Kenneth Johnson
This beautifully written book will show seekers of the magical arts how to reclaim the old traditions of our pagan ancestors, which, as this book will show, were heavily rooted in shamanism. Kenneth Johnson takes the reader on a journey far into the past where these shamanistic practices of medieval and Renaissance European people can be explored while simultaneously teaching the working Witch how to incorporate these older traditions into their own magical practice. Included in this book are explorations of the mystical otherworld, instructions on how to discover one’s Tree of Power, methods of entering the World Mountain to gain wisdom, an in-depth overview of folkloric initiatory practices, the folklore of the Wild Hunt, and much more.
This title is available in paperback, hardcover, and a legacy edition.
The legacy edition is limited to ten examples and is bound in full leather with a tree calf treatment to give the book a vintage, aged look. It is printed on high-quality, acid-free cream paper stock and hand-sewn. The book has marble endpapers and comes in a navy blue protective slipcase. This edition is now shipping.
Paperback ISBN: 979-8-985628-17-3 | Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-964537-26-9
Page Count: 195 | Dimensions: 6” x 9” | Format: Paperback & Hardcover
Paperback Publication Date: 01/10/2023 | Hardcover Publication Date: 01/31/2023
Kenneth Johnson takes us on another magical journey in his third book with Crossed Crow, Dance of the Sun Goddess: Pagan Folkways of the Baltic Coast. This is the first easily accessible book in the English language to offer an in-depth look into the Pagan folk traditions of the Baltic Coast, the last region of Europe to be converted to Christianity. We are introduced to the goddesses and gods of this magical land, as well as seasonal and family rituals that shed a surprising light on some of the most ancient concepts of Pagan Europe. Dance of the Sun Goddess is an inspiring addition to traditional Pagan and magical practices and a must-have for anyone looking to explore some of the undiluted roots of several modern Pagan practices. Written with an engaging yet academic tone, Johnson’s book offers a respectful yet eye-opening insight into the old Pagan customs that have paved the way for modern Paganism.
We are offering this book as a hardcover with a dust jacket and an unlimited paperback with a glossy laminate cover.
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-959883-24-1 | Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-959883-90-6
Page Count: 201 | Dimensions: 6” x 9” | Format: Paperback & Hardcover
Paperback Publication Date: 03/26/2024 | Hardcover Publication Date: 03/08/2024
Flight of the Firebird: Slavic Magical Wisdom & Lore by Kenneth Johnson is an incredible guide into the folk magical traditions of the Slavic peoples. Documenting his time spent studying with the magical practitioners abroad, Flight of the Firebird offers a unique perspective into the magical practices of an incredibly beautiful culture. The book is filled with the author’s real-world experiences alongside the wisdom and teachings of the Slavic magical elders to create a highly engaging and quite operative book of magic and folklore.
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-959883-07-4 | Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-964537-20-7
Page Count: 220 | Dimensions: 6” x 9” | Format: Paperback & Hardcover
Paperback Publication Date: 07/25/2023 | Hardcover Publication Date: 04/18/2023
During the chaotic but colorful 1960s, witchcraft was reborn as a modern mystical practice. Many are familiar with Wicca, founded by Gerald Gardner, but there was a counter-current, now known as Traditional Witchcraft, which saw the art from a very different angle. Its chief thinker was Robert Cochrane, who envisioned witchcraft as a gnostic quest for ultimate knowledge and union with the divine. This volume explores his most important ideas, especially the way in which he re-envisioned ancient mythology, putting a new spin on old deities as well as on folkloric figures like Robin Hood and King Arthur and naming Tubal Cain, whom the Bible calls the first blacksmith, as his avatar of knowledge both sacred and profane. Though he wrote very little and died young, Cochrane left enough material behind him for us to reconstruct the steps by which he urged each aspiring witch to take a crooked path to complete gnosis.
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-959883-64-7 | Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-959883-76-0
Page Count: 240 | Dimensions: 6.125” x 9.25” | Format: Paperback & Hardcover
Paperback Publication Date: 12/10/2024 | Hardcover Publication Date: 11/01/2024
Kenneth Johnson was quite literally born and raised in “Surf City USA” – he grew up in south California during the 1960s. He obtained his B.A. in Comparative Religions at California State University Fullerton and his M.A. in Eastern Studies at St. John’s College in Santa Fe, NM.
For some years a staff writer for The Mountain Astrologer, Kenneth also participated in Project Hindsight, a colloquium of astrological scholars dedicated to restoring and interpreting the earliest known texts on horoscopic astrology.
Kenneth has published many books. His best-known works are Mythic Astrology (co-authored with Arielle Guttman), a vast reference work on the archetypal symbolism which lies behind all the planets and signs used in astrology (and still in print after 29 years), as well as Jaguar Wisdom: An Introduction to the Mayan Calendar – carried through Latin America by gringo travelers for many years now, right next to their Lonely Planet guidebooks. His works have been translated into German, Portuguese, Japanese, Czech, Russian and Bulgarian.
An inveterate world traveler, Kenneth is currently ensconced in a remote Mayan town in the mountains of Guatemala where, after ten years of study, he was initiated into the indigenous Mayan priesthood as an aj q’ij (keeper of days) in November of 2017.
Of all his works, Kenneth’s personal favorite, variously titled North Star Road and Witchcraft and the Shamanic Journey, examines survivals of ancient European shamanism which are to be found in the courtroom records of the European witch trials. For the new edition to be published by Crossed Crow Books, he has added a series of spiritual exercises gleaned from his studies with shamans in Russia who still operate in accordance with the ancient pre-Christian paradigms.
For more on his work with the Maya, see www.jaguarwisdom.org, or https://www.facebook.com/jaguar.wisdom/.