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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Alternative belief systems > Syncretist & eclectic religions & belief systems > Post-renaissance syncretist / eclectic systems
Zanoni, first published in 1842, was inspired by a dream. Sir
Edward, a Rosicrucian, wrote this engaging, well-researched, novel
about the eternal conflict between head and heart, between wisdom
and love, played out by the Rosicrucians before the dramatic
background of the French Revolution. He described his book Zanoni
as "a truth for those who can comprehend it, and an extravagance
for those who cannot." Following his introduction, the novel is
divided into seven parts, whose titles indicate the sevenfold path
of spiritual development. The fourth section, "The Dweller of the
Threshold," is the book's centerpiece, revealing significant
esoteric facts and experiences. A novelist, a dramatist, a scholar,
an editor, and an active member of Parliament, Sir Edward was an
extremely successful author whose writings were widely read
throughout England and Europe. He poured into this esoteric work
all of the ancient esoteric wisdom that he felt he could reveal to
the public during an age buried deeply in materialism. This work
remains one of the great, pioneering landmarks of esoteric writing.
In this third, enlarged edition of Lehrs' classic study, the reader
is led, step by step, to a spiritual-scientific method of
investigation. The author demonstrates how one can transcend the
boundaries of the physical-material world, to the metaphysical
origins of nature and the human being. This is a pioneering new
method of training both the mind and eye, as well as other human
senses, leading to a transformation from our modern 'onlooking'
consciousness to a new kind of 'participative' consciousness. The
beginnings of this method were formulated by Goethe (1749-1832)
more than 200 years ago, but his contemporaries offered little in
the way of fertile ground for his ideas. It was Rudolf Steiner
(1861-1925) who recognized the significance of 'Goetheanism' for
the future development not only of science, but of human culture in
general, and who developed Goethe's work in modern times. Man or
Matter contains the systematic results of the author's work using
the methods of Goethe and Steiner (the latter whom he knew
personally). With this unique study, he addresses himself to anyone
- with or without a specialized scientific training - who is
concerned with developing the human power of cognition in the
present time. This revised edition was edited by Nick Thomas and
Peter Bortoft.
The Spiritual Revolution of the twentieth century -- the "New Age"
-- is unimaginable without the spiritualist movement and the
formidable personality of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, the creator of
the Theosophical Society. Without these two, the work of Rudolf
Steiner, G. I. Gurdjieff, Hazrat Inayat Khan, Sri Aurobindo, and C.
G. Jung, and could not have been what it was.
In this fascinating volume on the Theosophical movement, Rudolf
Steiner, one of its leading participants, tells his own story in
his own words about the origins of the theosophical movement in
spiritualism and somnambulism, as well as his own version of
Anthroposophy's relation to Theosophy. Steiner also relates
Theosophy to its historical ground in Western esotericism, above
all Rosicrucianism. He reveals events from the seventeenth century
that led to the emergence of Freemasonry and other secret
societies, the hidden history of the creation of Theosophy itself
in the nineteenth century, and conflicts that are still
reverberating between Anglo-Saxon and Germanic occult streams
today.
Torin Finser takes on some of our contemporary challenges and
proposes new solutions. Rather than simply "kicking the can down
the road," as often happens with issues such as sovereign debts,
Middle East conflicts, and environmental issues, Finser calls for
individual initiative. Drawing on a variety of rich cultural and
spiritual traditions, he makes the case for social change that
begins within. To do so, one must first access resources that
support initiative and innovation. Key questions discussed in this
book include: * How is it possible to live a spiritual life in our
materialistic age? * Can an individual person still make a
difference? * How can we use a whole-systems approach to
innovation? * How can planetary wisdom help us find appropriate
leadership styles? * What are the inner conditions needed to work
with the transcendent Self? * In the swirl of multi-tasking, how
can we find moments of solitude and reflection? We need new, a
ethical individualism that is fully transformative. As quoted from
the Peace Pilgrim in chapter 2: This is the way of peace-overcome
evil with good, and falsehood with truth, and hatred with love.
Today's world needs people of initiative-those willing to become
the change that is so desperately needed. This book offers a wakeup
call for inspired leadership.
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