Witches, Druids, and Sin Eaters
Witches, Druids, and Sin Eaters

Author: Jon G. Hughes

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2022-09-20

Total Pages: 437

ISBN-13: 1644114291

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A guide to ancient beliefs including instructions for magic and spellcasting • Describes the arcane rituals, ancient beliefs, and secret rites of the Welsh Marches, including those of the Sin Eaters, Eye Biters, and Spirit Hunters • Shares extracts from ancient texts stored in the archives of the National Museum of Wales, along with many original photographs of related artifacts • Includes a Grimoire of the Welsh Marches, a wide collection of spells and magical workings along with practical instruction on crafting and casting In this collaboration between a Druid and a witchcraft researcher, Jon G. Hughes and Sophie Gallagher describe in intricate detail the arcane rituals, ancient beliefs, and secret rites of the Welsh Marches, the borderlands between Celtic Wales and Anglo-Saxon England--one of the oldest and most significant locations for early witchcraft and a lasting repository for ancient Druidic lore. The authors explore the repressed rituals and practices of sin eaters, those who take upon themselves the sins of a recently deceased person; eye biters, powerful Witches able to cast malevolent curses simply by looking at their victims; and spirit hunters, Witches who gain control of their victim’s spirit. Drawing on their personal access to the archives of the National Museum Wales, as well as the local museums found within the Welsh Marches, the authors share extracts from ancient texts, along with original photographs of related artifacts, such as charm and spell bottles used to ward off evil and “poppets,” wax effigies crafted by Witches to inflict pain and death on a targeted subject. In the second half of the book, the authors present a Grimoire of the Welsh Marches, a wide collection of spells and magical workings along with practical instruction on crafting and casting. Offering a comprehensive look at the earth-based beliefs and practices of primal witchcraft and Druidic lore, the authors show not only how the traditions of the Welsh Marches had a profound influence on the cultural and spiritual history of the British Isles but also how their influence was exported to all corners of the world.

Flower Magic of the Druids
Flower Magic of the Druids

Author: Jon G. Hughes

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2023-05-02

Total Pages: 207

ISBN-13: 1644116405

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A practical guide to using flowers in magical practice • Provides detailed instruction on every stage of the harvesting, crafting, and practical use of flower magic potions, including a comprehensive herbarium of all the flowers that may be used • Discusses what type of flower and form of flower magic is best for specific enchantments and rituals in the areas of love and sex magic, healing and focusing, and protection • Looks at the physical and spiritual gifts of bees and the importance of bee culture in Druidic flower magic Flowers are found in magic traditions around the world, from those in ancient Egypt, China, and India to the traditions of the Norse and Native Americans. Yet many of today’s well-established flower traditions—like bridal bouquets—originated in the Druidic magical lore of Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. As fifth-generation Druid Jon G. Hughes explains, flowers hold a preeminent position in Druidic folk magic with their own special branch of magical workings. In this practical guide, Hughes details how to use flowers in magical practice, focusing on flowering plants with a long history of magical use going back to Druidic times yet many of which are commonly found throughout the world, such as buttercup, blackberry, and dog rose. He discusses what type of flower and form of flower magic is best for specific enchantments and rituals in the areas of love and sex magic, well-being and good fortune, and protection. He looks at the magical use of fresh flowers and provides detailed instruction on every stage of the harvesting, crafting, and practical use of flower magic potions, including a comprehensive herbarium of all the flowers that may be used. Examining the complex relationship between flowers and bees, the author looks at the physical and spiritual gifts of bees, such as honey, propolis, and beeswax, and the importance of bee culture in Druidic flower magic, including the tradition of the honeymoon, the significance of the hexagon, and medieval beekeeper lore. Inviting you into the gentle yet powerful realm of Druidic flower magic, the author also details how to plan, plant, and take care of your own magical flower garden with all the botanicals you will need to pursue the path of flower magic.

Living Wands of the Druids
Living Wands of the Druids

Author: Jon G. Hughes

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2024-01-30

Total Pages: 278

ISBN-13: 1644118041

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A practical guide to the creation of natural wands for magical work • Explains the variety of woods and other botanicals that may be used to craft wands, their magical and hermetic attributes and virtues, and how these influence the adept’s intention and magical workings • Offers detailed harvesting advice, explaining the necessary magical actions specific to each tree as well as important influences such as the phases of the moon and the seasons • Offers step-by-step instructions for wand practice, including magical workings, cleansing, intention, potentializing, and how to properly return a wand to nature From Moses to Merlin to the power of the royal scepter, the wand has been a key magical device found in nearly every civilization and esoteric tradition throughout history. The fundamental purpose of a wand is to act as a spiritual conduit, harnessing the power of the adept’s intention and channeling it into manifestation. Exploring the history, lore, and creation of living wands—those crafted from local natural materials—fifth-generation Druid Jon G. Hughes presents a practical guide to the harvesting, crafting, and potentializing of living wands, as well as rods and staffs. He offers detailed harvesting advice, explaining the magical actions and meditations specific to each tree that should accompany crafting work as well as important influences such as the phases of the moon and the seasons. He looks in depth at woodlore, explaining the variety of woods and other botanicals that may be used to craft wands, their magical and hermetic attributes and virtues, and how these influence the adept’s intention and magical workings. Trees and botanicals examined include oak, hawthorn, hazel, birch, apple, ash, mistletoe, holly, and ivy. The author explores various types of wands, such as rood, entwined, thorn, and compound, detailing how each differs in its use and intended outcome. He offers step-by-step instructions on how to use wands for magical workings and explains other aspects of wand practice, including cleansing, intention, potentializing, and how to properly return a wand to nature after its purpose has been fulfilled. Presenting a complete guide to crafting and using living wands as well as the history and lore behind this traditional form of Druidic natural magic, this book allows you to harness the magical essence of the living natural resources that surround you, helping you elevate your manifestations from the mundane to the higher spiritual planes.

Sexual Practices of the Druids
Sexual Practices of the Druids

Author: Jon G. Hughes

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2013-09-21

Total Pages: 179

ISBN-13: 1620552035

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A step-by-step guide to the ancient tradition of sex magic as practiced by generations of Celtic Druids • Details a wide range of sex magic rituals that may be used by couples, groups, and solitary practitioners • Explains how to channel, intensify, and project your sexual energy for magical purposes • Provides instructions for crafting the necessary ritual tools, including wands, chalices, cauldrons, and attire, and for brewing the potions that accompany these rites One of the Druid’s most powerful tools, sex magic harnesses and projects the immense natural energy produced by orgasm to liberate your consciousness from everyday awareness and influence reality at will. With more than 50 years in the Druidic tradition, Jon Hughes reveals the fundamentals of Celtic sex magic passed down secretly from generation to generation. He explains how to channel, intensify, and project your sexual energy for magical purposes and offers authentic instructions for a wide range of sex magic rituals that may be used by couples, groups, and solitary practitioners. In addition to the steps of preparation and closure for each ritual, he describes the workings of the 9 stages of the sex magic ritual--Awakening, Augmentation, Intensification, Quickening, Orgasm and Projection, Continuance, Relaxation, Scattering, and Gift. Hughes provides detailed instructions for crafting and consecrating the necessary ritual tools, including wands, chalices, and cauldrons, and for brewing the potions that accompany these rites. He also explores the power of emotion and intention in these sacred rituals, providing a complete guide to this ancient path of empowerment and magic.

Welsh Gothic
Welsh Gothic

Author: Jane Aaron

Publisher: University of Wales Press

Published: 2013-05-15

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 0708326099

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Welsh Gothic, the first study of its kind, introduces readers to the array of Welsh Gothic literature published from 1780 to the present day. Informed by postcolonial and psychoanalytic theory, it argues that many of the fears encoded in Welsh Gothic writing are specific to the history of Welsh people, telling us much about the changing ways in which Welsh people have historically seen themselves and been perceived by others. The first part of the book explores Welsh Gothic writing from its beginnings in the last decades of the eighteenth century to 1997. The second part focuses on figures specific to the Welsh Gothic genre who enter literature from folk lore and local superstition, such as the sin-eater, cŵn Annwn (hellhounds), dark druids and Welsh witches. Contents Prologue: ‘A Long Terror’ PART I: HAUNTED BY HISTORY 1. Cambria Gothica (1780s–1820s) 2. An Underworld of One’s Own (1830s–1900s). 3. Haunted Communities (1900s–1940s). 4. Land of the Living Dead (1940s–1997). PART II: ‘THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE CELTIC TWILIGHT’ 5. Witches, Druids and the Hounds of Annwn. 6. The Sin-eater Epilogue: Post-devolution Gothic Notes Select Bibliography Index

Celtic Sex Magic
Celtic Sex Magic

Author: Jon G. Hughes

Publisher: Destiny Books

Published: 2001-12-01

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 9780892819089

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The first written account by a contemporary Welsh initiate of the ancient tradition of sex magic as practiced by generations of Celtic druids. • Reveals authentic, accurate, and fully illustrated instructions. • Provides detailed instructions for crafting, purifying, and energizing all the necessary ritual tools. Sex magic is an important component of Celtic spiritual practice. Unlike other ritual practices that look to intermediaries or deities to execute the participants' wishes, druids believe that individuals can directly influence exterior reality by focusing their own internal sexual energy. Sex magic potentizes and projects this energy so that it reaches its full power, allowing the participants to liberate their consciousness from everyday awareness and influence reality at will. Written by a practicing druid with more than forty years in the tradition, Celtic Sex Magic explains the fundamental principles involved in channeling the vast amounts of energy generated during orgasm for the purpose of projecting spells and elevating consciousness. The secrets of this tradition have been passed down orally for generations and are revealed here in print for the first time. This workbook contains authentic, accurate, and fully illustrated instructions for a wide range of sex magic rituals that may be used by couples, groups, and solitary practitioners. The author also provides detailed instructions for crafting the necessary ritual tools and brewing the potions used in these rituals. Celtic Sex Magic offers the keys to unlocking and directing the enormous potential of sexual energy.

Druids and Druidism
Druids and Druidism

Author: T. D. Kendrick

Publisher: Courier Corporation

Published: 2003-01-01

Total Pages: 276

ISBN-13: 9780486427195

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Well-documented summary of Druidic culture offers a detailed account of the racial history, prehistory, and social atmosphere of this early Gallic and British civilization. The amply illustrated text considers many theories of the origin of Druidism, its temples and religious practices, and its early mention by Greek and Roman writers.

The Druidic Art of Divination
The Druidic Art of Divination

Author: Jon G. Hughes

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2020-06-16

Total Pages: 375

ISBN-13: 1644110253

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A complete guide to the techniques of the pre-Celtic Druids for understanding the past, present, and future • Offers step-by-step instructions for a wealth of practices passed down across five generations of Welsh Druids • Explains the three forms of divination used by the Druids: interpretive divination, such as reading the Sevens; inductive divination, such as reading the wind or smoke; and intuitive divination, whose tools include cup-stones and scrying mirrors • Provides comprehensive instructions on how to craft and utilize your own magical instruments and tools, including botanical compounds, scrying wands, and slate speculum vitae In this practical guide, Jon G. Hughes shares ancient secret Druidic techniques of divination passed down to him across five generations in an unbroken lineage of influential Welsh Druids. Hughes explains the three forms of divination used by his tradition: interpretive divination, used by readers of the Sevens (small staves with engraved sigils); inductive divination, which includes instructions for reading the wind, reading smoke, and divination using water; and intuitive divination, whose tools includes cup-stones and slate mirrors for scrying. Providing step-by-step instructions for practices in each of the three forms, he offers a wealth of divinatory techniques and explains how to access the altered states of consciousness necessary to read time backward and forward. He also explores the crafting and use of all tools and mixtures the reader will need to perform each type of divination, including botanical compounds, scrying wands, and a slate speculum vitae, the “mirror of life.” He reveals how the prime function of divination in this school of Druidic lore is to gain insight into past, present, and future events through a process of internalizing them, akin to empathy, and then interpreting them. By providing an understanding of pre-Celtic beliefs and clear instructions for Druidic practices, Hughes offers each of us the opportunity to begin our own practical experimentation and journey of discovery into the ancient art of Druidic divination.

The Witches Ways in the Welsh Borders
The Witches Ways in the Welsh Borders

Author: Tamzin Powell

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2017-09-21

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 9781544091273

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"This is a delightful and fascinating study of practitioners who currently engage in a cluster of important traditions of spirituality, in an especially beautiful and numinous part of Britain." Professor Ronald Hutton. Local cunning folk and witches as practitioners of traditional magic, healing, ritualistic ceremonies and customs have been part of the Welsh Borderlands around the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean for many centuries and their ways have often come down from the ancient past. This book will take you on a journey where the greenwood, spirituality, ritualised practices, lifestyle and folklore will all come together to form the basis of an anthropological look at the cunning-folk ways, an ancient and contemporary analysis of Witchcraft with new historical evidence, and contemporary interviews with practitioners of magic. It is about pagans and the continuity of a cunning practice in the author's locale, one which is still practiced today. The author discovered new evidence suggesting that local cunning folk engage with ancient practices of Celtic deity worship involving an early British Goddess and her consort. The term 'Wiccan' (with two C's), often used to describe 'most' witch practitioners today, has been misunderstood for years and is expressly distinct from contemporary cunning folk and witches who are of a 'Wican'(with one C) tradition. The nature of this surprising distinction is discussed and evaluated. This book conveys the history of practitioners of Magic and Witchcraft in the borderlands of England and Wales (Albion and Cymru) from as far back as the fourteenth century. It is the first contemporary academic study ever done on cunning folk living in this locale. Most primary written evidence of witchcraft has been handed down from nineteenth- and early twentieth-century writers. However, one rarely known writer, Margaret Eyre, who lived in the Wye Valley in the nineteenth century, made unique records of interviews identifying ancestral, familial, and local attachments to cunning folk. Much of this information did not come to light and was therefore never acknowledged by writers until this author discovered some rare archives of The Folklore Society. Little is known of Eyre's role in The Folklore Society but she was the key to unlocking the secret occult history of this area and uncovering its continuous local tradition of witchcraft.

A Druid's Handbook to the Spiritual Power of Plants
A Druid's Handbook to the Spiritual Power of Plants

Author: Jon G. Hughes

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2014-05-14

Total Pages: 204

ISBN-13: 1620552663

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A practical guide to creating plant extracts, essences, and complexes for use in Druidic sex magic rituals • Explores the identification, harvesting, and magical properties of more than 70 flowers and trees • Details the careful and meticulous spagyric preparation of plant extracts and complexes • Demonstrates how plant compounds are used in Druidic sex magic rituals by both couples and groups In this practical guide to Druidic plant magic, Jon G. Hughes reveals the gentle alchemy of converting plant essences into potent compounds for working sex magic rituals. Examining the identification, harvesting, and magical properties of more than 70 flowers and trees, he details the careful and meticulous spagyric preparation of plant extracts and complexes as well as the process of obtaining or creating suitable alcoholic spirits for the base of these preparations. He includes instructions to make all necessary tools and explores how to prepare yourself to work with plant essences and properly use the magical compounds you create. Hughes explains how to release the energies, healing attributes, and magical capacities of flowers and trees through the respectful seduction of a plant’s virtue and the 3-step spagyric process of separation, purification, and reunification. He shows how the spagyric process maximizes the power of the acquired essence in preparation for its use in magical ritual. Detailing Druidic sex rituals for both a couple and a group, Hughes demonstrates how plant compounds are used in specific magical rituals and practices as well as the role of the plant complex in sexual potency. Exploring the underlying accord between alchemy and Druidic practices, Hughes provides a valuable manual for anyone wishing to harness the magical potential of plant energy.