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Books > Religion & Spirituality > Aspects of religions (non-Christian) > Worship
This liturgical guide offers detailed rubrics for every Sunday and
major feast of the year, as well as certain lesser feasts and
lenten days. The calendar also provides a list of commemorated
saints and appointed scripture readings for each day of the year.
Это Богослужебное руководство дает
подробные указания на каждый
воскресный день и великий праздник,
в том числе и на особо чтимые постные
дни и малые праздники. На каждый день
года перечислены празднуемые святые
и рядовые чтения Священного Писания.
Составлен на русском языке по
церковному календарю.
"Black Magic" looks at the origins, meaning, and uses of Conjure -
the African American tradition of healing and harming that evolved
from African, European, and American elements - from the slavery
period to well into the twentieth century. Illuminating a world
that is dimly understood by both scholars and the general public,
Yvonne P. Chireau describes Conjure and other related traditions,
such as Hoodoo and Rootworking, in a beautifully written, richly
detailed history that presents the voices and experiences of
African Americans and shows how magic has informed their culture.
Focusing on the relationship between Conjure and Christianity,
Chireau shows how these seemingly contradictory traditions have
worked together in a complex and complementary fashion to provide
spiritual empowerment for African Americans, both slave and free,
living in white America. As she explores the role of Conjure for
African Americans and looks at the transformations of Conjure over
time, Chireau also rewrites the dichotomy between magic and
religion. With its groundbreaking analysis of an often
misunderstood tradition, this book adds an important perspective to
our understanding of the myriad dimensions of human spirituality.
How sacred sites amplify the energies of consciousness, the earth,
and the universe
- Examines the web of geometrical patterns linking sacred sites
worldwide, with special focus on the sacred network of ley lines in
Paris
- Unveils the coming state of shared consciousness for humanity
fueled by the sacred network
- Reveals how consciousness is a tangible form of energy
First marked by the standing stones of our megalithic ancestors,
the world's sacred sites are not only places of spiritual energy
but also hubs of cosmic energy and earthly energy. Generation upon
generation has recognized the power of these sites, with the result
that each dominant culture builds their religious structures on the
same spots--the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, for example, was
constructed over a Temple to Diana that in turn had been built over
a stone pillar worshipped by the Gauls.
In "The Sacred Network," Chris Hardy shows how the world's sacred
sites coincide with the intersections of energetic waves from the
earth's geomagnetic field and how--via their megaliths, temples,
and steeples--these sites act as antennae for the energies of the
cosmos. Delving deeply in to Paris's sacred network, she also
explores the intricate geometrical patterns created by the
alignments of churches and monuments, such as pentagrams and Stars
of David. Revealing that consciousness is a tangible energy, she
explains how the sacred network is fueling an 8,000-year
evolutionary cycle initiated by our megalithic ancestors that will
soon culminate in a new state of shared consciousness for humanity.
In the tradition of The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs
and Walking the Bible: A Journey by Land Through the Five Books of
Moses by Bruce Feiler comes Abigail Pogrebin's My Jewish Year, a
lively chronicle of the author's journey into the spiritual heart
of Judaism. Although she grew up following some holiday rituals,
Pogrebin realized how little she knew about their foundational
purpose and contemporary relevance; she wanted to understand what
had kept these holidays alive and vibrant, some for thousands of
years. Her curiosity led her to embark on an entire year of
intensive research, observation, and writing about the milestones
on the religious calendar. Whether in search of a roadmap for
Jewish life or a challenging probe into the architecture of Jewish
tradition, readers will be captivated, educated and inspired by
Abigail Pogrebin's My Jewish Year.
Slogans such as "Let's put Christ back into Christmas" or "Jesus
is the Reason for the Season" hold an appeal to Christians who
oppose the commercializing of events they hold sacred. However,
through a close look at the rise of holidays in the United States,
Leigh Schmidt show us that commercial appropriations of these
occasions were as religious in form as they were secular. The
rituals of America's holiday bazaar that emerged in the nineteenth
century offered a luxuriant merger of the holy and the profane--a
heady blend of fashion and faith, merchandising and gift-giving,
profits and sentiments, all celebrations of a devout consumption.
In this richly illustrated book, which captures both the blessings
and ballyhoo of American holiday observances for the mid-eighteenth
century through the twentieth, the author offers a reassessment of
the "consumer rites" that various social critics have long decried
for their spiritual emptiness and banal sentimentality.
Schmidt tells the story of how holiday celebrations were almost
banished by Puritans and other religious reformers in the colonies
but went on to be romanticized and reinvented in the nineteenth and
twentieth centuries. Merchants and advertisers were crucial for the
reimagining of the holidays, promoting them in a grand,
carnivalesque manner, which could include gargantuan fruit cakes,
masked Santa Clauses, and exploding valentines.
Along the way Schmidt uses everything from diaries to manuals on
church decoration and window display to show in bright detail the
ways in which people have prepared for and celebrated specific
holidays--such as going Christmas shopping, making love tokens,
choosing Easter bonnets, sending flowers to Mom, buying ties for
Dad. He demonstrates in particular how women took the lead as
holiday consumers, shaping warm-hearted celebrations of home and
family through their intricate engagement with the marketplace.
Bringing together the history of business, religion, and gender,
this book offers a fascinating cultural history of an endlessly
debated marvel--the commercialization of the American holidays.
An analysis of the Thaipusam festival of the Hindu Tamils of
Malaysia and the vows they make to the god Murugan. It explores the
meaning of vow fulfilment as reflected in social, economic and
political divisions in the Tamil community, and the practice of
ritual as a form of symbolic action.
Want to pray but have no words? InstaPrayer's colorful prompts are
perfect to
post on Instagram and other socials: Read. Pray. Snap. Share.
Sometimes the hardest part of having a vibrant prayer life is simply
getting started.
To help start that conversation in a quirky and non-threatening way,
these prompts
from author/artist Kelly Stanley open the door to creativity and are
perfect for sharing
on Instagram and other socials. With fun and colorful meme-like images,
you will be
encouraged to ask God to shelter someone who is going through a storm,
pray for
someone who is full of hot air, pray for the last person who texted
you, and more.
Each prayer prompt is designed to get attention on digital and paper
pages alike.
InstaPrayers includes these prayer prompts:
- Pray for someone who crosses paths with you regularly.
- Thank God for a mistake you learned from.
- Pray for someone with an amazing brain.
- Give praise to someone who is doing a great job.
- Pray for someone who seems to have the perfect Instagram
life.
FEATURES:
- Bite-sized prayer prompts to reignite your prayer life
- Full-color interior design using fun and vibrant colors
- Presentation page for personalization
- Perfect gift for hashtag-loving friend
First published in 2005, Understanding Jihad unravels the tangled
historical, intellectual, and political meanings of jihad within
the context of Islamic life. In this revised and expanded second
edition, author David Cook has included new material in light of
pivotal developments such as the extraordinary events of the Arab
Spring, the death of Usama b. Ladin, and the rise of new Islamic
factions such as ISIS. Jihad is one of the most loaded and
misunderstood terms in the news today. Contrary to popular
understanding, the term does not mean "holy war." Nor does it
simply refer to an inner spiritual struggle. This judiciously
balanced, accessibly written, and highly relevant book looks
closely at a range of sources from sacred Islamic texts to modern
interpretations, opening a critically important perspective on the
role of Islam in the contemporary world. David Cook cites from
scriptural, legal, and newly translated texts to give readers
insight into the often ambiguous information that is used to
construct Islamic doctrine. He sheds light on legal developments
relevant to fighting and warfare and places the internal, spiritual
jihad within the larger context of Islamic religion. He describes
some of the conflicts that occur in radical groups and shows how
the more mainstream supporters of these groups have come to
understand and justify violence. He has also included a special
appendix of relevant documents including materials related to the
September 11 attacks and published manifestos issued by Usama b.
Ladin and Palestinian suicide-martyrs.
Journey into the world of Ayahuasca and healing. A mysterious and
powerful plant medicine with curative powers that is drunk as a tea
during a sacred ceremony, Ayahuasca has been known to change
people's lives dramatically. But what was once a healing experience
practiced only by Indigenous South Americans - and sought out by
the adventurous few - has, in the past fifty years, become
increasingly popular around the world. Hachumak, a Peruvian
medicine man, has been practicing traditional healing arts in his
country for more than twenty years. His unique approach is based on
ritualistic simplicity and highlights the essence of the Art, which
includes the borrowed forces from Nature. In this remarkable book,
he shares his knowledge and experiences to broaden our
understanding of this powerful medicine and protect it from misuse
and exploitation. Whether you are among the uninitiated and
curious, or a seasoned journeyer, you will gain a deeper
understanding of what shamanism is and how and why it works, as
well as its possibilities and limitations. Hachumak reveals his own
path to becoming a shaman and explains how a well-crafted Ayahuasca
ceremony unfolds when run by an experienced curandero. He describes
in detail what to expect - both physically and psychologically -
while under the guidance of the sacred plants. With Hachumak as our
experienced and trusted guide, Journeying Through the Invisible
offers a new and healing way of seeing ourselves and the world
around us.
During his last years ethnohistorian Frank G. Speck turned to the
study of Iroquois ceremonialism. This 1950 book investigates the
religious rites of the Cayuga tribe, one of six in the Iroquois
confederation that occupied upstate New York until the American
Revolution. In the 1930s and the 1940s Frank Speck observed the
Midwinter Ceremony, the Cayuga thanksgiving for the blessings of
life and health, performed in long houses on the Six Nations
Reserve in Ontario. Collaborating with Alexander General
(Deskaheh), the noted Cayuga chief, Speck describes vividly the
rites and dances giving thanks to all spiritual entities. Of
special interest are the medicine societies that not only
prescribed herbs but used powerfully evocative masks in treating
the underlying causes of sickness. In a new introduction, William
N. Fenton discusses Speck's distinguished career.
Compelled to seek something more than what modern society has to
offer, Robert Sibley turned to an ancient setting for help in
recovering what has been lost. The Henro Michi is one of the oldest
and most famous pilgrimage routes in Japan. It consists of a
circuit of eighty-eight temples around the perimeter of Shikoku,
the smallest of Japan's four main islands. Every henro, or pilgrim,
is said to follow in the footsteps of Kobo Daishi, the
ninth-century ascetic who founded the Shingon sect of Buddhism.
Over the course of two months, the author walked this
1,400-kilometer route (roughly 870 miles), visiting the sacred
sites and performing their prescribed rituals.Although himself a
gaijin, or foreigner, Sibley saw no other pilgrim on the trail who
was not Japanese. Some of the people he met became not only close
companions but also ardent teachers of the language and culture.
These fellow pilgrims' own stories add to the author's narrative in
unexpected and powerful ways. Sibley's descriptions of the natural
surroundings, the customs and etiquette, the temples and
guesthouses will inspire any reader who has longed to escape the
confines of everyday life and to embrace the emotional,
psychological, and spiritual dimensions of a pilgrimage.
Koichi Shinohara traces the evolution of Esoteric Buddhist rituals
from the simple recitation of spells in the fifth century to
complex systems involving image worship, mandala initiation, and
visualization practices in the ninth century. He presents an
important new reading of a seventh-century Chinese text called the
Collected Dharani Sutras, which shows how earlier rituals for
specific deities were synthesized into a general Esoteric
initiation ceremony and how, for the first time, the notion of an
Esoteric Buddhist pantheon emerged. In the Collected Dharani
Sutras, rituals for specific deities were typically performed
around images of the deities, yet Esoteric Buddhist rituals in
earlier sources involved the recitation of spells rather than the
use of images. The first part of this study explores how such
simpler rituals came to be associated with the images of specific
deities and ultimately gave rise to the general Esoteric initiation
ceremony described in the crucial example of the All-Gathering
mandala ritual in the Collected Dharani Sutras.The visualization
practices so important to later Esoteric Buddhist rituals were
absent from this ceremony, and their introduction would
fundamentally change Esoteric Buddhist practice. This study
examines the translations of dharani sutras made by Bodhiruci in
the early eighth century and later Esoteric texts, such as Yixing's
commentary on the Mahavairocana sutra and Amoghavajra's ritual
manuals, to show how incorporation of image worship greatly
enriched Esoteric rituals and helped develop elaborate
iconographies for the deities. Yet over time, the ritual function
of images became less certain, and the emphasis shifted further
toward visualization. This study clarifies the complex relationship
between images and ritual, changing how we perceive Esoteric
Buddhist art as well as ritual.
How do Buddha's teachings answer the most profound questions of our
existence? What makes his thinking unique amongst other systems of
thought? The answer lies in his teachings on "dependent
origination," which hold the key to unlocking his doctrines of
karma, rebirth, suffering, liberation, and compassion. Patterns in
Emptiness shows how understanding this core Buddhist teaching of
"dependent origination" can transform how we see the world and
provide an antidote to the disordered thinking that leaves us in
the grip of disruptive emotions. Without understanding this
essential teaching, our meditation practice is likely to lead only
to greater confusion. Lama Jampa Thaye is a scholar and meditation
master trained in the Sakya and Kagyu traditions of Buddhism by
eminent masters.
Daily Meditations and Prayers from Around the World "...I hope that
people of all faiths as well as those who do not believe in a
religion will find inspiration and understanding here that in some
way contributes to their own inner peace." -The Dalai Lama #1 New
Release in Buddhism, Sacred Writings Discover the power to heal
through many meditation and prayer voices. This interfaith book
provides insight from various religious and cultural texts that
touches on our pain and inspires the healer within all of us to be
reminded of hope and faith so that we may live a deeper, more
meaningful, and fully self-expressed life. Create a tapestry of
comfort and inspiration. Maggie Oman creates a healing space for
readers in her deeply spiritual book Prayers for Healing: 365
Blessings, Poems, & Meditations from Around the World. During
moments that are filled with despair, illnesses, depression, or
spiritual longing, Prayers for Healing draws on the power of wise
and healing devotionals for reflection and deep mediation. Embrace
physical, emotional, and spiritual transformation. Prayers for
Healing demonstrates the transformative nature woven through the
power of prayer and wisdom. It draws from a select collection of
influential spiritual leaders, philosophers and thinkers of our
time that include: The Tao Te Ching, The Koran, The Torah, Native
American texts, The Bible, Thich Nhat Hanh, Wendell Berry, ack
Kornfield, Rumi, Rainer Maria Rilke, Marian Wright Edelman, Martin
Luther King, Jr., and Marianne Williamson. If you have found that
works such as Prayers That Bring Healing, Earth Prayers, Prayers of
Hope for Caregivers, Prayers for Hard Times, or Prayers for Hope
and Healing have brought inspiration into your life, then this book
is an invitation to strengthen your inner healer.
Find Spiritual Inspiration Through Daily Prayers"This is the best
prayer book I have ever seen; simply wonderful. Buy one copy for
yourself and one to give to a friend." -Amazon Review In a world
that feels increasingly fragile and, at times, fractured, people
need specific prayers for struggling. Gain wisdom and inspiration
with daily prayers. As recent scientific research shows, the simple
act of praying can be emotionally, physically, and even spiritually
healing. With Prayers for Hard Times, best-selling author Becca
Anderson offers solace in bringing together the wisdom of great
thinkers, spiritual leaders and writers who have faced difficulty
and learned from it. Find consolation and renewal within yourself.
Becca Anderson's collection focuses on prayers for a wide range of
life challenges, from the personal to the global. Prayers for Hard
Times covers issues facing individuals such as loss of loved ones,
illness, anxiety, divorce, depression and addiction, as well as
those challenges communities face in natural disasters and
violence. The writers in Anderson's devotional address the world at
large, as well, with words of hope and help for global poverty,
hunger, war and the environmental. Prayers for Hard Times is the
book of daily prayers that offers you solace, comfort, and support,
drawing from the wisdom of every era, every major faith and
tradition, and the important voices of those who have lived through
such experiences themselves. Organized in daybook form, Prayers for
Hard Times draws from plenty of sacred sources and texts, as well
as the encouraging spiritual quotes and writings of: Maya Angelou
Harriet Tubman Dave Eggars Martin Luther King Jr. And more! If you
loved books like Pocket Prayers, Hope When It Hurts and Prayers for
Difficult Times then you'll find Prayers for Hard Times to be the
book for you!
Cuba's patron saint, the Virgin of Charity of El Cobre, also called
Cachita, is a potent symbol of Cuban national identity. Jalane D.
Schmidt shows how groups as diverse as Indians and African slaves,
Spanish colonial officials, Cuban independence soldiers, Catholic
authorities and laypeople, intellectuals, journalists and artists,
practitioners of spiritism and Santeria, activists, politicians,
and revolutionaries each have constructed and disputed the meanings
of the Virgin. Schmidt examines the occasions from 1936 to 2012
when the Virgin's beloved, original brown-skinned effigy was
removed from her national shrine in the majority black- and
mixed-race mountaintop village of El Cobre and brought into Cuba's
cities. There, devotees venerated and followed Cachita's image
through urban streets, amassing at large-scale public ceremonies in
her honor that promoted competing claims about Cuban religion,
race, and political ideology. Schmidt compares these religious
rituals to other contemporaneous Cuban street events, including
carnival, protests, and revolutionary rallies, where organizers
stage performances of contested definitions of Cubanness. Schmidt
provides a comprehensive treatment of Cuban religions, history, and
culture, interpreted through the prism of Cachita.
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