Spells Wise Woman Cottage by Steve Patterson (Paperback)

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

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

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

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

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

Contents:

Pagination: 152 pages, illustrated with 19th century line drawings, plus 4 pages of black and white photographic plates.

INTRODUCTION PART 1 – Old Joan’s Book of Spells Magical Water Charms Love Spells Healing Spells Protection Spells Witchcraft A Word to the Would-be Wayside Witch Notes and Commentary on the Charms Sources of the Charms PART 2 – A Guide to the ‘Wise Woman’s Cottage’ Welcome to Old Joan’s Cottage Divination and Scrying The Witch’s Familiars Charms, Amulets and Tools of the Trade Magical Herbs Two of the Original Texts Describing the ‘Wise Woman’s Cottage’ Display PART 3 – Witchcraft, the ‘Wise Woman’s Cottage’ & the West Country Cunning Tradition The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic The ‘Wise Woman’s Cottage’ The Tableau at the Museum – a ‘Geek’ into the Otherworld The ‘Wise Woman’s Cottage’ – Past and Present Strange Tales! The Spells of the ‘Wise Woman’s Cottage’ What is a Witch? The Modern Witch Wicca and the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic The Medieval Witch Witches in the 18th, 19th, and 20th Centuries Sketches of Four West Country Witches APPENDIX A – The Old Charms from the ‘Wise Woman’s Cottage’ – 19978?-2015 APPENDIX B – A List of the Donations from Wayside Witches in the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic APPENDIX C – Suggested Further Reading

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