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Subjects > Body, mind & spirit > General
Subjects > Social science > Anthropology / cultural
Subjects > Games > Magic > Magic - history
Subjects > Occultism and science



About This Book:

Title: Behind the Crystal Ball: Magic, Science, and the Occult from Antiquity Through the New Age

Other Available Formats:
Paperback, 2002

Details
Language:        English

Size
Length:        406 Pages
Weight:        1.7 Pounds
Height:         9.8 Inches
Width:          6.5 Inches
Thickness:    1.5 Inches



Publisher Notes
From ancient times to the present, magic and science have always been intertwined. In this fascinating book, astronomer/anthropologist Anthony Aveni conducts a whirlwind tour of occult practices--from astrology, alchemy, and phrenology to psychokinesis, crystals, and channeling--and finds that many of magic's ancient rites have been revived and reexamined in the New Age.



Industry Reviews
Behind The Crystal Ball is a fascinating exploration of occult practice which takes the reader on a whirlwind tour through time and space, traveling from the ancient Tigris-Euphrates river valley to the streets of our modern-day cities. On the way, it catalogs the many ways people have used magic over the millennia in the hope of improving their lives. Although most ancestral and contemporary superstitions sound foolish to us, they are cultural reminders of a time when magic was nearly indistinguishable from science. Professor Anthony Aveni argues persuasively that we cannot separate a culture's perception of reality from its times. The ancient priests of Egypt saw the dung beetle, or scarab, as a sign of life not because they were ignorant primitives, but because they were using the available clues in the world around them to map out a greater truth. When Kabbalists sought to discover meaning through the letters in a name or an historical date, they were seeking to satisfy a very deeply held urge. The ancients sought the same goals we now obtain from science and religion-a clearer picture of humanity's place in the cosmos. How and why has Western thought and scientific inquiry diverged from magic? At a time when crystals, channeling, faith healing, earth worship, and transcendental meditation are enjoying a renaissance, the lines between science, magic, and the occult are beginning to blur once again. Comparing Harry Houdini and scientific provocateur Richard Feynman, Professor Aveni asks, "Is magic in the eye of the beholder?"


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Book Details Summary: The title of this book is Behind the Crystal Ball: Magic, Science, and the Occult from Antiquity Through the New Age and it was written by Anthony Aveni. This edition of Behind the Crystal Ball: Magic, Science, and the Occult from Antiquity Through the New Age is in a Hardcover format. This books publish date is August 1996 and it has a suggested retail price of $28. There are 406 pages in the book and it was published by Random House Inc. The 10 digit ISBN is 0812924150 and the 13 digit ISBN is 9780812924152. For the most current lowest price, Click Here.