Magic and Witchcraft: From Shamanism to the Technopagans

by Nevill Drury

The rise of Wicca or modern witchcraft and renewed interest in satanism and the occult, not to mention digitial magic in cyberspace, reflects the continuing importanc of magic in some people's lives. Magic is part of a very long tradition reaching back to our earliest ancestors and has remained a means by which people can communicate with sacred powers and supernatural beings. Nevill Drury, who has written extensively on western magic and the occult, looks at forms of magic where the practitioner uses `sacred formulae, ritual invocations and personal willpower to... master the gods and spirits and even become like them, from prehistory to the present day'. Chapters are devoted to magic and myth in the ancient world, alchemy, medieval witches and witch hunts, the origins of Tarot and astrology, modern Satanism and Technopagans, with much of the book rooted in the post-medieval period.

Genres: Nonfiction, Spirituality, Paganism

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Nevill Drury PhD is an independent historical researcher whose specialist interests include modern Western magic, shamanism, transpersonal psychology and visionary art. His most recent publications include The Varieties of Magical Experience (co-authored with Lynne Hume; Praeger, January 2013), Dark Spirits: The Magical Art of Rosaleen Norton and Austin Osman Spare (Salamander, 2012); Stealing Fire from Heaven: the Rise of Modern Western Magic (Oxford University Press 2011); Homage to Pan (Creation Oneiros 2009), The Dictionary of Magic (Watkins 2005) and The New Age: the History of a Movement (Thames & Hudson 2004). He received his Ph.D from the University of Newcastle in 2008 for a dissertation on the visionary art and magical beliefs of Rosaleen Norton (awarded 'Best Humanities Ph.D'. in that year).

Born in England in 1947 but resident in Australia since 1963, Nevill has worked as an international art-book publisher, lecturer and magazine editor and is now a full-time writer. He is the author/co-author/editor of seventy books covering a range of subjects like contemporary art (Images in Contemporary Australian Painting, New Sculpture, Australian Painting Now, Fire and Shadow: Spirituality in Contemporary Australian Art), Aboriginal culture (Wisdom from the Earth), holistic health (The Healing Power, Inner Health) and the magical traditions (Dark Spirits; Stealing Fire from Heaven: Sacred Encounters; Homage to Pan, Inner Visions). He is also the author of a work of mythic fiction, The Shaman's Quest, which was described by Publisher's Weekly as a 'poetic' book that 'could become a classic'. His work has been published in 26 countries and 19 languages.

Reviews

[Lars · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent overview of pagan and neo-pagan traditions, from Gardner onwards. Highly recommended for those of the persuasion and those looking for more information.

[Artemis Stardust · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved and devoured this book. It's definitely not for everyone, as it's an introductory encyclopedia to the history of magic and witchcraft, but I found it to be extremely informative about everything from the early tribal shamans to the emergence of magical dynasties, followed by the more recent developments of Crowley, LaVey, Jung, and Campbell. Drury writes from exhaustive research succinctly, and with a depth of comprehension that hints at his own personal practice of magick without too much of a personal bias. I was able to answer a lot of the questions I had, and take clear notes on what to delve into next to strengthen my understanding of certain subjects. I'd recommend this book for people who are on the path of enlightenment and want to know more about how modern perceptions of magic evolved, and for clarity on where to look for specific topics of interest, whether it be witchcraft, Satanism, magick, New Age spirituality, shamanism, psychedelic experiences, the personal shadow self, or something else along those lines. I was impressed by how it proved to be prophetic about the Internet and its uses for technopaganism - having been published in 2003, it uses several outdated phrases about the then-recent emergence of the Internet, but in the 14 years since then, so much of what Drury claims has already proven true of hacker communities and technotranshumanism. If you liked this book, and you want to read more about Egyptian magic and enlightenment, check out "Imagining the World into Existence" by Normandi Ellis. People who liked this book and want an in-depth look at feminist spirituality should try "Living in the Lap of the Goddess" by Cynthia Eller.

[Cy-V · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny how in the Dutch translation of the title it says 'satanism' instead of the original 'witchcraft'. That's just splendid guys!