{"title":"Books by Christopher McIntosh","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781350143418","title":"The Swan King","description":"\"The Swan King\" is the biography of one of the most enigmatic figures of the 19th century, described by Verlaine as 'the only true king of his century'. A man of wildly eccentric temperament and touched by a rare, imaginative genius, Ludwig II of Bavaria is remembered both for his patronage of Richard Wagner and for the fabulous palaces which he created as part of a dream-world to escape the responsibilities of state. In realization of his fantasies, he created a ferment of creativity among artists and craftsmen, while his neglect of Bavaria's political interests made powerful enemies among those critical of his self-indulgence and excesses. At the age of 40, declared insane in a plot to depose him, Ludwig died in mysterious circumstances.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56297998975349,"sku":"9781350143418","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781350143418_8416324b-9f98-42da-9958-32fe8fe7a1be.jpg?v=1786018419"},{"product_id":"9781644117347","title":"Occult Germany","description":"\u003cb\u003eAn exploration of German esoteric history from prehistory to the present.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e No country is richer in occult and esoteric traditions than Germany. In this magical journey through the inner history of Deutschland, Christopher McIntosh explores many of these traditions from prehistory to the 21st century.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Recounting the longstanding magical tradition of Germany, McIntosh investigates the numerous prehistoric sacred sites that point to a nearly-forgotten ancient shamanic civilization. He examines the survival and revival of the old pre-Christian gods in folklore, customs, and practices as well as witchcraft. He looks at Germany’s rich and many-faceted spiritual heritage and explores Christian mysticism and theosophy as exemplified by Meister Eckhart, Hildegard of Bingen, and Jakob Boehme.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Examining Rosicrucianism, which originated in Germany, the author also looks at other secret societies that flourished in Germany such as speculative Freemasonry, the Fraternitas Saturni, and the Golden and Rosy Cross. He explores how the Church sought to stamp out the old gods and pagan beliefs, as well as how periods of the Church’s heaviest oppression produced immortal poets, philosophers, theologians, artists, and mystics. He examines the distinctive forms adopted by astrology, alchemy, and the Kabbalah in Germany as well as the esoteric influences on Romanticism.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Exploring more recent centuries, the author looks at the Nordic revival in the 19th century and the influence of Theosophy and the movements that grew out of it, such as Steiner’s Anthroposophy. Examining the esoteric traditions of the 20th century, he looks at the work of neo-Nordic occultists and esoteric writers like Meyrink and Hesse. He explores certain occult aspects of the Third Reich, which resulted in a backlash against the occult. He also looks at modern occult practices and the rise of neopaganism.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Revealing both the enlightened and the dark sides of occult Germany, the author shows how this country has long been a cauldron in which esoteric ideas have flourished, spread, been condemned, and lauded, leaving an enduring mark.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56305135780213,"sku":"9781644117347","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781644117347_dacd3e34-6e6c-4b66-9b48-88687e9bf4d1.jpg?v=1786024166"},{"product_id":"9798888500934","title":"The Call of the Old Gods","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePersonal revelations on living a magical life\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExamines the rise of Paganism in Europe and the U.S. from the late twentieth century\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExplores numerous pagan and esoteric practices, including Stav (a form of Nordic Tai Chi), sacred gardening, breath work, and many seasonal rites, rituals, and ceremonies\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIncludes rare personal accounts of the author’s friendships with pagan luminaries and occult scholars\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor millions of people, the spiritual journey is focused on a God in heaven. But what if the answers we are seeking lie in the re-enchantment of life? In this illuminating work—part memoir, part meditation—scholar and Pagan practitioner Christopher McIntosh takes readers on the deeply personal quest that led him to paganism, illustrating how forming stronger connections to the world around us awakens the magic that lives within us.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere was a time when McIntosh believed that a spiritual path should fulfill four centers: the soul, the mind, the heart, and the belly. He later discovered, however, that there was a fifth component to this mystical equation: the feet. The land on which we stand and to which we feel a profound relatedness is the key to wholeness and inner peace. These subtle but significant realizations about connection to the land and nature inspired McIntosh and ultimately led to his following of what he calls \"the Fivefold Path.\" He also recounts pivotal meetings with Pagan luminaries and important figures from esoteric scholarship, the arts, and the occult renaissance of the twentieth century, including Colin Wilson, Joscelyn Godwin, Keith Critchlow, and Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, as well as offers an evolving portrait of the occult scene of the late twentieth century.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWoven throughout with examples of seasonal rites and rituals, reflections on sacred gardening, and the practice of energetic breath work as well as a deep dive into Stav, a form of Nordic Tai Chi, this book provides valuable insight into the world of paganism as both a field of study and a system of practice.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56311274963317,"sku":"9798888500934","price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9798888500934_b2c98023-171a-4fb3-8b54-2a0cf4a7d0d9.jpg?v=1786032851"},{"product_id":"beyond-the-north-wind","title":"Beyond the North Wind","description":null,"brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57505042465141,"sku":"9781578636402","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781578636402.jpg?v=1786953974"},{"product_id":"occult-russia","title":"Occult Russia","description":"In this in-depth look at occult and esoteric traditions in Russia, Christopher McIntosh explores the currents of mysticism, myth, magic, and the spiritual to which the Russian soul has always been attuned. The author explains how the search for meaning in the post-Soviet era has given rise to a revival of ancient spiritual traditions and a plethora of new movements. He examines the precursors to these movements in the “Silver Age” (1880-1920) before the Revolution, when alternative forms of spirituality were finding new life as a reaction to the ongoing climate of violence, revolt, and repression. He discusses the impact of the Russian Revolution on spiritual and esoteric groups, and shows how their activities were tolerated and even in some instances encouraged--until Stalin assumed power in 1924.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Discussing the spiritual reawakening after the fall of communism in 1989, the author explores the survival of Slavic deities and pagan practices in modern Russia, including the indigenous pre-Christian customs of the Mari people and the shamanic traditions of Siberia. He examines the resurgence of the Orthodox Church and the burgeoning of alternative forms of spirituality. He offers a deep look at the controversial Book of Veles, branded by some as a forgery and hailed by others as an epic chronicle of the Slavic people. He also explores the interface between spirituality and the arts and the unique qualities of the Russian language as a medium for the sacred.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Revealing the implications of the modern Russian spiritual and esoteric renaissance, McIntosh shows that it still remains to be seen whether Edgar Cayce’s prediction of Russia as the hope of the world will come true or if Russia will remain, as Churchill famously stated, “a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.”","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57507801071989,"sku":"9781644114186","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781644114186.jpg?v=1787042941"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-christopher-mcintosh.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}