New Worlds of Body, Mind & Spirit Since 1901
The science of alchemy is first and foremost a spiritual process of transformation and purification. However, there are two types of alchemy that often overlap. Practical alchemy, also called laboratory alchemy, is concerned with transforming a base material into a higher and more purified substance, such as the turning of a base metal into gold, or the extraction of a medicinal substance from a plant in order to create a healing elixir. Spiritual alchemy, which is also called theoretical alchemy or inner alchemy, is concerned with the transformation of the human soul from a state of baseness to one of spiritual enlightenment. The classical texts of alchemy are rich in symbolism and ...
So you've been thinking about magic and its role in your life. Maybe you'd like to take your interest in magic to a deeper, more profound level. Maybe you're ready to experience magic that is creative, loving, laughing. Or maybe you're ready for both of these things. If you are, then you are ready for D. J. Conway's Dancing with Dragons. Why is it that so many stories have been written and tales told about a creature that never existed? How can children give vivid descriptions of something they have never seen? Imagination? The immature illusions of a creative mind? Or could it be that the freedom allowed us in childhood and in storytelling connects us to the energy of a species that ...
It's dark in Chicago, and my ghost tour bus pulls into a narrow, nearly deserted alley that dead-ends at a railroad track after barely a block. The potholes are so deep that you can practically see all the way to the south side in them. The single streetlight lends the place an eerie glow to the broken street, the empty alley, and the deserted brick building. Walk up the hill to the railroad tracks and you'll get a perfect view of the skyline, but at street level, you can barely tell you're in a city at all. "All right, folks!" I announce. "This is my favorite part of the tour—the part where we rob you of your valuables and leave you in an abandoned alley!" In all seriousness, ...
When it comes to the matter of mysterious creatures and unknown animals, one of the most famous of all is Nessie—the monstrous denizen of Scotland's huge Loch Ness. For centuries stories have surfaced of a creature—or, far more likely, a colony of creatures—lurking deep in the waters of the ancient loch, and occasionally surfacing to tantalize and terrify locals and tourists. But, what are the Nessies? That's a very good question! The theories are many. The answers, however, are few. Nevertheless, it's worth addressing some of the more intriguing suggestions for Scotland's most famous monsters, and here are three of them. Take your pick! PlesiosaursThere is no doubt ...
