“Sex and Sects: The Story of Mormon Polygamy, Shaker Celibacy, and Oneida Complex Marriage” by Stewart Davenport

"With a revolution behind them, a continent before them, and the First Amendment protecting them, religio-sexual pioneers in antebellum America were free to strike out on their own, breaking with the orthodoxies of the past. Shakers followed the ascetic path; Oneida Perfectionists accepted sex as a gift from God; and Mormons redefined marriage in light of new religious revelations that also redefined God, humankind, spirit, and matter. Sex became a powerful way for each group to reinforce their sectarian identity as strangers in a strange land. Sex and Sects tells the story of these three religiously inspired sexual innovations in America: the celibate lifestyle of the Shakers, the Oneida Community’s system of controlled polyamory, and...>>

“The Catholic Hipster Handbook: Rediscovering Cool Saints, Forgotten Prayers, and Other Weird but Sacred Stuff” by Tommy Tighe

"Being a Catholic Hipster is all about an attitude—an attitude grounded in being part of a countercultural community of believers dedicated to something bigger than themselves in a world dominated by self-centeredness. It’s about yearning to learn more about the faith by seeking out “Catholic cool”—overlooked saints, forgotten prayers and feast days, and traditional practices long set aside by mainstream believers. The Catholic Hipster podcaster Tommy Tighe will help readers rediscover everything awesome about the Catholic faith. The Catholic Hipster started out in 2014 with a little bit of fun—the Catholic Hipster of the Year contest—on Tighe’s blog. But Twitter is where—in all its 140-character glory—that Tighe’s “The Catholic Hipster” movement really took root. That’s...>>

“The Bavarian Illuminati: The Rise and Fall of the World’s Most Secret Society” by Rene Le Forestier (retail EPUB)

"The definitive history of the Bavarian Order of the Illuminati and their founder, Adam Weishaupt • Details the rise and fall of this famous and infamous Order, including its penetration of Bavarian society and its destruction by the Bavarian government • Explains the Bavarian Illuminati’s grades, rituals, ceremonies, and fundamental philosophies and examines the leaders of the Order • Contains the only surviving record of documents that were destroyed during the two World Wars The Bavarian Order of the Illuminati is the most celebrated secret society in the world. Though officially lasting only 11 years, the powerful spell and shadow cast by the Illuminati still looms in the present day, where its influence can be seen in current...>>

“The Fourteen Holy Helpers: Invocations for Healing and Protection” by Christiane Stamm

"A step-by-step guide to calling on the Fourteen Holy Helpers for healing, success, guidance, and love • Shares modern updated versions of the medieval prayers of the Holy Helpers, one prayer for each of the 14 saints and one prayer to call on all of them together • Explains how, even though these 14 saints are connected to Catholic belief, they are universal in their powers of assistance and will come to the aid of anyone who calls on them • Recommends a healing stone to enhance the effect of each prayer and explains how to use the prayers to create protective amulets for you and your home and write a letter of invocation for love and...>>

“The Secrets of the Vaulted Sky: Astrology and the Art of Prediction” by David Berlinski

"The astrologer is a figure almost as old as history itself, and his science—if it is a science—expresses the universal human desire to pierce the veil of the future—if it can be pierced. Whispering into the ears of kings, working from seedy waterfront offices, or keeping themselves in seclusion the better to study the secrets of the vaulted sky, astrologers saw in the stars a universal system, knowledge without limit. Their theory remained a fixture of thought until, all at once, astrology seemed to disappear, as Isaac Newton for the first time demostrated the power of an authentic scientific system. But its doctrine has not vanished, and turns up, surprisingly, in many aspects of modern science....>>