Flowers are found in magic traditions around the world, from ancient Egypt, China, and India to the Norse and Native Americans. Yet many of today’s well-established flower traditions--like bridal bouquets--originated in the Druidic magical lore of Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. As fifth-generation Druid Jon G. Hughes explains, flowers hold a preeminent position in Druidic folk magic with their own special branch of magical workings. In this practical guide, Hughes details how to use flowers in magical practice, focusing on flowering plants with a long history of magical use going back to Druidic times yet many of which are commonly found throughout the world such as buttercup, blackberry, and dog rose. He discusses what type of flower and form of flower magic is best for specific enchantments and rituals in the areas of love and sex magic, healing and focusing, and protection. He looks at the magical use of fresh flowers and provides detailed instruction on every stage of the harvesting, crafting, and practical use of flower magic potions, including a comprehensive herbarium of all the flowers that may be used. Examining the complex relationship between flowers and bees, the author looks at the physical and spiritual gifts of bees, such as honey, propolis, and bee’s wax, and the importance of bee culture in Druidic flower magic, including the tradition of the honeymoon, the significance of the hexagram, and medieval beekeeper lore. Inviting you into the gentle yet powerful realm of Druidic flower magic, the author also details how to plan, plant, and take care of your own magical flower garden with all the botanicals you will need to pursue the path of flower magic.

One of the most iconoclastic philosophers of all time, Nietzsche dramatically rejected notions of good and evil, truth and God. Beyond Good and Evil demonstrates that the world is steeped in false piety and infected with a 'slave morality'. With wit and subversive energy, Nietzsche demands that the individual impose their own 'will to power' upon the world.

YOU CAN BECOME PART OF GOD’S AMAZING REVOLUTION! When you put your faith in Jesus, you become a member of the amazing family of God. You come into a place where you are known, loved, accepted . . . and never alone. But you also become part of a revolution that shook the foundations of society when the early church burst onto the scene—a revolution that still changes lives and even societies today. In this six-week Bible study, bestselling author and pastor Randy Frazee will guide you through this “revolution of faith.� You will trace the unlikely growth of the movement, as recorded in the book of Acts, from a marginalized man in Nazareth (Jesus), to twelve marginalized men from Galilee (the disciples), to the regions of Judea and Samaria, and ultimately to the ends of the earth—encompassing some 2.4 billion followers of Jesus today. If you are a follower of Jesus, you are part of this revolution . . . a revolution in which you are called to serve alongside your family in Christ and share God’s love with the world. The 40 Days Through the Book series helps you actively engage with God’s Word. Each study encourages you to read through a book of the Bible at least once during the course of the study. As you do, you will gain an understanding of the background and culture of the book, insights into key passages that you might have overlooked before, and clear takeaways that you can apply today to your life. Sessions and video run times: Here’s the Church / Acts 1:1–6:7 (17:00) Sticks and Stones / Acts 6:8–9:31 (17:00) Saints Among Us /Acts 9:32–12:24 (17:00) The Power of Grace /Acts 12:25–16:5 (16:00) Elephant or Virus? / Acts 16:6–19:20 (16:00) Cry Uncle / Acts 19:21–28:31 (17:00) This study guide has everything you need for a full Bible study experience, including: The study guide itself—with discussion and reflection questions, video notes, and a leader's guide. An individual access code to stream all video sessions online. (You don’t need to buy a DVD!) Streaming video access code included. Access code subject to expiration after 12/31/2028. Code may be redeemed only by the recipient of this package. Code may not be transferred or sold separately from this package. Internet connection required. Void where prohibited, taxed, or restricted by law. Additional offer details inside.

Mass Insanity explores the subjects of insane communities, the clash of identities, and how societies indoctrinate their members and shape their way of thinking. It uses theories of social, clinical and forensic psychology to analyse Islam. It explores Islamic invasions, piracy, slavery, terrorism, female genital mutilation, rape, suppression of human rights and critical thinking. It also discusses the decay of Western civilisation and the arising psychological difficulties. Why do millions of supposedly sane people endorse the assassination of writers, cartoonist, and journalists, the suppression of women, the killing of children, the destruction of art, culture and heritage? Can a society that includes millions of people lose its mind and how? In contrast, why would any country allow a group of people to immigrate, legally and illegally, to its territories to kill its children, rape its daughters, take its wealth, and destroy its identity? Why would a community lose the will to defend itself against an enemy seeking its demise? How could a society stand idly by and watch its own offspring being slain and raped? Again, are these healthy societies?

In July 1950, Avi Shlaim, only five, and his family were forced into exile, fleeing from their beloved Iraq into the new state of Israel. Now the rump of a once flourishing community of over 150,000, dating back 2,600 years, has dwindled to single figures. For many, this tells the story of the timeless clash of the Arab and Jewish civilisations, the heroic mission of Zionism to rescue Eastern Jews from their backwards nations, and unceasing persecution as the fate and history of Jewish people. Avi Shlaim tears up this script. His mother had many Muslim friends in Baghdad, but no Zionist ones. The Iraqi Jewish community, once celebrated for its ancient heritage and rich culture, was sprayed with DDT upon arrival in Israel. As anti-Semitism gathered pace in Iraq, the Zionist underground may have inflamed it – deliberately. This memoir celebrates the disappearing heritage of Arab-Jews – caught in the crossfire of secular ideologies.

An accessible introduction to the New Testament, offering up-to-date historical-critical scholarship and diverse critical perspectives The New Testament: A Contemporary Introduction presents a concise account of the emergence of Jesus traditions in the broader context of ancient Mediterranean history. Incorporating established historical approaches and alternative academic analyses, this innovative textbook helps students understand the historical and political contexts of the authors and their audiences, and how different social identities and lived experiences influenced the formation of the Bible and its later interpretations. Accomplished scholar Colleen Conway emphasizes the cultural and literary context of the New Testament while drawing from historical, postcolonial, gender, feminist, and intersectional analyses of biblical texts. Throughout the book, students explore how issues of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and power dynamics contributed to the production of the New Testament texts and continue to inform their interpretation in the 21st century. Through twelve chronologically organized chapters, this book examines Paul's mission to the Gentiles, unity and conflict in Paul's communities, the four Gospel narratives, the Revelation to John, Hebrews, 1 Peter, the New Testament canon, early Christian writings, and more. The New Testament: A Contemporary Introduction Provides an up-to-date introduction to historical and critical methods and central questions in the field Helps students contextualize the different writings of the New Testament as part of the Mediterranean world of the first century, for example exploring how Roman Imperial rule and social stratification affected the authors of New Testament texts Discusses how ideas about gender and race affect the meaning and application of New Testament texts Features "Contemporary Voices" sections highlighting the work of modern New Testament scholars Includes numerous pedagogical tools such as chapter review questions, key term lists, suggested readings, a timeline, maps, illustrations, photographs, a glossary, and much more Designed for undergraduate students with varying levels of biblical knowledge, The New Testament: A Contemporary Introduction is an ideal textbook for one-semester religious studies courses on the Bible, the New Testament, or early Christianity, as well as undergraduate and graduate students in history, sociology and philosophy.

Step into a world of gods, heroes and monsters Throughout history, mythologies have been fundamental to societies and cultures across the world. They are the collected stories of a people - the fascinating folk tales and the epic legends that shape the history and the beliefs of whole civilizations. This pocket guide offers readers an engaging and accessible introduction to the major world mythologies, exploring their origins, foundational stories and key mythological figures. Learn how the Greeks won the ten-year Trojan war, how the Norse god Thor got his mighty hammer, and why the Aztecs made a daily human sacrifice to the sun god, Huitzilopochtli. If you're looking to enrich and expand on your understanding of world history, religion and culture, then this book is an ideal starting point to fill your mind with stories of wisdom and wonder. Discover the captivating stories behind the following mythologies: Aboriginal, Aztec, Celtic, Chinese, Egyptian, Greek, Hindu, Incan, Japanese, Maori, Mayan, Mesopotamian, Norse, Roman.

Questions about a woman's place are being asked in all areas of society. Cathy Madavan aims to cheer women on, to give them courage, to create awareness about their potential and to challenge them to keep `lifting the lid'. We are surrounded by women who make a difference. Some thrive in a board room, some in a pulpit, some in a nursery. Some are wired for deadlines, others for creativity. But every woman will influence those around her. How do we learn from others without simply aping or imitating those we admire? Do we have the emotional intelligence and self-awareness to know that the very people who frustrate us are often the ones we need most? However, most women also wrestle with confidence, knowing their identity and place, juggling their lives and managing expectations. This book equips and empowers women. It encourages them to be an irrepressible positive influence and a voice for others. It is a resource and treasury, with principles, stories and insights. Cathy addresses her topic through a series of penetrating questions. What are your personal values and vision? What is your true character? Are you a thermometer, measuring the climate, or a thermostat, setting the temperature? Where does self-assurance come from, and how does it differ from arrogance? Who are your role models? How do you counteract stereotypes and sticky labels? Are you investing in self-leadership, in personal development? How do you build your core relationships, and widen your circle? Do you have healthy boundaries, and the ability to say no? How can you develop resilience? How can you create balance between work and life, exterior and interior?

Uniting Thomas Lawson's essays on the cognitive science of religion, this volume explores theoretical issues in the study of cultural phenomena such as religion, the role of imagination, and the experiments that emerge from these theories. The book begins with Lawson's influential essay “Towards a Cognitive Science of Religion,� which was the first to employ the phrase, and has since become widely adopted in many different disciplines. It signals to scholars in the humanities that the cognitive revolution has finally reached them and serves to introduce them to the world of science. The rest of the book focuses on theoretical issues in the study of cultural phenomena and describes experiments by scholars working on the connections between cognition and culture. Described as "the grandfather of the cognitive science of religion," Lawson offers a unique perspective on the development of the field and the principles that underlie it, which will be relevant to both newcomers and established scholars.

Franz Jgersttter, an Austrian farmer, a devoted husband and father, and a devout Catholic, was executed in 1943 as a result of his refusal to serve in the Nazi army. Before taking this stand Jgersttter consulted both his pastor and his local bishop, who instructed him to do his duty to the fatherland and to obey the lawan instruction that violated his conscience. For many years Jgersttter's solitary witness was honored by the Catholic peace movement, while viewed with discomfort by many of his fellow Austrians. Now, with his beatification in 2007, his witness has been embraced by the universal church. He stands as one of the great witnesses and martyrs of our time.

These writings, including correspondence between Franz and his wife Franziska and a series of reflections written in prison, represent the first English translation of Jgersttter's writings. An introduction by Jim Forest and notes by the translator, Robert Krieg, set these writings in the context of Franz's life and times. His moving expression of faith and his unswerving obedience to conscience carry an urgent message for today: "Although people have accused me of criminal behavior and condemned me to death, be consoled knowing that in God's eyes not everything is criminal which the world perceives to be criminal]]"

This work covers the antiquity of Jainism, its history, popular support and spread in India. It also covers: Jain migration abroad; schisms within Jainist ranks; and the teachings of Mahavira, detailing the path of purification, austerities and meditation.