Author Description

Cast a spell against gossips, deflect unwanted romantic attention, or bring the dead back to life. The renowned 19th-century folklorist and expert on witchy cultures Charles Leland believed he had uncovered the secrets of practical domestic magic as the ancient pagans of Italian Tuscany performed it, and he shared all in this classic 1892 study. Considered by the author to be his own masterwork, this enthralling work--one still the subject of heated debate among modern pagans, some of whom embrace it while others deny its accuracy--here are detailed examinations of the gods and goblins of the region as well as the time-honored incantations, divinations, medicines, and amulets of the Tuscans.