Magic has enchanted humankind for millennia, evoking terror, laughter, shock, and amazement. Once persecuted as heretics and sorcerers, magicians have always been conduits to a parallel universe of limitless possibility—whether invoking spirits, reading minds, or inverting the laws of nature by sleight of hand. Long before science fiction, virtual realities, video games, and the Internet, the craft of magic was the most powerful fantasy world man had ever known. As the pioneers of special effects throughout history, magicians have never ceased to mystify us by making the impossible possible. This book celebrates more than 500 years of the stunning visual culture of the world’s greatest magicians. Featuring more than 750 rarely seen vintage posters, photographs, handbills, and engravings as well as paintings by Hieronymus Bosch and Bruegel among others, The Magic Book traces the history of magic as a performing art from the 1400s to the 1950s. Combining sensational images with incisive text, the book explores the evolution of the magicians’ craft, from medieval street performers to the brilliant stage magicians who gave rise to cinematic special effects; from the 19th century’s golden age of magic to groundbreaking daredevils like Houdini and the early 20th century’s vaudevillians. About the series TASCHEN is 40! Since we started our work as cultural archaeologists in 1980, TASCHEN has become synonymous with accessible publishing, helping bookworms around the world curate their own library of art, anthropology, and aphrodisia at an unbeatable price. Today we celebrate 40 years of incredible books by staying true to our company credo. The 40 series presents new editions of some of the stars of our program—now more compact, friendly in price, and still realized with the same commitment to impeccable production.

According to ancient myths, the Goddess Ariadne fared poorly. But is that simply the story the Ancient Greeks wanted retold in their myths? In this second, updated edition of Ariadne's Thread, Shekhinah Mountainwater argues that reclaiming womanhood and seeking spiritual liberation from patriarchal limitations can change the world-not by flipping the tables to a hierarchical matriarchy but in working toward a peaceful, egalitarian, sustainable society that embraces the traditionally "feminine" values of compassion and nurturing regardless of gender. She looks carefully and with wisdom at the old stories, and skillfully tugs the loose edges of old paradigms. A pioneer of the Goddess feminist movement, Mountainwater employs powerful archetypes and a feminist ethic of care to challenge our assumptions and draw us from the mundane into the mysterious in our own lives. Considered a classic of women's spirituality and goddess worship, Ariadne's Thread offers a magical path of discovery into the mysteries of the Goddess. It includes detailed explorations of the Maiden, Mother, and Crone guiding the cycles of life, as well as rituals to affirm our lunar and natural cycles in the world. As the Library Journal writes, this "well-written book encourages women to find their own spiritual path." Offering her own thread to guide our labyrinth, Mountainwater has illuminated a powerful, poetic, and joyful initiation.