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Marvin Meyer, Paul Mirecki - Ancient Magic and Ritual Power [1 Scan OCR - 1 PDF] (Ritual Magic)

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Ancient Magic and Ritual Power (Religions in the Graeco-Roman World)




This volume contains a series of provocative essays that explore expressions of magic and ritual power in the ancient world. The essays are authored by leading scholars in the fields of Egyptology, ancient Near Eastern studies, the Hebrew Bible, Judaica, classical Greek and Roman studies, early Christianity and patristics, and Coptology. Throughout the book the essays examine the terms employed in descriptions of ancient magic. From this examination comes a clarification of magic as a polemical term of exclusion but also an understanding of the classical Egyptian and early Greek conceptions of magic as a more neutral category of inclusion. This book should prove to be foundational for future scholarly studies of ancient magic and ritual power. This publication has also been published in hardback (no longer available). MsSVig

Liu Ning, ed - The Precious True: Word Picture Album of the Buddha Images of Buddhism [1 eBook - PDF] (Buddhism )

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Published by "Natiionalityes Publishing House", China
Year unknown

Color images of Buddhist deities with explanations in English, Chinese and Tibetan.






MsSVig

D.P Leidy & D. Strahan - Wisdom Embodied: Chinese Buddhist and Daoist Sculpture in The Metropolitan Museum of Art [1 eBook - PDF] (Buddhism )

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I put this in Buddhist category since 99% of the presented art is Buddhist.

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Metropolitan Museum of Art (October 28, 2012)

The Metropolitan Museum’s collection of Chinese Buddhist and Daoist sculpture is the largest in the Western world. In this lavish, comprehensive volume, archaeological discoveries and scientific testing and analysis serve as the basis for a reassessment of 120 works ranging in date from the fourth to the twentieth century, many of them previously unpublished and all of them newly and beautifully photographed. An introductory essay provides an indispensable overview of Buddhist practices and iconography—acquainting us with the panoply of past, present, and future Buddhas, bodhisattvas, monks and arhats, guardians and adepts, pilgrims and immortals—and explores the fascinating dialogue between Indian and Chinese culture that underlies the transmission of Buddhism into China.
MsSVig

TY Tan - FengShui Basic Course [6 eBook - PDF] (Taoism)

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This course is based on TY Tan (1fengshui.com) online basic course. The ebooks is also sold separately in the website.

There are 6 different ebooks cover basic concepts of feng shui.

1. Fundamental of Classical Feng Shui
There are 2 parts in this eBook.
The 1st part covers the Feng Shui principles of Trinity of Luck, Yin Yang, Qi & Wu Xing.
The 2nd part covers Interior Feng Shui of door, bedroom, kitchen, etc with remedies.

2. Personal Ming Gua
Personal Ming Gua formula is an ancient feng shui formula used to enhance a person's luck based on a person's birth year. The formula is based on the principle that every individual is a "Tai Ji" and hence has a set of fortunate and unfortunate personal directions.
In this ebook, the ming gua formula, kua number calculation, Luo Shu, trigrams and the secret of change of lines of the trigrams from the Yi Jing is revealed, and most importantly the application will be elaborated in detail.
For those who wish to have windfall luck, this ebook revealed the most powerful windfall luck activating method.

3. Eight Mansions Compass Feng Shui
Eight Mansions Compass Feng Shui Formula is a compass feng shui formula for houses. The formula is based on the principle that every built structure or houses is a "Tai Ji" and hence has a set of fortunate and unfortunate locations and directions.
In this ebook, the eight mansions compass feng shui formula is explained in detail and how to apply the formula on houses for enhanced luck of the residents.
8-House Bright Mirror theory is included to remedy the unfortunate sectors, making the whole house useable.

4. Interior Feng Shui
Interior Feng Shui eBook is all about Feng Shui of the interior layout and interior design of a built structure or house.
This ebook covers detail on Feng Shui of main door, bedroom, kitchen, dining room, living room, pathway, staircase, store room, bathroom and toilet.

5. Exterior Feng Shui
Exterior Feng Shui eBook is all about Feng Shui of the exterior landscape a built structure or house.
This ebook covers detail on Feng Shui of shape and type of land, and the external of the house. Feng Shui of landforms such as natural mountain and natural water formation are explained and illustrated with images in detail. The use of artificial water dragon to remedy the absence of natural water dragon for wealth enhancement is explained.

6. Feng Shui for Apartment
Feng Shui for Apartment eBook is all about Feng Shui high rise built structure such as condominium or apartment.  
This ebook covers detail on Feng Shui of high rise building such as the Feng Shui of the apartment complex, the land plot and the main entrance. Feng Shui of the individual unit and level of the unit are explained in detail.
MsSVig

Philip Carr-Gomm - Druidcraft, The Magic Of Wicca & Druidry [1 eBook - PDF] (Wicca)

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Druidry and Wicca are the two great streams of Western Pagan tradition. Both traditions are experiencing a renaissance all over the world, as more and more people seek a spirituality rooted in a love of nature and the land.
Increasingly, readers are combining the ideas of both traditions to craft their own spiritual practice. In this down-to-earth, inspiring guide, Philip Carr-Gomm offers a name for this Path that draws on the common beliefs and practices of Wicca and Druidry: Druidcraft.
Druidcraft draws on the traditions of scholarship, storytelling, magical craft and seasonal celebration of both Druids and Wiccans, to offer inspiration, teachings, rituals, and magical techniques that can help you access your innate powers of creativity, intuition and healing.

'Your book is becoming the must read for Northern California Pagans, and I believe it is one of the most important Pagan books to have come out in many, many years.'email to author.
' A valuable and thought-provoking contribution to the growth of modern Paganism...' The Druid's Voice magazine.
' Elegantly written and inspiring, ringing with Philip's distinctive tone and style...'Touchstone magazine.
' This is a text to be savoured. To be read and re-read, allowing altered states of perception to take over and dance among the myriad insights concealed beyond the print on the page.'Review by Francis Cameron

'As a more-or-less full time member of the online pagan community for the past several years, I have often seen questions posed regarding the practicality and/or spiritual correctness of combining elements of Druidry with those of Wicca or Witchcraft. In his latest book, Druidcraft: the Magic of Wicca and Druidry, Philip Carr-Gomm addresses this subject in depth. From an examination of the friendship and interaction between Gerald Gardner, the father of Wicca, and Ross Nichols, founder of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, and a major figure behind the modern revival of Druidry, to a series of lessons offering useful and practical ways to combine various aspects of these two paths, the author leads us on a spiritual quest involving integration through understanding. The subject matter is presented in a manner that tends to hold the reader's interest while, at the same time, providing sound footing for the theories that are being promoted. It should be noted perhaps that, like virtually any material of this nature, this crossing of spiritualities will be warmly embraced in some sectors while being rejected out of hand in some of the more strictly traditional groups. The author habitually uses the terms Wiccan and Witch interchangeably, but offers a reasonable and rational explanation for doing so. It is relieving to note that nowhere does he claim that Wicca is an ancient Celtic path; merely that it draws some of its foundations from the older beliefs. The book's most positive quality may well be its consistent emphasis on the common links that exist between these paths, as opposed to pointing out the differences.
In summary, I definitely considered it a good read and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in this subject, even more highly to those who may be questioning the wisdom of merging elements of these two belief structures; Wiccans who are drawn to certain aspects of Druidry, as well as Druids who embrace some Wiccan philosophies or practices. Carr-Gomm has done his usual excellent job, as his readers have come to expect, of presenting his case in a clear and concise manner, leaving the reader to reach conclusions and make choices based on knowledge and understanding.'
Review by Aldwyn Draig of Echoed Voices

'The mysticism and magick surrounding the Craft is very appealing; the call of our ancestors and reverence of nature and Mother Earth in modern Druidism is strong within our hearts. Since their resurgence began, Wicca and Druidism have been considered two separate practices. Druidcraft offers a rational link that may bridge these two religions and give credence to a mystical and magickal path that also offers a foundation created from the ancient wisdom of these priests and priestesses of nature. Philip demonstrates this through his own unique philosophy, backed by historical facts about the history of these two revived paths of Neo-Pagan spirituality. Highly recommended to any Druid or Wiccan library.' Stormseer, Tempe, Arizona.

Comes with Foreword by Wiccan author Vivianne Crowley. MsSVig

Phil Legard - The Mirror of Elicona [1 eBook - 1 PDF] (Grimoires)

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The Mirror of Elicona is a grimoire in the form of magical biography: a personal reflection on a series of encounters with a spirit who was, up until the close of the early modern period, perhaps frequently called upon by the magicians and cunning folk of the British Isles. The purpose of this Mirror is not only to make a small contribution to the development and appreciation of what might be called ‘proto– Goetic’ magic, but also to share something of the author’s own magical practice, which in the last decade has moved significantly away from ritualism to a more subtle appreciation and engagement with the spiritual hierarchies around us. MsSVig

Jamie Alexzander & S. Aldarnay - Saint Martha [1 eBook - 1 PDF] (African Traditional Religion)

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Within the hoodoo system St. Martha is known as The Dominator – she is called upon for acts of domination over an individual – specifically bosses and lovers. She can be called on in “aggressive” love magic, where a little extra persuasion is needed, as well as in commanding and compelling work. This Guide describes the symbols and history of the Saint and explains how to work with her in the Hoodoo tradition. MsSVig

Adam Parfrey - Apocalypse Culture [1 eBook - PDF] (Everything Else)

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"The Apocatastis: We are living during the time of a great apocatastis, the Greek term for the return of all things that have been lost and the revelation of all things at the end of time."

The apparent thesis of Adam Parfrey's APOCALYPSE CULTURE is that all insane, mind-blowing and utterly bizarre ideas, theories and behaviors will be manifested and then the end will come. The book, published in the late 80's, is a collection of essays, short stories, articles, rambling tid-bits and other odds-and-ends from a variety of authors. The prevailing themes in APOCALYPSE CULTURE could be classified as conspiracy theory, paranoia, schizophrenia, apocalypticism, surrealism, ultra-anarchism, nihilism, libertarianism, anti-materialism, Luddite, anti-establishment, occultism, Satanic, and egotism.

A number of the essays stood out. "Infernal Texts" is a collection of quotes from various sources about man's total worthlessness and the need for a massive upheaval to eradicate the false social order that is now in place. "The Invisible War" by ... La Vey is about how constant sensory bombardments upon human beings in the modern world constitutes a collective genocide against humanity. "The Cereal Box Conspiracy" details the negative effects of sugar breakfast cereal marketing towards children, how it takes advantages of their inner fears and sexual ambiguity. "From the Mark of the Beast to the Black Messiah Phenomenon" is about a Christian researcher's theories as to who the antichrist is, and the antichrist will apparently be a black man who will be worshipped by Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and others the world over. "Eugenics: the Orphaned Science" presents the pro-eugenics position, and gives quotes of famous people who argued for improving the biological stock of mankind through selective breeding. "The Christian Right, Zionism and the Coming Penteholocaust" is an especially disturbing and interesting study examining the relationship between militant Israelis and their Christian fundamentalist supporters in the US. Their goal is a 'Greater Israel' in the Middle East with a rebuilt Temple and Jewish control of most of Jordan, Syria, Iraq and Lebannon. This is supposed to be a part of Biblical prophecy, according to the fundies, and it is necessary for this set up to occur before World War III begins and Christ can return. "Vengeance in Secret Societies" studies how secret societies in world history used violence and terrorism to further their political goals, starting with the Assassins in the Middles East during the time of the Muslim Caliphate. "The Call to Chaos" by James Shelby Downard is something about a magical bottle at the test site of the first nuclear bomb and it has something to do the the cabalistic/Masonic uniting of the mystical male and female sexual energies. Speaking of nukes, the last essay, "Meditations on the Atom and Time" will blow your mind as it relates how the nuclear bomb has achieved godlike status in our collective psyche.

An important lesson to be learned from APOCALYPSE CULTURE considering the popularity of US meddling in Middle Eastern affairs today: "It is an ancient belief of black magic that manifesting the presence of the diety required sacrifice of human victims. It was also believed that the life energy of the victims would increase the potency and longevity of the sorcerer. A mass sacrifice might even confer enough energy to make the sorcerer immortal. Could this be the reason among the circles of the Christian Right, that the Penteholocaust, the sacrificial burning of death, will invoke Christ the vampire and render his disciples immortal."

About the Author

Since his influential collection, Apocalypse Culture, was first released in 1987, the award-winning writer Adam Parfrey has been credited for discovering and revealing the inner workings of cults and unusual pop culture histories. With "Love, Sex, Fear, Death," Parfrey has captured the cooperation of primary players in the most secretive and talked about cult of our time. MsSVig

Grof - Spiritual Emergency: When Personal Transformation Becomes a Crisis [1 Scan OCR - 1 PDF] (Parapsychology)

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From Spiritual Emergency to Healing and Rebirth


Increasing numbers of people involved in personal transformation are experiencing spiritual emergencies — crises when the process of growth and change becomes chaotic and overwhelming. Individuals experiencing such episodes may feel that their sense of identity is breaking down, that their old values no longer hold true, and that the very ground beneath their personal realities is radically shifting. In many cases, new realms of mystical and spiritual experience enter their lives suddenly and dramatically, resulting in fear and confusion. They may feel tremendous anxiety, have difficulty coping with their daily lives, jobs, and relationships, and may even fear for their own sanity.

Unfortunately, much of modern psychiatry has failed to distinguish these episodes from mental illness. As a result, transformational crises are often suppressed by routine psychiatric care, medication, and even institutionalization.

However, there is a new perspective developing among many mental health professionals and those studying spiritual development that views such crises as transformative breakthroughs that can hold tremendous potential for physical and emotional healing. When understood and treated in a supportive manner, spiritual emergencies can become gateways to higher levels of functioning and new ways of being.

In this book, foremost psychologists, psychiatrists, and spiritual teachers address the following questions: What is spiritual emergency? What is the relationship between spirituality, “madness,” and healing? What forms does spiritual emergency take? What are the pitfalls — and promises — of spiritual practice? How can people in spiritual emergency be assisted by family, friends, and professionals?

This groundbreaking work reveals that within the crisis of spiritual emergency lies the promise of spiritual emergence and renewal.


Thanks to Mistag for originally bringing this fantastic book here and the high quality scan.

Formatted to smaller file size of excellent quality by request :cool2:



MsSVig

Medahochi K. O. Zannu - An Introduction To The Study Of Ifa, A Workbook And Study Guide For Initiates Only [1 eBook - PDF] (African Traditional Religion)

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PREFACE

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF IFA: A WORKBOOK AND STUDY GUIDE FOR INITIATES ... IS ANOTHER INSTALLMENT OF MEDAHOCHI KOFI O. ZANNU'S ELDERSHIP INSIGHT AND PRIESTHOOD PROFIENCY.
THIS COMPILATION OF INFORMATION, WISDOM,AND PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF THE IN-DEPTH,COMPREHENSIVE AND MEANINGFUL PARADIGM OF IFA IS PRICELESS.

THIS MATERIAL WILL EQUATE THE IFA PRIEST OR BABALAWO WITH THE DOCTORAL CANDIDATE IN THE ACADEMIC COMMUNITY AND THE HIGH PRIEST ON THE WORLD RELIGIOUS SCENE. AN INTENSIVE STUDY OF THE PAGES OF THIS WORKBOOK WILL DEVELOP AND PREPARE AN ADEPT OF IFA.

THE ANCIENT WISDOM OF IFA REVEALED THROUGH THE HOLY ONE QRUNMILA IS PRESENTED IN THE WORKBOOK FROM A DIDACTIC AND PRACTICAL VIEW POINT THAT WILL EVOLVE THIS LIFE ENABLING THEOLOGY INTO THE 21ST CENTURY ON ITS RIGHTFUL PLATEAU.
IT IS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE TO NOTE THAT THIS WORK WAS PRODUCED IN THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF BABA KOFI QMQWALE ZANNU HAVING A VIVID MEMORY CULTURE OF THE SLAVE SHIPS JESUS ... JOHN THE BAPTIST ... INTEGRITY ...AMISTAD AND OTHERS. THIS HEROIC ELDER HAS TRANSCENDED THE AFRlKAN "MIDDLE PASSAGE" TO AMERICA AND TRANSCRIBED ON THESE PAGES THE GENUS OF THE AFRIKAN-AMERICAN
SPIRITUAL TECHNOLOGY.


Who Is Baba Medahochi?

"Medahochi spent his entire life on a never-ending quest for knowledge. He is a cultural activist, but he claims no labels. He was a priest of the African Traditional Religion, a visual artist, a writer, a lecturer, a humorist, an avid reader, a teacher, a healer, and he spoke several languages. His extended family and friends knew him respectfully as Baba..." ~ Dee Robinson


"In his role as pioneer of the revival of Afrikan tradition, spirituality, and identity, Medahochi Kofi Zannu was a genius who has been responsible for the development of a perspective that has the potential of restoring dignity and integrity to Afrikans in America and worldwide and restoring our civilization and World. Medahochi was a visionary and gifted thinker." ~ Vodunsi Akinyele Umoja
MsSVig

Lamy Michel - Jules Verne - Initié et Initiateur - Le secret du trésor royal de Rennes-le-Château (French) (1 Scan OCR - 1 PDF) (Everything Else)

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French

Porte-parole d’une société secrète qui infiltra une bonne partie du monde littéraire et artistique du XXe siècle, Jules Verne a caché derrière le texte apparent des romans un message que seuls pouvaient découvrir à l’époque ceux qui étaient dans le secret : les initiés. Au-delà des aventures, au-delà des inventions, ce sont les mystères de la franc-maçonnerie et des sociétés rosicruciennes qui se dévoilent à qui sait lire et décoder l’œuvre du maître.

Ces étude minutieuse débusque les secrets de Jules Verne et offre au lecteur les moyens de continuer lui-même le décryptage, ouvrant des horizons nouveaux sur la littérature populaire, celle de George Sand, Alexandre Dumas ou, plus près de nous, Maurice Leblanc, père d’Arsène Lupin, et Gaston Leroux.

L’auteur lève également un coin important du voile sur les origines de la royauté française et sur l’intérêt qu’ont porté les Habsbourg au fabuleux trésor de Rennes-le-Château, dont le fameux Clovis Dardentor de Jules Verne recèle les clés.

TABLE DES MATIÈRES
Prologue

Première partie - Jules VERNE initié et initiateur. Une oeuvre au service de la franc-maçonnerie.

I ) Le langage codé de Jules VERNE ou la foire aux énigmes
II ) Le trésor est dans le cercle
III) Jules VERNE franc-maçon

Deuxième partie - Jules VERNE et le trésor royal de Rennes le Château

I ) Le trésor de l'abbé SAUNIERE
II ) Clovis Dardentor ou le secret de Rennes le Château
III ) Jules VERNE et les secrets de l'abbé BOUDET

Troisième partie - Jules VERNE et les secrets des Roses + Croix

I ) Jules VERNES et la Rose + Croix
II ) Jules VERNES et les secrets d'Arsène Lupin
III ) Jules VERNE et la Golden Dawn
IV ) Jules VERNE et la terre creuse

Quatrième partie - Il était un roi de Thulé

I ) Jules VERNE et les illuminés de Bavière
II ) La coupe dans le brouillard
III ) Nuit et brouillard

Cinquième partie - De sable au N d'or

I ) Les secrets du capitaine Némo
II ) Jules VERNE face à Dieu

Epilogue

Bibliographie

Biographie de l'auteur
Michel Lamy a enseigné la biologie et l'écologie à l'université de Bordeaux I de 1960 à 2000, et en a été également le vice-président de 1987 à 1995. Il consacre sa retraite à la vulgarisation scientifique et à l'écriture. Il est très impliqué dans la défense de l'environnement et est membre fondateur de la Société internationale d'écologie humaine qu'il a présidée dans les années quatre-vingt. Il est l'auteur d'une douzaine d'ouvrages consacrés à l'écologie, la biologie et l'environnement.

Michel Lamy poursuit depuis de nombreuses années des recherches sur le symbolisme, la tradition, la géographie sacrée, l''histoire « secrète » et leurs rapports avec la littérature.

English
Spokesman of a secret society that infiltrated much of the literary and artistic world of the twentieth century, Jules Verne hidden behind the apparent text message novels could only find the time to those who were in the secret: insiders. Beyond adventures beyond the inventions are the mysteries of Freemasonry and Rosicrucian societies are revealed to those who read and decode the master's work.

These detailed study uncovers the secrets of Jules Verne and provides the reader with ways to keep himself decryption, opening new horizons of popular literature, that of George Sand, Alexandre Dumas, or more recently, Maurice Leblanc, father Arsene Lupin, and Gaston Leroux.

The author also raises an important glimpse into the origins of the French monarchy and the increased interest of the Habsburgs to the fabulous treasure of Rennes-le-Chateau, including the famous Clovis Dardentor Jules Verne holds the key.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Prologue

Part - Jules VERNE initiated and initiator. A work in the service of Freemasonry.

I) The coded language of Jules Verne or fair puzzles
II) The treasure is in the circle
III) Jules Verne Mason

Part II - Jules Verne and the royal treasure of Rennes le Château

I) The Treasure of Saunière
II) Clovis Dardentor or the secret of Rennes le Château
III) Jules Verne and the secrets of the Abbe Boudet

Part III - Jules Verne and secrets Rose + Croix

I) and Jules VERNES Rose + Croix
II) Jules VERNES and secrets of Arsene Lupin
III) Jules Verne and the Golden Dawn
IV) Jules Verne and the Hollow Earth

Part Four - He was a King of Thule

I) Jules Verne and illuminated Bavaria
II) Cutting through the fog
III) Night and Fog

Part Five - Sand N Gold

I) The Secret of Captain Nemo
II) Jules Verne before God

Epilogue

Bibliography

Author Biography
Michel Lamy has taught biology and ecology at the University of Bordeaux I, 1960 to 2000, and was also the Vice-President from 1987 to 1995. He devoted his retirement to the popularization of science and writing. He is very involved in the defense of the environment and is a founding member of the International Society for Human Ecology, which he chaired in the eighties. He is the author of a dozen books on the ecology, biology and the environment.

Michel Lamy continues for many years researching the symbolism, tradition, sacred geography,'' history "secret" and their relationship with literature. MsSVig

Osamaro C. Ibie - The Complete Works of Orunmila [5 eBook - 5 PDF] (African Traditional Religion)

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The reader, whether novice or initiate will be amazed at the information contained in this never before published work. Through the sacred text of each Odu, the reader is brought into the world of the Divinity Orunmila, (the oracular divinity of wisdom), God's own witness to creation as He is called Eleri Ukpin.

There are variations in the oral scripture of Ifa that occur as you move away from the sacred city of Ile Ife. These variations come from a shared foundation of belief and are cultural variations on common themes. Benin is north of Nigeria but because colonial boundaries did not respect ancient cultures it also includes a portion of the Yoruba nation. In Benin Ifa is known as Fa. Baba C. Osamarao Ibie in his book Ifism The Complete Work of Orunmila describes good character based on the teachings of Yoruba culture as they were preserved in the ancient Kingdom of Dahomey. Baba Ibie writes that Orunmila, the prophet reincarnated on Earth with the name Omonighorogbo to teach the people of the world good character. In the Odu Ogunda Meji Ifa explains how the world was destroyed because people failed to live in alignment with Natural Law. When people returned to Earth Orunmila taught the principles of good character so the Earth would not again be destroyed. The word Omonighorogbo means child who knows the mystery of orogbo. In Ifa orogbo is used as medicine to compel a person to tell the truth. The name suggests the foundation of good character is honesty.
According to Omonighorogbo honesty is supported by selfless service to others. The desire for selfless service is rooted in love and compassion which makes it taboo to seduce another person’s spouse, to kill, lie, steal or cheat another human being. There is also recognition that love and compassion are not always reciprocated. For this reason good character includes a taboo against vengeance and retaliation. This means it is taboo to use spiritual power to harm another simply because you are disappointed, hurt or denigrated in anyway. Baba Ibie says the reason for this taboo is because Spirit always supports those who are righteous. This means that good character is the best protection against juju, hexing and spiritual intrusion. He also suggests that using spiritual power to harm another is always self destructive.
According to the teachings of Omonighorogbo the two most important qualities for developing good character are perseverance and patience. Perseverance is based on the notion we live in a just Universe. This means there is no need to avenge wrongs done to us by others. Ifa says the price of diminishing the soul of another is the loss of your own soul. Ifa is first and foremost a tradition that supports spiritual growth within the context of family. In order to grow spiritually a family needs to be protected and secure in the world. Omoonighorogbo taught we can only protect our children if we do not attempt to take the laws of Nature into our own hands. This means if we live in alignment with Nature, Spirit will protect us. We loose this veil of protection once we engage in acts of retaliation and vengeance. Ifa teaches the idea of consulting the oracle if you believe others wish you harm. If the other person is in the wrong and acting from bad character their own guilt will render their plot ineffective. Sometimes divination will indicate rituals that will neutralize the harm others are planning. Orunmila says beyond this we must not go because digging the grave of your enemy is the same as digging your own grave. The prayer for protection is a pray that those who wish me evil will not succeed. In simple terms life is good and Spirit supports the development of good character. Evil intentions are human intentions and in the struggle between Spirit and humans Spirit always wins. This can be a hard belief to embrace when we see so much greed, violence, death and destruction in the world. The short view makes the taboo against vengeance difficult to accept which is why Omonighorogbo teaches perseverance. The long view is that justice prevails, even if we need to wait over several lifetimes to see justice manifest. Spirit always has the long view which is why divination or communication with Spirit is the source of our vision of the proper resolution of conflict.
Baba Ibie identities patience is a key ingredient in the Ifa concept of good character. He says when the prophet Orunmila is walking in the forest and a tree falls he waits for it to rot away before moving forward. In simple terms this means human actions should be well considered and temperate. Hasty decisions are often made in anger and anger clouds logic. This is the reason Ifa places value on what is called ori tutu meaning a cool head. The reason for patience is to avoid the embarrassment of doing what we have accepted as taboo. Ifa is a spiritual tradition that teaches by example and to insure we are mentoring good character it is important to avoid impulsive behavior. The need for patience is rooted in the distinction between the ori and the ori inu. The ori is the face we present to the world; the ori inu is usually described as being in either the chest or the stomach. The ori inu is the inner emotional self that guides our actions. If we only respond to the ori inu when it is ori tutu we avoid the risk of anger causing inappropriate action.
Baba Ibie makes it clear in his book on Odu Ifa that the traditional Yoruba concept of good character is rooted in the Ifa concept of good and evil. Baba Ibie explains that the word Omonighorogo is both a praise name for the prophet Orunmila and a word used to describe anyone who comes to Earth with a destiny to be of service to others. The good works of Orunmila caused such hostility and envy among people who wanted to benefit from chaos, cheating and confusion. The reason for this is that a person who acts from a place of greed cannot imagine someone who acts from a place of benevolence. The problem is compounded by the fact that those who act from a place of greed can appear to be prosperous. This in turn causes those who are confused to believe there is inherent virtue in prosperity no matter how it is gained. Orunmila responded by saying prosperity is contentment with that which we accomplish in the world. Without contentment no amount of wealth brings inner peace and the quest for wealth becomes an insatiable search.
In English the word evil is live spelled backwards. This is interesting play on words because it reflects an ancient metaphysical believe. Live supports development and growth, evil restricts development and growth. In pre Christian spiritual traditions throughout the world good and evil represent a polarity rooted in human choice and not a primal source of negativity that stands in eternal opposition to Creation.
In Yoruba consciousness that moves towards development and growth is called ori ire, meaning consciousness that creates good fortune. The opposite of ori ire is ori buruku meaning consciousness that brings death and destruction. There is nothing in the break down of the word ori buruku that suggests it is some negative force that exits outside the boundaries of human choice.
To further analyze the linguistics the forces of death and destruction created by ori buruku are called ajogun from the elision ajo ogun meaning medicine of the unexpected. This suggests that negativity is the result of self destructive choices in conjunction with random events leading to unexpected negative consequences. The unexpected negative consequences tend to support the idea that negativity has a Primal Source which works to reinforce the idea that Elenini exist as an Immortal influence outside individual human consciousness. If we consider the idea that every fraction of the universe is a mirror of the whole, then we can conclude that consciousness is shaped by the 256 spiritual patterns Ifa calls Odu. The consequence of this conclusion is that human life is grounded in the idea of choice and that every moment presents us with the option of choosing ori ire or ori buruku. The choices we make influences our destiny in that in every moment we are either moving towards alignment with good character or behaving in resistance to the express of our essential nature. Because we have this choice we are responsible for creating our consensus reality. We can choose to live or we can choose to be evil. The choice is always ours and ours alone.
Ifa teaches that embracing ori ire coupled with patience brings a blessing of abundance, healthy extended family and good health. As we nurture our inner essence we strengthen the link between ori inu, our inner self and iponri our higher self. As this link becomes stronger we gain access to altered states of consciousness. These altered states of consciousness are designed to give us a glimpse of Creation that reveals our essential nature making the ability to embrace good character progressively easier. As this process unfolds we are occasionally given a glimpse of the big picture, a glimpse of our connection to Source and in Yoruba this connection is called Lailai. MsSVig

Giulio Magli - Mysteries and Discoveries of Archaeoastronomy: From Giza to Easter Island ( 1 Scan - 1 PDF) (Everything Else)

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This complete, authoritative study of the growing discipline of Archaeoastronomy examines the role of astronomy in antiquity. Professor Giulio Magli provides a clear, up-to-date survey of current thinking on the motives of the ancients for building fabulous and mysterious monuments all over our planet. Was it an attempt to reproduce the sky on Earth, to bring down the power of the stars to where they could see it, worship it and use it? The connecting thread is astronomy: Giulio Magli uses astronomy as a key to understanding our ancestors’ way of thinking. It is a challenge he likes to call ‘predicting the past’ - archaeology as a science is able to make predictions, like any other science, and to check them.

All of the astronomical achievements of the past are considered as a whole, in a comprehensive way that shows the depth and breadth of the thought behind them. In the past, the motives of the ancients – and particularly their scientific thought – have often been misconstrued, maligned or even dismissed. In an ironic, provocative style, Professor Magli shows the limitations of orthodox archaeology in the face of astronomically-based artefacts and tries to understand what led the ancients to construct magnificent buildings such as the city of Teotihuacan in the Mexico Valley, the Ceremonial Centre of Chaco Canyon in the USA, the Avebury stone circle in Great Britain or the Great Pyramids in Egypt.

The book is divided into two parts. In the first, the reader is taken on an ideal ‘world tour’ of many wonderful and enigmatic places in almost every continent, in search of traces of astronomical knowledge and lore of the sky. In the second part, Giulio Magli uses the elements presented in the tour to show that the fundamental idea which led to the construction of the astronomically-related giant monuments was the foundation of power, a foundation which was exploited by ‘replicating’ the sky. A possible interpretive model then emerges that is founded on the relationship the ancients had with “nature”, in the sense of everything that surrounded them, the cosmos. The numerous monumental astronomically aligned structures of the past then become interpretable as acts of will, expressions of power on the part of those who held it; the will to replicate the heavenly plane here on earth and to build sacred landscapes.

Finally, having formulated his hypothesis, Professor Magli returns to visit one specific place in detail, searching for proof. This in-depth examination studies the most compelling, the most intensively studied, the most famous and, until recently, the most misunderstood sacred landscape on the planet - Giza, in Egypt. The archaeoastronomical analysis of the orientation of the Giza pyramids leads to the hypothesis that the pyramids of Cheops and Chephren belong to the same construction project. MsSVig

Stephan Feuchtwang - Popular Religion in China: The Imperial Metaphor [1 (Everything Else)

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Paperback: 283 pages
Publisher: Routledge; 2nd Revised edition edition (March 11, 2001)

The institution of local festivals and temples is not as well known as that of ancestor worship, but it is just as much a universal fact of Chinese life. Its content is an imperial metaphor, which stands in relation to the rest of its participants' lives as the poetry of collective vision, theatrically performed, built and painted in temples, carved and clothed in statues. Stephan Feuchtwang has brought together unpublished as well as published results of his own and other anthropologists' fieldwork in the People's Republic of China and Taiwan and put them into an historical, political and theoretical context.

Students of anthropology will be intrigued. This is not a religion of a Book. Nor is it one of the named religions of China. Popular religion includes some elements of both Buddhism and the former imperial cults, more of Daoism, but it is identifiable with none of them. It is popular in the sense of being local and true of the China of the Han, or Chinese-speaking people, where every place had or has its local cults and the festivals peculiar to them. Its rites, in particular offerings of incense and fire, suggest a concept of religion. It is quite different from theories of religion based on doctrine and belief.

Contents
Preface v
Acknowledgements x
1 History, identification and belief 1
2 The annual apocalypse 27
3 Official and local cults 63
4 Local festivals and their cults 95
5 The incense-burner: communication and deference 133
6 Daoism and its clients 159
7 Ang Gong, or the truth of puppets 191
8 The politics of religion and political ritual 211
Notes 247
References 255
Glossary 265
Index 275

_____________________

Please join GB for Complete Perfection Daoist texts translated into English for the first time by Louis Komjathy (Ph.D in Religious Studies and an ordained Daoist priest):  
https://theoccult.bz/forums.php?action=viewtopic&topicid...

MsSVig

Daniel L. Overmyer - Local Religion in North China in the Twentieth Century [1 eBook - PDF] (Everything Else)

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Daniel L. Overmyer - Local Religion in North China in the Twentieth Century.
The Structure and Organization of Community Rituals and Beliefs
(Handbook of Oriental Studies)

Publisher: BRILL (September 30, 2009)
219 pages

This book is a comprehensive survey of the structure, organization and institutionalization of local community religious traditions in north China villages in the twentieth century. These traditions have their own forms of leaders, deities and beliefs. Despite much local variation one everywhere finds similar temples, images, offerings and temple festivals, all supported by practical concerns for divine aid to deal with the problems of everyday life. These local traditions are a structure in the history of Chinese religions; they have a clear sense of their own integrity and rules, handed down by their ancestors. There are Daoist, Buddhist and government influences on these traditions, but they must be adapted to the needs of local communities. It is the villagers who build temples and organize festivals, in which all members of the community are expected to participate and contribute. With chapters on such topics as historical origins and development, leadership and organization, temple festivals, temples and deities, and beliefs and values.

CONTENTS
Foreword .............................................................................................. ix
Preface .................................................................................................. xiii
Introduction: Themes and Contexts ................................................ 1
I. Rain Rituals ................................................................................ 18
II. History and Government ......................................................... 32
III. Leadership and Organization .................................................. 53
IV. Temple Festivals ........................................................................ 93
V. Gods and Temples ..................................................................... 123
VI. Beliefs and Values ...................................................................... 149
VII. Concluding and Comparative Comments ............................ 175
Bibliography ......................................................................................... 188
Glossary of Chinese Terms and Names .......................................... 197
Index ..................................................................................................217
_________________________

Please join GB for Complete Perfection Daoist texts translated into English for the first time by Louis Komjathy (Ph.D in Religious Studies and an ordained Daoist priest):  
https://theoccult.bz/forums.php?action=viewtopic&topicid...


MsSVig

Dakpo Tashi Namgyal - Mahamudra The Moonlight [1 Ebook - 1 PDF, 1 Mobi] (Buddhism )

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Synopsis:
New edition. A vast and profound presentation of the theory and practice of mahamudra meditation, still used as the primary source for instructing practitioners today.

In Tibetan this classic work is known as the Moonlight (or Moonbeams of Mahamudra) and it is one of the treasures of the Kagyu tradition. The first part of the text contains the principles and practices of tranquility and insight meditation, or vipassana, according to the Hinayana and Mahayana perspective. The second part contains the more advanced meditational system according to Mahayana, followed by the higher system of Mahamudra.

"Mahamudra: The Moonlight represents the advanced doctrine and practice as understood and realized by the Kagyupa order of Tibetan Buddhism. The original Tibetan title reads literally as "The Perfect Description of Moonlight that Illuminates the Stages of Ultimate Mahahudra, the Great Seal." The term, Great Seal (Mahamudra) contains many different meanings. Here it stands for the ultimate nature of mind and reality. Just as the royal seal wields unchallengeable authority, so the all-encompassing voidness of the ultimate reality prevails upon cosmic phenomena. It also stands for the path of self-realization, which integrates view, contemplation, and action into one perfect insight. This extraordinary treatise provides not only a wealth of knowledge but also methods for realizing enlightenment. This great Tibetan classic, which is widely recognized as an outstanding original work, reveals profound wisdom." Lobsang P.Llalungpa. MsSVig

Angela Hope Murray - Ayurveda For Dummies [1 eBook - PDF] (Yoga / Tantra)

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From the Back Cover
Learn to:
 * Rebalance your mind, body and spirit using Ayurveda
 * Develop a balanced diet based on your body type, or dosha
 * Optimise your health by exercising to suit your body type
 * Stretch your body with yoga
Bring your mind, body and spirit into perfect harmony – the natural way!

Bequeathed to us by the Rishi holy men who lived in the Indus Valley more than five thousand years ago, Ayurveda is a holistic approach to disease prevention and treatment. Recognising that each of us is unique, it aims to achieve and maintain optimal health and vitality through finding the right combination of diet, exercise, massage, yoga and herbal remedies for each body type. Written by a registered Ayurvedic practitioner, this is a thoroughly modern introduction to maintaining a happy, healthy and long life the Ayurvedic way.
 * Discover your body type – use questionnaires, checklists and other tools to identify your body type and general state of health
 * Optimise your systems – get your respiratory, digestive, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems working at peak performance – and get great skin and hair
 * Beat illness – treat common ailments, as well as major diseases, including everything from congestion and IBS to arthritis and diabetes
 * Eat for balance – develop a system-balancing diet tailored to your body type and general state of health
 * Just do it! – optimise your health with various exercise routines adjusted to your unique body type, age and ability
 * Live in harmony – relieve stress, beat depression and find inner peace using yoga, meditation, breathing exercises and more
Open the book and find:
 * The fascinating 5,000-year story of Ayurveda
 * How to identify your body type
 * The causes of illnesses and how to detect them
 * Easy exercises for achieving mind/body balance
 * The right diet for every body type and every season
 * How to manage illnesses with diet, lifestyle changes and herbs
 * Techniques for reducing stress and finding inner peace
About the Author
Angela Hope-Murray, MSc (Ayur) MA, BSc (Ost), has been a practitioner of complementary medicine for over 30 years. She trained extensively in Ayurvedic Medicine in Britain, the US, Germany and India, becoming a registered Ayurvedic Practitioner in 2001. Angela is a member of the Health Professions Council, and is currently based at The Hale Clinic in London. MsSVig

Christopher Penczak - The Temple of High Witchcraft: Ceremonies, Spheres and The Witches' Qabalah (1 eBook - 1 EPUB) (Ritual Magic)

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"This is foremost an engaging textbook designed for home schooling the advancing witch, and it is encyclopedic in its rituals, charts, and even homework assignments." —Publishers Weekly

Take your spiritual evolution to the next level by mastering the essentials of ceremonial magick. In this much-anticipated fourth volume in Christopher Penczak's award-winning series on witchcraft, he introduces the concepts of the Qabalah and the rituals of high magick, and explores the deeply interwoven relationship between these traditions and the Craft.

The teachings in this book correspond to the element of Air, guiding you into the realm of creative and critical thinking, communication, knowledge, and truth. Four preliminary chapters introduce the basic concepts, history, and skills you will need for your journey. Next, twelve formal lessons, in the witches' traditional year-and-a-day format, provide instruction in the fundamentals of ceremonial magic:

·The Qabalah
·The Tree of Life
·Symbol and sigil magick
·Elemental constructs
·Qabalistic Cross
·The four worlds and their correspondences
·Middle Pillar
·Pathworking
·The Ritual of the Rosy Cross
·Invoking and banishing rituals
·Fluid condensers
·Barbarous words of power, magickal constructs, and the Goetia

The book's thirteenth lesson culminates in a ritual initiation fusing the traditions of witchcraft and high magick—the creation of your own Reality Map. The cosmology you create will be based on your own spiritual experiences as well as the philosophies and practices of ceremonial magick. MsSVig

National Geographic - Bones of the Buddha (2013) (1 DVD - 1 MP4) (Buddhism )

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Do the jewels, bones and ashes found in an Indian tomb in 1898 mark the final resting place of the Buddha himself, or was it all an elaborate hoax? When Colonial estate manager, William Peppe, set his workers digging at a mysterious hill in Northern India in 1898, he had no idea what they’d find. Over twenty feet down, they made an amazing discovery: a huge stone coffer, containing some reliquary urns, over 1000 separate jewels and some ash and bone. One of the jars had an inscription that seemed to say that these were the remains of the Buddha himself. This seemed to be a most extraordinary find in Indian archaeology. But doubt and scandal have hung over this amazing find for over 100 years. For some, the whole thing is an elaborate hoax. For others, it is no less than the final resting place of the messiah of one of the world’s great religions. For the doubters, suspicion focuses on a key figure from the time, disgraced German archaeologist Dr. Anton Fuhrer. Renowned historian of India, Charles Allen, sets out to solve this extraordinary mystery once and for all. MsSVig

Baird T. Spalding - Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East (1924-1955), [5 Volumes] [5 eBook - 5 PDF] (Buddhism )

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Quote:


FORWARD (Vol 1):

In presenting THE LIFE AND TEACHING OF THE MASTERS OF THE FAR EAST, I wish to state that I was one of a research party of eleven persons that visited the Far East in 1894.

During our stay—three and a half years—we contacted the Great Masters of the Himalayas, who aided us in the translation of the records, which was of great assistance in our research work. They permitted us to enter into their lives intimately and we were thus able to see the actual working of the great Law as demonstrated by them. We call them Masters, which is merely our name for them. One living the life described herein is entitled to reverence and consideration as a Master.

Records and manuscripts—our actual experience with the Masters—were preserved. Personally, at that time, I thought the world was not ready for this message. I was an independent member of the research party and I am now publishing my notes under the title LIFE AND TEACHING OF THE MASTERS OF THE FAR EAST, with the thought that the reader may accept or reject, as he wishes.

This book, which will be followed by others of the Sun series, gives the first year's experience of the expedition in relation to the Masters. It includes their teaching, which was taken by us stenographically at the time, with their permission and approved by them.

The Masters accept that Buddha represents the Way to Enlightenment, but they clearly set forth that Christ IS Enlightenment, or a state of consciousness for which we are all seeking—the Christ light of every individual; therefore, the light of every child that is born into the world.



Baird T. Spalding - Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East (1924-1955), [5 Volumes]

Quote:


From http://www.bairdtspalding.org/frequently-asked-questions-abo...

Who was Baird T Spalding?

Baird Thomas Spalding is the nom de plume of Bayard Spaulding*, an American writer born in 1872 in Cohocton, New York. Spalding self-published Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East in 1924 which told of a fantastic research expedition to India and Tibet in the 1890′s that witnessed masters who could perform miraculous feats, imparting simple spiritual truths in a format which appealed to Western audiences.

Spalding’s first book was republished by DeVorss & Co and became a runaway hit, selling many thousands of copies and leading Spalding on lecture tours across America. Spalding continue to write three more volumes of Life and Teaching, and led a small group of followers to India in 1935. He died in 1953 in Arizona at the age of 80.


Quote:

Are the books fiction or non-fiction? Did Spalding actually go to India in 1894?

Many readers are disappointed when they learn that Spalding did not go to India in 1894, and there was no research expedition as described in Life and Teaching. Spalding was only 22 years old in 1894, and he spent most of the 1890′s in the Yukon mining for gold. Spalding’s first visit to India was in 1935 at the behest of his publisher, after the release of Life and Teaching Volume 3.

Presenting fictional material of a spiritual nature in the style of scientific expeditions to distant lands and discoveries of rare documents was a popular genre around the turn of the century (see Nicholas Notovitch and Edmund Bordeaux Szekely for similar examples). Life and Teaching is a work of fiction in the genre of magical autobiography.

Spalding was a fascinating man who freely mixed fact and fiction in his life, telling stories that varied from one telling to the next. Many of the incredible stories surrounding Spalding were told in a way that helped people to comprehend the spiritual content of his books.




MsSVig
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