By Robert Powell.

179 Pages | Copyright 1961, first Quest book edition 1983 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835605779.

Here is Krishnamurti – a living legend; one of the most creative minds of our time. And here is Robert Powell. Captivated by the stark truth he found in the Krishnamurti philosophy, he pondered over the dynamic equivalents he noted in Zen Buddhism, the exotic discipline that has so captured the imagination of the Western world.

Powell’s search for reality is not limited to exploring the Krishnamurti and Zen philosophies. He believes the mystical tradition of all major religions has been concerned with an immediate transformation of consciousness, and that all major religions are in fact, branches of the same tree. The tree of reality, symbol of the non-divisibility of life.

From Chapter 30 – ‘There is Nothing in It . . . (p. 169):

” In the end there can only be Silence; when no longer anything is said or done to describe or ‘act’ Zen consciously, comes the experience of the silent mind, in which there is constant renewal so that the mind is ever fresh and innocent. So let us wash out our mouths many times, for we have mentioned the Buddha, Christ, etc. many times, and consider ourselves lucky that for now we have been spared the pulling of the nose, the thirty blows or such treatment – and who would deny that we have deserved it? Thus there remains only to ‘walk on’! “

By Lafayette Gordon Plummer (1904 – 1999).

121 Pages | First published in 1940, second revised edition 1987, first Quest edition 1989 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. co-published with Point Loma Publications, San Diego | ISBN: 0835603083.

‘There is a type of the true clairvoyance on the spiritual and cosmic planes‘, writes Plummer. ‘There one hears the symphony of eternal life’.

Ever look through a telescope and feel spellbound at the wonders of the heaven? Seeing is believing – and to help us truly see, this book shows us how to ‘don the winged cap and sandals of Hermes‘ and ‘soar far above the Earth, beyond the pale moon, passing at a step the confines of the Solar System, until we found ourselves lost in the velvet blackness of the night sky. ‘

The author offers a riveting condensation of the ancient Wisdom. He opens readers to the universal powers latent in people, powers far greater than any psychic abilities. He also reviews astronomy’s speculations about one stupendous Super Universe, a speculation that coincides with Theosophy’s occult teachings.

From Chapter IV – ‘Life Without End’ (p. 25):

” A Master of Life is one who is able, not only to draw upon his or her own resources, inner and outer, but through the medium of his or her inner constitution, to contact the inner planes, and draw upon the resources of the Divine Being whose ‘principles’ are these planes of consciousness, and therefore a part of whose nature he or she him/herself is. And these resources are exhaustless. “

 

By Mark Pelgrin. 159 Pages | First Re-Quest Edition 1962 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835603059.

ed. by Sheila Moon and Elizabeth B. Howes

When a man stands alone . . . 

Every man is born and every man dies. None is born conscious of the significance of this birth in time, and most are unaware of the significance of this death. Some do have an intimation of the meaning of dying, and a few achieve an intensified relationship to the purpose behind the final life experience. Even fewer have ever chronicled the ways by which they came to that place, where death seemed the ultimate step in self-fulfilment. This book is therefore a rare account, coming from a man, who died at the age of 47 of cancer, but who gave the last year of his life to a heightening and hastening of his search for all the seasons of God – a man who came, at the end, to where he could say yes to both sides of the paradoxes of Ecclesiastes.

From the beginning of the book:

” For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. “

• Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.

280 pages | Paperback | Quest Books, 1994

This anthology, with essays by Riane Eisler, June Singer, and others, considers Goddess myths, current psychological perspectives, and the feminine principle in spirituality today. It offers a worldview that integrates intuition, intellect, and feeling.

Shirley J. Nicholson is past executive editor of Quest Books, and recent director of the Krotona School of Theosophy in Ojai, California. She is author of Ancient Wisdom – Modern Insight, co-author of The Power of Thought and editor of several Quest anthologies.

Compiled by Shirley Nicholson.

295 Pages | First edition, 1987, seventh printing | Paperback | Theosophical Publishing House, Wheaton | ISBN: 9780835606172

Explore the way of the Shaman

This outstanding collection of essays by nineteen noted scholars, religious figures, and practicing shamans from all traditions paints a vivid pciture of the mind and soul of the shaman around the world. Chapters by Michael Harner, Mircea Eliade, Joan Halifax, Brooke Medicine Eagle, Serge King, and other experts show why shamanism—one of the oldest forms of religious life—is experiencing so great a renewal of interest.

By Mary Jane Newcomb.

49 Pages | Published in 1990 | A4 – Study Course, softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A | ISBN: 9780835600781.

This Study Course, based on the published works of the significant theosophist Annie Besant (1847 – 1933) is written for the use of theosophists and friends of the Theosophical Society. For all those, who are interested in the Ancient Wisdom, that is at the core of theosophical studies and for all those, who are seeking personal unfoldment. The Course can be used by individuals or for group study. Its lessons are on topics chosen from an extensive bibliography, that focuses on some of the areas that lie at the very center of individual life and growth.

The following topics are discussed:

1. Karma
2. Reïncarnation
3. Education and Art
4. Consciousness & Meditation
5. Dharma and Morality
6. Pleasure & Pain: Happiness & Sorrow

By Glenn H. Mullin, Foreword by His Holiness The Dalai Lama.

270 Pages | First Quest Edition 1994 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835607003.

The Tibetan tradition of mystical verse is brought stunningly to life by renowned translator Glenn Mullin through these spontaneous outpourings of the ecstasy of enlightenment. Step into the visionairy of the outspoken and unconventional Second Dalai Lama, who was ‘crazed’ by the wisdom of the nature of reality. Prefaced by a readable and comprehensive introduction to the life and times of this wise exponent of spiritual knowledge, these poems are shining, lyric illuminations of Buddhist life. Each is prefaced by a translator’s preamble.

From Chapter 11 – ‘A Prayer of Pure Aspirations’ (p. 193):

Part One: A Call to the Guru:

” Most kind root guru, who always rests

On a sun and moon above my head,

I, a humble disciple, call out to you

With emotion surging in the depths of my heart.

From wherever you may physically be in this world,

Send forth a mystical emanation to heed me.

Reveal your radiant countenance to me;

And may we never ever become parted. “

361 pages | Paperback | Quest Books, 2008

Theosophy is a vision of wholeness for all humanity that inspires a fellowship united in study, meditation, and service. It is an open-minded inquiry into world religions, philosophy, science, and the arts in order to understand the wisdom of the ages, respect the unity of all life, and help people explore their own spiritual path. The ultimate goal: self-transformation.

By Joy Mills (1920 – 2015).

215 Pages | First edition 1987 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. |  ISBN: 0835602354.

Theosophical history seldom lacked the colorful personalities and intriguing situations that always lend piquancy to human narratives.

Beginning with ‘Birthing and Growing Pains’, concluding with ‘A New Vision is Granted’, historian Joy Mills relates the founding, the growth, the goals achieved and not achieved, the momentous and the less significant vicissitudes that accompanied the theosophical movement in America.

In this meticulously researched work, Mills captures the intense dynamics, the human drama, that is inevitably part and parcel of any revolutionary movement away from society’s established religious pattern. This history of The Theosophical Society in America is, in a very real sense, the history of a small group of spiritually dedicated individuals; people determined to establish a nucleus of Universal Brotherhood and to encourage a search for ‘Truth’ in this world of illusions, dilemmas, sufferings and satisfactions.

100 Years of Theosophy is a definite overview of the evolution of Theosophy and the Theosophical Society in the United States, But it is necessarily more. It is also the story of the people involved. Their daring, their commitment. Their extraordinary spiritual perspective. Their quarrels and their caring. So complete is this chronicle that Dr. Ellwood suggests that it ‘is certain to be the standard history of the Theosophical Society for years to come. ‘

By Joy Mills (1920- 2015).

41 Pages | Copyright 1990, 1996 by The Theosophical Society in America | A4 Study Course | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 9780835601160.

While the program is divided in four parts, each part can be expanded into several sessions or compressed into one session. Participants in the program may determine how long or short a course they want it to be. Not included, but recommended, is a fifth section in which group members meet to share in total the myths they have written. Such a sharing is both personally valuable and provides a useful review to the material covered in the course.

From Chapter 4: ‘Creating Rituals’ (p. 26):

” Myth, symbol and ritual are all closely related and are all expressions of archetypical realities, that may or may not be conscious within us. In fact, as we become familiar with the myths of our lives, we may find that we have been performing many rituals quite unconsciously. Sometimes people, who are very much opposed to ritual and ceremony, or who think these are outmoded by contemporary scientific and rational ways of acting, discover they have been performing rituals all their lives and in fact have even been quite unconsciously governed by them. Just as in the preceding sessions we have become aware of the myths of our lives and discovered what archetypes of the heroic journey we are living out, we may now explore whether we can find new ways to live in the world, and even how we can activate the archetypes, that we would like to experience on our hero journey. “

by Lama Willa Miller

297 pages | Paperback | Quest Books, 2009 ISBN: 9780835608831

“This is the kind of handbook I wish I had in those early days. My gift to you … this is the start of your spiritual journey, of discovering within the sage that you really are. Are you ready?” — Lama Willa Miller

Everyday Dharma: Seven Weeks to Finding the Buddha in You offers a simple guide to achieving real and lasting personal transformation. This book appeals to any who are open to Buddhism in the broader context, whether one subscribes to a specific religious view or to no view at all. Dharma, a Buddhist term for the actions taken to find one’s inner-wisdom, is really a universal concept. “If wisdom were a destination,” Lama Willa says, “Dharma—played out in our thoughts and actions—is the path leading there.” By applying Dharma’s essential truths to the modern world, Everyday Dharma teaches you how to do the spiritual, emotional and psychological work in order to bring about day-to-day well-being. Lama Willa believes the art of being happy is the true enlightenment available to us all!

By Joy Mills (1920 – 2015).

201 Pages | Published in 2000 in the Wisdom Tradition Book Series | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835607895.

Dutch translation: Op de Drempel van het Heilig Pad – Een Psychologisch Commentaar op ‘Licht op het Pad’ | Eerste druk 2004 | Uitgeverij der Theosofische Vereniging in Nederland | ISBN: 9061750865.

The Light on the Path is, according to Joy Mills, ‘a genuine exposition of age-old rules for those who would walk the upland slopes of Wisdom, seeking the Sacred way to inner illumination.’ The aim of her commentary then, in part, was to indicate ’the essential work that must be done on our psychological natures, for it is there that the genuine transformation must take place.’

By Lao Tse (601 BC – unknown), translated by C. Spurgeon Medhurst.

165 Pages | Original edition 1905, 2nd Quest book printing 1975 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835604306.

One of the great sages of history was a man named Lao Tzu, who was born in China in the year 604 B.C. He is regarded as the founder of the system of religion known as Taoism. His writings have been preserved in a small volume of poetry entitled Tao-Teh-King, which translated means ‘The Way and Its Power’, or ‘The Book of the Way and its Virtue’. It has also been called ‘A Scripture of the Eternal and Its Characteristics’, and it was adopted as a canon in the year 666 A.D. during the rule of the Emperor Kao Tsung of the T’ang Dynasty. Because of its sublime and timeless concepts, the Tao-Teh-King has endured through the centuries; it has been translated into many languages, and has been the subject of numerous volumes of philosophical and speculative literature.\

From Chapter 4 (p. 27):

” The TAO is as emptiness, so are its operations. It resembles non-fullness.

Fathomless! It seems to be the ancestor of all form. It removes sharpness, unravels confusion, harmonizes brightness, and becomes one with everything.

Pellucid! It bears the appearance of permanence. I know not whose son it is. Its Noumenon (εἴδωλον) was before the Lord. “

By George Robert Stowe Mead (1863 – 1931).

75 Pages | First published in 1907, Quest book edition 1973 | Paperback | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835604322.

According to Mead the translator of this beautiful Hymn of Jezus, there is strong reason to presume that this work is a very early Christian Mystery ritual. Perhaps the oldest Christian ritual preserved to us.

G.R.S. Mead was a renowned British scholar and a recognized authority on Christian origins and Gnostic and Hermetic literature. He died in 1933, but his works are still widely read. In his commentary on this Hymn in ritual form he has offered and interpretation of its inner, spiritual meaning.

” If then, we have before us not a Hymn, but the remains of a mystery-ritual, there must have been two people in the circle. One of them was the Master, the Initiator. Who was the other? Manifestly, the one to be initiated. Now the ultimate end of all Gnosis was the at-one-ment or union of little man with the Great Man, of the human Soul with the Divine Soul… “

By G.R.S. Mead (1863 – 1933), edited by John Algeo (1930 – 2019)

510 pages |Original issue 1908, second edition 2006 | Paperback | Quest Books, Wheaton | ISBN: 9780835608411

Between 1906 and 1908, G. R. S. Mead published eleven small books under the series title “Echoes from the Gnosis”. These books contain translations and interpretations of the Gnostic writings of the ancients. Long before the discovery of the Nag Hammadi Library, Mead translated these esoteric texts of various origins (Christian, Roman, Greek). He wanted to make this material accessible to the growing number of people at the time eager to encounter this ancient mystical religion based on an intuitive process of knowing oneself and the hidden aspects of life and existence. Upon the publication of the 100-year anniversary edition of the series, the appeal for this same material remains stronger than ever.

By Tom McArthur.

144 Pages | First Quest Edition 1990 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835606597.

This is an exercise book not for the body, but for the mind. It comes complete with review puzles, questions and applications for the concepts introduced in each chapter. It’s less of a ‘how-to’ book, however, than a playground for the mind. Tom McArthur teaches a unitive approach to life as series of overlapping techniques and concepts, in clear, direct language.

In fact, this new book about thinking is easy to read, with plenty of helpful illustrations. Sages and saints throughout time have pointed the way to a more inclusive or unitive way of perceiving life that’s free from restraints that conditional thinking puts on us in our limited, everyday thinking. These common ways are too boxed-in, restrictive and non-inclusive. With unitive thinking, we transcend the normal limitations inherent in everyday modes of thought and refuse to be limited to one vision of how things are. At this level of thinking, one has two visions. The secret is allowing yourself enough ‘elbow room’ by accepting alternative views as valid. Unitive thinking, moreover, is waking from sleep of ordinary perception to the infinite possibilities of reality. It involves responding to differences we encounter in the world and realizing the unity within ourselves and the greater whole. The sense of separateness that divides us from others is the illusory result of limits we place on our thinking.

From Chapter 8 – ‘The Scale of Things’ (p. 113):

” In the beginning was darkness wrapped in darkness
And everything was unmanifest water;
Whatever was, that Unity, coming into being, hidden by the void,
Was kindled through the power of heat . . .

In the beginning this Oneness evolved . . .
Was there a below? Was there an above?
Scatterers of seed there were, and powers,
With energy beneath and impulse above.

Who knows truly? Who can here declare it?
Whence was it born, whence came this emanation?
By its coming forth the Gods came into being
But who knows where it came from?

Where this emanation came from – 
Whether a God created it, or whether he didn’t;
Only its overseer in the highest heaven knows – 
Or perhaps he does not know either. “

From the ṛgveda.

John Matthews, Foreword by Caitlin Matthews.

144 Pages | First Quest Edition 2002 | Hardcover, incl. Illustrations | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835608158.

The sun is universally acknowledged as the source of all life, fertility, and good fortune, and so has been worshipped by all cultures across the earth. The Summer Solstice brings together myth and legend and offers new and old ways of celebrating the turning of the seasons.

Here we find a celebration of the customs and ceremonies of May Day, Midsummer and Harvest, as observed the world over. The deep and timeless themes underlying the characters of the Lord and Lady of the Summer are explored. Learn how the May Day revels were celebrated; discover the history of the Maypole and the myths behind the Midsummer games. And read how the establishment of the May King and Queen symbolized the struggle between Summer and Winter. Understand the significance of Midsummer’s Eve and the fairy people, and enjoy the ancient story of the death and resurrection of the corn Goddesses and Gods, passed on at Midsummer when ripening corn became the life-enhancing drink of Initiates and dancers.

Resplendent with full-color illustrations, each chapter includes songs, activities, recipes and meditations to help readers relate to the natural world in a meaningful and fun way. In a spirit of revelry, Matthews also provides full instructions for how to produce a Midsummer feast and a Harvest home fete. Families and folklore enthusiasts alike will enjoy this informative and entertaining sourcebook!

From Chapter 2 – ‘Gods and Heroes of Summer (p. 62):

A Midsummer Blessing at Stonehenge

” Though the thin rain lash the broad plain
And the sword-blade’s rimmed with mist,
Shake the bright light from the short night
Kiss the hele-stone in ancient tryst.

Thought the long tracks know no glad step
And the circle go unblessed,
From their long homes may the old ones
Welcome travelers upon their quest.

Though the keepers great no reaper,
And the grasses grow high,
May the Corn King dance his crop sign
In the barley, wheat and rye.

Though remembrance be a semblance
And the land thrums with wrong,
May the hele-stone be the leal throne
Where the sun awakens song.

Chorus:

Sun-stone’s kiss, Midsummer’s pleasure,
Welcome all and some.
At the hele-stone sing and gather,
Every blessed one. “

• Caitlin Matthews.

By Caitlin Matthews.

430 Pages | First Quest Edition 2001, third printing 2009 | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 9780835608015.

Sophia, or ‘Wisdom’ in Greek, has been revered in many forms throughout history. From the Dark Goddess of ancient Anatolia; to her Egyptian, Greek, Celtic, and Cabalistic manifestations; to her current forms as Mary and the orthodox St. Sophia. In the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas, Sophia sits with God until the creation. Then She falls into matter and becomes manifest in every atom, permeating all things ‘like the sparks that run through charcoal’, as Matthews says. While God is out there,” the Goddess is in here: the mother-wit of practical inspiration and compassion at the heart’s core.

‘ Anyone interested in the feminine face of God throughout the ages will find Sophia an illuminating experience. Caitlin Matthews’ scholarship connects us to past, present, and future in the very depths of our femininity. ‘  – Marion Woodman, Jungian analyst and author of Bone: Dying into Life.

From Chapter 1 – ‘The Black Goddess’ (p. 6):

 ” The Black Goddess lies at the heart of spiritual knowledge, which is why her image continually appears within many traditions as the Veiled Goddess, the Black Virgin, the Outcast Daughter, the Wailing Widom, the Dark Woman of Knowledge. Our own search for the Goddess is one, that is begun in darkness and unknowing. Ours is the knowing ignorance of the child in the mother’s womb: we have to be born, and we are frightened of the extra womb dimension. Once out of that womb, we begin to be terrified about our origins. But one of the prophecies of Sophia is: ‘I will give thee the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places. ‘ Those treasures of the Divine Feminine liep deep within us, waiting to be discovered . . . “

By Mattie Louise Gephardt.

119 Pages | First Re-Quest Edition 1975 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835604632.

Why not enjoy every meal, while saving money and getting a full measure of protein? Why, needlessly, spend your time searching out the food store, that stocks rare and seldom used ingredients? Do you know that there are many vegetarian recipes that use little or no vegetables? Here is a new kind of vegetarian cookbook that uses a minimum of vegetables and an abundance of casseroles with cheese, eggs, cereals etc.

From Page 16:

” CHINESE GREEN PEA CHOW

• 2 Cups Choplets, diced
• 2 Medium sized onions, chopped
• 2-1/2 Cups bamboo shoots
• 2 Tbsp. safflower oil or corn oil
• 1 Cup mushrooms
• 1 Cup selery, chopped
• 1 Cup water chestnuts
• 2 Cups green peas rinsed with boiling water
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions in safflower oil until golden brown. Mix diced meat and other ingredients together. Add to the browned onions and simmer under cover for 15 minutes. Remove cover and cook for 10 minutes over medium fire. Add soy sauce. Stir occasionally. “

By Robert Augustus Masters and Jean Houston.

222 Pages | First Quest Original Edition 1998 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835607534.

‘ Classic Mind-training exercises for Imagination, Inspiration and Self-Exploration. ‘

This updated edition of Robert Masters’ and Jean Houston’s classic mind-training Manual explains how these fascinating exercises can be applied in a host of contemporary settings. Clear instructions suggest how teachers, therapists, workshop, Church and community leaders, and everyone, who wants to live and work with more focus, flow and mental flexibility can use these Games to maximize their potential for:

• Problem solving, team building and conflict resolution
• Concentration and productivity
• Creativity and visionary thinking
• Stress reduction and relaxation
• Focused listening and super communication.

By Victor Mansfield (1941 – 2008).

285 Pages | First Quest Edition 2002 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. suppported by the Kern Foundation | ISBN: 0835608174.

This scientist’s search for spirit can change how we think and feel about what matters most.

It is possible to hope that modern science and ancient spiritual traditions can be integrated in some higher synthesis. Ravi Ravindra, a physicist and professor of Comparative Religion, says that such task is the most important of all, that can be undertaken by contemporary individuals, for on such a synthesis depends not only the global survival of man, but also the creation of the right environment, right both physically and metaphysically, for future generations.

Victor Mansfield agrees with Ravindra, that understanding the relationship between science and ancient spiritual traditions is of the utmost importance. However, he will argue that, given the nature of science and the sacred, a synthesis, in the sense of combining separate elements into one coherent whole, is impossible.

From Chapter 13 – ‘Pilgrim and Prodigal’ (p. 261):

” From the perspective of the indivisible, unchanging, or infinite aspect of Soul, all pairs of opposites are aspects of Soul’s unity. From this lofty position, there is no question of conflict between the head and the heart, masculine and feminine, the outer and inner worlds, or science and the sacred. All knowledge and experience are merely different aspects of the indivisible or unified Soul. From this view, the divine is as much in my innermost thoughts as in the farthest galaxies, and idea echoed by mystics around the world, an idea that makes the entire world truly sacred. Equally then, the pain of another is my pain; another’s joy is my joy. In this interplay of the infinite Soul and the finite Soul we can find the meaning of the great commandment, ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself. ‘ Limited and finite though I AM, in the Majestic unity of Soul I have the responsibility of relieving the pain of those around me. “

By Geddes MacGregor.

185 Pages | Copyright 1978, fourth Quest reprinting 1989 | Softcover | Quest Books U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835605019.

Is there room for the ‘rebirth concept’ in Christian dogma?

The question, that bothered Dr. MacGregor was quite basic: Can a Christian believe in reïncarnation and still remain loyal to the Bible and the Church? He decided to find some answers. He researched into the annals of Christian theory – cut through centuries of religious emotionalism – gathered his material together and reported his findings in this landmark work.

From Chapter III – Some Interpretative Considerations (p. 34 & 35):

” The myth of reïncarnation may be interpreted, then, in many different ways. Pythagoras, on the one hand, if we are to believe his biographer Diogenes Laertius, seems to have taken human rebirth literally, for (according to Diogenes), Pythagoras was accustomed to say he had formerly been Aethalides, then Euphorbus, and that he had been mortally wounded by Menelaus at the siege of Troy. Plato, on the other hand, as is well-known, used transmigration as part of the general mythological scenery available in his time; but how precisely he regarded it is unclear. We know only that he made use of the notion in presenting his own thought, as he made use of other popular myths of his day.

The myth of reincarnation has also, however, an obvious connection with what Professor Eliade has called the myth of eternal return, which represents the rythmn of birth, death and rebirth as a cyclic reality at the core of the whole universe. ‘According to this doctrine’, he writes, ’the universe is eternal but it is periodically destroyed and reconstituted every Great Year. ‘ “

By Tim Lyons.

188 Pages | A Quest Original, First Edition 1986 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835606120.

In this book, an attempt is made to look more closely at the basic, structural implications of astrology, at its foundations or philosophic base, by examining the fruit of the astrological tree, fruit which has proven itself healthy through actual life-giving application. But more particularly, this Volume examines the inner core of the fruit – the pit, or pith, or seeds – for the core is a microcosm of the tree itself, containing all its potentials.

On another level, this work attempts to address the larger question: ‘What does Astrology imply about the human condition’? Astrological symbology is discussed from the standpoint of its inherent Perennial Wisdom. This Wisdom is not lacking in practical value, but this value cannot be appropiated by ego. In the end, the Perennial Wisdom of Astrology is that it directs us, through the inner logic of its symbols, to see the necessity of spiritual growth for human beings. The sum and substance of the hard line is that the solidity of ego is an illusion, an illusion which is in the end only a limitation that obscures our vision, our freedom, and our ability to relate fully with others.

From Chapter 8 – ‘The Illusionairy Prison; Astrology, Freedom and Ego ‘ (p. 170):

‘” The world has often been referred to as a prison house. Astrology may at first seem threatening, because it demonstrates the structure of the prison, thus bringing our fears to the surface. But in the end it can actually show us the inner structure of the prison house, thus allowing us to escape. It can also show us that the walls of the prison are not solid, but permeable, no more solid than the person they surround. In this way, astrological knowledge can be liberating. “

By Albert William Low (1928 – 2016).

202 Pages | A Quest Original, first edition 1985 |  Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835605981.

‘A Koan is a saying or an action of a Zen Master and is an invitation to use the mind in a new way. This new way is the subject of the book.’

Perhaps the most famous of the koans is: ‘What is the sound of one hand clapping?‘ Another is: ‘At the top of a one-hundred foot pole an iron cow gives birth to a calf’. These pithy, seemingly pointless statements are used to startle the mind – to enable the consciousness to achieve instant enlightenment. Self-realization.

The Iron Cow of Zen is a book of such Koans complete with discerning commentary. Zen is a completely existential discipline, and Albert Low relates these ambiguous statements to our everyday existence. Thus, this Quest book becomes a very practical manual. A friend of the reader.

From Chapter Four: ‘The Mind of Ambiguity’ (p.58 & p.59):

” It is not the surrogate Other, that generates the horror, but the fact of the Other. The horror is awakened entirely by the ambiguity of ‘me’. Me-as-center/me-as-periphery. In that the self is manifestly one, this ambiguity is a wound in the very heart of hearts – a wound that is the threat of being devoured: me-as-center threatened by me-as-periphery and me-as-periphery threatened by me-as-center. The threat is therefore of endless but total annihilation, and engulfment without bottom: hell itself in its most terrible aspect. This devouring potential of the self by the self has been symbolized by the ancients as the uroborus, a snake swallowing its own tail. “

By Hal A. Lingerman.

340 Pages | A Quest Original, first published in 1988 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835606295.

‘Like a carpet ride, music carries the listener/reader into the Eternal in daily meditations, that both delight and inspire’. 

This inspirational book of daily meditations offers readers, who appreciate music an enriched multi-media experience. Lingerman blends suggested classical and New Age music with daily meditations, anchored by passages from some of the greatest Souls in history. The result is harmony and balance. A meditative theme sets the tone for each day, followed by a quotation from Thoreau, Schweitzer, Franklin, Lincoln, or perhaps Pythagoras. Then guided imagery sets a general course for the reader to ’take off’ on the theme wherever intuïtion may lead. Finally, a selection of music is recommended to highlight the daily theme.

The reader/listener may focus on a daily classical selection from Dvorak, Beethoven, Mozart, Vivaldi or perhaps Ravel. Popular New Age musical selections are listed as alternatives to persons, who may prefer the soundscapes of Zamfir, Paul Horn or perhaps Richard Musk.

From Pages 319 & 320:

December 21st

” FOCUS: The Angels help man as far as he can be helped. They intensify all his highest aspirations, stir up his adoration and his love, and to give effect to the ancient and beautiful words of their traditional Hymn: ‘Glory be to God in the highest, on earth peace to men of goodwill’. – Dora van Gelder.

MEDITATION: Feel the Angels today, stirring your sense of joy and adoration. Let your heart open now; feel the surge of the Spirit, the current of life coursing through you. The glory of God shines through you.

MUSICAL KEYNOTES: Jakub Jan Ryba, ‘Czech Mass’ (Matl-Supraphon). This very ancient setting of the Mass, for soloists, chorus and orchestra, brings a devotional quality and contains many beautiful melodies of adoration.

Zdenek Fibich, Symphony No. 3 (Belohlavek-Supraphon), Love and nature are the themes of this wonderful music. In the adagio (slow movement) a sense of bliss and deep devotion emerge to bathe the listener in sound.

Soundings of the Planet: Joy to the World (box 43512, Tucson, AZ 85733). This contemporary statement of Christmas contains a joyful spirit of adoration. “

Edited by Ernest Lester Smith (1904 – 1992) with revisions by Patrick Milburn.

221 Pages | Published in 1975, second edition 1990 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 083560627.

‘This is a remarkable book‘, said the Chicago Daily News. ‘It indicates that a new synthesis is in the works, which is understood by many people might restore the confidence of our whole civilization’.

This new edition, with revisions by biologist Patrick Milburn, incorporates the latest ideas in biology, physics and theology. It takes a fresh look at a world, whose secrets are essential to understanding the nature of our own reality and cites recent scientific surprises about our world. Starting from the premise that consciousness is a fact of nature, since it is a universal experience, the book hypothesizes that intelligence is primal and that the cosmos is grounded in, and pervaded by Intelligence.

This hypothesis comes from experience as true as the beauty of the sunrise over the sea and is supported by science. The book offers a reinterpretation of science from a transformed standpoint. It refutes traditional scientific theory, that preaches the role of ‘blind’ matter and blind chance in the universe. The further our science penetrates into the order of reality, the more intricate the mathematical harmonies that are revealed. In living forms, we find an unfoldment of intelligence, a type of creative design that is functional and expressive in variety. The origin and evolution of life on Earth are part of a cosmological process, one that flows from the sun into the depths of space.

Chapter 14 – Toward a Synthesis (p. 209):

” Thus we see, though still from afar, that the world of which we are so intimately a part is ultimately a reality woven of shared experience – a field of consciousness in which, as T.S. Eliot expressed it, all truths have their time and place. In such a sense, we are coming home to our own true place in nature.

We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time
Through the unknown remembered gate
Where the last of earth left to discover
Is that which was the beginning;
At the source of the longest river
The voice of the hidden waterfall
And the Children in the apple-tree
Not known because not looked for
But heard, half-heard, in the silence
Between two waves of the sea. “

By Ernest Lester Smith (1904 – 1992).

233 Pages | A Quest Original, First Edition 1988 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835606279.

‘Adventures in Higher Thought! Probes Mind and Beyond’!

This book explores Mystical Consciousness, Intuition, Holism, Dreaming, Memory, Bio-Feedback, Brain Rhythms, Information Processing, Mind-Brain Interface. Smith shows how ancient seers and Eastern mystics already have reached greater Wisdom through higher states of consciousness. Whole truth, he reasons, generally available only to a person, who has made considerable progress in spiritual living and reached the higher self inside each one of us.

From the Epilogue:

” If a worldly person were to ask me if I believe in reincarnation, I should be tempted to answer, ‘No, what you regard as yourself will not reincarnate.’ It is the inner being, barely recognized through a worldly life, that returns. Thus, we may say that the personality is immortal, though not everlasting, since it persists for a while after death. The individuality, the transpersonal spiritual nature, is everlasting though not eternal, since it persists through a long series of incarnations. Only the Spirit, the divine nature, of which we are as yet only dimly aware, is eternal. It abides quiescent in its timeless realm, until we are ready to return to the Source whence we came, following in the footsteps of men like the Buddha and the Christ. “

By Lawrence LeShan Ph.D.

133 Pages | First Quest Edition 2009 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 9780835608770.

ESP, hauntings, death-bed apparitions – science refuses to acknowledge the existence of such phenomena, because controlled experiments can’t prove them. But, says Lawrence LeShan, the paranormal is as real as the power of electricity, another force that we once did not understand. Citing documented cases, he offers the only current view for making a serious study of important subjects like clairvoyance, mediumship, and psychic healing. And the issue is not just academic, he says. If we are able to stop killing each other and the planet, we desperately need to replace our materialistic worldview. Psi research promises a new concept of reality that holds great hope for the future.

From Chapter 7 – ‘What Dare I hope’? (p. 99):

” All the human search for understanding and meaning, wrote the philosopher Immanuel Kant, is contained in four questions: 

What can I know?

What ought I to do?

What dare I hope?

What is a human being?

As the study of psi becomes a mature science and its existence becomes a part of our cultural world-picture, becomes ‘common sense’, what can we legitimately expect to happen? What I dare hope for is a time when psi becomes as widely accepted as was the unconscious after Freud or global warming after enough scientific research had been done on the subject. “

By Victoria LePage.

309 Pages | First Quest Edition 1996 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 083560750X.

‘Discover the Secrets of Shangri-la’.

Somewhere, beyond Tibet, lies a Paradise of Universal Wisdom and ineffable peace known as Shambhala. Called by some Shangri-la, this mythical kingdom of jewel lakes, wish-fulfilling trees, and speaking stones has fired the imagination of both actual explorers and travelers to the inner realms. This fascinating look behind the myth shows Shambhala to be a ‘real’ place, always accessible to the pure of heart.

From Chapter 14: ‘A Sign of the New Millenium’ (p. 268):

” As for its destiny, the Kalachakric texts say, that one day the reign of the King of Shambhala will extend over the whole earth, which will become like a garden; a new Wisdom age will dawn and humanity will make rapid spiritual progress. The enemies of Shambhala will be defeated and those barbarians, who invade its sacred territory will be destroyed; yet that destruction will be their salvation. For Shambhala’s high vibrations will purify them, and their Souls will become as pellucid as crystal, so that after death on the battlefield they will be reborn into a Pure Land or else liberated beyond any earthly paradise into Nirvana. “

By Anna Lemkow.

322 Pages | Published in 1990, second Quest edition 1995 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835607151.

Dutch translation: Het Heelheid Principe – De Dynamiek van Heelheid in Wetenschap, Religie en Samenleving | Published in 1993 | Softcover, incl. index, word list & literature list | Uitgeverij der Theosofische Vereniging in Nederland, Amsterdam | ISBN: 9061750660.

It becomes more and more clear, the present-day tendency of separation amongst civilizations and religions is forming a threat for the global survival of humanity. A philosophy, in which an emphasis is put on that ‘unity’ present behind separation is called ‘holism’. Holistic literature is characterized by the postulization of possible connections between religion (mysticism) and science (physics), yet inclusion of its societal dimension often seems to be forgotten. It is The Wholeness Principle, which discusses this societal dimension to an elaborative extent.

Annas Lemkow researches an enormous scala of subjects. First, she discusses the rise of modern science and its effects on our worldview. Then, she involves the spiritual dimension by mapping out similarities and differences existing amongst the major religions of our world, the relationship between religion and science and the place mysticism has in view of the whole of human knowledge. Finally, she carefully looks at societal developments that have taken flight as a result of the rapid implementation of technology, such as industrialism and automation. She sketches the peripheries of a political vision adjusted to the new world order: one in which humankind does finally acknowledge East and West, North and South cannot live without each other.

From Chapter 12 – ‘The Essential Unity of all Religions’:

” Whether we listen with aloof amusement to the dreamlike mumbo jumbo of some red-eyed witch doctor of the Congo, or read with cultivated rapture thin translations  from the sonnets of the mystic Lao-tse, or now and again crack the hard nutshell of an argument of Aquinas, or catch suddenly the shining meaning of a bizarre Eskimo fairy tale, it will be always the one, shapeshifting yet marvelously constant story that we find, together with a challenging persistent suggestion of more remaining to be experienced than will ever be known or told. “

• Joseph Campbell (1904 – 1987), The Hero with a Thousand Faces (p. 3).

By Charles Webster Leadbeater (1854 – 1934).

383 Pages | Published in 1978 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 9780835605021.

A clairvoyant, Leadbeater wrote, is simply a person who develops ‘the power to respond to another octave out of the stupendous gamut of possible vibrations’ and so is enabled ‘to see more of the world than those of more limited perception’. And what a world Leadbeater describes for us in these pages – a world of Master Adepts and their pupils, untapped human powers and potentials, ancient Mysteries, Deva-s and Nature Spirits. In short, the unseen workings of the universe . . .

By Charles Webster Leadbeater (1854 – 1934).

241 Pages | First Quest Edition 1986, 3rd printing 1995 | Softcover | Quest Books, USA | ISBN: 0835606090.

Ancient Mystic Rites is Leadbeater absorbing in-depth study of the Mystery Schools of Egypt, Greece, Judea and Europe in the Middle Ages, up to the emergence of Co-Masonry in the twentieth century. During his lifetime, Leadbeater used his rare capacity for clairvoyance or ‘seeing’ beyond the physical plane for many purposes. He observed and recorded the sub-atomic structure of a number of elements before science had the capacity to determine such things. He described the forms and colors created as a result of our thoughts and the shapes and colors of the human subtle body.

Drawing on these abilities as well as on historical records, Leadbeater relates in this book fascinating, previously unknown facts about the Mystery Schools and their practices and beliefs. His observations and reflections point up many similarities among these schools in spite of distance and time  – a common ‘Mystery-bond’ running through otherwise disparate cultures. As Leadbeater shows, these Ancient Rites have emerged in this century as Freemasonry.

By Eunice and Felix Layton.

178 Pages | Revised edition 1988 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN 083560635x.

Formerly published as Theosophy: Key to Understanding (1967), this book is based on many talks the authors have presented in lectures and classes throughout the United States and in various other countries. They provide answers to basic human questions, such as:

• Is there some meaning to existence?
• Is there life after death?
• Will we live again?
• How can we find inner peace?

With their wide background of experience, Mrs. and Mr. Layton are able to bring a common sense approach to the metaphysical concepts of Theosophy and relate them to the problems of people in their daily lives.

From Chapter 15 – ‘Release Your Imprisoned Splendor’ (p. 170 & 171):

” How beautifully the book ends, having gone through all these other qualifications. For it concludes with this reminder: ‘Of all the qualifications, love is the most important, for if it is strong enough in a man, it forces him to acquire all the rest, and all the rest without it would never be sufficient . . . He who is on the Path exists not for himself or herself, but for others; he/she has forgotten him/herself, in order that he may serve them.

This the test of where every individual, including each of us, stands in the evolutionary process. To the degree that we forget ourselves in the service of others, to that same degree have we begun to release this imprisoned splendor. “

By Stephen Larsen, Foreword by Phil Cousineau.

248 Pages | Copyright 2007 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 9780835608503.

The revered images and sacred narratives of the world’s religions render existence meaningful. However, when interpreted literally rather than symbolically, the spiritual essence of religion loses its creative potential and can become a destructive force. Fundamentalists of any faith, says author Stephen Larsen, are in a rapture of certainty, secure in their righteous belief and an exclusive convenant with God. Our world today is embroiled in a ‘clash of fundamentalisms’ as predicted by the great mythologist Joseph Campbell, and, in the words of Dr. Huston Smith, ‘all -isms end up in schisms.’

Such thinking exists not only in religion and the ‘other’ but in all of us – cultural creatives, left-wingers, scientists, and secularists alike. We all have an inner fundamentalist: It can originate right there in the amygdala, a tiny, almond-sized organ in the midbrain, that triggers the fight-or-flight response to danger. It also originates in the tendency to split thinking and feeling that exists throughout the brain. Larsen shows us how to free our minds by identifying polarized thinking in ourselves as well as others. He suggests a ‘natural spirituality’: the awareness of the God force in everything, the humility to admit mistakes, flexibility instead of rigidity, and a willingness to tolerate differences.

From Chapter Nine – ‘Natural Religion’ (p. 211 & 212):

INCANTATIONS TO THE HIDDEN GOD

” How you drove a chariot in battle
How you walked as a pilgrim,
one-eyed and with a broad flopped hat,
How one day you went naked
black and female and wore
a terrible necklace of skulls
to wake us up.
How you danced wearing
a bear mask.
How you went down into the
Underworld, to sit as a Judge of men.
How, hawk-winged,
you carried the sun to its zenith.
How as a beautiful youth you died again an again,
how many times have we wept for you,
sung holy dirges, and made sweet things
for your birth.
We were the voice from the whirlwind,
You were the golden calf,
and He who threw down the calf.
You were Mother of us all,
and how many times you wept
for all your children.
The fire from your terrible waking eye
ignited the God of Love
to holy ash.
When you dance your Rapture
the universe becomes a burning ground.
Let those who feel that day is upon us
Learn to find patience and compassion for
All that live in our fragile, beautiful world.
Let us use your terrible sword to slay our egos,
not our brothers. “

By Medicine Grizzlybear Lake.

199 Pages | Copyright 1991, third printing 1993| Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835606678.

Many claim to be healers and spiritual teachers: the author is both. Here he explains how a person is called to be a medicine man or woman and the trials and tests of a candidate. Lake gives an exciting glimpse into the world of Native American Shamanism. He was trained by numerous Native American teachers, including Rolling Thunder, and has conducted hundreds of ceremonies and lectures.

From the Introduction (p. 1):

” Traditional Native healers were the people, who provided medical leadership for the c0mmunity in the past, for most Native tribal systems. They were the seers, visionairies, doctors and counselors for the people. They advised the people about good health practices, which were medico-religious in nature, and they taught them to develop spiritually. When the people became sick, the Native healer doctored them. And if the healer did not have an answer to a particular problem, he or she would seek a vision by consulting with the Great Creator and spirits to find solutions. During such times the shaman could often see into the future. In some ways, that is what I am trying to share here. “

By Gary Lachman.

341 Pages | Second Quest Edition 2006 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 9780835608480.

‘The Struggle with a Master of Mystery and Power’.

P.D. Ouspensky’s brilliant work, In Search of the Miraculous, was the first to interpret the psychology of G.I.Gurdjieff, the early twentieth-century esoteric master, who still commands a global following today. Yet, Gurdjieff once dismissively described Ouspensky as ‘nice to drink vodka with, but a weak man‘, and some consider their meeting the overwhelming catastrophe of Ouspensky’s life.

This book highlights Ouspensky’s own passionate mysticism, in stark contrast to Gurdjieff’s idea of ‘man as machine’. Ouspensky was an accomplished philosopher in his own right. What attracted him to Gurdjieff in the first place and why did he later reject him? Had Gurdjieff turned toward black magic? And why did Ouspensky continue teaching the ideas of a man he had repudiated?

The answers follow in a mystical adventure story, that will enthrall everyone interested in the farthest reaches of being human. This new edition includes an afterword on the author’s own work in Gurdjieff’s system.

From the Introduction (p. 1):

” The Seeker and the Sly Man

In 1915 a man of uncertain origin appeared in Moscow and gathered a core of devoted followers, students of his strange and unsettling system of esoteric doctrine and psychological development. In his mid-forties, with his shaved head, Mongol-like mustache, piercing eyes, and unnerving composure, he exuded an atmosphere of mystery, power, and knowledge, and those who had accepted him as their teacher followed his instructions without question. Eager to expand his operations, he placed an advertisement in in a Moscow newspaper announcing an unusual ballet entitled ‘The Struggle of the Magicians’. The advertisement attracted the attention of a brilliant writer, who was himself a student of the occult, as well as a theoretician of the higher dimensions of consciousness. Recently the writer had returned from an extended journey to the East, where he had unsuccessfully sought out traces of forgotten knowledge and lost wisdom and his lectures on his travels attracted thousands, eager for a taste of worlds beyond. 

Approached by a student of the mysterious teacher, after much solicitation, the writer agreed to meet with the master. Yet the earnest seeker of Wisdom was dismayed to find that the place of his encounter was not one he might have expected. For it was not in an incense-filled Ashram of a holy guru, but in a cheap back-street cafe, frequented by prostitutes and petty thieves, that the writer P.D. Ouspensky first met the remarkable man G.I. Gurdjieff. Thus was set in motion the long, complex and fascinating history of the esoteric teaching known as ‘The Fourth Way’. “

By Dora Kunz (1904 – 1999).

333 Pages | First Quest Edition 1995 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835607143.

A spiritual revolution is underway in health care. More and more doctors, nurses, and counselors are recognizing that health means treating the soul and psyche as well as the body. In this new edition of a classic collection, the best minds in holistic healing explore the spiritual basis of the alternative health care movement.

From Chapter I: ‘Healing as World View (p. 1):

” Is healing a process related to the nature of the cosmos? The authors in this section, a physician and two professors, argue that it is:

” We interact with the universe in ways that are profound. ”  – Larry Dossey.

” A person becomes whole physically, emotionally, mentally and at deeper levels, resulting ideally in an integration with the underlying inward powers of the universe “.  – Weber.

” To be whole is to be encompassed by the sense of the divine in the divine cosmos “. – Skolimowski.

Thus health and disease are placed in a cosmic setting. “

By Dora van Gelder-Kunz (1904 – 1999).

195 Pages | A Quest Original, first edition 1991, second printing 1996 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835606716.

This book, an original study of the human aura, includes 19 paintings that depict the emotional energies, which surround each person. The changes that occur from infancy to old age are illustrated by the auras of specific people. The pictures also show changes, that occur in the aura in illness. The author worked with Juanita Donahoo to produce the striking paintings in full color. The Personal Aura presents a fresh view of these subtle aspects of the human constitutionm which are hidden from most of us. It offers helpful suggestions for changing difficult emotional patterns.

From Chapter 8: ‘Healing and the Possiblities for Change and Growth’ (p. 166):

” The effects of healing upon the patient’s aura can be quite dramatic. First, the influx of emotional energy causes the aura to expand. When this happens, it starts up the process of eliminating some of the disturbances and blockages in the aura, and thus reduces anxiety. Anxiety produces frightening mental images. But if imagery is used together with the healing, there will be a simultaneous effect; the immune system will be strengthened through the influx of etheric energy, and as the frightening image dissipate, the aura will slowly regain its integration and recover its health. ” 

By Alvin Boyd Kuhn.

218 Pages | Published in 1976 | Hardcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835600157.

In this powerful book the author confronts the reader with many challenges regarding the orthodox approach to the life of Jesus and the history of Christianity. He points his critical finger at many of the rigid dogmas as well as the rigid dogmas as well as the literal interpretation of Biblical stories, which he asserts have created bigotry and mental servitude and stifled a real understanding of the Christian message.

For Dr. Kuhn the true meaning of Christianity is to be found in its mystical teaching. He calls for a revival of the effort to discover the esoteric significance of the Christian heritage, to understand the allegorical method of Biblical interpretation, and to find behind the myths, dramas, synbolks and allegories, the spiritual vision which they embody. Then, there will occur, he says, a new birth for Christianity and a new enlightenment.

From Chapter 21 – ‘Death Throes and Birth Pangs’ (p. 212):

” The spiritual science of every age has attempted to set forth the rationale of man’s approach to God, and God’s availability to man. A causal chain proceeds from the transcendent being of God through the complex orders of principalities and powers, archangels and angels to man. As the symbolism has it, the bodies of higher gods suffer dismemberment so that the fragments of their power may nourish the beings on the planes below. This is the true Eucharist, the true bread broken for all Souls. “

By Isabel Radow Kliegman, Foreword by Stephan A. Hoeller.

220 Pages | First Quest Edition 1997 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 083560747X.

‘Discover the small secrets of the Tarot’.

Few books look in depth at the fifty-two Minor Arcana or suit cards of the Tarot deck. In refreshingly down-to-earth terms and with joyous common-sense Wisdom, celebrated Tarot teacher Isabel Kliegman teaches us to use these ‘overlooked mirrors’ of everyday life to access our inner knowing and learn more about ourselves.

In working with the Minor Arcana in terms of the Kabbalistic Tree, memory and understanding are inextricably linked. Most significantly, the underlying philosophies of both systems are harmonious: the necessity of balance is suggested in the Tree of Life by a system of three pillars. In the Minor Arcana of the Tarot, the message of balance is conveyed by four suits – each of which carries a function of consciousness and medieval ‘element’ – that depend on all the others for their own best expression. Throughout our study, we have seen the ways in which Tarot images graphically convey the underpinnings of Kabbalistic thought.

From the Foreword (p. XIII):

” In ancient times divination was the Art, whereby one consulted the Gods, who were also known as divinities. The ancients believed that these divinities are essentially benignly disposed towards humans and thus are likely to offer useful guidance and advice when consulted. While the belief in divinities is not particularly great in our day, the philosophy of divination that developed on the basis of such a belief is still valid. In order to effectively consult an authentic oracle such as the Tarot, we must first of all possess an attitude that is appropriate for the invoking of helpful forces of a superior character. The proper attitude is one that lies somewhere between superstitious awe and frivolousness. If we employ an oracle in idle jest, the results will be appropriate. At the same time, it is good to be reminded that the cards in themselves are not sacred objects worthy of veneration. We need not to keep the, in precious containers, wrap them in red silk, or approach them in elaborate ceremonies. The magic is not in the cards but in ourselves. What matters is the response the cards evoke from the deeper regions of our psyches: all else is of small importance. “

By Serge Kahili King.

180 Pages | First edition, 1985, twelfth printing | Paperback | Theosophical Publishing House, Wheaton | ISBN: 9780835605915

The world is what you think it is

The most fundamental idea in Huna philosophy is that each of us creates our own experience of reality by our beliefs, interpretations, actions and reactions, thoughts and feelings. It is not that our reality is created as a result of these personal expressions, but that we are cocreators with the Universe itself. Huna is about learning to become a conscious Cocreator.

• Learn how your Higher Self, or aumakua, is contacted in the dream dimension
• Get in touch with the Mana, the hidden energy of life
• Develop higher powers of concentration by utilizing the tikis, created images of sight, sound, and feeling in meditation
• Become aware of your subconscious, an integral part of your being, which impatiently awaits communion with the ego

By Serge Kahili King

173 Pages | 1983 | Paperback | Quest Books, Wheaton | ISBN: 9780835605724

Serge King, Hawaiian shaman amd author of Imagineering for Health and Earth Energies, believes in the power of individuals to heal themselves or others. He says that emotions can heal or hurt, and when used as a positive force, their healing power can be stupendous. In this book, he sets forth the ancient Hawaiian tradition which includes a complete program for the prevention and cure of illness–a holistic health program involving the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of human beings.

”You may be asking yourself by now, ‘What is this word Huna and what is a Kahuna?’ Huna is a Hawaiian word meaning ’that which is hidden, or not obvious.’ Sometimes we call it the hidden knowledge of the secret reality. The idea is not that anyone purposely hid it away, but only that it is usually hard to see. The term Kahuna can be translated as ‘a transmitter of the secret,’ and it was originally intended to be used for those who belonged to an order which practiced and taught the knowledge.”
— From the book

By Serge Kahili King Ph.D.

243 Pages | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835606821.

How can understanding energy principles make our homes and our landscapes healthier and more balanced? In this intriguing mix of science and speculation, Hawaiian shaman Serge King explores the hidden powers of the Earth. Drawing on the Wisdom of ancient civilizations and on more recent research, King describes the wonders of the unseen natural force known as vril.

Serge Kahili King holds a doctorate in psychology from California Western University. He has studied with Master shamans from Africa from Hawaii and has trained thousands in his popular seminars. He is author of Mastering Your Hidden Self, Imagineering for Health, Kahuna Healing, Urban Shaman, and the audio cassette, The Road to Self-Mastery.

From the Preface:

” We are of the earth, earthy. We certainly have amind and/or spirit which can transcend this planet both physically and metaphysically, but in addition we have animal bodies with animal natures which respond to and interact with the natural forces such as electricity, magnetism, and gravity. Modern science recognizes two others you may be less familiar with, which are called the strong and weak nuclear forces. Shamans, mystics, metaphysicians and more liberal scientists recognize additional forces that can be termed ‘psychoenergetic’, a Russian term meaning that they intera. They interact with the mind as well with the body. These are the ones discussed in the book, because they are so little known, so influential in our lives and so very useful. “

By Shafica Karagulla, M.D (1914  – ca. 1986) and Dora van Gelder Kunz (1904 – 1999).

243 Pages | A Quest Original, first edition 1989 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 9780835606417.

THE ENERGY FIELDS ARE THE KEY TO HEALTH.

Shafica Karakulla, specialist in neuropsychiatry, and Dora van Gelder Kunz, gifted clairvoyant and healer, present experimental evidence that illness can be seen in the subtle energy fields of the body. Fascinating case studies of actual patients show that clairvoyant observation can diagnose disease and even reveal potential illness before it manifests in physical symptoms. The key to health and disease, the author shows, lies in the dynamic interaction between the body’s physical, emotional and mental fields and universal energy fields. Understanding this interaction can help us alter our energy patterns in the direction of better self-integration, health and wholeness.

From Chapter 17: ‘The Role of Consciousness – Towards the Future (p. 190):

” The chakras are centers of energy, which are constantly interacting with one another from hour to hour, and changes in the energy patterns occur as a continuing process. Healing therefore reflected in changes of rhythm and other basic alterations in these centers. Meditation and visualization, if done regularly and combined with changes in behavior, can produce modifications in the chakra patterns, and these are reflected in the person’s health and physical well-being. A genuine transformation can thus be observed. Whether the person knows about the role the chakras play as energy centers makes no difference whatsoever. “

By Menas Kafatos and Thalia Kafatou.

290 Pages | Copyright 1991 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835606740.

Most b0oks on science and mysticism attempt to link modern physics to philosophic views of consciousness. This book explores the two as parallel processes – one outer, one inner. Our outward search is for objective reality – ‘out there’ in the world. But what we experience as outer is linked to what we can know in ourselves subjectively. The inward search is for that level of consciousness that underlies all subjective experience, spoken of by the mystics. Like other recent authors, Drs. Kafatos and Kafatou find parallels between Eastern thought and recent scientific developments in quantum theory and cosmology. But they go farther and hold that the realms of consciousness and the objective world are complementary aspects of the same reality. Their approach is fresh and unique and show how we are involved in the cosmic process.

From Chapter 8 – ‘The Physics of Consciousness’ (p. 252):

” Without going outside you may know the whole world. Without looking through the window you may see the ways of Heaven. – Lao Tsu

Finally, whatever is meant by the word ‘reality’, it is clearly non-local and not independent of the observing process. The world of quanta is probablistic by nature. Physical attributes of quanta cannot be determined in a precise way; only the probabilities of these attributes can be determined a priori. Seemingly, ‘God is playing dice’, and we, observers, seem to be part of the game. Moreover, in the quantum domain, the reality of solid matter and the apparent permanence of particles dissolves into a dance of ever-changing quantum interactions. What is real is the process, not the substance. “

By Curuppumullage Jinarājadāsa (1875–1953).

62 Pages | Published in 1980 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835605337.

Carefully culled from the writings of Brother ‘Raj’, here is a gathering together of his reflections on many aspects of life. The keynote is ‘inspiration’ and within this little book you will find the true Wisdom and Beauty, that can flow from the intuïtion of a deeply spiritual man. Brother ‘Raj’ provides a rich and sublime literary mosaic to a variety of universally appealing topics as he comments upon art, beauty, children, mysticism, love, liberation, reïncarnation, truth, unity, wisdom, and the Elder Brothers of Humanity.

Mr. Jinarājadāsa was the International President of the Theosophical Society from 1946 until 1953. Author of many books including The New Humanity of Intuition, How We Remember Our Past Lives and Art As Will and Idea, his intense enthusiasm for life, for the arts, and for theosophy, is strongly reflected in these Fragments of Wisdom.

By Lin Jensen.

201 Pages | First Quest Edition 1999 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835607755.

‘Shaking Down Seed and Other Stories of Ordinary Goodness’.

Every ordinary act of kindness is an expression of the intuitive goodness at the heart of every human being. Zen Buddhists call this inborn compassion the ‘Heartmind’. This is exquisitely moving collection of tales helps readers uncover the simple Wisdom of benevolence and sympathy within everyday acts. Each story goes straight to the heart, reminding us what we aspire to be and giving us the confidence that getting there is within reach.

From Chapter – ‘Bad Dog – The Journey through Shame to Compassion’ (p. 41):

” Within all light is darkness:

But explained it cannot be by darkness

that, one-sided, is alone.

In darkness there is light:

But, here again, by light one-sided

it is not explained.

Light goes with darkness:

As the sequence does of steps in walking.

• Sekito Kisen, in: Sandokai.

Shame is born in betrayal. It matters little whether one is victim or perpetrator, for shame adheres in the event itself. and all who participate, and all who participate are tainted by its presence. “

By Rick Jarow.

213 Pages | A Quest Original 1986 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835606139.

Bring both your personality and your spiritual nature along on this enjoyable and meaningful journey to other lands. There’s a place for both as Rick Jarrow takes us along on his richly portrayed pilgrimage to the world’s holy places. Explore with Rick the splendor and subtle wonders to be found at Notre Dame, the Cathedral of Amiens, Lourdes, the Vatican, Assisi, the Acropolis. Then to fabled India highlighted by a visit with Rick’s good friends, Sai Baba and Swami Jnanananda. Next, become locked in the Great Pyramid of Egypt, while he is meditating. Then on to Israel and the Holocaust Museum. Home then to America where ‘ . . . living itself a pilgrimage’.

From the Introduction – ‘The Gates of Dharma’ (p. 7):

” The concept of the spiritual teacher and his power was also an attractive one, for it involved much more than the power of a charismatic individual. Most teachers, even when they claim to possess a personal grace, derive their teachings and their power from a particular river, a lineage, a mode of transmission through which the sacred teachings are handed down. The lineage becomes the bedrock of the culture, the thread through which the rest of life’s activities are connected. Eating, sleeping, working, and personal relationships are no longer seen as simply random activities. They are part of the fabric of the tradition, of one’s sadhana or spiritual discipline. “

By Alice O. Howell.

284 Pages | A Quest Original 1993, including illustrations | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835606880.

Geometry is hidden in the symbolism of all religions. In this magical book, Alice O. Howell weaves a ramble on the sacred Isle of Iona with a meditation on the geometrical forms we encounter everyday. With the mediating help of Sophia, the divine feminine principle of Wisdom, she shows how we can decode the inner meaning of shapes, numbers, and other symbols through intuition, to enrich our experience of living and deepen our appreciation of the mystery of form.

A Companion to Howell’s other work; The Dove in the Stone, this book is illustrated with fifty line drawings and figures and includes an entertaining workbook – Sophia’s Mondayschool – with exercises guiding readers in exploring for themselves the mysteries of sacred geometry.

From Chapter IV – ‘Dark within Light, Light within Dark’ (p. 43):

” The Celts have a lovely image called the ‘Tir-nan-Og’ – Land of Youth, the Blessed Isles, the Happy Isles. Each of us has such an island within our Souls – a beautiful space within us to visit. I remember when I was a teacher of children, I assigned a composition exercise called ‘My Island’. Without any hesitation, the children, then about ten and eleven years old, happily began imaging their island. Each made a map and peopled it according to their wishes. Animals, birds, fish, trees, mountains, and springs appeared miraculously full-blown from the unconscious of these children. It was as if they carried a paradise within them, just the right size.

The Happy Isles are an archetypical place, and I mention this, lest anyone get discouraged at the thought that they cannot travel to Scotland and the Hebrides – to Iona, the Isle of the Dove. We have our own Iona within us. A lovely exercise to give oneself as one is falling asleep is to image what one’s Happy Isle would be like. “

By Elizabeth Boyden Howes and Sheila Moon.

221 Pages | First Quest Edition 1977, second Quest printing 1987 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835604926.

Each of the above participate in this stunningly sensitive exam-ination of man’s sacred responsibility to make choices. For man needs to constantly choose a course of action if he wishes to survive, declare the psychotherapist authors. Take your choice, they say, between ‘the sin of holy uselessness‘ and ‘the path of holy intercourse with all existence’.

It is vital to our well-being, they believe, crucial to the future of the entire world, that we do not abdicate this God-given privilege; that we recognise that man is by his very nature a choicemaker, and that this is the basis difference between him and ‘unthinking’ creatures. The authors support their unique thesis with documented dream evidence, fresh interpretations of Biblical stories, our human propensity for myth-making, and the basic conclusions found in Jungian depth-psychology.

From Chapter VI – Into the Mirror of the Waters (p. 79):

” The Self is perhaps the most significant archetype and/or complex in terms of man’s full development as individual. This is true, because it is both the totality of and the religious center of personality. And insofar as the individual ego is working for wholeness, for individuation, it is working in the service of the Self, which in turn relflects the larger transpersonal Purpose. Although we have already discussed the Self in previous chapters, here a new facet appears. The Self is an archetype and yet with a difference that makes it, so to speak, the most vital of the psychic ‘organs’, the heart that keeps the vital processes moving in a forward direction. It is not only the center of the total personality, but it magnetizes all the opposites into a pattern that evolves in each individual toward wholeness. “