A dazzlingly inventive tale of troubled legacies, desire and unsung power, inspired by The Scarlet Letter. Glasgow, 1829: Isobel, a young seamstress, and her husband Edward set sail for New England, in flight from his mounting debts and addictions. But, arriving in Salem, Massachusetts, Edward soon takes off again, and Isobel finds herself penniless and alone. Then she meets Nathaniel, a fledgling writer, and the two are instantly drawn to each other: he is haunted by his ancestors, who sent innocent women to the gallows during the Salem witch trials - while she is an unusually gifted needleworker, troubled by her own strange talents. Nathaniel and Isobel grow ever closer. Together, they are dark storyteller and muse; enchanter and enchanted. But which is which?

Witchcraft: The Basics is an accessible and engaging introduction to the scholarly study of witchcraft, exploring the phenomenon of witchcraft from its earliest definitions in the Middle Ages through to its resonances in the modern world. Through the use of two case studies, this book delves into the emergence of the witch as a harmful figure within western thought and traces the representation of witchcraft throughout history, analysing the roles of culture, religion, politics, gender and more in the evolution and enduring role of witchcraft. Key topics discussed within the book include: The role of language in creating and shaping the concept of witchcraft The laws and treatises written against witchcraft The representation of witchcraft in early modern literature The representation of witchcraft in recent literature, TV and film Scholarly approaches to witchcraft through time The relationship between witchcraft and paganism With an extensive further reading list, summaries and questions to consider at the end of each chapter, Witchcraft: The Basics is an ideal introduction for anyone wishing to learn more about this controversial issue in human culture, which is still very much alive today.

Spanning from the inauguration 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. 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, heraldry, 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.

Modern day witches are a culmination of the old and new-they travel to the grocery store, work nine to fives, and teach in our classrooms. They carry black tourmaline and quartz, and wave bay and rosemary bundles over their doorways. Within an ancient sacred practice, a new generation of witches are rising; those who understand the power of action paired with energy and intent, who fight for the best versions of themselves through whispered chants and candlelight and match their activism with manifestation. The modern witch creates change within the hearth, the heart, and the world, one spell at a time. Frankie Castanea is at the centre of a thriving community of modern practitioners who use witchcraft to enrich their lives day-to-day and improve the world around them. In Spells for Change, Frankie demonstrates how witchcraft has both personal and worldwide applications, whether it's protecting the home or self from negative energies through boundaries and charms or binding a harmful person to help a friend. Each brings you closer to creating change within yourself, the environment around you, and the society we live in, and closer to a greater awareness of the Universe and the energies that exist within it. Including studies of meditation, grounding, manifestation, cleansing, protection, banishing and binding, this book will teach you how to enact personal and global change. From justice spells and banishing unwanted energy to spells to help you on the journey to self-love and self-prioritization, Frankie shows that, at its heart, witchcraft is a force for good that is ultimately about refining your identity and reclaiming your power.

A touching and thought-provoking account of how a woman explored a spectrum of religions-ancient and new-and ended up, unexpectedly, becoming a bona fide witch-plus a celebration of modern Wicca and witchcraft, spell books, broomsticks, holiday recipes and recipes for the changing of the seasons, and much more. Misty Bell Stiers set out on a spiritual path to find a faith that worked for her, and accidentally became a witch. She knew the Bible well, and got to know the Torah and Koran. She studied Eastern philosophies, even the stories of the Egyptians and Greeks. Finally, after overcoming an immediate prejudice ("Um, no," she writes as her initial reaction), she found Wicca. Witch, Please reveals what makes the mysterious religion of Wicca so desirable for more than a million Americans. In her witty, direct, and heartfelt text, Misty explores spirituality, perseverance, and finding oneself. She shares what Wicca means to her and what defines her as a witch; what she uses her spell book, cauldron, and broomstick for; the significance of Wiccan holidays, many about new beginnings; the surprising history of Wicca; and what kinds of witches there are. She also shares how in her busy New York City life, as a mother and a creative director, her faith grounds and sustains her. Her uplifting, you-too-can-find-what-works-for-you voice speaks like a best friend: relatable, honest, and encouraging. This unusual and beautifully written memoir explores what it's like to be a modern-day witch, and how it's changed Misty's outlook on life. It's candid, but it's also threaded with magic and has a warming, lightheartedness to it. Bewitching original drawings by Misty are throughout, and Misty even shares ten original recipes for her Wiccan holiday treats (including the likes of her cinnamon rolls and roasted garlic rosemary bread, sprinkled with magic and seasoned with love, laughter, and healing).

H.C. Erik Midelfort has carved out a reputation for innovative work on early modern German history, with a particular focus on the social history of ideas and religion. This collection pulls together some of his best work on the related subjects of witchcraft, the history of madness and psychology, demonology, exorcism, and the social history of religious change in early modern Europe. Several of the pieces reprinted here constitute reviews of recent scholarly literature on their topics, while others offer sharp departures from conventional wisdom. A critique of Michel Foucault's view of the history of madness proved both stimulating but irritating to Foucault's most faithful readers, so it is reprinted here along with a short retrospective comment by the author. Another focus of this collection is the social history of the Holy Roman Empire, where towns, peasants, and noble families developed different perceptions of the Protestant and Catholic Reformations and of the options the religious revolutions of the sixteenth century offered. Finally, this collection also brings together articles which show how Freudian psychoanalysis and academic sociology have filtered and interpreted the history of early modern Germany.

Between the years of 1898 and 1926, Edward Westermarck spent a total of seven years in Morocco, visiting towns and tribes in different parts of the country, meeting local people and learning about their language and culture; his findings are noted in this two-volume set, first published in 1926. Alongside extensive reference material, including Westermarck's system of transliteration and a comprehensive list of the tribes and districts mentioned in the text, the chapters discuss such areas as the influences on and relationship between religion and magic in Morocco, the origins of beliefs and practices, curses and witchcraft. This is the first volume of two dealing with the same subject, and will fascinate any student or researcher of anthropology with an interest in the history of ritual, culture and religion in Morocco.

'I really enjoyed this read. It was well written with a captivating storyline and well developed characters . . . [An] evocative and tender book . . . everyone who reads it will be enchanted like I was' reader review 'Propulsive and poignant, Black Candle Women concocts an intoxicating potion of warmth, wisdom, and wonder. This gorgeous debut novel is a sweepingly fashioned love story where romance and rebellion intertwine with fear and family. And the stakes are epic. I was completely and gladly under Ms. Brown's spell' AVA DUVERNAY 'A big-hearted debut, with complex, flawed, and compelling characters I was rooting for every step of the way' E.M. TRAN 'Richly imagined and elegantly told, with plenty of satisfying secrets, heartaches, and twists' SADEQA JOHNSON 'A spellbinding romp. The Montrose women will have you clutching your pearls on this rollercoaster of a debut' CAROLYN HUYNH 'Written with warmth and an eye for detail, Diane Marie Brown's Black Candle Women explores the bonds of family and the magical power of belief to transform our lives' SHAUNA J. EDWARDS & ALYSON RICHMAN 'Black Candle Women is a compassionate novel about motherhood, sisterhood, independence, and the reflection and forgiveness required to break generational curses' DE'SHAWN CHARLES WINSLOW 'Brown deftly portrays an insular family of women in all of its complicated glory . . . The spiritual angle gives this powerful family drama a magical twist that will delight readers' BOOKLIST (starred review) 'Black Candle Women is a bold and tender story about three generations of women each attempting to find their way amidst the gifts and curses they've inherited . . . This novel is a wondrous celebration of womanhood' CLEYVIS NATERA ************************************* 'All of you are cursed, you hear me? An ugly death for the ones with whom you fall in love' For generations, the Montrose women have lived alone with their secrets, their delicate peace depending on the unspoken bond that underpins their family life - Voodoo and hoodoo magic, and a decades-old curse that will kill anyone they fall for. When seventeen-year-old Nickie Montrose brings home a boy for the first time, this careful balance is thrown into disarray. For the other women have been keeping the curse from Nickie, and revealing it means that they must reckon with their own choices and mistakes. As new truths emerge, the Montrose women are set on a collision course that echoes back to New Orleans' French Quarter, where a crumbling book of spells may hold the answers that all of them have been looking for... Rich in its sense of character and place, Black Candle Women is a haunting and magical debut from a talented new storyteller. ************************************* Early readers are LOVING Black Candle Women! 'I LOVED IT SO SO MUCH. Magic? A cursed family tree? Badass women? This was an adventure from start to finish and it was my pleasure to read' 'What a fascinating story about some amazing women. I was caught on page one and stayed captivated until the very end. Bravo!!' 'This book was amazing from start to finish. I was so captivated by each of the characters' 'I was invested from the first page and really loved these characters and their story'

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.

Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand witchcraft branding as a contemporary form of child abuse. Witchcraft accusations against children are occurring ever more frequently in the UK yet continue to be underestimated by social work professionals. This concise book provides a personal narrative of witchcraft being used as a tool for the infliction of child abuse. The narrative is interspersed with reflective questions, practice dilemmas and relevant links to contemporary policy and practice in social work. Written in an accessible style, it gives an honest insider's perspective of the unusual form of cruelty and abuse suffered by children in minority communities in the UK. For those embarking on or already in a career in social work, this book is an invaluable read.

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.

Routledge Library Editions: Witchcraft re-issues eight volumes originally published between 1929 and 1977 and sheds fascinating light on the history, anthropological, religious and mythological contexts of witchcraft in the UK and Europe, including several volumes which focus specifically on the witch-hunts and trials of Early Modern Europe.

In 1711, in County Antrim, eight women were put on trial accused of orchestrating the demonic possession of young Mary Dunbar, and the haunting and supernatural murder of a local clergyman’s wife. Mary Dunbar was the star witness in this trial, and the women were, by the standards of the time, believable witches – they smoked, they drank, they just did not look right. With echoes of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and the Salem witch-hunt, this is a story of murder, of hysteria, and of how the ‘witch craze’ that claimed over 40,000 lives in Europe played out on Irish shores.

The essays in this Handbook, written by leading scholars working in the rapidly developing field of witchcraft studies, explore the historical literature regarding witch beliefs and witch trials in Europe and colonial America between the early fifteenth and early eighteenth centuries. During these years witches were thought to be evil people who used magical power to inflict physical harm or misfortune on their neighbours. Witches were also believed to have made pacts with the devil and sometimes to have worshipped him at nocturnal assemblies known as sabbaths. These beliefs provided the basis for defining witchcraft as a secular and ecclesiastical crime and prosecuting tens of thousands of women and men for this offence. The trials resulted in as many as fifty thousand executions.
These essays study the rise and fall of witchcraft prosecutions in the various kingdoms and territories of Europe and in English, Spanish, and Portuguese colonies in the Americas. They also relate these prosecutions to the Catholic and Protestant reformations, the introduction of new forms of criminal procedure, medical and scientific thought, the process of state-building, profound social and economic change, early modern patterns of gender relations, and the wave of demonic possessions that occurred in Europe at the same time. The essays survey the current state of knowledge in the field, explore the academic controversies that have arisen regarding witch beliefs and witch trials, propose new ways of studying the subject, and identify areas for future research.

From the shelves of mainstream bookstores and the pages of teen magazines, to popular films and television series, contemporary culture at the turn of the twenty-first century has been fascinated with teenage identity and the presence of magic and the occult. Alongside this profusion of products and representations, a global network of teenage Witches has emerged on the margins of adult neopagan Witchcraft communities, identifying themselves through various spiritual practices, consumption patterns and lifestyle choices. The New Generation Witches is the first published anthology to investigate the recent rise of the teenage Witchcraft phenomenon in both Britain and North America. Scholars from Theology, Cultural Studies, Sociology, History and Media Studies, along with neopagan commentators outside of the academy, come together to investigate the experiences of thousands of adolescents constructing an enabling, magical identity through a distinctive practice of Witchcraft. The contributors discuss key areas of interest, inspiration and development within the teen Witch communities from the mid 1990s onward, including teenage Witches' magical practices and beliefs, gender politics, the formation and identification of communities, forums and modes of expression, media representation and new media outlets. Demonstrating the diversification and expansion of neopaganism in the twenty-first century, this anthology makes an exciting contribution to the field of Neopagan Studies and contemporary youth cultures.

This chronological collection charts the change in attitudes to witchcraft during the period 1560-1736, which culminates in the educated debate on the reality of witchcraft and the gradual decline in belief in witches and associated phenomena.

This study examines the relationship between elite and popular beliefs in witchcraft, magic and superstition in England, analyzing such beliefs against the background of political, religious and social upheaval characteristic of the Civil War, Interregnum and Restoration periods. Belief in witchcraft received new impulses because of the general ferment of religious ideas and the tendency of participants in the Civil Wars to resort to imagery drawn from beliefs about the devil and witches; or to use portents to argue for the wrongs of their opponents. Throughout the work, the author stresses that deeply held superstitions were fundamental to belief in witches, the devil, ghosts, apparitions and supernatural healing. Despite the fact that popular superstitions were often condemned, it was recognized that their propaganda value was too useful to ignore. A host of pamphlets and treatises were published during this period which unashamedly incorporated such beliefs. Valletta here explores the manner in which political and religious authorities somewhat cynically used demonic imagery and language to discredit their opponents and to manipulate popular opinion.

After discussing the terminology of talismanic magic (or necromancy) and its position in divisions of science in the Middle Ages, this book traces the history of talismanic texts from the Classical period through the Arabic world to the Latin Middle Ages. The principal authorities are Hermes and Aristotle, and the search for the 'secret knowledge' of these ancient sages is shown to have been a catalyst for the translating activity from Arabic into Latin in 12th-century Spain. The second half of the volume is devoted to examples of the kinds of divination prevalent in Arabic and Latin-reading societies: chiromancy, onomancy, scapulimancy, geomancy and fortune-telling. The book ends with advice on when to practice alchemy and a prophetic letter of supposed Arabic provenance, warning of the coming of the Mongols. Several editions of previously unedited texts are included, with translations.

A fascinating examination of alleged demon possession and witchcraft in a seventeenth-century convent in Carpi, Italy. In 1636, residents at the convent of Santa Chiara in Carpi in northern Italy were struck by an extraordinary illness that provoked bizarre behavior. Eventually numbering fourteen, the afflicted nuns were subject to screaming fits,throwing themselves on the floor, and falling abruptly into a deep sleep. When medical experts' cures proved ineffective, exorcists ministered to the women and concluded that they were possessed by demons and the victims of witchcraft. Catering to women from elite families, the nunnery suffered much turmoil for three years and, remarkably, three of the victims died from their ills. A maverick nun and a former confessor were widely suspected to be responsible, through witchcraft, for these woes. Based primarily on the exhaustive investigation by the Inquisition of Modena, The Scourge of Demons examines this fascinating case in its historical context. The travails of Santa Chiara occurred at a time when Europe witnessed peaks in both witch-hunting and in the numbers of people reputedly possessed by demons. Female religious figures appeared particularly prone to demonic attacks, and Counter-Reformation Church authorities were especially interested in imposing stricter discipline on convents. Watt carefully considers how the nuns of Santa Chiara understood and experienced alleged possession and witchcraft, concluding that Santa Chiara's diabolical troubles and their denouement -- involving the actions of nuns, confessors, inquisitorial authorities, and exorcists -- were profoundly shaped by the unique confluence of religious, cultural, judicial, andintellectual trends that flourished in the 1630s. Jeffrey R. Watt is professor of history at the University of Mississippi.

An insider's guide for beginner mystics, How to Study Magic is your ultimate introduction to the main areas of magic-from witchcraft to grimoires-what it means to practice them, and, most of all, how to get started.Have you ever wanted to dive into the world of magic, but weren't sure where to begin? You're not alone! Knowing where to start can be mystifying, but it doesn't have to be. In How to Study Magic, author, educator, and seasoned witch Sarah Lyons guides you through an introductory course of study, and an enchanted entry point to the wide world of magical paths.Drawing on Sarah's own experience practicing and teaching magic for more than a decade, this interactive exploration takes novice witches through basic tools they can use in their studies-from divination and meditation to cleansing and protection-before diving into the history, lore, and modern incarnations of a wide range of magical practices. With chapters on Witchcraft, Chaos Magic, Spellbooks and Grimoires, Gods and Goddesses, and more, this dynamic guide gives readers an insider's perspective on how to craft their own, personalized practice. Each chapter also contains interactive activities, journal prompts, and suggestions for further reading, allowing baby witches to chart their own paths and explore their own power. For anyone who knows they want to study magic, but has no idea where to begin, How to Study Magic is the answer you've been waiting for.

Witches are on the go! If we are not living out our day-to-day lives, balancing home life and work, we're organizing rituals and keeping track of spells. The Hectic Witch's Planner is a journal-style planner that not only helps you keep track of appointments and important dates but encourages you to plan out your long-term goals, your rituals and even helps you pause and reflect with journal prompts. This is a planner for witches built by some of the busiest witches around.

This 280-page 12 month weekly-planner is filled with journal prompts, planting guides, holiday information, moon phases, along with monthly suggestions to help you try new witchy things! Full-color with bound pages, you can keep this book in your bag or tote without worrying about pages loosening and falling out like in classic spiral-bound planners. We do not have time for pages falling out. We weren't kidding when we said this is for busy witches!

The Parlement of Paris was the largest secular court in Christendom. Although its criminal archives have been preserved virtually intact, historians of the period of the great witch trials, as well as scholars of the Ancien Regime in general, have been discouraged by the notorious difficulties of research into them, and have effectively avoided these records. Alfred Soman was the first historian to have undertaken the task. In the fifteen articles republished here, which include both detailed investigations of particular cases and broad-ranging overviews, he contends that criminal justice in the 16th- and 17th-century France was far more humane and less severe than traditional assumptions would suggest. As early as 1588, the High Court began to take steps to restrain indiscriminate witch hunting, particularly in the eastern provinces where prosecutions were instigated not in conformity with, but in defiance of, the highest judicial authority in the land. Le Parlement de Paris, la plus grande cour de justice de l'Occident, nous a legue ses archives criminelles quasiment intactes. Pourtant les historiens des proces de sorcellerie, ainsi que les specialistes des aspects institutionnels et sociaux de l'Ancien Regime, decourages par les difficultes notoires de la recherche, ont evite l'exploitation de ces documents. Alfred Soman est le premier chercheur A en avoir releve de defi. Dans cette serie de quinze articles, qui comprennent des enquAtes detailles, ainsi que des essais de synthese, il soutient que l'ancienne justice a ete beaucoup plus clemente et moins 'injuste' que de vieilles idees reAues ne le pretendent. Des 1588, la Haute Cour commenAa A reprimer les nombreuses poursuites pour faits de sorcellerie, plus particulierement dans l'Est du royaume, oA(1) certains sieges subalternes entamaient des actions criminelles intempestatives, prenant le contre-pied de la politique mise en place par le Pouvoir judiciaire central.