Witchcraft And Magic

Neither power nor morality but both. Moral power is what Sukuma farmers in Tanzania in times of crisis attribute to an unknown figure they call their witch. A universal process is involved, as much bodily as social, which obstructs the patient's recovery. Healers turn the table on the witch through rituals showing that the community and the ancestral spirits side with the victim. In contrast to biomedicine, their magic and divination introduce moral values that assess the state of the system and that remove the obstacles to what is taken as key: self-healing. The implied 'sensory shifts' and therapeutic effectiveness have largely eluded the literature on witchcraft. This book shows how to comprehend culture other than through the prism of identity politics. It offers a framework to comprehend the rise of witch killings and human sacrifice, just as ritual initiation disappears.

Compiled from ancient as well as modern sources, this is a unique guide to the practice of witchcraft around the world. From magic stones and herbs to theories and spells, all the forbidden arts are here for anyone interested in magi c--black, white, or gray!

Stephen A. Mitchell here offers the fullest examination available of witchcraft in late medieval Scandinavia. He focuses on those people believed to be able—and who in some instances thought themselves able—to manipulate the world around them through magical practices, and on the responses to these beliefs in the legal, literary, and popular cultures of the Nordic Middle Ages. His sources range from the Icelandic sagas to cultural monuments much less familiar to the nonspecialist, including legal cases, church art, law codes, ecclesiastical records, and runic spells. Mitchell's starting point is the year 1100, by which time Christianity was well established in elite circles throughout Scandinavia, even as some pre-Christian practices and beliefs persisted in various forms. The book's endpoint coincides with the coming of the Reformation and the onset of the early modern Scandinavian witch hunts. The terrain covered is complex, home to the Germanic Scandinavians as well as their non-Indo-European neighbors, the Sámi and Finns, and it encompasses such diverse areas as the important trade cities of Copenhagen, Bergen, and Stockholm, with their large foreign populations; the rural hinterlands; and the insular outposts of Iceland and Greenland. By examining witches, wizards, and seeresses in literature, lore, and law, as well as surviving charm magic directed toward love, prophecy, health, and weather, Mitchell provides a portrait of both the practitioners of medieval Nordic magic and its performance. With an understanding of mythology as a living system of cultural signs (not just ancient sacred narratives), this study also focuses on such powerful evolving myths as those of "the milk-stealing witch," the diabolical pact, and the witches' journey to Blåkulla. Court cases involving witchcraft, charm magic, and apostasy demonstrate that witchcraft ideologies played a key role in conceptualizing gender and were themselves an important means of exercising social control.

Tap into the magic all around you with Witchcraft, an illustrated guide to ancient potions, spells, chants, rituals, and incantations from around the world. Learn how to form a spirit circle with coven members, what instruments you need for your craft, special conjurations for each day of the week, and hundreds of crafty spells and potions that will allow you to: Banish headaches Keep your home safe Envision your future spouse Win riches Communicate with animals Conceive a child Summon the dead Make it snow Separate lovers Know your future And more! Spells are conveniently organized by purpose: safekeeping spells, healing spells and potions, spells against enemies, counter-spells, luck and fortune spells, love and matchmaking spells, weather and earth spells, spells to cast on animals, power spells, and communing with the dead. With stunning linoleum-cut illustrations by artist Melissa West that bring the magic of the past to life, this comprehensive compendium is also a delightful page-turner that’s full of unexpected treasures. Place it in a sacred place in your home—and make sure no enemies find it to access its inestimable powers! The Mystical Handbook series from Wellfleet takes you on a magical journey through the wonderful world of spellcraft and spellcasting. Explore a new practice with each volume and learn how to incorporate spells, rituals, blessings, and cleansings into your daily routine. These portable companions feature beautiful foil-detail covers and color-saturated interiors on a premium paper blend. Other books in the series include: Love Spells, Moon Magic, Moon Magic Journal, Knot Magic, Superstitions, House Magic, Herbal Magic, Book of Shadows, and Goddess Magic.

Prints, drawings, documents, and text illuminate the development of the occult sciences to the nineteenth century

Complete with over 50 spells and information on the magickal tools and traditions of witchcraft, The Book of Spells is the ultimate guide to healing, manifesting your desires, and diving confidently into the mysteries of magick. Calling upon ancient powers and the ways of the Witch, The Book of Spells contains rituals and visualizations for releasing negativity, increasing bliss, healing a broken heart, finding your Spirit guides, embarking on the adventure of astral flight, and more. With the help of timeless myths and fables, as well as author Jamie Della's personal anecdotes, each spell offers empowering insight to help you uncover your innate Divine essence. This beautifully gilded compendium includes need-to-know information on Sabbats and ancient traditions, Gods and Goddesses, and tools of the Craft such as herbs, crystals, tarot archetypes, moon phases, and runes. The Book of Spells is the perfect beginner's guide to following the Path, practicing the Craft, and incorporating magick into your daily life. Advance praise for The Book of Spells “This book opens the door to a life of magic and inspiration. The most wonderful thing about it is that Jamie actually lives by the book. She’s the real deal! The Book of Spells is personal, engaging, and empowering. Her information about the Craft is heartfelt, user-friendly, and a treasure trove of witchy wisdom. You’ll love this book whether you are a novice or an expert. Enjoy!”—Victoria Bearden, nationally renowned astrologer and psychic “What a sweet book this is. Spells and a lot more for people new to the Craft written by an experienced Witch who practices what she preaches.”—Barbara Ardinger, author of Goddess Meditations and Finding New Goddesses “Creative, ethical, and respectful of tradition but modern in focus, these spells are focused on self-healing, rather than forcing your will on others.”—Anna Korn, Adocentyn Research Library “Young and old alike find a rainbow of solutions in Jamie Della’s self-empowering Book of Spells. Simultaneously bold and inviting, Della’s unswerving devotion to self-love, self-awareness, and growth shines through on every page of this gem of a soul’s companion guidebook.”—Tania Pryputniewicz, author of November Butterfly

This fascinating volume delves into the history of witchcraft and demonology. Witchcraft and Black Magic gives an extensive history of what Montague Summers deems to be Satanic practises. First published in 1946, this handbook gathers vivid detail from a wealth of sources and references that enhance its overview of black magic. Montague Summers’ research explores numerous court records, personal accounts, and classic works of literature, as well as taking evidence from the Bible. A devout Catholic, Summers writes about witchcraft in great detail, examining historic events, such as the Salem witch trials, with a close eye. The chapters in this chilling volume include: - What is Witchcraft? How Does One Become a Witch? - The Familiar, in Human Shape and Animal - Witchcraft at Cambridge and Oxford - The Origins of Witchcraft - The Library of Witches - The Magus (1801) of Francis Barrett - Sympathetic Magic Complete with an introduction to the folklore and history of witchcraft, Read & Co. Books has republished this classic guide to black magic in a brand new edition. A must-read for conspiracy theorists and those with an interest in the historical background of witchcraft.

The author of Magic and Masculinity explores the history and development of magic and witchcraft in Western society. Broomsticks, cauldrons, familiars, and spells—magic and witchcraft conjure a vivid picture in our modern-day imagination. While much of our understanding is rooted in superstition and myth, the history of magic and witchcraft offers a window into the past. It illuminates the lives of ordinary people in the past and elucidates the fascinating pop culture of the premodern world. Blowing away folkloric cobwebs, this enlightening new history dispels many misconceptions surrounding witchcraft and magic that we still hold today. From Ancient Greece and Rome to the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Era, historian Frances Timbers details the impact of Christianity and popular culture in the construction of the figure of the “witch.” The development of demonology and ceremonial magic is combined with the West’s troubled past with magic and witchcraft to chart the birth of modern Wiccan and Neopagan movements in England and North America. Witchcraft is a metaphor for oppression in an age in which persecution is an everyday occurrence somewhere in the world. Fanaticism, intolerance, prejudice, authoritarianism, and religious and political ideologies are never attractive. Beware the witch hunter!

This book presents twenty chapters by experts in their fields, providing a thorough and interdisciplinary overview of the theory and practice of magic in the West. Its chronological scope extends from the Ancient Near East to twenty-first-century North America; its objects of analysis range from Persian curse tablets to US neo-paganism. For comparative purposes, the volume includes chapters on developments in the Jewish and Muslim worlds, evaluated not simply for what they contributed at various points to European notions of magic, but also as models of alternative development in ancient Mediterranean legacy. Similarly, the volume highlights the transformative and challenging encounters of Europeans with non-Europeans, regarding the practice of magic in both early modern colonization and more recent decolonization.