Extracts from chapters 6, 7 and 9 of the classic mystical text The Cloud of Unknowing. Here our anonymous author explores the nature of God and how to go about your contemplations: Chapter 6: What is God? “But now you are going to ask me: ‘How am I supposed to think about God himself? What… Continue reading Cloud of Unknowing: What is God?
Extract from chapter 4 of the classic mystical text The Cloud of Unknowing. Here our anonymous author explains why we can’t understand ultimate reality or the nature of God using our minds: Chapter 4: We cannot know God with the intellect “I must tell you a little more about this matter, as I see it,… Continue reading Cloud of Unknowing: We cannot know God with the intellect
The Cloud of Unknowing is a classic mystical text that was written by an anonymous English monk in the 14th century. It’s a guide to contemplative prayer but with an agnostic approach that’s very similar to Zen, once you get past the religious language. The main message of the text is that God is ultimately unknowable… Continue reading Mystical Texts: The Cloud of Unknowing
On the night of creation, I was awake Busy at work while everyone slept. I was there to see the first wink and hear the first tale told. I was the first one caught in the hair of the great imposter. Whirling around the still point of ecstasy, I spun like the wheel of heaven.… Continue reading Beyond Words: a commentary on Rumi by Andrew Harvey
A selection of recommended books on Mysticism for anyone on the path to awakening and self-knowledge. These are either classics or books I’ve found particularly helpful over the years. There are longer reviews attached via links, and more to come… Andrew Harvey – The Way of Passion This is an ecstatic exploration of Rumi and his… Continue reading Mysticism Bookshelf
“Physicist Stephen Hawking has remarked that mysticism is for those who can’t do the math. In response to Hawking’s remark, George Cairns retorted, ‘Mystics are people who don’t need to do the math. They have direct experience!’” So begins The Mystic Heart by Wayne Teasdale. This lucid and open-minded book seeks to discover the universal… Continue reading The Mystic Heart: Book Review
This wise advice comes from The Mystic Heart by Wayne Teasdale. It’s aimed at the young in particular, but contains truths and guidance everybody can embrace no matter what stage of the journey they’re on. 7 ways to support yourself on the spiritual path: 1. You are responsible for your own spiritual path “You must… Continue reading Spiritual Advice for Budding Mystics
“You often hear about believers who have a crisis of faith, but what of the sceptics among us who have a crisis of doubt? For years we sceptics have decisively refuted the metaphysical claims of the great religions and scoffed at the pretentions of newfangled spiritual fashions. But then our doubt is suddenly shaken by… Continue reading Sceptical Mysticism
A mystic is someone who seeks to know God This may or may not involve religion or conventional definitions of ‘God’. Mystics transgress boundaries and colour outside the lines. They are notoriously difficult to pin down and get a straight answer from. For this reason, mystics are often misunderstood and even feared. At the very… Continue reading What is a Mystic?
This image is a sliver of a well-known wood engraving by an unknown artist. I’ve used it as a banner for my website in the past, so thought I would look into its history and find out more about who created it. The image is often attributed to Camille Flammarion because it first appeared in his… Continue reading The Flammarion Engraving: Escaping the Crystal Sphere
The Way of Passion: A Celebration of Rumi grew from a series of lectures given by Andrew Harvey at the California Institute of Integral Studies in 1993. The lectures celebrated Rumi’s work as mystic, poet and prophet. Before giving the lectures, Harvey had a dream where he asked an old man in a mosque how he… Continue reading The Way of Passion: Book Review
This is a book to feast on, and then act upon. It pulls together a collection of Andrew Harvey’s previously published works and new interviews, and channels them into an argument for Sacred Activism. Building from his last book The Hope, Sacred Activism combines the mystic’s vision of unity and compassion with the activist’s passion for… Continue reading Radical Passion: Book Review
Jessica Davidson 