A clear, concise overview of the origins and history of the Wiccan and Neopagan movements, with A–Z coverage of concepts, rituals, practices, and practitioners. Witchcraft Today presents a concise survey of this fascinating movement, charts its development, and offers A–Z coverage of Neopagan concepts, rituals, practices, and practitioners ranging from African Religions and Celtic Tradition to Numerology and Theosophy. An excellent and thorough introduction that explains the origin and history of contemporary Wiccan and Neopagan beliefs and a chronology detail the development of these modern religions. A documents section reprints texts important to the central belief system of Wiccans and Neopagans, including the text of Charge of the Goddess, and a bibliography and index complete this timely source. Consult this work whether you need to know the characteristics of Wicca; the difference between Celtic, Alexandrian, and Blue Star traditions; the meaning of "skyclad;" the work of Emanuel Swedenborg; or the origins of Tarot.

The Meaning of Witchcraft is a non-fiction book written by Gerald Gardner. Gardner, known to many in the modern sense as the "Father of Wicca", based the book around his experiences with the religion of Wicca and the New Forest Coven. He claimed he was allowed to tell more than ever before and cast light on the rituals and beliefs of witches. The book's main message was that neither the practices of witches nor their intents were harmful. The book tells the history of witchcraft in Europe. The author traces back to pre-Christian times, studies the rituals and beliefs of templars, and states that the belief in fairies in ancient, medieval, and early modern Europe was connected with a secretive pygmy race that lived alongside other communities. The preface to this book was Margaret Murray, who stated that witchcraft took its root in the pre-Christian religions and had nothing to do with spell-casting and other evil practices. Instead, Murray proposes to view witchcraft as "the sincere expression of that feeling towards God which is expressed, perhaps more decorously though not more sincerely, by modern Christianity in church services."

In the sixty years following the publication of Gerald Gardner’s Witchcraft Today, new paths have appeared, and older ones emerged out of the shadow of repression and illegality, to express with a new and more confident voice their beliefs and practice, and share, with a steadily growing audience, their knowledge, their certainties, their questions and their vision. This book is a celebration of some of the many paths that Witchcraft/Wicca has taken and of the journeys that people have embarked upon.

Now available with an updated cover, Scott Cunningham's Truth About Witchcraft provides a wonderful introduction to Witchcraft and Wicca for those new to the craft. Exploring the history of folk magic and the contemporary practices of Witchcraft and Wicca, this highly accessible book shares simple rituals for love, prosperity, raising energy, and more. You will also discover helpful tips and techniques for utilizing crystals, herbs, candles, cauldrons, and wands. Dispelling the many myths and misunderstandings that surround Witchcraft, this convenient guide shows how to work with timeless rituals and natural energies in order to create positive changes in your life. Whether you want to learn about the Goddess and the God or the special holidays known as sabbats and esbats, you will discover these answers and much more in Scott Cunningham's Truth About Witchcraft.

Written by leading scholars from around the world, the articles in this volume range from sin, Sufism and terrorism to theology in the 19th and 20th centuries, Vatican I and II and the virgin birth.

Expand your understanding of Wicca and Witchcraft, gain greater spiritual insight, and learn ways to boost your magical potential with this step-by-step guide. In his follow-up to Wicca: A Year and A Day, author Timothy Roderick presents various ways to cultivate your spirituality and become an adept in the Old Ways.

Everything You Wanted to Know About Witchcraft (But Were Afraid to Ask) Occult references ripple frequently through mainstream culture, Wiccan and witchcraft movements appear trendier than ever, and chances are that you're unknowingly acquainted with at least one witch. Drawing on her expertise as a magical practitioner and religious studies scholar, Thorn Mooney pulls back the curtain, introducing you to this complex world and helping you understand why it holds such intense appeal for so many. Thorn answers all your questions and dispels common misconceptions while delving into what it means to be a witch, including beliefs and practices. Discover what magic really is and what casting it entails. Gain insights into Wicca's distinctions from witchcraft and how these communities are structured. With this fascinating yet concise guide, you can better understand the witches in your life and the reasons why magical thinking thrives.

Witchcraft: The Basics is an accessible and engaging introduction to the scholarly study of witchcraft, exploring the phenomenon of witchcraft from its earliest definitions in the Middle Ages through to its resonances in the modern world. Through the use of two case studies, this book delves into the emergence of the witch as a harmful figure within western thought and traces the representation of witchcraft throughout history, analysing the roles of culture, religion, politics, gender and more in the evolution and enduring role of witchcraft. Key topics discussed within the book include: The role of language in creating and shaping the concept of witchcraft The laws and treatises written against witchcraft The representation of witchcraft in early modern literature The representation of witchcraft in recent literature, TV and film Scholarly approaches to witchcraft through time The relationship between witchcraft and paganism With an extensive further reading list, summaries and questions to consider at the end of each chapter, Witchcraft: The Basics is an ideal introduction for anyone wishing to learn more about this controversial issue in human culture, which is still very much alive today.

In this new edition Charles Alva Hoyt updates his research and offers fresh interpretations of the fascinating history of witches. Among his "Second Thoughts" are cautious examinations of the possible implications of the space-time continuum of Einstein's special theory of relativity and the "Many Worlds" interpretation of quantum mechanics to the observed phenomena of witchcraft. Hoyt, a descendant of Susanna Martin who was hanged as a witch for walking through a Salem rain without getting her feet wet, carefully sketches the background and history of this least understood of supernatural phenomena as it has evolved from antiquity to the present. He identifies seven distinct schools of witchcraft--orthodox, skeptic, anthropological, psychological, pharmacological, transcendental, and occult--and thoroughly analyzes each of them. He explores witchcraft's increased influence resulting from the New Testament's personification of evil as Satan. Especially enlightening are the ways that the nonwitch world has perceived and treated witches. Witches were often victims at the lower end of the social order, scapegoats for the misfortunes of neighbors, town officials, and family members. Many of them suffered decapitation, hanging, burning and torture, dismemberment, and removal of skin with red-hot pincers for their alleged witchcraft. Dietrich Flade, Rector of the University of Trier, for example, was burned on 18 September 1589 after having been "mercifully and Christianly strangled." He had been found guilty of causing "plagues of hailstones and snails."

Thought to be the father of modern witchcraft, Gerald Gardner published The Meaning of Witchcraft in 1959, not long after laws punishing witches were repealed. It was the first sympathetic book written from the point of view of a practicing witch. The Meaning of Witchcraft is an invaluable source book for witches today. Chapters include: Witch's Memories and Beliefs, The Stone Age Origins of Witchcraft, Druidism and the Aryan Celts, Magic Thinking, Curious Beliefs about Witches, Signs and Symbols, The Black Mass, Some Allegations Examined. The Meaning of Witchcraft is a record of witches' roots-and a tribute to a founding pioneer with the courage to set that record straight.