The Crooked Path: An Introduction to Traditional Witchcraft

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The Crooked Path: An Introduction to Traditional Witchcraft

The Crooked Path: An Introduction to Traditional Witchcraft

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Claude Lecouteux’s amazing book “ Witches, Werewolves, and Fairies” likewise proves (as far as I’m concerned) that the witches of the pre-modern period weren’t just making things up, and like “ The Visions of Isobel Gowdie“, proves how central soul-flight or “shimmering” as we call it, was central to the Witch’s vocation and to the reality of Witching. If anyone, deceived by the Devil, shall believe, as is customary among pagans, that any man or woman is a night-witch, and eats men, and on that account burn that person to death... he shall be executed. [58] The earliest known portrait of Saint Augustine in a 6th-century fresco, Lateran, Rome The last persons known to have been executed for witchcraft in England were the so-called Bideford witches in 1682. The last person executed for witchcraft in Great Britain was Janet Horne, in Scotland in 1727. [95] The Witchcraft Act 1735 abolished the penalty of execution for witchcraft, replacing it with imprisonment. This act was repealed by the Fraudulent Mediums Act 1951.

Choosing just five books to recommend from the vast array of published material is an impossible task. Even narrowed down into specific genres makes it no less achievable. There are so many factors to consider, particularly with regard to the level of experience and subjectivity of the reader. After perusing at least a dozen or so possibilities, I was finally able to narrow it down to the number requested, only when I re-considered the brief, which specified books on traditional witchcraft. Had that request been for traditional folklore, witchcraft, sorcery, trance-work, spell-craft etc, then the list would be very different. The five texts I have chosen are firm favourites of mine and amongst some of the most instructive, providing an understanding of what traditional Witchcraft is properly about. They are not easy reads by any means, nor are they generic. They are all chosen to challenge and provoke your beliefs – in some cases, to stretch you beyond them. None of them provide information on rituals, coven-craft, these are books that will shape your perceptions on your craft, from which you will understand then, how to craft your rites. This amazing book proves, to my satisfaction, that Isobel Gowdie wasn’t just a crazy woman lying to her judges and interrogators for attention. It proves that she was part of a witch-cult, and reveals how pre-modern witchcraft existed, how it operated, right in the heart of rural society. It has the power to terrify us, and it should, because the depths of what Isobel experienced are still alive and operating secretly right now. This conforms to the thoughts of Saint Augustine of Hippo, who taught that witchcraft did not exist and that the belief in it was heretical. [59] Traditional witchcraft can be seen often to manifest in two (often overlapping) forms; the ritual witchcraft of covens/covines and lineages, and the operative, magical witchcraft of the lone practitioner. ‘ Cecil Williamson’s Book of Witchcraft’ by Steve Patterson guides the reader through the magical technologies and spirit working of the ‘wayside witches’ as espoused by Cecil Williamson; who presented a very different vision of the Craft to that which would become mainstream. Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335 – c. 395) had said that demons had children with women called cambions, which added to the children they had between them, contributed to increase the number of demons. However, the first popular account of such a union and offspring does not occur in Western literature until around 1136, when Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote the story of Merlin in his pseudohistorical account of British history, Historia Regum Britanniae (History of the Kings of Britain), in which he reported that Merlin's father was an incubus. [71]While Western Europe often employed harsh torture methods, Russia implemented a more civil system of fines for witchcraft during the seventeenth century. This approach contrasted with the West's cruelties and represented a significant difference in persecution methods. Ivan IV, or Ivan the Terrible, was deeply convinced that witchcraft led to the death of his wife, spurring him to excommunicate and impose the death penalty on those practicing witchcraft. This fear of witchcraft persisted during Ivan IV's rule, leading to the accusation of boyars with witchcraft during the Oprichnina period, followed by increased witchcraft concerns during the Time of Troubles. [117] Streghe celebrate a diverse range of practices. [128] They honor a pantheon of deities, often including a Moon Goddess and a Horned God, similar to some neopagan traditions. These deities are seen as sources of guidance, protection, and spiritual connection. Rituals and magic are integral to contemporary witchcraft in Italy, [129] often involving the use of symbolic tools like the pentagram and the practice of divination. These practices aim to tap into the energies of nature and the cosmos, fostering personal growth and connection to the spiritual realm. [130] The height of the witch-craze was concurrent with the rise of Renaissance magic in the great humanists of the time (this was called high magic, and the Neoplatonists and Aristotelians that practised it took pains to insist that it was wise and benevolent and nothing like witchcraft, which was considered low magic), which helped abet the rise of the craze. Witchcraft was held to be the worst of heresies, and early skepticism slowly faded from view almost entirely. The origins of the accusations against witches in the Early Modern period are eventually present in trials against heretics, which trials include claims of secret meetings, orgies, and the consumption of babies. During the 20th century, interest in witchcraft rose in Britain. From the 1920s, Margaret Murray popularized the ' witch-cult hypothesis': the idea that those persecuted as 'witches' in early modern Europe were followers of a benevolent pagan religion that had survived the Christianization of Europe. This has been discredited by further historical research. [4] :121 [122]

It was thought witchcraft could be thwarted by protective magic or counter-magic, which could be provided by the ' cunning folk' or 'wise people'. This included charms, talismans and amulets, anti- witch marks, witch bottles, witch balls, and burying objects such as horse skulls inside the walls of buildings. [20] People believed that bewitchment could be broken by physically punishing the alleged witch, such as by banishing, wounding, torturing or killing them. "In most societies, however, a formal and legal remedy was preferred to this sort of private action", whereby the alleged witch would be prosecuted and then formally punished if found guilty. [4] :24-25 In Wales, witchcraft trials heightened in the 16th and 17th centuries, after the fear of it was imported from England. [92] There was a growing alarm of women's magic as a weapon aimed against the state and church. The Church made greater efforts to enforce the canon law of marriage, especially in Wales where tradition allowed a wider range of sexual partnerships. There was a political dimension as well, as accusations of witchcraft were levied against the enemies of Henry VII, who was exerting more and more control over Wales. [93] Russell, Jeffrey Burton. "Witchcraft". Britannica.com. Archived from the original on May 10, 2013 . Retrieved June 29, 2013. The Tsardom of Russia also experienced its own iteration of witchcraft trials during the 17th century. Witches were often accused of practicing sorcery and engaging in supernatural activities, leading to their excommunication and execution. The blending of ecclesiastical and secular jurisdictions in Russia's approach to witchcraft trials highlighted the intertwined nature of religious and political power during that time. As the 17th century progressed, the fear of witches shifted from mere superstition to a tool for political manipulation, with accusations used to target individuals who posed threats to the ruling elite.Where does one begin learning about Trad Craft? I decided to reach out to some of the most prominent Trad Craft authors and practitioners of our day to ask them which books they’d recommend to beginners who are interested in learning about Trad Craft. Daniel Schulke Persecution continued through the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, and the Protestants and Catholics both continued witch trials with varying numbers of executions from one period to the next. The "Caroline Code", the basic law code of the Holy Roman Empire (1532) imposed heavy penalties on witchcraft. As society became more literate (due mostly to the invention of the printing press in the 1440s), increasing numbers of books and tracts fueled the witch fears. Main article: Cunning folk Diorama of a cunning woman or wise woman in the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic The "supernatural" or "night" witch: portrayed in court narratives as a demon appearing in visions and dreams. [34] I remain very fond of Marian Green’s classic ‘ A Witch Alone’ which encourages a deeply personal exploration of the old magical arts of the working witch alongside a relationship with the lore of one’s own landscape.

In pre-modern Europe, most of those accused were women, and accusations of witchcraft usually came from their neighbors who accused them of inflicting harm or misfortune by magical means. [51] :7–8 Macfarlane found that women made accusations of witchcraft as much as men did. Deborah Willis adds, "The number of witchcraft quarrels that began between women may actually have been higher; in some cases, it appears that the husband as 'head of household' came forward to make statements on behalf of his wife". [52] :35–36 Hutton and Davies note that folk healers were sometimes accused of witchcraft, but made up a minority of the accused. [4] :24-25 [53] :164 It is also possible that a small proportion of accused witches may have genuinely sought to harm by magical means. [52] :23 Nigel Pearson’s ‘ Treading the Mill’ is an immensely practical book through which the reader can get ‘hands on’ with the crafting of magical tools and substances as well as exploring ritual and ‘inner’ working. Robin Artisson Communing with the Spirits – Martin Coleman: This book is aimed at the necromancer but its step-by-step guide to establishing firm, tried, tested and true working relationships with familiar spirits would serve anyone starting out from the beginning along a witchcraft path. It is neutral in terms of tradition and could be incorporated seamlessly into almost any working practice. In ancient Greece and Rome, circa 8th century BCE - 5th century CE, individuals known as " goêtes" practiced various forms of magic, including divination, spellcasting, and invoking supernatural entities. While some forms of magic were integrated into religious practices, others were seen as superstitious and potentially harmful. There are chapters explaining the most crucial metaphysical understandings I can imagine- like the true nature of the Wind Indweller, whom I believe is the “Master” spirit behind traditional witchcraft- and helping people to break free of the anti-sensualist and alienating world we all live in.Selecting five books for someone to start with when pursuing a path in Traditional Witchcraft is a tough thing to do as there are a number of introductory texts along with a plethora of academic and anthropological sources to visit. However, with that said, the following five books are sure to get someone off to a fantastic start. In the early 14th century, many accusations were brought against clergymen and other learned people who were capable of reading and writing magic; Pope Boniface VIII (d. 1303) was posthumously tried for apostasy, murder, and sodomy, in addition to allegedly entering into a pact with the Devil (while popes had been accused of crimes before, the demonolatry charge was new). The Templars were also tried as Devil-invoking heretics in 1305–14. The middle years of the 14th century were quieter, but towards the end of the century, accusations increased and were brought against ordinary people more frequently. [78] Marginal decorations of " des vaudoises" in Le champion des dames, by Martin Le France, 1451 Collins, Derek (2001). "Theoris of Lemnos and the Criminalization of Magic in Fourth-Century Athens". The Classical Quarterly. 51 (2): 477–493. doi: 10.1093/cq/51.2.477. Early converts to Christianity looked to Christian clergy to work magic more effectively than the old methods under Roman paganism, and Christianity provided a methodology involving saints and relics, similar to the gods and amulets of the Pagan world. As Christianity became the dominant religion in Europe, its concern with magic lessened. [49] A number of modern researchers have argued for the existence of hallucinogenic plants in the practice of European witchcraft; among them, anthropologists Edward B. Taylor, Bernard Barnett, [155] Michael J. Harner and Julio C. Baroja [156] and pharmacologists Louis Lewin [157] and Erich Hesse. [158] Many medieval writers also comment on the use of hallucinogenic plants in witches' ointments, including Joseph Glanvill, [159] Jordanes de Bergamo, Sieur de Beauvoys de Chauvincourt, Martin Delrio, Raphael Holinshed, Andrés Laguna, Johannes Nider, Sieur Jean de Nynald, Henry Boguet, Giovanni Porta, Nicholas Rémy, Bartolommeo Spina, Richard Verstegan, Johann Vincent and Pedro Ciruelo. [160]

Paul Huson’s “ Mastering Witchcraft” is incredibly valuable because he goes to Medieval and Renaissance sources for real historical spell-workings, and the sublime spirit they invoke is transformative all by itself. His practical instructions for how to accomplish these spells is as close to perfect as I’ve ever seen for a general audience. While he does rely on certain mainstream magical techniques (intent, visualization, etc) which I don’t personally find overly compelling, it still has enormous force for enrapturing a person’s will in the service of these workings. Experts in European witchcraft beliefs view the pagan witch cult theory as pseudohistorical. There is now an academic consensus that those accused and executed as witches were not followers of any witch religion, pagan or otherwise. Critics highlight several flaws with the theory. It rested on highly selective use of evidence from the trials, thereby heavily misrepresenting the events and the actions of both the accused and their accusers. It also mistakenly assumed that claims made by accused witches were truthful, and not distorted by coercion and torture. Further, despite claims the witch cult was a pre-Christian survival, there is no evidence of such a pagan witch cult throughout the Middle Ages. Further information: Medieval European magic Evolution through Medieval and Early Modern Europe [ edit ]As a run-through of the Traditional year, Mike Howard’s “ Liber Nox” contains much useful and “scene-setting” information. It is more than vital to know what is happening in the world around you at any time of year and this book gives the whys and wherefores of seasonal traditions. Old folk rites abound and not a little occult lore on their meanings and use. While the rites given are for group use, they are easily adaptable for fewer numbers. Orion Foxwood has written a very personal book in “ The Flame in the Cauldron”. It details a lot of his own experiences in learning about the Craft and gives useful and practical examples drawn not only from his own Appalachian heritage, but also from teachings he received from Old Craft mentors from England. It is a curious mix of lore and practicality, but all the more interesting for that. In the world of late antiquity or the early Middle Ages, it is impossible to define someone as a witch (as opposed, for example, to an amateur herbalist, a heretic or a scold), and none of the legislation of the time attempted to do so. Offenders were designated offenders by virtue of their performing various actions or wearing certain objects declared by the legislation to be condemned or forbidden. For all practical purposes, the 'witch' had not yet been invented. There were only practitioners of various kinds of magic, both male and female, who might belong to any rank of ecclesiastical or lay society, and whose actions might, or might not, bring them within the compass of canon or secular law, depending on external factors that were usually local but could, from time to time, be more general. [61]



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