The late Victorian period witnessed the remarkable revival of magical practice and belief. Butler examines the individuals, institutions and literature associated with this revival and demonstrates how Victorian occultism provided an alternative to the tightening camps of science and religion in a social environment that nurtured magical beliefs.

ALISON BUTLER lecturer at St. Francis Xavier University, Canada, and a social and cultural historian specializing in nineteenth-century Britain. Her research interests include the history of magic and its intersection with science and religion. She has published on these topics and has received fellowships from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Rothermere Foundation.