Simple Spells from a Witches Spellbook by Keith Morgan

 

Simple Spells from a Witches Spellbook

By Keith Morgan

ISBN 10: 187218975X ISBN 13: 9781872189758

Publisher: Pentacle Enterprises, 1993

Version illustrated is the  pre- 1991 Mandrake Press edition with 37 pages.

I’m continuing with my look at the work of the author ( see my articles on others!)  with another of her short guides. The version I have is my (very dog eared!)  which is the first edition prior to its release by Pentacle Enterprises.

Simple Spells from a Witches’ Spellbook is a niche, vintage guide to practical magick written by Keith Morgan (a pseudonym for Kimberly Morgan). Originally published in the early 1990s, it has become a bit of a collector's item for those interested in the history of modern Wicca and candle magick.   As I’ve come to expect of these books this is clearly written with a clean typeface and minimal hand-drawn artwork.

What is the book about?

The book ( like many of their earlier books) is designed as a straightforward, "how-to" manual for beginners. Unlike dense academic tomes on the occult, Morgan focuses on attainable magick that utilizes everyday items.

• Candle Magick: Much of the book focuses on "Candlemagick," teaching readers how to use color correspondences, oils, and simple incantations to manifest specific outcomes.

• Spiral Dance Connections: The book was often marketed alongside Spiral Dance incenses and oils, providing instructions on how to use these specific tools in various rituals.

• Novice-Friendly: It avoids overly complex ceremonial magic in favor of spells for common needs like protection, prosperity, and emotional well-being.

About the Author

Keith Morgan is a pseudonym used by Kimberly Morgan, a notable figure in the British Wiccan community during the late 20th century.   Click here to read my article on her. Be sure to also check out my other articles about their books.

Why It’s Notable Today

Because the book is relatively short and was produced by smaller pagan publishers (like Pentacle Enterprises), it is considered rare. You’ll often find it in secondhand shops or specialty occult bookstores rather than major retailers. It serves as a nostalgic "time capsule" of the 1990s pagan revival in the UK.

A later edition with a black cover

Note: If you are looking for this book today, be aware that there are many modern titles with very similar names (like The Witch's Book of Spells by Lindsay Squire). Ensure you check for the Keith Morgan name and the Pentacle Enterprises publisher to find the original vintage edition.

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9781872189758/Simple-Spells-Witches-Spellbook-Candlemagick-187218975X/plp

Botanicals: Wavy Bittercress

 

Wavy Bittercress

Element: Fire, water

Planet/ Mars and Moon

Masculine 

Deities: Ares, Mars, Brigid (associated with early spring greens)

Wavy bittercress (Cardamine flexuosa) is a nutrient-dense edible plant, often treated as a weed, with traditional medicinal uses as a digestive aid, diuretic, and expectorant. It is highly nutritious, providing high levels of Vitamin C, A, iron, and Calcium. Its peppery, cress-like leaves are commonly used raw in salads or cooked in soups. 

Note: Always be certain of your identification before consuming any wild plant as  it has several look-alikes!

Key Medicinal & Nutritional Properties:

• High Nutrient Content: Rich in Vitamin C, A, iron, and calcium, which helps strengthen the immune system and combat nutritional deficiencies.
• Digestive Support: Traditionally used to soothe the stomach and support digestion.
• Respiratory Aid: Utilised in traditional medicine for its properties as an expectorant, helping to treat coughs and colds.
• Antioxidants: Contains glucosinolates, which may have anti-cancer properties, along with other antioxidants to combat oxidative stress.
• Anti-inflammatory/Other Uses: Historically used to treat headaches and, in some traditions, applied to skin irritations. 

Important Usage Notes:

• Identification: Ensure proper identification before consumption, as it is often mistaken for Cardamine hirsuta (Hairy Bittercress), which has similar culinary and medicinal uses.
• Source: It often grows in damp, shaded areas.
• Safety: While generally safe as a food, consult a healthcare professional before using it for medicinal purposes

In magical traditions, wavy bittercress (Cardamine flexuosa) and its close relative hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) are deeply tied to resilience, protection, and ancient herb-lore. Often overlooked as a common weed, it is historically revered for its survival instincts and explosive vitality.

Ancient Folklore: The Nine Herbs Charm

One of the most significant magical associations for bittercress (known in Old English as stune) is its inclusion in the Nine Herbs Charm.

• Protection & Healing: In this 10th-century Anglo-Saxon ritual, it was invoked to cure infections and protect against "venom" or poisoning.
• Warding: It was believed to have the potency to stand against external threats, making it a historical staple for magical defense.

Modern Magical Correspondences

In contemporary alternative practices, bittercress is valued for several specific energetic qualities:

• Resilience & Adaptability: Its ability to thrive in harsh conditions—like cracks in paving or disturbed soil—makes it a powerful symbol for overcoming obstacles and finding strength in adversity.
• Healing Magick: It is frequently used in rituals or spells focused on physical and emotional restoration.
• Masculine Energy: It is often associated with traditional masculine energetic traits in herbal magic.
• Vitality & Force: Its unique "explosive" seed dispersal—where pods snap open to fling seeds—is sometimes viewed as a symbol of rapid growth, sudden breakthroughs, or spreading one's influence.

Related Lore: The Fairy Smock

While wavy bittercress is a hardy survivor, its relative the Cuckoo Flower (Cardamine pratensis), also a bittercress, has more ethereal ties:

• Fairy Sacredness: It was traditionally considered sacred to the fairies.
• Superstitions: Folklore warns that bringing it indoors is unlucky, as it belongs to the "good folk" and should not be disturbed.

The Sevils Chaplain:!Rev Robert Taylor

 

Reverend Robert Taylor

The Devil’s Chaplain

The life of Reverend Robert Taylor (1784–1844) remains one of the most provocative chapters in the history of nineteenth-century freethought.

 Known by the evocative nickname "The Devil’s Chaplain," Taylor was a man of immense erudition and ecclesiastical standing who turned his back on the Anglican orthodoxy to become a radical critic of Christianity. His journey from the pulpit to the prison cell serves as a powerful case study in the volatile intersection of religion, science, and the law in Regency-era England.

The man they tried to silence in prison: twice!

Controversy and "The Devil’s Chaplain"

Taylor was not merely a quiet scholar; he was a flamboyant performer. He began delivering lectures at the Rotunda, a radical theater in London, dressed in full episcopal robes. These performances were part intellectual lecture and part theatrical satire, earning him the "Devil's Chaplain" moniker—a title he wore with a mixture of irony and pride.

His activities did not go unnoticed by the authorities. Taylor was prosecuted for blasphemous libel multiple times:

1. 1828: Sentenced to one year in Oakham Gaol.

2. 1831: Sentenced to two years in Horsemonger Lane Gaol.

These imprisonments were intended to silence him, but they had the opposite effect. During his time behind bars, he wrote extensively, and his "Devil's Pulpit" sermons were smuggled out and published, circulating widely among the working classes and radical reformers.

Legacy and Influence

Robert Taylor’s influence extended beyond the radical circles of London. He was a primary influence on the young Charles Darwin, who was a student at Cambridge when Taylor’s trial was the talk of the university. 

While Darwin moved toward biological evolution rather than mythological deconstruction, the atmosphere of skepticism fostered by Taylor helped pave the way for the secularisation of the Victorian mind.

Taylor eventually retired to France, where he practiced medicine and lived a quieter life until his death in 1844. He remains a pivotal figure for his role in:

• Challenging the Blasphemy Laws: His trials highlighted the tension between state-mandated religion and freedom of speech.

• Comparative Religion: Though some of his specific astronomical theories are now considered fringe, his core methodology of comparing Christian motifs to earlier mythologies was ahead of its time.

The Evolution of a Radical

Taylor began his career conventionally enough. Educated at St. John’s College, Cambridge, he was ordained as a priest in the Church of England. However, his tenure as a clergyman was short-lived. Influenced by the works of Thomas Paine and the burgeoning field of comparative mythology, 

Taylor began to publicly doubt the historical accuracy of the New Testament.

By 1824, he had moved to London and founded the Christian Evidence Society. Despite its pious-sounding name, the society was a platform for Taylor to challenge the divine origin of Christianity. He argued that the religion was not a unique revelation but rather a synthesis of earlier pagan myths and astronomical observations.

The Mythicist and "The Diegesis"

Taylor’s most significant contribution to radical literature was his 1829 work, The Diegesis. Written while he was imprisoned for blasphemy, the book is an exhaustive attempt to prove that Christianity was derived from Egyptian, Greek, and Hindu mythologies.

• Astro-theology: Taylor was a pioneer of the "astro-theological" interpretation of the Bible. He argued that Jesus Christ was a personification of the Sun, and the twelve apostles represented the signs of the Zodiac.

• Historical Skepticism: He contended that there was no contemporary historical evidence for the existence of Jesus, suggesting the narrative was constructed by the Gnostics and later literalised by the early Church.

“The Diegesis remains a monument to Taylor's defiant scholarship, blending deep classical knowledge with a biting, satirical wit that infuriated the religious establishment of his day."

Robert Taylor was a man of contradictions: a priest who preached against the church, a scholar who used satire as a weapon, and a prisoner who found intellectual freedom in a cell. His life reminds us that the quest for truth often requires the courage to be an outcast. Be like him; question everything and find out for yourself how this world really works.

 

The Nine Herbs Charm

The Nine Herbs Charm (Nigon Wyrta Galdor) is a 10th-century Anglo-Saxon metrical charm recorded in a medical manuscript called the Lacnunga. It is one of the most significant pieces of Old English literature because it preserves a rare blend of Christian influence and ancient Germanic paganism.  

The charm was designed to treat poisoning, infections, or skin issues (symbolised as a "serpent's venom") through a combination of herbalism, ritual chanting, and divine invocation.  

The Ritual and the Legend

The text tells a mythic story: a serpent crawled to a man and bit him. In response, the god Woden (Odin) took nine "glory-twigs" and struck the serpent, shattering it into nine pieces.  

To perform the charm, a practitioner would:

1. Chant: Recite the poem over the herbs before they were processed.  

2. Prepare: Crush the nine herbs into a powder and mix them with old soap and apple juice to create a salve.  

3. Apply: Sing the charm into the patient's mouth, both ears, and onto the wound itself before applying the salve.  

The Nine Herbs

While scholars debate some of the Old English names, the most commonly accepted list of the  ( modern named here) nine herbs is:

• Mugwort 
• Plantain
• Watercress / Bittercress
• Betony 
• Chamomile 
• Nettle
• Crab Apple 
• Chervil
• fennel 

Why it Matters Today

• Sacred Numerology: The charm focuses heavily on the numbers 3 and 9, which are sacred in Norse and Germanic traditions (representing the Nine Worlds).  

• The "Flying Venom": The charm mentions "nine venoms" and "nine flying things." In the Anglo-Saxon worldview, disease wasn't just physical; it was often seen as "elf-shot" or invisible darts of poison flying through the air.  

• Woden’s Appearance: This is one of only two places in Old English poetry where Woden is explicitly mentioned as a healing/magical figure, marking it as a crucial piece of pre-Christian history.

Fun Fact: The charm specifically addresses the herbs as living spirits. It speaks to the plantain, reminding the plant of how it has withstood the wheels of carts and the breath of bulls, essentially "cheering on" the plant's spirit to fight the patient's illness.

Create your own Nine Herbs Salve

Creating a modern version of the Nine Herbs Salve is a beautiful way to connect with ancestral healing traditions. The original recipe calls for "old soap," "apple grime/juice," and "ashes," but we can adapt these into a shelf-stable, skin-friendly ointment while keeping the spirit of the ritual intact.

1. Gather Your Modern "Nine"

Some of the original herbs are hard to find. Use this guide to gather your ingredients

Base Ingredients:

• 1 cup Carrier Oil: (Olive oil or Jojoba work best)

• 1/4 cup Beeswax: (Replaces the "soap" as a hardening agent)

• A splash of Apple Cider Vinegar: (Representing the apple and the acidic purification)

2. The Infusion (The "Medicine")

1. Prepare the Herbs: Finely chop or grind your nine herbs. If using fresh herbs, let them wilt for 24 hours first to reduce moisture (this prevents mold).

2. Slow Heat: Place the herbs and carrier oil in a double boiler (a bowl over a pot of simmering water).

3. The Chant: As the oil warms, this is where you perform the Galdor (the chant). Traditionally, the charm is sung into the mixture nine times. You can recite the poem I mentioned earlier or simply speak to each herb, acknowledging its power (e.g., "Mugwort, oldest of herbs, bring your protection here").

4. Strain: After 2–3 hours of low heat, strain the oil through a cheesecloth into a clean jar, squeezing out every drop of "glory."

3. Creating the Salve (The "Body")

1. Melt the Wax: Return the infused oil to the double boiler and add the beeswax pellets. Stir gently until melted.

2. The Apple Element: Add a few drops of Apple Cider Vinegar. It won't fully mix with the oil, but it honours the original instruction of "apple-grime."

3. The Test: Drop a spoonful onto a cold plate. If it’s too soft, add more wax; if too hard, add a splash more oil.

4. Pour: Pour the liquid into small tins or jars.

4. The Final Ritual

According to the Lacnunga, the magic isn't finished until the salve is "activated."

• Sing into the Jar: Once the salve is set, sing the charm over it one last time.

• Application: When applying it to a scratch or skin irritation, the ancient text suggests singing the charm into your own mouth, then into each of your ears, and finally over the wound before rubbing the salve on.

Safety Note: This salve is for external use only. While these herbs are traditional, always patch-test a small area of skin first to ensure you don't have an allergic reaction—modern skin can be more sensitive than 10th-century skin!