Magick Matters

“The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross: A Study of the Nature and Origins of Christianity within the Fertility Cults of the Ancient Near East” by John M. Allegro (1974 revised ed)

"Where did God come from? What do the bible stories really tell us? Who or what was Jesus Christ? This book challenges everything we think we know about the nature of religion. The ancient fertility cult at the heart of Christianity. The living power of cultic rites and symbols. The sacred mushroom as the emblem and embodiment of divinity. The secret meaning of biblical myths. The language of religion that links us to our ancestors. The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross sets out John Allegro's quest through a family tree of languages to find the truth about where Christianity came from."...>>

“Dark Spirits: The Magical Art of Rosaleen Norton and Austin Osman Spare” by Dr. Nevill Drury

"Although they never met, the Australian witch Rosaleen Norton (1917-1979) and British visionary artist Austin Osman Spare (1886-1956) shared many points in common. As occult practitioners operating within the Western esoteric tradition, both artists were well versed in the literature of Western magic, Theosophy, kabbalah, Eastern mysticism, and modern psychoanalysis. Fascinated by mediaeval magical grimoires, they also explored the 'seals' associated with elemental spirit-beings and developed unique forms of sigil magic. Perhaps even more significantly, Norton and Spare utilised their own personal techniques of self-hypnosis and trance in order to produce their distinctive visionary artworks. As this book demonstrates, there is a clear parallel between the trance states associated with the Zos/Kia cosmology of Spare ...>>

“Okamoto Kido: Master of the Uncanny” by Okamoto Kido

"Born just after Japan transitioned from the Shogunate to Meiji, Kidō grew up in a samurai-oriented world being transformed by the West in many ways. As a reporter he covered domestic development and overseas wars, while also marrying a traditional geisha, eventually becoming a playwright and author. In addition to a number of well-received plays, he also penned more than fifty horror stories over a roughly ten-year period starting in the mid-1920s. Just prior to this period, the Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923 destroyed almost everything in Tokyo that remained from the Edo era, and Japanese horror itself was transitioning from the traditional uncanny stories to more modern horror structures. While many of Kidō’s stories ...>>

“Saturn: A New Look at an Old Devil” by Liz Greene (2021 re-release)

"Saturn’s darker persona is recognized universally in myth and fairytale. In this classic astrology text, renowned astrologer and Jungian analyst Liz Greene offers a fresh perspective on how to handle the influence of this much-maligned astrological symbol. In Saturn, Greene shows us how the frustrating experiences connected to this planet can be turned into opportunities for greater insight and meaning in our lives. Saturn, she says, symbolizes a psychic process—one that allows us to utilize the experience of pain for self-discovery and a more fulfilling and complete life. Greene retraces Saturn’s character through sign, house, aspect, and synastry in a brilliant analysis that reveals his other face: that of the initiator who, for the ...>>

“The Big Book of Magical Incense” by Sara L. Mastros

"The Big Book of Magical Incense is an invaluable hands-on guide to the vast world of magical incense. It provides tried-and-true recipes, advice on how to create your own formulas, and instructions on how to use incense in all sorts of magical practice. While the book requires no prerequisite knowledge, it is also appropriate for experienced magicians and learned pagans. The chapters are scaffolded, teaching about basic ingredients and skills, both practical and magical, in early chapters, and gently leading the reader to develop their own recipes, spells, and ritual practices as they move through the book. Presented in a paradigm-agnostic way, the book should appeal to people on numerous paths. Ceremonial magicians and ...>>