First written by Marcel Mauss and Henri Humbert in 1902, A General Theory of Magic gained a wide new readership when republished by Mauss in 1950. As a study of magic in 'primitive' societies and its survival today in our thoughts and social actions, it represents what Claude Lévi-Strauss called, in an introduction to that edition, the astonishing modernity of the mind of one of the century's greatest thinkers. The book offers a fascinating snapshot of magic throughout various cul...

In this, his most famous work, Marcel Mauss presented to the world a book which revolutionized our understanding of some of the basic structures of society. By identifying the complex web of exchange and obligation involved in the act of giving, Mauss called into question many of our social conventions and economic systems. In a world rife with runaway consumption, The Gift continues to excite and challenge.

Scan down a list of essential works in any introduction to anthropology course and you are likely to see Marcel Mauss’ masterpiece, The Gift. With this new translation, Mauss’ classic essay is returned to its original context, published alongside the works that framed its first publication in the 1923–24 issue of L’Année Sociologique. With a critical foreword by Bill Maurer and a new introduction by translator Jane Guyer, this expanded edition is certain to become the sta...

This book will explain what Modern Paganism is and why it is a real religion and an important spiritual path for the Postmodern world. It will dispel many of the misconceptions and misunderstandings about Paganism and will describe some very simple practices that anyone can do to begin living a Pagan lifestyle.

The author of Buddhism Without Beliefs bridges the gap between Western and Eastern philosophy with this humanist approach to Buddhism.This uniquely contemporary guide to understanding the timeless message of Buddhism, and in particular its relevance in actual human relations, was inspired by Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way Of Life, which the author translated into English, the oral instructions of living Buddhist masters, Heidegger's c...

This follow-up to the classic Futhark breaks new ground by applying current scientific theories on how magic works in traditional societies to the world of practical magic. ALU, An Advanced Guide to Operative Runology contains completely new and fresh descriptions of all the individual runes based on traditional sources, rune-poems, Old Norse literature, and more.Thorsson one of the most respected runic scholars living today, synthesizes the old and the new, the scholarly and the practical...

India has a long, rich, and diverse tradition of philosophical thought, spanning some two and a half millennia and encompassing several major religious traditions. This Very Short Introduction emphasizes the diversity of Indian thought, and is structured around six schools which have achieved classic status. Sue Hamilton explores how the traditions have attempted to understand the nature of reality in terms of an inner or spiritual quest, and introduces distinctively Indian concepts such a...

A collection of some of Jung’s most important essays on the archetypes and the collective unconsciousThe Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious features many of Jung’s most important essays describing and elaborating on these two central, related concepts. The contents are:Archetypes of the Collective Unconscious (1934)The Concept of the Collective Unconscious (1936)Concerning the Archetypes, with Special Reference to t...

Even in pagan antiquity, there were those who, while participating in the community’s religious life, did not believe in literal gods. In the centuries that followed the Christian domination of the West, the epithet “godless pagan” was leveled at a wide variety of people. In the 1960s, there emerged a community of people who sought to reclaim the name “pagan” from its history of opprobrium. These Neo-Pagans were interested in nature spirituality and polytheism, and identified with the misu...

Written for people who want to explore numbers, Johann Heyss brings together the symbology of number and the tarot so you can work with the energy in your name. Students of magic will find this a great introduction, for all magical practice is based on the meaning of number. Here he discusses the prime numbers 0-9 and explains the nuances in numbers 1-100, how they are broken down, and how you can easily read important phases in your life. He uses John Lennon's numerological chart as an ex...

Gnostic Tarot presents an exciting new path for people who want to use the tarot as a guide for spiritual development. Lee Irwin synthesizes the more traditional forms of interpretation with a new esoteric method based on the contemporary theories of Hermetic and Gnostic spirituality. He has developed ten Mandalas (akin to tarot spreads) for you to use as meditative structures for contemplating the interconnection between the natural elements and consciousness as reflected by the ...

This highly innovative work presents a piercing interpretation of the tarot in terms of Jungian psychology. Through analogies to the humanities, mythology, and the graphic arts, the significance of the cards is related to personal growth and what Jung termed "individuation." The Major Arcana becomes a map of life, and the hero's journey becomes something that each individual can relate to one's personal life."Sallie Nichols, in her profound investigation of the Tarot has performed ...