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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Alternative belief systems > Occult studies > Witchcraft
While the evolution of contemporary Witchcraft has produced many
powerful variations, traditional Wicca can offer unique experiences
for spiritual seekers. This book explores structured, coven-based
styles of Wicca, in which the practitioners typically trace
initiatory lineages back to Wicca s early founders. Exploring
covens, initiations, lineages, practices, ethics, and more,
Traditional Wicca shares tips and ideas on how to get the most from
this profound approach to Witchcraft. Discover how to recognize
healthy, reputable covens. Learn how to navigate the process of
asking for training and succeeding in an outer court. This book
also includes contributions from several practitioners, providing
first-person perspectives on what it s like to be on the
traditional Wiccan path.
This excellent little book is a wonderful introduction to the story
of the trial of the witches of Pendle in 1612. In a very lively and
readable style, Christine Goodier provides a who's who of the
events, as well as an interesting angle on the trials themselves.
She emphasises that the accused were merely flesh and blood, not
demons, arguing that they were poor, uneducated people who were at
worst misguided. Her inevitable conclusion is that a terrible
injustice was done 400 years ago when they were famously convicted
of witchcraft and hanged.
In Obeah, Race and Racism, Eugenia O'Neal vividly discusses the
tradition of African magic and witchcraft, traces its voyage across
the Atlantic and its subsequent evolution on the plantations of the
New World, and provides a detailed map of how English writers,
poets and dramatists interpreted it for English audiences. The
triangular trade in guns and baubles, enslaved Africans and gold,
sugar and cotton was mirrored by a similar intellectual trade borne
in the reports, accounts and stories that fed the perceptions and
prejudices of everyone involved in the slave trade and no subject
was more fascinating and disconcerting to Europeans than the
religious beliefs of the people they had enslaved. Indeed, African
magic made its own triangular voyage; starting from Africa, Obeah
crossed the Atlantic to the Caribbean, then journeyed back across
the ocean, in the form of traveller's narratives and plantation
reports, to Great Britain where it was incorporated into the plots
of scores of books and stories which went on to shape and form the
world view of explorers and colonial officials in Britain's
far-flung empire. O'Neal examines what British writers knew or
thought they knew about Obeah and discusses how their perceptions
of black people were shaped by their perceptions of Obeah.
Translated or interpreted by racist writers as a devil-worshipping
religion, Obeah came to symbolize the brutality, savagery and
superstition in which blacks were thought to be immured by their
very race. For many writers, black belief in Obeah proved black
inferiority and justified both slavery and white colonial
domination. The English reading public became generally convinced
that Obeah was evil and that blacks were, at worst, devil
worshippers or, at best, extremely stupid and credulous. And
because books and stories on Obeah continued to promulgate either
of the two prevailing perspectives, and sometimes both together
until at least the 1950s, theories of black inferiority continue to
hold sway in Great Britain today.
No industry has been as influential at shaping the popular notion
of what it means to be a witch quite as much as Hollywood. This
book traces the fascinating history of witchcraft and witches in
American film and television. From Joan the Woman and The Wizard of
Oz to Carrie and Charmed, author and film scholar Heather Greene
explores how these films helped influence the public image of the
witch and profoundly influenced how women negotiate their power in
a patriarchal society. Lights, Camera, Witchcraft uncovers
fascinating insights into the intersection of entertainment,
critical theory, gender studies, and spirituality.
Make the most of your magickal year by chronicling it with this
indispensable 2024 planner filled with inspiring Wiccan spells and
lore. This 17-month engagement calendar is the perfect place for
modern-day witches, Wiccans, and pagans to track everything from
daily tasks to key rituals to the sacred holidays and solstices on
the Wheel of the Year. It is filled with beautiful illustrations as
well as tips on holistic magick, Wiccan lore, and a variety of key
spells. The planner lists the all-important moon phases, as well as
major and national holidays. This is the perfect witch’s calendar
for anyone seeking a Wiccan holiday gift, those who enjoyed the
2023 edition, or users of other writual planners looking for
something new. Â Features include: 17-month day planner
(August 2023–December 2024) with a 6 x 8.5-inch trim size and a
sturdy flexi cover with vibrant colors Monthly two-page views,
weekly pages, and note pages Stunning two-color design filled with
beautiful vintage-style line drawings throughout tied to the
seasons Wiccan lore, tips on holistic magick, and key spells
distilled from the bestselling Modern-Day Witch book series Major
and national holidays for the US, Canada, and UK, and the
all-important moon phases
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