The Western Gate

The Truth About Witchcraft
Hanz Holzer
Jarolds London

Published in 1969, I picked up my 1971 version for a few quid at a second hand market, but after languishing as a wallflower for many a year on a oft’ forgotten corner I’ve only just read it. I’d make apologies to no-one in particular, but that same no-one doesn’t actually care.

My first instincts, to read something called ~“The Truth” are well met, for just as a tourist trap “Great British Fish n Chips” shop is unlikely to serve “The Best fish and ships in good old cockney London” I could be sure “Truth” in Hanz Holser’s book will be, his perception, as flawed of course as he, we all, may be.
Holzer is a prolific writer, but that doesn’t of course mean he should be an acclaimed or acknowledged or respected even, take Ron Hubbard for example.
Within the now musty dusty book you’ll get an insight into the coven workings of the, mainly, Wiccan army, apparently, there’ll be many an error or misinformation which you won’t know if this is your introduction to the subject. It’s an easy read if you can take it with a pinch of salt and remember it was wrote from the time of Carry-on films, Confessions of a ‘whatever’ and Hammer House era. The hippy movement had been silenced by Manson and heavy rock was now playing host to all themes occult. Joss sticks and Afghan coats still aplenty, this book actually smells like a meld of those two items.
Hanz Holzer is at pains to continually tell us how ordinary the ‘witches’ are, Janet the secretary or Diane the waitress etc. He doesn’t actually tell us what he considers to be ‘unusual’, nor what he expects them to be, mortician? grave diggers? or perhaps drop-outs. ‘It’s fascinating’, he seems to suggest, they’re… Just. Like. Us. Had the subject been Hindus or Muslims or trainspotters we would feel Mr.Holzer is being condescending, patronising, and we’d be well justified in that conclusion.
Holzer gives us a report on ritual’s he is witness to, that unbelievably someone invited him to. Some words are spelt wrong, some facts are not acknowledged or inaccurate, and we can forgive Hanz for that. He gives examples from meeting Anton LaVey, Alex Sanders and names familiar to those of us who’ve brushed against the hedgerows of this curious path.
For the most part Hanz concludes that many Wiccan Covens are comprised of bored middle class housewives. Which is quite funny really, although I wouldn’t agree as housewives tended to be a concept from the 50’s not so much the late 60’s and certainly not post millennium, but I would hasten to add I agree, from my experience, that certain circles I have been privy to were in the main comprised of ‘bored middle class’. And me being an inverted snob- (i.e. despising anything from the higher social class~ not because of jealousy or ambitions of class war, but because I consider them to be fucking idiots.) had little to do with them after my introductions etc. Ghastly people.
There was in the early days of the internet when forums and newsgroups emerged that ‘witchcraft’ and in particular, Wiccan, was branded ‘Bitchcraft’. Yes, if you, a newcomer into their little circle had an inkling of knowledge that surpassed the High Priestess/ Priest you’d be well advised to keep schtum, as you’d be ridiculed and silenced. As people still are. Dare to question or try to manoeuvre the colossus from the iceberg and you’ll be tossed overboard.
Of late the “witchcraft” ‘movement’ is clearly in the promotion of the Queer/LGBT etc camp, but I was always taught, witch first all else second. Ten years previous for example, it was in the ‘Vegan’ and ‘ecological’ camp, prior to this there was the orthodoxy of the Wiccan ‘way. I’m not sure the reasons why the Underground like fashion seems to concern itself with these aplomb’s of trend and fancy. All else will always be parallel to your gnosis, whether political, gender, interests… whether they are subjective or inherent in the person. There are things we cannot escape from, our history, sexuality, and also things we decide to be, fashion, culture, political bias. They have no bearing on the path of the wyrd and wise, in fact all they do is create divisive determination and fissures.
(I digress)”Witchcraft for Football Hooligans”~ seriously I could write such a book, it would be based on the path of the warrior, accepting tribal concerns, the songs would be bawdy cries to the opposition like the Maori Haka, that football is played with 10 players, each a Kabbalistic Sephirah, and one in the goal! the path of Daath.I would be treated with contempt and perhaps an inkling of fascination were such pulp-occultism to be produced. Every trend and zeitgeist can be twisted likewise into the means of the path of witchcraft. It, all these avenues, has little to do with witchcraft and is inconsequential. Nonsense.
Holzer’s book reads like a journalists foray into the underworld, a naïve expose of titillation and curtain twitching. It serves nothing but the authors royalties. Holzer tells us when rituals include some nudity, because that’s the sort of stuff that gets the punters hearts racing and the cash registers ringing.
Of course, there will be a chapter devoted to the Black Mass. And, there is. A peculiar parody of the accepted and orthodox established religion. Sarcasm.
The Black Mass is like Mad Magazine, it will strip away the allure and sacred cows, well reckoned films will get parodied and laughed at, situations of current affairs will have us poking our fingers at the stupidity. Imagine therefore a coven who parodies the Wiccan way, the Gardnerian Canonical system- would that be acceptable? If it is ok to do it in the name of blasphemy towards the Abrahamic faiths, surely we should be at liberty to utterly ridicule the Hindu, the Zen, the Gardnerian and the Alexandrian, the feminist Dianic, the overtly masculine masonic… the Buddhist.
“What would you do if you met yourself” said a student to the Buddha.
“I” replied the Buddha, “Would murder him”
However, In Holzer’s Book, the Black Mass is seen as something dangerous and actually Satanic, created and performed by deviants who would probably rip an unborn child from a womb and sacrifice it. To be fair, I did suppose that most of Anton LAveys rituals were tongue in cheek, though apparently it went beyond the theatre and became established ritual, from improvised play it became the standard.
With regards to the ‘Black Mass’ the actual and real intention of such rituals was to furnace the emotion of fear. Fear in essence broadens our senses, we hear better when we are afraid, our vision is clearer, our minds open, we sense better when we are afraid. The lonely and lost wanderer in the woods can suddenly feel eyes everywhere. The Ghost Hunter in the abandoned prison becomes overwhelmed with the sense of oppression.
Fear is just ‘another’ emotion in the witches apothecary-true, all emotions enacted, emulated and thus becoming real are focused to achieve the ‘want’ .
The Black Mass serves in its true sense to instil fear, and yet, in actuality, in Holzers world and those whom he witnesses all that is created is inertia to thrill-seek, to be daring and scandalous.
And this is Holzer’s Truth. Entertainment, titillation, those chattering classes. I have little or nothing to do with the tribes and fractures under whatever umbrella they deem themselves. I certainly have nothing in common with suburbanite’s moistening at the prospect of light flagellation, nor do I care what I am or what label I would consider myself.
You are either a Witch, or you are not.

Header Image ;- El gran cabrón The Witches Sabbath ~ Francisco De Goya (c.1822)