Roadside Magic is an exploration into an imagined reality where the persecution of witches and cunning folk never too place. If history had taken this route, then our modern day might look very different, with herbal medicine, intention and spirituality forming part of everyday life, ingrained in the mundane and the practical. There would be no reason why the mechanic who comes to your aid in a breakdown, would also be versed in shamic practices, herb knowledge and other unknown magic. By inviting the viewer to imagine a reality where the natural world and the spiritual are deeply ingrained into the everyday, I hope to offer a different perspective and question how these elements are given value in our own reality.

Plant Magic Jump Starter

Before the invention of fluorescent textiles, other reflective materials would be used in an aid to illuminate and consequently protect recovery drivers on the hard shoulder. Embelems of polished tin were a popular choice, often cut into hazard and indication symbols, to alert other road users of their presence. A more costly option, common in drivers of significant experience, was mother of pearl buttons.Reflective road markers, or cats eyes, as they are fondly known, were also once made from the same material. Although due to them being repeatedly harvested for their pearls by unscrupulous recovery drivers, the majority have been replaced with glass.

Recovery Smock

Nowadays , the most common Hedging vehicle is a motorbike, as they are nimble enough to fit down the smallest of paths. You may well have also seen young Hedgers astride quad bikes on a Whitsun morning. Before either machine was an option many would hedge with a pony and trap, wooden barrow or in some cases, the traditional Hedging hoop.Hedging hoops were made from either wood, wicker or as is the case here, cast iron. They would used to carry out the most inaccessible sections of Hedging and whilst their design is one of simplicity, to use a hoop well is an act of great skill.

Hoop and Hedger

Roadside Recovery Driver

On a croft in Yate, on the first day of June, a group of itinerant motorcyclists meet to perform an ancient rite known as hedging. Similar in act to the 'beating the bounds' , this driving ritual is used to delineate the county boundaries and thought to bless the by-ways for travellers that may follow in the coming year. The practice of hedging is observed in many counties across the British Isles and can be dated to the early 8th century. There is no set date, countrywide for hedging, although the milder months are often preferred. 
  
  
In some areas is traditional to pick a large sheath of grass at the beginning of the route, this is then carried by either driver or pillion, or where custom allows, bound to a favored component of body panel. Once the journey is completed, the grasses are then tied back to the blades from which they were torn. In most cases this is done modestly with of length of good string or a simple ribbon, however, if any of the party is skilled in knot work then the re-tieing can result in intricate woven effergies, reminiscent of the harvest ritual of weaving a corn sow into the final sheath. This latter practice is regarded by many as fussy and contrived and is a fairly new addition to the custom, first noted in 1860’s. Either way, Once the grasses are re-attached,a merry party will often ensue, with =a fine spread of beer, cider and great wheels of cheese for all to enjoy, 

  

Hedgers with cart. 

Hedger's Jerkin

Hedging, an acient driving rite. 

#### _A Road-Witch watches over and holds the traditional 'guiding light', the small metal case would be filled with drawing herbs, such as plantain and lavender, thought to draw the wagon smoothly through the M. O. T._

  

Road Witch , Larkhall. 

####   

#### _A Bryde of Tacho watches over a layby in Chewton Mendip. The Goddess Tacho is the protector of roads, lay-bys and resting places. Her devoted brydes undergo an intense and highly spiritual training regime, where on completion, they receive the ceremonial helmet, often a likeness of the Goddess herself and always inscribed with the sacred pictorgams._

  
So turns the Wheel of the M.O.T. is a folk fiction vision from an imagined timeline. 
  
  

A Bryde of the Goddess Tacho

So turns the wheel of the M.O.T. is a folk-fiction vision of an imagined timeline.

  
A world free from the persecution of witches and cunning folk, and where plant knowledge, folk magic and intention are woven into the everyday and mundane. This project focuses in particular on how the practice of folk custom and ritual dance could be applied in the repair and the maintenance of vehicles. The work exists as a series of sculpture and costume pieces, which come together in staged photographic tableaus to depict imagined historical folk customs and dances, taking place at a number of M.O.T. test stations.

  
At first , the idea may feel absurd. Although when you look back at how folk magic in all forms was used in so many aspects of daily life, It stands to reason that a culture with folk ritual at its core would be using it to fix vehicles. Traditionally farmers would have employed Morris dancers to perform on the last of the crops to ensure a fruitful harvest the coming year; Whilst in orchards across the land, mummers would enact folk plays of death and resurrection, warding off winter and blessing the trees for another year. It is my hope that the work offers a new perspective on the value that we assign to these customs and opens conversations around this shared history.

Two Garage Guise-Blessers, Brislington

A collection of herbal spanners

Newbridge Welding Ritual

So turns the wheel of the M.O.T. is a folk-fiction vision of an imagined timeline.

  
A world free from the persecution of witches and cunning folk, and where plant knowledge, folk magic and intention are woven into the everyday and mundane. This project focuses in particular on how the practice of folk custom and ritual dance could be applied in the repair and the maintenance of vehicles. The work exists as a series of sculpture and costume pieces, which come together in staged photographic tableaus to depict imagined historical folk customs and dances, taking place at a number of M.O.T. test stations.

  
At first , the idea may feel absurd. Although when you look back at how folk magic in all forms was used in so many aspects of daily life, It stands to reason that a culture with folk ritual at its core would be using it to fix vehicles. Traditionally farmers would have employed Morris dancers to perform on the last of the crops to ensure a fruitful harvest the coming year; Whilst in orchards across the land, mummers would enact folk plays of death and resurrection, warding off winter and blessing the trees for another year. It is my hope that the work offers a new perspective on the value that we assign to these customs and opens conversations around this shared history.

  
Dancer : Asha Uberio

Guise-Blesser on M.O.T. Day

M.O.T. Processional Cabin Banner.

So turns the wheel of the M.O.T. is a folk-fiction vision of an imagined timeline.

  
A world free from the persecution of witches and cunning folk, and where plant knowledge, folk magic and intention are woven into the everyday and mundane. This project focuses in particular on how the practice of folk custom and ritual dance could be applied in the repair and the maintenance of vehicles. The work exists as a series of sculpture and costume pieces, which come together in staged photographic tableaus to depict imagined historical folk customs and dances, taking place at a number of M.O.T. test stations.

  
At first , the idea may feel absurd. Although when you look back at how folk magic in all forms was used in so many aspects of daily life, It stands to reason that a culture with folk ritual at its core would be using it to fix vehicles. Traditionally farmers would have employed Morris dancers to perform on the last of the crops to ensure a fruitful harvest the coming year; Whilst in orchards across the land, mummers would enact folk plays of death and resurrection, warding off winter and blessing the trees for another year. It is my hope that the work offers a new perspective on the value that we assign to these customs and opens conversations around this shared history.

  
Dancer : Bronwen Willson
  
  

Cone Dancer Performs ' the crossing of the dipsticks' , Bath

Fuse Queen Mask, Used for auto-electric celebrations and rituals

#### From 'So Turns the Wheel of the M.O.T.'

So turns the wheel of the M.O.T. is a folk-fiction vision of an imagined timeline.

  
_The Linwood Gasket Dance takes place on the first Sunday of May. Dancers perform a rhythmic dance which step work mimics the proper firing of all cylinders . The participants are often dressed in light white cottons, and adorned with ribbons and gaskets. it is also customary to wear a crown consisting of coagulating herbs, such as plantain and yarrow , to ward off any gasket leakage, alongside a healthy bunch of mugwort to protect against the ingress of evil spirts into the engine system._ 
  
  
A world free from the persecution of witches and cunning folk, and where plant knowledge, folk magic and intention are woven into the everyday and mundane. This project focuses in particular on how the practice of folk custom and ritual dance could be applied in the repair and the maintenance of vehicles. The work exists as a series of sculpture and costume pieces, which come together in staged photographic tableaus to depict imagined historical folk customs and dances, taking place at a number of M.O.T. test stations.

  
At first , the idea may feel absurd. Although when you look back at how folk magic in all forms was used in so many aspects of daily life, It stands to reason that a culture with folk ritual at its core would be using it to fix vehicles. Traditionally farmers would have employed Morris dancers to perform on the last of the crops to ensure a fruitful harvest the coming year; Whilst in orchards across the land, mummers would enact folk plays of death and resurrection, warding off winter and blessing the trees for another year. It is my hope that the work offers a new perspective on the value that we assign to these customs and opens conversations around this shared history.

Linwood Gasket Dance

#### From 'So Turns the Wheel of the M.O.T.'

  
So turns the wheel of the M.O.T. is a folk-fiction vision of an imagined timeline.

  
A world free from the persecution of witches and cunning folk, and where plant knowledge, folk magic and intention are woven into the everyday and mundane. This project focuses in particular on how the practice of folk custom and ritual dance could be applied in the repair and the maintenance of vehicles. The work exists as a series of sculpture and costume pieces, which come together in staged photographic tableaus to depict imagined historical folk customs and dances, taking place at a number of M.O.T. test stations.

  
At first , the idea may feel absurd. Although when you look back at how folk magic in all forms was used in so many aspects of daily life, It stands to reason that a culture with folk ritual at its core would be using it to fix vehicles. Traditionally farmers would have employed Morris dancers to perform on the last of the crops to ensure a fruitful harvest the coming year; Whilst in orchards across the land, mummers would enact folk plays of death and resurrection, warding off winter and blessing the trees for another year. It is my hope that the work offers a new perspective on the value that we assign to these customs and opens conversations around this shared history.

Guise-Blesser, Twerton

Diesel Clapper, Peasdown

Visibility Vest

#### From 'So Turns the Wheel of the M.O.T.'

  
#### _Cone dancer on Christmas day, Midsomer Norton M.O.T. station, 1908\. Cone dancing was a major aspect of winter Solstice M.O.T rituals and was thought to ward off breakdowns in the coming year. It is a fun and lively festive tradition and is still practiced today across much of Somerset._

  
So turns the wheel of the M.O.T. is a folk-fiction vision of an imagined timeline.

  
A world free from the persecution of witches and cunning folk, and where plant knowledge, folk magic and intention are woven into the everyday and mundane. This project focuses in particular on how the practice of folk custom and ritual dance could be applied in the repair and the maintenance of vehicles. The work exists as a series of sculpture and costume pieces, which come together in staged photographic tableaus to depict imagined historical folk customs and dances, taking place at a number of M.O.T. test stations.

  
At first , the idea may feel absurd. Although when you look back at how folk magic in all forms was used in so many aspects of daily life, It stands to reason that a culture with folk ritual at its core would be using it to fix vehicles. Traditionally farmers would have employed Morris dancers to perform on the last of the crops to ensure a fruitful harvest the coming year; Whilst in orchards across the land, mummers would enact folk plays of death and resurrection, warding off winter and blessing the trees for another year. It is my hope that the work offers a new perspective on the value that we assign to these customs and opens conversations around this shared history.

Midwinter Cone Dancer

From 'So turns the wheel of the M.O.T'

  
_So turns the wheel of the M.O.T._ is a folk-fiction vision of an imagined timeline.

  
A world free from the persecution of witches and cunning folk, and where plant knowledge, folk magic and intention are woven into the everyday and mundane. This project focuses in particular on how the practice of folk custom and ritual dance could be applied in the repair and the maintenance of vehicles. The work exists as a series of sculpture and costume pieces, which come together in staged photographic tableaus to depict imagined historical folk customs and dances, taking place at a number of M.O.T. test stations.

  
At first , the idea may feel absurd. Although when you look back at how folk magic in all forms was used in so many aspects of daily life, It stands to reason that a culture with folk ritual at its core would be using it to fix vehicles. Traditionally farmers would have employed Morris dancers to perform on the last of the crops to ensure a fruitful harvest the coming year; Whilst in orchards across the land, mummers would enact folk plays of death and resurrection, warding off winter and blessing the trees for another year. It is my hope that the work offers a new perspective on the value that we assign to these customs and opens conversations around this shared history.

Cone Dancer's Pointed Bonnet

From ' So turns the wheel of the M.O.T.'

_So turns the wheel of the M.O.T_ is a folk-fiction vision of an imagined timeline.

  
A world free from the persecution of witches and cunning folk, and where plant knowledge, folk magic and intention are woven into the everyday and mundane. This project focuses in particular on how the practice of folk custom and ritual dance could be applied in the repair and the maintenance of vehicles. The work exists as a series of sculpture and costume pieces, which come together in staged photographic tableaus to depict imagined historical folk customs and dances, taking place at a number of M.O.T. test stations.

  
At first , the idea may feel absurd. Although when you look back at how folk magic in all forms was used in so many aspects of daily life, It stands to reason that a culture with folk ritual at its core would be using it to fix vehicles. Traditionally farmers would have employed Morris dancers to perform on the last of the crops to ensure a fruitful harvest the coming year; Whilst in orchards across the land, mummers would enact folk plays of death and resurrection, warding off winter and blessing the trees for another year. It is my hope that the work offers a new perspective on the value that we assign to these customs and opens conversations around this shared history.

Carriage Dancers Jacket

From ' So Turns the Wheel of the M.O.T.

  
_The annual carriage dance was a popular custom across much of the British Isles. Originally the cart horses would be paraded through the town, accompanied by a throng of merry dancers. Dressed in highly decorated garments, that are not dissimilar to the pearly kings and queens of London, this spectacular roving ritual was thought to bring good health to both horse and carriage for the coming year. Carriage dancing is still practiced today, the most notable of which being the Frome Horse Dance, although you will find a parade of motor vehicles in place of the carriages, and the only horses nowadays are wooden._ 

  
So turns the wheel of the M.O.T. is a folk-fiction vision of an imagined timeline.

  
A world free from the persecution of witches and cunning folk, and where plant knowledge, folk magic and intention are woven into the everyday and mundane. This project focuses in particular on how the practice of folk custom and ritual dance could be applied in the repair and the maintenance of vehicles. The work exists as a series of sculpture and costume pieces, which come together in staged photographic tableaus to depict imagined historical folk customs and dances, taking place at a number of M.O.T. test stations.

  
At first , the idea may feel absurd. Although when you look back at how folk magic in all forms was used in so many aspects of daily life, It stands to reason that a culture with folk ritual at its core would be using it to fix vehicles. Traditionally farmers would have employed Morris dancers to perform on the last of the crops to ensure a fruitful harvest the coming year; Whilst in orchards across the land, mummers would enact folk plays of death and resurrection, warding off winter and blessing the trees for another year. It is my hope that the work offers a new perspective on the value that we assign to these customs and opens conversations around this shared history.

Carriage Dancer, From Horse Dance

From 'Roadside Magic'

  
_Roadside Magic_ is an exploration into an imagined reality where the persecution of witches and cunning folk never too place. If history had taken this route, then our modern day might look very different, with herbal medicine, intention and spirituality forming part of everyday life, ingrained in the mundane and the practical. There would be no reason why the mechanic who comes to your aid in a breakdown, would also be versed in shamic practices, herb knowledge and other unknown magic. By inviting the viewer to imagine a reality where the natural world and the spiritual are deeply ingrained into the everyday, I hope to offer a different perspective and question how these elements are given value in our own reality.

Early Welding Goddess Figures

From 'Roadside Magic'

  
Roadside Magic is an exploration into an imagined reality where the persecution of witches and cunning folk never too place. If history had taken this route, then our modern day might look very different, with herbal medicine, intention and spirituality forming part of everyday life, ingrained in the mundane and the practical. There would be no reason why the mechanic who comes to your aid in a breakdown, would also be versed in shamic practices, herb knowledge and other unknown magic. By inviting the viewer to imagine a reality where the natural world and the spiritual are deeply ingrained into the everyday, I hope to offer a different perspective and question how these elements are given value in our own reality.
  
  

Recovery Driver's Jacket

  
Made in response to the Porthleven Prize Residency - A three week creative residency exploring the theme of provenance in the Cornish coastal town of Porthleven. 

The body of work produced in response to the Porthleven residency is frieze of a potential future civilisation, It questions what might be left after the encroaching environmental collapse reaches the shores of this coastal settlement and what might its inhabitants require for survival. A decline in air quality and protection from the sun demand practical solutions, however, the preservation of human existence calls for something more - a nourishing connection to the environment through ritual.

The series of costumes and pit-fired ceramics draws on Cornwall’s rich history of folk culture, which have then been re-worked in collaboration with fellow artists Toby Sadgrove and Alice Orchard through the mediums of film, A.I. , Print, Sound and performance. 

Telecommunication Shrine

A three week creative residency exploring the theme of provenance in the cornish coastal town of Porthleven. 

The body of work produced in response to the Porthleven residency is frieze of a potential future civilization, It questions what might be left after the encroaching environmental collapse reaches the shores of this coastal settlement and what might its inhabitants require for survival. A decline in air quality and protection from the sun demand practical solutions, however, the preservation of human existence calls for something more - a nourishing connection to the environment through ritual.

The series of costumes and pit-fired ceramics draws on Cornwall’s rich history of folk culture, which have then been re-worked in collaboration with fellow artists Toby Sadgrove and Alice Orchard through the mediums of film, A.I. , Print, Sound and performance. 

Origins, The Porthleven Prize Exhibition 2022. Group Show

##   

#### _In the post penultimate times days stretch out for miles._

####   

#### _Bright_

#### _Blinding_

#### _Scalding_

#### _Bleak_ 

####   

#### _In the post penultimate times air feels thick between your fingers._

####   

#### _Acrid_

#### _Rancid_

#### _Putrid_

#### _Sour_ 

####   

#### _In the post penultimate times there is little left for the finding_

####   

#### _We look back at the times of abundance_

####   

#### _and wonder how we let it slip away._

  
The body of work produced in response to the Porthleven residency is frieze of a potential future civilization, It questions what might be left after the encroaching environmental collapse reaches the shores of this coastal settlement and what might its inhabitants require for survival. A decline in air quality and protection from the sun demand practical solutions, however, the preservation of human existence calls for something more - a nourishing connection to the environment through ritual.

The series of costumes and pit-fired ceramics draws on Cornwall’s rich history of folk culture, which have then been re-worked in collaboration with fellow artists Toby Sadgrove and Alice Orchard through the mediums of film, A.I. , Print, Sound and performance. 

Porthleven 2057 - In the Post Penultimate Times - series

From 'Origins - The Porthleven Prize Exhibition 2022' 

  
The body of work produced in response to the Porthleven residency is frieze of a potential future civilization, It questions what might be left after the encroaching environmental collapse reaches the shores of this coastal settlement and what might its inhabitants require for survival. A decline in air quality and protection from the sun demand practical solutions, however, the preservation of human existence calls for something more - a nourishing connection to the environment through folk ritual.

The series of costumes and pit-fired ceramics draws on Cornwall’s rich history of folk culture, which have then been re-worked in collaboration with fellow artists Toby Sadgrove and Alice Orchard through the mediums of film, A.I. , Print, Sound and performance. 

Gaurdian of the Shadows

The body of work produced in response to the Porthleven residency is frieze of a potential future civilization, It questions what might be left after the encroaching environmental collapse reaches the shores of this coastal settlement and what might its inhabitants require for survival. A decline in air quality and protection from the sun demand practical solutions, however, the preservation of human existence calls for something more - a nourishing connection to the environment through ritual.

  

Oxygen Mask, Tank and Helmet

_Calling on the Summer Spirit_ combines elements of ceramic sculpture with puppetry and performance. Carried out in a wheat crop in North Somerset, the work makes referance to yearly harvest ritual and folk plays. 

Calling on the summer spirit

An exploration of the transformation of the human body in folklore. 

Transformation 

From ' Folk Revival' - A project exploring the iconogrpahy of folk customs in the U.K. 

  
An embodyment of winter solstice.

The Longest Night

From ' Folk Revival' - A project exploring the iconography of folk customs in the U.K. 

  
Inspired by The 'hobby horse' costumes worn in mummer's plays.

Horse and Rider

From 'Folk Revival' - A project drawing on the iconography of folk customs in the U.K.

  
Inspired by the 'Hobby Horse' Folk costumes worn in Mummer's plays.

  

Ram and Rider

The Oracles, Micheal Pennie Gallery, Bath . 2022\. 

  
_The Oracles_ explore ideas of arcetypes, myth and personal folklore through the mediums of ceramics, print and cartomancy. This interactive exhibtion allows you to sit with the with the cards and to Oracles for yourselves. 

  
The Oracles symbolise archetypes, moments, feelings and experiences. 

They are yours for interpretation. 

  
Let them answer you call.

Let them tell you a story,
  
  

The Oracles - Solo Show

From 'The Oracles'

  
Hanging On 

_Focus, Drive, Determination against all odds._ 

  
We all fall apart sometimes. 

  
We fall down, we get up, we piece ourselves back together. Using what we can to hold ourselves in place, we keep on going, eyes on the prize. As we move through life our responsibilities grown and our grips tighten on all the threads that hold you and everything else together. 

Your self belief has got you this far and it will get you the rest of the way. 

  
Just Keep Hanging on , you’ve got this. 

  
This card is a reminder to keep the focus, it’ll be worth it . 

Hanging on

From 'The Oracles'

  
The Smoking Baby

_Manic Revelry, cutting loose at the most inappropriate of times._

  
Can you feel yourself sliding off the rails? Does this loose cannon feel like it’s

about to blow?

  
The Nursery is no place for a knife fight, but The Smoking Baby cares not. 

  
Dancing about with a mouth full of berkeley menthols and a nappy fit to burst.

  
Will someone lasoo this wild child and drag them firmly back on the wagon.
  
  
The drawing of this card is a reminder to reign it in, take stock and reconsider your next move. They’ll be plenty of time for all this in the times to come, but 

For now, a nice cup of coco and a good night’s sleep is in order

The Smoking Baby

From 'The Oracles'

  
The Gods of The Weighbridge 

_Evaluation, Assessment._ 

  
Are you teetering around in a world of indecision? Usure of the road to take? 

  
It’s time to fill the wagon up to the brim drive onto the Weighbridge of the Gods. Don’t forget every last little bit… you never know what could spark the next move.

  
The Gods of the Weighbridge may emerge at a time of big decisions. It can signify a turning point, or help to solidify an already trodden path. Either way it asks you to lay your cards on the table and take a good long look at all the possible options available to you. 

The Gods of the Weighbridge

From 'The Oracles'

  
The Feud

_Stubbornness, Resistance, A Barrier._
  
  
Stubborn as mules…yet oh so alike. Like magnetic repulsion there is resistance between these two, an invisible force creating an impassable barrier. What does this grudge require to resolve itself? Maybe there’s a great amount of work to do? Or perhaps all it needs is one party to turn around and the magnets will attract. 
  
  
This card could signify a personal feud, or a fischer in a friendship circle. however if this doesn’t resonate with you it could have surfaced to represent a barrier or a blockage. To move forward with this card it might help to consider the reasoning for this barrier and work towards unpicking what is holding you back. 

The Feud

From 'The Oracles'

  
The Sulk 

_Resentment, Jealousy._ 

  
The Sulk is never contented with what it has. Forever seeking the green grass of yonder, it looks over longingly at all that it does not have and is blind to what it does. Fixated on the actions of others, The Sulk is prone to forgetting itself, and can quickly lose it’s way. 

  
The Sulk can appear to prompt us to practice gratitude, or to simply stop and take stock of what we have.

Th Sulk

From my series 'The Oracles'

  
The Wail : cathartic release, letting go of trauma, expulsion, bleeding your emotional radiators.

  
Different liquids have different boiling points, but everything succumbs to the engulfing bubbles in the end. The wail can be soft and small, barely audible to the human ear, or It can pierce through the night like a kettle, boiling itself into oblivion. 

  
The importance of this card lies within self compassion. Giving yourself the space and time to feel what your feeling, and most importantly letting it all flood out. 

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Libby Bove

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