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Books > Religion & Spirituality > Alternative belief systems > Occult studies
From Nikki Van De Car, the best-selling author of Practical Magic,
comes a fully-illustrated, enchanted introduction to the witch's
world of modern potions, including tinctures, infusions, herbal
DIYs, and magically-infused craft cocktails. Witchcraft meets
cocktail craft in Potions, a contemporary introduction to the world
of infusions, tisanes and herbal teas, homemade tinctures, and
expertly mixed alcoholic beverages, all imbued with a healthy dose
of everyday enchantment. As with all magic, intention is what makes
a potion a potion, and author Nikki Van De Car uses her signature
blend of holistic remedies, DIY projects, and accessible magical
rituals to guide readers through the wide world of potion-making.
From homebrewed kombuchas to crystal-charged cocktails, this fully
illustrated guide is an essential addition to the arsenal of
kitchen witches and enchanted mixologists. Organized around a
series of intentions -- including Creativity, Calm, Love, Harmony,
and Protection -- the chapters in this book each include teas,
cocktails, kombuchas, non-alcoholic beverages, and DIY components
like bitters, shrubs, and infusions, that enhance the reader's
spellwork. Every recipe will involve a brief ritual of some kind,
whether setting an intention, or using a crystal, sun magic, or
moon magic, and each recipe will involve some form of herbal magic.
Each cocktail is accompanied by a vibrant, full-color illustration,
and each chapter includes longer mystical rituals to support the
reader's overall magical practice.
The ancient Egyptians were firmly convinced of the importance of
magic, which was both a source of supernatural wisdom and a means
of affecting one's own fate. The gods themselves used it for
creating the world, granting mankind magical powers as an aid to
the struggle for existence. Magic formed a link between human
beings, gods, and the dead. Magicians were the indispensable
guardians of the god-given cosmic order, learned scholars who were
always searching for the Magic Book of Thoth, which could explain
the wonders of nature. Egyptian Magic, illustrated with wonderful
and mysterious objects from European museum collections, describes
how Egyptian sorcerers used their craft to protect the weakest
members of society, to support the gods in their fight against
evil, and to imbue the dead with immortality, and explores the
arcane systems and traditions of the occult that governed this
well-organized universe of ancient Egypt.
As our newsfeeds become more and more glutted by stories of
harassment and assault, it's no surprise women are turning to every
power in their arsenal to fight back--even the magical ones. As
Lindy West put it in her New York Times op-ed, "Yes, this is a
witch hunt. I'm a witch, and I'm hunting you." Hexing the
Patriarchy: Magical Resistance from A to Z is a book for women for
women who want to join the resistance. Upbeat and inviting, without
making light of anyone's oppression or spirituality, it offers
fed-up women a primer of enchantment in the form of 26 spells for
undermining modern-day oppression, all gathered from authentic
witches from various magical traditions. Readers will learn how to
. . . make salt scrubs to "wash away patriarchal bullshit" place
spells on misogynist leadershipmix potions to boost their strength
against harassment . . . and more. Individually and cumulatively,
the spells are designed to topple the patriarchy with a dangerous,
they-never-saw-it-coming power.
Sophia Elizabeth De Morgan (1809-1892) was the wife of the
mathematician and logician Augustus De Morgan and mother of the
celebrated ceramicist William De Morgan. In this book, published in
1863, De Morgan, writing as 'CD' - with a preface by her husband
signed as 'AB' - acknowledges that alleged spirit manifestations
have faced much criticism and scepticism, but argues that it was a
little-understood phenomenon that merited further investigation.
She spent a decade on this research, and focused on the role of the
mediums, people who were believed to communicate with the spirit
world. She was aided in this by the arrival of a medium who lived
with the De Morgan family for six years. Her chapters also examine
in depth the process of dying and ideas about the afterlife. A
first-hand account of the nineteenth-century spiritualist world,
this book provides a fascinating glimpse into Britain's changing
religious landscape.
The ideological background of the tribunals is studied on the basis
of works written by priests and theologians, reflecting the
attitude of spiritual authorities towards the devil and witches.
The main focus of work, however, is the process of shaping
witchcraft accusations. Narratives of the participants of the
trials tell stories of bewitchment and help shed light on the
situation that led people to state their suspicions and later their
accusations of witchcraft. Finally, the micro-history approach is
used to study a case from one Volhynian village which helps to
compare attitude towards two "female crimes" in Ukrainian courts
and to better understand the nature of popular witchcraft beliefs
in early modern Ukraine.
Witch in Darkness guides readers through the concept of witchcraft
as a life-saving, soul-nurturing practice to be reached for in the
darkness and relied upon when all else has failed. Readers will be
inspired to use witchcraft practices and mindsets for all kinds of
challenging issues, from resolving career confusion and
relationship problems to healing family wounds and facing
bereavement. For each theme, the book provides: a look into the
author’s personal experiences insights into how different kinds
of witches all over the world are using the craft for healing,
growth and empowerment journal prompts and activities, creating a
compassionate interactive element throughout. The book’s raw and
honest tone will peel back the surface layers of witchcraft’s
meaning and power, asking the reader to go deeply into how they
want the craft to help them to heal and grow. This is real
witchcraft that works and changes lives.
Explores the unified science-religion of early humanity and the
impact of Hermetic philosophy on religion and spirituality *
Investigates the Jewish and Egyptian origins of Josephus's famous
story that Seth's descendants inscribed knowledge on two pillars to
save it from global catastrophe * Reveals how this original
knowledge has influenced civilization through Hermetic, Gnostic,
Kabbalistic, Masonic, Hindu, and Islamic mystical knowledge *
Examines how "Enoch's Pillars" relate to the origins of
Hermeticism, Freemasonry, Newtonian science, William Blake, and
Theosophy Esoteric tradition has long maintained that at the dawn
of human civilization there existed a unified science-religion, a
spiritual grasp of the universe and our place in it. The biblical
Enoch--also known as Hermes Trismegistus, Thoth, or Idris--was seen
as the guardian of this sacred knowledge, which was inscribed on
pillars known as Enoch's or Seth's pillars. Examining the idea of
the lost pillars of pure knowledge, the sacred science behind
Hermetic philosophy, Tobias Churton investigates the controversial
Jewish and Egyptian origins of Josephus's famous story that Seth's
descendants inscribed knowledge on two pillars to save it from
global catastrophe. He traces the fragments of this sacred
knowledge as it descended through the ages into initiated circles,
influencing civilization through Hermetic, Gnostic, Kabbalistic,
Masonic, Hindu, and Islamic mystical knowledge. He follows the path
of the pillars' fragments through Egyptian alchemy and the Gnostic
Sethites, the Kabbalah, and medieval mystic Ramon Llull. He
explores the arrival of the Hermetic manuscripts in Renaissance
Florence, the philosophy of Copernicus, Pico della Mirandola,
Giordano Bruno, and the origins of Freemasonry, including the
"revival" of Enoch in Masonry's Scottish Rite. He reveals the
centrality of primal knowledge to Isaac Newton, William Stukeley,
John Dee, and William Blake, resurfacing as the tradition of
Martinism, Theosophy, and Thelema. Churton also unravels what
Josephus meant when he asserted one Sethite pillar still stood in
the "Seiriadic" land: land of Sirius worshippers. Showing how the
lost pillars stand as a twenty-first century symbol for reattaining
our heritage, Churton ultimately reveals how the esoteric strands
of all religions unite in a gnosis that could offer a basis for
reuniting religion and science.
The creative nature of the "Soul": On its own plane, the soul knows
no separation, and the factor of synthesis governs all soul
relations. The soul is occupied not only with the form that the
vision of its objective may take, but with the quality or the
meaning which that vision veils or hides. The soul knows the Plan;
its form, outline, methods and objective are known. Through the use
of the creative imagination, the soul creates; it builds
thought-forms on the mental plane and objectifies desire on the
astral plane. It proceeds then to externalize its thought and its
desire upon the physical plane through applied force, creatively
actuated by the imagination of the etheric or vital vehicle. Yet
because the soul intelligence, motivated by love, it can (within
the realized synthesis which governs its activities) analyze,
discriminate and divide. The soul likewise aspires to that which is
greater than itself, and reaches out to the world of divine ideas,
and thus itself occupies a midway position between the world of
ideation and the world of forms, This is its difficulty and its
opportunity. This compilation from the books of Alice Bailey seeks
to increase understanding of the immortal soul, addressing it's
many aspects under sixty two headings.
Universities and the Occult Rituals of the Corporate World explores the metaphorical parallels between corporatised, market-oriented universities and aspects of the occult. In the process, the book shows that the forms of mystery, mythmaking and ritual now common in restructured institutions of higher education stem from their new power structures and procedures, and the economic and sociopolitical factors that have generated them.
Wood argues that universities have acquired occult aspects, as the beliefs and practices underpinning present-day market-driven academic discourse and practice weave spells of corporate potency, invoking the bewildering magic of the market and the arcane mysteries of capitalism, thriving on equivocation and evasion. Making particular reference to South African universities, the book demonstrates the ways in which apparently rational features of contemporary Western and westernised societies have acquired occult aspects. It also includes discussion of higher education institutions in other countries where neoliberal economic agendas are influential, such as the UK, the USA, the Eurozone states and Australia.
Providing a unique and thought-provoking look at the impact of the marketisation of Higher Education, this book will be essential reading for academics, researchers and postgraduate students engaged in the study of higher education, educational policy and neoliberalism. It should also be of great interest to academics in the fields of anthropology, folklore and cultural studies, as well as business, economics and management.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction 2. The Magic of the Market 3. Setting the Scene 4. Corporate Simulacra 5. A Climate of Fear 6. Rituals, Talismans and Templates 7. Performance and Ritual 8. Kinship, Collegiality and Witchcraft 9. Secrecy, Publicity, Confusion and Power 10. The Zombies of Corporate Academia 11. Sacrifices and Suffering 12. Smoke and Mirrors and Wind Money 13. Conclusion: Breaking the Spell Bibliography
Devon has a long and rich folkloric heritage which has been
extensively collected over many years. This book consolidates more
than a century of research by eminent Devon folklorists into one
valuable study and builds on the vital work that was undertaken by
the Devonshire Association, providing insightful analysis of the
subject matter and drawing comparisons with folklore traditions
beyond the county. The first major work on Devon's folklore since
Ralph Whitlock’s short book published by the Folklore Society in
the 1970s, this volume brings the subject into the twenty-first
century with consideration of internet memes and modern lore,
demonstrating that ‘folklore’ does not equate to ‘old rural
practice’. With chapters covering the history of Devon's folklore
collecting, tales from the moors, the annual cycle, farming and the
weather, the devil, fairies, hauntings, black dogs, witchcraft and
modern lore, this will remain the standard work for many years to
come.
It was not so long ago that the belief in witchcraft was shared by
members of all levels of society. In the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries, diseases were feared by all, the infant mortality rate
was high, and around one in six harvests was likely to fail. In the
small rural communities in which most people lived, affection and
enmity could build over long periods. When misfortune befell a
family, they looked to their neighbours for support - and for the
cause. During the sixteenth century, Europe was subject to a
fevered and pious wave of witch hunts and trials. As the bodies of
accused women burnt right across the Continent, the flames of a
nationwide witch hunt were kindled in England. In 1612 nine women
were hanged in the Pendle witch trials, the prosecution of the
Chelmsford witches in 1645 resulted in the biggest mass execution
in England, and in the mid-1640s the Witch finder General
instigated a reign of terror in the Puritan counties of East
Anglia. Hundreds of women were accused and hanged. It wasn't until
the latter half of the seventeenth century that witch-hunting went
into decline.In this book, Andrew and David Pickering present a
comprehensive catalogue of witch hunts, arranged chronologically
within geographical regions. The tales of persecution within these
pages are testimony to the horror of witch-hunting that occurred
throughout England in the hundred years after the passing of the
Elizabethan Witchcraft Act of 1563.
Honza Pernath's life is barren. The person he loves is gone and his
friends, even his dreams, say she will not return. When a chance
meeting sets him on a search for his lost love, the path is neither
straight nor easy and Honza comes to doubt everything, including
the one he searches for. A single image-a star rising over the
sea-calls him on, but that image is more than it seems and as Honza
nears its source, his search reveals more than he could have
imagined. A sequel to the mysterious and beautiful short story,
'Marietta Merz' (now an illustrated chapbook), Child of the Black
Sun is an exploration of the living symbols at the core of everyday
life; a visionary evocation of the internal journey.
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.
In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, entire communities,
particularly in central Europe were gripped by a fear of witches
and witchcraft, and pursued witches in order to bring them to
justice. Professor David Nash unlocks the sometimes opaque history
of the phenomenon of witchcraft in Britain, Europe and America. The
book explores the development of witchcraft and belief in witches,
the obsession with witches and witchcraft that spawned
witch-hunting, the hey-day and decline of witch-hunting, and the
fascinating 'afterlife' of witchcraft: covering not only the
survival of some beliefs into the nineteenth century but the
academic interest in witchcraft in the early twentieth century,
which culminated in the interest shown in the phenomenon by experts
serving the interests and ideology of Nazi Germany. Among the
themes that the author will examine are the geographical spread and
regional differences in witchcraft and witch-hunting across
Britain, Europe and America; the theories on the rise of
witch-hunting; and gender differences: why so many more women were
accused and convicted of witch-hunting than men.
Originally published in 1967, this book is a study of witchcraft
and sorcery among the Shona, Ndebele and Kalanga peoples of
Zimbabwe. It analyses in their social context verbatim evidence and
confessions from a comprehensive series of judicial records. It
provides the first systematic demonstration of the importance and
the exstent to which such sources can be used to make a detailed
analysis of the character and range of beliefs and motives. The
main emphasis is on witchcraft and sorcery beliefs, the nature of
accusations, confessions and divination, btoh traditional and as
practised by members of the Pentecostal Church.
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