ABSTRACT
In societies in which most people believe in the real efficacy of magical acts, such practices are typically employed by the majority, at least on occasion. Then there are people who use magic more than just occasionally, and who are specifically identified as magicians. In many cultures, self-identified magicians have earned their keep through their magical arts. Those who claim special abilities to heal, or divine hidden information, or communicate with spirits can provide services that many people want and for which they are willing to pay. This chapter addresses the critically important issue of magic and gender. It focuses on the forms of magic typically associated with men and explores the gendered character of those practices as well. The chapter examines some of the reasons why people have either sought out an identity as a magician or at least accepted it when it has been ascribed to them.
