Reflections

  There is a particular kind of excitement that comes from standing at the beginning of a large project. It is equal parts inspiration, curiosity, uncertainty and, if I'm honest, mild terror. For the last few years I have found myself increasingly drawn to the archaeology and material culture of folk belief. Concealed shoes hidden in walls. Witch bottles buried beneath thresholds. Protective marks scratched into timber. Charms, amulets, healing practices, ritual deposits and objects invested with power. These traces of everyday magic appear across Britain and beyond, often surviving where written records are absent. They tell stories about hope, fear, protection, illness, luck, uncertainty and the countless ways ordinary people tried to understand and influence the world around them. The result is Hidden Magic , a book project that explores folk belief, ritual practice and magical material culture through archaeology, history, folklore and lived experience. At this stage the projec...