20+ Diverse Traditions from New England to the West CoastDrawing on the expertise of twenty-four renowned practitioners, this book features contemporary folk traditions from all over North America. Diverse as the landscapes they thrive on, these authentic practices will expand your worldview and inspire you to enrich your own spirituality. Explore the history, tools, and spiritual beliefs of many different paths of folk magic from Mexico, the United States, and Can...

Following on from the hugely successful Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells, comes the next bumper encyclopedia celebrating all facets of witchcraft. This definite book is the most comprehensive, authoritative and entertaining guide you'll ever find on the mythology, folklore and traditions of magic.In this mammoth magical treasure trove, Judika Illes explores the history, folklore, spirituality, and mythology of witchcraft. A feast of facts and curiosities, rooted in magical and s...

The essential text and classic study of Neo-PaganismSince its original publication, Drawing Down the Moon continues to be the only detailed history of the burgeoning but still widely misunderstood Neo- Pagan subculture. Margot Adler attended ritual gatherings and interviewed a diverse, colorful gallery of people across the United States, people who find inspiration in ancient deities, nature, myth, even science fiction.In this edition, featuring an...

A distinguished anthropologist–who is also an initiated shaman–reveals the long-hidden female roots of the world’s oldest form of religion and medicine. Here is a fascinating expedition into this ancient tradition, from its prehistoric beginnings to the work of women shamans across the globe today.Shamanism was not only humankind’s first spiritual and healing practice, it was originally the domain of women. This is the claim of Barbara Tedlock’s provocative and myth-shattering book...

An accessible guide to rituals and resources for honoring death in the circle of life.Birth, growth, death, and rebirth are a cycle that forms the underlying order of the universe. This is the core of Pagan belief—and the heart of this unique resource guide to death and the process of dying. Filled with encouragement, strength, and inspiration, The Pagan Book of Living and Dying is an invaluable source of both spiritual counsel and very practical tools and ...

How do you tell your mother you're a witch?Coming out as a witch isn't easy. You may feel misunderstood, rejected, even discriminated against by friends, family, and coworkers. If you haven't come out, you may be leery of criticism from those who don't really know what it means to be a witch. In this one-of-a-kind collection, you'll meet fifty witches just like you who reveal what drew them to the craft and how they dealt with coming Out of the Broom Closet. Inside you'll find insp...

Santería represents the first in-depth, scholarly account of a profound way of wisdom that is growing in importance in America today. A professional academic and himself a participant in the Santeríacommunity of the Bronx for several years, Joseph Murphy offers a powerful description and insightful analysis of this African/Cuban religion. He traces the survival of an ancient spiritual path from its West African Yoruba origins, through nearly two centuries of slavery in the New Wor...

The secrets of Santeria, Voodoo and Obeah are among the oldest enigmas in the world. Their roots go back to pre-historic Africa - perhaps even beyond that. From the 16th century onwards, the slave trade brought these ancient mysteries to the West, where they blended strangely with traditional Christianity: the ancient African gods became identified with legendary saints. This integration of the two faiths slowly evolved to form the many varieties of Santeria, Obeah and Voudoun that are wid...

A refreshed edition of Jambalaya: The Natural Woman’s Book of Personal Charms and Practical Rituals—updated with a note from the author sharing the changes that have occurred in the 30 years since its original publication."A book of startling remembrances, revelations, directives, and imperatives, filled with the mysticism, wisdom, and common sense of the African religion of the Mother. It should be read with the same open-minded love with which it...

More than 60 pagan leaders and teachers describe in their own words what they believe and what they practice.• Addresses how Pagans view parenting, organized religion, and politics.• Introduces the wide range of possibilities within the neo-Pagan movement.• By Ellen Evert Hopman, author of A Druid's Herbal for the Sacred Earth Year; Walking the World in Wonder: A Children's Herbal; and Tree Medicine, Tree Magic.Who are the pagans and what d...

"The book returns the Craft to its primordial forces—animism, baneful plants, folk magic, ecstasy, and hedge-witchery—without gatekeeping, armchair pseudo-academia, or pretension.”—Mat Auryn, author of Psychic WitchRegional traditional witchcraft is an animistic form of witchcraft that moves away from the religious harvest festivals and fertility-minded practices associated with the more common Wiccan form of witchcraft.Very few of...