Hidden Light Karagan Griffith

This compelling account of eccentricity and Witchcraft in the 1950s and 60s revolves around two principal characters: 'Rex Nemorensis' (Charles Cardell), son of an internationally famous Victorian stage magician, and Ray Howard, owner of the Head of Atho - a representation of the Horned God of the Witches reputedly over 2000-years-old. From the luxury of his country estate, Cardell trod his own unique path of modern Witchcraft, the reality of which was e ectively put on trial in a High Court libel case brought against a major newspaper, following an article by two reporters who had hidden near Charles' sacred Grove. What they witnessed, would change Cardell's life forever. This book, based on new research, explores their fascinating lives and examines their writings and relationships with other witches including Gerald Gardner and Doreen Valiente. For the first time, the writings of the Coven of Atho are reproduced. They reveal its previously hidden gems and provide a workable form of Witchcraft blended with Druidic influences. The glistening strands of this story are woven into the larger history of the origins of modern Witchcraft in Britain. Here be Magick... 
Listen to this delightful coversation between Karagan and Melissa about this fascinating story and book. 

Village Witch describes life as a Village Wisewoman in the wilds of West Cornwall. The first part of the book documents the tortuous and sometimes harrowing journey to achieve this unusual occupation. It is a tale that ultimately moves through surviving and into thriving. Cassandra’s past experiences directly inform her present practice and are intrinsic to being a wisewoman – she acquires wisdom from actively experiencing and observing the vagaries of life. As part of her work she travels around the country giving talks about her profession, and without exception is asked each time what brought her to become a village wisewoman. Many people want to hear about that journey and this is one of the reasons for deciding to write the book. Following on from this, Cassandra tells of the practice of her craft, which includes many stories and observations regarding the day-to-day experiences of a traditional wisewoman including her personal approach to magic. At present the market is flooded with ‘how-to-do’ books on witchcraft and associated themes. Almost without exception they inform in an authoritative way often including a cookbook of spells. There is far more to the Craft of the Wise than simply following someone else’s recipes for performing magic. It entails old-fashioned qualities such as hard work, discipline, dedication and commitment. This book differs in that it describes the ‘why’ as well as the ‘how’ and in that sense challenges the reader to question and explore their own experiences of the worlds magical. This is a conversation with this extraordinary Wisewoman. 

Buy the book here: https://mandrake.uk.net/village-witch/ 

Village Wisewoman website: www.villagewisewoman.co.uk/id6.html 

Cassandra Latham-Jones Blog: www.cassandralathamjones.wordpress.com 

Mandrake of Oxford Website: https://mandrake.uk.net

In 2000, the mysterious Dutch ‘Richel-Eldermans collection’ was donated to The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in Boscastle where, in 2003, a Dutch speaking student assisted in deciphering some of the written materials in the collection. It was during this process that the student discovered a fascinating manuscript concerned with Dutch gnome-folklore, and alerted the Meertens Institute in Amsterdam who were happy to receive a copy of the ‘Gnome Manuscript’, as it became known, on CD-Rom.

Another Dutch student subsequently graduated on a study of this manuscript, but still there were too many questions and mysteries concerning the information J.H.W. Eldermans collected throughout his life. The staff of the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic were most interested in the contents of this manuscript, and so a decision was made to publish a series of books that present translations of the intriguing handwritten content, with comments on the origins of the manuscript and studies of the places described therein. The information was categorized and this first part as ‘Origins, Habit and Culture’ and focuses on where the gnomes came from, what they were doing and what they expressed. The second part will look deeper into the magic concerning gnomes, and the third part will deal with leftover writings by Eldermans.

Wilmar Taal is a Dutch cultural historian and author of ‘The Silent Listener – The Life and Works of J.H.W. Eldermans’ (Troy Books, 2018). He specializes in sagas, myths and the occult sciences. He lives in Koog aan de Zaan, The Netherlands, together with his wife, son and daughter and a spoilt rotten cat. We interviewed Wilmar to know about his new book and his adventures with Eldermans manuscripts.

This book explores historical and contemporary ideas of witchcraft through the perspective of the Clan of Tubal Cain

– a closed Initiatory group aligned to the Shadow Mysteries within the Luciferian stream. As students of arte we mediate the ancestral stream, teaching through practice with the sacred tenets of Truth, Love and Beauty. The Word is thus manifest in deed and vision.

“A driving thirst for knowledge is the forerunner of wisdom. Knowledge is a state that all organic life posesses, wisdom is the reward of the spirit, gained in the search for knowledge. Truth is variable – what is true now, will not be true tomorrow, since the temporal truths are dependent upon ethics and social mores – therefore wisdom is possibly eternal Truth, untouched by man’s condition. So we must come to the heart of the People, a belief that is based upon Eternity, and not upon social needs or pressures – the ‘witch’ belief then is concerned with wisdom, our true name, then is the wise people and wisdom is our aim.”
– Robert Cochrane (1931-1966)

Contents: Mythopoesis / Goda, the Clan of Tubal Cain and Robert Cochrane/ Hekate, Dark Mistress of the Soul/ The Wisdom of Courtly Love/Dance of the Seven Veils/ / Hand of Fatima / Sila na gigh /Dia de los Muertos / Abbots Bromley, the Wild Hunt and Saint Nick / Summer and Winter Customs / The Wild Hunt / Green Knight, Dark God of Light / The Fisher King: Gnostic Priest of the High Mysteries of the Graal / The Divine Duellists / Why Cranes? An Exploration into their Mythic Significance in / Legend and Lore/ The Fruit of Wisdom / Musings on the Sacred / The Mystery Tradition / A Man for all Seasons / The Three Rings of the Compass / Traditional Enigma / The Alchemy of the Compass / What is an Initiation?

Tubelo’s Green Fire: Mythos, Ethos, Female, Male and Priestly Mysteries of The Clan of Tubal Cain. Shani Oates (Mandrake).
According to the cover this book ‘explores historical and contemporary ideas of witchcraft through the perspective of the Clan of Tubal Cain – a closed initiatory group aligned to the Shadow Mysteries within the Luciferian stream.’ It is a collection of the writings of the present Maid of the Clan as published in various magazines such as The Cauldron, The Hedgewytch, White Dragon, Pendragon, The Witches Wynd, and The New Wiccan over the last ten years. Subjects covered include the dark goddess Hecate; The Wisdom of Courtly Love; The Dance of The Seven Veils; The Hand of Fatima; Abbots Bromley, The Wild Hunt and Old Nick; The Fisher King; Gawain and The Green Knight; The Three Rings of The Compass; The Alchemy of The Compass; and What is Initiation? Recommended.
The Cauldron #137, August 2010

One of the most interesting conversations with Shani Oates about the Clan of Tubal Cain. To know more about this and other books of Mandrake of Oxford, please visit their website.

Dual-authorship of the Clan of Tubal Cain's Legacy defining 50 years of its organic evolution. Originating from within an unpublished ms written by Evan John Jones, the former Magister of the Clan since Robert Cochrane's death in 1966, it serves Testament to the Will of Fate and Tenacity of Spirit here expressed, from its inception under Robert Cochrane through Evan John Jones' own record of the Clans beliefs and practises to those of the Current bearers of this mantle, depicting the interweaving of Wyrd in the vital process of its existence and continuity in Troth to its Tutelary Spirit: The Star-Crossed Serpent. 

This was my conversation with Shani Oates about this brilliant book. To know more about this and other books from Mandrake of Oxford, please visit their website.