From the time of the founding of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, over a hundred years ago, there has been a continued and increasing interest in ancient Egyptian spirituality. Brian Brown's book, written in 1923, is a wonderfully insightful study of the Religion and Philosophy of this ancient people, revealing the astonishing depth and subtlety of the Egyptian world-view. His work covers such diverse topics as Creation myths and sun-gods, through the hymns of the 'Book of the Dead', to Hermetic Philosophy and Egyptian Magic. An invaluable overview of this fascinating subject that will be of unfailing interest to all those drawn to esoteric and occult matters.

Is it possible that Heaven is beyond our capacity to see because it is molecular scale? What if the Creator of Adam and Eve was DNA? What if the Devil was an ancient molecular virus? God is DNA is an unprecedented religious detective story-a modern scientific translation of ancient Gnostic secret teachings and ideas. Rogue scholar and author Paris Tosen takes one of the most controversial and revolutionary positions on the subject of pre-Christian religiosity, flying in the face of the foundation of the Christian faith and decodes the true meaning of God. This is a work that strongly resonates with alternative thinkers and anyone who is seeking salvation from the material prison. Not recommended for devout churchgoers.

A series of poems written over forty years illustrates Phillip Medhurst's progress from orthodox Christian to Gnostic.

Diary of the Antichrist is the written record of the Spirit and Life of the ANTICHRIST, whose time is now at hand. Also in this book are the Scriptures of the Antichrist, as well as the Qabalah of the Antichrist. This is the second edition of the book (December 21, 2012) published in association with the Aleister Crowley Foundation.

The GCC has chosen to establish what was once called a regular clergy, as distinct from a secular clergy-that is to say, something much closer to monks than to ministers. This was the core model for clergy in the old Celtic Church in Ireland, Wales, Brittany, and other Celtic nations, in the days before the Roman papacy imposed its rule on the lands of Europe's far west. Members of the Celtic clergy were monks first and foremost, living lives focused on service to the Divine rather than the needs of a congregation, and those who functioned as priests for local communities did so as a small portion of a monastic lifestyle that embraced many other dimensions. In all Gnostic traditions, personal religious experience is the goal that is set before each aspirant and the sole basis on which questions of a religious nature can be answered-certain teachings have been embraced as the core values from which the Gnostic Celtic Church as an organization derives its broad approach to spiritual issues. Those core teachings may be summarized in the words "Gnostic, Universalist, and Pelagian" which are described in this book.

In this selection of inspired writings - poetry as well as prose - Phillip Medhurst expresses Gnostic Truth as manifested in the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, who is revealed as "Gnosis made word."

THIS 32 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Fragments of a Faith Forgotten, by G. R. S. Mead. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 092280222X.

In the second century, Valentinians and other gnosticizing Christians used numerical structures and symbols to describe God, interpret the Bible, and frame the universe. In this study of the controversy that resulted, Joel Kalvesmaki shows how earlier neo-Pythagorean and Platonist number symbolism provided the impetus for this theology of arithmetic, and describes the ways in which gnosticizing groups attempted to engage both the Platonist and Christian traditions. He explores the rich variety of number symbolism then in use, among both gnosticizing groups and their orthodox critics, demonstrating how those critics developed an alternative approach to number symbolism that would set the pattern for centuries to come. Arguing that the early dispute influenced the very tradition that inspired it, Kalvesmaki explains how, in the late third and early fourth centuries, numbers became increasingly important to Platonists, who engaged in arithmological constructions and disputes that mirrored the earlier Christian ones.

Spiritual practice is essential to the Johannite tradition, and this book will show you how to begin. Using the framework of the Logos Service, the quintessential Johannite practice, you will learn the basic techniques of many different types of prayer, meditation, contemplation, asceticism, and esoteric practice from a Johannite perspective. Whether you attend mass regularly at a Johannite parish, or if you live far from one, you will find a practice or two that will help guide you on the path to Gnosis.

THIS 26 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Fragments of a Faith Forgotten, by G. R. S. Mead. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 092280222X.

THIS 28 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Fragments of a Faith Forgotten, by G. R. S. Mead. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 092280222X.

THIS 22 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Gnostics and their Remains Ancient and Mediaeval, by C. W. King. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 0766103811.

These are the so-called lost years in the life of Jesus of Nazareth, the years strangely absent from the Christian narrative before he took up his public ministry at the age of thirty. The story is told from the viewpoint of his younger cousin, Veronica. Their mothers are sisters, and from the outset Mary and Salome's deep bond is reflected in the lives of the young cousins. Two stories are entwined as one; that of the man Jesus as he studies and travels through distant lands, slowly coming to terms with his extraordinary mission. And it is the story of the women who profoundly impacted his life. He often told them he would only accomplish his work if they stepped up to fulfill their destinies alongside him. Veronica narrates her own experiences in Palestine, Brittany, and Egypt, enriched with visionary glimpses of her cousin on his travels. A second voice follows Jesus during those long years when he is far from his family and all that he knows, studying with the Masters of his day, in turn sharing his wisdom and compassion with the many who are drawn to him. When at last he returns to Nazareth, the two voices join, bringing the story to a close at the baptism in the River Jordan. The story finds its heart in the great cultural crossroads of Jerusalem, where the various Jewish sects collide under increasing pressure from Rome. The teachings of the Master Jesus are as relevant today as they were 2,000 years ago.

THIS 32 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Fragments of a Faith Forgotten, by G. R. S. Mead. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 092280222X.

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone

1897. A short history of the Manichaean religion, which was taught by Manes, a native of Babylonia, who was put to death by order of the Shah Bahram or Varanes I in 175.

THIS 30 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Gnosis or Ancient Wisdom in the Christian Scriptures or the Wisdom in a Mystery, by William Kingsland. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 1564591697.

THIS 66 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Gnostics and their Remains Ancient and Mediaeval, by C. W. King. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 0766103811.

THIS 22 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Gnostics and their Remains Ancient and Mediaeval, by C. W. King. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 0766103811.

THIS 158 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Fragments of a Faith Forgotten, by G. R. S. Mead. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 092280222X.

THIS 20 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: True Mystic: Three Lectures on Mysticism, by Holden Edward Sampson. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 1564595811.

Beginning with the premise that modern so-called "Gnostic" organizations are actually products of the 19th Century Occultist and New Age movements, 'This Way: Gnosis Without "Gnosticism"' embraces the most recent scholarship which concludes that there was no ancient "Gnosticism." Consequently, modern organizations which refer to themselves as "Gnosticism" are in no way related to ancient heretical sects in historical reality, but are, instead, entirely modern creations. As a response, 'This Way: Gnosis Without "Gnosticism"' presents an applied spirituality based on the writings found in the Nag Hammadi Library and Zen Buddhism, for people interested in a simple, mature approach to gnosis that doesn't rely on unprovable claims of apostolic succession or New Age neo-Templar silliness, but instead acknowledges the limitations of the material. If you are looking for a context for a modern approach to gnosis that can be practiced by anyone, alone or within an extant organization 'This Way: Gnosis Without "Gnosticism"' is the book for you.

The fifth issue of The Gnostic. Interviews with Gary Lachman on Hermes Trismegistus, Patrick Harpur on the soul, and Nicholas Baker-Brian on the Manichaeans. Sean Martin on David Lindsay's A Voyage to Arcturus, Jeffrey Kupperman on the Neoplatonic roots of Hermeticism, Dean Wilson on the links between Enochian magic and Gnosticism, and a brilliant article by Stevan Davies on the Odes of Solomon and the origins of Christianity. Sorita D'Este on the Great Rite. The theology of Nick Cave. The bright side of Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian. Scott Finch's Gnostic comic, short fiction, a Cathar travelogue, reviews and more

So for centuries among the Jews, writers sought to shelter themselves behind the names of the great dead. In this they were guilty of no fraud. They imagined what Solomon or Enoch would say, or sing, upon a particular theme under given circumstances. It was not really they themselves, but their Solomon, their Enoch, Solomon or Enoch in them, who uttered the new prophesies or temple praises. Thus arose that body of literature, called by modern scholars, "Pseudepigrapha," that is, writings erroneously, unhistorically, and yet sincerely, ascribed to heroic figures summed from the vasty deep by a self-denying imagination, eager to alter man's belief and custom, to interpret his hope and sorrow, without personal gain or fame, and also, may one add, without the deterrent of persecution to arrest free utterance Now it is a foolish modern prejudice against an ancient piece of literature that its author veiled his person in this fashion. The only question is: Was the writing of inherent value? Did it exercise influence?

The disheveled beggar approached Jo Anna Ford shortly after she exited the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico. He had a simple request: Fifty cents for the bus that would take him to a free meal at the Community Center. Jo Anna carried no purse during her evening walks; she apologized for having no money with her. "Then, would you just talk with me for a moment?" he asked. "We could sit on that stone wall and just chat a bit." It seemed to be a simple request, and Jo Anna agreed to sit with him for just a few minutes. Within a few seconds she was listening to a story of hardship, loss, loneliness, and despair. As he finished the brief chronicle of his life, he revealed his most painful secret. He had been diagnosed as "schizophrenic with messianic ideation" and locked away in a mental institution for years. With a determined gaze and a soft smile, he assured Jo Anna that he was not insane. She began to doubt her own sanity when she realized she actually believed him - not that he was the Messiah, but that he was not insane. That strange encounter rekindled her interest in the historical Jesus. It was the beginning of a journey that would lead her to the philosophers and historians of Jesus' time: Philo of Alexandria, Josephus, Tacitus, Seutonius, Pliny, and others. She found the epic poems of Ovid, and Homer, and Euripides. The puzzle pieces each of these ancient sources held eventually led her to a most startling realization. Someone would have to rewrite The History of the Roman Empire to include the amazing feats of the man and woman who played the roles of Jesus the Nazarene and Mary Magdalene. And as far as she knew, she was the only person who had been able to uncover their secret historical identities.