Social sciences

For millennia, great thinkers have contemplated the meaning and purpose of human existence; but while most assumed that humanity was the end point of creation or the pinnacle of evolution, Ted Chu makes the provocative claim that the human race may in fact be a means rather than an end—that humankind will give rise to evolutionary successors. In this wide-ranging and authoritative work, Chu reexam

Our brains have numerous functioning parts, all of which serve us at any one moment. But decades of research reveal the existence of two basic brain “operating systems” - two fundamental ways in which the whole brain processes incoming information. Because of this phenomenon of brain dominance, most of us tend to favour the input of either our “dualistic” left-brain (which focuses on parts instead

Move over zombies and adolescent vampires.   There´s a new threat in town—and it´s only twelve inches tall. How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack is the only comprehensive survival guide that will help you prevent, prepare for, and ward off an imminent home invasion by the common garden gnome. Once thought of as harmless yard decorations, evidence is mounting that these smiling lawn s

Freemasonry bears the imprint of the society in which it exists and Freemasonry in North America is no exception. While keeping close ties to French lodges until 1913, American Freemasonry was, also, deeply influenced by the experiences of many early American political leaders, leading to distinctive differences from European lodges.Offering an unobstructed view of the American system and its stre

Since the beginning of history, people have sought remedies for the many ills that have beset them, from illnesses afflicting the body to threats posed by evil and hostile individuals. In many folk healing and pagan traditions, it was believed that one must gain the assistance of the guardian spirit of a healing plant or substance through prayers or offerings before its chemical properties would b

Trauma is an inescapable part of living. The bad things that happen to us always leave after effects in both body and mind. While many people experience these after effects and move on, millions of others develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - a painful, chronic and debilitating barrier to happiness. RECLAIMING LIFE AFTER TRAUMA addresses both the physical and psychological expressions of

Conventional history claims that nine men formed a brotherhood called the Knights Templar in Jerusalem in 1118 to provide protection for pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land. Overturning this long-established historical narrative, Freddy Silva shows that the Order of the Temple existed a decade earlier on the opposite side of Europe, that the protection of pilgrims was entrusted to a separate organ

After the deaths of Jerry Garcia, Timothy Leary and Ken Kesey, it appeared that the psychedelic revolution of the 1960s had finally been suppressed. But the opposite was occurring, evident in the popularity of transformational festivals like Burning Man and BOOM!, the media coverage of ayahuasca use and the growing number of celebrities and Silicon Valley billionaires readily admitting the benefit

Set within the dramatic tableau of the mediaeval Crusades, this story of initiation, adventure and romance follows members of the Knights Templar and Assassins as they discover a mystical tradition with the potential to unify, protect and liberate humankind - the very heresy for which the Knights Templar were later condemned.The tale begins with a young Persian student, Sinan, as he witnesses his

Although their own myths and their common name point to an Egyptian origin for the gypsies, the Rom, as they call themselves, originated in India, as shown by studies of their language. They arrived in Europe in the ninth century and spread across the continent from East to West, reaching England in the 15th century and Scandinavia by the end of the 16th century. A nomadic people, these wanderers

We are in the midst of a revival of an ancient way of looking at the world - an approach that enabled great civilisations of the past to bring forth inventions of great beauty and power. This school of thought envisioned the natural world and the solar system as an interlocking matrix of harmonious numbers. Exploring the art and science of harmonics, John Oscar Lieben shows how to create harmoniou

Most people are familiar with the popular image of elves as Santa's helpers and dwarfs as little bearded men wearing red caps, who are mischievous and playful, helpful and sly, industrious and dexterous. But their roots go far deeper than their appearance in fairy tales and popular stories. Elves and dwarfs are survivors of a much older belief system that predates Christianity and was widespread t

No decade in modern history has generated more controversy and divisiveness than the tumultuous 1960s. For some, the '60s were an era of free love, drugs and social revolution. For others, the Sixties were an ungodly rejection of all that was good and holy. Embarking on a profound search for the spiritual meaning behind the massive social upheavals of the 1960s, Tobias Churton turns a kaleidoscopi

The "Gruppo di UR" was a group of Italian esotericists who collaborated for three brief years, from 1927 to 1929. The purpose of this group was to study and practice ancient rituals and procedures they gleaned from the mystery traditions of the world, both East and West, in order to attain a state of superhuman consciousness and power that would allow them to act magically on the world. They produ

The “Gruppo di UR” was a group of Italian esotericists who collaborated from 1927 to 1929. The purpose of this group was to study and practise ancient rituals gleaned from the mystery traditions of the world, both East and West, in order to attain a state of superhuman consciousness and power to allow them to act magically on the world. They produced a monthly journal containing techniques for spi

The most influential magical group in Germany during the 20th century, the Fraternitas Saturni or Brotherhood of Saturn, is still the most active and important magical society in Germany today. But from its formal beginnings in 1926 in Weimar Berlin until around 1970 it was almost totally secret. Most of what is known about the Order in the English-speaking world is fragmentary and focuses exclusi

First published in French as Miroir du merveilleux in 1940, Mirror of the Marvelous has long been considered one of the most significant and original books to have come out of the surrealist movement and Anaïs Nin suggested it as a source of inspiration, far ahead of its time. Drawing on sacred and modern texts that share a quality of the marvellous, Pierre Mabille defines “the marvellous” as the

Henry Corbin (1903-1978) was one of the most important French philosophers and orientalists of the 20th century. In this collection of previously unpublished writings, Corbin examines the work of Carl Jung in relationship to the deep spiritual traditions of Eastern religion, the esoteric wisdom teachings of Sophia, the transformational symbolism of alchemy and Sufi mysticism. Looking at the many m

Following in the footsteps of a little-known group of esoteric seekers from the late-nineteenth century who called themselves “the Miracle Club,” Mitch Horowitz shows that the spiritual “wish fulfilment” practices known as the Law of Attraction, Positive Thinking, “the Secret” and the Science of Getting Rich, actually work. Weaving these ideas together into a concise, clear formula, with actual ex

The Old Norse runes, known as the Elder Futhark, have long joined forces with the cycles of the seasons to offer powerful initiations, guidance and wisdom. Aligning the sacred festivals, plantings and harvests of ancient runic calendars with our modern 12-month calendar, Kelley Harrell reveals how the runes can once again offer initiations as well as instruct us on the holy days and creative rhyth