People Power

In spite of all the advances in technology, plus our ability now to contact news stories all over the planet almost as and when it happens, most people when asked do not feel that their input will make much difference to the world. Most folks feel impotent in the face of corrupt organisations, rampant capitalism, denial of human rights and the squandering of the world’s planetary resources. What difference can I make? Why sign another petition – no-one takes any notice of them anyway. Everyone else is being wasteful, how can my little bit make a difference? Who’s going to listen to me? And so on and so forth…

If for some reason you rise above this generalised apathy through disempowerment then what you meet is the divide and rule scenario. ‘Everyone on benefit is a scrounger. All homeless people are drop-outs,vagrants, mentally ill or on drugs. Anyone who objects to the status quo is a dangerous radical revolutionary. All Muslims are terrorists. All foreigners are after our jobs.’ Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Notice all these are absolutist statements. Tabloid media fire this mob mentality all too often with sometimes tragic consequences. It lacks compassion and humanity particularly for the vulnerable within our society and emphasises the loss of community that has occurred over the last few decades.

So what do we do? What can we do? We could decide to turn a blind eye and be secretly thankful that it’s not happening to us. We could self righteously proclaim that we would never find ourselves in such straightened circumstances, implying that these poor unfortunates have only themselves to blame. All I can say to the folks who feel like this is to quote the now famous words of Pastor Martin Niemoller who pinpoints the dangers of political apathy:

“First they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist

Then they came for the Socialists and I did not speak out because I was not a Socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist

Then they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew

Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me”

I know it’s difficult to find the motivation sometimes due to the full-on nature of just surviving on a day-to-day basis; and I too have viewed yet another campaign/petition with impatience sometimes. However when it happens to you, or someone you know who is close to you, it becomes a different matter. It makes you realise that all these apparently ubiquitous requests for help have their individual stories of heartbreak and difficulty. This was brought home to me recently when I learned of awful circumstances that had befallen an old friend of mine and I am unashamedly mentioning it here on my blog as an opportunistic example of the potential of people power.

This is David Haigh, raised in Cornwall, who I have known for many years. He is one of life’s rarities – a kind, compassionate man of integrity who works in the cut-throat world of high finance. Unfortunately for him and his family, he now languishes in Dubai Prison after being deliberately stitched up and falsely accused of fraud. He is unwell and is being deprived of his Human Rights. Here are some links for the details of the story:

http://www.cornishman.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE-Sister-Sancreed-man-David-Haigh/story-21348285-detail/story.html

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/66828

As things stand at the moment, this petition will not be recognised until it has at least 30,000 signatures. This is one of the reasons I am mentioning it here so that hopefully, not only will you sign it, but will pass it on to others to do the same. Your signature/vote really does make a difference if you believe in People Power. Remember this advert? It’s a perfect example of what I am talking about:

I find it hard to fully engage with life with my usual vitality and zest when someone I care about is in such dire straits, so goodness only knows how heart-rending it must be for David’s family. 😦 Just remember the next time someone’s plea for help reaches your ears, this is someone’s son,daughter, wife, husband….. (fill in dotted line). It only takes a few minutes of your time – less time than it takes to make a cup of tea – and this small action could bring hope to so many. 🙂

Latest Update

It is now 4 months later and sadly David Haigh still languishs in Dubai prison without charge. This denial of human rights is appalling but it seems that MPs and government are more interested in General Elections than the fate of Britons abroad!

Here is a link to Prisoners Abroad, the only organisation that appears to be effective in helping in this situation. There is an interview with David about the conditions he has had to endure. The petition ends on 30th March 2015 – please find time to sign it. Thank you.

http://www.prisonersabroad.org.uk/get-involved/david-haigh/david-haigh-interview.html

Success!

I am delighted to be able to tell you that at long last David is home safe in Cornwall! He spent a harrowing 23 months in that Dubai jail where he was unjustly imprisoned, and he actually looks remarkably well considering what he has had to endure – but the trained eye can see the toll that has taken of him.

David Haig - Photo credit: The Guardian newspaper — David Haig – Photo credit: The Guardian newspaper

For more details go to this link:

http://www.cornishman.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE-Leeds-United-boss-David-Haigh/story-29063877-detail/story.html

Also here is some coverage of an interview with BBC’s Newsnight:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35968434

My thanks to the many folks who have shown their support for David, signed his petition and remembered him in their thoughts. We are *so* glad he is home! 😀

First they came for the Communists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Communist Then they came for the Socialists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Socialist Then they came for the trade unionists And I did not speak out Because I was not a trade unionist Then they came for the Jews And I did not speak out Because I was not a Jew Then they came for me And there was no one left To speak out for me – See more at: http://hmd.org.uk/resources/poetry/first-they-came-pastor-martin-niemoller#sthash.YqAla0I9.dpuf

July 11, 2014 3

Bringing the Past Alive: Part Two

Last Tuesday Jason Semmens again brought the past alive by his illuminating talk on Cornish witchcraft in the 19th century. Given that the majority of all documentation available mentions Tamsin Blight, or Tammy Blee as she was referred to, it was no surprise when most of the talk focused upon her. Her baptismal records are held by the Cornish Studies Library, and it was very evocative to see her entry within in a splendid old tome of a Register, in beautiful copperplate writing: Aug 4th 1793 Thomasine Williams at Gwennap.

Interestingly most accounts of her life state that Tamsin Blight was not only born in Redruth, but claim her birth year to be 1798, a five year discrepancy. The 1798 usage is understandable as on her death certificate her age is given as 58 years by her son. Maybe this reveals a vanity side to Tamsin by ‘losing’ five years from her age, especially as she later married a man 21 years younger than her! I’m not going to go into further details regarding Tammy Blee as there will soon be an excellent book published by Jason Semmens which describes her life in vivid detail with even more evidence of her work as a conjuror in 19th century Cornwall. I look forward with anticipation to receiving my copy hot off the press! 🙂

Other intriguing facts touched upon were the strange correlation between the incidence of witches to conjurors: Witches were 70% female/30% male whereas Conjurors were 70% male/30% female.

Then we learnt that the term ‘Pellar’ (used exclusively in Cornwall) was a relatively late appellation (1849) utiliseded mostly by the 19th century folklorists, Robert Hunt in ‘Romances of the West of England’ and William Bottrell in his ‘Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall. In the romance, ‘The Old Man of Cury’ appears the character of Lutey who mets a mermaid and in exchange for a kindness, she bestows upon him the powers of counteracting witchcraft and sorcery (the ability to Repel, hence Pellar). Thereafter these Pellar abilities are then transferred through the family line of Lutey.

All fine and good until it is revealed that there are no incidences of Lutey as a family name anywhere on the Lizard penisular, the only incidence presenting in Ludgvan near Penzance. It would be interesting indeed to research just how many of the colourful characters in these local folkloric tales actually existed or not. 🙂

I had myself used this term of Pellar to describe my work some 15 years ago, thinking it was a Cornish name for the sort of work that I performed for my community. Then I realised its origins, and as a result since then I no longer do so. However, it now appears to be a term that has been adopted by some occultists within Cornwall and even some further afield, as a way of describing their magical heritage/lineage and practices.

The hour passed far too quickly (always the sign of a good talk!) and before we knew it, it was question time where Jason dealt with a host of avid queries from the audience. We were all left wanting more and I sincerely hope that the Cornish Studies Library invite him back for a further talk. I particularly would like to hear Part Three: Witchcraft from 20th century onwards. It would be intriguing to know what Jason Semmens would make of the modern witchcraft movement in relation to the historical past of Cornwall. After all, in a few decades time this also will be part of local history! 🙂

April 4, 2014 1

Tammy Blee Talk

Upcoming talk about a renowned local wisewoman based in Helston, Cornwall in the 19th Century – some called her a ‘pellar’. Jason Semmens is a very erudite speaker – he has a new book coming out soon about Tammy Blee (Tamsin Blight).

This is Part Two of the talk I attended before. This will be about Cornish cunning folk from the 19th Century onwards, with particular emphasis on Tammy Blee. I’m looking forward to it very much and will give feedback about it afterwards.

Watch This Space!

February 26, 2014 1

Cornish Penkevyll makes history by meeting the Welsh Mari Lwyd

Over my many years of Oss Teazing, firstly with Penglaz in Penzance and latterly with Penkevyll the Lands End Oss, I have often heard references made to the Mari Lwyd from Wales. This is a Welsh counterpart mast or pole Oss, so-called because it consists of a horse’s skull on the end of a pole with a material cover for the rider underneath. Both Osses traditionally emerge over the dark days of winter to bring luck to any household that allowed them entrance. I never thought that I would have the opportunity to bring our Oss to meet the famous Mari Lwyd but in 2012 we (as in our Guise team Boekka) were invited by Chepstow Wassail to do just that and we were booked in to appear for January 2013. To our intense frustration and bitter disappointment we were thwarted by the British weather. There was heavy snow fall with the main Red Alert weather warning slap bang over – yes you guessed it – Chepstow! So this year we were petitioning all the weather gods who would listen to let us travel up and perform and let the Osses meet at last. This post is about the unforgettable experience we had…

Our arrival was not wonderfully auspicious as the sat nav directed us over the Severn bridge, which incurs an expensive toll, round the roundabout and then back over the bridge to our accommodation for the night! Once we’d changed into our kit and piled into the car again it was back over the bridge – another expensive toll, and then on to the car park at Chepstow Castle. We quickly assembled our Oss and Penkevyll came alive – we were ready to meet the Mari Lwyd!

We made our way toward a large crowd of revellers that had gathered together underneath the walls of Chepstow Castle. What an awesome castle it is too! It’s Norman, dating back to 1067 and you could literally feel its history emanating from within it.

Fortunately, although we hadn’t arrived early enough to join in the opening dances from the many Morris sides that had attended, we had arrived just in time for the first Wassail. Then we spotted our first Mari and made our way slowly towards it. We had no preconceptions as to our welcome as we were very aware that the Mari Lwyd ceremonies were a custom that dated back hundreds of years, and we had no idea what reception our Cornish Oss would have. We needn’t have worried as our welcome couldn’t have been warmer! Penkevyll stood out because she is so dark whereas the Maris wear white and she attracted a lot of interest. I was in my element and so was Penkevyll, being surrounded by so many other Osses. The Welsh truly honour and show respect to their Maris often bowing to them. Many Maris were tethered and had handlers that were often women or children and they spoke to them lovingly. I dread to think what would happen if I tried to harness Penkevyll – we’d need one of those extendable leads as she’s forever running off and getting into mischief! One naughty thing that I noticed all the Maris including Penkevyll have in common, is their propensity to steal people’s hats!

chepstow14 004 — Photo credit: Laetitia Latham-Jones

This was such a refreshing change as most of the time Penkevyll is often viewed askance by many and has actually had some folks acting very aggressive towards her. Having said that there are many who are very fond of her, especially when she’s being naughty (which happens often!) – nevertheless, she performs alone and has never met other pole Osses before. To see her move among the Mari Lwyds was very touching and I was in awe at the wonder and magic of it all.

chepstow14 002 — Photo credit: Laetitia Latham-Jones

It was time to start the Wassail.

A Wassail is a ceremony generally performed in an orchard or amongst apple trees. If you think of the Harvest Festival as a thank you for a good harvest, then the Wassail is a request for a good harvest for the coming year. Cider soaked toast is hung on the trees by women and a lot of noise, sometimes including gunfire is produced to supposedly drive away any bad spirits.

Following lots of singing and general merrymaking whilst circumambulating the cider fed trees we all made our way to the Three Tuns Inn where the first Mari ceremony would be performed.

The Mari Lwyd ceremony is an ancient Welsh custom which originated in South Wales, similar to ‘first footing at New Year’. Traditionally a horse skull or representation of same is carried from house to house by the Mari Lwyd group. At the house a kind of singing competition (pwnco) between the group and the people of the house begins after the group has knocked on the door and requested entry for food and drink. Eventually, the Mari group are given entry and sustenance, there is more singing and capers and then after blessing the household, off to the next house, pub or even museum.

How we squeezed so many Osses and their handlers into an already full pub once we’d gained entry, I’ll never know! There was lots of singing and offering of ale to the Maris and it was at this time that everyone had also started to call Penkevyll a Mari too – we felt so honoured. The air was electric with energy and it all felt timeless and yet age-old at the same time…I felt truly between the worlds.

chepstow14 080 — Photo credit: Laetitia Latham-Jones

It was time to move outside where we had the first chance to perform with Penkevyll. Our dances were greeted with loud cheers and applause and many folks approached us afterwards during the rest of the day saying how wonderfully ‘spooky’ our performance was. Huge thanks must go at this point to a certain young man called Martin Ware who was not only responsible for getting us invited but also drummed expertly for us on the day. 🙂

We spent the next couple of hours eating, drinking and talking with some fascinating people, making new friends and creating important networking connections until it was time for the long-awaited Big Event. The Meeting of the Welsh and the English at the Border. This occurs on the old Iron Bridge which spans the River Wye and has been described as “It’s like going to War, and then all Peace breaks out!”. To our delight we were asked to march across the bridge with the Welsh rather than join the English on the other side. This was the time for us to get out our Cornish flag that we had brought with us which we proudly marched with to the sound of skirling pipes and drums. It was another moment when the hair stood up on the back of my neck as I watched all the Maris sway and dance to the rousing music. Our flag was exchanged and we now have a fine Welsh dragon flag. Our Cornish one remains in the Castle Inn until we return again.

Bridge meeting — photo credit: Stenson Craig-Ann

Once the English, Welsh and Cornish all had a chance to dance at the Border on the bridge we all then decamped to reassemble for the last Mari ceremony of the night at Chepstow Museum. Once again I witnessed the Welsh exchange of coercions and insults but instead of letting the Maris in to rampage about the Museum the Lord & Lady of the ceremony, Ned Heywood MBE and Anne Rainsbury (Museum Curator) made an appearance and offered up the wonderfully wrought Chepstow Wassail Bowl full of steaming, mulled cider. To our utter astonishment and delight our Cornish team was offered the first sip to drink the Wassail! Things were starting to feel a little surreal as I gazed across the large smiling crowd, past the flags including our Cornish one flapping briskly in the breeze, and toward the floodlit Chepstow Castle. A moment to savour and remember indeed! 🙂

Chep14c — Photo credit: Laetitia Latham-Jones

It was time to put Penkevyll back in her stable and pick up our musical instruments and join our newly made friends at the Castle Inn where we shared songs and tunes in an open mic/jam session which continued for the rest of the night.

I learnt from that experience that there are very close connections with our Celtic cousins, the Welsh. I had heard about the similarities with the language before but I must admit that I was still startled to realise that, Penkevyll easily translates from Cornish ‘Horse Head’ to the Welsh Penceffyl, and Cornish Boekka ‘Scarecrow’ to the Welsh Bwbach the pronunciations sounding almost identical.

It’s going to take a while for me to assimilate all that happened at Chepstow – I’m still dreaming of Maris! Many heartfelt congratulations go to all the organisers of the Chepstow Wassail with particular thanks to Mick Lewis who went out of his way to be so helpful. Bless you!

Here’s a Role of Honour of all the Mari Lwyds who attended:

Heb Enw Mari, Pembroke

Llanfihangel Tor Y Mynydd Mari

Y Fari Troellog, Carmarthen

Coppertown Mari, Swansea

Cwmni Gwerin, Pontypwl

Coppin the Hooden Horse, Stroud

Poor Awd Oss, Nottinghamshire

Gloucestershire Broad, Gloucester

All in all, a powerful festival that I would thoroughly recommend to you all, and definitely an experience I would love to repeat.

http://chepstowwassailmari.co.uk

http://www.boekka.wordpress.com

Wassail!!!

Here I am adding one of the most powerfully evocative songs I have ever come across concerning the Mari Lwyd. Music and performance by Chris Wood. Lyrics by Hugh Lupton.

I’ve also found some footage from this particular Wassail:

This is Boekka performing ‘As Above, So Below – drumming by Martin Ware.

Boekka performing ‘Dark Triskele’.

The Mari Lwyds meet the English on Chepstow Bridge. Footage on these three videos by Smikestock.

January 21, 2014 15

Here We Go Again…

It has come to my attention that regrettably once again Gemma Gary has issued a statement from her blog about myself that is both incorrect and deliberately misleading. Here is a link to what has been written: Gemma Gary Response 2 It’s difficult to know how long this has been published on the net as there is a very misleading date heading the statement of November 1st 2012. Given the content, this statement is obviously referring to A Can of Worms https://cassandralathamjones.wordpress.com/2013/05/25/a-can-of-worms/ which was not published until May 25 2013.

Firstly she starts off with rather vague references to ‘false claims’ and ‘barely hidden personal agendas’ without explaining what these are, thereby rendering it impossible for further comment. We then wander into a very strange situation where I find my Christian name has been subjected to the spurious “inverted commas” treatment, another one added in brackets, followed by half my surname. Maybe it’s a deconstruction with a twist? <I’ve been watching too many ‘foodie’ programmes!> Or…maybe Gemma is confusing me with my younger sister Sue who lives in Canada, a formidable Witch in her own right. I think Ms Gary needs to get her facts right before publishing such bizarre comments – I can assure her that Sue Latham is not a name I have ever been called.

However, even this is beside the point. Countless people experience name changes in their life and I fail to see anything untoward in this, despite the unspoken suggestion otherwise. Indeed what is even more perplexing is the fact that Ms Gary has undergone several name changes herself, but I don’t feel the need to refer to her as “Gemma” (Shane) Gary. However, I suppose it is one step up from being referred to as ‘that woman’ as was the case previously. See A Response to Bruised Egos The final paragraph ends with the odd accusation of ‘cultural racism’ in response to someone simply mentioning when Gary moved to Cornwall. However, that’s not for me to answer as this was a direct quote from an academic’s work, so I suggest that she takes up any issue she has with the person concerned directly. Incidently I had no reason to question this claim as the late Nineties coincided with when I first met Ms Gary , or Shane Gary as he was then. Shane was a quiet, reserved young lad in his late teens who approached me to ask for teaching in the ways of witchcraft. I turned him down because I had given up teaching at that time. In view of recent developments, I think that was just as well!

The rest of the statement only reiterates what has been said before regarding Traditional Cornish Witchcraft which has already been dealt with in the past – see Necessary Rebuttals https://cassandralathamjones.wordpress.com/2013/06/. I cannot see any merit to continuing these debates as it is obvious to anyone that this is a situation where we will have to agree to disagree. Whenever anyone publishes a book(s)/blogs/articles etc. it has to be understood that there will inevitably be criticism of that work in some form or another, as not everyone will agree with your point of view. It would be beneficial to Ms Gary to be realistic and to accept this and move on in her life.

December 23, 2013 22

Make Do and Mend

I was born in a time of austerity. It was shortly after the Second World War in a time of rationing. We didn’t have much to eat – I remember sugar sandwiches and bread and dripping – not considered terribly healthy but we appeared to thrive on such meagre victuals. There were not too many fat people around and obesity was very rare indeed. Mind you there were a lot of medical oddities walking around as a result of various mineral and vitamin deficiencies. It was still the early days of penicillin and antibiotics so there were childhood deaths due to the incidence of TB, diptheria and polio.

Bathtime was a tin bath in front of a stove as we didn’t possess a bathroom. There were no such things as washing machines, just a gas fired copper which clothes were boiled in and later put through a hand turned wringer before hanging on the line or drapped around the kitchen on clothes horses. The only heating we had was a stove in the kitchen and a coal fire in the living room which was used sparingly. There wasn’t a fridge, instead we had a larder with a meat safe and terracotta covers for the milk bottles. Nothing was thrown out until everything was used up, from scraping butter wrappers/or keeping them for later use in greasing cake tins, to (if times were particularly hard) opening up toothpaste tubes to get out the remnants. Left overs and hand-me-downs were par the course and if you needed something new you saved for it, which often took a long time. The watchword that was drummed into us was ‘Make Do and Mend’!

A lot of our toys were home/handmade and lasted for ages as we knew they wouldn’t be replaced if lost or broken. I would spend hours playing with big cardboard boxes to make caves, castles and houses and was forever making dens outside and in with the use of everyday items that were magically turned into …well, anything I wanted them to be. I developed a very rich imagination which stood me in very good stead for most of my life – especially useful for my magical and spiritual work.

At first we didn’t have a TV and used to go on occasions to a neighbour’s house to crowd around with others to watch their black & white set, which was often ‘on the blink’. We did have a valve wireless though which took ages to warm up and was listened to every evening. Most of our spare time was spent outdoors whenever possible and/or doing something constructive. Lots of children made models which certainly taught us a degree of dexterity. My brother made model aeroplanes and Meccano sets and I did my best with Airfix kits which were all the rage – loads of glue and paint everywhere. I recall the smell of solvents permeating most of the house – particularly something called ‘dope’ which coated the wings of model aeroplanes. Given that most of paint was lead based then and flies were attacked with flit-guns which used to squirt a fine spray of DDT over us, I’m surprised some of us survived! Having said that, we developed very robust immune systems as we were exposed to so much.

Another pursuit I thoroughly enjoyed was I-Spy books. These were wonderful spotter guides that covered all sorts of environments – the seaside, countryside, farmyard etc. They were little booklets that gave a brief outline and description of an item and when you spotted them, you ticked them off. The aim was to fill the booklet up and send them off to get a small prize – I’m not sure what that was as I didn’t ever send one off – it was enough to take part in the various hunts for different items. Of course it would be easy to cheat but you didn’t because Big Chief I-Spy would know(!)…besides where was the point? 😉

If you were a boy then you joined the local cub group and as a girl I joined the Brownies. Our troup was run by a couple of women called Brown Owl and Tawny Owl – it consisted of different sub-groups which were divided into various Fey Folk – there were Sprites, Fairies, Elves and I joined the Goblins (which for those who know me is not surprising!) – and believe it or not we used to end every meeting by skipping around a mock Fly Agaric Toadstool! We were taught all sorts of countryside skills like fire building, foraging and went on camps which were great fun. Once a year we all went out into the neighbourhood for ‘Bob-a-Job’ week. This basically meant you called on your neighbours who paid you a whole shilling (a Bob – old money roughly equivilant to 5p) to perform some service like cleaning cars, shoes, windows, cutting the lawn, getting shopping and so on. They filled in your card and at the end of the week all money collected would go towards some local charity. Hard work but very rewarding and really helped with the local community spirit.

The main thing was all these childhood pursuits were not only fun, they helped build a body of knowledge and skills that has stayed with me all my life. Also I have the ability to live frugally which is a real asset when your chosen profession does not produce a high financial income and especially nowadays given the present political economical situation! Looking back at the things I enjoyed doing when I was a child, I suppose it’s not too surprising that I ended up at the ‘grubby’ end of witchcraft by becoming a village wisewoman as it suits my nature and temperament.

In my opinion so much of rural witchcraft comes from an upbringing where connection to community and the surrounding countryside was a crucial factor to understanding the spirit of place and thereby the essence of the local magic. I suppose this is why I get a bit irritated, or ‘teazy’ as they say down here in West Cornwall, when I read about all these fine limited edition witchcraft/occult books covered in rather distasteful materials like toad skin that cost a small fortune to buy. What kind of a person will pay out a couple of hundred pounds for a book that can be bought as a paperback for £10 – £15? Would it actually be used – or will it end up in a glass display case along with other, albeit beautifully crafted but equally impractical ‘talismanic’ objects? I must admit I never dreamed that such a homespun tradition like rural witchcraft would become so elevated and elite – but there we go…there’s no accounting for taste and obviously some people have more money than sense and there will always be some who will market that propensity!

In the meantime I am happy and content with my rather shambolic but very effective wise craft. 🙂

The Brownie Promise:

I promise that I will do my best,

To be true to myself and develop my beliefs,

To serve the Queen and my community,

To help other people,

And to keep the Brownie Guide Law.

The Brownie Guide Law is:

A Brownie Guide thinks of others before herself and does a good turn every day.

The Brownie Guide Motto is: ‘Lend a hand’

December 9, 2013 4

A Double-Edged Sword

“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.”

Attributed to Chief Seattle 1854

Within the last couple of decades we have seen the emergence of another web – the World Wide Web, or www. as it’s more commonly known. A wonderous thing indeed and I’m sure my predecessors would have marvelled at it and utilised it as a useful tool. However, like many things of power it is two-edged and can also be used as a weapon to abuse others. Man’s invention is astonishing at times but I wonder how much inventors think about the future implications of their discoveries when they fall into the hands of ruthless and irresponsible people? Lets look at the phenomena called Social Networking which incorporates the use of chatrooms, forums and particularly the use of Facebook.

Back when I was young I remember every neighbourhood and community had their share of what was called ‘net-twitchers’. These were individuals who kept a close eye on all the comings and goings of their neighbours – they were also referred to as ‘busybodies’ and nosey-parkers’. They were usually rather sad individuals who were often socially inadequate in some way, didn’t have enough going on in own their lives of interest and so they compensated by vicariously spying on their neighbours. Consequently they were also avid gossips and knew their community well enough to know who to pass gossip on to in order to spread rumour. This was always conducted from behind net curtains so that they couldn’t be seen – hence the term ‘net-twitcher’. On the whole these folk were seen as nuisances only and were often pitied by the more charitable in the community. Occasionally however, these irritating but harmless people would turn into something more sinister and you would get malicious rumours starting which would then escalate into a hate campaign against some individual in the neighbourhood. This could be further fuelled by ‘poison-pen’ letters being distributed which could wreak discord and havoc within a community by appealing to a ‘mob mentality’ where actual bodily harm could be the unfortunate outcome. The victim of this kind of ‘witch hunt’ was often the focus of envy by the perpetrator, or stood out in some way as different from others. This is something that periodically occurred within small communities and it took a while to build up. Not so anymore!

Due to the immediacy of the internet, large numbers of people can be reached within seconds. I have watched with horror how quickly nasty rumours can turn into a vicious hate campaign with others actively inciting further venomous comments and threats. I have witnessed this first hand, and it was chilling to observe how quickly the poison spreads – no wonder it’s called ‘viral’ when it really runs amok! It now has earned itself the title of cyber-bullying and it is on the increase especially when like-minded individuals jump on the bandwagon and gang up. It really can bring out the worst side of human nature.

In the old days so to speak, if someone said or did something to upset you then you would talk to your partner when they got in from work, or rang your friend(s) up – it would take a while to communicate your upset to others. Consequentally some time went by before you responded which gave you a chance to think things through. However, most people now respond immediately and often impulsively without consideration, often misunderstanding or assuming insults where none were intended. Since most of the communication is written, much is open to misinterpretation despite ’emoticons’ being used.

I personally have a rule of thumb where, generally speaking, if I receive a message that I find emotionally upsetting, I will ‘sleep on it’ and respond the next day. This gives me a chance to process it and respond in a more measured way.

The anonymity of hiding behind a PC with a false profile/name gives some free rein to unleash all sorts of unjust accusations through insinuation and rumour in order to ruin reputations. Regrettably there are quite a few ‘saddos’ out there who get their jollies through this type of manipulation and intrigue. Mind you, some folk do themselves no favours when they forget that Facebook goes worldwide and tend to use it like a diary and treat it like a friend – this leaves them wide open to these pernicious predators.

It’s such a shame because so many wonderful things can be achieved through constructive networking. The sharing of inspirational music, art, dance and other creative endeavours; the rallying call of worthy campaigns; easy links with loved ones and reuniting long-lost families and friends; the dissemination of learning and knowledge – the list is fascinating and endless!

Then you get the darker side with intrusive pornography and ever-increasing violence and bigotry… What’s the answer? A lot of people blame Facebook and the like – but it’s not the system, it’s the operator that makes working with the Internet a good or bad experience. Like magic, the Net is basically neutral, it’s how people utilise it that colours it.

So what do we do? We can’t undo it, the technology is here to stay and is escalating whilst so many of our young people live more and more ‘virtual’ lives at the expense of their actual lives. Some feel that the answer is to disassociate from all social networking but is that too little too late? The introduction of the Internet is truly a double-edged sword. Are we going to wield it with integrity as a sword of truth? Or will it be used to wound and murder?

Answers on a Postcard please! 😉

October 29, 2013 10

Willpower and Addiction

If you are going to be effective as any form of magical practitioner, then you must have not only a strong mind but indomitable will power. This stands to reason if we are going to exert our will towards anything, if we are weak-willed we aren’t going to get very far! Four years ago I was challenged by my partner to stop smoking as it was an example of not being in total control of myself. This post is about how I went about this, but firstly a bit of background.

I grew up in a family of smokers, in fact I cannot remember when my adopted mother didn’t have a cigarette hanging from her lips! I vowed when I was a child that I would never take up such an unpleasant habit however, as a direct result of my career choice, teenage rebellion and peer pressure I started smoking at age 18 years. I became a nurse, and if that sounds crazy you will find that the incidence of smoking in the emergency services was very high. We were all dealing with very traumatic, life and death situations and needed someway of unwinding at the end of a shift – therefore a cuppa and a ciggie did the trick!

So by the time I was issued with the challenge to stop, I had been a regular smoker for 42 years. Once when I was pregnant I gave up immediately for the sake of the baby, but that was followed by a miscarriage at 4 months and the profound upset caused me to start again. There had been a few attempts of non-smoking without much success, basically because I enjoyed it too much so I wasn’t fully committed to abstinence. I knew it was pointless even attempting it if I didn’t have the right motivation in place. This is different for everyone; some find the money they save is the motivating force, others their health, and for others it’s a motivation outside of themselves – which was to prove the case for me. What I needed to do was fall in love with a non-smoker – I didn’t know this at the time but it proved to be the prime reason, although the barb of ‘being out of control’ did hit home! 😉

So how did I go about it? After having watched and heard other people’s experiences of attempts to give up, one of the things I wanted to avoid was to use anything as a crutch or a substitute – otherwise I’d just be under the influence of something else. Also when I’m about to embark on any new project, I research and do my homework on the subject and as a result, I found out some very interesting information which I will share with you:

Recovery Timetable

20 mins after quitting – BP, pulse and temperature of extremities have returned to normal rates

8 hours – remaining nicotine levels will have dropped to 6.25% a reduction of 93.75%

12 hours – blood oxygen levels rise to normal, carbon monoxide levels drop to normal

48 hours – nerve endings start to regrow and smell and taste start to recover

72 hours – entire body will test 100% nicotine free, lung capacity will increase and breathing will ease

The above are highlights of a list of benefits that start to kick in the minute you stop smoking and the body begins the recovery process. For more details : http://whyquit.com/whyquit/a_benefits_time_table.html

When I realised that it only took 3 days to eject nicotine from my system I knew that I wasn’t going to waste time, money and effort on nicotine patches or other substitutes as it was only putting off the inevitable, and therefore seemed pretty pointless. Nor was I going to indulge in any form of group therapy – in fact, I wasn’t going to mention I was quitting to anyone, apart from my partner. I knew that there might well be resistance from some of my friends at that time who were also smokers, and I didn’t want to make any announcement until I was well over the first stages of withdrawal.

One of the other important things I learnt was that when a craving hit, it lasted for only a couple of minutes so I would distract myself by doing something else whenever that happened – my partner also helped with this in imaginative ways…! 😉

After a week or so I was free of the more addictive substances and then had to deal with breaking the more pernicious habit of lighting up at particular moments. The only way that worked for me was to subtly change my routine, not so much that it caused disruption – no need to add to the wobbly stress levels! I found that having something to do with my hands helped a lot. A lot of smoking is connected to oral fixation and one has to resist sucking sweets instead – I suppose that e-cigarettes are addressing this to a certain extent – but as a friend of mine recently put it ‘it was like having a dummy in my mouth!’

I found it helpful to use a ‘thumbstone’ of Astrophyllite whenever the habit and/or craving hit. I kept it in my pocket all the time and used it a bit like worrybeads, rolling it over and over in my hand. I chose Astrophyllite for its anti-addiction properties primarily and apparently it has grounding and transformative qualities as well.

Although I was a bit ‘teazey’ for the first couple of days, on the whole I found the whole process less arduous than I feared, and I feel a sense of pride that I have successfully maintained a 100% smoke free lifestyle for 4 years now. This is in spite of dealing with some dramatic and devastating incidents which in the past would have seen me reaching for my baccy tin!

To have a supportive partner and friends is very important and is a bonus, but when all’s said and done – it was down to my personal will power that I overcame this without the need of drugs or therapy.

I’m hoping that this post may help others who are going through a similar experience because I do feel much better for it. I enjoy my food more because my taste buds have recovered, I don’t get so breathless on exertion, my skin is clearer and as one painfully honest friend told me – ‘you smell a whole lot better than you used to!’ What’s more, given the rise in tobacco tax I doubt very much if I could afford it , and I wonder how others can.

Thankfully, I haven’t turned into one of those awful, smug and often dictatorial ex-smokers. I have no problem with my friends who continue to smoke but I will offer support and encouragement should they try to give it up.

Before I finish this post I want to stress that this whole process is ongoing – I take each day at a time. Even now, I still have moments of temptation but when I remind myself of what I’ve gained rather than what I’ve lost, I can regain my equilibrium and carry on.

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” Mahatma Ghandi

October 19, 2013 1

Bringing the Past Alive

A few days ago I had the opportunity to bring the past alive by producing a voice recording of what has been referred to as the Leverton Charm.

Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4Q1jNzuZTk&feature=youtube_gdata

Although many Witch Bottles have been unearthed over the years, it’s rare to find Instructions For Use, or in this case, how to construct your own personal charm. Although the Wisewoman or Conjurer can easily construct a charm, in some circumstances it is so much more powerful for the client to produce their own under instruction, especially if the ingredients require a contact item and/or body fluid of the client.

The Leverton Charm was first discovered, according to the Archives & Cornish Studies Service, in amongst miscellaneous documents contained in a bundle of deeds of the Leverton family based in St Merryn, Cornwall. Little else was known until I consulted with Jason Semmens who was able to provide me with more of a possible background as he followed this lead back in 2000 when he was researching for his article on Witch Bottles (Semmens, Jason., ‘The Usage of Witch-Bottles and Apotropaic Charms in Cornwall’ Old Cornwall 12, No. 6 (2000) pp. 25 – 30)

“In fact the charm contains its own clues as to its dating, as it refers to Saturday 17 September which can only have fallen in specific years. As the handwriting is of early 18th century date, I concluded that this probably unique instruction for the manufacture of a witch-bottle appears to have been given to a heavily pregnant Thomasine Leverton of St Merryn in 1701 by a now unknown local conjuror to whom she had probably resorted after becoming ill, her pregnancy no doubt causing her anxiety. She gave birth to a daughter 2 months after the charm was written.”

The Charm for Thamson Leverton document is at present on display at the Cornish Studies Library in Redruth, Cornwall. It forms part of a fascinating exhibition which runs from 10th October – 2nd November 2013. I highly recommend attending this if you can as the exhibits are fascinating, and include items from the Museum of Witchcraft and Saveock Water Archaeology

http://museumofwitchcraft.com/

http://www.archaeologyonline.org/

Laetitia and me attended the opening night where Jason Semmens gave his talk on Witch Trials in Cornwall. The talk was very informative and focused on the 15th – 17th Century, and although there was very little evidence or incidence of recorded convictions, what activity there was appeared to cluster around the West Penwith peninsular – no surprises there then! 😉 I found it to be an excellent starting point as Jason’s next talk in March will concentrate on the 18th – 20th Century with particular emphasis on the renowned Cornish Wisewoman, Tamsyn Blight. If the questions after were anything to go by, then there will be an excellent turnout of interested parties for the next talk as well!

It’s thrilling to be able to work with professional people who work with the past in this way and it reminds me what a privilege it is to be able to continue a craft that has been utilised by so many country folk over the centuries – now that’s what I call being part of the ‘Old Ways’. 🙂

October 14, 2013 1

The Sagacious Ash

When I walk out on the Land there are many reasons for doing so and how I am feeling has a great influence upon where I end up walking to. Today I was distressed and at first made for a place deep within a blackthorn thicket because that is where I wanted to be. Away from human life and its petty dramas and tucked away where no-one would find me, except the spirits and creatures of that place. After some time spent venting and ‘debriefing’ as I call it, the distinctive sound of a raven calling summoned me from my emotional struggles.

Now the raven has always been a special creature to me and I have had a connection with this enigmatic bird for decades – way before it became all the rage as a ‘totem animal’! The ravens here in Cornwall tend to nest on the cliffs but occasionally a solitary raven makes an excursion inland and I have always found the appearance of them to be of significance to me. This particular raven was soaring high in the sky and, every now and then, tumbling in the air over an ash grove that is nearby. Responding to the call of the Lady of the Woods as sometimes the ash tree is known, I left my thorny cave and walked down into the heart of the grove.

The ash grove is a place that I have used for workings and contemplation for more years than I care to remember. Whilst nowadays pagans and new-agers swarm to the stone circles and chambered tombs which litter our landscape, my personal idea of a sacred site has been hidden amongst dozens of old ash trees. Ash is renowned for its magical and medicinal properties and is indigenous to Britain. It is thought to have healing powers and ash logs burnt on the fire protect from evil spirits. Its wood is a natural shock absorber which is why it’s used for tool handles such as spades and axes. I think that it is this quality that comes to the fore energetically speaking when I’m shocked or upset. Time spent amongst these old ash trees is time well spent indeed.

I have noticed that although parts of an ash tree can die, young shoots can still grow out of and alongside its carcass so, like the yew, I feel that it has regenerative qualities. There is a particular moss-covered tree that I gave the last of my wise-blood to before surgery nearly 15 years ago. Alongside this is a younger tree that over the years I have utilised for wart charming as it is peppered with some wonderfully warty holes. Another tree has been used by honey bees for their hive for ages and there are active badger sets scattered within and around the edges of the woods. I’m very familiar with the spirits of place here and the grove does contain some particularly potent guardians who lie in wait for the unsuspecting. They aren’t always apparent but can follow the unwary traveller home and wait until the time is right to act with the utmost mischief if they feel that they deserve it. Nothing to worry about if appropriate respect is shown – but they abhor interference, arrogance and mean-spirited troublemakers.

On a couple of occasions I have come across evidence of ‘pushy pagans’ who insist on leaving their mark on the place by building circles with stones and the like. These wild places don’t need rearranging so I make sure to deconstruct these edifices when they appear. We see enough of this sort of debris at West Penwith’s ancient monuments without having to clear up the woodlands as well. I’ve never really understood this need to leave a mark behind – it smacks of territorial issues to me. I was taught to leave no traces behind me and I continue to maintain this as good practice.

It appears that some folk make a real song and dance about who they are and what they do magically speaking. Lately there seems to be a tendency for some to take upon themselves rather grandiose titles for actually quite ordinary functions. For instance, I have heard of one man who goes around calling himself the Keeper of the Stones(!) – when all he is doing is the same as dozens of others locally who regularly visit an ancient site near to where they live and report any damage. Not too surprisingly these volunteers are simply called Site Monitors – I’m one myself for Boscawen-un stone circle. There are sadly countless other examples of Priestesses of Waterfalls and Guardians of Barrowmounds – which means there are an awful lot of people who are so deeply insecure that they have to think up rather ridiculous titles for themselves to make them feel self-important. As you can tell, I get a bit crabby when I come across that sort of pretentiousness…!

Sitting quietly in the grove reminds me of when I used to escape to the woods as a child. Home was not a good place to be, and the only place I felt safe and secure was amongst the trees and the woodland spirits. I find I can truly open myself up with impunity and absorb the energies from all the creatures and growing things surrounding me. It’s a sort of letting go and being fully aware at the same time. I don’t always come away from my times of contemplation with fully formed answers, but I do have a much stronger sense of how to handle things, even if I haven’t totally resolved whatever problems I had when I first arrived.

I have learned so much from this haunted grove and surroundings that it feels part of the very bones of me and nothing can take that away. 🙂

September 1, 2013 2