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The Shekinah is the manifestation of the Wisdom Goddess of the Kabbalah, the Old Testament and Merkavah Mysticism. She encompasses the primordial light of creation, the wisdom of the serpent and the inspiration of the dove. She is the beauty of the lily and the embodiment of the Tree of Life. She is also the World Soul, heavenly glory, mother of angels, inspiration for prophecy, and source of souls, as well as being the Shabbat Bride and the wife of God.In The Cosmic Shekinah the authors present a concise history of the different influences of earlier wisdom goddesses on the development of the Shekinah. These goddesses include the Sumerian Inanna, the Egyptian Ma'at, the Greco-Egyptian Isis, the Semitic Anat and Astarte and the Canaanite Asherah. They show that from these ancient sources arose the unnamed Wisdom Goddess and wife of God portrayed in the Old Testament and early Jewish wisdom literature. It is this unnamed Wisdom Goddess who would subsequently become the source for the development of the Shekinah as well as the Gnostic Sophia. The influence of the feminine divine as the Shekinah has continued to find expression, with the Virgin Mary and the Holy Spirit of Christianity and the Sakina of Islam all being shaped by the enduring influence of the Wisdom Goddess.Through tracing her roles, myths and functions the authors show that in addition to her modern-day resurgence, the Wisdom Goddess has always been present throughout history, even when she has been suppressed and disguised by deliberate exclusion and mistranslation. Drawing on numerous sources including medieval Kabbalistic works, Hekhalot texts of Merkavah Mysticism, ancient literature such as the Egyptian, Sumerian and Ugaritic myths, the Old Testament, Gnostic texts and recent finds in Biblical archaeology, The Cosmic Shekinah draws attention back to the light of divine feminine wisdom.

"Relationship cannot be created without duality: we are divided for love's sake, for the chance of union..."Vs., edited by Kim Huggens, is a unique collection of twenty-one essays exploring the dynamic and wide-ranging nature of duality in magic, paganism and folklore, from polarity to paradox to opposition to friction to union. The essays by magicians, witches, folklorists, sorcerors, Norse and vodou practitioners, weave together diverse threads of wisdom, knowledge, experience and inspiration into a tapestry of fallen angels, heroes, gods, goddesses, fairies, lwa, dreams, myths and stories. The significance of the interplay between two disparate or similar powers is explored through the relationship of divine twins, siblings, lovers and enemies in a variety of different pantheons and tales, from Cain and Abel to Lilith and Eve, from Shiva & Shakti to Inanna and Dumuzi, from Perseus and Andromeda to Ares and Hephastus.The union of divine and mortal is another powerful theme explored in this book, both through the hieros gamos (sacred marriage) and the maryaj (Vodou spirit marriage) where a person weds one of the lwa.Vs. also explores the theme of self and other, as experienced both in ritual techniques for trance and dreaming, and in social commentaries on the diversity of beliefs within the modern esoteric revival such as Wicca, Sorcery and Neopaganism.Vs. covers a span of thousands of years, from ancient writings such as those of Plato and Gnosticism to the modern works of twentieth century magicians such as Austin Osman Spare and Dion Fortune.From the wisdom of the Emerald Tablet to the tales of the Mabinogion, Vs. challenges you in numerous ways to accept diversity and strive for the union of perfection."I am the voice whose sound is manifold and the word whose appearance is multiple." Thunder, Perfect Mind, 3rd century CE

Wicca is an initiatory magickal tradition incorporating both Pagan spiritual philosophies and witchcraft practices, with ceremonial magick. In doing so it combines magick, mysticism and spirituality into an experiential, practice-based tradition which works with the divine as both masculine and feminine, emphasising growth through balance and discipline. It provides a spiritual way of life, constantly growing and evolving, placing the responsibility for spiritual growth and fulfillment firmly back into the hands of the individual.This book explores the core practices of the Wiccan Tradition, providing insights on the symbolism and the ceremonies, including: * The divine feminine & masculine, Goddess & God * Wiccan ritual structure * The ritual tools * Planning your ritual * Preparing your temple space * The magick circle * The Guardians of the Watchtowers * Ritual content (including spells, divination & invocation) * Cakes and wine * Ritual refinements (including the use of visualisation and voice) * Purifcation and psychic protection * Ritual timing (including lunar, planetary, solar and elemental) * Elemental and other magickal gestures * Elemental pentagrams and landscapesCircle of Fire - A Practical Guide to the Symbolism and Practices of Modern Wiccan Ritual by Sorita d'Este and David Rankine was first published in 2005. The second edition was been revised and expanded by the authors in 2008.

The goddess Artemis is best known today as a goddess of the hunt and of the new moon, yet to those who worshipped at her ancient temples and sanctuaries she was far more than just that. To them she was a powerful and complex goddess whose influence spread far and wide throughout the ancient world. She was worshipped and celebrated as a goddess of childbirth, women, song, dance and of wild animals. As the daughter of the Titan goddess Leto by the Olympian father-god Zeus, Artemis would prove herself from the moment of her own birth, by assisting her mother with the birth of her own twin brother, Apollo. Zeus, who fathered children with many other goddesses and mortals, had a special affection for Artemis from the start and gave her all the gifts she asked for and more, making her one of the most powerful of the Olympian goddesses.Artemis, Virgin Goddess of the Sun & Moon by Sorita D'Este, explores the myths, powers and worship of this beautiful goddess. It is a throrough study with details of her temples and sanctuaries, the festivals which were held in honour of her, the roles she fulfilled in the myths, animals which were sacred to her, her relationship with her virgin attendants and other deities, as well as the many titles which were bestowed upon her. This groundbreaking book provides the most comprehensive study of this enduring goddess to date.