-
Magic
- A History: From Alchemy to Witchcraft, from the Ice Age to the Present
- Narrated by: Clarke Peters
- Length: 19 hrs and 6 mins
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Publisher's summary
Over the last few centuries, magic has developed a bad reputation - thanks to the unsavory tactics of shady practitioners and to a successful propaganda campaign on the part of religion and science, which denigrated magic as backward, irrational, and "primitive". In Magic, however, the Oxford Professor of Archaeology Chris Gosden restores magic to its essential place in the history of the world - revealing it to be an enduring element of human behavior that plays an important role for individuals and cultures. From the curses and charms of ancient Greek, Roman, and Jewish magic, to the shamanistic traditions of Eurasia, indigenous America, and Africa; from the alchemy of the Renaissance to the condemnation of magic in the colonial period and the mysteries of modern quantum physics - Gosden's startling, fun, and colorful history supplies a missing chapter of the story of our civilization.
Drawing on decades of research around the world - touching on the first known horoscope, a statue ordered into exile, and the mystical power of tattoos - Gosden shows what magic can offer us today and how we might use it to rethink our relationship with the world. Magic is an original, singular, and sweeping work of scholarship, and its revelations will leave a spell on the listener.
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Decent Primer on Magical Traditions
- By Albert Williams on 04-28-21
By: DK
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The Triumph of the Moon
- A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft
- By: Ronald Hutton
- Narrated by: Bruce Mann
- Length: 28 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Ronald Hutton is known for his colorful, provocative, and always exhaustively researched studies on original subjects. This work is no exception: the first full-scale scholarly study of the only religion England has ever given the world, that of modern pagan witchcraft, which has now spread from English shores across four continents. Hutton examines the nature of that religion and its development, and offers a microhistory of attitudes to paganism, witchcraft, and magic in British society since 1800.
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Horrible narrator
- By Karen M on 04-29-21
By: Ronald Hutton
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The Alchemist's Handbook
- A Practical Manual
- By: Frater Albertus, Robert Allen Bartlett - foreword
- Narrated by: Preston Geer
- Length: 4 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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The Alchemist's Handbook has long been an essential contribution to the study of alchemy since its first publication in 1960. It still stands as a groundbreaking work presenting in clear, concise language a practical manual of working knowledge that was formerly handed down under oath of secrecy. The scope of alchemical work is to provide both a means to synthesize all the other sciences and the necessary training of the intellectual and spiritual faculties. This edition includes a new foreword by Robert Allen Bartlett, author of Real Alchemy.
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Wonderful
- By StefO on 08-18-24
By: Frater Albertus, and others
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The Witch
- A History of Fear, from Ancient Times to the Present
- By: Ronald Hutton
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 16 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Why have societies all across the world feared witchcraft? This book delves deeply into its context, beliefs, and origins in Europe's history. The witch came to prominence - and often a painful death - in early modern Europe, yet her origins are much more geographically diverse and historically deep. In this landmark book, Ronald Hutton traces witchcraft from the ancient world to the early modern state.
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Meticulously researched, dry but great.
- By Matthew T Shank on 09-21-18
By: Ronald Hutton
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Anthropology for Dummies, 2nd Edition
- By: Cameron M. Smith PhD
- Narrated by: Christopher Douyard
- Length: 14 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Anthropology is the organized study of what makes humans human. It takes an objective step back to ask questions like: Given our common characteristics, why aren't all of us exactly the same? And how can knowing the reasons behind our differences - as well as our similarities - teach us useful lessons for the future? The updated edition of Anthropology for Dummies gives you a panoramic view of the fascinating fieldwork and theory that seeks to answer these questions - and helps you view the human world through impartial, anthropological eyes.
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Overall Good Intro to Anthropology
- By J. Gunderssen on 10-06-23
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The First Ghosts
- Most Ancient of Legacies
- By: Irving Finkel
- Narrated by: Irving Finkel
- Length: 9 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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There are few things more in common across cultures than the belief in ghosts. Ghosts inhabit something of the very essence of what it is to be human. Whether we personally 'believe' or not, we are all aware of ghosts and the rich mythologies and rituals surrounding them. They have inspired, fascinated and frightened us for centuries - yet most of us are only familiar with the vengeful apparitions of Shakespeare, or the ghastly spectres haunting the pages of 19th-century Gothic literature. But their origins are much, much older.
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Ghosts Were Causing My Tinnitus!
- By James D on 01-08-22
By: Irving Finkel
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The Doctrine and Ritual of High Magic
- A New Translation
- By: Eliphas Lévi, John Michael Greer - translator, Mark Anthony Mikituk - translator
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 16 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Filling a huge gap in our spiritual culture, here - at last - is a comprehensive and elegant translation of the 1854 French masterwork of occult philosophy. The Doctrine and Ritual of High Magic reignited the esoteric spiritual search in the West and led to the emergence of Madame Blavatsky, Manly P. Hall, and the New Age revolution.
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A performance tour de force!
- By Brian Allen on 06-29-17
By: Eliphas Lévi, and others
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Sorcerer's Stone
- A Beginner's Guide to Alchemy
- By: Dennis William Hauck
- Narrated by: Virtual Voice
- Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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The author of this book, Dennis William Hauck, is a Hermetic scholar versed in both Eastern and Western techniques of alchemy and widely recognized as one of the world’s leading experts on the subject. Now, in this book, he makes alchemy’s secrets and powers accessible to everyone with the desire to experience physical, mental, and spiritual transformation. By providing clear explanations, moving meditations, and hands-on experiments making tinctures and elixirs, this beautifully illustrated guide passes on the knowledge and creative energy of alchemy’s magnificent discipline—...
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The information is very detailed.
- By Michelle on 06-27-24
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Celtic Spirituality
- An Introduction to the Sacred Wisdom of the Celts
- By: Philip Freeman
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 2 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Though the Celtic civilization has long disappeared, lingering traces of their spirituality haunt Ireland and the surrounding land. Translated from their original languages - Gaulish, Latin, Irish, and Welsh - the passages and stories in Celtic Spirituality are true artifacts of the Celts' vibrant and varied religion from both the pre-Christian and early Christian period. From a ritual of magical inspiration to stories of the ancient gods and adventures of long-forgotten heroes, Freeman has unearthed a stunning collection of Celtic work.
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Loved the book
- By DMetrio21 on 03-21-22
By: Philip Freeman
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David Copperfield's History of Magic
- By: David Copperfield, Richard Wiseman, David Britland
- Narrated by: Feodor Chin, David Copperfield
- Length: 4 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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In this personal journey through a unique performing art, David Copperfield profiles some of the world’s most groundbreaking magicians. From the 16th-century magistrate who wrote an early book on conjuring, to the Roaring Twenties and the man who fooled Houdini, to the woman who levitated, vanished, and caught bullets in her bare hands, David Copperfield’s History of Magic takes you on a wild journey through the remarkable feats of some of the greatest magicians in history.
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Interesting stories / bland reading
- By Salman Qureshi on 03-01-22
By: David Copperfield, and others
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The Secret History of Magic
- The True Story of the Deceptive Art
- By: Peter Lamont, Jim Steinmeyer
- Narrated by: Rory Barnett
- Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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If you read a standard history of magic, you learn that it begins in ancient Egypt with the resurrection of a goose in front of the Pharaoh. You discover how magicians were tortured and killed during the age of witchcraft. You are told how conjuring tricks were used to quell rebellious colonial natives. The history of magic is full of such stories, which turn out not to be true. Behind the smoke and mirrors, however, lies the real story of magic.
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Snoozefest
- By Eric Myers on 06-22-19
By: Peter Lamont, and others
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New World Witchery
- A Trove of North American Folk Magic
- By: Cory Thomas Hutcheson
- Narrated by: Ramon De Ocampo
- Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Featuring nearly 500 samples of folklore, including stories, artifacts, rituals, and beliefs, New World Witchery is one of the most comprehensive collections of witchcraft and folk magic ever written. This treasure trove of witchery is designed to help you integrate folk traditions into your life and deepen your understanding of magic.
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definitely worth picking up
- By Lief on 06-14-21
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Celtic Tree Magic
- Ogham Lore and Druid Mysteries
- By: Danu Forest
- Narrated by: Senn Annis
- Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Explore the powerful magic of the twenty-five trees in the ogham tradition. Enrich your spiritual practice with authentic Celtic wisdom and practical techniques.
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A complete guide to the druid meaning and relevance of many types of trees and their effects in our lives
- By Brent M. on 12-13-22
By: Danu Forest
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Queens of the Wild
- Pagan Goddesses in Christian Europe: An Investigation
- By: Ronald Hutton
- Narrated by: Gary Paul Williams
- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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In this riveting account, renowned scholar Ronald Hutton explores the history of deity-like figures in Christian Europe. Drawing on anthropology, archaeology, literature, and history, Hutton shows how hags, witches, the fairy queen, and the Green Man all came to be, and how they changed over the centuries. Looking closely at four main figures—Mother Earth, the Fairy Queen, the Mistress of the Night, and the Old Woman of Gaelic tradition—Hutton challenges decades of debate around the female figures who have long been thought versions of pre-Christian goddesses.
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Another informative book by Roland Hutton
- By NetChick on 09-19-22
By: Ronald Hutton
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American Witches
- A Broomstick Tour through Four Centuries
- By: Susan Fair
- Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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On a tour through history that's both whimsical and startling, we'll encounter 17th-century children flying around inside their New England home "like geese". We'll meet a father-son team of pious Puritans who embarked on a mission that involved undressing ladies and overseeing hangings. And on the eve of the Civil War, we'll accompany a reporter as he dons a dress and goes searching for witches in New York City's most dangerous neighborhoods.
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Christan witch book
- By Nicole on 09-01-20
By: Susan Fair
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The Path of Alchemy
- Energetic Healing & the World of Natural Magic
- By: Mark Stavish
- Narrated by: Chris Sorensen
- Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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The Path of Alchemy introduces the history and basic laws of this ancient practice, and explains how it ties into Qabala, tarot, astrology, and the four elements. Safe, modern techniques - based on spagyrics (plant alchemy) - for producing distillations, stones, tinctures, and elixirs are given, along with their uses in physical healing, spiritual growth, psychic experiments, initiation, consecration, spellwork, and more. Each chapter includes meditations, projects, and suggested reading as aids to "inner transformation," an equally important aspect of alchemy.
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the path of alchemy
- By Anonymous User on 06-07-24
By: Mark Stavish
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Transcendental Magic
- Its Doctrine and Ritual
- By: Eliphas Levi
- Narrated by: Henry Schrader
- Length: 13 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Transcendental Magic: Its Doctrine and Ritual by Éliphas Lévi explores magic, the "esoteric science," and its place between science and religion.
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Gonna go and get a physical copy
- By Alednam A Uonopk on 03-10-23
By: Eliphas Levi
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Season of the Witch
- How the Occult Saved Rock and Roll
- By: Peter Bebergal
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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This epic cultural and historical odyssey unearths the full influence of occult traditions on rock and roll - from the Beatles to Black Sabbath - and shows how the marriage between mysticism and music changed our world.
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Great look into the history of Rock & Roll.
- By Jordan on 02-27-23
By: Peter Bebergal
What listeners say about Magic
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Mock
- 06-18-23
Helpful academic overview of magical history
The author is an academic and most of the book is really solid from the stand point of academic history and archaeology. When it comes to more modern magic though, it's clear that the author has no connection to magic or practicioners at all, but speaks from a place of authority to say what magic is and how it should be practiced, all from the viewpoint of Western academia. Do yourself a favor and skip the last few chapters, but most of the book is worth a listen.
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3 people found this helpful
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- jaded skye
- 01-21-24
not magic - more like superstition
Boring. Spent more time saying what he was going to say than actually saying it. I swear it seemed like 2 hours of introduction before any content at all. Then it seemed every single chapter repeated the pattern of more intro than content. By then I had little patience and couldn't make it through much more. I skipped around and bit and got so sick of the phrase "triple helix of science, religion, and magic." Barely any concrete examples used, just a lot of jargon filler. Not one thing mentioned would I call magic. Just astrology, superstition, and utter nonsense. May be of interest to cultural anthropologists, but definitely not intended for a popular audience.
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- Shipwrecked
- 12-03-22
Fascinating overview of international archeology
Wide-ranging overview of international archeology and the discoveries suggestive of magical rites through all of history. Author is an Oxford professor of archeology. Discussion is detailed and fact-based but without being stuffy. Also decent sketch of recent magical societies and trends. Performance was oddly paced, as if the reader was reading the text for the first time and had a hard time finding the start of each next line, but it didn’t detract much from my enjoyment of the book - voice is engaging.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Saden Shard
- 01-18-24
very little detail about Magic practice, mindset, or impact
Performance:
I enjoyed the readers presentatand cadence.
story:
Cons:
The book is more of a collection of facts around magic and not really about magic. It feels more like a collections of brief YouTube videos in book form.
Pros:
Even though they don't contribute to an understanding of magical development there are a lot of interesting facts in the book.
the last 2 hours of the book also contains interesting opinions on magic and its impact. I wish the whole book was more like that.
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- Earth Lover
- 09-06-21
Outstanding Readable Survey of Recent Scholarship
Great survey of recent archaeology and interpretations. Major focus on archaeology of Asia Minor and the Asian Steppes and how it pertains to all of Eurasia. Not likely to to be the final word, but a good overview of where we're at in 2020.
Magic/Religion/Science - Gosden sees them as a perpetual triad, not a linear sequence. Science is found in prehistoric times - and magic in modern.
This book lends itself to "dropping in" - each section can stand on its own as well as part of a larger flow.
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9 people found this helpful