Showing titles in Customs & Traditions

A comprehensive overview of modern Hekatean witchcraft, Entering Hekate's Cauldron is about doing witchcraft, specifically witchery centered on the beloved goddess Hekate, with her etheric cauldron as the source. This book is for anyone interested in deepening their spiritual journey as a witch. Entering Hekate's Cauldron completes Cyndi Brannen’s trilogy, including Entering Hekate's Garden and Entering Hekate's Cave, which may be enjoyed in any order.

The first robot to walk the earth was a bronze giant called Talos. This wondrous machine was created not by MIT Robotics Lab, but by Hephaestus, the Greek god of invention, more than 2,500 years ago. In this groundbreaking account of the earliest expressions of the timeless impulse to create artificial life, Adrienne Mayor tells the fascinating story of how ancient Greek, Roman, Indian, and Chinese myths envisioned artificial life, automata, self-moving devices, and human enhancements - and how these visions relate to and reflect the ancient invention of real animated machines.

A definitive history of mescaline that explores its mind-altering effects across cultures, from ancient America to Western modernity. Mescaline became a popular sensation in the mid-20th century through Aldous Huxley's The Doors of Perception, after which the word "psychedelic" was coined to describe it. Its story, however, extends deep into prehistory: The earliest Andean cultures depicted mescaline-containing cacti in their temples.

Celtic Hedge Witchery delves into the secret liminal space exemplified by the English hedgerows and expands the listener's understanding of how to truly embody the witchcraft life. Joey Morris reaches out across the spiritual ecosystem to teach ideas and methods of the hedgerow. Listeners learn how to connect to their natural witchcraft, find the sacred landscape within themselves, and commune and benefit from working with spirits. Spell work, recipes, meditative guides, and evocative poetry guide the listener in connecting with the Celtic gods and in crossing the hedge into the Otherworld.

Turkey—Culture Smart! is an invaluable guide to the intricate ins and outs of this culturally rich and complex society. This updated edition outlines the complex history of Anatolia, provides key insights into contemporary Turkish values and attitudes, describes important customs and traditions, and reveals what life is like for the Turks at home, at work, and at play.

The people of this land of white summer nights and pristine lakes are famous for their sisu, a form of enterprising stoicism. They are survivors: if you were stranded on a desert island, your ideal companion would be a Finn. Culture Smart! Finland describes the historical, geographical, and cultural influences that have shaped the Finnish psyche, and guides you through the working and social lives of the Finns today, offering you a deeper, more rewarding experience of this beautiful land.

Interact with magical fairy folk and incorporate them into your own witchcraft practice with this detailed account of the ancient wisdom and traditions of fairies and witchcraft. Fairies have long been a part of witchcraft traditions, especially Celtic and Norse witchcraft, paganism, and other...

Acclaimed author Maxine Hong Kingston’s The Woman Warrior broke new ground when it was first published 35 years ago, weaving autobiography, history, folklore, and fantasy in to a candid and revelatory story about the daughter of Chinese immigrants in mid-20th century California.

Enter the shadowy realms of myth, history, and folklore in Bewitching Britain: The Hidden Witches of England. This spellbinding exploration takes listeners on an unprecedented journey into the dark corners of British history, illuminating the tales of those who have been vilified, persecuted, and misunderstood due to accusations of witchcraft. This is a must-listen for anyone interested in British history, witchcraft, folklore, and the supernatural. Be ready to journey through the mists of time into an England where witchcraft was both a feared crime and a misunderstood practice.

We have all heard stories of demigods and their epic battles or ultimate demise. But which parts are true and what is fabricated? If you want to discover the superhumans from Greek, Norse, Celtic, African, Egyptian, Japanese, and Hindu mythology, then this is the book you need.

In The Night House, bestselling author and word-witch Danielle Dulsky peels back the layers of these timeless narratives to reveal their potent role as guides for navigating today's world. Historically kept and passed on by women, fairy tales are distinguishable from other types of folk tales by their supernatural elements, and because of this, they were often dismissed as trivial fantasies for women and children.

Discover 51 of the most common and not-so-common cat gods, goddesses, deities, and demons from around the world and how to incorporate their Divine Feline Energy into your daily life. Throughout time, felines have played a sacred role in human life. Archeologists have found cat remains buried...

What if Norse Paganism wasn’t myth—but a living tradition of gods, rituals, and magick still holding power today? For centuries, Norse Paganism was dismissed as legend. But the truth is far richer: a spiritual path of deities, runes, and rituals that shaped the Viking world—and still inspires and transforms today.

Here in North America, there be monsters! Jason Offutt takes you on a thrilling adventure across all twenty-three countries―as well as every state and territory of the US, Canada, and Mexico―to meet one or more monsters in each location.

As English and German settlers migrated to Pennsylvania, they brought their beliefs in magic with them from the Old World—sometimes with dangerous consequences. In 1802, for example, an Allegheny County judge helped an accused witch escape an angry mob. But Susan Mummey was not so fortunate. In 1934, she was killed in her home by a young Schuylkill County man who was convinced that she had cursed him.

For much of its history Cyprus was regarded as the Cinderella of empires—beautiful, abused, isolated. Today, the island is divided between the Greek-Cypriot south and the Turkish occupied north. However, both sides take pride in a shared "Cypriotness," and are united in their common hopes, pain, memories, music, excellent cuisine, rich history, and majestic landscape. Culture Smart! Cyprus equips you with essential information on the history, values, and attitudes of the people you will meet, their customs and traditions, and offers tips on etiquette and socializing.

In this book, we're going on a journey to unwrap the Santa myth, piece by glorious piece. We'll dig up the forgotten folklore behind the gift giving, the winter greenery, and even those flying reindeer. Get ready to see the festive traditions you’ve always known in a completely new and sometimes surprising light.

The World Mythology Encyclopedia is your portal to the legendary tales that have mesmerized humanity for thousands of years. This is not just a book—it’s a journey through time, a front-row seat to the most thrilling sagas ever recorded. You’ll encounter gods, monsters, tricksters, and heroes beyond your wildest imagination. Each chapter is concise, thrilling, and packed with insights, making it easy to absorb thousands of years of mythological history in no time.

The holly-jolly holidays aren’t for everyone, least of all when you look back on that one Christmas when there were two definitely haunted dolls waiting for you and your sister under the tree. You have to assume that’s where it all started. And so it was for Jenny Lawson. Now, she lives in the land of eternal Halloween, as evidenced by her interior decor and general state of darkness. (Although, if you ask her, her taxidermy zoo is less dark, more delightful. But not everyone has taste, so what are you going to do?)

A retelling of the classic myths and timeless tales by bestselling author Annette Giesecke that underlie the 88 named constellations in the night sky--from Andromeda to Orion to Ursa Major. Classical Mythology of the Constellations is a stargazer's guide to the wondrous stories of the gods...