The Western Spiritual Traditions encompass a wide range of diverse approaches to the expansion of consciousness, mostly originating either with Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism, Esoteric Christianity, Jewish Mysticism, or the Greek Philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Pythagoras. Western Spiritual Traditions in general emphasize ethical and mental development, often employ the use of rituals and symbols, and in general encourage a life of active usefulness in the world. There are also many modern Western spiritual traditions, such as Psychosynthesis by Roberto Assagioli, Analytic Psychology by Carl Jung, and Anthroposophy by Rudolph Steiner.
Also see, Books On the Western Mystery Traditions, Sites On the Western Mystery Traditions, or our home page, spiritual-paths.com
http://www.bota.org/index.html
Builders of the Adytum is an authentic Mystery School. Its system is that of the Western Tradition. Its teachings, based on the Holy Qabalah and the Sacred Tarot, have been handed down from one group of initiates to another since ancient times. Its work, however, does not bid for interest on the ground of mere antiquity, but because it has met the tests of centuries of practical application.
B.O.T.A. accepts the Qabalah as the mystical root of both ancient Judaism and the original Christianity, but people of all faiths should have no difficulty accepting B.O.T.A teachings if they are mystically inclined.
The evolution of form upon this planet corresponds with the evolution of consciousness. Consequently, in the natural course of events, all men will ultimately be possessed of higher consciousness. Almost incomprehensible periods of time elapse, however, before such changes occur in the slow processes of nature. Yet shortcuts are possible. Man is endowed with mental and physical faculties which enable him to bring this about much sooner. This cultural forcing process is the work of the Mystery Schools, ancient and modern.
The means whereby higher consciousness, illumination, may be gained includes both theory and practice. These teachings and practical secrets constitute what is known as Ageless Wisdom. It is called "Ageless" because it is not susceptible to the mutations of time. Ageless Wisdom is not primarily a product of man's thinking. It is "written by God upon the face of nature," and is always there for men of all epochs to read, if they can.
Most of our modern day education is focused on academic learning, oriented towards intellectual refinement, to the degree that we forget the nature of our essential being. By engaging in the readings, practices, and processes of this modern day equivalent to the ancient mystery schools of Greece, Egypt, India, the Americas, the Celtic world, Asia, Africa, China, the Aboriginal, to mention a few, we have the privilege and opportunity to reawaken our sleeping/enchanted nature, and raise ourselves into a second maturity, one allowing us to become co-creative in our present reality, our immediate future and in our long term evolutionary tendencies. We are educated to become Planetary Citizens, and initiated in the skills needed to facilitate a viable future for this Planet Earth and our children's children.
http://www.pathwaysinstitute.com/
The Pathways Institute is a modern day Mystery School, dedicated to the exploration of human consciousness, leading to inner wisdom, and personal, professional, and spiritual development.
Patterned after the ancient mystery schools, the Pathways Institute is dedicated to exploring the sacred arts that connect us with our souls, and honor the unconscious forces that guide our lives. Within these schools, initiates studied the mysteries of life and the inner self, exploring what cannot be seen and making the invisible visible, moving into and through altered states of consciousness, as a path of spiritual awakening.
Students may sign up for a course of study over time, or for the individual offerings which address their particular needs and areas of interest. The Institute also provides a forum for the rich experience of community through social gatherings and website links.
As a result of the past few millennia, we have been unable to express openly and freely our True nature as a spiritual being in a multidimensional universe. Throughout the centuries much has been lost, suppressed, and hidden. The already existing body of students and aspirants is growing as the next great step confronts humanity's evolutionary path. We seek sources of information to help unlock and integrate our spiritual destiny.
Archive Press and Communications exists to facilitate humanity's remembrance of its true nature and stellar destiny. We are dedicated to bringing the ancient wisdom, long held secrets carried through oral tradition, myth, and legend, into the light of the new millennium. We offer books, training material, conferences, and workshops which serve to:
It has been said that Masonry is an earthly symbol of a Heavenly archetype; that it is the custodian of Law; the home of the Mysteries and the seat of Initiation. It holds in its symbolism the ritual of Deity, and the way of salvation is pictorially preserved in its work. The methods of Deity are demonstrated in its Temples, and under the All-Seeing Eye the work can go forward. In its ceremonies lies hid the wielding of the forces connected with the growth of life of the kingdoms of nature and the unfoldment of the divine aspects of man. In the comprehension of its symbolism will come the power to cooperate with the divine plan.
However, it is realised everywhere that new life must be poured in and great changes wrought in the awareness and in the training of those who work through and in this media of truth. These changes must be carried out by those with a new vision and a new approach to life experience, for there is no question that the work to be done in familiarising the general public with the nature of the Mysteries is of paramount importance at this time. One of the media through which these Mysteries are intended to be restored to outer service is the Masonic Fraternity, for it was established as a seed of future effort.
These needed alterations and revitalisation can and must be done. An experiment is being tried to see just what the response may be by the members of the Craft to a revitalised Masonry, built upon the blueprints of its intended seed idea and architectural design. One such Masonic Body accepting responsibility for the presented opportunity is the Masonic Order, Grand Lodge, Ancient Universal Mysteries—A.U.M.— which welcomes to its doors and admits to its privileges worthy men and women of all creeds and of every race, but it insists that all shall stand upon the recognition of an exact equality of divine origin.
The Philosophical Research Society was founded in 1934 by Manly P. Hall (1901-1990), and has been publishing classical works in the field of comparative religion and philosophy for over sixty years. Even before the current surge of interest in spiritual growth and personal enlightenment, Mr. Hall, whose writings are featured in this website, was keenly aware of the individuals need to explore the esoteric teachings of the worlds cultures and religious traditions. Humans have always struggled with questions of the meaning of life, the purpose of our existence, and the possibility of spiritual life beyond death.
The author of more than two hundred volumes, Manly P. Hall was a philosopher of great vision and knowledge. He wrote prolifically on a vast array of subjects, including Western and Eastern religions and mysticism, classical philosophy, personal psychology, et cetera. Always his intention was to provide the student and seeker with insights which could be applied directly to his or her own life and to the benefit of humanity.
The works described in this website probe life's mysteries and spiritual issues about which every inquisitive individual is concerned. Whether you are interested in creating a personal library of mankinds most penetrating philosophical insights or just beginning your own personal search for enlightenment, you will find these works featured herein invaluable. Now celebrating its 64th anniversary, the Philosophical Research Society is a leading center for the study and teaching of the world's essential and timeless wisdom traditions. At PRS, the boundaries between philosophy, religion and science, between East and West, give way to a greater vision of learning.
The Rosicrucian Fellowship is a Christian organization composed of men and women who are students of the Rosicrucian Philosophy as presented in the Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception. This philosophy is known as the Western Wisdom Teaching and establishes a meeting-ground for science and religion. Its students are scattered all over the world; but their International Headquarters is located at Oceanside, California, USA.
The Rosicrucian Fellowship has no connection with any other organization. It was launched during the late summer and autumn of 1909, after a course of lectures in Seattle by Mr. Max Heindel, author of the Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception and other works.
The work of the Fellowship is to preach the gospel and heal the sick. This is achieved by making the Western Wisdom Teaching available to all who are ready to receive it and by conducting a Healing Department which emphasizes spiritual healing along with principles of right living. The work of the Fellowship is done through the efforts of its entire membership assisted by Headquarters. Many friends in the world work through Centers which hold classes in the Philosophy and in spiritual astrology, the study and teaching of which is an integral part of the work of the Fellowship.
http://www.rosicrucian.org/index.shtml
Since 1915, hundreds of thousands of Rosicrucian students throughout the world have enriched their lives and learned to access their own inner wisdom through our home study course in mysticism, metaphysics, and philosophy. Our time-tested system reveals the underlying principles of the universe, and teaches you how to apply these principles in practical ways in your everyday life. This ancient wisdom is centuries old, but presented in modern, easy-to-understand language that guides you step-by-step through the process of mystical development. Through study and practice of the Rosicrucian teachings, you can learn to master your life, experience inner peace, and make a difference in the world.
http://www.hermeticgoldendawn.org/index.shtml
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn's goal is the continued preservation of that body of knowledge known as Hermeticism or the Western Esoteric Tradition. This organization promotes the teachings of the original Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a magical fraternity founded in London in 1888 by Dr. William Wynn Westcott and Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers, which ceased to exist under that name in 1903 but which continued for a number of years under the names of two spin-off organizations, the Stella Matutina and the Alpha et Omega.
The Golden Dawn system of magic is not a religion, although religious imagery and spiritual concepts play an important role in its work. The Golden Dawn was designed by its founders to be an Hermetic Society dedicated to the philosophical, spiritual, and psychic evolution of humanity. It was also designed to be a school and a repository of knowledge, where students learned the principles of occult science and the various elements of western philosophy and magic. Tolerance for all religious beliefs was stressed, and symbolism used within the G:.D:. came from a variety of religious sources. Today, people from many diverse religious paths consider themselves practicing Golden Dawn magicians--including Neopagans, Gnostics, Jews, and Christians.
The Golden Dawn system of magic is designed to teach its students both abstract esoteric concepts as well as the more practical applications of ceremonial magic, Egyptian, Judeo-Christian, Greek, Gnostic, Rosicrucian, and Masonic elements can all be found within the teachings of the G:.D:. The curriculum includes the study of Qabalah, astrology, divination, inner alchemy, Egyptian magic, the Cathar Mysteries, skrying, and Enochian magic.
Founded in 1985, Phanes Press has published 45 quality books on the spiritual, philosophical, and cosmological traditions of the Western world.We have published titles on Greek philosophy, mythology and religion, alchemy and the Hermetic tradition, and other topics.
Phanes Press is also the publisher of Alexandria, a journal which explores the relationships between cosmology, philosophy, myth, and culture.
http://www.crcsite.org/crc.htm
The Confraternity of the Rose Cross (CR+C) is a fraternal order and school of mysticism. Its aim and purpose is to offer a system of study to people who have felt an urge from within to consciously advance themselves along the path of spiritual evolution.
Includes "What is Rosicrucianism?," an essay about the most frequently asked questions about the Rosicrucians concern their history and philosophy; a comprehensive library of the ancient Rosicrucian Landmarks -- including the Manifestoes and the Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians of the 16th and 17th Century -- as well as a selection of contemporary writings relating to the Rosicrucian studies; related studies in Kabbalah; and Rosicrucian studies on the web. See their links, http://www.crcsite.org/other.htm
http://www.levity.com/alchemy/home.html
86 megabytes online of information on alchemy in all its facets. Divided into over 1300 sections and providing tens of thousands of pages of text, over 1700 images, over 200 complete alchemical texts, extensive bibliographical material on the printed books and manuscripts, numerous articles, introductory and general reference material on alchemy. Complete with its own search engine.
Under Rosicrucian texts, includes the famous Fama fraternitatis, which is the key document on which the Rosicrucian phenomenon was based. It was first published in 1614 in German and in 1615 in Latin, though there are some manuscript copies in existence dating from about 1611.
http://www2.open.ac.uk/arts/HST/SHAC/SHAC.htm
The Society for the history of alchemy and chemistry was founded in 1937 and has consistently maintained the highest standards of scholarship in all aspects of the history of alchemy and chemistry from early times to the present.
The OMCE is an international non-profit fraternal organisation. The Order, which studies such subjects as metaphysics, mysticism, gnosticism, 17th Century Rosicrucianism and Rosicrucian history, expresses itself using the oral, ancient, western esoteric tradition. The OMCE also promotes projects consecrated to the spiritual upliftment of humankind.
One very basic principle concerns the law that the ends do not justify the means in this Earth culture, humanity. Universal or natural laws and principles apply to everyone equally and operate with or without the knowledge and certainly without the control of any individual or group. The eternal quest for knowledge and truth follows the same inner pathway of the heart for all accordingly to natural law, regardless of gender, race, creed or origin. Each individual must be given total freedom to decide which path must be taken personally.
The OMCE has two main functions: self development and service to humanity. Self development of the men and women who join the OMCE and who must have a sincere interest in esoteric, metaphysical. mystical, or non-sectarian spiritual concepts; and the motivation to apply them to a good and active purpose.
Servants of the Light is a modern-day Western Mystery School which teaches the esoteric sciences through correspondence. These sciences, which in their true form constitute the Yoga of the West, have previously been 'occult' (which means "hidden"), but nowadays they can be taught in a more open fashion.
The purpose of the SOL is to assist in spreading esoteric knowledge in an ethical manner to all who want to receive it, regardless of religious denomination, gender, nationality, race, age, social position or income. All who desire to do so should be able to study the Mysteries, the true inner spiritual heritage of the West.
The SOL emphasizes independence and free thinking. The school is organised as a loose structure to emphasize this and in order to avoid all forms of sectarianism. Our students are expected to draw their own occult conclusions and to depend first and foremost on their own judgment.wide range of traditions.
The SOL teaches through correspondence. The aim of the studies is to balance the inner and outer selves and to give the student a comprehensive theoretical and practical understanding of the ancient Mysteries. It is possible to combine the SOL Correspondence Courses with a modern, busy life-style. Since the SOL is non-profit, all you pay is a low cost per correspondence course lesson. You will also need to get one or two text-books. No other costs are involved. There is no membership fee.
A student can leave the SOL at any point. We will not try to stop you from pursuing your own path. We can recommend other schools should you feel that your path lies elsewhere.
The Wisdom of Kabbalah - The Kabbalah teaches a practical method to apprehend the upper world and the source of our existence while still living in this world. By this method man attains perfection, and takes control over his life and transcends the limitations of time and space. In this way he realizes his true purpose in life and achieves - tranquility, endless, unbounded enjoyment while he is still living in this world. Just like a person cannot function properly in this world without having knowledge of it, so also his soul cannot function properly in the upper world without knowledge of it. The wisdom of kabbalah provides you this knowledge! Our goal in being here is to assist you to begin to traverse the first stages in the apprehension of the spiritual realm. On this web site our intention is to tell about the essence of the Wisdom of Kabbalah from the following authentic sources:
Here we present true and precise concepts and definitions to enable our visitors to know truly what the kabbalah is about.
http://cedar.evansville.edu/~ecoleweb/articles/mithraism.html
Mithraism is the ancient Roman mystery cult of the god Mithras. Roman worship of Mithras began sometime during the early Roman empire, perhaps during the late first century of the Common Era (hereafter CE), and flourished from the second through the fourth centuries CE. While it is fairly certain that Romans encountered worship of the deity Mithras as part of Zoroastrianism in the eastern provinces of the empire, particularly in Asia Minor (now modern Turkey), the exact origins of cult practices in the Roman cult of Mithras remain controversial (see below). The evidence for this cult is mostly archaeological, consisting of the remains of mithraic temples, dedicatory inscriptions, and iconographic representations of the god and other aspects of the cult in stone sculpture, sculpted stone relief, wall painting, and mosaic. There is very little literary evidence pertaining to the cult.
http://www.webcom.com/~gnosis/welcome.html
The Gnosis Archive is maintained in association with The Gnostic Society. Visit for more information, including the current "Friday Lecture Series" schedule.
Gnostic Studies on the Web - Recently updated in October 1998, this section contains a wide selection of current Sites and Documents dealing with Gnosticism, ancient and modern, available on the Web.
The Gnosis Archive Index - You can search the entire Gnosis Archive for keywords and subjects using our index. Also check our huge index of links and sources dealing with Gnosis and Gnosticism, Jungian Psychology, Hermeticism, Kabbalah and much more.
Lectures from the Gnostic Society - Using RealAudio, join in listening to lectures selected from the archives of the Gnostic Society's famous "Friday Lecture Series". For decades these lectures have been an invaluable resource -- now you can attend them here on the Web. The new featured lecture for August examines Gnostic Initiation both ancient and modern.