(Part 3) Best new age & spirituality books according to redditors
We found 4,629 Reddit comments discussing the best new age & spirituality books. We ranked the 1,794 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 41-60. You can also go back to the previous section.
Marx advocated atheism to the masses. Nations that are fully taken over by communism outlaw all religions and mandate atheism as the official state religion. Look at communist China now, for example, where Christians have to practice their faith underground. Karl Marx wasn't really an atheist, however. Secretly, he was a practicing Satanist, as proven by this book: https://www.amazon.com/Marx-Satan-Richard-Wurmbrand/dp/0891073795
Karl Marx was just a frontman for much more powerful ruling elites operating behind the scenes. It is reported that the Rothschilds funded Marx to write The Communist Manifesto. Marxism is an ideological vehicle to bring in the agenda for totalitarian globalist rule (ie, "New World Order"), that is the Satanic agenda for the world.
This stone was placed in Haverhill, Massachusetts. This is my seventeen placed stone in the United States. See my history for the others, placed in different states.
I’m an over the road trucker so this is how I’m able to travel quickly.
Two people were involved in calling child protective services on my wife while I’m away traveling. My wife is a stay at home mother who has cancer. The two people spread vicious rumors that I had abandoned my wife and children, called Child Protective Services, and then claimed they were going to personally adopt our children.
The second individual involved deleted her Facebook, reported to mutual friends that she was “backing down from her CPS threat” and was now “scared”.
After completing this 33 Stone Ritual I will be solely focusing on mass healing rituals for my wife and putting this specific retribution ritual behind me. I don’t believe I will be doing revenge rituals again.
My wife called me sobbing while I was it of town for traveling. She told me everything that was happening. After we got done talking I went into a rage where I I wanted to hurt someone. I don’t remember ever being that angry but I laid down and just meditated. I eventually called on King Paimon begging for help. This ritual flashed into my head, along with the number 3.
I added 33 stones in 33 States to go big and I wanted plenty of time to do it, so 333 days. It just felt right.
So I just focused all of my energy on these two people involved. I asked for them to be tormented, suck their health and energy and give it to my wife as retribution.
I am not an expert. I’m an eclectic magician that uses what works and tosses what doesn’t. This ritual works for me, it might not for you. If you are a beginner you need to get your basics down. You wouldn’t make a paper airplane then suddenly decide you’re ready to fly fighter jets. Please for your safety read the basics.
But here is a very basic appetizer to give you a little edge to the machete that you’ll need to carve your own path in the jungle that is occult information:
Start here: This is an easy comic to give you the basics and get your feet wet.
https://www.deviantart.com/bluefluke/art/The-Psychonaut-Field-Manual-FOURTH-PDF-EDITION-530005584
This is kind of a text book that you can follow if you want a thelemic approach.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0970449607?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_yo_pop_mb_pd_t2
Also I recommend Gems of the equinox.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1578634172?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_yo_pop_mb_pd_t2
This is very beginner friendly and highly recommended:
https://www.amazon.com/Prometheus-Rising-Robert-Anton-Wilson/dp/0692710604
This is a fantastic meditation app, free, and very beginner friendly.
https://www.insighttimer.com/meditation-app
I do not recommend summoning powerful entities without first summoning “safer” beings such as ancestral spirits, but you are going to do what you want. I did. And it’s worked for me. But PROTECT yourself.
You need to get meditation and focus down pat. I’d recommend evoking an ancestor first since they should have your best interests. Then moving onto other entities.
The Goetia can be friendly, indifferent, malevolent, or simply plain alien. (Think lovecraftian incompressible)
*I know King Paimon and Duke Bune are friendly to beginners, overly patient and open as long as you recognize their rank, are humble and respectful.
This doesn’t mean try to enslave them. That’s not going to work out great for you. What would happen if you blackmailed a powerful head of state of a country? It’d annoy him and in turn people would find you suicided with a double shotgun blast. Approach them like you would meeting a friendly CEO and you should be fine.
Ultimately realize that you can follow in the footsteps of someone else, but that’s only going to put you on the path devoid of what will really fulfill you. You eventually need to fly, baby bird, And ever off cutting your own path. Don’t get to smug when you get a little practice under your belt.
There’s always someone better than you, mr. 3rd level armchair wizard who collects 1st edition books from the bookstore only three people in Portland know about.
Thanks, man! A bit... I don't know, scared now, I guess? From reading what you had to say. They actually did a quick shakedown + psychiatric evaluation of me when we got back to the school (we had a staff of two doctors, one a general physician, one is an ENT, two nurses, and a psychiatrist who does psych assessments normally to new employees), which lasted for most of my day the next day, but the doctors told me I appear to be normal, my psych assessment passed too. I haven't really seen a specialist, and didn't get EEG or brain scans, because probably part of me is scared to find something wrong? I guess.
Your answer might actually answer to everything I've experienced, but it scares me more that it might not. Going out on a limb here, but what if there are simply things we still haven't studied enough, like parallel worlds and multiverses? I've been reading David Wilcock's book The Source Field Investigations, and perhaps this is just the book getting to me. Haha. If you have free time it's worth a read. http://www.amazon.com/The-Source-Field-Investigations-Civilizations/dp/0452297974
Thanks again bro, really really appreciate your help!
The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester.
A modern take on the Count of Monte Christo. From Amazon:
> Gully Foyle, Mechanic's Mate 3rd Class. EDUCATION: none SKILLS: none MERITS: none RECOMMENDATIONS: none That's the official verdict on Gully Foyle, unskilled space crewman. But right now he is the only survivor on his drifting, wrecked spaceship, and when another space vessel, the Vorga, ignores his distress flares and sails by, Gully becomes obsessed with revenge.
Leftists aren't insane. They are EVIL. Most of them, and especially the elite Leftists, are given over to supporting what they know is a wicked, malevolent, oppressive, and deceptive agenda. And that agenda is communism. And Marxism is fundamentally a SATANIC agenda. The core of the Marx's ideology was his war on the Creator (and Christianity). This is why everything the communist Left promotes (abortion, Sodomy, pedophilia, sexual promiscuity, mass immigration of muslims) is designed to destroy traditional/Christian society and morality.
Karl Marx was actually a practicing Satanist. He only peddled atheism to the masses. It is proven from his private writings (letters, poems, etc) that he was a Luciferian. This is proven in the following book: https://www.amazon.com/Marx-Satan-Richard-Wurmbrand/dp/0891073795
Free in PDF: http://www.hourofthetime.com/1-LF/Hour_Of_The_Time_08122012-Marx_and_Satan.pdf
Patrick Dunn wrote the clearest, most no-nonsense explanation of the relationship between science and magic that I've read. Note that when he says "the scientist" and "the mage," he is aware he's making broad generalizations. As a linguistics professor, he wears both hats.
>For the past few centuries, Western culture has learned to perceive reality empirically - that is, fundamental beliefs rely on conclusions solely derived from observation. This approach is known as the scientific method. This systematic method is something of an anomaly in human history, though it has allowed us to make advancements far beyond the dreams of our ancestors. In the past hundred years alone we've split an atom, traveled to the moon, turned gold into lead, found treatments for countless diseases, and cracked the human genome. The scientific method is useful for understanding reality, and the mage would do well to understand and be able to employ it as necessary.
>The scientific method assumes the laws of reality are more or less constant. The mage, on the other hand, follows Heraclitus' maxim: "One cannot step in the same river twice." Scientists often recognize some truth in this maxim. But if reality is not more or less constant, the scientific method is a moot practice. Obviously, the world in many ways does remain constant over a period of time - the sun will probably come up tomorrow and we can safely assume that all the oxygen atoms in the atmosphere won't suddenly condense over London, causing the rest of the world to suffocate. The assumption of constancy is what leads scientists to expect they can make future predictions based on repetitive results. And for the most part they can.
>Even science recognizes, however, that some things are not subject to this method. One cannot, for example, repeat a work of art in the same way one can repeat an experiment. The repetition of an experiment results in the accumulation of evidence, which either proves or disproves the validity of a hypothesis. The repetition of a work of art does not prove anything about the art - it's just a copy. Like art, magic is not subject to scientifically controlled repetition, because it deals with the subtle states of self, mind, and holistic reality at the moment of the act of magic. Sorcery is utterly untestable, which is fine. It doesn't have to be.
>Unlike scientists, mages approach reality intuitively rather than empirically. A scientist observes a phenomenon, makes a hypothesis about it, and then gathers data to support or disprove that hypothesis. A mage, on the other hand, observes the symbol systems interacting to make up our world. A mage may have many hypotheses, and feel no need to gather data to prove any of them. A mage perceives the world not as a constant interaction of immutable laws - although often and in many ways it is - but as an ever-changing interaction of arbitrary and constantly shifting symbols. Each symbol, each fundamental building block of reality, connects to some other symbol - or more likely a series of symbols - themselves connecting to others, and so on. The scientist tries to understand and systemize the world; the mage simply tries to experience it.
>An astute and well-educated reader might insist that atoms, or perhaps energy - not symbols - are the fundamental substance of existence. I will discuss symbols more fully in the next chapter, but let me further clarify here. Energy makes up all the matter we perceive in the universe, but our reality does not merely consist of matter. In fact, if you list the things that most impact your reality, I suspect immaterial, even abstract, symbols - love, money, health - appear most frequently. Even the significance of matter itself is often more symbolic than material. The little pewter wizard on top of my computer does not simply remind me of lead and tin; to me, it is a gift from a family member, a little joke on myself, and an object that manages to fall and bruise my toe every time I move my computer.
--Postmodern Magic
Here you go
There are a few parallels here to what I refer to as astral parasites, and Robert Bruce calls Negs, Castaneda referred to as Flyers, and the Gnostics termed Archons. While I recognize that the universe does indeed have a 'circle of life' pattern to it with everything feeding on everything else at lower levels of reality (at higher levels, one thing becomes every other thing and it's all Oneness anyway), I don't believe that I SHOULD be contributing to particular entities which have become (or have chosen to become) disconnected from the Light/Source etc. (This guy has an interesting take on the nature and motives of such entities. Just found it tonight while looking for a link discussing Castaneda's Flyers.)
Personally, I would not invite such beings into your area or have further dealings with them. In any shamanic studies I've undertaken, insects that feed on me have always been bad things to avoid or stamp out (often being the astral form of a physical disease/virus). The part of your description that sent off 'alarm bells' for me was how you described it as a "robot with no mind, just a job to feed". That's EXACTLY how all astral parasites I've encountered have been. They're like insects - they feel nothing, care nothing, only feed. If they do communicate, they'll say whatever it takes to get you to feel bad and submit so they can feed off your guilt, depression, anger, fear etc. They will laugh and tell you how weak and pathetic you are in an attempt to dominate and cause submission. You have to ignore that, remain calm, and continue to fight back without allowing emotions to distract or sabotage your efforts. It may be a shark's nature to feed on meat, but I will NOT be on the menu today, thanks.
Prior to engaging in hallucinogenic activities, you should probably be using a banishing ritual/ceremony or similar to ensure that unwanted outside influences are cleared away and kept out, and your preferred focus and direction for the trip are maintained. Because I began my training in a ceremonial style, I use the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram as my default method for beginning and ending every working unless the symbolism/energies raised by it aren't as compatible with the working at hand, in which case I'll switch to a different symbol set and use a variation of the Hammer Rite (Runes) or similar (this is basically just a modified LBRP anyway - same format).
I encourage you to read Robert Bruce's material regarding how Negs operate and how to get rid of them. Then compare with Castaneda's works (which are very entertaining reads and provide food for thought, even if they aren't 'authentic Mexican sorcery' as advertised - many of the methods still work pretty well).
Edit: This excerpt from Mike Harner's The Way of the Shaman might also interest you.
Do skip church. I think I went back to church once when I got scared, and another time when a group of assholes shangahaid me through AA. Both times I had to start over from scratch. Your instincts about big box religion are correct, and you should listen to them.
Don't dismiss, well...alternatives to materialism, we'll say, out of hand. A lot of them are BS, sure. And a lot of them that look like BS on the surface have more to them than you'd imagine, if you can get past the scam artists pimping them off for profit.
I personally think, for those who become atheist, you have to push through to the ends of atheism to become a gnostic- and I don't mean Christian Gnostic, I mean that in the generic sense. I had to, there's no shame in it. Don't take things on faith, but do incorporate experience and introspection into your worldview.
Apart from that, if you want to test reality's edges out to see if it's actually the way they explain it to school children, try something like astral projection til it happens. Or some other type of magic. I'd stay away from "black" magic until you find your feet, though. You can certainly go that route if you want, but...I'd get a feel for things first.
Here's a book, Postmodern Magic. If you feel inclined to get it, do the exercises and keep a journal. It's not the only introductory book, but it's a nice one. A free intro to Chaos Magic can be found here, Oven-Ready Chaos by Phil Hine. Both of those are kinda in the Chaos vein of things, but look around, there's plenty of other systems to work in. Druidry, Wicca, Traditional Witchcraft, Shamanism, Hermeticism...blah blah, try stuff til something sticks.
I'm not sure about essential to every occult library (and I realize some of these aren't necessarily considered primarily 'occult' texts), but here are a few I've found useful:
Welcome to the sub, DM mentioned the ADF but I don't think they'd be the organization for you if you're more on the athiest/agnostic spectrum as the ADF takes a more religious, polytheistic approach. I'd look into the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids (OBOD) and the Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA) if you're looking into an organization to join. Many druids are solitary though and never join an organization, though there are advantages to doing so. They're a good source of guidance.
Most people start by reading books though, I'd also suggest reading the first two links in the side bar. One is a sort of 'summary' of the modern druid movement, the second is a comprehensive history of how it came about.
Some good 'starter' books are:
The Path of Druidry by Penny Billington
The Druidry Handbook by John Michael Greer
Druidry and Meditation by Nimue Brown
A Brief History of the Druids by Peter Berresford Ellis
Several of the above authors also have blogs that a lot of people read and follow.
I tend to suggest the above because it covers a few different approaches to things, I feel like it's important as druids today to understand the past and where we get our influence from, which A Brief History of the Druids provides, both the Druidry Handbook and the Path of Druidry offer a good introduction to modern druidry, and Druidry and Meditation provides some instruction and guidance on meditation, which a lot of druids practice, and also I think does a good job of displaying the mentality and energy of many modern druids.
The thing about modern druidry though is there really isn't a right or wrong way as long as you adhere to the very basic beliefs of respecting all life (this doesn't mean necessarily being a pacifistic) and revering nature. You can be an atheist, a pantheist, a monotheist, a polytheist, Christian, Pagan, Buddhist, whatever. Which means it can be a little intimidating to new people, since you're kind of just tossed into this big forest and told to figure out your own way through it, but you learn a lot.
I think it's also good to note that modern druidry is not an attempt at recreation, if you read a Brief History of the Druids, you'll figure out that we actually know very little about the ancient druids, so it'd be very difficult to recreate their order.
Yes, the language of angels which Magick-folks are still using today.
Including giants like Lon Milo Duquette
Its a little complicated for me, and I don't really do "ceremonial magick" but I certainly don't dismiss it either and have great respect for many of the brilliant people who do.
Hey there! I have some recommendations, and I'm sure others do as well, but if you're looking for introductory-style books, here you go!
I'd also recommend OBOD and ADF's websites; they're chock-full of information! And of course, feel free to ask here if you have any questions.
Simply put: Ogham is an alphabet. The symbols are called feadha (usually rendered as "few" in English), arranged into groups of five called aicmí, and they represent letter sounds.
It gets more complicated when we start looking into the fidh names, Bríatharogam, divination, and neopagan innovations. I would say that in neopaganism we use ogham as an alphabet for cultural and practical reasons (it is easier to carve/burn into wood than the Roman alphabet is), as well as for divination and magic.
There is no simple answer to the meaning of the feadha. If you follow the links I provided above, you will find that there are varying names and Bríatharogam with which each feadha can be interpreted. If you would like a guide for how some modern Druids interpret ogham, you can check out The Druidry Handbook or The Druid Magic Handbook, both of which are written by John Michael Greer, the Grand Archdruid of AODA.
Keep in mind that these interpretations are neopagan innovations which descend from some questionable records handed down to us from Christian monks. The pre-Christian Irish may not have interpreted ogham quite in this way.
Edit: fidh is singular, feadha plural.
I don’t know if it’s actually intended for communicating with the dead, but I have a Santa Muerte deck and it’s beautiful! The book comes with “Advice from the dead” with every card.
Here’s the link:
Santa Muerte Tarot Deck: Book of the Dead https://www.amazon.com/dp/0738754382/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_C1pGDb7QKCWVJ
Rider-Waite is a good beginner deck.
My preference (especially awesome if you want a deck LOADED with rich symbology) is The Hermetic Tarot by Godfrey Dowson
IMHO this desk is also one of the greatest if you are interested in the relationship with the Tree of Life.
Yes, but I find sigils to be temporary, and because most forms of depression are heavily interwoven with habits, a sigil will mostly be ineffective.
(Before I get started, I just want to say CBT therapy works and works well on depression. I highly recommend it. This is because ending depression takes multiple steps and it's far easier to get a guide than to walk that path alone.)
(Also, it's best to take this comment slow. There is A LOT here. No need to get overwhelmed.)
A sigil, for me, and similar techniques, tends to do what I call a "one off" where something goes the way I want it to in that time, but then things go back to normal. That is, for me a sigil rarely changes my habits.
(However, chaos magick has some long term techniques. More on that at the bottom.)
When it comes to long term changes, the best course of action I've found is:
Depression has a lot to do with habits, but the habits that cause depression can vary from person to person. imho the hardest kind of depression is the person who blindly disbelieves that they can change their depression and even remove it with work. This sort of blind doubt is a habit causing one kind of depression. This habit creates a sort of depression because if you default to no instead of yes you'll not end up doing much in life creating a sort of sloth, and a near opposite of depression is being both physically inactive and socially inactive.
Another habit that creates depression is not doing exercises. 1 day a week a 20 min+ walk should be done to stay healthy. (If not more.) Many who do not do this fall into one kind of depression. Being physically healthy is a good habit to gain.
Another habit that can cause depression is not having friends irl. Online is fine, but irl is better. Technically it is the feeling of loneliness that can cause this kind of depression, so not everyone gets depressed who hide under a rock, but for the average person, this is the case. Also, in this context, a friend is someone you want to hang out with one on one from time to time. (And if you're thinking, "Oh great!" I've been there. There are many ways to gain friends, starting with googling for help. This is step #2 above.)
Depression can come from procrastination, and procrastination can have many different habits that can cause it: For example, if you rely on others, and others are not around to help you, it's easy to fall into the habit of getting stuck or procrastinating instead of getting things done. Another habit is thinking about a problem instead of physically getting up and doing the first step, often blindly without thinking. Overthinking causes procrastination. Another habit that causes procrastination is following ones feelings in the moment. This is a particularly nasty one. Envisioning a beneficial future (which is a kind of magick) and then valuing that future over how you currently feel is a must to get rid of procrastination. However, some feelings in the moment do matter, like when choosing what kind of food to eat, or seeing if it isn't safe to be doing a task or other situations. This is a skill that takes practice.
Instant gratification is a big one. Too much of it and it's super easy to get depressed. If I had to guess, in the modern age with Reddit, youtube, and Facebook, instant gratification is probably the #1 cause of depression today. This doesn't mean you have to cut these services cold turkey, but they should be reserved to the end of the day, after daily tasks are done, otherwise you're back to procrastinating.
And there are more habits that can cause depression that can be changed, like expecting the worse. I covered this one a bit earlier in the defaulting to no bit. Expecting the worse in things and having incorrect expectations can also cause anxiety.
And many more.. the trick is to be mindful enough to identify what habits you have that are causing you particular kind of depression. (Depression is inactivity.. lacking productive activity, physical activity, and/or irl social activity, so any habits that create that kind of inactivity.) For many it's only one or two habits, and there is a high chance you will not even have to dig for it, because I've listed the majority of habits people might have in this clusterfuck of a comment.
Chaos magick: Being nihilistic can cause a kind of existential depression. Likewise being pessimistic and or "a realist" can cause a kind of depression too. These are both perspectives, and at the heart of chaos magick is being able to change perspectives to fit whatever works best in the moment. So therefore, chaos magick can cure one of the more common kinds of depression. For information on how to do this the book Prometheus Rising is a fun and quick read, though you have to read the whole book and do some of the exercises to really get a handle on it. The book is also a prerequisite for chaos magick, so if you're curious exploring the most powerful kind of magick, reading PR is two birds with one stone.
edit: lol derp. This is r/chaosmagick.
Indeed, Taoism has shamanic roots. But keep in mind that Taoism is much broader and more complicated than most people realize. I recommend reading Taoism: An Essential Guide by Eva Wong for a better understanding of how it evolved from shamanism.
https://www.amazon.com/Taoism-Essential-Guide-Eva-Wong-ebook/dp/B00ATMWJZ8
As for books on shamanism, Michael Harner’s “The Way of the Shaman” is considered classic.
https://www.amazon.com/Way-Shaman-Michael-Harner/dp/0062503731
Edited: grammar, additional book link
It depends on what you're interested in really. You can get the general explanation of Federal Reserve, Illuminati, 9/11, CIA, NSA, etc from just about any YouTube video. Some books that have recently opened my mind to other topics, however include:
The Source Field Investigations by David Wilcock - The best written and most well-sourced book I've read concerning alternative history, conspiracy theories, suppressed science, and a host of other topics. Main thesis being that consciousness is a nonlocal field.
Fingerprints of the Gods by Graham Hancock - Some of the best evidence out there for a lost civilization which fell out of power and memory sometime around the end of the ice age. A bit outdated, but a sequel is due this year.
Genesis Revisted by Zecharia Sitchin - Read this if you want to understand why some people think the Annunaki are a thing. Some interesting info, but I don't really buy into it that much.
Dark Mission by Richard Hoagland - Occult history of NASA, coverups of what was found on the Moon, Mars, and some suppressed science.
The Holographic Universe by Michael Talbot - Exactly what it sounds like
Rather than reading about the same theories in different words over and over, these books gave me perspective on possible reasons why TPTB do what they do. And an idea on what some deeper purpose for their intensive consumerism propaganda might be for, other than profit. Additionaly they exposed me to new/old ideas on what the universe fundamentally is and how it works, with some good science to back it up. Highly recommend all of these books.
https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Dawn-Original-Teachings-Ceremonies/dp/0738743992/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=Golden+dawn+israel&qid=1565839265&s=gateway&sr=8-1
Best book you get on the topic. Written by Israel Regardie, an former member of the GD and personal secretary of Aleister Crowley. Shared a lot of the inner knowledge of the GD what brought him a lot of hate.
Santa Muerte Tarot Deck: Book of the Dead https://www.amazon.com/dp/0738754382/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_RyVzCbMQT3GGC
There’s also a limited addition one that comes in a box shaped like a coffin but that’s not on the link I shared
Satan is a communist!
Hum,this is strange,I'm pretty her favorite book is that .
Mysteries of the Unexplained
http://www.amazon.com/Mysteries-Unexplained-Carroll-C-Calkins/dp/0895771462/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1369734841&sr=1-1&keywords=mysteries+of+the+unexplained
Hail Eris
http://www.amazon.com/Lesser-Key-Solomon-Joseph-Peterson/dp/157863220X
and basically anything listed in the 'also bought'
Some books to check out: Toxic Parents by Susan Forward and Psychic Self-Defense by Dion Fortune. Both books are easy enough to find in pdf format, and are very applicable to this situation.
You could try summoning Orobas, and asking him. He's supposed to be relatively friendly and doesn't usually lie to the mage and doesn't try to fuck you over. He is #55 in the Lesser Key (The Crowley, Mathers, Conybear one). His shit says "The Fifty-fifth Spirit is Orobas. He is a great and Mighty Prince, appearing at first like a horse; but after the command of the Exorcist he putteth on the Image of a Man. His Office is to discover all things Past, Present, and to Come; also to give Dignities, and Prelacies, and the Favor of Friends and of Foes. He giveth True Answers of Divinity, and of the Creation of the World. He is very faithful unto the Exorcist, and will not suffer him to be tempted of any Spirit..."
I think he is usually one of the first entities people summon for this reason. I know, like, Lon Milo DuQuette summoned him for help and he helped him get out of some dire financial straights. So if you're up for working with demons again I suggest giving him a shot.
I think this is supposed to be the better version of the Lesser Key https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/157863220X/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
That's all I can think of at this moment, hope it is helpful.
It is an... intriguing field. The only well-known source I'm aware of is Crowley, whom I understand is controversial. I know there are accounts from the Renaissance of witches having sexual relationships with spirits, but I take anything from that period with a grain of salt.
Richard Cavendish's The Black Arts is a comprehensive guide for laymen, which does touch on sexual magic, but mostly Crowley's work. Other than that, I don't have much, but I'd love to learn more.
I’m currently reading The Black Arts. This shit is interesting asf
Just a bit of background on the Wilhelm translation:
Richard Wilhelm is the translator you want. He travelled to China at the end of the Imperial period, before the Xinhai revolution in China severed the last link of an unbroken tradition reaching back for millenia.
He found himself a teacher named Lao Nai-hsuan who was pretty much the last in a long line of traditional I Ching scholars, and learned everything he could from him. Then Wilhelm spent a decade translating the I Ching into German, consulting his teacher at every stage, and making sure he conveyed the authentic, traditional interpretation as faithfully as possible to Western audiences. A scholar named Cary Baynes then later translated the German into English.
The Wilhelm version you're looking at is a translation of a translation, but it's still regarded as unique and unsurpassed in terms of authenticity. Wilhelm learned from an actual imperial Chinese scholar who was well-versed in the ancient tradition of interpretation of the I Ching, a text that is renowned for being obscure even by ancient standards. As Jung later said, it is as if this book "delivered the last message of the old, dying China to Europe." Wilhelm was the right man in the right place at the right time. This is not something which can be repeated.
If you want an "accurate" translation--as in true to the way the book has been traditionally viewed by the people from whom it originated--the Richard Wilhelm translation is really the only place to start. Once you've gotten comfortable with that, then it's worth moving on to others.
> Think that's not accurate.
You're seem to be thinking from the part of your brain that ususally does the wanting.
maybe read some Kahneman - Thinking fast and Slow or Robert A. Wilson - Prometheus rising to get a better understanding. There's also good training exercises in the latter one.
I'd like to recommend a book if you're interested.
It's Patrick Dunn's "Postmodern Magic: The Art of Magic in the Information Age". He presents a wide number of trans-paradigmatic exercises and "rituals" that I think would be very approachable in this instance.
I don't think "demons, aliens, and all things occult" are typically covered in a single, definitive work. Especially because "aliens" are usually part of UFOlogy and not occultism.
Regarding occult topics though:
- The New Encyclopedia of the Occult
- Three Books of Occult Philosophy
- Dictionary of Demons
- A Dictionary of Angels
- The Golden Dawn
- Gems of the Equinox
- The Complete Magician's Tables
- The Magician's Companion
There are literally hundreds of other resources available too, but these are the ones I could think of off the top of my head.
Book 4 by Aleister Crowley
The Book of the Law by Aleister Crowley
The Vision and the Voice by Aleister Crowley
Liber 777 by Aleister Crowley
The Book of Lies by Aleister Crowley
Gems From the Equinox by Aleister Crowley and Israel Regardie
The Golden Dawn: The Original Account of the Teachings, Rites, and Ceremonies of the Hermetic Order by Israel Regardie
The Complete Golden Dawn System of Magic by Israel Regardie
The Goat Foot God by Dion Fortune
The Sea Priestess by Dion Fortune
The Winged Bull by Dion Fortune
Moon Magic by Dion Fortune
Zanoni by Edward Bulwer Lytton
The Golden Ass by Apuleius
The Dream of Scipio by Cicero
Pistis Sophia by G.R.S. Mead
Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians of the 16th and 17th Centuries by "a Brother of the Fraternity"
The Golden Bough by Sir George Frazer
The Voice of the Silence by H.P. Blavatsky
The Kybalion by "Three Initiates"
The Corpus Hermeticum by Hermes Trismegistus
The Book of Abramelin
The Three Magical Books of Solomon
This sounds a lot like a book I had, called Mysteries of the Unexplained. I probably read that thing twenty times as a kid.
Joseph H. Peterson is THE man when it comes to grimoire translations. His annotations are scholarly and top notch. I can't recommend him enough.
https://www.amazon.com/Lesser-Key-Solomon-Joseph-Peterson/dp/157863220X/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
It was probably similar to this guy's experience. Very interesting book, read it in a graduate philosophy course a year or 2 back. http://www.amazon.com/Way-Shaman-Michael-Harner/dp/0062503731
Edit: Anthropologist (has some serious academic credentials) goes down to South America to study Shamanism, takes some serious shit, and has a spiritual awakening. Comes back to America, and is/was one of the founders of the spiritualist movement in the U.S.
/u/rhymes_with_pail is correct. "The Black Arts" is a synonym for practicing witchcraft and demonology. I'm sorry if the sub where I posted it made you suspect a racist joke instead of the joke I meant.
I don't know a lot about this... but I can recommend a book:
The Mind's I. Authors included: Dan Dennet and Douglas Hoffstader (author of Godel, Escher, Bach)
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If you want a dead tree edition amazon has some for that price.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0679767800/ref=tmm_pap_used_olp_sr?ie=UTF8&condition=used
I have a few recommendations for you.
Astro.com is good for astrology. Put your chart information in, study your Planets and what house they lie in. I really recommend learning a basic understanding of astrology, it will quickly help you tune into your strengths and overcome your weaknesses.
KRS (youtube) does good with astrology too.
My favorite astrologer is Linda Goodman. Her Sun Signs book and Star Signs book are very very good, especially Star Signs. I will say some of the health stuff she teaches should probably be overlooked (color diet) but everything else is very good.'
Astrology-numerology.com is another good resource.
For Tarot readings I recommend buying a deck of Universal Waite Tarot Deck cards. These days you can google what each card means but what I'd recommend is understanding each of the symbols (Wands, Swords, pentacles, Cups) and each element (Fire, Water, Air, Earth). Understand what each thing means, study what they mean online and then use you own intuition as well to connect with the card meaning. The Tarot truly is one part study, one part personal intuition. Learn one card, three card, and the Celtic Spread. There are some other advance ones you can learn but those are my favorite. You'll even learn your own personal ways to display the cards in your own way, again one part learning, one part intuition. I recommend the Waite deck over other decks out the as a beginner deck. Some decks completely lose symbolism and intuition requirements and while that might sound like a perk, it really works against you because the goal it to connect to the subconscious.
https://www.salemtarot.com/ is good for learning each card as a start but you'll want to continue looking up other perspectives on google as well.
The I-ching or Book of Changes is something I would say you can do every day. You can even mix it with the tarot to get more clarity sometimes. The most important thing with I-ching is that no matter the question, you must contemplate the answer and really think about it. The Iching is usually pretty clear about the question though. What I'd recommend is that you buy two books on it.
The I-ching Workbook is great for beginners but after awhile you'll really want to get deeper into it and learn more to better unstand.
https://www.amazon.com/I-Ching-Workbook-R-L-Wing/dp/038512838X
That's where This book comes into play. It's much better but the reading is a little more in depth.
https://www.amazon.com/Ching-Book-Changes-Bollingen-General/dp/069109750X/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_img_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=6AXP0JKYR7W71AP5YQPA
There is a good website too, https://cafeausoul.com/
Part of my wants to not recommend this site because I worry people over doing the questions and not contemplating enough, and the descriptions are no as good as the second book I recommended but for a website it's pretty good. I don't particularly like the Tarot card descriptions though.
Don't over do any of the tarot or iching readings. You can, but the message will become less clear and your connection may become more distant as you give up understanding the primary message. If you don't understand it, stop; give it time, and come back to it.
Understand astrology and you'll really understand everything around you and yourself. Understand the I-ching and you'll understand change and how to adapt to it for best success and following your truth and the Tarot will help you understand you subconscious.
Finally just get your diet in order and meditate. You'll get far with all this but diet and meditation will really help you excel. Cut processed sugar and carbohydrates from your diet that isn't natural fruit. Meat is ok but limiting is probably best, especially red meat (though I enjoy hamburgers on occasion)
Thank you so much for your reply. Do you mean Richard Wilhelm or Hellmut Wilhelm, or both?
I found this online: http://www2.unipr.it/~deyoung/I_Ching_Wilhelm_Translation.html
And I found this on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ching-Book-Changes-Bollingen-General/dp/069109750X/ref=mt_hardcover?_encoding=UTF8&me=
I know I am being picky, but I would like a book copy. Don't get me wrong, that online version would be a valuable resource, but having a book allows me to highlight and write notes in the margins.
The Richard Wilhelm translation (with a forward by Carl Jung), is widely acclaimed. It's very comprehensive, containing the text itself, explanations on how it was/is used, and exhaustive ancient commentaries on the text.
This edition:
https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Dawn-Original-Teachings-Ceremonies/dp/0738743992/ref=pd_sbs_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=3CSTC1N873G04ATXD55P
is, I think the most up-to-date; though some of the reviews on Amazon point out that there are uncorrected and newly introduced errors in this 7th edition.
This edition (the 6th I think):
https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Dawn-Teachings-Ceremonies-Llewellyns/dp/0875426638/ref=pd_sim_14_8?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=AM0NAE0V1C2359V57JAQ
Is the one that was readily available for the longest time.
https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Dawn-Original-Teachings-Ceremonies/dp/0738743992/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=golden+dawn&qid=1571784127&sr=8-1
Santa Muerte Tarot Deck: Book of the Dead https://www.amazon.com/dp/0738754382/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_9OmhAbF7E4QKH
Even though "The Golden Dawn Tarot" has a lot of semitic symbolism in it, it's by far my favorite. It's beautiful. I guess witchcraft/divination in the name of Yahweh purifies the Semitic influence on the deck - it no longer becomes trapped in the "traditions of men" as Christ called Jewish human sacrifice.
"And what do we burn apart from witches?"
Here is a link to the deck.
I've personally always been a fan of the Thoth deck or the Hermetic Tarot. My main deck is a vintage printing of the Rider-Waite though. Basically just find one you resonate with and can easily interpret. Also as /u/somegermanlady pointed out, traditionally tarot decks are supposed to be a gift given wrapped in cloth.
If you want other deck recommendations, just let me know what kind of art you like and I can probably recommend something!
Well, to that end, I highly recommend The Qabalistic Tarot by Robert Wang. It's dense and rigorous, but not at the expense of subtle insight. The author successfully cuts through New Age mumbo-jumbo and gets to the heart of what tarot is about.
The Hermetic Tarot deck appeals to me most. It's nearly overloaded with imagery, which allows me to get completely lost in the experience of a card. The ultimate goal is establishing unconscious intuition, of course, but a strong intellectual base can only help.
As for this comment:
>Unfortunately, I have yet to consciously connect to my higher self.
I think the whole concept of a "higher self" is a bit of a misnomer and potentially dangerous. The term keeps people searching for some threshold moment, a cut and dry experience of Enlightenment. Anyone who claims to have attained this state permanently is lying and probably selling you something. The truth is that you ARE your higher self just as you are.
I finished Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion by Sam Harris a few weeks ago and I highly recommend it. If you're not familiar, he's a vocal member of the "New Atheist" community and is extremely critical of religion/mysticism. But despite this, he has profound insight into the nature of consciousness and how mindfulness practice changes the mind. And of course, what is tarot if not a form of mindfulness meditation?
If that seems a little too atheistic for your taste, Thou Art That by Joseph Campbell is a fantastic introduction to mythological thinking, which is crucial to understanding tarot.
All and all, every aspect of your spiritual and intellectual life will enrich your experience of tarot, so explore liberally!
ok, but let's say I respect the flying spaggeti monster religion. I am polite to Pastafarians and I leave them wearing their spaggeti drainers on their head. Or, I respect that Erisians partake of a hotdog every Friday.
Suppose, someone starts to harass me about how I am a bad person because I do not eat spaggeti and meatballs all the time. Or that I am a bad person because I believe what is written and Fernando Po is really Not Really[tm] the Greatest Conspiracy on Earth(c).
And they do it in Public. All the time. Especially when I am in proximity to Lebanese women.
What then?
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Insert Mandatory Dawkins quote about Religion.
Bicycle/Tricycle, Hodge/Pogde, All Hail Discord, Five Tons of Flax
You have not read the Illuminatus Trilogy and Principia Discordia and that is why you do not understand. Sinner.
http://www.amazon.com/Lesser-Key-Solomon-Joseph-Peterson/dp/157863220X <- buy this, you will be equipped to read the other books on the goetia once you have read it.
I had a lot of guidance from an intro book I bought. Highly recommend it! It's been great for learning the different archetypes.
Maybe we should do more beginner 1 card pulls on this sub? I know those help me a lot.
In line with the specific question I would suggest the following:
Side note:
The Pictorial Key to the Tarot by Arthur Waite is always worth checking out. It's not exactly purely a guide book, but it is one of the earliest books to accurately discuss the origins of tarot cards. It also discusses the general meaning and symbolism behind each card, and if you are a fan of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, it's a wonderful read.
For Rider-Waite deck I use The Ultimate Guide to Tarot by Liz Dean. It has the best definitions and meanings of cards. (most accurate in my opinion) I have a bunch of tarot books and this is my go to one. This is it on amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Tarot-Beginners-Revealing/dp/1592336574/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1499005869&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=the+ultimate+guide+to+tarot
I would recommend getting a Raider-Waite Tarot Deck. It's a great place to start and one of the most widely used decks.
Spend some time looking at the images and finding out what speaks to you. Just build an intuition with the cards.
If that's not enough a great introductory companion to that deck is Liz Dean's the Ultimate Guide to Tarot.
Liz Dean's an Ultimate Guide to Tarot
Raider Waite Tarot
Reading the answers there's some great banter, but here's some more practical info - in case you were actually serious in your question.
If you're after Judeo-Christian concepts, then look up Gustav Davidson's Dictionary of Angels as it lists numerous demons.
Another guide would be the Lesser Key of Solomon which has detailed demon descriptions and guides for summoning.
Another place to start would be Enochian Magic principles. Put the three together and you're off to a good start... but
Read this before you do anything, Dion Fortune's Psychic Self Defense.
/u/Insanelopez has the best advice so far - if you're being serious. Don't get stuck into something too quickly that you don't know anything about.
Here you go.
I disagree with the other reply - a fantastic book on Enochian is Enochian Vision Magick by DuQuette. For the runes, if you're taking a traditional approach, I recommend Thorsson's Futhark though it's certainly not everyone's cup of tea.
As for learning to write in another language - practice, practice, practice! The biggest help will probably be concentrating on learning one language, don't try to confuse yourself with too many at once. Once you've chosen one, just write out anything you can think of in that language. For me, just an hour a day of sitting down and writing things out, not even trying to translate it back to english, is the best way of learning. After two weeks or so, you'll be great at writing and re-translating, just because the letters are so ingrained in your head. My friends and I used to use Tolkien's Elvish alphabet as a secret code in high school, and I can still write in it to this day, seven or eight years later!
Google is awesome, so is https://www.biddytarot.com/tarot-card-meanings/ and https://www.incandescenttarot.com/cardmeanings. I liked The Ultimate Guide to Tarot and also Kitchen Table Tarot. I've also heard that WTF is Tarot, and How Do I Do It? is also good, but haven't read it myself.
The Druidry Handbook by John Michael Greer
This might be a good start. John Michael Greer is a former Archdruid for AODA, and this was one of the first books on druidry I read, myself.
Sounds like it could be worth your while to look into Druidry. There are different forms, they lean from reconstructionist to more new age with a bit of ceremonial magic.
The Druidry Handbook by John Michael Greer would be a good starter book. The three best known druidry organizations are Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship (ADF), Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD), and Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA).
My suggestion is to get a Rider-Waite-Smith deck, or a Rider-Wait-Smith Clone like the Morgan Greer deck or the Universal Tarot by Lo Scarabeo.
You can use the little white book that comes with them to learn the bare bones basics.
Also I've found that this book has A LOT of information on each card including reversals. https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Tarot-Beginners-Revealing/dp/1592336574/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1487351896&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=ultimate+guide+to+tarot
The Following list is taken from the Witches & Warlocks FB page. (This is Christian Day's group)
Witches and Warlocks Recommended Reading List
This is a collection of books recommended by our admins and participants in the group. Books must be approved by the admins so if you'd like to see one added to the last, please post it in the comments at the bottom of this list and, if it's something we think is appropriate, we'll add it! We provide links to Amazon so folks can read more about the book but we encourage you to shop at your local occult shop whenever possible! :)
BEGINNER'S WITCHCRAFT BOOKS
Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft
by Raymond Buckland
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0875420508
Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America
by Margot Adler
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0143038192
Grimoire of the Thorn-Blooded Witch: Mastering the Five Arts of Old World Witchery
by Raven Grimassi
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1578635500
The Inner Temple of Witchcraft: Magick, Meditation and Psychic Development
by Christopher Penczak
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0738702765
The Kybalion: The Definitive Edition
by William Walker Atkinson (Three Initiates)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1585428744
Lid Off the Cauldron: A Wicca Handbook
by Patricia Crowther
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1861630328
Mastering Witchcraft
by Paul Huson
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0595420060
Natural Magic
by Doreen Valiente
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0919345808
Natural Witchery: Intuitive, Personal & Practical Magick
by Ellen Dugan
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0738709220
Old World Witchcraft: Ancient Ways for Modern Days
by Raven Grimassi
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1578635055
The Outer Temple of Witchcraft: Circles, Spells and Rituals
by Christopher Penczak
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0738705314
Power of the Witch: The Earth, the Moon, and the Magical Path to Enlightenment
by Laurie Cabot
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0385301898
Solitary Witch: The Ultimate Book of Shadows for the New Generation
by Silver RavenWolf
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0738703192
Spirit of the Witch: Religion & Spirituality in Contemporary Witchcraft
by Raven Grimassi
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0738703389
Witch: A Magickal Journey
by Fiona Horne
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0007121326
Witchcraft for Tomorrow
by Doreen Valiente
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0709052448
Witchcraft Today
by Gerald Gardner
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0806525932
The Witches' Craft: The Roots of Witchcraft & Magical Transformation
by Raven Grimassi
http://www.amazon.com/dp/073870265X
The Witching Way of the Hollow Hill
by Robin Artisson
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982031882
WITCHCRAFT HISTORY AND RESOURCE BOOKS
Aradia or The Gospel of the Witches
by Charles Godfrey Leland
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982432356
Encyclopedia of Mystics, Saints & Sages: A Guide to Asking for Protection, Wealth, Happiness, and Everything Else!
by Judika Illes
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0062009575
The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft and Wicca
by Rosemary Ellen Guiley
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0816071047
Etruscan Roman Remains
by Charles Godfrey Leland
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1494302519
The God of the Witches
by Margaret Murray
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0195012704
The Weiser Field Guide to Witches, The: From Hexes to Hermione Granger, From Salem to the Land of Oz
by Judika Illes
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1578634792
ADVANCED BOOKS ON WITCHCRAFT AND MAGIC
Blood Sorcery Bible Volume 1: Rituals in Necromancy
by Sorceress Cagliastro
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1935150812
The Deep Heart of Witchcraft: Expanding the Core of Magickal Practice
by David Salisbury
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1780999208
Teen Spirit Wicca
by David Salisbury
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1782790594
Enchantment: The Witch's Art of Manipulation by Gesture, Gaze and Glamour
by Peter Paddon
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1936922517
Initiation into Hermetics
by Franz Bardon
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1885928122
Letters from the Devil's Forest: An Anthology of Writings on Traditional Witchcraft, Spiritual Ecology and Provenance Traditionalism
by Robin Artisson
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1500796360
Magical Use of Thought Forms: A Proven System of Mental & Spiritual Empowerment
by Dolores Ashcroft-Nowick and J.H. Brennan
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1567180841
Magick in Theory and Practice
by Aleister Crowley
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1500380679
The Plant Spirit Familiar
by Christopher Penczak
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982774311
Protection and Reversal Magick
by Jason Miller
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1564148793
Psychic Self-Defense
by Dion Fortune
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1578635098
The Ritual Magic Workbook: A Practical Course of Self-Initiation
by Dolores Ashcroft-Norwicki
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1578630452
The Roebuck in the Thicket: An Anthology of the Robert Cochrane Witchcraft Tradition
by Evan John Jones, Robert Cochrane and Michael Howard
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1861631553
The Satanic Witch
by Anton Szandor LaVey
http://www.amazon.com/Satanic-Witch-Anton-Szandor-LaVey/dp/0922915849
Shadow Magick Compendium: Exploring Darker Aspects of Magickal Spirituality
by Raven Digitalis
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003VS0N5K
The Tree of Enchantment: Ancient Wisdom and Magic Practices of the Faery Tradition
by Orion Foxwood
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1578634075
The Underworld Initiation: A journey towards psychic transformation
by R.J. Stewart
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1892137038
HERBALISM, CANDLES, INCENSE, OILS, FORMULARIES, AND STONES
A Compendium of Herbal Magic
by Paul Beyerl
http://www.amazon.com/dp/091934545X
Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs
by Scott Cunningham
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0875421229
The Enchanted Candle: Crafting and Casting Magickal Light
by Lady Rhea
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0806525789
The Enchanted Formulary: Blending Magickal Oils for Love, Prosperity, and Healing
by Lady Maeve Rhea
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0806527048
Incense: Crafting and Use of Magickal Scents
by Carl F. Neal
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0738703362
Magickal Formulary Spellbook Book 1
by Herman Slater
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0939708000
Magickal Formulary Spellbook: Book II
by Herman Slater
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0939708108
SPELLCASTING AND SPELLBOOKS
Crone's Book of Charms & Spells
by Valerie Worth
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1567188117
Crone's Book of Magical Words
by Valerie Worth
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1567188257
Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells
by Judika Illes
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0061711233
Everyday Magic: Spells & Rituals for Modern Living
by Dorothy Morrison
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1567184693
Pure Magic: A Complete Course in Spellcasting
by Judika Illes
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1578633915
Utterly Wicked: Curses, Hexes & Other Unsavory Notions
by Dorothy Morrison
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0979453313
The Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook
by Denise Alvarado
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1578635136
The Voodoo Doll Spellbook: A Compendium of Ancient and Contemporary Spells and Rituals
by Denise Alvarado
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1578635543
THE ANCESTORS AND WORKING WITH THE DEAD
The Cauldron of Memory: Retrieving Ancestral Knowledge & Wisdom
by Raven Grimassi
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0738715751
The Mighty Dead
by Christopher Penczak
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982774370
Speak with the Dead: Seven Methods for Spirit Communication
by Konstantinos
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0738705225
The Witches' Book of the Dead
by Christian Day
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1578635063
_____
TAROT
78 Degrees of Wisdom
by Rachel Pollack
http://www.amazon.com/dp/157863408
I've only recently started studying magick, although I've been interested in the occult my whole life, having devoured the Catholic/Christian lore that was available to me when I was still part of the Church and desired to be a priest. Oddly enough, wanting to be a priest and know god is what lead me into becoming an atheist and, ultimately, studying magick.
I've only recently started, but I'm reading Dion Fortune's book on the qabalah as well as one by Geof Gray-Cobb called The Miracle of New Avatar Power, which is supposed to be an effective spell system with little "danger."
I would recommend reading Dion Fortune's Psychic Self-Defense because knowing how to defend yourself from various forms of spiritual/psychic/magickal influence and attack seems a completely worthwhile and noble goal. It's already helped me out of a few interesting/rough spots.
I mainly work with what we call "journeying" via a state of consciousness during drum-induced trance. If you are curious about the methodology, I recommend Harner's The Way of the Shaman. His organization has collected reports of experiences and his new book Cave and Cosmos cites many from that repository.
There are essentially two ways. 1) do some soul searching and journeys yourself, or 2) have a shaman do a power animal retrieval for you.
If you're interested in doing it for yourself, I recommend reading this book by Michael Harner:
The Way of the Shaman
To ease the struggle, release all expectations of hops that it be this or that animal, bird, insect, or fish. Also, no need to compare with the friend who's got the wolf.
Once started and gone through some levels... (that's a part of it), ask or openly invite what animal might assist you best at this time.
Foundation for Shamanic Studies FSS offers some courses.
Pick up The Way of the Shaman by Michael Harner. It's a basic starting place.
You'll also want to deepen your understanding of whomever appears.
I think the reply you got from the other poster is quite good, then. I know very little about high quality sources on this sort of thing.
Maybe not what you're looking for, but have you seen the first season of the HBO show True Detective? It's fantastic, and on this subject.
As far as books go, I know Arthur Edward Waite was an early authority on all things esoteric, and he does appear to have [a highly rated book on black magic.] (https://www.amazon.com/Black-Magic-Arthur-Edward-Waite/dp/0877282072/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1511225241&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=black+magic+book) Apparently [this one] (https://www.amazon.com/Black-Arts-Witchcraft-Demonology-Throughout/dp/0399500359/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1511225315&amp;sr=8-4&amp;keywords=black+magic+book) is also quite good (again, just based on my brief Amazon search), and may be up your alley.
EDIT: Oh, and re: general critiques of religion, stay far away from New Atheists like Richard Dawkins or Sam Harris - this stuff if tripe, and there is better atheist literature out there. Check out Bertrand Russell, or better yet, Ludwig Feuerbach, Friedrich Nietzsche, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud. I'd be happy to provide more specific references for these thinkers as well. I'm sure there are less highbrow atheist writers who are also good, I just don't know about them, and a lot of them today fall into the "New Atheist" category.
The following authors are well respected scholars, most are attached to academic institutions. The books listed are some of the very best and stand alone. For example Unger's epochal work "Biblical Demonology"is the only demonology book that you will ever need. Dismiss everything that is not heavily footnoted and lacking proper review.
Before you get carried away with Crowley, Blavatsky, or even Castaneda, you have to establish a firm foundation. I don't wish to overwhelm you here, but I suggest that you work your way through all of the books listed. Many of them are available on Kindle, but I would suggest physical copies if your budget allows it. I would start with "Religions of the Ancient World" Belknap Press of the Harvard University Press. It is the most expensive resource book listed, but its a bargain at $60. It will serve you as a primer, handbook and lexicon.
The Mystery Schools are a headache and a pleasure to learn about. Focus on the Mithraic, Eleusinian and Bacchic Mysteries. I say this with reservation, but these three particular schools function as a Rosetta Stone in a way. This will make more sense once you grasp the mysteries of death and rebirth. Both of which can be found in most religions including Christianity ("born again" believers).
"The Black Arts" is safe reading. Witchcraft is real. I have been exposed to more than I care to mention. The worst thing you can do is jump into magick totally ignorant and powerless. The hunger for power fuels witchcraft. initiates, apprentices, and the curious are all disposable resources. Example: Crowley fucked all his followers. He molested all the kids. He even fucked the animals. If the devil is the master of deception, how can you place faith in anyone involved in the black arts. Satanism is the worship of self. It is amoral rather than immoral (i.e. Machiavellian).
Biblical studies is very important in your studies. It is an unavoidable truth. "Christian Theology" by Millard J Erickson is the very first book you should purchase. It is a postgraduate textbook written in the systematic theology format. I did not include this below because I dont want to overwhelm you.
Go ahead and read "Secret Teachings" all the way through, and keep it handy. Otherwise, forget about freemasonry, the OTO, and all things that are NOT foundation. YouTube, television shows, websites, and social media make a lot of impressive noise on these issues, but it is all motivated by exposure and profit. I unplugged the TV about two years ago. Only the ignorant use keywords such as reptillian, luciferian, and illuminati. Unger's book will flesh out Atlantis/antediluvian theories as much as possible.
All things are wearisome,
more than one can say.
The eye never has enough of seeing,
nor the ear its fill of hearing.
What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there anything of which one can say,
“Look! This is something new”?
It was here already, long ago;
it was here before our time.
No one remembers the former generations,
and even those yet to come
will not be remembered
by those who follow them.
Ecclesiastes 1:8-11 (NIV)
The Eleusinian and Bacchic Mysteries
Esoteric Cosmology
The Chaldean Account of Genesis
The Black Arts: A Concise History of Witchcraft, Demonology, Astrology, and Other Mystical Practices Throughout the Ages
Religions of the Ancient World: A Guide
Mithras: Mysteries and Inititation Rediscovered
Biblical Demonology: A Study of Spiritual Forces at Work Today
The Black Arts by Richard Cavendish
Margot Adler's Drawing Down the Moon (http://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Down-Moon-Witches-Goddess-Worshippers/dp/0143038192) is an amazing look at Paganism and it's many iterations.
Richard Cavendish - The Black Arts (http://www.amazon.com/Black-Arts-Witchcraft-Demonology-Throughout/dp/0399500359/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1376693481&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=the+black+arts) is a really interesting look at the many facets and practices of the Occult.
I recommend those for laymen.
I have not. Both look spectacular but I have no money or time. For the beneift of all (I am huge on embedded links, wish I could do that here:
The Source Field Investigations
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0452297974/ossnet-20
Holographic Universe
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0062014102/ossnet-20
Consciousness and morality?
For consciousness, I would strongly recommend The Mind's Eye. It deals with the concept of self and consciousness, and does so in a very accessible manner. The book is a collection of essays on the subject by some of the best thinkers in the field. Check out the reviews on Amazon.
For morality, I know a lot of people will disagree, but I would suggest Resistance, Rebellion, and Death: Essays by Camus. Instead of Camus' fiction, it is a collection of essays on the topic of moral rebellion and defense against aggression. I like it because it is straightforward and relevant in the times we live in. The essays, Letters to a German Friend' are particularly moving.
Oh, absolutely. This book (along with This Book Needs No Title: A Budget of Living Paradoxes, which I also recommend) is delightful (and quite non-technical). I don't know if it's at all an introduction to Taoism -- I've read very little other Taoist literature -- but it's certainly an accessible and charmingly-written book about "Smullyanism", which is worth being familiar with just for the pleasure of reading about it if nothing else.
If you've read The Mind's I, the dialogue Is God a Taoist? is from that book.
By the way, the idea of a beginner to Taoism strikes me as very funny -- in a way, being a beginner is what Taoists aspire to! Smullyan expresses it very well in the last chapter of This Book Needs No Title, entitled Planet Without Laughter (that copy is hosted on Knuth's website, so surely it's at least worth looking at?).
I haven't read Logical Labyrinths -- looks like he published it this year (at age 90!). Is it worthwhile? (Probably, given that it's by Smullyan. Can you tell I like his books yet? :-) )
It's fun to describe to "Classics-snobs", as I call them, an old sci-fi book and how it effected my personal life, while stripping all of the sci-fi elements out of my explanation, until they ask me the name again so that they can write it down. My most recent example was The Stars My Destination By Alfred Bester, which I'd actually read in a Barnes and Noble in an afternoon. Not, as I'd told the person, in an open square near the Duomo in Florence(Which would have been a complete waste of my time in Italy).
The Stars My Destination This is one of the few books I can read over and over and still get goose bumps over. Honestly probably one of my top three books of all time. Hope you all enjoy the book as much as I have.
Damn, just one?!? I don't think I can cut it down to less than three, and even that list would change year by year.
The Stars My Destination, Alfred Bester
Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny
Orphans of Chaos, John C. Wright
(And sorry for the Amazon links, I really freakin' hate Amazon but don't know of a better/more convenient link to offer people.)(Um, if anyone has a better kind of link to provide, I'd love to hear it, thanks.)
Simple divination is the easiest introduction. It's Taoist/ Confucianist, but I can highly recommend the Richard Wilhelm translation of The Book of Changes. Early versions of The Book of Changes (or I Ching) were written thousands of years ago, and it remains one of the most popular methods of divination today.
http://www.amazon.com/Ching-Changes-Bollingen-Series-General/dp/069109750X
I believe the above should contain a preface that lays out the proper steps for its use. But by far the simplest is the coin method:
http://www.onlineclarity.co.uk/learn/consult/casting.php
When asking a question, avoid simple yes/no questions, and perhaps instead ask the proper way to achieve a certain outcome.
How into energy manipulation are you? Your question about the weight of words made me want to mention models of magick based on information.
check out this book
http://www.amazon.com/Postmodern-Magic-Art-Information-Age/dp/0738706639
Hermetic Tarot, usually about $20
Dark Grimoire, around $20
Santa Muerte, dark and beautiful, also about $20
Super personal! I actually really like the Pagan Otherworlds art, I'm not sure it'd be easy for me to learn on but the subdued colors and style are very charming.
I think I have ruled out The Fountain as a first deck for now, same with Cosmic, Naked Heart, and Aquarian. Still art I'd like to own some day, but maybe not for me to restart the tarot practice on.
Unfortunately, I found a new deck I really like as well, so my contenders are now: Ethereal Visions, Thoth, and Revelations... Maybe Santa Muerte. I called my local metaphysical bookstore and they have demo versions of all their stocked decks and I know they at least have Revelations and Ethereal Visions there so I will try to get out there this weekend and take a look.
I thought this was a question for r/occult or r/alchemy, but I see you tied it into Druids. There hasn't been much activity there from the revivalists that I've seen, but if you're more intk the hkstory like me, the evidence shows that the Druids, like most ancient prjests, lracticed a kind of proto-alchemy, judging from all of the support that they were herbalists and Pliny's claim that they brewed mistletoe into a tincture. The wlrd "potion" as I've seen isn't really used in the alchemical literature. The drinks are tinctures (extracts, usually in alcohol), elixirs, and teas.
I've never thought much of it, but come to think of it, because the alchemical tradition is rooted in the Hermetically dominated western esoteric tradition, all of the symbols are limited tk such (4-5 classical elements, the planets, etc.), so making a Druidic alchemical tradition would hopefully do away with those in favor of Celtic ones. Could ogham be used that way? Then again, the proto-alchemy probably wasn't practiced with symbols in the same way.
As to what actually became chemistry, I don't know the full story, but to summarize, all or most of the practices of manipulating the physical substances (e.g. distillation techniques) were adapted into chemistry and metallurgy, while the meaning and theory attached to such were discarded.
If you're interested in taking this up as a hobby I highly reccomend
Robert Allen Bartlett's Real Alchemy. He gets into how to make the famous Philosopher's Stone towards the end, but IMO that's bogus as we would know about that discovery. It's best used in a practical sense for making offerings. I've only made one elixir, but maybe I should get back into it sometime.
>For instance, fire brings change, water brings healing, you have probably heard of those connections before.
Have a look at the origins of the elemental theory, and their changing use in practical Alchemy from 600 C.E. to 1600 C.E. There are a couple good beginning books on the topic - this one, this one, and this one - will totally deepen your understanding of the principles.
Robert Allen Bartlett, author of Real Alchemy and The way of the Crucible did an interview in which he discusses the history and basic teachings of alchemy that you may find useful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD3BkmTjvDU
I highly recommend it! Along with all the weird animal oddities (some mentioned above), it has lots of stories of Spontaneous Human Combustion, crazy things falling from the skies, etc. They go pretty cheap on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mysteries-Unexplained-Carroll-C-Calkins/dp/0895771462
I had this book as a kid and spent many a day reading articles from it. Really a great way to get your feet wet in a wide collection of mysteries.
The deck is Dawson's Hermetic Tarot. It's one of my favorites, but some people complain about the artwork (occasionally it looks a bit amateur) and that it's not in color.
EDIT: Here is a PDF version of the cards.
The Rider-Waite deck was intended to be exoteric. The Golden Dawn deck was for initiates and was intended to be esoteric. If you're going to study the GD system, this deck is definitely recommended.
The Golden Dawn tarot deck by Robert Wang
The Hermetic tarot deck by Godfrey Dawson
And if you want to more obscure but real religions:
And if you want to be very snarky:
I had never heard of it before, but now I want to read it very badly.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1559500409/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8
The picture shows a yellow cover with a spiral. I have this version, and it has sketchy pictures all throughout. But some of the reviews specify that this one DOESN'T have pictures, so I dunno.
Ma a lui chi l'ha insegnato il Voodoo? Ah, no, c'è WikiHow "usare una bambola voodoo in 6 passi".
Pensa se avesse scoperto questo
Welcome. Have you been to shamanism.org and/or read Michael Harner's book, Way of the Shaman? Harner is an 80-something year old anthropologist who studied with indigenous shamans in the Amazon in the 1960s and, as a result, quit academia and became a shamanic practitioner and teacher full-time. Shamanism.org is his site (or rather the site of the nonprofit shamanic studies foundation he founded). They teach classes in shamanism, publish a magazine on indigenous and non-indigenous shamans, and periodically run fundraisers to help indigenous shamans (some hurricane in Central America wrecks a shaman's home, they raise money to help him or her build a new one). I've taken one of the classes and use their drumming CDs (or rather MP3's) for most of my journeys. Good stuff.
Here's a link to that book: https://www.amazon.com/Way-Shaman-Michael-Harner/dp/0062503731
Here's a quote from Milton's Paradise Lost: "Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven"
Satanism is sort of the opposite of Christianity. Satan is the true God and Jesus is a false prophet of a falsely benevolent God. People who worship Satan do not regard him as evil. What people consider "good" is actually "evil"
This is covered pretty well in a chapter of Cavendish's "Black Arts"
fuck yes. I love this book so goddamn fucking much. Also http://www.amazon.com/Minds-Fantasies-Reflections-Self-Soul/dp/0553345842 this book, which he wrote with dan dennett.
If you haven't already read it, pick up the book 'The Mind's I: Fantasies and Reflections on Self and Soul' by Douglas Douglas Hofstadter and Dennett:
http://www.amazon.com/Minds-Fantasies-Reflections-Self-Soul/dp/0553345842
It goes into a lot of different scenarios like the ones you bring up.
OP, here is a decent read on the subject: The Mind's I: Fantasies and Reflections on Self and Soul by Douglas Hofstadter and Dan Dennett
Well there's classic English language Wilhelm version, which has been around since 1950 and is the backbone of later translations. For the English language user, this book is a must-have.
http://www.amazon.com/Ching-Changes-Bollingen-Series-General/dp/069109750X
There are many later versions which are easier to use and whittle down the philosophy to something easier to decipher and those are good too, when used in conjunction with the Wilhelm.
Edit: I just found another version I had and really liked "The I Ching Workbook", very straightforward text, great in conjunction with the Wilhelm -
http://www.amazon.com/R.L.-Wing/e/B000APCECW/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1
The divination method using sticks is quite difficult. Just as good a result can be had with the 3 coin method. Believe it or not, I had 3 Chinese coins I carried around with me in a little pouch for 30 years. Old Chinese coins have no significant value and can be easily bought in many places, import shops, Chinatown type neighborhoods, and sometimes even bookstores. I always liked the thin worn ones....
I've read the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and Rumi, so don't think I am a stranger to the idea of God as all; at times I find it so attractive, even, that I joke that I could be a "Hinjew." But having read the Torah far more times than the average man--although I do not know how many times you've done so--I can instantly spot confirmation bias regarding it. After reading these texts, you looked back at the Torah with the assumption that "God is all," when, in fact, the evidence of such in the text of the Torah itself is so thin. Off the top of my mind, I can think of maybe 5 verses in the Pentateuch that may plausibly--although not likely--relate to this Hindu/Buddhist/Dauist/Sufi view of "God is all." The Bible, unlike some find pleasure in believing, is not a book with infinite information density; its writers were human, all too human, and--unless the text were to be grossly misconstrued--were unfamiliar with such a conception.
But this won't convince you, as you seem to be locked into that reality tunnel. In myself as well, as I said, the thought often appears and brings me much solace. But at other times, I'll ridicule it (perhaps owing to the on-off stages of my depression). So, if you want an idea of what I'm talking about, try picking up a copy Prometheus Rising and take a look at yourself through another lense. You think that since you've found solace, you've discovered the meaning of consciousness, but you have much to explore.
P.S. There's no such thing as ground-breaking thought "for my age." There is only thought. I would take that as another insult to my intelligence, but after this discussion I know you mean well.
P.P.S. If you are actually interested in Prometheus, I can send you a pdf copy I have.
> There is also a book called Prometheus Rising that might help you there. It goes into the social spectrum of personalities and the somatic effects that thought scripts have on the body.
Thanks for dropping that in. I just bought the book from Amazon because of this comment. I've put off reading one of Robert Anton Wilson's books for far too long. Here is the description for anyone else interested.
>Imagine trying to make sense of an amalgam of Timothy Leary's eight neurological circuits, G.I. Gurdjieff's self-observation exercises, Alfred Korzybski's general semantics, Aleister Crowley's magical theorems, and the several disciplines of Yoga; not to mention Christian Science, relativity, quantum mechanics, and many other approaches to understanding the world around us. That is exactly what Robert Anton Wilson does in Prometheus Rising. In short, this is a book about how the human mind works and what you can do to make the most of yours.
>"Robert Anton Wilson speaks for that tiny but indispensable minority who are changing the way we think. To read him is to learn what the future holds, how to be part of the future and how to help create the future." -- Robert Shea
"The man's glittering intelligence won't let you rest. First he shocks, then he enlightens. One is never the same after reading him. With each new book I welcome his wisdom, laced with his special brand of crazy humor." -- Alan Harrington, author of The Immortalist
>"Bob has done it again for the first time ever! This book is everything I ever wanted to write in a practical guidebook on how to get here from there, and he's-as usual-first in print again! Just the exercise on finding quarters has paid for the book many times over." --E. J. Gold
Amazon link
From Bezos to your doorstep for the low low price of $14.77
https://www.amazon.com/Prometheus-Rising-Robert-Anton-Wilson/dp/0692710604/
...
Mine ran me $15.76, but now costs $19.99
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1561840564/
I was introduced to the Occult by books like Prometheus Rising and Undoing Yourself.
Obviously I may be biased but I think this is the best way to enter the occult, with a paradigm that rejects absolute paradigms.
People will try and tell you that what they've read or believe is the Truth, and most of those people will be fools.
It's possible some of them are right, that there is a Truth out there that can be expressed in our 3d language, but I think that that is unlikely.
I think the Truth is more like 4d toys or like the blind men and the elephant. You can only get a piece, a snapshot of a perspective, but the Truth has more dimensions than your mind.
You probably know Terrence Mckenna but if you aren't that familiar, I just linked a lecture to someone else that I think you might appreciate.
Eros and the Eschaton
And let's not forget about the most magical thing of all--music.
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Oh, it's so hard to pick just three... but I would feel comfortable recommending these:
https://www.amazon.com/Prometheus-Rising-Robert-Anton-Wilson/dp/0692710604/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1492139963&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=prometheus+rising
https://www.amazon.com/Not-His-Image-Gnostic-Ecology/dp/193149892X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1492139398&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=not+in+his+image
https://www.amazon.com/Seth-Speaks-Eternal-Validity-Soul/dp/1878424076/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1492140107&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=seth+speaks
I try to read a little bit of everything, but the main topics I enjoy reading about are religion, history, philosophy, occultism/esotericism, parapolitics, UFOlogy, and psychology.
You might actually benefit by not having too much money to throw at books for now. I was working at a used book warehouse when I first got into the occult, which resulted in me buying way too many books than I have time to read. By only purchasing one book at a time, you will be able to focus your studies rather than split your attention.
Based on the reading list in the FAQ, I'd recommend getting something that is in the tradition you are most interested in. Of the paths I know about, I'd recommend Phil Hine's Condensed Chaos for chaos magic and Modern Magick by Don Michael Kraig for Hermetic magic.
Going off the list, Postmodern Magic by Patrick Dunn and The New Hermetics by Jason Newcomb are both excellent crash courses in general occultism with a contemporary twist.
And as others have suggested, get free resources from the internet.
As for the left/right-hand dichotomy, it all comes down to how you want to go about improving yourself though magic. The "right-hand path" leads to unity with divinity, while the "left-hand path" aims to become equal with divinity. Things like black clothing, horned gods or white crystals and angels are just window dressing.
It is important that you remember that you do not need to worry about following one path over the other. They are not roads that diverge in a wood and you must choose when one to take for the rest of your life. "Path" is actually a very poor choice of words for this idea. Think of them as modes, or focuses, for your magical life. You can shift from one mode to the other as needed. Just be sure that you are using symbols that make sense for your world view. Having a focus in Shito spiritualism and then suddenly flipping to goetic demon summoning for one night might not yield effective results.
Wicca is a form of occultism. As an established religion it does not foster the level of free-thinking that many contemporary occultists would like, but it still much more occult than most religions out there. As for mono- and polytheistic occultism, nearly every pantheon has it's own form of mysticism, including the Judeo-Christian religion.
For an explanation for why Scientology "works," I urge you to read Postmodern Magic.
After which, I hope you'll see why it's important to audit yourself rather than be audited. This is a first step.
Get the following:
The Golden Dawn: The Original Account of the Teachings, Rites, and Ceremonies of the Hermetic Order https://www.amazon.com/dp/0738743992/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_zqnWBbPQ82981
The Essential Golden Dawn: An Introduction to High Magic https://www.amazon.com/dp/0738703109/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_yrnWBb98G4WRB
The Middle Pillar: The Balance Between Mind and Magic https://www.amazon.com/dp/1567181406/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_vsnWBbPTAX7M9
Oooooo I might take you up on that! I've had my eye on this set or the other set in the collection but never bit the bullet to learn... Maybe your reading will inspire me!
Seven Stars Deck of the Dead: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/deck-of-the-dead/
Santa Muerte Tarot: https://www.amazon.com/Santa-Muerte-Tarot-Deck-Book/dp/0738754382
Marigold Tarot: https://shopamritbrar.com/products/the-marigold-tarot-classic
Depends on what you mean by "spooky." Obviously, I, personally, really like skeletons. If you have a specific flavor of spooky in mind, maybe we could get more specific?
It's evident that he was a Satanist, because the "fruits" of communism are Satanic. Marxism is extremely hostile to God & Christianity, etc.
Furthermore, I have read the "private" writings of Marx, in which he made clear that he was a Satanist, as exposed in this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Marx-Satan-Richard-Wurmbrand/dp/0891073795
Whoa.
http://www.amazon.com/Marx-Satan-Richard-Wurmbrand/dp/0891073795
Whoa.
Because of things like this.
I saw that book at a library book sale today. Most of the philosophy/history is right-leaning as I live in a rather conservative town in Virginia.
your question sent me off on doing some research and I found this one which seems to be very highly regarded: http://www.amazon.com/Real-Alchemy-Primer-Practical/dp/0892541504/ref=cm_wl_cp_al_pt
link isn't working now, but i remember reading about that when i was a kid. this book kept me occupied for hours http://www.amazon.com/Mysteries-Unexplained-Carroll-C-Calkins/dp/0895771462/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1332936068&amp;sr=1-1
A couple of possibilities:
https://www.amazon.com/Mysteries-Unexplained-Carroll-C-Calkins/dp/0895771462/ref=sr_1_1
https://www.amazon.com/Strangely-Hair-Raising-Fascinate-Intrigue-Imagined/dp/0806939184/ref=pd_sbs_14_1/144-5838674-3508957?_encoding=UTF8&amp;pd_rd_i=0806939184&amp;pd_rd_r=06edcda8-719e-11e9-ad11-c3d8451968d7&amp;pd_rd_w=dJL62&amp;pd_rd_wg=SeY2c&amp;pf_rd_p=588939de-d3f8-42f1-a3d8-d556eae5797d&amp;pf_rd_r=1A5TBJPMX7TXSA46JJ9X&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=1A5TBJPMX7TXSA46JJ9X
Could it have been the Reader's Digest Mysteries of the Unexplained?
https://www.amazon.com/Mysteries-Unexplained-Carroll-C-Calkins/dp/0895771462
Sounds a bit like Mysteries of the Unexplained, although I'm pretty sure that was a single book and not multiple volumes.
Datsyuk.
God Bless You!
Going by OP's description The Book of Oberon sunds like it has some similar content - or at least similar aims.
Grimorim Verum is a pretty famous 'black magic' book.
The Lesser Key of Solomon is probably the most well known.
I'd expect there would be some parallels to thing in Agrippa as well.
You want this version of the Lesser Key. Actual grimoires are usually an interesting mess of bad writing and poorly copied latin or greek. While interesting, they're usually a source of adventure in reading let alone use.
Oooooh, I'm actually not all that familiar with Early Modern Germany, but I think I've found a few books that may help you with the religious, political and military aspects. Some of these books are pretty expensive, so I'd recommend finding a good library or seeing if your local library does inter-library loans with larger libraries. Usually you have to read the books pretty quick, but it saves paying $150 for a book if you're not in a position to do that. Just be sure to take plenty of notes!
I'd also be willing to look at what you've got but, like I said, I may not be as useful as I first thought.
The Reformation: A History
The Thirty Years War: Europe's Tragedy
The Rise of Modern Warfare: 1618-1815
The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe
The Witchcraft Sourcebook
Germany and the Holy Roman Empire: Volume I
Society and Economy in Germany, 1300-1600
Flesh and Spirit: Private Life in Early Modern Germany
Panaceia's Daughters: Noblewomen as Healers in Early Modern Germany
Ecology, Economy and State Formation in Early Modern Germany
Crime and Culture in Early Modern Germany
The Martial Ethic in Early Modern Germany: Civic Duty and the Right of Arms
He Is the Sun, She Is the Moon: Women in Early Modern Germany
The Realities of Witchcraft and Popular Magic in Early Modern Europe: Culture, Cognition and Everyday Life
The Lesser Key of Solomon
The Art of Combat: A German Martial Arts Treatise of 1570
First of all, here is a classical book about Psychic Self-Defense, the author is Dion Fortune. It is an excellent introduction and a book full of practical advice at the same time.
Free download: https://archive.org/details/pdfy-kDIEdiqtnMyLWk6L/page/n0
Here are the customer reviews on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Psychic-Self-Defense-Instruction-Protecting-Paranormal/dp/1578635098/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539465165&sr=8-1&keywords=psychic+self+defense#customerReviews
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The attack described by you is definitely "nasty" -- it does not look like the work of a noob who just stumbled upon an occult book by accident.
You mentioned that the first time only your brother and your parents were affected -- do you have a clear idea who was the target? Try to avoid pure guessing, but if it was obvious who was suffering the most under the attacks then it is noteworthy.
A related question: do you, including your family, have any personal enemies who are capable of starting an occult attack?
In any case, I recommend reading in the book mentioned above at least the chapters about "Methods of Defence".
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https://www.amazon.com/Psychic-Self-Defense-Instruction-Protecting-Paranormal/dp/1578635098/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1467394408&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=psychic+self+defense
https://www.amazon.com/Llewellyn-Practical-Psychic-Self-Defense-Llewelyn/dp/0875421903/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1467394408&amp;sr=8-4&amp;keywords=psychic+self+defense
These are two classics that I like. I think they're a good buy and helpful and they basically describe what I do. Some of what I do is personal, related to religious training. I don't want to get into that. These offer a decent foundation. Both of them are pretty old but good to start with I think.
Some good online resources:
OBODs Druidcast
Ian Corrigan, an Archdruid Emeritus of ADF, has a cool video series he is doing called Under the Oak
And here are a bunch of books:
The Druidry Handbook by John Michael Greer
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 The Path of Druidry by Penny Billington (this one is a personal favourite that I recommend to nearly anyone who asks this sort of question).
Hope that helps some. :-)
>no one has offered anything new since I asked
You seem to have missed the many explanations from various members here about archelogical and historical absence of proof of yogic practices within Druidry, you missed the book recommendations to help you understand more of Druid history, and in fact it seems you've only taken interest in the posts that cater well to your own responses rather than information.
Here, let me help.
The Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids is one of the most populous Druid orders around. They're most famous for their 3-grade correspondence course. They hold international festivals and host a very entertaining, informative podcast, Druidcast. Their website will answer a lot of your questions on Druidry.
Ár nDraíocht Féin is another very popular Druid order.
Ancient Order of Druids in America is another one.
Blood and Mistletoe by Ronald Hutton is an amazing book detailing the history of Druids.
The Druidry Handbook by John Michael Greer is highly praised.
The Druid Ways by Philip Carr-Gomm is a great, short introduction to modern Druidry.
Celtic mythology is prevalent in Druidic practices.
This should mostly be new information to you, since you came here asking to learn about Druidry. Please, browse through a couple of the sites and come back with any questions. I'll be happy to help you sort through some of the admittedly jumbled info and answer any honest question.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1578633826/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1506102329&amp;sr=8-1&amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&amp;keywords=lon+milo+enochian&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=41imtQLLJML&amp;ref=plSrch
I'd been following him for a while but had overlooked the bulk of his content initially due to the way he markets himself, selling courses online that seem vague and suspect. Apparently I was mistaken. I don't necessarily agree with everything he says, portraying his own biased subjective experience as definitive (as does nearly every other Magus, objectively), but he does seem to be reasonably adept and knowledgeable of Enochian magic, among other types, and worth giving a listen. I'm considering buying a copy of his book, as well, lauded to be a comprehensive overview of Enochian magic. By the way, this is the book he recommend in a recent AMA as being one of the more in depth on practical Enochian magic, for those wishing to delve into it, by one of my personal favorite contemporary (and living) occult authors as it were: Enochian Vision Magick: An Introduction and Practical Guide to the Magick of Dr. John Dee and Edward Kelley by Lon Milo Duquette (PDF)
I would also throw in http://www.amazon.com/Enochian-Vision-Magick-Introduction-Practical/dp/1578633826
However I don't agree that Enochian is a good starting point. Do the LBRP for several months and then when the ritual is complete try conversing with the archangels around you for help in understanding and working with the elements, questions you may have, guidance, etc. It may not come in a direct spoken way but may appear as inspirations when you least expect it. When you have gotten that down skry the tattvas and see how that goes. I then suggest either the Olympic Planetary spirits or the archangels of the spheres. From there you should be in a great place for any evocationary magic.
Just buy a standard Rider Waite deck, and a book about the cards/what each one means like [the Ultimate Guide to Tarot] (https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Tarot-Beginners-Revealing/dp/1592336574) and dive right in! That's the fun of it - there's no right or wrong way to go about it. Eventually you'll be able to read for people once you know all the cards and their meanings.
Unrelated to anything political, I think you’d really enjoy David Wilcock’s book The Source Field Investigations, and then reading his follow-up bestsellers too. They’re all heavily researched and cite an absurd amount of published science.
I believed the same things about Alex Jones before I heard him out. He’s not as crazy as his detractors would have you believe, surprisingly. He has zero corporate backers. He sells extremely high quality health supplements and other things to support himself so he isn’t bent to anyone else’s will. He just likes to give you the facts in a sort of pro-wrestling way which makes for endless entertainment. Part of the fun is laughing at his freak outs and antics.
By the way, he never said Sandy Hook didn’t happen. He questioned some anomalies. Clips were heavily and maliciously edited to make it appear that he said no one died. Watch his recent deposition on YouTube and see for yourself how much the lawyers questioning him just embarrassed themselves. He never sent anyone to anyone’s house. It’s his right to question things and play devil’s advocate.
There are many politicians looking to heavily restrict access to and the legality of owning guns. ie: Eric Swalwell, Eric Holder saying “we need to brainwash kids” into hating guns. Yes, that is an actual quote. Every country has “come for the guns”. Switzerland is one of the only other ones I know of that hasn’t.
I do not believe the two party system is really a two party system. It is designed to play the ends against the middle. It’s full of weaklings and worse who take their bribes and their orders from elites who play with our lives for fun and for money. Left hand path you could say.
I can tell you’re a very intelligent person too. I’m willing to bet that if you’re someone simply in search of truth, you will come around to Infowars. They are the “mentally diseased apostates” we’ve been warned about. In fact, I dare you to go to their site and watch it for a bit. Owen Shroyer’s War Room show is on now, he’s much younger and less adhd than Alex. They are proven right over and over and over, oftentimes years in advance of what is publically admitted, ie: NSA-level mass spying.
I’d rather get my news from them than from Fake News CNN or Fox.
I have recently been delving into this because I find it very interesting that there may be a connection between the two. I have watched a couple lectures one of which being Crossing the Event Horizon: Rise to the Equation, a lecture by Nassim Haramein. He really goes into the connection and forces of everything showing a linear progression from large to small bodies throughout the universe with the relation of their frequencies to their radii. He also talks about the relationship of forces between certain bodies such as the nucleus of an atom and the singularity of a black hole having the same force holding them together. Let me know if you have more questions but here is the lecture and a good book I have been reading covering some of the same subject material but maybe in a different way!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002RSFO7C
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0452297974/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1377882557&amp;sr=8-1&amp;pi=SL75
Alfred Bester, an early sci-fi author who was very influential but perhaps overlooked because he mixed in some supernatural with his sci-fi. The Stars My Destination.
Bruce Sterling, whose career has been overshadowed by and his contributions to the genre largely attributed to William Gibson or even Neal Stephenson. Schizmatrix Plus.
The following is a list of individual scientists and papers (if you google the phrases and names you'll find the websites):
The Backster Effect (polygraph experiments by Dr. Cleve Backster)
International Journal of Parapsychology: "Evidence of a Primary Perception in Plant Life," vol. 10, no. 4, Winter 1968, pp. 329-348
Phantom DNA effect by Poponin and Gariaev
Gariaev P.P., Chudin V.I., Komissarov G.G., Berezin A.A., Vasiliev A.A., 1991, Holographic Associative Memory of Biological Systems, Proceedings SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering. Optical Memory and Neural Networks. v.1621, p.280- 291. USA.
Gariaev, K.V. Grigor'ev, A.A. Vasil'ev, V.P. Poponin and V.A. Shcheglov. Investigation of the Fluctuation Dynamics of DNA Solutions by Laser Correlation Spectroscopy. Bulletin of the Lebedev Physics Institute, n. 11-12, p. 23-30 (1992)
http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/ciencia/ciencia_genetica04.htm
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Experiments by Grinberg and Zylberbaum on ESP (Physics Essays 1994)
"Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Paradox in the Brain: The Transferred Potential"
http://strangetrue.blogspot.com/2005/05/psi-captured-on-eeg-research-of-jacobo.html
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Experiments by Charles Tart (Physiological Correlates of PSI Cognition, Internation Journal of Parapyschology 1963)
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The Global Consciouness Project (GCP)
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Experiments by Braud and Schlitz (Subtle Energies 1991, Journal of Parapsychology 1983 & 1993, Research in Parapsychology 1984 Metuch, NJ)
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"Feeling the Future" experiments by Daryl Bem, Cornell University
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"Chocolate Experiment" by Dean Radin
Paranormal meta-study: Radin D. The Conscious Universe. San Francisco, CA: Harper, 1997; 150-155.
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Works of J.B. Rhine:
http://archived.parapsych.org/members/jb_rhine.html
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Empirical Evidence Supporting Macro-Scale Quantum Holography in Non-Local Effects
Author: Benford MS
http://www.journaloftheoretics.com/articles/2-5/benford.htm
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The following paper contain hundreds of references (see footnotes):
http://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/bitstream/handle/2152/ETD-UT-2009-12-682/SMITH-DISSERTATION.pdf
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Also see the following "popular science" articles (both referring to the same paper):
http://blogs.wsj.com/ideas-market/2012/10/30/people-may-be-just-a-bit-psychic-even-they-dont-know-it/
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-10/listen-your-intuition-because-your-body-can-predict-future-events-without-any-clues
See also these books and website for additional reading:
http://www.amazon.com/The-ESP-Enigma-Scientific-Phenomena/dp/B005DI9M4O
http://www.amazon.com/Source-Field-Investigations-Civilizations-Prophecies/dp/0452297974
http://near-death.com/
If you'd like to read the findings of this hidden science, check this book out.
It seems that plants can indeed sense quite a lot more than you think.
Demonology is a serious study and intellectuals brats should abstain from grouping everything that is evil as demonic just to make your side look good.
Below is a serious endeavour to understand why an ideology can be called demonic:
https://www.amazon.com/Marx-Satan-Richard-Wurmbrand/dp/0891073795