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Books > Religion & Spirituality > Alternative belief systems > Occult studies
Neither power nor morality but both. Moral power is what Sukuma
farmers in Tanzania in times of crisis attribute to an unknown
figure they call their witch. A universal process is involved, as
much bodily as social, which obstructs the patient's recovery.
Healers turn the table on the witch through rituals showing that
the community and the ancestral spirits side with the victim. In
contrast to biomedicine, their magic and divination introduce moral
values that assess the state of the system and that remove the
obstacles to what is taken as key: self-healing. The implied
'sensory shifts' and therapeutic effectiveness have largely eluded
the literature on witchcraft. This book shows how to comprehend
culture other than through the prism of identity politics. It
offers a framework to comprehend the rise of witch killings and
human sacrifice, just as ritual initiation disappears.
A critical history of the roots of Nazi occultism and its
continuing influence • Explores the occult influences on various
Nazi figures, including Adolf Hitler, Albert Speer, Rudolf Hess,
Alfred Rosenberg, and Heinrich Himmler • Examines the foundations
of the movement laid in the 19th century and continuing in the
early 20th century • Explains the rites and runology of National
Socialism, the occult dimensions of Nazi science, and how many of
the sensationalist descriptions of Nazi “Satanic” practices
were initiated by Church propaganda after the war In this
comprehensive examination of Nazi occultism, Stephen E. Flowers,
Ph.D., offers a critical history and analysis of the occult and
esoteric streams of thought active in the Third Reich and the
growth of occult Nazism at work in movements today. Sharing the
culmination of five decades of research into primary and secondary
sources, many in the original German, Flowers looks at the
symbolic, occult, scientific, and magical traditions that became
the foundations from which the Nazi movement would grow. He details
the influences of Theosophy, Volkism, and the work of the Brothers
Grimm as well as the impact of scientific culture of the time.
Looking at the early 20th century, he describes the impact of Guido
von List, Lanz von Liebenfels, Rudolf von Sebottendorf, Friedrich
Hielscher, and others. Examining the period after the Nazi Party
was established in 1919, and more especially after it took power in
1933, Flowers explores the occult influences on key Nazi figures,
including Adolf Hitler, Albert Speer, Rudolf Hess, and Heinrich
Himmler. He analyzes Hitler’s usually missed references to
magical techniques in Mein Kampf, revealing his adoption of occult
methods for creating a large body of supporters and shaping the
thoughts of the masses. Flowers also explains the rites and
runology of National Socialism, the occult dimensions of Nazi
science, and the blossoming of Nazi Christianity. Concluding with a
look at the modern mythology of Nazi occultism, Flowers critiques
postwar Nazi-related literature and unveils the presence of
esoteric Nazi myths in modern occult and political circles.
In this title, the history of alchemy traced from its earliest
roots through to its influence in modern-day science. Beginning in
China in the search for the secret of immortality, and appearing
independently in Egypt as an attempt to produce gold through the
arts of smelting and alloying metals, alchemy received a great
boost in Europe from studies by Islamic and Jewish alchemists.
Translated into Latin and then combined with what was known of
Greek natural science these accounts provoked an outburst of
attempts to manipulate matter and to change it into transformative
substances known as the Philosopher's Stone or the Elixir of Life.
Alchemy's heyday in Europe was the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries. Demonstrations of the art were performed in royal courts
and specimens of the gold so transmuted can be seen in various
museums today. During the nineteenth century, attempts were made to
amalgamate alchemy with the religious and occult philosophies then
growing in popularity; and in the twentieth century psychologists -
principally Carl Jung - perceived in alchemy a powerful vehicle for
aspects of their theories about human nature.
In her analysis of the cultural construction of gender in early
America, Elizabeth Reis explores the intersection of Puritan
theology, Puritan evaluations of womanhood, and the Salem
witchcraft episodes. She finds in those intersections the basis for
understanding why women were accused of witchcraft more often than
men, why they confessed more often, and why they frequently accused
other women of being witches. In negotiating their beliefs about
the devil's powers, both women and men embedded womanhood in the
discourse of depravity.Puritan ministers insisted that women and
men were equal in the sight of God, with both sexes equally capable
of cleaving to Christ or to the devil. Nevertheless, Reis explains,
womanhood and evil were inextricably linked in the minds and hearts
of seventeenth-century New England Puritans. Women and men feared
hell equally but Puritan culture encouraged women to believe it was
their vile natures that would take them there rather than the
particular sins they might have committed.Following the Salem
witchcraft trials, Reis argues, Puritans' understanding of sin and
the devil changed. Ministers and laity conceived of a Satan who
tempted sinners and presided physically over hell, rather than one
who possessed souls in the living world. Women and men became
increasingly confident of their redemption, although women more
than men continued to imagine themselves as essentially corrupt,
even after the Great Awakening.
"A pioneer work in . . . the sexual structuring of society. This is not just another book about witchcraft."--Edmund S. Morgan, Yale University
Confessing to "Familiarity with the Devils," Mary Johnson, a servant, was executed by Connecticut officials in 1648. A wealthy Boston widow, Ann Hibbens, was hanged in 1656 for casting spells on her neighbors. In 1662, Ann Cole was "taken with very strange Fits" and fueled an outbreak of witchcraft accusations in Hartford a generation before the notorious events in Salem took place.
More than three hundred years later the question still haunts us: Why were these and other women likely witches? Why were they vulnerable to accusations of witchcraft? In this work Carol Karlsen reveals the social construction of witchcraft in seventeenth-century New England and illuminates the larger contours of gender relations in that society.
"A remarkable achievement. The 'witches' come alive in this book, not as stereotypes, but as real women living in a society that suspected and feared their independence and combativeness."--Mary Beth Norton, Mary Donlon Alger Professor of American History, Cornell University
Satanism has been known around the world by many names over the
centuries and has involved the shadowy deities of ancient pagan
religions. During Christian times, Satanist sorcerers frequently
tried to invoke the Devil to make their black magic work. In
Satanism and Demonology, the great central questions behind the
legends are explored: does Satan, or Lucifer, really exist, and if
he does, what dark, anomalous powers does he wield?
Authors Lionel and Patricia Fanthorpe begin with an examination
of what Satanism is, then explore its earliest, prehistoric
history. They track Satanism from the Middle East and ancient Egypt
to the European witches and sorcerers of medieval times, and then
on through the Renaissance to our present day. The bizarre,
uninhibited, satanic rituals, liturgies, and sexual practices are
all examined in detail.
"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.
Unlock Supernatural Power"This is definitely a fun read and shows
small ways you can try and change your life for the better." Nerdy
Girl Express #1 Best Seller in Crystals Practice Practical Magic.
Did you know that wearing an amulet of green jade during an
interview will help you get the job? Have you heard that an
amethyst ring can help break bad habits and even encourage
sobriety? Anyone looking for love can place two pink quartz
crystals in the bedroom; you'll not be alone for long! These are
just a few of the hundreds of secrets shared in The Magic of
Crystals and Gems. Semi-precious stones and gems have long been
known for their magic as well as their beauty. In this book of
charms, readers learn everything there is to know about the powers
of crystals from birthstone magic to gem divination to jewelry
spells. This is a fun, entertaining, and enlightening book that
will appeal to everyone who's ever worn a birthstone, kissed the
ring of a lover for luck, or bought a crystal for good energy.
Learn Amazing Things About Crystals. The Magic of Crystals and Gems
is a treasure chest filled with the ancient wisdom of crystals. It
is also a handy how-to filled with little-known lore along with the
myth, meanings and specific magical qualities of hundreds of
crystals, both common and very rare, including many meteorites.
Author Cerridwen Greenleaf shares secrets to how and why crystal
balls work, scrying with obsidian, crystal astrology, divination,
healing, psychism and connections between the stars in the sky and
gems of the earth. This one-of-a-kind work on the power of crystals
belongs on the bookshelf of everyone interested in the magical
gifts of Mother Nature. Learn: Which crystals are right for you How
to unlock the mystery of sacred stones Ways to improve your life
with changes as simple as putting new crystals in your room If you
like The Crystal Bible or Crystals for Healing, you'll love The
Magic of Crystals and Gems
Satan in America tells the story of America's complicated
relationship with the devil. "New light" evangelists of the
eighteenth century, enslaved African Americans, demagogic
politicians, and modern American film-makers have used the devil to
damn their enemies, explain the nature of evil and injustice, mount
social crusades, construct a national identity, and express anxiety
about matters as diverse as the threat of war to the dangers of
deviant sexuality. The idea of the monstrous and the bizarre
providing cultural metaphors that interact with historical change
is not new. Poole takes a new tack by examining this idea in
conjunction with the concerns of American religious history. The
book shows that both the range and the scope of American
religiousness made theological evil an especially potent symbol.
Satan appears repeatedly on the political, religious, and cultural
landscape of the United States, a shadow self to the sunny image of
American progress and idealism.
This is the first English translation of one of the most important,
interesting and comprehensive discussions of the occult sciences
ever published. Investigations into Magic" deals not only with
magic in all its forms, from the manipulation of angelic and
demonic powers to straightforward conjuring and illusion, but also
with witchcraft, alchemy, astrology, divination, prophecy, and
possession by evil spirits. In addition, Del Rio gives judges and
confessors practical advice on the most effective ways of dealing
with people who are accused of practising magic, and enlivens his
whole discussion with anecdotes drawn from a remarkable range of
sources, including his own experience. Nothing so panoramic had
ever appeared before, and for the next one hundred and fifty years
"Investigations into Magic" was the indispensable reference work on
the subject. Modern historians and students of the sixteenth
century, as well as readers across many interdisciplinary fields,
will likewise find it an invaluable and fascinating guide to
certain modes of early modern thought.
The portable edition of The Complete Golden Dawn System of Magic,
by Israel Regardie, edited with a Foreword by David Cherubim. There
is new material in the book by Israel Regardie from the archives of
the Israel Regardie Foundation, as well as material by Chic and
Tabatha Cicero, Lon Milo DuQuette, Jack Willis, and S. Jason Black.
The Complete Golden Dawn System of Magic was Israel Regardie's last
book, his Magnum Opus, and the final token of his True Will.
Through this book he bequeathed to us the means to carry on the
Great Work of the Golden Dawn.
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