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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Alternative belief systems > Occult studies > Witchcraft
Historians as well as anthropologists have contributed to this
volume of studies on aspects of witchcraft in a variety of cultures
and periods from Tudor England to twentieth-century Africa and New
Guinea. Contributors include: Mary Douglas, Norman Cohn, Peter
Brown, Keith Thomas, Alan Macfarlane, Alison Redmayne, R.G. Willis,
Edwin Ardener, Robert Brain, Julian Pitt-Rivers, Esther Goody,
Peter Riviere, Anthony Forge, Godfrey Lienhardt, I.M. Lewis, Brian
Spooner, G.I. Jones, Malcolm Ruel and T.O. Beidelman. First
published in 1970.
Containing ten essays by anthropologists on the beliefs and
practices associated with witches and sorcerers in Eastern Africa,
the chapters in this book are all based on field research and new
information which is studied within its wider social context. First
published in 1963.
Katharine Briggs enjoys an unchallenged reputation in the world of
folklore studies. The theme of this volume, the witch figure as a
malevolent intermediary in folk belief, was chosen to reflect that
aspect of Briggs's scholarship exemplified in her study of
witchcraft, Pale Hecate's Team. The contributors draw on the
disciplines of archaeology, comparative religion, sociology and
literature and include: Carmen Blacker, H.R. Ellis Davidson,
Margaret Dean-Smith, L.V. Grinsell, Christina Hole, Venetia Newall,
Geoffrey Parrinder, Anne Ross, Jacqueline Simpson, Beatrice White,
John Widdowson. Originally published in 1973.
A beautifully illustrated guide from a Celtic Wiccan High Priestess
to celebrating the Wiccan way, from Halloween to handfastings, as
well as everyday rituals to enhance all areas of your life. The
Wiccan calendar is marked by significant festivals, called sabbats.
The most famous is Halloween, also known as Samhain, but you will
be familiar with others, too, such as the Summer and Winter
Solstices. Wiccans celebrate these sabbats with rituals, crafts,
and food and drink, and in this book, Silja reveals how you can
bring some of that magic into your life, even if working as a
solitary witch. She also details other special days throughout the
year, such as August 23, the Roman festival of Vulcanalia, which is
celebrated with bonfires. Discover, too, how Wiccans celebrate
personal rites of passage, such as the naming of a baby and a
couple committing to each other in a Wiccan wedding, known as a
handfasting. Finally, Silja explains how to write your own daily,
weekly, or monthly rituals to bring you peace and happiness.
Lavishly illustrated throughout, this is your essential guide to
all your Wiccan celebrations.
Gathering together the vast literature on witchcraft related issues published in the last decade, this six-volume set focuses on issues such as gender, government and law, the culture of religion and the occult. Using approaches from several disciplines, including anthropology and sociology, this source provides a sweeping overview of the occult.
Demonology - the intellectual study of demons and their powers -
contributed to the prosecution of thousands of witches. But how
exactly did intellectual ideas relate to prosecutions? Recent
scholarship has shown that some of the demonologists' concerns
remained at an abstract intellectual level, while some of the
judges' concerns reflected popular culture. This book brings
demonology and witch-hunting back together, while placing both
topics in their specific regional cultures. The book's chapters,
each written by a leading scholar, cover most regions of Europe,
from Scandinavia and Britain through to Germany, France and
Switzerland, and Italy and Spain. By focusing on various
intellectual levels of demonology, from sophisticated demonological
thought to the development of specific demonological ideas and
ideas within the witch trial environment, the book offers a
thorough examination of the relationship between demonology and
witch-hunting. Demonology and Witch-Hunting in Early Modern Europe
is essential reading for all students and researchers of the
history of demonology, witch-hunting and early modern Europe.
People with eating disorders often make desperate attempts to exert magical control over their bodies in response to the threats they experience in relationships. Mary Levens takes the reader into the realm of magical thinking and its effect on ideas about eating and the body through a sensitive exploration of the images patients create in art therapy, in which themes of cannibalism constantly recur. Drawing on anthropology, religion and literature as well as psychoanalysis, she discusses the significance of these images and their implications for treatment of patients with eating disorders. The Magical Control of the Body will be of interest to all of those concerned with patients or clients who have troubled relationships, both with others and with their own bodies.
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Spanning from the innauguration of James I in 1603 to the execution
of Charles I in 1649, the Stuart court saw the emergence of a full
expression of Renaissance culture in Britain. In "Art and Magic in
the Court of the Stuarts," Vaughan Hart examines the influence of
magic on Renaissance art and how in its role as an element of royal
propaganda, art was used to represent the power of the monarch and
reflect his apparent command over the hidden forces of nature.Court
artists sought to represent magic as an expression of the Stuart
Kings' divine right, and later of their policy of Absolutism,
through masques, sermons, heraldy, gardens, architecture and
processions. As such, magic of the kind enshrined in Neoplatonic
philosophy and the court art which expressed its cosmology, played
their part in the complex causes of the Civil War and the
destruction of the Stuart image which followed in its wake.
A perfect entry point for anyone interested in green magick, this
all-in-one guide explains everything you need to know before
beginning your own nature-inspired practice. Author Annabel
Margaret runs the popular YouTube channel, The Green Witch, where
she teaches everyday tools and techniques for leading a more
magickal life. In this must-have handbook, she'll guide your on
your green witchcraft journey from embracing intent and intuition
to creating and casting spells, all utilizing easy-to-find items
and simple methods. Ward the home with protective herbs; bake love,
abundance or luck into tasty treats; create purpose-infused spell
bags or craft soothing salves, energizing sprays and cleansing
infusions. With clear instruction, straightforward information on
foundational principles and tons of witchy wisdom, the magickal
opportunities are endless.
'Allyson Shaw has built a monument in words to the thousands
persecuted as witches in Scotland. A fascinating and necessary
book.' Peter Ross 'It's summer. I stand where perhaps Ellen stood,
in this ground thick with new thistle and long grass. She would
have ken this coast in all weathers: in the summer when it was as
gentle as a lake and in the winter, with the high winds and
stinging salt spray.' A moving and personal journey, along rugged
coasts and through remote villages and cities, in search of the
traces of those accused of witchcraft in seventeenth-century
Scotland. In Ashes and Stones we visit modern memorials and
standing stones, and roam among forests and hedge mazes, folklore
and political fantasies. From fairy hills to forgotten caves, we
explore a spellbound landscape. Allyson Shaw untangles the myth of
witchcraft and gives voice to those erased by it. Her elegant and
lucid prose weaves together threads of history and feminist
reclamation to create a vibrant memorial. This is the untold story
of the witches' monuments of Scotland and the women's lives they
mark. Ashes and Stones is a trove of folklore linking the lives of
contemporary women to the horrors of the past, a record of
resilience and a call to choose and remember our ancestors. 'A
compelling and intimate pilgrimage across Scotland' Helen Callaghan
First published in 1981. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor &
Francis, an informa company.
A hands-on guide to using flower essences in magick, spellcraft,
alchemy, and healing * Provides detailed instructions for making
single-flower essences and magickal and therapeutic essence blends
* Shares new magickal uses for flower essences, from creating
sacred space to dressing candles to preparing incense, as well as
how to use essences in meditation, potions, spells, spagyrics, and
ritual * Includes a detailed directory of 100 flower and plant
essences, complete with astrological, elemental, and magickal
correspondences In this practical guide to using flower essences in
witchcraft, alchemy, and healing, Nicholas Pearson provides
detailed instructions for making and using flower essences based on
traditional Western magick practices. He shares new uses for
essences--from creating sacred space to dressing candles to
preparing incense--and explains how to use them in meditation,
potions, spells, spagyrics, and ritual. He shares exercises for
connecting more deeply to the energies of the green world and
exploring how essences can be used in traditional sacraments of
witchcraft like the Great Rite. In the hands-on formulary, the
author provides recipes for essence combinations for the eight
sabbats and formulas based on familiar blends like traditional
flying ointments of European witchcraft. He shares his method for
creating flower essence spagyrics--alchemical preparations made
from the body, mind, and soul of the plant that offer the highest
vibrational potency for therapeutic and spiritual uses. Pearson
also provides a detailed directory of 100 flower and plant
essences, complete with astrological, elemental, and magickal
correspondences and the therapeutic indications for each essence.
Weaving together magickal herbalism, traditional plant lore, and
flower essence therapy, this guide allows you to see flower
essences not just as vibrational remedies but also as powerful
tools for transformation, magick, and spiritual practice.
In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, entire communities,
particularly in central Europe were gripped by a fear of witches
and witchcraft, and pursued witches in order to bring them to
justice. Professor David Nash unlocks the sometimes opaque history
of the phenomenon of witchcraft in Britain, Europe and America. The
book explores the development of witchcraft and belief in witches,
the obsession with witches and witchcraft that spawned
witch-hunting, the hey-day and decline of witch-hunting, and the
fascinating 'afterlife' of witchcraft: covering not only the
survival of some beliefs into the nineteenth century but the
academic interest in witchcraft in the early twentieth century,
which culminated in the interest shown in the phenomenon by experts
serving the interests and ideology of Nazi Germany. Among the
themes that the author will examine are the geographical spread and
regional differences in witchcraft and witch-hunting across
Britain, Europe and America; the theories on the rise of
witch-hunting; and gender differences: why so many more women were
accused and convicted of witch-hunting than men.
Filled with spells, recipes, and crafts, this book helps you
discover the magical rhythms of the natural world. Join Anna
Franklin, bestselling author of The Hearth Witch s Compendium, as
she shares time-honoured recipes and step-by-step instructions for
bringing enchantment and joy into your life. You will discover
dozens of incantations and spells to help you celebrate the cycles
of the seasons, honour the gods and spirits, and release negative
energy and anxiety. The world is filled with magic, if we can just
slow down and learn how to channel it. The Hearth Witch s Year
provides hands-on tips for sabbats, solstices, saints days, and
more than 100 other auspicious dates so you can connect with the
earth s natural energies and manifest your deepest desires.
A beautiful and inspirational guide to colour and its magic. Magic
can take many forms, whether it be a desire, a wish, or a spell. It
can even be a simple act of kindness for friends and family, and
importantly for yourself too - like a lovingly hand-made object, a
comforting meal or a home-cooked gift. Many people are turning to
alternative ways to find connection and meaning. Something as
simple as, 'Are you ok?' has great strength, power and empathy.
Thoughtfulness is key and this book has kindness at the heart of
its magic to create a more forgiving and considerate community.
Curated into colour chapters, Sam takes a look at each colour and
what it represents. The book brims full of magical spells, poems,
charms, rituals, recipes, makes and wishes to create a helpful
guide - a comfort, a tonic - something that is available to
everyone, whether you feel like you are a witch or not. Chapters
are: White, Yellow & Orange, Red, Pink, Violet, Blue, Green,
Brown, Black & Grey, Silver & Gold Projects include: Orange
blossom spell, Clay incense holder, Lucky red wrist ribbon, Hanging
crystal grotto, Witch's knots, Friendship jar spell, Crescent moon
and amethyst make, Making a wand, Secret message jewellery, Moon
biscuits.
Feeling Exclusion: Religious Conflict, Exile and Emotions in Early
Modern Europe investigates the emotional experience of exclusion at
the heart of the religious life of persecuted and exiled
individuals and communities in early modern Europe. Between the
late fifteenth and early eighteenth centuries an unprecedented
number of people in Europe were forced to flee their native lands
and live in a state of physical or internal exile as a result of
religious conflict and upheaval. Drawing on new insights from
history of emotions methodologies, Feeling Exclusion explores the
complex relationships between communities in exile, the homelands
from which they fled or were exiled, and those from whom they
sought physical or psychological assistance. It examines the
various coping strategies religious refugees developed to deal with
their marginalization and exclusion, and investigates the
strategies deployed in various media to generate feelings of
exclusion through models of social difference, that questioned the
loyalty, values, and trust of "others". Accessibly written, divided
into three thematic parts, and enhanced by a variety of
illustrations, Feeling Exclusion is perfect for students and
researchers of early modern emotions and religion.
The Witchcraft Sourcebook, now in its second edition, is a
fascinating collection of documents that illustrates the
development of ideas about witchcraft from ancient times to the
eighteenth century. Many of the sources come from the period
between 1400 and 1750, when more than 100,000 people - most of them
women - were prosecuted for witchcraft in Europe and colonial
America. During these years the prominent stereotype of the witch
as an evil magician and servant of Satan emerged. Catholics and
Protestants alike feared that the Devil and his human confederates
were destroying Christian society. Including trial records,
demonological treatises and sermons, literary texts, narratives of
demonic possession, and artistic depiction of witches, the
documents reveal how contemporaries from various periods have
perceived alleged witches and their activities. Brian P. Levack
shows how notions of witchcraft have changed over time and
considers the connection between gender and witchcraft and the
nature of the witch's perceived power. This second edition includes
an extended section on the witch trials in England, Scotland and
New England, fully revised and updated introductions to the sources
to include the latest scholarship and a short bibliography at the
end of each introduction to guide students in their further
reading. The Sourcebook provides students of the history of
witchcraft with a broad range of sources, many of which have been
translated into English for the first time, with commentary and
background by one of the leading scholars in the field.
Phyllis Curott’s first book, Book of Shadows, was an inspirational, spiritual memoir that chronicled her journey from Ivy League-educated, New York City attorney to Wiccan High Priestess. By inviting readers of all faiths to share in her own personal transformation, Phyllis debunked many of the myths surrounding Wicca and revealed it for what it really is: a spiritual movement whose tenets of Goddess worship and reverence for Nature were a great deal more accessible and familiar than she’d ever expected. In Witch Crafting, Phyllis digs deep into the practices and principles of Witchcraft to provide a comprehensive guidebook that anyone "novices and seasoned practitioners alike" can use to incorporate the beauty and power of Wicca into their own daily lives. Far from being just another mechanical spell book, Witch Crafting is the first book to offer readers not only the how-to of Witchcraft, but also the why-to, explaining the profound spiritual tenets behind Wiccan techniques. Filled with both traditional and innovative shamanic practices, Phyllis also provides an empowering new definition of magic and reexamines the ethics under which Witchcraft is practiced, offering a groundbreaking alternative to the Threefold Law. With enchanting stories from Curott’s own experiences, Witch Crafting will also teach you how to: • Master the secret arts of effective spellcasting
• Create sacred space and personal rituals
• Perform divinations for spiritual insight and earthly success
• Tap into the power of altered states, such as dreaming, meditation, prayer, and trance
• Keep a magical journal and create your own Book of Shadows ·Keep a magical
Rich with detailed advice for making magic, working with Nature, and finding the Divine within, as well as thought-provoking evaluations of this remarkable spirituality, Witch Crafting is the special volume that you’ve been searching for. Whether you are a beginner or have been practicing Witchcraft for years, whether you worship in a coven or on your own, Witch Crafting is the ideal handbook for you, or anyone seeking to unlock the divine power that makes real magic happen and experience the ecstasy, energy, and gifts of the Universe more fully.
From the Hardcover edition.
Women come to the fore in witchcraft trials as accused persons or
as witnesses, and this book is a study of women's voices in these
trials in eight countries around the North Sea: Spanish
Netherlands, Northern Germany, Denmark, Scotland, England, Norway,
Sweden, and Finland. From each country, three trials are chosen for
close reading of courtroom discourse and the narratological
approach enables various individuals to speak. Throughout the
study, a choir of 24 voices of accused women are heard which reveal
valuable insight into the field of mentalities and display both the
individual experience of witchcraft accusation and the development
of the trial. Particular attention is drawn to the accused women's
confessions, which are interpreted as enforced narratives. The
analyses of individual trials are also contextualized nationally
and internationally by a frame of historical elements, and a
systematic comparison between the countries shows strong
similarities regarding the impact of specific ideas about
witchcraft, use of pressure and torture, the turning point of the
trial, and the verdict and sentence. This volume is an essential
resource for all students and scholars interested in the history of
witchcraft, witchcraft trials, transnationality, cultural
exchanges, and gender in early modern Northern Europe.
See the history of witchcraft, magic and superstition come to life
with this spectacular supernatural book! From alchemy and modern
Wicca to paganism and shamanism, this enchanting book takes you on
a mystical journey that will leave you spellbound. This is the
perfect introduction to magic and the occult! This reference book
on witchcraft is packed with: - Informative, engaging, and
accessible text and lavish illustrations - 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 that explore magic origins, key figures, key
deities, use in spells, structures of religions, and more This
indispensable witchcraft book explores the common human fascination
with spells, superstition, and the supernatural. It provides you
with a balanced and unbiased 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. Expect the unexpected with A History Of
Magic, Witchcraft and the Occult. It will open your eyes to other
worlds. Discover forms of divination from astrology and palmistry
to the Tarot and runestones. Explore the presence of witchcraft in
literature from Shakespeare's Macbeth to the Harry Potter series,
and the ways in which magic has interacted with religion. Whether
you're a believer or a sceptic, this richly illustrated history
book provides a fresh approach to the extensive and complex story
of witchcraft, magic and the occult.
Shows students of the history of witchcraft and magic that the
beliefs of the seventeenth century continued through the
Enlightenment, despite the attempts by philosophers to dismiss
magic and its practice, into the nineteenth century. The volume is
divided into three sections highlighting different definitions of
magic including the concern over the non-material world as found in
popular and elite practices, its relationship with science and
medicine, and other forms of divination available to the general
population. Providing students with a broad view of how magic was
engaged with in the eighteenth century to inform their own studies.
Explores the relationship between magic, science and medicine
providing students with a good understanding of how the emerging
fields of science and medicine came into conflict with popular
belief in and practice of magic. Allowing students to see why magic
still resonated with the general public into the nineteenth
century.
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