Vs. - Duality and Conflict in Magick, Mythology and Paganism

Marc Notes: 'Vs.' is a collection of 21 essays exploring the dynamic and wide-ranging nature of duality in magic, paganism and folklore, from polarity to paradox to opposition to friction to union. The essays weave together diverse threads of wisdom, knowledge, experience and inspiration into a tapestry of fallen angels, heroes, myths and stories. Publisher Marketing: Vs. Duality and conflict in magick, mythology and paganism Edited by Kim Huggens "Relationship cannot be created without duality: we are divided for love's sake, for the chance of union..." Vs. is a unique collection of twenty-one essays exploring the dynamic and wide-ranging nature of duality in magic, paganism and folklore, from polarity to paradox to opposition to friction to union. The essays by magicians, witches, folklorists, sorcerors, Norse and vodou practitioners, weave together diverse threads of wisdom, knowledge, experience and inspiration into a tapestry of fallen angels, heroes, gods, goddesses, fairies, lwa, dreams, myths and stories. The significance of the interplay between two disparate or similar powers is explored through the relationship of divine twins, siblings, lovers and enemies in a variety of different pantheons and tales, from Cain and Abel to Lilith and Eve, from Shiva & Shakti to Inanna and Dumuzi, from Perseus and Andromeda to Ares and Hephastus. The union of divine and mortal is another powerful theme explored in this book, both through the hieros gamos (sacred marriage) and the maryaj (Vodou spirit marriage) where a person weds one of the lwa. Vs. also explores the theme of self and other, as experienced both in ritual techniques for trance and dreaming, and in social commentaries on the diversity of beliefs within the modern esoteric revival such as Wicca, Sorcery and Neopaganism. Vs. covers a span of thousands of years, from ancient writings such as those of Plato and Gnosticism to the modern works of twentieth century magicians such as Austin Osman Spare and Dion Fortune. From the wisdom of the Emerald Tablet to the tales of the Mabinogion, Vs. challenges you in numerous ways to accept diversity and strive for the union of perfection. "I am the voice whose sound is manifold and the word whose appearance is multiple. " Thunder, Perfect Mind, 3rd century CE Contributor Bio:  Huggens, Kim Kim Huggens has been studying Tarot since the age of 9, and is the co-author of Sol Invictus: The God Tarot (Schiffer Publications, 2007) and in-progress companion deck Pistis Sophia: The Goddess Tarot. She lives in Cardiff, UK, where she works as a veterinary receptionist part-time to fund her university studies in Ancient History. She moved to Cardiff in 2002 for her undergraduate degree in Philosophy, and also graduated with an MA in Religion in Late Antiquity from Cardiff University in 2007. Kim has given numerous talks and workshops on the subject of Tarot, divination, Paganism and mythology in the UK, and regularly runs Tarot courses. She is a practicing Vodouisante and Thelemite, and a member of the OTO. She lives with her partner and cat, and in her spare time plays Call of Cthulhu, Dungeons and Dragons, writes short fiction, goes for walks in graveyards and wishes she could translate Sumerian.