25.03.2022

“The Great Nocturnal: Tales of Dread” by Jean Ray

Magick Matters

"In English for the first time, the collection that launched Jean Ray’s reputation as the Belgian master of the weird tale. After the commercial failure of his 1931 collection of fantastical stories Cruise of Shadows, Jean Ray spent the next decade writing and publishing under other names in the stifling atmosphere of Ghent. Only in the midst of the darkest years of the Nazi Occupation of Belgium would he suddenly publish a spate of books under his earlier nom de plume. The first of these volumes was The Great Nocturnal. Published in 1942, the collection, as its subtitle indicates, consists of tales of fear and dread, but a dread evoked not by the standard tropes of...>>

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25.03.2022

“Legendary Ireland: Myths and Legends of Ireland” by Eithne Massey

Magick Matters

"This beautiful book visits twenty-eight richly atmospheric sites and tells the mythological stories associated with them. Woven into these landscapes are tales of love and betrayal, greed and courage, passion and revenge, featuring the famous characters of Celtic lore, such as Cú Chulainn, the children of Lír and Queen Maeve. The historical and archaeological facts and the folk traditions of each ancient site are explored. Some are famous, such as Tara and Newgrange; others are less well known but equally captivating such as the Béara Peninsula in Cork. In a world where many have lost touch with the land and their past, the legendary Irish landscape still survives and the stories are never quite over as...>>

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25.03.2022

“The Turning of the Year: Lore and Legends of the Irish Seasons” by Eithne Massey

Magick Matters

"From the author of the hugely successful book Legendary Ireland, The Turning of the Year explores the Celtic division of the year, from Samhain to Imbolc, to Bealtaine, to Lunasa, back to Samhain. It examines the significance of particular times of the year and features re-tellings of various legends associated with them. The book will look at the close connection of the Irish with the land and with nature, bringing us on an exhilarating journey through the Irish seasons and the customs that welcomed each one in turn. Along the way we encounter saints, scholars, kings and goddesses, whose stories, preserved in myth and folktale, counterpoint the book's exploration both of lost traditions such as...>>

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24.03.2022

“Making Shamanic Drums: A shamanic guide to the creation of sacred drums from raw deer hides” by Adam X. Hearn

Magick Matters

"Around the world, most practitioners of shamanism use a drum in order to connect with the spirit world. There are many books written on the symbolic and ritual importance of the shamanic drum as a spiritual tool, but little information has been available on how to construct them. Until now. This book, written by an experienced shamanic practitioner and drum maker, serves as a guide for those wishing to construct their own drum, offering fascinating insights and practical advice. Based on years of experience, this is the book that the author would have liked to have when he started out! Illustrated with multiple step by step photos, the book provides support and guidance on...>>

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24.03.2022

“Transhuman and Subhuman: Essays on Science Fiction and Awful Truth” by John C. Wright

Magick Matters

"A collection of brilliant and thought-provoking essays by the science fiction grandmaster John C. Wright. From the history of the Golden Age of science fiction to the ideology of the gender wars presently dividing hard science fiction from urban fantasy-romance, Wright’s commentary is always intelligent, observant, and precisely to the point. In the 16 essays that make up the collection, Wright addresses a wide spectrum of ideas. He considers the darker possibilities of transhumanism, provides a professorial lesson on the mechanics of writing fiction, explains the noble purpose underlying science fiction, and shows how the genre’s obsession with strong female characters is nothing less than an attack on human nature. In every essay, Wright exhibits...>>

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