cosmology

Cosmogony

Narratives or doctrines of cosmic origin — how heaven, earth, and the primordial deities first came into being. The Kojiki's deities born alone on the Plain of High Heaven, Voluspo's Ginnungagap, Genesis's tohu wa-bohu, the Timaeus's Demiurge fashioning the Receptacle, the Hesiodic Theogony, the Kalevala's egg-cosmogony, Egyptian Nun-and-Atum. Distinct from emanation_hierarchy (structural-ontological cascade), letters_of_creation (mechanism of creation), and apocatastasis/frashokereti (end-state restoration); cosmogony is temporally-narrative beginning.

500 passages · 20 traditions

theosophy277

The Secret Doctrine | Page 2 (part 10)

“Helped by his knowledge of landscapes left behind him, he can get a general and pretty correct idea of the transmural view, if he will only climb to the loftiest summit of the altitudes in front of him. Once there, he can gaze at it, at hi…”

The Secret Doctrine | Page 2 (part 11)

“Nor could the vast catalogue of the Archaic Sciences be attempted in the present volumes, before we have disposed of such tremendous problems as Cosmic and Planetary Evolution, and the gradual development of the mysterious Humanities and ra…”

The Secret Doctrine | Page 3 (part 1)

“The Secret Doctrine by H. P. Blavatsky -- Vol. 1 [[Vol. 1, Page 1]] PROEM ------- PAGES FROM A PRE-HISTORIC PERIOD. A N Archaic Manuscript -- a collection of palm leaves made impermeable to water, fire, and air, by some specific unknow…”

The Secret Doctrine | Page 3 (part 2)

“The latter is either "awake" or "asleep." The Svabhavikas, or philosophers of the oldest school of Buddhism (which still exists in Nepaul), speculate only upon the active condition of this "Essence," which they call Svabhavat, and deem it f…”

The Secret Doctrine | Page 3 (part 3)

“The esoteric symbol of Kali Yuga is the five-pointed star reversed, thus -- the sign of human sorcery, with its two points (horns) turned heavenward, a position every [[Footnote(s)]] ------------------------------------------------- * See t…”

The Secret Doctrine | Page 3 (part 4)

“The orthodox Brahmins, those who rise the most against the Pantheists and Adwaitees, calling them Atheists, are forced, if Manu has any authority in this matter, to accept the death of Brahma, the creator, at the expiration of every "Age" o…”

The Secret Doctrine | Page 3 (part 5)

“But this view does not prevent him from believing in its existence so long as it lasts, to wit, for one Mahamanvantara; nor from applying Akasa, the radiation of Mulaprakriti,* to practical purposes, connected as the World-Soul is with all…”

The Secret Doctrine | Page 3 (part 6)

“." For clearer understanding on the part of the general reader, it must be stated that Occult Science recognises Seven Cosmical Elements -- four entirely physical, and the fifth (Ether) semi-material, as it will become visible in the air to…”

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western_esoteric50

The Book of Ceremonial Magic (A.E. Waite) | Page 5 (part 2)

“The anonymous Cloud of Unknowing belongs, I believe, to the early part of the fifteenth century, and it is to be classed among the most signal presentations of the conditions and mode of the Union which I have met with in Christian literatu…”

The Book of Ceremonial Magic (A.E. Waite) | Page 67

“UNIVERSAL CONJURATION I, N., do conjure thee, O Spirit N., by the living God., by the true God., by the holy and all-ruling God, Who created from nothingness the heaven, the earth, the sea and all things that are therein., in virtue of the…”

The Kybalion (Three Initiates) | Chapter V (part 2)

“Well, then, secondly, Man pro-creates or reproduces his kind by the process of begetting, which is self-multiplication accomplished by transferring a portion of his substance to his offspring. But this will not do, because THE ALL cannot t…”

The Kybalion (Three Initiates) | Chapter V (part 3)

“You speak of the Fatherhood of God, and the Motherhood of Nature--of God, the Divine Father, and Nature the Universal Mother--and have thus instinctively acknowledged the Principle of Gender in the Universe. Is this not so? But, the Herme…”

The Kybalion (Three Initiates) | Chapter VII (part 2)

“Man, like Micawber, may exclaim: "The Spirit of my Creator is inherent within me-- and yet I am not HE!" How different this from the shocking half-truth so vociferously announced by certain of the half-wise, who fill the air with their rauc…”

The Kybalion (Three Initiates) | Chapter VII (part 3)

“This Involuntary stage of Creation is sometimes called the "Outpouring" of the Divine Energy, just as the Evolutionary state is called the "Indrawing." The extreme pole of the Creative process is considered to be the furthest removed from T…”

The Kybalion (Three Initiates) | Chapter XI (part 1)

“CHAPTER XI RHYTHM "Everything flows out and in; everything has its tides; all things rise and fall; the pendulum-swing manifests in everything; the measure of the swing to the right, is the measure of the swing to the left; rhythm compensat…”

The Kybalion (Three Initiates) | Chapter XIII (part 2)

“The Cathode, or Negative Pole, is the Mother Principle of Electrical Phenomena, and of the finest forms of matter as yet known to science. So you see we are justified in refusing to use the term "Negative" in our consideration of the subje…”

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finnic36

The Kalevala | Rune I-a

“OF WAINAMOINEN. In primeval times, a maiden, Beauteous Daughter of the Ether, Passed for ages her existence In the great expanse of heaven, O'er the prairies yet enfolded. Wearisome the maiden growing, Her existence sad and hopeless, Thus…”

The Kalevala | Rune I-b

“Surely would the winds destroy it, Far away the waves would wash it." Then the daughter of the Ether, Now the hapless water-mother, Raised her shoulders out of water, Raised her knees above the ocean, That the duck might build her dwelling,…”

The Kalevala | Rune I-c

“Wainamoinen, old and trusty, Lingering within his dungeon Thirty summers altogether, And of winters, also thirty, Peaceful on the waste of waters, On the broad-sea's yielding bosom, Well reflected, long considered, How unborn to live and fl…”

The Kalevala | Rune II-a

“'S SOWING. Then arose old Wainamoinen, With his feet upon the island, On the island washed by ocean, Broad expanse devoid of verdure; There remained be many summers, There he lived as many winters, On the island vast and vacant, well consi…”

The Kalevala | Rune II-b

“Wainamoinen, old and trusty, Thought awhile, and well considered, How to kill the mighty oak-tree, First created for his pleasure, How to fell the tree majestic, How to lop its hundred branches. Sad the lives of man and hero, Sad the homes…”

The Kalevala | Rune II-c

“Straightway to the oak-tree turning, Thither stalks the mighty giant, In his raiment long and roomy, Flapping in the winds of heaven; With his second step he totters On the land of darker color; With his third stop firmly planted, Reaches h…”

The Kalevala | Rune II-d

“Down from heaven came the eagle, Through the air be came a-flying, That he might this thing consider; And he spake the words that follow: "Wherefore, ancient Wainamoinen, Hast thou left the slender birch-tree, Left the birch-tree only stand…”

The Kalevala | Rune III-c

“Slowly perches swim in Autumn, Wry-backed, hunting deeper water, Spawn in shallows in the summer, Bounding on the shore of ocean. Should this wisdom seem too little, I can tell thee other matters, Sing thee other wizard sayings: All the No…”

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native_american34

The Soul of the Indian | Chapter I-b

“Sometimes an old man, standing upon the brink of eternity, might reveal to a chosen few the oracle of his long-past youth. The native American has been generally despised by his white conquerors for his poverty and simplicity. They forget…”

The Soul of the Indian | Chapter III-e

“The sacred beast, bird, or reptile, represented by its stuffed skin, or by a rude painting, was treated with reverence and carried into battle to insure the guardianship of the spirits. The symbolic attribute of beaver, bear, or tortoise,…”

The Soul of the Indian | Chapter V-a

“THE UNWRITTEN SCRIPTURES A Living Book. The Sioux Story of Creation. The First Battle. Another Version of the Flood. Our Animal Ancestry. A missionary once undertook to instruct a group of Indians in the truths of his holy religion. H…”

The Soul of the Indian | Chapter V-b

“Foremost among the animal people was Unk-to-mee, the Spider, the original trouble-maker, who noted keenly the growth of the boy in wit and ingenuity, and presently advised the animals to make an end of him; “for,” said he, “if you do not, s…”

The Soul of the Indian | Chapter V-c

“Our people have always claimed that the stone arrows which are found so generally throughout the country are the ones that the first man used in his battle with the animals. It is not recorded in our traditions, much less is it within the…”

The Soul of the Indian | Chapter V-d

“The young man and his Teacher made a birch-bark canoe, which floated upon the surface of the flood, while of the animals there were saved only a few, who had found a foothold upon the highest peaks. The youth had now passed triumphantly th…”

The Soul of the Indian | Chapter V-e

“There are some curious traditions of young men and maidens who transgressed this law unknowingly, being seduced and deceived by a magnificent buck deer, perhaps, or a graceful doe, and whose fall was punished with death. The animal totems…”

Myths of the Cherokee | Myth 1a

“HOW THE WORLD WAS MADE The earth is a great island floating in a sea of water, and suspended at each of the four cardinal points by a cord hanging down from the sky vault, which is of solid rock. When the world grows old and worn out, the…”

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christian_mysticism18

Revelations of Divine Love | Chapter LVIII-a

“"All our life is in three: 'Nature, Mercy, Grace.' The high Might of the Trinity is our Father, and the deep Wisdom of the Trinity is our Mother, and the great Love of the Trinity is our Lord" God, the blessed Trinity, which is everlasting…”

The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme | Chapter 2 (part 3)

“This other will is the sensitivity and conceivability of the primordial will, by means of which that which is nothing finds itself to be something. By so doing the inconceivable causeless will issues by means of that which it has eternally…”

The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme | Chapter 2 (part 4)

“She is passive, but the Spirit of God is active, like the soul in the body." ( Clavis , v. 18.) This eternal Trinity is inconceivable in its aspect as a spiritual potentiality, in the same sense as a fire is inconceivable if it does not bu…”

The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme | Chapter 2 (part 5)

“The will beholding itself in the mirror of wisdom causes its own image to appear within the groundlessness, and thus it creates a foundation in its own imagination." ( Menschwerdung , ii. 1.) "Wisdom, the eternal virgin, the playmate of Go…”

The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme | Chapter 3 (part 7)

“171.) When the power of the light becomes revealed it manifests its activity first of all in the Fifth Quality , which is evolved by means of the preceding four as sweet love, or a luminous water-spirit. "The first three principles are mer…”

The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme | Chapter 3 (part 8)

“Without it the form of the spirit would not be knowable; it is the corporeity of the spirit. To be sure, it is not a bodily, tangible substance, like the bodies of men, but has nevertheless substantial and visible qualities which the spiri…”

The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme | Chapter 4 (part 1)

“p. 89 CHAPTER IV. CREATION. Everything we see in nature is manifested truth; only we are not able to recognise it as such, unless the truth is manifest within ourselves. God is the supreme, fundamental, universal, self-existent eternal…”

The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme | Chapter 4 (part 4)

“We may say that the world, as we know it, is constituted entirely of forms of heat, or of motion, or of electric conditions, or light, &c., &c. All this is true in so far as it refers to the relations which it bears towards ourselves. All…”

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gnosticism16

The Secret Writing According to John (Apocryphon of John), Codex II, 1 | Barbelo

“This is because [we do] not [understand unspeakable things, and we] do not understand what [cannot be measured], apart from him who originated [from] him, that is, [the] Father, because he [alone] is the one who [explained] it to us, given…”

The Secret Writing According to John (Apocryphon of John), Codex II, 1 | The Only-Begotten

“He also peered into Barbelo with the pure light that surrounds the unseen Spirit, and his spark, and from him she conceived. He begot a light- spark by means of a light similar to blessedness, but (the latter) is not equal to his greatness.…”

The Secret Writing According to John (Apocryphon of John), Codex II, 1 | The Four Lights

“[IV, 11] Eternal Life also <with> his Will, and Mind with Precognition, attended and extolled the unseen Spirit and Barbelo, given that they had come into being on her account. The holy Spirit also completed the self- generated God, his Son…”

The Secret Writing According to John (Apocryphon of John), Codex II, 1 | Pigera-Adamas and Seth

“Further, from the Precognition of Perfect Mind, by means of the revelation of the will of the unseen Spirit and the will of the self-generated one, (issued forth) <the> Perfect Man, the first revelation, even the truth. He is the one whom…”

The Secret Writing According to John (Apocryphon of John), Codex II, 1 | Yaltabaoth-a

“Further, being an aeon, Sophia of Reflection thought a thought [IV, 15] on her own, together with the conception of the unseen Spirit and Precognition. She willed to bring forth a likeness from out of herself, apart from the agreement of th…”

The Secret Writing According to John (Apocryphon of John), Codex II, 1 | Yaltabaoth-b

“The first <is> Athoth – he has the face of a sheep; the second is Eloaiou – he has the face of a donkey; the third is Astaphaios – he has the face of a [hyena]; the fourth is Yao – he has the face of a seven-headed [dragon]; the fifth is Sa…”

The Secret Writing According to John (Apocryphon of John), Codex II, 1 | The Authorities Create Adam-a

“Further, through the light they saw the shape of the image inside the water, [II, 15] and he said to the authorities attending him: ‘Come, let us create a man according to the image of God, and according to our likeness, so that his image w…”

The Secret Writing According to John (Apocryphon of John), Codex II, 1 | The Authorities Create Adam-c

“heat, cold, wetness, and dryness. However, the mother of all of them is matter, but he who rules over heat, Phloxopha; but he who rules [IV, 28] over cold, Oroorrothos; but he who rules over dryness, Erimacho; but he who rules over wetnes…”

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neoplatonism10

Iamblichus: On the Mysteries | Chapter II

“Prior to truly existing beings and total principles [or principles that rank as wholes], there is one God, prior to [that deity who is generally believed to be] the first God and king, immoveable, and abiding in the solitude of his own unit…”

Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 121

“Section 18 18. Are the evils in the Universe necessary because it is of later origin than the Higher Sphere? Perhaps rather because without evil the All would be incomplete. For most or even all forms of evil serve the Universe- much as the…”

Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 179

“Section 3 3. "Atoms" or "elements"- it is in either case an absurdity, an impossibility, to hand over the universe and its contents to material entities, and out of the disorderly swirl thus occasioned to call order, reasoning, and the gove…”

Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 189

“Section 2 2. By derivation from that Authentic Kosmos, one within itself, there subsists this lower kosmos, no longer a true unity. It is multiple, divided into various elements, thing standing apart from thing in a new estrangement. No lon…”

Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 213

“Section 7 7. And since the higher exists, there must be the lower as well. The Universe is a thing of variety, and how could there be an inferior without a superior or a superior without an inferior? We cannot complain about the lower in th…”

Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 263 (part 1)

“Section 11 11. To this end we must go back to the state we affirmed of Eternity, unwavering Life, undivided totality, limitless, knowing no divagation, at rest in unity and intent upon it. Time was not yet: or at least it did not exist fo…”

Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 265 (part 1)

“Section 13 13. The Spheral Circuit, then, performed in Time, indicates it: but when we come to Time itself there is no question of its being "within" something else: it must be primary, a thing "within itself." It is that in which all the…”

Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 286 (part 2)

“In the case of things not endowed with intelligence, the "leading-principle" is their mere unity- a lower reproduction of the soul's efficiency. This is the deeper meaning of the profound passage [in the Timaeus], where we read "By blendin…”

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norse10

The Poetic Edda: Hovamol | Section 1n

“Knowest how one shall write, | knowest how one shall rede? Knowest how one shall tint, | knowest how one makes trial? Knowest how one shall ask, | knowest how one shall offer? Knowest how one shall send, | knowest how one shall sacrifice…”

The Poetic Edda: Voluspo | Section 1b

“The roving Norsemen of the tenth century, very few of whom had as yet accepted Christianity, were nevertheless in close contact with Celtic races which had already been converted, and in many ways the Celtic influence was strongly felt. It…”

The Poetic Edda: Voluspo | Section 1c

“stanza 47 and note), of the dark elves (Svartalfaheim), of the dead (Niflheim), and presumably of the dwarfs (perhaps Nithavellir, cf. stanza 37 and note, but the ninth world is uncertain). The tree: the world-ash Yggdrasil, [fp. 4] symb…”

The Poetic Edda: Voluspo | Section 1d

“Ithavoll ("Field of Deeds"?): mentioned only here and in stanza 60 as the meeting-place of the gods; it appears in no other connection. 8. Tables : the exact nature of this game, and whether it more closely resembled chess or checkers, ha…”

The Poetic Edda: Voluspo | Section 1e

The Poetic Edda: Voluspo | Section 1f

“Lothur : apparently an older name for Loki, the treacherous but ingenious son of Laufey, whose divinity Snorri regards as somewhat doubtful. He was adopted by Othin, who subsequently had good reason to regret it. Loki probably represents…”

The Poetic Edda: Voluspo | Section 1g

“Lines 5-6, one or both of them probably interpolated, seem to symbolize the refining of gold by fire. Hor ("The High One"): Othin. 22. Heith ("Shining One"?): a name often applied to wise women and prophetesses. The application of this…”

The Poetic Edda: Voluspo | Section 1h

“Here the Volva turns from her memories of the past to a statement of some of Othin's own secrets in his eternal search for knowledge (stanzas 27-29). Bugge puts this stanza after stanza 29. The horn of Heimdall : the Gjallarhorn ("Shrieki…”

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egyptian9

The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani) | Chapter 8 (part 2)

“Verily it shall be cast forth by my healing words of power, and I will drive it away from before the sight of thy sunbeams." The holy god opened his mouth and said, "I was passing along my path, and I was going through the two regions of my…”

The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani) | Chapter 8 (part 7)

“The sacred Form, beloved, terrible and mighty in his two risings (?), the lord of space, the mighty one of the form of Khepera, who came into existence through Khepera, the lord of the form of Khepera; when he came into being nothing existe…”

The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani) | Chapter 8 (part 10)

“The passage reads:-- mes Pepi pen au atf Tem an xepert pet an Gave birth to Pepi this father Tmu [when] not was created heaven, not xepert ta an xepert reth an mest neteru an xepert met was created earth, not were created men, not were born…”

The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani) | Chapter 9 (part 1)

“THE ABODE OF THE BLESSED. The Egyptian heaven. The gods of the Egyptians dwelt in a heaven with their ka's , and khu's , and shadows, and there they received the blessed dead to dwell with them. This heaven was situated in the sky, which…”

The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani) | Chapter 10 (part 1)

“THE GODS OF THE BOOK OF THE DEAD. The following are the principal gods and goddesses mentioned in the pyramid texts and in the later versions of the Book of the Dead:-- Nu represents the primeval watery mass from which all the gods were ev…”

The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani) | Chapter 43 (part 67)

“I am a prince, the son of a prince, a sacred essence which hath preceded from God. I am a great one, the son of a great one, and my father planned my name; I have multitudes of names and multitudes of forms, and my existence is in every go…”

The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani) | Chapter 43 (part 69)

“unity of a supreme and self-existent being, his eternity, his almightiness, and external reproduction thereby as God; the attributing of the creation of the world and of all living beings to this supreme God; the immortality of the soul, co…”

The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani) | Chapter 43 (part 75)

“heaven nor earth, and when neither gods had been born, nor men created, the god Tmu was the father of human beings, even before death came into the world. The first act of Tmu was to create from his own body the god Shu and the goddess Tef…”

The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani) | Chapter 43 (part 76)

“These eight elements were called Nu and Nut, Heh and Hehet, Kek and Keket, and Enen and Enenet, or Khemennu, the "Eight," and they were considered as primeval fathers and mothers. They are often represented in the forms of four male and fou…”

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mesopotamian7

Enuma Elish: The Epic of Creation | 1b

“let us wage war!" ... the gods in the midst of... ... for the gods did she create. They banded themselves together and at the side of Tiamat they advanced; They were furious; they devised mischief without resting night and day. They pr…”

Enuma Elish: The Epic of Creation | 1d

“rejoice and be glad; The neck of Tiamat shalt thou swiftly trample under foot. ... rejoice and be glad; The neck of Tiamat shalt thou swiftly trample under foot. 0 my son, who knoweth all wisdom, Pacify Tiamat with thy pure incantation.…”

Enuma Elish: The Epic of Creation | 1e

“Be thou exalted, thou my chosen spouse, May they magnify thy name over all of them ... the Anunnaki." She hath given him the Tablets of Destiny, on his breast she laid them, saying: Thy command shall not be without avail, and the word of t…”

Enuma Elish: The Epic of Creation | 1f

“She hath given him the Tablets of Destiny on his breast she laid them, saving: Thy command shall not be without avail, and the word of thy mouth shall be established.' Now Kingu, thus exalted, having received the power of Anu, Decreed the f…”

Enuma Elish: The Epic of Creation | 1h

“She recited an incantation, she pronounced her spell, And the gods of the battle cried out for their weapons. Then advanced Tiamat and Marduk, the counselor of the gods; To the fight they came on, to the battle they drew nigh. The lord sp…”

Enuma Elish: The Epic of Creation | 1i

“He opened great gates on both sides, He made strong the bolt on the left and on the right. In the midst thereof he fixed the zenith; The Moon-god he caused to shine forth, the night he entrusted to him. He appointed him, a being of the ni…”

Enuma Elish: The Epic of Creation | 1j

“Tutu [Marduk] is "He who created them anew"; Should their wants be pure, then are they satisfied; Should he make an incantation, then are the gods appeased; Should they attack him in anger, he withstandeth their onslaught! Let him therefor…”

biblical6

Genesis (American Standard Version, 1901) | 1:1-1:25

“[1:1] In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. [1:2] And the earth was waste and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. [1:3] And God said, Let there be li…”

Genesis (American Standard Version, 1901) | 1:26-2:14

“[1:26] And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that c…”

Genesis (American Standard Version, 1901) | 4:8-5:2

“[4:8] And Cain told Abel his brother. And it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. [4:9] And Jehovah said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: am I my…”

The Gospel According to John (American Standard Version, 1901) | 1:1-1:29

“[1:1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [1:2] The same was in the beginning with God. [1:3] All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made. [1:4]…”

The Revelation of John (American Standard Version, 1901) | 4:6-5:12

“[4:6] and before the throne, as it were a sea of glass like unto crystal; and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, four living creatures full of eyes before and behind. [4:7] And the first creature was like a lion, and t…”

The Revelation of John (American Standard Version, 1901) | 10:6-11:12

“[10:6] and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created the heaven and the things that are therein, and the earth and the things that are therein, and the sea and the things that are therein, that there shall be delay no longer:…”

celtic5

The Mabinogion | Tale KILHWCH AND OLWEN-u

“Seek not therefore to do me harm.” Said Arthur, “Not to injure thee came I hither, but to seek for the prisoner that is with thee.” “I will give thee my prisoner, though I had not thought to give him up to any one; and therewith shalt thou…”

The Mabinogion | Tale BRANWEN THE DAUGHTER OF LLYR-j

“And there they remained fourscore years, unconscious of having ever spent a time more joyous and mirthful. And they were not more weary than when first they came, neither did they, any of them, know the time they had been there. And it wa…”

The Mabinogion | Tale TALIESIN-i

“The names of the three springs From the midst of the ocean; One generated brine Which is from the Corina, To replenish the flood Over seas disappearing; The second, without injury It will fall on us, When there is rain abroad, Through the w…”

The Mabinogion | Tale TALIESIN-j

“And the king caused them to fetch Elphin in haste from his dungeon, and placed him before Taliesin. And it is said, that immediately he sang a verse, so that the chains opened from about his feet. “I adore the Supreme, Lord of all animati…”

The Mabinogion | Tale TALIESIN-l

“And then said Taliesin, “Elphin, behold a payment and reward unto thee, for having taken me out of the weir, and for having reared me from that time until now.” And on this spot stands a pool of water, which is to this time called Pwllbair.…”

hinduism5

The Bhagavad Gita | Chapter III, Section 1a

“CHAPTER III. Ar g una said: If, O Ganârdana! devotion is deemed by you to be superior to action, then why, O Kesava! do you prompt me to (this) fearful action? You seem, indeed, to confuse my mind by equivocal words. Therefore, declare…”

The Bhagavad Gita | Chapter IX, Section 1a

“CHAPTER IX. Now I will speak to you, who are not given to carping, of that most mysterious knowledge, accompanied by experience, by knowing which you will be released from evil. It is the chief among the sciences, the chief among the myst…”

The Bhagavad Gita | Chapter X, Section 1a

“CHAPTER X. Yet again, O you of mighty arms! listen to my excellent words, which, out of a wish for your welfare, I speak to you who are delighted (with them). Not the multitudes of gods, nor the great sages know my source; for I am in ev…”

The Bhagavad Gita | Chapter XIV, Section 1a

“CHAPTER XIV. The Deity said: Again I will declare (to you) the highest knowledge, the best of (all sorts of) knowledge, having learnt which, all sages have reached perfection beyond (the bonds of) this (body). Those who, resorting to this…”

Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Book IV | Sutra 2

“The transfer of powers from one venture to another comes through the flow of the natural creative forces. Here, if we can perceive it, is the whole secret of spiritual birth, growth and life Spiritual being, like all being, is but an expres…”

zoroastrianism4

Avesta (Gathas) | Ahunavaiti Gatha, Yasna XXVIII, Section 1b

“(And) do thou, O (Divine) Righteousness, bestow (upon me) that sacred blessing which is constituted by the attainments of the Good Mind (within my soul) 3 ; and do thou also, O Piety! grant unto p. 22 [paragraph continues] Vî s tâspa and…”

Avesta (Gathas) | Ahunavaiti Gatha, Yasna XXX, Section 1a

“1. And now I will proclaim, O ye who are drawing near and seeking 1 to be taught! those animadversions 2 which appertain to Him who knows (all things) whatsoever; the praises which are for Ahura, and the sacrifices (which spring) from the…”

Avesta (Gathas) | Ahunavaiti Gatha, Yasna XXXI, Section 1a

“1. These doctrines (therefore) we are earnestly declaring to You as we recite them forth from memory, words (till now) unheard 1 (with faith) by those who by means of the doctrinal vows 2 of the harmful Lie are delivering the settlements o…”

Avesta (Gathas) | Ushtavaiti Gatha, Yasna XLIV, Section 1a

“1. This I ask Thee, O Ahura! tell me aright; when praise is to be offered, how (shall I complete) the praise of the One like You 1 , O Mazda? Let p. 112 the One like Thee declare it earnestly to the friend who is such as I, thus through…”

hermeticism3

Corpus Hermeticum 1: Poimandres | Section 1a

“Poemandres, the Shepherd of Men <This is the most famous of the Hermetic documents, a revelation account describing a vision of the creation of the universe and the nature and fate of humanity. Authors from the Renaissance onward have been…”

Corpus Hermeticum 1: Poimandres | Section 1b

“But when He raised His head, I see in Mind the Light, [but] now in Powers no man could number, and Cosmos grown beyond all bounds, and that the Fire was compassed round about by a most mighty Power, and [now] subdued had come unto a stand.…”

Corpus Hermeticum 8: The Eight Sphere | Section 1a

“That No One of Existing Things doth Perish, but Men in Error Speak of Their Changes as Destructions and as Deaths <The idea of cyclic change central to CH III, "The Sacred Sermon", also takes center stage here. A current of ancient specula…”

jewish_mysticism3

The Book of Concealed Mystery (Siphra Dtzenioutha) | 1d

“5; "And thou shalt place upon me thine hand:" KPKH, Khephakha . (Where this word KPKH, if it be written according to the usual p. 100 custom KPK, Khephakh , yieldeth the number 120. But now by adding the paragogic H of the female, there…”

The Kabbalah Unveiled | Introduction, Section 1e

“The seventh space here means Malkuth, the kingdom, or the queen, which together with the six of Microprosopus, makes up the seven lower Sephiroth. (See Introduction, § 77, further, for the idea of the balance of mercy and judgment.)] 23.…”

Sefer Yetzirah (The Book of Formation) | Section 1c

“These three mothers again represent in the Microcosm or Human form, male and female; the Head, the Belly, and the Chest; the bead from the fire, the belly from water, and the chest from the air lieth between them. 5. These three mothers d…”

taoism3

Tao Te Ching | Chapter 51

“All things are produced by the Tao, and nourished by its outflowing operation. They receive their forms according to the nature of each, and are completed according to the circumstances of their condition. Therefore all things without excep…”

The Writings of Chuang Tzu (Inner Chapters) | Book VI (part 3)

“When the springs are dried up, the fishes collect together on the land. Than that they should moisten one another there by the damp about them, and keep one another wet by their slime, it would be better for them to forget one another in t…”

The Writings of Chuang Tzu (Inner Chapters) | Book VI (part 6)

“There is the great Mass (of nature);--I find the support of my body in it; my life is spent in toil on it; my old age seeks ease on it; at death I find rest on it:--what has made my life a good will make my death also a good. 'Here now is…”

renaissance_hermeticism2

Agrippa: The Philosophy of Natural Magic, Chapter V — Of the Wonderful Natures of Fire and Earth | Chapter V, Section 1b

“Hence it was that the first and most wise institutors of religions and ceremonies ordained that prayers, singings and all manner of divine worships whatsoever should not be performed without lighted candles or torches (hence, also, was that…”

Paracelsus: The Aurora of the Philosophers | Section 1t

“The Aurora is by some regarded as an instance in point; though no doubt in the main it is a genuine work of the Sage of Hohenheim, yet in some respects it does seem to approximate somewhat closely to previous schools of Alchemy, which can s…”

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Gnostic John the Baptizer — Some Typical Extracts | Section 14

“That the Mandæan religion preserves echoes of a wealth of ancient mythical elements found in Iranian, Babylonian and Semitic traditions is evident on all hands. A process of syncretism had presumably gone on for generations before an impuls…”

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The Kojiki: The Beginning of Heaven and Earth | Section 1

“p. 15 RECORDS OF ANCIENT MATTERS [SECT. I.—THE BEGINNING OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.] The names of the Deities 1 that were born 2 in the Plain of High Heaven 3 when the Heaven and Earth began were the Deity Master-of-the-August-Centre-of-Heaven, 4…”