Treading the Mill: Practical Craft Working in Modern Traditional Witchcraft

by Nigel G. Pearson

The most complete and up to date guide on Traditional Craft. Imported from Britain.

Genres: Witchcraft, Occult, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Magick, Paganism, Religion

248 pages, Paperback

First published December 19, 2007

Reviews

[Nightshade · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is highly praised in the Traditional Witchcraft community, and I simply do not understand why. While Pearson attempts to give an alternative to Wicca and Neo paganism, there are a few things which struck me as quite wicca-like within the book, including some of the tools used, his conception of god and goddess, and his viewpoint on nature spirits, taking a rather elemental view on them rather than a folkloric one, which leads to ill- prepared spirit work.

Some of the differences between Traditional Witchcraft and Neo Paganism are so superficial as to be utterly ridiculous such as neo pagans tend to buy their wine and food offerings from the shop while Traditional witches will make their own from the land. While making everything from scratch is all good and well, this is not a difference between traditional witches and neo pagan witches, but rather skill and circumstance.

I cannot abide his views on familiar spirits, as using a pet to do magic and go off and potentially get harmed is absolutely irresponsible and ethically dubious- as someone with pets I honestly find this sending off of your pet to do your bidding to be bad pet ownership- you would not send your child to do these things so why would you send another living being who is completely and utterly dependent on you to do so?

Pearson does not speak of spirit familiars fondly, thinking them to be coerced and bound by the witch's will, practically enslaved- however folklore and much modern practice, including my own, views spirit familiars in an entirely different light. Spirit contracts, and the nature of reciprocity would have made this section far better and less skewed, as if feeding your pet drops of your blood isn't at all coercive. While spirit familiars may manifest as physical animals, this can be a very dangerous and sticky situation if you forget that the animal is actually a living being with its own needs, will, and personality. This section could have brought in spirit dolls, spirit houses and spirit vessels which are commonly used within traditional witchcraft.

The final straw was the section on the gods where the male god was described proudly as a "raper". And the goddess as "passive". This kind of misogynistic, heteronormative, vile thinking makes any positive things about this book null and void. I do not understand for the life of me why people think wild, and untame, and dangerous is synonymous with rape. I can only determine that someone who has never actually been raped, or who does not live in the ever present threat or fear of rape would actually praise this as a quality in a male god. While stories abound of fae and gods raping women, we should not hesitate to look at the context of these stories and understand the misogynistic and patriarchal attitudes they hold- mythology after all was written by human beings. If this is the kind of thinking common with certain sects of Traditonal Witchcraft it is not hard to see why women tend to prefer Neo-Wicca, and Goddess worship which are often more empowering, than these tired ideas which have been thrown around by arrogant male witches and magicians since the time of the so called revival.

There are many kinds of Traditional Witchcraft, and the Clan of Tubal Cain, might be one of them, but as a binary-hating woman, as a feminist, as an anarchist and as an animist, I prefer the more folkloric forms- which are wild and untame and yet far more stirring and poignant than what I found in this book.

All in all I found this book to not only be disappointing but really not very different to a whole slew of books on Wicca written pre 90's, even if there are traditional witchcraft terminologies and concepts interspersed throughout. The rituals are alright, and the journey's can be useful. Pearson's writing is accessible and less difficult for the average reader than Schulke, Chumbley, Peter Grey, and others, but I would rather recommend Frisvold, Gemma Gary, as well as Christopher Orapello and Tara Love Maguire for those who are looking for books that are alternatives to Wicca and who prefer less flowery writing.

[Francesca · Rating 2 out of 5]

My thoughts on this book are mixed. It has its good points; chief among them, that it is an overall excellent introduction to the practices and beliefs of traditional witchcraft. As a novice witch, I didn't feel that anything was outside of my comprehension. Pearson is also particularly good at descriptions of ritual, as well as basic practices (e.g., hallowing the compass), which I imagine modern practitioners will find both useful and helpful.

It wasn't until the last chapter that I finally reached the controversial "god as rapist" part, which was admittedly a distasteful read. I'm a little surprised that Pearson took so long to reach that point, but the way in which he readily accepts that aspect of his god is absolutely a mark of male privilege. It's important to remember that the past is patriarchal in interpretation, so I'm baffled as to why the author thinks traditional witchcraft is exempt from this theme. I personally choose to neither accept nor deny such a notion; not to deny, because I don't know enough to deny outright, but nor do I accept that witchcraft is an inherently patriarchal practice, just as I refuse to believe that Christianity was originally designed as a patriarchal religion. If this stance renders me not a "true" witch, then so be it.

Further, while I'm still curious about traditional witchcraft, I find Pearson's descriptions of it to be at times alienating and needlessly disdainful towards modern offshoots, particularly Wicca. This is a book by someone who believes his way to be the only way, and I found the overall tone of his writing to at times alternate between informative and arrogant. I managed to finish the book because I wanted to view it in its entirety, rather than through the lens of the major complaint about it on GoodReads. As I said in the beginning of my review, it has its good points -- many of them, in fact. Overall, though, I think I'll read Gemma Gary's Cornish Book of Ways and be done with my exploration of traditional witchcraft, as I don't feel welcome in it.

[Alexia ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a very good book, one of the firsts I've read that shows the Ancient Craft and Traditional Witchcraft in a very simple, direct and easy manner. You can totally understand its dynamic and how it's different from Modern Witchcraft and neo-paganism in general. I'll admit, on a personal level, I don't identify much with it but it's really interessing to get to know another perspective and vision of the Craft.

[✨Bean's Books✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great beginner's book. Very in-depth and has step-by-step procedures that are easy to follow. Lots of really good information in this book as well.

[Idżys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rereading 2023

[Steve Cran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that introduces new comers to the Ancient Craft of the witch. This is not Wicca but more ancient. There are not fingers pointing to certain individuals for knowledge. The power comes from the Earth itself. Much like Wicca, the Ancient craft honor the Goddess and the God. Yet in the Ancient craft the horned God is honored perhaps more often then the Goddess yet this does not limit her importance. The Horned God has several aspects. They are not sugary sweet. As the Horned Forest God, Lord of the Hunt he can be vigorous, strong and rough. Old horney can be rapacious as well as destructive. In the more passive phase he is Lord of the Underworld. Sometimes best described as a wizard or the Tarot card of the Hermit. The Goddess has both light and dark aspects. She is not the triple moon Goddess of Robert Graves work nor is she the neolithic fertility Goddess yet she encompasses both. In the light aspect the author calls her the bright queen. In this phase she is the lover, life giver and bringer of life. The Dark Queen may represent death which is a part of life but she also represents the dark secrets of the underworld. The author gives rites and rituals to each of these aspects, most of which involve going out into the wilderness. Going out into the wilderness may not be too comfortable for some and even finding it can be a challenge.

Most Wiccans will cast a circle and with various reason behind it. The Traditional Witch will cut a compass. Much the same thing. Yet for the Traditional Witch the compass can serve a variety of purposes. It can be used just to denote a working area, a barrier to keep the energy contained or a protection to keep dangerous entities out. One's purpose will determine how complex the set up of the compass shall be.The four directions given by Wicca are not the same for the traditional craft either. For the trad craft the North is Fire (red) the East is Earth (blue), south is water (Green) and the West is Air (White) of course none of this is set in stone because depending on where you live you may find it more reasonable to have the directions mean different things. The author gives a meditation to help the practitioner find what the directions mean for him or her.

If your into wines then this book is for you. Libations are a big part of the traditional craft and different celebration call for different wines. The wines themselves are easy to make and making them is preferred to buying them even if they do not taste as good. yet there is one draw back, despite the clear concise directions, these wines take a total of one year to make. Wine making is not easy and waiting a year can be really inconvenient. Wines are not the only recipes given here there are also recipes for incense that are really simple to craft. There is also a section on wood lore and what each of the different wood may be used for.

The crafter has many traditional tools. The stang which represent the horned deity faces the north almost always.The knife for cutting your herbs and materials, your cord with knots and the wand. Oh let us not forget the cup. Wood lore is important for making your wand. The Wand is usually from your elbow all the way to the top of your middle finger. It can be procured from find dead wood on the floor,cutting a tree branch and holding part of the tree spirit in the wood to give the wand more energy. Either one will do but the third option is the best. and there is procedure for keeping the spirit in the wood.

This book has plenty of meditations , potions, simples and oils. More then enough to get started. Remember the power comes from the land and the spirits dwelling there. Always be respectful. Let the place change you as you should not change the place. Some of us do not live in the wilds so some of the material may need to be adapted. Enjoy.

[Patick Kyteler · Rating 4 out of 5]

TREADING THE MILL by Nigel Pearson is a good book on British Traditional Witchcraft. I liked it much better than Peter Paddon's GRIMOIRE FOR MODERN CUNNINGFOLK, which was the previous book on my reading list. TtM presents real traditional witchcraft, at least as I understand it, and there is less Wiccan influence in this work.

There are only seven chapters in the book, but each is rather intense. Within the chapters were sections I had to read two or three times to fully grasp the concepts. Even now I definitely want to revisit some of the material (for ex. Hallowing the Compass) and can see myself in the future referring back to the work for clarity and ideas in my own practice.

Being a work on Traditional Witchcraft the god is emphasized and what a god he is! Raw, virile, and dangerous. In a reversal of standard neopagan views on the powers the god is presented in a triad aspect of The King of the Wildwood, Lord of the Mound and The Master of Light. Whereas the goddess appears in dual aspects of The Bright and Dark Queens. I once had a visionary experience with the Witch Queen and she appeared very much like how Pearson describes the Dark Queen. This was certainly enough validation is convince me the author knew what he was writing about.

Pearson also provides a good chapter on encountering Land, Sea, Sky, Hearth, Familiar, Fetch and Fey spirits, not to mention visiting the dead. It is here where I can't advise strongly enough students study and master the material in the order it is presented. The later chapters on spirit working and encountering deity ASSUME you've mastered the technique of entering twilight. Riding the hedge and entering the Otherworld to interact with the entities therein is the basis of traditional witchcraft but is also advanced (and dangerous) work so don't be tempted to skip ahead.

For those who like their libations there is an enjoyable chapter on making wine, beer, mead and other brews. My only complaint is I wish the chapter had been longer. Oh and for those who think wands are cute, good-witch-Glenda nonsense then you really should read the chapter on wand making and communing with tree spirits (although a section on crafting a decent blasting stick is sorely lacking).

Which gets me to the two reasons I gave this book four instead of five stars. First, as good as the book is it would been better with more content. Simply put some chapters are too short and the author makes assumptions. As a consequence, I hesitate recommending the work for complete novices. Secondly, the book lacks the edginess found with other works on the subject such as Paul Huson's MASTERING WITCHCRAFT or the hard to find without dropping a fortune Sabbatic titles. For example, where is the poison path material? Treading the Mill would have benefited from being expanded upon and offered as a hardback. Had that been done it would have become a classic on the subject of British Traditional Witchcraft. As it is it just might qualify in the future. Nigel Pearson's clear, down to earth, no-nonsense writing style is a definite step up from the labyrinthine poeticism that I keep encountering.

[Sheri Maxwell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I debated on writing a review for this book or not. For some, I believe this would be fantastic work for their practice (which is why I gave it the stars I did). However, that is just not so for me. The author relies heavily on visualization, which is fine. I know I'm in the minority with having aphantasia. However, he goes so far as to write that those who think they can't visualize are just not trying hard enough (not a direct quote, obviously). This completely turned me off from the book. Believe me when I say I have tried to visualize, for many, many years. Aphantasia is real and for me personally, I can use my other senses with visualization - it doesn't have to be me "seeing" something with my eyes closed. From that point on in the book I was irritated with the author and sadly just skimmed over the rest, finding what may be of use to me.

[Weird And Odd · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was some good information in there, but he did exclude people who take psychiatric medication from trance work. This was published in 2016. There is no excuse for excluding neurodivergent people from practicing anything. He specifically called out people with anxiety and then said ”once you're off medication” as if I could ever function without them. It's ableist and overall tacky.
Other than that, for someone looking for structure and something other than wicca, this is alright.

[Carrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first read from a stack of books I purchased as research for a series I'm working on. And it was fascinating! I was specifically looking for information on traditional, folklore-based witchcraft rather than anything Wiccan or New Age-y, and this delivered. It turned out to be a great start because of the way the author painstakingly broke down whenever a practice or idea was traditional or New Age. I could hardly have asked for a better introduction! This would be a perfect book for a witch who is just starting out in his or her practice, as it has careful, step-by-step instructions for every aspect of witchcraft and really summarizes everything very thoroughly. My only complaint is that there aren't references throughout the book, so at times it can have an air of "Trust me, bro". However, there's a great bibliography listed in the back that's full of more books I want to check out, and some that were already on my list.

Oh, two complaints, actually--there's one spot in the book where he asserts that people who can't visualize things in their heads (in other words, people with a- or hypophantasia, like me) are just full of it. "Now, there are a lot of people who say that they cannot visualise, cannot see pictures in their head--piffle! Everyone can! ... When people say that they can't do this, they just mean that they do it so often without thought that it's not a conscious thing and they don't realise it." He goes on to say that it just takes practice. As I remarked in the comments of someone else's review, this is akin to telling someone who is missing their right arm to just practice and eventually they'll be able to pick something up with that missing right arm. And to that I say--piffle!

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded to 4. This is an excellent take on traditional folksy witchcraft. It does seem somewhat parallel to Wicca, but the magic is traditional enough to not be called that--Several of the elements presented in the books originate from the very distant British past. There are also some really fascinating spells and wortcunning ideas that I haven't seen in other places. Most books tend to regurgitate the same ideas about spells and herbs as if they were all copying from one another.

On the other hand, the author poo-poos baneful and malevolent magic, and the diabolism that is traditionally associated with witchcraft is entirely absent. The use of entheogens is similarly neglected, which is a mistake--We know that ancient medicine men and women made extensive use of entheogenic drugs, and this fact is confirmed by the historical record. He also calls the Horned God a "raper" which... Well, let's just say that that is a very controversial statement, especially in a gynocentric religion.

All in all, this book is certainly worth a read, especially if you're looking for inspiration in your spellwork. The recipes are very practical and useful, and I see no reason that they wouldn't be effective. This isn't the book where you're going to find a flight to the Witches' Sabbath, though; you're going to have to search elsewhere for that.

[Victoria · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pearson starts out telling us that this is the continuous transmission from pre-NeoPagan times. Unfortunately, there is a distinct lack of evidence of such, and much in this book has very neo-Pagan and Wiccan aspects. This leads me to dis-believe that statement.
In addition, Pearson often defines his practices by what they are not and talks about how they are different from Wicca. Interestingly, I see much of what he discusses in different sects of Wicca and being practiced by neo-pagans today.
Some of the poetry in the book is quite beautiful, but the rituals and approach are generally binary, misogynistic, privileged, and abilist thought. You must be able to live like him in order to practice this work.
Even more frustrating was his depiction of the God as a “rapist” and the Goddess as “submissive.” The Goddess in Pearson’s tradition is not capable of manifesting anything without the God.
Perhaps for some, this approach works - but not for me.

[Damian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is about the second edition, published by Troy Books. I absolutely loved this book—it’s clear, very, very thorough, and the author shares not just his knowledge but also his personal experience. There are very few books on Traditional Witchcraft that are this interesting and complete. Anyone looking to get started in this field would do well to start with this one.

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the wealth of information here. Kind of wish that each section was a bit longer and more historically referenced but you can only fit so much into one book. Nevertheless it's pretty great.

[Kikimora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dobra książka z której na pewno dużo wyniosłam. Nawet w przepisach na wino (które zwyklenie irytują w tego typu książkach, znalazłam coś dla siebie)

[Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great foundational text on Traditional (pre-Wicca) Witchcraft.

Fantastic for those who are first treading the path as well as seasoned practitioners, this is a staple in anyone's occult collection.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I consider this book and Walking the tides by the same author, as companions. One gives an insight to the seasonal year and the other a more practical guide to the craft of the Traditional witch. These are not books about Wicca but about an older craft based on the lore of the wise woman/pellar/cunning men and women whose stories are some of the last vestiges of the old ways.

Well written in good plain language, Pearson brings the subject alive and makes it plausible and practical and very approachable.

For me personally this version of the craft makes more sense and for those who want to look beyond Neo Paganism, I would heartily recommend these books.