Books about Paganism from Amazon.com

Renowned for her love and knowledge of classical leterature, Edith Hamilton created a legendary bestseller in this masterful retelling of the great Greek, Roman, and Norse myths..
Price: $3.63 [Notify me when price goes down.]

In this powerful, sometimes harrowing, deeply felt story, Patrick Tracey journeys to Ireland to track the origin and solve the mystery of his Irish-American family's multigenerational struggle with schizophrenia.

For most Irish Americans, a trip to Ireland is often an occasion to revisit their family's roots. But for Patrick Tracey, the lure of his ancestral home is a much more powerful need: part pilgrimage, part investigation to confront the genealogical mystery of schizophrenia–a disease that had claimed a great-great-great-grandmother, a grandmother, an uncle, and, most recently, two sisters.

As long as Tracey could remember, schizophrenia ran on his mother's side, seldom spoken of outright but impossible to ignore. Devastated by the emotional toll the disease had already taken on his family, terrified of passing it on to any children he might have, and inspired by the recent discovery of the first genetic link to schizophrenia, Tracey followed his genealogical trail from Boston to Ireland's county Roscommon, home of his oldest-known schizophrenic ancestor. In a renovated camper, Tracey crossed the Emerald Isle to investigate the country that, until the 1960s, had the world's highest rate of institutionalization for mental illness, following clues and separating fact from fiction in the legendary relationship the Irish have had with madness.

Tracey's path leads from fairy mounds and ancient caverns still shrouded in superstition to old pubs whose colorful inhabitants are a treasure trove of local lore. He visits the massive and grim asylum where his famine starved ancestors may have lived. And he interviews the Irish research team that first cracked the schizophrenic code to learn how much–and how little–we know about this often misunderstood disease.

Filled with history, science, and lore, Stalking Irish Madness is an unforgettable chronicle of one man's attempt to make sense of his family's past and to find hope for the future of schizophrenic patients..
Price: $13.37 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Hexes, curses and other unsavory notions. Most magical practitioners won't even discuss them. Why? Because they'd much rather find a positive solution that benefits all concerned. And, there's nothing wrong with that. Occasionally, though, our problems are such that nothing in the positive solution arena will handle them. It's time to make a decision to stand tough, be strong, and take definitive action to defend ourselves. And, if you're ready to do that-if you're ready to own that action and take responsibility for it-then Utterly Wicked is the book for you! Jam-packed with more than one hundred rituals, incantations, hexes and curses, this book is the quintessential primer for learning all those magical tricks that no one wants to talk about. Do you know the proper way to enter a cemetery? Utterly Wicked tells you how, as well as the proper methods for collecting and using graveyard dirt. Explore the little known secrets of the 11" fashion doll and see why it's become such a valuable magical tool. Then learn to prepare Hot Foot Powder, Four Thieves Vinegar, Goofer Dust, and other magical components specifically designed to obliterate your toughest problems. Most important, though, you'll also find the tools to protect yourself, your family, and your home from ever being bothered with these sorts of difficulties again. A must have for any Witch's bookshelf!.
Price: $9.08 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The Witches' Almanac is an annual source for thousands of readers, Wiccan and non-Wiccan alike, that includes information on the lunar calendar, pagan legends, spells, interviews .
Price: $6.62 [Notify me when price goes down.]

If you want to study Paganism in more detail, this book is the place to start. Based on a course in Paganism that the authors have taught for more than a decade, it is full of exercises, meditations, and discussion questions for group or individual study. PAGANISM presents the basic fundamentals: what Pagans are like; how the Pagan sacred year is arranged; what Pagans do in ritual; what magic is; what Pagans believe about God, worship, human nature, and ethics..
Price: $8.91 [Notify me when price goes down.]

An examination of the sacred botany and the pagan origins and rituals of Christmas

• Analyzes the symbolism of the many plants associated with Christmas

• Reveals the shamanic rituals that are at the heart of the Christmas celebration

The day on which many commemorate the birth of Christ has its origins in pagan rituals that center on tree worship, agriculture, magic, and social exchange. But Christmas is no ordinary folk observance. It is an evolving feast that over the centuries has absorbed elements from cultures all over the world--practices that give plants and plant spirits pride of place. In fact, the symbolic use of plants at Christmas effectively transforms the modern-day living room into a place of shamanic ritual.

Christian Rätsch and Claudia Müller-Ebeling show how the ancient meaning of the botanical elements of Christmas provides a unique view of the religion that existed in Europe before the introduction of Christianity. The fir tree was originally revered as the sacred World Tree in northern Europe. When the church was unable to drive the tree cult out of people’s consciousness, it incorporated the fir tree by dedicating it to the Christ child. Father Christmas in his red-and-white suit, who flies through the sky in a sleigh drawn by reindeer, has his mythological roots in the shamanic reindeer-herding tribes of arctic Europe and Siberia. These northern shamans used the hallucinogenic fly agaric mushroom, which is red and white, to make their soul flights to the other world. Apples, which figure heavily in Christmas baking, are symbols of the sun god Apollo, so they find a natural place at winter solstice celebrations of the return of the sun. In fact, the authors contend that the emphasis of Christmas on green plants and the promise of the return of life in the dead of winter is just an adaptation of the pagan winter solstice celebration.
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Price: $11.12 [Notify me when price goes down.]

BRING THE INSIGHT, WISDOM, AND JOY OF THE FAERIES INTO YOUR LIFE

Using the enchanted art of Brian Froud as your guide, enter into the wise and wonderful world of the faeries The Faeries' Oracle calls on sylphs, pans, gnomes -- and, of course, faeries -- to lead you on a delightful journey of adventure, discovery, and enlightenment that will illuminate the future and heal the heart and soul. This beautifully designed divination set contains everything you will need to explore this mysterious realm, including:

A complete deck of 66 radiant cards by Brian Froud featuring goblins, moon dancers, pixies, boggarts, and other faery folk we first met in Good Faeries/Bad Faeries

208-page illustrated book with text by Jessica Macbeth, which will show you how to read the cards of The Faeries' Oracle, with particular instruction on personally connecting to and communicating with the faeries

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Price: $5.71 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Now fully revised—the classic study of Neo-Paganism

Almost thirty years since its original publication, Drawing Down the Moon continues to be the only detailed history of the burgeoning but still widely misunderstood Neo-Pagan subculture. Margot Adler attended ritual gatherings and interviewed a diverse, colorful gallery of people across the United States, people who find inspiration in ancient deities, nature, myth, even science fiction. In this new edition featuring an updated resource guide of newsletters, journals, books, groups, and festivals, Margot Adler takes a fascinating and honest look at the religious experiences, beliefs, and lifestyles of modern America’s Pagan groups..
Price: $8.98 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The Witches' Almanac has been acclaimed for the quality of its content, art, and design since 1971. It now appears in an excellent updated format. Enlarged to a six-by-nine-inch size, the annual publication offers 136 pages of reading pleasure. The beautifully designed new color cover is laminated to provide a sturdy, "always a keepsake" finish.

This year's article lineup is world-class; articles include: Hsi Wang Mu and peach-tree immortality, the horoscope of Dr. Emoto and a look into his research (positive thought's effect on water crystals), consequences of trance, cryptic Enoch unveiled, women athletes of ancient Greek Olympics, interpreting the Year of the Rat, and a history of Tarot. You will relish sassy Roman shrewdness with Aesop and a Nigerian wisdom tale: both ancient in origin, both full of fun. Plus, we include "Aphrodite and Adonis" from our newest publication, Greek Gods in Love, by Barbara Stacy: The flighty goddess of love falls head over heels for the handsomest of mortals.

Along with the new, old favorites still abound: the Moon Calendar, astrology by Dikki-Jo Mullen, and weather forecasts from climatologist Tom Lang. As always, this is a delightful companion for adept, occultist, and those who simply enjoy gleaning lore and legends, ancient rituals, herbal secrets, interviews and biographies, mystic incantations, and many a curious tale of good and evil.

Arcane symbols and intriguing graphic images, including many rare medieval woodcuts, always add to the enjoyment of The Witches' Almanac.

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Price: $6.51 [Notify me when price goes down.]

This is a book about the religion once practiced ages ago in the Old Forest region of Europe. The book contains channeled messages from the Gods of the Old Forest and from the fey, as well as stories, myths, legends, and bits and pieces of the old witch language. It is not meant to be a "Wicca 101" book, but the next stage towards witches, in particular those of European descent, being able to reclaim their heritage. In this regard, there is no other book currently out there quite like this one. Not only does it provide a link to the past, but it also gives witches a potential focus for the future..
Price: $16.15 [Notify me when price goes down.]