Now available in beautiful and affordable hardcover and paperback editions: The Secret Teachings of All Ages by Manly P. Hall
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- This publication features the complete original text, accompanied by 10 stunning illustrations, hand-drawn by J. Augustus Knapp for the 1928 edition (greyscale).
- For a deluxe and authentic reading experience, kindly scroll down to “From the Publisher”. Here you can choose the sharply priced and richly illustrated original 1928 facsimile edition, featuring over 250 high-resolution illustrations, of which more than 40 are plates hand-painted by J. Augustus Knapp. An absolute must-have for scholars of the arcane. Or, if unavailable in your region, you will find other essential Manly P. Hall titles conveniently bundled in our Deluxe Collection Series.
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Editor’s Note
We deeply value the feedback from our readers and are committed to enhancing your reading experience. In response to concerns about the small 7/8-point text and excessive white space in the 1928 original and later editions, this book enhances readability, while maintaining affordability. Perfect for study and reference, this edition invites you to delve into its profound content. Discover additional features in our other editions below.
About the book
Widely regarded as one of the most comprehensive introductions to Western esotericism ever written, The Secret Teachings of All Ages continues to be a primary reference for scholars, seekers, and students of the occult, philosophy, comparative religion, and the history of ideas.
First published in 1928 when Hall was only 27 years old, this monumental work serves as an encyclopedic survey of ancient philosophy, mysticism, and occult symbolism. It explores the secret doctrines and initiatory teachings preserved by mystery schools, secret societies, and esoteric traditions across cultures and centuries.
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21 reviews for The Secret Teachings of All Ages: An Encyclopedic Outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic and Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy
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E Hunt –
Informational
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Excellent read
PDub –
My book was shipped with minimal packaging and it arrived damaged, and I never did hear back from the seller -just so you know.
As for the book:
Manly P Hall has played a BIG role in my journey; after listening to many of his lectures I started acquiring his books and I’ve come to regard him as a properly motivated voice of reason. At the age of 46, I feel legit in saying that Manly P is “a teacher FOR all ages”.
Surely you found your way here and are reading these words for a reason; not that I’m qualified to give advice to your personal journey, but I invite you to take-in the words and works of Manly P as a man with a comprehensive understanding who speaks on behalf of truly honorable human potential. He uses big words and employs complicated concepts, but you should know that he’s calling-out the best part of you while also morally-encouraging the stubborn parts of you (just in case the best parts don’t wanna play), so keep your wise ears on and stay humble as you can.
Do you remember the part in the Lord of the Rings when the world’s most beautiful elf is speaking with two voices? She speaks to their ears AND to their minds at the same time? YEAH YEAH YEAH …the cool thing about empathy is it puts you in the seat of the person speaking; even if the person speaking is ignorant of what it means to be an insightful human being, empathy still sees only insightful things.
It stands to reason that the only way to KNOW that they know not what they do is by knowing better, and understanding is Mankind’s superior state-of-mind, which is how I figured out that the dark side of empathy is a sympathetic sponge for suffering, sorta like a brain-numbing soap opera that they can’t stop watching, so BE understanding and help them make a friend of Irony.
Intuition and creativity are the same muscle, so “Philosphy” can be fairly described as “human insight expressed creatively”, but the wisdom we’ve inherited from the past can easily disagree with our modern sympathies, so it’s important to hear with an empathetic ear in order to glean where we’ve already been as a thinking species …after all, even the literalists once agreed that human evolution is a process of improvement.
Anyway, there are lots and lots of options out there -books and lectures and gurus and sages- in my search for stuff that tickles my intuition I’ve learned that I can always come back to Manly P and peel yet another layer from the onion of his life work and find relevance, affirmation, and humbling insight …I’m dazed anew by the tricky wisdom he hides in plain sight that I see only as my attention-span matures. HUMBLING!
There’s a reason religion exists, and philosophy, and there’s even a reason why integrity has always been a symbol of masculinity. Wisdom knows and history shows that the part we feed is the part that grows.
It’s easy like pie to believe we’re more advanced than our ancestors, but for perspective, personal accountability is the moral glue that holds any social structure together, and accountability isn’t exactly trendy among the masses these days, in fact, it’s tough to imagine an age more ignorant of integrity than we are today, and a society that makes a profitable virtue of its own self-destructive trends is the empirical opposite of advanced.
Behold the orgy of the vanities wherein weeps the stone with no philosopher.
We live in a thriving economic social system so this may sound contrary, but for the sake of our collective state-of-mind it seems like wise advice not to capitalize on the ignorance of your own kind, because profiting from the weakness of Mankind is the very definition of prostitution.
To “adulterate” is “to render something cheaper in quality” and nowadays we’re also raised to believe that men aren’t nearly as insightful, but what does your intuition have to say about that adulteration?
The opposite of adultery is integrity, and the more I learn about history the adulteration of knowledge becomes more obvious to me and it’s the things created with integrity that stand the test of time. Religion and Philosophy and Men of Integrity ARE the pillars of profundity, and I hope like crazy to become an example of a Man who whispers solid secrets to your empathy.
Women have always ruled this earth, and little boys have always aspired to grow-up to be exactly what women find attractive, so when I brag about Men of Integrity it’s just as much a compliment about Mothers, as well as an appeal to your nurturing responsibilities. I know, I know, women today have been liberated from the need to take that kind of responsibility, and just sorta let society have the raising of our kids, which is exactly why I’d like to tempt you with a bite out of apathy.
Give a girl a compliment and she’ll glow for a day; teach her chastity and her light inside will shine for a lifetime.
Vanity is the mother of base consciousness; integrity is a seed that only grows in chastity, which is another word for “inward receptivity” and that applies to all of us equally. Integrity in the individual, integrity in the family, integrity in the collective society, ALL depends on chastity. Modern femininity IS public property and vanity is the adulteration of integrity, thus the state of masculinity is weak and easily seduced.
“Mother” is the nurturing role that belongs to the whole of natural human maturity, it is NOT the liberated fairytale of our economic socisal system’s dual-income ambitions. There’s an eternal UNIVERSE of wisdom found in chastity that we can’t see in the world outside anymore, but chastity IS the foundation of integrity and there is a legitimate reason why wisdom has always been a symbol of feminity.
Water follows the path of least resistance, which is a hint about the way that children learn; individually and collectively the shallow river that we follow will eventually flood into the sea, and only the integrity of our creativity can rescue our soul from sinking. Vanity is outward dependency, chastity is inner security, peace-of-mind is the connection between insight and integrity, and ONLY things created with integrity can stand the test of time.
When I think about the wisdom of the past it’s clear to me that mother’s were once busy nurturing integrity in their children, so it seems to me that we’re witnessing the unnatural state of human nature when mother’s make a martyr of their mystics.
Human evolution is an expression of Creation; creative expression is the intuitive revelation.
It was those who were most confident in the law and content with regurgitation who crucified the Savior of Creation.
Who would you say is most confident in the law these days? …you’ve been given great power, Ladies, use it wisely please!
*** Lend me your empathy as I wax metaphoric ^^^
Milk for babes; meat for Men …digest slowly please!
The woman of chastity and the man of integrity together create the Whole Human Being.
We are a reflection of the Tree of True Living, with a mind deeply rooted in wisdom and a heart full of fire and an innocent receptivity reborn each new spring.
Every Soul has a Tree and every weed has its flower …Integrity is hard for a reason; Narcissus only thrive for a season.
Digesting SLOWLY???
Nature has the power to create and the power to consume, for She is life. ONLY Integrity can stand the test of time, for He is the meaning of life.
It’s the easiest thing on earth to get lost in modern living and to lose our Self in someone else’s vain ambitions, so if you need a handy map just remember that any sincere search for meaning will very quickly offend the confidence of every modern woman, and the men who love them.
Vanity is immature sexuality, and right now it’s loud and proud and out there everywhere. Sex is the most sacred of things and when sacred things are everybody’s business, NOTHING is sacred …the trusty ole machine of ignorance KNOWS this, along with the FACT that anyone trained to evade responsibility will never be Man enough to pick-up their cross and bear the weight of ALL of human nature.
It’s not cool to be SEEN as a Woman of Chastity, straight-up dangerous to be SEEN as a Man of Integrity, worst of all to be SEEN as a Whole Human Being because in a time where nothing is sacred ANY sign of the sacred will be SEEN as a pesky insect.
Anything ugly that vanity sees is quickly hidden by a mask of fake make-up, then men are blamed and made to bear the shame of oppressing femininity, all the while children as intition’s witness are busy absorbing experience in a world where “equality” means “liberated sexuality”, and the deception’s so nearly complete that the vain can be raised and go to their grave while staking an invalid claim on integrity.
Despite what you’ve been conditioned to believe masculinity WAS NOT created to submit to vanity, but if you ask me and Herod the King, the martyr and the mystic ARE the same thing, except the newly reborn is still not strong enough to compete with the world of glorified immaturity; the Lord of Flies will blind you to corruption while His adulterous wife seduces your appetites …and the more you grow to know your True Self the more you’ll be known to them, for they ARE the ugly part of you.
^^^ SLOWLY ???
Whether you are conscious of it or not, as a thinking species we share a natural inward connection and every word we speak is a seed that penetrates deeply …as for me, I was created downwind of all the sweet smelling flowers for a reason, so if it feels like I’m hitting on you, Gentlemen, it’s only the natural intimacy of empathy, creepy and untrendy, I know, but you see, I’m not here to seduce your weakness, I’m here to nurture your strength, and the substance of the thing I hope for is your conscious reciprocation.
Human sexuality is 33.3% physical and 66.6% psychological, and most folks today comprise a legion of horny damned beasts breeding like plastic machines and consuming everything while drawing their confidence from the well of social conformity where they’re absolved of responsibility and trained to think literally so they can’t use their natural faculties to see that they’re living on the dark side of Irony, but if you ask me and Medusa of the Greek, IT IS NOT WISE TO STAND IN THE WAY OF LIFE WHILE SHE IS CONSUMING …better to make a friend of Irony and hone your empathy as you gently remember that we only need a mirror to see God in the Godless.
The woman of Babylon is so much more than a social-validation whore, Arjuna; she is the left hand of receptivity, where she carries the secret map that reveals the movements of your enemy. The wise serpent glorifies weakness the right way.
I remember learning how to lie as a little kid; all I had to do was learn the limits of my mom’s attention-span, which I learned from the horny string of father-figures mom paraded through our childhood.
To the child trained to play on the freeway the only sign that matters is “play”, so if it seems like I’m blaming the fall of Mankind on women, 66.6% of YOU should see my metaphoric finger pointed equally at ME.
Discipline, Responsibility, Honesty, Integrity …it brings-out the best in a man to respect a woman’s chastity, and it KEEPS the best in a woman to have her chastity respected. Chastity is the sacred art of keeping sacred things from becoming public property, and ironically, the more energy we spend making sacred things sacred the more conscious we become of sacred things. THIS is integrity …you’ll feel a little lonely, but to BE understanding is to be alone, and only the odd chromosome can lead the stray sheep back home.
As anyone who comprehended metaphorical Yoda will tell you: TRUTH is an ugly creature speaking a lonely language in a stinky swamp on a scary planet in a galaxy far far away from the realm of what’s trendy. THIS is why sheep need a good Shepherd.
Know thy self, and to thy KNOWN self be true …it’s not ME I hope you SEE, but the power found in human sexuality when it’s not wasted in vain. The Good Book tells us that “the head of every woman is her man”, but this isn’t just an instruction, it’s a creative hint about the way that Creation works. If you ask me and Papagano the weak, Wisdom is a woman because women have the power to possess your soul, but if she can’t unite with the light inside you she can only divide you, and to deprive Mankind of its Integrity is a vain ambition.
Love and Lust are NOT the same thing, so be brave, Sir Perceval, and follow the signs and find Wisdom alone; defend Her honor with a mystic’s weapon and let a martyr’s empty bed be your prize, and before the end you shall KNOW why Irony fills the cup equally for friend or foe.
The woman of Babylon can only serve one master and every man’s lust is her husband. Lust is the blind father of base-consciousness and WE ALL pay a price for his appetites, so make no mistake, it was Lust who ushered in the decadent stage of Capitalism, now our ignorance is by far the most lucrative commodity.
Indeed, the weak will always need someone strong to depend on, the strong will always be tempted to profit from this need and to call their lust and greed an honest living, the wise eat the fruit of The Tree that will always be a mystery to those who don’t make a friend of Irony.
We are the victims ONLY of our own lack of accountability, so if it seems like I’m blaming everything on society you should only take me 33.3% literally, but if you see me trying to draw a responsible picture of modern ignorance from my own experience your empathy pretty well nailed it.
Hail, Shepherd of Men and Architect of Truth, give me words of power that I may tell the truth of my own becoming, and may a double portion of the Spirit be upon those with ears that hear
The Truth will taste unique on your tongue and we NEED your creative contribution
Emotion tamed is intuition
The intellect humbled is reason
Reason and intuition together are wisdom
I have found no wisdom more profound than innocence reborn and nurtured to maturity
Maturing consciously includes a steady pull away from degeneration, and every cell in my body is vitalized by regeneration, and this same Truth is sealed Hermetically for me in every ancient phallic symbol.
The Good teacher will always stay a day ahead of the student, which is exactly the tool the Good student needs to outgrow all of life’s teachers, but if seven days pass with no improvement the student becomes a bad teacher …a Shrew that is vain can only be tamed by tragedy; the spankings she NEEDS turns every Good teacher into her damned villain.
Making connections is the job of our EMPATHY (33.3+66.6) breaking connections and undermining Integrity and consuming everything is the job of ENTROPY, and the weakest link in the chain is our VANIITY.
With the attention-span of a scavenger, Vanity is ALWAYS hungry for the shallow surface of things because the substance passes through her like junk-food.
*** DIgest S L O W L Y please ^^^
Entropy has always tried to dictate the conversation, and all she wants to talk about is lower expectation, but if you ask me and the Riddle of the Sphinx, the Whole Human Being is limited only by the company He KEEPS.
Inwardly and outwardly I am my sister’s keeper, so love her with the firm rod of conscious Turth that rises up within you and DON’T YOU DARE set-up camp in her constant worldly drama, lest we all cast our pearls into the dying fire of the consumed.
The trusty ole machine of ignorance is working overtime to possess the souls of those with a double-dose of receptivity; it’s not a conspiracy but a test of my natural capacity to recognize the signs and take responsibility, and if you ask me and the Lamp of Diogenes, of all the forms of ignorance Vanity is the easiest to see in the shallow river of social conformity, and once you rescue your receptivity and train it to discriminate against Immature Sexuality the rest will come to test the Integrity of your creativity in the ancient sea of modern-day initiation.
LOVE and COMPASSION mean something much deeper than Vanity’s shallow adulterations would have you believe, and EMPATHY is not some squishy feel-good thing …harsh discernment is the newborn student of Good Judgment.
I don’t want you to agree with me, but please don’t use your creativity in defense against the things that offend your modern sympathies, because empathetically speaking, if you keep an animal on a leash the constant tug back down into animal behavior is justly deserved.
*^ S L O W digestion stretches the attention-span ^*
“Chastity” is another word for “Faith in Masculinity”, and ironically, there’s nothing more beautiful than a Man’s Integrity.
The True nature of relationship is a harmony of submission and authority; glory be to the united state of understanding, for divided we fall.
The opposite of Creation is consumption and the opposite of Creativity is conformity, UNLESS conforming means that we’re living in the image of a Great Creator.
Religion and Philosophy, parables and metaphor, music notes and paint strokes, ALL step surreptitiously on one another’s toes for a very important reason; the Universal Principles that apply to all of us equally can only be expressed creatively which REQUIRES the empathy of the Whole Human Being in order to see the past and future simultaneously …when you grasp the Truth of this it’ll feel like giving an understanding hug to everyone you’ve ever been.
Did you know that there once was a time in our legitimate lineage when empathy and metaphor-comprehension were general conditions of our social character, and there’s a legitimate reason that time is known as the Enlightened Era?
The pillars of profundity are self-evident to our conscious ideals, and when mother’s so love their children as to make of wisdom a breed-worthy virtue we will once again live in the light.
Unite, don’t divide
Richen, don’t cheapen
Ennoble, don’t enable the delinquency of your own species (duh)
Personal accountability is a victory of the soul; try as I might I can’t hold anyone else to a higher standard …besides, I’m a loudmouth hypocrite who had a long adulterous affair with the modern plastic world, and who I used to be is still busy trying to seduce the Man I hope to become, so my longwinded philosophy, creative as it may be, is only a seeker’s sloppy echo of where we’ve already been as a thinking species.
Any creative endeavor that isn’t setting the future free is only sucking the vitality from a dying century, and THAT is a vain ambition, which to me feels exactly like Dante’s “Limbo”.
Always the muse, never the artist.
The opposite of vanity is humility, and the keenness of my humility determines the exact degree of my self-awareness, which I wear vainly on my sleeve and call it “philosophy”, and the part of me that knows better KNOWS that I can’t solve the problem from the level of the problem because there I am a part of the problem.
Just like you I’m on a journey, and my Words are a breadcrumb evidence of the path that I took. I bare my soul and humble myself at the feet of all the wise things you can teach me, and I confess that I NEED a solid friend to look up to; someone who believes in me because they embody the integrity I’m reaching for.
Show me the Mason who shapes the stone into perfection that I may suffer the sharp shards of His intolerance.
***
WHEW!!
I said in the beginning that I’m not qualified to give you advice and here I am at the end preaching to the chior, thanks for indulging me. In context, aside from trying to take your empathy for a ride I guess the underlying point of all my preaching was to prove that WE ARE WHAT WE CONSUME, but don’t take my word for it, read the book, then ask your untrendy empathy.
With that said, it’s no trendy set of circumstances in this day in age that lead a body to the likes of Manly P, so I don’t suspect it’s a stretch when I make the most admirable of assumptions about your motives and say …it’s an honor to be counted among you.
-Best a luck out there!
G. suresh kumar –
Must read magnum opus for seekers
Richard Hertz (You can call me Dick) –
The BEST Hidden knowledge!!!
David –
Very informative for Masonic Lectures and Education
Paolo Mondragon –
Wow. The world will look a little different after reading thats for sure. I’m almost done reading it, I’ve opted for the cover to cover approach. It’s perfect for reading a section or two at a time as it’s more of an encyclopedia. The coloured pages in the middle are a very nice touch and there’s a lot of interesting stuff in it.
Edel Kearney –
Excellent, bcp d information, fascinant.
Amber Larson –
I found this book fascinating. Great read! If you like different ideologies and beliefs, this is a good book to buy!
J. Hauck (Guerrilla Reader) –
Review of: “The Secret Teachings of All Ages: An Encyclopedic Outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic and Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy,” Paperback – March 21, 2011, by Manly P. Hall (Author).
This is an excellent text which provides an overview of esoteric research authored by the eminent Manly P. Hall. Background: “Manly P. Hall (1901-1990) founded the Philosophical Research Society in 1934, a non-profit organization dedicated to the dissemination of useful knowledge in the fields of philosophy, comparative religion and psychology. In his long career, spanning more than 70 years of dynamic public activity, Mr. Hall delivered over 8000 lectures in the United States and abroad, authored over 150 books and essays, and wrote countless magazine articles.”
This text investigates and provides an scholarly article on each of the following subjects as descending order chapters: “The Ancient Mysteries and Secret Societies Which Have Influenced Modern Masonic Symbolism,” page 1. “The Ancient Mysteries and Secret Societies, Part Two,” page 7. “The Ancient Mysteries and Secret Societies, Part Three,” page 11. “Atlantis and the Gods of Antiquity,” page 16. “The Life and Teachings of Thoth Hermes Trismegistus,” page 22. “The Initiation of the Pyramid,” page 28. “Isis, the Virgin of the World,” page 34. “The Sun, A Universal Deity,” page 39. “The Zodiac and Its Signs,” page 45. “Wonders of Antiquity,” page 51. “The Life and Philosophy of Pythagoras,” page 57. “Pythagorean Mathematics,” page 63. “The Human Body in Symbolism,” page 70. “The Hiramic Legend,” page 75. “The Pythagorean Theory of Music and Color,” page 81. “Fishes, Insects, Animals, Reptiles and Birds (Part One),” page 86. “Fishes, Insects, Animals, Reptiles and Birds (Part Two),” page 92. “Flowers, Plants, Fruits, and Trees,” page 97. “Stones, Metals, and Gems,” page 102. “Ceremonial Magic and Sorcery,” page 108. “The Elements and Their Inhabitants,” page 113. “Hermetic Pharmacology, Chemistry, and Therapeutics,” page 119. “The Qabbalah, the Secret Doctrine of Israel,” page 124. “Qabbalistic Keys to the Creation of Man,” page 130. “An Analysis of Tarot Cards,” page 135. “The Tabernacle in the Wilderness,” page 142. “Rosicrucian Doctrines and Tenets,” page 148. “Alchemy and Its Exponents,” page 153. “The Chemical Marriage,” page 158. “The Cryptogram as a factor in Symbolic Philosophy,” page 164. “Freemasonic Symbolism,” page 169. “Mystic Christianity,” page 175. “The Cross and the Crucifixion,” page 180. “The Mystery of the Apocalypse,” page 186. “The Faith of Islam,” page 191. “American Indian Symbolism,” page 196. “Conclusion,” page 201.
Each of the preceding articles are well written and not too comprehensive as to be unintelligible to the curious reader. The articles as published in this work are written in smallish font (10?) and are packed into 205 pages. What is missing in this text from the original publication of 1928 are the numerous plates. The original text was repleat with art and photographs to assist the reader in comprehending what Mr. Hall was explaining. This is still an excellent resource and reference and I will not remove a star for the lack of art or photo plates. Well done at five stars.
lito –
a fantastic book
franco –
Da leggere tutto e tenere in considerazione.
Tania Cummings –
The first book arrived with the spine broken. Dragonfly, the shipper, just plonked it from a height onto my concrete deck. It takes little effort to bend and place carefully or take one further step and place it gently on the deck table, but no they are lazy and in a hurry. Dragonfly always drop parcels this way, I am surprised the mugs weren’t shattered that came in the same parcel. I have returned the book for a replacement and informed the publisher Dover Books that the binding is not strong enough for such a large book. The replacement came in a padded bag, again dropped on the floor. The replacement looks OK but I don’t know if it has been weakened and will return it. I have found a hardback copy at an affordable price at Booktopia and ordered that instead. Great that this classic reference book is available at last in softback at a good price but as it’s a reference book you return to again and again, it’s not a one time read, binding needs to be much stronger. Just an alert to treat it gently if you do buy one, but I’m going for the hardback, much more durable.
Autumn –
The first and best book to read on your journey of learning about the occult, religions, magick, and how the universe works
Edy Grant –
A very deep study
Jambon –
Great edition for the price ! better than I expected the print seems excellent, images are clear. Still not through all of it but yet i have nothing negative to say. This is a book that anyone who studies or ressearch the occult MUST have in their librairies !! Manly P. Hall was a master of his work and is still one of the greatest of all time in the domain. Dont pass it by !
CJ –
Great book I must say
Der Graf –
Superb book for those interested in frimge philosophical concepts, and absolutely worth reading. Ig is not a text one flashes through, and at the end exclaims: “Whew, GRAND thing…But what the blazes was it all about?”. The text demands thinking and cerebral rumination – the award is substantial and surely expanding one’s horizons well beyond effusive exilaration with slobbering novellas on “human condition”. Thus, if you are willing to work, the book is worth reading. But…it has one near criminal fault: the size of its font. Its suze iscthat of a manual accompanying an electronic device manufactured in China. It’s TINY. SUPER TINY. Thus, if you are willing to readcut usung a very powerful magnifying glass, by all means – get it. Otherwise struggle with the struggle with the results of near criminal stupidity ov publishers who made a very noble text somost utterly useless.
J. Hauck (Guerrilla Reader) –
Review of: “The Secret Teachings of All Ages: An Encyclopedic Outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic and Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy,” Paperback – March 21, 2011, by Manly P. Hall (Author).
This is an excellent text which provides an overview of esoteric research authored by the eminent Manly P. Hall. Background: “Manly P. Hall (1901-1990) founded the Philosophical Research Society in 1934, a non-profit organization dedicated to the dissemination of useful knowledge in the fields of philosophy, comparative religion and psychology. In his long career, spanning more than 70 years of dynamic public activity, Mr. Hall delivered over 8000 lectures in the United States and abroad, authored over 150 books and essays, and wrote countless magazine articles.”
This text investigates and provides an scholarly article on each of the following subjects as descending order chapters: “The Ancient Mysteries and Secret Societies Which Have Influenced Modern Masonic Symbolism,” page 1. “The Ancient Mysteries and Secret Societies, Part Two,” page 7. “The Ancient Mysteries and Secret Societies, Part Three,” page 11. “Atlantis and the Gods of Antiquity,” page 16. “The Life and Teachings of Thoth Hermes Trismegistus,” page 22. “The Initiation of the Pyramid,” page 28. “Isis, the Virgin of the World,” page 34. “The Sun, A Universal Deity,” page 39. “The Zodiac and Its Signs,” page 45. “Wonders of Antiquity,” page 51. “The Life and Philosophy of Pythagoras,” page 57. “Pythagorean Mathematics,” page 63. “The Human Body in Symbolism,” page 70. “The Hiramic Legend,” page 75. “The Pythagorean Theory of Music and Color,” page 81. “Fishes, Insects, Animals, Reptiles and Birds (Part One),” page 86. “Fishes, Insects, Animals, Reptiles and Birds (Part Two),” page 92. “Flowers, Plants, Fruits, and Trees,” page 97. “Stones, Metals, and Gems,” page 102. “Ceremonial Magic and Sorcery,” page 108. “The Elements and Their Inhabitants,” page 113. “Hermetic Pharmacology, Chemistry, and Therapeutics,” page 119. “The Qabbalah, the Secret Doctrine of Israel,” page 124. “Qabbalistic Keys to the Creation of Man,” page 130. “An Analysis of Tarot Cards,” page 135. “The Tabernacle in the Wilderness,” page 142. “Rosicrucian Doctrines and Tenets,” page 148. “Alchemy and Its Exponents,” page 153. “The Chemical Marriage,” page 158. “The Cryptogram as a factor in Symbolic Philosophy,” page 164. “Freemasonic Symbolism,” page 169. “Mystic Christianity,” page 175. “The Cross and the Crucifixion,” page 180. “The Mystery of the Apocalypse,” page 186. “The Faith of Islam,” page 191. “American Indian Symbolism,” page 196. “Conclusion,” page 201.
Each of the preceding articles are well written and not too comprehensive as to be unintelligible to the curious reader. The articles as published in this work are written in smallish font (10?) and are packed into 205 pages. What is missing in this text from the original publication of 1928 are the numerous plates. The original text was repleat with art and photographs to assist the reader in comprehending what Mr. Hall was explaining. This is still an excellent resource and reference and I will not remove a star for the lack of art or photo plates. Well done at five stars.
Destiny Rose –
Good read arrived on time and new
Gerald Seals –
This was a great read!! The in depth exploration of spiritual philosophies,from culture to culture as expressed historically, and geographically gave me the understanding that through out time and across the globe the common threads of spiritual thought and often expression persists in human consciousness,sometimes, seemingly, with little or no physical contact. Which leads me to believe that there is an innate understanding that true seekers into the nature of human existence eventually arrive at. How the tennants,and parables, of all major religions find their roots in the “Pagan” spiritual disciplines demonstrates human connectivity on a level that seems incomprehensible.The universal “Flood” story is just one example. The secret societies formed the spiritually intellectual brotherhoods to propel humanity on an upward trajectory by recruiting bright,intelligent,worthy youth capable of absorbing, continuing, and advancing the traditions, concepts, and philosophies. I imagine this might have been tremendously difficult due to the fact that living, and surviving in the earliest part of mans history depended on spending an inordinate amount of time hunting for food, drinkable water, building and maintaining adequate shelter, and fending off enemies. Literacy levels were extremely low. Who had the time to really consider the mysteries of life when you were consumed with just trying to live.What I discovered that was really exciting for me was the fact that man, in and of himself, is truly incomprehensible.
Capable of incredibly expansive concepts, and more importantly accomplishments. As someone who thinks of myself as a struggling seeker this book is inspirational. I’m more than certain that organizations like the Free Masons, and perhaps others that have remained unknown continue these traditions which with the current state of the world leaves me hopeful that we can eventually move beyond the fragmented circumstances that plague humanity and strive for a more worthy unity of man. I highly recommend this book.