This fine work is one of the most significant early works of the well-known Rudolf Steiner; one of the leaders of Theosophical thought before schisming from Annie Besants' faction and forming Anthroposophy. This text lists the steps of initiation in general and includes a fairly good autobiographical entry on Steiner himself, written by Edouard Schure. This inclusion is why I chose to edit from the second, rather than first, edition.
113 pages.
This fine work tells, briefly, the basic stories of both Krishna and Orpheus, analyzing them predominantly from the backdrop of the savior trope and the concept of the rise of solar religions in place of what were often older lunar styles of veneration and mystic practice. The stories themselves are intriguing, and the work briefly mentions (only in passing) a few of the many other figures which followed the same basic mythological trajectory.
108 pages.
This short text is a twofold effort; first, a few examples of actual Jewish folklore dating to the Middle Ages, and second, some various analysis of the subject itself and the same related tales, from an anthropological viewpoint. It should be noted that claims of King Arthur being a Jewish tale appear to be related to the upsurging Judaist class consciousness of the late 19th century.
34 pages.
This fine work comes from the Theosophist and general occult aficionado W.J. Colville. It speaks about mental focus, psychology, mediumship, dreams, and other topics, in a manner derived not just from Theosophy at large but in reference to Swedenborgs' mysticism, Christianity writ large, and Freemasonry. It has been fully illustrated by Raven Feather Illustrations.
143 pages.
This little work is one part philosophy, one part logic, and one part theology, creating propositions and arguments regarding the existence of, and nature of, an uncaused being or beings which crafted the universe. It oddly winds up proposing that polytheism is more sane than strict monotheism. A few of the arguments here involve scientific principles which have been displaced, such as the notion of an ether, and the electron within the atom as the smallest and undivided particle.
87 pages.
Kabbalah is one of the systems of mysticism which is of greatest interest to people, so I have completed several new works recently on the subject. Colville's edition, here, is a fairly broad one, ruminating on the mystic meaning of the Hebrew alphabet and number system, the Tree of Life, and other concepts within Jewish magical tradition. As Colville was associated with Theosophy and other orders, this book is a slightly Westernized but altogether coherent analysis of Kabbalah and its teachings.
127 pages.
This little text is a fine collection of marine and aquatic folklore and mythology- from the returning of Solomons' magic ring by a fish, to dietary restrictions in religion, to some superstition among fishermen and sailors. It is topped off by a rather odd short story in which a group of ocean creatures stage a marine exhibition, apparently a mild mockery of British oceanic science in the age. The work has been illustrated by Raven Feather Illustrations.
92 pages.
Most of the pagan mysteries are poorly described in literature. The Eleusinian Mysteries are perhaps the most well comprehended of the ancient traditions of the pagans, and this work describes both the greater and lesser mysteries, describing the usage of the ancient gods in literal but not immortal form, and some of the rituals surrounding initiation. The work has been fully illustrated as well, by Raven Feather Illustrations.
83 pages.
