Most books on witchcraft read like horror stories, with lurid tales detailing the persecution and executions of witches in the past. This one is different as it focuses on Sussex witches and their actual craft – who they were and what they did on a day-to-day basis, rather than their supposed criminality. It looks at evidence and artefacts such as witch jars, protective marks and wax effigies revealing how their skills were perceived, with imagery and ritual-essential, intrinsic elements. Many old superstitions, such as witches turning into hares and immobilising carts, are also – sceptically – included. These contrast vividly with the practice of real-life witches, such as Susannah Stacey of East Chiltington, an exceptional herbalist, who certainly didn’t fit the cauldron-stirring, ‘hubble bubble’ caricature of a witch. Witch trials are featured, revealing how the few who fell afoul of the law were dealt with in the county. More recent times are documented, with the emergence of the Wicca faith and the first blue plaque to the occult, unveiled in Brighton, on the home of ‘The Queen of Modern Witchcraft’, Doreen Valiente.Author Christopher Horlock delves deeply into the remarkable story of Sussex witchcraft and collates virtually everything that is so far known. Illustrated throughout, this fresh insight will interest all those who want to know more about the history of witchcraft in Sussex.
