Alpine witchery

You really don't have to be a witch, or even believe in witchcraft, to enjoy this book. The concept is quite interesting on its own: the author combed through hundreds of records of Austrian witch trials between the 15th and 18h centuries, and picked out more than 70 spells mentioned in them. Each spell comes with historical and sociological information: who the accused were, what happened during the trial, what the verdict was (if known), and in what context the spells were described. The author also adds notes on folklore and linguistics when applicable. Then, each spell is followed by an "In today's world" section, where the author muses about how the spell might be replicated in modern times, where the ingredients might be found or what they could be replaced with. This latter part is important, because a lot of the spells include ingredients and practices that made my eyebrows rise. I was amused by the proposed substitutions, and kind of fascinated by the whole concept of transporting medieval folk magic into modern times. Sometimes it was clearly a thought experiment (there have to be better ways to open a lock than a several-week-long ritual), but it was still fascinating to read. I also appreciated the introduction, which gave a very realistic look on witch trials as sources of magic practices, and the notes the author added regarding the ethics of magic throughout the book. All in all, this was a well organized, fun read.