Bettina E. Schmidt explores experiences usually labelled as spirit possession, a highly contested and challenged term, using extensive ethnographic research conducted in Sao Paulo, the largest city in Brazil and home to a range of religions which practice spirit possession. The book is enriched by excerpts from interviews with people about their experiences. It focuses on spirit possession in Afro-Brazilian religions and spiritism, as well as discussing the notion of exorcism in Charismatic Christian communities. Spirits and Trance in Brazil: An Anthropology of Religious Experience is divided into three sections which present the three main areas in the study of spirit possession. The first section looks at the social dimension of spirit possession, in particular gender roles associated with spirit possession in Brazil and racial stratification of the communities. It shows how gender roles and racial composition have adapted alongside changes in society in the last 100 years. The second section focuses on the way people interpret their practice. It shows that the interpretations of this practice depend on the human relationship to the possessing entities. The third section explores a relatively new field of research, the Western discourse of mind/body dualism and the wide field of cognition and embodiment. All sections together confirm the significance of discussing spirit possession within a wider framework that embraces physical elements as well as cultural and social ones. Bringing together sociological, anthropological, phenomenological and religious studies approaches, this book offers a new perspective on the study of spirit possession.

Superstition and Magic in Early Modern Europe brings together a rich selection of essays which represent the most important historical research on religion, magic and superstition in early modern Europe. Each essay makes a significant contribution to the history of magic and religion in its own right, while together they demonstrate how debates over the topic have evolved over time, providing invaluable intellectual, historical, and socio-political context for readers approaching the subject for the first time. The essays are organised around five key themes and areas of controversy. Part One tackles superstition; Part Two, the tension between miracles and magic; Part Three, ghosts and apparitions; Part Four, witchcraft and witch trials; and Part Five, the gradual disintegration of the 'magical universe' in the face of scientific, religious and practical opposition. Each part is prefaced by an introduction that provides an outline of the historiography and engages with recent scholarship and debate, setting the context for the essays that follow and providing a foundation for further study. This collection is an invaluable toolkit for students of early modern Europe, providing both a focused overview and a springboard for broader thinking about the underlying continuities and discontinuities that make the study of magic and superstition a perennially fascinating topic.

In the beginning, darkness caused itself to explode, causing the event science calls the big bang and Christianity refers to as creation. Many have associated darkness with nothing, but author Hyginus Mathurin describes darkness as the actual primitive state of the Creator. "Evolution of Darkness" presents a revolutionary perspective on the physical development of Darkness as it creates its physical kingdom in the universe.

Mathurin is concerned with the nature of Darkness, not as the dwelling place of the Creator, but as the actual Creator. He takes a bold step to declare that the universe is the actual Evolution of Darkness.

"Evolution of Darkness" is a declaration that the universe is perfect and could not have existed any other way. Every act and every thought is necessary for its effective operation.

A fascinating and enlightening celebration of mushrooms and the magic of the forest for those who revel in mushroom imagery and lore. Mushrooms--as a decorative element, as a signifier of the mystery of the forest, and as an adorable emblem of witchy cottagecore dreams--have proliferated in the collective consciousness as of late. Mushroom Magick is a whimsical collection of mushroom facts and fables divided into three sections: first, profiles of 22 well-known mushrooms include information on biology and common uses as well as a rundown of their energetic properties and suggestions for incorporating them into spellwork. Section two provides a world-spanning collection of mushroom myths and fables. The final section is a taste of the spells and rituals that you can perform with common mushrooms such as creminis, shiitakes, and portobellos--carved candles, floor washes, teas, and even some yummy meals can improve your love life, super-charge your good fortune, or even cast a well-deserved hex upon your most hated enemy.