practices that would, until recently, have led to persecution, even execution. The author describes the nature and use of Tarot and The Kabbalah. She also gives an account of her experience of magical ritual and the ceremonies she took part in as a member of some of the country's leading covens and magical lodges. Magic and witchcraft seem out of place in modern society, akin more to fantasy than reason. But the author found that almost all professing magicians and witches lead in other respects ordinary lives and are frequently highly intelligent. She explores their backgrounds, friendships and associations and reveals how different covens and magical circles were formed and recruited. Above all, she is concerned to explain how rational, sceptical people are drawn to witchcraft and find the experience both persuasive and rewarding. Apart from being an account of a remarkable subject, the text includes an autobiographical element of almost equal interest: the author used herself as an experimental subject, becoming an initiate in esoteric mysteries and rituals.

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