Witchcraft
A Secret History
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- $25.99
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- $25.99
Publisher Description
Witchcraft unravels the myth from the mystery, the facts from the legends, in this bewitching introduction to witchcraft’s lesser-known history.
Spanning several centuries and comprising unbelievable facts and little-known legends, meet all the witches of your imagination and learn why, where and how it all began.
Uncover the meanings of their rituals and rites, their lore, and their craftDiscover the significance of their sabbats and covens, their chalices and wands, their robes and their religion.Unlock the secrets of the legendary witches of mythology and folk talesand find out how these early stories influenced the persecutions and witch hunts of the Middle Ages.Learn about the people who inspired the pagan revival and how their work in literature and magic rekindled the fires of the sabbats across Europe and the New World today.Features spell-binding historic and contemporary pictures that perfectly capture the key characters, events and wonders of this captivating, colourful and controversial history.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this reference for the modern witch and the witchcraft-curious, British journalist Streeter (Behind Closed Doors) guides readers through the history of prejudices, religious fervor, and bad publicity surrounding witchcraft to reveal the spiritual and practical core of the craft. Each historical event and spiritual influence, including the rise of Christianity, the Salem witch trials, and the foundation of Wicca in the 20th century, is presented in brief, easily digestible sections. By tracing ancient practices, beliefs, and deities such as Lilitu, a female winged demon in early Sumerian mythology, who becomes the Hebrew demon Lilith and later a modern feminist icon Streeter shows how concepts have evolved to form what is today an ever-changing, pluralistic practice that emphasizes "each individual's own relationship with the divine" as its only truly centralizing principle. The book focuses primarily on the development of witchcraft within the Western world with little focus on the rise of witchcraft in popular culture through the Internet age. However, Streeter's analysis will be an insightful introduction for those interested in how modern witchcraft came to be.
