Theosophy

The Fourth Dimension : Sacred Geometry, Alchemy, and Mathematics

by Rudolf Steiner

Average Rating:

"I suppose at the time this book was written, 100 years ago, that Steiners worlds seemed revelatory. But for anyone with exposure to metaphysical concepts like higher dimensions this book does not deliver.

This book was not written by Steiner but is a collection of his lectures on the subject of The Fourth Dimension. And the publishers choice of including the words sacred geometry and alchemy is somewhat misleading. Steiner is a controversial figure because much of what he talked about is hard to follow. In this book Steiner spends many lectures in which a great deal of the current lecture/chapter repeats the previous content.

In this book much of what he talks about does not agree with my own intuitive perceptions of higher realms or with what I have heard from others experiences. For instance, Steiner followed a train of thought that said that in order to go past any dimension, especially the third, that you need a kind of dimensional mirror to shortcut the limitations of the current dimension and add the next dimension. And in the case of getting past the the third dimension this lead Steiner to state that numbers in the fourth dimension (Astral realm) must be read backwards. If you see the number 782 in the Astral realm that must really be the number 287. Now keep in mind that while explaining all of his ideas about the fourth dimension Steiner never really tells you how to perceive it. There are no practices or techniques to use. Later in the book Steiner seems to either clarify or reverse himself when he says that the fourth dimension is time, something most people in metaphysics would be more likely to agree with rather than reversed numbers.

Steiner does go on to imply that animals seen outside of you in the Astral realm are really symbolic or occult representations of your internal state. This much agrees with shamanic views of power animals or spirit helpers.

The majority of the book is a series of question and answer topics. This area covers a wide range and is not organized into topics so it's a bit like a fishing expedition.

For me this was the second Stiener book I have tried to read the first being Egyptian Myths and Mysteries. While the Egyptian book had much more information or facts I was still left thinking 'so what' or 'how can that be proven' to many things Steiner claimed. I also have in my stack of books Biodynamics by Steiner and from flipping through that book it seems that will be a more meaningful book to me as I have an interest in sustainable agriculture and the spiritual forces involved.

From what I can tell thus far Steiner was greatly influenced by Goethe. So any future attempts I make into Steiner land will include either the book(s) Stiener has written about Geothe or other books by/about Goethe.

Finally, from my overall experience of Steiner, I believe he was a genuine man, sort of a prophet of his time. But as a civilzation I believe much of what he has said we have reached at least by a great deal of the metaphysical community consciously and by many of more of us unconsciously. So for most of my metaphysical peers many of the Steiner books will be difficult reading seemingly sparse of usefull information.

My final concern is that when people progress along the spiritual path there is no single version of the reality, short of the ultimate truth, that people all journey with. Though advanced souls may experience the astral plane they each do so from a unique viewpoint. So when people take Steiners views and make something like the Waldorf educational system, I take pause with some concern. I believe that there is some value in Waldorf, but like the body of Steiners works I have read thus far, I have to say that some of what I hear sounds squirrely.

So to my fellow spiritual seekers I say that I have realized that I am lookiing for spiritual nuggets to add to my understanding, not for someone to follow or model my walk on. And in the case of Steiner the nuggets in his field seems to be sparse. Be well.

P.S. If you were looking for an introduction to Sacred Geometry, the Lawlor book is at least four dimensions better."

Publisher: Steiner Books | More reviews: amazon.com

The Animal Kingdom: A Spiritual Perspective

by Alice A. Bailey

The Animal Kingdom, A Spiritual Perspective is a thought-provoking compilation of extracts from the twenty-four books of esoteric philosophy written by Alice A. Bailey. The Animal Kingdom, A Spiritual Perspective offers an inspiring overview of humanity's responsibility for the evolution of animals. This book attempts to deepen our understanding of the mystery of the animal kingdom because it explains the divine purpose of our association with animals, and the important role humanity has to play in their evolution. The Animal Kingdom, A Spiritual Perspective will be of interest to anyone who is willing to consider a new point of view regarding man s relationship with animals.

Publisher: Lucis Publishing Company | More reviews: amazon.com

Staying Connected : How to Continue Your Relationships With Those Who Have Died

by Rudolf Steiner

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"What a book. Anyone who is serious about their life should read this book. A total masterpiece. "

Publisher: Steiner Books | More reviews: amazon.com

Love and the Soul: Creating a Future for Earth

by Robert Sardello

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With economies in peril, war in the Middle East, genocides, global warming, and a host of other grim phenomena, the world has never seemed so besieged. The solution, says Robert Sardello, lies with the individual. In this timely, thoughtful book, he explains how the soul can engage with the outer world to produce radical change. Because we think of the world as a vast mechanism and behave as mechanical objects in it, the results are devastation and dysfunction. The key is to learn to identify with the plight of the Earth by developing a true sense of individual imagination and conscious awareness of inner purpose and beauty in conjunction with the soul of the world. Sardello shows how to achieve this awareness and bring what is inside out into the world, inspiring balance and stability. Using the Grail legend and the myth of Sophia—known as the Soul of the World—as well as writings by Jung, James Hillman, and Rudolf Steiner, Love and the Soul helps readers imagine a revitalized Earth by exploring the significance of grieving, the transformative power of radical receptivity, the creative power of dreaming, and a new basis for community.

Publisher: North Atlantic Books | More reviews: amazon.com

Mother of the Universe: Visions of the Goddess and Tantric Hymns of Enlightenment

by Lex Hixon

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"This is one of the most inspirational collections of devotional poetry I have ever read. Lex Hixon does an excellent job of expressing the essence of Yoga philosophy and Tantra in poetic English. The combination of the ecstatic musings of the 19th century Bengali poet, Ramprasad and the modern lively English of Lex Hixon has created a masterpiece. I would recommend this book to all interested in the devotional experience of Tantra as well as the Vedanta philosophy. The beauty of the book is that you need not be a scholar to experience the mystical vision of Tantra Yoga."

Publisher: Quest Books | More reviews: amazon.com

Inner Life of the Earth: Exploring the Mysteries of Nature, Subnature, & Supranature

by Christopher Bamford

"Our very `I' consciousness is possible because the mineral earth--the first layer of the interior of the Earth--and the other chthonic regions exist. Our human nature is a reflection of the subearthly and supraearthly realms that comprise the macrocosm and the microcosm. `The true meaning of the microcosm-macrocosm analogy is not that the human being is a little cosmos, but that the cosmos is a big human being.' From this perspective, it makes complete sense that the subterranean realms described by spiritual science live within the deepest realms of our human nature and subconscious life of darker feelings and will. Deep within the human being, they radiate into the shadows of thought. This region is more familiarly known as Hell, Hades, or the Abyss. The subterranean spheres, then, are the Earth's `dark side.'" --Paul V. O'Leary (from his introduction) Throughout human history, ancient wisdom and traditional myths have placed human beings between the heavens and the underworld, describing the heavens as the light-filled realm of the gods and the source of goodness, and characterizing the underworld as a demon-filled realm of darkness and the source of evil. Modern science, however, denies the heavens and knows little of the Earth's interior -- even physically -- beyond the first few miles, after which it simply resorts to conjecture based on the extrapolation of existing sensory data. In other words, natural science fails to take into account that the Earth is a living, spiritual being and ignores the presence of its soul-spiritual qualities and influences. To remedy this, during the early twentieth century, Rudolf Steiner researched the psychic, spiritual, and cosmic nature of the Earth's interior. He described how the different layers of the inner Earth affect and interact with human beings living on Earth. More theologically and cosmically, he spoke of the layers of "Hell," through which the Jesus Christ traveled in the period between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, uniting and integrating himself with the Earth and human destiny. The seven authors in The Inner Life of the Earth approach this difficult and little-discussed topic from different directions. They discuss how the forces emanating from the interior of the Earth affect the weather, our atmosphere, human beings, and how human behavior in turn affects them, showing that earthly and human evolution are a unity and should never be thought of as occurring separately. They also discuss the deep significance of Christ's incarnation, by which he united with the Earth to become the Spirit of the Earth. Without Christ's deed, the Mystery of Golgotha, which reunites cosmic and human evolution with the divine, human beings would be unable to work in freedom with Christ or with Sophia, divine feminine Wisdom, in her form as the Soul of the Earth, to overcome evil and help lift all creation toward goodness and greater human, cosmic, and divine fellowship.

Publisher: Steinerbooks | More reviews: amazon.com

Gurdjieff, Astrology & Beelzebub's Tales

by Sophia Wellbeloved

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"To find a structure in the Tales is an achievement in itself! Gurdjieff's main literary work is difficult to read, to study and to understand. Ideas that help in the process are more than welcome. Dr. Wellbeloved not only finds a structure - she also points towards new ways for further studies of the book.
This book is not aimed at attempts to interpret Gurdjieff's message, but instead aims at keeping alive questions on the meanings and interpretations of what he actually meant. In her view the Tales are open to a wealth of meanings that are there to be discovered and experienced by the reader.
We are warned against a literal understanding of the Tales: "If Gurdjieff's text is taken as literally true, then there really was a space ship in the sky over New York in 1921, containing Beelzebub, Hassein and Ahoon". Dr. Wellbeloved draws attention to another important aspect of the Tales: its kinship with the Turkic oral tradition. Originally the Tales were read aloud. Special music was composed for the readings; at each reading Gurdjieff observed the reactions of the listeners and made changes to his texts.
But why would this be important? Is it not OK if I just read it just the way I am used to reading books? Well, to follow Gurdjieff's own advice you should do just that, but not stop there. You should after your first 'mechanized' reading read it 'as if aloud to another person' and only after that you should try to 'fathom the gist of my writings'.
The advantages of the oral tradition over just reading a book are that the stories are made alive while you are in the middle of them. In other words you have a different experience, which most likely touches not only your intellect, but also your emotions. Gurdjieff used to ask 'what does it make you feel', not what does it mean. Dr. Wellbeloved's recent book 'Gurdjieff; The Key Concepts' was inviting for further studies of his ideas. Her new book points out new ways of approaching the Tales and it is an important book for those people who want to study Gurdjieff's writings!"

Publisher: Solar Bound Press | More reviews: amazon.com

The Inner Nature of Music and the Experience of Tone

by Rudolf Steiner

"A tone is at the foundation of everything in the physical world." This is one of many astonishing statements made by Rudolf Steiner in this collection of seven lectures on the inner realities of music. These lectures are an unusual treasure as they are the only two groups of lectures that Steiner gave primarily on music, other than the lecture cycle for the tone eurythmy course, Eurythmy as Visible Music. In the first group of three lectures, given in 1906, Steiner explains why music affects the human soul so powerfully. Music has always held a special position among the arts because it is the only art form whose archetype, or source, lies not in the physical world, as with architecture, sculpture, and painting, but purely in the spiritual world-the soul's true home. Music thus directly expresses through tones the innermost essence of the cosmos, and our sense of well-being when we hear music comes from a recognition of our soul's experience in the spiritual world. In the remaining lectures, given in 1922-23, Steiner discusses our experience of musical intervals and shows how it has undergone profound changes during the course of evolution. The religious effects of music in ancient times and the union of music with speech are considered, as well as the origin of musical instruments out of imaginations that accompanied singing. New insights are offered on the nature of the major and minor modes and on future directions of musical development.

Publisher: Anthroposophic Press | More reviews: amazon.com

Reincarnation and Karma: Two Fundamental Truths of Human Existence : Five Lectures Given During January to March 1912 in Berlin and Stuttgart

by Rudolf Steiner

Publisher: Steiner Books | More reviews: amazon.com

Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (Western Esoteric Masters Series)

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"My dissertation research touches on Madame Blavatsky and Theosophical history and this book has been incredibly helpful. Dr. Goodrick-Clarke provides insightful background to this formidable author and spiritual guide. Her work has greatly influenced contemporary spirituality, and scholars of religion would do well to at least acquaint themselves with her life and work. It's not necessary to like Blavatsky to enjoy this book. I am not a Theosophist or follower of Blavatsky, but do understand her seminal place in modern religious history. Dr. Goodrick-Clarke (who holds a PhD in history from Oxford University) is one of the foremost authorities on Western esotericism in the world and currently a professor at the University of Exeter in the UK. He has penned the best introduction to Madame Blavatsky currently available and his insights are priceless. I highly recommend it!"

Publisher: North Atlantic Books | More reviews: amazon.com