“The Devil’s Raiments” by Martin Duffy

In occult literature, the Vestments of the Art Magical are poorly understood, principally because few save the body of initiates behold them. The robe, mask, hood, mantle, garter, and veil, constituting the exterior arrayments of the witch, trace their pedigree to a number of magical sources, each constituting a mystery of form and function.

These mystical underpinnings often possess a deeper arcanum, being both emblematic of specified witch-powers and serving a hidden ritual purpose. In The Devil’s Raiments, Martin Duffy examines the relationship of the sorcerer to that which clothes him, with particular emphasis on the witch-cult. Also explored is the modern perception of the witch as the Naked Enchantress, as well as the some of the older historical rationales for the portrayal of nudity in witchcraft. The text is illustrated with five original drawings by Sussex artist Steve Damerell.

               Clad in the black robe, or daubed in black unguent as a consecration of wisdom, we are one with the hidden and secret realm of Night, and when so enveloped become the fertile void wherein we may receive the inspiration of the Muse or Genius.