A History of Magic, Witchcraft, and the Occult (DK a History of)

Product Information

Providing a comprehensive, 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. I was hoping for a book that would bring the subject matter to life with captivating storytelling, but instead, I found it to be a dry and uninspiring read. I felt like it was a great starting point for someone who is interested in learning anything about magic, witchcraft, or the occult, and a very basic understanding of how the practice has changed through the years. I was impressed by the number of subsections there were and how thorough the coverage is both in terms of history and geography. Each week we will examine a key theme in the history of magic, assess its place in different cultures around the world, and consider how the theme has changed over time.

Using the methods of historical study, folklore, anthropology and psychology, we will discover why magic has haunted the human imagination so persistently, and how it continues to resonate even today. Evie Porter has everything a nice, Southern girl could want: a perfect, doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence and a garden, a fancy group of friends.The book starts out with a section about ancient Egyptian magic in mythology (Thoth, burials, book of the dead), then into ancient Hebrew magic (Tanakh, the witch of Endor), Persian magic, Greek, Roman, Healing plants, then Chinese magic (Wu, Weidan, Feng Shui), Japanese Magic, Hindu, Mayan. The “riveting…truly shocking” ( The New York Times Book Review) story of a Jewish orphan who fled Nazi Germany for London, only to be arrested and sent to a British internment camp for suspected foreign agents on the Isle of Man, alongside a renowned group of refugee musicians. I really enjoyed reading about different magical herbs, astral magic, and protective objects from around the globe. It looks at the beliefs and practices of different cultures and religions (including early paganism, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, etc.

I have been extremely curious about this subject and this was a wonderful introduction to the history that we know of. While the text portions are too brief (it is just a survey book after all), they are thorough and engaging. Highly recommend if you're looking for a quick reference guide with gorgeous photos to add to your macabre library. The topics range from the general history, but then it goes into greater details about a variety of topics to give the reader a little more insight. Amazing book about how witches back then performed rituals and gives us a sense of realism about what happened back then!As I show her inside, I notice her eyes grow wide as she takes in our spacious hallway, and the big squashy sofas that we all used to pile on.