#richard cavendish

[local-boob]

"An elemental is another of the creatures of the astral plane, which has many inhabitants besides the dead. It is populated by all sorts of beings, whether of human imagining or independent origin—the gods, spirits and demons of outworn creeds and primitive beliefs, the astral bodies of animals, the astral simulacra of celebrated characters of fiction and legend, like Hamlet or Robin Hood, into whom sufficient human interest has been poured to endow them with long-lived astral existence, and innumerable nature spirits, fairies and other beings of folklore, nymphs and satyrs, trolls and gnomes, elves and goblins. All human thoughts are believed to impress themselves on the material of the astral plane—the astral light—creating corresponding astral forms which have a life of their own."

source: Richard Cavendish's The Powers of Evil: In Western Religion, Magic and Folk Belief (1975), “Death and the Dead,” p. 43.

[forbidden-sorcery]

The Devil's fondness for horns may have come from his link with the number 2, and it is not surprising that he should appear as an animal, since demons had long been beliveved to show themselves in animal form or in fantastic composite shapes. The early Christian Fathers had described devils appearing as animal or as composite creatures, like Isabel Becquet's dog with horns or the Bamberg green devi. The Devil showed himself most frequently as a goat (though never in this form in England or Scotland, oddly enough) but also as a cat, dog, bull, horse, sheep or, even rarely, as a boar, bear or stag. As a goat, he had horns, a tail, cloven hooves and sometimes a reddish beard. He was usually black and he limped.                 The link between the Devil and the goat is probably connected with an essential feature of the sabbath, the copulation of witches with the Devil. In the earliest accounts of the sabbath Anne Marie de Georgel and Catherine Delon both said that they served the pleasure of the he-goat. The belief that devils were capable of intercourse with human beings and desired it came mainly from Jewish traditions – for instance, the story of Adam's connections "with Lilith and other demonesses. There were also numerous classical tales of intercourse between human women and the gods, who to Christians were devils, but the principal source was the legend of the Watchers.

Richard Cavendish - The Black Arts : A Concise History of Witchcraft, Demonology, Astrology, and Other Mystical Practices Throughout the Ages

[ravenkings]

The theory of the vibrating universe became popular in occultism in the nineteenth century, following discoveries about the nature of light, electricity and magnetism. In the early years of the century physicists demonstrated that light moves in waves and that electrical and magnetic impulses also travel in waves or undulations. At the same period it was accepted that the molecules of all substances are in a state of constant oscillating movement. Building on these ideas, occultists developed the theory that everything in the universe is undulating or vibrating. Different things vibrate at different rates of speed, and the essential nature or character of each thing is determined by its rate of vibration, in the same way that the different colours which we see are determined by differing wavelengths of light.

–Richard Cavendish, The Black Arts: A Concise History of Witchcraft, Demonology, Astrology, and Other Mystical Practices

[dweeeeeb]

The Black Arts by Richard Cavendish

[simadelics]

London, 1895

Kenneth Jr.

Today, Mr. Gresbrooke stopped by to talk to me after a meeting with Father: he explained that his daughter has told him at length about my interest in politics as well as my “studious and courteous manner.” He declared that I seem to be an intelligent young man with a good head fixed quite firmly on my shoulders, and that he's glad to hear that I have remained “blessedly untouched” by my mother’s “disposition.”

Though I cared little for the reference to Mother — the loss of her is not something I like to be reminded of, even if I think of her absence nearly every moment — I am unashamed to say I have been waiting for such an acknowledgement for some time! I know I'll work alongside him and Father one day, and I know it will make Mother proud, too.

Thomas

Richie said that Kenny is all Ethel ever talks about lately, so I asked him why, and would you believe Richie said she fancies him? Yuck! We agreed that it’s plainly gross, and I asked him if Anne fancies anyone (I suppose the answer I was hoping for is obvious!) but he just shrugged and said she’ll be married in a couple of years, anyway. He said he’ll never marry — isn't that daft — and I said I’ll definitely marry his sister, though he teased me like I meant Ethel, when I know he knew I meant Anne!

I’m gladder to have a best friend than ever; I feel like I forgot I could have fun for a while, and the Gresbrookes' country home is glorious in the summer. I’m even inspired to draw: you can guess who!

I hope I’ll be able to work on my illustrations for Mother again soon, but they only make me sad right now, and I hate to cry. I can’t wait until I’m a man, and I’ll never have to cry again.

LAST POST | NEXT POST

[dwampyversegifs]

[newfrontierbackstage]

A New Frontier Cover

Hello everyone. Today I bring you something extremely exciting for the project, as the cover for A New Frontier has been finally finished! This has been worked on for a few days and it really fills me with a lot of joy. Now Chapter 1 will be updated to include the cover alongside the artist who did the drawing.

Thank you so much for your continued support. Chapter 6 will be coming!

Artist’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wispeldy_/

[stairnaheireann]

#OTD in 1882 – Phoenix Park murders | The British chief secretary of Ireland, Lord Frederick Cavendish, and his under secretary, T.H. Burke are murdered.

Arriving in Dublin on 6 May 1882, the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Frederick Cavendish (who was married to the niece of British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone), attended to some formal business in Dublin Castle, the seat of the British government, before walking home to the Viceregal Lodge in the Phoenix Park. Joining Cavendish in his walk, was his under-secretary, Thomas Henry Burke, the…

[mettleborn]

@richardxoliverxmayhew

“London is a cruel Mistress young Mayhew. The kind that may murder or maim on mere whim, but if you treat her right, she may just show you all her worldly delights; the kind of wonders that will force even the most devout man down to his knees, not in contrition I assure you, but rather, in sweet surrender.”

As Lord Cavendish hurries along Piccadilly, westwards from Devonshire House, his cane tapping a rhythmic beat with every stride, his hand moves to firmly grasp the back of his companion’s head.

“Tell me clergyman, exactly what kind of fayre would you wish us to dine upon tonight?” Passing by a dark passageway, the Lord gestures with his cane nonchalantly towards a group of young women who have gathered at its corners; girls with cunning eyes, full lips and cheeks smeared in rouge, clearly visible even in the low gas light.

“Something simple and unassuming…”

Guiding Richard’s chin upwards, William keenly directs his friend's attention towards the bright lights of Brook’s Gentleman’s club, a private society filled with gambling rooms and pretty, noble women, the kind well-connected enough to attend whilst being unrecognized as members, making their attendance, of course, all the more scandalising.  

“…or are you seeking something distinctly more challenging?”

[richardxoliverxmayhew]

mettleborn asked: Thin fingers deftly slide along the lengths of the clergyman's collar, diligently smoothing and straightening in quiet, careful increments. "There." William comments softly, his eyes slowly rising to meet Mayhew's own. After a brief flicker of hesitation the Earl unexpectedly shifts swiftly forward to place a firm, closed mouthed kiss against Richard's lips before casually withdrawing as if the act were nothing of note. "Much better, wouldn't you agree?"

Things for Richard: ALWAYS ACCEPTING

II @mettleborn

Richard inched his jaw a tad higher so as to give room for William’s wandering fingers.-- Meticulous. That’s how Richard Oliver Mayhew would describe Lord Cavendish. Meticulous. His eye for perfection was undoubting. Nothing got past the girth between his steadied fingers. And when said perfection, or at least a taste of something close to it was near, Richard noticed that Cavendish knew how to snatch it up; or him up, in this case.

“Thank ye’, my lord. Much-- Mmf!” Perfection was found and snatched up, not in the form of meticulous fingers taking time, like a spider, to plan and weave its intricate web. Perfection was grabbed with impatience. In the form of a firm but breathless kiss. The young clergyman’s mind dizzied with shock and pleasure. It wasn’t until the kiss broke apart that he realized he had gone completely warm. “Aye-... Erm... I mean, yes, sir--... I mean... Erm... Yes, sir, my lord,” stammered the Scotsman, his mind still trying to fully swallow the surprisingly enjoyable experience. 

[fendrieneu]

Belated Giro review...

Belated Giro review…

My holiday had an inconvenient side effect of taking me away from wifi and 4g for the final weekend of the 2022 Giro D’Italia. I had left for the solitude of a boat on the Norfolk broads with Richard Carapaz of Ineos looking the likely winner in Verona. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. The race had started back on 6th May in Hungary which put on its best sights and weather for the…

[local-boob]

"The trolls of modern folk belief were creatures part spirit and part stone. They loved the cold dark and they feared the sun, which would kill them if it shone on their faces. Some trolls were quite small but many were of massive size. They were hairy and lived in mountain caves, eating human flesh and stealing human women and babies. They disliked loud noises, which reminded them of the thunder of Thor, their enemy, and after the coming of Christianity they dreaded the sound of church bells, which would turn a troll into a pile of powerless pebbles. Being animated stones themselves, giant trolls were great builders and constructed churches and castles, frequently demanding human souls in payment but being cheated of their wages by their employers."

In Richard Cavendish’s The Powers of Evil: In Western Religion, Magic and Folk Belief (1975), “The Powers Below,” p. 132.

[pinkjersey]

"On the Beach" by Mary Oliver + Brothers, Teammates, Rivals & Friends

"On the Beach" by Mary Oliver (x) | Matej Mohorič & Fred Wright, 2023 Tour de France, Stage 19 (x) | Jonas Vingegaard, Sepp Kuss, Christophe Laporte & Tiesj Benoot, 2022 Tour de France, Stage 20 (x) | Mathieu van der Poel & Jasper Philipsen, 2023 Paris-Roubaix (x) | Ivo Oliveira & Rui Oliveira, 2023 Portuguese National Championships (x) | Marc Soler & Tadej Pogačar, 2023 Tour de France, Stage 17 (x) | Jonas Vingegaard & Tadej Pogačar, 2022 Tour de France Podium Ceremony (x) | Wout van Aert & Mathieu van der Poel, 2023 UCI Cyclocross World Championships (x) | Mark Cavendish & Geraint Thomas, 2023 Giro d'Italia, Stage 21 (x) | Felix Gall & Ben O'Connor, 2023 Tour de France, Stage 17 (x) | Richard Carapaz & Michał Kwiatkowski, 2020 Tour de France, Stage 18 (x) | Ilan van Wilder & Remco Evenepoel, 2022 Vuelta a España, Stage 21 (x) | Mark Cavendish & Julian Alaphilippe, 2021 Tour de France, Stage 6 (x) | Primož Roglič & Tadej Pogačar, 2020 Tour de France, Stage 21 (x) | Julian Alaphilippe & Mirco Maestri, 2024 Giro d'Italia, Stage 12 (x) | Valentin Paret-Peintre & Aurélien Paret-Peintre, 2024 Giro d'Italia, Stage 10 (x) | Juan Sebastián Molano & Rui Oliveira, 2023 Vuelta a España, Stage 12 (x) | Jonas Vingegaard & Wout van Aert, 2022 Tour de France, Stage 11 (x)

Thank you @arriere-du-peloton for answering the call when I asked for cycleblr's favorite hugging photos!

[ravenkings]

Primitive people who observed that as a man loses blood he weakens and eventually dies came naturally to the conclusion that his blood contains his life. But the magical connection is not merely the physical one. A man’s life includes all his experiences, characteristics and qualities, and these are contained in his blood. A classical cure for epilepsy is to drink the blood of a slaughtered gladiator, which conveys his strength and healthy vitality into the epileptic’s body. The gladiator should be freshly killed, because the energy in his blood will dissipate quite quickly. Pliny’s Natural History says that some epileptics found it most effective to reach the gladiator before he was actually dead and gulp the invigorating blood down as it came warm and bubbling from the dying man’s wounds. 

–Richard Cavendish, The Black Arts: A Concise History of Witchcraft, Demonology, Astrology, and Other Mystical Practices

[thevirginwitch]

Current Reads + Book Reviews

To stay more up-to-date with what I'm reading, and to see my book notes, be sure to check out my Patreon!

last updated April 5th, 2024

Current Reads

Queering Your Craft: Witchcraft from the Margins by Cassandra Snow

Queer Magic: Power Beyond Boundaries edited by Lee Harrington and Tai Fenix Kulystin

The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft by Ronald Hutton

A History of Witchcraft: Sorcerers, Heretics, and Pagans by Jeffrey Burton Russell

Elemental Witchcraft: A Guide to Living a Magickal Life Through the Elements by Michelle Heron

The Black Arts: A Concise History of Witchcraft, Demonology, Astrology, Alchemy, and Other Mystical Practices Throughout the Ages by Richard Cavendish

Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America by Margot Adler

New World Witchery: A Trove of North American Folk Magic by Cory Thomas Hutcheson

Condensed Chaos: An Introduction to Chaos Magic by Phil Hine

Weather or Not: Two Books About the Magic of Timing & the Timing of Magic by Katrina Rasbold

Coven Craft: Witchcraft for Three or More by Amber K

Read Recently + Reviews

The Everyday Witch's Coven: Rituals and Magic for Two or More by Deborah Blake

Traditional Witchcraft for Urban Living by Melusine Draco

Urban Magick: A Guide for the City Witch by Diana Rajchel

Postmodern Magic: The Art of Magic in the Information Age by Patrick Dunn

The Crooked Path: An Introduction to Traditional Witchcraft by Keldon

Psychic Witch: A Metaphysical Guide to Meditation, Magick and Manifestation by Mat Auryn

[simadelics]

London, 1894

Kenneth

    My lovely wife could have lit and thrown a stick of dynamite at the podium and caused less destruction than she did with only her voice. As far as I could piece together between incessant apologies, Constance Clancy told her about Gresbrooke’s role in my campaign, not thinking anything of it, and Emmeline regarded it to be such a horrible betrayal that she took out the carriage and stormed in during Gresbrooke’s speech to loudly — so, so loudly — disavow him and his “corruption and rot.” Gresbrooke has only said one thing to me on the matter since: “Leash that woman, or I will.” It is my unenviable position to be the man in charge of the leashing.

    Truthfully, I am terribly cross with her at this moment, but I must repress it for the time being. It is a result of my own weakness — Dr. Lyon confirmed precisely what I suspected, which is that Emmeline is not in full possession of herself and cannot control her actions nor be held as responsible for them. As long as she is in this state, she is not Emmeline, Dr. Lyon says, but some wounded animal with all of her fears and pains and rages but none of the self-awareness and love that makes her my Emmeline. While I may be feeling humiliated and, frankly, emasculated by her, I must remind myself that — once she is out of this dreadful state — she will feel all that I am feeling double-fold.

    I tried to have a talk with her in our chambers, and she screamed at me like a wild animal. Dr. Lyon tells me I should not feel like any less of a man or husband for it, but I am not equipped to “heal” her as I would like to. I was a touch too disoriented to recognize where he was attempting to direct the conversation, so when he told me what course of action he would recommend as a doctor, I was shocked, befuddled, and dismayed all at once. I told him I was most ardently against the notion of sending my well-bred, highly intelligent wife to a sanitarium like some sort of madwoman. He asked me if I was willing to risk her life over my own ego, but I told him it was not a matter of ego at all — polite society never forgives nor forgets, surely, but it can, to a degree, sympathize with the husband of a lunatic. We have not forgotten our Brontës so soon. Dr. Lyon knows me well, however: he said that that was not the sort of ego he meant to suggest, but the one that declared that I would not be any husband at all to her if I could not resolve her nervous condition through my own care. It is true: the idea of any other man being able to do for her what I cannot is almost too awful to bear, but Dr. Lyon reminded me of our boys, and dear little Isabelle — my responsibility is to them first and foremost…a sentiment Emmeline would share if she was in any state of mind to.

    He promised that there are ones made for women like her, and we decided on one some distance away due to its quality. My wife will receive only the best possible care our great nation has to provide.

LAST POST | NEXT POST