Gemma Gary’s second book; The Black Toad – West Country Witchcraft and Magic, with foreword by Michael Howard, is now available in paperback and hardback editions.
The Black Toad explores potent examples of the folk-ceremonial magical practices and witchcraft of the south-west of England; dealing especially with Devon and the author’s homeland of Cornwall. Within the West Country, the popular belief in witchcraft and its attendant charms, magical practices and traditions continued to be observed and survived long after such ways had faded in most other parts of the British Isles.
Described within The Black Toad is a collection of some of the fascinating magical practices and lore of the West Country’s cunning folk and early modern witches; ways that have survived and evolved within the rarefied Craft of the area’s modern day witchcraft practitioners of the old persuasion.
As this book affirms, these ways of the Old Craft and Cunning Arte include a belief in and working relationship with the spirit forces of the land, the Faerie, animal and plant lore, as well as the magical use of Psalms to cure or curse, the invocation of Christ and the power of the Holy Trinity.
“For all those who are interested in learning about the Old Path as it is taught and practiced today by West Country witches this book of practical magic and sorcery will be a revelation. As the late Cecil Williamson, founder of the witchcraft museum in Boscastle, North Cornwall and a modern cunning man himself, said and Gemma Gary’s excellent book proves – “It still goes on today.”
Michael Howard
Contents:
Foreword
Introduction
Power and Preparation
Old Mother Red-Cap
Protections and defences
Cure-Charms and Protections against Ailment
Desires and Good Fortune
Vision
Old Mother Green-Cap
Virtues of Trees
Infusions of Virtue
Curative Plant-Charms
Protective Plant-Charms
Plant-Charms for Love
Blackthorn Blessing-Ash
Plant-Charms for Animals
Old Mother Black-Cap
Curse-Magic and Blasting
Retaliation Magic and Counter-Blasting
Weather Witchcraft
