Ancient Practises

"Simplicity,” wrote legendary occultist Jack Parsons, “has been the key to victory in all the idea wars and, at present, Magick does not have it.” In Practical Magick, acclaimed historian and esotericist Mitch Horowitz responds to this call, distilling magick to its core essentials. Drawing upon ancient, Hermetic, Renaissance-era, and modern sources, Mitch dissects the building blocks of magick and provides formulas of immediacy, simplicity, and potency.

The tradition of ancient philosophy is a long, rich, and varied one, in which a constant note is that of discussion and argument. This book introduces listeners to some ancient debates to engage with the ancient developments of some themes. Getting away from the presentation of ancient philosophy as a succession of Great Thinkers, the book gives listeners a sense of the freshness and liveliness of ancient philosophy and of its wide variety of themes and styles. 

For more than 4,000 years, the people of India have looked to Ayurveda as a pathway to vibrant health and increased longevity. This ancient healing science is treasured as a gift from the Vedas (the world's oldest sacred texts). Ayurveda offers all people a practical way to achieve...

This anonymous fourteenth-century text is the glory of English mysticism, and one of the most practical and useful guides to finding union with God ever written. Carmen Acevedo Butcher’s new translation is the first to bring the text into a modern English idiom - while remaining strictly faithful to the meaning of the original Middle English. The Cloud of Unknowingconsists of a series of letters written by a monk to his student or disciple, instructing him (or her) in the way of Divine union.

The sacred meal that is part of our faith does more than connect us to the holy, it connects us to each other. "I think Jesus wanted his disciples and everyone who came after him to remember what they had together. What they made together. What it meant to be together. How the things he did...

In the words of the Buddha, the four foundations of mindfulness (the four satipatthanas) are "the direct path for the purification of beings, for the surmounting of sorrow and lamentation, for the disappearance of dukkha (suffering) and discontent, for acquiring the true method, for the...

According to the Vedic tradition, the term "abundance" applies to every dimension of our lives, from material wealth to spiritual sustenance and growth. With Mantra Meditation for Creating Abundance, you are invited to engage the practice of sacred sound to invite positive changes in your...

In the words of the Buddha, the four foundations of mindfulness (the four satipat­t­hana) are "the direct path for the purification of beings, for the surmounting of sorrow and lamentation, for the disappearance of dukkha (suffering) and discontent, for acquiring the true method, for the...

The Final Volume in Joseph Goldstein’s Satipatthana Sutta Series In the words of the Buddha, the four foundations of mindfulness (the four satipatthanas) are “the direct path for the purification of beings, for the surmounting of sorrow and lamentation, for the disappearance of dukkha...

How can you live a happy and fulfilled life? By following the philosophy of Stoicism, which teaches you how to focus on what is in your power and detach from what is not in your power. In this book, you will learn how to practice the stoic wisdom in your daily life, to become more calm, content and resilient. This book is not a dry theory, but a vivid guide that helps you master the art of stoic living. Listen to it and become your best self.

A bodhisattva is one who seeks liberation from suffering not only for themselves, but for all beings. If you were a bodhisattva, how would you respond in the face of chaos and difficulty? Is it possible to find calm in the middle of a storm? On Bodhisattva Mind, Pema Chödrön explores timeless...

'What if, until now, you've never really prayed. Not like Jesus designed it, anyway.' Prayer is the source of Jesus's most astonishing miracles and the subject of Jesus' most audacious promises, and yet, most people - even most Bible-believing Christians - find prayer to be boring, obligatory...

The Buddha promised his students that a way out of suffering and into a more deeply fulfilling life is not a myth, but a reality available to everyone. On What the Buddha Taught, Jack Kornfield illuminates the cherished Eightfold Path to share with us the same steps to inner freedom laid out by...

Unshackle your mind and claim your spiritual birthright of freedom, wholeness, and joy through the perennial wisdom of ancient yoga. There’s a reason that the Vedas, a 5,000-year-old collection of celebrated verses from ancient India, have given rise to several world religions and influenced...

A warm-hearted guide to Buddhist practice for those ready to contend with the reality that enlightenment—the realization of non-self—can't be achieved by the self. A well-known spiritual saying goes, "Enlightenment is an accident. But we can make ourselves more accident-prone." As an...

"The Cloud of Unknowing" is one of Christianity's enduring mysteries—a meditative state where God is experienced on the deepest interior level. On Contemplative Prayer, Father Thomas Keating introduces you to the uplifting system of Centering Prayer, a revival of the contemplations practiced...

A Traditional Meditation for Applying Love As a Healing Force The Insight Meditation Society is one of North America’s oldest institutions dedicated to bringing the life-changing gifts of mindfulness training to the West. On Lovingkindness Meditation, IMS cofounder and senior instructor Sharon...

Disruptive practices to revolutionize your relationship with meditation and fully engage with the full breadth of your experience. Why do we meditate? The main reason most modern people start meditating is because it helps us feel better—reducing anxiety, improving sleep, decluttering the mind...

For over 2,000 years, qigong has been a cornerstone of traditional Chinese healing. While generally unrecognized by Western medical science, this noninvasive, preventative healing system is viewed by millions of Chinese as a way of mastering the energy that permeates all of nature and...

In The Wisdom of the Shamans: What the Ancient Masters Can Teach Us about Love and Life, Toltec shaman and master storyteller Don Jose Ruiz shares some of the most popular stories from his family's oral tradition and offers corresponding lessons that illustrate the larger ideas within each story. According to Ruiz, their teachings are not primitive or reserved for a chosen few initiates but are instead a powerful series of lessons on love and life that are available us all.