Spirituality: An Annotated Bibliography
“Hedge Witch : A Guide to Solitary Witchcraft : Beth, Rae, Author : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive, London : Robert Hale, 1 Jan. 1992, archive.org/details/hedgewitchguidet0000beth/page/6/mode/2up. This is a collection of letters between a wise-woman and her apprentices. In it, her Goddess and her consort, the horned God, are explained as sources of spiritual strength and worship. A wide range of spells are provided, as well as information on the therapeutic properties of trancework and herbalism, spells that follow the witches' calendar, and how to find a partner in the Pagan tradition. I've been looking for a source like this, it actually explains the many practices of the occult and how to do them.
Cornish, Helen. “Cunning Histories: Privileging Narratives in the Present.” History & Anthropology, vol. 16, no. 3, Sept. 2005, pp. 363–76. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1080/02757200500219610. This article examines the practice of witchcraft and occultism between the 17th and 20th centuries. Mostly focusing on the practice of British folk magic. Many Witches or “Cunning folk” come from an ancestral line of practitioners. As I was reading the article in depth, I realized that the information it contained wasn't really what I was looking for, it did contain some little snippets that were helpful. Although, it contains some amazing resources which is the main reason I am using it.
Gellel, Adrian-Mario. “The Language of Spirituality.” International Journal of Children’s Spirituality, vol. 23, no. 1, Feb. 2018, pp. 17–29. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1080/1364436X.2018.1428790.
The term “spiritual” is derived from the Latin spiritus, which means breath and refers to the breath of life. In the beginning of the century, there were at least 40 known definitions of spirituality, Each religion Defining its own.
I like this source because it explains the basics of spirituality and gives me a deeper understanding of what it actually is. It highlights the main points of spirituality.
Jastrzębski, Andrzej K. “The Challenging Task of Defining Spirituality.” Journal of Spirituality n in Mental Health, vol. 24, no. 2, Apr. 2022, pp. 113–31. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1080/19349637.2020.1858734
Spirituality interacts with all our dimensions; it is experienced in our everyday life, whether or not we know it. It's not crystals and “magic”, but art, dance, meditation, our daily rituals, and the mere action of contemplating. Many scholars believe the origins of spirituality began 135,000-70,000 years ago. Based on sculptures, paintings, and drawings they've uncovered over the years some of them indicate the need and will to connect to their self- awareness.This source gives a bit of background to spirituality, a history, as well as a look into spirituality itself.
Launderville, Dale. “The Human Being in History.” Bible Today, vol. 61, no. 3, May 2023, pp. 154–61. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,uid&db=asn&AN=163362613&site=ehost-live&scope=site
This article talks about the question “what is man” in a biblical context. It discusses the relationships humans have built with the christian god and the elements of a human person in a religious fashion. The article basically sums up the bible while at the same time, really digging into the meaning of it. It talks about how christians view the pathway to freedom through god. I like this article because it kind of deconstructs christianity and makes it easier to understand their values.
Spencer, Maya. “What Is Spirituality - Royal College of Psychiatrists.” Rcpsych, Rcpsych, 2012, www.rcpsych.ac.uk/docs/default-source/members/sigs/spirituality-spsig/what-is-spirituality-maya-spencer-x.pdf?sfvrsn=f28df052_2. Spirituality involves the recognition or belief that I am more than a human being. It is knowing that our existence means more than our boring everyday life. It is the active search of knowledge, the search of an understanding. It involves the exploration of love, compassion, life, death, wisdom, truth, basically everything that makes us human. I like this source because it dives into the information in a way that's not boring and “scientific”. It's a spiritual definition of spirituality.
Spiegel, Alix. “Is Believing in God Evolutionarily Advantageous?” NPR, NPR, 31 Aug. 2010, www.npr.org/2010/08/30/129528196/is-believing-in-god-evolutionarily-advantage. This Article is about a study that found the belief in god, or other higher powers is an evolutionary trait. There is a point in everybody's life where they question the supernatural. The belief in a higher power, or something supernatural changes the way humans think. This article will be helpful in understanding why humans believe in a big supernatural force, and how it changes our behavior.