This is the first extensive scholarly study of drone metal music and its religious associations, drawing on five years of ethnographic participant observation from more than 300 performances and 74 interviews, plus surveys, analyses of sound recordings, artwork, and extensive online discourse about music. Owen Coggins shows that while many drone metal listeners identify as non-religious, their ways of engaging with and talking about drone metal are richly informed by mysticism, ritual and religion. He explores why language relating to mysticism and spiritual experience is so prevalent in drone metal culture and in discussion of musical experiences and practices of the genre. The author develops the work of Michel de Certeau to provide an empirically grounded theory of mysticism in popular culture. He argues that the marginality of the genre culture, together with the extremely abstract sound produces a focus on the listeners' engagement with sound, and that this in turn creates a space for the open-ended exploration of religiosity in extreme states of bodily consciousness.

An essential volume of 12th to 17th century papers on the Jewish mysticism of Kabbalah As recently as 1915, when the legendary scholar of Jewish mysticism Gershom Scholem sought to find someone-anyone-to teach him Kabbalah, the study of Jewish mysticism and Kabbalah was largely neglected and treated with disdain. Today, this field has ripened to the point that it occupies a central place in the agenda of contemporary Judaic studies. While there are many definitions of Kabbalah, this volume focuses on the discrete body of literature which developed between the twelfth and seventeenth centuries. The basis for most of this kabbalistic literature is the concept of the ten sefirot, the complex schema depicting the divine persona, and speculation about the inner life of God. It maintains the conviction that all human action reverberates in the world of the sefirot, and thus influences the life of divinity. Proper action helps to restore harmony and unity to the world of God, while improper action reinforces the breach within God brought about originally through human transgression. Collected here in one volume are some of the most central essays published on the subject. The selections provide the reader with a sense of the historical range of Kabbalah, as well as examples of various kinds of approaches, including those of intellectual and social history, history and phenomenology of religions, motif studies, ritual studies, and women's studies. Sections discuss mystical motifs and theological ideas, mystical leadership and personalities, and devotional practices and mystical experiences.

"Contrary to the established custom, I shall not only permit this first book of mine, as well as the books of the first series, to be reprinted in any country, but, if necessary, I am willing to subsidize it, on the condition of course that absolute accuracy is preserved."
-- G. Gurdjieff

To preserve accuracy we have printed this book exactly as written by Mr. Gurdjieff but have included only one Registration Blank, a sample of the seven originally called for. It is not to be filled out.

Two hundred years since Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav's demise, his philosophical writings and literary creation remain lively and provocative materials in both Jewish culture and the New-Age movement. Key elements of Rabbi Nachman's magic and magnetic force are illuminated in this research, which presents Bratslavian mysticism as a unique link in the history of Jewish mysticism. The mystical worldview is the axis of this book, but its branches stretch out to key issues in the Bratslavian world such as belief and imagination, dreams and the land of Israel, melodies and song.

If the western world knows anything about Zen Buddhism, it is down to the efforts of one remarkable man, D.T. Suzuki. The twenty-seven-year-old Japanese scholar first visited the west in 1897, and over the course of the next seventy years became the world's leading authority on Zen. His radical and penetrating insights earned him many disciples, from Carl Jung to Allen Ginsberg, from Thomas Merton to John Cage. In Mysticism: Christian and Buddhist Suzuki compares the teachings of the great Christian mystic Meister Eckhart with the spiritual wisdom of Shin and Zen Buddhism. By juxtaposing cultures that seem to be radically opposed, Suzuki raises one of the fundamental questions of human experience: at the limits of our understanding is there an experience that is universal to all humanity? Mysticism: Christian and Buddhist is a book that challenges and inspires; it will benefit readers of all religions who seek to understand something of the nature of spiritual life.

Studies in the History and Culture of the Middle East (the former: Studien zur Geschichte und Kultur des Vorderen Orients) are published as supplement to Der Islam founded in 1910 by Carl Heinrich Becker, an early practitioner of the modern study of Islam. Following Becker's lead, the mission of the series is the study of past societies of the Middle East, their belief systems, and their underlying social and economic relations, from the Iberian Peninsula to Central Asia, and from the Ukrainian steppes to the highlands of Yemen. Publications in the series draw on the philological groundwork generated by the literary tradition, but in their aim to cover the entire spectrum of the historically oriented humanities and social sciences, also utilize textual sources as well as archival, material, and archaeological evidence. Its editors are Stefan Heidemann (Universitat Hamburg, editor-in-chief), Gottfried Hagen (University of Michigan), Andreas Kaplony (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen), and Rudi Matthee (University of Delaware).

During the author's period in the East, he often witnessed ballet performances executed during sacred services in some of the ancient temples. 'The Struggle of the Magicians' reproduces some of these dances, providing an interesting insight into the history of this celebrated art form.

Routledge is now re-issuing this prestigious series of 204 volumes originally published between 1910 and 1965. The titles include works by key figures such asC.G. Jung, Sigmund Freud, Jean Piaget, Otto Rank, James Hillman, Erich Fromm, Karen Horney and Susan Isaacs. Each volume is available on its own, as part of a themed mini-set, or as part of a specially-priced 204-volume set. A brochure listing each title in the "International Library of Psychology" series is available upon request.

Finding your soulmate and living happily together are at one and the same time one of life's greatest challenges and prospects. Together with its companion volume "The Mystery of Marriage," this book gives some of the deepest and particularly revealing insights into the nature of couplehood. This book approaches dating from the fresh perspective of a journey that both men and women enter in hope of uncovering their deepest creatives forces. With sensitivity to the essential differences between men and women, this book will help you appreciate the underlying motivations that move each to seek compansionship and matrimony. It also presents the first rigorous analysis of how the development of consciousness and the ability to make the right choices in life go hand-in-hand, stressing that your ability to appreciate the Divine nature of reality is a key factor in doing so. As such, the principles expounded can be applied to all areas of importance in life that involves difficult choices. Consciousness & Choice includes a detailed Kabbalistic study of the ancient courtship custom known as "the Dance of the Maindens." From this ancient ritual and its intricacies, Rabbi Ginsburgh uncovers the spiritual value of every motivating factor in searching for a spouse.

The talks in this volume are not verbatim transcriptions. In the early years of Gurdjieff's exposition of the fourth way teaching, he rarely allowed notes to be taken during his talks. The majority of his early talks were written down after the fact by pupils who were present, either individually or collectively, and should be taken as recollections of what people believed Gurdjieff to have said. The provenance of the talks are library archives, private collections, and individuals from all around the world. They have been arranged chronologically and are presented in this edition for the first time in their entirety.

The Mysticism and Magic of Tarot Cards and the Passion of Italian Illustration in One Enchanted Deck#1 New Release in Mysticism Tarot cards, witchcraft, and magical folklore. There is an invisible population living in our midst-enchanted "little people" including elves, fairies, and other magical creatures. They exist all over the world, and while they may be called by a variety of names, their mystical qualities are the same. Rider-Waite tarot deck quality. This exquisitely illustrated set of 78 tarot cards made in the Rider-Waite-Smith standard reveals the magical stories of these mystical creatures to help us better understand both them and ourselves. Illustrated by Otto Gabos, a celebrated Italian comic artist and illustrator, Faeries and Enchanted Creatures is a unique gift for collectors and tarot card enthusiasts. Tarot card magic from a scholar. The guidebook that accompanies the tarot cards describes the peculiarities of the magical creatures in the card deck in detail. It is authored by Francesca Matteoni, a scholar with expertise in the history of religion, anthropology of magic and witchcraft, and mysticism and magic in the Renaissance. She teaches at American universities in Florence, Italy and holds workshops on tarot cards, fables, and poetry. In this 78 tarot card deck and guidebook, find: Creatures related to well-known traditions, such as the Leprechaun-Magician or the Anguana-High Priestess in the twenty-two cards of the Major Arcana Tarot card expertise and Italian craftsmanship An ideal companion for self-exploration and insight If you are new to tarot card magic or a fan of The Rider Tarot Deck, Light Seer's Tarot, or The Modern Witch Tarot Deck, Faeries and Enchanted Creatures: Tarot Card Magic and Mysticism (78 Tarot Cards and Guidebook) is for you.

This is a chronological history of the Sufi tradition, divided in to three sections, early, middle and modern periods. The book comprises 35 independent chapters with easily identifiable themes and/or geographical threads, all written by recognised experts in the field. The volume outlines the origins and early developments of Sufism by assessing the formative thinkers and practitioners and investigating specific pietistic themes. The middle period contains an examination of the emergence of the Sufi Orders and illustrates the diversity of the tradition. This middle period also analyses the fate of Sufism during the time of the Gunpowder Empires. Finally, the end period includes representative surveys of Sufism in several countries, both in the West and in traditional "Islamic" regions. This comprehensive and up-to-date collection of studies provides a guide to the Sufi tradition. The Handbook is a valuable resource for students and researchers with an interest in religion, Islamic Studies and Middle Eastern Studies.

Antoine Fabre d'Olivet (December 8, 1767-March 25, 1825) was a French author, poet, and composer whose biblical and philosophical hermeneutics in?uenced many occultists, such as Eliphas Lvi and Gerard Encausse (Papus), and Ren Gunon. D'Olivet spent his life pursuing the esoteric wisdom concealed in the Hebrew scriptures, Greek philosophy, and the symbolism of many ancient cultures as far back as ancient India, Persia, and Egypt. His writings are considered classics of the Hermetic tradition. His best known works today are his research on the Hebrew language (The Hebraic Tongue Restored), his translation and interpretation of the writings of Pythagoras (The Golden Verses of Pythagoras), and his writings on the sacred art of music. In addition to the above works, Hermetica has published in consistent facsimile format for its Collected Works of Fabre d'Olivet series Cain and The Healing of Rodolphe Grivel, as well as Hermeneutic Interpretation of the Origin of the Social State of Man and the Destiny of the Adamic Race. D'Olivet's mastery of many ancient languages and their literatures enabled him to write (in the time of Napoleon) this extraordinary text which remains a landmark investigation of the deeper esoteric undercurrents at work in the history of culture. The Golden Verses of Pythagoras, so remarkable for their moral elevation, and standing as the most beautiful monument of antiquity raised in honor of Wisdom, were originally transcribed by Lysis, though it is to Hierocles that we owe the version that has come down to us. Fabre d'Olivet has translated them into French verse of special form (eumolpique), and in his Discourse upon the Essence and Form of Poetry in the present volume he explains and illustrates this melodious style. In his Examinations of the Golden Verses, which comprises the last division of this book, he has drawn with the power of his great mind the metaphysical correlation of Providence, Destiny, and Will.