Bøger af Melusine Draco

In the days of Egyptian antiquity, many of the gods were abstract concepts rather than the actual anthropomorphic god-pictures familiar to us today. Many of the later fully-morphed deities were originally theological concepts represented by a distinctive hieroglyph, very similar to the correspondences used in modern ritual magic. As the need for a controlling religion grew, so did the spiritual need for more tangible forms on which to focus the common peopleâEUR(TM)s devotions. The common manâEUR(TM)s mind dwelt on the concrete, not the abstract, and so the gods took on those strange but easily recognisable animal-human shapes to satisfy the religious-teaching-by-pictures demands of less scholarly folk. The images recorded in tomb paintings, bas-relief and statuary were intended to represent living forms of the gods themselves, or Pharaoh as a god. There was a simple reason behind this. Egyptian life, magic and religion were inextricably intertwined, one could not, and did not exist, without the other. God, or a male/female/multiple concept of that god, was manifest in everything animate and inanimate. The authentic Egyptian religion developed over thousands of years, with each deity assuming many forms under the influence of various religious movements and/or foreign invasions. Each form also developed its own positive and negative aspects, which responded in various ways to different people, and so it is now impossible to be dogmatic about how the gods of those different theologies relate and blend. It is also important to realise that the original religion was never an earth-bound concept since the priesthood explored mysticism on a cosmic scale: their spirituality extending to the stars and beyond. The Egyptian civilisation took over 3000 years to evolve fully and a further 2000 years to decay, which is why the Egyptian Mystery Tradition cannot be encapsulated into convenient modern packaging.

Possibly the most basic activity in our experience, breathing is also an important magical metaphor ... A breath of spring air is a welcome change from the current situation.

No matter where you live, there will always be a wide variety of trees in the immediate vicinity, whether open countryside, urban parkland or municipal gardens. Get to know them, learn to recognise the different species, and draw on the magical power of the Tree. Be humbled in the presence of the trees, by their great size and beauty ... and learn to work with them as a witch.

A squint-eyed look at what passes for Craft in many modern groups and just how much of the teaching has been dumbed down. ,

In Sumer is Icumen In we discover new and exciting ways of surviving (and enjoying) the truly pagan excesses of the Midsummer Festival. Here we can establish and instigate a new smorgasbord of traditions of our own for the purpose of celebration and observance and, in time, even though we must never lose sight of our authentic history, they may even be integrated into future pagan revels.

'Magic and scent were conceptually linked in antiquity. Ancient authors sometimes treated magic as a type of smell; at other times odors were treated as a medium through which magic worked. Some authors compare the effect of smells to magic; others described scent and magic as different things but impossible to distinguish. Magicians used incenses and perfumes liberally to set the scene for their rituals and please the gods, as demonstrated by the corpus of spell books that survive from Greco-Roman Egypt; meanwhile, ancient deities signaled their presence by their divine fragrance.' So writes Britta Ager in her academic paper for Penn State University, Magic Perfumes and Deadly Herbs: The Scent of Witches' Magic in Classical Literature.

An Introduction to the Simple Arte of Domestic Folk Medicine

Since antiquity, varieties of quartz have been the most commonly used minerals in the making of jewellery and hard-stone carvings, while in the metaphysical world even the smallest piece is imbued with powerful properties that enable the bearer to cross the boundaries between the worlds. Archaeologists are now finding more and more evidence that quartz played an important part in the ritual and burial customs of our Ancestors.In truth, as Dr Meriem Clay-Egerton asserted some forty years ago, the use of quartz in prehistoric stone-working traditions was a worldwide phenomenon. For archaeologists, however, quartz was often misidentified, or ignored. Indeed, well into the 20th-century, quartz artefacts were routinely discarded during excavations. A new study reveals how Stonehenge has stood the test of time so successfully: The quartz crystals that make up the sarsens form an interlocking structure that makes the boulders nearly indestructible.

Sex magic has been an intrinsic part of witchcraft throughout its history. Melusine Draco provides a brief introduction to sex magic with magical exercises at the end of each chapter.

A simple, Pagan approach to well-being and awareness in the city.

How will we feel if we discover that the Great Mother of contemporary Paganism bears no similarity to the primal Great Goddess of the Old European world?

A Zen approach to the World, the Universe and Everything.

A companion title to By Spellbook & Candle and By Wolfsbane & Mandrake Root

An Introduction to Divination

Why we should look upon Yule as one of the most important festivals in the pagan calendar.

Much of what passes for ';witchcraft' today was everyday knowledge to our forebears, especially those who lived and worked in the countryside. Here were to be found practical household hints, remedies and family recipes that had been handed down from generation to generation, some still existing in the form of treasured journals and notebooks. There is, however, nothing fanciful or far-fetched about this information - in fact, The Secret People is a remembrance of times past and a preservation of ';parish-pump witchcraft, wise-women and cunning ways' adapted for use in the 21st century. It may also go a long way in helping those present-generation pagans in search of an identity and answer the questions: Who ... what am I?

The term 'power animal' was introduced into contemporary language in 1980 by anthropologist Michael Harner, in his classic work The Way of the Shaman, and refers to a broad-based animistic and shamanic concept where the animal is conceived as a tutelary spirit guide that helps or protects individuals, lineages and nations. Horses and humans became companions a long time ago, and the horse adopted as a power or totem animal represents power, speed, courage, nobility, freedom and chthonic energy. Black Horse, White Horse: Power Animals Within Traditional Witchcraft guides your footsteps on this most ancient of paths...

Historical, mythological and magical insight into the god Pan.

A large number of poisonous plants have beneficial uses in both domestic medicine and magic. Needless to say, when utilising a toxic plant in magic, we are adding certain extra deadly or potent energies into the mix and it is inadvisable to start messing about with deadly poisons unless we've made a thorough study of the subject - and not just by glancing at a paragraph in a book on herbal preparations!

Traditional Witchcraft and the Path to the Mysteries, the sixth and last in the Traditional Witchcraft series, is a voyage of discovery and, as with every journey, it is essential that we understand where we are now and where we want to be. We need proper direction unlike that popular old Irish saying: ';If I wanted to be going there, I wouldn't be starting from here!' So let us make our preparations, put our house in order, and begin our journey of exploration and self-discovery. As with all stages of Life there are friends and acquaintances to consider: the essence of some we will take with us the rest we will leave behind. But as the genii from Where the Rainbow Ends says: ';Time is short, and we have far to travel.'

Traditional Witchcraft and the Pagan Revival takes us on a journey into the past, along the highways and byways of our pagan heritage to discover when the different aspects of magical influence entered traditional witchcraft. It will appeal to everyone with an interest in magic, witchcraft and paganism - from grass roots to the more advanced levels of Wicca - who wish to learn more about the different traditions and their antecedents.

Magic Crystals, Sacred Stones is aimed at those who have explored crystal working as a beginner and who now wish to understand the mysteries of the Earth at a deeper level.

Every good reference book is both a product and a reflection of its time. The Dictionary of Magic & Mystery is not just another compendium or dictionary of occultism: it is a jumping-off point for further research. Here, the reader will find the ancient and modern interpretation for magical and mystical terms, together with explanations for the differences between the varied (and often conflicting) approaches to magic.

Although we are an island race, few are fortunate to live near enough to the sea to use the shoreline as a regular magical working area. And yet for the natural witch, born and bred by the sea, the beach and rocky shore are equally as magical as the inland woods and hills of more traditional approaches to witchcraft. The author takes us on a magical journey along the seashore and reveals how to work with the natural oceanic tides and energies. Learn how to harness the powers of the deep, and collect flotsam and jetsam for use as ritual tools. A book like no other.

For the witch whose career confines them to an urban environment, regular Craft practice may often seem like a futile gesture, especially if home is a small, gardenless-flat. Even the suburbs can be magically incapacitating, if there is constant noise from traffic and neighbours. People work long hour without having the opportunity to notice the subtle changing of the seasons. Weekends are a constant battle with family, domestic chores and socialising. It's no wonder that the urban witch has little time left for magical and spiritual development.Traditional Witchcraft for Urban Living deals with the constant barrage of psychic problems that confront the urban witch on a daily basis. Based on the teachings of a traditional Craft background, the author successfully manages to blend the Old Ways with practical contemporary practice. This book is part of the Traditional Witchcraft Series. Other titles in the series are Traditional Witchcraft for the Seashore(Jan 2012), Traditional Witchcraft for Fields and Hedgerows (Mar 2012) and Traditional Witchcraft for the Woods and Forests (Mar 2012).