Restoring Paradise: Western Esotericism, Literature, Art, and ConsciousnessFocusing on how spiritual initiation takes place in Western esoteric religious, literary, and artistic traditions from antiquity to the present, Restoring Paradise provides an introduction to Western esotericism, including early modern esoteric movements like alchemy, Christian theosophy, and Rosicrucianism. The author argues that European and American literature and art often entail a written transmission of spiritual knowledge in which writing itself works to transmute consciousness, to generate, provoke, or convey spiritual awakening. He focuses on several important figures whose work has not received the attention it deserves, including American writer and Imagist poet H.D. (Hilda Doolittle) and British painter Cecil Collins, among others. While Arthur Versluis presents a new way of understanding Western esotericism in a contemporary light, above all he has crafted a book about knowing, and about how we come to know, and what "knowing" by way of literature and language actually means. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 58
Page
... Divine Service : Chivalry and the Troubadours Books within Books : Jewish Kabbalism The Transfiguration of Earth : Alchemical Literature The Divine Science : Theosophic , Pansophic , Rosicrucian , and Masonic Literature 17 35 3 Modern ...
... Divine Service : Chivalry and the Troubadours Books within Books : Jewish Kabbalism The Transfiguration of Earth : Alchemical Literature The Divine Science : Theosophic , Pansophic , Rosicrucian , and Masonic Literature 17 35 3 Modern ...
Page 1
... divine as manifested in the individual and in the cosmos.3 Gnosis may be divided into two broad categories : cosmo- logical , and metaphysical or transcendent . These are not , however , mutually exclusive but rather are complementary ...
... divine as manifested in the individual and in the cosmos.3 Gnosis may be divided into two broad categories : cosmo- logical , and metaphysical or transcendent . These are not , however , mutually exclusive but rather are complementary ...
Page 6
... divine , moving instead toward ever deeper understanding of how one is indivisible from these . If the trajectory of modern society is toward a virtual reality for each individual , living divorced from hu- manity , nature , and the divine ...
... divine , moving instead toward ever deeper understanding of how one is indivisible from these . If the trajectory of modern society is toward a virtual reality for each individual , living divorced from hu- manity , nature , and the divine ...
Page 10
... divine feminine ; the hebdomad as a cosmological principle ; the demiurge or spiritus mundi as an opposition to spiritual awakening , and oth- ers . Thus there are numerous clear parallels between Valentinean Gnosticism and Bohmean ...
... divine feminine ; the hebdomad as a cosmological principle ; the demiurge or spiritus mundi as an opposition to spiritual awakening , and oth- ers . Thus there are numerous clear parallels between Valentinean Gnosticism and Bohmean ...
Page 14
... ( divine Wisdom ) herself tells him ( the gnostic ) that " I am come to make in you yourself this new invis- ible creation , inwardly in you and not constructed outside you . " The gnostic , in other words , has awakened in him by divine ...
... ( divine Wisdom ) herself tells him ( the gnostic ) that " I am come to make in you yourself this new invis- ible creation , inwardly in you and not constructed outside you . " The gnostic , in other words , has awakened in him by divine ...
Other editions - View all
Restoring Paradise: Western Esotericism, Literature, Art, and Consciousness Arthur Versluis No preview available - 2012 |
Restoring Paradise: Western Esotericism, Literature, Art, and Consciousness Arthur Versluis No preview available - 2004 |
Common terms and phrases
alchemist alchemy angels antiquity archetypal realm artist awakening become beginning Book of Revelation C. S. Lewis called Cecil Collins century certainly chivalric Christian theosophy Collins Confessio consciousness corresponds cosmos course discussing divine emerges enter esoteric currents esotericism existence experience fact Faivre Fama fiction figures Fludd Freemasonry fundamental gnosis gnostic Grail Hermetic Hermeticism hidden Hideous Strength Hilda holy human Ibid images imagination influence initiation initiatory lineages inner instance Jacob Böhme Jewish John Pordage Kabbalah Kabbalism Kabbalistic kind knowledge koan language letters light literary literature magical Mamalie Masonic means metaphysical Milosz modern Moravian mysteries nature novel numbers objectified origin pansophic paradisal Parzival poem poet poetry primary reader reading references religion religious represents Rosicrucian secret seen Sophia spiritual symbolism teric themes theosophic things tion transcendent transmission transmutation treatises troubadour true understanding University Versluis vision visionary Western esoteric traditions worldview writing written word
Popular passages
Page 23 - AFTER this I looked,, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven : and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
Page 23 - And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
Page 87 - tis true, I must be here confined by you, Or sent to Naples. Let me not, Since I have my dukedom got, And pardon'd the deceiver, dwell In this bare island by your spell ; But release me from my bands With the help of your good hands. Gentle breath of yours my sails Must fill, or else my project fails, Which was to please. Now I want Spirits to enforce, art to enchant ; And my ending is despair Unless I be relieved by prayer ; Which pierces so, that it assaults Mercy itself, and frees all faults....
Page 87 - Now my charms are all o'erthrown, And what strength I have's mine own, Which is most faint. Now 'tis true, I must be here confin'd by you, Or sent to Naples. Let me not, Since I have my dukedom got, And pardon'd the deceiver, dwell In this bare island by your spell; But release me from my bands With the help of your good hands.
Page 92 - Les autres, les voleurs de douleur et de joie, de science et d'amour, n'entendront rien à ces choses. Pour les entendre, il est nécessaire de connaître les objets désignés par certains mots essentiels Tels que pain, sel, sang, soleil, terre, eau, lumière, ténèbres, ainsi que par tous les noms de métaux. Car ces noms ne sont ni les frères, ni les fils, mais bien les pères des objets sensibles. Avec ces objets et le prince de leur substance, ils ont été précipités du monde immobile des...
Page 83 - ... tis now thought more expedient only to oblige them to that Religion in which all Men agree, leaving their particular Opinions to themselves; that is, to be good Men and true, or Men of...
Page 74 - Even in such manner, although we might enrich the whole World, and endue them with Learning, and might release it from innumerable miseries, yet shall we never be manifested and made known unto any man, without the especial pleasure of God ; yea, it shall be so far from him whosoever thinks to get the benefit, and be Partaker of our Riches and...
Page 83 - God and Religion. A Mason is oblig'd, by his Tenure, to obey the moral Law ; and if he rightly understands the art, he will never be a stupid Atheist, nor an irreligious Libertine. But though in ancient Times Masons were charg'd in every Country to be of the Religion of that Country or Nation, whatever it was, yet 'tis now thought more expedient only to oblige them to that...
Page 121 - It was fiery, sharp, bright and ruthless, ready to kill, ready to die, outspeeding light: it was Charity, not as mortals imagine it, not even as it has been humanised for them since the Incarnation of the Word, but the translunary virtue, fallen upon them direct from the Third Heaven, unmitigated. They were blinded, scorched, deafened. They thought it would burn their bones. They could not bear that it...