There is an ancient tradition in rural England regarding the safe way to eat a soft-boiled egg. After you have finished eating the egg out of its shell, you should shove your spoon through the bottom of the eggshell.
This is because it was believed witches could use empty eggshells as boats. The “dreaded hags” would cause sailing ships to be wrecked, drowning unlucky mariners and sending them to Davey Jones’ Locker.
The photo above shows a painting by Richard E. Clark (1878-1954) titled “The Witches Boat.” It is part of the collection to be found in the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in the picturesque fishing village of Boscastle, Cornwall, U.K.
The museum houses the world’s oldest and largest collection of items relating to witchcraft, magic and the occult. That’s a statue of Cernunnos, the Celtic god of fertility, animals, wealth and the underworld in front of the building. In one hand he holds a ram-horned serpent, symbol of sexuality and renewal, while in the other is a torc, representing his noble status.
Cernunnos was woven out of willow by the local artist, Woody Fox. We will be vising the museum as part of our small group Magical Tour of Merlin’s England, from Stonehenge to Cornwall, June 6 -15, 2023.
The Boscastle visit follows an excursion to Saint Nectan’s waterfall, in a glen inhabited by water sprites, fairies and elemental beings and where, according to legend, King Arthur and his knights once found refreshment.
Here are a few more highlights of our Spiritual England tour…
- Sunrise Druid ceremony inside Stonehenge
- Visit Madron and Sancreed holy wells
- Explore the Merry Maidens and Boscowen-un stone circles
- Visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Avebury, and Silbury Hill
- See Tintagel, legendary birthplace of King Arthur, and explore its ruined castle on the rugged Cornish coast
See Full Details of the June Spiritual England Tour
Regarding our other British Isles programs, Sacred Scotland is sold out, but we still have spaces available for Enchanted Ireland. We expect that will be filled up soon, so don’t wait too long to register.