Gør som tusindvis af andre bogelskere
Tilmeld dig nyhedsbrevet og få gode tilbud og inspiration til din næste læsning.
Ved tilmelding accepterer du vores persondatapolitik.Du kan altid afmelde dig igen.
"Orange Man Big" is a collection of depraved short stories ridiculing those suffering from chronic Trump Derangement Syndrome. In these stories, left wingers and neoconservatives alike revel in projection, masochism, and degeneracy on a level which would make Marquis DeSade blush. It is at once a humorous political satire, and a psychological investigation of the diseased minds of the mentally abnormal.
"Special Teachings from the Arcane Science" is the first of three works of occultism written by Edward Farnsworth over the course of a decade. It is a compilation of short essays on extremely variable topics, ranging from the zodiac and levitation, to philosophy and mortality.It is written from a Theosophical perspective, however as with many such works, it clarifies, differs, and explains Theosophical opinion and writings and comes from its own unique background.
Barnett's "Hinduism" is a good introductory text which broadens its coverage of the topic beyond the religion as a homogeneous whole. Speaking at length on the basic branches (Vishnu and Shiva worship especially) and touching on smaller groups like the Aghori and certain Buddhist offshoots, it is largely academic in form, but retains a bit of early 20th century western bias.Of special interest here is the difference between practice and sub-religious relevance of different subschools of Hinduism in the 1910s versus the modern era.
When the word "grimoire" is mentioned, the Petit Albert is perhaps the single most notorious book which comes to mind. Originally compiled in the 18th century, it brings together folk magick, talismanic sorcery, ritual and herbal medicine, and a bit of the diabolical, going well beyond the ritual styles of most contemporary writings. Originally in French, and drawing from the prior work of Paracelsus and Agrippa among others, this collection of operations extends far beyond its native land into the world at large; the first cosmopolitan grimoire of the pre-modern era. More diabolical than the Red Dragon and more in depth than the Black Pullet with regards to talismanic art, the Petit Albert is certainly a force to behold within the realm of occult literature.
"Assamese Demonology" is an extremely focused study on the folklore and, technically, cryptozoological lore, of the Assam region of India, just north of Bangladesh. The demons and spirits said to inhabit both home and jungle in the region are profuse, and their purposes and effects quite manifold.As a work from the golden age of academics before postmodernism corrupted academia, it is a valuable gem of various and, sometimes, odd stories, incantations, and entities.
Annett Riches' "Christ or Buddha?" is a decidedly western-occult supporting document in an era wherein there was a fairly large-scale debate among mystics over whether the occult should fundamentally be seen as Christianity-supportive or as a largely Oriental series of systems.It speaks about biology, religious history, Atlantis, and the various human ages as posited by the occultists of the 20th century, from a Rosicrucian perspective, and concludes that in the case of that particular order, properly understood, their mysticism elevates Jesus above Buddha.
Aradia is one of the most renowned anthropological studies of magic of its era. Written by Charles Leland, it fits in with many of his other works, and covers what he purports as a tradition of folkish witchcraft and fairy lore in central Italy. Indeed, the occult usefulness here is as expansive as the historical, since it contains complete invocations and a series of rituals as part of its scope.
It is likely that the author of this work is actually William Atkinson, a new thought proponent and profuse author and editor. Nonetheless, despite the pseudonym, the work is very good; the breathing exercises are largely authentic in form and useful for those engaging in Hinduism, Tai Chi, and other eastern practices. Mostly this is posited as helpful for maintaining health and vigor.As it is pointed out here (and not inaccurately) life is nothing more than a series of breaths.
This short manuscript is an interesting work that combines Von Suchten's Theophrastus-derived observations about natural and chemical processes, with a fairly religiously involved metaphoric veil. Through the process here, the materials of alchemy are made. As a fairly typical work of alchemical lore, the metaphor must first be understood, but Von Suchten helpfully explains some of the basic chemical processes used in layman's terms.
Moses Hull was once a minister in his own right. Having lost faith, he joined the burgeoning spiritualist movement of the late 1800s and began preaching against the evils of the christian body. Pointing to many (sometimes humorous) anecdotes and tales of church oppression, Hull here ruminates on the superiority of Satan over god, the superiority of occult wisdom over the barbaric nature of the christian cult, and the wonders of then-modern scientific reality, so long spurned christians. It may be seen as part demonology, part Luciferian manifesto, and part philosophical counterpoint to the greed and envy of the christian movement.
One of the lengthier grimoires of the medieval period, the Ars Notoria, commonly referred to as the Notary Art of Solomon, promises the reader a series of orations, prayers, and invocations, which may be used to secure the favor of the christian god, enhancing the memory, eloquence, and general academic capability of the one performing such rituals. Originally its own text, based on even older sources not yet fully documented, this text is commonly wrapped up into the Lesser Keys of Solomon along with such works as the Ars Goetia- some editions of the latter omit this work. Prayers contained herein invoke not just the god of christianity, but Jesus Christ and various angelic powers as well.
This litle work is a fantastic compilation of mostly antiquated tales and reports from philosophers and historians across multiple cultures, regarding the purported origin of mankind, alluding often to Donnelley and Atlantis, drawing from Biblical lore, Egypt, India, the Greeks and Romans, and other groups. While the concept of a prime origin of civilization among some now extinct group of humans has largely been ignored in the last half century, some of the archaeological and mythological lore here is still studied today.
Atkinsons' "Mind and Body" is a fine little medical work from the dawn of the 20th century. It speaks at length of faith healing, mesmerism, suggestion, hypnotism (strictly speaking in a medical setting) and the various healing rites of antiquity.It is full of secondary references and lengthy quotes and proposes the use of suggestion in varied therapeutic settings; some of which are still considered useful to this day.
"How to Speak with the Dead" is one of the better guides to mediumship and the conducting of the then-modern seance ever written. Speaking of telepathy and the general philosophy of what a spirit is constituted of, it carefully straddles rationalism and spiritualism. This occult work is one part how-to guide to communicating with the spirits of the dead, one part philosophical tract, and one part view to theory and practice that was then hotly debated, trying to clear up what Sciens feels are misconceptions held by mystics of his age.
Abelsons "Jewish Mysticism" remains, to this day, over a century after its manufacture, one of the most comprehensive works on the subject ever written. Covering the Yetzirah, Kabbalah in general, content from the Zohar, and much more, it also provides a large bibliography. For one of the most complex occult systems, Abelson has crafted a work that is at once expansive and yet understandable by those who have little spiritual training in the topic.
"Nature Worship" is an account of phallic practice especially within Hindu and ancient Greek tradition. Speaking of temple prostitution, phallic symbolism, yoni veneration, and the Maharaja of India among other topics, at the time of its printing such works were taboo and thus privately released. Speaking of the strictest occult traditions of the sensual and of the left hand, feminine path, it attempts to project its Eurocentrism and Christian philosophy onto mystery schools far more ancient, but provides a plethora of knowledge for any academic or spiritualist nonetheless, twain with many dozens of secondary spiritual sources.
This Theosophical work is a fine exposition on the topic of karma; not just the vague, westernized concept employed and believed in by non-Eastern audiences delving into Hindu and similar lore, but the more complex, expansive system of the East, as categorized here by a Western writer for a Western audience.The different types of karma, their interaction, their meaning, and a good bit of religious and spiritual history, are all laid out here along with the ever present admonition that the reader attempt to attain an enlightened state.
The New Chemical Light is one of the inclusions made by Waite in his Hermetic Museum. Originally from the 17th century, it is a fairly detailed tract of alchemy, including both clear statements and allegories, at two points in the form of dialogue. By understanding the nature of the four elements, the three subsequent substances (salt, sulfur, and mercury) and the dichotomy of male and female the alchemist is supposed to be able to accomplish various chemical feats.
This present work is an extremely interesting and dense collection of folklore and ethnology related to the use and consumption of urine, feces, decomposed material, dirt, and other such waste by humans, as part of religious or cultural rituals. Compiled in part by the US Army at the end of the 19th century, it treats a broad number of cultures ranging from French peasantry to Hindus, from both ancient and then-modern sources.Some of the material is bizarre, and it is often intertwined with studies of phallicism, and compared with generative forces in religious ritual. The entire work is heavily fleshed out with sources ranging from Torquemada to the Surgeon General of the United States.
"Esoteric Buddhism" is one of the earliest works by its author, A.P Sinnett, and one of the foremost occult documents of its era. Explaining the religion and its tenets (and interactions with Hinduism especially) in a more authentic manner than understood then by most Westerners, it is to Buddhism as certain gnostic writings may be to Christianity as a whole. It describes the symbolism of the religion and a bit about the history of its Buddha.The treatment herein of Nirvana, and of the concept of the development of the human race through time and slow spiritual ascent, is of great interest.
As a part of the Creation Series of the early 20th century, Petries' work here on Ancient Egypt is a great compilation of basic content; many dozens of gods, books, and historical epochs within the antiquated period are discussed in regards to Egyptian religion- one which briefly dabbled in monotheism with Akhenaten centuries before Christendom, and which was able to evolve for many thousands of years more than almost any other religious form.While some of the material here is academically outdated it also represents a unique period in occult study; the renaissance of the late 19th and early 20th centuries in spiritual study and rapid outgrowth of religious history in its era.
Isaac Hollandus remains one of the foremost names within the realm of alchemy. This work proposes, among other things, that an alchemical cure-all can be made simply by processing lead with vinegar and other materials. The danger associated with alchemy is all the more real here, where the operator is admonished to taste test compounds containing heavy metals. Beyond this, it additionally admonishes the practitioner to heal the sick, do good to the poor, and praise the Christian god.
Far above and beyond the usual core of alchemical literature which is often difficult to understand and sometimes impossibly so, the work of Philalethes stands in stark contrast. Written in the 17th century, this work not only mentions other works of note circulating in the same circles at the time (a valuable notation of works the modern mage may wish to acquire) but explicitly places alchemy in the category of chemical art, as opposed to herbal or spiritual practice. Through understanding this text it is said that the possibility of creating the Philosophers' Stone is both real and attainable by anyone with patience and skill.
The Grimorium Verum (sometimes spelled Grimoirium) is one of the most diabolical black magic works ever crafted within the occult. From summoning Beelzebub and Lucifer to using the head of a dead man and some beans to summon a demon and gain invisibility, much of its content is purely demonic in nature. Infamous for such content it enjoyed hefty circulation in the era of works like the Petit Albert and Grand Grimoire.
The Primitive Physic of John Wesley was first crafted in the middle of the 1700s; more than a century later it remained in print in several forms, a testament to its continued use as a tract of folk medicine, proto-homeopathy, and its function as a general pragmatic herbal of sorts. Proposing treatments (receipts) for over one hundred conditions and diseases, including both the chronic and acute, the fatal and the annoying, Wesley's work must of necessity be included in any competent catalog of herbal or early medical works of note.
The Hindu Book of Astrology, dating to the dawn of the 20th century, is actually a Western Zodiac system associated with the East-to-West craze of its own era. Originally containing various advertisements, it is a good work; one which is no less authentic in its mysticism than any grimoire associated with Solomon or alchemical work bearing the name Agrippa or Hermes. It covers the basic tenets of the twelve signs, their associations, and their meaning, as well as a fairly lengthy expose on each cusp sign. It then admonishes the reader to study the occult.
Annie Besant was the author of some significant works within Theosophy at the dawn of the 20th century. This is one of four short booklets written to elucidate Theosophical concepts in a beginner form while nonetheless being comprehensive.It speaks of karma (from a slightly westernized viewpoint) and frequently alludes to and quotes Blavatsky and other individuals from the prior era of Theosophy. Its treatment of basic Buddhist concepts is notable.
The Liber Salomonis, referred to in its own composition as the Sepher Raziel, claims to be a book given directly to King Solomon by a mysterious prince and sorcerer from the East. Actually written in the Renaissance or perhaps as early as the Medieval period, it synthesizes Kabbalistic and Hermetic lore together and is divided into seven treatises. The subject matter ranges from the high occult of invocation and the names of angels and of the Judeochristian god, to herbal medicine and the creation of incense for the calling of spirits, to the categorization of twenty four beasts and stones to coincide with the hours of the day. With the entire core of the work ruled over by seven angels and seven celestial bodies, the philosophy behind its somewhat apocryphal historical content is nonetheless of extreme interest and is here presented in modernized English for the modern audience. 82 pages.
"Stars of Destiny" is a rather good work of astrological lore from the early 1920s- a collection of material related not only to the general nature of each sign but also to ascendancy, and even the house of the day governed by the celestial bodies.It includes advice on subjugating business, relationships, and travel to the movement of cosmic bodies, and proposes a broad overview of health (or lack thereof) involved with the same.
This little booklet is a gold mine of primary sources related to the persecution of "witches" in times past. Compiled by Burr at the end of the 19th century, it provides a great deal of compact material without any adulteration.Of great interest here are both the writings of religious figures during the era of the Witch Hammer and thereabouts, as well as some texts referring to the firsthand accounts of the prosecuted, including a somewhat chilling account smuggled out of a prison in Bamberg regarding the farcical nature of the witch trials themselves, written by the condemned.
Tilmeld dig nyhedsbrevet og få gode tilbud og inspiration til din næste læsning.
Ved tilmelding accepterer du vores persondatapolitik.