Ancient Religion

Celtic mythology is widely considered to be among the most captivating of Europe's various mythologies due to the presence of a number of captivating aspects, including but not limited to: adventure, heroism, romance, and magic. The Celts were once a great people who dominated most of Europe, but, as a result of Roman invasions, they have since been reduced to a few minor groupings. Their mythology, on the other hand, was preserved largely as a result of the efforts of later monks from Ireland and Wales who wrote down the stories.

The great Indian epic - the Ramayana - has been told and retold over thousands of years by poets, performers, and writers. It is a tale of courage and fear, love and hate, devotion and betrayal. The epic spans the three worlds of gods, humans, and demons. Here, the forces of good and evil collide, locked in a battle for the ultimate supremacy. Rama, the crown prince of Kosala, descendent of the timeless Surya dynasty, must face unimaginable danger, but what lies in his destiny?

No end of books these days offer us techniques for self-improvement. Taking a different tack, Robin Phillips shows that God meets us where we are, in the pain and heartache of the present moment. Instead of looking for a way to escape from hardship, we can cultivate an attitude of gratitude, peace, and self-acceptance that will transform our experience of suffering.

This book presents a collection of essays by Claudio Mazzucco, Imperator of the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, covering a variety of subjects related to the Rosicrucian Order’s teachings which will inspire any student of mysticism along their path.

In Reclaiming the Great Commission, Fr. Evan Armatas offers a roadmap to help us get back on track. Relying on his 20 years of parish experience, Holy Scripture, and insights from research and his visits with churches across the US, he discusses how you and your community can implement changes that will transform, revitalize, and renew your parish.

The 40 days of fasting before Christmas are meant to prepare us for the Feast of the Nativity, but the busyness of the secular celebration can interfere with our best efforts to center our hearts on Christ. Behold a Great Light is a daily devotional, designed to help listeners contemplate the mysteries of the Incarnation, from the beginning of the Nativity fast on November 15, through Christmas and Theophany, ending with the Synaxis of St. John the Baptist on January 7.

Explores beliefs and myths from Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt, and around the Mediterranean, revealing how ancient goddesses were powerful Queens of the Heavens and Guardians of the Underworld, not passive fertility symbols

This sharp commentary on the rise and current decline of Western Civilization touches on historical moments - including the building of early universities in the Middle Ages and the American Revolution - and figures - including Augustine, Acquinas, Edmund Burke, and Adam Smith - that exemplify the faith-reason synthesis at the heart of Western Civilization, as well as the modern villains that threaten to destroy it.

Demystifying the key ideas of the world's greatest philosophers, and exploring all of the most important branches of thought including philosophy of science, philosophy of religion and feminist philosophy, this book is the perfect introduction to the history of philosophy. A clear and accessible guide to philosophy, How Philosophy Works uses jargon-free text to demystify fundamental concepts.

The story of the ancient Church is one of a people who were finding their way over many years by the light that God shined forth for them. Today, we are looking back over the centuries with many more years of understanding but we stand on the shoulders of those who braved persecution, death, debate, and mystery on behalf of generations to come.

Traditionally, the Orthodox Church has appointed forty days of rest and seclusion after childbirth for mothers to recover from the rigors of birth and get to know their new babies. In the modern world, it can be difficult to understand how to use this time to the fullest in the way it was intended. The authors of A Sacred Beginning—a therapist and a pediatrician who are both mothers themselves—come to the rescue with a resource that addresses the spiritual, emotional, and physical aspects of a mother's recovery from birth and embarkation on her new life.

It is precisely where we hurt most that the experience of the Orthodox Church has much to offer. The remedy is not a pep talk, or any simple admonitions to fight the good fight, cheer up, or think positively. Rather, the Orthodox method is to change the way we look at the human person (starting with ourselves). According to two thousand years of experience, Orthodoxy shows us how to "be transformed by the renewing of our mind" - a process that is aided by participation in the traditional ascetic practices and Mysteries of the Church.

Despite a long and noble ancestry stretching back to 1500 BC, Freemasonry has enjoyed mixed fortunes in recent times. Banned in some places while flourishing in others, the brotherhood has been vilified and applauded in equal measure. This book explores its fascinating history and examines the laudable aims espoused by its founding fathers.

The son of a Jewish father and Baptist mother, Paul Wilbur grew up attending synagogue. In college, he was transformed by a Baptist minister's teaching about a rabbi, Jesus, who fulfilled the promise of the Torah. As he grew in his relationship with Jesus, Wilbur was reintroduced to the God of the Old Testament and began exploring his Jewish heritage. Along the way, he discovered the power of Jewish worship traditions - the weekly Shabbat, with the power of Holy Communion and dedication to family, along with other high holy traditions and feast days.

A hammer no mortal can lift. A flame-haired fiery storm god. A comic book alien-hero-god who defends humanity. The swastika. Even the name "Thursday" ("Thor's Day"). Despite the virtual disappearance of the indigenous Norse religion and mythology several centuries ago, modern society still regularly encounters the storm god Thor, who continues to be brought back to life in the form of literature and was recently the protagonist in a big-budget Hollywood movie.

Every monastery exudes the scent of holiness, but women's monasteries have their own special flavor. Join Constantina Palmer as she makes frequent pilgrimages to a women's monastery in Greece and absorbs the nuns' particular approach to their spiritual life. If you're a woman who's read of Mount Athos and longed to partake of its grace-filled atmosphere, this book is for you. Men who wish to understand how women's spirituality differs from their own will find it a fascinating listen as well.

During His darkest moments, Jesus uttered seven statements on the Cross that offer us tremendous wisdom in our own dark seasons when we feel alone, forgotten, and unable to surrender, forgive, or let go of our mistakes. In 6 Hours, 7 Lessons, Orthodox Christian priest Father Nicholas Louh and licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Roxanne Louh show us that there is no darkness so dark that our Lord hasn't already experienced it. Christs final words direct us toward the light of His love and protection while giving us the guidance we need to find hope and healing.

The Orthodox Church's reverence for Mary the Mother of God can be a stumbling block for converts, and a fulfilling relationship with her can prove elusive for converts and lifelong Orthodox Christians alike. In this deeply personal but beautifully universal memoir, Brandi Willis Schreiber relates her own quest to know and love the Virgin Mary and to incorporate her as a vital participant in her spiritual life. Brandi's sparkling, vulnerable account invites the listener to join her in this quest.

This is a collection of 12 essays on a variety of occult-themed topics, covering the full spectrum of classic esoteric and related subjects, which include Hermeticism, magic, ancient wisdom and philosophy, Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry, Theosophy, spiritualism, metaphysics, and New Thought by some of the most notable and prominent names in the history of those subjects.

Seneca was dedicated to Stoicism, and in his essays and letters he explained the stoic position on many fundamental issues: pleasure and the problem of desire, happiness, and contentment; anger, fear, living in the present, how to think for yourself, anxiety and tranquillity, goodness, freedom, trusting the universe; courage, opportunity, cruelty and how to deal with it, friendship, love and trust, death and how to live, learning , chance and fate, time, aspirations, wisdom - and more.