By Pekka Ervast (1875 – 1934)

143 Pages | First edition, 2010 | Paperback | Theosophical Publishing House, Wheaton | ISBN: 9780835608923

Decodes the Deepest, Most Secret Meaning in the Gospels

”The seed is the word of God” (Luke 8:15)–or is it? For Christian mystic Pekka Ervast, orthodox religion failed to explain the real meaning of life. Then the great Russian author Leo Tolstoy gave him an esoteric view, opening new worlds. Ervast saw humans as reincarnating souls journeying through the school of this world to learn and evolve. He interprets the words of the Schoolmaster Jesus through the way of the truth-seeker, illuminating his parables, lessons, and practical advice for living honestly.

Ervast’s aim is to free us from intellectual bondage so that the divine seed within can germinate and grow. Then, he says, ”We connect with the living Christ Consciousness, with God as Love, and also with others living in that Consciousness. This powerful collective touches the soul pregnant with the Holy Spirit and so gives birth to the same consciousness. Within us, Christ is born.”

”Pekka Ervast demonstrates the great emphasis Jesus as teacher placed on indepence and honesty. If as disciples of Jesus we accept any doctrines or theories, we must first understand why we accept them, and secondly we must know from our own experience what we believe in.”
— Jordan Stratford, Gnostic priest and author of Living Gnosticism: An Ancient Way of Knowing

By Annick de Souzenelle, translated by Christopher Chaplin and Tony James.

457 Pages | Original published in 1974, fifth edition 2015 | Paperback | Theosophical Publishing House, Wheaton | ISBN: 9780835609326

An Embodied View of the Kabbalah

The Body and Its Symbolism is an intricate and profound expression of Kabbalistic symbolism applied to the human body. It represents the life work of nurse anesthetist and psychotherapist Annick de Souzenelle, whose tremendous understanding has been partially inspired by the depth psychology of C.G. Jung. Based on her deep knowledge of biblical Hebrew, her readings of the Bible shed new light on the Creation story, the nature of the Feminine, and the ultimate vocation of every human being. A best seller in France, this new edition, meticulously translated by Christopher Chaplin and Tony james, is the first to appear in the English language.

”This book is clearly the result of a lifetime’s reflection, revealing an inherant ladder of order from the physical body to that of the Divine Adam Kadmon. ”
– Z’ev Ben Shimon Halevi, author of Adam and the Kabbalistic Tree.

”A fascinating, embodied view of the Kabbalh. From breathing to sound, from sound to word, from word to action, Annick de Souzenelle takes us on a journey through the Creation story, the Tree of Life, the Hebrew alphabet, Greek and Egyptian mysteries, and more. Her wise GPS on the trip tells us: Knowledge is love. ”
– Dr. Neil Douglas-Klotz, author of The Hidden Gospel

By Serge Kahili King

280 Pages | 2014 | Paperback | Theosophical Publishing House, Wheaton | ISBN: 9780835609203

True happiness and success come from true love, whether it be self-love, friendship, familial love, or romantic love. The relationships in our lives can be stressful, causing us pain, ill health, and unhappiness. Or we can heal them all using Serge Kahili King’s profound guidance and hawaiian Huna wisdom. Walk the shaman’s path with him and learn the power of forgiveness, the way to focus on what you love and to let go of criticism, and how to heal your life. This book includes tales of how Huna techniques can be used to heal every type of relationship possible.

By Julia Annas

104 Pages | 2003 | Softcover | Oxford University Press, Oxford | ISBN: 9780192802163

This publication is no. 79 of a series called ‘A Very Short Introduction’

Few philosophers have been more intent on vigorous philosophizing than Plato. But none has matched the imagination and creativity with which he engages readers and entices them to join him in philisophical conversation. This book introduces Plato’s many-sided and elusive genius in a way that is stimulating and accessible. In ethics, metaphysics, philosophy of mind, and theory of knowledge. Plato’s wide-ranging, bold and influential ideas still challange us today.

‘A thoroughly good idea, Snappy, smallformat…stylish design…perfect to pop into your pocket for spare moments’ Lisa Jardin, The Times

‘A very good idea, these Very Short Introductions, a new concept from OUP’ Nicholas Lezard, Guardian

By Alice Bailey (1880 – 1949)

76 pages | 2018 | Softcover | A Mystical World Reprints, Lyndhurst | ISBN: 9781987721454

This is a series of seven lectures given in New York in the winter of 1921-1922.
1. The field of evolution
2. The evolution of substance
3. The evolution of form, or group evolution
4. The evolution of Man, the Thinker
5. The evolution of consciousness
6. The goal of evolution
7. Cosmic evolution

By Kurt Leland

411 pages | 2013 | Softcover | Quest Books, Wheaton | ISBN: 9780835609104

Essays compiled by Kurt Leland

Annie Besant (1847 – 1933) was a British-born advocate of religious freedom and socialist economics; en activist for the rights of women, children, and workers; and a crusader for India’s political independence/\. An inspiring public speaker and still revered as a spiritual teacher, she was also the second president of the Theosophical Society. This book presents her lectures and writings in which she reveals not only the potential dabgers of psychic and spiritual development, but also how to prepare ourselves safely for true spiritual unfolding.
This finely arranged and annotated collection shines a brilliant beam onto both the ordered structure of Annie Besant’s thought and the richness of the realms with which she dealt. Highly recommended. –Robert Ellwood, PhD.

Kurt Leland, poet, composer, author, and consciousness researcher, maintains a spiritual counseling practice in the Boston area. His website KurtLeland.com includes The Annie Besant Shrine, a comprehensive bibliography of Besant’s writings.

Door Prof. J.L.F. (Hans) Gerding.

16 Pagina’s | Rede uitgesproken ter gelegenheid van zijn afscheid als bijzonder hoogleraar Metafysica in de Geest van de Theosofie, vrijdag 1 feb. 2013 | Booklet | Universiteit Leiden | Geen ISBN.

Bij spiritualiteit en mystiek gaat het in de eerste plaats om ervaringen. Die ervaringen maken deel uit van een heel spectrum van verschillende soorten buitengewone ervaringen. Wie in de filosofie op zoek gaat naar beschouwingen over dit onderwerp, wordt rijkelijk beloond. Veel belangrijke filosofen hebben erover geschreven. Plato beschreef, als slotaccoord van zijn Politeia, een bijna-doodervaring die overeenkomt met wat mensen vandaag de dag nog steeds rapporteren. Plotinus had visioenen die van grote invloed waren op zijn filosofie. Kant heeft een boek geschreven over de buitengewone ervaringen van de mysticus Swedenborg. Schelling schreef na de dood van zijn vrouw een boek over contact met de geestenwereld. Schopenhauer zag buitengewone ervaringen als het empirische bewijs voor zijn metafysica. Nietzsche rapporteerde ervaringen die men terug vindt bij mensen, die kundalini-yoga beoefenen. En zo zijn er nog velen toe te voegen aan deze opsomming.

Van de ‘Backflap’:

” In alle culturen, vroeger en nu, worden buitengewone ervaringen massaal gereporteerd. Wie zich verdiept in de wijsheidstradities, wijsbegeerte, kunst, psychologie, psychiatrie, geschiedenis en antropologie, kan er niet omheen. Wat mensen in hun buitengewone ervaringen beleven is het overschrijden van grenzen: leven en dood, ruimte en tijd, en grenzen van de vertrouwde identiteit. Buitengewone ervaringen spelen niet alleen een grote rol bij zingeving en creatieve processen, maar ook bij psychopathologie. Juist de samenhang in en de verschillen tussen die uitersten kunnen ons veel leren. In het onderzoek op dit terrein vullen wijsbegeerte, (empirische) wetenschap en kennis van ervaringsdeskundigen elkaar aan. Dit werkveld is bovendien maatschappelijk zeer relevant en urgent. “

By Padmanabhan Krishna with a Foreword by Ravi Ravindra.

417 Pages | First printing Spring 2015 | Hardcover | Peepal Leaves Publisher | ISBN: 9781312903333.

This book gives an intimate portrayal of the philosopher sage Jiddu Krishnamurti by several of his colleagues, who knew him over many decades and interacted with him closely. It reveals several aspects of the man and investigates his teachings in depth.

The author, Padmanabhan Krishna, was a Professor of Physics and was closely associated with him for nearly three decades. He has lectured all over the world and conducted dialogues about Krishnamurti’s teachings.

From Chapter 20 – ‘What is Right Action’? (p. 351):

” So the Buddha’s action in leaving his wife and children and going into the forest would be right if he did it out of love and compassion for humanity; and the same action would be wrong if he did it for egoistic reasons, because he wanted to get away from his responsibilities. The quality of the mind taking that decision determines whether it is a right or a wrong decision. […] Because there is no self-interest in that consciousness, there is no partiality for the ‘me’ and the ‘mine’. Krishnamurti expressed it in another way; he said: ‘Come upon love, then do what you will’. Then one does not have to think and calculate and so on. But we must understand what he means by ‘love’. To him, ‘Love is where the self is not’. He is not talking about romance or attachment or sentiment as love. Only when self-interest is not the motivation, is there love. “

Commentary by Mohandas K. Gandhi.

127 Pages | First edition 2002, reprinted 2003 | Softcover | Axiom Publishing, Australia | ISBN: 1864761709.

‘When doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the face, and I see not one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to Bhagavad-Gita and find a verse to comfort me: and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow. Those who meditate on the Gita will derive fresh joy and new meaning from it every day’. – Mohandas K. Gandhi.

Mohandas Gandhi was a Hindu from birth and consequently always had a copy of the Bhagavad Gita close by. However, it was not until he was a law student living in England that he gained a firm grasp on its real meaning. It was this deeper meaning, which would guide him in all he was to do.

From Discourse 15 – ‘ Purushottama Yoga’ (p. 109):

” 12. The light in the sun which illumines the whole universe and which is in the moon and in fire – that light, know thou, is Mine;

13. It is I, who penetrating the earth uphold all beings with My strengh, and becoming the moon – the essence of all sap – nourish all the herbs;

14. It is i who becoming the Vaishvanara Fire and entering the bodies of all that breathe, assimilate the four kinds of food with the help of the outward and the inward breaths.

15. And am I seated in the hearts of all, from Me proceed memory, knowledge and the dispelling of doubts; it is I who am to be known in all the Vedas, I, the author of Vedanta and the knower of the Vedas. “

By R. Balasubramanian, general editor S. Sankaranarayanan.

27 Pages | First edition 2007 – The Adyar Library Pamphlet Series No. 63 | Pamphlet | The Adyar Library and Research Center, India | No ISBN.

The Upaniṣad-s are extraordinary texts and not only the concluding portion, but also the consummation of the Veda-s. There are four Veda-s, and each Veda has four sections, which are called Mantra, Brāhmaṇa, Āraṇyaka, and Upaniṣad. The Mantra-s are hymns in praise of Gods and Goddesses. The Brāhmaṇa-s deal with sacrificial rites. The Āraṇyaka-s contain meditative practices. The Upaniṣad-s are philosophical treatises dealing with Being and beings of all kinds.

The aim of the Upaniṣad-s, according to Śamkara, is to help human beings dis-cover the Self, which is Brahman and overcome the existential predicament. The goal can be achieved only by means of a new thinking, a radical questioning of the given, a rigorous inquiry into the life-world, which is bound to lead to a transvaluation of all values through deconstruction and reconstruction.

From page 14:

” The enlightened one attains unity with the All. He expresses wonder that the individual with all limitations has been able to shake them off and become one with the All. To get at the Real, we must get behind the forms of matter, the forms of life, the forms of mind, the forms of intellect. By removing the sheaths, by shaking off the bodies, we realise the Highest. This is the meaning of vastrāpaharaṇa. ‘Across my threshold naked all must pass’. “

Translated and with a Preface by Eknath Easwaran (1910 – 1999).

122 Pages | A Vintage Spiritual Classic Original 2000; abridged version | Vintage Books, A Division of Random House, Inc., New York | ISBN: 9780375705557.

The Bhagavad Gita (Sanskrit for ‘Song of the Lord’) is the most famous poem in all of Hindu literature and part of the Mahabharata, the great Indian epic. The Gita consists of a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Prince Arjuna on the morning of a climactic battle. Krishna provides Prince Arjuna with the spiritual means to take action under trying circumstances . Of course, the larger canvas painted in the poetry is that of the moral universe of Hinduism. As the late noted teacher and scholar Eknath Easwaran writes in the Preface:

‘The Gita does not present a system of philosophy. It offers something to every seeker after God, of whatever temperament, by whatever path. The reason for this universal appeal is that it is basically practical: it is a handbook for Self-realization and a guide to action’.

From Chapter 4 – ‘Wisdom in Action’ (p. 25):

” The awakened sages call a person wise when all his undertakings are free from anxiety about results; all his selfish desires have been consumed in the fire of knowledge. The wise, ever satisfied, have abandoned all external supports. Their security is unaffected by the results of their action; even while acting, they really do nothing at all. Free from expectations and from all sense of possession, with mind and body firmly controlled by the Self, they do not incur sin by the performance of physical action. “

By Seymour D. Ballard.

19 Pages | Softcover | The Blavatsky Lecture, 1986 | The Theosophical Society in England, London | No ISBN.

The Blavatsky Lecture delivered at the Annual Convention of the Theosophical Society in England at the College of Ripon and York, St. John, Ripon, July 29th, 1986.

A vital feature of the esoteric traditions contains the notion that all manifestation is to be regarded as illusion. Illusion is the usual translation of the Sanskrit word māyā. Yet, although she uses this definition of the Sanskrit Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831 – 1891) presents important qualifications to the word to help the student fathom the subject matter in her major work. She writes: ‘Māyā or Illusion, is an element which enters into all finite things, for everything that exists has only a relative, not an absolute, reality, since the appearance which the hidden noumenon assumes for any observer depends upon his power of cognition…’

From page 4:

” Nothing is permanent except the one hidden absolute Existence which contains in itself the noumena of all realities. The existences belonging to every plane of being, up to the highest Dhyan Chohans, are, comparatively, like the shadows cast by a magic lantern on a colourless screen. Nevertheless, all things are relatively real, for the cognizer is also a reflection, and the things cognised are therefore as real to him as himself. Whatever reality things possess, must be looked for in them before or after they have passed like a flash through the material world; for we cannot cognize any such existence directly, so long as we have sense instruments, which bring only material existences into the field of our consciousness. “

By Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BC. – 43 BC).

19 Pages | Unknown publication date | Pocket Pamphlet No. 1 | The Wizards Bookshelf, San Diego U.S.A. | No ISBN.

This short fragment of Cicero generally known as the Vision of Scipio to those, who are seeking for the scattered pearls, which once adorned the sacred bosom of the pure virgin of the mysteries, before she was defiled and her robe and jewels trampled in the mire of the sty, is perhaps the most interesting record in the voluminous writings of the great Roman orator.

Whence Tully derived his information, whether from the writings of the outer schools of Pythagorean and Platonic philosophy, or from private sources, is in the present case immaterial.

From page 18:

” Since, therefore, it is evident that that only is eternal, which is self-motive. Who is there to deny that this is a rational attribute of Souls? For everything which is set in motion by external impulse is destitute of the Soul principle, whereas everything ensouled is energised by an interior and self-created motion; for this is the Soul’s proper nature and power. “

By Albert Amao, PhD., Foreword by Mitch Horowitz.

323 Pages | First Quest Edition 2014 | Softcover | Quest Books U.S.A., | ISBN: 9780835609210.

‘How Millions have been healed through the Mind alone’.

The aim of this book is to demonstrate the power of thought to heal the mind and body. Amao examines the rationale behind so-called mind, spiritual, and faith healing and explain why this kind of treatment works where conventional medicine fails. Amao also examines the most prominent leaders of the New Thought movement, who used mental and spiritual means to recover their health from supposedly ‘incurable’ diseases, and he describes the mechanism that triggered their healing. Finally, he explains why some people do not respond to any kind of treatment, with medicine or without it.

Mainstream academia should be made aware that mental and spiritual healing is an authentic, American-made phenomenon, that originated in and has flourished since the nineteenth century, particularly in New England. This phenomenon continues to develop today through the emerging field of energy psychology, which includes Thought Field Therapy and its derivatives, such as the Emotional Freedom Technique and similar practices.

Amao’s main hypothesis is this: All methods of mind and spiritual healing are self-healing. Human beings have an inner capacity to heal themselves. Indeed, conventional medicine can be said to heal, because it removes obstacles so that the body can regain its recuperative capacity.

From Chapter 12 – ‘Thomas Jay Hudson, The Scientific Working Hypothesis’ (p. 114):

” Some student of Occultism approach metaphysical studies with the idea of surrendering their will and conscious mind to the direction of the subconscious. This is dangerous, because the subconscious cannot direct itself. The person, who allows his subconscious to control him runs the risk that dormant, anarchic, and destructive forces in the psyche will express themselves at the least, expected times in devastating ways. When the conscious mind surrenders it dominion over the subconscious, the person becomes at the mercy of untamed primeval instincts, which could result in mental illness. As Hudson wrote, the subconscious cannot direct itself, nor can direct us. Its marvelous powers must always be definitely limited if they are to do us any real good. The unrestrained expression of the subconscious is insanity. “

By Evelyn Eaton (1902 – 1983).

212 Pages | A Quest Original 1982 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835605612.

This is the personal logbook of Mahad’yuni (Evelyn Eaton), a woman of white and Indian ancestry. Evelyn is a Metis Medicine Woman of the Bear Medicine Tribe and the Deer Tribe, who received her Pipe from an Arapaho Medicine Man, and much of her eighteen year long training from the Paiute Medicine Man in the Owens Valley, who also made the Pipe for her and blessed it. This first person account of Amerindian healing rituals includes her personal triumphs over physical affliction. It is the story of a Sweat Lodge, a Medicine Wheel, Shamans, the Grandfathers, and ‘close to Mother Earth’ people. It is a story of deep compassion. It is a story of tenderness. It is a story of power – the power of extraordinary healing capacities that are available to every human being.

She subsequently immersed herself in study of Native American spiritual traditions. Her many books include:

• Snowy Earth Comes Gliding
• I Send A Voice
• Go Ask The River
• The Trees And The Fields Went The Other Way.
•  Joy of Night – The Last Years of Evelyn Eaton, written by her daughter Terry Eaton.

From page 173:

” The Wiyag Wachipipi (dance looking at the Sun) is one of our greatest rites and was first held many, many winters after our people received the sacred Pipe from the White Buffalo Cow Woman. It is held each year during the Moon of Fattening (June) or the Moon of Cherries Blackening (July) always at the same time when the moon is full, for the growing and dying of the moon reminds us of our ignorance, which comes and goes; but when the moon is full it is as if the eternal light of the Great Spirit were upon the whole world. “

By Kim and Chris Murray.

79 Pages | Copyright 1980/1998, Miniature Edition 2000 | Hardcover | Mandala Publishing Group, San Francisco U.S.A. | ISBN: 1886069328.

‘You cannot see Me with your present eyes.
Therefore I give you divine eyes, so that you
can behold My mystic opulence’.

• Bhagavad-Gītā 11-8.

This opulent presentation of the Bhagavad-Gītā, India’s great spiritual master-piece, is unique. Profusely illustrated with over forty color plates and more than fifty black and white drawings, this edition provides a fresh and stunning look at the immensely popular classic. The authors Kim and Chris Murray were inspired by the timeless knowledge and mysticism of the Bhagavad-Gītā and their personal association with A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the translator of the book’s verses.

From page 15:

” For the Soul there is never birth nor death nor having once been, does he ever cease to be.

He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval.

He is not slain when the body is slain. “

By Daisy E. Grove.

131 Pages | First Adyar Edition 2005 | Softcover | The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 8170594626.

The first part of the book explains the symbolism of the Apocalypse. An enigma to orthodoxy, this word has been interpreted in countless ways and speculated upon for the hidden meaning it is intended to convey. Significantly it found inclusion in the Christian Canon and has been preserved unaltered through centuries.

In the second part, the author explains that apocalypse is indeed ‘unveiling’ of what had been hidden, and goes on to present the Mystery-Drama of Initiation, in seven principal acts/episodes based on the authorized version of the Bible. The drama ends with the marriage, symbolizing the union of the Soul and the Spirit.

From Chapter 5 – ‘Animal Symbols’ (p. 47):

” The horn is a universal symbol of power, therefore the horns of this bogus lamb indicate the power that it exerts in its own realm. The horns of animals are their strength and defence, the leader of a flock being the horned male. Hence, the horns of the ram (Aries) associated with man’s intellectual principle symbolizes his ruling faculty or powers of leadership. In biblical language, to lift up the horn, exalt the horn, cut off the horn, always refers to powers strengthened, abused or weakened. The speech of the pseudo-lamb, compared to that of a dragon, is pretended knowledge, for the dragon, like the serpent, is a familiar emblem of Wisdom. “

Andrew Harvey and Eryk Hanut.

193 Pages | First Quest Edition 1996, photographs included | Hardcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835607453.

‘Celebrate the Sacred Feminine in this rapturous Hymn to Mary, the Mother Goddess of Christianity’.

Each day of the year is highlighted by a reading drawn from the visionary words of Mary’s devotees or from the revelations of the Mother herself as she has appeared in modern times. Each month is introduced by an innovative meditation to help us put Mary’s words into practice to heal, guide, and inspire our daily lives. Harvey’s & Hanut’s stunning photogrpahs make this book a gift to cherish all year.

From Chapter – ‘January’ (p. 17):

January 8th:

” The entire ancient world, from Asia Minor to the Nile and from Greece to the Indus Valley, abounds in figurines of the naked female form, in various attitudes of the all-supporting, all-including Goddess . . . and so it came to pass that, in the end and to our day, Mary, Queen of Martyrs, became the sole inheritor of all the names and forms, sorrows, joys and consolations, of the Goddess-Mother in the Western world: Seat of Wisdom, Vessel of Honor, Mystical Rose, House of Gold, Gate of Heaven, Morning Star, Refuge of Sinners, Queen of Angels, Queen of Peace. “ – Joseph Campbell.

• Has modern civilization really improved human lives?
• Is money evil?
• Is government necessary?
• What can we each do to renew our connection with all that is wild, and generative, and free?

In this radical and thought-provoking book, ecophilosopher Richard Heinberg explores these questions with wit, perception, and refreshing insight. Each culture, Heinberg shows, makes a covenant or agreement with nature. Our culture’s agreement is obviously crumbling. If we are to create a new covenant, we must begin by rethinking the givens of society from the ground up – or even, quietly desert the existing social system and help birth a better one.

From Part III – ‘The Great Purification’ (p. 163):

” To speak of wilderness is to speak of wholeness. Human beings came out of that wholeness, and to consider the possibility of reactivating membership in the Assembly of All Beings is in no way regressive. “ – Gary Snyder.

By Richard Heinberg, Foreword by Dolores LaChapelle.

199 Pages | A Quest Original 1993 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835606937.

Rejoice in the Seasonal Festivals of the Earth . . .

Seasonal festivals are not cultural relics. They are joyous, fun, mischievous, profound, life-affirming events that connect us deeply with the Earth, the heavens, and the wellspring of being within us. This engaging book tells the history and meaning of the Solstices, encourages the practice of full-bodied, ecstatic rituals of seasonal renewal, and gives practical suggestions for how to celebrate them in contemporary times.

• Discover the ancient roots of Christmas-tide customs.
• Honor the Goddess in all of her Names by celebrating the June Solstice as a Festival of the Divine Feminine.
• Learn how cultures around the world honored their connectedness with the Earth rhythms.
• Create life-affirming celebrations of the Solstices – alone, with friends or family, in the wilderness, or in the city.

From Chapter 3 – ‘The First Solstice Festivals’ (p.27):

” Each year, for about a week before and after the winter solstice, light from the rising Sun passes through a boxed slot above the doorway of Newgrange and shine the entire length of the corridor to the far wall of the central chamber (a distance of over eighty feet), illuminating a stone basin positioned below a series of intricate carvings of interlocked spirals, eye shapes, and rayed solar discs. For about seventeen minutes the inner sanctuaryis softly lit; then the finger of sunlight slowly creeps back across the stone floor, and darkness returns. The effect is stunning, and the effort spent to obtain it must have been enormous. “

By Curuppumullage Jinarājadāsa (1875–1953).

30 Pages | First edition, second reprint 2004 | Paperback | The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 8170592593.

This ‘letter’, from the Adept known as the Mahā Chohan, to A.P. Sinnett, is in fact an abridged report of an interview with him. Short though it is, it contains practically the charter for the work and development of the Theosophical Society through the ages, according to Mr. Jinarājadāsa. His commentary provides the proper perspective to understand the importance of the letter.

By Robert Robertson, Ph.D., Foreword by Allan Combs.

182 Pages | First Quest Edition 2009 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 9780835608626.

‘ Somewhere in the celestial palace of the dancing god Indra, there hangs a fabulous net, that spreads out boundlessly over the cosmos in every direction. The divine craftsman has so cleverly fashioned this net that at every knot there hangs a dazzling jewel, each one so brilliantly polished, that it reflects all the others. As Above, so Below . . . ‘

This image of Indra’s net from a Buddhist Sutra symbolizes the Mystery, that, through our own transformation, each of us is united with everyone and everything else. Author Robin Robertson finds parallel models in ancient Alchemy, which tried to change base metal into gold, and modern chaos theory, which posits that tiny initial changes can have huge and unexpected outcomes – as a butterfly in Brazil might cause a tornado in Texas. Robinson lucidly shows how these two systems reveal the pattern of inner development in any spiritual tradition. No matter what one’s particular calling, these surprising insights can enrich and accelerate the transformative stages of any spiritual seeker.

From Chapter 6  – ‘The Philosopher’s Stone’:

 ” Central to this book is the understanding that the Opus is within us as much as it is without. As I mentioned in the Introduction, Buddhist philosophy captures this relationship between the world and the psyche through the image of Indra’s net: a vast necklace of shining jewels, all interconnected. It is told thus in the Avatamsaka Sutra:

Far away in the heavenly abode of the great God Indra, there is a wonderful net, which has been hung by some cunning artificer in such a manner that it stretches out infinitely in all directions. In accordance with the extravagant tastes of deities, the artificer has hung a single glittering jewel in each ‘eye’ of the net, and since the net itself is infinite in dimension, the jewels are infinite in number. There hang the Jewels, glittering like stars in the first magnitude, a wonderful sight to behold. If we now arbitrarily select one of these jewels for inspection and look closely at it, we will discover that in its polished surface there are reflected all the other jewels in the net, infinite in number. Not only that, but each of the jewels reflected in this one jewel is also reflecting all the other jewels, so that there is an infinite reflecting process ocurring. “

By Peggy Rubin.

287 Pages | First Quest Edition 2010 | Softcover | The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN:  9780835608534.

‘ The play of life is a daring adventure. Live it for all it’s worth and say yes! No matter what . . . ‘

So says author and popular Sacred Theatre workshop leader Peggy Rubin. Drawing on decades of experience, she helps us take the leading role in our own life by tapping into the nine powers of the theatre, including Story, Expression, Point of View, Conflict and Celebration. With imaginative exercises throughout, her long-awaited book is fun, profound, and exuberantly transformative!

From the ‘Prologue’ (p. 2):

” This book uses the traditional theatre as a metaphor for framing and living life. I think of it as a dialogue between us. We will be talking about how actors work as they prepare and play their roles and how their training can provide ways for us all to live more buoyantly. First, may I share some thoughts about how I believe the theatre began as a sacred act, how your life is a sacred art form, and why I call what we are doing together Sacred Theatre.

Let us return to the ancient firelight and our ancestor’s celebration over the roasting meat. We can imagine the excitement as the first actor rises to enact the story of the hunt; we can almost hear the accompanying sounds and feel his listener’s enormous gratitude for the animal that gave its life to provide protein and also gave them this reason to celebrate – and, incidentally, to invent the theatre. “

By Dennis Lewis.

115 Pages | First Quest Edition 2009 | Softcover | The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 9780835608725.

Welcome to Breathe into Being, a book that can help you awaken to who and what you really are through the miracle of the breath as it manifests now in your body. Most books on breathing explain how and why you should work with your breath to improve your health, increase your energy or obtain some spiritual goal – all in the future. Most books on presence explain that there is really nothing to do to be who you really are except perhaps to open your eyes right now and see that you have always been what you have been searching for.

Of course, there are books on breathing that discuss the importance of presence and books on presence, that discuss the importance of breathing. There are very few (if any) contemporary books, however, that explore the depths to which breathing itself, natural breathing, is a portal to presence, an ever-present gateway to Awakening to and Being Who you Really Are.

From Chapter: ‘We Can Only Find Meaning and Happiness Now and Here’ (p. 24 & p. 25):

” Of course, not all of us want to go through this process of tranformation. Many of us are quite content to live with our beliefs and our ways of viewing ourselves and the world. So here, before we go on, I suggest you take some time to look into your heart and mind and ponder what it is that, beneath all your fleeting desires, you really want. A big help in this process would be to put it into words and write these words down. After you have written them down, it may be helpful to put one hand on your belly and the other on your heart and follow your breathing for a few minutes, letting yourself become one with it. Then look closely at the words again and see if they resonate with what you actually feel. Are the words true? Is what you wrote down what you really want? What do you really want? Try writing what you really want again in a more honest way. “

By Arthur E. Powell (1882 – 1969).

355 Pages | First published in 1928, second edition, second reprint 2016 | Softcover | The Theosophical House, Adyar | ISBN: 9788170594239.

The causal body is the vehicle of the immortal principle of a human being, the Ego, which survives the death and disintegration of the lower bodies – physical, astral and mental. It acts as a receptacle for the essence of a human being’s experiences and lessons in various incarnations. In the causal body also lies the creative power of meditation.

This classic work by Colonel Arthur E. Powell is part of a series of books seeking to provide a condensed synthesis of the considerable literature given by well-known Theosophical writers. Other books in the series are: The Etheric Double – The Health Aura, The Astral Body and Other Astral Phenomena, The Mental Body and The Solar System.

From Chapter XV – ‘Functions of the Causal Body’ (p. 89):

” The causal body owes its name to the fact that in it reside the causes, which manifest themselves as effects in the lower planes. For it is the experiences of past lives, stored in the causal body, which are the cause of the general attitude taken up towards life, and the actions undertaken. In Sanskrit, the causal body is known as the Kārana Sharira, Kārana meaning ‘cause’. Briefly, we may say that the causal body has two main functions:

1. To act as a vehicle for the Ego: the causal body is the ‘body of Manas’, the form-aspect of the individual, the true man, the Thinker.

2. To act as a receptacle or storehouse for the essence of the man’s experiences in his various incarnations. The causal body is that into, which is woven everything, which can endure, and in which are stored the germs of qualities, to be carried over to the next incarnation. Hence, one sees that the lower manifestation of the man, i.e. his expression in his mental, astral and physical bodies, depends ultimately upon the growth and development of the real man himself, the one ‘for whom the hour never strikes’. “

By Y. Keshava Menon.

121 Pages | Published in 1976 | Jaico Publishing House, India | No ISBN.

On the intellectual level, Indian philosophy is logical and rational and proceeds on the same kind of axioms, overt or implied, as Western philosophy. Shankara was one of the most subtle of Indian philosophers, and though for him intellectual dexterity was not an end in itself, the reader will find some reasoning worthy of his steel in the following pages. Equally, however, it would be an error to bring to Shankara the same spirit of mesmerised reverance that many Christians bring to the Elizabeth English of the Authorised Version of the Bible. Reverence and blind faith are also not enough. Perhaps the most helpful thing that can be said is that the reader who wants to get the best out of Shankara should approach him with a cool, constructively critical mind, but determined to study philosophy as a whole and not to reject conclusions out of hand. There is ratiocination in plenty for him, but if he is not prepared to test the philosophy for himself, he would have gained little from Shankara.

From the Introduction (p. VII):

” Though he is considered one of the foremost of India’s philosophers, Shankara is also one of the most misunderstood. We have heard fire-eating revolutionaries advance the theory that the essence of Shankara philosophy is on all fours with the materialistic interpretation of life formulated by Hegel, on which is built the edifice of Marxism. Pandit Jawarharlal Nehru, in the course of his record of the cultural history of the world, testifies to Shankara’s merits as an outstanding Shaivite. In his own time, Shankara was hailed as Shanmathatshapanacharya (founder of six faiths). Obviously, all of them cannot very well be right. Much of the misunderstanding of Shankara’s position may be due to the absence of a lucid presentation of his life and works in a comprehensive and readable form. This short monograph is an attempt to meet that need for the benefit of those, who have no previous acquaintance with philosophy. “

By Radha S. Burnier (1923 – 2013).

154 Pages | Published in 1990, Adyar Edition Reprint 2006 | Hardcover | Uitgeverij der Theosofische Vereniging in Nederland, Amsterdam | ISBN: 8170594995.

Dutch translation: Regeneratie van de Mens – Lezingen en Discussies | Uitgegeven in 1994 | Uitgeverij der Theosofische Vereniging in Nederland, Amsterdam | ISBN: 9061750695.

Theosophists are all united by a common devotion to the Regeneration of Man. They may differ in their convictions or approach. The teachings of Buddha, Jesus, Blavatsky, Besant, Krishnamurti or some other teacher may inspire some and not others. But there is a strong common bond, namely profound concern for the progress and perfection of humanity, not merely at the material and intellectual levels, but morally and spiritually.

A Theosophist does not seek wisdom to benefit him or herself. ‘Not for him/herself but for the world he or she lives’. And the more deeply devotion is directed at the regeneration of mankind, the more ardently the understanding of self and the world and the penetration into the secret of life. Aim is to discover the source of Goodness and Happiness within, which is the birthright of all living beings.

From Chapter 3 – ‘Regeneration and the Objects of the Theosophical Society’ (p. 91):

” From a pratical view: does not Brotherhood begin with simple things? Just being oridnarily kind, beginning to think in terms of another person, instead of only ourselves. We like to enjoy ourselves, but somebody else has to work. Are we prepared to sacrifice a little of our enjoyment to help the person, who is working? Brotherhood begins like that. But when we are brotherly and kind in the ordinary sense of the word, still the feeling of difference from others does not go – one remains in a world of duality. So we must continue practising Brotherhood, until the tendency of the mind to see in terms of duality disappears. Even the word ‘Brotherhood’ suggests, that there is a brother and ‘myself’. “

By Nūr-ud-Dīn ‘Abd-ur-Rahmān Jāmī (1414 – 1492), translated by E.H. Whinfield and Mīrzā Muhammad Kazvīnī and with a new introduction by Seyyed Hossein Nasr.

61 Pages+ full Arabic text | First edition 1906, 2nd edition 1914, reprinted in 1928 & 1978 | Softcover | Theosophical Publishing House, London | ISBN: 722951361.

This work by Nūr-ud-Dīn ‘Abd-ur-Rahmān Jāmī is a reproduction of the 1928 edition published by the Royal Asiatic Society. It contains the full text and English translation as well as a new preface by Seyyed Hossein Nasr. Jāmī needs little introduction. He is acknowledged to be one of the greatest poets of the Persian language and ranks alongside Sanā’ī, Attār, Rūmī, and Hāfiz. He was born near Herat in 817/1414, and became a renowned scholar mastering the traditional sciences of mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, and theology. He became deeply committed to Sufism, and was an influential member of the Naqshbandiyyah Order. The spiritual instructions he was to receive in the Order from two masters, Sa’d al-Dīn Muhammad Kāshghāri and Khwājah Nasīr al-Dīn Ahrār, were so to transform his very being. that he was able to create several masterpieces of Sufism of which Lawāʼih is a fine example.

In this work he brilliantly describes the doctrines of Ibn ‘Arabī and his school which had such a profound influence on all aspects of Persian life. It is by no means simply a commentary on Ibn ‘Arabī, but as Hossein Nasr points out in his preface, ‘it is the fruit of vision made possible by spiritual discipline and the attainment of sanctity’.

From page 43:

” Mark well this subtle point – each quality

Each action that in substances we see,

On one side is attributed to us,

On one to ‘Truth’, the sole Reality. “

Compiled by Shirley Nicholson and Brenda Rosen.

290 Pages | A Quest Original 1992 | Softcover | Quest Books U.S.A. | ISBN: 9780835606851.

Esoteric philosophy has always maintained that everything in nature is alive. This enticing anthology suggests that science is beginning to move closer to this viewpoint. New perspectives on the Native American, Celtic, Theosophical and mystical Christian traditions are offered unveiling the seamless, interconnected web of life linking human beings and the natural world. Contributors include:

• James Lovelock – father of the Gaia Movement
• Joan Halifax – anthropologist
• Thomas Berry – Jesuit ecologist
• Dorothy Maclean – co-founder Findhorn Community
• Serge King – Hawaiian shaman
• And many more . . .

From Chapter – ‘Invoking Angelic Beings’ by Geoffrey Hodson (p. 289):

Angels of Nature

” Hail, devas of the earth and sky!
Come to our aid;
Give fertility to our fields
Give life to all our seeds,
That this our earth may be fruitful.

Hail, devas of the earth and sky!
Come to our aid;
Share with us the labours of our world
That the divinity within may be set free . . . “

By Fiona C. Odgren.

250 Pages | First published in 2016 | Softcover | Axis Mundi Books, Winchester UK & Washington U.S.A. | ISBN: 9781785353383.

Insights From The Masters is a compilation of The Mahatma Letters, a remarkable correspondence, that took place between two Masters, Koot Humi and Morya, and two influential British men. The Letters are currently held in the British Library, London UK. With this compilation the author has taken what she considers to be the most interesting themes regarding esoteric knowledge presented by the Masters and made their teachings more accessible to the public. The Letters contain answers on subjects relating to Birth and Death, truth on Afterlife and Reincarnation, Occult Science and Phenomena, Karma and Dharma etc. and all while portraying the unconditional love and humour of these advanced Souls.

From the Foreword (p. 3):

” Morya was Blavatsky’s personal spiritual Teacher, whom she had met numerous times in her life. He had saved her life on more than one occasion and she recalled having visions of him as a child. She came to actually meet him for the first time in London, in 1851, when he was part of an entourage invited to have an audience with Queen Victoria. He was a Rajput prince by birth and was described once by Blavatsky as being ‘one of the old warrior race of the Indian desert’. He was exceptionally tall (six feet, eight inches) and splendidly built – a superb type of manly beauty. K.H. sometimes referred to him as ‘my bulky brother’. Morya also usually signed his name with his initial. He was not highly proficient in the English language and spoke of himself as ‘using words and phrases lying idly in my friend’s brain’, meaning of course the brain of Koot Humi. “

By James S. Perkins (1899 – 1991).

124 Pages | Copyright 1961, second Quest printing 1982 |  Softcover | The Theosophical Publishing House, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835604519.

What will be your situation immediately after you die? Does your consciousness continue? Or, is immortality a myth? In this book, James Perkins answers these and other questions concerning the pilgrimage of the Soul through the cycles of death and rebirth. Reïncarnation is a subject of intimate personal concern to every individual. To the average person, seeking an answer to discouragement and a possible sense of failure, this concept brings an awareness that no failure is final, that there is endless opportunity to become what one aspires to be. Perkins presents his thoughts on ‘many lifetimes’ in a new and unique manner using his finely tuned artistic and literary talents.

From page 123:

” The ancient and noble path of reïncarnation, of the spiraling growth of the Soul, level by radiant level, toward some far-off, perfect Day-that-is-to-be, has a beauty of design, a grandeur of proportion, that appeals to the highest intuïtion and reason of man. Who embraces its philosophy is thereby freed from the burden of unknowing that blinds mankind to greater service. His heart at peace, he is able to awaken perception that sets him upon the path to liberation. With dauntless patience and undisturbed conviction, he can begin to evoke even now atmospheres of harmony, by absorbing within himself the conflicts and dissensions of daily life, the embattled elements that surround everyone, recreating these with his vision of the Truth and Beauty that dwell at the heart of all things. Joyously, then, as an Immortal He unites himself with Those who labor to lift life. “

By Arthur Edward Powell (1882 – 1969).

156 Pages | First published in 1925, 1969, 1979, second edition, first reprint 2015 | Hardcover | The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 9788170595632.

This classic tekst has long been used as a resource book by students and scholars of astral phenomena. It’s subject is the subtle body, which all human beings possess, physical in nature but invisible to ordinary eyes. Of interest to healers, body workers, and all students of esoteric lore, Powell’s discussion of the anatomy of the subtle body, its energy centres and functions, is perceptive and comprehensive.  The others in the series are: The Mental Body, The Astral Body and Other Astral Phenomena, The Causal Body and the Ego and The Solar System.

From Chapter I – ‘General Description’ (p.3):

” It is important to notice, that the dense body and the Etheric Double vary together as to their quality; hence one who sets himself deliberately to purify his dense body, at the same time automatically refines its etheric counterpart. Into the composition of the Etheric Double must enter something of all the different grades of etheric matter, but the proportions may vary greatly, and are determined by several factors, such as the race, sub-race, and type of man, as well as by his individual karma. “

By Rabbi Leah Novick.

210 Pages | First Quest Edition 2008 | Softcover | Quest Books U.S.A. | ISBN: 9780835608619.

Denied and suppressed for thousands of years, the Divine Feminine returns at a time when the breakdown of traditional belief leaves us desperate for love, for security, for protection, for wisdom, for meaning. It leaves us yearning for a nurturing and cultivation of our whole being, that we might be adequate stewards of the coming planetary civilization.

Luminous and astute, this invaluable resource follows the journey of the Shekhinah through Jewish Scripture, Midrash, and Kabbalah, concluding with her rise among Jewish feminists, who understand that the Feminine Face of God is necessary to the health both of soul and world. Author Rabbi Novick also offers profound visualizations to help us connect personally with the Shekhinah. At the heart of the Mystery, we discover Shekhinah as our hope, our beckoning evolutionairy vision, and our point of contact with the spiritual genius, that resides within each of us.

From Chapter 11 – ‘Contemporary Jewish Feminism and the Return of Shekhinah (p. 129):

” If we could take flight on the wings of Shekhinah, here is what we might see. Flying over the majority of synagogues of North America, we would see women rabbis and cantors lead prayers. We would notice that they, and some women in their congregations, are wearing ’tallitot’ (prayer shawls) and ‘kippot’ (skullcaps), although more likely in colors and designs, that reflect the feminine. We would see women and girls standing on the ‘bimah’ (pulpit) reading from the Torah, as part of Shabbat services or bat mitzvah ceremonies in Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, and Renewal congregations. 

We would hear women teachers of Thorah, brilliant exegetes explaining holy texts, embodying what it means to be part of the generations of sages. We would encounter female trustees on synagogue boards and serving as presidents of congregations. Refreshments for the ‘oneg’ (socials after services) might be provided by men or families as opposed to the all-female cooking, baking, and hospitality roles of the past. In effect, the presence of women in leadership of Jewish communal life suggests, that our access to Shekhinah formerly connected with spiritual teachings and literature, has become apparent through women and girls calling the Divine Feminine back to earth. Perhaps this trend can be regarded as an extension of the teachings of the great Chasidic master Dov Baer, the Maggid of Mezeritch, who urged his followers to pray for the return of Shekhinah to our planet. “

By Huston Smith (1919- 2016).

295 Pages | First Quest Edition 1984, 2nd edition 1989, 3rd printing 1992, 3rd edition 2003 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835608301.

NB: This is the latest and third edition: the second, hence cheaper edition of this book can be purchased in our Webshop here.

This study was first published in 1982 and is considered a classic in its disciplined analysis of contemporary reductionist philosophy. It explores the limits of science and points society’s way out of the dark woods where science has stranded us. Smith uses the term ‘modern’ mind to denote the so-called Enlightenment outlook of Newtonian physics and rationalism, which cut the ground from under the religious foundations of Western life. In the ‘post-modern’ age of the late nineteenth and the twentieth centuries, people lost their humanistic confidence.

Although science may have won a battle ove religion, it has in the process undermined its own empirical foundation: and having destroyed confidence in intuitive revelation, the mind is (as H.G. Wells once suggested) ‘at the end of its tether’. Despite the ravages of analytical philosophy and existentialism, Smith feels there is a fundamental view of reality, that flourishes throughout the world under various disguises. The uneasy post-modern mind, Smith says, awaits discernment of a new metaphysics.

From Chapter 3 – ‘Perennial Philosophy, Primordial Philosophy’ (p. 64):

” A life, that identifies primarily with its physical pleasures and needs (getting and spending we lay waste our days) is superficial;

one that advances its attention to the mind can be interesting if it moves on to the heart (synonym for soul), it can be good.

And if it passes on to spirit – that saving self-forgetfulness and egalitarianism in which one’s personal interests loom no larger than those of others – it would be perfect. “

By Edward Tick, Ph.D.

329 Pages | First Quest Edition 2005 | Softcover | Quest Books U.S.A. | ISBN: 9780835608312.

Post-traumatic stress disorder increasingly afflicts veterans of modern warfare. The New England Journal of Medicine (July 2005) reports, that it affects almost 20% of soldiers returning from Iraq. Tragically, PTSD impacts all aspects of life. Some vets can’t hold jobs or sustain relationships. Others have recurrent nightmares or won’t leave home, fearing they may attack ’the enemy’ seen in the faces of those they meet.

To begin healing, says Edward Tick, we must see PTSD as a disorder of identity itself. War’s violence can cause the very Soul to flee and be lost for life. Drawing on history, mythology, and thirty years of experience, Dr. Tick reveals the universal dimensions of veteran’s Soul wounding. He uses methods from ancient Greek, Native American, Vietnamese, and other traditions to restore the Soul so that the veteran can, at last, truly return home. His work is invaluable for veterans of any war as well as for their families and all, who would help them.

From the Conclusion (p. 286):

” Our goal is not just to awaken the Soul; that is what childhood, religious and secular education is meant to do. Rather, our goal is to ‘grow’ the Soul large enough, to help it become wise and strong enough, so that it can surround the dominating wound we call trauma. When we do this, PTSD can evaporate and we can have people like Mr. Tiger, devoted to the peaceful cultivation of the earth and to international friendship and reconciliation. The formula for the war-wounded Soul is simple: surround trauma with Soul. Its application may be the most difficult and important work we ever undertake. ” 

By Arthur Avalon, also known as Sir John George Woodroffe (1865–1936):

500 Pages | First published by Luzac & Co in 1918, this fascimile edition has been carefully scanned and reprinted in the traditional manner | Softcover | The Lost Library, Glastonbury | ISBN: 9781906621230.

The Serpent Power comprises translations and commentary on two ancient Sanskrit texts:

1. De ṣaṭ-cakra nirūpaṇa (Description of and Investigation into the Six Bodily Centres).
2. De pādukā-pañcaka (Fivefold Footstool of the Guru).

In addition to practical yoga instruction, Avalon gives a detailed explanation of the chakra system and writes with such clarity and elegance on the often misunderstood topics of meditation and mantra.

From Chapter 1: ‘The Six Centres and the Serpent Power’ (p. 2):

” This (kuṇḍalinī) Yoga is effected by a process technically known as ṣaṭ-cakra-bheda, or piercing of the Six Centres (cakra) or Lotuses (padma) of the body (which the work describes) by the agency of kuṇḍalinī-śakti, which, in order to give it an English name, I have here called the Serpent Power. Kuṇḍala means coiled. The Power is the Goddess (devī) Kuṇḍalinī, or that which is coiled; for Her form is that of a coiled and sleeping serpent in the lowest bodily centre, at the base of the spinal column, until by the means described She is aroused in that Yoga, which is named after Her. Kuṇḍalinī is the Divine Cosmic Energy in bodies. “

By Annie Besant (1847 – 1933).

338 Pages | First published by The Theosophical Society in 1897, this fascimile edition has been carefully scanned and reprinted in the traditional manner | Softcover | The Lost Library, Glastonbury | ISBN: 9781906621346.

Annie Besant’s classic introduction to Theosophy.

In the present Volume, an attempt will be made to place Theosophy before the reader simply and clearly, in a way which shall convey its general principles and truths as forming a coherent conception of the universe, and shall give such detail as it is necessary for the understanding of their relations to each other.

From the Introduction:

” Right thought is necessary to right conduct, right understanding to right living and the Divine Wisdom – whether called by its Sanskrit name of Brahmā Vidyā, or its modern Greek name of Theosophia, Theosophy – comes to ther world as at once an adequate philosophy and an all embracing religion and ethic. “ – Annie Besant.

By Walter Yeeling Evans-Wentz (1878 – 1965).

524 Pages | First published by Henry Frowde in 1911, this fascimile edition has been carefully scanned and reprinted in the traditional manner | Softcover | The Lost Library, Glastonbury | ISBN: 9781906621100.

The most scholarly work on fairies ever published.

This rare book contain priceless ethnographic fieldwork and provides an invaluable snapshot of the fairy belief system taken at the cusp of modernity. There are regional surveys of fairy faith in Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Brittany and the Isle of Man.

Examining each of the hypothetical explanations of the fairy phenomena in turn, including theories of fairies as reclusive dwarfs, disembodied spirits or figments of human imagination, the author concludes that they may indeed be a manifestation of inhabitants of a higher reality that only some people are able to view, let alone understand.

From Section I – The Living Fairy-Faith (B):

“ In the Beauty of the World lies the ultimate redemption of our mortality. When we shall become at one with Nature in a sense profounder even than the poetic imaginings of most of us, we shall understand what we now fail to discern. ” – Fiona MacLeod.

By Geoffrey Hodson (1886 – 1983).

408 Pages | First edition 1967, 2nd & revised edition 1972, reprinted in 1986 | Hardcover | The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 0835607054.

The Holy Bible belongs to a special category of literature. Mystics, Kabbalists, and students of sacred texts regard the Scriptures as allegorical, constructed of symbols, analogies, and parables, woven into a tapestry of meaning that holds the age-old truths of existence.

From ‘The Hidden Wisdom and why It is concealed’ (p. ix):

” The greatest degree of power, which occult science can bestow is to be derived from knowledge of the unity and interaction between the Macrocosm and the Microcosm, the Universe and Man. ‘The mystery of the earthly and mortal man is after the mystery of the supernal and immortal One’, wrote Éliphas Lévi (1810 – 1875), Lao Tzu (6th century BC) also expresses this truth in his words: ‘The Universe is a man on a larger scale’. “

The late Geoffrey Hodson is the author of The Brotherhood of Angels and Men and Clairvoyant Investigations.

By Iqbal Kishen Taimni (1898–1978).

148 Pages | Published and revised in 1991, second edition 2016 | Softcover | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 9788170595885.

The members of the Theosophical Society are spread throughout the world. In order to organize the Society’s work efficiently, it is imperative that the members have a clear understanding of its aims and the general principles, that should guide them in planning and execution of their work.

This book fulfils this requirement admirably, by listening the activities and their objectives in great detail, and suggesting ways and means of achieving them in an efficient manner. It lays down the qualifications and preparation of a Theosophical worker. It lists the different kinds of work at the National Section level, the Theosophical training centre level and Lodge level, and how each of these need to be organized.

From Chapter 1 – ‘The Divine Plan and the Theosophical Society’ (p. 5 & 6):

” This (Theosophical) Movement has at least three well-defined, though unspecified functions in the present times. These may be stated as follows:

1. To give to humanity certain deeper truths of life, which are needed for taking the next step in human evolution.
2. To instil certain universal guiding principles like Brotherhood into the minds of people in general, so that it may become possible to usher in a better world order.
3. To provide agents in the outer world, who understand the Plan in a general way and can thus consciously cooperate with the Elder Brethren in the work, which they are doing for the betterment of the human race.

It has thus be seen that the founding of the Theosophical Society is part of a definite move to lift a corner of the veil, which has hidden so far from humanity life’s deeper mysteries and those, who hold the keys to these mysteries. “

By Maria Montessori (1870 – 1952).

20 Pages | Reprinted from The Theosophist 1941, 10th reprint 1986 | Booklet | The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 8170590302.

We all know that the age of development is the most important period of the whole life. Moral malnutrition and intoxication of the spirit are as fatal for the Soul of man as physical malnutrition is for the health of his or her body. Therefore, child-education is the most important problem of humanity.

From page 18:

” Certainly here is the key to all pedagogy: to know how to recognize the precious instinct of concentration in order to make use of it in the teaching of reading, writing and counting and, later on, of grammar, arithmetic, foreign languages, science, etc. After all, every psychologist is of the opinion that there is only one way of teaching, that of arousing in the student the deepest interest and at the same time, a constant and vivacious attention. So the whole thing resolves itself in this, to make use of those intimate and hidden forces of the child for his or her education. “

By Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895–1986).

116 Pages | Second edition, second reprint 2010 | Hardcover | The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 9788170594826.

” The office of the teacher is the most sacred and the most important to the nation, because it builds the characters of boys and girls, who will be its future citizens. “

So declared the world-renowned spiritual Teacher, J. Krishnamurti, when at the age of seventeen he wrote this book. In his previous valuable little work At the Feet of the Master, written when he was fourteen, he made available to the world the instructions he received from his Master on the four Qualifications for the spiritual path – Love, Discrimination, Desirelessness and Good Conduct. Here, the author shows how they can be applied to the life of the teacher and the student, and be of universal benefit.

From page 113:

” You must trust yourself. You say you know yourself too well. If you feel so, you do not know yourself; you know only the weak outer husk, which has fallen often into the mire. But you – the real you – you are a spark of God’s own fire, and God, who is almighty, is in you, and because of that there is nothing that you cannot do if you will “

By Sir Edwin Lester Arnold (1832 – 1904), introduction by Alan Jacobs.

188 Pages | First published in 1885 as The Celestial Song, this is the 2006 edition | Hardcover | Watkins Publishing, London |  ISBN: 9781842931240.

” There lives a Master in the hearts of Men, maketh their deeds, by subtle pulling-strings, dance to what tune He will. With all thy Soul Trust Him, and take Him for thy succour, Prince! “

The Bhagavad Gita, or Song Celestial, is the sacred testament central to Hinduism, the most ancient of the great world religions. Brahman is the Absolute Supreme Reality underlying all forms. Human beings accumulate Karma as a result of their actions in innumerable incarnations, until they obtain liberation through the practices of devotion and knowledge. The Bhagavad Gita, as the essential gospel of Hinduism, explains mankind’s predicament and points the way to freedom.

This poetic gospel is attributed to the Divine Messenger, Lord Krishna, who on the battlefield gives the warrior-prince, Arjuna, detailed and profound spiritual guidance. Arjuna is perplexed by his involvement in a war and Lord Krishna unveils inspiring philosophical wisdom leading to the solution of Arjuna’s problem and his self-realization.

Text in Devanāgarī and translation by Mohini Mohun Chatterji (1858 – 1936).

228 Pages | First edition 1932, 2nd to 5th reprints 1947 – 1983, 6th reprint 1995, 7th reprint 1999 | Hardcover | The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar |  ISBN: 8170592526.

The English translation appeared for the first time in Vols. VII (1885 – 18886 and IX (1887 – 1888) of The Theosophist.

Vivekachudamani literally means ‘crest jewel of wisdom’. It is an important work of Śrī Samkarācārya, one of the greatest sages of Ancient India. Endowed with lofty and sharp intellect, he wrote many incisive commentaries on great standard works of Hindu philosophy. But they are beyond the reach of those, who have not attained a high proficiency in Sanskrit and other collateral philosophical disciplines. Here in Vivekachudamani he distils the quintessence of what he taught, that is, the non-dual or Vedanta or Advaita Vedanta in easy Sanskrit verses, whose sublimity of content is matched only by their lyrical beauty. Each verse is presented here with a free-running English translation.

By Danielle Audoin (1926 – 1917).

118 Pages | Adyar Editions – first edition, first reprint 2005 | Softcover | The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 8170592755.

Dutch translation: Een Benadering van Theosofie | Published in 1990 | Uitgeverij der Theosofische Vereniging in Nederland | ISBN: 9789061750628.

French original: Connais-toi Toi-même – A la lumière de la Théosophie (latest edition 2004) | The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar.

Theosophical literature covers a vast field and throws light on age-old questions concerning the human being, the universe, and the Divine ground of existence. In this book, Madame Audoin presents the human being, who exists at different levels of consciousness, from a Theosophical point of view. Step by step she shows there is possiblity of unlimited unfoldment of consciousness, beginning with the first steps on the road to self-knowledge.

This is a clearly presented introduction to an important aspect of the Ageless Wisdom, highlighting its fundamental teachings about the human journey to Ultimate Reality.

From Chapter 3 – ‘The Physical Body’ (p. 35):

” We know that everything is vibration. Purifying and refining our physical body means making it capable of responding to finer and finer vibrations and at the same time incapable of reacting to the coarser vibrations, not only physical but also astral and mental. We can thus gradually transform our physical body. We know our cells are renewed every seven years and thus, if we change our diet, we can change the vibratory capacity of the physical body. “

By Ronald Decker. 330 Pages | First Quest edition 2013 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 9780835609081.

From the Introduction:

No explanation is known to have accompanied the Original Tarot. This book presents an interpretation, that will surprise most Tarotists (those, who are esoterists) and most academics (those, who are critics of the esoterists). My theory covers the evolution of the Tarot, the connotations of its symbols, the symbol’s sources, and their transmission to the proper places at the proper times. In truly ancient references, I have found forgotten patterns, that are definitely congruent with the Tarot. I will treat not merely isolated motifs, but symbolic systems. I hope to establish the meanings of the Tarot as it was understood by its inventor(s). Granted, my arguments require deductions and interferences. This is currently necessary, because of the scarcity of hard evidence. I welcome improvements to my theory. It offers many points from which further research can proceed. The following definition is typical of standard dictionairies: Tarot (TAR-o, ta-RO) noun [French < Middle French < Old Italian tarocco (plural: tarocchi)] a set of cards depicting certain allegories and providing a deck for oracles and games.

From Chapter 1 – ‘Thoth, Hermes and Hieroglyphs’ (p.28):

” The title Trismegistus (thrice greatest) presumably derived from the Egyptian practice of addressing the Gods as ‘great’, ’twice-great’, etc. Hermes Trismegistus could still be considered a God, but if so, he was supposed to have begun as a man, one who attained enlightenment and ascended as divinity. More often, he was regarded as a sage, presumed to have lived in remote antiquity and to have inherited the wisdom of Thoth. Some authors tried to simplify the Hermetic traditions by creating a genealogy: Thoth was the father of Agathodemon, who was the father of Hermes Trismegistus, who was the father of Tat. ‘Tat’ is a variation of ‘Tot’, a variation of Thoth. “

By Thom F. Cavalli, Ph.D.

275 Pages | First Question edition 2010 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 9780835608800.

A ground-breaking integration of Jungian Psychology, Alchemy and Egyptian Mythology.

The myth of Osiris, dying and resurrecting Egyptian God of vegetation, marks a change that describes the earliest beginnings of the modern psyche. In excavating the myth. Jungian psychologist Thom Cavalli uses alchemy to transmute hidden secrets into sacred knowledge. Here for the first time is an alchemical interpretation of this timeless myth as a guide to spiritual transformation. Osiris’s rebirth symbolizes what alchemists have always seen as the creative power we all have for self-renewal. Cavalli shows us how to access this archetypical God in the quest to integrate body and Soul. To ‘become’ Osiris is to become whole.

From Chapter 2 – ‘Alchemy, Magic and Osiris’ (p. 67):

” Whether I live or die, I am Osiris

I enter in and reappear through you,

I decay in you. I grow in you.

I fall down in you. I fall upon my side.

The Gods are living for me for I live and grow in the corn

That sustains the Honored Ones.

I cover the earth,

Whether I live or die I am Barley,

I am not destroyed. “

– Mojsov, Osiris (8) (see intro., nr. 4). The quote is from The Coffin Texts.

By Howard Raphael Cushnir.

204 Pages | First Question Edition 2000 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835607925.

Take a moment to breathe in with yourself. Are you . . . stressed . . . angry . . . lonely . . . anxious . . . sad?

No matter how difficult life may be, you can still live in a state of radiant bliss – even if you’re alone, sick, failed and broke. Pie-in-the-sky? This down-to-earth book shows us how. Based on universal spiritual principles, the message is profound, but the method couldn’t be more practical. All it takes is a simple two-step process called LIVING THE QUESTIONS, demonstrated here with compelling, real-life examples. This book is not getting about what you want, it is about how you FEEL the way you want by embracing life one precious moment at a time . . . starting right now!

From page 201:

” What is happening right now?

Can I be with it?

Living those questions is saying yes to life, to all of it, and especially to its radiant mystery. That mystery is what brought us both to this moment, and will stay with us for the rest of our days. Because no matter how well we live the questions right now , we never know what happens next. “

By Coulson Turnbull (1864 – xxxx).

341 Pages | Facsimile edition of the original 1913 edition | Kessinger Publications Ltd., Montana, USA | ISBN 1564598284.

A study in planetary and spiritual vibrations, with an account of the involution and evolution of the Soul. 

CONTENTS:

Chapter 1 – Sun in the diferrent Houses
Chapter 2 – The Meaning of the different Degrees
Chapter 3 – Symbolization of Zodiacal Signs
Chapter 4 – How to erect a Horoscope
Chapter 5 – How to read a Nativity
Chapter 6 – How to prognosticate Events
Chapter 7 – Directions
Chapter 8 – Important Aphorisms
Chapter 9 – How to prove the Moment of Birth
Chapter 10 – The Nativity of Jesus, Napoleon I, and H.P. Blavatsky
Chapter 11 – Some astronomical Short-cuts.

APPENDIX TO PART II:

Transits of superior Planets
Houses of New York, London
Examples of Ephemerides
Logarithms.

From page 308:

” In Figure 11 (on page 309), we have the astral portrait of that gifted student of mysticism, Helena P. Blavatsky, who founded the present Theosophical Society on this planet in the nineteenth century. The student will note the 13th degree of Cancer ascending symbolized as follows: – A caduceus between two moons – one crescent, the other gibbous. It denotes a person of extreme capacity in the pursuit of knowledge, a penetrating mind and retentive memory. The native will accomplish wonders in the pursuit of subtle sciences. The temper is changeful like the moon and subject to fits of hope and despondency of more or less rapid alternation. The native is likely to travel much and be subject to many changes, but the chief characteristics are versatility and aptitude in the gaining of knowledge. With the symbol of Hermes dominant in the nature, the native will be either a linguïst, doctor, or distinguished scholar. Hermes or Mercury was strong, being in Virgo. This degree succinctly and clearly defines her life and her excellent though not faultless work. A most noticeable satellitum is the Sun, Mars, Saturn and Mercury, all in the third house, that is mind. “

By Stephan A. Hoeller.

25 Pages | Sunday July 27th, 2003 | Softcover | Theosophical Publishing House, London | No ISBN.

The Blavatsky Lecture delivered at the Summer School of The Theosophical Society in England, the University of Loughborough.

An exploration of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky’s (1831 – 1891) teachings in the light of the embodiment of the Ancient Wisdom known as Gnosticism. The title of this lecture alludes to three specific topics:

1. The teachings of the foundress and principal teacher of what has been called Modern Theosophy.
2. The earlier embodiment of the Ancient Wisdom Tradition known as Gnosticism.
3. The character of this same Wisdom tradition described here as ‘joyful Gnosis’.

From page 5:

” Gnosticism is the teaching based on Gnosis, the knowledge of transcendence arrived at by way of interior, intuitive means. Although Gnosticism thus rests on personal religious experience, it is a mistake to assume all such experience results in Gnostic recognitions. It is nearer the truth to say that Gnosticism expresses a specific religious experience, an experience that does not lend itself to the language of theology or philosophy, but which is instead closely affinitized to, and expresses itself through, the medium of myth. Indeed, one finds that most Gnostic scriptures take the forms of myths. The term ‘myth’ should not be taken to mean ‘stories that are not true’, but rather, that the truths embodied in these myths are of a different order from the dogmas of theology or the statements of philosophy. “