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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Alternative belief systems > Occult studies > Witchcraft
This Is A New Release Of The Original 1884 Edition.
Witchcraft is very much alive in today's post-communist societies.
Stemming from ancient rural traditions and influenced by modern New
Age concepts, it has kept its function as a vibrant cultural code
to combat the adversities of everyday life. Intricately linked to
the Orthodox church and its rituals, the magic discourse serves as
a recourse for those in distress, a mechanism to counter-balance
misfortune and, sometimes, a powerful medium for acts of
aggression. In this fascinating book, Alexandra Tataran skillfully
re-contextualizes the vast and heterogenuous discourse on
contemporary witchcraft. She shows how magic, divination, and
religious rituals are adapted to the complex mechanisms of modern
mentalities and urban living in the specific historical and social
context of post-communist countries. Based on years of first-hand
fieldwork, Tataran offers fascinating insights into the experience
of individuals deeming themselves bewitched and argues that the
practice can also teach us a lot about particular forms of adapting
traditions and resorting to pre-existing cultural models.
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