Philosophy and Religion

Rupert Sheldrake, one of the world's preeminent biologists, has revolutionized scientific thinking with his vision of a living, developing universe--one with its own inherent memory. In The Rebirth of Nature, Sheldrake urges us to move beyond the centuries-old mechanistic view of nature, explaining why we can no longer regard the world as inanimate and purposeless. Sheldrake shows how recent devel

This book explains Frederick Carter's wholly original interpretation of the dragon as a central force in St. John's apocalyptic vision in the Book of Revelation. Weaving the biblical story together with zodiacal and astrological references and their ancient meanings, this book reexamines the vision from a new point of view and asks: Was it prophetic, an allegorical teaching, or an account of a m

American psychologist Alberto Villoldo recounts his journey to Peru to explore the visionary ceremonies of the Quecha shamans. In this magical realm of enigmatic sorcerers and powerful animal totems, Villoldo confronts the hidden powers of his own mind as he unlocks the secrets of the human psyche.

During the 1920s,Willis Whitehead was Supreme Grand Vizier of the Ancient Order of Oriental Magic. In The Mystic Thesaurus he shares the secrets and tools he worked with in a lifetime of practicing magic. Readers will learn the hidden meaning of the symbols of the zodiac, the significance of alphabets and tarot cards, and the mystery of numbers and numerology. The Mystic Thesaurus also contains

An investigation of the Eleusinian mysteries, supposed by some to be the predecessors of Masonic rites. Contents: Eleusinian legend; Ritual of the mysteries; Program of the greater mysteries; Initiatory rites; Their mystical significance; Bibliography.

Island of the Sun recounts the American psychologist Alberto Villoldo's return to Peru in search of the Quechua Indian shaman Don Jicaram. The authors' earlier book, Dance of the Four Winds, described Villoldo's first initiation, under Don Jicaram, into the secrets of the Inca Medicine Wheel and the spiritual journey of the Four Winds. Villoldo had begun that journey in the South, where one goes t

Hazrat Inayat Khan's books were among the first to bring Sufism to the West. They remain among the most important introductions Westerners have to the concepts of the ancient religious tradition. In Rassa Shastra, Khan shares his teachings on Sufi ideas about the spiritual and sacred purpose of sex and relationships and stresses 'true union', one of the Sufi keys to perfection.

This vivid and provocative book provides an unparalleled overview of the Goddess as she was defined by the ancient societies, whose people worshiped her. The author spent more than four decades studying Goddess images - statues, religious artifacts, and art - from Asia, Europe, the Middle East and other parts of the world. With more than 400 magnificent illustrations and photographs (many in colou

A useful source book for Pagan spiritualists. Elisabeth Goldsmith examines symbols found in the art and artefacts from across cultures and throughout history. Explanations reveal the symbolism of the Elements, the Lotus, the Tree of Life, the Cross, the Swastika, and many more.Elisabeth Goldsmith begins Ancient Pagan Symbols with a poetic description of the creative forces of life and the metaphys

Important Symbols presents an extensive compilation of the symbols of ancient cultures, describing the context and usage of each symbol around the world and throughout time. Adelaide Hall groups the symbols into categories, each comprising a chapter of the book. Chapters including "The Halo and the Crown," "Fabulous Creatures," "Architectural Forms," "Military Emblems," "Plants and Blossoms," "A

First published in 1912, William Gemmell's translation of The Diamond Sutra was one of the first books to introduce general readers in the West to Buddhism. It still stands as a refreshing, easy-to-understand look at an ancient and enduring tradition. The Diamond Sutra, a sacred Buddhist text, recounts the Buddha's discourse to one of his disciples. It discusses fundamental Buddhist practices,

In this guide to the cosmology of ancient Egypt, Jeremy Naydler recreates the experience of living in another time and place. Temple of the Cosmos explores Egypt's sacred geography and mythology; but more importantly, it reveals with unprecedented clarity an ancient consciousness in tune with the rhythms of the earth. The ancient Egyptians experienced their gods not as remote beings but rather as

William Greene was unique among his fellow Christian writers on the Kabbalah in that he saw clearly both its significance for Freemasonry and its application to radical thought. He prefaced his study, first published in 1872, with a stirring account of the significant Masonic symbol of the Blazing Star - a symbol also of liberty of conscience and political freedom, goals that must still be sought

The monumental Temple of Man represents the most important breakthrough in our understanding of Ancient Egypt since the discovery of the Rosetta stone. This exhaustive and authoritative study reveals the depths of the mathematical, medical, and metaphysical sophistication of Ancient Egypt. Schwaller de Lubicz's stone-by-stone survey of the temple of Amun-Mut-Khonsu at Luxor allows us to step into

This guide brings Chinese astrology back to its ancient roots, providing all the information you need for understanding one of the world's oldest systems of divination. The ancient Chinese people developed a sophisticated science of astrology that continues to have profound influence in China today. Rooted in the fundamentals of Taoism, it evolved into a system vastly different from Western astrol

The secret writings of this mystical order reveal the keys to astral projection, clairvoyance, and other magical practices.The present-day revival of the practice of magic owes much to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the fin de siecle secret society that rediscovered many occult traditions dating back to antiquity. Prominent adepts of the Golden Dawn, whose members included W. B. Yeats and

In The House of the Hidden Places, first published in 1895, Adams clearly lays out evidence that the Great Pyramid at Giza corresponds architecturally to the initiation ritual detailed in the Egyptian Book of the Dead (which Adams preferred to call what he felt was its rightful title, The Book of the Maste). The House of the Hidden Places was the first book to go beyond the current speculations

The Divine Names and The Mystical Theology were written by a theologian who professed to be St. Paul's Athenian convert, Dionysius. Rolt, however, places him in the time of Proclus, in the 5th century a.d. These works of Neo-Platonic Christian mysticism had an important influence on the early church and other Western esoteric orders and continue to be essential in the serious study of theology.

This book is a milestone in Western magical practice. Often erroneously called a forgery, it is in fact six separate books in one, the first two being by Agrippa (1486-1535). One of them, Of Magical Ceremonies, is Agrippa's clearest step-by-step formulation of how to perform an evocation, much more openly expressed than in his Three Books of Occult Philosophy. In addition there is the key grimoire

The New York Times bestseller Confessions of an Economic Hit Man documents John Perkins’ extraordinary career as a globe-trotting economic hit man. Perkins’ insider’s view leads him to crisis of conscience--to the realization that he must devote himself to work which will foster a world-wide awareness of the sanctity of indigenous peoples, their cultures, and their environments. Perkins’ books dem