Internet Book of Shadows Index This is a large (+9Mb) collection of articles related to Neo-Paganism which can be found archived at a number of FTP sites (for instance, here). This is a collection of posts to bulletin boards from the late eighties to the mid nineties, essentially predating the modern Internet. According to a recent communication, the original editor of this archive was Durwydd mac Tara at PODS net. We have taken the liberty of removing about twenty-five articles which were too far 'off topic', posted elsewhere at this site, or had serious copyright issues. Practically all of the files below are copyrighted but redistributable for non-commercial purposes. NOTE: As most of these postings were archived many years ago, we have no way to contact the authors of any of these documents. CD-ROM note: For copyright reasons, none of the files on this page are included on the sacred-texts CD-ROM, although it does have most of the public domain files from the neopagan section.
Gardnerian Book of Shadows Index Sacred Texts Neopaganism Contents Start Reading This is the text of the Gardnerian Book of Shadows. In one sense, this is the central sacred text of the Wicca religion. However, it is important to point out that there is no 'official' Book of Shadows. Typically each coven has a hand-written copy of a Book of Shadows, sometimes in cypher or code, which reflects its own practices and knowledge. The Book of Shadows was attributed by Gardner to an ancient, clandestine witch cult, which he claimed to have been initiated into. The copyright status of this text can best be described as 'orphaned.'
Make a Set of Ogham Staves - How to Make Ogham Staves Ogham staves are a popular method of divination among Pagans who follow a Celtic-focused path. Although there are no records of how staves might have been used in divination in ancient times, there are a number of ways that they can be interpreted. There are 20 original letters in the Ogham alphabet, and five more that were added later on. To make your own set of Ogham staves, start with sticks or twigs in even lengths. Love Spells, Witchcraft, Witchcraft spells, Wiccan spells
Wicca: For the Rest of Us Witches' Voice Inc. - 12 January, 2010 - 9:51:48 PM Magic Books, Occult Books, Esoteric, Ancient, Rare Books And Texts. Grimoires, Spellbooks, Manuscripts These catalogs give me the opportunity to present collections or groups of related books in a more detailed and sympathetic context than the normal website allows, and will also enable me to give people first choice at some of the more interesting new arrivals. As usual I have a variety of other catalogs in preparation. Future catalogs will be devoted to Hermetica, Witchcraft, Astrology, Kabbalah, Grimoires, Theosophy and also Aleister Crowley, H.P.Blavatsky, George Robert Stowe Mead, Gerald Gardner, Henry Cornelius Agrippa, Hermes Trismegistus, Eliphas Levi, Austin Osman Spare, Ea Wallis Budge, Arthur Edward Waite, Leonardo Da Vinci, Louis Claude De Saint Martin. All of the materials here are presented in Adobe Acrobat PDF format, as it is accessible to users of most computer platforms. The Adobe Acrobat Reader also allows one to view the graphics in high resolution, and to print them out on laser printers with high quality.
Who, What, Why: Is the Earth getting lighter? 31 January 2012Last updated at 01:21 By Charlotte McDonald BBC News The recent crash landing of Russian spacecraft Phobos-Grunt has focused attention on the increasing amount of space junk orbiting the planet. So does this mean the Earth has been getting lighter? The BBC's Radio 4 programme More or Less turned to a group of Cambridge University academics for the answer. There are factors that are causing Earth to both gain and lose mass over time, according to Dr Chris Smith, a medical microbiologist and broadcaster who tries to improve the public understanding of science. Using some back-of-the-envelope-style calculations, Dr Smith, with help from physicist and Cambridge University colleague Dave Ansell, drew up a balance sheet of what's coming in, and what's going out. By far the biggest contributor to the world's mass is the 40,000 tonnes of dust that is falling from space to Earth, says Dr Smith. Continue reading the main story The answer Continue reading the main story Finding space dust
Wicca for the Beginner First it's important to know that there is no one and only Book of Shadows. This concept is a fictional plot device to explain why magyc is not effective without THE Book of Shadows. The idea is that if you just have the right book all your magyc will be effective. This usually sets up a dynamic between the characters where each tries to possess THE book. Actually, the name simply refers to any book or digital folder that contains a witch's personal spells, potions, references and records. To that end, you will want to gather any and all information that works best for you. How can you tell if something will work for you? Of course, there is so much information out there no one can try everything. To get you started, here is a list of links to online books of shadows. All About Wicca - Includes sections on ethics, beliefs, ritual structure, goddesses and gods, elements, sabbats (the solstices and equinoxes, plus Imbolc, Beltane, Lammas and Samhain), tools and FAQs. Faded's Wicca Etc.
The All The universe understood in relation to the All[edit] The following is commentary on possibilities about The All but not anything necessarily accepted by Hermeticists in general. According to The Kybalion, The All is a bit more complicated than simply being the sum total of the universe. Rather than The All being simply the physical universe, it is more correct to say that everything in the universe is within the mind of The All, since the ALL can be looked at as Mind itself.[3] In effect, the universe is partially existent on the Mental plane, and we may in fact all be parts of The All's psychological makeup, representing parts of The All in its dream or meditation. The Three Initiates (see The Kybalion) strongly caution that we restrain from simply declaring "I am God" for oversimplification purposes. Because of this view, some Hermetics also practice theurgy. Explaining why The All acts[edit] Questions as to why God acts or doesn't act is an ancient question with many divergent answers.
Hindu cosmology In Hindu cosmology the universe is cyclically created and destroyed. The Hindu literature, such as Vedas, Puranas, cites the creation of universe. They describe the aspects of evolution, astronomy, etc. Description[edit] The Hindu cosmology and timeline is the closest to modern scientific timelines[1] and even more which might indicate that the Big Bang is not the beginning of everything,[2] but just the start of the present cycle preceded by an infinite number of universes and to be followed by another infinite number of universes.[3] The Rig Veda questions the origin of the cosmos in: "Neither being (sat) nor non-being was as yet. Large scale structure of the Universe according to one Hindu cosmology. Map 2: Intermediate neighbourhood of the Earth according to one Hindu cosmology. Map 3: Local neighbourhood of the Earth according to one Hindu cosmology. Overview of Yugas: Further elaborations from the Vedic texts[edit] Rig Veda[edit] The Puranas[edit] Multiverse in Hinduism[edit] See also[edit]
Buddhist cosmology Buddhist cosmology is the description of the shape and evolution of the Universe according to the Buddhist scriptures and commentaries. Introduction[edit] The self-consistent Buddhist cosmology which is presented in commentaries and works of Abhidharma in both Theravāda (31 planes, Sakwala Vibhanga) and Mahāyāna traditions, is the end-product of an analysis and reconciliation of cosmological comments found in the Buddhist sūtra and vinaya traditions. No single sūtra sets out the entire structure of the universe. Buddhist cosmology can be divided into two related kinds: spatial cosmology, which describes the arrangement of the various worlds within the universe, and temporal cosmology, which describes how those worlds come into existence, and how they pass away. Spatial cosmology[edit] Spatial cosmology can also be divided into two branches. Vertical cosmology[edit] Formless Realm (Ārūpyadhātu)[edit] There are four types of Ārūpyadhātu devas, corresponding to the four types of arūpadhyānas:
Multiverse (religion) In religion a multiverse is the concept of a plurality of universes. Some religious cosmologies propose that the cosmos is not the only one that exists. The concept of infinite worlds is mentioned in the Apannaka Jataka: "Disciples," the Buddha said "nowhere between the lowest of hells below and the highest heaven above, nowhere in all the infinite worlds that stretch right and left, is there the equal, much less the superior, of a Buddha. Incalculable is the excellence which springs from obeying the Precepts and from other virtuous conduct." - Apannaka Jataka The concept of multiple universes is mentioned many times in Hindu Puranic literature, such as in the Bhagavata Purana: Every universe is covered by seven layers — earth, water, fire, air, sky, the total energy and false ego — each ten times greater than the previous one. The number of universes seems to be uncountable according to the Puranic literature: Analogies to describe multiple universes also exist in the Puranic literature: