Author: Rob WildwoodPublisher:
ISBN: 9780957543300
Category : Fairies
Languages : en
Pages : 140
Book Description
Author: Martin WallThe Magical Battle of Britain
Author: Dion FortunePublisher: Skylight Press
ISBN: 1908011459
Category : Literary Collections
Languages : en
Pages : 186
Book Description
Immediately following Britain's declaration of war in 1939, Dion Fortune began a series of regular letters to members of her magical order, the Fraternity of the Inner Light, who were unable to hold meetings due to wartime travel restrictions. With enemy planes rumbling overhead, she organised a series of visualisations to formulate "seed ideas in the group mind of the race", archetypal visions to invoke angelic protection and uphold British morale under fire. "The war has to be fought and won on the physical plane," she wrote, "before physical manifestation can be given to the archetypal ideals. What was sown will grow and bear seed." As the war developed, this was consolidated with further work for the renewal of national and international accord. For the first time the Fraternity's doors were opened to anyone who wanted to join in and learn the previously secret methods of esoteric mind-working. With unswerving optimism she guided her fraternity through the dark days of the London Blitz, continuing her weekly letters even when the bombs came through her own roof. Introduction and commentary by Gareth Knight.
The Book of English Magic
Author: Philip Carr-GommPublisher: Abrams
ISBN: 1590207602
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 550
Book Description
A guide to England’s rich history of magical lore and practice “for readers of works like Harry Potter who have grown up a bit into wanting to know more” (The Hermetic Library). Through experiments to try and places to visit, as well as a historical exploration of magic and interviews with leading magicians, The Book of English Magic will introduce you to the extraordinary world that lies beneath the surface. Magic runs through the veins of English history, part of daily life from the earliest Arthurian legends to Aleister Crowley to the novels of Tolkien and Philip Pullman, and from the Druids to Freemasonry and beyond. Richly illustrated and deeply knowledgeable, this book is an invaluable source for anyone curious about magic and wizardry, or for sophisticated practitioners seeking to expand their knowledge. “Playful and serious, respectful and amused . . . this will remain the standard work for years to come.” —The Sunday Telegraph “A magical mystery tour.” —The Times “Fabulous.” —Daily Express “Lucid and wonderfully easy to read . . . While it is indeed a perfect book for the ‘intelligent novice’ it’s far more than that—it’s a serious, in-depth survey of a massive topic.” —WitchVox “An accessible and immensely readable book . . . A fascinating insight into a hidden world.” —Booksquawk
Cursed Britain
Author: Thomas WatersPublisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300249454
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 375
Book Description
The definitive history of how witchcraft and black magic have survived, through the modern era and into the present dayCursed Britain unveils the enduring power of witchcraft, curses and black magic in modern times. Few topics are so secretive or controversial. Yet, whether in the 1800s or the early 2000s, when disasters struck or personal misfortunes mounted, many Britons found themselves believing in things they had previously dismissed – dark supernatural forces.Historian Thomas Waters here explores the lives of cursed or bewitched people, along with the witches and witch-busters who helped and harmed them. Waters takes us on a fascinating journey from Scottish islands to the folklore-rich West Country, from the immense territories of the British Empire to metropolitan London. We learn why magic caters to deep-seated human needs but see how it can also be abused, and discover how witchcraft survives by evolving and changing. Along the way, we examine an array of remarkable beliefs and rituals, from traditional folk magic to diverse spiritualities originating in Africa and Asia.This is a tale of cynical quacks and sincere magical healers, depressed people and furious vigilantes, innocent victims and rogues who claimed to possess evil abilities. Their spellbinding stories raise important questions about the state’s role in regulating radical spiritualities, the fragility of secularism and the true nature of magic.
Primal Awareness
Author: Rob WildwoodPublisher: John Hunt Publishing
ISBN: 1785356577
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 149
Book Description
Focusing on the origins of Western culture and belief systems, from ancient agriculture to modern industry, from primitive religion to monotheism, Primal Awareness explains how we became separated from nature and how, throughout history, these belief systems and social models have imposed a life of servitude and hardship upon millions of people. It also illustrates how modern technology and the modern scientific world view are currently causing the destruction of our natural environment. How can we overcome this separation, and reconnect with nature and spirit once again?
The Decline of Magic
Author: Michael HunterPublisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300243588
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 265
Book Description
A new history that overturns the received wisdom that science displaced magic in Enlightenment Britain--named a Best Book of 2020 by the Financial Times In early modern Britain, belief in prophecies, omens, ghosts, apparitions and fairies was commonplace. Among both educated and ordinary people the absolute existence of a spiritual world was taken for granted. Yet in the eighteenth century such certainties were swept away. Credit for this great change is usually given to science - and in particular to the scientists of the Royal Society. But is this justified? Michael Hunter argues that those pioneering the change in attitude were not scientists but freethinkers. While some scientists defended the reality of supernatural phenomena, these sceptical humanists drew on ancient authors to mount a critique both of orthodox religion and, by extension, of magic and other forms of superstition. Even if the religious heterodoxy of such men tarnished their reputation and postponed the general acceptance of anti-magical views, slowly change did come about. When it did, this owed less to the testing of magic than to the growth of confidence in a stable world in which magic no longer had a place.
The Magic Arts in Celtic Britain
Author: Lewis SpencePublisher: Courier Corporation
ISBN: 9780486404479
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 212
Book Description
Fascinating, painstakingly researched study of occult beliefs and practices in Celtic Britain, with intriguing discussions of the origins of the Druids, Arthurian cults, the mystery of the Holy Grail, Celtic spells and charms, black magic, the Celtic spirit world — with its populations of banshees, leprechauns, brownies and a host of lesser phantoms — and many other topics. A compelling, erudite study that will appeal to anthropologists, folklorists, and anyone interested in the customs and spiritual life of Britain's ancient Celts.
Magical and Mystical Sites
Author: Elizabeth PepperPublisher: Red Wheel/Weiser
ISBN: 9780933999442
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 312
Book Description
Embark on a magical voyage to the enchanted sites of the ancient world, all associated with legends of mystery and power. From Stonehenge in England to the oracle of Apollo in Greece, Magical and Mystical Sites explores the most remarkable and significant places of antiquity -- temples, places of learning, monuments, ruins, and sacred groves -- and the legends that accompany them. Filled with details of historical data and local information, this book is a wonderful companion for both the armchair traveler and the actual visitor. Magical and Mystical Sites explores the sacred and legendary places of the British Isles, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Greece, and more -- places like Delphi, Chartres, and Glastonbury. The discussions are highly readable yet consistently thorough, focusing not only on the lore and legends, but also covering archaeological discoveries, the nature of the old divinities, the relation of the sites to ancient culture and religion, and what these places are like today. Rounded out with excellent photographs and maps, Magical and Mystical Sites is a complete historical and practical guide to the sacred sites of Europe and the British Isles. Illustrated.
Magical Realism in Postcolonial British Fiction
Author: Taner CanPublisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 3838267540
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 262
Book Description
This study aims at delineating the cultural work of magical realism as a dominant narrative mode in postcolonial British fiction through a detailed analysis of four magical realist novels: Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children (1981), Shashi Tharoor's The Great Indian Novel (1989), Ben Okri's The Famished Road (1991), and Syl Cheney-Coker's The Last Harmattan of Alusine Dunbar (1990). The main focus of attention lies on the ways in which the novelists in question have exploited the potentials of magical realism to represent their hybrid cultural and national identities. To provide the necessary historical context for the discussion, the author first traces the development of magical realism from its origins in European Painting to its appropriation into literature by European and Latin American writers and explores the contested definitions of magical realism and the critical questions surrounding them. He then proceeds to analyze the relationship between the paradigmatic turn that took place in postcolonial literatures in the 1980s and the concomitant rise of magical realism as the literary expression of Third World countries.
