Showing 447 articles
When Does a Renaissance Start? The meaning of the Annunciation
Author: Nataliya PetlevychJanuary 22, 2020
History is rich with inspiring examples of the human spirit flourishing. One of the strongest among them is the Renaissance. It generated a change in the perception of the world and provided a new understanding of the human being, reviving the idea of interconnection between the Macrocosm (the Universe/divine) and the Microcosm (the human being). [...]
Shall We Talk About Collapsology?
Author: Sabine LeitnerJanuary 15, 2020
History teaches us that civilizations rise and fall; since they are born, they will also eventually die. Some die a dramatic death; others simply fade out and become gradually replaced by others. It makes sense to study how past cultures and civilizations died and see what we can learn from it. These days, you can [...]
Esoteric Influences in the Work of William Blake
Author: Julian ScottJanuary 15, 2020
Many of the world’s great artists were inspired by the perennial, esoteric or occult philosophy and their works of art express timeless truths that continue to speak to our intuitions. The artist and poet William Blake is no exception, but it is not easy to locate him within the esoteric tradition, because he was subject [...]
A Deeper Understanding of Myth: The Contribution of Mircea Eliade
Author: Nataliya PetlevychJanuary 15, 2020
Nowadays myth is sometimes perceived as something opposed to reality – a fictional tale without connection to real life. Such an understanding has existed for quite a while, having its roots in the ancient world. It was especially prominent in the 19th century, when myth was considered as a primitive outdated counterpart to science or [...]
The Symbolism of Sumo
Author: Tom MoranNovember 30, 2019
Sumo is a form of wrestling that expresses the Japanese Shinto religion. It has at its heart principles of dignity and courtesy, and as well as being Japan’s national sport it is also a religious ritual. The Sumo wrestlers, called Rikishi, may look big and cumbersome but winning fights involves a combination of strength, agility, [...]
The Sun in Celtic Mythology
Author: Pinar AkhanNovember 30, 2019
“There is an earthly sun, which is the cause of all heat, and all who are able to see may see the sun, and those who are blind and cannot see him may feel his heat. There is an eternal sun, which is the source of all wisdom, and those whose spiritual senses have awakened [...]
The Symbolism of the Chinese Dragon
Author: Agostino DominiciNovember 30, 2019
The Chinese Dragon is the most ancient and most important mythological and esoteric symbol of China. The origins of this symbol are lost in the mists of time. In China, artefacts depicting dragons have been unearthed which date back to the fifth millennium BC. It is said that the ancient people of China saw themselves [...]
The Oldest Art and the Origins of Humankind
Author: Miha KosirNovember 30, 2019
Art forms are a sign of the emergence of symbolic thinking and, in this way, art represents a fundamental threshold in the evolution of humankind. It is what makes us human. Scientists have found evidence of cave paintings, sculpted figures, decorated bone tools and jewellery. Paintings in caves like Chauvet, Altamira and Lascaux go back [...]
The Joy of Living Philosophy
Author: Akanksha SanghiOctober 13, 2019
Know Thyself. This famous axiom from the ancient Greek tradition seems so simple but in reality these words are a key to living life. As I reflect over the last 5 years, since when I began my journey as a philosopher and started to explore the meaning of these words, it is easy for me [...]
Religion and Philosophy
Author: Julian ScottOctober 13, 2019
Today, there is a deep divide between these two fields and, for most people, they are seen as antagonistic. Religion is about faith, or blind belief (in the popular imagination), while philosophy is about reason. Faith seems to be in contradiction with reason. Can this opposition ever be resolved? At its root, however, religion is [...]
The Temples of Ancient Egypt
Author: Agostino DominiciAugust 25, 2019
Introduction The quality of a civilisation’s culture is most visible in its art and more particularly in its architectural accomplishments, for these are usually its most complex and long-lasting forms. It’s hard to conceive of a more awe-inspiring architecture than that found in ancient Egypt. The essence and message of Egyptian architecture remained unaltered throughout [...]
In the Footsteps of an Ancient Athenian
Author: Manjula NanavatiAugust 20, 2019
This article is the result of a trip I recently made to Athens, Epidaurus, Olympia and Delphi. Walking through its stunning archeology, pausing at monuments, and gazing spellbound at its sacred temples, I couldn’t help but ponder what might have inspired such a civilization. Nursing at her bosom, Greece nurtured such an altitude of knowledge [...]