Magic and Witchcraft - From Shamanism to the Technopagans

Not always is quantity synonym for quality, but there are exceptions. Nevill Drury has authored more than 40 books on subjects such as Art, Anthropology, Shamanism, Western Magical Traditions and Music. It is also from him that we get, possibly, the most comprehensive and up to date documentary on the Pagan community : "The Occult Experience", featuring personalities such as Margot Adler, Selena Fox, Alex Sanders, the Farrar's, amongst others. To add to his already impressive Pagan and academic résumé, Drury has also extensive experience as a book publisher and editor. Is this not enough to keep you interested? Then let me get to the juicy stuff.




In 2005 I was privileged enough to find the only copy available on my usual bookstore of the book "Magic and Witchcraft - From Shamanism to the Technopagans". It took the better part of 4 years - and I'm sure there are still many more to come - to fully appreciate the value of this little "encyclopedia" of occult themes. Written in a historical appreciation of magic (both in its high and low forms) throughout the ages, Drury writes in a holistic manner bringing together myth, religion, mysticism and the more pragmatic aspects of magic and witchcraft in different cultural contexts. In a very user friendly manner this book is arranged chronologically for better understanding and it's extensively noted as well as beautifully put together with an incredible amount of illustrations, which, on their own, act as historical documents of the data being presented. He begins with Shamanism treating it as the primal expression of a magical tradition and goes on exploring the classical world, Medieval and Renaissance magic, Tarot and Astrology, the witch trials, the Hermetic Tradition, Gnosticism and the Kaballah, the emergence of the modern Satanism and the revival of Witchcraft, Goddess cults and Druidism. No stone is truly left unturned and no persona of relevance is left without at least a reference. Both for the experienced and the new pagan/occult interested person, this will be one of the first works to check for quick references and/or bibliographical resources for more in depth studies.