Mining the Hermetic, alchemical, and Neoplatonic influences behind the evolution of the deck, author Robert M. Place provides a historically grounded and compelling portrait of the Tarot's true origins, without overlooking the deck's mystical dimensions.Indeed, Place uncommonly weds reliable historiography with a practical understanding of the intuitive help and divinatory guidance that the cards can bring. He presents techniques that offer new and valuable ways to read and interpret the cards. Based on a simple three-card spread, Place's approach can be used by either the seasoned practitioner or the new inquirer.

    You know your sun sign and can even find your daily horoscope in the newspaper. But when it comes to understanding what astrology can tell you about yourself and your future, you feel like you're lost in space. Don't go retrograde yet--there's still time to let the sun (and moon and planets) shine in! The Complete Idiot's Guide to Astrology will give you new insights into how the zodiac affects your personality, your relationships your work, and the world. In this Complete Idiot's Guide, you get:

    P. Lovecraft and Kenneth Grant, and the followers of Julius Evola and Aleister Crowley • Provides instructions on how to identify egregores, free yourself from parasitic and destructive entities, and destroy an egregore, should the need arise One of most important but little known concepts of Western occultism is that of the egregore, an autonomous psychic entity created by a collective group mind. An egregore is sustained by belief, ritual, and sacrifice and relies upon the devotion of a group of people, from a small coven to an entire nation, for its existence. An egregore that receives enough sustenance can take on a life of its own, becoming an independent deity with powers its believers can use to further their own spiritual advancement and material desires. Presenting the first book devoted to the study of egregores, Mark Stavish examines the history of egregores from ancient times to present day, with detailed and documented examples, and explores how they are created, sustained, directed, and destroyed. He explains how egregores were well known in the classical period of ancient Greece and Rome, when they were consciously called into being to watch over city states. He explores the egregore concept as it was understood in various Western Mystery traditions, including the Corpus Hermeticum, and offers further examples from Tibetan Buddhism, Islam, modern esoteric orders such as the Order of the Golden Dawn and Rosicrucianism, the writings of H. P. Lovecraft and Kenneth Grant, and the followers of Julius Evola and Aleister Crowley. The author discusses how, even as the fundamental principles of the egregore were forgotten, egregores continue to be formed, sometimes by accident. Stavish provides instructions on how to identify egregores, free yourself from a parasitic and destructive collective entity, and destroy an egregore, should the need arise. Revealing how egregores form the foundation of nearly all human interactions, the author shows how egregores have moved into popular culture and media--underscoring the importance of intense selectivity in the information we accept and the ways we perceive the world and our place in it.

    She was born and raised in Southern California and presently lives with her three children in the sultry piedmont forest of North Carolina.I began the Mary-el Tarot in late 1997 when I had my first baby Sophia. 15 years later it is finally being released to the world via Schiffer Books. What a journey! In the early days I decided my big goal with this tarot was to have one that was powerful, beautiful and balanced between male and female energies. This idea grew and evolved as this tarot unfolded, and at the end, I think, represents the greatness of the balanced human soul, which is itself a reflection of the balanced universe. A journey from perfection in innocence to experience and enlightenment. What you should know about the Mary-el Tarot: It has a traditional structure, 22 major arcana, 56 minor arcana, standard names for all. It is built on traditional symbolism. I took the symbolism as found in tarot and illustrated those ideas the best I could. It is not a clone of other tarots, rather a parallel.The whole Mary-el Tarot is built on the symbolism in modern tarot. The Major Arcana is traditional and the Minor Arcana is built on the ideas, symbolism and numerology of the Major Arcana. For example, the 5s are elemental extensions of the Hierophant. The 4s of the Emperor. The 7s the Chariot. Taking this even further the Court cards are, the Pages - Strength. The Knights - the Hanged Man, the Queens-Death. The Kings -Temperance. While there are a lot of associations, ideas and symbolism in these cards the above is the most basic of them - number and element. I think that there is a great objective truth that underlies reality. We can't always see it clearly, though we do feel it, sense it, and are made of it. We each try to describe it using the tools available to us, the trappings of our culture and experience, and this gives rise to different mythologies and religions and systems, esoterics included. Its all the same. I have tried to illustrate that common underlying reality, sometimes using what I thought were the best representative examples of that idea, like Raven Stealing the Sun for the 7 of Swords.The Mary-el tarot is not perfect, not by far!! These things keep evolving!! But it is a journey and hopefully what you find inside will help illuminate a little bit of what you are looking for.

    The Element Encyclopedia of Birthdays couldn't be simpler to use -- just turn to the page of your birthday and discover the secret to exactly who you are, based on a unique combination of astrology, numerology, tarot, colour theory and psychology. This combination of approaches provides a uncannily accurate profile for each birthday of the year. But you don't just get an indepth personality profile, you get practical advice and guidance on what to do to maximise the opportunities that life throws your way: / Find out what your greatest challenges are and how to solve them; / Discover your best side (as well as your dark side) and how to make the best of both; / Every birthday has its own unique Luckmaker -- find out what yours is so that you can arm yourself with good luck every day! / The book reveals your lucky numbers, lucky days, planets, tarot cards, and favourable days of the month; / Find out who those special people are that you are drawn to, and the special years in your life that will be significant; / Discover your career and life goals, how to manage love and relationships, and how to maximise your health. This compelling reference book gives you insight into your own profile, and you'll also be quickly turning the page to find out all about your friends, family, lovers and colleagues too!

    This is a encyclopedia of witchraft and Wicca, providing a history of belief and ritual practices of Neopagan Witches, an overview of the evolution and central tenets of modern Paganism and advice on rituals, poetry and magical ethics.

    He felt that achieving purity by avoiding meat and refraining from committing harm further promoted the pursuit of a peaceful life. Elements of the worship of Dionysus, such as shape-shifting and ritualistic ecstasy, were fused with Orphic beliefs to produce a powerful and illuminating new religion that found expression in the mystery cults. Practitioners of this new religion composed a great body of poetry, much of which is translated in The Orphic Hymns.The hymns presented in this book were anonymously composed somewhere in Asia Minor, most likely in the middle of the third century AD. At this turbulent time, the Hellenic past was fighting for its survival, while the new Christian faith was spreading everywhere. The Orphic Hymns thus reflect a pious spirituality in the form of traditional literary conventions. The hymns themselves are devoted to specific divinities as well as to cosmic elements. Prefaced with offerings, strings of epithets invoke the various attributes of the divinity and prayers ask for peace and health to the initiate. Apostolos N. Athanassakis and Benjamin M. Wolkow have produced an accurate and elegant translation accompanied by rich commentary.

    Depending on where you live, you might be able to find a coven or circle where you can meet fellow Wiccans and ask questions, but most newcomers to Wicca find themselves traveling solo.Luckily, there is no shortage of information about the "Old Religion" in print and online. Yet with all of the diverse and often conflicting perspectives out there, it can be hard to know where to begin. That's why best-selling author Lisa Chamberlain created the Wicca Starter Kit, bringing together 3 of her top guides-Finding Your Path, Magical Deities, and Living a Magical Life-to get your journey well underway.Finding Your Path: A Guide to Wiccan Traditions, Solitary Practitioners, Eclectic Witches, Covens and CirclesOne of Wicca's greatest strengths as a spiritual practice is the variety of paths one can choose from. Perhaps you want to join a coven within an established tradition, or maybe a more individualized practice is your calling. In Finding Your Path, you'll learn about the wide spectrum of contemporary Wiccan practice, from traditional "orthodox" covens to looser, more "eclectic" covens and circles, as well as the more recent phenomenon of solitary practice, which has appeal for both traditional and eclectic Wiccans alike.Lisa covers everything you need to know about covens and circles, including their history, their structures, and how to find your Wiccan community. You'll also be introduced to the main Wiccan traditions: Gardnerian, Alexandrian, and Dianic, as well as other less common traditions. If you don't already have a sense of the amazing diversity of this innovative religion, you certainly will after reading this book!Magical Deities: A Guide to the Wiccan God and Goddess, and Choosing a Deity to Work Magic WithMagical Deities provides an orientation to the concept of divinity within the Wiccan belief system. You'll learn about the Wiccan Goddess and God-the ageless, timeless manifestations of the feminine and masculine energies at work in our world-and their various names, forms, and representations found in contemporary Wiccan practice. As with so many elements of Wicca, beliefs about divinity are varied, with some emphasizing traditional duotheism and others taking a polytheistic approach.You'll learn about the difference between these two spiritual orientations, and find advice for developing your own unique connection with the divine masculine and feminine. You'll also be introduced to sixteen ancient deities who often function as "aspects" of the God and Goddess within Wiccan practices, drawn from ancient civilizations that have influenced modern Wicca: the Egyptians, the Greeks and Romans, and the Celts. Finally, you'll find ideas for honoring and working with these deities in your magical practice.Living a Magical Life: A Guide to Initiation and Navigating Your Journey in the CraftNew Wiccans will encounter two essential questions: 1) should you formalize your practice of the Craft with an initiation ritual? and 2) how do you integrate your new beliefs into your day-to-day life?In Living a Magical Life, Lisa addresses questions regarding coven initiation and solitary self-dedication, as well as less often-discussed topics like navigating common obstacles along your spiritual path, leaving behind old beliefs that no longer serve you, and developing and strengthening your inner psychic guidance system. There's also a step-by-step solitary initiation ritual you can p

    This attunement occurs through the application of age-old lore, techniques, folk practices, inner contacts and wisdom of Faery Seership. The stream of mystical teachings contained herein arises from the underworld of creation and babbles through the dark forests of the spirit-world bringing fresh inspiration and deep meaning to the seeker. The source of this stream lies in the stars and deep within the planet nourishing each living thing. It is available to quench the spiritual thirst of the committed seeker of truth. Orion Foxwood is an Elder in Celtic and Romano-Celtic Traditional Craft, a High Priest in Alexandrian tradition and is the Founding Elder of Foxwood Temple of the Old Religion. He is co-director of the Moonridge Center, a land-based nature sanctuary and mystical educational center located in Maryland. He holds a Master of Human Services degree and is a Licensed Professional Counselor. He is a traditional Faery Seer and has taught these practices as well as psychic development, American Southern folk magic and traditional Craft for nearly 20 years.

      The Kabbalah is divided into three branches—the theoretical, the meditative, and the magical. While many books, both in Hebrew and English, have explored the theoretical Kabbalah, very little has been published regarding the meditative methods of the various schools of Kabbalah. Aryeh Kaplan’s landmark work, reveals the methodology of the ancient Kabbalists and stresses the meditative techniques that were essential to their discipline, including:the use of pictures or letter designs as objects of meditationthe repetition of specific words or phrases, such as the divine names, to produce profound meditative stateIn addition, Meditation and Kabbalah presents relevant portions of such meditative texts as:The Grellier Hekhalot, Textbook of the Merkava SchoolThe works of Abraham AbulafiaJoseph Gikatalia's Gales of LightThe Glltes of HolinessGale of The Holy Spirit, Textbook of the Lurianic School

    The story tells of his return to his people, his hard initiation back into those people, which lead to his desire to convey their knowledge to the world. "Of Water and the Spirit" is the result of that desire; it is a sharing of living African traditions, offered in compassion for those struggling with our contemporary crisis of the spirit.

    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.

    There are full instructions for each spell, as well as blessings and directions for using incense in rituals.

    It describes the tools and techniques for developing the magical mind and honoring the soul, while revealing how Vodou can release creative spirituality and open doors to self-awareness. Comprehensive and inviting, this book introduces readers to Vodou's rich history, powerful ancestors, and vibrant spirits, known as Lwa. With more than one hundred breathtaking illustrations, Vodou Visions reveals how to honor and invoke the Lwa with specific ceremonial offerings and litanies. Using methods drawn from more than twenty years of practice, Vodou priestess Sallie Ann Glassman shares purification and empowerment rituals for individuals, communities, homes, and spiritual spaces. For more advanced practitioners, Glassman describes ways to deepen communication with the Lwa and to give thanks for an ongoing spiritual relationship. The visions of the Lwa bring a living experience of the Spirit into daily life. Glassman welcomes readers to a community of faith and--above all--to a journey toward a creative spirituality that will enrich and affirm their lives.

    Lively, entertaining, and informative, this book will help you better understand your partner and your relationship.From your finances to your lover's secret hopes, from your quirky habits to what you'll fight about, from avoiding war to making peace, this book will tell you what to expect and what to look out for. Whether you're embarking on a first date or are seriously involved, Linda Goodman's Love Signs will help you open up the lines of communication and unlock the power of your relationship.