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Provides an overview of neo-paganism from the Goddess to magic and rituals, from history and ethics to the relationship of neo-paganism to Christianity.
This book sheds new light on the ancient origins of religion to give Wiccans, Witches, and the Neo-Pagans a sense of where they belong in history.
Whether you're looking for information on blessings, the Green Man, divination, ritual components, or spellwork, you can find it all in the Encyclopedia of Modern Witchcraft and Neo-Paganism. Here is the ultimate source of information on all things Wiccan and Neo-Pagan, an indispensable tool for anyone wanting to learn about the history, traditions, and major figures of modern nontraditional religions. Organized alphabetically and designed to be both clear and comprehensive, this book provides definitions and detailed entries on a wide range of subjects -- including Witchcraft, Shamanism, Gaia theory, the Burning Times, Pagan festivals, Wiccan holidays, and much more. There are essays on Witchcraft and Paganism's influence on pop culture, including the crop of Wicca-inspired books, movies, and television shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, The Craft, and the Harry Potter series. From Altar to Otter Zell, and all points in between, the illustrated Encyclopedia of Modern Witchcraft and Neo-Paganism is the first and last Wyrd on nontraditional religion -- the ultimate reference for anyone interested in past, present, and practice. Book jacket.
Everything You Need to Know to Start Practicing Magic and Witchcraft "Witchcraft" is a word that, for some, may inspire fantastical images of women flying through the night sky on broomsticks and shooting sparks out of a glimmering wand. Others mistakenly associate people who practice Witchcraft with the dark arts-believing that Witches go around hexing people, or use other "black magic" to cause trouble for people they dislike. The truth is, Witchcraft is not fantasy, and is not inherently malicious. It's a vibrant, nature-based spiritual practice that is alive and well in our modern times, just as it has been for longer than we've been recording history. Nonetheless, due to the persistence of these misconceptions in mainstream society, some Wiccans do not consider themselves to be practitioners of Witchcraft, and don't identify as Witches. This is despite the fact that Gerald Gardner, the founder of what became known as Wicca, described the religious activities of his coven in exactly these terms-they were Witches practicing Witchcraft! Whether you choose to call yourself a Witch, a Wiccan, both, or neither, Witchcraft is an enormous topic that can be overwhelming for those who are just starting to explore it. There's so much to learn, and there are many differing perspectives on what is "correct" or "incorrect" in terms of knowledge and practice. Truly, it may be the one of the most confounding of all possible areas of spirituality! Modern Witchcraft and Magic for Beginners was created to provide a fact-based, neutrally-oriented context for launching you on your exploration. Whether you feel called to study Wicca with a practicing coven, learn as much as you can on your own about a branch of Traditional Witchcraft, or forge an eclectic practice that combines several approaches, this book will help you navigate the various opinions, definitions, and perspectives you'll find in the wide, wide world of the Craft. Foundations of Western Witchcraft Wicca has become the most well-known form of the Craft, but it emerged in tandem with other forms. Many of these other traditions were influenced by, and had influence on, what we now know as Wicca. A basic understanding of the wider realm of Witchcraft allows you to broaden your knowledge and enhance your practice. In these pages, you'll find: An overview of the historical and cultural contexts in which contemporary Witchcraft has evolved A debunking of common misconceptions about Witchcraft as it is practiced today Core beliefs and practices found among a variety of forms of the Craft Clear distinctions between Wiccan, Traditional, and Eclectic paths Core concepts underlying the "why" and "how" of magic A brief look at a few common magical techniques-visualization, invocation, and candle magic Some example workings for you to try, if you feel so inclined Suggested references for further reading for those who want to explore these topics further Whether your curiosity about the Craft is intellectual, spiritual, or both, you'll find plenty of useful information in Modern Witchcraft and Magic for Beginners. After reading this book, you should have a better grounding in this fascinating field, and hopefully a clearer sense of where you'd like to go next! If you're ready to learn about Witchcraft and start practicing magic, scroll to the top of the page and select the buy button. Readers will also be treated to an exclusive free gift!
Provides an overview of neo-paganism from the Goddess to magic and rituals, from history and ethics to the relationship of neo-paganism to Christianity.
Witchcraft and Magic Contemporary North America Edited by Helen A. Berger Magic, always part of the occult underground in North America, has experienced a resurgence since the 1960s. Although most contemporary magical religions have come from abroad, they have found fertile ground in which to develop in North America. Who are today's believers in Witchcraft and how do they worship? Alternative spiritual paths have increased the ranks of followers dramatically, particularly among well-educated middle-class individuals. Witchcraft and Magic conveys the richness of magical religious experiences found in today's culture, covering the continent of North America and the Caribbean. These original essays survey current and historical issues pertinent to religions that incorporate magical or occult beliefs and practices, and they examine contemporary responses to these religions. The relationship between Witchcraft and Neopaganism is explored, as is their intersection with established groups practicing goddess worship. Recent years have seen the growth in New Age magic and Afro-Caribbean religions, and these developments are also addressed in this volume. All the religions covered offer adherents an alternative worldview and rituals that are aimed at helping individuals redefine themselves and make their interactions with the environment more empowered. Many modern occult religions share an absence of dogma or central authority to determine orthodoxy, and have become a contemporary experience embracing modern concerns like feminism, environmentalism, civil rights, and gay rights. Afro-Caribbean religions such as Santería, Palo, and Curanderismo, which do have a more developed dogma and authority structure, offer their followers a religion steeped in African and Hispanic traditions. Responses to the growth of magical religions have varied, from acceptance to an unfounded concern about the growth of a satanic underground. And, as magical religions have flourished, increased interest has resulted in a growing commercialization, with its threat of trivialization. Helen A. Berger is Professor of Sociology at West Chester University in Pennsylvania. 2005 216 pages 6 x 9 ISBN 978-0-8122-3877-8 Cloth $49.95s £32.50 ISBN 978-0-8122-1971-5 Paper $24.95s £16.50 ISBN 978-0-8122-0125-3 Ebook $24.95s £16.50 World Rights Anthropology, Religion Short copy: In original essays the book explores both religions that incorporate magical or occult beliefs and practices and contemporary responses to these religions in North America and the Caribbean.
The past century has born witness to a growing interest in the belief systems of ancient Europe, with an array of contemporary Pagan groups claiming to revive these old ways for the needs of the modern world. By far the largest and best known of these Paganisms has been Wicca, a new religious movement that can now count hundreds of thousands of adherents worldwide. Emerging from the occult milieu of mid twentieth-century Britain, Wicca was first presented as the survival of an ancient pre-Christian Witch-Cult, whose participants assembled in covens to venerate their Horned God and Mother Goddess, to celebrate seasonal festivities, and to cast spells by the light of the full moon. Spreading to North America, where it diversified under the impact of environmentalism, feminism, and the 1960s counter-culture, Wicca came to be presented as a Goddess-centred nature religion, in which form it was popularised by a number of best-selling authors and fictional television shows. Today, Wicca is a maturing religious movement replete with its own distinct world-view, unique culture, and internal divisions. This book represents the first published academic introduction to be exclusively devoted to this fascinating faith, exploring how this Witches' Craft developed, what its participants believe and practice, and what the Wiccan community actually looks like. In doing so it sweeps away widely-held misconceptions and offers a comprehensive overview of this religion in all of its varied forms. Drawing upon the work of historians, anthropologists, sociologists, and scholars of religious studies, as well as the writings of Wiccans themselves, it provides an original synthesis that will be invaluable for anyone seeking to learn about the blossoming religion of modern Pagan Witchcraft.
Modern Witchcraft and Magic for Beginners will help you learn the joys of modern witchcraft, and it will teach you how all the information you need to know to get started on your own craft. You'll learn how you can empower yourself to create magic using tools that seem ordinary. Magic has long been a mystery, and too few sources compile the history and craft of magic into one book. Thus, this book seeks to illuminate many of the secrets that have long been kept about witchcraft because witchcraft should be accessible to everyone! Anyone is capable of creating magic. All it takes is some dedication and effort. With those two things, you can start casting spells and building your powers. Every person has magic inherent in them, which means that there's no telling how much they can accomplish when they set their mind to it. This book will teach you: The origins of witchcraft The cultural importance of witchcraft How witchcraft still fits into society today What magic is Why magic should appeal to you Who witches are and what they look like About the myths associated with witchcraft Common practices and beliefs of witches Various paths you can take as a witch How to invoke deities and higher powers How to create intentions that will strengthen your spells The importance of visualizations and how to do it How to use candles, herbs, crystals, and cauldrons Basic spells for a number of issues Where to look for additional resources How to be the best witch you can be Stop going through life disempowered. Take charge of your power, and dig deeper to find the magic that has been within you all along. You don't have to know anything about witchcraft to become a witch. All you have to do is be willing to learn.
Since the emergence of religious studies and the social sciences as academic disciplines, the concept of "magic" has played a major role in defining religion and in mediating the relation of religion to science. Across these disciplines, magic has regularly been configured as a definitively non-modern phenomenon, juxtaposed to distinctly modern models of religion and science. Yet this notion of magic has remained stubbornly amorphous. In Making Magic, Randall Styers seeks to account for the extraordinary vitality of scholarly discourse purporting to define and explain magic despite its failure to do just that. He argues that this persistence can best be explained in light of the Western drive to establish and secure distinctive norms for modern identity, norms based on narrow forms of instrumental rationality, industrious labor, rigidly defined sexual roles, and the containment of wayward forms of desire. Magic has served to designate a form of alterity or deviance against which dominant Western notions of appropriate religious piety, legitimate scientific rationality, and orderly social relations are brought into relief. Scholars have found magic an invaluable tool in their efforts to define the appropriate boundaries of religion and science. On a broader level, says Styers, magical thinking has served as an important foil for modernity itself. Debates over the nature of magic have offered a particularly rich site at which scholars have worked to define and to contest the nature of modernity and norms for life in the modern world.