A History of Magic, Witchcraft and the Occult

Discover the beguiling history of witchcraft, magic, and superstition through the centuries in this stunningly illustrated title.

About A History of Magic, Witchcraft and the Occult

A History of Magic, Witchcraft and the Occult charts the extraordinary narrative of one of the most interesting and often controversial subjects in the world, covering everything from ancient animal worship and shamanism, through alchemy and divination to modern Wicca and the resurgence of the occult in 21st-century literature, cinema, and television.

Providing readers 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, the book explores the common human fear of, and fascination with spells, superstition, and the supernatural.

The perfect introduction to magic and the occult, this wide-ranging volume explores forms of divination from astrology and palmistry to the Tarot and runestones, mystical plants and potions such as mandrake, 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.

The most comprehensive illustrated history of witchcraft available, A History of Magic, Witchcraft and the Occult will enthrall and fascinate you with its lavish illustrated, accessible entries, whether you are a believer or skeptic.

My Thoughts

This is a stunning book that covers many time periods and beliefs accompanied by gorgeous photos and historical quotes and events.

This book is broken down into the following time periods: Ancient Roots (prehistory to 400CE), Curse or Cure (400-1500), Scholars and Sabbats (1500-1700), Secrecy and Ceremony (1700-1900) and Modern Magic (1900 and onward). Each time period highlights many different magical beliefs, cultures and practices with stunning imagery to accompany each page. They provide you with just enough information to explain the topic but it also encourages you to learn more by doing your own research. The information is presented to you as facts – they do not add any bias commentary to sway the reader in any way. This is the practice at that time, right or wrong, and this is what happened and this is how it evolved.

I love how this book shows how much the belief of the supernatural (magic) is intertwined with culture and religious beliefs. I grew up fascinated by witchcraft and would spend hours reading books on this topic. For me, this book is a treat – exposing me to new information and encouraging me to learn more. I have quite a few topics that I want to learn more about after reading through this book.

As a reader, you can read through it from start to finish, you can go to specific time periods, you can glance over some areas but I guarantee that you will find something that will spark your curiosity to learn more. This is a great library addition for those readers, who love to learn about history, cultures and beliefs.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Chapters.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

cvegnad

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