23.12.2021

“Spells, Images, and Mandalas: Tracing the Evolution of Esoteric Buddhist Rituals” by Koichi Shinohara

Magick Matters
"Spells, Images, and Mandalas: Tracing the Evolution of Esoteric Buddhist Rituals" by Koichi Shinohara
"Koichi Shinohara traces the evolution of Esoteric Buddhist rituals from the simple recitation of spells in the fifth century to complex systems involving image worship, mandala initiation, and visualization practices in the ninth century. He presents an important new reading of a seventh-century Chinese text called the Collected Dharani Sutras, which shows how earlier rituals for specific deities were synthesized into a general Esoteric initiation ceremony and how, for the first time, the notion of an Esoteric Buddhist pantheon emerged. In the Collected Dharani Sutras, rituals for specific deities were typically performed around images of the deities, yet Esoteric Buddhist rituals in earlier sources involved the recitation of spells rather than the use of images....>>
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23.12.2021

“British Gothic Cinema” by Barry Forshaw

Magick Matters
"British Gothic Cinema" by Barry Forshaw
"From the films produced by the Hammer studios and their rivals in the 1940s and 1950s, to the films of the 21st century and their current popularity, Barry Forshaw provides a definitive, wide-ranging study of British horror cinema. Beginning with a lively discussion of the great literary antecedents, British Gothic Cinema examines the flowering of the genre in the middle of the twentieth century and the headline-grabbing critical and establishment revulsion over the unprecedented levels of violence and sexuality that these films contained. British Gothic Cinema also explores the rude health of the field and its continuing influence. With enthusiasm and scholarship, Forshaw celebrates the British cinema's long love affair with the Gothic and the...>>
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23.12.2021

“Contemporary Gothic” by Catherine Spooner

Magick Matters
"Contemporary Gothic" by Catherine Spooner
"Modern Gothic culture alternately fascinates, horrifies, or bewilders many of us. We cringe at pictures of Marilyn Manson, cheer for Buffy in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and try not to stare at the pierced and tattooed teens we pass on the streets. But what is it about this dark and morbidly morose aesthetic that fascinates us today? In Contemporary Gothic, Catherine Spooner probes the reasons behind the prevalence of the Gothic in popular culture and how it has inspired innovative new work in film, literature, music, and art. Spooner traces the emergence of the Gothic subculture over the past few decades and examines the various aspects of contemporary society that revolve around the grotesque,...>>
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23.12.2021

“Contemporary Gothic Drama: Attraction, Consummation and Consumption on the Modern British Stage” edited by Kelly Jones, Benjamin Poore and Robert Dean

Magick Matters
"Contemporary Gothic Drama: Attraction, Consummation and Consumption on the Modern British Stage" edited by Kelly Jones, Benjamin Poore and Robert Dean
"This ground-breaking volume is the first of its kind to examine the extraordinary prevalence and appeal of the Gothic in contemporary British theatre and performance. Chapters range from considerations of the Gothic in musical theatre and literary adaptation, to explorations of the Gothic’s power to haunt contemporary playwriting, macabre tourism and site-specific performance. By taking familiar Gothic motifs, such as the Gothic body, the monster and Gothic theatricality, and bringing them to a new contemporary stage, this collection provides a fresh and comprehensive take on a popular genre. Whilst the focus of the collection falls upon Gothic drama, the contents of the book will embrace an interdisciplinary appeal to scholars and students in the...>>
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23.12.2021

“The Palgrave Handbook of Contemporary Gothic” edited by Clive Bloom

Magick Matters
"The Palgrave Handbook of Contemporary Gothic" edited by Clive Bloom
"The Palgrave Handbook of Contemporary Gothic is the most comprehensive compendium of analytic essays on the modern Gothic now available, covering the vast and highly significant period from 1918 to 2019. The Gothic sensibility, over 200 years old, embraces its dark past whilst anticipating the future. From demons and monsters to post- apocalyptic fears and ecological fantasies, Gothic is thriving as never before in the arts and in popular culture. This volume is made up of 62 comprehensive chapters with notes and extended bibliographies contributed by scholars from around the world. The chapters are written not only for those engaged in academic research but also to be accessible to students and dedicated followers of...>>
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