On purpose

Around the first half of the 20th century, some great spiritual masters and their disciples started a new wave of sharing some of the knowledge that used to be hidden and inaccessible to most of humanity. That was the time when authors such as Helena Blavatsky, Alice Bailey, Annie Besant, Charles Leadbeater, and Rudolf Steiner were actively working and writing books, pamphlets, and other articles.

Most of them continued their work well into the 20th century – generating an astoundingly large body of work. Even back then, over a century ago, the feeling of “this is too much information” was acknowledged. The need for some sort of compilation or summary, connecting different authors based on shared themes and topics was already noticed. In 1925, Major Arthur E. Powell wrote:

“This information is scattered over a very large number of books and articles, some forty of which the compiler has consulted, (…). The writer wishes it understood that his work is a compilation–nothing more. All he has done is to collect and arrange the material which others have provided.

There are many advantages in this method of study. In these busy days few have the leisure, even if they possess the inclination, to search through some scores of books for scattered items of knowledge, and then to weld them into a coherent whole. It is better, therefore, for one to do this work, that others may benefit and save their own time and labour.”

Comparing the early 1900’s with the the early 2000’s, it is rather easy to realise how much more intense this challenge has become. Most people’s lives has become busier, there seems to be less time, and the amount of information available continuously grow. Both high quality information as well as distortions and inaccurate expressions. The amount of questionable content adds up to the challenge of finding good books and good content in general.

Even ignoring the disinformation, the amount of high quality, interesting, and relevant books within the topic of spirituality feels endless. In my experience, when talking to most other students in the spiritual path, very few of us take the time to sincerely read and study them. This is a core reason behind my impulse to start this business: to help and support spiritual students in their journey of acquiring knowledge related to spirituality, to mysticism, occultism, and related themes.

The Protégé Effect

Supporting the learning journey of my fellow spiritual colleagues is one of my main motivators, but not the only one. One of the most effective ways of learning a topic is by teaching it to other people. This is known as the “Protégé Effect”, and it is another one the reasons behind this impulse to me. Over the years, I have been fortunate enough to accumulate a vast library of esoteric books, and I never felt like I made justice to this great privilege. I want to study them deeper, absorb their content, and develop a thorough understanding of their topics. Teaching other about these topics, sharing this information, will also support my own personal growth.

A much needed update

Besides summarising and compiling, I would like to share, when applicable, some more recent examples of the situations that are described.

Revisiting some of these books is also sorely needed because they are old. Many of the examples given will not resonate with modern readers. We are living in an era of high technology, social media, artificial intelligence, and smartphones. As much as the core struggles of the human soul remain the same, there are those of us that could use some more up to date context and examples.

For some spiritual students, this is not needed. I can acknowledge that, but my goal is to reach a wider audience, and having relatable experiences is an effective communication strategy.