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Index of Articles

821 long-form essays on the texts, figures and ideas of 35 traditions — filter by tradition or search by title, person or subject.

821 articles

AlchemyWhat Is Alchemy? History, Ideas and Practice of the Royal ArtWhat is alchemy? An introduction to the royal art: its origins in Egypt, China and India, its theory of matter, the Philosopher's Stone and its modern legacy.8 min read AlchemyThe Elixir of LifeThe elixir of life in alchemy: Chinese elixirs of immortality, Indian rasayana, Bacon and Rupescissa, potable gold, long-lived adepts and modern longevity.7 min read

AlchemyThe Philosopher's StoneThe Philosopher's Stone explained: its origins in Greek and Arabic alchemy, transmutation and projection, the elixir of life, famous claims and its symbolism.8 min read

Alchemy · Alchemical SymbolsAlchemical SymbolsA guide to alchemical symbols: the signs of the planets and metals, the elements and tria prima, the green lion, ouroboros, rebis and great emblem books.6 min read

Alchemy · Alchemical SymbolsThe Green Lion in AlchemyThe green lion devouring the sun: meaning of the alchemical symbol, its chemical readings from vitriol to Ripley's sericon, and its spiritual interpretations.7 min read Alchemy · Alchemical SymbolsThe Pelican in Her PietyThe pelican in her piety: the bestiary legend of the bird feeding its young with blood, a symbol of Christ, the alchemists' pelican vessel and the red Stone.7 min read

Alchemy · AlchemistsFamous AlchemistsA guide to famous alchemists, from Maria the Jewess and Zosimos to Jabir, al-Razi, Paracelsus, Boyle and Newton, with notes on legends and pseudonyms.7 min read

Alchemy · AlchemistsJabir ibn HayyanJabir ibn Hayyan and the Jabirian corpus: the legend, the debate over authorship, the science of the balance, elixirs, and the Latin Geber of medieval Europe.7 min read

Alchemy · AlchemistsParacelsusParacelsus (1493/94–1541): his life, his alchemical medicine and tria prima of salt, sulphur and mercury, his elemental spirits and his lasting influence.7 min read Alchemy · AlchemistsZosimos of PanopolisZosimos of Panopolis, the first alchemist whose works survive: his life in Roman Egypt, his apparatus, dream visions, letters to Theosebeia and legacy.8 min read

Alchemy · Chinese AlchemyChinese AlchemyChinese alchemy explained: external alchemy (waidan) and its mineral elixirs, Ge Hong and the Cantong qi, Tang elixir poisoning and the rise of neidan.6 min read

Alchemy · Chinese AlchemyThe Cantong qiThe Cantong qi, or Seal of the Unity of the Three: its legendary author Wei Boyang, dating, Book of Changes cosmology, lead and mercury, and later readings.7 min read Alchemy · Chinese AlchemyWuzhen pianThe Wuzhen pian (Awakening to Reality), Zhang Boduan's 1075 poems on Taoist inner alchemy: structure, lead and mercury, Chan, the Southern Lineage.7 min read Alchemy · The Great WorkAlbedoAlbedo, the alchemical whitening: washing after the nigredo, the white stone and lesser work, moon, swan and queen, the Rosarium images and Jung's reading.7 min read

Alchemy · The Great WorkNigredoNigredo, the alchemical blackening: putrefaction in the vessel, the raven and black sun, Saturn and melancholy, death and rebirth, and Jung's reading.7 min read

Alchemy · The Great WorkThe Great Work in AlchemyThe alchemical Great Work explained: the prima materia, nigredo, albedo, citrinitas and rubedo, Ripley's twelve gates, the vessel and the Philosopher's Stone.6 min read

Alchemy · History of AlchemyAlchemical Hoaxes and FraudA history of alchemical fraud and transmutation claims: imitation gold, Chaucer's tricksters, court alchemists on gilded gallows, witnesses and debunkers.7 min read Alchemy · History of AlchemyEmpedocles and the Four ElementsEmpedocles and the four elements: how the Sicilian philosopher's four roots, Love and Strife shaped Western alchemy, medicine, astrology and ritual magic.8 min read

Alchemy · History of AlchemyHistory of Western AlchemyThe history of Western alchemy: Zosimos, the Jabir corpus, Latin translations, the Philosopher's Stone, Paracelsus, Newton, Boyle and Jung's spiritual reading.7 min read Alchemy · History of AlchemyIsaac Newton's AlchemyIsaac Newton's alchemy: the papers sold in 1936, his laboratory, Philalethes and the green lion, Praxis, the 1693 crisis and what historians now conclude.8 min read Alchemy · Spiritual AlchemyAurora ConsurgensAurora consurgens, the medieval alchemical treatise attributed to Thomas Aquinas: its parables of Wisdom, Zurich illuminations, sources and von Franz's study.7 min read Alchemy · Spiritual AlchemyMary Anne Atwood and the Suggestive Inquiry into AlchemyMary Anne Atwood and A Suggestive Inquiry into the Hermetic Mystery (1850): mesmerism, the burned book, Victorian occultism and spiritual alchemy.7 min read

Alchemy · Spiritual AlchemyPsychology and AlchemyJung's Psychology and Alchemy (1944): its origins, the dream series and mandalas, alchemy as projection, the lapis–Christ parallel, its influence and critics.7 min read

Alchemy · Spiritual AlchemySpiritual AlchemySpiritual alchemy explained: religious themes in early alchemy, Khunrath and Boehme, the Victorian spiritual reading, Jung and the historians' debate.6 min read

Ancient MagicWhat Is Ancient Magic? Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece and RomeWhat was ancient magic? An overview of heka in Egypt, Mesopotamian exorcists, Greek curse tablets, the magical papyri and Roman laws against sorcery.8 min read

Ancient Magic · African Diasporic ReligionsAfrican Diasporic ReligionsA guide to African diasporic religions: Haitian Vodou, Santería, Candomblé, Palo and Umbanda, their West and Central African roots, beliefs and history.7 min read Ancient Magic · African Diasporic ReligionsBolsas de MandingaBolsas de mandinga, protective pouches of the Portuguese Atlantic: their prayers and contents, the 'closed body', Inquisition trials and legacy in Brazil.7 min read Ancient Magic · African Diasporic ReligionsMinkisiKongo minkisi explained: sacred medicine containers, the nganga, nail-studded nkisi nkondi figures, colonial collecting and their echoes in the Americas.7 min read

Ancient Magic · Amulets & TalismansAmulets and TalismansAmulets and talismans explained: Egyptian scarabs, Roman bullae, Jewish and Islamic written charms, astrological images in the Picatrix and Renaissance seals.6 min read Ancient Magic · Amulets & TalismansAncient Egyptian AmuletsAncient Egyptian amulets explained: the scarab, wedjat eye, djed, tyet and ankh, their materials and colours, and how they protected the living and the dead.8 min read Ancient Magic · Amulets & TalismansThe Sator SquareThe Sator square (SATOR AREPO TENET OPERA ROTAS) explained: the Pompeii graffiti, the Pater Noster theory, rival readings and its long life as a charm.7 min read Ancient Magic · Egyptian MagicEgyptian Execration TextsEgyptian execration texts explained: red pots and bound figurines naming foreign rulers and rebels, the Berlin and Brussels finds, and rites against Apophis.7 min read

Ancient Magic · Egyptian MagicMoses the MagicianHow Moses became a master magician in ancient, medieval and modern lore: Pharaoh's sorcerers, the Greek magical papyri, the Sword of Moses and the Sixth and Seventh Books.7 min read Ancient Magic · Egyptian MagicThe Egyptian Book of the DeadThe Egyptian Book of the Dead explained: New Kingdom papyri of afterlife spells, the weighing of the heart, the Papyrus of Ani and its later occult legacy.8 min read Ancient Magic · Egyptian MagicThe Pyramid TextsThe Pyramid Texts explained: the oldest Egyptian religious spells, carved in the pyramid of Unas at Saqqara to protect the king and lift him to the stars.8 min read Ancient Magic · Folk MagicAnglo-Saxon CharmsAnglo-Saxon charms explained: Bald's Leechbook, the Lacnunga, the Old English metrical charms, elf-shot and the Æcerbot field ritual of early England.8 min read

Ancient Magic · Folk MagicFolk MagicFolk magic explained: healing charms, cunning folk, Pennsylvania powwow, Scandinavian black books and Italian benandanti, from the Middle Ages to today.6 min read Ancient Magic · Folk MagicPennsylvania German PowwowPennsylvania German powwow, or Braucherei, explained: healing charms, Hohman's Long Lost Friend, hex doctors, the 1928 York hex murder and the practice today.7 min read Ancient Magic · Greco-Roman MagicApollonius of TyanaApollonius of Tyana explained: the first-century Pythagorean sage, Philostratus's Life, the charge of magic, the rivalry with Christ and his occult legacy.8 min read Ancient Magic · Greco-Roman MagicDefixionesDefixiones, the curse tablets of Greece and Rome: lead sheets that bound rivals in court, love, sport and trade, the Bath tablets, and how scholars read them.8 min read

Ancient Magic · Greco-Roman MagicGreco-Roman MagicGreco-Roman magic explained: lead curse tablets, love spells, the Greek Magical Papyri, theurgy, literary witches like Medea and Roman laws against sorcery.6 min read Ancient Magic · Greco-Roman MagicThe Greek Magical PapyriThe Greek Magical Papyri explained: spellbooks from Roman Egypt for love, binding, divination and protection, their divine names, and their modern legacy.9 min read Ancient Magic · Mesopotamian MagicAramaic Incantation BowlsAramaic incantation bowls explained: Jewish, Mandaic and Syriac demon bowls from Sasanian Iraq, their spiral spells, Lilith divorce writs and their discovery.7 min read Ancient Magic · Mesopotamian MagicLamashtu and PazuzuLamashtu and Pazuzu explained: the demoness who threatened mothers and infants, the wind demon used against her, and their incantations and amulets.7 min read Ancient Magic · Mesopotamian MagicMaqlûMaqlû, the Mesopotamian 'Burning' ritual, explained: tablets from Nineveh, figurines of witches burned by night, the exorcist's role and how scholars read it.7 min read

Ancient Magic · Mesopotamian MagicMesopotamian MagicMesopotamian magic explained: the āšipu exorcist, Maqlû and Šurpu incantations, demons such as Lamaštu and Pazuzu, witchcraft beliefs and Babylonian medicine.6 min read

Black & White MagicWhat Is Magic? Definitions, History and Major TraditionsWhat is magic? An overview of how magic has been defined, its history from antiquity to modern occultism, and the meaning of black, white and natural magic.6 min read

Black & White Magic · Black MagicBlack Magic HistoryA history of black magic: Greek goeteia, Roman maleficium law, Augustine's demonic pact, medieval nigromancy, grimoires, witch trials and modern critiques.10 min read

Black & White Magic · Maleficium & CursesMaleficium, Curses and Protective MagicHistory of maleficium, curses and protective magic: Greek and Roman curse tablets, the evil eye, witch-trial law, witch bottles, hidden shoes and witch marks.9 min read Black & White Magic · Money & Prosperity MagickEthics and Critiques of Prosperity MagicThe ethics and critiques of prosperity magic: Mammon and simony, treasure-hunting fraud, Wiccan ethics, positive thinking and occult economies.7 min read Black & White Magic · Money & Prosperity MagickEuropean Folk Money CharmsEuropean folk money charms: luck pennies, turning coins at the new moon, New Year lentils, carp scales, treasure magic and the money-doubling mandrake.8 min read Black & White Magic · Money & Prosperity MagickHoodoo Money MagicHoodoo money magic explained: lodestones, High John root, money drawing oils, gamblers' mojo bags, business floor washes and the curio catalogue trade.8 min read Black & White Magic · Money & Prosperity MagickJupiter Talismans for Wealth in the Picatrix and the GrimoiresJupiter talismans for wealth: the greater benefic in astrology, Picatrix images, Agrippa's magic square, the Pentacles of Jupiter and the spirit Bethor.8 min read Black & White Magic · Money & Prosperity MagickMoney Magick in Modern Witchcraft and New Thought ProsperityMoney magick in modern witchcraft and New Thought: Wiccan prosperity spells, candles and herbs, Unity's divine supply, and the law of attraction.7 min read Black & White Magic · Money & Prosperity MagickMoney MagickMoney magick explained: prosperity magic from Roman curse tablets and Jupiter talismans to hoodoo, gods of wealth, New Thought, chaos magic and its critics.8 min read Black & White Magic · Money & Prosperity MagickMoney Sigils and Chaos MagickMoney sigils and chaos magick: from Agrippa's Jupiter seals to Spare's sigils, Carroll's results magic, servitors and modern financial sorcery.6 min read Black & White Magic · Money & Prosperity MagickSaints and Gods of WealthSaints and gods of wealth across religions: St Expedite, St Joseph, Lakshmi and Kubera, Caishen, Ebisu and Daikokuten, and the Tibetan deity Jambhala.8 min read Black & White Magic · Natural MagicDella Porta's Magia NaturalisGiambattista della Porta's Magia naturalis (1558, enlarged 1589): its contents, natural magic as practical natural philosophy, and its place in science.7 min read

Black & White Magic · Natural MagicNatural MagicNatural magic explained: occult qualities, sympathy and antipathy, al-Kindi, Ficino, Agrippa and Della Porta's Magia naturalis, and its role in early science.7 min read Black & White Magic · Natural MagicRoger Bacon and MagicRoger Bacon and magic: how the Franciscan condemned the books of Solomon, defended astrology and the secrets of nature, and became a legendary magician.8 min read

Black & White Magic · NecromancyNecromancy in the Middle AgesNecromancy in the Middle Ages: its ancient roots, the Munich Handbook, the Sworn Book of Honorius, clerical magicians and the 1277 and 1398 condemnations.8 min read

Black & White Magic · Protective MagicProtective MagicProtective magic explained: apotropaic images, the evil eye, Jewish, Christian and Islamic protective texts, witch bottles, house marks and the magic circle.7 min read

Black & White Magic · Sex MagickSex MagickA historical overview of sex magick: Paschal Beverly Randolph, the O.T.O., Aleister Crowley, the Western reception of tantra, Wicca and chaos magic.8 min read Black & White Magic · Theories of MagicAugustine's City of God on Magic, Demons and TheurgyAugustine's City of God on magic explained: his attack on theurgy, Porphyry and the Hermetic Asclepius, demons and signs, and how it shaped medieval views.8 min read Black & White Magic · Theories of MagicSpeculum AstronomiaeThe Speculum astronomiae (c. 1260), attributed to Albertus Magnus: how it defended astrology, classed astrological images and named Solomonic necromancy.8 min read Black & White Magic · Theories of MagicThe Paris Condemnation of 1277The Paris condemnation of 1277: Bishop Tempier's 219 propositions, the banned books of necromancy and geomancy, astrology, and medieval fears of magic.8 min read

Black & White Magic · Theories of MagicTheories of MagicHow scholars explain magic: Tylor and Frazer's sympathetic magic, Mauss, Malinowski, Evans-Pritchard, Tambiah, and magic as a contested modern category.7 min read

Black & White Magic · White MagicWhite Magic HistoryA history of white magic: natural magic, Ficino and Pico, Agrippa's defence, theurgy, Dee's angel magic, cunning folk, Wiccan ethics and the binary's critics.8 min read

BuddhismWhat Is Buddhism? The Buddha, the Dharma and the SanghaWhat is Buddhism? An introduction to the Buddha, the Four Noble Truths, karma, rebirth and nirvana, the Three Jewels, and the Theravada and Mahayana schools.8 min read

Buddhism · Buddhism in the WestBuddhism in the WestHow Buddhism came to the West: early encounters, Victorian scholars and Theosophists, Asian immigrants, Zen, Tibetan and insight teachers, and mindfulness.7 min read

Buddhism · Buddhist CosmologyBuddhist CosmologyBuddhist cosmology explained: samsara, the three realms and thirty-one planes, the six realms and the wheel of life, Mount Meru, kalpas and countless worlds.7 min read Buddhism · Buddhist CosmologyBuddhist Hells and Hungry GhostsBuddhist hells and hungry ghosts explained: the hot and cold narakas, Yama and the Ten Kings, the pretas, Mulian and the Ghost Festival, and hells in art.8 min read

Buddhism · Buddhist ScripturesBuddhist ScripturesA guide to Buddhist scriptures: the Pali Canon or Tipitaka, the Agamas, Mahayana sutras such as the Lotus and Heart Sutras, the tantras and the Asian canons.7 min read Buddhism · Buddhist ScripturesThe Lotus SutraThe Lotus Sutra explained: its origins and translations, the one vehicle and skilful means, its famous parables, Tiantai in China and Nichiren in Japan.8 min read

Buddhism · Core TeachingsCore Teachings of BuddhismThe core teachings of Buddhism explained: the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, not-self, dependent origination, karma and rebirth, and nirvana.7 min read Buddhism · Core TeachingsDependent OriginationDependent origination explained: the twelve links from ignorance to death, their place in the Pali suttas, the Abhidharma, Nagarjuna and the Wheel of Life.8 min read Buddhism · The Life of the BuddhaBuddhist PilgrimageThe four great Buddhist pilgrimage sites explained: Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar, their history, Ashoka's pillars, ruins and the modern revival.8 min read

Buddhism · The Life of the BuddhaThe Life of the BuddhaThe life of the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama: birth at Lumbini, the renunciation, awakening at Bodh Gaya, the first sermon, his death and the debated dates.8 min read

Buddhism · MahayanaMahayana BuddhismMahayana Buddhism explained: its origins in India, the bodhisattva ideal, Nagarjuna and emptiness, Yogacara, buddha-nature and its schools in East Asia.7 min read Buddhism · MahayanaNagarjuna and MadhyamakaNagarjuna and Madhyamaka explained: the founder of the Middle Way school, emptiness, the two truths, the tetralemma and his heirs in India, Tibet and China.8 min read

Buddhism · Monastic LifeBuddhist Monastic LifeBuddhist monastic life explained: the Sangha, the Vinaya rules, novice and full ordination, the daily round, nuns' ordination, and monasteries across Asia.7 min read Buddhism · Monastic LifeNalandaNalanda Mahavihara explained: the great Buddhist monastery of Bihar, its Gupta and Pala patrons, Xuanzang and Yijing, its scholars, its decline and its ruins.7 min read

Buddhism · Pure LandPure Land BuddhismPure Land Buddhism explained: Amitabha Buddha and his vows, the Pure Land sutras, Chinese masters, Honen and Shinran in Japan, and reciting the Buddha's name.7 min read Buddhism · TheravadaBuddhaghosa and the VisuddhimaggaBuddhaghosa and the Visuddhimagga explained: the fifth-century commentator, his Path of Purification, its forty meditation subjects and its role in Theravada.7 min read

Buddhism · TheravadaTheravada BuddhismTheravada Buddhism, the way of the elders: its origins, the Pali Canon, the arahant ideal, monks and merit, and its history in Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand.7 min read Buddhism · VajrayanaTara in Tibetan BuddhismTara in Tibetan Buddhism explained: the female buddha's Indian origins, the eight fears, Green and White Tara, the Twenty-One Taras and her tantric forms.7 min read

Buddhism · VajrayanaVajrayana BuddhismVajrayana Buddhism, the Diamond Vehicle: Indian tantric origins, mandala, mantra and deity yoga, initiation and the guru, tantra classes, Nepal and Shingon.7 min read

Chaos MagickWhat Is Chaos Magick? Core Ideas, Methods and CriticismsWhat is chaos magick? An introduction to its core ideas: belief as a tool, gnosis, sigils, servitors, paradigm shifting, the eight colours and its critics.7 min read

Chaos Magick · Chaos MagickChaos MagickChaos magick explained: Austin Osman Spare's sigils, Peter Carroll and the IOT, belief as a tool, gnosis, paradigm shifting and Grant Morrison's pop magic.7 min read Chaos Magick · Chaos MagickGnosis in Chaos MagickGnosis in chaos magick explained: inhibitory and excitatory states, Spare's death posture, Carroll's Liber Null, parallels in trance research and cautions.8 min read Chaos Magick · Chaos MagickIlluminates of Thanateros (IOT)The Illuminates of Thanateros, the chaos magick order founded in 1978: its name, the Pact, grades and temples, the 1990s Ice War schism and the IOT today.7 min read Chaos Magick · Chaos MagickPeter J. CarrollPeter J. Carroll, co-founder of chaos magick: his life, Liber Null, Psychonaut and Liber Kaos, the Illuminates of Thanateros and his theories of magic.8 min read Chaos Magick · Chaos MagickServitors and EgregoresServitors and egregores explained: from the Watchers of Enoch and French occultism to Theosophical thought-forms, tulpas and the servitors of chaos magick.7 min read

Chaos Magick · Contemporary OccultismContemporary OccultismContemporary occultism explained: the 1960s occult revival, Thelema and Wicca after Crowley and Gardner, chaos magic, grimoire revivals and occultism online.6 min read Chaos Magick · Contemporary OccultismDiscordianismDiscordianism explained: Greg Hill and Kerry Thornley, the Principia Discordia, Eris and the Sacred Chao, Illuminatus!, and its influence on chaos magick.8 min read Chaos Magick · Contemporary OccultismMagic and the InternetHow the internet changed magic: Usenet and technopagans, chaos magick online, WitchTok, meme magic, magical activism and the debates they have raised.7 min read Chaos Magick · Contemporary OccultismThee Temple ov Psychick YouthThee Temple ov Psychick Youth (TOPY): Genesis P-Orridge, Psychic TV, sigils on the 23rd, Burroughs and Gysin, the 1992 Dispatches affair and its legacy.7 min read Chaos Magick · Magic & CultureHypersigilsWhat is a hypersigil? Grant Morrison's idea of fiction as an extended sigil, The Invisibles, Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth and sigils in online culture.7 min read

Chaos Magick · Magic & CultureMagic and CultureHow magic shaped modern culture: occultism in Symbolist and abstract art, rock and industrial music, comics by Alan Moore and Grant Morrison, and horror film.6 min read Chaos Magick · Magic & CulturePop-Culture MagicPop-culture magic explained: working with fictional gods and characters, from Bulwer-Lytton and Lovecraft to chaos magick, Alan Moore's Glycon and Jediism.7 min read Chaos Magick · Magic & CultureThe Chaos StarThe chaos star or symbol of chaos: its origin in Michael Moorcock's fantasy fiction, its adoption as the chaosphere of chaos magick, and its meanings today.7 min read Chaos Magick · SigilsAustin Osman SpareAustin Osman Spare (1886–1956): the London artist whose Book of Pleasure created modern sigil magic, the Zos Kia philosophy and the alphabet of desire.8 min read Chaos Magick · SigilsGoetic Seals and Grimoire SigilsA history of the Goetic seals and other grimoire sigils: medieval spirit books, the 72 seals of the Lemegeton, the Grimorium Verum and their modern afterlife.8 min read Chaos Magick · SigilsIcelandic Magical StavesIcelandic galdrastafir explained: the Galdrabók and Huld manuscripts, the Vegvísir and Ægishjálmur, the witch trials and whether the staves are Viking.7 min read Chaos Magick · SigilsMagic Squares and Planetary SealsMagic squares (kameas) and planetary seals: their Chinese and Islamic origins, Agrippa's seven planetary tables of 1533, and how sigils were traced on them.7 min read Chaos Magick · SigilsRose-Cross SigilsHow the Golden Dawn made sigils on the Rose Cross lamen: the rose of 22 Hebrew letters, its link to Sefer Yetzirah, the tracing rules and modern sigil wheels.7 min read Chaos Magick · SigilsSigil MagicHow sigil magic works in modern practice: Spare's word method, pictorial and mantric sigils, charging and forgetting, and how scholars explain the technique.7 min read

Chaos Magick · SigilsSigilsA history of sigils: ancient magical characters, Solomonic seals of spirits, Agrippa's planetary signs, Icelandic staves, Austin Osman Spare and chaos magic.7 min read

ChristianityWhat Is Christianity? Beliefs, History and TraditionsWhat is Christianity? An overview of Christian beliefs, the Bible, Jesus, the creeds, worship and the Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant traditions.8 min read

Christianity · Angels, Demons & ExorcismAngels, Demons and Exorcism in Christian TraditionAngels, demons and exorcism in Christianity: biblical angels, the nine choirs, the fall of Satan, desert demonology and the Roman Rite of exorcism.6 min read Christianity · The Bible & Its CanonThe Book of RevelationThe Book of Revelation explained: who wrote the Apocalypse of John, its seals, beasts and number 666, its place in the canon and how it has been read.8 min read

Christianity · The Bible & Its CanonThe Christian Bible and Its CanonHow the Christian Bible was formed: the Old Testament and Septuagint, the 27 books of the New Testament, the Apocrypha debate and the canons of each church.7 min read

Christianity · CatholicismRoman CatholicismAn introduction to Roman Catholicism: the papacy, the Catholic Church's history from Rome to Vatican II, its teaching, sacraments, orders and saints.6 min read

Christianity · Creeds, Councils & DoctrineChristian Creeds and CouncilsA history of Christian creeds and councils: the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds, the seven ecumenical councils, the Trinity, Christology and later confessions.7 min read Christianity · Creeds, Councils & DoctrineThe TrinityThe Trinity explained: how Christians came to confess one God in Father, Son and Holy Spirit, from the New Testament and Nicaea to Augustine and its critics.8 min read

Christianity · Eastern OrthodoxyEastern Orthodox ChristianityEastern Orthodox Christianity explained: its Byzantine history, the schism of 1054, the autocephalous churches, icons, the Divine Liturgy and theosis.7 min read Christianity · Eastern OrthodoxyHesychasm and the Jesus PrayerHesychasm and the Jesus Prayer explained: Orthodox prayer of stillness from the Desert Fathers to Gregory Palamas, the Philokalia and the Way of a Pilgrim.8 min read

Christianity · Folk ChristianityFolk ChristianityFolk Christianity explained: healing charms and prayers, holy wells, saints' days, sacramentals, Pennsylvania powwow and how churches viewed popular piety.6 min read

Christianity · Jesus & the ApostlesJesus and the ApostlesJesus and the apostles in history and tradition: the life of Jesus, the Twelve, Paul's mission, Mary Magdalene and how the first Christian churches spread.7 min read Christianity · Jesus & the ApostlesPaul the ApostlePaul the Apostle explained: his life from Tarsus to Rome, the Damascus road, his authentic and disputed letters, his theology and his legacy in Christianity.8 min read

Christianity · MonasticismChristian MonasticismA history of Christian monasticism: the Desert Fathers, Pachomius and Basil, the Rule of Saint Benedict, Cluny and Cîteaux, the friars, Mount Athos and today.6 min read Christianity · MonasticismHildegard of BingenHildegard of Bingen (1098–1179): Benedictine abbess, visionary author of Scivias, composer, healer and Doctor of the Church — her life, works and legacy.8 min read Christianity · ProtestantismMartin LutherMartin Luther (1483–1546): the monk who sparked the Reformation — his Ninety-Five Theses, break with Rome, German Bible, theology and contested legacy.8 min read

Christianity · ProtestantismProtestantism and the ReformationProtestantism and the Reformation explained: Luther, Zwingli and Calvin, Anabaptists and Anglicans, core Protestant beliefs and the rise of Pentecostalism.6 min read

Christianity · Sacraments & LiturgyChristian Sacraments and LiturgyChristian sacraments and liturgy explained: baptism, the Eucharist and the seven sacraments, the Mass and Divine Liturgy, and the Christian liturgical year.6 min read Christianity · Sacraments & LiturgyEaster and Holy WeekEaster and Holy Week explained: the Christian feast of the resurrection, its Passover roots, how its date is calculated, its liturgies and its folk customs.8 min read Christianity · Saints, Relics & MaryMarian ApparitionsMarian apparitions explained: reported visions of the Virgin Mary at Guadalupe, Lourdes and Fátima, how the Church judges them and what historians say.8 min read

Christianity · Saints, Relics & MarySaints, Relics and the Virgin Mary in Christian TraditionThe history of Christian saints, relics and devotion to the Virgin Mary: martyr cults, pilgrimage, canonisation, Marian dogmas, apparitions and their critics.7 min read

DivinationWhat Is Divination? History, Methods and Meaning ExplainedWhat is divination? A history of reading signs from Babylonian omens and Delphi to tarot, astrology, the I Ching and runes, with how scholars explain it.8 min read

Divination · AstrologyAstrologyAstrology explained: Babylonian omens, Hellenistic horoscopes, Ptolemy, Abu Ma'shar, Lilly and modern psychological astrology, with its branches and methods.6 min read Divination · AstrologyPtolemy's TetrabiblosPtolemy's Tetrabiblos explained: the second-century treatise on astrology, its four books, natural philosophy, tropical zodiac, transmission and legacy.7 min read

Divination · Chinese AstrologyChinese AstrologyChinese astrology explained: the twelve zodiac animals, stems and branches, the five phases, Four Pillars (bazi), Purple Star astrology and the almanac.6 min read Divination · Chinese AstrologyThe Tong ShuThe Tong Shu or Chinese almanac explained: daybooks, the imperial calendar, the twelve day officers, lucky and unlucky days, date selection and its history.7 min read

Divination · GeomancyGeomancyGeomancy explained: the Arabic science of the sand, its sixteen figures from Via to Cauda Draconis, the shield chart, house chart and its European history.6 min read Divination · HoroscopesHorary AstrologyHorary astrology explained: answering questions from a chart of the moment, from Arabic interrogations to William Lilly's Christian Astrology and today.8 min read

Divination · HoroscopesHoroscopesHoroscopes explained: the word's meaning, Babylonian and Greek birth charts, natal and sun-sign horoscopes, newspaper columns and other cultures' systems.6 min read

Divination · I ChingI ChingThe I Ching explained: origins of the Zhouyi, the 64 hexagrams and eight trigrams, the Ten Wings, yarrow-stalk and coin divination, and its Western history.6 min read

Divination · Major ArcanaMajor ArcanaThe major arcana explained: the 22 tarot trumps from the Fool to the World, their Renaissance origins, Marseille and Rider-Waite-Smith forms, Hebrew letters.6 min read

Divination · Mayan & Aztec AstrologyMayan AstrologyMayan astrology explained: the 260-day Tzolk'in, the twenty day signs and thirteen numbers, the Haab', Long Count and Venus tables, K'iche' daykeepers and modern myths.6 min read Divination · Mayan & Aztec AstrologyThe Aztec TonalpohualliThe Aztec tonalpohualli explained: the 260-day count of 20 day signs and 13 numbers, the tonalamatl books of fate, the day-counters and birth divination.8 min read

Divination · Minor ArcanaMinor ArcanaThe minor arcana explained: the 56 cards of wands, cups, swords and pentacles, their Mamluk and Italian origins, court cards, elements and Golden Dawn decans.6 min read Divination · NumerologyAbjad NumerologyAbjad numerology explained: Arabic letter values, chronograms, 786 for the basmala, name divination, the Hurufis, the Babi 19 and Islamic views of it.7 min read Divination · NumerologyAngel NumbersAngel numbers explained: where 111, 444 and 11:11 come from, Solara and Doreen Virtue, common meanings, links to numerology and the psychology of seeing them.7 min read Divination · NumerologyBiblical NumerologyBiblical numerology and Christian number symbolism from Augustine and Bede to Bullinger and the Bible Code, and how the churches have viewed numerology.8 min read Divination · NumerologyChaldean Numerology and CheiroChaldean numerology explained: Cheiro's Book of Numbers, the Chaldean letter chart, compound numbers, and how it differs from the Pythagorean system.7 min read Divination · NumerologyExpression, Soul Urge and Personality Numbers in NumerologyHow numerology reads a name: the expression or destiny number, soul urge and personality numbers, karmic lessons and the Y rule, with a full worked example.7 min read Divination · NumerologyL. Dow Balliett and the Birth of Modern Numerology (1900–1930)How modern numerology was born: L. Dow Balliett's number vibrations, New Thought, Julia Seton, Juno Jordan and Florence Campbell, and the system they created.7 min read Divination · NumerologyLife Path NumberHow to calculate your life path number, with worked examples, the two reduction methods, master numbers, karmic debt numbers and the meaning of each number.8 min read Divination · NumerologyMaster Numbers 11, 22 and 33 in NumerologyMaster numbers 11, 22 and 33 in numerology: what they mean, how they arise in a calculation, where the idea came from, and why 33 is still debated.6 min read

Divination · NumerologyNumerologyNumerology explained: Pythagorean number mysticism, gematria and isopsephy, the modern life path and expression numbers, and Pythagorean vs Chaldean systems.6 min read Divination · NumerologyPersonal Year NumberHow to calculate your personal year, personal month and personal day numbers in numerology, with worked examples, the nine-year cycle and each year's meaning.7 min read Divination · NumerologyPythagoras and Pythagorean Number MysticismPythagoras and Pythagorean number mysticism: the tetractys, the meanings of one to ten, Philolaus, Nicomachus and how the legend shaped modern numerology.8 min read

Divination · Other OraclesOther OraclesA guide to other kinds of divination: crystal and mirror scrying, palmistry, bibliomancy, dream interpretation, lots and dice, Ifá, Lenormand and tea leaves.6 min read Divination · Other OraclesThe Oracle of DelphiThe Oracle of Delphi explained: the Pythia and how consultations worked, famous responses, the vapour theory, Plutarch's account and the oracle's history.8 min read

Divination · RunesRunesRunes explained: the Elder and Younger Futhark, the rune poems, Odin in the Hávamál, Tacitus on lot-casting, rune magic and modern rune divination's origins.6 min read Divination · Talking Boards & Spirit CommunicationAutomatic WritingAutomatic writing explained: the planchette, Spiritist psychography, the cross-correspondences, Yeats's A Vision, Chinese spirit writing and the psychology.7 min read Divination · Talking Boards & Spirit CommunicationFraudulent Mediums Act 1951The Fraudulent Mediums Act 1951 explained: how it replaced the Witchcraft Act after Helen Duncan's trial and why it was repealed for consumer law in 2008.8 min read

Divination · Talking Boards & Spirit CommunicationOuija BoardOuija board history from Spiritualism to Parker Brothers, how a talking board session is run, the ideomotor effect, and how to make your own board.16 min read

Divination · Tarot HistoryHistory of TarotThe history of tarot: 15th-century Italian tarocchi, Visconti-Sforza decks, Marseille cards, Court de Gébelin, Etteilla, Lévi, Rider-Waite-Smith and Thoth.7 min read Divination · Tarot HistoryThe Rider-Waite-Smith TarotThe Rider-Waite-Smith tarot of 1909: how A. E. Waite and Pamela Colman Smith made the most influential tarot deck, its symbolism, editions and legacy.8 min read Divination · Vedic AstrologyNakshatrasThe nakshatras explained: the 27 lunar mansions of Vedic astrology, their Vedic origins, deities, padas and rulers, and their use in naming and matching.7 min read

Divination · Vedic AstrologyVedic Astrology (Jyotish)Vedic astrology (Jyotish) explained: the Vedanga Jyotisha, Greek transmission, the sidereal zodiac, nakshatras, dashas, vargas and kundali matching.6 min read

Divination · Zodiac & PlanetsZodiac Signs and PlanetsThe zodiac signs and planets explained: origins of the twelve signs, elements and modes, rulerships and exaltations, the seven classical planets and decans.6 min read

Eastern MysticismWhat Is Eastern Mysticism? Yoga, Tantra, the Dao and ZenWhat is Eastern mysticism? An overview of Vedanta, yoga and samadhi, tantra, Buddhist meditation, Zen, Tibetan Vajrayana, Daoism and Sufism, and their reception.7 min read

Eastern Mysticism · Chakras & Subtle BodyAjnaAjna, the brow chakra: its two-petalled lotus, the syllables Ham and Ksham, Om, Hakini and the Itara linga in tantra, and the modern Western third-eye chakra.8 min read

Eastern Mysticism · Chakras & Subtle BodyAnahataAnahata, the heart chakra: the unstruck sound, its twelve-petalled lotus, bija mantra YAM, air element, Isha and Kakini, and the modern green heart chakra.8 min read

Eastern Mysticism · Chakras & Subtle BodyChakra MeditationChakra meditation explained: its roots in tantric nyasa and bhuta-shuddhi, the bija mantras, modern colour practice and a simple, safe practice with cautions.7 min read

Eastern Mysticism · Chakras & Subtle BodyChakras in the WestHow the chakras came to the West: Theosophy and Leadbeater's The Chakras, Woodroffe's Serpent Power, Jung's 1932 seminar, Esalen and Anodea Judith.8 min read

Eastern Mysticism · Chakras & Subtle BodyHistory of the ChakrasThe history of the chakras: varied systems in tantric texts, the Ṣaṭ-cakra-nirūpaṇa, Woodroffe, Leadbeater's Theosophy and the modern rainbow seven.7 min read

Eastern Mysticism · Chakras & Subtle BodyManipuraManipura, the navel or solar plexus chakra: its meaning, ten-petalled lotus, bija mantra RAM, fire element, Rudra and Lakini, and the modern yellow chakra.7 min read

Eastern Mysticism · Chakras & Subtle BodyMuladharaMuladhara, the root chakra: its meaning, four-petalled lotus, bija mantra LAM, earth element, Brahma and Dakini, and how the modern red chakra developed.8 min read

Eastern Mysticism · Chakras & Subtle BodyNadis, Prana and the Subtle Body in Yoga and TantraNadis, prana and the subtle body explained: ida, pingala and sushumna, the 72,000 channels, the five vayus and the three granthis in yoga and tantra.8 min read

Eastern Mysticism · Chakras & Subtle BodySahasraraSahasrara, the crown chakra: the thousand-petalled lotus of the tantric texts, Paramashiva and Shakti, the letters and the void, and its modern Western form.7 min read

Eastern Mysticism · Chakras & Subtle BodySvadhisthanaSvadhisthana, the sacral chakra: its meaning, six-petalled lotus, bija mantra VAM, water element, Vishnu and Rakini, and the modern orange sacral chakra.8 min read

Eastern Mysticism · Chakras & Subtle BodyVishuddhaVishuddha, the throat chakra: its sixteen-petalled lotus, the bija Ham, ether, Sadashiva and Shakini in the tantric texts, and the modern blue throat chakra.8 min read Eastern Mysticism · Hatha YogaHatha Yoga PradipikaThe Hatha Yoga Pradipika of Svatmarama explained: its date and sources, the four chapters on asana, pranayama, mudra and samadhi, and its modern translations.8 min read

Eastern Mysticism · Hatha YogaHatha YogaHatha yoga explained: its medieval origins, the Nath yogis, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, asana, pranayama, mudras and bandhas, and how it became modern yoga.6 min read

Eastern Mysticism · Hinduism & VedantaHinduism and VedantaA guide to Hinduism and Vedanta: the Vedas, the Upanishads on atman and brahman, the Bhagavad Gita, Shankara's Advaita, Ramanuja, Madhva and modern Vedanta.6 min read Eastern Mysticism · Hinduism & VedantaSwami VivekanandaSwami Vivekananda's life and legacy: Ramakrishna, the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago, Raja Yoga, the Vedanta Societies and the Ramakrishna Mission.7 min read

Eastern Mysticism · KundaliniKundalini YogaKundalini yoga explained: the coiled serpent of Shaiva and Shakta tantra, hatha yoga's nadis, Woodroffe, Gopi Krishna, Jung, Yogi Bhajan and 3HO.9 min read Eastern Mysticism · KundaliniSir John WoodroffeSir John Woodroffe, the Calcutta judge who wrote as Arthur Avalon: his life, his Bengali collaborators, The Serpent Power and his influence on kundalini.8 min read

Eastern Mysticism · MeditationMeditation in Eastern TraditionsA history of meditation in Hindu, Buddhist, Daoist and Zen traditions: dhyana, jhana, samatha and vipassana, mantra, zazen, Transcendental Meditation and mindfulness.6 min read Eastern Mysticism · MeditationVipassanaVipassana insight meditation explained: its Pali roots, the Visuddhimagga, the Burmese revival of Ledi Sayadaw, Mahasi and Goenka, and its spread to the West.8 min read

Eastern Mysticism · Qigong & Internal ArtsQigong and the Internal ArtsQigong and the Chinese internal arts explained: ancient daoyin, the modern qigong movement, neigong, taijiquan, xingyiquan, baguazhang and the theory of qi.6 min read Eastern Mysticism · Qigong & Internal ArtsTai Chi (Taijiquan)Tai chi (taijiquan) explained: the taiji cosmology, the Zhang Sanfeng legend, Chen village origins, the Taiji Classics, the great styles and tai chi today.8 min read Eastern Mysticism · SufismMansur al-HallajMansur al-Hallaj, the Sufi executed in Baghdad in 922: his life and travels, the saying 'I am the Truth', the Tawasin, his trial and his legacy in Islam.8 min read

Eastern Mysticism · SufismSufismSufism, the mystical path of Islam: its origins, Rabi'a, al-Junayd, al-Hallaj, al-Ghazali, Ibn Arabi, Rumi, the orders, dhikr, sama and spiritual stations.8 min read

Eastern Mysticism · TantraTantraTantra's history and practice: Shaiva, Shakta and Buddhist tantra, Abhinavagupta, right- and left-hand paths, the five Ms, mantra, mandala and neo-tantra.8 min read Eastern Mysticism · TantraVijnana Bhairava TantraThe Vijnana Bhairava Tantra explained: its date and Kashmir Shaiva setting, the dialogue of Bhairava and the Goddess, its 112 meditations and modern versions.8 min read

Eastern Mysticism · Taoist MysticismTaoist Internal Alchemy (Neidan)Taoist internal alchemy (neidan) explained: waidan vs neidan, jing, qi and shen, the dantian, the Wuzhen pian, Quanzhen, the Golden Flower and qigong.8 min read Eastern Mysticism · Taoist MysticismThe Microcosmic OrbitThe microcosmic orbit (xiao zhoutian) explained: the governing and conception vessels, the three passes, its place in Daoist neidan, and its modern history.8 min read

Eastern Mysticism · The Third EyeAjna and the Third Eye in Yoga and TantraAjna and the third eye in yoga and tantra: the point between the brows in the Gita, the Ṣaṭ-cakra-nirūpaṇa, hatha yoga gazes and the meeting of the channels.8 min read

Eastern Mysticism · The Third EyeShiva's Third Eye, the Bindi and the TilakaShiva's third eye in Hindu myth, the burning of Kama, three-eyed goddesses, and the history and meaning of the tilaka and bindi worn on the forehead today.8 min read

Eastern Mysticism · The Third EyeThe Pineal GlandThe pineal gland from Galen and Descartes' seat of the soul to melatonin and the body clock, and what science says about calcification, DMT and the third eye.8 min read

Eastern Mysticism · The Third EyeThe Third EyeThe third eye across traditions: Shiva's eye of fire, the ajna centre, the Buddha's urna, Daoist inner sight, the pineal gland and the Western occult revival.8 min read

Eastern Mysticism · The Third EyeThe Urna and Inner Sight in BuddhismThe urna between the Buddha's brows, its light in Mahayana sutras and art, the five eyes and the divine eye, and three-eyed deities of Vajrayana Buddhism.8 min read

Eastern Mysticism · The Third EyeTheosophy, Lobsang Rampa and the Western Third EyeHow the West invented its third eye: Blavatsky's pineal eye, Leadbeater's clairvoyant chakras, Steiner and Bailey, and Cyril Hoskin's 1956 hoax The Third Eye.8 min read

Eastern Mysticism · The Third EyeThird Eye MeditationThird eye meditation explained: the history of trataka and brow focus in yoga and Buddhism, a simple and safe candle-gazing practice, and sensible cautions.8 min read Eastern Mysticism · Tibetan BuddhismThe Kalachakra TantraThe Kalachakra Tantra explained: its eleventh-century Indian origins, Shambhala legend, outer, inner and alternative wheels, Tibetan calendar and initiation.8 min read

Eastern Mysticism · Tibetan BuddhismTibetan BuddhismTibetan Buddhism explained: its arrival in Tibet, Vajrayana tantra and the guru, the Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug schools, Dzogchen, Mahamudra and the bardo.6 min read Eastern Mysticism · Yoga Philosophy & SamadhiThe Yoga Sutras of PatanjaliThe Yoga Sutras of Patanjali explained: date and authorship, the four books, the eight limbs, the siddhis and kaivalya, commentaries and the modern revival.8 min read

Eastern Mysticism · Yoga Philosophy & SamadhiYoga Philosophy and SamadhiYoga philosophy and samadhi explained: Samkhya dualism, Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, the eight limbs, stages of samadhi, siddhis, kaivalya and the classical commentaries.6 min read

Eastern Mysticism · Zen & ChanZen and Chan BuddhismZen and Chan Buddhism explained: Bodhidharma, Huineng and the Platform Sutra, the five houses, koans and silent illumination, Dogen, Hakuin and Zen in the West.6 min read

GnosticismWhat Is Gnosticism? Gnosis, Aeons, Sophia and the DemiurgeWhat is Gnosticism? A scholarly guide to gnosis, the pleroma, aeons, Sophia, the demiurge and archons, the ancient schools, and the debate over the term.10 min read GnosticismThe HeresiologistsThe heresiologists explained: Irenaeus, Tertullian, Hippolytus, Epiphanius and Plotinus on the Gnostics, what they preserved, and how far they can be trusted.8 min read Gnosticism · Apophatic TheologyApophatic TheologyApophatic theology explained: the via negativa from Plato, Philo and Plotinus to Gregory of Nyssa, Dionysius, Maimonides, Eckhart, Cusa and modern thought.8 min read

Gnosticism · Apophatic TheologyPseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite and Christian Mystical TheologyPseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite explained: his writings, apophatic theology, the nine choirs of angels, and his influence on Eriugena, Eckhart and Hesychasm.9 min read Gnosticism · Apophatic TheologyThe Cloud of UnknowingThe Cloud of Unknowing explained: the anonymous 14th-century English classic of apophatic prayer, its cloud of forgetting, naked intent and lasting influence.8 min read

Gnosticism · Cathars & BogomilsCathars and BogomilsCathars and Bogomils explained: dualist beliefs, the consolamentum and perfecti, the Albigensian Crusade, Montségur, Inquisition records and current debates.10 min read Gnosticism · Cathars & BogomilsMontaillou and the Fournier RegisterMontaillou and the Fournier Register: Jacques Fournier's inquisition, the Authié Cathar revival, Pierre Clergue, Bélibaste and Le Roy Ladurie's classic.8 min read Gnosticism · Cathars & BogomilsThe Secret Supper (Interrogatio Iohannis)The Interrogatio Iohannis or Secret Supper: the Bogomil apocryphon used by the Cathars, its myth of Satan's fall and creation, manuscripts and meaning.8 min read

Gnosticism · Christian MysticsChristian MysticsA guide to the Christian mystics: Origen and the Desert Fathers, Bernard, Hildegard, Eckhart, the Beguines, Julian of Norwich, the Hesychasts, Teresa and John of the Cross.7 min read Gnosticism · Christian MysticsJohn of the CrossJohn of the Cross explained: the Carmelite poet-mystic, his Toledo imprisonment, the Dark Night of the Soul, Ascent of Mount Carmel and Spiritual Canticle.8 min read Gnosticism · Christian MysticsMeister EckhartMeister Eckhart (c. 1260–1328): the Dominican mystic's life, German sermons, teaching on detachment and the ground of the soul, his heresy trial and legacy.8 min read Gnosticism · Christian TheosophyChristian TheosophyChristian theosophy explained: Jacob Boehme's vision and its heirs, from Gichtel, Pordage and Jane Lead to Oetinger, Saint-Martin, Baader and the Romantics.8 min read Gnosticism · Christian TheosophyEmanuel SwedenborgEmanuel Swedenborg's life: the Swedish mining scientist whose visions of 1744–45 led to accounts of heaven, hell, spirits and the inner sense of Scripture.8 min read

Gnosticism · Christian TheosophyJacob BoehmeJacob Boehme, the shoemaker mystic of Görlitz: his life, Aurora, the Ungrund, divine Sophia, Christian theosophy and his influence on Blake and Hegel.10 min read Gnosticism · Christian TheosophyJane Lead and the Philadelphian SocietyJane Lead and the Philadelphian Society: the English visionary of the Virgin Sophia, her circle with John Pordage and Francis Lee, and her German legacy.7 min read Gnosticism · Gnostic CosmologyGnostic CosmologyGnostic cosmology explained: the unknowable God and the Pleroma, the aeons, Sophia's fall, the archons of the seven heavens, fate and the ascent of the soul.8 min read Gnosticism · Gnostic CosmologySophia in Gnostic MythSophia in Gnostic myth: from Jewish Wisdom to the fallen aeon of the Apocryphon of John, Valentinian Achamoth and the Pistis Sophia, and her later legacy.8 min read

Gnosticism · Gnostic CosmologyThe DemiurgeThe demiurge explained: Plato's divine craftsman in the Timaeus, the Gnostic Yaldabaoth, Marcion's creator, Plotinus's critique and modern literary echoes.9 min read Gnosticism · Gnostic SchoolsMarcion of SinopeMarcion of Sinope explained: the shipowner who split the God of the Law from the Father of Jesus, his Gospel and Apostle, and the Marcionite church.8 min read

Gnosticism · Gnostic SchoolsSethian GnosticismSethian Gnosticism explained: the myth of Barbelo, the Autogenes and Yaldabaoth, the seed of Seth, its key Nag Hammadi texts and its links to Platonism.10 min read

Gnosticism · Gnostic SchoolsValentinian GnosticismValentinian Gnosticism explained: Valentinus and his students, the Ptolemaic myth of Sophia, the three kinds of humans, the bridal chamber and the Church.9 min read Gnosticism · Manichaeism & MandaeismMani, Prophet of LightMani (216–c. 276), founder of Manichaeism: his Babylonian baptist youth, the Twin, his mission under Shapur I, the seven scriptures and his death in prison.8 min read

Gnosticism · Manichaeism & MandaeismManichaeism and MandaeismManichaeism and Mandaeism explained: Mani and his religion of light, its myth and spread from Rome to China, and the Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran, the last living Gnostics.6 min read Gnosticism · Manichaeism & MandaeismThe MandaeansThe Mandaeans explained: the Gnostic religion of Iraq and Iran, its Ginza Rabba and Book of John, baptism in living water, priests, death rites and diaspora.8 min read Gnosticism · Nag Hammadi TextsGospel of MaryThe Gospel of Mary explained: the Berlin Codex and Greek fragments, Mary Magdalene's vision, the soul's ascent past the powers, and her dispute with Peter.8 min read Gnosticism · Nag Hammadi TextsGospel of ThomasThe Gospel of Thomas explained: its 114 sayings of Jesus, the Nag Hammadi and Oxyrhynchus manuscripts, debates over its date, and whether it is Gnostic.8 min read Gnosticism · Nag Hammadi TextsPistis Sophia and the Askew CodexPistis Sophia and the Askew Codex: the Coptic Gnostic book bought by the British Museum in 1785, its story of Sophia's repentance, and its modern readers.8 min read

Gnosticism · Nag Hammadi TextsThe Nag Hammadi LibraryThe Nag Hammadi library: how 13 Coptic codices were found in Egypt in 1945, what texts they contain, and how scholars published and interpret them.10 min read

Herbal MagickWhat Is Herbal Magic? Plants in Religion, Magic and FolkloreWhat is herbal magic? An overview of plants in religion, magic and folklore: offerings, amulets, incense, sympathy and signatures, planetary herbs, sacred plants and safety.6 min read

Herbal Magick · Cannabis in Religion & MagicCannabis in Religion and MagicCannabis in religion and magic: Scythian burials and Herodotus, bhang and Shiva in India, Daoist lore, hashish and the Sufis, the Hashischins, Crowley, Rastafari and the law.6 min read Herbal Magick · Cannabis in Religion & MagicThe Assassins and the Hashish LegendThe Assassins and the hashish legend: who the Nizari Ismailis were, Marco Polo's garden of paradise, and how 'hashishi' became the word 'assassin'.8 min read

Herbal Magick · Entheogens & Sacred PlantsEntheogens and Sacred PlantsEntheogens and sacred plants in religious history: the term, Vedic soma, the Eleusinian kykeon, sacred mushrooms, peyote, ayahuasca churches and modern law and research.6 min read Herbal Magick · Entheogens & Sacred PlantsSoma and HaomaSoma and Haoma: the sacred plant-drink of the Rigveda and Avesta, its pressing rite, Zoroastrian worship today and the long debate over which plant it was.7 min read Herbal Magick · Flying Ointments (History)Ergot and Witchcraft TheoriesErgot and witchcraft theories explained: St Anthony's fire, Caporael's Salem hypothesis, Matossian on rye and witch-hunts, and why historians disagree.7 min read

Herbal Magick · Flying Ointments (History)Flying OintmentsThe history of the flying ointment, the salve witches were said to use to fly to the sabbath: Apuleius, demonologists, Laguna's test, nightshade theories and modern debate.6 min read

Herbal Magick · Herbal Magic HistoryHistory of Herbal MagicThe history of herbal magic from Egyptian papyri and Greek root-cutters to Anglo-Saxon charms, Renaissance signatures, Culpeper's planetary herbal and modern witchcraft.6 min read Herbal Magick · Herbal Magic HistoryThe Anglo-Saxon Nine Herbs CharmThe Anglo-Saxon Nine Herbs Charm from the Lacnunga: its nine plants, Woden's glory-twigs, the nine poisons, its Christian elements and modern readings.7 min read

Herbal Magick · Incense & ResinsIncense and Resins in Religion and MagicIncense and resins in religion and magic: frankincense, myrrh and the incense trade, Egyptian kyphi, Temple and church incense, puja and kodo, magical suffumigations, copal.6 min read Herbal Magick · Incense & ResinsKyphiKyphi, the sacred evening incense of ancient Egypt: its Egyptian name, the temple recipes of Edfu and Philae, Plutarch's sixteen ingredients and revivals.6 min read

Herbal Magick · Mandrake & Plant LoreMandrake and Plant LoreMandrake in history and folklore: the Mandragora plant and its toxicity, Genesis and Theophrastus, the dog and the scream, Alraune amulets, fake roots and literature.6 min read Herbal Magick · Mandrake & Plant LoreMistletoe and the DruidsMistletoe and the druids: Pliny's golden sickle and white bulls, Baldr's death, Virgil's golden bough, Frazer, Christmas kissing and the Druid revival.7 min read Herbal Magick · Planetary & Astrological HerbsCulpeper's Complete HerbalCulpeper's Complete Herbal explained: Nicholas Culpeper's life, The English Physitian of 1652, its planetary rulers, and its long afterlife in herbalism.7 min read

Herbal Magick · Planetary & Astrological HerbsPlanetary HerbsPlanetary and astrological herbs explained: Hermetic plant lore, Picatrix, Ficino and Agrippa, Culpeper's herbal, planetary hours, and modern magical correspondences.6 min read

Herbal Magick · The Witch's GardenThe Witch's GardenThe witch's garden in history and folklore: henbane, belladonna, mandrake, aconite and hemlock, protective vervain, rue and rowan, mugwort and yarrow, with toxicity notes.6 min read Herbal Magick · The Witch's GardenWormwood and AbsintheWormwood and absinthe in history: the bitter herb of the Bible, Revelation's falling star, Culpeper's herb of Mars, the Green Fairy and the absinthe bans.7 min read

HermeticismWhat Is Hermeticism? Hermes Trismegistus and His TraditionWhat is Hermeticism? An introduction to Hermes Trismegistus, the Hermetica, their core teachings, Ficino's Renaissance revival and modern Hermetic movements.6 min read

HermeticismHermes TrismegistusWho was Hermes Trismegistus? The thrice-great sage born from Thoth and Hermes, his books, his Arabic and Latin legends, and how scholars redated him in 1614.7 min read HermeticismThe KybalionThe Kybalion explained: the 1908 book by the Three Initiates, its seven Hermetic principles, William Walker Atkinson, New Thought and its relation to Hermes.8 min read Hermeticism · Astral MagicAl-Kindi's De RadiisAl-Kindi's De radiis (On the Rays) explained: the Arab philosopher's theory of stellar and elemental rays, words, images and its influence on Latin magic.8 min read

Hermeticism · Astral MagicAstral MagicAstral magic explained: celestial influence and talismans, the Picatrix, al-Kindi, Ficino's De vita, Agrippa's planetary squares and the Church's response.6 min read Hermeticism · Astral MagicFicino's Three Books on Life (De vita)Ficino's Three Books on Life (De vita libri tres, 1489): scholars' melancholy, long life, drawing planetary influence through music, images and medicine.7 min read

Hermeticism · Astral MagicPicatrix (Ghayat al-Hakim)The Picatrix explained: the Arabic Ghayat al-Hakim, its Andalusian author, its books on talismans and planetary prayers, and its Latin translation.8 min read

Hermeticism · Corpus HermeticumCorpus HermeticumThe Corpus Hermeticum explained: Greek treatises of Hermes Trismegistus, the Poimandres, Ficino's Latin translation and Casaubon's 1614 redating.9 min read Hermeticism · Corpus HermeticumDiscourse on the Eighth and NinthThe Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth from Nag Hammadi Codex VI: a Coptic Hermetic dialogue of prayer, silent hymns and the soul's ascent to the Ogdoad.8 min read Hermeticism · Corpus HermeticumKore KosmouThe Kore Kosmou, or Virgin of the World: the Hermetic dialogue of Isis and Horus preserved by Stobaeus, on hidden books, fallen souls, Momus and Osiris.8 min read

Hermeticism · Corpus HermeticumPoimandresThe Poimandres explained: the Hermetic vision of divine Mind, the creation, the fall of the primal Human and the soul's ascent through seven spheres.8 min read

Hermeticism · Corpus HermeticumThe Hermetic AsclepiusThe Hermetic Asclepius explained: the Latin Perfect Discourse, humanity as a great miracle, the animated statues, the lament for Egypt and its legacy.7 min read Hermeticism · CorrespondencesArcana Coelestia and Swedenborg's Doctrine of CorrespondencesSwedenborg's Arcana Coelestia (1749–56): his eight-volume inner reading of Genesis and Exodus and the doctrine of correspondences between nature and spirit.7 min read

Hermeticism · CorrespondencesAs Above, So BelowWhat does 'as above, so below' mean? The Hermetic axiom of the Emerald Tablet, its ancient roots, alchemical and Renaissance readings and modern uses.8 min read

Hermeticism · CorrespondencesCorrespondences in EsotericismThe doctrine of correspondences explained: cosmic sympathy, macrocosm and microcosm, chains of being, signatures, Agrippa's scales and Crowley's 777.6 min read Hermeticism · CorrespondencesRobert FluddRobert Fludd (1574–1637) and his History of the Two Worlds (1617–21): the engraved macrocosm and microcosm, his Rosicrucian apologies and debates with Kepler.7 min read Hermeticism · CorrespondencesThe Doctrine of SignaturesThe doctrine of signatures explained: the belief that plants bear visible signs of their uses, from Paracelsus, Porta and Croll to Jacob Boehme and Coles.8 min read Hermeticism · Emerald TabletBook of the Secret of CreationThe Book of the Secret of Creation attributed to Balinus (Apollonius of Tyana): Arabic cosmology, the sulfur–mercury theory of metals and the Emerald Tablet.8 min read Hermeticism · Emerald TabletSabians of HarranThe Sabians of Harran: the last pagans of Mesopotamia, their planetary temples, Hermes as prophet, Thabit ibn Qurra and the debate over Hermetic transmission.8 min read

Hermeticism · Emerald TabletSecretum SecretorumThe Secretum secretorum explained: an Arabic mirror for princes posing as Aristotle's letter to Alexander, with medicine, magic and the Emerald Tablet.7 min read

Hermeticism · Emerald TabletThe Emerald Tablet of HermesThe Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus explained: its Arabic origins, Latin translations, alchemical readings, Newton's version and 'as above, so below'.9 min read

Hermeticism · Neoplatonism & TheurgyIamblichus of ChalcisIamblichus of Chalcis explained: the Syrian Neoplatonist's life, Pythagorean works, On the Mysteries, his theory of theurgy and the soul, and legacy.7 min read

Hermeticism · Neoplatonism & TheurgyNeoplatonism and TheurgyNeoplatonism and theurgy explained: Plotinus and the One, Porphyry, Iamblichus' On the Mysteries, the Chaldean Oracles, Proclus and their legacy.6 min read Hermeticism · Neoplatonism & TheurgyPlotinusPlotinus explained: the founder of Neoplatonism, his school in Rome (244–270), the One, Intellect and Soul, the return of the soul, and his lasting legacy.9 min read Hermeticism · Neoplatonism & TheurgyProclusProclus (412–485), last great head of the Athenian Platonic school: the Elements of Theology, the henads, theurgy, his hymns and his influence on mysticism.8 min read Hermeticism · Neoplatonism & TheurgyThe Chaldean OraclesThe Chaldean Oracles explained: second-century verses of the two Julians, their fiery Father and Hekate, theurgic ascent, and their Neoplatonic afterlife.7 min read Hermeticism · Neoplatonism & TheurgyThe Enneads of PlotinusThe Enneads explained: how Porphyry arranged Plotinus's 54 treatises into six sets of nine around 301 CE, what each contains, and how the work survived.7 min read

Hermeticism · Renaissance MagicAgrippa's Three Books of Occult PhilosophyCornelius Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy explained: the 1510 draft and 1533 edition, natural, celestial and ceremonial magic, and its legacy.9 min read Hermeticism · Renaissance MagicGiordano BrunoGiordano Bruno (1548–1600): the Nolan philosopher's wanderings, infinite universe, art of memory and magic, his Inquisition trial and execution in Rome.8 min read

Hermeticism · Renaissance MagicMarsilio FicinoMarsilio Ficino's life and work: Medici translator of Hermes and Plato, author of the Platonic Theology and Three Books on Life, and Renaissance magus.7 min read Hermeticism · Renaissance MagicPrisca TheologiaPrisca theologia explained: how Moses, Zoroaster and Hermes Trismegistus were placed in remote antiquity as founders of a single ancient wisdom, and why.7 min read Hermeticism · Renaissance MagicTommaso CampanellaTommaso Campanella (1568–1639): Dominican philosopher, prisoner of Naples, author of The City of the Sun, natural magician and astrologer to Urban VIII.8 min read

High MagickWhat Is Ceremonial Magic? History and Practice of High MagickWhat is ceremonial magic? An introduction to high magick: its roots in the grimoires and Renaissance occult philosophy, the Golden Dawn, methods and aims.6 min read High Magick · Angelic Magic & InvocationAngel MagicAngel magic explained: the history of angelic invocation from Jewish adjurations and medieval grimoires to Agrippa, John Dee and the Golden Dawn.8 min read High Magick · Angelic Magic & InvocationArs Paulina and Ars AlmadelThe Ars Paulina and Ars Almadel, the angelic books of the Lemegeton: their medieval origins, angels of the hours and altitudes, wax tablet and methods.7 min read High Magick · Angelic Magic & InvocationPlanetary Angels in Agrippa and the HeptameronPlanetary angels in Agrippa and the Heptameron: the angels of the seven planets and days, intelligences and spirits, magic squares, seals and talismans.7 min read High Magick · Angelic Magic & InvocationThe Holy Guardian AngelThe Holy Guardian Angel in magic: the Book of Abramelin, its manuscripts and operation, and the Knowledge and Conversation in the Golden Dawn and Crowley.7 min read High Magick · Angelic Magic & InvocationThe Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram and the ArchangelsThe Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram explained: its Golden Dawn origins, the four archangels Raphael, Gabriel, Michael and Uriel, and its symbolism.7 min read High Magick · Angelic Magic & InvocationTrithemius and the SteganographiaJohannes Trithemius and the Steganographia: the abbot's angelic magic, the scandal of 1499, the ciphers hidden in its conjurations and its long influence.7 min read High Magick · Angels & SpiritsAngelic Amulets in Jewish and Christian Folk PracticeAngelic amulets in Jewish and Christian folk practice: childbirth amulets, the four angels of the bedtime prayer, Coptic and Ethiopian scrolls, angelic seals.7 min read

High Magick · Angels & SpiritsAngels and Spirits in Ceremonial MagicAngels and spirits in ceremonial magic: angelic hierarchies, planetary intelligences, Olympic spirits, Dee's angels, elementals and the Holy Guardian Angel.6 min read High Magick · Angels & SpiritsArbatel of Magic (1575)The Arbatel of Magic, printed at Basel in 1575: its 49 aphorisms, the seven Olympic spirits, the debate over its author and its influence on theosophy.7 min read High Magick · Angels & SpiritsShem ha-MephorashThe Shem ha-Mephorash and its 72 angels: the Explicit Name in rabbinic tradition, its derivation from Exodus 14, Christian Kabbalah and modern magical use.6 min read

High Magick · Enochian MagicEnochian MagicEnochian magic explained: John Dee and Edward Kelley's 1580s angel conversations, the angelic language, the 48 Calls, the Great Table and later adaptations.9 min read High Magick · Enochian MagicThe Enochian Elemental TabletsThe Enochian Great Table and its four Watchtowers: Dee's 1584 revelation, the angel names hidden in its letters and the Golden Dawn's elemental tablets.8 min read High Magick · Enochian MagicThe Enochian LanguageThe Enochian language of John Dee and Edward Kelley: its 21-letter alphabet, the Calls and their English versions, its grammar and the debate over its origin.8 min read

High Magick · Founders & MagiÉliphas LéviÉliphas Lévi (Alphonse-Louis Constant) explained: Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie, the astral light, tarot and Hebrew letters, and his Baphomet.9 min read High Magick · Founders & MagiFrancis Barrett's The Magus (1801)Francis Barrett's The Magus (1801): the man, his sources in Agrippa and the Heptameron, its talismans, crystal magic and plates, and its legacy in Britain.6 min read High Magick · Founders & MagiS. L. MacGregor MathersS. L. MacGregor Mathers (1854–1918): Golden Dawn co-founder, author of its rituals, translator of the Key of Solomon and Abramelin, and Crowley's rival.7 min read High Magick · Golden DawnArthur Edward WaiteA. E. Waite (1857–1942): his life, translations of Lévi, Golden Dawn career and Rectified Rite, the Rider–Waite–Smith tarot and his Christian mysticism.7 min read

High Magick · Golden DawnHermetic Order of the Golden DawnHistory of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn: its 1888 founding, the Cipher Manuscripts, the grade system, Yeats and Farr, the 1900 schism and its legacy.8 min read High Magick · Golden DawnIsrael RegardieIsrael Regardie (1907–1985): Crowley's secretary, Stella Matutina initiate, publisher of the Golden Dawn rituals, author of The Middle Pillar, therapist.6 min read High Magick · Golden DawnThe Vault of the AdeptiThe Vault of the Adepti, the Golden Dawn's seven-sided chamber modelled on Christian Rosenkreutz's tomb: its symbolism, Adeptus Minor ritual and history.7 min read High Magick · Magical OrdersBuilders of the AdytumThe Builders of the Adytum (B.O.T.A.) and founder Paul Foster Case: his Golden Dawn roots, the B.O.T.A. tarot, correspondence lessons and Los Angeles base.6 min read

High Magick · Magical OrdersMagical OrdersA guide to magical orders: Masonic and Rosicrucian roots, the Golden Dawn and its grades, its schism and successors, the A∴A∴, the O.T.O. and others.6 min read High Magick · Magical OrdersStella Matutina and Alpha et OmegaHow the Golden Dawn split after 1900 into the Stella Matutina, the Alpha et Omega and Waite's rite: leaders, temples, quarrels, Whare Ra and decline.7 min read

High Magick · Ritual & SymbolismRitual and Symbolism in Ceremonial MagicRitual and symbolism in ceremonial magic: the temple, the Tree of Life and its paths, the elemental tools, pentagram and hexagram, colours and god-forms.6 min read High Magick · Ritual & SymbolismThe Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy and Turner's 1655 EditionThe pseudo-Agrippan Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy and the Heptameron: their origins, contents and Robert Turner's 1655 English edition of practical magic.7 min read High Magick · Ritual & SymbolismThe Lesser Ritual of the HexagramThe Golden Dawn's Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram: the hexagram as planetary symbol, the INRI analysis, its four forms, ARARITA and Crowley's Liber O.7 min read

HinduismWhat Is Hinduism? History, Beliefs, Scriptures and PracticeWhat is Hinduism? An introduction to its history from the Vedas to today, its gods, scriptures, key beliefs in dharma, karma and moksha, and its worship.8 min read

Hinduism · Bhakti & SaintsThe Bhakti MovementThe bhakti movement explained: Hindu devotion, the Tamil Alvars and Nayanars, Basava, Jnaneshvar, Tukaram, Kabir, Mirabai, Tulsidas and Chaitanya.7 min read

Hinduism · Dharma, Karma & MokshaDharma, Karma, Samsara and MokshaDharma, karma, samsara and moksha explained: duty and cosmic order, action and its fruits, the cycle of rebirth, liberation, and the four aims of Hindu life.7 min read Hinduism · Dharma, Karma & MokshaThe ManusmritiThe Manusmriti or Laws of Manu explained: its date, contents and place in Dharmashastra, its rules on caste and women, colonial use and modern controversy.7 min read Hinduism · The Epics & the Bhagavad GitaThe Bhagavad GitaThe Bhagavad Gita explained: its setting, date and eighteen chapters, its teaching on action, knowledge and devotion, and its great commentators and readers.7 min read

Hinduism · The Epics & the Bhagavad GitaThe Mahabharata, Ramayana and Bhagavad Gita ExplainedA guide to the Hindu epics: the Mahabharata and Ramayana, their stories, dating and retellings, and the Bhagavad Gita's teaching on duty, action and devotion.7 min read Hinduism · Gods & GoddessesGaneshaGanesha, the elephant-headed Hindu god: his origins, birth myths, iconography, the Ganapatya tradition, Ganesh Chaturthi and his worship beyond India.8 min read

Hinduism · Gods & GoddessesHindu Gods and GoddessesHindu gods and goddesses explained: one God and many deities, the trimurti, Vishnu, Shiva, Devi, Ganesha, Lakshmi, Hanuman, village gods and images.7 min read

Hinduism · The PuranasThe PuranasThe Puranas explained: the eighteen great Puranas and their dating, the myths of Vishnu, Shiva and the Goddess, the four yugas and Hindu cosmology.7 min read Hinduism · ShaivismKashmir ShaivismKashmir Shaivism explained: the Shiva Sutras, Trika and Pratyabhijna, Abhinavagupta's Tantraloka, the 36 tattvas, the means of liberation and modern revival.7 min read

Hinduism · ShaivismShaivismShaivism explained: the worship of Shiva from Vedic Rudra to the linga and Nataraja, the Nayanars, Shaiva Siddhanta, Kashmir Shaivism and the Lingayats.7 min read Hinduism · Shaktism & the GoddessKaliKali, the Hindu goddess of time and death: her origins in the Devi Mahatmya, tantric worship, iconography, Bengali devotion, Ramakrishna and modern debates.7 min read

Hinduism · Shaktism & the GoddessShaktismShaktism explained: the worship of the Hindu Goddess as supreme power, the Devi Mahatmya, Durga, Kali, the Mahavidyas, Shri Vidya and the Shakti Pithas.7 min read Hinduism · The Six Schools of PhilosophyAdi ShankaraAdi Shankara, philosopher of Advaita Vedanta: his dates and legendary life, authentic works, teaching on Brahman, atman and maya, the four mathas and legacy.7 min read

Hinduism · The Six Schools of PhilosophyThe Six Schools of Hindu PhilosophyThe six schools of Hindu philosophy explained: Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Mimamsa and Vedanta, their founders, texts and theories of knowledge.6 min read

Hinduism · TantraTantra in HinduismTantra in Hinduism: the Shaiva Agamas, Pancharatra and Shakta Tantras, tantric initiation, mantra and image worship, and how Tantra shaped Hindu temples.6 min read

Hinduism · Temples, Rituals & FestivalsHindu Temples, Rituals and FestivalsHindu temples, rituals and festivals explained: temple architecture, puja and darshan, fire rites, the samskaras, pilgrimage, the Kumbh Mela and Diwali.7 min read Hinduism · Temples, Rituals & FestivalsVaranasi (Kashi)Varanasi (Kashi, Banaras), Hinduism's holiest city: its history, the Kashi Vishvanath temple, the ghats of the Ganga, cremation at Manikarnika and pilgrimage.7 min read

Hinduism · VaishnavismVaishnavismVaishnavism explained: worship of Vishnu, Krishna and Rama, its origins, the Alvars, Ramanuja, Madhva, Chaitanya, the four sampradayas and practice.7 min read Hinduism · The Vedas & UpanishadsThe Gayatri MantraThe Gayatri mantra explained: its Sanskrit text and meaning, origins in Rigveda 3.62.10, Savitr and Vishvamitra, sandhya and upanayana, and who may recite it.7 min read

Hinduism · The Vedas & UpanishadsThe Vedas and UpanishadsThe Vedas and Upanishads explained: the four Vedas, their hymns and rituals, oral transmission, dating, the Vedic gods and the principal Upanishads.8 min read

History & ScholarshipWhat Is Western Esotericism? Currents, History and StudyWhat is Western esotericism? An introduction to its currents, from Hermeticism and alchemy to Theosophy, the origin of the term and its academic study.6 min read History & Scholarship · BiographiesAntoine FaivreAntoine Faivre (1934–2021), the French scholar who held the Paris EPHE chair from 1979, defined esotericism as a form of thought and founded the field.8 min read History & Scholarship · BiographiesHenry CorbinHenry Corbin (1903–1978), French scholar of Suhrawardi, Ibn Arabi and Iranian Shi'ism: his life, the mundus imaginalis, Eranos and his legacy.7 min read

History & Scholarship · BiographiesKey Figures of Western EsotericismA biographical guide to key figures of Western esotericism, from Plotinus and Ficino to Agrippa, Dee, Boehme, Swedenborg, Lévi, Blavatsky and Crowley.6 min read History & Scholarship · BiographiesManly P. HallManly P. Hall (1901–1990), author of The Secret Teachings of All Ages and founder of the Philosophical Research Society in Los Angeles: life, work and legacy.6 min read History & Scholarship · BiographiesNicholas Goodrick-ClarkeNicholas Goodrick-Clarke (1953–2012), historian of Ariosophy and esoteric Nazism, founder of Exeter's esotericism centre and author of key textbooks.6 min read

History & Scholarship · Defining EsotericismDefining EsotericismHow scholars define esotericism: esoteric vs exoteric, Faivre's six characteristics, Hanegraaff's rejected knowledge and the discourse approach.6 min read History & Scholarship · Defining EsotericismDisenchantment and Re-enchantmentDisenchantment and re-enchantment explained: Max Weber's thesis, the decline of magic, occultism as a modern response, and recent critiques.7 min read History & Scholarship · Defining EsotericismEsotericism and the AcademyWouter Hanegraaff's Esotericism and the Academy (2012) traces how Western culture rejected esoteric knowledge and redefined esotericism as rejected knowledge.6 min read History & Scholarship · Defining EsotericismFaivre's Six CharacteristicsFaivre's six characteristics of esotericism (1992): correspondences, living nature, imagination, transmutation, concordance, transmission, and the critics.6 min read History & Scholarship · Historians & ScholarsAries JournalAries, the journal founded by Antoine Faivre and Roland Edighoffer in 1983 and relaunched by Brill in 2001 as the Journal for the Study of Western Esotericism6 min read History & Scholarship · Historians & ScholarsCorrespondences JournalCorrespondences, the open-access peer-reviewed journal for the study of esotericism launched in 2013: its founding, scope and place in the field.6 min read History & Scholarship · Historians & ScholarsEranos ConferencesThe Eranos conferences at Ascona from 1933: Olga Fröbe-Kapteyn, Jung, Scholem, Corbin and Eliade, and their legacy for the study of myth and esotericism.7 min read History & Scholarship · Historians & ScholarsESSWEThe European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism (ESSWE), founded in 2005: its aims, biennial conferences from Tübingen to Vilnius 2025 and networks.6 min read History & Scholarship · Historians & ScholarsFrances Yates and Giordano BrunoFrances Yates's Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition (1964): Bruno as Hermetic magus, the Yates thesis on magic and science, and its critics.7 min read

History & Scholarship · Historians & ScholarsHistorians of EsotericismThe historians of Western esotericism: Thorndike, Yates, Walker, Scholem, Eliade, Corbin, Faivre, Hanegraaff, Goodrick-Clarke and today's scholars.6 min read History & Scholarship · Historians & ScholarsThe Amsterdam Chair in History of Hermetic Philosophy (1999)The University of Amsterdam chair for the History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents, created in 1999 for Wouter Hanegraaff, and its research centre.6 min read History & Scholarship · Historians & ScholarsThe Enoch AI Model and the Redating of the Dead Sea ScrollsHow the Enoch AI model (2025) combined radiocarbon dates and handwriting analysis to suggest that many Dead Sea Scrolls are older than previously thought.7 min read History & Scholarship · Historians & ScholarsThe Paris EPHE ChairThe EPHE chair of Christian esotericism, created in Paris in 1965 for François Secret and later held by Antoine Faivre and Jean-Pierre Brach.6 min read History & Scholarship · Periods & MovementsEsotericism in Late AntiquityEsotericism in late antiquity: the Hermetica, Gnostic movements, Neoplatonic theurgy, the Greek magical papyri and how later ages read them as ancient wisdom.8 min read History & Scholarship · Periods & MovementsEsotericism in the EnlightenmentEsotericism in the Enlightenment: Christian theosophy, high-degree Freemasonry, Swedenborg, Martinism, mesmerism and Cagliostro in the Age of Reason.7 min read History & Scholarship · Periods & MovementsEsotericism in the Middle AgesEsotericism in the Middle Ages: the Arabic Hermes, Latin translations, astral and ritual magic, alchemy, Kabbalah and the theologians who judged the occult.7 min read History & Scholarship · Periods & MovementsEsotericism in the RenaissanceEsotericism in the Renaissance from Ficino's Hermes and Pico's Kabbalah to Agrippa, Paracelsus, Dee and Bruno, and how historians since Yates have read it.6 min read

History & Scholarship · Periods & MovementsPeriods and Movements in the History of Western EsotericismThe main periods and movements of Western esotericism, from late antique Hermeticism and the Renaissance to Rosicrucians, occultism and the New Age.6 min read History & Scholarship · Periods & MovementsTraditionalismTraditionalism, the movement founded by René Guénon: the primordial tradition, critique of modernity, Schuon's perennialism, Evola's politics and its legacy.7 min read

Indigenous & Ancient ReligionsIndigenous and Ancient ReligionsAn introduction to indigenous and ancient religions: how scholars study the gods, myths and rites of ancient peoples and living indigenous traditions.7 min read

Indigenous & Ancient Religions · African Traditional ReligionsAfrican Traditional ReligionsAfrican traditional religions explained: Yoruba, Akan, Igbo, Zulu, Nuer and other traditions, their creator gods, spirits, ancestors, diviners and history.7 min read Indigenous & Ancient Religions · African Traditional ReligionsIfá DivinationIfá divination of the Yoruba explained: Ọ̀rúnmìlà and destiny, the babaláwo priests, palm nuts and divining chain, the 256 Odù, their verses and Ifá today.7 min read

Indigenous & Ancient Religions · Ancient Egyptian ReligionAncient Egyptian ReligionAncient Egyptian religion explained: the gods, creation myths, Ma'at, the pharaoh and temple cult, Akhenaten, mummification and the Book of the Dead.7 min read Indigenous & Ancient Religions · Ancient Egyptian ReligionThe Destruction of the Serapeum of Alexandria in 391/392 CEThe destruction of the Serapeum of Alexandria explained: the cult of Serapis, Theodosius's laws, Bishop Theophilus, the sources and the end of pagan Egypt.9 min read

Indigenous & Ancient Religions · Australian & Pacific ReligionsAustralian and Pacific ReligionsAboriginal Australian and Pacific religions explained: the Dreaming and country, ancestral beings, Polynesian gods, mana and tapu, and Melanesian movements.7 min read Indigenous & Ancient Religions · Australian & Pacific ReligionsTraditional Hawaiian ReligionTraditional Hawaiian religion explained: the gods Kū, Kāne, Lono, Kanaloa and Pele, the Kumulipo, heiau and kāhuna, and the kapu system and its 1819 end.8 min read

Indigenous & Ancient Religions · Celtic ReligionCeltic ReligionAncient Celtic religion explained: the gods of Gaul and Britain, druids, sacred groves and waters, festivals, and what Irish and Welsh myths can tell us.6 min read

Indigenous & Ancient Religions · Greek Religion & MysteriesGreek Religion and the MysteriesAncient Greek religion and the mysteries explained: Olympian gods, sacrifice and festivals, oracles, hero cult, and the Eleusinian and Orphic mysteries.7 min read Indigenous & Ancient Religions · Greek Religion & MysteriesOrphism and the Orphic Gold TabletsOrphism explained: Orpheus, the Orphic poems and Derveni papyrus, Dionysus and the Titans, the gold tablets for the dead and the Orphic way of life.8 min read

Indigenous & Ancient Religions · Mesoamerican ReligionMesoamerican ReligionMesoamerican religion explained: Olmec, Maya and Aztec gods, the Popol Vuh, sacred calendars, the ballgame, sacrifice and indigenous ritual today.7 min read Indigenous & Ancient Religions · Mesoamerican ReligionQuetzalcoatlQuetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent: his origins at Teotihuacan, his roles in Aztec religion, the legend of Topiltzin of Tula and the myth of Cortés's return.7 min read

Indigenous & Ancient Religions · Mesopotamian ReligionMesopotamian ReligionMesopotamian religion explained: gods of Sumer, Babylon and Assyria, temples and ziggurats, the Enuma Elish and Gilgamesh, divination and the afterlife.6 min read Indigenous & Ancient Religions · Mesopotamian ReligionThe Epic of GilgameshThe Epic of Gilgamesh explained: the king of Uruk, Enkidu, Utnapishtim's flood story, the Sumerian and Babylonian versions and the search for immortality.8 min read

Indigenous & Ancient Religions · Native American ReligionsNative American ReligionsNative American religions explained: Lakota, Haudenosaunee, Diné and Hopi traditions, the Ghost Dance, bans on ceremony and the fight for religious freedom.7 min read Indigenous & Ancient Religions · Native American ReligionsThe Ghost DanceThe Ghost Dance of 1889–1890: the Paiute prophet Wovoka, his message of peace and renewal, its spread across the West, Lakota ghost shirts and Wounded Knee.8 min read

Indigenous & Ancient Religions · Norse & Germanic ReligionNorse and Germanic ReligionNorse and Germanic religion explained: Odin, Thor and Freyja, Yggdrasil and Ragnarök, blót and temples, seiðr, burial customs and the conversion.7 min read Indigenous & Ancient Religions · Norse & Germanic ReligionOdinOdin (Woden, Wodan) in Norse and Germanic religion: his names, the myths of the runes and the mead of poetry, Valhalla and the valkyries, and his cult.8 min read

Indigenous & Ancient Religions · Roman ReligionRoman ReligionAncient Roman religion explained: the pax deorum, Jupiter and the Capitoline gods, household Lares, priests and Vestals, festivals and the imperial cult.7 min read Indigenous & Ancient Religions · Roman ReligionThe Vestal Virgins of Ancient RomeThe Vestal Virgins of ancient Rome: how they were chosen, their duties at the sacred fire of Vesta, their privileges, punishments and the end of the order.8 min read

Indigenous & Ancient Religions · ShamanismShamanismShamanism explained: Siberian origins of the word, drums, spirits and journeys, Sámi and Korean traditions, Eliade's theory, its critics and neo-shamanism.6 min read

IslamWhat Is Islam? Beliefs, History and Practice of the FaithWhat is Islam? An introduction to the faith of nearly two billion Muslims: God and the Qur'an, the Prophet Muhammad, the Five Pillars, law and Sufism.8 min read

Islam · The Five PillarsThe Five Pillars of IslamThe Five Pillars of Islam explained: the shahada, the five daily prayers, zakat, the Ramadan fast and the hajj, with their history, rules and meaning.7 min read Islam · Islamic Law & TheologyAl-GhazaliAl-Ghazali, the Proof of Islam: his life, crisis and Sufi turn, the Incoherence of the Philosophers, the Revival of the Religious Sciences and his legacy.6 min read

Islam · Islamic Law & TheologyIslamic Law and TheologyIslamic law and theology explained: sharia and fiqh, the sources of law, the Sunni and Shi'i schools, and the kalam debates of Mu'tazilites and Ash'arites.7 min read Islam · Islamic Occult SciencesAl-Buni and the Shams al-Ma'arifAl-Buni and the Shams al-Ma'arif explained: the Sufi lettrist of Cairo, the science of letters and divine names, magic squares and a famous, feared book.7 min read

Islam · Islamic Occult SciencesIslamic Occult SciencesThe Islamic occult sciences: astrology, alchemy, talismans and the Picatrix, the science of letters, magic squares and geomancy, and how scholars judged them.8 min read

Islam · Islamic PhilosophyIslamic PhilosophyIslamic philosophy (falsafa) from the Greek translation movement to al-Farabi, Avicenna, al-Ghazali, Averroes, Suhrawardi's illumination and Mulla Sadra.7 min read Islam · Islamic PhilosophySuhrawardi and the Philosophy of Illumination (Ishraq)Suhrawardi and the Philosophy of Illumination: the slain master's life, the Light of Lights, knowledge by presence, the ancient sages and the imaginal world.6 min read Islam · Jinn & the UnseenAngels in IslamAngels in Islam explained: the malaika created from light, Gabriel, Michael, Israfil and the Angel of Death, recording angels, Harut and Marut, and theology.7 min read

Islam · Jinn & the UnseenJinn and the Unseen in IslamJinn and the unseen in Islam: al-ghayb, angels, jinn of smokeless fire, Iblis and Satan, possession, the evil eye, protective recitation and genie lore.7 min read Islam · The Prophet MuhammadIsra and Mi'rajIsra and Mi'raj, the Prophet Muhammad's Night Journey to Jerusalem and ascent through the seven heavens: Qur'an, hadith, meaning, festival and art.7 min read

Islam · The Prophet MuhammadThe Prophet MuhammadThe Prophet Muhammad's life from Mecca to Medina: the first revelation, the hijra, the return to Mecca, the historical sources and his veneration in Islam.8 min read

Islam · The Qur'an & HadithThe Qur'an and HadithThe Qur'an and hadith explained: how Muslims understand revelation, how the Qur'an was compiled, its structure and exegesis, and the great hadith collections.8 min read Islam · Sufi Orders & SaintsRumi and the Mevlevi OrderRumi and the Mevlevi order explained: the poet's life in Konya, Shams of Tabriz, the Masnavi and Divan, and the sema ceremony of the whirling dervishes.7 min read

Islam · Sufi Orders & SaintsSufi Orders and SaintsSufi orders and saints explained: how the tariqas formed, the Qadiri, Chishti, Naqshbandi, Mevlevi and Tijani orders, Islamic sainthood and shrine pilgrimage.7 min read Islam · SufismIbn ArabiIbn Arabi, the Andalusian Sufi called the Greatest Master: his life, the Meccan Revelations, the Bezels of Wisdom, the Unity of Being and his influence.8 min read

Islam · SufismSufism in IslamSufism in Islam explained: tasawwuf as the path of ihsan, the heart and lower self, dhikr and retreat, fana and the unity of being, and Sufism's critics.7 min read

Islam · Sunni & Shi'aSunni and Shi'a IslamSunni and Shi'a Islam explained: the succession to the Prophet, Karbala, caliphs and Imams, Twelvers, Ismailis and Zaydis, and what the branches share.7 min read Islam · Sunni & Shi'aThe Twelve Imams of Shi'a IslamThe Twelve Imams of Shi'a Islam from 'Ali to the hidden Mahdi: their lives, the doctrine of the imamate, the Occultation, their shrines and esoteric teaching.7 min read

JainismWhat Is Jainism? Beliefs, History and Practice of the JainsWhat is Jainism? An introduction to the Jain religion: Mahavira and the Tirthankaras, soul and karma, ahimsa, the two sects, temples and festivals.7 min read JainismHistory of JainismA history of Jainism from Mahavira and the Mauryas through Karnataka, Gujarat and the Mughal court to colonial scholarship, modern India and the diaspora.8 min read

Jainism · Ahimsa & the VowsAhimsa and the Jain VowsAhimsa and the Jain vows explained: non-violence toward all life, the five great vows of monks and nuns, the twelve lay vows, Jain diet and sallekhana.6 min read Jainism · Ahimsa & the VowsAparigrahaAparigraha, the Jain vow of non-possession: its meaning for monks and laypeople, Jain merchant ethics, the theology of giving (dana) and animal shelters.7 min read Jainism · Ahimsa & the VowsJain MeditationJain meditation explained: the four kinds of dhyana, the twelve reflections, samayika and kayotsarga, Hemachandra's Yogashastra and Preksha Dhyana.7 min read Jainism · Ahimsa & the VowsSallekhana and SantharaSallekhana, or santhara, is the Jain vow of a calm death by gradual fasting: its texts, conditions, history, memorials and the modern legal debate.8 min read

Jainism · Digambara & ShvetambaraDigambara and ShvetambaraDigambara and Shvetambara Jainism compared: how the sky-clad and white-clad traditions split, their views on nudity, women and scripture, and sub-sects.6 min read Jainism · Digambara & ShvetambaraJain Monks and NunsJain monks and nuns explained: diksha initiation, hair-plucking, alms, wandering, the rainy-season retreat and the Digambara and Shvetambara orders.7 min read Jainism · Digambara & ShvetambaraKundakunda and the SamayasaraKundakunda, the great Digambara Jain teacher: the Samayasara and his other works, the two standpoints, the pure soul and his influence up to Kanji Svami.7 min read Jainism · Digambara & ShvetambaraSthanakvasi and TerapanthSthanakvasi and Terapanth Jainism explained: Lonka Shah's critique of images, Acharya Bhikshu, the Anuvrat movement and the reform sects of the Digambaras.7 min read

Jainism · Jain CosmologyJain CosmologyJain cosmology explained: the eternal universe shaped like a cosmic person, the hells, middle world and heavens, Jambudvipa, Mount Meru and the wheel of time.6 min read Jainism · Jain CosmologyJain Gods and GoddessesJain gods explained: the four classes of devas, Indra, the yakshas and yakshis who guard each Tirthankara, Ambika, Padmavati and protector deities.6 min read Jainism · Jain CosmologyThe Six DravyasThe six dravyas of Jainism explained: soul, matter, the media of motion and rest, space and time, with Jain atomism and the extended substances.7 min read

Jainism · Jain TeachingsJain TeachingsJain teachings explained: the soul (jiva) and matter, karma as subtle particles, the seven tattvas, the three jewels and the doctrine of anekantavada.6 min read Jainism · Jain TeachingsThe Jain AgamasThe Jain Agamas explained: the lost Purvas, the Angas, the Valabhi council, the 45-text Shvetambara canon, Digambara scriptures and manuscript libraries.7 min read Jainism · Jain TeachingsThe Navkar MantraThe Navkar or Namokar Mantra, Jainism's central prayer: its Prakrit text and meaning, the five supreme beings, its ancient sources and its uses.7 min read Jainism · Jain TeachingsThe Tattvartha Sutra of UmasvatiThe Tattvartha Sutra of Umasvati, the one text accepted by all Jains: its author and date, its ten chapters on the path to liberation and its commentaries.7 min read

Jainism · Mahavira & the TirthankarasMahavira and the 24 TirthankarasMahavira and the 24 Tirthankaras: the meaning of ford-maker, the lives of Rishabha, Neminatha, Parshva and Mahavira, and the five auspicious events.7 min read Jainism · Mahavira & the TirthankarasParshvanathaParshvanatha, the 23rd Jain Tirthankara: his life in Varanasi, the serpent Dharanendra and Padmavati, the four vows, his historicity and his temples.6 min read Jainism · Mahavira & the TirthankarasRishabhanatha (Adinatha)Rishabhanatha (Adinatha), the first Jain Tirthankara: his life as king and civiliser, the first alms, Akshaya Tritiya, Mount Ashtapada and his temples.8 min read Jainism · Temples & PilgrimageBahubali and the Gommateshvara Statue of ShravanabelagolaBahubali in Jain tradition and the Gommateshvara statue at Shravanabelagola: the duel with Bharata, Chavundaraya's colossus and the Mahamastakabhisheka.7 min read

Jainism · Temples & PilgrimageJain Temples and PilgrimageJain temples and pilgrimage: temple worship and puja, sacred mountains such as Shatrunjaya, Girnar and Sammed Shikhar, Mount Abu, Ranakpur and Bahubali.7 min read Jainism · Temples & PilgrimageParyushana and Jain FestivalsParyushana and the Jain festival year: Samvatsari and Micchami Dukkadam, Das Lakshana, Mahavir Jayanti, Diwali as Mahavira's nirvana and more.7 min read

JudaismWhat Is Judaism? Beliefs, History, Scripture and PracticeWhat is Judaism? An introduction to the covenant, the Torah and Talmud, Jewish law, prayer and festivals, and the history and diversity of the Jewish people.7 min read

Judaism · Ancient Israel & the TempleAncient Israel and the TempleThe religion of ancient Israel and the Jerusalem Temple: the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, Solomon's Temple, exile, the Second Temple and its fall in 70 CE.7 min read Judaism · Ancient Israel & the TempleThe Dead Sea ScrollsThe Dead Sea Scrolls explained: the 1946–47 discovery at Qumran, the Essene debate, the Aramaic Enoch fragments, angelology, exorcism songs and horoscopes.9 min read Judaism · Festivals & the SabbathPassover and the SederPassover and the Seder explained: the Exodus story, the Temple sacrifice, the origins of the Seder, the Haggadah, matzah, the Seder plate and its customs.8 min read

Judaism · Festivals & the SabbathThe Sabbath and Jewish FestivalsA guide to the Jewish Sabbath and festivals: the Hebrew calendar, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Purim and the fast days.7 min read

Judaism · The Hebrew BibleThe Hebrew Bible (Tanakh)A guide to the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh: its Torah, Prophets and Writings, its languages and manuscripts, how scholars date it, and how Jews read it today.8 min read Judaism · The Hebrew BibleThe Prophets of IsraelThe prophets of Israel in the Hebrew Bible: prophecy in the Near East, Elijah and Elisha, Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the Twelve and their message.8 min read

Judaism · Jewish Folklore & MagicJewish Magic and FolkloreJewish magic and folklore from the Talmud to modern times: demons and Lilith, incantation bowls, amulets and holy names, the evil eye, golem and dybbuk.7 min read Judaism · Jewish Folklore & MagicLilith in Jewish FolkloreLilith in Jewish folklore: her Mesopotamian roots, the Talmud and incantation bowls, the Alphabet of Ben Sira, childbirth amulets and her modern revival.8 min read

Judaism · Jewish Law & EthicsHalakhaHalakha, Jewish law, explained: the 613 commandments, the Talmud and the great codes, kosher food and the Sabbath, Jewish ethics and charity, and law today.8 min read Judaism · Jewish Law & EthicsKashrutKashrut, the Jewish dietary laws: permitted animals, meat and milk, shechitah and salting, kosher certification, and how Jews have explained the rules.7 min read

Judaism · Jewish PhilosophyJewish PhilosophyA history of Jewish philosophy from Philo of Alexandria through Saadia Gaon, Judah Halevi and Maimonides' Guide for the Perplexed to Spinoza and Buber.7 min read Judaism · Jewish PhilosophyMaimonidesMaimonides, rabbi, philosopher and physician: his life from Córdoba to Cairo, the Thirteen Principles, the Mishneh Torah and the Guide for the Perplexed.8 min read Judaism · Jewish PhilosophyPhilo of AlexandriaPhilo of Alexandria explained: the Jewish philosopher's life, allegorical reading of the Torah, doctrine of the Logos, mysticism and his Christian afterlife.8 min read

Judaism · Modern JudaismModern JudaismHow Judaism met the modern world: emancipation and the Haskalah, Reform, Orthodox, Conservative and Reconstructionist Judaism, Zionism and Judaism today.7 min read Judaism · Modern JudaismMoses Mendelssohn and the HaskalahMoses Mendelssohn and the Haskalah: the Berlin philosopher, his Bible translation and Jerusalem, and how the Jewish Enlightenment reshaped modern Jewish life.8 min read

Judaism · Prayer & the SynagogueJewish Prayer and the SynagogueHow Jews pray: the three daily services, the Shema, Amidah and Kaddish, the siddur, and the history and layout of the synagogue from antiquity to today.7 min read Judaism · Prayer & the SynagogueTefillin, Tallit and MezuzahTefillin, tallit and mezuzah explained: the biblical commands behind them, how they are made and worn, their ancient history and the debate over amulets.8 min read Judaism · Rabbinic Judaism & the TalmudHillel and ShammaiHillel and Shammai, sages of the first century BCE: their lives and legends, the disputes of their two schools, and why Jewish law follows the Hillelites.8 min read

Judaism · Rabbinic Judaism & the TalmudThe Talmud and Rabbinic JudaismHow the rabbis rebuilt Judaism after 70 CE: the Oral Torah, the Mishnah, the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds, midrash, and the Talmud's place in Jewish life.7 min read

KabbalahWhat Is Kabbalah? History, Core Ideas and Key Texts ExplainedWhat is Kabbalah? A guide to Jewish mysticism: its history from Merkavah to Hasidism, Ein Sof, the sefirot, tikkun, and its Christian and Hermetic forms.10 min read KabbalahGershom ScholemGershom Scholem (1897–1982) turned Kabbalah into a field of history: his life, Major Trends, his theses on Zohar, Luria and Sabbateanism, and his critics.8 min read KabbalahIsaac the Blind and the Birth of Kabbalah in Provence and GeronaIsaac the Blind and the first Kabbalists of Provence and Gerona: Ein Sof, contemplative prayer, Azriel, Ezra, Nahmanides and the debate over secrecy.7 min read Kabbalah · Angels & Divine NamesThe 72 Names of GodThe 72 Names of God (Shem ha-Mephorash): how they come from Exodus 14, their place in Kabbalah, the 72 angels, Reuchlin, Agrippa, Kircher and the Golden Dawn.7 min read

Kabbalah · Angels & Divine NamesThe Seven Names of GodThe seven names of God that may not be erased in Jewish law — El, Eloah, Elohim, Elohai, YHWH, Shaddai and Tzevaot — and their use in Kabbalah and magic.8 min read Kabbalah · Angels & Divine NamesThe Sword of Moses (Harba de-Moshe)The Sword of Moses (Harba de-Moshe) explained: the Hebrew manual of divine names and angel adjurations, Gaster's 1896 edition, its uses, dating and legacy.8 min read

Kabbalah · Christian & Hermetic QabalahChristian Cabala and Hermetic QabalahChristian Cabala and Hermetic Qabalah explained: Pico, Reuchlin, Kabbala Denudata, Lévi, the Golden Dawn, Dion Fortune, and how they differ from Kabbalah.6 min read Kabbalah · Christian & Hermetic QabalahDe arte cabalistica (1517)Reuchlin's De arte cabalistica (1517) explained: the dialogue of a Jew, a Muslim and a Pythagorean, its sefirot and angel names, and its influence on occultism.7 min read Kabbalah · Christian & Hermetic QabalahFrancesco Giorgi's De harmonia mundiFrancesco Giorgi's De harmonia mundi (1525): how a Venetian friar joined Kabbalah, Plato and Pythagorean number into a theory of cosmic and musical harmony.7 min read Kabbalah · Christian & Hermetic QabalahJohannes Reuchlin and De verbo mirificoJohannes Reuchlin's De verbo mirifico (1494): the Pentagrammaton YHSVH, the birth of German Christian Kabbalah and Reuchlin's defence of Jewish books.7 min read Kabbalah · Christian & Hermetic QabalahPico della MirandolaPico della Mirandola's 900 Theses (1486) and Oration: the Kabbalistic and magical theses, the papal condemnation of 1487 and the birth of Christian Cabala.8 min read

Kabbalah · HasidismHasidism and the Baal Shem TovHasidism and the Baal Shem Tov explained: Israel ben Eliezer, devekut, the tzaddik, the Mitnagdim and Vilna Gaon, Hasidic tales, Buber, and Idel's work.8 min read Kabbalah · HasidismRabbi Nachman of BreslovRabbi Nachman of Breslov (1772–1810): the Baal Shem Tov's great-grandson, his journey to Israel, Likkutei Moharan, hitbodedut, the thirteen tales and Uman.7 min read Kabbalah · HasidismShneur Zalman of LiadiShneur Zalman of Liadi (1745–1812), founder of Chabad Hasidism: his life, the Tanya's two souls and the beinoni, Chabad contemplation, arrest and legacy.7 min read Kabbalah · Hebrew Letters & GematriaAbraham AbulafiaAbraham Abulafia (1240–after 1291), founder of prophetic or ecstatic Kabbalah: his life, letter-combination technique, Maimonides, messianism and influence.7 min read

Kabbalah · Hebrew Letters & GematriaGematriaGematria explained: Hebrew letter values, atbash, notarikon and temurah, rabbinic and kabbalistic uses, Greek isopsephy, Hermetic adoption and cautions.8 min read Kabbalah · Hebrew Letters & GematriaThe Hebrew Letters in KabbalahThe Hebrew letters in Kabbalah: the 22 letters as tools of creation, rabbinic letter lore, the Zohar's contest of letters, Torah as divine names and tarot.7 min read Kabbalah · Lurianic KabbalahJacob Frank and the FrankistsJacob Frank and the Frankists: the Sabbatean heirs of Podolia, the Lwów disputation of 1759, mass baptism, Częstochowa, Offenbach and Frank's teachings.7 min read

Kabbalah · Lurianic KabbalahLurianic KabbalahLurianic Kabbalah explained: Isaac Luria in Safed, tzimtzum, the shattering of the vessels, tikkun, partzufim, Hayyim Vital, and influence on Sabbateanism.9 min read Kabbalah · Lurianic KabbalahMoshe Hayyim LuzzattoMoshe Hayyim Luzzatto (Ramchal, 1707–1746): the Padua kabbalist's maggid, the rabbinic ban, The Path of the Just, his Kabbalah and his death in Acre.7 min read Kabbalah · Lurianic KabbalahSabbateanismSabbateanism explained: Sabbatai Zevi, Nathan of Gaza, the messianic year 1665–1666, the conversion to Islam, the Dönme, Frankism and Scholem's thesis.7 min read Kabbalah · Merkavah & Hekhalot3 Enoch (Sefer Hekhalot)3 Enoch or Sefer Hekhalot explained: Rabbi Ishmael's ascent, Enoch's transformation into Metatron, the lesser YHWH, Elisha ben Abuyah, dating and influence.8 min read

Kabbalah · Merkavah & HekhalotMerkavah and Hekhalot MysticismMerkavah and Hekhalot mysticism explained: Ezekiel's chariot, the heavenly palaces, the descenders to the chariot, Metatron, 3 Enoch and debates over dating.9 min read Kabbalah · Merkavah & HekhalotShiur QomahShiur Qomah, the 'measure of the body' of God in Hekhalot mysticism: vast numbers, secret names, Song of Songs roots, dating debates and medieval critics.7 min read

Kabbalah · Practical KabbalahPractical KabbalahPractical Kabbalah explained: divine names and amulets, Sefer Raziel, Shimmush Tehillim, the golem legend, the baalei shem and rabbinic views of Jewish magic.6 min read Kabbalah · Practical KabbalahSefer Raziel ha-MalakhSefer Raziel ha-Malakh, the Book of the Angel Raziel: the Adam legend, its sources, angels, seals and amulets of the 1701 print, and the Latin Liber Razielis.7 min read Kabbalah · Practical KabbalahShimmush TehillimShimmush Tehillim, the Jewish manual for the magical use of the Psalms: origins, holy names, rabbinic debate, Selig's 1788 translation and its life in hoodoo.6 min read

Kabbalah · Sefer YetzirahSefer YetzirahSefer Yetzirah, the Book of Formation, explained: the 32 paths, ten sefirot belimah, 22 Hebrew letters, recensions, dating, commentaries and the golem.9 min read Kabbalah · Sefer YetzirahThe Golem in Jewish TraditionThe golem in Jewish tradition: Psalm 139, the Talmud's artificial man, medieval Sefer Yetzirah rituals, emet and met, Elijah of Chelm and the Prague legend.8 min read Kabbalah · The SefirotSefer ha-BahirSefer ha-Bahir, the Book of Brightness, is the first text of Kabbalah: its Provençal origins, divine powers, Shekhinah, cosmic tree, evil and reincarnation.7 min read Kabbalah · The SefirotThe ShekhinahThe Shekhinah explained: God's indwelling presence in rabbinic Judaism, its feminine image in the Bahir and Zohar, Malkhut, exile and the Sabbath bride.7 min read

Kabbalah · The SefirotThe Ten Sefirot and the Kabbalistic Tree of Life ExplainedThe ten sefirot and the Kabbalistic Tree of Life: meaning of each sefirah, the three pillars, the 22 paths, diagram history and its use in Hermetic Qabalah.8 min read Kabbalah · The ZoharIdra RabbaThe Idra Rabba, the Zohar's Greater Holy Assembly: Shimon bar Yochai's gathering, Arikh Anpin and Ze'ir Anpin, the kings of Edom and the Idra Zuta.8 min read

Kabbalah · The ZoharThe ZoharThe Zohar explained: Moses de León in 13th-century Castile, the attribution to Shimon bar Yochai, structure, Aramaic style, themes and printing history.8 min read

New ReligionsWhat Is a New Religious Movement? Definitions and HistoryWhat is a new religious movement? Definitions, the difference between cults, sects and NRMs, the main families of new religions and why some succeed.6 min read New ReligionsScientologyScientology explained: L. Ron Hubbard and Dianetics, the thetan and auditing, the Bridge to Total Freedom, church history, controversies and scholarship.8 min read

New Religions · Adventist & Restorationist MovementsAdventist and Restorationist MovementsAdventist and Restorationist movements explained: the Stone-Campbell movement, William Miller and 1844, Seventh-day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses.7 min read New Religions · Adventist & Restorationist MovementsEllen G. White and Seventh-day AdventismEllen G. White and Seventh-day Adventism: her visions and books, the Sabbath and sanctuary doctrines, health reform at Battle Creek and debates over her role.8 min read New Religions · Adventist & Restorationist MovementsJehovah's WitnessesJehovah's Witnesses explained: Charles Taze Russell and the Watch Tower, beliefs about Jehovah and 1914, preaching, blood, neutrality and persecution.8 min read New Religions · The Bahá'í FaithThe Báb and the Bábí MovementThe Báb and the Bábí movement: his 1844 declaration in Shiraz, the Letters of the Living, the Bayán, Táhirih, his execution in Tabriz and the Bahá'í legacy.8 min read

New Religions · The Bahá'í FaithThe Bahá'í FaithThe Bahá'í Faith explained: the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh, progressive revelation, the oneness of humanity, scripture, worship and persecution in Iran.7 min read

New Religions · Christian Science & New ThoughtChristian Science and New ThoughtChristian Science and New Thought explained: Mary Baker Eddy and Science and Health, Phineas Quimby, spiritual healing, Unity and Religious Science.6 min read New Religions · Christian Science & New ThoughtMary Baker Eddy and Science and HealthMary Baker Eddy and Science and Health: her life, the 1866 healing, the teaching of her textbook, the Quimby and animal magnetism disputes, and her legacy.8 min read

New Religions · Japanese New ReligionsJapanese New ReligionsJapanese new religions explained: Tenrikyo, Konkokyo, Omoto, Soka Gakkai, Rissho Koseikai, Mahikari and Aum Shinrikyo, and why Japan produced so many.6 min read New Religions · Japanese New ReligionsSoka GakkaiSoka Gakkai explained: Nichiren and the Lotus Sutra, founders Makiguchi, Toda and Ikeda, chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Komeito, SGI and the 1991 split.7 min read New Religions · Latter-day SaintsThe Book of MormonThe Book of Mormon explained: Joseph Smith and the golden plates, the witnesses, the Nephite story, Christ in America, its teachings and historicity.8 min read

New Religions · Latter-day SaintsThe Latter-day SaintsThe Latter-day Saints explained: Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, temples, plural marriage, the trek to Utah, and Latter-day Saint beliefs today.7 min read

New Religions · Studying New ReligionsStudying New Religious MovementsHow scholars study new religious movements: church-sect-cult typologies, the brainwashing debate, conversion research, failed prophecy and violence.7 min read New Religions · Syncretic ReligionsKimbanguismKimbanguism explained: the Congolese prophet Simon Kimbangu, his 1921 healing ministry and imprisonment, the Kimbanguist Church, Nkamba, beliefs and history.8 min read

New Religions · Syncretic ReligionsSyncretic New ReligionsSyncretic new religions explained: Cao Đài and Hòa Hảo in Vietnam, Chinese salvationist sects, Santo Daime in Brazil and African prophetic churches.7 min read

OccultismWhat Is Occultism? The Hidden Sciences from Agrippa to TodayWhat is occultism? A history of the occult from hidden qualities and Agrippa's occult philosophy to Lévi, Theosophy, the Golden Dawn and the modern occult.8 min read

Occultism · British OccultismBritish OccultismBritish occultism from Sibly and Barrett's The Magus to Bulwer-Lytton, Anna Kingsford, the Golden Dawn, Alan Leo and Dion Fortune, c. 1780 to 1950.8 min read Occultism · British OccultismDion Fortune and the Society of the Inner LightDion Fortune (Violet Firth, 1890–1946): her life, the Society of the Inner Light, The Mystical Qabalah, her occult novels, Glastonbury and her influence.8 min read

Occultism · Clairvoyance & Psychical ResearchClairvoyance and Psychical ResearchClairvoyance and psychical research from second sight and mesmeric lucidity to the SPR, Rhine's ESP tests, remote viewing and the replication debate.8 min read Occultism · Clairvoyance & Psychical ResearchFrederick HockleyFrederick Hockley (1808–1885), Victorian crystal-gazer and copyist of magical manuscripts: Denley's shop, the Crowned Angel, the SRIA and his legacy.7 min read Occultism · Clairvoyance & Psychical ResearchThe Society for Psychical ResearchHistory of the Society for Psychical Research, founded in London in 1882: Sidgwick, Myers and Gurney, Phantasms of the Living, the Hodgson Report and mediums.7 min read

Occultism · French OccultismFrench OccultismFrench occultism from Court de Gébelin and Fabre d'Olivet to Lévi, Papus, Guaita, Péladan's Rose+Croix salons and René Guénon in Belle Époque Paris.7 min read Occultism · French OccultismPapus and the Martinist OrderPapus (Gérard Encausse, 1865–1916) and the Martinist Order: his life, the Tarot of the Bohemians, Saint-Martin's legacy and Maître Philippe in Russia.8 min read

Occultism · German OccultismGerman OccultismGerman occultism from Romantic nature philosophy, Kerner and Scheible's grimoires to Theosophy, Steiner, Ariosophy, the Thule Society and Nazi persecution.6 min read Occultism · German OccultismGuido von List and AriosophyGuido von List and Ariosophy: the Armanen runes, Lanz von Liebenfels, the Thule Society and how Austrian racial occultism related to Nazism.7 min read Occultism · Mesmerism & MagnetismJames Braid and the Origins of HypnotismHow the Manchester surgeon James Braid turned mesmerism into hypnotism in 1841–1843: Neurypnology, eye fixation, suggestion, Esdaile, Charcot and Nancy.7 min read

Occultism · Mesmerism & MagnetismMesmerism and Animal MagnetismThe history of mesmerism and animal magnetism: Mesmer's fluid, the 1784 Paris commission, Puységur's magnetic sleep, Braid's hypnotism and the occult revival.7 min read Occultism · Occult Literature & ArtHilma af KlintHilma af Klint (1862–1944), the Swedish painter whose Theosophical and spiritualist abstractions became world famous with the 2018 Guggenheim exhibition.8 min read

Occultism · Occult Literature & ArtOccult Literature and ArtOccult literature and art from Gothic novels and Zanoni to Yeats, the Rose+Croix salons, Kandinsky, Hilma af Klint and the Surrealists' search for magic.8 min read

Occultism · Occult PhilosophyOccult PhilosophyOccult philosophy from Ficino and Pico to Agrippa, Paracelsus, Bruno, Dee and Fludd: the Renaissance vision of a living, magical cosmos and its modern study.7 min read Occultism · The Occult RevivalThe Hermetic Brotherhood of LuxorThe Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor (from 1884): Max Théon, Peter Davidson, Thomas Burgoyne, P. B. Randolph's legacy and its quarrel with Theosophy.7 min read

Occultism · The Occult RevivalThe Occult RevivalThe occult revival of the nineteenth century: mesmerism, Spiritualism, Lévi, Theosophy and the Golden Dawn, and why magic flourished in an age of science.6 min read Occultism · The Occult SciencesPalmistryThe history of palmistry, or chiromancy: Indian and Chinese hand reading, medieval treatises, planetary mounts, Renaissance books and Victorian revival.7 min read

Occultism · The Occult SciencesThe Occult SciencesThe occult sciences in history: how astrology, alchemy, natural and ritual magic and the divinatory arts were defined, practised and debated from 1100 to 1800.7 min read

Occultism · The Occult TodayThe Occult TodayThe occult today: how many people hold occult beliefs, re-enchantment and occulture, the tarot and astrology boom, online practice and current controversies.7 min read Occultism · Occultism & ScienceKarl von Reichenbach and the Odic ForceThe chemist Karl von Reichenbach (1788–1869) and his odic force: experiments with sensitives, the Od controversy, and its legacy in occult ideas of the aura.7 min read

Occultism · Occultism & ScienceOccultism and ScienceOccultism and science from Newton's alchemy to ether physics, the fourth dimension, occult chemistry and quantum mysticism, and how the boundaries were drawn.8 min read

RastafariRastafariRastafari explained: Jamaican origins, Marcus Garvey and Ethiopianism, Haile Selassie, Babylon and Zion, dreadlocks, ital, ganja and the Rasta mansions.7 min read

Rastafari · Beliefs: Jah, Babylon & ZionRastafari BeliefsRastafari beliefs explained: Jah the living God, I-and-I, Black Israel, Babylon as the system of oppression, Zion and repatriation, and everliving life.7 min read Rastafari · Beliefs: Jah, Babylon & ZionThe Kebra Nagast in RastafariThe Kebra Nagast explained: the Ethiopian epic of Solomon, the Queen of Sheba, Menelik and the Ark, its medieval origins, and its meaning in Rastafari belief.8 min read Rastafari · Haile Selassie IEmpress Menen AsfawEmpress Menen Asfaw, consort of Haile Selassie I: her life, the 1930 coronation, her work for girls' education, and why Rastafari honour her as Queen Omega.7 min read

Rastafari · Haile Selassie IHaile Selassie IHaile Selassie I, emperor of Ethiopia (1930–1974): his life, coronation, exile, 1966 Jamaica visit and death, and why Rastafari honour him as Jah.8 min read Rastafari · Livity, Ital & DreadlocksGanja in RastafariGanja in Rastafari: why the holy herb is a sacrament, its biblical texts, its history in Jamaica since 1845, persecution, and the 2015 Jamaican law.7 min read

Rastafari · Livity, Ital & DreadlocksRastafari LivityRastafari livity explained: the ital diet, the meaning and history of dreadlocks, the red, gold and green, and ganja as a sacrament in religion and law.8 min read Rastafari · The Mansions of RastafariRastafari and the Ethiopian Orthodox ChurchHow Rastafari met the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church: Haile Selassie's faith, Abuna Yesehaq in Jamaica from 1970, baptism, Bob Marley and Orthodox Rastas.7 min read

Rastafari · The Mansions of RastafariThe Mansions of RastafariThe mansions of Rastafari explained: the Nyabinghi Order, the Bobo Ashanti, the Twelve Tribes of Israel, Ethiopian Orthodox Rastas and independent Rastafari.7 min read Rastafari · Nyabinghi, Reasoning & RitualBurru and KuminaBurru and Kumina, the Afro-Jamaican drum traditions behind Nyabinghi: Kongo religion in St Thomas, Burru drummers of Kingston and their Rastafari heirs.7 min read

Rastafari · Nyabinghi, Reasoning & RitualNyabinghi and ReasoningNyabinghi and reasoning in Rastafari: the origin of the name, the bass, funde and repeater drums, chants and psalms, the groundation calendar and the chalice.8 min read Rastafari · Origins: Garvey & EthiopianismLeonard Howell and PinnacleLeonard Howell, the first Rasta: his life, the 1934 sedition trial, The Promised Key, and Pinnacle, the Rastafari commune in St Catherine raided in 1954.8 min read

Rastafari · Origins: Garvey & EthiopianismOrigins of RastafariThe origins of Rastafari: Afro-Jamaican Revival, Ethiopianism, Marcus Garvey and the UNIA, the Holy Piby, and Leonard Howell and the first Rasta preachers.8 min read

Rastafari · Rasta Language: IyaricIyaricIyaric or Dread Talk, the language of Rastafari: why Rastas say I-and-I, words like ital, irie, overstand and downpressor, their origins and influence.7 min read Rastafari · Rastafari TodayCoral Gardens 1963The Coral Gardens incident of April 1963: the violence near Montego Bay, the Bad Friday round-up of Rastafari, decades of memory and Jamaica's 2017 apology.7 min read

Rastafari · Rastafari TodayRastafari TodayRastafari today: numbers in Jamaica and worldwide, Shashamane and repatriation, legal fights over ganja and dreadlocks, and women's voices in the faith.8 min read Rastafari · Reggae & Rasta CultureCount Ossie and the Mystic Revelation of RastafariCount Ossie, Rastafari master drummer: the Wareika Hills camp, Oh Carolina, his influence on ska, and the Mystic Revelation of Rastafari's Grounation.6 min read

Rastafari · Reggae & Rasta CultureReggae and RastafariHow Rastafari shaped reggae: from Count Ossie's drums and ska to Bob Marley, Burning Spear and dub, plus red, gold and green, Rasta art, film and literature.8 min read

SatanismWhat Is Satanism? Atheistic, Theistic and Modern Forms ExplainedWhat is Satanism? A guide to its history and forms: Romantic Satanism, LaVey's Church of Satan, the Temple of Set, The Satanic Temple and theistic Satanism.7 min read SatanismThe Satanic TempleThe Satanic Temple explained: its 2013 founding, the Seven Tenets, church-state campaigns, After School Satan and how it differs from the Church of Satan.7 min read SatanismThe Satanic Temple's Baphomet StatueThe Satanic Temple's bronze Baphomet statue: the Oklahoma Ten Commandments dispute, the 2015 Detroit unveiling, its roots in Lévi and the Arkansas campaign.7 min read

Satanism · Church of SatanLaVeyan SatanismLaVeyan Satanism explained: Anton LaVey, the Church of Satan (1966), The Satanic Bible, the Nine Satanic Statements, ritual as psychodrama and scholarship.9 min read Satanism · Church of SatanThe Satanic Bible (1969)The Satanic Bible by Anton LaVey: how the 1969 book was made, its four books, its sources such as Might Is Right, and its influence on modern Satanism.7 min read Satanism · Church of SatanThe Satanic Rituals (1972)The Satanic Rituals (1972) by Anton LaVey: how the companion to The Satanic Bible was compiled, its ceremonies, sources, invented lineages and reception.8 min read

Satanism · The Devil in HistoryHistory of Satan and the DevilHistory of Satan and the Devil: the Hebrew satan in Job, the Watchers of Enoch, the New Testament, Lucifer in Isaiah 14, Milton and the Romantic rebel.10 min read Satanism · The Devil in HistoryRomantic SatanismRomantic Satanism explained: how Milton's Satan became a heroic rebel for Blake, Shelley, Byron, Baudelaire and Carducci, and why it shaped modern Satanism.7 min read Satanism · The Devil in HistoryThe Black MassThe Black Mass in history: medieval heresy accusations, the witches' sabbath, the Affair of the Poisons, Huysmans' Là-bas and its place in modern Satanism.8 min read Satanism · The Devil in HistoryThe Hellfire ClubsThe Hellfire Clubs of 18th-century Britain and Ireland: Wharton's club, Dashwood's Medmenham monks, the rumours of devil worship and what the evidence shows.7 min read Satanism · Left-Hand PathMaria de NaglowskaMaria de Naglowska (1883–1936): the Russian-born occultist of 1930s Paris, her Third Term of the Trinity, Golden Arrow circle and Satanic initiation.7 min read Satanism · Left-Hand PathOrder of Nine AnglesThe Order of Nine Angles (O9A) explained: British origins, the Anton Long texts, the Seven-Fold Way, the David Myatt debate and links to violent extremism.7 min read

Satanism · Left-Hand PathThe Left-Hand PathThe left-hand path explained: its origins in tantric vamachara, its use for black magic by Theosophists, and its reclaiming by Setians and Satanists.6 min read Satanism · Satanic PanicLéo Taxil and the Palladium HoaxLéo Taxil's Palladium hoax (1885–1897): how a French anticlerical invented Satanic Freemasonry, Diana Vaughan and Luciferian lodges, then confessed in 1897.7 min read Satanism · Satanic PanicMichelle Remembers (1980)Michelle Remembers (1980) by Michelle Smith and Lawrence Pazder: its recovered-memory story, its role in the Satanic Panic and why its claims were rejected.7 min read Satanism · Satanic PanicThe McMartin Preschool TrialThe McMartin preschool trial (1983–1990): how one complaint became a Satanic ritual abuse case, why it ended without convictions and what it changed.7 min read

Satanism · Satanic PanicThe Satanic PanicThe Satanic panic of the 1980s and 1990s: Michelle Remembers, the McMartin trial, recovered memory, talk shows, heavy metal fears and the FBI Lanning report.10 min read Satanism · Temple of SetMichael AquinoMichael Aquino (1946–2019): army officer, Church of Satan priest and founder of the Temple of Set, author of The Book of Coming Forth by Night.8 min read Satanism · Temple of SetThe Book of Coming Forth by NightThe Book of Coming Forth by Night (1975): Michael Aquino's received text, its Egyptian and Thelemic sources, the Aeon of Set, Xeper and the Temple of Set.8 min read

Satanism · Temple of SetThe Temple of Set and the Left-Hand PathThe Temple of Set and the left-hand path: Aquino's 1975 split, Set and Xeper, theistic Satanism, Luciferianism, The Satanic Temple and the Tantric term.9 min read Satanism · Theistic Satanism & LuciferianismBen KadoshBen Kadosh (Carl William Hansen, 1872–1936): the Danish occultist whose 1906 pamphlet Den ny Morgens Gry is among the earliest Luciferian texts.7 min read Satanism · Theistic Satanism & LuciferianismSatanism and Black MetalSatanism and black metal: from Venom and Bathory to the Norwegian church fires and anti-cosmic Satanism, a history of the music's religious ideas.7 min read Satanism · Theistic Satanism & LuciferianismStanisław PrzybyszewskiStanisław Przybyszewski (1868–1927), Decadent writer and author of The Synagogue of Satan, often called the first to set out a Satanist philosophy.7 min read

Satanism · Theistic Satanism & LuciferianismTheistic Satanism and LuciferianismTheistic Satanism and Luciferianism explained: Lucifer the light-bearer, Romantic and Gnostic roots, early Luciferian groups and modern currents and debates.6 min read

Secret SocietiesWhat Are Secret Societies? A History of Esoteric BrotherhoodsWhat are secret societies? A historian's guide to initiatory brotherhoods, from the ancient mysteries to Rosicrucians, Freemasons and occult orders.6 min read Secret Societies · Conspiracy MythsAnti-MasonryThe history of anti-Masonry: papal condemnations from 1738, the Morgan affair and Anti-Masonic Party, totalitarian persecution and modern suspicion.7 min read Secret Societies · Conspiracy MythsBarruel, Robison and the Jacobin Conspiracy Myth of 1797How Augustin Barruel and John Robison blamed the French Revolution on Freemasons and Illuminati in 1797, and what historians make of the Jacobin myth.8 min read

Secret Societies · Conspiracy MythsSecret Society Conspiracy MythsA historian's guide to secret society conspiracy myths: Barruel and the Illuminati scare, the forged Protocols, the Taxil hoax and New World Order theories.7 min read Secret Societies · Conspiracy MythsThe Bavarian IlluminatiThe Bavarian Illuminati explained: Adam Weishaupt's 1776 Enlightenment society, its grades and members, suppression in 1784–85 and the myth that followed.8 min read Secret Societies · Conspiracy MythsThe Protocols of the Elders of ZionThe Protocols of the Elders of Zion explained: a Russian forgery of 1903, plagiarised from Maurice Joly, exposed in 1921 and used to justify persecution.8 min read Secret Societies · FreemasonryAnderson's Constitutions (1723)Anderson's Constitutions of the Free-Masons (1723) explained: James Anderson, the legendary history from Adam, the six Charges and the Regulations.7 min read Secret Societies · FreemasonryElias AshmoleElias Ashmole (1617–1692): his 1646 initiation as a Freemason at Warrington, his astrology and alchemy, the Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum and his museum.7 min read

Secret Societies · FreemasonryFreemasonryFreemasonry explained: origins in stonemasons' lodges, the 1717 Grand Lodge, the three degrees, symbols such as the square and compasses, and its history.6 min read Secret Societies · FreemasonryMorals and DogmaAlbert Pike's Morals and Dogma (1871) explained: the Scottish Rite lectures, their borrowings from Éliphas Lévi, the Lucifer passage and its reputation.7 min read Secret Societies · FreemasonryThe Premier Grand Lodge of London (1717) and Its OriginsThe Premier Grand Lodge of London, founded in 1717 at the Goose and Gridiron: the four old lodges, first Grand Masters, debate over dates and legacy.7 min read Secret Societies · FreemasonryThe Scottish RiteThe Scottish Rite of Freemasonry explained: French origins, the 1801 Supreme Council at Charleston, the 33 degrees, Albert Pike's rituals and the rite today.7 min read Secret Societies · Initiatory OrdersEgyptian Rite FreemasonryEgyptian Rite Freemasonry explained: Cagliostro's Egyptian Masonry, the Rites of Misraïm and Memphis, Garibaldi, Yarker, Papus and Memphis-Misraïm today.7 min read

Secret Societies · Initiatory OrdersInitiatory OrdersA guide to esoteric initiatory orders: Élus Coëns, Martinism, Memphis-Misraïm, the Golden Dawn, the OTO and Rosicrucian fellowships, and how grades work.6 min read Secret Societies · Initiatory OrdersMartinismMartinism explained: Martinez de Pasqually's Élus Coëns, Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin's inner way, Papus's Martinist Order of 1891 and its branches today.7 min read Secret Societies · RosicrucianismAMORCAMORC, the Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis, explained: H. Spencer Lewis's 1915 founding, mail-order lessons, Rosicrucian Park, San Jose, and teachings.6 min read Secret Societies · RosicrucianismConfessio Fraternitatis (1615)The Confessio Fraternitatis of 1615, the second Rosicrucian manifesto: its content, prophecy and anti-papal tone, and the European pamphlet war it provoked.6 min read Secret Societies · RosicrucianismFama Fraternitatis (1614)The Fama Fraternitatis of 1614, the first Rosicrucian manifesto: its Kassel printing, the story of Christian Rosenkreutz, the tomb, its authors and meaning.7 min read

Secret Societies · RosicrucianismRosicrucianismRosicrucianism explained: the Fama, Confessio and Chymical Wedding, Christian Rosenkreutz, the Tübingen circle, the Rosicrucian furore and the modern orders.6 min read Secret Societies · RosicrucianismSocietas Rosicruciana in AngliaThe Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia explained: Robert Wentworth Little's Masonic Rosicrucian society of 1866, its nine grades and its role in the Golden Dawn.6 min read Secret Societies · RosicrucianismThe Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz (1616) ExplainedThe Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz (1616) explained: Andreae's seven-day alchemical allegory, its plot, symbols, authorship and later influence.8 min read Secret Societies · RosicrucianismThomas Vaughan (Eugenius Philalethes)Thomas Vaughan, Eugenius Philalethes (1621–1666): Welsh alchemist, his 1652 English Fama and Confessio, his quarrel with Henry More and his philosophy.7 min read Secret Societies · Templar LegendsJacques de MolayJacques de Molay, last Grand Master of the Knights Templar: his career, the 1307 arrests, trial, burning in Paris in 1314 and the legends that followed.8 min read

Secret Societies · Templar LegendsTemplar LegendsTemplar legends explained: the real Knights Templar and their trial, Baphomet, the Masonic Templar myth, survival legends, Rosslyn and the Priory of Sion.6 min read Secret Societies · Templar LegendsThe Priory of Sion HoaxThe Priory of Sion hoax explained: Pierre Plantard's 1956 society, forged secret dossiers, Rennes-le-Château and the road to The Da Vinci Code.8 min read Secret Societies · Templar LegendsThe Templar Survival LegendDid the Knights Templar survive in secret? The legend's history, from Scotland and the Strict Observance to the Larmenius Charter and neo-Templar orders.7 min read

ShintoWhat Is Shinto? Kami, Shrines and the Way of the GodsWhat is Shinto? An overview of Japan's way of the kami: origins, the Kojiki, shrines and purification, festivals, the fusion with Buddhism and State Shinto.7 min read

Shinto · Esoteric Buddhism in JapanEsoteric Buddhism in JapanJapanese esoteric Buddhism (mikkyo) explained: Kukai and Shingon, Saicho and Tendai, the two mandalas, mantra and mudra, goma fire rites and marathon monks.7 min read Shinto · Festivals & RitesNiinamesai and DaijōsaiNiinamesai and Daijōsai explained: the emperor's offering of new rice, the Daijōsai of a new reign, its history, meaning and modern controversies.7 min read

Shinto · Festivals & RitesShinto Festivals and RitesShinto festivals and rites explained: the structure of matsuri, mikoshi and floats, the rice-year rites, Gion Matsuri, kagura and Shinto rites of passage.7 min read Shinto · The KamiAmaterasu ŌmikamiAmaterasu Ōmikami, the Shinto sun goddess: her myths, the Rock Cave of Heaven, the imperial regalia, the Ise Grand Shrine and her worship through history.8 min read

Shinto · The KamiThe KamiThe kami of Shinto explained: what kami are, Motoori Norinaga's definition, Amaterasu, Hachiman and Inari, deified humans like Tenjin, and the mitama spirit.6 min read Shinto · Myths of the KojikiIzanagi and IzanamiIzanagi and Izanami, the creator gods of Shinto: the birth of the Japanese islands, Izanami's death, the journey to Yomi, purification and their sacred sites.8 min read

Shinto · Myths of the KojikiMyths of the Kojiki and Nihon ShokiThe myths of the Kojiki and Nihon shoki explained: Izanagi and Izanami, Yomi, Amaterasu and the cave, Susanoo and the serpent, and the first emperor Jimmu.7 min read Shinto · OnmyodoAbe no SeimeiAbe no Seimei (921–1005), Japan's most famous onmyōji: his Heian court career, legends of shikigami and his fox mother, the Seimei star and shrine.8 min read

Shinto · OnmyodoOnmyōdōOnmyodo explained: the Bureau of Yin and Yang, divination, calendars and directional taboos in Heian Japan, the onmyoji Abe no Seimei, and its abolition in 1870.7 min read Shinto · Shinto & BuddhismShinbutsu BunriShinbutsu bunri, the 1868 separation of kami and buddhas: its roots in National Learning, the Meiji edicts, haibutsu kishaku and its legacy.8 min read

Shinto · Shinto & BuddhismShinto and BuddhismShinto and Buddhism explained: the fusion of kami and buddhas (shinbutsu shugo), honji suijaku, Ryobu and Sanno Shinto, and the Meiji separation of 1868.6 min read Shinto · Shrines & PurificationKannushi and MikoShinto priests (kannushi) and shrine maidens (miko) explained: priestly clans, training and ranks, vestments, ritual duties and the history of miko.8 min read

Shinto · Shrines & PurificationShinto Shrines and PurificationShinto shrines and purification explained: torii and shrine halls, the Ise rebuilding, kegare and tsumi, harae, misogi, the Great Purification and priests.7 min read Shinto · ShugendoKumano Sanzan and the Kumano KodōThe Kumano Sanzan shrines and Kumano Kodō pilgrimage: Kumano Gongen, imperial pilgrims, yamabushi, Kumano nuns, Nachi Falls and the Kii routes.8 min read

Shinto · ShugendoShugendōShugendo explained: En no Gyoja, the yamabushi mountain ascetics, sacred peaks of Yoshino, Kumano and Haguro, the ten realms practice, and the Meiji ban.7 min read Shinto · Yokai & FolkloreKitsuneKitsune, the fox spirits of Japan: Inari's messengers, shape-shifting fox wives, nine-tailed foxes, Tamamo-no-mae and fox possession explained.8 min read

Shinto · Yokai & FolkloreYōkaiYokai explained: the spirits and monsters of Japanese folklore, from kitsune, tengu, kappa and oni to the Night Parade of 100 Demons, Toriyama Sekien and Mizuki.7 min read

SikhismWhat Is Sikhism? Beliefs, Gurus and Practice of the Sikh FaithWhat is Sikhism? An introduction to the faith founded by Guru Nanak: Ik Onkar, the ten Gurus, the Guru Granth Sahib, the Khalsa, gurdwara and history.7 min read SikhismSikhism and the Sant TraditionSikhism and the Sant tradition: nirgun bhakti, Kabir, Ravidas, Namdev and Farid in the Guru Granth Sahib, and the debate over Guru Nanak's originality.7 min read Sikhism · Gurdwara & PracticeGolden Temple (Harmandir Sahib), AmritsarThe Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib), Amritsar: founding by Guru Arjan, the sacred pool, Akal Takht, daily worship and langar, gilding and 1984.7 min read

Sikhism · Gurdwara & PracticeGurdwara, Langar and Sikh PracticeSikh practice explained: the gurdwara and its worship, kirtan and Ardas, the langar free kitchen, daily prayer, weddings and funerals, festivals and Takhts.7 min read Sikhism · Guru Granth SahibDasam GranthThe Dasam Granth explained: works attributed to Guru Gobind Singh, Jaap Sahib, Bachittar Natak, Chandi di Var, Zafarnama and the authorship debate.7 min read

Sikhism · Guru Granth SahibGuru Granth SahibThe Guru Granth Sahib explained: Guru Arjan's 1604 compilation, its Gurus and bhagats, ragas and languages, and why Sikhs honour it as their eternal Guru.7 min read Sikhism · Guru Granth SahibJapji SahibJapji Sahib explained: Guru Nanak's morning prayer that opens the Guru Granth Sahib, its Mul Mantar, 38 pauris, key themes, the five realms and its daily use.8 min read Sikhism · Guru Nanak & the Ten GurusGuru Gobind SinghGuru Gobind Singh (1666–1708), the tenth Sikh Guru: his childhood, the Khalsa of 1699, the loss of his four sons, the Zafarnama and the eternal Guru Granth.7 min read

Sikhism · Guru Nanak & the Ten GurusGuru Nanak and the Ten Sikh GurusGuru Nanak and the ten Sikh Gurus, 1469 to 1708: their lives, teachings and martyrdoms, the founding of Amritsar and the Khalsa, and the eternal Guru.7 min read Sikhism · The KhalsaNihang SikhsNihang Sikhs explained: the blue-clad Akali warriors of the Khalsa, their origins, Buddha Dal and Tarna Dal, Akali Phula Singh, dress and Hola Mohalla.7 min read

Sikhism · The KhalsaThe Khalsa and the Five KsThe Khalsa explained: Guru Gobind Singh's founding of the order in 1699, the Panj Piare, amrit initiation, the Five Ks, the Sikh code and the turban.7 min read

Sikhism · Sikh BeliefsSikh BeliefsCore Sikh beliefs explained: Ik Onkar and the Mul Mantar, hukam and grace, ego and the five thieves, nam simran, liberation in this life, seva and equality.6 min read Sikhism · Sikh BeliefsWomen in SikhismWomen in Sikhism: Guru Nanak on equality, the feminine in scripture, Mata Khivi, Mai Bhago and Mata Sundari, the name Kaur and debates today.7 min read Sikhism · Sikh HistoryMaharaja Ranjit Singh and the Sikh Empire (1799–1849)Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Lion of the Punjab: his rise from the Sukerchakia misl, the Sikh Empire, its army and court, the Golden Temple and the fall to Britain.7 min read

Sikhism · Sikh HistorySikh HistorySikh history after the Gurus: Banda Singh Bahadur, the misls, Ranjit Singh's empire, British rule, gurdwara reform, Partition, 1984 and the diaspora.8 min read

Solomonic MagicWhat Is Solomonic Magic? King Solomon and the Grimoire TraditionWhat is Solomonic magic? An introduction to King Solomon as master of demons and to the grimoires written in his name, from the Testament to the Goetia.6 min read Solomonic MagicThe Grimoire RevivalThe grimoire revival explained: how Mathers, Waite and Crowley, cheap occult printers, historians and modern critical editions brought Solomonic magic back.7 min read Solomonic Magic · Demonic Magic & PactsDemonic MagicA history of demonic magic: ancient spirit-binding, Augustine's pact theory, medieval clerical necromancy, the printed grimoires and modern scholarship.8 min read Solomonic Magic · Demonic Magic & PactsGrimorium VerumThe Grimorium Verum or 'True Grimoire': its false 1517 Memphis imprint, its three infernal chiefs and their spirits, its sources and modern editions.7 min read Solomonic Magic · Demonic Magic & PactsMunich Manual of Demonic MagicThe Munich Manual of Demonic Magic (Clm 849): a 15th-century Latin necromancer's handbook, its experiments, its liturgical language and its users.7 min read Solomonic Magic · Demonic Magic & PactsThe Devil's PactThe Devil's pact in history and legend: Augustine's theory, the Theophilus miracle, Gerbert, witch-trial pacts, Urbain Grandier's Loudun 'pact' and Faust.7 min read Solomonic Magic · Demonic Magic & PactsThe Grand GrimoireThe Grand Grimoire explained: a French chapbook grimoire of c. 1800, its false dates, Lucifuge Rofocale and the hierarchy of Hell, and its pact story.7 min read Solomonic Magic · DemonologyAntipalus MaleficiorumTrithemius's Antipalus maleficiorum (1508): the abbot's treatise against sorcery and its famous list of necromantic and image-magic books he judged dangerous.7 min read

Solomonic Magic · DemonologyDemonologyA history of demonology: demons in the Bible and Second Temple texts, the Church Fathers, scholastic theology, witch-hunt treatises and grimoire lists.6 min read Solomonic Magic · DemonologyDictionnaire InfernalThe Dictionnaire Infernal of Collin de Plancy (1818–1863): its encyclopedia of demons, Le Breton's engravings and the history of demon iconography.7 min read Solomonic Magic · DemonologyHow Theologians and Inquisitors Judged Demonic MagicHow the Church judged demonic magic: Augustine's pact, Aquinas, John XXII, Eymerich's Directorium, the Paris condemnation of 1398 and Del Rio.7 min read Solomonic Magic · DemonologyThe Book of EnochThe Book of Enoch explained: how 1 Enoch was composed, the Book of the Watchers and its fallen angels, forbidden arts, giants, and its legacy in magic.9 min read

Solomonic Magic · Goetic SpiritsArs GoetiaThe Ars Goetia and its 72 spirits explained: ranks, legions and seals, notable spirits like Bael and Paimon, its debt to Weyer, and modern reception.8 min read Solomonic Magic · Goetic SpiritsPseudomonarchia DaemonumThe Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, Johann Weyer's 1577 catalogue of 69 demons: its sources, its kings and dukes, Scot's translation and the Goetia.7 min read Solomonic Magic · Goetic SpiritsThe Four Kings of the DirectionsThe demon kings of the four directions in the grimoires: Amaymon, Corson, Ziminiar and Gaap, Agrippa's Oriens, Paymon and Egyn, their sources and meaning.8 min read Solomonic Magic · Key of SolomonHygromanteiaThe Hygromanteia, or Magical Treatise of Solomon: a Byzantine Greek grimoire addressed to Rehoboam, its manuscripts, planetary hours and link to the Key.8 min read

Solomonic Magic · Key of SolomonKey of SolomonThe Key of Solomon (Clavicula Salomonis) explained: Renaissance manuscripts, Mathers' 1889 edition, pentacles, planetary hours, tools and purity rules.8 min read Solomonic Magic · Key of SolomonSolomonic PentaclesSolomonic pentacles explained: the 44 planetary seals of the Key of Solomon, their Hebrew names and Psalm verses, how grimoires made them, and later uses.8 min read

Solomonic Magic · Legends of SolomonSolomon and AsmodeusThe legend of Solomon and Asmodeus from the Talmud: the shamir, building the Temple, the stolen ring, the king's exile and return, and Asmodeus in Tobit.8 min read Solomonic Magic · Legends of SolomonSolomon and the Queen of ShebaSolomon and the Queen of Sheba in the Bible, Jewish legend, the Qur'an, the Ethiopian Kebra Nagast, Christian art and esoteric lore, and what history can say.8 min read

Solomonic Magic · Legends of SolomonSulayman in IslamSulayman (Solomon) in the Qur'an and Islamic lore: command of jinn and wind, bird and ant speech, Bilqis the Queen of Sheba, his ring and sealed jinn.8 min read Solomonic Magic · LemegetonArs Theurgia-GoetiaThe Ars Theurgia-Goetia, second book of the Lemegeton: its 31 aerial spirits of the compass, its debt to Trithemius's Steganographia, and its manuscripts.7 min read

Solomonic Magic · LemegetonLesser Key of Solomon (Lemegeton)The Lesser Key of Solomon (Lemegeton) explained: its five books, 17th-century origins, sources like Weyer's Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, and modern editions.7 min read

Solomonic Magic · Other GrimoiresArs NotoriaThe Ars Notoria explained: the medieval notory art of Solomon for gaining knowledge through prayers and notae, its condemnation by Aquinas, and its scholars.8 min read Solomonic Magic · Other GrimoiresGanell's Summa Sacre MagiceBerengar Ganell's Summa sacre magice (1346): the Catalan compendium of ritual and Solomonic magic, its sources, five books, manuscripts and John Dee's copy.7 min read Solomonic Magic · Other GrimoiresThe Book of OberonThe Book of Oberon (Folger MS V.b.26): an Elizabethan grimoire of spirits, fairies and treasure magic, its sources, its world and the 2015 edition.7 min read

Solomonic Magic · Other GrimoiresThe Sixth and Seventh Books of MosesThe Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses: Scheible's 1849 German grimoire, its seals and names, the 1880 English edition and its influence on hoodoo, the Caribbean and West Africa.5 min read Solomonic Magic · Other GrimoiresThe Sworn Book of HonoriusThe Sworn Book of Honorius (Liber iuratus Honorii): its legend of a council of magicians, the Seal of God, the beatific vision, its dating and its influence.8 min read

Solomonic Magic · The Ring & SealSeal of SolomonThe Seal of Solomon explained: the magic ring in Jewish, Christian and Islamic legend, the hexagram and pentagram as seal, amulets and later grimoire use.9 min read Solomonic Magic · The Ring & SealThe Seal of Solomon in Islamic MagicThe Seal of Solomon (khatam Sulayman) in Islamic magic: the ring legend, hexagram and pentagram, the seven signs, amulets, bowls, coins and Morocco's flag.7 min read Solomonic Magic · Testament of SolomonSolomon the ExorcistHow Solomon became an exorcist in antiquity: the Wisdom of Solomon, Josephus's Eleazar, Qumran songs, the Gospels, magical papyri, rider amulets and bowls.7 min read

Solomonic Magic · Testament of SolomonTestament of SolomonThe Testament of Solomon explained: a Greek pseudepigraphon on demons and their thwarting angels, its dating, manuscripts, Ornias and influence on magic.8 min read

SuperstitionsWhat Is Superstition? Meaning, History and OriginsWhat is superstition? The meaning and history of the word, the main kinds of folk belief, and which supposedly ancient superstitions are really modern.8 min read

Superstitions · African & Caribbean BeliefsAfrican and Caribbean Folk BeliefsAfrican and Caribbean folk beliefs: Akan day names, Yoruba twins and abiku, the tokoloshe, the khamsa hand, Jamaican duppies and Trinidad's soucouyant.8 min read Superstitions · Animals & BirdsBlack Dog FolkloreBlack dog folklore of Britain: Black Shuck and the Bungay storm of 1577, the barghest, the Moddey Dhoo, church grims and the hounds of the Wild Hunt.8 min read

Superstitions · Animals & BirdsSuperstitions About Animals and BirdsSuperstitions about animals and birds explained: black cats, magpies, the Tower ravens, owls, robins, hares, spiders and bees, with their documented history.8 min read

Superstitions · Asian SuperstitionsAsian SuperstitionsAsian superstitions explained: Chinese number and gift taboos, Japanese unlucky ages and the Fire Horse year, Korean fan death, Indian nazar charms and more.8 min read Superstitions · Birth, Marriage & DeathChangelingsThe changeling in European folklore: fairies and trolls said to swap babies, the egg-shell test, Saint Guinefort, and the 1895 death of Bridget Cleary.7 min read

Superstitions · Birth, Marriage & DeathSuperstitions of Birth, Marriage and DeathSuperstitions of birth, marriage and death: the caul, Monday's child, May weddings, something old something new, covering mirrors and telling the bees.8 min read

Superstitions · European SuperstitionsEuropean SuperstitionsEuropean superstitions by region: Irish fairy forts, German lucky pigs, Italian cornicello, Greek mati, Spanish New Year grapes and Russian travel customs.7 min read Superstitions · Home & HearthHousehold SpiritsHousehold spirits in folklore: the Roman Lares, Scottish brownies, English boggarts, German kobolds, Scandinavian tomte, the domovoi and the Kitchen God.8 min read

Superstitions · Home & HearthHousehold SuperstitionsHousehold superstitions and their history: horseshoes over the door, witch bottles, the hearth, spilled salt, broken mirrors and opening umbrellas indoors.8 min read

Superstitions · Luck, Omens & PortentsLuck, Omens and PortentsLuck, omens and portents in history: Fortuna, Babylonian omen lists, Roman augury, comets and prodigies, everyday signs and charms like the four-leaf clover.7 min read Superstitions · Luck, Omens & PortentsThe Evil EyeThe evil eye from Mesopotamia and Rome to the Bible, Islam and Turkey: what the belief holds, how it was explained, and the charms used against it.8 min read

Superstitions · Numbers & DaysLucky and Unlucky Numbers and DaysHistory of lucky and unlucky numbers and days: Egyptian and Roman calendars, Friday the 13th, the fear of four in East Asia, and why seven and eight are lucky.8 min read Superstitions · Numbers & DaysNew Year SuperstitionsNew Year superstitions and their history: Roman Kalends omens, Scottish first-footing, Spanish grapes, lead pouring, Lunar New Year taboos, lucky foods.8 min read

Superstitions · Origins of SuperstitionOrigins of SuperstitionWhere superstitions come from: Greek and Roman ideas of excess piety, Christian lists of pagan practices, Reformation polemic, and the folklorists' survivals.8 min read Superstitions · Origins of SuperstitionPseudodoxia EpidemicaThomas Browne's Pseudodoxia Epidemica (1646), the book of Vulgar Errors: how a Norwich physician tested popular beliefs, from basilisks to spilt salt.8 min read Superstitions · The Psychology of SuperstitionPareidolia and ApopheniaPareidolia and apophenia explained: why people see faces in clouds and meaning in chance, from Leonardo and Rorschach to the gambler's fallacy.8 min read

Superstitions · The Psychology of SuperstitionThe Psychology of SuperstitionThe psychology of superstition: Skinner's pigeons, the illusion of control, magical thinking, lucky-charm studies and Stuart Vyse on why we believe.8 min read

Superstitions · Sailors, Actors & GamblersSuperstitions of Sailors, Actors and GamblersSuperstitions of sailors, miners, actors and gamblers: whistling at sea, the Scottish play, the ghost light, lucky dice and where these beliefs came from.8 min read Superstitions · Sailors, Actors & GamblersThe Flying Dutchman and Ghost Ship Legends of the SeaThe Flying Dutchman legend: its origins in sailors' lore, Walter Scott and Blackwood's, Wagner's opera, the 1881 Bacchante sighting and other ghost ships.7 min read

Superstitions · Superstitions of the AmericasSuperstitions of the AmericasSuperstitions of the Americas: Ozark and Pennsylvania Dutch lore, Groundhog Day, Mexican mal de ojo and susto, Brazil's New Year waves and the Andean Ekeko.8 min read

SymbolsWhat Is Sacred Symbolism? Signs, Meaning and HistoryWhat is sacred symbolism? How religious and esoteric symbols work, from the Greek symbolon and Renaissance hieroglyphs to Jung, Eliade and modern iconography.6 min read

Symbols · Alchemical SymbolsAlchemical SymbolsAlchemical symbols explained: the seven planetary metals, the four elements, sulphur, mercury and salt, the green lion, the Rebis and the great emblem books.6 min read Symbols · Alchemical SymbolsThe OuroborosThe ouroboros, the serpent devouring its own tail: its Egyptian origins, Greek magic, Gnostic and Norse parallels, alchemical meaning and Jung's reading.8 min read Symbols · Alchemical SymbolsThe RebisThe Rebis, alchemy's two-headed hermaphrodite: its meaning as the union of sun and moon, its images in the Rosarium and Basil Valentine, and Jung's reading.8 min read

Symbols · Number SymbolismNumber SymbolismNumber symbolism explained: Pythagorean arithmology, biblical numbers, gematria and the sefirot, abjad, magic squares and the meanings of 3, 7, 12 and 40.7 min read Symbols · Number SymbolismThe Number SevenWhy seven is sacred: the seven planets and the week, Mesopotamian Sebettu, the Sabbath, Revelation's sevens, Islam's seven heavens, and seven in occultism.8 min read Symbols · Number SymbolismThe Number TwelveWhy twelve is sacred: months and zodiac, the Twelve Olympians, twelve tribes and apostles, the New Jerusalem, Twelver Shi'ism, and twelve in esoteric lore.8 min read Symbols · Occult SymbolsMonas HieroglyphicaJohn Dee's Monas Hieroglyphica (1564) explained: the anatomy of the monad symbol, its 24 theorems, its alchemy and 'real cabala', and its Rosicrucian legacy.8 min read

Symbols · Occult SymbolsOccult SymbolsOccult symbols explained: the pentagram, hexagram, seals and sigils, the Monad, Rosy Cross, Baphomet and inverted cross, with their real histories.7 min read Symbols · Occult SymbolsThe PentagramThe pentagram's history and meaning: Mesopotamian signs, the Pythagorean 'health' star, Gawain's pentangle, Agrippa, Lévi's inverted star and Wicca.8 min read Symbols · Religious SymbolsJung's Red Book (Liber Novus)C. G. Jung's Red Book (Liber Novus): his 1913–1930 visionary record, its figures and mandalas, its long seclusion and the 2009 facsimile, and what it means.8 min read Symbols · Religious SymbolsRamon Llull and the Lullian ArtRamon Llull (c. 1232–1316) and his combinatory Art: the Mount Randa illumination, divine dignities, letters and rotating figures, and Lullism up to Leibniz.9 min read

Symbols · Religious SymbolsReligious SymbolsA guide to religious symbols and their history: the cross and chi-rho, Star of David, crescent, Om, swastika, dharma wheel, taijitu, ankh and more.6 min read

Symbols · Sacred GeometrySacred GeometrySacred geometry explained: Pythagoras and Plato, the Platonic solids, the golden ratio and its myths, the vesica piscis, Gothic cathedrals and Islamic art.7 min read Symbols · Sacred GeometryThe Golden RatioThe golden ratio (phi, 1.618) explained: Euclid's extreme and mean ratio, Fibonacci, Pacioli's divine proportion, Zeising and Le Corbusier, and the myths.8 min read Symbols · Sacred GeometryThe Platonic SolidsThe five Platonic solids explained: Plato's Timaeus and the elements, Euclid's proof, Leonardo's drawings, Kepler's cosmic model and modern sacred geometry.8 min read

Taoism & Chinese ReligionWhat Is Taoism? The Way, Its Texts, Schools and PracticeWhat is Taoism? An overview of the Tao, Laozi and Zhuangzi, the Celestial Masters, the Taoist canon, Quanzhen and Zhengyi, ritual and self-cultivation.8 min read

Taoism & Chinese Religion · Ancestors & Popular ReligionChinese Ancestor Veneration and Popular Religion ExplainedChinese ancestor veneration and popular religion explained: oracle bones, altars and lineage halls, gods, ghosts and ancestors, Qingming, the Ghost Festival.7 min read Taoism & Chinese Religion · Ancestors & Popular ReligionThe Hungry Ghost FestivalThe Hungry Ghost Festival explained: Mulian and the Yulanpen sutra, the Taoist Zhongyuan, pudu feasts, water lanterns and the taboos of Ghost Month.8 min read

Taoism & Chinese Religion · Chinese Gods & ImmortalsChinese Gods and the Eight ImmortalsChinese gods and the Eight Immortals explained: the Jade Emperor, Earth and City Gods, Guan Yu, Mazu, Guanyin, Lü Dongbin and the gods of Journey to the West.7 min read Taoism & Chinese Religion · Chinese Gods & ImmortalsThe Jade EmperorThe Jade Emperor (Yuhuang) explained: his Song-dynasty cult, Taoist scripture, the celestial bureaucracy, his birthday rites and Journey to the West.8 min read

Taoism & Chinese Religion · ConfucianismConfucianismConfucianism explained: the life of Confucius, the Analects, ren and li, Mencius and Xunzi, the Five Classics, Neo-Confucianism, and whether it is a religion.7 min read Taoism & Chinese Religion · ConfucianismNeo-ConfucianismNeo-Confucianism explained: the Song masters, Zhu Xi's learning of principle and the Four Books, Lu Jiuyuan, Wang Yangming's innate knowing, East Asia.8 min read

Taoism & Chinese Religion · Feng ShuiFeng ShuiFeng shui explained: its origins in Chinese grave siting, qi and dragon veins, the Form and Compass schools, the luopan, and its history up to the present.7 min read Taoism & Chinese Religion · Feng ShuiThe LuopanThe luopan or feng shui compass: the Han diviner's board, the magnetic needle in Song China, its rings of trigrams and Twenty-Four Mountains, three plates.7 min read Taoism & Chinese Religion · Immortality & Inner AlchemyGe Hong and the BaopuziGe Hong (283–343) and the Baopuzi: his life, the Inner and Outer Chapters, elixirs of gold and cinnabar, mountain talismans, merit and his legacy.8 min read

Taoism & Chinese Religion · Immortality & Inner AlchemyTaoist ImmortalityTaoist immortality explained: the xian or transcendent, Penglai and the fangshi, Ge Hong's grades of immortals, nourishing life and the turn to inner alchemy.7 min read

Taoism & Chinese Religion · Laozi & the Tao Te ChingLaozi and the Tao Te ChingLaozi and the Tao Te Ching explained: the legend of Laozi, the Guodian and Mawangdui manuscripts, wuwei and the Tao, commentaries, and famous translations.8 min read Taoism & Chinese Religion · Laozi & the Tao Te ChingWu WeiWu wei explained: effortless action in the Tao Te Ching, ziran or naturalness, the Zhuangzi's craftsmen, Confucian and Legalist uses and the paradox.8 min read

Taoism & Chinese Religion · Mo Pai & NeigongMo Pai, Evidence and ScepticismIs Mo Pai real? A fair look at the evidence for John Chang's reported feats, sceptical explanations, China's qigong fever and how such claims can be tested.7 min read

Taoism & Chinese Religion · Mo Pai & NeigongMo PaiMo Pai explained: the neigong school of John Chang as Kosta Danaos describes it, its yin and yang qi teaching, its sources and its roots in Taoist neidan.8 min read

Taoism & Chinese Religion · Mo Pai & NeigongThe Levels of Mo Pai NeigongThe levels of Mo Pai neigong as Kosta Danaos describes them: yang qi in the dantian, its union with yin qi, the higher levels, and their roots in neidan.7 min read

Taoism & Chinese Religion · Mo Pai & NeigongThe Magus of JavaThe Magus of Java explained: how Kosta Danaos met John Chang, what his books The Magus of Java and Nei Kung say about Mo Pai, and how to read them.7 min read Taoism & Chinese Religion · Religious TaoismQuanzhen TaoismQuanzhen Taoism explained: Wang Chongyang, the Seven Perfected, Qiu Chuji and Chinggis Khan, monastic life, the Longmen lineage and White Cloud Temple.8 min read

Taoism & Chinese Religion · Religious TaoismReligious TaoismReligious Taoism explained: Zhang Daoling and the Celestial Masters, Shangqing and Lingbao scriptures, Taoist gods and priests, jiao rites and the Daozang.7 min read Taoism & Chinese Religion · Yin-Yang & the Five PhasesThe TaijituThe taijitu or yin-yang symbol: taiji in the Book of Changes, Zhou Dunyi's diagram, the Daoist origins debate, Ming swirling diagrams and modern uses.7 min read

Taoism & Chinese Religion · Yin-Yang & the Five PhasesYin and Yang and the Five Phases (Wuxing)Yin and yang and the five phases (wuxing) explained: origins, the generating and overcoming cycles, correspondences, and uses in medicine and divination.7 min read

Taoism & Chinese Religion · ZhuangziThe ZhuangziThe Zhuangzi explained: Zhuang Zhou, the Inner Chapters, the butterfly dream, Cook Ding, fasting of the mind, death and transformation, and its Taoist legacy.7 min read

ThelemaWhat Is Thelema? History, Beliefs and Practice ExplainedWhat is Thelema? An overview of Aleister Crowley's religion of True Will: its history since 1904, core beliefs, rituals, orders, key figures and scholarship.6 min read ThelemaIs Thelema a Religion? Scripture, Rites and Scholarly ViewsIs Thelema a religion? How Crowley described it, its scripture, church and holy days, why some call it a philosophy, and how scholars classify it.7 min read ThelemaWhat Does 'Do What Thou Wilt' Mean? Thelema's Law ExplainedWhat 'Do what thou wilt' really means in Thelema: True Will versus whim, love under will, its roots in Augustine and Rabelais, and common misreadings.7 min read

Thelema · Aleister CrowleyAleister CrowleyAleister Crowley's life and work: the Golden Dawn, Cairo 1904, the A∴A∴ and OTO, the Abbey of Thelema at Cefalù, his writings, controversies and legacy.9 min read Thelema · Aleister CrowleyRose Edith KellyRose Edith Kelly, Aleister Crowley's first wife: their 1903 marriage, her role as Ouarda the Seer in Cairo in 1904, their daughters and her later tragic life.7 min read Thelema · Aleister CrowleyThe Abbey of Thelema at CefalùThe Abbey of Thelema at Cefalù, Sicily (1920–1923): how Crowley's commune began, daily ritual life, its residents, Raoul Loveday's death and the expulsion.7 min read Thelema · Aleister CrowleyVictor NeuburgVictor Neuburg (1883–1940), poet and Aleister Crowley's disciple: scribe of the 1909 Enochian visions, partner in the Paris Working, mentor of Dylan Thomas.7 min read Thelema · Aleister CrowleyWas Aleister Crowley a Satanist? Evidence and Scholarly ViewsWas Aleister Crowley a Satanist? What he wrote about Satan and the Devil, his Beast 666 persona, the press scandals and how historians of Satanism judge him.7 min read Thelema · Holy BooksThe Holy Books of ThelemaThe Holy Books of Thelema explained: Crowley's Class A texts such as Liber LXV and Liber VII, how they were written in 1907 and how Thelemites read them.7 min read Thelema · Holy BooksThe Stele of RevealingThe Stele of Revealing: the Egyptian funerary stele of the priest Ankh-af-na-khonsu that Crowley saw in Cairo in 1904, its imagery, texts and use in Thelema.9 min read Thelema · Holy BooksThe Vision and the VoiceThe Vision and the Voice (Liber 418): Crowley's 1900 and 1909 visions of the thirty Enochian Aethyrs with Victor Neuburg, Choronzon, Babalon and the Abyss.7 min read

Thelema · Holy BooksThelema and The Book of the LawThelema and The Book of the Law explained: the 1904 Cairo reception, Nuit, Hadit and Ra-Hoor-Khuit, True Will, the Aeon of Horus and Thelemic organisations.8 min read Thelema · Tarot & Qabalah in ThelemaAbrahadabraAbrahadabra in Thelema: how Crowley turned the old charm abracadabra into the Word of the Aeon, its value of 418, the five and six, and its ritual use.7 min read Thelema · Tarot & Qabalah in ThelemaLiber 777Liber 777, Aleister Crowley's 1909 tables of correspondence: Golden Dawn origins, how the rows and columns work, editions, ritual uses and critics.7 min read

Thelema · Tarot & Qabalah in ThelemaTarot and Qabalah in ThelemaTarot and Qabalah in Thelema: Crowley's Thoth tarot, the Tzaddi and Heh exchange, Liber 777 and gematria, A∴A∴ grades on the Tree and Typhonian Qabalah.6 min read Thelema · Tarot & Qabalah in ThelemaThe Thoth TarotThe Thoth tarot explained: how Aleister Crowley and Lady Frieda Harris made the deck in 1938–1943, its renamed trumps, courts, minor titles and Book of Thoth.8 min read Thelema · Thelemic DoctrineKenneth Grant (1924–2011)Kenneth Grant's life and work: Crowley's last secretary, champion of Austin Osman Spare, founder of the Typhonian Order and author of the Typhonian Trilogies.7 min read Thelema · Thelemic DoctrineLiber Resh vel HeliosLiber Resh vel Helios, Crowley's 1911 solar adorations to Ra, Ahathoor, Tum and Khephra at dawn, noon, sunset and midnight: text, sources and meaning.7 min read Thelema · Thelemic DoctrineNuit, Hadit and Ra-Hoor-KhuitNuit, Hadit and Ra-Hoor-Khuit, the three gods of The Book of the Law: their Egyptian origins, what each means in Thelema and how Thelemites interpret them.7 min read Thelema · Thelemic DoctrineThe Aeon of HorusThe Aeon of Horus in Thelema: Crowley's theory of the Aeons of Isis, Osiris and Horus, the Equinox of the Gods of 1904, and the later Aeon of Maat.7 min read

Thelema · Thelemic DoctrineThelemic DoctrineThelemic doctrine explained: True Will and the Law of Thelema, love under will, Nuit and Hadit, the Aeon of Horus, the Holy Guardian Angel and ethics.7 min read Thelema · Thelemic OrdersJack Parsons and the Babalon WorkingJack Parsons and the Babalon Working of 1946: the rocket pioneer's Thelemic rites with L. Ron Hubbard, Marjorie Cameron, Liber 49 and what came after.9 min read Thelema · Thelemic OrdersThe Gnostic Mass (Liber XV)The Gnostic Mass (Liber XV), written by Crowley in Moscow in 1913: origins, temple, officers, creed, saints, Eucharist and its celebration by the OTO today.8 min read

Thelema · Thelemic OrdersThelemic OrdersA guide to Thelemic orders: the A∴A∴, Ordo Templi Orientis and its Gnostic Catholic Church, the Abbey of Thelema, Agape Lodge, the Typhonian Order and others.6 min read Thelema · Thelemic OrdersTyphonian ThelemaTyphonian Thelema: Kenneth Grant's New Isis Lodge of 1955, the break with the OTO, and the Typhonian Order's doctrines of Set, Sirius and the Nightside.7 min read

TheosophyWhat Is Theosophy? History, Teachings and InfluenceWhat is Theosophy? A guide to Christian theosophy, Blavatsky's modern Theosophy, its teachings on karma and the Masters, and its wide cultural influence.7 min read

Theosophy · AnthroposophyAnthroposophyAnthroposophy explained: Rudolf Steiner's spiritual science, its break with Theosophy, its core teachings, and Waldorf schools, biodynamics and their critics.6 min read Theosophy · AnthroposophyRudolf SteinerRudolf Steiner (1861–1925): Goethe scholar, Theosophist and founder of Anthroposophy, from Vienna and Weimar to the Goetheanum and his death at Dornach.8 min read

Theosophy · Astral Projection & DreamsAstral Projection and DreamsAstral projection and dreams explained: the astral body from Neoplatonism to Theosophy, out-of-body experiences, lucid dreaming and what science has found.6 min read Theosophy · Astral Projection & DreamsLucid DreamingLucid dreaming explained: Aristotle and Augustine, Tibetan dream yoga, Hervey de Saint-Denys, van Eeden's coinage, occult dream work and modern sleep science.8 min read

Theosophy · Crystals, Auras & EnergyCrystals, Auras and Energy HealingHistory of crystal healing, auras and subtle energy, from ancient lapidaries and mesmerism to Theosophy, Kirlian photos and Reiki, with the evidence.6 min read Theosophy · Crystals, Auras & EnergyReikiReiki history explained: Usui Mikao and Mount Kurama, Hayashi's clinic, Hawayo Takata's Western lineage, New Age growth, and what scientific studies conclude.7 min read Theosophy · The Fourth WayP. D. OuspenskyP. D. Ouspensky's life and ideas: Tertium Organum and the fourth dimension, his years with Gurdjieff, the London groups and In Search of the Miraculous.7 min read

Theosophy · The Fourth WayThe Fourth WayThe Fourth Way explained: G. I. Gurdjieff's teaching of self-remembering, the three centres and the enneagram, Ouspensky's role and the Work groups today.6 min read

Theosophy · Ghosts & HauntingsGhosts and HauntingsA history of ghosts and hauntings from Pliny's haunted house to medieval revenants, the Reformation, psychical research, famous cases and scientific views.6 min read Theosophy · Ghosts & HauntingsPoltergeistsPoltergeists explained: the word's meaning, the Drummer of Tedworth, Epworth and Cock Lane, Borley, Rosenheim and Enfield, and the theories offered for them.7 min read Theosophy · New AgeA Course in MiraclesA Course in Miracles explained: Helen Schucman's dictation, the Text, Workbook and Manual, its teaching on illusion and forgiveness, and its New Age reach.7 min read

Theosophy · New AgeThe New Age MovementThe New Age movement explained: roots in Theosophy and New Thought, the Age of Aquarius, Findhorn and Esalen, channelling, holistic healing and critics.6 min read

Theosophy · New Thought & the Law of AttractionThe Law of AttractionThe law of attraction traced from Mulford, Atkinson and Wattles to Napoleon Hill, Neville Goddard and Abraham-Hicks, with its claims and the evidence.10 min read

Theosophy · New Thought & the Law of AttractionThe New Thought MovementHistory of the New Thought movement: Quimby's mental healing, Eddy, Emma Curtis Hopkins, Unity, Divine Science, Religious Science and its legacy today.10 min read

Theosophy · New Thought & the Law of AttractionThe Secret by Rhonda ByrneThe Secret by Rhonda Byrne: the 2006 film and book, its teachers, Oprah, the Esther Hicks dispute, sequels, critics and its place in New Thought history.10 min read Theosophy · Reincarnation & the AfterlifeNear-Death ExperiencesNear-death experiences explained: the Myth of Er and medieval return-from-death visions, Raymond Moody, clinical studies, brain theories and culture.7 min read

Theosophy · Reincarnation & the AfterlifeReincarnation and the AfterlifeReincarnation and the afterlife through history: Greek metempsychosis, Hindu and Buddhist rebirth, Kabbalistic gilgul, Theosophy and past-life research.6 min read Theosophy · SpiritualismAllan Kardec and SpiritismAllan Kardec and Spiritism: how The Spirits' Book of 1857 codified a doctrine of spirits, reincarnation and moral progress that flourished in Brazil.9 min read

Theosophy · SpiritualismSpiritualismHistory of Spiritualism from the Fox sisters' 1848 rappings to séances, famous mediums, Kardec's Spiritism, psychical research and the churches of today.6 min read Theosophy · SpiritualismThe Fox SistersThe Fox sisters and Spiritualism: the 1848 Hydesville rappings, Leah's Rochester circle, Maggie and Elisha Kane, Kate in London, and the 1888 confession.7 min read Theosophy · Theosophical SocietyHelena BlavatskyHelena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831–1891), co-founder of the Theosophical Society: her travels, the Masters, the Hodgson Report, her London years and her death.7 min read Theosophy · Theosophical SocietyIsis UnveiledIsis Unveiled (1877), Helena Blavatsky's first book: how it was written, its attack on materialism and dogma, its sources, critics and place in Theosophy.7 min read Theosophy · Theosophical SocietyKrishnamurti and the Order of the Star in the EastThe Order of the Star in the East (1911–1929): how Theosophists hailed Jiddu Krishnamurti as the coming World Teacher, and why he dissolved the order in 1929.7 min read Theosophy · Theosophical SocietyThe Secret DoctrineThe Secret Doctrine (1888), Blavatsky's magnum opus: the Stanzas of Dzyan, three propositions, cosmic cycles, rounds and root races, its critics and legacy.8 min read

Theosophy · Theosophical SocietyThe Theosophical SocietyHistory of the Theosophical Society from its 1875 founding in New York to Adyar, Point Loma, Besant, Krishnamurti and the branches that survive today.6 min read Theosophy · Theosophical SocietyTheosophy in IndiaHow the Theosophical Society settled at Adyar near Madras in 1882, and how Olcott and Blavatsky shaped the Buddhist revival in Ceylon and Hindu reform.7 min read Theosophy · UFO ReligionsAncient AstronautsThe ancient astronaut theory explained: Theosophical and pulp roots, von Däniken's Chariots of the Gods?, Sitchin's Anunnaki and what archaeologists say.8 min read

Theosophy · UFO ReligionsUFO ReligionsUFO religions explained: their Theosophical roots, 1950s contactees, the Aetherius Society, Unarius, Raëlism, Heaven's Gate and how scholars study them.6 min read

Vodou & HoodooWhat Is Voodoo? Vodun, Vodou, Hoodoo and Their True HistoryWhat is Voodoo? A clear guide to West African Vodun, Haitian Vodou, Louisiana Voodoo and Hoodoo: their origins, shared beliefs, spirits and common myths.7 min read

Vodou & Hoodoo · Candomblé & UmbandaCandomblé and UmbandaCandomblé and Umbanda explained: the orixás and terreiros of Bahia, the nations of Candomblé, the birth of Umbanda in Rio, caboclos, pretos-velhos and more.7 min read Vodou & Hoodoo · Candomblé & UmbandaQuimbandaWhat Quimbanda is: the Afro-Brazilian tradition of the Exus and Pombagiras, its roots in Kongo, Yoruba and Iberian magic, its rituals and its demonisation.8 min read

Vodou & Hoodoo · Haitian VodouHaitian VodouHaitian Vodou explained: Fon, Yoruba and Kongo roots, the Revolution, Bondye and the lwa, houngan and manbo, vèvè, and the myths of dolls and zombies.11 min read Vodou & Hoodoo · Haitian VodouVodou and the Haitian RevolutionHow Vodou shaped the Haitian Revolution: Makandal, the Bois Caïman ceremony of 1791, spiritual leaders of the revolt, the debate over sources and its legacy.8 min read

Vodou & Hoodoo · Hoodoo & RootworkHoodoo and RootworkHoodoo and rootwork explained: African American conjure from slavery to today, root doctors, mojo bags, Psalms and Moses, Hyatt, Hurston and curio companies.10 min read Vodou & Hoodoo · Hoodoo & RootworkZora Neale Hurston and HoodooZora Neale Hurston's study of hoodoo: her New Orleans initiations, Hoodoo in America (1931), Mules and Men, Tell My Horse and her influence on conjure.8 min read Vodou & Hoodoo · Louisiana VoodooCongo Square, New OrleansThe history of Congo Square in New Orleans: Sunday gatherings of enslaved Africans, the bamboula and calinda, Latrobe's 1819 account and the Voodoo legends.8 min read

Vodou & Hoodoo · Louisiana VoodooLouisiana Voodoo and Marie LaveauLouisiana Voodoo explained: colonial roots, Saint-Domingue refugees, Congo Square, Marie Laveau's life and legend, Doctor John and the modern revival.10 min read Vodou & Hoodoo · The LwaThe Gede and Fèt GedeWho the Gede are in Haitian Vodou: Bawon Samdi, Manman Brijit and the spirits of the dead, their humour and healing, and the Fèt Gede festival in November.8 min read

Vodou & Hoodoo · The LwaThe Lwa of Haitian VodouA guide to the lwa, the spirits of Haitian Vodou: Legba, Danbala, Ezili, Ogou and the Gede, the Rada and Petwo nations, the saints and spirit possession.7 min read

Vodou & Hoodoo · Myths & MisconceptionsVoodoo Myths and MisconceptionsThe truth behind Voodoo myths: devil worship, pin-stuck dolls, zombies, curses and human sacrifice, and how colonial fear and Hollywood created them.7 min read Vodou & Hoodoo · Santería & the OrishasChurch of Lukumi v. Hialeah (1993)Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah (1993): how a Santería church won a unanimous Supreme Court ruling protecting its animal offerings.8 min read

Vodou & Hoodoo · Santería & the OrishasSantería (Lucumí) and the OrishasSantería, or Lucumí, explained: Yoruba roots, Cuban cabildos, the orishas and their saints, Ifá, initiation, Candomblé and the 1993 Hialeah case.10 min read

Vodou & Hoodoo · Vèvè & Sacred SymbolsVèvè and Sacred Symbols of Haitian Vodou ExplainedWhat is a vèvè? The cornmeal ground drawings of Haitian Vodou, their Fon, Kongo and European roots, the vèvè of the lwa, the poto mitan, ason and Vodou flags.7 min read Vodou & Hoodoo · Vèvè & Sacred SymbolsVodou Flags (Drapo Vodou)Haitian Vodou flags (drapo): how sequined banners are used in ceremony, their military and African roots, the images they bear and the leading flag artists.7 min read Vodou & Hoodoo · West African VodunMami WataWho Mami Wata is: the African water spirit of wealth, beauty and danger, her mermaid and snake-charmer images, her shrines in Togo and Benin and her diaspora.8 min read

Vodou & Hoodoo · West African VodunWest African VodunWest African Vodun explained: the Fon and Ewe religion of Benin and Togo, Mawu-Lisa and Legba, Dahomey and Ouidah, Fa divination, priests, art and revival.7 min read Witchcraft & WiccaWhat Is a Pagan? Meaning, History and Modern PaganismWhat is a pagan? The Latin origins of the word, the religions it once described, and the beliefs of modern Paganism, Wicca, Druidry and Heathenry.8 min read

Witchcraft & WiccaWhat Is Witchcraft? History, Beliefs and Modern PracticeWhat is witchcraft? A historian's guide to its meanings: harmful magic, the demonic witch of the trials, cunning folk, and modern Wicca and Pagan witchcraft.7 min read

Witchcraft & Wicca · DruidryDruidryDruidry explained: what Caesar, Pliny and Tacitus said about the ancient druids, the Romantic revival of Iolo Morganwg, and modern Druid beliefs and practice.7 min read Witchcraft & Wicca · DruidryIolo Morganwg and the Gorsedd of BardsIolo Morganwg and the Gorsedd of Bards: the Welsh stonemason-poet who staged the first Gorsedd in 1792, forged bardic lore and shaped modern Druidry.8 min read Witchcraft & Wicca · DruidryRoss NicholsRoss Nichols (1902–1975), founder of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids: his life, the 1964 split, Gerald Gardner and the Wheel of the Year.7 min read

Witchcraft & Wicca · Gods & GoddessesGods and Goddesses of Modern Paganism and WitchcraftA guide to the gods and goddesses of modern Paganism and Wicca: the Goddess and Horned God, Norse, Celtic and Greek deities, and how historians assess them.7 min read Witchcraft & Wicca · Gods & GoddessesThe Horned GodThe Horned God of modern witchcraft explained: Cernunnos, Pan and Herne, the horned Devil, Margaret Murray's theory and the god of modern Wicca.8 min read Witchcraft & Wicca · Gods & GoddessesThe Triple GoddessThe Triple Goddess of Maiden, Mother and Crone: ancient triple deities such as Hecate and the Matres, Robert Graves's White Goddess, and her place in Wicca.7 min read Witchcraft & Wicca · Heathenry & RunesÁsatrúarfélagiðThe Ásatrúarfélagið, Iceland's Ásatrú fellowship: its 1972 founding by Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson, state recognition in 1973, beliefs, rituals and temple.7 min read

Witchcraft & Wicca · Heathenry & RunesHeathenry and the RunesHeathenry and the runes explained: Ásatrú and Norse Paganism, the Eddas and sagas, blót and sumbel, the Elder Futhark, rune poems and modern rune divination.7 min read Witchcraft & Wicca · Heathenry & RunesSeiðrSeiðr explained: Old Norse magic of the völva in the sagas and Eddas, Odin, Freyja and ergi, the graves of seeresses, and modern oracular seidr.8 min read Witchcraft & Wicca · Heathenry & RunesThe Poetic EddaThe Poetic Edda explained: the Codex Regius manuscript, the mythological and heroic poems from Völuspá to the Sigurd lays, their dating, and use in Heathenry.8 min read

Witchcraft & Wicca · History of WitchcraftHistory of WitchcraftThe history of witchcraft from Mesopotamian anti-witch rites and the Canon Episcopi to the Malleus Maleficarum, the great witch-hunts, Salem and modern Wicca.7 min read Witchcraft & Wicca · History of WitchcraftKeith Thomas's Religion and the Decline of Magic (1971)Keith Thomas's Religion and the Decline of Magic (1971) explained: its argument on popular magic, witchcraft and astrology, its critics, and the Pagan Front.8 min read Witchcraft & Wicca · History of WitchcraftThe Murray ThesisThe Murray thesis explained: Margaret Murray's claim that witches were a pagan fertility cult, its influence on Wicca and why historians reject it.8 min read Witchcraft & Wicca · History of WitchcraftThe Witchcraft Act of 1735The Witchcraft Act of 1735 explained: how Britain stopped prosecuting witches, punished pretended magic instead, and kept the law until 1951.7 min read Witchcraft & Wicca · Traditional WitchcraftMuseum of Witchcraft and Magic, BoscastleThe Museum of Witchcraft and Magic at Boscastle: Cecil Williamson's collection, its moves from the Isle of Man to Cornwall in 1960, and its place in history.7 min read Witchcraft & Wicca · Traditional WitchcraftThe Witch's FamiliarThe witch's familiar explained: familiar spirits in the Bible, the English witch trials and Matthew Hopkins, fairy helpers, and modern witchcraft.8 min read

Witchcraft & Wicca · Traditional WitchcraftTraditional WitchcraftTraditional witchcraft explained: cunning folk, Robert Cochrane and the Clan of Tubal Cain, the 1734 tradition, Chumbley's Sabbatic Craft and folk magic.9 min read Witchcraft & Wicca · Traditional WitchcraftWitch BottlesWitch bottles explained: the stoneware jars of urine, pins and nails hidden in English houses against witchcraft, their seventeenth-century sources and finds.8 min read Witchcraft & Wicca · The Wheel of the YearBeltaneBeltane explained: the Gaelic May festival of fires and cattle in Irish sources, Scottish folk customs, English maypoles, May Eve witches and modern Wicca.8 min read Witchcraft & Wicca · The Wheel of the YearSamhainSamhain explained: the Gaelic festival of 1 November in Irish myth, its links with All Saints and Hallowe'en, folk customs and modern Pagan practice.8 min read

Witchcraft & Wicca · The Wheel of the YearThe Wheel of the YearThe Wheel of the Year explained: the eight sabbats from Samhain to Mabon, their Celtic and Germanic sources, modern origins and southern hemisphere dates.9 min read Witchcraft & Wicca · The Wheel of the YearYuleYule explained: the Germanic midwinter feast in Bede and the sagas, its links with Christmas and Saturnalia, Yule logs, folk customs and modern Pagan Yule.8 min read Witchcraft & Wicca · WiccaAlexandrian WiccaAlexandrian Wicca explained: how Alex and Maxine Sanders founded a ceremonial branch of Wicca in the 1960s, its rituals, degrees and Gardnerian roots.8 min read Witchcraft & Wicca · WiccaDettmer v. Landon (1986)Dettmer v. Landon (1986) explained: the Virginia prisoner case in which a US appeals court accepted Wicca as a religion, its limits, context and legacy.7 min read Witchcraft & Wicca · WiccaDoreen ValienteDoreen Valiente, the 'mother of modern witchcraft': her initiation by Gerald Gardner, the Charge of the Goddess, her books and her lasting legacy.7 min read

Witchcraft & Wicca · WiccaWicca and Gerald GardnerWicca and Gerald Gardner: the New Forest coven claims, the 1951 repeal, Witchcraft Today, Doreen Valiente, the Book of Shadows and Wicca's spread worldwide.10 min read Witchcraft & Wicca · Witch TrialsAnna Göldi (1782)Anna Göldi, beheaded in Glarus in 1782 and called Europe's last witch: her trial, the pins and the Tschudi household, her 2008 rehabilitation and legacy.7 min read Witchcraft & Wicca · Witch TrialsJanet HorneJanet Horne and the Dornoch witch burning of 1727: what the sources say, the end of the Scottish witch-hunt, and the modern apology and memorials.8 min read Witchcraft & Wicca · Witch TrialsMalleus MaleficarumThe Malleus Maleficarum (1486) explained: Heinrich Kramer, the papal bull, the book's three parts, its misogyny and its real influence on the witch trials.8 min read Witchcraft & Wicca · Witch TrialsReginald Scot's Discoverie of Witchcraft (1584) ExplainedReginald Scot's Discoverie of Witchcraft (1584): the Kentish sceptic's attack on witch-hunting, its exposed conjurations and tricks, and Bruno's Spaccio.8 min read

Witchcraft & Wicca · Witch TrialsThe European Witch TrialsThe European witch trials c.1450–1750: the Malleus Maleficarum, demonology, regional variation, the 40,000–60,000 executed, Salem and why the trials ended.10 min read

ZoroastrianismWhat Is Zoroastrianism? Beliefs, History and PracticeWhat is Zoroastrianism? The religion of Zarathustra and Ahura Mazda explained: its beliefs, the Avesta, fire temples, Persian history and Zoroastrians today.7 min read ZoroastrianismZoroastrian Influence on Judaism, Christianity and IslamDid Zoroastrianism influence Judaism, Christianity and Islam? The evidence for Persian ideas of Satan, angels, resurrection and judgment, and the debate.8 min read

Zoroastrianism · Ahura Mazda & Cosmic DualismAhura Mazda and AhrimanAhura Mazda and Ahriman in Zoroastrianism: the Wise Lord, the twin spirits, the Amesha Spentas, demons, the cosmic battle and the dualism debate.7 min read Zoroastrianism · Ahura Mazda & Cosmic DualismZoroastrian EschatologyZoroastrian eschatology explained: the soul's judgment at the Chinvat Bridge, heaven and hell, the Saoshyant saviours, resurrection and frashokereti.8 min read

Zoroastrianism · The AvestaThe AvestaThe Avesta, scripture of Zoroastrianism: its Old and Young Avestan layers, the Yasna, Yashts and Videvdad, oral transmission and the Pahlavi books.6 min read Zoroastrianism · The AvestaThe Bundahishn and Zoroastrian Pahlavi Literature ExplainedThe Bundahishn, Denkard, Arda Viraf and other Pahlavi books: the Middle Persian literature that preserves Zoroastrian cosmology, law and theology.7 min read Zoroastrianism · Fire Temples & RitualTowers of SilenceThe towers of silence explained: why Zoroastrians exposed the dead in the dakhma, the funeral rites, the history in Iran and Mumbai, and the vulture crisis.7 min read

Zoroastrianism · Fire Temples & RitualZoroastrian Fire Temples and RitualZoroastrian fire temples and ritual explained: sacred fire, the Atash Bahram, priests and purity, the Yasna, the kusti prayer, death rites and festivals.7 min read

Zoroastrianism · The MagiThe MagiWho were the Magi? The priests of ancient Persia in Herodotus and Persian records, how their name became the word magic, and the Magi of Matthew.7 min read Zoroastrianism · The MagiZoroastrian PriestsThe Zoroastrian priesthood from the Magi to today: mobeds, ervads and dasturs, hereditary priestly families, Navar and Martab initiation, and modern change.7 min read

Zoroastrianism · Mithra & MithraismMithra and MithraismMithra, the Iranian god of the covenant, and the Roman mysteries of Mithras: the Mihr Yasht, the bull-slaying, the mithraeum and the seven grades.7 min read Zoroastrianism · Mithra & MithraismThe Mithras LiturgyThe Mithras Liturgy (PGM IV.475–829) explained: the Paris magical papyrus, its heavenly ascent to Helios Mithras, Dieterich's theory and its critics.7 min read

Zoroastrianism · Parsis & Modern ZoroastrianismParsis and Modern ZoroastrianismThe Parsis and modern Zoroastrians: the migration to Gujarat, Parsi Bombay, reform and orthodoxy, Zoroastrians in Iran, the diaspora and identity.7 min read Zoroastrianism · Parsis & Modern ZoroastrianismZoroastrian Calendar and FestivalsThe Zoroastrian calendar and festivals: the 30 named days, the Shahenshahi, Kadmi and Fasli calendars, Nowruz, the six Gahambars, Muktad, Mehregan and Sadeh.7 min read Zoroastrianism · Zarathustra & the GathasAhuna Vairya and Ashem VohuThe Ahuna Vairya (Yatha Ahu Vairyo) and Ashem Vohu explained: the oldest Zoroastrian prayers, their meaning, place in the Yasna and use in daily devotion.7 min read

Zoroastrianism · Zarathustra & the GathasZarathustra and the GathasWho was Zarathustra (Zoroaster)? His life, legend and disputed dates, and the Gathas, the seventeen Old Avestan hymns that preserve his teaching.7 min read