|
Showing 1 - 10 of
10 matches in All Departments
Sketching out a fascinating network of historic figures, cults, and
Christendom, this book by an occult-studies expert and respected
authority on magic and sorcery takes Western spiritual traditions
seriously--but examines them with common sense and self-effacing
humor. Working backward from the Freemasons to one of their
original orders, the 14th-century Knights Templar, the account
considers sorcery, heresy, and intrigues; explores the legend that
the Knights possessed a powerful secret dangerous to the Church of
Rome; and finds an essential clue to the order's practices in their
connection to the biblical Solomon, king of Israel in the 10th
century BC. This updated edition features new images, chapters on
important symbols, and a new preface.
Set within the dramatic tableau of the medieval Crusades, this
story of initiation, adventure, and romance follows members of the
Knights Templar and Assassins as they discover a mystical tradition
with the potential to unify, protect, and liberate humankind--the
very heresy for which the Knights Templar were later condemned. The
tale begins with a young Persian student, Sinan, as he witnesses
his teacher deliver the heretical Qiyama proclamation, seeking to
abolish Islamic religious law in favor of a more mystical approach
to spirituality. After completing his initiation into the
revolutionary doctrines and practices of the Assassins - also known
as the Nizari Ismailis or Hashishim - Sinan is appointed head of
the Nizaris in Syria. Years later, after Sinan has become a wise
and respected leader, he encounters Roland de Provence, a young
member of the Knights Templar. Impressed by his courage and
intelligence, Sinan selects him for initiation into the Nizari
tradition. As readers follow Sinan and Roland through the process,
they experience firsthand the transmission of these secret
teachings and the paranormal, even magical powers of the Assassin
adepts. Bringing to life the historical truths of his expertly
researched bestseller The Templars and the Assassins, James
Wasserman artfully traces the evolution of the Western Esoteric
Tradition during the fertile cultural interactions of the Crusades.
A thousand years ago Christian battled Muslim for possession of a
strip of land upon which both their religions were founded. These
Crusades changed the course of Western history, but less known is
the fact that they also were the meeting ground for two legendary
secret societies: The Knights Templar and their Muslim
counterparts, the Assassins. In The Templars and the Assassins: The
Militia of Heaven, occult scholar and secret society member James
Wasserman provides compelling evidence that the interaction of the
Knights Templar and the Assassins in the Holy Land transformed the
Templars from the Pope's private army into a true occult society,
from which they would sow the seeds of the Renaissance and the
Western Mystery Tradition. Both orders were destroyed as heretical
some seven hundred years ago, but Templar survivors are believed to
have carried the secret teachings of the East into an occult
underground, from which sprang both Rosicrucianism and Masonry.
Assassin survivors, known as Nizari Ismailis, flourish to this day
under the spiritual leadership of the Aga Khan. Wasserman strips
the myths from both groups and penetrates to the heart of their
enlightened beliefs and rigorous practices, delivering the most
probing picture yet of these holy warriors.
For the first time in 3,300 years, The Egyptian Book of the Dead:
The Book of Going Forth by Day: The Papyrus of Ani is showcased in
its entirety in seventy four magnificent, large-format, color
pages. Maybe the most stunning presentation of this book in 3300
years: Upon death, it was the practice for some Egyptians to
produce a papyrus manuscript called the Book of Going Forth by Day
or the Book of the Dead. A Book of the Dead included declarations
and spells to help the deceased in the afterlife. The Papyrus of
Ani is the manuscript compiled for Ani, the royal scribe of Thebes.
Written and illustrated almost 3,300 years ago, The Papyrus of Ani
is a papyrus manuscript with cursive hieroglyphs and color
illustrations. It is the most beautiful, best-preserved, and
complete example of ancient Egyptian philosophical and religious
thought known to exist. The Egyptian Book of the Dead is an
integral part of the world's spiritual heritage. It is an artistic
rendering of the mysteries of life and death. For the first time
since its creation, this ancient papyrus is now available in full
color with an integrated English translation directly below each
image. This twentieth-anniversary edition of The Egyptian Book of
the Dead has been revised and expanded to include: * Significant
improvements to the display of the images of the Papyrus. * A
survey of the continuing importance of ancient Egypt in modern
culture. * A detailed history of Egyptian translation and philology
since the discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799. * And, a
state-of-the-art Annotated Bibliography and Study Guide for Ancient
Egyptian studies. As the third revised edition, the entire corpus
of this critical work is given its most accessible and lavish
presentation ever. * Includes a detailed history of Egyptian
scholarship, an annotated bibliography and study guide, and several
improvements to the color plates. * Makes an excellent gift for
people interested in world history and ancient religions.
The first book to explore the history and influence of egregores,
powerful autonomous psychic entities created by a collective group
mind * Examines the history of egregores from ancient times to
present day, including their role in Western Mystery traditions and
popular culture and media * Reveals documented examples of
egregores from ancient Greece and Rome, Tibetan Buddhism, Islam,
modern esoteric orders, the writings of H. P. Lovecraft and Kenneth
Grant, and the followers of Julius Evola and Aleister Crowley *
Provides instructions on how to identify egregores, free yourself
from parasitic and destructive entities, and destroy an egregore,
should the need arise One of most important but little known
concepts of Western occultism is that of the egregore, an
autonomous psychic entity created by a collective group mind. An
egregore is sustained by belief, ritual, and sacrifice and relies
upon the devotion of a group of people, from a small coven to an
entire nation, for its existence. An egregore that receives enough
sustenance can take on a life of its own, becoming an independent
deity with powers its believers can use to further their own
spiritual advancement and material desires. Presenting the first
book devoted to the study of egregores, Mark Stavish examines the
history of egregores from ancient times to present day, with
detailed and documented examples, and explores how they are
created, sustained, directed, and destroyed. Stavish provides
instructions on how to identify egregores, free yourself from a
parasitic and destructive collective entity, and destroy an
egregore, should the need arise. Revealing how egregores form the
foundation of nearly all human interactions, the author shows how
egregores have moved into popular culture and media--underscoring
the importance of intense selectivity in the information we accept
and the ways we perceive the world and our place in it.
HISTORY / TEMPLARS "James Wasserman has gathered the most
beautiful, authoritative, and complete collection of Crusader and
Templar images available anywhere. But this is not just a picture
book. Wasserman's text also gives us an exceptionally clear,
historically accurate, and esoterically true account of the history
of this most mysterious of medieval knightly Orders. His sense of
the way in which Templar esotericism fuses Judaic, Islamic
(Ismaili), and Christian elements is a welcome and convincing
alternative to the usual conditioned view that sees the three great
religions separate and opposed."--Christopher Bamford, author of An
Endless Trace: The Passionate Pursuit of Wisdom in the WestDespite
the increasing scholarship devoted to the study of the Templar
order, founded in 1119, the mystery surrounding the Templars
endures. Secret societies from the Freemasons to the Ordo Templi
Orientis claim descent from this religious order of warrior-monks.
As the private army of the pope, the Knights Templar were initially
established to protect Christian pilgrims traveling to the Holy
Land but grew to become one of the most powerful organizations in
the Middle Ages.James Wasserman, author of the bestselling The
Templars and the Assassins, provides a fascinating history of the
Order and the many mysteries and legends that surround it through a
unique and lavish assemblage of more than 170 illustrations. These
include images from manuscripts from the Crusades, interpretive
romantic paintings from the great masters of the 18th and 19th
centuries, and contemporary photographs by Steven Brooke and Vere
Chappell of former Templar strongholds in Europe and Jerusalem.
Wasserman presents the evidencefor the Templar connection to
mystical Islamic organizations such as the Assassins as well as
their ties to "heretical" groups such as the Cathars, who were
expunged because of the challenge they presented to the orthodoxy
of their time. In addition to chronicling the Templars' actions
during the Crusades, Wasserman revisits the trial and charges
leveled against them, showing how the Order was ruthlessly crushed.
He also explores the nature of the treasure they left behind, which
has fueled popular imagination for centuries.JAMES WASSERMAN, a
thirty-year member of the Ordo Templi Orientis, is the author of
the bestselling The Templars and the Assassins: The Militia of
Heaven, The Mystery Traditions, and The Slaves Shall Serve:
Meditations on Liberty. A longtime student of the occult sciences,
he has a played a key role in the publication of many seminal works
by Aleister Crowley and is responsible for the widely acclaimed
restoration of the Papyrus of Ani, The Egyptian Book of the Dead:
The Book of Going Forth by Day. He lives in New York City.
|
You may like...
Loot
Nadine Gordimer
Paperback
(2)
R398
R330
Discovery Miles 3 300
Loot
Nadine Gordimer
Paperback
(2)
R398
R330
Discovery Miles 3 300
|