Gnostic Philosophy

Esoteric scholar Manly P. Hall discusses the life of Christ, early Christianity, related symbology and the ancient mysteries in general, as well as the Christian Apocrypha, the Holy Grail, the Arthurian legend and other related topics.

Gnosticism is one of the great mysteries in the history of Western religion. At its core is an ancient Greek word, gnosis, a word prominent in the writings of Plato which refers to a deep personal knowledge or understanding that often transcends the physical world. The Gnostics painted a picture of a fallen, broken world in which physicality was a product of a lesser deity. This deity was created in defiance of the One and in order to trap humans and blind them to the truths of their predicament and divine origins.

This is a collection of 10 essays on a variety of occult-themed topics, covering the full spectrum of classic esoteric and related subjects, which include Hermeticism, alchemy, magic, the Kabbalah, ancient wisdom and philosophy, the Tarot, Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry, Theosophy, and spiritualism, by some of the most notable and prominent names in the history of those subjects. This collection was compiled specifically with the student in mind.

According to Vedic philosophy, there are four eras in every world cycle. They represent a gradual decline from enlightenment (Satya Yuga) to chaos and ignorance (Kali Yuga) before it starts again. Each of these eras lasts roughly 2160 years. You're probably familiar with the four ages of Hindu philosophy: Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dwapara Yuga, and Kali Yuga. The golden age is when pure knowledge is widespread, and people live in harmony. The dark age is when everything goes wrong—the World falls into chaos, and humanity descends into ignorance. But what happens next?

So, why a reprint of a book over 135 years old when there are so many reprints and new editions of the text? Excellent question and one I will endeavor to answer here. Since it is our goal to find and reprint spiritual classics on the verge of falling into the vast abyss, we came upon reference to this work while reading Lifting the Veil by Lillian Dewaters and The Sickle by William W. Walter.