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BLESSED LUGHNASADH!!!

BLESSED LUGHNASADH!!!
Ceres of Merida

WELCOME to the Edge of the Circle Newsletter. This newsletter has come about as an effort to reach out to the Pagan/ Occult community (particularly in Seattle where we are based) to inform the community of what events are happening at our store. Without further ado, welcome, and enjoy.  Regards, Erica (Raven) Branch-Butler, Editrix-

WHO WE ARE: Edge of the Circle Books is Seattle's resource for Paganism & the Occult. This newsletter seeks to provide the Seattle community with a place to list events, post articles, and do a bit of networking.

We are located at: 701 E. Pike St, corner of Boylston Ave., just two blocks west of Broadway, on Capitol Hill.

Edge of the Circle Books strives to be your ideal Magical Pagan store.

Open 7 days a week, Noon 'till 9pm.
Call: 206-PAN-1999

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We are also now on Facebook:
Become a Fan; post your event on the discussion page!


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REMINDER: We buy used Occult Books! Our buyer is in on Wednesdays, Thursdays,
Saturdays, and Sundays!

Classroom/Ritual Space is available-- please call for details!

If you find yourself needing to get out of the heat, come on down to the store and browse awhile. We have AIR CONDITIONING!

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:
Leon Reed
DRUID SUMMER CAMP

Come hear Leon Reed, the official herbalist for the British Druid Order talk  about our first Druid Summer Camp.  We have some very exciting things planned.  It will be held at camp long from Friday night till Sunday at 11:30.  There will be continuous Groves for Bards, Ovates, and Druids.  It is a great chance to be a druid all the time for more than a day for only $100.00. (Through Aug. 2-Lamass)  We have rented half the cabins at camp long in west Seattle for this event.  In addition to Leon Reed, many other amazing local teachers will be there including Corby Ingold who is profiled in keepers of the Flame. Another individual featured is Dennis Merril, another of our founders of the Bards of Caer Pugetia (Our local Gorsedd - which holds eight free meetings in Seattle Parks each year) and guitar maker extraordinaire. Come join us for this wonderful free lecture, and secure your bed for this wonder of a local event.



SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: SEATTLE HAS A NEW RESOURCE FOR PAGANS!



PSPRG : The Puget Sound Pagan Resource Guide

"Are you a Pagan in the Puget Sound area? Find groups, shops, events, classes, makers of thinks, officiates, healers, readers and more!"

About the Puget Sound Pagan Resource Guide

    The scope of this project is limited to doing a few things very well, aimed a connecting the wider Puget Sound Pagan community.  The site will serve two main functions… first to act as a community calendar, second to act as a pagan "yellow pages".  It is, and always will be, free to all. 








Note: all prices are subject to change without notice.






THE DARK LORD:

H.P. Lovecraft, Kenneth Grant, and the Typhonian Tradition in Magic
By Peter Levenda
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Ibis Press (August 1, 2013)
List Price: $35.00

FROM THE PUBLISHER:
One of the most famous - yet least understood - manifestations of Thelemic thought has been the works of Kenneth Grant, the British occultist and one-time intimate of Aleister Crowley, who discovered a hidden world within the primary source materials of Crowley's Aeon of Horus. Using complementary texts from such disparate authors as H.P. Lovecraft, Jack Parsons, Austin Osman Spare, and Charles Stansfeld Jones ("Frater Achad"), Grant formulated a system of magic that expanded upon that delineated in the rituals of the OTO: a system that included elements of Tantra, of Voudon, and in particular that of the Schlangekraft recension of the Necronomicon, all woven together in a dark tapestry of power and illumination.

The Dark Lord follows the themes in the writings of Kenneth Grant, H.P. Lovecraft, and the Necronomicon, uncovering further meanings of the concepts of the famous writers of the Left Hand Path. It is for Thelemites, as well as lovers of the Lovecraft Mythos in all its forms, and for those who find the rituals of classical ceremonial magic inadequate for the New Aeon.

Traveling through the worlds of religion, literature, and the occult, Peter Levenda takes his readers on a deeply fascinating exploration on magic, evil, and The Dark Lord as he investigates of one of the most neglected theses in the history of modern occultism: the nature of the Typhonian Current and its relationship to Aleister Crowley's Thelema and H.P. Lovecraft's Necronomicon.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Peter Levenda is an author of esoterica and historical investigation, from Unholy Alliance: A History of Nazi Involvement with the Occult (foreword by Norman Mailer) and his most recent Ratline: Soviet Spies, Nazi Priests and the Disappearance of Adolf Hitler, to the more specifically esoteric such as Tantric Temples: Eros and Magic in Java and Stairway to Heaven: Chinese Alchemists, Jewish Kabbalists and the Art of Spiritual Transformation. In addition, his Sinister Forces trilogy bears forewords by investigative journalists Jim Hougan, Dick Russell and Paul Krassner. He has appeared numerous times as an expert on Nazi occult beliefs on the History Channel, the Discovery Channel, the National Geographic Channel, and TNT, in shows ranging from Brad Meltzer's Decoded to The Nostradamus Effect.

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COMMENTARIES 
ON THE GOLDEN DAWN FLYING ROLLS
By: Various (Commentary)
Paperback: 440 pages
Publisher: Kerubim Press (June 14, 2013)
List Price: $29.99

FROM THE PUBLISHER:
This book contains the 36 pivotal papers given to Adepts in the original Golden Dawn order, providing key insights and instructions into the theory and practice of magic, from theurgy, imagination and symbolism to clairvoyance, divination and telesmatic images.
For the first time these texts are brought together in a single printed volume, along with some rare administrative versions that were all but ignored by modern eyes. In addition, extensive and insightful commentaries from modern Golden Dawn magicians from a variety of orders are here provided, adding to the corpus of teaching provided in the Flying Rolls themselves.
The contributors to this book include: Frater A.M., Frater AR, Deanna Bonds, Christopher Bradford, Chic Cicero, Sandra Tabatha Cicero, Ian Cowburn, Morgan Drake Eckstein, Nick Farrell, Paola Farrell, Lauren Gardner, Jayne Gibson, Frater Goya, VH Frater IOV, Aaron Leitch, Liza Llewellyn, Joseph Max, Frater Philomancer, VH Soror QQDAM, Samuel Scarborough, Eric V. Sisco, Rachael Walker, Sam Webster, Harry Wendrich, Peregrin Wildoak, Frater Yechidah, and Frater YShY.

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THE BOOK OF THE BARDIC CHAIR
By Kevan Manwaring (Compiler, Editor)
Foreword by Ronald Hutton
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: R J Stewart Books (October 22, 2008)
List Price: $17.99

FROM THE PUBLISHER:
‘It’s quite possibly the druidic bargain of the decade’ The Druid’s Voice

‘It continues to sum up a remarkable achievement, produced by an extraordinary city and community.’ Ronald Hutton

The Bardic Chair is awarded as a prize in competitions of artistic merit, held in a festival of the arts known as an eisteddfod. Born of the Celtic Tradition, initially in Wales, Bardic Chairs are a growing phenomenon – transcending cultural barriers – not just around the British Isles, but around the world. This book explains the background of Bardic Chairs, lists all the current ones on record, and explains how to set one up. If you ever wondered what a bard is and why they are as relevant as ever this book will enlighten and inspire.

Featuring the Bardic Chairs of…
*Wales*Cornwall*Brittany*Isle of Man*Channel Islands
*England*Australia*North America*Canada*Argentina

From the global to the local, the 2008 edition focuses on the Bardic Chair of Caer Badon (Bath, Somerset) as an example of the most successfully revived English Chair to date – featuring the 12th Bard.

·       Profile of each of the Chaired Bards, Ovates and Druids.
·       Winning Poems
·       List of Modern Bardic Chairs in Britain and beyond.
·       The Modern Bardic Chair Movement
·       How to set up and run a Bardic Chair
·       How to run a Bardic Circle
·       Contacts and Resources
·       Essays on Bath, the City of Sulis
·       Young Bard competitions

FROM THE AUTHOR’S PAGE:
Contributions by Ronald Hutton, Caitlín Matthews, RJ Stewart, Moyra Caldecott, Graham Harvey, Tim Sebastion Woodman, Philip Shallcrass (Greywolf) & many more

A recent review of The Book of the Bardic Chair, (RJ Stewart Books, 2008) edited by yours truly

This book is many things - a history, a directory, a guide, a sourcebook, and a work in progress. I have read the 08 edition, but it is evident the intention is to update this work as the bardic chair movement grows. The book is both a record of that development, and a means for furthering it. There's such a rich and diverse selection of writing here. It includes a history of bardic chairs, and overview of chairs around the world, a detailed history of the chair of Caer Badon, insights into the works of chaired bards, including samples of their creations, suggestions for how to run chairs and details of bardic gatherings.

Reading it, I felt sorely tempted to try and set something up - even though I don't realistically have time. Kevan's writing is persuasive, and the subject matter inspiring. He expresses not only why such gatherings are important, but makes it feel eminently do-able. One of the things I especially loved is that he presents the bard path as a thing in its own right - rooted in Celtic culture, but not exclusively that, and certainly not ‘druid level one'. Spiritual but not proselytising, competitive but not exclusive, the chairs are as much about the wider community and inclusion as they are about a few talented people strutting their stuff on the day. The bardic movement is a peace movement, and a green movement, it is for community, earth, connection and inspiration and we need more of this.

For anyone drawn to the modern bard path, this is well worth reading. For those exploring the modern history of paganism, it's going to be a valuable resource. For anyone seeking inspiration, there are all kinds of gems gathered here. It's a book I know I will be going back to, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it evolves in future editions.

Bryn Colvin, The Druid Network

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THE PATH OF INITIATION:
Spiritual Evolution and the Restoration of the Western Mystery Tradition
By J. S. Gordon
Paperback: 608 pages
Publisher: Inner Traditions; Original edition (July 4, 2013)
List Price: $29.95

FROM THE PUBLISHER:
Details the process of spiritual initiation from aspirant to the highest Adept

• Explains the characteristics of each stage of initiation, including the associated psychological issues that need to be faced to move to the next stage

• Explores the long history of the Mystery traditions from ancient Egypt, Babylonia, and India to the modern Theosophy of Blavatsky and Bailey

• Reveals how the Brotherhood of Spiritual Adepts is increasing global tensions to prepare humanity for the Age of Aquarius and spiritual revelation

As the precessional cycle transits from Pisces to Aquarius, great shifts in spiritual evolution are on the horizon--not for all of humanity as many in the New Age movement have generously hypothesized but for those who have undertaken the necessary spiritual preparation and initiatory work.

Drawing from his deep immersion in the Mystery traditions of both East and West, author J. S. Gordon investigates the initiatic path from ancient times to modern day, detailing the step-by-step process of initiation and the sequence from spiritual aspirant to the highest Adeptship. He explains the natural logic and characteristics of each stage of initiation, including the associated problems and psychological issues that need to be faced in order to move forward to the next stage. He shows how humanity is naturally inclined to spiritual evolution and the development of higher consciousness. We are part of the overall evolutionary process of Nature, a system guided by the most highly evolved Adepts and extending beyond Earth to the entire kosmos.

Exploring the long history of the Mystery schools beginning with ancient Egypt, Babylonia, and India, Gordon examines the sacred metaphors and allegories of esoteric philosophy, metaphysics, occult science, and the Science of the Seven Rays as well as the Adept-inspired theosophical works of H. P. Blavatsky and A. A. Bailey. He looks at the Adept Hierarchy of the Great White Himalayan Brotherhood and considers in detail two much-discussed mysteries: The Jesus-as-Christ mystery and the Maitreya-Buddha mystery. Revealing how advancement--spiritual, scientific, and cultural--erupts out of tension, he explains how the Adepts have been increasing local and global tensions to prepare humanity for the Age of Aquarius, thereby creating the ideal preconditions for spiritual evolution and an eventual restoration of the Mysteries in our own modern era.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

CHAPTER NINE
Initiations of the Threshold

We now come to the first two initiations of the sevenfold sequence of spiritual evolution within our planetary scheme. These are essentially the same as those of the Entered Apprentice and Fellow Craft in Freemasonry. However, before progressing with them, let us remember the sequence of seven states of consciousness (within the all-embracing eighth state that comprises the first and lowest kosmic plane of being), as defined in modern theosophical terminology.

7. Divine consciousness
6. Semi-divine consciousness
5. Full spiritual consciousness
4. Spiritual soul consciousness
3. Mental consciousness
2. Astral (desire) consciousness
1. Physical sensory consciousness

Of these seven the sensory physical state is regarded as having already been brought under conscious control, as far as the Path is concerned, during the first two preliminary stages of Probation and Accepted Discipleship. Therefore the remaining six include a duality between the Higher Mind and the Lower Mind, these being respectively dealt with at the second and third initiations. In each case, as already suggested, the individual has to bring about (under increasingly testing conditions) a practical and not just theoretical display of control over the natural elemental forces that constitute the instinctive nature of each plane of being.

In a peculiar way, however, the individual generates the very conditions that he or she has to overcome--hence the difficulties. The reason for this is that Nature always instinctively strives to achieve balance. Hence, when we strive after something higher, Nature will find its opposite and bring it to bear in order to counteract the threatened imbalance. The subtler the higher aspiration, the subtler is the downward dragging elemental response. The only way that a human individual can counteract this situation is by allowing his or her consciousness to be brought to a face-to-face crisis of these opposites in which both of them are transcended. It is for this reason that the path of initiation is often referred to as the Path of Progressive Renunciation--the Way of Tears and Sadness. Yet this is unavoidable because the whole process of psychospiritual evolution necessarily involves much internal (often violent) conflict, with progressive destruction, purification, and rebuilding or reorganization, in order to better align the lower nature with the higher. All of this takes a long time to achieve properly, resulting in the correct disciplining of elemental matter of the various sub-planes, then of successive readjustment, realignment, and repolarization of each “body” as a whole. Any attempt to rush the process unduly, outside natural Law, can only result in problems that will have to be undone before further real progress is possible. That is why we are told that haste is not an accepted mode of activity within the spiritual world.

THE SEVEN RAY INFLUENCES
The essential difference between the higher and lower initiations is that the crisis in the first (lower) three is unconsciously self-engineered by the individual’s own way of life. In the higher four, the intelligence--having realized the true nature and practical value of the principle of crisis--brings it about consciously through a self-willed focus. As we are very helpfully told:

A crisis is brought about by a certain habit of mind. . . . It is the establishing of a certain objective rhythm which produces a crisis; it is the emergence of a particular subjective rhythm which enables a man to surmount the crisis and to capitalize on the opportunity.

When this is consciously recognized and adapted to prevailing circumstances much later on the Path--by the initiate facing the fourth degree (the initiation influenced by the Fourth Ray)--the sense of crisis is then felt in a manner directly affecting the life of the objective personality by those in close contact, but not in quite the same manner by the individual. His or her trial is of a much subtler and wholly subjective nature. It is perhaps worthwhile reminding ourselves, before we proceed further, of the teaching concerning the Seven Rays, as enunciated by the Adept Hierarchy. These higher influences condition the individual’s forward progress until he or she becomes a sixth degree initiate, or Chohan. These Rays are correspondingly described as follows:

1. The Ray of Will or Power
2. The Ray of Love-Wisdom
3. The Ray of Active or Adaptive Intelligence
4. The Ray of Harmony-through-Conflict
5. The Ray of Concrete Science
6. The Ray of Devotion
7. The Ray of Ceremonial Organization or Ritual Magic

These same Ray influences are described as the projections of seven archetypal kosmic influences emanated downward into the field of our planetary life by our particular Logos. However, in trying to understand them (and it is essential to do so), it is important to remember the earlier description of how the lower three are the materialized reflection of the higher three, and the fourth acts as a bridge between these two highly potent triads. One further and again most important issue related to the Rays is that each--by virtue of the manner adapted by human usage--has a higher and a lower (or a positive and a negative) aspect to it. The individual must learn to recognize both and gradually become free of the tendency toward the latter through psychological honesty and applied self-control.

THE DIFFICULTIES OF SELF-CONTROL
The individual initiate has ultimately to achieve his or her progressive subjective conquests while in the physical body, because the final initiation must involve all seven influences being spiritually synthesized back into a coherent unity. We, it must be remembered, are actually not physical beings at all. We are spiritual intelligences actually existing within the fourth of the seven solar-cum-terrestrial states, from which a portion of our nature (a lesser “spark,” or jiva) is emanated into the triple lower planetary world, taking anchorage within our human heart. It is that same “spark” that must bring about the control of the lesser elemental nature; but it can only do so once it re-achieves a degree of contact with its emanating Source.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
About the Author
J. S. Gordon (1946-2013) held a master’s degree in Western Esotericism from the University of Exeter and was a senior fellow of the Theosophical Society of England, where he lectured on ancient history and metaphysics. Known for his in-depth knowledge on the ancient Egyptian mystical tradition, he wrote several books, including Land of the Fallen Star Gods.

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IN THE SPIRIT OF WE'MOON:
Celebrating 30 Years
By Musawa (Narrator)
Paperback: 255 pages
Publisher: Mother Tongue Ink (October 1, 2011)
List Price: $25.95

FROM THE PUBLISHER:
In the Spirit of We’Moon artfully showcases the core strength of We’Moon—the powerful art and writing published in the datebook each year, submitted by hundreds of women worldwide. The anthology includes new insights from founding editor Musawa and other writers who share stories about We’Moon’s colorful 30-year evolution. Hear the spirited voices of women making waves that have changed our world! Open up this book to any page for inspiration in your daily life, and you won’t want to put it down!

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THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE:
Spiritual Alchemy, Psychology, and Ritual Magic
By Israel Regardie (Author), Chic Cicero (Author), Sandra Tabatha Cicero (Author)
Paperback: 552 pages
Publisher: Llewellyn Publications; annotated edition edition (August 8, 2013)
List Price: $24.99

FROM THE PUBLISHER:
A new edition of Regardie’s classic text

In the mid-1930s, Israel Regardie had an insight into understanding alchemical writings. The result was The Philosopher’s Stone, where he analyzed three 17th-century alchemical works symbolically, psychologically, and via magickal energy.

Now, famed occultists Chic and Tabatha Cicero bring this book into the 21st century. The original is completely reproduced here. The Hebrew transliterations have been updated with modern styles and the text is fully annotated and explained. 


Added are these new features:

• New introduction
• New illustrations 
• Biographical dictionary
• Glossary
• Resource list
• Bibliography
• Index

Plus, five new original articles

• “The Spiritual Alchemy of the Golden Dawn” by Chic Cicero
• “Intro to Alchemy: A Golden Dawn Perspective” by Mark Stavish
• “Basic Alchemy for the Golden Dawn” and “Golden Dawn Ritual Method and Alchemy” by Samuel Scarborough
• “The Elixir of the Sun” by Steven Marshall
• “Solve Et Coagula: The Wedding of Sol and Luna” by the Ciceros

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Francis I. Regardie, born in London, England, November 17, 1907; died in Sedona, Arizona, March 10, 1985.  Came to the United States in August 1921, educated in Washington D.C. and studied art in school in Washington and Philadelphia.  Returned to Europe in 1928 at the invitation of Aleister Crowley to work as his secretary and study with him.  Returned to London as secretary to Thomas Burke 1932-34, and during that time wrote A Garden of Pomegranates and The Tree of Life.

In 1934 he was invited to join the Order of the Golden Dawn, Stella Matutina Temple, during which time he wrote The Middle Pillar and The Art of True Healing, and did the basic work for The Philosopher's Stone.

Returning to the United States in 1937 he entered Chiropractic College in New York, Graduating in 1941, and published The Golden Dawn.  Served in the U.S. Army 1942-1945, and then moved to Los Angeles where he opened a chiropractic practice and taught psychiatry.  Upon retirement in 1981, he moved to Sedona.

During his lifetime, he studied psychoanalysis with Dr. E. Clegg and Dr. J. L. Bendit, and later studied psychotherapy under Dr. Nandor Fodor.  His training encompassed Freudian, Jungian and Reichian methods.

Chic and Sandra Tabatha Cicero are Senior Adepts of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.  They share an enthusiasm for the esoteric arts.  They live in Florida with their cat, Lealah, where they work and practice magic.

Sandra Tabatha Cicero is a Senior Adept of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and holds a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts.  

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THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF BLACK MAGIC
By Mike Ashley
Paperback: 512 pages
Publisher: Running Press; Reprint edition (July 2, 2013)
List Price: $13.95

FROM THE PUBLISHER:
Delve into the fascinating world of witchcraft and magic and let this enthralling compilation act as your guide to a realm beyond anything you’ve experienced, as you explore the stunning world of hexes, sorcery, and powerful enchantments.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Mike Ashley is a full-time writer, editor, and researcher. He has complied over fifty Mammoth books including The Mammoth Book of Extreme Science Fiction and The Mammoth Book of Mindblowing SF. He lives in Kent, England.

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NEW BOOKS ON DIVINATION:


THE FIVE TAROTS
By Gordon Strong
Paperback: 100 pages
Publisher: Kerubim Press (December 10, 2012)
Price: $12.99

FROM THE PUBLISHER:
There are 78 cards in the Tarot, 22 of which are known as the Major Arcana, containing a breadth of wisdom and magical philosophy. Yet it is within the first five of these cards that the main principles of the Tarot can be found. The Tarot is a tangible demonstration of High Magic, and nowhere is that more evident than in the extraordinary power of The Magician and The High Priestess. Combined with The Fool, The Empress and The Emperor, the keys to the Tarot are ready to be unlocked.





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THE ESOTERIC TAROT:
Ancient Sources Rediscovered in Hermeticism and Cabalah
By Ronald Decker
Paperback: 312 pages
Publisher: Quest Books (July 9, 2013)
List Price: $23.95

FROM THE PUBLISHER:
That the Tarot originated in ancient Egypt as a divinatory tool is a romantic misconception. Ron Decker’s meticulous scholarship will surprise practitioners and academics alike, revealing the Tarot’s true evolution and meanings as its inventor(s) understood it.

The Tarot consists of the Minor Arcana, four suits of cards similar to our modern deck, and the Major Arcana, twenty-two allegorical or “trump” cards. Decker says the four-suit deck was invented in Asia Minor before AD 1000; Italian courtiers added the trumps in the 1400s. But Tarot was first used as a game. Tarot divination was only created in the 1700s by a Parisian fortuneteller who based the trump images on Hermeticism, which merges Greco-Egyptian alchemy, astrology, numerology, magic, and mysticism. Today, the suit-cards are often traced to the ancient Jewish Cabala. But, says Decker, they, too, acquired their meanings only in the 1700s, and he cites a lost numerical system based on Cabala at that time.

Decker’s interpretation integrates three whole systems-astrological, arithmological, mystagogical (concerning initiation rites into the Mysteries). His depth of knowledge makes the book a must-have for serious students of Tarot and esotericism.

Reviews/back of book/flap
"A rigorously researched book that serves as the basis for Decker's arguments for a Tarot richly rooted in an ancient cosmic worldview--one that continues to speak to us today."
— Paul Quinn, author, Tarot for Life

"I have been following Ronald Decker's work for many years, and he has been developing the themes expressed in The Esoteric Tarot in articles and in books that he has written since the early 1990s. His views may be surprising to some, but everything Decker writes is carefully researched and contemplated. There is no other author I trust more than Decker for insights into the Tarot's history and symbolism."
— Robert M. Place, creator of The Alchemical Tarot and author of The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination

"Noted art and playing card historian Ronald Decker deeply probes the Hermetic, Neoplatonic and Kabbalistic esoteric systems studied by Renaissance intellectuals and finds sufficient significant congruency between their symbols and tarot cards to build his intriguing theory that the tarot trumps may well have originated as a device with multilevel meanings developed for psychological and philosophical introspection, possibly divination.

Most important to Decker’s theory is his close examination of the life and theories of eighteenth century Parisian card reader Jean-Baptiste Alliette, who, perceiving the Hermetic resonances of the cards, first popularized the use of tarot cards for divination purposes under the pseudonym 'Etteilla.' His card interpretations became the basis for those of the Order of the Golden Dawn, and indeed form the basis of most tarot card interpretations used today.

Obviously this is an impressive book not to be missed; as readable as it is learned, it should have a definite appeal to tarot historian and tarot reader alike."
— Paul Huson, author, Mystical Origins of the Tarot

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ronald Decker holds a B.A. in fine art from State University College at Buffalo and a M.A. in painting from the University of Cincinnati graduate school. He has taught art and art history at all levels of education. Until his retirement, he was curator of antique cards at The U.S. Playing Card Company. He has studied Tarot cards in public and private collections in all of Europe's capitols as well as Turkey, Egypt, and India. Tarot and the Esoteric Traditions is his fourth book about the cards.

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THE ORACLE OF RASPUTIN
By Manteia (Author), Paolo Benassi (Translator)
Paperback: 210 pages
Publisher: Kerubim Press (February 15, 2013)
Price: $19.99

FROM THE PUBLISHER:
The Oracle of Rasputin is an ancient script attributed to the controversial Russian mystic and discovered by the Italian chiromancer Leopoldo Benassi, better known as Professor Manteia, from the Greek for "divination." Manteia came into possession of the Oracle in an encounter with a mysterious gentleman, deciphered the text written in Old Russian, and translated it into Italian.
The first version of The Oracle of Rasputin was published in the 1960s and became an immediate success. The book contained the fascinating story of how Manteia was given the text, the explanation of the celestial alphabet used in the Oracle, the life of Grigori Rasputin, and the table of the 63 personal questions with the relevant responses given by the Oracle.
The book also contained the three talismans or amulets (relating to Air, Fire, and Water) to be used in order to obtain the responses to the questions. The Oracle of Rasputin was translated into different languages and distributed in many countries, but there was never an English version until Paolo Benassi, Manteia's son, took up the mantle and delivered this latest edition.

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NEW DIVINATION DECKS



THE ORACLE OF DR. JOHN DEE:
Magic and Wisdom from One of the World's Greatest Visionaries
By John Matthews (Author), Wil Kinghan (Author), Damon Albarn (Foreword)
Book and Deck set: Pack contains 28 visionary oracle cards, a talisman template and a 112-page illustrated guidebook.
Publisher: Connections Book Publishing (June 1, 2013)
List Price: $19.95

FROM THE PUBLISHER:
Dr John Dee was arguably the most famous of Elizabethan visionaries. As magician, alchemist, astrologer, mathematician, physicist and philosopher, he straddled the worlds of science and magic with his insatiable thirst for knowledge. Dee considered that all his activities constituted different facets of the same quest: the search for an understanding of the divine forms he saw as underlying the visible world – and which showed themselves as oracles.
This remarkable oracle offers 28 cards, depicting Dee in seven archetypal roles along with other key luminaries of the period. Each card brings a unique perspective to the issue at hand, and offers further guidance from angelic sources - a central theme in Dee's ongoing revelatory quest.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
John Matthews has produced a number of successful divinatory systems based on early spiritual beliefs – including the best-selling Arthurian Tarot (with Caitlín Matthews and Miranda Gray), The Wildwood Tarot (with Mark Ryan and Will Worthington), The Green Man Tree Oracle (with Will Worthington), The Celtic Animal Oracle, the highly successful Grail Tarot (with Giovanni Casselli), and the recently published Lost Tarot of Nostradamus (with Wil Kinghan). He is widely known as the author of numerous books in The Grail and Arthurian legends genre. His most recent projects, The Camelot Oracle (with Will Worthington) and The Steampunk Tarot (with Caitlín Matthews and Wil Kinghan), are due for publication in 2012. His book Pirates was No 1 in the New York Times Reviews of Books and a bestseller for 22 weeks in 2007. He has acted as an advisor on several motion pictures. Visit www.hallowquest.org.uk

Wil Kinghan is a writer, artist and explorer of the Hermetic and Celtic traditions. He studied Archeology at University College Dublin, and Environmental Design at NCAD in the 1980s. He then worked in advertising and commercial art as an Art Director (Kenny’s Adv; Ark’s Adv), winning awards for various campaigns such as for Guinness in the 1990s. He left advertising to form his own company and develop his art and writing. He recently completed work on several writing and illustration projects including The Shaman’s Oracle (Watkins, 2010), The Ancestor Oracle (Watkins, 2011), The Lost Tarot of Nostradamus (Connections, 2011) and The Steampunk Tarot (Connections, 2012). He is also working on his first novel and has published a selection of poetry in Ireland, Where the Hazel Falls. Visit www.mythwoodfilms.com

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MESSENGER ORACLE
By Ravynne Phelan
Book and Deck set; Paperback: 75 pages
Publisher: U.S. Games Systems Inc.; Paperback/Cards edition (October 5, 2012)
List Price: $21.95

FROM THE PUBLISHER:
This luminous deck is for those who yearn to reconnect with Gaia, Great Spirits, the natural world and its creatures. Messenger Oracle strengthens our ancient bond with nature and spirit. These cards are infused with the magic of ancient dragons, elemental fae, mystical trees, and their animal kind they are the messengers who are here to guide us back to our true nature and to help us express our inner truth.


The 75-page instruction booklet provides inspirational messages for each card and three different card spreads, including an original Gaia Tree Spread.

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THE BLACK CATS TAROT DECK
By Maria Kurora (Author)
Publisher: Lo Scarabeo/Llewellyn Publications; Crds Blg edition (September 8, 2013)
List Price: $22.95

FROM THE PUBISHER:
This Rider-Waite-based tarot celebrates and honors the beautiful and magical black cats. Cleverly incorporating feline characteristics and legend into traditional tarot archetypes, this fanciful deck captures these creatures moving between worlds of reality and fantasy, the mundane and mystical. Disarmingly cute yet unmistakably wise, the black cats encourage you to explore your own animal nature.










ONGOING AT EDGE OF THE CIRCLE BOOKS

·         EVERY WEDNESDAY: IRISH LANGUAGE DROP IN CLASS-7-9PM


·         Every first Sunday of each month--SEATTLE CHAOS MAGIC
We meet at 3:33 pm. on the first Sunday of each month, at Edge of the Circle Books, 701 E. Pike St., Seattle, WA 98122.  Anyone practicing, curious about, or otherwise interested in Chaos magic is welcome to attend.


·         Every 1st Monday of each month CELTIC RECONSTRUCTIONIST GROUP 7-9PM


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SERVICES AVAILABLE AT EDGE OF THE CIRCLE BOOKS

REMINDER: We buy used Occult Books! Our buyer is in on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays!
We also have classroom/ritual space-- please call for details.
Need Spell advice? Just ask!






TAROT READINGS / SPIRITUAL ADVICE



UNCOMMONSENSE TAROT
Tarot readings by Erica (Raven) Branch-Butler
"I've been reading Tarot for more than thirty years, and reading professionally at the Edge for a decade. My belief is that Tarot is best used for putting you in touch with your own subconscious, allowing you to make healthy decisions that can change your life for the better. My readings tend to be rather commonsensical. They are often geared toward helping the client deal with the often self-imposed obstacles in their lives in a healthy, self –affirming way, so that they can achieve their goals and fully enjoy the fruits that life has to bring."

Please inquire about Tarot Parties, classes and other events.
Available every day except THURSDAYS-- 12:30-8.30PM.
Sundays 12:30-8:30 PM

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This concludes our Newsletter for this month.
Look for us again September 1st, 2013!
Raven, Editrix, Edge of the Circle Books Newsletter

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