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.

Inspired by the work of eminent scholar Richard Kieckhefer, The Sacred and the Sinister explores the ambiguities that made (and make) medieval religion and magic so difficult to differentiate. The essays in this collection investigate how the holy and unholy were distinguished in medieval Europe, where their characteristics diverged, and the implications of that deviation. In the Middle Ages, the natural world was understood as divinely created and infused with mysterious power. This world was accessible to human knowledge and susceptible to human manipulation through three modes of engagement: religion, magic, and science. How these ways of understanding developed in light of modern notions of rationality is an important element of ongoing scholarly conversation. As Kieckhefer has emphasized, ambiguity and ambivalence characterize medieval understandings of the divine and demonic powers at work in the world. The ten chapters in this volume focus on four main aspects of this assertion: the cult of the saints, contested devotional relationships and practices, unsettled judgments between magic and religion, and inconclusive distinctions between magic and science. Freshly insightful, this study of ambiguity between magic and religion will be of special interest to scholars in the fields of medieval studies, religious studies, European history, and the history of science. In addition to the editor, the contributors to this volume are Michael D. Bailey, Kristi Woodward Bain, Maeve B. Callan, Elizabeth Casteen, Claire Fanger, Sean L. Field, Anne M. Koenig, Katelyn Mesler, and Sophie Page.

Neo-Assyrian and Greek Divination in War focuses on all divinatory practices which were used in the ancient Near East and Greece in time of war. Divination was a practical way of discovering the will of the gods, and enabled human contact with the divine. Divinatory practices were crucial to decision-taking. The results of divination were especially important during war. This book concentrates on the methods used to obtain all possible information from the divine world which could impact on the results of war. Knowledge of divine plans, verdicts and favors would ensure victory, power and eternal glory. This book is also about the convergence of the ancient Near East and Greek divinatory systems, methods and practices. Step by step, it points out that the Greeks treated divination in a very similar way to the Mesopotamians, and presents the possible routes of transmission of this divine knowledge, which was practiced in both cultures by a group of well-trained professionals.

Aboriginals believe they have lived in Australia since the Dreamtime, the beginning of all creation, and archaeological evidence shows the land has been inhabited for tens of thousands of years. Over this time, Aboriginal culture has grown a rich variety of mythologies in hundreds of different languages. Their unifying feature is a shared belief that the whole universe is alive, that we belong to the land and must care for it. This book collates and explain the many fascinating elements of Aboriginal culture: the song circles and stories, artefacts, landmarks, characters and customs. From the author of Wild Cat Falling, Dr Wooreddy's Prescription for the Ending of the World, and Master of the Ghost Dreaming. An A-Z spanning the history of Aboriginal mythology from the earliest legends to the present day.