Esoterica
Esoterica
Fraternally Yours
*Under Construction*
Articles/Links NOT finished
This page - and links etc - may be of interest to those who belong to various organisations, Freemasonry, The SRIA and the Golden Dawn most especially being dealt with to begin with. If you do not have an interest in any of these, you may choose to go back now. This page will have little or nothing to offer you. This page - and any subsequent ones which spring up later on, will be updated as often as I have time to and as often as the situation and circumstances permit.
Freemasonry - A possible door.
Freemasonry is dealt with here only fairly briefly; there are some links which will allow the casual visitor to explore further, including newsgroup listing etc - links are always at the end of the section. Contrary to popular belief, freemasonry is neither a religion, nor a substitute for it - however a belief in some form of Supreme Being is a prerequisite for Masonic membership. Freemasonry is also a requirement for entry into the SRIA - Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia - and for some people, this is the only reason that they choose to join freemasonry - although many then go on to enjoy and actively partake in various Masonic duties at their "mother lodge". Freemasonry is also a possible but not essential doorway into other organisations, like for example, the Golden Dawn, discussed later.
While most of these other organisations are entirely separate from freemasonry per se, the kind of person who would actively partake in Masonic duties is also the kind of person who would typically stand to learn much from the other societies and hopefully do something constructive and altruistic from the knowledge thus learnt.
Freemasonry is slightly more than a "gentlemens" club - it generates vast amounts of money for charities the world over for a start. The silly comments that are thrown in about secrecy are grossly over hyped. The only "secrets" are passwords and signs by which one freemason may know another, nothing sinister and nothing you wouldn't be quite happy your mother finding out. Rather like the PIN number of your bank account, it is personal, secret and special - it is also entirely innocent and frankly not terribly exciting in its own right. Freemasonry can be explored more fully with the help of the links that should be arriving at the bottom of the page quite soon.
SRIA
Wouldst thou read riddles and their explanation ?
Or else be drowned in thy contemplation ?
Dost thou love picking meat ?
Art thou for something rare and profitable ?
Wouldst thou see a truth within a fable ?
Truth, although in swaddling clothes,
Informs the judgment, rectifies the mind,
Pleases the understanding, makes the will submit ;
The memory, too, it doth fill with what our imagination please ;
Likewise it tends our trouble to appease.
JOHN BUNYAN.
The SRIA - Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia - is now approximately 130 years old (to be strictly accurate, it was 130 years old on the 1st of June 1997). As with so many things these days, there is the original and then there are the "commercial" organisations which trade under the same name. I wish to make it clear from the outset that I am referring to the society which charges nothing other than very modest dues (to cover hire of hall etc) and the circulation of a charity bag at luncheon. The "outfits" which charge hundreds of pounds for "enlightenment" and "cleansing" etc are worthless empty abysses which exist purely for the benefit of the - extremely wealthy - founders; have nothing to do with them, give your money to the poor if you feel altruistic, they, at least, would appreciate the kindness rather than regard you as a mug, ripe for conning. All of the links from this page should take you to reputable organisations, if you find this is not so, PLEASE report it to me soonest so I may check.
The Kybalion - By The Three Initiates
There are those who do not like the Kybalion, this is often because it challenges their preconceptions about many things, not least their understanding of the word "God". If you are prepared to read the book with an open mind and to follow through some of the logic, you will find it largely compatible with most serious occult work, in particularly the Golden Dawn. The Kybalion is a book which among many other things, covers the hermetic secrets in some details and in a method which is not too difficult to follow. The Kybalion is a small book, the sort which you take one look at and vaguely reserve an afternoon to read it. You will be doing remarkably well if you read properly the book from cover to cover inside a week. The Kybalion contains such an enormous wealth of knowledge that you cannot simply "read and digest", the Kybalion is a book that can be read, re-read and re-read again, each time, more understanding is grasped, things become a little clearer and you start to understand some of the implications. The Kybalion is usually available only from dedicated occultist bookshops - who in turn obtain it from Yogi Press in the States.
!!! Update, as a result of several people asking about this, I can now get the book for you if you wish, depending on where you live and which version you want, the cost will be around £15 including P&P. If you don't trust me with you money (cheque please, not cash), then get it from a bookshop - just expect to wait a little while.
The Kybalion gives some explanation about Hermes Trismegistus - or Hermes the Thrice Great. Hermes was regarded as being the fount of knowledge and the most powerful occultist of his - or any other - time. This is a book which I would strongly recommend obtaining. If you are prepared to wait a few weeks, you may even find your local bookstore can obtain it for you from the US, it is not a particularly expensive book and it provides some solid foundations from which you can build or develop your abilities.