18.05.2022

“Understanding Understanding: Essays on Cybernetics and Cognition” by Heinz von Foerster

Magick Matters

"In these essays Heinz von Foerster discusses some of the fundamental principles that govern how we know the world and how we process the information from which we derive that knowledge. Included are path-breaking articles concerning the principles of computation in neural nets (1967), the definition of self-organizing systems (1960), the nature of cognition (1970), as well as recent expansions on these themes (e.g. "How recursive is communication", 1993). Working with Norbert Wiener, Warren McCullough, and others in the 1960s and 1970s, von Foerster was one of the founders of the science of cybernetics, which has had profound effects both on modern systems theory and on the philosophy of cognition. At the Biological Computer...>>

View

18.05.2022

“Bullspotting: Finding Facts in the Age of Misinformation” by Loren Collins

Magick Matters

"This entertaining and educational book applies the tools of critical thinking to identify the common features and trends among misinformation campaigns. With illustrations drawn from conspiracy theorists and deniers of every stripe, the author teaches readers how rumors are started, and the rhetorical techniques and logical fallacies often found in misleading or outright false claims. What distinguishes real conspiracies from conspiracy theories, real science from pseudoscience, and actual history from bogus accounts purporting to be history? How does one evaluate the credibility of rumors and quotes or judge the soundness of legal arguments advanced by tax deniers? Readers will learn how to make these critical distinctions and also how to spot "evidence" that has...>>

View

18.05.2022

“The Weiser Concise Guide to Alchemy” by Brian Cotnoir

Magick Matters

"In The Weiser Concise Guide to Alchemy, Brian Cotnoir offers a detailed, step-by-step introduction of Alchemy that explores its mysteries while illustrating its use as a modern spiritual system of attainment. He provides an overview of the history of Alchemy, from the first meldings of Egyptian technology, through the Middle Ages—the golden age of alchemy right up to contemporary techniques. He demystifies the relationship between Alchemy and chemistry, and he provides evidence to detractors that Alchemy is much more than a medieval form of psychotherapy. (The guide includes practical laboratory experiments that safely, and intelligently, lead readers to an understanding of this ancient art and spiritual practice.) The Weiser Concise Guide to Alchemy is replete...>>

View

18.05.2022

“Mushroom Wisdom: How Shamans Cultivate Spiritual Consciousness” by Martin W. Ball

Magick Matters

"Mushroom Wisdom explores the universal aspects of the psilocybin mushroom experience as it relates to spirituality. Author Martin Ball explains how mushroom use can lead the spiritual seeker to profound states of self-awareness and radical understanding of the nature of the self, reality, and the sacred. Topics include looking into the spiritual mirror to uncover an authentic sense of self, developing “witness” consciousness to overcome self-limiting concepts and judgments, and removing obstacles of ego and self-induced suffering to trigger the rich experience of “spirit flow.” The book also addresses the creation and use of ritual, sacred objects, and the importance of sound and silence. Ball distinguishes between using mushrooms in spiritual work as opposed...>>

View

18.05.2022

“One Spirit Medicine: Ancient Ways to Ultimate Wellness” by Alberto Villoldo

Magick Matters

"In the West, we’re accustomed to looking to doctors and experts to guide us in our healing, growth, and learning. Our schools, businesses, religions, and government are hierarchical. In the Amazon, however, there are no levels of management between us and Spirit. The shaman—the wise old man or woman—is honored as a healer but is not regarded as superior to other members of the village. The shaman is simply a skilled facilitator who interacts with both the visible and invisible worlds to help restore balance to body, mind, and soul. The message of One Spirit Medicine is that you don’t need to track down a shaman to find Spirit, or look outside yourself to find...>>

View