History Pagan Religions

Every December, the internet explodes with bold claims that Christmas is nothing more than a remix of ancient pagan festivals. Saturnalia, Sol Invictus, Yule, Mithras, Horus — you’ve heard the accusations. “Jesus is just a copycat.” “Christians stole December 25 from the pagans.” “The Christmas tree is pagan.”

Who is Satan in the New Testament, and what is the evil that he represents? In this groundbreaking book, Elaine Pagels, Princeton's distinguished historian of religion, traces the evolution of Satan from its origins in the Hebrew Bible, where Satan is at first merely obstructive, to the New Testament, where Satan becomes the Prince of Darkness, the bitter enemy of God and man, evil incarnate. In The Origin of Satan, Pagels shows that the four Christian gospels tell two very different stories.

Have you ever wondered why we Christians do what we do for church every Sunday morning? Why do we "dress up" for church? Why does the pastor preach a sermon each week? Why do we have pews, steeples, choirs, and seminaries? This volume reveals the startling truth: most of what Christians do in present-day churches is not rooted in the New Testament, but in pagan culture and rituals developed long after the death of the apostles.

There is a reason the name Isis endured long after empires collapsed. She was not a distant myth. She was the goddess people turned to when life broke—when illness struck, when loved ones died, when the future felt uncertain. Her worship spread across continents because it worked. It answered questions that never go away. This book takes you inside that world. Step into the myths that shaped one of history’s most powerful divine figures Understand the rituals that brought ancient magic into everyday life Decode the symbols that carried meaning from Egypt to Rome Discover how ordinary ...

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.

The Spiritual Reality of Pre-Christian Scandinavia Discover the hidden reality of Viking religion beyond myths, sagas, and Marvel stories. For centuries, popular culture has presented Norse belief as a collection of colorful gods and heroic warriors. But examine the archaeological record, and a much darker reality emerges. Religion in the early medieval world was not built on belief or comfort—it was built on obligation, enforcement, and consequence. Viking Rituals and Sacrifice dismantles the romanticized myths to reveal how Norse religion truly functioned. Drawing directly on ...

What if the Christmas traditions you cherish are not Christian at all, but whispers from a forgotten, ancient world? Step into the heart of winter, and you will uncover a story far older than the nativity. Beneath the twinkling lights and familiar carols lies a truth carved into the bones of the season itself, echoed in firelight and carried on the breath of ancient gods. This is an invitation to explore the untold origins of the world’s most celebrated holiday. For centuries, the story of Christmas has been a paradox—a Christian holiday built upon the bones of pagan ritual. The early ...

We were never meant to be afraid of God―but many of us are. The ancient world of the New and Old Testament was saturated with this kind of fear. And as strange as this might seem to us, today’s Christians are not so different. We agonize over the exact wording of our prayers to try and make sure God responds a certain way. We push ourselves to do all the right things in the hopes that a distant, unpredictable God might be impressed enough to side with us. But this is not the God we encounter in the Scriptures and in the life of Christ.

Irish Druid Culture, Lore and Legacy begins in County Meath. A farmer plows around a hawthorn tree that stands alone in thirty acres of tilled ground. Forty minutes away, a motorway curves around an unmarked earthen mound because a county council quietly rerouted it. No archaeologist lobbied for the mound. There is no historical protection. Ireland simply went around. Ask what kind of belief -- not doctrine, not creed, but something older and quieter than either -- would have to persist across twenty centuries of invasion, famine, conversion, colonization, and modernity to still have that ...

The Left-Hand Path of Magick by Dr. Angela Puca is the definitive reference to the history and practice of the magickal Left-Hand Path. Dr. Puca explains what it is, why it's associated with the "left" direction, and where it comes from. Left-Hand Path magick derives originally from ancient...

Discover the living history of Wicca and Pagan Witchcraft through 40+ engaging biographies—pioneers and modern witches who built coven culture, shaped ritual practice, and carried the Craft into today. Part history, part inspiration, this collection shows how they began, what they contributed, and the practical lessons we can take forward as the movement evolves.

This two-volume history of the supernatural, first published in 1863, is a staggering feat: extending his work across almost a thousand pages, William Howitt attempts to describe the engagement with the supernatural in all ages and all parts of the world in order to identify a common link between them. Howitt (1792-1879), a well-known writer in his day, published over 50 books in his lifetime, some in collaboration with his wife, writer and translator Mary Howitt. His interest in the supernatural was precipitated by the untimely deaths of two sons.

Though the burgeoning Christian identity of the Roman Empire was never without opposition, no one expected the Old Gods to forge a final, desperate effort to reclaim their empire some 60 years following the death of Constantine the Great. The Battle Frigidus marked the final installment of Rome’s trilogy of monumental civil wars. Those previous battles fought between Caesar and Pompey and again between Constantine and Licinius might be better remembered, but never had the stakes been higher than when east battled west in the rocky outcrops of the Julian Pass. As Rome goes, so does the ...

For more than a millennium, the Russian Orthodox Church has shown astonishing survival skills - from the Mongol yoke, to tsarist demagoguery and enlightenment, Soviet atheism, the chaotic 1990s and now two decades of Vladimir Putin. In this provocative new book, Lucy Ash reveals how, under Putin...

One word has been used to heal the sick…and to justify killing the innocent: witch. A Witch’s Door Through Time is not a spellbook. It is a guided, fact-based journey through how witchcraft began, how it was misunderstood, and how it was weaponized by fear, power, religion, rumor, and control.

Wicca is for everyone who desires to be one with nature. there are a lot of reasons as to why people convert to the wiccan belief, all of which will be discussed in this book. With this book at the palm of your hand, we will guide you through your journey - from learning all about the history of the said religion, dispelling any myths surrounding its principles, the basics of Witchcraft, the tools and devices used by the followers of the Wiccan religion and modern paganism, and so forth.

This comprehensive book will teach you all about Wicca and witchcraft, including how to practice alone; useful tools and supplies; best ways to find a join a coven; blessings, charms, and spells; and more.

The fifth book by Carole Carlton in the Mrs Darley series finds the ever likeable and enigmatic Mrs Darley leading the author further along her magickal path, as she reveals some of the Pagan secrets that underpin the workings of real, divine magick. The word magick evokes an air of mystery, wonder and excitement - but can it really be as simple as waving a wand and chanting a spell? In truth, the practice of magick is far more complex than we might imagine, requiring the practitioner to be both disciplined and dedicated.

This two-volume history of the supernatural, first published in 1863, is a staggering feat. William Howitt attempts to describe the engagement with the supernatural in all ages and all parts of the world in order to identify a common link between them. Howitt (1792-1879), a well-known writer in his day, published over 50 books in his lifetime, some in collaboration with his wife, writer, and translator Mary Howitt.

In this third and final part of The Commandment Trilogy, two "casualties of life," Zachary, the failed hermit, and Leila, the ostracized nun, travel from the the Nile valley on a final life journey, this time together. Set in exotic but little-known fourth-century A.D. Egypt, their journey sheds a unique light on the early development of Christianity -- both its good and its bad sides.