This is the first systematic exploration of the intriguing connections between Victorian physical sciences and the study of the controversial phenomena broadly classified as psychic, occult and paranormal. These phenomena included animal magnetism, spirit-rapping, telekinesis and telepathy. Richard Noakes shows that psychic phenomena interested far more Victorian scientists than we have previously assumed, challenging the view of these scientists as individuals clinging rigidly to a materialistic worldview. Physicists, chemists and other physical scientists studied psychic phenomena for a host of scientific, philosophical, religious and emotional reasons, and many saw such investigations as exciting new extensions to their theoretical and experimental researches. While these attempted extensions were largely unsuccessful, they laid the foundations of modern day explorations of the connections between physics and psychic phenomena. This revelatory study challenges our view of the history of physics, and deepens our understanding of the relationships between science and the occult, and science and religion.

Plague, a devastating and recurring affliction throughout the Renaissance, had a major impact on European life. Not only was pestilence a biological problem, but it was also read as a symptom of spiritual degeneracy and it caused widespread social disorder. Assembling a picture of the complex and sometimes contradictory responses to plague from medical, spiritual and civic perspectives, this book uncovers the place of music - whether regarded as an indispensable medicine or a moral poison that exacerbated outbreaks - in the management of the disease. This original musicological approach further reveals how composers responded, in their works, to the discourses and practices surrounding one of the greatest medical crises in the pre-modern age. Addressing topics such as music as therapy, public rituals and performance and music in religion, the volume also provides detailed musical analysis throughout to illustrate how pestilence affected societal attitudes toward music.

We no longer believe in witches as our ancestors once did. However, in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, any unforeseen or unexplained events were likely to be attributed to witchcraft. The stories of the individuals within this book show how superstition and prejudice played an important and powerful part in the lives of the populace of Yorkshire from the Middle Ages right through to the nineteenth century

"Nightshades is the record of one remarkable magician's exploration of the inverse regions of the Tree of Life. Aleister Crowley's Liber 231 provides the map and Kenneth Grant's Nightside of Eden a travelogue. "Liber 231, apparently started life as a text within the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, as an exercise to develop astral and trance abilities or perhaps in other more elaborate rites. The nightside aspect requires some care and alertness in case of accident. The correct attitude is said to be one of self or ego-less witness. Or maybe it's just one needs Or maybe it's just one needs the use of an all-embracing rather than a limited kind of identity and self-identification?" "The Nightside is always with us. It's so much older than the Dayside. Before the light began to shine, the night was there. Some assume that we are dealing with a simple polarity. On one hand the radiant world of colours and forms, more or less thinkable, reasonable and meaningful. Like the pretty picture of the Tree of Life it has its scenic cites, its hotels, restaurants, shopping opportunities and highways in between. On the other hand the chaotic world of uncertain and incomprehensible mysteries. Both of them connected by the voidness that makes them possible. It looks symmetrical. But when you reach the Nightside it doesn't work like that. The Nightside is not simply a reflection of the dayside with a few confusing and spooky bits thrown in. The Dayside is a tiny island of experience in a huge ocean, the Nightside, full of currents, island chains and continents of the possible and impossible. All and Nothing are present everywhere. Our island is not the opposite of the world-ocean, it is simply a tiny and comprehensible part of it." Jan Fries Nightshades comprises 72 intense drawings prefaced by an explanatory essay detailing the background and genesis of this ultimate magical adventure.

There has long existed among the Germanic Pennsylvania Dutch people a belief in white and dark magic. The art of white magic in the Dutch Country is referred to by old-timers as Braucherei in their unique Dialect, otherwise known as Powwowing. Hexerei, of course, is the art of black magic. Powers used to heal in the art of Braucherei are derived from God (the Holy Trinity), but the powers employed in Hexerei are derived from the Devil, in the simplest of explanation. Therefore, one who engages in the latter has bartered or "sold his soul to the Devil," and destined for Hell! For nearly three centuries, the Pennsylvania Dutch have not hesitated to use Braucherei in the healing of their sick and afflicted, and regionally, the culture has canonized early 19th Century faith healer, Mountain Mary (of the Oley Hills), as a Saint for her powers of healing. Furthermore, contemporary of hers, John Georg Hohman, has published numerous early 19th Century books on the matter still in use today. Both their form of faith healing has many counterparts in our civilization, however, the subset of Hexerei, witchcraft, or black magic was always considered of utmost evil here in the region; and only desperate people, and those with devious intentions, have resorted to its equally powerful and secret powers.

THE FINAL FREY & McGRAY MYSTERY All will be revealed... * * * * * The Devil Has Come to Edinburgh... An ill-fated grave-robbery unearths a corpse with a most disturbing symbol on it. When a patient in Edinburgh's lunatic asylum is murdered, the same sign is daubed in blood on the walls - the mark of the devil. The prime suspect: inmate Amy McGray, notorious for killing her parents years before. Her brother, Detective 'Nine-Nails' McGray, must prove her innocence - with the help of an old friend . . . Inspector Ian Frey insists he is retired. But when called upon, he reluctantly agrees to their final case. As twists follow bombshells, leading to secrets that have been waiting in the shadows all along, all will be revealed . . . This rollicking Victorian sensationalist melodrama is the epic conclusion to the marvellous Frey & McGray mysteries.

Do you want to charm the love of your life, instigate a promotion at work or banish a bad friend? With this fun book and card set, get in touch with your inner witch and ensure life goes as planned! Do you want to charm the love of your life, instigate a promotion at work or banish a bad friend? With this fun book and card set, get in touch with your inner witch and ensure life goes as planned! The 52 charming cards come in two suits - Good Witches and Bad Witches - and the book explains their meanings. You can lay them out like tarot cards to predict the future, and cast the spell that accompanies each card to weave magic, both white and dark. Just remember that the Good Witch spells turn toads into princes, and the Bad Witch spells turn princes into toads...

Martin Del Rio (1551-1608) was a remarkably learned Jesuit scholar. His prolific output includes six volumes of Investigations into Magic which sought to be the last word on magic, witchcraft, and allied subjects such as divination and superstition, and a detailed manual of advice for judges and confessors engaged in combatting what was seen at the time as a dangerous threat to the spiritual life of humanity in this world and the next. First published in 1599-1600, Investigations was heralded as a major contribution to the armoury of the Counter-Reformation, and went through several editions, the last appearing in 1747.

A lavishly illustrated celebration of green witchcraft—romance, mythology, and folklore that are sure to enchant your inner witch!   In these trying times, couldn’t we all use more magic in our lives? Equal parts practical guide and beautiful keepsake, The Green Witch’s Guide to Magical Plants & Flowers shows you how to bring more love and contentment into your life using elements of nature. In this little grimoire, Chris Young and Susan Ottaviano, 2 Green Witches, unlock the secrets hiding in your garden, transforming everyday flowers, fruits, and plants into bath salts, herbal infusions, soaps, sachets, tinctures, and more.   Enchanting all-natural recipes illuminate pathways to love, health, peace, prosperity, and harmony. Learn how a rose petal bath can stoke your sense of desire, how meadowsweet flowers on your nightstand can restore peace between two lovers, and how facial oil made from tulip petals can protect you from heartbreak.   Celebrate green witchcraft and the magical properties of the natural world with The Green Witch’s Guide to Magical Plants & Flowers.

From Wren Maple, the Thrifty Witch, comes an introduction to witchcraft with a variety of spells, tips, and tricks to get the most out of your practice. There's nothing wrong with simple and straightforward. Easy spells are not less worthy spells. These ideas are central to the practice of the Thrifty Witch. Sick of not being able to easily source (or afford) what she needed for spells, Wren Maple dedicated herself to collecting and optimizing spells that could work for all witches-no matter where they were on their journey and no matter their personal resources. Now The Thrifty Witch is sharing her research and bringing her collection to the page for the first time. The Thrifty Witch's Book of Simple Spells is part primer, part spellbook. It includes: Getting started/witch basics: Witchcraft as self-care, how to establish a practice, and a handful of super-easy spells to get casting today. Key ingredients for spells: Starter stones and herbs, how to source, what to buy first, and more questions answered! Simple spells for every witch: Just like the spells Wren is known for online, nearly every spell in the book requires five items or fewer, and all ingredients are easy to source. Specific spells: Organized by purpose (e.g. love spells, protection spells), these spells are sure to cover what you're looking to cast. Tips and Tricks for Casting: When to cast for best results, where to cast and why it matters...make your spells count! The beauty of these spells is that they are easy enough and affordable enough to practice daily. Since practice and process are so important, this book provides an invaluable resource-unlocking the ability to try new spells and refine casting methods multiple times per week-even daily.

A beautiful and inspirational guide to colour and its magic. Magic can take many forms, whether it be a desire, a wish, or a spell. It can even be a simple act of kindness for friends and family, and importantly for yourself too - like a lovingly hand-made object, a comforting meal or a home-cooked gift. Many people are turning to alternative ways to find connection and meaning. Something as simple as, 'Are you ok?' has great strength, power and empathy. Thoughtfulness is key and this book has kindness at the heart of its magic to create a more forgiving and considerate community. Curated into colour chapters, Sam takes a look at each colour and what it represents. The book brims full of magical spells, poems, charms, rituals, recipes, makes and wishes to create a helpful guide - a comfort, a tonic - something that is available to everyone, whether you feel like you are a witch or not. Chapters are: White, Yellow & Orange, Red, Pink, Violet, Blue, Green, Brown, Black & Grey, Silver & Gold Projects include: Orange blossom spell, Clay incense holder, Lucky red wrist ribbon, Hanging crystal grotto, Witch's knots, Friendship jar spell, Crescent moon and amethyst make, Making a wand, Secret message jewellery, Moon biscuits.

'A breathtaking page-turner of a mystery' Susi Holliday Don't trust everyone you meet here...A young British backpacker goes missing on the West Coast Trail. No one is sure whether she died or simply disappeared. Apart from Laura. Twenty years later, a body has been found. And there's only one person who could reveal the secret that Laura's been hiding all this time. But she knows that two can keep a secret. IF ONE OF THEM IS DEAD. A tense and suspenseful thriller perfect for fans of M.J. Ford and Susi Holliday. Praise for Jenny Blackhurst'Electrifying' Woman's Own 'Fabulously tense' Prima 'Addictive stuff' Woman & Home 'An addictive thriller' Good Housekeeping 'A thoroughly twisty treat' Heat 'Utterly gripping' Clare Mackintosh 'Jenny is an evil genius' Lisa Hall 'Hooked from the first page' Claire Douglas 'This talented writer knows a thing or two about her craft' Amanda Jennings 'Compelling, disturbing and thoroughly enjoyable' Sharon Bolton 'An outstanding and original thriller' B A Paris 'Gripping and hugely enjoyable' Jane Casey 'Had me hooked from the very first line. Tense, dark and highly compelling' B.P Walter 'A dark, clever, and twisty read... I devoured it' A.A. Chaudhuri 'A twisting tale... I was gripped until the final page' Sophie Flynn What readers are saying about The Hiking Trip 'A heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat.' Reader review 'A clever and enthralling story that I could not put down. Highly recommend this author as a whole as all her books are just brilliant.' Reader review 'A brilliant book by one of my favourite authors. I knew there was a twist coming and thought I had it all figured out until another twist blew me away! It's not often a book blindsides me so this was an amazing surprise.' Reader review 'The story is fast paced, the writing was really great, the thriller itself is unputdownable with twists and turns.' Reader review 'Definitely one of her best. I raced through it, just had to know how it was going to end and it did not disappoint.' Reader review 'I'd easily say this is one of my favourite thrillers of the year! It's modern and fresh and the main character makes smart choices. There are plenty twists and turns and it is a really fascinating story that unfolds at such a good pace.' Reader review 'As usual Jenny Blackhurst never disappoints. What a great book, I could not put this one down.' Reader review 'I raced through this... It is a fast paced psychological thriller which will keep you on the edge with the twists and turns. Will definitely be recommending this book to all.' Reader review 'This novel of mystery and intrigue is difficult to put down. I usually can guess the ending of a mystery story, but not in this case...' Reader review 'I was absolutely delighted to read another Jenny Blackhurst thriller... I was hooked from the opening paragraph. Jenny's books are always wonderful to read and so deftly written.' Reader review

Four years ago when I was discussing the subject of natural healing with practising witch Dr Tarona Hawkins, she mentioned during our conversation that she had notes, files and first draught chapters prepared about her psychic readings, counselling, past life regression work, magickal treatments and herbal remedies, all relating to clients sexual problems. Tarona Hawkins added that her reputation as a sex witch had gathered such momentum that most of her time was now occupied with sex counselling. This volume is the end result of accepting Taronas invitation to transform her records and her knowledge into this book. Within the book you will find covered an incredible variety of sex and sex related subjects, for example: sex magick, sex massage, adult babies, fetishism, demonic sexual encounters, group sex, homosexuality, anal sex, sadomasochism, transvestism, trans-sexualism, sex feeders, sex for the elderly, impotence, penis enlargement, male hygiene, menstruation, past life traumas, the human sexual aura, sexual handwriting characteristics together with other sex related subjects. Pseudonyms have been used throughout to preserve confidentiality and privacy. To all those who read this book; individual members of the public, those with sexual problems, sex counsellors, and of course the occult community, it is hoped that you will gain new insights into the unusually varied spectrum of human sexual behaviour. Four years ago when I was discussing the subject of natural healing with practising witch Dr Tarona Hawkins, she mentioned during our conversation that she had notes, files and first draught chapters prepared about her psychic readings, counselling, past life regression work, magickal treatments and herbal remedies, all relating to clients sexual problems. Tarona Hawkins added that her reputation as a sex witch had gathered such momentum that most of her time was now occupied with sex...

What distinguished the true alchemist from the fraud? This question animated the lives and labors of the common men--and occasionally women--who made a living as alchemists in the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Holy Roman Empire. As purveyors of practical techniques, inventions, and cures, these entrepreneurs were prized by princely patrons, who relied upon alchemists to bolster their political fortunes. At the same time, satirists, artists, and other commentators used the figure of the alchemist as a symbol for Europe's social and economic ills. Drawing on criminal trial records, contracts, laboratory inventories, satires, and vernacular alchemical treatises, Alchemy and Authority in the Holy Roman Empire situates the everyday alchemists, largely invisible to modern scholars until now, at the center of the development of early modern science and commerce. Reconstructing the workaday world of entrepreneurial alchemists, Tara Nummedal shows how allegations of fraud shaped their practices and prospects. These debates not only reveal enormously diverse understandings of what the "real" alchemy was and who could practice it; they also connect a set of little-known practitioners to the largest questions about commerce, trust, and intellectual authority in early modern Europe.

What is a grimoire? The word has a familiar ring to many people, particularly as a consequence of such popular television dramas as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed. But few people are sure exactly what it means. Put simply, grimoires are books of spells that were first recorded in the Ancient Middle East and which have developed and spread across much of the Western Hemisphere and beyond over the ensuing millennia. At their most benign, they contain charms and remedies for natural and supernatural ailments and advice on contacting spirits to help find treasures and protect from evil. But at their most sinister they provide instructions on how to manipulate people for corrupt purposes and, worst of all, to call up and make a pact with the Devil. Both types have proven remarkably resilient and adaptable and retain much of their relevance and fascination to this day. But the grimoire represents much more than just magic. To understand the history of grimoires is to understand the spread of Christianity, the development of early science, the cultural influence of the print revolution, the growth of literacy, the impact of colonialism, and the expansion of western cultures across the oceans. As this book richly demonstrates, the history of grimoires illuminates many of the most important developments in European history over the last two thousand years.

"The Secret Life of a Satanist" steps behind the curtain with the founder and High Priest of the Church of Satan.

What is contemporary Satanism, and why would one start a church dedicated to the Dark One? It wasn't a rebellion against an oppressive religious upbringing; it was Anton Szandor LaVey's disgust with most of humanity. Drawing from Jack London, H.L. Mencken, Friedrich Nietzsche, Marquis de Sade, George Bernard Shaw, John Milton, Benjamin Franklin, and a host of reprobates, with a large dose of alchemy and black magic, LaVey formulated a philosophy that deeply resonated with him.

LaVey did not worship Satan; he paid homage to the rebellious spirit of innovation, defiance, and self-reliance that the archetype embodied. His background as a musician, circus lion trainer, hypnotist, and police photographer is covered here. The author, who later became his paramour and mother to his only son, was allowed extraordinary access to documents concerning his life, testimonies from people who had known him for years, and, most importantly, anecdotes and fond memories from a man living out of his time.

After the original publication of this biography in 1990, LaVey and Blanche Barton fought through the Satanic Panic together, and guided the Church for another seven years. This revised edition adds a dozen new and never-before-seen images.

Most scholars dismiss research into the paranormal as pseudoscience, a frivolous pursuit for the paranoid or gullible. Even historians of religion, whose work naturally attends to events beyond the realm of empirical science, have shown scant interest in the subject. But the history of psychical phenomena, Jeffrey J. Kripal contends, is an untapped source of insight into the sacred and by tracing that history through the last two centuries of Western thought we can see its potential centrality to the critical study of religion.
Kripal grounds his study in the work of four major figures in the history of paranormal research: psychical researcher Frederic Myers; writer and humorist Charles Fort; astronomer, computer scientist, and ufologist Jacques Vallee; and philosopher and sociologist Bertrand Meheust. Through incisive analyses of these thinkers, Kripal ushers the reader into a beguiling world somewhere between fact, fiction, and fraud. The cultural history of telepathy, teleportation, and UFOs; a ghostly love story; the occult dimensions of science fiction; cold war psychic espionage; galactic colonialism; and the intimate relationship between consciousness and culture all come together in "Authors of the Impossible," a dazzling and profound look at how the paranormal bridges the sacred and the scientific.

The story of the beliefs and practices called 'magic' starts in ancient Iran, Greece, and Rome, before entering its crucial Christian phase in the Middle Ages. Centering on the Renaissance and Marsilio Ficino - whose work on magic was the most influential account written in premodern times - this groundbreaking book treats magic as a classical tradition with foundations that were distinctly philosophical. Besides Ficino, the premodern story of magic also features Plotinus, Iamblichus, Proclus, Aquinas, Agrippa, Pomponazzi, Porta, Bruno, Campanella, Descartes, Boyle, Leibniz, and Newton, to name only a few of the prominent thinkers discussed in this book. Because pictures play a key role in the story of magic, this book is richly illustrated.

The Oxford Handbook of Russian Religious Thought is an authoritative new reference and interpretive volume detailing the origins, development, and influence of one of the richest aspects of Russian cultural and intellectual life - its religious ideas. After setting the historical background and context, the Handbook follows the leading figures and movements in modern Russian religious thought through a period of immense historical upheavals, including seventy years of officially atheist communist rule and the growth of an exiled diaspora with, e.g., its journal The Way. Therefore the shape of Russian religious thought cannot be separated from long-running debates with nihilism and atheism. Important thinkers such as Losev and Bakhtin had to guard their words in an environment of religious persecution, whilst some views were shaped by prison experiences. Before the Soviet period, Russian national identity was closely linked with religion - linkages which again are being forged in the new Russia. Relevant in this connection are complex relationships with Judaism. In addition to religious thinkers such as Philaret, Chaadaev, Khomiakov, Kireevsky, Soloviev, Florensky, Bulgakov, Berdyaev, Shestov, Frank, Karsavin, and Alexander Men, the Handbook also looks at the role of religion in aesthetics, music, poetry, art, film, and the novelists Dostoevsky and Tolstoy. Ideas, institutions, and movements discussed include the Church academies, Slavophilism and Westernism, theosis, the name-glorifying (imiaslavie) controversy, the God-seekers and God-builders, Russian religious idealism and liberalism, and the Neopatristic school. Occultism is considered, as is the role of tradition and the influence of Russian religious thought in the West.

Following the category-dominating success of Witchery, indigenous medicine woman and seer Juliet Diaz initiates readers following the current witchy trends of herbal medicine and magic into a deeper, wilder connection with the ancient healing power of over 200 plants.

All it will take is for you to slow down and pay attention to the world around you and, I promise, you will find the world within you.

Indigenous seer, gifted plant whisperer, and Witchery author Juliet Diaz invites you to walk the path of the Plant Witch. Journey far beyond the basic medicinal and magical properties of plants, deep into Mother Earth's drumming heart. Drawn from ancestral practices passed down by generations of teachers, the lessons in this book will awaken your intimate connection with nature, your ancestors, your guides, and to your true self through the powerful magic of plants.

Within these pages, you will learn:

• Essential, magical, and medicinal properties of 200 herbs, flowers, trees, and fruits.
• Rituals for abundance, cleansing, and connecting with spirits.
• Spells to ward against evil, find answers, and protect against self-sabotage.
• Potions to open your third eye, bring luck, and promote creativity.
• Communication techniques for speaking and listening to plants.
• The optimal moon phases and seasons to work with different plants.

Even as humans forget our place in nature's rhythm and cause harm to our Earth Mother, the spirits of plants still call out to us, appear in our dreams, and inspire us as they push through cracks in cement-resilient and determined to thrive. From abre camino and acacia to yucca and ZZ plant, each has unique personality and wisdom to share if we are only willing to listen.

Complete and unabridged, here is the unparalleled landmark of occult philosophy and lost history that reshaped the modern spiritual mindset and continues to fascinate readers today. There is perhaps no greater enigma in modern Western literature than THE SECRET DOCTRINE. The controversial Russian noblewomen Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky told the world that the book restored humanity's lost history and destiny. Its insights, she said, had been gleaned from long-secret books of wisdom and her tutelage under mahatmas, or great souls: adepts from the East who exposed the seeker to their esoteric teaching. To read THE SECRET DOCTRINE is to enter a mysterious world of ancient cosmology and spiritual-scientific insights, which tell of humanity's unthinkably ancient past and its burgeoning evolution into a new, more refined existence. For the first time, Blavatsky's encyclopaedia arcana is available in a reset and redesigned single-volume edition, complete and unabridged. Its truths and challenges are available to the intrepid reader, who may find yet-unknown insights within its pages.