Observations placeholder
Bodenham, Anne – 04 Shape shifts into a big black cat and admits she can fly
Identifier
029006
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
An Antidote Against Atheism by Henry More - Book III: Chapter VII
………..the fourth and last bout of Conjuring the Witch performed in the Maid's presence. For she being advised by Mr. Goddard's household to goe to London, she went to the Witches first before she quit the Countrey; who being made acquainted with her journey, asked her whether she would goe to London High or Low?
To which she replied, what do you mean by that? She answered, if you will goe on High, you will be carried to London, in the Aire, and be there in two hours; but if you goe a Low, you shall be taken at Sutton Towns end and before, unless you have help.
But before she departed, the Witch earnestly desired the Maid to live with her, and told her if she would doe so. she would teach her to doe as she did, and that she should never be taken. Then the Maid asked her what she could doe. She answered.
You shall know presently; and forthwith she appeared in the shape of a great black Cat, and lay along by the Chimney: at which the Maid being very much affrighted, she came into her own shape again, and told her, I see you are afraid, and I see you are wanting to be gone; and told her, if she was, she should say so, and not speak against her Conscience: and the Maid replied, she was wanting to goe, and not to dwell with the Witch.
Then the witch said, she must seal unto her body and blood not to discover her: which she promising to doe, she forthwith made a Circle as formerly she had done, and looking in her book, called, Belzebub, Tormentor, Lucifer and Satan appear. Then appeared two Spirits in the likeness of great Boyes, with long shagged black hair, and stood by her looking over her shoulder; and the Witch took the Maid's forefinger of her right hand in her hand, and pricked it with a pin, and squeezed out the blood, and put it into a Pen, and put the Pen in the Maid's hand, and held her hand to write in a great book; and one of the Spirits layd his hand or Claw upon the Witches whilest the Maid wrote: and when she had done writing, whilest their hands were together, the Witch said Amen, and made the Maid say Amen, and the Spirits said Amen, Amen: and the Spirit's hand did feel cold to the Maid as it touched her hand, when the Witches hand and hers were together writing.
And then the Spirit gave a piece of silver (which he first bit) to the Witch, who gave it to the Maid; and also stuck two Pins in the Maids head-cloths, and bid her keep them, and bid her be gone; and said also, I will vex the Gentlewoman well enough, as I did the man in Clarington Park, which I made walk about with a bundle of Pales on his back all night in a pond of water, and he could not lay them down till the next morning.