Collection: Spirituality & Religion

Everything you need to know about self-care--especially for Pisces!

Take Time for You, Pisces!

It's me time--powered by the zodiac! Welcome star-powered strength and cosmic relief into your life with The Little Book of Self-Care for Pisces.

While Pisces may value community, this book truly puts you first. Let the stars be your guide as you learn just how important astrology is to your self-care routine. Discover more about your sign and your ruling element, water, and then find the perfect set of self-care ideas and activities for you.

From savoring a home-cooked meal to creating a personal altar, you will find more than one hundred ways to heal your mind, body, and active spirit. It's stellar self-care especially for you, Pisces!

An inspiring exploration of the goddesses of the West African spiritual traditions and their role in shaping Yoruba (Ifa), Santeria, Haitian Vodoun, and New Orleans Voodoo.

Throughout Africa and beyond in the diaspora caused by the slave trade, the divine feminine was revered in the forms of goddesses like the ancient Nana Buluku, water spirits like Yemaya, Oshun, and Mami Wata, and the warrior Oya. The power of these goddesses and spirit beings has taken root in the West. New Orleans, for example, is the home of Marie Laveau, who used her magical powers to become the "Voodoo Queen" of New Orleans.

Orishas, Goddesses, and Voodoo Queens shows you how to celebrate and cultivate the traits of these goddesses, drawing upon their strengths to empower your own life. In addition to offering a guided tour of the key goddesses of the African religious traditions, the book offers magical spells, rituals, potions, astrological correspondences, sacred offerings, and much more to help guide you on your own transformational journey.

Now in its 40th year! This clear and accessible almanac provides detailed horoscopes and forecasts for every Sun sign. No matter your skill level, the planetary wisdom within this book will help you find exciting opportunities in your future.

Llewellyn's 2024 Sun Sign Book reveals answers to important questions about love, money, family, and more. Learn what areas in your life have potential for great success and which require extra attention. Discover which days will be rewarding and which will be challenging each month. Astrologer Alice Deville also shares the best dates for events and life changes, such as getting married, moving, retiring, and more.

20+ Diverse Traditions from New England to the West Coast

Drawing on the expertise of twenty-four renowned practitioners, this book features contemporary folk traditions from all over North America. Diverse as the landscapes they thrive on, these authentic practices will expand your worldview and inspire you to enrich your own spirituality. Explore the history, tools, and spiritual beliefs of many different paths of folk magic from Mexico, the United States, and Canada. You'll tour the continent's rich and varied cultures region by region, taking an insider's look at more than twenty traditions, including:

Appalachian Mountain Magic - Brujeria
Curanderismo - Detroit Hoodoo
Florida Swamp Magic - Irish American Folk Magic
Italian American Magic - Melungeon Folk Magic
New England Cunning Craft - New Orleans Voodoo
Ozark Folk Magic - Pennsylvania Powwow & Braucherei
Slavic American Folk Magic - Southern Conjure Stephanie Rose Bird - H. Byron Ballard - Starr Casas - Ixtoii Paloma Cervantes - Kenya T. Coviak - J. Allen Cross - Alexander Cummins - Morgan Daimler - Mario Esteban Del Ángel Guevara - Lilith Dorsey - Morrigane Feu - Via Hedera - Cory Thomas Hutcheson - Melissa A. Ivanco-Murray - E. F. E. Lacharity - Dee Norman - Aaron Oberon - Robert Phoenix - Jake Richards - Sandra Santiago - Robert L. Schreiwer - Eliseo "Cheo" Torres - Benebell Wen - Brandon Weston

This is the second book in the URJ's program for Hebrew learning for adults. This program is designed for English-speaking adults who primarily encounter the Hebrew language through Jewish religious life: the prayers and Torah readings in the synagogue, the blessings and rituals of Jewish home observances, and words or phrases arising out of a Jewish cultural context. While it is the sequel to Aleph Isn't Tough, it can be used by any adult student who has learned the letters and vowels of the Hebrew alphabet, whether they attained that knowledge from Aleph Isn't Tough or through some other means of instruction. It assumes no further knowledge of the Hebrew language than the sounds of the letters and vowels and how they combine to form syllables and words.

New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestseller!

From the bestselling author of The Beauty of What Remains, a guide to writing a meaningful letter about your life.

Writing an ethical will, a document that includes stories and reflections about your past, is an ancient tradition. It can include joy and regrets, and ultimately becomes both a way to remember a loved one who is gone and a primer on how to live a better, happier life. Beloved Rabbi Steve Leder has helped thousands of people to write their own ethical wills, and in this intimate book helps us write our own.

Because our culture privileges the material over the spiritual, we sometimes forget that our words carry greater value than any physical thing we can bequeath to our loved ones. Rabbi Leder provides all the right questions and prompts, including: What was your most painful regret and how can your loved ones avoid repeating it? When was a time you led with your heart instead of your head? What did you learn from your biggest failure?

Including examples of ethical wills from a broad range of voices--old and young, with and without children, famous and unknown--For You When I Am Gone inspires readers to examine their own lives and turn them into something beautiful and meaningful for generations to come.

Vettius Valens was an astrologer who lived in Alexandria, Egypt in the middle of the second century. His Anthology is a collection of instructional texts on astrology that he wrote for his students in Greek.

The Anthology is the single most important surviving source for understanding what the practice of astrology was like in ancient times, because Valens included more than one hundred examples in order to demonstrate how birth charts were interpreted in antiquity. This publication marks the first time that the entirety of the Anthology has ever been translated into English.

Mark T. Riley is a retired Classics professor who taught at California State University, in Sacramento. He spent a period of his career studying the surviving works of Greco-Roman astrologers, and authored several academic papers on Claudius Ptolemy and Vettius Valens.

This book includes a full translation of all 9 surviving books of the Anthology, along with diagrams inserted into the text to help visualize each of Valens' chart examples. The book also includes an extensive survey by Mark Riley of what is known about Valens' life and work, as well as a foreword by Chris Brennan.

Practice an ancient magic that is both natural and powerful--the elemental Earth magic of crystals, stones, and metals. This comprehensive and clear guidebook by Scott Cunningham has introduced over 200,000 readers to the secrets of over 100 gems and metals. Learn how to find and cleanse stones and use them in divinations, spells, and tarot card readings. Discover how to determine the energies and stories contained within each stone, and the symbolic meanings of a stone's color and shape. Also included in this classic guide:

• A 16-page, full-color insert, new with this edition
• Birthstone and jewelry magic lore
• Tables listing both planetary and elementary rulers of stones, magical intentions, and magical substitutions

This powerful book deals with the issue of how Christians, especially those called to counsel, can help survivors of sexual abuse find healing and hope. From 20 years of experience, the author demonstrates how counselors can walk alongside people deeply wounded by sexual abuse as they face the truth about who they are, who their abuser was, and who God is as the Savior and Redeemer of all life. Counseling Survivors of Sexual Abuse issues a strong call to the church at large to walk with survivors through the long dark nights of their healing.

"Deliciously eerie." --Leslie Rule, Bestselling Author

From the notorious Lizzie Borden to the innumerable, haunted rooms of Sarah Winchester's mysterious mansion this offbeat, insightful, first-ever book of its kind from the brilliant guides behind "Boroughs of the Dead," featured on NPR.org, The New York Times, and Jezebel, explores the history behind America's female ghosts, the stereotypes, myths, and paranormal tales that swirl around them, what their stories reveal about us--and why they haunt us . . .

Bram Stoker Award Finalist for Superior Achievement in Nonfiction

Sorrowful widows, vengeful jezebels, innocent maidens, wronged lovers, former slaves, even the occasional axe-murderess--America's female ghosts differ widely in background, class, and circumstance. Yet one thing unites them: their ability to instill fascination and fear, long after their deaths. Here are the full stories behind some of the best-known among them, as well as the lesser-known--though no less powerful.

Tales whispered in darkness often divulge more about the teller than the subject. America's most famous female ghosts, from from 'Mrs. Spencer' who haunted Joan Rivers' New York apartment to Bridget Bishop, the first person executed during the Salem witchcraft trials, mirror each era's fears and prejudices. Yet through urban legends and campfire stories, even ghosts like the nameless hard-working women lost in the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire --achieve a measure of power and agency in death, in ways unavailable to them as living women.

Riveting for skeptics and believers alike, with humor, curiosity, and expertise, A Haunted History of Invisible Women offers a unique lens on the significant role these ghostly legends play both within the spook-seeking corners of our minds and in the consciousness of a nation.

"A Haunted History of Invisible Women looks beyond the legends of maligned female ghosts and gives us their real histories. It is both a meditation on the misogyny of a ghost-hunting culture that capitalizes on false narratives of sex and death, and a fascinating look at the flesh-and-blood women behind the ghost stories. This book is a long-overdue search for historic truth, yet it recognizes that "When it comes to ghosts, truth is as elusive as the spirits themselves." --Chris Woodyard, Author of The Victorian Book of the Dead.

Afterword by Bram Stoker Award-winning author Linda D. Addison

365 page-a-day reflections to encourage concentration, insight, and mindful engagement with the world around us--from the Zen Buddhist teacher "who taught the world mindfulness" (TIME).

This deep and simple volume brings together some of Thich Nhat Hanh's most insightful teachings to inspire our daily mindfulness practice. Through 365 short reflections on common obstacles and opportunities, Peace Is This Moment encourages us to engage more skillfully with life on every level. Presented in an accessible, page-a-day format, this book is a perfect companion for experienced and new practitioners.

Featuring carefully selected passages from Thich Nhat Hanh's vast collection of published works, Peace Is This Moment offers guidance on a diverse range of topics, including:

• Letting go of views about ourselves and others
• Reconciling with loved ones
• Decompartmentalizing our lives
• Transforming ordinary moments into extraordinary ones
• Meeting the present moment--wherever we find ourselves--with equanimity, solidity, and peace

With these daily practices, we discoverthat the deepest peace--the only peace--is available right now.

A Little Book of Japanese Contentments is a beautiful book that distills traditional Japanese philosophies intrinsic to wellbeing.

A richly illustrated journey through Japanese culture that leads to a more mindful and gratified life: With the longest healthy life spans in the world, Japanese people understand the art of living well. With A Little Book of Japanese Contentments, anyone can explore the timeless philosophies as they relate to almost every aspect of life.

- Provides easy-to-follow exercises to inspire those who want to live a happier, more balanced life
- Includes sections on kokoro (heart and mind) and karada (body), plus a guide on how to form and nurture good habits. Also includes entries on ikigai (living with purpose), wabi-sabi (the beauty of imperfection and impermanence), shinrinyoku (forest bathing), ikebana (the art of flower arranging), and much more
- Features an exquisite layout filled with aesthetically pleasing photographs and illustrations that help capture the culture and bring it to life.

"With this book, I want to inspire and provide guidance on ways to enrich and complement your lifestyle through a new lens." -- Erin Niimi Longhurst, Author

A Little Book of Japanese Contentments is a warm invitation to cultivate happiness in everyday life.

Erin Niimi Longhurst is a writer and blogger based in the UK. Ryo Takemasa is an illustrator based in Tokyo, Japan.

Makes an excellent and unique gift for friends and loved ones that are interested in Japanese culture and philosophies.

Die Wise does not offer seven steps for coping with death. It does not suggest ways to make dying easier. It pours no honey to make the medicine go down. Instead, with lyrical prose, deep wisdom, and stories from his two decades of working with dying people and their families, Stephen Jenkinson places death at the center of the page and asks us to behold it in all its painful beauty. Die Wise teaches the skills of dying, skills that have to be learned in the course of living deeply and well. Die Wise is for those who will fail to live forever.

Dying well, Jenkinson writes, is a right and responsibility of everyone. It is not a lifestyle option. It is a moral, political, and spiritual obligation each person owes their ancestors and their heirs. Die Wise dreams such a dream, and plots such an uprising. How we die, how we care for dying people, and how we carry our dead: this work makes our capacity for a village-mindedness, or breaks it.

Table of Contents
The Ordeal of a Managed Death
Stealing Meaning from Dying
The Tyrant Hope
The Quality of Life
Yes, But Not Like This
The Work
So Who Are the Dying to You?
Dying Facing Home
What Dying Asks of Us All
Kids
Ah, My Friend the Enemy

The telling of mythic stories has always been a powerful form of therapy, bringing healing to people facing adversity. The greatness of Saturn is such a therapeutic myth, told and retold through many centuries. Taken from the East Indian Vedic tradition, it honors the planet Saturn, who personifies time, limitations, loss, and all forms of adversity.

"Lucy's poems shine with the light of deeply embodied spirit. A dance of light upon the land." Adyashanti

This Untameable Light is here to remind you of your inherent wholeness and bring forgiveness, ease, humour and reverence to the sacred mess of being human. Alongside the beauty of all the ways we are so much more than just human.

We are all whole, and broken. All stumbling, and immensely powerful. We all long for love, and long to know we are not totally messing up this precious existence.

This Untameable Light celebrates our humanity as part of our divinity. The mystical and mundane of us. The profound and the profane.

It calls us into deep belonging - exactly as we are - and reminds us of the perpetual wink of existence.

This Untameable Light has one message: all of you is deeply loved by life - exactly as you are. You are precious, and this life is a gift, to be lived deeply, fully and unapologetically.

Praise for This Untameable Light:

"Lucy Grace's This Untameable Light pulses with a wild love for what is - a river of light pouring forth from the depths of a surrendered life. These freshly born ecstatic poems encourage us to open

our hearts, know that we are loved, and passionately dance as the sacred ordinary. Inspired and revelatory!"

John J. Prendergast, author of The Deep Heart and In Touch

"Lucy's poetry is inspired energy work. Not just a short-lived spark like an ember that just as soon dissolves back into the night, true poetry can have a profound and lasting impact on consciousness. Lucy is a true poet, an open vessel through which shimmering grace flows. And a poem from this kind of poet, more than a pleasant arrangement of words, is a portal. With unseen genius it can open the reader to a long-hidden light or awaken an unnoticed truth. Poetry from the right source is arguably one of the most potent vehicles for transformation.

This book is alive, sewn with seeds of inspiration ready to revivify its readers. This Untameable Light will offer relief to your ravaged heartache, empower your truest essence, and will be a guide that invites you home to the force of light within you that is incorruptible, every-abiding and ours to cherish and reclaim."

Chelan Harkin, Best-Selling author and poet of Susceptible to Light, Let Us Dance! The Stumble and Whirl with The Beloved and Wild Grace.

"These poems flow through your soul like a river of bliss. In this stream, the ordinary is felt to be the extraordinary. Wholeness shines through all the cracks."

Ishtar Howell (Spiritual Guide, Astrologer, Gardener)

This Untamable Light has the feel of love notes passed from poet to muse; a heart proclaiming its truth and devotion in the intimate language of passion. Fortunately, Lucy Grace's muse is the divine substance of life, and she revels in the naked honesty permitted, and indeed fostered, in this relationship. Her words are a healing celebration of living one's divine truth.

Mary Reed, award-winning author of Unwitting Mystic and Humanity's Epic Awakening.

"Lucy's poems shine with the light of deeply embodied spirit. A dance of light upon the land." Adyashanti, Spiritual Teacher and Author

Your Hands-on, Back-to-Basics Guide to Building a Magical Practice

As if you're having face-to-face lessons on her porch, H. Byron Ballard introduces you to the ways of magic, answering vital questions about what it is, why it matters, and how to do it. She teaches the mechanics and foundational skills of practice, offering no-nonsense techniques that practitioners of any skill level or tradition can use.

Drawing from her many years as a practicing witch, Ballard demonstrates how to engage daily with the energy around you. She encourages you to experience magic with fresh eyes--whether you're a beginner or need to regain a beginner's mind. This book provides grounding exercises, shielding methods, healing magic, insight on witchcraft tools, and more. Ballard offers everything you need to live a full, enchanted life in our deliciously magical world.