Critics of superstition have often painted openness to magical interpretations as weakness or moral failing.
Academic rigour, journalistic flair
Articles on Magic
Displaying 1 - 20 of 37 articles
Native Americans are struggling to find sage for their spiritual practices as the plant is being overharvested for sale to the wider public.
Research shows that religious people who actively participate in religious gatherings tend to have a more positive experience of Christmas, with expectations largely fulfilled.
As Christmas approaches, Nativity scenes showing three wise men visiting the newborn Jesus are put up around the world. A scholar of Christian literature offers an explanation on their identity.
The idea of a ‘witch’ was usually female in Western Europe, but not so in Orthodox Russia – partly because of the period’s rigid social hierarchies.
By casting spells and creating online persona to fool their victims, the Ivorian figure of the “brouteur” reveals the connections between the occult and virtual dimensions.
People don’t just go on retreat to discover themselves. They also go hoping to find magical connections with others.
Two Christmas traditions – those around the birth of Jesus and Santa who brings gifts to all – contain strong elements of magic.
From devil to potion to miracle drug, chocolate’s arrival in Europe was a wild ride.
What’s behind Gen Z’s appetite for tarot and spells? 16th century debates about witchcraft help explain why the occult has become viral on TikTok.
Scent and magic have been entwined in our imaginations for centuries – right up to today’s witch-inspired perfumes.
Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction when it comes to the magicians of the Victorian era.
Interest in Wicca and witchcraft appears to be increasing, but what exactly is Wicca in the first place?
If it rains on St Swithin’s day it is believed that it will rain for the rest of summer.
Because of their appearance, people with albinism in Tanzania are often socially excluded and frequently (and sometimes violently) discriminated against.
Although many modern people tend to see ‘magic’ and ‘religion’ as separate, magic was actually integral to the development of Christianity.
As the U.S. election approaches, various groups have mobilized to vote. But witches have taken it a little further, organizing online spellcasting meet-ups to engage in magical resistance.
Is magic all about spells and hocus pocus, or is it simply another way of looking at how the universe works?
The idea of organized satanic witchcraft was invented in 15th-century Europe by church and state authorities, who at first had a hard time convincing regular folks it was real.
Across the Graeco-Roman Empire, the romantically challenged turned to magic to improve their chances
Top contributors
-
PhD Candidate in Classical Studies, The Open University
-
Affliated Scholar at the Women's Studies Research Center, Brandeis University
-
Associate Professor in Archaeology and Space Studies, Flinders University
-
University of Newcastle
-
Senior Lecturer in Media Arts, UNSW Sydney
-
Professor of Human Geography, Royal Holloway University of London
-
Professor of Political Science, Pro Vice Chancellor of the Social Sciences, University of Nottingham
-
Professor of Early Modern European History, University of Cambridge
-
Senior Lecturer in Classics, Swansea University
-
Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London
-
Teaching Fellow in Medieval Studies, University of Leeds
-
Reader in Applied Cognitive Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University
-
Lecturer in Modern European History, University of Bristol
-
Lecturer in Popular Music, Goldsmiths, University of London
-
Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Cognitive and Parapsychology, Manchester Metropolitan University
