Overview
- Presents a range of new and innovative studies on Wicca and related forms of modern occult and Pagan witchcraft
- Builds upon the pioneering work of Professor Ronald Hutton on modern Western beliefs regarding magic and witchcraft
- Examines Paganism and occultism from a range of perspectives including historical, anthropological, and psychological ones
Part of the book series: Palgrave Historical Studies in Witchcraft and Magic (PHSWM)
Access this book
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Other ways to access
About this book
This book marks twenty years since the publication of Professor Ronald Hutton’s The Triumph of the Moon, a major contribution to the historical study of Wicca. Building on and celebrating Hutton’s pioneering work, the chapters in this volume explore a range of modern magical, occult, and Pagan groups active in Western nations. Each contributor is a specialist in the study of modern Paganism and occultism, although differ in their embrace of historical, anthropological, and psychological perspectives. Chapters examine not only the history of Wicca, the largest and best-known form of modern Paganism, but also modern Pagan environmentalist and anti-nuclear activism, the Pagan interpretation of fairy folklore, and the contemporary ‘Traditional Witchcraft’ phenomenon.
Similar content being viewed by others
Keywords
Table of contents (12 chapters)
-
Front Matter
-
Back Matter
Reviews
“Magic and Witchery in the Modern West is a well-deserved celebration of the pioneering scholarship of Ronald Hutton. The first scholar to seriously research contemporary Wicca … . Perhaps the most noteworthy component of this edited volume is its interdisciplinary nature. … This volume illustrates major developments within the academic study of Paganisms and Witchcrafts … . the book is an encouraging demonstration of the great potential for ongoing scholarly inquiry into Paganism and Witchcraft.” (S. Brennan Kettelle, Nova Religio, Vol. 25 (3), February, 2022)
“The strength of the volume is in the variety of scholarly approaches to modern Witchcraft, demonstrating the rich potential for research in this still emerging set of magico-religious cultures. … Magic and Witchery in the Modern West provides a useful addition to research on contemporary Witchcraft and Paganisms, while honoring its most important scholar. … For scholars interested in the ways in which ideas about nature inform spiritual and religious traditions, this text provides several useful, grounded examples … .” (Amy Hale, Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture, Vol. 15 (3), 2021)
“This volume honors the British historian Ronald Hutton … for his efforts to spark academic interest in the hitherto neglected fields of modern witchcraft and paganism. … This is a stimulating read.” (Gabriella Voss, Religious Studies Review, Vol. 47 (1), March, 2021)
“Feraro and Doyle White’s anthology is clearly a valuable contribution to the field. Most of its contributions are of high scholarly quality, and the volume does an excellent job in celebrating Triumph and in expanding upon its methods and motifs while applying these to hitherto neglected aspects, recent developments, or parallel traditions of Wicca.” (Bernd-Christian Otto, International Journal for the Study of New Religions, Vol. 11 (2), 2020)
Editors and Affiliations
About the editors
Shai Feraro is Lecturer at the Oranim College of Education, Israel, and the Secretary of the Israeli Association for the Study of Religions. He has published on modern Paganism and Goddess Spirituality in relevant journals and anthologies, and is the co-editor of Contemporary Alternative Spiritualities in Israel (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016).
Ethan Doyle White is the author of Wicca: History, Belief, and Community in Modern Pagan Witchcraft (2016), and has published on Wicca, modern Paganism, and related topics in journals such as Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft, The Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies, and Folklore.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Magic and Witchery in the Modern West
Book Subtitle: Celebrating the Twentieth Anniversary of 'The Triumph of the Moon'
Editors: Shai Feraro, Ethan Doyle White
Series Title: Palgrave Historical Studies in Witchcraft and Magic
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15549-0
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham
eBook Packages: History, History (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-15548-3Published: 10 July 2019
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-15551-3Published: 14 August 2020
eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-15549-0Published: 26 June 2019
Series ISSN: 2731-5630
Series E-ISSN: 2731-5649
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XIII, 259
Number of Illustrations: 1 b/w illustrations
Topics: Cultural History, Social History, European History, Modern History