Shakespeare Witches

The Witches Spell

Act IV, Scene 1 from Macbeth (1606) by William Shakespeare

A dark Cave. In the middle, a Caldron boiling. Thunder.
Enter the three Witches.

1 WITCH. Thrice the brinded cat hath mew’d.
2 WITCH. Thrice and once, the hedge-pig whin’d.
3 WITCH. Harpier cries:—’tis time! ’tis time!
1 WITCH. Round about the caldron go;
In the poison’d entrails throw.—
Toad, that under cold stone,
Days and nights has thirty-one;
Swelter’d venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i’ the charmed pot!
ALL. Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.
2 WITCH. Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the caldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder’s fork, and blind-worm’s sting,
Lizard’s leg, and owlet’s wing,—
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
ALL. Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.
3 WITCH. Scale of dragon; tooth of wolf;
Witches’ mummy; maw and gulf
Of the ravin’d salt-sea shark;
Root of hemlock digg’d i the dark;
Liver of blaspheming Jew;
Gall of goat, and slips of yew
Sliver’d in the moon’s eclipse;
Nose of Turk, and Tartar’s lips;
Finger of birth-strangled babe
Ditch-deliver’d by a drab,—
Make the gruel thick and slab:
Add thereto a tiger’s chaudron,
For the ingrediants of our caldron.
ALL. Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.
2 WITCH. Cool it with a baboon’s blood,
Then the charm is firm and good.

or maybe you might prefer Terry Pratchett's parody....

"The wind howled. Lightning stabbed at the earth erratically, like and inefficient assassin. Thunder rolled back and forth across the dark, rain lashed hills. The night was as black as the inside of a cat. It was the kind of night, you could believe, on which Gods moved men as though they were pawns on the chessboard of fate. In the middle of this elemental storm a fire gleamed among the dripping furze bushes like madness in a weasel's eye. It illuminated three hunched figures. As the cauldron bubbled and archaic voice shrieked: "When shall we three meet again?!!"
There was a pause.
Finally another voice said, in a far more ordinary tones: 
"Well I can do next Tuesday""

Terry Pratchett ~ Wyrd Sisters

 

Taking part in Haunted Humpday hosted by Marfi at 

Incipient Wings.

Witches let your true colours shine.

What is this obsession with black? 

From Black hats, dresses, cats to bats 

the witch is synonymous with black

 

Now I'm fond of a touch of black myself as this blog 

can testify. I definitely don't think black is a bad colour. 

The LBD is a staple of many a women's wardrobe

and sometimes  I just like to dress my mood,

which at times black matches perfectly.

 Black can be both sexy and at the same 

time allow one to blend in to the background.

Depending how it is worn.

 

But there is too much of good thing, Even witches

houses are normally shown in a dismal light, the 

interiors shown in a state of neglect and repair.

This surely is not right.

No self respecting witch would live in a house

that was not a comfortable place to reside. 

When I think of a witches home it's neat as a pin with
homemade touches dotted around from patchwork 

covers on the bed to home made preservers in the pantry.

A cottage garden to delight both the senses and provide 

all that is need for home made remedies and spells.

There is only one film I've come across that showcases this type 

of witch and who have a house any witch would spell cast to own.

'Practical Magic' 

Who could not fall in love with the aunts 

and their lovely light embraced home.

 So here I am to strike a blow against the black witch stereotype.

Shabby Chic Witches stand up and be counted, 

get out your pastels, pinks and blues or release your 

jewel colours of red and emerald.

Be a witch that walks proud and colourful.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The above should have been part of Magaly's of Pagan Culture

Sexy, dark and bloody blog party. Sadly I was traveling under my own dark 

cloud of depression for a while and miss the fun and merriment.

Still I firmly believe in the old sentiment,

better late than never.