The Square & The Circle

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review - The Square & The Circle - The Influence of Freemasonry on Wicca and Paganism by Payam Nabarz, published by Avalonia Books. paperback £10.99

Wow! Connections between Freemasonry, Christianity, Mithraism, ritual Wicca, Sufism, Zoroastrianism, paganism, esotericism, and more! We might think that the great minds behind religious movements are inspired by revelations, but they borrow more from the ancient past than we think! If a set of moral codes, rituals and beliefs has survived for millennia, why not add and take from established literature and use what works! 

Of interest to all levels, from historians to the general reader. It reads like a written painting, with broad brush strokes, a revelation in every sentence! How imperative it is for those who develop religious, spiritual and social networks, brotherhoods, etc., that they declare where their ideas originate, and what they have absorbed from other dogmas. 

I'm impressed by this study. Recommended! 

A Theurigist’s Book of Hours

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: A Theurgist’s Book of Hours by Jeffrey S Kupperman, published by Avalonia Books. £18.99

From the introduction: In brief, prayer nurtures the mind, makes us more receptive to divine beings, habituates us to the otherwise potentially lethal divine light, perfects our ability to contact the gods, uplifts our minds to those of the gods, links us to them, purifies our pneumatic vehicle, brings out the divine element in the human soul, and makes us “the familiar consorts of the gods”. Prayer is so important that “no sacred act can take place without it”. 

Breaking Chains

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: Breaking Chains - The Evolution of the Black Madonna by Nic Phillips published by Avalonia Books. Paperback: US $24.99 U.K. £14.99 Kindle: £5.99

More information here on this hyperlink:  https://www.avaloniabooks.com/product-page/breaking-chains and https://fb.watch/9e5gqgtqHx/

 The Black Madonna had a mysterious relevance after appearing some thousand years ago. Many have studied her and written books about her myths and miracles. This is the first I have come across that offers an exclusive explanation of her cultural background and associations. It’s an interesting personal understanding by Nic Phillips, who explains their history and their connection with ancient goddesses including mother, dark and pagan goddesses, such as Kali, Vodou Lwa Ezili Danto, Orishas, and others. He covers specifically Our Lady of the Pillar, Częstochowa, Guadeloupe, Montserrat, and also others that are less well known from across the world.