Witches Among Us

Thorn Mooney is a Wiccan writer and academic living in Raleigh, North Carolina. She holds master's degrees in both religious studies and English literature, and is completing her PhD in religion and culture at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She writes and lectures about magic, new religious movements, and American religions for a wide variety of audiences. Thorn's professional background as a classroom teacher and as a scholar allows her to represent contemporary witch, Pagan, and occult communities from both insider and outsider perspectives. Visit Thorn Mooney on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.

• ContentsIntroduction 1Chapter 1: What "Witch" Means … 9Making Witchcraft a Religion 13Spiritual but Not Religious 18Witchcraft as a Practice 20Witchcraft as an Identity 24Suggested Reading 28Chapter 2: Witchcraft in Context … 31Separating Wicca and Witchcraft 32Related Movements 35Suggested Reading 52Chapter 3: Many Types of Witchcraft … 55The Influence of Wicca 58Traditional Witchcrafts 63Blended Traditions 70Suggested Reading 76Chapter 4: What Witches Do … 79Doing Ritual 81Doing Magic 84Casting Spells 88Divination 92Healing 92Sacred Time 94Suggested Reading 99Chapter 5: What Witches Believe … 103A World Full of Spirits and Energy 104Relationships with Gods 106Ancestors and the Dead 112Sacred Nature 114Suggested Reading 118Chapter 6: The Witch's Materials … 121Altars and Sacred Space 123Working Tools 127Keeping Magical Books 132Magic in the Mundane 137Suggested Reading 139Chapter 7: The Rules of Witchcraft … 141Redes, Principles, and Oaths 143Individualism and Personal Responsibility 145Community and Sincerity 148Witchcraft as Work 149Suggested Reading 153Chapter 8: Witch Communities … 155Covens 157Solitary Practitioners 161Festivals and Conferences 165Social Media and the Internet 167Authority and Influence 168Suggested Reading 172Chapter 9: Witches in Conversation … 175Belonging and Authenticity 176Selling Witchcraft 178Social Justice 180Suggested Reading 182Conclusion 185Bibliography 193Index 195

'This is the most thoughtful, intelligent, and sophisticated survey of contemporary witchcraft on both sides of the Atlantic available at present and also wonderfully concise. Newcomers will be perfectly served, and practitioners understand themselves and their fellows better.' Ronald Hutton, historian and author of The Witch and The Triumph of the Moon.