Exploring the role of actors in society, the book presents them as modern-day seers and shamans who possess unique powers of personal magnetism, charisma, and psychic sensitivity. It argues that actors serve as creators of visions, guiding audiences on transformative journeys of self-discovery. Drawing on historical perspectives, the author emphasizes the importance of intuitive wisdom in traditional cultures and suggests that this role remains vital in contemporary society, highlighting the actor's ability to challenge habitual ways of being.
Today, many of us hunger for guidance on how best to live our lives. In this fascinating and scholarly book, psychologist Dr Brian Bates offers a journey into a way of wisdom which once was ours a thousand years ago when our ancestors lived as indigenous peoples in ancient Europe. To them the archaic word 'Wyrd' meant all that was sacred and unexplainable - the force which underlay all life. This force was at the heart of their spiritual tradition which, in its scope and depth, had remarkable parallels to the Eastern Tao and the Native Americans' Great Spirit. Drawing on twenty years of research, Brain Bates gives a rich description of the creative, organic vision of the world which our ancestors held - at the centre of which were the shamans, powerful figures who mediated directly with the spirits and the pulse of the earth's rhythm. He also shows how, through practical techniques and mediations, as well as through extraordinarily fertile stories from our past, we can once again rediscover and reclaim our sacred heritage - a wisdom which is still deep within us all, and needs only to be brought to the surface.
Sent on a mission deep into the forests of pagan Anglo-Saxon England, Wat
Brand, a Christian scribe, suddenly finds his vision of the world turned
upside down. The familiar English countryside is not what it seems;
threatening spirits, birds of omen and plants of power lurk in this landscape
of unseen terrors and mysterious forces.
Exploring the historical roots of Middle Earth, the book delves into the real civilization that inspired Tolkien's creation. It presents a world where magic was an integral part of life, with a belief in an interconnected universe. The narrative highlights the diverse tribes, such as Celts, Anglo Saxons, and Vikings, and examines their daily lives within this mystical context. Through archaeological, historical, and psychological insights, Bates vividly reconstructs a civilization from two millennia ago, appealing to fans of Tolkien and history alike.
The companion volume to the August television series on The Learning Channel takes a close-up look at the human face to reveal a myriad of complex expressions that shed light on the nature of human personality.
An intelligent popular history of the magically enchanting early English civilisation on which Tolkien based his world of Lord of the Rings.Tolkien readily admitted that the concept of Middle-earth was not his own invention. An Old English term for the Dark Age world, it was always assumed that the importance of magic in this world existed only in Tolkien's works; now Professor Brian Bates reveals the vivid truth about this historical culture. Behind the stories we know of Dark Age king and queens, warriors and battles, lies the hidden history of Middle-earth, a world of magic, mystery and destiny. Fiery dragons were seen to fly across the sky, monsters haunted the marshes, and elves fired poisoned arrows. Wizards cast healing spells, wise trees gave blessings, and omens foretold the deaths of kings. The very landscape itself was enchanted and the world imbued with a life force. Repressed by a millennium of Christianity, this belief system all but disappeared, leaving only faint traces in folk memory and fairy tales. In this remarkable book Professor Brian Bates has drawn on the latest archaeological findings to reconstruct the imaginative world of our past, revealing a culture with insights that may yet help us understand our own place in the world.
Alles ist von Lebenskraft durchdrungen. Sie ist der Quellstrom allen Lebens. Sie wird beim Menschen im Kopf erzeugt, fließt wie ein Lichtstrom in das Mark der Wirbelsäule und von dort in die Glieder und Gefäße des Körpers. Pflanzen der Macht tragen zur Kontrolle der Kanäle bei, durch die die Energie fließt." Diese Worte spricht Wulf, ein heidnischer Zauberer, zu Brand, einem christlichen Missionar (der "das Licht des Heilands in die dunklen Lande der Heiden" bringen soll), in diesem faszinierenden Einweihungsroman. In dem Helden Brand prallen das heidnische und das christliche Weltbild psychologisch aufwühlend und hochdramatisch aufeinander. Doch so spannend und aufrüttelnd dieser sorgfältig und historisch genau recherchierte Roman über die Welt der Mystiker im England des frühen Mittelalters auch sein mag, noch viel spannender ist der Autor selbst
Gesichter faszinieren uns. Selbst auf Babies üben sie eine geradezu magische Anziehungskraft aus. Diese Faszination ist angeboren und hält ein Leben lang an
