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Hellebore Zine #3
Hellebore #3: The Malefice Issue
Curses and hexes are a recurring trope in folk horror and occult fiction. They’re active forces, invisible and unstoppable, disrupting the social order and threatening the Establishment.
In The Malefice Issue we explore the complex relationships of witchcraft and magic with structures of power, and analyse the fear of malefice throughout history. Where do we place the Other, and why do we dread it? Does it wander the untamed landscapes of the north? Is it hidden in the green meadows of the English Arcadia? Does it live within the walls of a respectable institution? Or has it travelled from a faraway land?
Power and fear, subversion and repression, exclusion and belonging. The third issue of Hellebore is a history of our anxieties, because, as Shirley Jackson said, “to learn what we fear is to learn who we are”.
Featuring words by Catherine Spooner, Rebecca Baumann, Verity Holloway, Thomas Waters, Catherine Winter-Hébert and Finn Robinson, Thérèse Taylor, Maria J. Pérez Cuervo, and Colin J. McCracken. Artwork by Paul Watson, Nell Latimer, and Nathaniel Winter-Hébert.
In The Malefice Issue we explore the complex relationships of witchcraft and magic with structures of power, and analyse the fear of malefice throughout history. Where do we place the Other, and why do we dread it? Does it wander the untamed landscapes of the north? Is it hidden in the green meadows of the English Arcadia? Does it live within the walls of a respectable institution? Or has it travelled from a faraway land?
Power and fear, subversion and repression, exclusion and belonging. The third issue of Hellebore is a history of our anxieties, because, as Shirley Jackson said, “to learn what we fear is to learn who we are”.
Featuring words by Catherine Spooner, Rebecca Baumann, Verity Holloway, Thomas Waters, Catherine Winter-Hébert and Finn Robinson, Thérèse Taylor, Maria J. Pérez Cuervo, and Colin J. McCracken. Artwork by Paul Watson, Nell Latimer, and Nathaniel Winter-Hébert.
88 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 31, 2026
This one didn’t just knock politely — The Malefice Issue slithered under the door, blew out the candles, and whispered “maleficium” in my ear like it expected me to thank it.
Hellebore #3: The Malefice Issue
(aka: “I opened this expecting folklore and instead got hexed by the British countryside.”)
This issue is basically a crash course in why curses have survived longer than most monarchies. Hellebore really leaned in and said, “Let’s talk about malefice,” and then proceeded to drag me through every dark corner of British history where someone whispered the wrong thing and suddenly the crops died.
The vibe is pure:
power, fear, suspicion, and the kind of witchcraft that doesn’t sparkle — it festers.
Every essay feels like someone is standing behind you while you read it. Not touching. Just… observing. The whole thing is soaked in that damp, uncanny, “the Other is watching from the hedgerow” energy. And the question it keeps poking at — where do we put the things we fear? — hits harder than expected.
Sometimes the answer is:
in the wild north.
Sometimes:
in the polite green meadows.
Sometimes:
inside institutions that pretend they’re respectable.
And sometimes:
oh look, the fear came from overseas, because colonialism loves a scapegoat.
It’s a fascinating mix — part folklore, part history, part cultural therapy session. Some essays absolutely slapped, the kind that make you sit up straighter and go, “Oh. So that’s why curses feel like they have teeth.” Others drifted a little too academic for my feral little folklore heart, but that’s the nature of anthologies.
The art?
Gorgeous and unsettling in that “I think this illustration just hexed me” way.
Why 3.5 stars?
Because while the theme is deliciously dark, a few pieces felt like they were circling the idea of malefice instead of sinking their teeth into it. I wanted more bite. More venom. More “Shirley Jackson is nodding approvingly from the afterlife.”
Still — this issue is a moody, witch‑soaked exploration of fear, power, and the things we shove into the shadows because we don’t want to admit they live inside us too.
A cursed little gem — in the best way.
Hellebore #3: The Malefice Issue
(aka: “I opened this expecting folklore and instead got hexed by the British countryside.”)
This issue is basically a crash course in why curses have survived longer than most monarchies. Hellebore really leaned in and said, “Let’s talk about malefice,” and then proceeded to drag me through every dark corner of British history where someone whispered the wrong thing and suddenly the crops died.
The vibe is pure:
power, fear, suspicion, and the kind of witchcraft that doesn’t sparkle — it festers.
Every essay feels like someone is standing behind you while you read it. Not touching. Just… observing. The whole thing is soaked in that damp, uncanny, “the Other is watching from the hedgerow” energy. And the question it keeps poking at — where do we put the things we fear? — hits harder than expected.
Sometimes the answer is:
in the wild north.
Sometimes:
in the polite green meadows.
Sometimes:
inside institutions that pretend they’re respectable.
And sometimes:
oh look, the fear came from overseas, because colonialism loves a scapegoat.
It’s a fascinating mix — part folklore, part history, part cultural therapy session. Some essays absolutely slapped, the kind that make you sit up straighter and go, “Oh. So that’s why curses feel like they have teeth.” Others drifted a little too academic for my feral little folklore heart, but that’s the nature of anthologies.
The art?
Gorgeous and unsettling in that “I think this illustration just hexed me” way.
Why 3.5 stars?
Because while the theme is deliciously dark, a few pieces felt like they were circling the idea of malefice instead of sinking their teeth into it. I wanted more bite. More venom. More “Shirley Jackson is nodding approvingly from the afterlife.”
Still — this issue is a moody, witch‑soaked exploration of fear, power, and the things we shove into the shadows because we don’t want to admit they live inside us too.
A cursed little gem — in the best way.
October 24, 2020
Hellebore is a periodical magazine/book that explores the wyrd and horrific side of folklore and folk horror. Issue 3 is The Malefice issue, focusing on witchcraft & magic and its influences through history. Intelligently written, but never dry or boring, it features contributions from some of the best writers in the field.
Recommended to anyone with even a passing interest in folk horror.
Recommended to anyone with even a passing interest in folk horror.
August 27, 2023
The Dorian Gray article was particularly fascinating. Every time that I pick hellebore up I am just filled with wonder at what I'm going to read next. I am so continually happy that I discovered this amazing zine
May 17, 2021
Really enjoyed this issue of 'Hellebore', which focuses on malefice practises in witchcraft. As always, some articles are more interesting than others. My favourites were 'The Deadly Doll of Combe' and 'The Museum Of Shadows'. I love this magazine, it's so interesting and off-beat.
December 17, 2023
Malefice - what a beautiful word it is as it escapes my lips. A noun - a piece of evil sorcery, an evil spell or enchantment. The syllables on my tongue alive in an act of conjuring.
It's another edition of Hellebore, and as soon as I read it, I was sure it was my favourite so far. Hellebore is a zine about the world of folk horror and the occult, with every zine having it's own theme. This one is 'Malefice' and more broadly witchcraft (although the editors put it best on the back as, 'the complex relationships between witchcraft and magic with structures of power').
I've reviewed the first two issues of Hellebore and without repeating myself too much I can confirm that everything I liked about the first two issues is present here. The writing is of a consistently high standard, is engaging and thoughtful without being either sensationalist or alternatively dry and academic. There is a seriousness to the writing, but it is always accessible and each piece cites sources for further research or learning.
'Lucifer over Lancashire' by Catherine Spooner is an excellent piece which reflects on our relationship to the Lancashire witch trials of 1612 and how attitudes have changed in recent history. The article explores how the witch trials have been represented in fiction and (relatively) contemporary accounts in non-fiction and research from the 19th century onwards to the present day. The piece asks to reflect on the notion of Lancashire as a wild place, how it's weather and culture is separate from the south, and how the Pennines, Moors, and Lakes act as a natural barrier for both isolation and identity.
I was struck by being asked to think how our reaction to the witch trials is as much a reaction to injustice in the modern day. These women were not witches - they were poor women, without power who were persecuted and condemned. They still have not been pardoned. The article asks us to consider not just the class and gendered injustice, but also that these witches are symbols of feminine power, of an act of defiance against patriarchy.
Indeed, as was highlighted in a later piece, there is the act of reclamation of the witches for political and allegorical purposes. The Lancashire witch is both a symbol of feminism, queerness, solidarity and power, but I have also seen trans exclusionary radical feminists claim the witches as their own (a claim that is laughable when one considers the transformative nature of magic and also the close intersectionality of gender, spirit and intent in modern witchcraft practices).
The article gets bonus points for referencing the 'Samlesbury witches' who were also on trial at the same time. They were not convicted, but their story is less remembered (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samlesb...) (indeed, their story formed the basis of a story I was writing with a friend a few years ago).
'A Malefice Herbarium' by Catherine Winter is a short piece covering various plants and herbs said to contain properties to harm (or in some cases heal) through enchantments and potions. Reading this over breakfast, I was taken away somewhere else as I daydreamed about carving a blackthorn wand....bad man that I am!
'The Akenham Devil' by Verity Holloway is the standout piece in the zine. The piece investigates a story about a 13th century church in an isolated village, where if one walks around the chuchyard thirteen times the Devil will rise from his grave. I am often fascinated by where folklore originates from and in this case, it appears to come from an incident in the 19th century where to cut a long story short 'nonconformist' Christians such as Quakers (essentially anyone not Roman Catholic or Church of England) would be buried in the churchyard by the local minister. It's a tale worth reading because what starts of as discontent by locals over who presides over services, becomes a tale of local politics, salaciousness and sex, smears and libels, culminating in a very angry (and almost farcical) standoff, which in turn indirectly leads to a change in the law.
It is a sad story too, concerning the death of a child, and once one understands this I don't feel quite so comfortable about the source of this tale. And yet, isn't all folklore based on a warning or a tale of sadness? I guess this feels bad because the 'victim' is relatively recent and not some ancient past.
'The Curse of Dorian Gray' by Therese Taylor continues the Alesteir Crowley theme from an earlier issue and asks if Oscar Wilde was cursed due to his wife, Constance Lloyd's sharing of secrets of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. It's an interesting piece but one that left me wanting a little bit more and I guess it is something I would be interested in reading more about.
'Conjure Wife' by Rebecca Baumann is an interesting piece which in many ways tracks the 'domestication' of the 'witch' from strange and mysterious seductress with dangerous power to bewitch men to essentially the pretty housewife who with a twitch of her nose can do the dishes quickly like Samantha in 'Bewitched'. Much of the piece explores Fritz Lieber's story 'Conjure Wife' - a novel about women who are witches using spells against each other and their husbands and the movie adaptation of it, 'Weird Woman'. The piece suggests that Lieber's own relationship with his own wife informed not just this, but future writing in the area of relationships, witchcraft and femininity.
(As a total aside I have to read Lieber one day - he's the bridge into modern Cthulhu mythos from Lovecraft, he is a progenitor of grimdark from Howard and has influenced so much of science fiction and fantasy culture).
'The Deadly Doll of Coombe' by Thomas Waters is quite a sinister piece about the discovery of effigy dolls in an Oxfordshire village in the 1950's and the research into witchcraft practices in the region at the time and in recent earlier decades. There is a broader tie in to wider 'effigy magic' and belief systems.
'The Museum of Shadows' by Maria J. Pérez Cuervo is a piece about spiritualists and other curious Victorians describing accounts of the British Library being haunted by ghosts from the mummies looted from Egypt. There is a link in the piece that suggests that even from an Imperialist perspective the fear of the other, and the recognition of the removal from a resting place to London is wrong, and if not a ghost, then the visitors were haunted by the fear of their guilt.
'Supernatural Subversion' by Colin J McCracken is a short but fun piece about the power of magic to influence politics and other social concerns covering things like plots to kill Kings, remove slavers in Haiti, to win World War II to stopping Donald Trump. I suspect this could have been a lot longer and not got boring. It is interesting that there is always a need for direct action and campaigning but what is magic if not solidarity, intent and belief? I also consider what a spell is anyway. Is it an incantation with symbols and paraphernalia or is it speaking from the heart with pure intent, and willing something to happen? If it is the later, then there will always be a place for subversive magic.
Hellebore is easy to read, looks beautiful and well worth the time spent exploring.
Recommended
It's another edition of Hellebore, and as soon as I read it, I was sure it was my favourite so far. Hellebore is a zine about the world of folk horror and the occult, with every zine having it's own theme. This one is 'Malefice' and more broadly witchcraft (although the editors put it best on the back as, 'the complex relationships between witchcraft and magic with structures of power').
I've reviewed the first two issues of Hellebore and without repeating myself too much I can confirm that everything I liked about the first two issues is present here. The writing is of a consistently high standard, is engaging and thoughtful without being either sensationalist or alternatively dry and academic. There is a seriousness to the writing, but it is always accessible and each piece cites sources for further research or learning.
'Lucifer over Lancashire' by Catherine Spooner is an excellent piece which reflects on our relationship to the Lancashire witch trials of 1612 and how attitudes have changed in recent history. The article explores how the witch trials have been represented in fiction and (relatively) contemporary accounts in non-fiction and research from the 19th century onwards to the present day. The piece asks to reflect on the notion of Lancashire as a wild place, how it's weather and culture is separate from the south, and how the Pennines, Moors, and Lakes act as a natural barrier for both isolation and identity.
I was struck by being asked to think how our reaction to the witch trials is as much a reaction to injustice in the modern day. These women were not witches - they were poor women, without power who were persecuted and condemned. They still have not been pardoned. The article asks us to consider not just the class and gendered injustice, but also that these witches are symbols of feminine power, of an act of defiance against patriarchy.
Indeed, as was highlighted in a later piece, there is the act of reclamation of the witches for political and allegorical purposes. The Lancashire witch is both a symbol of feminism, queerness, solidarity and power, but I have also seen trans exclusionary radical feminists claim the witches as their own (a claim that is laughable when one considers the transformative nature of magic and also the close intersectionality of gender, spirit and intent in modern witchcraft practices).
The article gets bonus points for referencing the 'Samlesbury witches' who were also on trial at the same time. They were not convicted, but their story is less remembered (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samlesb...) (indeed, their story formed the basis of a story I was writing with a friend a few years ago).
'A Malefice Herbarium' by Catherine Winter is a short piece covering various plants and herbs said to contain properties to harm (or in some cases heal) through enchantments and potions. Reading this over breakfast, I was taken away somewhere else as I daydreamed about carving a blackthorn wand....bad man that I am!
'The Akenham Devil' by Verity Holloway is the standout piece in the zine. The piece investigates a story about a 13th century church in an isolated village, where if one walks around the chuchyard thirteen times the Devil will rise from his grave. I am often fascinated by where folklore originates from and in this case, it appears to come from an incident in the 19th century where to cut a long story short 'nonconformist' Christians such as Quakers (essentially anyone not Roman Catholic or Church of England) would be buried in the churchyard by the local minister. It's a tale worth reading because what starts of as discontent by locals over who presides over services, becomes a tale of local politics, salaciousness and sex, smears and libels, culminating in a very angry (and almost farcical) standoff, which in turn indirectly leads to a change in the law.
It is a sad story too, concerning the death of a child, and once one understands this I don't feel quite so comfortable about the source of this tale. And yet, isn't all folklore based on a warning or a tale of sadness? I guess this feels bad because the 'victim' is relatively recent and not some ancient past.
'The Curse of Dorian Gray' by Therese Taylor continues the Alesteir Crowley theme from an earlier issue and asks if Oscar Wilde was cursed due to his wife, Constance Lloyd's sharing of secrets of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. It's an interesting piece but one that left me wanting a little bit more and I guess it is something I would be interested in reading more about.
'Conjure Wife' by Rebecca Baumann is an interesting piece which in many ways tracks the 'domestication' of the 'witch' from strange and mysterious seductress with dangerous power to bewitch men to essentially the pretty housewife who with a twitch of her nose can do the dishes quickly like Samantha in 'Bewitched'. Much of the piece explores Fritz Lieber's story 'Conjure Wife' - a novel about women who are witches using spells against each other and their husbands and the movie adaptation of it, 'Weird Woman'. The piece suggests that Lieber's own relationship with his own wife informed not just this, but future writing in the area of relationships, witchcraft and femininity.
(As a total aside I have to read Lieber one day - he's the bridge into modern Cthulhu mythos from Lovecraft, he is a progenitor of grimdark from Howard and has influenced so much of science fiction and fantasy culture).
'The Deadly Doll of Coombe' by Thomas Waters is quite a sinister piece about the discovery of effigy dolls in an Oxfordshire village in the 1950's and the research into witchcraft practices in the region at the time and in recent earlier decades. There is a broader tie in to wider 'effigy magic' and belief systems.
'The Museum of Shadows' by Maria J. Pérez Cuervo is a piece about spiritualists and other curious Victorians describing accounts of the British Library being haunted by ghosts from the mummies looted from Egypt. There is a link in the piece that suggests that even from an Imperialist perspective the fear of the other, and the recognition of the removal from a resting place to London is wrong, and if not a ghost, then the visitors were haunted by the fear of their guilt.
'Supernatural Subversion' by Colin J McCracken is a short but fun piece about the power of magic to influence politics and other social concerns covering things like plots to kill Kings, remove slavers in Haiti, to win World War II to stopping Donald Trump. I suspect this could have been a lot longer and not got boring. It is interesting that there is always a need for direct action and campaigning but what is magic if not solidarity, intent and belief? I also consider what a spell is anyway. Is it an incantation with symbols and paraphernalia or is it speaking from the heart with pure intent, and willing something to happen? If it is the later, then there will always be a place for subversive magic.
Hellebore is easy to read, looks beautiful and well worth the time spent exploring.
Recommended
Read
February 21, 2026Rappel des articles:
•Lucifer Over Lancashire: on how a seventeenth-century witch trial in the North of England continues to inspire the disenfranchised.
•Gallery/A Malefice Herbarium: a handful of plants that have been used in hexes and charms throughout history.
•The Akenham Devil: in a tiny village of Suffolk, the Devil can be summoned out of consecrated ground…
•The Curse of Dorian Gray: on Oscar and Constance Wilde’s links with the Golden Dawn and the possible consequences of breaking an oath of secrecy.
•Conjure Wife: uncovers the real life influences behind the modern horror classic ‘Conjure Wife’ and discusses the evolution of the trope of the witch wife.
•The Deadly Doll of Combe: an obscure mid-century case suggests that effigy magic was still practised in an idyllic village in Oxfordshire in the 1950s; tells the story of the deadly doll of Combe and reflects on the power of beauty in effigy magic.
•The Museum of Shadows: toward the end of the 19th century, the British Museum was known as one of the most haunted places in England. This article digs out tales of vengeful mummies and cursed artefacts to reflect on Imperial anxieties.
•Supernatural Subversion: on how curses and spells have been used to resist oppressive forces and to promote progressive politics and social change.
•Lucifer Over Lancashire: on how a seventeenth-century witch trial in the North of England continues to inspire the disenfranchised.
•Gallery/A Malefice Herbarium: a handful of plants that have been used in hexes and charms throughout history.
•The Akenham Devil: in a tiny village of Suffolk, the Devil can be summoned out of consecrated ground…
•The Curse of Dorian Gray: on Oscar and Constance Wilde’s links with the Golden Dawn and the possible consequences of breaking an oath of secrecy.
•Conjure Wife: uncovers the real life influences behind the modern horror classic ‘Conjure Wife’ and discusses the evolution of the trope of the witch wife.
•The Deadly Doll of Combe: an obscure mid-century case suggests that effigy magic was still practised in an idyllic village in Oxfordshire in the 1950s; tells the story of the deadly doll of Combe and reflects on the power of beauty in effigy magic.
•The Museum of Shadows: toward the end of the 19th century, the British Museum was known as one of the most haunted places in England. This article digs out tales of vengeful mummies and cursed artefacts to reflect on Imperial anxieties.
•Supernatural Subversion: on how curses and spells have been used to resist oppressive forces and to promote progressive politics and social change.
July 6, 2024
Another great issue! Informative and beautiful to look at. A must for folk horror fans.
September 8, 2025
I recently talked about the first two issues of @helleborezine & didn't want to leave Issue 3 out!
As I previously gushed, Hellebore is an absolute treat; exploring witchcraft, the occult, landscape, the supernatural & folk horror, the articles are fantastically researched (I particularly geek out over the inclusion of cited sources) & written by celebrated authors & achedemics who are clearly hugely knowledgeable & enthusiastic about their fields of expertise.
Issue No3 - The Malifice Issue was maybe my favourite issue to date; from Lucifer Over Lancashire, an article about the history of the county's consorting with the devil to A Malefice Herbarium, an article about poisonous plants (a personal favourite subject!) & a fantastic article about St Mary's church in Akenham, Suffolk, it's filled with explorations of the fear of malefice through histrory.
Overall its an exceptionally produced zine, beautifully designed & incredibly engaging. I go back to articles weeks, months after I first read them & they're a really fantastic resource. Long may it continue!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
As I previously gushed, Hellebore is an absolute treat; exploring witchcraft, the occult, landscape, the supernatural & folk horror, the articles are fantastically researched (I particularly geek out over the inclusion of cited sources) & written by celebrated authors & achedemics who are clearly hugely knowledgeable & enthusiastic about their fields of expertise.
Issue No3 - The Malifice Issue was maybe my favourite issue to date; from Lucifer Over Lancashire, an article about the history of the county's consorting with the devil to A Malefice Herbarium, an article about poisonous plants (a personal favourite subject!) & a fantastic article about St Mary's church in Akenham, Suffolk, it's filled with explorations of the fear of malefice through histrory.
Overall its an exceptionally produced zine, beautifully designed & incredibly engaging. I go back to articles weeks, months after I first read them & they're a really fantastic resource. Long may it continue!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
February 23, 2021
I am still as in love with this magazine as I was when I opened the first issue, but I would love, going forward, to see more inclusive representation from writers and cultures around the world. I think one of the problems of folk horror and occult history of the west in general is that it all still operates within many of the confines of the west instead of really transcending them. Phrases in articles about Haiti like “becoming the first independent nation in the Caribbean,” when written by white male scholars, raise concerns since we are talking about a nation that was actually the first to /reclaim their sovereignty/ in the Caribbean from western colonial forces. The phrasing might seem more similar than different, but the differences are important. Even in our attempts to break out of colonial western patriarchy, we often times end up reinforcing it. I think this magazine has room to grow in order to avoid doing just that.
February 15, 2021
Best issue so far!
Great researched pieces of writing with great visuals, will have caught up with the next issue I read then will have that sad moment where I will need to wait for a future publication. I know that’s the usual but when you bulk buy to catch up and get engrossed and immersed you just look forward to the next.
Buy it, read it, you won’t be disappointed!
Great researched pieces of writing with great visuals, will have caught up with the next issue I read then will have that sad moment where I will need to wait for a future publication. I know that’s the usual but when you bulk buy to catch up and get engrossed and immersed you just look forward to the next.
Buy it, read it, you won’t be disappointed!
December 5, 2024
For all that was severely lacking from the second issue, the third issue more than made up for it, much to my relief. The contents were engaging, informative, well-written, and left me eager to dive into the next issue.
The only thing that prevents this issue from a full five stars was the segment "Conjure Wife" by Rebecca Bauman. Though the subject matter is enough to pique one's curiosity, the delivery was so cluttered and elusive that it failed to fully engage. It was if a student typed out their disorganized thoughts, weaved in a few sources here and there, and forgot to proofread it before submitting it for grading. That's particularly concerning given that it was written by an individual with such prestigious credentials.
Likewise, I was put off by "Museum of Shadows" by Maria J. Pérez Cuervo. What started as an interesting elaboration as to some of the myths surrounding some of the artifacts found within the British Museum ended up being a bait and switch to get preachy about racism. I'm fully against racism and absolutely acknowledge that a great deal of the artifacts found within the bowels of the British Museum were acquired less than ethically, but it seemed so clumsy and self-congratulatory to wrap it all up with what equates to, "Maybe the real curse is the racism we made along the way."
The only thing that prevents this issue from a full five stars was the segment "Conjure Wife" by Rebecca Bauman. Though the subject matter is enough to pique one's curiosity, the delivery was so cluttered and elusive that it failed to fully engage. It was if a student typed out their disorganized thoughts, weaved in a few sources here and there, and forgot to proofread it before submitting it for grading. That's particularly concerning given that it was written by an individual with such prestigious credentials.
Likewise, I was put off by "Museum of Shadows" by Maria J. Pérez Cuervo. What started as an interesting elaboration as to some of the myths surrounding some of the artifacts found within the British Museum ended up being a bait and switch to get preachy about racism. I'm fully against racism and absolutely acknowledge that a great deal of the artifacts found within the bowels of the British Museum were acquired less than ethically, but it seemed so clumsy and self-congratulatory to wrap it all up with what equates to, "Maybe the real curse is the racism we made along the way."
January 31, 2021
An interesting issue focusing on the nicheties of witchcraft. I especially enjoyed the segments on poisonous plants, Blackness and womanhoods' ties to witchcraft, as well as the evolution of the 'witch wife' so to speak. Some really interesting stuff in here! I felt the Egyptian segment felt a little offbase in comparison to the rest but nonetheless enjoyed the branching out to other cultures.
January 16, 2023
I bought every issue of this Zine back in October (8 issues at the time), and just started reading them now. They have been great reads so far. I'm really impressed by how many academic scholars they have been able to get to contribute. This series is a great read-over while drinking coffee or tea, for anyone interested in folk beliefs and the folk horror genre.
December 13, 2024
!did not actually finish! for the most part the imagery and articles included in this zine are beautiful and so incredibly interesting, particularly the oscar wilde article. for the rest however, i found it too wordy but that may because i’m in a bit of a slump recently. need to try and read again if i ever get my hands on them again (ideally for free)
May 11, 2023
Hellebore is such a fantastic little magazine, well designed and packed with occult goodness.
This issue focussed on witchcraft, a bit of Lancashire folklore, Oscar Wilde and the Golden Dawn and so much more.
This issue focussed on witchcraft, a bit of Lancashire folklore, Oscar Wilde and the Golden Dawn and so much more.
September 8, 2023
A return to form after a disappointing Issue 2. More varied material presented in more engaging form: readable but still scholarly, and illustrations that enhance the text rather than simply filling up space. 3.5/5 rounded down.
November 24, 2024
[Hellebore] (31/10/2020). Issue Number 3. SB. 83 Pages. Purchased from Hellebore.
“…a collection of writings and essays devoted to folk horror and the themes that inspire it…”
Lots of interesting material.
A step up, from Issues 1 and 2, in that some weight is attached to legibility!
“…a collection of writings and essays devoted to folk horror and the themes that inspire it…”
Lots of interesting material.
A step up, from Issues 1 and 2, in that some weight is attached to legibility!
December 18, 2020
Excellent, enlightening, well written and strange
May 26, 2022
An excellent issue with some beautiful illustrations and reworkings of traditional art as well as standout articles on Conjure Wife, the Lancashire witches and the Akenham Devil.
October 4, 2022
Solid issue of the folk horror periodical. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/202...
September 7, 2023
Beautiful to look at throughout and full of thought provoking and informative articles. A real gem
October 25, 2023
Favourite essays in this Malefice issue were The Curse of Dorian Gray by Thérèse Taylor and Conjure Wife and Domestic Charms by Rebecca Baumann
March 21, 2024
Un pequeño magazine sobre lo oculto hecho con mucho cariño y cuidado. Dosis de folclore, mitología y sombras mezclado con historia, antropología y una pizca de pop culture. Me ha encantado.
September 5, 2023
The Malefice Issue covers witchcraft and magic. This had to be one of my favorite issues so far and that's because I love all things witchcraft related.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews