Ancient Spirituality

The 40 days of fasting before Christmas are meant to prepare us for the Feast of the Nativity, but the busyness of the secular celebration can interfere with our best efforts to center our hearts on Christ. Behold a Great Light is a daily devotional, designed to help listeners contemplate the mysteries of the Incarnation, from the beginning of the Nativity fast on November 15, through Christmas and Theophany, ending with the Synaxis of St. John the Baptist on January 7.

In A.D. 381, Theodosius, emperor of the eastern Roman empire, issued a decree in which all his subjects were required to subscribe to a belief in the Trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This edict defined Christian orthodoxy and brought to an end a lively and wide-ranging debate about the nature of God; all other interpretations were now declared heretical.

Maybe, like me, you’re a bundle of paradoxes. On one hand, I bear God’s image. I have a marvelous capacity to cultivate beauty, experience intimacy, invent solutions, make promises, show mercy, resist evil, build culture, and encounter wonder. On my best days, God’s glory is profoundly displayed in my life.

The prophet Joel predicted that in the last days God would pour out His Spirit on believers, and young people would see visions and old people would dream dreams. We need to learn the ancient language of dreams and the biblical importance of how to properly interpret them. In this book, we give numerous examples of God speaking though dreams and visions. We will also look at the dreams of Abraham and the Persian Magi given in extra-biblical documents. I included a small selection of dreams I have had over the years.

In his subtle and engaging investigation into the life and times of Jesus, Thomas Cahill shows us Jesus from his birth to his execution through the eyes of those who knew him and in the context of his time—a time when the Jews were struggling to maintain their beliefs under overlords who imposed their worldview on their subjects. Here is Jesus the loving friend, itinerate preacher, and quiet revolutionary, whose words and actions inspired his followers to journey throughout the Roman world and speak the truth he instilled.

Unlock the secrets of the ancient world with The Complete Guide to Ancient Chaldean Numerology and Its Divine Power. This comprehensive guide takes you on a journey through the mystical and mathematical traditions of the Chaldeans, one of the most advanced civilizations of antiquity. Discover how the Chaldeans used numbers not only to understand the universe but to harness its divine power.

The Copper Scroll Project tells the story of an Oklahoma arson investigator, Jim Barfield, who sets off on a decade-long quest to uncover Qumran’s secrets - the lost treasures of the Jerusalem temple - and show the world that the Dead Sea Scrolls were merely the tip of the archaeological iceberg. Could its secrets hold the keys to one of the greatest treasures in Israel’s history?

The 20th-century elder Abba Matta of Egypt, known in the West as Matthew the Poor, is widely regarded as the greatest Egyptian elder since St. Antony the Great. He produced a huge and varied body of work in Arabic, only a little of which has been translated into English. In addition, a great many of his informal talks to monks and visitors were recorded. This volume is the first appearance in English of a small selection of these talks.

Five hundred years after Martin Luther and his Ninety-Five Theses ushered in the Reformation, best-selling author and controversial bishop and teacher John Shelby Spong delivers 12 forward-thinking theses to spark a new reformation to reinvigorate Christianity and ensure its future. Spong contends that there is mounting pressure among Christians for a radically new kind of Christianity - a faith deeply connected to the human experience instead of outdated dogma.

The monsters of ancient mythology, folklore, and more contemporary urban legend have long captured the popular imagination. While most people in America today relegate monsters to just that - our imaginations - we continue to be fascinated by the unknown. Linda Godfrey is one of the country's leading authorities on modern-day monsters and has interviewed countless eyewitnesses to strange phenomena.

The culture of Native Americans is one of the oldest in the world. Over the centuries, the Shamans and teachers of the tribes have preserved the rich knowledge accumulated in their community in order to pass it on to the next generations. One of the many secrets they have kept is the extraordinary properties of the wheel of colors. The wheel of colors will allow you to discover the colors that are best for you, so you can realize and maximize your potential in the best possible way.

Do you feel as if you don’t really belong, and that there is something missing in your life? In this book, Elizabeth Kneafsey tells the story of how she found her place in this world as a Shepherdess, and how you can find your own unique path too. Full of incredible and transformative stories of ancient crafts, sacred stones, Indigenous wisdom, menstrual rituals and a wolf companion, The Wild Wool Shepherdess will show you that it is possible to live a different way—one where women are deeply connected to the land and their own innate power.

“I didn’t think he’d do it. I really didn’t think he would. I thought he’d say, whoa, hold on, wait a minute. We made a deal, remember, the land, the blessing, the nation, the descendants as numerous as the sands on the shore and the stars in the sky.” So begins James Goodman’s original and urgent encounter with one of the most compelling and resonant stories ever told - God’s command to Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac.

The mind-expanding wisdom of the Emerald Tablet, simplified! The Emerald Tablet is an ancient Egyptian work written by Hermes Trismegistus that is believed to represent a step-by-step instruction manual for the alchemical process of turning ordinary metals like lead into something much more valuable, like gold. The manual consists of 14 cryptic, symbolic statements that many have tried to decipher over the course of thousands of years. I believe the 14 statements of the Emerald Tablet to be a symbolic guide to a far greater treasure than the conversion of lead into gold.

In this book, we will explore Gnosticism and the Divine Feminine through the lens of two great Gnostic texts. We will see the influence of Gnosticism and how their idea of the Divine Feminine effected orthodox or mainstream Christianity. The treatise of Eugnostos the Blessed (50-150 AD) and the gospel called The Sophia of Jesus Christ (50-200 AD) are presented together in a single volume, due to their close and undeniable connection.

In this step-by-step guide to kabbalistic practices to connect with your natural inner genius and liberate the light within you, Catherine Shainberg reveals how to tap instantly into the subconscious and receive answers to urgent questions. This method, called the Kabbalah of Light, originated with Rabbi Isaac the Blind of Posquieres (1160-1235) and has been passed down by an ancient kabbalistic family, the Sheshet of Gerona, in an unbroken transmission spanning more than 800 years.

There is an ancient pathway that leads to an endless well of great experiences. It is Jesus Christ, alive from the dead, beckoning hearts that burn for him, "Walk this way.... Come and find me here!" In his book Fasting, Michael challenges us to find a greater place of experiential union with Jesus by adventuring out into the deep waters of fasting as a lifestyle.

Ever felt misunderstood while you meant well? Do you want better and more fulfilling relationships with those around you? Ever wondered why some people just seemed to get along with each and everyone so naturally? Well, the reason is they are naturally applying the concepts of the Enneagram. Not knowing your true self means doing more harm than good to yourself and to those around you. Once you apply the power of the sacred Enneagram to your life, you will experience great positive changes.

How we care for and nurture our bodies has implications for all areas of our development - physical, emotional, and even spiritual. The body is a living and organic revelation of the unseen spirit inside a kind of garden....

According to polls, less than half of all Americans can even name more than four of them. For most of us, agnostics and faithful alike, they have been relegated to the level of a symbol, their teachings all but forgotten. In Western life today, the Ten Commandments are everywhere - except where we need them most. In The Ten Commandments, David Hazony offers a powerful new look at our most venerable moral text.