Customs & Traditions

Campbell outlines the Hero's Journey, a universal motif of adventure and transformation that runs through virtually all of the world's mythic traditions....

First published three years ago before the print edition of Women Who Run with the Wolves made publishing history, this original audio edition quickly became an underground best seller....

Authoritative and immediate, this is the classic account of the most powerful of the American Indian tribes. T. R. Fehrenbach traces the Comanches' rise to power....

Tiki is a God who in the dim long ago helped to build the world, and the whose carved image is now supporting the middle pillar of the house. His eyes of pawa-shell, which once commanded in the Ten Heavens and were full of fire and wisdom....

This is the first book written by a practitioner that presents the history, culture, and practical magic of La Santa Muerte to the English-speaking world. As the patron saint of lost causes and anyone who has been marginalized by society, La Santa Muerte has a following of millions....

Unearths the stories of the little-known but powerful elder women in European myth and folklore, inspiring listeners to radically reimagine the last decades of their lives as the most dynamic of all....

Well-known journalist and presenter Mike McRoberts opens up about his experiences of reconnection to te ao Māori and learning te reo, and encourages others to do the same.

Zecharia Sitchin’s best-selling series The Earth Chronicles provided humanity’s side of the story concerning our origins at the hands of the Anunnaki, “those who from heaven to earth came.” In The Lost Book of Enki, we now view this saga from Lord Enki's perspective....

Scotsman Andrew McAlindon provides a guide to the extraordinary tapestry of the land, history, folklore and stories of his homeland....

Discover everything you’ve ever wondered about the legendary spirits, creatures, and figures of Japanese folklore including how they have found their way into every corner of our pop culture from the creator of the podcast Uncanny Japan....

A restoration of cultural tradition, a building of cultural memory, and an examination of meaning-making in the ritual of matrimony for a ceremonially adrift time, from longtime scholar, storyteller, and ceremonialist Stephen Jenkinson.

Discover Dr. Polard's groundbreaking synthesis of Western thinking and Eastern philosophy with A Unified Theory of Happiness, a warm and personalized guide for the transformation of consciousness that allows personal well-being and fulfillment to flourish....

An exploration of the largely untapped Medial Woman archetype—the archetype within the psyche who beckons us to an inner journey of intuition—through signs, dreams, myth, and story.

Thor, Odin, Loki, Freyja, the Valkyries, Valhalla, Ragnarok — many of the places we encounter these and other names, places, and events from Norse mythology in daily life and pop culture are connected to the medieval sources in name only....

Compelling and profound, The Lakota Way gives a fresh outlook to those searching for a new perspective on spiritual and ethical living....

Professor Alice Roberts combines archaeological finds with cutting-edge DNA research and written history to shed fresh light on how people lived: by examining the stories of the dead....

Atlantis and Other Lost Worlds is the most up-to-date and comprehensive investigation of history's infamous sunken city....

Dr. Murray Stein's prolific career has produced a substantial body of writings, lectures, and interviews. His writings, captured in these volumes, span a wide domain of topics....

Myths, as Mary Midgley argues in this powerful audiobook, are everywhere. In political thought they sit at the heart of theories of human nature and the social contract....

A cultural history of the goddess of love, from a New York Times best-selling and award-winning historian....

This revised, expanded, and updated edition of the 1979 landmark Breaking the Magic Spell examines the enduring power of fairy tales and the ways they invade our subjective world....

This audiobook explores the historical rise of the literary fairy tale as a genre in the late 17th century. In his examinations of key classical fairy tales, Zipes traces their unique metamorphoses in history....

Why did the Vikings sail to England? Were they indiscriminate raiders, motivated solely by bloodlust and plunder? One narrative, the stereotypical one, might have it so.

Long before the sword-wielding heroes of legend readily cut down forests, slaughtered the old deities, and vanquished their enemies, there were playful gods, animal-headed kings, mischievous lovers, trickster harpists, and vegetal magicians with flowering wands....

At a time when we are all confronted by not one, but many crossroads in our modern lives - identity, technology, trust, politics, and a global pandemic - celebrated mythologist and wilderness guide Martin Shaw delivers Smoke Hole to help us understand our world....

A comprehensive overview of modern Hekatean witchcraft, Entering Hekate's Cauldron is about doing witchcraft, specifically witchery centered on the beloved goddess Hekate, with her etheric cauldron as the source. This book is for anyone interested in deepening their spiritual journey as a witch. Entering Hekate's Cauldron completes Cyndi Brannen’s trilogy, including Entering Hekate's Garden and Entering Hekate's Cave, which may be enjoyed in any order.

For much of his life, Mike McRoberts felt burdened by not knowing his own language—te reo Māori. Growing up at a time when te reo was scarcely spoken in daily conversations, and within a mixed-race family with little connection to Māoritanga, his experience mirrored that of many other New Zealanders of his generation. In later years, as a journalist and presenter of Newshub's six o'clock news, his confident television persona masked the anxiety he felt greeting viewers with the simple phrase, 'Kia ora, good evening.'

Traditional religion in the United States has suffered huge losses in recent decades. The number of Americans identifying as "not religious" has increased remarkably. Religious affiliation, service attendance, and belief in God have declined. More and more people claim to be "spiritual but not religious." Religious organizations have been reeling from revelations of sexual and financial scandals and cover-ups. Public trust in "organized religion" has declined significantly. Crucially, these religious losses are concentrated among younger generations.

In 17th century Paris, a group of women who called themselves conteuses (female storytellers) came together to weave the very first fairy tales. One of them, Marie-Catherine d’Aulnoy, coined the term "fairy tale," and some of these stories contain many familiar elements that appear in tales like Rapunzel and Beauty and the Beast. Unfortunately, these women and their tales have mostly been forgotten to history. Women of the Fairytale Resistance uncovers seven of these writer’s biographies—which are just as compelling as their fairy tales—and retells 12 of their original stories.

Drawing together the mythology and tales of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, this book is a comprehensive collection of the fascinating gods, goddesses, heroes, and monsters that make up the compendium of Celtic myths and legends. Celtic Mythology offers an accessible exploration of the rich tapestry of stories and characters that define Celtic culture and have fascinated people for centuries.

Classical Mythology of the Constellations is a stargazer's guide to the wondrous stories of the gods, heroes, and monsters that populate the night sky. As long as humans have lived on Earth, they have gazed up at the starry sky with fascination and longing. For the ancient Greeks and Romans, the Sun, Moon, and Earth were gods. The stars beyond our Solar System, however, represented heroes, animals, and monsters that the gods placed in the sky after their death.

What if the monsters of myth were real—and their bones now lie buried beneath the floodplains and fossil beds of Earth? This provocative audiobook drags ancient lore into the spotlight of cataclysmic science, comparing the tales of giants, behemoths, dragons, and sea serpents with the extinction-level events etched into geology, legend, and memory. From the thunder-lizards of prehistory to the gods of old who waged war with sky-fire and deluge, this journey uncovers the astonishing overlaps between humanity’s oldest myths and the fossil record's violent truths.

For much of its history Cyprus was regarded as the Cinderella of empires—beautiful, abused, isolated. Today, the island is divided between the Greek-Cypriot south and the Turkish occupied north. However, both sides take pride in a shared "Cypriotness," and are united in their common hopes, pain, memories, music, excellent cuisine, rich history, and majestic landscape. Culture Smart! Cyprus equips you with essential information on the history, values, and attitudes of the people you will meet, their customs and traditions, and offers tips on etiquette and socializing.

Mythology has entranced generations. Heroes, gods, and fantastic creatures, woven together into vibrant tales, this is the stuff of magic that gives stories immortality. Myths have attracted experts from many fields, but this book offers an alternative view, employing the perspective of a folklorist. Presented for casual listeners and beginning students, it also presents insights for scholars from diverse fields.

What if the myths were real? What if they were warnings? Step into 41 chapters of gods, giants, star maps, sacred kings, serpents, floods, forgotten civilizations, and fire-forged memory. Pantheon I: Echoes of the Ancient World is a high-voltage deep dive into ancient myths—not as fantasy, but as coded memory, spiritual technology, and a map of where we came from... and where we're going. This is not just mythology. This is the story beneath the story.

Mit Humor, Geduld und Neugier wirft Wladimir Kaminer einen Blick in die Seele der Deutschen. Wenn Deutsche das Besondere und Exotische suchen, dann reisen sie in ferne Länder. Dabei müssten sie nur über den Zaun schauen, nur um die Ecke biegen, und schon würden sie die unglaublichsten Entdeckungen machen. Denn mitten in Deutschland findet man flüssiges Gold, kann sich in seltsame Tänze einreihen oder einer Krönung beiwohnen. Es ist erstaunlich, welch geheime Welt ans Licht kommt, wenn man sich den Deutschen mit so liebevoller Geduld und freundlicher Neugier nähert, wie Wladimir Kaminer es tut.

Botswana is a country of contrasts. Culturally, the people are overwhelmingly Bantu, but with more than twenty different ethnic groups and over thirty languages spoken, the society is by no means homogeneous. Culture Smart! Botswana introduces you to the lives of the people. It looks at the history that has shaped the society and shows the importance of traditional customs and values for both travelers and businesspeople alike. It describes how the Batswana live, work, and play, and how to avoid the pitfalls of cultural misunderstanding.

This travel guide ensures a richer and more meaningful experience abroad with tips on understanding Thai culture, from its ancient roots to modern developments.

At first sight, modern-day Egypt is an unruly and chaotic place: a cacophony of sounds, an overload of smells, and a swirling visual feast. Ancient church domes and medieval minarets share the same space with fast-food chains and chic air-conditioned cafes. Egyptian society has undergone dramatic changes in recent years, yet tradition and deeply conservative views prevail. Culture Smart! Egypt explores the codes and paradoxes of Egyptian life, outlines the country's history, and shows the forces that have shaped its sensibility.

Popularized by Joseph Campbell, the hero's journey features narrative stages along which a person matures and transforms. But where heroes transform is just as important as what they do to get there. Holly Bellebuono shows you how the location of each hero's journey step is intimately tied to the challenges faced, setting the tone for the entire adventure.