Thursday, November 17, 2005

Hope for the World

An anonymous Christian Hermeticist wrote:

'Let us resign ourselves therefore to the great work of contributing constructively to tradition – the spiritual, Christian, Hermetic, scientific tradition. Let us thoroughly immerse ourselves in it, let us study it, let us practice it, lastly, let us cultivate it ie. let us work not to overthrow, but in order to build. Let us range ourselves amongst the builders of humankind’s spiritual tradition – and let us try to contribute to it. May the Holy Scriptures be holy for us; may the Sacraments be sacraments for us; may the hierarchy of spiritual authority be the hierarchy of authority for us …'

- Meditations on the Tarot

A book which into the emptiness of my soul brought more light and heart and healing, than I can ever tell you.

A book which into the soulless of the world brings the profoundest measure of soul …

A book which into a dumbed-down world brings the most lucid of intelligence …

A book which into a dehumanising world brings the warmest of humanity …

A book which into the demythologised, secularised Church of the intelligentsia so-called, brings Mystery and Faith …

A book which in a modern worldthirst for esoteric mysteries, brings not New Age esotericism, but Christian esotericism of the highest order …

A book of which Hans urs von Balthasar, nominated as a Cardinal by His Holiness John Paul II, agreed to write a foreword in which he wrote the following words:

'A thinking, praying Christian of unmistakable purity reveals to us the symbols of Christian Hermeticism in its various levels of mysticism, gnosis and magic, taking in also … certain elements of astrology and alchemy [seeking] to lead meditatively into the deeper, all-embracing wisdom of the Catholic Mystery.'

Yes, my friends, in weariness today, I have written more an advert than an entry. An advert not devoid of substance I hope, but like all adverts, with an agenda. But a good one, I think, which involves speaking plainly about what gives me hope for the world. And which goes to the heart of what I will be further unfolding here. For this isn't simply a book ...

4 comments:

Fred said...

it's a good book, my introduction, in many ways to Christian tradition.

Roger Buck said...

Thanks, Fred. I’m intrigued that you seem to be connected to Communion and Liberation. I recently started a *little reading about the movement – so far, it strikes me as an intelligent traditionalism, fired with real social compassion.

I’m intrigued that you also connect to MotT at the same time. Which as I say, for me, is far more than a book. I’m on my tenth reading now and its depth seems inexhaustible. As though a hundred books are contained within it, with more upon more upon more, opening out the deeper one goes. I feel its depths contain tremendous transformational power -and thus, as I say, hope for both individual and world.

But if I knew more about C and L, I wonder if I’d find another source of real hope. Again, I’m intrigued - by anyone who can embrace both of these worlds.

Fred said...

CL helps me to live what I have read about in MoT and the rest of Christian tradition, and to propose that tradition to others.

Guram Kochibrolashvili said...

Dear Mr. Buck,

I am a practising Russian Orthodox and at the same time I publish books on Christian Hermeticism. I myself once composed this term for my own use in order to specify a Christian spiritual path, based on the doctrines of the Orthodox Christianity where the believers make use of the breathing techniques of some ancient traditions like e.g. Kriya Yoga and Tao, adapted to the needs of the Christian way.
It is contrary to another spiritual phenomenon, which I would call ‘Hermetic Christianity’, where the practitioners try to make use of the spiritual gifts given to people by Christ following at the same time the pre-Christian spiritual ways.
Would you be interested to review the book on Christian Hermeticism by the Russian and the Dutch authors K. Serebrov and G. Gozalov, entitled ‘The 22 Mysteries of the Christian Path’?
I quote the foreword of the authors:
‘The principal spiritual experience from the times of the Old Testament is represented, amongst other forms, as 22 symbolical pictures, known as Arcana Taro. The comments on them are given the general name ‘Arcanology’.

The apostolic church has inherited its basic forms from the tradition of the Old Testament and has poured into them the contents of the New Testament. As Saint John the Forerunner says ‘For the law is given through Moses, while the blessing and the truth came through Jesus Christ.’ (John, 1,17). It can be seen in the seven-armed candlestick at the altar, in the way the holy Church Fathers commented and interpreted the psalms of the king and prophet David, and in other parts of the Christian tradition. This work of co-creation with God was started by the apostles and was continued by the holy Fathers, who have been creating the liturgies, prayer services, chants, canons, acathists, icons, exercises of inner praying. All of these contribute to the spiritual treasury of the Christian tradition, and especially of the Russian Orthodox tradition, which is the direct successor of the Byzantine tradition.
Thus, in the spirit of this creative work, and praying to the holy Fathers for help, we attempted to replenish the Major Arcana of Taro with new contents: the mysteries of the New Testament, given to people by Christ. It is a presentation of the Royal Path to find God inside the soul, which was accomplished by thousands and thousands of Christian ascetics, who have left us the description of their spiritual experiences. Their instructions form the basis of this book.
The whole of Arcana forms the ladder of 22 steps leading to heaven. Studying each Arcanum and mastering the practices of prayer and contemplation you climb one step higher. The prayer and contemplation exercises purify and elevate the soul and prepare it to become the temple of the living God.
The 22 Arcana, the 22 mysteries are divided into two categories.
The first four Arcana are the contemplative mysteries, as they explain where the Path starts and where it leads to. The rest of the Arcana are the active mysteries, as they explain in which way man can purify and elevate his soul. The essence of the Path is faithfulness towards God and praying and contemplative exercises, which make the soul crystal-clear and full of the fire of the Holy Spirit. A believer, following as far as possible the example of the holy Fathers, satiating his soul by the light of their teaching and performing prayer exercises, will be able to ascend the spiritual ladder to the Kingdom of Heaven. ‘Spiritual ladder’ in fact means that there will be growing in the soul of the believer the positive qualities, Christian virtues, until he or she will become worthy of the Heavenly Kingdom and will enter into it. ’

Awaiting your answer with interest,
With kind regards,

Guram Kochibrolashvili, publisher
Serebrov Boeken Publishing
van Beverningkstraat 40
2582 VJ The Hague
Holland
Tel. / Fax: +31 70 352 15 65
E-mail: serebrovboeken@planet.nl
Website: www.serebrovboeken.nl