Magick Matters

“Black Cats & Evil Eyes: A Book of Old-Fashioned Superstitions” by Chloe Rhodes

"Hundreds of beliefs passed down through the generations have their foundations in our ancestors' efforts to ward off evil, which they blamed for hardship, illness, and injustice in times when life was, as often as not, "nasty, brutish and short." Black Cats & Evil Eyes sets these superstitions in their historical and social context, explaining how fear of the Devil, demons, evil spirits, and witchcraft drove people to arm themselves with rituals and talismans to repel dark forces and allow them to live long and healthy lives. In examining many of our common superstitions, this book illuminates the customs, beliefs, and practices that link us to an ancient, and often darker, human past."...>>

“The Sync Book: Myths, Magic, Media, and Mindscapes: 26 Authors on Synchronicity” edited by Alan Abbadessa-Green

"26 bloggers/writers/artists share their experiences and perspectives on the strange and beautiful universe in which we live. Featuring writers from: The Sync Whole, Reality Sandwich, Etemenanki, The Mask of God, Labyrinth of the Psychonaut, The Stygian Port, Live From The Logosphere, Star Theory, The Patternist, Gosporn, All The Happy Creatures, Kosmos Idikos, Radio8Ball, Constellation Contemplation, Kozmikon, Accidental Alchemist, Libyan Sibyl, A Few Shots To Shaman, Mercury's Messenger, Synchromysticism Forum Alan Abbadessa-Green + Goro Adachi + Jason Barrera + Douglas Bolles + Peg Carter + Tommy Fulks + Kevin Halcott + Kyle Hunt + Sibyl Hunter + Stefan Jablonski + Jeremy + Andras Jones + Crystal Kanarr + Jon Kidd + Jake Kotze + Neil Kramer ...>>

“Scatterbrain: How the Mind’s Mistakes Make Humans Creative, Innovative, and Successful” by Henning Beck

"In this mind-bending book, an esteemed neuroscientist explains why perfectionism is pointless—and argues that mistakes, missteps, and flaws are the keys to success. Remember that time you screwed up simple math or forgot the name of your favorite song? What if someone told you that such embarrassing “brain farts” are actually secret weapons, proof of your superiority to computers and AI? In Scatterbrain, we learn that boredom awakens the muse, distractions spark creativity, and misjudging time creates valuable memories, among other benefits of our faulty minds. Throughout, award-winning neuroscientist Henning Beck’s hilarious asides and brain-boosting advice make for delightful reading of the most cutting-edge neuroscience our brains will (maybe never) remember."...>>

“Your Brain Is Always Listening: Tame the Hidden Dragons That Control Your Happiness, Habits, and Hang-Ups” by Daniel G. Amen

"Your brain is always listening and responding to these hidden influences and unless you recognize and deal with them, they can steal your happiness, spoil your relationships, and sabotage your health. This book will teach you to tame the: 1. Dragons from the Past that ignite your most painful emotions; 2. Negative Thought Dragons that attack you, fueling anxiety and depression; 3. They and Them Dragons, people in your life whose own dragons do battle with yours; 4. Bad Habit Dragons that increase the chances you’ll be overweight, overwhelmed, and an underachiever; 5. Addicted Dragons that make you lose control of your health, wealth, and relationships; 6. Scheming Dragons, advertisers and social media sites that ...>>

“Darwin’s Cathedral: Evolution, Religion, and the Nature of Society” by David Sloan Wilson

"One of the great intellectual battles of modern times is between evolution and religion. Until now, they have been considered completely irreconcilable theories of origin and existence. David Sloan Wilson's Darwin's Cathedral takes the radical step of joining the two, in the process proposing an evolutionary theory of religion that shakes both evolutionary biology and social theory at their foundations. The key, argues Wilson, is to think of society as an organism, an old idea that has received new life based on recent developments in evolutionary biology. If society is an organism, can we then think of morality and religion as biologically and culturally evolved adaptations that enable human groups to function as single units ...>>