If you go down into the woods tonight...
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Have you been to the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in Boscastle, Cornwall? I went recently, and had a wonderful time. The slightly unassuming exterior belies just how dense and intricate the collections are. Covering hexes, talismans, xenophobia, collectivism, pop culture, ritual, mischief, costume, torture and plenty more. It felt very much like someone excitedly narrating a complex, tangled story, with plenty of diversions and asides along the way. I’d highly recommend a visit.
I was particularly taken by the painting above1 and the accompanying text by the museum’s founder, Cecil Williamson. Williamson was an interesting figure, having worked in colonial tobacco farming; British film-making in the 1930s and alongside MI6 during the Second World War to investigate the Nazis’ interest in the occult2. His writing, alongside the painting, typifies the playful awareness, acknowledgement and interest in things that are more-than-human that runs through the museum and magical practices more generally.
Below is a short illustrated response to the painting and the text. Thanks for reading.
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Object 86 - Painting, https://museumofwitchcraftandmagic.co.uk/object/painting-2/
The evil and Cecil Williamson (1970) New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/1970/04/19/archives/the-devil-and-cecil-williamson.html