It teaches how to concoct herb brews for mental vigour and to strengthen passion as well as how to inscribe talismans and amulets to gain wealth, happiness or relief from pain.

    Written by a practicing witch who conducts classes and seminars on witchcraft--the oldest Western religion, a means of power and enlightenment, and a healing art. "Laurie Cabot has written a fascinating account of a beautiful and sadly misunderstood religion, witchcraft. She has with her life and work done a great deal to legitimize this ancient pagan form of worship. I am among the ecumenical Christians who have discovered the truth about witchcraft, that it is neither demonic nor evil. Power of the Witch is a marvelous introduction to the magical and highly ethical world of wicca."--Whitley Strieber

    Now, a leading historian of the early church, Bart Ehrman, offers a comprehensive account of the newly discovered Gospel of Judas, revealing what this legendary lost gospel contains and why it's so important for our understanding of Christianity. Ehrman, a featured commentator in the National Geographic special, describes how he first saw the Gospel of Judas—surprisingly, in a small room above a pizza parlor in a Swiss town near Lake Geneva—and he recounts the fascinating story of where and how this ancient papyrus document was discovered, how it moved around among antiquities dealers in Egypt, the USA, & Switzerland, and how it came to be restored & translated. More important, Ehrman gives a complete and clear account of what the book teaches and he shows how it relates to other Gospel texts—both those inside the New Testament & those outside of it, most notably, the Gnostic texts of early Christianity. Finally, he describes what we now can say about the historical Judas himself as well as his relationship with Jesus, suggesting that one needs to read between the lines of the early Gospels to see exactly what Judas did & why he did it. The Gospel of Judas presents an entirely new view of Jesus, his disciples and the man who allegedly betrayed him. It raises many questions and Ehrman provides illuminating and authoritative answers, in a book that will interest anyone curious about the New Testament, the life of Jesus and the history of Christianity after his death.

    Somewhere along the line, she realised, she had lost herself - and so began her long journey back to authenticity, rootedness in place and belonging. In this extraordinary book of myth, memoir and modern-day mentors (from fashion designers to lawyers), Blackie faces the wasteland of Western culture, the repression of women, and the devastation of our planet. She boldly names the challenge: to reimagine women's place in the world, and to rise up, firmly rooted in our own native landscapes and the powerful Celtic stories and wisdom which sprang from them.A haunting heroine's journey for every woman who finds inspiration and solace in the natural world.

    With magisterial learning and the elan of a born storyteller, Pagels turns Satan's story into an audacious exploration of Christianity's shadow side, in which the gospel of love gives way to irrational hatreds that continue to haunt Christians and non-Christians alike.

    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

    Prepare to embark on a spiritual journey unlike anything you've ever known! Faery Craft is a comprehensive guide to the modern Faery lifestyle and an essential handbook to human-faerie relations. Brimming with practical and spiritual advice, you'll discover how to use Faery magick, create altars, and find a Faery ally. Learn about proper etiquette, find your unique gifts, use the Faery zodiac, explore Faery festivals around the globe, and much more.Enjoy nearly 200 beautiful photographs alongside original art, poetry, and meditations, as well as interviews with renowned Faery authors, artists, and musicians. R. J. Stewart, John and Caitl�n Matthews, Brian and Wendy Froud, Linda Ravenscroft, S. J. Tucker, and Charles de Lint are all featured in this glittering introduction to the fae and the people who love them.Praise: This book shows us that to connect with Faery is to connect not only with nature, spirit, and the world around us, but perhaps most of all to ourselves.--Wendy and Brian Froud, authors of The Heart of FaerieFaery Craft opens doors into other worlds and allows its readers to pass though them and experience the wonders beyond...This is a tremendous book.--John Matthews, author of The Sidhe and How To See FaeriesCarding invites you to find the real power in the woods and forgotten ways.--Caitl�n Matthews, author of Celtic Visions and Singing the Soul Back Home

    Mystics. Prophets and astrologers. The Celts were a dynamic and unique people who left not only a rich legacy of artifacts, archaeological treasures, and dramatic myths, but also a vast body of wisdom and mystical symbolism that reflect universal truths about life. "The Celtic Book of Living and Dying" is a masterfully adorned collection of this ancient Celtic wisdom, tracing life from birth through death and into the afterlife. Travel back in time to a world where druids and bards, saints and angels reign as guardians of the soul. Voyage between realms, the unexpected at every turn. With its mix of more than 40 Celtic-style full-color artworks, over 40 painterly landscape photographs, and a wealth of illuminating words, poetry, insights, and timeless tales of heroes and giants, unknown creatures and magical lands, "The Celtic Book of Living and Dying" is a window into a long-ago world that continues to shape the dreams, thoughts, and ideas of today.

    From working with crystals, tarot and astrology, to understanding sex magick, solstices and full moons; learn how to harness energy, unleash your inner psychic and connect with the natural world. Full of spells and rituals for self-care, new opportunities and keeping away toxic energy, Craft is the essential lifestyle guide for the modern woman who wants to take control and reconnect with herself. After all, empowered women run the world (and they’re probably witches).

    But magic - the idea that we have a connection with the universe - has developed a bad reputation.It has been with us for millennia - from the curses and charms of ancient Greek, Roman and Jewish magic, to the shamanistic traditions of Eurasia, indigenous America and Africa, and even quantum physics today. Even today seventy-five per cent of the Western world holds some belief in magic, whether snapping wishbones, buying lottery tickets or giving names to inanimate objects.Drawing on his decades of research, with incredible breadth and authority, Professor Chris Gosden provides a timely history of human thought and the role it has played in shaping civilization, and how we might use magic to rethink our understanding of the world.

    A Marvelous Blend of Memoir, Folk Wisdom, and Afro-American Beliefs.Actress, storyteller, and priestess Luisah Teish dramatically re-creates centuries-old African-American traditions with music, memoir, and folk wisdom.

    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.

    In the tradition of unsolved historical mysteries like David Grann's Killers of the Flower Moon and Douglas Preston's The Lost City of the Monkey God, Brian Muraresku’s 10-year investigation takes the reader through Greece, Germany, Spain, France and Italy, offering unprecedented access to the hidden archives of the Louvre and the Vatican along the way.In The Immortality Key, Muraresku explores a little-known connection between the best-kept secret in Ancient Greece and Christianity. This is the real story of the most famous human being who ever lived (Jesus) and the biggest religion the world has ever known. Today, 2.4 billion people are Christian. That's one third of the planet. But do any of them really know how it all started?Before Jerusalem, before Rome, before Mecca—there was Eleusis: the spiritual capital of the ancient world. It promised immortality to Plato and the rest of Athens's greatest minds with a very simple formula: drink this potion, see God. Shrouded in secrecy for millennia, the Ancient Greek sacrament was buried when the newly Christianized Roman Empire obliterated Eleusis in the fourth century AD.Renegade scholars in the 1970s claimed the Greek potion was psychedelic, just like the original Christian Eucharist that replaced it. In recent years, vindication for the disgraced theory has been quietly mounting in the laboratory. The rapidly growing field of archaeological chemistry has proven the ancient use of visionary drugs. And with a single dose of psilocybin, the psycho-pharmacologists at Johns Hopkins and NYU are now turning self-proclaimed atheists into instant believers. No one has ever found hard, scientific evidence of drugs connected to Eleusis, let alone early Christianity. Until now.Armed with key documents never before translated into English, convincing analysis, and a captivating spirit of quest, Muraresku mines science, classical literature, biblical scholarship and art to deliver the hidden key to eternal life, bringing us to what clinical psychologist William Richards calls "the edge of an awesomely vast frontier."Featuring a Foreword by Graham Hancock, the New York Times bestselling author of America Before: The Key to Earth's Lost Civilization.

    It resonates with those who yearn to express their inherent spirituality in a joyous, meaningful manner; who sense their wild heart and soul nature; who know there is beauty, magic, and meaning in the world if only we want to find it. It is a magical path for those with poetry in their souls. Evocative and compelling, Craft of the Wild Witch reveals how to practice a form of Witchcraft that is both wild and free. Within these pages you will discover the wild Witch's way of seeing and knowing, how to discern one's suitability for the wild Witch's path, and the fundamental themes of green spirituality. Also covered in this guidebook: --Rituals, chants, pathworkings, and seasonal prayers--Tree meditations, spell-weaving, and trance work --The Fey and other-worldly companions--Herbs as helpers --Other-life memories--Sacred intent and safe practice

    In the Wiccan community these include Maiden, Healer, Mother, Bard, and others. In Wiccan Warrior by Kerr Cuhulain, you will learn of eight new yet traditional archetypes that Wiccans can model their lives and goals upon. You'll also find that they are completely appropriate for any person following a spiritual system.These eight are:The Balanced Warrior, for whom all comes from the Divine and must be treated as such. The Creative Warrior, who masters myths and can use them to share wisdom. The Rational Warrior, who avoids all types of fundamentalism. The Energized Warrior, who can raise and direct energy. You'll learn to do this with toning, mantras, dance and drumming. The Dreaming Warrior, who knows how to alter consciousness. Here you will learn meditation, concentration and breathwork. The Magickal Warrior, who knows and can do magick. The Ritual Warrior, who helps revitalize rituals with knowledge, understanding, energy and love. The Initiated Warrior, who knows and shares the value of true initiation. There are five cornerstones to the magick of being a Wiccan Warrior. These are the well-known To Dare, To Will, To Know and To Keep Silent. To these Cuhulain adds To Imagine. For to imagine is to be able to clearly visualize your objective, to develop and use a creative imagination. The book is filled with ideas and insights that will guide you on your way to becoming a true Wiccan Warrior, a person freed from limitations.This book is a must for Wiccan and Witches of all stripes. If one of the Warrior archetypes doesn't fit your needs, another (or several others) will. People who are not Wiccans will find much to admire and make use of, too.Winner of the 2001 Coalition of Visionary Resources (COVR) Award for best Biographical/Personal Book