it'=,e ! rri it Scpfember27. I9I2-ILLUSTRATID '10 L, An express Ietter brings a coPy of a curse. and a plea lbr ad- vice . The black art is rrot dcad. It has merelv become hidden ECIL WILIANISON, .rvho <lirectsthe "Witcbes' Iiitchen" at Castletorvnin \-zthe Isle of l{an, is a witchcraft consul- tant. It is his full-time occupation. And rvben, for example, he receives an express letter imploring him to remove a spell set on the rwiter, he is sufihciently learnerl in the lore of witchcraft to compound a remcdy. A rvom,in rvho'rvrotc to him recerrtly encloecd a rnalevolent screed, 'rrittcn in magical charac- ters, which she hatl received frorn a {orrner woman friend. lt implicd that, besruse Williarn- son's correspondent rvas at'out to marry. an old tien.3sli;, :;as b:'g}:':::. liilaoi accii*nt.-" cc.;- vinced,her a spell wa-sv,'rrking and sbe demarrdcd :: ;:nur:terlgpell rgai:rsl: thc i!l-wisbc;. lVilliamson decirled to rnake a doll, or poppet, re-presentir:g the ill-wishing u'itch. Thc l)asis ..vas clir.y.,from a rivcr Lrcd r*'orked rvitir u'ater frorn a fall. Hc collected s"'rlt-u'ater lrorrns .to rcprcscnt thc witch's ritals, pinc gum {or thc csience <.rf lifc, Flibben ivy bi:rrir:s grorving in ::,ghurr:hyar<I Ior the eyes. and whitr: q:rartz fronr-:i )righ clifl for' the teeth and Lnrres. Hc burned thr: bodics of three black toads, a pregnant brown ra'; ln<l rr blaclc cocl< on arr altar to the sun. On :rnotbcr to tbe rnocn he burned '"he another mixtttre, rnost pleasant ingreclient of s'hictr rvas herbs. f'hc ashes wert corflporrntJecl into thc popl>et. rvhich had lifc'synrboiicrlly breathcd into it ancl vr:u 1>asscd tlrrough tht: elcments oI cartlt, air, fire i-nd rvater. I'Ic thrust glass sp)intcrs into the poppet. shrourlcrl it, an<l <lisp:rtchr:rlil: to bi.s clir::rl-. ilt:r irrstructions wcrc lo tlury it irr a shallovr rrncon- cealed grave near the rvitch's home, light a fir': over it anC intone a prrvlerful, prescribecl counter- slrcll.spcll. Thr:nThcn the strength r:f the witr.:h rvoulddhe he sanncdsappcd anrl thr: original cursr:cursr:,fail. fail. Why dtrcs Willianrson go to so much trouble? liis interest is _partly profcssional, partly To dcfeat thc cursc in thc lettcr, rvltch- craft cxgrcrt Cecil Williamson p;rsscs a etpoppct" imagc through firc ILtUSTRATED-SePlember27. 19s2 70 Sirange Things An o Ffeederl For lYitchcr&l{ EEfiCurruH a lonclY cliffon Worrns dug up on.thc satrds ;rt srtnsct arc need Bcrries from a graveyard will be the e1'es of the Whitc quartz !s chippcd from bones and teeth as cntrails. Thc rvitch rtill have internal ago poppet with which a countcrsPell is to bc cast thc Islc of Alan,to make the tastlyr a ritual fire has blcn lit at an old alta Hcrbs from a ruined gardcn stand for sincws must h thc forcst. Ashcs are mixcd in thc clay in and musctes. They n'ill bc burned, rvith a chant or china against it, thcir irtterlockc<l hands exten'Jed academic. He had found this spell in an old book irr s'hiclt thc bay'fork was uscd wits exactly he;rds. To do this they hatl had to and was curious to usc it. He ex1>laincd to his sirnil;rr to thr: rnurder in 1875, in. nurrbv Long abo.rc th<:ir I':rilirlgs, thcrc clicnt. in order that she mighi bc adequately (Jonrpl.orr. of Ann Turrrcr, killed by a marl clambt:r ovcr thc cighl;-Tcxrt Jrtrt " " s.'.vr: fronr l>qirrg <li:rfigurt:<ll;y iclltr irnpressed, the full contplicrtions oI the formrtla l.,cc:rtrsr shc rvas a rvitbh, and also to :rlt to thc stortc or chippccl to n\akt' itrgrer.licrrts ust:d he-had used on hcr bchalf, and he sees littlc t.;rrlicr' ha1'-fork stabbirlg rvhcn John Hayrvocxl carvings. mt:<licirtcrs. <li{Icrcncc bctrvcclt this rorrtine ancl other nrorc rrtt;rclccrl :tIr ol<l womatl. llc had sai<l hc r+'oul<l in colnpoun<ling :rnr:ient ":rll " il{trch hrorc rccctrtly'--:tt tttxrtt, in f:rct, otl rnoclerrt nrcthods o[ pcrsuadirlS ;r petriorl throrrgh kill sixtccn rcitchcs in Long Conrptott. 'thrce men Scptcmbcr l9:i2-it ttlatt itt ;r Cilot:ct:str:rs!rirt' a forrn of hypnosis or suggcstion that fancicd It is qrrictly believecl localll' that 7, of a cult practisirrg village bctrvr:en i\Icort IIill :rrtrl [-ttnt Compton ill-lrrck has left hirr'. :rrrrl forrr rvorricn, survivors 'fhc 'coltsttmt adrnittr:<l th;rt hr: lutcl bcttt itttrlrvtt [o Ilut this is orrly one asl)cct. Ilorv significant is rrc;rr l\!e<rn I'lill, continrtc to Int:ct. tnttrder (lir:rrlt:s rnay havc ir tlcr-t of yottrt;;, h;tirl,'s:; fill, l''1t1,,'' ltc rs:tsht:<: thc r*'holc practice of rvitchcraft in llritr-in tochy i rlf Waltcln, still ulrsolved, rvith'a barrrl rlorvn thr: strlttgr'. tnr:;tl rlit.lt ;r't1tt;rr't of .t:i<lcr For one tlrirrg, it is kttorvtr that in acidition to a ;rrist'n fr<lrtt ,itrl intt:rnal ferrcl \\'itn<:sscss:ri<l hc 11111lssr:rl this rr:P;rst ;rs a rlttbcr ntrrnber of pl;rccs a.otttr<l thc sorrth co:rst, 8t'oups of v,-i'.clri's. thc night of introrlttctiort trr ;t rii.trlrlr,.'ltich t.trlrlrinatrx oI s'itchcs irt: oPr:r;rtirtg ;rt I''iverlxxrl' :rt F]:rrltt:t At rrrirlrright <'r' trIay rz, t,).1Q, l;rurttf Waitrrrrgis (anr.l Nl;ty irr rlt:livrirt'rlilt slt;rrrllrltttg rltyrrrt:. IJttl altrl irr Crrrtrl>crlan<1. thr: frril nr()on t'lc:trr:st Night l,rr,phcci<r:; obscrvt:r this t:i'i<k:nct'lrt: cottittr:rr'tl. I lt: sirnllly, :rn< Ancl not maIlY ago, orl Fcl>ruary r4, ,,vr: lry tlrt Olrl Crlendar), a cotrccnletl " )rcnrs ()n shrr:rv<llv,s;riri : It's iiii'r;:rl 1o tt'll fortrtrt,,'s rr;15 (Carr<llclraslr1' thc Old Calcndar), Ch;rrlt:s l,), tli,' Iiollright Stone( th'.' C)xfordshirr: " rniic :rbovt: I.ortg CorrrPton s:trv fiv'-: isrr't it ? Wiiton, ;rgc<l stv('rrty-f()rlr, :trr .agricrrlturai l.irrrrrrl:trv ir 'l-hr: soliterl' l<rcltlc(,t:c('rttl'alliorr o[ [ll(':;(:illst:to ji'.': o s'orker, rvai founcl <lc:rd irt ir tlitch near i\trt:otl t'.lo;rii.'rliigurcs paying obcris;tnccto thc l1r i.rt: rt foi-ms oI nrulcrtr rvitt:ltr:r:r.fi,i:: llot: ittt,:ittlctl tt IIill, Wanvicl<shirc. I"li:; thrtxrt llacl b':cn lai<l I(irrg Storrt', rvhich nrch:rcologist:; {xli4 'i'liey r'isilrt. i;ortr Shii'c: an<l hc rvas pinttt:d ,y,rii,.rl of ft'rtility. charr-tc<llrs thcy <l:rnc.t:tl sin.r;lcottt this:rre;t, fr.;n tlrt: opcn l:v his owrl ht:<lgirrg-hortk rr ..1irl,l,'rsltirrs,rrorinrl it, Ihr:n ft:ll ltcft:rc Sto:rr :rt ltlxl<lr<1, ;l:-i ;r P;rrlir,'rrl;rr ltrltlrcrI fice <lo',rnrvlrr<lsl:v :t lt:rv- fork <lrivert tlrrorrgh lirostratc (\[ 'l'hc thctttst:lvcs r:Pright rn:r1;ic.--llt<ltrghthc tlislrir'l trt:ry' ltt' (rt!(' th' his trodv into thc rorrts lrt'lor.;; Initllllcr it.. !;irr:rll)' tltr-'r' Irt:sst:tl .l ( .,'t!!nutti i,rrf,',t/.(' '.!J: ! ittF' i';. i' .c;:..r makc thc ('poppct)' Betorv ground, crouched by his brazicr, rvitchcraft consultant Williamson Po-"."d: thc comp_ound to cock of thc ivildocr. To strcngihcrr thc spci!, hc lras !ru:'ne<! the bodics of thrcc black toads, a bro*'n rat and a black splintcrs.;rrc into thc [ro<l,r'.\Vhilc I.Ic has appcaled to thc spirits for porvcr. Norv he brcathcs throrrglr .r Insidc tht: sinistcr trianglc,glass I)rcssc<l "lifc" this rvill bring torntcnt slrarpcrthan thc:;ting o['rrccdlcs str:rrt into ihc .J".t mouth of tlrc poplrct. This s.r'mbolic ritc qivcs it thc can<llcbrrrns, I'l{OTOGlfAPlll:l) nY JULIIITTE LASSTItE a sclenter 27. I e 12-ILLUSIRATFp t1 t^ Witchcraft is rnore than the Black Mass CONTINUED FROM PAGE zr " 'i In the '( Witchest Kitchen of Cecil Williamson's Isle of Man rriuseum there is a monument to "The nine million human beings knorvn to have been burnt at thc stake as a sacrifice to supcrstitiontt few containing a vicar'who claims he nrembers of the coven, those who kno'*'s of three witches in his con- came from a generation when magic gregation. But it does sho*" the enjoyed a matter-of-fact acceptance wide scale and varying gravity of in some households, could remember the obseiwance of rrhat some people family talk of a similar rite against " " call the Old Religion. Boney at the time of the threat-. This observance is not restricted to ened Napoleonic invasion. any one part of Britain, nor ever ex- A coven of witctes is traditionally clusively to the rural areai. It is true composed of members of either sex, that tbe most sophisticated-and also thirteen in number, with one of them the most vicious-practices ard found acting as officer.'Before the days of in the large towns. But it is possible witch-hunts the . coven organized to cite in London,'Ior instance, not public and popular beanfeasts on the --;( \r\ only'narcotic orgies in r\faida Vale, great days of }fay Eve, Hallorve'en, Acid ti which generally end in the blackmail Candlemas and La.mruas - t}re * rrS of those taking part, but also the Witches' Sabbats, sometimcs called i@ ritual preparation of simple herbal Frolics.