The figure of the witch in medieval Europe was strongly defined by her relation to the Sabbat: the phantasmagoric nocturnal rite where the living trafficked with the dead. Sometimes conflated with the Christian heresy of the Black Mass (or derided by occult writers as a degenerate form of ancient high magic), the Sabbat is in fact a fully-realized wellspring of ecstasy and ritual power wit its roots in prehistory. This sequel to Schulke's Veneficium examines the elements of the Sabbat, from the nocturnal flight of the witches, to the frenzied Round Dance, to its more notorious features such as The Witches' Supper and Intercourse wit the Devil. The essential syncretic nature of Sabbatic ritual and magic is examined, as well as its relation to Judaism, Christianity and Islam, as well as the polytheistic and animist religions which preceded them. As well as as its capacity as a vehicle for individual power and ecstatic experience, the book examines the persistent embodiments of the Sabbat through time, up to an including modern occult practices.--Publisher

Author: Daniel A. Schulke
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Three Hands Press
Published: 12/03/2024
Pages: 278
ISBN: 9781945147388

About the Author
Schulke, Daniel A.: - Daniel A. Schulke is the author of several works concerning magic, sorcery, and the occult dimensions of plants. In particular, his work concentrates on the vital mystical communion between magical practitioner and the spirit world, as extant in folk magic and charming traditions worldwide. His articles on these subjects have appeared in the occult journals STARFIRE, ABRAXAS, and THE CAULDRON.