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WOMEN'S STUDIES / PSYCHEDELICS "A fascinating book. I didn't realize I had so many sisters of the extreme." --Grace Slick, Lead Singer of Jefferson Airplane "A long-overdue addition to the literature of drug experiences. . . . Gives a new perspective on the complex reasons for human involvement with psychoactive substances." --Andrew Weil, M.D., Author of Spontaneous Healing and Eight Weeks to Optimum Health "A most important contribution to the understanding of the feminine psyche. An amazing and extensive collection of first-hand narratives of psychological and visionary importance." --Joan Halifax, Author of Shamanic Voices "The richness of subjective materials is exquisite. Many drug researchers tend to forget that the subjective experience is the raison d'etre for drug use. Books like this one are an important counterbalance to the objective checklists of clinicians. The book contains some of the best expositions of sensory detail this reviewer has ever read." --Journal of Psychoactive Drugs Sisters of the Extreme captures the drug experiences of women from diverse times, social backgrounds, and professions in memoir, fiction, poetry, song, and art. From the mythic associations of ancient history and the rituals of indigenous peoples, through the rampant opiate intoxication of the Victorian era, to the junkies, psychedelic pioneers, anthropologists, and ravers of the late twentieth century, the selections in this book show us that the real experiences of women are far more compelling than antiseptic sociological studies or sensationalized tabloid accounts. Some of the contributors are after visions, revelations, and the healing powers of sacred plants while others are seekers of oblivion--addicts and abusers. Whether describing the effects of opium, LSD, peyote, mushrooms, ayahuasca, cocaine, heroin, MDMA, or marijuana, these women write about their experiences with power and eloquence. Through their experiments with drugs, they cross the boundaries set up by society: sometimes to escape, sometimes to search for deeper meaning, but always with a sense of adventure. Longtime drug historians, CYNTHIA PALMER and MICHAEL HOROWITZ are the directors of the Fitz Hugh Ludlow Memorial Library, the nation's largest private collection of drug literature. They are also the editors of Moksha: Aldous Huxley's Classic Writings on Psychedelics and the Visionary Experience. Mr. Horowitz is the editor of Timothy Leary's Chaos and Cyberculture and a bibliography of his writings.

RESIPRACION, MENTE Y CONCIENCIALos cientificos actuales apenas comienzan a entender lo que los yoguis han sabido desde hace siglos: que la fuerza vital que vida al cuerpo esta regulada por la respiracion, y que la energia de la respiracion esta controlada por la mente. La ciencia estoerica y la practica del Swara Yoga--presentada en este libro por primera vez en espanol--muestra como la observacion consciente y el control de la respiracion pueden ayudar a lograr la maxima energia y vitalidad.Maestro tantrico y autor de Tools of Tantra, Chakras, y The Healing Power of Gemstones, Harish Johari enriquece, con un conocimiento profundo de las antiguas ciencias hindues, el tema de la respiracion y el yoga en pro de una vida equilibrada. Este es el primer libro guia para el publico occidental que ofrece un tratamiento completo del tema, propocionando informacion de textos sanscritos que de otro modo hubieran permanecido inaccesibles para nuestro idioma. En el libro se explica la red sensorial de la nariz y su efecto sobre los canales sutiles de energia de todo el cuerpo, mostrando la directa relacion entre la practica de la respiracion consciente y el equilibrio electroquimico del cerebro y el sistema nervioso. Ensena, ademas, como la respiracion alternatica de los orificios izquierda y derecho de la nariz esta influida por las fuerzas del Sol y la Luna y como el individuo puede entrar en armonia con estos ritmos naturales y leyes universales a fin de obtener salud optima y bienestar. La maestria de Johari respecto a las tecnicas del Swara Yoga se hace evidente en la amplia informcacion que aporta Respiracion, mente y conciencia incluye el analisis de las fases de los cinco elementos en el ciclo respiratorio, ejercicios para la curacion fisica y psiquica, la forma de saber que orificio nasal esta activo y las instrucciones para conseguir que un hijo sea nino o nina.A la par de su continuo estudio y practica del Tantra, Harish Johari es pintor, escultor, gemologo y compositor de musica hindu.

Aromaterapia El olor y la psique Durante miles de anos se han utilizado los aceites aromaticos no solo por su fragancia sino tambien con propositos culinarios, terapeuticos y espirituales. Peter y Kate Samian revelan la forma de mejorar cas todos los aspectos de la vida mediante masajes aromaticos de lavanda y banos de aceite de te de arbol para el tratamiento de la presion alta o de ylang ylang contra la depresion. Al ser el unico sentido que se extiende hasta el cerebro, el olfato es un componente primordial del estado de animo, la memoria y el apetito, y la clave para comprender la compatibilidad sexual y el instinto de proteccion maternal de un recien nacido. Pero, que armas en particular son eficaces en el tratamiento terapeutico o en los rituales? Que relacion existe entre las esencias de las plantas y el aura humana? Junto a una amplia exposicion de la historia de la aromaterapia de la antigua China, la India, Persia y Egipto, y a los conocimientos cientificos actuales de la psicologia del aroma, Aromaterapia: El olor y la psique es la guia perfecta para dominar el uso de los aceites esenciales. Se incluyen esquemas explicativos acerca de los cuarenta y cuarto aceites esenciales, ademas de instrucciones especificas para crear mezclas de los mismos. Peter y Kate Damian son miembros de la American Society for Phytotherapy and Aromatherapy, International. Peter Damian es autor de The Twelve Healers of the Zodiac: The Astrology Handbook of the Bach Flower Remedies. Kate Damian viaja por todo el mundo como practicante profesional del masaje y la aromaterapia.

Druidism was one of the greatest and most exalting adventures of the human spirit, attempting to reconcile the unreconcilable, the individual and the collective, creator and created, good and evil, day and night, past and future, and life and death. Because of the oral nature of Celtic civilization our understanding of its spiritual truths and rituals is necessarily incomplete. Yet evidence exists that can provide the modern reader with a better understanding of the doctrine that took druidic apprentices 20 years to learn in the remote forests of the British Isles and Gaul.Using the descriptions of the druids and their beliefs provided by the historians and chroniclers of classic antiquity -- as well as those recorded by the insular Celts themselves when compelled, under Christianity's influence, to utilize writing to preserve their ancestral traditions -- Jean Markale painstakingly pieces together all that is known for certain about them. The druids were more than simply the priests of the Celtic people; their influence extended to all aspects of Celtic life. The Druids covers everything concerning the Celtic religious domain, intellectual speculations, cultural or magical practices, various beliefs, and the so-called profane sciences that have come down from the Celtic priesthood.Poet, philosopher, historian, and storyteller, Jean Markale has spent a lifetime researching Celtic civilizations. He is the author of more than 40 books on pre-Christian societies, including The Celts, Merlin, Women of the Celts, and King of the Celts. He lives in the Brittany region of France.

ANCIENT EGYPT In the Book of the Dead the ancient Egyptians left humanity one of the most comprehensive views of the death experience and the afterlife. Without sacrificing any of the rich complexity of pharaonic thought, Becoming Osiris provides a detailed examination of this major religious text, making it easily accessible to the modern reader. This is a thought provoking account of the numerous initiatory stages of the immortalization process and the magical self-defense techniques necessary for the soul to achieve its ultimate objective of becoming a luminous being. But the true significance of the ancient Egyptian view of death cannot be entirely comprehended without knowledge of the practices that preceded those described in the Book of the Dead. Becoming Osiris gives an incisive account of both The Ritual of Embalming, which transforms the dead individual into a latent Osiris, and The Ritual of the Opening of the Mouth, which restores to the dead person his faculties. Though thousands of years old these texts have an astounding contemporary relevance. Filled with illustrations from the rich field of Egyptian funerary art, Becoming Osiris is a fascinating look at the Osirian odyssey that was the ancient Egyptian death experience. STePHANE ROSSINI is a professional illustrator and the author of Reading and Writing Hieroglyphs. RUTH SCHUMANN-ANTELME is an Egyptologist, an emeritus researcher of the CNRS in France, and a professor at the School of the Louvre.

This controversial text speaks to us with intriguing relevance to the problems of today. Taking the form of a dialogue between a man and his soul, this sacred text explores the inner discourse between doubt and mystical knowledge and deals with the rebellion and despair of the intellect at a crucial stage of spiritual development.

This definitive volume is the first modern translation of Vatsyayana's Kama Sutra to include two essential commentaries: the Jayamangala of Yashodhara and the modern Hindi commentary by Devadatta Shastri. Alain Danilou spent four years comparing versions of the Kama Sutra in Sanskrit, Hindi, Bengali, and English, drawing on his intimate experience of India, to preserve the full explicitness of the original. I wanted to demystify India, he writes, to show that a period of great civilization, of high culture, is forcibly a period of great liberty.

LOS CHAKRASEn la ciencia antigua del tantra se considera al cuerpo como el instrumento mas perfecto para la expresion de la conciencia. Esa perfeccion se lleva a cabo gracias al desarrollo de los centros psiquicos, o chakras. Localizados en el sistema cerebroespinal, los chakras son el escenario sobre el que se representa la interaccion entre la conciencia superior y el deseo. En consecuencia, conseguiremos un estado iluminado del ser mediante la comprension y utilizacion de la energia de los chakras.Harish Johari, estudioso y practicante indu del tantra, nos presenta los principios clasicos de los chakras, asi como la aplicacion practica que tienen actualmente. Despliega los misterios de estos centros sutiles de la transformacion con tecnicas de visulizacion que son esenciales para la practica y la comprension tantrica. Con bellas ilustraciones a todo color. Johari nos proporciona imagenes, al mismo tiempo tradicionales y visionarias, de cada chakra; la meditacion sobre esas imagenes vitaliza los centros cerebroespinales al tiempo que armoniza fisica y psiquicamente todo el sistema. Los dibujos lineales permiten al aspirante colorear las imagenes a modo de ejercicio de visualizacion y contemplacion de los chakras. Las secciones dedicadas a cada uno de ellos revelan las correspondencias que tienen con los mantras, colores, signos astrologicos y deidades, asi como con los diversos tipos de personalidad y las caracteristicas conductuales. A diferencia de otros libros sobre el tema, este proporciona las herramientasd que permiten activar los centros de la energia transformadora y elevar el conocimiento intelectual, convirtiendolo en una experiencia del crecimiento espiritual. Solo en este libro encontrara el lector occidental reunida tanta informacion valiosa sobre esta antigua tradicion. Los chakras sera una valiosisima fuente de informacion y conocimiento tecnico tanto para el estudioso como para el aspirante espiritual de cualquier nivel. Ademas de haber dedicado todo su vida al estudio y la practica del tantra. Harish Johari es pintor, escultor y compositor de musica indu. Otros libros suyos son Tools for Tantra (Inner Traditions, 1986), Ancient Indian Massage (Coronet Books, 1984) y Leela (Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1980).

EL USO MAGICO Y RITUAL DE LAS HIERBASRichard Alan Miller, bioquiimco, fisico y herbolario de profesion, combina su conocimiento de la ciencia y los rituales para la exploracion y practica de la magia de las hierbas. Su libro descibe el uso historico, la estructura quimica, la preparacion para el consumo y los rituales magicos de diecinueve hierbas narcoticas, alucinogenas, estimulantes y sedantes, que incluyen semillas de maravilla, lechuga silvestre, damiana, escutelaria y hongos psilocibe. Se examina la quimica de cada hierba para determinar como afecta la percepcion consciente de la realidad y se recomiendan los rituales correspondientes para aumentar la conciencia fisica y psicologica. Al detallar los usos de las plantas en otras culturas y tradiciones religiosas, ademas de indicar las precauciones necesarias, el autor explica como se pueden utilizar estas sustancias naturales para aumentar la sexualidad, asi como para la relajacion muscular, el masaje, los ritos de iniciacion, la proyeccion astral y el desarrollo espiritual.Richard Allen Miller es tambien autor de los libros The Magical and Ritual Use of Aphrodisiacs (El uso magico y ritual de los afrodisiacos) y The Magical and Ritual Use of Perfumes (El uso magico y ritual de los perfumes).

NUMERLOGIA Con Tantra, Ayurveda, y Astrologia HARISH JOHARI"Harish Johari, un verdadero hombre del Renacimiento, continua con su vocacion de establecer un puente entre Oriente y Occidente."--East West JournalHarish Johari es especialista en Tantra y experto en las tradiciones hindus del Ayurveda y la Astrologia. Aqui nos presenta el primer sistema de numerologia que cambia los valores numericos, los datos astrologicos y el analisis del tipo corporal. Mediante sencillos caalucos, Johari explica como determinar nuestro numero psiquico (que representa la auto-imagen), el numero de destino (que pertenece al karma y a como nos perciben los demas) y el numero del nombre (que se refiere a la vida profesional y social). Muestra como estos numeros revelan la informacion de nuestra personalidad, temperamento, inteligencia, talento, sexualidad, espiritualidad finanzas y salud. Se dedica toda una seccion a cada numero, sus atributos, planeta, deidad y mantra correspondientes. Tambien se dan recomendaciones, basadas en los numeros dominantes, respecto a los periodos fuertes y debiles del dia o ano, los colores favorables y las piedras preciosas que se recomiendan comprar, ademas de las meditaciones a practicar para obtener salud y prosperidad.Harish Johari es autor de Tools for Tantra, Chakras, The Healing Power of Gemstones y Breath, Mind, and Consciousness. Es pintor, esultor y compositor ademas de haber servido de guia a Baba Ram Dass durante su primera excursion a la India mistica.

ESPEJOS SAGRADOSEL ARTE VIONARIO DE ALEX GREYCON KEN WILBER Y CARLO MCCORMICK"Los cuadros del Sr. Grey, tan detallados y anatomicamente precisos como un ilustracion medica, presentan al hombre como un ser arquetipico luchando por conseguir la unidad cosmica...La vision de Grey de la humanidad imperfecta pero perfeccionable es como un antidoto contra el cinismo y el malestar espiritual prevealente en mucho del arte contemporaneo."New York Times..".es solo la curiosidad de Grey, su deseo de comprender la metaestructura cosmica de la humanidad, lo que le conduce al recuento rigurosamente detallado de lo tipicamente oculto."Artforum"Su trabajo [el de Alex Grey] lo coloca dentro de un grupo muy pequeno de importantes artistas contemporaneos; a traves de su arte aspira alcanzar los tres reinos--desde el de la materia hasta el de la mente y el espiritu--dentro de un raro ideal."Ken WilberEsta serie unica de pinturas lleva al espectador a un viaje grafico y vionario a traves de la anatomia fisica y metafisica del ser. En su exploracion dentro de la naturaleza del hombre/mujer, Alex Grey retrata el sistema nervioso, el vascular, el esqueleto y demas sistemas corporales con un realismo desmenuzador y anatomicamente exacto. Despues pasa a los sistemas espirituales/energeticos con imagenes como el Entramado de la Mente Universal, visualizando el simbolismo esoterico y sagrado del cuerpo y las fuerzas que definen su campo de energia viviente. Los Espejos Sagrados, presentados aqui en su totalidad, han sido exhibidos por todo el mundo. Las figuras son de tamano natural y se enfrentan difectamente al espectador para conseguir, precisamente, el efecto de espejo: permaneciendo frente a ellos el espectador puede "ver dentro" de si mismo. Ademas, Grey ha pintado los diferentes sistemas en un estado ideal y saludable para que puedan funcionar como ayuda en la curacion mediante visulizaciones o meditacion. Al retratar los diferentes sexos y razas, Espejos Sagrados tambien nos cuestiona sobre como nos vemos reflejados en dos demas.Los ensayos de Ken Wilber, eminente psicologo transpersonal, y del destacado critico de arte de Nueva York, Carlo McCormick, exploran el elemento espiritual del arte desde el punto de vista de la Filosofia Eterna y trazan el desarorollo del trabajo de Grey--incluyendo sus representaciones de arte--junto con el sendero del artista/chaman. Por su parte, el propio Grey explica la concepcion, construccion y simbolismo de Espejos Sagrados y otros cuadros (reproducidos en este libro) de su rico y variado trabajo, incluyendo Gaia: El Alma del Mundo, interpretado como el arbol o la membrana de la vida que toma parte en el continuo ciclo de nacimiento, susteno y muerte; y el Viaje del Sanador Herido, que describe el descenso chamanico, la desintegracion y tansmutacion del Ser.Fascinado desde la adolescencia con los temas de la mortalidad y la polaridad, Alex Grey ve en la anatomia humana un microcosmos de los muchos sistemas y niveles de orden en la naturaleza. El pintor paso vaiors anos en una escuela de medicina estudiando la anatomia humana con un interes especial en la interconexion del cuerpo con la mente y el espiritu. Su trabajo se ha exhibido en las Galerias Stux de Nueva York y Boston; en el New Museum de Nueva York; en el Museo de Arte de la Universidad de California en Santa Barbara; en la Exposicion de Arte Internacional de Chicago; en la Galeria Regional de Arte de Londres en Canada; en el Gran Palacio de Paris; en la Bienal de Sao Paulo, Brasil, y en numerosas otras exposiciones.

HEALTH A practicing consultant in medical herbalism and author of The Holistic Herbal (Findhorn Press), David Hoffmann presents a wide variety of natural treatments that can be used to alleviate stress-related complaints. He gives a clear and concise review of each of these therapies--from homeopathy, aromatherapy, and Bach Flower remedies to meditation, diet, herbalism, and the various methods of bodywork. Looking at stress and anxiety from a holistic perspective, Hoffmann explores the underlying causes of illness and offers guidance on specific herbs you can use to prevent and treat stress-related diseases from allergies and asthma to peptic ulcers and migraine headaches. The author devotes a chapter to anti-anxiety drugs and their effects, showing how herbs can facilitate withdrawal from tranquilizer dependence. A therapeutic index helps you choose the most beneficial herbal combinations and provides valuble information on dosages, preparation methods, and the effects of more than 40 stress-reducing herbs. DAVID HOFFMANN lives and practices herbal medicine in California and is a member of The National Institute of Medical Herbalists.

An art historian shows how many surrealists and their predecessors were steeped in magical ideas that were expressed in their art: the sorcery of Dali, the alchemy of Picasso, the Theosophy of Kandinsky, and the shamanism of Ernst and Carrington.

Drummer, dancer, and folklorist Sule Greg Wilson introduces the principles behind African and Diaspora music, including breath, posture, and orchestration.

ASTROLOGY The most renowned, complete course in astrology ever to appear, the Alan Leo Astrologer's library has become the undisputed source for self instruction in astrology. "An excellent presentation which examines all aspects of esoteric astrology. Recommended." --The Yes Guide This work deals with natal astrology in a manner never before attempted by any author. The first of its three parts explains the theoretical aspect of esoteric astrology; the second demonstrates the practical side of esoteric astrology with many examples and complete explanations; and the third part deals with the subdivisions of the Zodiac. For the first time in the history of astrology, an entirely new method of reading horoscopes is given. The individual and personal stars of all individuals are explained by a series of star maps, showing how the age of the soul may be astrologically discovered. The author provides complete instructions for creating a star map from a horoscope. Methods are also given for interpreting a chart in terms of reincarnation and the working out of Karma. "Today, my whole belief in the science of the stars stands or falls with Karma and Reincarnation and I have no hesitation in saying that without these ancient teachings, natal astrology has no permanent value." --The Author

The first part of the book, written in a single, uninterrupted flow of inspiration, takes the form of answers from the word of nature to questions posed by the rational mind. The second part of the book consists of philosophical reflections on the first and proposes the practice of imagination as a way of evolutionary development.

This definitive volume is the first modern translation of Vatsyayana's Kama Sutra to include two essential commentaries: the Jayamangala of Yashodhara and the modern Hindi commentary by Devadatta Shastri. Alain Danilou spent four years comparing versions of the Kama Sutra in Sanskrit, Hindi, Bengali, and English, drawing on his intimate experience of India, to preserve the full explicitness of the original. I wanted to demystify India, he writes, to show that a period of great civilization, of high culture, is forcibly a period of great liberty.

A radical reinterpretation of the Pyramid Texts as shamanic mystical wisdom rather than funerary rituals• Reveals the mystical nature of Egyptian civilization denied by orthodox Egyptologists• Examines the similarity between the pharaoh’s afterlife voyage and shamanic journeying• Shows shamanism to be the foundation of the Egyptian mystical traditionTo the Greek philosophers and other peoples of the ancient world, Egypt was regarded as the home of a profound mystical wisdom. While there are many today who still share that view, the consensus of most Egyptologists is that no evidence exists that Egypt possessed any mystical tradition whatsoever. Jeremy Naydler’s radical reinterpretation of the Pyramid Texts--the earliest body of religious literature to have survived from ancient Egypt--places these documents into the ritual context in which they belong.Until now, the Pyramid Texts have been viewed primarily as royal funerary texts that were used in the liturgy of the dead pharaoh or to aid him in his afterlife journey. This emphasis on funerary interpretation has served only to externalize what were actually experiences of the living, not the dead, king. In order to understand the character and significance of the extreme psychological states the pharaoh experienced--states often involving perilous encounters with alternate realities--we need to approach them as spiritual and religious phenomena that reveal the extraordinary possibilities of human consciousness. It is the shamanic spiritual tradition, argues Naydler, that is the undercurrent of the Pyramid Texts and that holds the key to understanding both the true nature of these experiences and the basis of ancient Egyptian mysticism.

A complete beginner's guide to understanding and harnessing the mysterious forces of nature.• Provides tools for self-initiation into the ancient and secret traditions of ceremonial magic. • Explains various divination systems and how to perform ancient rituals that open the doorway to secret and arcane knowledge. True magic can be defined as the art and science of using little-known or forgotten natural forces in order to achieve changes in consciousness and the physical environment. It concerns a wide body of doctrines and techniques, including the conjuring of spirits and non-human entities; the manufacture and consecration of wands, swords, talismans, and other tools of the magus; ritual divination; and the exploration of universes other than that with which we are familiar. The masters who taught others these ancient arts are gone, but Techniques of High Magic provides the practical and lucid instruction necessary for self-initiation into these secret traditions. Emphasizing the ordered nature of the universe and the power of will directed by imagination, Francis King and Stephen Skinner introduce the reader to magical practices, rituals, and instruments that have been used for centuries. They explain systems of divination such as the I Ching, the Tarot, and geomancy, as well as techniques of astral projection and elementary alchemy. Their disciplined approach to magical practice includes easy formulas and diagrams that will help the initiate navigate an ancient and potent universe of gods, angels, and spirits--the world of High Magic.

Alain Danielou here unveils the religious impulse underlying art that at first glance seems to have no purpose beyond the erotic. Illustrated throughout with photographs and line drawings of European and Indian art, The Phallus celebrates the expression of the masculine in the religious traditions of East and West.

A comprehensive and practical guide to the ancient oracle based on the alphabet of the Druids. • Describes the symbolism and mythology of the 20 "tree letters" and their magical correspondences. • Includes instructions on how to make your own Ogam divination sticks, cast the oracle, and perceive omens. • Provides historical background and bibliographic references to the Druidic mythology ruling this 1,500-year-old oracle. The ancient Ogam alphabet is a magical and mysterious script, the Celtic equivalent of the runes that can teach us about our fate and future. Named after woodland trees, Ogam's 20 "tree letters" all have unique wisdom to impart that is linked to figures and themes from Celtic mythology. The author addresses three major areas in this book: Ogamlore, the history of this 1500-year-old oracle of the Celtic Druids; Ogamfews, the meaning of the individual tree letters, their magic, characteristics, folklore, and related stories; and Ogamcasting, the practical art of Ogam divination, which includes spreads, castings, and how to create your own Ogam set. With these tools of ancient Celtic wisdom, readers will receive insights and guidance on how to maneuver through life's questions and challenges.