Magic, alchemy and hermetic thought Books

Book SynopsisWhy spiritual and supernatural yearnings, even investigations into the occult, flourished in the era of rationalist philosophy.Trade Review"John Fleming has written a fascinating, compulsively readable account of the shadowy world that lay just beyond the clear, clean, well-ordered boundaries of the Age of Reason. His protagonists, vividly brought to life, are a motley collection of miracle workers, charlatans, confidence men, and half-crazed visionaries, caught up in a frenzied pursuit of occult truths, secret powers, and illicit pleasures. Never has the Enlightenment seemed stranger." -- Stephen Greenblatt, author of The Swerve "Fleming's book is about two cultural commonplaces, the so-called darkness of the Middle Ages and the reputed brightness of the later age that called them dark. In nine greatly informative and entertaining chapters, Fleming turns the tables by showing that the enlightenment had a dark side that was an integral part of it. Hence, its dark side must be understood as co-Enlightenment, not as what is often called the Counter-Enlightenment. This, in a deep sense, is an important book in the cultural study of history." -- Hans Aarsleff, author of From Locke to Saussure "This is a book that sparkles with wit and learning and mischief. In place of a pale age of reason, John Fleming guides us through the witching hour of the Enlightenment, a time haunted by visions of magic, mystery, and the occult-enchanted and enchanting." -- Lawrence Lipking, Chester D. Tripp Professor of Humanities, Northwestern University

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Book SynopsisThe wisdom contained in this book is not derived via the usual methods of scholarly and historical research, and neither is it based on theory or speculation. Rudolf Steiner acquired his original contribution to human knowledge from metaphysical dimensions of reality which are hidden to most people – but visible to anybody who is prepared to develop spiritual means of perception. With his philosophical and scientific training, Steiner brought a new systematic discipline to the field of spiritual research, allowing for fully conscious methods and comprehensive results. A natural seer, he cultivated his spiritual vision to a high degree, enabling him to speak with authority on previously veiled mysteries. Samples of his work are to be found in this book of edited texts, which brings together excerpts from his many talks and writings on the subject of Christian Rozenkreutz. This volume also features an editorial introduction, commentary and notes by Dr Andrew Welburn. Chapters: The Mystery of Christian Rosenkreutz; The Working of Christian Rosenkreutz Today and in the Past; Christian Rosenkreutz as the Guardian of Modern Knowledge; From Ancient to Modern in Rosicrucian Teachings; Christian Rosenkreutz at the ‘Chymical Wedding’; The Cosmic Mission of Christian Rosenkreutz; The Question of ‘Rosicrucian’ Literature.

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Book SynopsisThe wisdom contained in this book is not derived via the usual methods of scholarly and historical research, and neither is it based on theory or speculation. Rudolf Steiner acquired his original contribution to human knowledge from metaphysical dimensions of reality which are hidden to most people – but visible to anybody who is prepared to develop spiritual means of perception. With his philosophical and scientific training, Steiner brought a new systematic discipline to the field of spiritual research, allowing for fully conscious methods and comprehensive results. A natural seer, he cultivated his spiritual vision to a high degree, enabling him to speak with authority on previously veiled mysteries. Samples of his work are to be found in this book of edited texts, which brings together excerpts from his many talks and writings on the subject of Alchemy. This volume also features an editorial introduction, commentary and notes by Dr Andrew Welburn. Chapters: Alchemy and the Rise of the Modern Mysteries; The Loss of the Divine and the Alchemical Quest; Mysteries of the Metals; The Standpoint of Human Wisdom Today; Alchemy and Consciousness – the Transformation; Alchemy and Archangels; The Alchemy of Nature – Mercury, Sulphur, Salt; Beyond Nature Consciousness – the Spiritual Goal.

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Book Synopsis'The confrontation with evil manifests as a battle taking place on many levels, the outcome of which lies in the hands of each one of us alive today. The most important requisite is the creating of a space within us in which a new consciousness, the Imagination, will gradually be able to arise. Much in the future depends on whether a sufficient number of people succeed in reaching this level of experience...' - Maria Betti With the world in turmoil, the greatest challenge facing us today, says Mario Betti, is the inner transformation of our entire being. This rebirth from within heralds a new form of consciousness - a creative imaginative faculty - that is simultaneously a reawakening of the mysterious Sophia, the feminine aspect of the Divinity. Imagination allows us to behold the spiritual forces actively at work in the world, resulting in the possibility of a comprehensive rebirth and renewal of culture.

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Book SynopsisUsing the previously misunderstood interactions between Robert Boyle, widely known as "the father of chemistry," and George Starkey, an alchemist and the most prominent American scientific writer before Benjamin Franklin, as their guide, William R. Newman and Lawrence M.Trade Review"This is the history of science at its best: erudite, wide-ranging, and convincingly iconoclastic." - Anthony Grafton; "This book will be read by historians of chemistry, but it ought to be read much more widely, by historians of science more generally, of course, but also by anyone interested in the processes of intellectual change and in the problem of understanding practice." - Pamela H. Smith, American Historical Review"

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Alchemy and Authority makes a significant contribution to the history of early modern science, and also provides some valuable material for the study of early modern state-building and court culture. . . . This extremely readable and enjoyable book has much to offer historians and literary scholars of a variety of backgrounds."--Paul Brand "German History " "Nummedal's Alchemy and Authority should be read not just by historians of science but also by historians interested in court culture. Her work offers a new look at the dynamic relationship between the construction of natural knowledge and political authority that many historians will benefit from reading."--Darin Hayton "Renaissance Quarterly " "This is a terrific study, accessible, based in concrete archival research, and well connected to contemporary discussions. It gives new direction to thinking about the role of alchemy in the social and cultural life of early modern Europe. By diffracting the light usually focused on prominent alchemical figures in the history of science and medicine, Nummedal adds a much needed cultural dimension to the understanding of how alchemical identities were shaped in early modern Europe and to how they in turn influenced the social and intellectual world around them."--Bruce T. Moran "Bulletin of the History of Medicine " "Alchemy and Authority does for the history of alchemy what the literature on quacks has done for the history of medicine: it approaches the blurry boundaries that define an individual's success or downfall in a profession and in society. By asking, reconsidering, and answering the questions posed here, Nummedal speaks to historians of alchemy and science as well as to anyone intrigued by history and the mechanisms of economic systems, power, and authority. . . . . Her style is refreshingly concise and engaging. She is one of only a few academic authors who manage to confine and cionsistently pursue their argument . . . and yet manage to write beautiful, effortless prose."--Anke Timmerman "Chemical Heritage "

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Book SynopsisAccording to the people of the Mueda plateau in northern Mozambique, sorcerers remake the world by asserting the authority of their own imaginative visions of it. This work explores the issues provoked by this equation. A key theme of the author's research into sorcery is that one sorcerer's claims can be challenged or reversed by other sorcerers.Trade Review"At its core, this very significant book is a meditation on how to understand discourses on and around sorcery on the Mueda plateau in Mozambique. Here, Harry West is concerned with the question of how Muedans use sorcery discourse, both 'to speak about the world and to act within it.' I found this book consistently fascinating, subtle, and deeply grounded in local understandings of a complex and ambiguous world and in anthropological theory." - Donald Brenneis, University of California, Santa Cruz"

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Book SynopsisA bold new reconsideration of Hoodoo belief and practiceTrade Review"Mojo Workin' is a key contribution to the study of Hoodoo in America, with some energizing new ideas about its origins, early expression, and broader religious aspects."--Journal of American Folklore"Hazzard-Donald set out to demonstrate the need to include African American Hoodoo in the study of African American religion in the New World. The search she presents in her work clearly validates the belief that there is a strong connection between African American Hoodoo and African American religion. . . . The author provides a great deal of research and analysis that is sure to aid scholars, students, and enthusiasts."--Journal of Folklore Research "Hazzard-Donald's formulation of Hoodoo's evolution represents a new chronology for its study and transformation over time. It's a valuable contribution to the growing number of volumes concerned with African-based traditional spiritual beliefs in the New World."--American Studies"A powerful reinterpretation of African American Hoodoo. This comprehensive volume will be an important tool for anyone interested in African American folk belief and the supernatural."--Jerrilyn McGregory, author of Downhome Gospel: African American Spiritual Activism in Wiregrass Country"This tradition has been little studied especially within the fields of religious studies. Instead it has been left to anthropologists, sociologists, and certain popular cultural reports to present what have been incomplete and often offensive materials. This work has done an exemplary job of correcting that lacuna… A significant contribution to the literature of African-based traditions in the United States." --Religious Studies Review"The book presents possibilities for reassessing some misunderstood aspects of the African American religious experience. It is with a profound respect for Hoodoo as a living practice that Hazzard-Donald brings a kind of moral authority to her scholarship. In so doing she also distills many of the polarizing dynamics present in Hoodoo-Conjure communities today."--Nova Religio

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Book SynopsisSexuality and the occult arts have long been associated in the western imagination, but it was not until the nineteenth century that a large and sophisticated body of literature on sexual magic - the use of sex as a source of magical power - emerged. This book presents the history of western sexual magic as a modern spiritual tradition.Trade Review"This book offers a fascinating account of the development of Western sexual magic through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Urban focuses on an extraordinary set of historical figures, and his rich analysis illuminates the sexual - and supernatural - undercurrents that have shaped modernity." - Randall Styers, author of Making Magic: Religion, Magic, and Science in the Modern World"Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Preface, Acknowledgments, and Apologies introduction Sex Magic, Modernity, and the Search for Liberation 1. the recurring nightmare, the elusive secret Historical and Imaginary Roots of Sex Magic in the Western Tradition 2. sex power is god power Paschal Beverly Randolph and the Birth of Sex Magic in Victorian America 3. the yoga of sex Tantra, Kama Sutra, and Other Exotic Imports from the Mysterious Orient 4. the beast with two backs Aleister Crowley and Sex Magick in Late Victorian England 5. the yoga of power Sex Magic, Tantra, and Fascism in Twentieth-Century Europe 6. the goddess and the great rite Sex Magic and Feminism in the Neo-Pagan Revival 7. the age of satan Satanic Sex and the Black Mass, from Fantasy to Reality 8. sexual chaos Chaos Magic, Cybersex, and Religion for a Postmodern Age conclusion The Lessons of King Lamus: Religion, Sexuality, and Liberation in a "Post-Orgy" World Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis is the first book to explore comparatively how magic-usually portrayed as the antithesis of the modern-is also at home in modernity.Trade Review"[Magic and Modernity] is an important introduction and contribution to the anthropological side of this field,"—Magic, Ritual & Witchcraft

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Book SynopsisTraces the origins and evolution of conjuring practices across the centuries. Though some may see the study of conjure as a perpetuation of old stereotypes that depict blacks as bound to superstition, the truth, Jeffrey Anderson reveals, is far more complex.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"This is a major feat of historical revision for a subject that has too long been the object of mockery and scorn . . . Tara Nummedal's new microhistory demonstrates with scholarly acumen and stylistic élan just how wrong assumptions [about alchemy] are. In a dazzling work of cultural imagination, she eschews all the 'turning lead into gold' nonsense and quickly gets to the conceptual heart of who alchemists were, what they actually believed, and what roles they played in early modern society. Building on deep archival work and sophisticated argumentation, she fashions a truly engaging and revealing microhistory focused on the tragic story of one sixteenth-century practitioner, Anna Zieglerin."" * Preternature *"[A] gripping microhistory that situates alchemy within the histories of imperial politics, Reformation culture, Renaissance self-fashioning, courtly patronage, gender, the body, and sixteenth-century eschatology...With its intriguing storytelling, Anna Zieglerin and the Lion’s Blood is particularly attractive for scholars and students new to the complexities of early modern alchemy. Nummedal maintains a light touch, weaving discussions of sixteenth-century science, magic, religion, and imperial politics into what remains an enthralling tale throughout. She is to be commended for producing a book that does so much to highlight alchemy’s connections to a broad range of Reformation-era developments and that has a chance to bring its history to a wider audience." * Renaissance and Reformation *"Captivating and creative from the earliest pages...Nummedal has skillfully interwoven the history of science and religion, as well as political, social, gender, and court histories via an insightful look into the alchemical theories and practices of the age...[An] erudite and well-written study. Nummedal has produced a fun page-turner and the reader—whether a scholar of any aspect of early modern history or a general reader interested in good stories and good histories—will benefit from this wonderful presentation of alchemy and political intrigue in the courts of the Holy Roman Empire." * The Journal of Modern History *"In this masterful study, Tara Nummedal exposes a previously vilified figure of local German history to sympathetic new scrutiny and in the process, opens a window onto the fantastic worldview of her subject…By employing archival and manuscript evidence along with the older historiography, Nummedal manages to piece together the fascinating story." * American Historical Review *"In Alchemy and Authority, Nummedal made clear how alchemy was deeply integrated into early modern economics and court culture. In this latest effort, Nummedal has accomplished the same goal except on a vastly more ambitious scale, bringing the relevance of alchemy into the politics, religion, diplomacy, court culture, and gender roles of the Holy Roman Empire in the sixteenth century . . . Anna Zieglerin and the Lion's Blood is a remarkable historiographical study . . . In short, Nummedal has contributed a stunning achievement that ideally will reach a wide and diverse audience far beyond historians of science." * Ambix *"[A]an entertaining book, with long stretches reading like a thriller…Anna Zieglerin lived her existence as an alchemist so authentically, was so dedicated body and soul to the matter that not only the substances but also she herself became a victim of the flames. The fact that she is now transmuted into a book and can live on in this way is a testament to Nummedal’s achievement." * Annals of Science *"Anna Zieglerin and the Lion's Blood is perfect for historians and general readers alike. It is written in a vivid and accessible language, and by adopting a nonjudgmental style of reporting Nummedal decisively differs from her predecessors: she refuses to make value judgments about Anna's wondrous and outrageous claims and brand the alchemist a simple charlatan. Instead, she presents the story of a complex and tragic individual, who came up with a unique theory of heavenly alchemy." * Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft *"Drawing upon diverse sources, Nummedal situates Anna and her alchemy within the social contexts of gender, religion, and politics in Reformation Germany to weave an impressive historical narrative of a woman attempting to understand the natural world and her place within it...Nummedal succeeds in reframing Anna Zieglerin as a woman with agency who intentionally fashioned herself into a courtly alchemist within strict early modern European gender boundaries. Nummedal’s Anna is a lens through which the twentyfirst-century reader can view the history of alchemy and its relationship to Christianity, the body, and politics." * Isis *"Nummedal’s analysis offers particular insights into the history of women’s bodies, the intersections between natural knowledge and politics, and the relationship between self-fashioning and fantasy...The book is meticulously researched and displays the author’s talents for archival sleuthing (which were already known from her first book). Beyond this, it is eminently readable and takes what is strange, foreign, and ripe for misunderstanding, making it comprehensible and relatable." * Journal of the History of Medicine *"The book is superbly written and clearly contextualized, and thus easily accessible even to non-experts. However, more experienced scholars will also benefit from this elegant study. All in all, Anna Zieglerin and the Lion’s Blood adds considerably to our understanding of the complexity of sixteenth-century religiosity, which was easily able to accommodate alchemical practices...Because of the ways in which it considers the religious implications of alchemical practice, Nummedal’s study is a worthwhile read not only for historians of science but also for Church historians and religious scholars." * Renaissance Quarterly *"Anna Zieglerin and the Lion's Blood is as gripping as a good novel yet so much more than merely an interesting yarn. Tara Nummedal is completely conversant with the milieu in which she locates her story and is very adept in fitting this episode into the broader narratives of sixteenth-century religion, science, and court life." * Philip Soergel, University of Maryland *"Anna Zieglerin and the Lion's Blood is at once a story of one particular woman and a broader discourse on gender and the body, the history of alchemy, the central role of apocalyptic thinking in early modern Germany, and, most interestingly, the nature of historical truth. A remarkable story, expertly told." * Alisha Rankin, Tufts University *Table of ContentsCast of Characters A Note on Names Introduction. A Witch's Chair? Chapter 1. The Shadow of Gotha Chapter 2. The Road to Wolfenbüttel Chapter 3. Courting Julius and Hedwig Chapter 4. The Lion's Blood Chapter 5. A New Virgin Mary Chapter 6. Unraveling Chapter 7. Toad Poison and Other Fictions Conclusion. Afterlives Chronology of Events Notes Bibliography Index Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisEthnographic study of shamanism in lowland South America, analyzing the relations between the social, political, and historical dynamics of witchcraft and sorceryTrade Review“The great merit of this volume is that it amply documents the wide variety of ideas and practices that can be classified as shamanistic in Amazonia and, in so doing, establishes that dark shamanism is an essential element of the worldviews and moral philosophies of peoples of this region.”—David Maybury-Lewis, Harvard University“In Darkness and Secrecy takes sectors of Amazonian ethnography to a new level of productive and provocative excellence.”—Norman Whitten, University of IllinoisTable of ContentsIntroduction: Dark Shamanism / Neil L. Whitehead and Robin Wright 1 The Order of Dark Shamans among the Warao / Johannes Wilbert 21 Dark Shamans and the Shamanic State: Sorcery and Witchcraft as Political Process in Guyana and the Venezuelan Amazon / Silvia Vidal and Neil L. Whitehead 51 The Wicked and the Wise Men: Witches and Prophets in the History of the Northwest Amazon / Robin Wright 82 Sorcery Beliefs, Transmissions of Shamanic Knowledge, and Therapeutic Practice among the Desana of the Upper Rio Negro Region, Brazil / Dominique Buchillet 109 The Glorious Tyranny of Silence and the Resonance of Shamanic Breath / George Mentore 132 A Blend of Blood and Tobacco: Shamans and Jaguars among the Parakana of Eastern Amazonia / Carlos Fausto 157 The Wars Within: Xinguano Witchcraft and Balance of Power / Michael Heckenberger 179 Siblings and Sorcerers: The Paradox of Kinship among the Kulina / Donald Pollock 202 Being Alone amid Others: Sorcery and Morality among the Arara, Carib, Brazil / Marnio Teixeira-Pinto 215 Sorcery and Shamanism in Cashinahua Discourse and Praxis, Purus River, Brazil / Elsje Lagrou 244 The Enemy Within: Child Sorcery, Revolution, and the Evils of Modernization in Eastern Peru / Fernando Santos-Granero 272 Commentary / E. Jean Langdon 306 Afterword: Substances, Powers, Cosmos, and History / Andrew Strathern and Pamela J. Stewart 314 Contributors 321 Index 324

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Book SynopsisEdward Poeton's The Winnowing of White Witchcraft was written in the 1630s and has never been printed. Poeton, a physician, was one of few non-clergymen to write about magic during the early modern period, and the treatise offers new insights into the problem of popular errors concerning the nature of witchcraft. As well as advancing a number of standard and not-so-standard arguments for the sinfulness of white witches, the treatise offers fascinating insight into Poeton's practice as a physician and his own youthful dalliance with magic. It is thus a significant new source in the history of early modern medicine and witchcraft belief. This edition includes an introduction and explanatory notes. Edited with an introduction and notes by Simon F. Davies

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Book SynopsisOriginal and comprehensive, Magic in the Ancient Greek World takes the reader inside both the social imagination and the ritual reality that made magic possible in ancient Greece.Trade ReviewShortlisted for the Katharine Briggs Award 2008 “Collins, associate professor of Greek and Latin at the University of Michigan, and author of Master of the Game: Competition and Performance in Greek Poetry (2005), seeks to introduce nonspecialists to areas of Greek magic, cover the highpoints of scholarly consensus, and offer new interpretative frameworks for understanding select Greek magical practices.” (New Testament Abstracts, January 2009) "If you want to understand how the Ancient Greeks practised and viewed the magical arts then this book is highly recommended." (The Cauldron) “Lots of interesting details, brilliant, clear chapters, great insights, and connections. There is a wealth of information and … fascinating little bits of trivia.” (About.com) “This is not simply a rehash of previously covered material. Collins covers a range of magical practices … .This book is an important new addition to studies of ancient magic. Present[s] the reader with a full context for any discussion of magical practices. Collins achieves this without becoming bogged down in a discussion of terminology … which can sometimes derail other studies. The focus on Greek magic centres the book with a clear methodology of always bringing the discussion back to the Greek origins of the magic in question.” (Rosetta Papers)Table of ContentsAcknowledgments. Abbreviations. Introduction. Part I: Magic: What Is It and How Does It Work?. Frazer and Tylor. Malinowski. Magic as Communication. Lévy-Bruhl. Evans-Pritchard. Sympathetic Magic. Magic and the Extended Person. Magic and Analogy. Beyond Frazer. Tambiah and Persuasive Magic. Conclusion. Part II: A Framework for Greek Magic. Magic and the Gods. Divinity and Nature. The Hippocratics: Magic, Divination, and Epilepsy. Plato and Greek Psychology. Magic and Causality. Greek Magicians. Magoi. Gorgias, mageia and goēteia. Other Magical Terms. Conclusion. Part III: Binding Magic and Erotic Figurines. Binding the Gods. Divine Agents. ‘Characters’. Body Parts and Health. Erotic Magic. Figurines. Erōtes. Part IV: Homeric Incantations. Pythagoras and Empedocles. The Mechanics of Homeric Incantations. Obstetrics and Gynecology. Verse Combinations and the Power of Metaphor. Intoxication, Choking, and Gout. Incantations and Divination. Neoplatonic Theurgy and Homer. Conclusion. Part V: Magic in Greek and Roman Law. Magic in Greek Law and Legal Imagination. Trials for Erotic Magic. Theoris, the Lemnian Witch. Plato’s Laws Against Magic. Magic in Roman Law and Legal History. The Twelve Tables. The Lex Cornelia. Magia and Maleficium: Magic and Witchcraft. Apuleius the Magus. The Opinions of Paulus and Later Law Codes. Interpretationes Christianae. The Medieval Inheritance. Conclusion. Bibliography. Index

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Book SynopsisOriginal and comprehensive, Magic in the Ancient Greek World takes the reader inside both the social imagination and the ritual reality that made magic possible in ancient Greece. * Explores the widespread use of spells, drugs, curse tablets, and figurines, and the practitioners of magic in the ancient world * Uncovers how magic worked.Trade ReviewShortlisted for the Katharine Briggs Award 2008 “Collins, associate professor of Greek and Latin at the University of Michigan, and author of Master of the Game: Competition and Performance in Greek Poetry (2005), seeks to introduce nonspecialists to areas of Greek magic, cover the highpoints of scholarly consensus, and offer new interpretative frameworks for understanding select Greek magical practices.” (New Testament Abstracts, January 2009) "If you want to understand how the Ancient Greeks practised and viewed the magical arts then this book is highly recommended." (The Cauldron) “Lots of interesting details, brilliant, clear chapters, great insights, and connections. There is a wealth of information and … fascinating little bits of trivia.” (About.com) “This is not simply a rehash of previously covered material. Collins covers a range of magical practices … .This book is an important new addition to studies of ancient magic. Present[s] the reader with a full context for any discussion of magical practices. Collins achieves this without becoming bogged down in a discussion of terminology … which can sometimes derail other studies. The focus on Greek magic centres the book with a clear methodology of always bringing the discussion back to the Greek origins of the magic in question.” (Rosetta Papers)Table of ContentsAcknowledgments. Abbreviations. Introduction. Part I: Magic: What Is It and How Does It Work?. Frazer and Tylor. Malinowski. Magic as Communication. Lévy-Bruhl. Evans-Pritchard. Sympathetic Magic. Magic and the Extended Person. Magic and Analogy. Beyond Frazer. Tambiah and Persuasive Magic. Conclusion. Part II: A Framework for Greek Magic. Magic and the Gods. Divinity and Nature. The Hippocratics: Magic, Divination, and Epilepsy. Plato and Greek Psychology. Magic and Causality. Greek Magicians. Magoi. Gorgias, mageia and goēteia. Other Magical Terms. Conclusion. Part III: Binding Magic and Erotic Figurines. Binding the Gods. Divine Agents. ‘Characters’. Body Parts and Health. Erotic Magic. Figurines. Erōtes. Part IV: Homeric Incantations. Pythagoras and Empedocles. The Mechanics of Homeric Incantations. Obstetrics and Gynecology. Verse Combinations and the Power of Metaphor. Intoxication, Choking, and Gout. Incantations and Divination. Neoplatonic Theurgy and Homer. Conclusion. Part V: Magic in Greek and Roman Law. Magic in Greek Law and Legal Imagination. Trials for Erotic Magic. Theoris, the Lemnian Witch. Plato’s Laws Against Magic. Magic in Roman Law and Legal History. The Twelve Tables. The Lex Cornelia. Magia and Maleficium: Magic and Witchcraft. Apuleius the Magus. The Opinions of Paulus and Later Law Codes. Interpretationes Christianae. The Medieval Inheritance. Conclusion. Bibliography. Index

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Book SynopsisIn The Chain of Things, Eric Downing shows how the connection between divinatory magic and reading shaped the experience of reading and aesthetics among nineteenth-century realists and modernist thinkers. He explores how writers, artists, and critics such as Gottfried Keller, Theodor Fontane, and Walter Benjamin drew on the ancient practice of divination, connecting the Greek idea of sympathetic magic to the German aesthetic concept of the attunement of mood and atmosphere.Downing deftly traces the genealogical connection between reading and art in classical antiquity, nineteenth-century realism, and modernism, attending to the ways in which the modern re-enchantment of the worldboth in nature and human societyconsciously engaged ancient practices that aimed at preternatural prediction. Of particular significance to the argument presented in The Chain of Things is how the future figured into the reading of texts during this period, a time when the future as a narrative determTrade Review... this is a work of engaged and engaging criticism whose dis-disenchanting programme will move its readers to (re)visit not just the two target novels but, in principle, any other work marked 'realist.' * MODERN LANGUAGE REVIEW *By challenging the received historiographical and aesthetic notions that underpin the study of Realism by expanding our understanding of mimesis, rather than jettisoning it, Downing's work potently charges and expands many of the crucial concepts of both the field and its best-known authors. The Chain of Things gives scholars working in the field invaluable tools to approach some of the most difficult and intriguing questions of these difficult and intriguing texts. * The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory *

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1975, B.J. Terwiel's Monks and Magic remains a widely cited text. This is an absorbing study of Buddhism as practised at that time in a community in rural Central Thailand. It describes how esoteric spells and magical diagrams were the main interest of children and adolescents but full ritual knowledge was obtained in adulthood and tempered by life experiences. As death approaches, the Buddhist world-view stimulates merit-making. This fourth edition of the work is a major revision that updates the original text, adds new material and offers a contemporary perspective on the original study.Trade Review'This book deserves a welcome from both sides of academic life, teaching and research. Teachers of subjects dealing with Thai language and culture will welcome a clear account of the religious preoccupations - of country people in the central region. The author has come to treat what is normal and respectable there - The hope is thereby to emphasize the main thesis, viz. that there is such a thing as 'animistic Buddhism' and that it is common in rural areas.' - P.J. Bee, "Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies"Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements A Note on Transliteration 1. Two Orientations in the Practice of Buddhism 2. The Setting and the Fieldwork 3. Children and Religion 4. Adolescents, Amulets and Tattooing 5. The First Period in the Sangha 6. Leaving the Order, Courtship and Marriage 7. Building a House 8. The Precepts and Ritual 9. The Pursuit of Beneficial Karma 10. Old Age, Death, and the Hereafter 11. Conclusions Postscript Glossary of Thai, Pali and Sanskrit Words Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisUna guía para trabajar de forma segura con las plantas venenosas de la farmacopea de las brujas para la magia, la curación y las visiones. Parte grimorio y parte formulario de hierbas, este Herbolario de la Senda de los Venenos comparte historias, conocimientos e información antes ocultos sobre el uso de plantas venenosas, psicotrópicas y mágicas. Coby Michael explica cómo, a pesar de su naturaleza venenosa, las hierbas nocivas pueden convertirse en poderosas aliadas botánicas, al ofrecer medicina potente, sabiduría mágica y acceso al reino de los espíritus. Al detallar las asociaciones espirituales, alquímicas, astrológicas y simbólicas de cada planta, el autor explora sus usos mágicos en hechizos y rituales. Se enfoca principalmente en la familia de las solanáceas, como la mandrágora, el beleño y el espino, pero también explora plantas de otras familias como el acónito, la cicuta y el eléboro. También examina plantas en la farmacopea de las brujas que son más seguras para trabajar y tan activas químicamente, como el ajenjo, la artemisa y la milenrama. Michael comparte rituales adaptados a la naturaleza y los poderes individuales de cada planta y explica cómo atraer y trabajar con espíritus familiares de plantas. Ofrece métodos de alquimia para elaborar tinturas espagíricas y técnicas mágicas para ­facilitar el trabajo con estas plantas como aliadas y maestras. Comparte recetas ­mágicas, entre ellas un moderno ungüento volador de brujas. También explora el cultivo seguro de hierbas nocivas en un jardín venenoso.

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Book SynopsisThis is a work of fundamental importance for our understanding of the intellectual and cultural history of early modern Europe. Stuart Clark offers a new interpretation of the witchcraft beliefs of European intellectuals based on their publications in the field of demonology, and shows how these beliefs fitted rationally with many other views current in Europe between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries.Professor Clark is the first to explore the appeal of demonology to early modern intellectuals by looking at the books they published on the subject during this period. After examining the linguistic foundations of their writings, the author shows how the writers'' ideas about witchcraft (and about magic) complemented their other intellectual commitments--in particular, their conceptions of nature, history, religion, and politics. The result is much more than a history of demonology. It is a survey of wider intellectual and ideological purposes, and underlines just how far the natureTrade ReviewThis massive and rich book is brimming with suggestions for future researchers. Clark's bibliography is itself a contribution to witchcraft scholarship. Thinking with Demons will become a classic. * Richard M Golden, Religious Studies Review, Vol 27, No 2, April 2001 *This is intellectual history at its best. Clark reads and understands the demonological writings between the late fifteenth and early eighteenth centuries on their own terms * Richard M Golden, Religious Studies Review, Vol 27, No 2, April 2001 *Clarke is showing something of a break with the historiographical trends which have prevailed in witchcraft studies over the last twenty years. * J.A. Sharpe, Renaissance Studies Vol.14, No.3. *This is a subtle exposition, informed but not distorted by an awareness of linguistic theory. J.A. Sharpe, Renaissance Studies Vol.14, No.3.a formidable intellectual achievement ... it is doubtful if any current witchcraft scholar could equal the breadth of Clark's acquaintance with both works of demonology and more recent publications. He displays deep erudition with a light touch: the book, for all its length and the profundity of its scholarship, is a pleasure to read. * J.A. Sharpe, Renaissance Studies Vol.14, No.3. *rich and exciting exposition of a belief system. * J.A. harpe, Renaissance Studies Vol.14, No.3. *Anybody who still believes that witchcraft was a marginal or unimportant aspect of European history should spend a weekend reading this book. They will emerge from the exercise with a clearer notion of what first rate intellectual history is like. * J.A. Sharpe, Renaissance Studies Vol.14, No.3. *deeply considered and weighty arguments based on dauntingly wide reading. * Ian Maclean, Stud. Hist.Phil.Sci. Vol.31, No.2. *this is an ambitious and thematically broad book which constitutes a formidable intellectual achivement. * J.A. Sharpe, Renaissance Studies, Vol.14, No.2, *Clarke is showing something of a break with the historiographical trends which have prevailed in witchcraft studies over the last twenty years. * J.A. Sharpe, Renaissance Studies, Vol.14, No.2, *Thinking with Demons, which offers a lot more than the basics, will intimidate many undergraduates, but will provide them with conclusive proof that witchcraft was not just a matter of village squabbles. It will also remind their teachers of the sheer complexity and pervasiveness of demonological thought. * J.A. Sharpe, Renaissance Studies, Vol.14, No.2, *this is an ambitious and thematically broad book which constitutes a formidable intellectual achivement. * J.A. Sharpe, Renaissance Studies, Vol.14, No.2, *it is doubtful if any current witchcraft scholar could equal the breadth of Clark's acquaintance with both works of demonology and more recent publications. He displays deep erudition with a light touch: the book, for all its length and the profondity of its scholarship, is a pleasure to read. * J.A. Sharpe, Renaissance Studies, Vol.14, No.2, *Anybody who still believes that witchcraft was a marginal or unimportant aspect of European history should spend a weekend reading this book. They will emerge from the exercise with a clearer notion of what first rate intellectual history is like. * J.A. Sharpe, Renaissance Studies, Vol.14, No.2, *This book offers a distillation of ... research, within a cogently constructed and copiously documented overall argument ... This is a book for the specialist ... Mastering such a vast body of material as early modern demonology is a huge enterprise, and Dr Clark has performed a most valuable service by his heroic struggle to make its structures and thought-patterns comprehensible. * Euan Cameron, Continuity and Change Vol 14:2 1999 *a tour de force * David Wootton, LRB 11/11/99 *It is a major accumulation of information about western European writings on witchcraft ... It will be a text consulted and cited by many subsequent scholars on witchcraft. * T. O. Beidelman, Anthropos *' ... an important book ... in every sense a magisterial work of a historian of consummate skill. Carefully researched and documented, supported by a mountainous bibliography, this is a book that should be carefully read, and re-read, by every historian of the early modern period.' * Seventeenth-Century News *This is a massive work. It covers far more ground than its title indicates...It is good, in these days of soundbites, "dumbing-down" and widespread intellectual sloth, to come upon such a monument of scholarship. The time, determination and care that must have gone into creating it are most impressive--and so is the result. The hopes and fears, doubts and certainties of the early modern intelligentsia come powerfully alive. Anyone who wishes to enter imaginatively into that mental world might well start by reading this remarkable book. * The Obsever review section *of all the books on the subject which have recently appeared, this is perhaps the most remarkable, raising our understanding of ideas about witchcraft to a new level of sophistication. It is based on massive research in teh learned literature of demonology in the period.../ ... Clark's erudition is combined with intense methodological sophistication.../ ... there is no doubt that IThinking With DemonsI will force us to reconsider the place of witchcraft in early modern ideas, and thus to think more deeply about the nature of those ideas in themselves./ Michael Hunter, Birkbeck College, London, Eighteenth Century Life, vol 22, no 2, May 1998.Important and provocative. A magisterial survey of European demonological thought from the fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries. Clark's mastery of the sources, his effective use of linguistic theory, and the originality of his interpretations make the reading of this massive, complex, and skilfully constructed book an immensely rewarding experience, one that easily repays the time and effort that one must invest in it. The most comprehensive and thorough study of early modern witchcraft beliefs in any language. * Brian P. Levack, Albion *

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