Initiation into hermetics
Encyclopedia
Initiation into Hermetics is the title of the English translation of Franz Bardon
Franz Bardon
Franz Bardon , born in Opava, Austrian Silesia, was both a stage magician and student and teacher of Hermetics. He was a member of the Czech hermetic society Universalia. During World War II Bardon was at one point held in a concentration camp for refusing to participate in Nazi Mysticism. Bardon...

's first of three volumes concerning self-realization in line with the Hermetic
Hermeticism
Hermeticism or the Western Hermetic Tradition is a set of philosophical and religious beliefs based primarily upon the pseudepigraphical writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus...

 tradition.

Publication

The book was first published in German in 1956 under the title Der Weg zum Wahren Adepten by publisher Verlag Hermann Bauer. The first English edition appeared in 1962, published by Dieter Rüggeberg. A second English translation was published in 1999, again by Dieter Rüggeberg. The translators were: Gerhard Hanswille and Franca Gallo and it was edited by Ken Johnson.

Structure

The book itself is divided into two sections: the theory section and the practical section.

The theory section outlines esoteric theory and Hermetic philosophy
Hermeticism
Hermeticism or the Western Hermetic Tradition is a set of philosophical and religious beliefs based primarily upon the pseudepigraphical writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus...

 to help the student when following this course. Topics covered include the elements
Classical element
Many philosophies and worldviews have a set of classical elements believed to reflect the simplest essential parts and principles of which anything consists or upon which the constitution and fundamental powers of anything are based. Most frequently, classical elements refer to ancient beliefs...

 (fire, air, water and earth plus the fifth, ether), Karma
Karma
Karma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies....

 (the law of cause and effect), occult anatomy
Chakra
Chakra is a concept originating in Hindu texts, featured in tantric and yogic traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. Its name derives from the Sanskrit word for "wheel" or "turning" .Chakra is a concept referring to wheel-like vortices...

, the physical, astral
Astral plane
The astral plane, also called the astral world, is a plane of existence postulated by classical , medieval, oriental and esoteric philosophies and mystery religions...

and mental planes and the matters of religion and god.

The practical section is divided into 10 steps. Each step contains physical, astral and mental exercises which the student must master to the degree laid out by Bardon before moving on to the next step. The three kinds of exercises within a step are to be practiced concurrently, the idea being that this will lead to a more balanced development.

English Editions

  • Brotherhood of Life Books ISBN 3921338018 Edition: Hardcover; November, 1987

  • Brotherhood of Life Books ISBN 1885928068 Edition: Hardcover; August 1, 1999

  • Merkur Publishing Company ISBN: 1885928122 Edition: Paperback; March 1, 2001

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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