The Hidden Histories of Houseplants explores 20 of the world's most common houseplants. This book isn't just a dry exploration of historical cultivation; the narrative explores the plants' places in social history, science and culture, showcasing the most fascinating elements of each plant's story, be it the exploration as to why Monstera deliciosa have holes in their leaves, whether houseplants have the ability to count, or why Calathea leaves open during the day and close up at night. Accompanied by stunning illustrations, each text takes the reader on a journey through time, history and culture, told by the most universally binding objects in our homes from London to Beijing - houseplants.

The Green Indoors is a useful guide on how to find perfect plant matches for your home environments with a sustainable and innovative approach. Focussing on working with the plants you already own, the book is divided in chapters detailing all the possible conditions: Extreme Sun/Heat, Dry Air/Central Heating, Deep Shade, High Humidity, Draughty, Cold. By matching awkward spaces in your home with environments in the natural world, this book shows you how to relocate plants to improve their growth and help them thrive. Features an extensive section with informative plant profiles that include their origin, easy-to-follow tips on feeding and watering, optimum conditions, prospective growth, and is concluded by a helpful troubleshooting chapter dealing with common problems, and what to try when all hope is lost.

*The books of Alice A. Bailey, written in cooperation with a Tibetan teacher between 1919-1949, constitute a continuation of the Ageless Wisdom--a body of esoteric teaching handed down from ancient times in a form which is always suitable to each period. Intended to precede and condition the coming era, the Alice A. Bailey writings offer an unparalleled spiritual approach to such subjects as the teaching on Shamballa and the Path of spiritual evolution; the spiritual Hierarchy; the new discipleship and training in meditation as a form of service; the teaching on the seven rays and the new psychology of the soul; the teaching on esoteric astrology; and the new world religion, which emphasizes the common thread of truth linking all the major world faiths.

2012 Reprint of 1950 Edition. Exact facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. The seven lectures presented here were delivered in New York for the purpose of presenting the testimony of science as to the relation of matter and of consciousness; to enable the hearers to observe the identical manifestation of these relations and of certain basic laws in successively higher states of being, and thus to bring to them a realization of the universality of the evolutionary process and its actuality; and to deal somewhat with the nature of the expanded states of consciousness and the enlarged life toward which all mankind is traveling. They thus were intended to serve as an introduction to the more detailed study and application of the laws of life and human enfoldment generally included in the term of "occultism." Chapters: The Field of Evolution; The Evolution of Substance; The Evolution of Form, or Group Evolution; The Evolution of Man, the Thinker; The Evolution of Consciousness; The Goal of Evolution; Cosmic Evolution.

2012 Reprint of 1945 Edition. Exact facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. "A Treatise on White Magic" is considered to be one of her most important writings, as it is less abstract than most, and deals with many important subjects of her works in an introductory, even programmatic fashion. It was first published in 1934 with the subtitle 'The Way of the Disciple'. She promulgated White Magic as a discipline to serve humanity. Bailey said the work was dictated telepathically by the Tibetan Master, Djwal Khul. It is offered as a "basic textbook" for the Western aspirant to initiation, and is divided into fifteen rules of magic, each one taking the reader further into the mysteries of spirituality. Topics discussed include: how an aspirant can best prepare himself for service, the various ray types of their influences, the relationship between the macrocosm and microcosm, the spiritual, causal, astral and physical realms and their interactions, the spiritual psychology of man (although this is dealt with much more fully in the Esoteric Psychology volumes), The Hierarchy of Masters, esoteric groups and schools, the spiritual centers (or chakras), the occult concept of the Seven Rays, meditation work and much more. One of the main themes is that of soul control. Students of the works of Alice A. Bailey and Theosophy believe that the ultimate purpose of White Magic is furtherance of the spiritual and material evolution of humanity. Specifically, this evolution is conceived in terms of the increased benevolent manifestation of seven spiritual energies or Seven Rays. It is further believed that adept practitioners of White Magic, wielding the power of the Seven Rays, can contribute to this evolution.