Under her, women's roles were far more prominent than in patriarchal Judeo-Christian cultures. Stone describes this ancient system and, with its disintegration, the decline in women's status. Index, maps and illustrations.

    He convincingly conveys the unique appeal and gifts of each of the traditions and reveals their hold on the human heart and imagination.

    P. Lovecraft, and Carlos Castaneda -each imbued with a twenty-first-century aptitude for quantum theory and existential psychology-and you get the voice of Daniel Pinchbeck. And yet, nothing quite prepares us for the lucidity, rationale, and informed audacity of this seeker, skeptic, and cartographer of hidden realms. Throughout the 1990s, Pinchbeck had been a member of New York's literary select. He wrote for publications such as "The New York Times Magazine," "Esquire," and "Harper's Bazaar." His first book, "Breaking Open the Head," was heralded as the most significant on psychedelic experimentation since the work of Terence McKenna. But slowly something happened: Rather than writing from a journalistic remove, Pinchbeck-his literary powers at their peak-began to participate in the shamanic and metaphysical belief systems he was encountering. As his psyche and body opened to new experience, disparate threads and occurrences made sense like never before: Humanity, every sign pointed, is precariously balanced between greater self-potential and environmental disaster. The Mayan calendar's "end date" of 2012 seems to define our present age: It heralds the end of one way of existence and the return of another, in which the serpent god Quetzalcoatl reigns anew, bringing with him an unimaginably ancient-yet, to us, wholly new-way of living. A result not just of study but also of participation, "2012" tells the tale of a single man in whose trials we ultimately recognize our own hopes and anxieties about modern life.

    It focuses squarely on the inherent irrationality of religion, and reveals its utter irreconcilability with science. Offering several "reconciliation theories" to people of faith, it forces every reader to make a choice.Contents The Reason Revolution in historical context Questioning belief Reasons for skepticism Secular humanism as an alternative worldview Political implications of atheism The collapse of religion Hopeful predictions Reconciliation theories Comments by clergyCall to action

    I. Gurdjieff is a man who would continually straddle borders-between East and West, between man and something higher than man, between the ancient teachings of esoteric schools and the modern application of those ideas in contemporary life.In many respects-from the concept of group meetings to the mysterious workings of the enneagram to his critique of humanity as existing in a state of sleep-Gurdjieff pioneered the culture of spiritual search that has taken root in the West today. While many of Gurdjieff's students-including Frank Lloyd Wright, Katharine Mansfield, and P. D. Ouspensky-are well known, few understand this figure possessed of complex writings and sometimes confounding methods. In Gurdjieff: An Introduction to His Life and Ideas, the acclaimed novelist John Shirley-one of the founders of the cyberpunk genre-presents a lively, reliable explanation of how to approach the sage and his ideas. In accessible, dramatic prose Shirley retells that which we know of Gurdjieff's life; he surveys the teacher's methods and the lives of his key students; and he helps readers to enter the unparalleled originality of this remarkable teacher.

    This title examines the creeds of religions, alongside the myths and symbols of various cultures.

    One On One With SatanA chilling and highly convincing account of possession and exorcism in modern America, hailed by NBC Radio as "one of the most stirring books on the contemporary scene."

    95 four-color, 30 two-color, and 30 black-and-white illustrations.

    Now, with a new introduction and full-color artwork, this passionate and important text shows even more clearly that the religion of the Goddess—which is tied to the cycles of women’s bodies, the seasons, the phases of the moon, and the fertility of the earth—was the original religion of all humanity.

    It has exerted a living influence in China for 3000 years and interest in it has spread in the West. Set down in the dawn of history as a book of oracles, the Book of Changes deepened in meaning when ethical values were attached to the oracular pronouncements; it became a book of wisdom, eventually one of the Five Classics of Confucianism, and provided the common source for both Confucianist and Taoist philosophy. Wilhelm's rendering of the I Ching into German, published in 1924, presented it for the 1st time in a form intelligible to the general reader. Wilhelm, who translated many other ancient Chinese works and who wrote several books on Chinese philosophy and civilization, long resided in China. His close association with its cultural leaders gave him a unique understanding of the text of the I Ching. In the English translation, every effort has been made to preserve Wilhelm's pioneering insight into the spirit of the original.This 3rd edition, completely reset, contains a new forward by Hellmut Wilhelm, one of the most eminent American scholars of Chinese culture. He discusses his father's textual methods and summarizes recent studies of the I Ching both in the West and in present-day China. The new edition contains minor textual corrections, bibliographical revisions and an index.

    It is a book of sense and common sense, not only about magick, but about religion and one of the most critical issues of today: how to achieve the much needed and wholesome relationship with our Earth. Cunningham presents Wicca as it is today: a gentle, Earth-oriented religion dedicated to the Goddess and God. Wicca also includes Scott Cunningham's own Book of Shadows and updated appendices of periodicals and occult suppliers.

    The Golden Bough" describes our ancestors' primitive methods of worship, sex practices, strange rituals and festivals. Disproving the popular thought that primitive life was simple, this monumental survey shows that savage man was enmeshed in a tangle of magic, taboos, and superstitions. Revealed here is the evolution of man from savagery to civilization, from the modification of his weird and often bloodthirsty customs to the entry of lasting moral, ethical, and spiritual values.

    Eliade traces manifestations of the sacred from primitive to modern times in terms of space, time, nature, and the cosmos. In doing so he shows how the total human experience of the religious man compares with that of the nonreligious. This book of great originality and scholarship serves as an excellent introduction to the history of religion, but its perspective also encompasses philosophical anthropology, phenomenology, and psychology. It will appeal to anyone seeking to discover the potential dimensions of human existence.

    While some are drawn to the idea of practicing in total secrecy and solitude, others crave a group of like-minded individuals to learn from and worship with. Those who seek a structured, traditional form of Wicca to follow are likely to benefit from coven membership. After all, this is how Wicca began-as a group-centered practice taking place within a gathering of Witches for the purpose of conducting ritual and magic. In fact, the coven was the vehicle for the rise of Wicca, first in Europe and then in the United States and beyond. There are covens practicing today whose members can trace their initiatory lineage back to the mid-20th century, and will continue carrying on their traditions well into this century and beyond. Yet coven life is not for everyone. Some people work best within the looser structures of Wiccan circles, which are more informal but still offer a sense of belonging to a spiritual community. These groups can be a great place to acquire knowledge and experience, while marking the important Wiccan holidays - the Sabbats and Esbats - with rituals and celebrations. Still others opt for solitary practice, either because there isn't a Wiccan community in their vicinity or because they simply like to chart their own course in a completely independent manner. Those who choose this solo path have the most freedom and flexibility, yet they also face a wider range of decisions to make. If you're going it alone, do you still want to follow a particular Wiccan tradition? If so, where can you find information about what to do, and how and when to do it? And what does it mean if you prefer to develop a more individualized approach to your practice? After all, Wicca has always been a continually evolving religion, so to adapt traditions according to your own intuition is actually a sort of tradition in and of itself! A Traveler's Guide to the World of Wicca As you can see, there are many ways to understand and experience the core essence of Wicca, and it may take awhile for you to discover where your individual journey begins. Finding Your Path, by best-selling author Lisa Chamberlain, was created as an orientation to these possibilities. In this book, you'll be introduced to the wide spectrum of contemporary Wiccan practice, with tips to help you make well-informed decisions about where you want your journey to take you:The role of the coven in the birth and rise of Wicca The benefits and potential drawbacks of belonging to a coven The differences between covens and circles The pros and cons of solitary practice The differences between traditional and eclectic practices Introductions to the most widely-practiced Wiccan traditions: Gardnerian, Alexandrian, and Dianic, as well as a handful of other, less common forms How to find your Wiccan community, should you desire to join one By the end of this guide, you will have a solid understanding of the amazing diversity of the Wiccan religion. You will also, ideally, have a clearer view of what your own next steps along the path will be! If you're ready to start your journey, scroll to the top of the page and select the buy button. Readers will also be treated to an exclusive free eBook!

    This guide offers a comprehensive introduction to the rich religious tradition of the Celts. Contents include:• Historical and mythological roots of Celtic spirituality• Important Celtic holy days and their rituals• The powers of Celtic Goddesses and Gods• Easy guidelines for setting up a Celtic altar• Instructions for creating and using Celtic divination tools such as Runes and Ogham Sticks