341 – Crystal ball: Moon Crystal
- Physical description:
- Small black crystal ball with wooden stand. (In fact the glass is very dark blue.)
- Museum classification:
- Divination, Fortune Telling and Scrying
- Size:
- 100mm high
- Information:
This small black crystal ball is a moon crystal, used at night to catch the reflection of the moon on its surface. It was used by the Paignton witch 'Smelly Nelly', so called from her taste for expensive perfume. She believed that perfume appealed to the spirits who helped her with her divination. (Adapted from text by Cecil Williamson.) Original Cecil Williamson text: "If a witch has a helpful familiar, then crystal gazing can be rewarding. To do it on one's own can be hard and tedious work. This small black crystal is interesting in that it is a moon crystal. That is, it is used at night to catch the reflection of the moon on its surface. The witch then gazes into the moon's mirrored reflection and gets her reading. I have seen this black crystal used at night by the paignton witch "Smelly Nelly". No, she does wash and the only pong she emits is from the heavy usage of the most expensive of perfumes. You caught her scent a mile off downwind. The spirits adore it, but to be high up on those stark bare rocks, full moon, Smelly Nelly and her crystal is quite an experience. Alas, she and her wisdom have passed on."
Mentioned in Doreen Valiente's description of the exhibits at Cecil Williamson's 'House of Spells' at Polperro (Transcripts from Doreen Valiente's Diaries 1959-1966, in the museum library (133.43 VAL), pp.29-34).This object was loaned to the British Library for The British Library ‘Harry Potter’ Exhibition [ London: October 2017- Feb 2018, New York: October 2018 – January 2019, Kobe: September 2021 - November 2021, Tokyo: December 2021 - March 2022 ]
- Resource:
- Object
- Materials:
- Glass, wood
- Copyright ownership:
- Copyright to The Museum of Witchcraft Ltd.
This small black crystal ball is a moon crystal, used at night to catch the reflection of the moon on its surface. It was used by the Paignton witch 'Smelly Nelly', so called from her taste for expensive perfume. She believed that perfume appealed to the spirits who helped her with her divination. (Adapted from text by Cecil Williamson.) Original Cecil Williamson text: "If a witch has a helpful familiar, then crystal gazing can be rewarding. To do it on one's own can be hard and tedious work. This small black crystal is interesting in that it is a moon crystal. That is, it is used at night to catch the reflection of the moon on its surface. The witch then gazes into the moon's mirrored reflection and gets her reading. I have seen this black crystal used at night by the paignton witch "Smelly Nelly". No, she does wash and the only pong she emits is from the heavy usage of the most expensive of perfumes. You caught her scent a mile off downwind. The spirits adore it, but to be high up on those stark bare rocks, full moon, Smelly Nelly and her crystal is quite an experience. Alas, she and her wisdom have passed on."
Mentioned in Doreen Valiente's description of the exhibits at Cecil Williamson's 'House of Spells' at Polperro (Transcripts from Doreen Valiente's Diaries 1959-1966, in the museum library (133.43 VAL), pp.29-34).
This object was loaned to the British Library for The British Library ‘Harry Potter’ Exhibition [ London: October 2017- Feb 2018, New York: October 2018 – January 2019, Kobe: September 2021 - November 2021, Tokyo: December 2021 - March 2022 ]