454 – Austin Spare “The Witches”

Physical description:

Colour reproduction of a picture by Austin Osman Spare showing a ritual operation involving a large quartz crystal, possibly the one on display in the museum (264).

Museum classification:

Ritual Magic - Austin Osman Spare

Size:

455 x 330

Information:

See also the crystal, object number 264.

From the Museum archive: Clipping describing a painting of witches by Austin Osman Spare. Cecil Williamson Object Label Collection

Document Number: 9753b

Left A painting of witches, by the English occultist and artist Austin Osman Spare. Their paraphernalia includes a figure with a pin stuck into it, and imitative magic of this type, meant either to kill or to seduce, is known from all over the world and all through history. It has its roots in the experiences of childhood, when a child believes that a doll is a real person and can be cosseted or hurt.

Cecil Williamson knew Kenneth and Steffi Grant.  He communicated with them by letter and collaborated with them on the Temple Room display in the Witches' Mill on the Isle of Man (see object number 941 - Double Cubic altar for more on this display).  Kenneth and Steffi were good friends of Austin Spare, helped him in his career and published his works.  They later worked with Robert Ansell and were key in ensuring Spare's reputation as an occultist and artist.  It is probably Cecil met Spare or acquired this crystal through his connections with the Grants.

There are two documents in the Museum archive written by Cecil which relate to Austin Spare, they are documents 180 and 367.  In Document 180 (a letter from 1982), Cecil recommends someone contact the Grants for more information on Austin Spare (he is very complimentary about the Grants and obviously held them in high esteem and affection).  He also includes an anecdote about Spare and Gardner which is similar to one Kenneth Grant told (perhaps they were there together?  See document 2914).  In document 180, Cecil shows an understanding of Spare's magical practice when he says, "Spare had found his own pathway to, and through, to the world beyond.  He did his own thing in complete confidence.  He was beholden to no-one."

Document 367 is addressed to Robert Ansell (founder of the publishing house Fulgur Press and the pre-eminent scholar on Austin Spare and publisher of the Grants). Again Cecil shows an understanding of Spare's magical practice, "Thoughts are things" but he also explains how it was difficult to get to know Spare and that he never acquired any of his works of art.

The Museum library has a first edition of Kenneth Grant's "The Magical Revival" (1972) which includes some discussions of Spare.  This copy was Cecil's and it has been heavily annotated by him.  There are asterixes in the margins of the sections on Spare and this part of the book has been heavily underlined by Cecil.

In 2018, the crystal was displayed in the Museum's "Dew of Heaven: objects of Ritual Magic" exhibition alongside original artworks by Steffi Grant. 

 

 

Resource:

Picture

Materials:

Paper

See also the crystal, object number 264.

From the Museum archive: Clipping describing a painting of witches by Austin Osman Spare. Cecil Williamson Object Label Collection

Document Number: 9753b

Left A painting of witches, by the English occultist and artist Austin Osman Spare. Their paraphernalia includes a figure with a pin stuck into it, and imitative magic of this type, meant either to kill or to seduce, is known from all over the world and all through history. It has its roots in the experiences of childhood, when a child believes that a doll is a real person and can be cosseted or hurt.

Cecil Williamson knew Kenneth and Steffi Grant.  He communicated with them by letter and collaborated with them on the Temple Room display in the Witches' Mill on the Isle of Man (see object number 941 - Double Cubic altar for more on this display).  Kenneth and Steffi were good friends of Austin Spare, helped him in his career and published his works.  They later worked with Robert Ansell and were key in ensuring Spare's reputation as an occultist and artist.  It is probably Cecil met Spare or acquired this crystal through his connections with the Grants.

There are two documents in the Museum archive written by Cecil which relate to Austin Spare, they are documents 180 and 367.  In Document 180 (a letter from 1982), Cecil recommends someone contact the Grants for more information on Austin Spare (he is very complimentary about the Grants and obviously held them in high esteem and affection).  He also includes an anecdote about Spare and Gardner which is similar to one Kenneth Grant told (perhaps they were there together?  See document 2914).  In document 180, Cecil shows an understanding of Spare's magical practice when he says, "Spare had found his own pathway to, and through, to the world beyond.  He did his own thing in complete confidence.  He was beholden to no-one."

Document 367 is addressed to Robert Ansell (founder of the publishing house Fulgur Press and the pre-eminent scholar on Austin Spare and publisher of the Grants). Again Cecil shows an understanding of Spare's magical practice, "Thoughts are things" but he also explains how it was difficult to get to know Spare and that he never acquired any of his works of art.

The Museum library has a first edition of Kenneth Grant's "The Magical Revival" (1972) which includes some discussions of Spare.  This copy was Cecil's and it has been heavily annotated by him.  There are asterixes in the margins of the sections on Spare and this part of the book has been heavily underlined by Cecil.

In 2018, the crystal was displayed in the Museum's "Dew of Heaven: objects of Ritual Magic" exhibition alongside original artworks by Steffi Grant.