Magick Matters

28.01.2022

“Taking Sacred Back: The Complete Guide to Designing and Sharing Group Ritual” by Nels Linde and Judy Linde

Magick Matters

"Whether you’re designing a group ritual for five people or five hundred, Taking Sacred Back will help you make it moving and memorable. Join authors Nels Linde and Judy Olson-Linde as they explore creative ideas for all the stages of ritual―making the space sacred, entering into the liminal, engaging the subconscious of all attendees, creating awe and wonder, raising and directing energy, and ending the ritual. Discover advice on hardware and prop-making (and tips on using props effectively) and ideas for scaling up or scaling down for larger or smaller groups. Complete with photos and diagrams, examples of rituals the authors have conducted, and wise problem-solving advice, Taking Sacred Back is an indispensable guide...>>

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28.01.2022

“Scotland’s Merlin: A Medieval Legend and its Dark Age Origins” by Tim Clarkson

Magick Matters

"Who was Merlin? Is the famous wizard of Arthurian legend based on a real person? In this book, Merlin's origins are traced back to the story of Lailoken, a mysterious 'wild man' who is said to have lived in the Scottish Lowlands in the sixth century AD. The book considers the question of whether Lailoken belongs to myth or reality. It looks at the historical background of his story and discusses key characters such as Saint Kentigern of Glasgow and King Rhydderch of Dumbarton, as well as important events such as the Battle of Arfderydd. Lailoken's reappearance in medieval Welsh literature as the fabled prophet Myrddin is also examined. Myrddin himself was eventually transformed into...>>

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28.01.2022

“Sin and Filth in Medieval Culture: The Devil in the Latrine” by Martha Bayless

Magick Matters

"This important new contribution to the history of the body analyzes the role of filth as the material counterpart of sin in medieval thought. Using a wide range of texts, including theology, historical documents, and literature from Augustine to Chaucer, the book shows how filth was regarded as fundamental to an understanding of human history. This theological significance explains the prominence of filth and dung in all genres of medieval writing: there is more dung in theology than there is in Chaucer. The author also demonstrates the ways in which the religious understanding of filth and sin influenced the secular world, from town planning to the execution of traitors. As part of this investigation...>>

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28.01.2022

“Suspended Animation: Pain, Pleasure and Punishment in Medieval Culture” by Robert Mills

Magick Matters

"Hanging, flaying, beating, anti-Semitic violence and the torture of sodomites: the darker side of life in medieval Europe has fuelled the imagery of many books and films. We know exactly what is meant in the film Pulp Fiction, when one character declares 'I'm gonna get medieval on yo' ass'. But the stereotype of uncontrolled violence inflicted in the distant past is not only historically misleading, it also tricks us into believing that there is an unbridgeable gulf between modernity and the Middle Ages. In Suspended Animation, Robert Mills tackles this misconception head on, confronting these uncomfortable medieval practices on their own ground. He exposes the reader to a host of challenging, sometimes shocking texts and...>>

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27.01.2022

“The Spiritual Science of the Stars: A Guide to the Architecture of the Spirit” by Pete Stewart

Magick Matters

"The profound influence of ancient cosmologies on our ideas about the human spirit • Shows how ancient myths contain a sophisticated understanding of our relationship to the cosmos, derived from thousands of years of observation of the night sky • Explains how ideas of the mind and spirit are still entwined with these ancient cosmologies despite the disruptive effects of modern astronomy • Reveals how ancient ideas and contemporary cosmology might be combined into a new model for spiritual meaning Thousands of years before the first written records, humans were turning to the night sky as a source of meaning for existence and their place within it. The conclusions drawn from these observations are embodied in stories from...>>

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