Doreen Valiente - Witchcraft for Tomorrow

Witchcraft for Tomorrow

by

DOREEN VALIENTE

ROBERT HALE

The author holding a Witches Wishing Mirror. This old handcarved mirror was for many years in the possession of a Cornish family.

Old-time conception of flying witches. An illustration by Sir John Gilbert to The Lancashire Witches by Harrison Ainsworth.

Portrait of a modern witch. Patricia Crowther, Priestess of the Sheffield Coven.

Old George Pickingill, the master witch of Canewdon, Essex (picture by courtesy of Eric Maple).

Distant view of Chanctonbury Ring, the traditional past meeting place of old-time Sussex witches (photo by A. W. Stubbs).

A typical example of a blocked-up north door from the fourteenth-century church at Alfriston, Sussex.

Witchcraft implements displayed on an altar: two cloven-hoof candlesticks, the Pentacle, the Bell, the Horn Wine-cup, the Cauldron, the Athame or black-hilted knife, the Crystal, the Cord, the Wand, jar of incense and incense-burner.

Wooden carving of the Horned God. The two faces look towards the Past and the Future. The four horns represent the four winds, the four seasons and so on. The base of the statue bears four coloured stones, symbolising the four elements.

The regalia of the Horned God: a crown or helmet surmounted by actual deers horns, plus a rough darkcoloured cloak. In olden days this would have been of animal skins.

A modern version of the Green Man, or Foliate Mask. This example is made of painted fibre-glass.

The Hand of Glory. A drawing based on a detail from David Teniers picture The Departure for the Sabbat.

The author holding the Sabbat wine-cup, with a holder made from a large cloven hoof.

The author demonstrating the use of the water-filled cauldron for clairvoyance.

Demonstrating the invocation of power into a glass ball for purposes of clairvoyance.

Traditional witch costume of hooded black cloak and broomstick.

First published in 1978 by Robert Hale

Paperback edition 1993

This edition published by Robert Hale, an imprint of

The Crowood Press Ltd, Ramsbury, Marlborough Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2017

Doreen Valiente 1978

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the authors and publishers rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 0 71982 695 5

The right of Doreen Valiente to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

CONTENTS

Casting the Circle; The Rite of Self-Initiation; The Rite of Consecration; The Full Moon Esbat Rite; The Sabbat Rite; Initiation into the Coven; The Coven Spell; The Seven-Pointed Star; The Runes of Andred; The Spell of the Cord; Invocation of the Moon Goddess; Invocation of the Horned God; Chants and Dances

WITCHCRAFT FOR TOMORROW

Doreen Valiente was one of the founders of modern Wicca and was initiated into four different branches of the Old Religion in Great Britain. She is the author of An ABC of Witchcraft: Past and Present, Natural Magic, The Rebirth of Witchcraft and Witchcraft: A Tradition Renewed. She made many television and radio appearances, discussing witchcraft and folklore and displaying items from her collection of witchcraft objects. Doreen Valiente died in 1999.

Also by Doreen Valiente

An ABC of Witchcraft

Natural Magic

The Rebirth of Witchcraft

Illustrations

Between chapters 9 and 10

A Witches Wishing Mirror

Old-time conception of flying witches

Portrait of a modern witch

Old George Pickingill, the master witch of Canewdon, Essex

Chanctonbury Ring, the traditional meeting place of old-time Sussex witches

A typical example of a blocked-up north door

Witchcraft implements displayed on an altar

Wooden carving of the Horned God

The Regalia of the Horned God

A modern version of the Green Man, or Foliate Mask

The Hand of Glory

The Sabbat wine-cup

Use of the water-filled cauldron for clairvoyance

The invocation of power into a glass ball

Traditional witch costume

Line Figures

THE WITCHS BALLAD

Oh, I have been beyond the town,

Where nightshade black and mandrake grow,

And I have heard and I have seen

What righteous folk would fear to know!

For I have heard, at still midnight,

Upon the hilltop far, forlorn,

With note that echoed through the dark,

The winding of the heathen horn.

And I have seen the fire aglow,