Modern Religion

What do we really know about modern practicing polygamists - not fictional ones like the Henrickson family on HBO’s Big Love? We’ve seen the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the news, the underage brides in pioneer dresses on a Texas ranch. But the FLDS is just one of many groups that have broken with mainstream Mormonism to follow those parts of Joseph Smith’s doctrine disavowed by the LDS Church. Gaining unprecedented access to these communities, journalist Sanjiv Bhattacharya reveals a shadow country....

What if you could practice magick anytime, without the use of ceremonial spells, altars, or magickal tools? Items such as candles, special ingredients, and exotic symbols are necessary to perform many types of magick, but these items aren't always feasible, attainable, or even available. The purest form of magick—tapping into your own energetic awareness to create change—is accessible simply through the power of your will. Popular author Christopher Penczak explains how to weave natural energies into every facet of life by inspiring listeners to explore their own individual willpower.

Today, a new generation of Buddhists searches for ways to adopt Vajrayana while staying true to its historical legacy. Modern Tantric Buddhism unpacks the principles and applications of this esoteric practice in an accessible and meaningful manner, connecting its roots to a socially engaged, modern-day dharma. Von Bujdoss challenges assumptions about what it means to be a socially engaged Buddhist, and presents Tantra as an ideal vehicle for critically examining today’s most pressing social issues.

The Living Gita is a translation of, and commentary on, the Bhagavad Gita by Sri Swami Satchidananda, one of the world’s most respected Yoga masters. The Gita is the summary and essence of Eastern spiritual wisdom, drawn from the Hindu tradition. When Swami Satchidananda arrived in the West in 1966, he recognized the need to make the teachings of Yoga and this classic text accessible to modern readers and listeners. He soon began giving talks on the Gita, which became the foundation for The Living Gita, first published in 1988.

Twenty-seven years ago, Matthieu Ricard gave up a promising career as a scientist to study Tibetan Buddhism—not as a detached observer but by immersing himself in its practice under the guidance of its greatest living masters. Years later, this project was born, and Ricard met with his father, Jean-Francois Revel—a French philosopher who became world famous for his challenges to both Communism and Christianity. At an inn, these two profoundly thoughtful men explored questions that have occupied humankind throughout its history.

Paganism is a way of seeing the world and your place in it. It means challenging the assumptions of mainstream society and strengthening your relationships with the gods, the universe, your community, and your self. The Path of Paganism provides practical advice and support for honoring your values and living an authentic Pagan life in mainstream Western culture. Discover tips for establishing or deepening a regular practice. Explore how your spirituality can help you deal with life's inevitable hardships.

Accounts of seemingly impossible phenomena abounded in the early modern era—tales of levitation, bilocation, and witchcraft—even as skepticism, atheism, and empirical science were starting to supplant religious belief in the paranormal. In this book, Carlos Eire explores how a culture increasingly devoted to scientific thinking grappled with events deemed impossible by its leading intellectuals.

Celtic Hedge Witchery delves into the secret liminal space exemplified by the English hedgerows and expands the listener's understanding of how to truly embody the witchcraft life. Joey Morris reaches out across the spiritual ecosystem to teach ideas and methods of the hedgerow. Listeners learn how to connect to their natural witchcraft, find the sacred landscape within themselves, and commune and benefit from working with spirits. Spell work, recipes, meditative guides, and evocative poetry guide the listener in connecting with the Celtic gods and in crossing the hedge into the Otherworld.

The ultimate guide to witchcraft for every woman craving a connection to something bigger, using the tools of tarot, astrology, and crystals to discover her best self. In these uncertain times, witchcraft, astrology, tarot, crystals, and similar practices are seeing a massive resurgence, especially among young women, as part of their self-care and mindfulness routines. Gabriela helps listeners take back their power while connecting to something larger than themselves.

Julius Evola’s final major work, which examines the prototype of the human being who can give absolute meaning to his or her life in a world of dissolution.

The Satanic Narratives: A Modern Satanic Bible is a foundational text thoroughly deconstructing Satan, the adversarial archetype and the individualism of the Left-Hand Path. This updated Satanic Bible marks a reformation in the religion of Satanism, accessible to the average listener and philosopher alike. Satanists who struggled to find meaning in LaVey's Rand-inspired social Darwinism, will embrace this new focus on activism and social justice.

In the intensity of the fiery cauldron of transformation, a series of reactions and bonds occurred to culminate in the creation of this beautiful structure, carrying the energy of the earth. Now, more than ever, modern witches have a vast number of powerful crystals from around the world right at their fingertips, harnessing their power in spellwork and rituals.

This book explains the nature of existence in Seven Principles according to Ancient Egyptian Philosophy. This information was kept hidden and passed down throughout the ages and contains the underlying principles of Truth found in all systems of thought. This information can be applied to life in a practical or magical way.

Are you looking for a guide to Wiccan beliefs, witchcraft, and spells? Do you want to start practicing Wicca? Are you a beginner to Wicca? Or Are you curious about magic and different spells? Regardless of your situation, the “Wicca for Beginners” book serves as your all-in-one solution for mastering Wicca principles. Are you looking to learn about Wicca? Have you heard about it before, but you're not sure what it's all about? Then Wicca for Beginners is your answer! Written with the beginner in mind, this comprehensive and detailed guide gives you everything you need to know about the ...

Seven years ago, Christian Wiman, a well-known poet and the editor of Poetry magazine, wrote a now-famous essay about having faith in the face of death. My Bright Abyss, composed in the difficult years since and completed in the wake of a bone marrow transplant, is a moving meditation on what a viable contemporary faith - responsive not only to modern thought and science but also to religious tradition - might look like.

Blood Sex Magic is an invitation and an awakening—a guide toward a life of connection to self and spirit, to the seen and unseen realms, and to magical traditions past and future. Bri Luna honors traditions from her African American and Mexican roots and celebrates magic that is “from dirt and blood, jewels and bones, moon and sun.”

With dizzying social transformations in everything from gender to social justice, it may seem like there's never been a more tumultuous period in history. But a single year in the late 18th century saw a number of influential transformations—or even revolutions—that changed the social trajectory of the Western world. By understanding how those events influenced today's cultural landscape, Christians can more effectively bear witness to God's truth in a post-Christian age.

In the Yoruba religion, the seven powerful orisha are thought to bring about miracles and change a person’s life. They can help you cross the divide between the natural and spiritual dimensions. There are also rituals for fertility and prosperity, such as instructions for a sacred bath. But the author does not stop there. It is explained how the orisha can be manifested within the body in multiple ways: how you walk and talk, by appreciating your body, in how you sleep, by being mindful of what you say about yourself, and by making an effort with your appearances.

Explore the occult from ancient times to the modern day with one of its most respected scholars and practitioners. Take an enlightening journey through occult history, exploring 100 dramatic incidents, arcane knowledge, and key historical figures from around the world. John Michael Greer delves into two millennia of tradition, from the earliest alchemists to pagan rituals; from the philosopher's stone to cabala, the first tarot, and the Knights Templar; and from the first horoscopes to fortune-telling trials and the birth of modern witchcraft, or Wicca.

Take one part of the world's oldest spiritual system (shamanism), mix in one part of one of the world's most popular spiritual cultures (the Celts), and bring it up to date by blending in modern forms of shamanism. The result D. J. Conway's By Oak, Ash, & Thorn. This book is filled with information that can start you on a lifetime of study, practice, and spirituality. First, you'll learn about ancient and modern forms of shamanism. You'll discover the secrets of the three shamanic worlds, and how you can travel through these realms.