Bøger i Mind, Body, Knowledge serien

Here in one slender volume is a basic introduction to Chinese alchemya tradition that dates back 5,000 years. Chinese alchemy, largely associated with Taoism, has a recorded history of more than 2,000 years, but traditionally it goes back even further to nearly 3000 BC and the time of the Yellow Emperor. While Western alchemy was concerned with the search for spiritual and material gold, classic Taoist alchemy was a mystical quest for immortality with its aim being union with the Absolute.Jean Cooper describes the history and development of Taoist alchemy, compares it to similar traditions in India and Turkistan, and gives it context by contrasting it with the rationale of the Western hermetic tradition. As she writes in her concluding chapter: The whole work of alchemy is summed up in the phrase 'To make of the body a spirit and of the spirit a body'. . . . The goal of the Taoist alchemist-mystic was transformation, or perhaps more correctly, transfiguration, of the whole body until it ceases to 'be' and is absorbed into and becomes the Tao.This is an essential guide for anyone interested in Chinese legend and lore, Chinese magic and medicine, and Taoism.

This is a lively and absorbing account of the world of Celtic myth and the role it has played in the development of western culture. Included here are: The world of the Celts, including an historical overview from their emergence as an identifiable people around 1000 B.C. Also included is an exploration of their social structure.The contents of Celtic myths and the differences and similarities between their manifestation in Britain and Ireland.The topography of the supernatural world of Celtic myth, including discussion of Druidism, Shamanism, and the meaning of Celtic myths.The influence of Celtic myth in English literature from Arthurian legend to the Grail legends.This highly literate, lively, and absorbing exploration of one of the jewels of European cultural heritage demonstrates how deeply Celtic mythology has become embedded in Western consciousness. It is for anyone interested in history, mythology, spirituality, and culture.