In My Elysium I present the view that Newton's world and Einstein's world represent two different ways of understanding our universe. However, I also present the view that these two different views of our universe can come together to form subsets of my universal system. In this book, I present a general overview and summation of Newton’s world, Einstein’s world, and, what I refer to here as: ‘My Elysium’ – my ‘heaven’ or universal system. The aim of this book is to clarify some issues that may have arisen from the readings of my earlier books, Beyond Einstein’s Universe and Gravity: Demystified, and hopefully reinforce the view that I wish to promote, namely, that my understanding of the universe offers us the opportunity of going beyond both Newton's world and Einstein's world and on to something much grander.

Nadira is far from where she started. Now a necromancer, capable of speaking to those in the after life, she grapples with what it means to live and love. Persia, 1497. Nadira and her motley crew of companions have been through a lot together. Their journey is now to the rocky, inhospitable foothills of Mount Damavand, to meet with a mysterious power who dwells in the mountains of Arborz. Blinded by grief for her first love, she is intent on bringing him back from the realms of death. Very much alive is the inscrutable and principled Turkish sea captain Kemal Reis, the "Terror of the Waves" who has loved Nadira for years. She will need his help to protect a new set of ancient texts, the Books of the Dead, from falling into the wrong hands. Will the books contain what she needs to stop the European powers from igniting a new and bloodier crusade? The Servant Girl’s Sorcery is the final book in the enthralling historical fantasy series by Annmarie Banks. Set in medieval Europe, it is a twisty tale of adventure and mysticism, and will appeal to readers of Noah Gordon and Kate Mosse. Note: Originally published as "Books of the Dead."

Saracen and a scholar – there couldn’t be two more dangerous pastimes for a woman as the frenzy of the Inquisition grips Europe. Barcelona, 1495. A scholar lies dying in a spice merchant’s stable when Nadira receives his last words. To Nadira, words are her life. Sold into slavery as a girl, her unusual gift of language keep her employed as her master's scribe. Now, the words that have long been her solace have put her in mortal danger. The dying scholar speaks of an ancient text, the Hermetica, that promises its readers the secrets of the magi of ancient Babylon. Hungry for power, the dark architects of the Inquisition will stop at nothing to find the Hermetica and to use it to solidify their position. At a time when faith is valued and knowledge is dangerous, Nadira emerges as one of the few who can unlock the mysteries within the pages of the Hermetica. Soon she is the unwilling companion to an English baron and his troupe of warriors as they traverse Europe in search of the manuscript, and revenge. As Nadira begins her transformation from servant to sorceress, will she escape the fires of the Inquisition, the clutches of the Borgia pope, and the ambitions of a French king? The Servant Girl’s Secret is the first book of an enthralling historical fantasy series by Annmarie Banks. Set in medieval Europe, it is a twisty tale of adventure and mysticism, and will appeal to readers of Noah Gordon and Kate Mosse. Note: Originally published as "The Hermetica of Elysium."

Over 3000 authoritative, cross-referenced entries, covering magical traditions from all around the world.

1494 Barcelona. As Torquemada lights the fires of religious fervor throughout the cities of Spain, accused heretics are not the only victims. Thousands of books and manuscripts are lost to the flames as the Black Friars attempt to purge Europe of the ancient secrets of the gods and the bold new ideas that are ushering in the Renaissance. Nadira lives a dreary life as servant to a wealthy spice merchant until the night a dying scholar is brought to the merchant's stable, beaten by mercenaries who are on the hunt for The Hermetica of Elysium. To Nadira, words are her life: she lives them as her master's scrivener and dreams them in her mother's poetry. She is pursued as passionately as the fabled manuscript for her rare skill as a reader of Ancient Greek, Latin, Arabic and Hebrew that makes her valuable to men who pursue the book to exploit its magic. Kidnapped by Baron Montrose, an adventurous nobleman, she is forced to read from the Hermetica. It is soon revealed to her that ideas and words are more powerful than steel or fire for within its pages are the words that incite the Dominicans to religious fervor, give the Templars their power and reveal the lost mysteries of Elysium. As Nadira begins her transformation from servant to sorceress, will she escape the fires of the Inquisition, the clutches of the Borgia pope, Alexander VI and the French king, Charles VIII? And will Montrose's growing fear of her powers cause her to lose her chance for love?

Divination is any ritual and its associated tradition performed in order to ask a more-than-human intelligence for guidance. A universal human practice, it has received surprisingly little academic attention. This interdisciplinary collection by leading scholars in the field is dedicated to fascinating new insights into divination and oracles arising from recent work in anthropology, religious studies, history and classical studies. Central importance is given to the practical and theoretical perspectives of diviners as well as scholars of divination; several contributors are both. This book explores philosophical issues such as the nature of divinatory intelligence, the relationship between divinatory and metaphorical truth, the primacy of ontology over epistemology, the importance of reflexivity in scholarly studies of divination, and astrology as the principal Western form of divination. The ethnographic and historical examples range from contemporary Nigeria, urban Cuba, Mayan Guatemala and the shamanic cultures of the circumpolar Arctic to classical Greece and ancient Judea.

Divination is any ritual and its associated tradition performed in order to ask a more-than-human intelligence for guidance. A universal human practice, it has received surprisingly little academic attention. This interdisciplinary collection by leading scholars in the field is dedicated to fascinating new insights into divination and oracles arising from recent work in anthropology, religious studies, history and classical studies. Central importance is given to the practical and theoretical perspectives of diviners as well as scholars of divination; several contributors are both. This book explores philosophical issues such as the nature of divinatory intelligence, the relationship between divinatory and metaphorical truth, the primacy of ontology over epistemology, the importance of reflexivity in scholarly studies of divination, and astrology as the principal Western form of divination. The ethnographic and historical examples range from contemporary Nigeria, urban Cuba, Mayan Guatemala and the shamanic cultures of the circumpolar Arctic to classical Greece and ancient Judea.