Best mysticism & theology books according to redditors
We found 106 Reddit comments discussing the best mysticism & theology books. We ranked the 35 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 106 Reddit comments discussing the best mysticism & theology books. We ranked the 35 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
You should read "Triumph of the Moon" by Ronald Hutton. Hutton is a professional historian who considers the emergence of wicca in the 20th century.
I can't speak for all of those books, but you cant go wrong with The Path of Druidry, Druidry Handbook, Druid Magic Handbook, and From the Cauldron Born. I would also recommend:
The Druid Way by Phillip Carr-Gomm
The Mysteeries of Druidry by Brendan Myers
Bonewits's Essential Guide to Druidism by Isaac Bonewits
Principles of Druidry by Emma Restall Orr
The Solitary Druid by Robert Ellison
And please, steer clear of Druid Power and the 21 Lessons of Merlin. If you feel you must, read some of the others ones first before delving into those 2. They rely heavily on fantasy (not mythology) and don't have the good graces to tell you so.
The Tarot is an entire spiritual path in itself, a superb tool to understand your sub-conscious and the world around you.
Can I suggest you look at Meditations on the Tarot by Anonymous, and, [The Tarot: A Key to the Wisdom of the Ages] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Tarot-Key-Wisdom-Ages/dp/1585424919) by Paul Foster Case.
Both will give you an enormous amount of wisdom. None of them are incompatible with your faith, in fact will reinforce and broaden it.
For reliable sources:
High Magic's Aid by Gerald Gardner
Aradia: Gospel of the Witches by Charles Godfrey Leland
1: Witchfather: A Life of Gerald Gardner: Into the Witch Cult by Philip Heselton
Lid off the Cauldron by Patrica Crowther
The Triumph of the Moon by Ronald Hutton
Foundations of Practical Magic: An Introduction to Qabalistic, Magical and Meditative Techniques by Israel Regardie
A Witches' Bible by Janet and Stewart Farrar
Witchcraft for Tomorrow by Doreen Valiente
Modern Magick: Eleven Lessons in the High Magickal Arts by Donald Michael Kraig
Magical Power For Beginners: How to Raise & Send Energy for Spells That Work by Deborah Lipp
Fifty Years Of Wicca by Frederic Lamond
For essential materials,
-An athame
-A wand
-A pentacle
-A chalice
-Incense and censer
> Would I be considered a true Wiccan if I hid it from those around me?
Yes, you would be considered a "true Wiccan." Most Wiccans since the inception of Wicca kept secret the fact they were witches. It's only in very recent times that people are so forward about the fact that they're witches. I myself keep it pretty well hidden. Only those in my coven and my closest loved ones know that I'm Wiccan.
>When choosing a patron/matron do you pick from literally any gods/goddesses?
The concept of a patron/matron deity is relatively new to Wicca. Originally, the Goddess worshiped by the Witches was the Lunar Goddess of Fertility - often called Diana, Aradia, Hekate, Isis, the Queen of Elphame, etc. The original God worshiped by the Witches was the Horned God of Death and Resurrection - often called Pan, Cernunnos, Janicot, etc. However, in recent times, Wiccans (myself included) have begun working with all types of Pagan deities. So in short, yes, you can pick any god or goddess you feel a connection with.
> Can you celebrate the Wiccan holidays and still celebrate things like Christmas?
Yes, most Wiccans still celebrate cultural holidays such as Christmas.
Thanks for the reminder. This book changed everything for me:
The Mystic Christ https://www.amazon.com/dp/0972931708/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_UZNjDbTCXQVPE
The Mystic Christ is an ancient tale of mystic union, salvation, and enlightenment. It is the careful uncovering of a lost treasure of immeasurable value, long buried in the suffocating darkness of conventional orthodoxy on one side, and blind fundamentalist extremism on the other. From the viewpoint of the world s mystical religious traditions, the brilliant light of the Master s way is revealed as a penetrating radical non-duality unifying all people and all of life. His path to this all-embracing unity is the spiritual practice of pure selfless love. Love God intensely, love our neighbor as our own Self, bless those that curse us, and pray for those that mistreat us. Love has been lost, becoming nothing more than a word in the dictionary and, yet, it remains the foundation of Jesus message.
The Mystic Christ is also a compelling story of the ego, the personification of ignorance, and how it has distorted and subverted the sublime sayings of the Master, twisting reality into unreality and light into darkness. The ego is the Antichrist in this ancient drama that has gripped every culture for all time in its talons of self-centered perception. The ego is anti-love. Adam and Eve were not the first people, the nature of man is good, scripture is not infallible, Jesus is one of the ways, all religions are paths to God, reincarnation is in the Bible, the resurrection as a personal spiritual awakening, and the error of eternal damnation are all carefully and lovingly revealed in the life and sayings of Jesus. The Mystic Christ is thoroughly punctuated with quotes from Buddha, Krishna, Lao Tzu and other masters of the mystical traditions. But, most importantly, over 230 scriptural references from the Old and New Testament are used to illustrate the harmony that exists between the life and teachings of Jesus and the world s great religions. The Mystic Christ removes 2000 years of ego-centered bindings that have hidden the brilliant light of the Master from the world. The Mystic Christ is at once profoundly fascinating, deeply historic and electric with the vibration of the mystical experience.
All your 6 'flaws' are copy-pasted from a book by William Stoddart : Remembering in a World of Forgetting: Thoughts on Tradition and Postmodernism.
Google Books link : page 33. Same nonsense, in the exact same order.
You wanted an "honest" debate ? Maybe you could have disclosed the fact that you're parroting arguments you probably don't understand from a book you probably didn't even read.
Edit : /u/TooManyInLitter beat me to it.
The AH books and resources list is your friend, but as its recommendations are scattered through a mainly geographical listing, I will compile some of the key cites for you here.
Religion and the Decline of Magic by Keith Thomas (1971): One of the pioneering works on how anthropology can help our study of history focusing on superstition in the late medieval/early modern period, this is a fantastic read and a real insight into a still-young school of historical analysis.
Thinking with Demons by Stuart Clark (1999): this is one of two mandatory books on Early Modern Witchcraft (the other is Keith Thomas' Religion and the Decline of Magic). It's hard to summarize what is a monumental piece of work, but examines the idea of witches and how that idea functions through different intellectual sections of life. It has a bibliography that will make you weep with inadequacy and throw your work into the nearest witch-bonfire.
The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft by Ronald Hutton (1999). A study of the history and development of modern Pagan Witchcraft.
Blood and Mistletoe: The History of the Druids in Britain by Ronald Hutton (2009). A history of the intertwined development of modern Celtic scholarship and religious revivalism in Britain.
The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe by Brian Levack: Levack gives important background and context to his discussion of the witch-hunt. The work's value as an introduction to the topic is evident, as the book is now in its third edition.
Theology and the Scientific Imagination: From the Middle Ages to the Seventeenth Century Funkenstein, Amos. 1986. An interesting read detailing the various views of emerging scientific thought and the prevalence of religious faith. The book takes time to work from a sociological as well as historical viewpoint to allow for a broader take.
Contemplative Masonry: Basic Applications of Mindfulness, Meditation, and Imagery for the Craft
Western Esotericism and Rituals of Initiation - SUNY series in Western Esoteric Traditions
Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey into Christian Hermeticism
There's a sub called holysummoners on the sidebar that you might like to be aware of. It has links in its sidebar to some specifically christian occult subs you should explore as well. Probably they can give you leads. Meditations on Tarot
I'm just going to spitball here. I would say that the important thing for you to explore if you want to explore this is looking beyond language. What are the words in your specific tradition pointing at. Probably not the same things that another tradition is even if it uses the same words.
God's universe is closer to an act of Magic than anything else and by emulating that act of creation we can come to know and love God more. (I typically wouldn't use that language )
The way I see it, Jesus was a magician. Soloman is explicitly a magician. As is Moses.
Popular Christianity as practiced today looks very little like historical christianity in many many ways.
The bible has many levels within it. The exoteric which is taking the book either literally or as stories to strive to live by. Then underneath the surface there are several esoteric, hidden, or occult(means hidden) levels. The bible is about You. Just You. It's also about everyone else but I mean read it as an allegory for your life and development as a soul. It is a retelling of the ancient star myths which also point at the microcosmic story of You. In the old testament the entire text is numerological(not sure about the new testament). It teaches magic. It shows the evolution of a particular lineage of human consciousness. It reveals the code behind creation and the Thoughts of God. Many more levels besides that. It trains you to see the many levels operating in every moment of your experience.
There are demon armies all over. Have been for a while. They just don't look how you imagine they look and demons aren't what you think they are. Neither are angels. No one posts pictures of them doing magic because that would be no proof. Magic directly effects the non-physical. The change that occurs in the physical is typically a string of the oddest coincidences. I'm afraid the barrier between our realities might be too great for me to communicate here. Have you considered that you know nothing? Not saying that your belief in the Bible is wrong, just putting out the possibility that you might be only seeing .0001% of reality and basing your assumptions on that tiny sliver.
In my experience, God wants us to become more and more conscious so that we can give service and aid in creation. And to generally enjoy creation. which is more and more possible the more conscious you are.
Do you think there has ever been a moment when you have been seperate from God?
David Mathisen has a book called the Undying Stars that is an interesting esoteric take on the bible. There's plenty of youtube videos he's made and a recent interview on The higherside Chats podcast that you might be interested in.
Witchcraft isn't inherently evil. It was competition so it was demonized by The Church. Do you mean why do people do so-called "low magic"? If the nature of the universe allows for magic, then making use of magic is just another way of getting things done. Most biblical characters do magic.
You have seen magic I'm sure. If you're looking for Harry Potter you're going to miss it. People all around you are doing it unconsciously if they aren't doing it consciously. This includes you. So it isn't possible to be a Christian and not do magic. It's not possible to be a human and not do magic. Sure you can never do it consciously but by existing you are operating on that plane to some degree.
The easiest magic to point at over the internet is advertising. Some dark black magic there.
Magic is probably both more and less than you think it is. It will boggle your mind if you ever actually see it.
I hear [https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Tarot-Journey-Christian-Hermeticism/dp/1585421618](this book) is a key esoteric christian text.
There is a world more subtle than the physical that you can learn to see. It effects you whether or not you're aware of it. That's why watching a video of someone summoning wouldn't work. They aren't conjuring up a physical manifestation, though they and others might "see" it if they can.
Would you believe Heaven and Hell are within you?
God is the Source. The First Shaman, the Ancient Wizard, The Primal Magician. The Sorcerer. The Source-rer.
I really enjoy the book The Sacred and the Profane by Mircae Eliade atm.
God Bless you.
There are not actually very many articles about modern druids, there are organization websites like the one for the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids and A Druid Fellowship
And there are several good blogs like John Beckett on Patheos, Damh the Bard (a very well known and influential figure in modern Druidry), and the Archdruid Report by John Michael Greer, the Grand Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America
Thing to remember is that there are three main approaches to modern Druidry, one is as a religion, people who worship gods, perform rituals, so on, those that approach it as a spirituality and therefor don't hold gods or ritual with as much importance and focus more on themselves than outside forces, and then those who approach it as a philosophy, these people might not even be theistic at all, and tend to focus on the physical world rather than the spiritual one. There are people fall in between of course but that's the basic gist of it. You're going to have to figure out where you fall in that before you have a better idea as to what kind of information and guidance you're looking for.
A few books you could look at are:
The Path of Druidry
The Druidry Handbook
Bonewits's Essential Guide to Druidism
A Brief History of the Druids
It's important to try and read something like that last book especially to give you some sort of context as to how and why modern Druidry came to be. It isn't an ancient religion, we have no ties to the ancient Druids, and very little knowledge about them at all. So to avoid looking foolish, I'd suggest definitely reading something about the history of the Celts and the Druids, and the modern movement.
Also, spiritual ecology books are a good supplement, Druidry is focused on nature so of course learning about nature, ecology, biology, and such is only going to help you. My two favorites are Spiritual Ecology: The Cry of the Earth and Mystery Teachings from the Living Earth: An Introduction to Spiritual Ecology
Also, since you'll encounter a lot of people claiming a lot of things I recommend:
Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler
and
Triumph of the Moon
These two are more "impartial" treatments of the various groups within paganism. They provide a nice perspective on the faith path.
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse
http://www.amazon.com/Siddhartha-Hermann-Hesse/dp/081120068X/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377155668&sr=1-8&keywords=Siddhartha
Fictional life story of Siddhartha, a contemporary of Guatama Buddha. This is a story of a man seeking spiritual truth through sensual and worldly experience, ultimately achieving similar spiritual heights to the Buddha, yet by a path that many of us might find much more familiar and relatable than a life of renunciation. Beautifully written, poetic, mystical and almost fairy-tale-like in tone. Some of Herman Hesse's finest work.
Be Here Now by Ram Dass
http://www.amazon.com/Be-Here-Now-Ram-Dass/dp/0517543052/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377155603&sr=1-1&keywords=be+here+now
Autobiographical, blissed-out, art-infused, eloquent and insightful rant about a journey that begins with the Harvard psychology department's early LSD research and culminates in a journey through the Himalayas leading to deep transformation with the help of a wandering mystic and an epic guru. Ram Dass beautifully weds the best parts of hippy and psychedelic culture with the ancient truths of hinduism, vedanta and yoga. The annotated reading list at the back is a treasure trove of eastern awesomeness.
The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra
http://www.amazon.com/The-Tao-Physics-Exploration-Parallels/dp/1590308352
Honestly the best introduction/summary I've read of several schools of Eastern Thought. The book is intended to show parallels between ancient spiritual truths and scientific principles discovered in quantum physics. Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Zen (and I think a couple more) get meaty, well written and well researched treatments by Capra, and curious minds benefit from having all this info in one spot. Capra gives in-depth focus to each tradition and highlights the similarities and differences of each path. Awesome graphics too. Highly recommend to any western mind wanting to encounter eastern thought.
Namaste!
edit: grammar
I've never read it so I can't endorse it personally, but you might want to look into "The Tao of Physics".
https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Physics-Exploration-Parallels-Mysticism/dp/1590308352
]Wicca differs from mainstream notions of religion. Traditionally, it's more of a religious order with no laity, an initiatory pagan priesthood that maintains a body of knowledge and rites that is kept intact and handed down from initiate to initiate. It also differs in that it's not an orthodoxy but an orthopraxy.
Eclectic practices influenced by Wicca tend to be orthodox ("I'm a Wiccan because I believe ___") and tend to differ from one to the other as they're most often individual practices unique to the person.
Some suggestions:
Triumph of the Moon by Ronald Hutton
Wicca: A comprehensive guide to the Old Religion in the modern world by Vivienne Crowley
Modern Wicca: A History From Gerald Gardner to the Present by Michael Howard
Witching Culture, Folklore and Neo-Paganism in America, by Sabina Magliocco
Drawing Down the Moon, by Margot Adler (the late NPR journalist)
This book is like an unofficial follow-up to Adler's DDTM:
Voices from the Pagan Census: A National Survey of Witches and Neo-Pagans in the United States, by Helen A. Berger
Books from the mid-20th century:
Witchcraft Today by Gerald Gardner
The Meaning of Witchcraft by Gerald Gardner
You can always try more "spiritual" Christian texts... For instance, you can slowly ease your way into those type of texts by reading more Pentecostal mystics. Here's an order to probably read texts in:
I hope this list helps you a little bit! It's not extensive nor anywhere complete. I tried to order the books from "easiest" for a Charismatic/Pentecostal believer (I was raised Assemblies of God, so I come from that background) to "hardest" for an Charismatic/Pentecostal believer. If you have any further questions, or what not, don't hesitate to ask!
I pray that God lights your path a little bit more each day.
First place I would send anyone is Sacredtexts.com since it's free and has all the old books there. Apart from that it depends on what branch of paganism you want to go into.
It's weird because England has this huge underground magical movement going on that hardly anyone really knows about. From pagan/wiccan groups to druids to golden dawn goetic magical schools to imported voodoo/shaman type practices to native cunning men and wise woman from Cornwall. It's fascinating which is why I got into it in the first place.
If you want a good background about all of paganism though you could do worse than The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft by Ronald Hutton. He's a professor who has specialized in paganism and witchcraft in England.
Okay this is something I wrote that explains some of the origins of Wicca and British paganism in general that you might find interesting.
The only 'beginners' book that I would recommend is Where to Park your Broomstick by Lauren Mannoy. This is actually an excellent book written in a very accessible style.
After that, then you should try Doreen Valiente's stuff. She's the most important figure in Wicca and modern witchcraft, as she wrote much of its material and despite wanting to find ancient sources, was completely honest about what she did and didn't find. I'd start with Witchcraft for Tomorrow which is a massively interesting book even if you're not Wiccan.
If you want something that's really in depth about Wicca and what it is and where it came from, the only thing worth looking at - and something that's utterly essential is Professor Ronald Hutton's Triumph of the Moon. This is a very academic book, however, so maybe you can leave it for a while. If you want to take Wicca seriously though, it's absolutely essential. There are some people who claim to be Wiccans who don't like it and can't accept what it says, but I'd stay away from them, as they tend to prefer the fantasy of it being an ancient religion rather than being willing to be open minded about where it really came from and what it is.
Avoid Silver Ravenwolf's books completely. They're rubbish and contain some very bad advice, especially for young people. Despite what she might claim, she's not highly regarded by actual Wiccans at all.
Other advice - well... don't believe anyone who promises you anything or says they can sort out problems for you using Wicca or Witchcraft. If they claim to be part of a group of a High Priest or Priestess or anything like that, then ask what their lineage is or for proof of this and to talk to other people who can back it up. If they're genuine, they won't mind in the slightest. If they're a bullshitter, they'll take offence, but that's when you walk away. If they know who Doreen Valiente and Ron Hutton are and can get into a conversation with you about their books, they've probably got a clue. If they dismiss them or don't know who they are, then they probably don't.
The other thing to say is that even though it's secretive and private, there's a massive difference between privacy and secrecy. You can and should tell someone else whereabouts roughly you're going, if you're going to meet up with groups, or people.
In the main, Wiccans and pagans are pretty nerdy, pretty friendly, but occasionally somewhat damaged, which can lead to interpersonal issues within groups that aren't much fun to deal with. The Wiccan and pagan scene can be a playground for attention seeking folk with ego issues and the problems relating to that are far more likely to cause difficulties than the chances of running into any dangerous animal-sacrificing sex-cult that'll put your soul and life in danger.
So - do a lot of reading, and make sure you establish some boundaries of your own before getting involved with anything or anyone else.
A physics-guru friend of mine recommends this three-pronged punch: In Search of Schrödinger's Cat, The Tao of Physics, and Autobiography of a Yogi. Haven't gotten to the third one yet myself, but the first two were quite excellent.
http://www.amazon.com/Tao-Physics-Exploration-Parallels-Mysticism/dp/1590308352/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324588598&sr=8-1
Kinda reflects both of her interests. It's a classic and this is the 35th anniversary edition.
For your reading pleasure: (pdf's I and II of) Stcherbatsky's translation of Vasubandhu's appendix to his Abhidharma-kosa {2} , {oh, Louis} : The @Soul Theory of the Buddhists@ hosted by some Russians.
I think that Jesus shared a lot of common teaching with them. For anyone who's interested in this, I'd highly recommend "Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, and Lao Tzu: The Parallel Sayings" and "Jesus and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings". I haven't done enough study on Mohammad yet, sadly. I intend to do so soon.
>Very few people know that Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) wrote a major work on Joan of Arc. Still fewer know that he considered it not only his most important but also his best work. He spent twelve years in research and many months in France doing archival work and then made several attempts until he felt he finally had the story he wanted to tell. He reached his conclusion about Joan's unique place in history only after studying in detail accounts written by both sides, the French and the English.
Because of Mark Twain's antipathy to institutional religion, one might expect an anti-Catholic bias toward Joan or at least toward the bishops and theologians who condemned her. Instead one finds a remarkably accurate biography of the life and mission of Joan of Arc told by one of this country's greatest storytellers. The very fact that Mark Twain wrote this book and wrote it the way he did is a powerful testimony to the attractive power of the Catholic Church's saints. This is a book that really will inform and inspire.
http://www.amazon.com/Joan-Arc-Mark-Twain/dp/0898702682/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1421281959&sr=8-2&keywords=joan+of+arc
>Using historical documents and translated by Régine Pernoud, Joan of Arc seeks to answer the questions asked by Joan's contemporaries as well as us: Who was she? Whence came she? What had been her life and exploits? First published in the United States in 1966 by Stein and Day, this book reveals the historical Joan, described in contemporary documents by her allies as well as her enemies.
http://www.amazon.com/Joan-Arc-Herself-Her-Witnesses/dp/0812812603/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421282282&sr=1-6&keywords=joan+of+arc+biography
> Is this really offensive? If it is, please explain it to me. It's not enough to tell me it is, I've got to know why.
For some it will be, for others not so much.
If you asked me if you could approach paganism, but dropping the "supernatural" stuff from it, I'd say "Hell yeah!" because I do just that. I don't really have much use for divination or crystals or anything like that, so I just don't use them in my practice. I can see why some would use it and I understand how some use them practically, but I just don't feel the need for it.
For me, Paganism is really about the Natural world. The Earth is my Mother (My goddess, if you might like to say so), and the Sun is my Father (My god, if you will). I know a lot of other pagans do this do, but not all. Some pagans use pantheons for deity, but deity is not a necessity in paganism.
I still like ritual, though I don't do much pagan ritual in my personal practice, because the symbols used in it represent natural forces and things going on in the world. A "supernatural non-believer" could find use and spiritual meaning in ritual (as well as gods and crystals and magic), because to me (and surely others out there) they're just symbols, but symbols have a lot of personal power. They can help you change your mindset, help you understand things better.
Some will find calling things "supernatural" offensive, because some pagans do believe "supernatural" things exist, and don't view them as "supernatural." This is perfectly okay, to me, it's just not my way of approaching things.
TL;DR It will vary from person to person, and can be a sensitive topic for some. Not for all, though.
As for books without too much of a supernatural inclination about Paganism, I'd try out Ronald Hutton. His Triumph of the Moon is more about the history and roots of paganism, but he's very detailed and descriptive, as well as academic.
Margot Adler's Drawing Down the Moon is of the same vein as Triumph of the Moon. Both are pretty heavy and tome-like, but are filled with invaluable information.
If you're looking into Wicca theology, I found Bryan Lankford's Wicca Demystified to be a great in depth explanation, especially for an "outsider." A lot of the "beginners" books on Wicca you'll find are heavy on ritual and magic, and seeing how you don't have much fondness for it, I think Lankford's book might be better suited for you.
And I haven't read it, but Dana Eiler's Practical Pagan might be of interest to you. It seems to have the less "magicy-supernatural" and more of a mundane, practical approach to paganism. Not sure about it, though. You might find some good info in the amazon's review section of the book.
I feel like there's another book or two that I've read that taps into what you're looking for, but I just can't think of it. There are some cool anthologies full of essays of paganism in the real world, which I find are invaluable for their information, and not so heavy on the "supernatural side," like Pagan Visions for a Sustainable Future and Celebrating the Pagan Soul.
PS
>I'm use to kinda being primed to attack fundamentalism in Christianity and I've got little good to say about Islam at all.
I wouldn't be so dismissive of Christianity and Islam in general. Interfaith can be a very important. You don't have to agree with what they believe, but personally I know a few Muslims who are very kind and generous, and if they give credit to their religion for their kindness and generosity, I wouldn't say there's nothing good to say about Islam. But that's neither here nor there.
I strongly recommend the book "the tao of physics". Written almost 40 years ago, it remains extremely current and poignant in its comparison of modern physics and eastern mysticism
http://www.amazon.com/Tao-Physics-Exploration-Parallels-Mysticism/dp/1590308352
My two cents: it is all conected, but you have to find your own path
Ever read Meditations on the Tarot?
That sounds like a fascinating research topic! I'd love to read your writing down the road.
I have a chapter on Benjamin, esotericism, and the birth of critical theory that you might find useful given your broader research interests. If you can't get my whole book let me know and I could email you a pdf of just that chapter.
Otherwise, for your research project. Sedgwick is great. I'd also recommend Clarke, Black Sun. You might also get something out of Wasserstrom, Religion after Religion. His attitude toward esotericism is purely negative. So it is good to counterbalance it with Hakl, Eranos, which errors the other way. Finally, although not squarely in your research, you might also find useful Pasi, Aleister Crowley and the Temptation of Politics.
Why choose? This book contains the CH in Greek and English, the Stobabeus fragments in Greek and English and the Asclepius in Latin and English!
[edit] Wait, there are four volumes. I only have the first and I remember it containing all that I mention, but what would be in the other three volumes then? (notes and appendices it seems, so volume 1 will do.) [/edit]
You may be interested in [Meditations on the Tarot] (https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Tarot-Journey-Christian-Hermeticism/dp/1585421618/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3O35TMR80N5FZ&keywords=meditations+on+the+tarot&qid=1573677811&sprefix=Meditations+on+the+T%2Caps%2C225&sr=8-3) . It is one authors understanding of how the Tarot teaches a Christian spiritual path. It is pretty heavy reading, but very deep and insightful. It is also, of course, just one person's perspective, on both the Tarot and Christianity.
There are, contained within, so many paradigm shattering, reality-shifting ideas ... well, let's just say you made a great choice! And wait till you read the intro page. Talbot wasn't playing around. It reads like a who's who of bigwig uni/independent PhDs, MsCs, scientists, MDs and researchers. Not that that means shit [see recent study on peer-review FAIL] but in these ... "fringe" areas of study, sometimes the validation is satisfying. Ya gotta admit, its good to have some heavyweights in your corner sometimes! Either way, pull the pieces from all corners; the final puzzle is yours to assemble.
It was this book that introduced to me the concepts of quantum physics, bilocation, quantum entanglement, holography as a reality-model, collective consciousness, etc. etc. Wait till you get to the stuff about Fourier transforms and ballet dancers, the optic nerve and the eyeball and its connection to perception and the brain, multiple personality disorder and its shocking proof of 'mind over matter' ... + myriad other interesting tidbits!
I was familiar with some of those concepts, as you well may be, perhaps likely more advanced in these area of study then I was a few years ago, but still, I can hardly see you not enjoying it. Especially the way you found it! It's as if that thought bubbled to the surface [and was instated in action!] for a reason.
Another interesting one ya might like: http://www.amazon.com/The-Tao-Physics-Exploration-Parallels/dp/1590308352/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383029661&sr=8-1&keywords=tao+physics
There's not much unity within paganism. We're a constellation of different faiths, each with their own sometimes very different branches. If you really want to boil it down, then arguably the "Big Three" pagan religions are Wicca, Druidry, and Heathenry, the latter of them being sort of the flagship of the "reconstructionist" movement which is an umbrella of pagan faiths which includes non-Germanic cultures as well.
While I haven't read either of these books myself, I have heard that Bonewits's Essential Guide to Druidism and Drawing Down the Moon are reputable surveys of Druidry and Wicca, respectively, though they are probably a bit dated at this point (especially Drawing Down the Moon). I'm not sure if an equivalent overview of Heathenry has been published.
People use the word "religion" without knowing its definition.
religion - the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.
Buddhism does not fulfill that requirement. There is no 'belief' in Buddhism. There is no personal supernatural being or spirit god. Buddhism actually recognizes belief and calls it Maya, illusion. Buddhism has Karma but Buddha said it was merely 'cause and effect', not to be dwelled upon for it was also illusion. The other factor of Karma that seems to elude many western people is all Buddha was saying about karma was that good thoughts lead to good action, bad thoughts lead to bad action. Buddha said 'cause leads to effect". 2,000 years later, Isaac Newton said 'for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction', the 1st Law of Motion. Buddha referred to reincarnation not as being reborn, but as another cycle. The eastern mind sees cycles, the western mind sees beginning and end. As Buddha said, the perfect circle has no beginning or end. It was also illusion to dwell on reincarnation.
All Buddha said was that he was a man. He asked for nothing to be written down and that no images be made of him. His followers went against his request and wrote down thousands of sutras and made images of the different stages of Buddha's life. They also split themselves into thousands of sects, which westerners are unable to distinguish between. Zen is considered the least distorted sect of Buddhism. The Zen temples in Japan were originally totally built and maintained by monks, and there are multiple focusing activities, like meditation, growing gardens, sumi-e, archery, go, martial arts. In pure Zen, the martial arts are strictly for self defense. In Zen, martial arts are another form of meditation and focus. It did get adopted by the samurai for warfare but that was for worldly purposes, which Buddha would call only more illusion.
http://www.zen-buddhism.net/martial-arts/zen-and-martial-arts.html
http://www.insidekyoto.com/kyotos-best-zen-gardens
Science is coming full circle describing the universe and needing to describe it as Buddha described it. Buddha said "All things are transitory". Now, physicists are smashing protons and ending up with particles that exist less than femtoseconds, 10^-15 seconds. How short of a time is it before a particle is not existing? The proton keeps getting smashed, first quarks, then bosons, then leptons, now temporary quarks. In Zen, the koan is "Infinity lies in a flower petal". There is a book that brings science and zen buddhism together along the tao, the path. It is called "The Tao of Physics", over 30 years but only more enhanced with the advances in physics since then. It demonstrates how mathematics is a form of focusing meditation.
https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Physics-Exploration-Parallels-Mysticism/dp/1590308352/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483469130&sr=8-1&keywords=the+tao+of+physics
Wow haha! I didn't expect seeing a post like this on r/atheism. Like you, Joan of Arc has always been one of my heroes. She was an incredible woman - virtuous and intelligent. Of course, as a Catholic, I believe she was the real deal but anyway...from one Joan of Arc fan to another, I suggest reading Mark Twain's Joan of Arc (yes, Mark Twain) and Regine Pernoud's Joan of Arc: By Herself and Her Witnesses (which also includes transcripts from her trial). These books are widely regarded to be the best books on Joan. They are both very well-written and researched; the authors even travelled to France to look into the archives and study the actual documents we have about her. Another book by Pernoud, The Retrial of Joan of Arc: The Evidence for her Vindication also covers her retrial. Also, if you do end up using that medal, I suggest getting it blessed even if you're a non-believer. If Catholicism is true, then you'll be under her care and who wouldn't want that? You have nothing to lose.
EDIT: Your friend should have given you a book instead. It's an obvious choice and makes much more sense!
i was thinking too; you might want to read “the triumph of the moon.” which is a history of modern paganism. it’s a very good way to understand the origins of wicca, versus ancient earth based religions. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0192854496/ref=dbs_a_w_dp_0192854496
my father and grandfather were freemasons and after i was initiated into a wiccan tradition that originated in the UK, i grasped how much Gardner had been influenced by masonry in his creation of original wiccan liturgy. of course, Gardner said he was divinely inspired, but all prophets say that and then share what they already know. (maybe Akhenaten was different? idk) my first trad was a mishmash of Alexandrian wicca, irish and british lore and “fairy folk tradition” that didnt make more experience in that “grove” any less significant or authentic. i learned a hell of a lot and my HPS and HP were very skilled with group energy work and drawing in the goddess energy. unfortunately, there was also a strong aspect of “this is an ancient lineage that you need to be 100% obedient to” that ultimately drove me away. of course it wasnt! i could find in books the parts that the ritual liturgy was pieced together from! and the whole “the goddess speaks through me so you have to do whatever i say” is just plain bullshit and why i reject organized religion anyway.
anyway, then i discovered reclaiming and the faeri tradition. even though starhawk calls her trad wiccan, and there are aspects of TBW in her original liturgy in “the spiral dance,” the HEART of reclaiming is NOT TBW or “wiccan.” i strongly recommend, if you havent read “spiral dance” “truth or dare” “dreaming the dark” “the earth path” etc, please do. and thorn coyle’s book, “evolutionary witchcraft” too.
you can also find info on reclaiming’s, starhawk and thorn coyle’s websites. even though there is a very strong component of social activism in both these trads, dont let that deter you... activist or not, the non-dogmatic, non-wiccan approach to neo-paganism and witchcraft is invaluable.
for me there's never been only one that stood out, but here's a few of the best:
by far one of the easiest to understand and best interpretations of the classic 7000 year old yoga text of Patanjali:
[The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Swami Satchidananda] (http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Sutras-Patanjali-Swami-Satchidananda/dp/1938477073/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407625341&sr=8-1&keywords=patanjali+yoga+sutras)
The father of modern yoga and the Guruji of B.K.S. Iyengar and Patabi Jois:
Krishnamacharya: His Life and Teachings
Also a must read:
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika
For an interesting fusion of Catholicism and occult, check out Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey into Christian Hermeticism.
I suggest picking up a Marseille deck. It has a much older history than any other deck. The Arcana are a lot more subtle than a deck like the Rider-Waite. Any other deck seems like a bastard deck to me. The Camion Marseille deck restored by Alejandro Jodorowsky is incredibly beautiful.
http://en.camoin.com/tarot/Tarot-Marseille-Camoin-Jodorowsky-en.html
You can find a lot of great books written about the Marseille deck.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Way-Tarot-Spiritual-Teacher/dp/1594772630
http://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Tarot/dp/1585421618/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373642673&sr=1-1&keywords=meditations+on+the+tarot
You may want to read some literature by Maria Kvilhaug or Ronald Hutton. Both authors have been instrumental in helping me construct a coherent notion of what ancient practices may have looked like and how they would have evolved considering the introduction and spread of Christianity. Specific books to consider would be Triumph of the Moon and Seed of Yggdrasil both are fantastic books from legitimate historians. As far as trying to piece together a pure and historically accurate representation goes though, I wouldn't beat yourself up over the details without considering the proper context. Times have changed and so has our understanding of morality. I feel fairly certain that society today, would generally frown upon the sacrificing of virgins to appease the God's :-)
https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Tarot-Journey-Christian-Hermeticism/dp/1585421618
The best information comes from personal experience. That said, there is significantly more useful information in printed books than on the internet: Try books by Marian Green, Ronald Hutton, and others (disregard pretty much anything published by Llewellyn unless it was written by Scott Cunningham [who despite "fluffy bunny" leanings knows his stuff, herbally] or another author you know to trust).
You might also want to hang around the magical blogosphere at places like Runesoup, Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom, Witch of Forest Grove, etc. The Lucky Mojo Curio Co. site is tacky as all hell (deliberately so) but an incredible resource, just bear in mind that Cat Yronwode (though very well-informed) is not the end-all be-all to conjure.
[Edited for Lucky Mojo typo and to add links]
No offense taken. :) Sure, It's not something I'd rely on for a doctoral dissertation, and the heady conclusions of a new paradigm caused my cynical alarm to go off, but took it as entertaining. I would not consider any parallels he draws as neat or clean by any stretch.
I'm also aware of books like the Tao of Physics and The Quantum and The Lotus...
Among the most relevant references that we have about tarots there is a book titled Meditations on the Tarot written by a clever Christian mystic, that comes with a preface by a Cardinal, Hans Urs von Balthasar. I strongly recommend to read this book even if you are not Catholic Christian (I am not) because it's a real in-depth ermetic analysis about the tarots. If your parents will ever ask you something on this subject, talk them about this amazing literary work. You can buy it on Amazon .
Christianity has a long history of contemplation and mysticism. While you're reading about Zen, try reading The Cloud of Unknowing. Might give you some good insight.
I know it's not quite what you're asking for but this book is great and I always recommend it to my spiritually-minded friends. It gave me inspiration at a hard time in my life.
https://www.amazon.com/There-River-Story-Edgar-Cayce-ebook/dp/B00L9AXX1I
The Tao of Physics is great book written a theoretical physicist. In the first part of the book he does an amazing job explaining particle physics. Then, he explains some of the higher ideas behind Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Next, he proceeds to point out in mind-blowing ways how they're the same.
The parallels between Eastern Thought and modern physics is intriguing. You'll learn a huge amount about both subjects, and if this book doesn't set you to thinking, you're probably dead. ;-)
The Triumph of the Moon by Ronald Hutton is a good academic but readable history of neopagan Witchcraft.
Talks a lot about the inspiration being the Romantic poets and Victorian attitudes to the occult and nature, gradually leading to Gerald Gardner and Wicca since then.
I know we've had discussions before, and I feel like you are currently at a place I was a few years ago on some level (although you are in a different position considering you have a family).
This book I want to recommend to you is a bit heady, and has very little to do with Christianity (though there is a very interesting chapter on Cain & Abel), but it propelled me from sitting on the sidelines to wanting to finally throw down and begin my catechism.
The book is The Reign of Quantity by René Guénon, and it is really the book on metaphysics from a modern perspective.
If you want to take it to the next level after that, read this book by Jean Borella for the Christian response to Guenon. I have really come to feel that this 1-2 combo is a necessity for Christians who want to recover something of their heritage in the modern world.
Feynman's Six Easy Pieces is a great introduction to quantum mechanics. Gary Zukov's book The Dancing Wu Li Masters doesn't have a great reputation among physicists because it strays a bit into mysticism, but I think it's a pretty good read. Capra's Tao of Physics is in the same category. For an easy-to-understand discussion of the weirdness of quantum mechanics, Fred Kuttner and Bruce Rosenblum's Quantum Enigma: Physics Encounters Consciousness is excellent.
This is an Amazon list of books on the subject that I found helpful:
Robert Kroese, author of Schrödinger's Gat
Gurdjieff was a Sufi mystic who has a book written by one of his students, Ouspensky, called In Search of the Miraculous. You may find some profound and useful material of Gurdjieff in this book.
​
https://www.amazon.com/Search-Miraculous-Harvest-Book/dp/0156007460
The book you are looking for is Hutton's Triumph of the Moon.
https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Tarot-Journey-Christian-Hermeticism/dp/1585421618/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1466237064&sr=1-1
Looks like a flower to me. Upon reading, it seems like a flower thats shooting snakes.
Better explanation:
https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Dendera_lamp
AS much as I would LOVE for ancient egypt to have invented the cathode ray lightbulb, there isn't any evidence beyond a wall carving that can be better explained by egyptian mythology.
Is there any evidence for egyptians electroplating stuff? That would be something that could be stumbled upon using mixed metal batteries and acid that could lead to other things. There are cultures (baghdad battery I think) that used primitive batteries for electroplating that date to WAY before western battery usage. I think. I read this quite a while ago, and it was fascinating: https://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Engineers-Astonishing-Wonders-Creators/dp/0345482875/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=ancient+engineers&qid=1565409855&s=gateway&sr=8-1
But as near I can tell there is nothing in egyptian culture or finds that point to them having any knowledge of electricity, never mind having enough knowledge and current to be able to make a cathode ray tube bulb thing.
The Tao of Pooh
The Tao of Physics
The Book
I have a friend who became a christian, and was looking between Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. He was about to be baptized Tridentine Mass Catholic, but then he started going East. But then he did some mediation thing with the hierophant Tarot card (he was into this previously) and he wound up Roman. Moral of the story: don't mess with the Tarot or you'll end up a Papist.
Seriously though, while the modern use of Tarot is some new age nonsense at best and spiritually dangerous at worse, the card set actually originates from a Roman Catholic tradition. The cards have meanings related quite closely to Christianity. Check out this video for more details. There's also a deck from Russia that uses more Byzantine images, so there's even an Orthodox version (I'm curious what the hierophant card is on this deck!).
But yeah, the more you know. There's also this book that expands on the link between Christianity and the Tarot.
Anyway, practical advice, for your uncertain times; Christ is unchanging. Do not find rest in circumstances, but in Christ, and then the uncertainty will have no meaning. And the Tarot probably won't help with your future anyway. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
I am a heretic my self, here is the hand book for taking your buddy down; http://www.amazon.com/The-Ancient-Engineers-Sprague-Camp/dp/0345482875/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345589205&sr=8-1&keywords=ancient+engineers
we pretty much know the name of the engineer who built the pyramid. we have his tomb and some of his tools.
This is the best one on Wicca, by a real historian who actually grew up in a pagan family:
Triumph of the Moon
I don't know any decent history of the pagan revival in the broader sense. I have three books on Hellenism, none of which mention that the revival started 200 years ago, and one on Asatru which mentions 1970s Icelanders but not 1930 Australians!
This is a fine book and one to lend to people who ask "why paganism?"
Million and one Gods
Mine is more of an awareness the spiritual side of existence than a religion. It is an appreciation for the interconnectedness of all things and an essential oneness of existence. It is Indra's Web and all science wrapped into one.
If you'd like to learn more, I can recommend this book
My respect for Rajnath Singh went up since it looks like he has read Fritzof Capra's book - Tao of Physics.
http://www.amazon.com/Tao-Physics-Exploration-Parallels-Mysticism/dp/1590308352/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1416200472&sr=8-6&keywords=fritjof+capra
Religion isn't about logic. It's about how it makes people feel. Some people have faith, or they have a religious experience that makes all the illogical stuff make much more sense. It's not something you're going to be able to fully understand unless you experience it yourself. Wicca is largely experiential - it's about doing it and feeling it, it's not about knowing the theology. Frankly, Wicca includes a lot of "woo" stuff that isn't 100% logical and doesn't line up with how the majority of people perceive reality.
As an agnostic, I accept that I don't have faith, and so I am never going to be able to fully understand the religious beliefs of people that truly have faith.
Have you read any books on this stuff? I don't mean spell books or Wicca 101. You might like reading some of the more dry, academic books about the evolution of neopaganism, like the Triumph of the Moon by Hutton.
https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Tarot-Journey-Christian-Hermeticism/dp/1585421618
> There is still something a bit off about your sentence. Why feel so compelled to point out that Buddhist and Hindu scriptures are full of superstitious nonsense, when no one in this conversation thinks otherwise? The only reason you would want to do that is if you are trying to paint Harris as being uncritical of such dogma, or irrationally biased toward the Eastern traditions.
I accept it could be viewed as unfairly portraying Harris's position, but that wasn't my intention. I pointed it out because Harris was generally lauding Eastern religions while trashing Abrahamic religions, so I felt the point needed to be emphasised. It's not like a great deal of thought went into what I wrote: it was a post I made on reddit.
> This isn't a fair reading of what Harris has argued in his books and articles.
My response was based on reading the first chapter of his new book. I haven't got a banana in my pocket for the man, so I think it's unreasonable to expect me to have read his views extensively.
> 1) those traditions have spiritual practices that can, in principle, be separated from the religious context in which they were born
That can be done with many Christian practices. Contemplative prayer is one such example, and I view it as practically identical to meditation.
> 2) there isn't much comparable wisdom to be taken from the Abrahamic faiths. What nondual spiritual understanding that can be found in the Abrahamic faiths (e.g. Kabbalah meditation) are encumbered by metaphysics and other dogmas that make them of little use.
Like Harris, I expect you've little exposure to texts from Abrahamic religions, and it is your ignorance about what those texts say that lead to such blatantly false claims. Thich Nhat Nanh is a well-known Buddhist who has also found the wisdom of Buddhism and Christianity so comparable that he wrote several books about it. I think there is much wisdom in the writings of people like St. John of the Cross and Thomas Aquinas, for example, that is comparable to the Buddha's teachings.
> Harris says this because the Abrahamic religions are incorrigibly dualistic.
If you believe Harris only says things that are correct, then you're worshipping an idol. Is he not human? Can he not err?
> You're off the rails here. If some Christian mystic, writing centuries after Christianity's founding dogmas were established, arrives at a nondual understanding of consciousness in a Christian context, this does not change Christianity's basic dogmas
Let me get this straight. Christianity is incorrigibly dualistic because you've appointed yourself the supreme arbiter of what the founding dogmas of Christianity really mean, and those Christians who believe in union with God don't meet your standard. They're not real Christians, and therefore Christianity remains incorrigibly dualistic and Harris the hero remains triumphant.
What Christianity's founding dogmas mean isn't solely determined by what you consider to be the correct interpretation of them. Many Christians have different views about what they mean. The Bible explicitly states that obfuscation is part of their tradition -- "they may be ever seeing but never periceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding" -- so your idea that only your interpretation can be correct is nonsense.
I can easily take the same specious reasoning and claim that Buddhism is incorrigibly dualistic: The Buddha told many stories about reincarnation. I'm closing my eyes to all other interpretations of reincarnation and anything else the Buddha said that disagrees with me, and I'm going to assume it implies people have a soul. Therefore Buddhism is incorrigibly dualistic.
Here's Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh's answer to your question (5th question in link).
He has written two books on this topic called "Living Buddha, Living Christ" and "Going Home: Jesus and Buddha as Brothers".
He sometimes mentions Christianity in his dharma talks, some of those are available here.
I also found Eckhart Tolle's book ["The Power of Now"] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Now-Spiritual-Enlightenment-ebook/dp/B002361MLA) helpful which is about the common "essence of all religions" and is strongly influenced by Buddhism.
The Cloud of Unknowing
The Tarot does not have to be used for divination. Indeed, that is a later "use" of them, a later creation, which is a poor one at that. But there are other ways to use them which can be good. This is the book to look into: https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Tarot-Journey-Christian-Hermeticism/dp/1585421618