A Broom at Midnight: 13 Gates of Witchcraft by Spirit Flight

by Roger J. Horne

Preserved in medieval and early modern witch-lore, the image of the witch embarking upon flight has become iconic from a historic and folkloric perspective. In the accounts of previous ages, however, it was commonly understood that witches flew in spirit form rather than corporeal form, leaving the physical body behind as the practitioner voyaged into the otherworld to procure knowledge, learn charms, visit boon or bane upon others, and attend the spiritual gathering of the witches' sabbat.In this unique offering, the author organizes the lore and charms of the transvective arts around thirteen central lessons and approaches in methodology, acting as gates through which the practitioner may cross. Some approaches offered here may be familiar to folk and traditional witches, such as via veneficium (by way of poison) and via equarum (by way of steed), while others, like via imaginibus (by way of image) and via tempestatis (by way of storm) draw on historic lore and charms in order to innovate upon old craft while maintaining the spirit that flavors these beloved arts.By mastering the often overlooked work of sabbatic ekstasis, the witch is brought into direct contact with familiar spirits, powers of the land and of ancestry, and with the primal sources of witchcraft itself, yielding an inexhaustible and ever-unfolding curriculum of the art magical.Roger J. Horne is a writer, folk witch, and modern animist. He is also the author of the Folk Witchcraft series. His personal spiritual practice is informed by the magical currents of Scottish cunning craft and Appalachian herb-doctoring. Through his writing, Horne seeks to help other witches rediscover the living tradition of folk craft and connect to their own sacred initiatory threads of lore, land, and familiar spirit. Learn more about him at rogerjhorne.com.From the The Transvective Arts in ContextThrough keyholes and twisted trees, by moonlight and candlelight, across oceans and fields and forests, witches fly. This is something even children know. It is ingrained in the lore of cultures around the world. What is less understood in modern times is the inherent symbolism of witch-flight, which together forms a body of lore-born wisdom. The actual praxis of engaging in flight—the charms, rituals, and recipes associated with this tradition of our art—is even less understood.Part of the problem lies in the diverse means and forms of folk witchcraft as a whole and our inability to make sense of its symbolism, abstraction, and pluralism when every other area of learning in our lives is governed by the cold science of empiricism. The other part of the challenge to understanding traditions of spirit flight is the romanticization of witchcraft that took place in popular literature from the early 1900s to sometime in the 1990s, exaggerating the role of the “hidden cult” and hiding the reality of folk craft practices in plain sight.Nonetheless, witches are at this moment coming home to their ancestral, lore and land-based folk traditions in droves never before seen. Disillusioned with the New Age movement and the attempt to forge a “one-size-fits-all” model of craft, witches are again exploring the old lore and charms of our ancestors, wresting them from obscurity and reinvigorating them with modern approach. The old grimoires and folkloric texts are again popular, and our ancestors smile on us as we experiment and develop our methodology to working charms that were once old, but are now new again.Among these, the rediscovered practice of transvection or spirit flight has enjoyed special popularity...

Genres: Witchcraft, Occult, Nonfiction, Magic, Paganism, Spirituality, Crafts

194 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 8, 2021

Reviews

[Nicole Bergen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and informative, with a nice variety of ideas.

[Davezilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Broom at Midnight: 13 Gates of Witchcraft by Spirit Flight isn’t a brand new book (2021), but it’s definitely one you should have on your shelf. Roger J. Horne is one of the most well-read and powerful witches and his expertise shows in this masterpiece.

This book is completely dedicated to only one aspect of witchcraft and covers it better than anyone has done before: witchcraft flight. While it covers the recipes, it doesn’t get terribly into detail on that, instead referring the reader to a few specific herbal tomes.

The 13 Gates are different ways of attaining witch flight. Each gate is completely different from the previous although a few can be combined. What I like most about this is you don’t have to try all of them. Many will not resonate with you and Horne says you should use what works for you.

Each gate has its own chapter and they are written in Latin which is a lovely old school touch.

Via Equarum (The Way of the Horses)
Via Arborum (The Way of the Trees)
Via Lapidum (The Way of Stones)
Via Mortuorum (The Way of the Dead)
Via Veneficium (The Way of Witchcraft)
etc.

This book has lots of history, lots of poetry, lots of folklore. I highly recommend it.

[Julie Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. it was a very interesting read that made my sponge of a brain soak it all in. The reason for the 5th star missing is that I don't know if it's just me and my health condition slowing my cognitive process. But, I had to re-read several paragraphs as I had a hard time following what was written in some areas. Once I'm better, I may re-read and update my review to a 5 star. But, all in all, it's a good book.

[Damian · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? Roger J. Horne never disappoints. This is the second time I’ve read this book, and reading it with greater awareness made me appreciate it even more than the first time. For anyone who wants to understand the spirit flight not only from a theoretical perspective but also in a practical way—a central practice in both Traditional and Folk Witchcraft—this is the most fitting book. Simply excellent.

[Megan Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read! As with all magical reference materials, I take what speaks to me and leave the rest. While I didn't fully jive with everything in here, I loved that the author broke down different ways to connect with Spirit so that readers may find which method works best for them (and/or try out other methods just for fun!)

Would definitely recommend if you are interested in astral projection, meeting your spirit guides on their turf, and/or deepening your sense of self and your place in the world.