Edge of the Circle Books Newsletter

ADDENDUM; NEW BOOKS!

2012-01-15T10:04:00.000-08:00

THE MAGICAL TREATISE OF SOLOMON,

OR HYGROMANTEIA

(Sourceworks of Ceremonial Magic Series) Translated and edited by Ioannis Marathakis, Foreword by Stephen Skinner

Cloth Edition

Pages : 376, HB with d/w

57 Illustrations, many in colour

23 Tables

List Price: $75.00

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

This is the true ancestor of the Key of Solomon. Containing the full translation of the Hygromanteia, a Solomnike. This book is sometimes called the Hygromanteia, and this book has hidden behind the mistaken idea that all of it is a work on water divination, a scholarly mistake that has hidden the true value of this book for centuries. Throughout history thousands of people have been fascinated by the grimoire the Key of Solomon. This is the original Greek book of magic that was the source of the Key of Solomon, and in turn the ancestor of most of the grimoire-based ceremonial magic practiced in Europe and the US today.

This is a ground-breaking work. For the first time (outside of a handful of pages in academic works) the full Greek original of the Key of Solomon appears in English.

Contrary to popular opinion the Key of Solomon was not translated from a Hebrew original. During the gradual decline and fall of the Byzantine Empire, this precious text, along with many others, was taken to Italy. This may even have happened when Constantinople was sacked in 1453. It is quite likely that it was taken to Venice, where parts of it were translated into Latin and Italian.

Abridged Latin copies entitled the Clavicula Salomonis circulated in Europe, going through many changes, languages and versions to become the Key of Solomon as we know it (some of those manuscripts are published as Volume IV of the present series). Now for the first time you can read the whole text (large portions of which were left out of the Latin translations) arranged clearly in the order in which it was meant to be read.

DR JOHN DEE'S SPIRITUAL DIARIES (1583-1608) A True & Faithful Relation Of What Passed For Many Yeers Between Dr John Dee... & Some Spirits...Revised Edition

(Sourceworks of Ceremonial Magic Series)

John Dee (Author), Stephen Skinner (Editor)

, Meric Casaubon (Preface)

Hardcover: 680 pages

Publisher: Golden Hoard Press Ltd (October 28, 2011)

Cloth Edition

Pages : 680

H/B with d/w,

Illustrations: 26 B/W

Published: 28th September 2011

List Price: $95.00

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

This is a completely revamped and reader-friendly edition of A True & Faithful Relation of what passed for many Years between Dr. John Dee... and some Spirits, transcribed and prefaced by Meric Casaubon in 1659. Now edited by Stephen Skinner, with a detailed introduction, appendices, extensive footnotes, supplementary texts, additional illustrations, and a Dee timeline.

This book contains John Dee's Spiritual Diaries for 25 years (1583-1608), now made available for the first time in an organized and readable form. For any scholar or practitioner of magic, easy access to Dee's Enochian system is one of the most important parts of the Western Esoteric tradition. This book covers Dee's invocation of the angels, the reception of their Enochian system of magic, his experiments in alchemy, and experiences in the courts of the crowned heads of Europe.

This book has been totally re-set, re-formatted and updated, incorporating corrections from the original notes of Meric Casaubon, Elias Ashmole and William Shippen, with reference to the original manuscript written by Dee. Sections which were originally missing from Casaubon's edition have been added. Angels, spirits, people, places, dates and times have been fully footnoted, and many of Casaubon's errors corrected. The reader will find this a much more accessible entrance to the world of Dr Dee's conferences with angels and spirits, and a welcome improvement.

Stephen Skinner was responsible for initially stimulating the renewed interest in John Dee and Enochian magic by first re-publishing Meric Casaubon's True and Faithful Relation... in 1973.

LIBER LUNAE: BOOK OF THE MOON &

SEPHER HA-LEVANAH

(Sourceworks of Ceremonial Magic Series)

By Don Karr (Editor), Calanit Nachshon (Translator), Stephen Skinner (Foreword)

Hardcover: 296 pages

Publisher: Llewellyn Publications; Bilingual edition (March 8, 2012)

Language: English

CLOTH EDITION

Pages : 200, HB with d/w

Illustrations: 13

Published: 28th September 2011

SWCM : Vol. 7.

List Price: $65.00

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Liber Lunae has been transcribed from a sixteenth-century English manuscript,annotated, and supplemented with modernized English. The three major sections include: The Mansions of the Moon, which describes the operations of the twenty-eight constellations of the lunar zodiac, their magical virtues, and their names; The Hours of the Day and Night, which describes the operations of the twelve hours of the day and the night, their virtues, talismanic images, angels to invoke, and names; and The Figures of the Planets, which describes each planet’s magic square, virtue, suffumigation, magical directions, and inscription. There’s also transcriptions of related material (on talismanic images) from other sections of Sloane MS 3826.

Also included: A. W. Greenup’s 1912 edition of Sefer ha-Levanah, a Hebrew version of the Liber Lunae material, along with a full translation by Calanit Nachshon.

Liber Lunæ is a composite text containing three major sections:

The Mansions of the Moon, describing the operations of the 28 constellations of the lunar zodiac, their magical virtues and their names.

The Hours of the Day and Night, describing the operations of the 12 hours of the day and the 12 hours of the night, their names, virtues, talismanic images, and angels to invoke.

The Figures of the Planets, describing each planet's magic square, virtue, suffumigation, magical directions, and inscription.

Liber Lunæ is fully transcribed from a sixteenth-century English manuscript, annotated, edited, and supplemented by modernized English versions of 'The Hours of the Day and Night', 'The Figures of the Planets', and 'The Mansions of the Moon', combining both Liber Lunæ and Sepher ha-Levanah.

Transcriptions of related material on talismanic images and on the virtues of different hours and their names from other sections of Sloane MS 3826 are also included. The full introduction places the material contained in Liber Lunæ into the general scheme of magical literature.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen Skinner began his career as a Geography lecturer and magazine publisher, but his long term interest has always been Western magic.

During the 1970s he was the driving force behind Askin Publishers, producing a number of classic magical works by Cornelius Agrippa, Paracelsus, Austin Osman Spare, Aleister Crowley, and others. During the 1970s he co-wrote many books with Francis King, including the still popular Techniques of High Magic. Also with Francis King he wrote Nostradamus. His interest in prophecy stimulated by this book, he went on to write the best selling Millennium Prophecies.

Stephen is credited with bringing the art of Feng Shui to the West, and in 1976 he wrote the Living Earth Manual of Feng Shui, which was the first English book on feng shui in the 20th century.

Stephen has written more than 20 books, which have been published worldwide in 17 different languages. These books have had introductions by such diverse people as Colin Wilson, HRH Charles Prince of Wales, and Jimmy Choo, shoe designer to the stars.

Stephen lives in Johor Bahru near Singapore.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2011-12-31T16:28:00.001-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

WELCOME to the 62^nd edition of 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. I've got great plans for this newsletter. Hopefully, as time goes by, it will only get bigger and better.

Without further ado, welcome, and enjoy.

Regards, Erica (Raven) Branch-Butler,

Editrix golanv1@yahoo.com

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

Note: To see a graphics version of this newsletter,please go to :

http://eotcnewsletter.blogspot.com/

We are also now on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Edge-of-the-Circle-Books-Events/106285532728383

Become a Fan, post your event on the discussion page!

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!

TWO GRIMOIRES

By Austin Osman Spare

Two Grimoires is a sumptuous, sewn hardbound book, Octavo format, 156 pages, with a full colour dustjacket, and limited to 1000 copies.

Included is a 48-page section of colour plates, a colour frontispiece, and a black and white endpiece.

List Price: $59.95

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The core of the book is the publication for the first time of two elaborate book dummies by Spare which he produced during the years 1905 and 1906. Each consists of more than twenty finely-drawn pen, ink and watercolour images, in some cases accompanied by brief captions. Internal evidence suggests that they were intended for publication, but were never completed. Their publication here is accompanied by two finished pictures by Spare from the same period, incorporating elements from the grimoires.

Accompanying the grimoires are an Introduction by Michael Staley and two illustrated essays of commentary and preliminary analysis by William Wallace and Stephen Pochin.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

The early years of the 20th Century were a time of great creative ferment for Spare, and amongst the items which survive from these early years are two intriguing and sumptuous grimoires, each of which is a notebook consisting of fine pen and ink and watercolour drawings. These notebooks were unfortunately not completed by Spare. There are a number of full-page and half-page paintings and drawings; other pages have embellishments, with spaces for text which was to have been inserted later. From the addition of his bookplate, it is clear that both notebooks were at one time the property of Spare’s patron Pickford Waller.

The first of these grimoires, entitled The Focus of Life & The Papyrus of Amen-AOS, is dated 1905-6. Much of the lettering remains in pencil, some of it giving clues to the underlying meaning of the imagery. An important element of this grimoire is that it features an early form of the ‘exteriorisation of sensation’ which Spare subsequently developed into the Sacred Alphabet which is a feature of The Book of Pleasure.

The second, slightly later notebook is The Arcana of AOS & the Consciousness of Kia-Ra, dated 1906. This is in some ways the more finished of the two notebooks, and picks up some of the imagery from the earlier notebook as well as adding some new elements.

These two grimoires by Spare are at once enigmatic and full of haunting beauty. The paintings and drawings from each notebook are here reproduced in full colour. With an Introduction by Michael Staley and analytical essays by Stephen Pochin and William Wallace, this publication adds to our understanding of Spare’s early years as an artist, mystic and philosopher and sheds light on the early development of his sigillisation techniques.

WHITE STAINS

By Aleister Crowley

Publisher : Stockholm: Edda Publishing, 2011. Limited Edition of 418 copies only.

List Price: $83.95

A Fine Cloth Edition in dust jacket. Four color printing. Edited, with an introduction, by William Breeze. Illustrated with six color plates by Fredrik Söderberg. Originally issued in 1898, Crowley used the pseudonym of George Archibald Bishop (a Neuropath of the Second Empire) as a veil though the name was taken by Crowley from his mother whose maiden name was Bishop. Small Octavo.

FROM THE BACK COVER:

English poet-magician Aleister Crowley published White Stains in 1898, an era of intense creativity for the budding magus-to-be. The original edition of a mere 100 copies was printed in Amsterdam with the help of Leonard Smithers (publisher of Beardsley, Wilde, Burton et al).Part of the edition was later “appropriated” and destroyed by English Customs officers, due to the erotic nature of the poems. In a Victorian Zeitgeist that found Oscar Wilde intensely shocking, Aleister Crowley of course took everything one step further.

The virile force stemming from Crowley's pen is but one of his trademark traits here. In this early collection, we also find examples of his remarkable wit, a thorough understanding of psycho-sexual dynamics , bombastic expressions of lyrical love , as well as his beloved Swinburnean structures of classical poetry. White Stains really is Crowley at his youthful best.

THE FENRIS WOLF, ISSUES No 1-3

IN ONE VOLUME

Edited by Carl Abrahamsson.

Cover art by Fredrik Söderberg.

Edda Bok/ICM, 2011. Softbound book, 312 pages.

Limited edition of 500 numbered copies.

List Price: $44.95

Contents:

Carl Abrahamsson Editor’s Introduction

Carl Abrahamsson ‘Zine und Zeit (2011)

The Fenris Wolf 1 (1989)

John Alexander The Strange Phenomena of the Dream, Helgi Pjeturss The Nature of Sleep and Dreams, Tim O’Neill A Dark Storm Rising, Carl Abrahamsson Inauguration of Kenneth Anger, Carl Abrahamsson An Interview with Genesis P-Orridge, William S Burroughs Points of Distinction between Sedative and Consciousness-Expanding Drugs, Carl Abrahamsson Jayne Mansfield – Satanist, TOPYUS Television Magick, Anton LaVey Evangelists vs The New God

The Fenris Wolf 2 (1990)

Lionel Snell The Satan Game, Carl Abrahamsson In Defence of Satanism, Anton LaVey The Horns of Dilemma, Genesis P-Orridge Beyond thee Valley ov Acid, Phauss Photographs, Jack Stevenson 15 Voices from God, Jack Stevenson 18 Fatal Arguments, Tim O’Neill Art On the Edge of Life, Terence Sellers To Achieve Death, Stein Jarving Choice and Process, Tim O’Neill Under the Sign of Gemini, 93/696 The Forgotten Ones In Magick, Tim O’Neill The Mechanics of Maya, Coyote 12 The Thin Line, Genesis P-Orridge Thee Only Language Is Light, Jack Stevenson Porno on Film, Carl Abrahamsson An Interview with Kenneth Anger

The Fenris Wolf 3 (1993)

Jack Stevenson Vandals, Vikings and Nazis, von Hausswolff & Elggren Inauguration of two new Kingdoms, Tim O’Neill A Flame in the Holy Mountain, Frater Nigris A Preliminary Vision, Carl Abrahamsson The Demonic Glamour of Cinema, William Heidrick Some Crowley Sources, Peter H Gilmore The Rite of Ragnarök, ONA The Left-Handed Path, Zbigniew Karkowski The Method Is Science..., Fetish 23 Demonic Poetry, Ben Kadosh Lucifer-Hiram, Freya Aswynn The Northern Magical Tradition, Anton LaVey Tests, Austin Osman Spare Anathema of Zos, Rodney Orpheus Thelemic Morality, Nemo Recognizing Pseudo-Satanism, Philip Marsh Pythagoras, Plato and the Hellenes. Terence Sellers A Few Acid Writings, Hymenæus Beta Harry Smith 1923-1991, Andrew M McKenzie Outofinto, Beatrice Eggers Nature – Now, Then and Never

GEOMANCY IN THEORY & PRACTICE

By Stephen Skinner

Hardcover: 384 pages

Publisher: Llewellyn Publications; 2 edition (February 15, 2011)

List Price: $65.00

This is the first and most comprehensive book in English to cover the full history and practice of divinatory geomancy. While serving as a practical manual, it will be invaluable to all those interested in divination, magic, and astrology.

Geomancy—divination by earth—ranks alongside the tarot, astrology, and the I Ching as a major form of divination. Stephen Skinner explores the roots of geomancy, Islamic geomancy's impact on medieval Europe, its role during the Renaissance, and its use in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. The book also gives practical examples for interpreting and practicing the art, and covers astro-geomancy, which combines astrology and geomancy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Stephen Skinner began his career as a Geography lecturer and magazine publisher, but his long term interest has always been Western magic.

Stephen is credited with bringing the art of Feng Shui to the West, and in 1976 he wrote the Living Earth Manual of Feng Shui, which was the first English book on feng shui in the 20th century.

Stephen lives in Johor Bahru near Singapore.

NEW TAROT DECKS:

UNIVERSAL TRANSPARENT TAROT DECK

By: Lo Scarabeo

Boxed deck (23/4 x 43/4) includes 78 full-color cards and instruction booklet

Pub Date: January 2012

List Price: $29.95

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

This highly innovative and unusual version of the popular Universal Tarot offers a whole new tarot experience. Featuring clear panels, this fun deck invites you to explore fresh and imaginative ways of working with tarot. By superimposing the cards, up to six at once, you can put together a meaningful mosaic that reflects your own unique desires, choices, or actions. This wonderful tool give you the freedom to invent your own story. Examine the past, transform the present, and create the future you’ve always wanted.

NEW CALENDARS AND PLANNERS

They're Heeeeeere.......

THE ANNIE BONES CELESTIAL FORECASTER 2012

By Annie Bones

Paperback,

Loon Feather Publications

List Price: $17.95

The Celestial Forecaster 2012 offers:

Daily forecasts for every day of the year

Definitions of terms and glossary of symbols

Times for all major planetary aspects, retrogrades, and void of course moon periods

Mercury retrograde periods for 2011 with commentary

Monthly overview of significant aspects

Built-in ephemeris for 2011

Unique Table of Aspect Influence periods that gives you an instant overview of what's going on daily

This is a detailed daily astrology guide by author and astrologer Annie Bones. It gives a forecast for each day of the year based on the dominant planetary aspects of the day.

CALENDAR: JANUARY

IRISH LANGUAGE CLASSES

WEDNESDAY EVENINGS 7-8PM

BEGINNING: WEDNESDAY JANUARY 4^TH, 7PM

Price:$40.00 for the month of January paid in full: $15.00 drop-in

No books are required for at least the first two weeks, but please bring a notebook and pen. You are also welcome to bring recording devices. This is a class for beginners, focused on conversation.

ONGOING AT EDGE OF THE CIRCLE BOOKS

SUNDAY , JANUARY 8^th

(first Sunday of each month, except this month, because of the holiday)

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.

THE CELTIC RECONSTRUCTIONIST GROUP HAS CHANGED TIMES!!!!!

They now meet on the 2^nd Monday of the Month.

MONDAY, JANUARY 8^th

(Every 2^nd Monday of each month)

CELTIC RECONSTRUCTIONIST GROUP 7-9PM

For More Information:

http://www.seanet.com/~inisglas/

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 (hence the name) and are geared toward helping the client

circumvent the often self-imposed obstacles in their lives, 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

golanv1@yahoo.com

KELLY MARJORIE KELLEHER

Daughter of the Ancients

Psychic, Healer, Muse...

Thursdays at Edge of the Circle Books 2-8:30pm

This concludes our Newsletter for this month.

Look for us again FEBRUARY 1st , 2012!

Raven

Editrix, Edge of the Circle Books Newsletter

golanv1@yahoo.com

Looking for Gifts for the Occultist In Your Life?

2011-12-10T22:09:00.001-08:00

Click to Enlarge

Edge of the Circle Books is full of great gifts for the holidays,

Click to Enlarge

...Including gorgeous Pagan Pottery
from Gaean Allusions,

Click to Enlarge

Thick hooded sweatshirts,

Click to Enlarge

A ton of cool T-Shirts,

Click to Enlarge

(Some of which are not black)

Tote Bags,

Click to Enlarge

Beautiful Statues,

Click to Enlarge

Porcelain Celtic Pendants,

And Sterling Silver Jewelry,

Click to Enlarge

As well as a wide selection of Tarot Cards, Books, and Magickal Supplies.

A Blessed Yule to one and All!

HAPPY YULE!

2011-11-30T16:47:00.001-08:00

WELCOME to the 61^st edition of 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. I've got great plans for this newsletter. Hopefully, as time goes by, it will only get bigger and better. Without further ado, welcome, and enjoy.

Regards, Erica (Raven) Branch-Butler,

Editrix

golanv1@yahoo.com

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

We are also now on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Edge-of-the-Circle-Books-Events/106285532728383

Become a Fan, post your event on the discussion page!

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!

CHILDREN OF CAIN

By Michael Howard

344 pages, illustrated throughout, many in colour

Standard hardcover with dust jacket.

Three Hands Press

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

The mid-twentieth century witnessed the birth of popular occultism in the West, including an interest in witchcraft. At the forefront of popular witchcraft was Wicca, a recension of ceremonial magic and nature worship advanced by Gerald Gardner and Alex Sanders, now widely regarded as a religion. However, lesser-known streams of the witch-current thrived the shadows, having older historical roots, and linked to an ancient body of practice – witch-bottles, knotted cord spells, curses, exorcisms, sexual magic, and charms ranging from the conjuration of angels to protection of livestock and hearth.

This was Traditional Witchcraft, whose origin in part lies with the sorcery of the cunning-folk of Britain and Colonial America. Though largely avoiding the popular occult limelight, from 1970 onward, elements of Traditional Witchcraft experienced a partial emergence into the public through such publications as Paul Huson’s Mastering Witchcraft, the writings of Robert Cochrane and Evan John Jones, and Andrew Chumbley’s Azoëtia: A Grimoire of the Sabbatic Craft.

Based on over forty years of research and private collaboration with practitioners, Michael Howard’s Children of Cain is the definitive history of Traditional Witchcraft and its key operatives in Britain and the United States. Supplemented with diverse photographs and illustrations, many appearing for the first time, the book artfully encompasses the unique legacy of Traditional Witchcraft - those who bear the Mark of the Exile as a sign of hidden power: the Children of Cain.

ALEISTER CROWLEY: THE BIOGRAPHY:

SPIRITUAL REVOLUTIONARY, ROMANTIC EXPLORER,

OCCULT MASTER AND SPY

By Tobias Churton

Hardcover: 496 pages

Publisher: Watkins (September 6, 2011)

List Price: $29.95

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

In early 20th-century England, Aleister Crowley (1875-1947) was considered “the wickedest man in the world.” Today he's seen as a prophet, a master of the occult, and a spiritual pioneer--and his reputation just keeps on growing. This new biography, written with the cooperation of leading Crowley scholars and including new revelations from Crowley's grandson, displays the full scope of the man's many achievements as poet, explorer, spiritualist, wartime spy, and a thinker as significant as Jung, Freud, or Einstein.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tobias Churton is a world authority on Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism, Hermeticism and Gnosticism. Holding a Masters degree in Theology from Brasenose College, Oxford, Tobias is an Honorary Fellow of Exeter University and Faculty Lecturer in Western Esotericism. An accomplished filmmaker and composer and the writer of the award-winning drama documentary series The Gnostics, for the UK's Channel 4, Tobias has also written a now standard biography on Elias Ashmole (1617-92). Please consult www.tobiaschurton.com for more information.

A DICTIONARY OF WESTERN ALCHEMY

Jordan Stratford, Jeffrey S. Kupperman (Foreword)

Paperback: 160 pages

Publisher: Quest Books (November 1, 2011)

List Price: $17.95

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

From Arabic al-kimia (of Egypt) and old Egyptian keme (black, fertile soil), alchemy is the ancient science of elements and interactions in both the natural and the spiritual realms. Spanning 2,500 years and informed by Hermetic and Neoplatonist influences, it has been practiced in the classical Greco-Roman world, medieval Europe and the medieval Middle East and Orient, and up to the present in esoteric circles. Alchemists have three main pursuits:

The transmutation of base metals into gold by means of the lapis philosophorum, the philosopher's stone;
The concoction of the elixir of life, a universal medicine; and
The reconciliation between spirit and matter and direct knowledge of the divine.

This concise dictionary of alchemy provides clear access to one of the major roots of Western esoteric thought. Subjects include alchemical processes and procedures, the natural elements and apparatus used, major practitioners and philosophers, and concepts and beliefs. Distinguishing this guide from similar ones is the addition of etymology, connecting the language of alchemy to its Latin, Greek, and Arabic sources. Symbolic pictographs accompany half of the over four hundred entries, and a fascinating illustration from the long tradition of alchemical art introduces each letter of the alphabet.

Most important is the author Jordan Stratford’s unique perspective as both a modern Gnostic priest and a Freemason. He also brings to bear extensive knowledge of the depth psychology of C. G. Jung, who based his key concept of individuation on the premise that what the ancient alchemists truly sought was inner transformation.

FROM THE BACK OF THE BOOK:

The fascinations and wonders of alchemy have been with us for a long time. Jordan Stratford’s fine encyclopedic work on this subject is precisely what has been missing on the shelf of every student of the “great art.” Its content is accurate, insightful and accessible!

--Stephan A. Hoeller, author of Alchemy for a Volunteer Society, The Gnostic Jung and the Seven Sermons to the Dead and other works

A useful glossary of metals and minerals; black, red and green lions; alchemists; mythical beasts and mysterious processes. Discover the keys to the salt, sulphur and mercury of alchemy in this succinct dictionary.

--Andrew Phillip Smith, author of A Dictionary of Gnosticism

Stratford presents more than just a dictionary, but an impressive collection of concepts and ideas; a vocabulary for a living language. He often details his entries with notes from primary sources and biographical details of important contributors to the tradition, much to my delight. This book bids well to become a standard and a classic in the field.

--Brendan Myers, author of The Other Side of Virtue and Loneliness and Revelation

Read this dictionary! Doing so will allow you to see the world with new eyes.

--from the foreword by Jeffrey S. Kupperman, Ph.D.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jordan Stratford, author of Living Gnosticism, regularly contributes to blogs on Gnosticism, esoteric Christianity. Paganism, and the Independent Sacramental Movement.

PHANTOM ARMIES OF THE NIGHT:

THE WILD HUNT AND THE GHOSTLY PROCESSIONS OF THE UNDEAD

By Claude Lecouteux

Paperback: 320 pages

Publisher: Inner Traditions (August 16, 2011)

List Price: $18.95

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

An exploration of the many forms of the ancient myth of the Wild Hunt and its influence in pagan and early Christian Europe

• Recounts the myriad variations of this legend, from the Cursed Huntsman and King Herla to phantom armies and vast processions of sinners and demons

• Explains how this belief was an integral part of the pagan worldview and was thus employed by the church to spread Christian doctrine

• Reveals how the secret societies of medieval Europe reenacted these ghostly processions for soul travel and prophecies of impending death

Once upon a time a phenomenon existed in medieval Europe that continuously fueled local lore: during the long winter nights a strange and unknown troop could be heard passing outside over the land or through the air. Anyone caught by surprise in the open fields or depths of the woods would see a bizarre procession of demons, giants, hounds, ladies of the night, soldiers, and knights, some covered in blood and others carrying their heads beneath their arms. This was the Wild or Infernal Hunt, the host of the damned, the phantom army of the night--a theme that still inspires poets, writers, and painters to this day. Millennia older than Christianity, this pagan belief was employed by the church to spread their doctrine, with the shapeshifters' and giants of the pagan nightly processions becoming sinners led by demons seeking out unwary souls to add to their retinues. Myth or legend, it represents a belief that has deep roots in Europe, particularly Celtic and Scandinavian countries.

The first scholar to fully examine this myth in each of its myriad forms, Claude Lecouteux strips away the Christian gloss and shows how the Wild Hunt was an integral part of the pagan worldview and the structure of their societies. Additionally, he looks at how secret societies of medieval Europe reenacted these ghostly processions through cult rituals culminating in masquerades and carnival-like cavalcades often associated with astral doubles, visions of the afterlife, belief in multiple souls, and prophecies of impending death. He reveals how the nearly infinite variations of this myth are a still living, evolving tradition that offers us a window into the world in which our ancestors lived.

FROM THE BACK COVER

“Claude Lecouteux marshals what must be a virtually complete recounting of stories from throughout Europe involving nocturnal sightings of the Army of the Dead, also known as the Wild Hunt, and traces their thematic origins from pre-Christian times through the filter of the medieval church.”

--James E. Cathey, professor of German and Scandinavian studies, University of Massachusetts at Amherst

Once upon a time a phenomenon existed in medieval Europe that continuously fueled local lore: during the long winter nights a strange and unknown troop could be heard passing outside over the land or through the air. Anyone caught by surprise in the open fields or depths of the woods would see a bizarre procession of demons, giants, hounds, ladies of the night, soldiers, and knights, some covered in blood and others carrying their heads beneath their arms. This was the Wild or Infernal Hunt, the host of the damned, the phantom army of the night--a theme that still inspires poets, writers, and painters to this day. Millennia older than Christianity, this pagan belief was employed by the church to spread their doctrine, with the shapeshifters and giants of the pagan nightly processions becoming sinners led by demons seeking out unwary souls to add to their retinues. Myth or legend, it represents a belief that has deep roots in Europe, particularly Celtic and Scandinavian countries.

CLAUDE LECOUTEUX is a former professor of medieval literature and civilization at the Sorbonne. He is the author of numerous books on medieval and pagan afterlife beliefs, including The Return of the Dead, The Secret History of Vampires, and Witches, Werewolves, and Fairies. He lives in Paris.

INVOKING THE EGYPTIAN GODS

By Judith Page and Ken Biles

Paperback: 288 pages

Publisher: Llewellyn Publications; Original edition (December 8, 2011)

List Price: $19.95

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Delve into the powerful undercurrents of Egyptian magick and be forever changed. This book presents authentic rituals to invoke the gods. Step into their hidden realm, where true gnosis and healing are found.

A deeply spiritual experience unfolds as you begin to invoke the deities of ancient Egypt. Discover your true magickal name, create a doorway into other dimensions, receive messages from the Neteru, and become one with the gods once again.

—Call upon Isis for boundless love

—Invoke the warrior goddess Sekhmet for protection

—Summon Nut to unleash your creativity

—Reconnect with Hathor, Osiris, and many other gods and goddesses

Combining elegant rites with an evocative description of each deity’s myths, this book invites you to begin a soul-level transformation and awaken to your own strength, power, and divinity.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Judith Page is a well known artist specializing in representations of Egyptian pantheon groups with a strong emphasis on astronomy. Her work has been featured on the covers of numerous magazines and books. Visit her online at www.judith-page.com.

Ken Biles (Wheat Ridge, CO) is a writer and High Priest who has been practicing Witchcraft for nearly twenty-five years. Biles was co-host of Full Circle, the first Pagan radio show, for ten years. He now teaches the Craft both in person and online.

SEASONS OF THE WITCH:

Poetry & Songs To The Goddess (includes double CD)

by Patricia Monaghan

Revised 3^rd Edition

Publisher: Creatrix Books, Llc

List Price: $23.75

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

From maidenly spring through abundant summer, then to blazing autumn and visionary winter, these poems trace the connections between the seasons of the earth and those of women's lives. The poems are often used in women's spirituality, as meditations and as songs. The book comes complete with a CD of the poems set to music in styles ranging from folk to jazz.

Widely recognized as an important spiritual teaching and ceremonial tool, Patricia Monaghan’s classic, Seasons of the Witch, is back in print. Seasons is filled with exquisitely fun, lusty and life-filled poems that teach both the cycles of the year and of women’s lives. This third edition adds a thematic table of contents to easily find whatever poem is desired, a double CD of gorgeous music by Arctic Siren, and intricate artwork by Goddesswoman Sid Reger. Seasons is a powerful resource of readings, poems and songs that will aid anyone who leads ritual, teaches classes, or simply desires to contribute meaningfully to spiritual gatherings.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Patricia Monaghan, Ph.D. is a resident faculty member of DePaul University’s School for New Learning.

TANTRIC TEMPLES:

EROS AND MAGIC IN JAVA

By Peter Levenda

Hardcover: 384 pages

Publisher: Ibis Press (November 1, 2011)

List Price: $65.00

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Tantra is one of the most misunderstood of the esoteric disciplines. In order to get a clear idea as to the nature of Tantric ritual and belief it is necessary to go where Tantra is still practiced and from where important Tantric teachings originated a thousand years ago: the island of Java in present-day Indonesia.

This book illustrates the history of Tantrism in Java with more than a hundred photographs of temples, statues and iconography dedicated to the system -- some rarely seen before, including the recently-excavated "white temple" of Yogyakarta -- and accounts of contemporary practices in the shrines, cemeteries and secret schools of Java

It is this Tantra -- the Tantra of Java -- that has influenced secret societies, mystics, alchemists, Kabbalists and magicians for hundreds if not thousands of years. This book tells the story of how human sexuality became a metaphor and a template for both spiritual transformation and the manipulation of reality; of how various sexual acts and psycho-biological states became the basis for a comprehensive cosmology that incorporates every aspect of human experience.

Sometimes the secrets are buried where you least expect to find them. Sometimes they are hidden in plain sight. Sometimes... they are both. In the largest Muslim country in the world we will discover a path of Tantra so unique, yet so vibrant and alive, that we will be astonished that no one had heard of it until now.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Peter Levenda is a well-known author of many published works on esoteric subjects incuding: Unholy Alliance: A History of Nazi Involvement with the Occult, Stairway to Heaven: Chinese Alchemists, Jewish Kabbalists and the Art of Spiritual Transformation, The Secret Temple: Masons, Mysteries and the Founding of America and Sinister Forces: A Grimoire of American Political Witchcraft. He has appeared numerous times in documentaries for The History Channel, The Discovery Channel, the National Geographic Channel, and in TNT's documentary "The Faces of Evil." He has also appeared many times on podcasts and on Coast-to-Coast AM radio with George Noory and Ian Punett.

NEW CALENDARS AND PLANNERS

They're Heeeeeere.......

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JIM MAYNARD ASTROLOGICAL 2012 CALENDARS AND PLANNERS!

CELESTIAL INFLUENCES 2012 PACIFIC WALL CALENDAR: List Price: $12.95

Celestial Influences® is an essential astrological reference. It’s the calendar to hang on your wall, opening to 12” x 18”. Each day gives lunar ingresses, lunar phases, void-of-course moon, planetary stations and ingresses, aspects, holidays, and celebrity birthdays. Celestial Influences® includes an ephemeris, an asteroid ephemeris, explanatory text, and sunrise/sunset times. The zodiac months are highlighted with a colored tint and the zodiac illustrations are in full color. Pacific time, 12" x 9", 48 pages, color cover, color illustrations.

ASTROLOGER'S DATEBOOK® 2012

Astrologer's Datebook® is another astrological, week-at-a-glance, engagement calendar. It has exactly the same information and design as the Celestial Guide® -- just in a smaller size. Just as in Celestial Influences and the Pocket Astrologer, each day gives lunar ingresses, lunar phases, void-of-course moon, planetary stations and ingresses, aspects, holidays, and celebrity birthdays. It also includes an ephemeris, explanatory text, an asteroid ephemeris, sunrise/sunset tables, table of ascendants, chart blanks, address book with space for birth dates and signs, and daily information for both Eastern and Pacific Time. Astrologer's Datebook® now has the most durable, flexible binding available. Pages are sewn together with a glued-on cover. It can be opened flat and pages will not fall out. Includes Eastern and Pacific times, 4-1/4" x 6-3/4", 176 pages, black & white illustrations, full-color cover.

POCKET ASTROLOGER 2012

List Price: $6.95

Pocket Astrologer is a small, easy-to-carry, pocket or purse-sized version of the Celestial Influences. It includes an introduction to astrology, the 2012 calendar, an ephemeris, an asteroid ephemeris, a table of sunrises and sunsets, a blank chart form.

Pacific time , 4-1/4" x 5-1/2", 64 pages, full-color illustrations and cover.

CELESTIAL GUIDE 2012

List Price: $11.95

Celestial Guide® 2012 is an astrological week-at-a-glance engagement calendar. It has plenty of room next to the daily astrological data for your daily notes, reminders, and appointments. Just as in Celestial Influences and the Pocket Astrologer, each day gives lunar ingresses, lunar phases, void-of-course moon, planetary stations and ingresses, aspects, holidays, and celebrity birthdays. Celestial Guide® includes an ephemeris, an asteroid ephemeris, explanatory text, table of ascendants, sunrise and sunset tables, chart blanks, and an address book with space for birth dates and signs. Includes Eastern and Pacific times, 5-3/8" x 8-1/2", 176 pages, black & white illustrations, full-color cover, plastic-spiral binding.

DECEMBER

ONGOING AT EDGE OF THE CIRCLE BOOKS

MONDAY, DECEMBER 4^th

(Every 1st Monday of each month)

CELTIC RECONSTRUCTIONIST GROUP 7-9PM

For More Information:

http://www.seanet.com/~inisglas/

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.

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