Collection: Spirituality & Religion

This biography of Robert Sayers Sheffey weaves the story of a unique--in the true meaning of the word--man, the details of whose life entitle him to the mythical position he holds even today among the people of a part of the South, where, so many years ago, he traveled the circuits of Virginia, West Virginia, and into the fringes of other states as an itinerant preacher.

Born in 1820, raised in Virginia, and having spent a part of his early youth in the home of a wealthy Presbyterian uncle and aunt, there was little in his early background to explain Robert Sheffey's call to the Methodist ministry, his unusual conversion, and, against all odds, the eventual acceptance of his unorthodoxy by the hierarchy of his adopted church, and, ultimately, the adoration of an army of followers who came to believe him to be a Divine.

Here are documented his extraordinary gifts of exhortation, the depths of his caring about every single soul in the widespread territory he rode--on a brutally rigorous, self-imposed schedule--as well as the unexplainable psyche and prophetic talents that truly earned him the title "Saint of the Wilderness."

Mr. Carr's book tells, in detail, of this physically frail, yet incredibly strong man (whose life spanned eighty-two years) and the demons with which he had to wrestle, his personal deprivations and sorrows and triumphs, the beauty of his love for all living things, and the unshakability of his faith and prayer petitions.

The Saint of the Wilderness is the authentic, thoroughly researched life of a figure still revered, still talked about throughout the South, and not rarely, in other parts of the world. But such a life example knows no bounds: such love and faith is universal in its appeal to the whole of mankind.

This beautiful little book is a brilliant reference guide for herbal remedies and ingredients.

Edward Bach believes that we develop illnesses due to our fears and worries and that we may heal ourselves using natural treatments and wildflower cures. This classic guide presents simple herbal remedies that are designed to care for a range of ailments from indecision and loneliness to hay fever.

This wonderful volume's contents include:

- For Fear

- For Uncertainty

- For Insufficient Interest in Present Circumstances

- For Loneliness

- For Those Over-Sensitive to Influences and Ideas

- For Despondency or Despair

- For Over-Care for Welfare of Others

Through experiments to try and places to visit, as well as a historical exploration of magic and interviews with leading magicians, Philip Carr-Gomm and Richard Heygate's The Book of English Magic will introduce you to the extraordinary world that lies beneath the surface.

Magic runs through the veins of English history, part of daily life from the earliest Arthurian legends to Aleister Crowley to the novels of Tolkien and Philip Pullman, and from the Druids to Freemasonry and beyond.

Richly illustrated and deeply knowledgeable, this book is an invaluable source for anyone curious about magic and wizardry or for sophisticated practitioners wanting to learn more.

"This book is never less than gripping . . . the otherworld beckons." --Daily Mail

A follow up to Pico Iyer's essay "The Joy of Quiet," The Art of Stillness considers the unexpected adventure of staying put and reveals a counterintuitive truth: The more ways we have to connect, the more we seem desperate to unplug.

Why might a lifelong traveler like Pico Iyer, who has journeyed from Easter Island to Ethiopia, Cuba to Kathmandu, think that sitting quietly in a room might be the ultimate adventure? Because in our madly accelerating world, our lives are crowded, chaotic and noisy. There's never been a greater need to slow down, tune out and give ourselves permission to be still.

In The Art of Stillness--a TED Books release--Iyer investigate the lives of people who have made a life seeking stillness: from Matthieu Ricard, a Frenchman with a PhD in molecular biology who left a promising scientific career to become a Tibetan monk, to revered singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, who traded the pleasures of the senses for several years of living the near-silent life of meditation as a Zen monk. Iyer also draws on his own experiences as a travel writer to explore why advances in technology are making us more likely to retreat. He reflects that this is perhaps the reason why many people--even those with no religious commitment--seem to be turning to yoga, or meditation, or seeking silent retreats. These aren't New Age fads so much as ways to rediscover the wisdom of an earlier age. Growing trends like observing an "Internet Sabbath"--turning off online connections from Friday night to Monday morning--highlight how increasingly desperate many of us are to unplug and bring stillness into our lives.

The Art of Stillness paints a picture of why so many--from Marcel Proust to Mahatma Gandhi to Emily Dickinson--have found richness in stillness. Ultimately, Iyer shows that, in this age of constant movement and connectedness, perhaps staying in one place is a more exciting prospect, and a greater necessity than ever before.

In 2013, Pico Iyer gave a blockbuster TED Talk. This lyrical and inspiring book expands on a new idea, offering a way forward for all those feeling affected by the frenetic pace of our modern world.

A divination tool to connect with guides from the Egyptian pantheon

- A 35-card deck with original artwork by award-winning illustrator Kris Waldherr

- Guidebook includes detailed card interpretations and 8 divinatory spreads

- By the authors of Shamanic Mysteries of Egypt: Awakening the Healing Power of the Heart

The Anubis Oracle is a shamanic guide to inner Egypt, a place of mystery, ancestral wisdom, and abiding love that resides within each of us. It is a place where the neteru--the archetypal deities and elemental spirits from the Egyptian pantheon--lead us on our journey of transformation, a journey designed to open our hearts and teach us the inner workings of the soul.

The full-color deck contains a Key Card, a card for each of the 22 deities and 4 elements, and 8 composite cards that portray several deities together. These composites represent 8 major portals of initiation and complex archetypal relationships. The accompanying book provides detailed interpretations for each card and instructions for 8 divinatory spreads that include entering into the mystery, achieving higher love and wisdom, and identifying our sacred purpose. By divining with the neteru, the shaman within awakens. This allows the neteru to reveal the answers we seek in our personal lives and in our interactions with the world by connecting us with the wisdom, guidance, and shamanic mysteries of Egypt that live within us.

In 1904, a little-known Englishman named James Allen wrote a small book called As a Man Thinketh. A hundred years later, this book has become a self-empowerment classic. New World Library author and publisher Marc Allen updated this timeless gem, recasting obsolete language and polishing the author's message to highlight the universal principles of the original. James Allen's message has now reached a whole new generation of readers with As You Think. Great truths are simple and easy to express, and James Allen's insights into self-empowerment are just that: Personal power lies within the mind. Once awakened, there are no limits to what one can imagine and then achieve with the power of thought. The author shares deep insights into the essential relationship of a person's thoughts to personal character, life circumstances, physical health, life purpose, achievement, and personal serenity. As You Think is a simple yet powerful reminder that "all we achieve and all that we fail to achieve is the direct result of our own thoughts." We are the masters of our destinies.

The Babylonian and Assyrian Legends Concerning the Creation of the World and of Mankind. The Enuma Elish is one of the oldest stories known to mankind. It is a story first written down by the ancient Sumerians thousands of years ago. As a one time assistant in the Department of Egyptian and Assyrian Antiquities at the British Museum, L.W. King provides us with a qualified translation of the tablets which were originally written in cuneiform script. The Enuma Elish is receiving renewed interest from modern researchers delving into the origins of mankind, the earth, and the solar system. Over the centuries a copy ended up in the library at Nineveh in the 7th century B.C., and was uncovered by archaeologists in the late 1800s. Written in cuneiform text and preserved on seven clay tablets, the entire story was called "The Seven Tablets of Creation". After being translated the story revealed how the planets became aligned, how a cosmic catastrophe affected the earth, how mankind came upon the scene, and how the "gods" played a role in all of it. The Seven Tablets of Creation have had many profound implications since they were first discovered and subsequently published. They predate many parts of the Book of Genesis as well as other worldwide creation myths. Volume One includes this epic poem's English translation. It also includes information on parallels in Hebrew literature, the date and origin of the Babylonian creation legends, and more. Volume Two includes other accounts of creation, an Assyrian "Tower of Dabel" story, and supplementary texts showing the actual cuneiform tablets.

"Joan Halifax is a clearheaded and fearless traveler and in this book...she offers us a map of how to travel courageously and fruitfully, for our own benefit and the benefit of all beings." --From the foreword by Rebecca Solnit

Standing at the Edge is an evocative examination of how we can respond to suffering, live our fullest lives, and remain open to the full spectrum of our human experience.

Joan Halifax has enriched thousands of lives around the world through her work as a humanitarian, a social activist, an anthropologist, and as a Buddhist teacher. Over many decades, she has also collaborated with neuroscientists, clinicians, and psychologists to understand how contemplative practice can be a vehicle for social transformation. Through her unusual background, she developed an understanding of how our greatest challenges can become the most valuable source of our wisdom--and how we can transform our experience of suffering into the power of compassion for the benefit of others.

Halifax has identified five psychological territories she calls Edge States--altruism, empathy, integrity, respect, and engagement--that epitomize strength of character. Yet each of these states can also be the cause of personal and social suffering. In this way, these five psychological experiences form edges, and it is only when we stand at these edges that we become open to the full range of our human experience and discover who we really are.

Recounting the experiences of caregivers, activists, humanitarians, politicians, parents, and teachers, incorporating the wisdom of Zen traditions and mindfulness practices, and rooted in Halifax's groundbreaking research on compassion, Standing at the Edge is destined to become a contemporary classic. A powerful guide on how to find the freedom we seek for others and ourselves, it is a book that will serve us all.

Pronounced "hoo-gah," the Danish term hygge basically means coziness and celebrates the things that bring pleasure and joy. These 31 soothing illustrations bring the concept home with relaxing images of a glowing fire, a warm family dinner, quiet reading time, and more. Pages are perforated and printed on one side only for easy removal and display. Specially designed for experienced colorists, Happy Home and other Creative Haven(R) adult coloring books offer an escape to a world of inspiration and artistic fulfillment. Each title is also an effective and fun-filled way to relax and reduce stress.

Convincing evidence that the Egyptian, Sumerian, and Dogon civilizations were founded by aliens from the Sirius star system who are now ready to return

- Updated with 140 pages of new scientific evidence that solidifies the hypothesis that the KGB, CIA, and NASA attempted to suppress

- An awe-inspiring work of research that calls for a profound reappraisal of our role in the universe

- Over 10,000 copies sold in its first two months of release in Britain

Publication of The Sirius Mystery in 1976 set the world abuzz with talk of an extraterrestrial origin to human civilization and triggered a 15-year persecution campaign against Robert Temple by the KGB, CIA, NASA, and other government agencies. Undaunted, however, Temple is back, with 140 pages of new scientific evidence that makes his hypothesis more compelling than ever.

Many authors have speculated on the subject of extraterrestrial contact, but never before has such detailed evidence been presented. Temple applies his in-depth knowledge of ancient history, mythology, Pythagorean physics, chaos theory, and Greek, to a close examination of the measurements of the Great Pyramid of Giza, which was built to align directly with the star Sirius. He concludes that the alien civilization of Sirius and our own civilization are part of the same harmonic system, and are destined to function and resonate together. His findings warrant a profound reappraisal of our role in the universe.

In the years since leaving local church ministry, I've devoted an enormous amount of time and resources to examining the church's often troubled witness, its ongoing crisis of leadership, and the epidemic of narcissism, abuse, and cover-up that has continued to emerge year after year. This book is about my journey both before and undergirding that work--the shattering of dreams and the grace that restored a broken faith in the aftermath. It's a story about grace leading me home when I thought all was lost.

Taken together, my encounters with Peter, Elijah, and Jesus connected to indelible images from my time in Israel and formed a new spiritual landscape in my mind, one with enough gravity to draw my feet back to solid ground. My hope is that as I tell this story you might find echoes of your own. I pray if you're in the wilderness, you might find that though the territory is a mystery, you are far from alone. Most of all, I pray that you rediscover that Jesus is chasing you like a lover . . . right through heaven's gates.

The Paradise of the Fathers is the classic compilation of the lives and teachings of the early monastic saints. It has been said that for a monastic to achieve perfection there are only two books needed: the Bible and the Paradise of the Fathers. This volume is translated from a Syriac manuscript discovered in 1888 by Dr. Ernest A. Wallis Budge.This is a revised and edited edition Volume II: Contains the Sayings of the Fathers and Questions and Answers about the monastic life.

This irreverent guide to chaos magic emphasizes experimentation and finding out what works best for you. Andrieh Vitimus presents a revolutionary hands-on course of study for the average Jane or Joe. Vitimus banishes the severe tone of other esoteric orders, offering an accessible and practical approach that makes it easier to perform successful chaos magic that is uniquely your own.

Praise:
"Andrieh Vitimus is the real deal...honest-to-gods, in-your-face magic. Hands-On Chaos Magic is just what it says, and the next best thing to working with the master himself."--Lon Milo DuQuette, author of The Magick of Aleister Crowley, Homemade Magick, and Low Magick

"A must-have for any magician."-- Taylor Ellwood, author of Multi-Media Magic

"Written with intelligence, experience, and a genuine desire to empower readers."--Raven Digitalis, author of Shadow Magick Compendium

"A usable introduction to the concepts and practical techniques of chaos magic."--Donald Michael Kraig, author of Modern Magick

"A well-considered and thorough contribution to the chaos magic current."--Dave Lee, author of Chaotopia

Hoodoo is a bold spiritual tradition that helps enhance your wellbeing and solve everyday problems. This practical, do-it-yourself guide shows you how to use spells, rites, recipes, mojos, and curios to enrich your life and be ready for whatever comes your way.

365 Days of Hoodoo starts by providing the basics of Hoodoo, and then gradually builds your knowledge day after day. You'll discover the essential components for your practice, how to master the parts of your life that seem out of control, and the various ways Hoodoo can improve love, prosperity, protection, and much more. This impressive book also features lore, prayers, potions, altars, baths, and meditations.

Turning our conventional understanding of power on its head, world-renowned Zen master, spiritual leader, and national bestselling author Thich Nhat Hanh reveals how true power comes from within. What we seek, we already have.