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Books > Health, Home & Family > Mind, body & spirit > The Occult > General
Featuring an in-depth exploration of the Dreamtime and of Australia's seasonal wheel of the year, as well as a guide to finding your own Australian animal totem, Animal Dreaming explores the spiritual and symbolic interpretations of over 200 native, domesticated and introduced animals, birds, reptiles, and fish in Australia. Renowned author and acclaimed Animal Psychic Scott Alexander King presents these animals to his readers as totems, teachers, healers, and spiritual allies, offering a wealth of ancient knowledge and spiritual insight into the ways of the animals. An invaluable resource for anyone with an interest in the animal kingdom, sacred Earth Wisdom, and Shamanic Lore.
A thousand years ago Christian battled Muslim for possession of a strip of land upon which both their religions were founded. These Crusades changed the course of Western history, but less known is the fact that they also were the meeting ground for two legendary secret societies: The Knights Templar and their Muslim counterparts, the Assassins. In The Templars and the Assassins: The Militia of Heaven, occult scholar and secret society member James Wasserman provides compelling evidence that the interaction of the Knights Templar and the Assassins in the Holy Land transformed the Templars from the Pope's private army into a true occult society, from which they would sow the seeds of the Renaissance and the Western Mystery Tradition. Both orders were destroyed as heretical some seven hundred years ago, but Templar survivors are believed to have carried the secret teachings of the East into an occult underground, from which sprang both Rosicrucianism and Masonry. Assassin survivors, known as Nizari Ismailis, flourish to this day under the spiritual leadership of the Aga Khan. Wasserman strips the myths from both groups and penetrates to the heart of their enlightened beliefs and rigorous practices, delivering the most probing picture yet of these holy warriors.
Keith Thomas's classic study of all forms of popular belief has been influential for so long now that it is difficult to remember how revolutionary it seemed when it first appeared. By publishing Religion and the Decline of Magic, Thomas became the first serious scholar to attempt to synthesize the full range of popular thought about the occult and the supernatural, studying its influence across Europe over several centuries. At root, his book can be seen as a superb exercise in problem-solving: one that actually established "magic" as a historical problem worthy of investigation. Thomas asked productive questions, not least challenging the prevailing assumption that folk belief was unworthy of serious scholarly attention, and his work usefully reframed the existing debate in much broader terms, allowing for more extensive exploration of correlations, not only between different sorts of popular belief, but also between popular belief and state religion. It was this that allowed Thomas to reach his famous conclusion that the advent of Protestantism – which drove out much of the "superstition" that characterised the Catholicism of the period – created a vacuum filled by other forms of belief; for example, Catholic priests had once blessed their crops, but Protestants refused to do so. That left farmers looking for other ways of ensuring a good harvest. It was this, Thomas argues, that explains the survival of what we now think of as "magic" at a time such beliefs might have been expected to decline – at least until science arose to offer alternative paradigms.
Outside the Charmed Circle is a guide to negotiating gender identity and sexuality within Pagan and magical religious communities. It is designed to support you as you awaken to who you are, deepen your magical practice, and walk through the Pagan world successfully in an authentic way. Author Misha Magdalene provides simple hands-on meditations, prompts, and magical workings to help you explore your identity. With thoughtful insights on embodiment, consent, and Eros, as well as guidance on exploring self-esteem, body negativity, ability, and disability, this book helps you engage with a wide range of identities in a ritual setting. Whether you are straight or queer, cis or trans, witch or magician or devotee you can use this book to develop and deepen your own magical or witchcraft practice.
"The Western Mysteries "(previously published as "The Key of It
All, Book II: The Western Mysteries), " by David Allen Hulse, is
perhaps the most comprehensive, in-depth description of various
aspects of the Western magickal tradition ever published.
Herbs that can be used to affect the mental state of the consumer, as well as for their healing properties, have been a part of cultures and sub-cultures all around the world ever since our early ancestors first started experimenting to find out what various plants could be used for. Author Steve Andrews takes the view that the best herbs for use by shamans are those plant teachers that grow locally. This book is unique because it focuses only on those species that can be found growing within the northern countries of the world. Best-selling author Howard Marks, aka Mr Nice, described Herbs of the Northern Shaman as EXCELLENT! That was for the original version of this book when it was first published with black and white illustrations and photographs. Now, Herbs of the Northern Shaman has been updated to include additional species of herb and fungus, as well as a whole new collection of stunning colour photos by Katrinia Rindsberg. Besides well-known psychoactive herbs such as Cannabis, Morning Glory and Datura, other plants that have been said to have mind-altering properties are also described, plants such as the Meadow Buttercup, the Lime Tree and the Rhododendron.
This outstanding reference work contains concise quotes from the Edgar Cayce readings on 264 different topics, including past and future world conditions, life's purpose, the evolution of the soul, reincarnation and karma, religion, and health and diet.
Iris, the Goddess of the Rainbow, is an often-overlooked goddess in Greek mythology. As a messenger, she offers us the words and wisdom of the gods, traveling between worlds to tell us what we need to know. In Pagan Portals - Iris Goddess of the Rainbow and Messenger of the Godds, we will explore the mysterious Iris, following the colors of her magick to inspire our lives.
A bold exploration of modern psychedelic culture, its history, and future * Examines 3 modern psy-culture architects: chemist Alexander "Sasha" Shulgin, mycologist-philosopher Terence McKenna, and visionary artist Alex Grey * Presents a "History of Visionary Art," from its roots in prehistory, to Ernst Fuchs and the Vienna School of the Fantastic, to contemporary psychedelic art After the deaths of Jerry Garcia, Timothy Leary, and Ken Kesey, it appeared that the psychedelic revolution of the 1960s had finally been suppressed. But the opposite was occurring, evident in the popularity of transformational festivals like Burning Man and BOOM!, the media coverage of ayahuasca use, and the growing number of celebrities and Silicon Valley billionaires readily admitting the benefits of microdosing. Along with the return of university research, the revival of psychedelic philosophy, and the increasing popularity of Visionary Art, these changes signify a widespread psychedelic cultural revolution. Speaking from the forefront of this new revolution, James Oroc explores 21st-century psychedelic culture through three of its main post-1960s architects: chemist Alexander "Sasha" Shulgin, mycologist-philosopher Terence McKenna, and visionary artist Alex Grey. Examining their work in depth, he also explores the work of DMT researcher Rick Strassman, MAPS founder Rick Doblin, consciousness researcher Stanislav Grof, author Daniel Pinchbeck, and new visionary artists such as Amanda Sage and Android Jones. He investigates the use of microdosing in extreme sports and the transformed understanding of spirituality that arises from the psy-trance festival experience. He presents a "History of Visionary Art" from its roots in prehistory and antiquity, to Ernst Fuchs and the Vienna School of the Fantastic, to contemporary psychedelic art and its importance to visionary culture. The author explains how psychedelics are powerful tools to examine the Ego and the Shadow and induce transpersonal experiences. Building on anthropological evidence for the role of plant-entheogens in the development of human culture, he proposes that our ongoing psychedelic revolution is seeding the beginnings of a new Visionary Age.
Take a magic-infused journey through the year with this weekly planner inspired by the otherworldly power of herbs. This unique planner invites you on a mystical planning and scheduling experience, whether for work, school, or your daily life, from July 2023 through December 2024. Infused with spells to help you actively manifest your intentions, soothe stress, unblock your creativity, and much more, this enchanted planner is designed for those curious about herbal magic and seasoned practitioners. This planner features:  Stunning full-page artistic renderings of herbs that you’ll use in your spells paired with in-depth descriptions of their energy, elements, planetary companions, and folklore. Full-page step-by-step instructions for spells, potions, and charms to start every month. Weekly incantations to inform your week and spark spiritual nourishment. Moon phases so you can cast your spells by the light of the moon. 18 full-month calendar spreads, from July 2023 through December 2024 72 weeks with plenty of space to write. Convenient size ideal for carrying in a book bag, briefcase, or purse. Elastic band closure to help secure your planner or mark your place inside. This planner is great for personal use, but also makes a bewitching gift that’s perfect for necromancers of all ages, students, people with busy work schedules, or your industrious friends and family. Activate your productivity and nourish your inner charm with Herbal Magic 2024 Weekly Planner.
An initiate's inside account of ancient Mayan spiritual practices alive today Offering an insider's experiential account of ancient Maya spiritual wisdom and practices, initiated Mayan shaman-priestess Gabriela Jurosz-Landa opens up the mysterious world of the Maya, dispelling the rampant misinformation about their beliefs and traditions, sharing the transcendent beauty of their ceremonies, and explaining the Maya understanding of time, foundational to their spiritual worldview and cosmology. The author, an anthropologist, details the initiation process she went through to become a Mayan shaman-priestess in Guatemala, including rituals, prayers, the presence of numinous forces, and the transmission of sacred knowledge. She explains the spiritual wisdom of the Mayan calendar as a living entity, its cycles of time, and the significance of "the counting of the days", which helps keep time itself alive. She examines Maya spiritual and cosmological concepts such how the universe is shaped like a triangle over a square. She reveals the profound power of dance in Maya tradition, explaining how ritual dance halts the flow of time, reactivates primordial events, and captures vital energies that keep the Maya spiritual tradition vital and alive. Exploring other Mayan secret knowledge, she also details Maya ritual attire, Mayan future-telling with the calendar, the reading of the Tzi'te beans, and how the Maya communicate with ancestors through the sacred fire. Illustrating how contemporary Mayan life is suffused with spiritual tradition and celebration, the author shares the teachings of the Maya from her initiate and anthropologist point of view in order to help us all learn from the ancient wisdom of their beliefs and worldview. Because, to truly understand the Maya, one must think like the Maya.
This book contains the first comprehensive examination of popular familiar belief in early modern Britain. It provides an in-depth analysis of the correlation between early modern British magic and tribal shamanism, examines the experiential dimension of popular magic and witchcraft in early modern Britain, and explores the links between British fairy beliefs and witch beliefs. In the hundreds of confessions relating to witchcraft and sorcery trials in early modern Britain there are detailed descriptions of intimate working relationships between popular magical practitioners and familiar spirits of either human or animal form. Until recently historians often dismissed these descriptions as elaborate fictions created by judicial interrogators eager to find evidence of stereotypical pacts with the Devil. Although this paradigm is now routinely questioned, and most historians acknowledge that there was a folkloric component to familiar lore in the period, these beliefs, and the experiences reportedly associated with them, remain substantially unexplored. This book examines the folkloric roots of familiar lore from historical, anthropological and comparative religious perspectives. It argues that beliefs about witches' familiars were rooted in beliefs surrounding the use of fairy familiars by beneficent magical practitioners or cunning folk', and corroborates this through a comparative analysis of familiar beliefs found in traditional Native American and Siberian shamanism. The author explores the experiential dimension of familiar lore by drawing parallels between early modern familiar encounters and visionary mysticism as it appears in both tribal shamanism and medieval European contemplative traditions. These perspectives challenge the reductionist view of popular magic in early modern Britain often presented by historians.
A guide to the practices, tools, and rituals of New Orleans Voodoo
as well as the many cultural influences at its origins
Modern science tells us that we are an insignificant accident in a vast, indifferent universe. Rudolf Steiner maintains instead that we are intimately enmeshed with the whole cosmos, right down to the physical structure of our bodies. In these talks, he explores our relationship as individuals to the spiritual cosmos, in which we will all become cosmonauts, eventually. The key to being at home in the universe is to understand the significance of our individual, physical lives on earth and what happens when we leave our physical bodies behind. Steiner encapsulates his view of our journey after death and our return to earth and a new life. He describes the "planetary" spheres through which we each pass and their effects on our future. He shows us how our character and actions on earth affect us after we die and how those experiences shape our next physical life. This is not merely information to be added to our already over-abundant store of abstract concepts: Steiner gives us imaginative exercises that help us explore our suprasensory, or spiritual, human nature. We can begin now to act more consciously by recognizing the concrete nature of morality and the real consequences of our present lives. The introduction and comprehensive afterword by Paul Margulies explain and contextualize Steiner's text, revealing a message that is more vital and relevant than ever in our frenzied, materialistic times. This book can help us experience more meaning in life and become more at home as spiritual citizens of the universe.
How was the beauty of this world created? The answer is in the story of Earth's Logos, the great being Sanat Kumara. A journey through his eyes as he learns the real-life lessons of training along the path of mastery.
MAIDEN, MOTHER, CRONE presents the Trinity as ancient symbols of the Goddess, predating Christianity by thousands of years. The book explores longstanding myths and symbols, illuminating ancient, universal human challenges that still exist today. Together with in-depth explanations of goddess archetypes and their relevance to 20th century living, this book will lead you to a state of conscious awareness that can change your life.
Pagan Portals - Brigid is a basic introduction to the Goddess Brigid focusing on her history and myth as well as her modern devotion and worship. Primarily looking at the Irish Goddess but including a discussion of her Pan-Celtic appearances, particularly in Scotland. Her different appearances in mythology are discussed along with the conflation of the pagan Goddess with Catholic saint. Modern methods for neopagans to connect to and honor this popular Goddess include offerings and meditation, and personal anecdotes from the author's experiences are included as well. Who was Brigid to the pre-Christian pagans? Who is she today to neopagans? How do we re-weave the threads of the old pagan Goddess and the new? Learn about Brigid's myths among the pagan Irish, the stories of Bride in Scotland, and the way that people today are finding and honoring this powerful and important deity to find the answer.
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