First published in 1993 but out of print for years, Our Troth is back in print, featuring updates and additions from its original compiler, Kveldulf Gundarsson, and from many other Heathen writers, all edited by well-known author Diana L. Paxson. Volume 2 covers the Heathen holy year, lore and rites for the major holidays, and ways to work Heathenry into every facet of life. It includes an extensive glossary and reading list for further study.

    Until recently historians often dismissed these descriptions as elaborate fictions created by judicial interrogators eager to find evidence of stereotypical pacts with the Devil. Although this paradigm is now routinely questioned, and most historians acknowledge that there was a folkloric component to familiar lore in the period, these beliefs and the experiences reportedly associated with them, remain substantially unexamined. Cunning-Folk and Familiar Spirits examines the folkloric roots of familiar lore from historical, anthropological and comparative religious perspectives. It argues that beliefs about witches' familiars were rooted in beliefs surrounding the use of fairy familiars by beneficent magical practitioners or 'cunning folk', and corroborates this through a comparative analysis of familiar beliefs found in traditional native American and Siberian shamanism. The author explores the experiential dimension of familiar lore by drawing parallels between early modern familiar encounters and visionary mysticism as it appears in both tribal shamanism and medieval European contemplative traditions. These perspectives challenge the reductionist view of popular magic in early modern British often presented by historians.

    Over the course of twenty-seven chapters and forty-two appendices, Amber K shares with you her vast coven know-how, with plenty of veteran insights and straight-up advice on: —Finding or organizing a coven—Tools and supplies—Finances and incorporation—Coven offices—New members—The coven calendar—Pagan ritual—The sabbats and esbats—Training and intiation—Group dynamics—Counseling—Elders—Traditions—Networking and affiliation—Covens in the community It has been said that leading a coven is like herding cats. Whether you’re searching for fresh ways to meet those challenges or you’re thinking about joining your first magical group, consult this friendly, knowledgeable companion for guidance.

    In a series of chapters dealing with rune pairs, readers will learn the historical meaning of each individual rune and their use and meaning now, in contemporary culture. At the end of each chapter there are rituals and spells for all levels of ability which help internalise the attributions, meanings, symbolism, and use of the runes.

    Once upon a time 'Fey' meant both the spirits of the natural world and the nature of those humans that were in touch with that magic in themselves; the seers, the spirit workers, the ones who walked between. This is your guide to finding that Fey magic which sings in your heart. Through this book you will meet your guide, visit faeryland, learn about the beings of the faery worlds and develop your own faery craft to work in harmony with the power and cycles of the earth by unlocking the nature of your Fey spirit. Time for you to become the Fey you truly are.

    A Swedish Enlightenment scientist of extraordinary accomplishment, Swedenborg underwent a spiritual crisis that led to an unparalleled series of paranormal experiences. He spent his last twenty-seven years in almost daily experience of heaven and hell, recording his observations and conversations, many of which are reported in Heaven and Hell. This sustained and detailed description of the nonphysical realms has left its impression on the minds of many great thinkers, including Goethe, Blake, Coleridge, Emerson, Borges, and Milosz.This deluxe edition contains an introduction by religious historian Bernhard Lang setting the volume in the context of its time.The New Century Edition of the Works of Emanuel Swedenborg is a modern-language, scholarly translation of Swedenborg’s theological works. The series’ easy-to-read style retains the dignity, variety, clarity, and gender-inclusive language of Swedenborg’s original Latin, bringing his thought to life. Introductions and annotations by eminent, international scholars place Swedenborg’s writings in their historical context and illuminate obscure references within the text, enabling readers to understand and trace Swedenborg’s influence as never before.

    If you are new to the occult, this book may provide a new vantage point, perhaps a different way, of looking at life than you are used to! Astrology, Tarot Cards, I Ching, Witchcraft, Words of Power are all explored.

    As you’d expect from Daniel McCoy, the creator of the enduringly popular website Norse Mythology for Smart People, it’s written to scholarly standards, but in a simple, clear, and entertaining style that’s easy to understand and a pleasure to read. It includes gripping retellings of no less than 34 epic Norse myths – more than any other book in the field – while also providing an equally comprehensive overview of the fascinating Viking religion of which Norse mythology was a part. You’ll learn about the Vikings’ gods and goddesses, their concept of fate, their views on the afterlife, their moral code, how they thought the universe was structured, how they practiced their religion, the role that magic played in their lives, and much more. With its inclusion of the latest groundbreaking research in the field, The Viking Spirit is the ultimate introduction to the timeless splendor of Norse mythology and religion for the 21st Century.

    "We all have a deep capacity to make magic . . . . . . and to do it as easily as we breathe or open our eyes. This is not a matter of belief. You can discover your own capacity for magic in your own direct experience." —Briana Saussy When you think of magic, do you imagine something supernatural, extraordinary, or beyond your everyday reality? Many of us are drawn to magic because we think there’s something "out there" that can bring enchantment and wonder back into our lives. Yet there’s a secret to real magic: the extraordinary is much closer than you may think. With Making Magic, expert teacher Briana Saussy invites you to discover a practice of magic that will bring a new depth and power to each moment, act, and choice of your life. Through teaching stories, wisdom from a wide variety of world traditions, and no-nonsense practices you can easily weave into your daily routine, Briana will help you reconnect with the wild and creative force of magic that is always around and within you, waiting for you to remember. As you explore this path of transformation, you’ll discover resources of magic that permeate your life, including: • Doors and thresholds—ways we "cross between worlds" • Communication—creating magic with your voice, body, intentions, and relationships • Holy helpers—ancestors, angels, saints, and spirit beings who guide and support you • Water and washing—access the revitalizing energy of water when you drink or bathe • Textiles and threads—how to loosen, mend, or bind up supportive energies • Candles and fire—elemental power to bring light to darkness and burn away what no longer serves you • Kitchen magic—using food to nourish your whole self and reconnect you with nature • Talismans—infuse your beloved objects with sacred purpose and supportive power "Magic is the most real part of any ‘real life’—the spark illuminating the authentic core of every experience," writes Briana Saussy. If you are ready to enter a world that is ripe with possibility and rediscover the electric wildness of your life, here is an essential resource for Making Magic as only you can.

    Combines fact and folklore in exploring the history and culture of the mysterious Celtic priests.

    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."

    It tells you what the old religion of witchcraft has to offer the new age; how the ago-old Craft of the Wise can be practiced in the modern world; how to initiate yourself and start your own coven. The author has been a practicing witch since 1953, and in this book she gives a new Book of Shadows (the witch's handbook of rituals and instructions) based upon ancient magical tradition but geared to present times. Included are spells, incantations, witch songs, and practical advice on how to run a coven and how to acquire your own collection of magical implements.

    Illes,author of The Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells and The Encyclopedia ofSpirits, surpasses herself in this peerlessly expansive guide for allinterested in folklore, mythology, and history, as well as those looking forguidance about accessing the power of saints.  Illes’sThe Encyclopedia of Mystics, Saints, & Sages is the mostcomprehensive, accessible, and effective guide available anywhere.

    . . as when iron is drawn to a magnet, camphor is sucked into hot air, crystal lights up in the Sun, sulfur and a volatile liquid are kindled by flame, an empty eggshell filled with dew is raised towards the Sun . . .' The Bible is full of stories featuring forms of magic and possession - from Moses battling with Pharaoh's wizards to the supernatural actions of Jesus and his disciples. As, over the following centuries, the Christian church attempted to stamp out 'deviant' practices, a persistent interest in magic drew strength from this Biblical validation. A strange blend of mumbo-jumbo, fear, fraud and deeply serious study, magic was at the heart of the European Renaissance, fascinating many of its greatest figures.This is a book filled with incantations, charms, curses, summonings, cures and descriptions of extraordinary, shadowy, only half-understood happenings from long ago. It features writers as various as Thomas Aquinas, John Milton, John Dee, Ptolemy and Paracelsus along with anonymous ancient and medieval works which were, in some cases, viewed as simply too dangerous even to open.Brian Copenhaver's wonderful anthology will be welcomed by everyone from those with the most casual interest in the magical tradition to anyone drawn to the Renaissance and the tangled, arcane roots of the scientific tradition.

    What is certain is that this 1899 classic has become a foundational document of modern Wicca and neopaganism. Leland claimed his "witch informant," a fortune-teller named Maddalena, supplied him with the secret writings that he translated and combined with his research on Italian pagan tradition to create a gospel of pagan belief and practice. Here, in the story of the goddess Aradia, who came to Earth to champion oppressed peasants in their fight against their feudal overlords and the Catholic Church, are the chants, prayers, spells, and rituals that have become the centerpieces of contemporary pagan faiths. American journalist and folklorist CHARLES GODFREY LELAND (1824-1903) was editor of Continental Monthly during the Civil War and coined the term emancipation as an alternative to abolition, but he is best remembered for his books on ethnography, folklore, and language, including The Gypsies (1882), The Hundred Riddles of the Fairy Bellaria (1892), and Unpublished Legends of Virgil (1899).