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The Witches' Ointment: The Secret History of Psychedelic Magic (book review)

Article · February 2018

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Giovanna Serenelli
Università degli Studi di Perugia
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30/7/2018 Journal of Folklore Research: JFR Review for The Witches' Ointment: The Secret History of Psychedelic Magic

The Witches' Ointment: The Secret History of Psychedelic Magic

By Thomas Hatsis. 2015. Rochester, VT: Park Street Press. 304 pages. ISBN: 978-1-
62055-473-9 (soft cover).

Reviewed by Giovanna Serenelli, Perugia University

[Review length: 322 words • Review posted on January 31, 2018]

The word “witch” has always aroused a feeling of uneasiness and

makes one think of sorcery and of black magic and the diabolical.
From personal experience, I know from my grandparents that belief in
witches was still present in the first half of the twentieth century in the
countryside of central Italy, and they talked about curses. People
probably still believe in them. It is not unusual to put a broom just
inside the front door of the house. Why? So the witch cannot freely
enter the house and do harm until she has counted all the bristles on
the broom.

This book by Thomas Hatsis, however, is a scientifically rigorous book that deals with
the history of witches and their ointments. It is definitely not a fantasy book. It is in
fact the result of many years of hard work that began in 2007 in the wake of a thesis on
LSD. The psyche-magical experience (as the author defines it) caused by this
hallucinogen is not a modern phenomenon but is ancient and widespread throughout
the world. It is linked to ancient shamanism and has nothing to do with the devil as we
know the devil today.

This book is fascinating and reads like a well-written novel. But it is not a novel; it is a
meticulously researched history, based on primary sources that were not easy to find. It
is the beautiful fruit of a long, arduous scientific investigation that is presented in a
light, easily readable style. Its rigor is demonstrated by abundant notes and an
extensive bibliography with more than 300 sources (333 if I counted correctly). The
subject index is very useful; the general index is at the beginning of the book.

Those who believe in witches and are thinking about turning to this type of activity do
not need to read this book. This book by Hatsis, despite its great charm, is not a manual
of witchcraft.

http://www.jfr.indiana.edu/review.php?id=1953 1/1