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August 2010 Summer Is Upon Us And, After a Rather Slow Start to the Year, We’Re Now Enjoying a Promising Season Here in Boscastle

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August 2010 Summer Is Upon Us And, After a Rather Slow Start to the Year, We’Re Now Enjoying a Promising Season Here in Boscastle FRIENDS N EWSLETTER August 2010 Summer is upon us and, after a rather slow start to the year, we’re now enjoying a promising season here in Boscastle. There is a list of exciting things happening during the year and coming up for 2011. Next year is the 50th Anniversary of the Museum moving to Boscastle and one of our celebratory projects is well underway with the help of many of our Friends - more of that later. Membership numbers are up, some fantastic American students have been here working on the archives, Joyce’s book ‘Wicked Enchantments’ is selling really well, The Occult Reliquary is virtually sold out, and this year the funds from Friends are being directed towards online archives and the website. Read on McDuff…... Kerriann Godwin - Editor RESEARCHERS R EJOICE AT NEW RESOURCE !! GRAHAM K ING This year Friends is letter no: 395 in the archive providing around £2,000 Williamson says: “ I have for for the Museum’s new many years been used to the old online correspondence ways, secret – silent as the trees database. Here Graham in the forest …..the craft works talks about this fabulous silently, unseen, unsung…..” new project…… One could argue that Cecil Over the past few months was damaging this tradition much of my time has been of secrecy by opening his dedicated to preparing for the Museum of Witchcraft some launch of our online archive 60 years ago, displaying database. The intention is craft artefacts and methods, but on reflection I am sure that our wonderful collection New Jersey Students at that his Museum has done ‘Graham King writes to The of documents, including all Rocky Valley much more good than harm. Friends of The Museum the Gerald Gardner, Alex congratulating them on a job Sanders, Doreen Valiente and I remember when Steeleye well done’ , dated 1998. In WHAT ’S INSIDE Cecil Williamson letters, be Span and Fairport this case a facsimile would • New Online Database a boon for made available to researchers Convention started using not be shown on a public researchers - Graham King online. electric instruments with search because it revealed a • Joyce Froo me illuminates the witch I believe that one of the main English Traditional Folk trustee’s address. mirror songs there was an outcry, • reasons museums exist is to As a general rule we do not New Jersey students get database up but looking back I can see and running - Shelly make information accessible, show documents dated that those bands did much to • but so many do the opposite. after 1970 unless the Membership Report -Deborah W They guard their precious ensure the living survival of contents have been • 50th Anniversary Book documents to the extent that those lovely songs. checked or we have gained • AGM Invitation - Judith Noble it is nearly impossible for So I have had to make some the authors’ permission. • researchers to gain access. difficult decisions: which We will show all of the Occult Reliquary But there are considerations documents do researchers Williamson and Gardner that have to be weighed up see and which are to be documents along with before our documents can be restricted?. Some most of a vast collection of put on line – witches and documents are very original Sanders’ material. occultists have secrets they personal, divorce papers do not wish to share with the being an example. These we In July ten students from public. I suspect that only restrict completely and a New Jersey helped us get researchers with very specific search on the public the system up and running or specialised interests will database will not reveal their and they did a fantastic job. find their way to the existence. Other more Around 1500 of approx Museum’s online archive but recent documents are not 5000 documents have been it is very important that some shown but a synopsis of scanned and entered so we details remain ‘sub rosa’. In their content is, e.g., still have a long way to go. (cont back page) Sub Rosa The Friends of the Boscastle Museum of Witchcraft is a registered charity Registration Number 1120014 PAGE 2 FOR PDF NEWSLETTER OR WITH ARTICLES E MAIL : WITCHNEWS @GMAIL .COM AGM P LANS 2010 JUDITH N OBLE - C HAIR Friends agm December 4th 2010 history and origins of the On behalf of the Trustees, film, funded by Friends Wellington I extend a very warm tarred skull, Harriet and there will be an Hotel (formerly known as opportunity to purchase invitation to all Friends to Boscastle our AGM and Gathering, Harry!). There will be a Yule gifts at our stalls. special opportunity to Speakers: which takes place at the Bring instruments and hear John Smart speak Wellington Hotel in voices for an impromptu John Smart about the Royal Windsor Boscastle on Sat 4th music session in the Coven and The Regency, The Royal Windsor Coven December 2010. This is evening. and the Regency: an Oral your opportunity find out and Joyce Froome will History. The event is free to all what Friends have done speak about Magic in Joyce Froome over the last 12 months Christianity ; the subject members of Friends and Magic in Christianity and have your say on of a new display. I will people may join on the day. Special Friends future activities. We have talk about my research Judith noble prices are available at assembled a feast of talks into film maker Kenneth ‘Kenneth Anger: the Wellington Hotel and Luciferian London & the for your edification and Anger & his influence on Pencarmol, & Boscastle Counterculture’ including delight. Professor Martin the occult scene in 1960s a screening of the film has plenty of B&B ‘Invocation of my Demon Smith will talk about his London. We will screen accommodation. We Brother the new Museum promo investigation into the hope to see you there! Prof Martin Smith THE M AGIC OF A RCHIVAL RESEARCH SHELLY Harriett - Saint or Mummy?? This July, students from The Topics” course at her Cave, where they Saturday evening College of New Jersey American college, calling it sometimes met for class. Museum Film & music (TCNJ) journeyed to “The Magic of Archival Each morning, they session in Welly Bar Cornwall to embark on an Research,” which focuses gathered for two hours to exciting research endeavour: primarily on reading the discuss class readings, Tarot Readings reading and cataloguing (via Museum’s manuscripts, troubleshoot any research by Eileen Blacklock the database) the Museum’s cataloguing each entry, and problems, and give throughout the weekend Correspondence enhancing the contents of presentations on assigned Manuscripts. The library the database for the World topics such as “The European houses many volumes of Wide Web. Witchcraze,” “Early English original letters, journal Witches,” and The Mists of Before their transatlantic entries, newspaper clippings, Avalon” . In the afternoons, journey, the nine students of and other interesting they’d go to the Museum this course read and analyzed memorabilia, most of which library and delve further into two important textbooks; The preferred online retailer for the public has never seen. the manuscripts. Thus far, first, a compilation of essays The Museum of Witchcraft Shortly, with the students’ their work has focused Books by archivist scholars, titled perseverance and Graham’s mainly on the lives, writings, The Occult Reliquary Working in the Archives , which dedicated work alongside and magic practices of Cecil Wicked Enchantments prepared them for work them, all of these texts will Williamson, Gerald The Secret Landscape with manuscript collections; be accessible on the internet Gardner, and Alex Sanders. T shirts second, an anthology of CDs through the Museum’s As they turn the pages in the stories, historical Cards digital archive database. collection’s binders, they interpretation, and scholarly Weather vanes never quite know what they This research project began examinations about witches etc will find next! The archives years ago when Professor from the 16 th and 17 th house a treasure trove, and Michele Tarter (“Shelly”) & centuries, entitled Witches of more is still to come. Graham began exploring the Transatlantic World: A possibilities for bringing Reader . These books On weekends, the students TCNJ students to the provided a solid foundation had free time to travel, and library. Shelly was hoping to for this research trip to seek places near and far: get her students involved Cornwall. Avebury, Land’s End, the with archival research, and EDEN Project, London, The group was staying in these manuscripts were Bath and Glastonbury. This Tintagel and their B&B is a notably the place to begin. was surely a time of magic short walk from Merlin’s Farewell to our lovely friend She designed a “Special and new discovery for all! Henny who has passed to spirit. PAGE 3 FOR PDF NEWSLETTER OR WITH ARTICLES E MAIL : WITCHNEWS @GMAIL .COM NEW WISHING MIRROR The museum receives of considerable age and is steeped good moon reveal to me, this night donations of objects from all in spirit force, but has never who my husband (wife) must be” over Britain but it is still a worked well since its last witch One of our early 20 th century special pleasure to add local owner, Mrs Goodman, of Halloween cards depicts a artefacts to the collection. Plymouth, passed on. Moon similar love divination, using a Graham recently saw an item mirrors are used and worked with mirror. A young woman looks for sale described as “antique the moon’s light. The ritual is into a mirror and sees the mirror part, came from a lengthy and needs some reflection of a handsome young Cornish white witch”. The understanding.” man behind her.
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