The Mysteries of Astrology, and the Wonders of Magic By Dr. C. W. Roback

The Mysteries of Astrology, and the Wonders of Magic

By 

Dr. C. W. Roback

An fascinating book about astrology, chiromancy, necromancy, geomancy, witchcraft etc., written by author Roback, Dr. C.W., who was also a practitioner in the field. Includes sections on astrology, chiromancy, nativities, geomancy, physiognomy and metoposcopy. 

The final chapter is titled "Narratives and anecdotes in relation to witchcraft, magic, apparitions, visions, presentiments, and other supernatural phenomena." The book opens with an autobiographical sketch where the author describes his childhood in Sweden, his adventures in the Near East and in Europe, his studies in astrology and magic, and finally his emigration in 1844 to the United States.

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The Forest People BY Colin M. Turnbull

The Forest People

BY

Colin M. Turnbull

The Forest People -- Colin M. Turnbull's best-selling, classic work -- describes the author's experiences while living with the BaMbuti Pygmies, not as a clinical observer, but as their friend learning their customs and sharing their daily life.

Turnbull conveys the lives and feelings of the BaMbuti whose existence centers on their intense love for their forest world, which, in return for their affection and trust, provides their every need. We witness their hunting parties and nomadic camps; their love affairs and ancient ceremonies -- the molimo, in which they praise the forest as provider, protector, and deity; the elima, in which the young girls come of age; and the nkumbi circumcision rites, in which the villagers of the surrounding non-Pygmy tribes attempt to impose their culture on the Pygmies, whose forest home they dare not enter. 

The Forest People eloquently shows us a people who have found in the forest something that makes their life more than just living a life that, with all its hardships and problems and tragedies, is a wonderful thing of happiness and joy. 

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Applied Magic by Dion Fortune

Applied Magic

by

Dion Fortune

Dion Fortune has used her very rich, and illustrative discriptions once more, to help the aspirant in the magical arts. One draw-back though: It never ceases to amaze me, how bigotted she gets, every single time in her repeatative "Left hand path". She tends to assign homosexuals to it. There is a lot of invalueble information and practical technics. This is why the Sorrora Deo Non Fortuna, (as she was reffered to in the Alpha et Omega fraction of the Society of the Golden Dawn)could always be forgiven, however victorian her expressions..."Applied Magic" is a must-have classic book, for anyone interested in practical occultism. For anyone who wishes to serve the devine with high magic, this is one of the best guides available.

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A BRIEF BIBLE HISTORY - JAMES OSCAR BOYD

A BRIEF BIBLE HISTORY 

by

 JAMES OSCAR BOYD

This book surveys the history of God’s redeeming grace. It reviews Old Testament history, disclosing the stream of God’s redeeming purposes flowing down through the older times. It reviews New Testament history, disclosing the broadening and deepening of that purpose for us men and for mankind in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and his Church. The chapters included in this book appear also as a part of Teaching the Teacher, a First Book in Teacher Training, and are issued in this form to supply the demand for a brief Bible history, for popular reading.

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Five Weeks in a Balloon - Jules Verne

Five Weeks in a Balloon
by Jules Verne

I've always enjoyed the Jules Verne favorites (Round the World in 80 days, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, and 20,000 Leagues under the Sea), but it's harder to find JV's other works, despite the fact that he's written over 50 books, so I snatched this one up when I saw it.

It's the story of 3 men crossing Africa (then not fully explored at the time) in a balloon (a novel method at the time). So it's basically fiction since no man had crossed that part of Africa and no one had succeed in taking a long trip in a balloon. As a result you have to take his geography and even his science in stride. It has been worked out by others that his balloon could never have made the trip and we now know that his description of that part of Africa was fanciful. So it's fiction, nevertheless it's good fiction. And we have to remember that this book was written over 100 years ago! So when I read this book, it is also an exercise in time travel for me, to read this book as it was written, in 1869, otherwise you will be offended at all the non-politically correct events that happen and the descriptions of the natives and the mind set at that time.

It's interesting to note that this book was supposed to be a forerunner to the much beloved Round the World in 80 days and I can imagine Mr. Verne testing out his ideas in this book. Jules Verne was the father of the explorer/adventure type novel and today's authors owe a lot to him. So sit back and travel back 100+ years and try this book!

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