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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Alternative belief systems > Occult studies
To what extent were practitioners of magic inspired by fictional
accounts of their art? In how far did the daunting narratives
surrounding legendary magicians such as Theophilus of Adana,
Cyprianus of Antioch, Johann Georg Faust or Agrippa of Nettesheim
rely on real-world events or practices? Fourteen original case
studies present material from late antiquity to the twenty-first
century and explore these questions in a systematic manner. By
coining the notion of 'fictional practice', the editors discuss the
emergence of novel, imaginative types of magic from the nineteenth
century onwards when fiction and practice came to be more and more
intertwined or even fully amalgamated. This is the first
comparative study that systematically relates fiction and practice
in the history of magic.
A Magical Tale About Forgiving Our Past and Believing in Our Future The enchanting, true story of The Valkyries begins in Rio de Janeiro when author Paulo Coelho gives his mysterious master, J., the only manuscript for his book The Alchemist. Haunted by a devastating curse, Coelho confesses to J., "I've seen my dreams fall apart just when I seemed about to achieve them." In response, J. gives Coelho a daunting task: He must find and speak with his guardian angel. "The curse can be broken," he replies, "if you complete the task." Rising to the challenge, Paulo and his wife, Cristina, drop everything, pack their bags, and take off on a forty day adventure into the starkly beautiful and sometimes dangerous Mojave Desert--where they encounter more than they bargained for. A masterful blend of the exotic locales, dramatic adventure, and magical storytelling for which Coelho's fictional works are renowned, this true-life account is at once a modern-day adventure and a metaphysical odyssey.
Islamicate Occult Sciences in Theory and Practice brings together
the latest research on Islamic occult sciences from a variety of
disciplinary perspectives, namely intellectual history, manuscript
studies and material culture. Its aim is not only to showcase the
range of pioneering work that is currently being done in these
areas, but also to provide a model for closer interaction amongst
the disciplines constituting this burgeoning field of study.
Furthermore, the book provides the rare opportunity to bridge the
gap on an institutional level by bringing the academic and
curatorial spheres into dialogue. Contributors include: Charles
Burnett, Jean-Charles Coulon, Maryam Ekhtiar, Noah Gardiner,
Christiane Gruber, Bink Hallum, Francesca Leoni, Matthew
Melvin-Koushki, Michael Noble, Rachel Parikh, Liana Saif, Maria
Subtelny, Farouk Yahya, and Travis Zadeh.
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