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THE BIBLICAL TRANSGRESSIONS OF 16TH CENTURY WITCHES - ALICE NEWMAN’S LETTER

Alice Newman was a witch who Ursley Kempe named as an accomplice.

Here is a letter transcribed that Alice sent to Ursley right before the 1582 trials

Dearest Ursley,

I am concerned about the talk in the town at the moment, you know that vial you asked me to deliver to Mrs Thurlow (the one containing Tittey)

Well, she told a few of our neighbours and now they are gossiping like mad.

We have caused some serious disruption it seems.

I am sure you are aware of this but I felt we should meet to discuss the unfolding situation.

No one saw me visit your house right?

It was only little Thomas about as far as I can recall and I doubt he would speak out against his own Ma!

Well, I suppose this comes with the territory of devilish dealings, we are more powerful than them and they call our type “cunning folk” for a reason.

Write back when you receive this and we can figure out where to go from here, I don’t wish to be burnt at the stake but it seems the town has a thirst for witch blood. I almost feel as though the punishments resemble an act of witchcraft themselves, hypocrites!

Remember to keep it hushed,

Yours,

Alice

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“In a Christian society, since witchcraft could only be apostasy from the true religion, witches had therefore been seduced by Satanic forces and had made a formal contract with the Devil” - Richard Horsley, Who Were The Witches?

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THE BIBLICAL TRANSGRESSIONS OF 16TH CENTURY WITCHES - URSLEY KEMPE’S DIARY

to figure out how to appropriately dismantle and disrupt religion, we must look at some of histories greatest transgressors.

Witchcraft was the ultimate disruption of religious belief. The practice was believed to be a coalescence with the Devil and therefore the ultimate crime against God.

Witch hunter Brian Darcey claimed that “no punishment can be thought upon, be it in never so high a degree of torment, which may be deemed sufficient for such a devilish and damnable practice.” Darcey’s statement is an insight into the 16th century societal hatred and fear of witches and their practice.

If we wish to be the ultimate Disruptive Demon can learn a lot from the Witches who were persecuted for such heinous and sacrilegious activities.

Since these witches are no longer here to speak to us directly we have accessed some of their letters to one another as well as some diary entries which we will transcribe for you here.

First we have a entry from Ursley Kempe detailing how she acquired her affinity for witchery,

A how-to-guide of becoming a witch you could say.

Dear Diary,

I feel I must update you on the bizarre and miraculous events of this past week.

As you know, I have been troubled with a lameness in my bones which has made working very difficult. Thomas has not been getting much attention as I am often much too unwell to tend to his needs (I fear this is affecting our relationship and his development greatly). The tragedy of the situation became far too great to bear, so despite the rumours and mutterings, I went to visit Cock’s wife (the local healer).

Now this is where it got peculiar, the old bat told me I was bewitched!

She gave me some bizarre ritual using Hog poop and Chervil.

With these she instructed that I must put them together and hold them in my left hand, and to take in the other hand a knife and to prick the medicine three times, and then to cast the same into the fire, and to take the said knife and to make three pricks under a table and to let the knife stick there, and after that to take three leaves of sage and wort to make ales to drink.

Thinking the woman was rather deranged but with no other options I performed this ritual and drank my ales (have been for the past week now, I can’t say Hog dung is a delightful flavour).

But the mad thing is that taking these morning and night has cured me of my ailments!

Now is the part that has me flustered, If I am bewitched and I just managed to cure myself of disease with such an uncouth (and somewhat satanic) ritual - does that make me a witch? Am I one of those crazy women that townsfolk love to gossip about? The thought should bring me fear but I must say, I am feeling quite the opposite.

I have powers to heal, but I also now have the power to unheal…

perhaps that Grace Thurlow will regret not paying me for healing her little Davy.

I shall sit and ponder on this new situation I have found myself in.

Diary I feel as though this might be the way to get out of this hovel in the mud and potentially become something spectacular. The witch of st Osyth!

Speak soon,

Ursley.

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THE SPIRITS OF CUNNING FOLK AND SUSPECTED WITCH MS URSLEY KEMPE.

This is the vial of spirits that Kempe confessed to bequeath onto her neighbours.

Thomas Rabbet, Kempe’s son claimed to see her mother deliver an “earthen pot” which he “thinketh her spirits were” inside of to fellow Witch Alice Newman.

Kempe confessed that those spirits were then used to make Ms Thurlow lame and kill her child.

Furthermore, Kempe also confessed to using Witchery to kill a Ms Letherdale and Kempe’s own sister in law.

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A diary page taken from the witch Ursley Kempe’s son and main accuser, 8 year old Thomas Rabbet.

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“Devils and witches turned particular things upside-down” - Stuart Clark, Thinking With Demons

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An Interview With Satan

I got the chance to sit down with Satan and pick his brains about what it’s like to be the leader of the underworld and how he managed to disrupt God’s plans in the way he did.

So Satan, thank you for taking time out from your busy schedule of loathing and scheming to talk to me today.

I’ll take any chance to talk about my achievements.

First off, I want to ask why you decided to revolt against God.

Do not call Him that name.

As for my reasoning, is it not better to reign in Hell than to serve in Heav’n?

My apologies Satan.

That is an extraordinary statement, can i ask you what was Heav’n like?

It was beautiful but my soul yearns for violence and darkness. My life there was that of a servant, Satan does not serve.

Heav’n hides nothing from thy view, You cannot be free while existing amongst Him.

Very powerful words Satan.

Whose idea was it to infiltrate Eden?

We had a council meeting and a few of my devils proposed suggestions. Moloch and his brazen nature said we should go in with fire burning and spoke for “open Warr” “Arm'd with Hell flames and fury all at once”. I adore his optimism and blind rage but it is often misguided.

Belial then spoke, graceful and humane Belial, timorous and sloth Belial, was the counter to Moloch’s violent excitement and said that Warr would be procuring ourselves more woe.

Mammon added to this, stating that we may as well focus our energy on building up hell where us devils can “​​thrive under evil, and work ease out of pain. Through labour and indurance” we rebuild ourselves a new world of Hell.

Finally, my great Beelzebub rose and spoke of a new world that He was building “the happy seat of some new Race call'd Man”, that this would be the ideal opportunity to get revenge against Him, to sour his little project and spread our devillish word to the new lands.

And how did you end up being the one to go travel to the garden?

I volunteered. I see too many leaders refusing to accept as great a share of hazard as of honour.

Heroic. Thank you for your time Satan.

Find means of evil.

I will.

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we asked Satan his favourite song to cause chaos and disruption to, this was his response.

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Pandaemonium - built by the demonic architect Mulciber

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“Me and the girls coalescing with our animal familiars, this creeped out the Christian’s big time. They hate when we disrupt the biblical hierarchy by talking to animals, it makes them think we are plotting against humanity” - A 16th Century Witch

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How to Disrupt Divinity And Cause Chaos to Christians

with words from PARADISE LOST’S Satan

and the stars of the 16TH CENTURY WITCHCRAFT PAMPHLETS