Keith Thomas's classic study of all forms of popular belief has been influential for so long now that it is difficult to remember how revolutionary it seemed when it first appeared. By publishing Religion and the Decline of Magic, Thomas became the first serious scholar to attempt to synthesize the full range of popular thought about the occult and the supernatural, studying its influence across Europe over several centuries. At root, his book can be seen as a superb exercise in problem-solving: one that actually established "magic" as a historical problem worthy of investigation. Thomas asked productive questions, not least challenging the prevailing assumption that folk belief was unworthy of serious scholarly attention, and his work usefully reframed the existing debate in much broader terms, allowing for more extensive exploration of correlations, not only between different sorts of popular belief, but also between popular belief and state religion. It was this that allowed Thomas to reach his famous conclusion that the advent of Protestantism - which drove out much of the "superstition" that characterised the Catholicism of the period - created a vacuum filled by other forms of belief; for example, Catholic priests had once blessed their crops, but Protestants refused to do so. That left farmers looking for other ways of ensuring a good harvest. It was this, Thomas argues, that explains the survival of what we now think of as "magic" at a time such beliefs might have been expected to decline - at least until science arose to offer alternative paradigms.

Food, Festival and Religion explores how communities in northern Italy find a restorative sense of place through foodways, costuming and other forms of materiality. Festivals examined by the author vary geographically from the northern rural corners of Italy to the fashionable heart of urban Milan. The origins of these lived religious events range from Christian to vernacular Italian witchcraft and contemporary Paganism, which is rapidly growing in Italy. Francesca Ciancimino Howell demonstrates that during ritualized occasions the sacred is located within the mundane. She argues that communal feasting, pilgrimage, rituals and costumed events can represent forms of lived religious materiality. Building on the work of scholars including Foucault, Grimes and Ingold, Howell offers a theoretical "Scale of Engagement" which further tests the interfaces between and among the materialities of place, food, ritual and festivals and provides a widely-applicable model for analyzing grassroots events and community initiatives. Through extensive ethnographic research and fieldwork data, this book demonstrates that popular Italian festivals can be ritualized, liminal spaces, contributing greatly to the fields of religious, performance and ritual studies.

The Zenned Out Journey Tarot Kit features a deck of illustrated cards, all created and illustrated by the author Cassie Uhl, accompanied by a guidebook to the Minor and Major Arcanas. With this deck and guide, you'll learn to use your intuition to interpret the cards' messages, manifest your intentions, and connect with your inner self as you find insights on where you are and figure out your next move. This modern set will introduce you to the art of tarot readings with: 78 lavishly illustrated cards A comprehensive 64-page guidebook to the tarot Strengthen your spiritual practice with this ideal kit for spiritual beginners and experts alike. The Zenned Out series is an open invitation to seasoned and curious spiritualists who want to explore their craft. With Cassie Uhl's approachable steps and explanations to mystical tools and symbolism, readers can start using the information right away.

From one of our most respected shamanic teachers, Calling Us Home aims to help the ordinary person, caught up in the anxiety of modern life, find balance and peace of mind. How to hold on to happiness. How to develop strategies for dealing with fear, guilt, stress and feelings of inadequacy. How to manage irrational annoyance and stop it ruling your life.

Full of anecdotes from the author's Danish childhood to studying with Native American Indians and exploring wild places – the book teaches many things, from learning shamanic meditation to identifying which species of animal is your natural spirit guide.

This is a book to be savoured and loved, read and re-read, annotated and quoted from. Down to earth, warm, witty and wise – it is a bible for our times.

Discover inspired ideas and simple spells to transform your living space into a comforting home with a little magic. From step-by-step instructions for divine decluttering to ‘pagan feng shui’ for every room, Cerridwen Greenleaf’s guide to a happy home is essential reading for anyone who wants to live the good life. Replete with easy ideas for a charmed life, this gorgeously illustrated book teaches you how to increase your happiness quotient at home. Learn how you can make an effortless herbal prosperity potpourri and which crystals will create harmonious vibrations and improve relationships. Delight in healthier options for the whole household with DIY herbal cleansers that reduce toxins in your personal space and ensure your home is always filled with good energy. Create your own magical pantry and ensure your sleeping space is a true sanctuary with spells and scents. As instructive as it is inspiring, The Green Witch at Home is a go-to guide for anyone who wants to live an enchanted life.

From "Aarab Zereq" to "Zos Kia Cultus," this is the most up-to-date, comprehensive guide to the history, philosophies, and personalities of Western occultism. Written by an occult scholar and practitioner with the assistance of hundreds of experts in the field, this volume presents the latest in scholarly research and points out errors in previous writings-revealing truths much more interesting and dramatic than the fictional histories that obscured them. The New Encyclopedia of the Occult is an invaluable reference guide to magic, alchemy, astrology, divination, Tarot, palmistry, and geomancy; magical orders such as the Golden Dawn and Rosicrucians; important occultists; and religions and spiritual traditions associated with occultism such as Wicca, Thelema, Theosophy, and the modern Pagan movement.

"This is an important source for libraries to have in their collections to assist anyone seeking information about the many aspects of occult traditions." --Booklist

"Greer delivers a well researched, informative, and unbiased encyclopedia... Highly recommended for all public libraries and where interest merits." --Library Journal

COVR Award Winner

You don't have to be a mystic to enjoy Rabbi Shefa Gold's new commentary on the Song of Songs, but it may make you into one. Rather than address herself to the reader, she speaks directly, and passionately, to God, The Beloved. She invites us to share in her conversation with life itself, with the mystery that wells "at the center of every molecule, at the heart of my being." IN THE FEVER OF LOVE breathes new life into the ancient practice of both Jews and Christians to read the Song as an allegory of the love between God and human beings. This rich, poetic text of can be used for pondering, praying, and perceiving life in a deeper way by people of any faith, but remains deeply rooted in Judaism's down-to-earth approach to the world. Rabbi Gold brings a modern psychological awareness to this ancient text.For those who want specific directions, she appends ten "commandments" from the Song which can be maxims for daily living.

This illustrated, 256-page book and deck of 65 cards represent an entirely new way of gaining intuitive wisdom and understanding of self--through contact with ancient Egyptian archetypes. This entirely new divination system accesses the ancient knowledge of Egypt, enabling you to unlock your intuitive abilities and call upon the energy of the Egyptian deities, whose powers transform both matter and spirit.

In the popular "Little Bit of" series: a fresh, accessible introduction to shamanism--with a global view. Drawing from decades of training in Brazil and the United States, Ana Campos has written a history of shamanism that's both personal and global. She creates a methodology for bringing shamanic wisdom into our daily practices, and explains why it's important to establish a relationship with our helping spirits to heal ourselves and our communities. Through this incisive discussion of shamanism, we can become the vehicle for change our world so desperately needs right now.

This occult classic was written in 1888 by an 18 year old American boy, Frederick S Oliver. The author claimed that he was used as a channel by 'Phylos', an advanced being who had once lived in the fabled city of Atlantis. The advanced philosophy found in this book tells a remarkable, personal tale of achievement and temptation, of other planes of existence, reincarnation and the inexorable unfolding of Karma. Atlantean society is also described in detail, with its concept of the One Substance underlying all phenomena, and its advanced science and technology that include devices mirroring many of today's modern instruments. If the book is fiction, these accounts make Frederick Oliver's book a profound, almost inexplicable, achievement for one so young. If it is indeed a channeled message from a spiritually advanced being, 'A Dweller on Two Planets' provides copious esoteric information indispensable to all students of the occult.

Eerie and menacing, timely and moving, Impossible Causes is an unputdownable novel that examines the consequences of silence kept at young women's expense. 'A tightly told and powerful story of sins, lies and secrets long held' i 'This highly atmospheric tale is both thrilling and poignant' Heat For seven months of the year, the remote island of Lark is fogbound, cut off completely from the mainland. The arrival of three strangers is the cause of much speculation: the first is a charismatic young teacher - the only male teacher on the island - the other two, a mother and her teenage daughter, seeking a place to hide from unspeakable tragedy. What have they come to escape? What will they find waiting for them on Lark? And whose body will soon be found lying in the island's stone circle?

After numerous requests from all parts of the world, the Reverend George King, well known British born occultist and meta-physician, journalist, lecturer and broadcaster, has consented to relate his early experiences, as one who was chosen by cosmic intelligences for an important world mission, in a rational and understandable manner to form this book.

The Encyclopedia of the Spiritual Path

The Encyclopedia of the Spiritual Path consists of fourteen books and an index in this ongoing series on the subject of ascension, self-realization and a further deepening of ascended-master teachings.

These books collectively explore the deepest levels and understanding of ascension through the personal, planetary and cosmic levels, offering the reader tools to work with that span the spectrum of all the bodies and ultimately bring them into the subtle realms of cosmic ascension.

These tools are practical gems for the purification, healing, cleansing, acceleration and ascension process that cover the individual incarnated soul and extend into the vast monadic and cosmic realms.