Magick Matters

“Rudolf II: The Life and Legend of the Mad Emperor” by Thomas DaCosta Kaufmann

"A reinterpretation of the Habsburgian ruler’s reign as exemplary rather than reclusive. Rudolf II: The Life and Legend of the Mad Emperor offers a fresh perspective on the Habsburg ruler, shedding new light on a reign often coloured by myths of madness. Contrary to popular belief, Rudolf was not a passive recluse but an engaged monarch, navigating the complexities of state affairs with a moderate hand amid turbulent times. By contextualizing his interests in astrology, alchemy and magic, Thomas DaCosta Kaufmann offers new insights into Rudolf’s support for scientific endeavours and his quest for power. It also demonstrates that Rudolf’s assembling of the greatest Kunstkammer and painting collection of his time and his patronage of...>>

“Hazards of the Dark Arts: Advice for Medieval Princes on Witchcraft and Magic” translated by by Richard Kieckhefer

"This volume comprises English translations of two fundamentally important texts on magic and witchcraft in the fifteenth century: Johannes Hartlieb’s Book of All Forbidden Arts and Ulrich Molitoris’s On Witches and Pythonesses. Written by laymen and aimed at secular authorities, these works advocated that town leaders and royalty alike should vigorously uproot and prosecute practitioners of witchcraft and magic. Though inquisitors and theologians promulgated the witch trials of late medieval times, lay rulers saw the prosecutions through. But local officials, princes, and kings could be unreliable; some were skeptical about the reality and danger of witchcraft, while others dabbled in the occult themselves. Borrowing from theological and secular sources, Hartlieb and Molitoris agitated against this...>>

“New Devotionary Spiritist: Collection of Selected Prayers” by Allan Kardec (2nd edition)

"Allan Kardec believed that the ability to communicate with the spirit world was hindered because man did not know how to pray. This belief inspired him to write a collection of prayers accompanied by instructions for their appropriate use. Many worldwide have found these prayers to be an essential tool for communicating with spirits on a positive level. Mr. Kardec’s original work was in French. As interest in Spiritualism grew so did the acceptance of his beliefs, which lead his works to be translated into other languages."...>>

“Asia Mysteriosa: The Oracle of Astral Force as a Means of Communication with The Little Lights of the Orient” by Zam Bhotiva

"Famous esoteric work of the 1930s describing the workings of the Oracle of Astral Force, the secret divinatory system of the group known as The Polaires and giving clues to their origin, way of working and sources of inspiration. Alongside it is printed the first edition of the Polaire Bulletin, dated 9 May 1930 and effectively the manifesto of the Polaires themselves, and a historical preface by Colum Hayward, outlining the history of the Polaires and of the two publications. In 1929 there burst onto the esoteric scene in Paris a group that had been waiting for a decade to manifest publicly, the Polaires. Furnished with a mathematical oracle that gave them direct communication with...>>

“The Haunted Universe” by D. Scott Rogo

"UFOs are sighted by a family which is then plagued by poltergeists... A statue of Christ begins to bleed during prayers... Two children disappear from their home and minutes later reappear hundreds of miles away... Is our universe haunted by bizarre denizens of another dimension? Are we being manipulated by extraterrestrials for reasons that are yet unknown? Or are we ourselves the actual culprits, unconsciously calling on the psychic energies of our minds to create these phenomena? is it mind over matter, belief giving birth to reality? D. Scott Rogo, renowned parapsychologist, explores this intriguing possibility, examining numerous case histories and drawing on the experiences of fellow psychic investigators to paint a complete portrait of...>>