it was ok, but i am not very sure on how to cast the spells. it has a good, but confusing, background. the spells are good, but I am not sure if all i say is the words given or if there is something i should knwo, not given in the book. i expected different.

In an environment where 'what we do is religion and what they do is magic' attitude, these compilers prefer to speak of 'ritual' as a less value-ridden word and since the spells relate to that sphere of life we call 'religion' the sub-title may be a more appropriate description. There are 135, dating from the first 1000 years of Christianity, in English, with notes and written originally on papyrus, parchment, rag paper, pottery or bone. There are love spells, healing spells, sexual spells, protective spells, spells to drive out demons, spells for a good singing voice or to silence a dog, and curses. A book for specialists.

With so much interest in things magical (from card games to Harry Potter) and mystical (from Celtic chants to Zen monastic biographies) I have been surprised that this book is not better known, and yet it remains, despite a prestigious university press pedigree (Princeton University Press) and marketing by one of the powerhouses of publishing (HarperCollins, their HarperSanFrancisco division here) a relatively unknown text. Not perhaps coincidentally, many of the texts contained herein were, for most of Christian history, relatively unknown. Indeed, it is virtually unknown that, in many parts of Christendom, magic was not only tolerated, but expected of the priestly class; miracles, after all, often seem magical events, much to the chagrin of rational theologians who try to explain them metaphorically, symbolically, or any way other than as Houdini-esque happenings.

In particular, the Coptic Christians, who were concentrated mostly in Egypt, spreading (as all Christians were wont to do) throughout the Roman and non-Roman world from a centre not too far from Alexandria, one of the major cities of the world of the time. The Coptics never really died out, but always remained a strange Christian aberration from orthodoxy on the fringes of East and West. The texts contained in 'Ancient Christian Magic: Coptic Texts of Ritual Power', by Marvin Meyer and Richard Smith, come from these people.

These texts contain the whole slate of magical utterances -- rites, spells, amulets, curses, recipes. The magical practices contained herein include a spell for protection against headless powers, an invocation to a thundering power to perform every wish (shades of the 'Prayer of Jabez' here), an amulet to protect against the mischief of evil spirits, and even an erotic spell for a ma to obtain a male lover (lest we think that modern controversies in the church have no historical bases or parallels).

Lest we think that the magical period of Christianity was only in the remotest of history, this collection includes texts as early as the first century after the time of Jesus to the twelfth century -- more than half the span of Christian history. Almost all texts are from Egypt, centre of the Coptic and Gnostic communities.

The users of these texts, the authors contend, had the same disdain for 'magic' as traditional Christians have for 'magic' today -- magic is usually assumed to be alien, evil, something dark and probably demonic. Yet, these texts were used in much the same way, with an intention rooted in Christianity that somehow would serve to make the practice acceptable, even holy.

Within this text are 135 Coptic texts. They originated in Old Coptic, Greek, and Gnotic texts. This volume combines them in three sections.

Ritual Power in Egypt
These texts come from various sources, manuscripts held in museums all over the world, including the Great Magical Papyrus of Paris, texts from Cairo, Berlin, Cologne, Amsterdam, Florence, and Oslo, and of course, the Nag Hammadi collection.

Other interesting texts in this section spells for seeking vengeance, spells for ascending through the heavens, spells to drive out demons and various amulets and prayers.

Coptic Texts of Ritual Power
Most of these texts are individual constructs; i.e., spells or curses from a particular person to a particular person or need. However, many are templates, with placeholders or blanks to be filled in later. Often these (perhaps a precursor to indulgences later) were for sale. There are spells to help a woman conceive, and spells to help a woman avoid pregnancy. There are several spells and charms to woo a woman; there are several curses directed at barreness and impotence. Life was harsh!

Coptic Handbooks of Ritual Power
This section consists of masters and collections, like the cookbook from Cairo, and the hoards, portfolios and books of spells held at other major museums. 'In a world where ritual dominated the resolution of most crises in life, these handbooks seem to have been a prized component of private collections and the mainstay of temple libraries ' Many of these collections were loose-leaf collections, and sometimes short on Christian imagery. 'While this neglect of Christian traditions might suggest that the handbooks' owners worked independently from the monasteries, it may also reflect the type of language and symbolism that worked in the villages beyond the monasteries.'

Unlike our sense of magic as being something devious or sneaky, in fact magic has more often intended to be useful and practical. Thus, these rituals were meant to invoke power and meaning into the lives of those using it .

Addendum
A joy of a book will have a bibliography, an index, and appendices that give further guidance. This book magically has much here to commend it. It does lack an index, which is less critical here than in many texts, but one would hope that a future edition would have one.

The appendix contains previously unpublished Coptic texts from the Beinecke Library at Yale. These are annotated but not translated, so brush up your ancient languages for this one. Thirty pages of textual notes expand the translations in the earlier sections. A good glossary is provided, which is useful for this and other Coptic and Gnostic texts. The bibliography is a gem, and one could devote years to follow-up research based on the hundreds of items contained herein.

The book is not lavishly illustrated, but it does have original drawings, a few photographic representations, and original language sections that enhance the readability. This is a book which is both scholarly and fun, interesting and educational. Mysterious combination, indeed!

Written in 1995, this book argues for the continuation of bear hunting in Michigan and the continued use of baiting and hounds. The author also critiques the opposition's arguments against those practices. The use of baiting was put to a subsequent state wide vote and the practice was retained. This book is an interesting case study of the issue with a pro-hunting emphasis, but it will interest opposition types seeking to understand the pro-hunting case. The book is endorsed by the Michigan United Conservation Clubs organization. It has some interesting accounts of bears and advice for handling encounters based on actual experience but lacks a bibliography and lacks references to studies referred to in the text. Written in a magazine-type style with short chapters, this 187 page book can complement the serious reader's shelf of bear books. This reader bought the book in 1999.

Very informational, a must for people trying to ban hunting. Shows the consiquences of banning hunting. Also uncovers anti-hunting lies.

A very interesting book that covered a lot of places that I have backpacked. I found the bears in the Porcupine Mountains to be very docile when encountering them. I was amazed to find out that people had been attacked in the same area and years that I had travelled through there. There are always two sides to every story and this book tells it's side very well.

I am not a fan of soap operas but the life of Baby Doe Tabor reads something like one and I found it fascinating. A rags to riches to rags true story that draws you in from start to finish. There is something about the person of Baby Doe that just draws you in and leaves you thinking about her long after the book is finished. I bought this book in 1993 on a trip to Colorado and I still pick it up from time to time and re-read it. The story of Horace and Baby Doe Tabor would make a great movie, and one was made in 1932 called Silver Dollar, sadly it is not available for home video. A good read.

The story of Baby Doe is worth reading. This well written account dramatically tells the story of her rise and fall in wealth and her personal and public lives. Anyone who appreciates stories of the American power mongers of the late 19th century will enjoy this insightful biography

This book offers you an interesting look into the stories that are told around the land. These stories come from various regions and the author is nice enough to give credit to each and every storyteller that gives him these stories. I cannot verify how much truth is any of the folklore, but it doesn't really matter each are satisfying in their own way. The color illustrations are marvelous and done by oriental artists, not western artists. Each color plate gives the feeling of a painting making the story feel like both painting and story have been around a long time. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Japan or would like a slightly different look into the history of Japan. Note this may not be historically accurate, but in my opinion, the stories that are handed down tell as much about the culture as the history itself.

If you want to get a good laugh at scientific studies on almost anything, read this book! Anyoone with a little intelligence will appreciate the thought that went into this book. I only wish there was a followup! Imagine scientific proof that you can lose weight by eating frozen food! The calories burned by the body just to heat up the food can offset the caloric content of the food itself! Guranteed weight loss. See how to plunge a room into darkness with a 'dark bulb', removing all light and enabling a person to sleep at any time of the day. Lots more!

This book is about a man who raises all kinds of mice. He meets this lady and they end up getting married. Charlie has never raised a green mouse and Mary encorages and helps him do it. When they take the green mouse to a show something happens. Now you will have to read the book to find that out!

This book is a must for every fledgling urologist. Excellent update from the last edition, though a little long coming to press. A little light in the medication section, but excellent in the surgical section. Includes all the little things that you need to consider when things don't go exactly as planned with many good references. This would be the ideal book to give to any urology resident about to venture out on their own.

In the fourth volume in the adventures of Red Sonja, our heroine must deal with a gang of street urchins, an insane sorceress (Endithor's daughter), political inintrigue, and a vampire. Needless to say, the action is fast and furious.In the end the wicked are punished, and the virtuous live happily ever after. Actually, only the virtuous who are still alive at the end get to live happily ever after, but why quibble? All in all an exciting addition to the Red Sonja canon. As with all books in the series, the cover art is provided by Boris, and in my humble opinion, this is his best cover for the series

For any one prepairing to have a profession in the martime industry, or just for any one who likes boating. This is a must, it gives all the rules and regulation about basic navigation on all watrerways. I'm an owner of one and you should be to. safe boating Salty Dog

A title well in the style of other Monogram publications: authoritative, well researched, splendid photos. Great job there. However, the usual flaws also appear: wrong picture captions, excessive repetitions text-caption and the like. Altogether, a must have for any WWII aviation buff, especially modellers. Lots of details to build that dust gathering (Monogram 1/48?) Do335 to a contest winner.