Download British Folk Magic: The History of Magical Practices Across Great Britain AudioBook Free
Great Britain is an early land steeped ever sold and traditions. Its rolling countryside is dotted with prehistoric burial mounds and stone circles. Brooding castles hold stories of bloodshed and honor. Medieval churches have sophisticated stained glass windows and gruesome carvings, reflecting a mixture of desire and darkness. Through all of this runs a deep current of the practice of magic. Court magicians thrilled royal customers with stories of communing with the lifeless in moldering graveyards, alchemists labored in hidden laboratories tried to turn basic metals into yellow metal, and in the countryside, local "cunning folk" blended natural herbs and made incantations. These techniques stand as opposed to high magic, including such occult arts as astrology, divination, necromancy, and alchemy, which required literacy, an comprehensive and expansive personal library, and a fair amount of education. So, some magicians became important statistics in the royal courtroom, including the famous John Dee, who applied alchemy and published a dictionary documenting the words of angels. Most commoners were not literate and couldn't afford education or literature, and therefore their magic contains separate practices and techniques that only once in a while overlapped with high magic.
