Download or read book The Long Life of Magical Objects written by Allegra Iafrate and published by Penn State Press. This book was released on 2020-01-17 with total page 173 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores a series of powerful artifacts associated with King Solomon via legendary or extracanonical textual sources. Tracing their cultural resonance throughout history, art historian Allegra Iafrate delivers exciting insights into these objects and interrogates the ways in which magic manifests itself at a material level. Each chapter focuses on a different Solomonic object: a ring used to control demons; a mysterious set of bottles that constrain evil forces; an endless knot or seal with similar properties; the shamir, known for its supernatural ability to cut through stone; and a flying carpet that can bring the sitter anywhere he desires. Taken together, these chapters constitute a study on the reception of the figure of Solomon, but they are also cultural biographies of these magical objects and their inherent aesthetic, morphological, and technical qualities. Thought-provoking and engaging, Iafrate’s study shows how ancient magic artifacts live on in our imagination, in items such as Sauron’s ring of power, Aladdin’s lamp, and the magic carpet. It will appeal to historians of art, religion, folklore, and literature.
Download or read book Spell Crafts written by Scott Cunningham and published by Llewellyn Worldwide. This book was released on 2002-09 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Spell Crafts Take a look at your hands. See them as wondrous vehicles of power. Feel the energy that flows through everything you do. Tap into that power! Carve a symbol, dip a candle, mix fragrant herbs, sculpt clay, and make your life all that you want it to be. When crafts are used to create objects intended for ritual or to symbolize the divine, the connection between the craftsperson and divinity grows more intense. This second edition of "Spell Crafts, the much-loved and oft-read guide to magical handwork, features new illustrations and a new preface by David Harrington. Learn how to create and use all of the following: - magical simmering potpourris - a beaded psychic mandala - clay pentacles, plaques, and runic dice - a shaman''''s arrow - sand paintings - Corn Mother - a magical spell broom - protective hex sign - Witch bottles - flower garlands - spell banner - magic mirror - prosperity trivet - wheat weaving
Download or read book Magical Objects written by Elmar Schenkel and published by Galda & Wilch. This book was released on 2007 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Runic Amulets and Magic Objects written by Mindy MacLeod and published by Boydell Press. This book was released on 2006 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fresh examination of one of the most contentious issues in runic scholarship - magical or not? The runic alphabet, in use for well over a thousand years, was employed by various Germanic groups in a variety of ways, including, inevitably, for superstitious and magical rites. Formulaic runic words were inscribed onto small items that could be carried for good luck; runic charms were carved on metal or wooden amulets to ensure peace or prosperity. There are invocations and allusions to pagan and Christian gods and heroes, to spirits of disease, and even to potential lovers. Few such texts are completely unique to Germanic society, and in fact, most of the runic amulets considered in this book show wide-ranging parallels from a variety of European cultures. The question ofwhether runes were magical or not has divided scholarship in the area. Early criticism embraced fantastic notions of runic magic - leading not just to a healthy scepticism, but in some cases to a complete denial of any magical element whatsoever in the runic inscriptions. This book seeks to re-evaulate the whole question of runic sorcery, attested to not only in the medieval Norse literature dealing with runes but primarily in the fascinating magical texts of the runic inscriptions themselves. Dr MINDY MCLEOD teaches in the Department of Linguistics, Deakin University, Melbourne; Dr BERNARD MEES teaches in the Department of History at the University of Melbourne.
Download or read book Almandal Grimoire written by Genese Grill and published by . This book was released on 2018-08-06 with total page 56 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Magic Objects for Beginners written by Harry Eilenstein and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2021-06-01 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Magical items are mostly familiar from fantasy novels and fantasy movies, but they also exist "in real life." However, these real magic items are different from those that appear in the realm of fantasy. They are gateways to certain qualities, spirits, and deities, but not items that give a person a power they could not otherwise obtain. Such magical objects include talismans, magic rings, magic wands, voodoo dolls, and the spiritus familiaris (a self-made spirit), as well as statues, temples, sweat lodges, haunted houses, pyramids, power places, crop circles, and homeopathic globules. These magical objects are neither indispensable (you can achieve everything without them) nor useless (they can help with many things) - they are tools that can facilitate many things in magic.
Download or read book Material Approaches to Roman Magic written by Adam Parker and published by Oxbow Books. This book was released on 2018-04-30 with total page 419 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This second volume in the new TRAC Themes in Roman Archaeology series seeks to push the research agendas of materiality and lived experience further into the study of Roman magic, a field that has, until recently, lacked object-focused analysis. Building on the pioneering studies in Boschung and Bremmer's (2015) Materiality of Magic, the editors of the present volume have collected contributions that showcase the value of richly-detailed, context-specific explorations of the magical practices of the Roman world. By concentrating primarily on the Imperial period and the western provinces, the various contributions demonstrate very clearly the exceptional range of influences and possibilities open to individuals who sought to use magical rituals to affect their lives in these specific contexts – something that would have been largely impossible in earlier periods of antiquity. Contributions are presented from a range of museum professionals, commercial archaeologists, university academics and postgraduate students, making a compelling case for strengthening lines of communication between these related areas of expertise.
Download or read book Magic with Everyday Objects written by George Schindler and published by Scarborough House. This book was released on 1999-12-14 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Magic with Everyday Objects is an easy-to-follow how-to manual for novice magicians or those interested in picking up a few easy tricks to entertain at a moment's notice.
Download or read book Designing with Objects written by Avinash C. Kak and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2015-02-09 with total page 504 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here is a book that takes the sting out of learning object-oriented design patterns! Using vignettes from the fictional world of Harry Potter, author Avinash C. Kak provides a refreshing alternative to the typically abstract and dry object-oriented design literature. Designing with Objects is unique. It explains design patterns using the short-story medium instead of sterile examples. It is the third volume in a trilogy by Avinash C. Kak, following Programming with Objects (Wiley, 2003) and Scripting with Objects (Wiley, 2008). Designing with Objects confronts how difficult it is for students to learn complex patterns based on conventional scenarios that they may not be able to relate to. In contrast, it shows that stories from the fictional world of Harry Potter provide highly relatable and engaging models. After explaining core notions in a pattern and its typical use in real-world applications, each chapter shows how a pattern can be mapped to a Harry Potter story. The next step is an explanation of the pattern through its Java implementation. The following patterns appear in three sections: Abstract Factory, Builder, Factory Method, Prototype, and Singleton; Adapter, Bridge, Composite, Decorator, Facade, Flyweight, and Proxy; and the Chain of Responsibility, Command, Interpreter, Iterator, Mediator, Memento, Observer, State, Strategy, Template Method, and Visitor. For readers’ use, Java code for each pattern is included in the book’s companion website. All code examples in the book are available for download on a companion website with resources for readers and instructors. A refreshing alternative to the abstract and dry explanations of the object-oriented design patterns in much of the existing literature on the subject. In 24 chapters, Designing with Objects explains well-known design patterns by relating them to stories from the fictional Harry Potter series
Download or read book Junkyard Druid written by M. D. Massey and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2016-09-22 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: JUNKYARD DRUID A New Adult Urban Fantasy Novel From M.D. Massey A cursed druid, blackmailed by a faery queen to find a missing magic rock. Let's just hope they don't hack the druid off... for everyone's sake. Name's Colin McCool. Folks call me the Junkyard Druid. I hate that name. Despite my last name, I'm not "cool" like the other hunters in town. I don't run an occult bookstore, I've never owned a Harley, and I didn't inherit a family fortune passed down through generations of hunters before me. And I kind of have this curse on me that's messed up my life. So, things have gone to hell since I was cursed. I live in a junkyard, my mentor Finn is a heroin addict, I've got the Cold Iron Circle breathing down my neck, and the local Fae Queen Maeve is blackmailing me into doing her dirty work. Now I'm in way over my head trying to retrieve Maeve's stolen magic rock, all while helping my friend Belladonna solve a series of murders that may or may not involve the local werewolves. And did I mention that my girlfriend is a ghost? If I can just get the Faery Queen's tathlum back, and help Belladonna solve the murders... Then I just might live long enough to finish my first year of college. - - - Junkyard Druid is a new adult fantasy novel that interweaves elements of paranormal mystery and suspense to introduce an exciting new world and characters in the urban fantasy paranormal genre. It is the first book in the Colin McCool urban fantasy series for adults. Readers of Jim Butcher, Patricia Briggs, Kevin Hearne, and Al K. Line will enjoy exploring this new fantasy world through the eyes of Colin McCool. Get your copy today!
Download or read book Self Working Table Magic written by Karl Fulves and published by Courier Corporation. This book was released on 2013-06-10 with total page 145 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ninety-seven mystifying tricks done with ordinary objects that can be borrowed from the audience. Make coins appear or disappear; matchsticks jump into the air; classic cups and balls; more. 185 illustrations.
Download or read book Lessons from Grimm written by Shonna Slayton and published by Amaretto Press. This book was released on 2020-06-22 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Uncover the fairy tale secrets that made the Grimms famous. In fairy tales, a young woman can have impossibly long hair, a man can turn into a lion during the day, and a simple spindle can change a kingdom's history. There are few limits on characters we can create or the stories we tell. Our characters don’t necessarily have to look or act a certain way, and fairy tale magic can delight readers in fresh new ways. In Lessons from Grimm, you’ll do a deep dive into how the Grimms masterfully handle key elements of genre, character, setting, plot, fairy tale magic, and theme. Lessons from Grimm is perfect for teenage writers and up. While beginning authors will learn basic storytelling techniques, more advanced storytellers will hone in on specific tips for writing fairy tale magic and themes. By studying examples of well-known and more obscure tales, you'll come away with a fresh perspective on Grimms' fairy tales and lots of ideas for writing your own stories. * quickly brainstorm ideas * streamline the creative process * create endearing fairy tale characters * build on time-tested plots and themes * write a better fairy tale Bonus! The appendix includes comprehensive lists of characters, settings, plots, romance tropes, magic objects and more, saving you hours of research time. Get Lessons from Grimm today and get started writing your own magical tale.
Download or read book Significant Objects written by Joshua Glenn and published by Fantagraphics Books. This book was released on 2012-08-06 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 100 EXTRAORDINARY STORIES ABOUT ORDINARY THINGS SIGNIFICANT OBJECTS: A Literary and Economic Experiment Can a great story transform a worthless trinket into a significant object? The Significant Objects project set out to answer that question once and for all, by recruiting a highly impressive crew of creative writers to invent stories about an unimpressive menagerie of items rescued from thrift stores and yard sales. That secondhand flotsam definitely becomes more valuable: sold on eBay, objects originally picked up for a buck or so sold for thousands of dollars in total — making the project a sensation in the literary blogosphere along the way. But something else happened, too: The stories created were astonishing, a cavalcade of surprising responses to the challenge of manufacturing significance. Who would have believed that random junk could inspire so much imagination? The founders of the Significant Objects project, that’s who. This book collects 100 of the finest tales from this unprecedented creative experiment; you’ll never look at a thrift-store curiosity the same way again. FEATURING ORIGINAL STORIES BY: Chris Adrian • Rob Agredo • Kurt Andersen • Rachel Axler • Rob Baedeker • Nicholson Baker • Rosecrans Baldwin • Matthew Battles • Charles Baxter • Kate Bernheimer • Susanna Breslin • Kevin Brockmeier • Matt Brown • Blake Butler • Meg Cabot • Tim Carvell • Patrick Cates • Dan Chaon • Susanna Daniel • Adam Davies • Kathryn Davis • Matthew De Abaitua • Stacey • D'Erasmo • Helen DeWitt • Doug Dorst • Mark Doty • Ben Ehrenreich • Mark Frauenfelder • Amy Fusselman • William Gibson • Myla Goldberg • Ben Greenman • Jason Grote • Jim Hanas • Jennifer Michael Hecht • Sheila Heti • Christine Hill • Dara Horn • Shelley Jackson • Heidi Julavits • Ben Katchor • Matt Klam • Wayne Koestenbaum • Josh Kramer • Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer • Neil LaBute • Victor LaValle • J. Robert Lennon • Jonathan Lethem • Todd Levin • Laura Lippman • Mimi Lipson • Robert Lopez • Joe Lyons • Sarah Manguso • Merrill Markoe • Tom McCarthy • Miranda Mellis • Lydia Millet • Maud Newton • Annie Nocenti • Stephen O’Connor • Stewart O’Nan • Jenny Offill • Gary Panter • Ed Park • James Parker • Benjamin Percy • Mark Jude Poirier • Padgett Powell • Bob Powers • Todd Pruzan • Dan Reines • Nathaniel Rich • Peter Rock • Lucinda Rosenfeld • Greg Rowland • Luc Sante • R.K. Scher • Toni Schlesinger • Matthew Sharpe • Jim Shepard • David Shields • Marisa Silver • Curtis Sittenfeld • Bruce Sterling • Scarlett Thomas • Jeff Turrentine • Deb Olin Unferth • Tom Vanderbilt • Matthew J. Wells • Joe Wenderoth • Margaret Wertheim • Colleen Werthmann • Colson Whitehead • Carl Wilson • Cintra Wilson • Sari Wilson • Douglas Wolk • John Wray
Download or read book Strange Objects written by Gary Crew and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2011-08-01 with total page 189 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 25th anniversary edition of this landmark novel, in which a chilling modern mystery is entwined with one of Australia's most brutal and intriguing historical atrocities. From one of Australia's most awarded writers, Gary Crew, with a foreword and cover illustration by Shaun Tan. On 4 June 1629, the Dutch vessel Batavia struck uncharted rocks off the West Australian coast. By the time help arrived, over 120 men, women and children had met their deaths - not in the sea, but murdered by two fellow survivors, Wouter Loos and Jan Pelgrom. Nearly 400 years later, Steven Messenger discovers gruesome relics from that wreck. Four months later he disappears without a trace. Where is Messenger? Is his disappearance linked to the relics? Someone knows ... somewhere ... 'this stunningly original work defies easy categorization as it spins dual story lines into one spellbinding yarn ... Crew tantalizes to the very end, leaving readers to speculate enthusiastically on the riddles he craftily leaves unsolved. His tale will electrify his audience' - Publishers Weekly 'Strange Objects will continue to tease and perplex readers of all ages long after it has been read' - Australian Book Review 'A supernatural mystery of a high order' - Kirkus Reviews 'The past is alive in us all, and will test our humanity to the full' - Marion Halligan
Download or read book Mediums and Magical Things written by Laurel Kendall and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2021-05-25 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Statues, paintings, and masks—like the bodies of shamans and spirit mediums—give material form and presence to otherwise invisible entities, and sometimes these objects are understood to be enlivened, agentive on their own terms. This book explores how magical images are expected to work with the shamans and spirit mediums who tend and use them in contemporary South Korea, Vietnam, Myanmar, Bali, and elsewhere in Asia. It considers how such things are fabricated, marketed, cared for, disposed of, and sometimes transformed into art-market commodities and museum artifacts.
Download or read book The Green Wiccan Magical Spell Book written by Silja and published by Ryland Peters & Small. This book was released on 2018-12-06 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An "enchanting compilation of spells." Review of The Green Wiccan Magical Spellbook by Soul and Spirit. This is the must-have grimoire for every modern-day witch who wishes to discover a world of boundless possibilities, with spells for attracting more love, money and luck into your life, cleansing your home, healing a rift in a friendship, and much more. This lavishly illustrated compendium, written by Celtic Wiccan High Priestess Silja, covers a wide-ranging array of spells. With an easy to difficult rating system, Silja makes it simple for anyone to learn the basics and then progress to more advanced practices. Silja shares love spells and potions, seasonal rituals, vision quests and meditations, information about the history of magic, tips, tricks and magical theory as well as handy advice about how to continue your magical journey. Whether you are looking to practise your craft alone or with a coven, The Green Wiccan Magical Spell Book has everything you need to advance your magical studies.
Download or read book A History of the World in 100 Objects written by Neil MacGregor and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2011-10-06 with total page 564 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book takes a dramatically original approach to the history of humanity, using objects which previous civilisations have left behind them, often accidentally, as prisms through which we can explore past worlds and the lives of the men and women who lived in them. The book's range is enormous. It begins with one of the earliest surviving objects made by human hands, a chopping tool from the Olduvai gorge in Africa, and ends with an object from the 21st century which represents the world we live in today. Neil MacGregor's aim is not simply to describe these remarkable things, but to show us their significance - how a stone pillar tells us about a great Indian emperor preaching tolerance to his people, how Spanish pieces of eight tell us about the beginning of a global currency or how an early Victorian tea-set tells us about the impact of empire. Each chapter immerses the reader in a past civilisation accompanied by an exceptionally well-informed guide. Seen through this lens, history is a kaleidoscope - shifting, interconnected, constantly surprising, and shaping our world today in ways that most of us have never imagined. An intellectual and visual feast, it is one of the most engrossing and unusual history books published in years.
