Contents A magical gathering 8 Medieval magic 42 Ancient Mesopotamian magic 10 Mother Shipton 44 Ea 12 Grimoires 46 What a witch looks like 14 South African magic 48 Ancient Egyptian magic 16 Vodou 50 Heka 18 Marie Laveau 52 The Book of the Dead 20 Vodou dolls and charms 54 Ancient Greek magic 22 Japanese magic 56 Circe 24 Yama-uba 58 Wands and familiars 26 Hannya masks 60 Slavic magic 28 Early Modern magic 62 Baba-Yaga 30 The Salem Witch Trials 64 Cauldrons and potions 32 Malleus Maleficarum 66 Rasputin 34 Modern Day magic 68 Norse Magic 36 Gerald Gardner 70 Sea witches 38 A silver thread 72 Spells and incantations 40 Index 74
A magical gathering Dusk falls like a soft blanket over the forest clearing The air is warm and filled with magic A gathering of people murmur secrets and swap spells A woman snaps her fingers bringing a campfire to life Birds and animals fall silent and even the stars seem to listen It is time for the witches and sorcerers to tell their tales
From ancient magic users in Mesopotamia to modern day Wiccans people have believed in magic for thousands of years Nearly every culture throughout history had their own special magical beliefs traditions and practices But what exactly is magic Magic was a powerful force to be feared and respected invisible but ever present Some ancient cultures thought that if they left gifts at temples their gods and goddesses would share their magic in the form of blessings Others believed magic was a force that could be harnessed by magic users themselves Magic users have gone by many names throughout the centuries witches warlocks sorceresses wizards and shamans to name only a few They believed they could use spells potions and magical ceremonies for good or bad purposes such as telling the future or laying on curses We’ll begin 5,000 years ago at the birth of human civilisation in the Middle East where magician priests used their skills to heal the sick Follow magic’s silver thread through history to visit fierce Norse sorceresses spell muttering Medieval witches Vodou charm casters and many more We’ll also explore some of these cultures magical myths and most famous users magic So settle down turn the page and begin your journey into the magical world of witches 9
