The history of ritual magic in England dates back to ancient times, with evidence of early magical practices found in various archaeological sites. These practices were deeply rooted in the belief that supernatural forces could be tapped into through rituals and incantations. As the centuries passed, the practice of magic evolved and became more structured, giving rise to formal systems such as ceremonial magic and theurgy. During the Middle Ages, ritual magic in England was heavily influenced by various esoteric traditions, including Hermeticism and Kabbalah. These traditions provided practitioners with a framework for understanding the mysteries of the universe and harnessing its hidden powers. English magicians of this era, such as John Dee and Edward Kelley, played pivotal roles in spreading these arcane teachings and pushing the boundaries of magical knowledge.
The association of fragrance and magic persisted long after the end of the Greek and Roman world. In C. S. Lewis’ 1953 novel “The Silver Chair,” for example, a witch appears who could be Medea’s cousin. She throws a green powder onto a fire to produce a “sweet and drowsy” scent, which makes the characters more and more confused.
Her preparations include cleansing and perfuming herself with divinely fragrant ambrosia as well as borrowing a magical, lust-inducing belt from Aphrodite. I was also fairly convinced early on that Gram was pretty much the Wicked Witch of the Mid West, so I wasn t exactly surprised to discover that my conviction was close to the actual mark and not just my own feelings about just how toxic her manipulations really were.
English magicians of this era, such as John Dee and Edward Kelley, played pivotal roles in spreading these arcane teachings and pushing the boundaries of magical knowledge. The flourishing of ritual magic in England reached its peak during the Elizabethan era, also known as the Renaissance. The courts of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I were known to have a keen interest in these mystical arts, providing a platform for magicians and alchemists to showcase their skills.
Review: Witch, Please by Ann Aguirre
Witch Please (Fix-It Witches, #1) by Ann Aguirre
Format: audiobook, eARC
Source: supplied by publisher via NetGalley
Formats available: paperback, ebook, audiobook
Genres: contemporary romance, paranormal romance
Series: Fix-It Witches #1
Pages: 363
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on September 7, 2021
Purchasing Info: Author's Website, Publisher's Website, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Bookshop.org
Goodreads
Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls in this adorable witchy rom-com with:
• A bisexual virgin baker with a curse• A witch looking to avoid romantic entanglements• And a chemistry between them that causes literal sparks
Danica Waterhouse is a fully modern witch—daughter, granddaughter, cousin, and co-owner of the Fix-It Witches, a magical tech repair shop. After a messy breakup that included way too much family “feedback,” Danica made a pact with her cousin: they’ll keep their hearts protected and have fun, without involving any of the overly opinionated Waterhouse matriarchs. Danica is more than a little exhausted navigating a long-standing family feud where Gram thinks the only good mundane is a dead one and Danica’s mother weaves floral crowns for anyone who crosses her path.
Three blocks down from the Fix-It Witches, Titus Winnaker, owner of Sugar Daddy’s bakery, has family trouble of his own. After a tragic loss, all he’s got left is his sister, the bakery, and a lifetime of terrible luck in love. Sure, business is sweet, but he can’t seem to shake the romantic curse that’s left him past thirty and still a virgin. He’s decided he’s doomed to be forever alone.
Until he meets Danica Waterhouse. The sparks are instant, their attraction irresistible. For him, she’s the one. To her, he’s a firebomb thrown in the middle of a family war. Can a modern witch find love with an old-fashioned mundane who refuses to settle for anything less than forever?
My Review:
Happy families may be all alike, and every unhappy family may be unhappy in its own way, but there should be an exception for intrusive families, which are more alike in their unhappiness than the paraphrase from Tolstoy would lead one to expect.
Certainly Danica Waterhouse’s family of witches has plenty of intrusiveness to go around, between her cousin Clementine who is determined that both Danica and Clementine will remain single and unattached forever, her mother Minerva who married a mundane and lost her powers, and her beloved Gram who is determined that Danica will marry someone with an impeccable witch lineage and pass on the Waterhouse legacy.
Minerva wants her daughter to follow her heart. Gram doesn’t care about Danica’s heart as long as her ovaries are dedicated to making pure witch babies, while Danica just wants a chance to live her own life on her own terms. Something that seems impossible as long as she’s the chew toy in the family squabble between her laid back mother and her bulldozer grandmother.
A grandmother who is an expert at wielding guilt like a knife and isn’t either ashamed or afraid to use that knife and any other weapon that comes to hand in order to keep her granddaughter on what she perceives as the straight and narrow.
Danica lets herself be stuck in permanent peacemaker mode, caught between those opposing viewpoints, until she’s broken out of her paralysis by the smell of sinful cinnamon rolls wafting through her life.
Danica and her cousin Clem are the owners of Fix-It Witches repair shop, because that’s literally what they are and what they do. Their witch talent lies in coaxing machinery that is broken into a state of repair. And one of the ovens at Sugar Daddy’s bakery is in desperate need of repair.
Which leads the Sugar Daddy himself, Titus Wannaker, the baker-in-chief, to stop at Fix-It Witches to ask if they can come over and repair his recalcitrant oven before he starts losing business.
But when Titus opens the door at Fix-It Witches, Danica loses control of her magic, her blender sprays a pineapple smoothie everywhere, and Titus loses his heart to the sweet, snarky, sexy witch who looks like she bathed in pineapple chunks.
And the feeling is very, very mutual.
There’s only one hitch in Titus’ instantaneous plan to get as close to Danica as possible for as long as possible – at least once she gets the pineapple chunks out of the way.
Danica is a witch, Titus is a mundane, there’s a Statute of Secrecy that makes the one in the Potterverse look like a mildly worded suggestion – and there’s Danica’s Gram lurking around town, determined to keep Danica on the only path that Gram will EVER approve of.
A future that does not include delectable interludes with a mundane – not even the Cinnaman of Danica’s dreams.
Escape Rating B-: I am of two minds on this book in so many ways!
First, foremost, and most important, the romance between Danica and Titus is lovely, sweet, sexy, delicious and every kind of wonderful. I loved them together so much and wanted Danica to find a solution to her family and witchy dilemmas so badly so that they could have a chance. The author did a great job of conveying that this was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of love and that they belonged together in spite of everything.
I stuck with the book because I wanted to see them get their HEA so much.
At the same time, at the literal halfway point I switched from the audio to the ebook in spite of how much I was enjoying the narrator because Danica’s intrusive family, her almost pathological need to keep everyone happy – except herself – combined with the need to keep witches and witchcraft secret on pain of death or at least an extreme memory wipe were downright painful and I wanted to get through them as quickly as possible. By judicious skimming if necessary.
Not that Titus’ family doesn’t have problems of its own, but the crap he was dealing with all made sense.
Danica, on the one hand, was being a doormat in the face of her family’s conflicting expectations and demands. On the other hand, her relationship with Titus, their ever-increasing chemistry and every time they managed to find a tiny slice of time together were utterly adorable. And on the third hand – hey, witchcraft, why not three hands (or more) in a pinch? – there was too much about this world’s version of witchcraft that wasn’t explained as well as it could have been.
Because there’s a terrific story of sisterhood and found family hidden within the dynamics of Danica’s coven. While a bit too much of the coven’s business in this opening entry in the series was focused on the way that Danica’s powers were spiking out of control because of her relationship with Titus that she didn’t feel free to actually have, there was still a lot there to unpack and revel in about the way that this group of multiple generations of women got together, supported each other both personally and professionally, gave each other space to vent and room to grow, and occasionally discussed books in between major magical workings.
I was also fairly convinced early on that Gram was pretty much the Wicked Witch of the (Mid)West, so I wasn’t exactly surprised to discover that my conviction was close to the actual mark and not just my own feelings about just how toxic her manipulations really were. And I’ll admit that I really needed to see an epic takedown of Gram over this and did not get the catharsis I was looking for.
So there’s a thread in this story about Danica being forced to learn that her hero has feet of clay up to the knees and it felt like that reveal and its effects were minimized. It’s entirely possible that we’ll get to see the fallout of that situation in the next book in the series, Boss Witch, in April 2022. I need to make sure that Danica and her Cinnaman are still living their sweetly happy ever after.
Related Posts:
- Review: Boss Witch by Ann Aguirre
- Review: Black Water Sister by Zen Cho
- Review: Light Years from Home by Mike Chen
When it comes to Greek and Roman fiction, however, most magicians are women.
It was during this time that the infamous grimoire, the Key of Solomon, was translated into English, further fueling the fascination with ritual magic. However, the practice of magic in England was not without controversy. The witch trials of the 16th and 17th centuries saw many innocent men and women accused of practicing dark magic and consorting with demons. These trials were fueled by superstition, fear, and a lack of understanding of the true nature of ritual magic. Many lives were lost as a result, and the practice of magic went underground, taking on a more secretive and clandestine nature. In the 19th and 20th centuries, ritual magic experienced a resurgence in England, with the rise of various occult societies and magical orders. Figures such as Aleister Crowley, Dion Fortune, and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn played significant roles in reinvigorating the study and practice of ritual magic. Their teachings and writings continue to influence modern magical traditions to this day. Today, ritual magic in England continues to thrive, with numerous individuals and groups exploring its mysteries and incorporating its teachings into their spiritual practices. From ancient incantations to complex ceremonial rituals, the history of ritual magic in England is a testament to humanity's eternal fascination with the supernatural and our ceaseless quest for spiritual enlightenment..
Reviews for "The Ritual Magic of Faustus and Dr. John Dee: A Comparative Study"
1. Emma - 2/5: As someone who has a genuine interest in the history of magic and witchcraft, I was excited to delve into "The History of Ritual Magic in England." However, I was quite disappointed with the content and presentation of the book. The writing felt dry and lacked the storytelling element that I was hoping for. Additionally, I found the information to be repetitive and lacking depth. Overall, while the book may serve as a general overview for beginners, it fails to captivate and provide any substantial insights for someone seeking a deeper understanding of ritual magic in England.
2. John - 3/5: While "The History of Ritual Magic in England" covers a wide range of topics related to ritual magic, I found it to be a rather disjointed read. The book jumps from one era to another without providing a smooth transition or clear connection between them. This made it difficult for me to follow the narrative and fully grasp the evolution of ritual magic in England. Additionally, I felt that the author's bias towards certain practices and interpretations was evident throughout the text, which limited the objective analysis of the subject matter. Overall, I believe this book could benefit from better organization and a more balanced perspective.
3. Sarah - 2/5: As someone who enjoys books on history and occult practices, I had high hopes for "The History of Ritual Magic in England." However, I was sorely disappointed with the lack of depth and supporting evidence provided in the book. The author's claims and interpretations often felt speculative and unsubstantiated, leaving me questioning the reliability of the information presented. Furthermore, the writing style was overly academic and jargon-filled, making it a challenging read for those who don't have a background in the subject. Overall, this book fell short of my expectations in terms of both content and accessibility.
4. David - 2/5: "The History of Ritual Magic in England" promised an intriguing exploration of a fascinating topic, but it failed to deliver. The book felt more like a collection of loosely related anecdotes rather than a cohesive narrative. The lack of clear organization made it difficult to follow the timeline and understand the progression of ritual magic practices in England. Additionally, I found the writing to be overly verbose and unnecessarily complex, making it hard to engage with the material. Overall, I was disappointed with the lack of structure and readability of this book on a subject that has the potential to be incredibly captivating.