Witchcraft and Magic: Contemporary North America

Abstract

Witchcraft and Magic: Contemporary North 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 magical religions in America today. Editor Helen A. Berger's introduction briefly mentions areas of misunderstanding - social and political issues, diversity among magical religions, and modern manifestations which the essays in the collection are to address. Berger seeks to convey a clearer image of Neopaganism in this volume, as well as to illustrate similarities and differences among at least a few of the many distinct neopagan practices that have developed and seem to enjoy a growing popularity in North America. The book contains seven essays in addition to Berger's introduction. Though the editor has not explicidy separated these seven into thematic sections, three general divisions emerge as one reads the book: history and development, cultural manifestations of practices in North America, and representations of practices in contemporary mass media. The initial three essays discuss the development of the practice of magical religions in North America. While other essays in the volume include at least a brief historical overview, these three provide a politically and socially solid historical context for the entire work. Michael York, in "New Age and Magic," looks at the New Age Movement in a generic sense, though widi a focus on North America. Helen A. Berger, in "Witchcraft and Neopaganism," examines spiritual paths that have emerged in North America, such as Druidism and Odinism, acknowledging the New Age Movement in England and its influence on North American developments. The diird essay, "Webs of Women: Feminist Spiritualities," by Wendy Griffin, addresses the feminist perspective and its influence upon developments in North America over the past several decades. Perhaps unavoidably these essays, despite their different emphases, become a bit repetitive in places. Michael York's "Shamanism and Magic" leads beautifully into the middle theree chapters, which focus on specific manifestations of magical religions and serve to show that magical religions comprise not only witchcraft and Neopaganism, but include distinct stand-alone variations such as Shamanism (as opposed to "shamanism," witheout the capital letter) , Lucumi (a term preferred by contributor Ysamur M. Flores-Pena to the more commonly known Santeria, which she says carries racist connotations), and Satanism. Stuart A. Wright's essay, which analyzes mass-media portrayals of Satanism and public reactions to these portrayals, provides a comfortable segue to the seventh and final essay in the anthology. Tanice G. Foltz's "The Commodification of Witchcraft" rounds out the volume with an elaborate description and analysis of representations of witchcraft and magic in contemporary North American media, and assesses their legitimacy in the context of actual practice. …