Types of Divination
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'A Great Or Notorious Liar': Katherine Harrison and Her Neighbours
‘A Great or Notorious Liar’: Katherine Harrison and her Neighbours, Wethersfield, Connecticut, 1668 – 1670 Liam Connell (University of Melbourne) Abstract: Katherine Harrison could not have personally known anyone as feared and hated in their own home town as she was in Wethersfield. This article aims to explain how and why this was so. Although documentation is scarce for many witch trials, there are some for which much crucial information has survived, and we can reconstruct reasonably detailed accounts of what went on. The trial of Katherine Harrison of Wethersfield, Connecticut, at the end of the 1660s is one such case. An array of factors coalesced at the right time in Wethersfield for Katherine to be accused. Her self-proclaimed magical abilities, her socio- economic background, and most of all, the inter-personal and legal conflicts that she sustained with her neighbours all combined to propel this woman into a very public discussion about witchcraft in 1668-1670. The trial of Katherine Harrison was a vital moment in the development of the legal and theological responses to witchcraft in colonial New England. The outcome was the result of a lengthy process jointly negotiated between legal and religious authorities. This was the earliest documented case in which New England magistrates trying witchcraft sought and received explicit instruction from Puritan ministers on the validity of spectral evidence and the interface between folk magic and witchcraft – implications that still resonated at the more recognised Salem witch trials almost twenty-five years later. The case also reveals the social dynamics that caused much ambiguity and confusion in this early modern village about an acceptable use of the occult. -
The Language of Demons and Angels Brill’S Studies in Intellectual History
THE LANGUAGE OF DEMONS AND ANGELS BRILL’S STUDIES IN INTELLECTUAL HISTORY General Editor A.J. Vanderjagt, University of Groningen Editorial Board M. Colish, Oberlin College J.I. Israel, University College, London J.D. North, University of Groningen R.H. Popkin, Washington University, St. Louis-UCLA VOLUME 119 THE LANGUAGE OF DEMONS AND ANGELS Cornelius Agrippa’s Occult Philosophy BY CHRISTOPHER I. LEHRICH BRILL LEIDEN • BOSTON 2003 This book is printed on acid-free paper. The cover image shows the harmony and proportion of the human body with respect to the seven heavenly bodies, demonstrating the theory of the microcosm. From De occulta philosophia 2.27, 331/347 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Lehrich, Christopher I. The language of demons and angels : Cornelius Agrippa’s occult philosophy / by Christopher I. Lehrich. p. cm. — (Brill’s studies in intellectual history, ISSN 0920-8607 ; v. 119) Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. ISBN 90-04-13574-X 1. Agrippa von Nettesheim, Heinrich Cornelius. 1486?-1535. 2. Occultism. I. Title. II. Series. B781.A34L44 2003 130’.92-dc22 2003055665 ISSN 0920-8607 ISBN 90 04 13574 X © Copyright 2003 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Brill provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910 Danvers, MA 01923, USA. -
DIVINATION SYSTEMS Written by Nicole Yalsovac Additional Sections Contributed by Sean Michael Smith and Christine Breese, D.D
DIVINATION SYSTEMS Written by Nicole Yalsovac Additional sections contributed by Sean Michael Smith and Christine Breese, D.D. Ph.D. Introduction Nichole Yalsovac Prophetic revelation, or Divination, dates back to the earliest known times of human existence. The oldest of all Chinese texts, the I Ching, is a divination system older than recorded history. James Legge says in his translation of I Ching: Book Of Changes (1996), “The desire to seek answers and to predict the future is as old as civilization itself.” Mankind has always had a desire to know what the future holds. Evidence shows that methods of divination, also known as fortune telling, were used by the ancient Egyptians, Chinese, Babylonians and the Sumerians (who resided in what is now Iraq) as early as six‐thousand years ago. Divination was originally a device of royalty and has often been an essential part of religion and medicine. Significant leaders and royalty often employed priests, doctors, soothsayers and astrologers as advisers and consultants on what the future held. Every civilization has held a belief in at least some type of divination. The point of divination in the ancient world was to ascertain the will of the gods. In fact, divination is so called because it is assumed to be a gift of the divine, a gift from the gods. This gift of obtaining knowledge of the unknown uses a wide range of tools and an enormous variety of techniques, as we will see in this course. No matter which method is used, the most imperative aspect is the interpretation and presentation of what is seen. -
Shadow of the Demon Lord: Mortals of Urth by Iganon
Shadow of the Demon Lord: Mortals of Urth By IGanon In the beginning, there was God, all-powerful, infinite, and alone. Craving companionship, God spoke the first words of power and created the Demiurge and was satisfied. The Demiurge, an extension of God, begun to crave more and more, and so spoke the words of power to create millions of genies from its own body. These genies in turn spoke the words of power and plundered the body of God to create worlds and stars without number, creating an entire multiverse. Yet the more the genies took from God, the more God diminished, and what was once all-powerful, and infinite grew weak and limited, having both substance and form stolen. Not content with stealing from God, the genies stole from the Demiurge too, taking so much the Demiurge split into innumerable fragments. The Divine, reduced to little more than a creature of spite and hatred, was reduced to a mad thing lurking in the void between universes, left only with spite, hatred and the insane craving to undo everything that had been done. It was God no longer, now it is the Demon Lord. The innumerable fragments of what once was the Demiurge, still an extension of the Demon Lord, became the first demons, flitting from world to world, wreaking havoc and devastation and preparing each world for the arrival of the Hunger in the Void, the Demon Lord. The universe that contains the planet Urth, this reality, is the latest one to fall under the Shadow of the Demon Lord. -
The Effects of Superstition As Destination Attractiveness on Behavioral Intention
The Effects of Superstition as Destination Attractiveness on Behavioral Intention Yunzhou Zhang Thesis submitted to the faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science In Hospitality and Tourism Management Muzaffer Uysal, Committee Chair Ken McCleary Vincent P. Magnini May 2, 2012 Blacksburg, VA Keywords: destination attractiveness, superstition attitude, behavioral intention, superstition as destination attractiveness (SADA) The Effects of Superstition as Destination Attractiveness on Behavioral Intention Yunzhou Zhang ABSTRACT Superstitious beliefs date back thousands of years and continue to the present, and research suggests that superstitious beliefs have a robust influence on product satisfaction and decision making under risk. The study therefore examines how superstition attitude will impact potential tourists’ intention to visit a destination so that relevant organizations (e.g. destination management/marketing organizations) could better understand potential tourists’ behaviors, identify a niche market encompassing those prone to superstition, and tailor the tourism products to the needs and beliefs of potential tourists. The study used a survey instrument which consists of four components: the scale of Superstition as Destination Attractiveness (SADA), the revised Paranormal Belief Scale, the measurement of Intention to Visit, and respondents’ demographics and travel experiences. A mixed-method data collection procedure was adopted -
Dynamic Spellcasting Spells and Mana Table
your spells is determined by your level, as shown in the Dynamic Spellcasting Spells and Mana table. Spells and Mana MAGIC IS A NATURAL PHENOMENON STEEPED IN LEGEND and often attributed to divine origin. Even those who Spellcaster Level Maximum Mana for a Spell study its applications and effects in a methodical and 1st-4th 2 secular manner cannot boast a complete knowledge of 5th-8th 3 its nature. This has led to many schools or philosophies 9th-12th 4 concerning magic, as well as distinct traditions of inter- 13th-16th 5 acting with it. 17th-20th 6 Druids wielding magic aspected towards nature, priests channelling power through chants and prayers, If a feature would allow you to use a spell without and sorcerers bending reality to their will are all mages channelling magic, that spell is always cast as though calling on magic in their own way. All draw on the you channelled the minimum amount of mana into it. same power, which is described here. Drain What Is a Spell? The use of magic takes its toll, and any time you cast a The word ‘spell’ refers to any discrete magical effect, a spell you run the risk of suffering drain. You may have single shaping of magical energy into a specific, limited not channelled enough magic into the effect, drawn too expression. Some people also use it in reference to the much magic (sometimes called “mana burn”), or failed effects themselves, such as a ‘fireball spell’. However, to properly handle spontaneous surges in magical while the means to create fiery explosions can be power. -
Rhabdomancy and Belomancy, Or Divination by the Rod and by the Arrow Author(S): A
Rhabdomancy and Belomancy, or Divination by the Rod and by the Arrow Author(s): A. W. Buckland Source: The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 5 (1876), pp. 436-450 Published by: Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2841115 . Accessed: 15/06/2014 04:45 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 195.34.79.223 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 04:45:13 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 436 A. W. BUCKLAND.-Rhabdomancyand Belomnancy, would meet the case withoutinterfering with those givenin MNr. Evans's paper,viz.: abv grun Prehistoricclwelling P halfunderground, or pits... or chamber undergroundchamber or artificial cave ... ... B Then, again, althoughthere was a radicalfor a defensivework, therewas none forearthworks of a non-defensivecharacter, which were commonin all parts 'of the world. He thoughtthat the annexedsymbol might be employedin conjunctionwith any other symbolto denotethat a workwas defensiveS4; whilst the symbolemployed in the paper for " campor defensivework " might be used merelyto designate" earthwork."If the code obligedus to markall earthworksas defensiveit wouldlead to error. -
D I V I N a T I O N Culture a N D the H a N D L I N G of The
Originalveröffentlichung in: G. Leick (Hrsg), The Babylonian World, New York/London, 2007, S. 361-372 CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE DIVINATION CULTURE AND THE HANDLING OF THE FUTURE Stefan M. Maul n omen is a clearly defined perception understood as a sign pointing to future A events whenever it manifests itself under identical circumstances. The classification of a perception as ominous is based on an epistemological development which establishes a normative relationship between the perceived and the future. This classification process is preceded by a period of detailed examination and is thus initially built on empirical knowledge. Omina only cease to be detected empirically when a firm conceptual link has been established between the observed and the future which then allows omina to be construed by the application of regularities. In the Mesopotamian written sources from the first and second millennia BC, omina based on regularities far exceed those based on empirical data. Mesopotamian scholars generally collected data without formally expressing the fundamental principles behind their method. It was the composition of non-empirical omina as such which allowed students to detect the regularities on which they were based without this formulated orally or in writing. Modern attempts at a systematic investigation of such principles however, are still outstanding. It is interesting that there is no Sumerian or Akkadian equivalent for the terms 'oracle' or 'omen'. Assyriologists use the term omen for the sentence construction 'if x then y' which consists of a main clause beginning with summa ('if') describing the ominous occurence, and a second clause which spells out the predicted outcome. -
Astrology Without the Empirical
THE RESPONSIVE COSMOS: AN ENQUIRY INTO THE THEORETICAL FOUNDATION OF ASTROLOGY BY JAMES BROCKBANK Submitted for a PhD in Theology and Religious Studies 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements Abstract, p5. Introduction, p6. Chapter One: Astrologers and the Empirical, p21. Chapter Two: Different responses to the lack of empirical evidence, p57. Chapter Three: The Responsive Cosmos, p75. Chapter Four: Astrological Methodology, p105. Chapter Five: Divinatory astrology and the scientific researchers, 138. Chapter Six: Quality of the astrological information, p195. Chapter Seven: What astrology aims at or the truth of astrology, p201. Chapter Eight: Bricolage and language games, p224. Chapter Nine: Astrology as a new science, p233. Chapter Ten: Elwell‟s correspondences, p239. 2 Chapter Eleven: Archetypal astrology, p256. Chapter Twelve: Neo-Platonic divinatory astrology, p277. Chapter Thirteen: Neo-Platonic astrology, p301. Chapter Fourteen: Problems solved Part One, p318. Chapter Fifteen: Problems solved Part Two – Criteria, p333. Chapter Sixteen: Problems solved Part Three – Astrological knowledge, p358. Chapter Seventeen: Problems solved Part Four – The purchase on an astrological enquiry, p368. Conclusion, p381. Appendix, p386. Bibliography, p387. 3 Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisor Patrick Curry for his support during the many years this thesis has been in preparation. The thesis presents a minority view so his encouragement has been appreciated. I would also like to thank Peter Moore for reading the first draft of this thesis and providing valuable comments and Louise Ronane who spent many hours in a hot south of France making editorial suggestions. 4 Abstract This thesis is concerned with what astrology is. It rejects the view that astrology should be considered as an empirical science solely concerned with making predictions about the future. -
Plant Powers, Poisons, and Herb Craft
PLANT POWERS, POISONS, AND HERB CRAFT BY DALE PENDELL Foreword by Gary Snyde, $21.95 US In 'Pharmako/Poeia, Dale Pendell offers a mesmerizing guide to psychoactive Alternative plants, from their pharmacological roots to the literary offshoots. "This is a Health/ book," writes Gary Snyder, "about danger: dangerous knowledge, even more Literature dangerous ignorance." Against the greater danger, ignorance, Pendell strikes a formidable blow, as he proves himself a wise and witty guide to our plant teach- ers, their powers and their poisons. "Dale Pendell reactivates the ancient connection between the bardic poet and the shaman. His Pharmako/Poeia is a litany to the secret plant allies that have always accompanied us along the alchemical trajectory that leads to a new and yet authentically archaic future." — Terence McKenna, author of True Hallucinations "Much of our life-force calls upon the plant world for support, in medicines and in foods, as both allies and teachers. Pendell provides a beautifully crafted bridge between these two worlds. The magic he shares is that the voices are spoken and heard both ways; we communicate with plants and they with us. This book is a moving and poetic presentation of this dialogue." — Dr. Alexander T. Shulgin, University of California at Berkeley, Department of Public Health "Pharmako/Poeia is an epic poem on plant humours, an abstruse alchemic treatise, an experiential narrative jigsaw puzzle, a hip and learned wild-nature reference text, a comic paean to cosmic consciousness, an ecological handbook, a dried-herb pastiche, a countercultural encyclopedia of ancient fact and lore that cuts through the present 'conservative' war-on-drugs psychobabble." - Allen Ginsberg, poet Cover design "Dale PendelFs remarkable book will make it impossible to and color work ever again underestimate the most unprepossessing plant. -
Libanomancy Workshop Handout
Sacred Smokes: Libanomancy Past and Present Presented by Jenna Mortensen ladyofbones @yahoo.com ladyofbones.wordpress.com _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I. HISTORY OF LIBANOMANCY Libanomancy is the art of divining with incense smoke and draws its name from the Greek stem libanos , meaning ‘frankincense.’ This practice originated in the Near East, gaining its greatest popularity among the Babylonians of the First Dynasty (20 th -16 th c. BC!), later traveling West to Egypt, and lastly adopted into the widely ranging divination practices of the Hellenistic world. Contrary to modern interpretations of smoke divining, libanomancy in its original form was a type of ‘omen oracle,’ where petitioners used the medium of incense smoke to divine the direct answer of their gods (impetration oracles). Fig. 1: Tablet UCLM 9 -2433 (Obverse) The clay tablet (UCLM 9-2433) providing the source of the incense smoke interpretations was only the fourth published example of libanomantic text (Finkel 1983: 50). The recovered obverse portion of the tablet contains 16 different omens associated with particular smoke configurations though based on evidence of destroyed text on the back of the tablet, it likely originally had a total of 32 omens. Unlike other published examples, this tablet contains earlier forms of Old Babylonian words, providing rough dates. The wording of these omens follows the trends present in other types of Babylonian omen oracles (bird flight, shooting stars, entrails, cattle sprinkling), as the knowledge is presented in the form of conditionals (If then statements). The format Please do not photocopy, electronically reproduce, or distribute without Jenna Mortensen’s permission. Thanks! 1 for both Babylonian omens and law codes is identical, and displays how these omens were conceived of as the “laws of the divine world order” (Anuus 2010: 3). -
On the Demon-Mania of Witches, Jean Bodin (1580).Pdf
Jean Bodin On the Demon-Mania of W itches Translated by Randy A. Scott Abridged with an Introduction by Jonathan L. Pearl Notes by Randy A. Scott and Jonathan L. Pearl Toronto Centre for Reformation and Renaissance Studies 2001 CRRS Publications Centre for Reformation and Renaissance Studies Victoria University in the University of Toronto Toronto, Canada M5S 1K7 ® 2001 by the Centre for Reformation and Renaissance Studies All rights reserved. Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data Bodin, Jean, 1530-1596 On the demon-mania of witches (Renaissance and Reformation texts in translation ; 7) Translation of: De la dcmonomanie des sorciers. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-9697512-5-7 I. Witchcraft. 2. Magic. I. Scott, Randy A., 1944- II. Pearl, Jonathan L. III. Victoria University (Toronto, Ont.). Centre for Reformation and Renaissance Studies. IV. Title. V. Series. BF1602.B6313 1995 133.4 C95-931520-9 No part of this book may be translated or reproduced in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, or any other means, without written permission from the publisher. Cover illustration: woodcut from Francesco Maria Guazzo, Compendium Male- ficarum (1608). Cover design: Ian MacKenzie, ParaGraphics This book has been published with the help of a grant from the Canadian Federation for the Humanities, using funds provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. For Victor E. Graham and to our wives Kathy Pearl and Karen Scott with gratitude for their forebearance - Contents Introduction 9 The French Religious