Magic, alchemy and hermetic thought Books

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 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 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 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 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 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 SynopsisAwaken your cosmic spirit in a new realm of imagination Become immersed in the mystical beauty of nature. Starcana: Moon Magic is an entrancing collection of elegant moons and stars, of radiant herbs and crystals charged with energy, of enchanting flora and fauna, and of ethereal symbols. Embellish more than 45 hand-drawn illustrations of grounding panoramas and gorgeous patterns with kaleidoscopic flourishes. With intricate linework to soften the setting and inspire your creativity, Starcana: Moon Magic is a uniquely beautiful canvas for passionate colorists to illuminate.- Harness your artistic vision to transform each captivating illustration- Color spellbinding art that celebrates cosmic mysticism- Let gorgeous designs set the tone for complementing colors, gels, and glitter

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 2021 American Board & Academy of Psychoanalysis Annual Book Prize for Best Theoretical Book in Psychoanalysis!Stanton Marlan brings together writings which span the course of his career, examining Jungian psychology and the alchemical imagination as an opening to the mysteries of psyche and soul. Several chapters describe a telos that aims at the mysterious goal of the Philosophers' Stone, a move replete with classical and postmodern ideas catalysed by prompts from the unconscious: dreams, images, fantasies, and paradoxical conundrums. Psyche and matter are seen with regards to soul, light and darkness in terms of illumination, and order and chaos as linked in the image of chaosmos. Marlan explores the richness of the alchemical ideas of Carl Jung, James Hillman, and others and their value for a revisioning of psychology. In doing so, this volume challenges any tendency to literalism and essentialism, and contributes to an integratTrade ReviewStanton Marlan’s essays movingly mirror the steadily burning passion of the alchemists for their opus. With these critical ventures into alchemical psychology Marlan has forged an opus of his own that is more than an amalgam of other thinkers’ insights. It is a singular work of creative scholarship and imagination and is thus another link in the golden chain of engagement with the mysteries of the human psyche.Murray Stein, Ph.D., author of Jung’s Map of the SoulTo use an alchemical metaphor, in this collection of his writings, we find Stan Marlan having "taken another round in the container." That is, he works his material again and again, with it each time becoming more refined, sophisticated, and qualitatively transformed. The result is a series of deep insights and psychological wisdom, richly evolved and well worth the reader’s time. I highly recommend this intellectually clarifying and emotionally satisfying book!Pat Berry, Ph.D., Jungian AnalystOver the years my own understanding of Jung has been deepened by Stan Marlan’s own original and insightful essays on the pivotal place of alchemy in Jung’s psychology. What a joy now to have the fifteen essays gathered in this volume. For the reader the book itself becomes an alchemical vessel whose fire attests to the radical depths and reveals the expansive reach of Jung’s Alchemical Psychology beyond the narrow confines of what his psychology has become. Marlan’s scholarship and elegant writing display Jung’s alchemical imagination as a necessary and much needed recovery of the erotic coupling between psyche and nature, that dark desire of spirit to matter and for matter to be inspired. Read Marlan’s book and learn to trust and to love the brilliance of the soul’s dark light that illuminated the alchemists of old and beckons us to be with them today. Robert D. Romanyshyn, Ph.D., author of Victor Frankenstein, the Monster and the Shadows of Technology: The Frankenstein PropheciesTable of Contents1. Jung’s Discovery of Alchemy and Its Development in the Jungian Tradition 2. Jung and Alchemy: A Daimonic Reading 3. Fire in the Stone: An Inquiry into the Alchemy of Soul Making 4. Salt and the Alchemical Soul: Freudian, Jungian, and Archetypal Perspectives 5. The Metaphor of Light and Renewal in Taoist Alchemy and Jungian Psychology 6. The Metaphor of Light and Its Deconstruction in Jung’s Alchemical Vision 7. Facing the Shadow: Turning toward the Darkness of the Nigredo 8. The Black Sun 9. From the Black Sun to the Philosophers’ Stone 10. A Critique of Wolfgang Giegerich’s Move from Imagination to the Logical Life of the Soul 11. What’s the Matter with Alchemical Recipes: Philosophy and Filth in the Forging of Jung’s Alchemical Psychology 12. The Philosophers’ Stone as Chaosmos: The Self and the Dilemma of Diversity 13. The Azure Vault: Alchemy and the Cosmological Imagination 14. Divine Darkness and Divine Light: Alchemical Illumination and the Mystical Play Between Knowing and Unknowing

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Book SynopsisYour Quest for Dragons Begins Now Here there be dragons! Arising out of our greatest myths and legends, dragons are powerful allies, lending their gifts and wisdom to your magickal practice. Summon forth their sacred energies and weave their transformative power into your life with spells, rituals, meditations, and more. Seeking Dragons presents a cross-cultural exploration of the draconic archetypes as they have appeared across the millennia as gods, monsters, and mentors. Sharing visualizations, oil and incense recipes, and detailed rituals for honoring celestial and elemental dragons, Virginia Chandler helps you forge close bonds with these mysterious creatures as essential spiritual companions. You'll learn how to make offerings to them, perform lunar magick with them, and connect to their energy through folklore. If your heart has longed to work with dragons, then open this book and let the adventure begin.

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Book SynopsisYour Hands-on, Back-to-Basics Guide to Building a Magical Practice As if you're having face-to-face lessons on her porch, H. Byron Ballard introduces you to the ways of magic, answering vital questions about what it is, why it matters, and how to do it. She teaches the mechanics and foundational skills of practice, offering no-nonsense techniques that practitioners of any skill level or tradition can use. Drawing from her many years as a practicing witch, Ballard demonstrates how to engage daily with the energy around you. She encourages you to experience magic with fresh eyeswhether you're a beginner or need to regain a beginner's mind. This book provides grounding exercises, shielding methods, healing magic, insight on witchcraft tools, and more. Ballard offers everything you need to live a full, enchanted life in our deliciously magical world.

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Book SynopsisAn insider''s guide for beginner mystics, How to Study Magic is your ultimate introduction to the main areas of magicfrom witchcraft to grimoireswhat it means to practice them, and, most of all, how to get started.Have you ever wanted to dive into the world of magic, but weren''t sure where to begin? You''re not alone! Knowing where to start can be mystifying, but it doesn''t have to be. In How to Study Magic, author, educator, and seasoned witch Sarah Lyons guides you through an introductory course of study, and an enchanted entry point to the wide world of magical paths.Drawing on Sarah''s own experience practicing and teaching magic for more than a decade, this interactive exploration takes novice witches through basic tools they can use in their studiesfrom divination and meditation to cleansing and protectionbefore diving into the history, lore, and modern incarnations of a wide range of magical practices. With chapters on Witchcraft, Chaos Magic, Spellbooks and Grimoires, Gods an

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Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of the princess saves herself in this onecomes an accessible guide to incorporating magic into your life completely from scratch, welcoming beginner witches with arms wide open. As witchcraft grows ever more popular, there are countless introductions to magical practice to choose from?so many that you might not know where to begin. When you''re just getting started, it''s easy to be intimidated by even entry-level magic books, or you simply may not have timeto read such heavy texts, leaving you discouraged. Your Magical Lifeaims to change that, showing that magic doesn?t have to be fancy, time-consuming, or one-size-fits-all. Drawing from years of practical experience, this is an interactive beginner''s guide that introduces the tenets of witchcraft so that you can develop your own practice in whatever way works for you. amanda lovelace offers simple explanations, inspiring poetry, words of encouragement, magical journaling prompts, and the tools needed to begin building a strong, long-lasting practice focused on self-love.

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Book SynopsisFrom Arthurian legend to tales of ancient China, horses have traversed the world alongside humans for centuries, and their heroic adventures are gathered here in this one-of-a-kind little encyclopedia . . . Beloved for their grace, strength, and untamed beauty, horses have always loomed large in our imaginations, featuring in mythologies across cultures and throughout history. This little encyclopedia rounds up more than 50 mythical horses from around the world, including: - Bai Long Ma, part dragon and part horse, of the Chinese classic Journey to the West- Balius and Xanthus, Achilles''s horses who fought in the Trojan War- Pegasus, a winged stallion and child of the Greek god Poseidon - Sleipnir, a war horse belonging to great Norse god Odin And so many more! With detailed illustrations throughout, this book pays tribute to some of our most formidable equine friends.

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Book SynopsisStephen A. Mitchell offers the fullest examination available of witchcraft in late medieval Scandinavia, drawing on extensive sources ranging from the Icelandic sagas to those much less familiar to the nonspecialist: legal cases, church frescoes, law codes, ecclesiastical records, and surviving runic spells.Trade Review"Mitchell's book is fascinating and valuable . . . not only because it fills a gap and gives us a rich store of material previously too little known but also because it raises questions about the distinctive resonance magic and witchcraft could have even in a time of deep and widespread integration into European culture."" * Catholic Historical Review *"Witchcraft and magic involve issues that cut across disciplines, and Mitchell has produced a solid, impressively interdisciplinary contribution to our understanding of them. . . . A significant regional study of a neglected era, [this] book also makes important contributions to our larger understanding of European witchcraft and magic and makes exemplary use of interdisciplinary approaches." * Journal of Interdisciplinary History *"This important book accomplishes several major goals. It illuminates a previously little-examined aspect of Scandinavian history, namely magic in the post-Viking but pre-Reformation centuries. It advances some valuable and broadly applicable methodologies for studying conversion and Christianization. And it successfully integrates Nordic developments into the overall history of magic and witchcraft in medieval Europe even as it highlights uniquely Scandinavian components of that history." * American Historical Review *"This well-written book will be of great interest to specialists (and students) of Old Norse culture and history as well as to historians of European magic. Finally, this is a text that ought to interest students of religion, who have here an excellent study of 'religious' change." * Journal of Religion *"Mitchell provides a comprehensive and enlightening survey of beliefs and narratives concerning supernatural aggression in medieval Scandinavia . . . [creating] an effective and evocative bridge through the long and richly storied era that begins in the pre-Christian Viking Age and ends in the Reformation." * Journal of English and Germanic Philology *"Thorough and subtle. . . . The material assembled here is rich, varied, and often unfamiliar. The sociohistorical picture Professor Mitchell draws from it will be of great value not only to scholars of Scandinavia but to anyone interested in the complex history of European witch-beliefs." * Folklore *"This excellent book aims to rectify a lacuna in the study of Nordic witchcraft beliefs. . . . To do the subject matter justice requires both a deep understanding of the history and social structures of the region and period, and an ability to work with a huge and varied corpus of source materials. Mitchell is exceptionally well suited to the task." * Scandinavian Studies *"A clearly written, sophisticated consideration of the dynamics of popular and elite cultures of religion, witchcraft, shamanism, and magic during the medieval period in the Nordic region." * The Journal of Religion and Popular Culture *"Mitchell's book provides an excellent overview of research and at the same time shows in a convincing manner how popular conceptions of witches and sorcerers changed in the North during the Middle Ages." * Svenska Dagbladet *Table of ContentsPreface Introduction Chapter 1. Witchcraft and the Past Chapter 2. Magic and Witchcraft in Daily Life Chapter 3. Narrating Magic, Sorcery, and Witchcraft Chapter 4. Medieval Mythologies Chapter 5. Witchcraft, Magic, and the Law Chapter 6. Witchcraft, Sorcery, and Gender Epilogue: The Medieval Legacy Notes Works Cited Index Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisThis book introduces students to the anthropology of magic and witchcraft, terms widely used but with no widely accepted definitions. It takes a new approach to this area within the anthropology of religion, demonstrating that the bases for these beliefs and alleged practices are inherent in human cognition and psychology, even instinctual, and likely rooted in our evolutionary biology. It shows how magic and magical thinking are regular elements in peopleâs daily lives, and that understanding the components of the witchcraft complex offers surprisingly important insights into patterns of thinking and social behavior.The book reviews the many meanings of âœmagicâ and âœwitchcraft,â and introduces the best anthropological meanings of the terms. The components of these beliefs are timeless and universal; this fact, and recent advances in the brain sciences, suggest that the principles of magic are derived from basic processes of human thinking, and the attributes of the witch derive from neurobiologically based fears and fantasies. The propensity for such beliefs probably had adaptive significance in the evolutionary development of the human species; they are inherently human.This book is intended to focus anew on the core concepts of magic, witchcraft, and the supernatural, while also serving as an introduction to the anthropology of religion for undergraduate and graduate-level courses.Table of ContentsPreface1. Introduction2. Anthropology and Cultural Reality 3. The Supernatural4. Magic, Inherently Human5. The Principles of Magic in Mystical/Ritual Contexts6. Witchcraft (and Sorcery): Inherently Human7. The Witch is a Composite of Fundamental Fears and Fantasies8. Dark Shamans and Child-Eating Satanists; Summary ConclusionsGlossaryIndex

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Book SynopsisSocial media is part of our lives, and it's an increasingly popular place for witches of all kinds to meet and create new spells.

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Book SynopsisWILD MEDICINE FOR APOCALYPTIC TIMES This Witch?s devotional is a collection of nature-inspired prayers, mythic incantations, stories, and pagan poetry that can be enjoyed slowly or all at once. It will resonate with anyone looking to soothe the wounds of modernity with eco-devotional language, spellwork, and daily spiritual nourishment. Danielle Dulsky speaks to the expanding movement of those returning to slow, simple living and cultivating an Earth-inspired, sustainable existence. Organized around thirteen archetypes and their themes, ranging from the Mountain Mage (solitude) and Bone-Witch (grievers) to the Heathen Queen (empowerment) and Shepherd (nurturing), Bones & Honey will carry you to the ?third road,? the unforeseen way that arises from the tension of opposites.

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Book SynopsisFrom ancient rock and cave art to the contemporary brand logos of politics and business, human beings have always created symbols to denote specific ideas, groups, or important objects as well as to convey deeper information than can be communicated in words. Many glyphs have retained their meanings over millennia whereas some have modern meanings vastly different from the original connotation. In this study of symbols, Nigel Pennick explores glyphs as agents of higher consciousness and ports of access to the collective unconscious, acknowledging the continuity of tradition, both deliberate and not, as well as how interpretations of some symbols, such as the swastika, have changed dramatically. With more than 300 unique woodcuts, drawings, calligraphy, and photographs--many never before reproduced--Pennick examines ancient and enduring glyphs in detail, such as the circle, cross, eye, pentagram, fleur de lis, tree of life, and horseshoe, as well as several families of symbols, such as craftsmen’s marks, runes, symbolic beasts, human heads and skulls, and the sigils of Mammon. The author explains the multiple forms and uses of each from ancient times to the present day, reflecting their roots in the Western Mystery tradition. He explores the symbols of high magic such as the glyph of John Dee’s monad, those of folk magic such as the traditional cock on the weather vane, and the creation of modern glyphs such as the peace sign and the anarchy symbol. Contrasting the hi-jacked use of power symbols in modern advertising with the vital role of symbols in traditional arts and crafts, Pennick reveals how symbols link the cosmic with the terrestrial and allow us to infuse the mundane with the numinous.Trade Review“Symbols are like signposts directing us into the realm of the subconscious and the spiritual; they are flashpoints that stir emotions and trigger deeper--even divine--connections. But they also take on lives of their own, twining across times and cultures, and Nigel Pennick has always had his finger on their pulse. The Book of Primal Signs is a veritable thesaurus of traditional symbolism, spanning from prehistory to today. This is a vital guidebook to a hidden world that is, most thankfully and wondrously, still in plain view.” * Michael Moynihan, coauthor of Lords of Chaos *“Solidly referenced and carefully illustrated, The Book of Primal Signs seems to travel everywhere and touch everything . . .” * RICHARD HEATH, author of Sacred Number and the Origins of Civilization and Sacred Number and the Lor *“This book is highly recommended to researchers and students of the occult as an immensely valuable survey of symbols from an author with sophisticated spiritual insights and an invaluable multi-disciplinary approach to his subject. Kudos!” * Facing North, Elizabeth Hazel, July 2014 *Table of ContentsPreface: Primal Signs, Traditional Glyphs, and Symbols Introduction: A Symbolic WorldPart ITraditional Glyphs, Signs, Sigils, and Symbols in PracticeThe Runes Runic Logos and Defunct Organizations The Pitfalls of Symbology New Names, New Meanings The Public Use of Glyphs Part IIA Box of Glyphs1 The Sun, the Circle, and the Sun Wheel 2 The Akhet and the Twin Towers 3 The Eight-Spoked Wheel 4 Crosses 5 The Crescent Moon, Star, and Comet 6 Solar Light and Lightning 7 The Cosmic or Philosophical Egg 8 The Omphalos 9 The Pineapple 10 The Tree of Life 11 The Fleur-de-Lys 12 The Rose 13 The Heart 14 Human and Eldritch Heads 15 The Swastika 16 The Skirl, Yin and Yang 17 The Pothook 18 The Trefot 19 The Horseshoe 20 Tools and Craft Symbols 21 The X, Gyfu, Daeg, and Ing Glyphs 22 The Hexflower 23 Woven Patterns 24 Plaits and Knots 25 Straw Plaits 26 The Pentagram 27 The Hexagram 28 The Checker 29 House Marks, Craftsmen’s Marks, and Sigils 30 Miscellaneous Magical Glyphs 31 Alternative and New Spiritual Glyphs 32 Local Glyphs 33 Symbolic Beasts 34 The Serpent 35 The Phoenix 36 The Cockerel and Weathercocks 37 The Eye and the Peacock 38 The Sigils of Mammon 39 The Death’s Head Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisDuring Paris’s Belle Époque (1871-1914), many cultural movements and artistic styles flourished--Symbolism, Impressionism, Art Nouveau, the Decadents--all of which profoundly shaped modern culture. Inseparable from this cultural advancement was the explosion of occult activity taking place in the City of Light at the same time. Exploring the magical, artistic, and intellectual world of the Belle Époque, Tobias Churton shows how a wide variety of Theosophists, Rosicrucians, Martinists, Freemasons, Gnostics, and neo-Cathars called fin-de-siècle Paris home. He examines the precise interplay of occultists Joséphin Peladan, Papus, Stanislas de Guaïta, and founder of the modern Gnostic Church Jules Doinel, along with lesser known figures such as Saint-Yves d’Alveydre, Paul Sédir, Charles Barlet, Edmond Bailly, Albert Jounet, Abbé Lacuria, and Lady Caithness. He reveals how the work of many masters of modern culture such as composers Claude Debussy and Erik Satie, writers Arthur Rimbaud and Charles Baudelaire, and painters Georges Seurat and Alphonse Osbert bear signs of immersion in the esoteric circles that were thriving in Paris at the time. The author demonstrates how the creative hermetic ferment that animated the City of Light in the decades leading up to World War I remains an enduring presence and powerful influence today. Where, he asks, would Aleister Crowley and all the magicians of today be without the Parisian source of so much creativity in this field?Trade Review". . . a massive, focused exploration of the relationship between the mystical and the creative. . .This entertaining volume will please fans of esoterica and the City of Light." * Publishers Weekly *“With Tobias Churton as the cicerone--or dare I say psychopomp?--the reader is expertly guided in the labyrinthine world of the Occult Paris of the Belle Époque (1871-1914). This is the best introduction to the French occult revival ever written in English.” * Henrik Bogdan, professor of religious studies at the University of Gothenburg *“Music, art, literature, mysticism--fin-de-siècle Paris had it all in great abundance, and in Tobias Churton’s latest tome he uncovers the hidden and not-so-hidden connections between Satie, Debussy, Redon, Rops, Khnopff, Gauguin, Crowley, Lévi, Papus, Mathers, Péladan, Michelet, Blavatsky, Reuss, Huysmans, Breton, and countless others. . . . Eminently readable and filled with meticulous historical details, this is a fabulous depiction of one of the most exciting and fervent periods of creativity in modern times.” * John Zorn, composer-performer *“A tour de force. A stunning account of fin-de-siècle Occult Paris and its lasting influence on the counterculture. . . . Churton gives comprehensive portrayals of such occult luminaries as Péladan, Papus, and de Guaita as well as a portrayal of their movements and a seminal analysis of esoteric art--in particular the ‘Rosicrucian’ art of the salons--locating its place in the intellectual, cultural, and political milieu of the Belle Époque. Tobias is as erudite as he is excited and exciting. His scholarship is alive with passion, imagination, humor, and, most of all, humanity. A must-read for students of European history, Art Nouveau, Symbolism, Idealism, Surrealism, and the Decadents as well as for neo-Rosicrucian, Templar and Gnostic esotericists, and modern-day alchemists and magicians.” * Stephen J. King (Shiva X°), Grand Master, Ordo Templi Orientis *“No one can evoke the feel of a place and an era like Tobias Churton! This is Paris in the Belle Époque, but behind the city of the can-can, Toulouse-Lautrec, and the Moulin Rouge, Churton shows us a Paris of seekers in mysterious worlds--magic, Hermeticism, Kabbalah, alchemy--and of artists, writers, and composers who were also drawn to those realms. The spirit of their compelling quest is stamped on every page of this book.” * Christopher McIntosh, Ph.D., author of Eliphas Lévi *“Tobias Churton brings this amazing era to life. Gnostics, Free Masons, Rosicrucians, Hermetics…The echos of Paris’ Belle Epoque is still heard in cultural and spiritual movements today.” * The Echo *Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments ONE "Memories Weigh More than Stone": Edmond Bailly's Bookshop 1888 Victor-Emile Michelet at Bailly's Bookshop TWO The Build Up Politics and Power Decadence Recovering Lost Powers THREE Meetings with Remarkable Men St. Martin Fabre d'Olivet Eliphas Levi FOUR Theosophy and the Tradition Lady Caithness Saint-Yves d'Alveydre Agarttha FIVE Stanislas de Guaita Abbe Lacuria SIX The Sar The Peladans SEVEN The Kabbalistic Order of the Rose-Cross Vicomte Louis Charles Edouard de Lapasse and the Rose-Croix of Toulouse Peladan and the Templars De Guaita and Boullan The Order Paul Adam Barlet EIGHT Papus Paul Sedir and Marc Haven NINE Rosicrucial Differences The Order of the Catholic Rose-Croix, the Temple and the Graal TEN The Salon of the Century The Manifestation ELEVEN The Boullan Affair TWELVE Satie and Debussy: Moved by the Gnosis Gnossiennes--Erik's Gnostic Twist The Way Out The Esoteric Debussy The Magic in Music THIRTEEN The Gnostic Church Jules Doinel Leonce-Eugene Joseph Fabre des Essarts (1848-1917) Developments within the Gnostic Church--the Palladium Controversy FOURTEEN How to Become a Magus: The Rose-Croix Salons 1893-1897 The Salon of 1893 The Rose-Croix Salons of 1894 and 1895 FIFTEEN The Martinist Order SIXTEEN The Boys Move In Joanny Bricaud (1881-1934) Deodat Roche The Ancient & Primitive Rites of Memphis and Misraim Theodor Reuss, Ancient & Primitive, and the Universal Gnostic Church SEVENTEEN To the End with Papus EIGHTEEN The Legacy: A Forgotten Dream Extramural Synarchy Notes Bibliography

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Book Synopsis• Explores Kremmerz’s life, his teachings, his work as a hermetic physician, and the metaphysical and hermetic principles that guided his activities • Offers a detailed account of the distance healing practices, diagnostic methods, and rituals of the Fraternity of Myriam • Includes texts written by Kremmerz on the inner workings and magical operations of the fraternity, intended for its practicing members Giuliano Kremmerz (1861-1930), born Ciro Formisano, was one of the most influential Italian occultists, alchemists, and Hermetic masters of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, though he remains almost unknown to English readers. In 1896, Kremmerz began writing about natural and divine magic, healing, and alchemy through the journal Il Mondo Secreto (The Secret World). At the same time, he founded a school known as the Schola Philosophica Hermetica Classica Italica as well as a magical group, the Therapeutic and Magical Fraternity of Myriam. Within the Myriam, he sought to use Hermetic, magical, and Pythagorean principles to harness the power of the psyche and convey collective energies for therapeutic purposes and distance healing. His initiatic order would become the principal esoteric society in Italy--comparable to its British counterpart, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn--but forced to be a carefully guarded secret as Mussolini’s government rose to power. In this unique compilation of essays, David Pantano presents an in-depth study of Kremmerz’s life and work by his student and initiate, Italian esotericist Marco Daffi. Without holding back criticism, Daffi provides a detailed account of the history and practices of the Myriam as well as the metaphysical and Hermetic principles that guided their activities. Revealing Kremmerz’s rediscovery of the occult healing of ancient mystery schools, Daffi also shows how Kremmerz laid the foundation for passing this initiatory tradition on to the new millennium. He explores the means by which Kremmerz said miracles can be performed and the way Hermetic forces affect both bodily health and mystical eroticism. Throughout this collection, David Pantano provides extensive annotations, offering the English reader essential historical and mystical context for Daffi’s work. Connecting to untranslated Italian texts and elucidating Daffi’s poetic style, Pantano’s commentary reveals the particular tradition of Italian esoterism. Pantano also includes rare and unpublished texts written by Kremmerz and intended for the Myriam’s practicing members. Combined, these papers offer a picture of the inner workings and magical operations of this fraternity, available for the first time in English.Trade Review“The Hermetic Physician is an eagerly awaited addition to the growing body of works on Italian Hermeticism, of which Giuliano Kremmerz is its modern embodiment. Heir of the Egyptian- Neapolitan current from which Cagliostro and others were born, Kremmerz sought to reveal esoteric teachings to lessen human suffering through the tool of Hermetic ‘egregores.’ Here, for the first time in the English language, we have the guiding principles and examples of rituals of a healer of miraculous reputation to aid us on our own inner journey and to help us be of service to others on their path as well.” * Mark Stavish, author of Egregores and The Path of Freemasonry *“Pantano’s excellent translations of, and insightful commentaries on, Daffi’s obscure essays gives the reader a rare glimpse into the life and work of the Italian magus Giuliano Kremmerz. From his work in occult therapeutics to order documents pertaining to his Fraternity of Myriam, Kremmerz’s work is finally available to the English-reading public.” * Jaime Paul Lamb, author of Myth, Magick, and Masonry: Occult Perspectives in Freemasonry *“English-speaking people have been in the dark for too long about European esotericism. This fascinating book gives insight into the Italian movement in the early twentieth century, which parallels many developments in the United States.” * Richard Smoley, author of A Theology of Love *“In the English-speaking world, Italian esotericism has long been synonymous with radical Traditionalist Julius Evola. However, shining a light on a fascinating but little-known corner of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Italy, The Hermetic Physician outlines the life and work of Hermeticist, magician, and healer Giuliano Kremmerz and his Fraternity of Myriam (influenced by the Egyptian Rite of Freemasonry, Martinism, Rosicrucianism, and the ancient Egyptian-Greco-Roman tradition). This volume includes texts written by Kremmerz for members of the fraternity (which was targeted and eventually closed down by the fascist regime of Mussolini) as well as a Sagittarius ritual and an Aries ritual published in Kremmerz’s journal Il Mondo, never before seen in English. Other subjects discussed in this volume include the initiatic chain, the use of therapeutical genii, planetary intelligences, and the effect of the ‘erotic fire’ of sex on healing.” * Angel Millar, author of The Three Stages of Initiatic Spirituality: Craftsman, Warrior, Magician *“Translating Marco Daffi’s work, The Hermetic Physician was an obvious labor of love for David Pantano. Thanks to his and Daffi’s efforts we can explore Giuliano Kremmerz’s concepts of Hermetic healing and the fraternity he built around them. Don’t overlook this Hermetic gem!” * Rebecca Elson, publisher of the Magical Buffet website *“Less well known--and unfairly so--outside Italy than his nearcontemporary Julius Evola, Giuliano Kremmerz would find in Marco Daffi (Baron Ricciardo Ricciardelli) a sympathetic chronicler of his Hermetic philosophy, in particular its iatric implications. Now both men have found in David Pantano a translator who does justice to their work, enabling a wider public to discover that union of matter and spirit that for Kremmerz was the sum total of reality.” * David Conway, author of Magic: A Life in More Worlds Than One *“Giuliano Kremmerz was one of the most important figures in the Italian Hermetic tradition in the early twentieth century but heretofore has received little attention in the English-speaking world. The translator, David Pantano, is to be congratulated in spreading awareness of Kremmerz to a wider audience and helping to shed light on his intriguing system of Hermetic medicine.” * Alex Sumner, author of The Magus Trilogy *"Toronto-based writer and researcher David Pantano has done a commendable job translating from Italian to English a collection of essays by the late esotericist and author Marco Daffi (pen name Baron Riccardo Ricciardelli) centering on the work of Guiliano Kremm-erz (Ciro Formisano). While he is nearly unknown to English readers, Kremmerz, who was one of the most influential Italian occultists and alchemists working in the Hermetic tradition. While the history presented in this book is both interesting and important, I feel much of the insights of Kremmerz as interpreted by Daffi to be most valuable as revelations..." * Alan S. Glassman, New Dawn Magazine *Table of ContentsFOREWORD Giuliano Kremmerz’s Position in Italian Esotericism and His Relation to Marco Daffi and Julius Evola by Hans Thomas Hakl TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE Opening Notes by David Pantano INTRODUCTION On Giuliano Kremmerz, His Work and Thought by Marco Daffi PART ONEGiuliano Kremmerz and the Therapeutic-Magical Fraternity of Myriam by Marco Daffi Introduction by Giammaria 1 Giuliano Kremmerz: The Life and the Man The Man The Writer The Master The Therapeut Bibliographic Notes 2 History of the Therapeutic-Magical + Fraternity + of MyriamPART TWO Collected Works on Hermetic Alchemy, Therapy, and Erosby Marco Daffi 3 Introduction by Giammaria 4 Critical Notes on Hermetic Therapeutics 1: June 27-August 24, 1968 90 5 Critical Notes on Hermetic Therapeutics 2: August 31, 1968 6 Notes on the Seven Forms of Intelligence in Hermetic Medicine 7 Eros and the Four Hermetic Bodies Eros The Saturnian Body The Lunar Body The Mercurial BodyThe Solar Body8 On the Opera Omnia of Giuliano Kremmerz APPENDICESSelected Historical Papers of the Fraternity of Myriam by Giuliano Kremmerz A. Introduction by David Pantano B. Credo with a Preface by Giammaria C. The Fundamental Program (Fascicolo A: Programatica Fondamentale) I. Report to the Twelve Supreme Masters of the Operating College II. Statutes and Programs of the MyriamD. Circular to the Presidents of the Fraternity of Myriam, June 29, 1914 E. The Sagittarius Ritual and the Aries Ritual I. PreambleII. Statutes and Program of the Myriam The Sagittarius Ritual The Aries Ritual III. Index

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Book SynopsisSince the dawn of time, magic is the node around which all human activities and culture revolve. As magic entered the development of science, art, philosophy, religion, myth, and psychology, it still retained its essence: that we have a dynamic connection with all other forms of life.Exploring the source magic that flows beneath the surface of culture and occulture throughout the ages, Carl Abrahamsson offers a “magical-anthropological” journey from ancient Norse shamanism to the modern magick of occultists like Genesis P-Orridge. He looks at how human beings relate to and are naturally attracted to magic. He examines in depth the consequences of magical practice and how the attraction to magic can be corrupted by both religious organizations and occult societies. He shows how the positive effects of magic are instinctively grasped by children, who view the world as magical.The author looks at magic and occulture as they relate to psychedelics, Witchcraft, shamanism, Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth (TOPY), the panic rituals of the Master Musicians of Joujouka in Morocco, psychological individuation processes, literary “magical realism,” and the cut-up technique of Beat icons like William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin. He explores the similarities in psychology between poet Ezra Pound and magician Austin Osman Spare. He looks at the Scandinavian Fenris Wolf as a mythic force and how personal pilgrimages can greatly enrich our lives. He also examines the philosophy of German author Ernst Jünger, the magical techniques of British filmmaker Derek Jarman, and the quintessential importance of accepting our own mortality.Trade Review“Source Magic heralds what legions of countercultural readers have known (and sometimes jealously guarded) for years: Carl Abrahamsson is not only among today’s leading occult writers and artists but is, in fact, one of this generation’s most vital public intellectuals. From The Prisoner to Ezra Pound, no single descriptor captures how Carl has pried apart the floorboards of postmodernity—and done so as few are able: with laser-like precision, joie de vivre, and the literary power of an exploding sun. Carl is our magical Moses hoisting a fiery serpent in the cultural wilderness. I will be returning to Source Magic for a lifetime.” * Mitch Horowitz, PEN Award–winning author of Occult America and Uncertain Places *“Carl Abrahamsson is a rare voice of lucidity in the complex world of magic. He explains the most profound and esoteric knowledge in a way that just keeps the pages turning and the ideas flowing. Reading Abrahamsson is like starting a fire deep within the imagination that continues to warm the spirit long after reading.” * Kendell Geers, South African artist *“Carl’s work always brings you to the edge of reality, asking you to peer through the veil and question if said reality even exists. In Source Magic, Carl stretches this further, inviting one to view life as a study in magic, in causal effect, in shapeshifting. By embracing life as a vessel for occulture and magico-anthropology and using this as his framework for his studies and explorations, Carl guides a new generation of thinkers into a future that asks what if and gets even more strange, surreal, beautiful, and mystical than one can dream. This book will change what you thought you knew about the possibilities of life and spirituality.” * Gabriela Herstik, author of Inner Witch: A Modern Guide to the Ancient Craft and Sacred Sex: The Mag *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Foreword by Nicholaj de Mattos Frisvold Preface: Come Join the Garden Party! 1 Occulture and Beyond 2 We’re on the Road to Somewhere 3 Panic Pilgrimage4 Into a Time and Space of Wordship 5 Temporarily Eternal: Some Thoughts on the Psychic Anarcho-Sartorialism of Genesis P-Orridge6 Tripping the Dark Light Fantastic: Some Notes on Derek Jarman and His Influence 7 Mondo Transcripto!8 The Prisoner Will Set You Free 9 “Our Life Could at Least Be Doubled” 10 Embracing Magical Realism 11 Literchoor, Kulchur, and a Damned Fine Friendship: On the Symbiosis of Ezra Pound and James Laughlin 12 Spare Me a Pound: An Initial Look at the Sui Genericism of Austin and Ezra 13 Some Thoughts on a Recent Paradigm Shift 14 The Magic of Individuation 15 Lux Per Nox: The Fenris Wolf as Libidinal Liberator 16 The Imaginary Is a Real Thing 17 Memento Mori Forever 18 The Quantum Quilt of Inspiration: An Interview with Carl Abrahamsson Notes Bibliography Books by Carl Abrahamsson Index

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Book SynopsisA fascinating analysis of the most important work of occult philosophy in the 20th Century. Dion Fortune’s The Cosmic Doctrine is a foundational text which has been required reading for students of the occult since it was first published in 1956. In it she attempts to explain the meaning and evolution of the cosmos from the first beginnings to our lives today. However, the The Cosmic Doctrine isn’t an easy book to read. It's conciseness makes it hard going, for every sentence requires close attention, but the challenge it offers to its readers goes well beyond this. In a phrase that has become famous in occult circles since its publication, The Cosmic Doctrine is intended to train the mind, not to inform it; it attempts to communicate to the reader an unfamiliar way of thinking, and so a great deal of patience and hard work are required to grasp what it has to say. Some of the difficulties, however, can be smoothed out by reframing and rephrasing the ideas Fortune presents, and this is what this book aims to do. John Michael Greer provides a learned and elucidating commentary on this classic text to allow students and teachers alike to more easily digest and understand this fantastic book. Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION PART I COSMIC EVOLUTION CHAPTER ONE The Dawn of Manifestation CHAPTER TWO The Forces of (Negative) Evil CHAPTER THREE The Twelve Rays and the Seven Cosmic Planes CHAPTER FOUR The Building of the Atom CHAPTER FIVE Atomic Evolution upon the Cosmic Planes PART II SOLAR EVOLUTION CHAPTER SIX The Beginnings of a Solar System CHAPTER SEVEN The Evolution of a Solar System CHAPTER EIGHT The Evolution of a Great Entity CHAPTER NINE The Creation of a Universe CHAPTER TEN The Beginnings of Consciousness CHAPTER ELEVEN The Evolution of Consciousness CHAPTER TWELVE The Beginnings of Mind CHAPTER THIRTEEN The Evolution of the Divine Sparks CHAPTER FOURTEEN The Evolution of a Planetary Spirit CHAPTER FIFTEEN Evolution of the Lords of Flame, Form, and Mind CHAPTER SIXTEEN The Influences of the Lords of Flame, Form, and Mind CHAPTER SEVENTEEN The Lords of Mind as Initiators PART III HUMAN EVOLUTION CHAPTER EIGHTEEN Influences Acting on Human Evolution CHAPTER NINETEEN The Logoidal Relationship to the Manifested Universe CHAPTER TWENTY Influences of the Manifested Universe, Part 1 CHAPTER TWENTY ONE Influences of the Manifested Universe, Part 2 CHAPTER TWENTY TWO The Lords of the First Three Swarms and Natural Laws CHAPTER TWENTY THREE Influences Which Humanity Exerts Upon Itself CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR The Law of Action and Reaction CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE The Law of Limitation, Part 1 CHAPTER TWENTY SIX The Law of Limitation, Part 2 CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN The Law of the Seven Deaths CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT The Law of Impactation CHAPTER TWENTY NINE The Law of Polarity CHAPTER THIRTY The Law of the Attraction of Outer Space CHAPTER THIRTY ONE The Law of the Attraction of the Centre BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

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Book SynopsisPocket-sized and easy-to-use, Moon Magic reveals the secrets of each lunar phase and gives tips on how to harness the Moon's power.

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Book SynopsisFind a penny, pick it up All day long you'll have good luckWhether hopping over cracks, saluting magpies or knocking on wood, we all seek good fortune through performing curious rituals. But is there ancient wisdom behind the folklore of superstition?In this exquisitely illustrated tour through thousands of years of tradition, Willow Winsham explores the mysterious origins behind 100 of the most intriguing superstitions from across the globe.

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Book SynopsisFrom renowned scholar of the occult and creator of the world-famous Rider Waite Tarot Deck, A E Waite comes a new edition of his landmark book on magic. Featuring the original intricate illustrations, The Book of Ceremonial Magic offers an in-depth exploration of the darker side of grimoire, ceremony, demons and spirits.This is a spellbinding book for anyone interested in the grotesque detail of black magic and the ceremonies and rituals that surrounded it. With whole chapters dedicated to describing how early incarnations of the occult prepared to engage with demons, this book will illustrate the deeper historical context of esoteric arts and the development of the occult, setting the context for how we perceive and understand magic today.

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Book SynopsisThe proper working of ritual is at the heart of the Western magical tradition. This book shows exactly how ceremonial techniques can be used to concentrate and harness the enormous psychic and spiritual potential of human consciousness. Dr Regardie's detailed analysis and description of key rituals are based on his own considerable experience and his knowledge of Golden Dawn techniques. In addition to providing practical instructions on robes, ritual equipment and decor, he also links current occult practice to broader historical precedents.Table of ContentsContents Part One I Basic Principles II Ritual of Opening by Watchtower III Opening by Watchtower: First Elaboration IV Opening by Watchtower: Second Elaboration V Completed Ritual VI A Magical Eucharist VII Equipment and Paraphernalia Part Two VIII Background Data IX Concerning the Bornless Ritual X Original Intent of the Bornless Ritual XI Comparisons Appendix I: Fragment of a Graeco-Egyptian Work on Magic Appendix II: A Greek Ritual of Magic Appendix III: Preliminary Invocation from The Goetia Appendix IV: Liber Samekh by Aleister Crowley Appendix V: The Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram

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Book SynopsisHonza Pernath’s life is barren. The person he loves is gone and his friends, even his dreams, say she will not return. When a chance meeting sets him on a search for his lost love, the path is neither straight nor easy and Honza comes to doubt everything, including the one he searches for. A single image—a star rising over the sea—calls him on, but that image is more than it seems and as Honza nears its source, his search reveals more than he could have imagined. A sequel to the mysterious and beautiful short story, ‘Marietta Merz’ (now an illustrated chapbook), Child of the Black Sun is an exploration of the living symbols at the core of everyday life; a visionary evocation of the internal journey.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisExplores the origins and practices of early alchemy. Investigating the origins of alchemy and the legend of the Philosopher’s Stone, Tobias Churton explores the oldest surviving alchemical texts, the original purpose of the “Royal Art,” and the first alchemists themselves. He reveals the theories and philosophies behind the art and how early apparatus and methods were employed by alchemists through the ages. Showing how women dominated early alchemy, Churton looks at the first known alchemist, the Jewess Maria the Prophetess, inventor of the bain marie, still in use worldwide today. He also looks at early alchemist Cleopatra (not the well-known Egyptian queen) and 3rd–4th century Egyptian female artisan Theosebeia, who had a guild of adepts working under her. He examines in depth the work of Zosimos of Panopolis and shows how Zosimos’s historic work inspired the medieval view of alchemy as an initiatory path whose stages follow the transmutation of base metals into gold. Exploring the latest research on early practices in Upper Egypt, the author discusses the political and industrial realities facing the first alchemists. He examines the late antique “Stockholm” and “Leiden” papyri, which offer detailed knowledge of the first known Greco-Egyptian chemical recipes for gold and silver dyes for metal and stone, and purple dyes for wool. He emphasizes how changing color in early alchemy was misinterpreted to imply transmutation of one metal into another. He reveals how the alchemical secrets for working with the “living statues” of the Egyptian temples was jealously guarded by the priesthood and how secrecy helped to reinforce beliefs that alchemical knowledge came from forbidden, celestial sources. He also investigates the mysterious relation between alchemy, spiritual gnosis, Hermeticism, and the Book of Enoch. Revealing the hidden legacy of the early alchemists, Churton shows how their secret workings provided a transmission line for ancient heretical doctrines to survive into the Renaissance and beyond.Trade Review“In this remarkable and necessary work on early alchemy, Churton outlines a program of research and experimentation into this rich but mostly unexplored area of Greco-Egyptian alchemical philosophies and practices. The depth and range of the material are breathtaking, and it is very satisfying to see the topic of glass addressed so thoroughly. I strongly recommend studying and working with The First Alchemists and going deeper, letting Tobias Churton light the way.” * Brian Cotnoir, author of On Alchemy, Alchemy, and Practical Alchemy *“The subject of alchemy has always been shrouded in dense fog. Here at last is a book that probes deeply and lucidly into this age-old pursuit, taking us right back to its roots in the Middle East, examining seminal sources and investigating key avatars of alchemy—of both ancient and more recent times—and what precisely they were trying to achieve. Alchemy has both a practical and a spiritual side. Tobias Churton, writing with his customary eloquence, shines a clear light on both aspects.” * Christopher McIntosh, author of Occult Russia and Beyond the North Wind *Table of ContentsFOREWORDby Frank van Lamoen Introduction ONE Ancient Recipes for Gold— and Other Things Discoveries at ThebesA Theban Magical Library? The Leiden Papyrus Papyrus V Papyrus W Papyrus X The Stockholm Papyrus Pseudo-Democritus TWOThe Origins of Alchemy in Roman Egypt Akkadian Origin of Chēmeu? Heat and Glass THREE The Pioneers of Graeco-Egyptian- Jewish Alchemy Cleopatra Jewish Chemistry Mary the “Prophetess” FOUR Zosimos I Clearing the Decks Was Zosimos an Egyptian Priest? FIVE Zosimos II Alchemical Yoga Practical Dreaming SIXZosimos III From Omega to the Final Quittance On Destiny, Fate, Worldly Thought, and Noetic Understanding The First Book of Zosimos the Theban’s Final Account SEVEN What Did the First Alchemists Do? Making Talismans? EIGHT How Did They Do It? Sulfur Water; Divine Water Apparatus Putting the First Alchemists to the Test NINE Where Did They Do It? A Hermetic “Lodge”? A Guild for Theosebeia? Laboratories? TEN The Myth of Transmutation Philosophical Background The Stone The Tome of Images Myth and Reality ELEVEN Forbidden Knowledge TWELVE A Strange RelationAlchemy and Gnosis Mercury and Christ THIRTEEN Legacy Arabic Alchemy The Inheritance “Good Health!” Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisUnlock the magic of your kitchen with this food-based 50 card oracle deck filled with magical inspiration ? and the answer to the question, What?s for dinner?Food has the power to nourish both our bodies and our spirits. The Kitchen Witch?s Culinary Oracle Deck harnesses this spiritual nutrition to provide guidance and inspiration from the foods and tools already in your home.With recipe suggestions and simple spells, these 50 cards invite you to go beyond divination and to harness the power of food to nourish and energize. Come learn about the different associations, connections, and uses of the different ingredients and utensils in your home, like: Avocado for Inner Beauty Apples for Balance and Harmony Pomegranate for Goddess Energy Pots & Pans for Creativity Asparagus for Masculine Energy So come, pull a card, make a meal, and nourish your spirit. With instructions on different card layouts and a QR code taking users to even more information and inspired recipes, this oracle deck is the perfect gift for anyone who loves the warmth of the kitchen, including yourself!

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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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Book SynopsisExplores the unified science-religion of early humanity and the impact of Hermetic philosophy on religion and spirituality • Investigates the Jewish and Egyptian origins of Josephus’s famous story that Seth’s descendants inscribed knowledge on two pillars to save it from global catastrophe • Reveals how this original knowledge has influenced civilization through Hermetic, Gnostic, Kabbalistic, Masonic, Hindu, and Islamic mystical knowledge • Examines how “Enoch’s Pillars” relate to the origins of Hermeticism, Freemasonry, Newtonian science, William Blake, and Theosophy Esoteric tradition has long maintained that at the dawn of human civilization there existed a unified science-religion, a spiritual grasp of the universe and our place in it. The biblical Enoch--also known as Hermes Trismegistus, Thoth, or Idris--was seen as the guardian of this sacred knowledge, which was inscribed on pillars known as Enoch’s or Seth’s pillars. Examining the idea of the lost pillars of pure knowledge, the sacred science behind Hermetic philosophy, Tobias Churton investigates the controversial Jewish and Egyptian origins of Josephus’s famous story that Seth’s descendants inscribed knowledge on two pillars to save it from global catastrophe. He traces the fragments of this sacred knowledge as it descended through the ages into initiated circles, influencing civilization through Hermetic, Gnostic, Kabbalistic, Masonic, Hindu, and Islamic mystical knowledge. He follows the path of the pillars’ fragments through Egyptian alchemy and the Gnostic Sethites, the Kabbalah, and medieval mystic Ramon Llull. He explores the arrival of the Hermetic manuscripts in Renaissance Florence, the philosophy of Copernicus, Pico della Mirandola, Giordano Bruno, and the origins of Freemasonry, including the “revival” of Enoch in Masonry’s Scottish Rite. He reveals the centrality of primal knowledge to Isaac Newton, William Stukeley, John Dee, and William Blake, resurfacing as the tradition of Martinism, Theosophy, and Thelema. Churton also unravels what Josephus meant when he asserted one Sethite pillar still stood in the “Seiriadic” land: land of Sirius worshippers. Showing how the lost pillars stand as a twenty-first century symbol for reattaining our heritage, Churton ultimately reveals how the esoteric strands of all religions unite in a gnosis that could offer a basis for reuniting religion and science.Trade Review“Highly informative, eye-opening, and uplifting, this book takes you on a provocative journey to discover the roots of human knowledge and fills you with hope that we may one day reattain our lost ancient heritage. Since my first encounter with Tobias Churton’s work twenty years ago, I am still amazed by his ability to expertly untangle the complex threads of history.” * Joanna Gillian, chief editor of Ancient Origins magazine *“Churton revisits the history of mankind and approaches its attempts to deal with the invisible since the dawn of times with a unique mastery. This book is not only of great erudition but could also be the start of a future global spiritual movement of the digital age.” * Thomas Jamet, author, lecturer, and communication specialist *“Humanity’s near-manic obsession with lost and rediscovered wisdom is the basis for nearly all esoteric philosophy and practice. Taking the ancient myths and histories as his guide, Churton provides us not only with an interpretation of Enoch and the various ideas around the ‘known-and-lost-wisdom dichotomy’ as they have shaped our views across history, he also gives us a means of shaping and entering the future. It is a future quickly coming upon us, wherein the Pillars of Enoch once again are a depository of the collective wisdom of the past and the guide for a humanity seeking to understand itself and, like Enoch, ‘walk with God.’” * Mark Stavish, author of Egregores *“This ambitious book traces the antediluvian origin of the spiritual wisdom hymned in the Book of Enoch. Churton explores the path of this unifying truth through the teachings of the mystery traditions that have served to initiate humanity ever since. Of central concern to this thesis is that the dichotomy between science and spirit is false. Truth is the unifying bond that excludes only error. The breach between science and religion is an artificial construct that serves to hinder understanding. I highly recommend this book.” * James Wasserman, author of The Templars and the Assassins and The Mystery Traditions *“Churton leads us on a challenging and thought-provoking journey…Churton details traces of what he describes as fragments of this knowledge to be found in such initiated circles as Hermetic, Gnostic, Kabbalistic, Masonic, Hindu and Islamic backgrounds. Furthermore, Churton also strives to show how the esoteric strands of all religions can unite us in a gnosis that could ultimately provide us an opportunity to reunite religion and science as it is meant to be.” * Brent Raynes, Alternate Perceptions Archival Newsletter *"Overall, I enjoyed The Lost Pillars of Enoch very much. The author presented a large amount of historical information in a balanced and insightful way, along with an occasional dose of humor that lightened the otherwise heavy subject matter. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in esoteric history and hermeticism. I’ve gained insight into how many of our current day ideas about spirituality, prophecy, and science have developed over time, and I’m encouraged that many of the myths we hold dear still have an important message for us." * Cindie Chavez, Musing Mystical *Table of ContentsProvenance A Note about the Timing of This Book PART ONE The Lost Pillars in Antiquity ONE Saving Knowledge from Catastrophe: The World’s First Archaeological Story The NephilimWhere Could Josephus’s Surviving Pillar Be Found? TWO “Sethites” in Egypt?THREEEnoch and Hermes: Guardians of Truth Tracing the Myth The Emerald Tablet FOURA Sense of Loss Pervades The Fallen Gnostics: Return of the Sethites FIVE How Ancient Is the Ancient Theology? SIX A Concise History of Religion SEVEN From Apocalyptic to Gnosis--and Back to Religion PART TWO Hermetic Philosophy Seeking Concordance, or Reuniting the Fragments EIGHTThe Unitive Vision Kabbalah Ramon Llull (1232-ca. 1316) 100The Alembic of Florence: Hermetic Philosophy Reborn NINE Restoring Harmony: From the Sun to Infinity Francesco Giorgi: Cosmic HarmonyCopernicusGiordano Bruno (1548-1600) TEN The Lost Pillars of Freemasonry Late Medieval Evidence for Antediluvian Pillars Antediluvian Masonry ELEVEN Esoteric Masonry and the Mystery of the “Acception”John Dee and Primal Mathematics TWELVE The Return of Enoch “Out of Egypt I Have Called My Son” THIRTEENEnter Isaac Newton FOURTEEN“A History of the Corruption of the Soul of Man” The Temple of Wisdom The Ancients Knew Already Newton and the “Daimon” FIFTEEN Antiquarianism: Stukeley and Blake Stukeley, Freemasonry, and the Prisca Sapientia SIXTEENBlake and the Original Religion All Religions Are OneSEVENTEENFrom the Enlightenment to Theosophy: Persistence of Antediluvian Unity of Science and Religion The Tradition Saint-Yves d’Alveydre The Secret Doctrine Problems with Theosophical Influence EIGHTEEN The Aim of Religion, the Method of Science: Aleister Crowley and Thelema Science and Antediluvian MythologyPART THREE Paradise Regained? NINETEEN Back to the OneEssential Communion in Esoteric Systems Religion for the Future TWENTY Return of the Lost Pillar NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

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Book SynopsisDefining ''magic'' is a maddening task. Over the last century numerous philosophers, anthropologists, historians, and theologians have attempted to pin down its essential meaning, sometimes analysing it in such complex and abstruse depth that it all but loses its sense altogether. For this reason, many people often shy away from providing a detailed definition, assuming it is generally understood as the human control of supernatural forces. ''Magic'' continues to pervade the popular imagination and idiom. People feel comfortable with its contemporary multiple meanings, unaware of the controversy, conflict, and debate its definition has caused over two and a half millennia. In common usage today ''magic'' is uttered in reference to the supernatural, superstition, illusion, trickery, religious miracles, fantasies, and as a simple superlative. The literary confection known as ''magical realism'' has considerable appeal and many modern scientists have ironically incorporated the word into their vocabulary, with their ''magic acid'', ''magic bullets'' and ''magic angles''.Since the so-called European Enlightenment magic has often been seen as a marker of primitivism, of a benighted earlier stage of human development. Yet across the modern globalized world hundreds of millions continue to resort to magic - and also to fear it. Magic provides explanations and remedies for those living in extreme poverty and without access to alternatives. In the industrial West, with its state welfare systems, religious fundamentalists decry the continued moral threat posed by magic. Under the guise of neo-Paganism, its practice has become a religion in itself. Magic continues to be a truly global issue.This Very Short Introduction does not attempt to provide a concluding definition of magic: it is beyond simple definition. Instead it explores the many ways in which magic, as an idea and a practice, has been understood and employed over the millennia. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewDavies explores an impressive range of topics including the basic terminology of magic, major theoretical approaches to the subject, the tradition of written magic, its use as a strategy for excluding others and defining ones own group, and the revival of magic in the context of contemporary paganism. ... The book is interspersed with a selection of photographs and illustrations, and it is well worth such a modest outlay. * Juliette Wood, Folklore *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Anthropologies of magic ; 2. Historical perspectives ; 3. All in the mind? ; 4. Writing magic ; 5. Practising magic ; 6. Magic and the modern world ; Conclusion

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Book SynopsisDavid Gordon White excavates and seeks to centre within its broader Indian context the lost tradition of the medieval Siddhas.

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