Seldom has such a small handful of words provided a teaching as rich as has this famous opening line. In a single stroke, the simple sentence cuts through the pervasive tendency students have of getting so close to Zen as to completely miss what it’s all about. An instant teaching on the first page. And that’s just the beginning.In the forty years since its original publication, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind has become one of the great modern Zen classics, much beloved, much reread, and much recommended as the best first book to read on Zen. Suzuki Roshi presents the basics—from the details of posture and breathing in zazen to the perception of nonduality—in a way that is not only remarkably clear, but that also resonates with the joy of insight from the first to the last page. It’s a book to come back to time and time again as an inspiration to practice, and it is now available to a new generation of seekers in this fortieth anniversary edition, with a new afterword by Shunryu Suzuki’s biographer, David Chadwick.

    The reading itself plunges the reader in to an ocean of crystalline light. Read and awaken.

    It covers all the key practices and principles of Wicca in a structured way for the seeker, such as the Goddess & God, the Wheel of the Year, the Four Elements, Lunar phases, Wiccan Ceremonies, the Wiccan Rede, magick, skyclad and initiation.Throughout the book, practical exercises,meditations and simple ceremonies are provided, together with suggestions for further reading. You will learn about the history, whilst exploring the practices and deepening your understanding of the four elements and the natural world, whilst exercising your visualisation skills and building on your understanding of the tradition through an experiential approach.INTRODUCTIONUSING THIS GUIDECOURSE LESSONSLESSON 1 * PAGANISM, WITCHCRAFT & WICCALESSON 2 * MAGICK: TOWARDS AN UNDERSTANDINGLESSON 3 * THE GODS & GODDESSESLESSON 4 * THE FOUR ELEMENTSLESSON 5 * THE TIMES OF MAGICKLESSON 6 * SACRED SPACELESSON 7 * INITIATION & RITES OF PASSAGEAPPENDIX1. HOW TO USE INCENSE2. KEEPING YOUR MAGICKAL JOURNAL3. THE CHARGE OF THE GODDESS4. TREE MEDITATION5. CHAKRA WORK

    But witches aren’t mere fairy book threats; American history is brimming with tales of their terror. From 19th-century murders to a bizarre monkey-faced creature straight from Hell to bewitched pigs hell-bent on revenge, American Witches: a Broomstick Tour through Four Centuries describes strange incidents that have long been banished to the margins of our history.On a tour through four centuries of American witchcraft that’s both whimsical and startling, we’ll encounter 17th-century children flying around inside their New England home “like geese.” We’ll meet a father-son tag-team of pious Puritans who embarked on an anti-witch mission that involved undressing young ladies and overseeing hangings. And on the eve of the Civil War, we’ll accompany a reporter as he dons a dress and goes searching for witches in New York City’s most dangerous neighborhoods.Entertainingly readable and rich in amazing details often left out of today’s texts, American Witches casts a flickering torchlight into the dark corners of American history. Shelf Awareness says: "American Witches is a delightful and thoughtful adventure into one of the darker superstitions that has plagued the country for centuries."

    We think nothing of jumping on a plane to travel to another country or continent. The most exotic locations are now destinations for mass tourism. Small business people are dealing across frontiers and language barriers like never before. The Internet brings different languages and cultures to our finger-tips. English, the hybrid language of an island at the western extremity of Europe seems to have an unrivalled position as an international medium of communication. But historically periods of cultural and economic domination have never lasted forever. Do we not lose something by relying on the wide spread use of English rather than discovering other languages and cultures? As citizens of this shrunken world, would we not be better off if we were able to speak a few languages other than our own? The answer is obviously yes. Certainly Steve Kaufmann thinks so, and in his busy life as a diplomat and businessman he managed to learn to speak nine languages fluently and observe first hand some of the dominant cultures of Europe and Asia. Why do not more people do the same? In his book The Way of The Linguist, A language learning odyssey, Steve offers some answers. Steve feels anyone can learn a language if they want to. He points out some of the obstacles that hold people back. Drawing on his adventures in Europe and Asia, as a student and businessman, he describes the rewards that come from knowing languages. He relates his evolution as a language learner, abroad and back in his native Canada and explains the kind of attitude that will enable others to achieve second language fluency. Many people have taken on the challenge of language learning but have been frustrated by their lack of success. This book offers detailed advice on the kind of study practices that will achieve language breakthroughs. Steve has developed a language learning system available online at: www.thelinguist.com.

    Detailed descriptions for evocation of beings from the spheres surrounding us. The aspirant learns how everything is possible through the appropriate spiritual laws and powers.Part I: magical aids and their uses: the circle, the mirror, the wand, the sword, the pentacle and the garment; advantages and disadvantages of evocational magic.Part II: explains in detail the hierarchy of the spheres, including the spirits of the four elements, planetary intelligences and communication with spirit beings.Part III: concludes with a complete set of illustrations of the seals of spirit beings.

    An initiation signals a beginning: a door opens and you step through. Traditional Wiccan initiates are usually brought into the craft through a ceremony with a High Priestess. But even though Amanda Yates Garcia's mother, a practicing witch herself, initiated her into the earth-centered practice of witchcraft when she was 13 years old, Amanda's real life as a witch only began when she underwent a series of spontaneous initiations of her own.Descending into the underworlds of poverty, sex work, and misogyny, Initiated describes Amanda's journey to return to her body, harness her power, and create the magical world she longed for through witchcraft. Hailed by crows, seduced by magicians, and haunted by ancestors broken beneath the wheels of patriarchy, Amanda's quest for self-discovery and empowerment is a deep exploration of a modern witch's trials - healing ancient wounds, chafing against cultural expectations, creating intimacy - all while on a mission to re-enchant the world. Peppered with mythology, tales of the goddesses and magical women throughout history, Initiated stands squarely at the intersection of witchcraft and feminism. With generosity and heart, this book speaks to the question: is it possible to live a life of beauty and integrity in a world that feels like it's dying?Declaring oneself a witch and practicing magic has everything to do with claiming authority and power for oneself, of taking back our planet in the name of Love. Initiated is both memoir and manifesto calling the magical people of the world to take up their wands: stand up, be brave, describe the world they want, then create it like a witch.

    Unknown during his lifetime, his work has grown increasingly popular, and his writings have influenced the likes of Rhonda Byrne, Carlos Castaneda, Joseph Murphy, and Wayne Dyer. The founding principle of Neville's work was stunning in its simplicity--Your imagination is God. This message of empowerment has resonated with countless readers, urging them to fearlessly explore their own potential in a new way.Compiled and introduced by PEN Award-winning historian Mitch Horowitz, Infinite Potential is a curated compendium of Neville's work, including the complete text of his first book, At Your Command, along with rare pamphlets, transcriptions and three never-before anthologized pieces from the great writer. Horowitz is the leading expert on Neville and his teachings, and his introduction frames Neville's work in both a historical and modern-day context, offering a complete timeline of the writer's somewhat mysterious life. Infinite Potential is an accessible and profound anthology from one of the greatest spiritual minds of the 20th century.

    Her book echoes these passions and serves as a tapestry of real-life stories and time-honored folklore laced with a hint of magic! It is aimed at the practicing or would-be witch whose life is more jeans, chaos and the never-ending question of what's for dinner than it is black robes, cauldrons, and incantations."Hedgewitch Book of Days" features recipes and wisdom as it reveals the hidden properties behind the things we use all the time. The author shows how to turn the simplest tasks into meaningful rituals, opening our eyes to the extra special world behind the mundane and how to celebrate it! A new broader approach to old beliefs, there is something for everyone to take away--whatever path you are on.Journey through the wheel of the year with one eye on the kettle and the other on the magical!

    Yeats took a particular interest in the tales' mythic and magical roots. The Celtic Twilight ventures into the eerie and puckish world of fairies, ghosts, and spirits. "This handful of dreams," as the author referred to it, first appeared in 1893, and its title refers to the pre-dawn hours, when the Druids performed their rituals. It consists of stories recounted to the poet by his friends, neighbors, and acquaintances. Yeats' faithful transcription of their narratives includes his own visionary experiences, appended to the storytellers' words as a form of commentary.

    It includes hands-on information for modern celebrations, spells and divination, recipes and crafts, invocations and prayers, and more!Samhain—also known as Halloween—is the final spoke in the wheel of the year. At this time, the harvest has finished and the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest. This guide shows you how to practice the serious work of divination and honoring the dead along with the more light-hearted activities of Halloween.

    The ideas presented in this Bible reference book are based on the teachings of Jesus Christ and are presented in a cross-denominational format.

    This book explores structured, coven-based styles of Wicca, in which the practitioners typically trace initiatory lineages back to Wicca's early founders. Discussing covens, initiations, lineages, practices, ethics, and more, Traditional Wicca shares tips and ideas on how to get the most from this profound approach to Witchcraft. Discover how to recognize healthy, reputable covens. Learn how to navigate the process of asking for training and succeeding in an outer court. Explore the spiritual strength of lineages, hierarchies, and initiation. This book also includes contributions from several practitioners, providing valuable first-person perspectives on what it's like to be on the traditional Wiccan path. Praise : "Like the bristles of a besom, Thorn Mooney's Traditional Wicca sweeps through the subject of Witchcraft removing the dust and dirt of ignorance and prejudice to reveal the true heart of Wicca. Thorn writes with obvious sincerity, with feeling, and from experience. Her book covers everything from defining Witchcraft, through the workings of a coven, to actual initiation and beyond. She warns that Wicca is not for everyone and—I am personally delighted to see—includes a chapter on recognizing 'Red Flags' when first contacting others...especially those who might claim to be more than they actually are. This book is the quintessential guide for the true, sincere seeker."—Raymond Buckland, author of Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft "Traditional Wicca is a unique and important book. It's amazing to me that in over 70 years of publishing on the subject of Wicca, nothing like this book has ever been written! I'm kind of jealous I didn't think to write it myself. The chapter on initiation is, by itself, worth the cover price. If you want to understand what people mean by 'traditional Wicca,' whether or not you're seeking it, this is the one book you must read."—Deborah Lipp, Wiccan high priestess and author of Merry Meet Again "Traditional Wicca is a topic that few actually understand despite its long and distinguished history. With passion and skill, Thorn delivers a book that many familiar with Wicca will wish they had had when they were studying it, and those who find themselves on the path for the first time will rejoice at having found. Whether you intend to seek initiation or not, this book is full of valuable gems that will enhance any practice at any level. Traditional Wicca is an all-inclusive tour through the history, practices, and lore of traditional Wicca that weaves voices from all over the tradition and challenges everything you think you know about it."—Devin Hunter, author of The Witch's Book of Power "A masterful gem of insight and wisdom,Traditional Wicca reveals the time-honored practices of initiatory Wicca, thought all but lost by many, but hidden like so many occult secrets in plain sight. Drawing a clear and respectful distinction between eclectic Wicca and its older more traditional sibling, Thorn Mooney takes us on a personal journey exploring the powers and the pitfalls of the initiatory inner court, revealing the persistence of a thriving and dynamic Craft that is at once orthopraxic and changing, traditional and experimental.

    This innovative primer highlights sexual liberation as it traces the lineage of “witch feminism.” Juxtaposing scholarly research on the demonization of women and female sexuality that has continued since the witch hunts of the early modern era with pop occulture analyses and interviews with activists, artists, scholars, and practitioners of witchcraft, this book enriches our contemporary conversations about reproductive rights, sexual pleasure, queer identity, pornography, sex work, and more.Kristen J. Sollee is instructor at The New School and founding editrix of Slutist, an award-winning sex positive feminist website."

    The exercises can be enjoyed by an individual or shared with others, making it a popular text for classes and study groups. It uses meditations, rituals, spreads, mandalas, visualizations, dialogues, charts, affirmations, and other activities to help you establish your own relationship with the cards. It offers the best in traditional knowledge and know-how. Learn the many variations of three card spreads and ways of moving around the cards in the Celtic Cross Spread to get far more information than you thought possible. Use Mary Greer's powerful "breakthrough process" with all your readings to turn them into truly transformative experiences.