Step into the Alpine Regions of Austria for a complete introduction to the local traditions, beliefs, and folklore surrounding the dark half of the year. Within these pages you will come face-to-face with the ghostly procession of otherworldly beings called the Wild Hunt, the goddess Percht who slits open the bellies of the idle and lazy, as well as that most feared, infamous, and sensationalized figure of the Yuletide season: Krampus. Detailing over twenty authentic festivities, rituals, and divination methods rooted in the folklore and traditions that originated in the shadows of the Alps, this book is for everyone who is interested in the living traditions of Austrian paganism and folk-spirituality. May these traditions light your way through the dark half of the year. "This is literally a folkloric feast, straight from Europe's highest, most romantic, and most story-laden mountains. It manages to mix exciting folklore, practical seasonal ritual and magic, and delicious local food recipes, in equally generous quantity―the perfect gift for the Dark of the Year, anywhere in the world that looks to European roots." ― Ronald Hutton , author and historian Christian Brunner has studied shamanic practices for more than forty years and naturopathic methods for almost thirty. These experiences encouraged his deep fascination for the Alpine lore and traditions in his native Austria. He is the author of Alpine Witchery ; Krampus, Witches & the Wild Hunt ;  Mountain Magic ; and several articles for druid order journals, such as Touchstone, Druidenstein, and Trilithon . He is also a druid in the Order of Bard, Ovates & Druids. Visit him at  ChristianBrunner.com . Sophie Reyer is a professor at the Academy of Pedagogy in Baden, Austria where she does research on mythological creatures and lectures at the Academy of Applied Arts in Vienna. She holds a Master of Arts and earned a Doctorate in Philosophy. She has written 20 theatre scripts and 148 prize-winning books. Visit her at SophieReyer.com . Wolfgang Liemberger first studied medicine and then switched to journalism. He studied directing and screenwriting at the Vienna Film School, and he worked as a tutor at the Institute of Journalism at the University of Vienna. There, he worked on film productions as a screenwriter and director as well as in other functions. Wolfgang has produced, directed, acted in, and done videography for several film productions. Amelia Leonards is a graduate of Montserrat College of Art, where she spent four years baffling her peers and professors with paintings of goddesses and antlered women. Her work is influenced by her pre-art school archeological studies, folklore, the beauty of ancient myth, and the natural world. She can usually be found somewhere deep in the woods, sketching odd creatures, and eating chocolate chips.