11 posts tagged “history”
Our friend Bishop T Allen Greenfield returns to the show to talk about Gnostic history and philosophy.
Dr. Greenfield is particularly well-qualified to discuss this subject considering his extensive experience in Gnostic churches serving as bishop. Our conversation covers the definition of Gnosis and Gnostic, the history of ancient sects, the philosophy through the ages, modern permutations of the Gnostic doctrine, and Dr. Greenfield’s own personal lineage.
Notable points include differing perspectives on the concept of the Demiurgus and the resultant differences in the views on body and spirit, the secret societies and esoteric orders that have carried the Wisdom, and Apostolic succession.
“These are mysteries, O Israel,
Difficult to understand.
With much searching shalt thou still fail
To grasp them,
Unless thy search be rightly prosecuted.
Yet the Way to Understanding is ever open
To him who will follow it steadfastly.
It is the Way of the Heart,
And thou shalt be guided therein
By thine own inner Hearing.”- Paul Foster Case from “The Meditation on Vav” in “The Book of Tokens”
relevant links:
Smashing Illusions - Dr. T Allen Greenfield’s Livejournal web site
The Assembly of the Knowledge and Wisdom of Solomon
“T Allen Greenfield’s Spiritual and Fraternal Heritage”
The North American College of Gnostic Bishops
previous appearances - “Podcast 35 - An Inquiry Into Suppressed Information“, “Podcast 31 - Scrying the Universe“, and “Podcast 17 - The Secret Cipher”
“Victorian Fire: The Origins of Sexual Magick” by T Allen Greenfield
“Fragments of a Faith Forgotten: The Gnostics, a Contibution to the Study of the Origins of Christianity” by G.R.S. Mead
“Gnosis: The Nature and History of Gnosticism” by Kurt Rudolph
“Gnosis and Hermeticism from Antiquity to Modern Times” by Roelof van den Broek
intro music by HipGnosis
outro music by The Quiet Earth Orchestra, excerpt of “God” (thanks to John Ludi)
original link -- http://www.occultofpersonality.com/2008/03/01/podcast-43-gnosticism/
direct link to download .mp3 audio file -- http://www.occultofpersonality.com/podpress_trac/web/64/0/OoP_Podcast43_Gnosticism_it.mp3
Mitch Horowitz, editor-in-chief of Tarcher/Penguin Books, returns in this episode to discuss the life and Great Work of Dr. Paul Foster Case (1884 - 1954). Dr. Case was, in my opinion, the preeminent scholar teaching the Tarot and Qabalah in the 20th century. His masterful work, “The Tarot: A Key to the Wisdom of the Ages,” stands alone as perhaps the single greatest book on the Major Arcana to date.
In studying the life and Work of Dr. Case, Mitch extracts the important detail that we must be scholars in the same tradition in order that occult subjects are treated with the reverence they deserve. Thanks again to Mitch for another wonderfully informative and enlightening discussion!
“IN whatsoever object thou perceivest,
Know me as the Essence,
As the Idea,
And as the Interior Nature.
Because of this the wise come easily to me
By many paths,
Yet in truth these different roads
Are but a single Way.“If thou canst penetrate in the nature
Of the simplest thing,
There thou shalt find me.
This is the key to the mystery of the sacred letters.
Fix thy mind on the object set before thee by any letter,
And hold thy thought to meditate thereon.
Then shall the inner nature of that object
Be made known to thee,
And by this means shalt thou draw nigh
To some aspect of my being.- Paul Foster Case, from “The Meditation on Heh” in “The Book of Tokens”
relevant links:
Mitch Horowitz (previously appeared in Podcast 21)
Paul Foster Case Resource Page
“Paul Foster Case” Wikipedia entry
“The Tarot: A Key to the Wisdom of the Ages” by Paul Foster Case
“An Introduction to the Study of the Tarot” by Paul Foster Case (PDF download, 159 KB)
“The True and Invisible Rosicrucian Order: An Interpretation of the Rosicrucian Allegory and An Explanation of the Ten Rosicrucian Grades” by Paul Foster Case
“Esoteric Keys of Alchemy” by Paul Foster Case
“The Great Seal of the United States: Its History, Symbolism and Message for the New Age” by Paul Foster Case - “Dr. Case reveals the Great Seal to be a profound spiritual glyph created by the Founding Fathers as a representation of the ideals of the Novo Ordo Seclorum, the New World Order.”
“Masonic Letter G” by Paul Foster Case - “Paul Foster Case develops with clarity a link between the Masonic degrees and the Qabalistic tradition.”
“Daniel, Master of Magicians and the Name of Names” by Paul Foster Case - “Two books in one. Daniel, Master of Magicians develops the astrological underpinnings of the book of Daniel. The Name of Names reveals the true significance of the name Yeheshua or Jesus.”
“The Book of Tokens” by Paul Foster Case
“The Kybalion” by Three Initiates
“Claude Bragdon” Wikipedia entry
“William Walker Atkinson” Wikipedia entry
“Ann Davies” Wikipedia entry
B.O.T.A. (Builders of the Adytum)
intro music by HipGnosis
Original link -- http://www.occultofpersonality.com/2008/02/16/podcast-42-the-life-and-work-of-dr-paul-foster-case/
Direct .mp3 audio file download -- http://www.occultofpersonality.com/podpress_trac/web/63/0/OoP_Podcast42_PFC_i2.mp3
We speak about the process of creating internal stillness, the Road to Inner Light, ways of being, maintaining a fluid consciousness, making the leap from the head to the heart, and the historical and mythological journeys of others that we can use as examples and inspiration. Also notable is the importance of not creating beliefs by grasping for conclusions.
“… this Magick is really symbolic of the Truth of our own life and our own existence. The Magick is real and the Magick can be all of ours when we uncover / recover the meaning and depth of our Soul.”
- Christopher Moors
relevant links:
“Pearly Gates Press” by Christopher Moors
“Podcast 32 - On the Spiritual Path with Christopher Moors”
“Zen” Wikipedia entry
“Tao Te Ching” by Lao Tsu
“Alan Watts” Wikipedia entry
“Alan Watts Teaches Meditation”
“Osho” Wikipedia entry
“Paramahansa Yogananda” Wikipedia entry
“Whispers From Eternity” by Paramahansa Yogananda
“The Journey to the East” by Herman Hesse (PDF file download)
“T. Lobsang Rampa, An Introduction” by Gray Barker
T. Lobsang Rampa (many PDF files available here)
“Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life” by Thich Nhat Hanh, Amazon US
Eastern Philosophy & Religion section of books written by Manly P. Hall
Self-Development & Meditation section of books written by Manly P. Hall
“Vipassanā” Wikipedia entry
“Tao of Jeet Kun Do” by Bruce Lee, Amazon US
“… the price of ignorance is destruction … So if people want to continue being ignorant and think that every time you bring knowledge their way that it is some sort of a threat, then there is no hope for the human race … You can’t approach the archive of knowledge with fear. You should approach it with awe. But you should never approach knowledge with fear, because then you will only see the reflection of fear back. So it is not that these subjects are evil … or fearful, but people are approaching [them] with a wrong energy and a wrong attitude and it is like a mirror where you see your own reflection in it.”
- Michael Tsarion
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