Magick Matters

04.12.2020

“The Kundalini Concept: Its Origin and Value” by Mary Scott

Magick Matters
"The Kundalini Concept: Its Origin and Value" by Mary Scott
""It is very important that we come to a clear understanding of what kundalini is and what it is not. This becomes especially important in the light of the greatly increased interest in the West in the practice of various kinds of yogas. Much harm can come in the attempts to 'arouse kundalini' if there is not the corresponding practice of progressive freedom from egocentrism. Mary Scott has done an admirable job in clarifying the subject by delving into the context in which the notions of kundalini and chakras were developed. In addition to the sympathetic reading of Aurobindo and Woodroffe, who seems to have been one of the few Westerners who tried to understand ...>>
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04.12.2020

“Secrets of Nature: Astrology and Alchemy in Early Modern Europe” edited by William R. Newman and Anthony Grafton

Magick Matters
"Secrets of Nature: Astrology and Alchemy in Early Modern Europe" edited by William R. Newman and Anthony Grafton
"In recent years scholars have begun to acknowledge that the occult sciences were not marginal enterprises but an integral part of the worldview of many of our ancestors. Astrology was one of the many intellectual tools―along with what we consider to be the superior tools of social and political analysis―that Renaissance thinkers used to attack practical and intellectual problems. It was a coherent body of practices, strongly supported by social institutions. And alchemy was not viewed primarily as a spiritual pursuit, an idea popularized by nineteenth-century occultists, but as a part of natural philosophy. It was often compared to medicine.Many Renaissance writers suggested links between astrology and alchemy that went beyond the use of astrological ...>>
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04.12.2020

“In The Circle: Crafting the Witches’ Path ” by Elen Hawke

Magick Matters
"In The Circle: Crafting the Witches' Path " by Elen Hawke
"Daffodils dance in a chilly spring breeze . . . a butterfly alights on a sunny marigold . . . sleepy autumn energy moves through an apple tree . . . in a winter garden, a redstart greedily strips berries from holly. And so the seasons rise and fall, the wheel of the year turns, and the sacred circle of birth, death, and regeneration goes on. This simple and beautiful guide combines author Elen Hawke's personal accounts of sabbats and moon rites with clear, common sense instruction that makes witchcraft accessible to anyone who wishes to enter the circle. Journey through the Moon's phases and the eight seasonal festivals; gain an understanding of Goddess and ...>>
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04.12.2020

“Magic and Religion in Medieval England” by Catherine Rider

Magick Matters
"Magic and Religion in Medieval England" by Catherine Rider
"From today’s perspective it is hard to comprehend just how complex the relationship was between religion and magic in the Middle Ages. Many unofficial rituals and beliefs existed alongside ones sanctioned by the Church. Educated clergy condemned some as magic, but it wasn’t always easy to do this because many magical and superstitious practices employed religious language, rituals or objects. Charms recited over the sick to cure illnesses often invoked God and the saints; spells for love and other purposes might use consecrated substances such as the Eucharist. The people reaching for them could even justify their actions by citing biblical precedent. In this book Catherine Rider unearths previously unpublished evidence and new information concerning ...>>
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