The writers in this survey ask important questions about the nature of magic. Such as whether magic is timeless in its meaning or is it only a late Victorian fiction. Is there any meaning in making a distinction between magic and religion? Is magic universal? Are the substances used in magic practised by Zulu witchdoctors any different from those used in ancient Greece or during the Renaissance? How does one define magic? Is it an inferior religion, defective logical system, a fantasy of technology? How should magic be approached and analyzed? As a system made of symbols? As a strange performance? What are the characteristics of a witch and a wizard? Already from the 5th century BC magic being considered as technology, how is it threatened by 21st century high technology?