Pagan History

This essay comes from the NPR series This I Believe, which features brief personal reflections from both famous and unknown Americans. The pieces that make up the series compel listeners to rethink not only what and how they have arrived at their beliefs, but also the extent to which they share them with others.

Joseph McCabe (1867-1955) was a Catholic priest and scholar who abandoned his faith in the 1890s and later became a very prominent secular activist. He published over 250 books and pamphlets, covering a wide range of genres, including history, politics, biography, and popular science.

Although many have heard of the Crusades and some of the more famous orders like the Templars, few know about the Livonian Crusade or the Livonian Brothers of the Sword. This organization was one of many Catholic military orders that sprung up during the Middle Ages in response to the papacy’s call for holy war, and the Livonian Crusade is the term used to group together dozens of military actions undertaken by German knights in Eastern Europe. The order was also significant for consolidating the power of the Holy Roman Empire in Eastern Europe.

This comprehensive book will teach you all about Wicca and witchcraft, including how to practice alone; useful tools and supplies; best ways to find a join a coven; blessings, charms, and spells; and more.

Wicca is for everyone who desires to be one with nature. there are a lot of reasons as to why people convert to the wiccan belief, all of which will be discussed in this book. With this book at the palm of your hand, we will guide you through your journey - from learning all about the history of the said religion, dispelling any myths surrounding its principles, the basics of Witchcraft, the tools and devices used by the followers of the Wiccan religion and modern paganism, and so forth.

This two-volume history of the supernatural, first published in 1863, is a staggering feat: extending his work across almost a thousand pages, William Howitt attempts to describe the engagement with the supernatural in all ages and all parts of the world in order to identify a common link between them. Howitt (1792-1879), a well-known writer in his day, published over 50 books in his lifetime, some in collaboration with his wife, writer and translator Mary Howitt. His interest in the supernatural was precipitated by the untimely deaths of two sons.

A businessman struggles with his luggage at an airport and pioneers the wheeled suitcase. An engineer watches people using walkie-talkies and dreams up the mobile phone. A printer is frustrated by his unpredictable inks and creates the Pantone colour system. Why were these particular people able to identify problems, and how did they discover the solutions that everyone else missed? Where exactly did their great ideas come from, and how did they go about making them into reality?

In this third and final part of The Commandment Trilogy, two "casualties of life," Zachary, the failed hermit, and Leila, the ostracized nun, travel from the the Nile valley on a final life journey, this time together. Set in exotic but little-known fourth-century A.D. Egypt, their journey sheds a unique light on the early development of Christianity -- both its good and its bad sides.