In 2008 Daniel A. Schulke approached
the late Michael Howard, editor of the British witchcraft and folklore journal The Cauldron, about co-editing and
producing a witchcraft anthology for Three Hands Press. Given the quiet but
potent renaissance that traditional and hereditary witchcraft underwent in the
1990s, they both felt that such a publication was long overdue. At the time,
much written about traditional witchcraft was of poor quality, either crudely
derivative of a few often-repeated sources, factually inaccurate, or simply
plagiaristic. Though this situation persists, readership on this subject has
grown increasingly sophisticated and discerning, and a few new voices have
emerged from the collective hedge to articulate important and original
perspectives on the Craft.
Aside from considerations
of quality content, high-caliber writing and creative synthesis, they agreed
that a crucial aspect of the work should be the unique voice of the actual
practitioners, speaking directly to experience of the magical Art itself.
Though still obscure to most, the variety and idiosyncrasy of old witchcraft
lines is remarkable. The witches of Cornwall, with their corpora of folk charms
and blessings, are one such phenotype. The Pickingill Craft as described by
E.W. Liddell, remains despite its controversy one of the most unique and potent
streams of Old Craft, as does Robert Cochrane’s Clan of Tubal Cain. The Manx
Old Order covines, with their intense connection to angelic magic and the dark
faery lore of Ellan Vannin (the Isle of Man), are another such clan, as is the
Skull and Bones tradition of Pennsylvania with its ominous and rustic
spirit-patrons. The Old Craft lineages of the Cultus Sabbati, with the medieval
Witches' Sabbath as an important organizing principle, are yet another
distinctive tradition – as was Bob and Meriem Clay-Egerton’s Coven of the
Scales – which is where I entered the equation.
Though these forms of the
Old Craft are known through their exterior writings, there are other such
groups who are content to remain out of the public eye, practicing their Art
and training their own generation of adepts. All of these traditions share a common feature of extreme selectivity
when it comes to prospective members, and the willingness to reject those
proven unfit for the work. [my italics, MD] This unpopular and
confrontational stance has often led to thorny relations between groups, but it
has also engendered a sanctuary-like environment where creative magical
collaboration can unfold according to the design of each tradition.
Thus was forged Hands of Apostasy: Essays
on Witchcraft and Folk Magic, an anthology featuring eighteen writers on
witchcraft topics as varied as the Devil, plant magic, necromancy, the Romantic
movement, and the powers of moon and tide. Representing widely varying
witchcraft traditions and perspectives, the book is a sound testament to the
Craft’s diversity and strength. With Apostasy Daniel Schulke served as a
co-editor with Michael Howard, whose work over the years with The Cauldron had been an immensely
valuable resource to the at-large community of practitioners.
I’d known Michael Howard
for many a long year but I must confess that the commission had me scratching
my head for a long time. We know what we
believe but it’s another thing to explain to outsiders so that it makes sense
and after several months ‘Faith and Belief in British Old Craft’ finally passed
muster. Over the next few weeks I’ll be
posting the complete essay …
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