Gnosticism, together with alchemy, was for C. G. Jung the chief prefiguration of his analytical psychology. Jung did not simply interpret Gnostic texts psychologically but also cited them as confirmation of his psychology. An authority on theories of myth and Gnosticism, Robert Segal has searched the Jungian corpus to bring together in one volume Jung's main discussions of this ancient form of spirituality. Included in this volume are both Jung's sole work devoted entirely to Gnosticism, "Gnostic Symbols of the Self," and his own Gnostic myth, "Seven Sermons to the Dead." The book also contains key essays by two of the best-known writers on Jungian psychology and Gnosticism: Father Victor White and Gilles Quispel, whose "C. G. Jung und die Gnosis" is here translated for the first time. In his extensive introduction Segal discusses Jung's fascination with Gnosticism, the parallel for Jung between ancient Gnostics and modern Jungian patients, the Jungian meaning of Gnostic myths and of the Seven Sermons, Jung's possible misinterpretation of Gnosticism, and the common characterization of Jung himself as a contemporary Gnostic.

The Theosophical Society (est. 1875 in New York by H. P. Blavatsky, H. S. Olcott and others) is increasingly becoming recognized for its influential role in shaping the alternative new religious and cultural landscape of the late nineteenth and the twentieth century, especially as an early promoter of interest in Indian and Tibetan religions and philosophies. Despite this increasing awareness, many of the central questions relating to the early Theosophical Society and the East remain largely unexplored. This book is the first scholarly anthology dedicated to this topic. It offers many new details about the study of Theosophy in the history of modern religions and Western esotericism. The essays in Imagining the East explore how Theosophists during the formative period understood the East and those of its people with whom they came into contact. The authors examine the relationship of the theosophical approach with orientalism and aspects of the history of ideas, politics, and culture at large and discuss how these esoteric or theosophical representations mirrored conditions and values current in nineteenth-century mainstream intellectual culture. The essays also look at how the early Theosophical Society's imagining of the East differed from mainstream 'orientalism' and how the Theosophical Society's mission in India was distinct from that of British colonialism and Christian missionaries.

Widely used as an introduction to theosophy, this book features short essays and roundtable talks with varying age-groups. Here in refreshingly simple language is a re-presentation of primeval spiritual ideas distilled from the treasury of ancient tradition, the god-wisdom or theosophia inspiring every great religion. Rather than providing ready-made answers to the problems of life, "Expanding Horizons" presents practical insights on those basic questions which go to the root of the human predicament.

A biography of Henry Steel Olcott, cofounder of the Theosophical Society in 1875 and a central figure in the Buddhist revival in India and Ceylon.

From ancient times, people had knowledge of the zodiac's intimate involvement in the creation of physical life. They understood that the twelve realms of constellations of fixed stars in the sky emanated specific forces that were brought to life and movement by the planets. These spiritual energies created and formed all living beings on earth - including, of course, the human being. This traditional awareness has been reenlivened and given new meaning in our time through Rudolf Steiner's anthroposophy. Steiner gave specific indications involving twelve individual gestures and colours that depict the forces of the twelve zodiacal regions. In this richly-illustrated collation of original artistic research - which features exciting new work on the zodiac via the mediums of sculpture, graphics and painting - these new insights are explored and illumined in twenty-seven essays and numerous full-colour images. Led by editor Gertraud Goodwin, the various contributing artists offer a rich tableau of authentic, individual approaches to understanding the zodiac, throwing light on the vast realm of creative forces around us whilst acknowledging their primary source. 'From the many relationships to other qualities, like the consonants, virtues, areas of the human body, colours, eurythmy gestures, elements (earth, water, air, fire), musical keys and many more, in which the zodiacal forces express themselves as if through different instruments, a harmony begins to emerge, which informs me of an ever rounder picture of one particular force of the Zodiac.' - Gertraud Goodwin

The definitive edition of HPB's writings in 15 volumes. Volume 8 is from 1887, and includes articles such as: The Esoteric Character of the Gospels; The Origin of Evil; The Esotericism of the Christian Dogma (the spirited debate of H. P. B. with the Abbe Roca); The Signs of the Times.

In this title, time-honoured rules of ethical and spiritual conduct are presented along with warnings against pitfalls of psychic development. There is no shortcut to wisdom, no instant enlightenment, for inner unfolding cannot be induced artificially. While the path toward conscious union with our inner divinity demands the utmost devotion, fidelity, and perseverance, it is also 'bright with joy, and lighted with the fires of the spirit'. This book reproduces the first two sections of "Fountain-Source of Occultism", so that the seeker may have readily to hand an inspired vision of the path before him.

Selected lectures and writings on the return of this solar being to the direction of earthly evolution.

With love, humour and brilliant insight, Ben-Aharon addresses some of the most critical questions of our age, ranging from artificial intelligence and global politics to education and postmodern philosophy. Although tackling diverse subject-matter, this accessible anthology - delivered initially as lectures in locations as contrasting as New York, Oslo and Munich - features a coherent inner rhythm. With his lively and intense presentation, the speaker invites us to share and participate in the creative process and the dynamic activity of incarnating new ideas - indeed, to awaken to the very Spirit of our Time. Ben-Aharon discusses his investigations into the Spiritual Event of the 21st Century; the working of spiritual beings in America, Central Europe, Scandinavia and Israel; the renewal of education; the creative transformation of antisocial forces; Israel's diverse culture in the midst of the clash of civilizations; the new Christ Event and how it can break through our habitual patterns and our hardened thinking, feeling and will; and the mission of the anthroposophical movement in our time. Informed throughout by decades of spiritual research and intimate experience, this volume contains mature and illuminating explorations into contemporary culture, history and spiritual science.

" In February 1904] Dr. Steiner began his lecture tours. Meanwhile, his book Theosophy was published, and I threw myself into it with the greatest enthusiasm, wrestling with it for months with every page, every sentence, and many words. When I had the foundation for a judgment, which I had somewhat carelessly expressed after my visit to Berlin, I would follow this man blindfolded. For now I had learned to follow with open eyes." -Carl Unger In part one, Carl Unger outlines and unlocks one of Rudolf Steiner's most essential works, Theosophy: An Introduction to the Spiritual Processes in Human Life and in the Cosmos (CW 9). As a close personal student of Rudolf Steiner and a member of his esoteric school, Carl Unger gained deep understanding of Steiner's most profound works, especially Theosophy. For those who want to "crack" this book and are willing to work, Carl Unger's commentary will prove enlightening and help the reader penetrate beyond an intellectual understanding of Steiner's seminal work. In part two, the author guides the reader through the essential principles that underlay anthroposophic Spiritual Science. In his foreword to its earlier publication, Alan Howard wrote, "This little volume, though not the only work from Unger's hand, is the essence of what he did in this field. It is not everybody's book, nor, even for those who decide to take it up, an easy book. Each sentence builds closely on all that precede it; each is essential to all that follow. For those students, however, who seek a secure foundation in pure thought for the suprasensory realities of which Steiner speaks, and are willing to give it the study it deserves, this book will be a continuing reward and delight."

An Outline of Esoteric Science is Rudolf Steiner's most complete and methodical presentation of the results of his own spiritual research. Written in 1909, when he was forty-eight years old, it represents his mature thinking, yet also has the careful structure and development characteristic of the work of young authors. The title points out that the subject of the book is just those realities and beings which are, at least initially, hidden from most of us. But at the same time, it makes explicit that this is not collection of "tales of the supernatural," but a clear, conceptual, thoroughly scientific account of these matters. The book is terse, concise, and demands the reader's utmost attention, as well as the energy to visualize inwardly the pictures presented. It is not a book to be skimmed. Nor is it to be sampled here and there-though one man who tried to do so hit a passage that changed his life. - Clopper Almon, from the introduction With the commentary in the Study Companion keyed by paragraph number to the text of An Outline of Esoteric Science, Clopper Almon takes the reader step-by-step through one of Rudolf Steiner's most difficult texts. Each chapter is considered for themes, or brief summaries of the main points, review questions, discussion questions, and Almon's own observations of the text. This study companion will be a great help to readers of every level, vastly enriching their reading of one of Steiner's most important written works.

'If the intentions of the Christmas Conference are to be carried out, the Anthroposophical Society will in future have to fulfil, as far as possible, the esoteric aspirations of its members. With this end in view, the School, consisting of three Classes, will be established within the General Society.' - Rudolf Steiner, January 1924 A year after the burning of the first Goetheanum building in Dornach, Switzerland, Rudolf Steiner refounded the Anthroposophical Society during the Christmas Conference of 1923/24. At the heart of the Society he created 'the School of Spiritual Science', which has the specific task of presenting 'the esoteric aspect', and leading its members to knowledge and experience of the spirit. The School was to have 'Sections' to represent various fields of human endeavour, such as Medicine and Education, and three 'Classes', with the First Class to be established immediately by Rudolf Steiner. This short book is a collection of articles (from the Society Newsletter) and lectures by Rudolf Steiner from 1924, introducing and explaining the purpose of the School of Spiritual Science to members of the Anthroposophical Society. It forms a companion volume to The Foundation Stone / The Life, Nature and Cultivation of Anthroposophy.

`I send you fondest thoughts on your birthday. On this day I will think a lot of all the beautiful things which were, and are contained in our work together, and which now always stand so beautifully before my inner eye when I describe them. Let me assure you that I write this description with love.' - Rudolf Steiner to Marie Steiner, 13 March 1925 Containing all the correspondence between Rudolf and Marie Steiner to be found in their respective estates, this volume provides unique insight into the couple's pivotal relationship. The years 1901-25 were a time of struggle, as Rudolf Steiner - faithfully supported by the young Marie von Sivers (later to become Marie Steiner in 1914) - endeavoured to build a completely new spiritual movement on earth. Their letters cover everything from the esoteric view of evolution and human advancement to dealing with organizational details, challenging personalities and, of course, their own relationship. In addition to the correspondence, a number of documents have been inserted chronologically throughout the text. The famous `notes' written by Rudolf Steiner for Edouard Schure, for example, provide a unique introduction to the volume, giving profound insights into the development of the anthroposophical movement. Also included are the many versions of Rudolf Steiner's will. Comprehensive notes are provided, as well as an index of persons and an itinerary giving dates of relevant lectures and eurythmy performances.

"We must become selfless-that is the task of culture today for the future. Human beings must become more and more selfless. Therein lies the future of right moral life actions, the future of all acts of love that can occur through earthly humanity." -Rudolf Steiner (Approaching the Mystery of Golgotha) In a lecture eight weeks before the outbreak of World War I, Rudolf Steiner, conscious of developments to come, coined the phrase "culture of selflessness" to describe the culture that would develop in the future. The far-reaching social implications of his primarily Christological lectures on the Fifth Gospel, given in 1913/14 under the same political circumstances, were foreign to many of Steiner's contemporary audiences, who largely failed to understand his dramatic accounts drawn from the Fifth Gospel (or that gospel itself) as a "source of comfort" for the future, or (as Rudolf Steiner said of them) as "needed" for future work. The subsequent catastrophes of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, however, have sensitized us to Steiner's central themes and contents of 1913/14. He spoke of spiritual development and self-preservation in the face of great suffering; of truly participating in the misfortunes of others; and of acquiring "true selflessness" that takes the human "I" fully into account. During the 1930s, during the National Socialist reign of violence, a few of Rudolf Steiner's pupils took this path of moral resistance and all-embracing therapeutic action. One example is described in the second chapter of this volume. Many other destinies are less well-known; by now, they can no longer be saved completely from oblivion. They include the great life work of Maria Krehbiel-Darmstadter, an anthroposophist of Jewish origin who was murdered in Auschwitz in January 1943. However, both now and in the future, in a world that must find humane ways to endure continued calamities of tremendous magnitude, the task Rudolf Steiner described remains relevant in all cultures and all parts of the globe. "A single great community covers the earth. Its name is suffering and strength."

"Neurospeak" can change the body, the consciousness, and the very essence of the being. Leading pioneer of consciousness research Robert Masters provides a revolutionary technique -- or body game -- that addresses the nervous system through the written word to elicit changes in muscles, body organs, and conceivably the mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of life. He has designed the material so that, simply in the act of reading it, the reader may become more aware and alive.

"After Rudolf Steiner had left us in the body, the gifts of the spirit that were offered by him in such overflowing measure could not continue. It must now happen that a community of human beings takes over the results of his spiritual research, takes them in such a way that they remain alive in the community. People must come together in anthroposophic work, united in such a way that Anthroposophy comes into its own." -Carl Unger (lecture in Stuttgart, Oct. 29, 1928) This volume provides perhaps the most comprehensive and profound exegesis of Rudolf Steiner's Anthroposophy, especially his book titled Anthroposophical Leading Thoughts. That book provides Steiner's final and most complete explanation of his Spiritual Science through brief, aphoristic thoughts, or meditations, on the profound esoteric meaning of the modern spiritual path he called Anthroposophy. In The Language of the Consciousness Soul, Carl Unger unfolds and expands Rudolf Steiner's "leading thoughts" to help the reader comprehend the deeper meaning behind the words. Carl Unger lets us see how Rudolf Steiner created a mandala-like image of Anthroposophy, revealing an ever-expanding cosmology and epistemology that goes far beyond mere philosophy or a belief system to a practical path of spiritual investigation and knowledge for modern humankind. Rudolf Steiner had this to say about Carl Unger: Dr. Carl Unger, for many years past, has always been the most industrious and devoted collaborator in the anthroposophic movement.... At an early date, Dr. Unger saw that Anthroposophy, before all, needs a strong foundation of the theory of knowledge. With a deep understanding he took up what I myself, many years ago, was able to give in my books Goethe's Theory of Knowledge, Truth and Knowledge, and Intuitive Thinking as a Spiritual Path: A Philosophy of Freedom, he developed independently what I had intimated. Supported by mental discernment, his goal was to see through the nature of the human process of knowledge in a clear analysis, and from that to form its true picture. Unger is not dialectical but an observer of empirical facts. This is why, through the years, he has been able to give results of the highest value, showing how the process of knowledge in ordinary consciousness produces, always and everywhere, out of itself, the impulses to anthroposophic investigation. Moreover, Unger's method of thinking, trained through technical problems, is free from subjective vagueness, and thus his scientific collaboration in Anthroposophy is the most important that we can have. The Language of the Consciousness Soul is an indispensable guidebook for group study and for individuals who wish to penetrate the depths of Anthroposophy and apply its principles both inwardly and to outer daily life. This volume is a translation by Effie Grace Wilson of Aus der Sprache der Bewusstseinsseele: Unter Zugrundelegung der Leitsatze Rudolf Steiners.

Long gone are the days of drinking naturally pure water from flowing rivers and streams. It is already common today for people to use bottled water or home water filtration systems for their drinking water. How have we come to such a predicament, and what can be done about it? Continuing pollution, ever-increasing population and industrial demands, destruction of the rainforests, and overpumping of the ground water are all responsible for the deterioration of water quality. But the underlying reason, as William E. Marks shows in this wide-ranging, thoughtful book, is a lack of understanding of and respect for the nature of water itself.

Marks covers such diverse topics as water's role in the origin of the universe and of life, cosmic rain and water in interstellar space, water in the myths of various peoples and religious traditions, the power of water in the many forms it takes in the natural world, vortex energy and living water, water and the human body, water healing, and a history of water pollution. He offers hope for the future by discussing the work of such visionaries as Theodor Schwenk and Viktor Schauberger. Marks shows us that finally water can only be understood when it is seen as the mediator not only between life and death but also between the physical world and the spiritual world.

Ernst Katz was one of the foremost teachers of Anthroposophy in America during the second half of the twentieth century. He was professor of physics at the University of Michigan and, quite likely, the only professor in the country who taught courses in both natural science and "spiritual" science at the university level. He also led anthroposophic study groups, which attracted people from all around southern Michigan and, ultimately, enriched the spiritual lives of people from coast to coast. In the early 1960s, Dr. Katz began writing his "teaching essays," his response to the many questions through the years intended to help students comprehend the profound wisdom contained in the major works of Anthroposophy. Dr. Katz's strength was his ability to explain complex esoteric ideas in terms of clear analogies, taking examples from everyday life. He became a master at writing explanatory guides for some of the most important spiritual-scientific concepts. Core Anthroposophy makes available Dr. Katz's carefully constructed teaching essays. It offers present and future students of Anthroposophy with a valuable and accessible resource for better understanding the esoteric teachings of Rudolf Steiner.

In these four lectures Rudolf Steiner addresses the evolutionary task facing contemporary humanity, particularly with regard to issues of race and racial conflict. He describes the origins of racial diversity among human beings and vividly describes the dangers of the ever-widening chasm separating different peoples. To avert this threat of the fragmentation of our species, we must strive for an awareness of ourselves and others as spiritual beings with unique and individual karma. In the past, human souls felt a strong connection, even union, with the "group soul" - the race or nation - to which they belonged. Today, all such group soul characteristics must be stripped off. Therefore, as Steiner writes, "it is necessary that the anthroposophical movement, in preparing for the sixth epoch, should shed the character of race and seek to unite people of all 'races' and nations.'" That such an inward, spiritual uniting of all human beings in their common humanity can now come about is the fruit of the cosmic sacrifice of the Mystery of Golgotha - which made possible a universal human community of I-beings. From this point of view, as Steiner makes clear in the last lecture, Christ's deed was for the renewal of the common spiritual humanity of all peoples and races, divided in the course of human evolution by the work of Lucifer and Ahriman.