Best of
Occult

1986

The Complete Book of Incense, Oils and Brews


Scott Cunningham - 1986
    The more things in your ritual to help your mind associate with your goal, the more powerful your ritual may be. Colored candles, scented oils, natural incenses, and more all add to the impact of the magic you wish to do. But how do you know which incense to burn? Is it possible to add scented oils together to get a more powerful oil? And how do you make your own appropriately-scented tools?The answers to questions like these and hundreds more can be found in The Complete Book of Incense, Oils and Brews by world-famous author Scott Cunningham. This is a greatly expanded and rewritten version of The Magic of Incenses, Oils and Brews. It includes over 100 new formulas, proportions for each element of the recipes (the most requested feature from his previous book), how to substitute ingredients, and much more. Besides the formulas, it also includes the exact methods of making all of these scented tools, including how to extract the essences from the herbs.Each one of the formulas in this magic book is precise and easy to make. Do you need luck? Take 2 parts vetivert, 2 parts allspice, 1 part nutmeg, and 1 part calamus, grind them together as finely as possible, then sprinkle the powder in a circle around you, beginning and ending in the East and moving clockwise. Sit within this circle and absorb the powder's energies. Also included are other ways to use magical powders that will have you coming up with your own ideas for them, too.There is a legion of recipes for incenses. There are three for the sun and two for consecrating talismans. There are incenses for each of the astrological signs and ones to help you study better and gain success. You'll also find incenses for each of the planetary influences. There are four for Saturn alone!This compendium of magical lore is a vital tool for every magical person on any magical path, whether you are a beginner or an expert.

Aghora: At the Left Hand of God


Robert E. Svoboda - 1986
    Written almost entirely in Vimalananda's own words, it presents events from his life, tenets of his philosophy, and highlights from his spiritual practices. Designed partly to shock and partly to comfort, but wholly as an offering to his Beloved, Aghora is as clear a picture as possible of a man who was a riddle wrapped up in an enigma. Vimalananda insisted that this book be published only after his demise, that he might be spared pursuit by those whose curiosity might be inflamed by some of the sensational events described within. He believed in devoting his all to the pursuit of the direct perception of Reality, and advised others to be similarly dedicated to attaining personal experience of God. To readers he offered this warning: "Don't take anything I say as gospel truth. I am human, I make mistakes. Test on yourselves what I've told you. Try it out, experience it, and then you will know whether or not I'm telling you the truth."

The Occult Anatomy of Man


Manly P. Hall - 1986
    

The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation, Including the Demotic Spells, Volume 1


Hans Dieter Betz - 1986
    to the fifth century A.D. Containing a fresh translation of the Greek papyri, as well as Coptic and Demotic texts, this new translation has been brought up to date and is now the most comprehensive collection of this literature, and the first ever in English.The Greek Magical Papyri in Transition is an invaluable resource for scholars in a wide variety of fields, from the history of religions to the classical languages and literatures, and it will fascinate those with a general interest in the occult and the history of magic."One of the major achievements of classical and related scholarship over the last decade."—Ioan P. Culianu, Journal for the Study of Judaism"The enormous value of this new volume lies in the fact that these texts will now be available to a much wider audience of readers, including historians or religion, anthropologists, and psychologists."—John G. Gager, Journal of Religion"[This book] shows care, skill and zest. . . . Any worker in the field will welcome this sterling performance."—Peter Parsons, Times Literary Supplement

Earth Magic: A Book of Shadows for Positive Witches


Marion Weinstein - 1986
    Here is the revised and updated version of Earth Magic, the author's personal book of magical practice, made available for today's Witches. Based on an indepth study of the many facets of Witchcraft, Earth Magic presents the religion as positive and life-affirming.The book is filled with how-to's of a practical nature, as is traditional in Witchcraft. It is intended to be a springboard, to unlock the reader's psychic Wiccan abilities and guide them into the creation of their own unique and personal work. Every technique is explained in detail, in keeping with Weinstein's proviso that one should never attempt to work any magic unless one understands it fully. The goal is to encourage true Witchcraft expertise and creativity.The information from the original edition is still available, as well as a treasure trove of new material, some of which has never been seen before. In this thoroughly revised edition, you will learn: -- How to set up psychic protection.-- How to work string and cord magic.-- Working with the phases of the Moon.-- Forming and working with your own coven.-- Visualization in a Witch's mode.-- Choices of Deity alignments from a wide realm of cultures.-- Not one, but two methods of Manifestation: Creation Manifestation and Affinity Manifestation.-- Creating rituals, creating Words of Power, composing one's own spells, use of talismans, candles, pendulums, Witch's Bottles, scrying, oracles, and much more.

The Equinox: Volume III, Number 10


Aleister Crowley - 1986
    This book contains key introductory material to this contemporary occult society, along with a history of the Order after Crowley's death. The format of this edition matches that of the first Equinox series published with Crowley as editor and includes magical instruction, communications to OTO members (all the dirt on court cases the OTO has been involved in), and original works of fiction and poetry. As part of this latter category, this book features an illustrated study of the works of underground filmmaker Kenneth Anger with a complete filmography. It could be argued that Aleister Crowley (1875-1947) anticipated the entire New Age phenomenon with his methods of teaching, codified in the tenets of the OTO. A rich melange of ritual magic, traditional spiritual practice, drug use, and sex, borrowing from many different cultures and traditions, informed the development of this lasting magical system. Although he's been popularized (and demonized) as The Beast, 666, his teachings have shown lasting value.

The Mythic Tarot


Juliet Sharman-Burke - 1986
    A complete package in a box that contains everything needed for the beginning tarot card user: a Tarot deck, an illustrated hardcover book explaining how to use the cards, and a silky cloth on which to lay the cards out.

Life Between Life


Joel L. Whitton - 1986
    Whitton and Joe Fisher explore the often elusive periods between incarnations, basing their work upon 13 years of research and more than 30 medical case histories and drawing upon the revolutionary technique of hypnotic regression. Previously published by Doubleday.

Stages of Higher Knowledge


Rudolf Steiner - 1986
    Beginning with the stages of material cognition, then moving on to the higher stages of knowledge, this book deals with using Meditation and Concentration as exercises to draw the soul from its connection to the physical senses, and looks at the spirit world. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Hesperides Press are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork. Contents Include: Stages Sleep Imagination-The Duty of A Guide Inspiration Inspiration and Intuition

The Upanishads: Volume 1


Nikhilananda - 1986
    The Upanishads form the foundation of the Hindu religion and describe the ultimate objective of life - the liberation of the soul from the bondage of the phenomenal world. Swami Nikhilananda's clear and insightful writing combined with notes and explanation based on the commentary of Sankaracharya, the great eighth-century philosopher and mystic of India, will help the spiritual seeker delve into the meaning of these spiritual treasures. This first of four volumes also contains an introduction with a general outline of the metaphysics and philosophy of Hinduism.

All Rites Reversed?!: Ritual Technology for Self-Initiation


Antero Alli - 1986
    "When you enter Antero Alli's magic circle you become one with the first Paleolithic shamans dancing to the bear-god. You will know yourself here-now as you have never known yourself before..".

The Egyptian Hermes: A Historical Approach to the Late Pagan Mind


Garth Fowden - 1986
    A human (according to some) who had lived about the time of Moses, but now indisputably a god, he was credited with the authorship of numerous books on magic and the supernatural, alchemy, astrology, theology, and philosophy. Until the early seventeenth century, few doubted the attribution. Even when unmasked, Hermes remained a byword for the arcane. Historians of ancient philosophy have puzzled much over the origins of his mystical teachings; but this is the first investigation of the Hermetic milieu by a social historian.Starting from the complex fusions and tensions that molded Graeco-Egyptian culture, and in particular Hermetism, during the centuries after Alexander, Garth Fowden goes on to argue that the technical and philosophical Hermetica, apparently so different, might be seen as aspects of a single way of Hermes. This assumption that philosophy and religion, even cult, bring one eventually to the same goal was typically late antique, and guaranteed the Hermetica a far-flung readership, even among Christians. The focus and conclusion of this study is an assault on the problem of the social milieu of Hermetism.

Access to Western Esotericism


Antoine Faivre - 1986
    Here is also a historical survey, beginning with the Alexandrean Period, of the various esoteric currents such as Christian Kabbalah, Theosophy, Alchemy, Rosicrucianism, and Hermeticism. Common characteristics of these currents are the notion of universal interdependency and the experience of spiritual transformation. The author establishes a rigorous methodology; provides clarifying definitions of such key terms as "gnosis," "theosophy," "occultism," and "Hermeticism;" and offers analysis of contemporary esotericism based on three distinct pathways.The second half of the book presents a series of studies on several important figures, works, and movements in Western esotericism--studies devoted to some of the most characteristic and illuminating aspects that this form of thought has taken, such as theosophical speculations on androgyny, rosicrucian literature, and Masonic symbolism.The book is completed by a rich and selective Bibliography conceived as a means of orientation and a tool for research.

How Belief in Rebirth Enriches Life


Manly P. Hall - 1986
    Explains how the doctrine of rebirth reconciles many of the disparities of life, thereby assisting the individual to take responsibility for his own destiny and growth, and bring about a more productive pattern of conduct.

URANUS Freedom From The Known (Llewellyn's Modern Astrology Library)


Jeffrey Wolf Green - 1986
    Language: English ISBN-10: 0875422977 ISBN-13: 978-0875422978

Tarot & Magic: The Treasure House of Images


Gareth Knight - 1986
    This title explores the history and development of the Tarot, from its 15th-century beginnings as a conjunct to playing cards to the explosion of its popularity as a system of occult symbolism, with an emphasis on the use of Tarot in modern magical practice.