Dreams and Magic

(part of the UNXPLAINED)

with contributions by

Joules and Ken Taylor

312 pages paperback
B&W illustrations
215 x 135mm
May 2000
Parragon

This compendium of essays on aspects of dreams and magic covers a wide range of fascinating factual material.

This is an illustrated (monochrome) book in a series published under the collective banner The UnXplained; please note that we have no involvement with the other titles.

Dreams and Magic is composed of six sections, four of which are shared equally between Ken and Joules (the other authors being Jamie Stokes and Simon Tomlin). Primarily intended to entertain with authoritative information, this book is discursive and anecdotal in style, and concentrates on facts and events rather than theories and ideas.

Joules covers Witches and Witchcraft, and Dreams and Dreaming, while Ken deals with Earth Energies, and The Magical Arts.

Witches and Witchcraft, like the other sections, is subdivided into major topics. Here they are entitled Witchcraft - the Old Religion (which includes discussion on The Power of Creation, The Wiccan Year, The Burning Times, The Good, the Bad and the Downright Evil, and Salem); The Witch's Craft (Herblore and Healing, Charms, Weather Magic, Familiars); Rituals (Wiccaning, Initiation, Handfasting, Death Rites); The Tools of the Craft (The Cauldron and the Chalice, The Sword and the Knife, The Staff and the Wand, The Stone, Pentacle or Dish, The Broom or Besom, The Robe, Jewellery); The Laws of Witchcraft (The Wiccan Rede, The Law of Three); and Today.

Dreams and Dreaming is subdivided into The Mysterious World of Dreaming (The Mechanics of Dreaming, Why Dream? and Memorable Dreams); Psychoanalysis and Dreams (Freud, Jung); Common Dreams (Falling, Flying, Public Nakedness, Fleeing); Uncommon Dreams (Killing, Dreaming a Song); Some Common Symbols; The Ancient World and the Interpretation of Dreams; Taking Control.

Earth Energies includes topics such as Our World - Mother Earth; Crystal Power; The Four Elements - the Earth in Harmony (The East, Dawn and the Element of Air, The South, Noon and the Element of Fire, The West, Dusk and the Element of Water, The North, Midnight and the Element of Earth); The Sun - Fountain of Life; The Moon - Our Guide through the Darkness; Sacred Landscape; A Glimpse of Faeryland; Sacred Sites; Feng Shui - Oriental Geomancy; and Gaia - the Living Planet.

The Magic Arts includes an Introduction; Primal Magic; Talismanic Magic; Learning to Spell; Adepts or Impostors?; Mystics and Angels; and The Antichrist?

The other two sections of this book are Ancient and Modern Secret Sects by Jamie Stokes, and Powers of Healing by Simon Tomlin.

Whilst it does not claim to make any reader an expert overnight, Dreams and Magic does provide an insight into a range of allied subjects.