Articles from Nexus Contributors
This post is uber-basic. Most of the quotes are very-well known ; (googling virtually any sentence in this post will yield a plethora of fine expositions), the only claim to originality bein... Read more
The second volume of Isis Unveiled, dealing with religion, although looser in structure, is nonetheless a sprawling, ambitious study in comparative religion. The first seven chapters mainly... Read more
Chapter 1 (The Church! Where is it?”) Christianity’s relation to Spiritualism and Paganism 1- Christianity’s attitude towards paganism and spiritualism (p.1) 2- Origin of Christian belief in... Read more
Chapter 9 Principles of Esoteric Evolution: Symbolism and Astrology in the Bible and the Vedas (The Vedas and the Bible) 1- Seven in Ancient Scriptures (405) Myth Interpretation 405/Seven in... Read more
Chapter 12 – Eastern Magic, Shamanism and Conclusion (Conclusions and Illustrations) This final chapter serves as a conclusion for both volumes, so there is a return to the more occult and p... Read more
Chapter 11– Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity Compared (Comparative Results of Buddhism and Christianity) This chapter is a concise comparative study of Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianit... Read more
Chapter 10 – The Origin and History of the Dogma of Satan (The Devil-Myth) We leave the historical and esoteric theology for a specialized critique of a specific Christian dogma, and so this... Read more
Chapter 9 Principles of Esoteric Evolution: Symbolism and Astrology in the Bible and the Vedas (The Vedas and the Bible) This chapter is another section of the spiritual evolutionary concept... Read more
Chapter Five – The Kabbalah and Comparative Religion (Mysteries of the Kabala) 1- Sefirots compared Sefiroths 212 / Hindu Cosmogony and Kabalah 214 / Sefiroths 215 / Genesis 216 / Ema... Read more
Chapter 8 – Jesuits, Templars, Rosicrucians, Masons, and the Lost Word (Jesuitry and Masonry) This chapter is an important statement about Blavatsky’s secret lodge of eastern adepts relation... Read more
Chapter 7 – Gnosticism, Early Christianity, Buddhism and the Secret Doctrine This chapter wraps up the historical survey of early Christianity and the pioneering study of the Ophite and Mand... Read more
Chapter 6 – Comparative Cosmology and Soul Evolution This is one of the more all-encompassing chapters in Isis where you have this sprawling overview of the main Theosophical concepts, cosmo... Read more
Chapter Five – The Kabbalah and Comparative Religion Chapter Five continues from the previous in presenting some ambitious comparative theology studies from an esoteric perspective wi... Read more
Chapter 1 (The Church! Where is it?”) Christianity’s relation to Spiritualism and Paganism 1- Christianity’s attitude towards paganism and spiritualism (p.1) The Church in the scientific era... Read more
Chapter 4 – Oriental Cosmogonies and Bible Records Chapter 4 continues the investigation of early Christianity and Gnosticism and introduces a bold plan of reforming theology by presenting a... Read more
3- Overview of Early Gnosticism in Relation to Nazarene Groups (Divisions Among the Early Christians) This chapter gives quite an intricate study of the origins of early Christianity from t... Read more
Chapter 2 – Christianity’s Relation to Pagan Practices; Pagan Mysteries compared to Christianity and Hinduism (Christian Crimes and Heathen Virtues) This lengthy chapter is quite a tour-de-f... Read more
Chapter 1 (The Church! Where is it?”) Christianity’s relation to Spiritualism and Paganism Not quite the epic, revolutionary, innovative manifesto that was volume one, volume two is mo... Read more
Preface – (v-viii) Before the Veil (x-xlv) Basic notions of ancient western philosophy, the importance of Platonism and its connection with Indian philosophy. The conflict between Science an... Read more
Isis Unveiled Vol. I is a remarkable work in many ways. It can serve as a basic primer in esoteric philosophy and the occult sciences. It also introduces new theosophical concept s of spiri... Read more
Chapter 11 – (Psychological and physical marvels) Esoteric Aspects of Embryology, the Will, and Imagination 1- Phenomena of Invulnerability (p.378) Impenetrable mesmeric astral fluid 378 / I... Read more
Chapter 15 – (India the cradle of the race) India, Atlantis and Eastern Magical Knowledge This final chapter completes the accounts of Atlantis begun in the previous chapter and caps off the... Read more
Chapter 14–(Egyptian Wisdom) Egypt, Atlantis and Sacred Architecture The last two chapters of volume one delve into archaeological and anthropological aspects, presenting the theosophical th... Read more
Chapter 13 (Realities and Illusion) The After-Life: After-Death Revival and Alchemy 1- The coherence of magic and alchemy (p. 461) Esoteric Science 461 / Esoteric and scientific formu... Read more
Chapter 12 – (The Impassable Chasm) The After-Life and Esoteric Aspects of Vampirism 1- Huxley and Tyndall on Modern Science (p. 417) Mind-matter relation 418 / Huxley’s materialism 4... Read more
Chapter 11 – (Psychological and physical marvels) Esoteric Aspects of Embryology, the Will, and Imagination Chapter’s 11-15 seem a little looser, not quite as cohesive as the previous chapte... Read more
I think chapters 5-10 are the heart of volume one. Chapters 11-15 deal with further interesting notions. Note also that each chapter has specific elements that contribute to a manifol... Read more
Chapter 10 – (The Inner and Outer Man) The Body/Soul relationship – Reincarnation, Elementals, Spiritualism This chapter follows from the previous in dealing with the mysteries of post-mort... Read more
Chapter 9 (Cyclical Phenomena) –The evolution of the soul , the after-life and Spiritualism This chapter embarks on the explanations of reincarnation and the after-life, which were later dev... Read more
Chapter 8 – (Some Mysteries of Nature) – Spiritual Aspects of Cosmology, Astronomy, and Astrology “This doctrine of God being the universal mind diffused through all things, unde... Read more
Chapter 7 Magnetism as Universal Force and source of Magic The title to this chapter (The Elements, Elementals, and Elementaries) is quite baffling to me; this chapter deals quite clearly wi... Read more
The title given for Chapter 6, ‘’ Psycho-Physical Phenomena’’ more or less indicates what this is about. However, it’s possible that there is more than just the grab-bag nature that this wou... Read more
Spirit, force, and matter, and their relation to creation and human evolution; the theory of the astral light in relation to practical magic and mesmerism, with examples from ancient compara... Read more
Chapter 5 is a very interesting chapter; chapters 5-10 are more akin to a basic theosophical textbook like Key or Ocean. Before we tackle those, let us recap what has been covered so far. Ho... Read more
Chapter 4 – (Theories Respecting Psychic Phenomena) – Religious and Scientific views regarding spiritualistic phenomena; some ancients myths compared Chapter four is quite tight and straight... Read more
The following is part of an essay that was composed in response to an article titled “The Question of G. de Purucker,” published at blavatskytheosophy.com. The full essay can be found here.... Read more
The following is part of an essay that was composed in response to an article titled “The Question of G. de Purucker,” published at blavatskytheosophy.com. The full essay can be found here.... Read more
The following is an example of a mystical hymn from the vedas. It has what appears to be a general surface meaning and clearly hints at a deeper meaning. Atharvaveda, Hymn 15:1—The Vrātya 1.... Read more
Chapter 3 (Blind Leaders of the Blind) – History of the reception of scientific discoveries and investigation of spiritual phenomena Throughout the chapter there is considerable intere... Read more
After the appropriate introductory sections, the next three chapters are quite focused and straightforward, the topic is clear, the segues are smooth and the there is a good balance of ancie... Read more
The following is part of an essay that was composed in response to an article titled “The Question of G. de Purucker,” published at blavatskytheosophy.com. The full essay can be found here.... Read more
The following is part of an essay that was composed in response to an article titled “The Question of G. de Purucker,” published at blavatskytheosophy.com. The full essay can be found here.... Read more
Here’s a taste of the profound and beautiful symbolism of the Rig Veda. Rig Veda, Maṇḍala 10, Hymn 90. Puruṣha. 1. A thousand heads hath Puruṣha, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet. | On... Read more
Chapter 1b – Concepts of Cycles Blavatsky’s theory of cyclical history is one of the more sophisticated ones to emerge in modern times and is beginning to elicit more serious at... Read more
Chapter 1 Magic, Sacred Mathematics and the Doctrine of Cycles The first chapter starts off with a bang (the title, “Old Things With New Names”, doesn’t tell you muc... Read more
The following is part of an essay that was composed in response to an article titled “The Question of G. de Purucker,” published at blavatskytheosophy.com. The full essay can be found here.... Read more
The following is part of an essay that was composed in response to an article titled “The Question of G. de Purucker,” published at blavatskytheosophy.com. The full essay can be found here.... Read more
The ‘Before the Veil’ section is a little unwieldly; it is kind of a thing unto itself but is quite interesting nonetheless and, although kind of jumpy, the purpose is clear – to... Read more
The preface, although somewhat intricate, is pretty straightforward and is actually something of a bold manifesto for social, religious and intellectual reform. She is essentially arguing ag... Read more
The following is part of an essay that was composed in response to an article titled “The Question of G. de Purucker,” published at blavatskytheosophy.com. The full essay can be found here.... Read more
Blavatsky’s Isis Unveiled was tremendously well-received at the time, an instant best-seller, a critical success, going through many reprintings and was the essential theosophical text... Read more
Special thanks to Samantha, Kristan, and Pierre for inspiring this post. When he is ready for this, and, further, to recognize in Atma the highest ruler in the world of perceptions, and in t... Read more
The following is part of an essay that was composed in response to an article titled “The Question of G. de Purucker,” published at blavatskytheosophy.com. The full essay can be found here.... Read more
The following is part of an essay that was composed in response to an article titled “The Question of G. de Purucker,” published at blavatskytheosophy.com. The full essay can be found here.... Read more
The Light that shines in the Darkness Capping off the eclipse season six days after the Lunar Eclipse, we arrive at the third cardinal station of the year, the Autumn Equinox, marking the ha... Read more
The following is part of an essay that was composed in response to an article titled “The Question of G. de Purucker,” published at blavatskytheosophy.com. The full essay can be... Read more
In the caves of Eastern Sibyl, what curious leaves lie hidden, or go whirling in the wind! written over with strange, hieroglyphic characters, not without deep meaning — akin to prophetic, —... Read more
special thanks to Peter and Pierre for suggesting this topic. The inner nature has a diet out of our thoughts and motives. If those are low or gross or selfish, it is equivalent to feeding t... Read more
Tests, Trials, and Tribulations With three T-Squares with Saturn, Mars, Pluto at the apexes all within 35% of each other, this looks to be a very intense eclipse, like Hercules having to fac... Read more
‘No Man is an Island’ No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as... Read more
Part 1 Confucious (551–479 BC) (Analects, II) 14. The Master said, A gentleman can see a question from all sides without bias. The small man is biased and can see a question from only one si... Read more
This will be an exploration of the Chinese term Tao through a breakdown of the traditional Chinese characters. Tao is a mysterious term, translated and understood in a variety of ways by hun... Read more
