Magic has stepped out of the movies; morphed from the pages of fairy tales; and taken root in the modern mind. Soccer moms are getting voodoo head washings in their backyards; young U.S. soldiers send chants toward pagan gods of war; and a seem-ingly normal family has determined that they are in fact elves. Hundreds of thousands of Americans are turning toward the supernatural in new ways; blending the ancient and the modern for a hyper-charged spirituality. They are reaching back in time to powers that have sustained the human imagina-tion for thousands of years.For many of us; magic is taking hold in less obvious ways. Almost unconsciously we find ourselves noting mysterious synchronicities that point to a plan for our lives. We are heeding premonitions; marking good omens; scrutinizing our dreams; and interpreting visions as direct communications. Thinking we might be called crazy; most of us never utter a word to anyone.But others of us are bolder. The community of Wiccans; witches; and pagans is growing faster than any other religious group in America. Voodoo; hoodoo; and Santeria are attracting middle-class believers across the country.National bestselling author and award-winning religion reporter Christine Wicker leaves no talisman unturned in her hunt to find what's authentic and what's not in America's burgeoning magical reality. Her investigation leads her from the voodoo temples of New Orleans to the witches' covens of Salem to a graveyard in north Florida as she probes the secrets of an underground society and learns lessons she never dreamed could be taught.Her new teachers are an odd crew: Myrna the Death Puppet; Tracy; Queen of the Vampires; and Siva; a tenderhearted satanist; along with people who truly believe they are fairies; werewolves; and dragons. The reporter in Wicker listens harder than she ever has; and she doesn't let herself roll her eyes -- not even once. What she learns repels her; challenges her; and then changes her in ways she never could have imagined.And if you let it; it might change you; too.
#93513 in Books 1995-08-18 1995-08-18Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 10.63 x .46 x 8.50l; 1.80 #File Name: 0060674407256 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. I easily read at a post-graduate levelBy ASUproudThis book is well researched but hard to read. I easily read at a post-graduate level; and I struggled with the prose. It's not that the words are incomprehensible; it's that the author's writing style is... tortured. It almost seems intentional. That is; the author could have used more plain language but chose to make the language as thick and heavy as possible. There is a wealth of information—my professor insisted that it is the authoritative text for comparative religions—but you'll want to be well rested before beginning each chapter.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Difficult; but fulfilling readBy T-BoneI purchased this book by Huston Smith for my world religions class. It does not read like a classic "text" book. This may please you; or it may drive you crazy. Mr. Smith has a very compact way of writing. He fits his descriptions into as little space as possible and uses a lot of little-known words. However; he has a very magical sense about him that just begs to be quoted. If you prefer a traditional text book; this book is not for you. I enjoyed reading it but couldn't help more than a few times to feel like I was missing out on a lot of information in the name of brevity and eloquence. I'd like to give this book a 3.5-star rating; but that's not a choice. 3 is unfair; so I chose 4 mainly because it's very inexpensive and that's good for us college students.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. 1 starsBy Ryan BatesI needed to read this for a theology class at my university; and I'm fully confident that my fellow students could agree on one thing; if nothing else: World's Religions was an awful; awful text. It's composed of flowery purple prose and twisted continuity. When the author states that there are X number of items in a list; be prepared for him to mention only half before moving onto an entirely different subject-- only to return to the list when you're already beginning to wade your way through his next inane set of information.
