Witchcraft in the time of magic…

For most of us, any mention of historical witchcraft will conjure images of the large-scale witch-hunts of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, when countless innocent women met an untimely end at the hands of their paranoid accusers. But it’s easy to overlook the fact that the ancient magical arts had been around for many centuries, long before the rot of religiously-driven mass hysteria set in. For much of the Middle Ages magic was a part of everyday life for the common folk, practiced by both men and women in communities throughout Europe, while elements of the supernatural were harnessed by scientists and physicians, and featured in all levels of society including the nobility and even kings. This was a time when the boundaries between science and witchcraft were blurred, and it was believed there were people who could cast spells and use magic for good or evil. Although there were…

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