Seers featured prominently in ancient Greek culture, but they rarely appear in colonial discourse from the archaic and classical periods. Margaret Foster exposes the ideological motivations behind this discrepancy and reveals how colonial discourse's privileging of the city's founder and his dependence on Delphi, the colonial oracle par excellence, entails a corresponding suppression of the seer. Foster explains why the seer's authority conflicts with that of the founder and investigates a sequence of literary works from a range of genres that showcase this dynamic. The first study to analyze the seer and the Delphi-sanctioned founder relationally, this volume illuminates the contests between religious and political powers in archaic and classical Greece.

Explores the gem archetype of the Chintamani, the wish-fulfilling jewel known in legends around the world, and how to access it energetically * Examines myths of the chintamani from East and West, including from China, India, and South America; in legends of the Holy Grail and Atlantis; and in Nicholas Roerich's real-life quest for Shambhala * Explains the chintamani matrix--the multidimensional field of light, energy, and consciousness that forms networks of gems on the etheric and physical levels * Provides simple and advanced practices with crystal grids and meditation to help you access the chintamani matrix and realize your innermost heart's desires Space, time, intention, matter, and consciousness all entangle in crystals. Nowhere is this more evident than in the ancient gem archetype of the chintamani, the wish-fulfilling jewel known in legends around the world as the stone that grants your heart's desires. As authors Johndennis Govert and Hapi Hara reveal, the chintamani's "tachyolithic" technology of wish-granting and spiritual enlightenment creates a vehicle for positive transformation. They show how the chintamani energy matrix can be accessed using tangible crystals and gemstones, meditation, yoga, and the powerful science of intention. Exploring the many chintamani myths and legends from East and West, the authors explain how there are three types of chintamani: the mythical gemstone; the power crystals of history, such as the Koh-i-Noor diamond; and the multidimensional field of light, energy, and consciousness that forms a network of all gems in what is known as "the jewel net of Indra" in Hinduism and Buddhism. Activating this crystal energy matrix provides a way to manifest your intentions and help you create the subtle diamond body. The authors detail specific gems and crystal spiritual technology that can affect material reality and trigger profound spiritual growth. They provide a number of simple practices with crystal grids and meditation to help you access the chintamani matrix and become aware of the interconnected jewel net of consciousness. They examine the science of intention, which provides a basis for connecting to gemstones and crystals, and share advanced meditations to realize and activate your innermost heart's desires.

For over four centuries the principal source of Christian European knowledge of Islam stemmed from a project sponsored by Peter the Venerable, ninth abbot of Cluny, in 1142. This consisted of Latin translations of five Arabic works, including the first translation of the Koran in a western language. Known as the Toledan Collection, it was eventually printed in 1543 with an introduction by Martin Luther. The abbot also completed a handbook of Islam beliefs and a major analytical and polemical work, Liber contra sectam Saracenorum; annotated editions of these texts are included in this book. Originally published in 1964. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

A philosopher, mathematician, and martyr, Hypatia is one of antiquity's best known female intellectuals. During the sixteen centuries following her murder, by a mob of Christians, Hypatia has been remembered in books, poems, plays, paintings, and films as a victim of religious intolerance whose death symbolized the end of the Classical world. But Hypatia was a person before she was a symbol. Her great skill in mathematics and philosophy redefined the intellectual life of her home city of Alexandria. Her talent as a teacher enabled her to assemble a circle of dedicated male students. Her devotion to public service made her a force for peace and good government in a city that struggled to maintain trust and cooperation between pagans and Christians. Despite these successes, Hypatia fought countless small battles to live the public and intellectual life that she wanted. This book rediscovers the life Hypatia led, the unique challenges she faced as a woman who succeeded spectacularly in a man's world, and the tragic story of the events that led to her tragic murder.

"The runes you must find ... Which the mighty sage stained and the powerful gods made and the runemaster of the gods carved out." (The Poetic Edda, translated by C. Larrington) The runes are mysterious and powerful magical keys to the primal forces of nature that shaped Norse and Northern European culture. These twenty-four unique and inspiring symbols of the Elder Futhark (first runic alphabet) each possess powerful energies, identities, meanings, and sounds. The runes are invoked and harnessed to create change through inspiration, healing, protection, knowledge and divine wisdom from the Norse gods. Odin's Gateways is a practical guide to using the runes in our lives, in magic and in divination - a unique journey into the mysteries hidden within the runes, filled with the information and practices necessary to developing a deep personal understanding and relationship with them. By focusing on how to directly harness and channel the energy of the individual runes, the author guides the reader along the path to self knowledge and empowerment. With a deft hand and lucid style, Katie Gerrard cuts to the heart of the runes, combining the wisdom of the Norse Sagas and Rune Poems with practical advice and techniques gained through living and experiencing their powers. The divinatory meanings of the runes are given, with a range of different reading methods, bindrunes are explained in detail, with numerous examples presented ready for use; galdr (incantation) and spellcraft, charms and talismans are all seamlessly explored and made accessible in this fluid, concise and practical guide.

Parting company with the trend in recent scholarship to treat the subject in abstract, highly theoretical terms, Magic in Ancient Greece and Rome proposes that the magic-working of antiquity was in reality a highly pragmatic business, with very clearly formulated aims - often of an exceedingly malignant kind. In seven chapters, each addressed to an important arm of Greco-Roman magic, the volume discusses the history of the rediscovery and publication of the so-called Greek Magical Papyri, a key source for our understanding of ancient magic; the startling violence of ancient erotic spells and the use of these by women as well as men; the alteration in the landscape of defixio (curse tablet) studies by major new finds and the confirmation these provide that the frequently lethal intent of such tablets must not be downplayed; the use of herbs in magic, considered from numerous perspectives but with an especial focus on the bizarre-seeming rituals and protocols attendant upon their collection; the employment of animals in magic, the factors determining the choice of animal, the uses to which they were put, and the procuring and storage of animal parts, conceivably in a sorcerer's workshop; the witch as a literary construct, the clear homologies between the magical procedures of fictional witches and those documented for real spells, the gendering of the witch-figure and the reductive presentation of sorceresses as old, risible and ineffectual; the issue of whether ancient magicians practised human sacrifice and the illuminating parallels between such accusations and late 20th century accounts of child-murder in the context of perverted Satanic rituals. By challenging a number of orthodoxies and opening up some underexamined aspects of the subject, this wide-ranging study stakes out important new territory in the field of magical studies.

Saint Gregory of Nazianzus, also known as Gregory the Theologian, lived an illustrious life as an orator, poet, priest, and bishop. Until his death, he wrote scores of letters to friends and colleagues, clergy members and philosophers, teachers of rhetoric and literature, and high-ranking officials at the provincial and imperial levels, many of which are preserved in his self-designed letter collection. Here, for the first time in English, Bradley K. Storin has translated the complete collection, offering readers a fresh view on Gregory's life, social and cultural engagement, leadership in the church, and literary talents. Accompanying the translation are an introduction, a prosopography, and annotations that situate Gregory's letters in their biographical, literary, and historical contexts. This translation is an essential resource for scholars and students of late antiquity and early Christianity.

Inadequately documented, ancient Greek religion can all too easily be reduced to the dry analysis of archaeological remains and so-called `ritual objects'. This authoritative new work attempts to bridge the gap that usually divides Greek religion from Greek history, setting it firmly in the thick of contemporary events and politics. How did people actually worship the gods? Was Socrates's trial a crisis for religion or the state, or both? These are among the key issues addressed in what promises to be the definitive work on the subject for many years to come.

THE ISLES OF THE MANY GODS: An A-Z of the Pagan Gods & Goddesses worshipped in Ancient Britain during the first Millenium CE through to the Middle Ages By David Rankine & Sorita D'Este The British Isles have long been seen as a place of mystery & magic. For many thousands of years successive waves of invaders each brought their own gods & goddesses with them, often assimilating the beliefs of the tribes they conquered. The Celtic races merged with the indigenous people, they were conquered by the Romans, who brought with them deities from all over the Roman Empire (including Greece & Egypt). After them came the Saxons & other Germanic tribes, further adding to the rich tapestry that forms part of our spiritual heritage today. The Isles of the Many Gods brings together, for the first time, information on the worship of these deities in Britain, in an easy to use A-Z. It includes both the native & immigrant gods & goddesses, from well known gods like Apollo, Brigit, Freya, Herne, Isis, Mars & Woden to lesser known ones like Abandinus, Arianrhod, Genii Cucullati, Midir, Vitiris & the Wheel God. There are more than 240 entries providing information regarding the evidence of their worship in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland & the Isle of Man. Drawing from archaeology, architecture, art, artefacts, currency, place-names & literature thereby providing an excellent reference work for those interested in the spiritual beliefs of our ancestors. About the Authors Sorita D'Este and David Rankine are internationally recognized for their research and writing on mythology, spirituality and magickal practices of both ancient and modern times. They have collaborated on a number of projects in the past, including "The Guises of the Morrigan" and "Circle of Fire." Between them they have authored more than a dozen books, sometimes working with other authors with expertise in a particular area. In addition to books, Sorita and David have also contributed many articles to magazines, journals and websites over the years. Notably they were major contributors to the very successful D'Agostini "Enhancing Your Mind Body Spirit" partwork. They live and work in Wales (UK). For more information visit: www.avalonia.co.uk

What is good luck and what did it mean to the Romans? What connections were there between luck and childbirth, victory in war, or success in business? What did Roman statesmen like Cicero and Caesar think about luck? This volume aims to address these questions by focusing on the Latin goddess Fortuna, one of the better known deities in ancient Italy. The earliest forms of her worship can be traced back to archaic Latium, and though the chronological scope of the discussion presented here covers the archaic age to the late Republic, she was still a widely recognized allegorical figure during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The primary reason for Fortuna's longevity is that she was a conceptual deity, symbiotically connected to the concept of chance and good fortune. When communities, individuals, and social groups interacted with the goddess, they were inevitably also interacting with the concept: renegotiating it, enriching it with new meanings, and challenging established associations. All the available literary, epigraphic, and archaeological sources on Fortuna are explored here in depth, including analyses of all the attested sanctuaries of the goddess in Italy, an updated study of inscribed gifts offered to her by a variety of individuals, and discussion of how authors such as Cicero and Caesar wrote about Fortuna, chance, and good luck. This study of the goddess based on conceptual analysis serves to construct a radically new picture of the historical development of this deity in the context of the cultural interactions taking place in ancient Italy, and also suggests a new approach to polytheism based on an exploration of the connection between gods and goddesses and concepts.

In private and in public life, the ancient Greeks danced to express divine adoration and human festivity. They danced at feasts and choral competitions, at weddings and funerals, in observance of the cycles of both nature and human existence. Formal and informal dances marked the rhythms of life and death.

In "Dance and Ritual Play in Greek Religion," Steven Lonsdale looks at how the Greeks themselves regarded the act of dance, and how dance and related forms of ritual play in Greek religious festivals served a wide variety of functions in Greek society. The act of worship, he explains, often implied engaging in collective rites regulated by playful behavior, the most common forms of which were group hymns and choral dances.

A free open access ebook is upon publication. Learn more at www.luminosoa.org. Flight during times of persecution has a long and fraught history in early Christianity. In the third century, bishops who fled were considered cowards or, worse yet, heretics. On the face, flight meant denial of Christ and thus betrayal of faith and community. But by the fourth century, the terms of persecution changed as Christianity became the favored cult of the Roman Empire. Prominent Christians who fled and survived became founders and influencers of Christianity over time. Bishops in Flight examines the various ways these episcopal leaders both appealed to and altered the discourse of Christian flight to defend their status as purveyors of Christian truth, even when their exiles appeared to condemn them. Their stories illuminate how profoundly Christian authors deployed theological discourse and the rhetoric of heresy to respond to the phenomenal political instability of the fourth and fifth centuries.

Le devin historien en Mesopotamie is a combined study of divination and historiography. More than mere custodians of historical memory, diviners approached omens as written signs and developed a sophisticated semiology to recognize and order them. Diviners perceived omens as potentially rich in various meanings and cultivated an elaborate hermeneutic for working these out using hypothetical and inductive reasoning. Even if omens were removed from the recorded facts, diviners endowed them with a wide range of possibilities. Divination sought to establish links among historical, cosmic, and natural events because it investigated at once the past, present, and future. The first study of its kind since 1946, when only about 60 historical omens were known, this work presents 385 in a comprehensive edition. "This will no doubt be a standard work for a long time to come." -Lester L. Grabbe, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 44.5 (2020) "The strength of Le devin historien en Mesopotamie is its ability to immerse the reader in the mentalities of Mesopotamian scholars as they engaged over the centuries in the dominant scientific pursuit of their era." -J.P. Nielsen, BIBLIOTHECA ORIENTALIS LXXVII 3-4 (2020)

What did Zeus mean to the Greeks? And who was Hera, united with Zeus historically and archetypally as if they were a human pair? C. Kerenyi fills a gap in our knowledge of the religious history of Europe by responding to these questions. Examining the word Zeus and its Greek synonyms theos and daimon, the author traces the origins of Greek religion in the Minoan-Mycenacan civilization. He shows how Homer's view of the gods decisively shaped the literary and artistic tradition of Greek divine mythology. The emergence of the Olympian family is seen as the expression of a humane Zeus cult determined by the father image but formed within the domain of Hera. Originally published in 1976. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Now fully revised-the classic study of Neo-Paganism Almost thirty years since its original publication, Drawing Down the Moon continues to be the only detailed history of the burgeoning but still widely misunderstood Neo- Pagan subculture. Margot Adler attended ritual gatherings and interviewed a diverse, colorful gallery of people across the United States, people who find inspiration in ancient deities, nature, myth, even science fiction. In this new edition featuring an updated resource guide of newsletters, journals, books, groups, and festivals, Margot Adler takes a fascinating and honest look at the religious experiences, beliefs, and lifestyles of modern America's Pagan groups.

Although there are major differences in the lifestyles of the numerous Native American nations, they share fundamental beliefs. The spiritual wisdom of these people is based on a love and reverence for Nature, a belief in a Supreme Being and a spirit world that interacts with human activity. Organized in alphabetical order and grouped around the main Native American Nations from Apache to Zuni, including the Sioux, Eskimo, Cherokee and many more, the evocative words that Alan Jacobs has selected from all the major tribes express the love and respect they feel for their environment and our place within it.

This volume brings theoretical and methodological discussions from religious studies, ancient history, and classics to the study of ancient religions, thus attempting to bridge a disciplinary chasm often apparent in the study of religions in antiquity. It examines theoretical discourses on the specificity, origin, and function of 'religion' in antiquity, broadly defined here as the period from the 6th century BCE to the 4th century CE. In addition, it explores the crucial question of what is meant by the term 'religion' and its applicability when employed to describe traditions that antedate the historical periods known as the Enlightenment and the Reformation. Theorizing about religion is often seen as an accomplishment of modernity, neglecting the insights stemming from the 'pre-modern' period. The contributors to this volume offer detailed discussions and links between how the ancients theorized about their religions and how modern scholars discuss about such discourses in their academic environments.

This stunning collection brings together goddess mythologies from across the globe: familiar, unknown, forgotten -- spectacular! Written by pioneering storyteller Sally Pomme Clayton, whose 30-year career has focused on researching female protagonists, these tales are conjured in vivid and poetic language. The book includes information about the pattern of myths and how they are represented globally and revels in the female, exploring desire, death, and the female body. Journey from Alaska to Mesopotamia and visit ancient Persian and Aztec cultures, meeting Sedna whose fingertips become sea creatures and Persephone whose sojourn in the Underworld brings Spring. This is the most significant contemporary collection of goddess myths and encourages readers to value the female, preserve culture and re-ignite storytelling traditions.