Showing results by narrator "Michael Strader" in All Categories

Over 350 years before the British occultist Aleister Crowley was sitting quietly in a Cairo hotel room receiving the text of his Book of the Law, the famous French renaissance author Francois Rabelais was busy writing the second book of his legendary fantasy quintology Gargantua and Pantagruel, which included the story of the founding of the Abbey of Theleme, wherein but one clause was observed: "Do What Thou Wilt"!

William Wynn Westcott was a theosophist, Freemason, and Rosicrucian and one of the cofounders of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. In his own personal spiritual belief system he subscribed to the concept of successive lives in the form of earthly experiences, as was almost universal in the doctrines of the ancient world. Here he examines the changes that occur to an individual upon death (spiritually speaking, of course) and what that means for how a person should choose to live his or her life.

The Origin and Nature of Folk Music: As Exemplified in the Welsh National Melodies was originally published in 1911. Kenneth Morris was a fantasy writer and Theosophist from Wales. In this short piece, he looks at the bardic poetry and chants of Ireland, Wales and England, called a "hwyl".

Famed masonic and spiritual writer J. D. Buck discusses and examines a lesser-known book called The Great Work: The Constructive Principle of Nature in Individual Life, by John Emmett Richardson. Buck believes that Richardson has uncovered some deeper secrets that relate to the masonic initiations and the lost word, and he wishes to share some of the insight.

The author, a prolific writer and a member of the Theosophical Society, describes his personal journey through the Masonic fraternity, as a co-mason. He explains his shock with the familiarity of the lodge room, as he recalled it exactly from a past life in ancient Egypt. He proceeds to compares the modern masonic ritual with ancient Egyptian mysteries, which he clearly remembers. He explains that the fraternity purposely pretended to be operative masons, to avoid persecution from the Church.

Leadbeater describes what a non-member might expect to encounter behind closed doors at a Theosophical Lodge meeting, such as he would have attended in his day, what they may get out of it, what they might give and what is gained by all, through this collective group of individuals coming together. The outcome is likely not all that different from every real occult lodge, not just the theosophical ones.

Nearly all kinds of ancient mythology and religions were constructed from early civilizations trying to make sense of their surroundings. The idea of science was completely unknown to them; rather they explained natural phenomena as done by mythical deities. In Greek mythology this is how we come to certain instances like Apollo, the sun god, or Zeus, the god of the heavens and sky.

William Harvey was a prolific masonic scholar of his day. In this essay from 1920, he dissects the myth of a Freemason on the battlefield saving an enemy's life after he is seen giving the Masonic sign of distress. In addition to examining similar tales from around the globe, Harvey looks at the stories from a philosophical standpoint and asks some hard questions. And, while these wars may be old, this topic never will be.

Leadbeater addresses this question of the aspirant, who may be wondering why the Master hasn't singled them out and asked for more. Leadbeater points out that the offer must come from the other side. It is the role of the student to make him or herself available and wait for the Master to reach out to them, since any older student can help teach and attend to a newcomer's immediate needs. The Master's role is a higher one.

Member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and cocreator of probably the most famous and commonly used tarot deck, Arthur Edward Waite was also a prolific writer and prominent Freemason. Here he examines many of the adjacent intellectual movements that were happening in Europe prior to the creation of the Grand Lodge of England in 1717, which many scholars have claimed were an influence on Masonry, such as alchemy, Kabbalah, and the Rosicrucian fraternity.

In lecture given to a Masonic lodge in Dublin in 1857, Robert Longfield muses on a topic many are still debating today, whether or not the noble fraternity of Freemasonry has ancient origins or if those allegations simply are, as Brother Longfield puts it, a “modern invention.” The author offers numerous examples from the ancient world, which seem to support Freemasonry having existed for hundreds or even thousands of years prior.

Just as many more sayings and doings of the Lord existed prior to and alongside the canonical Gospels, so were there, prior to and alongside the subsequently selected or canonical acts, many other narratives professing to record the doings and sayings of the apostles and disciples of the Lord. This is one such gnostic text which had been lost for centuries.

In a clear and wonderful way, Lord Krishna describes the science of self-realization and the exact process by which a human being can establish their eternal relationship with God. In terms of pure, spiritual knowledge the Bhagavad Gita is incomparable. Its intrinsic beauty is that its knowledge applies to all human beings and does not postulate any sectarian ideology. It is approachable from the sanctified realms of all religions and is glorified as the epitome of all spiritual teachings.

Brother Westcott describes karma in a theosophical setting and also touches briefly on Esoteric Christianity while reminding us that we all have potential divinity inside of us. He warns heavily of the perils and pitfalls the neophyte must navigate to avoid becoming a black magician, while exploring what he refers to as the hidden mysteries of nature. Additionally, he reminds us that although every potential Adept must exist on this physical plane, they must also live above it.

Leadbeater gives advice on how to approach those who demand proof of the claims of the Theosophical doctrine. He also advises on where to begin, if you are a newcomer to the field and don't have the time to consume the vast depth of Theosophical literature that sits before you.