#esoteric Christianity

[reality-nihilism]

"The Vision of the Cross"

Gustave Doré, 1832.

[chicagognosis]

It is important to understand that real knowledge is of the heart. Real wisdom is what we live. Real knowledge comes from experience, and more importantly, that experience of higher realities comes when we investigate our own heart, our own mind, our ways of living, and to look, not to assume that we know, “I am of this race, this culture, this religion, this belief system, these politics, this upbringing.” It means to really look at what is inside in terms of our emotions, our impulses, our will.

This active looking is precisely what every tradition teaches about meditation: to look, to observe, to acquire new information―not to assume that we already know who we are, but to be open and to watch in a state of stillness, of observation, of clarity. It is that inner discrimination of ourselves that really helps us to distinguish right from wrong. It is our heart, our conscience, that tells us what is right and what is wrong. We may have traditions that tell us these things, but what do we know in our being about what to do? ― especially when we are faced with situations that are so complex that we are baffled. We are confused. We are overwhelmed, like you heard in Carmina Burana. When fate hits, the hammer of karma, of hardship, strikes, and we find all of those things that we typically ignore come to the surface of our mind, things we may neglect or fail to look at.

New Lecture Transcription!

[amor-madonna]

Mother Mary altar ideas

[asinusrufus]

Even when I don't feel a special sympathy towards Christianity, I've to admit Jesus seems one of the few magicians that effectively —probably more effectively than anyone before and after him—achieved the goal of reaching the status of divinity/being one with the Gods— he did not only turned himself into a living God, but was —and still is— recognized as one by all for it (ok, yeah, both the curation of textual sources for New Testament to avoid the magical stuff and St. Paul helped a lot, but you know)

[eyeoftheheart]

Wise as a serpent, pure as a dove, invoking celestial fire from above…

“I have cast fire upon the world, and see, I am watching over it until it blazes.”

―Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, The Gospel of Thomas

The Gnostic Temple of the Greater Mysteries

[realbeeing]

"[E]very mortal being, situated between birth and destruction, merely manifests an appearance, a feeble and uncertain image of itself. If we try to grasp it with our understanding, it is as when water is tightly compressed and runs over merely through the pressure, spoiling what it touches. For the understanding, pursuing a too definite conception of each being that is subject to accidents and change, loses its way, now in the origin of the being, now in its destruction, and is unable to apprehend anything lasting or really existing. For, as Heraclitus says, we cannot swim twice in the same wave, neither can we lay hold of a mortal being twice in the same state, for, through the violence and rapidity of movement, it is destroyed and recomposed; it comes into being and again decays; it comes and goes. Therefore, that which is becoming can neither attain real existence, because growth neither ceases nor pauses. Change begins in the germ, and forms an embryo; then there appears a child, then a youth, a man, and an old man; the first beginnings and successive ages are continually annulled by the ensuing ones. Hence it is ridiculous to fear one death, when we have already died in so many ways, and are still dying."

Rudolf Steiner, Christianity as Mystical Fact

[lonergurl]

The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception, Max Heindel, 1909

[maidenofsophia]

Gnostic/Esoteric Christians: Mary Magdalene!

Me: 😍😍😍

Gnostic/Esoteric Christians: The Holy Bride!

Me: 🤢🤢🤢

[uncrossedrhyme]

Hamannian Hermeneutics: The Marriage of Reason & Faith (or: ‘the Letter & the Spirit’)

The Birth of the Milky Way (1636–1638) by Peter Paul Rubens “Reason is the source of all truth and of all errors. It is the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Therefore, both parties are right and wrong which deify it and which vilify it. Faith, likewise, is the source of unbelief and of superstition. ‘Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing’”—J. G. Hamann, 1787 Intuition, in the…

[brother-hermes]

WHY MYSTICISM IS MESSY TO CHRISTIANS

When religion is working for others and they’re leading productive lives and shining the light on the people around them why correct their understanding forgiveness. When someone takes a different approach and goes to classes for meditation and becomes more mystical in their reading of biblical wisdom it isn’t unchristian of them. They’re simply being individuals with different philosophies slightly alien to our own. Everyone is seeing things in their own way. Maybe embrace their take on scripture by opening up a dialogue and remember everyone was given two ears and one mouth.

I cannot recall how many awesome conversations I’ve had with church family who have no grasp on the wisdom tradition or mystic Christianity. Each time I’ve entered into discussion with someone who comes from a completely different angle than mine I learn something that widens my heart to God. Almost all of the members of my current congregation have never heard of the Nag Hammadi Codices let alone read them. Many of them are far enough up there in age that they refuse to touch anything other than a King James bible. Would I be showing kindness to brothers and sisters by describing the ins and outs of the political agenda that created the KJV? Whose work would my little i be doing if i snatched the word from their heart?

Mystic Christianity has never been received with excitement by huge crowds. Very few are shouting out “WISDOM ENTERS IN THROUGH THE GATE OF THE HEART! WOO! WOOH!” Imagine St John of the Cross playing frat boy with Theresa of Avilla knowing how small the mystic circle is. I mean, maybe 1 out of 85 members in a typical church has ever even been on a retreat where they teach meditation while everyone spends a few weeks living as monks.

Some of the hysteria surrounding the inner tradition comes from it being the educated scholars that fought off the mystic trends at Nicaea. Intellectuals don’t tend to be in touch with their feelings. Add the political agenda of an Emperor in the mix and the need for a unified hierarchy capable of keeping people in line becomes apparent. As a result, the people who originally penned the doctrine of Christ for the newly formed church of Rome did so in an incredibly tumultuous time. They were up against a sea of wildly diverse takes on Christ and what He said and did all of which were already in heavy rotation.

I say, respect the standing traditions and start meditation classes within the Churches. We could easily continue observing all the rights of a regular service and meet in the middle of the week to discuss mystics like Hildegard of Bingen, Brother Lawrence, and Meister Eckhart; all of whom left us fantastic methods of meditation. We have this great internal landscape within Christianity. Why not explore it?

Now that we’re capable of separating dogma and mysticism we almost have to tread careful. The paradigm built on lies and misunderstanding is a difficult hurdle to jump over. That doesn’t mean it can’t be done. It means we who know have to be patient and compassionate to the ones who don’t. It is what it is though so let love be your religion.

[esotericgenesis]

[reality-nihilism]

A veiled Carmelite nun.

[chicagognosis]

The Master Jesus, more than just embodying a figure to worship or to follow, represents something very deep within our consciousness. This is why in our Gnostic studies we explain the physical personages of the past, from diverse religious traditions, came to represent principles. They lived in their flesh and bone a state of being that we need to cultivate. Therefore, Christ as the human individual represents in us the principle of the inner Christ, our inner divinity, that light which can shine within the depths of our very heart, to illumine the mistakes of our past and the state of our suffering.

Our focus today is to learn how to develop that principle in us, to understand what it means psychologically, and to know how to apply methods to develop greater insight in our daily life, especially in terms of how we approach problems, how we cultivate virtue, and also how we conquer vice.

We will learn how to awaken, develop, sustain, and expand the intelligence of the heart, the wisdom of the heart, the ability to understand, very deeply, how to negotiate and navigate the great crises that are afflicting our contemporary humanity.

We will also learn that the heart must learn to balance the mind if what we really seek is genuine peace.

[amor-madonna]

things that remind me of Certain Saints!!

𝑀𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑦

Silk

Blue Roses

Southern Europe

Pearl Jewerly

Dark grey clouds with the sun peeking out and its a mix of dark clouds and warm golden sky

Going to a new city with your Family

Forests

The Full Moon

Going to Catholic Church on a Sunny day.

This song ⬇️💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑀𝑎𝑔𝑑𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑒

Rose Water

Red Roses

Rain

Hippies

Feminists

Rubies

The Beach

Caves

Mugwort

Cloves

Nazar Jewerly

Lavender

Grapes

This Song ⬇️🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼

𝑆𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝐽𝑜𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝐴𝑟𝑐

Pop Rock Music

Silver

Diamonds

Daisies

Persian Cats

Red Ribbons

Tom & Jerry for sm reason?!?

Flappers

The Sea

White Candles

Doves

Sunflowers

Rue Sprigs

This song⬇️💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

🧿

[asinusrufus]

Morton Smith, Jesus the Magician.

[alchemical-adept]

Moses Erecting the Brazen Serpent by William Blake