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Magic was a fundamental part of the Greco-Roman world. Curses, erotic spells, healing charms, divination, and other supernatural methods of trying to change the universe were everyday methods of coping with the difficulties of life in antiquity. While ancient magic is most often studied through texts like surviving Greco-Egyptian spellbooks and artifacts like lead curse tablets, for a Greek or Roman magician a ritual was a rich sensual experience full of unusual tastes, smells, textures, and sounds, bright colors, and sensations like fasting and sleeplessness. Greco-Roman magical rituals were particularly dominated by the sense of smell, both fragrant smells and foul odors. Ritual practitioners surrounded themselves with clouds of fragrant incense and perfume to create a sweet and inviting atmosphere for contact with the divine and to alter their own perceptions; they also used odors as an instrumental weapon to attack enemies and command the gods. Elsewhere, odiferous herbs were used equally as medical cures and magical ingredients. In literature, scent and magic became intertwined as metaphors, with fragrant spells representing the dangers of sensual perfumes and conversely, smells acting as a visceral way of envisioning the mysterious action of magic.The Scent of Ancient Magic explores the complex interconnection of scent and magic in the Greco-Roman world between 800 BCE and CE 600, drawing on ancient literature and the modern study of the senses to examine the sensory depth and richness of ancient magic. Author Britta K. Ager looks at how ancient magicians used scents as part of their spells, to put themselves in the right mindset for an encounter with a god or to attack their enemies through scent. Ager also examines the magicians who appear in ancient fiction, like Medea and Circe, and the more metaphorical ways in which their spells are confused with perfumes and herbs. This book brings together recent scholarship on ancient magic from classical studies and on scent from the interdisciplinary field of sensory studies in order to examine how practicing ancient magicians used scents for ritual purposes, how scent and magic were conceptually related in ancient literature and culture, and how the assumption that strong scents convey powerful effects of various sorts was also found in related areas like ancient medical practices and normative religious ritual.

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Based on the adventures of Steed and Tara King in the TV comic strips, this full-cast audio drama is brought to life with eerily engrossing sound design and a brand new cinematic score. Starring Julian Wadham, Emily Woodward and Christopher Benjamin. Contains four adventures; 3.1 It’s a Wild, Wild, Wild, Wild West by John Dorney Steed is quick on the draw, Tara gallops away. After reports suggest a series of robberies in the New Forest were committed by cowboys, Mother sends the Avengers into action.The trail leads to the Western style ranch known as The Lazy J. But will it be high noon for Steed and King? 3.2 Under the Weather by Phil Mulryne. Steed is put on ice, Tara is blown away.Steed, Tara and Mother visit an air show to see a demonstration of a new aircraft. But the plane is stolen from under their noses... and seemingly... by a storm! Something strange is in the air. And it needs the Avengers to sort it out. 3.3 Spycraft by Robert Khan and Tom Salinsky. Steed meets his equal, Tara gets the cream. When a visiting dignitary is kidnapped on British soil, Steed and King have to leap into action. But with questions of diplomatic immunity getting in the way, they may need help from an unusual pair. 3.4 ...Now You Don’t by John Dorney. Steed finds things get tricky, Tara takes the stage. A strange gift leads to Steed and Tara King spending a night in the theatre. But who brought them here? And why? An old enemy of the Avengers is on the scene. And he will stop at nothing to get his revenge! Starring Julian Wadham, Emily Woodward and Christopher Benjamin, this full-cast audio drama is brought to life with eerily engrossing sound design and a brand new cinematic music score. CAST: Julian Wadham (John Steed), Emily Woodward (Miss Tara King), Christopher Benjamin (Mother), Hywel Morgan (Cody/ Jim), Daniel Easton (Billy / Sam), Karina Fernandez (Jessie), Leighton Pugh (Flight Lieutenant Tudor / Volkov), James Joyce (Flying Office Halliwell / Melnyk), David Sibley (Doctor Weatherby), Edward Dede (Miles Yeboah), Natalie Simpson (Ruby Sesay), Jude Owusu (Charlie Okonjo / Kasim), Ewart James Walters (General Babatunde), Nicholas Asbury (Margrave the Magnificent / Sir Godfrey Thorpe), Maggie Service (Circe /Mina). Other parts played by members of the cast.

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Everyone knows the story of Rapunzel in the tower, but do you know the tale of the witch who put her there?Enter a world of dark magic, mysterious woods and evil princes. This is the truth they never wanted you to know, as only a witch might tell it. With her strange black eyes and even stranger fainting spells, Haelewise is shunned by her village, and her only solace lies in the stories her mother tells of child-stealing witches, of princes in wolf-skins, of an ancient tower cloaked in mist where women will find shelter if they are brave enough to seek it.But when her mother dies, Haelewise is left unmoored. With nothing left for her in her village, she sets out to find the tower of legend-a place called Gothel, where Haelewise meets a wise woman willing to take her under her wing.But Haelewise is not the only woman to seek refuge at Gothel. It's also a haven for a girl named Rika, who carries with her a secret the Church strives to keep hidden. A secret that reveals a dark world of ancient spells and murderous nobles behind the world Haelewise has always known.The Book of Gothel is a lush, enchanting retelling of the tale of Rapunzel from the witch's perspective, perfect for fans of Circe and The Bear and the Nightingale.Praise for The Book of Gothel:'Both gently and fiercely told, The Book of Gothel is a sweeping, sharp story of how history twists into fairy tale and back again' Hannah Whitten, author of For the Wolf'McMyne's shimmering debut gives a fresh, exciting backstory to one of the most famous villains in fairy tale lore' Publishers Weekly (starred review)'This gorgeous, feminist retelling of 'Rapunzel' immediately captivates' Buzzfeed'McMyne's debut is a reinvention of the Rapunzel fairy tale, a luscious origin story from the witch's point of view' Booklist (starred review)'An excellent piece of historical fiction, weaving a complex tale about how medieval society treated women who dared to be different' Paste'The Book of Gothel is wonderfully rich with historical detail, and sparkles with the intermingled magic of gods and goddesses, seers and wisewomen' Louisa Morgan, author of The Secret History of Witches'A captivating vision of a medieval past steeped in women's magic and bound by women's love' Jordanna Max Brodsky'Mary McMyne is a magician' Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked'An inventive retelling of a classic tale. . . a spellbinding debut' Signe Pike'Mary McMyne does more than retell a beloved fairy tale. She elevates the voice of the sacred Feminine hidden within' Ronlyn Domingue, author of The Mercy of Thin Air 'The Book of Gothel delivers an intelligent spin on a well-loved fairy tale, the rich historical detail deftly woven with folktale magic and thoughtful characterisation' Rowenna Miller, author of Torn

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