• Explains how the Yezidis worship Melek Ta’us, the Peacock Angel, an enigmatic figure often identified as “the devil” or Satan, yet who has been redeemed by God to rule a world of beauty and spiritual realization • Examines Yezidi antinomian doctrines of opposition, their cosmogony, their magical lore and taboos, the role of angels, ritual, and symbology, and how the Yezidi faith relates to other occult traditions such as alchemy • Presents the first English translation of the poetry of Caliph Yazid ibn Muawiya, venerated by the Yezidis as Sultan Ezi The Yezidis are an ancient people who live in the mountainous regions on the borders of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. This secretive culture worships Melek Ta’us, the Peacock Angel, an enigmatic figure often identified as “the devil” or Satan, hence the sect is known as devil-worshippers and has long been persecuted. Presenting a study of the interior, esoteric dimensions of Yezidism, Peter Lamborn Wilson examines the sect’s antinomian doctrines of opposition, its magical lore and taboos, and its relation to other occult traditions such as alchemy. He explains how the historical founder of this sect was a Sufi of Ummayad descent, Sheik Adi ibn Musafir, who settled in this remote region around 1111 AD and found a pre-Islamic sect already settled there. Sheik Adi was so influenced by the original sect that he departed from orthodox Islam, and by the 15th century the sect was known to worship the Peacock Angel, Melek Ta’us, with all its “Satanic” connotations. Revealing the spiritual flowering that occurs in an oral culture, the author examines Yezidi cosmogony, how they are descended from the androgynous Adam--before Eve was created--as well as the role of angels, ritual, alchemy, symbology, and color in Yezidi religion. He also presents the first English translation of the poetry of Caliph Yazid ibn Muawiya, venerated by the Yezidis as Sultan Ezi. Showing the Yezidi sect to be a syncretic faith of pre-Islamic, Zoroastrian, Christian, Pagan, Sufi, and other influences, Wilson reveals how these worshippers of the Peacock Angel do indeed worship “the Devil”--but the devil is not “evil.” God has redeemed him, and he rules a world of beauty and spiritual realization.

Jason Ender, the acknowledged master of the espionage game, leads a team of dedicated people in a desperate hunt for a mysterious, ancient religious icon. With the future of the Middle East at stake, Ender soon discovers that despite his vast talents and skills, he may be fated for death by powerful forces determined to take and use the icon for their own purposes. From the streets of Zurich to the mountains of Italy and the hills of Mesopotamia, the action rolls inexorably toward the surprising and unexpected conclusion.

Based in Iraq, Syria and Turkey, the Yezidi people claim their religion - a unique combination of Christian, Islamic, and historical faiths - to be the oldest in the world. Yezidi identity centres on their religion, Sharfadin, which has evolved into a highly complex pantheon of one God with many incarnations, the chief of whom is Melek Taus, the Peacock Angel. The Yezidi faith can be traced to a range of pre-Islamic belief systems, such as Sufism, some extreme Shi'ite sects, Gnosticism and other traditions surviving from the ancient world. This particular formulation has served to unify Yezidi religious identity and ethnicity. Based on extensive fieldwork, 'The Religion of the Peacock Angel' presents the first detailed examination of the Yezidi pantheon. The idea of one God and his chief incarnations is first analysed, then the various 'deity figures,' saints, holy patrons and divinized personalities in the Yezidi belief system are considered in the context of related religious traditions. The study determines the place of all these characters in the system of the Yezidi faith, defining their main functions, features, and genealogies.

“A mysterious radiance slowly developed in the dark alley, growing in intensity, gradually taking the form of an alluring full-bodied woman with ghostly braided locks, startling everyone, including Worthy Deen. The specter was as translucent and elusive as a wisp of fog, sparkling with eldritch power. Her fluttering robes gave the appearance of soft, fuzzy, white light. Her features were indistinct but captivating, and her bare, ghostly feet spurned the filth of the walkway over which she floated, eerily peering at the gathering.” Throne of the Peacock Angel is a twisted and captivating tale of mystery, murder, mysticism and betrayal, in which the protagonist, Worthy Deen, is reluctantly entangled. Worthy Deen is a successful, yet reclusive business owner in New Orleans whose life is capsized by influential and ruthless forces. Additionally, Worthy carries a terrible and haunting secret that grants him paranormal abilities while exacting a horrific toll. Join Worthy Deen as he battles with life and limb to unravel the candlelit mysteries and arcane secrets of New Orleans, Charleston and the timeless Sea Islands of the South Carolina coast. CAVEAT LECTOR!

Includes "Who's who in the Middle East."