Witches and Warlocks: Tales of Black Magic, Old and New

Despite the familiar dictum that power tends to corrupt and absolute poser corrupts absolutely, a dark fascination and drive toward power exist within the human psyche, from the tyrant who bullies an enslaved populace down to those benevolent dictators who rule families and/or corporations in real life and on TV and in films. To study the leadership dynamic of a political party or even a social club is to perceive in varying degree the subtly manipulative character of all power structures. Even that hallowed (and comparatively modern) institution, romantic love, is so fraught with status games as to warrant an entire subcategory of self-help literature that purports to guide us through the tangled ploys of interpersonal domination.