Access the gifts of transformation, heal the self, and live in harmony with one another and with the Earth by journeying through the wisdom wheel-a fresh take on the traditional medicine wheel-its archetypes, and its four wisdom challenges. The teachings of the medicine wheel have existed from the beginning of time. Today, however, we are creating modern paradigms of shamanism while drawing on the sacred traditions of the past. In this book, shamanic practitioner Alberto Villoldo explains that the medicine wheel is also a wisdom wheel: an advanced tool for working toward personal and planetary transformation. By journeying through the wisdom wheel and its four directions-South, West, North, and East-each of which is associated with an archetypal animal and sacred journey, you will be able to access powerful healing energies and step into a new personal and collective destiny.

In The Synchronicity Key, David Wilcock goes beyond this new understanding to investigate how our universe works. Using history and astrology, as well as new research into fractals, spiritual geometry and quantum physics, Wilcock demonstrates that there is a hidden architecture within time which guides individuals and nations through a system of enlightenment (which Joseph Campbell called the Hero's Journey). Historical events occur in shockingly precise and repeating cycles of time and once the hidden laws governing our fate through seemingly random 'synchronicity' are identified we are left with a remarkable blueprint of how to lead our lives in an uncertain world. David Wilcock's understanding of the living fabric that binds the universe together is behind his knowledge of synchronicity, the connections between seemingly unrelated events, and how we are guided by it. Synchronicity is a means to awaken us to our true identity, the thoughts we think and the actions we take are being guided by hidden cycles that repeat throughout the universe and time. David Wilcock is our guide to this new world.

From the beginning of time a dark spectre has walked beside the human race. People have known this spectre by many names, such as the Shadow, Hades, the Bogeyman, the Devil or Death. And the misunderstandings and falsehoods surrounding this entity have resulted in an unfathomable amount of misery and suffering. In "The Dark Man" we look at the confusion and mystery surrounding this phenomenon and tease out the stories into one coherent whole. We consider, amongst other things, who or what the dark man may be, the forms he can take, the environment in which he is found and the 'job' he performs, before we turn our attention to the role he has within our own lives. You see, the dark man is not some abstract phantom or fairytale diabolus, he is a real, valid entity that is a part of all our lives - right now. He is the source of our most terrible nightmares or the way to our happily-ever-afters. The choice is yours.

Learn simple step-by-step techniques for drawing and embellishing the exciting, inspiring, and beautiful motifs of sacred geometry. In Creative Drawing: Symbols and Sacred Geometry, artist, instructor, and author Ana Victoria Calderon takes you on an inner voyage of creative discovery. Learn how sacred geometry has been practiced and celebrated by cultures all over the world and influenced artists throughout history, including Leonardo da Vinci Start with the essentials-compass drawing with graphite pencils on paper-then explore the featured mediums for embellishing, including colored pencils, watercolor, inks, and other easy-to-use mediums Take a step-by-step look at fundamental drawing techniques for a variety of universal motifs, starting with the simple circle and building to more complex motifs, including the Yin Yang symbol, the Tree of Life, the Torus, and the Vortex Learn to paint a variety of stunning effects and find great project ideas for creating amazing images The study and creation of sacred geometry inspires the imagination and provokes reflection. So grab your pencils and take a beautiful creative journey with drawing! Perfect for creative beginners, the books in the Art for Modern Makers series take a fun, practical approach to learning about and working with paints and other art mediums to create beautiful DIY projects and crafts.

Shhhhhhh ...Can you hear the ancient dryad wisdom of trees? Do you know how to calm the spirits of storm and wave? Can you see theelusive and intelligent souls of trees, stones, rivers and clouds subtly infusing the world with magic, wonder and meaning? Do you want to know more?In this beautiful book, illustrated throughout by faery artist Dan Goodfellow, Celtic shaman Danu Forest reveals how to communicate with wild nature spirits for mutual benefit, working with air, fire and water, to grow in harmony with nature in all its splendour. WOODEN BOOKS are small but packed with information. "Fascinating" FINANCIAL TIMES. "Beautiful" LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS. "Rich and Artful" THE LANCET. "Genuinely mind-expanding" FORTEAN TIMES. "Excellent" NEW SCIENTIST. "Stunning" NEW YORK TIMES. Small books, big ideas.

From the sands of Alexandria via the Renaissance palaces of the Medicis, to our own times, this spiritual adventure story traces the profound influence of Hermes Trismegistus -- the 'thrice-great one', as he was often called -- on the western mind. For centuries his name ranked among the most illustrious of the ancient world. Considered by some a contemporary of Moses and a forerunner of Christ, this almost mythical figure arose in fourth century BC Alexandria, from a fusion of the Egyptian god Thoth and the Greek god Hermes. Master of magic, writing, science, and philosophy, Hermes was thought to have walked with gods and be the source of the divine wisdom granted to man at the dawn of time. Gary Lachman has written many books exploring ancient traditions for the modern mind. In The Quest for Hermes Trismegistus, he brings to life the mysterious character of this great spiritual guide, exposing the many theories and stories surrounding him, and revitalizing his teachings for the modern world. Through centuries of wars, conquests and religious persecutions, the fragile pages of the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus have still survived. This is a book for all thinkers and enquirers who want to recover that lost knowledge and awaken a shift in human consciousness.

After coming of age and graduating in the tumultuous sixties, Ahad Cobb found himself wandering without direction. A chance road trip with a friend led him to Ram Dass, thus beginning an enthusiastic journey of spiritual awakening and deep involvement with three spiritual communities originating in the sixties and still thriving today: the Ram Dass satsang, Lama Foundation, and Dances of Universal Peace. Sharing his opening to the inner life, his poetry and dreams, his spiritual passions and astrological insights, Ahad Cobb's memoir begins with his summer with Ram Dass and his satsang, immersed in meditation, devotion, and guru's grace. His path takes him to New Mexico, to a newly established intentional spiritual community, Lama Foundation, where he lives on the land for thirteen years, experiencing the disciplines and rewards of communal living and spiritual practice. At Lama, he is initiated into universal Sufism in the tradition of Hazrat Inayat Khan and the Dances of Universal Peace. He travels overseas to spend time with Sufis in Chamonix, Istanbul, Konya, and Jerusalem. After the birth of his son, Ahad moves off the mountain and serves as sacred dance leader and musician for 35 years in Santa Fe and later Albuquerque. When Lama Foundation is nearly destroyed by a forest fire in 1996, Ahad serves as a trustee, guiding the rebuilding of the community. He imparts insights from his personal work with Jungian analysis and trauma release, shares his search for and discovery of his soul mate, and details his twelve years of study with Hart DeFouw in the wisdom stream of Vedic astrology. Offering a poignant reflection on life lived from the inside out, and the delicate balance between spirituality and psychology, this memoir leads readers on an outer and inner journey steeped in poetry, music, astrology, dreams, inner work, and spiritual practice in the context of community devoted to awakening.

Shares the ancient Andean wisdom and practices of Sumak Kausay, the way of Abundant Life, as taught by master shaman don Alberto Taxo * Shows how to relate to and receive help from the elements, reconnect with nature to access abundance and joy, connect with plants, animals, water, air, and fire * Explores don Alberto's upbringing in a family of yachaks, his initiation, and his personal work to fulfill the Andean prophecy of the Eagle and the Condor * Includes reflections and essays from several of don Alberto's students and others who have worked with him, including Itzhak Beery and John Perkins Recognized as a master yachak, don Alberto Taxo is a celebrated spiritual elder, shaman, and healer of the pre-Inca Atik (Kichwa) people from the Andes Mountains of Ecuador. He has been sharing ancient Andean shamanic wisdom and practices in the United States for more than 20 years--his personal quest to fulfill the Andean prophecy that the Eagle and the Condor will fly together in the same sky in harmony. Written with don Alberto's permission and as further fulfillment of the Eagle-Condor prophecy, this book shares don Alberto's teachings and his simple approaches for building a reciprocal relationship with nature, centered on Sumak Kausay, the way of joy and abundance. As a yachak, a shaman of the elements, don Alberto shows how to relate to and receive help from nature. When we are connected with nature on an emotional and spiritual level it creates joy that is deeply healing and can be accessed during life's difficulties. The book discusses traditional Ecuadorian shamanic beliefs and practices, including Andean Inca cosmology; how to connect with plants, animals, air, fire, and water in sacred springs, the ocean, or your shower; and Inca concepts like Pacha, the space-time era in which we live that is now transitioning to a new one of connection and love after 500 years. The book explores don Alberto's upbringing in a family of yachaks, his initiation, and his assumption of the role of shaman for his community. It also includes reflections and essays from don Alberto's students and others who have worked with him, including shamanic teachers Itzhak Beery and John Perkins, showing how he influenced their lives and awakened them to the path of Sumak Kausay, Abundant Life.

'A great storyteller' Madeline Miller, author of Circe In this powerful new collection, Charlotte Higgins foregrounds Greek mythology's most enduring heroines. Here are the myths of Heracles and Theseus, the Trojan war, Thebes and Argos and Athens. They are stories of love and desire, adventure and magic, destructive gods, helpless humans, fantastical creatures and resourceful witches. In this telling the female characters take centre stage as Athena, Helen, Circe, Penelope and others weave these stories into elaborate imagined tapestries. In Charlotte Higgins's thrilling new interpretation of these ancient stories, their tales combine to form a dazzling, sweeping epic of storytelling. With a series of original drawings by Chris Ofili.

The role of a visionary is to help dream the future into life. Throughout the ages, shamans have played the role of visionary within their communities. Yet how does one open to visions and allow the messages we need to hear to come through? Exploring how to access your creative potential to shape and hold a strong vision for yourself and others, visionary teacher Carol Day shares hands-on tools and step-by-step shamanic practices to become more visionary and connected to the world around. She explains how to prepare for shamanic visioning and details Earth Whispering practices to expand the senses, set intentions, and connect deeply with intuition and spirit helpers. Detailing the visionary quest, the author offers exercises to open up to different dimensions and initiate a conscious relationship with the elements through the creativity wheel. Introducing animal and archetype support systems, she shares advice on working with guides and soul protectors, such as elemental spirits, birds, trees, and the fae. She presents visionary practices to help you connect, acknowledge, and honor the past, present, and future--each of which is connected with an element, a spirit animal, and a plant spirit. She shares a sacred time-travel journey in the symbolic form of a loop, taking you first through the present, then opening to an exploration of the realm of the past and the ancestors, continuing into the vision of the future ones, and ultimately back to the beginning of time. Taking you through the three pathways of time, this guide presents shamanic tools to help you prepare to receive visions, release the burdens of the past to heal your ancestral line, and bring clarity to your visions of the future.

Widely popularized images of unobtainable and damaging feminine ideals can be a cause of profound disjunction between women and their bodies. A consequence of this dissonance is an embodied performance of these ideals with the potential development of disordered eating practices, such as anorexia nervosa. This book develops a spirituality of anorexia by suggesting that these eating disorders are physical symptoms of the general repression of feminine nature in our culture. Furthermore, it puts forward Goddess feminism as a framework for a healing therapeutic model to address anorexia and more broadly, the "slender ideal" touted by society. The book focuses on the female body in contemporary society, specifically the development of anorexia nervosa, and what this expression communicates about female embodiment. Drawing upon the work of a variety of theorists, social commentators, liberation theologians and thealogians, it discusses the benefits of adopting female-focused myths, symbols and rituals, drawing upon the work of Marion Woodman and Naomi Goldenberg. Ultimately, it theorises a thealogical approach to anorexia aimed at displacing the damaging discourses that undermine women in the twenty-first century. Offering an alternative model of spirituality and embodiment for contemporary women, this book will be of keen interest to scholars of theology, religious studies, gender studies and psychology.

Learn the basics of runes and how to use them to reveal the future and make your life better and more enjoyable. This accessible and beautifully designed guide includes a frameable poster of runes and their essential meanings. Runes are the letters of the ancient Norse alphabet, but each letter contains secret, mysterious meanings used for magical purposes. Unlike tarot cards, playing cards, and even chess pieces, runes don't reflect the lives of historical kings, queens, and courtiers. Instead, they focus on the legendary gods of the Norse and Saxon peoples, created to explain the world and its inhabitants. The runes have ancient roots but continue to offer relevant and down-to-earth messages for those who possess a basic understanding of them. Rune readings can throw light on murky situations and offer advice on how solve problems, move forward in life, and predict the future. To unlock the full potential of these powerful symbols, you'll discover: the mythology behind each rune the various meanings of each rune how to lay out runes in spreads for a rune reading how to make your own runes the secrets of rune casting and rune magic Read them for yourself or cast them for friends and family. The more you use them, the better you'll become at giving accurate readings, earning the respect accorded to the rune readers of old. Combining elegance and expertise, this is your essential modern guide to an ancient tradition. The In Focus series applies a modern approach to teaching the classic body, mind, and spirit subjects. Authored by experts in their respective fields, these beginner's guides feature smartly designed visual material that clearly illustrates key topics within each subject. As a bonus, each book includes reference cards or a poster, held in an envelope inside the back cover, that give you a quick, go-to guide containing the most important information on the subject.

A challenge that many pagans and Earth-based spiritual practitioners face is how to integrate sustainable living with our everyday lives. By offering a vision of "sacred actions," or the integration of sustainable living with Earth-based spirituality, learn how to combine the three ethics: people care, earth care, and fair share, to execute comprehensive sustainable living through the lens of paganism. Find a wide variety of accessible sustainable-living activities, rituals, stories, and tools framed through the neopaganism eightfold Wheel of the Year. Each chapter is tied to one of the eight holidays, offering specific themes that deepen topics, including home and hearth, lawns and gardens, food and nourishment, ritual items and offerings, reducing waste and addressing materialism, and much more. Consider this your manual of personal empowerment through sustainability as a spiritual practice.

Everyone knows that being different is a good way to be unpopular, but what if you're so different that people think you are an actual servant of evil? Conform or Be Cast Out is a history of humankind's tendency not only to shun nonconformists, but to label them as devils, demons, and Satan worshippers. Beginning with scapegoats and devil figures in folklore and mythology, the book moves on to look at other aspects of nonconformity such as witchcraft, the Inquisition, spiritualism and medical conditions once mistaken for lycanthropy, vampirism, and demonic possession before concluding with a discussion on aspects of contemporary culture ranging from heavy metal music to zombie movies.

A devotional-style book for the modern seeker, intended to help them remember the divine wisdom they carry within and utilize it to create a life that is authentic. Are you ready to activate your inner goddess? 365 Days of Divine Feminine Wisdom is a devotional-style book for today's spiritual seeker. In it, you will learn how to deepen your connection with yourself and your spirituality, discover who you really are, and find the courage to create a life you love by using your innate gifts and power. Each daily entry reflects upon the different aspects of Divine Feminine energy that are always active within us, regardless of age or experience: the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone. These aspects are linked to the milestones that we experience throughout our lives as we get in touch with the goddess within us. These aspects are also connected to the phases of the moon, as well as to the seasons. Each daily entry draws wisdom from the three-part feminine archetype, according to the time of year: January to April provides inspiration from the Maiden aspect; May to August offers guidance from the Mother aspect; and September to December reveals knowledge from the Crone aspect. This helps readers gain a full understanding of their innate gifts and wisdom, as well the phases they naturally go through each year as they continue to grow, evolve, and live their best life.

In 1948 Robert Graves published The White Goddess. His study of poetic mysticism and goddess worship has since become a founding text of Western paganism. As Wicca emerged from what Graves called, a few hopeful young people in California, to over two million strong, The White Goddess has achieved near liturgical status. This rising appreciation brings all the problems of liturgical texts. Many pagans consider Graves' work like the goddess herself; awe inspiring but impenetrable. Stalking The Goddess is the first extensive examination of this enigmatic text to come from the pagan community and guides readers through bewildering forests of historical sources, poems, and Graves' biography to reveal his unorthodox claims and entrancing creative process. Relentlessly perusing each path it explores the uncharted woods and reveals the hidden signposts Graves has posted. The hunt for the goddess spans battlefields, ancient manuscripts, the British museum, and Stonehenge. En route we encounter not only the goddess herself but her three sacred animals; dog, roebuck, and lapwing. Perhaps the muse cannot be captured on her own grounds, but now at least there is a map.

* Examines the significant figures and groups of Finland's occult world, including their esoteric practices and the secret societies to which they were connected * Investigates the relationship of nationalism and esotericism in Finland as well as the history of Finnish parapsychology and the Finnish UFO craze * Looks at the unique evolution of Freemasonry in Finland, showing how, when Finland was still part of Russia and the Masonic order was banned, adherents created a number of other secret societies Finland has long been viewed as the land of sorcerers and shamans. Exploring the rich history of Finnish occultism, Perttu Hakkinen and Vesa Iitti examine the significant figures and groups of Finland's occult world from the late 19th century to the present day. They begin with Pekka Ervast, known as the Rudolf Steiner of the North, who was a major figure in Theosophy before starting a Rosicrucian group called Ruusu-Risti, and they look at the Finnish disciples of G. I. Gurdjieff and the grim case of the cult of Tattarisuo. Investigating the relationship of nationalism and esotericism in Finland, the authors tell the stories of Sigurd Wettenhovi-Aspa, who thought that Finns were the root of all Western civilization, and of Yrjoe von Groenhagen, who became a close friend of Heinrich Himmler and Karl Maria Wiligut. They also explore the history of Finnish parapsychology, the Finnish UFO craze, and the unique evolution of Freemasonry in Finland, showing how, when the Masonic order was banned, adherents created a number of other secret societies, such as the Carpenter's Order, the Hypotenuse Order, and the Brotherhood of February 17--which later became hubs for the OTO and AMORC. Unveiling both the light and dark sides of modern esotericism in Finland, the authors show how, because of its unique position as partially European and partially Russian, Finland's occult influence extends into the very heart of left-hand and right-hand occult groups and secret societies around the world.

Learn to take control of your life and reconnect with your purpose, using modern magic based on ancient spirituality. Witch, Please is a modern mystic's practical guide to life, love and creating a fulfilling existence, from turning your home into a sacred sanctuary and manifesting magical relationships to loving your career and money magic. Full of inspiration, practical advice and rituals, this book will guide you through the process of tapping into your intuition, intention and self-empowerment to discover and harness the magic within you.