Pagan History

Russia is a country with no natural borders, no single ethnic group, no true central identity. At the crossroads of Europe and Asia, it has been subject to invasion by outsiders, from Vikings to Mongols, from Napoleon’s French to Hitler’s Germans. In order to forge an identity, it has mythologized its past to unite its people and to signal strength to outsiders. In A Short History of Russia, Mark Galeotti explores the history of this fascinating, glorious, desperate, and exasperating country.

Maat is an ancient Egyptian goddess who represents truth, justice, and balance. She is often associated with the concept of Maat, which is the principle of truth, order, justice, and balance in the Universe. Followers of Maat believe that it is our responsibility to uphold these principles in our own lives and the world around us.

A father cleans up after his toddler and imagines a cup that won't spill. An engineer watches people using walkie-talkies and has an idea. A doctor figures out how to deliver patients to the operating room before they die. By studying inventions like these—the sippy cup, the cell phone, and an ingenious hospital bed—we can learn how people imagine their way around "impossible" problems to discover groundbreaking answers. Pagan Kennedy reports on how these enduring methods can be adapted to the twenty-first century.

Christmas is a wonderful Christian holiday that has been enjoyed by many for hundreds of years. Or is it a collection of repackaged pagan practices setup by the Roman Catholic church in order to replace paganism? I guess it would depend on who you ask, but ultimately it cannot be both. Today there seems to be a battle between two camps concerning the origins of Christmas. Memes, videos, and blogs are filled with opinions, but what is the truth behind the matter? What evidence is there to support the views that are being shared? In this book we will be looking at the Biblical account of the ...

As emperor, Julian set about reforming the administration, conquering new territories, and reviving ancient religions. He was scorned in his time for repudiating Christianity and demonized as an apostate for willfully rejecting Christ. Through the centuries, Julian has been viewed by many as a tragic figure who sought to save Rome from its enemies and the corrupting influence of Christianity. Christian writers and historians have seen Julian much differently: as a traitor to God and violent oppressor of Christians.

In the late 1880s, Pleasant Valley, Arizona, descended into a nightmare of violence, murder, and mayhem. By the time the Pleasant Valley War was over, 18 men were dead, four were wounded, and one was missing, never to be found. Valley of the Guns explores the reasons for the violence that engulfed the settlement, turning neighbors, families, and friends against one another.

Have you ever wanted to understand the sophisticated belief systems of ancient religions? Have you always been intrigued by the intricate mythologies of Greece and Rome? Were you compelled toward the mysterious and spiritual nature of the universe but did not know how to access it? If so, then you've found the right audiobook! You can learn about the history and diversity of Paganism and how Paganism exists today.

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.

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.

The year is AD641 and the great Oswald of Northumbria, bretwalda over England, must battle against an alliance of the old Britons and the Saxons led by Penda of the Hwicce, the victor of Hæ∂feld nine years before, the only Saxon leader seemingly immune to Oswald's beguiling talk of the new Christianity spreading through England from both the north and the south.

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.

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.

There is no exact explanation of the word “pagan” - no explanation that you could understand in less than a month. To properly understand the depths of Paganism, you need to know where it all started - and how it developed throughout generations. Ultimately, it is thanks to this book that you will either satisfy your curiosity, or get a better idea of where your beliefs lie. Hence, you need not wait any longer!

For more than a millennium, the Russian Orthodox Church has shown astonishing survival skills—from the Mongol yoke, to tsarist demagoguery and enlightenment, Soviet atheism, the chaotic 1990s and now two decades of Vladimir Putin. In this provocative new book, Lucy Ash reveals how, under Putin, religion is being stripped of its spiritual content and used as a weapon to control the population in a way never seen before. Orthodox clerics and their acolytes are trying to drag Russia backwards into a new Middle Ages.

Sabbats, or Wiccan holidays, are timed the Earth's rhythms and seasons. Sabbats celebrate the Earth's journey around the sun, also known as the Wheel of the Year, while Wiccans commemorate Sabbats as Turning the Wheel. Wiccans normally celebrate eight Sabbats each year. Take advantage of this great opportunity to learn all you ever wanted to know about the Wiccan and Pagan holidays. Listen to learn more! Blessed be!

With little more than a run-down Jeep and their newborn baby in tow, author Micah Perks' parents set out in 1963 to build a school and a utopian community in the mountains. The school would become known as a place to send teens with drug addictions and emotional problems, children with whom Micah and her sister would grow up. This complex memoir mixes a moving celebration of the utopian spirit and its desire for community and freedom with a lacerating critique of the consequences of those desires - especially for the children involved.

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.

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.

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?