A Discovery of the Impostures of Witches and Astrologers

This book is a wonderful reproduction of the 1680 A Discovery of the Impostures of Witches and Astrologers by John Brinley, with the original appearance and feel of the text closely matched, alongside photo plates of selected original pages for reference.

This is an important example and contemporary account of the mainstream, learned cultural understanding surrounding the practices of witchcraft, magic and divination.

Within this text, you’ll see an acceptance of the existence of witches, the reality of the devil and position of magic as integral to everyday life. However, you’ll also find a denial of powers proposed by witches and cunningfolk- the results purported to be tricks by the devil, or the product of superstition or charlatanism.

This edition has been loving transcribed from the copy of the text held in the Museums of Witchcraft and Magic’s research archive. The appearance and feel of the original text has been carefully reproduced, with photo plates printed alongside for reference.

This edition has a foreword by Joyce Froome, writer, researched and assistant curator for the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic.

Why we love it

This text is an incredibly useful and important look at contemporary ideas of witchcraft back in the 1600s. For those of us who follow a path closely modelled on that of Early Modern Witchcraft, or who have lineage to the Traditional Indigenous lineages of the craft, this text proves invaluable to understanding the concepts of witchcraft as our ancestors understood them to be. For everybody else, this text is a key piece of witchcraft history that you should have on your shelf!

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