Cornwall is a land steeped in ancient history, myth, mystery, strange beings, spirits, Pagan ways and Witchcraft. It is a land where the old ways sat fairly comfortably alongside the Christian faith, where ancient seasonal observances and ritualistic customs survived, where the Piskie folk were steadfastly believed in and placated with regular offerings at the hearth of the ordinary household and where Witches were consulted to cure, conjure or counter-curse.

19thC Cornwall is known to have been home to many practicing conjurors, Pellars, ‘White Witches’ and Cunning Folk. The belief in their ability to counter a curse, provide magical protection from future ‘ill-wishing’, heal disease in people and cattle, divine the whereabouts of lost items and uncover the identity of thieves was widespread and virtually absolute amongst the ordinary folk of Cornwall who would be prepared to travel great distances for an often costly consultation with a practitioner, some of whom achieved a high level of fame and notoriety. These traditional practices of of rural folk magic survived to a much stronger degree than in many other parts of Britain but at the end of the 19thC a decline in such ways set in as Cornwall became less isolated and more accessible and influenced by modern ideas. Fewer people would admit to believing in the power of the ill-wish. However such ways did not die out entirely, for it is the nature of people living in a mysterious and ‘haunted’ landscape to at the very least be partially open to the idea of spirits, unseen forces and the potential for supernatural harm. Throughout Cornwall and the West Country there have remained, right up to the present day, folk magicians scattered few and far between but very much still here. The clients remain also as the West Country’s Witches are still regularly consulted not only to remove warts but to reverse bad luck and ill fortune, lift curses, divine the location of things lost, secure love, bring prosperity and for guidance and advice to resolve a plethora of life’s difficulties.

Through the decline of these ways undoubtedly something of the beliefs and practices of the Cornish Witch traditions will have been lost but much has been preserved through the efforts of such people as William Bottrell (1816-1881), and later, William Paynter (1901-1976) and Cecil Williamson (1909-1999). William Bottrell collected and preserved a vast body of Cornish folk tales which contain many valuable clues to the Cornish Witch traditions. He also directly recorded details of the charms and services offered by the Pellar and something of their rites by speaking with their clients as well as talking directly with the Pellar. William Paynter researched and gathered stories and accounts of the declining Witch beliefs in Cornwall as well as actual Cornish Witch artefacts. Cecil Williamson spent very nearly a whole a lifetime researching the ways of Witchcraft with a special interest in the practices of what he called ‘the wayside Witch’. He founded the world famous Museum of Witchcraft which houses the world’s largest collection of Witchcraft related artefacts and regalia, a huge proportion of the artefacts relating to the traditional Witchcraft of Cornwall and the West Country.

Despite the undoubted decline in active public belief in and awareness of the traditional Witch-ways of Cornwall; the ‘Cunning Craft’ by its very nature cannot die out completely. It is a calling that resides in the blood of the few from birth. The ways of the Cunning path are rooted in the very land in which it is practiced and those who answer the calling seek and employ the potent and useful forces within the land, the wisdom of the spirits of place, the properties of wild herbs, the virtues of the planetary influences and the traditional ways of charm making.  The old ‘Wise Craft’ is a way of natural and instinctive responses to the spiritual reality of the land, a remembering of regional traditional ways and of renewal and transformation for the traditional Craft has always been a very individualistic way. Each practitioner through time has brought their own ideas and developments to the Cunning Craft with the creation of practices, lovingly made working tools and the gathering of ‘haunted’ magical items, often found within the land that are unique to their Craft. With each practitioner the Cunning way has been both a continuation and a renewal. This has always been and ever will be so to however lesser an extent than in times past.

A Craft separate from the ‘New Age’ self-help ways and the popular and highly successful Craft of Wicca; the path of Cunning and traditional Witchcraft is always one that by its very nature will be trod by the few. A modest number of practitioners exist in Cornwall and the West Country and even fewer private circles and lodges of predominantly solitary practitioners continue unobserved, and the ordinary people still seek their help to get over life’s hurdles and the farmer still employs the charmer for protections over their land, its buildings, machinery and livestock. The Cornish Witch, continues to observe and to serve.

Traditional Witchcraft
A Cornish Book of ways

by Gemma Gary

Explore the living practices of Traditional Witchcraft in Cornwall with a collection of Traditional, established ways and new innovations relating to the rites, spells, charms, working tools and magical recipes of the Cornish Craft. This book covers such areas as the gathering and use of land sprowl, the Cornish spirit world, Bucca, gathering and fashioning the tools of the Cornish Craft, conjuring the Compass, celebrating the Troyl, working with places of power, Crafting powders, suffumigations, oils and charms, working with the moon, celebrating the Cornish ritual year and more.

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