Our understanding of Celtic astrology is based mainly on the speculations of modern authors--mostly drawn from classical Greek and Roman writings--and suffers from many misconceptions. European astrology uses the Greek model, containing many Babylonian and Egyptian elements. But Celtic astrology (and other Indo-European astrologies) developed earlier, with relationships to Middle Eastern systems, as well as their own independent forms. This well documented study takes a fresh look at the development of Celtic astrology and the Druids' systems of cosmology, astronomy and astrology. The author analyzes commentaries found in manuscript sources from antiquity to the Middle Ages, comparing them with cosmological and astronomical lore found in Celtic cultures. Ancient constellations, calendars, deities and rituals reveal a rich worldview.

Well, those Apricot Marmalade guys are at it again! In this sequel to Apricot Marmalade and the Edmondson Transmittal, Special Agents Reynolds, Bonner, Wilson, Dunn, and Cooper are again matching wits with KGB spies and other enemy agents in Thailand during the Vietnam War, with the battleground practically next door. Ed Reynolds faces new challenges that keep him on his toes but seemingly just one step ahead of a court martial. Irv Bonner gets a new assignment in the northern part of the country that puts his life at risk but also brings him a chance at a meaningful romance. The team's biggest challenge in this go-around is to track down a physics graduate student who is intent on developing a nuclear device. His plan: to threaten a major Thai city with extinction, unless his demands are met. The group is racing against the clock to stop tens of thousands of innocent people from being vaporized. Satire is alive and well in Apricot Marmalade and the Sangsuwan Equation. ______________________________________________________________________________ PRAISE FOR APRICOT MARMALADE AND THE EDMONDSON TRANSMITTAL This book "is a hilarious tale of dysfunctional alphabet intelligence agencies operating in Vietnam-era Thailand . . . Written in a comedic satirical style reminiscent of Catch 22 . . . -San Francisco Book Review "What sets the book apart is Orey's sharp pen, comic timing, and crack dialogue, as its scruffy band tracks its marks, deals with GRU agents and arms smugglers, and tries to maybe even see some justice get done. That dialogue and crisp descriptive action are well balanced throughout . . ." -BookLife (an affiliate of Publishers Weekly) "Fantastic read . . . I loved this book . .. . I'd recommend Apricot Marmalade and the Edmondson Transmittal to all lovers of historical fiction. All in all, I'd rate it four out of four stars." -OnlineBookClub.org "I enjoyed this book. Frankly, it was a delight to read . . . The characters in this story were well developed and memorable . . . fresh and engaging . . . such a good and satisfying story." -Manhattan Book Review

There are no clear demarcation lines between magic, astrology, necromancy, medicine, and even sciences in the pre-modern world. Under the umbrella term 'magic,' the contributors to this volume examine a wide range of texts, both literary and religious, both medical and philosophical, in which the topic is discussed from many different perspectives. The fundamental concerns address issue such as how people perceived magic, whether they accepted it and utilized it for their own purposes, and what impact magic might have had on the mental structures of that time. While some papers examine the specific appearance of magicians in literary texts, others analyze the practical application of magic in medical contexts. In addition, this volume includes studies that deal with the rise of the witch craze in the late fifteenth century and then also investigate whether the Weberian notion of disenchantment pertaining to the modern world can be maintained. Magic is, oddly but significantly, still around us and exerts its influence. Focusing on magic in the medieval world thus helps us to shed light on human culture at large.

A study of the representation of astrology and celestial portents in the medieval and later literature of Ireland and Wales, Fiery Shapes examines the mysterious figure of the druid, who was allegedly able to read the future from rainclouds; Taliesin and Merlin; and the Welsh gentleman poet of the later Middle Ages and beyond.

An exploration into the beliefs and origins of the Druids, this book examines the role the Druids may have played in the story of King Arthur and the founding of Britain. It explains how the Druids originated in eastern Europe around 850 B.C., bringing to early Britain a cult of an underworld deity, a belief in reincarnation, and a keen interest in astronomy. The work concludes that Arthur was originally a Druid cult figure and that the descendants of the Druids may have founded the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex. The research draws upon a number of sources, including medieval Welsh tales, the archaeology of Stonehenge's Salisbury Plain, the legends surrounding the founding of Britain, the cult of the Thracian Horseman, the oracle of Dodona, popular Arthurian mythology, and the basic principles of prehistoric astronomy.

How was magic practiced in medieval times? How did it relate to the diverse beliefs and practices that characterized this fascinating period? This much revised and expanded new edition of Magic in the Middle Ages surveys the growth and development of magic in medieval Europe. It takes into account the extensive new developments in the history of medieval magic in recent years, featuring new material on angel magic, the archaeology of magic, and the magical efficacy of words and imagination. Richard Kieckhefer shows how magic represents a crossroads in medieval life and culture, examining its relationship and relevance to religion, science, philosophy, art, literature, and politics. In surveying the different types of magic that were used, the kinds of people who practiced magic, and the reasoning behind their beliefs, Kieckhefer shows how magic served as a point of contact between the popular and elite classes, how the reality of magical beliefs is reflected in the fiction of medieval literature, and how the persecution of magic and witchcraft led to changes in the law.

To observe the Celts through the eyes of the Greeks and Romans is the first aim of this book.

From the authors and illustration of The Druidcraft Tarot (3/05) and the long-term bestselling The Druid Animal Oracle (2/95), comes their latest work mixing the Western Pagan traditions with a power divination system.

Volume 3 of 9 These books are the first to fully map out the history of alien interaction with the Earth, past, present, and into the near future. Extending the work of noted researchers such as Erich Von Daniken and Zecharia Sitchin, the book series goal is to show its readers the extensive repercussions this interaction has had on life on this planet, especially its formative role in the global conspiracy known as the New World Order.