Showing 594 articles
The Language of Birds
Author: Julian ScottMay 13, 2014
“We’ve been on earth all these years and we still don’t know for certain why birds sing. We need someone to unlock the code to this foreign language and give us a key; we need a new Rosetta Stone.” – Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker CreekThere have always been traditions about human beings with the [...]
Rowing Against the Current
Author: Jorge Angel LivragaMay 13, 2014
“The difference between a floating tree trunk and a boat made of the same wood is that the latter has oars and can row upstream.”Dr. N. Sri RamI heard these words from him in my distant youth. The phrase was not part of any of his lectures and I do not know if it is [...]
Celebrating 2400 Years of Plato’s Academy
Author: Yaron BarzilayMay 13, 2014
The year 2013 marks 2,400 years since Plato established his Academy in Athens. Founded in 387BC, the Academy has continuously influenced humanity since inception, be it the Mediterranean Civilizations, numerous western philosophers including the renaissance men (who referred to Plato as a divine philosopher,) to our modern world of today, in which Plato’s teachings still [...]
Diamond as a symbol of human virtues
Author: Sivan BarzilayMay 13, 2014
“Only the truth hidden in the diamond is eternal and supreme” – H.P.Blavatsky (1) Chapter A – The Symbolic Language The symbolic language was wide spread in the ancient times. The people of different cultures knew how to use nature as a mirror to internal processes, which are sometimes invisible. It was important due to [...]
The Symbolism of the Angels
Author: M.A. Carrillo de Albornoz & M.A. FernándezMay 13, 2014
Angels are regarded as invisible messengers, inhabitants of Heaven, beings of light and symbols of lightness as well as fire and martial power. Angels have always been present in the imagination of man. All civilizations admit the existence of these beneficent spiritual beings that collaborate with the Creator, according to their rank in the celestial [...]
Simply Philosophy
Author: Yaron BarzilayMay 12, 2014
When mention is made of philosophy, one might imagine that a rain of words will fall, combined with complicated sentences and theories.This way of seeing philosophy is far from the true spirit of philosophy which basically aims to bring us closer to simplicity and clarity. What we need is a simple definition of philosophy. The culture [...]
The Inner Gold of the Alchemists
Author: Julian ScottMay 12, 2014
Alchemy seems to be an almost universal science. Not only do we find it in Medieval Europe, but also in China and India, amongst other places. This is perhaps because it is not just a primitive forerunner of modern chemistry, but a sacred science in its own right, which was studied wherever esoteric knowledge has [...]
The Mozart Effect
Author: David HirschornMay 12, 2014
“Thus, then, excellence of form and content in discourse and of musical expression and rhythm, and grace of form and movement, all depend on goodness of nature, by which I mean, not the foolish simplicity sometimes called by courtesy good nature, but a nature in which goodness of character has been well and truly established.” [...]
Pythagoras
Author: AnonymousMay 12, 2014
Although his exact origin is unknown, most authors, including Porphyry, agree that he was born and raised on the Ionian island of Samos, around 560 B.C. His father, Mnesarchus, was a “ring engraver” of Tyrrhenian origin, who did business with the Greeks and Phoenicians. His mother, Parthenis, was a descendant of Ancaeus, the founder of [...]
Pan’s Labyrinth
Author: AnonymousMay 1, 2014
Director: Guillermo del Toro Cast: Ariadna Gil, Sergi Lopez, Ivana Baquero, Maribel Verdu, Doug Jones Duration: 119 min. This is a story that unfolds at two levels. At a real one (in Franco’s Spain where his generals face the resistance of the extreme left rebels) and at a symbolic level, the inner world of the [...]Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Author: AnonymousMay 1, 2014
Original Title: Wo hu cang long Year: 2000 Running Time: 119 min. Directed: Ang Lee Screenplay: Hui-Ling Wang, James Schamus, Kuo Jung Tsai. (Novel by Du Lu Wang) Music: Tan Dun Cinematography: Peter Pau Starring Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen, Sihung Lung, Pei-pei Cheng, Fazeng Li, Xian Gao, Yan Hai, Deming Wang [...]Blade Runner
Author:May 1, 2014
Blade Runner is a US science fiction movie, directed by Ridley Scott, premiered in 1982 and based loosely on Philip K. Dick’s novel: Do androids dream of electric sheep? (1968). It has become a science fiction classic with two Academy Award nominations. It is a favourite among cinema lovers and academics and quickly earned cult [...]