The Witch of Plum Hollow

I first wrote about Elizabeth Barnes many years ago when I still lived in Ontario. I came across her while researching a historical poltergeist case that she had been consulted on, and I became fascinated by her story. 

Mrs. Barnes did not self identify as a witch, but many of the things she became famous for could certainly be considered "witchy and so she was dubbed by her contemporaries as the Witch of Plum Hollow. Elizabeth Barnes was a wise woman, gifted psychic, medium, and healer.

Elizabeth was born in the year 1800 in County Cork Ireland. She was the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter much like my own grandmother had been. At a young age she eloped with an Irish sergeant, who her family greatly disapproved of already showing a fierce independence. The young couple emigrated to Canada, and settled in the Cobourg area. However, a few short years later her husband Harrison tragically passed away leaving Elizabeth a very young widow.

Living in a very new country that offered only harsh living conditions at the time Elizabeth chose to remarry as opposed to trying to return to her family in Ireland. Her second husband was a shoemaker by trade and together they were blessed with nine children. In 1843 the family moved to Sheldon’s Corners which is near Plum Hollow, and soon afterwards Mr. Barnes went on to live in Smith’s Falls leaving his family behind, and Elizabeth alone to support all of their children! There was very little in the way of employment opportunities never-mind meaningful ones for women at that time, especially a single parent. Elizabeth wisely turned towards her psychic abilities as a fortune teller and as a healer to support her family.  

She was very good, so good that her uncanny talents were soon sought after by people living as faraway as the USA. Despite her fame she never charged more than 25 cents and often helped and healed for barter or trade. 

Elizabeth achieved quite a bit of notoriety as a psychic when she was credited with helping solve the murder of Morgan Doxtater. His cousin Edgar Harter was tried, convicted and executed for the crime in 1860 just as she had predicted. She also advised George Dagg of the infamous Dagg poltergeist events that occurred in the family home near Shawville Quebec. This was widely reported in the media of that time. She felt that the eerie occurrences were the result of three individuals who had been dabbling in the occult, and set about to put the paranormal activity to rest.

Elizabeth was known throughout her life as a kind woman who was respected as a “wise woman” within her own community. Mother Barnes - The Witch of Plum Hollow - Elizabeth lived to be over ninety years of age and is buried in Sheldon’s Corners cemetery. She is very fondly remembered today, plays have been written about her, her old homestead has been preserved, and there is even a road named for her. 

Elizabeth's witch's cottage (photo credit) 

After my initial article was published I was contacted in 2006 by a direct descendant of Mother Barnes as she became affectionately known. Elizabeth's gr. great grandson not only openly shared family lore with me, but photographs of the extended family and pages from the family's bible. It appears that Elizabeth's extraordinary gifts also have been passed down through the generations to some of her descendants. I cannot describe how exciting it was to be in contact with Elizabeth's family, and I am eternally grateful for what they shared with me. 

Great Granddaughter Gertrude circa 1960’s with photo of Elizabeth Barnes.

Elizabeth Barnes was not the only woman of her era to become a professional witch despite the inherent dangers and ostracization from the so-called respectable society in those days. Women in Elizabeth's position had little choices beyond marriage, prostitution, or scullery-type work, and one of my longer term goals would be to write a social history about these fiercely independent, courageous women who turned to the paranormal to support themselves and their families. 

In 2018 inspired by Mother Barnes and other women like her I portrayed an early 19th century fortune teller at a historical event in Mississauga. I also did mini tarot card readings.  

 

Susan Demeter - Bradley Historical Event 2018

And for all those who appreciated my table, including talk about the hardships of women in the early 19th century I still received a few jeers and disapproval from the parents of a child who was curious about my table. As they were pushing their daughter past me I overheard them say in a stage whisper "we don't believe in people like that." But, judging by the look on the girl's face as gave me a backward look this only served to make the girl even more intrigued by my appearance and what I was up to.  

Sources:

Legends Told In Canada by Edith Fowke 1994 R.O.M

Leeds and Grenville Their First Two Hundred Years By R. Mckenzie 1967 McClelland & Stewart

Personal correspondence with Elizabeth Barnes descendants. 

Cosmic Witch - Magic, Witchcraft and the Supernatural

A short video in English highlighting my book Cosmic Witch.  

Feeling so much love and gratitude to Greg Bishop for the amazing drone work, Miguel Romero for dressing the Cosmic Witch and La Strega with his breathtaking artwork, Claudio Selleri and Le Due Torri for believing in this project, and my husband Massimo Teodorani aka Totemtag for the chillin' witchy music that weaves its cosmic spell throughout this video. Thank you! 

Cosmic Witch: Magic, Witchcraft, and the Supernatural

I am so happy to announce the English version of my book Cosmic Witch (The Witch - La Strega in Italiano) is now available on Amazon. Feeling, excited, accomplished, nervous, happy, and relieved.

There is a strong autobiographical component to this book where I recount my experiences with mysterious lights, and other paranormal phenomena, and how those encounters shaped who I am, both as a researcher of exceptional human experiences, and as a witch.

I am an introvert, it has never been easy for me to be so open, and I am fully aware of how strange what I write about will sound to most people, but I believe in my heart that my initiation as a witch occurred when I first experienced the strange, mystical lights in the sky, which some people identify as UFOs. The encounters I write about occurred mostly in Canada and around the Great Lakes.

In a spiritual sense, I view them as messengers from the star goddess, and throughout my life they have extended to me their cosmic invitation, and allowed me to participate in their magic.

This book came about through a series of synchronicities that brought me together with my publisher Le Due Torri in Bologna Italy, and lays the foundation for future planned projects where I discuss some of the experiments I have conducted in conjuring UFOs, including a reworking of the famous 1970s Toronto "Phillip" sessions. Its is a book written from my heart and perhaps guided occasionally by unseen hands.

The beautiful artwork is by Miguel Romero aka Red Pill Junkie, who captured the spirit of Cosmic Witch with this breathtaking image.

COSMIC WITCH: magic, witchcraft, and the supernatural Available through Amazon in English and Le Due Torri in Italiano

Cernunnos Monte Bibele

The Horned God

God of Nature, Life, Fertility

A series of photographs I took of wild mountain goats during a recent excursion to Monte Bibele, ancient holy site of the Central European Celts.

Witches, Feminism, and a 15th century Bolognese Countess

From high atop the Sasso Marconi mountainside one can view the Palazzo Sanuti-Bevilacqua a 15th century villa, and home to a most remarkable medieval woman, and early Italian feminist. 

While I was hiking through this stunning and atmospheric area I was amazed to learn about Nicolosa Sanuti.

Nicolosa Sanuti was the daughter of Antonio Castellani, a notary, and Margherita Franchini. After her marriage to the Count Nicolò Sanuti, she became the owner of a vast lands in the province of Bologna. Along the bank of Reno River, the Sanuti family built the villa that was their residence and still bears their name, Palazzo Sanuti. From the beautiful fountains located inside the property the adjacent hamlet took its name, Fontana. 

Madonna and child

Inner courtyard including a photograph below from the turn of the last century depicting the fountain from which the hamlet took its name.

The Palazzo Sanuti Bevilacqua Degli Ariosti is currently in use as a private residence and office, but the influence of the original Countess is still very much felt and remembered. 

The historic plaque above recalls Nicolosa's fight against draconian laws which dictated what women could and could not wear in public.  In 1453 Roman Catholic Cardinal Basilios Bessarion of Bologna enacted his own particularly restrictive sumptuary laws, especially with regard to women.

In response, Nicolosa Sanuti wrote to the cardinal (in perfect Latin) arguing against his politics, in which she underlined the injustice of having to oblige women to adopt different and more modest customs than those of all the other Europeans. She also pointed out that fashion was viewed as symbol of femininity, and that women were already prevented from wearing the clothes of magistrates, militia and priests. She accused him of not wanting to take into account the greatness of women who all descend from Sappho, Artemisia, and Cornelia.

Not only was her letter one of the precious few in that time period to be written and conceived by a woman, but she was the only one who contested the theoretical assumptions underlying the sumptuary laws.

The reaction from the government of Bologna was negative. Cardinal Bessarion left her letter unanswered. And the canon Matteo Bosso publicly questioned the identity of the author considering a woman incapable of writing with such eloquence, and in Latin.

Countess Sanuti was a contemporary of Ginevra Sforza the wife and counselor of Giovanni II Bentivoglio, Lord of Bologna, and Gentile Budrioli, wife of the notary Alessandro Cimieri and student at the University of Bologna, who was accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake in 1498.

All three of these women were unpopular with the Church and State, the Countess for challenging the sumptuary laws, Ginevra for having the ear and influence over her powerful husband, and Gentile for her skills as a healer and astrologer. While the first two women had powerful stations within society, Gentile did not and she may have paid a price for the sins of her feminist counterparts with her brutal execution in the main square of Bologna.

Nicolosa Sanuti died in 1505 in Bologna.

During the same year and due to several conspiracies the Pope ordered the Bentivoglios including Ginevra to leave the city, their properties in Bologna were looted and the Palazzo Bentivoglio was razed. Ginevra was excommunicated by the Church and she died on the 16th of May 1507. Her body was buried in a common grave.

The Palazzo Sanuti-Bevilacqua is located in an area where I have been studying local folklore. La Rupe of Sasso Marconi is geologically significant and has a rich history. In 1283 it was chosen as a site to build a shrine and sanctuary to the Venerated Virgin of Sasso. Over the years the rock mountain had been excavated, and there are a series of tunnels still visible, where in centuries past poor people lived like cavemen. On the night of June 23rd 1892 the side of the cliff facing the river crashed down and crushed the houses below it. 14 people died that night and many others were injured.

Following the tragic event stories of black magic, witchcraft, and strange mystery lights have plagued the area. Before hiking through the area I had not heard of the feminist Countess Sanuti before. And after researching more about her and her contemporaries Ginevra and Gentile, I now wonder if the accusations of witchery in the area and black magic somehow link back to the courageous Nicolosa Sanuti?

All of the photographs above with the exception of those from the historical archive were taken by me in March 2018.

Ostara 2018 - Happy Spring

This year I am blessed to welcome in the Spring in Central Europe, which will arrive today, March 20th, at 5:15pm.

The wee crocuses from my photo above survived a farewell snow storm that occurred yesterday in the mountains where I am staying. The photograph below I took on March 19th. An eerie, wintry silence; frozen, and beautiful, descended on the land, and just as quickly gave way to Spring. By this morning all the snow had melted, some of which I have gathered in a pot the night before for my Ostara altar. 

As Winter went out like a lion the Spring is now being greeted with the birds singing, green grass and flowers, and a wonderful energy of renewal and rebirth in the air. 

Some photographs I took of my altar and fire:

I have burned some of the remnants of my Winter altar including pine needles and cedar. 

A mysterious local pixie who has become a travel companion and symbol of good luck.   

For Eostre

by Galina Krasskova

"We hail the Goddess of spring,
of vibrancy, of stirring bounty,
of the waking earth,
that readies itself for the seed.
We hail the Goddess of sunshine,
and cycles, and changes,
and all good and terrifying things.
We pray for fertility in our works,
of minds, and hearts, and hands.
We pray for blessings,
and the gift of hope’s manifestation.
We hail the Goddess of spring,
as Her bounty covers the land.
Eostre, be Thou praised."



 Wishing everyone in the Northern hemisphere a magical spring equinox, and everyone in the south an enchanted autumn equinox.

It has been a tough winter for many of my friends, and family I am wishing us all a hopeful and joyful Spring.

A Different Kind Of UFO

This highly unusual and very interesting report of flying women was sent to me by my good friend and colleague in the documenting of the strange, Albert S. Rosales this past Winter Solstice. This appeals to my UFO-ish and Cosmic Witchiness.

Location: Birkenhead, Wirral, Merseyside, England
Date: early June 1982 Time: afternoon


Insidious heat crept into the country at the end of May and bubbled road tar and inflamed tempers, when two painters saw an incredible sight. A perspiring 17-year old apprentice decorator named Dominic Bassett took off his paint-splattered T-shirt on the roof of an office building in one of the higher parts of Birkenhead not far from Bidston Hill. The sounds of distant shrieks – female shrieks – and girly laughter came from somewhere up in the burning blue sky. The painters both looked up and the ultraviolet stung their eyes. “That came from up there!” Dominic placed his hand over his eyes as if he was saluting and saw only a passing gull. Female screams pierced the air again, followed by melodic laughter – and this time it came from behind the painters. They both turned around and looked out towards a Liverpool skyline ghosted by the haze of the heatwave and a light wind gently wafted up an aroma of tar and Mersey salt, and there in the distance, some 400 yards up in the Alice-blue sky were three colored dots. “Balloons” the other painter, Eric, muttered, but the superior eyesight of youth could plainly see three people, and Dominic shook his head, “Its three girls!”


The hay fever began to water Dominic’s eyes and he sniffed and rubbed them and looked again and the three girls moved off towards the north, until they were specks over the river. Then they were gone. Eric stuck to the balloons explanation but a sneezing Dominic knew what he had seen. Eric then blamed the lad’s hay fever. About 10 minutes later the men had managed to resume painting. Eric climbed a ladder and then Dominic felt paint trickling onto his head. “Eric!” he looked up and saw his workmate gazing at something in a daze with paint dripping off the brush. This time the three levitating women were almost near enough to touch as they flew by, and Eric swore in shock. The first woman in the formation was a brunette of about 30 sitting slide-saddle on a brush, and wore a flowing pinkish dress, and the young blonde lady flying behind her had her hand on the broom-mounted woman’s shoulder. The third figure flying closely behind the blonde one was much younger, possibly in her teens, and she was also blonde. All of these females were laughing and giggling and the brunette was screaming as she almost fell off the broom. They were oblivious to the male observers as they flew in the direction of Bidston Hill. Eric was so shocked he had a ‘funny turn’ and went home.

According to the source (Slemen) years later when he gave an account of this incident on the Billy Butler Show (radio) he was inundated with calls and emails from people of all ages and all walks of life who recalled the “witch scare” that summer.


HC addendum
Source: Tom Slemen’s Spooky Summer: Broomsticks over Birkenhead – Liverpool Echo Type: E
Comments: Slemen comments that “someone reading this knows the truth”, I can only conjecture what these flying women were. Modern day witches, apparently that’s what they were trying to portray themselves as? This one is beyond strange.