Magic and Witchery in the Modern West

This book marks twenty years since the publication of Professor Ronald Hutton’s The Triumph of the Moon, a major contribution to the historical study of Wicca. Building on and celebrating Hutton’s pioneering work, the chapters in this volume explore a range of modern magical, occult, and Pagan groups active in Western nations. Each contributor is a specialist in the study of modern Paganism and occultism, although differ in their embrace of historical, anthropological, and psychological perspectives. Chapters examine not only the history of Wicca, the largest and best-known form of modern Paganism, but also modern Pagan environmentalist and anti-nuclear activism, the Pagan interpretation of fairy folklore, and the contemporary ‘Traditional Witchcraft’ phenomenon.

“Magic and Witchery in the Modern West is a well-deserved celebration of the pioneering scholarship of Ronald Hutton. The first scholar to seriously research contemporary Wicca … . Perhaps the most noteworthy component of this edited volume is its interdisciplinary nature. … This volume illustrates major developments within the academic study of Paganisms and Witchcrafts … . the book is an encouraging demonstration of the great potential for ongoing scholarly inquiry into Paganism and Witchcraft.” (S. Brennan Kettelle, Nova Religio, Vol. 25 (3), February, 2022)“The strength of the volume is in the variety of scholarly approaches to modern Witchcraft, demonstrating the rich potential for research in this still emerging set of magico-religious cultures. … Magic and Witchery in the Modern West provides a useful addition to research on contemporary Witchcraft and Paganisms, while honoring its most important scholar. … For scholars interested in the ways in which ideas about nature inform spiritual and religious traditions, this text provides several useful, grounded examples … .” (Amy Hale, Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture, Vol. 15 (3), 2021)“This volume honors the British historian Ronald Hutton … for his efforts to spark academic interest in the hitherto neglected fields of modern witchcraft and paganism. … This is a stimulating read.” (Gabriella Voss, Religious Studies Review, Vol. 47 (1), March, 2021)“Feraro and Doyle White’s anthology is clearly a valuable contribution to the field. Most of its contributions are of high scholarly quality, and the volume does an excellent job in celebrating Triumph and in expanding upon its methods and motifs while applying these to hitherto neglected aspects, recent developments, or parallel traditions of Wicca.” (Bernd-Christian Otto, International Journal for the Study of New Religions, Vol. 11 (2), 2020)

Shai Feraro is Lecturer at the Oranim College of Education, Israel, and the Secretary of the Israeli Association for the Study of Religions. He has published on modern Paganism and Goddess Spirituality in relevant journals and anthologies, and is the co-editor of Contemporary Alternative Spiritualities in Israel (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016). Ethan Doyle White is the author of Wicca: History, Belief, and Community in Modern Pagan Witchcraft (2016), and has published on Wicca, modern Paganism, and related topics in journals such as Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft, The Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies, and Folklore.