Scan barcode
A review by and_it_spoke
The Black Arts: A Concise History of Witchcraft, Demonology, Astrology, and Other Mystical Practices Throughout the Ages by Richard Cavendish
4.0
What a great (if not a little outdated) introduction to the occult! Not condescending, not full of artificial 'WooooOOOoooo' nonsense, but well researched and objectively stated. It chooses a wonderful starting point with an analysis of the historical worldview of those who passed on what we know of magic and magical tradition, and segues into key areas and concepts.
These work in a building block fashion from least complicated to most. And while sections on numerology or tincture making can be a bit dry, they do serve purpose for the later subjects that one would consider the 'stars' of the show - demonology and witchcraft.
This is not practical handbook or a spiritual tract. Just a nobly comprehensive overview of what have been historically accounted as the black arts. If you're looking for a starting point that doesn't overwhelm you with 'flavor' or an expectation to believe the unbelievable, you could do so much worse than this book. I recommend if you're looking to survey the topic to see what areas you may want to peruse next.
These work in a building block fashion from least complicated to most. And while sections on numerology or tincture making can be a bit dry, they do serve purpose for the later subjects that one would consider the 'stars' of the show - demonology and witchcraft.
This is not practical handbook or a spiritual tract. Just a nobly comprehensive overview of what have been historically accounted as the black arts. If you're looking for a starting point that doesn't overwhelm you with 'flavor' or an expectation to believe the unbelievable, you could do so much worse than this book. I recommend if you're looking to survey the topic to see what areas you may want to peruse next.