Showing 131 articles
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 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 [...]
Philosophy and Religion: What is the Difference?
Author: Pierre PoulainAugust 20, 2019
When I write an article for this magazine, I usually pick an event from the daily news to comment on. Today I will not fail in this habit, but I have chosen to comment not on an event, but a personal experience which had occurred in a class, at the New Acropolis center in Tel [...]
Monkey – Journey to the West
Author: Jim PangJune 10, 2019
Those of you from a vintage era may remember the 1970’s Japanese TV show Monkey. It was the first time this Chinese novel from the Ming dynasty was brought to a mass Western audience and gathered a cult following. It provided a glimpse into a foreign land where you could enter a world of fantasy, [...]
Bill Viola / Michelangelo: Life, Death, Rebirth
Author: Miha KosirMay 26, 2019
What is life, what is death, is there a rebirth? These are the big questions arising with the first spark of self-awareness. But what are the answers? A recent exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts entitled Bill Viola / Michelangelo: Life, Death, Rebirth displayed some of the finest drawings by versatile renaissance artist Michelangelo [...]
Joseph Campbell and The Power of Myth
Author: Miha KosirMarch 19, 2019
Just before his death in 1988 Joseph Campbell, a world-renowned author in comparative mythology and religion, was interviewed by Bill Moyers for the TV series The Power of Myth. The interview took place on the ranch of movie director George Lucas, where they discussed the nature and function of mythology and its relevance today. Campbell’s [...]
The Temples of Ancient Egypt (Part 1)
Author: Agostino DominiciMarch 19, 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 [...]
Edward Burne-Jones
Author: Nataliya PetlevychMarch 19, 2019
Recently, the Tate Britain celebrated Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones with a grand exhibition, the first on such a scale in 40 years. It amazed visitors not only by the rich variety of works, including painting, tapestry and stained glass, but also by a special enigmatic beauty created by the artist. Born in industrial Birmingham, Burne-Jones [...]
Chinese Alchemy and Immortality
Author: Agostino DominiciJanuary 25, 2019
Chinese alchemy has two main branches: ‘external alchemy’ (Waidan) and ‘internal alchemy’ (Naidan). Both words are related to the word dan (elixir), which evolves from a root-meaning of ‘essence’ (the true nature and quality of an entity). In this brief introduction, I am going to concentrate on the tradition of external alchemy or Waidan. The [...]
How Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism shaped Chinese Culture
Author: Julian ScottSeptember 14, 2018
In the beginning, so the Chinese legends say, there was only chaos and from this chaos emerged Yin and Yang, two primordial opposing forces which, when they interacted with one another, brought forth the universe. The continuing interaction of these two opposites produced the constant change that characterizes life. For Chinese thought, it is necessary [...]
The Magic of Thoth-Hermes
Author: Agostino DominiciSeptember 14, 2018
The Western esoteric tradition has its roots deeply embedded in a distant past. An important part of this ‘tradition’ has been preserved in the so-called Hermetic teachings also known as Hermeticism. In this article I am going to highlight some basic aspects of the Hermetic teachings focusing especially on its magical aspect. The main sources [...]