Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South


Aaron Oberon - 2019
    Through the lens of folklore, animism, and bioregionalism the book shows how to bring rituals in folklore into the modern day and presents a uniquely American approach to witchcraft born out of the land and practical application.

A Dictionary of Symbols


Juan Eduardo Cirlot - 1958
    At every stage of civilization, people have relied on symbolic expression, and advances in science and technology have only increased our dependence on symbols. The language of symbols is considered a science, and this informative volume offers an indispensable tool in the study of symbology. It can be used as a reference or simply browsed for pleasure. Many of its entries — those on architecture, mandala, numbers, serpent, water, and zodiac, for example — can be read as independent essays. The vitality of symbology has never been greater: An essential part of the ancient arts of the Orient and of the Western medieval traditions, symbolism underwent a 20th-century revival with the study of the unconscious, both directly in the field of dreams, visions, and psychoanalysis, and indirectly in art and poetry. A wide audience awaits the assistance of this dictionary in elucidating the symbolic worlds encountered in both the arts and the history of ideas.

The Elixir & the Stone: The Tradition of Magic & Alchemy


Michael Baigent - 1997
    By the middle of the twentieth century, the battle appeared to be won; scientific rationalism and skepticism were triumphant. Yet in the last few decades a strong and potent counter-current has emerged. One manifestation of this has been the so-called occult revival.In The Elixir and the Stone, Baigent and Leigh argue that this occult revival — and indeed the entire revolution in attitudes which has taken place recently — owes a profound debt to Hermeticism, a body of esoteric teaching which flourished in Alexandria two thousand years ago and which then went underground. The authors trace the history of this intriguing and all-encompassing philosophy — which has much in common with contemporary holistic thought — charting it’s origin in the Egyptian mysteries, and demonstrating how it continued to exercise enormous influence through the magicians and magi of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.Many remarkable characters feature in the narrative, including the Franciscan friar Roger Bacon and the Elizabethan magus John Dee; prototype of Shakespeare’s Prospero in The Tempest, but the central figure that emerges is that of Faust himself — one of the defining myths of Western civilization.The Elixir and the Stone is a remarkably rich and ambitious book that adds up to a little short of an alternative history of the intellectual world. Perhaps for the first time it puts into their true context those shadowy alchemists and magicians who have haunted the imaginations of people for centuries. Moreover it offers a way of looking at the world that is in one sense ‘alternative’, but in another, deeply historical.

The Myth of Disenchantment: Magic, Modernity, and the Birth of the Human Sciences


Jason Ānanda Josephson-Storm - 2017
    Jason Ā. Josephson-Storm argues that as broad cultural history goes, this narrative is wrong, as attempts to suppress magic have failed more often than they have succeeded. Even the human sciences have been more enchanted than is commonly supposed. But that raises the question: How did a magical, spiritualist, mesmerized Europe ever convince itself that it was disenchanted? Josephson-Storm traces the history of the myth of disenchantment in the births of philosophy, anthropology, sociology, folklore, psychoanalysis, and religious studies. Ironically, the myth of mythless modernity formed at the very time that Britain, France, and Germany were in the midst of occult and spiritualist revivals. Indeed, Josephson-Storm argues, these disciplines’ founding figures were not only aware of, but profoundly enmeshed in, the occult milieu; and it was specifically in response to this burgeoning culture of spirits and magic that they produced notions of a disenchanted world.   By providing a novel history of the human sciences and their connection to esotericism, The Myth of Disenchantment dispatches with most widely held accounts of modernity and its break from the premodern past.

Devoted to Death: Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint


R. Andrew Chesnut - 2011
    Andrew Chesnut offers a fascinating portrayal of Santa Muerte, a skeleton saint whose cult has attracted millions of devotees over the past decade. Although condemned by mainstream churches, this folk saint's supernatural powers appeal to millions of Latin Americans and immigrants in the U.S. Devotees believe the Bony Lady (as she is affectionately called) to be the fastest and most effective miracle worker, and as such, her statuettes and paraphernalia now outsell those of the Virgin of Guadalupe and Saint Jude, two other giants of Mexican religiosity. In particular, Chesnut shows Santa Muerte has become the patron saint of drug traffickers, playing an important role as protector of peddlers of crystal meth and marijuana; DEA agents and Mexican police often find her altars in the safe houses of drug smugglers. Yet Saint Death plays other important roles: she is a supernatural healer, love doctor, money-maker, lawyer, and angel of death. She has become without doubt one of the most popular and powerful saints on both the Mexican and American religious landscapes.

Wicca Herbal Magic: The Ultimate Beginners Guide to Wiccan Herbal Magic (with Magical Oils, Baths, Teas and Spells)


Sophia Silvervine - 2016
    Many of these herbs you can grow in your own garden and this book will teach you everything from what the herb is used for and how to cultivate it all the way to what spells you can use them in. Inside you will read about... ✓ Some Herbal Basics ✓ Basic Herbs to Start With ✓ Some Herbal Baths ✓ Herbal Pouches & Medicine Bags ✓ Magical Teas to Start With ✓ Magical Oils to Help ✓ More Herbal Magic to Try ✓ A Guide to Purchasing Your Herbs ✓ A Little about Gathering Herbs ✓ How to Dry & Store Herbs In this book, you’ll find spells for luck, love, divination and so much more. You can kiss bad dreams goodbye, and these spells and rituals will help to enhance your quality of life.

The Long Lost Friend: A 19th Century American Grimoire


John George Hohman - 1820
    A collection of herbal formulas and magical prayers, The Long-Lost Friend draws from the traditional folk magic of Pennsylvania Dutch customs and pow-wow healers.This is authentic American folk magic at its best--household remedies combined with charms and incantations to cure common ailments and settle rural troubles. The most well-known grimoire of the New World, this work has influenced the practices of hoodoo, Santeria, Paganism, and other faiths. In this, the definitive edition, you'll find:Both the original German text and the 1856 English translation More than one hundred additional charms and recipes, taken from the pirated 1837 Skippacksville edition and others Extensive notes on the recipes, magic, Pennsylvania Dutch customs, and the origin of many of the charms Indices for general purposes and ingredients Explanations of the specialized terminology of illnesses Whether your interest lies in folklore, ethnobotany, magic, witchcraft, or American history, this classic volume is an essential addition to your library.

Grimoire of the Necronomicon


Donald Tyson - 2008
    P. Lovecraft, Donald Tyson now unveils a true grimoire of ritual magic inspired by the Cthulhu Mythos. The Grimoire of the Necronomicon is a practical system of ritual magic based on Lovecraft's mythology of the alien gods known as the Old Ones.Fans of Lovecraft now have the opportunity to reliably and safely get in touch with the Old Ones and draw upon their power for spiritual and material advancement. Tyson expands upon the Old Ones' mythology and reintroduces these "monsters" in a new, magical context--explaining their true purpose for our planet. As a disciple, you choose one of the seven lords as a spiritual mentor, who will guide you toward personal transformation. Grimoire of the Necronomicon features ritual forms and invocations for the daily and yearly rites of the Old Ones, individual rituals devoted to each of the seven major figures of the mythos, and most importantly, a grand ritual for personal attainment. The daily rituals provide an excellent system of esoteric training for individual practitioners. This grimoire also provides structure for an esoteric society--Order of the Old Ones--devoted to the group practice of this unique system of magic.

Hands-On Chaos Magic: Reality Manipulation Through the Ovayki Current


Andrieh Vitimus - 2009
    Andrieh Vitimus presents a revolutionary hands-on course of study for the average Jane or Joe. Vitimus banishes the severe tone of other esoteric orders, offering an accessible and practical approach that makes it easier to perform successful chaos magic that is uniquely your own.Praise: Andrieh Vitimus is the real deal...honest-to-gods, in-your-face magic. Hands-On Chaos Magic is just what it says, and the next best thing to working with the master himself.--Lon Milo DuQuette, author of The Magick of Aleister Crowley, Homemade Magick, and Low MagickA must-have for any magician.-- Taylor Ellwood, author of Multi-Media MagicWritten with intelligence, experience, and a genuine desire to empower readers.--Raven Digitalis, author of Shadow Magick CompendiumA usable introduction to the concepts and practical techniques of chaos magic.--Donald Michael Kraig, author of Modern MagickA well-considered and thorough contribution to the chaos magic current.--Dave Lee, author of Chaotopia

Witchcraft, Oracles, and Magic Among the Azande


E.E. Evans-Pritchard - 1937
    In her introduction, Eva Gillies presents the case for the relevance of the book to modern anthropologists.

Through the Faerie Glass: A Look at the Realm of Unseen and Enchanted Beings


Kenny Klein - 2010
    He also offers practical tips for those who dare to visit their world.

The Witching Way of the Hollow Hill


Robin Artisson - 2006
    People all over the world embrace the ideas discussed in this work: the animistic worldview, spiritual communion with the dead and the Unseen World, sorcery and magic. Author and Mystic Robin Artisson explores these mystical themes from the perspective of The Old Faiths and pre-Christian metaphysical impulses of Europe and the British Isles. Bringing a new perspective to these ancient practices and making them more accessible, this book is a key to the door that leads into the mythical dimension of each person, and every feature of the sacred landscape. It helps to unlock the hidden wisdom in folklore, shed light on the enigma of the human being, and manifest an experience of the wisdom of the Old Ways- insofar as a book can. This book is about getting out of books and back into the spiritual dimension of the Land itself, and requires considerable dedication and work.

The Complete Magician's Tables


Stephen Skinner - 2006
    Stephen Skinner's classic set of tabular correspondences.Anyone practicing magic won't want to miss this comprehensive book of magician's correspondences. Featuring four times more tables than Aleister Crowley's Liber 777, this is the most complete collection of magician's tables available. This monumental work documents thousands of mystical links-spanning pagan pantheons, Kabbalah, astrology, tarot, I Ching, angels, demons, herbs, perfumes, and more!The sources of this remarkable compilation range from classic grimoires such as the Sworn Book to modern theories of prime numbers and atomic weights. Data from Peter de Abano, Abbott Trithemium, Albertus Magnus, Cornelius Agrippa, and other prominent scholars is referenced here, in addition to hidden gems found in unpublished medieval grimoires and Kabbalistic works.Well-organized and easy-to-use, The Complete Magician's Tables can help you understand the vast connections making up our strange and mysterious universe.

Working Conjure: A Guide to Hoodoo Folk Magic


Hoodoo Sen Moise - 2018
    With the increasing commodification of African American and African Diasporic traditions, books about our practices that are simple, direct, and useful seem few and far between. Hoodoo Sen Moise manages to balance a solid delivery on the practice of Conjure with just enough theory to create a foundation to do this spiritual work—which is not, as he also reminds us, spiritual easy—and to continue the work given to us by our ancestors to heal each other and the world we share."—Mambo Chita Tann, author of Haitian Vodou   Conjure, also known as Hoodoo or Rootwork, is an old and powerful system of North American folk magic. Its roots derive primarily from West and Central African spiritual traditions but it developed during the slave trade and its purpose at that time was to help ease the terrible oppression experienced by the slaves. Working Conjure explores the history, culture, principles, fundamentals, and ethics of Conjure, while simultaneously serving as a practical how-to guide for actually doing the work. Author Hoodoo Sen Moise has been a practitioner for nearly forty years. In Working Conjure, his first book, he shares the techniques and lessons that will bring Hoodoo alive to those who are new to the practice as well as useful and enlightening information for the adept. In the book he:Explores the primary materials used in ConjureFeatures spells, rituals, and workings for various purposesGuides readers to learn how to bring this profound school of magic to life“Conjure,” writes Hoodoo Sen Moise, “is not a religion or spiritual path, per se, but rather magic/spiritual work that is done to bring about change in a situation. Whether that situation is a relationship, money, a job, revenge, healing, or cleansing, the fundamental tenet of Conjure is to do work that changes the circumstance.”

The Complete Picatrix: The Occult Classic of Astrological Magic Liber Atratus Edition


Maslama Al-Majriti
    With all four books of the Latin Picatrix complete in one volume, translated & annotated by the noted scholars, magicians and astrologers John Michael Greer & Christopher Warnock, Picatrix takes its rightful place as an essential occult text. Picatrix is an encyclopedic work with over 300 pages of Hermetic magical philosophy, ritual, talismanic and natural magic. Greer & Warnock’s complete translation is lucid and well annotated. Renaissance Astrology & Adocentyn Press have released the complete Picatrix in a variety of different editions, including the Liber Atratus and Liber Rubeus editions. All editions contain the same basic text, but add additional variant passages, either from the Arabic Picatrix or authors cited, but not found in the Latin Picatrix. The Liber Atratus edition adds a passage on poisons from Ibn Washiyya’s Book of Poisons.