Traditional Witchcraft - A Cornish Book of Ways is a 21st century version of traditional Cornish witchcraft, of the kind recorded by Hunt, Bottrell and others. This is no neo-pagan or modern wiccan manual, but rather a deep drawing up into modern times of some of the ancient practices of lore and magic practised by the white witches, charmers, conjurers and pellars of the Cornish villages. Their presence was still current when the 18th and 19th century antiquarians and collectors recorded them, and, although the 20th century largely put paid to their activities, nevertheless their lore never completely disappeared, and it continues to provide inspiration for practitioners today. Gemma draws on this knowledge, not only from published material, but also from the experiences and workings of ‘wise women’ and country witches living today.

Topics include the Cunning Path, the Dead and the Underworld (Fairy Faith), the Bucca, Places of Power in the villages and landscape, the Tools used by Cunning Folk (working versions of what can be seen, for example, in the Museum of Witchcraft), Village cunning, substances and charms, and Rites of the Year’s Round. This book gathers much material together, some of which has not been seen in print before, and thus provides a sourcebook of magical workings in Cornwall today, which will be an invaluable reference

Cheryl Straffon - Meyn Mamvro

"First published in 2008, this is a revised and expanded second edition of the author's well received book on modern Cornish traditional witchcraft. As Gemma Gary says in her new preface, there is no 'set in stone' organised witch tradition in Cornwall and folk magic practices have always been unique to their individual practitioners. However in this excellent book she has managed to expertly draw together a workable new tradition from historical sources and the surviving rites, charms and folk customs of Cornwall and the West Country. It provides a valuable resource and guide for beginners interested in practising Trad Craft. However this reviewer is sure that experienced practitioners will also learn from its contents.
Very highly recommended."

Mike Howard – The Cauldron

The Black Toad - West Country Witchcraft and Magic

With Foreword by Michael Howard

Gemma Gary's The Black Toad explores potent examples of the folk-ceremonial magical practices and witchcraft of the south-west of England; dealing especially with Devon and the author’s homeland of Cornwall. Within the West Country, the popular belief in witchcraft and its attendant charms, magical practices and traditions continued to be observed and survived long after such ways had faded in most other parts of the British Isles.

Described within The Black Toad is a collection of some of the fascinating magical practices and lore of the West Country’s cunning folk and early modern witches;  ways that have survived and evolved within the rarefied Craft of the area’s modern day witchcraft practitioners of the old persuasion. As this book affirms, these ways of the Old Craft and Cunning Arte include a belief in and working relationship with the spirit forces of the land, the Faerie, animal and plant lore, as well as the magical use of Psalms to cure or curse, the invocation of Christ and the power of the Holy Trinity.

Michael Howard

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The Seeker and the Serpent is a working 'black book' of some of the rites and ways of Ros an Bucca; a West Penwith ‘covine’ or ‘hearth’ of traditional Craft initiates working within the stream of Cornish and west country witchcraft, and the pellar current. It is distributed privately, as a limited edition, amongst the Fellows of Ros an Bucca and its outer kord (clan) of solitary ‘distant Fellows’. ‘Traditional Witchcraft – A Cornish Book of Ways’ was based in part upon material and notes in The Seeker and the Serpent.

The path of the pellar is predominantly a solitary path, and Ros an Bucca could be accurately described as a group of solitaries. Thus for all Fellows, both of the covine and of its wider kord, progress upon the Way is self-motivated, self-driven, and informed by experiential and immersive pilgrimage and communion with the spirits and virtues of the land and of the path itself.

Thus within the operative and devotional Craft of each Fellow is the reification of the pellar path sought, with the chthonic initiatory forces, divine gnosis, and the spirits of the Way being primary means of transmission. However, via such things as The Seeker and the Serpent, and contact between Fellows, a means of mediating access to the accumulative stream of gnosis, virtues and spirits of the covine, kord, and current may be opened.

'As a keen supporter of the world famous Museum of Witchcraft, it was an honour to be invited to contribute to this book celebrating the 60th anniversary of this vital resource. In ‘The Wayside Witch’ I give my first memories and experiences of the Museum of Witchcraft, which have been complimented by photography of one of my favourite artefacts in the museum’s collection, and one of the items from my own working collection, now housed in the museum.’

Gemma’s article ‘Bucca: The Horned God of the Cornish Tradition’, appears in this devotional anthology by Richard Derkes, along with her artwork. She is also photographed at her Bucca dedicated working shrine/altar, by Jane Cox.