Magic, alchemy and hermetic thought Books
Fortean Words Strange Skies, Strange Eyes
£12.84
Skylight Press Letters of Light: The Magical Letters of William G. Gray to Alan Richardson
Book SynopsisAs an "omniscient and obnoxious" teenager in 1969, Alan Richardson wrote to the occult author William G. Gray in pursuit of instant magical enlightenment. It was the beginning of a correspondence lasting many years in which Gray generously shared his magical knowledge and experience.
£14.00
Cinnamon Press Child of the Black Sun
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.
£10.44
Aeon Books Ltd A Woman's Book of Shadows: A Celebration of
Book SynopsisA definitive guide to the magical practices of the wise women. Beginning with a brief history of witchcraft, this irrestible guide explores the huge range of beliefs, festivals, skills and lore, including: - goddesses, priestesses, witches - reincarnation, karma, magic, power - the aura, the chakras, psychic awareness, astral travelling, pathworking, dreamwork, healing - covens, initiations, collectives, lone witches- the circle, the altar, wands, robes, chalices, incenses, oils, candles - the moon, the planets- sabbats, esbats, solstices, equinoxes, Samhain, Candlemas, Beltane, Lammas - tarot, scrying, starcraft, herbal lore. Gathering together all the disciplines of European witchcraft and giving rituals and spells for use in our lives, A Woman's Book of Shadows, first published in 1993, is a remarkable compendium of magical lore, psychic skills and women's mysteries.Table of ContentsCONTENTS 1. Introduction 1 2. Herstory 9 3. The Triple Goddess 15 4. Witchcraft from Pre-history to the Burning Times 43 5. The Rise of the Fathergod 53 6. Starcraft and the Moon 69 7. Ritual 85 8. Festivals of the Year 113 9. Ethics 139 10. Spellcraft 159 11. Developing Psychic Skills 171 12. Divination – The Tarot 191 13. Herbal Lore 223 Appendix A 243 Appendix B 247 Appendix C 249 Notes to the chapters 257 Bibliography 271 Index 281
£21.38
Aeon Books Ltd The Magical Tarot of the Golden Dawn: Divination,
Book SynopsisThe last word on the Tarot of the Golden Dawn and a veritable encyclopedia which covers every aspect of the cards. This revised edition of the classic book is a balanced combination of both historical and new material presented by the Zalewskis, that stands firmly rooted in Golden Dawn teachings and ritual practice. The authors stress experimentation with the tarot, which is a mark of a vibrant magical system and the descriptions of each tarot card are very reliable and very complete. Of particular interest are the alchemical associations and the authors' work on the gematria or numerology of each card. For the first time a complete alchemical system is given for the whole deck. There is also a good deal of added astrological information and divinatory meanings and interpretations.Several excellent suggestions for studying and meditating on the cards are provided by the authors. Fully illustrated by Golden Dawn member and professional artist, Skip Dudchous, this new 2019 edition has been completely re-edited and re-formatted for ease of reading and contains are a host of interesting new innovations in this book. It will be an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the Tarot of the Golden Dawn.Table of ContentsCONTENTS INTRODUCTION Historical The Tarot and the Kabbalah The Kabbalah on the Tree of Life—the Minor Arcana The Kabbalah and the Macroprosopus—Court Cards The Four Worlds and the Four Suits The Sepher Yetzirah and the Four Suits Gematria and the Tarot The Four Colour Scales of the Golden Dawn as applied to the Tarot Colouring of the Minor Arcana The Four Colour Scales The Meaning of Colour The Tarot Major Arcana The Fool Key 1—The Magician Key 2—High Priestess Key 3—The Empress Key 4—The Emperor Key 5—The Hierophant Key 6—The Lovers Key 7—The Chariot Key 8—Strength Key 9—The Hermit Key 10—Wheel of Fortune Key 11—Justice Key 12—Hanged Man Key 13—Death Key 14—Temperance Key 15—The Devil Key 16—Blasted Tower Key 17—The Star Key 18—The Moon Key 19—The Sun Key 20—Judgement Key 21—The Universe The Court Cards Knight of Wands Queen of Wands King of Wands Princess of Wands Knight of Cups Queen of Cups King of Cups Princess of Cups Knight of Swords Queen of Swords King of Swords Princess of Swords Knight of Disks Queen of Disks King of Disks Princess of Disks The Minor Arcana Ace of Wands Two of Wands Three of Wands Four of Wands Five of Wands Six of Wands Seven of Wands Eight of Wands Nine of Wands Ten of Wands Ace of Cups Two of Cups Three of Cups Four of Cups Five of Cups Six of Cups Seven of Cups Eight of Cups Nine of Cups Ten of Cups Ace of Swords Two of Swords Three of Swords Four of Swords Five of Swords Six of Swords Seven of Swords Eight of Swords Nine of Swords Ten of Swords Ace of Disks Two of Disks Three of Disks Four of Disks Five of Disks Six of Disks Seven of Disks Eight of Disks Nine of Disks Ten of Disks Divination and the Tarot An Alternative Method of Divination Ritual Tarot and Meditation Scrying, Travelling in the Spirit Vision, Ritual and the Tarot Introduction to the Celestial Tarot Tarot Star Maps
£35.99
Golden Hoard Press Ltd The Grimoire of St Cyprian: Clavis Inferni
Book SynopsisThere have been many grimoires attributed to St Cyprian of Antioch due to his reputation as a consummate magician before his conversion to Christianity, but perhaps none so intriguing as the present manuscript. This unique manuscript (unlike the more rustic examples attributed to St Cyprian called the Black Books of Wittenburg, as found in Scandinavia, or the texts disseminated under his name in Spain and Portugal) is directly in line with the Solomonic tradition, and therefore relevant to our present series of Sourceworks of Ceremonial Magic. It is unique in that instead of being weighed down with many prayers and conjurations it addresses the summoning and use of both the four Archangels, Michael, Raphael, Gabriel and Uriel as well as their opposite numbers, the four Demon Kings, Paymon, Maimon, Egyn and Oriens. The later are shown in their animal and human forms along with their sigils, a resource unique amongst grimoires. The text is in a mixture of three magical scripts, Greek, Hebrew, cipher, Latin, (and reversed Latin) with many contractions and short forms, but expanded and made plain by the editors. The title literally means 'The Key of Hell with white and black magic as proven by Metatron'.
£31.50
Golden Hoard Press Ltd The Book of the Moon: Liber Lunae
Book SynopsisChapters: Liber Lunae, Sepher ha-Levanah, 28 Mansions of the Moon, the Hours of the day and night, Appendix.
£32.40
Golden Hoard Press Ltd Sepher Raziel: Liber Salomonis: a sixteenth
Book SynopsisSepher Raziel (also called Liber Salomonis) is not the same as the Hebrew Sepher Raziel ha-Melakh. It is a full grimoire in the Solomonic tradition from a 1564 century English manuscript, derived from Latin sources. As such it is one of the earliest grimoires produced in this series. It begins with directions for making the parchment, pen and ink of Art, required to write the names. It contains seven separate Treatises: 1 - Liber Clavis which is concerned with astrology and its correct use in magic, something long forgotten by modern astrologers, with the precise interactions between planets, Signs and Houses; 2 - The Ala outlines in four sections the magical virtues of stones, herbs and beasts, and words; 3 - The Tractatus Thymiamatus explains why incense is essential to magical operations, and the effect of various incenses on the spirits, with a list of the key perfumes and suffumigations. An Appendix gives the modern and botanical names; 4 - The Treatise of Times gives details of the correct hours of the day and night for each operation, with associated angels and the proper names of the Sun, Moon and planets to be used in each season. This is something left out of almost all other grimoires; 5 - The Treatise on Purity explains the exact preparations, and the reasons for ritual purity; 6 - Samaim is a treatise on the seven Heavens, with the names of their angels; 7 - The Book of Virtues and Miracles is a treatise on the Semiforas, the names of God, and how they are to be used in invocation to produce miraculous results.
£31.96
Golden Hoard Press Ltd The Master Key to Ancient Mystery
Book SynopsisA comprehensive and extensive grimoire.
£48.60
Temple Lodge Publishing Alchymy: The Mystery of the Material World
Book SynopsisAs a practising Christian priest, Hermann Beckh was profoundly aware that the mystery of substance – its transmutation in the cosmos and the human being – was a mystical fact to be approached with the greatest reverence, requiring at once ever-deepening scholarship and meditation. He viewed chemistry as a worthy but materialistic science devoid of spirit, while the fullness of spiritual-physical nature could be approached by what he preferred to call ‘chymistry’ or ‘alchymy’, thereby taking in millennia of spiritual tradition. In consequence, Beckh’s Alchymy, The Mystery of the Material World is not limited to the conventional workings of Western alchemy, nor to what can be found in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation – although he does unveil hidden riches there. Neither should Beckh be considered only as a learned Professor with impeccable academic qualifications and European-wide recognition. Beckh writes about such topics as ‘Isis’, ‘the Golden Fleece’, traditional fairy-stories and Wagner’s Parsifal in a way that enables the reader to catch glimpses of the Mystery of Substance; to share the writer’s authentic experience of the divine substantia – the living reality – of Christ in the world. Beckh’s Alchymy set an entirely new standard, and went on to become his most popular publication. This is the first time that it has been translated into English, along with updated footnotes, making his ideas and insights accessible to a wide readership. In addition, this edition features translations of Beckh’s ‘The New Jerusalem’, where theology could best be expressed in verse; his exemplary essay on ‘Snow-white’; observations on ‘Allerleirauh’, and a substantial excerpt from Gundhild Kačer-Bock’s biography of Beckh.Table of ContentsForeword – Introduction by Neil Franklin – Translator's note – I. Alchymy and Man's Past: – Rosicrucianism, the Virginal Earth, the Philosopher's Stone – II. Alchymy and Mankind in the Present: – Chemistry and chymistry; The 'construction of the atom'; Salt, mercury, sulphur and the mystery of the threefold human being – III. Alchymy and the Bible (Old Testament): – The Creation, the River of Paradise, the Deluge; The secret of gold and of precious stones; Chaos and Astra, primal matter, the chymical process – IV. Alchymy and Mythology: – Isis; The Rhinegold; the Golden Fleece; Venus-Urania – V. Alchymy and the Future of Humanity: – John's Gospel and the Apocalypse of John; The Mystery of Cana (Chymical Wedding) and the New Testament; The Mystery of the twelve precious stones – Appendices – Hermann Beckh: The New Jerusalem, a meditation in verse 1 – Hermann Beckh: Snow-white – Supplement: 'Allerleirauh' – Review: Mysteries of the Material World, Rudolf Bind – Excerpt from the biographical sketch of Hermann Beckh by G. KacÏer-Bock – Notes – The Works of Prof. Hermann Beckh
£14.24
Aeon Books Ltd A Magical Education: Talks on Magic and Occultism
Book SynopsisAn extraordinary exploration of the forgotten history of the esoteric and its unexpected possibilities in our time. In these talks, written and presented to a variety of audiences between 2001 and 2010, John Michael Greer explores the forgotten history of occultism and its unexpected possibilities in our time. From practical methods of occult training to the politics and metapolitics of magic, from the shadowy world of Victorian sex magic to the alchemy of initiatory ritual, from the complex origins of modern Neopaganism to the approaching twilight of Neopagan pop culture and what comes next, the talks collected in this book seek to inspire curiosity and reflection, not to set out an ironclad case for this or that point of view. This book is an extraordinary insight into the life and work of a working magician and occultist.Table of ContentsCONTENTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR vii FOREWORD ix CHAPTER ONE A magical education 1 CHAPTER TWO Magical ecology 25 CHAPTER THREE The secret history of Neopaganism 41 CHAPTER FOUR Victorian sex magic 67 CHAPTER FIVE Understanding Renaissance magic 87 CHAPTER SIX Magic, metapolitics, and reality 109 CHAPTER SEVEN Alchemical initiation 129 CHAPTER EIGHT Healing through the elements 149 CHAPTER NINE Paganism and the future 171 INDEX 197
£18.04
Thoth Publications Inventing Witchcraft: A Case Study in the
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£26.60
Mandrake Demonic Calendar ancient Egypt
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£13.50
Mandrake Practical Chinese Magic
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£32.00
Mandrake Interview with a Wizard
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£21.25
Mandrake Luban: Chinese Grimoire of Magic and Esoteric
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£40.00
Classical Press of Wales Through a Glass Darkly: Magic, Dreams and
Book SynopsisMagic, dreams, and prophecy played important roles in ancient Egypt, as recent scholarship has increasingly made clear. In this volume, eminent international Egyptologists come together to explore such divination across a wide period.Trade Review[A]n excellent collection of essays on Ancient Egyptian magic, dreams and prophesy. -- Robert D. Bates * Near East Archaeological Society Bulletin *Table of ContentsThe Social Context of Magic in the 3rd Millennium & Middle Kingdom - John Baines The End is Near - Leonard Lesko Corn Mummies: "Amulets of Life" - Maria Costanza Centrone The Spitting Goddess and the Stoney Eye: Divinity and Flint in Pharaonic Egypt - Carolyn Graves-Brown Magic, Dreams and Prophecy in Egyptian Narrative Literature - Alan B Lloyd Nocturnal Ciphers in the Ancient Near East: Egyptian Dream Exegesis From a Comparative Perspective - Scott Noegel In Search of the Sorcerer's Apprentice - Daniel Ogden Sinuhe's Dream - Richard B Parkinson A Black Cat From Right, and a Scarab on Your Head: New Sources for Ancient Egyptian Divination - Joachim Quack The Dreams of the Twins of St. Petersburg - John Ray 'And Each Staff Transformed Into a Snake': The Serpent Wand in Egyptian Magic - Robert K Ritner A Lost Dream Episode - Anthony J Spalinger Introduction: Tomorrow is Yesterday - Kasia Szpakowska Entangled or Connected: The Power of Knots and Knotting in Ancient Egypt - Willemina Wendrich
£34.75
Ishtar Publishing Occult Encyclopedia of Magick Squares: Planetary Angels and Spirits of Ceremonial Magick
£35.76
History Compass Cry Witch!: The Salem Witchcraft Trials
£7.56
Pendraig Publishing Mastering the Mystical Heptarchy
£18.00
Pendraig Publishing Mastering the Great Table: Volume II of the Mastering Enochian Magick Series
£17.05
Three Hands Press Anathema Maranatha
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£22.36
not a cult LLC Occult Strategies
Book SynopsisIgnite the Imagination, Engage the ArcaneIntroducing Occult Strategies, an ever-expanding deck of cards designed to be an invaluable companion in the realms of the mystical and a pocket-sized guide through the labyrinth of the arcane.Crafted by Gabe Soria and Alec Ferrell, Occult Strategies draws inspiration from a groundbreaking project developed in 1975 by musical visionary Brian Eno and his collaborator, Peter Schmidt. Their creative approach to problem-solving using Oblique Strategies through indirect cues and unpredictable prompts is our guiding light, transported from the realm of music to the sphere of the mystical.Each card within the deck contains an esoteric epigram, concise cantrip, or a gnomic utterance, and together they comprise a gamified grimoire to untie the knots of magical quandaries. Whether you need to jumpstart a working, resolve a hitch in a ritual, cease a silence at a séance, or bridge an impasse in an enchantment, simply draw one or more Occult Strategies cards and let the deck illuminate the path to take… or suggest another path entirely. How you interpret each card is entirely up to you.Occult Strategies is more than just a deck of cards—it''s a community, a resource, and a guiding star in your magickal journey. We invite you to join us, to delve into the mystery, to engage the arcane, and together, we will turn the silent pause into the triumphant peak of our magickal rites.
£22.10
Mockingbird Press Transcendental Magic: Its Doctrine and Ritual
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£13.02
Crossed Crow Books The Old Lore of the Moon
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£15.29
Hachette Livre - BNF La Décadence Esthétique. Le Salon de Joséphin Péladan (Éd.1888-1891)
£11.64
Brepols N.V. Greek Alchemy from Late Antiquity to Early
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£107.35
Franz Steiner Verlag Wiesbaden GmbH Ancient Magic: Then and Now
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£131.68
Franz Steiner Verlag Wiesbaden GmbH An N Ancient Greek Treatise on Magic Squares
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£86.00
Books on Demand Magische Erlebnisse: gesammelt von Gundi Gaschler
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£18.90
Taschen GmbH Alchimie & Mystique
£18.00
Taschen GmbH Manly Palmer Hall. Secret Teachings of all Ages
Book SynopsisEmbracing an expansive range of occult teachings, this vast encyclopedia unveils the arcane myths and mysteries of thousands of years of human civilization. First published in 1928, Manly Palmer Hall’s magnum opus has been meticulously reproduced in its original size in collaboration with his archives at the Philosophical Research Society.Trade Review“This new edition, painstakingly recreated in its original form, brings the arcane writings of Manly P. Hall and the accompanying ornate illustrations to a modern audience.” * Creative Review *“The greatest knowledge of all time should be available not only in the one-shilling editions in small type and shabby binding, but in a book that would be a monument, not merely a coffin.” * Manly P. Hall *“One of the most complex and thoroughgoing works ever to catalogue the esoteric wisdom of antiquity.” * New Dawn *
£500.00
Editorial Oceano de Mexico Encuentro: Chamanismo Aplicado a la Vida
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£16.10
Scientific Publishers Journals Dept Dictionary of Indian Alchemy and Poly-herbal
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£10.49
Obelisco Entrada Abierta Al Palacio Cerrado del Rey La
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£20.36
Urano Magia Lunar
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£13.31
Almuzara Rosacruces. Historia Y Personajes
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£18.95
Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial Feliz por arte de magia: Rituales naturales y
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£13.18
Edaf Antillas Ayudate Con La Magia Blanca de Esperanza Gracia
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£14.80
Obelisco Magia Islandesa
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£11.96
Obelisco Sobre Esoterismo Cristiano
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£12.50
Obelisco El Pensamiento Esoterico de Leonardo Da Vinci
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£11.72
Obelisco La Magia de las Piedras y los Cristales
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£15.39
Obelisco Hechizos Para la Prosperidad: Consejos Magicos
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£9.99
NIAS Press Monks and Magic: Revisiting a Classic Study of Religious Ceremonies in Thailand
Book SynopsisFirst published in 1975, B.J. Terwiel's Monks and Magic remains a widely cited text. This is an absorbing study of Buddhism as practised at that time in a community in rural Central Thailand. It describes how esoteric spells and magical diagrams were the main interest of children and adolescents but full ritual knowledge was obtained in adulthood and tempered by life experiences. As death approaches, the Buddhist world-view stimulates merit-making. This fourth edition of the work is a major revision that updates the original text, adds new material and offers a contemporary perspective on the original study.Trade Review'This book deserves a welcome from both sides of academic life, teaching and research. Teachers of subjects dealing with Thai language and culture will welcome a clear account of the religious preoccupations - of country people in the central region. The author has come to treat what is normal and respectable there - The hope is thereby to emphasize the main thesis, viz. that there is such a thing as 'animistic Buddhism' and that it is common in rural areas.' - P.J. Bee, "Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies"Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements A Note on Transliteration 1. Two Orientations in the Practice of Buddhism 2. The Setting and the Fieldwork 3. Children and Religion 4. Adolescents, Amulets and Tattooing 5. The First Period in the Sangha 6. Leaving the Order, Courtship and Marriage 7. Building a House 8. The Precepts and Ritual 9. The Pursuit of Beneficial Karma 10. Old Age, Death, and the Hereafter 11. Conclusions Postscript Glossary of Thai, Pali and Sanskrit Words Bibliography Index
£23.76
Brill Investigations into Magic, an Edition and
Book SynopsisMartín Del Río (1551-1608) was a remarkably learned Jesuit scholar. His prolific output includes six volumes of Investigations into Magic which sought to be the last word on magic, witchcraft, and allied subjects such as divination and superstition, and a detailed manual of advice for judges and confessors engaged in combatting what was seen at the time as a dangerous threat to the spiritual life of humanity in this world and the next. First published in 1599-1600, Investigations was heralded as a major contribution to the armoury of the Counter-Reformation, and went through several editions, the last appearing in 1747.Table of ContentsIntroduction Note on the Latin Text Defence or Apologia Book 1: On Magic in General, and on Natural Magic and Artificial Magic in Particular 1 Superstition and Its [various] types 2 Magic, Its Types and the Different Words for ‘Magician’ 3 Natural Magic, or the Magic Which Relates to the Created Universe 4 Instrumental Magic 5 To Which Type of Magic Should One Assign the Technique of Making Gold, Known as ‘Alchemy’? Bibliography Index
£137.75
Brill Esotericism and Deviance
Book SynopsisAries Book Series: Texts and Studies in Western Esotericism is the first professional academic book series specifically devoted to a long-neglected but now rapidly developing domain of research in the humanities, usually referred to as “Western Esotericism”. This field covers a variety of “alternative” currents in western religious history, including so-called “hermetic philosophy” and related currents in the early modern period; alchemy, paracelsianism and rosicrucianism; Jewish and Christian kabbalah and its later developments; theosophical and illuminist currents; and various occultist and related developments during the 19th and 20th centuries, up to and including popular contemporary currents such as the New Age movement. Published under the auspices of the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism (ESSWE). For the journal Aries - Journal for the Study of Western Esotericism please click here. The series has published an average of two volumes per year over the last five years.Table of ContentsList of Figures Notes on Contributors Introduction Or, What We Talk about When We Talk about Deviance Manon Hedenborg White and Tim Rudbøg Part 1 Theorizing Deviance 1 On the Social Organization of Rejected Knowledge Reassessing the Sociology of the Occult Egil Asprem 2 On the Concept of a Deviant Movement Olav Hammer 3 Disrupting Sanctified Deviance The Benefits of Boredom Jay Johnston 4 “The Judges of Normality Are Everywhere” Has Esotericism and the Ideas of H. P. Blavatsky’s Ever Been Normal? Tim Rudbøg Part 2 Historical Cases 5 Constructions of Religious Deviance in the Greek and Roman Worlds Richard Gordon 6 The Deviance of Toz The Reception of Toz Graecus and Magical Works Attributed to Toz in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries Lauri Ockenström 7 Forgotten Knowledge, Deviance and Esotericism The Eternally Burning Lamps of Fortunio Liceti Martin Mulsow 8 Strategic Deviance and Conflicting Loyalties The Spiritualist Interests of Bishop Ghenadie Petrescu (1836–1918) Ionuț Daniel Băncilă 9 Jewish Kabbalah, Christian Onomatodoxy (Imyaslavie) and Theological Flexibility in Russia at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Konstantin Burmistrov 10 Vasily V. Nalimov – A Scientist, Philosopher and “Mystical Anarchist” from Komi Birgit Menzel 11 Haṭhayoga as “Black Magic” in Early Theosophy and Beyond Keith E. Cantú 12 Philology as an Epistemological Strategy to Claim Higher Knowledge Translational Endeavors within the Theosophical Society; A Case Study of Annie Besant’s Bhagavad-Gita Yves Mühlematter 13 “I Would Not Have Left Your Platform Had I Not Been Compelled” Annie Besant’s Exclusion from the National Secular Society (1891) Muriel Pécastaing-Boissière 14 Dismissing the Occult The Links between Esoteric Currents and French Homeopathic Medicine during the First Half of the Twentieth Century Léo Bernard 15 The Devil’s Popess The French Reception of Maria de Naglowska (1883–1936) in the Early 1930s Michele Olzi 16 Confessions of a Persian Opium Smoker Sadegh Hedayat, Esotericism, and The Blind Owl Kurosh Amoui 17 Fernando Pessoa’s Multiple Esoteric Deviances Fabio Mendia Part 3 Concluding Remarks 18 Afterword Rejected Knowledge as a Liberal Art Joscelyn Godwin Editors’ Conclusion Manon Hedenborg White and Tim Rudbøg Index
£140.60
Peeters Publishers The Metamorphosis of Magic: From Late Antiquity
Book SynopsisDeities, demons, and angels became important protagonists in the magic of the Late Antique world, and were also the main reasons for the condemnation of magic in the Christian era. Supplicatory incantations, rituals of coercion, enticing suffumigations, magical prayers and mystical songs drew spiritual powers to the humain domain. Next to the magician's desire to regulate fate and fortune, it was the communion with the spirit world that gave magic the potential to purify and even deify its practitioners. The sense of elation and the awareness of a metaphysical order caused magic to merge with philosophy (notably Neoplatonism). The heritage of Late Antique theurgy would be passed on to the Arab world, and together with classical science and learning would take root again in the Latin West in the High Middle Ages. The metamorphosis of magic laid out in this book is the transformation of ritual into occult philosophy against the background of cultural changes in Judaism, Graeco-Roman religion and Christianity. This volume, the first in the new series Groningen Studies in Cultural Change, offers the papers presented at the workshop The Metamorphosis of Magic from Late Antiquity to the Early Modern Period held from 22 to 24 June 2000, and organised by Jan N. Bremmer and Jan R. Veenstra. The papers have been written by scholars from such varying disciplines as classics, theology, philosophy, cultural history, and law. Their contributions shed new light upon several old obscurities; they show magic to be a significant area of culture, and they advance the case for viewing transformations in the lore and practice of magic as a barometer with which to measure cultural change.
£53.80