Witchcraft is the practice of magic, sometimes black magic, with the use of spells. Through British and Irish history, people believed to use witchcraft have been subjected to violence, imprisonment and execution. In modern and more enlightened times, many have embraced the spiritual aspects of witchcraft.
Tag: Witchcraft
The Orkney Witch Memorial Plaque
GREGOR STEWART reveals the sad story of the Orkney Witches, in this exclusive extract from Witch Memorials of Scotland
Shadows of Pendle: Barry McCann author INTERVIEW
Barry McCann, editor of Spooky Isles’ new anthology, Shadow of Pendle, talks Pendle Witches with CHRISTINE MILLER
The Inverkip Witch Trials
Witch trials swept Scotland in the 17th century and the tiny village of Inverkip was not immune, says CHRISTINE MILLER
Witch of Saratoga, Northampton’s forgotten magickal emigrant
Angeline Tubbs left England in 1761 and became the infamous Witch of Saratoga, writes JJ MERRYWEATHER
Who were the Witches of Belvoir?
Who were the Witches of Belvoir?
Black Death 2010 REVIEW
Black Death 2010 is a dark bubonic tale about the tensions and hysteria caused by mass death, says SIMON BALL
This Isle is Full of Monsters: Jon Kaneko-James author interview
Jon Kaneko-James talks about his new book, The Isle is Full of Monsters, and how we need to relook how people thought about the supernatural in Shakespeare's times…
Janet Horne, The Burning of the Last Witch in Scotland
Janet Horne was the last witch to be executed in Scotland, KATHLEEN BRUNO looks into the facts of the case
Black Cats and Superstition: 13 things you didn’t know about
ANN MASSEY reveals some strange and wonderful superstitions surrounding black cats through the centuries...
Discover the gender-swapping skeleton of St Osyth, Essex
Guest writer MO KEOHAN reveals how science revealed the real identity of an 'Essex witch' skeleton in St Oysth
Was a mummied cat buried in secret Pendle Hill witches’ cottage?
BARRY McCann looks at 'Lancashire's Tutankhamen's Tomb' - a supposed witches' cottage near Pendle Hill that had been buried for unknown reasons...
Jennet Device: Whatever happened to the Pendle Witch child?
BARRY McCANN investigates what became of the Pendle Witch child, Jennet Device, following her explosive testimony...
The Bloody History of British Witches
Guest writer NIXIE VALE takes a look at the history of witchcraft through the ages...
Pendle Witches Guide: Where in the Hill to find them
BARRY McCann charts a Pendle Witches Guide of Pendle Hill
Binge reading all 7 Harry Potter Novels in a week
MATT WINGETT binges on all Harry Potter novels over a week to see what all the fuss is about...
How to use the Witch’s Rosary
Rosary beads aren’t something that is just limited to the Christian faith, there's such a thing as the Witch's rosary, as PHILIP DAVIES finds out
Against the Crowd: Murrain 1975 REVIEW
Against the Crowd: Murrain 1975, a TV film from Nigel Kneale, is reviewed by DAVID SAUNDERSON
What evil lurks inside the haunted St Osyth Witches Cage in Essex?
JON KANEKO-JAMES talks to John Fraser about his report into Essex's St Osyth Witches Cage
Discover Meg Shelton, the Witch of Woodplumpton’s spooky grave
A boulder in a Lancashire burial ground marks the grave of Meg Shelton, but according to BARRY McCANN, the Witch of Woodplumpton may still walk the earth!
Return to the “Witches” of Islandmagee, County Antrim
JANET QUINLIVAN goes to Islandmagee in Northern Ireland to see if its executed witches deserve an apology
Curse of the Brampton Witch’s Tea Set
BARRY McCANN looks at the hexed China that once belonged to a Cumbrian witch!
The Dark Side of Magic: Witches and the Sidhe
AMY VAN DE CASTEELE takes a look back at the time when witches and fairies were anything but the fodder of children's stories
Mysterious Bidston Hill, beautiful but sinister
Birkenhead's Bidston Hill has had everything from ghosts, satanists and UFOs haunt its beautiful surrounds, says guest writer LAUREN JONES
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince 2009 REVIEW
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince 2009 is reviewed by SARAH BLAIR-DICKINSON