Discoverie of Witchcraft: An Under-Appreciated Classic?

The Heptameron, the Key of Solomon, the Lemegeton, the Arbatel of Magic, the Book of Abramelin, etc.

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Happy_Heretic321
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Discoverie of Witchcraft: An Under-Appreciated Classic?

Post#1 » Sat Jun 19, 2021 2:53 am

Just as it says in the title, does anyone here feel that Scot’s Discoverie of Witchcraft is an under-appreciated addition to the Western magical tradition?

For a little background, the DoW was an attempt by Reginald Scot to discredit both stage magicians and wizards/witches, who he considered frauds and con artists. Scot compiled a massive collection of knowledge, both on contemporary stage illusions and the beliefs and rituals of sorcerers, necromancers, witches, etc. Scot’s work has been called the first published book of stage magic, and the first grimoire published in English.

Compared to grimoires like the Key of Solomon, the Heptameron, or Book of Abramelin, the DoW gets very little buzz, considering it’s contents.

I was flipping through it’s contents and was surprised by how much was in there! There are some pretty unique rituals for necromancy and spirit evocation, even a spell for scrying one’s Guardian Angel. There are also, at least to my knowledge, one of a kind sigils for working with various elemental spirits, and even a way to create an “Imaginary” magical circle if you cannot draw one out yourself.

I’m intending to put some of these rituals to use, particularly the Guardian Angel rite, and will use some of the elemental sigils in an attempt to conjure various elementals in the near future. But I also wanted to get some perspective from the community. Has anyone else experimented with the information found in DoW? Or is there a reason DoW has been overlooked that I’m unaware of? Let me know what you think!

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