Magick Matters

“John Dee: The World of the Elizabethan Magus” by Peter J. French

"John Dee was Renaissance England's first Hermetic Magus, a philosopher-magician. He was also a respected practical scientist, an immensely learned man who investigated all areas of knowledge. In this fine biography, Peter French shows that not only magic and science, but geography, antiquarianism, theology, and the fine arts, were fields in which Dee was deeply involved. Through his teaching, writing, and friendships with many of the most important figures of the age, Dee was at the center of great affairs and had a profound influence on major developments in sixteenth-century England. Peter French places this extraordinary individual within his proper historical context, describing the whole world of Renaissance...>>

“The Queen’s Conjuror: The Life and Magic of Dr. Dee” aka “The Queen’s Conjurer: The Science and Magic of Dr. John Dee, Advisor to Queen Elizabeth I” by Benjamin Woolley

"A fascinating portrait of one of the most brilliant, complex, and colorful figures of the Renaissance. Although his accomplishments were substantial -- he became a trusted confidante to Queen Elizabeth I, inspired the formation of the British Empire, and plotted voyages to the New World-John Dee's story has been largely lost to history. Beyond the political sphere his intellectual pursuits ranged from the scientific to the occult. His mathematics anticipated Isaac Newton by nearly a century, while his mapmaking and navigation were critical to exploration. He was also obsessed with alchemy, astrology, and mysticism. His library was one of the finest in Europe, a vast compendium of thousands of volumes. Yet, despite his powerful position...>>

“Psychedelic Healing: The Promise of Entheogens for Psychotherapy and Spiritual Development” by Neal M. Goldsmith

"Psychedelics as therapeutic catalysts for emotional and spiritual transformation • Explores the latest medical research on the healing powers of entheogens • Reveals the crucial role of tribal and shamanic wisdom in psychedelic medicine • Provides guidelines for working with psychedelics, including the author’s personal healing and recommendations for creating change on the spiritual and societal levels Banned after promising research in the 1940s, ’50s, and ’60s, the use of psychedelics as therapeutic catalysts is now being rediscovered at prestigious medical schools, such as Harvard, Johns Hopkins, NYU, and UCLA. Through clinical trials to assess their use, entheogens have been found to ease anxiety in the dying, interrupt the hold of addictive drugs, cure post-traumatic stress disorder, and...>>