28.11.2020

“The Occult in Russian and Soviet Culture” edited by Bernice Glatzer Rosenthal

Magick Matters

"A pioneering, richly interdisciplinary volume, this is the first work in any language on a subject that has long attracted interest in the West and is now of consuming interest in Russia itself. The cultural ferment unleashed by the collapse of the Soviet Union reawakened interest in the study of Russian religion and spirituality. This book provides a comprehensive account of the influence of occult beliefs and doctrines on intellectual and cultural life in twentieth-century Russia. Bernice Glatzer Rosenthal's introduction delineates the characteristics of occult cosmology which distinguish it from mysticism and theology, and situates Russian occultism in historical and pan-European contexts. Contributors explore the varieties of occult thinking characteristic of prerevolutionary Russia, including Kabbala,...>>

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28.11.2020

“Magic in the Cloister: Pious Motives, Illicit Interests, and Occult Approaches to the Medieval Universe” by Sophie Page

Magick Matters

"During the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries a group of monks with occult interests donated what became a remarkable collection of more than thirty magic texts to the library of the Benedictine abbey of St. Augustine's in Canterbury. The monks collected texts that provided positive justifications for the practice of magic and books in which works of magic were copied side by side with works of more licit genres. In Magic in the Cloister, Sophie Page uses this collection to explore the gradual shift toward more positive attitudes to magical texts and ideas in medieval Europe. She examines what attracted monks to magic texts, works, and how they combined magic with their intellectual...>>

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28.11.2020

“Shamanic Mysteries of Peru: The Heart Wisdom of the High Andes” by Vera Lopez

Magick Matters

"The Andes Mountains of Peru are rich with ancient shamanic traditions, sacred places, and heart wisdom passed down from the Inca and safeguarded for generations by the Q’eros nation. In this experiential guide to the wisdom and practices of the Andean people and their sacred land, Vera Lopez and Linda Star Wolf take you on an intimate journey through the sacred sites, temples, and power places of Peru, including Machu Picchu, Cuzco, Ollantaytambo, Sacsayhuamán, Písac, Lake Titicaca, and more. They show how each of these powerful sites holds an ancient wisdom--an initiation left behind by the Inca--and they share initiatory rites and shamanic journeying practices to allow you to integrate and embody the wisdom...>>

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28.11.2020

“Vodou Money Magic: The Way to Prosperity through the Blessings of the Lwa” by Kenaz Filan

Magick Matters

"Haitian Vodou is a very practical and scientific craft: either you please the spirits and get results or you don’t--often for good reason. The lwa--the spirits honored in Haitian Vodou--know that it is far more useful to find out exactly what is causing your money woes rather than receiving a quick fix. In Vodou Money Magic, Kenaz Filan offers a path to long-lasting and pervasive changes in your financial situation. Filan describes the lwa who govern financial matters and explains what services each can provide in attaining wealth or finding a fulfilling career--and who will likely offer the best wisdom for your needs. If you are having trouble finding a job, Legba’s Perusing the Want...>>

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28.11.2020

“John Dee’s Occultism: Magical Exaltation Through Powerful Signs” by Gyorgy E. Szonyi

Magick Matters

"A comprehensive look at the life and work of one of the towering figures of Renaissance mysticism. Delving into the life and work of John Dee, Renaissance mathematician and “conjurer to Queen Elizabeth,” György E. Szonyi presents an analysis of Renaissance occultism and its place in the chronology of European cultural history. Culling examples of “magical thinking” from classical, medieval, and Renaissance philosophers, Szonyi revisits the body of Dee’s own scientific and spiritual writings as reflective sources of traditional mysticism. Exploring the intellectual foundations of magic, Szonyi focuses on the ideology of exaltatio, the glorification or deification of man. He argues that it was the desire for exaltatio that framed and tied together the otherwise...>>

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