Identifying as a witch as a feminist statement

[BilboBercow]

Is that a bit bonkers? I've been thinking about it for a while, I really enjoy a bit of woo although I'm not what I'd describe as a believer in magic.

I'm going through a period right now where I'm particularly angry with the patriarchy, trying to deal with an abusive ex, outraged at what I see as the escalation of femicide during the pandemic, I'm also listening to a podcast on Scottish witch trials and I particularly identify with these (mosty) women who were executed by the state for being a bit different. Scotland tried over 4k people for witchcraft, higher per capita than anywhere in Europe.

Has anyone done this, or considered it?

Yes worldwide but there have also been a few cases in the UK linked to witchcraft. A torso was found in the Thames in 2001, still unidentified and thought to be linked to witchcraft

The "Adam" case was not linked to witchcraft though was it?

It was a ritualistic killing but not linked to witchcraft, unless your definition of "witchcraft" is a cult that murders children

Richard Hoskins has written widely about the case and is a long time campaigner against the torture and murder of children falsely accused of witchcraft

@5.25 in the above video is an interview with the notoriously abusive therapist Valerie Sinason, a deranged woman who claims that children are sacrificed by satanic cults all over the UK.

Sinason was involved in the appalling abuses against Carol Felstead that have been widely reported in the press.

Richard Hoskins a real expert on ritualistic murders has also spoken out about false allegations of satanic ritual abuse

Here's a video of Dr Hoskins sharing his concerns about Operation Conifer

hoodathunkit

That's not strictly true to say it hasn't happened, because there have been a number of prosecutions where the victims describe withcraft type ceremonies. The wearing of robes and inverted crosses, chanting, reading out of books like Crowley, death threats and abuse to the children forced to take part. There have been prosecutions of perpetrators where this evidence was given by the victims in court

Kidwelly, Nottingham and others

I find it very difficult to understand how you have come to the conclusion that have done.

Mostly from my reading Thomas Potts account in his The Wonderful Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of Lancaster (first published in 1613)

That's my interpretation of it, others might not agree, but it was an interesting case all the same

That's not strictly true to say it hasn't happened, because there have been a number of prosecutions where the victims describe withcraft type ceremonies. The wearing of robes and inverted crosses, chanting, reading out of books like Crowley, death threats and abuse to the children forced to take part. There have been prosecutions of perpetrators where this evidence was given by the victims in court Kidwelly, Nottingham and others

These were not murders linked to witchcraft though were they?

Nottingham? I would appreciate further information about this case please

The Kidwelly case is very disturbing. I read the book written by one of the victims of Colin Batley, penned under the name Anabelle Forest with the assistance of ghost writer Katy Weitz

this is it

www.amazon.co.uk/Devil-Doorstep-Escape-Satanic-Cult-ebook/dp/B00HXG0C20/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=annabelle+forest&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1616182233&sr=8-1

Have you read it?

I cannot really recommend it as Katy Weitz's style of writing was, IMO, rather salacious and not very appropriate for an account of child sexual exploitation. I felt it did not respect the victim's privacy or dignity.

I read the book for research purposes as many skeptical friends were very concerned about the salacious news reporting around the case and the fact that some elements reported in the press read more like the many false accounts of satanic sexual abuse than accounts of real abuse. It was a very depressing read and I felt terrible for the victim.

I cannot remember everything about the book, but I do recall that the female victim "Annabelle Forest" (not her real name) said that she did not know about many of the crimes that happened to other victims and only read about them in the press.

Annabelle's account of sexual abuse and exploitation was, sadly, quite familiar to me, although not in relation to followers of Crowley's system Thelema, (although Crowley was an abusive cult leader IMO) but more in relation to neo-tantric and pseudo-shamanic cults that use the cover of spirituality to sexually exploit people, including children, in pornography, blackmail and prostitution.

The ancient Egyptian elements are found in Thelema but are also very commonly found in the many abusive cults with their roots in the Russian criminal network / cult Ashram Shambala, aka The Russian Academy of Happiness aka School of Cleopatra aka many other names.

The Russian press has reported on this network extensively but not so much since the leader was sentenced to 11 years in a Siberian penal colony for sexual and financial abuse of his followers and for drug offences.

This network has many businesses involving prostitution (usually under the guise of "tantra" and various models of "body psychotherapy" reiki and "energy therapy", often involving intimate massage, blackmail, slavery - they are extremely dangerous.

It was my impression, having read the book, that Batley was a vile paedophile and pimp who groomed and oppressed the women and children in his orbit by using brainwashing techniques (coercive control leading to the Stockholm syndrome) threats of supernatural punishments and claims of being someone in possession of ancient wisdom.

The jury is out on whether he truly believed in Thelema as a system. It seems more likely to me that if he was invovled in any cultic system (I think it is fairly likely that he just used Liber Al as a tome to scare his victims) it would be one asscociated with Ashram Shamabla who operate covertly in many countries internationally.

I would need access to the money trail to find out more and I am not a cop and do not have access to that information.

There are a few days left to watch the strange film The Love Witch on Channel 4

I would recommend that readers watch the film for a number of reasons

Firstly it is marketed as a subversive feminist film. I do not perceive it as either subversive or feminist. I would value the thoughts of others.

The reason for my recommendation is that the film is bursting with indicators of real, dangerous and abusive cults.

Themes and indicators that readers may recognise;

A Victorian themed tea room where everyone wears Victorian costumes “for ladies only” (where do I remember that from?)

A strategy of using elixirs, poisons and spiking drinks, a perverted “nourishment” not uncommon in the networks I research

Bizarre ideas about sex, gender and what it means to be a woman

The use of sex as a weapon, disguised as “women’s empowerment”

Bad art - tacky, poorly executed, garish paintings of topless women with unicorns and the like

The protagonist performs many meaningless rituals with enthusiasm and determination.

The main character visits an apothecary - the entrepreneurial element of “witchcraft” is apparent - the protagonist is part of a business network

She attempts to engineer meeting a man of her dream in a bizarre ritual involving urine and a used tampon (the use of body fluids in this way is standard in the networks I research)

The burlesque club where she meets Wiccans who run a variety of new age businesses including training in sex magic and awakening your inner goddess through erotic dance and developing skills to seduce and enslave men.

Seduction and recruitment of a police officer

Sacred theatre complete with a jester / fool character

A sleazy, rapey male cult leader

anyway, not at all feminist but marketed as such, much like the women’s empowerment courses I am so familiar with

Interested readers can check it out here

www.channel4.com/programmes/the-love-witch