This book provides a dispassionate analysis of new religious movements, charting their growth and examining them from a variety of perspectives – sociological, psychological, legal and theological.
'Religion as Magical Ideology' examines the relationship between rationality and supernatural beliefs arguing that such beliefs are products of evolution, cognition and culture.
Bei Hitze, Hagel, Kälte oder Trockenheit, als Mittel zur Brandbekämpfung und Abwendung von Wassergefahren hielt man Hostien für allgegenwärtig und allmächtig.
A modern-day quest that echoes the ancient alchemists' work to discover the elixir of life *; Provides an overview of alchemical practices in the ancient world--from Europe to China *; Reveals the alchemical secrets for creating this elixir in clear scientific language In 1989, while attempting to extract precious minerals from his property, a wealthy Arizonan obtained a mysterious white material that initially defied scientific attempts to identify it.
The first step-by-step guide to the techniques of Kaula Tantra, the practical yogini path to enlightenment*; Details the erotic and magical practices of Kaula Tantra as well as the arcane principles to activate each technique*; Includes a complete translation of the Kaulajnananirnaya Tantra from Sanskrit*; Explores Kaula techniques for acquiring siddhismagical powersas well as sacred protection and black magic practicesWritten in the 8th century by the sage Matsyendranatha, the Kaulajnananirnaya Tantra records the secret erotic and magical practices of the Yogini Kaula tradition, a tradition focused on practical methods for attaining enlightenment.
One of the most remarkable features of life in the Southwest is the presence of Native American religious ceremonies in communities that are driving distance from Sunbelt cities.
A profound understanding of the surrealists' connections with alchemists and secret societies and the hermetic aspirations revealed in their works *; Explains how surrealist paintings and poems employed mythology, gnostic principles, tarot, voodoo, alchemy, and other hermetic sciences to seek out unexplored regions of the mind and recover lost ';psychic' and magical powers *; Provides many examples of esoteric influence in surrealism, such as how Picasso's Demoiselles d'Avignon was originally titled The Bath of the Philosophers Not merely an artistic or literary movement as many believe, the surrealists rejected the labels of artist and author bestowed upon them by outsiders, accepting instead the titles of magician, alchemist, or--in the case of Leonora Carrington and Remedios Varo--witch.
Intended to appeal to both Christians and Jews,A Rabbi Looks at Jesus' Parables is an introduction to the teachings of Jesus, and compares the similarities and differences in Jesus' thinking to other Jewish sources from first-century Palestine.
The Witchcraft Sourcebook, now in its second edition, is a fascinating collection of documents that illustrates the development of ideas about witchcraft from ancient times to the eighteenth century.
A guide to the history and practices of the Druids and the Celtic faith *; Reconstructs the Druidic faith from surviving remnants, parallels with other Indo-European traditions, and dedicated study of scholarly sources *; Details magical rites and ceremonies, methods for consecrating an outdoor temple, and customs for celebrating important festivals such as Beltaine and Samhain *; Discusses rules for firecraft, making offerings to deities and spirits, and the ancient Coligny calendar, including the names of the months in old Gaulish Druids and their magic, lore, and rituals have fascinated all those who encounter them, from the ancient Greeks and Romans onward.
From early sorcery trials of the 14th century-associated primarily with French and Papal courts-to the witch executions of the late 18th century, this book's entries cover witch-hunting in individual countries, major witch trials from Chelmsford, England, to Salem, Massachusetts, and significant individuals from famous witches to the devout persecutors.
Prudentius' Crown of Martyrs offers an English translation, with introduction and commentary, of the Liber Peristephanon, Prudentius' vivid collection of lyric hymns in honor of Christian martyrs.
A compelling history of atheism in American public lifeA much-maligned minority throughout American history, atheists have been cast as a threat to the nation's moral fabric, barred from holding public office, and branded as irreligious misfits in a nation chosen by God.
Cattoi and McDaniel present a selection of articles on the role of the body and the spiritual senses - our transfigured channels of sensory perceptions - in the context of spiritual practice.
Navigating a diversity of religious myths and worldviews in both conventional and nuanced secular ways, this edited volume explores transdisciplinary common knowledge and global citizenship ideology through the lens of spirituality, depth hermeneutics, and multimodality.
In ever-growing gatherings worldwide, the revered teacher Mooji has opened the eyes of thousands through his rare ability to shine light on the ineffable with uncommon clarity, humour and warmth.
*; Shows how the astrological cycle around the signs of the zodiac represents the alchemical transformation of consciousness and chakra awakening *; Expands the meaning of each astrological sign based on its association with the chakras and the alchemical transmutation cycle from lead to gold *; Offers sample chart analyses to show how you can discover your spiritual challenges and opportunities Demonstrating the connections between astrology, alchemy, and yoga, Frederick Baker reveals how he discovered their correspondences by rotating the natural order of the zodiac, placing Aquarius and Capricorn at the bottom and Cancer and Leo at the top, to reflect the alchemical order of metals from lead to gold.
A comprehensive guide to the ancient beliefs and spiritual power of subterranean spaces *; Examines in depth the myths, symbology, deities, and beliefs connected to the underworld from many different cultures and mystery traditions *; Investigates the role of the underworld in initiatory rites and mystical practices, such as the Orphic Mysteries, the chambers of reflections in Freemasonry, the cult of the Black Madonna, and the cult of Isis *; Discusses the telluric currents that run through ley lines, the significance of underground waterways, Hollow Earth theory, and the denizens of the subterranean realms, such as dragons, gnomes, and dwarfs Ancient cultures around the world understood the spiritual powers of the underworld.
This ancient Gnostic text can be a companion for your own spiritual quest The Secret Book of John is the most significant and influential text of the ancient Gnostic religion.
Bridging the fields of Religion and Latina/o Studies, this book fills a gap by examining the "e;spiritual"e; rhetoric and practices of the Chicano movement.
Though it is clearly an exceptionally important part of popular culture, witchcraft has generated a variety of often contradictory interpretations, starting from widely differing premises about the nature of witchcraft, its social role and the importance of higher theology as well as more popular beliefs.
Augustine's Early Thought on the Redemptive Function of Divine Judgement considers the relationship between Augustine's account of God's judgment and his theology of grace in his early works.
The great existential psychiatrist Ludwig Binswanger famously pointed out to Freud that therapeutic failure could "e;only be understood as the result of something which could be called a deficiency of spirit.
A history of how mystical and spiritual influences have shaped Russia's identity and politics and what it means for the future of world civilization *; Examines Russia's spiritual history, from its pagan origins and Eastern Orthodox mysticism to secret societies, Rasputin, Roerich, Blavatsky, and Dostoyevsky *; Explains the visionary writings of the spiritual philosophers of Russia's Silver Age, which greatly influence Putin today *; Explores what Russia's unique identity and its history of messianic politics and apocalyptic thought mean for its future on the world stage At the turn of the 20th century, a period known as the Silver Age, Russia was undergoing a powerful spiritual and cultural rebirth.
