Of all forms taken by the undead, the vampire wields the most powerful pull on the modern imagination. But the countless movies and books inspired by this child of the night who has a predilection for human blood are based on incidents recorded as fact in newspapers and judicial archives in the cent[...]

*Reveals the healing and magical virtues of familiar gemstones, such as amethysts, emeralds and diamonds, as well as the lore surrounding exotic stones such as astrios, a stone celebrated by ancient magicians*Examines bezoars (stones formed in animals' bodies) and magnets that attract materials othe[...]

The use of talismans and amulets stretches back nearly to the dawn of man, from everyday items magically prepared, such as horns or coins, to intricate and beautiful jewelry imbued with protective powers. Drawing on his private collection of medieval manuscripts as well as his privileged access to t[...]

The impermeable border the modern world sees existing between the world of the living and the afterlife was not visible to our ancestors. The dead could - and did - cross back and forth at will. The pagan mind had no fear of death, but some of the dead were definitely to be dreaded: those who failed[...]