All magic is the putting into practice of the maxim: the subtle rules the dense, writes Tomberg. He quotes the words of Mary to the angel Gabriel at the head of the chapter. The empress symbolizes the super-consciousness ruling the consciousness (which rules force, which rules matter). The crown on … Continue reading
Inner Meaning of Augustinianism
Before we proceed along the Arcana of the Meditations, it might be helpful to point out a link between “gnosis” and the “arcana”. In the very first chapter of his Meditations Tomberg highlights the truth that arcana represent “enzymes” or “ferment” which make the soul fruitful by awakening the deeper, … Continue reading
Nature’s Lessons on Interior Friction
Cologero has beautifully highlighted the central paradox of “he who wishes to rise” or “the aspirant”: It is clear in fact that if persuasion sharpens itself to a pure, unrelated sufficiencyy—i.e., to a statey—rather than to sufficiency as denial of an insufficiency—i.e. to an act, to a relationy—the antithesis certainly … Continue reading
The Syllables of the Gods
I want to call attention to an aspect of Tomberg’s work that is perhaps unnoticed. He writes so straightforwardly, so poetically, so lucidly, that one can obtain an illusion (particularly if you are only reading with your discursive intellect) that you are understanding him without, in fact, catching on. I … Continue reading
The High Priestess
The yoke is easy, the burden is light. There are more dangers ahead, but to learn the lesson of the One is to pass into abundant Life. Continue reading
Le Bateleur, or Thus Endeth the Lesson
I will assume, for this, a basic familiarity with the text, as well as perhaps some of the items and discussions on the mailing list. Rather, we will look at several prisms or aphorisms or anecdotes from this chapter, to help elucidate in precise detail what quarry Tomberg is hunting. … Continue reading
Tomberg’s Labor
Valentin Tomberg (as any reader of this blog by now knows) plays a not insignificant role in linking Christianity with esotericism, even paganism (of the older kind). It would be easy to just go through and cherry pick random quotes from Tomberg: this would actually turn out much better than … Continue reading
La Revolution Devore Ses Enfants
What we’ve got on our throne is a collective demon or elemental force, generated by centuries of passions and muddled thought. Satan is a man of Law, and wouldn’t dream of having dinner with revolutionaries. He’d rather joust with a man of the Right. Continue reading
The Metalogikon
The Medieval period represents, for Western man, a kind of germinal gestation of the Spirit in the form of an actualized Christian civilization, one which was fully in accord with Tradition, as far as it was able to go. We know this because, for the neo-pagans, it is too “Christian” … Continue reading
Western Social Order – Part 3
In the Philobiblon, Richard de Bury (Bishop of Durham) justifies his love of books in a Christian framework by pointing out that Plato is said to have paid 10000 dinars for a rare scroll of Philolaus. Philolaus‘ work was most likely a transmission of the teachings of Pythagoras, who had … Continue reading