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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Alternative belief systems > Occult studies > General
This may be Dr Lisiewski's finest work to date. For both the
beginning and advanced students of occultism, it lays bare what
practical magic is all about. A veritable modern magical 'grammar',
Howlings takes the reader step-by-step through the mental,
psychological and physical preparations required by the 'Fathers of
the Grimoires', the authors of the classical books on ceremonial
magic which include "The Heptameron", "The Lesser and Greater Keys
of Solomon", "The Sword of Moses" and others. Dr Lisiewski
clarifies dozens of technical points critical to successful magical
operations, including the most feared and desired one: evoking a
spirit to physical manifestation. Alchemy, mysticism and even
modern Science of Mind and New Thought are all examined in their
relationship to Medieval magic. In addition, Mark Stavish's editing
and extensive commentary on the original text, places the material
in the context of the magical and philosophical traditions of both
East and West, thereby adding valuable insight into the nature of
magic as a living tradition.
How was magic practiced in medieval times? How did it relate to the
diverse beliefs and practices that characterized this fascinating
period? This much revised and expanded new edition of Magic in the
Middle Ages surveys the growth and development of magic in medieval
Europe. It takes into account the extensive new developments in the
history of medieval magic in recent years, featuring new material
on angel magic, the archaeology of magic, and the magical efficacy
of words and imagination. Richard Kieckhefer shows how magic
represents a crossroads in medieval life and culture, examining its
relationship and relevance to religion, science, philosophy, art,
literature, and politics. In surveying the different types of magic
that were used, the kinds of people who practiced magic, and the
reasoning behind their beliefs, Kieckhefer shows how magic served
as a point of contact between the popular and elite classes, how
the reality of magical beliefs is reflected in the fiction of
medieval literature, and how the persecution of magic and
witchcraft led to changes in the law.
Ancient chroniclers, including Julius Caesar himself, made the
Druids and their sacred rituals infamous throughout the Western
world. But in fact, as Miranda Aldhouse-Green shows in this
fascinating book, the Druids' day-to-day lives were far less lurid
and much more significant. Exploring the various roles that Druids
played in British and Gallic society during the first centuries
B.C. and A.D.--not just as priests but as judges, healers,
scientists, and power brokers--Aldhouse-Green argues that they were
a highly complex, intellectual, and sophisticated group whose
influence transcended religion and reached into the realms of
secular power and politics. With deep analysis, fresh
interpretations, and critical discussions, she gives the Druids a
voice that resonates in our own time.
Antero Alli and Klint Finley discuss Antero's 'paratheatre'
projects, his relationships with Christopher Hyatt and Robert Anton
Wilson, and much more. Approximate running time is 36 minutes.
This is the first systematic exploration of the intriguing
connections between Victorian physical sciences and the study of
the controversial phenomena broadly classified as psychic, occult
and paranormal. These phenomena included animal magnetism,
spirit-rapping, telekinesis and telepathy. Richard Noakes shows
that psychic phenomena interested far more Victorian scientists
than we have previously assumed, challenging the view of these
scientists as individuals clinging rigidly to a materialistic
worldview. Physicists, chemists and other physical scientists
studied psychic phenomena for a host of scientific, philosophical,
religious and emotional reasons, and many saw such investigations
as exciting new extensions to their theoretical and experimental
researches. While these attempted extensions were largely
unsuccessful, they laid the foundations of modern day explorations
of the connections between physics and psychic phenomena. This
revelatory study challenges our view of the history of physics, and
deepens our understanding of the relationships between science and
the occult, and science and religion.
Explores the role of magic and the occult in the rise of the
ultra-conservative right * Details the magical war that took place
behind the scenes of the 2016 election * Examines in detail the
failed magical actions of Trump's opponents, with insights on
political magic from Dion Fortune's war letters * Reveals the
influence of a number of occult forces from Julius Evola to chaos
magick to show how the political and magical landscape of American
society has permanently changed since the 2016 election Magic and
politics seem like unlikely bedfellows, but in The King in Orange,
author John Michael Greer goes beyond superficial memes and extreme
partisanship to reveal the unmentionable realities that spawned the
unexpected presidential victory of an elderly real-estate mogul
turned reality-TV star and which continue to drive the deepening
divide that is now the defining characteristic of American society.
Greer convincingly shows how two competing schools of magic were
led to contend for the presidency in 2016 and details the magical
war that took place behind the scenes of the campaign. Through the
influence of a number of occult forces, from Julius Evola to chaos
magicians as well as the cult of positive thinking, Greer shows
that the main contenders in this magical war were the status quo
magical state--as defined by the late scholar Ioan Couliano--which
has repurposed the "manipulative magic" techniques of the
Renaissance magi into the subliminal techniques of modern
advertising, and an older, deeper, and less reasonable form of
magic--the "magic of the excluded"--which was employed by chaos
magicians and alt-right internet wizards, whose desires coalesced
in the form of a frog avatar that led the assault against the world
we knew. Examining in detail the magical actions of Trump's
opponents, with insights on political magic from occultist Dion
Fortune's war letters, the author discusses how the magic of the
privileged has functioned to keep the comfortable classes from
being able to respond effectively to the populist challenge and how
and why the "Magic Resistance," which tried to turn magic against
Trump, has failed. Showing how the political and magical landscape
of American society has permanently changed since the 2016 election
cycle, Greer reveals that understanding the coming of the King in
Orange will be a crucial step in making sense of the world for a
long time to come.
When Jean-Francois Champollion rediscovered how to translate the
Egyptian hieroglyphs in the early nineteenth century he described
them as "....a complex system, a writing that is figurative,
symbolic, and phonetic all within the same text, a single sentence,
I would even say a single word." Since then, although his
discoveries have led to the translation of most of the ancient
Egyptian texts, the emphasis in modern scholarship is to regard the
hieroglyphs purely as sounds and to disregard or even deny their
symbolic meaning. This book explores how the hieroglyphs function
as a comprehensive system of magical symbolism, the medw neter or
Words of the Gods by which the sacred truths of the Inner worlds of
creation are conveyed to humanity. Their effect is 'magical'
because when we study them and ponder their meaning they cause
changes in our consciousness, enabling us to reach a deeper
understanding of ourselves, of our surroundings and of the
universal principles that lie behind all creation. They also
incidentally teach us a great deal about the magical beliefs and
practices of the ancient Egyptians and their perception of the
relationship between the earthly and spiritual worlds. Using many
examples and illustrations, this book demonstrates how the
hieroglyphs formed the basis of Egyptian magic and were the means
by which it was taught and practiced. It offers an entirely new
interpretation of Egyptian magic, and shows how the hieroglyphs can
be used as a magical tool that is as transformative today as it was
in ancient times.
Fourteen years after it was first published, the 2021 edition of
The Red Goddess has been freshly typeset and is introduced with a
preface by Alkistis Dimech. The Red Goddess is an ecstatic journey
through the unheard history of Babalon, the goddess of Revelation,
an explicit and challenging vision of a very modern goddess coming
into power. From the Revelation of St John the Divine, back through
the Ishtar Gate and forward into a living modern magical current.
This is more than a history, it is a passionate account of living
magic and the transcendent power of Love. The epic sweep of the
text takes us from Babylon to Jerusalem to Rome, and onwards to
Apocalypse. It confronts us with the language and symbols of our
own culture and the denied demonic feminine. It looks at the
angelic work of John Dee and places it in a European eschatology.
It delivers a devastating exegesis on the excesses of Aleister
Crowley, and unlocks the secrets of 'Waratah Blossoms.' It explains
the immolation of the Californian antichrist-superstar Jack Parsons
and his relationship with Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. There
is also a full supporting cast of Solomon, Simon Magus, St John the
Divine, Earl Bothwell, the Templars, Mary, the Magdalene and
countless others. This is the missing history of the love goddess
in the West. Thirteen essays conclude the book on subjects
including: roses, mirror magick, bdsm, aphrodisiac drugs, the
information age, love and lust, and the meaning of apocalypse. The
Red Goddess is for anyone with blood in their veins, regardless of
tradition, background or experience.
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