The Krampus, a folkloric devil associated with St. Nicholas in Alpine Austria and Germany, has been embraced by the American counterculture and is lately skewing mainstream. The new Christmas he seems to embody is ironically closer to an ancient understanding of the holiday as a perilous, haunted season. In the Krampus' world, witches rule Christmas, and saints can sometimes kill.
Originally published in 1903, this is an excellent source for an historical perspective on superstitions and folklore. Hundreds of entries are arranged alphabetically within broad subject categories. The original subtitle reads: "A comprehensive library of human belief and practice in the mysteries of life through more than six thousand years of experience and progress including the fundamental intuitions and instincts underlying the structure of civilization, theology, mythology, demonology, magic, witchcraft, esoteric philosophy, signs, omens, oracles, sorceries, auguries, divinations, prophecies, methods and means employed in revealing fortune and fate, systems and formulas for the use of psychical forces, hypnotism, clairvoyance, telepathy, spiritualism, character reading and character building with all the known powers and wonders of mind and soul, illustrated with numerous ancient and modern designs and thoroughly indexed."
North Sea Water in My Veins is a quest for the reconstruction of an indigenous or native spirituality of the Low Countries and covers pre-Christian material from the Netherlands, Belgium and the region just across the German border. Seeking out and documenting ancient gods and goddesses, practices and traditions, this book asks the question: is there enough material for such a reconstruction? The conclusion is a resounding yes!
Along the way he examines the development of the most microscopic and the most immense aspects of our universe and the complex ways in which they interact."--Jacket.
In her deeply affecting, vividly written memoir, Rosemary L. Bray describes with remarkable frankness growing up poor in Chicago in the 1960s, and her childhood shaped by welfare, the Roman Catholic Church, and the civil rights movement. Bray writes poignantly of her lasting dread of the cold and the dark that characterized her years of poverty; of her mother's extraordinary strength and resourcefulness; and of the system that miraculously enabled her mother to scrape together enough to keep the children fed and clothed. Bray's parents, held together by their ambitions for their children and painfully divided by their poverty, punctuate young Rosemary's nights with their violent fights and define her days with their struggles. This powerful, ultimately inspiring book is a moving testimony of the history Bray overcame, and the racial obstacles she continues to see in her children's way.
TRAVELING BLIND is a deeply reflective description of coming to terms with lack of sight. It reveals the invisible work of navigating with a guide dog while learning to perceive the world in new ways. The author travels with Teela, her lively "golden dog," through airports, city streets, and Southwest desert landscapes, exploring these surroundings with changed sight.
Two boys, one German and one American, are eager to join their respective armies during World War II, and their paths cross at the Battle of the Bulge.
From concept to completion—the modern quilter’s design guide Create a quilt that is uniquely yours! Award-winning quilter Heather Black demystifies the design process with easy-to-understand tips and basic quilt math for modern makers. Learn to spot and jot down ideas from everyday life, sketching your quilt inspirations on simple graph paper. Take your quilt designs from ordinary to energetic with practical advice to create movement and depth. Achieve color balance, choose the right fabrics to pull off your pattern, and add custom quilting to elevate the impact of your quilt. Whether this is your first time to strike out on your own or you’ve made quilts from scratch before, this book will help you identify your likes and dislikes and freshen your approach to modern quilt design. Also included are three modern quilts with full-size patterns that you can take straight to the sewing machine! Choose colors and fabrics like a pro, with solid design and finishing advice Tailor the process to your interests and skills with piecing, applique, and hand or machine sewing Sew 3 bonus full-size patterns from celebrated quiltmaker Heather Black
