Americans all, they were among the famous figures whose paths intertwined with the mystical and esoteric movement broadly known as the occult. Brought over from the Old World and spread throughout the New by some of the most obscure but gifted men and women of early U.S. history, this “hidden wisdom” transformed the spiritual life of the still-young nation and, through it, much of the Western world.Yet the story of the American occult has remained largely untold. Now a leading writer on the subject of alternative spirituality brings it out of the shadows. Here is a rich, fascinating, and colorful history of a religious revolution and an epic of offbeat history. From the meaning of the symbols on the one-dollar bill to the origins of the Ouija board, Occult America briskly sweeps from the nation’s earliest days to the birth of the New Age era and traces many people and episodes, including:•The spirit medium who became America’s first female religious leader in 1776 •The supernatural passions that marked the career of Mormon prophet Joseph Smith •The rural Sunday-school teacher whose clairvoyant visions instigated the dawn of the New Age •The prominence of mind-power mysticism in the black-nationalist politics of Marcus Garvey•The Idaho druggist whose mail-order mystical religion ranked as the eighth-largest faith in the world during the Great Depression Here, too, are America’s homegrown religious movements, from transcendentalism to spiritualism to Christian Science to the positive-thinking philosophy that continues to exert such a powerful pull on the public today. A feast for believers in alternative spirituality, an eye-opener for anyone curious about the unknown byroads of American history, Occult America is an engaging, long-overdue portrait of one nation, under many gods, whose revolutionary influence is still being felt in every corner of the globe.

    Drawing on years of research & on thinkers from Plato to Jung, Tarnas explores the planetary correlations of epochal events like the French Revolution, the world wars & 9/11. Whether read as astrology updated for the quantum age or as a contemporary classic of spirituality, Cosmos & Psyche is an important work of sophistication & learning. importance.Preface1 The transformation of the cosmos. The birth of the modern selfThe dawn of a new universe Two paradigms of historyForging the self, disenchanting the worldThe cosmological situation today 2 In search of a deeper order. Two suitors: a parableThe interior quest Synchronicity & its implicationsThe archetypal cosmos3 Through the archetypal telescope. The evolving traditionArchetypal principlesThe planets Forms of correspondence Personal transit cycles Archetypal coherence & concrete diversityAssessing patterns of correlation 4 Epochs of revolution. From the French Revolution to the 1960sSynchronic & diachronic patterns in historyScientific & technological revolutionsAwakenings of the DionysianThe liberation of natureReligious rebellion & erotic emancipationFilling in the cyclical sequence The individual & the collectiveA larger view of the sixties5 Cycles of crisis & contraction. World Wars, Cold War & 9/11Historical contrasts & tensionsConservative empowermentSplitting, evil & terror"Moby Dick" & nature's depthHistorical determinism, realpolitik & apocalypseMoral courage, facing the shadow & the tension of oppositesParadigmatic works of artForging deep structures 6 Cycles of creativity & expansion. Opening new horizons Convergences of scientific breakthroughsSocial & political rebellions & awakeningsQuantum leaps & peak experiencesFrom Copernicus to DarwinMusic & literatureIconic moments & cultural milestonesGreat heights & shadowsHidden births 7 Awakenings of spirit & soul. Epochal shifts of cultural visionSpiritual epiphanies & the emergence of new religionsUtopian social visions Romanticism, imaginative genius & cosmic epiphanyRevelations of the numinous The great awakening of the Axial Age The late 20th century & the turn of the millennium8 Towards a new heaven & a new earth. Understanding the past, creating the futureObservations on future planetary alignmentsSources of the world orderEpilogueNotesSourcesAcknowledgmentsIndex

    Deucalion and Pyrrha Theseus and the Centaur Niobe The Gorgon's Head From Hawthorne's "Wonder Book." The Golden FleeceFrom Hawthorne's "Tanglewood Tales." The CyclopsFrom Church's "Stories from Homer." Œdipus and the SphinxAdapted from Church's "Stories from Greek Tragedians."Antigone, a Faithful Daughter and SisterThe Story of IphigeniaFrom Church's "Stories from Greek Tragedians."The Sack of TroyFrom Church's "Stories from Virgil."Beowulf and GrendelFrom Joyce Pollard's "Stories from Old English Romance."The Good King Arthur The Great Knight Siegfried Lohengrin and Elsa the BeautifulFrom the German of Robert Hertwig.Frithiof the Bold Wayland the Smith Twardowski, the Polish Faust Ilia Muromec of Russia Kralewitz Marko of Servia The Decision of Libuscha Count Roland of FranceFrom Church's "Stories of Charlemagne and the Peers of France."The Cid

    He kept notes on factual corrections he received from educators around the world. The last revision in his lifetime was published in 1939. In 1949, an expanded version was produced by author & scholar Raymond Postgate, whose additional material initially expanded the timeline thru WWII, with subsequent additions thru 1969. Postgate respected that readers wished "to hear the views of Wells, not Postgate" & endeavored to preserve the original authorial voice in his revisions. In the later editions, G.P. Wells, the author's son, updated the early chapters about prehistory to reflect current theories; previous editions, for instance, reflected the credence given to the Piltdown Man hoax. The final edition appeared in 1971, but earlier editions are still in print.

    This Weiser Classics edition is newly re-typeset and include a new foreword by Judika Illes and a new afterword by Stuart R. Harrop, co-director of the Society of Inner Light (founded in 1924 by Dion Fortune).Dion Fortune's classic, The Mystical Qabalah, explores all aspects of the Qabalah, including the esoteric sciences of astrology and tarot, which form the basis of the Western Mystery Traditions. It provides a key to the practical working of this mystical system for both novice and initiate alike.

    This magnificent book is a collection of stories, anecdotes, and legends from all six of the regions where celtic ways have persisted in the modern world.

    This legendary underground classic contains absolutely everything worth knowing about absolutely anything. Discordianism is the religion for these screwed-up times, and Principia Discordia reveals it here for your enlightenment, confusion and entertainment.

    Most, however, never learn of the founders’ connections to the Freemasons, the Rosicrucians, and other esoteric orders. In Founding Fathers, Secret Societies Robert Hieronimus investigates these important connections and how their influence can be traced throughout our most significant national documents and symbols, especially the Great Seal. He reveals in detail how the reverse of the Great Seal--which appears on the back of the one-dollar bill--is a blueprint that conveys the secret destiny of America. By understanding the kabbalistic meaning of the Great Seal’s reverse, he shows how our current era presents unique opportunities for the fulfillment of our Founding Fathers’ spiritual vision.

    Along the way, you'll take a ferry ride with Aeneas to Hades, across the river Acheron; meet the Devil as imagined by a twelfth-century Irish monk - a monster with a thousand giant hands; wander the nine circles of Hell in Dante's Inferno and witness the debates that raged in Victorian England when new scientific advances cast doubt on the idea of an eternal hereafter. Drawing upon religious poetry, epics, theological treatises, stories of miracles and accounts of saints' lives, this fascinating volume of hellscapes illuminates how Hell has long haunted us, in both life and death.

    It is clear, easy to read, and very faithful to the Arabic original. It closely follows the Arabic text, and often reminds the reader of the Arabic original. It uses today's English language, and today's English vocabulary, thus it is easy to read and understand. The flow is smooth, the sentence structure is simple, the meaning is clear. This Quran translation has no interpretations, no footnotes, and no explanations. It is a pure translation of the Quran, from Arabic to English, and it does not try to emphasize any school of thought. The text purely and accurately translates the Holy Quran, from Arabic, into contemporary English. It was translated by a Muslim, who saw firsthand the miracles inside the Quran. His native language is Arabic; his everyday language is American English. For 15 years, he studied the Quran. For many years, he translated speech between his mother and his wife. For a living, he develops quality software.The translation is available in two editions. Edition A uses the word Allah to refer to the Creator. Edition B uses the word God. This is edition B.Quran Sura 81. The Rolling. at-Takwir.In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful.1. When the sun is rolled up.2. When the stars are dimmed.3. When the mountains are set in motion.4. When the relationships are suspended.5. When the beasts are gathered.6. When the oceans are set aflame.7. When the souls are paired.8. When the girl, buried alive, is asked:9. For what crime was she killed?10. When the records are made public.11. When the sky is peeled away.12. When the Fire is set ablaze.13. When Paradise is brought near.14. Each soul will know what it has readied.15. I swear by the galaxies.16. Precisely running their courses.17. And by the night as it recedes.18. And by the morn as it breathes.19. This is the speech of a noble messenger.20. Endowed with power, eminent with the Lord of the Throne.21. Obeyed and honest.22. Your friend is not possessed.23. He saw him on the luminous horizon.24. And He does not withhold knowledge of the Unseen.25. And it is not the word of an accursed devil.26. So where are you heading?27. It is only a Reminder to all mankind.28. To whoever of you wills to go straight.29. But you cannot will, unless God wills-The Lord of the Worlds.The Quran is the last Book from the Creator. It contains guidance, mercy, and healing. The Quran is a blessing, within reach.

    The mythic legacy of the Scandinavians includes a cycle of stories filled with magnificent images from pre-Christian Europe. Gods, humans, and monstrous beasts engage in prodigious drinking bouts, contests of strength, greedy schemes for gold, and lusty encounters. The Norse pantheon includes Odin, the wisest and most fearsome of the gods; Thor, the thundering powerhouse; and the exquisite, magic-wielding Freyja. Their loves, wars, and adventures take us through worlds both mortal and divine, culminating in a blazing doomsday for gods and humans alike. These stories bear witness to the courage, passion, and boundless spirit that were hallmarks of the Norse world.“Kevin Crossley-Holland retells the Norse myths in clear, attractive prose . . . An excellent introduction, notes, and a glossary provide mythological and historical backgrounds and suggest parallels with myths in other parts of the world.”–The Denver Post

    The highly readable texts and over 800 beautiful full-color images come together in a unique way to convey hidden dimensions of meaning. Each of the ca. 350 essays examines a given symbol’s psychic background, and how it evokes psychic processes and dynamics. Etymological roots, the play of opposites, paradox and shadow, the ways in which diverse cultures have engaged a symbolic image—all these factors are taken into consideration.Authored by writers from the fields of psychology, religion, art, literature, and comparative myth, the essays flow into each other in ways that mirror the psyche’s unexpected convergences. There are no pat definitions of the kind that tend to collapse a symbol; a still vital symbol remains partially unknown, compels our attention and unfolds in new meanings and manifestations over time. Rather than merely categorize, The Book of Symbols illuminates how to move from the visual experience of a symbolic image in art, religion, life, or dreams to directly experiencing its personal and psychological resonance.The Book of Symbols sets new standards for thoughtful exploration of symbols and their meanings, and will appeal to a wide range of readers: artists, designers, dreamers and dream interpreters, psychotherapists, self-helpers, gamers, comic book readers, religious and spiritual searchers, writers, students, and anyone curious about the power of archetypal images.

    He was an essential figure in the development of philosophy, especially the Western tradition, and he founded the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Plato's dialogues have been used to teach a range of subjects, including philosophy, logic, ethics, rhetoric, religion and mathematics. His lasting themes include Platonic love, the theory of forms, the five regimes, innate knowledge, among others. His theory of forms launched a unique perspective on abstract objects, and led to a school of thought called Platonism. This collection contains the following works by Plato: Early Works • Apology • Charmides, or Temperance • Crito • Euthyphro • Gorgias • Hippias, Lesser • Hippias, Greater • Ion • Laches • Lysis • Protagoras Transitional Works • Cratylus • Euthydemus • Meno • Parmenides • Phaedo • Phaedrus • Symposium • The Republic Middle Works • Theaetetus Late Works • Critias • Laws • Philebus • Sophist • Statesman • Timaeus Works of Disputed Authorship • Alcibiades I & II • Eryxias • Menexenus • Theages

    From the first millennium BC until today, the myths have been repeated in an inexhaustible series of variations and reinterpretations. They can be found in the latest movies and television shows and in software for interactive computer games. This book combines a retelling of Greek myths with a comprehensive account of the world in which they developed their themes, their relevance to Greek religion and society, and their relationship to the landscape."Contexts, Sources, Meanings" describes the main literary and artistic sources for Greek myths, and their contexts, such as ritual and theater."Myths of Origin" includes stories about the beginning of the cosmos, the origins of the gods, the first humans, and the founding of communities."The Olympians: Power, Honor, Sexuality" examines the activities of all the main divinities."Heroic exploits" concentrates on the adventures of Perseus, Jason, Herakles, and other heroes."Family sagas" explores the dramas and catastrophes that befall heroes and heroines."A Landscape of Myths" sets the stories within the context of the mountains, caves, seas, and rivers of Greece, Crete, Troy, and the Underworld."Greek Myths after the Greeks" describes the rich tradition of retelling, from the Romans, through the Renaissance, to the twenty-first century.Complemented by lavish illustrations, genealogical tables, box features, and specially commissioned drawings, this will be an essential book for anyone interested in these classic tales and in the world of the ancient Greeks.

    We meet the Greek gods on Olympus and Norse gods in Valhalla. We follow the drama of the Trojan War and the wanderings of Odysseus. We hear the tales of Jason and the Golden Fleece, Cupid and Psyche, and mighty King Midas. We discover the origins of the names of the constellations. And we recognize reference points for countless works of art, literature, and cultural inquiry--from Freud's Oedipus complex to Wagner's Ring Cycle of operas to Eugene O'Neill's Mourning Becomes Electra. Praised throughout the world for its authority and lucidity, Mythology is Edith Hamilton's masterpiece--the standard by which all other books on mythology are measured.