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Sacred Leaves Of Candomblé
by Robert A. VoeksCandomblé, an African religious and healing tradition that spread to Brazil during the slave trade, relies heavily on the use of plants in its spiritual and medicinal practices. When its African adherents were forcibly transplanted to the New World, they faced the challenge not only of maintaining their culture and beliefs in the face of European domination but also of finding plants with similar properties to the ones they had used in Africa. <P> This book traces the origin, diffusion, medicinal use, and meaning of Candomblé's healing pharmacopoeia—the sacred leaves. Robert Voeks examines such topics as the biogeography of Africa and Brazil, the transference—and transformation—of Candomblé as its adherents encountered both native South American belief systems and European Christianity, and the African system of medicinal plant classification that allowed Candomblé to survive and even thrive in the New World. This research casts new light on topics ranging from the creation of African American cultures to tropical rain forest healing floras.
Sacred Leaves: A Magical Guide to Orisha Herbal Witchcraft
by Diego de OxossiDiscover the Power, Magic, and Secrets of Afro-Brazilian Herbal MagicTransform your life with authentic day-to-day plant magic used in the rituals of Umbanda and Candomblé — Brazilian religions based on African gods of nature called Orishas and practiced all over South America. Sacred Leaves compiles three volumes on this Afro-Brazilian witchcraft into one updated edition, making their contents available in English for the first time. With this comprehensive guide, you can begin safely working with a variety of magical herbs for spiritual cleansing, prosperity, harmony, love, and more.Diego de Oxóssi teaches you how to identify plants through their physical and magical characteristics, harvest botanical ingredients, awaken their sacred power with spoken enchantments, and create your own herbal spells. Then, you will explore a variety of ways to use plant energies, including potions, powders, aromatherapy, baths, cookery, and other healing tools. With its collection of more than three hundred plant profiles and various hands-on activities, Sacred Leaves will help you build a life filled with magic and success.
Sacred Liberty: America's Long, Bloody, and Ongoing Struggle for Religious Freedom
by Steven Waldman“[A] compelling study of the most essential breakthrough of modernity: the right to believe, or not, as one wishes. A great book about a monumental issue.” —Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize–winning authorSacred Liberty offers a dramatic, sweeping survey of how America built a unique model of religious freedom, perhaps the nation’s “greatest invention.” Steven Waldman, the bestselling author of Founding Faith, shows how early ideas about religious liberty were tested and refined amidst the brutal persecution of Catholics, Baptists, Mormons, Quakers, African slaves, Native Americans, Muslims, Jews and Jehovah’s Witnesses. American leaders drove religious freedom forward—figures like James Madison, George Washington, the World War II presidents (Roosevelt, Truman, and Eisenhower) and even George W. Bush. But the biggest heroes were the regular Americans—people like Mary Dyer, Marie Barnett and W. D. Mohammed—who risked their lives or reputations by demanding to practice their faiths freely. Just as the documentary Eyes on the Prize captured the rich drama of the civil rights movement, Sacred Liberty brings to life the remarkable story of how America became one of the few nations in world history that has religious freedom, diversity and high levels of piety at the same time. Finally, Sacred Liberty provides a roadmap for how, in the face of modern threats to religious freedom, this great achievement can be preserved.“This is an important and fascinating book full of riveting stories, provocative insights, inspiring heroes, and some serious warnings. The American model of religious freedom should be the envy of the world. But if we don’t understand how we made this great ‘invention,’ we could easily squander the achievement.” —Reza Aslan, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Zealot
Sacred Light: Holy Places in Louisiana
by A. J. MeekRenowned photographer A. J. Meek takes the novitiate on an inspired visual journey with eighty-eight color photographs of the interiors of churches and synagogues located in south Louisiana, mostly along the lower Mississippi River valley. Tourists may crowd the famous European cathedrals such as Notre Dame in Paris and Westminster Abbey in London. Yet the splendors of local churches in America all too often remain cloistered and unheralded. Meek's beautiful photographs correct this oversight for Louisiana, a state that features a great many beautiful and long-standing holy places. Often incorporating long exposures and select framing, the images in the first section of Sacred Light encompass altars, chancels, and sanctuaries. The second section contains photographs of statues representing deities, angels, madonnas, and saints, often seen with intense color derived from stained-glass windows or artificial light. Light itself is the subject of the third and last section. In several photographs, light is transformed by a window into a kaleidoscope of color on a wooden pew or pulpit chair. Other times the light seems to radiate a living presence of its own. Additionally, the book includes an essay by Louisiana State University art historian and liturgical space consultant, Marchita B. Mauck. Sacred Light also contains photographs of some of the church and synagogue restoration projects after Hurricane Katrina. Meek relates that the now-famous storm of August 2005 was the shadow he was looking for that defines blessed light. He places emphasis on restoration, not destruction, as a testimony to the resilience of the human spirit.
Sacred Marriage Bible Study Guide plus Streaming Video, Revised and Updated: What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy?
by Gary ThomasYour Marriage Can Lead to a Closer Walk with GodYour marriage is much more than a union between you and your spouse. It is a spiritual discipline ideally suited to help you know God more fully and intimately. Sacred Marriage shifts the focus from marital enrichment to spiritual enrichment in ways that can help you love your mate more. Whether it is delightful or difficult, your marriage can become a doorway to a closer walk with God. Everything about your marriage—from the history you and your spouse create, to the love you share, to the forgiveness you both offer and seek—is filled with the capacity to help you grow in Christ's character.This edition of Sacred Marriage includes all-new videos from Gary. Each session has been updated to include modern research and illustrations, key biblical principles about marriage, and wisdom from Gary's more than twenty years of teaching since its original release. You will also find a wealth of discussion questions in this study guide that will spark meaningful conversation in your group, between you and you spouse, and that you can ponder on your own.This study guide includes:Individual access to six streaming video sessionsVideo notes and comprehensive structure for group discussion timePersonal/couples study for deeper reflection between sessionsA guide to best practices for leading a groupStreaming video access included. Access code subject to expiration after 12/31/2030. Code may be redeemed only by the recipient of this package. Code may not be transferred or sold separately from this package. Internet connection required. Void where prohibited, taxed, or restricted by law. Additional offer details inside.
Sacred Marriage Gift Edition
by Gary L. ThomasThis special edition two-in-one book and devotional includes:Sacred MarriageStarting with the discovery that the goal of marriage goes beyond personal happiness, writer and speaker Gary Thomas invites readers to see how God can use marriage as a discipline and a motivation to love Him more and reflect more of the character of His Son.Devotions for a Scared MarriageA companion to Sacred Marriage, these fifty-two devotions encourage you to build your marriage around God’s priorities. From learning to live with a fellow sinner, to the process of two becoming one, to sharing our lives as brothers and sisters in Christ, Devotions for a Sacred Marriage challenges couples to embrace the profound and soul-stretching reality of Christian marriage.
Sacred Marriage Participant's Guide
by Gary L. Thomas Kevin HarneyYour marriage is much more than a union between you and your spouse. It is a spiritual discipline ideally suited to help you know God more fully and intimately. Sacred Marriage shifts the focus from marital enrichment to spiritual enrichment in ways that can help you love your mate more. Whether it is delightful or difficult, your marriage can become a doorway to a closer walk with God. Everything about your marriage—everything from the history you and your spouse create, to the love you share, to the forgiveness you both offer and seek by turn—is filled with the capacity to help you grow in Christ's character. This six-session, small group DVD curriculum will equip you to love God more passionately, reflect the nature of his Son more precisely, and fulfill God's overarching purpose for your marriage.
Sacred Marriage Participant's Guide: What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy?
by Gary L. Thomas Kevin HarneyIn this six-session small group Bible study (DVD/digital video sold separately), Sacred Marriage, writer and speaker Gary Thomas invites you to see how God can use marriage as a discipline and a motivation to reflect more of the character of Jesus.Your marriage is much more than a union between you and your spouse. It is a spiritual discipline ideally suited to help you know God more fully and intimately. Sacred Marriage shifts the focus from marital enrichment to spiritual enrichment in ways that can help you love your mate more. Whether it is delightful or difficult, your marriage can become a doorway to a closer walk with God.Everything about your marriage—from the history you and your spouse create, to the love you share, to the forgiveness you both offer and seek by turn—is filled with the capacity to help you grow in Christ's character.Sessions include:God’s Purpose for Marriage: More Than We ImagineThe Refining Power of MarriageThe God-Centered SpouseSacred HistorySexual SaintsMarriage: The Love LaboratoryDesigned for use with the Sacred Marriage Video Study (sold separately).
Sacred Marriage: What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than To Make Us Happy?
by Gary ThomasYour marriage is more than a sacred covenant with another person. It is a spiritual discipline designed to help you know God better, trust him more fully, and love him more deeply. Scores of books have been written that offer guidance for building the marriage of your dreams. But what if God's primary intent for your marriage isn't to make you happy . . . but holy? And what if your relationship isn't as much about you and your spouse as it is about you and God?Everything about your marriage--everything--is filled with prophetic potential, with the capacity for discovering and revealing Christ's character. The respect you accord your partner; the forgiveness you humbly seek and graciously extend; the ecstasy, awe, and sheer fun of lovemaking; the history you and your spouse build with one another--in these and other facets of your marriage, Sacred Marriage uncovers the mystery of God's overarching purpose. This book may very well alter profoundly the contours of your marriage. It will most certainly change you. Because whether it is delightful or difficult, your marriage can become a doorway to a closer walk with God, and to a spiritual integrity that, like salt, seasons the world around you with the savor of Christ.
Sacred Marriage: What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy?
by Gary L. ThomasHappy is good. Holy is better.Your marriage is more than a sacred covenant with another person. It is a spiritual discipline designed to help you know God better, trust him more fully, and love him more deeply. What if God’s primary intent for your marriage isn’t to make you happy . . . but holy?Sacred Marriage doesn't just offer techniques to make a marriage happier. It does contain practical tools, but what married Christians most need is help in becoming holier husbands and wives. Sacred Marriage offers that help with insights from Scripture, church history, time tested wisdom from Christian classics, and examples from today's marriages.Sacred Marriage reveals how marriage trains us to love God and others well, how it exposes sin and makes us more aware of God's presence, how good marriages foster good prayer, how married sex feeds the spiritual life, and more.The revised edition of Sacred Marriage takes into account the ways men's and women's roles have expanded since the book was first written. It has been streamlined to be a faster read without losing the depth that so many readers have valued.Sacred Marriage uncovers the mystery of God’s overarching purpose. This book may very well alter profoundly the contours of your marriage. It will most certainly change you. Because whether it is delightful or difficult, your marriage can become a doorway to a closer walk with God, and to a spiritual integrity that, like salt, seasons the world around you with the savor of Christ.
Sacred Matters: Celebrity Worship, Sexual Ecstasies, the Living Dead, and Other Signs of Religious Life in the United States
by Gary LadermanA powerful case to embrace a broad view of religion as genuinely religious practices can be found in the unlikeliest of places - science labs, sports games, cinemas and concerts. Religion scholar Laderman shows readers how pilgrimages to Graceland, for example, don't just seem religious, they are religious - enacting traditional, ritualistic patterns of Christianity. In a dramatic reframing of the sacred and the secular, an American landscape blooming with devotions and mythologies is exposed.
Sacred Matters: Material Religion in South Asian Traditions
by Tracy Pintchman; Corinne G. DempseySacred Matters explores the lives of material objects in South Asian religions. Spanning a range of traditions including Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Buddhism, and Christianity, the book demonstrates how sacred items influence and enliven the worlds of religious participants across South Asia and into the diaspora. Contributors examine a variety of objects to describe the ways sacred materials derive and confer meaning and efficacy, emerging from and giving shape to religious and nonreligious realms alike. Material forms of deity and divine power are considered along with commonplace ritual items, including images, clay pots, and camphor. The work also attends to materiality's complex role within the "materially suspicious" contexts of Islam, Theravada Buddhism, and Roman Catholicism. This engaging collection presents new frameworks for contemplating the ways in which historical, social, and sacred processes intertwine and collectively shape human and divine activity.
Sacred Matters: Religion and Spirituality in Families
by Loren D. Marks Randal D. Day Wesley R. BurrSacred Matters explores the multi-disciplinary literature about the role of religion in family life and provides new research and a new theory about ways various aspects of the sacred are helpful and harmful. The authors hope that their new conceptual framework will stimulate new research and encourage the creation of new intervention programs designed to help families. Sacred Matters features: a new conceptual framework and theory about how, when, and why sacred matters influence family processes and outcomes new qualitative and quantitative research collected in a variety of ways from people with different religious perspectives in different geographical areas an expansion in theory and research about the role of forgiveness, sacrifice, prayer, and sanctification in family life the integration of studies and issues from psychology, sociology, family studies, anthropology, and religion. This book raises the bar in creating new theories about family processes and in the integration of theory, research, and application. It begins with a review of the previous literature and then expands the research about sanctification to create a new general theory (or model) about ways sacred processes help and hinder families. Next the authors expand the theory and research about the role of forgiveness, sacrifice, and prayer in families. New theory and research are then added about loving, coping with conflict, dealing with undesirable behavior, generational relationships, morality, and the psychosocial aspects of religion. The authors then describe ways sacred theory can be integrated with other theories and ways it provides new explanations about broader social problems. The book concludes with new quantitative research and suggestions for future research. Researchers, practitioners, and advanced students in several disciplines will find this volume valuable. It will expand and enrich the reading in graduate and advanced undergraduate courses in areas such as family studies, human development, marriage and family therapy, the psychology of the family and the psychology of religion, the sociology of the family and the sociology of religion, pastoral counseling, anthropology, and social work.
Sacred Medicine of Bee, Butterfly, Earthworm, and Spider: Shamanic Teachers of the Instar Medicine Wheel
by Linda Star Wolf Anna Cariad-BarrettSpiritual lessons from insect archetypes of the Medicine Wheel • Reveals the sacred wisdom inherent in Honeybee’s pollinating, Butterfly’s transformation, Spider’s weaving, and Earthworm’s recycling • Provides experiential practices, such as Shamanic Breathwork journeys, to connect with insect teachers and harness their consciousness-activating patterns • Shows how Dragonfly, Cicada, and Cricket connect us with the Great Star Nations, the depths of Mother Earth, and the music of life Our insect brothers and sisters are some of the most ancient beings and teachers on planet Earth. Their powerful skills of adaptation and their plight, such as the widespread colony collapse facing honeybees, have brought them to the forefront of collective consciousness, as every being on Earth faces a time of incredible transformation. The archetypal energies of these sacred Wisdomkeepers can guide us through this evolutionary time with new pathways of shamanic healing and transformation to realize the highest potential of humanity. Exploring the insect and arachnid archetypes of the Sacred Instar Medicine Wheel, authors Linda Star Wolf and Anna Cariad-Barrett reveal the consciousness-activating patterns in the pollen flight of Honeybee, the transformative chrysalis of Butterfly, the creative weavings of Spider, and the alchemical recycling of old into new of Earthworm. They show how Dragonfly, Cicada, and Cricket connect us with the Great Star Nations, the depths of Mother Earth, and the music of life. Each chapter includes experiential practices, such as Shamanic Breathwork journeys, to help you embody the strengths of these humble teachers, live within the natural cycles of planet Earth, and discover a higher octave of sacred purpose.
Sacred Meditations
by Francis BaconFrancis Bacon, 1st Viscount St. Alban(s), was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, jurist and author. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England. He was extremely influential through his works, especially as philosophical advocate and practitioner of the scientific method during the scientific revolution. Francis Bacon's Philosophy is displayed in the vast and varied writings he left, which might be divided in three great branches: Scientifical works - in which his ideas for an universal reform of knowledge, scientific method and the improvement of mankind's state are presented. Religious/literary works - in which he presents his moral philosophy and theological meditations. Juridical works - in which his reforms in Law are proposed.
Sacred Messengers of Shamanic Africa: Teachings from Zep Tepi, the Land of First Time
by Linda Star Wolf Carley Mattimore Mandaza Augustine KandemwaA guide to connecting with the wisdom and energies of ancient Africa and awakening the lion-hearted spiritual warrior within • Reveals the wisdom and love of the White Lions of Timbavati, who have returned to help us remember our divine origins • Explores how to reconnect to our original roots in Africa hidden deep within our DNA and remember our sacred contract to guard and protect the natural world • Offers shamanic journeys to connect with African power animals as well as the energetic hologram of the 31st meridian, the spine of Mother Earth It was predicted by indigenous tribes in Africa that when the White Lions return to their sacred lands in Timbavati we would be in a time of evolutionary and spiritual awakening. On Christmas Day in the year 2000, Marah the White Lion was born, the first “way-shower” to arrive and help us awaken to our divine origins, when we were one with all life in Zep Tepi, the land of first time. Our spiritual warrior selves are being summoned to heal the separation between us and nature, to be the change agents of heart, as we evolve to a higher consciousness. Exploring how to awaken to the energies and messengers of ancient Africa that reside along the 31st meridian, the spine of Mother Earth, Carley Mattimore and Linda Star Wolf take you on a journey to connect with our original roots in Africa, hidden deep within our DNA. They share shamanic journeys and teachings to connect with the strengths of Africa’s spirit animals, including the inner authority and heart of Lion, the loyalty and wisdom of Elephant, the love and compassion of Giraffe, and the shadow side of Hyena. They explore the power of shamanic sacred sites and offer teachings on the African Tree of Life and the energetic hologram of the 31st meridian. Sharing wisdom from Mhondoro Mandaza Kandemwa, Grandmother Twylah Nitsch, and other wisdom keepers, the authors explain how, as we connect with the messengers along the 31st meridian, we begin to remember our sacred contract to protect the natural world. Offering a guide to reconnect with the ancient African wisdom of love and higher consciousness buried in our cellular memory, the authors show how we can help reopen the heart of humanity and heal the world around us.
Sacred Misinterpretation: Reaching across the Christian-Muslim Divide
by Martin AccadPromotes gracious interfaith dialogue on sensitive theological issuesTheological issues are crucial to how Christians and Muslims understand and perceive each other. In Sacred Misinterpretation Martin Accad guides readers through key theological questions that fuel conflict and misunderstanding between Muslims and Christians. A sure-footed guide, he weaves personal stories together with deep discussion of theological beliefs.Accad identifies trends, recognizes historical realities, and brings to light significant points of contention that often lead to break-down in Christian-Muslim dialogue. He also outlines positive and creative trends that could lead to a more hopeful future. Fairly and seriously presenting both Muslim theology and a Muslim interpretation of Christian theology, Sacred Misinterpretation is an essential guide for fostering dialogue and understanding among readers from both faiths.
Sacred Mountains of the World
by Edwin BernbaumFrom the Andes to the Himalayas, mountains have an extraordinary power to evoke a sense of the sacred. In the overwhelming wonder and awe that these dramatic features of the landscape awaken, people experience something of deeper significance that imbues their lives with meaning and vitality. Drawing on his extensive research and personal experience as a scholar and climber, Edwin Bernbaum's Sacred Mountains of the World takes the reader on a fascinating journey exploring the role of mountains in the mythologies, religions, history, literature, and art of cultures around the world. Bernbaum delves into the spiritual dimensions of mountaineering and the implications of sacred mountains for environmental and cultural preservation. This beautifully written, evocative book shows how the contemplation of sacred mountains can transform everyday life, even in cities far from the peaks themselves. Thoroughly revised and updated, this new edition considers additional sacred mountains, as well as the impacts of climate change on the sacredness of mountains.
Sacred Mundane: How to Find Freedom, Purpose, and Joy
by Kari PattersonWhat if the key to changing your life--and yourself--is already in your hand?So many women struggle with what to do with their daily lives. They feel trapped in everyday drudgery and disappointment, in dull domestic duties, and in mundane jobs they despise. Where is the abundant, purposeful life they were promised?Kari Patterson shows readers the truth: in each unremarkable life lies an opportunity to see, know, love, and be utterly transformed by a God who meets everyone right where they are. Instead of stepping away from real life to find God, Patterson equips women with a six-step practice to move further in and meet Him in the humdrum moments of everyday existence. And when a woman's inner being is truly changed by the sacred, everything in her world changes too--right down to tackling the dirty dishes.Through entertaining narrative, candid real-life stories, Bible study, and practical instruction, Sacred Mundane guides individuals or small groups to discover the beautiful sacredness in the lives they already lead. Women who long to grow in God and make a real difference in the world--no matter how small--will reach eagerly for this book and the radical transformation it offers."Our daily routine, with its mundane tasks and mindless repetition, is ultimately an offering of worship to God. What a great truth from a great God!"--Ann Byle, author of The Making of a Christian Bestseller and coauthor of Devotions for the Soul Surfer
Sacred Mushrooms of the Goddess
by Carl A.P. RuckIn the ancient world, men and women joined cults known as Mysteries to unite with the deities of the otherworld and achieve eternal life. The most important of the Mysteries existed for two millennia at the village of Eleusis. Its deities were Demeter and Persephone, interchangeable in their roles as mother and daughter. The initiations and other rituals of this goddess-based cult were a profound secret: divulging information was punishable by death. For centuries, scholars have probed thesecrets of the Eleusinian Mysteries andkykeon, its sacramental Eucharist -- a sacred drink containing psychoactive chemicals similar to those in LSD. Their discoveries have been buried in the arcane language of alchemy, the occult sciences, and secret societies. Here, in prose accessible to all readers, Carl Ruck unravels the Mysteries, revealing the awesome powers of the goddesses, as well as the pagan underpinnings of Western culture.
Sacred Music as Public Image for Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III: Representing the Counter-Reformation Monarch at the End of the Thirty Years' War (Catholic Christendom, 1300-1700)
by Andrew H. WeaverFerdinand III played a crucial role both in helping to end the Thirty Years' War and in re-establishing Habsburg sovereignty within his hereditary lands, and yet he remains one of the most neglected of all Habsburg emperors. The underlying premise of Sacred Music as Public Image for Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III is that Ferdinand's accomplishments came not through diplomacy or strong leadership but primarily through a skillful manipulation of the arts, through which he communicated important messages to his subjects and secured their allegiance to the Catholic Church. An important locus for cultural activity at court, especially as related to the Habsburgs' political power, was the Emperor's public image. Ferdinand III offers a fascinating case study in monarchical representation, for the war necessitated that he revise the image he had cultivated at the beginning of his reign, that of a powerful, victorious warrior. Weaver argues that by focusing on the patronage of sacred music (rather than the more traditional visual and theatrical means of representation), Ferdinand III was able to uphold his reputation as a pious Catholic reformer and subtly revise his triumphant martial image without sacrificing his power, while also achieving his Counter-Reformation goal of unifying his hereditary lands under the Catholic church. Drawing upon recent methodological approaches to the representation of other early modern monarchs, as well as upon the theory of confessionalization, this book places the sacred vocal music composed by imperial musicians into the rich cultural, political, and religious contexts of mid-seventeenth-century Central Europe. The book incorporates dramatic productions such as opera, oratorio, and Jesuit drama (as well as works in other media), but the primary focus is the more numerous and more frequently performed Latin-texted paraliturgical genre of the motet, which has generally not been considered by scholars as a vehicle for monarchical representation. By examining the representation of this little-studied emperor during a crucial time in European history, this book opens a window into the unique world view of the Habsburgs, allowing for a previously untold narrative of the end of the Thirty Years' War as seen through the eyes of this important ruling family.
Sacred Music in Secular Society
by Jonathan ArnoldIf music has ever given you 'a glimpse of something beyond the horizons of our materialism or our contemporary values' (James MacMillan), then you will find this book essential reading. Sacred Music in Secular Society is a new and challenging work asking why Christian sacred music is now appealing afresh to a wide and varied audience, both religious and secular. Jonathan Arnold offers unique insights as a professional singer of sacred music in liturgical and concert settings worldwide, as an ordained Anglican priest and as a senior research fellow. Blending scholarship, theological reflection and interviews with some of the greatest musicians and spiritual leaders of our day, including James MacMillan and Rowan Williams, Arnold suggests that the intrinsically theological and spiritual nature of sacred music remains an immense attraction particularly in secular society. Intended by the composer and inspired by religious intentions this theological and spiritual heart reflects our inherent need to express our humanity and search for the mystical or the transcendent. Offering a unique examination of the relationship between sacred music and secular society, this book will appeal to readers interested in contemporary spirituality, Christianity, music, worship, faith and society, whether believers or not, including theologians, musicians and sociologists.
Sacred Mysteries Among The Mayas and The Quiches, 11,500 Years Ago: Their Relation To The Sacred Mysteries Of Egypt, Greece, Chaldea And India: Freemasonry In Times Anterior To The Temple Of Solomon
by Augustus Le PlongeonIn "Sacred Mysteries Among the Mayas and the Quiches, 11,500 Years Ago," Augustus Le Plongeon delves deep into the ancient and enigmatic world of the Mayan and Quiche civilizations. Drawing on his extensive research and explorations in the Yucatán Peninsula, Le Plongeon unveils the spiritual and cultural richness of these pre-Columbian societies, proposing a history that stretches back thousands of years beyond commonly accepted timelines.Le Plongeon's work is a fascinating blend of archaeology, anthropology, and mysticism. He offers readers an intricate tapestry of myths, rituals, and beliefs that highlight the sophisticated spiritual practices and profound knowledge of the Mayas and Quiches. His theories challenge conventional historical narratives and provide a unique perspective on the ancient wisdom that shaped these civilizations.Key themes include:Ancient Civilization: Le Plongeon explores the advanced nature of Mayan and Quiche societies, delving into their architectural achievements, astronomical knowledge, and complex social structures. He posits that these civilizations had a profound understanding of the cosmos and human existence.Sacred Rituals and Beliefs: The book provides detailed accounts of the religious practices and ceremonies that were integral to Mayan and Quiche life. Le Plongeon examines the significance of these rituals in maintaining the spiritual and social order of their communities.Lost Knowledge: Suggesting that much of the Mayan and Quiche wisdom has been lost or misunderstood, Le Plongeon argues for the importance of rediscovering and preserving this ancient knowledge. He believes that understanding these sacred mysteries can offer valuable lessons for contemporary society.Controversial Theories: Le Plongeon's hypotheses often challenge established academic views, particularly regarding the timelines and origins of these civilizations. His work invites readers to reconsider widely held assumptions and to explore alternative historical narratives.Whether you are a scholar, a history enthusiast, or a seeker of ancient wisdom, this book offers a unique and enriching perspective on the spiritual and cultural heritage of one of the world's most intriguing ancient civilizations.
Sacred Narrative: Readings in the Theory of Myth
by Alan DundesAlan Dundes defines myth as a sacred narrative that explains how the world and humanity came to be in their present form. This new volume brings together classics statements on the theory of myth by authors such as William Bascom, Jan de Vries, G. S. Kirk, James G. Frazer, Theodor H. Gaster, Mircea Eliade, Bronislaw Malinowski, C. G. Jung, and Claude Lévi-Strauss. Rather than limiting this collection to classical Roman and Greek mythology, Dundes gives the book a worldwide scope. The twenty-two essays by leading experts on myth represent comparative functionalist, myth-ritual, Jungian, Freudian, and structuralist approaches to studying the genre.
Sacred Nature: Restoring Our Ancient Bond with the Natural World
by Karen ArmstrongFrom one of the most original thinkers on the role of religion in the modern world, a profound exploration of the spiritual power of nature—and an urgent call to reclaim that power in everyday life. "Much has been written on the scientific and technological aspects of climate change.... But Armstrong&’s book is both more personal and more profound. Its urgent message is that hearts and minds need to change if we are to once more learn to revere our beautiful and fragile planet." —The GuardianSince the beginning of time, humankind has looked upon nature and seen the divine. In the writings of the great thinkers across religions, the natural world inspires everything from fear, to awe, to tranquil contemplation; God, or however one defined the sublime, was present in everything. Yet today, even as we admire a tree or take in a striking landscape, we rarely see nature as sacred.In this short but deeply powerful book, the best-selling historian of religion Karen Armstrong re-sacralizes nature for modern times. Drawing on her vast knowledge of the world&’s religious traditions, she vividly describes nature&’s central place in spirituality across the centuries. In bringing this age-old wisdom to life, Armstrong shows modern readers how to rediscover nature&’s potency and form a connection to something greater than ourselves.