Writing style
Descriptive · Direct · Technical
The Complete Book of Magic and Witchcraft
Reference
- Print length
- 180 pagesPenguin Books USA, 1980
Description
Kathryn Paulsen surveys magical belief and practice through material drawn from medieval and modern sources around the world. Organized as a reference work, the book examines theories of magic alongside the practical objects and procedures associated with forbidden arts: stones, herbs, animals, incantations, spells, charms, amulets, talismans, and ritual traditions. Separate discussions address Native American rites, voodoo ceremonies, satanism, and witchcraft, placing varied practices within a broad comparative catalogue. The book presents Black, White, and Gray magic as subjects for both theoretical interest and possible practice. Readers encounter less a continuous historical argument than an extensive compendium of techniques, materials, classifications, and traditions associated with occult power.
Reading profile
About this profile
Collected’s assessment, not reader ratings. Complexity runs from 1 (least demanding) to 5 (most demanding).
- Writing
- How much attention the sentences and language require.
- Ideas
- How much interpretation or abstract reasoning the book asks of you.
- Structure
- How much you need to keep track of speakers, timelines and connections.
- Background knowledge
- Prior knowledge needed to follow the book, beyond what it explains.
- Emotional intensity
- Emotional pressure, from gentle (1) to intense (5). Separate from difficulty.
Pace
Measured
Tone
Cerebral · Detached
Structure
Reference
Focus
Ideas · Information
Emotional intensity
2 / 5
Reading complexity
1–5 · higher means more demanding- Writing
- 3 / 5
- Ideas
- 3 / 5
- Structure
- 2 / 5
- Background knowledge
- 2 / 5
Themes
Book details
For the print edition listed above.
- Publisher
- Penguin Books USA
- Language
- English
- ISBN
- 9780451168320
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