Are angels and demons real? What makes the New Age the New Age? Does consciousness survive death? Writing from the perspective of a practicing ceremonial magician, one of America's most knowledgeable and engaging authorities on Western Hermeticism answers these questions and many more with humor and personal anecdotes. Illustrated and with color fold-out.

The murder of a world-famous physicist raises fears that the Illuminati are operating again after centuries of silence, and religion professor Robert Langdon is called in to assist with the case.

Sketching out a fascinating network of historic figures, cults, and Christendom, this book by an occult-studies expert and respected authority on magic and sorcery takes Western spiritual traditions seriously—but examines them with common sense and self-effacing humor. Working backward from the Freemasons to one of their original orders, the 14th-century Knights Templar, the account considers sorcery, heresy, and intrigues; explores the legend that the Knights possessed a powerful secret dangerous to the Church of Rome; and finds an essential clue to the order's practices in their connection to the biblical Solomon, king of Israel in the 10th century BC. This updated edition features new images, chapters on important symbols, and a new preface.

A unique and humorous -- and also practical -- approach to the increasingly popular study of Qabalah. This is a seriously funny book! Traditional Qabalistic (or Cabalistic, or, indeed, Kabbalistic -- read this book to find out what the difference is...we know you've always wondered) sources tend to be a bit, er, dry. DuQuette spices up the Qabalah and makes it come alive, restoring the joy of learning the fundamentals of this admittedly arcane system by using simple, amusing anecdotes and metaphors. This account, written psuedepigraphically (fictitiously attributed to a supposed authority), allows DuQuette as Rabbi Lamed Ben Clifford to soar to outrageous heights and, when necessary, stand apart from the silliness to highlight the golden eggs of Qabalistic wisdom nested therein. Sure to be a revelation to those who think that learning about the Qabalah needs to be tedious and serious, DuQuette shows that great truths can be transmitted through the medium of laughter.

Take a fascinating journey into the life of one of the most respected, sought-after, and renowned magicians alive today: Lon Milo DuQuette. In this follow-up to his popular autobiography, My Life with the Spirits, DuQuette tells how a friend was cursed by a well-known foreign filmmaker and how they removed that curse with a little help from Shakespeare. He explains how, as a six-year-old, he used the Law of Attraction to get a date with Linda Kaufman, the most beautiful girl in first-grade. DuQuette also reveals the ins and outs of working with demons and provides a compelling account of performing an exorcism at a private Catholic high school. As entertaining as they are informative, the true stories in this memoir contain authentic magical theory and invaluable technical information.

The ultimate herbalist's bible. Herbalism is one of the cornerstones of magical work, and The Weiser Concise Guide to Herbal Magick presents this vast subject in an accessible, practical manner. While it includes those plants classically associated with magick, such as mugwort, mandrake, and nightshade, it also provides lore and usage of more common plants, such as olive, coconut, tiger lily, orchids, and palms. Other herbs include heliotrope, lotus, mallow, nettle, oak, yew, and willow. This groundbreaking book offers a broad overview of the art of herbalism, along with specific practical instruction in using herbs in magick. It also provides a thorough overview of the historical relationship between herbs and the practice of magick. This uniquely helpful guide supplies the novice with a solid foundation of herbal magick knowledge and history, and more experienced practitioners will benefit from the author's unique and erudite perspective and skill. No other herbal magick book offers this level of information in such a concise form.

Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot was his final opus, the culmination of a lifetime of occult study and practice. With artist Lady Frieda Harris, he condensed the core of his teaching - astrology, Qabbalah, magick, gematria and numerology, and alchemy- into the 78 cards of the tarot. Although Crowley's own Book of Thoth provides insight into the cards, it is a complicated, dated book. What has been missing, and what Crowley authority Lon Milo DuQuette has created, is an introductory text for the deck. In clear language, DuQuette provides everything you need to know about Crowley's fundamental principles to get the most out of using the Thoth deck. Many use the deck simply because the artwork is so beautiful, but there is so much more to it than that. DuQuette starts with the basic historical background of this extremely popular deck before delving into descriptions of each card in depth, from both a purely tarot perspective and from an expanded, magickal point of view. Each card is described in detail regarding its straight tarot meaning, which is then expanded upon with all the other attributions Crowley intended. This unique guide will be of great interest to all tarot readers who use the Thoth Tarot- especially those looking for correspondences with other occult systems to enhance their readings- and will be treasured by students of Aleister Crowley's works.

What has the ancient doctrine of the Trinity to do with the twentyfirst century? Is it just a fossil from the past, fit only for a museum? Does it have anything to say to modern concerns? There is currently a revival of interest in the doctrine, but few seek to put it firmly into the modern world. Without this, it will soon be neglected again. Far from irrelevance, the doctrine of the Trinity has an impact on the relationship of science to Christian belief, to the drive towards sexual equality, to the impersonality of modern life, and other issues. The book attempts a new presentation of the Trinity that is consistent with the Bible and ancient formulations, but is consistent with the modern world. Provocative? intentionally so, but with the hope that the doctrine will once again find its place in the centre of Christian belief and practice.

A noted author and activist brings his critical acumen and rhetorical skills to bear in this polemic against the dark side of religion. Unlike some popular works by stridently outspoken atheists, this is not a blanket condemnation of all believers. Rather the author's focus is the heartless exploitation of faithful followers by those in power, as well as sectarian intolerance, the violence against heretics and nonbelievers, and the reactionary political and economic collusion that has often prevailed between the upper echelons of church and state. Parenti notes the deleterious effects of past theocracies and the threat to our freedoms posed by present-day fundamentalists and theocratic reactionaries. He discusses how socially conscious and egalitarian minded liberal religionists have often been isolated and marginalized by their more conservative (and better financed) coreligionists. Finally, he documents the growing strength of secular freethinkers who are doing battle against the intolerant theocratic usurpers in public life. Historically anchored yet sharply focused on the contemporary scene, this eloquent indictment of religion’s dangers will be welcomed by committed secular laypersons and progressive religionists alike.