Showing titles in Customs & Traditions

What are things made of?What is the sun?Why is there night and day, winter and summer?Why do bad things happen?Are we alone?Throughout history people all over the world have invented stories to answer profound questions such as these. Have you heard the tale of how the sun hatched out of an emu's egg?

The Way of Fire and Ice reimagines Norse Paganism with mystical practices and rituals for today's world as well as tips for building community and resisting fascism. This approach to working with Norse deities and beliefs is a living, adaptable tradition, representing a strong alternative to the reconstructionist perspectives of Asatru and Heathenry.

Monsters, in all their terrifying glory, have preoccupied humans since we began telling stories. But where did these stories come from? In Monsterland, award-winning author Nicholas Jubber goes on a journey to discover more about the monsters we’ve invented, lurking in the dark and the wild places of the earth—giants, dragons, ogres, zombies, ghosts, demons—all with one thing in common: their ability to terrify.

The West feels lost. Brexit, Trump, the coronavirus: we hurtle from one crisis to another, lacking definition, terrified that our best days are behind us. The central argument of this book is that we can only face the future with hope if we have a proper sense of tradition - political, social and religious. We ignore our past at our peril. The problem, argues Tim Stanley, is that the Western tradition is anti-tradition, that we have a habit of discarding old ways and old knowledge, leaving us uncertain how to act or, even, of who we really are.

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.

In the 10 lectures of Wolves and Werewolves in History and Popular Culture, author and teacher Shannon Scott will take you around the world to explore the many ways humans have created and shared stories of wolves, shape-shifting, and lycanthropy.

The legend of King Arthur and his castle Camelot has gripped people’s imagination for centuries. In this classic study, drawing upon myriad sources both literary and historical, the world’s leading Arthurian scholar Geoffrey Ashe digs deep into the important 12th century chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth to trace the origins of the myth. Through brilliant historical detective work, he shows that much of Monmouth's history, which sets out to describe fifth-century Britain, was based on fact.

A practical approach to traditional Polish folk practice. Polish Folk Magic is an introductory guide into the folk beliefs, seasonal practices, living ancestral traditions, and authentic folk magic of the West Slavic peoples. With the Polish and Slavic diasporas in mind, Joanna Tarnawska fills...

One of America's leading anthropolgists offers solutions to the perplexing question of why people behave the way they do. Why do Hindus worship cows? Why do Jews and Moslems refuse to eat pork? Why did so many people in post-medieval Europe believe in witches? Marvin Harris answers these and...

This is Ruth's tenth audiobook on the paranormal, and the sixth volume in her These Haunted Times series. Ruth specialises in collecting accounts from real witnesses first hand, and in finding correlations of accounts from the same location. This audiobook covers hauntings around the UK, going back a number of decades in some cases, and as recently as the night before the witness contacted the author in others! Ruth never embellishes any of the accounts, so what you are hearing is exactly what the person encountered.

From mal de ojo to milagros, lucky charms to forbidden foods, Mexican culture is filled with vibrant superstitions and powerful traditions that shape daily life. Whether you’re planning a trip, building relationships, or just curious about the unseen rules that guide behavior in Mexico, this friendly and fascinating guide offers an honest look at the customs locals live by—but rarely explain.

For more than 25 years Noriko Morishita has studied and practised the intricate rules of the famous Japanese Tea Ceremony, trying to master its complexities in order to find inner peace. In this vivid account of her experience of the universal trials and triumphs of adulthood, Morishita connects the core tenets of this ancient art with leading a fulfilling life, showing how we too may use mindfulness to achieve happiness.

In this book, renowned analytical psychologist Erich Neumann draws on ritual, mythology, art, and records of dreams and fantasies to examine how the archetype of the Great Mother has been outwardly expressed in many cultures and periods since prehistory. He shows how the feminine has been represented as goddess, monster, gate, pillar, tree, moon, sun, vessel, and every animal from snakes to birds.

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.

When a large, winged humanoid with glowing red eyes was spotted in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, the Mothman legend was born. Since that fateful November night, the flying cryptid has become one of the most famous monsters of all time. Richard Estep and renowned Mothman researcher Tobias Wayland document firsthand witness accounts and conduct detailed investigations with the hope of seeing the iconic cryptid themselves. This book chronicles their discoveries, which include large concentrations of sightings in the Chicago and Lake Michigan area. 

Take a step – if you dare – into the shadows and the story of our primal fascination with fear, terror, and the macabre. This comprehensive and creepy audio guide that explores the dark and eerie landscapes of horror down the centuries and across the world – from prehistoric death rituals...

A twelve-stage sleigh ride through the best, worst, strangest and funniest parts of Christmas. With cultural icons saluted, national habits dissected and personal reminiscences from those who’ve eaten all the mince pies and lived to tell the tale. The essential Christmas stocking filler for...

Before temples and official rituals, there were places people avoided after sunset. In the hills of ancient Anatolia, long before Rome ruled the Mediterranean, villagers gathered around stones they believed were alive. They were not there to recite prayers. They came because something unsettled them, and gathering together made it bearable. Drums carried across the valleys. Some people swayed, some watched, some stayed at the edge. A presence was felt before anyone gave it a name. Later it would be called Cybele. This book follows the Great Mother through the lives of ordinary people.

It is said that a monument now stands before the high church of Caerleon: an anvil pierced through with a sword. It is said that the sword can only be taken by the Britons' rightful king... From Sunday Times bestseller Amy Jeffs', Arthur: A New Life mines the deep, elusive seams of a story we...

This Norse Mythology Collection features 5 titles that were all written a long time ago, offering timeless stories that have captivated readers and listeners for generations.