An enduring classic since its publication in 1970, Mastering Witchcraft is one of the best how-to manuals for those wishing to practice traditional European Witchcraft as a craft rather than a New Age religion. Starting from first principles, Huson instructs the novice step by step in the arts of circle casting, blessing and banning, the uses of amulets and talismans, philters, divination, necromancy, waxen images, knots, fascination, conjuration, magical familiars, spells to arouse passion or lust, attain vengeance, and of course, counter-spells to exorcize and annul the malice of others. “A genuine vade mecum.”—The Catholic Herald.
Paul Huson is a British-born author and artist currently living in the United States. In addition to writing books about occultism and witchcraft, he has worked extensively in the film and television industries.
Huson was born on September 19, 1942 in London, England, the son of the author Edward Richard Carl Huson and painter and motion picture costume designer Olga Lehmann. From 1956 through 1959 he attended Leighton Park School, a Quaker school in Berkshire, England; from 1959 through 1963 he studied painting, theatrical design and film at the Slade School of Fine Art, University of London. Concurrently he studied the Western Esoteric Tradition with Dion Fortune's Society of the Inner Light. In 1964 he worked as an assistant to Karlis Osis, Director of Research at the American Society for Psychical Research. In 1965 he studied with the Stella Matutina and Israel Regardie.
Television and Movies:
In 1954 Huson played the part of Edward V, one of the Princes in the Tower, in Laurence Olivier's film of Shakespeare's "Richard III". From 1965 to 1968 Huson worked as an Art Director for BBC Television and Columbia Pictures UK, before moving to the United States. Between 1969 and 1980 he wrote books and scripts for episodic television, then teamed up with scenarist William Bast to write and produce such television series and movies as ''The Colbys'', a spin-off from the Aaron Spelling series ''Dynasty'', ''Tucker's Witch'', ''The Hamptons'', ''Twist of Fate'', ''The Big One: The Great Los Angeles Earthquake'', ''Danielle Steel's 'Secrets"'', ''Power and Beauty'', and ''The Fury Within''.
Books:
In 1970 Huson wrote ''Mastering Witchcraft'', followed by a study of tarot symbolism, ''The Devil's Picturebook'' (1971). In 1974 he wrote ''Mastering Herbalism''; and an introduction to parapsychology, '' How to Test and Develop your ESP'' (1975). Two fiction books followed, ''The Keepsake'' (1981), and ''The Offering'' (1984), and a second work on the history of tarot symbolism and tarot reading, ''Mystical Origins of the Tarot'' (2004). He generally illustrates his non-fiction books himself, and has designed a deck of tarot cards based upon his research, ''Dame Fortune's Wheel Tarot'' (2009). He currently lives in Los Angeles with writer and scenarist William Bast, his partner and frequent collaborator.
References:
*Clifton, Chas, ''Her Hidden Children: The Rise of Wicca and Paganism in America'', Lanham, MD: Rowman Altamira, 2006, ISBN 0759102023.
*Clifton, C, & Harvey, G, "The Paganism Reader", New York & London, Routledge, 2004, ISBN 041530352.
*''Contemporary Authors'' (Biography), Thomson Gale, 2004.
*Farrar, Stewart, ''Eight Sabbats for Witches'', WA: Phoenix Publishing, 1988, ISBN 0919345263.
*Freedland, Nat, ''The Occult Explosion'', New York: G.P.Putnams Sons, 1972, ISBN 0399109544.
*Gunther, Max, ''Wall Street and Witchcraft'', New York: B. Geis Associates, 1971.
*Luhrmann, T.M., ''Persuasions of the Witch's Craft'', Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1989, ISBN 0-674-66323-3.
*Valiente, Doreen, ''The Rebirth of Witchcraft'', London: Robert Hale, 1989, ISBN 0-7090-3715-5.
*''Who's Who in Entertainment'', Illinois: Marquis Who's Who, Macmillan, 1988.
