An accessible, in-depth exploration of the runes as a living spiritual tradition.

Diana Paxson has distilled her many years of experience working with the runes into this essential source book. Readers will learn the historical meaning of each individual rune and its use and meaning now, in contemporary culture.

But, Paxson reveals, the real power of the runes comes from internalizing them and using their symbols as sources of wisdom and power. At the end of each chapter are rituals and spells for all levels of ability that aim to help internalize the attributions, meanings, symbolism, and use of the runes.

Everything regarding runes is covered in this definitive workbook, from the history of runes and how to make your own rune sets, to how to work with them on a psychic, spiritual, and magical level.

With a brand new foreword from the author and other updates, this classic guide to Norse mythology has been given a fresh look for a new generation of readers in the widespread Wiccan and Heathen communities, as well as fans of TV shows like Vikings and The Last Kingdom, the hit Marvel movies featuring Odin and Thor, and authors such as Neil Gaiman, Rick Riordan, and Joanne M. Harris who incorporate legends of the Norsemen and pagan lore into their novels.

A journey to fulfillment and renewal.

In Essential Asatru, renowned author and priestess Diana Paxson demystifies an ancient, rich, and often misunderstood religion, and offers a practical guide for its modern followers.

Filled with clear, concise instructions on living Asatru every day, this truly accessible guide takes you on a journey from Asatru's origins in Scandinavian and German paganism through its acceptance as an official religion in the 1970s and its practice today.

Essential Asatru also includes:
- A complete history of Asatru gods and goddesses, including Odin, Thor, and Ostara
- The life values, such as honor, truth, fidelity, and hospitality, that shape Asatru's tenets
- Indispensable information on rituals, rune casting, ethics, and divination

Essential Asatru is an elegant and splendid introduction to a centuries-old religion that continues to enrich and fascinate its followers today.

Marion Zimmer Bradley's beloved Avalon saga continues in 'a fine tribute to Bradley and the real-world triumphs and tragedy of Boudica.' (Publishers Weekly)

Epic in its sweep and peopled by the remarkable women who have always inhabited Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley's Ravens of Avalon expands the legendary saga that has enchanted millions of readers over the years and is sure to please Bradley's loyal readership and anyone who loves wonderfully told stories of history, myth, and fantasy.

A god for the ages, Odin's veneration remains vital and active. Paxson provides songs, rituals, magical exercises, and practical advice to help you develop your own personal relationship with the Lord of Runes. Highly recommended. --Judika Illes, author of Encyclopedia of Spirits, Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells, and other books

Odin is arguably one of the most enigmatic and complex characters in Norse mythology. Revered since the Viking Age, Odin has been called the greatest of the gods--the god of words and wisdom, runes and magic, a transformer of consciousness, and a trickster who teaches truth. He is both war god and poetry god, and he is the Lord of Ravens, the All- Father, and the rune master.

Odin: Ecstasy, Runes, and Norse Magic is the first book on Odin that is both historically sourced and accessible to a general audience. It explores Odin's origins, his appearances in sagas, old magic spells, and the Poetic Edda, and his influence on modern media, such as Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. Each chapter features suggestions for rituals, exercises, and music, so readers can comprehend and become closer to this complicated god.

Author Diana Paxson, an expert on Viking-era mythology, provides a complete portrait of Odin and draws on both scholarship and experience to provide context, resources, and guidance for those who are drawn to work with the Master of Ecstasy today.

Epic in its sweep and peopled by the remarkable women who have always inhabited Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword of Avalon expands the legendary saga that has enchanted countless readers over the years and is sure to please Bradley's loyal readership and anyone who loves wonderfully told stories of history, myth, and fantasy.

After years of conflict, Britannia finally knows peace and Artor reigns from his throne at Camalot. But discontent rumbles through the kingdom. A new generation longs for the glory their fathers knew. Medraut, the son conceived by deceit, lusts for Artor's crown -- and his queen. Dreams of an empire draw the king to Gallia to battle again, leaving the sovereignty of the isle in Guendivar's hands. As Artor's painful absence grows longer, the land cries out for its champion -- and even the queen doubts his return. With the rise of revolt home to a country in turmoil. Only he can heal the land and reclaim the kingdom -- or else the hallowed isle will be ripped asunder once again.

A darkness born and bred for revenge shadows the nation. But one hope shines -- the Defender of Britannia.

Bestselling author of several fantasy novels including Marion Zimmer Bradley's Ancestors of Avalon, Diana L. Paxson now turns her attention to Trance Possession. Specifically, how to safely and effectively enter and to exit possessory trance. In possessory trance, one voluntarily offers one's body as a vehicle for spirit work. This differs from other forms of trance in that one's normal personality is replaced by a personality that is identified by oneself and one's community as a spirit or a god.

Here Paxson explores all aspects of trance possession, including:

• how to prepare for possessory trance
• how to enter and exit trance possession safely, and what to do if things get too heavy
• connecting with Saints and Spirits, including those found in AfroDiasporic religions

A practical book of particular interest to witches and pagans, each chapter includes two to five exercises that will assist you in your personal experiences with possession.

It is the fifth century, and the Germanic tribes are pushing westward toward the world of Rome. In the forest of the Teutons, Sigfrid works at the forge and runs with the wolves. In the Taunus mountains, Brunhild trains with the Walkyriun, the witch-warriors who serve the tribes. Both find a father in Wodan, the ambiguous god of magic and madness who is guiding the tribes into a new world. Wodan helps Sigfrid forge a legendary sword and become a hero. With his guidance, Brunhild becomes a raven priestess. But Sigfrid's first great deed leaves him without a family, and when Brunhild obeys the god instead of her superiors, she is cast out. Their only hope of happiness lies together, but more than their own lives will be changed when the wolf and the raven fall in love . . .

The Romans came, conquered, and departed, leaving behind them a strange new religion called Christianity. The princes of Britannia have driven back the invading Saxons and dream of a return to bygone days, while others on the island invoke the magic of a time older still. For the revered ancient goddesses Eve on in the hearts and memories of the proud royal women of the old British tribes. And now, King Artor -- wounded in body and spirit -- proclaims that the sword and the spear must be put to rest, and summons his mother Igierne, Lady of the Lake, to use the powers of the Cauldron to heal a troubled, wartorn land. But old jealousies and new power struggles threaten disaster, as Artor's sister Morgause hides a deadly secretand a darker magic. It is Guendivar the queen who holds the key to their survival, if she can master her own power in time.

For a darkness is emanating from high places -- and it threatens to devastate a realm.

The ability to move from the ordinary into an altered state of consciousness is one of the most valuable skills in both magic and religion. From the ceremonial magician to the shaman, using trance work to explore inner realms is essential to the magical process of healing, transcendence, and wisdom desired throughout diverse occult and spiritual traditions. TrancePortation offers a comprehensive and multispirited way to enter the inner realm. Blending the modern world with the ancient arts, TrancePortation's first three chapters, Travel Planning, Crossing the Threshold, and Getting Started, offer preparatory suggestions including meditations and relaxations, breathing, warding, shifting gears, and returning. Drawing on examples from varied traditions, from Western Mystery to Native American, Ancient Celtic to Eastern Mysticism, and peppered with folk lore and tales from popular science fiction stories, TrancePortation explores spiritual journey work extensively, offering readers the chance to find their own ways into the inner realm, encounter their own guides and fellow travelers, and create divine relationships with the deities and gods and goddesses that they meet.

Throughout history, the uncertainties of life have driven people to seek counsel from prophets, seers, and oracles on everything from love to livelihood: people want to talk to their lost loved ones, heal old family traumas, find out about work, and determine what the future will bring.

In The Way of the Oracle, bestselling author, scholar, and priestess Diana L. Paxson offers a broad overview of the traditions of famous oracles in history: from the pythia at Delphi, the son of Beor, the Irish druidess, and the Greenland völva, to today's modern seers who are resurrecting ancient skills to serve their communities.

Paxson identifies the core elements of prophetic practice, her belief in probability rather than predestination, and offers exercises and examples to demonstrate how anyone can be trained to do oracle work. Her methods focus on trance skills and improving communication between one's unconscious and conscious mind to encourage selfknowledge and decision making.

The Way of the Oracle introduces the practice of oracle work to a wider audience, and shows how exploring the potential of other minds can expand our own.