Ilanot
In my life I have gone through phases in my understanding of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. In the beginning I accepted what I read and did not care to understand the provenance of the diagram or the various names and attributes associated with it. When I did begin to…
The SOHO Cabalists
In many esoteric traditions it is important to know one’s “lineage”, and with that, the source of one’s teachings. Great care may be taken to preserve the accuracy of “transmissions” and “empowerments”. I am thinking here specifically of various lineages in Tibetan Buddhism, but in general there is an interest…
Don Karr Update
A quick note to say that Don Karr has kindly provided updates to his bibliographies, at http://www.digital-brilliance.com/contributed/Karr/Biblios/index.phpHekhalot Rabbatai, at http://www.digital-brilliance.com/contributed/Karr/HekRab/index.phpKnots & Spirals – Pico della Mirandola at http://www.digital-brilliance.com/contributed/Karr/KS/index.php I would also like to add that Don’s Notes on the Zohar in English is the most frequently searched item on this…
Early Tree of Life
I was in Ferrara in July of this year. It is a delightful city and a world heritage site. It once possessed a large Jewish community, and it has a modern Jewish museum with some splendid items on display One item was an annotated Tree of Life drawn on vellum…
Literary Diversions
So what have I been up to? For reasons I won’t go into I have become quite absurdly involved with John Milton’s Paradise Lost. This was partly because of a nudge from the Greater Unknown, partly because of the rolling thunder of Milton’s verses, and partly because it is a…
Tempus Fugit
Something like nine months has passed since my last update and I had an enquiry wondering if all was well with me. The answer is yes, things are mostly well.I am fast approaching 69 years old and each summer is more precious than the previous summer. Last winter seemed endless…
C. S. Lewis: The Planets
A few posts back I briefly reviewed The Discarded Image by C.S. Lewis. As a world-class scholar of medieval literature he was not only informed about the medieval worldview, he was intensely moved by it. This is a feeling I share. As a lifelong student of Kabbalah and the Hermetic…
A History of the Tarot
In November of 2018 I gave a talk at the Bristol Theosophical Society on the History of the Tarot. I thought I could use the content to make a video, so here it is. I apologise for deficiencies in production – I will attempt to do better next time.
Dion Fortune / V.M.Steele
Over the years I have given the literary output of Dion Fortune a goodly share of my time. I have read about three-quarters of her occult non-fiction and all of her occult fiction. In most cases I have read a book (e.g. The Mystical Qabalah, Psychic Self-Defense, The Sea Priestess,…
HGA
I have found my Holy Guardian Angel to be sly and subtle. As I cannot be instructed in what I do not comprehend, I must be led to comprehension via an accretion of vocabulary, new concepts and unfamiliar imagery. I must become a fit receptacle, and so I must be…