“Secrecy and Esoteric Writing in Kabbalistic Literature” by Jonathan Dauber

"Secrecy and Esoteric Writing in Kabbalistic Literature examines the strategies of esoteric writing that Kabbalists have used to conceal secrets in their writings, such that casual readers will only understand the surface meaning of their texts while those with greater insight will grasp the internal meaning. In addition to a broad description of esoteric writing throughout the long literary history of Kabbalah, this work analyzes kabbalistic secrecy in light of contemporary theories of secrecy. It also presents case studies of esoteric writing in the work of four of the first kabbalistic authors―Abraham ben David, Isaac the Blind, Ezra ben Solomon, and Asher ben David―and thereby helps recast our understanding of the earliest stages of...>>

“Scribes and Scripture: The Amazing Story of How We Got the Bible” by John D. Meade and Peter J. Gurry

"Answers to Common Questions about the Writing, Copying, Canonizing, and Translating of the Bible There are many common questions and misconceptions surrounding the formation and history of the Bible: Why is the Bible composed of the current 66 books instead of others? Why are there so many translations? How are we to understand both the human and divine elements of the Bible? In Scribes and Scripture, scholars John D. Meade and Peter J. Gurry answer these questions and give readers tools to interpret the evidence about God’s word. Beginning with the history of the Bible―from the invention of the alphabet to the most recent English translations―the book focuses on three main areas: the writing and copying...>>

“The Alchemy of Paint: Art, Science and Secrets from the Middle Ages” by Spike Bucklow

"The Alchemy of Paint is a critique of the modern world, which Spike Bucklow sees as the product of seventeenth-century ideas about science. In modern times, we have divorced color from its origins, using it for commercial advantage. Spike Bucklow shows us how in medieval times, color had mystical significance far beyond the enjoyment of shade and hue. Each chapter demonstrates the mindset of medieval Europe and is devoted to just one color, acknowledging its connections with life in the pre-modern world. Colors examined and explained in detail include a midnight blue called ultramarine, an opaque red called vermilion, a multitude of colors made from metals, a transparent red called dragonsblood, and, finally, gold. Today, "scarlet"...>>

“Undreaming Wetiko: Breaking the Spell of the Nightmare Mind-Virus” by Paul Levy

"Transform wetiko into its own antidote • Learn how ancestral trauma is at the root of wetiko and how the wounded healer/shaman archetype can help bring both individual and collective healing • Meet the inner guide—a daemon/angel that lives within us as an ally in our encounters with the daemonic energy of wetiko • Cultivate "symbolic awareness" as a path to creating meaning and transmute the poison of wetiko into medicine for healing The profound and radical Native American idea of "wetiko", a virus of the mind, underlies the collective insanity and evil that is destructively playing out around the world. Yet, as Paul Levy reveals in depth, encoded within wetiko itself lies the very medicine needed to...>>

“Astrologickal Magick” by Estelle Daniels (alternate rip)

"Magickal workings and everyday life itself are significantly enhanced by astrological knowledge. In Astrological Magick, Estelle Daniels explains the language, symbolism and techniques to the student of magick. Ranging from the simple to the complex, the techniques presented do not require extensive math or natal charts just an astrological almanac making this book an easily accessible and useful took when choosing opportune times for magickal events or seeking to understand the magickal nature of your personal astrology. This is the first book to explain how people interested in the pagan way, in Wicca, and in magickal practices, can apply astrological indicators and energies to important timings and rituals."...>>