The Magical Adventures Of Mary Parish

Mary Parish wasn’t your ordinary seventeenth-century woman. She was a “cunning woman,” who spent her time in the realm of magic, interacting with fairies, hunting for buried treasures, and communicating with the spirit world, along with her partner, the young aristocrat Goodwin Wharton. Drawing largely from Goodwin’s personal journals, Frances Timbers reconstructs Mary’s life in this microhistory, and explores themes of class, gender, and relationships in seventeenth-century England. Mary’s story provides insight into magical beliefs and practices of early modern history, and sheds light on how class and gender affected everyday life.

In early modern England, the practice of ritual or ceremonial magic - the attempted communication with angels and demons - both reinforced and subverted existing concepts of gender. The majority of male magicians acted from a position of control and command commensurate with their social position in a patriarchal society; other men, however, used the notion of magic to subvert gender ideals while still aiming to attain hegemony. Whilst women who claimed to perform magic were usually more submissive in their attempted dealings with the spirit world, some female practitioners employed magic to undermine the patriarchal culture and further their own agenda. Frances Timbers studies the practice of ritual magic in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries focusing especially on gender and sexual perspectives. Using the examples of well-known individuals who set themselves up as magicians (including John Dee, Simon Forman and William Lilly), as well as unpublished diaries and journals, literature and legal records, this book provides a unique analysis of early modern ceremonial magic from a gender perspective.

20+ Diverse Traditions from New England to the West Coast Drawing on the expertise of twenty-four renowned practitioners, this book features contemporary folk traditions from all over North America. Diverse as the landscapes they thrive on, these authentic practices will expand your worldview and inspire you to enrich your own spirituality. Explore the history, tools, and spiritual beliefs of many different paths of folk magic from Mexico, the United States, and Canada. You'll tour the continent's rich and varied cultures region by region, taking an insider's look at more than twenty traditions, including: Appalachian Mountain Magic • Brujeria Curanderismo • Detroit Hoodoo Florida Swamp Magic • Irish American Folk Magic Italian American Magic • Melungeon Folk Magic New England Cunning Craft • New Orleans Voodoo Ozark Folk Magic • Pennsylvania Powwow & Braucherei Slavic American Folk Magic • Southern Conjure Stephanie Rose Bird • H. Byron Ballard • Starr Casas • Ixtoii Paloma Cervantes • Kenya T. Coviak • J. Allen Cross • Alexander Cummins • Morgan Daimler • Mario Esteban Del Ángel Guevara • Lilith Dorsey • Morrigane Feu • Via Hedera • Cory Thomas Hutcheson • Melissa A. Ivanco-Murray • E. F. E. Lacharity • Dee Norman • Aaron Oberon • Robert Phoenix • Jake Richards • Sandra Santiago • Robert L. Schreiwer • Eliseo “Cheo” Torres • Benebell Wen • Brandon Weston

The author of Magic and Masculinity explores the history and development of magic and witchcraft in Western society. Broomsticks, cauldrons, familiars, and spells—magic and witchcraft conjure a vivid picture in our modern-day imagination. While much of our understanding is rooted in superstition and myth, the history of magic and witchcraft offers a window into the past. It illuminates the lives of ordinary people in the past and elucidates the fascinating pop culture of the premodern world. Blowing away folkloric cobwebs, this enlightening new history dispels many misconceptions surrounding witchcraft and magic that we still hold today. From Ancient Greece and Rome to the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Era, historian Frances Timbers details the impact of Christianity and popular culture in the construction of the figure of the “witch.” The development of demonology and ceremonial magic is combined with the West’s troubled past with magic and witchcraft to chart the birth of modern Wiccan and Neopagan movements in England and North America. Witchcraft is a metaphor for oppression in an age in which persecution is an everyday occurrence somewhere in the world. Fanaticism, intolerance, prejudice, authoritarianism, and religious and political ideologies are never attractive. Beware the witch hunter!

Boldly argues that magic has throughout the history of Britain been at times as culturally and politically significant as religion.

"The Magical Adventures of Mary" invites readers of all ages to embark on a wondrous journey filled with enchantment, discovery, and self-belief. Set in a world where magic and imagination intertwine, this captivating book follows the extraordinary exploits of Mary, a young girl who discovers her unique ability to wield the forces of magic. In this beautifully crafted tale, readers are introduced to Mary, a spirited and curious protagonist who possesses an unwavering belief in the extraordinary. As she navigates through her ordinary life, she stumbles upon a hidden realm teeming with fantastical creatures, ancient prophecies, and awe-inspiring landscapes. It is in this realm that Mary uncovers her true destiny as a guardian of magic, tasked with protecting the delicate balance between light and dark. Guided by wise mentors and accompanied by a band of loyal friends, Mary embarks on a series of magical adventures that will test her courage, resilience, and determination. From traversing treacherous enchanted forests to braving the depths of mystical caverns, Mary's journey takes her to breathtaking locales, each one rich with secrets and wonders waiting to be discovered. Along the way, Mary encounters mythical creatures like talking animals, mischievous sprites, and majestic unicorns, who become her allies and teachers. Through their guidance, she learns to harness her magical abilities, unlocking new powers and uncovering the depths of her own potential. With each challenge she overcomes, Mary grows stronger and more attuned to the interconnectedness of the magical realm and her own inner self. "The Magical Adventures of Mary" is a story that explores themes of self-discovery, friendship, and the indomitable power of belief. Through Mary's journey, readers are inspired to embrace their own unique gifts, to trust in their intuition, and to have the courage to chase their dreams, no matter how fantastical they may seem. With its vivid imagery, engaging storytelling, and heartfelt messages, this book immerses readers in a world where anything is possible. It celebrates the beauty of imagination, the resilience of the human spirit, and the transformative power of embracing one's true self.

This book explores the manifold ways of knowing—and knowing about— preternatural beings such as demons, angels, fairies, and other spirits that inhabited and were believed to act in early modern European worlds. Its contributors examine how people across the social spectrum assayed the various types of spiritual entities that they believed dwelled invisibly but meaningfully in the spaces just beyond (and occasionally within) the limits of human perception. Collectively, the volume demonstrates that an awareness and understanding of the nature and capabilities of spirits—whether benevolent or malevolent—was fundamental to the knowledge-making practices that characterize the years between ca. 1500 and 1750. This is, therefore, a book about how epistemological and experiential knowledge of spirits persisted and evolved in concert with the wider intellectual changes of the early modern period, such as the Protestant Reformation, the Scientific Revolution, and the Enlightenment.

This book sets the notorious European witch trials in the widest and deepest possible perspective and traces the major historiographical developments of witchcraft