Alternative belief systems

Part of the enduring fascination of the Salem witch trials is the fact that, to date, no one theory has been able to fully explain the events that ravaged Salem in 1692.

In 1966, Anton LaVey introduced to the world the Church of Satan, an atheistic religion devoted to the philosophy of individualism and pitilessness often associated with Satan.

This important two-volume contribution to the field of secular studies offers the first comprehensive examination of atheists and non-religious people around the world.

This comprehensive resource explores the intersection of religion, politics, and the supernatural that spawned the notorious witch hunts in Europe and the New World.

Discusses the ideas and impact of 27 atheists, agnostics, and secularists whose ideas have shaped society over the last 200 years.

Hoodoo, voodoo, and conjure are part of a mysterious world of African American spirituality that has long captured the popular imagination.

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.

In October of 1563, 18-year old Anne Mylner was herding cows near her home when she was suddenly enveloped by a white cloud that precipitated a months-long illness characterized by sleeplessness, loss of appetite, convulsions, and bodily swelling.

Wangerin examines one small symbolic revolution against American capitalist culture.

Ghosts of Kanungu throws light on secrecy and violence in Uganda, Rwanda and the Great Lakes area of East Africa.

Magic, science and second sight in 17c Scottish Higlands, with new edition of Kirk's Secret Commonwealth.

When did growing and eating food cease to be considered sacred?

An inspiring and compelling collection of questions and answers are posed to Omni, a non-physcial group entity channeled through John Payne.

In the first edition of The Mormon Mirage, Latayne C.

Fast, informed answers to the challenges of false religions -- This is an age when countless groups and movements, new and old, mark the religious landscape in our culture.

Navigate the world's belief systems with this faith-filled resource!

Synthesizing thirty years of research, psychologist and science historian, Michael Shermer upends the traditional thinking about how humans form beliefs about the world.

A journey through the three pathways of time--present, past, and future--to open yourself to shamanic visions*; Presents shamanic tools to help you prepare to receive visions, release the burdens of the past, and bring clarity to your visions of the future*; Shares Earth Whispering practices to expand the senses, set intentions, and connect deeply with intuition and spirit helpers*; Offers advice on working with guides and soul protectors as well as the different realms a guide might emerge fromVisionaries dream the future into life, and throughout the ages shamans have served this role within their communities.

*; Details the rise and fall of this famous and infamous Order, including its penetration of Bavarian society and its destruction by the Bavarian government *; Explains the Bavarian Illuminati's grades, rituals, ceremonies, and fundamental philosophies and examines the leaders of the Order *; Contains the only surviving record of documents that were destroyed during the two World Wars The Bavarian Order of the Illuminati is the most celebrated secret society in the world.

*; Details how the author and her boyfriend developed a close friendship with Manly Hall and how Hall at first mistook her boyfriend as his heir apparent *; Explains how Hall adopted the author as his ';girl Friday' and personal weirdo screener, giving her access to the inner circles of occult Los Angeles *; Richly depicts the characters who worked and gathered at Hall's Philosophical Research Society, including Hall's wife, the famed ';Mad Marie' In the early 1980s, underground musicians Tamra Lucid and her boyfriend Ronnie Pontiac discovered the book The Secret Teachings of All Ages at the Bodhi Tree bookstore in Los Angeles.

A detailed step-by-step program for building a magical practice*; Offers a full 12 months of activities, rituals, spells, and exercises to help you acquire magical skills and knowledge and achieve your goals*; Details the practice of Egyptian Soul Craft, including how to work with the KA and the BA and how to perform magical workings with Egyptian deities*; Shares spells for specific purposes, from manifesting wealth to summoning lost things to healing ailments, as well as providing templates to create your own rituals and custom spellsIn this practical training guide, Don Webb lays out a detailed step-by-step program for building and sustaining a magical practice.

*; Details hands-on techniques, spells, and rituals paired with personal stories from the author's decades of magical practice *; Presents teachings on working with each element in different ways--such as divination, communication, healing, protection, manifestation, and enchantment *; Explores elemental altars, scrying and reading the bones, undines and fairies, working with runes and crystals, ancestral healing, weather sensing, fire gazing, candle magic, sex magic, and communicating with the Otherworld A Book of Shadows is a witch's sacred journal, filled with personal experiences and the intimate working of spells.

*; Explains in detail how the demotion or proved nonexistence of a planet marks the beginning of a roughly 30-year period in which that planet's influence wanes *; Explores Pluto's arc of influence on individual and collective life in depth, from its discovery in 1930 to the end of its influence in 2036 *; Offers examples from other demoted planets, such as Ceres, whose fifty-year reign as a planet corresponds very closely to the Romantic Era of history Recent research in astrology has shown that the discovery of a new planet correlates with the emergence of a new set of influences in individual and collective life.

*; 2023 Coalition of Visionary Resources Gold Award*; Provides detailed instructions for making single-flower essences and magickal and therapeutic essence blends *; Shares new magickal uses for flower essences, from creating sacred space to dressing candles to preparing incense, as well as how to use essences in meditation, potions, spells, spagyrics, and ritual *; Includes a detailed directory of 100 flower and plant essences, complete with astrological, elemental, and magickal correspondences In this practical guide to using flower essences in witchcraft, alchemy, and healing, Nicholas Pearson provides detailed instructions for making and using flower essences based on traditional Western magick practices.

*; 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.

*; Explores the archetypal and classical male ideal found in ancient societies around the world *; Examines some of the problems facing men in the world today and shares practices to develop yourself in the face of these problems *; Provides techniques for developing your thinking and focus, overcoming fear, relaxing tension in your body, and developing a self-image more appropriate to who you are and aspire to be Ancient and classical societies have always had an ideal of manhood.

*; Details the magical war that took place behind the scenes of the 2016 election *; Examines in detail the failed magical actions of Trump's opponents, with insights on political magic from Dion Fortune's war letters *; Reveals the influence of a number of occult forces from Julius Evola to chaos magick to show how the political and magical landscape of American society has permanently changed since the 2016 election Magic and politics seem like unlikely bedfellows, but in The King in Orange, author John Michael Greer goes beyond superficial memes and extreme partisanship to reveal the unmentionable realities that spawned the unexpected presidential victory of an elderly real-estate mogul turned reality-TV star and which continue to drive the deepening divide that is now the defining characteristic of American society.

*; Restores the feminine essence of the Tao Te Ching as well as the simplicity and poetic undertones of the chapters *; Offers commentary for each of the 81 chapters and key Chinese characters to reveal their profound wisdom *; Translated from ancient silk and bamboo slip manuscripts, the oldest known copies of the Tao Te Ching *; Paper with French flaps In this book, Rosemarie Anderson shares her discoveries of the Divine Feminine Tao alongside her original translation of the Tao Te Ching.

*; Explains how Kimbanda's presiding deity Eshu embodies both masculine and feminine principles, both god and devil, and thus represents human nature itself with all its vices and virtues *; Discusses Kimbanda's magical practices, initiation rites, sacred knives, and sacrificial offerings *; Details the seven realms and the entities that inhabit and govern each of them Although it has been demonized as a form of Satanic cult, Kimbanda--the tradition of Afro-Brazilian black magic--is a spiritual practice that embraces both the light and dark aspects of life through worship of the entities known as Eshu and Pombajira.

*; Looks at the age-old spiritual principles, folklore, and esoteric traditions behind the creation of magical objects as well as the use of numbers, colors, sigils, geometric emblems, knots, crosses, pentagrams, and other symbols *; Explores hundreds of artifacts, such as hagstones, Norse directional amulets, car hood mascots, objects made from bones and teeth, those connected with plants and animals, charms associated with gambling, and religious relics *; Includes photos of artifacts from the author's extensive collection Offering an illustrated exploration of the origins and history of amulets, lucky charms, talismans, and mascots, including photos of unique and original artifacts from his extensive collection, Nigel Pennick examines these objects from a magical perspective, from ancient Egypt to the present.

*; Explores the hierarchy of elemental beings as well as Christ elemental beings, social elementals, and machine elementals *; Explains how elementals inhabit the etheric space that houses our emotions, feelings, and thoughts and how they carry the emotional level of the world *; Shows how the author learned to make personal contact with the elementals and shares his experiences as well as the elemental world's urgent call for help We all live in the realm of elemental beings.

*; Shares vivid, experiential descriptions of the author's sessions with master Lalita Devi wherein she imparted the essential principles of the Mahamudra to him physically, verbally, and energetically *; Presents new translations of the most significant sacred books, including the Shiva Sutras, the Pratybhijna Hrdayam Sutra, and the Spandakarika, each presented in language that preserves their spontaneous mystic flow *; Pairs the author's intellectual study of the sacred texts with direct transmissions from his teacher, with each perspective shedding light on the other In 1975, in an isolated Himalayan forest, Daniel Odier met Lalita Devi, a tantric yogini who took him on a mystical journey beyond the limits of sexual experience to transcend the ego, recognize the true self, and rediscover the Divine nature of absolute love.

*; Explores the five periods of runic revival: the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, the Romantic period, the early 20th century, and the late 20th century *; Examines the use of runes by the foremost magicians and scholars of each era, including mystic and scholar Johannes Bureus, who developed his own integrated system of runology known as Adalruna *; Reveals how the Nazi misguided use of the runes showed a lack of comprehension of what was being discovered by scientific rune scholars of the day In this exploration of the history of the runes from 1500 CE to the present day, Stephen Edred Flowers examines the five periods of runic revival: the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, the Romantic period, the early 20th century, and the late 20th century.

*; Offers commentary for each story, revealing its historical context, cultural and esoteric associations, and hidden pagan beliefs *; Explores how the tales transformed over the ages and their origins in Classical Antiquity, the Middle East, and India *; Includes stories never-before-translated from their original Latin and many purposely left in obscurity due to scandalous depictions of popes and other notables The Middle Ages witnessed the blossoming of oral traditions whose echoes can still be found in many legends, fables, and tales today.

A guide to untaming yourself on a quest to discover your inner Sidhe nature, your ElvenHeart, for wholeness, healing, and awakening *; Explores who the Sidhe are and shares close encounters with them in our modern world *; Invites you to discover your ElvenHeart by journeying through the four portals of the StoneAnchor, the FlowDancer, the FireDreamer, and the WindSinger *; Offers gifts in the form of simple exercises to bring you into contact with your magical kin and rewild yourself Awaken to your closest kin, the Sidhe (pronounced ';Shee'), and let them inspire you to rediscover your gentle, wild, innermost nature, your ElvenHeart.

*; Explains how a Vampyre is not a blood-sucking mythical figure but a shaman who is skilled in gathering, using, and storing energy for magical power and personal liberation *; Reveals how to gather and store energy from the world around you and shares magical techniques, manifestation methods, and practices to utilize the energy you have collected *; Looks at servitors and familiars, vampyric runes, dream architecture, money magick practices, and sex magick techniques as well as advanced practices such as healing with vampyric magick In this initiatory guide, Don Webb explains how to learn from the myth of the vampire to gather, use, and store energy for magical power, manifestation, and personal liberation.

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.

Enrich your Reiki practice by connecting with the healing spirit of plants and the natural world *; Explores a new way of channeling Reiki energy for both personal healing and professional practice by intuitively connecting with plants and the natural world *; Provides simple exercises, meditations, and Reiki practices to help the reader intuitively work in partnership with plants as part of their Reiki practice *; Emphasizes healing exchange with plants and the self-practice of Reiki in partnership with the spirit of plants to heal our essential nature *; Explains how to raise the vibration of your community and the world by connecting with green spaces, nature beings, and habitats under threat In this practical workbook, Fay Johnstone demonstrates how energy healers and Reiki practitioners can partner with plant spirit allies and the forces of nature for powerful healing for themselves, others, and our planet.

A deep exploration of the regenerative and magical secrets of sacred masculinity hidden in familiar myths both ancient and modern*; Reveals the restorative fungi archetype of Osiris, the Orphic mysteries as an underground mycelium linking forests and people, how Dionysus teaches us about invasive species and playful sexuality, and the ecology of Jesus as depicted in his nature-focused parables*; Liberates Tristan, Merlin, and the Grail legends from the bounds of Campbell's hero's journey and invites the masculine into more nuanced, complex ways of dealing with trauma, growth, and self-knowledgeLong before the sword-wielding heroes of legend readily cut down forests, slaughtered the old deities, and vanquished their enemies, there were playful gods, animal-headed kings, mischievous lovers, trickster harpists, and vegetal magicians with flowering wands.

A complete guide to working with the Birth Odus of your Orishas Birth Chart*; Offers step-by-step instructions to calculate your Birth Odus and cast your full Orisha Birth Chart*; Presents detailed interpretations of each of the 16 Birth Odus, showing how their energies manifest in an individual's personality, relationships, financial status, and general approach to life*; Shares self-transformation techniques to help you improve the positive qualities of your chart while embracing, integrating, and neutralizing negative energies and tendenciesMuch like the celestial influences revealed by a natal astrology chart or the numerology of your birth date, African spiritual traditions believe that every person has specific personal energies ruling how we relate to each other and the way we foresee and achieve life goals.

An exploration of our extraordinary shift away from materialism toward renewal of the numinous, mysterious, and uncertain*; Examines topics that evoke widespread misunderstanding, including the real history of secret societies, the wisdom of the Satanic, Gnosticism, Hermeticism, out-of-body experience, and the contemporary war on witches*; Looks at the influence of the founding lights of modern occultism, including mystic Neville Goddard, occult scholar Manly P.

An exploration of the traditional rites of auspicious building and crafting*; Explains the ceremonial beginnings and Hermetic principles in the laying out of foundations not only for sacred buildings like temples but also for homes and barns*; Examines the principles and ceremonies of electional astrology and details how to compute natural time, as opposed to clock time*; Shares examples from ancient Egypt, Iran, India, and Europe that range from the Stone Age to the Renaissance and include secret societiesWhen we make things--whether a building, a sacred space, or a magical object--there is a precise moment when the artifact comes into being as a separate entity.

An inspiring manual for navigating humanity's collective dark night and enacting personal and planetary transformation*; Explores how Sacred Activism--specifically, creative, wise, sacredly inspired action--offers an antidote to the crises facing our world*; Reveals how to uncover and sustain joy and how to use it as fuel for continuing Sacred Activism in dangerous times*; Includes practical maps of the dark night process and of the four-part path to transfiguration drawn from the secret depths of the mystical traditionsPresenting a manual for navigating humanity's collective dark night, Andrew Harvey and Carolyn Baker explore potential antidotes, drawn from mystical traditions and Sacred Activism, to help us find inspiration and take action in the face of the daunting challenges to our world.

A memoir of spiritual awakening and travel in the 60s and 70s, sacred dance in the 80s and 90s, and astrological insight in the 90s and 2000s*; Recounts the author's deep involvement with three spiritual community movements originating in the sixties which are still thriving today: the Ram Dass satsang, Lama Foundation, and Dances of Universal Peace*; Offers insights from his study of Vedic astrology, sacred dance, his search for love, and his personal work with past-life recordings, Jungian analysis, and trauma releaseAfter coming of age and graduating in the tumultuous sixties, Ahad Cobb found himself wandering without direction.

Explores how the Universe, our planet, ourselves, and everything in existence has inherent meaning and evolutionary purpose*; 2023 Nautilus Gold Award*; Examines our emergence as self-aware members of a Universe that is itself a unified and innately sentient entity that exists TO evolve*; Shares leading-edge scientific breakthroughs and shows how they support traditional visions of Earth as a living being--Gaia*; Rewrites evolution as not driven by random occurrences and mutations but by intelligently informed and meaningful information flows and processesExploring our emergence as self-aware members of a planetary home and entire Universe that is a unified and innately sentient entity, Jude Currivan, Ph.

Examines Aleister Crowley's 30-year-long intimate association with Paris*; Investigates the tales of Crowley ';raising Pan,' going mad, and working gay sex magick in Paris*; Uncovers Crowley's involvement in the Belle poque with sculptor Auguste Rodin and other artists and in the 1920s with Berenice Abbott, Nancy Cunard, Man Ray, Andr Gide, and Aime Crocker*; Reveals Crowley's ';expulsion' from Paris in 1929 as a high-level conspiracy against CrowleyExploring occultist, magician, poet, painter, and writer Aleister Crowley's longstanding and intimate association with Paris, Tobias Churton provides the first detailed account of Crowley's activities in the City of Light.

*; Presents four loving, feisty old witches, one for each season, who share earth-honoring wisdom, rituals, and spells to help you embrace your journey through the sacred latter half of life *; Filled with magical recipes, inspiring ceremonies, playful activities, and meaningful meditations You are invited into the magical world of four loving, feisty old witches, one for each season, who share earth-honoring wisdom, rituals, and spells to help you embrace your journey through the sacred latter half of life.

*; Examines the significant figures and groups of Finland's occult world, including their esoteric practices and the secret societies to which they were connected *; Investigates the relationship of nationalism and esotericism in Finland as well as the history of Finnish parapsychology and the Finnish UFO craze *; Looks at the unique evolution of Freemasonry in Finland, showing how, when Finland was still part of Russia and the Masonic order was banned, adherents created a number of other secret societies Finland has long been viewed as the land of sorcerers and shamans.

A presentation of seven essential texts, central to the Hermetic Tradition, never before published together*; Includes Theogony, The Homeric Hymn to Hermes, The Poem of Parmenides, The Poimandres, The Chaldean Oracles, Hymn to Isis, and On Divine Virtue, each translated from the original Greek or Latin*; Presents interpretive commentary for each text to progressively weave them together historically, poetically, hermeneutically, and magicallyLinked to both the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth, Hermes Trismegistus is credited, through legend, with thousands of mystical and philosophical writings of high standing, each reputed to be of immense antiquity.