The Androgyne of the Wise, the Rebis, Double Matter

and Hermaphrodite are well known to Alchemy, where
transce ndence o f g ender a nd t he resolving o f opposites
are taught in the search for the Occultum Tapidem , the
‘Hidden Stone’, seen by some to represent the attainment
of ‘All-Wisdom’. However the acknowledgment of
Hermaphrodite or Androgyne Deities may be seen to
be relatively rare within Occult circles today. The most
well known exam ple o f the D ivine A ndro gyne today is
perhaps the Baphomet; as depicted famously by Eliphas
Levi.
Th e worshi p o f the whit e an d bl ack Go at-G od s
how ever was widespread am ongst witches worldwide , an d
the goat image remains central to many Craft traditions
today, although the true meaning behind the light betwixt
the horns has been largely forgotten.
Could Bucca possibly have srcins in a worldwide
ancient androgyne or dualistic goat-form deity? We find
traditional names for the Goat-God in Britain that seem
to have a common derivation, such as Bwca, Pwca, Pouca
and Puck, the latter still being used in parts o f Ireland
to refer to a goat. Abroad we find examples; along the
northern bo rder o f Italy, witches acknow ledge a na ture
spirit in the form o f a great red go at with a white spot
betwixt the horns, possibly representing the light o f ‘all
w isdom ’. T h e names for this spirit are given variously as
Bee, Becco, Bouc, Boucan and Buc. In Sweden we have
the intriguingly named Bukkerwise, a mummers’ play
featuring the dying and resurrecting Goat-God, married
to the Que en o f the May. In Slavic Paganism we have the
twin gods Bielobog, or ‘white god’ and his shadow-self,
Czernobog, or ‘black god’ with the words ‘bog’ (god) and
‘bucca’ possibly sharing the same linguistic root.

59
 P l aces of Po w er

A N Y are the place s that provid e som e useful

virtue, w is dom or potency that the Pellar may
draw up on to aid them i n the wo rking o f the ir

M
Craft. Let us begin at home...

The Pellar’s Cottage

Th e h om e o f a vil lage pract itioner will often contain

sig ns o f the dom estic ingress and egress points between
the worlds, in such a home there is a pervading reminder
that the spirit realm is indeed always immanent. Charms
hang in the porta l points o f the hom e where otherwo rldly
forces may come and go; the windows, doors and at the
fire, to repel unwan ted or harm ful influe nce s and to att ract
helpful spirits and beneficial forces. Spirit houses adorn
shelves and hang from beams to occupy spirits that may
otherwise turn mischievous, or to ensure the continued
presence o f helpfu l spirits. In a dark and cob w ebb ed
corn er o f the cott age may lurk t he fearful tools o f

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 Trad it ional W it chcraft — A C o rn ish B o o k o f W ays

blasting, and black charms working their influence upon

wrongdoers, and the enemies o f the Charm er and those
o f thei r clients.
For our ancient ancestors, the hearth was at the very
cent re o f the hom e and al l dome sti c lif e, both mundane
and spiritual, operated around it. The hearth provides
warm th, fo od, and light in the dark. It gave life and thus
was re vered as the hallowed centre o f the home. Sacred
stories were told around the hearth-fire, guidance from
the spirits was divined within its flames and the hearth
was the very altar for all dom estic rites o f w orship and
com m union w ith th e gods, the land pow ers, and with the
beloved dead.
For the witches, Charmers and Cunning folk, the
hearth has retai ned man y o f these anci ent associations
and usages, and provides the ‘working surface’. Where
space is a n issue a noth er wo rking surface, ‘altar ’ or ‘sh rine’
may als o be arranged withi n a sui tab le spot . Som e o f
the tools o f charm ing may be kept at the hear th, ready
for use up on the arrival o f a client, t he more ‘religious’
tools o f the cul t are kept th ere also for hou seho ld ri tes
and communion with the Otherworld. Divinations and

counsel with spirits may be sought in the dancing flames

o f the blessed fire or within th e swirling smo ke issui ng
from a crucible placed on the hearth. Charms will be
constructed at the hearthside, there empowered, and left
on the hearth over night to ‘cook’. Spells may be conjured
and released to their destination via the chimney (the
direction o f the w ind w ill alway s be n oted her e) and the
most potent protective charms and physical anchors for
household guardian spirits will be placed on the hearth
or secreted within the chimney. As with spells, the witch’s

62
 Places of Power

spir it helpers or famili ars or som etim es the spiri t o f the

witch es th em se lves in animal form , will be sent out to
do their work via the chimney or otherwise through the
window , whic h is also highly im porta nt as it allows one to
keep a keen eye on what is going on outside...

The Village

Observation is a vital skill of the successful witch. The

go ings o n o f the village and the daily lives and behaviours
o f the villag ers wil l be o f great int ere st, quiet ly ob serve d
as a source o f inform ation, thus wisd om ; for when a c lient
com es kn ocking on the doo r o f thei r vil lage pr acti tioner ,
the witch will more often than not already know what
the problem is, who or what has caused it and how to go
about rectifying it.
Times have changed, most villages and towns have
lost their local community wise woman or Cunning man,
thus the few still practicing as Cunning folk today no
longer have the luxury o f deali ng almost exclusivel y with
clients they already ‘know’ from their own community,
but instead will receive requests from far and wide. This
makes th e ski ll o f observ ation all the more im portant. It
is a fact, known to the Wise, that people often make their
own problems. I t is also known tha t the re a re people wh o
are very similar, in outlook, behaviour, personality and
character, these people will often have similar problems
with similar ca use s and m ore oft en than not the so lutions
will be similar. K een ly observin g the lives o f diffe re nt
people locally will help the wise to better ‘know’ and assist
simila r ‘ty pes ’ o f client w ho com e fro m afar. I re alise th at

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 Tra diti on al W it chcraft — A . Co rni sh Bo ok o f Ways

this sounds as though I am denying individuality; I am

not. I am speaking about pe op les’ ‘typ es’ an d simil ari ty on
a more imm edia te outer l eve l, observation o f wh ich g ive s
the practi tioner a head star t befo re w ork ing to understand
the individu ality o f the client on d eep er levels and tai lor
their work accordingly.

The Churchyard

It may be an uncomfortable fact for some in the modern

Cr aft that churchyards ar e seen as pl aces o f w itchcraft.
Y et histo rically this has always been so an d is und eniable
in Cornwall as elsewhere in Britain.
The attraction churchyards hold for the magically
incli ned is not a st range one, fo r they ar e places o f the
dead, and as such they are places between the worlds and
such plac es have alway s been o f use to t he witch. Th ey
stand a t the heart o f the vil lage and m any an old church is
built on a site once sacred to our ancient ancestors, often
indicated by round or oval boundaries, or the presence of
sacred stones and ancient Yew trees. Such locations have
not been abandoned by followers of the ‘Old Religion’

despite their more common usage by those who follow

the new.
Many a traditional rite or spell calls for the witch to
make their way to a churchyard under midnight’s cover,
usually to work spells of good old Cornish ‘get-rid-of’
magic; the rem oval o f curses, illnesses, and other such
undesirable thi ngs on a cl ient’ s behalf. Rites o f Cra ft
initiation, where a meeting with the Devil is desired are
another traditional midnight churchyard occurrence, not

unknown in Cornwall even today.

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 Places of Power

The Crossroads

The crossroads is another important traditional symbol

o f ingress between the worlds. To stand a t the crossing

o f the roads i s to be ‘as tride th e hed ge’ or ‘betw ixt
the horns’. The crossroads is a particularly potent and
graphic form o f suc h symbols, for t he crossing o f the
two horizontal roads symbolise the gathering of, and
access to , the spiri ts, pow ers, and virtues o f the cro ss-
quarter ‘Ways’. The invisible vertical third road, which
pierces the centre o f this cross and provid es the axis , is
the road to the heavens, or Nevek and to the underworld,

Annown. To effectively estab lish the Circle o f Cunnin g

the magical crossroads must be conjured and the sign
o f the thr ee crossed roads is mad e at the sta rt o f eac h
work in g to signify that contact with oth erw orldly fo rces
is desired and is about to take place.
The crossroads is a place, traditionally, where the
Cornish witch will make conjurations seeking the aid
o f the s pir its or the ol d one, to make curses or to work
tradi tiona l form s o f ‘get rid o f ’ magi c.

Fuggy Holes

Fuggy Holes; caves and fogous (ancient West Cornish

underground passages or chambers) are purely places of
the underworld, for there is nothing betwixt or between
about them; when one enters such places one has crossed
the hedge entirely fro m the w orld o f the living into the

world o f spirits.

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 Traditional Witchcraft — Cornish Book of Ways

Pow erful places o f vision, magic and i nit iat ion; they
have much to offe r th e Wi se. A t the t ime o f the new or
dark moon, fuggy holes may be visited by the Cunning
fo r si lent rites o f underw orld journeying to encounter,
commune with and seek visions from the dead and the
bla ck one o f dea th hersel f; Ankow, and for ri tes o f inwa rd
w orkin g to vis it the depth s o f the in ner under w orld that
exists within us all; for the old maxim ‘Know Thyself’
holds true for witches in Cornwall as it does elsewhere.
A t the tim e o f the full m oon the W ise are drawn into the
fogous and sea caves by a force known as ‘The Serpent’s
Breath’, for the serpentine energies become extra potent
and generative at this time, and exude a powerful and
hypnotic force from within the dark earth. Here rites
are worked with this potent force, drawing deeply of
the Serpent’s Breath, breathing it, drowsing in it, and
becoming possessed by it; the Wise receive visions from
which w is dom is ex tracted, and they are re-e m pow ere d
and recharged with the chthonic serpentine and lunar
virtu e, w hic h will pro vid e extra potency to their w orkin gs
o f magic and hea ling.

Holy Wells

Cornwall’s many holy wells, like fuggy holes, are also

places wh ere at the t ime o f the ful l mo on the Serpe nt’s
Breath may i ssue forth in gre ater and more concentrat ed
abundance than at other places, for they are themselves
otherworldly portals where the potent serpentine waters
o f the earth ari se. He re also t his fo rce is tra ditional ly

utilised for magical potency, vision and healing.

66
 Places of Power

A s well as bein g places o f inherent curative and

divinatory pow ers, C orn ish holy wells ar e seen to be pla ces
o f indwel ling sp irits to w ho m offerings wo uld be made in
hope o f vision, foretelli ng or h ealing. Fenton Beb ibell nea r
the Men-an-Tol stones, as its name in Cornish reveals, is
quit e lit eral ly th e well o f the lit tle people. He re girls would
ven ture on G o o d Friday to bless their do lls in the well
water. T his perh aps revea ls fo lk memories o f the w orship
o f the ance stral spirits or l ittle fol k at this place, o r the
blessi ng and naming o f babi es. T h e lost well ha s recentl y
been res cued by vol unteer s, an d th e tr adi tion o f G o o d
Friday doll blessing has been revived at this enchanting
and magical holy well.
Th ere are tradi tional patt erns o f practi ce held i n
common by many of Cornwall’s holy wells, and these
practices were conducted quite regularly until a relatively
late peri od. T h e better known practice o f clou tie hanging,
m ost notably a t Ma dron, perhaps C orn w all’ s m ost famous
holy well, is an old spell for healing.
T he practi ce o f leavi ng cl outie s survives at M adro n Well
with gusto, how ever m ost are le ft today in the trees where
wate r lies beside the path to the old baptistery, fo r the
actu al location o f the well is qui te difficult to access and
not widely known. Clouties are now a common sight at
many other wells, although the very briefest examination
o f the vast majority o f mo dern -day clou ties revea ls th at
the t rue me aning, and pu rpo se o f the spell , has been lost
to most. Sad ly it s eems to have be com e habit ual behaviour
to garro tte the li mbs o f any tr ee tha t dares gro w in th e
vicin ity o f a holy well with any old piece o f synthetic tat.
Th e p racti ce o f bathing in, or passing chi ldre n through,

the waters are also healing rites that we re on ce c om m on at

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 Trad it ional W it chcraft — Corni sh To ok o f Ways

a number o f holy wel ls. D ivinatory pract ices, com m only

involving throwing bent pins into the water and then
reading t he resul ting bubbles, or other behav iour o f the
water, occurred at a num ber o f wells, again notably at
Madron and at Alsia (roughly pronounced locally as ay-
lee-aB) Well, near St Buryan where bramble leaves were
als o used. T he pract ice o f bend ing pi ns to offe r into th e
waters in retu rn fo r divin ato ry counsel seems to hark
back to the practice, common to many ancient cultures
world wid e, o f purposefu lly dam aging fine metal objects,
such as swords and jewellery, before offering them into
the depths o f sacred lak es a nd other bodies o f water,
which w ere regarded as doorw ays into the O therworld.
For the Charmers, holy wells are places to commune
with the spirits; to seek visio n; to regain strength, magical
potency and virtue from the serpentine flow; to empower
their magic and their healing and also to bless and re-
em pow er thei r tools o f the heal ing Craft.

Sacred Stones

Cornwall, Penwith in particular, is extremely rich in

ancient sacred sit es o f stone, i nclud ing circl es, menh irs
and quo its. Th ese enigmati c si tes are o f great impo rtance
to th e Cun ning folk, not l east beca use they were o f great
importance and use to our ancient sacred ancestors.
W hilst the exact details o f the original ancient uses and
meaning s o f many o f the se anci ent s ites may present us
with a mystery, keys and clues may be seen held within
their folklore, and the Charmers, Cunners and witches
o f Co rnw all have al way s had the ir very effect ive uses for
thes e ancient and sacred places o f power.

68
 Places of Power

The great stone circles, also known by the local Wise-

folk as ‘dancing sto nes’, a re te mp les o f the land a nd
chthonic force, where the serpentine flow may spiral and
po ol within the r ings o f granite, a rock o f high qua rtz
content, which, like the serpentine flow, is held within the
Craft to be responsive to the lunar tides. Here, at the full
moon, the quartz rich stones channel and enhance the
flow of the serpent, thus they become places where this
potent, generative and hypno tic forc e can be danced alive,
and utilised in great abundance so that very powerful,
deep, and far reaching magic may be done.
A t such places the witch may becom e the vehicle for
an extremely potent force. When the moon is dark, the
granite rings pool the serpentine force in its consumptive
phase. He re m agic to be rid o f things, to end t hings and
to curse may be done to great effect, but care is needed
when w orkin g m agic o f this kin d and w ith this dangero us
force, concentrated at such places, for it can be costly.
The menhirs or standing stones, of which Cornwall
has ma ny, ma y be seen to be m arker stones o f the s pirit
paths, or paths of ‘land force’. The archeological finding
o f human remains, a s eit her bo ne or ash, reve als a link
with the dead. W heth er or not the stones were erected
to mark these burials, or the burials were made as
foundation offerings to the stones upon their erection is
unknown. T h ey are pl ace s for the Wis e to com m une with
the ancestors, with the w isdo m and forces o f the land,
to walk the paths o f spirit and to travel the w orld s ab ove
and below, for such stones unite the sky with the depths
of the earth.
The Men-an-Tol (stone with the hole) is one of

Pen with ’s m os t mysteriou s ancient sacred sit es. It is almost

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 Traditional Witchcraft — A C orn ish T o o k o f W ays

certainly no t in its srcinal alignme nt or arrange men t. Th e

possibility that this sit e was on ce part o f a circle, or twin
circles, or even the remains of a chambered tomb where
the holed stone may have fo rm ed the ent rance i s debate d.
H ow ever, l ike mo st o f Co rnw all’ s ancient sacred st ones,
the M en-an -Tol i s al ive and o f use and great i mp ortance
to the living today, despite the mysteries surrounding its
uses and meanings to our ancient ancestors.
Like the holy wells, the magic made at the Men-an-Tol
incl uded workings o f divi nation and he aling. To em ploy
the stone’s divinatory powers, two brass pins would be
crossed on the ve ry top o f the holed stone so t hat one
was balance d across the other. T h e m ovem ent o f the top
pin would be read for the answers to any questions put to
it, to point out a direction or to give a ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
Th e holed stone h as been seen ve ry much as a pow erful
portal o f heali ng, transform ation and re bir th. It is m ost
wid ely used today fo r healing, for it is not uncom m on
to see visitors climbing through the hole nine or three
times against t he sun, in hope o f a cure fo r their ills, or to
witness babies and young ch ildren bein g passed th rough
the hole for the same.

The fact that these very old practices are still common
occurrences at the Men-an-Tol is testament to the site’s
powerful and enduring reputation.
For the Pella r, this magical porta l is also em ploye d within
rites o f rebirth and renewal, and to symbo lically ‘b irth’ or
give life to magical dolls, bones, skulls and other items to
house a familiar or working spirit. Such objects have life
breathed into them and are passed ritually through the
stone, and then the spirit is named, perhaps by giving it a

‘baptism’ at the nearby Fenton Bebibell.

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 Places of Power

Th e ‘ spirit hou ses’ o f the Co rnish landscape are the

quoi ts, crom lechs (Cornish fo r curved place ) and barrows.
Th ese are Places o f the death r ites o f the anci ents , o f rituals
o f sacred a nce stral bones , o f offer ings, o f connect ion, o f
m em ory an d wisdom. Th ey ar e th e dwell ing pla ces o f the
sacred dead, wh ere they watc h o ve r the l and and the livi ng;
place s o f direct contact wi th the spirit world, wh ere the
living may still visit to crawl inside and there speak with
the ancestors and listen for their wisdom. For the Pellar
they are pla ces o f importan t rites i n which the vit al bond s
between the living and the dead are maintained.
Other than t he sac red mon uments o f our ancest ors ,
ther e are variou s features o f the land scape that m ay be
utilised as places o f power. T h e vast rocky cam s and
hills are , in Co rn ish lore, places o f giants and Spriggans.
A t their summits the raw energies o f land, sk y and the
elements may be encountered in abundance and ‘stored’
for later use, or directed there and then in the casting of
spells ov er di stanc e. Beaches o r even c lif f edges are usef ul
in acts o f magic making, ut ilising the pow erful tid es o f
the sea t o conjure o r to exor cise. Th e flowing energ ies o f
a stream are good for workings to cleanse, to heal or to
send a spell out on its way. A lonely wind-distorted thorn
in a hedge is an excellent place for magic in which the
conjuring o f otherwo rldly forces or spir its is req uir ed.

“1 w ent on m y kn ee s und er a W hite-th or n tree by the crossroads,

an d there, fo r best p a r t o f tha t night, I called on the pow ers til l they
helped me cast t he spells tha t gave old Jemm y an d his fa m ily plenty
o fju n k e t and sour m ilk fo r a time . ”

William Bottrell, around 1870—Traditions and Hearthside stories of West Cornwall.

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 T he Tool s of C unn i ng

B
E IN G out in t he land, li stening. .. w atching...
becoming... not only provides access to the most
use ful tools o f all; w isdo m and th e nat ural forces
o f the serpent, the wa ters and the winds, i t also equips the
witch with m any o f the physical tools that are practical
aids t o th e wo rking o f magic and th e Cu nning ar ts.
M any o f the w orking tools o f the village wise-folk ar e
quite different to those immaculate, grand and expensive

ceremonial tools foun d in the mod ern cul ts o f W icc a,

that most folk will be more familiar with. The tools of
a traditional witch will often be found whilst poking
around in hedges, or stumbled across whilst walking
the land. The more ‘elaborate’ constructed tools will be
made by the witch’s own hand where possible, and will
preferably be crafted from natural items found in the
landscape, resulting in items with an often ‘primitive’ or

‘rustic’ appearance but always fit for purpose. Natural

materials not only contain the very spirit or sprowl of
the landscape in which they were found, they may also
more easily become a vessel and conduit for magical

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 Trad it ional W it chcraf t — A C o rn ish T o o k o f W ays

forces em ployed and dir ect ed, a nd th e wo rking spro wl o f

the practitioner. Such tools become a magical extension
o f the practitioner’s being and are seen as gifts directl y
from the land and the Old Ones. Others are passed down,
or handed on as gifts, from other practitioners and are
greatly cheri shed. Man y wit ches o f this persuasi on refer
to their tools as their ‘friends’ and as such they hold much
affection for them.
There are many items, materials and substances, used
within the m akin g o f charm s and the w orkin g o f magic,
and al l o f these it could be argued are tools o f the practi ce;
how ever below can be explored only th e more prom inent
w orkin g item s that tend to feature within the C ornis h
C raft, including t he tools o f ritual:

Sticks

A num ber o f stic k-fo rm ed to ols are used within the

Traditional Craft and the most important, it could be
argued, is the personal staff kept by nearly all Cunning
folk. It is known in Cornwall as the gwelen, and often
features a forked top to represent the Horned One, the
dual ities o f nat ure a nd pow er flow ing forth from the
depths to the heights. It is a very useful multi-purpose
tool, kept with many practitioners wherever they go. In
many ways the staff is the Traditional Craft equivalent
o f the W iccan a tha me, al though m ore i n the level o f
im po rtance att ached to it than the method s o f use . It i s a
companion when walking in the land, where it may be a
useful tool to gather and store land sprowl, and a handy
w eapon against unwan ted attention! A s the true w itch ’s

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 The Tools of Cunning

wand, it may be used to direct energy, to banish unwanted

influences and spirits and conjure helpful ones. It is used
to mark out and conjure the working circle and stood in
the ground it forms the altar and a bridge between the
worlds. Stood within the centre o f the circle, the w itch’s
staff connects earth and sky, giving the witch access to
the vir tues o f the upper a nd l ow er worlds and those o f
the cross-quarter ways. The virtues, powers, spirits and
influences o f specific c ardinal direct ions ar e accessed
when the sta ff is sto od at certain poin ts o f the circle ’s
edge. Som e practiti oners li ke to keep a num ber o f stav es
o f cer tai n w oo ds for differ ent uses , but most wil l hav e
one main staff.

The V irt ues o f W oods fo r W ork ing Staves:

A ld e r : O f fie ry virt ue, Alder is Bran ’s w oo d o f fiery and

divi ne oracular vision. It a ids also working s o f defensive
magic and strength.

A s h : T h e Ash is o f air y virtue. It i s associ ated heavily

in Cornish and West Country lore with healing and
regenerative magic. As Yggdrasil, The Ash aids also
work in gs o f spirit, passage between the worlds, and
drawing forth the vir tues o f the six ways . Th us it is oft en
the woo d o f choice for the Pell ar’s mai n st aff.

Birch: Also o f air y vir tue, a nd o f ear th, part icular ly when
employed as the brush of the traditional Crafter’s broom.
The Birch offers a wood that aids purification, the
init iati on o f incep tion, birth and fer tility.

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 Tra ditional W it chcraft — Co rni sh To ok o f Ways

B la ckthorn : The feared and formidable Blackthorn is of

fiery virtue. Associated within the Cornish Craft with
Bucca Dhu, it is employed to aid workings of blasting,
defensive magic, setting strong boundaries, toad magic

and r ites o f the new m oon.

E ld er: O f w atery vir tue, Eld er i s o f aid to workings o f

protection, exorcising illness and spirit conjuration.

Gorse: T h e Furze is o f fiery vir tue, it provi des a wo od

to aid wo rkings o f p urifi cation, th e conjuration o f fair
weath er, and the discoverin g o f usefu l inform ation.

H aw th orn : T h e W hitet horn i s o f fiery vir tue and i s

associ ated with the rites o f M ay’ s E v e and Bu cca Gw idder.
It ai ds als o dealings with spirit folk and w orking s o f
fertility, but i s n ot to be em ploye d as a walking s ta ff fo r it
may invite ill luck upon journeys.

Ha% el: O f fiery virtue: th e H azel i s tra ditional ly o f aid to

the pr acti ces o f divi nati on, and t he acqui ring o f w isdom ,
inspirat ion and v isions.

H olly : T h e dark H olly is o f fiery virt ue, i t is o f aid to

rites and wo rkings o f deat h and r ebir th, a nd o f exorcism,
defens ive magi c, t he overcom ing o f wrongd oers, a nd
fiery potency.

Oak: O f fiery vi rtue; th e Oa k is o f aid to solar rites

and magic, and to wo rkings o f str ength, steadf astness,
w is dom , pow er and potency. To the old C ornish the O ak
is sacred to Tara ner t he Thundere r.

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 The Tools of Cunning

Tine: O f both fiery an d ai ry vir tue, o f aid to th e workings

o f heal ing , pro speri ty, exorcism , protecti on, wisdom ,
progress and the increase of power.

Rom an: T he M ountai n Ash is o f fiery vir tue an d o f aid to

the rites o f Candlem as and to work ings o f qui ckeni ng,
conju ring visions, lifting curses and the influenc e o f ill
w ishin g from people and cattle. A w alk in g s ta ff o f Row an
provides protection from evil whilst journeying.

Willow: O f wa tery vi rtue; t he W illow i s o f aid to ri tes and

workin gs o f the m oon, em otional healing, lo ve, fertility
and intuition.

Yew: Th e revered Y ew is watery in vi rtue; i t is o f aid to

all rites o f death mysteri es, Ank ow, atavis tic wisdo m ,
transformation, change and renewal.

W hilst diffe rent w oods have their ow n associate d magical

virtu es, the im portant thing is that the practitioner selects
a st aff tha t cal ls to the m. Th ey can have ways o f making
themselves known that range from the subtle to the fairly
dramatic. I have known folk choose branches that they
have tripped over, got their hair or clothes snagged on or
that have literally smacked them in the face! I have often
used ‘dead’ or fallen wood that is still strong. This for me
feels ‘complete’, for it has risen up from the earth, lived,
died and fallen back to the earth again. Green or living
w ood how ever is m ore reliably strong. W hen decid in g to
harve st such w oo d, it is go od practice to le t the tr ee kno w

that you intend to take that particular branch, tie a piece

o f str ing around wh ere you int end to ma ke the cut a nd

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 T raditional W itchcraft — Cornish Bo ok o f Way s

leave it there for a week or so, letting the tree get used
to th e idea. D o not tak e more than you n eed an d nev er
att empt to break o f f the bra nch; us e a sha rp pruning saw
to make a clean cut. It is better to harvest green wood in
the winter as there will be less sap, making the wood less
likely to split as it dries. Drying can take around a year to
do properly, and the ends should be sealed by dipping
them i n a po t o f hot m olten w ax as t hey will otherwise
quickly split. Dead wood of course does not suffer so
much from split ting and is qui cker to dr y. A hand y reci pe,
given by C orn ish Pella r JackD aw , could reduce the drying
time o f ‘gree n w o o d ’ sticks to three mo nths: M ix 1 part
Olive oil with 5 parts turpentine and rub the mixture into
the stick once a week.
W hen it co m es to finishing your staff, it is b est to coat the
w oo d several times w ith boiled linseed oil. T h is brings out
the richness o f the w oo d and can be polished pleas ingly.
Natural beeswax polishes are also good. Whether or not
the bark i s lef t on depend s m uch on the t ype o f w oo d and
the drying process, where it may start to separate from
the wood anyway and will have to be stripped, otherwise
it may be best to leave the bark on.
Th e p ersonal staff o f a Pell ar t end s not t o be overly
dramatic, nor overtly occult in its appearance. Such a
staff tends instead to appear much like any other thumb
or walking stick, all be it a particularly fine and attractive
example, with which its bearer wouldn’t look at all out
o f pla ce walking in t he countrysi de, or int o any country
pub. H ow ever, wit hin wh at may appear to other s nothing
m ore than deco rative design, various pertinent witch signs
may be concealed and made occult in plain sight. Carved
and i nscribed patterns containi ng ri ngs, ‘X ’ form s, zigz ags

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 The Tools of Cunning

and spiral s, will con ve y to t he w itch ’s eye the old signs o f

oneness with all, the quarter-way virtues, the upper and
lower worlds, the ‘cauldron and the fire’, the unification
o f form and force and the as cending a nd desc ending
serpents.
The ‘Talking Stick’ is a forked staff used by West
Country Crafters to gain visions via the serpentine force.
It may be the witch’s personal staff, or a special Hazel
example kept only for this purpose. It is better used
during the t ime o f the full m oo n, and at a kno wn place o f
power where the serpentine ‘pulse’ is strong. The witch
w ill kneel and drive the stick into the ground at an angle,
so that the rounded forked ends rest gently against the
closed eyes. The Becoming will be undertaken, and then
the witch will feel for the flow o f the Red Se rpen t in th e
eart h, conduc ted along th e stick. T h e rhythm o f this flow
will eventually brin g visio ns o f fo resig ht and the answ ers
to questions, suc h as the wh erea bou ts o f anything t hat is
lost or stolen.
A nother stick tool fo r m aking discoveries is, o f co urse,
the bett er know n Y shaped divi ning rod, cu t al so from
Hazel. Wise folk traditionally employed these, when
called in by farmers and land owners, to divine for water,
a service still widely provided today. The diviner’s rod
can o f course be used to locate other t hings. Th e two
forks o f the rod are held in the hands, pal ms up ward s and
pulling outwards, thus applying tension to the rod until it
resembles the sign for Aries, with the lower point facing
away from the body and the whole thing level with the
ground. The diviner will then walk, holding in the mind

that which is being sought without thinking too much.

The ‘body knows’ when the thing has been found, and

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 Tra ditional W it chcraft — Cornish Boo k o f Ways

divining rods, pendulums and the like, provide external

indications to let the diviner know when their body has
made the discovery.
T h e ‘ H oo k Wand’ is another type o f ve ry useful s tick
employed within the Cornish Craft. It is a simple stick
with a hooked end, form ed by a sm all side branch, with a
point shaped int o the lower end o f the mai n shaf t. This
stick is used within magical rites to ‘gather in’ desired
virtu es, by the w itch gesturin g repeatedly with it to literally
‘hook’ and pull in that which is required, whilst facing
a pertinent direction within the circle. When sufficient
required virtue has been gathered, it is sent forth, via the
pointed end, in the direction of the place, person, animal
or item intended to receive it.
The ‘Blasting Rod’ is the famous and feared blackthorn
staff, employed by witches in Cornwall and other areas
to direct curses or punishments upon wrongdoers, to
send them ‘the fear’, a nd to stop the c ontinuation o f their
w rongful ways.

The Knife

A blade used by the Pellar is sh arp and it w ill cut, for that
is the nature o f the tool. It is usually singl e edged w ith a
hilt o f bone, ho rn or wo od , and i s tradi tional ly craft ed
by the witch’s own hand as far as their skills will allow,
or received as a gift. The Pellar’s knife is used for tasks
both practical and magica l, it can be used to cut and carve
new wooden tools, to dig holes and even to open a tin
o f paint. I f you make go od prac tical use o f yo ur kni fe
in the mundane world, your faith in its ability to aid you
in magical matters will be all the greater. The knife or

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 The Tools of Cunning

coll el o f a Co rnish witch i s used to send magic over long

distances, for weather magic, to conjure and bless the
ritual fi re or sim ply the can dle’s flame. I t is used to con jure
the red serpent; the ‘fire in the land’, and to awaken the
Cunning flame within. It can subdue troublesome spirits
and exorcise, but it is not used to conjure the working
circle.

The Cup

Materials that have had life are most favoured to fashion

the cups use d by Cun ning folk, t he majority o f cups I

know o f are made from horn. Th ey are u sed in t he Troyl

rite for the ri tual sharing o f drink and foo d tha t is so
vital to maintain the bonds betw een witch, Bucca, the
ancestors and the serpent.

The Bowl

This is used also in the Troyl rite to hold the sacramental

food, and to leave food offerings overnight to the spirits,
tradi tionall y at the back d oo r o f the cottage o r at t he
heart h — wh ere the offering m ay al so be made to the
w itch’s familiar spirits and other servin g spirits.
Newly prepared magical substances or charms are also
left in the bowl on the hearth overnight, thus allowing
the settl ing in o f the prevalent plan etary or lunar virt ues
for which their making was timed to coincide, along with

other raised powers and intent. The bowl is often made

from wood, clay or horn.

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 Tr aditional W it chcraft — Cornish Bo ok o f Ways

A go o d bow l or basin o f copper is also so ught after

and kept by mo st C orn ish witche s. It has m any uses and i s
m ost oft en em ployed in w orkings o f heal ing , ‘seei ng’ a nd
o f course love; cop pe r being the metal sa cre d to Venus .

The Cauldron

Keep a good old cauldron; it is a useful tool for both

magic and ritual use. Older ones are best for they are full
o f charac ter, and usually a better quali ty c asting. I mu st
admit tha t o f all my tools my dear big old cauldr on, ‘O ld
B e t’, is perhap s m y favouri te. A lon g with a lar ge cauldron,

Cornish practitioners have also traditionally kept a small

‘po rtab le’ examp le, handy w he n the Pellar is making visits
to thei r clients. A cauldron has its m ost o bv ious use as
the cooking vessel for magical ointments, or the food
for a ritual feast, hung over the ‘hood fire’. In ritual or
magic, it is a symb olic portal o f the Othe rwo rld and a
vessel o f change; a w om b o f generatio n or a to m b o f
consum ption, depen ding on int ent and t he phase o f the
moon. Herbs and magical substances can be cast into a
cauldron with sm ould ering embe rs, or a smal l fire kindled
within, an d the required virtu es stirred up w ith the Pellar’s
staff, conjuring that which is required into manifestation
within the risin g sm oke issuin g fo rth fr om the vessel’s
depths. Visions and spirits can be conjured in this way,
to be born forth from the Otherworld during generative
w orkin gs o f the w axin g and full m oon.
Indoors, during workings at the hearth, a candle may

burn within the cauldron, with herbs smouldering on

charcoal and other symbolic items arranged also within.

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 The Tools of Cunning

A bove this are conjurations made w ith repetitive stirring

gestures and muttered chants. During the waning or
dark o f the m oo n, those things that are required t o be
gone can be placed within the cauldron fire, in the form
o f symb olic items, images, knotted cords or pert inent
substances, as the witch stirs or moves quietly about it in
a sini stral cir cle, willing the und esired thing to be g on e. In
seasonal rites things may be born symbolically forth from
the cauldron or sacrificed within, and it may become a
vessel for sacred fires o f the year.

Sweeping Tools

Sweeping magic was, and is, much used by Cornish

pract itioners . T h e m ost famou s swe eping tool, the w itch ’s
broom , is sym bolic o f trave l between the worlds, an d
passage from one phase into another. In ritual, it may
sweep the w orkin g ci rcle, not only as a t ool o f exorcism
sweeping away influences that might impede or interfere
with the w ork, but as a sy m bolic gestu re to establish that
exchange between the worlds is about to take place there.
The broom is used in magic to sweep bad influences
out o f the house, and fortunate or lucky influence s in
at certai n times o f the year. I n c urse magic, il l-intent an d
bad or unlucky influences can be swept via the broom
int o th e doorway o f an ene my or wrongdoer .
Feather sweepers are traditional West Country working
tools, most often fashioned from long goose feathers
boun d with w ax, o r go o se fat and str ing, to form a handle.

Som etimes a left hand and rig ht hand sw eeper will be kept;
the lef t hand one to sweep harm ful or unlucky influences

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 Trad it ional W it chcraft — A Cornis h Book o f Way s

away and the right hand one to sweep in fortunate or

lucky influences; others have kept a single sweeper for
both actions, switching hands according to intent.
The sweeping gestures may be made over a candle,
charm, or symbolic item, or to sweep virtues and
influences in, or ou t o f a place such as a cli ent’ s home.
Magical sweeping gestures might also be made over a
person or an animal. In this way, sweepers may also be
employed within healing work; to sweep away the ailment
from the affected part o f the bod y wit h the left hand, a nd
then to swee p in the h ealing influen ce with the r ight.
The ‘witch’s whisk’ is a West Country sweeping tool
purely used to exorc ise evil spi rits and negativ e influences
from a place. It is made by binding thirteen dried and
thorn y black be rry twigs together, using t he stri ng binding
to for m a handl e. Th e ends o f the twi gs ar e set alight in a
blessed fire, and the smoking whisk is waved and danced
around th e plac e wit h vigorou s gestures to ward o f f all
evil and harmful influences.
Conversely, a similarly bound bundle of twigs, such
as Pine, may be employed in a similar fashion. In this
case however, the West Country witch is drawing helpful
spirits to the working place, attracted by the pleasingly
scented wood smoke.

Drums

Vario us kinds o f drum may be kept by West C ountry

witch es, for th ey are use fu l w ithin the circle for drum m in g
up sprow l and t he presence o f helpful spi rits. T h ey may
also be employed to drive away evil spirits and negative

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 The Tools of Cunning

influences. Cecil Williamson gives two interesting

recommendations for West Country witch drumsticks
— ones made o f gla ss, the hand les o f w hich must have
unfinished ends, being useful for banishing harmful
influence s, cal ling upo n the aid o f help ful spiri ts and for
drumming up changes in the weather.
Drumsticks formed from human arm bones however
are recom m ended to drum up the presence o f any
required spirit.

Wind Roarers

A nother noise-m akin g ritual to ol; win d roarers, or

‘bullroarers’ have been employed within traditional
magical ritual and spiritual ceremony in many cultures
and in many places across the globe, including here in the
West Country.
They must be specially formed from hard wood, and
spun above the witch’s head in the air, they produce
strange and otherworldly throbbing, moaning sounds.

These are employed by the West Country witch to attract

he lpfu l spi rits and to ra ise spiri t force s at t he creation o f
an outdoor working space, and to aid the achievement of
trance states.
These may more usually be employed to begin simple,
solitary workings, although I have heard three wind
roar ers used together during a wo rking gatheri ng o f wise-
w om en here in Cornwall, the so und was quite rem arkab le
and the ‘Hidden Company’ left no doubt that they had
drawn close to see what was going on!

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 Traditi ona l W it chcraft — -A Cornish Book of Ways

Stones would also be carried as protective amulets and

provi de warning o f the pre sence o f poison by swe ating.
D e v il’s Fingers also known as Thunder Bolts are the
belemnite fossil. They have been used in Cornwall by
Cunning folk who also named them Sea Stones to make
predictions by casting one or more and reading the
directions in which they point. Water in which Devil’s
Finge rs had bee n so aked fo r som e time is seen i n tradi tio n
to have curat ive pow ers against w orm s in horses as we ll as
rheumatism and eye complaints. T h e y are al so used by the
Cunning to add potency to workings, sometimes being
incorpora ted into charms or set into th e end o f cur ati ve
wands.

Tongu e Stone s are t he fossils o f shark s’ te eth wh ich, to th e

ancie nts, appeared to be th e petrifi ed tongu es o f ser pents .
Kept in the home they would ward off misfortune and
prevent snakes from entering. Tongue stones are also
w orn as prote ctiv e charms against evil and to protect
the wearer from snake bites. Immersed in red wine they
w ould provid e a cure fr om venom s and poisons.
Toad Stones were believed by our ancestors to grow
inside t he heads o f toads. Mo st known example s o f T oad
Stones have bee n fo und to be t he fossili sed teet h o f the
extinct fish Lepidotes. Toad stones were most often set
into rings to provide protection and to aid healing rites.
Stings and bites could be cured by the Charmer’s Toad
Stone ring being touched to th e affected area and w orked
against all venoms and poisons. The Toad Stone ring
w ill w arn the w earer o f poison by becom in g w arm in its
presence.

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 The Tools of Cunning

Necklaces

West Countr y witches, male and female, will ofte n wear

a necklac e o r pendant o f mag ical virt ue. Such thi ngs
as hag stones and bird ’s feet ar e used. Stru ng beads o f
serpentine, quartz and obsidian represent the serpent and
the generative and introspective virtues.
A particu larly potent and trad itional West Country witch
necklac e consists o f strung snake vertebrae, sometimes
with the in clu sion o f glass bead s, conferrin g upon the
wearer serpentine powers and the ability to w ork with the
‘spir it force ’ o f the land.

To Hood the Tools

The ways to empower the tools and to charge them with

life and virtue are many and are to be determined by
the nat ure o f the too l itself, it is also the case that eac h
practitioner may have their own ways.
Following the exorci sm o f the i tem, wit h th e aid o f
purging and cleansing substances, it will be charged with
the powers and virtues pertinent to its nature and use.
They may also be anointed with Witch Oil, and passed
thr ough th e smoke o f a perti nent suff um igati on be fore
being bound with the practitioner’s working cord, to seal
in the virtue, and left over night on the hearth.
There are also such traditional actions as the anointing
o f tools with thre e crosses o f spittle, the breathing o f
life into tools and even taking them into the bed for three
consecutive nights.

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 Tra diti on al W it chcraft — Cornis h Bo ok o f Ways

Tools are also often buried beneath the ground at

know n pl aces o f pow er for varying peri ods to be infused
with ch thonic fo rce, whilst tools fo r w orkin g with the
dead a re often charged by t he virt ues o f the N or th Road
and coat ed wi th ‘Spir it o f M yrrh’.

The Cunning Altar

T h e altar and focu s o f operations wi thin th e rites an d

workin gs o f the Pellar, either at the hearth or ou tside,
tradi tional ly includes fou r basic things wh ich are the staff,
stone, flam e and bo ne. F o r the staff, the Pellar’ s tradi tional

w orkin g stick is o f course m ost o ften em ployed, b ecom in g

a ‘bridge/vehicle’ to join and give access to the ‘Ways’,
and a representation o f Buc ca. Pitch forks or hay forks
are occasionally used instead. Within Ros An Bucca, we
are fortunate to have a six tined threshing fork, which we
employ as the altar within our six main seasonal ‘Furry’
rites.
The stone is the foundation stone or hearth stone
around which the c ult us o f the C ra ft o perat es. In some
traditional groups this is a whetstone that keeps the blade
o f Cun ning ever shar p, but for the sol ita ry witch any
o f the wo rking stones may be use d. Quartz i s a go od
choice for it attracts and enhances the serpentine flow
and the breath, whereas obsidian would be more fitting
specifically to the new moon.
T h e flam e is the fl ame o f Cun ning, th e light betw ixt
the horns and the light on the heath that illumines the
path of the Cunning Way. It may be a lantern or simply
a candle. During indoor rites and workings, where a full

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 The Tools of Cunning

‘hood-fire’ is not possible, a ‘hood-lamp’ may instead be

employed upon the altar. Known examples are formed
from horseshoes fixed to a wooden base, with a candle
fixed betw een the upward pointing arms o f the shoe, or a
forked section o f tree branch fixed al so to a w oo de n base,
with the candle stuck between the forks. This ‘bewitch ed
lamp’ is both a devotional object, being a potent visual
repres entati on o f the H orne d O ne and th e light betwixt
the horns, and a practi cal ite m for magi c. Ju st as the hood-
fire may be employed magically, so may the hood lamp
assist workings to attract that which is desired and banish
that w hich is not, often by th e aid o f pertinently coloured
glass headed pins once the candle is identified with the

object o f the work ing .

The bone is the representation of the Old Ones, the
gods, spir its and ancestors o f the Cra ft a nd the ‘F irst
O ne ’ o f the Cunn ing Way. In gran d ri tes t his ma y be an
actual human skull, although other smaller human bones
are more usefully portable and thus more often used.
Anim al bones and carved skulls have also been em ployed
for this. Alongside human bones, I also sometimes make
use o f a pre-historic, yet st ill sharp, flint cutting tool as a
potent link to the ancestors.
Some will keep about their person a stone, bone and
candle within a handkerchief that along with their stick/
staff, a small flask o f drink and a l ittle foo d, m ay for m a
good and proper altar when out and about in the land.
The Pellar’s blade is also usually carried which doubles as
a handy carving tool.

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 T he W i t ches ’ C om pas s

H E pract ice o f marking out a cir cula r ar ea t o

delineate a hallowed space for the performing of

T
rites, t he wo rking o f mag ic and to contain ra ised
forces i s a ve ry anci ent o ne. H ow ever the purpose o f the
true witches’ circle, ring, or ‘Compass Round’ runs much
deeper than mere del ineat ion and contai nment. T he m ost
important function o f the ci rcl e is t hat o f acces s, for i t
is a place created and set aside for the ingres s o f virtues,
powers, spirits, atavistic wisdom, and the manifestation
o f divine force int o th e Craft o f thos e who w ork wi thi n
its boundary.
W ithin the w it ches’ circle m ay be found a map to the
worlds that are to be dra wn upon or traversed. T h e spirits,
pow ers and virtues o f the crossro ads are conjured into
the circle’s midst, through which runs the great axial road
or ‘world tree’ conjoining the depths, the quarter ways
o f the midguard a nd the he ights . Within such a circ le ar e
the paths o f access ope ned to the cross quarter Ways,
the planetar y, solar and lunar for ces and virtues o f the
starr y height s o f N eve k, and t he chthoni c waters o f

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 Traditi ona l W it chcraft — Cornish book of Ways

creation, death, atavistic memory and wisdom within the

underw orld realm o f An no w n. V ia the axi al road al so is
the chthonic fire; t he serpent o f the land, drawn forth
from the depths to the heights.
The witches’ circle is known also as the ‘dancing
gro un d’ for the vi rtues, pow ers and spi rits o f the Way s
are conjured, invoked and evoke d into t he centre o f the
circ le to be gathered in and ‘ stirred’ al ive during act s o f
‘wa lking t he roun d’ and t he us e o f ‘mill dan ces’ and ‘mi ll
cha nts’ . It is f o r thi s rea son that the circle’s centre is called
‘the cauldron’.
W ithin the circle, the Pellar’s sta ff is a ‘bridge tool’
which, as ‘T h e H orse’, b ecom es both a vehicle o f in gress,
fo r fo rce, spi rit and virt ue, via w hich the witch m ay access
and draw upon the Way s, and a vehicle o f egress should
the witch desire to go forth to traverse and explore these
roads. W hen placed in t he centre o f the circle it stands
in representation o f the ax ial road itsel f, giving access to
all six Ways —above, below and the quarter crossroads.
Th ere is also the m ystery o f the seven th Wa y; the ce ntre
where ‘all is o n e’. In so m e rites and work ings, where
specific virtues are required, the staff is set to stand at the
circle’s edge, at the pertinent quarter point, to become the
vehicle o f the required direction al forces and virtues.
The cross quarter directions are assigned the following
attributes by some Crafters:

The East Road

E a st is the di rection o f spring, daw n, and th e red spi rits

o f the pow ers o f fire; above a re t he heavenly fires o f the
Sun, who rises in the East, the planetary fires and thunder.

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 The W itche s’ Compass

B elo w is th e chthonic fire; th e Re d Serp ent wh o is the fi re

and poten cy o f the land a nd the ‘totem ic’ famili ar s pirit
of the East Road. East is also the direction of the inner
flame of Cunning and the Will. Amongst the regalia of
the East road are the knife, the broom and the spirit whip.
Th e vi rtues o f the E as t Road ai d workings o f defens ive
magic, exorcism, strength, power, sexuality, and potency.

The South Road

South i s the di rection o f summer, noon, and th e whit e

spirits o f the pow ers o f eart h; the land, the livi ng bod y,
and th e physicali ty o f all things . Th e S outh Roa d famili ar
spir it is the leaping white hare, the regal ia o f this direction
include the magical stones (whispering stone, Troy
stone, stroking stone etc.), the bowl, and the pentacle of
man ifestation. Work ings in t he are as o f stability, healing
bodil y hur ts, t he wisdom and employm ent o f plant s,
fertility, growth, abundance and wealth are all gready
aid ed by the virtues o f the South Road.

The West Road

West is the direction o f autum n, dusk, and the grey

spirits o f the powe rs o f w ater; the ri vers , stre ams, well s,
seas, our own blood and the deep chthonic waters of
transformation, emotion and atavistic wisdom. The grey
toad i s the West R oa d familiar spiri t, and th e regalia o f this
direction include the cauldron and horn-cup. Workings
o f the mo on, sea witchcraft , well mag ic, tr ansforma tion,
cleansing, dreams, memory, emotions, and the healing of

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 Tra ditional W itchcraft — Cornish To ok o f Ways

em otional and psych ological hurts are aide d by the virtues

o f the West Road.

The North Road

N o rth is t he direction o f w inter, midnight, and th e black

spi rits o f air; the haunted winds o f spirit, smoke, our ow n
brea th and the voice. Th e famil iar s pirit o f the N or th
Road is the black crow (or to some Cornish practitioners
the chough). In some rites and workings the skull and
staves/rods/wands are regalia of the North Road, but
they are shared also with the East in others. Seeing tools,
the censer and t he bel l are other re gali a o f the N or th

Road . Workings aide d by t he virtues o f this direct ion

include spirit magic, atavistic communion, blasting,
binding, wisdom, augury and communication.

96
 From left; a s ix fined thres hing fork used as a seasonal altar,
a h a ^e l ‘talk ing stick ’fo r chthoni c vision,
the a ntler t opped ashen a ltar staff,
an an tler topped t w isted / serpent fo rm p er so n al ashen w ork ing sta ff,
a blackt horn s ta ff topped w ith a carved owl
 A blac kthorn a n d ho rse-hair ‘s p ir it w hip ’
together w ith a hook-wand.
A u th o r ’s collection

A m ysterio us go at-head ed k n ife , w ith cowrie sh ells a n d re al horns.

T he leather s heath is toole d with sfg-^ags a nd s ix-arm ed crosses.
I t was fo u n d fo r the a uth o r in H ath erleig h, D evon , by a local an tiq ue dealer
fr ie n d . W hateve r its srcin, the k n ife exu des a po w efu lp re se n ce
 A collection o f C ornish w orking kn ives
in t he M useum o f W itchcr aft.
A hu m an bone h ilte d curved blade beside two handforg ed w ise-w om an ’s
knives . W e are told by C ecil W illiam son th a t they wer eforged by the wome n
ivho used them
 A b o ve; an old snake vertebrae necklace fr o m Som erset,
re-st rung b j the au thor w ith ga rne t beads.

Faci ng top; a blackthorn w ind- roarer by C ornish C rafter Steve Patt erso n, a
ragwort ha nd bro om, a bram ble ‘w itch’s w h isk ’, a swit ch o f sage tw igs an d
a goosefea the r siveeper. Faci ng below; A troy stone n ith exam ples o f other
w ork ing sto nes.

A l l au th or’s collection
 A n indoor shrine and working
surface, dedicated to the Bucca

T he a utho r lights a switch o f twigs fr o m the ho od fire

during an outdoor w orking
 Th e au thor use s the ignit ed an d sm oking switch
to draw helpid spirits to the circle to aid the working
 Top; t he staff , stone, flam e a nd bone are the basi s o f the C unn ing A lta r.

A b o ve; the s k u ll m ay serve a s an ora cular vesselfo r an cestralpresences o r the

O ld O ne in w itch rites, as w ell as a fam iliar -sp irit house, o r as a 'w ish b o x ’.
A u th o r ’s collection
 The W itches’ Compass

The direction in which the Compass is worked differs

acco rding to int ent, and the natu re o f the ri te or worki ng.
‘Walking the Round’ is always done first, after the ritual
conjurations and calls of the Compass have been made,
in a sinistral ‘against the Sun’ (anti-clockwise) direction.
W ithin this ‘w alk in g m editation’, the practitioner is
seeking t o achieve a num ber o f thing s; first ly they are
turning away from their mundane cares to enter into the
deep er st ates o f awareness ‘betw een the w orld s’ requi red
to mak e com m union and congress with th e ‘otherwo rldly’
possible. Walking t he Rou nd is als o an act o f conjuration;
the witch, moving at one with the geomantic force, draws
upon the serpent and ‘gathers in’ the virtues and powers
pertinent to the rite or working. Calls are also made
during the Round to the divine force. As the repetitive,
insist ent circumam bulations o f the witch draws the mind
deeper into trance, yet fixed firmly on its goal, glimpses
and percept ions o f Go dh ead may well b e ac hieved.
To end a rite, the Round is sometimes walked in a
dextral circle ‘with the Sun’ (clockwise) direction; a
retur n to ‘the w orld o f men ’ . D ex tral and sini stral circ les
are also employed within the Compass during acts of
magic. Gathering power is not quite the same thing as
raising power. Once the power has been gathered in by
the Ro un d, i t will t hen be ‘raised’ i n act s o f generative
magic b y walking an a ccelerati ng dex tral ci rcle around the
fire, before directi ng the pow er to w he re it is requir ed. In
acts o f banishin g, binding, or blasting, a s inis tral circ le
is employed again, here the gathered powers are used to
res trict, or even con sum e, the focus o f the worki ng.
It is the intent, and fixed will o f the Pell ar, tha t
determ ines the use and intended result o f the wo rking

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 Trad it iona l W it chcraft — A . Cornish Too k o f Ways

direction. In traditional witch rites, there is often much

hard wor k to be don e and the R ou nd can be qui te a s train,
sometimes to the point that a practitioner will collapse in
trance (a m om en t they wil l alway s m ake the full est use of),
but it is old wisdom that like attracts like. Energy must
be used in order to raise it and work with it. The fire in
the circle’s centre consumes much energy, in the form of
w ood and oxygen, but it draws the serp ent and produces
heat an d lig ht. Like wise a circl e o f steadi ly ci rcli ng witches
uses oxygen in the blood, and can strain the muscles and
the lungs, but it will also gather, stir and raise the powers
within the circle, as well as producin g visio n. T o raise
energy, we m ust partake o f it, just a s an engine or mill

uses energy to create energy and produce that which is

desired.
Eld erly and infirm Pell ar within group s will be excu sed
the Walking the Round, and will often be given the task
o f drumm ing, wh ich not only a ids the Roun d but wil l
produce similar results; being a repetitive trance inducing,
and p ow er raising act in it self.
Alw ays in magic, with the aid o f a fire, the m oon, and
the serpent, a sinistral circle can be used to consume and
restrict, whilst a dextral circle will generate, create, and
bring forth pot ency.
It must also be remembered that all witches’ circles
are one ci rcle. T h e rit e o f the Co m pass R oun d is not
the creation o f a circ le, but a con juration o f the ancient
Circle of Cunning. The true conjuration of the Compass
is a n invo cation o f the path i tsel f. Wh en the witch sta nds
within the Com pass pro per, th ey stand with all th ose
w h o have walked its Round from the very begin nin g o f
the tradition. Their ways and wisdoms are there to be

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 The W itche s’ Com pass

revealed, by vision, and voice in the fire, and the swirling

herb smoke, or in the wind through the trees.

The Hearthside Rite

For everyday and simple solitary rites and workings, each

practit ioner wi ll have a quic k and non elab orate way o f
conjuring the Compass and gathering in the powers. This
is known as the Hearthside Rite because traditionally the
everyday w ork o f the Pel lar is carried out a t the househ old
hearth, but in reality the rite may be used anywhere,
indoors or out. One such rite will follow here. As the
ways o f the trad itional w itch are gen era lly kep t as simple
as possible, this will be the method most often used, with
the more elaborate Compass conjurations being kept
aside for special occasions, group rites or workings and
more complex needs.
The Charmer will first still their mind and focus their
w ill to undergo the B ecom in g with slo w and p urposefu l
brea th, t o becom e mo re awar e o f thi ngs a nd connecte d
with the hidden.

I f it is sensed that the wo rking area needs to be exorcised

o f imp eding infl uences, the bel l may be struck ni ne time s,
or, with the presen ce o f a fire once lit, the wh isk may be
employed in the traditional way.
A candle, lante rn or fire o f fo cus will be lit with these
w ords quietly muttere d in conjuration:

“I light th is fla m e in Bucca’s name,

Ser pe nt arise, old ones draw nea r,
B j m y w ill a n d m y ways m ay y o u appear. ”

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 Traditional W it chcraft — Si Cornish Took of Ways

T h e Ch arm er may str ike thei r sta ff to th e ground lig htl y

and rhythmically whilst muttering these words to conjure
the circle and the spirits:

“I conjure thee C om pass R oun d,

Be y e ca st a nd bey e bound.
B y ro ad above an d road below,
B y sn ake a n d hare and toad a nd crow.
B y red sp irits, white spirits, grey sp irits an d black,
I conjure thee by threefold track.
Be y e ca st an d bey e bound,
H allo w ed be Com pass Round. ”

In addition, or alternatively, the Pellar may make

tradi tio nal use o f either the drum or the wind -roarer to
call the spirits, gather in the virtues, raise the powers, and
strengthen the trance.
T h e P ellar is now ready t o undertake the rite or wo rking
at hand.

The Compass Rite

I f necessary the phy sical ity o f the ci rcl e may be describe d

in the earth us ing the stick, or delineated with chalk, flour,
ash or s and. A grov e o f trees or other feat ure o f the land,
such as a curved hedge or stream, may provide, at least
in part, a natural physical ci rcle, or an ancient ci rcle o f
stones may be an ideal choice. Wherever the Compass is
to be conjured one m ust be certai n o f its bounda ry.
T h e rite wh ich foll ow s is described fo r imp ortant sol itary
outd oor workings and ri tes. In ri tes o f a Cunning Lod ge

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 The W itche s’ Com pass

or ci rcle o f fellows, t he various tasks o f the follow ing r ite

will be sh ared by th ose prese nt, each being allotted their
task as decided before the gathering.
Set th e staff, stone , flame and bon e to stand i n the centre
o f the circ le or at the r equired quarter point, depend ing
on the natu re o f the rite or wo rkin g at han d. A t the foo t
o f the sti ck have als o the bo w l holdin g some bread or
other food and the horn-cup holding mead, wine or ale
for the Troyl. Ha ve there al so a crucible o f burn ing co als
and a pertinent substance to burn. A rran ge also any other
required items. Other staves and the broom may be laid
along th e Ea st, South or Wes t o f the ci rcle, but never th e
Northern portal where only the altar staff may ever be
placed to sta nd. H ave ab out your waist t he cord and your
knife hanging from it. T h e fire m ay be simply a lanter n or
small bonfire built within a cauldron. If the rite dictates
that the stick a nd work ing items are set a t on e o f the
quarters at the circle’s edge then a proper bonfire/bone-
fire can be buil t in t he centr e o f the C om pass.
If a bell is present, it is struck once to mark the
com m encem ent o f ritual. Begin by t he Becom ing, t hen
the broom is taken up to sweep the circle thrice against

the Sun, to exorcise unwanted influences and to establish

that w ork betw een the wo rlds is abo ut to take place ther e,
or else use th e ‘wit ch es’ w h isk ’ in the tra diti onal w ay when
the fi re has been li t. Start the swee ping o r use o f the wh isk
with an exorcisin g call:

“H eka s H ek a s E st e Be beloi (Be j e fa r from here a ll ye

pro fane) !
И th a t is unclean, evil, an d impedi ng to our ways;

From here depart, depart, depart fa r a n d be gone!”

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 Trad it iona l W it chcraft — A Cornish Bo ok o f Ways

Place som e o f the incense o n the c oals, to draw the

desired powers and spirits to the place and to raise further
your in ner flam e with purp osefu l breath, sharp ening the
senses, strengthening and reaffirming the Becoming and
the beginnings o f tranc e.

W hen re ady the fire m ust be lit. Take up the Cunnin g

blade and hallow the fire with these words, with a slow
and purp osefu l tone :

‘B e this fire hood by kn ife an d w ill an d bre ath,

A beacon to alig ht the p a th s o f spirit.
Illum in e m y / our C ra ft, ab la te m y /o u r calls,
F or the h idden to d raw w ith m e / us.
I / we conjure thee oh serp en t red, coiled in the la nd
G ive unt o m y /o u r blood the bre ath,
A n d le t m y /o u r C unning B u rn !
I / we conjure thee, I / we conjure thee, I / we conjure thee”

W ith your knife make the sign o f the six way s over
the fire, then, replace your knife in its sheath. Draw the
serpent yet further with deep breath, fanning the inner
fire to greater intensity.
Take up now the staff and conjure the Compass three
times round, in th e direct ion o f the sun fo r generative
w orkin gs oth erw ise ag ainst it, w ith th ese w ord s:

“I / we conj ure thee C om pass Fo un d,

B e y e ca st a n d bey e bound.
B y ro ad above a n d ro ad below,
B y snake a n d ha re a n d toad a n d crow,
B y red spirits, white spirits, grey spirits a n d black,
I/w e conjure thee by threefold tra ck .
B e y e cast a n d bey e bound,
H allo w ed be C om pass F ound. ”

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 The Witches’ Compass

Brin g the sta ff to th e centre o f the circle and hold i t

aloft to the sky, then firmly down to the ground, then
crossing the arms at the chest, with these words:

“
A s abo ve...

So below...
A n d by the cross q uarte r ways,
So sh a ll i t be. ”

In rites o f greater i m portance, the quarter sp irits may

now be individually called by standing with one’s back to
each quarter; invoking the forces inward to the circle’s
centre.

East
“I conjure thee r ed spirits o f the E a stw a rd road , keepers o f
the fla m e o f enlightenm en t a n d th e blade o f cunning, d e a r the
call, hail to thee, awake, arise and here be. ”

South
“I conjure thee whit e spirits o f the Sou thw ard roa d, keepers o f
the stone o f wisdom an d the bo nes o f memory. H e a r the call,
hail to thee, awake, arise and here be. ”

West
“I conjure thee grey spirits o f the W estw ard road, kee pers o f
the wat ers o f life an d the cau ldron o f transf ormation. H ea r
the call, hail to thee, awake, arise and here be. ”

North
“1 conjure thee black s pirits o f the N o rth w ar d road, keepe rs
o f the dark win ds o f spirit an d the sk u ll o f ini tiat ion. H ea r
the call, hail to thee, awake, arise and here be”

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 Traditional Witchcraft — Cornish Took of Ways

Replace the sta ff at the centr e o f the com pass, or t he

chosen quarter, and raise the arms with hands in the sign
o f the horn s and s ay:

‘Ъ и с с а Gwi dder!”

Bring right horned hand to touch the left shoulder.

‘Ъ и сса Dhu !”

Bring left horned hand to the right shoulder crossing

the right arm:

‘Ъ исса, Ъ исса, Ъ исса!

H o rned one, d a rk a n d fa ir ,
shrine hea rth a n d vesse l o f a ll du aliti es con joined.
I / we dedicate th is rite to thee!
G uide m e / us upon th e p a th o f a ll wisdom,
by the light betwixt the horns.
Ъ исса, Ъ исса, Ъ исса !”

Now is the time to walk the round. Begin with the

tradit ional West Co un try call:

‘T h o u t a tou t tout , throughout an d abo ut,

ar oun d and ar oun d in Ъ и с с sаhigh
’ name!”

The Compass is now trod, slowly but steadily in a

sinistral circle around the fire or central altar. In magical
rites, the required virtues are ‘gathered in’ or ‘stirred
into the cau ldron’ via thi s act o f ‘walking m editation’.
In devotional and celebratory rites, the mind is focused
upo n the s pirit o f the season, and upo n the divi ne. A s the

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 The W itche s’ Compass

round is trod over and over, the trance builds to a greater

and deeper intensity, bringing visions and ultimately
percepti ons and gli mpses o f Go dh ead. When such s tates
are achieved, physical movement becomes difficult and it
is not uncommon for a practitioner to collapse in trance

and lie motionless between the worlds in communion

with the fo rces, virtu es and spirits gath ered in.
It is following the Round that the rite or working at
hand may begin. The compass may be trod further to ‘stir
the cauldron’ and ‘turn the mill ’ to ai d act s o f magic. In
acts o f g enerative magi c, around th e ti me o f a wax ing, or
full moon, the Compass is trod in a dextral circle, raising
the forces gathered in by the Round, and bringing forth
from the cauldron that which is desired. Such workings
ma y be aided b y the repetitive use o f a ‘mill chan t’ as the
generative ‘mill’ is trod:

“Serp ent red an d fi r e burn

W or k the rou nd, the m ill to turn
W ork our w ill fo r which we p ra y
Io, dio, ha, hey hey!
H a re white a n d com pass-ring
W ork the ro und, the m ill to spi n
W or k our m il fo r which we p ra y
Io, dio, ha, hey hey!
To ad grey a nd cauldron boil
W or k the rou nd, the m ill to toil
W ork our w ill fo r which we p ra y
Io, dio, ha, hey hey!
Crow black an d winds b low
W or k the round, the m ill to go
W ork our w ill fo r which we p ra y
Io, dio, ha, hey hey!”

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 Traditional Witchcraft — A C o rnish B oo k o f W ays

In m agic to be ri d o f something, or in r ites o f blas ting,

aro und th e ti me o f the waning or new m oon, the Com pass
is trod i n a sini stral mill , as the ob ject o f the w or kin g is
consum ed wit hin th e caul dron o f transf ormation.

The Troyl Hood

To conclude any ri tes or working s, t he ri te o f the Troyl

Hood (meaning ‘bewitched celebratory feast’) will be
made.
It is begun b y kneeling on o ne knee (a ‘betw ixt’ posture
traditional in the Cornish Craft, neither standing, sitting,

no r entir ely kneel ing) befor e the bow l o f bread and

the horn -cup o f mead. To uch the brow, then t he nave l,
and cross the arms with horned hands, thus making
simulta neousl y th e sig n o f Bu cca invocation and form ing,
with the bo dy, the sign o f the six ways and the hexagra m
of ‘force into form’ over the meal.
With bow ed head, breathe deeply o f the powers and
say these words over the meal:

‘B y stone by b one by s ta ff a nd fla m e,

B e th is T royl hood!
H ere where a ll conjoin betw ix t the horns,
A re brou gh tfo rth blessedness, truth a n d a ll wisdom.
In Bucca’s high nam e a nd by the serpent r ed,
I conjure thee, I conjure thee, I conjure thee!
H allow ed a n d hood,
So sha ll it be”

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 The Witches' Compass

With in dex finger, or with wand, make the sign o f the

six ways and the pentagram o f divi nity descend ing over
the mead and bread.
In a gathering o f fell ows, thi s is perfo rm ed b y a f emale
witch assum in g the ro le o f mother. A male w itch may
assist by lowering the family’s blade into the horn, in
fur ther symb olism o f the congress o f divine force int o
form to be imbibed in communion by those gathered.
First offer some bread into the fire before eating, with
reverence, some o f the bread yourself, and th en hold the
horn aloft with the toast:

“There’s to the de vil w ith his wooden p ic k a n d shovel, digging

tin by the bushel w ith his ta il cocked up !”

Pour a litde into the fire and drink, with reverence,

some o f the mead i n comm union with t he powers there
gathered and those who have gone before.
T he rite o f the Tro yl-H oo d, especial ly in the hom e at
the hearth, is an important rite that it is wise to observe
with som e regularity, upon the m oons and upon Saturdays;
being th e day o f the home, o f deal ings with spir its and o f

the chthonic forces.

The rite provides spiritual strength and nourishment,
and maintains the essential bond between the witch and
the divine force, the spirits and forces helpful to the work
o f the witch. Th e rit e also helps to ensure t hat hou seho ld
spi rits do not turn troublesom e by the pl easur e o f shared
food left in offering upon the hearth.

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 T rad ition al W itchcra ft — A C orni sh Bo ok o f W ay s

A ritual of closing

T h e remainder o f the br ead and mead is offered to th e

four direc tions o f the Com pass, i n th e oppo site di rect ion
to which it was conjured. If the rite was opened with a
sun-wise Co m pa ss; th e sp irits o f the cross-quarter ways
are thanked against the sun; beginning at the Western
quarter and ending at the North. If the rite was opened
with a C om pass against the sun, the clo sing thanks are
given with the sun beginning in the East, ending at the
northern direction.
First the bread is o ffered , then at eac h quarter the horn
is held aloft , in t hanks and kins hip, be fore som e o f its
content is poured upon the earth with the words:

“G rey sp irits on the we stward w ay,

merry m eet an d m erry p a r t in Bucca’s high name!”

‘W h ite spirit s o f the sout hward w ay,

merr y meet and merr y p a rt in Bucc a’ s high nam e!”

“R ed sp irits o f the east ward wa y,

merr y meet an d m erry p a rt in Bucc a’ s high name!”

‘B lac k spirit s o f the northward way,

merr y m eet and m erry p a rt in Bucca’ s high name!”

The staff is walked symbolically around the edge, again

in the direction opposite to which the Compass was
conjured. Turn ing finally to face the cent re o f the cir cle,
the presidin g witch m ay say :

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 The W itche s’ Compass

“M erry m eet and merry p a rt,

rentum tormentum in Bucca’ s high name!”

If a bell is present, it may be struck once to signal the

end o f the rite.
“ M erry meet, an d m erry part” , highly fam iliar to th e
modern Pagan community, is derived from the Somerset
witch confe ssio ns and has entered into traditional usage
within the West C ountr y Cra ft.

10 9
 T he T r ad e

V illage C unni ng, Subst ance s an d C harm s

TTCHCRAFT has for centuries been a trade.

The Cunning path brings those who tread
it with honesty, honour and dedication, the
highly useful skil ls o f w isd om , insi ght, and t he abil ity to
perceive and have dealings with spiri ts, s pirit forc es and to
w ork magic. L ife fo r many is hard, and the ability to make
a good living is difficult enough today, but in the past
life was much har sher. I f you were i n possession o f suc h
useful skills you made sure you turned them to profit in
order to keep a roof over your head, fuel at your hearth,

and fo od on the t able. T he Cu nn ing have certai nly a lwa ys

done so with theirs.
The problems that people consult the Pellar to solve
have fo r centu ries been mo stly within th e are as o f love,
luck, money, protection, healing, and curse lifting. Thus
have they equipped themselves with tradi tional know ledge
o f a range o f physi cal charms; some to b e concealed or
hung i n some part o f the home, and som e to be carri ed
or worn by the client. In Cornwall, and other areas, little

‘charm bags’ containing folded written charms, drawn

symbols, and magical substances and powders were fairly

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 Trad it ional W it chcraf t —A Corni sh Book o f Ways

common. Some consultations however would result in

no actual charm being supplied to the client, and only
involved ritua l acti ons such a s the use o f swe eping tools,
or stroking stones accompanied by muttered charms,
or spells such as those by candle and needle might be
employed.
Other acts o f magi c, perform ed by the Pel lar, involved
the powe rs o f foresight and consulting with spir its to gi ve
predictions, answers to questions, and to discover the
whereabouts o f lo st or stolen property. It was in the past
fairly common for ordinary Cornish folk to possess at
least one charm acquired from a local practitioner, and it
is known that, at times, people would have travelled great

distances and formed large queues outside a practitioner’s

home for a consultation.
Whilst the m ajo rity o f these charm s and practices were
offered to help and to heal, it was also not uncommon for
practitioners to receive requests for curse magic; usually
to be cast up on an enemy o f a client. Th e much wri tten
about ‘Wiccan Rede’ or ‘Threefold Law’ is entirely alien
to t he ol d practi ces o f v illage witch craft, Ch arm ing an d
Cunning. Practitioners would not normally be wealthy
enough to turn down a client who was willing to pay
go od m one y fo r a bit o f magical retributi on. Tim es ar e
not quite as tough today, and so practitioners can now
afford morals, and will turn down what they deem to be
unreasonable reques ts.
The absence of any such ‘Threefold Law’ does not
mean tha t Pellar will curse everyon e and anyone by wh im;
a ve ry sen sible ap pro ach to such things i s taken by genuine
Traditional practitioners. To curse can involve working
with da rk and very deep-se t energies and em otions, it

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 The Trade

can be very demanding, and not at all a pleasant way to

spend your time and energy; therefore no experienced
practitioner would ever do such a thing ‘willy-nilly’. Curse
magic, or ‘O w l B lastin g’, as it is cal led in t he West Coun try,
is emp loyed on ly in extreme and well deserved cases wh en
no oth er course o f action i s ava ilable. An essent ial a spect
to t he Cunning Path is havi ng the w isdom to kn ow w hen
such workings are appropriate, and when they are not.
There are no blanket rules here, the Pellar will think, and
if necessary, act for themselves on these matters.
T he be lief is hel d by mo st fo lk that the re is either white
magic or black magic, and that the white variety is that
o f go od and helpful magic , wh ilst blac k magic i s fo r all

harmful and evil ends. For Cornish witches, things are

understood differently. White magic is not known, and
black magic has a different interpretation...
The colours of Cornish witch-magic are red, green
and black. Red magic is ruled by the serpentine fire in the
land, it is magic o f poten cy and em pow erm ent, to char ge
an item, being, or place w ith generative sprow l is an act o f
red magic, a s are wo rkings o f sexual energy and the layi ng
dow n or direct ing o f protecti ve spi rit for ces. T h e fami liar

spir it o f red mag ic is the r ed serpent.

Green magic is ruled by physicality, the land, green
and growing things, and living beings which are animated
by sprowl. Workings o f physical he aling, herb craft and
materia l ga in ar e act s o f gre en m agic. T h e familiar s piri t
o f green mag ic is the hare.
Black m agic form s two areas o f pract ice; dea lings
with the unse en, ethereal an d eldritch fo rc es, w ork in gs
o f spir it magic, ancestor magic, ‘seeing’ and som e ac ts
o f div ina tion. A lso the re is t he ar ea o f pract ice invo lving

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 Tra diti ona l W it chcraft — Cornish Book o f Ways

influence, control, deep emotions and behavioural

patterns, sleep and dreams, bindings, curses or ‘Owl
Blasting s’ . T h e spir it famili ars o f black magic ar e th e
crow, m ostly as sociated with t he for m er ar ea o f practi ce,
and the toad being associated mainly with the latter.

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 The Trade

T he H and of t he W i s e

To the Pell ar, t he gesture s o f the hand within tradi tion al

magic hold important meaning and virtue. The sinistral
hand will be em ployed w ithi n acts calli ng for banishment,
removal and diminishment. An exception unique to the
sinistral hand is that it may be employed to gather, apply
or direct ban eful energ ies i n the w ork o f bla sting. T he
dext ral hand i s o f course emp loyed i n acts o f posit ive
conjuration, increase and regeneration; thus, for example,
in acts o f healing wh ere the si nistr al hand m ay first
remove the ailment, the dextral hand will then apply the

regenerative forces to the area in question.

The thumb and fingers also have their distinct virtues;
the thumb is o f earthly, materi al, an d bod ily virtue, the
index finger is emp loyed within wor k aided by th e virtues
o f air, com mu nication an d tho ught. T he m iddle fi nger
aids al l wo rkings o f spirit magic, t he ri ng finger is o f
water, em otions and the deep self. T he little fin ger aids
workings o f fire, sexu al energy and strength.
Th us the thumb and fin gers o f each hand are o f great
use (yet subtle and occult to the observer) within magic,
to generate or banish via the energies they represent,
dep ending on the dext ral or sini ster hand being emp loyed
and the natur e o f the work . Th e thum b or fi ngers m ay
thus be employed to stir certain mixtures, anoint certain
items, or charge certain charms depending on the virtues
required.
In the heal ing o f a burn, a Ch arm er may fi rst exorci se

the fir e fr om the inju ry by use o f their little si nist ral finger,
and apply th e soothing watery vir tues o f heal ing via the

11 5
 Tra ditiona l W it chcra ft — Cornish Bo ok o f Ways

ring finger o f the dextral han d. I have fou nd virtues

directed via the dextral ring finger, to be marvellous for
the soothing o f tension headac hes.

Planetary Virtues

Like m ost o f the w orld ’s folk magi cians, many Cornish

practitioners were, and are, traditionally skilled in the
preparation and use o f magical substances , such a s
powders, suffumigations (incenses), oils and ointments.
T he virtues o f the plane ts, the sun and t he m oon , were
observed, and have long been employed by the Pellar.
The life problems they are called upon to remedy, and
the desired things they are sought to conjure, all come
und er th e rul e o f one o r m ore o f the pla net s, thus t he
system most used by the Cornish practitioner to calculate
the ingredients o f their mag ical substances, and th e
timing o f thei r wo rk, was that o f tradi tio nal pl anetary
correspo nde nce and m oo n phase . A n indivi dual’ s per sonal
responses ari sing from work ing with the g eni us o f cer tain
plants is also an ai d to t he creation o f preparations.
It was the sys tem o f the seven bodies corresp ond ing
to the seven days o f the w eek tha t we re tradit ional ly used
for these calculations. Thus certain days are appropriate
for the wo rking o f cer tain c harms, and t he creat ion o f
certain substances.

О
T h e Su n is al lied t o the element o f fire and th e sign o f

Leo. His day i s Su nd ay and he does g reatly ai d all working s

o f Stron g bod ily hea ling, protecti on agai nst neg ative

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 The Trade

forces, t he at tra cti on o f money, go od fort une, happi ness,

leadership, positive strength and power. His colours are
gold, yellow, orange and white.

(
T h e M oo n is a llied to th e el emen t o f water and t he si gn
o f Cance r. H er day is M ond ay a nd her virt ues ar e o f aid
to the wo rkings o f G en tle healing, em otional healing, the
explorat ion or infl uence o f emotions, t he subconscious,
dreams, psych ic w ork , generat ive magic and increa se up on
the waxing moon to full, consumptive magic, decrease
and gentle banishment upon the waning to dark. The
empo werm ent o f charms and magi cal subs tan ces and

conjuration o f the serpen t’s breath upon the ful l o f the

moon, well magic, sea magic, the ways of Annown and
the dead upon the dark of the moon. The ways of Bucca
Gwidder upon the full moon and Bucca Dhu upon the
dark o f the mo on . H er colou rs are s ilver, wh ite —ful l an d
black —dark.

О*
T h e elementa l ally o f Mars is f ire and th e sign s o f Aries
and Scorpio. His day is Tuesday and his virtues are of
aid to workings o f defensive magi c, defensive pow ers and
strength, assertive powers, exorcism, strong protection,
vic to ry in conflic t, em powerm ent, fire magic, conju ra tion
o f the se rpent and t he rai sing o f sprowl, lif ting o f curs es,
sexual potency and lust. His colour is red.

?
M erc ury ’s ally is the element o f air and t he sig ns o f
Gemini and Virgo and hir day is Wednesday. Mercurial

11 7
 Trad it ional W it chcraft — A Corni sh Too k o f Ways

virtu es are o f aid to w orkin gs o f com m unic ation, th ought,

memory, wisdom, study, travel, quickening, mending rifts
and ending silences, transactions, locating lost property,
discove ring the identi ty o f thieves , contact and exchange
between the worlds, balance and Bucca Grand. Hir
colours are violet and yellow.

Ju p iter is allied to the elemen ts o f air an d w ate r an d to the

sig ns o f Sagit tar ius and Pisces . Ju p iter ’s day is Th urs da y
and th e vi rtue s o f Jup iter ar e o f aid to workings o f
lea ders hip and posi tions o f power, th e imp rovem ent

o f soci al s tandi ng a nd t he ac hievement o f recognit ion,

reward, honour, responsibility, wealth, business success,
expa nsion and legal mat ters. Ju p ite r’s colours are blue and
purple.

?
Venus has allies in the elem ents o f earth and w ater and
in the sig ns o f T auru s and Libra. H er day is Friday and
her virt ues aid workings o f love, frie ndshi p, com passion,
enjo ym ent, plea sure , sensualit y, the arts, beauty, prosp erity,
harmony, comfort, marriage, blessings and the family.
H er colours are green and rose pink .

ь
Satu rn’s allies are the elemen ts o f water and earth and th e

sig ns o f Ca pric orn and Aq uarius. S aturn’ s day is Satur day

and t he Sat urnalian virtues are o f aid to w orking s o f

1 18
 The Trade

binding, limitation, restriction, discipline, grounding,

solidity and physicality, the body, the home, land, death
and the dead, wisdom, spirit magic and spirit conjuration
and Buc ca Dh u. Black is the colou r o f Sat urn .

Magical Substances
Powders, Suffumigations and Liquids

T h e w orking pow ders p repared and used by the Pel lar, a re

hig hly important tools o f thei r Craft. Th ey are suppli ed
to cl ien ts, and incorp orated w ithin the physica lit y o f
charms; adding to their potency. They may also be

scattered during workings in the area a spell is to take

affect, fo r exam ple to bring fer til ity to a piece o f land, or
to protect a pla ce fr om ill-infl uence. Pow ders are also cast
into a working hood-fire, to empower it with the virtues
appropriate to the work ing or ri te at hand . S uffum igations,
or incenses, are equally vital to a practitioner’s trade. The
appropriate preparations will be bu rnt on coals to conjure
certain pertinent and useful virtues, as offerings and
encouragements to helpful spirits, to release a spell within
the ris ing smoke, or to enhance th e potency o f charms by
passing them repeatedly through the smoke.
W hat follow s are m erely the physical lists o f in gredients
for th e prepar ati on o f wo rking powders, suffumigations
and li quids . I n o rd er to be active, they m ust be prep ared at
a pert inent ti me, and d ate , and under the correc t phase o f
moon. The appropriate virtues must be gathered, raised,
and worked into the preparation as it is mixed by the

Pellar. This process takes much time, as indeed it should.

The grinding, mixing and stirring of all preparations is

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 Trad it ional W it chcraft — A Cornis h Book o f Ways

done alternately with the sun and against it repeatedly

ov er a long p eriod o f time, some say seven st irs wi th
the sun and seven against and so forth. Throughout the
process, the practitioner is working their power, and the
required virtues into the mixture. Wh en thi s part o f the
process is done, the mixture is placed into the working
bowl, where it is left on the hearth to ‘cook’. Properly
prepared, the result will be a truly potent magical
substance. Suffumigations must be put into a glass jar,
sealed, and left in a dark place for six months to settle
and mature. Magic powders may be used the next day.
Ointments must also be sealed within a dark place for six
months before they are strained and bottled.

Planetary Substances

Su n Powde r
B ay leaves — 1 tsp, B enzo in — V2 tsp, C inna m on — V2 stick, Cloves
— x 7 , C opal— 1 tsp, Frankincense — 1 1/2 tsp, Ju nipe r B err ies— V 2
tsp, O a k — 1 tsp, Patchouli — 1 drop, Rosem ary — 1 tsp

F ire o f the Su n Incense

B ay leaves — 1 tsp, B enzo in — V2 tsp, Cinnam on o il — 12 dr ops,
Clove o il — 6 drops, C opal — 1 tsp, Frankincen se — 1 /2 tsp,
Junip er berries — 1 tsp, M arjora m o il — 3 drops, O a k b ark — V2
tsp, Oran ge o il — 18 drops, Patchoul i — 10 drops, Rus e гу — 1
tsp

Sun O il
In O live o il gently heat B ay leaves — 2 tsp, J uniper B erries — 2 tsp,

Rosem ary — 4 tsp. A llo w to cool and a dd C innam on o il— 2 0 drops,

Clove o il — 10 drops, O range o il — 10 drops.

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 The Trade

M oon Powder
C ala m us — 1 V2 tsp, C am ph or oil — 1 drop, D ra go n’s B loo d — 1
tsp, jasm ine Flowers — 2 tsp, ju n ip e r ber ries — 2 tsp, M u g w o rt— 3
tsp, M yrrh — / tsp, S ta r A n ise — V 2 tsp, Y lan g yla n g o il— 1 drop

Fire o f the M oon — F u ll

C alam us — 1 tsp, C am pho r o il - 13 drops, C op al — 1 V 2 tsp,
D ra gon’s blood — 1 tsp, Fra nk ince nse — 2 tsp, G ard en ia o il — 3
drops, jasm ine flo w ers — 1 tsp, M u g w o rt— 3 tsp, O rris ro ot— 1 tsp

F ire o f the M oon Incense — N e w

Cypress o il — 13 drops, D ra gon’s blood — 1 tsp, Junip er berries
— 2 tsp, M ugw ort — 3 tsp, M yrrh — 3 tsp, S ta r anise — 1 tsp,
W orm wood — 1 tsp, Yew needles — 1 tsp, Y la ngyla ng o il — 9 drops

M oon O il
In O live o il gen tly hea t Jasm ine flo w ers — 1 tsp, M u g w o rt— 3 tsp,
S tar A n ise — 3 tsp. A ll o w to cool and add Campho r oil — 12
drops, Cyp ress o il — 6 drops, G arde nia o il — 3 drops, Y la n gyla ng
o il — 2 drops

M a rs Powder
A sa fo etid a — 1 V2 tsp, B enz oin - 2 tsp, Bryony root — 1 /2 tsp,
Colopho ny — 1 tsp, C ypre ss o il— 1 drop, D ra gon’s blood— 1 1
/2 tsp,
G inger— 2 tsp, M ad de r roo t— 2 tsp, M ullein — 1 1/2 tsp, P atchoul i
— 1 drop, Pine needles — 1 tsp, W ormwood — 1 tsp

Fire o f M ars In cense

A sa fo e tid a — V2 sp,
t B en zo in — 2 tsp, Br yo ny ro ot — 1 tsp,
C innam on o il— 3 drops, Cypress o il — 6 drops, D rag on ’s bloo d— 3
tsp, G ing er — /2 tsp, G eranium o il — 7 drops, M ad de r root — 2

tsp, M ull ein — I V 2 tsp, Patchouli— 12 drops, Pine needles— 1 tsp,

W orm wood — 1 tsp

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 Trad it ional Witchcr aft — A Corni sh Book o f Ways

M a rs O il
In O live oil gen tly hea t B ryon y root — 1tsp, G inger — 3 tsp, Pine
needles — 1 tsp, Pate — 2 tsp, W ormwood — 2 tsp. A llo w to cool
an d add Clove o il — 2 0 drops, G eranium oil — 7 drops, Patchouli
o il — 7 drops.

M ercu ry Pow der

Sa ge — 1 tsp, H ea the rflow ers —2 tsp, H or eh ou nd — 1 tsp, L av end er
flo w ers — 3 tsp, Tem on grass oil — 2 drops, "Lemon verbena — V2 tsp,
M a ndrake root — /2 tsp, M ulle in — 1 tsp, R ow an berries — 1 tsp

F ire o f M ercury Incense

Fern — /2 tsp, G rey sage — 2 tsp, H ea th er— V 2 tsp, Ju nip er berri es

— 1 tsp, L avender o il — 18 drops, Lem on grass o il — 6 drops,
M andrake root — 1 tsp, M arjora m o il — 3 drops, M ulle in — 1 tsp,
Row an berries — 1 tsp, V erv ain — 1 /2 tsp, A lu m — 1 V 2 tsp

M ercu ry O il
In O live o il gently hea t H eath er flo w ers — 1 tsp, ju n ip er berries — 2
tsp, Le m on ba lm — 1 V2 tsp, M an dr a ke root — S 2 tsp, Sage — 2
'/? tsp. A llo w to cool an d add the oi ls o f L ave nd er — 12 dro ps,
Lem on grass — 4 drops, M arjora m — 8 drops

Jupite r Powder
Benzo in — 1 tsp, B eto ny— 1 tsp, Clove o il— 1 drop, C o p a l— 1 /' 2

tsp, Sage — 2 tsp, H aw tho rn berries —2 tsp, H on eysu ckle — 2 tsp,

Junip er berries — 3 tsp, O ud — V2 tsp, P op lar buds — 2 tsp

F ire o f Jup iter Incense

B enzo in - 1 tsp, Beto ny - 2 tsp, Clove o il — 12 drops, C o p a l- 2

/2
' tsp, Feverfew - 1 tsp, G rey sage - 2 tsp, H aw thorn berries - 1

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 The Trade

V2 tsp, H on eysu ckle — 2 tsp, Ju m per berries — 3 tsp, Pepp erm int
o il — 6 drops, O a k bar k — 1 tsp, O u d — V 2 tsp, P op lar bu ds — 2
tsp, 1и т — 1 /2 tsp

Jupite r O il
In O live O il gen tly hea t Bay leaves — x 7 , Junip er berries (,lightly
groun d) - 4 tsp, S tar A n ise - 3 tsp, Sa ge - 3 tsp. A llo w to cool
an d add Clov e o il — 10 drops, C innam on o il — 3 drops

V enus Powde r
A ngelic a root — 1 tsp, B enzo in — 1 tsp, Elder-flowers — 2 tsp,
H on eysuckle — V2 tsp, Jasm ine flow ers - 3 tsp, M ug w ort — 1 tsp,
O rris root — 2 tsp, Ro se p eta ls — 1 tsp, V erv ain — 3 tsp, Y lan g
yla n g o il — 3 drops

F ire o f Ve nus I ncense

A ngelic a root — 1 tsp, Benzo in — 2 tsp, E ld e r flo w ers — 1 /2 tsp,
G era nium o il — 3 drops, H on eysu ckle — 1 ts p, Jasm ine flow er s — 3
tsp, M arjoram o il— 6 dro ps, M ug w or t— 1 tsp, O rris ro o t— 2 tsp,
Rose oil — 12 drops, Rose p eta ls — 1 tsp, Verv ain — 2 tsp, Ylang
yla n g o il — 2 drops, A lu m — 1 V2 tsp

l I nns O il
In O live o il gen tly heat A ngelic a root — 1stp, Jasm ine flo w ers — 1
tsp, O rris root — 3tsp, Verva in — 2stp. A llo w to cool an d add
G eranium o il — 7 drops, Patchoul i o il— 10 drops, Rose o il — 12
drops, Y lan g Y lan g o il— 5 drops

Sa turn Powde r
A sa fo e tid a — V2 tsp, B la ck s to ra x— 1 tsp, Co m frey — 1 tsp, Cypress
o il — 1 drop, H en ba ne — 1 tsp, M a ndra ke — '/? tsp, M ullein — 3

tsp, M yrr h — 2 tsp, P atcho uli o il — 1 drop, Slo e berries — 1 tsp,

Yew needles — /' 2 tsp

12 3
 Trad it ional W it chcraft — A C orn ish B o o k o f W ays

T ire o f S aturn Incense

safoetida — 1/2 tsp, B la ck s to ra x — 1 tsp, Comfrey — 1 tsp,
Cypress o il— 12 dr ops, H enba ne — 1/г tsp, M an dr ak e — У 2 tsp, Iiy
be rrie s— V2 tsp, M ullein —2 tsp, M yr rh — 2 tsp, P atchoul i o il— 15
drops, P oplar buds — x 3 , Th ym e o il — 6 drops, Yew needles — V2
tsp, A lu m - 1 1/2 tsp

Sat urn O il
In o ilgentl y h eat C omfre y —3tsp, M and rake — /' 2 tsp, M ulle in — 1
tsp. A llo w to cool a nd a dd Patchouli o il — 2 0 drops, Cypress o il— 7
drops

Other Working Powders

W itch Powd er
This is a most useful and general working powder of
C or nis h m agical tradit ion. It is used to lift curses and drive
away negat ive influen ces by casting it abo ut a pl ace o r over
a person, animal or object that has been ill-influenced.
It may also be employed to cast powers and influences
according to intent in general, and in generative magic it
may be cast into a charmed fire to conjure that which is
desired. Make it by grinding together the following:
C am pho r oil — 1 drop, Dragon s blood — 3 tsp, E a r th fr o m
place s o f p ow er — 1 tsp, M ad de r root — 2 tsp, M ug w ort — / tsp,
Patchouli oil — 1 drop, S a lt — V2 tsp

Go A w ay Powd er

A fa m ous pow der traditional to witches in the South

o f Britain; i t is highl y potent and i s em ployed to

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banish anything undesired either by scattering it over a

representation o f tha t wh ich i s to be banished or els e
throwing it into a fire, into the ebbing sea tide or into
the wind whilst naming the undesired thing. This finely
groun d pow der is made o f the fol lowing:
B enzo in — 3 tsp, B la ckth orn thorn s — x 2 , M u lle in — 1 tsp
S a lt — 2 tsp, S t Jo hn ’s w o rt — 1 tsp, W orm wood — 2 tsp

L ove Powder
C am ph or oi l — 1 drop, Clove o il — 1 drop, C opal — 1 tsp, Ja sm ine
flo w ers — 1 tsp, O rr is root — 2 tsp, R ed rose p eta ls — 3 tsp, Sugar
(brown) — 1 tsp, Vervain — 1 tsp

A d d ic tio n B re akin g Pow der

Bound in a small white bag, this powder is carried by
those suffering from addiction:
Celandine — 2 tsp, D rag on ’s blood — 1 tsp, M arjo ra m o il — 1
drop
M u lle in — 1 tsp, N e tt le lea ves— 1 tsp, Pate — 1 tsp, H eath er flo w ers
- 3 t sp

Spirit Powder
f o r all rites and work ings o f spiri t conju ration an d
communion:
C op al — 1 tsp, Ju n ip er berries — 3 tsp, M yrr h — 3 tsp, Patch ouli
°C ~ 2 drops
Po plar buds — x 3, Sloebe rries — 1 tsp, A s h o f crow fe a th ers — V2
tsp, V erv ain — 1 tsp, Yew — 2 tsp

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 Trad it ional W it chcraft — A Cornis h Book o f Ways

Other Working Incenses

Serpe nt Sm oke
A genera l w orkin g in cense fo r the gath ering, raisin g
and dir ecti on o f sprowl . It is employed in act s o f
empowerment and all rites and workings aided by the
virtu es o f the Eastw ard road:
Bryony root — /2 tsp, C inna m on o il — 15 drops, Clove o il — 3 0
drops, C olophony — 1 / 2 tsp, Dragons bl ood — 2 tsp, G eranium
o il — 5 drops, G ing er pow dere d — /2 tsp, M adde r root — 3 tsp,
Patchoul i oil — 12 drops
Pine needles — 1 tsp, R ue — 1 tsp, Slo e be rries — 1 tsp, W orm woo d
— 1 tsp, A lu m — 1 /2 tsp

H are Sm oke
A n in cense o f South w ard road virtu e, esp ec ially help ful
for bo dily heal ing, a cts o f cleansing, purifi cation, th e
rem oval o f negat ive infl uence and t he encouragem ent o f
positive influences and strength:
A ngelic a root — /2 tsp, B ay leaves — 1 tsp, C inna m on o il —
7 drops, C op al — 1 tsp, F ran kincen se — 3 tsp, Ju nipe r — 2 tsp,

T av en der o il— 15 dr ops, Dem on balm — 1 tsp, O a k ba rk — 1 tsp,

Rosem ary — 2 tsp, Rose peta ls — 1 tsp, Sage — 2 tsp, I 'ervain — 1
tsp, A lu m

Toad Smoke
Toad Magic is to deeply influence and bring change via
con nection and on eness with th e tar get o f the working.
It is also to explore, gain wisdom of, or bring healing to
the deeper self, deeply held emotions, ideas and patterns
o f behaviour. I t is useful in al l other acts ai ded by the
W estward road virtu es:

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Bram ble leaves — 1 tsp, C am pho r — 12 drops, C om frey — 1

tsp, Cyp ress o il — 5 drops, E ld e r flow er s — 1 tsp, M ug w or t — 2
tsp, M yr rh — 2 tsp, P atchouli — 5 drops, Y la n g yla n g — 3 drops,
A lu m — 1 1/ tsp

Cr ow Sm oke
Cr ow Sm oke aid s all workings o f spi rit comm unicati on,
seeing and al l other workin gs aided by th e virtues o f the
N orthern por tal:
Cam phor oil — 12 dr ops, H enbane — '/ 2 tsp, Junip er — 1 tsp,
M ugw ort — 3 tsp
M yrrh — 2 V2 tsp, S ta r anise — 1 tsp, T hym e oi l — 7 drops,
V erva in — 2 tsp, W orm wo od 1 V 2 tsp, A lu m — 1 V 2 tsp

Sea Cunning
This incense is used in rites and workings where the
pow ers o f the sea are em ployed to conjure or bani sh
according to tide:
Bladder-w rack — 1 tsp, C am phor — 3 drops, Coffee beans — x
2, D ulse — 1 tsp, M in t o il— 2 drops, M yrr h —3 tsp, Sea s a lt— S 2
tsp, A lu m — 1 V 2 tsp

E xo rcism

A n in cense em plo yed in strong work in gs to ban ish

negative or harmful energies, influences and spirits:
B enzo in — 4 tsp, Clove oil — 2 drops, D rago n s blood — 2 tsp,
Н о еho un d — 2 tsp, Jun iper berri es — / V2 tsp, M in t oil — 3 drops,
M u lle in — 1 tsp, Pine needles 1 tsp, S a lt— 1 tsp, S t Jo h n ’s wo rt - 2
tsp, W ormw ood — 3 tsp, A lu m — 1 V 2 tsp

Protection
To raise a protective boundary in preparation for

potentially dangerous, harmful, or unfamiliar situations

and i n case s o f suspected il l-wis hing:

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 Traditi onal W it chcraf t — A Corni sh Book o f W ajs

Clove oil — 5 drops, D ra go n’s b lood — 2 tsp, F ern — 3 tsp,

Franki ncens e 1 tsp, H olly — 1 tsp, Н о еhound — 1 tsp, Ju n ip er— 1
tsp, M in t o il — 3 drops, M ullein — 1 V 2 tsp, Pine needles — 1 tsp,
A lu m - 1 V2 tsp

Liquids

W itch O il
T h is oil is fo r use within rit es and work ings as an anointing
oil for th e bo dy and tools o f the Craft. M ake i t thus:

D issolve fin ely gro und D ra gon’s Blood into natural cold
Turpent ine. Into this liqu id stir l ight ly poun ded M add er root and
keep i t somewh ere both d a rk a nd cool u n til it becomespleasing ly red,
stirring it upon occassion.
Set an iron vessel containing some linseed oil to hang high over
glowing embers, a dd to this M an dra ke roo t, M ug w ort an d Vervain;
there to warm u n til the fir e ’s death. W he n i t has cooled, the two
m ixt ures m ust be co mbi ned and left fo r s ix mo nths i n a cool and
d ark place before straining and bottling.
T h is is best und ertaken duri ng the f u l l moon and the Serp ent an d

inner fire m u st be rai sed and w orked int o the preparati on duri ng
its making.

Sp iri t o f M yr rh
This is used within rites to anoint and coat such things as
skulls, bones and other ritual or magical items associated
with spirit m agic and the anc estors. It may be made simply
thus:

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A d d grou nd m yrr h gu m to na tural cold turpent ine. S tir this u n til

the myrrh h as dissolved. O ils o f cypress or thyme m ay be added fo r
scent.

Charm Bags

Th e tradi tional charm bags o f the Corn ish practi tioner,

containing folded written charms, powders, and other
materials pertinent to the intent, may be made using two
squares of red felt one and one half inch square. The
paper charm, being three inches square, once marked as
appropriate should have the four corners folded into the
centre, fold this in half then in half again resulting in the
folded paper being just over one inch square.
T he bags ar e sewn, using a threa d o f colour appropri ate
to the int ent o f the charm , alon g thre e side s leaving an
opening for the paper charm and other inclusions to be
placed i nside befo re being sewn shut. A smal l loo p is
added so that the charm may be worn if the client so
desires.
Th ese ch arm bags wi ll o f course be made with min d
and wil l att uned to the magical goa l, with the aid o f
the practitioner’s familiar spirits, and the appropriate
virtu es raised at an appro priate time. T h eir m aking is
accompanied throughout with the intent and purpose
being rhythmically muttered and worked into their
physicality, before being sealed by passing them through
the smoke o f a pertinent preparation, and t hen through
a flame thre e ti mes . A com pleted charm may then be l eft
in the hearth bowl to ‘cook’ over night, or else given to

the client there and then if they are present and waiting.

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 Tra ditiona l W it chcraft — Cornish To ok o f W ays

Charm Bags to ttra c t the id o f the Pla net ar y V irt ue s

A planetary charm bag is made and em powere d to bring
the tr aditi onal virtues o f the appropriate planet i nto
the life o f its bearer. T h us they are qui te versatile; each
offerin g ai d fo r a vari ety o f nee ds.
The bags are each sewn with a colour pertinent to the
planetary virtues be ing d eal t with. O ne side o f the f olded
charm b ears the planetary squ are . Th e pertinent planetary
po wd er is o f course the substance chosen fo r enclosure
with the fo ld ed charm .
U po n on e si de o f the paper charm wri te the following
beneath the appropriate planetary signs:

“Whosoever does bear this charm be ever under the blessing,

guidance an d empowerment o f the vi rtues an d potency o f (name o f
planet). ”

Mark the reverse with the approp riate planetary squar e:

I
4 9 2 4 4

9 7 6 12
3 5 7
5 II IO 8

8 i 6 I6 2
SATURN JUPITER

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II 2 4
7 2 0 3 6 3 34 35 1
32

6 7 1 1 27 2 8 8 3 0
4 12 2 5 8 1
*9 4 1 6 15 23 24
V 5
2 1 9
18 20 2 2 21
V 13
IO 1 8
I
*4 22 25 29 1 0 9 26 12

2? 6 '9 2 »5 3<* 5 33 4 2 31
MARS SUN

22 47 1 10 35 4
16 4 8 58 59 5 4 62 6 3 1
23 4 8 >7 4 2 11 29 49 *5 52 53 II 10 5<*
5 0
0

30 6 2 4 49 18 3 6 12 4 1 23 22 44 *9 18 45
32 3 4 38
29 2 5 35 39 28
31 7 25 43 *9 37
4 0 26 27 37 3<* 3° 3* 33
32 1 26 44 20
I» *7 4 7 4 6 20 21
4
43 4 2 24
21 39 8 33 2 27 45 12 50 i<5
9 55 5 1 *3 5 4
46 *5
40 9 34 3 28 64 2 3 61 6 0 6 7 57

VENUS MERCURY

3778 29 70 21 62 J3 54 5

6 18 79 1 ° 7 1 22 63 *4 4<5
47 7 19 80 31 7 2 23 55 15
16 48 8 40 81 32 <54 24 5*
57 *7 4 9 9 4 1 73 33 <*5 25
2<5 58 18 5° i 4 2 74 34 66
67 27 59 10 51 2 43 75 35

36 <58 >9 n 52 3 44 76

L 28 <59 20 <5i 12 53 4 45

MOON

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 Traditional Witchcraft — A C orn ish T o o k o f W ays

Workings of Protection

A C harm B ag fo r Protection fro m Curses, E v il S pirits a n d III

Tuck

Upon the paper charm, mark one side as follows:

N A LG A H

G \ ? + *
?(f/.o jt# V er abes /c a r iAt's сАагтц sJa // Ae e i* r
■ ^arfi/nate и п </я е е /у е я гр о tut/ / еyuriedwt
an t/dfcjjtX(>j>/5les£*T7£n S So

Mark the reverse as follows:

S A T О R
A R E P О
TENET
OPERA
ROTAS

13 2
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Fo ld thi s and place it inside the open ing o f the bag.

A d d one pin ch o f W itch Pow der an d tw o very sm all
lodestones, one to attract good fortune and one to repel
bad luck and evil spirits. Sew the bag closed using red

thread.

The Woman Ber/y Charm

String forty five dried rowan berries upon red thread,
m aking sure to ti e a knot betw een each b erry to seal rai sed
protective sprowl into the charm, and stop the berries
from rotting.
Mutter as you tie each knot:

“Woman berries a n d red th re a d ;p u t a ll ev il to its speed!”

Once all the berries have been strung, tie the ends to
form a loop and pass the charm thrice through Serpent
Smoke. T h e charm m ay be hung at any o f the h om e’s
po rtal points .

H a g Stone C harm s fo r Protection

T he magic al use o f hag s tones often involves th e

tra dit ion al magic o f cords, these being pas sed throu gh the
holes o f the stones and often being t ied with knot s. A lon g
the se cord-paths o f power, otherworldly forces ar e dr awn
upon, along with other potent influences and vi rtues, ti ed
within the knots o f intent to be made m anifest in the
materi al wo rld acco rding to the will o f the pract itioner.
Alw ays the num ber o f knots is symbolic.

For protection, a red cord may be passed through, and

have tied onto it nine hag stones. Tie also five knots into
the top o f the cord, thu s pro du cing a charm that calls

13 3
 Traditional Witchcraft — Cornish Took of Ways

upon the pro tection o f otherworl dly, Lu na r and Marti al

influences.
A n old iron key, tied to a red cord that passes thro ugh a
hag stone, is another charm that employs the holed stone
to bestow otherworldly protect ion u pon the hom e and a ll
w ho dwell within it, w hilst also m akin g use o f the potent
protective qual ities o f iron.

Two Protective Blackthorn Charms

T h e blackthorn hedge is s ym bolic o f highl y effecti ve
protective and defensive boundaries.
A potent charm to prote ct the habitants o f a hom e
from all outside interference, intrusions, attacks, curses,
and all general malicious intent, is to set up a magical
boundary in the form of eight large, and viciously sharp,
Black thor n spikes ti ed in to a cord o f red thre ad, passed
through the s m oke o f Mars and hung u p in some win do w
of the home.
The Mercurial number eight is employed here to allow,
and even encourage, all welcome and beneficent visits,

contact and communication from the outside to pass into

the home. Those who try to force their way through or
over a blackthorn boundary hedge, will succeed only in
harming themselves through such a foolish attempt. The
same fat e will befall a ll those w h o try to fo rce them selves ,
thei r malice or influence up on the inha bit ants o f the
home that bears such a charm.
To ward off the unwanted advances of another, sew
three si des o f a bag o f red f elt 5 cm squa re (wi th a flap
at the opening) with black thread, five being a martial
num ber o f defence, and blac k the colou r o f boundar ies.

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Prepare a pow der o f the fol lowing:

B la ck pepper - 1tsp, Celandine - 2tsp, Com frey - 1 tsp,

C o ria n d er - 3 tsp, Cypre ss o il— 3 drops, D ragon ’s blood— 1 tsp,
M istletoe — 1 tsp, M ulle in — 1 tsp, T oplar buds — 1 tsp, R ue — V 2

tsp

These ingredients offer different virtues for both the

vic tim o f the unwan ted ad vances, and the ex-lo ver or
unwanted admirer. Some offer protection, some offer
rel eas e, som e so oth the pai ns o f un-requited love, som e
encourage the pursuer to deal with endings, some to see
the error o f their ways, a nd som e to break bad patte rns
o f behavi our, or h abit.
Place the powder in the bag and seal the flap shut with
thre e spikes o f the Blackthorn . T he se three s pikes a re
the client’s boundary, a boundary that they have set so
that the ex lover/unwanted admirer may not cross the
bou ndary o f acceptabl e beha viour.
The client may place within the charm, something
repr esenta tive o f the one w ho has bee n m aking t he
unw anted advan ces, a s mall item o f thei rs, hair etc. O r
they m ay write thei r name and the unac ceptable b ehav iour
their unwanted advances have involved, for these are the
very things the charm is to prote ct against.

The W itch’s Sti ck and W itch’ s Ba ll

W itch’s sticks are the delicate, and often rather pretty little
glas s walking sti cks o f the type made by gl ass wo rkers in
Nailsea, Somerset, from glass scraps in their own time.
They were commonly put to dual use as decorative items
and protective charms, being hung above fireplaces,

1 35
 T rad ition al W itchc raf t — C orni sh To ok o f W ay s

win dows, or beam s, ofte n in the bedroom , to o ffer so m e

protection against evil spirits that caused illness. The
spir its we re th oug ht to be attracted, and en-tranced, by the
twists and coloured strands that are sometimes included
within the glass. T h e spirits are ban ished as the glass stick
is wiped clea n out o f the windo w each morni ng.
The witch’s ball is employed in a similar fashion. These
huge reflective mirrored glass ‘baubles’ are often filled
with protective herbs, and hung in a window. There are
two modes o f thought as to how thes e work. Som e say
they w or k to d efle ct o r repel a curse o r evil spirit that tries
to enter the home, whilst others say that evil spirits are
attracted by the bright reflective surface, and remain there

until they are destroyed b y the l ight o f the mor nin g sun,
or ar e wiped out o f the w ind ow with any dust t hat has
settled on the globe.

To C ounter a Curs e
Take a small narrow necked vessel, be it o f glass or pot tery,
and place within it t he hair and nail parings o f the one to
be protected to provide a decoy for the curse, the red
‘Witch Powder’ to destroy the evil influence, a tangle of
sewing threads to trap and confuse evil spirits, nine bent
pins and three large blackthorn spikes to ever prick and
stab at the srcinato r o f the cur se. Clo se the ves sel with a
cork and seal w ith wax. T he vessel may be secur ed withi n
the chimney, buried beneath the hearth or else buried in
a churchyard path.

To R eturn a C urse or Tro uble M ak ing

I f the identity o f the ill -wisher or tr ouble maker can be
discovered, an image made in their likeness should be

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formed from dough and named. A large pin or needle

should be driven right through this, and the whole thing
burnt to as hes upo n a f ire made o f ash a nd ha zel. Wh en
the fire has died and the ashes have grown cold, they
should be gathered up, along with wh at remains o f the
long needle, and sealed within a vessel just large enough
to contain them. Take this at midnight to a remote
crossroads and there bury it, so that the ill-doer shall ever
be tormented b y th e evil o f the ir ow n maki ng.

Th e Hors eshoe C harm

Take an ol d ho rse shoe that has been cast from its wearer ,
and na il this with new iron nai ls upo n the doo r o f the

building to be protected from ill influence.

Chant the following thrice whilst nailing the charm:

“So as the fir e does m elt the w a x

an d the w ind bl ows t he sm oke awa y,
so in the presence o f this iron
a ll wicked sh all d ecay, a ll wicked s h a ll decay!”

To Protec t F arm Buil dings an d their C ont ent s

Secure a section o f animal bon e up on an iron c hai n. D rive
an iron nail into a roof timber inside the building to be
protected, and hang the chain and bone from this nail. As
this is done chant the following:

‘T h e n a il to f i x the chai n to hold t he bone to stay,

by th is charm be a ll ev il driven away, awa y, aw ay!”

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 Traditional Witchcraft — A C o rn ish b o o k o f W ays

The He dg e or W it c h ’s T u m p ’ Figu re
To p rotect farm land, and a ll that lies with in it s bound aries,
take smal l amoun ts o f earth from the north, south, ea st
and we st o f each piece o f land tha t is to fall under the
protecti on o f the charm, remem bering to c olle ct al so di rt
or dust i n th e same way from each o f the farm ’s buil dings .
Mix these small samples together, and work them well
into a lump o f rough clay (ev en better if the clay used
can be dug from the land to be protected), crafting this
into a human but sexless form. As the body is worked,
so the Pellar breathes life into it. The figure’s garments
must the n be set with smal l panel s o f broken gl ass. O nce
fired, se t the f igure some wh ere within one o f the far m ’s
hedges, so that it may keep a protective watch over the
land and all that lies within.

Th e T ad y’s Tree C harm — Prot ection fro m F ire

Collect a good bundle of Bladderwrack seaweed, and
bind the ends with red thread. Hang this charm within
the chimney, to protect the home from fire.

Protection by Garlic
Fo r protection against the influen ce o f peop le and s pirits
with vam piric and envio us tendencies, bulbs o f garlic tied
with red rib bons sh ould be hung above or in the portals
of the home.

To Keep an Unw ant ed V isi torfro m y o u r D oor

The potent ‘Go-Away’ powder should be sprinkled thrice
across t he thr eshold o f your home, whilst t hinki ng o f the
unwanted visi tor. In the absence o f this powd er, s alt may
be employed in the same way.

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Workings of Healing

Stroking M agi c

Stroking magic is a techn ique o f magica l heali ng very

popular with traditional Cornish practitioners.
Strok ing stones are em ployed here either to soothe away
pain and il lne ss, by smo othing it ove r the affl icted part o f
the patient’ s body, o r, in cases o f absent healing w he n the
patient is not actually present, the witch, forming a link
with the patient, will hold the sto ne in the le ft han d and
stroke it rhythmically as if it were the afflicted body part,
whilst muttering a healin g chant su ch as the fo llow in g
popular charm:

‘T h is is the spell tha t I intone,

flesh to flesh an d bone to bone,
sinew to sinew and vein to vein,
and let them all be whole again. ”

The left hand will charm away the illness, whilst the
right administers the regenerative healing force. Magical
work in gs o f this kind are often kept up fo r hours at a time.
Represe ntati ons o f vari ous bo dy par ts, form ed from lea d
or clay, were also kept by some practitioners specifically
for stroki ng during ac ts o f absent he aling.

Charm Bag to Banish Illnes s and A ttra c t Good H ealt h

U pon one sid e o f the paper charm m ark as foll ows:

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 Tradit ional W it chcraf t —A Corni sh Book o f Way s

ABRACADABRA
ab r acadab r
ab r acadab
ab r acada
А ВR А C A D
A ВRA CA
A ВR A C
A В RA
A В R
A В
A

Mark the reverse thus:

S v ih ff cfarsn Jeq ttf/Ate;; exortiftt/an<Crjoo</

f f i f t h to its Jw*rn s/or*J- f& iA a fli t i* !

Fold and place this within the bag, add one pinch of
mixed eart h, one pinch o f Sun po wd er and one sma ll
crystal o f quartz, gi ven by the land and bathed in t he
water o f a holy well under a full M oon. Sew with white

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thread. The famous and traditional ‘Abracadabra’ charm

will diminish the ailment. It is also a traditional charm
against ill wishing and evil spirits in the same manner.

W art Char ming

T he rem oval o f w arts is a practice th at still prov ides a
small income for a go od num ber o f pract itioner s in
Cornwall and the West Country today. Here follow three
methods of wart charming:
1) Take a lengt h o f parcel st ring (bei ng o f organic
mater ial) and tie a kn ot ov er each o f the client’ s warts. A s
yo u tie each knot, to uch it to the w art m ovin g le ft to right.
Tak e the ‘str ing o f w arts ’ and bu ry it to rot beneath a
blackthorn. As the string does rot so the warts shall fade.
2) Take the client outside on a clear night under a full
moon. Hold aloft a shiny copper basin toward the moon
and draw its powers down therein. Place the basin upon
the ground and set the client to kneel before it on one
knee, with the reflection o f the m oo n wit hin th e polished
copper visible to him. Instruct him to wash his hands in
the basin of moonlight with the thrice repeated charm:

“7 wash m y ha nds in this t hy dish,

О m an i n the mo on, do gra nt m y wi sh,
n d come an d take awa y this ”

A s the m oon thereafter wanes fr om full, so will the

warts fade.
3) This last example employs good old unethical
‘passing-on-magic’ still used in varying forms in Penwith
today. Have ready some small quartz stones that have

been carefully gathered with the flow from a stream,

14 1
 Trad it ional W it chcraf t — A Corni sh Book o f Ways

and select as many stones as there are warts. Touch each

stone three times, fro m left to ri ght, to each o f the client’ s
warts. Place each o f these ‘w art-stones’ into a sm all sack
o f white cloth bo und with red th read . Take thi s bag and
cast it unobserved into a street. The poor old soul who
picks up the bag will get the warts. By this rather naughty
method it may well be possible for a practitioner to make
a regular income removing the same warts as they get
passed on to different people!

A W itch-B ottle fo r d e a lin g

Place wi thi n a bottl e goo d am ounts o f bay lea ves , benzoin,
juniper berries, lavender and rosemary. T h en add so m e

hair and nai l clippings o f the patient, and ni ne ben t pins

to drive away the illness.

To Stop Blood
Have a dead toad. Bake three bricks within a fire until
they glo w quit e red with heat . R em ove one brick fro m the
fire and place the dead toad upon it for a while, until the
intensi ty o f the brick’ s heat has waned. D o the same with
the remaining two bricks and by the last the toad, baked

qui te black and hard, may be gro un d into a powder. Place

this powder within a small black bag and there keep it as
a charm to place upon the hear t o f man o r beast to st op
the fl ow o f blood fr om any wound.
A lso fo r the same the charm er may tie nine knots into a
red cord saying with each knot as it is tightly tied:

“I tie th is k n o t to s et the clot,

stop ye, clotye , stop!”

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Such blood stopping charms can be employed by the

charmer absently if need be.

For Teething Babes

A necklace mad e fr om sections o f hen ban e ro ot, stru ng
as beads, may be rented out by the Pellar to mothers who
will place the ch arm arou nd their ch ild’s neck to ease the
teething period.

A g a in s t B ite s o f the A d d e r
A charm ed stick o f ash is kep t to pass and turn over a
patient’s adder bite against the sun with the words:

“U nderneath this ha^ele n m ot

T here ’s a braggat y worm, w ith a sp eckled throat,
N o w ! N in e double hath he.
N o w fr o m nine double, to eight double,
From eight double, to seven double,
From seven double, to s ix double,
Fro m s ix double, to fiv e double,
From fiv e double, to fo u r double,
Fro m fo u r double, to three doub le,

From three double, to two double,

From two dotible, to one double,
N o w ! N o double hath he!”

T his charm may be insc ribed, coil ing up th e ashen staff,

and kept above the door to prevent snakes entering the
home. Greatest care must be taken in March and April
w hen ad der venom is at its strongest.

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The Cloutie Charm

Instruct the patient to wear a cotton thread tied around
the af flicted part o f the bo dy for thr ee da ys and nig hts,
then on the fourth day they should visit Madron Well,
and there la y the thread ov er a bran ch that hangs o ve r the
holy well. An offering of some food or coins should be
made to the spi rits o f the place. A s the cord falls from the
branch and rots away, so will the ailment heal.

To C har m an A il m en t wi th Snake S kin

T h e naturally shed skin o f a snake i s highly prized by West
C ou ntry hea lers. I t is carefull y kept, wra pp ed up in a box,
to be brought out when a patient is in need of healing.
T he skin is w rapp ed gently around the a iling part o f the
body, as the practitioner mutters chants for the serpent’s
regenerative forces to enact healing upon the client. After
a while the skin is slowly unwrapped from the patient and
placed again within its box. Thus the ailment is shed from
the body as was the skin from the snake.

Workings of Love
Charm Bags fo r T o re
Mark the paper charm with the following:

“whosoever does bare th is charm sh a ll be blessed w ith go od fortu ne

in a ll m atters o f love. ”

A n d mark the re verse thus:

144
Th e author co njures an d m ark s ou t the ‘Com pass R ou nd ’ in preparati on fo r
an outdoor witch- rite, a n d (facing) w orking in the ci rcle w ith the H oo d-F ire
Top; t he contents o f a tra dition al salt-
g/a ^e pr ote ctive ivitch-b ottle’ - a u tho r’s
collection.

A b o ve; sections o f charm ed a n im a l

bone on iron chain - pro tections fo r fa r m
buildings a nd stables.

T eft; a charm bag mad efo r a client

by the au thor, a n d a collection o f the
author’ s househol d charms fa cin g page)
Top; the author’ s house d o ll sits on the h earth beside anot her,
newly made fo r a client (left).

A b o ve, the a u th o r’s mandrak e in i t’s coffin

 The Trade

Enclose this charm folded within the bag, add love

pow der and sew with pink th read.
A nother charm bag that offers g o o d fo rtune in matters
o f love, a s well as protection in general, i s to sew the
pow der o f dri ed St Jo h n ’s Wort in a char m bag o f white
silk one inch square.

Junip er Love C harm

T h is is a charm tha t may att ract new love wh en it i s needed,

or strengthen and guard it where it already exists. Thread
together forty nine juniper berries upon green string,
being sure to make a knot between each one. To attract
new love hang it at the door, to protect and strengthen
existing love it should be hung above the hearth at the
heart of the home.

The D ragon ’s Blood T or e Sp ell

Dragon’s blood, a tree resin which is blood-red in colour,
is one o f the stock it ems to be fo un d in the tra diti onal

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 Traditional Witchcraft — A C o rn ish T o o k o f W ays

Co rnish w itch ’s collection o f magical subst ances, for it

adds much potency to all magical workings and can thus
be used alone to br ing abou t any desire and i s traditional ly
used in such a way for finding love.
A t midnight on the first Frid ay to occur fo llow in g the
new moon, have coals burning within a dish of copper;
being the metal sacred to Venus. Upon these coals, the
client mu st cast pi nches o f drag on ’s blo od resi n whilst
speaki ng o f the qua lities o f the ty pe o f person they wish
to attract.
To str engthe n th e love o f two people, t he Cornish
witch m ay also make use o f D rago n ’s Blood. Tw o sticks,
inscribed with th e names o f the couple, are bou nd at

each end with red threa d, sealed w ith red seali ng w ax, and
passed seven ti mes thr ough the smo ke o f the burn ing
resin.

The W illow Tore K not

For the client who seeks love, send them to find a fine
w illo w tree that grow s beside flow in g water. T here they
must carefully tie knots within the delicate branch ends,
whilst th in king deeply upon the lo ve they wish to attract
and spea king o f this to t he will ow.

L ove Poman ders

To make a delightful and sweet smelling love charm,
for a long, strong, and happy marriage, have cloves, two
oranges, pow dered orris root, and a small s tick sharpened
to a point at bo th ends. Im pale the oranges toge ther upon
the stick, and cover both entirely with cloves pushed into
their s kins . Pla ce the charm w ithin a pap er bag, and therein
spr ink le pl enty o f powdered orris root . K ee p this bagged

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charm in a warm, dark and dry place until the oranges

have dri ed hard, a t wh ich time the y may be rem oved from
the bag, shake n free o f pow der and hung f rom the bed
frame by a pretty red r ibbon. Th e rem ainder o f the orris
root po wd er may be spr inkl ed about the bed chamber for
good measure.

Workings of Good Fortune

S n a il Bea ds

Snails have long been revered by Cornish witches, and

w ere once held in high regard by the Cornis h in general.

If tin miners came by a snail on their way to work, they

w ould not p roceed w ithout first offerin g food in the fo rm
o f some tal low, or a s mal l portion o f the ir crous t. The ir
spi ral and breast l ike shel ls made them sym bolic o f the
sacred feminine aspect of the generative force.
To form a charm that attracts good fortune, fertility,
abundance, and love into the home, string as many empty
snail shells as can be gathered from the land upon red
ribbon and hang this somewhere proudly in the home
with these w ord s:

‘T h is house be blessed where sn ails do re st”

Three Be es Ch arm

A popula r traditional West Country charm o f three fine

bumble bees that have passed from their busy working
lif e into the real m o f spirit, w here they sha ll instead busy
themselves bringing health, happiness, and good fortune

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into the home in which they are proudly housed within a

fine blue pouch.

The D evil ’s H and

U po n the magica lly potent ni ght o f M idsumm er’ s E ve ,
five connected unfurled fronds o f the male fer n must be
smoked over a charmed fire, until dry and hardened. This
curled up old hand when hung by the door, will draw to
its own er l uck, goo d fortune, and prot ecti on.

Blessing by G rave D u s t
For a simple Cornish rite to bring blessings, fecundity,
go od fortune, str ength , and gr ow th, keep a cover ed bow l,

or lidded box holding grave dust which has been baked

and finel y groun d. U nder a mo on o f incr ease , walk i n a
dextral circ le abo ut the item, creatur e, perso n, or place to
receive th e blessing, casting pi nches o f the dust as you go.

L u c k y C oin s
Co ins o f unusual a ppearance, such as t hose tha t have
bee n pierced with a hole, best o f all in th e shape o f a star,
are considered to be lucky and are kept together near the
hearth o f the ho m e in a draw -strung b ag. Co ins that have
been found are also lucky and should be kept rather than
spent to attract more money to follow into the home.

Workings of Spirit Magic

The T am iliar S p iri t

In addition to taking living animal forms, the familiar
spi rits o f the Pellar ma y be enco urage d to inhabit certa in

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‘haunted’ items, such as sticks and other working tools,

specially prepared images, preserved animal remains, and
‘spiri t hou ses’ . O ften the nat ure o f the ite m, and the ways
in which it is prepared, will reflect and be intentionally
attracti ve to the nature o f the spiri t desired to inhabit it .
The Cornish witch will often keep numerous spirit
helpers and ‘fr ien ds’ in addition to their prim ary indwe lling
familiar, for the body of the witch may also become a
spirit house. As with carefully prepared items, the body
must be made a welcoming and happy environment for
one’s familiar, thus the Cornish witch must take good care
o f their bo dy and being i f they are t o att ract an indwe lling
famili ar sp irit helper o f thei r own.

A pra ctitioner’s spirit item s are lo vin gly cared fo r, kept

clean, spoken to regularly and in many cases ritually fed.
The indwelling familiar is always consulted for help with
all workings and magical operations, and thanks for their
efforts must always sincerely be given.

The Hous e D oll

Th e b ody o f this d oll may be fashioned according to th e

tas tes and hand-skil ls o f the witch , fro m such things a s
w ood or clo th as lo ng as detail and care is la vished upon
her creat ion. G ive her go od clot hes, her own stick o f
blackthorn, and any other things that may provide her
comfort or that may aid her work, for she is a doll with a
jo b to do.
W hen her bo dy is com plete, the witch may breath e life
into her with whateve r methods or ri tes are o f preference.
O ne wa y is t o take her to th e Me n-an -Tol stones and birth
her through the holed stone. Here should be born into
being t he sp irit o f a formidab le old wom an, wh o will s it

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in pride o f place at the hearth o f the hom e she is to serve .

She will provid e a terrifyi ng de fenc e against a ll curses, ev il
spirits, and all intrusions and ill intent targeted toward the
home and its occupants. She will also serve her owners by
w orkin g to provid e fo r all house hold needs: require a new
set o f cook ing pots? Have a wo rd with her about i t and
she’ll see what she can do.
Those whose house she serves must however take care
to say good night to her before retiring to bed and greet
her in the morning. Provide a little food and drink, and
perhaps a litde ‘baccy’ every now and then, by leaving it
over nig ht on th e heart h be fore her . K ee p your household
spirits conten t and com fortab le an d they w ill do thei r best
to ensure all your needs are met.

The Spir it B ox or W ish B ox

Form a lidded box, which will be best crafted from Ash.
Carve, inscribe or paint this box with any images that
inspi re t houghts o f interconn ection between the worlds.
Take thi s box to one o f the quo its, hous es o f the de ad,
light there a black candle and make the rites that conjure

the circle and the spirits. One must operate on the first
Saturday to follow the new moon.
Pu t into the b ox a fine l ayer o f earth from this place
o f the dead, and scatt er upon thi s a fine l ayer o f spirit
powder. H ag stones, crow ’s feet and other thing s symb olic
o f spi rit contact may be incl uded with car e that plenty o f
room within the box should remain.
Make there th e Troy l rite pouring som e o f the mead
out upon the earth in the quoit, and sprinkle some within
the box before drinking some yourself. Likewise with the

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bread leave some within the quoit, scatter some crumbs

within the box and eat so m e yourself.
The box must then carefully be taken home where it
shall be kept upon the hearth, and when need arises write
o f this upo n a small s quar e o f paper, fold and pl ace i t
within the box. Lig ht a black candle befo re the box to
signal to the spirits that their aid is sought, and place food
offerings before it in thanks and to maintain the bond
with the w orld o f spirit.

The M andrake Sp iri t

This spirit is known by various names such as Mandrake,
Mandragora, Alraun, Alruin, Devil’s Turnip, Devil’s

Candle, Witches’ Root and Hag’s Root.

The true mandragora is not native to these lands,
and often the roo t o f bryon y is used by Briti sh witc hes
instead, for the deep and tangle d roots o f this pl ant may
also produce anthropomorphic forms. However the true
mandrake may be found growing but it is extremely rare.
A pra ctitioner m ay obtain the w hole root from traders
from the East. Sometimes the seeds may be obtained
from them. If a witch is successful in growing this plant,
offerings and sacrifices must be made to it on full moons
and Fridays. Blood, tobacco, wine etc. are good offerings.
T h e gro w er m ust al so ta lk to the gro w ing plant, and spea k
and chant o f such thi ngs as love and foresight.
W hen the root is to be harv ested, or dug to check
its development, two persons are required. They must
avoid facing the wind and the ceremonial knife is used to
trace three rings around the plant whilst another dances
around i t chanti ng o f love. Th e plant may then be dug
out in a circular way. The person doing this must face the

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 Traditi ona l W it chcraft — A . C o rn ish B o o k o f W ays

west. T h e root, i f suitable fo r harvest m ust be w rapped

imm ediately and placed in its co ffin w hich has been made
for it, and left alone for three days. If it is not ready for
harvest it must be re-planted with more offerings. These
operations must be performed on a Friday.
T h e c orrec t care and keeping o f the Mandrake spirit is
simple but vital if it is to serve its master. On Fridays and
full moons the spirit must be removed from its coffin,
bathed gently in lightly warmed red wine and dried
thoroughly, wrapped in red or white silk or velvet and
replaced in its coffin. It must be greeted in the morning
and bid good night. The spirit and its coffin must be kept
on the hearth or mantle piece at the magical centre o f the

home. K ep t here , th e Mandrake will wo rk as a house spirit

and will protect the home from unwanted influences and
will attract wealth to its master, espec ially i f m oney is kept
under its coffin.
The Mandrake will aid, strengthen and protect all
magical wo rks and ri tes o f divination if it is present a t
their performing. It is most useful in love and sexual
workin gs, and in workin gs fo r wealth.
The witch, when in a light trance, may consult the
Mand rake spir it as a wh ispering oracle for advice, counsel,
inform ation on futur e events , and th e location o f lost or
hidden things.
T h e M andrake spi rit m ust b e present in t he c ircle when
rites o f spir it trave l are being perfo rm ed. T he Mandrake
will prote ct the witch, in this vuln era ble state, from
demonic possession and interference from unwanted or
negative spirits.
It aids greatly the raisi ng o f spir its and m ay provide
a temporary body for such spirits, allowing them to be

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consulted. This is best done on a Saturday whilst burning

‘Crow Smoke’ and placing the mandrake spirit, and the
incense, in a north pointing black triangle within a circle
of white.

S pirit House s
W hen such a nnoyances as strange knockings, or the regular
disap pear ance o f rando m obje cts become a com m on
household occurrence, mischievous spirit activity is often
found to be the likely cause. In such situations exorcism
may be quite an over dramatic and unnecessary solution.
To stop the misch ievous activity o f spirits within
the home, it is far more sensible to provide them with
their own space to occupy and keep them content, by
constructing a spirit house.
The ways in which spirit houses are constructed vary
greatly and will depend much on the witch employed to
supply i t, and perha ps the perceive d nature o f the spir its
involved. Large glass bottles, ceramic jars, animal or
hum an skul ls, and intr icate s tructures o f threads stretched
over a frame, or w ove n cages o f flexi ble w oo dy str ands
o f such th ings a s honeysuckle or w illow etc. have a ll been
used fo r the ‘outer shell’ o f spirit hous es.
T h e inclusions fo r th e interior o f the s piri t hou se can
vary as much as the outer shell, w ith such things as m ixed
earth, powd ers, m osse s, seeds, snai l shel ls, bo nes , feathers,
tangled thr eads, hag stone s, glass bea ds, and ‘sp an gles ’ etc.
being no t uncomm on.
The principle idea behind such inclusions is to provide
a private space containing things that will comfort the
spirit, and things that either through their intricacy, beauty
or shiny reflective qualities will provide the spirit with
interest, fascination and fun to keep them occupied.

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 Traditi ona l W it chcraf t —A Corni sh Book o f Ways

A fter provid in g a m ischievous or nois y spirit with their

own space and inviting them into it, the annoyances may
well cease and the now conte nt sp irit m ay eve n becom e a
helpful one.

A R ite o f E xo rcism
To remo ve persist ently tr oublesome, abusive or dangerous
spi rits from a pl ace, t he Pell ar may perfo rm a rite o f
exorcism. A box containing the items of the rite: soft
w ax, black cotton cord, W itch Powder, benzoin resin,
an exorcising suffumigation, a crucible and charcoal, is
brought to the place, along with the working blade.
A fte r askin g all that the client knows about the spirit in

question, the witch will enter into trance and may either
choose to sit in one place, or move about the house,
all the ti me wo rkin g to disco ver all that t hey can o f the
spirit’s nature whilst gradually working this into the soft
w ax, form ing the spirit’s likeness.
W hen the witch is m ost confid ent that the spirit has been
w orked into the very w ax that now form s its physicality,
the black cord will then be taken up and the image slowly
bound, trapping the spirit within and binding it from the
ability to have influence over the place and the living that
dwell or wo rk withi n.
A go o d fire must be built at the hearth as the
suffum igation o f exorcism is burnt withi n the cr uci ble.
The witch will charm the fire with their blade in the six-
fold sign, opening the way between the worlds. The image
is then, with force, thrown upon the fire with handfuls
o f ben zoin be ing als o cast into the fl ames. With bl ade in

hand the witch mutters over the burning image:

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“I exorcise t hee, I exorcise t hee, I exorcise thee!

Troublesome one in waxen likeness bound,
D ep a rt now fr o m th is place,
Pass now into the real m o f spir it,
Tor jo u r influence here m u st no w end.
In the nam e o f the O ld O ne I com m and thee,
D epart, depart, depart!
So sha ll it be! ”

W itch Pow der is then scattered at the hearth in the sign

o f an X . Th e smok ing cruci ble is carr ied f rom room to
room , as eac h corner, win do w and entrance to the place i s
censed and scattered also with Witch Powder in the same
manner.

D ivin atio n b j the A i d o f S pirits

To gain visi on s and answers fro m the s pir it world, via such
devices as mirrors, globes, and ‘shew stones’, offerings
of food and drink must be provided and the burning of
some pertinent substance as ‘Crow Smoke’ whilst the
conjuration o f the spi rits is given:

“I conjure thee old o nes, sp irits ki n d ly a nd wise,

by m y w ill I conjure thee,
by my brea th I conjure thee,
by fir e an d danci ng smoke I conjure thee!
See the sustenance I offer un to thee,
Come spirit s feed !
G ra nt vi sions to sho w in truth a ll tha t I m ay as k o f thee,
I conjure thee, I conjure thee, I conjure thee,
Come, arise, and let me see!”

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Alw ays at the endin g o f the w ork thanks and farewell

must be given to the spirits called. For important matters,

draw upon the ground a circle about one and a half foot
in diameter with the staff or, if necessary, mark this circle
out with a cord or with flour for its boundary must be
visible. W ithin the centre o f this, set a suitable vessel
containing burning coals. Around this place such tools
o f sig ht and spi rit com m unication as a seeing stone or
globe, a black mirror, a skull etc. Also place there a horn
of mead and bowl of bread in offering. Cast upon the
burni ng co als a goo d handful o f ‘Crow Sm oke’ a s the

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con juration o f the spir its is given.

Continue to replenish the Crow Smoke upon the coals,
and ask clearly your questions. Seek the answers by spirit
visio n, which may be given in the sm oke or within the
tools o f seei ng, or by spir it voic es via any sk ull placed
within the circle.
W hen you have received your answ ers you must than k
the spirits and dig a hole within the circle and into it place
the bread and pour out the mead before leaving the place
with no visib le sign o f the w ork perfo rm ed there.

Workings of the Weather

For Fain

W hen rain is needed, an iron vessel an d the knife are taken

to a high place, be it a rocky earn, hill, or towering cliff
top. Within the vessel, a small fire is made and upon this
is set a go od bundle o f fer ns and some henbane to burn
with much sm oke. A fter Becom ing, the aid o f the spirits
is invoked with dances made against the sun around the
iron vessel o f risi ng smoke. T h e blade is held aloft a s
conjurations for rain are muttered into the smoke as it
rises to the sky. Further circumambulations may be made
around the smoking vessel whilst sprinkling water upon
the eart h from a dipped branch o f hea ther.

To False or To w er the W ind

To make a “ W ind Ston e’, thre ad a go od leng th o f cord

through a hag stone and tie eight knots along its length.
Take this out to some exposed place and begin to whirl
the stone in the air above your head, whilst invoking the

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spir its o f the air. T he speed at wh ich the stone is wh irled

must be adjusted in accorda nce with the speed o f the
win d to be conjured. T o slo w the w in d and conjure calm
weath er, one m ust begin by w hirling the ston e at gre at
speed and gradually slow it down. To conjure great winds
and gales, start to whirl the stone slow and gradually
increase t he speed to conjure the level o f win d des ire d.
West Country witches also hig hly prize the ‘p rickin g
tool’, which is made from a single tine antler. These were
commonly used by the fishermen to pierce sail cloth
and for working on nets. The Pellar make use of these
as hand tools when working with spirits of the air, and
o f the s ea, to raise or settl e the win ds, to con jure things

or send things via the force and movement of the wind,

or to make conjurations or banishments via the rising or
ebb ing forces o f the sea tides.

Versatile Ways

Cord and K not M agi c

Th ere are a num ber o f tradi tional workin g methods
that are highly versatile, in that they can be employed to
achieve a wide range o f magical goa ls accord ing t o the
intent applied to their working, as well as the observation
o f the corre ct times and m oon phases pertinent t o the
deed in hand.
One of the working methods most widely found in
traditional witch magic across regions, and indeed across
the wo rld, is the us e o f cords and threa ds. E m plo ye d as

‘tracks’ along which to draw spirit force and sprowl, we

have seen them used in protective charms in conjunction

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w ith such things as hag stones and rowan berries, or to

enti ce, t rap or occu py spir its by t he inclusion o f ma ny
tangled threads within witch-bottles and spirit houses.
Cords may offer yet greater working versatility when
perceived and brou ght i nto action a s th e str ands o f
fate ; o f people, places or objects et c. Here, infl uence,
for either good or bad, can be exerted over the target,
once identified with the cord, and the working intent of
the practitioner tied into knots along its length to cause
changes and influences upon the target.
The nine knot spell is traditionally used to bring change
and exert influence. It is performed by the contemporary
witch w ith a popula r form o f sp oken charm , o f w hich

the re exis t a num ber o f versi ons, below is my own:

“By k n o t o f one oh serpent come,

B y k n o t o f two the sp ell to do,
B y k n o t o f three I conjure thee,
B j k n o t o f Jou r ‘tis through the door,
B y k n o t o f Jive the sp ell to thrive,
B y k n o t o f s ix the sp ell to f i x ,
B y k n o t o f seven now I have ’em !

B y k n o t o f eight ‘tis sealed by fa te ,

B y k n o t o f nin e the sp ell I bind. ”

A m eth od o f cord magic is to pass the cord, slow ly

to an d fro, through the smoke o f pertinent incense, in
the north o f the Com pass, to cl eanse i t and to identify
it with the ta rget o f the sp ell. In the wo rking o f a grou p
o f fell ows, thi s is don e by each practiti oner prese nt.
Each then, using the ‘Witch’s Breath’, breathes ‘life’
into the cord, if it represents a living person, or, if it is

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represen tative o f an item or situat ion, t his is held firm ly

in mind and breathed into the cord.
The cord is then placed within the cauldron, which is
slightl y to the w est o f the cent re o f the Com pass, as a
sinistral Round is walked to intensify the link with the
target o f the operatio n, and to gathe r in the virtues that will
aid the desired results. Once this is potently established,
the cord is taken up again and the nine knots made along
its length, reciting each li ne o f the charm w ith each knot.
In a wo rking o f fellows, th e cord is passed round in tu rn
for a knot to be made, each time, the witch reciting a line
from the charm. As each knot is tied, the desired change
is potently envisaged as taking place upon the target, and

it is breathed upon to give life to the magical action.

W hen all the knots are tied, it is placed again within
the cauldron, which has been moved to stand upon the
pentacle, po sition ed slighdy south o f the centre, and a
dextral Ro un d is walked to rais e and intensify the gathe red
virtu es and to brin g the desired effect o f the workin g
into manifest reality. Once complete, a knotted cord may,
if circumstances permit, be left close to the target to
w ork its in fluence over them , or, w hen representative o f
something to be rid of, thrown into the fire or buried to
rot.
T he colour o f the cords used will be pert inent to t he
int ent o f the spe ll. In C orn ish m agic t he t hre e colours
o f cho ice are , as w e have seen, red, gre en and bla ck.
However, a red cord is kept for most operations, and a
black one kep t fo r acts o f ‘get rid o f ’ magi c and blasting.
In additi on to the above, knotted cords are als o em ployed
to draw u pon and store certai n vi rtues, whe reby the knots
will be untied later to release the virtu es to lend power

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to cert ain sp ells. A notable exam ple i s the m oon cord o r

‘moon ladder’, in which the lunar virtue is stored for later
use. Th ere is also wh at m any cal l ‘the w itch ’s ladder’, used
by the witch to access certain powers and virtues which
are tied into the knots along its length, and is made and
em pow ered d uring th e rite o f witch init iation.

Candl e an d T in M agi c
W orking in much the same way as cord and knot magic,
the candle takes the place o f the cord , and th e pins operate
much as the knots do. Here the candle is representative
o f the tar get , topped by their/i ts li ght o f being. T he
pins are heated briefly within the flame and are inserted

into t he bod y o f the c andle, each one con veyin g the will
and int ent o f the spell into the candle, th us directing the
desir ed influence to th e target. A s the flame o f being
reaches each pin to let it fall fro m the candle, th at part o f
the spell is seen to have fully taken hold, or, according to
the nature o f the spell , to have actually bro ug ht abo ut th e
desired change the pin conveyed.
A s with cord magic, colo ur plays an im porta nt role.
Usually only either a white or black candle will be used
depending on the nat ure o f the work at hand, white for
such things as generative magic, healing etc. black for
consumptive magic, cursing, mind control (for good or
for bad) etc. The pins however may vary in colour, as
Cornish witc hes keep a good array o f diff erent col oured
glass headed pins, catering for a wide range of magical
intentions, and planetary influences.
Candle and pin work may also be undertaken as an act
o f divinati on, where the ti ming o f the pin’ s fall ing, it’s
dist ance from the candle, direction o f pointing, and i ts

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 Traditional Witchcraft — A C o rn ish T o o k o f W ays

relationship to other fallen pins may all be read by the

divining w itc h.

Three Ve ssel M agic

This spell requires three identical vessels. It is highly
versatile, bein g adaptable for m ost needs and involves the
witch workin g with one vessel, placin g within it powders,
objects, written charms etc. pertinent to the intent, and
the c lient will place within ano ther o f the three vessels
things symbolic of, or connected to, their need. The third
vessel is for the help fu l in fluences o f the wit ch’s familiar
spirit. The three vessels are sealed, taken and buried at
a place where the powers and virtues will be helpful,

thu s both the pl ace and the ti ming o f this wil l be chosen
carefully, depending on the spell’s intent.

G et L ost Box es
A m ethod o f banishin g magic, popula r with Cornis h
witches, is the m akin g o f a ‘g et-lo st-box’. W hilst its
operation is li mited to work ings o f banishm ent, it is
versatile in that it may be em plo yed to banish anything
from the life o f the cl ient tha t they w ish to be ri d of.
W ithin such boxes are placed items, supplied by the
client, that are symb olic o f wh ateve r it is t hey w ish to be
rid of. The witch will then seal the box with red sealing
w ax, an d w in d tightly red thread, w ool, or thin cord ,
around the box over and over, trapping and diminishing
the undesired thing.
Som etime s these boxes, if they contain a m inor ai lment,
such a s warts or a runn y nose, might often be left in some
place, such as a road or the steps to a church, to be found
by another in an a ct o f passing on magi c. Fo r other more

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seriously undesirabl e things and conditions, the bo x might

be buried at a remote crossroads. Whatever is done the
important thing is it must be forgotten about.

The K nit ting S pe ll

M agic involvin g the usefull y repeti tiv e action o f knit ting,
is obviously related to cord and thread magic. In the West
Country it was traditional for thick glass knitting needles
to be employ ed within t his type o f magic, a nd t he colou r
o f the w oo l wo uld be deter mined by th e na ture o f the
spell. The witch, in trance, working away with her glass
needles beside the fire, would work her intent strongly
into the piece o f knitt ing for som e time befor e pulling it

from the needles and casting it upon the fire, so that the
intent may be released up the chimney and out on its way
to do its work.

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 R i t es of t he M oo n

H E time o f the f ull m oon bring s inc rea sed

T
potency to the generative and vision inducing
virtu es o f the serp en tine flow , and so, it is for the
witch a tim e that lends itself to a variety o f useful work.
A fter the rites o f the Com pass have been done, in either
simple or grand for m , the re is no o ne rit e o f the f ull
moon to be observed within Cornish witchcraft. What
takes place du ring a full m oo n rite depend s enti rely on the
w ork to be done at the time.
If much work has been done since the last full moon,
practitioners may feel themselves to be at low ebb and
lacking in sprowl, and so the witch may seek to imbibe
this vital force through dancing the Round to conjure and
draw deeply u pon the ser pentine flow, and via the r ite o f
the Troy l; tak ing f ull advantage o f the time o f increased
potency that the full moon brings. Useful lunar force and
sprowl will also be stored at this time for later use by
means o f the m oon cord, which is made from thr ee nine
foot white cords plaited together and bound at the ends
with red thread. T h e witch, after havin g danced the round

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to gather and raise sprowl within the circle, will raise their
cord to the face o f the m oo n and conjure i ts force, a nd
the raised sprowl, into nine knots tied along the cord’s
length. Each is tied with only the left eye open so that the
fac e o f the m oo n m ay be visi ble within ea ch knot before
it is pul led ti ght. E ac h o f the n ine knots m ay be unti ed
at later times to lend extra strength to magical workings.
This potent time is also highly useful, not only for
gathering herbs, but for mixing and charging magical
powders and other substances, as well as the ritual
charging o f magical i tems and charms. It i s als o a t ime fo r
generative magic and conjurations around the hood-fire.
It is known by the Cornish Wise folk that heightened

generative potency and ‘life force’ is not the only thing

to be drawn upon from the serpentine flow during the
full moon, from the serpent there is another force that
may, at places, issue forth in abundance and that is the
force known as the serpent’s breath. To draw upon this
force, the Pellar will take their full moon rites down into
the damp sea caves, haunted fogous or potent holy wells;
places w here this hypnotic , chthonic fo rce m ay more easi ly
be encountered and in a more concentrated form. There
they commune with this force, drowsing deeply within
it, receiving visions, answers and life. Drawing upon the
serp en t’s breath will a id greatly the visio na ry abili ties o f
the witch.
O ne full m oo n rite for visionary and divinator y purposes
is that known down here as ‘Calling Down the Moon’.
Th is name is ob viou sly rel ated to the elaborate W iccan ri te
o f ‘Draw ing Do w n th e M oo n’ but t he Cornish vers ion i s,
in essence, a quite different and seemingly simple rite. For
this the good old copper basin is filled partly with water,

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and it is better for this rite if it can be drawn from a holy

well.
The witch will stand looking intensely at the moon,
w orkin g to achieve a trance state, with the basin befo re
them on the ground. They will then take this up gendy
and raise it to the moon; drawing its virtue into the water
before lowering it gendy back to the ground. The witch
will then kneel befo re this basin on one knee and gaze at
the m oon agai n fo r a while, an d then do wn to th e dancing
refl ecti on o f the m oo n in th e wat er. Th e witch will l ook
to the moon for one last time, then, after a while draw
the ir gaze slowly down ward to the r eflect ion o f the moo n
within the copper vessel, and there seek visio ns in answ er
to their questions. This water will also prove useful within
the rite for anointing the self and magical objects that
might benefit from a little extra lunar virtue.
W ithin all full m oon rites, the witch will make sure
that they have quartz stone with them; for this will serve
to enhance t he flow o f the serpenti ne fo rce during t he
proceedings, and thus aid greatly any work done. Rites
o f the ful l m oon are o f course al way s concluded wit h a
joyous Tro yl rite.

The New Moon

W hen the m oon is dark, a quite differe nt, yet still highly
useful situation arises, with other opportunities to get
w ork done.
W hilst it is true that trad itional witch rites in gen eral
can be fairly quiet affairs, with declamations and spoken
charms often being muttered rather than spoken aloud,

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 Traditional Witchcraft — Cornish Took of Ways

rites o f the new m oo n are mo stly si len t, with any r itual

declamations being muttered, or whispered, very quiedy
indeed. T h e n ew m oon is a time for r ites o f inward
jo urn eyin g, lookin g deeply in to the self for answ ers, and

delving for anything buried that may otherwise throw up

inconvenient surprises at later times, for the Traditional
Cornish witch, that universal occult maxim ‘Know
T h y se lf’ te lls o f an impo rtant magical prere quis ite tha t is
always striven for.
Jo urn eys will not only be made into our own inner-
underworlds, but t o th e underworld o f the beloved dead ,
for the new m oo n is al so a time fo r ancestor com m union,

and act s o f atavi sti c ‘ seeing’ and divi nation will be made
to seek ancestral wisdom and guidance. In such rites the
black mirror is an ideal tool.
Making use of the inward and consumptive virtues of
the serpentine flow, magical work ings at the time o f the
new m oon will largel y consist o f ‘get-rid -of ’ magi c as well
as magic o f the t oad, to influen ce the mind and emotions
o f others for either go od or fo r bad if need b e. It is also

a time fo r act s o f ‘O w l Blasting’ w he n such is nec ess ary .

T he stone o f choi ce for r ites o f the new m oon i s the
black obsidian, for it is a stone that aids inward focus, and
the reveali ng o f thing s hel d deep. It is also o f protective
quality, which will be found by many to be a useful virtue
during such work.
A sphere o f obsidian called a ‘m oon cry sta l’ or ‘m oon
ston e’ is som etime s kept, useful both in t he rites o f inner
visio nin g durin g the dark o f the m oon but also in ‘seein g’
w ork under a full m oon, w here her hypnotic im age may
be shown on the sphere’s black surface.

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R ite s o f th e M o o n
 The Furry Nights
R iles o f th e Y e a r’s Round

N Cornwall we have a bewildering calendar of

traditi onal festivals and feast night s, ranging from the
w orld fa m ous to the obsc ure and som etim es bizarre!

I
Fo r an explora tion o f this extensive ca lend ar, f rom
som eone activ ely involved in i ts rev ival , I can recom me nd
Simon Reed’s ‘The Cornish Traditional Year’. Here
how eve r we will con cern ourselves with th e main seas onal
rites o f use to the traditional magical prac titioner, tha t
present a journey of birth, growth, climax, preparation,
withdrawal, death and rebirth, that is wisely m irro red in
the li fe and wo rk o f the Pel lar.
The practitioner marks the main ritual observances of
the year’s tides by the four Celtic quarter nights, which in
Co rnw all a re the “ Fu rry N igh ts” (ecstatic holy nights) or
“Troyl Nights” (feast nights).
Th ese are A llanti de, Candl emas, May ’s Ev e and Gu ldize
Night. The Solstices are also observed, as they are the
zeniths o f light and dark and as such provide highly
useful virtues that must be worked with: the light must

be harnessed to guide us through darker days, and the

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 Tra ditional W it chcraft — Cornish To ok o f Ways

dark ta kes us deep within ourselves and provides wisdo m

yet m ust be prote cted against to prevent it consum in g us
totally, and, to encourage it to move on so that the light
can return!
The equinoxes are not normally observed ritually by
m any witches o f tradi tiona l persu asion as they are times
o f bal ance an d no t times o f Vital change’ th at requi re
magical action. Some traditional witches acknowledge
the equinoxes with a simple rite to commune with this
balance.
W hilst the F u rry N ig hts have th eir traditional guid in g
dates, their observance is not determined by strict
adherence to th e cal endar . N atu re prov ides the si gns o f
change tha t will signal to the witch that t he Fu rry N igh t has
arrived . T he beh aviou r o f cert ain pl ant s will be watched
for: the appear ance o f the May blo ssom sig nal ling t he
arrival o f M ay’ s E v e, the Snow drop s hera ldi ng Candlemas
etc. The Moon is also used as a natural marker for the
Fu rry N ights, th e night o f the nearest ful l m oon to t he
calendar date often being chosen as the time for the
ob servanc e since t he forces o f the land a re responsive to

both seasonal change and th e cycl e o f the moon.

Candlemas

Th is ‘ feas t o f lights’ is th e ri tual marker o f winter’ s en d,

and the point at which the days will begin to noticeably
lengthen gradually as the sun returns, signalling the
app roach o f spri ng. It i s al so th e rite o f ‘w aking t he
serpent’ at the time after the slumber of deep winter,

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w hen the serp ent, bein g resp onsive to the se aso nal cycle
as well a s the phase o f the m oo n, will be seen to return
from the depths o f the cold earth and begin to retur n the
life force to the land, and the badly needed and highly
useful sprowl, so vital to the witch’s work, would slowly
become more accessible. It is for this reason that the
w itch’s powers in Cornw all were seen to be ‘renew ed’ at
springtime, for by the time spring had properly arrived,
the witch would again have good access to serpentine
sprowl and thus work their Craft more effectively. The
people would be known to queue up in the spring to
have their charms re-empowered, after having kept them
throughout the winter. It is also due to the fact that, for

this rite, the W ise se ek to con jure the re-em ergin g serpent,
that they tr aditionally make these rites o f ‘gentle fires and
encouragement’ at holy wells, being both a place where
such virtues are usually more easily accessible anyway,
and, from a symbo lic point o f vie w, the y are wa tery and
vagina-like portals into the depth s o f the earth th ro ugh
which the serpent m ay be birth ed with conju rations and
offerings.

Candle mas R ite

Th ings needed: A white candle within a l antern or glas s

jar fo r each participant, one large red candle, a cauld ro n,
quartz stones, a serpent-form wand or one crafted from
the quickening rowan, a pitche r, th e crucible & coals,
dragon’s blood resin, the forked staff, Troyl items and

extra food, drink and some musical instruments to warm

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 Tra diti on al W it chcraft — A Cornis h Boo k o f Ways

the blood and the spirit on what is likely to be a very cold

night.
For their Candlemas observances, the Cornish Wise
Fo lk like to mak e their way, at the dead o f night, in sile nt
procession to one o f Corn w all’ s holy we lls, lead by one
candle lantern, and the rest carrying theirs unlit.
Upon reaching the well, the staff is placed in some
prominent place close at hand, with the Troyl things and
pitcher a t its base. Th e white candles will be placed ab out
the well, with only the one candle that lead the procession
remaining l it. Th e cauldron is pl aced b y the open ing to the
well, with the quartz stones pla ced aro und it and the red
candle withi n it. B efo re the cauldron is placed the crucible

o f burn ing coals and beside i t lies the s erpent wand. T h e

Circle will be co njured q uiedy and the l ight o f the sin gle
burn ing candle la ntern will , fo r thi s rite, beco m e the ho od
fire and will be charmed as such with the blade.
Those gathered find a place to sit about the well,
breat hing o f the se ason i n sil ent contemplation o f the
cold hard earth, t he inward win ter withdraw al o f life t hat
has been made, and the s tillnes s o f the f roz en land i n
need o f reanimation. A fte r som e time, one will take up
the pitcher and with it draw water from the well to be
held aloft the hood fire candle. This will then be passed
around for each celebrant to bless themselves with the
icy cold water before it reaches again the one who drew
it who will then pour it with reverence back into the well.
All then prep are fo r the rebirth o f the serp en t, as
dragon’s blood is placed to smoke on the coals within the
crucible and the red cauldron candle is lit from the hood

fire candle, which is charmed with the serpent wand as

these words are said:

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 The Furry Nights

“R etu rn , return, return,

A s candle w a x does burn,
We conjure thee oh serpent red,
A w a k e , arisey e fr o m thy bed,
B y Bucca d a rk by Bucca fa ir ,
B y toad, by crow, by snake, by hare,
We conjure thee, we conjure thee, we conjure thee!
A w a k e, arise, so sh a ll it be!”

All repeat “ so shall it be!” and gradually the oth er candles

about the well are relit from the red serpent candle. When
all the candles are burning, and more dragon’s blood
smokes, the celebrants will breathe deeply; drawing upon
the renewed serpentine flow as it begins to emerge, with
light and rhyt hmic thumping on the grou nd , hum m ing and
drumming. In celebration o f this the Troyl rite is made,
and all commune with the serpentine flow. The rite is
best concluded with some celebration and merry making
with feasting an d music, to provid e w arm th in this cold
time and to act as further life affirming conjurations of
the serpent. For this, the celebrants might move their rite

from the well to a ‘dancing ring’ with a fire at its midst,

which sh ould o f course be lit from the red serp ent candle.

May’s Eve

Here arri ves t he ev e o f the opening o f summ er’s gat es

and t he f ina l de ath o f w inte r; t he end o f Buc ca D h u ’s
reign and the beginning of that of Bucca Gwidder. Here
the sprow l o f the serpent i s in full f low, re vealed by the

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greening o f the la nd an d symb olised by the erect ing o f

the may pole, to both tap this energy, dancing it alive and
to mark th e marriage o f earth and sky at this time o f
increase and potency.
The rather grand maypole set in Padstow Broad
Street has become a traditional meeting place for Pagans
gathering with th e masses o f oth er vi sitors , to watch the
myster ious and famous rit e o f the Ob by Oss. So popu lar
has this May Day tradition become, that many streets in
the village are packed so tightly with people that walking
becomes a painfully slow process indeed. Yet somehow
the progress o f the O sses (for ther e ar e two mai n Osses
in addition to the Children’s Osses) does not seem to be

all that impeded by the densely packed crowds. The old

Oss is the ‘Red Oss’ whilst the younger is known as the
‘Blue Oss’ and by some as the ‘Temperance Oss’, because
traditionally the ‘Blue Oss’ team differed from their red
counterparts in refraining from getting themselves very
drunk , wh ich oth ers see as a n essenti al part o f the r itual!
T h e o ld srcinal O ss was tradi tionally cov ered with sail -
cloth blackened with tar, and to get your fingers black
from touching the Oss was a sign that you had received
the bles sings o f this mysterious char act er. Today the Osses
are made from lighter yet sturdy fabric painted black, so
the fun o f tarred fingers i s no lon ger possible, yet t he
tradi tion o f touching t he O ss for goo d fort une conti nues
as does the tradition that if a woman is captured beneath
the s kirt o f the O ss they wi ll be with chil d befo re the end
o f the year.
There are many theories as to the meanings behind

this mysterious ritual with its hypnotic, primitive music

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and dancing, my own favourite is that put forward by the

Cunning Man JackD aw , who encourage s us to look closely
at the O ss to disc ov er that there are actuall y two characters
here fo r th ere a re two heads; that o f the horse and that o f
the r ider. T h e h ead o f the rider is clearly intende d to be
the focus o f attent ion, for no t only i s it much larger t han
the t iny and easy to over loo k head o f the horse, i t is al so
painted in such a way that you cannot help but be drawn
into i ts gaze. I f w e begin to see the Oss as th e rider rather
than the horse, we are reminded that in Old English the
w ord ‘O ss’ means ‘O ld G o d ’ an d in Cornis h & D evonia n
witch-lore w e find the old ‘B lack G o d ’ Bucca D h u riding
a black horse with burning red eyes and smoky breath.

We are rem in ded also o f the traditions o f the horse as the

vehicle o f the seaso nal tides. Could it be that Padstonians
have kept alive an ancient rite which observes the final
ridi ng forth o f the dying black go d and winter ti de a t the
beginning o f summ er? It i s after a ll a dance in wh ich the
Oss repeatedly falters and ‘dies’...
A w eek later, anoth er ancient and fam ous C ornis h
May festival takes place in Helston. Crowds again gather
for the celebration of Flora Day, with its ‘Furry Dance’
and mummer’s play the Hal-an-Tow. The Furry Dance
is now a very genteel, polite and smartly dressed affair,
but in the past would have been a more ecstatic and
drunken celebrati on, indeed i t was once banned for being
so. It is still a joyful occasion, with the streets adorned
with gre enery and flow ers, notably blueb ells, and after
the official celebrations during the day, a celebratory
atmosphere continues well into the night.

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A M a y ’s E ve R ite

Things Needed: The forked staff decorated with

Hawthorn, and red ribbons to represent the serpentine
flow, the broom, a cauldron, a drum, serpent wand,
crucible, coals, ‘Hare Smoke’ incense, a white candle
or torch, the Tro yl thi ngs , a vess el o f horn , antl er or
earthenware, and Witch Oil.
Within high w ooded land, the fo rked sta ff and cauld ro n
are set t o stand a li ttle w ay apa rt at t he centre o f the
w orkin g area. T h e Troyl items, crucib le o f co als, incense,

serpent wan d and the vess el o f W itch O il a re arr anged

around its base.
Before the rite, all go into the woods; some to gather
greenery and flowers and some to gather firewood, dry
leaves or furze for kindling. When all return to the circle,
a ring o f green ery and fl owers is made around th e st aff
and cauldron. The kindling and fire wood are built within
the cauldron with the spare wood laid beside it. A white
candle or torch is set to stand and burn at the south-east
o f the working ar ea.
The incense is lit within the crucible and the circle
is con jured witho ut t he cha rm ing o f the fi re. All
stand in circle, around the staff and cauldron, in silent
contemplation o f all that is outwo rn and nee ds to be
banished in purification and preparation for the birth of
summer.
On e will s tep forward holding th e bro om , and holds the

brush within th e ri sing incense sm oke b efore sweeping th e

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 The Furry Nights

circle three times round against the sun, finally sweeping

the dross out o f the northwest o f the circle. T he broo m
is then take n, with the sun, to the southe ast o f the circl e
and is held aloft the candle or torch that burns there. All
gathered make the horned salute whilst the broom barer
declaims:

‘N ow upon M ay’ s Eve

let swing o pen the gates o f sum m eri
B y leaping hare a n d serpen tfir e,
B y broom , by s ta ff a n d cauldron pyre,
W e conjure thee, we conjure thee, w e conjure thee
O h w hite one, cornel

So sha ll it be”

A ll repeat “ so shall it be” and the broom is laid upon

the ground, with the brush end pointing to the southeast
edge and the shaft pointing towards the circle’s centre.
T he candle or torch i s carried to the centre o f the ci rcle
and from it the cauldron fire is solemnly lit and charmed
in the usual way. The candle or torch is replaced at the
southeast edge. Another steps forward and takes up the
vess el o f W itch O il to hold it above the fire an d calls
“ Bu cca G w idd er!” thr ee t ime s, those gathered repeati ng
each time. All are then anointed upon the brow with the
oil in the sign o f the six ways, the oil bearer ano inting
themselves b efo re replacing th e oil at the fo ot o f the st aff .
N o w begi ns the drumm ing a nd dancing about t he sta ff
and cauldron fire i n conjuration o f the serpent, and i n
cel ebra tion o f the comm encement o f Bucca G w idde r’s

reign. High and wild leaps are made over the broom

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 Trad it ional W it chcraft —A Corni sh Too k o f Ways

laid upon the ground to mark the passage through the

gates o f summ er, the increase o f the serpent, and in
acknowledgement that as the gates swing open exchange
between the worlds is all the more possible.
Cornish Wise folk empowered, and mazed by the
serpent, no w take ful l advantage o f the conjured la nd
sprow l and t he open ing o f the w ay between th e worlds
w ith ‘se eing w o rk ’. A period o f tim e fo llow s with so m e
seeking visions and communications by gazing into the
fire, or into the ri sing smok e o f the incens e. So m e will
mak e use o f fork ed tal king sticks in th e old way to gai n
w is dom fr om earth spirits, or vis io ns with the aid o f the
ser penti ne flow, wh ilst othe rs m ay make use o f T roy
Stones and will make inner communications with the
spirit world. When this work is done, the Troyl rite will
be made and yet more celebration had before the rite is
closed.

Golowan

Su m m er’s zenith in Corn w all is a time o f mu ch ri tual

activity, celebration and old magic. In the west of
Cornwall the ancient midsummer observances survive,
and were under revival in Penzance with the ‘Golowan
Festi val’ & M azey D ay cele bra tions . Go low an in t he
Co rnish language means the feast o f St Jo h n (the Bapti st)
and Mazey is derived from the Cornish term for being of
a dizzy, crazed, maddened or intoxicated state.
T h e festiviti es o f the past centred around fire , with folk
running about sw inging great squar es o f burning c anva s

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 The Furry Nights

that had been saturated in tar and attached to the end

o f long poles, or strong chai ns. B urn ing tar barrel s were
als o placed in l ine up the mi ddle o f Market Je w Str eet for
people to run and dance about.
Th ese tradi tions slowly decli ned under th e pressure o f
the disapproving authorities, but through the hard work
and passi on o f a group o f comm unit y minde d fol k, 1990
saw ‘Golowan’ and Mazey in Penzance reborn. Today,
each year, thousands flock to Penzance to enjoy carnival
processions, music, art, and drama and ‘serpent dancing’.
The serpent dance, which has become quite a wild
creature, seems to be a spontaneous conjuration and
communion with the serpentine flow which, at this

time o f year, zeniths in potency. F ire is s till ve ry m uch

an integr al part o f a spectacular fi rewo rks display risi ng
from the seafront by Jubilee Pool. In v ery recent ye ars
however, over officious attitudes and financial interests
would appear to be dom in ating and leavin g less and less
room for local midsummer traditions, which are sadly
rapidly deteriorating within the festival.
Cornish witch-lore tells of how Midsummer would see
all the witches o f the we st gathering on the steep gr anite
boulder strewn hill known as Burn Downs, which rises
above Tregerthen which could be translated as ‘Rowan
Tree Fa rm ’. It l ies on the pat h from the hamle t o f W icca t o
Zennor, a remote and wild area steeped in old witchcraft.
Here the witches o f the west would light many fires , wo rk
magic and renew their vows to the Old One. Here also
was a substantial, sacred cu bical bould er know n as ‘T h e
W itch’s R o ck ’ and was attribu ted w it h magical powers.

Tradition states that to touch it nine times at midnight

18 1
 Tra diti ona l W it chcraft — A Cornis h Book o f Ways

would protect one fr om all evil. U nfo rtunate ly this ro ck

was broken up, probably to be used for fa rm bu ildings,
but there remains an other sacred ro ck attrib uted als o with
magical powers. The Giant’s Rock lies in a field not far
from Zennor Church. Tradition holds that to walk nine
times around it at midnight would give one the powers
o f a witch, perhaps reveal ing that this was a pl ace o f
initiation. To this very day the Giant’s Rock may see the
midsumm er gather ing o f Cornish witc hes .
Midsummer Eve bonfires remain a strong Cornish
tradition, with fire beacons being ceremonially lit on the
sacred hill tops, from Chapel Carn Brea in West Penwith
to K it Hill , a line o f ritual f ires snaking from one end o f
Cornwall to the other.
For the survival of this we have the Old Cornwall
Society to thank. These official hilltop rites have however
become much Christianised, although it is extremely
difficult for any to deny the ancient pagan spirit behind
such practices. In addition to these official gatherings, the
W ise fo lk o f C ornw all clim b the high places o f the land
to light mag ical f ires o f their own .

A Golowan B ite

Things needed: The forked staff, the Troyl things, drums

and other instruments, last year’s St John’s Wort bound
with oth er g o o d an d banefu l herb s in colo ure d rib bons
—yellow for the sun, red for sacrifice, white for strength,
green for wisdom and blue for love. Have also a fresh
bunch o f St Jo h n ’s Wor t.

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 The F urry N igh is

A to p a hill or C am , the fo rked s ta ff is set to stand at

the south o f the wo rking area , with the Troyl thi ngs at
its base, the sacrificial flowers to the left and the fresh
St Jo h n ’s Wort to the right . A large fire is bui lt, within a
cauldron or brazier, to hold it safe in the winds that are
likely if the rite is held in a high place unshielded by trees.
T h e circl e is conjured, om itt ing the charm ing o f the f ire
which remains unlit. W hen the ‘W alking o f the R ou nd’ is
don e, these w ord s are sai d by t he maste r o f the r ite:

‘‘According to the custom o f our beloved ancestors, behold us

m aking our M idsum m er Bonfi re, this night in the midd le o f
summer. ”

The Fire is then lit as the master says these words:

‘N o w set t he pyre a t once on fire ,

L e t fla m e aspire over the land
In Bucca’s high name!”

The flowers for burning are held over the fire by the
mistress o f the rite as she s ays these wo rds:

“In one bunc h together bo un d

Flowers fo r burn ing here are fo un d,
B oth go od a n d ill
Thousand fo ld let go od seed spring,
W icke d weeds, fa s t withering,
L e t th is fir e k ill! ”

Th e master o f the rite orde rs:

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 Tra ditional W it chcraft — Cornis h To ok o f Ways

‘N o w C ast t he Fl ower s!”

T h e mistress does this a nd brings the new St Jo h n ’s

W ort to hold above the fire w ith these word s:

‘Ъ у the po tent m idsumm er sun be th eseflowers ho od!

A charm against a ll intru sio ns o f evil sp irits a n d w ick ed
bewitchments!
A g a in s t a ll ills a n d harm gu a rd us!
So sha ll it be! ”

T he St Jo h n ’s Wort i s passed throug h the smoke o f the

fire three times i n the direction o f the s un, and divided

up equally amongst those gathered to take their flowers
home, to fashion them as protective charms until next
midsummer.
To drumming, and other music, those gathered now
dance around the fire in celebration, each breaking away
from the circle occasionally to jump through the flames
and smoke o f the midsumm er fi re fo r ext ra protec tions ,
and a s a persona l spel l for po tency in any are a o f life
according to intent. The rite is concluded with the
celebrat ion o f the Troyl.
Ashes gath ered fr om the m id sum m er fire and kept in
a black bag form another potent traditional protective
charm.

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 The Furry Nights

Guldize

G uldize - ‘t he feast o f ricks’ is th e C ornish celebratory

feast associ ated wit h the completion o f the wheat harve st
and thus the sacri ficial harvesti ng, threshing & grinding
o f the sp irit o f the fi eld (b eing Jo h n Barleyc orn to some
and the Corn Goddess to others) who resurrects in the
form of Ale and bread.
In Cornw all t here were al so observed a number o f old
feasts around the beginning o f the harvest, notab ly in
Morvah on the first Sunday of August commemorating
(wi th much drinking and f east ing) a con test o f “ quoit

throwing” between giants, who are acknowledged to be

folk m em ories o f po we rful l and deit ies or sp irits. Here
the local giant conquers his opponent (ensuring the
pro tectio n o f his land) and marries hi s daughter , givin g
the feast ancient t hem es o f batt le, death, s ancti ty o f the
land and fertility.
Later in the month of August, Cornwall sees the once
w id espread “ Cryin g the N eck ” cerem ony which, like the
Midsummer bonfires, has been revived on a number of
Cornish farms by the Old Cornwall Society.
T he culminat ion o f the harvest i s marked by th e
ceremonial cutt ing o f the las t standi ng Co rn, w hich
becom es th e “ N ec k” and is carr ied back t o the farmhou se
w here the beare r o f the N eck is often dow sed with a jug
o f water by t he l ady o f the house, sym bolisi ng th e rai ns
needed to nourish the next crop.
T he N ec k is decorated, and someti m es fashi oned into a

figure or dol ly, to contain the spiri t o f the fi eld and ensure

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 Traditional Witchcraft — A C ornish B o o k o f W ays

a good harvest for the next year. The Neck would be

given a p lace o f ho no ur at the tab le and drunk to duri ng
the feast . It wou ld then be hung up in t he fa rm ho use until
the next year’s harvest was gathered in, with the creation
of a new Neck, whereby the old Neck would be burnt,
buried, or fed to the farm’s finest beast. In some cases
the Neck would be ploughed back into the field on the
first Monday to follow Twelfth Night thus ensuring the
continued fertili ty and productivity o f the land.

A G n ld fe R it u a l

Th ings needed: La st year’ s N eck , a handful o f this year’ s

w heat-crop w rapped in cloth , the forked staff, a sickle or
billhook, red cords, crucible, coals and pertinent incense,
the Troyl thi ngs —the drin k consisting o f ale inste ad o f
mead, and extra food and drink for feasting.
The Wise, for this rite, will gather around the time
o f the Septem ber ful l m oon in th e corner o f a field.
T h e forked s ta ff is se t to sta nd a t the southwest o f the

w orkin g area w ith last year’s N e ck stood at its base and

the Tro yl thi ngs, crucible o f coals and incense and th e
sickle arranged around this. Build a small fire in the centre
of the working area.
W hen the busin ess o f the circle rite is done, one
witch will take up the old N eck and solem nly em bra ce
it, or make som e gesture o f thank s for received gi fts and
blessings, and in hope for those desired yet to come. The
N eck is passed around t he c ircle o f those ga ther ed w ho
receive the Neck in the same fashion, until reaching again

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 Th e F u rrj N igh ts

the fi rst. T h e old N ec k is then carri ed to th e we st o f the

circle where the bearer kneels, lays the Neck gently upon
the ground and draws their knife to dig in silent reverence
a hole in the earth at the circle’s edge. The Neck, and
the hopes and wishes it holds, is then buried or ‘planted’
within this hole and covere d over. T h e ritual thus far must
be performed in silence and with the utmost solemnity.
Another th en unwraps the cloth bundle and takes up
the wheat-crop in one hand and the sickle in the other.
These are held aloft proudly, above the fire, in the centre
o f the circle with the declamati on:

‘7 ha ve’n, I ha ve ’n, I ha ve’n !”

To which those gathered in the circle respond to the

wheat-c rop bearer with the question:

“W h a t ‘ave ? W h a t ‘ave ? W h a t ‘ave ?”

The bearer answers:

“
A Nec k! A Nec k! A N ec k! ”

T h e sickl e is replaced a t the foot o f the sta ff and the

N ec k is t hen touched, with great reverence, to th e ground,
held aloft to the sky, and then shown to the East, then to
the South and then to the West but not to the North, for
no sun comes from there. The neck is then bound into
pleasing form with red cords and set to stand in pride of
place a t the fo ot o f the forked s ta ff to presi de ov er t he

fea st. T he Troy l ri te will be made with ale i nste ad o f the

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 Traditi ona l W it chcraft — A C o rn ish B o o k o f W ays

usual mead. The Neck is first sprinkled with the blessed

ale before any o f the gathered com pan y part ake o f it .
T he Troyl conti nues into a f east enjoyed i n hono ur o f the
new Neck. It will be decided who shall keep the Neck on
be h alf o f those gathered until next year’ s rite.

Allantide

N ove m be r’s E v e bri ngs u s to th e en d o f summer a nd

the open ing o f winte r’s gat es, a gai n providing a poi nt o f
ingress between the worlds of the living and the dead. As
the reign of Bucca Gwidder comes to an end, so Bucca
Dhu rides now across the reddening land, upon the dark
steed of wood-smoke breath as spirits walk aboard. It is a
time f or gradual withdrawal, turning inward and gathering
wisdom .
G ive n the nature o f the s eason, it is hardly surprisi ng
tha t ther e were a go od num ber o f divinatory pract ices
traditionally enjoyed by the populace in Cornwall at
Allantide. T h ese w ere re corded as havin g been enjoyed

m osdy by young wom en, and i n th e day s when a wom an

having a career o f her own wa s no t th e done thing, t he
identi ty a nd occupation o f her fut ure hus band was o f
vital concern, and so it is also o f no surprise that the old
divinatory ‘games’ were recorded as being employed to
shed light on this matter more than any other. They were
and ar e o f cou rse quite useable to divi ne the answers to
all manner o f quer ies.
T h e m ost popular o f the se ol d divi nati ons incl uded
the use o f water filled ba sins, being best made o f the

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 Th e Furry N ights

Venusian copper i f the divination was for matters o f lo ve,

into which molten lead would be poured; often through
the handl e o f a do or key, and th e resulti ng st range form s
taken by the water-cooled lead being read for divinatory
meaning. Others would write all the known possible
answers to a question o nto pieces o f paper, a nd rol l thes e
indivi dually into bal ls o f eart h befo re d ropp ing them i nto
the ba sin. T he firs t piece o f pape r to break fre e o f its
earth encasem ent and rise to th e surface w ould rev eal th e
true answer. Divining pendulums would also be formed,
usually from the front door key, or a wedding ring, to
w hic h questio ns w ould be put and the sw ingin g m otions
being read for meanings and answers.

T h e srcin o f this festival’ s nam e is gi ven various

possibilities. It is attributed by some to St. Allen, whilst
others p refer the lik ely rela tion to the Wel sh & M anx
Hollantide, relating it in turn to Hallowe’en. Yet others
point out ‘allan’ as an old English word for apple and
the traditional association with apples that this festival
undoubtedly has. As with many things so contested,
the tr ue srcins are li kely t o be a m ixture o f the vario us
theories and possibilities.
In Cornwall, it was an important Allantide custom
for specially large and polished apples to be given to
friends and family members as charms to bring good
luck, foresight, and good fortune in love. These special
apples were given the name ‘Allan apples’ and many were
sold in Penzance, where the shopkeepers would proudly
display their largest Allan apples in their windows on the
Saturday prior to Allant ide. O n the nig ht o f Allant ide, t he

A llan ap ple had to be placed beneath the pillo w to provid e

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 Traditional W it chcraf t — A Corni sh Took o f Ways

proph etic dreams, agai n usuall y in matt ers o f marriage,

and eaten in the morning to ensure good fortune and the
fulf ilmen t o f any favourable portents contained i n th e
night’s prophecy.

п A llant ide R itual

Things needed: The forked staff, the Troyl things, a

cauldron, one large and new orange candle, four black
taper s, a human skull or som e o ther fit ting representati on
o f the ancest ors, t he cruc ibl e, coals and ‘Cr ow Sm ok e’, a
smal l vessel o f bone, ho rn o r ear thenware, ‘ W itch O il’,

Troy Stones and divinatory tools, and extra food and

drink.
Upon this night, the wise would descend into a fogou,
or journey out to one o f the remote Penwi th quoit s;
houses o f the ancestors; for thi s is a rite o f underworld
passage and communion with the dead. The rite must be
made adaptable for the chosen location and compromise
prepared for. The ability to make ritual movements
will be highly limited in m ost fogous where m ovem ent
o f the imagination and t he spi rit m ust t ake ove r from
the ph ysical. Th e round chamber o f Carn E un y Fogo u
however provides plenty of room for physical ritual
movement. Fogou shelves and recesses may provide the
w orkin g sh rine o f the rite, that m ay be in diffe rence to
the preferred directions for these things and so again
compromise must be made and the rite formed to fit
the location. Quoits present fewer problems where there

is ample room for movement outside and around these

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 The F urry N igh is

hall owed struc tures, with th e antechamber o f Z en no r

Q uoit for exam ple pro viding the pl ace fo r a sh rine, port al,
and point of communion.
Th e forked sta ff is pl aced a t the northwest o f the
w orkin g area, with the skull at its fo ot, with the oran ge
cand le to one side an d the crucible o f coal s with Cr ow
Smoke to the other. Before the skull, place the vessel of
W itch Oil. Have there also the Troyl things and arran ge
the divinatory it ems and Troy Stones in a pl ace where they
w ill b e safe. A t the quarters have burnin g black tapers and
in the centre have a cauldron containing a small unlit fire
of dry furze.
T he comp ass i s conjured with th e charming o f the f ire

and t he walking o f the Rou nd not yet unde rta ken. A ll sta nd
in sil ence abo ut the cold unlit cauldron, co ntem plating the
inward withdraw al the sprow l o f the land is no w mak ing
and prepare to make that same journey.
O ne w itch goes about the circ le to exti nguish the blac k
tapers against the sun, so only the single orange candle
remains burning in the northwest where the witch takes
up the candle and makes the call as others make the sign
o f the horn s:

‘N ow upon thi s И а п -night

let swing open the d a rk gates o f w inter!
B y call o f crow an d toad death the stone,
B j sm ok e, by sp irit, by blood an d bone,
We conjure thee, we conjure thee, we conjure thee
Oh black one, come!
So shall it be”

19 1
 г

Tra ditional W it chcra ft — Cornis h To ok o f Ways

All repeat “ So shall it be” an d so now begins the

walk in g o f the R ound, w ith one carryin g the ora nge
candle representing the sprowl descending deep within
the land, as with it, those gathered descend in a round of
whispered conju ra tions o f the underw orld, to meet with
the ancest ors and conj urati ons o f Bu cca D hu hirself.
W hen the jo urney has been m ade, all stand again in
silence around the cauldron, as the candle bearer comes
forward to li ght the caul dron fire o f the under world and
the descended sprowl, relighting also the quarter tapers.
The fire is charmed in the usual way and another takes
up the vessel o f Witch O il an d holds it aloft t he fir e and
calls “Bucca Dhu!” three times, those gathered repeating
each time. All are then anointed upon the brow with the
oil in the sign o f the six ways, the oil bearer anointi ng
them selves befo re replacing the oil a t the foo t o f the
forked staff.
One witch now takes up the skull in silence and holds
this above the fire for a moment, before stepping back to
walk slow ly, and in reverence, nine times ro und ag ainst the
sun, carrying the skull behind those gathered as all make
an inner cal l to the spir its o f the ancestors and loved on es
w h o have passe d across the bridge. T h e skull is held once
m ore ab ove the fir e and replaced with care at the foo t o f
the forked staff.
Now begins a period for all to commune in their own
w ay with the ancesto rs and their belo ved dead. Som e will
w ork the T roy Sto nes, som e will use mirro rs, so m e will
gaze into the fir e and smo ke to make their com mu nicati ons
and seek visions and advice for the coming year. Some
time will be dev ote d to thi s part o f the r ite.

192
The a uthor employ s the “
H ood-L am p ’ within a wo rking of
candle and p in mag ic

Lacing•; single ti ne an tler pr ick er s’ use d in we ather magic,

M us eu m o f W itch cra ft collection
 Top; a G et-L o st-B o x’ bound round an d round w ith red wool.

A b o v e ; a W es t C ountry m irr o r bottom ed copper basin, to be em ployed in rites

an d visionary w orki ngs o f the fu ll m oon when fil led with water.

B o th item s in the Boscastle M use um o f W itchcr aft

 Top; M adron O ld C ornwall Society M ids um m er Fir e

A b o ve; the Pen zance G uldi-ye N e c k in stalle d in the A

‘ d m ir a l Ben bow ’
M adro n O ld C orn w all Society
Cryi ng t he N ec k
The nine kn otted red bl ack an d green p laited cor d
 Th e Furry N ights

W hen the time has com e, the T royl rite will be made
with som e o f the mead first poured into the cauld ro n
fire in offe rin g to the gathe red spirits. Allen apples will be
exchanged as gifts between the fellows to be taken home
for good fortune and prophetic dreams. The rite will be
concluded with feasting and dancing to celebrate and
strengthen the bonds between the living and the dead.

Montol

He re we reach t he darkest point o f the year, the M idw inter

Solstice, a poin t o f stillness and deat h, leading t o rebirth,
for the process o f desce nt an d wit hdrawal has re ached
completion and from here the only movement possible
is the com m encem ent o f reawake nin g, regenerat ion an d
rebirt h, so it is also a time o f transfo rm ation, the gradua l
ret urn o f the sun an d o f the serpent , cel ebrate d wit h
sacred fires upon which the Montol ‘Mock’ is burned.
T his is the Co rn ish “Yule L o g ’ as it is cal led in other are as
where O ak is used with its solar associations. In Cornw all
the Ash is often used instead and is regarded as a highly
magical tree, associated with the serpent and regeneration.
T h e M ock is marked wit h a white chalk fi gur e and burned
with great ceremony, and in ce le bration o f the re-b irth in g
into the world the life energies that the Mock represents.
Y ou n g fo lk w ould dance in doors, around many candles

stood up withi n a vessel o f san d, or around a bo nfire

outside, a nd the mysterious ‘guise ’ or ‘ge es e’ dancers wou ld
jape about; transform ed by their animal spirit masks.
Some guise dancing troupes would be accompanied by
a Penglaz pole ‘Oss, covered with skins or tattered rags

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 Tradit ional Witchc raf t —A Corn is h T ook o f Ways

and topped with a mare’s skull or carved wooden horse

hea d. T h e Pen with m idwinter tra dit ion o f Penglaz ‘gui se
‘O sses, is fir st recorded in t he 1 9t h C, but m ay well be far
older in srcin. The holly, yew, ivy and misdetoe would

be brought into the home, affirming life in this darkest

time, a nd as a charm to encourage the retur n o f abundant
greenery to the land. As the mock was brought into the
hou se and placed upon the fi re, each m em ber o f the
hou sehold w ould light a pa inte d candle from it to parta ke
o f the re-birthi ng o f the serpent and t he su n. Childr en
were allowed to stay up for this and to drink to the M ock.
In Penzance, the Montol street celebrations have been

revived with fire, guise dancing, and for a brief period,

until 2009, Penglaz ‘Osses cut startling figures in the
icy cold streets, with the masked guisers, as they were
tradi tional ly meant to do . Th ey w ere crown ed in yew and
seemed to em bo dy the s pir it o f the winter season, and
the continuation o f lif e withi n the cold, hard la nd.

A M o n to l R itu a l

Things needed: The forked staff, a cauldron, torches, an

ash Mock, the Troyl things, a black candle, goose feather
sweeper, crucible, coals and a purifying incense.
To make simple yet highly effective torches for this
ritual, you will ne ed to gather som e shafts o f w oo d, abou t
the thickness and length o f a w alking sti ck. H ave on e end
cut smooth and flat with the other end sharpened to a
point.
Y o u will also need to collect som e em pty foo d cans.
M ake a s mall hole i n the bo ttom s o f thes e and use a

1 94
 Th e Furry N ights

screw to fix th em tightly to th e flat end o f each sti ck.

Holes will also need to be made with a hammer and nail,
or sharp bradaw l, around th e outsi de o f each c an near the
bottom . C otto n rags may then be placed into t he cans an d

a little paraffin or lamp oil added. Having the sharpened

end makes it possible for these torches to be stood in the
ground when not being carried.
W ooded areas, or ancient circles o f stone are often
visited for this rite. T h e fo rk ed sta ff is stood in the N orth
o f the w ork ing are a, decorated w ith the usual seasonal
greenery, such as yew, ivy and holly and with black tatters,
rags or ribbons. If it is possible, it is good to have on this
night a human skull, sat upon a small three legged stool
before the forked staff, to repr esent t he An ko w presidi ng
ov er thi s darkest ni ght o f the year, a nig ht o f death an d
rebi rth. Ar ou nd the bas e o f the st a ff are also arranged t he
Tro yl thin gs, the crucible o f coals , incense, the sweeper,
the Ashen Mock and the black candle. The cauldron is
placed in the centre and fallen wood is gathered to build a
fire within it. The unlit torches are kept close or stood in
the ground around the working area.
The circle rite is done without the fire and only the
blac k can dle burn ing . T h e walking o f the Roun d is made
against the sun, in conjurati on o f the An kow , and i n
contem plation o f those thi ngs that are outw orn, stag nant
and need to die before life can re-emerge from this time
o f stillness and dar k. Wh en her presence within the
com pass is fel t, or som e sign is given, the pace o f the
Round becomes slower and slower, until all are stood
about the unlit cauldron in stillness and silence.
On e witch tak es up the cruci ble, w ith plenty o f purifying
w ort burnin g w ithin it, and the sweeper o f goose feathers.

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 Tra ditiona l W it chcra ft — C ornish To ok o f Ways

This witch first purifies their self by sweeping the smoke

over their body, starting at the feet then rising gradually
to sweep the smoke above their head. The circle and
each person in turn is then also purified with the smoke,

banishing, with the ai d o f the Anko w, al l that is outw orn,

inhibiting, impeding and unwanted.
T h e cru cible and sweeper a re replaced at the forked st a ff
and a torch taken up instead, lit from the candle. Another
takes up the Ashen Mock. The torch bearer then says:

“пк ощ пкощ п к о и >!

B la ck hag o f death, transfo rm ation a nd wisdom.
t this tim e o f da rkness a ll has b ecome still,
Th e lan d lies cold, ha rd an d dead,
B ring to u s transfo rm ation!
R etu rn to us the serpen t! R etu rn to u s the S u n !
So sha ll it be!”

All repeat “ so shall it be” , then w ith so lem nity the to rch
bearer ignites the cauldron fire and the mock is placed
upon it. Ail then take up and light their torches from
the cauldron fire, holding them aloft the cauldron for a
moment to say:

“H a il the rebo rn serpent!

H a il the reborn su n!”

This may develop into a random chant of conjuration,

as all begin now to circle about the cauldron with their
torches faster and faster. When the time is felt to be
right, the circling will stop and the burning torches stuck
into the ground to stand around the circle’s edge so that

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 Th e Furry N ights

the Troyl rite may be made. This might be followed by

further circling, wild and mazed, in further celebration
o f the regener ati ve fo rce ’s ret urn to t he l and , and o f se lf
em pow erm ent with fire jumping for reawakeni ng, r enewal

and rebirth.

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 I ni ti at i on s

On the Cunning Way

T seems that in Corn wa ll, and i n other ar eas, the

I
tra ditional proce ss o f passing on the t eac hin gs o f
the Cunning Way, from one practitioner to another,
occur via the family line, by ‘apprenticeship’ and, in rarer
cases, via adm itt ance to a small and secreti ve circl e o f
associated, primarily solitary practitioners. Where ‘Old
Craft’ ‘Cunning Lodges’, Hearths and Circles exist, there
are three or four main rites that mark progress upon the
path, but only one is acknowledged to be an actual rite
o f initiation. Th e first rite a novice will undergo (af ter
having been closely observed for varying probationary
periods) in order to be admitted as a Fellow , is the rite o f
dedication. Each Hearth will have their own rite for this,
as we do, in which the novice will dedicate themselves to
the path in th e O ld O n e’s name, will swear an oath t o k eep
the secre ts o f the Circl e, and will be cerem onially lin ked,
or bound, to the group in some way. The second is the
actua l rite o f ini tiat ion as Pe llar, W ise Wom an or C un ning
Man, in which a partial ‘passing/sharing of the power’
will occur. T h is confe rs upon the Craft er the status o f a

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 Traditional Witchcraft — A C ornish T o o k o f W ays

w orkin g practitioner that allows th em to initiate oth ers

and t o fou nd a H earth o f the ir ow n wit hin th e famil y
or ‘kord’ (clan). The third rite is only taken into practice
w hen an initiated Crafter is to form a new Circle, or w hen
the pre siding witch is to reti re and transmit t heir pos ition
to the ir succ essor in a ful l ‘passing o f the po w er’ . Th is
rite con fers u pon the Cra fter t he t itle o f ‘D ev il’ or ‘M aid’,
or i n my own Hearth ‘D ya ivl’ or ‘D ya iri es Such gatherings
are, and always have been, few and far between and so
apprenticeship to a lone practitioner was a more usual
circumstance in which the ways were and still are passed
on. Here only two rites may be observed; the dedication
and when the training is complete the actual initiation
after wh ich the new Cu nning Ma n o r Wise Woman i s sent
off on their way to get on with it.
W hilst each H earth has their ow n ways o f carryin g out
rites o f adm ittance and initi ation, pattern s exist, such as
the concep t o f the ‘Cavern o f Ini tiati on’ for the very few
H earths e xisti ng in Cornw all today make a habi t o f visi ting
the fogou s and sea-caves for these occasi ons. C ross roa ds
& churchyards are also th e venues for certain r ites. In

addition to the
o f the Pellar formal
Hearth admittance
, ther e are othand initiatory
er i nform rites
al ini tiation
rites ass ociated with certai n ‘places o f pow er’ within th e
Cornish landscape, such as the traditions surrounding the
‘logan sto nes’ . Such ri tes often have themes o f chthoni c
pow er, ancestral gnosis, and rebirth, and ar e cond ucted by
the Pellar whenever and as often as the need and desire
arises.
W ithin the O ld cra ft, there exist guard ed initiatory
lines, passed on via Circles, or teacher and ‘prentice like
relat ionships. In the first edition o f this book , I made

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 In itia tio n s on th e C u n n in g W ay

mention, some wha t to my regr et, o f one such line withi n

Cornish witchcraft; that of the Cronnek Dhu, or ‘Black
Toad’. Whilst brief mentions of it existed in a couple of
locations on the i nternet, prior to the rel ease o f the fir st
edition, de tail s o f the line’ s rites had not, to my kno wle dge ,
been published, and here within thi s b oo k at lea st that will
remain th e cas e. H ow ever, after the r eleas e o f the first
edition, I received many enquiries regarding the Cronnek
Dhu, some people started using the name and imagery in
various way s, even affix in g it to various profa ne products
such a s co ffee mugs and t- shir ts! B u t saddest o f all, one
chap from America contacted me to say he’d killed a toad
and asked what he should do with it next. I feel some
clari ty and tying up o f loose ends is re quired her e.
T he sec ret rites o f the Cronne k D h u C ornish in itato ry
line are similar in some respects to the no longer secret
toad bone rit es o f the E as t Anglian Craft, howeve r they
do not involve the act o f kil ling a toad . T h e acquisiti on
o f the physic al remains o f the ‘ri ght toad’ is by portent
and an ominous occurrence. Knowledge of the rites are
confirmed by an existing initiate. I say confirmed rather

than ‘passed o n’ fo r ‘cand idates’, unde r guidance, ar e ready

to undergo the rites only when they have realised their
true nature and inner purpose for themselves, at which
time th e toa d wil l app ear . Th e ri tes o f the Cron nek D hu
are a lengthy and personally costly process, during which
the preserved black toad fetish is created, and marks the
posse ssor o f this charm as a ‘Toad W itch’ conferr ing
upon them the ability to influence the mind and deeper
self of humans and animals.
Historically many practitioners in Cornwall claimed to
have been b or n into a f amily line o f Cra fters o r Pellar.

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 Trad it ional W it chcraf t — Cornish Took of Ways

W hether truth, or just good business sense was behind

these claims, we can only ponder. It could be argued that
the poten tial client wo uld have m ore faith in a practitioner
they thought belon ged to an anc ient blo od lin e o f the
Wise. It seems to be acc ep ted by many Traditional
Crafters today that being born to a practitioner does
not automatically result in Cunning inclination. It is also
however acknowledged that such inclination is born into
certain folk, and that this arises in the ‘right people’,
regardles s o f w ho the ir parent s might be . Practi tioners
certainly do though very often tend to come from
families where Cunning, or those practices related to it,
have been present, sometimes a number of generations
back. A b lood line o f sorts, i f not stri ctly a continuous or
unbroken one.
Many working Pellars of Cornwall would claim blood
descent from the ‘Old Man of Cury’ (Tammy Blee of
Helston being a notable example) who, according to
various versio ns o f an old legend, rescued a stranded
mermaid he had found close to Lizard Point, whilst
walk in g the sand s in a day-dreaming state. F o r retu rn ing
her to the sea he was granted the powers to exorcise
evil spirits, lift curses, to provide cures, and to tell the
whereabouts o f things lo st or stolen. T hese powers o f
the Pel lar wo uld be p assed to a ll o f his line.
Lizard Point, and its surrounding coves, has long been
held a s an are a o f visionary and init iat ory power b y
Co rnish practit ioners, and t he pow ers o f the spi rit o f the
sea are conjured as a highly useful aid to various magics.
The ‘Old Man of Cury’ may be seen as the ‘First of
Pel lar B lo od ’, w ho brought th e powers o f the se a and t he

potent serpen
‘Blood Line’ t force
is the o f that
wisdom place tothat
and power man, an d the
enchants the t rue

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 In itia tio n s on th e C u n n in g W ay

bloo d, as i t is passed forth from practitioner to pract iti oner

via in itiato ry rites.
Within the m odern Tra ditio nal Craft, it seem s a
contest ed issue wh ether or not t he paths o f the ‘O ld C raft’

can be trod entirely alone, with no contact or association

with oth er establish ed practitioners fr om w hom to receive
guidance. I do feel that it is entirely preferable to strive to
make such con tacts and associati ons, essenti al i f one seeks
entry int o an initiatory line, for the continuit y o f passin g
w is dom from one practitioner, directly to another, has
much inherent po w er in i tself.
It is entirely possible that, traditionally, some
practitioners took up their ways entirely alone, drawing
from established local knowledge regarding the charms
and rites that heal, avert evil and make divinations, whilst
mal ting use o f the old ‘ grim oires’ t o provide k now ledge
o f further r ites a nd ch arms.
Progress within the traditional Craft can truly only
ever be by experiential immersion, all the better amongst
established practitioners, but not at all an impossibility
for those wh ose initial ‘contact’ c an on ly be vi a boo ks. In

both cases, honest practice and dedication are required.

T h e ‘bloo d call ing’ o f the t rue Crafter wil l lead the m
to draw wisdom from the land, for both it and the self
are th e te ache r, a nd wi thin t he Com pass o f Cunning, by
com m union with th e spirits o f the ways and those o f the
bloo d w ho have walked it s very same round b efore, is t he
w is dom and the Way ever passed on anew.
For the solitary dedicant, I offer here a rite of
dedicat ion based upo n a com bining o f part s o f the rites
of Admission and of Initiation employed within my
Hearth; Ros an Bucca.

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 Tradit ional W it chcraf t — Corni sh To ok o f Way s

A Rite of Dedication to Bucca & the Cunning Way

H ave with you at your pla ce o f w orking: the forked staff ,

a lant ern , the kni fe, t he horn-cu p o f mead a nd bowl o f
bread, a crucible o f coal s and drago n’s bloo d resi n to burn
therein. A ves sel o f ‘Witch O il’, a cord plait ed, made with
dedicati on, o f three str ands 9ft i n length an d colou red
one red, one green and one black, with one end bound
in white thread and the other with black. Some means of
making fire.
Set the sta ff to stand in the no rth o f the circ le a nd
arrange the things for the ritual at its base. Also in the
north, mark upon the ground in some way a northward
pointing triangle —just large enough to crouch in. Gather
som e w oo d to build a s mall fi re in t he centre o f the circle.
Enter the working area from the East, without clothes,
and com plete the Co m pass rite. B eg in th e walking o f the
Rou nd with inner conjurat ions o f Bu cca, the spi rits, an d
Ankow, the B lack O ne o f A n n ow n w ho brings death,
transformation and rebirth. Make a journey down into
the earth, into the self and into Annown, continuing
the Rou nd until the presence o f A n ko w is str ongly f elt.
Cro uch at the north, withi n the tr iangl e o f conjuration,
manifestation and rebirth, with your brow upon the earth
and all ow An k o w to make her purif icati ons o f dea th a nd
rebirth. Feel yourself going into the earth, with flesh
falling f rom the bon e as you beco m e part o f the da rk

earth in symbolic death. Spend some time contemplating

this ending o f the old lif e, then feel for the ser pentine flow
within the earth. W hen this force is stro ngly perceived ,

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 I n itia tio n s on th e C u n n in g W ay

breat he it into yo ur being and feel t he spark o f renewal

as the inner flame ignites. Feel new flesh return to your
bon es fro m the earth, and th e animation o f life return
to your body as you breat he o f this sprow l, fanning t he

inner flame to greater brightness.

W hen the time is right, rise to kneel befo re your staff.
Replenish the crucible with dragon’s blood and cross your
arms at your chest, with your hands in horned-salute, as
you say these w ord s:

“H orn ed One; da rk an d fa ir ,
I answ er thy call to fu l fil the desire in m y blood,
To stan d am ongst the W ise,
H n d w a lk the crooked p a th and C unning Way.
B y the sign o f the horns a nd the sku ll,
B y snake a n d hare an d toad a n d crow,
So sh all i t he a n d so I bind. ”

W ith both hands take up the cord, keepin g the black

end to your left and the white to your right. Tie a first
binding kno t o f se lf dedication in its centre, holding it in
the smok e o f the cruci ble, and the n kiss t he knot . In the
tying o f the follow ing knots a lwa ys be m indful o f yo ur
centre knot and keeping the black end to your left side
and the white end to your right.
A rise and hold the cord to the sky and tie a second
knot at the far right end o f the cord, bo un d in white, with
these words:

“B y the sp irits ab ove, m ay I be wise upo n the starw ar d roa d

o f N evek . ”

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 T rad itio n a l W itchcra ft — C orni sh T oo k o f W ay s

Kiss the knot and kneel to the ground and tie a third
knot at the far left end, boun d in black, with these words:

“B y the sp irits be low, m ay I be wise upo n the hellwa rd roa d

o f Nnnown. ”

Kiss the knot and stand with your back to the North.
Tie a fourth knot between the centre knot and the white
end kn ot with the se words:

‘Ъ и с с а Gwid der, by thy wa ys may I be wise upo n thy whi te

a nd blessed Path. ”

Kiss the knot and go to stand with your back to the

southern ed ge o f the Com pass. Tie a fif th knot be tween
the centre knot and black end knot with these words:

‘Ъ и с с а D hu, by thy w ays may I be wise up on thy bl ac k and

crooked p a th. ”

K iss the kno t and turn to face t he southern edge o f the

Compass. Tie a sixth knot between the white end knot

and the fourth knot with these words:

“By the spirits whi te, m ay I be wise upon the So uth w ard road . ”

Kiss the knot and go to stand facing the northern edge

o f the Com pass. Tie a sev enth knot be tween the bla ck
end knot and fifth knot with these words:

‘B y the spirit s black , ma y I be wise upon the N o rthw ar d

road. ”

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 In itia tio n s on the C u n n in g W ay

Kiss the knot and go to stand facing the eastern edge

o f the Co m pa ss and t ie an eight h knot to t he right o f the
centre knot with these words:

“B y the s pirits re d, m ay I be wise upon the E a stw a rd road. ”

Kiss the knot and go to stand facing the western edge

o f the Co m pa ss and ti e a nint h knot to t he left o f the
centre knot with these words:

“By the sp irits grey, m ay I be wise upon the W estward roa d. ”

Return to the north o f the Co m pa ss, an d lay the cord

before the forked staff. Crouch there within the triangle,
w ith your right h an d upon your head, an d the le ft be nea th
the feet and say:

‘Ъ с с а , B ucca, Buc ca l H orned On e, dark and fa ir ,

Shrine, H ea rth an d Vessel o f a ll dualit ies conjoined.
I dedicate m y whole se lf to thee.
F or ther e is nought o f me th a t is no t thine,
A n d there is nought o f thee th a t is n o t mine.
B y the lig ht b etw ix t th e ho rns sh a ll I w a lk upo n the
Cunning Way,
T h a t is by m y blood m y true pa th,
A n d ever ensure the secrets keep.
A s W itch a n d C unning w o m an /m a n
B oun d, a n d a nointed,
So sh all i t be. ”

Take up n ow the cord, and ti e it abou t your wais t. With

left finger anoint the thirteen witch’s points with Witch

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 Tra ditional W it chcraft — Cornish Bo ok o f Ways

Oil. An oin t first you r feet, the n the knees, geni tals , base o f
the spine, the hands, the naval, the breasts, the underside
o f the Chin (in place o f the lips) and lasdy t he forehead,
mark ing it with the sign o f the six w ays .
Walk the Round in a dextral circle, in conju ration o f the
serpent so that the blood may be warmed and the inner
fire further fann ed by the serpen t’s breat h. L et the Round
become wild and ecstatic with leaps over the fire.
Seal and conclude the rite with the Cunning Troyl in
communion with the forces raised. Give mead unto the
fire and bury food offerings at the four quarters. Leave
the place with no visua l sig n o f the ritual having happen ed
there.

208
 G los sar y

A lla n A p p le — Especially large and polished apples,

displayed in Penzance shop windows during Allantide,

and sol d to be exchanged as gifts o f go od fortune, and
often to be used within divinatory practices, particularly
for matters of love.

A lla n tid e - T h e C ornish fes tival o f A llantide, a H allow e‘en

festival, with similar traditions to those found at this time
in other are as, including divination and the use o f appl es.

A n k o iv —T he hag; th e personificat ion o f deat h and th e

transformative and purifying processes that arise there

from.

A n n o w n —T h e underworl d.

Becoming — An act performed by witches to become fully

awar e o f thei r conn ection to ‘A il’ between the worlds.
T his is o f the centr al t eac hing o f the Cun ning tra dit ion s;
“All is One” from where all magic is possible.

Bncca — A spirit/deity acknowledged by some traditional

Corn ish Crafter s. Bu cca i s o f twin /du al l ight and dark
aspect. Bucca is associated with the weather in Cornish

210
 Glossary

lore, particularly Bucca Dhu (the Black Bucca), who is

associate d w ith sto rm s and shar es man y o f the attribute s
of the Devil and Odin.

Compass, The — T h e name given wit hin the tra ditional

C raft to the pro perly con jured witch es’ cir cle in wh ich the
operations o f the Cr aft ta ke place.

Cro nn ek D hu — A Co rnish init atory l ine wh ose rites are

passed from initiate to initiate, only when the candidate
has shown themselves ready by understanding the nature
o f the rites.

A blood red palm resin, long employed

D ra gon’s Blood —
within the w orks o f witch craft, and a stock su bstance
in t he tr adit ional practi tioner’ s collecti on o f wo rking
substances. It is associated with fire and potency, the
serpent and sprowl, and, as such, is generally employed
to lend potency to magical workings. In Cornwall and the
West Country, D rago n ’s Blood is trad itionally used within
love spells.

Fogou — M yster ious anc ient su bte rranea n man-made

passa ges/ch am bers o f probable r itual origin. T h e name
is derived from the Cornish ‘ogo’ meaning ‘cave’.

Furry Nights — A name gi ven to th e C ornish seaso nal

fest ival s, m eaning ‘ecstatic’ or ‘ho ly’ nigh ts.

Golowan —The Cornish name for the midsummer period

deri ved from the Co rnish fo r ‘the f east o f St Jo h n the
Ba ptist ’. A time o f magical and protective fi res, lit atop
C orn w all’ s sacred h ills or ‘C a m s’ . T his practice has been
wid ely reviv ed by the ‘O ld Cornw all Socie ties’ th ough

much Christiani sed. A fest iva l o f the same name take s

place in Penzance each midsummer.

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 Tr aditional W it chcra ft — Cornish To ok o f Ways

Guldi^e — A post -har vest Cor nis h cel ebra tor y f east
following the ‘Crying the Neck’ ceremony.

H ood — A Co rnish term meaning ‘bewi tched’. To H ood

something is to make it bewitched.

Knockers —A Cornish spirit once encountered by miners

deep within Cornwall’s mines. Named Knockers for their
tapping sounds which were believed to lead favoured
miners to rich lodes of ore. To win the favour of the
Knockers, however, the miners would have to leave a
po rtion o f thei r croust (lunch) in offering , ref rain from
swearing or m aking the s ign o f the cross wh ilst in the
mine.

M a ^ e d —T o be i n an intoxi cated, en-tranced or m addened

state.

M o ck, T he—The ‘Mock’ or ‘Block’ is the Cornish version

of the Yule log. Ash was a favoured choice of wood for
the M ock w hich was burnt ea ch Mon tol .

M o n to l -
the Co rnish name for th e midwint er festive/
celebratory peri od. A popular Festi val o f the same na me
was created in Penzance, featu rin g m any o f the old
Montol traditions, thanks to the efforts of Simon Reed
w ho has been a drivin g fo rce behind the revival o f other
Cornish traditions in the Penzance area.

—The last standing corn, after the harvest is

N e c k , The
ceremonially cut and bound into the ‘neck’ during the
ceremony of ‘Crying the Neck’. The ‘neck’ presides over
the Guldize feast.

‘O bb y ‘O ss —
A myst erious ‘hobb y horse’ character
featuri ng a s the focus o f the ancient M ay fest ivi tie s o f

212
 Glossary

Pads tow, N or th Cornwall. T he w ord ‘O ss has been l inked

to an Old English word for ‘Old God’.

Pellar— A name gi ven i n Cornw all t o a bree d o f professi onal

magical practitioners. The name is thought by many to

be linked toillness
ill wishing, ‘repeller’ as in one in
etc. However, who
herrepels
article,evil spirits,
Smithcraft
and th e Cun ning A rt, Shani Oates e xplores an int eres ting
and probable theory that the name may have links with
the a rts o f the Blacksm ith, a f igure l on g associat ed with
folk-magical tradition and practice.

Pengla% — A West Cornish name for Mare/Horse skull

topped pole ‘Osses, at least 19th C in srcin, who made
an appearance with guise dancers during the Midwinter/

Christmas period.
Piskies —Th e Co rnish name for a vari ety o f the ‘Hidden
F o lk ’, believed in Corn ish tradit ion t o be the sp irits o f
the dead.

Poppet — A small fi gure, made to rep resent the di stant

reci pient o f magical worki ng. O ften the se wo uld
incorporate such things as hair or nail clippings to
strengthen the connection.

Quoits —Ancient chambered tombs found in Cornwall.

The chambers are constructed using large stone slabs and
roo fed with a s ingle massiv e capstone. Ev iden ce suggests
they were once covered in stone and earth mounds, with
only th e capstone visi ble . T h ey we re places o f ritual
offerings to the ancient dead, and seen by many as ‘spirit
ho use s’ o f the ancient ances tors .

Pound, The —The circumambulation of the Compass as

an a ct o f conjuration and a ‘ gathering in’ o f the spi rits,
virtu es and fo rces o f use to the rite or w orkin g at hand.

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 Traditional Witchcraft — A C o rn ish B o o k o f W ays

Spriggans —a tribe o f C orn ish spi rit, form idable guardians

of sacred ancient places.

Sproivl —T h e vital spirit forc e o f nature that ani mates life.

It is ‘power’ and ‘potency’, drawn upon and employed in

the wo rk o f the wi tch.

—A dep iction, or ritual
Thr ee fold T rac k/Sign o f t he S ix Ways
gest ure, in th e for m o f a six arm ed cross representing
the ways above (Nevek), below (Annown) and the cross
quarter ways o f the midguard.

—A celebra tory feast invo lving m usic and danc ing .

Troyl
Used by some Co rnish witches t o descri be the cel ebratory
communion feast within their rites.

Troy Stone—A stone sl ab, norm ally o f slate, carved with

a uni-cursal labyrinth and kept by Cornish witches.
These revered stones have trance inducing, magical and
transformative uses.

214
 Bibliography

The following new list includes tides that have been

helpful in the writing o f this bo ok , and suggested further
readi ng on t he subj ects o f Co rnish and West Co un try
w itchcraft, magic, traditions and folk lo re and the w id er
traditional Craft.

Cornish/West Country
п Joa n the Crone; The H is tory and Cra ft o f th e Cor nish W itch,
Ke lvin Jones, O ak m ag ic Publi cations.

C ornish Feasts a n d Folkl ore, M . . Court ney, Beare an d So n

C ornish Su persti tion s, K elvi n Jones, O akm ag ic Publicati ons

Customs and Supers titions o f F a s t Corn wal l, Jonathan an d

Th om as Co uch, O akm agic Public ations

D evon W itc hcra ft a n d F o lk Ways, Sara h H ew ett, Troy B o o ks

Fae ry Fait h of Cor nwal l, W .Y. Evans- W enf % O akm agic
Publications

Folkl ore and W itchcraft o f D evon an d Cor nwal l, E d . Kelv in

Jones, O akm agic Publica tions

215
 Tradit ional W it chcr af t - A Corni sh To ok o f Way s

M erm a id to M errym aid; Journey t o the St ones, la n Cooke, M en -

an -tol Studio, Penza nce

O ccul t Cornwall, K elvi n Jones, O akm ag ic Public ations

Pagan Cornwal l; L a n d o f the God dess, C heryl S tra ff on, M eyn

M arnvro Publications

Penzance C ustom s an d Supersti tions, E d ite d Kelvi n Jones,

O akm agic Publi cat ions

The Cornish Traditional Year, Simon Reed, Troy Books

The W itchcraf t an d Folkl ore o f Dart moor, R u th E .S t. Eeger-

Gordo n, Ro bert M ale

Trad itions an d H earthsi de Stori es o f W est Cornwal l, W . Bott rell,

variousp ub lishers

W est C ountry Fol klore, R oy a nd U rsul a Radfor d, Peninsul ar Pre ss

W est C ountry W itchc raf t, Roy an d U rsula Radf ord , Peninsular

Press

W est Co untr y W itche s, M ichael H oward, Thre e H an ds Press

W itch craft in Cornw all, K elvi n Jones, O akm ag ic Publi cati ons

The Wider Craft

W itc h A lone; Thi rtee n M oons to M aster N a tura l Mag ic,

M a ria n G reen, Thorso ns

C all o f the H orne d Pi per, N ige l A ldc ro ft Jac kson, Ca pall Bann

E ig h t Fro m the Sh adows; A M yth o s o f M oder n T ra ditional

W itchcraft — G wyn, C ap pa ll B an n

M astering W itchcraft: A P ra ctica l G uide fo r W itches, W arlo cks

216
 B ib lio g ra p h y

an d Covens, P au l H uson, G .P. Putnam s

The P ickingill Pap ers; The Orig in o f the Gardneri an C raf t, W .E .

IT d d ell a nd M icha el H ow ard, C apa ll Bann

Treadi ng the M ill; Practi cal C raft W orking in M odern Tra dit ional
W itchc raft, N ig e l G . Pearson, C ap all Ba nn

W alking t he Ti des, N ig e l G . Pearson, C ap all Ba nn

Witchcraft fo r Tom orrow, D oreen Haliente, R obert H ale

Magazines
M eyn M am vro, ancien t stones a n d sacred sites in Cornw all, I S S N :
0966-5897, www.meynmamvro.co.uk

The Caul dron , W itchcraf t, P aga nism <& Folk lore, IS S N 0 96 4-

5594, www.the-cauldron.org.uk

217
 Index

A
A b b o t ’s Way, 53 Ban ishing , 85, 97, 16 2, 196
Abra cadabra , 2 1 , 141 Bap ho met, 5 9
A d d er, 2 3 , 86 , 143 B a y leaves, 12 0, 12 3, 12 6, 142
A i r , 56, 75, 77, 85, 9 6, 11 5, 117- Belem nite, 8 8
118, 157-158 Bell, 96 , 99 , 10 1, 109
Alc hem y, 5 8 -5 9 Betony, 122
A ld e r, 7 5 Birc h, 5 6 , 7 5
A le , 5 2 , 10 1, 1 8 5 -1 8 8 B la ck stor ax, 1 2 3 -12 4
A ll a n ti d e, 5 7 , 171, 1 8 8 -1 90 , 2 1 0 Bla ck th orn , 76, 8 0 , 12 5, 134 -
A ls i a well, 6 8 136, 141, 149
A lta r , 4 6 , 6 2, 75, 9 0 -9 1 , 10 1, Blade, 80, 9 0 -9 1 , 1 02 -1 0 3 , 10 7,
10 4 154, 157, 174
A lu m , 1 2 2 -1 2 8 Blastin g, 2 4 , 2 9 , 5 5 , 62, 76 , 80,
Andro gyn e, 5 0 , 5 8 -5 9 96-97, 106, 113-115, 160, 168
Ange lica , 12 3, 1 26 Blee, Ta mmy, 19-2 0, 2 0 2

A
A nnim
imaislit,sti3c,6 5 7 Blood, 21 , 2 3 , 3 0 , 35, 95, 98,
102, 142-143, 151, 174, 191,
A n ts , 4 4 202-205, 207-208
A n k o w , 5 6 , 6 6 , 77, 195-196, Bones, 19-2 0, 6 9 -7 1 , 80, 8 5 , 9 0 -
204, 210 91, 101, 103, 106, 128, 137, 139,
A p p le , 18 9, 19 3, 2 1 0 153, 190-191, 201, 204-205
A q u a riu s , 118 Bonfires, 26 , 10 1, 18 3, 18 5, 19 3
A rie s, 79 , 1 1 7 Boscastle, 2 8
Asa fo etida, 12 1, 123 -1 2 4 Boswell, Grann y, 19, 2 3 -2 4
A s h (fire), 27 , 6 9 , 10 0, 12 5, 13 7, Bottle, 12 0, 14 2, 15 3, 159
18 4 Bo ttrell, W illiam , 14, 2 0 , 2 5 , 2 8 ,
A s h (tree), 5 4 , 5 6 , 75 , 77, 13 7, 44, 71, 216
143, 150, 193-196, 212 Bow l, 8 1 -8 2 , 95, 10 1, 10 6, 12 0,
A th a m e , 74 129, 148, 156, 20 4
Bra n, 7 5

218
 Index

Breath, 39, 5 3 , 6 6 , 70, 8 6 , 8 9 -9 0 , 189

96, 99, 102, 106, 117, 138, 149, Cord, 56, 86, 89, 101, 133-134,
155, 159-160, 166, 174-175, 142, 144, 154, 156-163, 165-
177, 188, 205, 208 166, 204-205, 207
Broom, 2 6 , 5 6 , 75, 8 3 , 95, 100- Corn, 25, 46, 185, 212
101, 178-179 Cottage, 27, 47, 61, 81
Bry ony root, 1 2 1 -1 2 2 , 12 6, 151 Crogga n, 4 8
Bucca, 2 5 , 39, 5 0 , 5 2 -5 4 , 5 7 -5 9 , Cronnek Dhu, 201, 211
76, 81, 90, 99, 104, 106, 108, Cross, 47, 49, 52, 65, 75, 89,
117-119, 175, 177, 179, 183, 93 -94 , 103, 106, 108, 135, 20 5,
188, 192, 203-204, 206-207, 212, 214
210-211 Crow, 96, 100, 102, 105, 114,
B ukkenm se, 5 9 125, 127, 150, 153, 155-157,
Bull, 2 7 175, 190-191, 205
Bu llroarer, 8 5 Crucible, 62, 101, 154-155, 173-
174, 178, 186, 190-191, 194-
C 196, 204-205
Calamus, 121 Coven, 25
Camphor, 121, 124-125, 127 Crying the neck, 185, 212

Cancer (Zodi ac), 11 7 Crystal, 87, 140, 168

Candle, 4 0 A 1, 58, 81-82, 84, 90- C unning/YolkI Ш а etc., 19, 23 -
91, 99, 112, 150 -15 1, 161, 173- 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 43, 45, 51-52,
175, 178-179, 190-192, 194-196 54, 58, 62-63, 66, 68, 73-74, 81,
Candl emas, 77, 17 1-1 74 88, 90, 111-112, 177, 199-200,
Capricorn, 118 203, 207, 213
Car, 24 Cup, 81, 95, 101, 106, 204
Cauldron, 79, 82-83, 94-95, 101, Cure, 19-21, 24, 70, 88, 202
103-106, 160, 173-174, 178- Curse I l ifting etc., 18-1 9, 2 4 , 2 8 -
179, 183, 190-196 31, 35, 55, 64, 65, 69, 77, 80,
Cave, 39, 65-66, 166, 200, 211 83, 111-114, 117, 124, 132, 134,
Celandine, 125, 135 136, 150, 202
Celtic, 14, 171 С и гу, 2 0 2
Children, 22, 24, 44, 67, 70, 176, Cypress, 121-124, 127, 129, 135
19 4
Chimney, 62-63, 136, 138, 163 D
Church, 26-27, 38, 51, 54, 64, Dance, 2 6 -2 7 , 3 8 , 4 7 , 5 0 , 5 6 , 69,
136, 162, 182, 20 0, 84, 94, 151, 157, 165, 175 -177 ,
Cinnamon, 120-121, 123, 126 179, 181, 184 , 193 -194 , 21 4
Cloak,, 45 D eath , 12, 2 9 , 4 5 , 5 1 , 5 3 , 5 6 -5 8 ,
Cloutie, 67, 144 66, 71, 76-77, 94, 119, 171, 175,
Cloves, 120, 122-123, 125-128, 185, 193, 195-196, 204, 210
1 46 Defensive magic, 5 7 , 7 5 -7 6 , 95,
Coffee beans, 127 117, 134
Coffin, 152 Deity, 5 1 -5 3 , 5 9 , 2 1 0
Collel, 81 Devel, 51
Colophony, 121, 126 Dev il, 2 5 -2 7 , 5 1 , 5 3 -5 4 , 5 7 , 64,
Comfrey, 123-124, 127, 135 107, 148, 151, 200, 211
Copal, 120-122, 125-126 D e v il ’s fin gers, 8 7 -8 8
Copper, 82, 141, 146, 166-167, Dev on , 2 8 , 5 2 , 1 7 7

219
 Traditi ona l W it chcraft — A Corni sh Took o f Ways

D h u , 25, 5 3 -5 4 , 5 7 -5 8 , 76, 104, Fire, 25-27, 46, 54, 61-62, 79,

117, 119, 175, 177, 188, 192, 81, 82-84, 86, 91, 94-95, 97-99,
201, 206, 211 101-102, 104-105, 107, 113,
D ivin e, 5 0 -5 1 , 5 5 -5 7 , 5 9 , 75, 93, 115-117, 119, 124-125, 128,
97, 104, 107, 188 137-138, 142, 148, 154-155,
D iv in ation, 13-1 4, 2 7 , 3 3 , 35, 38, 157, 160, 163, 166, 173-175,
62, 70, 76, 87, 113, 152, 155, 178, 179-187, 191-197, 204,
161, 168, 188-189, 202, 210 208
Doll, 67, 70 , 149, 185 F ish / 'fishermen et c., 52 -5 4, 88,
D ragon’s blood, 121, 1 24 -1 25 , 128, 158
135, 145-146, 173-175, 204-205, Flowers, 52, 177-178, 183-184
211 Fogon, 25, 39, 65-66, 166, 190,
Dream s, 95, 114, 11 7, 190, 193 200, 211
D ru m , 8 4 -8 5 , 98, 100, 17 5, 17 8- Fossil, 14, 87-88
179, 182, 184 Frankincense, 120-121, 126, 128
Dulse, 1 27 F ur ry night, 90, 171 -172, 177,
D y a w l/ Dyaw/es, 2 0 0 211

E G

E a rth
56, , 18-2
66, 69, 2,75, 3 77,
9 , 479,
6 , 487,
9 , 51,
95, 5 5 - Garden, 55
Gardenia, 121
100, 108, 115, 118, 124, 138, Gardne r, G erald B., 2 9
140, 150, 153, 157, 173-174, Garlic, 138
176 , 180, 187, 189 , 20 4-2 05 , 21 3 Gemini, 117
E a st, 9 4 -9 6 , 101, 103, 10 8, 12 6, Geranium, 121-123, 126
204, 207 Get-lost-box, 162
E a s t An g lia , 14, 2 0 1 Ghost, 38, 43
E ld er, 76 , 123, 1 2 7 Giants, 71, 185
E quin oxes, 1 72 Ginger, 121-122, 126
E vil , 18, 2 8 , 3 5 , 77, 8 4, 87-8 8, Glass, 85-86, 89, 91, 120, 135-
101, 113, 132-133, 136-137, 141, 136, 138, 153, 161, 163, 173
150, 182, 184, 202-203, 213 Goat, 58-59
vofe g 94 Godhead, 97, 105
Exorcis m , 2 8 -2 9 , 76-7 7, 83, 89, Golowan, 180-182,211
95, 117, 127, 153-154 Gorse, 46, 76
Grimoire, 32, 203
F Guardian, 49, 62, 214
Faery, 18, 4 3 , 4 5 Guldrfe, 171, 185-186, 212
Fam iliar spirit, 40 , 63 , 70, 81, 9 5- Gwidaer, 53, 57-58, 76, 104,
96, 113, 129, 148-149, 162 117, 175, 179, 188, 206
Farm/er, 24, 31, 49, 52-53, 79,
137-138, 181-182, 185-186 H
Fear, 19, 30-31, 49, 76, 80 Flag-stone, 86, 89, 133-134,
Feast, 82, 106, 171-172, 175, 180, 150, 153, 157, 159
185-188, 193, 211-212, 214 Hal-an-tow, 177
Feather, 83, 125, 153, 194, 195 Hallowed , 62, 93, 10 0, 10 2,
Festival, 56, 171, 177, 180-181, 106, 191
189, 210-212 H a ll o w e’en, 189
Feverfew, 122 Hallucinogenic, 19

220
 In d e x

H an d, 3 3 , 4 0 , 73 , 79, 80, 83 -8 4 , 213

104, 106, 115-116, 139, 141, Ill-wishing , 28, 3 0 -3 1 , 77, 127 -
148, 205, 207-208 128, 141
H are , 2 6 , 95, 10 0, 102, 105, Im age magic, 83, 13 6, 14 9, 154
113, 12 6, 175, 178-1 79 , 2 0 5 Incense, 10 2, 116, 11 9, 120-124 ,
H arv est , 5 2 , 77 -78 , 15 2, 185 - 126-127, 153, 159, 178, 180,
186, 212 186, 194-195
H aw th orn, 76, 12 2, 178 In itia tion, 64 , 66, 75, 10 3, 16 1,
H a ze l, 76, 79 , 86, 1 3 7 182, 199-200, 203
H ea ling , 14, 18-1 9, 2 2, 29, 35, Introspection, 3 9, 5 7 , 8 9
39-40, 55, 57, 66-68, 70, 75, In tu itio n, 35, 4 1, 7 7
77, 82, 84, 86, 88, 95, 111, 113, Invocation, 94, 98, 10 6, 1 5 7
115-117, 126, 139, 142, 144, Ireland, 5 9
161 Iron, 12 8, 13 4, 13 7, 15 7
H eart , 142, 1 45
H eart h, 4 6 , 62, 8 1 -8 2 , 89 -90 , 99,
104, 107, 111, 120, 129, 136, JackD aw, 15, 50, 78, 1 7 7
145, 148, 151-152, 154-155, Jasm ine, 12 1, 12 3, 125
199-200, 203, 207 Juniper, 120-123 , 125-12 8 , 14 2,

Hea ther , 12 2, 125 , 1 5 7 1 45

Heav ens/ heavenly virtues etc., 22, Jupiter, 11 8, 12 2 -1 2 3
44, 55, 65, 94
H elsto n, 19-2 0, 2 3 -2 5 , 17 7, 2 0 2
Hen ban e, 12 3 -1 2 4 , 12 7, 143, 1 57 Kiss, 205-207
H er bs , 4 0 , 4 8 , 55, 82, 13 6, 166, Knife, 80, 95, 101-102, 151, 157,
182 187, 204
Hermap hro dite , 5 0 , 5 9 Knockers, 43, 48-49, 212
H exagram , 1 06 Knot, 83, 86, 133, 141-142, 145-
Holly, 76, 128, 1 9 4 -1 9 5 146, 157-161, 166, 205-207
H o ly well, 39, 6 6 -6 8 , 70 , 140,
144, 166-167, 173-174 L
Hon eysuck le, 122-12 3 , 15 3 Labyri nth , 41 , 87, 2 1 4
H ood , 82, 89, 91, 10 2, 106-107, L am orna, 2 5
119, 166, 174, 184, 212 L aw , threefold, 112
H o o k W and , 8 0 Lead, 13 9, 189
H or eh ou nd , 12 2, 1 2 7 -1 2 8 Lea ther , 26, 5 4
H orn , cup, 81, 95, 10 1, 106-108, L em on balm, 12 2, 126
156, 204 Le mongrass, 122
H orn s, 39, 5 8 -5 9 , 65, 90 -9 1 , L em on verbena, 122
104, 106, 191, 205, 207 Leo , 1 16
Horse, 19, 25 , 4 9 , 5 3 -5 5 , 5 7 , 88, L evi, E liphas, 5 9
94, 177, 194, 212-213 Ley-L in es, 3 8
Horseshoe, 91, 1 3 7 L ib ra, 118
H u n t, Robert, 14, 2 8 L iz a rd , p oin t, 2 0 2
H ypnotic force, 39, 66, 69, 166, 16 8 Logan stone / rock, 200
Hove, 18, 24, 2 9, 3 1 , 77, 8 2, 111,
I 118, 125, 135, 144-147, 151-
Ill-influence, 11 9, 124 152 , 182, 189, 210 -21 1
Illness, 28, 6 4, 76, 13 6, 139, 142, L un ar, 6 6 , 69 , 8 1, 9 3, 13 4, 161,

221
 Traditional Witchcraft — Corni sh To ok o f Ways

165, 167 127, 138, 153, 159, 179, 187,

191, 195, 204, 206-207
M
M a d d e r root, 121, 12 4, 12 6, 128 О
M adron , 6 7 -6 8 , 14 4 Oak, 26, 54, 76, 120, 123, 126,
M an drake, 1 2 2 -1 2 4 , 12 8, 151- 193
153 Oath, 199
M an ifes ta tion, 5 0 , 5 3 , 82, 86, 93, Ohby Oss, 176, 212
95, 133, 160, 204 Obsidian, 89-90, 168
M a r i-I ji y d , 5 6 Occult, 14, 32, 59, 78, 115, 168
M arjo ra m , 120, 1 2 2 -1 2 3 , 125 Odin, 53-54, 57,211
M ars, 11 7, 1 2 1 -1 2 2 , 13 1, 13 4 Orange oil, 120
Maypo le, 17 6 O rris root, 121, 123 , 125, 146 -
M a y ’s Eve, 57, 76, 171-17 2, 17 5, 147
178, 179 Otherworl d/ ly, 43 -45, 47, 53-5 4,
M a zed , 4 1 , 180 , 19 7, 2 1 2 56, 61-62, 65-66, 68, 71, 82, 85,
M azey, 4 1 , 8 7 , 18 0 -1 8 1 97, 133-134
M ead, 10 1, 1 0 6 -1 0 8 , 15 0, 156- Oud, 122-123
157, 186, 188, 193, 20 4, 2 0 8
M en-a n-T ol, 6 7 , 6 9 -7 0 , 149
Mercu ry, 11 7, 122, 131 P
Patchouli, 120-127
M erm aid , 2 0 2 Pendulum, 80, 189
M er ry Maid ens, 3 8 , 4 9 Penglaz, 56-57, 193-194, 213
M id su m m er, 14 8, 1 8 0 -1 8 5 , 2 1 1 Pentagram, 107
M ill , 2 5 -2 6 , 2 8 , 9 4 , 98, 1 0 5 -1 0 6 Pentacle, 95, 160
Milp reve s, 2 3 , 8 6 Penwith, 15, 25, 27, 52, 56, 68,
M in t, 1 2 7 -1 2 8 141, 182, 190, 194
M ir ro r, 13 6, 1 5 5 -1 5 6 , 16 8, 192 Penzance, 31, 180-181, 189, 194,
Mistletoe, 135, 19 4 210-212
M on to l, 1 9 3 -1 9 4 , 2 1 2 Peppermint, 123
M oo n, 3 8 -3 9 , 4 4 , 5 7 , 6 6, 6 9 , 76- Pine, 77, 84, 121-122, 126-128
77, 79, 82-83, 87, 90, 95, 98, Pisces, 118

105-107, 116-117, 119, 121, Piskie, 18, 43-48, 213

128, 131, 140-141, 146, 148, Planetary virtues, 32, 81, 93, 94,
150-152, 158, 161, 165-168, 116, 120, 130, 161
172-173, 186 Plants, 55, 95, 116, 172
M ug wor t, 12 1, 1 2 3 -1 2 4 , 1 2 7 -1 2 8 Poplar, 122-125, 135
M ullein , 1 2 1 -1 2 5 , 1 2 7 -1 2 8 , 13 5 Power, 19, 20-21, 23, 27, 30, 32,
M u seu m o f Witch craft, 2 8 , 2 9 36, 38-39, 55-57, 62, 74-77, 88-
M yrrh , 9 0, 121, 1 2 3 -1 2 5 , 127- 89, 98, 100, 102 , 111, 117 -118,
12 9 124, 126-127, 133, 138, 141,
160, 182, 185, 200, 202-203,
N 214
N a il, finge r, 136, 142, 2 1 3
N a il, iron, 13 7, 1 9 5 Q
N alg ah, 2 2 , 1 3 2 Quartz, 38, 69, 87, 89-90, 140-
Nec kla ce, 8 9 , 14 3 141, 167, 173-174
N ew ly n , 5 2 , 5 4 uicken, 77, 118, 173
N o rth , 2 7 , 9 0 , 9 6 , 101, 10 3, 10 8, uoit, 68, 71, 150-151, 185,

222
 In d e x

190-191, 213 166, 173, 175, 180, 191-192,

205, 211,214
R Square, planetary, 130
Ro ma ny, 2 3 -2 4 , 51 Star, 44, 53, 93, 148, 205
Rose, 12 3, 1 2 5 -1 2 6 S ta r anise, 121, 123, 12 7
Ro sematy, 120, 126, 142 Sto rm, 46, 51, 53-54 , 57, 211
Row an , 77 , 122 , 13 3, 15 9, 173, Sun, 20, 23, 56, 70, 94, 97,101-
181 102, 108, 116, 120, 131, 136,
140, 143, 157, 172, 179, 182,
S 184, 187, 157, 191-196
Sacrifice / sacrificial, 52-53, 83, Sweeper, 83-84, 194-196
151, 182-183, 185
Sage, 122-123, 126 T
Sagittarius, 118 Taboo, 38, 44, 49
St. A llen , 189 Ta lkin g stic k, 79, 180
St. Buryan, 25-27, 68 Taraner, 76
St. John , 180, 21 1 Taurus, 118
St. John’ s Wort, 125, 127, 145, Tetragrammaton, 22
182-184 Thomas, Jemmy, 19-2 0
Satan, 51 Thun der Stone , 8 7
Saturn, 119, 123, 124, 130 Thyme, 124, 127, 129
Scorpio, 117 Tides, 69, 71, 158, 171, 177
Sea, 37, 39, 48, 52-53, 66, 71, Tin Mi ne rs, 20 , 4 8 -4 9 , 147,
87-88, 95, 117, 125, 127, 158, 21 2
166, 200, 202 Toad, 76, 87-88, 95, 100, 102,
Seeing, 82, 87, 96, 113, 127, 156- 105, 114, 126, 142, 168, 175,
157, 168, 180 191, 201, 205
Serpentine, rock, 89 Tongue stone, 87, 88
Sex, 56 , 95, 113, 115, 117, 152 Trance, 41, 85, 87, 97-98, 100-
Sickle, 186-187 102, 105, 136, 152, 154, 163,
Silk, 145, 152 167, 212, 214
Si Iv pv 44 117 Trees, 26, 64, 67, 71, 77-78, 98,
S ix Way s, 75, 94, 102 , 106 -107
154, 179, 192, 208, 214 100, 146, 181, 183, 193
Trenoweth, Betty, 25, 27
Sloe, 123, 125-126 Troy stone, 41 , 87, 95 , 180, 190 -
Smoke, 25-26, 62, 82, 84, 89, 96, 192, 214
99, 119, 126-127, 129, 133-134, Twin, 59, 210
137, 146, 148, 153, 155-157,
159, 174-175, 178, 180, 184, U
188, 190-192, 196, 205 Underworld, 39, 65-66, 94, 168,
Snail, 147, 153 190, 192, 210
Sna ke skin, 14 4
Solstice, 56, 171, 193 V
South, 95, 100, 103, 108, 126, 1Tampiric, 138
138, 160, 178, 183, 187, 2 0 6 Venus, 50, 82, 118, 123, 131,
Spittle,
Spriggan,8 943, 49, 71, 214 146, 189
Vervain, 122-123, 125-128
Sprowl, 36-38, 41, 73-74, 84, 87,
113, 117, 126, 133, 158, 165- W

223
 Traditi ona l W it chcraf t — A Corni sh Too k o f Way s

Wand, 56, 75, 80, 86, 88, 96,

107, 173-174, 178
Water, 22-23, 55-56, 66-68, 73,
76-77, 79, 86, 88, 93, 95, 103,
115, 117-118, 140, 146, 157,
166-167, 173-174, 185, 188-189
Wax, 78, 83, 136-137, 146, 154,
162, 175
West , 95 -9 6, 101, 103, 108, 126,
138, 152, 160, 187, 207
Wh ispering stone, 86, 9 5
White-witch, 20-21, 23, 28, 32
Wicca, 18, 29, 73-74, 112, 166,
181 (hamlet o f
W il d Hunt, 53, 5 6
Williamson, Cecil, 12, 14, 28-29,
85
Will ow, 56 , 77, 14 6, 1 53
Window, 61, 63, 134, 136, 155,
189, 210
Wise-ivoman, 23, 27, 31
Witch-ball, 135-136
W itch oil, 89, 128, 178 -17 9, 190-
192, 204, 207-208
W itch powder , 19, 124 , 1 33, 136,
154-155
Womb, 39, 82
Wood, 26, 53, 55, 75-78, 80-81,
84-85, 91, 98, 107, 149, 153,
178, 188, 194-195, 204, 212
Wormwood, 121-122, 125-127

Y
Yew, 64, 77, 121, 123-125, 194-
195
Yggdrasil, 55, 75
Ylangylang, 121, 123, 127
Yule, 193, 212

Z
Zenith, 171, 1 8 0-181
Ze nnor, 181-1 82 , 191

224