Citizendia
Your Ad Here

This article is about esotericism in Western society. For esotericism as an academic discipline, see Western Esotericism (academia).

Western esotericism (also Western mysticism, Western occult tradition, and Western mystery tradition) is a broad spectrum of spiritual traditions found in Western society, or refers to the collection of the mystical, esoteric knowledge of the Western world. Spirituality, in a narrow sense concerns itself with matters of the Spirit, a concept closely tied to religious belief and Faith, a transcendent reality Mysticism (from the Greek grc μυστικός mystikos, an initiate of a Mystery religion) is the pursuit of communion with identity The term Western world, the West or the Occident ( Latin: occidens -sunset -west as distinct from the Orient) can have multiple meanings This includes, but is not limited to, alchemy, theosophy, herbalism, occult tarot, astrology, Rosicrucianism and Western forms of ritual magic. Alchemy a part of the Occult Tradition is both a philosophy and a practice with an ultimately unknown aim involving the improvement of the alchemist as well as the making of This article is about the philosophy introduced by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky Herbalism is a traditional Medicinal or Folk medicine practice based on the use of Plants and Plant extracts Herbalism is also known as The tarot (also known as tarocchi, tarock or similar names is typically a set of seventy-eight cards comprised of twenty-one trump cards, one Astrology (from Greek grc ἄστρον astron, "constellation star" and grc -λογία -logia) is a group of Systems The term Rosicrucian (symbol the Rose Cross) describes a secret society of mystics allegedly formed in late mediaeval Germany, holding a doctrine "built on Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a Conceptual system that asserts human ability to control the natural world (including events objects people and The tradition has no one source or unifying text, nor does it hold any specific dogma, instead placing emphasis on "inner knowledge" or Gnosis. Gnosis (from one of the Greek words for Knowledge, γνώσις is the spiritual knowledge of a Saint or mystically enlightened human being It had a profound influence on Europe and North America, including the development of industrial and scientific knowledge. Various groups including Hermetic organizations, neopagans and Thelema persist in practicing modern variants of traditional Western esoteric philosophies. Hermeticism is a set of philosophical and religious beliefs based primarily upon the writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, who is put forth as a Neopaganism or Neo-Paganism is an Umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements particularly those influenced by historical Thelema is a philosophy of life based on the rule or law "Do what thou wilt

Contents

History

While there is no evidence to show a direct ancient lineage of the Western mystery tradition, its followers have placed its roots in the religions of Ancient Egypt, Armenia, Chaldea, Classical Greece, and Israel. Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now Armenia (Հայաստան transliterated: Hayastan,) officially the Republic of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն Hayastani Chaldea (from Greek grc Χαλδαία Chaldaia; Akkadian akk māt Kaldu Hebrew כשדים Kaśdim, "the Chaldees" of the In the context of the art architecture and culture of Ancient Greece, the classical period corresponds to most of the 5th and 4th centuries For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The Catholic Encyclopedia sums up its origins thus:

Its beginnings have long been a matter of controversy and are still largely a subject of research. The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia The more these origins are studied, the farther they seem to recede in the past. (The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IV: Esotericism and Gnosticism)

To make an accurate assumption of the tradition's origin and (therefore age) it would be necessary to study the origin of the various systems which have come to make up the tradition. Of these systems the Egyptian and Hellenic Mystery religion, the Armenian (known as: Intentional Architecture), the Hebrew Kabbalah, Gnosticism and Hermeticism are generally considered the oldest, though at no stage prior to the 1880s were these doctrines ever synthesized into one whole. Mystery Religions, Sacred Mysteries or simply Mysteries, were "religious cults of the Graeco-Roman Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. Gnosticism (γνώσις gnōsis, Knowledge) refers to a diverse Syncretistic Religious movement consisting of various Belief systems Hermeticism is a set of philosophical and religious beliefs based primarily upon the writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, who is put forth as a Due to their relative geographic restrictions they were regarded very much as separate disciplines. It appears that for the most part the specific teachings were preserved via oral tradition (though not in all cases, the Nag Hammadi Library for example) passed from teacher to initiate. Nag Hammadi library (popularly known as The Gnostic Gospels) is a collection of early Christian Gnostic texts discovered near the However, even in the ancient climates in which they flourished, the Esoteric Philosophies were still highly elusive. Manly P Hall writes:

In all cities of the ancient world were temples for public worship and offering. Manly Palmer Hall ( March 18, 1901 - August 29, 1990) was a Canadian -born Author and mystic. In every community also were philosophers and mystics, deeply versed in Nature's lore. These individuals were usually banded together, forming seclusive philosophic and religious schools. The more important of these groups were known as the Mysteries. Many of the great minds of antiquity were initiated into these secret fraternities by strange and mysterious rites, some of which were extremely cruel. Alexander Wilder defines the Mysteries as "Sacred dramas performed at stated periods. The most celebrated were those of Isis, Sabazius, Cybele, and Eleusis. " After being admitted, the initiates were instructed in the secret wisdom which had been preserved for ages. Plato, an initiate of one of these sacred orders, was severely criticized because in his writings he revealed to the public many of the secret philosophic principles of the Mysteries. Every pagan nation had (and has) not only its state religion, but another into which the philosophic elect alone have gained entrance. (The Secret Teachings of all ages, p. 21)

After the fall of Rome, alchemy and philosophy and other aspects of the tradition were largely preserved in the Arab and Near Eastern world and introduced into Western Europe by Jews and by the cultural contact between Christians and Muslims that occurred due to the Crusades and the Reconquista. Alchemy a part of the Occult Tradition is both a philosophy and a practice with an ultimately unknown aim involving the improvement of the alchemist as well as the making of Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents The Reconquista (a Spanish and Portuguese word for "Reconquest" Arabic: الاسترداد, "Recapturing" was a period The 12th century saw the development of the Kabbalah in medieval Spain. Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. After the disorders of the passage of the Vandals and Alans down the Mediterranean coast of Hispania from 408, the history of Medieval Spain The medieval period also saw the publication of grimoires which offered often elaborate formulas for theurgy and thaumaturgy. A grimoire (grɪˈmwɑr is a textbook of magic. Books of this genre typically giving instructions for invoking Angels or Demons performing Theurgy (from Greek θεουργία) describes the practice of Rituals sometimes seen as magical in nature performed with the intention of Thaumaturgy (from the Greek words θαῦμα thaûma, stem thaumat-, meaning "miracle" or "marvel" and ἔργον érgon Many of the grimoires seem to have kabbalistic influence. Figures in alchemy from this period seem to also have authored or used grimoires.

The Renaissance saw a revival of classical learning, and not surprisingly a revival of ancient and medieval occult practices. The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere The Kabbalah exploded in popularity and influence among Jews. Many Christians began to study the Kabbalah and Christian Cabala ensued. The Renaissance saw the birth of Christian Kabbalah (also Christian Cabbala Christian Cabala There was also renewed interest in magic (theurgy and thaumaturgy), alchemy, and Hermeticism. Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a Conceptual system that asserts human ability to control the natural world (including events objects people and The period saw the first emergence of the Rosicrucian Brotherhood. The term Rosicrucian (symbol the Rose Cross) describes a secret society of mystics allegedly formed in late mediaeval Germany, holding a doctrine "built on It also saw the mass persecution of suspected witches. Witchcraft, in various historical anthropological religious and mythological contexts is the use of certain kinds of Supernatural or magical powers

The Enlightenment saw another occult revival, perhaps spurred by growing rejection of mainstream religion and increased democracy and freedom of conscience. The Age of Enlightenment or The Enlightenment is a term used to describe a phase in Western philosophy and cultural life centered upon the eighteenth century The period saw the rise of occult fraternities, most notably Speculative Freemasonry and a revived Rosicrucian Brotherhood. The term Rosicrucian (symbol the Rose Cross) describes a secret society of mystics allegedly formed in late mediaeval Germany, holding a doctrine "built on Academic interest in ancient mystery cults such as those of Mithras and Dionysus began to develop. The Mithraic Mysteries or Mysteries of Mithras (also Mithraism) was a Roman mystery religion which became popular among the military in the late In Classical mythology, Dionysus or Dionysos (in Greek, Διόνυσος or Διώνυσος; associated with Roman Emanuel Swedenborg pulled Christianity in a more mystical or occult direction, and Franz Mesmer provided a quasi-scientific method of thaumaturgy. (born Emanuel Swedberg; February 8 1688–March 29 1772 was a Swedish Scientist, Philosopher, Christian mystic, and Theologian Franz Anton Mesmer (born Friedrich Anton Mesmer; May 23, 1734 &ndash March 5, 1815) was a German physician and astrologist who While both these men had profound contributions to the western mystery tradition, it appears neither was versed in it. The Count of St Germain also taught during this period, whose life and legends influenced Theosophy. The Count of St Germain ( fl 1710–1784 has been variously described as a Courtier, Adventurer, Charlatan, Inventor, This article is about the philosophy introduced by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky Martinism also arose as an esoteric doctrine. Martinism is a form of mystical or Esoteric Christianity, which envisions the figure of Christ as "The Repairer" who enables individuals So as well with various Rosicrucian orders. The term Rosicrucian (symbol the Rose Cross) describes a secret society of mystics allegedly formed in late mediaeval Germany, holding a doctrine "built on

The late 19th century saw a radical split in the western mystery tradition. HP Blavatsky was the main instrument of this, by reinventing the tradition in a system called Theosophy. Elena Petrovna Gan (Елена Петровна Ган also Hélène, Yekaterinoslav, Ukraine, Russian Empire — May 8 1891 London) better This article is about the philosophy introduced by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky Theosophy largely ignored the medieval traditions, such as alchemy, thaumaturgy and kabbalah, instead focusing on more ancient mystery teachings and incorporating eastern systems of yoga. The extant tradition prospered alongside Theosophy, especially under the influence of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and such teachers as Eliphas Levi, Papus, Macgregor Mathers, and Aleister Crowley. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (or more commonly the Golden Dawn) was a magical order of the late 19th and early 20th centuries practicing a form of Eliphas Lévi, born Alphonse Louis Constant, ( February 8, 1810 - May 31, 1875) was a French Occult author Gerard Encausse ( July 13, 1865 - 25 October 1916 whose esoteric pseudonym was Papus, was the Spanish -born French Samuel Liddell (or Liddel) "MacGregor" Mathers, born as Samuel Liddell (January 8 or 11 1854 &ndash November 5 or 20 1918 was one of the Aleister Crowley, born Edward Alexander Crowley (ˈkroʊli (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947 was a British Occultist Writer, mountaineer This tradition began to see itself as a complete alternative to Christianity, and, not surprisingly, began to emphasize theurgy. This occult revival lasted through World War II. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Aspects of it were further revived in the 1960s. The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 Theosophy is still available through the Theosophical Society, and western theurgy strongly influenced the development of neo-paganism. The Theosophical Society was the organization formed to advance the spiritual principles and search for Truth known as Theosophy. Neopaganism or Neo-Paganism is an Umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements particularly those influenced by historical

The Second World War

Emergent occultic and esoteric systems found increasing popularity in the early 20th century, especially in Western Europe. Occult lodges and secret societies flowered among European intellectuals of this era who had largely abandoned traditional forms of Christianity. The spreading of secret teachings and magic practices found enthusiastic adherents in the chaos of Germany during the interwar years. Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a Conceptual system that asserts human ability to control the natural world (including events objects people and

Many influential and wealthy Germans were drawn to secret societies such as the Ordo Templi Orientis and the Thule Society. Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO ( Order of the Temple of the East, or the Order of Oriental Templars) is an international fraternal and Religious The Thule Society (Thule-Gesellschaft originally the Studiengruppe für germanisches Altertum 'Study Group for Germanic Antiquity' was a German Occultist Leading figures of these groups included Dietrich Eckart, Karl Haushofer, Karl Maria Wiligut and his protege Heinrich Himmler, all of whom figured prominently in the nascent Nazi Party. Dietrich Eckart ( 23 March 1868 - 26 December 1923) was a German politician one of the important early members of the National Socialist Karl Ernst Haushofer ( August 27, 1869 &ndash March 10, 1946) was a German geopolitician and General. Karl Maria Wiligut (alias Weisthor, Jarl Widar, Lobesam and Karl Maria Weisthor) ( December 10, 1866 - January 3 Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945 was a Nazi German politician and head of the Schutzstaffel (SS. Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German In Himmler's case, his personal occult fascination became a national civil religion when he promoted his racial occultism and symbology using the full authority of the Nazi state, even if Hitler was more than a little suspicious of devotion to anything beyond the Nazi Regime. This article describes speculative theories about Nazism Semi-religious developments within post-1945 Nazism are discussed under the term Neo-völkisch movements. Eventually, Hitler's paranoia and fear of competing institutions, coupled with Himmler's opportunism led to the Gestapo suppressing Himmler's fellow occultists who were not directly sanctioned by the state. During the Second World War, occult luminaries in Britain, most notably Aleister Crowley and the Duke of Hamilton functioned as informal intermediaries between the warring governments of Britain and Hitler's Germany. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Aleister Crowley, born Edward Alexander Crowley (ˈkroʊli (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947 was a British Occultist Writer, mountaineer The Dukedom of Hamilton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland created in 1643 the holder is the premier peer of Scotland. Deputy Führer Rudolf Hess eventually made his famous escape to Scotland in 1941, hoping to strike a peace bargain with Britain using the help of the Duke of Hamilton, an old occult lodge associate.

The Collapse of the Soviet Union

Little information is known about the status of the Western mystery tradition in the officially Atheist Soviet Union and its "satellites" during the ruling of the Communist Party. Atheism The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 A Political party described as a communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of Communism through a communist form of It is believed by some that the Soviets had a scientific interest in subjects traditionally studied by the Western mystery tradition, such as telepathy and astrology. Telepathy ( Greek τηλε tele meaning "distant" and πάθεια patheia meaning "to be affected by" describes the purported transfer Astrology (from Greek grc ἄστρον astron, "constellation star" and grc -λογία -logia) is a group of Systems

A number of people associated with mysticism chose to leave the countries where Communism was installed. Mysticism (from the Greek grc μυστικός mystikos, an initiate of a Mystery religion) is the pursuit of communion with identity Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based For example, G.I. Gurdjieff, an influential individual from Armenia, fled to France after the Bolsheviks overtook the ruling of Russia. George Ivanovich Gurdjieff (Գեորգի Գյուրջիև Γιώργος Γεωργιάδης Георгий Иванович Гюрджиев (or Gurdjiev) January Armenia (Հայաստան transliterated: Hayastan,) officially the Republic of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն Hayastani This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists ( Большевик Большевист (singular, derived from bolshe, "more" were a faction Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The Universal White Brotherhood of Bulgaria, founded by Peter Deunov and extended by Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov, also chose to continue its activities in France and other Western countries after the Second world war and the introduction of Communism into Bulgaria. The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Peter Konstantinov Deunov ( Bulgarian Петър Константинов Дънов, pronounced kɔnstantinɔv dɤnɔv was a spiritual master and founder of Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov (1900 Serbtzi, Bulgaria - 1986 Fréjus, France) was a Bulgarian Philosopher, Pedagogue, This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian These two examples, although not directly associated with the core of the Western mystery tradition, demonstrate a pattern which supports the claim that the Soviet-controlled states were negative not only to mainstream religion but also to mysticism and occultism. A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos Mysticism (from the Greek grc μυστικός mystikos, an initiate of a Mystery religion) is the pursuit of communion with identity The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus (clandestine hidden secret referring to "knowledge of the hidden"

It is known that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, several mystical societies, such as the Rosicrucians, gained profound revival in Eastern Europe and Russia which resulted in the foundation of many new jurisdictions and lodges. The Soviet Union 's collapse into independent nations began early in 1985 The term Rosicrucian (symbol the Rose Cross) describes a secret society of mystics allegedly formed in late mediaeval Germany, holding a doctrine "built on Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending

Today

Today, the Tradition is experiencing a revival in North America and Europe, while many Western mystical organizations have presence throughout the world. Today the tradition is undergoing an import of Eastern ideas, coming mainly from Taoism, Tantra, Buddhism, Hinduism and Yoga, which began mainly by the Theosophical Society in the 19th century, and now is also continued by many people with syncretic or eclectic backgrounds. Taoism (pronounced /ˈdaʊɪzəm/ or /ˈtaʊɪzəm/ also spelled '''Daoism''') refers to a variety of related Philosophical and Religious traditions Tantra ( Sanskrit: तन्त्र; " Weave " denoting continuity) tantricism or tantrism is any of several esoteric Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Yoga ( Sanskrit: योग, IAST: yóga, joːgə refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India, to the The Theosophical Society was the organization formed to advance the spiritual principles and search for Truth known as Theosophy. Syncretism consists of the attempt to reconcile disparate or contradictory beliefs often while melding practices of various schools of thought Eclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single Paradigm or set of assumptions but instead draws upon multiple theories styles or ideas to

Philosophy

Today, the Western mystery tradition is a mixture of ancient philosophy, paganistic and Christian thought, medieval ideas, and imports from Asia and modern science. Science (from the Latin scientia, meaning " Knowledge " or "knowing" is the effort to discover, and increase human understanding The tradition focuses on individual spiritual progress through initiation, either personal or into a brotherhood, on personal or group rituals, study of philosophy and "cosmic" laws and their practical application, and encompasses alchemy, meditation, divination, and ritual magic. Initiation is a Rite of passage Ceremony marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society A ritual is a set of actions often thought to have Symbolic value the performance of which is usually prescribed by a Religion or by the Traditions Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language Alchemy a part of the Occult Tradition is both a philosophy and a practice with an ultimately unknown aim involving the improvement of the alchemist as well as the making of Meditation is a mental discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the conditioned "thinking" mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness Divination (from Latin divinare "to be inspired by a god" related to Divine, Diva and Deus) is the attempt of ascertaining Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a Conceptual system that asserts human ability to control the natural world (including events objects people and

Initiation

The concept of Initiation plays a very important role in the Western mystical tradition, and most people who are related with this tradition are initiated in one or more mystical organisations. Initiation is a Rite of passage Ceremony marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society

Initiatoric societies existed in Ancient Greece and Ancient Egypt. The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now They were working as schools or colleges for the spreading of their secret teachings to worthly individuals. The teachings were not accessible to the general public, a tendency symbolised by the Greek phrase "Ουδείς αγεωμέτρητος εισείτω" (which may be translated as "no person without knowledge of Geometry should get in") found in Plato's Academy. Geometry ( Greek γεωμετρία; geo = earth metria = measure is a part of Mathematics concerned with questions of size shape and relative position Biography Early life Birth and family Plato was born in Athens Greece An academy ( Greek Ἀκαδημία is an institution of higher learning research or honorary membership

The tradition of initiation and secrecy is well-preserved today, although it is criticised by many people, mainly those related to the New Age phenomenon, where many participants have adopted the view that access to knowledge should be as open as possible. New Age ( New Age Movement and New Age Spirituality) is a Social Collective Phenomenon and a Spiritual Nature Knowledge is defined ( Oxford English Dictionary) variously as (i expertise and skills acquired by a person through experience or education the theoretical or practical understanding However, many New Age schools and doctrines still require a process of initiation and the private tutelage of a guru (as with many forms of yoga) or other enlightened master (e. A guru (गुरु গুরু is a person who is regarded as having great knowledge wisdom and authority in a certain area and uses it to guide others Yoga ( Sanskrit: योग, IAST: yóga, joːgə refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India, to the g. , Zen Buddhism) in order for the passing of wisdom or knowledge to occur. Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism, referred to in Chinese as Chan.

Variation

Beginning in the early to mid-Nineteenth Century, and with the incorporation of Eastern mystical concepts into the existing traditions, the Western Mystery Tradition experienced a major divergence between the esoteric Hermetic rites of the Masonic and Rosicrucian traditions, and the Theosophical schools (with the major divergence occurring during the life of Madame Blavatsky). The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar Hermeticism is a set of philosophical and religious beliefs based primarily upon the writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, who is put forth as a The term Rosicrucian (symbol the Rose Cross) describes a secret society of mystics allegedly formed in late mediaeval Germany, holding a doctrine "built on This article is about the philosophy introduced by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky Elena Petrovna Gan (Елена Петровна Ган also Hélène, Yekaterinoslav, Ukraine, Russian Empire — May 8 1891 London) better Some people considered Theosophy to be grouped under the general rubric of New Age Spirituality although others don’t agree, since they consider the New Age as an over-simplification of several theosophical concepts and having self-centered aims. This article is about the philosophy introduced by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky New Age ( New Age Movement and New Age Spirituality) is a Social Collective Phenomenon and a Spiritual Nature The New Age schools preached an openness not seen in the esoteric Hermetic fraternal organizations, which continue to rely heavily on initiatory rites for the dissemination of spiritual information. However, although New Age spirituality is more open in its presentation, it continues to rely more or less on a syncretic and esoteric methodology in the formulation of its methods and in the transmission of its wisdom/enlightenment. Syncretism consists of the attempt to reconcile disparate or contradictory beliefs often while melding practices of various schools of thought Wisdom is a concept of personal gaining of Knowledge, Understanding, Experience, discretion and intuitive understanding, along with a capacity

Ethics and Morality

With the enormous variation of beliefs and methods among the proliferating spiritual and esoteric groups have come concerns from some regarding the moral quality or ethical content of certain doctrines. Morality (from the Latin la moralitas "manner character proper behavior" has three principal meanings Ethics is a major branch of Philosophy, encompassing right conduct and good life As a consequence, there has been an effort by some to attempt a supposed objective dichotomy between the ethical philosophies of spiritual or religious groups by categorizing them under the Left-Hand Path and Right-Hand Path modality. The terms Left-Hand Path and Right-Hand Path refer to a Dichotomy between two opposing Belief systems whose meanings have varied In particular, the distinction that is drawn is between one set of groups (those on the "Right-Hand Path") who are said to focus on the elevation of the spiritual over the carnal, faith-based worship of something greater than themselves, and the observance of strict moral codes, all of which are supposed by their adherents to bring humans closer to the Divine or a moral good, as opposed to the other set of groups (those on the "Left-Hand Path") who focus on the advancement and preservation of the self, glorification of the earthly, and the development of personal power. This usage of terms, however, is invoked almost exclusively by proponents of groups who consider themselves "on the Left-Hand Path"; opponents of this terminology (groups that are almost always described by those who subscribe to this distinction as being on the "Right-Hand Path") argue either that this distinction is invalid because it results from a mislabeled or false dichotomy, or that much of what is called "left-handed" is simply not "legitimate. "

See also

References

External links

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic