Australia

Folklorist shares the untold story of Australian fortune teller, Mary Barrell

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AUSTRALIA – An academic has recently pieced together the story of Mary Barrell, which is among the earliest documented cases of Witchcraft and fortune telling in the country. Historian and folklorist Dr David Waldron made the discovery when conducting research in Victorian-era newspapers. He found letters to the editor spanning over three decades. “I first became aware of Mary Barrell when looking for writing on fortune tellers, phrenologists and mystics in 19th century Ballarat.” Waldron told The Wild Hunt. “Castelmaine, Ballarat and Bendigo were all described as a mecca for spiritualism and attracted the attention of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who engaged in correspondence with Ballarat Spiritualist leader James Curtis.”
The Methodist and the Spiritualist
According to a recent article by the Ballarat Courier, the letters published in newspapers complaining about Barrell and her fortune telling were at least in part caused by and demonstrative of ongoing friction between two notable and influential Ballarat pioneers who had very different sensibilities: Wesleyan Methodist and town council member James Oddie and Freemason and Spiritualist James Curtis.

Culture

Trendy magic: witchcraft tops pop culture charts … again.

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TWH – As autumn approaches, it is not surprising that the number of mainstream articles referring to Witches and Witchcraft are increasing. Many of the recently published articles are touting that Witchcraft is “trending,” to use a social media term, or in old-school language, Witchcraft popularity is on the rise or “all the rage.” And in textspeak: WitchcraftFTW. #witches
For the bulk of the American public, the brief and unexamined suggestion that the nation’s Witch population is significantly increasing might be enough of a “sound bite” to tantalize and, in some cases, even scare. However, for those people who have long identified as Witches or the like, the flippant mention of Witchcraft in a seasonal article is not enough to satisfy.

Paganism

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Spiritualist temple under threat

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CAMDEN TOWN — An historic Spiritualist temple is under threat from developers. The building, whose foundation stone was laid by Sherlock Holmes’ author and noted Spiritualist Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, has become the subject of a debate spurred by a new proposal by development group UrbanLab. The company reportedly seeks to demolish the 90-year-old temple and replace it with nine flats and a gallery. The building is currently owned by the Spiritualists’ National Union, which owns 350 spiritualist churches across the country. The Rochester Square temple is particularly historic.