Magick Matters

“The Weiser Book of the Fantastic and Forgotten: Tales of the Supernatural, Strange, and Bizarre” edited by Judika Illes

"Classic stories of occult fiction by Dion Fortune, Edgar Allan Poe, Oscar Wilde, H. P. Lovecraft, Bram Stoker, Marie Corelli, R. W. Chambers, and more. These are the authors and tales that inspired modern masters like Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, and Nic Pizzolatto—edited and introduced by leading occult author and scholar Judika Illes. These powerfully evocative stories—some of which have been forgotten over the years, like buried treasure—will thrill and chill readers to the bone. During the dark, eerie hours, when the wind is blowing and the ghosts are roaming outside, these tales can fill a night with pleasant terror—as well as encouraging our minds to venture beyond the mundane into the realm of...>>

“Ghosts Among Us: True Stories of Spirit Encounters” by Leslie Rule

"Do you believe in ghosts? Whether you are a believer or a skeptic, the stories of the supernatural in Ghosts Among Us: True Stories of Spirit Encounters will keep you riveted. Macabre and fascinating, Ghosts Among Us offers true-life, haunting accounts of eerie visitations and paranormal experiences along with artistically shot black-and-white photographs of haunted sites. The personal, firsthand reports and chilling, full-length stories are bolstered by sidebars of actual accounts of "Ghosts in the News." Each chapter explores mysterious events-events that the reader will find hard to pass off as mere coincidence. In her quest to uncover explanations for each incident, Leslie Rule extensively researched library archives and interviewed credible witnesses, historians, renowned psychics, and...>>

“Saints and Sinners in the Sky: Astronomy, Religion and Art in Western Culture” by Michael Mendillo

"In this book, Boston University Professor of Astronomy Michael Mendillo takes readers deep into the annals of history, showing how visual depictions of the heavens evolved in tandem with science and religion throughout much of Western culture. With unprecedented scope and scale, Professor Mendillo explores how cave art, illuminated manuscripts, sculptures, paintings and architecture reflected some of the great religious and secular battles taking place over the course of centuries. Enter a world of biblical proportions, where constellations of ancient heroes and pagans were thoroughly recast as Christian saints and the Twelve Apostles. This nontechnical narrative brings vitality and accessibility to some of the most enduring subjects in human history, offering a lively new exploration of...>>

“Magical Britain: 650 Enchanted and Mystical Sites — From healing wells and secret shrines to giants’ strongholds and fairy glens” by Rob Wildwood

"This unique atlas of magical Britain reveals an enchanted and often forgotten mythical past, charted through the hidden places in its sacred landscape. Explore Britain’s mysterious otherworld of spirits, fairies, giants and dragons and reconnect with folklore, myth and paganism in 650 sites. Featuring original and evocative photography, detailed descriptions of stories and folklore, plus 36 secret locations never previously published. Journey to the hidden places in our sacred landscape. Discover Britain’s forgotten magical past and mythical sites: Places featured in the stories of King Arthur, Merlin and the Celtic Saints Entrances to the Otherworld Spirits in the stone, creation stories and giants’ strongholds ...>>

“Ghosts and Religious Life in Early China” by Mu-Chou Poo

"For modern people, ghost stories are no more than thrilling entertainment. For those living in antiquity, ghosts were far more serious beings, as they could affect the life and death of people and cause endless fear and anxiety. How did ancient societies imagine what ghosts looked like, what they could do, and how people could deal with them? From the vantage point of modernity, what can we learn about an obscure, but no less important aspect of an ancient culture? In this volume, Mu-chou Poo explores the ghosts of ancient China, the ideas that they nurtured, and their role in its culture. His study provides fascinating insights into the interaction between the idea of...>>