The Works of Nigel G. Pearson have largely focused on
the world of plants, as in his eminent work The
Devil’s Plantation published by Troy Books in 2016. This book is in a way followed
up by the book Wortcunning: A FolkMedicine Herbal (Troy Books: 2018) that is actually two books in one. The
larger part is a shorthand of folk magic herbs with their uses and
associations, a sort of ‘shorthand’ or reference book for the more common of
the many plants useful for the cunning one in the great variety of his or her
work with healing or with the other side. A precise and great summary that is very
useful.
The other part of this book is composed of the notes Nigel was given by a family
group of witches in Susses in the 1980’s that gives a catalogue of properties
and use of a great number of healing plants for a great number of ailments.
Interesting is also to note that many of the more traditional witching poisons
are limited to a warning of being poisonous and given the rulership of Saturn
which certainly reads like a good way of protecting what needs to be protected.
This is clearly a book that should be present in any library taking herbalism
seriously. But there is also another offering here from Nigel, the revised and
expanded edition of his 2009 publication Walking the Tides (Troy Books: 2017). I am most happy to see that masterful work
finding a worthy presentation in how Troy Books has presented the revised
edition, because this book does give an idea of how the mind of the ‘witch’
works in seeking out and understanding power manifesting in the visible and invisible
realms.
What Nigel does in Walking the
Tides is of such calibre that it serves as an inspiration for applying a
similar approach to one’s own local geography vegetation and yearly cycles because
it is by witnessing the festivities, the food, the plants, the climate,
folklore, folk magical practices and so forth. By observing the activities of men, beast and
plant the year round Nigel is presenting us for an idea of the energy of spirit
of each month as it moves around in the British Isles and give to the world an
example I think it is crucial to follow. To give one example, Yule, the December
solstice that in the Northern hemisphere has the scent of cold, death and
promise of resurrection through the mystery of winter, snow and cold… how this
is different here in the Southern hemisphere where Yule falls on the midsummer with
rain, heat waves and all of nature in full rigid fertility and flow. It feels
wrong and it smells wrong and even more so when pagans down here in Brazil simply
just ‘turn the wheel of the year around and make mid-summer at midwinter and so
forth. The seasonal tides are far more complex than this….
And it is in giving
an example on how to approach the seasonal changes where you live Nigel’s book
is so inspiring and great. For me this book is a classic, and even more so it
gives a model for how to think from the perspective of ‘Natural Craft’ for the
sake of understanding, harvesting and using the powers making itself available
to us in the year round. It was a book that rose the wish to speak with the
author and so we arranged for an interview that we happily share with you here…
Interview
with Nigel G. Pearson.
In your book
“Walking the Tides” you define its content as ‘natural craft’, what made you
choose this term instead of for instance ‘folk magic or ‘traditional craft’?
I was looking
for a term that covered, or at least implied, a wider scope than “just” Folk
Magic or Traditional Craft. Whilst it is of course true to say that both of
these terms do cover fairly wide areas and topics within themselves, I wanted a
term that also wouldn't put off people new to these areas. In my “day job”
working in an esoteric and healing store, I often get to talk to people who are
just learning about these subjects and have very little background knowledge to
draw on – indeed, it was because of some of the questions that I was asked in
the shop that I decided to write what became “Walking the Tides” in the first
place. A lot of people didn't even know what an Oak or an Ash tree looked like,
so to push them right in at the deep end, so to speak, with more esoteric
terminology than was necessary, I felt would scare off the very people that I
was hoping to get to read the book. Of course, I also hoped that people with a
good background in the magical arts would also read it, so I coined the term
“natural craft” with that aim in mind. It seems like a fairly gentle term, for
those with little to no knowledge in that area, but to those with more
experience, it would indicate the type of book that it actually was. In
addition to this, I also wanted a term that gave me the opportunity to draw on
aspects and topics that weren't normally addressed – I felt – in a book that
dealt specifically with Folk Magic and Traditional Craft – of the Witch
variety. I wanted to bring in such things as the birds, animals, trees and
other plants, in both their esoteric and non-esoteric aspects. Subjects such as
traditional fairs and wakes, seasonal recipes and drinks, whilst not being
specifically esoteric in nature, I felt also had a place in a book of this type
and could be included under this heading of “natural”. The Craft aspect, of
course, may be understood in many different ways, magical, practical, esoteric
and non and so I felt that the two terms together suited my purposes and that
of the book admirably.
How would you
explain the difference of importance for the crafter the tides of the Moon and
the solar cycles?
Personally, I
wouldn't say that either one was more important than the other, merely that
they are different in type and, possibly, function to the magical worker or
Crafter. These tides can be viewed from a few different angles, depending on
the emphasis of the work, or indeed, of the Crafter. The tides of the Sun are
more obvious in their manifestation, but also conversely, can also be very
subtle. It goes without saying that the Solar tides create our yearly cycle,
our seasons, our major weather patterns and the Sun itself provides the energy
by which all life on Earth exists. The solar tides can be seen as the governing
force behind major works of magic, in that it is usually by them that the
timings of most esoteric work is begun and ended. By starting a major piece of
work at an appropriate solar tide, we not only reap the benefit of that tide –
ride the wave of energy if you like – but can have it manifest roughly at a
time of our choosing, if taking this into account. This is often one of the
reasons why some people think that their spell/magic has not worked, in that
they haven't taken into account the time they began and the longer time for
manifestation involved when using a solar tide or energy. However, this can
also be the benefit of working with solar tides, in that a seed idea/sigillum
may be set, and left to germinate of its own accord; in fact it is often better
if we ignore and forget the fact that we have done it at all and leave it to
manifest in its own time. The solar tides can be likened to the great waves
that crash upon a seashore and carve and sculpt the rocks and the sand, in a
fairly obvious manner.
The Lunar
tides I see as being much more subtle in nature, but also possibly having a much
more deeper and far reaching effect. It sounds trite to say, but if the Sun can
be seen to work upon the outer, obvious and conscious levels, the Moon can be
seen to work on the inner, deeper, more subconscious levels of the psyche.
The Moon deals with the hidden and unseen (generally) effects in the
world and on people and is used by Crafters when working with those levels in
mind. It can be said that the Moon tides can be utilised for more
short-term magic than the Sun and therefore are of more immediate use to the
Crafter.
What is the
importance of the tides of the Moon for the crafter?
This is a
subject I am hoping to cover in depth in a future work, as I have already
written on the Sun tides in “Walking the Tides”, but I'll give you a flavour
now. It is well known that the Moon governs the tidal rhythms of the Sea and
other watery bodies on the Earth, can regulate menstrual cycles in humans and
animals and also other bodily rhythms. It is also well known that many Witches
and Crafters regulate a lot of their magical rites to the phases of the Moon,
because of these influences and the effect they can have. It is less well known
why we use these tides in our work. It is true that the Moon reflects
the light of the Sun, but it also has a much more subtle effect, due to its
gravo-magnetic pull on our psyches, as well as our bodies. It is a more
intimate, immediate and shorter scale effect that the Sun and, hence, much more
visible in its magical effects. Within the Traditional forms of Craft, the Moon
has been seen to represent many deities, both male and female, but most of
these deities have one thing in common
and that is that they deal with the secret, hidden, underground forms of magic
and expression; this gives the key, to my mind, why the Moon's influence is so
important for the Crafter. We are workers in shadow, we don't stand out in the
bright light of day amongst the rest of society and shout about our abilities
and presence; we work in the dark and pull the hidden strings that work behind
the screens of reality. The Witch or Crafter is the underdog, the lurker in the
background. The Moon teaches us to be subtle in our work, not loud and brash;
in the darkness are the seeds of great things and we utilise these tides to our
own advantage. Whilst not being strictly Traditional Craft, I consider the
novels of the occultist and writer Dion Fortune to give the clearest insights
into the importance of the Lunar tides, particularly in her novels “The Sea
Priestess” and “Moon Magic”. Whilst perhaps a bit stilted and outdated to the
modern mind, she gives very graphic examples of the effects of the Moon tides
and how to work with them in these books and I would thoroughly recommend them
to anyone wishing to get some basic knowledge on the subject. Dion Fortune
herself states that this is Witch magic and makes no bones about it.
What can we
learn from the world under the Sun and how can we utilize this knowledge for
magical ends?
The answer to
this one is never ending really! Any and all things under the Sun have both
their exoteric and esoteric values and uses. Within “Walking the Tides”
specifically, but also another work of mine, “The Devil's Plantation”, I try to
get across the point that by learning about the physical aspects of a plant,
animal, spirit, stone, etc. we can also access the non-physical, or esoteric
aspect of that thing and can incorporate it into our working body of knowledge.
Subsequently, by applying this knowledge in our work, we come to learn more
about the interconnectedness of all things and, hence, our place within the
manifest world. That the manifest world – under the Sun – also has an
unmanifest side is made abundantly clear by working with the energies that we
learn about and hence, also, we come to learn of our own connection to that
unseen side of Life and our own place within it. Having learnt this, we may
attempt to manipulate these things and energies for our own, magical, purposes,
at the same time gaining greater insight into the workings of the world(s) that
we live within.
The theme
dealt with in “Walking the Tides” is that these worlds operate in a cyclical
manner and, by taking note of the rhythms, seasons and revolutions, we can
learn more about the inner workings of life beneath the Sun, the better to use
them for our own, magical, ends and purposes.
You make a
difference between observance and celebration throughout in Walking the Tides,
why is this distinction important?
To my mind,
this distinction marks and underscores a difference in the type of event you
are acknowledging, the very type of energies involved in the timing of the
event. There are occasions when you want to celebrate the mere fact of
Existence, of Life, of Being, which is a thing to be treasured and taken note
of. Such times would be the feelings of the fresh rush of new energies at the
beginning of the year, celebrating times like the Vernal Equinox or May Day.
These times can also include celebrations at the end of seasons and to give
thanks after hard work well done, such as the successful bringing in of the
various types of harvest at Lammas or the Autumnal Equinox. Then there are the
times that do not need or require joyous outpourings, when it is more
appropriate to quietly mark the event, in the recognition of its inner and,
perhaps, personal, meaning. The difference is, perhaps, like the difference
between the Solar and Lunar tides, outer and inner. All things need marking to
some extent or another, but some things need marking in an obvious way, others
in a less obvious, but still important manner. Sometimes the Observance of a
thing or time can be much more personal and hence, perhaps, more meaningful. At
other times the joining with like-minded folk to mark an event just needs a
communal release of energies.
These methods
of marking and recognising times and events also indicate the type of meaning
that they have for us. All of them are equally important – else they would not
need marking – but recognising them in different manners allows us to consider
their meanings in different ways. For different people their meanings may be
different – I may choose to be relatively restrained and quiet at All Hallows,
whereas another person may feel the need to sing and dance – but all need
considering for their inner meaning and effect on the individual. It is this
contemplation of the inner meaning which, I feel, is the essential point here –
what does this time of year/event actually mean? - and differentiating between
Observance and Celebration brings that point home in a more obvious way. If we
have no understanding or appreciation of why and what we are marking, then
surely there's absolutely no point in doing it at all.
Likewise you
make a distinction between protection and placation, why is it important for
the crafter to be mindful about these distinctions in our work?
The
distinction between these two points is often not obvious and can, sometimes,
cross-over or be one and the same thing in actuality. In general, I would term
“protection” as any thing or action that wards or guards a person or place from
malign or unwanted energies. These energies may be deliberate or not, as in the
case of contact with the Fey and other beings, who may be inimical to humans,
just by their very nature and not out of any intention or spite. “Placation” I
would define as the making of some form of offering, in reparation, be that
food, drink, music, or other appropriate gift to a being that has been harmed
or slighted, either intentionally or otherwise, with the aim of creating an
amicable or at least non-antagonistic relationship again.
I would say
that it is important to know the difference between these two things, as the
use of the wrong one in any given situation could cause exactly the opposite
effect to that originally intended. For example, if a gift were erroneously given
to a being in placation when there was no need, then that being could continue
in it's actions against or to the Crafter (or a client perhaps), who then had
no warding or guard against them. Likewise, to create a form of protection
against an entity that had no intention of harming anyone, but who had already
been slighted in some way, could exacerbate the situation and make it much
worse. Fine lines run through all forms of magic and it pays the Crafter well
to learn the differences between situations and act accordingly. By doing this,
they also come to learn more about themselves and their reactions in any given
situation, which can only aid them in the advance of their Craft learning and
experience.
In my work, I
am often consulted by people, Crafters and non, who believe that their house or
flat is haunted, or otherwise “contaminated” by unwanted energies, and seek my
advice on how to cleanse or banish these energies. My first response is often
to try to make contact with the supposed being or spirit causing the problem,
by making an appropriate offering (usually simply a bowl of bread, milk and
honey), such that the spirit is acknowledged and accepted. In nine times out of
ten, this is all that is ever needed (as long as the offerings are kept up regularly),
and nothing more detrimental occurs. In this case, the offering can be seen to
act as both protection and placation.
You also give
much attention to saints in your work, how do you understand the saints
importance for the crafter?
I think this
is, or can be, a very personal matter, but for me, I see it like this. Some of
the Saints we know were originally deities of the indigenous populations before
they were converted to Christianity. Most of the rest were once human beings
that have come to be venerated for their “holiness”, ability to perform
miracles, compassion, learning or other above-normal attributes. I don't make a
distinction between the two; both have equal standing for me. Most of the
Saints are either associated with a particular geographical place, an ability
or talent, or both of them together. Over the hundreds of years that they have
been venerated, deity or human, they have become an individual spiritual entity
in their own right, a receptacle and repository of both spiritual and physical
energy and power which, if they so wish, they may “lend” to a Crafter for their
own ends. Approached in the right manner, in a certain way, the Crafter may
gain the use – for a time – of this store of energy and direct it towards the
ends and aims they wish to achieve. This may be physical, such as bringing
about healing, finding a lost object, gaining a job, restoring fertility to a
piece of wasted land, or a person. Or it may be used for a more spiritual end,
such as inner vision, journeying to non-corporeal realms, understanding the
Mysteries and the inner workings of the Universe.
I also don't
see the Saints as being “owned” by any one religion or belief system. For
example, most people think of the Saints as being part of Catholic Christian
practice, Protestants having mostly got rid of their observance with the
Reformation and modern pagans not acknowledging them at all. But, as spiritual
beings in their own right and – I would say – above such petty distinctions as
human belief systems, they are there to help and aid anyone who cares to
approach them in an appropriate manner. They are intermediaries, intercessors
if you like, able to have a foot in more than one world and to help those of us
who can't see as far as they can. As a Witch, I have no problem in asking St.
Botolph for help in finding knowledge on a certain matter if I need to, as I
don't think he cares that I'm not a baptised Catholic, and I don't mind that he
is! Saints that are closely associated with a particular place, such as a well,
spring or grove can also pretty much be viewed and interacted with as if they
were the genius loci of the place they inhabit, giving all the benefits, advice
and energy that one would normally expect from such a Being, so the Crafter is
well served if they approach the Saint in that manner also.
How would you
describe the Fey and their importance for the crafter?
I view the
Fey (or Elvish folk, as I see them as the same people), as a race of beings who
are on a parallel evolution to ourselves, who partake of a more non-corporeal
or ethereal reality than we do. According to the Teachings that I have received
from various Traditions and from my own, personal experiences with them, the
Fey came into being just as humans did, but after a different manner and with a
different evolution. They live within the energy body of the Earth, both
physical and non, and are able to wholly cross back and forth as they will.
Thus it appears to us that they are able to shape-shift, or change their
appearances as they partake of a different type of physicality to us. They live
their lives just as we do, but according to much different rules and laws of
existence to ours, such that it seems that they can sometimes be hostile or
cruel by our standards. I believe that this is not so, merely that they are
following their own values and morals that do not happen to coincide with ours;
indeed it has been said by them that we seem cruel and heartless by their
standards. They are not much concerned with us generally and will bypass us if
possible, being encountered only by chance or where/when it suits them, rather
than us. They can be found in all countries of the world, conforming to the
customs and cultures of those countries, as viewed by us humans, but always
Other.
The Fey have always
been important to Crafters as both teachers and exemplars of different ways of
living, as holders of arcane or esoteric knowledge and for their working
knowledge of the ways of the Earth, animals, plants, stones and minerals and of
the healing arts. Because of their physical nature, they are much more aware
and knowledgeable of the secret aspects of the inner workings of our planet
than we are and have been instrumental in passing that knowledge on to select
and selected individuals over the centuries. Some Crafters have come across the
Fey deliberately or by accident, others have been contacted directly by them,
but usually for their own reasons. Because of their different viewpoint, they
see Time differently than us and are sometimes willing and able to give
knowledge and teachings on the divinatory arts and the workings of seership;
many a lucky Witch has been taught their trade by the Faerie Folk.
It is also
held as a belief by some that the Fey, or at least some of them, are the
post-mortem spirits of actual humans, residing in that realm until it is time
to move on. I consider this highly probable and in my experience, contact with
such beings can be highly valuable. They are able to teach the Crafter aspects
of life after death, how it works and the lessons we can learn in preparing to
enter that realm. The awareness of the inner life of the planet can be greatly
enhanced by contact with the Fey and it is of great value to the Crafter to be
able to see, feel and experience this life, the better to apply its lessons in
their work.
Two other
themes goes as a red thread throughout Walking the Tides, stars and greenwood,
why such importance is given to these two elements?
Both of these
themes are treated with importance, as they are very graphic and integral
markers of the cycling of the seasons, the main theme within the book. The
wheeling of the stars above, mirrored by the changing foliage of the trees
throughout the year, ideally exemplifies the images and energies I was trying
to capture. I consider both of these areas to be of great use to the practical
Crafter or Witch and they can tend to be overlooked in modern practice.
Although subjects such as astrology and astronomy are very popular, there is
very little information or attention given to the energies that dwell behind
the popular concepts of them. The stellar energies that emanate from the
constellations themselves, rather than just the astrological signs, are not
well known or considered, let alone worked with; the same can be said of the individual
stars themselves. As I talk about in “Walking the Tides”, the lore that goes
with many of the stories about the constellations and signs bears study and
contemplation, for the esoteric truth behind the more obvious tales that
everyone knows. These truths may be taken note of and incorporated into the
Crafter's own life and lore, the better to gain knowledge and understanding of
the hidden realms.
Likewise, the
knowledge of the trees and the lore deriving therefrom can greatly benefit the
Crafter in their work. As mentioned previously, a lot of people don't know what
an Ash or an Oak tree look like, let alone the differences between them, their
uses and esoteric lore and yet they claim to be Crafters/Witches and practice
magic. The lore of the greenwood has long been an integral part of the
Traditional Witch's working knowledge; what tree to use for what application,
magical, healing or practical. The bark, leaves, fruit and nuts, let alone the
roots of the tree and the animal life within the branches, as well as the
indwelling spirit, all have their own uses and applications to the working
Crafter. This also changes from season to season and can be exceedingly
usefully incorporated into the Crafter's practical repertoire and esoteric
knowledge.