THE NEW AGE

By JULIAN HANCOCK

"This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius, Aquarius." This song from the hit musical "Hair" expressed the befief of many people that as our planet moved into its next 2,000 year astronomical cycle in the early 1960s, so would be ushered in a New Age in which a great many people would become enlightened, and the Kingdom of Heaven would be established on Earth.

Most Christians I expect would ridicule the idea that the Age of Aquarius was predicted by no lesser a being than Jesus. Actually the Bible is riddled with astrological references, a subject which I will address more fully at a later time. But Christians used the symbol of the fish (Pisces) to identify themselves as followers of the new Christ-centred religion. And rightly so, as Jesus' time on earth ushered in the astronomical cycle of Pisces, symbolised by self sacrifice: and is this not the core of Christian Theology? BUT, when Jesus summoned his disciples to gather for The Last Supper, he advised them to look out for and follow a man carrying a pitcher of water (the symbol of Aquarious) (Mark 14:13; Luke 22:10).

As I had my first contact with the New Age Movement in the mid sixties, and have followed its progress ever since, I think I can reasonably say that I am in a good position to comment on the movement in both general and specific terms. In the sixties, while the majority of the flower children were experimenting with mind altering drugs, practising "free love" (a euphemism for excessive, indiscriminate promiscuity), defying their parents and any form of established authority, and introducing a new standard of attire, some older people were quite dedicated to the study of "channelled" teachings. That is to say, information purported to originate from some discarnate entity, usually alleged to hold a very high position in the spiritual hierarchy. Two major tomes coming from this source were "The Urantia Book" and "The Book of Ohaspe."

But there was also a proliferation of individuals blessed with the gift of channelling, who, with great dedication, recorded their own revelations and disseminated them widely. Most of these adult New Agers were genuinely nice, sincere people, although as I came to realise in due time, quite ingenuous. They believed anything and everything, as long as it came from a "channelled" source. But it was not all spiritual mumbo jumbo. The adult New Agers of the sixties and later were largely responsible for introducing the various theories of natural health, especially the Macrobiotic Dietary Theory, the benefits of a vegetatian or vegan diet, and the usefulness of fasting as a means to cleanse the body and regenerate it.

SO WHAT IS THE NEW AGE ALL ABOUT NOW, in 2002?
In keeping with the heading of this page, I would refer the reader to that good old reference book that can be used to justify or condemn just about anything, The Holy Bible. The Book of Ecclesiastes starts off with a discourse on the meaningless of everything. It is extremely remeniscent of portions of the Tao Te King, the words of the Budddha, or those of Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is utterly meaningless.!" When we get to verse nine in this first chapter of Ecclesiastes, we are confronted with: What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one can say, "Look! This is something new"? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.

However this represents but one side of today's New Age movement: the resurrection or "rediscovery" of a variety of ancient teachings. Of these pre-existing areas of interest, Astrology is the one which dominates the New Age. Among the other "pseudo occult sciences," (as I like to call them) which have regained popularity are Numerology, Palmistry and the Tarot cards. It was after working part-time in a New Age bookshop for about 12 months that, while casting my eyes around the stock, I was struck with the realisation that the The New Age is obsessed with sickness: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. The vast majority of books dealt with a seemingly endless variety of healing techniques.

While a high proportion represented the "rediscovery" of existing traditional methods, a countless list of supposedly new techniques have also been spawned by the New Age movement. It is without any guilt or quivering that I confess my cynicism towards many of the new techniques. It is my opinion, even my observation, that the principal beneficiaries of these techniques are the people who invented or "discovered" them, and who proceed to prey on the gullibility and vulnerability of people who are not at peace with themselves. One aspect of New Age publications which I find particularly offensive is the practice of those authors who have found a ready audience, publishing book after book covering much the same territory as their initially popular work, plus all the spin-off paraphernalia such as greeting cards, diaries or whatever. Albeit the New Age with all its trappings is here to stay, and despite my suspicion regarding the validity of many of its teachings and practices, this page in "Thinking Seriously" will be used to discuss in detail various topics which come under the general New Age umbrella.

Search for books on these various subject at ADYAR BOOKSHOP

By JAMIS LOPEZ

"New Age" is an astrological term, referring to the coming Age of Aquarius as measured by the precession of the equinoxes. There is no New Age outside of an astrological definition. If one refutes astrology the term is meaningless, and there is no "formless but sinister impulse called New Age" as one writer [Link Byfield, BC Report April 6, 1996] put it, without a new age coming. New Age has become a term slapped indiscriminately on everything "new" and particularly sinister, as in "New World Order," "New Religion" etc. But as Isaac Newton, postulator of the Law of Gravity, was reputed to have said regarding his belief in the astrology, "Sir, I have studied the subject, have you?"

The Vernal Equinox, occurring on or near March 21st each year, occurs at 0 o of Aries as defined by the intellectual zodiac but astronomically is occurring in the early degrees of Pisces. We are now in the Piscean Age. The precession of the equinoxes is a backward motion through the Zodiac, and when the Spring Equinox occurs in the late degrees of Aquarius we will have entered the Aquarian Age, a new age. This will not occur for another six hundred years, though we are said to be within orb of influence.

The impulse is given by Aquarius and it's planetary ruler, Uranus. Aquarius is the sign of "science" or "seeing" and truth. The planet Uranus, co-ruler of Aquarius, is associated with intuition- knowledge above reason, or direct perceptions of the heart. On the mundane level it rules electricity, and technology.

Incorrectly dubbed "new age" practices such as channelling, a form of mediumship, have simply arisen from the impulse to "to know" and to know both things earthy, and things not of this earth. Those who do know, know in fact that such nefarious practices as mediumship, hypnotism, are to be avoided at all costs. These are not in themselves "new age" practices, but practices which have appeal, when all prior doctrines are foolishly dismissed as "past" and one moves recklessly into the future; the thirst for knowledge supplanting prudence.

The impulse is towards truth for it's own sake; the acknowledgment of "the Christ within" which wills to do the "will of My Father, which art in Heaven." Christ said, "I am come not to destroy the law and the prophets but to fulfil." When the laws of God are internalised, they will be fulfilled through willing obeisance. This impulse is towards freedom, that which comes from willing obeisance of the laws of God. As Goethe put it "From all the powers that hold the world in chains, man frees himself when self-control he gains."

The new age impulse is towards universal love, and universality, as different from bonds of race, and sexual liaison. The impulse is towards love that transcends family ties, racial origins, and sex. It is the impulse towards humanitarianism, and friendship.

In the coming age generative purity will be the key. The strict code of Hasidic Jew, which allows sex only for the purpose of reproduction and similar restrictions within the Christian churches e.g. the celibacy of priests, will be vindicated. Sex will be known as a creative force which when conserved, rises above the physical and makes for speech, and thought.

"Ye are my friends," said Christ, and that is the embodiment of the New Age "impulse." Aquarius is the eleventh sign, the sign of friends. "No greater love hath any man than he lay down his life for his friend."

In the mid-1980's I heard a radio preacher, fearful of the new focus of TV Evangelism, accuse some of being "new age." I laughed. I had been watching Pat Robertson, whom I respected, though he loudly railed against "new age thinking," and knew it was of him and others of the same genre to whom the preacher was referring.

The new focus is to look to scripture as knowledge, statements of spiritual principal, not as the term has been denigrated -- to mere blind belief, usually in doctrine as set forth by one denominational church or another. In the last throes of a passing age, truth is not politically correct, neither among the secular nor the religious.

The Holy Bible is seen as a text of knowledge, not only of religious law, but of cosmic law or truth; as a book for the purpose of "edification" or clarification of what is perceived at the "inner tribunal of truth," the "voice within." The Book is not perceived to be but a compilation of historical recollections, and pithy sayings to which we as sinners can only hope to aspire, after all "we're only human," but a textbook for spiritual regeneration.

The so-called "sixties" was but a blip on the screen in the rapidly ensuing descent into materialism, degeneracy and death, and was not the cause per se. In a materialistic world the impulse of the coming age brings a move away from empty faith, and superstition, towards false material science and it's counterpart skepticism. The parents of the sixties children did not "practice what they preached" but they taught their children well:

"If a man jumped into the lake, would you jump in after?" -- They taught them to act in accordance with their conscience.
"Two wrongs don't make a right." -- They taught them to seek the truth.
"Put yourself in the other guy's shoes." They taught them to empathize.

The sixties child was his parents' child.
The "sixties movement" was in large part a reaction to the materialism and hypocrisy of the day; the once-a-week religion of the fifties; a bold contrast to the image of the white-clothed Christ at the river with outstretched hand "Take up your cross, and follow Me."

Into this period rose the pioneers of the New Age, many of who were throw-backs to their grandparents' generation. A young writer in 1968 wrote in the Powell River News that the "movement" was the closest thing the world had seen to Christianity in 2000 years. While the fact of this may be argued, the sentiment was clearly felt at the time. The new age impulse felt by the idealistic flower child of the sixties however was quickly clothed in material self-interest by those less sincere or more "plastic."

Failure to discriminate between compassionate love - beyond sex, and physical sex, the impulse to freedom manifests as a generation of sexual libertines.
Failure to discriminate between freedom which comes in knowing truth, and acting according to conscience, from simple liberty to voice an opinion, and choose whatever, manifests in a generation of know-it-alls; each man's opinion equal - equally worthless.
Failure to discriminate between the lower self -- the fallen man, and the spiritual man -- in the image of God; between the physical body, and the spiritual man, manifests in a generation of self-seeking, self-serving materialists elevating government to Godhead and attempting to build a "one world" utopia on Earth. This is done in response to the impulse towards universality.

There are wolves in sheep's clothing, preying on the hopes of an ignorant, and materialistic generation that has transferred its blind belief in religious doctrine to an equally blind, and stupid worship of modern science -- modern medicine not excepted. The "New Faith" is not "New Age" but a materialistic, atheistic ideology in which no spiritual principle exists higher than popular opinion, wired to manifest only within man's comfort zone.

There is speculation that world catastrophe predicted for the end of this century by bible scholars, dead prophets, modern psychics, occultists, and the like will have the effect of "rending the veil" between heaven and earth, between the visible and invisible realms, so that man will no longer be ignorant of his spiritual nature.

The true man of the new age, will not be satisfied with opinion, with belief, and will ask the empirical question "Is it so?" He will listen to The "still small voice within" and learn in keeping with the promise of Our Lord "Seek and ye shall find; ask and you will receive; knock and the door will be opened."

The New Age of Aquarius is the coming age, and it will come irrespective of belief. What masquerades today as "new age" is a poor facsimile, a dark reflection filtered through the perceptions of a materialistic, and impious world.

THE AGE OF AQUARIUS

By MICHAEL ROGGE

The New Age movement is hardly novel! Its philosophy is rooted in ancient traditions, often based on mystical experiences, each within a different context.

Anthropologically, there have always been (wo)men within "primitive" societies who were looked upon as possessing special knowledge and power. Medicine men, or shamans, had undergone a spontaneous catharsis, or were initiated and felt called upon to maintain contact with the spirit world for the clan.

When communities became more complex and organized there was little place for these loners. Society began to specialize, people realized and felt drawn to form groups, guilds, or societies, to ensure continuance and growing perfection. Contact with the spirit world was given into the hands of organized religion, which also provided an established answer to questions about the unknown and the Highest Power.

People who felt endowed with special powers could hardly adapt themselves to the corset of established faith. They went underground. Yet they endeavoured to contact kindred spirits and pupils willing to follow in their footsteps to pass on the work.

Esoteric tradition became handed down in spiritual groups, communes, or fraternities. Their mutual devotion resulted in a high degree of perfection comparable to the guilds of craftsmen. In their mystical experiences they beheld a spiritual reality that could hardly be reconciled with the dogmatic representation given by the churches. When passing on their experiences, they had to exercise extreme caution, lest being accused of heresy. Yet knowledgeable minds would understand their veiled writings, symbolic representations, or even gestures.

In spite of all hindrances and opposition, hidden (occult) spiritual tradition reached unknown shores, one of them being Europe, where interest in ancient traditions was revived at various times.

Interest in these traditions alternated. After periods of decline, often as a result of cultural and political conditions, a growing need for revival of old almost forgotten values followed. The occult tradition seems so tremendously powerful that it cannot be suppressed. It develops in cycles of flourishing and decline - each renaissance with a fresh approach, adapted to the spirit of the times.

Renewed interest in these spiritual, religious and magical traditions had a tremendous impact on the minds of man. The latest revival in a popularized form is that of the New Age movement in the late sixties.

The following is a brief sketch of its origins, divided in the following chapters:

Part One:
*Grecian mysteries and philosophy.
*The Christian myth .
*Gnosticism.
*Jewish mysticism and the Kabbalah .
*Alchemy.
*The Renaissance.
*Freemasonry.
*The Rosicrucians. *Mesmerism and the French Revolution.

Part two:
*The Oriental Renaissance.
*Spiritualism.
*Theosophy.
*Krishnamurti.
*The Fourth Way.
*New Age -- a rediscovery.

EUROPEAN TRADITIONS

GRECIAN MYSTERIES and PHILOSOPHY

The 7th to 5th centuries B.C. are characterized by a remarkable global birth of religio-philosophical ways of thought of astounding profoundness: Lao-tse and Kung-Fu-tse (Confucius) in China, Buddha and Mahavira in India, Zarathustra in Persia, the prophets in Palestine and the philosophers of Greece. An attempt was undertaken by all these great sages to transcend the old myths and superstitions of their time and present an in-depth approach. An abstract, mystical way of seeing and experiencing reality was being paved.

Some of these wisdom traditions became embodied in Greek culture. Western European man learnt of their world of thought through contacts with the Middle East and in particular Latin translations of Greek philosophical works. The Greeks set them also on the trail of Egyptian culture and religion. Knowledge about this great civilisation came to the Occident indirectly however in its Greek version. Actual contact with Egypt did not exist.

The Greeks, in their syncretistic turn of mind, absorbed in their philosophy the essence of religious traditions that reached them from other cultures through trade or wars. Egyptian initiation rites, Thracian orphic mysteries and other ritual and cult practices were amongst the many that were adopted readily.

God Hermes Trismegistus(=thrice great) was considered by them to be identical with the ancient Egyptian God of wisdom Thoth. Modern research has shown, however, that the Egyptian magical and mystical works attributed to Hermes were written in the second and third centuries A.D. These ideas became known as the Hermetic philosophy. Its most important work is the second and third centuries A.D. These ideas became known as the Hermetic philosophy. Its most important work is the Corpus Hermeticum, a compilation of fifteen texts on astrology, alchemy, theosophy and theurgy.

THE CHRISTIAN MYTH

Of the mystery school traditions Christianity had the most impact on the West. The originally pure Jewish sect would have gone into oblivion after the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and most of its inhabitants in 70 AD were it not that it had struck root in adapted form in Jewish and Gentile communities in diaspora.

On the basis of the few documents that have survived from later centuries scholars take it that a myth struck root around the Jewish wisdom teacher Joshua (in Greek Jesus). The Christianity that became of it had absorbed popular pagan religious beliefs. The qualities attributed to Jesus are a reflection of those of the gods revered at the time. Godman Osiris-Dionysus for instance, was considered a Son of God and was born to a virgin on the 25th of December before three shepherds.

GNOSTICISM

Gnosticism originated in Egypt. The neo-platonic Gnostic school of Alexandria became its centre in the first century A.D. From it sprung Christian, Gentile and Jewish gnosticism. The latter survived in the Jewish Kabbalah.

The various Gnostic sects played an important part in early Christianity and the formation of the gospels. Their influence and tradition were suppressed when the Jesus myth had struck root. Faith became fused with the ruling power when emperor Constantine made Christianity a state religion in the 4th century A.D. and placed himself virtually at its head.

Gnosticism remained a source of inspiration, however, for the few who knew of its ideas, which were kept secret. At the centre was the belief that the seen and unseen world is the manifestation of the One Divine Being. Gnostic texts concern the fall of man from the divine to the material world. The spark of divine light imprisoned in man is to be set free so that it may return to the Kingdom of God. Gnosis, intuitive knowledge, is said to rank over analytical knowledge. It was to be obtained by various initiations. Use of hallucinogens may have played a part in obtaining mystical experiences.

Gnosticism influenced many heretical West-European sects, such as the Kathars in the Middle Ages, who were fiercely persecuted, and mystics as Jacob Boehme (1575-1624).

In the eighth and ninth centuries A.D. Baghdad had become the great intellectual centre of Arabic studies. Scientific and philosophical books were disseminated through the Moorish emirate of Cordoba, Spain. The universities of Granada and Saragossa made translations available of the great Greek classical works from Arabic into Latin.

JEWISH MYSTICISM and the KABBALAH

Another tradition that reached the Occident was that of Jewish mysticism. Their esoteric doctrine the 'Kabbalah' (meaning: tradition) appeared in Jewish mystic circles in Spain and Southern France in the 12th century. Its oldest part, the Sefer Jetsira, was written between the third and sixth century.

According to this belief God gave a second revelation to Moses together with the Law. It explained the secret meaning of the Law. This revelation is said to have been passed on down the ages by initiates. Kabbalistic studies in the Hebrew scriptures developed in a theosophical mystique and sometimes in a sort of unintended religious magic.

Shortly before the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492 Pico della Mirandola in Florence conceived a Christian version of the Kabbalah. He associated the Kabbalistic truths with those of Greek Hermeticism. Thus an amalgamy was introduced between the tradition attributed to the Greek Hermes Trismegistus and Jewish mysticism purportedly descending from Moses.

ALCHEMY

The name 'alchemy' is derived from the Arabic el-kimya, Khem being the name for Egypt where it was practised even before the Christian era. It blended with the magic and mysticism of the legendary Greek Hermes Trismegistos which became known as the Hermetic philosophy.

In the fourth century A.D. alchemy evolved to its historical form. Its tradition reached Europe through Muslim alchemists in Spain in the twelfth century.

Mediaeval Alchemy contained Gnostic elements. In its popularized form it is considered the art of mutation of metals. Yet, it went deeper than that. It issued from the assumption that matter is alive and may grow. With the right rituals matter could be influenced to transmute into higher forms.

Under the cover of semi-scientific experiments its practitioners followed a secret tradition. Thus, in its mystical sense alchemy was not a search for the philosophers stone, the transmutation of metals into gold. Its deeper aspect was the search for purification of the soul, the mystical transmutation of the mind necessary for obtaining direct divine knowledge.

There were genuine and false alchemists in medieval times. Amongst them were noblemen and common people, clergymen and laymen, Jews and Christians, scientists and simple artisans, philosophers and illiterates, doctors and magiciens, in short from all classes of society. They wandered through Europe from one place to another. They felt themselves cosmopolitans and as such held close relationships with one another. They had their secret societies, with signs and passwords. It was an oral tradition principally, from ear to ear - mouth to mouth. All that was written down was disguised in order to give the impression that it concerned chemical experiments only.

In spite of their being persecuted more and more they kept practising their art secretly. Nevertheless their ideas had an indirect influence on society.

One of the leading exponents of alchemy became the Swiss Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, called Paracelsus (1493-1541). Isaac Newton, at the risk of ending his life at the stake, conducted the greater part of his life in alchemical experiments.

THE RENASIIANCE

The Renaissance movement of the 15th and 16th centuries was born out of a disenchantment with the Mediaeval philosophical and theological way of thinking. A return to the source of knowledge of the distant past was being advocated.

Although the Renaissance movement is usually known for its influence on art and literature, in recent years it is realized that it was also accompanied by a renewed interest in the study of old occult Neoplatonic and Hermetic traditions.

Around 1450 a Platonic Academy was founded in Florence. In 1471 a Latin translation of the recently rediscovered Greek Corpus Hermeticum (see above) appeared. The translation aroused renewed interest in the Hermetic philosophy of the Greeks and went through many editions.

The magical mystery religion of ancient Egypt, being the oldest civilisation one had any knowledge of, exercised a great fascination over the Renaissance men. The mysterious hieroglyphs were considered to be symbols of hidden knowledge revealed by God to men that could not be passed on in words. Symbols and gestures became means of conveying truths and values. The cosmos was seen as an organic unity. It was peopled by a hierarchy of spirits which exercised all kinds of influences and sympathies. The practice of magic became a holy quest, a search for knowledge, not through the intellect, but by revelation to the pure in mind.

FREEMASONRY

The influence of the fresh interest in wisdom traditions in the wake of the Italian Renaissance movement also found its expression in Freemasonry, which became organised in lodges around 1600 in Scotland.

Modern Freemasonry springs from the Medieval stonemasons who wandered from one town to the other looking for assignments to build a church, or even a cathedral, which required enormous skill, intellectual and organizational talents. Guilds were set up in order to guard the secrets of their craft.

The prestige of the architects, whose edifices were an object of great admiration, was high. Being a member of the guild was considered a privilege and had to be earned. Members recognized each other not only by passwords, but also by their devotion and philosophy which was laid down in the so called Old Charges. The earliest version of this credo of the Freemasons, dates back to 1400. Later versions circulated in the 16th century.

The Old Charges embody the Hermetic quest for the lost wisdom of the ancients. The Freemasons placed emphasis on morality and the study of geometry.

Ancient Egyptian knowledge and the masters behind the great architectural design of the lost Temple of biblical king Solomon were in high esteem and a source of inspiration for the development of masonic creativity. Master mason Hiram of this temple, murdered because he would not reveal masonic secrets, was a source of inspiration.

Masons felt also akin to the revered building guilds of ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. The amazing architectural skill of the ancient builders was attributed to supernatural powers. With great devotion their treatises on geometry and mathematics were being studied when they became available.

These craftsmen belonged to the "operative" side of Freemasonry. Later members of the upper classes were admitted as well to Masonic lodges. Their pursuit of occult and spiritual sciences, may have been responsible for the development of a "speculative" side.

The aspiration of Freemasons for more freedom of thought, political and religious reform, made it paramount that the activities were conducted in utmost secrecy. Eventually the "operative" elements would disappear.

In Scotland William Schaw (1550 - 1602) is considered to be the brain behind the re-organisation of the mason guild. In Great Britain Elias Ahmole (1617-1692) was the forerunner. In the diary of this astrologer is a record of his initiation in 1646 into Freemasonry, which already counted many members then, none of them being stonemason by profession by that time.

THE ROSICRUCIANS

Associated with these traditions is the Rosicrucian movement which appeared in the seventeenth century. They should not be mistaken for the modern Rosicrucian groups, which have no direct connection with the ancient movement.

At the basis of their emergence is the publication in 1614 of a pamphlet, named Fama (of the Fraternity of the Meritorious Order of the Rosy Cross) addressed to the learned in general and the governors of Europe. Its author is presumably Johann Valentin Andraea (1586-1654), a young German Lutheran pastor. It purported to be a message from certain adepts concerned for the condition of mankind. In truth it is thought that its source was a brotherhood of disappointed Lutherans who were not satisfied with the results of hundred years of Reformation.

In the Fama it was proposed that all learned men throughout the world should join forces towards the establishment of a synthesis of science. Behind this effort stood allegedly an illuminated brotherhood - the children of light, who had been initiated into the mysteries of the Grand Order. This "Broderschaft der Theosophen" was said to be founded by Christian Rosencreutz (1378-1484), who had become an initiate during his travels in the Middle East in the fifteenth century. He founded a brotherhood which was supposed to have operated in secret ever since.

The pamphlets of the Order of the Rosy Cross were probably inspired by Hermetic and NeoPlatonic scriptures which circulated at the time. The Faerie Queene of Neoplatonist Edmund Spenser, and published in 1590 concerns an English knight 'Red Cross'. The Rosicrucian philosophy also contained elements found in freemasonry and alchemistic writings such as the conception: "As above, so below" - signifying that man mirrors the whole universe. Other ideas are reminiscent of those of the great alchemist Paracelsus.

The Rosicrucian manifesto created quite a stir in European circles. Although many applied for initiation there are no records of the brotherhood having survived long. By 1623 the German Rosicrucian movement was crushed under the weight of the Counter-Reformation led by the Jesuits. The occult Renaissance had come to an end. The tide of witch-hunts had begun.

THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT

The grip of fundamentalist Christianity weakened in the course of the following decades. The weltanschauung of European man was ever broadening out. The world seas were being explored and contact made with other cultures. The increasing population in an expanding and more demanding society called for inventive skills. European civilization struck root. Men of genius contributed to its culture. Exploring nature with an intelligent mind became a coveted pursuit. A new kind of philosophy emerged, distinct from the Christian world-view of medieval theologians.

The Age of Enlightenment can be said to have begun in 1687 by the publication of Isaac Newton's; Philosophiae naturalis principia mathematica (Mathemetical Principles of Natural philosophy). It was the basis of exploring nature in an objective manner. The best minds dedicated themselves to this critical pursuit: Galilei, Robert Boyle, Rene Descartes, Francis Bacon. Diderot began publishing instalments of his famous Encyclopedie in 1751. Alchemy was still considered a scientific pursuit and is being described in the encyclopedia in quite favourable terms.

The idea of freedom of thought emerged. Holland attracted many persecuted Jewish, Huguenot and other refugees for its liberal religious views. Spinoza in Amsterdam contributed to biblical scholarship. For the first time critical notes were placed behind biblical texts. Stripping the Bible of its holy mystery had become common place by the 18th century. Critical deism attacked and downgraded conventional Christianity. Voltaire, Rousseau, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin are rated among the deists. The esoteric tradition had less to fear now.

MESMERISM and the FRENCH REVOLUTION

Towards the end of the eighteenth century new scientific discoveries and inventions had captured the public's mind. Specifically experiments with electricity gave fuel to the most amazing and weird theories involving fluidum, ether or phlogiston to explain its wonderful properties. It is nowadays generally hushed up that the great minds of that era, like Isac Newton, believed in heretical notions that would nowadays relegate a scientist to oblivion by the academic community.

In the eighties of the 18th century an Austrian spirit healer, Franz Anton Mesmer (1733-1815), exerted an enormous influence on the beau monde as well the general public of France. Ten years before the outbreak of the French revolution his ideas captured the imagination. He attributed his healing power to manipulating a fluidum: animal magnetism. He worked with trance-induced states on subjects called somnambules.

His occultism became generally accepted, except for the members of the scientific community with whom he always was at war.

Other occult brotherhoods like Freemasonry, Rosicrucians, Kabbalists, Swedenborgians and alchemists thrived, as did spiritualism. The healing aspect receded in the background, communication with spirits of the deceased, work with magical symbols and building a new vision of reality came in its place.

This flight of ideas, its conflict with established order and aristocracy became the breeding ground for the French Revolution. Some of its leaders were once steeped in the world of mesmerism.

THE ORIENTAL RENAISSANCE OF THE 19th CENTURY

The philosophers of the 18th century were disenchanted with the state of civilization they saw around them. Praise of another culture became popular. China was one of them. Chinoisery appeared on furniture and porcelain. Operas and plays had Chinese themes. Some even considered the wisdom of Confucius superior to the tenets of Christianity.

The fascination with the Orient reached its peak during Romanticism (1790-1815). Western scholars had begun to study Sanskrit in the 17th century. But it was not until the 19th century that translations of Indian scriptures became available in the West.

French scholars took the lead. Along with Sanskrit (1785) other languages were deciphered: Pahlavi in 1793, cuneiforms in 1803, hieroglyphs in 1822, and Avestan in 1832. The path was now paved to the treasures of Eastern thought. Authentic texts of Buddhism were discovered by Hodgson in 1821 while living in Nepal. He obtained 400 Sanskrit and Tibetan volumes. A Pali grammar was published in 1826 by Burnouf and Lassen.

A young Hungarian, Csoma de Koros, went so far as to enter monastic life in Tibet in 1850. Prinsep deciphered inscriptions of the Indian king Ashoka between 1834 and 1837.

The study of Islam and the Far East was well on its way. Authorities in Semitic, Indic and Chinese published its literature. Translations of pre-Islamic writers, Persian poets and mystics, along with Chinese poetry were printed one after the other.

For the first time Oriental religious philosophy became generally accessible. It led to a veritable Oriental Renaissance. The philosophy and way of thought contained in the Eastern scriptures astounded the Western cultural elite towards the middle of the 19th century and influenced such philosophers and writers as Schopenhauer, Goethe, Heine, Nietzsche, Shelley, Emerson, Baudelaire and de Balzac.

A greater respect grew for Eastern religions now that their great works appeared in print. In 1785 Wilkins published the Bhagavad Gita. Translations of the Rig Veda, Mahabharata, Upanishads, Vishnu Purana and Lotus sutra followed, along with an "Introduction à l'Histoire du Buddhisme Indien" by Burnouf. The spiritual approach of the re-discovered religions was felt as a relief from the prevalent Christian dogmatism. The idea emerged of the unity behind all religions.

SPIRITUALISM

In the wake of change of values some spiritual movements gained a fresh following. Mesmerism was to reach its peak in the middle of the nineteenth century. Fluïdism and somnabulism were being studied all over Europe. Its healing method through "animal magnetism" and work with trance-induced states was seen as another proof that mind could rule matter. Spirit involvement in healing was implied. Some of these ideas found their way into the Christian Science and New Thought movements.

Andrew Jackson Davis (1826-1910, later known as "the Poughkeepsie seer") became one of the founders of modern Spiritualism in the United States. Like the later Edgar Cayce he could give an accurate diagnosis of a patient's disease whilst under induced "magnetic sleep'. A believer in mesmerism he developed a spiritualistic philosophy of his own

Meanwhile Spiritualism got a fresh impulse. When in 1848 Karl Marx began his "Kommunistisch Manifest" with : "A ghost wanders through Europe", spooks made a stir in Hydesville (N.Y., U.S.A.). Daughters of the Fox family managed to communicate with the spirit of a dead man by means of raps. The press saw to it that these events became nationwide news.

Spiritualism came in the wake of the inventions of the telegraph and telephone that made it possible to send messages over long distances. It was presumed that communication with the dead -- nowadays called channeling -- might be discovered soon. The sensational reports of the Fox family communicating with the dead made holding seances at home a popular pastime.

Even president Lincoln had contact with mediums and took part in seances. At the European courts the situation was no less different. The spiritualistic movement was under way, claiming millions of believers.

THEOSOPHY

It was Madame H.P.Blavatsky (HPB for insiders) who forged the European esoteric tradition, Spiritualism and the Oriental Renaissance into one coherent system that took on aspects of a religion. She provided it with a secret doctrine, a martyr (herself), a mysterious origin and finally, but not in the least, she gave it the form of a (semi-religious) fraternity. She claimed to have received from Masters of Wisdom a key to the mysteries long kept secret from mankind. This White Brotherhood -- these pioneers of mankind -- were thought to reincarnate at all times to enlighten mankind with their advanced ideals and culture.

Thus she presented a remarkable and revolutionary concept of life in the universe. At the same time she gave man a new purpose of living based on Indian religious and philosophical traditions. In spite of ridicule these ideas and approach made a deep impression on late nineteenth century's society and are still the foundation of the New Age movement.

Yet, without her being aware of it, HPB's philosophy was imbued with the spirit of the age. In her system the intellect could unriddle the mysteries of the universe. Her motto "There is no religion higher than truth" was aimed more at intellectual exploration, than intuitive insights gathered through meditation and contemplation as was the case with mystical theosophy (without capital!) of former ages. In all fairness it should be said that in later years Theosophy stressed the importance of development of intuitive insight through the practice of Eastern disciplines such as Raja yoga and meditation.

Of the original purpose of the Theosophical Society when it was founded in 1875, "the study of ancient and modern religions, philosophies and sciences", little remained. Instead it became an exploration of the views of Mme Blavatsky on this subject. These were strengthened to a great extent by her claim that she was guided by Masters. These great men with their extraordinary powers purportedly communicated with her telepathically as well as in "precipitated" letters, which came to her in mysterious ways. At first she received them from the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor in Egypt. Later they came from the White Brotherhood in far away Tibet.

Proof of existence of such Mahatma's, as portrayed by her, has never been found. However, there is a case for acquaintances of HPB, with spiritual qualities less than alleged, having stood model for them.

HPB' view of life appears to have been strongly influenced by Maçonic tradition she came in contact with in childhood and from members of lodges, especially in Cairo and Paris before she moved to the U.S.A. The Mahatma Letters have the appearance of psychic communications, and are strongly influenced by her personal circumstances. This in itself should not detract from their value. After all, parts of the Old Testament fall in the same category.

Mme Blavatsky gave mankind a grand vision of the universe as opposed to the corset of the narrow-minded dogmatic outlook of Christianity at the time. It was generally believed then that creation took place some six thousand years ago. She countered by postulating that it was billions of years ago and that mankind lived for millions of years on Earth. She introduced also the concept of a holistic universe. The popularity of present-day ideas of reincarnation and karma -- now household words -- can be traced back to her.

ANNIE BESANT

At the time that she was hounded by scandalous rumours she found a worthy successor in Annie Besant in 1889. A woman of extraordinary talents and a great orator. Historian Arthur Nethercott writes: "During her eighty-five years Annie Besant lived many lives, some of them so incredible that it seems impossible they were lived at all." Besides giving fresh impetous to Theosophy, she was also to give India back its respect for its own culture. She was a powerful force in the campaign for Indian Home Rule before Gandhi and later Nehru took over.

She is also known to have taken care of the education of a very special Indian boy Jiddu Krishnamurti . Son of an Indian Theosophist, Jiddu's gift was discovered by Annie Besant's closest colleague C.W.Leadbeater in 1909. To her dismay after reaching maturity he began to advocate quite a different approach to life than Theosophists did. His disbanding in 1929 the Order of the Star in the East, especially founded for him, came as a blow to the Theosophical Movement. It had already been plagued by split-ups. Theosophy became after the thirties a shadow of the former mind-swaying movement. Its role was taken over by others.

THE FOURTH WAY

One of them was founded by George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff. The life-history of this spiritual teacher is as much shrouded in mystery as that of Mme. Blavatsky. In fact they had many similarities. It is assumed that he was born in Alexandropol (Repl. of Armenia), around the time that the Theosophical Society was formed in 1875, from a Greek father and an Armenian mother. Gurdjieff claimed that as a young man he had travelled extensively. He had even reached Tibet in 1902, much like HPB. Again some believed that he was a Tsarist agent. In his book Meetings with Remarkable Men Gurdjieff describes his quest for Hidden Masters of Wisdom, which took him to Egypt (like HPB) and thence to Central Asia and Northern India.

His later training and teachings were the gist of the instruction he said to have received from various masters in esoteric schools. They are a departure from the Theosophic tradition. Yet, as most teachings do in order to catch on, they breath the changed spirit of the era

Gurdjieff's instructions were aimed at the harmonious development of the supposed centres in man. It came at a time that Freud's psychology was being discovered. When Russian ballet, notably that of Diaghilev made a great impact in the West, Gurdjieff introduced his revolutionary form of ballet. So Gurdjieff's system took advantage of fads and fancies of his lifetime.

OUSPENSKY

A noted Russian author Peter Damien Ouspensky, who had departed from Theosophical thought and had explored the time dimension in his book The Fourth Dimension, met Gurdjieff in 1912 in Moscow. Gurdjieff was to present his ballet there. Ouspensky became impressed immediately by the mysterious figure, but never trusted him completely either. In "In Search of the Miraculous," Ouspensky gave an account of the unusual training and adventures they went through at the time of the Russian revolution. Finally in 1919 both of them arrived in Europe and settled in France and Great Britain respectively. By that time they had grown apart and initiated their own schools.

Gurdjieff established the Institute for the Harmonius Development of Man in chateau du Prieuré des Basses-Loges, France, in 1922. It became notorious for its harsh treatment of followers. This Gurdjieff considered necessary. He termed it voluntary conscious suffering, essential for his devotees, who were still asleep, to wake up to reality.

More of such training centres would follow by rival Gurdjieff followers. One of them being John G. Bennett who was to introduce Subud to the West in 1957.

NEW AGE -- A REDISCOVERY

What became known as the New Age movement injected new life into almost forgotten traditions at a time that Christian faith had lost its meaning for the younger generation. New Age's greatest growth has been in the United States. This is not surprising, as it was based on already existent, but dormant, religious/philosophical movements which had come to a head in the nineteenth century.

As we have seen Oriental religion and the European occult traditions had made a great impact on the intellectual elite of America in the nineteenth century . The second president John Adams(1767-1848) is known for his fascination with Oriental thought. He was a voracious reader of the translations of Eastern religious works.

The leaders who stood at the cradle of the birth of the nation were influenced by Masonic, Spiritualistic and Rosicrucian thought. "A New Order of the Age begins" proclaims the reverse side of the Great Seal of the United States. Eight signatories of the Declaration of Independence were Freemasons, amongst whom were Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, as were sixteen subsequent presidents.

Prominent American writers, who became known as the Transcendentalists, were deeply influenced by Eastern thought. Ralph Waldo Emerson(1803-1882) was one of the great admirers of Oriental religious classics, notably the Bhagavad Gita. His secretary, Henry David Thoreau wrote Walden, a source of inspiration for hippies a century later.

WILLIAM JAMES

One of the foremost American psychologists of the time William James (1842-1910) published in 1902 his pioneering Varieties of Religious Experience, building a bridge between psychology and religion. It has become the cornerstone of scientific study of religion to this day. Prof. James also called for a serious study of paranormal phenomena and played a leading part in the foundation in 1885 of the American Society for Psychical Research.

A noteworthy event was the Parliament of Religions held in Chicago in 1893. It was the first time that a platform of this kind had been organized. Before an audience of four thousand people leaders of the great religions presented their views on life. One of the results was a greater appreciation for Oriental religions, who were well-represented. Swami Vivekenanda expounded inner Hinduism; Soyen Shaku, abbot of a Japanese Rinzai monastry: Zen-Buddhism. Anagarika Dharmapala established after the congress an American branch of the Maha Bodhi Society, the first Buddhist society in the West.

This was merely the beginning of a flow of Eastern teachings and guru's to effect Western thinking. At the same time the Western esoteric tradition also found a following in new schools, movements and cults -- too numerous to go into here presently.

New Age was primarily a movement amongst the younger generation in the late sixties that demanded to play a greater part in all aspects of society. Through the use of mind-expanding drugs a greater reality was being unfolded to them that called for other explanations than traditional religion could give. Its concepts of God and Love were too narrow to accommodate the overwhelming experiences they had on their trips. Transcendence, self-realisation, yoga, meditation, all part of existing traditions, were being rediscovered and practised.

Originally it had been given the name: "The Age of Aquarius" to signify the new era of spiritual enfoldment as foretold in astrology. In the early seventies, when the movement was well on its way, the name New Age was adopted. Of course it was a term with whiskers on. William Blake schreef al in 1804-08, in zijn voorwoord van Milton: "Rouze up, O Young Men of the New Age!"

As might be expected New Age unleashed counter-forces from the side of fundamentalist Christian denominations. Especially after Marilyn Ferguson wrote in her book "The Aquarian Conspiracy" that the fraternity dedicated to this philosophy constituted a worldwide network. Dedicated persons would recognize each other in a few minutes without secret signs, but merely by a short exchange of ideas. This was seen as a sort of Satanic conspiracy. Especially people who followed so-called occult practices came under suspicion. The orthodox Christian establishment found allies in the equally dogmatic Sceptics and members of CSICOP in their efforts to suppress and misrepresent New Age and occultism in the media.

But in effect it were the Christians who started misrepresenting the life of Jesus. This is the conclusion of some modern biblical scholars. The oldest document of the Jesus tradition that survived is that of the Thomas gospel, part of the Nag Hammadi papers discovered in Egypt in 1945. In it a gnostic Jesus comes forward that has more affinity with the New Age than the fundamentalism of extremist Christianity.

Christians consider the Bible the word of God whereas a little research shows that the oldest 4th century codices we have is the product of countless copying errors, inconsistencies, alterations and invention of fairy tale-like stories, often borrowed from pagan sources, to instill awe in the figure of Jesus who supposedly endorsed their dogmatic views but who may have been a heretic himself. For one thing, the gospels were not written by the apostles.

The most important event in Jesus life, the crucifixion, may not even have taken place. It is not mentioned in the oldest first century documents. The later Christians instilled fear in followers with their prediction of the end of the world to come in in their lifetime, started bloody persecution of heretics and Jews. Thus they made a mockery of what their supposed founder taught.

New Age has not travelled to the end of the road yet. It is reaching a stage of maturity in which wheat is being separated from the corn. Yet, it still comprises a broad spectrum of activities from the commercial rip-off to unselfish dedication to serve mankind spiritually. Many do not wish to be associated with the name because it reminds them of the turbulence associated with the uprising of the younger generation in the late sixties and the lamentable drug excrescences.

One may pray that the movement will sustain its original purity and raise high the spirit of new generations, giving it an immense vista of life and a purpose to live for.

Below is a synopsis of the Urantia Book. Read about it HERE

Read it online, download it, purchase it or discuss it HERE

Part I: THE CENTRAL AND SUPERUNIVERSE

Our world, Urantia, registered as a newly inhabited planet, rotates on the fringes of the seventh superuniverse. We are one of a trillion inhabitable planets whose capital flourishes near the center of the Milky Way Galaxy.

You are not alone, says Part I of The Urantia Book. The cosmos teems with trillions of inhabited planets, heavenly worlds, and spirit personalities. You are not here by accident. Divine intelligence created the human race for divine purposes.

"The myriads of planetary systems were all made to be eventually inhabited by many different types of intelligent creatures, beings who could know God, receive the divine affection, and love him in return. The universe of universes is the work of God and the dwelling place of his diverse creatures." The Urantia Book (21: 11-14

You live in a friendly, highly organized, and well-administered universe. You are part of a plan in which the Heavenly Father perfects you for enhanced and exhilarating service. Your life on earth initiates you into an eternal adventure.

" There is in the mind of God a plan which embraces every creature of all his vast domains, and this plan is an eternal purpose of boundless opportunity, unlimited progress, and endless life ... The goal of eternity is ahead! ... certain victory will crown the efforts of every human being who will run the race of faith and trust. The Urantia Book (365:24-27)

This is Part 1, galactic, mind-expanding, and new! Yet its reassuring wisdom echoes deep within our inner being like the oldest truths on earth.

The story of the universe portrayed in The Urantia Book starts with an explanation of the nature and attributes of the Universal Father. Your knowing about God forms the basis of all understanding. God shines forth as a loving and caring personality who relates to every human being as a trustworthy Heavenly Parent. Your closeness to the Creator Father is predicated on your willingness to open your inner life to his guidance and unconditional love. If you are willing, you may be a faith-born child of the Heavenly Father and share his immediate presence.

By the end of Part I you'll learn:

• Who God is, and where God resides
• How the Paradise Father can transform your life
• The nature and role of the spiritual hierarchy (the Trinity, angels, archangels, Ancients of Days)
• Where the universe originates, where it is going, and how you fit into it
• How the universe is organized and administered
• General concepts about life after death
• Why God grants you free will

Part II: THE LOCAL UNIVERSE

The human species is only one order of God's creation. The universe abounds with angels and many other spirit personalities. There exists a vast spiritual hierarchy living in and administering the universe. The number and diversity of these intelligent spirit personalities stretch beyond our imagination.

Part II describes our local universe of 10 million inhabitable planets. In this section you'll learn about the personalities and events in our local space region that directly affect your future. As our world contains nations, a superuniverse contains local universes. Local universes are the fundamental geographic, administrative, and spiritual building blocks of the heavens. We live in the local universe of Nebadon which is ruled by our Creator Son Michael, known on Earth as Jesus of Nazareth. Nearly two thousand years ago, from the headquarters of Nebadon, this "only begotten" Michael Son left his supreme leadership post to live on Earth as Jesus. He repeatedly told his apostles that he was not of this world and that he had come from the Father.

In Part II you'll discover:

• Who Jesus was before he lived on Earth, where he lives now, and how he affects your life throughout eternity
• How the local universe is administratively and astronomically organized
• The nature and role of celestial personalities, including your guardian angels
• Who Satan and Lucifer are, and what happened in the Lucifer rebellion
• Why earth struggles in confusion
• What human life is like on advanced worlds
• Where you go after you die and what happens following your resurrection
• How you will meet loved ones and friends in the next worlds
• How love and fairness function within the heavens

Part III: THE HISTORY OF URANTIA

"Modern culture must become spiritually baptized with a new revelation of Jesus' life and illuminated with a new understanding of his gospel of eternal salvation." The Urantia Book (2084: 5-6)

After reading Part I and Part II of The Urantia Book, reading Part III might make you feel like an astronaut returning to earth from a long space voyage. Part III depicts the history of life on earth since its origin more than four and one-half billion years ago. It traces the story of human existence from the birth of the first two human beings, Andon and Fonta, nearly 993,500 years ago.

Beyond plotting our physical evolution this section describes the development of civilization, industry, government, religion, and family life. The records of human tribulation and progress indicate that we are moving toward a better world.

Here's what you'll learn from Part III:

• A scientific explanation of the origin of our solar system and our world
• The stages of a divinely guided evolutionary process
• The ages of fishes, birds, dinosaurs, and primates
• How and why human life evolved on earth
• The story of the first two human beings
• The triumphs and tragedies of Amadon, Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses, Van, Lao-tse, Confucius, Ikhnaton, and other heroes of planetary history
• The rise and fall of ancient civilizations
• The bleak years of the Lucifer rebellion
• The evolution of government and the path to world peace

Principles for successful marriages and good families

• How personal religion brings you lasting happiness
• How the indwelling Spirit of God works to ensure your eternal survival
• How to pray and worship more effectively
• How to overcome evil and suffering

Sin is not hereditary, God is not vengeful, and the "devil" has no power to enter your mind or corrupt your soul. Most evil and suffering comes about accidentally, from mistakes of past generations, or from your own wrong choosing. You have the God-given power to improve your life and make the best of your situation.

Part IV: THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF JESUS

The religion of Jesus is based on faith, love, and service. His message of eternal life through faith in our Heavenly Father is for all men and women of every nation, race, religion, age, and economic status.

Part IV is an inspiring biography of the life of Jesus. This 775-page narrative spans his life from his birth in Bethlehem to his death in Jerusalem. The authors describe his childhood, his struggles to overcome teenage problems, his travels and adventures, and his fascinating episodes of personal and public ministry.

While The Urantia Book's presentation of Jesus generally corresponds with the Bible, it stands unique, packed with new information and fresh insights. This detailed portrayal of Jesus emphasizes the religion of Jesus rather than the religion about Jesus. If you love Jesus as portrayed in the Bible, you will gain an even greater admiration and understanding of his life and teachings from Part IV of The Urantia Book.