Leo Ruickbie is a British historian and sociologist of religion, specializing in exceptional experiences, paranormal beliefs, magic,

witchcraft Witchcraft is the use of Magic (supernatural), magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meanin ...

and

Wicca Wicca (), also known as "The Craft", is a Modern paganism, modern pagan, syncretic, Earth religion, Earth-centred religion. Considered a new religious movement by Religious studies, scholars of religion, the path evolved from Western esote ...

. He is the author of several books, beginning with ''Witchcraft Out of the Shadows'', a 2004 publication outlining the history of

from ancient Greece until the modern day. Ruickbie was born in Scotland and took a master's degree in Sociology and Religion at the

University of Lancaster Lancaster University (officially The University of Lancaster) is a collegiate public university, public research university in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established in 1964 by royal charter, as one of several new univer ...

. He then studied at

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...

and was an awarded a PhD for his thesis entitled ''The Re-Enchanters: Theorising Re-Enchantment and Testing for its Presence in Modern Witchcraft''. On

Samhain Samhain ( , , , ) or () is a Gaels, Gaelic festival on 1 November marking the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter or the "Celtic calendar#Medieval Irish and Welsh calendars, darker half" of the year.Dáithí Ó hÓgáin, Ó hÓ ...

2007 he launched Open Source Wicca, a project inspired by the

open-source software Open-source software (OSS) is Software, computer software that is released under a Open-source license, license in which the copyright holder grants users the rights to use, study, change, and Software distribution, distribute the software an ...

movement aimed at making the founding texts of Wicca more readily available by releasing them under a

Creative Commons Creative Commons (CC) is an American non-profit organization and international network devoted to educational access and expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has release ...

licence. In 2008 and 2009 he exhibited on the subject of witchcraft in France. He is also a council member of the

Society for Psychical Research The Society for Psychical Research (SPR) is a nonprofit organisation in the United Kingdom. Its stated purpose is to understand events and abilities commonly described as psychic or paranormal. It describes itself as the "first society to condu ...

, a professional member of the Parapsychological Association, the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism, and is on the committee of the Gesellschaft für Anomalistik. In 2021, he was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Historical Society The Royal Historical Society (RHS), founded in 1868, is a learned society of the United Kingdom which advances scholarly studies of history. Origins The society was founded and received its royal charter in 1868. Until 1872 it was known as the H ...

and in 2022 a Fellow of the

Royal Anthropological Institute The Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland (RAI) is a long-established anthropological organisation, and Learned Society, with a global membership. Its remit includes all the component fields of anthropology, such as biolo ...

. He is the current editor of the ''Magazine of the Society for Psychical Research''.

Bibliography

Books

''Witchcraft Out of the Shadows'' (2004)

''Witchcraft Out of the Shadows'' begins with a survey of historical influences from classical times, northern European paganism, and medieval and early modern Europe. It then describes the roots of modern neopagan witchcraft in groups such as the

Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (), more commonly the Golden Dawn (), was a secret society devoted to the study and practice of occult Hermeticism and metaphysics during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Known as a magical order, ...

and individuals such as

Aleister Crowley Aleister Crowley ( ; born Edward Alexander Crowley; 12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947) was an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, novelist, mountaineer, and painter. He founded the religion of Thelema, identifying himself as the pr ...

and Doreen Valiente. Particularly important is the critical analysis of the claims made by Gerald Gardner about

, as well as a detailed discussion of the liturgical content of Gardner's ''Ye Bok of Ye Art Magical'' and its sources. The final part of the book is an overview of modern neo-pagan witchcraft belief and practice, drawing principally on Ruickbie's own doctoral research. Using both original research and secondary analysis of a broad range of anthropological and sociological findings, Ruickbie gives estimates for the numbers of people involved in neo-pagan witchcraft in the UK, their age, gender and income distribution. He also asked participants in his own research about the nature of their religious experience, their relationship with the gods, their practice of magic and their beliefs about its effects. ''Witchcraft Out of the Shadows'' was listed under 'Further Reading' in Owen Davies' 2009 book ''Grimoires: A History of Magic Books''.

''The Re-Enchanters'' (2005)

''The Re-Enchanters: Theorising Re-Enchantment and Testing for its Presence in Modern Witchcraft'' is a sociological analysis of modern

(including

) that builds a theory of re-enchantment using

Max Weber Maximilian Carl Emil Weber (; ; 21 April 186414 June 1920) was a German Sociology, sociologist, historian, jurist, and political economy, political economist who was one of the central figures in the development of sociology and the social sc ...

's famous

disenchantment In social science, disenchantment () is the cultural rationalization and devaluation of religion apparent in modern society. The term was borrowed from Friedrich Schiller by Max Weber to describe the character of a modernized, bureaucratic, ...

hypothesis and then tests this using a sample group drawn primarily from practitioners of modern witchcraft and other forms of contemporary

paganism Paganism (, later 'civilian') is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Christianity, Judaism, and Samaritanism. In the time of the ...

''Open Source Wicca: The Gardnerian Tradition'' (2007)

Original ritual texts of the Wiccan Gardnerian Tradition from 1949 to 1961, released under a

Attribution-Share Alike licence similar to that which is used in the

community.

''Faustus: The Life and Times of a Renaissance Magician'' (2009)

Biography of Faustus (aka

Faust Faust ( , ) is the protagonist of a classic German folklore, German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust (). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a deal with the Devil at a ...

) published by

The History Press The History Press is a British publishing company specialising in the publication of titles devoted to local and specialist history. It claims to be the United Kingdom's largest independent publisher in this field, publishing approximately 300 ...

presents new information on the life and death of Faustus. ''Pagan Dawn'' magazine said of the book: 'Leo Ruickbie's solid tome does something unexpected. It rehabilitates someone with one of the worst reputations in history; Georgius Sabellicus Faustus Jnr, better known as Faust'.

''A Brief Guide to the Supernatural'' (2012)

An introduction to supernatural phenomena, beliefs and experiences published by Constable & Robinson.

''A Brief Guide to Ghost Hunting'' (2013)

A detailed examination of the history and practice of

ghost hunting Ghost hunting is the process of investigating list of reportedly haunted locations, locations that are purportedly haunted by ghosts. The practice has been heavily criticized for its dismissal of the scientific method. No scientific study has e ...

also published by Constable & Robinson. Reviewing the book for the Magonia Review of Books, Peter Rogerson called it 'comprehensive and remarkable good value for the price', adding that 'this is an interesting and useful book one can recommend to ghost hunters and psychical researchers'. It is recommended reading by the chairman of the Ghost Club and Rosemary Ellen Guiley.

''The Impossible Zoo: An Encyclopedia of Fabulous Beasts and Mythical Monsters'' (2016)

From the publisher's website: "The Impossible Zoo is a biology of the supernatural - a study of the life of things that never lived. This world of mermaids and unicorns, now confined to fantasy, but once believed to exist, is a world of the imagination that still affects us today. Wonderfully illustrated throughout, it also provides sources as a guide to further study and exploration." It is recommended by Dr Karl Shuker and Revd Lionel Fanthorpe, FRSA, author and president of the Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena. The book has been translated into Estonian and is published by Tänapäev.

''Angels in the Trenches: Spiritualism, Superstition and the Supernatural During the First World War'' (2018)

A narrative history of the First World War examining paranormal beliefs and experiences both on the Home Front and the Frontline. Published by Robinson, an imprint of Little, Brown for the Centenary of the

Armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from t ...

in November 2018.

Articles

* 'Weber and the Witches: Sociological Theory and Modern Witchcraft', ''JASANAS'', 2 (February 2006), 116–130. * 'Is it Time to Sell Your Soul?', '' Pagan Dawn'', 171, (Beltane 2009), 22–23. * 'Haiti's "Devil Pact"', ''Paranormal'', 46 (April 2010), 10. * 'Sympathy from the Devil', ''Paranormal'', 49 (July 2010), 56–59. * 'Talk of the Devil: Part 1', ''Paranormal'', 51 (September 2010), 28–33. * 'Talk of the Devil: Part 2', ''Paranormal'', 52 (October 2010), 34–39. * 'Child Witches: From Imaginary Cannibalism to Ritual Abuse', ''Paranthropology'', 3.3 (July 2012), pp. 13–21.

Exhibitions

La Sorcellerie en France

This public exhibition explored the history of witchcraft in France with a special focus on the Ardennes region. In a series of highly illustrated panels it covered topics such as what is witchcraft, where was witchcraft to be found, the

Knights Templar The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a Military order (religious society), military order of the Catholic Church, Catholic faith, and one of the most important military ord ...

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc ( ; ; – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the Coronation of the French monarch, coronation of Charles VII o ...

Gilles de Rais Gilles de Rais, Pays de Retz, Baron de Rais (; also spelled "Retz"; 1405 – 26 October 1440) was a knight and lord from Duchy of Brittany, Brittany, Duchy of Anjou, Anjou and Poitou, a leader in the French army during the Hundred Years' W ...

, the legal and theoretical writers on

demonology Demonology is the study of demons within religious belief and myth. Depending on context, it can refer to studies within theology, religious doctrine, or occultism. In many faiths, it concerns the study of a hierarchy of demons. Demons may be n ...

, famous

demonic possession Spirit Possession is an altered state of consciousness and associated behaviors which are purportedly caused by the control of a human body and its functions by Supernatural#Spirit, spirits, ghosts, demons, angels, or Deity, gods. The concept ...

cases, legends of the Ardennes, witch trials in the Ardennes, plants used in witchcraft and stones (precious and semi-precious) used in magic, popular superstitions like the

horseshoe A horseshoe is a product designed to protect a horse hoof from wear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface (ground side) of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall that is anatomically akin to the human toenail, altho ...

and

. It was held at the following locations: * 15–29 June 2008, Bureau de Tourisme, Le Colombier, Place du Colombier, Mouzon,

Ardennes The Ardennes ( ; ; ; ; ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, extending into Germany and France. Geological ...

, Champagne-Ardenne,

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. * 02 - 24 August 2008, Salle des Fêtes, Saint-Antoine,

Gers Gers (; or , ) is a departments of France, department in the regions of France, region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Southwestern France. Gers is bordered by the departments of Hautes-Pyrénées and Pyrénées-Atlantiques to ...

, Midi-Pyrénées,

. * 21–22 March 2009, Printemps des légendes, Monthermé,

Television

Mysteries at the Castle

Ruickbie has appeared in two episodes of Mysteries at the Castle, Season 3: 3.7: "Prince's Plight; Mad King Ludwig; Falling for Love". Here he talked about

Dunrobin Castle Dunrobin Castle is a stately home in Sutherland, in the Highland area of Scotland, that serves as the family seat of the Earl of Sutherland, Chief of Clan Sutherland. It is located north of Golspie and approximately south of Brora, overlo ...

, Scotland, said to be haunted by the ghost of 'Lady Margaret' 3.9: "Deadliest Chess Game; Gustav III Assassination; Shot in the Heart", in which he presented

Ruthven Barracks Ruthven Barracks (), near Ruthven, Badenoch, Ruthven in Badenoch, Scotland, are the best preserved of the four barracks built in 1719 after the 1715 Jacobitism, Jacobite rising. Set on an old castle mound, the complex comprises two large three-st ...

, Scotland, where Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan was said to have played chess with the

Devil A devil is the mythical personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conce ...

. He also appeared in one episode of Mysteries at the Castle, Season 2: 2.3: "Faust; Pirate Queen; First Versailles".

References

External links

Leo Ruickbie's education and research website specialising in witchcraft and Wicca

Leo Ruickbie, ''Weber and the Witches''

''Witchcraft Out of the Shadows'' (Publisher's website)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruickbie, Leo Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Alumni of King's College London Scottish male writers Scottish non-fiction writers Scottish occult writers Scottish sociologists British male non-fiction writers Pagan studies scholars British parapsychologists Writers from Edinburgh