Blog – Gerard Sczepura

Occultism: Theosophy

Welcome to another entry in my continuing series on the metaphysical or philosophical aspects of the occult. Technically, I have so far been addressing the esoteric as opposed to the practical aspects of the occult of which I plan to address eventually. This is the fifth entry in the series—but who’s counting?

Table of Contents

Preface

I must admit that I’ve never heard of theosophy until learning about the background of Gérard Anaclet Vincent Encausse, a.k.a., Papus. Papus founded the modern Martinist Order and was a member of the Theosophical Society but resigned shortly afterwards because he disliked the Society’s emphasis on Eastern occultism, namely Hinduism and Buddhism.

The Theosophical Society was founded in New York in 1875 by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and Henry Steel Olcott. Blavatsky became initiated by the “Masters of the Wisdom”¹ and her writings are quoted by Theosophists as Scripture.

Introduction

I’ve taken a different approach to the organization of this installment whereas in previous writings the sections are organized by topic but in this writing the sections are organized by author. Yes, there will be some overlap but each author’s style and topical emphases are somewhat unique. I’ve also decided to omit a separate section on Blavatsky’s writings since I felt her work deserved a separate installment.

According to Robert Ellwood: “[n]o philosophical or theological doctrine is mandated, not even a concept as fundamental to the ‘consensus’ as Oneness and the omnipresence of consciousness”² giving the impression that the society is a “big tent.” However, according to H. P. Blavatsky, Theosophists “will have nothing to do”³ with the God of the Christians which is a direct contradiction of statements made by Ellwood. H. P. Blavatsky goes on to say that the “God of theology…is a bundle of contradictions and a logical impossibility.”⁴ Therefore, the reader should be aware that many Theosophical writers freely quote Scripture and make reference to God and Jesus but not according to the tenets of biblical Christianity.

The Authors

The following sections should not be construed as providing an exhaustive study of all teachings on Theosophy either in the general sense or within each author’s writings.

Catherine W. Christie—Theosophy for Beginners

According to the prevailing consensus, the term theosophy, derived from the Greek theos (“god”) and sophia (“wisdom”), is generally understood to mean “divine wisdom.” Christie is emphatic about where this divine wisdom originated, that it was given by divine kings before the Genesis Flood and before Noah; hence the aforementioned Divine Wisdom declared to be the “Ancient Wisdom.”⁵

Compare the Theosophical theory of the Divine Kings with the narrative in the Book of Enoch which purports that certain ancient wisdom was given to men by rogue angels. (Enoch 8.1-2) Again, Christie proposes that these divine men were originally “godlike in appearance, and of great stature [giants], with a majesty born of purity, knowledge, power, and love…they were kings by nature, by divine right.”⁶ Theosophy teaches that after the kings departed, men and women abandoned their teachings and began to practice evil, thereby bringing about the great Flood.⁷ Personally, I tend to favor the Theosophical view over the Enochian view given the objections I presented in my Occultism: The Book of Enoch post.

As a side note, Christie points out that the lost continent of Atlantis was destroyed by the Genesis Flood.⁸

The 1993 film Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell can be viewed as an allegory for reincarnation. However, unlike reincarnation, Bill Murray’s character relives his same life again in the same body and on the same day in order for him to correct all his character faults and learn from his mistakes. Theosophical reincarnation teaches that “Your body is yours, not you”⁹ therefore, a reincarnated person forgets all previous lives since they will “get a new body, a new brain, a new mind, different parents and surroundings, and often a new religion.”¹⁰ So how does the reincarnated person know what he/she needs to correct or improve? The answer, according to Christie, is that “between every two lives we have a beautiful holiday in Devachan—Heaven—in which we think over all that happened while we lived in our last body. This makes us wiser, so that when we return, we have grown in many ways.”¹¹ Okay, but what does the Bible teach? Consider the following sobering verses:

Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.

In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.

And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’

But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.

‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’ (Luke 16:22-26 [NASB95])

There’s a saying that “you get what you deserve and deserve what you get,” which leads us to an introduction to Karma, “a Sanskrit word meaning action.”¹² And so it follows that every action has its consequences, that is, the “law of cause and effect”¹³ taken directly from the Hermetic Principle of Cause and Effect.¹⁴ Eventually, “the effects of our actions come back to us,”¹⁵ “what goes around comes around.” (For additional commentary on this principle or law, see my blog post on Hermetic Philosophy.)

In Christie’s discussion on Magic, she claims Jesus practiced “White Magic.”¹⁶

Christie asserts that Theosophy teaches that the constitution of man consists of four bodies: the physical, the astral, the mental, and the causal. (The physical body consists of both the natural body and the etheric double.)¹⁷ Not surprisingly, Christie incorrectly states that the Bible only mentions two bodies;¹⁸ however according to a well-known verse of Scripture, man consists of three bodies, if you will.

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Heb. 4:12 [NASB95])

From the above verse, we can see that man consists of soul, spirit, and flesh (physical). Obviously, the flesh or physical body dies; the soul departs either to Abraham’s Bosom or Hades depending on the spiritual condition of the person; the spirit stays attached to the soul of a regenerated person. Refer to my Modes of Salvation: Election post for additional discussion on regeneration.

Of the four Theosophical bodies, the causal seems to be the most difficult to understand. This is understandable since H. P. Blavatsky herself declared that the “complete and unveiled truth and reality of the matter”¹⁹ should not be disclosed to the general public. Even so, Robert Crosbie is quoted as saying, ‘Everything that occurs to us is within that [causal] body.’²⁰ Christie concludes with the affirmation that conscience being the “memory of past experiences.”²¹

The themes of the Astral Plane and Astral Travel have been adopted in popular music (“Legend of a Mind”) and in film (Insidious and A Nightmare on Elm Street). Christie confirms the concepts presented in the song and films suggested above:

We shall then at will leave our physical body asleep, even during the daytime, and go away to any part of the world in our astral body, and in that body visit the whole of the astral plane.²²

Christie elaborates even further on the reason for astral travel:

You are a spirit, so you cannot sleep. You never want to sleep, for you are never tired; but your physical body gets very tired, because it is an animal, therefore it needs rest and sleep, and, if you did not let it sleep, it would die. Now, it cannot sleep while you are in it, for you keep it awake; so when it needs a rest you quietly slip out of it, and use your astra body instead. [emphasis mine]²³

In the above quote, Christie claims that man’s physical body is that of an animal. So, just to be “fair and balanced;” I’ve included some Scriptures that appear to validate Christie’s claim:

I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? [emphasis mine] (Eccles. 3:18-21 [ESV])

In verse 18 of the above quote, King Solomon writes that God is testing the “children of man” to show that they are beasts—by nature in their fallen state. If man and beast were of the same flesh or species as it were, then He wouldn’t need to test them, would He? I won’t quote the usual verses from Genesis but to point out that God created all the animals before He created man (Adam and Eve). (Gen. 1:24-25 [NASB95]) Only man was created in God’s image and then given authority to rule over the animal kingdom. (Gen. 1:26 [NASB95])

I’ve heard many sermons where preachers, who deny the imputation of Adam’s sin, use 2 Samuel 12:23 to justify salvation by free will by attempting to show that there is an “age of accountability.” The sermons always stop short of declaring the actual age. Theosophy teaches something similar where the reincarnated soul doesn’t take full possession of its new body generally until seven years old.²⁴ In Judaism—the Oral Torah—the Bar Mitzvah for boys and Bat Mitzvah for girls happens at 12 and 13 years old respectively; these are the ages “when they become accountable for their religious lives.”²⁵

I’ll close out this section with some of Christie’s heretical and blasphemous quotes about God’s will, man’s ultimate destiny, thoughts, and reincarnation.

The will of man is part of the will of God. Your will is part of God’s will; and when you know that, are quite sure of it, you can make your future bodies, your future lives, what you will.²⁶

Thoughts are real things, made of mental matter.²⁷

Our final aim is Divinity: the becoming perfected human beings first, then joining the ranks of the Elder Brothers of Humanity, members of the Great White Lodge of Adepts, to grow in knowledge, compassion and power, till we are as gods and become one with God.²⁸

No teacher of Theosophy will try to terrify you with thoughts or threats of hell, if you choose to reject them…²⁹

L. W. Rogers—Elementary Theosophy

“I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another… (Isa. 42:8 [NASB95])

As far as Christianity is concerned, undoubtably, L. W. Rogers is the most hostile of all the writers included in this installment. Rogers is guilty of one of the most common mistakes made by those attempting to understand Scripture and that is to interpret parts of Scripture without taking into consideration the whole of Scripture.

Right from the get-go, Rogers argues for the proposition that man and God are “one eternal life;”³⁰ which is the basis for the Theosophical teaching on universal brotherhood. Furthermore, Rogers states that “This conception [emanation] makes man a part of God, having potentially within him all the attributes and powers of the Supreme Being.”³¹ Again, in another place he states that “The purpose of evolution, then, is clear. Man is a god in the making—not actually, but only potentially a god…”³² There was a time when a spirit being thought that he could be one with God; the “star of the morning, son of the dawn” (Isa. 14:12 [NASB95]) thought to himself “‘I will ascend to heaven…I will make myself like the Most High.’” (Isa. 14:13-14 [NASB95])

Leading up to his discussion on evolution, Rogers eloquently denies the entire Book of Genesis in a single sentence: “The immanence of God is a conception of the universe that puts science and religion into perfect harmony with each other because miraculous creation disappears and evolutionary creation takes its place.”³³ (Note that Kabbalah mirrors the Theosophical view of creation.³⁴

Rogers speaks of evolution as “settled science” exemplified in the following statements:

Evolution is an established and generally accepted fact. No educated person now thinks of questioning it. It is settled beyond dispute that all things in the physical world have become what they are through a long, slow, gradual evolution and that organisms the most perfect in form and most complex in function have evolved from simpler ones. The age of miracle has passed and belief in miracle has passed so far as its relation to the material world is concerned.³⁵

Does evolution act in reverse; that is, should knowledge acquired say six thousand years ago become lost? According to occult science the ancients knew of many of our modern discoveries such as the law of gravity, electricity, and gunpowder to name a few.³⁶

Rogers refers to the Hermetic Principle of Vibration a total of 15 times: “vibrations” 11 times and “vibration” 4 times.

Since reincarnation is a manifestation of evolution, Rogers, therefore, gives a pretty clear description of the path the soul takes after leaving Devachan (Heaven).³⁷

Stages	Plane	Man’s State
Death	Physical	Consciousness shifted
Purgative Process (Purgatory)³⁸ Astral Soul’s nature is “purged of its impurities”³⁹	Astral	Soul’s nature is “purged of its impurities”⁴⁰ 1. Soul is freed from grades of astral matter; higher levels of consciousness achieved 2. Physical body is lost 3. Astral body wears away; soul loses connection with the astral world 4. Consciousness shifted
Assimilation of Experience	Mental	Consciousness extracts the essence from life experiences Essence recovered for future ability and power Causal body acquires net gains from assimilation Mental, astral, and physical bodies dissipated
Causal Body	?	Mental, astral, and physical bodies perished Soul or ego then functions through the causal body Ego emanates forces outward; rebirth process initiated
Rebirth Process	?	Mental body formed
	Mental	Mental body assimilates matter from the lower mental plane
	Astral	New astral body secured
Formation Process	Physical	Another infant body possessed Rebirth

Table 1. Soul’s Evolution⁴¹

In discussing the Bible story of the “woman of Endor,”⁴² Rogers writes that he has “no intention of suggesting that it is always undesirable to communicate with those who have passed over…”⁴³ in clear violation of Deuteronomy 18:9-14.

In Chapter XI. “REBIRTH: ITS NECESSITY” of Rogers’ book, he goes on a tirade about the biblical teaching of predestination. I won’t debate him here but instead refer the reader to my blog post Modes of Salvation: Election.

Theosophy, just like all other non-Christian belief systems, denies the atoning work of Christ. As Rogers brazenly states: “…the old idea of special creation and special salvation fail to satisfy our sense of justice and of consistency.”⁴⁴ Rogers preaches that belief in a “vicarious atonement” is a way for people to avoid taking responsibility for their actions.⁴⁵ Again, according to the point I made at the beginning of this section, this being another example of someone interpreting Scripture verses without considering all of Scripture’s teaching.

This erroneous thinking on Christ’s atonement was anticipated in Scripture:

For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness… (1 Cor. 1:22-23 [NASB95])

I’d like to end this section on a positive note since I’ve been disagreeing with most everything Rogers has written. So, I agree with his position on luck as follows:

If by luck we mean chance, there is no such thing in this world. Chance means chaos and the absence of law…the universe is a stupendous proclamation of the all-pervading presence of law. It is a mighty panorama of cause and effect. There is no such thing as chance.⁴⁶

William Q. Judge—The Ocean of Theosophy

I claim no originality for this book. I invented none of it, discovered none of it, but have simply written that which I have been taught and which has been proved to me. It therefore is only a handing on of what has been known before.⁴⁷

Judge make a bold claim that he’s only written about what he has been taught and what has been proven to him. I’m not certain how a teaching such as reincarnation can be proved, at least in the conventional sense of the word; so this section on Judge’s writing should be interesting.

“Theosophy is a scientific religion and a religious science.”⁴⁸ So then, are we to believe that evolution is a scientific fact along with reincarnation, its handmaiden? Proponents of evolution are quick to point out antibiotic resistance in bacteria as observable proof of evolution.⁴⁹ Yes, but they are still bacteria.

Judge writes concerning the keepers of this ancient knowledge as “elder brothers.”⁵⁰ Judge describes these elder brothers as moving among ordinary men incognito or at other times coming out as “rulers of men, some teachers, a few great philosophers, while others remain still unknown except to the most advanced of the body.”⁵¹ Although Judge doesn’t explicitly name any of the elder brothers, I’m sure he would include Marx and Darwin as elder brothers.

Compare Judge’s teachings on the elder brothers to the Kabbalistic writings of Christian D. Ginsburg who taught that a theosophic school was formed in Paradise by God for a select company of angels.⁵²

Judge introduces the “elemental beings”⁵³ who “can be communicated with and thus can tell why the rain falls and what it falls for, whether the earth is hollow not…which implies a knowledge of the very foundation of nature…”⁵⁴ This Theosophical teaching closely aligns with the notion of the Elementals in the film The Chronicles of Riddick who are “’a race that calculates the balance of the universe and works to preserve that balance by any and all means, though always with a neutral eye.’”⁵⁵

The “cyclic law” is mentioned by Judge to describe the disappearance and reappearance of the “true philosophy” in the “history of the mind,”⁵⁶ a teaching taken directly from Hermeticism.⁵⁷

Not unlike Rogers, Judge wastes no time displaying his contempt towards Western culture and the Mosaic tradition while repeatedly exposing his bias towards “Orientals”⁵⁸ illustrated by the following quotes:

It is admitted that Egyptian civilization flourished many centuries ago…and perhaps because the Jews ‘came out of Egypt’ to fasten the Mosaic misunderstood tradition upon modern progress…the ignorant monks and theologians of Asia Minor and Europe succeeded in imposing the Mosaic account of the genesis of earth and man upon the coming western evolution…the Theosophist knows why the Hebraic tradition came to be thus an apparent drag on the mind of the West; he knows the connection between Jew and Egyptian…⁵⁹

Is it any surprise that Papus resigned from the Theosophical Society since he associates the ancient knowledge with the Egyptian Initiates.⁶⁰

Judge rejects the biblical exoteric teaching of Adam being the first man created by God; but instead takes a Kabbalist esoteric view that the “kings of Edom” preceded Adam and that “previous worlds and creations” were taught by “early Christian fathers.”⁶¹

Within Judge’s discourse on evolution, he makes an utterly false statement that around God’s “pavilion there is darkness.” I’m assuming Judge uses pavilion to mean throne. The following is what the Bible really says:

Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne.

And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance.

Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads.

Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God;

and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. (Rev. 4:2-6 [NASB95])

In Judge’s continuing discourse on evolution, he declares:

The passions and desires [Kama] are not produced by the body, but, on the contrary, the body is caused to be by the former. It is desire and passion which caused us to be born, and will bring us to birth again and again in this body or in some other. It is by passion and desire we are made to evolve through the mansions of death called lives on earth.⁶²

Again, another Theosophical teaching directly in opposition with biblical teaching:

For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error,

promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved. (2 Pet. 18-19 [NASB95])

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2. 16-17 [NASB95])

Evolution and reincarnation permeate almost every chapter of Judge’s book, since these are the bedrock teachings of Theosophy. However, in his first chapter on reincarnation he makes many more blasphemous and heretical statements concerning God’s purposes, God’s nature, man’s soul, and sin: “…religion offers an explanation both illogical and unmeaning and acceptable but to the bigot, as it requires us to consider the whole of Nature as a mystery and to seek for the meaning and purpose of life with all its sorrow in the pleasure of God who cannot be found out.”⁶³ Really? What does he think the 66 books in the Protestant Bible are for?

I’m fully aware that quoting Bible verses to a person such as William Q. Judge is most likely futile since he believes that “The educated and enquiring mind knows that dogmatic religion can only give an answer invented by man while it pretends to be from God.”⁶⁴ So, is his statement that “evolution carried to its highest power…makes of man a god…”⁶⁵ blasphemous or not?

Judge, like many other writers, loves to take Scripture verses out of context and neglects to consider the whole of Scripture when he attempts to explain difficult verses. Judge uses Matthew 17:1-13 to demonstrate that Jesus not only “assented to” but approved the doctrine of reincarnation.⁶⁶ I won’t attempt to debate Judge’s points here because this installment is long enough already, but I will quote two short verses to put this matter to rest, once and for all.

And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. [emphasis mine] (Heb. 9:27-28 [NASB95])

Judge, as with other Theosophical writers, never tires of attempting to prove evolution and reincarnation through reason. His final attempt at this, more or less, is to question God’s motives concerning life and the universe when he states: “To say that we have one life here…is to make the universe and life a huge and cruel joke perpetrated by a powerful God…playing with puny man just because that man is small and the creature of the Almighty.”⁶⁷ All Theosophists should read the Book of Job before accusing God; otherwise, they should continue believing that “[w]ith reincarnation the doctrine of karma explains the misery and suffering of the world…”⁶⁸ therefore, “…it is only because that mankind has ever shut its eyes to the great truth that man is himself his own savior as his own destroyer.”⁶⁹

It matters not how strait the gate,
   How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
   I am the captain of my soul.⁷⁰

Robert Ellwood—Theosophy: A Modern Expression of the Wisdom of the Ages

Robert Ellwood, in his work Theosophy: A Modern Expression of the Wisdom of the Ages, states that his book was intended more as a “summary of teaching in the Blavatsky tradition as it has developed in the Theosophical Society headquartered at Adyar, Madras India.”⁷¹ Ellwood includes many quotes throughout his book from the writings of H. P. Blavatsky.

Ellwood also states quite emphatically that “there are no ‘required dogmas’ in theosophy.”⁷² I believe that Ellwood’s statement is somewhat of a misinterpretation of Theosophy given the considerable emphasis other writers place on evolution and reincarnation.

Elwood rejects the #1 principle of Hermeticism which is “THE ALL is MIND; the universe is mental”⁷³ when he declares that “theosophy is not some form of metaphysical idealism or mentalism which says that consciousness is prior to matter…[b]ut that matter in some form is always present…”⁷⁴ Hermeticism teaches that “all the phenomenal world or universe is simply a Mental Creation of THE ALL subject to the Laws of Created Things…”⁷⁵

Despite the fact that the traditional writing seems to emphasize Masters [Rogers refers to them as elder brothers] who appear in masculine guise, authors like Leadbeater also stress that the hierarchy has a feminine side. There is a World Mother, who incarnated as the Virgin Mary, and the higher entities embrace both masculine and feminine powers, who, like the universe itself, are beyond gender as we know it.⁷⁶

For an additional discussion on gender, see my post on Hermeticism where I apply the Principle of Vibration to the question of gender identity.

In order to illustrate the path a spirit or soul travels through on their “pilgrimage”⁷⁷ through Involution, successively denser matter, to Evolution, successively refined matter, Ellwood presents a V-Model, if you will, to express the soul’s journey through various states of matter.⁷⁸ I’ve attempted to transpose Ellwood’s model into the table below.

Planes (states of matter)	Seven Worlds (Globes)	Involution↓	Evolution↑
Being Wisdom
Mind		↓	↑
Intuitive Existence	(1)	↓
Mental Existence	(2)	↓
Feeling Existence	(3)	↓
Intuitive Existence	(7)		↑
Mental Existence	(6)		↑
Feeling Existence	(5)		↑
Physical Existence	(4)

Table 2. The Seven Globes⁷⁹

Rogers and Ellwood both provide detailed explanations of man’s evolutionary process confirming the importance the teaching is to Theosophical belief.

Ellwood goes to great lengths in his book to describe the origin of the races which he refers to as “Root Races…seven in number.”⁸⁰ I’m not going to elaborate on these except to extract a few tidbits that I found interesting since I provided an exoteric discussion of this topic in my World War II Reconsidered page.

According to Ellwood, “The Fourth Root Race is the Atlantean, a name derived from the celebrated lost continent of Atlantis.”⁸¹ Ellwood also points out that according to Blavatsky, Atlantis wasn’t just a single location but were several areas across the earth.⁸² “Those who departed Atlantis…became the nucleus of the Fifth Root Race, the Aryan.”⁸³

Ellwood ties in the origin of races with reincarnation with the statement that “traditional theosophical doctrine holds each individual self has been incarnated several times not only in each Root Race but in each of the forty-nine subdivisions…”⁸⁴ Henceforth the doctrine of the “universal brotherhood”⁸⁵ of man.

In discussing the theosophical conceptual framework of human nature, Ellwood references a “higher part comprised of the Trinity [essence, consciousness, and mind] itself…indwells and…activates or inspires the ordinary mind, feeling, and physical operation of the lower selves, yet does not participate directly in them.” [emphasis mine]⁸⁶ Grasping the meaning of this statement is a prerequisite for understanding the following confusing quote:

Because the causal body subsumes and gives rise to the physical form, feelings, memory, and ordinary mind, these features are not carried over from one life to another. We do not, therefore, usually remember things from previous lives…⁸⁷

Ellwood includes Jesus in the list of “public work” Masters along with Buddha and Krishna.⁸⁸

Theosophists like to quote Scripture for their own purposes. For example, Ellwood uses Jesus’ statement to Peter in Matthew 16:23 to deceive the reader into believing that Jesus denied being given the title “Son of God”⁸⁹ The following are the correct verses which gives the account of how Jesus responded to Peter’s claim:

He [Jesus] said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’

Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’

And Jesus said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.’ (Matt. 16:15-17 [NASB95])

Nowhere do the Theosophical doctrines deviate more from the teachings of traditional biblical Christianity than the “problem of evil”⁹⁰ as stated by Ellwood. Ellwood proceeds to list all the “theosophical explanations”⁹¹ for the problem of or existence of evil but none of those explanations include sin. The following quotes should give the reader all they need to know…but there’s more.

For though the theosophical explanations are several, it is worth noting what they leave out. “None display the defiant personal antagonism in rebellion against the personal patriarchal Father-God of Western monotheism…” [emphasis mine]⁹²

Ellwood, in his list of explanations, includes a section on “Jehovah-Satan”⁹³ who he argues are the same since “[i]n this context, Jehovah is to be distinguished from God as the Infinite Reality…⁹⁴

They all contain spiritual truth and the power that goes with it. Better, they all hold the power to open up one’s inner awareness of ‘God and immortal spirit.’ Yet they must all be approached critically and without arrogating the claims of one over all others, for they all contain that treasure in earthen vessels.⁹⁵

Taken as a whole, the doctrine of Theosophy clearly purports that all religions and beliefs can lead to God; or as the saying goes, “all roads lead to heaven.”

I’ll close out this section with some Scripture verses that no Theosophist would quote to explain man’s fallen condition.

…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God… (Rom. 8:23 [NASB95])

But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed… (Rom. 6:17 [NASB95])

In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes. (Judg. 17:6 [NASB95])

Wrap Up and Next Steps

First of all, congratulations to any reader who made it all the way to the end of this installment. I know this was a long entry since most of these philosophical topics are not only broad but deep. Even so, in order to keep the length somewhat reasonable, I had to omit many aspects of each authors’ writings.

Based on each authors’ statements as quoted in this installment, it’s clear that Theosophy is not only antagonistic but outright hostile towards biblical Christianity. Nevertheless, their teachings on evolution and reincarnation were interesting enough that I provided extra coverage for both topics.

Ellwood writes that there’s a “path” a person should take in life that rests on “knowing and doing.”⁹⁶ Jesus also mentioned a way:

‘Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.

‘For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.’ (Matt. 7:13-14 [NASB95])

Could Jesus be describing Theosophy as a broad path? Undoubtably. Which path are you on?

Coming up next, Freemasonry.

Robert Ellwood, Theosophy: A Modern Expression of the Wisdom of the Ages, (Theosophical Publishing House, Wheaton, IL, 1986), 212. ↩
Ellwood, Theosophy: A Modern Expression, 22. ↩
Blavatsky, H.P. (2015). The Key to Theosophy. Editorial Board of Theosophy Trust (Ed.), Theosophy —The Wisdom Religion (pp. 152-155). Norfolk, VA: Theosophy Trust Books. {Original work published 1889} ↩
Blavatsky, 1889/2015, p. 152. ↩
Catherine W. Christie, Theosophy for Beginners, (Square Circles Publishing, Pahrump, Nevada, 2016), 3. ↩
Christie, Theosophy for Beginners, 1. ↩
Christie, Theosophy for Beginners, 2. ↩
Christie, Theosophy for Beginners, 2. ↩
Christie, Theosophy for Beginners, 13. ↩
Christie, Theosophy for Beginners, 11. ↩
Christie, Theosophy for Beginners, 11. ↩
Christie, Theosophy for Beginners, 14-15. ↩
Christie, Theosophy for Beginners, 15. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion: Centenary Edition, (Tarcher, New York, 2018), 23. ↩
Christie, Theosophy for Beginners, 15. ↩
Christie, Theosophy for Beginners, 34. ↩
Christie, Theosophy for Beginners, 36, 54. ↩
Christie, Theosophy for Beginners, 36. ↩
Theosophy, “What Is The Causal Body,” BlavatskyTheosophy.com, https://blavatskytheosophy.com/what-is-the-causal-body/. ↩
Theosophy, “What Is The Causal Body.” ↩
Christie, Theosophy for Beginners, 44. ↩
Christie, Theosophy for Beginners, 37. ↩
Christie, Theosophy for Beginners, 46. ↩
Christie, Theosophy for Beginners, 80. ↩
Daniel R., “Is Bar/Bat Mitzvah In The Bible Or Torah?,” Best Mitzvahs, https://bestmitzvahs.com/is-bar-bat-mitzvah-in-the-bible-or-torah/. ↩
Christie, Theosophy for Beginners, 84. ↩
Christie, Theosophy for Beginners, 89. ↩
Christie, Theosophy for Beginners, 107. ↩
Christie, Theosophy for Beginners, 108. ↩
L. W. Rogers, Elementary Theosophy, (p. 5), Kindle Edition. ↩
Rogers, Elementary Theosophy, 5. ↩
Rogers, Elementary Theosophy, 60. ↩
Rogers, Elementary Theosophy, 5. ↩
Gerard Sczepura, “Occultism: Kabbalah; Jewish Cosmology,” Theological Ruminations (blog), August 15, 2026, https://gerardsczepura.com/myblog/occultism-kabbalah-jewish-cosmology/. ↩
Rogers, Elementary Theosophy, 8-9. ↩
Gerard Sczepura, “Occultism: Occult Science,” Theological Ruminations (blog), April 30, 2026, https://gerardsczepura.com/myblog/occultism-occult-science/. ↩
Rogers, Elementary Theosophy, 55. ↩
Rogers, Elementary Theosophy, 34. ↩
Rogers, Elementary Theosophy, 35. ↩
Rogers, Elementary Theosophy, 35. ↩
Rogers, Elementary Theosophy, 55-56. ↩
Rogers, Elementary Theosophy, 44. ↩
Rogers, Elementary Theosophy, 44. ↩
Rogers, Elementary Theosophy, 91. ↩
Rogers, Elementary Theosophy, 92. ↩
Rogers, Elementary Theosophy, 100. ↩
William Q. Judge, The Ocean of Theosophy, (Independently published, 2025), 3. ↩
Judge, Ocean of Theosophy, 4. ↩
Biology Inisghts, “Is Evolution a Fact or a Theory?,” biologyinsights.com, https://biologyinsights.com/is-evolution-a-fact-or-a-theory/. ↩
Judge, Ocean of Theosophy, 5. ↩
Judge, Ocean of Theosophy, 6. ↩
Christian D. Ginsburg, LL.D., THE KABBALAH: Its Doctrines, Development, and Literature, Second Impression. (GEORGE ROUTLEDGE & SONS, 1920), (p. 25), PDF Edition. ↩
Judge, Ocean of Theosophy, 6. ↩
Judge, Ocean of Theosophy, 6. ↩
Riddick Wiki, “Elementals,” riddick.fandom.com, https://riddick.fandom.com/wiki/Riddick_Wiki. ↩
Judge, Ocean of Theosophy, 8. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 21. ↩
Judge, Ocean of Theosophy, 16. ↩
Judge, Ocean of Theosophy, 16. ↩
Papus (Dr. Gérard Encausse), Elementary Treatise of Occult Science: Understanding the Theories & Symbols Used by the Ancients, the Alchemists, the Astrologers, the Freemasons & the Kabbalists, trans. Mark Anthony Mikituk (Llewellyn Publications, 2018), 5. ↩
Judge, Ocean of Theosophy, 17. ↩
Judge, Ocean of Theosophy, 39. ↩
Judge, Ocean of Theosophy, 52. ↩
Judge, Ocean of Theosophy, 52. ↩
Judge, Ocean of Theosophy, 52. ↩
Judge, Ocean of Theosophy, 54. ↩
Judge, Ocean of Theosophy, 70. ↩
Judge, Ocean of Theosophy, 81. ↩
Judge, Ocean of Theosophy, 82. ↩
William Ernest Henley, "Invictus" from Poems (London: Macmillan and Co., 1920): 83-84. Public domain. ↩
Robert Ellwood, Theosophy: A Modern Expression of the Wisdom of the Ages, (Theosophical Publishing House, Wheaton, IL, 1986), x. ↩
Ellwood, Theosophy: A Modern Expression, x. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 15. ↩
Ellwood, Theosophy: A Modern Expression, 28. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 15. ↩
Ellwood, Theosophy: A Modern Expression, 53. ↩
Ellwood, Theosophy: A Modern Expression, 67. ↩
Ellwood, Theosophy: A Modern Expression, 71. ↩
Ellwood, Theosophy: A Modern Expression, 71. ↩
Ellwood, Theosophy: A Modern Expression, 88. ↩
Ellwood, Theosophy: A Modern Expression, 91. ↩
Ellwood, Theosophy: A Modern Expression, 91. ↩
Ellwood, Theosophy: A Modern Expression, 93. ↩
Ellwood, Theosophy: A Modern Expression, 98. ↩
Rogers, Elementary Theosophy, 6. ↩
Ellwood, Theosophy: A Modern Expression, 105. ↩
Ellwood, Theosophy: A Modern Expression, 106. ↩
Ellwood, Theosophy: A Modern Expression, 139. ↩
Ellwood, Theosophy: A Modern Expression, 141. ↩
Ellwood, Theosophy: A Modern Expression, 149. ↩
Ellwood, Theosophy: A Modern Expression, 149. ↩
Ellwood, Theosophy: A Modern Expression, 149. ↩
Ellwood, Theosophy: A Modern Expression, 160. ↩
Ellwood, Theosophy: A Modern Expression, 160. ↩
Ellwood, Theosophy: A Modern Expression, 187-188. ↩
Ellwood, Theosophy: A Modern Expression, 120. ↩

Occultism: Kabbalah; Jewish Cosmology

Welcome to my fourth installment in a series on Occultism. Having been exposed to different religious traditions since youth, including Roman Catholicism and later biblical Christianity, I thought understanding Jewish Mysticism, as presented in the Kabbalah, would be somewhat easy and straightforward…I was wrong.

Table of Contents

Preface

A long time ago while working on-site at Kennedy Space Center during the J-BOSC or possibly IMCS contract, an email came out with an open invitation to attend a Kabbalah presentation in the KSC Training Auditorium—attendance being off-the-clock of course. I don’t remember any details of the presentation only that the presenter was a practitioner…a true believer. After the lecture, he handed out a Special Pocket-Sized Edition of The Holy Zohar donated by The Kabbalah Centre in North Miami Beach, FL. To my surprise, other than a few introductory pages in English, the content was in Hebrew. This suppressed my interest until recently.

Introduction

I titled this installment Kabbalah; Jewish Cosmology instead of just Kabbalah because I wanted to indicate that I was narrowing the scope of this installment to a discussion on fundamental concepts such as the nature of Divinity, creation, the broken world, and the role of man in the cosmos. I’ve also included sections on Terminology and a Brief History.

It’s not uncommon to hear the adjective “Judeo-Christian” used when describing a system of values and/or beliefs based on the Bible, Ten Commandments, and Judaism. I would argue that that adjective is only used in a very narrow sense since Kabbalistic writings strongly influenced how the Torah, the Five Books of Moses, is interpreted—”Kabbala is the truth of the Torah and its mitzvot.”¹ That is, Judaism interprets the Torah using metaphors² to uncover its ‘esoteric’ or ‘inner’ meaning while biblical Christianity interprets the Scripture’s ‘exoteric’ or outer meaning.³ Put another way, the exoteric interpretation understands that God, through Scripture, meant what He said and said what He meant.

Again, the Chabad.org website affirms “The only way to grasp every single nuance of Torah, however, is through the prophetic wisdom that is contained in Kabbala.”⁴

Terminology

The following terms and definitions, in no particular order, were taken almost exclusively from the Chabad.org website.

Torah — The Five Books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy
Tanakh — The Holy Scriptures: Torah (The Five Books of Moses), Nevi’im (The Prophets), and Kethuvim (The Writings)
Talmud — the basic compendium of Jewish law and thought
Midrash — the classical collection of the Sages’ homiletic teachings on the Torah, on the non-literal level of derush (a method of exposition of scriptural verses in Jewish tradition)
Mashiach — Messiah
Mitzvah — One of the 613 Torah’s Divine commandments
Mitzvot — The 613 commandments given by God in the Torah, forming the foundation of Jewish law and practice
Halakhah — Lit. “the pathway,” the body of Jewish law
Kabbalah Iyunit — Contemplative Kabbalah; “…a descriptive ‘anatomy’ of the divine reality.”
Sefirot — Divine attributes or emanations
Seder Hishtalshelut — (Chassidic term; lit. “order of evolution”); the chainlike progression of spiritual worlds; the spiritual cosmos
Rabbi Isaac Luria — Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534-1572), also known by the acronym ‘Ari’ or ‘Arizal.’ One of the greatest kabbalists of all times, founded a new school in Kabbalah – the so-called “Lurianic Kabbalah” – which is the basis of almost all mystical works that followed him
Zohar — the classic text of the Kabbalah; compiled by 2nd century Mishnaic sage Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai

Brief History

The term Kabbalah “literally means ‘reception’ or ‘that which has been received.’”⁵ According to an article on the Chabad.org website, the Kabbalah was revealed to Moses at Sinai implying equal authority with the Torah.⁶

Christian D. Ginsburg elaborates on the origin story as follows:

The Kabbalah was first taught by God himself to a select company of angels, who formed a theosophic school in Paradise. After the fall the angels most graciously communicated this heavenly doctrine to the disobedient child [sic] of earth, to furnish the protoplasts with the means of returning to their pristine nobility and felicity.⁷

Rabbi Isaac Luria taught that “It [Kabbalah] is not a knowledge that can be attained through the finite quality of the letters, but a perception that must be ‘received’ from a master who himself received from one before him. The perception of the esoteric tradition is then a merging of spirits with the Divine which, by its very essence, cannot be condensed into letters.”⁸ As shown in the above references, Kabbalah was an oral tradition initially passed from God to the patriarchs, the prophets, and the initiated.⁹

The idea of Kabbala, then, is to become completely infused with Torah and to connect with it on every possible level. Without Kabbala, a person could understand Torah on a number of levels. The only way to grasp every single nuance of Torah, however, is through the prophetic wisdom that is contained in Kabbala.¹⁰

The Kabbalah, the ‘decoder’¹¹ of the Torah, wasn’t written down until “Rav Shimon bar Yochai was granted Divine permission to share its ancient secrets in written form.”¹² Sources indicate his Kabbalistic teachings were first written down as the Zohar in the 2^nd or 3^rd century CE.

Infinite Divinity

The Kybalion, a Hermetic philosophy book, teaches that THE ALL, which is the “Substantial Reality”¹³ underlying the material universe, is “SPIRIT which in itself is UNKNOWABLE and UNDEFINABLE;”¹⁴ a UNIVERSAL, INFINITE, LIVING MIND. Compare this description of THE ALL with the Kabbalistic notion of Ein Sof as “absolute divine reality;”¹⁵ literally “’without end’ or ‘without limit.’”¹⁶ As evident in the previous definitions, both THE ALL and Ein Sof are remarkably similar.

Kabbalah has an interesting take on the “Shema”¹⁷ as written in Deuteronomy chapter 6, verse 4: “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!” (Deut. 6:4 [NASB95]) as follows:

There is one infinite creator, the cause of causes and the maker of all. He is not one in a numerical sense — since He is not subject to change, definition or multiplicity. He is one in that the number one signifies an independent unit and is the basis of all numbers; the number one is also contained in all numbers. Similarly, the Creator is actually within everything, and everything is within Him. He is the beginning and cause of everything. The Creator does not change, and therefore one cannot add or subtract from Him.¹⁸

In the above quote, the phrase: “the number one is also contained in all numbers” sounds very similar to the “formula of the ancient alchemist (everything is in everything)”¹⁹ and further expounded on by theosophical calculations.²⁰

In a previous blog post, I proposed a rationale for the Christian Godhead using object orientation concepts, that is, by using objects and classes. I proposed the Godhead as a superclass which encapsulates the Divine attributes, in Christian terms, which are also shared by both Ein Sof and THE ALL being Everlasting, Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent.²¹ I challenge the reader to consider that my somewhat mystical interpretation coincides nicely with the literal meaning of Ein Sof as being “’without end’ or ‘without limit’.”²² Furthermore, I suggest that the Godhead superclass represents the Kabbalistic notion of Ein Sof and the YHVH instantiation of the Father class²³ represents the Kabbalistic notion of “Or Ein Sof.”²⁴

In Kabbalistic cosmology, the mode by which Ein Sof becomes immanent in creation is through the “Light of the Infinite” known as Or Ein Sof²⁵ Christianity provides a different explanation for God’s mode of interacting with creation and that is by the expression “The Word of the LORD” found throughout the Tanakh and the expression “The Word of the Lord” throughout the Christian Bible. It’s no surprise that the matter is settled for Christians given the following verses written by the Apostle John who later in his epistle, declares that the “Word became flesh” (John 1:14-17 [NASB95]) in the person of Jesus.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (John 1:1-5 [NASB95])

In only five concise verses, the Apostle John completely refutes any Kabbalistic metaphors used to rationalize the “medium through which the absolutely transcendent [God] begins to become immanent.”²⁶ In biblical Christianity, God is immanent in creation through the person of the Holy Spirit.

Am I only a God near at hand

—says the LORD—

And not a God far away?
If a man enters a hiding place,
Do I not see him?

—says the LORD.

For I fill both heaven and earth

—declares the LORD. (Jer. 23:23-24 [NJPS])

Tzimtzum and Creation

In the Bible, Genesis states that “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1 [NASB95]) which is the exoteric interpretation of creation. However, this did not satisfy the Kabbalists so the esoteric theory of Tzimtzum was concocted which states, in part, that since God is infinite and fills all things, He had to compress or constrict himself so that unused space could be made available to contain His finite creation.²⁷ And, according to Berraquero in his book Kabbalah: The Mystical Tradition of Judaism, the theory of Tzimtzum was a revolutionary concept for the Kabbalists—and for everyone else I suspect. Berraquero provides the following background on the theory:

The Tzimtzum—literally ‘contraction’ or ‘constriction’—is arguably the most original and revolutionary doctrine of all Lurianic Kabbalah. Introduced by Isaac Luria in the 16th century and recorded by his disciple Chaim Vital, this teaching completely transformed Kabbalistic understanding of creation. Where earlier Kabbalists spoke of emanation—light flowing from God—Luria spoke first of retraction: God withdrawing, making space, concealing Himself.²⁸

First of all, I have a problem with the notion that God had to constrict Himself in order to create the finite world. Where does the idea come from that since God is infinite, He can’t create something finite? Doesn’t the Scripture teach “Is anything too wondrous for the LORD?” (Gen. 18:14 [NJPS]) Technically, the material creation was originally intended to be infinite; but became finite after the curse was pronounced by God after Adam’s sin. (Gen. 3:14-24 [NJPS])

I believe the Hermetic Principles of Mentalism and Correspondence provide a more judicious, though still mystical and esoteric, explanation for “The Paradox of the Infinite and the Finite.”²⁹ The Principle of Mentalism teaches that THE ALL (God) is Spirit and that all the phenomenal world is a mental creation of THE ALL;³⁰ while the Principle of Correspondence teaches that “there is harmony, agreement, and correspondence between the several planes of Manifestation, Life, and Being.” [emphasis mine]³¹ The Kybalion identifies “three great classes of phenomena known as the “Three Great Planes”³² which are the Physical, Mental, and Spiritual as expected.³³

Oddly enough, the following article on Chabad.org closely mirrors the Hermetic philosophy of the planes:

Kabbalah Iyunit has thus been characterized as a descriptive ‘anatomy’ of the divine reality. Kabbalah is concerned with the technical identities and ‘locations’ of, and relationships between, the worlds (planes of reality), the sefirot (divine emanations), and the order in which they evolve from one another and affect one another in the vast chain of being, known in Kabbalah as the seder hishtalshelut–the process by which divine energy (or ‘light’, in kabbalistic terminology) devolves from higher spiritual planes to lower ones, eventually to become manifest in this physical plane of existence.³⁴

One final note on creation, Kabbalah teaches that “The universe is not a single creation in the past but continuous creation in every moment…” Contrast that with the precise statement in Genesis which states:

Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. [emphasis mine] (Gen. 2:1-2 [NASB95])

The reading in the Tanakh is similar to the NASB but replaces “completed” with “finished.” (Gen. 2:1-2 [NJPS])

The Broken World

As pointed out in the previous section, the world became broken or finite because of Adam’s transgression in the Garden of Eden. (Gen. 3:22-24 [NASB95]) Again, this exoteric understanding of the Fall of Man and its consequences as revealed in Genesis was given an esoteric interpretation in the “Lurianic Kabbala”³⁵ as follows:

Shevirat HaKelim (Breaking of the Vessels): When God projected divine light into the empty space to form the Sefirot, the ‘vessels’ destined to contain this light could not withstand its intensity and broke, scattering sparks of sacred light that fell and mixed with fragments of the broken vessels, forming the klipot (shells) of evil. This cosmic catastrophe explains both the existence of evil and the world’s imperfection.³⁶

Humanity’s relation to or involvement with the scattered sparks and broken vessels is discussed directly in the next section.

Tikkun and Humanity’s Task

Unless you were living under a rock in the 1970s and 80s you couldn’t avoid being bombarded with apocalyptic, end-time messaging over the radio, in movies, in books, and in church sermons. I think we have all heard about the two end-time events preceding Jesus’ return, the rapture and tribulation. In Christianity, the world keeps getting worse and worse until Jesus returns to establish His kingdom; but in Judaism, Mashiach returns after the world has achieved “Tikkun (repair)”³⁷ by humans performing “mitzvot with appropriate intention, [which] is to elevate the fallen sparks, rescuing them from their captivity in the klipot [shells of evil] and returning them to their divine source.”³⁸

I believe an article from the Chabad.org website sums up this concept perfectly:

Through the practice of Torah and mitzvot, the will to receive is eventually transformed into the will to give. Then the souls are able to receive all the Good that is implicit in the thought of Creation. With this, they merit to a wondrous unity with G-d, since they have earned affinity of form with their Creator through their work in Torah and mitzvot. This state is designated as the end of the healing process.³⁹

Wrap Up and Next Steps

I’ve heard pastors refer to the Shekinah glory in sermons not realizing that the word “Shekinah” is not in the Bible but was introduced in the Zohar as representing “the feminine Divine Presence.” [emphasis mine]⁴⁰

Schachter-Brooks also directly quotes the Hermetic Principle of Correspondence to describe the alignment of our Divine nature with that of God’s.⁴¹

Finally, Schachter-Brooks provides an unambiguous description of how God is understood in Kabbalah as follows:

In a non-mystical reading of this last text from the Torah, it simply means that there is only one God. But in the Tanya, the classic “bible” of Chabad Hasidism, this is understood to mean that there is only God. In other words, God is not a supreme being or supernatural entity, but is rather Existence Itself…⁴²

The above quote flies in the face of the Christian understanding of God. So, given the Kabbalistic readings on the nature of God, is it really appropriate for Christians to use the phrase “Judeo-Christian?”

Obviously, I omitted coverage of many topics in Kabbalah such as the Tree of Life, Soul, Four Worlds, Sheol, and practices. I felt the nature of these topics justified their own installment.

Coming up next, Theosophy.

Rabbeinu Yaakov Abuchatzeira, “Mysteries and Truth: We must listen to the Kabbala as if we have seen it ourselves.,” Kabbalah Online, Transforming the Worlds – We heal the world by converting our desire to receive for ourselves alone – Chabad.org. ↩
Brian Yosef Schachter-Brooks, Kabbalah for Beginners: Understanding and Applying Kabbalistic History, Concepts, and Practices, (p. 30), Kindle Edition. ↩
Yosef Schachter-Brooks, Kabbalah for Beginners, 19. ↩
Aryeh Kaplan, “The Transmission of Kabbalah: The study of Kabbala today is a tradition dating back to the most ancient of Jewish sages.,” Kabbalah Online, The Transmission of Kabbalah – The study of Kabbala today is a tradition dating back to the most ancient of Jewish sages. – Chabad.org. ↩
Berraquero, MsStaufer. Kabbalah: The Mystical Tradition of Judaism: The Complete Guide to the Tree of Life, Divine Emanations, and Cosmic Repair. (p. 4). Kindle Edition. ↩
Yerachmiel Tilles, “What is Kabbalah? …And Why?,” Kabbalah Online, What is Kabbalah? …And Why? – The wondrous mysteries of Kabbalah – Chabad.org. ↩
Christian D. Ginsburg, LL.D., THE KABBALAH: Its Doctrines, Development, and Literature, Second Impression. (GEORGE ROUTLEDGE & SONS, 1920), (p. 25), PDF Edition. ↩
Simcha Benyosef, “Revealing the Concealed,” Kabbalah Online, Revealing the Concealed – As the generations unfold, greater secrets become revealed – Chabad.org. ↩
Ginsburg, THE KABBALAH: Its Doctrines, Development, and Literature, 62. ↩
Aryeh Kaplan, “The Transmission of Kabbalah,” Kabbalah Online, The Transmission of Kabbalah – The study of Kabbala today is a tradition dating back to the most ancient of Jewish sages. – Chabad.org. ↩
Yehuda Berg, Shimon bar Yochai. The Holy Zohar: The Book of Abraham, (Kabbalah Centre International, Inc., 2000), v. ↩
Berg and bar Yochai, The Holy Zohar: The Book of Abraham, v. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion: Centenary Edition, (Tarcher, New York, 2018), 15. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 15. ↩
Berraquero, Kabbalah: The Mystical Tradition of Judaism, 155. ↩
Berraquero, Kabbalah: The Mystical Tradition of Judaism, 155. ↩
Chabad.org, “The Shema: The Daily Declaration of Faith,” Chabad.org, The Shema – The Daily Declaration of Faith – Chabad.org. ↩
Moshe Miller, “Oneness and the Infinite: Prior to Creation, there was only the infinite revelation of G-d.,” Kabbalah Online, Oneness and the Infinite – Prior to Creation, there was only the infinite revelation of G-d. – Chabad.org. ↩
Papus (Dr. Gérard Encausse), Elementary Treatise of Occult Science: Understanding the Theories & Symbols Used by the Ancients, the Alchemists, the Astrologers, the Freemasons & the Kabbalists, trans. Mark Anthony Mikituk (Llewellyn Publications, 2018), 23. ↩
Papus, Occult Science, 30. ↩
Gerard Sczepura, “The Godhead as an Aggregate Class,” Theological Ruminations (blog), May 03, 2020, The Godhead as an Aggregate Class – Gerard Sczepura. ↩
Berraquero, Kabbalah: The Mystical Tradition of Judaism, 155. ↩
Gerard Sczepura, “The Godhead as an Aggregate Class,” Theological Ruminations (blog), May 03, 2020, The Godhead as an Aggregate Class – Gerard Sczepura. ↩
Berraquero, Kabbalah: The Mystical Tradition of Judaism, 157. ↩
Berraquero, Kabbalah: The Mystical Tradition of Judaism, 157. ↩
Berraquero, Kabbalah: The Mystical Tradition of Judaism, 157. ↩
Berraquero, Kabbalah: The Mystical Tradition of Judaism, 166. ↩
Berraquero, Kabbalah: The Mystical Tradition of Judaism, 164. ↩
Berraquero, Kabbalah: The Mystical Tradition of Judaism, 162. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 15. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 71. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 71. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 72. ↩
Moshe Miller, “Contemplative vs. Practical Kabbalah,” Kabbalah Online, Contemplative vs. Practical Kabbalah – Kabbalah Iyunit and Kabbalah Maasit – Chabad.org. ↩
Berraquero, Kabbalah: The Mystical Tradition of Judaism, 64. ↩
Berraquero, Kabbalah: The Mystical Tradition of Judaism, 63. ↩
Berraquero, Kabbalah: The Mystical Tradition of Judaism, 63. ↩
Berraquero, Kabbalah: The Mystical Tradition of Judaism, 63. ↩
Rabbi Yehudah Leib Ashlag, “Transforming the Worlds: We heal the world by converting our desire to receive for ourselves alone,” Kabbalah Online, Transforming the Worlds – We heal the world by converting our desire to receive for ourselves alone – Chabad.org. ↩
Schachter-Brooks, Kabbalah for Beginners, 51. ↩
Schachter-Brooks, Kabbalah for Beginners, 58. ↩
Schachter-Brooks, Kabbalah for Beginners, 63. ↩

Occultism: Hermetic Philosophy

Even though this is the third installment in my series on the Occult or Occultism, it is really the first installment dealing precisely with a subject that directly influenced the esoteric arts “such as alchemy, astrology, and theurgy…”¹

Table of Contents

Preface

Due to the nature of the subject matter contained in this and future installments on the occult, I felt it necessary to provide some additional rationale as to why I’m writing about these subjects. My intention is not to encourage anyone to participate in or adopt any of the occult practices; my intention is to point out how occult philosophy and beliefs either resemble or diverge from biblical teachings. I believe my approach is necessary given the proliferation of occult, i.e., the supernatural, portrayals in popular TV shows, movies, music, and even certain wisdom teachings found on the web. I believe that it is best for the curious to get their information from a Christian perspective rather than through the media which never portrays biblical beliefs in an accurate or positive manner but either revers or celebrates those who engage in those occult practices forbidden in Deuteronomy chapter 18, verses 10 through 12.

Nevertheless, at least two of my references, Silva and Kissinger, contain chapters on how to apply Hermetic principles in order for their readers to transform their lives. To reiterate, this and none of my other writings will encourage participation in those afore mentioned forbidden occult practices.

Introduction

The focus of this installment is Hermetic Philosophy as opposed to delving into actual Hermetic practices. Specific occult practices influenced by Hermeticism such as astrology and alchemy will be addressed in separate installments.

As all religions and cults have precepts, laws, and principles, so does Hermeticism. According to the Kybalion, there are seven basic foundational occult principles as follows:

Mentalism
Correspondence
Vibration
Polarity
Rhythm
Cause and Effect
Gender²

These seven principles will be examined to a lesser or greater degree in a section that follows. In addition to the principles, a section is devoted to an examination of what the Kybalion refers to as “THE ALL.”³

This installment begins by establishing the origin of Hermeticism—from where and from whom.

Hermes Trismegistus

Hermeticism or the Hermetic philosophy is believed to have been founded by Hermes Trismegistus, Trismegistus meaning “Thrice-Great.”⁴ or “thrice-born Hermes”⁵ according to Mari Silva.

Sources are somewhat ambiguous as to whether or not Hermes Trismegistus (“Hermes T”)⁶ was an actual person. According to Jewish tradition, Hermes T was a contemporary of Abraham while other sources claim he was a contemporary of Moses⁷ either way, it would imply that his teachings were known to the Egyptian magicians during Moses’ time.

The tale of Thoth-Hermes begins in ancient Egypt, where Thoth, a deity often depicted with the head of an ibis or a baboon, played a pivotal role. Thoth was revered as the god of wisdom, writing, mathematics, and magic.⁸

Silva states that Hermes T “is associated with the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth.” [emphasis mine]⁹ Silva by using the term “associated” implies that Hermes T was a real person not just a symbol of the two gods Hermes and Thoth. On the other hand, Stephens states that Hermes Trismegistus “ is a syncretic fusion of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth.”¹⁰

In summary:

…Hermes Trismegistus, ‘the Thrice-Greatest Hermes,’ where Thoth-Hermes is revered as the fountainhead of Hermetic wisdom…touching upon topics like alchemy, astrology, and theurgy. Thoth-Hermes serves as both the messenger and the message, the conduit through which esoteric wisdom is revealed.¹¹

The Seven Principles

#1. The Principle of Mentalism.
“THE ALL is MIND; the universe is mental.”¹²

Early on in The Kybalion, the Three Initiates describe, in detail, “mind of THE ALL.”¹³ In short, “THE ALL…is SPIRIT, which in itself is UNKNOWABLE and UNDEFINABLE, but which may be considered and thought of as AN UNIVERSAL, INFINITE, LIVING MIND.”¹⁴ And to paraphrase, all phenomenon exists in the Mind of THE ALL and by definition, all things are sustained by the Mind.¹⁵

Interestingly, the Kybalion explicitly associates the Mind of THE ALL with phenomenon but neglects to include mention of noumenon even though it teaches that THE ALL is SPIRIT which is not part of the intelligible world.¹⁶ Yet, since by extension, all unintelligible things are also part of the universe, it would follow that all those things would also exist in the Mind. Obviously, THE ALL is MIND is the definition of God in Hermeticism.

In contrast, the God of the Bible is far superior and explicit in revealing His nature as shown in the following scripture:

So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, ‘Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects.

‘For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, “TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.” Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.

‘The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands;

nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things… (Acts 17:22-25 NASB95)

I would argue that the philosophers gathered at the Areopagus were familiar with the Hermetic teachings since the inscription “TO AN UNKNOWN GOD” appears to be what Hermetic wisdom calls THE ALL which is “UNKNOWABLE.”¹⁷ Contrast this philosophy with the God described in the canonical 66 books of the Bible.

In the above verses, the God of the Hebrews; the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob (Exod. 3:6) is the one who sustains and gives life, not THE ALL but the “I AM.” (Exod. 3:14) The following quote is conclusive concerning both phenomenon and noumenon:

For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.

He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. (Col. 1:16-17)

While Hermeticism declares that all phenomenon exists in the Mind of THE ALL, the God of the Bible declares “’Can a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?’ declares the Lord. ‘Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?’ declares the Lord.” (Jer. 23:24)

In Harmony Kissinger’s introductory, self-help book, she states: “The principle of Mentalism becomes practical when you start recognizing how mental patterns create your experienced reality.” [emphasis mine]¹⁸ Obviously, a teaching on the Hermetic truth that “all phenomenon exists in the Mind of the ALL.” She further elaborates that “Your attention functions like a creative force that helps determine what becomes manifest in your experience.”¹⁹ So, what is the “creative force” she references?

Well according to Dr. Norman Vincent Peale in his popular book, The Power of Positive Thinking, he writes that “[p]rayer power is a manifestation of energy.”²⁰ That statement, taken on its own, sounds dangerously close to describing God as an impersonal creative force which is a highly irregular statement to be made by an American Protestant clergyman. Was Peale influenced by Hermetic teachings? (I didn’t take the time to read all of Peale’s book since it was somewhat tedious being filled with anecdotes to prove points he was making.)

Again, I believe Peale crosses a line by stating “The formula is (1) PRAYERIZE, (2) PICTURIZE, (3) ACTUALIZE.” [emphasis mine]²¹ If Peale’s previous formula isn’t analogous to occult practices of meditation, ritual, and enchantment then I don’t know what is—and I haven’t even discussed those practices yet.

Nevertheless, Peale wrote a highly successful book by allegedly combining biblical teaching with Hermeticism. Compare a sample of Peale’s writing followed by a verse from Proverbs:

…Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a mental picture of yourself as succeeding.²²

“For as he thinks within himself, so he is…” (Prov. 23:7)

#2. The Principle of Correspondence.
“As above, so below; as below, so above.”²³

I believe in order to understand this principle; the reader first needs to understand the implication of the word “correspondence.” According to Thesaurus.com, “correspondence” is defined as agreement and lists synonyms “analogy,” a principal method of occult science,²⁴ and “correlation” being defined as equivalence.

According to D.R. T Stephens in his book How Hermetic Principles Shape Modern Esoteric Thought, writes the following:

…what happens on one level of reality corresponds to events on another level. In simpler terms, it suggests a harmonious, interdependent relationship between the various planes of existence, whether those be physical, mental, or spiritual. [emphasis mine]²⁵

Of course, in Christian theology, the Principle of Correspondence may have its closest relative meaning in the following scriptures:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Eph. 6:12)

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. (2 Cor. 10:3-4)

The Principle of Correspondence has also been incorporated into the health and wellness field as follows:

Even in the health and wellness sector, the idea that mental well-being corresponds to physical health echoes the same principle.²⁶

Naturally, Scripture also provides another close relative meaning:

A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones. (Prov. 17:22)

#3. The Principle of Vibration.
“Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates.”²⁷

On the surface, the Principle of Vibration seems straightforward based on the definition provided by the Kybalion “…that nothing is at rest—that everything moves, vibrates, and circles.”²⁸ However, the teaching becomes mystical when it states that “[e]very thought, emotion or mental state has its corresponding rate and motion of vibration;”²⁹ where these vibrations can emanate from one person to another affecting their mind or thoughts by ‘induction,’³⁰ an experience known as ‘telepathy.’³¹

Stephens takes Vibration a step further by adding “change”³² to the list of verbs: moves, vibrates, and circles. Stephens goes on to state that “®he [Vibration] concept extends from the macrocosm to the microcosm, affecting everything from celestial bodies to subatomic particles.” [emphasis mine]³³ Since Hermeticism teaches that celestial bodies exist in The Mind of THE ALL, it would follow that celestial bodies would also include THE ALL, or God. On the other hand, the God of the Bible declares that: ‘For I, the Lord, do not change…’ (Mal. 3:6)

4. The Principle of Polarity.
“Everything is Dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites; like and unlike are the same; opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree; extremes meet; all truths are but half-truths; all paradoxes may be reconciled.”³⁴

As I quote in my blog post Occultism: Occult Science, “Two apparently opposite things are but different degrees of a single and same thing,” according to the ternary law.³⁵

#5. The Principle of Rhythm.
“Everything flows, out and in; everything has its tides; all things rise and fall; the pendulum-swing manifests in everything; the measure of the swing to the right is the measure of the swing to the left; rhythm compensates.”³⁶

The first thing that comes to mind when I hear rhythm is music. The following quote is from a web article posted by Samuel Chase:

The main aspect of music that deals with time is rhythm…Every single piece of music you hear on the radio has a rhythm to it.

Rhythm in music refers to the pattern of sounds and silences that occur over time. It is the element of music that creates a sense of movement and forward momentum and is often described as the ‘heartbeat’ or ‘pulse’ of a piece of music.

In music, rhythm refers to the pattern of regularly recurring beats, including both accented and unaccented beats, and how they are grouped together.³⁷

Chase, in his article, includes examples of rhythm with the rotation and revolutions of the Earth; human heart beats; and the ticking of a watch in complete agreement with the teachings in the Kybalion.³⁸

Stephens expresses the Hermetic teaching on Rhythm in a more mystical context:

In the Hermetic tradition, the rhythms of the cosmos are expressions of underlying divine principles, almost like a celestial dance choreographed by the universal Mind. It underpins the transmutation processes in alchemy, where transformation follows a set path from base material to spiritual essence.³⁹

The Kybalion includes mention of the Law of Compensation in their discussion on Rhythm to include a passing reference to a “previous incarnation”⁴⁰ and reincarnation.⁴¹

Stephens also writes that “The principle has also been adapted into modern forms of ceremonial Magick and Theosophy.”⁴² These subjects along with others I plan to discuss in future posts.

#6. The Principle of Cause and Effect.
“Every Cause has its Effect; Every Effect has its Cause; everything happens according to Law; Chance is but a name for Law not recognized; there are many planes of causation, but nothing escapes the Law.”⁴³

The elucidation of the Principle, forces the reader to question the reference to “Law” which is not really defined. Since the summary doesn’t say “a” Law but just “Law,” the summary is self-referential, that is, the Law is what is being elaborated on and that being, “Every Cause has its Effect; Every Effect has its Cause.”

I believe I once heard someone say that “chance” is nothing and “luck” is nothing so to say that nothing happens by chance is not really saying much. So, does Divinity factor into this equation or are all causes initiated by humans? Well, it depends on your belief system; if you are Mari Silva the author of mystical books, for example, you would say humankind.⁴⁴ Otherwise, you might be inclined to reference the following Scripture verses:

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. [emphasis mine] (Rom. 8:28)

The steps of a man are established by the Lord, And He delights in his way. (Ps. 37:23)

‘I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted…’ (Job 42:2)

#7. The Principle of Gender.
“Gender is in everything; everything has its Masculine and Feminine Principles; Gender manifest on all planes.”⁴⁵

On October 14, 2021, Texas state Rep. James Talarico, A self-identified Presbyterian seminarian, made the following statement: “God is both masculine and feminine and everything in between. God is non-binary.”⁴⁶ Wow! That’s a pretty bold and revisionist position to take, but is he completely wrong or is there some truth hidden in his statement?

In order to answer the previous question, we first need to define “non-binary” or “nonbinary.” WebMD provides the following definition:

Nonbinary people identify as being a gender that’s not exclusively male or female. You might see yourself as a mix of both genders, somewhere in between them, or neither. The way you perceive your gender may not align with traditional views of the biological features (the sex) you were born with. [emphasis mine]⁴⁷

As can be deduced from the above medical definition, nonbinary is a term individuals use to either identify, see, or perceive themselves to be; they do not, in a sense, become what they perceive themselves to be. And just because you “express” yourself in a nonbinary way doesn’t change the biological sex you were born with. That is, nonbinary is not a medical condition but a psychological one.

So then, is God non-binary as proposed by James Talarico? No, absolutely NOT!! God does not have an identity crisis. Let’s consider the following Scripture:

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Gen. 1:27)

First, God refers to Himself using the masculine form “His” once and “He” twice in the above verse.

Second, the word “man” is Strong’s Hebrew #120 being interpreted as: any man(2), anyone(4), anyone’s(1), being(1), common sort(1), human(19), infantry(1), low degree(1), low(1), man(363), man’s(20), man(1), mankind(9), men(104), men of low degree(1), men’s(3), men(4), mortal(1), one(3), people(1), person(5), person(1), persons(3), population(1), someone(1).⁴⁸ Since “man” can refer to one man, on person, or mankind the proper interpretation is derived from the context. Since God created man in His own image and since woman was fashioned from one of Adam’s ribs (Gen. 2:21-22) it follows that woman was created in God’s image also. If not, then in whose image was she created?

Third, God created them male and female, i.e., gender binary. Period!

Alternatively, by applying the Hermetic Principle of Polarity, we can say that both male and female genders are the same thing only varying in degrees; where feminine attributes prominent in biological males and masculine attributes prominent in biological females are merely variations in vibration. In other words, their gender attributes are either in- or out-of-tune with their biological sex.

THE ALL

The Kybalion devotes three, maybe four, chapters to teachings on the concept of a “Substantial Reality”⁴⁹ identified by the Hermetic term: “THE ALL”⁵⁰ the attributes of which were discussed earlier in this installment. However, where the teachings on THE ALL become more obscure, or esoteric, is during its discussion on the nature and creation of the Universe.

According to the Bible, the creation of the Universe was clear and straightforward, everything was created through God’s Word. (John 1:1-3) Repeatedly, throughout the creation narrative in Genesis chapter 1, the Scripture states: “Then God said…” leaving no room for ambiguity. However, in order to understand the creation of the Universe through THE ALL, the reader needs to understand many of the Hermetic Principles discussed earlier.

Again, to repeat the Hermetic truth that “the Universe is a Mental Creation of THE ALL”⁵¹ requires the student to accept the teaching that the Universe is a “mere illusion; an unreality…”⁵² but only from the perspective of “the Absolute and the Relative points of view.”⁵³

To close out this section on THE ALL, I provide my interpretation or summary of the Hermetic creation of the Universe based on my understanding of The Principles:

The Universe was created in the Mind of THE ALL.
Based on the Principle of Correspondence, what was created above (Reality) was also created below (illusion).
Since the Universe is changing and has a beginning and an end (theoretically) it is subject to the Principle of Rhythm.
Matter exists because of its position in the lowest plane of correspondence.
Matter is illusory because of its relation to the Absolute; only THE ALL is real.
Matter vibrates at a lower rate than what is created in the Mind of THE ALL.

The statements above certainly won’t qualify me as an initiate, but I gave it my best shot.

Wrap Up and Next Steps

So, was Hermes Trismegistus a myth or a real historical person? According to a web page written by Nicole Lau, “The answer is: both, neither, and something more.”⁵⁴

The reader should be wary of thinking that THE ALL is somehow just another word for the Christian God or the biblical Deity. The Kybalion includes a paragraph that demonstrates its contempt for God as the author(s) misinterpret how He’s being presented in the Bible.

And still more presumptuous are those who attempt to ascribe to THE ALL the personality, qualities, properties, characteristics and attributes of themselves, ascribing to THE ALL the human emotions, feelings, and characteristics, even down to the pettiest qualities of mankind, such as jealousy, susceptibility to flattery and praise, desire for offerings and worship, and all the other survivals from the days of the childhood of the race. Such ideas are not worthy of grown men and women, and are rapidly being discarded. [emphasis mine]⁵⁵

Also, I believe there is either a typo or error on page 61 of the Kybalion which uses the word “Imminent” when proposing that THE ALL is not only above but within the Universe.⁵⁶ However, according to theology, the word for this concept is “Immanent.”⁵⁷

Coming up next, Kabbalah.

STEPHENS, D.R. T. Hermeticism: The Blueprint of the Occult: How Hermetic Principles Shape Modern Esoteric Thought (p. 15). Kindle Edition. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion: Centenary Edition, (Tarcher, New York, 2018), x-xi. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 32. ↩
Kissinger, Harmony. A Beginner’s Guide to Hermeticism: The Seven Sacred Laws of Universal Truth (p. 12). Kindle Edition. ↩
Silva, Mari, Hermeticism: The Ultimate Guide to Understanding the Hermetica, Kybalion, and Hermetic Principles, (Independently published, 2021), 4. ↩
Silva, Hermeticism: The Ultimate Guide, 3. ↩
Silva, Hermeticism: The Ultimate Guide, 3, 7. ↩
STEPHENS, D.R. T. Hermeticism: The Blueprint of the Occult: How Hermetic Principles Shape Modern Esoteric Thought (p. 11). Kindle Edition. ↩
Silva, Hermeticism: The Ultimate Guide, 4. ↩
Stephens, Hermeticism: The Blueprint of the Occult, 14. ↩
Stephens, Hermeticism: The Blueprint of the Occult, 13. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 15. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 15. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 15. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 15. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 15. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 34. ↩
Kissinger, Beginner’s Guide to Hermeticism, 27. ↩
Kissinger, Beginner’s Guide to Hermeticism, 28. ↩
Peale, Norman Vincent. The Power of Positive Thinking: 10 Traits for Maximum Results (p. 29). Touchstone. Kindle Edition. ↩
Peale, Power of Positive Thinking, 30. ↩
Peale, Power of Positive Thinking, 10. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 16. ↩
Papus (Dr. Gérard Encausse), Elementary Treatise of Occult Science: Understanding the Theories & Symbols Used by the Ancients, the Alchemists, the Astrologers, the Freemasons & the Kabbalists, trans. Mark Anthony Mikituk (Llewellyn Publications, 2018), 17. ↩
Stephens, Hermeticism: The Blueprint of the Occult, 34. ↩
Stephens, Hermeticism: The Blueprint of the Occult, 36. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 17. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 86. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 92. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 91. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 91. ↩
Stephens, Hermeticism: The Blueprint of the Occult, 37. ↩
Stephens, Hermeticism: The Blueprint of the Occult, 37. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 19. ↩
Gerard Sczepura, “Occultism: Occult Science,” Theological Ruminations (blog), April 30, 2026, Occultism: Occult Science – Gerard Sczepura. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 21. ↩
Samuel Chase, “What Is Rhythm In Music? A Complete Guide,” Hello Music Theory, May 4, 2024, What Is Rhythm In Music? A Complete Guide. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 102-103. ↩
Stephens, Hermeticism: The Blueprint of the Occult, 44. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 107. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 107. ↩
Stephens, Hermeticism: The Blueprint of the Occult, 45. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 23. ↩
Silva, Hermeticism: The Ultimate Guide, 79. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 24. ↩
Peter Pinedo, Paul Steinhauser, “‘God is non-binary’: Texas Dem nominee Talarico’s past remarks on abortion, race and gender draw scrutiny.” Fox News. March 05, 2026. From ‘God is non-binary’ to the Bible justifies abortion: Rising Dem’s top hot takes | Fox News. ↩
Evan Starkman, Shawna Seed, “‘What Does It Mean to Be Nonbinary?.” WebMD. October 24, 2024. Nonbinary People: Definitions, Challenges, and Support. ↩
Robert L. Thomas, New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries : Updated Edition (Anaheim: Foundation Publications, Inc., 1998). ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 33. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 33. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 50. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 50. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 50. ↩
Nicole Lau, “Hermes Trismegistus: Myth or Historical Figure?,” Mystic Ryst (blog), Hermes Trismegistus: Myth or Historical Figure? | The Evidence – Nicole’s ritual universe. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 34. ↩
Three Initiates, The Kybalion, 61. ↩
GotQuestions.org, “What is the immanence of God?,” Got Questions Ministries, What is the immanence of God? | GotQuestions.org. ↩

Occultism: The Book of Enoch

This is the second installment in a series on occultism. In this second installment, I digress somewhat from traditional occult subjects in that The Book of Enoch is mostly recognized as a pseudepigraphal text, that is, a text whose claimed authorship is false. Nevertheless, The Book of Enoch does present narratives that are consistent with some aspects of the occult.

Contents

Preface

My motivation for writing this installment on The Book of Enoch was through my reading of a Kindle edition book by Rick Renner entitled Fallen Angels, Giants, Monsters, and the World Before the Flood — How the Events of Noah’s Ark and the Flood Are Relevant to the End of the Age. Renner defends his position that fallen angels or “Watchers”¹ produced the giants in Gen. 6:4 by mating (sexually) with human women. Renner relies heavily on The Book of Enoch to support his suppositions concerning the motivations and activities of the fallen angels.

Renner presents his theories as biblical truths even though he reiterates multiple times that The Book of Enoch is “not canonized Scripture,”² thereby applying propaganda techniques effectively to convince his readers. He also utilizes “argument from authority”³ by quoting multitudes of historical sources who appear to have supported his position.⁴

Introduction

In my opinion, Renner’s entire premise stands or falls based on what the true nature of angels is by rejecting non-spiritual sources since angels are of a spiritual nature.⁵ This realization should end the argument straightaway, but Renner tends to read more into the biblical texts than Scripture reveals as discussed in the following sections of this installment.

The following four areas will be considered:

If fallen angels are spirit beings, can they still have sex and reproduce?
Do the most compelling biblical texts Gen. 6:1-4 and Jude 6 support Renner’s arguments?
Should The Book of Enoch be considered a reliable source on angels and demons?
God brought the Flood upon the earth due to the actions of the fallen angels not due to the wickedness of man.

In my judgement, all four of the above areas must be asserted positively in order for Renner’s conjectures to be true.

The Angelic Nature

Chapter 6 in The Book of Enoch describes how certain angels lusted after human women:

And it came to pass when the children of men had multiplied that in those days were born unto them beautiful and comely daughters. And the angels, the children of the heaven, saw and lusted after them and said to one another: ‘Come let us choose us wives from among the children of men and beget us children.’ (Enoch, trans. Charles 1917, 6.1-2)

According to Peter Kreeft, a Catholic philosophy professor and author, writes that: “They [angels] are not in this universe of matter, space, and time, not made of matter. They have no parts…They are pure spirits…” [emphasis mine]⁶ Note the emphasis on no parts; get the picture? Since beings of pure spirit are not subject to human material needs, drives, and desires, how could they be subject to human lust?

The following excerpt taken from a Catholicism based website adds additional clarity to Kreeft’s positions:

Being entirely free from passions and all sensitive appetites, the act of the Angelic will is determined exclusively by the Angelic mind with a decision and a firmness that are final and admit of no reverse.⁷

I believe Jesus clarifies this issue with His response to the Sadducees:

Some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Jesus, and began questioning Him, saying, ‘Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves behind a wife and leaves no child, his brother should marry the wife and raise up children to his brother. There were seven brothers; and the first took a wife, and died leaving no children. The second one married her, and died leaving behind no children; and the third likewise; and so all seven left no children. Last of all the woman died also.’

‘In the resurrection, when they rise again, which one’s wife will she be? For all seven had married her.’

Jesus said to them, ‘Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.’ [formatting mine] (Mark 12:18-25 NASB95)

Again, according to Renner, Jesus didn’t say that angels couldn’t have sexual relations with women, He said that they don’t have sexual relations since there is no mention of female angels in the Bible.⁸ Given Renner’s logic, he implies that God created angels, as spirit beings, with the impulse and ability to reproduce sexually without affording them angelic mates thereby forcing them to resort to human partners to fulfill their illicit desires! That interpretation is beyond ridiculous and I believe it would be a mistake to claim that it came from Jesus. It’s clear from the text that Jesus knew exactly what the Sadducees were getting at.

On the other hand, there are instances in the Bible where angels took on human form. I think Kreeft provides a believable explanation:

Angels sometimes ‘assume’ bodies, as we would put on a costume or hire a tuxedo or a limo.⁹

The bodies angels assume are not literal, living human bodies. They did not come out of a mother’s womb. They don’t have to eat or breath. They did not grow; they were manufactured by spirits. They are masks.¹⁰

Another definitive quote taken from the previously mentioned Catholic website:

Just as, by God’s permission or command, the Angels are able to assume human forms when appearing to men, so, too, they are permitted to produce a human voice and speak our human language, as all reported Angelic apparitions reveal. [emphasis mine]¹¹

Genesis 6, 2 Peter 2:4, and Jude

Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” (Gen. 6:1-3)

In the above verses it states that daughters were born to men it then repeats a similar phrase “daughters of men.” So, who else would daughters be born to if not through men? This seems to me to be a literary device, as maybe the phrase “sons of God.” I propose a possibly unpopular and fringe interpretation which could mean that daughters of men are used to refer to women because Eve was created from Adam’s rib (Gen. 2:22) while man was a direct creation of God (Gen. 2:7) as were the angels. Another interpretation which I believe is more plausible is that initiates of the “Great Mysteries”¹² were referred to as “Son of the Gods or the Son of God,”¹³ similar to the “sons of God” title used in Genesis 6:2.

Note that God says that “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever…” implying the Lord is taking issue with man not angels.

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; (2 Pet. 2:4)

Taken into context, 2 Peter focuses on the Church being infiltrated by “false prophets” (2 Pet. 2:1) and “false teachers.” (2 Pet. 2:1) In 2 Pet. 2:4, Peter makes an analogy concerning judgement between the false teachers and prophets with fallen angels. I believe it is a real stretch to extrapolate “sinned” into having sexual relations with women.

And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day, just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. (Jude 6-7)

In order to properly understand Jude, you first need to grasp who is being targeted in this letter. Jude makes clear who they are: “…ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” (Jude 4) Jude, in verses 6-7, makes an analogy of ungodly persons to the angels who didn’t keep their own domain and to Sodom and Gomorrah. The “these” in the above verses is a reference to the ungodly persons earlier in his letter. Jude’s letter really doesn’t add any specific detail to the narrative given in Gen. 6:1-3.

The Book of Enoch’s Reliability

The Scripture says that “Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” (Gen. 5:24) Which to me reads a little terse unlike the record of the prophet Elijah: “As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven.” (2 Kings 2:11) So, do these differences have any bearing on the discussion at hand? Probably not, but I thought it was peculiar and should be mentioned.

As mentioned hundreds of times (figuratively) in Renner’s book, The Book of Enoch is not a “canonical book of the Bible.” If Enoch walked with God as stated in Gen. 5:24, then shouldn’t his writings have been included in the canon of Scripture unless…The Book of Enoch wasn’t actually written entirely by Enoch himself but by another, maybe multiple authors.¹⁴ The following excerpts are from a webpage authored by Ray Taylor Ph.D. that present The Book of Enoch as nothing more than mythology:

The Book of Enoch is not scripture. It is propaganda disguised as revelation, a literary Frankenstein stitched together during the Hellenistic period by scribes who wanted to overthrow temple authority and install their own.

The myth begins with angels, those cosmic watchers who supposedly descended to earth, took human wives, and spawned monstrous hybrids. The story is absurd from its first line to its last. These divine beings, pure and radiant in heaven, fall to lust and produce cannibalistic giants.

There is no evidence that Enoch existed before the Hellenistic age. None. No scrolls, no inscriptions, no references in earlier Hebrew literature.

Reject it. All of it.¹⁵

Reason(s) for the Flood

The Nephilim [giants] were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

The Lord said, ‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.’ [emphasis mine] (Gen. 6:4-7)

Notice in Genesis 6:4 that the Nephilim were already present before the sons of God came in to the daughters of men of whose children are described as “mighty men who were of old, men of renown.” Those children are not described as monsters or cannibalistic giants,¹⁶ but are described in a positive light. So, who were these mighty men of old since it is believed Moses wrote Genesis between 1445-1290 BCE.

Notice also in Genesis 6:5 that God “saw the wickedness of man was great on the earth,” and in Genesis 6:6 that He was sorry He “had made man on the earth,” and finally in Genesis 6:7 that He “will blot out man…from the face of the land…” God clearly indicated that it was because of the man’s wickedness that He was bringing a Flood upon the earth. (Gen. 6:17) Evidently, no mention is given for giants and monsters being the impetus for the Flood.

Furthermore, if the giants had in fact had sexual relations with members of the animal kingdom as stated in The Book of Enoch: “And they began to sin against birds, and beasts, and reptiles, and fish…” (Enoch 7.5) wouldn’t God have explicitly mentioned these fantastic sins in Genesis 6?

Occult Aspects

Semjaza taught the casting of spells, and root-cuttings, Armaros taught counter-spells (release from spells), Baraqijal taught astrology, Kokabel taught the constellations (portents), Ezeqeel the knowledge of the clouds, Araqiel the signs of the earth, Shamsiel the signs of the sun, and Sariel the course of the moon.¹⁷

Modern scholarship dates the Book of 1 Enoch as written “in the third century BCE”¹⁸ in alignment with Dr. Ray Taylor’s assessment mentioned previously.

Archaeological material from ancient Near Eastern civilisations shows the technologies attributed to the Watchers followed gradual, traceable evolutionary paths, long predating Enoch’s supposed revelations. The record offers a sober counterpoint to sudden, angelic instruction.¹⁹

In addition, “Archaeology shows a continuum of skills, not a sudden leap,”²⁰ further eroding Enoch’s credibility as it pertains to angelic sources of forbidden knowledge. “The ‘forbidden’ label stems not from the knowledge itself, but its alleged source and consequences.”²¹ In this case the knowledge was obtained through fallen angels who incurred God’s judgement. (Enoch 10.2)

The ‘forbidden’ nature of the Watchers’ teachings lay not in the technologies, but their alleged origins, unsanctioned transmission, and corrupting application.²²

Nevertheless, there are some occultic practices mentioned in Enoch 8.2 that are expressly forbidden in Scripture as follows:

There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord… (Deut. 18:10-12)

Wrap Up and Next Steps

So have my arguments against the Enochian writings describing the sons of God (fallen angels) cohabitating with the daughters of men been invalidated? Probably not; but neither has Renner’s arguments supporting the Enochian writings. I believe the strongest opposing argument presented would be the angelic nature and the strongest supporting argument would be the “sons of God.”

Then there’s the issue of The Book of Enoch not being included in the canon of Scripture. The reader should consider if Enoch 14.3 was enough to disqualify inclusion.

As He has created and given to man the power of understanding the word of wisdom, so hath He created me also and given me the power of reprimanding the Watchers, the children of heaven. [emphasis mine] (Enoch 14.3)

So, does Enoch 14.3 square with Jude 9?

But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’ [emphasis mine] (Jude 9)

Coming up next, Hermeticism.

Renner, Rick. Fallen Angels, Giants, Monsters and the World Before the Flood: How the Events of Noah’s Ark and the Flood Are Relevant to the End of the Age (p. 149). Harrison House Publishers. Kindle Edition. ↩
Renner, Fallen Angels, 145. ↩
Sarah Lee. “The Power of Authority in Arguments — Unlocking the Potential of Argument from Authority in Reasoning.” Number Analytics. June 16, 2025. The Power of Authority in Arguments. ↩
Renner, Fallen Angels, 218-245. ↩
Kreeft, Peter, Angels and Demons: What Do We Really Know about Them?, (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 1995), 47. ↩
Kreeft, Angels and Demons, 47. ↩
Parente, Pascal, “The Angelic Nature and its Operation,” EWTN, The Angelic Nature and its Operation | EWTN. ↩
Renner, Fallen Angels, 184. ↩
Kreeft, Angels and Demons, 52. ↩
Kreeft, Angels and Demons, 52. ↩
Parente “The Angelic Nature and its Operation.” ↩
Papus (Dr. Gérard Encausse), Elementary Treatise of Occult Science: Understanding the Theories & Symbols Used by the Ancients, the Alchemists, the Astrologers, the Freemasons & the Kabbalists, trans. Mark Anthony Mikituk (Llewellyn Publications, 2018), 11. ↩
Papus, Occult Science, 11. ↩
Renner, Fallen Angels, 49. ↩
Ray Taylor Ph.D. “The Book of Enoch: A Fabricated Mythology for a Fractured Faith.” As Wise as a Serpent. October 24, 2025. The Book of Enoch: A Fabricated Mythology for a Fractured Faith. ↩
Renner, Fallen Angels, 406. ↩
Lumpkin, Joseph. The Books of Enoch: The Angels, The Watchers and The Nephilim (With Extensive Commentary on the Three Books of Enoch, the Fallen Angels, the Calendar of Enoch, and Daniel’s Prophecy) (p. 302). Fifth Estate. Kindle Edition. ↩
“The Book of Enoch and the Legacy of Forbidden Knowledge.” VERIARCH. March 25, 2026. Book of Enoch – The Watchers and Forbidden Knowledge. ↩
VERIARCH, 2026 ↩
VERIARCH, 2026 ↩
VERIARCH, 2026 ↩
VERIARCH, 2026 ↩

Occultism: Occult Science

Welcome to this first installment of a new series on Occultism.

Contents

Preface

I debated on whether or not to name this series “Occultism” or “Esotericism” since they both seem interchangeable in that many definitions include both terms recursively, such as the following excerpt from the Spiritual Meanings Guide website: “At its core, the occult emphasizes acquiring esoteric knowledge—information not readily accessible or understood by everyone.”¹ Since the definitions on many websites I’ve visited emphasized the later portion of the above definition, I decided not to use the more exclusive “esotericism” but instead to use the more inclusive “occultism.”

So what do the terms “occult” and “esoteric” actually mean as these are the root from which the suffix “isms” are derived? The following are the definitions:

The word occult derives from the Latin adjective occultus, meaning ‘hidden’ or ‘concealed.’²

and

The word esoteric refers to something that is intended for or understood by only a small group of people with specialized knowledge. It often describes ideas, subjects, or teachings that are not easily accessible to the general public.³

Another reason I chose the word “occultism” in my series title is because many of the topics I intend to cover have now been exposed by the current culture and have almost become mainstream as a result of the popularity of many popular TV shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, The Vampire Diaries, and Supernatural which all deal to some degree with gods, angels, demons, magic, and witchcraft.

Some readers may be wondering why I’m including occultic topics that are clearly antithetical to biblical theology and in some cases, clearly condemned in Scripture. The short answer is that I’ve had an interest in these topics for a long time being exposed to certain things since childhood. The long answer is that: I’ve already covered many fundamental biblical topics in depth; understanding these topics from initiates is safer than getting the media’s romanticized amoral version; it strengthens spiritual discernment; and it helps to illuminate certain obscure Bible verses such as: Exod. 7:10-12, Exod. 7:20-22, Exod. 8:17-19, Matt. 2:1-2, and Acts 8:9-11.

I’m sure there are also some readers who would object, citing Deut. 29:29 as follows:

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law. (Deut. 29:29, NASB95)

The above verse, in context, clearly states that what God reveals to us should be taken with fear and respect, but that God also maintains His prerogative to also withhold things. The following are some verses that are examples of secret things:

But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. (Matt. 24:36)

They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. (John 8:6)

When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them.’ (Rev. 10:4)

It should be understood that there is a difference between a secret and being secretive. Esotericism is being secretive, but a secret is something not known or not meant to be known; whereas occultism encompasses things that were once known but have become hidden, either intentionally or unintentionally.

I decided to choose the topic of occult science for this introductory installment on occultism, as opposed to Hermeticism for example, since it seemed like a good idea at the time and I was intrigued by the word occult used to qualify science since I was under the impression that they were mutually exclusive concepts.

Since a study of the occult, or other esoteric subjects, involves having an understanding of or having some exposure to religion, philosophy, mathematics, sciences, Hebrew, and psychology, among others. Therefore, this series will be approached using an iterative and incremental process; that is, each subject may be revisited and refined as the study progresses through the various topics.

Introduction

As I mentioned in the Preface, any study of the occult should be based on sources with firsthand experience, so I based most of my studies on occult science from a book written by Papus (Gerard Encausse) (1865–1916), an influential occultist, physician, and author. “Papus was drawn to the occult and studied Magic and Alchemy;” he also founded many organizations, the Kabbalistic Rose Cross being one.⁴

Another book I referenced for this installment was Rudolph Steiner’s An Outline of Occult Science: Unabridged and Illustrated. Steiner wrote in his biography “…how he was able to see into another world since his childhood.”⁵ In addition, “…Steiner wrote out an entire liturgy – seven sacraments – that form the basis of a Christian denomination centered in Germany that has something on the order of 30,000 worldwide members today.”⁶

Under the Science of Antiquity section, we attempt a definition of occult science and also provide numerous examples from antiquity.

Under the Fundamentals section we start off with a discussion on analogy, the principal method for understanding occult science. We then cover the concept of the ternary and provide elaboration from biblical teaching on the Godhead or Trinity.

The Theosophical section discusses the mathematical operations: theosophical addition and reduction. Thoughts on the significance of the number 9 are provided from contemporary music.

The Earth and Its Races section presents the occult understanding of the Earth and its relationship to the origination of human races. Comparisons are made between the occult view and the biblical view.

We closeout this installment with Steiner’s occultic understanding of man’s body, soul, and spirit.

Science of Antiquity

If one were to look for a definition of “occult science” all one had to do was to replace “occult” with the one of the common definitions which are “hidden” or “secret.” As a result, “occult science” becomes “hidden science” which I believe is the preferred definition. But is it really that simple? What science or sciences were hidden; by whom; and for what purpose? Papus, in his book Elementary Treatise of Occult Science, provides compelling facts that attempt to demonstrate that the ancients were well aware of many now proven and accepted scientific principles, the discovery of which are commonly attributed to “civilized moderns.”⁷

I assert that it is only the naïve, uninformed, or worse, the foolish who would doubt the scientific knowledge the ancients possessed. It wouldn’t take someone with a lot of intellectual prowess to understand the advanced physics, mathematics, and precision construction methods needed to build the Great Pyramid of Giza,⁸ knowing that that pyramid was built “around 2560 BCE,”⁹ that’s over 6,000 years ago!

Papus proposes that a synthesis of the ancients’ knowledge with the modern discoveries would result in “a total expression of eternal Truth”¹⁰ and that this synthesis was possessed by the “Egyptian initiates, contemporaries of Moses and Orpheus…”¹¹

Papus defends his hypothesis by providing many examples of modern discoveries which were already known the ancients. Since the names of his sources are somewhat archaic and not readily known by today’s readers, I’ve decided to only reproduce a small subset of the discoveries without delving into the sources. I included those discoveries that I found personally interesting: “the law of gravity,”¹² the law which was rediscovered by Newton [motion?],”¹³ “the telescope, concave mirrors… refraction of light,”¹⁴ “used steam as a motive force,”¹⁵ “manipulated lightning [electricity],”¹⁶ “application of chemistry in photography…dark room…optical instruments,”¹⁷ and “use of gunpowder.”¹⁸

Now whether or not the ancients acquired this knowledge from extraterrestrial beings, gods, giants, angels, or by some other means, they in fact possessed this knowledge. And so, “The debate continues. But one thing is clear: ancient people were not primitive. They were observant, resourceful, and, in some cases, technologically sophisticated in ways we are only beginning to understand.”¹⁹

Papus expresses his definition of occult science by illustrating the difference between modern science and occult science which is that modern science is only concerned with the visible or phenomenon, but occult science is concerned with the visible and the invisible or noumenon which it represents.²⁰ As Steiner so succinctly puts it: “The path to occult knowledge will be found, at the fitting moment, by every human being who discerns in what is visible the presence of something invisible…[and] is driven to the feeling that what is hidden may be unveiled to him.”²¹

Papus finally gets to the point and gives his definition of occult science which is, minus the Latin: “The hidden science…The science of the hidden…The science which hides what it has discovered…”²²

Fundamentals

In 1980, Doubleday published a book by Hans Küng, a Swiss Catholic priest, theologian, and author, entitled Does God Exist? In his book, Küng presents historical and philosophical arguments for and against the existence of God by such renowned thinkers such as: Descartes, Pascal, Feuerbach, Marx, Nietzsche and Freud. Of course, after over 800 pages, Küng arrives in the affirmative.

But is it possible to prove the attributes or existence of God through induction by observing His creation which then leads to understanding the invisible through deduction?²³ According to Scripture, the answer is Yes!

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. (Rom. 1:20)

Romans chapter one, verse twenty clearly adds credence to the proposition: “The principal method of occult Science is analogy.”²⁴ According to the Center for Astrophysics, only about 5% of matter and energy in the universe is observable and that leaves most of the universe invisible.²⁵ So, if the universe is an analogy for God, then we only know a very small percentage of God and His attributes as so clearly stated in Scripture:

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isa. 50:9)

If more evidence is needed and if “seeing is believing,” then I suggest the reader view Hubble Telescope’s images of the cosmos.

Papus advises readers to not confuse analogies with similarities; analogous things are not alike.²⁶

In addition to analogy, Papus discusses the importance of understanding the “language of numbers,”²⁷ “the use of the Three,”²⁸ and “ternary.”²⁹ “[T]he three terms which constitute the ternary are:

An active term;
A passive term;
A neutral term resulting from the action the first two terms have on each other.”³⁰

Papus illustrates the ternary law using an easy-to-understand example using day and night where day is the active term, night is the passive term, and twilight is the neutral term. He further elaborates by stating that “Two apparently opposite things are but different degrees of a single and same thing.”³¹ By observation, darkness is less light and light is less darkness is proof of the axiom “everything is in everything.”³² Another example of the ternary law are the three human states of consciousness being: waking, sleeping, and an “intermediate state”³³ of dreaming. By applying the ternary law to these states of consciousness we have waking as the active term; sleeping as the passive term; and dreaming as the neutral term.

Papus attempts additional examples to illustrate the ternary, the one in question being the Christian Trinity. I take exception with his Trinity example since it implies that there are two opposites, Father and Son resulting in the neutral Holy Spirit³⁴ because each person of the Godhead shares identical attributes which in theology is named the “Ontological Trinity.”³⁵ Ontologically, there is no notion of degrees of essence within the Godhead—all are equal. However, if Papus’ assumed the “Economic Trinity,” instead, then his example may have some validity since the “Economic Trinity”³⁶ references the activities not the attributes of each person in the Godhead. On the other hand, if you define the Trinity as a “class trinity”³⁷ you would have Father/Son (as an aggregate class), Priest, and Comforter.³⁸ Since Father/Son is the active, and Priest (Melchizedek) is the passive, then Comforter (Holy Spirit) is the neutral. (The Holy Spirit is also active in regeneration, see Titus 3:5.) I believe this is as close as you can get to expressing the Godhead as the ternary.

Theosophical Calculations

There are two operations that are fundamental to Theosophical calculations and they are:

Theosophical reduction
Theosophical addition³⁹

The following are examples which illustrate these two operations:

[T]heosophical addition => 7 equals 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 = 28
Using theosophical reduction, 28 equals 2 + 8 = 10 reduced further to 1 + 0 = 1⁴⁰

Papus provides another very interesting example of these calculations using the number 666, where 666 = 6 + 6 + 6 = 18 reduced further to 1 + 8 = 9.⁴¹ What inspired Papus to use the number 666 as an example? Surely it wasn’t just a random number since it is found in the Bible in the Book of Revelation:

Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six. [emphasis mine] (Rev. 13:18)

The reader should note that the number refers to number of the beast and not to the anti-Christ which is so often mistakenly portrayed on TV and in films. The very first thing that came to mind when I read that example was of The Beatles song entitled “Revolution 9.” When I first heard the song in 1968, it didn’t make any sense since I couldn’t relate the number 9 to any of the other discernable lyrics. It seemed totally incoherent then and even more so now since I am able to read and therefore understand the written lyrics.

I think the following lyrical extracts may have some relevance to the number in question:

Who’s to know?
Who was to know?…

In my broken chair, my wings are broken…

Only to find the night-watchman
Unaware of his presence in the building…

Industrial output
Financial imbalance…⁴²

Again, I think the above lyrics demonstrate a sense of uncertainty, chaos, and maybe even social collapse.

The Earth and its Races

The occult history of the Earth and its races, according to Papus, is both profound and astonishing, and contrary to most everything being taught today (2026). For example, “Everything in nature is alive. The Earth is a being, a living being…”⁴³ While this statement may seem preposterous to most people, it wouldn’t be that surprising to most well-read Christians who remember Jesus’ words after being challenged by the Pharisees to rebuke His disciples for declaring Him to be Divinity as recorded in the Gospel according to Luke:

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, ‘Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.’ But Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!’ (Luke 19:39-40)

Furthermore, analogy is alive and well concerning the Earth and its correlation to man as well. The correlation of man to the universe as illustrated by the following quotes:

Terrestrial day and night manifests the diastole and systole of the planet which is analogous to the pulsations of the human heart.⁴⁴

Man incarnate simply reflects in miniature the laws of celestial man analogous to the universe itself.⁴⁵

In the previous quote which presents analogy of day and night with the diastole and systole of the human heart is an excellent introduction to a concept Papus calls “the cycles.”⁴⁶ That is, Day, followed by descent followed by Night, followed by ascent, followed by Day again in a cycle.⁴⁷ Papus adapts each of the races into a cycle analogous to the Day/Night cycle as follows:

Today (1896) the Orient, and most of all Asia, are in a period of wisdom and old age, while Europe, the central pivot, is ending its adolescence, and America rises from the tomb in a state of childhood and almost of youth.⁴⁸

I remember a lecture on economic theory presented during the Introduction to International Business and Finance course at NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies where the lecturer stated that the industrial economies in developed countries morph into service economies and vice versa for developing countries. You could say the economic cycle for a country is as follows: Agrarian, Industrial, Technological, and Service. The NYU lecturer noted that the United States was in a service economy which implied the country was in decline. This economic theory makes more sense now after reading Papus, than it did back in 1999. So, is the current trend to re-industrialize the U.S. futile?

Another somewhat outlandish claim is that the Moon, originally destined to become a continent,⁴⁹ “…refused to become encrusted with other planets and was condemned through its own will, to disintegrate into a simple satellite.”⁵⁰ As a result of the Moon’s disobedience, a “terrible cataclysm known by the name of the universal flood…” took place, seemingly in direct contradiction with the biblical account in Genesis 6:17.

As far as the Moon having a mind of its own, the creation account in the Bible implies that the Moon’s set purpose was to provide lighting during the night. (Gen. 1:16)

Papus ties the development of a human race as being a product of the “evolution of a continent;”⁵¹ in other words, the location of that continent survives, and bears witness to that human race it incubated.⁵²

Since the initiates associated human races with the formation of continents, this inevitably resulted in the following precedent which is “IEVE,”⁵³ that is, “E. S. W. N.”⁵⁴ or “…better translated as EW-SN (East-West, South-North).”⁵⁵ The importance of this precedent is that South precedes North, West precedes South, and East precedes West.

The following occult theory of the history of the races will probably have the CRT community up in arms.

“The Earth has thus been successively dominated by four great races [in succession]:

The Yellow Race.
The Red Race.
The Black Race.
The White Race.”⁵⁶

The red race is Occidental (Western) which was a “colony”⁵⁷ in Spain, Italy, and Egypt.⁵⁸ Following the “collapse of Atlantis,”⁵⁹ [p]ower pass[ed] into the hands of the black race which soon then conquered all the habitable land. The white race was then born in the vicinity of the North Pole.”⁶⁰

In order to make a rather long story much shorter, I’ve decided to extract the interesting points in Papus’ narrative on the origin and history of the white race:

The White Race…was at first a savage and nomadic race, ignorant of the existence of the other human beings on earth…Whites grew in number and in strength…descen[ded] toward the South…Ross-Land (the current Russia)…up to the highlands, Poll-Land (Poland)…and to the west, by the low lands…It is in Gaul that the White Race encountered the Black Race.⁶¹

I’m sure some readers of a certain persuasion would lead themselves to believe exactly what they expected to happen after the White Race encountered the Black Race…but they would be very wrong. According to Papus, “The Whites , who were weak and poorly armed, were taken en masse into slavery and were sent to the mines and forced to construct fortresses for the Blacks.”⁶² Eventually, with the help of divine Providence and a prophetess, the whites united in order to annihilate the blacks.⁶³

Papus equates the white race with the Aryan race and discredits the theory that the white or Aryan race brought the “white tradition”⁶⁴ from India to all the Earth; because, as mentioned previously, the white race originated near the North Pole. Interestingly, Papus doesn’t associate the term “Aryan” with Iran; even though, it has been claimed by the Iran Chamber Society, to “not [having been] used by Germanic-speakers or any Nordic people.”⁶⁵

The Parts of Man

While Papus’ book covers a diverse set of occult subjects, Steiner’s work seems to focus mainly on the nature of man and the evolution of humanity’s place in the world. Therefore, in this section, I attempt to distill Steiner’s occultic understanding of the nature of man.

First of all, Steiner describes the dual aspect of man using the terms “principle”⁶⁶ or “principles”⁶⁷ rather than the terms components or workings.

Steiner basically breaks down man’s nature into two parts: the “soul-part”⁶⁸ and the “bodily part.”⁶⁹ These two parts consist of the following principles:

…[T]he soul-part of man consists of three principles, the sentient-, intellectual-, and consciousness-souls, just as the bodily part has three principles, the physical, etheric, and astral bodies.⁷⁰

Early on in Chapter 3 of Steiner’s Outline of Occult Science, he introduces, albeit in a very roundabout way, the notion of man’s free will through the following quote:

He may engender wishes and desires for which no adequate cause exists either inside or outside of his body. A particular source must be found for everything in this domain; and according to occult science this source is to be found in the human “I” or “ego.” Therefore the ego will be spoken of as the fourth principle of the human being.⁷¹

Note: when Steiner refers to the ego as the fourth principle of the human being it should not be confused with the soul or bodily principles.

According to Steiner, when the third soul-part of man principle that is, the consciousness-soul, becomes aware of its ego thereby recognizing its true nature, “the divinity dwelling in man speaks.”⁷² In Christian theology, this awakening is not the result of man’s free will, evolution⁷³, or reincarnation⁷⁴, but the result of the Holy Spirit’s work of regeneration. (John 3:5-8, 1 Cor. 2:13)

Steiner emphasizes the occult science belief that only when the soul recognizes its ego aspect that it becomes in tune with the divine. This belief runs counterintuitive with the Christian belief that the spirit, not the soul, is the vehicle for understanding God. Speaking in occultic terms, the unrecognized ego is what Scripture refers to as the “natural person.” (1 Cor. 2:14, ESV) Undoubtably, the line draw between soul and spirit is not easily discerned as stated in Scripture: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit…” (Heb. 4:12)

Wrap Up and Next Steps

It should be understood that this first installment on occultism is in no way a comprehensive treatment of the subject matter. I deliberately omitted or limited coverage of many aspects of occult science such as The Three Worlds, Astral Light, Telesma, Alchemy, Hermeticism, Kabbalah, Magic, and Astral Plane, among others. I tried to prioritize issues in occultism that are related or impact biblical teachings. Nevertheless, I plan to address as many occultic subjects as I’m able.

Coming up next, Hermeticism or an analysis of the Book of Enoch, a Gnostic text, examining theories concerning the reasons for the Genesis Flood.

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Papus, Occult Science, 29. ↩
Papus, Occult Science, 29. ↩
John Lennon, Paul McCartney,
“Revolution 9,” Lyrics On Demand, Accessed March 27, 2026, https://www.lyricsondemand.com/beatles/revolution_9. ↩
Papus, Occult Science, 122. ↩
Papus, Occult Science, 124. ↩
Papus, Occult Science, 124. ↩
Papus, Occult Science, 123. ↩
Papus, Occult Science, 125. ↩
Papus, Occult Science, 126. ↩
Papus, Occult Science, 123. ↩
Papus, Occult Science, 123. ↩
Papus, Occult Science, 121. ↩
Papus, Occult Science, 122. ↩
Papus, Occult Science, 121. ↩
Papus, Occult Science, 121. ↩
Papus, Occult Science, 122. ↩
Papus, Occult Science, 122. ↩
Papus, Occult Science, 127. ↩
Papus, Occult Science, 127. ↩
Papus, Occult Science, 122. ↩
Papus, Occult Science, 127. ↩
Papus, Occult Science, 129. ↩
Papus, Occult Science, 129. ↩
Papus, Occult Science, 129. ↩
Papus, Occult Science, 129. ↩
Gerard Sczepura, “World War II Reconsidered,” Theological Ruminations (blog), October 30, 2025, WWII_Reconsidered. ↩
Steiner, Outline of Occult Science, 34. ↩
Steiner, Outline of Occult Science, 43. ↩
Steiner, Outline of Occult Science, 43. ↩
Steiner, Outline of Occult Science, 43. ↩
Steiner, Outline of Occult Science, 43. ↩
Steiner, Outline of Occult Science, 39-40. ↩
Steiner, Outline of Occult Science, 43. ↩
Steiner, Outline of Occult Science, 10. ↩
Steiner, Outline of Occult Science, 85. ↩

GOD & the Gods: Shinto

In order to properly understand Shinto, one must first understand Kami; and in order to understand Kami, one must first understand Shinto.

While my opening statement may seem confusing, or even double-talk, consider the following quote from a noted Japanese scholar:

In the most general sense, it [kami] refers to all divine beings of heaven and earth that appear in the classics. More particularly, the kami are the spirits that abide in and are worshipped at the shrines.¹

While my opening statement may be somewhat recursive. On the other hand, the best definition the quoted Japanese scholar could provide resembles circular reasoning.

So, who or what are the Kami? To answer this question, I’ll use a convention I employed in my other writings and that is there’s both a long and short answer. The short answer is basically polytheistic universalist nature worship and the long answer is postulated in the remainder of this post.

Shinto is polytheistic in that almost anything can be kami including certain gods, spirits and the beings they inhabit, lakes and mountains, and deceased human beings, i.e., ancestor worship.² That is to say, almost anything.

Shinto is universalist in that Shintoism teaches the importance of “inter-faith dialogs”³ and essentiality that “all religions co-exist and interact.”⁴ The Coexist Bumper Sticker could have been influenced by Shinto philosophy. In addition, Grand Master Yamakage in his book, The Essence of Shinto, emphatically states that “[a]ll human beings have the potential to become Kami.”⁵

Vincent Miller in his book, Shinto, asserts that “[a]t its most basic form, Shinto is nature worship…”⁶ Nature being what you would expect it to be such as: mountains, rock formations, and trees and forests.⁷

For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.⁸

First of all, Christianity teaches the three primary attributes of God that He is Omnipresent (being everywhere at the same time); Omniscient (all knowing); and Omnipotent (all powerful). On the other hand, Miller states that the kami, as a group, are not omnipotent.⁹ Neither are the kami understood to be omniscient since Shintoism is a progressive religion being based on “continual progress [science and reason] as opposed to timeless truth.”¹⁰ However, it can be inferred from various writings that kami are, in a sense, omnipresent since “Shinto tradition says there are eight million million [sic] kami in Japan”¹¹; and that unlike the Christian belief in Heaven, Kami are bound to our current world.¹²

Secondly, and this makes Shintoism particularly insidious, is that Yamakage states that for religion, including Shinto, to survive it must align with the “spirit of the age.”¹³ In religion, no dogma or eternal truths leads to relativism which leads their followers to be influenced by the “god of this world.”¹⁴

While it appears that Shinto has very little or nothing in common with Christianity, there are a number of beliefs in Shintoism that can be said to have parallels with Christian and/or other extrabiblical teachings.

Divine Descendents
Vincent Miller states in the Introduction of his Shinto book that “Shinto followers believe that their emperor is a divine descendent who governs the land with the help of rituals done for the deities, or Kami.”¹⁵ This belief is very similar to the Roman Catholic Pope having “God-given authority” based on their understanding that the Apostle Peter was the first Pope.¹⁶

Omnipresence
Miller states that kami possess that omniscient attribute that is exclusively claimed by God.¹⁷ This teaching is clearly contradicted by Yamakage who teaches that Shinto is a progressive non-dogmatic religion.¹⁸ Nevertheless, both writers and the BBC website all agree that kami are omnipresent. “Kami is the mystical or sacred element in all things in this world.”¹⁹ Kami omnipresence is strikingly similar to the Holy Spirit as follows:

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.²⁰

Creation
“The universe was first created from pre-existing chaos.”²¹ This is somewhat comparable to the biblical creation story:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.²²

Salvation
In traditional Christianity, the notion of sin is understood to be an offense against God’s law. In Shinto however, there isn’t a belief in an all-powerful God who can be offended therefore Shinto teaches “the essential goodness of humanity…”²³ Even though Yamakage insists that Shinto eschews the notion of sin and judgement, he does state there is a purification for errors committed by an individual.²⁴ If there is a salvation in Shinto, it is a salvation through rituals or works.

To matters even more confusing to Westerners but maybe not so much to Roman Catholics is the Shinto notion of progressive salvation or put more specifically, Purgatory. Note the unmistakable similarity in the following:

Human beings keep growing throughout their lives, and after their lives on earth they go to the other world…and continue living for renovation and maintenance…Eventually, they may keep growing until they eventually become Kami.²⁵

Symbolism
In certain Shinto purification rituals, the paper image used to represent Kami was that of a human being called “gohei.”²⁶ According to Yamakage, “In Shinto we assume that ‘Kami and human being are of the same shape’…”²⁷ This correlates nicely with the biblical teaching that man was created in God’s image²⁸ and that image is Jesus.

The Shinto religion employs many esoteric rites and practices, a discussion of which is beyond the scope and intention of this writing.

“Kami,” BBC, last updated 2009-09-04, Kami. ↩
Miller, Vincent, Shinto – The Way of Gods: Introduction to the traditional religion of Japan, (Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, 2018), 12, 122. ↩
Yamakage, Motohisa, The Essence of Shinto: Japan’s Spiritual Heart, (Kodansha USA, New York, 2012), 26. ↩
Ibid. ↩
Ibid., 168. ↩
Miller, Shinto, 50. ↩
Ibid., 51. ↩
New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Ro 1:25. ↩
Ibid., 23. ↩
Yamakage, The Essence of Shinto, 21. ↩
BBC, “Kami.” ↩
Miller, Shinto, 12. ↩
Yamakage, The Essence of Shinto, 22. ↩
New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), 2 Co 4:4. ↩
Miller, Shinto, 7. ↩
Gerard Sczepura, “GOD & the Gods: Rebuttal to Biblical Origins of Catholicism,” Theological Ruminations (blog), May 26, 2019, https://gerardsczepura.com/myblog/rebuttal-to-biblical-origins-of-catholicism/. ↩
Miller, Shinto, 11. ↩
Yamakage, The Essence of Shinto, 22. ↩
Miller, Shinto, 11. ↩
New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Ps 139:7–8. ↩
Miller, Shinto, 19. ↩
New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Ge 1:1–2. ↩
Yamakage, The Essence of Shinto, 44. ↩
Ibid., 122-123. ↩
Ibid., 127. ↩
Ibid., 118. ↩
Ibid. ↩
New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Ge 1:26–27. ↩

Proverbs for the 2024 Election

The 2024 election season is well under way and it’s “déjà vu all over again.” Or should I say that the previous election season never ended because in the USA it’s politics all day everyday 365 days a year except for leap years when it’s 366 days.

If MAGA (Make America Great Again) is a threat to democracy, then America isn’t a democracy.

Anyone who is against the slogan “Make America Great Again” is really for “Make America Less Prosperous Again.”

And I heard a voice from among the four living beings say, “A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day’s pay. And don’t waste the olive oil and wine.” (Rev. 6:6 NLT)

Donald Trump has been accused of being an “existential threat to democracy” and an “existential threat to our country,” our country being the United States. If that’s true, then our democracy is more like the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) instead of the constitutional republic that we are supposed to be.

During the 1920’s, American efforts helped save the Soviet Union from “ruin,” but now Russia has become America’s boogeyman or worse, the Baba Yaga.

In 1966, John Lennon remarked that “We’re [The Beatles] more popular than Jesus now.” In 2024, The Beatles have now been superseded by Hitler and Trump.

Trump tends to incorporate a good deal of hyperbole (and sarcasm) during speeches and in his interviews, but the fact checkers in the fake news media don’t get it so they fallaciously report that he constantly lies.

In September of 2024, an apparent second assassination attempt was made on Donald Trump at his golf course in Florida where the alleged gunman was packing an AK-47 rifle—a weapon primarily used in war. In March of 1981, President Regan was shot and almost killed by John Hinkley Jr. using a .22 caliber revolver—a weapon used mostly for plinking and target shooting.

During his rally in Uniondale, New York, Trump mentioned that he used to go to White Castle with his father probably in Queens and/or Brooklyn…now that should be good enough for anyone.

So, you think there’s no bias in the media, maybe you should check out Wikipedia’s Donald Trump content and think again. With the exception of the first paragraph stating his birthdate and dates he served as president, the entire article is 100% negative towards Trump including statements implying that the “Russia Hoax” was fiction; that is, “Russia, Russia, Russia” was in fact true.

There are and have been non-stop accusations raised against Russia for allegedly spreading election disinformation. Is this any worse than the U.S. spreading regime change in Iraq and Afghanistan?

You hear a lot of accusations going around about “bad actors” attempting to influence the U.S. election by buying advertising on various media outlets. Naturally, all these actors will be accused of spreading misinformation or disinformation if their ads don’t support a Democrat. So, given this standard, all Republican negative ad campaigns targeting Democrats can be declared guilty of spreading misinformation. Aren’t all politicians trying to influence voters to vote for them?

The establishment media always refers to election interference holistically, but the devil is in the details. Election interference should be called out for such actions as: lawfare/imprisonment, harassment, slander, censoring/cancelling, leaking, hacking, ballot removal, and last but not least, inadequate protection/assassination.

Many news commentators and pundits admit to seeing God’s hand in saving Donald Trump from being assassinated twice, but they are hesitant to admit God’s sovereignty in deciding who becomes president.

It [the beast] was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. It [the beast] was also given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation. (Rev. 13:7 GW)

The “E” in DEI stands for equity and equity is not equality. In the movie Dr. Zhivago, when the main character Yury Andreyevich Zhivago returns to his estate in Moscow after the Bolshevik takeover he is confronted with the chairman of the residence committee who tells him the living space in his home can accommodate 13 families. Zhivago gives a cool response by saying “Yes…More just” [emphasis mine].

Kamala Harris is running a brilliant campaign for president in that she is running against her own record as Joe Biden’s vice president for the past 4 years confirmed by the heading on her website’s Issues page, “A New Way Forward.” Given that her record is so weak, how can she possibly lose the election?

Now, if you really want to “turn the page” in November, elect Donald J. Trump as the 47th president of the United States.

GOD & the Gods: Yaqui Indian Sorcery

The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge was copyrighted in 1968—the year I graduated high school. At that time, I was totally unaware of Carlos Castaneda. I first discovered Castaneda’s books sometime in the late 70s early 80s. As I recall, I read at least three of his latter books: The Second Ring of Power, The Eagle’s Gift, and The Fire from Within. I’m confident in my recollection since I still have those books in my library. However, for this installment in my “GOD & the Gods” series, I wanted to reference Castaneda’s early writings so I was able to acquire a used Touchstone Book paperback set of his first four books.

Back when I first read those three hardcover titles, I automatically assumed that don Juan, Castaneda’s teacher or guide into the world of sorcery, was Mexican or Hispanic when in fact he was a Yaqui Indian from Sonora, Mexico. According to Encyclopaedia.com, Yaqui Indians are an indigenous people of northwestern Mexico and Arizona. The Yaqui are unique in that they have preserved their own culture and identity for nearly 400 years by resisting assimilation into Mexican society.

In the years following my last read of Castaneda’s latter three books, I recall hearing that Castaneda recanted on his experiences with Yaqui Indian sorcery as described in his books. I was quite surprised to hear this news (I don’t recall the source) since I found it hard to believe someone would spend some 10 years of their lives devoted to such an endeavor to later admit it never happened. After conducting a little research, I discovered Castaneda never recanted however many academics and critics have since discredited his work.¹ Nevertheless, I found his writings believable since he mentions in his books being chided frequently for his incessant notetaking during meetings with don Juan. Moreover, the detail with which he describes his sessions with don Juan, in my opinion, lends credibility to the narrative.

Each book in my set of paperbacks lists the book category as Philosophy/Anthropology or simply Anthropology on the back cover. While these books in fact present a detailed study of alternate realities and human culture, they also present a study of the occult and the spirit realm. While many of Castaneda’s critics have argued that his writings should be classified as fiction, His publisher Simon and Schuster still regards the books are nonfiction.² As previously inferred, this writer accepts Castaneda’s books as nonfiction.

Perhaps Castaneda’s many critics and academics were led to dismiss him as “a hoaxer, a fraud, a sexual predator, a cult leader and maybe a psychopath”³ due to his productization of his shamanic teachings called “Tensegrity®” currently being administered by Cleargreen. I’m more inclined to lean towards this assessment since Castaneda made it very clear in his books that to become a “man of knowledge” along with being an impeccable “warrior” one had to be chosen.⁴

Aside from his personal experiences which he described in great detail in his books, Carlos Castaneda lived a very private life in conformance with Yaqui culture. According to a New York Times article from 1998, Castaneda “lived in almost total anonymity, refusing to make public appearances, be photographed or tape-recorded.”⁵

Carlos Castaneda died on April 27, 1998.

If you perform a google search on the word “Sorcery” you will get definitions that consistently contain the terms: evil spirits, supernatural powers, black magic, witchery, cast lots (divination), and magic. Personally, I think the definition provided in Wikipedia best describes the type of sorcery practiced by Castaneda and his teacher don Juan:

Magic (supernatural), beliefs and practices used to manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces

Castaneda writes in the introduction to his first book that the people who lived with and who knew don Juan considered him to be a brujo, someone who possessed some sort of “secret knowledge” and who had extraordinary powers.⁶ However, don Juan referred to his teacher (unnamed) as a diablero, a person whom the locals described as an evil person who practiced black sorcery and who could change into an animal such as a bird, dog, or coyote.⁷ There is a parallel to this in Celtic spirituality, where certain deities had the ability to change into various animal forms, also known as shapeshifting.⁸

While many critics and academics have recast Castaneda’s writings as so much gibberish, the Bible on the other hand has established a clear precedent in that many books include narratives involving sorcery, magic and the secret arts. The three biblical narratives that I will use to defend my assertion are: Moses and Aaron and the plagues upon Egypt; the visit of wise men or magi after the birth of Jesus; and the encounter with Simon the magician in Samaria.

Moses and the Plagues

So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and thus they did just as the Lord had commanded; and Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers, and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts. For each one threw down his staff and they turned into serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. [emphasis mine] (Exod. 7:10-12 NASB)

Earlier in the book of Exodus, God had granted Moses powers so that he could perform certain signs and wonders before Pharaoh and his servants. Note that the magicians were able to emulate the sign Aaron performed but God demonstrated that His power was greater than that of the Egyptians in that the magicians’ serpents were consumed by Aaron’s staff.

So Moses and Aaron did even as the Lord had commanded. And he [Aaron] lifted up the staff and struck the water that was in the Nile, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, and all the water that was in the Nile was turned to blood. The fish that were in the Nile died, and the Nile became foul, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. And the blood was through all the land of Egypt. But the magicians of Egypt did the same with their secret arts; and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said. [emphasis mine] (Exod. 7:20-22)

Again, we see that the magicians of Egypt were able to duplicate the Lord’s second sign of turning the waters to blood. It’s also recorded in Exodus that the magicians were able to imitate God’s third wonder of calling up frogs over the land. It would seem that the magicians’ power was pretty much equal to the power God gave to Moses, that is until God’s fourth sign manifested itself.

They did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff, and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats through all the land of Egypt. The magicians tried with their secret arts to bring forth gnats, but they could not; so there were gnats on man and beast. Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said. [emphasis mine] (Exod. 8:17-19)

The text doesn’t explicitly state whether or not the magicians ran up against the limitations of their power or whether God intervened to prevent their magic from working as it did previously. I believe the former to be the case since the magicians were able to discern the difference between “the finger of God” and the source of their power.

Visit of the Magi

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” [emphasis mine] (Matt. 2:1-2)

This is the Christmas story that everyone knows but not everyone agrees who the magi really were. It’s common for commentators and other writers to attempt to soften the text by substituting “magi” with “wise men” since magi is the root of our English word magic. Nevertheless, the NASB Dictionary defines Strong’s Greek #3097 “a Magian, i.e. an (Oriental) astrologer, by impl. a magician”⁹ definitely someone associated with the secret arts.

Even if the magi were really astrologers, how did they know the “star in the east” correlated to the “King of the Jews,” that is, the Messiah? What verse or verses in the Hebrew scriptures did they use to assert their belief? I’m sure a weak case can be made for the star in Numbers 24:17 but there is certainly insufficient information to make the association with the Jesus child. So, if the magi didn’t reference the Hebrew scriptures, then what manuscripts did they consult, if any? These are difficult questions to answer.

Finally, contrary to the title and lyrics in the song “We Three Kings of Orient Are” the Bible doesn’t specify how many Magi there were who followed the star to where Jesus was. The number three was probably instigated by an overzealous trinitarian.

Simon the Magician

But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the great power of God.” And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time. [emphasis mine] (Acts 8:9-11 NKJV)

The phrase “practiced sorcery” in the text is derived from Strong’s #3096 and defined in the NASB Dictionary as “to practice magic.”¹⁰ I believe these verses speak for themselves.

Castaneda began his sojourn into the world of sorcery quite by accident—some would say. Castaneda writes that his original reason for his visit to the border areas of Arizona and Mexico was to learn more about psychotropic (medicinal) plants known to the Yaqui Indians there. Castaneda was introduced to don Juan by a friend at a Greyhound bus terminal, who just happened to be there at the same time they were. Even though Castaneda’s initial meeting with don Juan was cordial, it wasn’t until after a year and multiple visits with don Juan that Castaneda was taken under his wing, so to speak.¹¹

However, it wasn’t until Castaneda’s encounter with Mescalito that don Juan affirmed his decision to take Castaneda on as his apprentice.¹² Castaneda’s encounter with Mescalito occurred after chewing six peyote buttons¹³ Don Juan stated that he saw Mescalito playing with Castaneda which he interpreted as an omen that indicated Castaneda was the escogido or chosen one.¹⁴ ¹⁵

I couldn’t help but draw a parallel between Castaneda’s encounter with Mescalito and certain scenes in the film The Serpent and the Rainbow where Bill Pullman’s character Dr. Alan has an encounter with An Hango, a powerful shaman, in the Amazon Basin.¹⁶ What follows is a summary of Dr. Alan’s hallucinogenic experience depicted in the film.

Dr. Alan arrives at the shaman’s location by helicopter. Dr. Alan is accompanied with an interpreter/guide to his meeting with the shaman. During the meeting, the shaman offers Dr. Alan one of his potions to drink. After drinking the potion, Dr. Alan almost immediately goes into a hallucinogenic mental state.

During his drug induced trip, he is confronted with a large cat (probably a jaguar) who instead of attacking him, begins to play with him. The shaman smiles while seeing Dr. Alan frolicking on the ground with the large cat.

When Dr. Alan awakens from his trip, he finds himself alone. He makes his way back to the helicopter only to find the pilot dead in his seat. Dr. Alan then starts his trek out of the Amazon basin on foot.

At some point on his journey out of the Amazon, he again encounters the same big cat he frolicked with earlier but now instead of trying to run away, he follows the big cat who leads him to a road which facilitates his passage back to civilization.

So, was Mescalito taking the form of the big cat in Dr. Alan’s experience? Or was the entity an ally? There’s really no way to tell for certain. However, the similarities with Castaneda’s experience are striking. Even though Mescalito appeared to Castaneda as a black, transparent dog,¹⁷ he doesn’t appear the same to everybody according to don Juan.¹⁸ Nevertheless, the big cat was Dr. Alan’s spiritual protector (e.g., ally?) a role that Mescalito also assumes along with teacher.¹⁹

According to the “structural scheme” provided by Castaneda at the end of his first book, Dr. Alan’s spiritual protector would not be considered an ally because Mescalito didn’t have a rule therefore he could be used by anyone without having to undergo a long apprenticeship.²⁰ Nevertheless, don Juan classified both types of entities as “impersonal forces or powers”²¹ Eventually, he would admit that Mescalito was “like a spirit.”²²

I believe don Juan was not being entirely honest with Castaneda when he described the entity Mescalito as an impersonal force since you wouldn’t expect an impersonal force to behave differently depending on the person he [Mescalito] is interacting with. Don Juan seems to contradict himself again during his discourse on Castaneda’s encounter with Mescalito as follows:

You see, sometimes he is playful, like a child, at other times he is terrible, fearsome. He either frolics or he is dead serious. It is impossible to know beforehand what he will be like with another person. Yet, when one knows him well—sometimes. You played with him tonight. You are the only person I know who has had such an encounter.²³

Notice don Juan uses the pronoun “he” when referring to Mescalito. Wouldn’t a more appropriate pronoun be “it” for an impersonal force? Continuing the previous conversation, don Juan implies that Mescalito has feelings.

Can you tell me now, don Juan, how does peyote [Mescalito] protect…He did not let me finish. Vigorously he touched me on the shoulder. Don’t ever name him that way. You haven’t seen enough of him yet to know him.²⁴

An impersonal force? I don’t think so. Mescalito, whoever he is, is definitely a person or an entity with a personality, i.e., spirit.

Another troubling inconsistency is with don Juan’s teachings on a minor entity called a “helper”²⁵ which he describes as “a spirit that lives on the other side of the world.”²⁶ Again, he deviates from his earlier teachings on the nature of Mescalito and allies.

Finally, as Castaneda points out in his structural analysis, an “ally was a power that had a rule.”²⁷ Maybe a better definition would be “allies are entities with their own unique personalities who have established specific protocols to allow the adept to manipulate their power.” That is to say, rules are established for the adept or sorcerers to follow—allies, on the other hand, have a will of their own.

Another interesting aspect of don Juan’s teachings is the emphasis he places on the doctrine of election or predestination which are not subjects to be discussed in polite company. While I’m convinced the Bible clearly teaches election with respect to salvation, you won’t find many Christian ministers teaching this doctrine. Don Juan on the other hand had no problem with the concept of a higher power interceding in our lives by the communication of their will to the adept through the use of omens.

Don Juan confirmed the importance of omens when he explained his role as a teacher, “a teacher never seeks apprentices and no one can solicit the teachings It’s always an omen which points out an apprentice.”²⁸ He further confided to Castaneda that “you, Genaro and I are stuck together by a purpose that is not our decision.”²⁹ Clearly higher powers were at work.

As for Castaneda’s decision to become a man of knowledge under don Juan’s tutelage, it really wasn’t his decision but was “a design of power.”³⁰

“The dark legacy of Carlos Castaneda,” Robert Marshall, Salon, April 12, 2007, The dark legacy of Carlos Castaneda | Salon.com. ↩
Marshall, “The dark legacy.” ↩
“Castaneda the sorcerer,” Daniel Miller, The Critic, March 04, 2023, Castaneda the sorcerer | Daniel Miller | The Critic Magazine. ↩
Castaneda, Carlos, The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge, (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1974), 221. ↩
“Carlos Castaneda, Mystical and Mysterious Writer, Dies,” Peter Applebome, The New York Times, June 20, 1998, Carlos Castaneda, Mystical and Mysterious Writer, Dies – The New York Times (nytimes.com). ↩
Castaneda, The Teachings, 14. ↩
Ibid., 15. ↩
Gerard Sczepura, “GOD & the Gods: The Celts,” Theological Ruminations (blog), June 06, 2018, GOD & the Gods: The Celts – Gerard Sczepura. ↩
Robert L. Thomas, New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries: Updated Edition (Anaheim: Foundation Publications, Inc., 1998). ↩
Ibid. ↩
Castaneda, The Teachings, 13-14. ↩
Ibid., 55-56. ↩
Ibid., 45. ↩
Ibid., 55. ↩
Castaneda, Carlos, Tales of Power, (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1974), 197, 229. ↩
The Serpent and the Rainbow, directed by Wes Craven (Universal Pictures, 1988), 1:38:00. The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988) – IMDb. ↩
Castaneda, The Teachings, 46-47. ↩
Ibid., 102. ↩
Ibid. ↩
Ibid., 249-250. ↩
Castaneda, Carlos, A Separate Reality: Further Conversations with Don Juan, (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1971), 15. ↩
Ibid., 81. ↩
Castaneda, The Teachings, 49. ↩
Ibid., 49-50. ↩
Ibid., 209. ↩
Ibid., 210. ↩
Ibid., 236. ↩
Castaneda, Tales of Power, 229. ↩
Ibid. ↩
Ibid., 62. ↩

Post Election 2020 Comments

The 2020 election is finally over—well not really—but at least the non-stop political ads are finally gone so now we can get back to being abused by drug companies’ TV spots for Verzenio®, Neulasta®, Taltz®, Jardiance® and Trulicity®, and let’s not forget the really idiotic NerdWallet TV spot.

So, Biden was able to pull off an amazing win without carrying the states of Florida and Ohio. He must have run one hell of a campaign, or did he? Unlike President Trump, Biden hunkered down in his basement for almost the entire campaign while his running mate was nowhere to be seen. Perfect strategy since BLM, Antifa, CNN, MSNBC, and COVID-19 did all the heavy lifting for them. Even Fox News’ Chris Wallace joined in to make a contribution to the Democrats’ cause just like he did in 2016 along with Megyn Kelly.

The pundits on CNN continually push the mantra, “there’s no evidence of voter fraud,” yet 234 pages of sworn affidavits say otherwise. Trying to prove voter fraud is like trying to prove who passed gas in a crowded subway. Everyone knows it happened but no one is able or willing to try and prove who did it. This election smells like someone passed gas. Voter fraud may be difficult if not impossible to prove but there certainly was plenty of evidence of shenanigans going on at many polling locations. The Left’s rallying cry: Systemic racism—Yes! Systemic voter fraud—No!

In the 2020 election, it wasn’t unusual for dead people to vote by absentee-ballot. I see nothing wrong with that since the dead are technically absent. Also, it’s been alleged that many mail-in ballots had no down-ballot votes marked—those ballots should not be counted.

During the fifteen years I’ve been a resident of Florida, I’ve always voted by absentee ballot. I requested the absentee ballot because I work at Kennedy Space Center but I live in Lake County some 92 miles away. Also, for many years I lived in Merritt Island and later Winter Park—commuting home on weekends. However, this year, COVID-19 or not, I voted in-person on Election Day, the way it was intended.

On election night Trump was ahead by more than 700,000 votes in Pennsylvania yet his lead was cut by over 500,000 by Thursday morning due to mail-in ballot counting. Nothing to see here. Looking back to the 2012 election, in 59 Philadelphia voting divisions, Obama beat Romney 19,605 to 0; Romney didn’t get a single vote—again, nothing unusual to see here.

In August, Hillary Clinton advised “Joe Biden should not concede under any circumstances.” Good advice but it was unnecessary since the fix was already in and this fix was planned way ahead of time. In 2016, everyone laughed at the idea of Donald Trump winning the election since no one thought he had a chance against “Queen Hillary.” The Democrats were caught off guard, so no desperate measures were taken to throw the election. Not so in 2020, because by the time the 2020 election rolled around, The Resistance had almost four years to get a plan in place. COVID-19 was the best gift the Democrats could have gotten. How convenient it was for the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic to hit the United States and the rest of the world in the very same year that President Trump was running for re-election. Perfect timing if you ask me. So where was Putin this time?

Chinese virologist Dr. Li-Ming Yan claims the SARS-CoV-2 virus was manufactured in a Chinese military laboratory and is not a naturally occurring virus as many so-called experts claim. Dr. Yan’s claims have since been refuted by the Chinese government and the WHO, both very reliable sources. Of course, the experts including those in the media will try to debunk Dr. Yan as a conspiracy theorist while they themselves continue perpetrating the biggest conspiracy theory of them all that Donald Trump was and still is a Russian asset. Decide for yourself: a PDF of Dr. Yan’s report that she co-authored with three other colleagues entitled, Unusual Features of the SARS-CoV-2 Genome Suggesting Sophisticated Laboratory Modification Rather Than Natural Evolution and Delineation of Its Probable Synthetic Route, can be downloaded here.

Recently I caught an unconfirmed news article on the Web stating that President Trump is reportedly planning an exit from the White House on Air Force One on or before Inauguration Day to hold a rally presumably in Florida in order to take attention away from Biden’s enthronement. Sounds almost identical to the advice I pitched in my recent “Election 2020 Obfuscations” blog entry.

During a recent interview with Mark Zuckerberg, Darth Fauci expressed concern that it will be ‘months’ before school-age children could get the COVID-19 vaccine. Very concerning since children under the age of 18 have a 99.994% chance of recovering from the virus.

I was recently disappointed to learn that my college alma mater has caved to the woke mob. It was reported in the Fall 2020 edition of the Monmouth magazine that University President Leahy has announced actions to be taken so that Monmouth University can become an “anti-racist institution.” In other words, affirmative action policies don’t go far enough, racial activism is needed. For example, renaming Woodrow Wilson Hall to the Great Hall at Shadow Lawn to become a more “welcoming and inclusive space.” I’m sure people of color in the distressed neighborhoods of Asbury Park and Neptune will benefit enormously.

Sheryl Crow has a song entitled “Leaving Las Vegas” but lately, it may be more appropriate to have songs about leaving California or leaving New York since people like Elon Musk are doing just that.

Does anyone find it the least bit interesting that since FDR, every other president has been of the opposing political party except for George H. W. Bush, a Republican, who succeeded Reagan—a universally popular president. I’m not considering Truman, LBJ, and Ford for obvious reasons. Could it be that the fickle American electorate is never satisfied with their presidential picks or is it something more sinister? It would certainly appear that the presidency is shared equally (mostly) between both parties. Obviously, presidents are picked on personality not policy.

Biden’s recent cabinet picks come from a long line of corruptocrats, nevertheless, they have been likened to the Avengers superheroes; but if they win, we lose. Given this reality, there can be no unity since the radical Marxist socialists in the Democratic Party refuse to compromise—with them it’s an all or nothing proposition. As a result, I’m unable to call Biden my president—regardless if there was election fraud or not.

P.S. this remark is to clarify my previous comments on Monmouth University. I’m a member of the University’s Shadow Lawn Society which means I’ve included Monmouth in my estate plans. That being said, I plan to continue my support of the University regardless of the prevailing cultural norms. My concern was with the motivation for renaming Wilson Hall not that it was renamed. In fact, I’ve never had any love for former President Woodrow Wilson anyway.

Song Lyrics in Retrospect

School taught one and one is two.
But right now, that answer just ain't true.¹

Now if 6 turned out to be 9,
I don't mind, I don't mind...²

Red is grey and yellow white,
But we decide which is right
And which is an illusion.³

The west is the best
Get here, and we'll do the rest⁴

For the times they are a-changin'.⁵

Ev'rywhere I hear the sound of marching, charging feet, boy
'Cause summer's here and the time is right for fighting
in the street boy⁶

We'll be fighting in the streets...
And the morals that they worship will be gone⁷

Your ballroom days are over, baby
Night is drawing near⁸

Your old road is
Rapidly agin'⁹

Things they do look awful c-c-cold (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I hope I die before I get old (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Why don't you all f-fade away (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
And don't try to dig what we all s-s-say (Talkin' 'bout my generation)¹⁰

Television children fed¹¹

And all the children are insane
All the children are insane¹²

The order is
Rapidly fadin'¹³

The old get old
And the young get stronger...
Gonna win, yeah
We're takin' over
Come on!¹⁴

Hey! Think the time is right for a Palace Revolution
But where I live the game to play is Compromise Solution!
Hey! Said my name is called Disturbance
I'll shout and scream, I'll kill the King I'll rail at all his servants¹⁵

There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls...¹⁶

For the times they are a-changin'.¹⁷

I heard some of you got your families, living in
cages tall & cold,
And some just stay there and dust away, past the
age of old.¹⁸

Well I asked my friend where is that black smoke comin' from
He just coughed and changed the subject and
said oh wa I think it might snow some...
Look at the sky turn a hell fire red Lord
Somebody's house is burning down down, down down¹⁹

...and the smell of a world that has burned.²⁰

I said the truth is straight ahead so don't burn yourself instead
Try to learn instead of burn, hear what I say, yeah, yeah.²¹

Blood in the streets in the town of Chicago²²

Save our city, save our city
Right now²³

They're going to destroy
Our casual joys
We shall go on playing
Or find a new town²⁴

For the times they are a-changin'.²⁵

Cancel my subscription to the Resurrection²⁶

The gate is straight
Deep and wide²⁷

Bodies confused
Memories misused²⁸

The future's uncertain, and the end is always near²⁹

Save us!
Jesus!
Save us!³⁰

For the times they are a-changin'.³¹

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall³²

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution³³

And I come back to find the stars misplaced³⁴

Blood will be born in the birth of a nation³⁵

Mother, should I trust the government?³⁶

Its leaders were supposed to serve the country
But now they won't pay it no mind³⁷

Mother, should I run for president?³⁸

When the music's over
Turn out the lights³⁹

Reason has been raptured—we were forewarned!

https://www.allmusic.com/

http://www.mldb.org/

“Ride My See Saw,” The Moody Blues, In Search of the Lost Chord, 1968. ↩
“If 6 Was 9,” The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Axis: Bold as Love, 1967. ↩
“Late Lament,” The Moody Blues, Days of Future Passed, 1967. ↩
“The End,” The Doors, The Doors, 1967. ↩
“The Times They Are A-Changin’,” Bob Dylan, The Times They Are A-Changin’, 1964. ↩
“Street Fighting Man,” The Rolling Stones, Beggar’s Banquet, 1968. ↩
“Won’t Get Fooled Again,” The Who, Who’s Next, 1971. ↩
“Five to One,” The Doors, Waiting for the Sun, 1968. ↩
“The Times They Are A-Changin’,” Dylan. ↩
“My Generation,” The Who, The Who Sings My Generation, 1965. ↩
“Unknown Soldier,” Doors. ↩
“The End,” Doors. ↩
“The Times They Are A-Changin’,” Dylan. ↩
“Five to One,” Doors. ↩
“Street Fighting Man,” Stones. ↩
“The Times They Are A-Changin’,” Dylan. ↩
Ibid. ↩
“Up from the Skies,” Hendrix. ↩
“House Burning Down,” The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Electric Ladyland, 1968. ↩
“Up from the Skies,” Hendrix. ↩
“House Burning Down,” Hendrix. ↩
“Peace Frog,” The Doors, Morrison Hotel, 1970. ↩
“Roadhouse Blues,” Doors. ↩
“Strange Days,” The Doors, Strange Days, 1967. ↩
“The Times They Are A-Changin’,” Dylan. ↩
“When the Music’s Over,” Doors. ↩
“Break on Through (To the Other Side),” Doors. ↩
“Strange Days,” Doors. ↩
“Roadhouse Blues,” Doors. ↩
“When the Music’s Over,” Doors. ↩
“The Times They Are A-Changin’,” Dylan. ↩
Ibid. ↩
“Won’t Get Fooled Again,” The Who. ↩
“Up from the Skies,” Hendrix. ↩
“Peace Frog,” Doors. ↩
“Mother,” Pink Floyd, The Wall, 1979. ↩
“Monster,” Steppenwolf, Monster, 1969. ↩
“Mother,” Pink Floyd. ↩
“When the Music’s Over,” Doors. ↩