Essays

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Suggested reading for things spiritual.

     It must be understood that literature which introduces the subjects contained within these books may be out grown in the future but are good to introduce you. You are trying to build an understanding of the principles contained within the books, both theoretical and practical. You may have to update or alter opinions as you go on. The books I suggest here will aid you in developing an understanding of the principles of spiritual development, of magickal influence upon the mundane world and spiritual experiences. They give you an approach to enlightenment. I do not believe any book to be complete. They are simply here to aid you in developing a personal experience. What you glean from them may differ from others. All they are meant to do is show the path. The goal is to find a personal relationship with God.
Dion Fortune the Mystical Qabalah. (written in the 30s, occasionally hoaky, good for a start. Not perfect.)

Israel Regardie: Garden of Pomegranates.
                          Middle Pillar
                          Tree of Life
                          Golden Dawn
     The Regardie books will introduce you to concepts of Magick, though not spiritual enough (often resort to a psychological approach), they introduce you to the Ruach and principles of energy, astral projection, and psychic development. Truly only God teaches. These books are an aid to formulate these concepts, only spiritual experience brings real progress. You must watch out for pagan overtones in these works.  They refer to the gods as personifications of force and psychic principles. The gods are to be used as a psychic thought form for you to assume in your aura, to give you a precise method to convince the subconscious into a state of being powerful, so that visualizations gain more force in your efforts to cause phenomena to occur in accordance with will, not to be worshipped. Qliphotic forces are meant to be kept down and controlled, not evoked as in the Goetia, whose practices should be avoided. Their reasoning on the darker side is rare and better left alone. Most of Regardies writings are taken from the Victorian era order of the Golden Dawn. He was influenced by others. All should be dealt with with great scrutiny, but they grant you enough understanding to approach the masters.

Thomas Taylor: The Eleusinian and Bacchic Mysteries. Here the author explains the ruach, the pranic fluid, the force of spirit, which rules over the elements, the Ether which was Methor to the Greeks, and Hathor to the Egyptians. Quite useful in the art.Let those with eyes to see, read.

A suggestive inquiry into the Hermetic mystery. Thomas South and Mary Anne Atwood (his daughter)
Now the real study begins.

Fulcanelli: Cathedrals, a good intro to the great work described by a twentieth century writer, with a fairytale reputation  (see Morning of the Magicians).

Eirenaeus Philalethes: My favorite American Alchemist, a good chap, I believe a Harvard man.

     You will be led down many alleys in a city within a city, and will be introduced to other authors, writings and approaches. How you interpret, how you are guided by God, will reveal whether you are upon the path of advancement or delusion. Those who are deserving will be guided, to the rest it will be nonsense.
The symbol of truth, Ameth is Hebrew for truth and is also a reference to the ether.

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