Drawn by the mysterious mount Etna, Thomas Meyer sets off on a quest to discover the secrets of the Mediterranean islands of Sicily and Stromboli. The Sicilian region is not only famous for the drama of its live volcanoes, but also for its associations with numerous cultural figures - ranging from Cain, Empedocles, Klingsor and the much maligned Cagliostro, through to Goethe and Rudolf Steiner. The author ponders their lives, work and karmic connections, whilst unexpected meetings with cryptic strangers result in discussions that are filled with spiritual insights and pearls of wisdom.Meyer's travelogue is at once engaging, poetic and deeply esoteric, drawing parallels between the burning lava of Etna and Stromboli and the soul lava through which our spiritual feet must wade in the present day. In meditations on the Guardian of the Threshold and the explosive popularity of football, we are led to the conclusion that today human beings need to develop 'spiritual feet' to cross the boundary to higher worlds. The author's final trip coincides with the recent natural catastrophe in Nepal, which prompts him to ask whether humanity can begin to take inner responsibility for the many such disasters - particularly earthquakes and volcanic eruptions - that take place around the world. For these natural calamities, says Meyer, are intimately related to our untamed passions and emotions.

The author’s Eagle’s Mead is a complex and weighty tome, a world full of magic and mysteries. Now, a small and friendly window into that world and the poetic possibilities of the path of Runic Initiation has been opened with this collection of poems from it.

A sample of each of his great themes will be found within: Mead, Runes, and Grails. These thirty-one poems include his translation of the Rúnatal, several rune poems, A Skaldic Eagle Takes Flight, Óðinsdrápa, Rúnagaldraljóð, Seek Rûna, Runes for the Grails, and Three Draughts from the Vine. Eirik Westcoat is a runic initiate who has presented his award-winning poetry at several regional Asatru gatherings in the American Northeast.

In addition to being a poet, he is also a scholar with a degree in Viking and Medieval Norse Studies who specializes in Old Norse mythology, poets, and poetry, with published articles on the galdralag meter, the meaning of the valknut, and the authority of poets in Old Norse literature.

The Routledge International Handbook of Charisma provides an unprecedented multidimensional and multidisciplinary comparative analysis of the phenomenon of charisma - first defined by Max Weber as the irrational bond between deified leader and submissive follower. It includes broad overviews of foundational theories and experiences of charisma and of associated key issues and themes. Contributors include 45 influential international scholars who approach the topic from different disciplinary perspectives and utilize examples from an array of historical and cultural settings. The Handbook presents up-to-date, concise, thought-provoking, innovative, and informative perspectives on charisma as it has been expressed in the past and as it continues to be manifested in the contemporary world by leaders ranging from shamans to presidents. It is designed to be essential reading for all students, researchers, and general readers interested in achieving a comprehensive understanding of the power and potential of charismatic authority in all its varieties, subtleties, dynamics, and current and potential directions.