Witchcraft At The Cheshyre Cheese

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31003, 8 March 1966, Page 2

Witchcraft At The Cheshyre Cheese

lßy ZALIA THOMAS] LONDON. A place familiar to many New Zealanders, the Cheshyre Cheese in Fleet street, was an appropriate venue recently for a party to launch the latest book on witchcraft, “Witchcraft, the Sixth Sense—and Us” by Justine Glass.

In the candle-lit cellars, surrounded by racks of cobwebbed wine bottles, guests were invited to examine authentic ceremonial articles used In rituals, many of which had not been seen by those outaide the craft. • There, too. male and female witches mingled with the guests .Many preferred to remain anonymous, but a few were more forthcoming and many lively discussions ensued. particularly between two female witches and two New Zealand journalists now working in London. Miss Glass’s book deals with witchcraft as it is today. Much of the superstition popularly held concerning its practices, is debunked. Today’s white witches work only for good and present-day witches believe that the socalled black witches came into being when the persecution of the craft began and some of its members used “unlawful magic" to protect themselves. Oldest “Religion" Witchcraft is claimed to be the oldest “religion” in the world and the word witch is derived from “wicca"—wise one. For 2000 years witches were the priestesses of the community, or village. Acting as seers, and healing women, they could be described as forerunners of the National* Health Service. In 410. clouds began to ‘ darken the witches’ skies, but 1 it was in 785 that the real,' persecution began. It was not I until 1951 that the last of the i Witchcraft Acts was removed! from the statute book. Today little is still known about witches, but Miss Glass’s book explains many hitherto unknown aspects of the craft and its ritual and also discloses some fascinating aspects of witches' pow- ' ers.

Mayan Idols.—Five Mayan sun gods seized from an archaelogical smuggling ring have been valued at one million dollars by official appraisers. The idols, about three feet tall, were stolen from the Palenque ruins but were recovered by police in the south of Mexico,