A marvelous book, at once comprehensive and highly readable, a fascinating analysis of doomsday cults and apocalyptic anxiety. --Michael Owen Jones, University of California, Los Angeles The End of the World As We Know It makes accessible to both scholars and general readers the amazing panorama of millenarian scenarios abounding in America at the end of the millennium. --Robert S. Ellwood, University of Southern California Will stand for some time as the best survey and analysis of the meaning and place of apocalypticism and millennialism in American culture. --Religion and Literature Fascinating and] intelligent . . . should be required reading. --Psychotronic From religious tomes to current folk prophesies, recorded history reveals a plethora of narratives predicting or showcasing the end of the world. The incident at Waco, the subway bombing by the Japanese cult Aum Supreme Truth, and the tragedy at Jonestown are just a few examples of such apocalyptic scenarios. And these are not isolated incidents; millions of Americans today believe the end of the world is inevitable, either by a divinely ordained plan, nuclear catastrophe, extraterrestrial invasion, or gradual environmental decay, Examining the doomsday scenarios and apocalyptic predictions of visionaries, televangelists, survivalists, and various other endtimes enthusiasts, as well as popular culture, film, music, fashion, and humor, Daniel Wojcik sheds new light on America's fascination with worldly destruction and transformation. He explores the origins of contemporary apocalyptic beliefs and compares religious and secular apocalyptic speculation, showing us the routes our belief systems have traveled over the centuries to arrive at the dawn of a new millennium. Included in his sweeping examination are premillennial prophecy traditions, prophecies associated with visions of the Virgin Mary, secular ideas about nuclear apocalypse, the transformation of apocalyptic prophecy in the post-Cold War era, and emerging apocalyptic ideas associated with UFOs and extraterrestrials. Timely, yet of lasting importance, The End of the World as We Know It is a comprehensive cultural and historical portrait of an age-old phenomenon and a fascinating guide to contemporary apocalyptic fever. Daniel Wojcik is Associate Professor of English and Folklore at the University of Oregon and author of Punk and Neo-Tribal Body Art. He received his Ph.D. in Folklore and Mythology from the University of California, Los Angeles.

WITCHCRAFT AND THE BLACK ART - A BOOK DEALING WITH THE PSYCHOLOGY AND FOLKLORE OF THE WITCHES By J.W. Wickwar. Originally published in London in the early 1900s, this scarce early work on Witchcraft is both expensive and hard to find in its first edition. Obscure Books Press have now republished it, using the original text and artwork. The old craft of the witches was a close order. Its members were sworn to secrecy. Although some records were kept, very few of these still exist today. In early ecclesiastic and in mediaeval literature, however, references to witchcraft are numerous. This book endeavours to set out in an interesting manner the story of the craft from earliest times. The book's three hundred and twenty pages contain fourteen comprehensive chapters: Witchcraft: A Primitive Cult. - Initiation and Ceremony. - Spells, The Evil Eye, and Possession. - Practical Witchcraft. - Witchcraft on the Continent. - Werewolves and Vampires. - Blood and Fire in England. - Demons and Mascots. - Witch Hunting cameos. - A Typical English Witch Trial. - Witchcraft in America. - Witchcraft Phantasmagoria. - A Typical Witch Tract. - The Last Phase. This book will prove a fascinating read for anyone interested in the occult arts, and will provide much information to historians of this hitherto arcane subject. "What are these So wither'd, and so wild in their attire, That look not like the inhabitants o' the earth. And yet are on't?" Banquo.

Nature mysteries are discovered and shared in the context of this autobiography from a passionate nature lover. See and learn about experiences you may not even be able to imagine. See amazing photos you have never seen before. It is a story of love and hope with answers to questions many never think of asking.

www.naturesgotmiracles.com

In The Spirited Kitchen, practicing witchcraft means nurturing a relationship with the seasons and drawing on ancestral roots to find magic in small details. Here, simple ingredients-apples, hazelnuts, wheat-become magical elements of cooking and ritual crafting. The result is an enchanting culinary journey through the pagan Wheel of the Year, from the Halloween festivities of Samhain to the return of autumn at Harvest Home. With each season, readers can cook feast dinners to celebrate nature's cycles. In winter, Cranberry Custard Tarts encourage health and well-being; in spring, Deep Dish Nettle Quiche ushers in resilience after cold months and Calendula Chicken embodies the abundance of summer. Along the way, ritual crafts like Salt Spells, hand-woven Offering Baskets and a Maypole Chandelier bring extra symbolism to the table. Complete with stunning photographs and a glossary of spirited symbols and ingredients, this book is a bewitching guide to seasonal magic.

The popular Wiccapedia gets the ultimate companion journal!   A Book of Shadows is a journal that witches keep close at hand for jotting down their spells—and this beautiful keepsake edition, by the authors of Wiccapedia, is the perfect accompaniment to that popular guide for modern witches. A concise first section features basic information on essential tools for spells, key herbs and crystals, moon phases and magick, and a wheel of yearly Wiccan holidays. Over 225 pages of journal pages follow, where you can record all the details of your spellcraft such as the date, the phase of the moon, the ingredients . . . and the results.  

Are you looking to turn your life around 180 degrees in 180 days or for inspiration on how to build upon the blessings already in your life? Take an inspired spiritual journey and get clarity for life. Significantly influenced by wisdom and insights from amazing spiritual teachers such as Ernest Holmes, Rumi, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Mahatma Gandhi, Jiddu Krishnamurti, Michael Beckwith, Eckhart Tolle, Amit Goswami, and Louise Hay, Know the Flow offers spiritual teaching applied to real-world experiences. Know the Flow captures the story of a seeker discovering his purpose in life and so much more. Open your heart to this original approach to practical mysticism, and discover your purpose through real-world spirituality. Turn your life around 180 degrees through 180 short spiritual stories "What a delightful book Carmien Owen has created. His ability to relate full life lessons in interesting and meaningful ways is both fulfilling and enjoyable. I, for one, intend to use many of his stories and ideas in future talks." --Dr. Kenn Gordon, Spiritual Leader, Centres for Spiritual Living

"An insightful and refreshing look at the presence of the Divine in everyday life and how our perception of it is transformative." --Rev Dr Patrick Cameron, Spiritual Director, Centre for Spiritual Living Edmonton

"The Clavis or Key to the Magic of Solomon" is one of several notebooks from the estate of Ebenezer Sibley, transcribed under the direction of Frederic Hockley (1808-1885). Sibley was a prominent physician and an influential author, who complemented his scientific studies with writings on the "deeper truths" including magic, astrology, alchemy, and hypnotherapy. Both Sibley and Hockley were major inspirations in the occult revival of the past two centuries, influencing A.E. Waite, S.L. Mathers, Aleister Crowley, as well as the Golden Dawn, Rosicrucian, and Masonic movements. This collection reflects Sibley's teachings on the practical use of celestial influences and harmonies. "The Clavis" contains clear and systematic instructions for constructing magical tools and pentacles for many practical purposes. It includes eight separate magical texts: The Mysterious Ring, Experiments of the Spirits, Birto, Vassago, Agares, Bealpharos, The Wheel of Wisdom, and the Complete Book of Magic Science. The manuscript reproduced here is the most accurate and complete known, very beautifully and carefully written complete with extraordinary hand-colored seals and colored handwritten text. 282 color pages with a color fold-out and a huge idex.

The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage-originally published in 1900, translated by Samuel Mathers from a 15th-century French document-was purportedly written by Abraham for his son Lamech. Within this volume are three books. The first book is Abraham's autobiography in which he speaks to his son. The second book is an explanation of the purification rituals necessary to bring the magician's personal demon under his control. And the third book details what feats can be accomplished once the practitioner is able to use a form of magic controlled and directed through sigils of magic words written on a grid. Anyone with an interest in the occult will find this an interesting, though perhaps impractical, guide for exploring mystic arts.

BYGONE BELIEFS - ALCHEMY, MAGIC, TALISMANS, ETC BEING A SERIES OF EXCURSIONS IN THE BYWAYS OF THOUGHT By H.Stanley Redgrove Originally published in 1920, this rare early work on ancient beliefs is both expensive and hard to find in its first edition. Obscure Books Press have now republished it, using the original text and illustrations. The author was an expert in the study of superstitions and the occult, and wrote several books on these and other related subjects, as well as being a prolific contributor to The Occult Review. In this book he expounds on his opinion that there is a reason for every belief, even the most fantastic, and that it should be our objective to discover this reason. He considers that it is too easy for the superficial thinker to dismiss much of the thought of the past as mere superstition, not worth the trouble of investigation: but that is not scientific. The book's two hundred and twenty pages contain twelve comprehensive chapters plus many illustrations: Some Characteristics of Medieval Thought Pythagoras and His Philosophy. Medicine and Magic. Superstitions Concerning Birds. The Powder of Sympathy: A Curious Medical Superstition. The Belief in Talismans. Ceremonial Magic in Theory and Practice. Architectural Symbolism. The Quest of the Philosopher's Stone. The Phallic Element in Alchemical Doctrine. Roger Bacon: An Appreciation. The Cambridge Platonists. Everything possible to be believ'd is an image of truth. William Blake. Many of the earliest works on Folklore, magic, superstition and the occult, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely rare and increasingly expensive. OBSCURE BOOKS PRESS are republishing many of theseclassic books in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.