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.

    Whether you want to join a group or work as a solitary, this is an invaluable guide to the wiccan lifestyle.

    "She is warrior, queen, death omen, mother, murderer, lover, spy, conspirator, faery, shape-shifter, healer, and sometimes the living earth itself. A captivating contradiction: a demonic female who both haunts and heals; benevolent in one moment, ghastly the next, and kind the moment after that.”The Morrigan is one of Pagan Ireland’s most famous—and notorious—goddesses. Her name translated as “phantom queen” or “great queen,” the Morrigan is famous for being a goddess of war, witchcraft and death, protection and retribution. This book also explores her patronage of motherhood, healing, shapeshifting, and the land. Classified among the Sidhe (fairies), the Morrigan dates back at least to Ireland’s Iron Age, but she is as modern as she is ancient―enjoying a growing contemporary and global following.Author Courtney Weber provides a guide for the modern devotee of this complex, mysterious goddess that encompasses practical veneration with modern devotionals, entwined with traditional lore and Irish-Celtic history.

    'A Witch's Halloween' is filled with history, folklore and myth, magical spells, authentic witches' recipes, divinations, a complete ritual for a Sabbat celebration, Halloween superstitions, and much more.

    The water magic and lore in this book focuses on the Celtic tradition, but draws on other water magic traditions as well, and features rainwater, as well as lakes, rivers, oceans, canals, swamps, and other watery locations, together with the folk and magical customs that have been and are still practiced at these places. The book teaches the reader how to set up a water altar at home, how to connect with water spirits, and how to gather or create water witch tools. Readers are encouraged to visit local water sites but will also find an abundance of material to perform at home. Included are practical examples, visualizations, and exercises so any reader can start to take up spell work and establish their spiritual connection to water.

    This "recipe-style" book presents spells from many different times and cultures. They include ancient Egyptian, Babylonian, Persian, Mayan, North American Indian, and Druidic charms, ingredients, dances, and incantations for looking and feeling one's best, for catching and keeping a mate, for repelling unwanted suitors, for gaining a measure of fame and fortune, for protecting against bad luck, and much more. There is also detailed information on potent herbs and their uses, including rosemary, St. John's Wort, garlic, mistletoe, ginger root, sage and bay leaves. Includes more than 300 full-color illustrations.

    . . discover a pathway to the powers within. All women possess the primal courage and strength of the Witch. In this breakthrough, life-altering new book, Laurie Cabot brings more than forty years of experience as a spiritual counselor and practicing Witch to cultivate and celebrate the secret, magical side of every woman's nature. Unfolding the wit and wisdom of ancient Celtic tales, as well as many stories of her own making, Laurie shows you how ancient truths can empower you during many of life's dark moments and lead you on a path of success and personal fulfillment. Through story, ritual activity, and spiritual communion, you will learn how to use your instinctual nature to achieve your goals and feel energized, strong, and capable in your daily life. Explore how to: Increase sexuality and bring into your life, and heart, the love you long for Uncover hidden strengths and overcome fear Protect yourself and loved ones from physical harm, deception, or betrayal Retrieve your inborn talent to heal ailments and diagnose disease Unleash creativity Enhance communication skills Sharpen your intuition about others and the world around you Enjoy healthy, productive dreams

    If you’ve ever wondered how to work with these amazing energy centers and optimize their benefits, this is the book for you. With gorgeous diagrams and visuals, and an accessible text by two renowned authors, it takes us into the heart of the chakra system, exploring its history and revealing how to use each one for transformation, well-being, increased vitality, and more.

    A Book of Pagan Prayer provides the pagan community a comprehensive and thoughtful selection of prayers - and shows readers how they too can create their own. After an introduction on why to pray, author Ceisiwr Serith explores how to pray through words, posture, dance, and music. He explains how to prepare for and compose prayers, how to address and honor the deities, and how to conclude a prayer. Serith also answers important questions, such as: Why should pagans pray? Should prayers be spontaneous? What are offerings about? Is all this just trying to buy the gods off? Gathered from many traditions - including Celtic, Germanic, Egyptian, Greek, and Zoroastrian - this guide includes nearly 500 sample prayers organized by purpose: for the family and household; times of the day, month, and year; life passages; thanksgiving, grace, and petition; as well as litanies and mantras. Whether offering a blessing, celebrating new life, safeguarding travel, or honoring the seasons, readers will discover timeless pagan prayers for worship, spiritual connection, and personal relationship with the gods.

    Swirl magical botanicals into your cleaning supplies, call fairies into your garden, ask a spider for advice. Clear clutter for clarity, perform the oatmeal cookie ritual for abundance, or make a sweet dreams charm for a good night's sleep.In this delightful book, intuitive counselor Tess Whitehurst reveals how your home can be a powerful catalyst for personal transformation and manifestation. She offers a variety of simple, whimsical ways to create a harmonious home while enhancing your own happiness, intuition, and magical power.Praise: Filled with valuable information and ancient wisdom to activate sparkling energy and create true sacred space in your home. I recommend it!--Denise Linn, author of Sacred Space

    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.

    And you will Explore the Mysteries of Death and to Speak with the Dead.The Dark balances the Light. Do not fear it but equally embrace it.

    This powerful handbook teaches the fundamentals of raising, sensing, and directing energy with simple, focused training.Sharing colorful stories from her own magickal practice, author Mya Om addresses the most common reasons why spells don't work and gives helpful tips on how to rewrite or recast them so they do work.This engaging guide is filled with a variety of fun exercises you can use to develop your own spellcasting skills, from learning to sense your own energy to performing mirror magick.

    For the most part, it can be performed without complicated rituals, needs hardly any paraphernalia, is independent of philosophical and dogmatic premises and, due to its simplicity, can be learned easily and quickly. Most important of all, none of the magical techniques we know of today is more efficient and will give even beginners the immediate chance to convince themselves of its power and their own abilities. These reasons alone support a volume like the following to show the possibilities of this discipline and to explain its techniques and its rationale. The reader—the complete tyro and the advanced practitioner alike—will receive an introduction which will accompany him/her in his/her magical practice for a long time.

    Faeries are real, and you can learn to commune with a whole world of unseen beings, including elves, devas, and nature spirits. With an open mind and a little patience, you can begin to recognize their presence all around you. This book will help you deepen your connection to the natural world as you explore the magical, mystical world of the faerie folk.Discover hidden truths in faerie tales and use them as pathways into the faerie realm Learn the basic habitats, powers and behaviors of faeries, elves, and other nature spirits Read personal accounts of actual faerie encounters Invoke fire spirits for traditional psychic readings Share the magic and knowledge of twenty tree spirits Find the elementals--gnomes, undines, sylphs and salamanders--with which you resonate most Contact water sprites, mermaids and other water spirits Find wood nymphs and thelady of the woods raw dragons into your environment with the right fragrances Attract a faerie godmother into your life Recapture the magic and wonder of a world where trees still speak and every flower tells a story. Explore the faerie realm--a place where faerie tales can and do come true.