The Pagan Book of Days: A Guide to the Festivals, Traditions, and Sacred Days of the Year


Nigel Pennick - 1992
    • Includes charts of equinoxes and solstices, movable holy days, and monthly lunar phases through 2033 • First edition sold more than 30,000 copies Pagan rites and festivals are at the root of many traditional holidays in the Western world. Embracing a sensitivity we have lost, the Pagan traditions emphasize mystical spirituality, reverence for the feminine principle, and the links between people and the earth. This unique daybook contains a treasury of information about rituals and celebrations that have for centuries been associated with the changing seasons of the year. Included are the observances of the ancient Greek, Roman, Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, and Norse traditions, as well as Wiccan traditions and the worship of the Goddess. In The Pagan Book of Days the author provides details on auspicious and inauspicious days, holy days of ancient gods and goddesses, and the eight stations of the year (the solstices, equinoxes, and cross-quarter days). He also includes lunar and solar charts indicating dates of major Pagan celebrations from the year 2011 through 2033. Illustrations throughout depict images from the classical and northern European traditions. The Pagan Book of Days is an enlightening way to incorporate these ancient cultural and spiritual practices and awarenesses into your daily life.

Celtic Mythology: Tales of Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes


Philip Freeman - 2017
    Paradoxically characterized as both barbaric and innocent, the Celts appeal to the modern world as a symbol of a bygone era, a world destroyed by theambition of empire and the spread of Christianity throughout Western Europe. Despite the pervasive cultural and literary influence of the Celts, shockingly little is known of their way of life and beliefs, because very few records of their stories exist. In this book, for the first time, PhilipFreeman brings together the best stories of Celtic mythology.Everyone today knows about the gods and heroes of the ancient Greeks, such as Zeus, Hera, and Hercules, but how many people have heard of the Gaulish god Lugus or the magical Welsh queen Rhiannon or the great Irish warrior C� Chulainn? We still thrill to the story of the Trojan War, but the epicbattles of the Irish T�in B� Cuailgne are known only to a few. And yet those who have read the stories of Celtic myth and legend-among them writers like J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis-have been deeply moved and influenced by these amazing tales, for there is nothing in the world quite like them.In these stories a mysterious and invisible realm of gods and spirits exists alongside and sometimes crosses over into our own human world; fierce women warriors battle with kings and heroes, and even the rules of time and space can be suspended. Captured in vivid prose these shadowy figures-gods, goddesses, and heroes-come to life for the modern reader.

Witches, Sluts, Feminists: Conjuring the Sex Positive


Kristen J. Sollee - 2017
    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."

American Indian Secrets of Crystal Healing


Luc Bourgault - 1996
    This book reveals the age-old secrets - many handed down by word of mouth through generations - of the Native American tribes.

Witchcraft Medicine: Healing Arts, Shamanic Practices, and Forbidden Plants


Claudia Müller-Ebeling - 1998
    It does more than make one healthy, it creates lust and knowledge, ecstasy and mythological insight. In Witchcraft Medicine the authors take the reader on a journey that examines the women who mix the potions and become the healers; the legacy of Hecate; the demonization of nature's healing powers and sensuousness; the sorceress as shaman; and the plants associated with witches and devils. They explore important seasonal festivals and the plants associated with them, such as wolf's claw and calendula as herbs of the solstice and alder as an herb of the time of the dead--Samhain or Halloween. They also look at the history of forbidden medicine from the Inquisition to current drug laws, with an eye toward how the sacred plants of our forebears can be used once again.

Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom: A Book of Tarot


Rachel Pollack - 1980
    Described by many as ‘the Bible of Tarot readers’, the books brought awareness of myth and modern psychology to the Tarot’s ancient esoteric symbolism. Now, for the first time, the texts for 'The Major Arcana' and 'The Minor Arcana' appear in one volume. To mark this special occasion, Rachel Pollack has revised and updated the book in the light of her thirty years’ teaching, reading, and writing about Tarot cards. She has also written a new preface describing her own journey through the Tarot’s world of symbols.The Tarot is an eternally fascinating set of strange and beautiful pictures. But beyond this lies a world of potent symbols granting access to a path of self knowledge, personal growth and freedom. These symbols connect us to the great stories of world mythology and the eternal truths of the soul. 'Seventy Eight Degrees of Wisdom'shows you how to use Tarot as an effective and accessible means of self-enlightenment. The book includes a complete section on how to give Tarot readings, as well as an analysis of the origins, meaning and psychological aspects of Tarot divination.

Everyday Enchantments: Musings on Ordinary Magic & Daily Conjurings


Maria DeBlassie - 2018
    Everyday Enchantments is a love letter to the magic of everyday life, the sweet moments and the profound that we often overlook in our hurry to get from one place to the next. This collection of essays reminds us to escape into the ordinary, find beauty in a simple cup of tea or rereading a beloved novel and joyfully let our world turn upside down when synchronicity strikes in the form of wrong turns down forgotten lanes and unexpected midnight conversations with the moon. Everyday Enchantments is a study in what it means to live deliciously, joyfully, and magically. And it's an invitation to conjure your own bliss, because, let's face it, we could all use a little more magic in our lives.

WTF is Tarot?: ...& How Do I Do It?


Bakara Wintner - 2017
    No necesitas aprender el tarot porque ya lo sabes. Es desde este punto de partida radical que este libro descompone el antiguo arte de la cartomancia. Esta gu�a fresca, accesible y a veces atrevida, arroja una luz hol�stica sobre c�mo leer el tarot, desde la base de la magia misma hasta la comprensi�n de las complicadas tarjetas para ofrecer lecturas a otros.El autor y lector de tarot Bakara Wintner desempaqueta la magia de los arcanos mayor y menor con sabidur�a cham�nica y el ingenio de una ni�a, iluminando su significado con an�cdotas y analog�as reflexivas que revelan cu�n enraizados est�n estos s�mbolos en nuestra vida cotidiana: podemos sentir a la Luna en una carrera descalza por Prospect Park, aceptar la gracia de Temperance al enamorarnos o identificar cu�ndo es el momento de soltar a un ex con el ahorcado.ENGLISH DESCRIPTION Young Blood, Old Magic: A No-Nonsense Approach to the Ancient Art of Reading TarotYou do not need to learn the tarot because you already know it. It is from this radical jumping off point that WTF Is Tarot breaks down the ancient art of cartomancy. This fresh, accessible and sometimes cheeky guide sheds a holistic light on how to read tarot, from the foundation of magic itself to understanding those tricky court cards to offering readings to others.In WTF Is Tarot, author and tarot reader Bakara Wintner unpacks the magic of the Major and Minor Aracana with shamanic wisdom and girl boss wit, illuminating their meaning with thoughtful anecdotes and analogies that reveal how deeply rooted these symbols already are in our everyday lives: we can feel the Moon in a howling barefoot run through Prospect Park, accept the grace of Temperance in falling in love or a divine intervention, "ghost the haters" with the Six of Swords, or identify when it's time to let go of an ex with the Hanged Man.WTF is Tarot offers far more than a refreshingly candid tutorial on card reading. Bakara goes on to investigate the magic of crystal healing, chakras, meditation and other magical practices. This young witch offers not just a guide, but an invitation for even the most mundane Muggles to welcome magic into their lives, and for experienced wizards to rediscover it once again.

American Witches: A Broomstick Tour Through Four Centuries


Susan Fair - 2016
    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."

Grovedaughter Witchery: Practical Spellcraft


Bree NicGarran - 2017
    Fortunately, there are plenty of ways for a budding practitioner to make a start. Stroll down the forest path with Bree NicGarran, co-author of "The Sisters Grimmoire" and "The Witches' Cupboard," and discover the surprising ways you can practice your craft with commonplace items from the supermarket and the craft store. Build a travel kit for on-the-go magic. Create your own spells from scratch with a step-by-step guide. Learn how to make your own witch webs and magical powders. Uncover the secrets of walnut charms and witchballs and much, much more. Every page carries tricks of the trade and homegrown charms from the files of the Grovedaughter herself. From besoms to banishings to a bit of good advice, Grovedaughter Witchery is the ideal book for any witch with an inclination toward a practical, no-frills approach to witchcraft.