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 Customer Reviews
The Element Encyclopaedia of 5000 Spells, 15 Jul 2008
I bought this book quite a while ago because I was attracted to how many spells there are in it. The author has collected a diverse range of spells from various cultures and traditions. the spells are arranged by topic (each with an introduction) and there are a variety of different spells (though not all of them are practical or advisable).
There are other sections in the book to complement the collection of spells - the author's introduction is an interesting read and there are tables showing things such as colour associations. The book also has instructions for making the various oils mentioned in the spells and a list of possible ingredients including their latin names.
I have to admit I've never used a spell from the book "as is" because of my personal belief in making each one individual to the situation. However I find the book incredibly useful for inspiration and would definitely recommend it if you're curious to find out about different spells.
Value for money, 23 May 2008
Is there anything this book does not cover, it is so big and with such an array of spells. You could cast a spell a day and it would take you years to get through them all. Splendid and worthy of anyone wishing to undertake the arts of this nature.
Excellent, 15 May 2008
Probably the most comprehensive occult book I have ever read. Despite the name of the text, it deals with far more than spells; also having background into the various spirits the spells will deal with and the basics and history of practising magic. Great for the beginner or advanced witch.
Wow..., 14 May 2008
I brought this book a few years back when I was new to the Craft, and although in honesty about 40% of the spells written therein I would never use (simply because they go against the Wiccan Crede), this is definitely a book for your collection! It escapes some of the fanciness of 'spell books' and leaps straight into the hard core facts and spells. However, do be careful if you try some of the heavier stuff - the book is good enough to point out to you that certain herbs/ingredients are harmful... but check your ingredients before you cast!!
Definatley one for the connection, five stars! :)
What a great read!, 10 Sep 2007
As the other reviews have stated, this is a book to be read.
It's got all the spells you'd expect, and some you don't. While some of them may get you arrested (there is no way I am going to a cemetery on the night of a full moon, stripping and galloping around on an oleander branch) others make sense. I particularly like spell for getting a lover back that has a time limit - if he's not back in 27 days move on!
Do the spells work? That depends on all kinds of things. This kind of book gives you the framework, what you build over it is down to you.
Happy reading!
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Customer Reviews
The Element Encyclopaedia of 5000 Spells, 15 Jul 2008
I bought this book quite a while ago because I was attracted to how many spells there are in it. The author has collected a diverse range of spells from various cultures and traditions. the spells are arranged by topic (each with an introduction) and there are a variety of different spells (though not all of them are practical or advisable).
There are other sections in the book to complement the collection of spells - the author's introduction is an interesting read and there are tables showing things such as colour associations. The book also has instructions for making the various oils mentioned in the spells and a list of possible ingredients including their latin names.
I have to admit I've never used a spell from the book "as is" because of my personal belief in making each one individual to the situation. However I find the book incredibly useful for inspiration and would definitely recommend it if you're curious to find out about different spells.
Value for money, 23 May 2008
Is there anything this book does not cover, it is so big and with such an array of spells. You could cast a spell a day and it would take you years to get through them all. Splendid and worthy of anyone wishing to undertake the arts of this nature.
Excellent, 15 May 2008
Probably the most comprehensive occult book I have ever read. Despite the name of the text, it deals with far more than spells; also having background into the various spirits the spells will deal with and the basics and history of practising magic. Great for the beginner or advanced witch.
Wow..., 14 May 2008
I brought this book a few years back when I was new to the Craft, and although in honesty about 40% of the spells written therein I would never use (simply because they go against the Wiccan Crede), this is definitely a book for your collection! It escapes some of the fanciness of 'spell books' and leaps straight into the hard core facts and spells. However, do be careful if you try some of the heavier stuff - the book is good enough to point out to you that certain herbs/ingredients are harmful... but check your ingredients before you cast!!
Definatley one for the connection, five stars! :)
What a great read!, 10 Sep 2007
As the other reviews have stated, this is a book to be read.
It's got all the spells you'd expect, and some you don't. While some of them may get you arrested (there is no way I am going to a cemetery on the night of a full moon, stripping and galloping around on an oleander branch) others make sense. I particularly like spell for getting a lover back that has a time limit - if he's not back in 27 days move on!
Do the spells work? That depends on all kinds of things. This kind of book gives you the framework, what you build over it is down to you.
Happy reading!
rainbow tree comment, 19 Aug 2007
My daughter bought this for me from amazon as a present and I have to say it is the most amazing record of just about everything anyone would want to know about witchcraft. Ms Illes has managed to relay how witchcraft has evolved throughout the ages and contrary to popular belief anyone can source the information and use it to complement their lives. Buy it and you won't regeret it!
Excellent - a fantastic overview of witchcraft, in all of its aspects, 13 Jun 2007
This encyclopedia is a companion to the ENCYCLOPEDIA OF 5000 SPELLS, also by the same author.
When I first received this volume, I was surprised in some ways: I had been expecting it to be organised by A-Z reference. In a sense it is, but Judika has actually arranged subject areas into alphabetical order, rather than absolutely everything there is to know about witchcraft in general - a much better way of going about it.
The encyclopedia begins with an informative introduction. I urge everyone who picks up this encyclopedia, especially those with perhaps limited knowledge about Wicca and witchcraft, to read this first. Judika highlights in here that, as with beauty, "what constitutes witchcraft is dependent upon the eye of its beholder" (p.1). Quite an obvious onbsevation, but one that definitely warrants discussion, even in today's world.
Following the introduction, there is then a section about the elements of aitchcraft. Again, I would urge you to read this before delving into the late pages. Topics covered here are the roots of witchcraft, animism, the worship of goddesses and the image of the sacred female plus dualism.
Some of the subjects included in the reference section of the encyclopedia include Animals, Books of Magic and Witchcraft, Calendar of Revelry and Sacred Days, Fairies, Creative Arts, Women's Mysteries and Wormwood and Garlic: Dangers and Protection.
As another reviewer said, this book is really a work to be used as a point of reference. It is not a how-to of witchcraft - patly because in order to do that, it would have to take on a certain stance, or tradition, and I see this book as more a general reference to witchcraft. This volume would be a good starting point for someone who has no or a little knowledge and would like to develop that knowledge. By Judika providing an extensive bibliography, you would certainly be able to use it in such a way. Likewise, because the index is also included, it enables you to use this book as a very accessible first point of call for when you may want information quickly.
This is a brilliant encyclopedia. It serves its purpose very well. I am incredibly pleased that I purchased it. Good, informative books are not always easy to come by - books on Wicca and witchcraft can either be fabulous or very prescripted - whereas this helps you to learn more about such a wide subject with the chance to go away and develop your knowledge by further research. Highly recommended.
A magical tour de force, 25 Apr 2007
What we all need in our lives today is something to believe in and something magical. This book will bring you both, if you turn the pages with an open mind. A sense of being a part of something great and special. Connection back to nature and our planet which we have lost.
Harry Potter has re-awakened mankind's yearning to believe in something more magical than ourselves. Much that we have forgotten or strayed away from in our urgency to have it all is actually just what we need most now.
Judika has researched, prepared and tended this book with a great love and knowledge of all kinds of magic. If you believe and are seeking to know more this is the one current book that can help you. She pays respect to all of the sorcerors who came before and takes the magic of yesteryears right into the NOW. Read it, enjoy and learn.
This is not just hocus pocus. There is a serious side and it is also fun, beautiful and bright. Imbibed with life.
VERY good!!!!, 17 Oct 2006
This is an excellent encyclopedia!!!! And the very best one of its kind. It has information on every magical person that has ever lived and has been created. Movies, books, history and fantasy. No stone has been left unturned and it's been well researched! Brilliant!!!
For every magical enquiery you ever have, this will be the book to turn to! Simply fantastic!
Not to mention its a gorgeous book!
a great source of information ...., 03 May 2006
this is a huge book, filled with all the information you could possibly want to know about witchcraft!! It's not a how-to book, so don't buy it if you are looking for guidance - but the book will fill in the gaps you might have in your knowledge of the Craft and all it encompasses. A must for all witches and those interested in this path ....
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Customer Reviews
The Element Encyclopaedia of 5000 Spells, 15 Jul 2008
I bought this book quite a while ago because I was attracted to how many spells there are in it. The author has collected a diverse range of spells from various cultures and traditions. the spells are arranged by topic (each with an introduction) and there are a variety of different spells (though not all of them are practical or advisable).
There are other sections in the book to complement the collection of spells - the author's introduction is an interesting read and there are tables showing things such as colour associations. The book also has instructions for making the various oils mentioned in the spells and a list of possible ingredients including their latin names.
I have to admit I've never used a spell from the book "as is" because of my personal belief in making each one individual to the situation. However I find the book incredibly useful for inspiration and would definitely recommend it if you're curious to find out about different spells. Value for money, 23 May 2008
Is there anything this book does not cover, it is so big and with such an array of spells. You could cast a spell a day and it would take you years to get through them all. Splendid and worthy of anyone wishing to undertake the arts of this nature. Excellent, 15 May 2008
Probably the most comprehensive occult book I have ever read. Despite the name of the text, it deals with far more than spells; also having background into the various spirits the spells will deal with and the basics and history of practising magic. Great for the beginner or advanced witch. Wow..., 14 May 2008
I brought this book a few years back when I was new to the Craft, and although in honesty about 40% of the spells written therein I would never use (simply because they go against the Wiccan Crede), this is definitely a book for your collection! It escapes some of the fanciness of 'spell books' and leaps straight into the hard core facts and spells. However, do be careful if you try some of the heavier stuff - the book is good enough to point out to you that certain herbs/ingredients are harmful... but check your ingredients before you cast!!
Definatley one for the connection, five stars! :) What a great read!, 10 Sep 2007
As the other reviews have stated, this is a book to be read.
It's got all the spells you'd expect, and some you don't. While some of them may get you arrested (there is no way I am going to a cemetery on the night of a full moon, stripping and galloping around on an oleander branch) others make sense. I particularly like spell for getting a lover back that has a time limit - if he's not back in 27 days move on!
Do the spells work? That depends on all kinds of things. This kind of book gives you the framework, what you build over it is down to you.
Happy reading! rainbow tree comment, 19 Aug 2007
My daughter bought this for me from amazon as a present and I have to say it is the most amazing record of just about everything anyone would want to know about witchcraft. Ms Illes has managed to relay how witchcraft has evolved throughout the ages and contrary to popular belief anyone can source the information and use it to complement their lives. Buy it and you won't regeret it! Excellent - a fantastic overview of witchcraft, in all of its aspects, 13 Jun 2007
This encyclopedia is a companion to the ENCYCLOPEDIA OF 5000 SPELLS, also by the same author.
When I first received this volume, I was surprised in some ways: I had been expecting it to be organised by A-Z reference. In a sense it is, but Judika has actually arranged subject areas into alphabetical order, rather than absolutely everything there is to know about witchcraft in general - a much better way of going about it.
The encyclopedia begins with an informative introduction. I urge everyone who picks up this encyclopedia, especially those with perhaps limited knowledge about Wicca and witchcraft, to read this first. Judika highlights in here that, as with beauty, "what constitutes witchcraft is dependent upon the eye of its beholder" (p.1). Quite an obvious onbsevation, but one that definitely warrants discussion, even in today's world.
Following the introduction, there is then a section about the elements of aitchcraft. Again, I would urge you to read this before delving into the late pages. Topics covered here are the roots of witchcraft, animism, the worship of goddesses and the image of the sacred female plus dualism.
Some of the subjects included in the reference section of the encyclopedia include Animals, Books of Magic and Witchcraft, Calendar of Revelry and Sacred Days, Fairies, Creative Arts, Women's Mysteries and Wormwood and Garlic: Dangers and Protection.
As another reviewer said, this book is really a work to be used as a point of reference. It is not a how-to of witchcraft - patly because in order to do that, it would have to take on a certain stance, or tradition, and I see this book as more a general reference to witchcraft. This volume would be a good starting point for someone who has no or a little knowledge and would like to develop that knowledge. By Judika providing an extensive bibliography, you would certainly be able to use it in such a way. Likewise, because the index is also included, it enables you to use this book as a very accessible first point of call for when you may want information quickly.
This is a brilliant encyclopedia. It serves its purpose very well. I am incredibly pleased that I purchased it. Good, informative books are not always easy to come by - books on Wicca and witchcraft can either be fabulous or very prescripted - whereas this helps you to learn more about such a wide subject with the chance to go away and develop your knowledge by further research. Highly recommended. A magical tour de force, 25 Apr 2007
What we all need in our lives today is something to believe in and something magical. This book will bring you both, if you turn the pages with an open mind. A sense of being a part of something great and special. Connection back to nature and our planet which we have lost.
Harry Potter has re-awakened mankind's yearning to believe in something more magical than ourselves. Much that we have forgotten or strayed away from in our urgency to have it all is actually just what we need most now.
Judika has researched, prepared and tended this book with a great love and knowledge of all kinds of magic. If you believe and are seeking to know more this is the one current book that can help you. She pays respect to all of the sorcerors who came before and takes the magic of yesteryears right into the NOW. Read it, enjoy and learn.
This is not just hocus pocus. There is a serious side and it is also fun, beautiful and bright. Imbibed with life. VERY good!!!!, 17 Oct 2006
This is an excellent encyclopedia!!!! And the very best one of its kind. It has information on every magical person that has ever lived and has been created. Movies, books, history and fantasy. No stone has been left unturned and it's been well researched! Brilliant!!!
For every magical enquiery you ever have, this will be the book to turn to! Simply fantastic!
Not to mention its a gorgeous book! a great source of information ...., 03 May 2006
this is a huge book, filled with all the information you could possibly want to know about witchcraft!! It's not a how-to book, so don't buy it if you are looking for guidance - but the book will fill in the gaps you might have in your knowledge of the Craft and all it encompasses. A must for all witches and those interested in this path .... Lore of Poor Scholarship, 27 May 2008
Peppered with inaccuracies throughout, the entry on Highgate Cemetery serves as a pointer to just how poor the "scholarship" is in Lore of the Land.
The task befell Jacqueline Simpson to provide the entry on London's most famous graveyard which included more than a passing reference to its vampire. Simpson, according to Oxford University's Library Journal, is "an esteemed British folklore expert." This makes her coverage of the case of even greater concern.
"When the apparition was first discussed in the local press in 1970, it was merely called a ghost," she begins. It was called all manner of things when first discussed, but was already being described as a vampire locally; even from as early as 1965. What Simpson is alluding to is the plethora of readers' letters in the Hamsptead & Highgate Express where various correspondents spoke of a figure, spectre, ghost and vampire. The British Occult Society, too, often used the term "spectre," but this does not contradict the term "vampire." What she blurs is the fact that vampires (predatory demonic entities) exhibit a certain spectral aspect.
Simpson continues: "The publicity was initiated by a group of adolescents calling themselves the British Occult Society." An adolescent is surely someone between childhood and adulthood. The man she is misrepresenting throughout this entry was past his mid-twenties at the time of the early media curiosity and television interviews. Many of those involved or showing interest in the Highgate Vampire case within the British Occult Society were considerably older.
"David Farrant, their [the British Occult Society's] leader, spent the night there," she claims, despite evidence to the contrary. Farrant did not "lead" the Society. In fact, he owed no connection to the British Occult Society which was originally formed as an umbrella organisation circa 1860. Fellow members and close colleagues included Peter Underwood, Professor Devendra Prasad Varma, SeƔn Manchester and similar luminaries. Prior to its dissolution on 8 August 1988, it was presided over by SeƔn Manchester. He featured in a programme on 13 March 1970 (Today, Thames Television) to represent the Society's investigation into happenings in and around Highgate Cemetery that had been accumulating since the mid-1960s. A number of witnesses to a vampire spectre were also interviewed by Sandra Harris. These consisted largely of children and a young man who was captioned "David Farrant." SeƔn Manchester was captioned "President, British Occult Society." No confusion existed as to who "led" the British Occult Society.
Simpson then wrongly insists: "Hardly two informants gave the same story." What was notable, apart from a couple of rather dubious entries subsequently found to be disingenuous, was the similarity in the accounts recorded by the media, not least the local press. Most spoke of a tall, floating figure with burning eyes and an evil aura.
She continues to describe "another local youth, SeƔn Manchester" (the Oxford Dictionary defines "youth" as "adolescence" and "inexperienced" etc) and attributes the quote "a 'King Vampire from Wallachia'" to him. That precise phrase did not appear in print but a similar sentiment was expressed. However, SeƔn Manchester did not say anything of the kind and apparently explained at length in a book which Simpson read several years prior that the term "King Vampire" was a journalistic embellishment.
Referring to Highgate Cemetery, Simpson erroneously states: "both conducted rituals of exorcism." Farrant did not perform exorcisms. SeƔn Manchester carried out a spoken exorcism at Highgate Cemetery during August 1970 with consent. This was reconstructed for BBC television and transmitted on 15 October 1970.
Though completely unrelated to either Highgate Cemetery or the Highgate Vampire, Simpson includes: "Manchester challenged Farrant to a 'magical duel' on Parliament Hill." SeƔn Manchester did not challenge Farrant to a "magical duel," as confirmed by statements made by him at the time and coverage of this occasion in the Hampstead & Highgate Express (articles in April and May 1973) and in the work From Satan To Christ (1988) where the invitation to exorcise Farrant was incidental to the event itself. Farrant cried off and failed to appear. The Parliament Hill "Ring of Prayer" had nothing to do with a "magical duel" though some exploited it as such due to misinformation fed them by a publicity-hungry David Farrant. Retractions were published.
Curiously, Simpson refers to only one criminal conviction: "Farrant ... was jailed in 1974 for damage to memorials." Farrant, in fact, was sentenced to four years and eight months imprisonment in June 1974 for malicious damage, ie tomb vandalism, at Highgate Cemetery by inscribing black magic symbols on the floor of a mausoleum; offering indignities to remains of the dead, ie desecration via black magic rites where photographs were taken of a naked accomplice in a tomb where occult symbols were marked out on the floor; threatening police witnesses in a separate case where his black magic associate was subsequently found guilty of indecent sexual assault on a minor; theft of items from Barnet Hospital where Farrant worked briefly as a porter in 1970; possession of a handgun and ammunition kept at his address where discovery was made of a black magic altar beneath a mural of the Devil that had featured in the press. Simpson obviously felt she needed to downplay the seriousness of Farrant's part in the Highgate Cemetery matter in view of her determination to lump him in with SeƔn Manchester.
Jacqueline Simpson was president of the Folklore Society from 1993 to 1996 and is currently its honorary secretary. She has written misleading and grossly inaccurate statements in The Lore of the Land, having placed reliance on her American colleague Bill Ellis whose flawed material in his own Raising the Devil is even more defamatory and damaging. Some of the press cuttings referred to in his book are wrongly attributed and what he has to say is biased by an agenda to dismiss all things supernatural.
I would give Lore of the Land a wide berth unless a fictionalised version of cases like the Highgate Vampire investigation is all that is required. Excellent...., 22 May 2006
Lore of the Land does exactly what it claims - it is a comprehensive A-Z of folklore, legends and ghost / paranormal tales organised by County. It's not in the right format to read in bulk, but is absolutely fascinating for local interest and research purposes.
Highly recommended - this is the most accurate and thorough book I have seen on the subject. Not cheap but worth it. Beautiful and thorough, 08 Nov 2005
This book is not only perfectly designed for browsing, but clearly very well researched. It works on various levels too. If you are touring or visiting England, or if you live here and want to delve into the legendary and curious aspects of England then just buy this book. It is also thorough enough to be an important source for researchers. It's also dedicated to the wonderful Katharine Briggs.
Beautiful and fascinating!, 26 Oct 2005
I bought this as a birthday present for my mum but I'm going to have to get her another copy as I can't bring myself to part with it! The pictures are just fantastic: makes you realise just how many ghostly stories have built up around really famous places like Hampton Court and the Tower of London. But it's not just famous places that get a mention - really tiny villages like East Bergholt in Suffolk are in there too (the chirch was deprived of a steeple by the machinations of the devil, apparently). Highly recommended!
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Customer Reviews
The Element Encyclopaedia of 5000 Spells, 15 Jul 2008
I bought this book quite a while ago because I was attracted to how many spells there are in it. The author has collected a diverse range of spells from various cultures and traditions. the spells are arranged by topic (each with an introduction) and there are a variety of different spells (though not all of them are practical or advisable).
There are other sections in the book to complement the collection of spells - the author's introduction is an interesting read and there are tables showing things such as colour associations. The book also has instructions for making the various oils mentioned in the spells and a list of possible ingredients including their latin names.
I have to admit I've never used a spell from the book "as is" because of my personal belief in making each one individual to the situation. However I find the book incredibly useful for inspiration and would definitely recommend it if you're curious to find out about different spells. Value for money, 23 May 2008
Is there anything this book does not cover, it is so big and with such an array of spells. You could cast a spell a day and it would take you years to get through them all. Splendid and worthy of anyone wishing to undertake the arts of this nature. Excellent, 15 May 2008
Probably the most comprehensive occult book I have ever read. Despite the name of the text, it deals with far more than spells; also having background into the various spirits the spells will deal with and the basics and history of practising magic. Great for the beginner or advanced witch. Wow..., 14 May 2008
I brought this book a few years back when I was new to the Craft, and although in honesty about 40% of the spells written therein I would never use (simply because they go against the Wiccan Crede), this is definitely a book for your collection! It escapes some of the fanciness of 'spell books' and leaps straight into the hard core facts and spells. However, do be careful if you try some of the heavier stuff - the book is good enough to point out to you that certain herbs/ingredients are harmful... but check your ingredients before you cast!!
Definatley one for the connection, five stars! :) What a great read!, 10 Sep 2007
As the other reviews have stated, this is a book to be read.
It's got all the spells you'd expect, and some you don't. While some of them may get you arrested (there is no way I am going to a cemetery on the night of a full moon, stripping and galloping around on an oleander branch) others make sense. I particularly like spell for getting a lover back that has a time limit - if he's not back in 27 days move on!
Do the spells work? That depends on all kinds of things. This kind of book gives you the framework, what you build over it is down to you.
Happy reading! rainbow tree comment, 19 Aug 2007
My daughter bought this for me from amazon as a present and I have to say it is the most amazing record of just about everything anyone would want to know about witchcraft. Ms Illes has managed to relay how witchcraft has evolved throughout the ages and contrary to popular belief anyone can source the information and use it to complement their lives. Buy it and you won't regeret it! Excellent - a fantastic overview of witchcraft, in all of its aspects, 13 Jun 2007
This encyclopedia is a companion to the ENCYCLOPEDIA OF 5000 SPELLS, also by the same author.
When I first received this volume, I was surprised in some ways: I had been expecting it to be organised by A-Z reference. In a sense it is, but Judika has actually arranged subject areas into alphabetical order, rather than absolutely everything there is to know about witchcraft in general - a much better way of going about it.
The encyclopedia begins with an informative introduction. I urge everyone who picks up this encyclopedia, especially those with perhaps limited knowledge about Wicca and witchcraft, to read this first. Judika highlights in here that, as with beauty, "what constitutes witchcraft is dependent upon the eye of its beholder" (p.1). Quite an obvious onbsevation, but one that definitely warrants discussion, even in today's world.
Following the introduction, there is then a section about the elements of aitchcraft. Again, I would urge you to read this before delving into the late pages. Topics covered here are the roots of witchcraft, animism, the worship of goddesses and the image of the sacred female plus dualism.
Some of the subjects included in the reference section of the encyclopedia include Animals, Books of Magic and Witchcraft, Calendar of Revelry and Sacred Days, Fairies, Creative Arts, Women's Mysteries and Wormwood and Garlic: Dangers and Protection.
As another reviewer said, this book is really a work to be used as a point of reference. It is not a how-to of witchcraft - patly because in order to do that, it would have to take on a certain stance, or tradition, and I see this book as more a general reference to witchcraft. This volume would be a good starting point for someone who has no or a little knowledge and would like to develop that knowledge. By Judika providing an extensive bibliography, you would certainly be able to use it in such a way. Likewise, because the index is also included, it enables you to use this book as a very accessible first point of call for when you may want information quickly.
This is a brilliant encyclopedia. It serves its purpose very well. I am incredibly pleased that I purchased it. Good, informative books are not always easy to come by - books on Wicca and witchcraft can either be fabulous or very prescripted - whereas this helps you to learn more about such a wide subject with the chance to go away and develop your knowledge by further research. Highly recommended. A magical tour de force, 25 Apr 2007
What we all need in our lives today is something to believe in and something magical. This book will bring you both, if you turn the pages with an open mind. A sense of being a part of something great and special. Connection back to nature and our planet which we have lost.
Harry Potter has re-awakened mankind's yearning to believe in something more magical than ourselves. Much that we have forgotten or strayed away from in our urgency to have it all is actually just what we need most now.
Judika has researched, prepared and tended this book with a great love and knowledge of all kinds of magic. If you believe and are seeking to know more this is the one current book that can help you. She pays respect to all of the sorcerors who came before and takes the magic of yesteryears right into the NOW. Read it, enjoy and learn.
This is not just hocus pocus. There is a serious side and it is also fun, beautiful and bright. Imbibed with life. VERY good!!!!, 17 Oct 2006
This is an excellent encyclopedia!!!! And the very best one of its kind. It has information on every magical person that has ever lived and has been created. Movies, books, history and fantasy. No stone has been left unturned and it's been well researched! Brilliant!!!
For every magical enquiery you ever have, this will be the book to turn to! Simply fantastic!
Not to mention its a gorgeous book! a great source of information ...., 03 May 2006
this is a huge book, filled with all the information you could possibly want to know about witchcraft!! It's not a how-to book, so don't buy it if you are looking for guidance - but the book will fill in the gaps you might have in your knowledge of the Craft and all it encompasses. A must for all witches and those interested in this path .... Lore of Poor Scholarship, 27 May 2008
Peppered with inaccuracies throughout, the entry on Highgate Cemetery serves as a pointer to just how poor the "scholarship" is in Lore of the Land.
The task befell Jacqueline Simpson to provide the entry on London's most famous graveyard which included more than a passing reference to its vampire. Simpson, according to Oxford University's Library Journal, is "an esteemed British folklore expert." This makes her coverage of the case of even greater concern.
"When the apparition was first discussed in the local press in 1970, it was merely called a ghost," she begins. It was called all manner of things when first discussed, but was already being described as a vampire locally; even from as early as 1965. What Simpson is alluding to is the plethora of readers' letters in the Hamsptead & Highgate Express where various correspondents spoke of a figure, spectre, ghost and vampire. The British Occult Society, too, often used the term "spectre," but this does not contradict the term "vampire." What she blurs is the fact that vampires (predatory demonic entities) exhibit a certain spectral aspect.
Simpson continues: "The publicity was initiated by a group of adolescents calling themselves the British Occult Society." An adolescent is surely someone between childhood and adulthood. The man she is misrepresenting throughout this entry was past his mid-twenties at the time of the early media curiosity and television interviews. Many of those involved or showing interest in the Highgate Vampire case within the British Occult Society were considerably older.
"David Farrant, their [the British Occult Society's] leader, spent the night there," she claims, despite evidence to the contrary. Farrant did not "lead" the Society. In fact, he owed no connection to the British Occult Society which was originally formed as an umbrella organisation circa 1860. Fellow members and close colleagues included Peter Underwood, Professor Devendra Prasad Varma, SeƔn Manchester and similar luminaries. Prior to its dissolution on 8 August 1988, it was presided over by SeƔn Manchester. He featured in a programme on 13 March 1970 (Today, Thames Television) to represent the Society's investigation into happenings in and around Highgate Cemetery that had been accumulating since the mid-1960s. A number of witnesses to a vampire spectre were also interviewed by Sandra Harris. These consisted largely of children and a young man who was captioned "David Farrant." SeƔn Manchester was captioned "President, British Occult Society." No confusion existed as to who "led" the British Occult Society.
Simpson then wrongly insists: "Hardly two informants gave the same story." What was notable, apart from a couple of rather dubious entries subsequently found to be disingenuous, was the similarity in the accounts recorded by the media, not least the local press. Most spoke of a tall, floating figure with burning eyes and an evil aura.
She continues to describe "another local youth, SeƔn Manchester" (the Oxford Dictionary defines "youth" as "adolescence" and "inexperienced" etc) and attributes the quote "a 'King Vampire from Wallachia'" to him. That precise phrase did not appear in print but a similar sentiment was expressed. However, SeƔn Manchester did not say anything of the kind and apparently explained at length in a book which Simpson read several years prior that the term "King Vampire" was a journalistic embellishment.
Referring to Highgate Cemetery, Simpson erroneously states: "both conducted rituals of exorcism." Farrant did not perform exorcisms. SeƔn Manchester carried out a spoken exorcism at Highgate Cemetery during August 1970 with consent. This was reconstructed for BBC television and transmitted on 15 October 1970.
Though completely unrelated to either Highgate Cemetery or the Highgate Vampire, Simpson includes: "Manchester challenged Farrant to a 'magical duel' on Parliament Hill." SeƔn Manchester did not challenge Farrant to a "magical duel," as confirmed by statements made by him at the time and coverage of this occasion in the Hampstead & Highgate Express (articles in April and May 1973) and in the work From Satan To Christ (1988) where the invitation to exorcise Farrant was incidental to the event itself. Farrant cried off and failed to appear. The Parliament Hill "Ring of Prayer" had nothing to do with a "magical duel" though some exploited it as such due to misinformation fed them by a publicity-hungry David Farrant. Retractions were published.
Curiously, Simpson refers to only one criminal conviction: "Farrant ... was jailed in 1974 for damage to memorials." Farrant, in fact, was sentenced to four years and eight months imprisonment in June 1974 for malicious damage, ie tomb vandalism, at Highgate Cemetery by inscribing black magic symbols on the floor of a mausoleum; offering indignities to remains of the dead, ie desecration via black magic rites where photographs were taken of a naked accomplice in a tomb where occult symbols were marked out on the floor; threatening police witnesses in a separate case where his black magic associate was subsequently found guilty of indecent sexual assault on a minor; theft of items from Barnet Hospital where Farrant worked briefly as a porter in 1970; possession of a handgun and ammunition kept at his address where discovery was made of a black magic altar beneath a mural of the Devil that had featured in the press. Simpson obviously felt she needed to downplay the seriousness of Farrant's part in the Highgate Cemetery matter in view of her determination to lump him in with SeƔn Manchester.
Jacqueline Simpson was president of the Folklore Society from 1993 to 1996 and is currently its honorary secretary. She has written misleading and grossly inaccurate statements in The Lore of the Land, having placed reliance on her American colleague Bill Ellis whose flawed material in his own Raising the Devil is even more defamatory and damaging. Some of the press cuttings referred to in his book are wrongly attributed and what he has to say is biased by an agenda to dismiss all things supernatural.
I would give Lore of the Land a wide berth unless a fictionalised version of cases like the Highgate Vampire investigation is all that is required. Excellent...., 22 May 2006
Lore of the Land does exactly what it claims - it is a comprehensive A-Z of folklore, legends and ghost / paranormal tales organised by County. It's not in the right format to read in bulk, but is absolutely fascinating for local interest and research purposes.
Highly recommended - this is the most accurate and thorough book I have seen on the subject. Not cheap but worth it. Beautiful and thorough, 08 Nov 2005
This book is not only perfectly designed for browsing, but clearly very well researched. It works on various levels too. If you are touring or visiting England, or if you live here and want to delve into the legendary and curious aspects of England then just buy this book. It is also thorough enough to be an important source for researchers. It's also dedicated to the wonderful Katharine Briggs.
Beautiful and fascinating!, 26 Oct 2005
I bought this as a birthday present for my mum but I'm going to have to get her another copy as I can't bring myself to part with it! The pictures are just fantastic: makes you realise just how many ghostly stories have built up around really famous places like Hampton Court and the Tower of London. But it's not just famous places that get a mention - really tiny villages like East Bergholt in Suffolk are in there too (the chirch was deprived of a steeple by the machinations of the devil, apparently). Highly recommended!
Some useful info but a bit fluffy for my taste, 19 Sep 2007
Since everyone else seems to be raving about this book I thought I'd offer an alternative view. I find the whole thing a little fluffy and fuzzy, frankly. That's not to say that there isn't useful information in here, but I'm not sure that one couldn't dig that up with a little searching on the internet.
A lot of the information is either common sense magickal knowledge (he bangs on a lot about focusing on intent during preparation) or could be better found in a book of correspondances such as Crowley's 777 or similar. There were some new correspondances I wasn't aware of, however.
The recipes section is a little odd also. It may give you a recipe and then tell you to not even consider using it, presumably since it contains strong or dangerous substances - perhaps a symptom of a culture of litagy, but nevertheless I found it strange. A simple disclaimer at the beginning of the book would be sufficient, surely? What's more, the recipes don't really contain any information other than the ingredients. He never mentions his sources for these recipes and on occasion says - "I've never been able to find substance X so use a substitute", marking out a few recipes as being not his invention. Where traditional recipes exist it would have been useful for them to be marked as such, and likewise where a recipe is simply his own devising.
My final criticism is one that I would level at all Cunningham's stuff that I've read which is that I find his writing style a little irritating. He has a tendency to point out the obvious and for condecension, and he constructs arguments in a fuzzy manner. I find it a little weak and couched in too much new age fluffiness. Being used to reading Crowley, and being accustomed to that degree of mental alacrity, it is too large a step back to stomach.
All in all some useful stuff here, if you can stomach the presentation, but little that could not be found on the internet.
Best book on potions etc you can have, 27 Jun 2005
Wonderful book. I am quite new to wicca and have found this book the most helpful so far for bath brews, oils and insense. Scott cunningham was one of the greats when it came to writing books of the craft and long may he continue to be. You won't go wrong with buying this book.
Excellent book, 06 Jan 2005
This book is great,iv had this for a while now and i use it the most especially when i was a beginner,its excellent you can make up your own spells with the information,different oils for different outcomes,which incense to burn for what,how to make bath oils and what oils to mix and make magical oils for spell workings its so good,a full list of oils and what they are used for,its a definate must for any one following the wiccan path or anyone really whos interested in oils,and incenses,well worth the money
Brilliant book for everyone., 09 Jul 2004
I was so happy to recieve this book, it is so helpful and especially great for kitchen witches who work a lot with herbs.
To me it's an essential, and i highly recommend to just about everyone, as it also shows how to make gifts such as herbal bath teas, so you can even treat yourself. Well worth it!
Incense, Oils & Brews--Scott Cunningham, 11 Jun 2004
Well thumbed, dirty around the edges & with so many place markings what else can I say!!
Being also an Aromatherapist & with a good grasp of the do's & dont's of the "Oil/Herb World" I found this a very welcome volume to my very extensive "libary".
What ever you believe in & whatever you decide to call it. It will work.
Good to read with many varied "creams/lotions & potions" they are what you make of them, wether you 'empower'or not, the recipes/concoctions - for want of better words- should be done with love- as should anything that you make for yourself or for others,
So enjoy & take it as it is, an interesting volume well worth the space that it takes in your library.
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Customer Reviews
The Element Encyclopaedia of 5000 Spells, 15 Jul 2008
I bought this book quite a while ago because I was attracted to how many spells there are in it. The author has collected a diverse range of spells from various cultures and traditions. the spells are arranged by topic (each with an introduction) and there are a variety of different spells (though not all of them are practical or advisable).
There are other sections in the book to complement the collection of spells - the author's introduction is an interesting read and there are tables showing things such as colour associations. The book also has instructions for making the various oils mentioned in the spells and a list of possible ingredients including their latin names.
I have to admit I've never used a spell from the book "as is" because of my personal belief in making each one individual to the situation. However I find the book incredibly useful for inspiration and would definitely recommend it if you're curious to find out about different spells. Value for money, 23 May 2008
Is there anything this book does not cover, it is so big and with such an array of spells. You could cast a spell a day and it would take you years to get through them all. Splendid and worthy of anyone wishing to undertake the arts of this nature. Excellent, 15 May 2008
Probably the most comprehensive occult book I have ever read. Despite the name of the text, it deals with far more than spells; also having background into the various spirits the spells will deal with and the basics and history of practising magic. Great for the beginner or advanced witch. Wow..., 14 May 2008
I brought this book a few years back when I was new to the Craft, and although in honesty about 40% of the spells written therein I would never use (simply because they go against the Wiccan Crede), this is definitely a book for your collection! It escapes some of the fanciness of 'spell books' and leaps straight into the hard core facts and spells. However, do be careful if you try some of the heavier stuff - the book is good enough to point out to you that certain herbs/ingredients are harmful... but check your ingredients before you cast!!
Definatley one for the connection, five stars! :) What a great read!, 10 Sep 2007
As the other reviews have stated, this is a book to be read.
It's got all the spells you'd expect, and some you don't. While some of them may get you arrested (there is no way I am going to a cemetery on the night of a full moon, stripping and galloping around on an oleander branch) others make sense. I particularly like spell for getting a lover back that has a time limit - if he's not back in 27 days move on!
Do the spells work? That depends on all kinds of things. This kind of book gives you the framework, what you build over it is down to you.
Happy reading! rainbow tree comment, 19 Aug 2007
My daughter bought this for me from amazon as a present and I have to say it is the most amazing record of just about everything anyone would want to know about witchcraft. Ms Illes has managed to relay how witchcraft has evolved throughout the ages and contrary to popular belief anyone can source the information and use it to complement their lives. Buy it and you won't regeret it! Excellent - a fantastic overview of witchcraft, in all of its aspects, 13 Jun 2007
This encyclopedia is a companion to the ENCYCLOPEDIA OF 5000 SPELLS, also by the same author.
When I first received this volume, I was surprised in some ways: I had been expecting it to be organised by A-Z reference. In a sense it is, but Judika has actually arranged subject areas into alphabetical order, rather than absolutely everything there is to know about witchcraft in general - a much better way of going about it.
The encyclopedia begins with an informative introduction. I urge everyone who picks up this encyclopedia, especially those with perhaps limited knowledge about Wicca and witchcraft, to read this first. Judika highlights in here that, as with beauty, "what constitutes witchcraft is dependent upon the eye of its beholder" (p.1). Quite an obvious onbsevation, but one that definitely warrants discussion, even in today's world.
Following the introduction, there is then a section about the elements of aitchcraft. Again, I would urge you to read this before delving into the late pages. Topics covered here are the roots of witchcraft, animism, the worship of goddesses and the image of the sacred female plus dualism.
Some of the subjects included in the reference section of the encyclopedia include Animals, Books of Magic and Witchcraft, Calendar of Revelry and Sacred Days, Fairies, Creative Arts, Women's Mysteries and Wormwood and Garlic: Dangers and Protection.
As another reviewer said, this book is really a work to be used as a point of reference. It is not a how-to of witchcraft - patly because in order to do that, it would have to take on a certain stance, or tradition, and I see this book as more a general reference to witchcraft. This volume would be a good starting point for someone who has no or a little knowledge and would like to develop that knowledge. By Judika providing an extensive bibliography, you would certainly be able to use it in such a way. Likewise, because the index is also included, it enables you to use this book as a very accessible first point of call for when you may want information quickly.
This is a brilliant encyclopedia. It serves its purpose very well. I am incredibly pleased that I purchased it. Good, informative books are not always easy to come by - books on Wicca and witchcraft can either be fabulous or very prescripted - whereas this helps you to learn more about such a wide subject with the chance to go away and develop your knowledge by further research. Highly recommended. A magical tour de force, 25 Apr 2007
What we all need in our lives today is something to believe in and something magical. This book will bring you both, if you turn the pages with an open mind. A sense of being a part of something great and special. Connection back to nature and our planet which we have lost.
Harry Potter has re-awakened mankind's yearning to believe in something more magical than ourselves. Much that we have forgotten or strayed away from in our urgency to have it all is actually just what we need most now.
Judika has researched, prepared and tended this book with a great love and knowledge of all kinds of magic. If you believe and are seeking to know more this is the one current book that can help you. She pays respect to all of the sorcerors who came before and takes the magic of yesteryears right into the NOW. Read it, enjoy and learn.
This is not just hocus pocus. There is a serious side and it is also fun, beautiful and bright. Imbibed with life. VERY good!!!!, 17 Oct 2006
This is an excellent encyclopedia!!!! And the very best one of its kind. It has information on every magical person that has ever lived and has been created. Movies, books, history and fantasy. No stone has been left unturned and it's been well researched! Brilliant!!!
For every magical enquiery you ever have, this will be the book to turn to! Simply fantastic!
Not to mention its a gorgeous book! a great source of information ...., 03 May 2006
this is a huge book, filled with all the information you could possibly want to know about witchcraft!! It's not a how-to book, so don't buy it if you are looking for guidance - but the book will fill in the gaps you might have in your knowledge of the Craft and all it encompasses. A must for all witches and those interested in this path .... Lore of Poor Scholarship, 27 May 2008
Peppered with inaccuracies throughout, the entry on Highgate Cemetery serves as a pointer to just how poor the "scholarship" is in Lore of the Land.
The task befell Jacqueline Simpson to provide the entry on London's most famous graveyard which included more than a passing reference to its vampire. Simpson, according to Oxford University's Library Journal, is "an esteemed British folklore expert." This makes her coverage of the case of even greater concern.
"When the apparition was first discussed in the local press in 1970, it was merely called a ghost," she begins. It was called all manner of things when first discussed, but was already being described as a vampire locally; even from as early as 1965. What Simpson is alluding to is the plethora of readers' letters in the Hamsptead & Highgate Express where various correspondents spoke of a figure, spectre, ghost and vampire. The British Occult Society, too, often used the term "spectre," but this does not contradict the term "vampire." What she blurs is the fact that vampires (predatory demonic entities) exhibit a certain spectral aspect.
Simpson continues: "The publicity was initiated by a group of adolescents calling themselves the British Occult Society." An adolescent is surely someone between childhood and adulthood. The man she is misrepresenting throughout this entry was past his mid-twenties at the time of the early media curiosity and television interviews. Many of those involved or showing interest in the Highgate Vampire case within the British Occult Society were considerably older.
"David Farrant, their [the British Occult Society's] leader, spent the night there," she claims, despite evidence to the contrary. Farrant did not "lead" the Society. In fact, he owed no connection to the British Occult Society which was originally formed as an umbrella organisation circa 1860. Fellow members and close colleagues included Peter Underwood, Professor Devendra Prasad Varma, SeƔn Manchester and similar luminaries. Prior to its dissolution on 8 August 1988, it was presided over by SeƔn Manchester. He featured in a programme on 13 March 1970 (Today, Thames Television) to represent the Society's investigation into happenings in and around Highgate Cemetery that had been accumulating since the mid-1960s. A number of witnesses to a vampire spectre were also interviewed by Sandra Harris. These consisted largely of children and a young man who was captioned "David Farrant." SeƔn Manchester was captioned "President, British Occult Society." No confusion existed as to who "led" the British Occult Society.
Simpson then wrongly insists: "Hardly two informants gave the same story." What was notable, apart from a couple of rather dubious entries subsequently found to be disingenuous, was the similarity in the accounts recorded by the media, not least the local press. Most spoke of a tall, floating figure with burning eyes and an evil aura.
She continues to describe "another local youth, SeƔn Manchester" (the Oxford Dictionary defines "youth" as "adolescence" and "inexperienced" etc) and attributes the quote "a 'King Vampire from Wallachia'" to him. That precise phrase did not appear in print but a similar sentiment was expressed. However, SeƔn Manchester did not say anything of the kind and apparently explained at length in a book which Simpson read several years prior that the term "King Vampire" was a journalistic embellishment.
Referring to Highgate Cemetery, Simpson erroneously states: "both conducted rituals of exorcism." Farrant did not perform exorcisms. SeƔn Manchester carried out a spoken exorcism at Highgate Cemetery during August 1970 with consent. This was reconstructed for BBC television and transmitted on 15 October 1970.
Though completely unrelated to either Highgate Cemetery or the Highgate Vampire, Simpson includes: "Manchester challenged Farrant to a 'magical duel' on Parliament Hill." SeƔn Manchester did not challenge Farrant to a "magical duel," as confirmed by statements made by him at the time and coverage of this occasion in the Hampstead & Highgate Express (articles in April and May 1973) and in the work From Satan To Christ (1988) where the invitation to exorcise Farrant was incidental to the event itself. Farrant cried off and failed to appear. The Parliament Hill "Ring of Prayer" had nothing to do with a "magical duel" though some exploited it as such due to misinformation fed them by a publicity-hungry David Farrant. Retractions were published.
Curiously, Simpson refers to only one criminal conviction: "Farrant ... was jailed in 1974 for damage to memorials." Farrant, in fact, was sentenced to four years and eight months imprisonment in June 1974 for malicious damage, ie tomb vandalism, at Highgate Cemetery by inscribing black magic symbols on the floor of a mausoleum; offering indignities to remains of the dead, ie desecration via black magic rites where photographs were taken of a naked accomplice in a tomb where occult symbols were marked out on the floor; threatening police witnesses in a separate case where his black magic associate was subsequently found guilty of indecent sexual assault on a minor; theft of items from Barnet Hospital where Farrant worked briefly as a porter in 1970; possession of a handgun and ammunition kept at his address where discovery was made of a black magic altar beneath a mural of the Devil that had featured in the press. Simpson obviously felt she needed to downplay the seriousness of Farrant's part in the Highgate Cemetery matter in view of her determination to lump him in with SeƔn Manchester.
Jacqueline Simpson was president of the Folklore Society from 1993 to 1996 and is currently its honorary secretary. She has written misleading and grossly inaccurate statements in The Lore of the Land, having placed reliance on her American colleague Bill Ellis whose flawed material in his own Raising the Devil is even more defamatory and damaging. Some of the press cuttings referred to in his book are wrongly attributed and what he has to say is biased by an agenda to dismiss all things supernatural.
I would give Lore of the Land a wide berth unless a fictionalised version of cases like the Highgate Vampire investigation is all that is required. Excellent...., 22 May 2006
Lore of the Land does exactly what it claims - it is a comprehensive A-Z of folklore, legends and ghost / paranormal tales organised by County. It's not in the right format to read in bulk, but is absolutely fascinating for local interest and research purposes.
Highly recommended - this is the most accurate and thorough book I have seen on the subject. Not cheap but worth it. Beautiful and thorough, 08 Nov 2005
This book is not only perfectly designed for browsing, but clearly very well researched. It works on various levels too. If you are touring or visiting England, or if you live here and want to delve into the legendary and curious aspects of England then just buy this book. It is also thorough enough to be an important source for researchers. It's also dedicated to the wonderful Katharine Briggs.
Beautiful and fascinating!, 26 Oct 2005
I bought this as a birthday present for my mum but I'm going to have to get her another copy as I can't bring myself to part with it! The pictures are just fantastic: makes you realise just how many ghostly stories have built up around really famous places like Hampton Court and the Tower of London. But it's not just famous places that get a mention - really tiny villages like East Bergholt in Suffolk are in there too (the chirch was deprived of a steeple by the machinations of the devil, apparently). Highly recommended!
Some useful info but a bit fluffy for my taste, 19 Sep 2007
Since everyone else seems to be raving about this book I thought I'd offer an alternative view. I find the whole thing a little fluffy and fuzzy, frankly. That's not to say that there isn't useful information in here, but I'm not sure that one couldn't dig that up with a little searching on the internet.
A lot of the information is either common sense magickal knowledge (he bangs on a lot about focusing on intent during preparation) or could be better found in a book of correspondances such as Crowley's 777 or similar. There were some new correspondances I wasn't aware of, however.
The recipes section is a little odd also. It may give you a recipe and then tell you to not even consider using it, presumably since it contains strong or dangerous substances - perhaps a symptom of a culture of litagy, but nevertheless I found it strange. A simple disclaimer at the beginning of the book would be sufficient, surely? What's more, the recipes don't really contain any information other than the ingredients. He never mentions his sources for these recipes and on occasion says - "I've never been able to find substance X so use a substitute", marking out a few recipes as being not his invention. Where traditional recipes exist it would have been useful for them to be marked as such, and likewise where a recipe is simply his own devising.
My final criticism is one that I would level at all Cunningham's stuff that I've read which is that I find his writing style a little irritating. He has a tendency to point out the obvious and for condecension, and he constructs arguments in a fuzzy manner. I find it a little weak and couched in too much new age fluffiness. Being used to reading Crowley, and being accustomed to that degree of mental alacrity, it is too large a step back to stomach.
All in all some useful stuff here, if you can stomach the presentation, but little that could not be found on the internet.
Best book on potions etc you can have, 27 Jun 2005
Wonderful book. I am quite new to wicca and have found this book the most helpful so far for bath brews, oils and insense. Scott cunningham was one of the greats when it came to writing books of the craft and long may he continue to be. You won't go wrong with buying this book.
Excellent book, 06 Jan 2005
This book is great,iv had this for a while now and i use it the most especially when i was a beginner,its excellent you can make up your own spells with the information,different oils for different outcomes,which incense to burn for what,how to make bath oils and what oils to mix and make magical oils for spell workings its so good,a full list of oils and what they are used for,its a definate must for any one following the wiccan path or anyone really whos interested in oils,and incenses,well worth the money
Brilliant book for everyone., 09 Jul 2004
I was so happy to recieve this book, it is so helpful and especially great for kitchen witches who work a lot with herbs.
To me it's an essential, and i highly recommend to just about everyone, as it also shows how to make gifts such as herbal bath teas, so you can even treat yourself. Well worth it!
Incense, Oils & Brews--Scott Cunningham, 11 Jun 2004
Well thumbed, dirty around the edges & with so many place markings what else can I say!!
Being also an Aromatherapist & with a good grasp of the do's & dont's of the "Oil/Herb World" I found this a very welcome volume to my very extensive "libary".
What ever you believe in & whatever you decide to call it. It will work.
Good to read with many varied "creams/lotions & potions" they are what you make of them, wether you 'empower'or not, the recipes/concoctions - for want of better words- should be done with love- as should anything that you make for yourself or for others,
So enjoy & take it as it is, an interesting volume well worth the space that it takes in your library.
I'm impressed.., 26 Jun 2007
I've suffered a bit lately with online new age book purchases all turning out to be very american flavoured (fine if you know that's what you're getting but they do have different styles - it's why I avoid Llewelyn usually and look for Capall Bann and the like as publishers).
In some cases books on eastern practices turned out to be heavily christianised, which to a English druid really doesn't feel completely comfortable but this gamble has completely turned around my hope and faith in online book purchases. Although there are lots of USA details in here there are others too and it's all interesting where-ever it's about.
I was initially impressed by the actual physical size of the book, a nice chunky tome, and nice quality too.
Then even better than that I lost 3 hours of yesterday evening just flicking from entry to entry, without even noticing the time passing, sometimes following links, sometimes just opening it at random pages. It's great, I've ordered the creatures one too in the hope that it's just as good. If you like flicking through encyclopaedias anyway and are an information gatherer, or if you're curious about things psychic and hauntings. About all I'd say is the various spirits which live in places aren't all covered, but even that is fairly well done from Brownies to Knockers, from Ghosts and beyond (I was looking for house wights and their relatives). Even so there is still great coverage, and the attitude is really balanced too - no fear of presenting both sides when a subject is contravertial.
There are really odd and obscure details too which really add to it - I enjoyed the information about Elizabeth Barrett Browning (Victorian poet) and her husband's disagreements about spiritualists and the worthyness of their mediumistic friend in particular.
All in all highly recommended and I shall be buying copies as xmas presents this year I am certain! and hopefully I'll find my dear house wights in the magical creatures volume.
The Element Encyclopedia of the Psychic World, 02 Sep 2006
This is a fabulous book both entertaining and informative, as an encyclopedia would be it is set out in alphabetical format which is very handy for dipping into, and as a reference for looking things up.
Not only that it has some very useful information on furthering your own Psychic knowledge which I found very useful, a brilliant addition to any fan of the pshchic world's library!
Very informative, 17 Apr 2006
This book is both entertaining and informative. I like to read it as a coffee table book to dip in and out of when I want to relax. The account of the Fox Sisters who started the 19th century spiritualist craze is especially interesting! However also when one comes across things in the psychic world one does not understand it is good to have an easy reference guide to hand. The internet is not always reliable and sometimes gives you several different accounts - this clearly gives you a definitive to the point account which will be useful for all psychic students. I would have liked to see more lavish photograph to help the book further as the text is of such a high standard.
Fascinating resource, 15 Apr 2006
This book is packed with the history, folklore and scientific evidence surrounding psychic phenomena. I like the fact that it doesn't rely on eyewitness reports and looked at the psychic world from the point of view of sceptic and believer alike. The author isn't trying to make a case but simply provides the facts so that the reader can make their own mind up about the mysterious world we live in. It's a fascinating resource and a comprehensive guide to the psychic world for both beginner and expert. I highly recommened it.
Really loved this book!, 05 Apr 2006
I got my copy yesterday and have really enjoyed dipping in and out of it since. It is very well researched and provides a really balanced view. The A-Z format is great as it means that the book can be started at any point. The more I have read the more I wanted to know and search further through the book. From Oujia boards to key famous people dead and alive (and still floating in some cases) magic and mystery its all there! The style is so easy to read. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
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Customer Reviews
The Element Encyclopaedia of 5000 Spells, 15 Jul 2008
I bought this book quite a while ago because I was attracted to how many spells there are in it. The author has collected a diverse range of spells from various cultures and traditions. the spells are arranged by topic (each with an introduction) and there are a variety of different spells (though not all of them are practical or advisable).
There are other sections in the book to complement the collection of spells - the author's introduction is an interesting read and there are tables showing things such as colour associations. The book also has instructions for making the various oils mentioned in the spells and a list of possible ingredients including their latin names.
I have to admit I've never used a spell from the book "as is" because of my personal belief in making each one individual to the situation. However I find the book incredibly useful for inspiration and would definitely recommend it if you're curious to find out about different spells. Value for money, 23 May 2008
Is there anything this book does not cover, it is so big and with such an array of spells. You could cast a spell a day and it would take you years to get through them all. Splendid and worthy of anyone wishing to undertake the arts of this nature. Excellent, 15 May 2008
Probably the most comprehensive occult book I have ever read. Despite the name of the text, it deals with far more than spells; also having background into the various spirits the spells will deal with and the basics and history of practising magic. Great for the beginner or advanced witch. Wow..., 14 May 2008
I brought this book a few years back when I was new to the Craft, and although in honesty about 40% of the spells written therein I would never use (simply because they go against the Wiccan Crede), this is definitely a book for your collection! It escapes some of the fanciness of 'spell books' and leaps straight into the hard core facts and spells. However, do be careful if you try some of the heavier stuff - the book is good enough to point out to you that certain herbs/ingredients are harmful... but check your ingredients before you cast!!
Definatley one for the connection, five stars! :) What a great read!, 10 Sep 2007
As the other reviews have stated, this is a book to be read.
It's got all the spells you'd expect, and some you don't. While some of them may get you arrested (there is no way I am going to a cemetery on the night of a full moon, stripping and galloping around on an oleander branch) others make sense. I particularly like spell for getting a lover back that has a time limit - if he's not back in 27 days move on!
Do the spells work? That depends on all kinds of things. This kind of book gives you the framework, what you build over it is down to you.
Happy reading! rainbow tree comment, 19 Aug 2007
My daughter bought this for me from amazon as a present and I have to say it is the most amazing record of just about everything anyone would want to know about witchcraft. Ms Illes has managed to relay how witchcraft has evolved throughout the ages and contrary to popular belief anyone can source the information and use it to complement their lives. Buy it and you won't regeret it! Excellent - a fantastic overview of witchcraft, in all of its aspects, 13 Jun 2007
This encyclopedia is a companion to the ENCYCLOPEDIA OF 5000 SPELLS, also by the same author.
When I first received this volume, I was surprised in some ways: I had been expecting it to be organised by A-Z reference. In a sense it is, but Judika has actually arranged subject areas into alphabetical order, rather than absolutely everything there is to know about witchcraft in general - a much better way of going about it.
The encyclopedia begins with an informative introduction. I urge everyone who picks up this encyclopedia, especially those with perhaps limited knowledge about Wicca and witchcraft, to read this first. Judika highlights in here that, as with beauty, "what constitutes witchcraft is dependent upon the eye of its beholder" (p.1). Quite an obvious onbsevation, but one that definitely warrants discussion, even in today's world.
Following the introduction, there is then a section about the elements of aitchcraft. Again, I would urge you to read this before delving into the late pages. Topics covered here are the roots of witchcraft, animism, the worship of goddesses and the image of the sacred female plus dualism.
Some of the subjects included in the reference section of the encyclopedia include Animals, Books of Magic and Witchcraft, Calendar of Revelry and Sacred Days, Fairies, Creative Arts, Women's Mysteries and Wormwood and Garlic: Dangers and Protection.
As another reviewer said, this book is really a work to be used as a point of reference. It is not a how-to of witchcraft - patly because in order to do that, it would have to take on a certain stance, or tradition, and I see this book as more a general reference to witchcraft. This volume would be a good starting point for someone who has no or a little knowledge and would like to develop that knowledge. By Judika providing an extensive bibliography, you would certainly be able to use it in such a way. Likewise, because the index is also included, it enables you to use this book as a very accessible first point of call for when you may want information quickly.
This is a brilliant encyclopedia. It serves its purpose very well. I am incredibly pleased that I purchased it. Good, informative books are not always easy to come by - books on Wicca and witchcraft can either be fabulous or very prescripted - whereas this helps you to learn more about such a wide subject with the chance to go away and develop your knowledge by further research. Highly recommended. A magical tour de force, 25 Apr 2007
What we all need in our lives today is something to believe in and something magical. This book will bring you both, if you turn the pages with an open mind. A sense of being a part of something great and special. Connection back to nature and our planet which we have lost.
Harry Potter has re-awakened mankind's yearning to believe in something more magical than ourselves. Much that we have forgotten or strayed away from in our urgency to have it all is actually just what we need most now.
Judika has researched, prepared and tended this book with a great love and knowledge of all kinds of magic. If you believe and are seeking to know more this is the one current book that can help you. She pays respect to all of the sorcerors who came before and takes the magic of yesteryears right into the NOW. Read it, enjoy and learn.
This is not just hocus pocus. There is a serious side and it is also fun, beautiful and bright. Imbibed with life. VERY good!!!!, 17 Oct 2006
This is an excellent encyclopedia!!!! And the very best one of its kind. It has information on every magical person that has ever lived and has been created. Movies, books, history and fantasy. No stone has been left unturned and it's been well researched! Brilliant!!!
For every magical enquiery you ever have, this will be the book to turn to! Simply fantastic!
Not to mention its a gorgeous book! a great source of information ...., 03 May 2006
this is a huge book, filled with all the information you could possibly want to know about witchcraft!! It's not a how-to book, so don't buy it if you are looking for guidance - but the book will fill in the gaps you might have in your knowledge of the Craft and all it encompasses. A must for all witches and those interested in this path .... Lore of Poor Scholarship, 27 May 2008
Peppered with inaccuracies throughout, the entry on Highgate Cemetery serves as a pointer to just how poor the "scholarship" is in Lore of the Land.
The task befell Jacqueline Simpson to provide the entry on London's most famous graveyard which included more than a passing reference to its vampire. Simpson, according to Oxford University's Library Journal, is "an esteemed British folklore expert." This makes her coverage of the case of even greater concern.
"When the apparition was first discussed in the local press in 1970, it was merely called a ghost," she begins. It was called all manner of things when first discussed, but was already being described as a vampire locally; even from as early as 1965. What Simpson is alluding to is the plethora of readers' letters in the Hamsptead & Highgate Express where various correspondents spoke of a figure, spectre, ghost and vampire. The British Occult Society, too, often used the term "spectre," but this does not contradict the term "vampire." What she blurs is the fact that vampires (predatory demonic entities) exhibit a certain spectral aspect.
Simpson continues: "The publicity was initiated by a group of adolescents calling themselves the British Occult Society." An adolescent is surely someone between childhood and adulthood. The man she is misrepresenting throughout this entry was past his mid-twenties at the time of the early media curiosity and television interviews. Many of those involved or showing interest in the Highgate Vampire case within the British Occult Society were considerably older.
"David Farrant, their [the British Occult Society's] leader, spent the night there," she claims, despite evidence to the contrary. Farrant did not "lead" the Society. In fact, he owed no connection to the British Occult Society which was originally formed as an umbrella organisation circa 1860. Fellow members and close colleagues included Peter Underwood, Professor Devendra Prasad Varma, SeƔn Manchester and similar luminaries. Prior to its dissolution on 8 August 1988, it was presided over by SeƔn Manchester. He featured in a programme on 13 March 1970 (Today, Thames Television) to represent the Society's investigation into happenings in and around Highgate Cemetery that had been accumulating since the mid-1960s. A number of witnesses to a vampire spectre were also interviewed by Sandra Harris. These consisted largely of children and a young man who was captioned "David Farrant." SeƔn Manchester was captioned "President, British Occult Society." No confusion existed as to who "led" the British Occult Society.
Simpson then wrongly insists: "Hardly two informants gave the same story." What was notable, apart from a couple of rather dubious entries subsequently found to be disingenuous, was the similarity in the accounts recorded by the media, not least the local press. Most spoke of a tall, floating figure with burning eyes and an evil aura.
She continues to describe "another local youth, SeƔn Manchester" (the Oxford Dictionary defines "youth" as "adolescence" and "inexperienced" etc) and attributes the quote "a 'King Vampire from Wallachia'" to him. That precise phrase did not appear in print but a similar sentiment was expressed. However, SeƔn Manchester did not say anything of the kind and apparently explained at length in a book which Simpson read several years prior that the term "King Vampire" was a journalistic embellishment.
Referring to Highgate Cemetery, Simpson erroneously states: "both conducted rituals of exorcism." Farrant did not perform exorcisms. SeƔn Manchester carried out a spoken exorcism at Highgate Cemetery during August 1970 with consent. This was reconstructed for BBC television and transmitted on 15 October 1970.
Though completely unrelated to either Highgate Cemetery or the Highgate Vampire, Simpson includes: "Manchester challenged Farrant to a 'magical duel' on Parliament Hill." SeƔn Manchester did not challenge Farrant to a "magical duel," as confirmed by statements made by him at the time and coverage of this occasion in the Hampstead & Highgate Express (articles in April and May 1973) and in the work From Satan To Christ (1988) where the invitation to exorcise Farrant was incidental to the event itself. Farrant cried off and failed to appear. The Parliament Hill "Ring of Prayer" had nothing to do with a "magical duel" though some exploited it as such due to misinformation fed them by a publicity-hungry David Farrant. Retractions were published.
Curiously, Simpson refers to only one criminal conviction: "Farrant ... was jailed in 1974 for damage to memorials." Farrant, in fact, was sentenced to four years and eight months imprisonment in June 1974 for malicious damage, ie tomb vandalism, at Highgate Cemetery by inscribing black magic symbols on the floor of a mausoleum; offering indignities to remains of the dead, ie desecration via black magic rites where photographs were taken of a naked accomplice in a tomb where occult symbols were marked out on the floor; threatening police witnesses in a separate case where his black magic associate was subsequently found guilty of indecent sexual assault on a minor; theft of items from Barnet Hospital where Farrant worked briefly as a porter in 1970; possession of a handgun and ammunition kept at his address where discovery was made of a black magic altar beneath a mural of the Devil that had featured in the press. Simpson obviously felt she needed to downplay the seriousness of Farrant's part in the Highgate Cemetery matter in view of her determination to lump him in with SeƔn Manchester.
Jacqueline Simpson was president of the Folklore Society from 1993 to 1996 and is currently its honorary secretary. She has written misleading and grossly inaccurate statements in The Lore of the Land, having placed reliance on her American colleague Bill Ellis whose flawed material in his own Raising the Devil is even more defamatory and damaging. Some of the press cuttings referred to in his book are wrongly attributed and what he has to say is biased by an agenda to dismiss all things supernatural.
I would give Lore of the Land a wide berth unless a fictionalised version of cases like the Highgate Vampire investigation is all that is required. Excellent...., 22 May 2006
Lore of the Land does exactly what it claims - it is a comprehensive A-Z of folklore, legends and ghost / paranormal tales organised by County. It's not in the right format to read in bulk, but is absolutely fascinating for local interest and research purposes.
Highly recommended - this is the most accurate and thorough book I have seen on the subject. Not cheap but worth it. Beautiful and thorough, 08 Nov 2005
This book is not only perfectly designed for browsing, but clearly very well researched. It works on various levels too. If you are touring or visiting England, or if you live here and want to delve into the legendary and curious aspects of England then just buy this book. It is also thorough enough to be an important source for researchers. It's also dedicated to the wonderful Katharine Briggs.
Beautiful and fascinating!, 26 Oct 2005
I bought this as a birthday present for my mum but I'm going to have to get her another copy as I can't bring myself to part with it! The pictures are just fantastic: makes you realise just how many ghostly stories have built up around really famous places like Hampton Court and the Tower of London. But it's not just famous places that get a mention - really tiny villages like East Bergholt in Suffolk are in there too (the chirch was deprived of a steeple by the machinations of the devil, apparently). Highly recommended!
Some useful info but a bit fluffy for my taste, 19 Sep 2007
Since everyone else seems to be raving about this book I thought I'd offer an alternative view. I find the whole thing a little fluffy and fuzzy, frankly. That's not to say that there isn't useful information in here, but I'm not sure that one couldn't dig that up with a little searching on the internet.
A lot of the information is either common sense magickal knowledge (he bangs on a lot about focusing on intent during preparation) or could be better found in a book of correspondances such as Crowley's 777 or similar. There were some new correspondances I wasn't aware of, however.
The recipes section is a little odd also. It may give you a recipe and then tell you to not even consider using it, presumably since it contains strong or dangerous substances - perhaps a symptom of a culture of litagy, but nevertheless I found it strange. A simple disclaimer at the beginning of the book would be sufficient, surely? What's more, the recipes don't really contain any information other than the ingredients. He never mentions his sources for these recipes and on occasion says - "I've never been able to find substance X so use a substitute", marking out a few recipes as being not his invention. Where traditional recipes exist it would have been useful for them to be marked as such, and likewise where a recipe is simply his own devising.
My final criticism is one that I would level at all Cunningham's stuff that I've read which is that I find his writing style a little irritating. He has a tendency to point out the obvious and for condecension, and he constructs arguments in a fuzzy manner. I find it a little weak and couched in too much new age fluffiness. Being used to reading Crowley, and being accustomed to that degree of mental alacrity, it is too large a step back to stomach.
All in all some useful stuff here, if you can stomach the presentation, but little that could not be found on the internet.
Best book on potions etc you can have, 27 Jun 2005
Wonderful book. I am quite new to wicca and have found this book the most helpful so far for bath brews, oils and insense. Scott cunningham was one of the greats when it came to writing books of the craft and long may he continue to be. You won't go wrong with buying this book.
Excellent book, 06 Jan 2005
This book is great,iv had this for a while now and i use it the most especially when i was a beginner,its excellent you can make up your own spells with the information,different oils for different outcomes,which incense to burn for what,how to make bath oils and what oils to mix and make magical oils for spell workings its so good,a full list of oils and what they are used for,its a definate must for any one following the wiccan path or anyone really whos interested in oils,and incenses,well worth the money
Brilliant book for everyone., 09 Jul 2004
I was so happy to recieve this book, it is so helpful and especially great for kitchen witches who work a lot with herbs.
To me it's an essential, and i highly recommend to just about everyone, as it also shows how to make gifts such as herbal bath teas, so you can even treat yourself. Well worth it!
Incense, Oils & Brews--Scott Cunningham, 11 Jun 2004
Well thumbed, dirty around the edges & with so many place markings what else can I say!!
Being also an Aromatherapist & with a good grasp of the do's & dont's of the "Oil/Herb World" I found this a very welcome volume to my very extensive "libary".
What ever you believe in & whatever you decide to call it. It will work.
Good to read with many varied "creams/lotions & potions" they are what you make of them, wether you 'empower'or not, the recipes/concoctions - for want of better words- should be done with love- as should anything that you make for yourself or for others,
So enjoy & take it as it is, an interesting volume well worth the space that it takes in your library.
I'm impressed.., 26 Jun 2007
I've suffered a bit lately with online new age book purchases all turning out to be very american flavoured (fine if you know that's what you're getting but they do have different styles - it's why I avoid Llewelyn usually and look for Capall Bann and the like as publishers).
In some cases books on eastern practices turned out to be heavily christianised, which to a English druid really doesn't feel completely comfortable but this gamble has completely turned around my hope and faith in online book purchases. Although there are lots of USA details in here there are others too and it's all interesting where-ever it's about.
I was initially impressed by the actual physical size of the book, a nice chunky tome, and nice quality too.
Then even better than that I lost 3 hours of yesterday evening just flicking from entry to entry, without even noticing the time passing, sometimes following links, sometimes just opening it at random pages. It's great, I've ordered the creatures one too in the hope that it's just as good. If you like flicking through encyclopaedias anyway and are an information gatherer, or if you're curious about things psychic and hauntings. About all I'd say is the various spirits which live in places aren't all covered, but even that is fairly well done from Brownies to Knockers, from Ghosts and beyond (I was looking for house wights and their relatives). Even so there is still great coverage, and the attitude is really balanced too - no fear of presenting both sides when a subject is contravertial.
There are really odd and obscure details too which really add to it - I enjoyed the information about Elizabeth Barrett Browning (Victorian poet) and her husband's disagreements about spiritualists and the worthyness of their mediumistic friend in particular.
All in all highly recommended and I shall be buying copies as xmas presents this year I am certain! and hopefully I'll find my dear house wights in the magical creatures volume.
The Element Encyclopedia of the Psychic World, 02 Sep 2006
This is a fabulous book both entertaining and informative, as an encyclopedia would be it is set out in alphabetical format which is very handy for dipping into, and as a reference for looking things up.
Not only that it has some very useful information on furthering your own Psychic knowledge which I found very useful, a brilliant addition to any fan of the pshchic world's library!
Very informative, 17 Apr 2006
This book is both entertaining and informative. I like to read it as a coffee table book to dip in and out of when I want to relax. The account of the Fox Sisters who started the 19th century spiritualist craze is especially interesting! However also when one comes across things in the psychic world one does not understand it is good to have an easy reference guide to hand. The internet is not always reliable and sometimes gives you several different accounts - this clearly gives you a definitive to the point account which will be useful for all psychic students. I would have like | | |