History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Kabbalah, Magic & the Great Work of Self Transformation: A Complete Course

Average customer rating:

Good overall book
What's in a Name?
Sometimes you find something you were not looking for
So good, it's evil
The Art of Self-Transformation and Enlightenment in the West

Kabbalah, Magic & the Great Work of Self Transformation: A Complete Course
Lyam Thomas Christopher
Manufacturer: Llewellyn Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0738708933

Book Description

Advancing to higher levels of ritual magic with purpose and power requires an exaltation of consciousness-a spiritual transformation that can serve as an antitode to the seeming banality of modern life.

Based on Kabbalistic techniques, the teachings of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and an Hermetic tradition spanning nearly two thousand years, this innovative new work introduces the history of the Golden Dawn and its mythology, the Tree of Life, Deities, demons, rules for practicing magic, and components of effective ritual.

A comprehensive course of self-initiation using Israel Regardie's seminal Golden Dawn as a key reference point, Kabbalah, Magic and the Great Work of Self-Transformation guides you through the levels of the Golden Dawn system of ritual magic. Each grade in this system corresponds with a sphere in the Kabbalistic Tree of Life and includes daily rituals, required reading, written assignments, projects, and additional exercises.

Knowledgeable and true to tradition, author Lyam Thomas Christopher presents a well-grounded and modern step-by-step program toward spiritual attainment, providing a lucid gateway toward a more awakened state.

Finalist for the Coalition of Visionary Resources Award for Best Magick/Shamanism Book

Customer Reviews:

Good overall book.......2007-01-15

I think this book is pretty good, when I got it I could'nt put it down for some reason. I like how it uses the rituals to slowing bring you into balance with the elements instead of just showing you a quick way to get there. It really takes alot of work for the reader who wants to pursue the goal in the book. I can say though the title can be alittle misleading as I thought at first I was going to be dealing with traditional kabalah, when I saw that it was Based off the Golden Dawn I had my doubts, but I decided to give it a try, ive been practicing it ever since and I quite enjoy it. So if you are looking into a style of magick that is towards the Golden Dawn but without all the unecessary Rif Raf from the traditonal GD, then this is a good book to get. It strips everything down only to the bare necessities. And you stay pretty busy as well.

What's in a Name?.......2007-01-11

The only reason I'm not giving this book 5 stars is because, as the one bad review (to date) states, the title is potentially misleading (but not too much!)

This book gives you a complete Golden Dawn-style magick course (he tells you to buy Regardie's book which will be 'your text book'). There is supplemental reading which is 'Required Reading', not just suggested. I believe that folks who feel over Donald Michael Kraig's 'Modern Magick' and yet find the Cicero's 'Self-Initiation' book a bit cumbersome will really like this book. Be prepared to work!

Very interested in seeing how other occultists rate this one!

Sometimes you find something you were not looking for.......2007-01-09

To me it was quiet a disappointment. I had expected it to be a book about magic and the Kabbalah. That is, about Jewish magical traditions. Instead, it is a very detailed innitiation manual for a specific magical tradition that has nothing to do with Judaism what so ever.
But if what you are looking is a detailed instruction, manual and guide for being initiated into the rose cross style magic, it is a very good book indeed. A pitty thought the name is misleading, because people who would like it won't find it and people who find it, maybe quiet upset about what they receive.

So good, it's evil.......2006-08-05

I had my doubts about the author at first because he's a consultant to my teacher. When she started using his suggestions and prescribing them in my work, I didn't like it. Lyam Thomas Christopher demands a lot out of his students.

But then the changes started happening. This stuff works, and you needn't wonder how. Lyam lays it out for you in the pages...and by the time you're done reading, you have a grand view of the whole spiritual process. And you're faced with the choice of whether or not to go down the road that this book offers. The haunting thing is that this is nothing new to anyone in the west. We've all known all along that the road was there.

Lyam's approach is grand, but it's not in the least bit overwhelming. The book is grand in scope, but thankfully piecemeal and step-by-step.

I thought I knew what magic was. I've read a lot. I know a lot. But in this book the details come together differently. I realize that I've learned almost nothing...yet.

The Art of Self-Transformation and Enlightenment in the West.......2006-08-02

In his very first published book, Lyam Thomas Christopher provides a comprehensive system of self-transformation based on the Golden Dawn system which uses the Kabalistic Tree of Life as a model for spiritual awakening. The book provides a complete study and training course into Western Magic and Mysticism which, if followed properly, can lead to an enlightened state of awareness of ones existence where happiness can be derived not from material gain or social status but from the knowledge and conversation with ones Higher Self.

The very first chapter of this book provides a very good argument for the need for self-transformation and the search for spiritual enlightenment. The author shows that even with our advanced technologies, scientific advancement, longer life-span, and modern comforts there is much more suffering and misery in our world and we are even more confused about our purpose and place within the Universe. The author proposes that the reason for this unhappiness is that we have built our world around the survivalist mentality where men and women buy prosperity. We have shunned away our spiritual birthright where imagination flourishes where we can, as mortal men, can achieve realization of our immortality in exchange for the material comforts of the modern world which are all too often fleeting and temporary.

The author puts a lot of emphasis on the importance of developing a new kind of existence that rises above the survivalist mindset bent on the prestige and comfort of gaining status in our miserable and confused society. The recommended practical work provided in this book allows the student to learn and become consciously aware about the inner workings of the human psyche. This allows the student to develop an intimate relationship with his/her lower and animalistic nature not to destroy or banish it but to make it subject under the authority of the Higher and Immortal self so one can achieve happiness not in the afterlife but in the here and now within ourselves - the true Heaven on Earth.

The book offers a new perspective and approach in spiritual development within the Western Mystery Tradition. The work to be undertaken is divided into various grades or levels identical to the traditional grade system of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn from which a good portion of the teachings and practices are taken from. In each grade the author prescribes specific exercises, rituals, and assignments to be performed for a given period of time which can last anywhere between 6 months to 1 year. When done with sincerity and diligence the work will cause noticeable and significant life changes.

The author is very eloquent yet unpretentious and humble. Lyam Christopher has the ability to articulate complex psychological and spiritual concepts that can be easily understood by anyone. This book is highly recommended for beginners and advanced practitioners of magic and those who are searching for a path to enlightenment that does not require them to sell all their belongings and live in the mountains eating berries or subjecting themselves to the authority of some self-professed guru. This book should be part of every practicing magician's bookshelf.

Fulcanelli: Master Alchemist: Le Mystere des Cathedrales, Esoteric Intrepretation of the Hermetic Symbols of The Great Work (Le Mystere Des Cathedrales ... of the Hermetic Symbols of Great Work)

Average customer rating:

Le Mystere des Cathedrales is a Beautiful Treasure.
Esoteric, in its full meaning
For the happy few
Not necessry to find the truth
A Most Fascinating Book...

Fulcanelli: Master Alchemist: Le Mystere des Cathedrales, Esoteric Intrepretation of the Hermetic Symbols of The Great Work (Le Mystere Des Cathedrales ... of the Hermetic Symbols of Great Work)
Filcanelli
Manufacturer: Brotherhood of Life
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0914732145

Book Description

In 1926 the fabled alchemist Fulcanelli left his remarkable manuscript concerning the Hermetic Study of Gothic Cathedral Construction with a student. He than disappeared. The book decodes the symbology found upon and within the Gothic Cathedrals of Europe which have openly displayed the secrets of alchemy for 700 years.

Customer Reviews:

Le Mystere des Cathedrales is a Beautiful Treasure........2007-06-23

A classic in its own right. The occult philosophy that lies within the construction of the Great Cathedrals.
A wonderfully written book; however for one to fully comprehend its meaning one must be symbolically literate.

Esoteric, in its full meaning.......2007-02-20

I got this from Adventures Unlimited several years ago, and actually read it. The main problem I had with the book is that it is extremely cryptic, i. e. I had great difficulty understanding what Fulcanelli was talking about. This difficulty was in fact so great that I still don't understand most of it. I think that this book would be highly useful to someone who had spent a great deal of time studying alchemy, but for those (like me) with only a passing (or less) familiarity with the subject, it amounts to an exercise in mystification. If I knew more about alchemy, I might give this a higher rating; I give it the rating I did, because I have the feeling that Fulcanelli is giving an accurate account, but this rating is no higher because of the sheer incomprehensibility of the text. Also, the publication of this work may have had some purpose other than that of informing the reader; if so, I haven't divined this purpose, and thus cannot tell if the book was successful in it. My rating is therefore in the middle of the road.

For the happy few.......2007-01-12

The Fulcanelli book lifts a heavy lid covering the deep mysterious world of the builders of great gothic cathedrals in Europe to shed some light on what can be hidden from a profane eye, but is open book to the one who posesses a certain knowledge. Fulcanelli is very cautious not to lift the cover too high, he always stops himself at certain point, saying that he is not at liberty to say more. Fulcanelli, a full fledged alchemist, respected and admired by many, and no question feared by many more, had an access to the knowledge so serious that even one millionth of that whole could in the hands of a profane lead to the destruction of the world. Very few can even imagine what is hidden in that vault to which door Fulcanelly and his colleagues whose names we would never know. They keep their secrets well guarded. In comparison to their world, the fictional world of Brown's "Da Vinic Code" is as a speck of dust to the mount Everest.
Such people as Fulcanelli have been hunted throughout the ages, as late as during the last world war. They, however, managed to escape the sweeping search by the Nazis who spared no money and resources to find them. Lucky we, the Nazis weren't successful, otherwise we would be living today in a completely different world.
Now, when you know what kind of people Fulcanelli belonged to, and will appreciate a token of that great knowledge revealed to us by him when he leads us step by step to his humble but nevertheless powerful revelation.
In conclusion I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in obtaining at least some understanding how one should read a great books written in stone and become hungry for more knowledge without which no man can consider himself a complete person. Good luck, and enjoy the book.

Not necessry to find the truth.......2006-11-03

This book was built up to be something special, and not that the information was interesting. However the information is just a side to the truth. Though I'm glad I did come across this tidbit of truth.

A Most Fascinating Book..........2006-04-15

One of the most fascinating books ever written...

The book (whose full title was Le Myst?re des Cath?drales et l'interpr?tation ?sot?rique des symboles herm?tiques du Grand Oeuvre ), lavishly interspersed with thirty-six illustrations - two of which are in colour, and one that is the original title-page by the artist Jean-Julien Champagne - is curiously dedicated to the Fr?res d'H?liopolis.

Before scrupulously studying - as far as hermetic tradition is concerned - the truly alchemical symbolism emanating from the cathedrals of Notre-Dame de Paris and Notre-Dame d'Amiens, Jacques-Coeur's palace and the Lallemant town-house in Bourges, Fulcanelli offers the reader in his introduction some particularly original concepts that deserve to be emphasized in more than one respect. First, he puzzles over the definition and origins of Gothic Art. He expresses his emotion by reiterating something written by J. F. Colifs in his Filiation g?n?alogique de toutes les ?coles gothiques (Paris, ?ditions Baudry, 1884):

The Language of Stone spoken in this new art, as stated with much truth by J. F. Colifs, is at the same time clear and sublime. This is why it speaks equally to both the soul of the humblest and to that of the most scholarly. What an inspiring and stirring language, the gothic [language] of stones.

After reviewing a few hypotheses about the origins of gothic art, initially those in which the classical school had linked it - against all verisimilitude - to the Goths or Germans, Fulcanelli comes round to linking the word gothic to the word goetic, via the famous phonetic Cabala referred to previously, thus considering it a magical art. This hypothesis, however, does not satisfy him. He then decides to favour the perfect phonetic closeness to the word argotique , which relates to both slang/cant and to the green language due to its aliveness and vitality, and the Greek myth of the Argonauts who were on a quest for the famous Golden Fleece. The "Argotiers" could only be the symbolic descendants who expressed themselves in a vivid language not understood by the uninitiated.

According to Fulcanelli, the minority of individuals using this secret (and sacred) language constitute the Sons or Children of the Sun, the gothic art being indeed the "art got or cot (Xo), the art of Light or of the Spirit". And Fulcanelli elaborates on this universal language of the birds, the diplomatic language taught by the goddess Athena to the seer Tiresias.

Deploring what he called, "Soufflot's vandalism", Fulcanelli extends his gratitude to the renovation work in Notre-Dame undertaken by the distinguished architects Viollet-le-Duc, Lassus, and Geoffroy Dechaume. He then examines the ground plan of medieval religious buildings where he sees the image of the Egyptian ankh (crux ansata - that is, the ansated, or "handled" or "looped" cross) in the semi-circular apse joined to the choir. This is the symbolic evocation, not of death, but of universal Life upon which is built the Christian temple. In addition, he states - by way of the phonetic Cabala - that the cross (crux) designates the alchemist's crucible.

Following this, Fulcanelli discusses the enigmatic labyrinths that are found in some churches such as those in Sens, Reims, Auxerre, Saint-Quentin, Poitiers, Bayeux, Chartres, and, above all, Amiens, to which he devotes an entire chapter later on in the book. Reminding us of the labyrinth's presence in ancient times, mentioning, among others, the one in Cnossos, (Crete) . He calls the labyrinth of the cathedrals "Solomon's Labyrinth" and gives the definition of it expressed by his prominent friend Marcellin Berthelot:

[It is] a cabbalistic figure found at the beginning of certain alchemical manuscripts, and which is part of the magical tradition associated with the name of Solomon. It is a series of concentric circles, interrupted at certain points, so as to form a bizarre and inextricable path.

Fulcanelli then embarks on a philosophical digression (in the alchemical sense of the term) on the myth of Ariadne and her legendary thread.

Next, Fulcanelli brings our attention to the alchemical symbolism to be found in the rose-windows of the cathedrals. He compares their blazing colours to the ones developed in the Egg during the coction of the third Work under the impulse of the fire of the wheel, an expression meant to designate the action of the "secret fire" in the ultimate phase of the Great Work. He states that it is "this latter fire, sustained by ordinary heat, which makes the wheel turn and produces the various phenomena which the artist observes in his vessel".

After this, Fulcanelli deals with the question of the "black Virgins" (virgini pariturae - the virgin about to give birth) in Chartres, Rocamadour, Puy-en-Velay, Limoux, and the unusual green-candle ceremony at Saint Victor church in Marseilles. Comparing the black Virgin to the ancient mother goddesses, Ceres, Rhea, and Isis, he identifies her with the symbolism in which is clad the mysterious materia prima of the Great Work.
Fulcanelli then proceeds with a long critique of the Renaissance period, favouring the spirit that characterised the medieval mind.

Further on Fulcanelli studies certain medallions on the central porch of the western fa?ade of Notre-Dame de Paris and gives these a truly alchemical interpretation, far removed from the studies previously carried out by the hermeticists Cambriel and Gobineau de Montluisant. The portal on the right, where can be admired the image of Saint Marcellus defeating a dragon and freeing a child held in limbo, perfectly illustrates to Fulcanelli the major operations in the alchemical Great Work.

Fulcanelli then takes us to the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Amiens and finds in its central porch - the Porch of the Saviour - the same symbols as in Notre-Dame de Paris, the only difference being that here the figures are holding shields rather than discs, and that the philosopher's mercury is represented as a woman, and not as a man as in Paris. He then discusses the fire of the wheel and the scale of temperatures in the Great Work.

Continuing, Fulcanelli takes his readers to Bourges where the Lallemant mansion and the great house of Jacques Coeur hold his attention. King Charles VII's great Minister of Finances was indeed an alchemist, and hermetic symbols are plentiful in his noble abode. However, such symbols can be seen in perhaps greater abundance in Jean Lallemant's residence, particularly on the enigmatic coffered ceiling, in the chapel, and its credence, which holds the secrets of the second and third Work.

Interestingly, the last chapter, which was dedicated to the cyclic cross of Hendaye, was not included in the first edition of The Mystery of the Cathedrals.

A careful and compelling companion book to Mystery of the Cathedrals would be "Fulcanelli," by Patrick Rivi?re, a student of Fulcanelli's amanuensis, Eug?ne Canseliet.

Rivi?re reveals with profuse documentary evidence the true identity of the enigmatic and prestigious author of The Mystery of the Cathedrals and The Dwellings of the Philosophers. Beginning with an overview of French alchemical life at the turn of the 20th century, Rivi?re carefully builds his case step-by-step with facts, documents, and photographs, introducing us to the well-known physicist who was known as Fulcanelli. Rivi?re also demolishes the scurrilous hypotheses that suggest Fulcanelli never existed. (ISBN 1-897244-21-5 Red Pill Press)

Average customer rating:

Don't Buy This Book
I was somewhat disappointed in this book.
Can't see the forest for the trees
Transcends occultism to be one of the great books of human civilization.
A misleading title, but an interesting read.

The Great Secret: Or Occultism Unveiled
Eliphas Levi
Manufacturer: Weiser Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0877289387

Book Description

The author's most important and final treatise on the occult sciences and the summation of his esoteric philosophy. It contains two works, The Royal Mysteryor Art of Subduing the Powers,in which he discusses such topics as Evil, The Outer Darkness, The Great Secret, The Arcana of Solomon's Ring, and The Sacerdotal Mystery or the Art of Being Served by Spiritswhere he expounds on the subjects of Aberrant Forces, Divination, Dark Intelligence, and the Great Arcanum.

Customer Reviews:

Don't Buy This Book.......2007-09-02

Don't buy this. Buy "Paradoxes of the Highest Science" instead, if you're interested.

The content in this "book" is fine; the reason I feel genuinely ripped-off by this "book" is completely due to the publisher. When the "book" arrived in the mail, I was disappointed to find out that "This Article Was Extracted From the Book: Paradoxes of the Highest Science." Think maybe they could have mentioned that a little sooner, before I bought it? Apparently not, because they'd rather rip me off for twelve dollars.

Anyway, if you buy this, you get maybe fourteen pages of actual text - and it's big, vision-impaired-sized, cartoon-sized text. All fourteen pages of it.

And then there are about the same number of blank pages - literally, blank pages - in the back of the book included because, according to the publisher, "blank pages are for our book binding requirements and are blank on purpose" - so the publisher didn't have enough actual text to fill the smallest binding they had. Yet they apparently thought it was enough pages to sell it as a separate "book."

Based on all this, the publisher strikes me as basically dishonest. Their business is apparently re-printing old books that are in public domain, and don't invest or take risks on their own material. Evidently, they're about milking their customers as much as possible, if this is the kind of material they produce. I'd bet old Eliphas wouldn't be too happy.

Anyway, this "article" is included in "Paradoxes of the Highest Science," which also seems to be published by another (real) publishing company, and is less expensive. Buy that instead.

I was somewhat disappointed in this book........2007-08-28

I was disappointed that this book was only one chapter removed from a Parent book, Eliphas Levi's Paradoxes of the Highest Sciences. It seemed to take the chapter out of context. Without the chapters leading up to it, or the chapter that would follow.

Can't see the forest for the trees.......2007-02-23

"Alphonse Louis Constant, better known by his pen name Eliphas Levi, was a master of the traditional Rosicrucian interpretation of the Kabbalah. Levi was born in France in 1810, and through the offices of the parish priest, was educated for the church at Saint-Sulpice. He was later expelled from the seminary for teaching doctrines contrary to the Catholic Church." Pg 189 "His esoteric doctrines he reserved for his growing circle of disciples...La Grand Arcane (The Great Secret) was written, in 1868, specifically, for those disciples. Originally it comprised the last two parts of a trilogy, of which `The Book of Splendours' formed the first part." Pg 1

Essentially, Eliphas Levi sees the Catholic Church as the one and only true religion, it is the possessor of the great secret, true magic and occultism. Eliphas is aware of the contradictions and inconsistencies of the Catholic Church, but will not divorce himself from it. Eliphas places one foot in the Catholic Church and another in all manner of occultism, esotericism and other religions or religious philosophies. To this I give praise towards a man who sought after God in an age when doing so was thwart with many dangers.

There are no real insights into the many topics that Eliphas mentions in passing, topics such as the Kabbalah, of which Eliphas gives such praise. Once again, too much jumbled bits of information (and then some) for my liking; all of which pointing to morality, right conduct and faith, virtue etc as the essential undercurrent as being the `Great secret'. There are many glowing tidbits of information, all perhaps adding to the `Great Secret'; in essence though, this `Great secret' is a return, one from which all good Catholics should adhere to anyhow, but of which for one who has searched deeper, as Eliphas has done, a return to the simple but profound truths of Christendom. To this `Great secret' I would agree with Eliphas Levi, but I disagree that this is the totality of the `Great secret'; Eliphas, in my opinion, did not delve deep enough.

This is the third book that I have read of Eliphas Levi. I preferred reading `Book of Splendours' over `Key of the mysteries' and `The great secret'. I have also written reviews for these other books. A lot of what I said regarding the `Key of the mysteries', I would have to repeat here, inclusive of the Church being deeply troubled by the new found science of this era. All in all, not a bad book, more recommended to someone new to the virtues and religion.

Transcends occultism to be one of the great books of human civilization........2006-08-02

There are a lot of books in the occult scene that aren't worth the paper they're printed on (and in some cases, the electrons), but this book is not only a priceless addition to an occultist's library, but it is also destined to be recognized as one of the great books of human civilization... if it's read, that is. It is unfortunate that many of the world's greatest books get lost in obscurity. This book was written over a hundred years ago, but was only relatively recently translated to English from the original French.

This book is in fact parts two and three from the trilogy, part one having been published as "The Book of Splendours". The whole trilogy stands as Eliphas Levi's last testament to his closest disciples, though in my opinion, parts two and three stand on their own as the greater part of the work.

It seems that the version published by Kessinger Publishing is in fact a different book. Their web site lists it as a chapter out of "Paradoxes of the Highest Science". This review is for the one from Weiser Books.

A misleading title, but an interesting read........2006-01-03

Anyone coming to this book expecting a systematic presentation of occult doctrine will come away disappointed. What we have, instead, is Levi's simultaneous defense and critique of Roman Catholicism, with which Levi - a one-time seminarian - had a lifelong love-hate relationship.

In some ways, Levi is profoundly conservative, and his views will seem reactionary in the extreme. Catholicism, he says, is the only true religion, and its existence nullifies any prior legitimacy that other religions may have once had. To be sure, Levi advocates nothing like an Inquisition or forced conversions - he explicity and repeatedly condemns all such actions - but he states that at a doctrinal level, Catholicism is the only true religion.

But as an occultist, Levi has his own "take" on doctrine, and his interpretation of doctrine will not necessarily correspond to official church teaching. Moreover, Levi is profoundly anti-clerical, viewing the typical priest as ignorant, impotent, and superstitious. Like all occultists, Levi believes that the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and that true religion must be capable of changing people for the better, in ways that are tangible and lasting.

Levi believes that the Catholic Church is the repository of true occultism and true magic, and that this renders suspect any occultism that is not in some way oriented to the truths of the Catholic Church. But - in my view - he never makes it clear whether there is any legitimate occultism apart from the sacraments of the Catholic Church. He SEEMS to criticize divination, evocation, and magic, yet tosses out hints that - under some vague circumstances - these may be legitimate activities if done with the proper intention and understanding. As another writer has pointed out, spellcraft is simply "prayer with props," and the Catholic Church - as its fundamentalist critics are well-aware - is replete with props: rosaries, candles, incense, scapulars, medals, holy water, and the Eucharist itself.

In summary, a pagan occultist will be disappointed or even offended by this book. Levi is often bombastic and pompous, alternately prone to broad generalizations and maddening ambiguity. On the other hand, Christians of an esoteric bent will find much to ponder here, even if Levi is often obtuse and indirect. One thing is certain - Levi is an accomplished stylist, and this book is sprinkled with aphorisms and observations that are truly moving, even when one wonders whether they are true.

The Tower of Alchemy: An Advanced Guide to the Great Work

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re: The Tower of Alchemy
The Tower of Alchemy
One must read the book to review it...
Amazing shill reviews...
Blend of Western and Eastern esotericism

The Tower of Alchemy: An Advanced Guide to the Great Work
David Goddard
Manufacturer: Weiser Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1578631130

Customer Reviews:

re: The Tower of Alchemy.......2007-01-01

This text is superior to others along the same lines. It is high time people be granted access to esoteric knowledge rather than be treated like spoiled children, as is the case with some texts that only hint at the alchemy that could revolutionize the soul.

If you are interested in getting to the depth of the subject, then this book is for you. If you only want a self-help book, then look elsewhere. Only the more advanced soul will derive all the gems of wisdom this author has to share.

The Tower of Alchemy.......2006-11-11

I was disappointed in the material. The author has a limited understanding of spiritual alchemy of which he bases the entire book on the Hebrew Kabalah. True spiritual alchemy is Egyptian in origin. His meditations are very commonplace and entry level. True alchemical meditations and knowledge are much more advanced and complex than what the author has listed. I stopped reading the book half way through as my own knowledge is much more advanced.

One must read the book to review it..........2006-07-24

As all of his books have guided those with such amazing techniques, this is another addition to the series looking into the deep Spirituality of mankind. No other author has been found by this reader to successfully accomplish what David Goddard has within his writing and teachings: an ability to connect to the reader in ways which cannot be described. Not only do his books deliver such an impact on one's journey and life, but also his personal seminars and workshops enhance those teachings amazingly.

The specific teachings of protection & healing of land and man are called for even moreso today than ever. For those who understand this statement, it is Time.

Amazing shill reviews..........2005-10-05

I have been interested in alchemy for the last 30 years or so. I was not familiar with this book, but a friend asked me about it. If you carefully read all these reviews, you see most of the reviewers who give their names excoriate the book as pretentious, worthless, or worse, but strangely, a number of anonymous reviews by "A reader" praise it as indispensible, the best book ever written, etc. It is so painfully obvious that those reviews are shills (look at how closely some of them are dated) that even though I haven't read this book, I'm about 90% sure the other reviewers are probably right. Make up your own mind.

Blend of Western and Eastern esotericism.......2005-09-30

I don't think this book is so much a guide to advanced alchemy as it is a synthesis of Eastern and Western esoteric ideas.

There are a variety of visualisation exercises that may seem a little silly to some as they involve the visualisation of castles and round tables and temples. This is what is commonly known as 'inner work'.

On the other hand, the author goes into explanations of some basic yogic principles around the rising of the Kundalini energies along the Ida and Pingala channels along the Sushumna. To the crown chakra of enlightenment.

So the book is a strange, and somewhat novel, blend of Eastern and western esoteric techniques towards enlightenment. However it's done in such a way that it ofetn comes off being very dense, and a little confusing.

However, it is an interesting read and is certainly unique in that it breaks the mold of the Western Mystery Tradition not concerning itself with the wisdom from the East. From this stand point alone the book is a worthy addition to your collection.

As to whether it's an advanced guide to alchemy? Probably not, but still worth a read.

The Legacy of the Beast: The Life, Work, and Influence of Aleister Crowley

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"Don't Believe Me!"
A WHITEWASH OF CROWLEY
The Truth About The Great Beast

The Legacy of the Beast: The Life, Work, and Influence of Aleister Crowley
Gerald Suster
Manufacturer: Red Wheel Weiser
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0877286973

Customer Reviews:

"Don't Believe Me!".......2004-12-08

From Magick Book IV (the Magnum Opus not the little red book) Crowley separates himself from all the rest of the purported Prophets that we have recorded, with those three simple words, "Don't Believe Me." The rest have always started with the premise, "Believe in Me ... I Am the Way ...", so on and so forth immediately placing the requirement that one forgo any and all need for reason and open one up to pure faith which as we have seen time and time again produces fanatics who claim to be new prophets to dogmatic regimes that have used governments to run the world (The Crusades, The Persian Wars with India, The Mongolian Wars, etc).

Suster, refutes and reveals the many intentional falsehoods placed upon the life of this man. He also points the blame for many of these tabloids squarely on Crowley himself. For if he hadn't been so hell bent to disrupt the establishment he wouldn't have been viscerally prosecuted in the court of public opinion like he has been for nearly 100 years. Even Crowley admits in his Autohagiography, "The Confessions of Aleister Crowley" edited by Symonds and Grant, as well as "Magick without Tears", edited by Dr. Israel Regardie, that his sense of humor got the better of his senses and cost him many times.

I will say this: Any one who writes this review as only 2 stars has a personal vendetta against a dead man. Grow up and stop revelling in Anton LaVey, who afterall plagiarized Crowley and even admitted it near his own death--see Gnosis magazine article middle of the 90's.

Don't believe me either, but you will not find a more objective and clearly constructed histrionic of Aleister anywhere. Gerald Suster is an excellent writer as well as a man with a very keen insight into the Occult and Magick.

A WHITEWASH OF CROWLEY.......2004-05-22

Suster's Legacy is a whitewash of Aleister Crowley. Not that the "wickedest man in the world" wasn't an occasionally decent writer of prose, or a rather astute observer of humanity--but please--call this guy a great magician, poet, etc? If someone was a "magus" one might think he wouldn't have lived in near poverty, could have arranged a more successful life for himself, and wouldn't have to publish so much of his own literary works at his own expense. When will the wannabe wizards wake up? If you are good at "causing change in conformity with will" your life works pretty well. You don't get chased from one country to the next, get hooked on heroin (yeah, OK he had asthma, big deal)or go through periods of near starvation.
Suster doesn't really add much to the already "done to death" life of Crowley. He does "correct" certain supposed errors about
AC, but he fails to recognize that Crowley was an articulate poseur all of his life, and despite some unprovable anecdotes, was no great shakes as a practical magician. (Although there are parts in Book Four and Magick In Theory and Practice that are highly intelligent and instructive). The Occult world is overloaded with grand poobahs who couldn't evoke a sneeze in a feather factory. It's about time Crowley was properly viewed as a con man from the great Beyond. Matter of fact, Colin Wilson did just that in "The Nature of the Beast."

The Truth About The Great Beast.......1998-12-18

With an increasing interest in the life and work of Aleister Crowley, in a less emotive enviroment becoming so popular, many are trying once again to plow through the compendous works of the twentieth century's greatest Magus. But this is where you need to start if you are ever going to make sense of it all. Gerald Suster has stripped away the pendantry, the lies, and all the falsities that have plagued the historical Crowley.Divided into sections each dealing with a part of Crowley's work and ideas, fronted by a general chapter the book is very readable. At times Suster is perhaps a little strong in defending what is obviously a mission on his part to restore respectablity and credence to a complex and infamous man, but that in no way detracts from the books excellence. A must read for Crowley addicts and seekers after truth. Find out why the British press of his time condemmed him. Find out what he really thought, and believed. Was he really a great womaniser, did magick really work for him?.The best and most uncomplicated study to date about Beast 666.

Vast Alchemies: The Life and Work of Mervyn Peake

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A "must" for all Mervyn Peake scholars and fans!
The mind and art behind the 'Titus' books

Vast Alchemies: The Life and Work of Mervyn Peake
G. Peter Winnington
Manufacturer: Peter Owen Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0720610796

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A "must" for all Mervyn Peake scholars and fans!.......2000-09-09

This book, a critical biography of the multi-faceted writer and illustrator, Mervyn Peake, is written by the longtime editor of Peake Studies, a British journal. Winnington, with at least 20 articles or edited works to his name, has made a lifework of Peake. Other effects of this effort can be seen on the Peake Studies website, which he maintains at: . His is one of the two major journals dedicated to this influential 20th century fantasy author. The other is the Mervyn Peake Review, also British.

Mr. Winnington's considerable research into Peake's life and works are evident in as he quotes extensively from other biographical and bibliographical works such as John Watney's Mervyn Peake (NY: USA Saint Martin's Press,1976), the reminiscences of Peake's wife, Maeve Gilmore. A World Away: Memoir of Mervyn Peake. London, Gollancz, 1970, but also from The Fantasts by T. E. Grahame Little, Avebury; January 1984 and Peake's own collection of fiction, poetry and drawings, Peake's Progress: Selected Writings and Drawings of Mervyn Peake, ed. Maeve Gilmore. Woodstock, NY: The Overlook Press, 1981. While he quotes from critical works and from Peake's own work and publicly available papers, he also carefully integrates details from the author's artistic and dramatic endeavors into his discussion. Artistic education, gallery and private artistic shows, failed and successful illustrating and joint endeavors, and work as an illustrator are integrated into a picture of the writer which nevertheless focuses on his written work as his major accomplishment.

The book is divided into sections corresponding to Peake's biography and beginning with a little history of his parents before his birth, which was in Kuling, China in 1911. The sections are: I. China 1898-1922, II. Education 1923-1934, III. Making a Reputation , 1935-1939, IV. The Golden Decade, 1940-1949, which is the longest section, and V. The Losing Struggle, 1950-1968. This serves to ground Winnington's critical commentary, which, in any chapter, can and often does refer to the entire body of Peake's work.

This book should not be seen as a definitive biography of Peake. Watney's book still holds that place.Winnington, on the other hand, has added to the body of knowledge on this complex author through his critical observations. Most effective are his linking of experiences in China and during World War II with key plot or character elements in the Titus series and key visual pastiches from his creation of the Gormenghast world if prose and in illustration. For example, in describing his early years, Winnington states, "Parallels between the early life of the Boy Emperor [of China] and Titus groan, as recounted in the first two of Mervyn's novels, are numerous and striking."(p. 31). He pursues this insight through three paragraphs at the end of the first Chapter on Peake's parents. I agree with commentators on this work that Vast Alchemies makes up in observation, critical insight, detail and sheer mass of research for what it lakes in access to papers of the Peake estate.

Since Winnington refers to these early years, from birth to age 11, repeatedly throughout the work, one is easily lead towards parallels with Paul Linebarger/Cordwainer Smith who was also raised in China and heavily influenced by the experience. Both seem to have used their twice-born quality, the unreality of existing in two such different cultures as China and the West, to flesh out unreal worlds (Gormenghast and Nostralia), and both were involved in WW II, but Peake's artistic bent drew him to pursue creativity over any other career path and Linebarger's politics and education both ensured that he would be involved in more global, if secretive, activities.

Perhaps because this critic is so intimately acquainted with everything written by and about Peake, his own writing is not as rigorously controlled as one might expect. He tends to jump from observation to observation, some about Peake's life, others about his writing or illustration stylistics. The book is charming for this quality, in that it preserves a anecdotal flavor that improves its status as a casual reading project. It is correspondingly disappointing for the lack of rigor of its critical perspectives. Very much a story about Peake's accomplishments within in the context of a somewhat romanticized life, it's critical perspective is not systematic, but at the same time, it is also not predictable.

I would recommend that this book be in ANY collection purporting to deal with English Language fantasy, and also that it be bought by public as well as academic libraries. For serious scholars of Peake, it should be read along with Watney's book, which is stylistically a much more standard critical biography. And it should be cherished for its periodization of Peake's life, its extensive primary and secondary bibliography focusing solely on the author but on the author as a writer, illustrator, dramatist and family man, and its accessibility.

Jan Bogstad, Reviewer

The mind and art behind the 'Titus' books.......2000-05-29

G. Peter Winnington, in this new, enjoyable biography of Mervyn Peake, faced the challenge, as he states in the preface, of writing without the benefit of much estate permission. This normally would be a drawback, but the book rises above the constictions the Peake family imposed.

It should not be thought Vast Alchemies was meant to be a scandalous expose of Peake's life. When it does discuss the sundry affairs of this relatively little-known artist's life, it does so economically and sensitively. While Winnington is regretful that Peake's own words are not allowed to be used, this inadvertently, and thankfully, ensures that Winnington's own voice and ideas come across strongly. It is a tribute to the author that with this freedom he never positions himself as superior to his subject.

The book is admirably short (however much one admires or loves Peake, he does not demand a multi-volume Life), compact and open-ended, in that the critical apparatus at work does not shut down further examination of Peake's artistic expression. Winnington is admirably clear in his prose (unfortunately, a few typos throw off concentration), and his depth of knowledge is lightly handled. Through investigation, he has removed some mystery and misconceptions about Peake's life. Vast Alchemies is a very readable biography, and at the same time an overdue contribution to Peake scholarship, accessible and interesting to those unfamiliar and familiar with this too neglected artist.

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Powerful, short, succinct.

A Short History of Alchemy and Alchemists

Bio-Historical Perspective

This century's greatest wizard

Orders of the Great Work, Alchemy
Manly P. Hall
Manufacturer: Philosophical Research Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0893145343

Book Description

Here is set forth the origin of the concept of alchemy, its rise in Egypt as the secret doctrine of Hermes, its migration to Arabia, and its relation to the early schools of Christianity. The course of the alchemical mystery is followed from the Near East through the Byzantine Empire and into Europe. During these travels many pioneers in this field are met, including Roger Bacon, Raymond Lully, and Nicholas Flamel. The letters of Sendivogius to the Brotherhood of the Rosy Cross, almost completely unknown to the modern world, are discussed. Illustrated.

Customer Reviews:

Powerful, short, succinct. .......2006-09-05

Manly Hall: Orders of the Great Work - Alchemy 1949

This is probably the most succinct treatise on Alchemy that I've come across. Hall gives us an overview of the three types of alchemy: spiritual, transmutative, and the combination of the two. He debunks the false accusations of crazy alchemists and shows that turning base metals into gold may not be as crazy a notion as most would like to believe.

This book is rich with historical alchemists such as Elias Artista, and references to deeper research. It is an excellent launching pad for those serious about digging further into the ancient mysteries.

A Short History of Alchemy and Alchemists.......2000-04-24

Manly P. Hall's Adept Series reports on the Great Work of Alchemy. Giving a brief history of the art of transmutating base metals into gold. Alchemy, from the Arabian 'al' meaning God, while chemi, or 'khmi' or 'khem' from Egyptian hierglyph meaning dark earth, or darkness, which refers to the occult or hidden aspects of this art. 'khem' became chemistry, and thus alchmey which literally translated 'God-chemistry.' This is still being disputed accoring to Hall. Moving on, the author sets on to biograph the lives of many famous alchemists like Flammel, Lord Bacon, Khunrath, Lully, Vaughn, Valentine and some more obscure professors. Although brief in its entirety, Hall gives a valid and scholarly look into the world of ancient alchemy. At some points, because of the reference to these men are so vague, Hall gives his best attempt at ressurecting a life for these men whom very little has been written due to the heretical works of the times. Reccomended!

Bio-Historical Perspective.......2000-03-30

While Manly Hall gives a brief history of alchemy in general, deriving its roots which seem to come from Arabia and the Middle East. As part of Hall's "Adept Series," the main focus of the text is on a select few of famous alchemists. Albertus Magnus and Hermes Trismegistus did not make the list, however, thier influece is recognized. Manly Hall chose the likes of Roger Bacon, Nicholas Flammel, Paracelsus, Johan Baptista van Hemont, Thomas Vaughn and a few other more obscure characters in the alchemical world. Hall's writing is observant, yet sometimes unsure, challenging other perspectives and assumptions (such as A. E. Waite). Because of the esoteric topic there is not much literature to go by, and many times one has to decipher through code and language pattern to really determine its owner, thus giving Hall a tough job of attempting a linear chronology of alchemical history. Overall it is well researched with lots of good information for the occult historian and student that is fairly easy to read. Definately reccomended!

This century's greatest wizard.......1997-07-26

If Manly P. Hall wrote it, read it. One of the twentieth century's greatest teachers: a twentieth century wizard

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A good introduction to alchemical thought

An Alchemical Treatise on the Great Art
Antoine-Joseph Pernety
Manufacturer: Red Wheel Weiser
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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A good introduction to alchemical thought.......2003-09-09

This is a highly recommended work on alchemy. Althought it doesn't exactly give away any "secrets" it helps explain much of the worldview of the alchemists of ancient (and modern!) times.

"Of the Means of Arriving at the Secret
The requirements necessary in order to arrive at this Secret, are: the knowledge of Nature and of one's self. One may not understand the first perfectly, or even the second, without the aid of Alchemy. The love of wisdom, the horror of crime, and of falsehood, ... the association of the wise, the invocation of the Holy Spirit; not to add secret to secret, to attach one's self only to one thing (because God and Nature delight in unity and simplicity), such are the conditions necessary for obtaining the divine revelation.
Man being the epitome of all Nature, must learn to know himself as the summary, the miniature of Nature. By his spiritual part he is allied to all immortal creatures, and by his material part, to all that which is transient in the Universe."

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