World Labyrinth Day Disclaimer

This is my disclaimer, for I won't be able to join in a labyrinth walk today, but will be there in spirit.  

World Labyrinth Day (WLD) is an annual international event held on the first Saturday of May to promote peace, mindfulness, and celebration of labyrinths. Founded by The Labyrinth Society in 2009, thousands participate by walking a labyrinth at 1:00 p.m. local time to create a "rolling wave of peaceful energy" across the globe.

According to the WorldLabyrinthDay.org, every year on the first Saturday in May thousands of people around the globe participate in World Labyrinth Day as a moving meditation for world peace and celebration of the labyrinth experience. Many “Walk as One at 1” local time to create a rolling wave of peaceful energy passing from one time zone to the next, and there are additional ways to participate.

So why the "Labyrinth?"

A labyrinth combines the imagery of a circle and a spiral to form an irregular, meandering path toward a central location. The design has been appearing in caves, on coins and pottery, and as turf or stone structures from as early as the Stone or Bronze Ages.

Traditional labyrinths have the entrance/exit at the bottom, while a separate, radial style show the entrance/exit at the top. Prehistoric or ancient labyrinths may have been used in sacred dance and ritual. Roman labyrinths appear at the entrance of buildings which could have had a function of protection or been meant to symbolize a sacred path to deity.

Medieval Christian labyrinths appeared both in church entrances and on the sanctuary floors. Although their purpose is unclear, they could have been used in Easter rituals with penitents following the labyrinth on their knees or been designed as protection from demons. In India, there is a belief that labyrinths are the refuge of a trickster spirit and that the demon Ravana rules over labyrinths.

The first labyrinths, is found in myth of Minotaur, where Minos refuses to sacrifice a bull to Poseidon out of greed. The angry Poseidon punished the king by making his wife fall in love with a bull. The fruit of this union was the monster Minotaur, half-bull, half-man. Full of shame, Minos imprisoned the monster in a labyrinth – a word which comes from the Greek “labrys” and refers to the double axe – the symbol of the supremacy of the Cretan Mother Goddess. The deeper meaning of the labyrinth is associated with the feminine life giving force, the earth-bound instinctual nature of our bodies. The centre of the labyrinth is the goddess’s womb.

The power of nature and instincts, the Greek zoe, the sheer life force – this is how the ancients perceived the bull. Only a woman – Ariadne – knew the way around the labyrinth into its centre. It seems that this first labyrinth was designed to guard the darkest heart of nature and to keep its secrets from the solar, upper-world consciousness. Alternatively, it symbolized the fear of Minos, that is the ego consciousness, of the bestial instincts, which he tried to repress.

Interestingly, also in Christianity the labyrinths were constructed to worship Mother Goddess. The most famous example is the stone Labyrinth from the cathedral in Chartres. It is believed that originally it had the image of Minotaur in its centre, but it was later removed. Now the centre of the Labyrinth features the Mystic Rose, emblem of Mary on the one hand and the ultimate symbol of the Self and the union of the opposites on the other.

Some researchers make a point of differentiating between the maze and the labyrinth. Karen Ralls explains:

“A labyrinth eventually takes one to a Center. A maze does not, but has many twists and turns in its path, even the occasional “dead end.”

Those who walk the labyrinth do so to find inner peace, to meditate and find a way through silence to inner truth. Cirlot adds that at the centre of the labyrinth conjunction occurs between the conscious and the unconscious. Perhaps the seeming duality of the confusing maze and the orderly labyrinth can be reconciled by invoking human and divine perspective:

“From within, the view is extremely restricted and confusing, while from above one discovers a supreme artistry and order.

According to symbolreader.net:

"The maze, thus, seems to symbolize our human limited perspective, our entanglement in the world of the senses and desires, our getting lost, taking the “wrong” path, occasionally feeling lost and desperate." 

So brothers, sisters, and non-binary siblings, however you navigate through your labyrinth of life today, do so with a kind spirit, for we are all in this together regardless if we walk or not, 

~~ Eso Terry

May, Aleister Crowley, and the Esoteric Message of Nursery Rhymes

Hermes and Maia

May, the fifth month of the current Gregorian calendar and the third month of Spring's rule, which derives its name from the Roman Springtime goddess Maia, whose divine powers encouraged the growth of crops. 

Wooo, I have to stop here for Maia is also the mother of Hermes, and well, I have to go Hermetic on your ass now because we have invoked the name of Hermes Trismegistus which brings us to today's topic: The Holy Qabalah, Aleister Crowley, and Nursery Rhymes, for you see all nursery rhymes were holy before the Demiurge's Fake Religion of today.  

 So hold onto your seats boys and girls as we reveal one of the great secrets of the adepts.  

Old Mother Hubbard

Went to her cupboard

To get her poor dog a bone;

When she got there, 

The cupboard was bare, 

And so the poor dog had none. 

Who is this ancient and venerable mother?  According to Aleister Crowley she is none other than Binah of the Kabbalah, as is evident in the use of the holy letter H with which her name begins. 

And to what cupboard did she go?  To the most secret caverns of the Universe? And who is this dog?  It is not the name of God spelt backwards (saying "not" is the only way one can share the true secrets of an Initiate without provoking the spirits of the teachings).  And what is the bone?  It is the master's Wand.  

As Crowley said in his The Book of Lies, "This rime is the legend of the murder of Osiris by Typhon when the limbs of Osiris were scattered in the Nile, and Isis sought them in every corner of the Universe, and she found all except his sacred lingam..." which was not found until Crowley's own time, but that's another story for another time.  

How about this one:

Little Bo Beep

She lost her sheep, 

And couldn't tell where to find them. 

Leave them alone!

And they'll come home,

Dragging their tails behind them. 

"Bo" is the root meaning Light, from which spring such words as Bo-tree, Bodhisattva, and Buddha. And "Peep" is Apep, the serpent Apophis.  This poem therefore contains the same symbol as that in the Egyptian and Hebrew Bibles.  The snake is the serpent of initiation, as the Lamb is the Savior.  This ancient one, the Wisdom of Eternity, sits in its old anguish awaiting the Redeemer.  And this holy verse triumphantly assures us that there is no need for anxiety.  The Saviors will come one after the other, at their own good pleasure, and as they may be needed, and drag their tails, that is to say those who follow out their holy commandment, to the ultimate goal. 

So get to work performing your holy commandment.  I'm serious, now what is your holy commandment?  Only you can know that, and believe me it is not in any church or Turkish Bathhouse -- you see, I did the extremes there.    

Hickory, dickory, dock!

The mouse ran up the clock;

The clock struck one, 

And the mouse ran down, 

Hickory, dickory, dock!

The clock symbolizes the spinal column, and the mouse is the Ego (the Qabalistic spelling of the word "mouse" backwards). The Ego force being driven up the spine, the clock strikes one, that is, the duality of consciousness is abolished.  And the force again subsides to its original level to try again.  Go back into meditation and figure it out. 

"Hickory, dickory, dock!" is the mantra which was use by the adept who constructed this rime, thereby hoping to fix it in the minds of men. 

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall;

Humpty Dumpty got a great fall'

All the king's horses

And all the king's men

Couldn't set up Humpty Dumpty again. 

Humpty Dumpty is of course is the Egg of Spirit, the fertility egg, and the wall is the Abyss -- his "fall" is therefore the descent of spirit into matter; and no mere leader of men can put him back together again, it takes more, much more, such as faith. Faith in what, now that is the true question here.  

So that is it for today, Initiates.  Remember, after five years of silence you will begin to understand.  The answer is love, but first, we must listen.  Oh, and never look at your image in the mirror besides a candle.  But you probably already know this.  

~~ Eso Terry

The Alchemist in the Cathedrals

Today, let's talk about the Alchemist in the Cathedrals, more precisely, the Gothic cathedrals. They are the Christian Gothic Cathedrals designed to impress the Pagans to the point of immediate conversion. They were impressive.  A closer look; however, points to the Pagan hold that has never left us as a people. This truth can be found in the writings of Fulconelli, in his Le Mystère des Cathédrales (The Mystery of the Cathedrals). In this writing I will cover the cathedrals of Notre Dame and Amiens, a good representation of the alchemist messages left to us in stone. 

The first thing Fulconelli wants us to understand is that we have fundamentally misread the Gothic buildings. We call this architecture Gothic.  And we assume the name refers to the Goth tribes of barbarian Europe. But Fulconelli plays with the sounds of words and he invites us to listen differently in French, where Art Gothique (Gothic Art) is a phonetic corruption of Art Got, or Art Gothic, which sounds like artgot or art of light.

Through this lens, Fulcanelli suggests that Gothic cathedrals are not just places of worship, but repositories of hidden knowledge, designed by initiated masters to demonstrate the alchemical great work through light and stone.

The cathedrals speak in a phonetic Kabbalah. The very name of the style is a pun hiding in plain sight. And this observation points to something deeper. The medieval builders, Fulconelli argued, were not simply craftsmen or pious Christians; they were initiates of an ancient tradition. They possessed knowledge that could not be spoken openly, knowledge that the church, at various times in history, would have considered heretical, even dangerous.

So they encoded it. They wrote it in stone, in sculpture, in the placement of figures and symbols that most viewers would dismiss as mere decoration.

Think of it this way. A manuscript can be burned. A book can be altered, censored, lost. This is what Fulconelli calls the sanctuary of the tradition. The cathedral; however, is a stone book that cannot be destroyed. And the tradition it preserves, he claims, is the same scientific and spiritual knowledge that built the pyramids of Egypt and the temples of Greece. It is universal, it is ancient, and it has been waiting for you to learn its alphabet.

                                              

Let us walk now to the central porch of Notre Dame de Paris. Most visitors glance at the sculptural program and see biblical scenes, the last judgment, the lives of the saints, etc.. But Fulconelli directs our attention to a particular figure, a woman seated on a throne. She holds a ladder in her hands. Her head touches the clouds. This, he tells us, is alchemy herself. The ladder she holds is the symbol of patience, the patient step-by-step ascent that the great work requires. This is not magic in the sense of instant transformation. this is craft. Beneath her, carved into the stone base are other stages of the alchemical process, and the first stage, the essential, unavoidable first step, is represented by a black crow.

The crow represents what the alchemists called putrefactio, putrefaction. The blackening, the rotting.This is perhaps the most important teaching in the entire alchemical tradition. And it deserves our careful attention.

Nothing transforms without first decomposing. The seed must rot in the earth before it can germinate. The caterpillar must dissolve into formless soup inside the chrysalis before it becomes a butterfly. The old self must die before the new self can be born.

The crow is black because this stage is dark. It feels like failure. It feels like the end. The alchemists called it the nigredo, the blackness. And they taught that when you see this sign, when you find yourself in the darkest night of the soul, when everything you were seems to be falling apart, you are not failing; you are beginning. This is what the crow announces. The first sign of success in the great work is the appearance of darkness.

Elsewhere on the porch, Fulcanelli identifies a figure he calls the alchemist of Notre Dame, an old man wearing a Phrygian cap, the ancient symbol of the initiate. This figure stands watching, observing what he calls the evolution of mineral life. He guards the athenor, the occult furnace in which the transformation takes place. And here is the secret hidden in the sculpture. The furnace is not merely physical. The athenor is also you.

The transformation of metal and the transformation of the human being are parallel operations, governed by the same laws, requiring the same patient fire, the fire and the dew.

Now, let us travel north to the cathedral at Amiens. Here, Fulcanelli draws our attention to a symbol he calls the fire of the wheel. It is carved into the stone, depicting a gentle, constant flame. Not a violent conflagration, but a sustained, rhythmic heat. This teaching is subtle, but crucial. The great work is not accomplished by intensity alone. You cannot force transformation by burning hot and fast. The fire must be constant and equal, maintained day and night, as the old texts say. It must turn like a wheel, steady and patient, neither flaring up nor dying down.

Think of how this applies to your own practice, whatever that practice may be. Meditation, prayer, creative work, study. The temptation is always to burn bright for a moment and then exhaust yourself. The temptation is to push hard, achieve quickly, and then collapse. But the alchemists knew that true transformation takes a different kind of fire. A fire that does not consume itself. A fire that can be sustained for years, for decades, for a lifetime. This is the fire of the wheel, gentle, rhythmic, unceasing.

But fire alone is not enough. The sculptures at Amiens also teach that the first matters of the work, the raw material upon which the alchemist operates, must be reduced to a primitive, inert state. They are symbolized by dead trees, by bare branches, by matter stripped of life. This echoes the teaching of the crow. Before rebirth, there must be death. Before the tree blooms again, it must pass through winter.

The alchemist takes what appears to be dead matter and, through the patient application of fire and a secret agent, brings it back to life. And what is this secret agent? Fulcanelli speaks of it as the universal spirit, sometimes called the dew of May. It is described as a celestial substance, a vital force that descends from above and animates what is dead. The alchemist must learn to capture and concentrate this spirit. To apply it to the prepared matter at precisely the right moment. In practical terms, this suggests something profound. Transformation requires not only your own effort, but also a receptivity to something greater than yourself. The fire is yours to maintain. But the dew work is a partnership between human discipline and divine grace. The pilgrim's path.

Of course, there is more. There always is more, and here at EsotericDaily.com, I will give you more, in dew time my friends.

The Sacred Fire

In Taoism, Yang is fire and Yin is water. Is it any wonder that the two places we find ourselves most contemplated are either beside a fire with a marshmallow on a stick, or on a beach starring at the ocean with a beer in our hand (beer optional). It's primordial to say the least.

This being the Year of the Fire Horse (2026), I'll start my brief meditation on The Sacred Fire with the Chinese New Year, which uses fire to symbolize purification, protection, and prosperity, where fire is used to ward off evil spirits and welcome good fortune. Traditions include jumping through bonfires (tiao huo) in Guangdong, burning ritual gifts for ancestors, and setting off fireworks to scare away the mythical monster Nian

If you've ever been to a Chinese New Year, it is like being a flame in the fire. It's very special indeed.

The Sacred Fire holds immense significance in Hinduism, symbolizing purity, the divine presence, and connection between the earthly and spiritual realms. It serves as a critical element in various rituals, such as the Agnicayana and Vedic sacrifices, where it represents both the act of sacrifice and the deity Agni. Sacred fire is central to numerous ceremonies, including weddings, where it signifies commitment and divine blessings. This fire, regarded as holy, is essential for maintaining spiritual practices and connections in different aspects of Vedic traditions.

In Buddhism, "Sacred Fire" symbolizes spiritual practice, purification, and dedication, reflecting ascetic rituals, the rejection of empty traditions, and a quest for deeper spiritual truth, serving as a revered element in both ascetic and Brahminical traditions.

In the Shingon sector of Japanese Buddhsim, the Goma (fire) Ritual is performed with the purpose of destroying negative energies and detrimental thoughts and desires. In the ceremony, a priest burns wooden sticks in the scared fire. The fire symbolizes the wisdom of the Buddha and the wood sticks symbolize what is to be cleansed and released.

According to Geoffrey Hodson of the Theosophy Society, "Fire is one of the garments of God, Who, to the spirits of fire, appears clothed in flame." In other Christian faiths, the Sacred fire embodies the divine presence, purity, and righteousness, guiding individuals spiritually. It plays a crucial role in Zoroastrian worship, where it symbolizes passion for faith and the connection to Jesus Christ.

In Irish culture, fire is more than just a physical element; it’s a living, breathing presence that embodies the energy of life itself. Whether lighting the way during ancient festivals or offering protection against unseen forces, sacred fire has been a source of both comfort and awe for generations.

I could go on for fire is what originally gave us life separated us from the animal kingdom. It warmed us, cooked our foods, lighted the darkness, but also burned if we got too close.

The most sacred of all the fires I've studied, are The Sacred Fires of Delphi in Greece, and The Sacred Fire of Vesta in Rome.

The Sacred Fire of Delphi was an eternal flame kept within the hestia (hearth) of the Temple of Apollo, symbolizing the center of the world and the divine presence of Apollo. The Sacred Fire of Vesta was an eternal flame in ancient Rome dedicated to the goddess Vesta, protector of the hearth, home, and family. The fire was tended by the Vestal Virgins, who were chosen by lot from patrician families; the Vestals served for thirty years, during which they ensured the flame never went out and performed rituals linked to domestic life. These included the ceremonial sweeping of the temple on June 15 and the preparation of sacred food for major festivals. As Vesta embodied the hearth, the flame symbolized both the life of every Roman household and the vitality of the state. As with the Sacred Fire of Delphi, both were believed to guarantee the goddess’s protection and the enduring strength of the cities. Furtermore, both The Sacred Fire of Delphi and Rome were extinguished with the rise of Christianity around 390 AD; however, if you look closely in the original Christian Gothic Cathedrals, you will see somewhere in the stone, carved out with the gargoyles, a fire wheel, to which most esotericist agree, was the initiates way of keeping the Pagan fires alive, a reminder to seek the fire from within, not from a temple.


~~ Eso Terry

Esoteric Thoughts on Prejudices with film assignment.

Esoteric prejudices are simple, the hidden thoughts some use to define others. A.I. says this about them:

"Esoteric prejudices refer to negative biases, stereotypes, and misconceptions directed toward, or existing within, alternative spiritual, mystical, and occult movements. These beliefs are often dismissed as irrational, dangerous, or "woo-woo" by mainstream society, while some practitioners may hold their own dogmatic views on "higher knowledge" or hidden truths."

So it's thought.

Rudolf Steiner said this about thought:

What is thinking actually? What thinks within me? The materialist, who denies the supersensible world, says: The body, the brain thinks. One should ask him the question: Have you ever perceived thinking with your senses? Of course he has not. No one has ever heard, seen, felt as warmth, or anything like that. Consequently, it is not physical. For what belongs to the body is perceptible to the senses. Therefore, thinking is supernatural. And the materialist must either admit the supernatural world or abandon thinking as an absurdity—which might be a good thing.

So with our thinking we are always in the supernatural world, but in such a way that we do not experience it ourselves. It is like someone sailing out to sea but not seeing himself or his boat; so it is with human thinking. We do not experience it directly, for what we experience of it, the thoughts, are the reflections of thinking on the body. Just as someone standing in front of a mirror sees his reflection, so the thinking soul sees the reflection of its thinking. The brain is the mirror. Through esoteric training, human beings should now come to experience thinking itself, not just thoughts. Just as someone standing in front of a mirror, when they step aside, sees the mirror's surface, so the soul must come to see the body from outside as a mirroring apparatus. Then the human being knows how thoughts come into being, and experiences itself in the world from which thinking protrudes into the sensory world as thought.

According to the dude at Medium.com: "Kocku von Stuckrad presented the idea that esoteric thought is a method of exploring and analyzing the world we inhabit in a manner other than is dictated by scientific principals, as such it is a subjective exploration of the exoteric without limits, where leaps of understanding are possible, spearheading advances that science has yet to catch up with. Esoteric thought can thus be central to any one individual’s life, remote and ridiculed, considered to be fundamental to the future development of humankind or a dustbin for rejected ideas that did not stick. The exoteric is an adherence to the observable and proven with no room for conjecture. We as people are consistently influenced by an esoteric narrative in the sense that we are driven by our own subjective consciousness."

Okay, that's a lot.  Basically, what he is saying...hell, watch the film I've restored for this post.  It explains Esoteric Prejudice Exoterically.  That is to say, what people said with their mouths in the 70's now say with their hearts which can be seen with all the hate towards "foreigners" or as this film points out, "barbarians," because their speak sounds like "ba, bar, ba..." to us. 

Friday 13th and the Tarot Card

It's Friday the 13th. Finally, I wait all year for this day. I've told you before how lucky Friday the 13th is for me, so I won't repeat myself. Instead, let's look at the 13th card of the Tarot, Death. 

In the Major Arcana of the Tarot, the 13th card is Death. Contrary to popular fear, when upright this card signifies transformation, endings, and rebirth rather than literal death. When reversed, it may indicate stagnation, upheaval, decay, or resistance to change.

Despite its ominous reputation in superstition, thirteen holds a positive and powerful role in esoteric traditions. It is regarded as the number of mystical manifestation and cosmic law.

The teachings of Jesus are framed around the formula 1 + 12 (Christ plus the apostles), producing thirteen. According to Pythagorean philosophy, one added to twelve creates an unlimited number, symbolising transcendence beyond completion. Through this principle, miracles—such as the multiplication of loaves and fishes—are said to occur.

Thirteen represents an all-or-nothing law of destiny:

• Death through failure and degeneration
• Rebirth through regeneration and transformation

It is also the sacred number of the Great Goddess, reflected in the thirteen lunar cycles of the year.

Pythagors in 30 Seconds.

 

Pythagoras was born around 570 BC on the Greek island of Samos.

Pythagoras made influential contributions to philosophy and religious teachings in the late 6th century BC. 

Many mathematical and scientific discoveries were attributed to him, as well as discoveries in the field of music, astronomy, and medicine, but Pythagoras is best known for the Pythagorean Theorem which bears his name.

The Pythagorean Theorem simple stated is... well, math so we're going to skip it.  

Pythagoras and his disciples were the conceives of the "Golden Ratio" which is 1.618, the perfect analogy of the universe.  More math, so we won't go into this either.

Pythagoras started a liberal school where the students weren't allowed to talk for a year or look into a mirror beside a candle.  He taught them reincarnation, and the power of numbers.

Pythagoras and his disciples were the first to use the concept of "cosmos" and point out that the earth rotates around the sun. 

Pythagoras was a vegetarian.

And most importantly for us, Pythagoras was a number freak and taught us that numbers are everywhere and in everything....

Watch the film for the complete run down.  It's only 3 minutes.  And as we know, Pythagoras thought the three was the "perfect number!"

Roger Bacon 101

Roger Bacon was rich. So we know his story. Please take a moment now and think about all the other esoterics of his day, who because they weren't rich, we know them not. Now on with the poop on this guy. 

Roger Bacon was born about 1214, and he grew up wanting to be a teacher. He went to Oxford University in England; and after obtaining his degree, he became a teacher on the staff of the University of Paris in the 1240’s.

The writings of the Greek thinker Aristotle had been lost to Europe for over ten centuries and had recently been rediscovered.  Bacon had studied Aristotle at Oxford and became very excited.  He believed that Aristotle was a great thinker, and he taught his students in Paris about Aristotle’s writings.

During this time, Bacon was also working with light rays and lens and doing many chemistry experiments.  His experiments were based on some things that Aristotle had written about, but these experiments were not working out. He discovered that on many topics the famous and honored Aristotle was wrong.  Years of hard work based on some of Aristotle’s false teachings had to be thrown away. Perhaps worse was his realization that he had sent students out into the world with false knowledge.

Bacon was very disappointed at having wasted so much effort by trusting Aristotle.  Although much of Aristotle’s writing was correct, the errors made it risky to trust anything.  Bacon began struggling with the problem of how to make knowledge trustworthy.

Bacon first decided that there was something fundamentally wrong in the way people judged what was true and false.  In Bacon’s day, people believed that arguing logically could prove the truth.  Everyone thought Aristotle’s arguments were logically correct so they judged Aristotle to be writing the truth.  But Bacon knew, from his failed laboratory work, that Aristotle was wrong about many things he had written – even though Aristotle had very good rational arguments to support his views.

Bacon also studied other respected writers and found many to be wrong.  When he tried to discover what had led these men astray in their writings, he came up with four central reasons for their errors – the four stumbling blocks to truth.

Some were wrong because they had relied on a supposed “expert” who was wrong.

Some were wrong because they relied on popular opinions or beliefs that were wrong.

Others were wrong because they just wanted things to agree with their pet ideas and to conceal their ignorance through pride.

And lastly and most dangerous, some were wrong because they had believed in a logical argument.

These four sources of error were to be avoided at all costs.  It is ironic that Aristotle had espoused these very points two thousand years earlier (and they are still taught today in courses in rhetoric) as the best strategies to use in winning a debate or in persuading an audience by oratory.  Sadly, Aristotle’s stated goal, however, was merely to persuade the listener – not to find Truth.

Bacon now set out to devise a systematic way of judging whether a statement was true or false and thereby obtain trustworthy knowledge.  Bacon believed that “seeing might be believing” for experiments in his laboratory, but he was even unsure about whether personal bias could sneak in unsuspectingly to sway one’s observations.  Therefore, Bacon said that several people (the more the better) should do the experiment separately and independently to see if they all got the same results.  If many different people in different places at different times could do the same experiment and get the same results, then personal bias should be ruled out.  What was seen and duplicated in the laboratory could be considered to be true.  He wrote up his experiments in detail and had his students try to repeat them before he would trust the results.

Bacon summarized his belief clearly:  “Neither the voice of authority nor the weight of reason and argument are as significant as experiments from which come peace to the mind.”

Bacon’s ideas threatened a number of the powerful teachers of his day, and he was forbidden to continue his experiments or work on his books. He sent a copy of his preliminary work to the Pope, Clement IV, who liked Bacon’s ideas and wanted to see more. The Pope liked Bacon’s view that by observing creation, one learned more about God. It is not clear whether Bacon had to continue his work in secret or whether Clement ordered that Bacon be allowed to continue his work.  In any case, Bacon did continue his work.

It is believed that some time after Clement died, Bacon, his protector now gone, was imprisoned for his outspoken criticisms of current beliefs because there is a complete absence of any record of Bacon’s activity from 1279 to 1289.  His last work dates from about 1292 and is incomplete.  We assume that he died then at the age of about 72.

It is difficult to accurately assess Bacon’s influence in bringing about that revolutionary period in human thought – the Renaissance – that began several hundred years after his death.  Whether his work was widely influential or whether the “scientific method” was independently rediscovered really makes no difference in judging the greatness of the man himself.  His ethical standards in science and his relentless pursuit of truth stand as a beacon to inspire us all to the utmost in keen, objective observation and scrupulous honesty in all of our undertakings.

~~ Dr TV Boogie

The Blood Moon,

If you've been reading EsotericDaily.com over the last fifteen years, you know I love moons. All moons. And so I've written about men on the moon, a Snow Moon, a Fake Moon, a Blue Moon, a Black Moon, the Super Moon, and of course, being Mooned by a Gargoyle -- to name a few.  The moon I want to talk about today is today's Blood Moon, for it really is a continuation of the year of the Fire Horse which is going to change everything.

So what is a Blood Moon?  Simply stated, it is the total eclipse of the moon from Earth which happens because the Earth blocks all direct sunlight from falling onto the lunar surface, and so the Moon takes on a reddish color.

The Incan Empire which was a vast South American empire that flourished from the early 15th century A.D. until its conquest by the Spanish in the 1530s, called their Moon goddess Mama Quilla and thought that she cried silver tears. They believed the Blood Moon was caused by an animal or serpent attacking Mama Quilla. Their custom was to try to scare away the Blood Moon  by making as much noise as possible.

The world’s earliest civilizations believed the Moon was being attacked during a Blood Moon, and so figured that their king was being assaulted as well, and they protected their king by hiding him and installing a substitute ruler. When the total eclipse had passed, their king emerged from hiding and resumed his position as ruler.

The Christians figured it was a sign of the return of Jesus;

"And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the Earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness. And the moon into blood,
 Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord – King James Bible, Joel 2:30"

According to Joel 2:30, Jesus might be coming back tomorrow(?) but I doubt this because I think he is already here in Donald Trump who has the support of the Christian church like no other president ever.

How can we forget our beautiful Pagans, who believed the The Blood Moon carried powerful spiritual meanings, which announced a time of endings, deep transformation, and rebirth. 

Historically, both solar and lunar eclipses were often seen with awe or fear. They were sometimes read as omens of death, upheaval, or the fall of rulers, while in other traditions they were woven into myth as celestial battles. Here’s a look at how some cultures and religions felt about them.Norse mythology: Eclipses were explained as the wolves Sköll and Hati chasing the Sun and Moon. When they caught their prey, an eclipse occurred.

Although there are many traditions regarding a Blood Moon, the common factor is they all believe it brings hidden truths to the surface and closes cycles that are no longer meant to continue; which brings me back to the Year of the Fire Horse which will make this year the most interesting ever.  Yes, ever. 

Hold on to your seats boys and girls, all we can do at this point is howl. 

~~ Eso Terry

Demiurge From an Esoteric Buddhist POV

Demiurge, watching, waiting, beware(?)

Today, boys and girls, let's talk about the Demiurge for a lot of you are worshiping this entity thinking it is your guardian angel.  

The word "demiurge" literally means a public worker, demioergós, demiourgós, and was originally used to designate any craftsman plying his craft or trade for the use of the public. Soon, however, technítes and other words began to be used to designate the common artisan while demiurge was set aside for the Great Artificer or Fabricator, the Architect of the universe, maker of heaven and earth. 

Plato used the term in the dialog Timaeus, an exposition of cosmology in which the Demiurge is the agent who takes the preexisting materials of chaos, arranges them according to the models of eternal forms, and produces all the physical things of the world, including human bodies. The Demiurge is sometimes thought of as the Platonic personification of active reason. The term was later adopted by some of the Gnostics, who, in their dualistic worldview, saw the Demiurge as one of the forces of evil, who was responsible for the creation of the despised material world and was wholly alien to the supreme God of goodness.

In Esoteric philosophy the Demiurge or Logos, is simply an abstract term, an idea, like “army.” As Madame Blavatsky wrote in The Secret Doctrine, the Demiurge is not a single personal creator god, but a collective "host" of lower creative angels or builders (Elohim) who fashion the material universe based on divine ideation. They are not the supreme absolute deity but the architects of form, often identified with the Gnostic Ialdabaoth and the Old Testament Jehovah.

The Demiurge is generally considered evil, malicious, or deeply flawed in Gnostic tradition, acting as a "false god" who imprisons souls in the material world. Often called Yaldabaoth, this figure is seen as ignorant, arrogant, and jealous, rather than the true supreme deity. 

Finally, if you are a Buddhist like me, the Demiurge is just another heavenly deity who might be out to get you if you wallow in the lower worlds.  But if you keep your life force high, He/She/It can't touch you.

~~ Eso Terry   

St. Germain, Master Rakoczi, Thomas Bacon? You Decide.

Mount St. Germain, what can I say.  The guy was illusive, some say a spy, a fraud, hustler, other's, like this Esoteric Artist, believe he was the spirit of enlightenment which comes around when we really need it as they did in the 18th century. Historically, he has been documented by the Kings, Queen, and guillotines of Nobility. Spiritually, he has been in every space where enlightenment, alchemy, and consciousness is spoken out loud.  Here is his story. 

St. Germain (also referred to as Master Rakoczi or Master R) is the chohan of the seventh ray the Theosophical and post-Theosophical teachings of C. W. Leadbeater, Alice A. Bailey, Benjamin Creme, the White Eagle Lodge, modern Rosicrucianism and the Ascended Master Teachings, responsible for the New Age culture of the Age of Aquarius and identified with the Count of St. Germain (1710-1784), who has been variously described as a courtier, adventurer, charlatan, inventor, alchemist, pianist, violinist and amateur composer. 

St. Germain, as one of the Masters of the Ancient Wisdom, is credited with near god-like powers and with longevity. It is believed that Sir Francis Bacon faked his own death on Easter Sunday, 9 April 1626, attended his own funeral and made his way from England to Transylvania where he found lodging in a castle owned by the Rakoczi family. There, on 1 May 1684, Bacon, by using alchemy, became an immortal occult master and adopted the name Saint Germain and became one of the Masters of the Ancient Wisdom, a group of beings that, Theosophists believe, form a Spiritual Hierarchy of planet Earth sometimes called the Ascended Masters. Thus, according to these beliefs, St. Germain was a mysterious manifestation of the "resurrected form" (or "resurrection body") of Sir Francis Bacon.

Many groups honor Saint Germain as a supernatural being called a Master of the Ancient Wisdom or an Ascended master. In the Ascended Master Teachings he is referred to simply as Saint Germain, or as the Ascended Master Saint Germain. As an Ascended Master, Saint Germain is believed to have many magical powers such as the ability to teleport, levitate, walk through walls, and to inspire people by telepathy, among others.

Theosophists consider him to be a Mahatma, Masters of the Ancient Wisdom or Adept. Helena Blavatsky said that he was one of her Masters of Wisdom and hinted that he had given her secret documents. Some esoteric groups credit him with inspiring the Framers of the Constitution to draft the United States Declaration of Independence, as well as providing the design of the Great Seal of the United States. He is also considered to be the mystery guy who was at the signing of the Declaration of Independence that no one knew.  

In New Age beliefs, Saint Germain is always associated with the color violet, the jewel amethyst, and the Maltese cross rendered in violet (usually the iron cross style cross patee version). He is also regarded as the "Chohan of the Seventh Ray According to Theosophy, the Seven Rays are seven metaphysical principles that govern both individual souls and the unfolding of each 2,158-year-long Astrological Age. Since according to Theosophy the next Astrological Age, the Age of Aquarius, will be governed by the Seventh (Violet) Ray (the Ray of Ceremonial Order), Saint Germain is sometimes called "The Hierarch of the Age of Aquarius". According to the Ascended Master Teachings, Saint Germain is "The God of Freedom for this system of worlds." According to the Ascended Master Teachings, the preliminary lead-up to the beginning of the Age of Aquarius began on 1 July 1956, when Ascended Master Saint Germain became the Hierarch of the Age of Aquarius, replacing the former Astrological Age Hierarch, the Ascended Master Jesus, who had been for almost 2,000 years the Hierarch of the Age of Pisces.

In the works authored by Alice A. Bailey, Saint Germain is called Master Rakoczi or the Master R. (In the Ascended Master Teachings, the Master Rakoczi [ otherwise known as the Great Divine Director ] is regarded as Saint Germain's teacher in the Great White Brotherhood of Ascended Masters). Alice A. Bailey's book The Externalisation of the Hierarchy (a compilation of earlier revelations published posthumously in 1957) gives the most information about his reputed role as a Spiritual Master. Saint Germain's spiritual title is said to be Lord of Civilization, and his task is the establishment of the new civilization of the Age of Aquarius. He is said to telepathically influence people who are seen by him as being instrumental in bringing about the new civilization of the Age of Aquarius. Alice A. Bailey stated that "sometime after AD 2025," the Jesus, the Master Rakoczi (Saint Germain), Kuthumi, and others in the Spiritual Hierarchy would "externalise", i.e., descend from the spiritual worlds, and interact in visible tangible bodies on the Earth in ashrams, surrounded by their disciples. 

According to Theosophy and the Ascended Master Teachings, Saint Germain was incarnated as: (Note: Not all Theosophical and Ascended Master Teaching groups accept all of these incarnations as valid. St. Germain's incarnations as St. Alban, Proclus, Roger Bacon and Sir Francis Bacon are universally accepted.)

Ruler of a Golden Age civilization centered in a city called "The City of the Sun" 70,000 years ago located in the then lush and verdant area that is now the Sahara Desert, originally a colony sent out from Atlantis.

High priest in the civilization of Atlantis 13,000 years ago, serving in the Order of Lord Zadkiel in the Temple of Purification, located in an Atlantean colony that had been sent out from the main island of Atlantis that had been established on the island now called Cuba.

Samuel, 11th-century BC religious leader in Israel who served as prophet, priest, and last of the Hebrew judges.Samuel's mother Hannah was the second wife of Elkanah. For many years, Hannah had no children. One year when Hannah and Elkanah went to the temple to make sacrifices and pray, Hannah begged God to allow her to have a child. To be barren in those days was a source of shame for women and was considered an indication that one was not favored by God.

A priest named Eli saw Hannah praying and realized her predicament. He blessed her and assured her that God had heard her prayers. A year later she gave birth to Samuel. And, as she had promised, brought Samuel to Eli as a young child to serve with him in the temple.

The prophet Eli's time of transition grew near. So God spoke to young Samuel, calling upon him to be the next prophet of Israel. And Samuel accepted this holy work, traveling throughout Israel, urging the various tribes to work together and to cease worshiping idols.

It came about that the tribes desired a king to rule over them. Samuel was urged by them to appoint the one who would be their leader. God had already told Samuel that the results of the tribes desiring a king would be regretted, for their king would take their lands and goods and lead them into wars. They would know only oppression.

Upon hearing this message, the people turned a deaf ear to the prophet's warnings. Their choice was a man named Saul. Unfortunately, Saul lived up to God's warning and there was much suffering in the land. In response, Samuel secretly anointed David as the true king of Israel. A conflict between Saul and David dominated the remainder of Samuel's life. Samuel's anointing of David began the Biblical monarchy that formed the lineage of Jesus Christ.

Hesiod, Greek poet whose writings serve as a major source of insight into Greek mythology and cosmology (c. 700 BC).

Plato, Philosopher who studied with students of Pythagoras and scholars in Egypt. He established his own school of philosophy at the Academy in Athens. (427-347 BC).

Saint Joseph, 1st century AD, Nazareth. Husband of Mary and guardian of Jesus. In addition to what is commonly known about Saint Joseph from New Testament accounts, information in apocryphal writings and more recent revelations fill in some details. For instance, Joseph and Mary not only bore the Savior Jesus but six other children, both male and female. In contrast to traditional portrayals, Joseph was not merely a carpenter but an artisan in stone working and an adept in the spiritual arts. the family lived within a devout community, the Essenes, whose beliefs included the oneness of all life, that God dwelt within each soul and in his creation, and that striving and purity of motive were the way to God's heart.

Joseph, like Mary and Jesus, experienced visitations by angels. And it was Joseph's courage to be obedient to his own prophetic dreams that proved to be key to his role as guardian of his family. An appeared to Joseph in a dream to reassure him that he should marry Mary although she was many years younger than he. After the birth of Jesus, an angel appeared to warn Joseph that Herod sought the life of the newborn. The family escaped to Egypt until it was safe to return to their home. Joseph made his transition before Jesus entered into the fullness of his teaching and healing ministry. But Joseph had fulfilled his inner vow to protect Mary and to nurture and instruct Jesus.

Saint Alban, late 3rd or early 4th century, town of Verulamium, renamed St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England. First British martyr - he had sheltered a fugitive priest, became a devout convert, and was put to death for disguising himself as the priest so that he could die in his place.

Proclus, c. 410 - 485 AD. Athens. The last major Greek Neoplatonic philosopher. He headed the Platonic Academy and wrote extensively on philosophy, astronomy, mathematics, and grammar.

Merlin, c. 5th or 6th century, Britain. Magician and counselor at King Arthur's Camelot who inspired the establishment of the Order of the Knights of the Round Table.

Roger Bacon, c. 1214-1292 AD, England. Philosopher, educational reformer, and experimental scientist. Forerunner of modern science renowned for his exhaustive investigations into alchemy, optics, mathematics, and languages. Bacon pursued a life as a scholar and was engaged in academic and theological studies for decades. He became a professor at Oxford, specializing in philosophy. Eventually he became a friar in the Franciscan Order, but this prevented him from holding a teaching post. His activities were further restricted by a Franciscan statute in 1260 forbidding friars from publishing books or pamphlets without specific approval.

Bacon's friendship with Cardinal Guy le Gros de Foulques, who became Pope Clement IV, proved to be highly fortuitous. The new Pope issued a mandate ordering Bacon to write to him concerning the place of philosophy within theology. As a result, Bacon sent the Pope his Opus Majus, which presented his views on the way philosophy and science could be incorporated into theology. Roger Bacon also wrote other works on alchemy and astrology.

During his polific lifetime, Bacon performed many scientific experiments and documente his work for posterity. These experiments are viewed as the first instances of true experimental science, several hundred years before the official rise of science in the West.

Organizer behind the scenes for the Secret Societies in Germany in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. The creation of a possibly fictional character named "Christian Rosenkreuz" was inspired by his efforts.

Christopher Columbus, 1451-1506 AD. Believed to have been born in Genoa, Italy and settled in Portugal. Landed in America in 1492 during the first of four voyages to the New World sponsored by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. At the age of twenty-two, he began an apprenticeship as business agent for three important families- the Centurione, Di Negro and Spinola families of Genoa. The countries of Europe had been trading with China and India over land, but with the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks in 1453, this route became treacherous. In response to this, Christopher Columbus with his brother Bartolomeo developed a plan to travel to the Indies by sailing directly west across the Atlantic.

After continually lobbying at the Spanish court for two years, Columbus finally made headway with Queen Isabella of Castille in 1492. Columbus departed from Palos de la Frontera with three ships-the Santa Maria, the Pinta and the Nina. Columbus' vision that there was a westward route over the Atlantic Ocean to the Indies, if realized, would allow Spain, in dire need of funds, to enter the profitable spice trade. In hindsight we realize that Columbus' discovery set the stage for the building of a new nation, founded on the principles of equality and religious freedom.

Francis Bacon, 1561-1626, England. Philosopher, statesman, essayist and literary master, author of the Shakespearean plays (according to the Ascended Master Teachings), father of inductive science, and herald of the scientific revolution. Biographers believe that Bacon was educated at home in his early years because of his ill health. At twelve he entered Trinity College, Cambridge, and lived there for three years with his older brother Anthony. Francis Bacon studied mostly Latin and the medieval curriculum common at the time.

For the next three years, Francis traveled extensively, visiting Blois, Poitiers, Tours, Italy, and Spain. His three goals were to discover truth, to serve his country, and to serve his church. Under the reign of James I, Francis Bacon translated the King James version of the Bible. An increasing number of scholars also believe that he was secretly working with a group of some of England's best poets and writers, creating the plays now credited to William Shakespeare. Perhaps the most accepted and celebrated of Bacon's own literary works is The New Atlantis.

Francis Bacon's works popularized the inductive method of scientific inquiry. His demand for a planned procedure of investigation established the approach to scientific research still in use today. Knighted in 1603, he was given the title of Baron in 1618 and Viscount in 1621. He is recognized as one of England's greatest philosophers, statesmen, scientists and authors.

The Wonderman of Europe.After he had already made his ascension, Saint Germain received an unusual dispensation. The Lords of Karma allowed him to return to Earth. As the Count Saint-Germain of the House of Rakoczy, he attempted to prevent the French Revolution and to form a United States of Europe. In befriending European royalty, he hoped to guide them into positive alliances, creating a United States of Europe. But his guidance and warnings failed.

He left no stone unturned to capture the attention of those in power-removing flaws from their diamonds, creating verse and writing it with both hands at the same time, entertaining them with his vast musical talent, wit and humor and his ability to speak with expertise on any subject. They enjoyed the show, but they dismissed his prophetic words. Count Saint-Germain's presence at court throughout this lengthy period-over one hundred years is recorded in the diaries and correspondences of several monarchs and several members of their courts.

 ~~ Eso Terry