From Publishers Weekly
In 1928, a 20-something Renaissance man named Manly Hall self-published a vast encyclopedia of the occult, believing that "modern" ideas of progress and materialism were displacing more important and ancient modes of knowledge. Hall's text has become a classic reference, dizzying in its breadth: various chapters explore Rosicrucianism, Kabbalah, alchemy, cryptology, Tarot, pyramids, the Zodiac, Pythagorean philosophy, Masonry and gemology, among other topics. This affordably priced edition would be vastly improved by a new foreword, placing the work in some kind of historical and critical context and introducing readers to the basic contours of Hall's sweeping corpus. Instead, we have a disciple's adulatory 1975 foreword, which merely parrots the same themes of mystery and esoterica that are espoused in the book. Readers who are unfamiliar with Hall's work will be at a loss in ferreting out which chapters have stood the test of time and which have been vigorously debunked (like the one on Islam, which actually uses novelist Washington Irving as a primary source on the prophet Muhammad). However, they will also marvel at the sheer scope of Hall's research and imagination, and at J. Augustus Knapp's famous illustrations, including a 16-page color insert. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Llewellyn New Times
Simply put, this is the most beautiful and complete occult book ever published. It represents a lifetime of research into the mythology, symbolism, and magical practices of countless cultures. From the secrets of Isis to the teachings of mystic Christianity, nearly every occult dogma imaginable is represented here. The book is full of giant illustrations, some of which fold out into a magnificent two-page splendor. This is the definitive guide to secret societies, famous figures, and more a must for every personal library.
George Barron, Curator of the De Young Museum of San Francisco, in his tribute to this remarkable work.
Into this volume has been compressed the quintessence of a colossal learning. It is a living human document, pulsating with the mental and spiritual vibrations of a profound thinker who takes knowledge for his province and reduces whole libraries to a single tome.
Book Description
A classic since 1928, this masterly encyclopedia of ancient mythology, ritual, symbolism, and the arcane mysteries of the ages is available for the first time in a compact "reader's edition."
Like no other book of the twentieth century, Manly P. Hall's legendary The Secret Teachings of All Ages is a codex to the ancient occult and esoteric traditions of the world. Students of hidden wisdom, ancient symbols, and arcane practices treasure Hall's magnum opus above all other works.
While many thousands of copies have sold since its initial publication in 1928, The Secret Teachings of All Ages has previously been available only in oversized, expensive editions. For the first time, Hall's celebrated classic is now published in an affordable trade paperback volume. Literally hundreds of entries shine a rare light on some of the most fascinating and closely held aspects of myth, religion, and philosophy from throughout the centuries.
More than one hundred line drawings and a sixteen-page color insert reproduce some of the finest illustrations of the original book, while reset and reformatted text makes this edition of The Secret Teachings of All Ages newly accessible to readers everywhere.
From the Publisher
The Philosophical Research Society is a nonprofit organization founded in 1934 for the purpose of assisting thoughtful persons to live more graciously and constructively in a confused and troubled world. The Society is entirely free from educational, political, or ecclesiastical control. Dedicated to an idealistic approach to the solution of human problems, the Society's program stresses the need for the integration of religion, philosophy, and the science of psychology into one system of instruction. The goal of this instruction is to enable the individual to develop a mature philosophy of life, to recognize his proper responsibilities and opportunities, and to understand and appreciate his place in the unfolding universal pattern.
The Secret Teachings of All Ages: Reader's Edition FROM THE PUBLISHER
A Classic Since 1928, this masterly encyclopedia of ancient mythology, ritual, symbolism, and the arcane mysteries of the ages is available for the first time in a compact, fully reset "Reader's Edition." Like no other book of the twentieth century, Manly P. Hall's legendary The Secret Teachings of All Ages is a codex to the ancient occult and esoteric traditions of the world. Its hundreds of entries shine a rare light on some of the most fascinating and closely held aspects of myth, religion, and philosophy that resound from antiquity to the present day. For the first time, the complete text of Hall's celebrated classic has been reset and redesigned for case and accessibility of reading experience. More than one hundred line drawings and a sixteen-page color insert reproduce some of the finest illustrations of the original work, and this new edition features Hall's original index and bibliography. Students of hidden wisdom, ancient symbols, and arcane practices treasure Hall's magnum opus above all other works. In this affordably priced and newly formatted volume, The Secret Teachings of All Ages is now available to readers everywhere.
FROM THE CRITICS
Library Journal
Originally published in 1928, this encyclopedia of ancient mythology, symbolism, and arcane mysteries was written when Hall (1901-90), a respected scholar of esoteric traditions and founder of the Philosophical Research Society, was only 27. Now resized and reformatted for ease of understanding, this affordable "reader's edition" retains Hall's original text and bibliography, along with reproductions of the finest illustrations of the original. The work contains hundreds of entries that define everything from "mystery" religions (those with secret lore, legends, and rites) and Pythagorian philosophy to the Qabbalah, the Tarot, alchemy, the Rosicrusians, Islam, and American Indian symbolism. Because Hall was a 33 Freemason, much of the book is devoted to examining how the ancient mysteries have contributed to Masonic symbolism. This classic of the occult must be read with an open mind since many biases of the time are evident. For example, Hall states categorically that Francis Bacon is the real author of Shakespeare's works and that the "true" facts concerning the identity of Jesus are to be found only in the "secret vaults beneath the "Houses of the Brethren." Although none of the secrets of any mystery religion is actually revealed here, its accessible new format will warrant interest among public and academic library patrons.-Kathy Koenig, Ellis Sch., Pittsburgh Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
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