Magick Matters

22.04.2023

“The Science of Vampires” by Katherine Ramsland

Magick Matters

"Are any vampire myths based on fact? Bloodsucking villain to guilt-ridden loner—what has inspired the redemption of the vampire in fiction and film? What is Vampire Personality Disorder? What causes a physical addiction to another person's blood? Are there any boundaries in the polysexual world of vampires? How could a vampire hide in today's world of advanced forensic science? What is the psychopathology of the vampire? What happens in the brain of a vampire's victim? Since Bram Stoker's Dracula was published in 1897, the concept of the vampire has evolved from supernatural creature of the night to reluctant bloodsucker to the sympathetic vampire of today's popular culture. Featuring interviews with forensic experts, creative artists, and...>>

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22.04.2023

“Jewish Magic and Superstition: A Study in Folk Religion” by Joshua Trachtenberg (alternate rip)

Magick Matters

"Alongside the formal development of Judaism from the eleventh through the sixteenth centuries, a robust Jewish folk religion flourished—ideas and practices that never met with wholehearted approval by religious leaders yet enjoyed such wide popularity that they could not be altogether excluded from the religion. According to Joshua Trachtenberg, it is not possible truly to understand the experience and history of the Jewish people without attempting to recover their folklife and beliefs from centuries past. Jewish Magic and Superstition is a masterful and utterly fascinating exploration of religious forms that have all but disappeared yet persist in the imagination. The volume begins with legends of Jewish sorcery and proceeds to discuss beliefs about the evil...>>

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22.04.2023

“Kabbalah and the Power of Dreaming: Awakening the Visionary Life” by Catherine Shainberg

Magick Matters

"A dynamic exposition of the powerful, ancient Sephardic tradition of dreaming passed down from the renowned 13th-century kabbalist Isaac the Blind • Includes exercises and practices to access the dream state at will in order to engage with life in a state of enhanced awareness • Written by the close student of revered kabbalist Colette Aboulker-Muscat In Kabbalah and the Power of Dreaming Catherine Shainberg unveils the esoteric practices that allow us to unlock the dreaming mind's transformative and intuitive powers. These are the practices used by ancient prophets, seers, and sages to control dreams and visions. Shainberg draws upon the ancient Sephardic Kabbalah tradition, as well as illustrative stories and myths from around the Mediterranean, to...>>

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21.04.2023

“Slaying the Dragon: A Secret History of Dungeons & Dragons” by Ben Riggs

Magick Matters

"Role-playing game historian Ben Riggs unveils the secret history of TSR― the company that unleashed imaginations with Dungeons & Dragons, was driven into ruin by disastrous management decisions, and then saved by their bitterest rival. Co-created by wargame enthusiasts Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, the original Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game released by TSR (Tactical Studies Rules) in 1974 created a radical new medium: the role-playing game. For the next two decades, TSR rocketed to success, producing multiple editions of D&D, numerous settings for the game, magazines, video games, New York Times bestselling novels by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, and R. A. Salvatore, and even a TV show! But by 1997, a series of ruinous...>>

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21.04.2023

“Beyond Coffee: A Sustainable Guide to Nootropics, Adaptogens, and Mushrooms” by James Beshara et al

Magick Matters

"When it comes to productivity, there aren’t many things we do today that we did 200 years ago. We send emails instead of post, drive cars instead of horse-drawn carriages, and look up stuff on our phones instead of traveling a hundred miles to the nearest library. However, when it comes to our morning routines, 80 percent of the world consumes caffeine each day to wake them up and give them a boost for their daily tasks. Whether it’s black tea or coffee, most of us consume the same ingredients we consumed 200 years ago without realizing two important facts. First, coffee beans and tea leaves are not the only sources of energy that nature...>>

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