Familiars: Your Magical Partners
by Rosemary Ellen Guiley (Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.) In August 2002, news broke that a New Caledonian crow named Betty, in a laboratory in Oxford, demonstrated intentional problem-solving ability by repeatedly bending a straight piece of wire into a hook so that she could snag food. Scientists marveled at Betty’s intelligence, noting […]
Finding Love in Nature
by Jenny Lynne As spring is upon us, it’s time to shed the old fickle patterns, messy mindsets and dirty habits that aren’t serving us anymore. Immerse yourself in nature and take an introspective moment to listen to your heart. After all, in nature comes clarity. Love is everywhere and nature gives us subtle hints […]
Divine Sex: Tantra Made Simple
by Mark Michaels & Patricia Johnson (Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.) According to what we think is the most reliable scholarly perspective, Tantra emerged as a distinct tradition in South Asia approximately 1,700 years ago, although its symbolism and philosophy partake of traditional beliefs that are far older and that are similar to […]
Tantra and Women
by Mark Michaels & Patricia Johnson (Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.) Most classical Tantric texts seem to have been written primarily with men in mind. For example, the Gheranda Samhita, a 16th-century Tantric/Yogic text advises: “By virtue of this Yoga, the Bindu-Siddhi (retention of seed) is obtained, and when that Siddhi is obtained […]
Indian Feng Shui
by Tania Ahsan (Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.) Feng Shui has been extensively explored these last few years and its secrets laid open to the West. But Vaastu Shastra, a 5,000-year-old Indian architectural and design philosophy, has only recently come into the media spotlight. Contained within around 16 Sanskrit texts from the Vedanta, […]
Into The Black: A Miracle of Feng Shui
by Mina Bergsen (Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.) My business was failing. For my sixteenth birthday, my grandparents gave me a trip to wherever I wanted to go. For some reason, I decided on Nepal. Perhaps it was because of some pictures I had seen or maybe I had read about it in […]
365 Days of Crystal Feng Shui for Your Home
by Sandra Kynes (Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.) The laying on of crystals, or crystal therapy, is a powerful way to align and balance the energy of our bodies. Even simply wearing crystals can have an effect on us. Similarly, through the placement of crystals in our homes, we can attract prosperity, augment […]
Dispelling the Superstition and Fear of Communicating with Our Loved Ones in Spirit
by Mark Anthony (Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.) Are you superstitious? Many people are. You may be superstitious without even realizing it. Think about your own personal habits; do you have a “good luck charm?” Maybe it’s a rabbit’s foot, a shiny penny, or a photo of a loved one. There are reasons […]
Solitary Séance: On Your Own With the Spirits
by Raymond Buckland (Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.) How many of us, by some quirk of Fate, missed being there at the end of the life of a loved one? How many of us have longed to be able to have that last word with a now-deceased parent or sibling? Many people have […]
The Séance: Safe or Sinister?
by Barbara Parks (Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.) We’ve all heard the stories of séances gone wrong, whereby gateways to the spirit world are opened with terrifying results. Post-séance tag-alongs are supposedly widespread, attaching to the sitters and following them home. The subsequent manifestations range from the subtle to the extreme, depending on […]