The Essential Spirituality and Religion Online Library: read or buy online books here.
Anna Kingsford was an extraordinary 19th Century woman. She was one of the first women in Britain to become a medical doctor, edited a feminist newspaper, and served as president of the Theosophical Society. She knew Helena P. Blatavsky, Eliphas Levi, and many other primary figures in Occult and Esoteric circles of the time. She was a principled vegetarian and anti-vivisectionist, and opposed foxhunting. She was considered one of the inspirations for the Golden Dawn, a ritual magic secret society which was one of the sources of modern neo-paganism, although she did not live to join it. In particular, the equality of the sexes in the Golden Dawn is acknowledged as her contribution.
Anna Kingsford claimed to be in contact with fairies as a child. As an adult she had channeled visions, both waking and in lucid dreams, in which she tapped esoteric knowledge imparted by angelic beings, traveled in time, and witnessed shamanistic visions of a vast cosmos alive at every scale of creation. These 'illuminations', as she called them, were exhausting and sometimes terrifying. Her close collaborator Edward Maitland worked with Kingsford to record her illuminations in this book, published after her death.
Much of the channeled and revealed literature of the 19th Century is surreal fantasy, invented pseudo-histories, or pure free-association. By contrast, Anna Kingsford's illuminations are consistent, coherent, and display a deep understanding of occult traditions. Her theology could be described as Gnostic Christian Polytheist. She had a radical feminist viewpoint which seems fresh even today, one in which a Goddess figure, the 'Sophia' of the Essenes, Gnostics and early Christians has a central role:
For the woman is the crown of man, and the final manifestation of humanity.
She is the nearest to the throne of God, when she shall be revealed.
But the creation of woman is not yet complete: but it shall be complete in the time which is at hand.
All things are thine, O Mother of God: all things are thine, O Thou who risest from the sea; and Thou shalt have dominion over all the worlds.
Kingsford was chronically ill her entire life; she died of complications from pneumonia at the early age of 42, on February 22nd 1888.
THE spirit absorbed in man or in the planet does not exhaust Deity.
Nor does the soul evolved upward through matter exhaust substance.
There remain, then, ever in the fourth dimension--the principium--above the manifest, unmanifest God and soul.
The perfection of man and of the planet is attained when the soul of the one and of the other is throughout illuminate by spirit.
But spirit is never the same thing as soul. It is always celestial energy, and soul is always substance.
That which creates is Spirit (God).
The immanent consciousnesses (spirits) of all the cells of a man's entity, cause by their polarisation a central unity of consciousness, which is more than the sum total of all their consciousnesses, because it is on a higher round or plane.
For in spiritual science everything depends upon levels; and the man's evolution works round spirally, as does the planetary evolution.
In this relation consider the worlds of form and formless worlds of Hindu theosophy.
Similarly the soul of the planet is more than the associated essences of the souls upon it: because this soul also is on a higher plane than they.
Similarly, too, the consciousness of the solar system is more than that of the associated world-consciousnesses.
And the consciousness of the manifest universe is greater than that of its corporate systems.
But that of the unmanifest is higher and greater still: as, except in substance, God the Father is greater than God the Son.
The elemental kingdoms represent spirit on its downward path into matter.
There are three of these before the mineral is reached.
These are the formless worlds before the worlds of form.
They are in the planet, and also in man.
All the planets inhabited by manifest forms are themselves manifest.
After the form-worlds come other formless worlds, caused by the upward arc of ascending spirit: but these also are in the planet.
They are also in the man: and are the states of pure thought.
The thinker, therefore, who is son of Hermes, is as far beyond the medium who is controlled and who is not self-conscious, as the formless worlds of the ascending arc are beyond the formless worlds of the elemental, or descending, arc.
In the planet and in the man they only seem contiguous because each round is spiral.
But each round takes the One Life higher in the spiral.
Neither the planet-soul nor the man-soul goes over exactly the same ground again.
But perverse and disobedient will may reverse the direction of the spiral.
Individuals in whom the will so acts are finally abandoned by the planet to the outer sphere.
The One Life is the point of consciousness.
The will is the impulse which moves it.
In the celestial the One Life is the Elohim; and the will is the Father.
The One Life is manifest by effulgence (the Son).
So, then, the will begets in substance the effulgence, which is the manifestation of the One Life.
In man and the planet the effulgence is dim and diffuse until it moves into the soul. Then only Christ is born.
The One Life is invisible until Christ manifests it.
Christ in man has for counterpart Adonai in the heavens.
So, then, the One Life is in the Father-Mother latently, until manifest by the Son (effulgence).
And the procession of the Holy Spirit is from the Father-Mother through the Son.
Herein is the difference reconciled between the Greek and Latin Churches.
The point of consciousness shineth more and more unto the perfect day of brightness ("Nativity of Christ" within man).
The object of creation is the production of "Ancients."
They are the first-fruits of the souls of the planets; or First Resurrection." (First in dignity, not in time.)
They are not themselves creators; but are regenerators of that which is created;
Being vehicles for the Holy Spirit, who is the regenerator, through Christ.
Because will can create only when it is in the abstract; the derived does not create.
The Father-Mother creates through Adonai by means of the Holy Spirit.
The will of the perfect man renovates through the effulgence of his One Life.
His Karma is poured out over the world to save mankind.
He is the Saviour through his precious life.
There are twenty-four Ancients, because there are twelve Avatars of the Lord, and every one is dual.
Will, when it is derived through existence, begets Karma.
God has no Karma. God does not exist: God is.
Karma is the channel of initiation. God is not initiated.
The perfect man saves himself and saves others by his righteousness.
The two terms of existence are creation and redemption.
The first is God's work; the second is the work of Christ,--God in man.
The reason why the Ancient cannot create is because he is not infinite.
He is immortal, not eternal; he is derived, not self-subsistent.
His is the point of grace, not the point of projection.
The thrones of the Ancients are round about the Throne of God and below it.
The lower self is the cause of the difference between man and nature.
This lower self is the unreal self, the magnetic states.
These magnetic states are the serpent, in whose folds all nature is involved (to man).
It is the serpent that tempts Eve, the soul.
How does this magnetic self arise?
It is a reflect, the pole of which is antithetic to the pole of the true self.
The perfect balance is to be in the centre or equator, between the two.
Nature has no lower self; consequently she is not self-conscious (does not know that she is "naked").
The centre of the true self is in eternity; the poles are in time.
The soul's proper seat is in the centre,--eternity.
When she is there, the man is in eternal life.
This centre is the tree of life.
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is the condition of the cognisance of the two poles.
Eating the fruit of this tree is the act by which the soul beholds these two poles.
While she remained in her first state she was as nature is, seeing only one pole, the good, and not knowing herself.
There are two modes of God,--the manifest and the unmanifest.
God manifest rises gradually through nature to meet God unmanifest.
Every level in nature rises out of itself to merge in every other level.
When the mind-plane is reached, God emerges thence as the soul, and looks upon himself.
That into which the soul looks back is the past of her journey,--time and nature.
That into which she looks forward is God,--spirit and eternity.
The point she has reached is eternal life,--the tree in the midst of paradise.
The false self is the mirage in time.
As the planes evolved, their laws were the laws of God.
But backwards they are the laws of the Devil.
"A prayer said backwards is an evocation of the Evil One."
The God manifest is the true self.
The God unmanifest is the Divine overshadowing, the true spouse of the soul.
To know one's self is no sin.
God planted the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The sin is in the retrogression towards the astral.
It is the giving of the apple to Adam.
Adam is commanded; Adam is rebuked.
From the moment of the fall, a new projection takes place, similar to that of God's first projection into time.
The wheel turns again, and all is done over again in the microcosm.
For the retrogression towards the intellectual (Adam) is a displacement of the centre.
It is a transference of the tree of life from the place of Eve (the soul) to the place of Adam.
The centre can be nowhere save in the meeting place of the two lines which intersect at right angles the two triangles of the "Seal of Solomon."
There can be but one point of centre, therefore the two trees represent two lines crossed.
When the One Life has reached the seventh kingdom, then is the Sabbath.
That is the point of return from Nature--God in Action--to God in God--Rest.
Seven for the outgoing, seven for the incoming.
Thought in nature is the law of God.
Thought in man is the law of God; because man is the offspring of nature, and there is but one law.
All the planes in nature express this thought in unison.
Law in one plane does not conflict with law in another plane. Therefore God is invariable in nature.
But in man there appears to be conflict of two diverse wills. How is this, and whence comes the will which conflicts with the law of God in man?
Man like the world, is constituted of many planes.
Each plane has its consciousness, and the medium of one plane is more responsive and powerful in expressing the will of God than that of another plane.
The same is true of nature's plane. It is a question of subtlety and rarefaction of media.
The cause of evolution is the constant convergence of radii.
That is,--the consciousness of the mineral plane has a tendency to express itself in a higher plane, i.e. as vegetable consciousness; and the vegetable as animal; and the animal as human; and the human as divine.
But when the human is reached, the whole process begins over again, in petto.
And in man unregenerate, the tendency is not from behind forwards, in upward order, but in downward or retrogressive series.
For in man all the planes are consubstantiate, and all their modes of law obtain. Some media are weaker or denser than others, and these are the lowermost and outermost,--" touching negation."
As the earth in its whirling, or individuation, throws off its Karma, so it is with man.
It is through Karma that initiation occurs.
Karma is two-faced, good and evil. But only the good face reflects on us the divine light.
Diana is the moon; so also is Hecate.
The "moon" is good or evil, according to the condition of the postulant.
end
Books by Jack Haas
"Having awoken to my own immortal self, I am endeavoring to share my journey with others, though without attempting to impart a structure on a process which must always be natural and unique to each individual."
Jack Haas
What the critics have said about books by Jack Haas:
"...very strongly recommended reading..."
The Midwest Book Review
"Few like Jack Haas go the whole hog. ...eminently readable."
Nandakumar Nayar (bookreview.com)
"...the voice crying out in the wilderness, bravely, madly, tenderly,
ironically...so densely, so wonderously well."Jonathon
Kerslake (editor, Lived Experience)
"The Kerouac of the new millennium."
Frank Wolf (extreme adventurer and author of
Blind Bay)
"...a glorious illumination of our spiritual birthright."
Benjamin Tucker (author of
Roadeye)
"Jack Haas delivers a wonderful message."
Judine Slaughter (Express
Yourself Books)
"...groundbreaking..." Joann
Turner (The Messenger)
BOOKS BY JACK HAAS
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AUTOBIOGRAPHY/SPIRITUALITY
IN AND OF : memoirs of a mystic journey
by Jack Haas available in paperback and ebook
The autobiographical account of Jack Haas’ journey from the claustrophobic city, to the primitive wilderness of coastal British Columbia, California, and Alaska, and into the uncharted regions of the soul. This is a true tale of adventure, misadventure, wonder, struggle, mysticism, and miracles. It is a journey into rare experiences, and it is a journey home. If you love a good read, you won't be disappointed by this prose masterpiece. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and a B.C. Book Prize.
“…an enthralling, true-life account… very strongly recommended reading...” Midwest Book Review (Reviewer's Choice, five stars)
ROOTS AND WINGS: adventures of a spirit on earth
by Jack Haas available in paperback and ebook
A rapturous saga, relating the author’s unique experiences while out and about in “this crazy, beautiful, impossible world”, as he describes it. Jack Haas’ travels encompass a wide variety of places, such as India, Iceland, Hawaii, New Zealand, Nepal, Europe, and Israel. Largely, however, this is an inner odyssey, and is a profound account of the author’s acceptance, love, and alchemical union with the spirit and the earth itself. If you need a kick in the pants to get back up and go for it, this is a book for you.
“…exquisitely balances poetic rapture and esoteric insight. …a glorious illumination of our spiritual birthright.” Benjamin Tucker (author of Roadeye)
OM, baby! a pilgrimage to the eternal self
by Jack Haas available in paperback and ebook
This is both a remarkable journey through sacred India, and a pilgrimage to the immortal self. With his ever inexorable determination to pursue his highest path, Jack Haas visits many holy areas within the subcontinent of India, and communes with numerous masters who have passed from this plane, but who remain in the subtle realm to assist mankind in its growth to freedom and eternity. Within the pages of this book Haas describes his own evolution towards an expanded, unlimited consciousness which is united to an inward, all-pervasive soul: the profound, eternal union of spirit and flesh. This is an important read for those on the crest of awakening to their immortal selves.
TRANSFIGURATION: the union of spirit and flesh
by Jack Haas available in paperback and ebook
This is the collector's edition containing Jack Haas' three autobiographical works within one volume: IN AND OF: memoirs of a mystic journey, ROOTS AND WINGS: adventures of a spirit on earth, OM, baby! a pilgrimage to the eternal self. Although each book is an independent work, the three together comprise a most unique spiritual journey, eloquently detailing Jack Haas' travels and adventures with his soror mystica (his alchemical mystical sister) as they experience a plethora of improbable encounters, synchronicities, mythical realizations, alchemical fulfillments, and a host of eccentric and spirited individuals. A truly profound spiritual autobiography.
MYSTICISM/COMPARATIVE-RELIGION
THE WAY OF WONDER: a return to the mystery of ourselves
by Jack Haas available in paperback and ebook
An inspiring exploration of the mystery of our existence. Jack Haas uniquely assimilates many different spiritual paths and secular philosophies, and leads the reader into the experience of mystic wonder. This is a book devoted to the miracle, awe, and beauty in all life. It is a book about the rapture of unknowing. A must read for anyone who desires to break through the bonds of the current paradigm, and enter the realm of cosmic awe. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
“...a most unusual, and powerful book.” George Fisk (author of A New Sense of Destiny)
THE TAO OF ETERNITY: the transcendent, immortal spirit, and the subtle, infinite self
by Jack Haas available in paperback and ebook
In the spirit of Lao Tzu's Tao te Ching, Jack Haas conveys the subtle, effortless, identitiless nature of the eternal self. Assimilating his own brief, insightful pieces with quotes from a great variety of other sources, Haas attempts to take the reader beyond the current manifest paradigm, and into an everlasting awakening to their own immortal, unmanifest self. This is a potent, modern exposition based on personal experience. A valuable work which will assist readers in recognizing their own eternal nature.
PHOTOGRAPHY/POETRY/ART
THE DREAM OF BEING: aphorisms, ideograms, and aislings
by Jack Haas available in paperback and ebook
An idiosyncratic collection of Jack Haas’ metaphysical poetry, transformational drawings, and esoteric insights, metaphorically conveying the soul’s journey through life, and subtly expressing the dream nature of all reality. A most unique book of modern poetry and symbolic art.
“…a very different type of inspirational work and highly recommended as an example of the art of poetry…” Midwest Book Review (Reviewer's Choice, five stars)
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