Philosophy and Religion

The mainstream position of the Christian church on sexuality was perhaps best summed up by Pope Innocent III (1160-1216) when he stated that the sexual act is so shameful that it is intrinsically evil. Another Christian theologian maintained that the holy Ghost is absent from the room shared by a wedded couple. What Philip records in his gospel is that Christ said exactly the opposite: the nuptial

The Mysteries of Mithraspresents a revival of the magical practices and initiatory system of Mithraism, the ancient Roman mystery religion that was immensely popular in the Roman Legions from the late second century B.C. until A.D. 400 and was taken to every corner of the Roman Empire. As the last pagan state religion in Europe, it was the most important competitor to early Christianity and heavil

Gnosticism was contemporary to early Christianity and its demise can be traced to Christianity's efforts to silence its teachings. The Gnostic message however was not destroyed but simply went underground. Starting with the first emergence of Gnosticism the author shows how its influence extended from the teachings of neo-Platonists and the magical traditions of the Middle Ages to the beliefs and

One of the cache of codices and manuscripts discovered in Nag Hammadi, THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS, unlike the canonical gospels, does not contain a narrative recording Christ's life and prophecies. Instead it is a collection of his teachings: in fact what he actually said. These 114 logia or sayings were collected by Judas Didymus Thomas, whom some claim to be Jesus's closest disciple. No sooner was thi

The Spandakarika, the ""Tantric Song of the Divine Pulsation,"" is said to have been transmitted directly to the sage Vasugupta from the hands of Shiva on Mount Kailas. In his commentary on these fifty-two stanzas, the sage Ksemaraja described them as the heart of the Mahamudra. The oldest masters of Spandakarika viewed everything in the universe, including matter, as consciousness and created a y

An introduction to the ancient Taoist exercise system of Tao Yin • Includes 45 fully illustrated exercises that promote flexibility, strength, and balance in one´s physical, mental, and spiritual energy • Addresses the health needs of the musculoskeletal system and the unique physical stresses of a modern urban lifestyle In the Western world, exercise focuses mainly on physical fitnes

Japa - the repeated chanting of a mantra - is an age old Hindu technique to help you become attuned with the planets and their ruling deities and thereby create peace and prosperity in your life. On this CD the noted Tantric scholar Harish Johari chants the mantras associated with the Sun and the Moon 108 times the preferred number of repetitions. Using this CD you will not only hear mantras inton

Bee shamanism may well be the most ancient and enigmatic branch of shamanism. It exists throughout the world--wherever in fact the honeybee exists. Its medicinal tools--such as honey, pollen, propolis, and royal jelly--are now in common usage, and even the origins of Chinese acupuncture can be traced back to the ancient practice of applying bee stings to the body’s meridians. In this authoritative

In The Haitian Vodou Handbook, Kenaz Filan, an initiate of the Société la Belle Venus, presents a working guide to the proper methods of interacting with the full Vodou pantheon, explaining how to build respectful relationships with the lwa, the spirits honored in Haitian Vodou, and how to transform the fear that often surrounds the Vodou religion. Until recently, the Haitian practice of Vodou was

CRUSADE AGAINST THE GRAIL is the book that popularised the legend of the Cathars and the Holy Grail. The first edition appeared in Germany in 1933 and drew upon Rahn's account of his thrilling explorations of the Pyrenean caves where the heretical Cathar sect took refuge during the 13th century. Over the years the book has been translated into many languages and exerted a large influence on, for e

In The Science of the Dogon, Laird Scranton demonstrated that the cosmological structure described in the myths and drawings of the Dogon runs parallel to modern science - atomic theory, quantum theory and string theory - their drawings often taking the same form as accurate scientific diagrams that relate to the formation of matter. Scranton, also, pointed to the close resemblance between the key

THE FUSION OF THE EIGHT PSYCHIC CHANNELS practice builds upon the 'Fusion of the Five Elements' and 'Cosmic Fusion' practices and is the final step in preparation for the 'Practice of the Immortal Tao.' Master Mantak Chia shows how to open the Great Bridge Channel and the Great Regulator Channel - the last of the eight psychic channels that connect the twelve organ meridians and enable energy to f

Freemasonry, as a fraternal order of scientists and philosophers, emerged in the 17th century and represented something new--an amalgam of alchemy and science that allowed the creative genius of Isaac Newton and his contemporaries to flourish. In Isaac Newton’s Freemasonry, Alain Bauer presents the swirl of historical, sociological, and religious influences that sparked the spiritual ferment and t

Thousands of years ago Taoist masters discovered that a healthy organ vibrates at a particular frequency. They found six sounds with the correct frequencies to keep each organ in optimal condition. To accompany these Six Healing Sounds, six postures were developed to activate the acupuncture meridians, or energy channels, of the corresponding organs.In THE SIX HEALING SOUNDS Master Mantak Chia exp

"Snakes and Ladders", the popular children's game, is derived from the ancient Hindu game Leela, or Snakes and Arrows, which charts the ups and downs of the soul's path toward reunion with the Infinite. Snakes and Arrows was designed by the seers and saints of India as a tool for understanding the relationship of the individual self to the Absolute Self.

How to work with the chakra centers to heal unresolved psychic wounds • Reveals how psychic injuries become lodged within the energy body • Links one major developmental stage with each major chakra • Provides a detailed guide to healing and clearing the tensions each chakra holds The chakra system identifies eight centers in the psycho-anatomy of humans, each one associated

Otto Rahn's lifelong search for the Grail brought him to the attention of the SS leader Himmler, who shared his esoteric interests. Induced by Himmler to become the chief investigator of the occult for the Nazis, Rahn traveled throughout Europe - from Spain to Iceland - in the mid 1930s pursuing leads to the Grail and other mysteries. LUCIFER'S COURT is the travel diary he kept while searching for

Shakti is synonymous with the Devi, the Divine Mother or divine power that manifests, sustains and transforms the universe. She is the womb of all creatures, and it is through her that the One becomes the many. Our first and primary relationship to the world is through the mother, the source of love, security and nourishment. Extending this relationship to worship of a cosmic being as mother was a

In this wide-ranging view of magic and ritual, Gareth Knight demonstrates the presence of the Goddess throughout Western esoteric traditions. From Greek myths and the Mysteries of Isis to the emergence of the cult of the Blessed Virgin and seventeenth-century Rosicrucian spiritual alchemy, he shows how the Goddess - the elemental consciousness of Earth - has revealed herself in different times and

This groundbreaking, international bestseller, first published in 1960, couples profound insights into the hidden history of humanity and our perceptions of reality with the scientific evidence that supports the existence of paranormal activity, telepathy, and extraterrestrial communications. The first book to explore in depth the Nazi fascination with the occult, Pauwels and Bergier also broke ne