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The Witches Ways in the Welsh Borders: Ethnography of Contemporary and Historical Customs of Cunning Folk Magic
Local cunning folk and witches as practitioners of traditional magic, healing, ritualistic ceremonies and customs have been part of the Welsh Borderlands around the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean for many centuries and their ways have often come down from the ancient past. This book will take you on a journey where the greenwood, spirituality, ritualised practices, lifestyle and folklore will all come together to form the basis of an anthropological look at the cunning-folk ways, an ancient and contemporary analysis of Witchcraft with new historical evidence, and contemporary interviews with practitioners of magic.
It is about pagans and the continuity of a cunning practice in the author’s locale, one which is still practiced today. The author discovered new evidence suggesting that local cunning folk engage with ancient practices of Celtic deity worship involving an early British Goddess and her consort. The term ‘Wiccan’ (with two C’s), often used to describe ‘most’ witch practitioners today, has been misunderstood for years and is expressly distinct from contemporary cunning folk and witches who are of a ‘Wican'(with one C) tradition. The nature of this surprising distinction is discussed and evaluated.
This book conveys the history of practitioners of Magic and Witchcraft in the borderlands of England and Wales (Albion and Cymru) from as far back as the fourteenth century. It is the first contemporary academic study ever done on cunning folk living in this locale. Most primary written evidence of witchcraft has been handed down from nineteenth- and early twentieth-century writers. However, one rarely known writer, Margaret Eyre, who lived in the Wye Valley in the nineteenth century, made unique records of interviews identifying ancestral, familial, and local attachments to cunning folk. Much of this information did not come to light and was therefore never acknowledged by writers until this author discovered some rare archives of The Folklore Society. Little is known of Eyre’s role in The Folklore Society but she was the key to unlocking the secret occult history of this area and uncovering its continuous local tradition of witchcraft.
It is about pagans and the continuity of a cunning practice in the author’s locale, one which is still practiced today. The author discovered new evidence suggesting that local cunning folk engage with ancient practices of Celtic deity worship involving an early British Goddess and her consort. The term ‘Wiccan’ (with two C’s), often used to describe ‘most’ witch practitioners today, has been misunderstood for years and is expressly distinct from contemporary cunning folk and witches who are of a ‘Wican'(with one C) tradition. The nature of this surprising distinction is discussed and evaluated.
This book conveys the history of practitioners of Magic and Witchcraft in the borderlands of England and Wales (Albion and Cymru) from as far back as the fourteenth century. It is the first contemporary academic study ever done on cunning folk living in this locale. Most primary written evidence of witchcraft has been handed down from nineteenth- and early twentieth-century writers. However, one rarely known writer, Margaret Eyre, who lived in the Wye Valley in the nineteenth century, made unique records of interviews identifying ancestral, familial, and local attachments to cunning folk. Much of this information did not come to light and was therefore never acknowledged by writers until this author discovered some rare archives of The Folklore Society. Little is known of Eyre’s role in The Folklore Society but she was the key to unlocking the secret occult history of this area and uncovering its continuous local tradition of witchcraft.
- GenresWitchcraftNonfiction
274 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 20, 2017
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October 4, 2018
Tamzin Powel is a local of the border area between England proper and Wales. In the spirit of others before her she has joined a community of witches in order to do a field study. This study is different because she is not an outsider but rather a practicing witch who lives in the area. The main areas in question are the Wye Valley and the Dean Forest. This given area is home to druids, Wiccans, Wicans and Cunning Folk.
The area has long history of folk magic and hereditary magic that is passed down from the generation. Often times from mother to daughter or grandmother to daughter. Of course men can learn as well from family members. Hereditary member often work alone joining groups only occasionally. These folks and cunning folk often uncross people or heal them. Wicans are different from Wiccans in that Wican believe that Wica is magical force that powers things. They usually channel in their rituals rather than relying on prewritten ones. Their magical operations are much simpler than the Wiccan ones. Wica goes back much further in time, although it goes through changes. Wicca founded by Gerald Gardner is a Johnny come lately. Constructed by Gerald Gardner from many sources while Wica relies on folklore. Both have tools.
Tamzin describes her initiation and her experiences in the coven with which she belong and there is even discussing the origins of Wica going back to the Dobruni tribe and a subtribe called Hwicce. Sounds a lot like Wica. I found it pleasing to finally learn the Lord and lady of the forest. They are Cernunnos and Diana. Sometimes Cernunnos is changed up with the Green Man and other names. Diana is at times called Abundia. The symbolism of the Oak King and the Holly King are discussed. During the ritual the two will fight. End of winter and beginning of spring is the era of the oak king while the winter months go to the Holly King. The Holly king represent Saturn. Saturnalia was the revolving point of the New Year. Red and white represented blood on the snow. Saturn was some sort of reaper.
Witches do use path workings. Some believe that the path working helps the witch enter the Green world or the other side. Some believe it just helps you meditate. It should be noted that different witches and cunning folk work with different deities. Some work with fairies, while others work with elementals. One cunning man work with the leigh lines and he was a former Buddhist monk.
The traditions of the practitioner are varied. Some are neo pagans and other are heritary or hedge witches.
The book is very informative in that it examines older tradition from a rural area where people still do practice the old ways. The work is very academic at times and the appendices, especially the second are just brain numbing. The rest of the book was awesome. This is one I would strongly suggest reading.
The area has long history of folk magic and hereditary magic that is passed down from the generation. Often times from mother to daughter or grandmother to daughter. Of course men can learn as well from family members. Hereditary member often work alone joining groups only occasionally. These folks and cunning folk often uncross people or heal them. Wicans are different from Wiccans in that Wican believe that Wica is magical force that powers things. They usually channel in their rituals rather than relying on prewritten ones. Their magical operations are much simpler than the Wiccan ones. Wica goes back much further in time, although it goes through changes. Wicca founded by Gerald Gardner is a Johnny come lately. Constructed by Gerald Gardner from many sources while Wica relies on folklore. Both have tools.
Tamzin describes her initiation and her experiences in the coven with which she belong and there is even discussing the origins of Wica going back to the Dobruni tribe and a subtribe called Hwicce. Sounds a lot like Wica. I found it pleasing to finally learn the Lord and lady of the forest. They are Cernunnos and Diana. Sometimes Cernunnos is changed up with the Green Man and other names. Diana is at times called Abundia. The symbolism of the Oak King and the Holly King are discussed. During the ritual the two will fight. End of winter and beginning of spring is the era of the oak king while the winter months go to the Holly King. The Holly king represent Saturn. Saturnalia was the revolving point of the New Year. Red and white represented blood on the snow. Saturn was some sort of reaper.
Witches do use path workings. Some believe that the path working helps the witch enter the Green world or the other side. Some believe it just helps you meditate. It should be noted that different witches and cunning folk work with different deities. Some work with fairies, while others work with elementals. One cunning man work with the leigh lines and he was a former Buddhist monk.
The traditions of the practitioner are varied. Some are neo pagans and other are heritary or hedge witches.
The book is very informative in that it examines older tradition from a rural area where people still do practice the old ways. The work is very academic at times and the appendices, especially the second are just brain numbing. The rest of the book was awesome. This is one I would strongly suggest reading.
Displaying 1 of 1 review