Ancient Traditions

The Chinese double-edged straight sword (jian), the “gentleman of weapons,” is the focus of this e-book. There are a growing number of people interested in this fascinating weapon, its history, and its use. For your convenience, this anthology assembles the best articles on this subject as published in the Journal of Asian Martial Arts. Chapters 1 and 2 were written by Dr. Richard Pegg, a scholar of Asian studies and art curator with over thirty years of studies in the martial arts. With sound academic and practical experience in swordsmanship, Dr. Pegg writes here on ancient Chinese ...

Truly a medicine for body and soul, one of cannabis’ greatest gifts is its remarkable potential for spiritual healing and awakening. In this authoritative guide, editor Stephen Gray and 17 other influential voices of the modern cannabis movement explore the spiritual benefits of cannabis and offer guidance on how to interact with the intelligence of this plant ally, a companion and supporter of humanity for millennia.

Uncover the magic of ancient Greek mythology with Ancient Greek Mythology: Reimagined Timeless Tales of Greek Deities! This captivating collection offers a fresh and entertaining twist on classic tales, retelling stories of gods, goddesses, and heroes in a way that will leave you on the edge of your seat, eager to know more.

A long time ago, in a suburban high school not so far away, a closeted nerd (me) and a closeted soccer star (Hutch) fell in love and planned to make their public debut at prom. Until Hutch bailed at the last minute, leaving me with a broken heart and unworn tuxedo. Tale as old as time, right? I spent the past ten years working to forget Hutch, returning to our old high school to teach and make new memories that could erase ones of him. I thought Hutch was ancient history, off living his professional athlete life.

Amazons - fierce warrior women dwelling on the fringes of the known world - were the mythic archenemies of the ancient Greeks. Heracles and Achilles displayed their valor in duels with Amazon queens, and the Athenians reveled in their victory over a powerful Amazon army. In historical times, Cyrus of Persia, Alexander the Great, and the Roman general Pompey tangled with Amazons.

From stories of resurrected mummies and thousand-year-old curses to powerful pharaohs and the coveted treasures of the Great Pyramids, ancient Egypt has had an unfaltering grip on the modern imagination. Now, in Egyptian Mythology, Geraldine Pinch offers a comprehensive introduction that untangles the mystery of Egyptian Myth.

A few years ago, Mark Adams made a strange discovery: Everything we know about the lost city of Atlantis comes from the work of one man, the Greek philosopher Plato. Then he made a second, stranger discovery: Amateur explorers are still actively searching for this sunken city all around the world, based entirely on the clues Plato left behind.

Drawing on her more than 20 years’ experience working with present-day Mesoamerican curanderos/as and the ancient shamanic healing traditions of the Mexica and Maya, Erika Buenaflor, MA, JD, provides a step-by-step guide for the curanderismo practice of soul retrieval. She explains how the soul is a form of sacred energy that can escape when someone experiences trauma or is threatened by challenging and stressful situations. Its absence can be responsible for a host of negative conditions including physical ailments, depression, insomnia, and dysfunctional behavior patterns.

New marine archaeological evidence has revealed the remains of a large land mass to the north of Britain that hosted an advanced civilization 1,000 years before the recognized “first” civilizations of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, or India. Remembered in Celtic legends as Tu-lay, and referred to by geologists as Doggerland or Fairland, this civilization began at least as early as 4000 BC but was ultimately destroyed by rising sea levels, huge tsunamis, and a terrible viral epidemic released from melting permafrost during a cataclysmic period of global warming.

Breve Historia de la Mitología Griega nos ofrece un panorama completísimo de las deidades del mundo clásico. Fernando López Trujillo no se detiene en una enumeración de los Dioses Olímpicos y sus atributos, sino que primero nos hace ver la importancia rectora de la mitología en el mundo antiguo, para mostrar a continuación las apasionantes historias que pueblan esta mitología.

Heroes, gods, and mortals. The Greek myths are the founding narratives of Western civilization: to understand them is to know the origins of philosophy, literature, art, science, law, and more. Indeed, as Luc Ferry shows in this masterful book, they remain a great store of wisdom, as relevant to our lives today as ever before.

Cleopatra. Nefertiti. Hatshepsut. All of them are ancient Egyptian female rulers who rose above their predominantly patriarchal societies to become controllers of a great empire. Missing from this list, however, is Sobekneferu, ancient Egypt’s first female ruler. Why was the reign of this powerful woman all but forgotten? Piecing together the lost history of the first female pharaoh, Andrew Collins presents the first comprehensive biography of Sobekneferu.

Melanin, a chemical released from the pineal gland of your brain, is the answer to it all. This seemingly magical component of who you are is in many ways the origin of your conscious expansion, and none of it would be possible without the sun! Melanin exists beyond just your own body and can in fact be found in all corners of the universe. It is the driving power that connects all living and nonliving things. The secret that these ancient tribes hold, the one that allows them so much peace and serenity, isn’t actually a secret after all.

Captured centaurs and satyrs, incompetent seers, people who suddenly change sex, a woman who remembers too much, a man who cannot laugh—these are just some of the colorful characters who feature in the unforgettable stories that ancient Greeks and Romans told in their daily lives. Together they created an incredibly rich body of popular oral stories that include, but range well beyond, mythology—from heroic legends, fairy tales, and fables to ghost stories, urban legends, and jokes. This unique anthology presents the largest collection of these tales ever assembled.

Classical Mythology A to Z is a comprehensive and engrossing guide to Greek and Roman mythology. Written by Annette Giesecke, PhD, Professor of Classics and Chair of Ancient Greek and Roman Studies at the University of Delaware, this brilliant reference offers clear explanations of every character and locale, and captures the essence of these timeless tales.

How much do you know about the key role women played in shaping the theatre we all know and love today? Perhaps you know little about the women who made theatre what it is today, and you are searching for a book that will help you improve your knowledge of musicals and their history. Or maybe you already have a strong understanding of the history of Broadway musicals, and you are searching for a book that covers the biographies of women in theatre in great detail. The truth is women’s role in the rise of theatre is greatly underappreciated. That is, until now. Introducing The Wonderful ...

The son of a Jewish father and Baptist mother, Paul Wilbur grew up attending synagogue. In college, he was transformed by a Baptist minister's teaching about a rabbi, Jesus, who fulfilled the promise of the Torah. As he grew in his relationship with Jesus, Wilbur was reintroduced to the God of the Old Testament and began exploring his Jewish heritage. Along the way, he discovered the power of Jewish worship traditions - the weekly Shabbat, with the power of Holy Communion and dedication to family, along with other high holy traditions and feast days.

While much of church planting today is approached as an innovative new effort, church leaders can take comfort in the truth that they are simply stewards of what the faithful church has been doing for millennia. By rediscovering the foundations of our heritage, we are able to build healthier, more faithful, and more effective churches. At the same time, the act of planting new churches can breathe new life into these ancient traditions as they are applied to a variety of cultural contexts.

In "Exploring Yule," journey into the enchanting world of the Winter Solstice, where the veil between worlds is thin, and the promise of rebirth awaits. This captivating guide delves deep into the ancient traditions, rituals, and spiritual significance of Yule, inviting readers to embrace the magic of this sacred season. Step into the Yuletide realm and discover the rich history and folklore surrounding the Winter Solstice. Uncover the ancient origins of Yule and its transformation into the modern-day celebration we know today. Delight in the customs and practices passed down through ...

"Sono qui per rispondere alle grandi domande sulla mitologia greca che ti affliggono, sin da quando hai visto il celeberrimo classico Disney Hercules che non ha mezza cosa giusta, come scopriremo. E le domande sono: Filottete è esistito sul serio? Ha allenato veramente tutti gli Eroi del Muori? Aveva la voce di Magalli? Sì, no, forse. Questo libro sarà tutto così, anche meglio, mi sto solo scaldando. Dai, non te ne andare ti prego, ho detto che sarà megliooo. Chi sono questi Eroi del Muori, allora? Gli dèi dici? Che problemi hai!? Gli dèi non hanno niente di Muori, al limite la infliggono.