Magic, alchemy and hermetic thought Books

Book SynopsisThe Hermetic Museum takes readers on a magical mystery tour spanning an arc from the medieval cosmogram and images of Christian mysticism, through the fascinating world of alchemy to the art of the Romantic era. The enigmatic hieroglyphs of cabalists, Rosicrucians, and freemasons are shown to be closely linked with the early scientific illustrations in the fields of medicine, chemistry, optics, and color theory. Even for those with no knowledge of the fascinating history of alchemy, this book is a delight to explore. Each richly illustrated chapter begins with an introduction and quotes from alchemists by specialist Alexander Roob. The roots of surrealism and many other more recent artistic movements can be found in this treasure trove.Trade Review“Captures the incredibly rich artistic tradition of alchemy.” * Seattle Weekly *

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Book SynopsisIn what many consider to be his masterwork, Evola contrasts the characteristics of the modern world with those of traditional societies, from politics and institutions to views on life and death.Trade Review"Revolt Against the Modern World is destined to remain an essential work and frame-of-reference for anyone seriously involved in native European spirituality." * Michael Moynihan, Vortru *"Evola does not write in abstract philosophical language but in lively prose, filled with fascinating and concrete details. Given a basic grounding in history and culture, one can dip into the book anywhere and find new twists and reinterpretations. Such an encounter with a totally original mind is a rarity in these days of bland consensus, and a thrilling one whether one agrees with Evola or not." * Joscelyn Godwin, Gnosis Magazine *Table of ContentsRevolt Against the Modern World Politics, Religion, and Social Order in the Kali Yuga A Short Introduction to Julius Evola Translator's Preface Foreword Part One - The World of Tradition 1. The Beginning 2. Regality 3. Polar Symbolism; the Lord of Peace and Justice 4. The Law, the State, the Empire 5. The Mystery of the Rite 6. On the Primordial Nature of the Patriciate 7. Spiritual Virility 8. The Two Paths in the Afterlife 9. Life and Death of Civilizations 10. Initiation and Consecration 11. On the Hierarchical Relationship Between Royalty and Priesthood 12. Universality and Centralism 13. The Soul of Chivalry 14. The Doctrine of the Castes 15. Professional Associations and the Arts; Slavery 16. Bipartition of the Traditional Spirit; Asceticism 17. The Greater and the Lesser Holy War 18. Games and Victory 19. Space, Time, the Earth 20. Man and Woman 21. The Decline of Superior Races Part Two - Genesis and Face of the Modern World Introduction 22. The Doctrine of the Four Ages 23. The Golden Age 24. The Pole and the Hyperborean Region 25. The Northern-Atlantic Cycle 26. North and South 27. The Civilization of the Mother 28. The Cycles of Decadence and the Heroic Cycle 29. Tradition and Antitradition 30. The Heroic-Uranian Western Cycle 31. Syncope of the Western Tradition 32. The Revival of the Empire and the Ghibelline Middle Ages 33. Decline of the Medieval World and the birth of Nations 34. Unrealism and Individualism 35. The Regression of the Castes 36. Nationalism and Collectivism 37. The End of the Cycle Conclusion Appendix: On The Dark Age Index

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Book SynopsisBanish bad energy, ward off unpleasant people, and defend your belongings, your spirit and your space with this spellbook focused specifically on protection.In our modern world there is a lot to worry about, from the global-scale—climate change, political uncertainty—to the personal—a toxic ex, cyber bulling. Spellcrafting can help you find comfort in a stressful world. This book will give you the tools to take charge of defending yourself in both energy and physicality. With over 100 spells for protection and defense, and a glossary of protective symbols, stones, and other objects to keep on hand, this book can help you cleanse your room and cast out old negative energies, put a protective and peace-preserving bubble around yourself as you ride the bus, deflect grumpiness and negativity from people you work with—and so much more!Trade Review"The cover design is very pretty. The book gives an introduction on spell crafting and then covers spells for body and spirit, house and home, family and friends and out and about. The last section covers rituals and protective objects. Very comprehensive with some really interesting spells." —The Kitchen Witch"The key to any good spell book is to be able to find exactly what I'm looking for quickly. The author makes it easy for me to find purification spells, cord magic and much more with the full index in the back. I would highly recommend adding this book to your standard witchy library. I believe you won't be disappointed." —Confessions of a Modern Witch"This is a fun book, as well as educational, and offers something for just about any life situation." —New Spirit Journal"If she loves astrology and magic, she'll be obsessed with this new spell book from Arin Murphy-Hiscock that focuses on clearing negative energy, protecting your space, and harnessing power." —Marie Claire"Arin Murphy-Hiscock has a truly impressive body of work on spell craft and witchery. Chances are least one of her books is an integral part of your personal library. The Way of the Hedge Witch: Rituals and Spells for Hearth and Home and The Green Witch: Your Complete Guide to the Natural Magic of Herbs, Flowers, Essential Oils, and More not only grace the shelves of many readers but the aesthetically-pleasing covers pop up all over Instagram. Her books are truly objects of beauty and knowledge." —Luna Luna"The newly released Protection Spells by Arin Murphy-Hiscock addresses one of the most important areas of Magic today. Without adequate protection, Witches and other Psychic practitioners leave themselves open to unnecessary harm and chaos. This book contains over 100 different spells for defense and protection, so there is something here for just about everyone." —Patheos"Strikingly beautiful… you will not be disappointed." —Pagan Pages“Filled with everything you need to begin the art of spellcrafing … timely and exceptionally relevant.” —The Magickal Pen“Helpful… The information is solid and while it is geared toward beginners, any experienced Witch will find the information useful for more advanced workings.” —Patheos“A nice reference… very accessible.” —Facing North

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Book SynopsisAn initiatory and practical guide to creative alchemy. In this initiatory guide to the hermetic art of alchemy, artist Marlene Seven Bremner reveals how the alchemical opus, the Great Work, offers a practical means for liberating the authentic creator within and attaining gnosis, or true self-knowledge. Exploring the connections between Surrealism and alchemy, as well as the rich and complicated symbolism of alchemical art, Bremner elucidates how both Surrealism and alchemy seek to unfetter the imagination and dissolve the boundaries between dream and reality, thus reconciling the conscious and unconscious minds. She details how the three principles (salt, sulphur, and mercury), the four elements, and the seven planets interact together and within the self in creative alchemy, and she explains how to work with and transmute these energies for increased levels of insight, intuition, and imaginative expression. The author shares practical hermetic and alchemical techniques for liberating creative expression and clearing energetic obstructions that prevent us from reaching our higher potential. She also looks at the zodiacal and planetary timing of creative operations. Revealing how the stages of alchemical transmutation are relevant to the creative process, the author shows how the initiate comes to experience for themselves the relationship between consciousness and matter, which is the essence of alchemical teachings. By creating, one transmutes spiritual energies through matter for greater self-knowledge and awakening. Allowing you to truly realize your own creative power, this in-depth guide to creative alchemy shows how the alchemical path attunes the Self to the rhythms of the spheres, so that one is naturally creating in time with the seasons and zodiac signs and in harmony with elemental forces and planetary influences.Trade Review“Marlene Bremner’s The Hermetic Marriage of Art and Alchemy is an absolute must-read for anyone interested in the fascinating intersection of art and the occult. Marlene’s knowledge and passion will captivate any reader, making this book an indispensable companion for those seeking to unlock the mysteries of the unseen.” * JASON LOUV, author of John Dee and the Empire of Angels and teacher at Magick.me *“The Hermetic Marriage of Art and Alchemy is a sumptuous examination of where our relationship with imagination and our capacity to create intersects with the spiritual and psychic realms. . . . A fantastic guide for both the artist and magical practitioner alike!” * LAURA TEMPEST ZAKROFF, author of Sigil Witchery and Visual Alchemy *“A book rich in colorful illustrations, poignant imagery, and penetrating analysis. Written in a clear and easy-to-understand language that will appeal both to the specialist and the curious alike. This scholarly work is certain to please connoisseurs of the Royal Art with a useful aid to reference, time and again, on decoding the mysteries of life.” * DAVID PANTANO, translator of The Hermetic Physician *“Capably researched, vividly illustrated, and trenchantly argued, this is a treat for those who know their way around the realm of the magical imagination and a revelation for those who are just setting foot on that potent and life-affirming path.” * JOHN MICHAEL GREER, author of The Twilight of Pluto *“This new volume makes me all excited again! I would not call it a sequel but a way of going deeper into that magical realm, where alchemical thinking and practice meet the art world. . . . Another gem from Marlene Seven Bremner, including the wonderful paintings that accompany the book.” * RUDOLF BERGER, performing arts professionaland creator of the Thoth Hermes Podcast *“A remarkable work in scope and depth that explores art as alchemy, Bremner provides the ground for a much-needed discussion on the esoteric currents that have surfaced throughout various art movements such as Symbolism, Dada, and Surrealism. And in doing so, she articulates the basic premise of alchemy—that all creations arise from the same principles. Then, using these alchemical principles and processes, Bremner shows how to incorporate them into your work with clear, insightful descriptions of exercises for the artist/alchemist. The Hermetic Marriage of Art and Alchemy is a ‘must-have’ for anyone seriously working in or investigating the intersection of art and alchemy.” * Brian Cotnoir, author of Practical Alchemy, Alchemy: The Poetry of Matter, and On Alchemy *“Bremner envisions the integration of the modern-day practice of creative alchemy with a deep understanding of its representations in the visual and poetic arts. By locating imagination at the center, Bremner makes evident the hidden connections between alchemy and artists whose gaze initiates psychological change and spiritual evolution. This book is both an esoteric meditation and a feminist call to reclaim personal authority over consciousness and reject hierarchical ideologies in favor of personal exploration. This book is a must-read for historians of ideas, the arts, and practitioners of the esoteric.” * Leslie Korn, Ph.D., M.P.H., author of Rhythms of Recovery *“The Hermetic Marriage of Art and Alchemy is an unprecedented work in decoding the opacity of alchemical allegory and charting the pervasive cultural influence of esotericism. Its rich imagery discloses the intimate mechanisms of modernism within a panoramic assimilation of occult philosophy. Bremner evokes a textured interpretation of ancient arcana through informed and embodied knowledge of their processes, imparting effectual praxis for sacred operations that impel the reader toward spiritual and creative actualization.” * Micki Pellerano, artist, astrologer, and host of Time Lord TV *"For those looking to explore more layers of their creative processes, undertaking the arduous process of transforming lead into gold, The Hermetic Marriage of Art and Alchemy is a wonderful resource. This book is rich with insights about how consciousness and matter can merge to usher in new levels of self-awareness and personal insights, along with uniting readers with spiritual energies to reach their highest potential. By following the path that’s been carved by artists of centuries past, Bremner assists readers in undertaking their own creative alchemy." * Alanna Kali, Musing Mystical *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsINTRODUCTION Imaginatio Vera PART I Alchemy and Imagination 1 Romanticism: Irrational Freedom 2 Symbolism: Dark Dreams and Ideals of the Other World 3 Dada: Cutting to the Chance 4 Surrealism: The Automatic Solution PART II The Magnum Opus 5 Creative Alchemy: Essentials of the Great Work6 Nigredo: Putrefaction and the Generation of the Idea7 Albedo: Purification and the Lunar Stone 8 Citrinitas: Solar Inspiration and Integration 9 Rubedo: The Royal Marriage and the Philosopher’s Stone CONCLUSION Creatio Continua APPENDIX A Chakra Correspondence Charts APPENDIX BPlanetary Correspondences APPENDIX CElemental MeditationNotes BibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisA new, 672-page title in Llewellyn s popular Complete Book series, available as a trade paperback

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Book SynopsisThis is a new and expanded second edition of THE BOOK OF ABRAMELIN, a modern classic of Magic since it was first published in English by Ibis Press in 2006. The new material includes copious footnotes and an extensive index. This is the first modern translation of this critical magical work since S.L. Macgregor Mathers''s original translation over 100 years ago. Not only is the language updated, but Georg Dehn, the compiler and editor, has sourced his work from all extant manuscripts, whereas Mathers used just one. The result is a stunning new translation, which has already set the occult world abuzz. It includes voluminous important material left out of Mathers'' work, including an entire Part 2 filled with magical recipes, important distinctions in the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel ritual and completes word grids that had been left half-completed by Mathers. Abraham von Worms, long thought to be a pseudonymous figure, is nearly conclusively proved to be the we

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Book SynopsisCelebrating the magick of the natural realm, Volume IV of The Library of Esoterica, delves into the symbolism, ceremony, and our ritual relationships with the botanical world. A visual journey through our interdependent evolution with nature, Plant Magick celebrates botanicals as creative muse – from ancient Greek sculptures to Renaissance paintings to visionary art inspired by psychoactive plants, cacti, and mushrooms. Our myths, beliefs, and shared stories are continually reflected in nature; purity represented by the white lily or spiritual awakening by the bloom of the lotus. Our joys and laments are mirrored in the cycle of the seasons, in the seed birthing sprout, or in the dead leaf falling softly from winter branches. Plants, trees, and flowers as signifiers of transition are also deeply embedded within rites of passage rituals across global cultures. Rose petals strewn along the wedding aisle mark the evolution into womanhood and marriage. A wreath of lilies stands sentinel over an open grave. A lover’s bouquet awaits on the doorstep. The wooden May Day pole is circled by girls wearing crowns of woven daisies, celebrating the coming of spring. Birth, unions, and burials – cycles of joyful celebration and deep grieving, all are marked symbolically with herbs, flowers or branches of a tree – the integration of nature into ceremony our method of signifying catharsis. Since time immemorial, plants have also served as potent symbols within the religions of the world; Buddha attaining enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree, Eve plucking the Apple of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden. From root to vibrant blossom, Plant Magick explores the fertile, interconnected history between plants and people, the multitude of ways in which we embrace plants in spiritual ceremony, as healing medicine, as creative muse and as gateways into deeper explorations of consciousness.Trade Review“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” * John Muir *

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Book SynopsisA bold exploration of the reintegration of rationality and intuition, science and soul, to foster individual and planetary healing During the scientific revolution, science and soul were drastically separated, propelling humanity into four centuries of scientific exploration based solely on empiricism and rationality. But, as scientist and ecologist Stephan Harding, Ph.D., demonstrates in detail, by reintegrating science with profound personal experiences of psyche and soul, we can reclaim our lost sacred wholeness and help heal ourselves and our planet. The book begins with compelling introductions to depth psychology, alchemy, and Gaia theory--the science of seeing the Earth as an intelligent, self-regulating system, a theory pioneered by the author’s mentor James Lovelock. Harding then explores how alchemy, as understood through the depth psychology of C. G. Jung, offers us powerful methods of reuniting rationality and intuition, science and soul. He examines the integration of important alchemical engravings, including those from L’Azoth des Philosophes and the Rosarium Philosophorum, with Gaian science. He shows how the seven key alchemical operations in the Azoth image can help us develop deeply transformative experiences and insights into our interconnectedness with Gaia. He then looks at how the four components of the living Earth--biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere--mesh not only with the four elements of alchemical theory but also with the four functions of consciousness from depth psychology. Woven throughout with the author’s own experiences of Gaia alchemy, the book also offers guided meditations and contemplative exercises to open your receptivity to messages from the biosphere and help you develop your own Gaian alchemical way of life, full of wonder and healing.Trade Review“Few things are more important today than bringing humane values to the science, technology, and information sectors. It requires a person of vision and imagination. I have known Stephan Harding for many years and have seen firsthand how his genius and big heart help science evolve to the next level. This latest book, Gaia Alchemy, is a beautiful blueprint for transforming contemporary knowledge and returning soul to our planet.” * Thomas Moore, author of #1 New York Times bestseller Care of the Soul and Soul Therapy *“In this time of global crises and evolutionary opportunities, it’s vital that we reclaim our innate human ability to learn from our animate Earth using our feeling senses, our imaginations, and our dreams. Western science, in contrast, has specialized in learning about our world, using logic, quantification, and the illusion of separation. Harding shows us how to alchemically unite and integrate these two modes of knowing and why it’s both necessary and rapturous, and he does so with brilliance, imagination, humor, grace, and, above all, heart. Gaia Alchemy is a worldshifting masterwork, an essential read for all twenty-first-century lovers and defenders of life.” * Bill Plotkin, Ph.D., founder of Animas Valley Institute and author of Soulcraft, Wild Mind, and The *“Harding shows how Western empirical science, which is at the root of so much material progress but also the cause of blatant destruction, can find its way back into the heart of subjective living experience. Gaia Alchemy points to a new union of calculating and intuiting mind, of measuring and of contemplating beauty, and does so from a firm foundation in Western culture, not by borrowing from Asian or Indigenous cosmologies. Profound, erudite, timely, and immensely necessary, Gaia Alchemy builds a bridge between the head and the heart. A landmark work for the Anthropocene.” * Andreas Weber, Ph.D., philosopher, biologist, and author of The Biology of Wonder, Enlivenment, and *“Desperate for a way beyond the reductive mindset of contemporary science, a keenly creative biologist excavates the medieval ‘Great Work’ of alchemy, the immediate precursor of modern science. This book is a record of Harding’s deeply personal quest to bring alchemy’s esoteric insights to bear on the catastrophic situation in which our planet now finds itself. * David Abram, Ph.D., author of The Spell of the Sensuous and Becoming Animal *“A brave book that offers a profound celebration of the marriage between science and soul, showing convincingly that there is no conflict between reason and intuition; in fact, they are good companions. A close collaborator of James Lovelock, who proposed Gaia theory, Stephan has been able to develop an original and authentic understanding of relationships between science and psyche. In this compelling book, rooted in rigorous science and poetic imagination, Stephan outlines a new paradigm for a holistic worldview. Read this book and it will inspire you to look at the world and see it whole.” * Satish Kumar, cofounder of Schumacher College and editor emeritus of Resurgence and Ecologist *“A remarkable and lively synthesis of leading-edge science and the deep wisdom of the archetypal psyche. Harding’s bold and engaging vision works its own alchemical transformation on the reader, guiding us from the lead of the dominant mechanistic and disenchanted worldview to the gold of an experiential understanding of Gaia as the ensouled body in which we live and have our being. This book will prove invaluable to those seeking a more integral approach to Earth System Science, to the psychologically minded who long for deeper connections with the living Earth, and to all who are called to participate in the Great Work of our times.” * Sean Kelly, Ph.D., author of Becoming Gaia and Coming Home *“In this bold and extraordinary book Stephan Harding, an eminent ecologist, makes a surprising defense of alchemy as a tool with which to reconnect with the more-than-human world. Pursue the path of alchemy, he says, and we can restore ourselves to ourselves, and, even more importantly, to Gaia, the living soul of the planet. By offering exercises that anyone can try for themselves, Stephan opens doorways so that everyone can experience Gaian consciousness firsthand. At a time when so many are looking to Indigenous cultures for the answers to our ever-mounting ecological ills, it is refreshing to find someone offering homegrown tools, techniques, and methods that stem from the intellectual roots of Western culture. All the tools we need are to be found in the alembic of the unconscious, in the union of opposites between the scientific rational domain of logos and the deep waters of mythos. I can think of no better guide to steer us through this muchneeded process.” * Andy Letcher, Ph.D., senior lecturer at Schumacher College, program lead for the M.A. in Engaged Eco *“Gaia Alchemy arises like a phoenix out of the ashes of our terribly precise but ultimately life-denying sciences of reduction, abstraction, and objectification. Harding’s storied and deeply personal account of his imaginal journey into Gaia alchemy is a timely invitation to each of us to cultivate ways of knowing and being adequate to the great Planet-Being with whom we live.” * Jonathan M. Code, M.Ed., lecturer in sustainable land management at Royal Agricultural University *“Stephan Harding’s teaching is always illuminating. In Gaia Alchemy, he shows how, through the relationship between science, alchemy, and depth psychology, we can reach toward an experience of nondual Gaian soul in our lives.” * Peter Reason, Ph.D., professor emeritus at the University of Bath *“Stephan Harding tells an enthralling new story of Gaia, one where we begin with Gaia rather than ourselves. His unique union of science, myth, and alchemy--invoking both our rational and intuitive ways of thinking and exploring how they may and must come together--brings us into a new vision of a Gaia consciousness. A brilliant book.” * Jules Cashford, Jungian analyst and coauthor of The Myth of the Goddess *“With the emergence of a Gaian science that restores mind to Earth, we have a new lens through which to divine alchemical meaning in geo-ecological processes. This is the dazzling new vista for the healing of both Earth and ourselves that Gaia Alchemy opens up.” * Freya Mathews, adjunct professor of environmental philosophy at La Trobe University and author of Re *Table of ContentsForeword by Stephen Harrod Buhner Acknowledgments INTRODUCTION Science Meets Alchemy 1 First Steps 2 Psyche and Alchemy 3 Descartes’s Sky God 4 Descartes Meets Alchemy 5 The Unus Mundus: Gaia Archetype and Gaia Science 6 Carbon and Gaia’s Temperature Regulation 7 A Gaia Alchemy Meditation: Creating and Using the Gaiascope 8 Gaia and the Tabula Smaragdina 9 The Seven Stars 10 Sir Isaac Newton’s Azoth Mandala 11 Gaia Alchemy on Granite 12 Of Loops and Stars 13 Gaia Alchemy and Deep Time 14 An Alchemical Conversation 15 The Fungus and the Rose Garden 16 Living a Gaian Alchemical Life: The Ecosophical Tree 17 Experiencing Gaia Mercurius Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisMagic, witches, and demons have drawn interest and fear throughout human history. In this comprehensive primary source reader, Martha Rampton traces the history of our fascination with magic and witchcraft from the first through to the seventeenth century. In over 80 readings presented chronologically, Rampton demonstrates how understandings of and reactions toward magic changed and developed over time, and how these ideas were influenced by various factors such as religion, science, and law. The wide-ranging texts emphasize social history and include early Merovingian law codes, the Picatrix, Lombard’s Sentences, The Golden Legend, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. By presenting a full spectrum of source types including hagiography, law codes, literature, and handbooks, this collection provides readers with a broad view of how magic was understood through the medieval and early modern eras.Rampton’s introduction to the voTrade Review"Anyone looking for significant attention paid to the medieval period, and especially the earlier medieval centuries, will find it here. And for the late medieval and early modern periods, its attention to different kinds of sources, especially its mix of literature and drama along with legal and demonological texts, is a welcome addition." -- Michael D. Bailey, Iowa State University * The Medieval Review *"For several decades now, magic and witchcraft have been the focus of scholarly attention, and Martha Rampton’s reader – a collection of primary texts that prepares the topic in all its breadth for use in the classroom – is a welcome addition. University of Toronto Press has to be thanked for providing teachers, students, and scholars alike with a rich and voluminous source-book, albeit less affordable than one might have hoped. European Magic and Witchcraft presents carefully selected texts, eighty-six examples from very different genres, from biblical times to the early modern period in chronological order. Some of these texts are famous and have had an enormous cultural impact, such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream or Augustine’s City of God, while others are quite rare, such as Alferic of Eynsham (ca. 955–1010) or court records of the use of torture in early modern witchcraft trials." -- Sergius Kodera, University of Vienna * Renaissance and Reformation / Renaissance et Réforme *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Preface Chapter One: Late Classical and Early Christian Archetypes 1. Moses and Aaron Challenge Pharaoh’s Magicians 2. The Pythoness Brings the Dead to Life: The Witch of Endor 3. Odysseus and Circe the Sorceress 4. Medea: The Classic Witch 5. Erictho: Divination through the Dead 6. Simon Magus: Money for Miracles 7. Goddess Diana of the Ephesians Bests the Apostle Paul 8. Hecate and the Chaldean Oracles 9. Magic Transforms One into a Bird, Another into an Ass 10. Justin Martyr and the Fallen Angels 11. The Apostle Peter Bests Simon Magus 12. Antony of the Desert Combats Demons 13. Curse Tablets and Binding Spells 14. Saint Martin Battles with Pagans and Demons 15. Augustine: Demons and Magic in the City of God Chapter Two: Post-Roman Kingdoms of Europe: Traffic with Demons (500–750) 16. Three Post-Roman Law Codes against Malicious Magic 17. Caesarius of Arles Preaches against Magic and Paganism 18. Continuity in Magic Spells 19. A Warning to Peasants about the Evils of Trafficking with Demons 20. Sorcery in Gregory of Tours’s Sixth-Century Gaul 21. Saint Patrick Battles Pagan Magicians 22. Early Medieval Sainthood and Demons: Saint Radegund 23. Isidore of Seville Defines Magic: The Etymologies 24. Penance for Sins of Magic 25. A Demoniac in Early Medieval England: Bede Chapter Three: The Carolingian Dynasty: Demons Cut Down to Size (750–1000) 26. An Eighth-Century List of Pagan Practices 27. Paganism of the Saxons 28. Beowulf Fights the Demons: Grendel, and Grendel’s Mother 29. Agobard of Lyons and Weather Magic 30. Carolingian Catalogue of Magical Acts: Council of Paris 31. Treatise on Magic: Hrabanus Maurus 32. Magic at the Court of Louis the Pious: Paschasius Radbertus 33. The Devil of Kempten and the Villager 34. Marriage and Magic: The Divorce of Lothar 35. Loosed Women and Night Flight: Canon episcopi 36. Anglo-Saxon Healing Cures and Charms 37. Anglo-Saxon Sermon against Augury: Aelfric of Eynsham 38. A Prayer to Mother Earth and Other Charms 39. An Eleventh-Century Penitential: Burchard of Worms Chapter Four: The High Middle Ages: Many Threads (1000–1300) 40. Evil Angels: Lombard’s Sentences 41. Divination and the Court: The Policraticus 42. Lanval and the Fairy Queen: Marie de France 43. The Gentle Werewolf: Marie de France 44. Guide for the Perplexed: Jewish Magic and Maimonides 45. Weather Well and Magic Ring: Chrétien de Troyes 46. Norse Magic: Saga of the Volsungs 47. Magic as a Cautionary Tale: Caesarius of Heisterbach 48. A Saintly Dog and the Changelings 49. Picatrix: Arabic Magic 50. Astronomy: Natural Magic or Necromancy? 51. The Golden Legend: Saints and Devils 52. Heresy versus Sorcery 53. A New Kind of Devil: Thomas Aquinas Chapter Five: The Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries: Diabolism 54. A Priest Dupes His Friend with a Promise of Magic in The Decameron 55. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 56. Key to Occult Mysteries of Solomon 57. Clerical Magic: A Handbook 58. A Warning to the People of Siena to Expunge Witches from the City 59. Trial of Joan of Arc 60. Witch Beliefs Coalesce: Formicarius 61. The Ordinal of Alchemy 62. Natural Magic and Renaissance Humanism: Oration on the Dignity of Man 63. Pope Innocent VIII Empowers the Inquisitors 64. The Witch Hammer Chapter Six: The Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries: The Full Fury of the Witch-Hunts 65. Defending the Harvest: The Cult of the Benandanti 66. In Praise of Natural Magic: Cornelius Agrippa 67. Martin Luther’s Devil 68. Papists, Popedom, and Witchery: John Calvin 69. A Voice of Skepticism from the Medical Profession: Johann Weyer 70. Witch Persecutions in Trier 71. Charms, Tricks, and Day-to-Day Sorcery 72. Demon Mania in France: Jean Bodin 73. Mechanics of Torture: Dr. Fian and Suzanne Gaudry 74. King James and the Witches of North Berwick: “News from Scotland” 75. Skepticism and a Forced Recantation 76. King James I of England: Treatise on Demons and Witchcraft 77. A Midsummer Night’s Dream 78. Shakespeare’s Witches: Macbeth 79. A Jacobean Comedy 80. The Witches’ Sabbath 81. Persecution of the Burgomaster of Bamberg 82. The Witches of Würzburg 83. Witch Panic in Bonn 84. In Defense of the Accused 85. The Demonic Possession of the Nuns of Loudun 86. England’s Witch Finder General Sources Index of Topics

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Book SynopsisThe black sun, an ages-old image of the darkness in individual lives and in life itself, has not been treated hospitably in the modern world. Modern psychology has seen darkness primarily as a negative force, something to move through and beyond, but it actually has an intrinsic importance to the human psyche. In this book, Jungian analyst Stanton Marlan reexamines the paradoxical image of the black sun and the meaning of darkness in Western culture.In the image of the black sun, Marlan finds the hint of a darkness that shines. He draws upon his clinical experiences and on a wide range of literature and art to explore the influence of light and shadow on the fundamental structures of modern thought as well as the contemporary practice of analysis.An important contribution to the understanding of alchemical psychology, this book draws on a postmodern sensibility to offer insight into modernity, the act of imagination, and the work of analysis in understanding depression, trauma, and transformation of the soul.Trade ReviewIn The Black Sun, Stan Marlan takes us on an unflinching and ultimately healing journey through the shadowed land of despair where most abandon all hope. There, we find, a strange light shines, and in that light we can discern what is otherwise invisible. Marlan teaches us how to see in the dark. - Murray Stein

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Book SynopsisThe Book of Hermetica is the definitive collection of the most pivotal texts of hermetic wisdom. It includes the three most critical books in the cannon Corpus Hermeticum, The Emerald Tablet, and The Kybalion.Corpus Hermeticum and The Emerald Tablet are both attributed to Hermes Trismegistus and were written between 100-300 BCE. These works form the foundation of hermetic wisdom, expounding on philosophy, religion, magic, and alchemy. The Kybalion was written much later, in the 20th century, and explores the seven basic hermetic principles. Faithfully reproduced in The Book of Hermetica, these esoteric writings have inspired great minds throughout the ageseveryone from Newton and Milton to Leonardo da Vinci and Jungand modern readers will find their pages equally fascinating.The Book of Hermetica is the perfect introduction to the mysteries of hermeticism and essential reading for anyone interested in und

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Book SynopsisTrade Review'Lawrence-Mathers's book dispels any belief that the figure of Merlin is of interest only within the realm of literary history. Instead the book paints a remarkable picture of a figure whose political and social influence has been so extensive that we should consider him a central figure in the shaping of British identity and history.' - Philip Carr-Gomm, author of The Book of English Magic'This highly readable and erudite book places the histories of Merlin, derived from the tweifth-century writings of Geoffrey of Monmouth, in their literary and cultural context. The story of how the image of Merlin as political prophet, magician and half-demon evolved in the Middle Ages is as fascinating as any romance.' - Euan Cameron, author of Enchanted Europe: Superstition, Reason, and Religion, 1250-1750'Anne Lawrence-Mathers has given us a fascinating portrait of Merlin firmly set in history and free from the usual methologising theories. As such it is to be warmly recommended.' - Peter Maxwell-Stuart, author of Wizards: A History"This book is more informative on the subject as a whole than any other I’ve seen. Merlin, though inseparable from Arthur, is a major character in his own right, and he fits in with magical and mystical interests that are still active."—Geoffrey Ashe, author of The Discovery of King Arthur

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Book SynopsisAn investigation of The Eye of Revelation, a system of inner alchemy meant to awaken the subtle powers of the human body and mind. This book examines in detail a short book, often referred to as The Five Tibetans that was published in 1939 teaching a simple yet effective set of five exercises for health and longevity, the Five Rites. Certain dietary rules and lifestyle principles accompanied the Rites, so did a Sixth Rite that worked the diaphragm muscles and redirected sexual energies, and also a set of teachings about seven energy centers or vortices in the body, though not the same as the well-known seven chakras along the spine. These vortices are among the most distinctive things about the system, and are found in only a scattered handful of sources elsewhere. It is by awakening the vortices to their normal rate of spin, the book claims, that the Rites achieve their effects. John Michael Greer follows each of these threads back as far as possible, to reveal something of the landscape of ideas and practices that gave rise to these remarkable exercises. He then spins the threads back together, putting the Five Rites in as much of their original context as he can, and describing in detail the practice of the broader system in which the Rites have their place—a system of inner alchemy meant to awaken certain subtle powers of the human body and mind. The book also includes the complete original text of The Eye of Revelation.Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION 1. The Teacher 2. The Exercises 3. The Currents 4. The Waters 5. The Vortices 6. The Glands 7. The Chakras 8. The Inner Sun 9. The Third Eye 10. The Secret Preliminaries Stage One Stage Two Stage Three The Eye of Revelation by Peter Kelder (1939) Foreword Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Appendix 1: The Simplified Method Stage One Stage Two Stage Three Additional Practices Appendix 2: The Carey Protocol Bibliography Peter Kelder’s Text Other Source Material Online Archives INDEX

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Book Synopsis“David Brafman, just like the alchemists did, mixes ingredients to make gold.” -- The New Scientist Alchemists are notorious for attempting to synthesize gold. Their goals, however, were far more ambitious: to transform and bend nature to the will of an industrious human imagination. For scientists, philosophers, and artists alike, alchemy seemed to hold the key to unlocking the secrets of creation. Alchemists' efforts to discover the way the world is made have had an enduring impact on global artistic practice and expression. Brafman’s book is the first to explore how the art of alchemy globally transformed human creative culture from the ancient world to the modern scientific age, and displays the ways its legacy still permeates the world we make today.

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Book SynopsisExamines legal documents and magic texts relevant to common forms of magic practiced in Tudor England. Trade Review“The provision of these original sources is a gift to historians and their students but also to modern magicians seeking working materials, and the authors’ analyses provide genuinely new insights into the nature of late medieval and early modern English magical practice.”—Ronald Hutton,author of The Witch: A History of Fear, from Ancient Times to the Present

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Book SynopsisThe legends of the Norse and Germanic regions of Europe--spanning from Germany and Austria across Scandinavia to Iceland and England--include a broad range of mythical characters and places, from Odin and Thor, to berserkers and Valhalla, to the Valkyries and Krampus. In this encyclopedia, Claude Lecouteux explores the origins, connections, and tales behind many gods, goddesses, magical beings, rituals, folk customs, and mythical places of Norse and Germanic tradition. More than a reference to the Aesir and the Vanir pantheons, this encyclopedia draws upon a wealth of well-known and rare sources, such as the Poetic Edda, the Saga of Ynglingar by Snorri Sturluson, and The Deeds of the Danes by Saxo Grammaticus. The author describes the worship of the elements and trees, details many magical rituals, and shares wild folktales from ancient Europe, such as the strange adventure of Peter Schlemihl and the tale of the Cursed Huntsman. He also dispels the false beliefs that have arisen from the Nazi hijacking of Germanic mythology and from its longtime suppression by Christianity. Complete with rare illustrations and information from obscure sources appearing for the first time in English, this detailed reference work represents an excellent resource for scholars and those seeking to reconnect to their pagan pasts and restore the old religion.Trade Review“For libraries with specialized collections in anthropology, folklore, and mythology.” * Library Journal, Patricia D. Lothrop, May 2016 *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments EDITOR'S NOTE How to Use this Encyclopedia INTRODUCTION Norse and Germanic Mythology and Folklore: Traditions of Considerable Influence Encyclopedia of Norse and Germanic Folklore, Mythology, and Magic From Aage to Zwiesauger Bibliography

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Book SynopsisConnect to the magic of the world around you for healing, empowerment and self-careNature is filled with hidden, elusive energies: the growth spirals of sunflowers, the electromagnetic spectrum of rainbows, the bio-energy of trees and the sound waves of thunder. Working with the potent energy of nature''s bounty, you will learn to nurture and embrace your inner guardian witch through spell work.Brimming with rituals, wishes and enchantments to encourage spiritual growth, abundance and prosperity, and featuring beautiful illustrations from the author, this book is an illuminating guide to harnessing the earth''s power for personal reflection. It reveals how magic can be used as a reciprocal force for good that protects and promotes our well-being, as well as that of our planet.The Little Book of Earth Magic is for those who seek to form a meaningful connection with nature and take their spiritual practice to a new level.

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Book SynopsisA complete guide to the theory, practice, and history of Mazdan magic, the first organized system of magic • Provides a complete curriculum of magical study and initiation centered on exercises keyed to the sacred Zoroastrian calendar • Details advanced magical rituals and practices based on archaic Persian formulas, including fire rituals and divine invocations Stephen Flowers explores the history, theory, practice, rituals, and initiations of the Mazdan magical system practiced by the Magi of ancient Persia, who were so skilled and famed for their effectiveness that their name came to mean what we today call “magic.” The author explains how the religious branch of the Mazdan magical system, founded by the Prophet Zarathustra, is known in the West under the name Zoroastrianism. The author reveals how all other known systems of magic have borrowed from this tradition, providing the clues that enabled him to reformulate the original Mazdan system. He reviews what the Greeks, Romans, Hebrews, Christians, and Chinese said about the Iranian-Persian tradition of the Mazdans and their invention of a magical technology. He explains how the ultimate aim of the original form of magic was not only individual wisdom, self-development, and empowerment, but also the overall betterment of the world. The author details a complete curriculum of magical study and initiation based on a series of graded exercises keyed to the sacred Zoroastrian calendar. Providing a manual for the original magical system used by the members of the Great Fellowship, this book guides you toward the comprehensive practice of the Mazdan philosophy, the ultimate outcome of which is ushta: Happiness.Trade Review“A superbly written and detailed book providing an excellent practical guide and framework for modern practice. The book is divided into four distinctive and easy-to-follow sections, covering history, theory, initiation, and practices of the Persian Magi, making it a highly recommended read. The Bible tells the story of the three Persian Magi following a star and bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh for the baby Jesus, but who were they, and what made them ‘wise men’? Stephen Flowers, Ph.D., explains the history of the Persian Magi and provides ample examples of the sources of their wisdom.” * Payam Nabarz, author of The Mysteries of Mithras and Stellar Magic *“Since the very word ‘magic’ comes from ancient Persia, it is remarkable how much that tradition has been ignored by modern magicians and pagans. In this book, Stephen Flowers, Ph.D., fills that gap, using both his academic prowess and his magical experience to provide a workable system of magical initiation and training based on both the original sources and what can be reconstructed from modern Iranian practice. The result is a system that will bring about deep spiritual change in its practitioners.” * Ceisiwr Serith, author of The Pagan Family and Deep Ancestors *“Unlike works on esoteric praxis that seek to cultivate an air of mystification, Stephen Flowers’s Original Magic allows the ancient and genuine tradition of Mazdan spirituality to reveal itself in radiant clarity. The result is a challenging but thoroughly workable curriculum for self-initiation into one of our oldest living religious and philosophical currents. Although it shares Indo-European roots with the more familiar pagan traditions of the West, the flame that fuels the Mazdan way has never been stifled or snuffed out by the vicissitudes of history. And in stark contrast to systems of sorcery based in a cynical paradigm, Original Magic offers more than just a path toward wisdom and betterment for the individual--its goal is a truly enlightened world.” * Michael Moynihan, Ph.D., coeditor of the journal TYR: Myth--Culture--Tradition *“Stephen Flowers changed magical research and practice by bringing scholarship and actual practice into a complementary whole. Original Magic will be a game-changer in the esoteric and scholarly worlds. It returns magic to its roots and restores the original symbol of the mind as a flame. It is a most powerful work.” * Don Webb, coauthor of SET: The Outsider and author of Overthrowing the Old Gods *“The foremost authority of rune magi is Stephen Flowers, both as a practitioner and as scholar. As in all of Flowers's books, Original Magic contains both pioneering perspectives as well as roots in historical sources and solid academic research.” * Professor Thomas Karlsson, Ph.D., author of Uthark: Nightside of the Runes *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Abbreviations Preface Introduction The Time Has Come to Lift the Ban A Note on the Languages and Texts of the Mazdan Tradition1 Iranian Magic as the Ancients Saw It 2 The History of Iranian Magic 3 Theories of Mazdan Magic 4 Initiation into Magic 5 Rituals of Mazdan Magic Appendix A A Brief History of Eranshahr Appendix B Guide to Pronunciation of Avestan Appendix C The Analysis of Three Major Avestan Manthras Appendix D The One Hundred and One Names of God Appendix E Basic Mazdan Astrological Lore Appendix F Resources Glossary Notes Bibliography and Reading List Index

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Book SynopsisIn 16th century Italy, in the midst of the Renaissance, two powerful movements took hold. The first, the Hermetic Movement, was inspired by an ancient set of books housed in the library of Cosimo de' Medici and written by the Egyptian sage Hermes Trismegistus. The movement expounded the return of the "true religion of the world" based on a form of natural magic that could draw down the powers of the heavens and incorporate them into statues and physical structures. The other movement, the Heliocentric Movement launched by Copernicus, was a direct challenge to the Vatican's biblical interpretation of a geocentric world system. Declared a heresy by the Pope, those who promoted it risked the full force of the Inquisition. Exploring the meeting point of these two movements, authors Robert Bauval and Chiara Hohenzollern reveal how the most outspoken and famous philosophers, alchemists, and scientists of the Renaissance, such as Giordano Bruno and Marsilio Ficino, called for a Hermetic reformation of the Christian religion by building a magical utopic city, an architectural version of the heliocentric system. Using contemporary documents and the latest cutting-edge theses, the authors show that this Temple of the Sun was built in Rome, directly in front of the Vatican's Basilica of St. Peter. They explain how the Vatican architect Bernini designed St. Peter's Square to reflect the esoteric principles of the Hermetica and how the square is a detailed representation of the heliocentric system. Revealing the magical architectural plan masterminded by the Renaissance's greatest minds, including Bernini, Jesuit scholars, Queen Christine of Sweden, and several popes, the authors expose the ultimate heresy of all time blessed by the Vatican itself.Trade Review“Robert Bauval is a brilliant investigator of the hidden corners of history, and he has surpassed himself with The Vatican Heresy. It is a true time bomb of a book revealing stunning intrigues that have shaped the modern world and that call into question our most fundamental perceptions of the role of the Church of Rome.” * Graham Hancock, author of War God and Fingerprints of the Gods *“With his usual care and attention to detail, Robert Bauval spins out the thread that joins the solar religion of pharaonic Egypt to the utopian hopes of the fading Renaissance. His theory climaxes with the dramatic and dangerous project of a pope (Urban VIII), a polymath (Kircher), an architect (Bernini), and an exiled queen (Christina). Their dream was of a united Christendom orbiting around Rome; their method, the marriage of Hermetic philosophy with the new astronomy, through symbolic architecture. Like Bauval’s other books about times and places when science and magic were one, The Vatican Heresy arouses curiosity, disbelief, nostalgia, and finally hope.” * Joscelyn Godwin, Ph.D., author of The Pagan Dream of the Renaissance and Athanasius Kircher’s *“In this enchanting book, Robert Bauval and Chiara Hohenzollern reveal an astonishing fact hiding in plain sight. Surely thousands of visitors to the Vatican’s Saint Peter’s Square over the past three centuries have been puzzled by the gigantic ancient Egyptian obelisk featured in its center. Through meticulous research, The Vatican Heresy illuminates the profoundly evolutionary adventurers who employed deep symbolic insights and astute political maneuvering to construct a talismanic Hermetic City of the Sun in the heart of the citadel of Christendom. Read The Vatican Heresy. . . . I couldn’t put it down.” * Thomas Brophy, Ph.D., coauthor of Black Genesis: The Prehistoric Origins of Ancient Egypt and Imhote *“It looks like Robert Bauval (now with coauthor Chiara Hohenzollern) has done it again, revealing that not just the pyramids but the Vatican itself is a celebration of sacred architecture. A fascinating theory and very timely.” * Adrian G. Gilbert, coauthor of The Orion Mystery and author of Secrets of the Stone of Destiny *Table of Contents Acknowledgments Introduction: Hiding the Truth in Plain Sight 1 The True Religion of the World 2 The Hermetic Movement, Part I 3 The Hermetic Movement, Part II 4 The City of the Sun 5 Urbiet Orbi: To the City and to the World Postscript The Jesuit Pope Appendix 1 Campanella, the Rosicrucians, and the Miraculous Birth of the Sun King Appendix 2 The Ellipse of St. Peter’s Square by Sandro Zicari, Ph.D. Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe stark immediacy of what happened in 1692 has obscured the complex web of human passion which had been growing for more than a generation before building toward the climactic witch trials. Salem Possessed explores the lives of the men and women who helped spin that web and who in the end found themselves entangled in it.Trade ReviewAn illuminating and imaginative interpretation…of the social and moral state of Salem village in 1692. Provides an admirable illustration of the general rule that, in Old and New England alike, much of the best sociological history of the twentieth century has only been made possible by the antiquarian and genealogical interests of the nineteenth… This sensitive, intelligent, and well-written book will certainly revive interest in the terrible happenings at Salem. -- Keith Thomas * New York Review of Books *A provocative book. Drawing upon an impressive range of unpublished local sources, Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum provide a challenging new interpretation of the outbreak of witchcraft in Salem Village. They argue that previous historians erroneously divorced the tragic events of 1692 from the long-term development of the village and therefore failed to realize that the witch trials were simply one particularly violent chapter in a series of local controversies dating back to the 1660s. In their reconstruction of the socio-economic conditions that contributed to the intense factionalism in Salem Village, Boyer and Nissenbaum have made a major contribution to the social history of colonial New England… [They] have provided us with a first-rate discussion of factionalism in a seventeenth-century New England community. Their handling of economic, familial, and spatial relationships within Salem Village is both sophisticated and imaginative. -- T. H. Breen * William and Mary Quarterly *This is an ‘inner history’ of Salem Village that aims to raise the events of 1692 from melodrama to tragedy… It is a large achievement. This book is progressive history at its best, with brilliant insights, well-organized evidence, maps, and footnotes at the bottom of the page. -- Cedric B. Cowing * American Historical Review *The authors’ whole approach to the Salem disaster is canny, rewarding, and sure to fascinate readers interested in that aberrant affair. * The Atlantic *This short book is a solid contribution to the understanding of the 1692 witch trials. The authors use impressively rich demographic detail to support the thesis that the witch trials are best explained as symptoms of typical social tensions in provincial towns at the time. According to Boyer and Nissenbaum, Salem villagers played roles determined by economic, geographic, and status interests. -- Richard Ekman * Canadian Historical Review *An important, imaginative book that brings new insights to the study of the 1692 witchcraft outbreak in Massachusetts. Building on Charles Upham’s Salem Witchcraft (1867), Boyer and Nissenbaum explore decades of community tension and conflict in order to explain why Salem was the focus of this episode. The authors reveal a complex set of relationships between persons allied with the growing mercantile interests of Salem Town and those linked to the subsistence-based economy of outlying Salem Village. -- Carol Karlsen * Journal of Women in Culture and Society *Table of ContentsPreface Salem Village in the Seventeenth Century: A Chronology Abbreviations Used in the Notes Prologue: What Happened in 1692 1. 1692: Some New Perspectives 2. In Quest of Community, 1639-1687 3. Afflicted Village, 1688-1697 4. Salem Town and Salem Village: The Dynamics

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Book SynopsisA full-color guide to protection, cleansing, and countermagick with crystals

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsPreface 1: Approaching Others (Thoughts before Writing) Anthropology and Its Discontents. Occult Thought and Hegemonic Histories. The Hermeneutic Recognition of Others. The Rehabilitation of Hermeneutic Dialogue. Archaeology, Genealogy, and Hermeneutic History. 2: The Scope of Renaissance Magic The New Magic. The World of the Renaissance Magus. Agrippa versus Foucault. Locating Occult Musics. 3: Modes and Planetary Song: The Musical Alliance of Ethics and Cosmology Structures and Their Reproduction. Structural Transformations circa 1500. Structure and Event. 4: Ficino's Magical Songs Spirit, Soul, Music. Word, Image, Music. Phantasmic and Demonic Song. Substance, Figure, Sound. Seeing and Hearing in the Renaissance. 5: Musical Possession and Musical Soul Loss Possession, Shamanism, and Soul Loss. Musical Soul Loss and Possession: Examples from Nonelite Culture. Possession and Soul Loss in Ficino's Furors. Thoughts on the Politics of Early-Modern Mysticism. 6: An Archaeology of Poetic Furor, 1500-1650 Foucault's Epistemes. Magical Furor. Analytic Furor. Poetic Furor and Archaeological Ambivalence circa 1600. 7: Archaeology and Music: Apropos of Monteverdi's Musical Magic 8: Believing Others (Thoughts upon Writing) Appendix: Passages Translated in the Text Works Cited Index

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Book SynopsisStephen Skinner has been interested in magic for as long as he can remember. He wrote, with Francis King, the classic Techniques of High Magic in 1976. He followed that with Oracle of Geomancy and Terrestrial Astrology which has become the standard work on Western divinatory geomancy. Books on Nostradamus and Millennium Prophecies followed in highly illustrated editions. Stephen is also the author of eight books on feng shui, including the first one written in English in the 20th century. In the 1970s he was responsible for stimulating interest in John Dee and Enochian magic by publishing the first reprint of Casaubon''s True and Faithful Relation of What Passed for Many Yeers between Dr John Dee and some Spirits. and Dr Donald Laycock''s key reference book on the angelic language The Complete Enochian Dictionary. With David Rankine, he discovered what happened to Dee''s most important manuscript, his personal book of angelic invocations which he kept in Latin, and how it was preserved

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Book SynopsisIsaac Newton was a dedicated alchemist, a fact usually obscured as unsuited to his stature as a leader of the scientific revolution. Author Philip Ashley Fanning has diligently examined the evidence and concludes that the two major aspects of Newton’s research—conventional science and alchemy—were actually inseparable. In Isaac Newton and the Transmutation of Alchemy, Fanning reveals the surprisingly profound influence that Newton’s study of this hermetic art had in shaping his widely adopted scientific concepts.Alchemy was an ancient tradition of speculative philosophy that promised miraculous powers, such as the ability to change base metals into gold and the possibility of a universal solvent or elixir of life. Fanning compellingly describes this carefully tended esoteric institution, which may have found its greatest advocate in the career of the father of modern science. Relegated to the fringes of discourse until its twentieth-century revival by innovative thinkers such as psychiatrist Carl Jung, alchemy offers a key to understanding both the foundations of modern knowledge and important avenues in which we may yet discover wisdom.

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Book SynopsisWhat is a grimoire? The word has a familiar ring to many people, particularly as a consequence of such popular television dramas as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed. But few people are sure exactly what it means. Put simply, grimoires are books of spells that were first recorded in the Ancient Middle East and which have developed and spread across much of the Western Hemisphere and beyond over the ensuing millennia. At their most benign, they contain charms and remedies for natural and supernatural ailments and advice on contacting spirits to help find treasures and protect from evil. But at their most sinister they provide instructions on how to manipulate people for corrupt purposes and, worst of all, to call up and make a pact with the Devil. Both types have proven remarkably resilient and adaptable and retain much of their relevance and fascination to this day. But the grimoire represents much more than just magic. To understand the history of grimoires is to understand the spread of Christianity, the development of early science, the cultural influence of the print revolution, the growth of literacy, the impact of colonialism, and the expansion of western cultures across the oceans. As this book richly demonstrates, the history of grimoires illuminates many of the most important developments in European history over the last two thousand years.Trade ReviewFor anyone interested in magical writing and publication, it's essential. * Steven Moore, Fortean Times *Undoubtedly an important contribution to the field...The range of research here is, frankly astonishing. * Steven Moore, Fortean Times *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Ancient and Medieval Grimoires ; 2. The War against Magic ; 3. Enlightenment and Treasure ; 4. Across the Oceans ; 5. Rediscovering Ancient Magic ; 6. Grimoires USA ; 7. Pulp Magic ; 8. Lovecraft, Satan, and Shadows ; 9. Epilogue ; Further Reading ; Notes ; Index

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Book SynopsisOften alchemy is seen as an example of medieval gullibility and the alchemists as a collection of eccentrics and superstitious fools. Sean Martin shows that nothing could be further from the truth. It is important to see the search for the philosopher's stone and the attempts to turn base metal into gold as metaphors for the relation of man to nature and man to God as much as seriously held beliefs. Alchemy had a self-consistent outlook on the natural world and man's place in it. Alchemists like Paracelsus and Albertus Magnus were amongst the greatest minds of their time and the history of alchemy is both the history of a spiritual search and the history of a slowly developing scientific method. Sir Isaac Newton devoted as much time to his alchemical studies as he did to his mathematical ones. This book traces the history of alchemy from ancient times to the 20th century, highlighting the interest of modern thinkers like Jung in the subject, and in the process covers a major, if neglected area of Western thought.Trade ReviewAlchemists - they were just idiots, weren't they? Crazy hermetic wizard types blinded by greed. Well, not according to this brief history -- Steven Poole * Guardian Unlimited *Packed with facts as well as opinions, the book has all the key information you need to know about alchemy and alchemists * Alchemy Journal *

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Book SynopsisEmpedocles played a crucial role in the development of western culture; yet little is known or understood about this man, who lived in Sicily in the fifth-century BC. This is mainly becuase his teaching has been reconstructed by modern shcolars first and formost on the basis of Aristotle''s hostile reports - producing a picture which is disconnected and lacking in depth. Using material never exploited before, Peter Kingsley presents the first full-scale study of Empedocles to situate his fragmentary writings in their original context of philosophy as a way of life, mystery religion and magic, and of the struggle to realize one''s own divinity. This study also explores fresh evidence which proves Empedocles was not an isolated figure and reveals new links between his work and ancient Pythagoreanism. The process of establishing these links now makes it possible to demonstrate, in detail, the Pythagorean origin of Plato''s myths. Kingsley re-examines problems regarding the connections betTrade ReviewHighly polemical new book ... The thesis is argued with immense learning. * Times Higher Education Supplement *An original, lucid and intriguing narrative on Empedocles. * Phronesis *a remarkable, indeed pioneering, book which will compel scholars not only to re-examine the paradigms and traditional sources of evidence upon which they have hitherto relied, but also perhaps to question the category of philosophy itself as a viable notion outside the orbit of mystery, magic and myth ... Kingley's Ancient Philosophy is a brilliant, provocative, occasionally quirky, but gripping, urgent and important story which is bound to delight some and offend others. On these terms, it is a unique pioneering work which has all the ingredients to fall under Meyerhold's definition of a masterpiece. * Kevin Corrigan, University of Saskatchewan, European Review of History *a remarkable achievement: challenging, learned, and at the same time enthralling to read ... A consequence of K.'s approach, and one of the impressive things about his book, is that it is not just a book for the specialist in ancient philosophy. K.'s work will also be important for students of ancient religion and magic and for anyone interested in what made Sicilian and Western Greek culture distinctive in the fifth century. K. writes with elegance and vigour ... anyone with a serious interest in early Greek philosophy should read this book. * Anne Sheppard, Royal Holloway, University of London, The Classical Review, Vol. XLVI, No. 2, '96 *an original, lucid and intriguing narrative on Empedocles ... he has put forward a powerful, wide-ranging and coherent case that deserves a hearing, and at the least, a reassessment of the role of the western Presocratics in the history of philosophy. * Phonesis: A Journal for Ancient Philosophy, Vol. XLI, No. 1 1996 *Reading Kingsley's Ancient Philosophy, Mystery, and Magic is like walking into the middle of a rarefied discussion that has been going on for thousands of years. * Bruce Nelson, Parabola *a remarkable achievement: challenging, learned, and at the same time enthralling to read. ... A consequence of K.'s approach, and one of the impressive things about his book, is that it is not just a book for the specialist in ancient philosophy. K.'s work will also be important for students of ancient religion and magic and for anyone interested in what made Sicilian and Western Greek culture distinctive in the fifth century. ... Despite its learning, the book is one of the most readable academic works I have encountered. K. writes with elegance and vigour. ... anyone with a serious interest in early Greek philosophy should read this book. * The Classical Review *a remarkable, indeed pioneering, book which will compel scholars not only to re-examine the paradigms and traditional sources of evidence upon which they have hitherto relied, but also perhaps to question the category of philosophy itself as a viable notion outside the orbit of mystery, magic and myth. The work amasses, for the first time in this form, a truly impressive array of textual, archaeological, and papyrological evidence. ... Kingsley contrives to do this in such an interesting way that the reader is drawn artfully into the process of detection itself as into the unravelling of an urgent mystery. ... it is a unique pioneering work which has all the ingredients to fall under Meyerhold's definition of a masterpiece. * European Review of History, vol.3, no.2 *In this work Kingsley has brought a vast amount of scholarship to bear on the subject. ... Kingsley's work, while firmly rooted in the academic tradition, is unique in teasing out new insights from texts that have been studied but misunderstood for decades. Kingsley's scholarship is wide-ranging and impeccable ... provides a storehouse of new insights and expands our understanding of the complex background of Greek philosophical thought. Without doubt, its central arguments are compelling and backed up with an intimidatingly vast scholarly apparatus. ... this is without question an important volume that will stimulate discussion for many years to come. * Gnosis Magazine, Winter 1997 *This work is without doubt the most important book on Empedocles in recent years and one of the most significant in early Greek thought since the writings of F. Cornford saw the light of day. This book is of great significance for the study of early Greek thought and presents a major transformation of view as far as Empedocles and Pythagoras as well as the relation of Pythagoreanism to Plato are concerned ... the book of Kingsley is of singular importance in the study of the Islamic intellectual tradition, while being of an even greater singificance for the field of Greek and Western philosophy, since it challenges the commonly held view of the whole foundation of Western philosophical thought. * Seyyed Hossein Masr, George Washington University, The Journal of Islamic Studies, Vol. 8, No. 2 '97 *Dramatic and provocative. He presents a stimulating, learned, and wide-ranging interpretation of Empedocles and Pythagoreanism ... this book provides a great deal of information in a thoroughly original package. * Religious Studies Review *The author has successfully accumulated fairly extensive material and convincing arguements to make his point! * The Journal of Indo-European Studies *Remarkable book...it is good to have his researches gathered in one volume...there can be no doubt that Kingsley's book, precisely in cutting across the narrow boundries of classical studies and departing from the well-worn avenues by which we approach the history of ancient philosophy, poses a serious challenge for most future work in the field...Kingsley's book will be a hard act to follow...I cannot think of many scholars in ancient philosophy who could afford to ignore this book without peril; it is not recommended but required reading! * Ancient Philosophy *In this work Kingsley has brought a vast amount of scholarship to bear on the subject...Kingsley's work...is unique in teasing out new insights from texts that have been studied but misunderstood for decades. Kingsley's scholarship is wide-ranging and impeccable...provides a storehouse of new insights and expands our understanding of the complex background of Greek philosopical thought. Without doubt, its central arguements are compelling, and backed up with an intimidatingly vast scholarly apparatus...this is without question an important volume that will stimulate discussion for many years to come. * Gnosis Magazine *This is a most remarkable book, learned, discursive, but yet sharply focussed, on a subject which might seem to lend itself readily to various sorts of intemperate speculation ... this is splendid book, and one that should generate much discussion. * John Dillon, Trinity College, Dublin, Hermathena, no 164, summer 98 *

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Book SynopsisA practical guide to the Anglo-Saxon Futhark and how runes were used in Old England In the early Anglo-Saxon period, the region of Great Britain known as Northumbria was a kingdom in its own right. These lands, in what is now northern England and southeast Scotland, were the targets of the first Viking raids on Britain. This violent influx, followed by the establishment of trade routes with the Norse, brought the runes to the region, where they intermingled with local magical traditions and legends, resulting in the development of a practical runic wisdom entirely unique to Northumbria. In this guide to the Wyrdstaves, or runic practices, of Old Northumbria, Nigel Pennick examines the thirty-three runes of the Anglo-Saxon Futhark and how they were used in Old England for weaving the web of Wyrd. Sharing runic lore and legends from the area, he explains how the Northumbrian runes are unique because they contain elements from all the cultures of the region, including the Picts, Britons, Romans, Angles, Scots, and Norse. He illustrates how each rune in this tradition is a storehouse of ancient knowledge, detailing the meanings, historical uses, symbolism, and related tree and plant spirits for each of the thirty-three runes. The author describes the Northumbrian use of runes in magic and encryption and explores geomancy divination practices, the role of sacred numbers, and the power of the eight airts, or directions. He also shows how the Northumbrian runes have a close relationship with Ogam, the tree alphabet of the ancient Celts. Providing a magical history of Northumbria, as well as a look at the otherworldly beings who call these lands home, including boggarts, brownies, and dragons, Pennick explains how traditional spirituality is intimately tied to the landscape and the cycle of the seasons. He reveals how the runic tradition is still vibrantly alive in this area and ready for us to reawaken to it.Trade Review“In Runic Lore and Legend: Wyrdstaves of Old Northumbria, Pennick delivers the most thorough account of Anglo-Saxon history, mythology, and cosmology. His ability to weave their narrative into the use of the Northumbrian Runes and reveal their modern relevance is nothing less than magickal.” * S. Kelley Harrell, author of Runic Book of Days *“Nigel Pennick is one of the greatest living runic experts, bringing meticulous research and a profound magical understanding to his subject. This important book examines the distinctive Anglo-Saxon Futhark of Northumbria, essentially setting the thirty-three runes in the context of both time and place.” * Anna Franklin, author of Pagan Ways Tarot *“The magical runes of England have, ironically, been the most neglected of all the runic alphabets in writings in the English language. To have one of the leading authors on the wisdom of the runes pen this comprehensive manual on the Northumbrian wyrdstaves is a most valuable gift to all who follow the Northern Tradition. Pennick’s weaving of local history and lore around the runes illuminates his subject in a way that no other book has been able to achieve.” * Richard Rudgley, author of The Return of Odin: The Modern Renaissance of Pagan Imagination *“Nigel Pennick is a true initiate who can demonstrate to the reader how nature and cosmos correlate to each other. He explains runes, medieval traditions, and Celtic magic in a pedagogic way that helps us understand how these topics are universal--something that gives us knowledge about ourselves and is of highest relevance for humankind today. I regularly return to Nigel Pennick’s books and am delighted to add Runic Lore and Legend: Wyrdstaves of Old Northumbria to my shelf.” * Thomas Karlsson, Ph.D., author of Nightside of the Runes *"This book is far more than the cover promised--had I seen this in a bookshop I could have easily passed it over for something that appeared less intimidating but to have done so would have denied me the delightful, personable yet incredibly intelligent and thorough writing of this author... " * Em Chuter, Pagan Dawn: Journal of the Pagan Federation *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION Our Picture of Past Times CHAPTER 1The Kingdom of Northumbria A Brief History CHAPTER 2 The Spirit Landscape of Northumbria CHAPTER 3 Northumbrian Geomancy The Year, Time, and Space CHAPTER 4 Runes and Consciousness Weaving the Web of Wyrd CHAPTER 5The Runes of Northumbria CHAPTER 6 The First Airt of the Northumbrian RunesCHAPTER 7 The Second Airt of the Northumbrian Runes CHAPTER 8 The Third Airt of the Northumbrian Runes CHAPTER 9 The Fourth Airt of the Northumbrian RunesCHAPTER 10Runes in Magic and Encryption CHAPTER 11 Magical Symbols and Artifacts of Old Northumbria CHAPTER 12 Ing Legendary and Magical HistoryCHAPTER 13Yr The Outlaw Archers CHAPTER 14 Otherworldly Beings of the Northumbrian Landscape Boggarts, Hobs, Brownies, and Bogeymen POSTSCRIPT Ancestral TreasuresGlossaryBibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWith mental health increasingly in the spotlight, this book offers a new perspective on anxiety. The focus of this book is on the application of psychological alchemical practice to address, explore and examine the nature and cause of anxiety in order to tackle and overcome it. It has never been more relevant to illustrate the reality that scientific, artistic and spiritual understanding, together with practical application, has the capacity to eliminate anxiety and gain personal control, liberation and fulfilment. The first half of the book identifies the issues to be considered and the second half explains and illustrates the alchemical practices with which to approach them. While the book puts a slight emphasis on musical performance, it is made clear at the outset that performance concerns everyone and the contents, therefore, apply universally. Music is simply a very clear example. The book is designed as a personal development book rather than a scholarly work and, although it is relevant to all ages (depending on timing), it was written with 18 – 30 year olds being the main inspiration through apparent and ever increasing necessity. It is a source book that can be dipped into anywhere or launch further investigation into any of the various disciplines and practices covered. Alchemy has the capacity to bind it all together and the alchemy of performance can become a way of life for anyone.

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Book SynopsisNow in paperback! Following the category-dominating success of Witchery, Indigenous medicine woman and seer Juliet Diaz initiates readers following the current witchy trends of herbal medicine and magic into a deeper, wilder connection with the ancient healing power of over 200 plants. All it will take is for you to slow down and pay attention to the world around you and, I promise, you will find the world within you. Indigenous seer, gifted plant whisperer, and Witchery author Juliet Diaz invites you to walk the path of the Plant Witch. Journey far beyond the basic medicinal and magical properties of plants, deep into Mother Earth''s drumming heart. Drawn from ancestral practices passed down by generations of teachers, the lessons in this book will awaken your intimate connection with nature, your ancestors, your guides, and to your true self through the powerful magic of plants. Within these pages, you will learn: Essential, magical, and medicinal properties of 200 herbs, flowers, trees, and fruits. Rituals for abundance, cleansing, and connecting with spirits. Spells to ward against evil, find answers, and protect against self-sabotage. Potions to open your third eye, bring luck, and promote creativity. Communication techniques for speaking and listening to plants. The optimal moon phases and seasons to work with different plants. Even as humans forget our place in nature''s rhythm and cause harm to our Earth Mother, the spirits of plants still call out to us, appear in our dreams, and inspire us as they push through cracks in cementresilient and determined to thrive. From abre camino and acacia to yucca and ZZ plant, each has unique personality and wisdom to share, if we are only willing to listen.

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Book SynopsisAn analysis of the methods of Solomonic magic from the 7th to the 19th century as found in the Hygromanteia and Key of Solomon. This volume is about the methods of magic used in 7th century Egyptian Alexandria and how they have been passed via the Greek grimoires of Byzantium (the Hygromanteia), to the manuscripts of the Latin Clavicula Salomonis and its English incarnation as the Key of Solomon. Jewish techniques like the use of pentacles, oil and water skrying were added along the way, but Solomonic magic (despite its name) remained basically a classical Greek form of magic. Amazingly, this transmission has involved very few changes: the 'technology' of magic has remained firmly intact. The emphasis is upon specific magical techniques such as the invocation of the gods, the binding of demons, the use of the four demon Kings, the construction of a circle and lamen (for protection of the magician). The requirements of purity, sexual abstinence, and fasting have changed little in the last 2000 years. The concrete reasons for that are explained. The difference between amulets, talismans and phylacteries or lamens is outlined along with their methods of construction. Examples of magical circles have been taken from many sources and their construction and development traced out. Practical considerations such as choice of incense, the timing of the cutting of the wand, utilisation of rings and statues, use of the Table of Evocation, or the acquisition of a familiar spirit are explained. The structure of a Solomonic evocation puts into perspective the reasons for each step, the use of thwarting angels, achieving invisibility, sacrifice, love magic, treasure finding, and the binding, imprisoning and licensing of spirits. The facing directions and timing of evocations have always been crucial, and these too have remained consistent. By examining the way these same methods were used again and again in the various periods, minor omissions in magical practice can be observed and repaired. This book is thus a follow-on from Techniques of Graeco-Egyptian Magic. This volume investigates precise methods used by magicians from the magicians' own handbooks rather than from the opinions of theologians, historians, anthropologists or legislators. The emphasis is on what magicians did and why. Tools used by magicians in 7th century Alexandria, 15th century Constantinople and 19th century London are very much the same. Detailed comparisons are made chapter by chapter with 70 illustrations of magical equipment like the wand, the sword, wax and clay images and magical gems, drawn from a wide range of manuscripts and reproduced with detailed analysis. Literally hundreds of manuscripts in libraries across Europe have been read and checked to ensure this is the most detailed analysis of Solomonic magic, from the inside, ever penned.

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Book SynopsisIncludes the History of the Tablet, Followed By Multiple Translations, Textual Remarks, Commentaries, Appendix, and Bibliography -

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Book SynopsisFollowing the death of the Austrian philosopher and spiritual scientist Rudolf Steiner in 1925, Ita Wegman - one of his closest esoteric pupils - began to publish regular letters to the members of the Anthroposophical Society. In Steiner's tradition, these letters were appended with 'leading thoughts' (or guiding principles). Esoteric Studies collects many of these 'letters to friends', together with various articles, reports and addresses by Ita Wegman on subjects such as the Christmas Foundation Conference, the Goetheanum building and the festival of Michaelmas. Featuring an informative foreword by Crispian Villeneuve and a commemorative study by George Adams, this book provides a fine introduction to the work of Ita Wegman, as well as a rousing call for courage and wakefulness in the spirit of the Archangel Michael!

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Book SynopsisIn this practical training guide, Don Webb lays out a detailed step-by-step program for building and sustaining a magical practice. Based not on Eliphas Levi’s correspondence system but on an older form of Egyptian magic, as well as drawing on Chaos Magick, shamanism, and the secret techniques of the Temple of Set, the program offers a full 12 months of activities, rituals, spells, and exercises to help you acquire magical skills and knowledge and maximize your strengths over the course of a year. Beginning with the hows and whys of magic, as well as the real dangers of the occult and how to avoid or cure them, the author shares experiences from his 45 years of personal work and 30 years of teaching the magical arts. He presents the Inshallo Rite for creating a magical helper as the first step on the road to becoming a magician. He explores the temporal aspect of magic--what works best at which times of year, month, or day--as well as the importance of keeping a magical diary, creating a warded work space, and properly preparing for magical work. Presenting a chapter-per-month curriculum, he explores the magical powers of elements, gods, and esoteric traditions, with weekly and daily exercises as well as emotional and mental training connected to each month’s topic. He examines the four elements in depth, sharing rites, invocations, spells, and activities for working magically with each element. Looking at Egyptian Soul Craft, he details how to work with the KA and the BA and how to perform magical workings with Egyptian deities. He explores sex magic, dream magic, group practice, and rites for the Nine Gates--events that can serve as pivotal moments for initiation. Based on more than three decades of magical teaching, Don Webb’s guide to becoming a modern magus will help beginners start their magical journey and support experienced magicians to revitalize and balance their existing practice.Trade Review“A no-nonsense, hands-on, pedal-to-the-metal primer in dealing with the magical universe--its blessings, pitfalls, dangers, trips, traps, and triumphs. A great and inspiring read for those who are about to embark on the greatest journey and adventure of all: that of truly getting to know yourself.” * Carl Abrahamsson, author of Source Magic and Occulture *“Many ‘instruction manuals’ for building a magical practice leave out a few inconvenient truths, like (a) becoming a better magician is hard work, (b) not everything will go your way regardless of how well you follow the instructions, and, most importantly, (c) unless you work first and foremost to transform yourself, your ability to cause change in the world will be limited. Don Webb thinks you are ready to handle these truths and has given you an honest road map. To point the way, he has created an innovative guidebook that stresses that magic must work with the whole self--all of your hopes, experiences, fears, desires--even when that work may be hard or uncomfortable. It is the rare book that is indispensable for both beginners and seasoned practitioners alike, regardless of their school or style. Don Webb is one of the very few authors on practical magic who can truly pull off this difficult task; whatever your approach is, this book will help you make it better.” * Toby Chappell, author of Infernal Geometry and The Left-Hand Path *“How to Become a Modern Magus gives any dedicated individual the framework and instruction they need for a full year of living magically. More than just spells and rituals, Webb provides a series of inquiries throughout the chapters that will help the student check in and test their growth. If you pick up this book and work it, I am confident you will be amazed at the improvements in both self-possession and outer circumstance that serious magic can achieve in just a year.” * Jason Miller, author of Consorting with Spirits *“Don Webb can easily be credited with ensuring a critical and well-researched approach supported with exquisite writing in any of his works. Yet in this dish of intellectual delights he wins us over even more deeply as he provides the sincere seeker with not only a practical system of modern magic but also a psychological and spiritual initiation through the very quintessence of the maturing stages of occultism. It is a work that is at once practical and psycho-biographical, an honest deep dive into several systems coherently woven into a single elegant tapestry without watering down the true cost of living deliciously.” * Adam Nox, host and creator of The Cult of You *“This is not a book; it is the cauldron of Magus Don Webb, into which he has poured a wealth of his experience, knowledge, and practice of the magical arts. Dipping into it will more than stir your imagination--it will slake your thirst to know more.” * Judith Page, Setian, artist, and author of My Inner Guide to Egypt *“How to Become a Modern Magus reveals the background of magic and shows not only the dangers but also the difference between magic and sorcery. A good book worth reading.” * Claude Lecouteux, author of Traditional Magic Spells for Protection and Healing *"How to Become a Modern Magus will for sure make you a more reflected person, more self-aware and more conscient. And in this it will also help you realise that your world or your universe depends on many elements working together in harmony for magic to become a reality – and that magic starts with the self-aware Magus. In this case, the Magus is someone who manages to keep his or her sanity and serenity in a world saturated by media and an excess of stimuli, someone who manages to move in worlds visible and invisible with agility, understanding and direction. A book that teaches all that deserves to be read, to be used and to be applauded!" * Nicholaj de Mattos Frisvold, psychologist and anthropologist *Table of ContentsA Very Personal Preface An Introduction to Magic Dangers of Occultism A YEAR OF LIVING MAGICALLY Barriers, Crossroads, Secrets ONE JanusThe ElementsTWO Agni THREEFreya FOURPakaaFIVE Saraswati INTERIM IA Week to Reflect on Elemental MagicEgyptian Soulcraft SIX Horus SEVEN Isis EIGHT AnubisNINE SetINTERIM IIA Week to Consolidate The Three Lovely and Challenging Faces of Time TEN Verðandi ELEVEN Urðr TWELVE Skuld Additional Resources Book of Gates Sex Magic--Dreamwork--Group WorkClosing Sermon: The Monkey’s Paw Leave-Taking Works Cited Index

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Book SynopsisAn exploration of the traditional rites of auspicious building and crafting• Explains the ceremonial beginnings and Hermetic principles in the laying out of foundations not only for sacred buildings like temples but also for homes and barns• Examines the principles and ceremonies of electional astrology and details how to compute natural time, as opposed to clock time• Shares examples from ancient Egypt, Iran, India, and Europe that range from the Stone Age to the Renaissance and include secret societiesWhen we make things--whether a building, a sacred space, or a magical object--there is a precise moment when the artifact comes into being as a separate entity. That moment in time possesses its own unique quality, and because of this, there is a right time to do something and a wrong time. And, as Nigel Pennick reveals, we have the power to select favorable moments for our creations, just as our ancestors did. Illustrating ancient principles of divination, chronomancy, and electional astrology, Pennick examines all the factors behind the ancestral art of geomancy: the auspicious creation and alignment of sacred buildings as places of power. Sharing examples from ancient Egypt, Iran, India, and Europe that range from the Stone Age to the modern day, including secret societies like the Rosicrucians and the Freemasons, he explains how many cities were constructed on specially selected sites and founded ritually at precise, predetermined moments. Looking at the traditional rites of creating places of power, Pennick explains the ceremonial beginnings and Hermetic principles in the laying out of foundations as well as the use of sacrifice in the building of many notable structures. Examining the role of sacred geometry in geomancy, Pennick explains the Hermetic meaning assigned to each direction in traditional European cultures as well as the principles of natural measures and the science of understanding lucky and unlucky days. Revealing how geomantic principles are rooted in the structure of the world and the cosmic patterns of space and time, the author shows how they transcend the ages and are just as meaningful today as they were to our ancestors.Trade Review“Scholarly yet accessible, this book presents all the essential precepts of geomantic design and construction timing within the Western traditions. It is ideal reading for anyone wishing to create meaningful sacred spaces in contemporary times or to imbue secular spaces with the timeless spiritual truths that uplift the atmosphere of place.” * Richard Creightmore & Jewels Rocka, leading international teachers of dowsing, geomancy, and self-de *“The archaic lore that traditional builders in Europe once used to bring structures into creative harmony with their physical and spiritual environments has become all but inaccessible to students of the mysteries in today’s world. Creating Places of Power remedies that, placing a wealth of once-secret lore in the reader’s hands. Encyclopedic in its scope and detail, this is the definitive work on a crucial dimension of old earth magic.” * John Michael Greer, author of The Secret of the Temple and The Twilight of Pluto *“In Creating Places of Power, Nigel Pennick, an established authority on folklore, folk magic, and ancient beliefs with more than 60 books to his name, hones his work on the European ancestral heritage of geomancy, sharing fascinating facts and practices that are accessible and also of value today. Crammed with a generous sharing of wisdom, this illustrated book is highly recommended.” * June Kent, publisher and editor of Indie Shaman magazine *Table of ContentsPreface to the New EditionIntroduction CHAPTER 1 Patterns of ExistenceConsciousness, the Gods, and the Stars CHAPTER 2Ceremonial Beginnings Finding and Marking the Place CHAPTER 3 Foundation Offerings, Sacrifices, and Relics CHAPTER 4Consecration, Evocatio, and BlessingsThe Sacred and the ProfaneCHAPTER 5 Symbolic Foundation Laying and Consecrating the First Stone CHAPTER 6 At the Center of the World The Earth’s Navel, the Cosmic Column, and the World TreeCHAPTER 7Space, Time, and Ceremony The Eightfold Division of the World and the Eight Winds CHAPTER 8 The Meaning of the DirectionsSymbolism and Nature of the Winds CHAPTER 9Natural Measure Dimensions Emergent from Nature and the Land CHAPTER 10 Traditional Time-Telling Sunlight and Shadow CHAPTER 11Orientation Facing in the Best Direction CHAPTER 12The City of the Omphalos Cosmic Centers and Symbolic Street Plans CHAPTER 13 At the Right TimeFavorable Days in the Calendar CHAPTER 14 Principles of Electional AstrologyChoosing the Correct Time for Rites and Ceremonies APPENDIX 1 Zodiac Signs and AssociatesAPPENDIX 2 The Egyptian Calendar APPENDIX 3Ruling Signs of CitiesGlossary Bibliography and Sources for Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisIn 1573, the alchemist Anna Zieglerin gave her patron, the Duke of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel, the recipe for an extraordinary substance she called the lion's blood. She claimed that this golden oil could stimulate the growth of plants, create gemstones, transform lead into the coveted philosophers' stone—and would serve a critical role in preparing for the Last Days. Boldly envisioning herself as a Protestant Virgin Mary, Anna proposed that the lion's blood, paired with her own body, could even generate life, repopulating and redeeming the corrupt world in its final moments. In Anna Zieglerin and the Lion's Blood, Tara Nummedal reconstructs the extraordinary career and historical afterlife of alchemist, courtier, and prophet Anna Zieglerin. She situates Anna's story within the wider frameworks of Reformation Germany's religious, political, and military battles; the rising influence of alchemy; the role of apocalyptic eschatology; and the position of women within these contexts. Together with her husband, the jester Heinrich Schombach, and their companion and fellow alchemist Philipp Sommering, Anna promised her patrons at the court of Wolfenbüttel spiritual salvation and material profit. But her compelling vision brought with it another, darker possibility: rather than granting her patrons wealth or redemption, Anna's alchemical gifts might instead lead to war, disgrace, and destruction. By 1575, three years after Anna's arrival at court, her enemies had succeeded in turning her from holy alchemist into poisoner and sorceress, culminating in Anna's arrest, torture, and public execution. In her own life, Anna was a master of self-fashioning; in the centuries since her death, her story has been continually refashioned, making her a fitting emblem for each new age. Interweaving the history of science, gender, religion, and politics, Nummedal recounts how one resourceful woman's alchemical schemes touched some of the most consequential matters in Reformation Germany.Trade Review"This is a major feat of historical revision for a subject that has too long been the object of mockery and scorn . . . Tara Nummedal's new microhistory demonstrates with scholarly acumen and stylistic élan just how wrong assumptions [about alchemy] are. In a dazzling work of cultural imagination, she eschews all the 'turning lead into gold' nonsense and quickly gets to the conceptual heart of who alchemists were, what they actually believed, and what roles they played in early modern society. Building on deep archival work and sophisticated argumentation, she fashions a truly engaging and revealing microhistory focused on the tragic story of one sixteenth-century practitioner, Anna Zieglerin."" * Preternature *"[A] gripping microhistory that situates alchemy within the histories of imperial politics, Reformation culture, Renaissance self-fashioning, courtly patronage, gender, the body, and sixteenth-century eschatology...With its intriguing storytelling, Anna Zieglerin and the Lion’s Blood is particularly attractive for scholars and students new to the complexities of early modern alchemy. Nummedal maintains a light touch, weaving discussions of sixteenth-century science, magic, religion, and imperial politics into what remains an enthralling tale throughout. She is to be commended for producing a book that does so much to highlight alchemy’s connections to a broad range of Reformation-era developments and that has a chance to bring its history to a wider audience." * Renaissance and Reformation *"Captivating and creative from the earliest pages...Nummedal has skillfully interwoven the history of science and religion, as well as political, social, gender, and court histories via an insightful look into the alchemical theories and practices of the age...[An] erudite and well-written study. Nummedal has produced a fun page-turner and the reader—whether a scholar of any aspect of early modern history or a general reader interested in good stories and good histories—will benefit from this wonderful presentation of alchemy and political intrigue in the courts of the Holy Roman Empire." * The Journal of Modern History *"In this masterful study, Tara Nummedal exposes a previously vilified figure of local German history to sympathetic new scrutiny and in the process, opens a window onto the fantastic worldview of her subject…By employing archival and manuscript evidence along with the older historiography, Nummedal manages to piece together the fascinating story." * American Historical Review *"In Alchemy and Authority, Nummedal made clear how alchemy was deeply integrated into early modern economics and court culture. In this latest effort, Nummedal has accomplished the same goal except on a vastly more ambitious scale, bringing the relevance of alchemy into the politics, religion, diplomacy, court culture, and gender roles of the Holy Roman Empire in the sixteenth century . . . Anna Zieglerin and the Lion's Blood is a remarkable historiographical study . . . In short, Nummedal has contributed a stunning achievement that ideally will reach a wide and diverse audience far beyond historians of science." * Ambix *"[A]an entertaining book, with long stretches reading like a thriller…Anna Zieglerin lived her existence as an alchemist so authentically, was so dedicated body and soul to the matter that not only the substances but also she herself became a victim of the flames. The fact that she is now transmuted into a book and can live on in this way is a testament to Nummedal’s achievement." * Annals of Science *"Anna Zieglerin and the Lion's Blood is perfect for historians and general readers alike. It is written in a vivid and accessible language, and by adopting a nonjudgmental style of reporting Nummedal decisively differs from her predecessors: she refuses to make value judgments about Anna's wondrous and outrageous claims and brand the alchemist a simple charlatan. Instead, she presents the story of a complex and tragic individual, who came up with a unique theory of heavenly alchemy." * Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft *"Drawing upon diverse sources, Nummedal situates Anna and her alchemy within the social contexts of gender, religion, and politics in Reformation Germany to weave an impressive historical narrative of a woman attempting to understand the natural world and her place within it...Nummedal succeeds in reframing Anna Zieglerin as a woman with agency who intentionally fashioned herself into a courtly alchemist within strict early modern European gender boundaries. Nummedal’s Anna is a lens through which the twentyfirst-century reader can view the history of alchemy and its relationship to Christianity, the body, and politics." * Isis *"Nummedal’s analysis offers particular insights into the history of women’s bodies, the intersections between natural knowledge and politics, and the relationship between self-fashioning and fantasy...The book is meticulously researched and displays the author’s talents for archival sleuthing (which were already known from her first book). Beyond this, it is eminently readable and takes what is strange, foreign, and ripe for misunderstanding, making it comprehensible and relatable." * Journal of the History of Medicine *"The book is superbly written and clearly contextualized, and thus easily accessible even to non-experts. However, more experienced scholars will also benefit from this elegant study. All in all, Anna Zieglerin and the Lion’s Blood adds considerably to our understanding of the complexity of sixteenth-century religiosity, which was easily able to accommodate alchemical practices...Because of the ways in which it considers the religious implications of alchemical practice, Nummedal’s study is a worthwhile read not only for historians of science but also for Church historians and religious scholars." * Renaissance Quarterly *"Anna Zieglerin and the Lion's Blood is as gripping as a good novel yet so much more than merely an interesting yarn. Tara Nummedal is completely conversant with the milieu in which she locates her story and is very adept in fitting this episode into the broader narratives of sixteenth-century religion, science, and court life." * Philip Soergel, University of Maryland *"Anna Zieglerin and the Lion's Blood is at once a story of one particular woman and a broader discourse on gender and the body, the history of alchemy, the central role of apocalyptic thinking in early modern Germany, and, most interestingly, the nature of historical truth. A remarkable story, expertly told." * Alisha Rankin, Tufts University *Table of ContentsCast of Characters A Note on Names Introduction. A Witch's Chair? Chapter 1. The Shadow of Gotha Chapter 2. The Road to Wolfenbüttel Chapter 3. Courting Julius and Hedwig Chapter 4. The Lion's Blood Chapter 5. A New Virgin Mary Chapter 6. Unraveling Chapter 7. Toad Poison and Other Fictions Conclusion. Afterlives Chronology of Events Notes Bibliography Index Acknowledgments

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