The practice of black magic is as common in modern times as it was in medieval days or any other era, asserts the dean of occult writers, Montague Summers. A Roman Catholic priest and eminent scholar, Summers wrote several authoritative books on witchcraft, demonology, and vampirism. In this accessible work, he draws upon his considerable expertise to offer persuasive evidence that witchcraft is no mere historical question, but a lively factor in contemporary issues of politics and society. "My aim throughout is to show how the profession and practice of witchcraft are the same always and in all places," Summers explains, "be it in some remote English village, in a quiet cathedral city, or in the hinterlands of Jamaica or Africa." Focusing on England and English witchcraft of the early twentieth century, this captivating volume explores covens, black masses, and the casting of spells for ordinary mischief as well as for elaborate plots.