Living With Honour is a provocative and uncompromising exploration of how Paganism can provide the philosophical guidance to live honourably in a twenty-first Western society. It covers the history of Paganism, its undercurrents of anarchy, heresy, environmentalism and animism, finding its place within the history of Western philosophy. It addresses key moral issues from that animistic perspective, beginning with the foundation of human relationships and attitudes towards the Other, and explores the factors that hinder ethical action. It is a comprehensive guide to moral living from a Pagan perspective.
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SKU:240941
ISBN:9781846940941
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WAKEFUL WORLD: ANIMISM, MIND AND THE SELF IN NATURE by Emma Restall Orr
£7.79
£11.99
Over the past few hundred years, animism has been dismissed as a primitive, naive and irrational perspective, irrelevant within the civilised West. In The Wakeful World, Emma Restall Orr argues that this is based on the misrepresentation, drawn in crayon, that each tree and stone has its own Christian-like immortal soul. Taking the reader on a philosophical adventure, Restall Orr explores the heritage of Western thought with precision, enthusiasm and sensitivity, considering how soul, spirit, mind and consciousness have been understood through millennia. Challenging the prevailing worldviews of materialism and dualism, she presents animism as a radically different, yet mature and coherent philosophy. Providing deep green ethics with a wholly rational metaphysical foundation, The Wakeful World is a compelling view of the nature of existence and the experience of reality, giving solid ground for the now necessary journey to a sustainable world.
Darwin's theory of evolution is undoubtedly one of the most important scientific ideas of the modern age, explaining the existence of both life and consciousness without recourse to divine intervention. Yet how do we interpret evolution? How do we evaluate the ability of Nature to engineer something as exquisite as the genetic code or the human brain? Could it be that evolution is an intelligent process? Is Nature smart? According to most scientists, the answer is no. While humanity may be intelligent and purposeful, the natural processes that crafted us are deemed to be devoid of such attributes. In a radical move away from orthodoxy, Simon G. Powell extends Darwin's vision by showing that evolution is not just about the survival of the fittest but rather the survival of clever and sensible behaviour. Revealing the importance of the context in which things evolve, he explores the intelligent learning process behind natural selection. Rich with examples of the incredibly complex plants, animals, insects and marine life designed by Nature - from the carnivorous Venus flytrap and the fungus-farming leafcutter ant to the symbiotic microbes found inside the common cow - he shows Nature as a whole to be a system of self-organising intelligence in which life and consciousness are always destined to emerge. Examining the origins of life and the failure of artificial intelligence to compete with natural intelligence, he explains how our scientifically narrow-minded views on intelligence are now acting as a barrier to our own evolution. As Darwin's unfinished business comes to light and Nature's intelligence is embraced, we learn that Nature's agenda is not simply the replication of genetic matter but of expanding consciousness.
SHAPESHIFTING INTO HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS Llyn Roberts
£8.44
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Why Shapeshift into Higher Consciousness' Because, explains shamanic healer Llyn Roberts, we are one with a vast, intelligent universe that has boundless energy to create; and because in doing so, we have everything to gain. We owe it to ourselves to wake up, live from higher values and create a world worth living in. Llyn has years of experience with indigenous healers, shamans, and Elders from cultures that know how to shapeshift realities. Now she translates their ancient techniques into simple modern practices that you can use to transform personal imbalances, open to your life purpose, deepen your relationship with spirit and nature, and realise oneness with the higher power of life. Llyn presents a potent combination of healing, spirituality, activism, ecology and shamanism by which you can effect positive personal and global change. 254pp, 140mm x 216mm, softback, 2011
Many indigenous cultures practise shapeshifting. Those who shapeshift understand that all life is energy and that by focusing your intent you can change energetic patterns, producing a new form. Shapeshifting can occur on three levels: cellular - transforming from human to plant or animal; personal - becoming a new self or leaving an addiction behind; and institutional - creating a new business or cultural identity. Since 1968, master shamans in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas have been training John Perkins to teach Westerners about the powerful techniques involved in shapeshifting. In this intriguing book, John describes the many profound and dramatic spiritual experiences he had while on this path of learning, and shares ancient and modern techniques that will enable you, too, to become a shape shifter. 180pp, 152mm x 228mm, illus. in b&w, softback, 1997
As humans evolved on Earth they used plants for everything imaginable--food, weapons, baskets, clothes, shelter, and medicine. Indigenous peoples the world over have been able to gather knowledge of plant uses by communicating directly with plants and honoring the sacred relationship between themselves and the plant world. In Sacred Plant Medicine Stephen Harrod Buhner looks at the long-standing relationship between indigenous peoples and plants and examines the techniques and states of mind these cultures use to communicate with the plant world. He explores the sacred dimension of plant and human interactions and the territory where plants are an expression of Spirit. For each healing plant described in the book, Buhner presents medicinal uses, preparatory guidelines, and ceremonial elements such as prayers and medicine songs associated with its use.