Here is an introduction to the magical and mystical realm of Taoism through biographical and historical sketches of Taoist adepts over two thousand years. This panoramic view of the many faces of Taoism and its intimate connection with Chinese culture and society includes intriguing accounts of the Taoist secret societies that carried out mystical exercises and powerful consciousness-altering techniques, including sensory deprivation, incantation, visualization, and concentration. This collection of sketches, compiled by Zhang Tianyu, a Taoist priest in the fourteenth century, and translated by renowned translator Thomas Cleary, portrays more than one hundred remarkable individuals from the eleventh century B.C.E. to the thirteenth century C.E. It introduces us to a broad and fascinating range of personalities including philosophers and scholars, magicians and mediums, alchemists and physicians, seers and soothsayers, and artists and poets, among many others. Cleary’s expert translation and informative footnotes make this collection a lively and accessible read.

A classic of practical magic that presents witchcraft as a life-affirming spiritual path—from one of the grand dames of witchcraft. Marion Weinstein was one of the founders of modern-day witchcraft. Personal Magic is her book of shadows, what they used to call a grimoire or book of spells. It presents her personal approach to witchcraft, what she learned over her many decades of practicing magic: How to invoke the deities or spirit powers, the gods and goddesses that inhabit our world The pagan holidays—what they mean and how to honor them Working with moon power throughout its phases The witch’s toolkit of spells and rituals for contacting one’s ancestors, seeking protection from malevolent forces, and practicing advanced manifestation An exploration of the principles of self-realization through witchcraft “In the old days,” she writes, “a ‘Book of Shadows’ was kept for joyful reasons—to pass on the work to others. Every witch who could write had one.” During times of repression, these works were a way of preserving the religion. “Today, we are back to the original purpose of sharing the craft with others.” This book is Marion’s gift to you. It is also an invitation to start creating your own book of shadows. Personal Magic is filled with how-tos and practical advice that shows readers how to unlock their psychic abilities to guide them in the creation of their own unique and personal magical work. Every technique is explained in detail, in keeping with Weinstein's proviso that one should never attempt to work any magic unless one understands it fully. Previously published as Earth Magic.

The Tantric Alchemist is a work on alchemy as decoded by Tantra and a work on Tantra as understood by alchemists. It uncovers works by Thomas Vaughan and suggests how he and his wife--a 17th-century Welsh couple unique in the history of western alchemy--met their fate when dealing with forces they knew only too well, but which were stronger than their ability to control them. Using the works of Vaughan as his text, Levenda applies the "twilight language" of Tantra to the surreal prose of the alchemist and in the process lays bare the lineaments of the arcane tradition that gave rise to the legend of Christian Rosenkreutz, the reputed founder of Rosicrucianism who learned his art in the East; and to the 19th- and 20th-century occult movements lead by such luminaries as P.B. Randolph, Theodore Reuss, Helena Blavatsky, and Aleister Crowley who also sought (and discovered) this technology in the religions and cultures of Asia. Readers will find that the many disparate threads of an authentic spiritual tradition are woven together here in a startling tapestry that reveals--without pretense or euphemism--the psycho-sexual technique that is at the root of both Tantra and alchemy: that is to say, of both Asian and European forms of esoteric praxis.

This absorbing volume features wise women, Wiccans and warlocks alongside the history of the human tragedy of the European witch-burning era and the Salem trials, and the heroes who risked torture to speak out against the madness. Sorcerors Morgan le Fay, Melusine and Medea are among the diverse and infamous characters whose stories are told. Less well known are the ordinary victims, mainly women denounced by ignorance and ill-will, but sometimes men too, and children as young as four years of age. Because the arts of magic, and the fear of them, are timeless and universal, the scope of this exploration covers all continents and eras.

In the past the practice of body psychotherapy has been taken less seriously in professional circles than more traditional psychotherapeutic approaches. Body Psychotherapy redresses the balance, offering insights into a spectrum of approaches within body-oriented psychotherapy. A range of experienced contributors introduce new areas of development and emerging theory and clinical material, covering: * the history of body psychotherapy * theoretical perspectives on body psychotherapy, including post-Reichian and development of integrative methodologies * body psychotherapy in practice, including applications for trauma and regression * the future for body psychotherapy. This book shows how body psychotherapy can be healing, reparative and rewarding. It will make essential reading for postgraduates and professionals, whether they are already involved in this field, or wish to learn more about incorporating it into their own practice.

All human relationships are containers of emotional life, but what are the structures underlying them? Nathan Schwartz-Salant looks at all kinds of relationships through an analyst's eye. By analogy with the ancient system of alchemy he shows how states of mind that can undermine our relationships - in marriage, in creative work, in the workplace - can become transformative when brought to consciousness. It is only by learning how to access the interactive field of our relationships that we can enter this transformative process and explore its mysterious potential for self-realization.

Here in one slender volume is a basic introduction to Chinese alchemy - a tradition that dates back 5,000 years. Chinese alchemy, largely associated with Taoism, has a recorded history of more than 2,000 years, but traditionally it goes back even further to nearly 3000 BC and the time of the Yellow Emperor. While Western alchemy was concerned with the search for spiritual and material gold, classic Taoist alchemy was a mystical quest for immortality with its aim being union with the Absolute. Jean Cooper describes the history and development of Taoist alchemy, compares it to similar traditions in India and Turkistan, and gives it context by contrasting it with the rationale of the Western hermetic tradition. As she writes in her concluding chapter: The whole work of alchemy is summed up in the phrase 'To make of the body a spirit and of the spirit a body'. . . . The goal of the Taoist alchemist-mystic was transformation, or perhaps more correctly, transfiguration, of the whole body until it ceases to 'be' and is absorbed into and becomes the Tao. This is an essential guide for anyone interested in Chinese legend and lore, Chinese magic and medicine, and Taoism.