The Pagan Book of the Dead

The Pagan Book of the Dead PDF Author: Claude Lecouteux
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1644110482
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 305

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Book Description
An extensive look at the cartography and folklore of the afterlife worlds as seen by our ancestors • Examines how ancient European cultures viewed the beyond, including the Blessed Isles of early Greek and Celtic faith, the Hebrew Sheol, Hades from Homer’s Odyssey, Hel and Valhalla of the Norse, and the Aralu of Babylon • Shows how medieval accounts of journeys into the Other World represent the first recorded near-death experiences • Connects medieval afterlife beliefs and NDE narratives with shamanism, looking in particular at psychopomps, power animals, the double, the fetch, and what people bring back from their journeys to the spirit realms Charting the evolution of afterlife beliefs in both pagan and medieval Christian times, Claude Lecouteux offers an extensive look at the cartography and folklore of the afterlife worlds as seen by our ancestors. Exploring the locations and topographies of the various forms taken by Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven, he examines how ancient European cultures viewed the beyond, including the Blessed Isles of early Greek and Celtic faith, the Hebrew Sheol, the pale world of Hades from Homer’s Odyssey, Hel and Valhalla of the Norse, and the Aralu of Babylon, the land where nothing can be seen. The author also explores beliefs in Other Worlds, lands different from our own that are not the afterlife but places where time flows differently and which are inhabited by fantastic or supernatural beings such as fairies or dwarfs. Sharing medieval tales of journeys into the beyond, Lecouteux shows how these accounts represent the first recorded near-death experiences (NDEs) and examines how they compare with modern NDE narratives as well as the work of NDE researchers like Raymond Moody. In addition, he also explores tales of out-of-body experiences, dream journeys, and travels made by a double or fetch and connects these narratives with shamanism, looking in particular at psychopomps, power animals, and what people bring back from their journeys to the spirit realms. Analyzing the afterlife beliefs of the Middle Ages as a whole, Lecouteux concludes with a collection of medieval afterlife-related traditions, such as placing polished stones in the coffin so the departed soul can find its way back to friends and family at those times of the year when the veil between the worlds grows thin.

The Pagan Book of the Dead

The Pagan Book of the Dead PDF Author: Claude Lecouteux
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1644110482
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 305

Get Book Here

Book Description
An extensive look at the cartography and folklore of the afterlife worlds as seen by our ancestors • Examines how ancient European cultures viewed the beyond, including the Blessed Isles of early Greek and Celtic faith, the Hebrew Sheol, Hades from Homer’s Odyssey, Hel and Valhalla of the Norse, and the Aralu of Babylon • Shows how medieval accounts of journeys into the Other World represent the first recorded near-death experiences • Connects medieval afterlife beliefs and NDE narratives with shamanism, looking in particular at psychopomps, power animals, the double, the fetch, and what people bring back from their journeys to the spirit realms Charting the evolution of afterlife beliefs in both pagan and medieval Christian times, Claude Lecouteux offers an extensive look at the cartography and folklore of the afterlife worlds as seen by our ancestors. Exploring the locations and topographies of the various forms taken by Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven, he examines how ancient European cultures viewed the beyond, including the Blessed Isles of early Greek and Celtic faith, the Hebrew Sheol, the pale world of Hades from Homer’s Odyssey, Hel and Valhalla of the Norse, and the Aralu of Babylon, the land where nothing can be seen. The author also explores beliefs in Other Worlds, lands different from our own that are not the afterlife but places where time flows differently and which are inhabited by fantastic or supernatural beings such as fairies or dwarfs. Sharing medieval tales of journeys into the beyond, Lecouteux shows how these accounts represent the first recorded near-death experiences (NDEs) and examines how they compare with modern NDE narratives as well as the work of NDE researchers like Raymond Moody. In addition, he also explores tales of out-of-body experiences, dream journeys, and travels made by a double or fetch and connects these narratives with shamanism, looking in particular at psychopomps, power animals, and what people bring back from their journeys to the spirit realms. Analyzing the afterlife beliefs of the Middle Ages as a whole, Lecouteux concludes with a collection of medieval afterlife-related traditions, such as placing polished stones in the coffin so the departed soul can find its way back to friends and family at those times of the year when the veil between the worlds grows thin.

The Pagan Book of Living and Dying

The Pagan Book of Living and Dying PDF Author: Starhawk
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0062125214
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 361

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Book Description
An accessible guide to rituals and resources for honoring death in the circle of life. Birth, growth, death, and rebirth are a cycle that forms the underlying order of the universe. This is the core of Pagan belief—and the heart of this unique resource guide to death and the process of dying. Filled with encouragement, strength, and inspiration, The Pagan Book of Living and Dying is an invaluable source of both spiritual counsel and very practical tools and techniques for: Honoring and caring for a dying person Grieving a beloved relative, partner, or friend Planning a funeral or memorial service Distributing personal possessions and making room in the home for a loved one’s memory Understanding and mourning specific types of death, including miscarriage and terminal illness Providing instructions for one’s own death And much more Bestselling author Starhawk and other Pagan writers have combined practical rituals with prayers, chants, blessings, meditations, essays, and insightful personal stories to offer a new understanding of death and a powerful new approach to the various stages of dying and grieving. A beautifully crafted and deeply spiritual guidebook, The Pagan Book of Living and Dying teaches that death, like birth, is a doorway—another stage in the cycle of life. It will enhance the spiritual beliefs of readers of any faith and help each of us learn to welcome the change and renewal that awaits us on the other side of life. “Far more than another how-to ritual book. I found the reflections to be very moving. Rituals are easily accessible and well-grounded in the core Pagan understanding of the cycle of Birth/Death/Rebirth. . . . I recommend it for Pagans and others who might be facing dying or grieving.” —SageWoman

The Return of the Dead

The Return of the Dead PDF Author: Claude Lecouteux
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1594776830
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 315

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Book Description
How the ghost stories of pagan times reveal the seamless union existing between the world of the living and the afterlife • Demonstrates how Medieval Christianity transformed the more corporeal ghost encountered in pagan cultures with the disembodied form known today • Explains how the returning dead were once viewed as either troublemakers or guarantors of the social order The impermeable border the modern world sees existing between the world of the living and the afterlife was not visible to our ancestors. The dead could--and did--cross back and forth at will. The pagan mind had no fear of death, but some of the dead were definitely to be dreaded: those who failed to go peacefully into the afterlife but remained on this side in order to right a wrong that had befallen them personally or to ensure that the law promoted by the ancestors was being respected. But these dead individuals were a far cry from the amorphous ectoplasm that is featured in modern ghost stories. These earlier visitors from beyond the grave--known as revenants--slept, ate, and fought like men, even when, like Klaufi of the Svarfdaela Saga, they carried their heads in their arms. Revenants were part of the ancestor worship prevalent in the pagan world and still practiced in indigenous cultures such as the Fang and Kota of equatorial Africa, among others. The Church, eager to supplant this familial faith with its own, engineered the transformation of the corporeal revenant into the disembodied ghost of modern times, which could then be easily discounted as a figment of the imagination or the work of the devil. The sanctified grounds of the church cemetery replaced the burial mounds on the family farm, where the ancestors remained as an integral part of the living community. This exile to the formal graveyard, ironically enough, has contributed to the great loss of the sacred that characterizes the modern world.

The Worship of the Dead

The Worship of the Dead PDF Author: John Garnier
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Ancestor worship
Languages : en
Pages : 474

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Book Description


Llewellyn's Little Book of the Day of the Dead

Llewellyn's Little Book of the Day of the Dead PDF Author: Jaime Gironés
Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide
ISBN: 0738762857
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 141

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Book Description
Celebrate the revered Mexican holiday of Día de los Muertos with this beautiful little book. Packed with activities, recipes, spells, and rituals, this pocket-sized guide is a must-have tool for honoring the sacred dead. Author Jaime Gironés shares authentic ways to respectfully enjoy this holiday, from creating an altar to baking pan de muerto (bread of the dead). Sharing his personal experiences and recommendations, Jaime guides you through the Day of the Dead's origins, history, and modern celebrations. Discover how to build an altar, set out your ancestors' favorite foods, and invite the spirits to a feast. Explore the significance of marigolds, sugar skulls, and monarch butterflies. You'll also learn how to say goodbye when celebrations are over. This book provides everything needed to honor the dead and share your love and abundance with them.

The Witches' Book of the Dead

The Witches' Book of the Dead PDF Author: Christian Day
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781733246644
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 366

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Book Description
The spirits of the dead can confer magical talents, fame, love, and wealth on those brave enough to beseech them. In The Witches' Book of the Dead, modern-day Warlock Christian Day shows you how to build relationships with the spirits of your beloved dead that they may help you discover hidden opportunities and bring blessings and aid to your life. Honor and remember the dead and they will honor and remember you!The Witches' Book of the Dead explores the enduring relationship between Witches and the dead. Learn about Witches of legend who have raised the dead, the tools of necromancy, methods of spirit contact, rituals, recipes, exercises, and more.This revised and expanded 10th anniversary edition offers 70 pages of additional content, including chapters on the deities of the dead and the afterlife, a new preface, a new foreword by Salem Witch Laurie Cabot, as well as updated research, insight, spells, and recipes throughout! Dare to walk between the worlds with Christian Day as he guides you into the shadowy realms where the dead long to connect with us once more!

The Death of Classical Paganism

The Death of Classical Paganism PDF Author: John Holland Smith
Publisher: New York : Scribner
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 296

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Book Description


Whisper the Dead

Whisper the Dead PDF Author: Alyxandra Harvey
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 080273751X
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 408

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Book Description
Cousins Gretchen, Emma, and Penelope are all dealing with what it means to be a Lovegrove. For Gretchen, it means she often feels like her head is going to explode. As a Whisperer, Gretchen constantly hears the whispers of other witches' spells. And while this does help her to know when one of her own spells is going wrong, the incessant buzzing and pain the whispers cause makes it difficult to use her gift. But when something evil begins to menace Mayfair, Gretchen must find a way to master her power. Along with her cousins, a madcap named Moira, and the icy yet irresistible Tobias Lawless, Gretchen faces deadly threats and unimaginable loss in the hopes of preventing the terrible Greymalkin Sisters from rising again. The second book in The Lovegrove Legacy trilogy, Whisper the Dead will leave readers spellbound.

Devoted to Death

Devoted to Death PDF Author: R. Andrew Chesnut
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190633352
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 265

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Book Description
R. Andrew Chesnut offers a fascinating portrayal of Santa Muerte, a skeleton saint whose cult has attracted millions of devotees over the past decade. Although condemned by mainstream churches, this folk saint's supernatural powers appeal to millions of Latin Americans and immigrants in the U.S. Devotees believe the Bony Lady (as she is affectionately called) to be the fastest and most effective miracle worker, and as such, her statuettes and paraphernalia now outsell those of the Virgin of Guadalupe and Saint Jude, two other giants of Mexican religiosity. In particular, Chesnut shows Santa Muerte has become the patron saint of drug traffickers, playing an important role as protector of peddlers of crystal meth and marijuana; DEA agents and Mexican police often find her altars in the safe houses of drug smugglers. Yet Saint Death plays other important roles: she is a supernatural healer, love doctor, money-maker, lawyer, and angel of death. She has become without doubt one of the most popular and powerful saints on both the Mexican and American religious landscapes.

The Journey Into Spirit

The Journey Into Spirit PDF Author: Kristoffer Hughes
Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide
ISBN: 0738744026
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 260

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Book Description
The Journey Into Spirit is a guide to death and the mysterious world beyond. Join renowned Druid priest Kristoffer Hughes as he explores the three realms of existence—the realm of necessity, the realm of spirit, and the realm of infinity—and illuminates the essence of grief, mourning, and spiritual continuation. Challenging many status quo beliefs about the afterlife, this book provides exercises, meditations, rituals, and thought-provoking questions designed to bring you on a journey of discovery through the most profound of all human transitions. Filled with insight and practical guidance, The Journey Into Spirit shows how to honor family and friends in spirit, discover life-affirming aspects of every state of existence, and move beyond the fear that surrounds death. 2015 COVR Award Winner for Reincarnation, Death and Dying Books