tuscl

Esoteric / Occult Publishing

san_jose_guy
money was invented for handing to women, but buying dances is a chump's game
More than in any other field, the esoteric seems to depend upon access to old book, and on the business of republishing them. They tend to go back as far as the mid-19th Century.

But then there are also things like Neo-Platonism that go back to the classical era. Most not in Great Books of the Western World.

Reading this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/082323…

I learn of groups which have existed, and which might still exist. Their writings largely gone, but then resurfacing in the 80's and 90's. I read about all of this and it is too many authors for me to keep track of, and too much material which is not in English.

Lots of groups offering initiatory programs. I feel though that today many people do not really want this. Such a program requires you to make a commitment of time and money, and to accept having things spoon fed to you, and not really knowing where it goes until you have made a big investment of time and energy.

So to really know about all of this, you need handy access to the old books.

So Public and Academic Libraries are extremely weak here.

And then much of the material is extremely obscure, and often never having been translated into English.

So we have now a number of good Esoteric Publishers. They do good work and they seem to make good decisions on what to publish.

In the early 70's James Wasserman, from PA, ostensibly going to college in OH, started working for Samuel Weiser in NYC. Mostly it sounds like his work consisted of republishing pre-war books, and that he forgot about college.

And since he and his wife Nancy have become leaders, bishops, in the OTO / EGC. And they have their own publishing businesses in Florida, and they write their own books too.

So why are books that should be published, should be in print, should be translated, and should be in libraries, not already so?

Well, this is not the highest dollar revenue portion of the publishing industry. It caters to a strong but special taste demand.

And some people probably find some of it to be beyond the pale.

I have always considered the Harry Potter books to be harmless fun. But I also recognized right off that part of the appeal is that they are needling Christian Fundamentalists.

And then with Casual Vacancy, you can read through and divide the characters into the Good and the Bad, and then try to figure out which will get picked to fill the council vacancy.

This Hans Thomas Hakl, born in Austria 1947, now based in the Netherlands:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Thoma…

He really is quite impressive, as also are all of these new academic based esotericists.

https://www.hthakl-octagon.com/

And he specializes in the politics, because that is after all what it really comes down to. Many of these groups claim to be a-political, but that just means that they oppose progressive movements, they support the Right. And a large portion of them certainly do, but not all of them necessarily.

The Internet does seem to help. aiding with the spread of special interest information, text and video.

And then for me it is hard too, hard to get access to books, but then even with what I do get, being totally maxed out reading wise, and still struggling to get the kind of overview understanding which I want and need.

Some people believe that Marx, Engels, and Lenin were Masons. Either they were members, or they were influenced by it.

Now the standard Marxist position is that Masonry is just like religion, an opiate. And I can see this. But I can also see that within Masonry you do also have the roots of something like a Marxist view.

Well in Hakl's writings and in the above book, I do find forms of Western Esotericism and of Tantra, which are entirely progressive.

So things are improving.

SJG

Satin Doll Oscar Peterson 1963 (instrumental)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YidAJ4VL…

Jimmy Smith
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDJ6d5dv…

Patti Austin (vocal)
https://youtu.be/4JwMgEyRv-8?t=35m21s

Curtis Mayfield, Superfly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8Rm7IO4…

88 comments

You must be a member to leave a comment.Join Now
Got something to say?
Start your own discussion