M.R. Osborne

Founded in 1754 by the enigmatic Martinez (Martinès) de Pasqually, the Order of Knight-Masons Elect Priests of the Universe (or Élus Coën) left an indelible impression on French Freemasonry and worldwide Martinism.

Pasqually's Élus Coëns worked tirelessly to restore man's inner divinity and eventual reintegration with God. The fraternity practised a system of white magic (theurgy) aimed at recovering humanity's original spiritual memory. Composed by Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin, Jean-Baptiste Willermoz and Jean-Jacques Du Roy d'Hauterive, The Lessons of Lyons (sometimes called "A Course in Martinism during the 18th Century") is a contemporary commentary on the instructions given by Pasqually, reproduced here in English for the first time. Also contained in this edition are several of Pasqually's surviving letters.

As a collection of teachings and notes taken during three short years (1774 - 1776) in Lyons, they provide a fascinating insight into the small Lodge of members of Pasqually's Order of Élus Coën meeting in that city. Since the Master himself was elusive and cryptic at best in his mailed instructions, the weekly - later more sporadic - meetings held by Jean-Baptiste Willermoz, the local Lodge Master, Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin, who was visiting and writing his first book, and Roy d'Hauterive would have been very instructive to the new members.

Since most of the source materials are limited to some letters, a few catechisms, Pasqually's monumental Treatise on the Reintegration of Beings, and the occasional discovery of lost documents in libraries and private collections, this collection of teachings provides invaluable insight into the workings and especially the purpose of that spiritually charged Masonico-theurgic rite.

I highly recommend this book to all those interested in early French Masonry, esoteric currents, and a singular path of theurgic praxis that drew so heavily on the earlier European currents and set them against the atheistic tendencies of the Encyclopedists and Enlightenment forces of the time, which threatened not only to separate science from belief but to overthrow belief in the numinous entirely.

The Treatise on the Reintegration was incomplete when its enigmatic author, Martinez (Martinés) de Pasqually, died in 1774.

Pasqually intended his treatise to be a commentary on man's salvation history from the advent of Adam to the ascension of Christ, but what we have survives through the redacted copies of his two personal sectaries, Pierre Fournié and Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin.

Like his contemporary, Emanuel Swedenborg, Pasqually wrote of the mysteries of man's communication with angels, demons, and spirits. His treatise is a systematic engagement with the cause and origins of evil and how it is to be overcome as part of God's plan for the redemption of humanity.

Author M.R. Osborne has filled this breach. Pasqually's lack of grammar and punctuation and the archaic nature of French language usage usually result in a book that many in the English-speaking world find difficult to penetrate and understand. This version is complete, and brings the language of the Treatise into modern parlance and presents the fundamental principles of Pasqually's cosmogony both clearly and understandably.

The theory of "time slips" is exciting and involved. It proposes that the ghosts we see are not ghosts, but rather, they are two-time streams interfering with one other. While this strips the idea of haunting some of the romanticism, it does open other and far more exciting doors.

What if these so-called ghosts perceive us as the ghosts haunting their houses? Perhaps they are not trying to scare us with some morbid, mystical appearance; maybe we are simply looking at each other in fear and amazement.

And if this is the case, how much more important is it that we try to establish intelligent communication? With this theory in place, communication becomes of primal importance. Imagine what we can learn from each other if we can figure out how to cross that barrier. Who knows? This might be a completely different dimension. Or maybe it could be nothing more than a mirror, though an alternate image of our everyday world – people going about their daily lives along their timeline. Or maybe, given the various theories of how time works, perhaps the corridors of time are winding around each other so tightly that one can see through a sort of "window" into his neighbour's timeline.

Whatever they are, hauntings overtly point to an aspect of life that is beyond our daily experience. Once we experience one, our understanding of the world completely changes. In an instant, we go from the basic assumption that everything is physical to the realization that our world is far more than three-dimensional; instantaneously, our world, our very existence, explodes into a multi-dimensional head trip that leaves our minds expanded and dwarfed for the rest of our lives.

Author selling Books on Rosicrucianism and Books on Secret Traditions

This short book aims to draw together some of the theories around the phenomena known as "time slips" by looking at a few case studies. The first is called The Ghosts of the Trianon (sometimes the Versailles Timeslip or the Moberly-Jourdain Incident), which has undergone the most academic scrutiny by psychical researchers. The second case, The Legend of Lucy Lightfoot, was subsequently revealed to be fictitious but has archetypal value on a subconscious level. The third case study relates to a primarily forgotten account of time slip and haunting phenomena involving the eighteenth-century caricaturist and satirist William Hogarth.

From Aristotle to Einstein to the CIA's research, the idea continues to resurface that time and space are more than a single continuum. People experience time differently, and the nature of the human "mind" itself may hold the answer to the eternal question of whether survival after death is possible. So begin a journey which will lift the veil on some of the strangest paranormal legends of all time

Little had been covered in English since Manly P. Hall's book on the subject in the 1930s. His book was printed in black and white, and the illustrations were complex. In the mid-1990s, the Institut de Recherche et d'Histoire des Textes, which had been founded in 1937 to catalogue all documents and manuscripts from the Mediterranean basin in possession of French libraries, undertook the photographing of a manuscript in the Bibliothèque de Troyes, a much-debated item called La Très Sainte Trinosophe. This book has been attributed to Saint-Germain himself and also to Cagliostro.

While low-quality versions of the color photographs taken by the IRHT have been in circulation for a few years, permission to use the images had never been formally sought, and thus, their use remains open to legal consequences from the French Government for breach of copyright. It was, therefore, decided to formally approach both the Library in Troyes and the IRHT for permission to use the images. Fortunately, that was granted, stipulating that accreditation be given for each image reproduced in the book.

Since the images were photographed in the 1990s, their quality was not good by modern standards, both because of the low pixel rate of early digital cameras and because the original images had deteriorated over the centuries and decades they had existed: watercolours have a notoriously short shelf-life if exposed to air.

Author selling Books on Rosicrucianism and Books on Secret TraditionsThe assistance of an image restoration specialist upgraded the images to a far higher density using digital techniques not dissimilar to a polymerase chain reaction (a method used to replicate minute samples of DNA to a size capable of being analysed). The specialist also removed much of the accumulated colour fading, fungal invasion and other attacks on the original drawings over the years to produce a series of illustrations that look almost as fresh as the day they were painted.

The final result is a spectacular reissue of a famous alchemical manuscript, allowing the reader to see the entire book. This is complemented by an introduction that discusses M.R. Osborne's theories using illustrations from both the Trinosophia and the Egyptian Books of the Dead. His text translation is the first new version in English since Hall and provides close-ups of the illustrations from the original manuscript.

The first English Ordinal of 1550 continued the traditional structuring of the Church of England's ministry following Henry VIII's death. However, although the three historic ministries of bishop, priest, and deacon survived the Edwardine reforms, the theological reasoning for retaining them varied. The sacerdotal role of the priesthood and the apostolic succession of bishops lay at the heart of the debate. The writings of Thomas Cranmer and Richard Hooker played a crucial role in shaping a more coherent Anglican doctrine of ordination.

In the middle of the following century, when Anglican divines such as Jeremy Taylor made their response to opponents of the episcopate, it was often underpinned by the doctrine contained in the Ordinal's Preface. "I sum up with the attestation of the Church of England in the book of Ordination", wrote Taylor. "From the Apostles' time, these orders of ministers have been in Christ's Church: Bishops, Priests and Deacons."

The Restoration reinstituted the episcopate and the traditional threefold ministry, marking the culmination of a long and tumultuous period of religious controversy and conflict in England.

William Laud's doctrines on the Church, ministry, and sacraments underpinned the prelate's theo-political aspiration in the years leading up to the Civil War. Indeed, they illuminate the entire impetus of his life's work.

Laud was, in the main, consistent in his theological reasoning. It is also possible to discern that, of all aspects of his belief system, those of the sacraments and ministry reflected and ultimately derived from his ecclesiology. Laud contributed to the evolution of an expressly Anglican polity, which would later give teeth and substance to the emerging High Church tradition. Laud's doctrines, while never entirely accepted at the restoration of the Church, nevertheless played an influential part in its continuation.

This edition includes the Preface to the 1637 Book of Common Prayer for Scotland and the articles of impeachment at Laud's trial.

M.R. Osborne considers the relationship between miracles and magic in the New Testament period and investigates how ancient magic opposed the powers of the Primitive Church.

The appearance of Simon Magus in the New Testament narrative is colorful but brief. Indeed, more questions are raised than answered. Researchers are compelled to look at the apocryphal legends and writings of the early Christian apologists to discern what they can about Simon. Many of the legends regarding his magic and conduct are fantastical, others less so. Yet theologians and writers on religion alike tend to disparage these accounts, and write off Simon as a type, a legendary figure of anti-pagan polemic. Sometimes, the boot has been put on the other foot, and Simon is identified with St. Paul, as a Gnostic Apostle. What is the truth, and what were Simon's magical operations actually like?

Author M.R. Osborne's approach has been to set aside the polemical argument and to treat Simon's magic seriously. If, for the sake of argument, we treat the apocryphal material as containing (at least 'some') authentic historical facts, then we can attempt to reconstruct his life and beliefs. This is set in the context of Simon's battle with St. Peter as the plot moves from Samaria to Rome. A study of both men is undertaken to make sense of what Christians and Jews alike regarded as legitimate or illegitimate magic.

More interesting still, is the question of Simon's status as a false messiah or antichrist. There are various definitions and perceptions of this role in the New Testament, and false messiahs are likely set apart from the False Messiah, and antichrists from the Antichrist. Into which category does Simon fall, and does his magic and moral conduct throw any light on the question? Crucially, what relevance does this have for us today in our modern, secular world? I look into these issues and present a case for Simon Magus being a real magician, practicing generally negative operations as a false messiah. There are no hard and fast or definitive answers as the primary sources are too few, but with careful analysis, we can reconstruct the most likely scenario.

The author has chosen illustrations from both the early Church period and later Middle Ages since the manuscript discusses the possible connection of ancient Jewish magic with the later medieval grimoires.

The book explores the myth of the Biblical Nehushtan, a serpent cipher for the "Divine Code" concealed within nature. 

The author's research takes the reader on a fascinating journey of discovery. He provocatively explains the serpent myth as an allegory for God's concealment within the very fabric of time and space. He approaches this question from several angles, including exegesis, numerology, alchemy, and the Kabbalah. The journey takes you along many paths.

The start of this journey is spiritual and self-initiatory. The Foreword is by Alastair McGawn Lees, Librarian General of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia. The introduction sets the symbolic scene in the wilderness, where Moses is taught by God how to prevent the serpents from tormenting and killing the faithless and faltering Israelites. Osborne explains the importance of the Tau cross and the symbolism of the fiery seraphim, which takes us back to man's banishment from a paradise guarded by a cherubim with a flaming sword.
To give you an idea of the book's sheer scope, it manages to encompass the roots of serpent mysticism in Egypt,  the Marquis de Sade, numerology, the 23 enigma, synchronity and geometry, the dollar sign and Israel. The author touches upon Martinism and the Golden Dawn and considers the symbolism of the serpent in the occult doctrine of Geburah and the treading down of the seven-headed serpent on the vault floor. Finally, Osborne believes the evidence for God in modern science, from man's DNA to Teilhard's notion of the "noosphere".
This book is unique and full of illustrations, with much use of Albrecht Dürer's remarkable etchings.
 
"A dazzling and highly original unveiling of a divine code, hidden in the Biblical story of the Brazen Serpent (well "hidden" in plenty of myth, symbols, and teachings but this story is the way in) pointing to the truth of God and humans. Comprehensive and exhaustive but highly readable and under 200 pages I truly believe this book will be go down as a new esoteric classic."   Jonathan C. Stewart, The Gnostic Wisdom Network Channel 

Jacob Boehme's three Principles are allegories of humanity's origins, birth, and rebirth and explain the existence of evil and injustice in the world. This is the secret teaching at the core of William Blake's cosmogony. Considering that the Greater Lights of Boehme's metaphysical system are the same as Blake's, we can start to comprehend why humanity falls so short of its potentiality.
Author selling Books on Rosicrucianism and Books on Secret TraditionsBlake's painting is spiritual and gloriously esoteric.

The painting presents a map of humanity's evolution and reintegration beyond the veil of death. Yet suffering is integral to that osmosis, and Blake understood this well. He must have been an extraordinary man. Not only could he compose poetry and create breathtakingly beautiful images using novel techniques, but his mind encompassed a universe of knowledge and understanding that only a true mystic could achieve. Therefore, we should never overlook the importance of symbolism in Blake's metaphysics. As he once remarked, "Allegory Address'd to the intellectual powers, while it is altogether hidden from the Corporeal Understanding, is My Definition of the Most Sublime Poetry."
The lives of Jacob Boehme and William Blake were linked by a shared belief that life has a purpose and that human beings exist for a reason. They opposed the idea that the only pursuits worth undertaking were accumulating material wealth and enjoying power over others. They reasoned that such values contradicted the original teachings of Christ. Therefore, both men's legacies were shaped by a desire to transform the perception of reality for others. This process illustrates the influence of art on religion and society and its power to change who we think we are.

Philosophical alchemy is the key, and in this painting, Blake presents his entire theological system in symbolic form. It is evident why Blake would not only have identified with many of the ideas of Boehme but also with the life of the man himself, living humbly, believing himself to possess great insights which he absolutely must share with his fellow man, even under the threat of persecution. This identification of Boehme as a source for Blake's inspiration has not gone unnoticed. Blake wrote to his friend John Flaxman, "Paracelsus & Behmen appear'd to me before the American Revolution."

The monument allegorises the opposing forces of dissolution and transmutation. Why else should "envious death" covet the Poet's "quick nature"? In a discussion of Masonic, Rosicrucian, Kabbalistic and other occult themes, many of the greatest secrets of the Stratford monument are fully revealed.

In this short work, the author reveals how the ciphers serve as a code for the soul's passage from the world of ordinary life to eternal wisdom. He used this present work to highlight the critical occult symbolism in Shakespeare's monument. It can be said that the memorial is a metaphor for an early form of non-operative masonry. It is undoubtedly Rosicrucian, even if the fraternity was comparatively new to England at the time of Shakespeare's death. Author selling Books on Rosicrucianism and Books on Secret TraditionsIndeed, the inferred references to Plato convey Rosicrucian ideals. In his final and most esoteric play, The Tempest, Shakespeare introduces Hermetic themes, and indeed, the core principle of Rosicrucianism - free will and free thought – triumphs in the final act of Prospero when he buries his wand and renounces theurgy.

The monument also undoubtedly incorporates Kabbalistic symbolism. Given that the Rosicrucians, the alchemists, and other occultists infiltrated the operative masonic guilds, it should come as no surprise that we can identify overtly Freemasonic symbolism within it. Yet Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism, and alchemy have no prior claim on the symbology of death/resurrection, duality, and the movement of transformation. These are far more ancient themes that hark back to the core spiritual memory of our species. However, they share many of the correspondences outlined in this book.

No esoteric trend begins in a social vacuum because it takes time to evolve and develop. Freemasonry, alchemy and Rosicrucianism are no exception to this rule. Masonry did not start with a "bang" in 1717, as we know from the activities of Elias Ashmole, but likewise, what existed before that point did not constitute "Freemasonry" either. The same can be said of the Rosicrucians, who did not suddenly come into existence in the early 1600s but became fashionable when enthusiasts began publishing their ideas.It is beyond doubt that the monument contains symbols, geometric signs, and ciphers. The question is, what, exactly, do these allude to, if not the earthly incarnation of William Shakespeare? In my opinion, the monument is a Kabbalistic allegory set in stone, like the perfect ashlar in Craft Freemasonry.

The themes of duality, physical dissolution and the transformation of man's eternal nature are present. The monument describes that journey in a clearly Kabbalistic fashion and points to the figure of Shakespeare in the centre as an example of the Middle Way, the sacred path. Why else would Envious Death be covetous of him whom it placed within, but for the fact that Shakespeare has been separated from his physical body and attained eternal splendour?