Interested in the history of magic? You might enjoy my online evening class 'Spellbound', from Imperial College. Witches, fairies, ghosts, vampires, mesmerists, grimoires, charms & much more, over 20 weeks. Begins 16 Oct. Wed 7-9pm. Nice tutor! imperial.ac.uk/evening-classe…

'Pigs and Hens when bewitched, often leap and dance' 'I question whether any Evil Spirit can enter any man, without command from some men' 'All Diseases that are caused by Nature, may be caused by Witchcraft' A few observations from: Daimonomageia. A Small Treatise ... (1665)

1660s cures for demonic possession: 'Some are cast out by Prayers, some by Necromancy; one Daemon commands another; there be several Charms and Rites ... as the conjuring down those that walk into such a ground, or Sea, for such a term of years’. From: Daimonomageia (1665)

1680s effigy magic. From a Massachusetts witch trial 'Puppets ... of Raggs, and stufft with Goats-hair ... her way to torment the Objects of her malice, was by wetting her Finger with her Spittle, and stroaking of those little Images’ C Mather, Late Memorable Providences (1691)

That’s the proofs done then! The new expanded second edition of Possessed by the devil about the #islandmageewitches trial of 1711 will in bookshops/online at the end of next month, November 2024

Halloween marriage divination. Pictured in early 1800s engravings. Inspired by Robert Burns. Blindfolded, select 1 of 3 dishes or pails to reveal clues about your future spouse. Clean water = young. Dirty water = old. No water = none! From the British Museum's collections.

Just in time for Halloween. A free copy of my book about the modern history of witchcraft, Cursed Britain! It can be found, in the Derbyshire village of Edale, courtesy of the fairies. The Book Fairies, that is. Let us know if you pick it up, please 🧙‍♀️🧙

To know if one be bewitched or no … Tomorrow I’m lecturing in Oxford on ‘Witchcraft: A Modern History’. Spent this afternoon in the Bodleian, happily reading C17th manuscripts of spells and charms. Tip: if you can see your reflection in their eyes, they aren’t bewitched.

And it’s out in the world, the new edition of Possessed by the Devil. Signed some copies for the SecretBookshelf today in Carrickfergus

Was a pleasure to edit Volume four of Cultural History of Magic in the enlightenment for Bloomsbury Academic, which has a stellar line-up of essays by Diane Purkiss, Paul Monod, Lizanne Henderson, Dr Francis Young Thomas Waters, Lisa Tallis, Peter Maxwell-Stuart Ulster Uni History Ulster University

Congrats Thomas Waters! "Cursed Britain" has been featured in BookAuthority's list of best Magic audiobooks of all time! bookauthority.org/books/best-mag…