Witches, Colin Wilson, Una Woodruff, 1988 Hardcover, Rare Jacket, Occult

Description: Witches Colin Wilson and Uma Woodruff Crescent Books 1988 Hardcover Scarce Dust Jacket Very Good Condition Beautifully Illustrated This offbeat occult art book first was released in the UK in 1981 by Dragons World. This edition, from the publisher Crescent Books, was published in 1988. Witches (158 pp) is an overview of the myth and legend of Witches, and the Occult, in Western culture. It appears to have been aimed at an audience of New Age adherents, neo-pagans, Wiccans, Goddess worshipers (although many of these categories didnt really exist as such in 1981), and those with an interest in the occult. The books text was contributed by Colin Wilson, who, of course, was very well-read on the Occult, having authored a number of books on the topic. In Witches, he suffuses his writings with his own philosophy (what he eventually called New Existentialism) regarding occult phenomena. In short, Wilson believes that witches and witchcraft were and are, in some instances, real, and this involves tapping psychic forces as yet-undiscovered by science. The chapters are usually two or three pages in length, and cover such diverse topics as The Earliest Witches, The Destruction of the Templars, Werewolves, Mother Shipton, The Witches of Salem, and The Golden Dawn, among others. It goes without saying that Wilson's desire to use anecdotes of 'supernatural' events as evidence supporting the idea of 'man's latent powers' (a touchstone facet of his New Existentialism) makes him quite gullible. However, the primary appeal of Witches comes from the illustrations, provided by UK artist Una Woodruff (b. 1951), an artist who I had never heard of prior to seeing this book. Amazon.com lists her as the illustrator for four books, all from the late 70s / early 80s, dealing with New Age / fantasy topics. [She has a Facebook page.] Woodruffs art - uses both graytone and color - showcases delicate linework, skillful composition, and careful coloring. It contains traces of New Age-inspired art, folk art, and, in some instances, the meticulous style of natural history illustration. Overall, her art has the sort of highly attuned approach to its subject matter that is characteristic of the finest of the British approach to book illustration.

Price: 40 USD

Location: Fremont, California

End Time: 2024-08-05T19:00:15.000Z

Shipping Cost: 4.63 USD