In this follow-up to his popular autobiography, My Life with the Spirits, DuQuette tells how a friend was cursed by a well-known foreign filmmaker and how they removed that curse with a little help from Shakespeare. He explains how, as a six-year-old, he used the Law of Attraction to get a date with Linda Kaufman, the most beautiful girl in first-grade. DuQuette also reveals the ins and outs of working with demons and provides a compelling account of performing an exorcism at a private Catholic high school.As entertaining as they are informative, the true stories in this memoir contain authentic magical theory and invaluable technical information.

    Gurdjieff's closest follower, this book offers new insight on his spiritual teachings—a way of gnosis or "knowledge of being" passed on from remote antiquity. It is a complete and uniquely authoritative guide to the great teacher's ideas and to his methods for liberating ourselves from the state of "waking sleep" in which most of us live our lives. Gurdjieff respected traditional religious practices, which he regarded as falling into three general categories or "ways": the Way of the Fakir, related to mastery of the physical body; the Way of the Monk, based on faith and feeling; and the Way of the Yogi, which focuses on development of the mind. He presented his teaching as a Fourth Way that integrated these three aspects into a single path of self-knowledge. Progress in the Fourth Way comes through conscious effort toward a quality of thinking and feeling that brings a new capacity to see clearly and to love.

    Even historians of religion, whose work naturally attends to events beyond the realm of empirical science, have shown scant interest in the subject. But the history of psychical phenomena, Kripal contends, is an untapped source of insight into the sacred. By tracing that history thru the last two centuries of Western thought we can see its potential centrality to the critical study of religion. Kripal grounds his study in the work of four major figures in the history of paranormal research: psychical researcher Frederic Myers; writer Charles Fort; astronomer, computer scientist & ufologist Jacques Vallee; & philosopher & sociologist Bertrand Mheust. Thru incisive analyses of these thinkers, Kripal ushers readers into a beguiling world somewhere between fact, fiction & fraud. The cultural history of telepathy, teleportation & UFOs; a ghostly love story; the occult dimensions of sf; cold war psychic espionage; galactic colonialism; & the intimate relationship between consciousness & culture all come together in Authors of the Impossible, a look at how the paranormal bridges the sacred & the scientific.

    

    

    It is also festooned with examples of his automatic drawings and sigils, this work has established Spare as a formidable and unique figure in twentieth century western magic.This edition includes the original 1913 introduction by Ernest H.R.Collings and the 1975 introduction by Kenneth Grant.Fine Image Reproduction:This edition reprints all the graphics and half-tone illustrations from a particularly fresh and well printed copy of the first edition. Illustrated endpapers and divider pages feature photomontages of the original book, overprinted with designs by Spare in silk varnish.We have also located an original art work from the book and include a new reproduction for inclusion in this edition.A re-worked version of one of the original illustrations is also featured, alongside Mr Staley’s eulogy to Kenneth Grant and his relationship with this book.

    Recounting a true story, this exploration tells of a wandering Mongol shaman who made a dramatic appearance around the Mediterranean centuries before the time of Christ. Highlighting how this nomad came as an envoy on a mission of purification, this study records how he met with a man who became tremendously influential in Western science, philosophy, culture, and religion: Pythagoras. The essence of Western civilization is said to have originated from this meeting and this examination argues that today’s conflicts and tensions have stemmed from taking this monumental occasion for granted, forgetting that there must be a greater meaning to life than everyday efforts and struggles. Reflecting on a time when Eastern and Western cultures were one, this evocation contends that there is still a common spiritual heritage to all civilizations. A unique collaboration between the author and archaeologists, historians, and shamans from around the world, this document has the potential to change the future for all.

    By exposing the necromantic origins of much of modern magic we are able to reconnect with the source of our ritual tradition. There is a continuity of practice in the West which encompasses the pre-Olympian cults of Dionysus and Cybele, is found in the Greek Magical Papyri and Picatrix and flows into the grimoires. Rather than a muddle of superstition, the grimoire tradition is revealed as the living descendant of the ancient practices of the Goes. This is a work which redefines our understanding of the Western tradition, one which does not begin with Cabbala or Solomon, but rather descends into the Underworld and brings forth new life. The author illuminates scarce and overlooked texts with an incisive commentary, from volcanic conjurations to over 70 pages dealing with Picatrix. Following the voyage of the Argonauts, Geosophia offers biographies of the heroes and gods, and discovers the hidden magical meanings and significance of their actions and adventures.

    Occult scholar Stephen Skinner, along with magician and author David Rankine, trace the history of the Keys and offer full transcriptions of four key seventeenth century manuscripts in the British Library and in the Bodleian Library.

    It rigorously re-examines the first three chapters of the Book of Genesis from a radical non-theistic position, completely removing the concept of a creator God. Despite this 'heretical' position, the book utilizes a traditionally precise kabbalistic vocabulary and structure. The author takes a position totally devoid of conventional religious 'truth', and probes the ultimate mysteries using epistemological and ontological questioning from a base of gnostic realization. This book was previously only available to a small group of Smith's students and close colleagues, but it became apparent that due to its timely and significant content, it was time to make it available to a wider audience.

    Persecuted by Anthony Comstock and his Society for the Suppression of Vice, this turn-of-the-century heroine was also a spiritualist who learned many secrets of high magick through her claimed wedlock to an angelic being. Born in Philadelphia in 1857, Ida Craddock became involved in occultism around the age of thirty. She attended classes at the Theosophical Society and began studying a tremendous amount of materials on various occult subjects. She taught correspondence courses to women and newly married couples to educate them on the sacred nature of sex, maintaining that her explicit knowledge came from her nightly experiences with an angel named Soph. In 1902, she was arrested under New York's antiobscenity laws and committed suicide to avoid life in an asylum. Now for the first time, scholar Vere Chappell has compiled the most extensive collection of Craddock's work including original essays, diary excerpts, and suicide lettersone to her mother and one to the public.

    Written in a simple style akin to a medieval Book of Secrets combined with magical practices from the ancient world, Le Livre d'Or brings together practices which have their roots in major works from the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Cairo Genizah, to the Greek Magical Papyri and Sepher Shimmush Tehillim (Magical Use of the Psalms). Now translated into English for the first time, this exceptional text demonstrates the significance of the Psalms as a unifying and vital thread throughout the development of Western magic. From Sweden to Syria, Britain to the Baltic, the use of appropriate Psalms has spread as a significant part of popular folk and religious magic, and Le Livre d'Or is an inimitable example of the transmission of divine power through the written and spoken word. Le Livre d'Or was originally bound as part of Lansdowne MS 1202 with a 17th century French copy of the most important of grimoires, the Key of Solomon. The extensive commentary by David Rankine and Paul Harry Barron emphasises the place of the Psalms within the Grimoire tradition, detailing their extensive apotropaic, amuletic and coercive uses in works such as the Book of Abramelin, the Key of Solomon and the Goetia. The editors also illustrate how the magic of the Psalms has underlain and cross-fertilised numerous traditions over the last two thousand years, from Hellenic magicians, early Christians and Jews of the ancient world to practitioners of the medieval Grimoires and Renaissance Cunning-folk. Whether it was for benevolent or malefic results, Le Livre d'Or provided the appropriate Psalm verses and relevant techniques. This previously ignored work is an outstanding example of eminently practical magic which not only draws on such major works as the Heptameron and the Steganographia, but also many of the divine names found in the Kabbalah. From Saints to spirits, characters to Creeds, Le Livre d'Or shines forth as a significant and reclaimed chapter in the Western Esoteric Traditions.

     Behind the door, beside the stove, under the stairs, along the roads — Hobgoblins have been the helpful housemates, neighbors, and friends of humans for thousands of years. But beware! When humans forget their obligations to the Secret Folk and break the Laws of Hospitality, even the friendliest Hobgoblin may turn tricksy. Here find tellings of domestic Brownies, Lobs-Lie-By-The-Fire, Roman Lars, Japanese Tsukumogami, medieval Portunes, playful pixies, and the famous Robin Goodfellow, as well as grimmer folk: wandering Willow O' The Wisps, wrathful Red Caps, and bold Boggarts. Join the Order of the Golden Quills as it presents the secret history and long lost lore of the Hobgoblins who dwell in that most mysterious of all lands: home.* * * REVIEWS— YoungWriters.co.uk"What I love about this book is the presentation, the pictures, snippets of info. and flaps make it so much fun to read... . This is a great book, engaging, interesting, fun, educational and a lovely addition to any bookcase, or "founte" as the Hearth Folk say."— My Favorite Books"I think this Secret Histories book will sit well with enthusiasts of all ages. There is so much to think about, to make notes about, and to research, should you so wish, in this beautiful book that I think it's a boon to creative storytellers in classrooms and for those parents who are fond of telling their own bedtime stories to young folk.""Hobgoblins is a riot of folkloric fun. The perfect way to say 'hello home and hearth' if you've been having a spot of bother at home and can't think why. Hobgoblins, Brownies, Abbey Lubbers and others have their rights too, you know. Blissfully illustrated, fat and unctiously rich with lore to hold in hand..." - Caitlin Matthews, author of The Storyworld Cards

    8vo. xviii + 390pp. Blue cloth with silver title etc. to spine. Frontis portrait, Index. Edition limited to 777 numbered copies. Phyllis Seckler (1917-2004) was introduced to the teachings of Aleister Crowley in the late 1930s and became a regular participant in the activities of Agape Lodge of the Ordo Templi Orientis in California, and rose to become a Ninth Degree member of the "Sovereign Sanctuary of the Gnosis." She was admitted to the A∴A∴, eventually taking the "magical name" Soror Meral and was later confirmed as an Adeptus Minor by Crowley's successor, Karl Germer. Seckler was a key figure in the reinauguration of the O.T.O. in 1969, and a few years later she founded the College of Thelema, with the intention that it would provide background training for aspirants to the A∴A∴ Although not as widely known as some of her contemporaries, Seckler played a crucial role in the history of Thelema, not only through her efforts to explore and revive Crowley's creed, but also by training a new generation of its students.This book is edited by three of Phyllis Seckler's former students: Rorac Johnson, Gregory Peters & David Shoemaker, and includes a biographical sketch of Phyllis Seckler drawn from her own writings, and 2 of her most important essays: "The Tarot Trumps of Thoth and Psychology" - a detailed analysis of the psychological and magical symbolism of the Trumps of the Thoth deck - and "Thoth Tarot and Astrology," a study of astrology and the natal chart, with special reference to the cards of the Thoth deck. Both presented for the first time in book form, accompanied by redrawn and corrected diagrams. Also contains a selection of important correspondence between Seckler, Aleister Crowley, Karl Germer and Jane Wolfe. These are followed by a transcript of the last major interview conducted with Phyllis Seckler, in which she recounted the details of her introduction to Thelema and involvement with the old Agapé Lodge, her subsequent participation in various Thelemic organizations, and her thoughts on developments within the Thelemic world.

    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 grimoire addresses the summoning and use of the four Archangels, Michael, Raphael, Gabriel and Uriel as well as their opposite numbers, the four Demon Kings, Paymon, Maimon, Egyn and Oriens. The latter are shown in their animal and human forms along with their sigils, a resource unique amongst grimoires. The text is a mixture of magical scripts, Greek, Hebrew, cipher, Latin, (and reversed Latin) made plain by the editors.

    The Crest Jewel of Wisdom is a practical and inspiring guide to life with its foundation stones of truth.

    These scientistic myths, however, turn out to constitute what he terms anti-myths: "a kind that would banish all others, and in so doing, undermine not only religion and morality, but indeed all culture in its higher modes." What invalidates the contemporary "scientific" world-view and renders it "mythical" in the pejorative sense, he goes on to contend, proves finally to be the underlying hypothesis that human perception terminates, not in an external object, but in a subjective phantasm. Not only does the author maintain cogently that visual perception, in particular, does penetrate to the external world, but basing himself on traditional sources - from Vedic to Biblical - he shows that sight as such opens in principle to a veritable gnosis: a "seeing of the Real."

    Only recently, however, have they been available in English translation.Detha has a gift for selecting the most provocative tales he hears from his fellow villagers and re-creating them in a literary form as engaging and daring as his oral sources. In one tale a ghost uses his powers to change a woman's sex so that she can stay married to the woman she loves. In another--re-created in film by Mani Kaul in the early 1970s as Duvidha and more recently by Bollywood director Amol Palekar as the wildly successful Paheli--a ghost falls in love with a young bride and assumes her husband's form so convincingly even her in-laws are fooled. In the title story of this collection, a group of Bania merchants engage in battle to the death with a group of nomadic Banjaras over a misplaced fleck of straw.These stories pose riddles that fi nd new relevance across languages and eras: Who has the right to tell us whom to marry? What counts as truth when it comes to protecting someone we love? How do the epic stories we hear encourage us to repeat scenes of ethnic violence?Detha's tales combine the local Rajasthani storytelling idiom with narrative technique from the modern short story to set a new standard for contemporary writing in India. Translator Christi A. Merrill has worked with the author and his Hindi translator Kailash Kabir to craft a style that allows these stories to come alive in English with equal inventiveness and vibrancy.

    This book offers a fresh, current translation (with detailed Coptic annotations) and ten chapters of introductory analysis of the text. Approaching the text from socio-historical, literary, and postmodern gender-theoretical frameworks, the editors situate Thunder as an early Christian text - away from the now suspect category of “Gnosticism” - and offer conclusions on its possible ancient meanings, as well as its interpretive possibilities for the present moment.

    In recent decades, avant-garde musicians have rediscovered these overlaps, as occultism has reinvented itself--through Buddhist and other Asian influences, Thelema and Chaos Magic--to accommodate cultural strains from psychedelica through Punk and Industrial music. This special edition of John Zorn's much acclaimed Arcana series focuses on the magical aspects of the act of making music. Neither historical overview nor musicological study, it illuminates the sympathies between music and the esoteric tradition with the help of today's finest experimental musicians and occultists. Among these are William Breeze, Gavin Bryars, Alvin Curran, Fred Frith, Sharon Gannon, Larkin Grimm, William Kiesel, Yusef Lateef, Frank London, Meredith Monk, Mark Nauseef, Pauline Oliveros, Genesis P-Orridge, Terry Riley, David Toop, Greg Wall, Peter Lamborn Wilson and Z'ev.

    After his groundbreaking book, Wayki Wayki, Mark Knight’s quest for truth continued. This led to a mystery school in the volcanic regions of Mesoamerica. Here, Mark went through the theory and practice of Hermetic Alchemical Qabalah before entering a 55 day silent fast - where the depths of the unwritten Qabalah came alive and sent him into a "mystical spin." After this process, he was chosen to meet a Hermetic Scientist where he was taught an ancient 100 day Merkaba process using the Emerald Tablet as a guide.The Author takes us on a journey that covers the ancient sciences of raising vibration and awareness, and explains synchronicities, lucid dreams, Qabalistic archetypes, and how to "spin" using the depths within the vehicle of the Unwritten Qabalah. It presents the future times, and shows a clear route map for Merkaba Mysticism and how and why in the coming times this will be useful....indeed truly needed!Trinity of Wisdom presents unvarnished truths, philosophy, as well as a look at evolution, reality, and hidden history, all upon a backdrop of the depths of Hermetic Alchemical Qabalah. In the end, we are taken on a truth based ancient path to self-hood via consciousness.....to the source of all consciousness. For more titles like this, type “oaklight” or “dreamz-work” into the search field or go to http://oaklightpublishing.com

    The book also looks in depth at the methods of building the inner temple and the egregore. The techniques in this book explore alternative ways for the Hierophant/Magus/Magister to approach the inception and development of a fully contacted magical lodge. The structure behind the magical technique is looked at, and approached in a way that is more harmonious with our 21st century consciousness.