Cornwall is very mysterious place. Looking beyond the sheer natural beauty and tourist resorts, Cornwall at its heart is a faraway county full of peculiar stone circles, eerie folklore and is the home one of the fastest growing religions in the UK – Paganism.
As part of the Shire Checklist (my 8-point to-do list for each county of England) I am to engage in the local culture and traditions of each county of England. As spiritual groups and practices are such a big element of Cornish culture, I had to find out more.
I reached out to various Pagan groups in Cornwall and managed to secure an interview with Eve Salthouse; a practising Witch and Druid of 30 years, and an influential figure in the Pagan community across Cornwall.
Due to Covid, the interview had to be via video call, but it was a truly special 90-minute talk filled with local stories, insight and I crucially discovered four key things:
– What Paganism is
– What Pagans practice
– Why Paganism is so popular in Cornwall
– and why more and more people are being drawn to this faith
Below is the summary of my first brush with this spooky side of Cornwall. I hope you enjoy.
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It was 6pm on a sunny Thursday evening, our agreed time to talk. In the few days prior, I had been exchanging emails with a Witch, something I never thought I’d do, and now it was time to meet her face to face (albeit via video call).
I joined the online meeting first and waited with anticipation to see what a real-life Witch looks like. After a few moments, Eve entered the meeting – a middle-aged lady with shoulder-length white hair and a kind, beaming smile.
“Hello Dean! Great to meet you!”, exclaimed the Witch on entry to the call, in a jovial New Zealand accent.
The Witch’s name is Eve Salthouse. Eve is a Solitary Witch, also known as a Hedge Witch, and a Druid – both of which fall under the umbrella of Paganism.
Eve is a real figurehead in the Pagan community of Cornwall. She is a trustee and the Pagan representative for the Cornwall Faith Forum (where I found Eve), a director of Pagan Phoenix Southwest, the Pagan representative on Cornwall SACRE (Standing Advisory Committee for Religious Education for Cornwall Council) and a Police Independent Advisor for the Pagan Community.
In Eve’s words, she serves the sprits of the land and her ancestors through both her spiritual practices (more on that to come) and on the “boring side” of helping to organise Paganism in Cornwall. All in all, I was in fantastic company to get to know about this religion.
It was time to begin the interview, and to kick off with I just had to ask the burning question:
How on earth did you get involved in becoming a Witch?
“I always felt a spiritual need within me. I explored Christianity in my twenties, but I was put off by its quite strict rules. I then explored Buddhism, but something didn’t fit for me.
“I then moved from New Zealand to Cornwall and ended up marrying a Cornishman. It was then noticing all the stone circles and becoming aware of active Moots (the Anglo-Saxon word used to describe gatherings) that I was drawn to Druidry in 1998. I realised quite quickly that I had found my faith”.
It seems that it was purely the enchanting environment of West Cornwall that drew Eve to Paganism. I can vouch for that from my travels down there too. My next question (and probably yours) was quite simple:
What is actually is Paganism?
“Paganism is nature-based spirituality. It is an umbrella term for various faiths, such as Wiccans (Witchcraft), Druidry and Shamanism, but they are all linked by their worship of nature.
“The key difference compared to religions like Christianity and Islam is that we believe that the divine is contained within nature – that there is no transcendent. There are a number of Gods and Goddesses, but none are outside of nature.
“There is no bible, no scripture, however some denominations have guides. Heathenry, for example, has 8 core values and Wiccans have the 3-fold law (similar to Karma). There are no commandments.
“We pray, we meditate, chant, sing, dance, celebrate festivals, we hold rituals”.
My initial thoughts were that Paganism is quite an open, almost casual faith which allows plenty of freedom; but I pressed further:
So, what do Pagans actually worship?
“I, myself, actually use the Anglo-Saxon word “worship” in its intended way – ‘to give worth to’, as opposed to the connotation of bowing down to an almighty. However, most Pagans would say they give ‘honour’ or ‘reverence’ to the Earth, and do not like the word ‘worship’ due to its Christian connotations – wording is an important element for many.
“Some denominations honour trees, mountains, rivers, the natural world. Some also honour Gods and Goddesses. For example, Heathens worship the Anglo-Saxon Gods Odin and Thor. Regardless of your particular branch of Paganism, a fundamental element is the care for the ‘spirits of place’ – our ancestors which are within nature. Nature and our ancestors are entwined, this is who we serve and protect”.
I will return to the last point about ancestors, but after this overview I still wanted to dig a little deeper into what various Pagans actually practice. How does this faith play out in real life? I asked Eve quite directly:
What does a week in the life look like of someone who is both a Witch and a Druid?
“Well firstly, we don’t do weeks like you will from the Gregorian calendar. We go by the phases of the moon. However, as a Druid I start my day with a greeting prayer at the altar in my room, I also have another altar downstairs at my fireplace.
“As a Witch, I make protection charms using Rowan berries. I pick the berries myself, asking permission from the tree, of course, and then let them become ripe before beginning any magical work. If it is the waxing moon phase (the moon getting bigger each night), the focus is on healing and strengthening; if it a waning moon (the moon getting smaller each night), the focus is on banishing, letting go and diminishing – both practices are in line with the moon’s energy. At full moons, Witches gather together and conduct healing work.
“We also celebrate eight major festivals a year – four fire festivals including Samhain (the ancient Irish and Scots Gaelic word for Halloween, pronounced “Sow-in”), two equinox and the two solstices which are all around six weeks apart”.
At this stage, Paganism, and being a Witch in general, seemed like a quite meditative and grounding faith to be involved in. The quirky practices and entwinement with the natural world sounded quite ‘cosy’, like living out a fairy tale. However, given Paganism’s ancient roots and spooky reputation, I was sure there were more strange elements too.
So, what does a Pagan festival actually look like?
“Well for example, at the May Day fire festival, Beltane, there will be a big meeting at a stone circle and people would partake in “Jumping the Fire” – yes, literally. It was believed to drive away illness, bring good fortune to travellers and pregnant women, and when livestock were driven over the ashes they would have freedom from illness. Lovers would jump over hand in hand too.
“At Lughnasadh, the festival marking the start of the Harvest season, we meet at a stone circle and pray, then play games such as three-legged races, egg and spoon races (which are toned down versions of the ancient wrestling and tug of war games) then celebrate with a big picnic.
“Samhain, on the 31st October, is the festival of the ancestors, where the gap between our world and the other world is thin for one night. So, we dress in black and it’s all black candles, skulls, and we can better communicate with our ancestors on this night…and they can with us.
“We welcome them in by leaving out candles or a lantern, or an extra plate at the dinner table to have a symbolic meal with our ancestors (sometimes called a dumb supper). As a Druid, we have wine, salt, honey and bread on this night; we cast a bit of this into the fire so that it burns, and the energy goes up to the ancestors”.
Again, Paganism sounded a lot more fun and homely than I expected! But at the end of the day, I was talking to a self-described Witch – and aren’t all Witches bad?! Paganism also carries connotations of satanic rituals, so I wanted to be frank with Eve:
Paganism and Witches have connotations with evil – why is that?
“People confuse Paganism and Witchcraft with Satanic or demonic practices – but we don’t even believe in Satan!
“Look, the ‘W’ word, the ‘Witch’ word, is still quite a difficult word. It’s ingrained in our culture that Witches are ugly women casting evils spells, but that was the 15th century, so hopefully we’ve moved on since then…
“I mean the Celts, a long time ago, did have a cult of the head. You would find bodies preserved in peat bogs that had succumb to the triple death – strangled, hit over the head and their throats cut. I mean we’re talking ritual sacrifice here! These old customs probably wouldn’t go down too well with modern Pagans!”.
With such a brutal and gory past (like most of history I must add), it’s natural that a fairly eccentric, yet well preserved faith will draw curiosity and criticism. So, I did want to understand how Pagans are represented (or misrepresented) in the media.
“We do sometimes get sensational press but it’s normally during a dry news week. The Daily Mail have run a sarcastic headline numerous times of “Cornish children given broomstick riding lessons”, but that’s because in Cornwall Paganism is a very small part of the school curriculum. We’ve had other issues with the press so now we never talk to them – as they always twist our words!”.
It’s clear that Paganism is quite an ‘out there’ faith, which is possibly attractive feature that the faith’s followers revel in. Seemingly on the fringe of ‘regular’ British society, Paganism’s popularity is also heavily concentrated on the geographical fringe of the British Isles in Cornwall, and so I asked:
Why is Paganism so popular in Cornwall?
“Firstly, we were never invaded by the Romans. We traded tin with the Romans, as we did with the Greeks and Phoenicians before them, so we’ve had outside influences, but Cornwall was never a proper province of Rome.
“We also had, and still have, something called ‘dual observance’. So that would be Christians, usually Methodist in Cornwall, that also practice Paganism – so we have kept that bond to our ancient faith.
“For example, a man my husband knew, a painter and decorator, was a staunch Methodist – a real pillar of that community. However, he was also a Wart Charmer. My husband went to see him once; the man picked some leaves from a tree in his garden, rubbed them on the wart, said a few words, and then simply said “go away” – and the wart would go away. Now that’s magic, magic. These practices were accepted by our local churches, which shows you how ‘dual observance’ has kept Paganism flourishing.
“Cornwall also simply has such a strong connection with the ancestors, everywhere you look there’s ancient stones, ancient settlements”.
It seems that a lack of total historical invasion combined with the preservation of local culture and physical sites has kept Paganism alive through the ages in Cornwall. Indeed, even today there are plenty of little quirks among regular Cornish folk that survive to this day – such as the word ‘fairy’ being out of bounds, it’s advised to use the term ‘good neighbours’, ‘lords and ladies’ or ‘fair folk’ instead to ensure the mischievous fairies don’t hear you.
The ancestors, mentioned twice already by Eve, was something I wanted to come back to. Part of my reason to start this blog was to help kindle more of a connection to my home country and heritage, so this side of Paganism was particularly interesting to me.
What is the importance of the ‘ancestors’ within Paganism – and what are you specifically visualising?
“We worship and connect with the spirits of those who were human. Our Gods of Britain, the ancient island of Britain, give a human face to the divine – they laughed, cried and died. This gives a sense of connectivity.
“Appreciation of our ancestors is very important, whether it’s relatives I knew or my ancestors from 6000 years ago. Our ancestors give us our place in the scheme of things, and Pagans feel that built within our DNA is an echo of ancient ancestral memories.
“For a clear example, the Neolithic long barrows, often used as mass graves. The bodies were not buried individually, but there were piles of long bones, piles of short bones, of ribs, etc – when you were buried you joined the ancestors. So, there you have something you can worship, to give worth to, the ancestors”.
I learned that Paganism keeps your knowledge and appreciation of the past, very present – with the highly important, omnipresent focus of remembering and worshipping your ancestors. I found this part of the interview quite endearing; especially as Eve did mention she had recently lost her Father, it felt especially poignant. Ultimately, the message I got was very grounding – appreciate those before you and remember that whatever happens, life goes on.
As we approached the end of the interview, I wanted understand Paganism’s impact on Britain nowadays:
Has Paganism influenced modern day Britain?
“Yes! Paganism has had lasting influence on Britain in various ways. Take the days of the week, this is Thursday named after the god…Thor. Thor’s day. Wednesday is named after the god Woden (or Odin in Norse), Friday is named after the goddess Frige”.
This was eye-opening news to me; I’d never be taught or even considered that the names of the week were named after Anglo-Saxon Pagan gods. But Eve didn’t stop here.
“Halloween. Many people think this is something fairly recent from American culture, but Halloween derives from the Christian festival “All Hallows Eve”, the night before All Hallows (sometimes called All Souls), which itself derives from the much older Pagan festival of Samhain.”
“Bath. Famous for the beautiful Roman baths upon the natural hot springs. However, before the Romans arrived it was already a big place of worship for the goddess Sulis. The Romans turned up and noticed that Sulis was similar to their goddess Minerva – and so dedicated the bath to Sulis Minerva. They didn’t cast away the original culture or religion, they just added a Roman element – it was a pragmatic method to keep Britons on side too”.
Eve saved the big one until last.
“Christmas. Before the Christians came to Britain, the 25th of December was already a day of great celebration. This is because the mid-winter solstice, which we know occurs on the 21st December, only becomes visible to the naked eye about four days after. This day is special because it marks the mid-way point of winter, so everyone would have a big party.
“So, the Christians came along, saw there was already big celebrations at this time, and thought ‘great, this can be Christmas Day, why change anything?’”.
And so, I reached the final question of the interview. I began this article by mentioning that Paganism is one of the fastest growing religions in the UK, and so I posed my final question accompanied with my own general thoughts to see if Eve agreed:
“I have a theory that people in England are beginning to look towards something more ‘spiritual’, something to ground them, purely because modern life is so complicated and distracting. With most people spending much of their time in offices starting at a computer, then staring at their phone, then the TV, I think there could be a reaction to this lifestyle – and Paganism doesn’t carry the ‘heaviness’ of some of the more well-known religions. So, in short:
What do you think on the future for the faith?”
“Well, the historian Professor Ronald Hutton has stated that Paganism is the fastest growing religion in the UK, and I think you’re right on your theory.
“It’s the soullessness and artificiality of our lives that is making people feel need for meaning, for spirituality. People question whether the meaning of life is to just go to the office, sit on a computer, go home and watch telly, then go to bed. Some people find a sense of meaning in pubs, shopping malls, but that tends to only goes so far.
“It’s the disconnect from nature at the root of things; people are becoming more aware of the need to protect and engage in nature – so Paganism is a really fitting faith for many.
“Paganism’s popularity can also be because our ancestors were Pagan. They didn’t have this cult of the individual there is nowadays, you were part of a family, part of a tribe. However, compared to Christianity or Islam, where there’s a stricter guideline of how to live your life, Paganism can be what you want it to be – so it’s more accessible.
“So yes, I think the future of Paganism is bright”, Eve ended, with a warm smile.
Conclusion
And there was the end of the interview with a real-life Witch. It was a truly insightful, funny and, most strikingly, refreshing couple of hours. Hearing about this ancient faith, native to the British Isles and grounded to nature, being practiced in faraway Cornwall was quite inspirational – especially in the face of the frenetic and ever-updating world of digital technology. I took a lot from this interview (and I hope you readers did too) and I thank Eve for her time and enthusiasm on the interview.
I learnt one key thing on this Thorsday evening, that despite all the connotations to Witches, Druids and magic, maybe we’re a little more Pagan than we realise.
