The Cunning Man's Handbook by Jim Baker

THE CUNNING MAN'S HANDBOOK
The Practice of English Folk Magic 1550-1900
By Jim Baker

"The desire to understand magic in any specific cultural context is an intellectual puzzle not only for scholars but believers." - Jim Baker

The Cunning Man's Handbook is a monumental work of phenomenal scope and scholarship, a comprehensive and challenging exploration of the practices and beliefs of Cunning Folk in Britain and America between 1550-1900, their heyday. Exploring the social and theological milieu of the period, the author demonstrates the essentially Christian nature of Cunning practices, presenting an illuminating discourse on the concept of magic and its perceived methodologies.

Operating at the boundaries of the law and society, between medicine and magic, Cunning men and women occupied a liminal role as healers, charmers and magicians. Drawing from a huge range of sources, the range of services offered by Cunning Folk is thoroughly expounded, from divination through astrology and geomancy to dream interpretation, from charms, spells and curses to conjurations and treasure hunting. As author Jim Baker states, "The focus here is on the practice of folk magic and divination for access to the preternatural".

The evolution of Cunning practices as a living tradition over a 350-year span is explored in depth, illustrating their practical and contemporary nature. The analogous practices of African-American conjure and root work are also discussed and offer insights into oral fragments of Cunning practices lost to history, presenting a compelling example of how modernity modifies tradition. Referencing dozens of Cunning men and women and their practices, this work offers a unique glimpse into magical history, and the opportunity for readers to reclaim the practical essence of Cunning Magic.

2014, 556 pages. Paperback & Kindle editions available.
ISBN 978-1-905297-68-9
B&W 7.44 x 9.69 in or 246 x 189 mm (Crown 4vo) Perfect Bound on White w/Gloss Lam
 
"Jim Baker’s The Cunning Man's Handbook: The Practice of English Folk Magic 1550–1900 stands as an incredibly thorough and meticulously researched archive of early modern folk sorcery. Across its impressive 556 pages, the book strips away modern romanticized revisions of witchcraft to present a grounded, fact-based examination of the historical cunning-folk who operated in Britain and America. Baker expertly places these practitioners within their true historical milieu, demonstrating that their work was deeply intertwined with an essentially Christian framework rather than an organized pagan survival. By relying heavily on primary historical documents and contemporary trial records, the text provides an invaluable, objective look at the legal standing, societal functions, and daily realities of these liminal figures. What sets this handbook apart is its deep dive into the operational mechanics of the craft, detailing the exact systems cunning-folk used to serve their communities over a 350-year span. Rather than summarizing broad concepts, Baker analyzes specific, complex methodologies, including traditional systems of geomancy, non-computational folk astrology, dream interpretation, and the protective charms used to counter malefic witchery. The inclusion of specialized chapters on historical spirit conjuration, traditional treasure hunting, and the eventual evolutionary links to African-American conjure ensures the book handles the full, multi-faceted scope of the tradition. Complete with a foreword by David Rankine, this volume is an indispensable, authoritative resource for any serious historian, folklorist, or practitioner seeking the unfiltered facts of Western esoteric history." - C.L.S.