The text is a composite. Some of it is Leland's translation into English of an original Italian manuscript, the Vangelo (gospel). Leland reported receiving the manuscript from his primary informant on Italian witchcraft beliefs, a woman Leland referred to as "Maddalena" and whom he called his "witch informant" in Italy. The rest of the material comes from Leland's research on Italian folklore and traditions, including other related material from Maddalena. Leland had been informed of the Vangelo's existence in 1886, but it took Maddalena eleven years to provide him with a copy. After translating and editing the material, it took another two years for the book to be published. Its fifteen chapters portray the origins, beliefs, rituals and spells of an Italian pagan witchcraft tradition. The central figure of that religion is the goddess Aradia, who came to Earth to teach the practice of witchcraft to peasants in order for them to oppose their feudal oppressors and the Catholic Church. Leland was born to Charles Leland, a commission merchant, and Charlotte Godfrey August 15, 1824 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Shortly after his birth, Leland's nurse took the child to the family attic and performed a ritual on him involving a Bible, a key, a knife, lighted candles, money and salt to ensure a long life as a "scholar and a wizard," a fact which Leland's biographers have commented upon as foreshadowing his interest in folk traditions and magic. Leland worked in journalism, travelled extensively, and became interested in folklore and folk linguistics, publishing books and articles on American and European languages and folk traditions. By the end of his life shortly after the turn of the century, Leland had worked in a wide variety of trades, achieved recognition as the author of the comic Hans Breitmann's Ballads, fought in two conflicts, and had written what was to become a primary source text for Neopaganism half a century later, Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches.

RADICAL SIMPLICITY FOR INTUITIVE CONNECTION This gorgeous Tarot deck is designed for the truly modern reader. Clarity reveals the heart of the traditional imagery, stripped of monarchical hierarchy, binarism and ageism, to allow any reader, beginner or expert, to access new visions, reflections and power. The borderless design allows you to create visual landscapes and to deeply understand the elements of Tarot, and the correspondences within them. The guidebook includes an introduction to the system of the Tarot, focusing on the rules of visual language such as symmetry, direction, repetition and connections. Learn how to read the cards for yourself and others, including four suggested spreads, as well as how to activate the deck and open space.

The twentieth century has seen a remarkable revival of 'the Old Religion, ' as adherents of New-paganism call the native religious traditions of Europe and tribal traditions from North America that predated Christianity. Many neo-pagan groups identify with Celtic (Druidic), Egyptian, Native American, Norse, or Roman traditions; others with modern science-fiction motifs; and still others with witchcraft. Neo-paganism is occultic in nature. A central figure in much of Neo-paganism is the Mother Goddess, who has been introduced and worshiped among certain feminists even in some mainline Protestant churches. Why this series? This is an age when countless groups and movements, old and new, mark the religious landscape in our culture, leaving many people confused or uncertain in their search for spiritual truth and meaning. Because few people have the time or opportunity to research these movements fully, these books provide essential information and insights for their spiritual journeys. Each book has five sections: - A concise introduction to the group - An overview of the group's theology -- in its own words - Tips for witnessing effectively to members of the group - A bibliography with sources for further study - A comparison chart that shows the essential differences between biblical Christianity and the group -- The writers of these volumes are well qualified to present clear and reliable information and help us discern religious truth from falsehood. This is an age when countless groups and movements, new and old, mark the religious landscape in our culture. As a result, many people are confused or uncertain in their search for spiritual truth and meaning. Because few people have the time or opportunity to research these movements fully, the Zondervan Guide to Cults and Religious Movements series provides essential information and insights for their spiritual journeys. The second wave of books in this series addresses a broad range of spiritual beliefs, from non-Trinitarian Christian sects to witchcraft and neo-paganism to classic non-Christian religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism. All books but the summary volume, Truth and Error, contain five sections: -A concise introduction to the group being surveyed -An overview of the group s theology --- in its own words -Tips for witnessing effectively to members of the group -A bibliography with sources for further study -A comparison chart that shows the essential differences between biblical Christianity and the group -- Truth and Error, the last book in the series, consists of parallel doctrinal charts compiled from all the other volumes. Three distinctives make this series especially useful to readers: -Information is carefully distilled to bring out truly essential points, rather than requiring readers to sift their way through a sea of secondary details. -Information is presented in a clear, easy-to-follow outline form with menu bar running heads. This format greatly assists the reader in quickly locating topics and details of interest. -Each book meets the needs and skill levels of both nontechnical and technical readers, providing an elementary level of refutation and progressing to a more advanced level using arguments based on the biblical text. The writers of these volumes are well qualified to present clear and reliable information and help readers to discern truth from falsehood."

Explore natural healing, tune into your body's needs, and use magic to create a joyful, healthy lifestyle with this essential guide to wellness for your witchcraft practice. Magic meets healthy living in this guidebook to help you become a healthier version of yourself. From crystal healing to moon cycles to other natural remedies, you'll learn everything you need to know to strengthen, treat, and support your body and spirit-all while using your witchcraft skills. In The Witch's Guide to Wellness, you will bring your spiritual practice into the practical world with spells, potions, and powerful activities. You will be able to treat common ailments, understand your body's cycle, and develop a positive relationship with your mind and body. You'll find remedies like: -A hydration ritual to help you detoxify your body -A magical herb jar that will alleviate worry -A grounding ritual for spiritual balance -And much more! The Witch's Guide to Wellness shows you just how easy it is to connect with yourself, listen in to what your body needs, and add a little magic to make sure you're living your healthiest life.

"The seidr current is fresh and vibrant, with the strength and solidity of the Norse deities behind it." - Katie Gerrard Seidr is the intriguing and powerful early Norse system of shamanistic trance practices. In Seidr: The Gate is Open, Katie Gerrard has contributed a major work on the practices of seidr and trance prophecy, providing a practical manual full of dynamic group rituals and techniques based on known Seidr practices. Foremost amongst these techniques is the prophetic rite of the High Seat, where the Volva (seer) sends her consciousness to the underworld realm of Hel to gain answers to the questions posed to her. Combining more than a decade of research and experimentation, this book is characterised by both its scholarship and its accessibility. Katie Gerrard shares her own experiences on the path of the seer, and also draws inspiration from original sources in the old texts of the Sagas and the Eddas, as well as contemporary researchers and groups working with seidr in Scandinavia, Europe and America. Techniques for achieving trance, levels of trance possession, coming out of trance, the vardlokkurs (chants), necessary equipment, and the requirements for the roles of the different participants, are all discussed in a clear and concise manner, as is the relevance of contacting the ancestors, the dead and the appropriate gods, including the goddesses Freyja and Hel, and the Allfather god Odin. As befits such an inspirational book, the author provides both the relevant background information for the eleven rites contained within, together with explanations of their inclusion and purposes. The rites emanate practical effectiveness, a result of their regular use over many years for successful exploration of the mysteries of trance prophecy, the High Seat rite and Norse witchcraft. "This is a spiritual journey laid bare for an audience who are either already treading a similar path or are looking for guidance in order to follow a well trodden path to a similar end point." * * * * * Katie Gerrard is a writer, researcher, and workshop facilitator with a passion for the magic of Seidr and the Runes. She has been studying the different forms of norse magic and working with norse gods since discovering them in the 1990s. Katie is also the author of Odin's Gateways (about working with the runes) and the forthcoming The Gate is Open (about Seidr and Northern tradition magical techniques), both publised by Avalonia Books. An essay on the High Sear Rite written by Katie Gerrard appeared in the Avalonia anthology 'Priestesses, Pythonesses, Sibyls'. She also regularly hosts seidr and other seer and norse rites within the London (UK) area.

Inspired by a Vision of Awen depicting a spear, a flowering branch, and a horned serpent emanating from three drops of wisdom, surrounded by three worlds, Christopher Penczak received a teaching to reconcile many disparate parts of modern Witchcraft into a cohesive body of magickal lore for personal evolution and enlightenment. Experimented with andexpanded upon, this lore is now shared through his book The Three Rays of Witchcra : Power, Love and Wisdom in the Garden of the Gods.Striving to weave the diverse threads of his personal practice together, the Three Rays providedChristopher with a powerful framework to bring together modern Wicca, Traditional Craft, Druidism, Theosophy, Qabalah, Shamanism, and alternative health into a greater whole.The text outlines a model of the universe based upon the forces of Power, Love, and Wisdom. Associated with each is a ray, a path we can travel spiritually and evoke energetically. Known as the Straight Line, the Bent Line and the Crooked Line, each offers different magick, knowledge and mysteries. Each ray is associated with a race of spiritual entities with whom we can partner, including the angels, faeries, animal powers and ancestors...". an offering full of angels and fairies, gods and humans, diverse yet connected and each with their own powers and wisdom."- Sorita Este, author of Hekate Liminal Rites, Practical Planetary Magick, and The Guises of the Morriga

Learn the basics of Witchcraft from a third-generation Witch raised in a family tradition. Positive, practical, and easy to use, Green Witchcraft brings together the best of both modern Wicca and the author's family heritage of herb craft and folk magic. Green Witchcraft explores the fundamentals of the Wiccan religion, providing magical training for the independent thinker. Step-by-step instructions on a wide variety of magical techniques as well as basic rules of conduct make this the ideal book to get you started. Green rituals for self-initiation, rites of passage, seasonal celebrations and activities provide an excellent foundation for your own magical tradition. Discover the fine art of spellcasting, the magical uses of herbs, divination with the tarot and more. Explore the Sabbats, Esbats, and other rituals attuned to the cycles of nature and the universal powers. Find out for yourself what this organic approach to Witchcraft is all about.

A unique mix of memoir and how-to that includes practical daily Pagan rituals, this inspiring book shows how one woman blended Christian traditions with the magic and beauty of a Wiccan practice.

Raised in the Catholic faith, yet strongly drawn to Paganism, Adelina St. Clair spent many years questioning and soul-searching before she found a way to blend aspects of Wicca and Christianity into a vibrant and loving belief system. Filled with personal anecdotes, this book tells the story of St. Clair's journey of self-discovery and revelation, from her initial fear and guilt to her ultimate sense of peace and joy.

With warmth and heartfelt reverence, St. Clair discusses vital aspects of Witchcraft and Christianity, as well as the commonalities between the two. -- Monotheism vs. polytheism-- Magical practice-- The teachings of Christ-- Goddess worship-- The femininity of God-- The Wheel of the Year-- Praying the rosary-- Sacred space

The indictments for witchcraft from the records of 1371 assizes held for the Home Circuit 1559-1736. This book is for the growing body of readers interested in the magic arts and their amazing history. Here with some extraordinary illustrations are the indictments for witchcraft in England during almost two hundred years. Here are facts, and strange ones.

The average modern reader on the subject of witchcraft seems only doubtful whether the greatest measure of his scornful pity should be bestowed on the poor silly victims of fantastic delusion or on the grossly superstitious, ignorant and bigoted judges who tortured and killed unfortunate persons little above the grade of idiots on account of their delusions. Judges or prisoners, as described on these lines, would be monsters with whom human nature can no more enter into sympathy than it can with the joy of the snake swallowing a guinea pig.

Flowing from its early, pre-Christian beginnings through its modern worldview, this book explores the deities, history, rituals, magic, and religion of Asatru from the unique perspective of a Gythja (Godwoman) within that path. The Heathen tradition revealed here describes the structure of Asatru and shows how its ancient themes, ideas, and practices are relevant to modern spiritual seekers. Clear and easy to understand yet thorough and comprehensive, A Practical Heathen's Guide to Asatru will add depth to the Asatru experience for those who have practised this faith for years, while remaining accessible to beginners. It reveals Heathen perspectives on the nature of time, creation, spirits, worship, ethics, and hospitality. It shares practical techniques such as meditation, prayer, runes, charms, and life rituals covering birth/naming, entry into adulthood, weddings, divorces, funerals, and more. An in-depth glossary, index, and bibliography help make this the must-read book for everyone interested in Asatru.

It’s summer in Adders Fork. The sun is out, the sky is blue and things are going swimmingly for Rosie Strange, thank you very much. The Essex Witch Museum has been relaunched with a new Ursula Cadence wing and picnic grounds.

Then developers roll into the sleepy village to widen the road. When the centuries-old Blackly Be boulder, said to mark the grave of a notorious witch but now in the car park of the Seven Stars, is moved, all hell breaks out. Within hours a slew of peculiar phenomena descends and, when a severed head is discovered atop the boulder, the locals can take no more and storm the Museum to demand someone take action.

Can Rosie and Sam unravel the mystery? And what of the ancient treasure that could drastically change someone’s fortunes and offer a motive for murder?

Here is a guide to the magical spirituality of the hedge witch, which describes a path that is profound and yet simple - uncluttered by complex ritual, a matter of the heart. The hedge witch is a solitary witch and natural mystic who practises wildwood mysticism, so called because it is the knowledge at the root of the tree of witchcraft. Explained in detail are the witch's prayers, spell-casting and communication with spirits and faeries, including those spirits travelling in the three realms of the magical otherworld. The values and ethics of this most ancient tradition may surprise and delight with their blend of common sense, compassion and wildness. (It is not a spiritual way for conformists!) This book opens the door to all those who feel they are natural witches but are, as yet, uninstructed. The Hedge Witch's Way is a guide for witches of either gender - potential wisewomen or wisemen - that presents the faerie-led practices of our ancestors, in a modern-day context.

First published in 1974, this book established itself as a seminal text of the magical revival--a thinking person's guide to the unthinkable.

The Art of Ritual takes you through every step of ritual format from the basics to the more unusual. What ritual is, how to create it, work with it and all the different aspects and stages of putting a ritual together and how to get the best out of it whether you are a solitary or within a group. From set up through the entire process including the cake...this book covers just about all you should need to know to give you the best ritual experience. Drawn from the author's own teachings and experiences this book also shares a variety or different ritual scripts and suggestions along with those from members of her coven.

For the first time, a genuine manual of the dreaded "left-hand path." Braving the new Witchcraft Panic that has swept the world, S. Jason Black and Christopher S. Hyatt have written a book that places the Western magical tradition and the Western psyche in perspective.

Sweeping aside both the historical fabrications of "neo-paganism" and the rampant mental illness of the religious right, Black and Hyatt explore history, psychology and anthropology to reveal the true "secret doctrine" of Western culture. This work confronts the reader with his own fears and inhibitions and carries him beyond.

Comprehensively illustrated, this volume contains a detailed history of European "Black Magic" and includes new editions of 17th and 18th century Grimoires with detailed instructions for their use.

The ways of magic are revealed in nature . . . The secrets are written in meandering streams and drifting clouds, whispered by the roaring ocean and cooling breeze, echoed through caves and rocks and forests. When you draw a heart in the sand, call on the four winds for assistance, or ask the rain to wash away a bad habit, you are practicing earth magic. By working in harmony with nature, we can transform ourselves, our lives, and our world. This tried-and-true guide offers more than one hundred spells, rites, and simple rituals you can perform using the powerful energy of the earth. Scott Cunningham was a greatly respected teacher and one of the most influential members of the modern Craft movement. A practitioner of elemental magic for twenty years, he wrote more than fifty books, including the seminal Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner.

Bring the power of the ancient runes into your life for divination and magic with "Northern Mysteries & Magick" (revised edition of "Leaves of Yggdrasil) "by Freya Aswynn.
The runes are more than an ancient alphabet. They comprise a powerful system of divination and a path to the subconscious forces operating in your life. "Northern Mysteries & Magick" is the only book of Nordic magick written by a woman, and it is the first to offer an extensive presentation of rune concepts, mythology, and magical applications inspired by Dutch/Friesian traditional lore.
Also unique in this book is the inclusion of the feminine Mysteries of the North. You'll learn how they are represented in the runes. You will see how each of the major deities of Northern Europe still lives in the collective consciousness of people of Northern European descent.
- A complete analysis of the Elder Futhark Runes and their meanings
- How to use the runes for divination including several rune spreads
- Using the runes in magick
- Rune charms and power sigils
- Shamanic drumming and chanting
- Profiles of the eight major Gods
- The Northern Feminine mysteries featuring four major goddesses
The first edition of this book was considered a classic. Now, revised and expanded, "Northern Mysteries & Magick" is one of the most amazing and important books ever on the Runes and the magick of Northern Europe.

As dusk fell on a misty evening in 1521, Martin Luther - hiding from his enemies at Wartburg Castle - found himself seemingly tormented by demons hurling walnuts at his bedroom window. In a fit of rage, the great reformer threw at the Devil the inkwell from which he was preparing his colossal translation of the Bible. A belief - like Luther's - in the supernatural, and in black magic, has been central to European cultural life for 3000 years. From the Salem witch trials to the macabre novels of Dennis Wheatley; from the sadistic persecution of eccentric village women to the seductive sorceresses of TV's Charmed; and from Derek Jarman's punk film Jubilee to Ken Russell's The Devils, John Callow brings the twilight world of the witch, mage and necromancer to vivid and fascinating life. He takes us into a shadowy landscape where, in an age before modern drugs, the onset of sudden illness was readily explained by malevolent spellcasting. And where dark, winding country lanes could terrify by night, as the hoot of an owl or shriek of a fox became the desolate cries of unseen spirits.Witchcraft has profoundly shaped the western imagination, and endures in the forms of modern-day Wicca and paganism. Embracing the Darkness is an enthralling account of this fascinating aspect of the western cultural experience.

Practice a Craft grounded in the powers of nature, the wildwood magic of the elementals, of Mother Earth and the horned god. Kin to star and stone, water and wind, the practitioner of Green magic respects the powers and spirits of nature, and knows how to work with their energies to accomplish magical goals. This comprehensive guide to the Green Craft focuses specifically on the magical practices covered in the three volumes of Green Witchcraft--and goes even further, presenting information not found in any other book. Become attuned to nature and to your own magical power with instructions on: --How to create and cast spells --The difference between a spell's purpose and its goal --How to move energy with gestures --Stages of energy flow --Types of spells within the Green tradition --Psychology of Green magic --How to access the energies within natural objects