Avalonia Books

The Morrígan ~ Introducing Her Guises

2012-01-17T21:24:00.001Z

This is the first in a series of blogs drawing on the first book published by Avalonia back in 2005, The Guises of the Morrigan by David Rankine & Sorita d'Este. For those readers unfamiliar her, we decided to introduce this powerful Goddess by reproducing the Authors' Introduction from the book here in full. This is from the 2005 print edition:

INTRODUCTION

The Morrígan is probably the most powerful yet mysterious figure amongst the Celtic Gods. The popular image of the Morrígan is as the Goddess of Battle and Sex, a perception that only scratches the surface of this complex and manifold Goddess.

From Bestower of Sovereignty to Earth Goddess, from Lady of the Beasts to Faery Queen, from Lover to Witch Goddess, the Morrígan stands out as one of the pre-eminent Celtic Goddesses. More than any other Celtic deity the Morrígan embodies the resurgence of the divine feminine, appearing in a wide variety of guises to express the full spectrum of feminine power.

The strength and control the Morrígan displays, as well as her ferocity and tenacity, and her ability to control events to ensure the desired result are all displayed repeatedly in the myths. As a Liminal Goddess the Morrígan connects not only the different realms of earth, sky, sea and otherworld, but also the myths of the British Isles through her different guises.

The major references to the Morrígan working with the other gods occur in the battle between the Túatha Dé Danann and the Fir Bolgs (The First Battle of Moytura), and the later battle between the Túatha Dé Danann and the Fomorians (The Second Battle of Moytura). In the former she acts as both magician and warrior, and in the latter her roles as Battle Goddess and Prophetess are given more emphasis.

As the tutelary Goddess of the hero Cú Chulainn she displays a number of her qualities and roles. Her role as instigator of conflict is emphasised, by stealing the cow which precipitates the events leading to all the conflicts described in the Táin (Táin Bó Cúailnge). The Morrígan appears in a wide range of forms during this tale, as a maiden and a crone, as a crow, and in the eel, wolf and cow forms which she uses to attack Cú Chulainn.

As well as her shape-shifting ability, the Morrígan again uses her power to prophesy, both as a crow and as the Washer at the Ford when she foretells the hero's death. She also uses spells and enchantments to achieve her desired results, and her terrible shriek to kill Cú Chulainn's enemies.

By considering the different versions of the Celtic myths and legends together, the number of guises the Morrígan assumes becomes much more evident than has previously been credited. This includes her links and similarities to other Goddesses, like the Welsh Rhiannon, Don and Modron; the Irish Boand, Danu, Ériu, Fea and Grian; the British Goddess Andraste, and the Gallic Goddesses Epona and Nantosuelta.

The different guises she assumes in the tale of Cú Chulainn are also more numerous than has been previously credited. By exploring the symbols and roles of the female figures within this myth it becomes clear that the warrior women Búannan and Scáthach, the warrior queen Medb and the prophetess Fedelm are all guises of the Morrígan.

In other tales the Morrígan appears in a whole range of guises. She is the Cailleach (crone) who bestows sovereignty on a worthy king, or takes it from an unworthy one. As the Faery Queen we see a whole range of faery beings across the British Isles and France deriving their qualities and appearance from her.

The Morrígan also assumed a number of disguises in literature. The best known of these is probably as Morgan Le Fay in the Arthurian myth cycle. However as the Faery Queen she also inspired many poets and writers throughout the centuries, from William Shakespeare to W.B. Yeats. Her effect on the literature of the last thousand years is explored through reference to the breadth of her influence.

This book, which is the result of many years of research and exploration of the myths, mysteries and guises of the Morrígan, makes available for the first time in one place a body of material which demonstrates the full extent of her importance from the ancient Celtic world through to modern times.

It is our hope that through this work the reader will come to a greater appreciation of the many and diverse guises of the Morrígan.

For more information on The Guises of the Morrigan, visit the publishers' websitehttp://avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/celtic-myth-folklore/the-guises-of-the-morrigan or search for the book on your favourite online retailer.

New Year Book Offers (including Magical Bundle Offers!)

2012-01-05T01:01:00.000Z

Dear Friends & Colleagues,

We thought we would start the New Year with some extra special offers - including some excellent bundle offers! Save more than 30% on selected titles, which of course gives you an excellent excuse for more books - will you choose the Hekate Bundle, The Grimoire Bundle, The Practical Magick bundle, or the Pagan Magic Bundle? See http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/bundle-offers for details - and enjoy!

The Ravener & Others by Donald Tyson
This new book from the internationally acclaimed author of bestselling non-fiction works including the Necronomicon (Llewellyn, 2004), Enochian Magic for Beginners (1997) and The Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy (2009) is now available! The Ravener & Others is an exciting collection of six esoteric tales featuring the Elizabethan magician Dr John Dee and his skryer Edward Kelley. The two men use their wits and angelic magic to battle a range of supernatural foes and threats - as one reader (Ruth D) puts it "Perfect for dark, howling, winter nights" . Special New Release Offer, ~~RRP £12.99~~ £9.55 (with free postage & packaging) Go
to -- http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/magical-fiction/the-ravener-others

We hope that these offers and additional resources will contribute towards our goal to continue towards expanding the esoteric horizons for one and all in 2012 ...

Best wishes
~ Avalonia
www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

Our Books on Amazon Kindle

2012-01-03T14:26:00.000Z

You have asked and we are trying our best to oblige! A few more of our titles are now available on Amazon Kindle – making them available as eBooks for the first time – not only does this make them more convenient for those who prefer eBooks when travelling or otherwise, but it also means significantly less expense to obtain these books as we are able to make them available for less than half the price of the print editions (sometimes a lot less even!).

At the present time the following titles published by Avalonia is available as Kindle eBooks:

An Ogham Wood by Cliff Seruntine (magical fiction)

Hekate Liminal Rites by Sorita d'Este and David Rankine (history of the rituals, spells and magic of the Goddess Hekate)

Horns of Power by Various (a collection of essays exploring the myths, history and magic of the Horned Gods)

Odin's Gateways by Katie Gerrard (a handbook of runic magic and divination)

The Cosmic Shekinah by Sorita d'Este and David Rankine (history of the feminine divine in the Bible and Qabalah)

Visions of the Cailleach by Sorita d'Este and David Rankine (folklore and myth of the Celtic Winter Hag)

Wicca Magical Beginnings by Sorita d'Este and David Rankine (history and origins of the rituals of traditional Wicca)

For this list on Amazon UK click here -http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=avalonia&x=0&y=0

For a list of available titles on Amazon US click here -http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=avalonia&x=0&y=0

Also available from other Amazon Kindle stores, please search for the title and author. All these books are also available as print editions, from Amazon and other online and physical bookstores, as well as directly from our website http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

More titles will be added in the near future - though not all of our titles are suitable for Kindle due to the limitations in the way it displays images and its inability to cope with tables.

Thoth by Lesley Jackson ~ Coming Soon

2011-12-30T17:27:00.000Z

We are so very excited to be able to announce that the long-awaited THOTH - A history of the Ancient Egyptian God of Wisdom by Lesley Jackson will be available for pre-order in the new year. A wonderful addition to our growing catalogue, this meticoulously researched book will appeal as much to those readers with an interest in history as it will to those seeking to understand the mysteries of Thoth's wisdom!

Cover art by Brian Andrews, whose work has previously featured on the covers of books such The Guises of the Morrigan, HEKA Ancient Egyptian Magic and Artemis Virgin Goddess of the Sun & Moon.

For updates, consider joining our mailinglist - www.avaloniabooks.co.uk - scroll to the bottom of the page and enter your details; or join the FB page www.facebook.com/egyptianthoth

Yemanja's Magic

2011-12-07T16:58:00.001Z

There is no doubt that water is magical and looking around the world we find examples of deities, spirits and magic associated with water in many different cultures and countries. In her essay THE QUEEN OF THE OCEANS Andrea Salgado Reyes explores the Goddess Yemanya who is, amongst other things, the Goddess of the Oceans. In the extract that follows of this essay, which was published in full in From a Drop of Water (Avalonia, 2009) the different types of magic associated with Yemanya is explored.

"The types of magic which are done in Yemanyá’s name are manifold.
Prosperity is the domain of Yemanyá – which She shares with Oxún, Goddess of rivers and sweet waters- and Her devotees seek Her help to achieve better employment, to win competitions and lotteries, to buy a home. In exchange they offer her sumptuous gifts when the working shows results.
Yemanyá is reputed to aid women who suffer because of the abuses of men and will swiftly punish evil-doers. Methods for this are numerous, including whipping effigies of the men concerned, using chillies and other preparations in spells to cause painful reactions in genitalia of sexual abusers, binding puppets with steel chains representing the will of the Goddess.
Being the mother of all, Her help is sought by women having difficulties conceiving and also in finding a suitable partner with whom to form a family. Romance is usually the realm of Oxún but Yemanya may also grant such petitions if the purpose is to set up a home and have children, rather than a romance by itself.
She is a fierce defender of Her priestesses, to whom She grants beauty, wisdom, magical power and strength which is unbreakable. They are also granted quiet authority and a regal manner. No one may attempt to harm Her chosen, not even with magic from other Orixás, as She is senior to them all, being the mother of fifteen Orixás, one of them being Ossaín the magician and another Ogún the warrior, also in some legends one of her husbands. Her magick is not restricted to the sea, but that being Her realm, it is Her great strength.
Yemanyá also commands the hosts of beings which belong to her father Olokun, who dwells in the depths of the sea. Among the sea beings who serve Her are the sirens and mermaids, alluring creatures reputed to drive insane with desire those who find them, thus punishing, for instance, men who break vows of fidelity and undying love to their lovers. In the depths of the sea are where She keeps her most secret magic and where Her priestesses may seek magical creatures to avenge wrongs and to defend themselves from attacks. The source of primordial magic is also there, in vast quantities. The very first primordial beings still reside there, huge creatures of similar nature to the leviathan; once called upon, only blood tributes may still them once again and make them return to their kingdoms. To call upon them in Yemanyá´s name without just cause is to earn the wrath of the Goddess whatever the rank or initiation of the summoner."

This is just a short extract of the original essay which was published in From a Drop of Water (edited by Kim Huggens, 2009). To find out more about the book and order your copy now see http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/paganism-other/from-a-drop-of-water
Yemanyá is one of many spellings given to the name of this deity, the differences are the result of the original African religions merging, mixing and becoming synchronized with other deities and religious traditions over the years and in different regions . Others include: Yemoja, Ymoja, Yemowo, Yemanjá, Iemanjá, Janaína, Yemaya, Yemayah, Iemanya, Yemalla, Yemana, Yemoja, Iemanjá. Yemanyá is also sometimes referred to or merged with Diosa del Mar (The Goddess of the Sea), Mami Wata and the Mermaid Goddess. Likewise, much of her symbolism has also become entangled with the Roman Catholic Virgin Mary, with whom she shares the title "Stella Maris" (Star of the Sea) and the Haitian La Sirène or LaSiren in Vodou.

Andrea Salgado Reyes is a Chilean witch and Orixá devotee, blessed by being a daughter of Yemanyá and of Ogún. She has established Comunidad Paganus, a neo-pagan and pagan community in Chile, on a hill within sight of the sea. Her main interests are Wicca, Candomblé and traditional Latin American witchcraft. By profession she is a translator and interpreter. She has also contributed to Priestesses, Pythonesses & Sibyls (Avalonia 2007) and Hekate Her Sacred Fires (Avalonia, 2010)

The Ravener & Others

2011-12-01T10:00:00.003Z

THE RAVENER & OTHERS

by Donald Tyson

Six Dr John Dee & Edward Kelley Occult Mysteries

.... Order your copy of this awesome collection of magical occult mysteries now! ....

http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/magical-fiction/the-ravener-others

This new book from the internationally acclaimed author of bestselling non-fiction works including the Necronomicon (Llewellyn, 2004), Enochian Magic for Beginniners (1997) and The Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy (2009) is an exciting collection of six esoteric tales featuring the Elizabethan magician Dr John Dee and his skryer Edward Kelley. The two men use their wits and angelic magic to battle a range of supernatural foes and threats:

The Curse
… one of the Queen’s lady’s-in-waiting is threatened by an African curse.

Hackley Grange
… terror from beyond the stars strikes close to home.

Black Dog
… Edward Kelley meets an old treasure-hunting friend, and gains a familiar, but will it save or kill him?

The Shewstone
… Dee and Kelley battle powerful foes to save the realm from destruction.

Nonsuch House
… the vengeance of a dangerous ghost endangers John Dee’s wife, Jane.

The Ravener
… an ancient evil stalks Queen Elizabeth I and her courtiers on a hunt, with the only salvation lying in the wits of John Dee.

“A gripping collection of tales vividly set in the Elizabethan world of the magus John Dee and his skryer Edward Kelley. From court intrigue to witchcraft, faeries to creatures from beyond the stars, Dee and Kelley are forced to rely on their wits and arcane knowledge to solve peculiar mysteries and safeguard both Queen Elizabeth I and her realm. Drawing on his decades of knowledge and experience, Donald Tyson draws the reader into an absorbing labyrinth of deception and magic.”

Order yours now at http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/magical-fiction/the-ravener-others

"Arthur Gauntlet's Speculatrix" by David Rankine

2011-06-08T12:23:00.000+01:00

This article is based on the research done by the author for his book The Grimoire of Arthur Gauntlet (Avalonia, 2011). It is being made available here for those readers who share a passion for the magic and mystery of 17th century Britain, and in particular the work of cunning-men and women such as Arthur Gauntlet. It highlights the importance of women in 17th century cunning-craft and in the magical operations of the time. For more information on the Grimoire of Arthur Gauntlet please visit our website - The Grimoire of Arthur Gauntlet
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'Arthur Gauntlet's Speculatrix'
by David Rankine

Whilst I was conducting the research for my latest book The Grimoire of Arthur Gauntlet, it became clear how significant, and unsurprisingly understated, the role of women was in seventeenth century magic in London (and by extension the UK generally).

The only known published literary reference to Arthur Gauntlet was by the famous astrologer William Lilly (1602-1681) in his autobiography, written around 1668.[1] Lilly actually provides more information about the skryer Sarah Skelhorn than Arthur Gauntlet, who she worked with:.
“I was very familiar with one Sarah Skelhorn, who had been Speculatrix unto one Arthur Gauntlet about Gray’s Inn Lane,[2] a very lewd fellow, professing physick. This Sarah had a perfect sight, and indeed the best eyes for that purpose I ever yet did see. Gauntlet’s books, after he was dead, were sold, after I had perused them, to my scholar Humphreys: there were rare notions in them. This Sarah lived a long time, even until her death, with one Mrs. Stockman in the Isle of Purbeck, and died about fifteen years since.”[3]

It seems curious that Lilly should describe Sarah Skelhorn (called Sarah Shelborne in the introduction) so positively as such a good seer, and yet be negative about Arthur Gauntlet. Another document would seem to support Lilly’s view, until we consider that it was written in 1889, and seems to repeat verbatim Lilly’s words, with some embellishment. How accurate this information is must be a matter of speculation. Nevertheless it does add to the available information:
“It was so also with Sarah Skelhorn, the speculatrix of Dr Gauntlet of Gray's Inn Lane, a very loose liver. On leaving the Doctor's service Sarah became engaged by Mrs Stockman, with whom she lived in the Isle of Purbeck until her death, seventeen years later, seeing visions for her mistress and her mother, the Lady Beconsfield.”[4]

The other reference to Arthur Gauntlet emphasises the role of women in medieval magic more. Gauntlet’s name is mentioned in MS Laud Misc 19, with this manuscript containing an early ownership inscription of Arthur Gauntlet. This manuscript includes a “Treatise, based on and including extracts from Hilton's Scale, describing the way of meditation and the mystical experience”.[5]

Considering the nature of Walter Hilton’s Scale of Perfection offers some revealing insights. Hilton (c.1343-1396) discusses such topics as the form of spiritual visions and how to induce contemplation through meditation, prayer and Scripture. The Scale of Perfection was written as an instructional guide for women who had taken vows or committed to a religious life, typifying that particular genre of books, and as such may have been of interest to, for example, a female skryer such as Sarah Skelhorn.

It is noteworthy that after Sarah Skelhorn left Arthur Gauntlet’s service, she took service with a woman, for whom she would skry into the crystal. As has already been mentioned, from 1636-1653, Sarah lived with Mrs Stockman in the Isle of Purbeck. In his autobiography, Lilly mentions Mrs Stockman asking Sarah to skry for her to determine whether her mother, Lady Beconsfield, was at home, before going to visit her. [6]
One of the last pieces of information Lilly provides about Sarah Skelhorn suggests she was at times irritated with her gift, describing her frustration with seeing angels everywhere she went. Lilly commented that, “Sarah told me oft, the angels would for some years follow her, and appear in every room of the house, until she was weary of them.”[7]

Lilly also describes how Sarah began her skrying practice, continuing with the same for Ellen Evans, daughter of the Welsh astrologer who trained Lilly himself:
“This Sarah Skelhorn, her call unto the crystal began, 'Oh ye good angels, only and only, &c'. Ellen Evans, daughter of my tutor Evans, her call unto the crystal was this: O Micol, O tu Micol, regina pigmeorum, veni, &c” [8]

The emphasis on female skryers, as well as women using their services, and the probable ownership of Sloane MS 3851 by the Cunning-woman Ann Savadge places a far greater emphasis on the place of women in magic in the seventeenth century than has previously been credited.

[1] “Wrote by himself in the 66^th year of his Age”, The Life of William Lilly, Davies:1774:1.

[2] This street is now called Gray’s Inn Road.

[3] The Life of William Lilly, Davies, 1774:149.

[4] Current Opinion Vol 3, Wheeler & Crane, 1889:153.

[5] The Index of Middle English Prose Handlist XVI, Ogilvie-Thomson, 2000:1.

[6] The Life of William Lilly, Davies, 1774:150.

[7] The Life of William Lilly, Davies, 1774:150.

[8] The Life of William Lilly, Davies, 1774:149. The Latin conjuration, “O Micol, O you Micol, queen of the pigmies [fairies], come”, contains a name for the Fairy Queen found in Sloane MS 1727, an undated C17th MS. The possibly derivative name Mycob for the Fairy Queen in found in Sloane MS 3824 (1649).

(c) David Rankine 2011. All Rights Reserved.
For more information on The Grimoire of Arthur Gauntlet please visit our website ~ The Grimoire of Arthur Gauntlet

Avalonia ~ Illuminating the Spirit of the Sacred

The Grimoire of Arthur Gauntlet

2011-06-04T03:28:00.000+01:00

We are delighted to announce…

The Grimoire of Arthur Gauntlet

Edited by David Rankine

A 17th century London Cunning-man’s book charms, conjurations and prayers

Now available from: http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/221/new/the-grimoire-of-arthur-gauntlet-by-david-rankine/

The Grimoire of Arthur Gauntlet is an outstanding example of a seventeenth century London Cunning-man’s book of practice. Cunning-folk were practitioners of magic and herbal medicine who dealt with problems in their local communities. Cunning-man Arthur Gauntlet was based in Gray’s Inn Lane in London, and his personal working book contains a fascinating diverse mixture of herbal remedies, prayers, magical and biblical charms, with previously unseen angelic conjurations and magic circles, in an eclectic blend of practical magic for health, wealth, love and protection.

This unique manuscript demonstrates both the diverse and spiritual nature of such Cunning-folk’s books of practice, as well as their magical emphasis on Biblical scripture, particularly the Psalms, and their opposition to witchcraft, found in charms and conjurations. Arthur Gauntlet worked with a female skryer called Sarah Skelhorn, and drew on numerous preceding sources for his craft, including the Arbatel, the Heptameron, Folger Vb.26, The Discoverie of Witchcraft, the Book of Gold, the writings of the German magus Cornelius Agrippa, the astrologer William Bacon and Queen Elizabeth I’s court astrologer Dr. John Dee, as well as other London Cunning-folk.

In his introduction, the author provides fresh insights into the hidden world of seventeenth century magical London, exploring the web of connections between astrologers, cunning-folk and magicians, playwrights, authors and church figures. These connections are also highlighted by the provenance of the manuscript, which is traced from Arthur Gauntlet through the hands of such notable angel magicians as Elias Ashmole (founder of the world’s first public museum, the Ashmolean in Oxford), Baron Somers (the Lord Chancellor), Sir Joseph Jekyll (Master of the Rolls) and Sir Hans Sloane (founder of the British Museum), as well as the astrologer John Humphreys and the cunning-woman Ann Savadge.

This is a unique work which draws attention to the often neglected place of women in seventeenth century magic, both as practitioners (such as skryers and Cunning-women), and customers. It also emphasises the vital and influential role played by Cunning-Men and Women in synthesising and transmitting the magical traditions of medieval Britain into the subsequent centuries, as well as their willingness to conjure a wide range of spiritual creatures to achieve results for their clients, including angels, demons, fairies, and the dead.

Now available from: http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/221/new/the-grimoire-of-arthur-gauntlet-by-david-rankine/

Beltane Offers 2011

2011-04-30T11:29:00.000+01:00

Beltane is a time of celebration! The name for this festival comes from the Irish Gaelic "Bealtaine" meaning "bel fire", taking its name from a time when fires were lit around the same time of the year for the Sun God Belenus. It is a time, like Samhain when the veils between the worlds are considered to be thin, that is a time when it is easier to communicate with the spirits, and in particular nature spirits and the spirits of our ancestors. Beltane is also considered to be a great time for weddings (& its pagan equivalent "handfastings"), with the couple enacting the Hieros gamos, or "sacred marriage" of the King to the land. Interesting here then considering the Royal Wedding between Prince William and his wife Catherine Middleton being so near the date of this ancient festival! Once the Beltane Fires were lit, one of the traditional uses were for people to jump over the fire for luck and blessings - as well as to increase / ensure fertility and to strengthen the bond between a couple.

Here in the Avalonia office we are very busy preparing for the launch of THE COSMIC SHEKINAH (Sorita d'Este & David Rankine) - as well as getting ready for the realease of THE GRIMOIRE OF ARTHUR GAUNTLET (David Rankine) and the book THE TEMPLE OF HEKATE by Tara Sanchez. Its a very busy month ahead indeed!

To celebrate our joy and success this Beltane we have a number of titles from our back catalogue available at extra special prices for you to enjoy and indulge, to learn from and to enjoy; for details see: http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/221/beltaneoffers/

We wish you and yours a beautiful, happy and joyous month of May - whichever way you decide to celebrate, may it be perfect in every way!

The Cosmic Shekinah - Available for PreOrder

2011-04-21T10:57:00.001+01:00

We are delighted to be able to announce that THE COSMIC SHEKINAH
by Sorita d'Este and David Rankine is now available for pre-order
from our website - more information

“I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.
As a lily among brambles, so is my love among maidens.”
[From the Song of Solomon 2:1-2, C3rd-C2nd BCE]

THE COSMIC SHEKINAH

Sorita d'Este & David Rankine

A historical study of the Goddess of the Old Testament and Kabbalah

Available from Avalonia (pre-orders will be shipped on or before the release date of 14 May 2011)

For order information see: http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/221/new/the-cosmic-shekinah/

The Shekinah is the manifestation of the Wisdom Goddess of the Kabbalah,the Old Testament and Merkavah Mysticism. She encompasses the primordial light of creation, the wisdom of the serpent and the inspiration of the dove. She is the beauty of the lily and the embodiment of the Tree of Life. She is also the World soul, heavenly glory, mother of angels, inspiration for prophecy, and source of souls, as well as being the Shabbat Bride and the wife of God.

In The Cosmic Shekinah the authors present a concise history of the different influences of earlier wisdom goddesses on the development of the Shekinah. These goddesses include the Sumerian Inanna, the Egyptian Ma'at, the Greco-Egyptian Isis, the Semitic Anat and Astarte and the Canaanite Asherah. They show that from these ancient sources the unnamed Wisdom Goddess and wife of God portrayed in the Old Testament and early Jewish wisdom literature arose. It is this unnamed Wisdom Goddess who would subsequently become the source for the development of the Shekinah as well as the Gnostic Sophia.

The influence of the feminine divine as the Shekinah has continued to find expression, with the Virgin Mary and the Holy Spirit of Christianity and the Sakina of Islam all being shaped by the enduring influence of the Wisdom Goddess. Through tracing her roles, myths and functions the authors show that in addition to her resurgence, the Wisdom Goddess has always been present throughout history, even when she has been suppressed and disguised by deliberate exclusion and mistranslation.

Drawing on numerous sources including medieval Kabbalistic works, Hekhalot texts of Merkavah Mysticism, ancient literature such as the Egyptian, Sumerian and Ugaritic myths, the Old Testament, Gnostic texts and recent finds in Biblical archaeology, The Cosmic Shekinah draws attention back to the light of divine feminine wisdom.

All pre-orders will be signed & dated by both authors.

RRP £14.99, 236 pages, paperback

(free packaging & shipping for all orders placed on our website, worldwide)

For more information visit our website
www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

The Goddess Hekate - Crone Goddess?

2011-03-28T10:44:00.000+01:00

In May this year people all over the world will once again join in the Rite of Her Sacred Fires, hosted this year by the Covenant of Hekate this ritual was first celebrated in 2010 to mark the completion of the book HEKATE HER SACRED FIRES edited by Sorita d'Este with dozens of contributors from around the world. This will be the first of numerous short articles here on the Avalonia blog over the coming months related to the Goddess Hekate, both introducing different aspects of her, extracts from the Her Sacred Fires project and tackling some of the misinformation which exists about her today.

Probably the most frequently repeated misunderstandings about the Goddess Hekate is that she is is the "Crone" when viewed in the context of the modern “Maiden Mother Crone” construct. This is still relatively common based on the writings of modern Pagan authors of the last few decades, we have decided to publish the following short extract from The Hekate Chronicles, by Sorita d’Este which was published as a historical introduction to the book Hekate Her Sacred Fires (2010).

The modern ‘triple goddess’ construct of ‘Maiden Mother Crone’ is a product of the neo-Pagan revival taking its influence from such writers as Aleister Crowley, Dion Fortune, Robert Graves and C.G. Jung, and mixing it with that of classical paganism. Crowley referred to Hekate as a ‘Crone’ and the idea spread from there. Considering depictions of her throughout her long history, we find that she is always described and depicted as a woman of indeterminate age, or specifically as a ‘maiden’. For our ancestors the gods were immortal, and as such perfect, immune to ageing and the physical issues it brought. Of course it is true that even in ancient Greece, Hekate was considered to be a very ancient goddess and as such is very very old indeed. However, as you will discover on your journey through Her Sacred Fires, Hekate has had many forms over the millennia, and as a deity who has not been forgotten it is clear that she can and has adopted additional symbolism and forms over the centuries.
—–
This is the quote from Aleister Crowley which seems to the source of the Crone attribution:
“and thirdly, she is Hekate, a thing altogether of Hell, barren, hideous and malicious, the queen of death and evil witchcraft … Hekate is the crone, the woman past all hope of motherhood, her soul black with envy and hatred of happier mortals;”
[Moonchild, Aleister Crowley - 1929]

You can find out more about Hekate Her Sacred Fires on the project website www.sacredfires.co.uk. The book is available from Amazon, B&N, Waterstones and many other online and physical bookshops around the world. You can also order it directly from the project website, or from the publishers at http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/221/?page_id=238

Reviews of Wicca Magickal Beginnings - History of the Rituals of Wicca

2011-03-23T22:53:00.002Z

With the Kindle Edition of Wicca Magickal Beginnings being prepared for release this weekend, we thought we would revisit some of the comments the print edition of the book received over the last 3 years since its release.

Most of what follow are short extracts from much longer reviews, some of which are available online and others from magazines, ezines and the like.

REVIEWS OF WICCA MAGICKAL BEGINNINGS

“What really has astonished me though is how much Thelema is in there, and has been from the beginning. Huge chunks of many of the most basic Wiccan rituals are lifted straight from Liber AL, the Gnostic Mass, and The Law of Liberty. Now I’d heard before that there were some parallels, but the sheer amount of OTO stuff in Gardnerian Wicca is phenomenal. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, given the letters that Gardner wrote re OTO round the time of Crowley’s death, which show that he was clearly more interested in OTO than was previously thought. Another interesting point is that the witches’ chant of “Eko Eko…” was apparently first published by JFC Fuller in 1921! Not only that, it was published in Form magazine, edited by Austin Osman Spare… Fascinating stuff. Definitely a book worth getting if you’re at all interested in Thelema and Wicca.”

Rodney Orpheus
Author of Abrahadabra: Aleister Crowley's Thelemic Magick

------------------------------

“From their extensive research they conclude that Wicca is a continuation of the medieval tradition of grimoire magic, supplemented with material from the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and the OTO either by persons unknown before Gardner’s initiation into the New Forest Coven in 1939 or later by Gardner and his associates. They claim that when the GD and Crowley material is removed from modern Wiccan rituals what is actually left is ‘ a bedrock of grimoire materials with fragments of folk practices which would fit in with the idea of the continuation of a genuine tradition…’ This claim is of course, based on the assumption that the New Forest coven, which some die-hard skeptics refuse to believe ever existed, was not a figment of Gardner’s imagination and that he did not just cobble together the rites of Wicca from books. Personally, I would go along with d’Este and Rankine. Highly recommended”

Michael Howard, Editor of The Cauldron

Author of Modern Wicca and The Pickingill Papers

------------------------------

“Long awaited, and sorely needed in both the academic and Pagan community... Wicca Magickal Beginnings is, in one word, brilliant. In another word it is ‘orgasmic’ for the academic in me, ‘scintillating’ for the Pagan in me, and ‘un-put-downable’ (okay, so it’s technically not a word…) for the avid reader in me. The writing style is open, fresh, and easy to follow, the book is packed with information, references, quotes, and sources, enabling anybody to find the sources for themselves afterwards. I am particularly fond of the textual analysis of the Charge of the Goddess found in the chapter “Adore the Spirit of Me” and the “Cernunnos” chapter. I take my hat off to both Sorita and David for this groundbreaking work, and highly recommend it to EVERYBODY.”

Kim Huggens

Editor of ‘Vs.’ and author of Sol Invictus: The God Tarot

------------------------------

“Unfortunately, the answers aren't always going to be what wiccans want to hear. At one point the list reads "Crowley, Lesser Key of Solomon, Crowley, Christianity". For wiccans whose path may be primarily a pagan religion, this isn't going to go down well.
It doesn't have to offend, though. By emphasising the link to ceremonial magick, the authors actually reinforce Wicca's connection to original European witchcraft... "Magickal Beginnings" pulls together all the subjects that will interest wiccans, but which are usually too diverse to be found in one place... "Wicca: Magickal Beginnings" is going to become a vital part of many wiccans' bookshelves.”

Stephen Blake

The Apple Branch (English Shamanism)

------------------------------

“This is an excellent book, set to become a classic that will be found on every Wiccan’s bookshelf, alongside The Triumph of the Moon: a history of Modern Pagan Witchcraft and Gerald Gardner and the Cauldron of Inspiration. The authors work methodically through every major aspect of Wiccan liturgy, comparing all possible sources and showing where it all comes from. ... Nor did they shirk from exploring ideas that might be seen as uncomfortable in some quarters, such as the modern origins of some ideas and the ancient provenance of some others, and even the sources of ideas in the Christian tradition.”

Vogelbere

Author and Wiccan High Priestess

------------------------------

“The book includes a very detailed index for reference, and a good table of contents. Overall, this is an exceptional book of references and one which I was hard pressed to find fault with. The material here will spark some interesting discussions, to say the least. But that is what this book is all about, and I found it to be exciting in it’s content and there were many "Ah, ha!" moments for me.

OK, it’s obvious. I love this book. I’ve been talking to some friends about this, recommending this book even before I finished reading it. Currently it is an English publication and is available in the US. A "must have" for anyone’s library and one that you will find essential to your studies. It’s a darn good read.”

Boudica

The Pagan & Wiccan Times (TWPT.com)

------------------------------

“Wicca Magickal Beginnings marks a new dawn for the study of the esoteric tradition. I am certain that it will cause some ruffled feathers amongst those who are unable to accept that the practices are more important than the personalities. This book clearly illustrates that our practices are ancient and yet perfectly modern at the same time. Written with initiates in mind, this book will be invaluable also to practitioners of other forms of Pagan Witchcraft and Ceremonial Magic, as there is such a vast overlap of practices discussed in terms of its origins.”

Dr. Nina Lazarus

Wiccan High Priestess, 3*

------------------------------

“With something of interest for both the newcomer and the scholar Wicca:Magickal Beginnings should find a place in any serious collection.”

Pagan Dawn Magazine (Pagan Federation)

Lammas 2008 Edition

------------------------------

“It's important that people have looked, and continue to look, at the personalities and cultural effects in the history of the Wicca, but it is timely to have a book looking at the history of what is core to the Craft itself. If you are of the Wicca yourself, or if the practices of the Wicca has been an influence upon your practice, then this is may well be the most important book on our history, yet written. If you have an outsider's interest in our history, then the approach taken here should be more than novel enough to have plenty of interest.”

Jon Hanna

Author of What thou wilt: Traditional and Innovative trends in Post-Gardnerian Witchcraft

------------------------------

For more information see http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/221/?page_id=350

Are Freya and Frigga the same Goddess?

2011-03-22T22:59:00.002Z

Are Freya and Frigga the same Goddess?

Extract from the essay by Katie Gerrard by this name which was published in the anthology Vs. (various contributors) edited by Kim Huggens (Avalonia, 2011). For the full article see the book Vs.- http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/221/?page_id=438

By Katie Gerrard (see www.seidr.co.uk )

The contemporary heathen pantheon[1] lists Freyja and Frigga as separate goddesses, with separate characteristics and different roles within mythology and within heathen practise. Whilst it is very clear within the heathen viewpoint that Freyja and Frigga are to be considered as distinct entities, many texts and dictionaries[2] will combine the two goddesses within listings and continue to consider them together. Where does this discrepancy come from? Has one group really got it so very wrong?

Our information on the two goddesses comes from various places. Much of the information we have on Norse beliefs and culture comes from the collection of ancient Scandinavian heroic tales often referred to as ‘the sagas’. The most widely read primary source on Norse mythology is Snorri Sturluson’s Edda (also known as the Prose or Younger Edda.)[3] Snorri Sturluson was a Christian, writing about 1200 CE so it is unclear how much he may have been influenced by Christian ideas and mythology. Scholars of the Norse goddesses also use a collection of stories called the Poetic Edda (found within the Codex Regis manuscript) which was written around the same time as Snorri’s Edda but looks to have been compiled from older traditional sources. This is often referred to as the Elder Edda.

Information on Frigga and Freyja is also found in many different secondary sources. Within the romanticism found in turn of the century art and music, for instance, a number of works of art were created on the theme of the Norse myths; Arthur Rackham in particular painted many images of Frigga and Freyja. Information can also be found in modern academic and folkloric studies, where an invaluable scholarly approach is taken in dissecting the information found within the primary evidence in order to build up a picture of the goddesses. Modern pagan and heathen authors have also combined the Eddas and Sagas with their own personal experiences and the goddesses in order to put the two goddesses within a context where they can be used within a practical modern religious framework.

On first impressions, the personal experiences of a contemporary heathen may not seem as concrete and solid as the evidence put together by an academic, especially if they are not backed up by any research. However, personal experiences are being increasingly trusted by those undertaking personal work and seeking personal understanding of different deities. These experiences come from meditations, from trance work, from channelling (invoking the deity into a person), and from attempts to get in touch with and directly experience the energy of that particular deity. These personal experiences have a name within contemporary paganism, UPG (Unsubstantiated Personal Gnosis)[4] and are often referred to within magazine and web-based articles. Where it is clear that information on a deity comes from UPG, many contemporary pagans are happy to use this information when piecing together their own practises.

Where our information comes from originally helps us to understand why the viewpoints on whether Freyja and Frigga are the same goddess are so different. It has been suggested that at some point Frigga and Freyja might have been the same goddess,[5] but that they were separate by the end of the Viking era. It has also been suggested that the Germanic tribes held the two to be one and the same deity, but that the Scandinavian tribes considered the two to be separate.[6]

[1] See Diana L Paxson, Essential Asatru, 2006.
[2] Sorita D’Este and David Rankine, Isles of the Many Gods, 2007.

[3] Edda, Snorri Sturluson.

[4] Lafayllve, Patricia M. Freyja, Lady, Vanadis, 2006.

[5] Diana L Paxson, Essential Asatru, 2006.

[6] Lynda C Welch, Goddess of the North, 2001.

This is only a short extract from the article, for the full article see the book Vs.-- http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/221/?page_id=438

For more information on Katie Gerrard, see www.seidr.co.uk

Spring Equinox Offers

2011-03-16T22:08:00.001Z

" `Come, we shall have some fun now!' thought Alice. `I'm glad
they've begun asking riddles. --I believe I can guess that, ' she
added aloud.
`Do you mean that you think you can find out the answer to it?'
said the March Hare.
`Exactly so, ' said Alice.
`Then you should say what you mean, ' the March Hare went on.
`I do, ' Alice hastily replied; `at least--at least I mean what I
say--that's the same thing, you know. '
`Not the same thing a bit!' said the Hatter. `You might just as
well say that "I see what I eat" is the same thing as "I eat what I
see"!'
`You might just as well say, ' added the March Hare, `that "I like
what I get" is the same thing as "I get what I like"!'
`You might just as well say, ' added the Dormouse, who seemed to be
talking in his sleep, `that "I breathe when I sleep" is the same thing
as "I sleep when I breathe"!'

(Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll)

"Mad as March Hare" as a saying has been around since the 16th century - but no doubt it would have been clear to anyone observing hares around this time of the year that they are behaving a little crazy. We like to do our own little bits of crazy too, so in celebration of the coming of Spring, and of the Equinox - we have decided to offer the following books on our website at very special prices - for details see individual listings:

The Grimoire of St Cyprian - - CLAVIS INFERNI (Hardback, with Dustjacket - see image above) by Stephen Skinner and David Rankine - see http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/221/?page_id=468

Defences Against the Witches' Craft by John Canard (paperback) see http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/221/?page_id=327

Also now available for order: An Ogham Wood (novel) by Cliff Seruntine http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/221/?page_id=441

An Ogham Wood (Novel)

2011-03-16T13:30:00.003Z

Sometimes a book has its own enchantment. An Ogham Wood by Cliff Seruntine is firmly in that category, when it landed in our inbox we changed our policy on not accepting fiction for it as it clearly needed to be brought into manifestation for readers seeking something to enter into its beautifully written world.

The book is now available for pre-order from our website (quality trade paperback, 280 pages ) and if you order before the end of the month you can do so at the special introductory offer price. See our website http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/221/?page_id=441 for details. You can also read an extract and find out more about the author on the book's website www.oghamwood.com

-------------------

From Chapter 1

'Such cries the fair Asrai weep,
when Wisps no more the fens will keep,
O who will guard the Westering Land,
with shadows dashed,
enchantment banned?'

[The Lament of Hawthorn

Seoridean, Bard of the Westernmost Tuath]

~~ ~~ ~~

The most beautiful thing about the sea was how it made him forget. Sweyn had always held to that. After his mother died of cancer when he was a child, Sweyn used to paddle a sea kayak with his father to numb the pain. When he and his father bitterly parted ways many years later, sailing helped heal the wound. When he lost his wife, he simply floated away like so much flotsam upon an ocean whose greatest gift was forgetfulness. It was so easy to get lost in the rhythms of his small ship, the routine of checking position, keeping watch, mending sails, washing lines, polishing and varnishing endlessly. There was always activity to do in the small space of the vessel, and the creaking and the groaning of the timbers, the timeless play of waves, the liquid music of water rolling across the hull, all of it conspired to wipe out the thoughts, the memories.

Sometimes Sweyn awoke and did not know for certain how long it had been since the last date he remembered. Sometimes he was not even certain of the year. Best of all was when he could barely wrap his mind around the things he needed so desperately, so desperately most of all, to forget. When the gales blew. On approach to one nameless port or another, at night, when the phosphorescent waves washed over sea walls and broke over submersed rocks, unseen but deadly, well capable of ripping away keel and bilge should he wander back to a memory and forget to watch his compass and stay his course. At such times all his concentration was focused. There was only his body working hard to make his vessel do what needed to be done. Reef a sail. Shorten a sheet. Dare a jibe. The vessel required seamless attention. He knew the vessel and worked her automatically. His muscles were wiry but strong, flowing like fluid over bone, wrought of long days’ exhausting work, all to make a vessel of many tons do the will of the single man who piloted her.

And all to forget.

The sea was a balm. It could wipe away memories. It could do away with the pain of the past, with the pain of loss. And so he called the sea his abode. He had for many years. Once it was the salt air, the sound of rolling surf, the lucid skies that called to him. Once it was the thrill of seeing far-flung shores, the promise of peoples and places unseen. But now it no longer mattered. The sea was an amnesic. Better than alcohol. Better than a vat of the hardest liquor. It was a place to lose the self and the soul. And so he drifted, from bay to cove and port, and sometimes merely hove-to upon vast aquamarine expanses, always moving, going nowhere, not in long years. He drifted, detached, looking only for the oblivion of the waves.

And there were times when Sweyn could almost forget. The dreaded memories could almost be shoved totally aside, or pushed most deep into the dark recesses within the human soul where they might be buried and forgotten and never resurface again. Several times he had come close. But when he approached the precipice of such oblivion he felt he teetered on the edge of some sacred space, perhaps akin to the Nirvanna of nothingness sought by so many monks of the exotic East. If he could just tip across the threshold of mind and spirit into that tranquil emptiness, and let go once and for all, perhaps the past would release its death grip and he could be the one thing he had always longed to be, a man not haunted. But his ghosts were cagier than he, for at those very moments when he stood at the frontier of his long-sought bliss, a black cold formed in the core of his breast. And foolish questions provoked his mind to unwanted thoughts.

Do you want to forget, truly? Who will remember her if not you? What would be left if you let her go so completely that you could not recall her at all, not even her name? His father and all the hell of his traumatic youth, sure, he could let that go. Gone, like the waking after images of nightmare, that side of him could slip away and he would feel none but the better for it.

But when he stood on the brink of forgetfulness and the relentless beauty and indifference and vastness of the sea promised to swallow up his mind and thoughts once and for all, he could never let go. The bitter truth was, the memories which pained him the most were also the dearest. They haunted him with their warmth and tormented him with their loss. He could bear neither to look back upon them, nor to release them.

At times he had thought about letting the sea go a step further, and make his oblivion complete. So easy it would be to go to sleep in his berth in storm-tossed waters, and leave his vessel to its own devices, to its doom. Easier still to simply step off the transom on a good beam reach somewhere far from shores. He had thought it out, how that might be. He would do it near sundown. He would just fall in, tread tropical waters and watch the beautiful form of Starry Sea reduce in the distance, till at last she was a spot upon a dimming horizon, following her course by the guidance of the autopilot. And when at last she had gone far out of sight, perhaps to be found and claimed by some lucky soul and change his life for the better, Sweyn could just stop treading, close his eyes, and let himself float down to where forgetfulness is assured, into the dark place beneath the rolling ink of the nighttime sea.

But he never could do that. It wasn’t that he was afraid to die. It would be more true to say Sweyn was afraid to live. But it would be the same as coming to that mindless point when he let the abandon of the sea swallow up his memories once and for all. All the goodness ensconced in those painful recollections would vanish with him, and he could not bear to let what those memories contained vanish entirely from the world.

And so his memories drove him to persist. And something else, perhaps, but for the life of him he could not understand what. Whatever it was, it kept him from simply drowning in a bottle, or in the waves. It kept him merely drifting, bobbing, atop and over one endless wave after another.

In that moment his vessel was cascading down a rolling wave, heaped up high and steep by a rapidly building wind. He was an adept seaman, but he hardly noticed. Nor had he plotted a course. He only went, sailing swiftly, mindlessly, keeping a beam reach to the wind, following it wherever it led, for what else was there in life for him but to follow the wind, a storm-tossed spirit condemned to relentless journeys.

He ignored the world around his vessel and looked only inward. There, a side of him, cold and analytical and professional, and more dead than the rest of him, told him he did not have to be this way. He could get help. He was suffering an illness, a deep bitterness of mind. Depression. He needed to mourn, and to say goodbye. But he could not. It hurt too much to mourn, for mourning required thinking on that which had been lost. And that which had been lost had been too wonderful to lose. He could not bear to go there. And so his heart was torn. He could not hurt and heal. He dared not mourn and forget. He could only drift, and drift, and wander, carrying his pain and his memories at as much distance as the sea allowed.

A girl came up the companion way. A woman really, but the way of her was girlish, somewhere between that shy age of discovery and the full blossom of womanhood. Her hair was ruby, so lustrous it possessed an inner fire like the fine garnets cherished by gemologists. She was pale skinned, in the way of most true red heads, but her eyes possessed that unusual red-gold hue sometimes found in very fair folk. They were like the eyes of a cat, clever and astute, burning with an intelligence that seemed to hint at an awareness of hidden things. She moved with the grace of a cat too. Her slender form ghosted up the steep steps of the companionway and into the cantered cockpit as though she walked on a level surface. She moved across the short space of deck, up over the bench, to rest in the seat beside him with the fluidity of a ballerina. Often he had thought she must have taken lessons and been quite good somewhere back in her teen-aged years, but when he had brought it up to her, she had laughed and shrugged it off, saying she had never danced that way. “They say some of us have the grace of the little people,” she had told him once, her reedy voice spiced with a thick brogue that told of links to the British Isles. But she never spoke of her past. For her, it was a closed book. And given his own tumultuous childhood, he could understand her desire not to go there. Her past was past, just like his.

She held a mug of steaming tea in her hands. Though they were en route to Hawaii from Washington and had already traveled five hundred miles south and west away from the mainland, they had had the misfortune of encountering a late season northwesterly, moving south. In its death throws it brought increasingly bitter air, to the point where Sweyn was beginning to see his breath in wispy streamers that vanished behind him in the building wind.

“Do ye think it’ll be a gale, then?” Eilwen asked of him.

He scanned the slate sky. Amorphous clouds formed a lowering ceiling. It seemed as if all the sky were swathed in a sheet of mist, and the air itself was getting heavier. He nodded to her, took the mug gratefully in one hand, and gulped down several swallows of the warming liquid.

Go on reading .... http://oghamwood.com/?page_id=11

Order your copy now .... http://oghamwood.com/?page_id=33 or http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/221/?page_id=441

Vs. (anthology)

2011-02-08T10:07:00.001Z

Vs.

Edited by Kim Huggens

An anthology exploring duality and conflict in magick, mythology and paganism

Now available for pre-order from our website: http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/221/?page_id=438

“Relationship cannot be created without duality: we are divided for love’s sake, for the chance of union…”

Vs. is a unique collection of twenty-one essays exploring the dynamic and wide-ranging nature of duality in magic, paganism and folklore, from polarity to paradox to opposition to friction to union. The essays by magicians, witches, folklorists, sorcerors, Norse and vodou practitioners, weave together diverse threads of wisdom, knowledge, experience and inspiration into a tapestry of fallen angels, heroes, gods, goddesses, fairies, lwa, dreams, myths and stories.

The significance of the interplay between two disparate or similar powers is explored through the relationship of divine twins, siblings, lovers and enemies in a variety of different pantheons and tales, from Cain and Abel to Lilith and Eve, from Shiva & Shakti to Inanna and Dumuzi, from Perseus and Andromeda to Ares and Hephastus.

The union of divine and mortal is another powerful theme explored in this book, both through the hieros gamos (sacred marriage) and the maryaj (Vodou spirit marriage) where a person weds one of the lwa. Vs. also explores the theme of self and other, as experienced both in ritual techniques for trance and dreaming, and in social commentaries on the diversity of beliefs within the modern esoteric revival such as Wicca, Sorcery and Neopaganism.

Vs. covers a span of thousands of years, from ancient writings such as those of Plato and Gnosticism to the modern works of twentieth century magicians such as Austin Osman Spare and Dion Fortune. From the wisdom of the Emerald Tablet to the tales of the Mabinogion, Vs. challenges you in numerous ways to accept diversity and strive for the union of perfection.

“I am the voice whose sound is manifold

and the word whose appearance is multiple. “

Thunder, Perfect Mind,

3rd century CE

An anthology exploring duality and conflict in magick, mythology and paganism, edited by Kim Huggens

Now available for pre-order from http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/221/?page_id=438

Anahita Anthology : Submissions Invited

2011-01-24T14:11:00.003Z

Avalonia is excited to announce that we will be adding the next edition of Mithras Readers to our already exciting publishing schedule for 2011. This will be a special edition of the journal, dedicated to Anahita (Persian Goddess and Zoroastrian Yazata). The journal is edited by Payam Nabarz, the author of the book Stellar Magic (Avalonia, 2009).

Submissions are now invited for this special edition of the journal.

Mithras Readers: An Academic and Religious Journal of Greek, Roman and Persian Studies is dedicated to all the religions of the classical world. We invite submissions of academic papers from researchers and spiritual articles from practitioners of the religions of the classical world. We also welcome classical world based art work, both modern interpretations and traditional forms.

For more information, please contact Payam Nabarz directly nabarz@hotmail.com

An Ogham Wood - a magical novel ...

2011-01-19T16:21:00.001Z

Avalonia will be publishing three works of fiction this Spring. The cover art for the first of these, An Ogham Wood, has just been unveiled, it is by the visionary artist Marc Potts, whose work has previously featured on two works published by Avalonia, being Horns of Power and Visions of the Cailleach. The painting Marc did for An Ogham Wood is a new work of art created especially for the book - and there is no doubt that WE LOVE IT!

For those keen to find out more about the book, you can visit the websitewww.oghamwood.com where more information, including a sample chapter is available.

If you are interested in finding out more about the artist Marc Potts, visit his website http://www.marcpotts.co.uk/ and be enchanted!

~ Remember, join our mailinglist at http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk to be kept informed of new publications. (Scroll down and at the bottom of the page there is a form for "Sign up for our Newsletter" simply put your email address in there. You can also follow us on Facebook - www.facebook.com/avaloniabooks or on twitterwww.twitter.com/avalonia ~

New Editions in the SWCM Series

2010-11-23T23:10:00.001Z

Dear Readers

We are delighted to announce the release of new editions of both Practical Angel Magic of Dr John Dee’s Enochian Tables and The Goetia of Dr Rudd by Golden Hoard Press. These two highly sought after modern classics have been produced in response to an ever-growing demand, making these books accessible again.

The first of these books, Practical Angel Magic of Dr John Dee’s Enochian Tables by Stephen Skinner and David Rankine, draws on four seventeenth century manuscripts and the handwritten volumes of Alan Bennett and Frederick Leigh Gardner. This book contains the material on working with the Enochian spirits which was used by the Golden Dawn to create the modern system of practice known as Enochian magic.

For more details of this work see: http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/221/?page_id=452

The Goetia of Dr Rudd by Stephen Skinner and David Rankine is a ground-breaking book, which provides for the first time the full balanced practice of Goetia including the Shemhamphorash angels who control the Goetic demons. It has been widely acclaimed by numerous practitioners including such notable figures as Joseph Lisiewski, Carroll Poke Runyon and Mark Stavish.

For more details of this work see http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/221/?page_id=460

For a complete list of all the books in the Sourceworks of Ceremonial Magic series, please go to: http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/221/?page_id=447

~ Avalonia --- Illuminating the Spirit of the Sacred ~

http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

Sourceworks of Ceremonial Magic

2010-11-12T10:25:00.004Z

Avalonia currently has (limited) stock available of all the books in the Sourceworks of Ceremonial Magic series, including new editions of both Book I (The Practical Angel Magic of Dr John Dee's Enochian Tables) and Book III (The Goetia of Dr Rudd) making both these books available again at affordable prices. More information can be found at: http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/221/?page_id=447

The Sourceworks of Ceremonial Magic (SWCM) series produced by Stephen Skinner and David Rankine is a unique body of grimoire material from the 16th-18th centuries. All the Sourceworks contain clear transcriptions of manuscripts dealing with conjuration of angels and/or demons in different manners, often with footnotes or additional chapters noting differences in other manuscripts or derivative material.Several of the Sourceworks contain more complete and lucid versions of material which was used in partial or derivative forms in the development of the magic of the Golden Dawn, Aleister Crowley and initiatory witchcraft.

Together these books form a corpus of material which has expanded the field of grimoire magic through the presentation of hugely important but previously unavailable manuscripts in English, some of which have been translated from French and Latin.Every volume in the series includes long introductions exploring the provenance of the manuscripts and also the historical figures associated with them. This thread has built over the series and provides a detailed study in its own right of many of the British magicians of the 16th-19th centuries, both the well known figures and also many lesser known figures who include powerful members of the nobility and major figures in the development of British politics and society.

Volume 1 - Practical Angel Magic of Dr John Dee’s Enochian Tables

Volume 2 - The Keys to the Gateway of Magic

Volume 3 - The Goetia of Dr Rudd

Volume 4 - The Veritable Key of Solomon

Volume 5 - The Grimoire of St Cyprian – Clavis Inferni

Volume 6 - Sepher Raziel – Liber Salomonis (Karr & Skinner)

More information can be found at: http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/221/?page_id=447

Halloween Blessings!

2010-10-29T19:25:00.001+01:00

We would like to wish all of our readers a blessed and happy Halloween!

Its a time of so much magic, folklore, superstition and mythology! For modern Pagans, Witches and Wiccans it is one of the major Sabbats, the first and last in the cycle. A time when the veils between the worlds are thin and it is generally believed that the spirits of the dead, our ancestors and beings from the otherworld can walk more tangibly amongst us.

Here in Wales there are many folk customs associated with this time of the year, many forgotten, whilst some still live on in one form or another. One such interesting example is recounted in the book “Welsh Folk Customs” :

“….variation of this custom was formerly found in the neighbouring towns of Llandfyllin ‘ among the lower order of the working men.’ these used to ‘dress themselves in sheep’s skins and old ragged clothes and mask their faces, going about the houses and streets on Hallowe’en. They used to get coppers, apples and nuts, and drink in public-houses. They were called gwrachod, that is, hags or witches, in allusion to the old traditions amongst the Celtcs that fiends, witches and fairies are thought to all be abroad on their baneful errands during this night. Children were often frightened by them, and they were sometimes bold and impertinent. This foolish custom was put down to a great extent by the police. It is interesting to note that Edward Jones, writing in 1794, refers to a similar custom in north Wales at Christmas when men and maids went about neighbours’ houses disguised in each other’s clothes and sometimes in masks. The name gwrachod was also used for these, and members of the party danced, sang and peformed ‘antic diversions’ for which they received ‘good cheer’, ale, apples or nuts. The name gwrachod (hags) for these wandering groups seem to derive from the supernatural activity associated with All-Hallow’s Eve rather than from the gwrach of the corn-custom. …”
(Welsh Folk Customs, Trefor M. Owen, 1959)

Of course the Cailleach, whose name also means “hag” is also associated with this time of the year, it is believed it is at Halloween that she first emerges to blight the land with her icy wand.

“More than any other figure in Celtic or British myth, the Cailleach represents the cumulative power of time. Her great age is a common theme in many of the tales about her, and as a result she has almost always been seen as a hag or crone (a meaning of her name). Her earth-shaping ability, through accidental placement of great stones expresses a mythic explanation for processes which take millions of years. The deliberate placement of stones is frequently tied in with Neolithic burial chambers, hinting at the survival of a cult from the distant past.
The Cailleach also has strong associations with both the weather and water, being viewed as the goddess of the harsh winter months. In this role she has been linked in literature ad legend to the Celtic maiden goddess Bride, sometimes as polar opposite and at other times as being dual manifestations of the same goddess. The extent of her power was made clear when she exercised her control over the forces of nature, which made her a significant figure in local folklore.”
(Visions of the Cailleach, D’Este & Rankine, Avalonia, 2009)

Whatever you get up to in celebration, have fun and remember to leave some food out for the spirits of your ancestors, the ancestors of the place you live and / or for the faery folk … you never know!

Illuminating the Spirit of the Sacred ~ www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

Sepher Raziel : Liber Salomonis

2010-10-25T18:18:00.001+01:00

Dear Readers,

We are excited to be able to announce that we now have copies of Sepher Raziel:
Liber Salomonis by Don Karr & Stephen Skinner available here at Avalonia. This
book will be of interest to those of you who share an interest in the Solomonic
Tradition. More information (including photographs) can be found at:
http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/221/?page_id=695

----------------
Sepher Raziel - Liber Salomonis
A Sixteenth century English Grimoire

Edited by Don Karr and Stephen Skinner

Sepher Raziel – also called Liber Salomonis – is a full grimoire in the
Solomonic tradition from a rare sixteenth century English manuscript. It is
completely different from the Sepher Raziel ha-Melakh published by Steve
Savedow, and is the oldest grimoire so far published in the Sourceworks of
Ceremonial Magic series, and shows clear signs of it Hebrew and Greek roots,
quoting both Solomon and Hermes.

It contains seven treatises:

* Clavis, concerned with astrology and its use in magic, with precise
interactions between planets, Signs, and Houses;

* Ala, outlining the magical virtues of stones, herbs, and animals;

* Tractatus Thymiamatus, which deals with incense, and perfumes used in the Art;

* Treatise of Times detailing the correct hours of the day for each operation;

* Treatise on Preparations on ritual purity, and abstinence;

* Samaim, on the different heavens and their angels; and finally,

* Semiforas or a Book of Names and their virtues and properties, being seven
semiforas attributed to Adam and seven semiforas attributed to Moses.

The Sepher Raziel text is given in two forms: a literal transcription with no
changes in spelling or wording, and a full modern annotated English version.

This volume also includes a foreword which offers an overview of Raziel
manuscripts, which represent a number of independent traditions, an essay on the
literature of Solomonic magic in English, an introduction to the Sepher Raziel
manuscript itself, an appendix on incense names, botanical names and
identification, a list of printed notices and manuscript sources of Sepher
Raziel, and a full bibliography of printed works on Solomonic magic and items of
related interest.

More information (including photographs) can be found at:
http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/221/?page_id=695

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Avalonia
http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

Illuminating the Spirit of the Sacred

Samhain Magical Bundle Offers

2010-10-06T16:49:00.002+01:00

Samhain, or “Halloween”, is the death festival, marking the descent of Winter, when the Summer goes to its rest. The leaves are falling from the trees in drifts, and life draws away from the surface of the earth, descending deep into the earth into the roots and bulbs of plants which rest over the Winter. Although there are no wild flowers blooming, the colours of nature are still rich and warm. It is a time of transformation and inner work, a sombre time of remembrance, when we remember and honour those who have died. It is said that the veils between the worlds are thin, enable both spiritual beings and humans to more easily experience both.

Here in the Northern Hemisphere the festival is usually celebrated on November’s eve.

It is also the time that the Cailleach, becomes the Crone of Winter. In the winter months it used to be believed (and indeed, still is by some) that you might catch a glimpse of the Cailleach, shrouded in white and riding through the sky on the back of a wolf. If you did, you would know to keep really very still, as she could bring snow and blizzards, swirling the air with her magic wand and keeping her mantle of snow over the land. Samhain is the time that she becomes dominant, riding her wolf and striking down signs of growth with her magic want and spreading ice and snow, ruling this half of the year, until the coming of summer at Beltane. Though there are some who say that the Old Woman of Winter rules from Equinox to Equinox instead, which means that she is already out there bringing cold and frost to parts of the country as the Sun grows weaker...

In celebration of the coming of Winter and the festival of Samhain we are offering the following bundles at discounts of up to 30% off the RRP.

For more information see: http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/221/?page_id=806

All offers valid until 7 November 2010.

-----------------------
Avalonia: Illuminating the Spirit of the Sacred

http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

Clavis Inferni (The Keys to Hell) - The Grimoire of St Cyprian

2010-10-03T14:21:00.002+01:00

Dear Readers,

We are pleased to be able to announce that we now have a limited number of the highly sought after book CLAVIS INFERNI - The Grimoire of St Cyprian by Stephen Skinner and David Rankine available. You can order your copy now at: http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/221/?page_id=468

"Clavis Inferni (The Key of Hell) is as unusual and captivating a manuscript as its title suggests. From the moment when the authors first found the small leather-bound manuscript languishing in obscurity in the Wellcome Library, they had every intention of publishing it. The stunning colour images jump out at the reader, showing the high level of intent put into every aspect of the manuscript by its author (or copyist). Astonishingly for such a desirable magical tome, they could find no written reference to it prior to their first declaration of intent to make it available in The Keys to the Gateway of Magic (volume 2 of the Sourceworks of Ceremonial Magic) back in 2005, when they included one of the stunning images as the cover of that work." Available as a cloth bound hardback with dustjacket.

You will notice that we have completely redesigned our website, we hope that you will find it easier to use and that you will find the additional information and images useful in your search for materials. If you encounter any problems, please let us know. You can browse the entire site using the menu at the top or the search function (top right).

~~~ Illuminating the Spirit of the Sacred ~~~

http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

Autumn Equinox News

2010-09-17T11:59:00.002+01:00

Dear Readers ...

Here in the Northern Hemisphere we are nearing the time of the Autumn Equinox, a day when light and dark is in balance, marking the transition from the light half of the year, to the dark. A time when the nights will once again become longer than the days, and the Lord of Dark rules. Of course the opposite is true for those readers in the Southern Hemisphere, where you will experience the Spring Equinox marking the beginning of Spring, when your days become longer and warmer once again.

This time of the year has a great deal of folklore and legends attached to it. Here in the UK there is plenty of stories related to the Devil and the gathering of nuts, the general consensus being that gathering nuts on the 21st of September (also known as St Matthew's Day) is generally a bad idea as you might encounter the Devil, who might drag you down to Hell forever. Likewise girls gathering nuts on this day might find themselves unexpectedly pregnant. Regarding the weather however we find ourselves in a more dionysian mood, for it is said that "Matthew's day, bright and clear, Brings good wine in the next year".

Another old custom, which some believe to the continuation of an old Greek custom, brought here via the Romans, is that of the Clipping of the Church. An excellent example of this takes place on the Sunday nearest to the 19th of September each year. In this the locals all get together, process to the church and then dance around it holding hands, embracing it. The local delicacy on the day is "Puppy Dog Pie" which is a round cake with a china dog in it, and there are all kinds of interesting links to the Goat-footed god Pan, the Devil, and other such things. You will find a little more about Painswick here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Painswick

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Autumn Equinox Specials:

See our Offer Page for details: http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/offers.htm

Autumn Equinox Offers are: Avalonia's Book of Chakras (David Rankine and Sorita d'Este) and The Complete Magician's Tables (Stephen Skinner), details at http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/offers.htm ; valid between 15th - 25th of September

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Available for Pre-Order Now:

Kali Kaula by Jan Fries ~ A Manual of Tantric Magick
http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/titles/kali_kaula.htm

The Priory of Sion by Jean-Luc Chaumeil ~ Shedding Light on the Treasure and Legacy of Rennes-Le-Chateau and The Priory of Sion
http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/titles/priory_of_sion.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Coming Soon from Avalonia:

Liber Hekate by Tara Sanchez; The Marian Cypher (The Rediscovery of the Sun Goddess) by Ric Kemp; King Arthur: Shadows in the Mist by August Hunt (Author of "The Secrets of Avalon") and The Grimoire of Arthur Gauntlet (A 17th century London Cunningman's book of rituals and spells) by David Rankine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Avalonia ~ Illuminating the Spirit of the Sacred

http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk/

Join our mailinglist at : http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/announce/?p=subscribe

Kali Kaula by Jan Fries

2010-09-16T15:24:00.003+01:00

For those of you who have patiently been waiting for the release of Jan Fries’ book “Kali Kaula – A Manual of Tantric Magick” you can pre-order this title from as today from the Avalonia website. Details of this exciting book can be found at

http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/titles/kali_kaula.htm

~~ About Kali Kaula by Jan Fries ~~

Kali Kaula is a practical and experiential journey through the land of living magickal art that is Tantra, guided by the incisive, inspired and multi-talented hands of Jan Fries. By stripping away the fantasies and exploring the roots, flowers and fruits of Tantra, the author provides an outstandingly effective and coherent manual of practices.

Acknowledging the huge diversity of Tantric material produced over the centuries, Jan Fries draws on several decades of research and experience and focuses on the early traditions of Kula, Kaula and Krama, and the result is this inimitable work which shines with the light of possibility.

Unique in style and content, this book is more than a manual of tantric magick, it is a guide to the exploration of the inner soul. It contains the most lucid discussions of how to achieve liberation in the company of numerous Indian goddesses and gods, each of whom brings their own lessons and gifts to the dedicated seeker. It is also an eloquent introduction to the mysteries of the great goddess Kali, providing numerous views of her manifold nature, and showing the immense but hidden role played throughout history by women in the development and dissemination of tantric practices and beliefs.

Jan Fries explores the spectrum of techniques from mudra to mantra, pranayama to puja, from kundalini arousal to purification to sexual rites, and makes them both accessible and relevant, translating them out of the Twilight Language of old texts and setting them in the context of both personal transformation and the historical evolution of traditions. The web of connections between Tantra and Chinese Alchemy and Taoism are explored as the author weaves together many of the previously disparate strands of philosophies and practices. This book challenges the reader to dream, delight, and develop, and provides an illustrated guidebook on how to do so.

Bliss awaits those who dare.

———————

This book is available in two editions, being a perfect bound paperback at £28.99, or a cloth hardback with dustwrapper at £55.00

For details of how to reserve your copy now see: http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/titles/kali_kaula.htm

2010-05-30T14:15:00.000+01:00

We are both proud and excited to announce that the anthology “HEKATE Her Sacred Fires” which brings together essays, prose and artwork by more than 50 contributors from all around the world is now available for pre-order from our website http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk or from the project’s website http://www.sacredfires.co.uk

The book, which was edited by Sorita d’Este, includes contributions by: Aedos Alala, Amber Rose, Amelia Ounsted, Andrea Salgado-Reyes, Anon, Brian Andrews, Catamara Rosarium, Connia Silver, Diane M. Champigny, Dorn Simon-Sinnott, Ekaterina Ilieva, Emily Carding, Georgi Mishev, Hansa, Harry Barron, Henrik Holmdahl, Izzy Purplespoon, Jade Sol Luna, Jean Marie Feddercke, Jen Ricci, Jhon Longshaw, John Canard, Katherine Sutherland, Kay Gillard, Lezley Forster, Madre van der Merwe, Magin Rose, Mark Alan Smith, MDL, Michael Ellis, Morgana Sythove, Naza Cogo, Nikki Cullen, Orryelle Defenestrate-Bascule, Petra Schollem, Raven Digitalis, Richard A. Derks, Sara Croft, Shani Oates, Shay Skepevski, Soror Basilisk, Tara Sanchez, Thomas Starr, Tim Furlow, Tina Georgitsis, Tinnekke Bebout, Trystn M. Branwynn, Vikki Bramshaw, Vlasta Mijac & Yuri Robbers. It has been produced as an A4 paperback, with 308 pages, including more than 70 illustrations and photographs.

Hekate Her Sacred Fires is an exceptional book for an extraordinary, eternal and universal Goddess. It brings together essays, prose and artwork from more than fifty remarkable contributors from all over the world. Their stories and revelations are challenging, their visions and determination in exploring the mysteries are inspirational, and their enthusiasm for the Goddess of the Crossroads is truly entrancing and sometimes highly infectious.

Hekate is a Goddess of great antiquity. She is primordial, powerful and sometimes animalistic – and yet, she is also sophisticated, modern and capable of adapting to different cultures. She is the Torchbearer, the Cosmic World Soul, the Guide and Companion. She is Mistress of the Restless Dead, who rules over the Heavens Earth and Sea. She is the Keybearer and so much more. Her devotees today, as throughout the ages, include philosophers, poets, sorcerers, theurgists, witches, root-cutters, enchantresses and ordinary people.

In her introduction, the author and priestess Sorita d’Este brings together an exciting wealth of material on the history and development of how the goddess Hekate has been seen through the ages. As well as a fascinating discussion of her possible origins and mythological connections, the introduction also includes a timeline providing glimpses into her portrayal through the ages, with extracts from literature and examples of amulets, coins and art.

The spectrum of material covered in this anthology is as diverse as the forms of Hekate herself, emphasising her role as lightbearer, keybearer, initiatrix, world soul, child’s nurse, mistress of crossroads and serpent mysteries. Her devotees describe her role in traditional witchcraft and initiatory Wicca, healing and paganism, her approachability through her angels and trance oracles, her assistance in overcoming traumas and helping the dead continue their journeys. From the reestablishment of the ancient worship of the great mother goddess as Hekate in Thrace (Bulgaria) to meteorites and pilgrimages, Hekate’s presence around the world and beyond is vividly described and illustrated by her torchbearers.

====================

A full table of contents, as well as further information on this project can be found at http://www.sacredfires.co.uk

You can order your copy from http://www.sacredfires.co.uk, or from http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/titles/hekate_hersacredfires.htm (both with free P&P to all international destinations). Likewise your local occult / pagan shop will be able to order it for you, or you can order from your local amazon, or other online shop.

The Book of Gold

2010-05-02T14:28:00.002+01:00

The Book of Gold
(Le Livre d'Or)

A 17th Century Magical Grimoire of Amulets, Charms, Prayers, Sigils and Spells Using the Biblical Psalms of King David

By David Rankine and Paul Harry Barron

Now Available.

Le Livre d’Or (The Book of Gold) is a unique 17th century French magical work comprising numerous amulets, charms, prayers, spells and sigils for working with the Biblical Book of the Psalms of King David. Written in a simple style akin to a medieval Book of Secrets combined with magical practices from the ancient world, Le Livre d’Or brings together practices which have their roots in major works from the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Cairo Genizah, to the Greek Magical Papyri and Sepher Shimmush Tehillim (Magical Use of the Psalms).

Now translated into English for the first time, this exceptional text demonstrates the significance of the Psalms as a unifying and vital thread throughout the development of Western magic. From Sweden to Syria, Britain to the Baltic, the use of appropriate Psalms has spread as a significant part of popular folk and religious magic, and Le Livre d’Or is an inimitable example of the transmission of divine power through the written and spoken word. Le Livre d’Or was originally bound as part of Lansdowne MS 1202 with a 17th century French copy of the most important of grimoires, the Key of Solomon.

The extensive commentary by David Rankine and Paul Harry Barron emphasises the place of the Psalms within the Grimoire tradition, detailing their extensive apotropaic, amuletic and coercive uses in works such as the Book of Abramelin, the Key of Solomon and the Goetia. The editors also illustrate how the magic of the Psalms has underlain and cross-fertilised numerous traditions over the last two thousand years, from Hellenic magicians, early Christians and Jews of the ancient world to practitioners of the medieval Grimoires and Renaissance Cunning-folk.

Whether it was for benevolent or malefic results, Le Livre d’Or provided the appropriate Psalm verses and relevant techniques. This previously ignored work is an outstanding example of eminently practical magic which not only draws on such major works as the Heptameron and the Steganographia, but also many of the divine names found in the Kabbalah. From Saints to spirits, characters to Creeds, Le Livre d’Or shines forth as a significant and reclaimed chapter in the Western Esoteric Traditions.

The Secrets of Avalon - by August Hunt

2010-04-27T11:38:00.003+01:00

"Despite many attempts by writers from every discipline, from the extremely academic to the lunatic fringe, as yet no one has succeeded in defining the truth about either Arthur or the Druids. Even more rarely do we see any attempt to connect the two. And herein lies the strength and originality of August Hunt's book. Not only does he delve very deeply indeed into the mythic and historic background of the Arthur stories, he also applies his considerable knowledge of folklore, onomastics, and Dark Age history to illuminate the connections between the traditions of both Arthur and the Druids. The result is an important book that really does break new ground, casting fresh light into many dark and obscure place and passage in the vast panoply of Arthurian and Celtic traditions." (From the Foreword, by John Matthews)

Now available for pre-order!
www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

The Secrets of Avalon by August Hunt
Available from www.secretsofavalon.co.uk or www.avaloniabooks.com

RRP £14.99 with free postage & packaging to all destinations (worldwide)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Secrets of Avalon is a unique and ground-breaking book which challenges
many of the accepted views of the Arthurian tradition. From clues in old tales and documents, place names and the mythic landscape, August Hunt weaves a tapestry of the Celtic Gods and the Arthurian tales which heralds a new chapter in the interpretation of the deeds and existence of the greatest heroes of British legend – King Arthur and Merlin.

Not only does the author place these figures in the British landscape, he also dispels many of the older inaccurate ideas about them and demonstrates which of their tales have been assimilated from other old sources to produce the popular images that exist today.

By applying his wealth of knowledge and exploring the obscure and unresolved areas of the Arthurian tales, August Hunt provides new and provocative interpretations leading to startling conclusions about many subjects including the nature of Merlin, the dragon spirits of Britain, the real Holy Grail, the location of Avalon and the identities, human and divine, of the major characters in the Arthurian tales. Amongst these the author also focuses on the significant but often shadowy female figures of the myths like the Lady of the Lake, the Mother of Arthur and the Nine Goddesses of Avalon.

The quest for the hidden mysteries leads from Wales to Cornwall to Scotland,from Ireland to France and Italy, but most of all from the forgotten fragments of the past to the unfolding of the myths which dwell at the heart of the British psyche.

The author also includes fascinating appendices on a new interpretation of the Ogam alphabet and how to use it for divination, the symbolism and ritual uses of the Thirteen Treasures of Britain, and the zodiacal correspondences of King Arthur’s battles.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Secrets of Avalon by August Hunt
Available from www.secretsofavalon.co.uk or www.avaloniabooks.com

RRP £14.99 with free postage & packaging to all destinations (worldwide)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clavis Inferni - The Grimoire of Saint Cyprian

2010-04-15T20:15:00.001+01:00

Dear Readers,

This is a note for those fascinated with and practising within the realms of the Grimoire Tradition to let you know that Avalonia is making a small number of the Deluxe Edition of The Grimoire of Saint Cyprian ~ Clavis Inferni available for purchase from this evening. These are the very last copies of this highly sought after and desirable grimoire.

Further details, including photographs can be found at:

http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/sourceworks/cyprian.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clavis Inferni (The Key of Hell) is as unusual and captivating a manuscript as its title suggests. From the moment when the authors first found the small leather-bound manuscript languishing in obscurity in the Wellcome Library, they had every intention of publishing it. The stunning colour images jump out at the reader, showing the high level of intent put into every aspect of the manuscript by its author (or copyist). Astonishingly for such a desirable magical tome, they could find no written reference to it prior to their first declaration of intent to make it available in The Keys to the Gateway of Magic (volume 2 of the Sourceworks of Ceremonial Magic) back in 2005, when they included one of the stunning images as the cover of that work.

It is unique in that instead of being weighed down with many prayers and conjurations it addresses the summoning and use of both the four Archangels, Michael, Raphael, Gabriel and Uriel as well as their opposite numbers, the four Demon Kings, Paymon, Maimon, Egyn and Oriens. The latter are shown in their animal and human forms along with their sigils, a resource found nowhere else amongst grimoires.

There have been many grimoires attributed to St. Cyprian of Antioch due to his reputation as a consummate magician before his conversion to Christianity, but perhaps none so intriguing as the present manuscript. This unique manuscript (unlike the more rustic examples attributed to St Cyprian called the Black Books of Wittenburg, as found in Scandinavia, or the texts disseminated under his name in Spain and Portugal) is directly in line with the Solomonic tradition, and therefore relevant to the series of Sourceworks of Ceremonial Magic.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Audi Tu ad verba mea mihi obediens, et voluntatem meam explere consuete..." (From 'Clavis Inferni')

~~ http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/sourceworks/cyprian.htm

~~~

From a Drop of Water ...

2009-12-03T10:54:00.005Z

This unique anthology is now available for order from Avalonia - see:
http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/titles/from_a_drop_of_water.htm

The collection includes essays exploring Water in a variety of magical and spiritual traditions.

From a Drop of Water ... new anthology edited by Kim Huggens

2009-12-01T11:58:00.001Z

“From a Drop of Water…”

A Collection of Magickal Reflections on the Nature, Creatures,Uses, and Symbolism of Water.

"This creation is, in its totality, a drop of Water; man himself has originated from a drop of Water"
Bundahishn 28,2

Edited by Kim Huggens
Contributions by: Yvonne Aburrow, Harry Barron, John Canard, Emily Carding, Diane M.Champigny, Chrissy Derbyshire,Sorita d’Este, Rachel Donaldson, Nina Falaise, Melissa Harrington,Kim Huggens, Payam Nabarz, Maestro Nestor, Magin, Cathryn Orchard, Rodney Orpheus, Andrea Salgado Reyes and Katherine Sutherland

FROM A DROP OF WATER is a unique collection of 17 essays by some of the foremost modern esoteric writers, pagan scholars and magickal practitioners. Each contribution reflects the writer’s own understanding and passion for Water, and in doing so they share their unique insights, experiences and their diverse research on the subject with the reader. The powerful nature of Water as transformer and healer, initiator into the mysteries and bringer of both life and death is emphasised throughout. The multitude of spiritual beings associated with Water are powerful and volatile forces of nature. They include the Undines and Nymphs of European folklore, as well as mythical creatures such as mermaids and krakens, sirens and selkies. The importance of Water is often taken for granted, yet its symbolism connects every religion, spiritual path and philosophy. Many of the earliest creation myths have Water as a central theme, and man has forever been telling tales of the Waters of this Earth, and has since time immemorial gazed up at the Moon who governs the ebb and flow of the ocean’s tides.

Likewise, deities associated with Water often play a central role in myths, legends and practices, and this is explored in many of the essays in this anthology. From Anahita, the Persian Goddess of rain and abundance, to the Afro-Brazilian Goddess Yemanyá, the Egyptian Mother Goddess Isis as portrayed in Dion Fortune’s Sea Priestess and Nimue in the Arthurian Legends, the power of Water is ever present. Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of Love is born from the foam of the oceans, and many of the Vodou Lwa – including Agwe, Mambo La Sirene, Erzulie Freda, Damballah Wedo and the Simbis also have strong associations with Water which are explored in this collection. Furthermore, the magical qualities and symbolism of Water are explored through examples of meditation, ritual, song and dance. Its magic is manifested through talismans, poetry, art and invocation. Moreover, Living Water as used in the Kabbalah and Grimoires, as well as the role of Water in Baptism are also explored.

This exceptional collection of essays bring together a breadth of experience, which is emphasised through the diversity of traditions they represent. These include Vodou, Thelema, the Western Mystery Tradition, Wicca, Paganism, and English Root Magick, as well as Grimoire Magicians who work the magick of the Key of Solomon and Goetia.

Water both allures and terrifies – just like the stark contrast between the glimmering of moonlight upon the ocean’s surface on a clear night and the hulking gloom in its fathomless depths. But the planet’s oceans and many Waters are vast and unfathomable, and herein lies but a few drops of wisdom in a sea of possibilities.

This exciting new book will be available for preorder from Avalonia very soon! Make sure to join our mailinglist at www.avaloniabooks.co.uk to be kept informed of new titles.

Odin's Gateways by Katie Gerrard

2009-11-17T04:32:00.002Z

Dear All,

We are proud to announce that Odin's Gateways by Katie Gerrard is now available for preorder from our website. For more information go to: http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/titles/odins_gateways.htm

For those of you nearer to London, who have a keen interest in the Runes or who want to find out more about Runes you are invited to the celebration of the launch of this exciting new book which will be taking place this coming Sunday afternoon at Treadwells Bookshop in Covent Garden (London).

Here's the details:
Date: Sunday, 22 November 2009
Time: 14:00 - 17:00
Location: Treadwells Bookshop
Street: 34 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden
Town/City: London, United Kingdom
If you wish to attend PLEASE BOOK DIRECTLY WITH TREADWELLS BOOK SHOP 020 7240 8906

-------
More information
-------
Odin’s Gateways

By Katie Gerrard

(Avalonia, November 2009)
http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/titles/odins_gateways.htm

Description:

“The runes you must find … Which the mighty sage stained and the powerful gods made and the runemaster of the gods carved out.” (The Poetic Edda, translated by Carolyne Larrington)

The runes are mysterious and powerful magical keys to the primal forces of nature that shaped Norse and Northern European culture. These twenty-four unique and inspiring symbols of the Elder Futhark (first runic alphabet) each possess powerful energies, identities, meanings, and sounds. They are both the gateways and the hidden mysteries beyond the gateways, connecting you to the nine worlds of gods, giants, elves, dwarves and shades. The runes are invoked and harnessed to create change through inspiration, healing, protection, knowledge and divine wisdom from the Norse gods.

Odin’s Gateways is a practical guide to using the runes in our lives, in magic and in divination – a unique journey into the mysteries hidden within the runes, filled with the information and practices necessary to developing a deep personal understanding and relationship with them. By focusing on how to directly harness and channel the energy of the individual runes, the author guides the reader along the path to self knowledge and empowerment. With a deft hand and lucid style, Katie Gerrard cuts to the heart of the runes, combining the wisdom of the Norse Sagas and rune poems with practical advice and techniques gained through living and experiencing their powers.

The practical magic of the runes is demonstrated through numerous examples of Galdr (incantation), bindrunes (composite runic sigils) and spellcraft for purposes such as protection, healing, childbirth, creating a sacred space, fertility, sleep, battle and cursing. The divinatory meanings of the runes are given, with a range of different reading methods, and advice on how to cast and interpret them. Woven amongst the manifold techniques and practices contained in her work, the author also explores the history of rune use, providing the highlights from Tacitus and Snorri Sturluson to the modern European and American rune masters who have revived their use.

You can find more information on this book, as well as the author Katie Gerrard by visiting http://runes.avalonia.co.uk/

The book is now available for preorder from Avalonia - http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/titles/odins_gateways.htm

....... Expanding the Esoteric Horizons .......

Practical Qablah Magick

2009-11-07T10:57:00.004Z

Dear Reader,

Avalonia is proud to announce that Practical Qabalah Magick by David
Rankine and Sorita d'Este is now available for order from our website.
This book is the third in a series by these authors which brings
together original research, source material and original practical
rituals, exercises and meditations, following on from the very
successful Practical Elemental Magick and Practical Planetary Magick
books.

You can order your copy from http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk
today for just £14.99. To celebrate the launch of the third book in
the series, we are also offering those readers who have not yet read
the first two books, Practical Planetary Magick and Practical
Elemental Magick, the chance to purchase all three titles together at
a discounted price. See http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk/offers.htm
for details (Offer valid until 30 Nov 2009)

------------------------------

Practical Qabalah Magick

Working the Magick of the Practical Qabalah and the Tree of Life in
the Western Mystery Tradition

By David Rankine & Sorita d'Este

"The Qabalah gives understanding and wisdom through knowledge,
strength and mercy through beauty, and a foundation of victory and
splendour, crowning the seeker within their own kingdom and raising
them to the heights of their own genius."

The Qabalah is a uniquely lucid and practical path of magical
practice and spiritual philosophy. The essence of this ancient wisdom
is a spectrum of simple and effective techniques for transforming
yourself and your life. Qabalistic practices focus around the glyph
called the Tree of Life which weaves together the magick and symbolism
of the four elements, the seven classical planets, and the zodiac into
a single perfect whole.

In Practical Qabalah Magick, the most effective Qabalistic practices
created by the great Qabalists of the past are united in one place
with techniques developed by the authors drawing on their own
research, and inspired by the rich heritage of the Western Mystery
Tradition.

The wealth of techniques within this unique and ground-breaking work
include how to use your voice to project your intent through the
Vibratory Formula and so effectively draw on the power of the Divine
Names and other words of power, Unification of the Divine Names to
rise up the Tree of Life, the power of effective prayer and how to
develop the power of prophecy (Ruach HaQadosh), the temples of the
Sephiroth, working with the archangels and angels (including the
zodiacal archangels), the powers of the 22 Paths and how to use them,
how to draw on the 231 Gates; the Lightning Flash exercise, a new
Qabalistic method for consecrating talismans and the Kerubic Prayer
Formula, being made publicly available for the first time.

Using the practices contained within this book to explore the
beautiful and insightful philosophies of the Qabalah, you may journey
through all of the Four Worlds. Practical Qabalah Magick provides the
tools to grow with the magick of the Tree of Life and enhance your
spiritual, mental, emotional and material lives.

To order your copy now, visit our website www.avaloniabooks.co.uk
or www.avaloniabooks.com

Sorita d'Este on WitchTalk - Interview

2009-11-04T18:09:00.001Z

Sorita d'Este (co-author of Hekate Liminal Rites, editor of Hekate Keys to the Crossroads) will be spending 2 hours chatting to Karagan this coming Sunday in a live interview entitled "Dancing at the Crossroads" - about Hekate, Artemis, Aphrodite, Ritual Dance, Trance and Dance .... http://www.blogtalkradio.com/witchtalk/2009/11/08/Dancing-at-the-Crossroads .... make sure to join them!

Twitter

2009-10-04T08:40:00.002+01:00

Come follow our updates on Twitter - (now includes Avalonia updates from Facebook, as well as from The Goddess Hekate) - http://www.twitter.com/avalonia

Don't be the last to know!

Treasure Hunting in Westminster Abbey

2009-09-14T11:11:00.003+01:00

For those of you with a keen interest in religion, politics and magic, related or unrelated, you may find this blog by David Rankine of interest. In it, David discusses the conjuration of treasure spirits in Westminster Abbey, of which the Dean approved, providing he got his cut of course!

See http://ritualmagick.co.uk/121/?p=377 for more info.

Find that treasure ...

2009-08-26T23:45:00.002+01:00

The Book of Treasure Spirits is now available for pre-order from Avalonia - and includes conjurations of goetic spirits, old gods, demons and fairies which were done to uncover hidden treasure and to force thieves to return stolen goods. It even includes a conjuration said to have been done for King Edward IV, King of England!

----------------------------------

The Book of Treasure Spirits --A Grimoire of magical conjurations to reveal treasure and catch thieves by invoking spirits, fallen angels, demons and fairies.

Introduction and Commentary by David Rankine; PB, £14.99, 186pp, ISBN 978-1-905297-27-6

Pre-orders will be shipped on or before the release date of 7 September 2009.

Forthcoming - The Book of Treasure Spirits

2009-08-18T15:07:00.004+01:00

Avalonia is excited to announce that THE BOOK OF TREASURE SPIRITS, edited by David Rankine, will be available in print from early September.

Conjurations of Goetic spirits, old gods, demons and fairies are all part of a rich heritage of the magical search for treasure trove. During the Middle Ages and Renaissance the British Monarchy gave out licenses to people seeking treasure in an effort to control such practices, and this is one reason why so many grimoires are full of conjurations and charms to help the magician find treasure.
Published here for the first time, from a long-ignored mid-seventeenth century manuscript in the British Library (Sloane MS 3824), is the conjuration said to have been performed at the request of King Edward IV, with other rites to reveal treasure, to have treasure brought from the sea, and to cause thieves to bring back stolen goods. Conjurations to call any type of spirit are also included, recorded by the noted alchemist and collector Elias Ashmole, as is an extract on conjuration practices from the Heptameron, transcribed into English for practical use by a working group of magicians, before its first English publication by Robert Turner in 1655.
These conjurations demonstrate the influence of earlier classic grimoires and sources, with components drawn from the Goetia, the Heptameron, and Reginald Scot’s Discoverie of Witchcraft. The material includes spirit contracts for the fallen angels Agares and Vassago, and the demon Padiel, as well as techniques like lead plates for binding, and summoning into a glass of water, which hark back to the defixiones of Hellenistic Greece and the demonic magic of the Biblical world.
This material forms part of a corpus of conjurations all written in the same hand and style of evocation, linking Goetic spirits and treasure spirits with the archangels and planetary intelligences (Sloane MS 3825), and demon kings and Enochian hierarchies (Sloane MS 3821), making it a unique bridge of style and content between what are often falsely seen as diverse threads of Renaissance magic.

Order information will be available from Avalonia Books soon. See www.avaloniabooks.com, or alternatively ask your local esoteric shop to order a copy for you!

Avalonia Lammas Newsletter

2009-07-28T21:14:00.001+01:00

Dear All,

Can you believe that it is nearly Lughnasad again! This day is named for the Irish God Lugh (pron. ‘Loo’) who is the son of Ethne (the daughter of Balor) and Cian (son of Dian Cecht) and it is celebrated on the 1st of August. Lugh means ‘shining one’ and he was fostered with the smith god Goibniu who taught him all crafts, and he gained the name ‘Lugh Lamfada’ (Lugh of the long arm). Lugh is the god of all crafts and when challenged at the gate of Tara, he replied that he was a builder, a smith, a champion, a harper, a warrior, a poet and historian, a sorcerer, a physician, a cupbearer and a brazier. Ceasar equated Lugh with the Roman god Mercury, and the reasons are easy to see considering that Mercury is also considered to be a highly skilled god.

The spear of Lugh, which is one of the four treasures of the Tuatha de Danann, ensured that no battle was ever won against whoever held it in their hand. Lugh was highly skilled in the magical arts, assuming the corrguinecht posture whilst reciting a charm to encourage his troops in the Cath Maige Tuired. He is also often identified as both a solar and underworld god, and is later linked to the Gallic goddess Rosmerta as her consort. Representations of Rosmerta found at Bath and at other continental healing water sites suggests that she may have been viewed as a healing goddess, though her key attribute is that of the ‘Great Provider’ (which is also the meaning of her name) and she was associated with wealth and plenitude. Lugh is also of course the father of the hero Cu Chulainn, whom he helps by healing him and fighting in his place whilst he is badly wounded. Like all good gods, Lugh was assimilated and canonized into the church as Saint Lughaidh.

It has been a while since I did the last Avalonia Newsletter, so much has happened since then! Hekate Liminal Rites, a historical book on the practices associated with the Goddess Hekate written and researched by myself and David Rankine was published; as was Both Sides of Heaven (anthology, various contributors) and Stellar Magic by Payam Nabarz. Details of these can be found below, or on the Avalonia Books website – http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

::: STELLAR MAGICK by Payam Nabarz
This past Friday, 24th July 2009 we celebrated the launch of ‘Stellar Magic’, the new book by the author Payam Nabarz at the Atlantis Bookshop in London. This book which was published by Avalonia, is both a practical and scholarly work on the magic of the Moon, Planets, Stars and Constellations. It draws from a wide spectrum of material and ideas from different cultures, bringing it all together in a valuable work which is already establishing itself as the principal text on the subject. If you haven’t yet, have a look at http://www.stellarmagic.co.uk and http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/titles/stellar_magic2.htm for further information on this book. Some photographs from the launch and signing can be found at http://avaloniabooks.blogspot.com/

::: BOTH SIDES OF HEAVEN with various contributors
This collection of 18 essays by some of the foremost esoteric writers, occultists and magicians from around the world is a great introduction to the world of angel magic for those who have not ventured into this area of study and practice yet. The essays explore different subjects of study, as well as different traditions – providing the reader with insights into subjects, some of which are rarely discussed. Essays include works on the Archangels, Fallen Angels, Legends of the Fall, Enochian Magic & Dr John Dee, Madeline Montalban, Azazel & Shemyaza, Lucifer, The Sidhe, The Green butterfly, The Goetia, Demons & Devils, Pacts, Grimoires from a Pagan perspective, The Thwarting Angels, Lilith, Holy Guardian Angels, Greco-Roman Winged messengers and Zoroastrian Ahuras and Daevas. Contributors include authors such as Aaron Leitch, Dan Harms, David Rankine, Emily Carding, Jake Stratton-Kent, Kim Huggens, Michael Howard, Payam Nabarz and Stephen Skinner. See http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/titles/both_sides_of_heaven.htm for further information.

::: THE GOETIA OF DR RUDD by Stephen Skinner & David Rankine
The ordinary hardback with dustwraper edition of this title is now SOLD OUT for the UK, as it has been in the USA for a while. It has been brought to our attention that copies of the ordinary edition is in some instances exchanging hands for more than the deluxe (full leather) edition of this book, of which we have still got a handful of copies available for sale. Information can be found at http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk/sourceworks/goetia.htm – including costs, shipping and if you scroll down to the bottom of the page, a photograph of what the deluxe edition looks like. We also have copies of the half-leather collectors edition of the Veritable Key of Solomon, as well as Book I & II in the Sourceworks of Ceremonial Magic series available.

::: INVOKE HEKATE – New Project
We are in the process of creating a small website featuring invocations and artwork related to the Goddess Hekate. If you would like to contribute, please email sorita11@gmail.com for details. You may also find “Servants of the Lightbearer” on facebook of interest - http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=85463831214&ref=ts I will be hosting a private celebration in honour of Hekate in September this year, if you are interested in attending please get in touch. It will be held in the Powys / Hereford area.

::: Esoteric Book Conference in Seattle, USA
This is a new annual event being organised by Ouroborus Press’s William Kiesel and brings together a number of speakers and publishers from around the occult world. As such this event should appeal to all Occult Bibliophiles out there! Check it out at http://esotericbookconference.com/2009/

::: Pan’s Picnic
For those of you in London, you may want to check out Pagan Federation London’s Pan’s Picnic – details at http://www.pflondon.org/html/major_socials.html It is in a couple of weeks time and will be taking place in the Queens Wood.

“Crystal is ice through countless ages grown
(So teach the wise) to hard transparent stone,
And still the gem retains its native force,
And holds the cold and colour of its source.
Yet some deny, and tell of crystal found
Where never icy winter froze the ground”
By Marbodius, circa 12th cent.

:::

Blessings,
Sorita d’Este
http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk
http://www.sorita.co.uk

Stellar Magic @ Atlantis Bookshop

2009-07-27T10:51:00.003+01:00

We would like to thank the lovely team at Atlantis Bookshop for hosting the launch of Stellar Magic this past Friday (24/07/09) for Avalonia and the author Payam Nabarz. The book was very well received and the author signed many copies for those who attended.

Witch Talk Radio Interviews Sorita d'Este

2009-07-19T16:15:00.002+01:00

Soritad'Este will be interviewed this evening by Karragan for Witch Talk Radio, for those of you who are interested in listening in details can be found at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/witchtalk/2009/07/19/little-mysteries-of-life-interviewing-author-sorita-deste

They will be talking about Wicca, Witchcraft, Hekate and, well Sorita!! Aparently you will even be able to call in with your questions! Starts at 9pm UK time, 4pm US.

Stellar Magic by Payam Nabarz

2009-07-03T15:45:00.003+01:00

Avalonia is proud to announce that STELLAR MAGIC by Payam Nabarz is now
available for pre-order from www.avaloniabooks.co.uk. This long-waited and very
practical Liber Astrum is being released on the Full Moon - 7 / 7 /2009.

More info & Order Information

--------------------------

STELLAR MAGIC

By Payam Nabarz

Avalonia 2009, RRP £12.99

PB, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1905297252

The stars have influenced mankind with their magic from time
immemorial, as evidenced by Archeoastronomy; instructing astrologers
and priests, guiding sailors and inspiring poets. For millennia,
cultures all around the world have told their myths and legends
through the canvas of the night sky. Yet despite the immense
significance of the constellations and stars in the ancient world,
stellar magic has been largely ignored in recent centuries.

In this inspirational and practical Liber Astrum, the author draws
together material from ancient, classical and medieval sources;
spanning East and West, fusing modern poetry with ancient magic,
mysticism with myth and ritual with recital to lift our gazes back to
the heavens.

The author's breadth of scholarship is seen in the spectrum of
material he weaves together, from sources as diverse as the Hymns of
Orpheus and Plato's Timaeus to the Zoroastrian Yasht hymns and Persian
Pahlavi Texts, the Sufi works of the Ibn Arabi and Rumi; from the
Chaldean Oracles and the Greek Magical Papyri to the Books of Ezekiel
and Enoch, from the Picatrix and the Sefer Yetzirah to the works of
John Dee, Rudolf Steiner, Gerald Gardner and Aleister Crowley. The
poetic inspiration of the stars is also expressed through material and
ideas by such luminaries as John Milton, Gerald Manly Hopkins, Sylvia
Plath, Robert Graves and W.B. Yeats.

Through the enchanting words and ceremonies provided to lead the way,
timeless journeys to the stars are woven around the participants.
Included amongst the rites are ceremonies with the constellations of
Perseus & Andromeda, Cygnus, Orion, the Pleiades, the Great Bear,
Draco, the twelve signs of the Zodiac, the star Sirius, the Moon, the
seven classical Planets, and the Stellar World Cave: the Mithraeum.

This is a highly accessible, succinct and practical book on a complex
subject, which will benefit anyone interested in the magic of the
stars, from the casual observer of the night skies to the dedicated
magician or mystic.

--------------------------

http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/titles/stellar_magic2.htm

BOTH SIDES OF HEAVEN - new anthology - ANGELS, FALLEN ANGELS & DEMONS

2009-06-22T16:03:00.004+01:00

... We are proud to announce ...

BOTH SIDES OF HEAVEN
A collection of essays exploring the origins, history, magic and nature of divine winged messengers, angels, demons and fallen angels.
Available from http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

Look up towards the heavens and open your mind to the infinite, for
it is there that you will see the colourful multifaceted world of
winged messengers - Gods, Angels, Fallen Angels and Demons.

*

BOTH SIDES OF HEAVEN* is a collection of 18 essays by some of the
foremost modern esoteric writers, occult scholars and magicians. In
their personal contributions they share their experiences, research
and unique insights into the spiritual realms of the mysterious beings
who have played such an important and inspirational role in human
spiritual history.

From the nature of the daimons of the Graeco-Roman world, the
Zoroastrian Ahuras and Daevas, the seductive Lilith and mighty
Lucifer, through to the Fallen Angels of the Bible and the Book of
Enoch, and their children the Nephilim, we find that these powerful
beings are harbingers of change.

In this anthology their magical natures are explored through the
works of Renaissance magicians such as Dr John Dee and Edward Kelley,
Dr Thomas Rudd and

more recently Madeline Montalban, as well as in that of the
experiences of the contributors themselves. The ceremonies and
conjurations of grimoires such as the Key of Solomon, Goetia and
Grimorium Verum are considered, as well as adaptations thereof and
simpler, personal encounters.

When you look at Both Sides of Heaven seeking wisdom and knowledge
from the wings of ethereal messengers, you will see legions of angels
and demons, archangels, fallen angels, old gods and even a few faeries
and green butterflies. And maybe, they will be looking back at you
too.

*Contents:*

/A Host of Winged Messengers/ - Sorita d'Este

/Fallen Angels and Legends of the Fall/ - Rufus Harrington

/On the Wings of Rebirth/ - Katherine Sutherland

/The Myth of the Fallen Ones/ - Michael Howard

/The Enochians/ - Aaron Leitch

/Madeline Montalban, Elemental and Fallen Angels/ - Julia Phillips

/Azazel & Shemyaza/ - Diana Allam

/Thirteen Unicycles in the Woods/ - Adele Nozedar

/The Salvation of the Sidhe/ - Emily Carding

/The Green Butterfly/ - Dan Harms

/The Fallen Angels and the Goetia /- David Rankine

/Demons & Devils /- Maestro Nestor

/Grimoires for Pagans/ - Jake Stratton-Kent

/The Thwarting Angels/ - Stephen Skinner

/Loving Lilith/ - Melissa Harrington

/The Face in the Mirror/ - Charlotte Rodgers

/Between Gods and Men /- Kim Huggens

/Zoroastrian Angels and Demons/ - Payam Nabarz

-----------------------------------------------------------------
For more information, including order information see:
http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/titles/both_sides_of_heaven.htm

(Please note: this title will receive free postage & packaging on all
orders placed on our website http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk
- to all destinations worldwide. )

Midsummer Approaching, so are three new titles from Avalonia!

2009-06-19T12:45:00.001+01:00

The past couple of weeks has been a tremendously productive and busy time for us here at Avalonia! At the end of last month we launched "Hekate Liminal Rites" by Sorita d'Este and David Rankine which has been hugely popular. So far so good and those of you who bought the book and wrote back to tell us what you thought seemed to have enjoyed it and found the research of interest. Likewise it seems that there has been a surge of interest in our book Practical Elemental Magick which was released late last year, with many comments coming in from readers who are eager for us to do further volumes in the set. To join Practical Elemental Magick and Practical Planetary Magick in the near future is Practical Qabalah Magick; and later this year "Practical Astral Magick". There are a couple of further volumes planned, but not until later in 2010 and 2011.

Then in addition to dealing with queries, orders and other correspondence generated by the above, we have also been getting ready for the launch of THREE new titles! Pre-orders for all three these will open very soon at the Avalonia Books website - make sure to join our Newsletter Mailinglist if you wish to stay informed:

The first of the three titles to be released will be "Both Sides of Heaven" (due out 25-06-09). This is an anthology considering the nature, history and magical practices associated with Angels, Fallen Angels and Demons. With a host of amazing contributors (see cover below for details) this anthology is already drawing in a lot of attention from people with an interest in the subjects covered:

Then, to join the heavenly chorus (or, sometimes ex-heavenly chorus!) of Both Sides of Heaven, comes the long awaited book by the author Payam Nabarz, "Stellar Magic". This book brings together both carefully researched material in relation to the Stars, Planets and Constellations; with inspired rituals, poetry and liturgy which would appeal to both Pagans and Ceremonialists alike. More information on this project can be found at www.stellarmagic.co.uk and will soon also be available on the Avalonia Books website. We have shown it to friends of ours in the Fellowship of Isis; who are Wiccan and who are Thelemites over the last couple of weeks and they have all been justifyable excited to see a book like this be prepared for publication. (The Wiccan HPS remarked that it would be a great book for any Pagan group to have, as quite a few of the rituals are designed for group use, something which is rare in the marketplace as of course it is usually considered less "commercial" !). We are excited as we think this book compliments some of our own titles very well, but also because it does offer a lot of new practical material which would be very useful to people working by themselves or who are trying to start groups of their own.

(Stellar Magic, by Payam Nabarz is due out on the July Full Moon, 7/7/09)

Then finally, to join the above we have "A Book of Treasure Spirits" (edited by David Rankine). This book contains annotated transcriptions from a seemingly forgotten (or ignored!) MSS, as well as a conjuration which was alledgedly done for King Edward IV of England - more information at Avalonia Books soon!

Both Sides of Heaven - Coming Soon!

2009-06-06T22:43:00.004+01:00

We are currently preparing for the launch of the latest Avalonia Anthology edited by Sorita d'Este "Both Sides of Heaven" - more information and pre-order information will soon be available at Avalonia Books. Contributors include some of the foremost modern researchers and writers on the occult, each contributing original articles on subjects related to Angels, Fallen Angels and Demons. Subjects covered include: Enochian Magic and Angels, The Fall, Lillith, HGA (Holy Guardian Angel), Zorastrian Angels, John Dee, controlling angels from the Key of Solomon, Angels and Demons of the Goetia, Madeleine Montalban and Lumiel, personal experiences of angels, The Sidhe (Faeries), Demons, Devils, Pacts, Azazel and Shemyaza ... and more besides!

The stunning cover image on Both Sides of Heaven is by Emily Carding, well known artist who is the creator of The Transparent Tarot. For more info on her work see www.childofavalon.com

New Avalonia Newsletter Mailinglist

2009-05-25T16:37:00.003+01:00

Avalonia Books now has one mailinglist (rather than six!) ... if you wish to receive notifications about our projects and research, as well as seasonal folklore to your email inbox once a month (rather than just announcements here on Blogger / RSS) please go to http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/announce/?p=subscribe to subscribe to the Avalonia Newsletter.

David Rankine @ When the Light Gets In (Hay on Wye)

2009-05-21T21:16:00.001+01:00

The Esoteric author and folklorist David Rankine will be giving a free talk on Friday, 29th May at the “WHEN THE LIGHT GETS IN” philosophy and music festival in Hay on Wye. This is the first festival of its kind in the UK and coincides with the week of the Hay on Wye Guardian Book Festival.

David will be speaking about the research he did with Sorita d’Este for their book “Visions of the Cailleach” (this is billed incorrectly on the festival program!)

The Cailleach is one of the most intriguing and significant figures in British folklore. Some tales portray her as a benevolent and primal giantess from the dawn of time who shaped the land and controlled the forces of nature, others as the harsh spirit of winter. Occasionally there are hints that she may represent the survival of an early sovereignty bestowing earth goddess, or her ancient nature-based priestess cult. In the last twelve hundred years the Christian overlay has both demonised and canonised her.

Tickets are FREE (though you have to book online to reserve a place to ensure that you have a place). Go to —— http://www.howthelightgetsin.org/ticket-sales/ and scroll down to 29th May, where you will find David’s talk on the Cailleach listed under “Myth and Magic”.

You will learn about about this unique figure of British mythology from one of the foremost modern esoteric researchers who is well known for his work in this field. For more information on the Cailleach and the book by Sorita d’Este and David Rankine see http://cailleach.avalonia.co.uk/

We hope to see you there!

::: Hekate Liminal Rites ::: New

2009-05-18T12:58:00.001+01:00

Avalonia is very proud to announce the most recent addition to our growing catalogue:

HEKATE LIMINAL RITES
A study of the rituals, magic and symbols of the torch-bearing Triple Goddess of the Crossroads
By Sorita d'Este and David Rankine

Available for preorder (with free P&P to all destinations!) at www.avaloniabooks.co.uk and soon all good esoteric bookshops.
-----------------------------------------------------

About Hekate Liminal Rites

At the crossroads of life, death and rebirth stands the Goddess Hekate. Honoured by men, women and gods alike, traces of her ancient provenance reach back through the millennia providing clues about her nature and origins along the way. Depictions of her as three formed facing in three ways, sometimes with the heads of animals such as the horse, dog and snake hint at her liminal nature, as well as the powers she holds over the triple realms of earth, sea and sky.

The sorcery of Medea and Circe, the witchcraft of the women of Thessaly, the writings of philosophers such as Hesiod and Porphyry all provide glimpses into the world of those who honoured her. Her magical powers were considered so great that even King Solomon became associated with her, she was incorporated into Jewish magic, and merged with other goddesses including Artemis, Selene, Bendis and the Egyptian Isis. Whilst for some she was the Witch Goddess, for others she was the ruler of angels and daimons, who made predictions about Jesus and Christianity.

Wherever you look, be it in the texts of Ancient Greece and Rome, Byzantium or the Renaissance, the Greek Magical Papyri or the Chaldean Oracles, you will find Hekate. The magical whir of the strophalos and the barbarous words of the voces magicae carry her message; the defixiones, love spells and charms all provides us with examples of the magic done in her name. She was also associated with the magic of death, including necromancy and reanimation; as well as prophetic dreams, nightmares, healing herbs and poisons. The temples dedicated to her and the important role she played in the mysteries of Eleusis, Samothrace and Aigina all provide us with clues to her majesty. The popular shrines at the doorways of ordinary people, offerings left at the crossroads and guardian statues of her at the entrance ways to cities and temples all attest to her status in the hearts and minds of those who knew her mysteries.

In this book the authors draw from a wide range of sources, bringing together historical research which provides insights into the magical and religious practices associated with this remarkable Goddess. In doing so they provide an indispensable guide for those wishing to explore the mysteries of Hekate today.

A table of contents is available at http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/titles/hekate_liminalrites.htm
Now available for pre-order from www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

Avalonia, 2009 - RRP £12.99, 196pp

Wiccan Ritual & Belief - The Origins & History

2009-05-13T13:04:00.004+01:00

For a series of blogs about the history and origins of the practices, rituals and beliefs of the Wiccan Tradition, showing links to the Grimoire tradition, the Key of Solomon, the writings of the magician Aleister Crowley and much more - see the website of Sorita d'Este at www.sorita.co.uk

Sorita is currently writing a number of blogs around these topics, with extracts from the book Wicca Magickal Beginnings she co-authored with David Rankine. (2nd edition was published by Avalonia 2008 and is widely available). Topics considered to date include discussions around the "Athame" (black handled knife / dagger used by Wiccans) and the Charge of the Goddess.

For more info see www.sorita.co.uk where you can subscribe to the blogs via RSS, or browse through the archives using the catagory menu.

Enjoy!

Medea's Prayer to Hekate

2009-05-08T18:37:00.001+01:00

“O night, night, night! Whose darkness holds

All mysteries in shade, O flame-lit stars,

Whose golden rays with Luna floating near

Are like the fires of day – and you, O Hecate,

Who know untold desires that work our will

And art the mistress of our secret spells.”

Medea praying to Hekate, Metamorphoses, Ovid, 8 CE, trans. Horace Gregory

Review of the "Visions of the Cailleach" by Sorita d'Este & David Rankine

2009-05-07T20:04:00.002+01:00

The Visions of the Cailleach by Sorita d'Este and David Rankine was published less than a month ago by Avalonia. The response so far has been overwhelmingly positive, with many people expressing a surprise at the level of detail it provides on the Cailleach, who is arguably the most important and ancient of the known Goddesses associated with the British Isles.

We are very excited about the reception it is getting. This review, the first of Visions of the Cailleach to be brought to our attention, has just been published by the author Graeme K Talboys on his GrumBooks blog. Go to http://grumbooks.blogspot.com/2009/05/visions-of-cailleach-sorita-deste-david.html to read the review in full.

For more information on Visions of the Cailleach, visit www.cailleach.avalonia.co.uk or go to www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

::: Beltane Celebrations (Avalonia Newsletter)

2009-04-30T23:08:00.001+01:00

Dear All,

We hope you are having a fantastic Walpurgis Night!

Of course this is one of the oldest festivals in the British Isles, which was originally one of the great Druidic feast days. An idea we touched upon in our book “Wicca Magickal Beginnings” when we were looking into the origins for the eight festivals which are now usually referred to as “The Wheel of the Year”:-

“Although Murray attributed these Sabbaths to witches’ celebrations, in fact they were originally linked to druids. Robert and William Chambers recorded an early occurrence of the celebration of the four great festivals in their 1842 work, Chambers Information for the People:

“Cormac, bishop of Cashel in the tenth century, records that in his time four great fires were lighted up on the four great festivals of the druids - namely in February, May, August, and November: probably Beltane and Lammas were two of these.”

This is an extremely significant reference which seems to have been largely overlooked. The text the Chambers are referring to is in fact the late ninth century Irish Psalter of Cashel, which contained reference to the four great Sabbats being celebrated by the druids as a cycle. This then gives us a clear precedent for celebration of the cycle of the four great Sabbats more than one thousand years ago by the Irish druids.”

[ Wicca Magickal Beginnings, Sorita d’Este & David Rankine, Avalonia, www.avaloniabooks.co.uk ]

So if you are doing something to mark this festival you are treading a path of celebration which is truly ancient. Many of the folk traditions were preserved through folk customs, such as beating the bounds, dancing the maypole, divinations for love, many stories of phantoms and faeries (hinting at the thinning of the veils at Beltane, as it does at Samhain. Many customs celebrate using greenery and flowers – such as the many Jack in the Green and Green Man festivals. This year (weather permitting as we have a toddler!) we will be making our way to the Green Man of Clun Festival - http://www.clungreenman.org.uk/ for details. It looks like it will be great fun and certainly we have heard great things about it from friends who have been.

I will also be going out in the morning to gather herbs and dew to use in magical workings during the coming year. Fingers crossed for a sunny morning as the fields around here are all very muddy with all this rain already!

This year the Ludlow Esoteric Conference is also taking place in May, albeit later in the month, it is essential for those of you haven’t yet booked tickets to do so now as it is all done the old fashioned way – ie. Sending in a letter and cheque. Details can be found at http://esotericconference.wordpress.com/ - This will be first year that I will be speaking at this great event – other speakers include both David Rankine and Stephen Skinner – so this is an event which is a must for those of you who are seriously interested in the grimoire traditions. Details of other speakers and the topics can be found on their site.

Speaking of websites, we have been very busy this month at Avalonia. Our latest title “Visions of the Cailleach” has been received with great excitement all around the world by lovers of Celtic Mythology and spirituality, as well as those who are wise to the wisdom and magic to be found in the stories of the Crone Goddess of the British Isles. Details of this book can be found at http://cailleach.avalonia.co.uk – including a couple of extracts from the book.

Some of you may remember us announcing the release of “Priestesses Pythonesses & Sibyls” back in December. This book which contains essays by more than twenty modern day priestesses of a variety of traditions is already being adopted as a standard text by many covens and groups who practice trance and mediumship. Someone made a comment to me earlier this week about the sheer quantity and quality of the experience contained in the book and inspired me to work out an estimate of the combined number of years the ladies who wrote for the book had between them. Its only an estimate as you never ask a lady her age of course (if you read Visions of the Cailleach you will know why!) .... but the total is an estimated 500 years! (YES FIVE HUNDRED YEARS!!! HALF A MILLENIUM, FIVE CENTURIES!) Maybe that is one way of expressing the sheer level of knowledge contained in this incredible anthology? Details of the contributors, with biographies can be found at http://pythoness.avalonia.co.uk

Of course we continue working hard at fulfilling our aims of “Expanding the Esoteric Horizons”. In the coming months we are releasing several exciting titles. This includes a very exciting book on the Goddess Hekate, entitled “HEKATE LIMINAL RITES”. This book brings together evidence for historical rituals, ceremonies, spells and devotional workings which were performed in Hekate’s name. As such it is unique amongst the books published to date about this popular Goddess of Crossroads and Sorcery. Details will soon be available.

We all love bargains – and just until the end of this weekend we are offering three of our titles at huge discounts in celebration of both Beltane and our fourth year of publishing – see http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk/beltane09.htm for details. Its a good excuse to try something new that you may otherwise not have done – and Beltane is a great time for trying new things.

Well, its getting late and I have to get up early in the morning!

Enjoy yourselves in the coming days, and remember to honour the union of opposites in yourself, as well as in the world around you – through doing that you can manifest wisdom, harmony and love for yourself and your loved ones in the coming year!

Blessings,
Sorita d’Este

http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

Ludlow Esoteric Conference & Bookfair

2009-04-29T20:29:00.001+01:00

For those of you who enjoys going to conferences for the quality of the lectures - and who also love books, the Ludlow Esoteric Conference should be high on the list of events to attend each year. If you have not yet discovered this hidden gem of the British Occult Scene then you better go check out their blog at http://esotericconference.wordpress.com/ -

Things are done the old fashioned way and you have to write off with a cheque or postal order to get a ticket - so as this event is less than a month away now, you better get writing very soon. Yes it might seem like a lot of trouble, but then its also worth remembering that everyone else there had to go through the same trouble - and interestingly this old fashioned way seems to have the bonus feature, combined with the beautiful setting in the Shropshire market town (complete with castle) that it eliminates those who are not all that serious about the subjects covered.

Stephen Skinner… The Key of Solomon.

Nigel Pennick… Runes and Magic.

Sorita D’Este… Gerald Gardner’s Book of Shadows.

David Rankine… Demonology and the Grimiore Tradition

Geraldine Beskine… Progradier and the Beast.

Philip Heselton… Mothers of Wicca.

So if you are serious, and the talks listed at http://esotericconference.wordpress.com/ is of interest, make sure to get your ticket now to avoid dissapointment. We have never regretted going alone - its a fantastic event and highly recommended!

Beltane Offers

2009-04-25T21:45:00.000+01:00

Its a great time of the year for something new - so here's some really good offers on some really interesting books just for the week of Beltane :

http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk/beltane09.htm

:: Review :: Practical Elemental Magick from The Equinox (British Journal of Thelema)

2009-04-23T14:47:00.002+01:00

This review of "Practical Elemental Magick" by David Rankine and Sorita d'Este recently appeared in "The Equinox - British Journal of Thelema" - so we thought we would share. Check out The Equinox here

Practical Elemental Magick
Working the Magick of the Four Elements in the Western Mystery Tradition
By Sorita d'Este and David Rankine

"This is a very impressive book from two prolific and respected occult authors. The concept of Elemental Spirits is encountered frequently in occultism, but there has been until now no comprehensive guide to working with them. I say comprehensive advisedly, for one of the great virtues of this book is it traces origins and alternatives very thoroughly, rather than laying down dogmatic rules with no background. At the same time as offering in-depth information the book also retains considerable clarity. The range of sources consulted is astonishing, and the work thus provides an invaluable resource for further research by the individual reader. The material is usefully synthesised into a thoroughly workable practical system of magic; while offering sufficient alternatives for the reader who is so inclined to evolve distinct methodologies based on their own preferences."

Note* Practical Elemental Magick is a companion volume to "Practical Planetary Magick" by the same authors. Both these books are available from Amazon (USA / UK etc) and directly from the publishers http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/titles/elemental_magick.htm

Belenus - A God for Beltane

2009-04-21T16:43:00.001+01:00

Continuing on in the spirit of Beltane, we thought that we should share a few more extracts on Gods and Goddesses who have associations with this festival from "The Isles of The Many Gods" by Sorita d'Este and David Rankine.

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Belenus

Name	Bright or Brilliant
Known Period of Worship	2nd-5th century CE
Place of Origin	Uncertain
Place of Worship	Across Britain
Other Names	Bel

Belenus or Bellinus is a solar god associated with healing whose name means "Bright" or "Brilliant". He was also known as Bel, and the festival of Beltane (Bel's fire) on May 1st was sacred to him. The Romans associated him with Apollo.^{^[1]} His worship was widespread, as indicated by evidence from both Gaul and northern Italy. The Roman poet Ausonius refers to sanctuaries of Belenus in Aquitania in the late fourth century CE. Tertullian in the late second century (197 CE) refers to his worship by the Norici tribe in the Alps in his work Apologeticum, and Herodian also refers to his worship in northern Italy in his third century CE work History of the Empire after Marcus.^{^[2]}

The image of a stylised head found at the Roman baths in Bath and mistakenly called a gorgon's head is actually Belenus, suggesting a possible link with Sulis. He is also identified with the Welsh Beli and the Irish Bilé.

[1] RIB 1027.

[2] Apologeticum 24:7, History of the Empire after Marcus 8.3.6.

Truth

2009-04-20T11:36:00.001+01:00

“Paradise exists wherever you speak the truth, and do the right; Hell is present wherever you speak that which is false, or do that which is evil. Paradise and Hell are not localities, they are states.” (Eliphas Levi)

Review of "Priestesses Pythonesses & Sibyls" from "The Equinox" Journal

2009-04-19T17:35:00.001+01:00

The following review of the 2008 anthology edited by Sorita d'Este appeared in "The Equinox" (British Journal of Thelema, VII 9) recently:

Priestesses Pythonesses Sibyls

Reviewed by Sophie Zumm, The Equinox: British Journal of Thelema

An exploration of trance work, both historically and practically. Written by twenty-one women involved in magic and neo-paganism; this is an intriguing collection of essays and articles. There are many highpoints, and every reader will have their own favourites; mine include the history of the Delphic Oracle by Caroline Tully, and Janet Farrar's account of her work with oracular trance techniques. Looking at visionary experience through many different eyes, I was at times reminded of Scarlet Imprint's collection Devoted. Although a gentler collection, mental and physical challenges are confronted in this book. All in all a fascinating and inspiring insight into the interior world of modern magic through the eyes of experienced and capable female practitioners.

For more information on this very thought provoking and provocative work please see http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/titles/priestesses.htm - for details of the contributors and an extract from the foreword please visit http://pythoness.avalonia.co.uk

The Isles of the Many Gods

2009-04-18T15:08:00.002+01:00

For more information see:
http://manygods.avalonia.co.uk/ or http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

The God Beli, The Shining God of Wales

2009-04-16T10:01:00.001+01:00

With the festival of Beltane not too far away now, we thought that some of you may find this extract from "The Isles of the Many Gods" by Sorita d'Este and David Rankine, of interest. The book lists more than 240 entries for gods and goddesses who were celebrated in the British Isles in ancient times and is an invaluable guide for anyone interested in researching the religious beliefs and practices of England, Wales, Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Beli

Name	Shining
Place of Origin	Wales
Place of Worship	Wales
Other Names	Beli Mawr
Literary References	Book of Taliesin, Harley MSS 3859, Red Book of Hergest, White Book of Rhydderch

Beli, meaning "Shining", was the son of Mynogen, and the father figure of the House of Don, married to the goddess Don. One manuscript gives his wife as Ana, a variant of Anu/Danu, which reinforces the notion of a link between the goddesses Danu and Don.^{^[1]}

With Don he was the father of Amaethon, Arianrhod, Gilvaethwy, Govannon, Gwydion, Nudd and Penarddun, who were known as the Children of Light. He was also said to be the father of Caswallon. Beli was also known as Beli Mawr (meaning "Great Shining") and as Beli Mawr he is given as the ancestor of the Gwynedd line of kings in one of the genealogies.[2]

Beli is mentioned in the Book of Taliesin, where he is described as "victorious" and as the "son of Mynogen" in the poem called "A Bright Festivity".^{^[3]}

He has also been equated with the Irish god Bilé and the Gallic Belenus. The Romans equated him with the father god Dis Pater. The Triads refer to Rhun, the son of Beli, as one of the "Three Blood-Stained Ones of the British Isles".^{^[4]} Another son, Jago, is mentioned as the recipient of one of the "Three Infamous Blows with the Axe".^{^[5]}

[1] MSS Harley 3859, Genealogy 10.

[2] Harley MSS 3958.

[3] Book of Taliesin ch. 69.

[4] Triad 31.

[5] Triad 48.

The Isles of the Many Gods by David Rankine & Sorita d'Este is available from Avalonia Books and many other good bookshops.

Priestesses Pythonesses & Sibyls - this is for you.

2009-04-13T21:48:00.003+01:00

For aspiring and practising Priestesses who find that they learn from the experience of others, the anthology "Priestesses Pythonesses & Sibyls" is an invaluable friend. With excellent historical essays, followed by 18 modern day experiential accounts of working as a Priestess in a variety of traditions there is a great deal of wisdom here. Some of the best known and loved priestesses from Pagan, Wiccan, Witchcraft, Thelemic, Western Mystery Tradition, Voudou and Candomble traditions contributed to this book. So its worth checking out!

Go to www.pythoness.avalonia.co.uk for an overview of this book, together with extracts from reviews and the introduction by editor Sorita d'Este. Enjoy!

Who is the Cailleach?

2009-04-12T01:18:00.005+01:00

For those unfamiliar with this preeminent, yet little talked about Celtic British Goddess, we have made a couple of extracts from our book "Visions of the Cailleach" available at http://cailleach.avalonia.co.uk/ (its free of course!). We hope that this will go some way towards introducing this amazing goddess to those who have not encountered her yet, or who have, but did not know her name. She is a benevolent earth Goddess, harsh mistress of winter and bestower of sovereignty, she is the goddess of sacred wells and of storms at sea - arguably, maybe, the ultimate Celtic Earth Goddess.

See: http://cailleach.avalonia.co.uk/
or http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

Visions of the Cailleach - Now Available for Order

2009-04-07T18:15:00.004+01:00

Visions of the Cailleach
Exploring the Myths, Folklore and Legends of the pre-eminent Celtic Hag Goddess

By Sorita d'Este and David Rankine

PB, RRP £9.99, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-905297-24-5
First published by Avalonia, 2009

------------------
See: www.avaloniabooks.co.uk for details
------------------

Standing astride the British landscape, looms the giant blue form of the Cailleach. Whether she is seen as a benevolent earth-shaping giantess, harsh winter hag goddess, shape-shifting crone, guardian of sacred wells and animals, or ancient bestower of sovereignty; the Cailleach appears in many roles and manifestations in myths and legends across the British Isles.

Tracking the Cailleach across thousands of years through folklore, literature and place names, the authors have uncovered startling references which hint at a hidden priestess cult worshipping the Cailleach from ancient times through into the twentieth century. By exploring her myths and legends, they demonstrate the hugely significant role of the Cailleach in the early history of the British Isles.

The demonization of the Cailleach through the Middle Ages by the Christian Church paralleled that of women and witches, and is reflected in various other supernatural hag figures possibly derived from her and discussed in detail, such as Black Annis, Gyre Carling, Mia Lia, Nicneven and the Old Woman of the Mountain.

Looking beyond the veil of the sacred landscape, the vision of the Cailleach confronts the seeker, in hills and rocks, lakes and wells, burial chambers and stormy skies. Now finally the primal elemental power of the Cailleach is revealed in her full glory, in the tales and places of Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man; as well as in traces of her presence in England, Wales, Jersey, Brittany, Spain and Norway.

This unique and ground-breaking work brings together for the first time the wealth of folklore, stories and legends regarding this most significant of British supernatural figures, whose myths and wisdom are as relevant today as they have ever been.

For more information see our website www.avaloniabooks.co.uk for details

4th Birthday

2009-04-06T20:24:00.001+01:00

Although we have been online as "Avalonia" for more than a decade now, Avalonia Books was born four years ago at Beltane, May 1st when we published "The Guises of the Morrigan" back in 2005. I am not sure whether or not we knew what we were doing back then to be honest, but now we are getting ready to add title #20 to our catalogue and are moving into a completely new phase of our Work.

To celebrate the 4th birthday of Avalonia Books and the 11 1/2 birthday of what is now the Avalonia Library Archives we have decided to do a few fun things. These will include special offers on books, random acts of kindness and random acts of magic. So keep an eye out for emails / messages and blogs containing details of these between April 14th and May 2nd.

In the meantime, whatever you get up to for the forthcoming Christian Holy days, enjoy and remember - "When you see a faery ring, curtsy to the Queen and bow to the King!"

Best wishes
Sorita

Keeping In Touch

2009-04-06T01:23:00.001+01:00

In this day and age it seems there is a new way of keeping up to date with information and such things everyday. As authors and publishers we are constantly encouraged by you our readers to provide additional methods to enable you to keep up to date with our latest projects and publications; and it is of course also in our interest to provide you with as many of your preferred choices as possible.

It does all get very confusing though, so instead of leaving you wondering, we thought we would create this list of blogs, newsletters, mailinglists and websites for you to choose from.

www.avaloniabooks.co.uk - - - this is our official website

Avalonia Books on Twitter ::: www.twitter.com/avalonia
Avalonia Books on MySpace ::: www.myspace.com/avaloniabooks
Avalonia Books on WordPress ::: www.avaloniapress.wordpress.com
Avalonia Books on Blogspot ::: www.avaloniabooks.blogspot.com

Avalonia's personal mailinglist - - - email liberavalonia@gmail.com and ask to be placed on our mailinglist. This is a good option for those who prefer to just get an email when there is a new title.

The Avalonia Newsletter - - - this is a mailinglist through Yahoo's eGroups, you are in control of how you receive messages etc. You can join at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/avalonia_news/ or by emailing
avalonia_news-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Facebook (you need to be a member of Facebook to join or view)
Avalonia Books (Page) ::: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Avalonia-Books/37257690524 (or search for "Avalonia Books")

www.avalonia.co.uk - - - this is the Avalonia library archive, lots of old articles and resources (all free)
www.ritualmagick.co.uk - - - David Rankine's author blog
www.sorita.co.uk - - - Sorita d'Este's occasional blog

Visions of the Blue Hag, Primordial Goddess of Earth

2009-04-04T17:43:00.005+01:00

Here in Wales we are very excited about our forthcoming "Visions of the Cailleach" which will be opening for preorders on avaloniabooks.co.uk next week. More information about this book by Sorita d'Este and David Rankine will be available very soon, in the meantime here's a sneak preview of the cover of this exciting work of research featuring a collection of myths, folklore and legends surrounding this primordial British Celtic Goddess. The cover features the painting "Old Woman in the Hedge" by the magical artist Marc Potts - go have a look at www.marcpotts.com for more details of this amazing artist's fairy and elemental paintings.

Details of Sourceworks of Ceremonial Magic - Now Available

2009-03-30T12:11:00.002+01:00

Good News! We are now able to offer copies of the books in the Sourceworks of Ceremonial Series directly through our website - www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

This popular series by Stephen Skinner and David Rankine include:
Vol. 1 - The Practical Angel Magic of Dr John Dee's Enochian Tables
Vol. 2 - The Keys to the Gatway of Magic (Key Solomonic Texts)
Vol. 3 - The Goetia of Dr Rudd
Vol. 4 - The Veritable Key of Solomon

We have a limited number of the full leather Goetia of Dr Rudd and half-leather collectors editions of The Veritable Key of Solomon available. Please see our website for full details and contact us with any queries you may have.

http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/sourceworks/index.htm

Review of Priestesses, Pythonesses & Sibyls by Papa Nick

2009-03-24T19:04:00.000Z

We love finding out what readers think of our publications, and when its positive that's even better.

This one is from: http://www.horusmaat.com/silverstar/SILVERSTAR11-PG49.htm (scroll down) we have copied it below to make it easier for you to read, but do visit the site too as they have reviews of many other interesting publications there which may just be of interest.

Book Reviews by Papa Nick
PRIESTESSES PYTHONESSES SYBILS --
The Sacred Voices of Women who speak with and for the Gods
Edited by Sorita D'Este, Avalonia Books, London, November 2008.
Greece, 8th Century BC. Within the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, a Sibyl known as Pythia is seated on a curious throne: a large bowl supported by a tripod. From below, hypnotic vapors rise from a cleft in the earth. In her hands she holds laurel leaves and a bowl of sacred water into which she gazes. Questions are posed, and this Pythoness, in the voice of Apollo, speaks what she sees in the lustral waters.
Fast forward to the outskirts of London, 21st Century CE. A priestess of the Scandinavian pagan path of Seidr is perched upon the High Seat, entranced by the scent of smoldering sage and rosemary and the sounds of low drumming and chanting. She is dressed in a blue robe, its hood pulled down to conceal her face, and she holds a staff. The Seeress sinks down through the earth to Helheim, the Norse Underworld, there to converse with the ancestors and spirits. The congregants gather 'round and pose their questions, and the Seeress responds, channeling the voices of those beyond the veil of space and time.
These are scenes from very different times and places, but are eerily similar. Women acting as Oracles were commonplace in the pagan world, but Her voice has been nearly silent for some 3000 years. Beginning with Moses and his tablets of written laws from the One (male) God, there was a concerted effort by the forces of patriarchal monotheism to replace the sybilline Oracle with the male Prophet: he who shouts down angry edicts from the sky, drowning out the she who channeled the deep wisdom of the earth. Judaism, institutionalized Christianity and Islam were very successful in this hostile takeover of the female deities' domain. The Goddess did not fall -- she was pushed.
"Priestesses Pythonesses Sybils" is a wonderful documentation of the many ways the voice of the Sacred Feminine is re-arising around us. After thousands of years of muteness, She is speaking again. It would be wise for all of us to listen to that Voice: with the patriarchal economic power structure crashing around us, we will need a holistic, nurturing vision for the society of the future, and the Pythoness can provide that inspiration.
Editor Sorita D'Este has done a marvelous job collecting essays from 18 women from many different Pagan paths that are some of the voices in this chorus. Many of the authors describe entering the esoteric by one or another path, then absorbing methods from other magical systems, not finding them at odds with their basic perspective. I think this is emblematic of the magical revival in the 21st Century: there seems to be a "blending" of the esoteric systems from cultures around the world, working towards a World Magick of sorts, a coat of many colors. Each initiate wears the coat that fits them.
The essay by Janet Farrar is a good example of this. She is most well-known as a Wiccan in the Alexandrian tradition, but she has embraced Voudon and Seidh in recent years because that is where she found real possession taking place. She has incorporated techniques from these and many other traditions into her current work.
Vivienne O'Regan's first magickal mentor was Kenneth Grant, but it was only after discovering the writings of Dion Fortune, in particular "The Sea Priestess", that she saw the way to priestesshood. The Goddess eventually led her to Olivia Robertson and the Fellowship of Isis.
Each author has her own story, and unique journey, but more importantly describes what it means to become a channel for the divine. Each has a somewhat different approach: from Drawing Down the Moon and becoming the Goddess incarnate, to travelling to the Underworld to capture the voices of the shadows, to submitting to being the horse that is mounted by the lwa to ride between the worlds, to incubating oracular dreams, or simply dancing the dance of possession -- no words necessary. The movement of the body speaks that which cannot be written.
The introductory essays (Ecstatic Histories) should not be overlooked, as they set the tone and timbre of what follows in the individual voices. Sorita D'Este's "Mantic Voices" engages the question of what it means to be a Sibyl or Pythoness in the modern age. "The Pythia" by Caroline Tully explores what it meant to be an oracle at Delphi, and the gender-politics involved: their speech (the voice of the male god Apollo) was very welcomed, but they themselves wielded no real power or authority. "Silent Priestesses" by Kim Huggens describes the behind-the-scenes influence of female visionaries in the early days of Christianity, something that remains a well-kept secret.
But it is in part 2 (Sacred Utterances) that the present-day Oracles speak. The Delphic Oracle is not something that has been lost forever, it is here today; maybe not at Delphi or Cumae, but in private and personal temples and groves in Europe, the Americas and beyond. Women who have heard the Sibyl's call will be inspired by these experiential accounts from those who have already mounted the High Seat.
The gods and goddesses of old were silenced for centuries by the madness of monotheism, but they are reawakening, and their voices may still be heard, and their dances danced, by their modern-day priestesses.

Forthcoming: Visions of the Cailleach

2009-03-24T15:47:00.000Z

As a follow on to their very popular “The Guises of the Morrigan” Sorita d’Este and David Rankine completed the manuscript for “Visions of the Cailleach” last year. This book is currently being prepared for print and should be available from Avalonia Books in early April.

This book will feature the stunning image “Old Woman in a Hedge” by the artist Marc Potts on its cover. Details of Marc’s work can be found on his website www.marcpotts.com - regular readers of Avalonia’s publications may be familiar with Marc Pott’s work as his work previously featured on the cover of “Horns of Power” the anthology featuring essays exploring the manifold roles and manifestions of Horned Gods in different cultures.

For those who are eager to find out what the book is about, here’s the blurb:

THE VISIONS OF THE CAILLEACH
By Sorita d’Este & David Rankine

Standing astride the British landscape, looms the giant blue form of the Cailleach. Whether she is seen as a benevolent earth-shaping giantess, harsh winter hag goddess, shape-shifting crone, guardian of sacred wells and animals, or ancient bestower of sovereignty; the Cailleach appears in many roles and manifestations in myths and legends across the British Isles.

Tracking the Cailleach across thousands of years through folklore, literature and place names, the authors have uncovered startling references which hint at a hidden priestess cult worshipping the Cailleach from ancient times through into the twentieth century. By exploring her myths and legends, they demonstrate the hugely significant role of the Cailleach in the early history of the British Isles.

The demonization of the Cailleach through the Middle Ages by the Christian Church paralleled that of women and witches, and is reflected in various other supernatural hag figures possibly derived from her and discussed in detail, such as Black Annis, Gyre Carling, Mia Lia, Nicneven and the Old Woman of the Mountain.

Looking beyond the veil of the sacred landscape, the vision of the Cailleach confronts the seeker, in hills and rocks, lakes and wells, burial chambers and stormy skies. Now finally the primal elemental power of the Cailleach is revealed in her full glory, in the tales and places of Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man; as well as in traces of her presence in England, Wales, Jersey, Brittany, Spain and Norway.

This work brings together the wealth of folklore, stories and legends regarding this most significant of British supernatural figures, making much of it easily available for the first time in a unique and ground-breaking book.

Sourceworks of Ceremonial Magic by Stephen Skinner and David Rankine

2009-03-22T11:50:00.000Z

Just a quick note for everyone who has been asking - yes you can now order Source Works of Ceremonial Magic directly from Avalonia Books - go to http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk/sourceworks for details of this series and how to order.

Enjoy!

A Collection of Magical Secrets (18th Century Book of Magical Spells)

2009-03-17T17:12:00.001Z

A Collection of Magical Secrets
Taken from Peter de Abano, Cornelius Agrippa and other famous philosophers

Translated from the French by Paul Harry Barron
Introduction by Stephen Skinner & David Rankine

RRP £12.99, 166pp, pb, ISBN 978-1-905297-20-7
Publication date: February 2009

Now available from Avalonia Books - www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

—————–

Between the worlds of the Renaissance magician and the modern witch lie the Books of Secrets. Bridging the complexity of Grimoires and the practicality of folk magic, A Collection of Magical Secrets is a treasure trove of simple charms made with easily available materials for healing, love spells, good fortune, gaining familiar spirits, making magical rings, regaining stolen property, and communicating with spirits and angels. A wide range of sympathetic magic techniques such as dreaming, poppets, using bread, herbs, mirrors and sieves, are utilised to ensure the success of the charms.

A Treatise of Mixed Cabalah contains four parts, three of which fit together to develop a greater knowledge of the practical Qabalah. This includes a ritual sequence of prayers and actions for increasing knowledge, practical instructions for the construction, consecration and use of wax pentacles for absent healing, a technique for angelic dream incubation and a system of divination with 112 possible answers.

The two parts of this book were previously bound together in a late eighteenth century French manuscript, Wellcome Ms 4669, with The Clavicule of Solomon and The Universal Treatise of the Keys of Solomon. These are reproduced along with The Keys of Rabbi Solomon, in the most significant grimoire publication of modern times, The Veritable Key of Solomon by Stephen Skinner & David Rankine. The inclusion in the beautifully copied manuscript of these two diverse parts captures the essence of a time when books about magic were starting to become more available to the masses. Despite their recent production date of 1796, both of these parts draw on techniques with their roots in the practices of the ancient world, reaffirming the continuity of practice over the millennia also seen in the Key of Solomon.

See - www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

Publisher’s Additional Notes:

Many of the simple charms in the first part, A Collection of Magical Secrets, resemble the writings of Albertus Magnus and also the nineteenth century French pseudo-grimoires of black magick, such as the Grimoire of Pope Honorius III, the Red Dragon and Grimoirum Verum. The charms referred to as coming from Agrippa include a wider range of material. As well as many healing cantrips, there are a number of examples of how to gain a familiar spirit, plus the inevitable charms for winning in love and gambling. There are a large quantity of charms for regaining stolen or lost property, showing a wide range of sympathetic magick techniques such as dreaming, poppets, bread and sieves. Amongst the material in the first part, is also a conjuration of a Prince of the Thumb, an angel onto the olive oil-anointed thumbnail of a virgin child or pregnant woman, along with associated practices.

The first part of Concerning Miscellaneous Cabalah is a description of the ten Sephiroth of the Tree of Life with their main qualities, i.e. name, divine name, archangel, order of angels, heaven, as well as which biblical character was ruled by the archangel. This is followed by a ritual sequence of prayer and actions for maintaining purity and leading a good life, performed over a series of days for increased knowledge of Cabalah or other revelations from the angels.

The second part of Concerning Miscellaneous Cabalah is largely concerned with practical instructions for the construction, consecration and use of the seals. This is followed by sections on Properties of the Verses and Scriptures, and Verses for Illnesses & Infirmities.

The section on the properties of the Verses and Scriptures mirrors the type of use of the Psalms described in Sefer Shimmush Tehillim, although some of the uses are different. The third part of Concerning Miscellaneous Cabalah is a technique for angelic dream incubation. The prayers and seals are given for the planetary angels, with a very concise and lucid set of instructions on their use. The fourth part of Concerning Miscellaneous Cabalah is a system of divination based on 112 answers.

The material was originally bound with the material which was used by Stephen Skinner and David Rankine in their groundbreaking work “The Veritable Key of Solomon” (Golden Hoard & Llewellyn 2008), which is the first new Key of Solomon grimoire material to be published in more than a hundred years since the compilation by MacGregor Mathers, one of the founding fathers of the Golden Dawn, was first published 1889. It is likely to appeal to both scholars of the Key of Solomon and the grimoire traditions, as well as those interested in Qabalah and a range of other subjects of interest to practitioners of the western esoteric traditions of magic.

Now available from Avalonia Books - www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

Priestesses, Pythonesses & Sibyls - Now Available

2008-12-12T09:11:00.000Z

A ground-breaking anthology, exploring the magick of trance as experienced through dance, divine inspiration, Drawing Down the Moon, dreams, formal ceremony, mediumship, possession and mantic states by twenty-one female magickal practitioners from the paths of Goddess Spirituality, The Western Mystery Tradition, Thelema, Wicca, Candomble, Voudou and Seidr”

Priestesses Pythonesses & Sibyls - edited by Sorita d’Este, with 20 Phenomenal Women and Priestesses as contributors. Pre-orders are now being taken at www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

Priestesses Pythonesses Sibyls lifts a veil to reveal the mystery of trance as experienced by female magickal practitioners today. Through happiness and sorrow, myth and legend, art and poetry, through ritual and dance each woman expresses her own unique and personal transformative experiences of trance. Whether through trance possession, mediumship, Drawing Down the Moon, oracular or mantic states, dance, dreams or formal ceremony the experiences and knowledge gained during trance states can bring dramatic changes to one’s life. The practices represented in this volume are drawn from the experiences and research of more than twenty women from around the world, each providing a unique vision of their own experiences of the Divine.

The book begins with “Ecstatic Histories” a section of three scholarly essays. The first, Mantic Voices by Sorita d’Este provides an overview of the role of mantic priestesses in the major oracles of the ancient world, with a consideration of the resurgence of the role of the priestess in the modern Western magickal traditions. This is followed by Caroline Tully’s The Pythia exploring the history and role of the Oracle at Delphi and Kim Huggens’ Silent Priestesses which looks at female priests and prophetesses in early Christianity.

Then in “Sacred Utterances”, the second part of this anthology, eighteen modern day Priestesses, Pythonesses and Sibyls share their own personal experiences, wisdom and research on the practice of trance. These women come from a wide spectrum of magickal and pagan traditions, including Goddess Spirituality, the Western Mystery Tradition, Thelema, Wicca, Candomble, Voudou and Seidr. Sharing, sometimes for the first time, deep spiritual experiences and insights gained through the work they have performed as Priestesses serving in their own unique way, they provide the reader with insights into their practices which could not be found anywhere else.

This section includes essays by authors such as Janet Farrar, Naomi Ozaniec and Vivienne O’Regan, Wiccan Priestesses Galatea, Diane Champigny, Yvonne Aburrow, Emily Ounsted and Sorrell Cochrane, and Priestess of Avalon Jacqui Woodward-Smith. It also includes Seidr practitioner Katie Gerrard, Priestess of Apollo Bolina Oceanus, Cathryn Orchard a Priestess of the Gnostic Catholic Church, Voudou hounsi bossal Sophia Fisher, Healer and Psychic Medium Kay Gillard, Orixa devotee Andrea Salgado-Reyes, Teacher and Priestess Connia Silver, and dancers Mariëlle Holman and Nina Falaise.

Unique, powerful and insightful, this book expresses the liminal world of trance in an accessible way for the first time.

Pre-orders are now being taken at www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

Towards the Wiccan Circle

2008-09-28T21:27:00.000+01:00

Avalonia Books are proud to present:

Towards the Wiccan Circle

A practical introduction to the principles of Wicca

Self-study course manual based on the very successful homestudy course (offered for many years as part of the homestudy courses of www.avalonia.co.uk)

By Sorita d’Este

ISBN: 978-1-905297-05-4, 172pp, RRP £9.99

Practitioners of Wicca call on the Gods of our ancestors in their rites, they perform rituals to mark the changing seasons of the year and celebrate the Gods in the light of the Full Moon. Wicca provides a system of magick, spirituality and mysticism which allows each individual to develop their own relationship with the Gods and the world around them.

Towards the Wiccan Circle was born out of the very popular Avalonia homestudy course of the same name. It was designed by experienced coven leaders to provide a structured course of study for individuals who are interested in Wicca and who want to explore the key principles and practices of the tradition by themselves prior to making a commitment. Likewise, it will benefit individuals who are working by themselves and who are seeking to build a solid foundation from which to further explore the tradition, with or without others.

This thoroughly practical self-study course provides an excellent introduction to Wicca as a mystery tradition in seven lessons, each covering a key aspect of the beliefs and practices, these are:

Lesson 1 - Paganism, Witchcraft & Wicca

Lesson 2 - Magick: Towards an Understanding

Lesson 3 - The Gods & Goddesses

Lesson 4 - The Four Elements

Lesson 5 - The Times Of Magick - Cycles of Nature

Lesson 6 - Sacred Space

Lesson 7 - Initiation & Rites Of Passage

Throughout the book, practical exercises,meditations and simple ceremonies are provided, together with suggestions for further reading. You will learn about the history, whilst exploring the practices and deepening your understanding of the four elements and the natural world, whilst exercising your visualisation skills and building on your understanding of the tradition through an experiential approach.

This book is available from all the usual outlets, as well as directly from www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

First reviews of Wicca Magickal Beginnings

2008-05-23T19:08:00.001+01:00

It is always exciting to get feedback of books we produce, so far two reviews of our new title 'Wicca Magickal Beginnings' by Sorita d'Este and David Rankine have been brought to our attention.

The first is by Stephen Blake, this can be read by going to review of Wicca Magickal Beginnings on 'The Avalonia Esoteric Book Review' (also posted on Amazon.co.uk). The second is by author Yvonne Aburrow, who shares her thoughts on Wicca Magickal Beginnings on her LJ

We will keep you updated here of further reviews as we are made aware of them, so that you can see what others think of this new book by Avalonia! Remember you can let us know what you think by posting a comment here, or by emailing us - contact details can be found on our website www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

WICCA Magickal Beginnings

2008-05-03T01:26:00.000+01:00

Wicca Magickal Beginnings

A Study of the Possible Origins of the Rituals and Practices found in this modern tradition of pagan Witchcraft and Magick

By Sorita d’Este & David Rankine

PB, £14.993, 288pp, ISBN x
Publication date: May 2008

The origins of the Wiccan Tradition have long been a subject of debate amongst practitioners and scholars alike. Did Gerald Gardner invent the tradition? Is Wicca a survival of a British folk magick system? Could it be a continuation of a European tradition of Pagan Witchcraft? Might it be that it evolved from Victorian ceremonial magick, or perhaps it is the modern manifestation of the medieval Grimoire Tradition?

In this book the authors explore the possible beginnings of the tradition by examining the practices in the context of magickal and spiritual thought spanning thousands of years.Through setting aside the endless debates about initiatory lineages, they look beyond the personalities of the people and instead focus on what they consider to be at the heart of the tradition - the practices. Evidence from many previously uncredited and unconsidered sources is examined. This clearly shows how all the significant component parts of Wiccan ritual and practice have roots reaching back, in some instances thousands of years, before its public emergence at the hands of Gerald Gardner in 1950’s England. They explore the sometimes surprising antecedents for key practices such as initiation, magick circles, ritual tools, the invocation of the Guardians of the Watchtowers, Drawing Down the Moon and The Great Rite. The precedents for the Book of Shadows, Wiccan Rede and Charge of the Goddess are also considered as part of this groundbreaking work.

Wicca Magickal Beginnings may well answer as many questions as it creates about the true origins and nature of what is probably the most influential of the Western Esoteric Traditions today. Through combining scholarly research with practical knowledge, the authors clearly illustrate that the future of the tradition lies in utilising the rich diversity of its past, through the appreciation of its magickal origins and the untapped potential inherent in it.

This book will be invaluable to anyone with an interest in the history, practices and beliefs of the Wiccan Tradition - and its links to Paganism, Witchcraft, the British Folk Traditions and Ceremonial Magick.

Magickal Beginnings ...

2008-05-03T01:22:00.000+01:00

We are waiting for the delivery of our next title 'WICCA MAGICKAL BEGINNINGS' at the moment. It is always nerve wrecking to wait to see a book you have spent so much time with. Magickal Beginnings took David (Rankine) and myself years to complete to a standard and into a format that we were happy to publish - but its finally done, and it should be available to the public in Mid-May. The book title seemed an appropriate title for the first entry into this our first blog entry here. Quite a few people asked us why we didn't have one already, so here we are. Finally. A Beginning.

For those of you unfamiliar with the work published by Avalonia Books - visit our website - www.avaloniabooks.co.uk and have a look for yourself. There will be many new titles coming into fruition during the next six months, so its an exciting time for us. The coming weeks will see a complete redesign of our sister site www.avalonia.co.uk too. After more than ten years online, we thought it was about time for some radical changes!!

I shall keep things nice and ordered and make a separate entry for the new book for those of you who are interested in finding out more!

Avalonia Books

The Morrígan ~ Introducing Her Guises

New Year Book Offers (including Magical Bundle Offers!)

Our Books on Amazon Kindle

Thoth by Lesley Jackson ~ Coming Soon

Yemanja's Magic

The Ravener & Others

THE RAVENER & OTHERS

by Donald Tyson

"Arthur Gauntlet's Speculatrix" by David Rankine

The Grimoire of Arthur Gauntlet

Beltane Offers 2011

The Cosmic Shekinah - Available for PreOrder

The Goddess Hekate - Crone Goddess?

Reviews of Wicca Magickal Beginnings - History of the Rituals of Wicca

Are Freya and Frigga the same Goddess?

Spring Equinox Offers

An Ogham Wood (Novel)

Vs. (anthology)

Vs.

Edited by Kim Huggens

An anthology exploring duality and conflict in magick, mythology and paganism

Anahita Anthology : Submissions Invited

An Ogham Wood - a magical novel ...

New Editions in the SWCM Series

Sourceworks of Ceremonial Magic

Halloween Blessings!

Sepher Raziel : Liber Salomonis

Samhain Magical Bundle Offers

Clavis Inferni (The Keys to Hell) - The Grimoire of St Cyprian

Autumn Equinox News

Kali Kaula by Jan Fries

The Book of Gold

The Book of Gold(Le Livre d'Or)

A 17th Century Magical Grimoire of Amulets, Charms, Prayers, Sigils and Spells Using the Biblical Psalms of King David

By David Rankine and Paul Harry Barron

Now Available.

The Secrets of Avalon - by August Hunt

Clavis Inferni - The Grimoire of Saint Cyprian

From a Drop of Water ...

From a Drop of Water ... new anthology edited by Kim Huggens

“From a Drop of Water…”

Odin's Gateways by Katie Gerrard

Practical Qablah Magick

Sorita d'Este on WitchTalk - Interview

Twitter

Treasure Hunting in Westminster Abbey

Find that treasure ...

Forthcoming - The Book of Treasure Spirits

Avalonia Lammas Newsletter

Stellar Magic @ Atlantis Bookshop

Witch Talk Radio Interviews Sorita d'Este

Stellar Magic by Payam Nabarz

BOTH SIDES OF HEAVEN - new anthology - ANGELS, FALLEN ANGELS & DEMONS

Midsummer Approaching, so are three new titles from Avalonia!

Both Sides of Heaven - Coming Soon!

New Avalonia Newsletter Mailinglist

David Rankine @ When the Light Gets In (Hay on Wye)

::: Hekate Liminal Rites ::: New

Wiccan Ritual & Belief - The Origins & History

Medea's Prayer to Hekate

Review of the "Visions of the Cailleach" by Sorita d'Este & David Rankine

::: Beltane Celebrations (Avalonia Newsletter)

Ludlow Esoteric Conference & Bookfair

Beltane Offers

:: Review :: Practical Elemental Magick from The Equinox (British Journal of Thelema)

Belenus - A God for Beltane

Belenus

Truth

Review of "Priestesses Pythonesses & Sibyls" from "The Equinox" Journal

The Isles of the Many Gods

The God Beli, The Shining God of Wales

Beli

Priestesses Pythonesses & Sibyls - this is for you.

Who is the Cailleach?

Visions of the Cailleach - Now Available for Order

4th Birthday

Keeping In Touch

Visions of the Blue Hag, Primordial Goddess of Earth

Details of Sourceworks of Ceremonial Magic - Now Available

The Book of Gold
(Le Livre d'Or)

A Collection of Magical Secrets
Taken from Peter de Abano, Cornelius Agrippa and other famous philosophers