From the monthly archives:

August 2009

Author Owen Davies posts a somewhat-uninspired list of “five best” early American books of Magic for the Wall Street Journal . A couple of his choices are interesting, but I expected more inspired choices from an author who has two books on the subject. In any case, it got me to thinking about some of my own favorites, and what really ought to go into a “five best.” Question: what books do you feel are absolutely essential? (Owens’ list contains only historical American books, but I don’t think that restriction is necessary for this exercise…)

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Religion A-Z

Religion A-Z
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Information and resources for dozens of non mainstream religions and practices including Santeria, Taoism, Witchcraft, Aboriginal Shamanism, and much, much more.

Includes scriptures, belief systems, articles, essays, religious symbols, pictures, news, and current topical information.

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Neopagan spacer Occult/Esoteric
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Asatru (Odinism)
Druidry/ Celtic Spirituality
Kemet
Romuva
Wicca
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Gnosticism
Ritual Magic
Satanism
New Age
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Eastern/Asian spacer African
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Jainism
Cao Dai
Shinto
Sikhism
Taoism
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Voodoo/ Santeria/Palo
Rasta

Traditional

Kemet

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Controversial spacer Misc.
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Scientology
Deism
Falun Dafa
Santo Daime
Eckankar
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New Age
Discordianism

Shamanism (General)
Spiritism
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Abrahamic Origin spacer Endangered
Rasta
Druze
Sufism
Quakers
Baha’i
Zoroastrianism
Mandeism
Yezidism
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Symbols An
The Symbol Glossary now has its own page at:
http://symboldictionary.net
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Religion 101:

Afro-Caribbean 101
A diverse group of faiths of the African diaspora, including Santeria, Candomble, Vodoun (Voodoo), Umbanda, and related faiths.

Asatru
The history, beliefs and misconceptions, symbols and traditions of Asatru (Norse Pagan) spirituality, as well as links to relevant websites.

Baha’i
The beliefs, practices, and symbols of the Baha’i faith, the world’s most widespread religion.

Cao Dai
An ecumenical, Spiritist oriented faith of Vietnamese origin.

Deism
Your guide to the history and beliefs of Deism, with special attention to important Deist philosophers, and an exploration of the role played by Deism in the American and French revolutions.

Druidry/Celtic Paganism
Celtic and Druid faiths, beliefs, history, and culture, plus an overview of Druid groups and orders, events, and publications.

Druze
A mysterious heretical Muslim sect.

Falun Gong/Falun Dafa
Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, a controversial group fighting for religious freedom and recognition in China.

Gnosticism
A belief system with a unique worldview, Gnosticism is both an ancient Pagan religion and an early Christian belief system. Gnostic belief is purported by some to be the original Christianity, by others the greatest heresy.

Hellenismos/Greek Revival
The Hellenistic revival…a modern faith reconstructing the rich religious traditions of Ancient Greece.

Jainism
Jain, means “conquerors,” a religion of nonviolence, spiritual discipline, and extreme austerity.

Kemetic Orthodox faith
The beliefs and practices of Kemet, a modern revival of ancient Egyptian religious practices.

Mandeism

The practices, scriptures, and culture of the Mandeans of Iraq- followers of John the Baptist, and the last surviving Gnostic sect.

Quakers/Religious Society of Friends
Quakers promote peace, pacisifism, and support a variety of social justice platforms.

Rastafarianism
A short guide to the history, beliefs, and other important facts about Rastafarianism.
Religio Romana/Roman revival Religio Romana is the main name under which various Neopagan groups attempt to accurately reconstruct ancient Roman Pagan worship.

 

Ritual Magick
Ritual Magick, also known as Ceremonial Magick, one of the most mysterious and misunderstood spiritual traditions, dates back in various forms to the beginnings of human culture, and has been continually practiced through to the present day- inspiring movements as diverse as Wicca, Theosophy, and the New Age, as well as such diverse disciplines as Chaos magick, Aeonic magick, and Thelema.

Romuva/Lithuanian revival
Romuva, or the revival of Eastern European Pagan traditions, is one of the oldest Neopagan traditions.

Santo Daime
A catholic church with a different sort of Holy Communion.

Satanism
Satanism as a religion and a philosophy. Every variety and type of Satanic belief, from the mythical Satanist of the Middle ages to modern ritual Satanists, Dabblers, and Gnostics.

Shamanism
A brief introduction to Shamanism, trance, entheogens, and initiation.

 

Shinto
Learn about the beliefs and customs of Shinto, Asia’s most ancient ancestral religion.

Sikhism
Sometimes called the “unknown World Religion,” Sikhism is a unique faith, blending elements of Islamic and Hindu belief into one egalitarian system.
Even though it is relatively unknown in the West, the Sikh religion has millions of adherents worldwide.

Sufism
Sufism is not a religion of itself, but rather a mystical sect within Islam.

Taoism/Daoism
Taoism (also known as Daoism)is both a religion and a philosophy, and an influence on Asian society for two thousand years. Learn what makes Taoism so unique. includes links to texts, information about deities, beliefs, pictures and biographies.

Yezidism
Yezidi means angel; the Kurdish Yezidi sect is one of the oldest and most unusual religions in the Middle East, centering around a deity named Malek Taus, otherwise known as Lucifer.

Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is the oldest monotheistic religions in the world still practiced today. Founded thousands of years ago by the prophet Zoroaster, it is the spiritual precursor to both Judaism and Christianity.

 

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AboutAbout Jennifer and Alternative Religions

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Jennifer Emick has written about religion and spirituality for more than a decade, writing for a number of websites and periodicals. Jennifer spent 8 years with About.com as the Alternative Religions Guide.everythingceltic

Jennifer has made numerous radio, newspaper, and podcast appearances, and consulted with law enforcement agencies around the world on religious ritual and symbolism.

Jennifer is the author of the Everything Book of Celtic Wisdom from Adams Press.

From Jennifer:

Alternative Religion exists to explore the spiritual differences and to provide everyone from the casual reader to the serious seeker with unbiased, fair, and understandable information about religion’s less-traveled paths, from Asatru to Zoroastrianism and everything in between.

Tolerance of the views and beliefs of others is the first step toward understanding; understanding is the first step toward peace. Tolerance does not mean accepting another person’s beliefs, but recognizing their right to have those beliefs.

Check out Jennifer on these podcasts….

Occult of Personality

Masonic Traveler

Jennifer is available on a limited basis for interviews.

Academic and Law Enforcement consultations are available without charge.

Reprints of articles are available for a fee, with special consideration for nonprofit publications. No reprints of any kind are permitted without permission.

Jennifer can be contacted at jennifer@altreligion.net

 

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