The first accessible reader on magic’s generative relationship with contemporary art practice. From the hexing of presidents to a renewed interest in herbalism and atavistic forms of self-care, magic has furnished the contemporary imagination with mysterious and often disorienting bodies of arcane thought and practice. This volume brings together writings by artists, magicians, historians, and theorists that illuminate the vibrant correspondences animating contemporary art’s varied encounters with magical culture, inspiring a reconsideration of the relationship between the symbolic and the pragmatic. Dispensing with simple narratives of reenchantment, Magic illustrates the intricate ways in which we have to some extent always been captivated by the allure of the numinous. It demonstrates how magical culture’s tendencies toward secrecy, occlusion, and encryption might provide contemporary artists with strategies of remedial communality, a renewed faith in the invocational power of personal testimony, and a poetics of practice that could boldly question our political circumstances, from the crisis of climate collapse to the strictures of socially sanctioned techniques of medical and psychiatric care. Tracing its various emergences through the shadows of modernity, the circuitries of ritual media, and declarations of psychic self-defence, Magic deciphers the evolution of a “magical-critical” thinking that productively complicates, contradicts and expands the boundaries of our increasingly weird present.

The stalemate is over. After their loss at Battle of Brigham Field, the Reds are fleeing back to their America, the Soviet Socialist People's Republic of America, west of the mountains. But the War has only just begun. The Soviet Sickle has been broken, but their Hammer remains – a super, secret weapon, so powerful that it obliterated Denver in the blink of an eye. What is the Hammer? Only Fate Troop is reequipped and prepared to take on the daring mission, far behind enemy lines, to find out. Can Gunny and the others stop the Hammer before the Reds turn it on another American city? TANK: The Magi’s Advent is the final installment in the exciting action/adventure series TANK. Follow Gunny and the crew of number Seventy-Seven as they battle the Soviets in an alternate Twenty-First Century.

A comprehensive handbook of more than 1,000 magical words, phrases, symbols, and secret alphabets • Explains the origins, derivatives, and practical usage of each word, phrase, and spell as well as how they can be combined for custom spells • Based on the magical traditions of Europe, Greece, and Egypt and recently discovered one-of-a-kind grimoires from Scandinavia, France, and Germany • Includes an in-depth exploration of secret magical alphabets, including those based on Hebrew letters, Kabbalistic symbols, astrological signs, and runes From Abracadabra to the now famous spells of the Harry Potter series, magic words are no longer confined to the practices of pagans, alchemists, witches, and occultists. They have become part of the popular imagination of the Western world. Passed down from ancient Babylon, Egypt, and Greece, these words and the rituals surrounding them have survived through the millennia because they work. And as scholar Claude Lecouteux reveals, often the more impenetrable they seem, the more effective they are. Analyzing more than 7,000 spells from the magical traditions of Europe as well as the magical papyri of the Greeks and recently discovered one-of-a-kind grimoires from Scandinavia, France, and Germany, Lecouteux has compiled a comprehensive dictionary of ancient magic words, phrases, and spells along with an in-depth exploration--the first in English--of secret magical alphabets, including those based on Hebrew letters, Kabbalistic symbols, astrological signs, and runes. Drawing upon thousands of medieval accounts and famous manuscripts such as the Heptameron of Peter Abano, the author examines the origins of each word or spell, offering detailed instructions on their successful use, whether for protection, love, wealth, or healing. He charts their evolution and derivations through the centuries, showing, for example, how spells that were once intended to put out fires evolved to protect people from witchcraft. He reveals the inherent versatility of magic words and how each sorcerer or witch had a set of stock phrases they would combine to build a custom spell for the magical need at hand. Presenting a wealth of material on magical words, signs, and charms, both common and obscure, Lecouteux also explores the magical words and spells of ancient Scandinavia, the Hispano-Arabic magic of Spain before the Reconquista, the traditions passed down from ancient Egypt, and those that have stayed in use until the present day.

Method of Science, the 6th issue of the journal of the Irish Order of Thelema is an anthology on the theme of scientific illuminism, a theory of skeptical occultism espoused by Aleister Crowley. As well as content supporting his position, there are developments, counter images and critiques to this approach. Contributors include: IAO131 (author of Naturalistic Occultism), Frater Achad (author of The Anatomy of the Body of God), Alan Moore (author of V for Vendetta), Lupa (author of Nature Spirituality from the Ground Up), Anne Ruadh, Brian Breathnach and others... Also including ritual and book reviews, Method Of Science is essential reading for those interested in scientific illuminism and its implications...

The world crumbles. The end is in sight. And only the sisters of magic can save the world that has tried to kill them. Faye and Claire Quin, separated by five years but united by shared tragedy and magic, are the only ones capable of stopping Vargus. By now all but inevitable, the fallen angel has set out for The Forbidden Lands with only one goal in mind--resurrect Ragnor. No man, no beast, and perhaps not even any other magi can stop him. Despite their past, shared pain, and hatred of humanity, Faye and Claire must make their final stand. If they wish to see the magi survive another night, they must take up arms to defend the very world that has slaughtered their kind for centuries. Because they know that magi do not act for their own interests or self-preservation, but the greater good. They know that they are the only ones capable of preventing the end.

The authors of this volume set themselves one task, to trace the extra-biblical primary texts that are relevant for understanding Jesus' trial and crucifixion. With that goal in mind, the book is built on three major themes: (1) Jesus' trial / interrogation before the Sanhedrin, (2) Jesus' trial before Pontius Pilatus, and (3) crucifixion as a method of execution in antiquity. In chronologically sequential order (where possible), the authors select and arrange an overwhelming amount of extra-biblical primary texts -- 462 to be exact -- underneath these three categories (75, 46, and 341 texts respectively)."--Brian J. Wright in Religious Studies Review

Teenage magi Adrienne Young kills monsters, protects the innocent, and sometimes passes chemistry. But when she kills a hellhound that’s been haunting college campuses she draws the attention of Hecate, a banished goddess seeking to restore her power and return to the mortal world. As Adrienne digs deeper, she uncovers Hecate’s murderous plot and vows to kill her once and for all. When Hecate sets her sights on Liza, Adrienne’s sister, the fight turns personal. With a band of unlikely allies and time running out, Adrienne may have to choose between saving the world or saving her sister.