Witchcraft and Magic: Contemporary North America by Helen A.

Berger
Review by: Mary Koegel
Western Folklore, Vol. 67, No. 4 (Fall, 2008), pp. 460-462
Published by: Western States Folklore Society
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460

REVIEWS

bibliography that includes the works of numerous social theorists, but

their theories are not tied in with the content of the book.
Despite these shortcomings, the book was a joy to read. It brought
back memories of my youth inWisconsin,
and it opened my eyes to art
forms and people situated within an easy drive of my childhood home.
of theSpirit is not ideal for a classroom, but itmakes
comprehensive overview of outsider art inWisconsin.

Miracles

for a good

MATTHEW BRANCH

Oregon FolklifeProgram
Historical
Oregon
Society,Portland

Witchcraft and Magic:

ContemporaryNorth America. Edited by Helen A.

Berger. (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2005. Pp.
207, introduction, notes, bibliography, index. $39.95 cloth)

Witchcraft and Magic

sets out to clear up public misunderstandings

about
in America today. Editor Helen A. Berger's introduc

magical religions
tion briefly mentions
issues,
which
a

diversity
the

clearer

essays
image

among
in the
of

areas of misunderstanding?social
magical
collection

Neopaganism

religions,
are
in

and

modern

to address.
this

volume,

and political
manifestations?

Berger
as well

to convey

seeks
as

to

illustrate

among at least a few of the many distinct

and seem to enjoy a growing
neopagan practices that have developed
popularity inNorth America. The book contains seven essays in addition
to Berger's introduction. Though the editor has not explicitly separated
similarities and differences

these seven into thematic sections, three general divisions emerge as

cultural manifestations
reads the book: history and development,

one

of practices
temporary

The

in North America,
mass

and representations

of practices

in con

media.

of the practice of
initial three essays discuss the development
religions in North America. While other essays in the volume

magical
include at least a brief historical overview, these three provide a politi
cally and socially solid historical context for the entire work. Michael

in a
looks at the New Age Movement
in "New Age and Magic,"
on
a
A.
North
America.
Helen
focus
with
sense,
Berger,
though
generic
examines spiritual paths that have
in "Witchcraft and Neopaganism,"

York,

emerged
edging

in North America, such as Druidism and Odinism, acknowl

in England and its influence on North
the New Age Movement

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All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Witchcraft and Magic

American

461

The third essay, "Webs of Women:

Feminist
the
addresses
feminist
Griffin,
Spiritualities," byWendy
perspective and
its influence upon developments
in North America over the past sev
developments.

eral decades.

Perhaps unavoidably these essays, despite their different

become a bit repetitive in places.
York's "Shamanism and Magic"
leads beautifully into the

emphases,
Michael

three chapters, which focus on specific manifestations of magi

cal religions and serve to show thatmagical religions comprise not only
witchcraft and Neopaganism,
but include distinct stand-alone variations

middle

such as Shamanism

to "shamanism," without the

(as opposed
capital
term
(a
preferred by contributor Ysamur M. Flores-Pena

letter), Lucumi
the more

to

known

commonly

connotations),
mass-media

of

portrayals

which

Santeria,

and Satanism.

Satanism

and

racist

carries

says

essay, which
to

reactions

public

a comfortable

trayals, provides
the anthology. Tanice

she

Stuart A. Wright's

analyzes
these

por

segue to the seventh and final essay in

G. Foltz's "The Commodification
ofWitchcraft"

rounds out the volume with an elaborate description and

analysis of rep
resentations of witchcraft and magic in contemporary North American
assesses

and

media,

Despite
mise

their

its usefulness.

For

in the

legitimacy

this anthology's

context

of actual

strengths, it has shortcomings

the authors

example,

lean

too

far

practice.

that compro
towards

female

representations of magical religions. This is not to say that the mascu

line side of magic is leftout altogether, but the inclusions are rare, and
overall

the

of magical

one

must

trayed as feminine
see

similar

concede

studies

treatment

and

that

fully

magical

in the mass media,

here,

terminology. Since discussion

of folk

near

nowhere

(I know quite a few male

religions.
as

However,

comes

book

many

other

however

gender-inclusive

picture

practitioners
are

practices

it is perhaps
inaccurate.

typically

Another

areas,

por

not surprising to
is

example

of terminology is a constant
academic

of magic.)

in the world
that a volume

expected

regarding issues of folk belief (which has serious terminological issues of

its own) would attempt to define
clearly what itwas discussing. Except
as brief side commentary,
though, Witchcraft and Magic never directly
the

addresses
monly

There
and Magic
view.

fact

that words

like

"witchcraft"

and

"magic"

are

com

misconstrued.

is no doubt

that the authors whose

have a grasp of magical

However,

as

practicing

essays appear inWitchcraft

an academic point of
from
religions
I feel

pagan,

fieldwork

could

have been more

Neo-Pagan

Sacred Art and Altars (2001).

that

reflexive, as
Instead,

their

portrayal

of

any

in Sabina Magliocco's
these authors (with the

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REVIEWS

462

write about what they saw rather than

exception of Tanice G. Foltz)
what they experienced. The resulting collection of essays is informative
a textbook. Ultimately, this volume
yet relatively dry, reading much like
is a wonderful introduction to the breadth of cross-cultural influences of
forms of contemporary

modern

who

reader

to learn

wants

more

spiritualities
an

on

in North America.

experiential

level

receives

The

proper

1988, 1994) and

by way of print references (Cunningham
Internet resources (The Witches' Voice, a popular website).
The interdisciplinary range of this topic allows for an appeal to vari

direction

as religious studies, folklore, anthropology,

settings, such

ous classroom
certain

and

history

courses.

unless

However,

readers

general

are

already

this topic, the textbook-style writing throughout the

them. In either case, this
majority of Witchcraft andMagic may discourage
on
its own for classroom or
not
stand
volume is an introduction,but does
about

curious

public

consumption.

MARYKOEGEL
University ofKentucky
Lexington

CITED

WORKS

Cunningham,

Scott.

1988.

Living

Wicca:

Wicca:

Guide

for

Llewellyn.
-.

1994.

A Further

Guide

Llewellyn.
Magliocco,
Jackson:
The Witches'

2001.

Sabina.
University

Neo-Pagan

Press

Sacred

for
Art

Practitioner.

St. Paul:

the Solitary Practitioner.

St. Paul:

the Solitary

and Altars: Making

of Mississippi.

Voice, <http://www.witchvox.com>.

This content downloaded from 200.130.19.223 on Fri, 21 Nov 2014 06:25:43 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Things

Whole.