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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Alternative belief systems > Occult studies
No industry has been as influential at shaping the popular notion
of what it means to be a witch quite as much as Hollywood. This
book traces the fascinating history of witchcraft and witches in
American film and television. From Joan the Woman and The Wizard of
Oz to Carrie and Charmed, author and film scholar Heather Greene
explores how these films helped influence the public image of the
witch and profoundly influenced how women negotiate their power in
a patriarchal society. Lights, Camera, Witchcraft uncovers
fascinating insights into the intersection of entertainment,
critical theory, gender studies, and spirituality.
Telepathy, thought transference, unconscious communication. While
some important early psychological theorists such as William James,
Frederic W. H. Myers and Sigmund Freud all agreed that the
phenomenon exists, their theoretical approaches to it were very
different. James's and Myers's interpretations of and experimental
investigations into telepathy or thought transference were an
inextricable part of their psychical researches. Freud's insistence
on the reality of thought transference had nothing to do with
psychical research or paranormal phenomena, which he largely
repudiated. Thought transference for Freud was located in a theory
of the unconscious that was radically different from the subliminal
mind embraced by James and Myers. Today thought transference is
most commonly described as unconscious communication but was
largely ignored by subsequent generations of psychoanalysts until
most recently. Nonetheless, the recognition of unconscious
communication has persisted as a subterranean, quasi-spiritual
presence in psychoanalysis to this day. As psychoanalysis becomes
more interested in unconscious communication and develops theories
of loosely boundaried subjectivities that open up to transcendent
dimensions of reality, it begins to assume the features of a
religious psychology. Thus, a fuller understanding of how
unconscious communication resonates with mystical overtones may be
more deeply clarified, articulated and elaborated in contemporary
psychoanalysis in an explicit dialogue with psychoanalytically
literate scholars of religion. In Legacies of the Occult Marsha
Aileen Hewitt argues that some of the leading theorists of
unconscious communication represent a 'mystical turn' that is
infused with both a spirituality and a revitalized interest in
paranormal experience that is far closer to James and Myers than to
Freud.
Magician, Poet and Seer, Victor Neuburg was the disciple of
Aleister Crowley and literary godfather of Dylan Thomas. Really two
books in one. Firstly a record of one man's extraordinary journey
to magical enlightenment. Secondly the story of the Aleister
Crowley, the magus who summoned Neuburg to join him in the quest.
The book opens with the author's entry into the group of young
poets including Dylan Thomas and Pamela Hansford Johnson. They
gather around Victor Neuburg in 1935 when he is poetry editor of
the Sunday Referee. Gradually the author becomes aware of his
strange and sinister past, in which Neuburg was associated in magic
with Aleister Crowley. Neuburg had been Crowley's partner in
magical rituals in the desert and in rites even more dangerous and
controversial. The author sought out the truth behind the rumours
and with her intuitive understanding of deeper things presents a
sympathetic and compelling biography. 'Vicky encouraged me as no
one else has done, ' Dylan Thomas declared on hearing of Neuburg's
death. 'He possessed many kinds of genius, and not the least was
his genius for drawing to himself, by his wisdom, graveness, great
humour and innocence, a feeling of trust and love, that won't ever
be forgotten.' ' . . . there was a whiff of sulphur abroad, and all
of us would have liked to know the truth of the Aleister Crowley's
legends, the truth of the witch-like baroness called Cremers, the
abandonment of Neuburg in the desert.' - Pamela Hansford Johnson
Magic and Medieval Society presents a thematic approach to the
topic of magic and sorcery in Western Europe between the eleventh
and the fifteenth century. It aims to provide readers with the
conceptual and documentary tools to reach informed conclusions as
to the existence, nature, importance and uses of magic in medieval
society. Contrary to some previous approaches, the authors argue
that magic is inextricably connected to other areas of cultural
practice and was found across medieval society. Therefore, the book
is arranged thematically, covering topics such as the use of magic
at medieval courts, at universities and within the medieval Church
itself. Each chapter and theme is supported by additional
documents, diagrams and images to allow readers to examine the
evidence side-by-side with the discussions in the chapters and to
come to informed conclusions on the issues. This book puts forward
the argument that the witch craze was not a medieval phenomenon but
rather the product of the Renaissance and the Reformation, and
demonstrates how the components for the early-modern prosecution of
witches were put into place. This new Seminar Study is supported by
a comprehensive documents section, chronology, who's who and
black-and-white plate section. It offers a concise and
thought-provoking introduction for students of medieval history.
The Zohar is the great medieval compendium of Jewish esoteric and
mystical teaching, and the basis of the kabbalistic faith. It is,
however, a notoriously difficult text, full of hidden codes,
concealed meanings, obscure symbols, and ecstatic expression. This
illuminating study, based upon the last several decades of modern
Zohar scholarship, unravels the historical and intellectual origins
of this rich text and provides an excellent introduction to its
themes, complex symbolism, narrative structure, and language. A
Guide to the Zohar is thus an invaluable companion to the Zohar
itself, as well as a useful resource for scholars and students
interested in mystical literature, particularly that of the west,
from the Middle Ages to the present.
Make the most of your magickal year by chronicling it with this
indispensable 2024 planner filled with inspiring Wiccan spells and
lore. This 17-month engagement calendar is the perfect place for
modern-day witches, Wiccans, and pagans to track everything from
daily tasks to key rituals to the sacred holidays and solstices on
the Wheel of the Year. It is filled with beautiful illustrations as
well as tips on holistic magick, Wiccan lore, and a variety of key
spells. The planner lists the all-important moon phases, as well as
major and national holidays. This is the perfect witch’s calendar
for anyone seeking a Wiccan holiday gift, those who enjoyed the
2023 edition, or users of other writual planners looking for
something new. Â Features include: 17-month day planner
(August 2023–December 2024) with a 6 x 8.5-inch trim size and a
sturdy flexi cover with vibrant colors Monthly two-page views,
weekly pages, and note pages Stunning two-color design filled with
beautiful vintage-style line drawings throughout tied to the
seasons Wiccan lore, tips on holistic magick, and key spells
distilled from the bestselling Modern-Day Witch book series Major
and national holidays for the US, Canada, and UK, and the
all-important moon phases
Harry Gilmore has no idea of the terrible danger he faces when he
meets a beautiful girl in a local student bar. Drugged and
abducted, Harry wakes up in a secure wooden compound deep in the
Welsh countryside, where he is groomed by the leaders of a
manipulative cult, run by the self-proclaimed new messiah known as
The Master. When the true nature of the cult becomes apparent,
Harry looks for any opportunity to escape. But as time passes, he
questions if The Master's extreme behavior and teachings are the
one true religion. With Harry's life hanging by a thread, a team of
officers, led by Detective Inspector Laura Kesey, investigate his
disappearance. But will they find him before it's too late?
*Previously published as The Girl in White*
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