Ebook: Witches

The New York Times-bestselling author of Fear of Flying celebrates witches in this gorgeously illustrated brew of witchcraft lore, potions, secrets, and myth. With a mix of genuine fascination, passionate enthusiasm, and keen feminist insight, Erica Jong wades through a bog of myths, misinformation, historical hysteria, and contemporary Halloween costumes to offer a generous exploration and celebration of witches. From their origins as descendants of ancient goddesses to contemporary practitioners of the craft, the evolution of the concept of "witch" has been as changeable as the centuries themselves. From evil crone to sexual seductress, they are the embodiment of both light and dark, fertility and death, divinity and paganism, baleful curses and healing cures. They have been scapegoated as the object of men's worst fears and embraced as heroines of female empowerment. As muses, they have influenced popular culture from Shakespeare and Yeats to Anne Sexton and Ken Russell. With reverence and a hint of mischief, Jong reveals witches' rites, rituals, and magical recipes, including authentic spells and incantations. "A steaming cauldron of beautifully illustrated prose, poetry, love potions and flying lotions" (Glamour) from the renowned author of Fanny, Witches is "nothing less than a complete transformation of our concept of witches ... accomplishe[d] with panache in this sumptuously and provocatively illustrated book" (Publishers Weekly). This ebook features an illustrated biography of Erica Jong, including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author's personal collection.;Cover Page; Title Page; Dedication; Contents; The Witch; Some Light on the Subject of Witchcraft; The Word Witchcraft; From Mother Goddess to Witch; The White Goddess and the Witch; From Paganism to Christianity; Witchcraft vs. Witch-craze; On the Subject of Torture; Some Questions for Witches; Witches and Heretics; Satanism and Witchcraft; Muddled Mythologies; Becoming a Witch; Theories of Witchcraft; What Does a Witch Look Like?; Witch Lore; The Witch's Equipment; The Witch's Costume; Some Witch Rituals; Sexual Union with the Devil; Witches and Impotence; Puppets or Poppets; Love Poppets.