Since the late nineteenth century, the Theosophical Society has been a central force in the movement now known as the New Age. Just as the Communist Party was considered 'old hat' by peace activists in the '60s, so the Theosophical Society was looked upon by many in the 'spiritual revolution' of those years as cranky, uninteresting, and pass. But the Society, like the Party, was always there, and-despite its relatively few members-always better organized than anybody else. Since then, the Society's influence has certainly not waned. It plays an important role in today's global interfaith movement, and, since the flowering of the New Age in the '70s, has established increasingly intimate ties with the global elites. And its various spinoffs, such as Elizabeth Clare Prophet's Summit Lighthouse, and Benjamin Crme's continuing attempt to lead a 'World Teacher Maitreya' onto the global stage-just as the Society tried to do in the last century with Krishnamurti-continue to send waves through the sea of 'alternative' spiritualities. Gunon shows how our popular ideas of karma and reincarnation actually owe more to Theosophy than to Hinduism or Buddhism, provides a clear picture of the charlatanry that was sometimes a part of the Society's modus operandi, and gives the early history of the Society's bid for political power, particularly its role as an agent of British imperialism in India. It is fitting that this work should finally appear in English just at this moment, when the influence of pseudo-esoteric spiritualities on global politics is probably greater than ever before in Western history.

Once associated with astrology and occultist prophecy, the art of interpreting personal character based on facial and other physical features dates back to antiquity. About Face tells the intriguing story of how physiognomics became particularly popular during the Enlightenment, no longer as a mere parlor game but as an empirically grounded discipline. The story expands to illuminate an entire tradition within German culture, stretching from Goethe to the rise of Nazism. In About Face, Richard T. Gray explores the dialectical reversal - from the occult to the scientific realm - that entered physiognomic thought in the late eighteenth century, beginning with the positivistic writings of Swiss pastor Johann Caspar Lavater. Originally claimed to promote understanding and love, physiognomics devolved into a system aimed at valorizing a specific set of physical, moral, and emotional traits and stamping everything else as ""deviant."" This development not only reinforced racial, national, and characterological prejudices but also lent such beliefs a presumably scientific grounding. In the period following World War I, physiognomics experienced yet another unprecedented boom in popularity. Gray explains how physiognomics had by then become a highly respected ""super-discipline"" that embraced many prominent strands of German thought: the Romantic philosophy of nature, the ""life philosophy"" propagated by Dilthey and Nietzsche, the cultural pessimism of Schopenhauer, Husserl's method of intuitive observation, Freudian psychoanalysis, and early-twentieth-century eugenics and racial biology. A rich exploration of German culture, About Face offers fresh insight into the intellectual climate that allowed the dangerous thinking of National Socialism to take hold.

The story of King Solomon has fascinated spiritual and religious writers for millennia - this book advances a theory that Solomon was infact a Magi who created many of the rituals, spells and symbols important to occultists. Although the idea that Solomon carried some sort of mystical powers is not new, this book purports to be written in the ancient king of the Jews' own hand. The magical symbols and diagrams which are situated alongside the various rituals and incantations are intricate, containing pentacles and other shapes. Towards the end of the book a large table is appended, detailing a selection of mystical alphabets and their English. For his investigation, Mathers delved deep into the archives of the British Museum, unearthing an old French manuscript of the text which he duly translated into English. He also replicated the diagrams and symbols; these efforts resulted in this modern English version of the old Solomon manuscripts, and an increase in interest toward writings hitherto obscure.

Faith and Freedom shows a movement from living a man controlled life to living a God centered and God directed life. It is essential to find peace within oneself before becoming an image, an example and a vessel for God here on earth. God asks us to free ourselves from the ways of the world and become people of God who guide others to a loving, joyful, peaceful, faithful and free life.

If you could ask a Shaman Elder any question, what would you want to know?
Forty-five questions are answered through the words of Shaman Elder Maggie who has practiced for over 50 years her centuries-old family lineage of Traditional Shamanism, trained by her own Shaman Grandmother.
See your life from a Traditional Shamanic perspective and eliminate the fears and problems that interfere with your own happiness. The questions in this book come from the thousands of emails that Shaman Elder Maggie receives through her Internet course and her free counseling service online.
Students of this book will:

• Discover the truth of your own energy and how to use it to your favor
• Learn how to stand in your power and be captain of your own ship
• Practice exercises you can use to bring balance to your life
• Find the spiritual joy in living
• Discover ways to practice mental awareness so you never get blindsided again
• Create physical health for yourself and those you love
• Improve your own life by adopting ancient Traditional Shamanic principles
  "The Shaman Speaks" provides wisdom for every day of your life
  "You put all these wonderful things out there for us to look at, ponder on, research, pick up and play with, or to pick up add it to our set of tools and learn to use. So, thank you for this most fabulous tool. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you."
  --Darill Hall
  "I don't know how many lives and loves you have saved or helped heal but you have done both here with us. Bless you, namaste "
  --Felicia Dale
  "I realize that your purpose is to show me how to find the answers within myself, which of course you knew all along. I know what it means to be a teacher now. You truly are wise, Shaman Elder Maggie." --John
  About the Author
  Shaman Elder Maggie has been providing counseling free of charge for nearly 30 years. She has a Doctorate of Divinity and is a Usui Reiki Master Teacher. She is an artist, a mystic, a visionary, a teacher, a friend to all and a lover of life. She is one of America's most beloved teachers of traditional Shamanism.
  Learn more at www.ShamanElder.com
  From the Modern Spirituality Series at Marvelous Spirit Press www.MarvelousSpirit.com
  OCC036030 Body, Mind & Spirit: Spirituality - Shamanism
  

Where Science Meets Spiritualism Spiritual Evolution: How Science Redefines Our Existence seeks to create a model for spiritual existence that incorporates the most profound scientific discoveries of the last 100 years. Part I helps guide you through traditional dogma and open up to possibilities far beyond what we currently know. Part II takes you through a journey of scientific discoveries and critical insights. From these insights, Professor Kennedy builds a basic model of human existence which redefines what it means to be spiritual in the 21st century. Why are we here? Does science offer insight on human beings connection with the Divine? What is God? What is the Universe? How do we reconcile science and spirituality? What is the difference between religion and spirituality? What prevents you from "seeing" outside the box? Professor Kennedy attempts to address these beguiling questions and more by combining modern logic and science with spiritualism. The results will hopefully surprise and inspire you.

This book offers an in-depth description and analysis of Chinese coin-like charms, which date back to the second century CE and which continued to be used until mid 20th century. This work is unique in that it provides an archaeological and analytical interpretation of the content of these metallic objects: inscriptive, pictorial or both. As the component chapters show, these coin-like objects represent a wealth of Chinese traditional folk beliefs, including but not limited to family values, social obligations and religious desires. The book presents a collection of contributed chapters, gathering a diverse range of perspectives and expertise from some of the world's leading scholars in the fields of archaeology, religious studies, art history, language and museology. The background of the cover image is a page from Guang jin shi yun fu , a rhyming dictionary first published in the ninth year of the Kangxi Reign (1652 CE). The metal charm dates back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE), depicting two deities traditionally believed to possess the majic power of suppressing evil spirits. The stich-bound book in the foreground is a collection of seal impressions from the beginning of the 20th century. Its wooden press board is inscribed da ji xiang by Fang Zhi-bin in the year of bing yin (1926 CE).