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Bust of Queen Nefertiti. Ancient Egypt. The Egyptian Museum, Berlin. by Travis Simpkins |
Saturday, April 26, 2025
Ancient Bust of Queen Nefertiti. The Egyptian Museum, Berlin. by Travis Simpkins
Monday, April 21, 2025
Leda and the Swan. Ancient Roman. 1st Century BC. by Travis Simpkins
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Leda and the Swan. Ancient Roman. 1st Century BC. by Travis Simpkins |
Monday, December 23, 2024
Aphrodite, Pan and Eros. Ancient Greek Mythology. Sketch by Travis Simpkins
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Aphrodite, Pan and Eros. Ancient Greek Sculpture. Mythology. Sketch by Travis Simpkins |
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Aphrodite, Pan and Eros. Ancient Greek Sculpture. Mythology. Sketch by Travis Simpkins |
Wednesday, August 21, 2024
Spells for Change. A Guide for Modern Witches. Frankie Castanea. Chaotic Witch Aunt
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Spells for Change. A Guide for Modern Witches. Frankie Castanea. Chaotic Witch Aunt |
I'm enjoying "Spells for Change: A Guide for Modern Witches" by social media influencer Frankie Castanea aka Chaotic Witch Aunt.
Forget warts and cauldrons—a new generation of
witches is on the rise. From justice spells to protective charms,
Frankie Castanea brings their fresh style to an ancient practice,
showing that contemporary witchcraft is a powerful force for good and a
tool for manifesting positive change.
Modern-day
witches are a blend of the old and the new. They travel to the grocery
store, work nine-to-five jobs, and teach in our classrooms. They also
carry black tourmaline and quartz, and wave bay and rosemary bundles
over their doorways.
Within an ancient and sacred practice, a new
type of Craft has taken hold: one that combines the power of action
with energy and intent, prioritizes self-realization, and matches its
activism with manifestation.
With chapters on meditation, grounding, cleansing, banishing, binding, and more, Spells for Change will help the modern witch create change within the hearth, the heart, and the world—one spell at a time.
Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Invoking Mary Magdalene. Accessing the Wisdom of the Divine Feminine. Siobhan Houston
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Invoking Mary Magdalene. Accessing the Wisdom of the Divine Feminine. Siobhan Houston |
I'm enjoying "Invoking Mary Magdalene: Accessing the Wisdom of the Divine Feminine" by Siobhan Houston.
Recent discoveries of sacred texts such as the Gospel of Mary of Magdala and the Gospel of Thomas tell us that Mary Magdalene was independent, insightful, and courageous—a woman so inspirational that her voice can still be heard across the ages.
In Invoking Mary Magdalene, religious scholar Siobhán Houston invites you to develop your own personal relationship with one of Jesus' closest disciples, as she instructs you in a daily devotional practice of prayers, meditations, and visualizations from around the world.
With the exercises in this book and on the accompanying CD, Houston offers step-by-step guidance for accessing the wisdom of the Divine Feminine that Mary Magdalene represents, as you explore:Novenas, rosaries, and seasonal rituals from the Gnostic, Kabbalistic, and Grail traditions
How to connect to Mary Magdalene in her Dark Goddess aspect to unleash your own fierce power—the energy that turns fear and illusion into healing and renewal
Reveling in bliss: realizing a euphoric adoration of the Divine that eclipses all earthly concerns, and much more
Whether you're discovering Mary Magdalene for the first time or have long felt an unquenchable desire to experience the presence of the beloved luminary, with Invoking Mary Magdalene, you will come to share Mary Magdalene's gnosis—her indwelling knowledge of the sacred—and witness the blessings of the one who has been called "the woman who knew the All".
Wednesday, June 5, 2024
Leda and the Swan. Ancient Roman. 1st Century BC. by Travis Simpkins
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Leda and the Swan. Ancient Roman. 1st Century BC. by Travis Simpkins |
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
Isis. Ancient Egyptian Goddess. Mythology. 18th Dynasty. Sketch by Travis Simpkins
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Isis. Ancient Egyptian Goddess. 1550-1292 BC. 18th Dynasty. Sketch by Travis Simpkins |
Mother of Horus
in entering the afterlife
Divine Mother of the Pharaoh (Horus)
Her maternal aid was
invoked in healing spells.
She was also prominent in
royal rituals, temple rites,
funerary practices and magical texts
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Isis. Ancient Egyptian Goddess. 1550-1292 BC. 18th Dynasty. Sketch by Travis Simpkins |
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Aphrodite, Pan and Eros. Ancient Greek Mythology. Sketch by Travis Simpkins
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Aphrodite, Pan and Eros. Ancient Greek Sculpture. Mythology. Sketch by Travis Simpkins |
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Aphrodite, Pan and Eros. Ancient Greek Sculpture. Mythology. Sketch by Travis Simpkins |
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hygeia. Goddess of Health. Antioch, Roman. Worcester Art Museum. by Travis Simpkins
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Hygeia. Goddess of Health. Antioch. Worcester Art Museum. by Travis Simpkins |
Monday, January 29, 2024
Aphrodite Rising from the Sea. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. by Travis Simpkins
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Aphrodite Rising from the Sea. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. by Travis Simpkins |
Saturday, January 6, 2024
Pandora's Box. 19th Century. NeoClassical. Ancient Greek Mythology. by Travis Simpkins
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Pandora's Box. 19th Century. NeoClassical. Ancient Greek Mythology. by Travis Simpkins |
Sunday, October 29, 2023
Sexuality, Magic and Perversion. Francis King
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Sexuality, Magic and Perversion. Francis King. Order Temple Orientis. OTO. Aleister Crowley |
I'm enjoying "Sexuality, Magic and Perversion" by Francis King...
Sexuality, Magic & Perversion by Francis King is a controversial, revelatory, highly recommended volume of original research that investigates sexuality in religions and traditions all over the globe, from fertility cults and tantricism to Islamic mysticism and Crowleyan sex magick. A tantalizing study of the mystical aspect of sex, heavily researched.
Sexuality, Magic, and Perversion surveys such outre subjects as sex magic, left-hand Tantrism, and the initiates of Aleister Crowleys Order of Oriental Templars. This fascinating and highly readable book also discusses the role of magical fantasy in contemporary pornography. Appendices cover obscurities such as Ralph Chubbs homoerotic mysticism and the women bishops of the Mariavite Church in Poland.
Friday, October 27, 2023
The Meaning of Witchcraft. Gerald Gardner. Wicca. Occult
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The Meaning of Witchcraft. Gerald Gardner. Wicca. Occult |
I'm enjoying some of the newly reissued Occult books in the Weiser Classics series. "The Meaning of Witchcraft" by Gerald Gardner is an essential Wiccan text.
"Those of us who use the word witch with all of the pride and fortification that it offers us do so thanks to Gardner’s lucid, liberating vision.”—Pam Grossman, author of Waking the Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic, and Power
Often called the father of modern witchcraft, Gerald Gardner’s life and works were ground-breaking in opening the door for the modern revival of Wicca and neo-paganism. The Meaning of Witchcraft (originally published in 1959) was the first sympathetic book written from the point of view of a practicing witch.
“The foundation of magical beliefs,” Gardner wrote, “of which witchcraft is a form, is that unseen Powers exist, and that by performing the right sort of ritual, these Powers can be contacted and either forced or persuaded to assist one in some way. People believed this in the Stone Age, and they believe it, consciously or not, today. It is now well known that most superstition is, in fact, broken-down ritual. The meaning of witchcraft is to be found not in strange religious theories about God and Satan but in the deepest levels of the human mind, the collective unconscious, and the earliest developments of human society.”
The Meaning of Witchcraft is an enduring and invaluable source book for witches today. This Weiser Classics edition includes a new foreword by Pam Grossman, author of Waking the Witch. In it, Grossman revisits the historical role and mixed legacy that Gardner has played in the revival of witchcraft and magic in modern times.
Monday, July 31, 2023
Maxine Sanders. Witchcraft. Alexandrian Wicca. Ceremonial Magick. by Travis Simpkins
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Maxine Sanders. Witchcraft. Alexandrian Wicca. Ceremonial Magick. by Travis Simpkins |
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Maxine Sanders. Witchcraft. Alexandrian Wicca. Alex Sanders. Ceremonial Magick. by Travis Simpkins |
Saturday, July 15, 2023
Witchcraft Today. Gerald Gardner. Wicca. Occult. Magick
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Witchcraft Today. Gerald Gardner. Wicca. Occult. Magick |
First published in 1954, "Witchcraft Today" was a landmark text that inspired a Revival. Written by Gerald Gardner, the Father of Wicca. Still an interesting read 70 years later.
An expanded edition of the quintessential Wiccan classic written by the father of the pagan renaissance.
First published in 1954, this landmark exploration of Wicca inspired a passionate revival of interest in indigenous British religion and led to the rebirth of a way of life. Encompassing an explanation of Wiccan rituals and tenents, as well as a comprehensive study of occult practices worldwide and throughout the ages, Witchcraft Today is a book that "belongs on the bookshelf of every Witch and every person . . . interested in the whole vast field of the occult" (Raymond Buckland, author of Wicca for Life).
This special expanded edition of the historic volume, reissued in celebration of its 50th anniversary, includes the original introduction written for the book by Dr. Margaret Murray, former president of the British Folklore Society and the author of influential books on Witchcraft. It also includes new material by contemporary practitioners and scholars:
- Judy Harrow, author of Wicca Covens and Devoted to You, discusses the context of Gardner's life and work and gives an analysis of his published sources as well as which later books carry on the major themes.
- Ronald Hutton, eminent historian and author of Triumph of the Moon, looks at Gardner's life and times.
- Wren Walker, coproducer of the Witches' Voice website, shares her observations about Wicca today.
- Graduate student Tara Nelson looks into the religion's possible future.
This audacious work is a must-read for anyone fascinated by the ancient practice of Witchcraft, or by its growing influence on contemporary culture, including references to the practice of Wicca on TV and in movies, and courses that teaches its principles in mainstream academic institutions. Combining an exploration of the often-secret past of Witches with a look at its current practice, Witchcraft Today is an essential tool to be used for study, reflection, inspiration, and transformative ideas.
Friday, July 7, 2023
Love Magic. Laurie Cabot. Salem, Massachusetts. Witchcraft
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Love Magic. Laurie Cabot. Salem, Massachusetts. Witchcraft |
I'm greatly enjoying "Love Magic" by Laurie Cabot, the Official Witch of Salem!
Discover the power of love through the mystical practice of magic in this wide-ranging collection of spells, rituals, and meditations from the authors of Power of the Witch.
You don't have to be a Witch to use Love Magic. This enlightening book—a rich treasury of spells for men, women, and couples to attract, enhance, or end relationships—addresses both the novice and the experienced magic worker. Following an inspiring and informative overview on the meaning of love magic and on the craft of performing it, Love Magic offers an extensive array of rituals to bring warmth, affection, pleasure, and passion into your life and the lives of others. Told in Laurie Cabot's friendly voice and reflecting her many years of experience as a Witch, Love Magic promotes magic for the good of all and the harm of none, so readers can't hurt their chances at love, only increase them.
Monday, July 3, 2023
Leda and the Swan. Ancient Roman. 1st Century BC. by Travis Simpkins
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Leda and the Swan. Ancient Roman. 1st Century BC. by Travis Simpkins |
Sunday, June 11, 2023
Maxine Sanders. Witchcraft. Alexandrian Wicca. Ceremonial Magick. by Travis Simpkins
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Maxine Sanders. Witchcraft. Alexandrian Wicca. Ceremonial Magick. by Travis Simpkins |
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Maxine Sanders. Witchcraft. Alexandrian Wicca. Alex Sanders. Ceremonial Magick. by Travis Simpkins |
Thursday, May 25, 2023
Aphrodite Rising from the Sea. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. by Travis Simpkins
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Aphrodite Rising from the Sea. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. by Travis Simpkins |
Saturday, April 1, 2023
Aphrodite Rising from the Sea. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. by Travis Simpkins
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Aphrodite Rising from the Sea. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. by Travis Simpkins |