Divination

I-Ching Holitzka Deck

I-Ching Holitzka Deck
by Marlies and Klaus Holitzka
United States Games Systems

 

My copy of Wilhelm’s I-Ching, Book of Changes is stored securely wrapped in red silk; the cloth is said to inhibit any impact from external influences. I haven’t touched the book in years. But, one of the last times I did, my husband and I followed the instruction: “The Superior Man will seek his fortune in the south and west.” At the time, we were in the midst deciding whether or not to accept a job offer that would move our family from Boston to a land-locked city in Ohio. We took the advice. In retrospect, it was a good decision.

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A Witch's Guide to Ghosts and the Supernatural

A Witch's Guide to Ghosts and the Supernatural
by Gerina Dunwitch
New Page Books

 

When there’s something strange in the neighborhood, who you gonna call?

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Crystal Balls for Beginners

Crystal Balls for Beginners
by Patrinella Coope 

W

e've all seen the image of the Gypsy, coin-fringed scarf tied over her hair, huddled portentously over her crystal ball. The crystal ball is one methods of divination classified as scrying, which means gazing into an object in order to see visions. This ancient method of divination can utilize any number of objects: natural pools, polished mirrors, bowls or glasses of clear water, polished stones, bowls of black ink, to name just a few. But the most famous all is undoubtedly the crystal ball.

Although clear crystal balls are the most common, other colors have been used with great effect. Balls of rose quartz or amethyst were once popular, and I know of someone who loves to use a ball of black glass. A ball is, by definition, round, but ovoid “balls” also exist, and if one prefers to hold the ball rather than have it on a stand, an egg shape fits very comfortably into the palms of the reader's hands.

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Magic and Meditation with Pagan Rosaries and Prayer Beads

Magic and Meditation  
with Pagan Rosaries and Prayer Beads  
by John Michael Greer and Clare Vaughn Red Wheel
Weiser, 2007

 

Rosaries are used in many religions, and today’s Pagans have adopted this practice as well. Pagan rosaries have multitudes of uses; they’re not only used for prayer, but also for spellwork, chants, meditation, various Pagan rituals, and even for pathworking (my favorite).

Pagan Prayer Beads, by John Michael Greer and Clare Vaughn, is a handy guide on how to plan, make, and use your own handmade Pagan rosaries. What a fabulous magical craft!

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The Study of Healing Prayer

The Study of Healing Prayer
Ethical and Practical Questions
by Elizabeth Barrette 

While most matters of healing lie outside my area of expertise, I have a perennial interest in prayer and liturgy. Healing prayers appear in most if not all religions. Some are specific, others general; some come from human inspiration, while others are attributed to the Divine. My most recent exploration of healing prayer began with the November-December 2001 issue of The Religious Language Newsletter.1

This issue mentioned a double-blind study about the effects of healing prayer in reproductive medicine, in which 50% of the women prayed for conceived, compared with 26% of the control group. Neither the women nor any of the medical staff involved in their care even knew that a study was being conducted. That reference launched a discussion which has continued for months as various readers submitted references to additional studies, personal arguments, and other relevant tidbits. About the same time, I got my hands on a couple of review copies that covered similar ground.2 With the "Healing Paths" issue of PanGaia coming up, I decided to explore the matter in more detail.

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The Psychic Energy Codex

The Psychic Energy Codex
by Michelle Belanger
Weiser, 2007

 

Michelle Belanger does not want to startle or astonish you. She doesn’t want to mesmerize you with mysterious tales of supernatural occurrences, or impress you with tales of her mad Gypsy family. She doesn’t want to convert you to her spirituality, or sell you assurances that she can make “anybody, even you, a swami or trance medium in ten easy lessons.” What she offers instead, in her latest book, The Psychic Energy Codex, are the tools and expertise to develop your own psychic abilities as far as you can, probably much farther than you believed possible. She does this with such humor, grace and sensitivity that she really manages to demystify psychic awareness.

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