A Roman priest once told a Greek colleague that his gods had no myths, only rituals. The Greek laughed. The Roman was not joking. The same confusion surrounds two titles that look nearly identical on a shelf: The Book of Black Magic and The Black Book of Magic. One is a Victorian compilation of ceremonial magic texts. The other is a 20th-century manual of folk witchcraft. They share a color, not a tradition, and mistaking one for the other means reading the wrong book for the wrong purpose.
Compare two distinct grimoires: Arthur Edward Waite’s Victorian compilation of ceremonial magic versus Paul Huson’s 20th-century folk witchcraft manual. One preserves Renaissance source texts; the other reconstructs practical folk magic. They share a color, not a tradition.
What Are These Two Books, Exactly?
The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts (1898) is Arthur Edward Waite’s annotated anthology of medieval and Renaissance ceremonial magic texts. It compiles passages from the Clavicula Salomonis, the Grimorium Verum, the Grand Grimoire, and the Lemegeton, among others, with Waite’s own critical commentary throughout. The book is a reference work, not a practical manual.
The Black Book of Magic (1972) is Paul Huson’s practical handbook of folk magic, cunning craft, and traditional witchcraft. It draws from British and American folk traditions, including charms, divination methods, herbal remedies, and spirit work. Unlike Waite’s book, it was written for use.
The difference is fundamental. One book preserves texts. The other preserves practices.
History and Origins: Two Books, Two Eras
Arthur Edward Waite and the Victorian Occult Revival
Arthur Edward Waite (1857-1942) was a British poet, mystic, and member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. He is best known today for co-creating the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck, but his scholarly output was enormous. The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts was published in 1898, at the height of the Victorian occult revival.
Waite did not write new magic. He collected, translated, and annotated existing grimoires. His sources included:
- The Clavicula Salomonis (Key of Solomon), a 14th-century grimoire of ceremonial magic
- The Grimorium Verum (True Grimoire), a 17th-century Italian text
- The Grand Grimoire, an 18th-century French grimoire
- The Lemegeton (Lesser Key of Solomon), a 17th-century English compilation
Waite’s commentary is skeptical. He considered most of the material “degraded” and “superstitious,” but he preserved it for historical study. The book is a Victorian scholar’s attempt to document what he saw as a dying tradition.
Paul Huson and the Folk Magic Revival
Paul Huson (born 1942) is a British-born author, artist, and practicing witch. The Black Book of Magic (originally titled Mastering Witchcraft: A Practical Guide for Witches, Warlocks, and Covens) was published in 1972, during the early years of the modern witchcraft revival.
Huson drew from different sources than Waite:
- British cunning folk traditions (the “wise women” and “cunning men” of rural England)
- American folk magic, including Appalachian and Ozark traditions
- The Key of Solomon and other grimoires, but adapted for practical use
- His own experience as a practicing witch
Where Waite compiled, Huson instructed. The book includes step-by-step instructions for spells, charms, divination, and ritual work. It is a manual, not a museum.
Symbolism and Meaning: Why “Black”?
The word “black” in both titles carries different weight.
For Waite, “black” meant the forbidden, the hidden, the dangerous. His book was subtitled “and of Pacts” because it included the Grimorium Verum and other texts that described pacts with demons. The title was sensationalist, designed to attract Victorian readers hungry for occult scandal. Waite himself disliked the term “black magic” and argued that magic was morally neutral.
For Huson, “black” referred to the folk tradition of “black witchcraft” or “black arts” as practiced by cunning folk. This was not Satanism or demonolatry. It was the practical magic of rural healers, charmers, and diviners who worked with spirits, herbs, and natural forces. The “black” distinguished it from the ceremonial magic of the Victorian revival.
Both books use the same color. They mean different things by it.
Practices and Traditions: What Each Book Actually Teaches
What The Book of Black Magic Contains
Waite’s book is organized by source text. It includes:
- The Clavicula Salomonis: Instructions for constructing ritual tools, consecrating circles, and summoning spirits
- The Grimorium Verum: Methods for making pacts with demons, including the famous “Grand Grimoire” material
- The Lemegeton: The Goetia, including the 72 spirits and their seals
- The Heptameron: A 16th-century text of angelic magic attributed to Peter of Abano
The book is dense with Latin invocations, Hebrew names, and complex ritual structures. A modern practitioner would find it difficult to use directly. Waite’s commentary often warns the reader away from attempting the operations.
What The Black Book of Magic Contains
Huson’s book is organized by practice. It includes:
- The Witch’s Tools: How to make and consecrate the athame, wand, cauldron, and broom
- The Circle: How to cast and work within a ritual circle
- Spells and Charms: Instructions for love spells, protection charms, healing work, and curses
- Divination: Methods using the pendulum, the cup, and the mirror
- Herbal Magic: Recipes for incenses, oils, and potions
- Spirit Work: How to contact and work with spirits, including the dead
The book assumes the reader intends to practice. It gives practical advice on timing, materials, and safety. It does not require Latin or complex ceremonial structures.
Comparisons: How They Relate to Each Other
The two books represent opposite poles of Western occultism.
The Book of Black Magic is ceremonial, scholarly, and historical. It belongs to the tradition of the Renaissance grimoires, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and the Victorian occult revival. It is a book about magic.
The Black Book of Magic is folkloric, practical, and contemporary. It belongs to the tradition of cunning craft, rural witchcraft, and the modern witchcraft revival. It is a book for magic.
They share source material. Huson drew from the same grimoires that Waite compiled. But he adapted them for a different purpose. Where Waite preserved the Clavicula Salomonis as a historical document, Huson extracted its practical elements and simplified them for the working witch.
A reader who wants to study the history of ceremonial magic should start with Waite. A reader who wants to practice folk magic should start with Huson. The two books complement each other but do not replace each other.
Common Misconceptions
Misconception 1: They are the same book with different titles.
They are not. Waite’s book is a Victorian anthology. Huson’s book is a 20th-century manual. They share a color in the title and nothing else.
Misconception 2: Both books are about “black magic” in the evil sense.
Neither book promotes what popular culture calls “black magic.” Waite’s book includes material on demonic pacts, but his commentary is critical. Huson’s book includes curses and binding spells, but within the context of traditional folk magic where such work had ethical guidelines.
Misconception 3: The Book of Black Magic is the same as the Grand Grimoire.
The Grand Grimoire is one of the texts Waite compiled. His book is not the Grand Grimoire itself. It is a collection that includes the Grand Grimoire alongside other texts.
Misconception 4: Huson’s book is a modern reprint of Waite’s.
It is not. Huson’s book was written independently, drawing from different sources and for a different audience. The similarity in title is coincidental, though Huson may have been aware of Waite’s work.
FAQ
Which book is better for a beginner? Huson’s Black Book of Magic is accessible and practical. Waite’s Book of Black Magic requires background in ceremonial magic and Latin.
Are these books dangerous? Neither book is dangerous in itself. Both contain material that could be misused, but they are reference works. The danger is in the practitioner, not the text.
Can I use Waite’s book for actual magic? It is possible but difficult. The rituals are complex, the language is archaic, and Waite’s commentary often warns against attempting them. Most practitioners find Huson’s book more usable.
Do these books contain the same spirits? Partially. Both draw from the Lemegeton and Grimorium Verum, so some spirits appear in both. But Huson includes folk spirits and local traditions that Waite does not.
Closing
The difference between these two books is the difference between a museum and a workshop. Waite’s Book of Black Magic preserves the artifacts of ceremonial magic for study. Huson’s Black Book of Magic provides the tools for practice. Both belong on the shelf of anyone serious about the Western occult tradition, but they serve different hands. For further reading, explore our guide to the major grimoires and the glossary of ceremonial magic terms. The demonology and goetia hub offers deeper context for the spirits that appear in both books.