manly hall the secret teachings of all ages

The book, I'm discovering, is really more of a reference work than a book to pick up and read from start to finish, though finish it I happily will.The lengthy introduction provides abstracts of just about every philosophic movement in history, and serves as an excellent refresher course for students of philosophy. I'm still slowly reading through The Secret Teachings of All Ages, about halfway through this gargantuan compendium of all things arcane in the disciplines of religious mythology and mystical religions, with their always intriguing ancient rites, symbols, and of course, 'secret teachings'. Hence, he who seeks to unveil the secret doctrine of antiquity must search for that doctrine not upon the open pages of books which might fall into the hands of the unworthy but in the place where it was originally concealed. In a single figure a symbol may both reveal and conceal, for to the wise the subject of the symbol is obvious, while to the ignorant the figure remains inscrutable. Rejecting man-conceived dialects as inadequate and unworthy to perpetuate divine ideas, the Mysteries thus chose symbolism as a far more ingenious and ideal method of preserving their transcendental knowledge. By symbols men have ever sought to communicate to each other those thoughts which transcend the limitations of language. Every form existing in the diversified sphere of being is symbolic of the divine activity by which it is produced. Augustus Knapp illuminate this vast and indispensable encyclopedia of the occult.Symbolism is the language of the Mysteries in fact it is the language not only of mysticism and philosophy but of all Nature, for every law and power active in universal procedure is manifested to the limited sense perceptions of man through the medium of symbol. Sixteen pages of color plates and 100 black-and-white images by the celebrated illustrator J. Fascinating surveys cover topics as diverse as Kabbalah, alchemy, cryptology, and Tarot, along with Masonry, gemology, and the identity of William Shakespeare. Hall examines the secrets of Isis along with arcane aspects of mystic Christianity and other religions. Compelling themes range from the riddle of the Sphinx and the tenets of Pythagorean astronomy to the symbolism of the pentagram, the significance of the Ark of the Covenant, and the design of the American flag.Īcclaimed by Publishers Weekly as 'a classic reference, dizzying in its breadth,' this remarkable resource was compiled by the founder of the Philosophical Research Society. Unrivaled in its beauty and completeness, it distills ancient and modern teachings of nearly 600 experts. This key to the world's esoteric traditions unlocks some of the most fascinating and closely held secrets of myth, religion, and philosophy.

Manly hall the secret teachings of all ages