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The Book of Magic
The Book of Magic: From Antiquity to the Enlightenment | Brian Copenhaver
'. . . as when iron is drawn to a magnet, camphor is sucked into hot air, crystal lights up in the Sun, sulfur and a volatile liquid are kindled by flame, an empty eggshell filled with dew is raised towards the Sun . . .' An odd feature of the Bible is that it is full of stories featuring forms of magic and possession - from Joseph battling with Pharaoh's wizards to the supernatural actions of Jesus and his disciples. As, over the following centuries, the Christian church attempted to stamp out 'deviant' practices, there was a persistent interest in magic that drew strength from this Biblical validation. A strange blend of mumbo-jumbo, fraud and deeply serious study, magic was central to the European Renaissance, fascinating many of its greatest figures. Brian Copenhaver's wonderful anthology will be welcomed by everyone from those with the most casual interest in the magical tradition to anyone drawn to the Renaissance and the tangled, arcane roots of the scientific tradition.
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mg42
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Writing requires reading. If you told my high school self, he'd probably believe you, but he'd never believe that one day, he would willingly (and happily) read a primary source anthology to help further his goals. Maybe magic is more real than we think...

For anyone interested in the roots of magical myths here on earth, The Book of Magic is a fantastic, if slightly dense, starting point.

Bambolina_81 This sounds really interesting 😊 7y
mg42 @Bambolina_81 personally, I love it. It's definitely on the dry side, though. A ton of excerpts from various biblical texts and old Greek philosophers 🧠🧠👀 7y
Bambolina_81 @mg42 Sounds like a 'dipper' I loved reading all this theory in my uni days. I wish I could afford to go back 😂 7y
mg42 @Bambolina_81 well for the price of a paperback you'll feel like you never left! 🤣 7y
Bambolina_81 @mg42 sold! 😂 7y
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