Showing 107 articles
William Morris, a 19th century idealist
Author: Natalia LemaMay 11, 2016
Although perhaps most famous as an English textile designer, William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was also an artist, writer, translator and socialist activist. Inspired by the philosophy of John Ruskin (art critic and champion of the Pre-Raphaelites), Morris was against the tasteless industrial production of arts and promoted the hand-crafted art [...]
Nemetona
Author: Natalya PetlevychApril 19, 2016
Many hundreds of years ago when the Romans ruled over vast territories in Europe, a man from Treveri (Trier, Germany) named Peregrinus embarked on a long journey to Aquae Sulis (Bath). The gods were merciful to him and, upon arrival, thankful Peregrinus erected an altar stone to Nemetona and Loucetius Mars, to the Mistress of a [...]
Chivalry
Author: Niamh GallagherApril 19, 2016
Today, the terms chivalry and chivalrous are used to describe unusually courteous behaviour, especially that of men towards women. At the mention of chivalry, many women will sigh that “chivalry is dead” and lament the declining opportunities of being rescued by the fabled “knight in shining armour”. However, what do most of us truly know [...]
Art for Enlightenment
Author: Miha KosirMarch 28, 2016
Masterpieces of Tibetan art found in the private temple of the Dalai Lamas have been reproduced and displayed for the first time in a special exhibition at the Wellcome Collection in London. The Lukhang, or “Temple to the Serpent Spirits” was built in the late 17th century on a lake behind the Potala Palace in [...]
The Mandate of Heaven
Author: Miha KosirJanuary 24, 2016
The world is changing fast and countries are like other living beings: being born, growing, and even dying. A good illustration of this could be seen at a well-prepared exhibition at the British Museum called Ming Dynasty: 50 years that changed China. The Ming Dynasty (1386 – 1644) was an interval of native Chinese rule [...]
Beauty in stone – the Greek Miracle
Author: Agostino DominiciJanuary 23, 2016
I have just learned that in the next few weeks the British Museum will be launching a major exhibition on Greek art – Beauty in the human form. Why is it that, despite the passage of twenty-five centuries, the beauty of Greek sculpture still commands so much attention? In what is sometimes called the Greek [...]
Revival of the Renaissance
Author: Yaron BarzilayJanuary 20, 2016
Philosophy is an approach to life, a search for a way to try to live a little bit better, a little bit truer, everyday. But by what moral standards should we judge our actions? There is a difference between being immoral, and being amoral. Amoral means that there is no recognition of right and wrong [...]
The Hermetic message of Dante
Author: Agostino DominiciDecember 23, 2015
Dante Alighieri is very well known in the world of art and literature, but not many people are aware of the hermetic and occult teachings he purposely disseminated throughout his works. Despite current historical misconceptions, Dante’s time, the so-called “Middle Ages”, was a time of great spiritual vitality, in spite of its contradictions (such as [...]
Lost civilisation – myth or reality?
Author: Florimond KrinsOctober 31, 2015
It is a fact that mankind has lost and rediscovered knowledge in its short known history. Especially after the fall of a great civilisation such as the Egyptian ancient dynasties or the Roman Empire, we notice a decrease in the quality of life which is partly a result of the loss of a previously known [...]
The World of the Aztecs
Author: Elena LöberOctober 10, 2015
The Aztecs – or rather the “people from Aztlan”, a translation from the Nahuatl word ‘aztecatl’ – are largely still a mystery for us. Their strong and determined character, their practical sense and the value they ascribed to the strength of will enabled this people to develop a highly advanced culture and conquer vast parts [...]
In Conversation with Geshe Lhakdor
Author: Yaron BarzilayOctober 7, 2015
During their grueling journey across the Himalayas, Tibetan refugees carried hundreds of manuscripts into India, often guarding them with their lives. Many of these precious texts were offered to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who founded the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives in Dharamsala (India), dedicated to preserve and promote the Tibetan heritage. Today [...]
Tolerance and Fundamentalism
Author: Julian ScottFebruary 1, 2015
It seems strange that fundamentalism and fanaticism should be growing stronger in the 21st century when, according to past predictions, we should be entering an age of enlightened progress and rational understanding. But the rise of fundamentalism is due in part to the failure of rationalism to cater for humanity’s deeper spiritual needs. Fundamentalists have always existed. In [...]