Philosophy and Religion

A groundbreaking English translation of a key tantric text in the history of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. This volume contains an English translation of the “root text” of the Tara-mula-kalpa, a scripture-ritual compendium that captures an important Buddhist tantric tradition in mid-formation. In this regard it is utterly unique and unlike any other text in the Buddhist canon. Its contents document the

A masterful translation of classic scholar Buddhapalita´s breakthrough elucidation of Nagarjuna´s famous Middle Way text, which has profoundly influenced generations of Buddhist philosophers. This “Buddhapalita” commentary on Nagarjuna´s famous first-century text Wisdom: Fundamental Middle Way Verses has been considered for over a thousand years by Indian and Tibetan philosophers to be the specia

Explore an in-depth explanation of buddha nature and self-emptiness. The original Sublime Continuum Explanatory Commentary was written by Noble Asanga to explain the verses received from the bodhisattva Maitreya in the late fourth century CE in northern India. Here it is introduced and presented in an original translation from Sanskrit and Tibetan, with the translation of an extensive Tibetan Sup

· Includes spells, talisman formulations and secret magical alphabets reproduced from the author's private collection of grimoires, with instructions for their use · Explains the basic principles of mediaeval magic, including the doctrine of names and the laws of sympathy and contagion· Offers an overview of magic in the Western Mystery traditionGrimoires began simply as quick-reference “grammar b

· Details a wide range of sex magic rituals that may be used by couples, groups and solitary practitioners· Explains how to channel, intensify and project your sexual energy for magical purposes· Provides instructions for crafting the necessary ritual tools, including wands, chalices, cauldrons and attire and for brewing the potions that accompany these ritesOne of the Druid's most powerful tools,

On May 27, 1963, Dr. Timothy Leary and Dr. Richard Alpert were dismissed from Harvard University's Psychology Department - a watershed event marking the moment when psychedelic drugs were publicly demonised and driven underground. Today, little is known about the period in the early 1960s when LSD and psilocybin were, not only, legal but, also, actively researched at universities. Presenting the f

Found near the small village of Shunga in Russia, the remarkable mineral known as shungite, formed naturally more than two billion years ago from living single-cell organisms. Used in Russian healing therapies since the time of Peter the Great, shungite contains almost the entire periodic table of the elements as well as fullerenes, the hollow carbon-based molecules that recent research shows are

Widely recognised by anthropologists as the most powerful and widespread shamanic hallucinogen, ayahuasca has been used by native Indian and mestizo shamans in Peru, Colombia and Ecuador for healing and divination for thousands of years. Made from the Amazonian vine Banisteriopsis caapi and the DMT-laden leaf of Psychotria viridis, ayahuasca is regarded as the embodiment of intelligent plant being

In this comprehensive introduction to Enochian magic and beyond, John DeSalvo explains how the magic system transmitted by the angels to John Dee and Edward Kelley in the 16th century has until now remained incomplete and thus not as powerful as the angels intended. Drawing on his in-depth study of John Dee's diaries, DeSalvo explains how Dee and Kelley were given the Enochian tables and calls but

Drawing on the original Sanskrit words of the great poet Valmiki, enhanced with tales from the oral tradition, Vanamali retells the complete Ramayana, the ancient Indian tale of love, duty and sacrifice, for a modern audience. Detailing the life and dharma of the seventh incarnation of Vishnu, Lord Ramachandra, she explains how Rama became divine through strict adherence to dharma, the law of cosm

Almost one thousand years ago a new and powerful nexus of spiritual transmission emerged in Central Asia and lasted for five centuries, reaching its culmination in the work of the Khwajagan or “Masters of Wisdom.” Like the much earlier Rishi Pantha of India, these masters of the Naqshbandi lineage of Turkish Sufism were not renunciates, but advocated maintaining an active connection with the world

In this extensive study of the Christian mythology that animated Europe in the Middle Ages, author, Philippe Walter, reveals how these stories and the holiday traditions connected with them are based on long-standing pagan rituals and myths and have very little connection to the Bible. The author explains how the church fathers knowingly incorporated pagan elements into the Christian faith to ease

· Reveals the practices of Vamachara, known as the Left-hand Path but more accurately translated as the Path of Shakti · Includes a Kali ritual from the Nirrutara Tantra, translated here for the first time · Presents devotional chants, meditations, and mudras specific to Tantric worship of Kali According to traditions going back to pre-Vedic times, Kali sprang from the third eye of the Goddess Dur

Although their own myths and their common name point to an Egyptian origin for the gypsies, the Rom, as they call themselves, originated in India, as shown by studies of their language. They arrived in Europe in the ninth century and spread across the continent from East to West, reaching England in the 15th century and Scandinavia by the end of the 16th century. A nomadic people, these wanderers

Most people are familiar with the popular image of elves as Santa's helpers and dwarfs as little bearded men wearing red caps, who are mischievous and playful, helpful and sly, industrious and dexterous. But their roots go far deeper than their appearance in fairy tales and popular stories. Elves and dwarfs are survivors of a much older belief system that predates Christianity and was widespread t

New England has long been associated with witches. And while the Salem witch trials happened long ago, the prejudices and fears engendered by the witchcraft hysteria still live on in our culture. What forces were at work that brought the witch hysteria quickly from Europe to the new American colony, a place of religious freedom - and what caused these prejudices to linger centuries after the fact?

In the occult classic THE MIRROR OF MAGIC, renowned Surrealist, Kurt Seligmann (1900– 1962), draws from his encyclopaedic practitioner's knowledge and extensive antiquarian collection to offer a comprehensive, illustrated history of magic and the occult from Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt to the 18th century. He explores the gods and divinatory arts of the legendary Sumerians and the star-wise Baby

When actor Christopher Reeve was asked in a BBC interview which book he would want if stranded on a desert island, he replied, "The Inner Reality by the philosopher Paul Brunton." A provocative and compelling work, The Inner Reality is an essential guide for spiritual seekers. First published in the 1930s, this remarkable book interweaves the teachings of two great religious figures: Jesus and K

Reflecting sixteen years of intensive fieldwork, this book is a rich chronicle of the daily lives, belief systems, and healing rituals of four highly revered Tibetan shamans forced into exile by the Chinese invasion during the 1950s. Larry Peters lived and studied closely with the shamans in Nepal, learning their belief system, observing and participating in their rituals, and introducing many doz

This intimate and insightful account of the life of Dr. Harry (Hari) Dickman, referred to by Swami Sivananda as “the yogi of the West,” features more than fifty years of correspondence between Dickman and well-known yoga masters such as Swami Sivananda, Ramana Maharshi, Paramhansa Yogananda, and almost one hundred others. Marion (Mugs) McConnell, Dickman´s student, has created a brilliant and lovi