Masterfully weaves together Christian mysticism, Hermetic philosophy, and esoteric Wisdom traditions to illuminate the path of spiritual development.
"To specialize oneself in order to gain temporary advantages or to be moved only by the hunger and thirst for truth beauty and goodness—here is the choice that every human being, every community, every tradition or spiritual school, must make." Valentin Tomberg The...
Blessed are the poor. Surrender is a creative act and is an act of your inner strength. Cynthia Bourgeault The Paradox of Active and Passive "The will is an active force; it is not naturally an organ of perception. In order for it to be able to perceive it should...
“The joy of good conscience is the accord between the moral rhythms of the lower self and the higher Self.” Meditations on the Tarot The Nature of Conscience "The word conscience ("con-science") contains the idea of balance, for it implies 'simultaneous knowing', i.e....
On chastity and being emotionally present: “The purifying of the emotional center corresponds directly with a monastic vow of chastity.” Cynthia Bourgeault Defining True Chastity "The vow of chastity means putting into practice the resolution to live according to...
“Blissfulness is the state of the human being where spirit, soul and body are united in a comprehensive rhythm.” "What is joy? What is it in its deeper sense? "Seen in the light of the Arcanum 'The World'—the Arcanum of rhythmic movement or dance—joy is the harmony of...
Exploring one of Plato’s four cardinal virtues: Wisdom, Courage, Temperance (sobriety or hygiene), and Justice. [The image: The higher vessel exchanging with the lower, or perhaps the reverse—an unbroken circuit of transformation. Gurdjieff might call it a depiction...
“It's very, very good to be a hanged man vis-a-vis a spiritual discernment, because the head is going to be the last to catch on.” Cynthia Bourgeault The Nature of Spiritual Discernment "An exploration of Plato's Four Cardinal Virtues: wisdom (prudence, discernment),...
"The states or stages of the soul corresponding to concentration, meditation and contemplation are those of purification, illumination and union." Meditations on the Tarot The Nature of Contemplation "What is the gnostic sense? It is the contemplative sense....
The Angel and the Lion constitute the other pair of opposites on the cross of man’s instinctivity. The Angel’s moral conscience unites with the Lion’s moral courage. The Nature of Courage "Exploring Plato's four cardinal virtues: wisdom, courage, temperance and...
“These laws of the Work cannot remain forms of blind external obedience but become things that you acknowledge and understand and eventually will for yourself.” Maurice Nicoll The True Nature of Obedience "Obedience means ob-audere, listen to the depths, or listen...
“It’s not the nature of the Divine providence to lay on us more than we're really willing to bear. You won't be able to hear what you're not yet able to live.” Cynthia Bourgeault The Nature of Revelation "No real truth in the world has ever been revealed apart from...
The idea of justice on this Earth is illusion. All of sleeping humanity belongs to a tiny planet which is a kind of lunatic asylum. There is no justice, no spiritual justice. The Classical Understanding of Justice "Plato's four cardinal virtues: wisdom, courage,...