Philosophy and Religion

Essence has been combined with The Elixir of Enlightenment, a short introductory text directed toward students on the path who are frustrated by either the spiritual or psychological barriers that Western life can present. Discusses the values and shortcomings of spiritual training, and explores why an impasse may occur. Reveals how a precise understanding of your own personality can free your inn

This book will be of interest to a wide range of readers, from students of Ancient History and early Christianity, to Qabalists and modern magicians. Extensive notes and citations from original sources will make this authoritative work an essentialreference for researchers and practitioners for years to come. Includes are appendices for tables of alphabetic symbolism, a list of authors, and a nume

The Tao-Te-Ching -- the unfolding of life -- is a book to read again and again. Lao-Tzu's timeless work is of value to everyone, regardless of personal beliefs, traditions, and religious practices. It poetically encapsulates the primordial wisdom of another time, when the Sage was able to live a contemplative life, unencumbered by complex rites or the cares of the world. It is a guide that shows u

Imagine being able to step beyond the controlling hands of time to discover the mystical process that will give you an entirely new perspective of time. Inside this handy pocketsize book are insightful aphorisms that will help you live morepeacefully in the present. With each page, Scott Shaw, an expert in meditative consciousness, helps you throw away phrases like "wasted time" and "time constr

Using shamanic journeying, meditation, movement, sound, and storytelling, Rysdyk shows you how to get in touch with these parts of yourself so that you can develop the creative energy that lives inside you. Using the Siberian shamanistic approach to life,she explains how to evoke the inner hunter/gatherer from deep within. Easy exercises and some basic changes will bring you a renewed way of livin

A practical manual for recreating the Rites and Mysteries of Demeter and Persephone, an ancient Earthbased religion that celebrates not only the Great Mother Goddess and Her Daughter, but a respect for life, for the Earth, and for the divinity of the soul. Each celebration or rite is complete and presented in a clear and practical way. Includes chants, sacred prayers, and recipes for sacred food

Simple and straightforward, this "little book" is a distillation of 20 years of a Buddhist monk's meditation practice. With a sense of reverence and respect for everything, Ajahn Sumano Bhikkhu shows us how to use only what we need, andthen to use these few things carefully and with discrimination. Meeting the Monkey Halfway is his personal story, and through his story he will help us to open ou

In this outline of the secret wisdom of the divine plan, Vera Stanley Alder uses her rare gift for condensing and synthesizing the essentials of esoteric teachings to reveal the many aspects of Ancient Wisdom and its relationship to presentday scientific knowledge. What makes this classic work so popular is Alder's simple and unintimidating presentation of the various forms of personal initiation.

The long-awaited first English translation from ancient Hebrew of the rare and complete 1701 Amsterdam edition, of this famous magical text. According to Hebrew legend, the Sepher Rezial was given to Adam in the Garden of Eden, by the hand of God. The myth suggests that this diverse compendium of ancient Hebrew lore was the first book ever written. Includes an explanatory text on the holy names of

A thorough, academic look at the past, present, and future of Norse polytheism. Welch highlights many Norse goddesses as well as other divine females of the Norse pantheon Valkyries, Norns, Giantesses, Disir and in a straightforward manner, makes a definitive case for the primordial goddess.

Gay Watson, Stephen Batchelor, and Guy Claxton have compiled a wideranging and penetrating selection of articles on the relevance and application of Buddhist philosophy and practice in the modern Western world. Divided into four parts, the book explores the philosophical issues in Buddhism and the contemporary mind/ the scientific perspective of Buddhist concepts of the development of body, mind,

The Heart of Wicca opens the invisible doorways that lead toward a deeper understanding of the mysteryfilled world of Wiccan beliefs and practice. It takes us far beyond the currently popularized images and surface understanding into a world that few are privileged to enter. Ellen Cannon Reed guides us past misunderstanding and false conceptions into the lifestyle, mind set, and religious dedic

A collection of spontaneous "satsangs," or truths, spoken from Sri H. W. L. Poonja's experience of the highest and yet simplest truth: that we are pure love and consciousness, the totality of existence. Reveals thousands of ways to help us inquire into who we really are, to bring our awareness into the infinity of the moment, and surrender to the wisdom of our Truth.

This 136page introduction is a selection of poetry and prose from The Truth Is a 560page volume of "satsangs," or truths, from renowned Indian guru Sri H. W. L. Poonja distills the essence of Poonja's teachings in a shorter, more portable collection.

In Pennsylvania Dutch country, among the Old Order Amish and the strict Mennonite congregations who live their lives parallel to modern society, there remains the remnants of one of the oldest European magical practices found in America: Hex, or Hex und Speilwerk, or Pow Wow. In Hex and Spellwork, thirdgeneration Hexenmeister Karl Herr teaches the actual practices and examines the history of the

Path to the Soul provides an important evolutionary leap in the rapidly evolving understanding of our psychological and spiritual essence. Drawing from Hindu and Christian spiritual wisdom, biological medicine, psychiatric technique, and over twentyfive years of clinical experience, Dr. Bedi has created a highly effective and integrated treatment approach to problems associated with both medical

The basis of Western thought and, indeed, our educational system can be attributed to the Greek philosophers: Plato, Socrates, Aristotle. One of Socratesmost enduring concepts, the importance of self-knowing and self-perfection (know thyself), has been echoed throughout Western literature and has many reverberations within Eastern thought. William Bodri shows that Socrates had attained a spiritu

In this beautiful and lucid guide, Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh offers gentle anecdotes and practical exercise as a means of learning the skills of mindfulness--being awake and fully aware. From washing the dishes to answering the phone to peeling an orange, he reminds us that each moment holds within it an opportunity to work toward greater self-understanding and peacefulness.

Sandy Boucher, celebrated author of "Opening the Lotus" and "Turning the Wheel, " now offers North American readers their first opportunity to share in Kwan Yin's illuminating wisdom. Along with providing meditations, chants, and prayers this lovely, illustrated volume recounts the stories of this bodhisattva (one who delays her own full enlightenment to work for the liberation of all beings) and