Magick Matters

“Monster Portraits” by Del Samatar and Sofia Samatar

"Relentlessly original and brilliantly hybrid, Monster Portraits investigates the concept of the monstrous through a mesmerizing combination of words and images. An uncanny and imaginative autobiography of otherness, it offers the fictional record of a writer in the realms of the fantastic shot through with the memories of a pair of Somali-American children growing up in the 1980s. Operating under the sign of two—texts and drawings, brother and sister, black and white, extraordinary and everyday—Monster Portraits multiplies, disintegrates, and blends, inviting the reader to find the danger in the banal, the beautiful in the grotesque. Accumulating into a breathless journey and groundbreaking study, these brief fictions and sketches claim the monster as a fragmentary...>>

“The Illustrated Crystallary: Guidance and Rituals from 36 Magical Gems & Minerals” by Maia Toll

"In the ancient world there were three medicine kingdoms: animal, vegetable, and mineral. Following her previous acclaimed volumes on animal (The Illustrated Bestiary) and vegetable (The Illustrated Herbiary), Maia Toll fulfills the call for mineral with The Illustrated Crystallary, exploring the mystical qualities of 36 fascinating crystals and minerals, including amethyst, hematite, mica, smokey quartz, emerald, ruby, and more. Combining bits of ancient wisdom with her own insights, Toll illuminates the aspects and energy of each stone and, through rituals and reflections, the life guidance it might offer contemporary readers. Obsidian’s shiny surface and sharp edges reflect the shadowy corners of the self and serve as the tool for cutting them loose. The sky-like...>>

“Lost Souls of Horror and the Gothic: Fifty-Four Neglected Authors, Actors, Artists and Others” edited by Elizabeth McCarthy and Bernice M. Murphy

"In recent years horror and gothic themes have penetrated mainstream popular culture in a manner unseen since the horror boom of the 1970s. Primetime television viewers who before might not have shown interest in such late-night fare now happily settle down after dinner to watch zombie or serial killer shows. This collection of 54 biographical essays examines many overlooked and underrated figures who have played a role in the ever expanding world of horror and gothic entertainment. The contributors push the boundaries of how we define these terms, bringing into the discussion such diverse figures as singer-songwriter Tom Waits, occultist Dion Fortune, author Charles Beaumont, historian and bishop Gregory of Tours and video game...>>

“Jerusalem” by Alan Moore

"The New York Times bestseller from the author of From Hell, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and V for Vendetta finally appears in a one-volume paperback. ​ Begging comparisons to Tolstoy and Joyce, this “magnificent, sprawling cosmic epic” (Guardian) by Alan Moore—the genre-defying, “groundbreaking, hairy genius of our generation” (NPR)—takes its place among the most notable works of contemporary English literature. ​In decaying Northampton, eternity loiters between tower blocks. Among saints, kings, prostitutes, and derelicts, a timeline unravels: second-century fiends wait in urine-scented stairwells, delinquent specters undermine a century with tunnels, and in upstairs parlors, laborers with golden blood reduce fate to a snooker tournament. Through the labyrinthine streets and pages of Jerusalem tread ghosts singing hymns...>>

“The Witch’s Eight Paths of Power: A Complete Course in Magick and Witchcraft” by Lady Sable Aradia

"In his Book of Shadows, Gerald Gardner writes about the witch’s Eightfold Way as a means of developing one’s magickal abilities. In this contemporary take on the Eightfold Way, author, Witch, and High Priestess Lady Sable Aradia invites readers to explore the eight different components of evolution in witchcraft. Using exercises, meditations, and practical magick, any serious student of witchcraft will be able to master these eight paths and improve the effectiveness of their magickal work. From spells to sex rites to trance to flying ointments, Lady Sable has created a step-by-step guide to mastering the advanced arts of witchcraft."...>>