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The Shekinah is the manifestation of the Wisdom Goddess of the Kabbalah, the Old Testament and Merkavah Mysticism. She encompasses the primordial light of creation, the wisdom of the serpent and the inspiration of the dove. She is the beauty of the lily and the embodiment of the Tree of Life. She is also the World Soul, heavenly glory, mother of angels, inspiration for prophecy, and source of souls, as well as being the Shabbat Bride and the wife of God.In The Cosmic Shekinah the authors present a concise history of the different influences of earlier wisdom goddesses on the development of the Shekinah. These goddesses include the Sumerian Inanna, the Egyptian Ma'at, the Greco-Egyptian Isis, the Semitic Anat and Astarte and the Canaanite Asherah. They show that from these ancient sources arose the unnamed Wisdom Goddess and wife of God portrayed in the Old Testament and early Jewish wisdom literature. It is this unnamed Wisdom Goddess who would subsequently become the source for the development of the Shekinah as well as the Gnostic Sophia. The influence of the feminine divine as the Shekinah has continued to find expression, with the Virgin Mary and the Holy Spirit of Christianity and the Sakina of Islam all being shaped by the enduring influence of the Wisdom Goddess.Through tracing her roles, myths and functions the authors show that in addition to her modern-day resurgence, the Wisdom Goddess has always been present throughout history, even when she has been suppressed and disguised by deliberate exclusion and mistranslation. Drawing on numerous sources including medieval Kabbalistic works, Hekhalot texts of Merkavah Mysticism, ancient literature such as the Egyptian, Sumerian and Ugaritic myths, the Old Testament, Gnostic texts and recent finds in Biblical archaeology, The Cosmic Shekinah draws attention back to the light of divine feminine wisdom.

"Relationship cannot be created without duality: we are divided for love's sake, for the chance of union..."Vs., edited by Kim Huggens, is a unique collection of twenty-one essays exploring the dynamic and wide-ranging nature of duality in magic, paganism and folklore, from polarity to paradox to opposition to friction to union. The essays by magicians, witches, folklorists, sorcerors, Norse and vodou practitioners, weave together diverse threads of wisdom, knowledge, experience and inspiration into a tapestry of fallen angels, heroes, gods, goddesses, fairies, lwa, dreams, myths and stories. The significance of the interplay between two disparate or similar powers is explored through the relationship of divine twins, siblings, lovers and enemies in a variety of different pantheons and tales, from Cain and Abel to Lilith and Eve, from Shiva & Shakti to Inanna and Dumuzi, from Perseus and Andromeda to Ares and Hephastus.The union of divine and mortal is another powerful theme explored in this book, both through the hieros gamos (sacred marriage) and the maryaj (Vodou spirit marriage) where a person weds one of the lwa.Vs. also explores the theme of self and other, as experienced both in ritual techniques for trance and dreaming, and in social commentaries on the diversity of beliefs within the modern esoteric revival such as Wicca, Sorcery and Neopaganism.Vs. covers a span of thousands of years, from ancient writings such as those of Plato and Gnosticism to the modern works of twentieth century magicians such as Austin Osman Spare and Dion Fortune.From the wisdom of the Emerald Tablet to the tales of the Mabinogion, Vs. challenges you in numerous ways to accept diversity and strive for the union of perfection."I am the voice whose sound is manifold and the word whose appearance is multiple." Thunder, Perfect Mind, 3rd century CE

Le Livre d'Or (The Book of Gold) is a unique 17th century French magical work comprising numerous amulets, charms, prayers, spells and sigils for working with the Biblical Book of the Psalms of King David. Written in a simple style akin to a medieval Book of Secrets combined with magical practices from the ancient world, Le Livre d'Or brings together practices which have their roots in major works from the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Cairo Genizah, to the Greek Magical Papyri and Sepher Shimmush Tehillim (Magical Use of the Psalms).Now translated into English for the first time, this exceptional text demonstrates the significance of the Psalms as a unifying and vital thread throughout the development of Western magic. From Sweden to Syria, Britain to the Baltic, the use of appropriate Psalms has spread as a significant part of popular folk and religious magic, and Le Livre d'Or is an inimitable example of the transmission of divine power through the written and spoken word. Le Livre d'Or was originally bound as part of Lansdowne MS 1202 with a 17th century French copy of the most important of grimoires, the Key of Solomon.The extensive commentary by David Rankine and Paul Harry Barron emphasises the place of the Psalms within the Grimoire tradition, detailing their extensive apotropaic, amuletic and coercive uses in works such as the Book of Abramelin, the Key of Solomon and the Goetia. The editors also illustrate how the magic of the Psalms has underlain and cross-fertilised numerous traditions over the last two thousand years, from Hellenic magicians, early Christians and Jews of the ancient world to practitioners of the medieval Grimoires and Renaissance Cunning-folk. Whether it was for benevolent or malefic results, Le Livre d'Or provided the appropriate Psalm verses and relevant techniques.This previously ignored work is an outstanding example of eminently practical magic which not only draws on such major works as the Heptameron and the Steganographia, but also many of the divine names found in the Kabbalah. From Saints to spirits, characters to Creeds, Le Livre d'Or shines forth as a significant and reclaimed chapter in the Western Esoteric Traditions.There is also a paperback edition available of this book.

Wicca is an initiatory magickal tradition incorporating both Pagan spiritual philosophies and witchcraft practices, with ceremonial magick. In doing so it combines magick, mysticism and spirituality into an experiential, practice-based tradition which works with the divine as both masculine and feminine, emphasising growth through balance and discipline. It provides a spiritual way of life, constantly growing and evolving, placing the responsibility for spiritual growth and fulfillment firmly back into the hands of the individual.This book explores the core practices of the Wiccan Tradition, providing insights on the symbolism and the ceremonies, including: * The divine feminine & masculine, Goddess & God * Wiccan ritual structure * The ritual tools * Planning your ritual * Preparing your temple space * The magick circle * The Guardians of the Watchtowers * Ritual content (including spells, divination & invocation) * Cakes and wine * Ritual refinements (including the use of visualisation and voice) * Purifcation and psychic protection * Ritual timing (including lunar, planetary, solar and elemental) * Elemental and other magickal gestures * Elemental pentagrams and landscapesCircle of Fire - A Practical Guide to the Symbolism and Practices of Modern Wiccan Ritual by Sorita d'Este and David Rankine was first published in 2005. The second edition was been revised and expanded by the authors in 2008.

The goddess Artemis is best known today as a goddess of the hunt and of the new moon, yet to those who worshipped at her ancient temples and sanctuaries she was far more than just that. To them she was a powerful and complex goddess whose influence spread far and wide throughout the ancient world. She was worshipped and celebrated as a goddess of childbirth, women, song, dance and of wild animals. As the daughter of the Titan goddess Leto by the Olympian father-god Zeus, Artemis would prove herself from the moment of her own birth, by assisting her mother with the birth of her own twin brother, Apollo. Zeus, who fathered children with many other goddesses and mortals, had a special affection for Artemis from the start and gave her all the gifts she asked for and more, making her one of the most powerful of the Olympian goddesses.Artemis, Virgin Goddess of the Sun & Moon by Sorita D'Este, explores the myths, powers and worship of this beautiful goddess. It is a throrough study with details of her temples and sanctuaries, the festivals which were held in honour of her, the roles she fulfilled in the myths, animals which were sacred to her, her relationship with her virgin attendants and other deities, as well as the many titles which were bestowed upon her. This groundbreaking book provides the most comprehensive study of this enduring goddess to date.

A seven volume set of magical treatises, presented in this Collected Works, unabridged, consisting of:Vol. I - Liber Noctis (A Handbook of the Sorcerous Arte) Liber Noctis explores the attitudes, training and preparation required for success in ritual, and, as the title suggests, does not shy away from the 'darker' aspects of magic. Practical, experiential, lucid and non-judgmental, this book lays the groundwork for the successful study and practice of sorcery in the modern world.Vol. II - Ars Salomonis (Being of that Hidden Arte of Solomon the King) Ars Salomonis is a practical manual for working with the talismanic figures found in the Key of Solomon, the most significant of all grimoires. Including two methods for empowering and activating the planetary pentacles, the author makes this vital work safely accessible to beginners. It is an ideal entranceway into the grimoire tradition.Vol. III - Ars Geomantica (Being an account and rendition of the Arte of Geomantic Divination and Magic) Ars Geomantica explores the medieval system of Geomancy, one of the simplest and most practical of the divinatory arts. The inclusion of detailed instructions on the creation of geomantic staves, elemental fluid condensers, and talismanic construction and consecration make this work a superb introduction to the extensive assortment of magical and divinatory principles.Vol. IV - Ars Theurgia Goetia (Being an account and rendition of the arte and praxis of the conjuration of some of the spirits of Solomon) Ars Theurgia Goetia presents a precise and practical guide to working with the spirits of this neglected text from the Solomonic grimoire cycle, the Theurgia-Goetia, giving the full seals of the spirits for the first time. The complete ritual sequence of preparation, conjuration, and license to depart is lucidly demonstrated, making this work suitable for both the beginner and the experienced practitioner.Vol. V - Otz Chim (The Tree of Life) Otz Chim is a practical exploration of the magic of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, the glyph that concentrates the essence of magic and mysticism within the Western Mystery Tradition. This book focuses on lesser-known aspects such as the angels associated with the paths, their seals, and invocations and includes the previously unavailable Massa Aborum Vitae.Vol. VI - Ars Speculum (Being an instruction on the arte of using mirrors and shewstones in magic) Ars Speculum is a concise and practical work on the use of mirrors and shewstones in magic. In it the author explores skrying and working with the four elements of air, fire, water and earth - both with elemental condensers and different elemental creatures. Other techniques include contacting other levels of being, the conjuration of spirits, binding and ligature, and healing and protection.Vol. VII - Liber Terriblis (Being an instruction on the seventy-two spirits of the Goetia) Liber Terribilis is a practical study of how to work with the seventy-two spirits of the infamous seventeenth-century Grimoire, the Goetia. It also explores the vital and often neglected use of the seventy-two binding angels of the Great Name of God, the Schemhamphorasch.This volume will be of value to all levels of students and practitioners of the grimoire traditions, being based upon the work of a small group of occultists who have explored it in practice.