Popular/Folk Magic

The Seven Seals of Judeo-Islamic Magic: Possible Origins of the Symbols

by Lloyd Graham

First release: ePublication on Academia.edu, 15 April 2012.

The Seven Seals of medieval Islamic magic, which are believed to constitute the Greatest Name of God, also feature in... more The Seven Seals of medieval Islamic magic, which are believed to constitute the Greatest Name of God, also feature in Jewish Kabbalah from the same period. While many Seal symbols make sporadic appearances in early Islamic amulets bearing Kufic script, the source of the symbols and their eventual ordering remains a matter of legend. As this topic was first – and last – examined systematically by Dr. Hans Winkler in 1930, a wider-ranging and more modern review is long overdue. The present survey focuses on potential sources for the symbols rather than on their exegesis. It first examines the possibility that a precedent for the Seal series exists in an undecipherable “seven signs repeated seven times” inscribed on a Late Babylonian amulet. It then considers the possibility that the Seals’ origins lie in other cuneiform symbols from ancient Mesopotamia; in Egyptian hieroglyphs or scripts; in paleo-Hebrew characters or the letters of ancient South Arabian scripts; in Libyco-Berber or Tifinagh letters from North Africa; or in the symbol repertoire of Late Antique magic, including the highly potent seven Greek vowels. The review also explores the possibility that at least some of the symbols originated in numerological ciphers or religious emblems, canvassing sources as diverse as Indian Hinduism and Byzantine Christendom. The article concludes by considering the recent suggestion that the Seal series may have acquired its privileged status because its symbols reflect “shape archetypes” that are hard-wired into the human nervous system.

Book Review: Kerriann Godwin, ed., The Museum of Witchcraft: A Magical History (Boscastle, Cornwall: The Occult Art Company, 2011), 142 pp., £34.00 (hardcover).

by Ethan Doyle White

"The Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies", Volume 13.1 (2011).

A book review looking at the latest offering from The Occult Art Company, an anthology containing contributions from... more A book review looking at the latest offering from The Occult Art Company, an anthology containing contributions from noted researchers such as Ronald Hutton and Philip Heselton, and famous practitioners of contemporary witchcraft like Michael Howard and Patricia Crowther.

Gemellus' Evil Eyes

by Ari Bryen

Clogs in the Wheel Pit: The clogs from Woodlands Mill, Steeton

by Linzi Harvey

Published in the Yorkshire Archaeological Journal, Volume 81, 2009, pp. 329-335.

Two wooden soled shoes with decorated clasps were recovered during historic building recording of the former Woodlands... more Two wooden soled shoes with decorated clasps were recovered during historic building recording of the former Woodlands Mill, Steeton, West Yorkshire. They were found in a small recess in a wall, 3 to 4 metres above ground level, within a wheel pit. With the wheel in place, it would have been impossible to access this alcove, indicating that these items are 'concealed shoes' (Swann 1996). The deliberate secretion of old shoes within buildings is not unusual. It is a long-established superstition, common in the seventeenth century and continuing into the twentieth, with a possible fourteenth century origin.

"Black Venus and Magickal Mystery"

by Teresa Burns

Chapter one of the supplemental material for The Consecrated Little Book of Black Venus, attributed to John Dee. Trans. Nancy Turner and Teresa Burns. New York: Waning Moon Publications, 2008. Dr. Turner and I planned a revision of this limited edition book, but have not yet finished one. However, I'm currently in the middle of revising and adding material to this particular chapter and would appreciate any input anyone wants to give. If you'd rather have this in .doc format, just e-mail me.

Hidden Footsteps: Analysis of a Folk Practice

by M. Chris Manning

Poster presented at the Ball State University Student Research Symposium, Muncie, Indiana, March 29, 2011.

This poster examines the folk practice of deliberately concealing shoes and other footwear within the structure of a... more This poster examines the folk practice of deliberately concealing shoes and other footwear within the structure of a building to bring good luck or to ward off evil. The practice appears to have originated in Europe, specifically in Great Britain, and was likely introduced to this country by colonists. While a large body of research on British and European finds exists, little research has been conducted on American finds. This poster presents four case studies of concealed shoe deposits in Indiana and discusses their significance and possible interpretation.

An Aramaic Incantation Bowl from Khafaje

by Edward Cook

Published in BASOR 285 (1992).

An incantation bowl written in Jewish Aramaic found at Tell Khafaje in Iraq mentions "Sargon" and describes... more An incantation bowl written in Jewish Aramaic found at Tell Khafaje in Iraq mentions "Sargon" and describes an angelic being as magical intercessor.

Salud sin botica. Talismanes y remedios populares en la colección del museo.

by Antonio Bellido

Published in Eloísa Wattenberg (coord.), La botica de San Ignacio. Farmacias del siglo XVIII en el Museo de Valladolid, Junta de Castilla y León, Valladolid, 2009.

A través de una muestra de objetos pertenecientes a la colección del Museo de Valladolid, sobre todo amuletos y... more A través de una muestra de objetos pertenecientes a la colección del Museo de Valladolid, sobre todo amuletos y medallas, se profundiza en las costumbres relativas a la protección contra la enfermedad y las maldiciones entre los siglos XVII y XIX. Se contempla además el consumo de tabaco en polvo.

Eight Arabic Block Prints from the Collection of Aziz S. Atiya

by Mark Muehlhaeusler

Arabica, Vol. 55, No. 5-6. (2008), pp. 528-582.

Math and Magic: A Block-Printed wafq Amulet from the Beinecke Library at Yale

by Mark Muehlhaeusler

Journal of the American Oriental Society 130:4 (2011), pp. 607-618

The Beinecke Rare Books Reading Room at Yale University houses an important collection of Arabic papyri and paper... more The Beinecke Rare Books Reading Room at Yale University houses an important collection of Arabic papyri and paper documents. Among them are at least two printed texts: RCtYBR inv. 2016 and RCtYBR inv. 2367. The latter is a small fragment containing but a few words, and is therefore of little value, while the former is a large fragment of an amulet, and is of considerable interest because it contains two magic squares, that is, squares in which numbers are arranged in such a way as to produce a constant sum in all rows and columns (Ar. wafq, pi. awfaq). Although the use of magic squares in amulets is well attested through theoretical works such as al-Buni's Shams al-ma(arif al-kubra, and through manuscript specimens, only one other example of a block-printed square is known. What is more, the present piece contains a rare occurrence of a magic square of the order 13 - perhaps the only such occurrence in all amulets published to date.

Buried Bottles: Witchcraft and Sympathetic Magic

by M. Chris Manning

Poster presented at the Ball State University Anthropology Student Conference, Muncie, Indiana, April 21, 2011.

This poster examines the well-documented folk practice of constructing and deploying so-called ‘witch bottles’ to... more This poster examines the well-documented folk practice of constructing and deploying so-called ‘witch bottles’ to counter a witch’s spell. Witch bottles can be identified in the archaeological record by their contents—usually a combination of pins and nails, scraps of felt or leather, hair and fingernail clippings, and human urine—as well as their frequently inverted position and location near hearths and doorways. The practice appears to have originated in Britain in the early fourteenth century and was introduced to this country in the seventeenth century by English colonists. While hundreds of examples have been documented in Britain and Europe, only a handful are known in the United States. This poster examines the known American cases, compares and contrasts them to witch bottles in Europe, and discusses evidence which suggests the practice continued into the twentieth century as part of a syncretic system of magical belief.

Apotropaic Magic Witch Bottles: A History

by Lynne S. Gordon

Witchcraft, Healing and Vernacular Magic in Italy

by Sabina Magliocco

Another of my most-requested pieces, this article gives a synthesis of the Italian ethnographic record of popular... more Another of my most-requested pieces, this article gives a synthesis of the Italian ethnographic record of popular magic, healing and witchcraft in the 20th century. 

Italain Cunning Craft: Some Preliminary Observations

by Sabina Magliocco

In Journal for the Academic Study of Magic 5 (2008)

Preliminary observations on spiritual and herbal healing traditions in Italy, based on fieldwork 2005-06 in... more Preliminary observations on spiritual and herbal healing traditions in Italy, based on fieldwork 2005-06 in Emilia-Romagna and Campania.  I argue that elements of the enchanted worldview continue to exist in particular social contexts, both in the south and in central and northern Italy.

Imagining the Strega

by Sabina Magliocco

First published in the Italain American Review, 2001

How contemporary Italian Americans are reclaiming the strega (witch) to create links with a pre-Christian past and... more How contemporary Italian Americans are reclaiming the strega (witch) to create links with a pre-Christian past and construct a more satisfying version of Italian American identity.

A Concealed Shoe Recovered at the Updike Farmstead, Princeton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey

by Megan E. Springate

Newsletter of the Archaeological Society of New Jersey No. 232, May 2011.

This paper describes a protective shoe concealment deliberately placed in the walls of a Princeton, New Jersey... more This paper describes a protective shoe concealment deliberately placed in the walls of a Princeton, New Jersey farmhouse during the nineteenth century. **The link to bepress.com takes you to a .pdf of the article. I wasn't able to get a working copy uploaded here.

Hoosier Footprints: Concealed Shoes in Indiana

by M. Chris Manning

Presented at the Anthropology Student Research Conference, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, April 21, 2011

This paper examines the practice of deliberately concealing shoes and other footwear within the structure of a... more This paper examines the practice of deliberately concealing shoes and other footwear within the structure of a building to bring good luck or to ward off evil. The practice appears to have originated in Europe, specifically in Britain, and was introduced to this country by immigrants. While a large body of research on European finds exists, little research has been conducted on American finds, particularly in the Midwest. This paper will present four case studies of concealed shoe deposits in Indiana, including deposits from the Indiana State House in Indianapolis, the Sullivan House in Madison, the Carnegie Library in Muncie, and the Heinzerling House in Garrett. Possible interpretations of shoes as concealed objects and the significance of these four particular finds will be discussed. In addition, material evidence for the practice will be compared to folklore accounts gathered in the United States in the twentieth century.

Qurʾānic Spell-ing: Disconnected Letter Series in Islamic Talismans

by Lloyd Graham

First release: ePublication on Academia.edu, 8 April 2011.

This article is intended to supplement Tawfiq Canaan's 1937 review “The Decipherment of Arabic Talismans,” which was... more This article is intended to supplement Tawfiq Canaan's 1937 review “The Decipherment of Arabic Talismans,” which was republished in 2004. It draws on both medieval and modern material for illustration, and contains some novel suggestions as to how certain magical formulae may have evolved from Qurʾānic templates. The focus of the paper is on series of Arabic letters where the characters have been written in their “isolated” or “disconnected” forms; the most popular of these privileged letter series turn out to have colorful Qurʾānic origins or associations which are not well served by existing commentaries in English. The survey commences with the nineteen-letter basmalla and then addresses the fourteen Letters of Light, including the full-length Name of the Mysteries and two five-letter “crowning words” from the muqaṭṭaʿāt letter-sequences of the Qurʾān. It moves on to the seven letters of the lower darkness, the sawāqiṭ. Subsequently, it examines the seven Letters of Bahteh from the al-qādirat and the seven component letters of the Qurʾānic phrase “strong, severe.” Finally, it reviews the seven-letter strings that comprise the seven ṭahaṭīl names, and the eighth name that is their acronym. Many of the letter series presented in this paper feature in the work of the Egyptian magician Aḥmad al-Būnī (d. 622/1225), who sought to deflect suspicions of demonolatry or polytheism by grounding his magical practices in the Qurʾān and in the letters making up particular Qurʾānic verses. With the significance of those letters amplified by the use of disconnected writing, the resulting paradigm has remained prominent in the books and talismans of Islamic magic from the thirteenth century CE through to the present day.

How To Make A Horcrux

by Leo Ruickbie

Paranormal, 55, January 2011, pp. 20-4

[Beliefs and practices concerning the idea of the external soul in folklore and magic]

The Horcrux is a... more [Beliefs and practices concerning the idea of the external soul in folklore and magic]

The Horcrux is a gruesome mystery at the heart of the later Harry Potter books. In 'How To Make A Horcrux' we will go where Magick Moste Eville fears to tread and reveal the secrets of spirit capture and containment.

In folklore, folk cutsom and magic there is a long tradition of what is known as the 'external soul', whereby the spirit/soul can be removed from the physical body for protection or harm. This article explores that tradition from Koschei the Deathless to Haitian Zombie Bottles.


Please note that for contractual reasons I can only upload a sample page from the article.

Magic in the House Functions of Images on Medieval Stoves Tiles from Transylvania, Moldavia and Walachia

by Ana Maria Gruia

published in Studia Patzinaka 5/2007 and Annual of the New Europe College Bucharest,"GE-NEC Program 2004-2005, 2005-2006, and 2006-2007", 2010: 621-669.