In his review, Scott Gosnell takes us on a journey through the living lineage of the Olympic Spirits — from Trithemius and Paracelsus, through Rosicrucian and early modern currents, to twentieth-century folk magic — showing how The Olympic Spirits reconstructs a forgotten tradition that spans nearly five centuries.

Effigy is at first a rather daunting proposition and one is left wondering how the subject can be expanded into such a thick tome. However, the thoroughness of Duffy’s research and study, his diligent fact-finding and investigation into the historic and contemporary practical use of the idol is superb, revealing how mammoth a subject it actually is – masterfully handled and treated with care and consideration.