Spells from the Wise Woman's Cottage

by Steve Patterson

Deep within the winding corridors of Boscastle’s Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, a low humble door and two small windows allow visitors a glimpse into another world. Here, a kindly old woman sits at her table within the whitewashed rough stone walls of her cottage. A small fire glows in the large open hearth, strange substances, herbs and magical charms adorn the shelves and hang from the low wooden beams, whilst in the shadows, various creatures lurk and keep her company: for this is the cottage of a wise woman of yesteryear.

The wise woman, or Old Joan as she is known, speaks to her visitors of the ways of her trade, reciting many traditional 19th century charms and spells along the way that were once a feature of life in the small villages of Devon and Cornwall.

In Spells from the Wise Woman’s Cottage, folklorist Steve Patterson gives us these very charms and spells, and guides us through their history and meaning.

The cottage tableaux itself, the history of its construction, artefacts, and the fascinating stories behind the genuine familiar spirits who reside there are all revealed within the pages of this book.

The trade and character of the working witch through the Ages is thoroughly explored, as is the role of the museum in the world of witchcraft and its revival, along with the ‘wayside witches’ whose artefacts, magic and wisdom were so central to the museum’s foundation.

Genres: Witchcraft, Religion, Magic

148 pages, Unknown Binding

Reviews

[Serge ♆ Neptune · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful text, filled with charms and anecdotes about practitioners, artefacts and the museum itself.
You don't really need that many books of witchcraft, but you don't want to miss on this one.

[Bridget · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was cute and outlined why some of the phrases and sayings we see today come from the old witch traditions.

[Eleanor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plenty of information about the museum without feeling dry or overwhelming. Some interesting charms and bits of history. 3.5 worth a read if the museum or cunning people really interest you.

[S.L.Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for a good basic look into witchcraft in the West Country this really hits all the bases. I'm personally adding it to my collection of books by this publisher since the Boscastle's Museum of Witchcraft and Magic is a place I long to visit, but currently, I'm not able to.

This is a quick read and if you can pick it up and just want a good general reference book, then this is a no-brainer.

[Nightshade · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid text on folk magical charms, and I enjoyed learning about the Tableau of the museum which I hope one day to visit. I did feel, however, that the book was very short, and I was left wanting, I love Steve Patterson's work, but felt that "Cecil Williamson's book of Witchcraft" covered more ground. I still enjoyed the work, and I am glad to have it in my collection.