25.05.2024

“Hélène Smith: Occultism and the Discovery of the Unconscious” by Claudie Massicotte

Magick Matters

"In 1896, a young Genevan medium named Hélène Smith perceived in trance the following words from a Martian inhabitant: "michma michtmon mimini thouainenm mimatchineg." Those attending her séance dutifully transcribed these words and the event marked the beginning of a series of occult experiences that transported her to the red planet. In her state of trance, Smith came to produce foreign conversations, a new alphabet, and paintings of the Martian surroundings that captured the popular and scientific imagination of Geneva. Alongside her Martian travels, she also retrieved memories of her past lives as a fifteenth-century "Hindoo" princess and as Queen Marie Antoinette. Today, Smith's séances may appear to be nothing more than eccentric practices at...>>

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25.05.2024

“The Science of Spirit Possession” by Terence Palmer

Magick Matters

"Written as a doctoral thesis and first published in paperback by Lambert Academic Publishing. A second edition is published by Cambridge Scholars in hardback and softback. This edited edition for Kindle is more reader-friendly for the non-scientist and helps the reader appreciate that spirit possession is a scientific fact and not the subject of cultural curiosity or outdated supernatural beliefs. There is a gulf between mainstream science and religious reaching, and this book bridges the gulf with a new, pragmatic understanding."...>>

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25.05.2024

“Western Esotericism: A Concise History” by Antoine Faivre

Magick Matters

"Widely received in France, this brief, comprehensive introduction to Western esotericism by the founder of the field is at last available in English. A historical and pedagogical guide, the book is written primarily for students and novices. In clear, precise language, author Antoine Faivre provides an overview of Western esoteric currents since late antiquity. The bulk of the book is laid out chronologically, from ancient and medieval sources (Alexandrian hermetism, gnosticism, neoplatonism), through the Renaissance up to the present time. Its coverage includes spiritual alchemy, Jewish and Christian Kabbalah, Christian theosophy, Rosicrucianism, Illuminism, "mystical" Free-Masonry, the Occultist current, Theosophical and Anthroposophical Societies, the Traditionalist School, and "esotericism" in contemporary initiatic societies and in New...>>

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24.05.2024

“Envisioning the Dream Through Art and Science” by Robert G. Kuzendorf and James W. Veatch

Magick Matters

"This monograph is the product of an interdisciplinary experiment—an artistic experiment and a psychological experiment—focused on dreams. Inspired by the prevalence of dream imagery and "dream logic" in surrealist art, the authors asked 100 art students to create digital images representing critical scenes from one of their dreams, then to create a surrealist collage from the digital images. The resulting collages tend to capture the surreality envisioned in actual works of surrealist art, as two collages included in the book illustrate. Inspired also by the psychological problem of studying other minds, the authors asked the 100 art students to describe their dream in writing, to interpret their dream, and to complete two personality measures:...>>

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24.05.2024

“Living Wands of the Druids: Harvesting, Crafting, and Casting with Magical Tools” by Jon G. Hughes

Magick Matters

"A practical guide to the creation of natural wands for magical work • Explains the variety of woods and other botanicals that may be used to craft wands, their magical and hermetic attributes and virtues, and how these influence the adept’s intention and magical workings • Offers detailed harvesting advice, explaining the necessary magical actions specific to each tree as well as important influences such as the phases of the moon and the seasons • Offers step-by-step instructions for wand practice, including magical workings, cleansing, intention, potentializing, and how to properly return a wand to nature From Moses to Merlin to the power of the royal scepter, the wand has been a key magical device found in nearly...>>

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