Six ways people have used magic to protect their homes throughout history – from witch bottles to ‘hag stones’

Woodcut of witches flying from The History of Witches and Wizards (1720). Wellcome Library

Virtually all cultures and epochs fizz with magic. You might call it a secret ingredient of human life, because magic takes so many forms and serves so many functions.

One relatively new area of research among historians and archaeologists focuses on the use of magic and mysticism to protect buildings, gardens and their inhabitants. It’s one of the many forms of magic I explore in my new book, Magick: Decoding the Visual Culture of Spells, Illusions and Psychic Powers.