The Cunning Craft Essex

…on the nature of the Craft and its practitioners….

The following is quoted from M. Howard’s ‘Children of Cain’, although the actual quote itself comes from ‘Welsh Witches’, I personally think it’s good for all, not just the Welsh.

(From ‘Welsh, Witches and Warlocks’ Pugh 1987)

1) The black witches, male and female, who traded their souls in exchange for magical powers, using them for evil and cursing. Quick to take umbrage they were liberal with their use of curses

2) The white witches, who used their powers for the lifting of curses and healing. They sold love potions, foretold the future and were widely consulted by the gentry of the times as well as ordinary folk. They could, when aroused to extreme anger, curse people.

3) The third type were also practicing white witches, always male, and called a wizard or wise man. He could also cure diseases and lift curses and usually travelled through the country selling his magical powers. In addition to these three types of witches there were men who could exorcise spirits by means of the cross and the Trinity and passages from the New Testament. They were classed as wise men and conjurors, but never referred to as witches, and were many times more successful at exorcising spirits then the clergy (Pugh 1987). (there certainly were and are Wise Woman too! My great grandmother was one - and she was Welsh!)

Personally I’d like to think I fit best with type 3, indeed I'd never call myself a witch, and certainly not a warlock

Although I don’t sell magic powers or travel the country and neither am I a Christian. I do however work in a profession that could be seen as ‘magical’ not so long ago and I imagine that some ‘cunning folk’ did exactly what I do without realising that’s what it was!