The Sacred Stones

In the thrilling sequel to the bestselling "Seven Deadly Wonders," super-soldier Jack West, Jr. and his elite team must race to secure the world from a looming Armageddon.

Courageous, passionate men and women battle for survival of their clans—in the shadow of the great mammoth who speaks with thunder . . . As the massive glaciers fade and the wide seas rise, the warm grasslands of the Americas bring prosperity to the gentle People of the Red World, followers of the Great Ghost Spirit, the White Mammoth. But farther north, where the harsh dry winds howl, another nation, the People of the Watching Star, are enmeshed with legends of an evil shaman and the man-eating monster called the wanawut. Relentlessly they have hunted the mammoth to near extinction. Now, as raiders and ravagers they are coming south to invade the villages of the People of the Red World. The only ones who can prevent the murder of innocents and the final slaughter of the mammoth are a young boy shaman to whom the animals speak, a man whose strength equals his conviction, and a woman who hopes that, beyond violence and cruelty, humankind will recognize a stronger power—the force of love.

This timely tale of an endless war between humans and nature follows young orphan Gert, whose land is shrouded in a thick fog hiding ferocious, fantastical animals that besiege her village. Gert sets out to make sure no one else suffers what she has as a result of the war, but to do this she'll have to do what is forbidden of young women like her: become a warrior. Unfazed, Gert sneaks into the initiation test, beginning an adventure that will prove to be about much more than revenge. Gert's journey will teach her to accept hard truths, rethink the glorification of war and violence, and prove if she can be the unlikely hero to reimagine her people's future. From the acclaimed Italian comics team of Marco Rocchi and Francesca Caritá comes an insightful story of conflict, reconciliation, and the unique power of young people to change their world for the better. "We wanted to create a multi-faceted and well-rounded female character who could mirror the strengths and weakness of both girls and boys. Although it's a fantasy setting, there are many implicit references to real life and to our way of seeing the world. Many will recognize themselves in the protagonist's will to forge and affirm her own unique identity despite the adversities of social customs or hostile environments, and in her awareness that she must learn more, experience more, and grow by taking responsibility for her choices before she can change the world." -- Marco Rocchi and Francesca Carità

Few regions of the United States can equal the high concentration of endangered ancient cultural sites found in Hawaii. Built by the indigenous people of the Islands, the sites range in age from two thousand to two hundred years old and in size and extent from large temple complexes serving the highest order of chiefs to modest family shrines. Today, many of these structures are threatened by their proximity to urban development. Sites are frequently vandalized or, worse, bulldozed to make way for hotels, golf courses, marinas, and other projects. The sixty heiau photographed and described in this volume are all located on Oahu, the island that has experienced by far the most development over the last two hundred years. These captivating images provide a compelling argument for the preservation of Hawaiian sacred places. The modest sites of the maka‘ainana (commoners) - small fishing, agricultural, craft, and family shrines - are given particular attention because they are often difficult to recognize and prone to vandalism and neglect. Also included are the portraits of twenty-eight Hawaiians who shared their knowledge with archaeologist J. Gilbert McAllister during his survey of Oahu in the 1930s. Without their contribution, the names and histories of many of the heiau would have been lost. The introductory text provides important contextual information about the definition and function of heiau, the history of the abolition of traditional Hawaiian religion, preservation issues, and guidelines for visiting heiau. With contributions by Kehaunani Cachola-Abad, J. Mikilani Ho, and Kawika Makanani.

A comprehensive dictionary of sacred and magical gem lore that draws on the rarest source texts of Antiquity and the Middle Ages • Reveals the healing and magical virtues of familiar gemstones, such as amethyst, emerald, and diamond, as well as the lore surrounding exotic stones such as astrios, a stone celebrated by ancient magicians • Examines bezoars (stones formed in animals’ bodies) and “magnets” that attract materials other than metal • Based on ancient Arabic, Greek, Jewish, and European sources, ranging from the observations of Pliny the Elder to extremely rare texts such as the Picatrix and Damigeron’s Virtue of Stones Our ancestors believed stones were home to sacred beings of power, entities that if properly understood and cultivated could provide people protection from ill fortune, envy, and witchcraft; grant invisibility and other magical powers; improve memory; and heal the sick from a wide variety of diseases. These benefits could be obtained by wearing the stone on a ring, bracelet, or pendant; through massage treatments with the stone; or by reducing the gem into a powder and drinking it mixed with water or wine. Drawing from a wealth of ancient Arabic, Greek, Jewish, and European sources--from the observations of Pliny the Elder to extremely rare texts such as the Picatrix and Damigeron’s Virtue of Stones--Claude Lecouteux provides a synthesis of all known lore for more than 800 stones. He includes such common examples as the emerald, which when engraved with the figure of a harpy holding a lamprey in its claws will banish panic and nightmares, and beryl, which when appropriately carved can summon water spirits or win its owner high renown, as well as more exotic stones such as astrios, a stone celebrated by ancient magicians and whose center glows like a star. Lecouteux also examines bezoars--stones formed in animals’ bodies--as well as “magnets” that attract materials other than iron, such as gold, flesh, cotton, or scorpions. This comprehensive dictionary of sacred and magical gem lore, drawn from the rarest sources of Antiquity and the Middle Ages, represents a one-of-a-kind resource for gem enthusiasts and magical practitioners alike.

Since the dawn of mankind, stones and rocks have been revered throughout the world. From Stonehenge in England to Uluru (Ayers Rock) in Australia, and from Easter Island to the Côte des Mégalithes in Brittany, France and Petroglyphs in Arizona, stones are regarded as sacred. You may have collected pebbles and stones that have caught your eye, picked them up, examined them, befriended them and taken them home to make treasures of them. You may have been drawn to a crystal and amazed by an ancient sacred site. Sacred Stones is a guide to discovering your personal connection to the world of stones, pebbles and crystals, all of which have an innate energy - learn how to tune into and benefit from that energy. Discover how to read the faces in stones and develop your own special relationship with individual stones and crystals. Gain pleasure from the simple exercises that enable you to use stones and crystals to benefit your health and wellbeing. Sacred Stones takes you on a personal journey of discovery leading to a deeper connection, which can benefit your wellbeing on a physical, emotional and spiritual level. * Find out how stones, pebbles and crystals can focus, store, transmit and transmute energy. * Learn practical exercises you can do both at sacred stone sites and with the pebbles in your pocket, including meditation and dowsing. * Philip Permutt's previous books have been bestsellers: The Crystal Healer (more than 55,000 copies sold); The Little Book of Crystal Tips & Cures (more than 55,000 copies sold) and The Complete Guide to Crystal Chakra Healing (more than 28,000 copies sold), and The Crystal Tarot.

This book addresses a variety of topics within the growing discipline of Archaeoastronomy, focusing especially on Archaeoastronomy in Sicily and the Mediterranean and Cultural Astronomy. A further priority is discussion of the astronomical and statistical methods used today to ascertain the degree of reliability of the chronological and cultural definition of sites and artifacts of archaeoastronomical interest. The contributions were all delivered at the XVth Congress of the Italian Society of Archaeoastronomy (SIA), held under the rubric "The Light, the Stones and the Sacred" – a theme inspired by the International Year of Light 2015, organized by UNESCO. The full meaning of many ancient monuments can only be understood by examining their relation to light, given the effects that light radiation produces in “interacting” with lithic structures. Moreover, in addition to manifestations of the sacred through the medium of light (hierophanies), there are many ties between temples, tombs, megalithic structures, and the architecture of almost all ages and cultures and our star, the Sun. Readers will find the book to be a source of fascinating insights based on synergies between the disciplines of archaeology and astronomy.

When an impostor priest threatens her family's way of life, Kyra must rely on her emerging psychic powers and call upon the protection of the gods within the forbidden, sacred stone circle.