Philosophy and Religion

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.

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.

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.

For millennia the world was seen as a creative, interconnected web of life, constantly growing, developing and restoring itself. But with the arrival of the Scientific Revolution in the 16th and 17th centuries, the world was viewed as a lifeless, clock like mechanism, bound by the laws of classical physics.

Each and every one of us has shamanic powers. Glimpses of them can arise at any age in the form of intuitive dreams, deja vu, spontaneous visions, and out-of-body experiences. Most people dismiss these experiences. However, by embracing these gifts, we can unlock our shamanic potential to change ourselves and the world around us.

Offering a modern translation of “The Legends of the Eighty-four Mahasiddhas,” a 12th-century Tibetan text, translator Keith Dowman shares stories of the spiritual adventurers, rebellious saints and enlightened tantric masters of ancient India known as “siddhas.” He shows how the mahasiddhas arose from the grassroots of society and represented an entire spectrum of human experience.

Called “the scientists of Hinduism,” the rishis of ancient India were the scribes of the Vedas. They developed the spiritual science of Hinduism, Sanatana Dharma, as their way of ensuring the constant renewal and progress of India's spiritual tradition and culture. Sanatana Dharma permeates every aspect of Hindu culture, from religion to the arts to the sciences.

In the search for inner awakening and self-realisation, a spiritual mentor can be key to advancement. Yet the process of finding an authentic spiritual teacher who resonates with you can be daunting, especially for anyone who has had a negative experience with a guide.

Shamanic healing is making an astonishing comeback all over the modern technology-driven and consumerist world. Millions of people have felt called to integrate both ancient and modern healing systems into a new model of healthcare. But what makes shamanic healing so powerful? Why have indigenous healers kept it alive for thousands of years?

· Exposes the esoteric influences behind the National Grange Order of Husbandry · Examines the sacred design and hidden purpose of the Washington Monument · Reveals how the three obelisks in New York City depict the stars of Orion's Belt · Explains how every baseball diamond is actually a temple to the Goddess In AMERICA: ...

· Reveals spells and workings drawn directly from surviving magical books from the 16th to 20th century preserved at the National Library in Reykjavík · Explores the history of magic in Iceland through original translations of Icelandic folktales about famous magicians and about legendary grimoires, such as the Galdrabók, the oldest and most complete book of its kind · Explains how to ...

A countercultural icon of the 1960s, John Michell (1933-2009) was perhaps best known for his books on sacred geometry, Earth mysteries and unusual phenomena. He was, also, beloved and reviled for his radical, idealistic, yet classically traditional views on a wide range of heretical topics, from sacred practices of the Stone Age to the evils of the metric system to the madness of modernity and ...

Reconstructs the lost world of Gnostic spiritual-erotic experience through examination of every surviving text written by heresiologists Investigates the sexual gnosis practices of the Barbelo Gnostics of the 2nd century and their connections to the Gnostic Aeon Sophia, the Wild Lady of Wisdom Explains the vital significance of “the seed” as a sacrament in Gnostic practice Examining ...

· Reveals faulty thinking and conceptual blindspots that distort beliefs in science, philosophy, and spirituality - from “the universe exploded from nothing in a Big Bang” to “we create our own reality” · Explains how “thought viruses” spread as we use these clichéd assumptions in our daily communications We live in a world filled with clichés - convenient assumptions and unquestioned ...

· Deconstructs each line of Genesis chapters 1–3 with esoteric methods derived from the oral teachings of the Kabbalah · Reveals the sefirot, the Tree of Life, as the Divine blueprint of the creative process · Explains how Genesis reveals the Divinity of mind and consciousness Hidden within the first three chapters of Genesis rests one of the greatest jewels of Western mystical literature.

Throughout mediaeval Christianity, religious works of art emerged to illustrate the teachings of the Bible for the largely illiterate population. What, then, is the significance of the psychoactive mushrooms hiding in plain sight in the artwork and icons of many European and Middle-Eastern churches?

Through the Taoist tantric arts, women can experience the full flowering of their sexual energy. Rooted in Chinese energy medicine, Universal Healing Tao practices and ancient Taoist traditions from the Yellow Emperor and his three female advisors, these practices honour and celebrate each stage of a woman's life and allow women to awaken their genuine feminine sexuality - receptive, soft, ...

Contemplation begins with intellectual understanding. As contemplation deepens, the mind shifts from the accumulation of data to the unfolding of direct gnostic apprehension. This dissolves the idea that outer and inner or personal and cosmic distinctions exist, allowing phenomena to return to its basis as a single, uninterrupted continuum.

During Paris's Belle Époque (1871–1914), many cultural movements and artistic styles flourished - Symbolism, Impressionism, Art Nouveau, the Decadents - all of which profoundly shaped modern culture. Inseparable from this cultural advancement was the explosion of occult activity taking place in the City of Light at the same time.

Before he became the film maker and graphic novel author known throughout the world today, Alejandro Jodorowsky studied with Zen master Ejo Takata in Mexico City. In THE FINGER AND THE MOON, Jodorowsky recounts how he became Takata's student and offers his interpretations of the teaching tales, initiatory stories, koans and enigmatic haikus he learned at the feet of his great and humble teacher.