"This complete self-study course in modern Wicca is a treasured classic - an essential and trusted guide that belongs in every witch's library."---Back cover

The author of Magic and Masculinity explores the history and development of magic and witchcraft in Western society. Broomsticks, cauldrons, familiars, and spells—magic and witchcraft conjure a vivid picture in our modern-day imagination. While much of our understanding is rooted in superstition and myth, the history of magic and witchcraft offers a window into the past. It illuminates the lives of ordinary people in the past and elucidates the fascinating pop culture of the premodern world. Blowing away folkloric cobwebs, this enlightening new history dispels many misconceptions surrounding witchcraft and magic that we still hold today. From Ancient Greece and Rome to the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Era, historian Frances Timbers details the impact of Christianity and popular culture in the construction of the figure of the “witch.” The development of demonology and ceremonial magic is combined with the West’s troubled past with magic and witchcraft to chart the birth of modern Wiccan and Neopagan movements in England and North America. Witchcraft is a metaphor for oppression in an age in which persecution is an everyday occurrence somewhere in the world. Fanaticism, intolerance, prejudice, authoritarianism, and religious and political ideologies are never attractive. Beware the witch hunter!

Discover the beguiling history of witchcraft, magic, and superstition through the centuries in this stunningly illustrated title. A History of Magic, Witchcraft and the Occult charts the extraordinary narrative of one of the most interesting and often controversial subjects in the world, covering everything from ancient animal worship and shamanism, through alchemy and divination to modern Wicca and the resurgence of the occult in 21st-century literature, cinema, and television. Providing readers with a comprehensive account of everything from Japanese folklore and Indian witchcraft to the differences between black and white magic, and dispelling myths such as those surrounding the voodoo doll and Ouija, the book explores the common human fascination with spells, superstition, and the supernatural. This riveting read on witchcraft further includes: - Engaging text and lavish illustrations with over 500 full-color images that bring the subject to life. - Special features on aspects of magic, such as oracle bones of ancient China, the Knights Templar, and magic at the movies, and “plants and potions”, such as mandrake and belladonna examine topics in great detail. - Quick-fact panels explore magic origins, key figures, key deities, uses in spells, structures of religions, and more. The perfect introduction to magic and the occult, it explores forms of divination from astrology and palmistry to the Tarot and runestones and offers key insights into the ways in which magic has interacted with religion. The most comprehensive illustrated history of witchcraft available, A History of Magic, Witchcraft and the Occult will enthral and fascinate anyone interested in spiritualism and the occult.

Become a competent, confident spell-worker with this practical guide to witchcraft, presented in a beautiful hardback with gilded page edges. Containing an extensive collection of traditional spells and techniques, this guide will help readers attract positive friendships, love and luck as well as promote healing, careers and protection. The Practical Book of Witchcraft is an essential reference for anyone wishing to master the incredible art of wicca and spell-making. Includes: • A section on tools used as well as information on how to consecrate them • Correspondences for different spells • Rituals for manifesting your wishes This spell-binding book provides a wonderful introduction into witchcraft and makes a perfect gift. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Mystic Archives are beautiful hardcover guides which reveal the hidden mysteries of esoteric arts, presented with foil-embossing, Wibalin binding and gilded page edges.

DigiCat presents to you this unique collection of books about witchcraft, witch trials, magic, sorcery legends, supernatural, demonology and occult practice: Introduction: The Superstitions of Witchcraft The Devil in Britain and America Witchcraft in Europe: History of Magic and Witchcraft: Magic and Witchcraft Lives of the Necromancers Witch, Warlock, and Magician Irish Witchcraft and Demonology Practitioners of Magic & Witchcraft and Clairvoyance Mary Schweidler, the Amber Witch Sidonia, the Sorceress La Sorcière: The Witch of the Middle Ages Tales & Legends: Witchcraft & Second Sight in the Highlands & Islands of Scotland Witch Stories Studies: The Witch Mania The Witch-cult in Western Europe Witchcraft and Superstitious Record in the South-Western District of Scotland Modern Magic Witchcraft in America: Salem Trials: The Wonders of the Invisible World Salem Witchcraft Salem Witchcraft and Cotton Mather A Short History of the Salem Village Witchcraft Trials An Account of the Witchcraft Delusion at Salem in 1682 House of John Procter, Witchcraft Martyr, 1692 Studies: The Salem Witchcraft, the Planchette Mystery, and Modern Spiritualism The Witchcraft Delusion in Colonial Connecticut (1647-1697) Witchcraft of New England Explained by Modern Spiritualism On Witchcraft: Glimpses of the Supernatural – Witchcraft and Necromancy Letters On Demonology And Witchcraft

What is a grimoire? The word has a familiar ring to many people, particularly as a consequence of such popular television dramas as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed. But few people are sure exactly what it means. Put simply, grimoires are books of spells that were first recorded in the Ancient Middle East and which have developed and spread across much of the Western Hemisphere and beyond over the ensuing millennia. At their most benign, they contain charms and remedies for natural and supernatural ailments and advice on contacting spirits to help find treasures and protect from evil. But at their most sinister they provide instructions on how to manipulate people for corrupt purposes and, worst of all, to call up and make a pact with the Devil. Both types have proven remarkably resilient and adaptable and retain much of their relevance and fascination to this day. But the grimoire represents much more than just magic. To understand the history of grimoires is to understand the spread of Christianity, the development of early science, the cultural influence of the print revolution, the growth of literacy, the impact of colonialism, and the expansion of western cultures across the oceans. As this book richly demonstrates, the history of grimoires illuminates many of the most important developments in European history over the last two thousand years.

Witchcraft unravels the myth from the mystery, the facts from the legends, in this bewitching introduction to witchcraft’s lesser-known history. Spanning several centuries and comprising unbelievable facts and little-known legends, meet all the witches of your imagination and learn why, where and how it all began. Uncover the meanings of their rituals and rites, their lore, and their craft Discover the significance of their sabbats and covens, their chalices and wands, their robes and their religion. Unlock the secrets of the legendary witches of mythology and folk talesand find out how these early stories influenced the persecutions and witch hunts of the Middle Ages. Learn about the people who inspired the pagan revival and how their work in literature and magic rekindled the fires of the sabbats across Europe and the New World today. Features spell-binding historic and contemporary pictures that perfectly capture the key characters, events and wonders of this captivating, colourful and controversial history.