Museum of Witchcraft

Where is Boscastle
Museum History
Cecil Williamson
Videos
Friends
Displays
Further reading
Witches Mill: Isle of Man

Twitterings: Museum of Witchcraft
CafePress
Museum of Witchcraft Diary
Photos of Boscastle
More lenses on Witchcraft
Resources & Further Information
Guestbook
About the Author

In 1951, the first Museum of Witchcraft was opened on the Isle of Man by Cecil Williamson. He had tried previously to open it at Stratford-upon-Avon but was not allowed to do so.

Williamson purchased the Witches Mill on the Isle of Man in 1948 and set about refurbishing it. In 1951, the museum was opened and Williamson's friend, Gerald Gardner, was employed to run it.

Unfortunately, this business arangement spelled the end to their friendship and in 1954 Cecil Williamson moved his collection to Windsor. The Witches Mill was sold to Gardner and he continued to run it as a museum.

At Royal Windsor, the Royal Family objected to his presence and he was made to move again. This time, he moved his collection to the Cotswold village of Bourton-on-the-Water.

Again though, Williamson found that he ran into opposition from the local Christian community. "Villagers held protests outside the museum and ranted about evil and Satanism. Cecil received death threats, fire bombs, and found dead cats hung from trees in the garden; eventually an arson attack burned out one wing of the museum." *

Williamson moved once again, this time back to the West Country of his birth. In 1961 the Museum of Witchcraft relocated to its present location in Boscastle.

He continued to run the museum into 31 October 1996 when at the stroke of midnight he sold it to the current owners.

*Quote from History of the Museum of Witchcraft

Williamson was born in Paignton, Devon. His father was in the military and posted abroad and he was looked after by a nanny. He was also sent to stay with relatives quite a bit and spent some holidays with his uncle, the vicar of North Bovey in Devon.

It was while staying with his uncle that Williamson had his first encounter with witchcraft. He intervened when seeing a group of thugs harrassing an elderly woman and stopped them. The woman, who it turns out was a witch, befriended young Williamson.

Later in school, Williamson states that he met a local Wise Woman living on the school grounds who taught him how to create simple spells.

He continued his education after moving to Rhodesia, where he had moved to raise tobacco. It was in Rhodesia that he realised the ways of witchcraft are universal. African witchdcoctors were using techniques very similar to English witches.

He returned to Britain in 1930 where his study of the occult was becoming well known. He met with and exchanged letter with some of the countries leading experts on the occult: including Wallis Budge of the British Museum, anthropologist Margaret Murray, and historian Montague Summers.

A few years later, Williamson was approached by MI6 and asked to work undercover, collecting information on the occult interests of leading military personnel in Nazi Germany.

His involvement with MI6 continued throughout WW2 and it is said that it was occult information provided by Cecil Williamson that was used to lure Rudolph Hess to Scotland.

Cecil Williamson died in 1996, at 90 years of age, after selling the Museum of Witchcraft to its current owner.

Many of his ritual tools and items from his private collection of artefacts remain on display at the museum.

In 1996 an independent group formed "The Friends of the Museum of Witchcraft". They raise money by subscription and donation to help fund the purchase of new display items, conservation tools, and equipment. They also co-ordinate volunteers, and assist students and researchers in accessing the large and unique collection of artefacts, papers, and books housed within the Museum and its library.

When Boscastle was inundated by flooding in 2004,it was the Friends of the Museum of Witchcraft who co-ordinated fundraising efforts and organised volunteers to get the museum opened again just one year after the ground level of the museum was completely covered over with water.

The Friends of the Museum of Witchcraft are a registered charity.

The Museum today houses a wide range of items related to witchcraft and magic. While some objects may offend, their purpose and goal is to display a variety of artefacts that can explain witchcraft in the present and in the past in as unbiased manner.

The museum displays are grouped into the follow categories

* Images of Witchcraft
* Devil Worship and Satanism
* The Wheel of the Year
* Stone Circles and Sacred Sites
* Scrying and Divination
* The Wise Woman
* Protection
* The Mandrake
* Curses and Cursing
* Persecution of Witches
* The Richel Collection
* Ritual Magic
* The Horned God
* The Goddess
* The Hare and 'Shape shifting'
* Charms and Spells
* Healing
* Sea Witchcraft
* Tools Witches Use
* Modern Witchcraft

The Museum of Witchcraft today

The Richel Collection was given to the Museum of Witchcraft in 2000 by Dutch collector Bob Richel. He inherited much of the collection from his father-in-law, Mr Eldermans.

This collection is one of the best on ritual/sex magic artefacts.

Eldermans had been a Magister of the Ars Amatoria, one of many Ceremonial Magick groups that had sprung up over time along with Argenteum Astrum, a group that Aliester Crowley belonged to. The Richel Collection contains artefacts from both organisations.

It is believed that Richel and Eldermans also belonged to a group called M M based in The Hague and Leiden.

I have permission from the Museum of Witchcraft and the Occult Art Company to display images from the Richel Collection here. All are available for purchase through the Occult Art Company along with CDs, occult supplies, and t-shirts.

This WITCH, painted in 1837, is riding a broom, or besom, but it is unusual that this witch's broomstick is forked like a stang and she is wearing a small stang in her hat.

This is the first of the new posters from The Richel Collection for The Museum of Witchcraft. The collection itself originates in Holland.

Our price: £3.00
£2.00 postage & packaging
add £1.00 P&P for each extra witch poster
Purchase at The Occult Art Company

This beautiful image of the serpent on the cross has featured on the front cover of the well-respected occult publication, 'The Cauldron'.

The serpent is one of the most well known of The Richel Collection images held by The Museum of Witchcraft.

Our price: £5.00
£2.00 postage & packaging
add £1.00 P&P for each extra serpent poster
Purchase at The Occult Art Company

The Wheel of the Year was painted by local artist Vivienne Shanley especially for The Museum of Witchcraft. It beautifully depicts the sun's journey throughout the changing seasons of the year.

The original painting on wood is one of the most popular displays in the museum. Many people have asked for a poster of it and now it's here!

Our price: £3.00
£2.00 postage & packaging
add £1.00 P&P for each extra Wheel poster
Purchase at The Occult Art Company

Could this relate to the tradition of "Sub Rosa" or secrecy? Note the pentangle is positioned under the rose and in the past, magic was definitely a secret arte. It may serve to remind one of the importance of discretion.

This popular image is from an original in The Richel Collection from Holland.

Our price: £5.00

£2.00 postage & packaging

add £1.00 P&P for each extra sub rosa poster
Purchase at The Occult Art Company

Sterling Silver Hazel Pentagram Necklace with Chain - boxed

This Sterling Silver necklace is based on the Richel Collection's hazel pentagram motif which you see on many other museum items.

It is approximately 2.5 cm (1.25 inches) across & comes with chain & box.

It has been commissioned exclusively for the museum and is made in West Penwith in Cornwall.

Note: the chain is fairly short so the pentacle sits at the top of the chest bone around the neck of a dainty lady. For burly masculine chap necks a longer chain may be required. We will try to source longer chains in the near future but currently we only stock one length.

Our price: £ 30.00
£2.00 postage & packaging
add £1.00 P&P for each extra necklace ordered
Purchase at The Occult Art Company

Traditional Witchcraft: A Cornish Book of Ways

Gemma Gary's book explores a fascinating collection of preserved Traditional, established ways and new innovations relating to the rites, spells, charms, working tools and magical recipes of the Cornish Craft. The book covers the Cornish spirit world, Bucca, crafting powders, oils and charms, and working with the Cornish ritual year and more.

Published by Troy Books

Our price: £ 13.99
£2.00 postage & packaging
add £2.00 for each extra identical item ordered
Purchase at The Occult Art Company

The Witch of the West

The Witch of The West by Jason Semmens is the biography of Cornwall's well-known 19th Century Cunning-Woman, Thomasine Blight. 'Belief in witchcraft and ill-wishing was once widespread in Cornwall, and occult practitioners called cunning-folk, or conjurers, were turned to by those who thought themselves bewitched.'

This book will appeal to anyone with an interest in Cornish folklore, witchcraft, and social history.

Our price: £ 5.00
£2.00 postage & packaging
add £1.00 for each extra identical item ordered
Purchase at The Occult Art Company

Witch Keyring

These fun keyrings are great stocking fillers. We'll choose a colour for you depending on which witch is in stock.

Our price: £ 2.00
£1.50 postage and packaging
add 50 pence P&P for each extra identical item
Purchase at The Occult Art Company

Songs of Witchcraft and Magic

A Unique Collection specially produced by:

The Museum of Witchcraft

'Songs of Witchcraft and Magic' was compiled by folk loving curator Graham King with sleeve notes by Joyce Froome and sleeve design by Graham himself. It brings together songs from all parts of the country and has received excellent reviews. This CD includes a booklet with all the words to the songs as well as information on their source and meaning. Performed by the original artists, some of the best known traditional folk musicians around.

Our price: £ 13.00
£2 .00 postage and packaging
add £1.00 P&P for each extra 'Songs of Witchcraft & magic'
Purchase at The Occult Art Company