Secret Schools of Magic and “Occult Practices”
[Geheimschulen der Magie und “okkulte Übungen.”]
Franz Hartmann, M.D.[1]
(Two parts combined as one).
Translation from the German by Robert Hutwohl
This document incorporates live notes. Click on a superscripted endnote number in the text to jump to its corresponding endnote; click on the superscripted endnote numeral in the endnotes to return to the original text reference.
Translator’s note (Robert Hutwohl):
The pursuit of mystical knowledge and the understanding of the divine within oneself is a long and arduous path. Throughout history, secret schools of wisdom have existed, imparting knowledge of the divine through oral instruction and symbolic representations. However, these schools often become corrupted when opened to the masses, leading to the spread of ignorance and superstition.
The true path to wisdom lies not in external mystical societies or esoteric knowledge, but in cultivating a clear and calm mind through self-control and devotion to God. This inner light of wisdom, accessible to all, illuminates the soul and reveals the divine within, leading to true knowledge and spiritual growth. True occult development is not about acquiring magical powers, but about awakening the divine forces already present within oneself.
Occult practices involve a passive upward and active downward movement, where the higher nature controls the lower nature. The four pillars of self-control are belief, renunciation, sacrifice, and prayer. Belief is the inward conviction of the omnipresent spiritual life, while renunciation involves abandoning the lower self to attain the higher self, leading to self-mastery and divine self-knowledge.
Man’s struggle between light and darkness is a battle for knowledge and salvation. True sacrifice involves renouncing illusions and embracing the Higher Self, achieved through love, charity, and wisdom. Prayer, a powerful tool for spiritual growth, elevates the soul, enabling it to connect with the Higher Self and embody divine qualities.
True prayer is a sacrifice of self to the divine, absorbing divine power and increasing the divine presence within. It is not about selfish requests or mindless chanting, but about expressing deep feelings and connecting with the divine. True knowledge comes from realizing the unity of God within all things and within oneself, leading to self-knowledge and divine love.
End.
[Begin: Geheimschulen der Magie und “okkulte Übungen.” Franz Hartmann, M.D. Lotusblüten 11, no. 66 (March 1898), 161-192]
“Everything in the world is the image and shadow of something higher and luminous, and as long as there is harmony between the two, the shadow fares well. But when that which shines (the heavenly soul) withdraws from the shadow (the earthly personality), true life also withdraws with it. But even this luminosity is only the reflection of a still transcendent light.” Desatir
Since immemorial times the urge for the mysterious has been stirring in the human heart, because that great mystery resides within us. Man himself, or rather that which is “superhuman” and of a divine nature within him, constitutes the great riddle, represented by the Sphinx, who inevitably throws into the abyss whoever solves it, because the same can only be solved by that man who recognizes the magnitude of divinity, and in this recognition the delusion of one’s own ego vanishes into nothingness.[2]
The great mystery, then, can only be attained through the mystical death, which is the disappearance of self-delusion in the light of awakening Divine-knowledge, and this awakening or resurrection in spirit is true self-knowledge, God-knowledge, or (from the Greek term) “Theosophy,” or called Divine Wisdom. But it is also nothing other than true magic[3]; because the word “magic” means wisdom, spiritual greatness and spiritual power. Through the awakening of the knowledge of the Divine in man, because he enters a higher state of existence, higher, divine, “magical” powers are also awakened in him.
Now, the overcoming of self-delusion and attaining the knowledge of God[4] is a long and arduous path. It is the highest purpose of human existence on earth, and countless visits to the school of life (reincarnations) are necessary until all darkness and all error disappear and the light of God’s wisdom is fully revealed in man. Also, every human being must progress on the path of perfection himself through his own effort and the practice of virtue (fitness). He can neither reach his goal by the mere study of theories, nor be carried or promoted there by another person. But those who have already made progress on this path themselves can serve as signposts and guides for other people.
There have therefore, been schools of wisdom since the earliest times, in which the mysteries of true religion, the relationships which the earthly and transitory ego of man has with the true and divine self of all mankind, partly through oral instruction, partly through through symbolic representations, which brought inner processes to the senses. The subterranean rock temples of the Indians, the secret chambers of the pyramids of Egypt, &c., were dedicated to such purposes. In the Eleusinian mysteries, to which even the highest dignitaries of the state were not admitted if they were not of the necessary purity (e.g. if a murder weighed on their soul), those who were worthy were initiated into the divine mysteries of nature, and many discoveries which are now considered a conquest of modern times, such as the motions of the celestial bodies, were known to the sages of antiquity through their own spiritual perception, and were entrusted to the chosen ones under the seal of mystery. The basis of this instruction was a spiritual world view, by which, in contrast to the material world view of modern times, the whole universe was recognized as the body of the Deity[5] and all things throughout that body are appearances of the One, the emergence of life from divine existence.[6]
The mysteries are still being taught in the secret schools of the East. In the Catholic Church and in Freemasonry there are still remnants of them and their symbols, even if the meaning of these symbols has been lost for most, since they have no knowledge of God, and for priests and lay people only the spiritless forms are present. In the Middle Ages, various schools emerged, led by masters who saw spirit in forms. Of these we only want to mention the “Rosicrucians” and the names of Jakob Böhme, Theophrastus Paracelsus, Luther and Eckhartshausen.[7] So long as such schools, churches, or communities consisted of few persons earnestly aspiring to true knowledge, they could be regarded as veritable schools of wisdom; but as soon as they opened their gates to the great multitude, ignorance and folly took over, until finally the few enlightened ones were expelled or withdrew, and only the caricature of a school of wisdom remained. This has always been the fate of all occult schools when they became public, and will always be their fate until wisdom prevails over ignorance among men.
As a result of an astrological law in nature, the explanation of which would lead us too far astray here, at certain periods of time a greater urge towards the unknown and mysterious makes itself felt again and again. In the last third of this century, the pendulum swinging of the way of thinking has already reached the extreme point of materialism in the material direction, and is now swinging back towards the higher and spiritual, but also towards its extreme point, spiritualism, superstition and clerical rule. Mysticism occupies the minds not only of those who have mystical tendencies, but also of those who are not capable of it. There is again a lot of talk about mysterious “schools of occultism” and curiosity is aroused to know what news there is to hear. How in earlier times through the knowledge of some secrets of alchemy and the wrong conception of their teachings a guild of “gold makers,” quacks, swindlers and impostors arose, and how finally folly got so out of hand that finally even the name “alchemy”[8] became a child’s mockery for the “scholars,” the same spectacle threatens to be repeated even if the mask is changed and foolishness appears under a different name.
Bright and clear is the ray of light which comes from the sun, but in incarnating it takes the form of the vessel in which it shines. That which is true or direct, will be reversed through inverted minds. Through the mediation of H. P. Blavatsky, sublime spiritual truths from the great school of the Adepts were brought closer to earthly human understanding, and ignorance has already taken possession of them and distorted them. Stupidity is the reason for inaction, covetousness the motive for action. One class of people consists of those who want nothing to do with the light. They love the dark and fear being awakened from their dreams. They don’t want a wind blowing fresh from the East to destroy their cherished chimeras. Others seek to use the glimmer of light, which has fallen on them, for selfish ends. They think they have found a way of shining before the world; in their delusions of grandeur they seek to make themselves gods, without realizing that this “self” is a product of error and the greatest obstacle on the way to true knowledge. Few absorb the light; most seek only the gratification of their thirst for knowledge, and since narrowness cannot contain the infinite, but rather requires a dissolving of narrowness by giving up self-delusion, the glimmer of wisdom in their heads is turned into folly by their narrowness. So we see how, along with a sense of the mystical in the few, a pathological mysticism is disseminating among the many.
But besides these two classes there is a third, made up of charlatans. Goethe says: “The miracle is the dearest child of belief.” Superstition does not produce any real miracle workers, but it does produce many false prophets. These take advantage of people’s propensity for mystery, either by public advertisements or by “confidential” letters, inviting the credulous on whose stock exchanges they speculate to trust their “secret leadership.” One hears all the time of the founding of supposedly “secret” societies and “occult schools,” the leaders of which, on closer examination, turn out to be depraved and “misguided” geniuses who have resorted to this last desperate means of establishing a comfortable existence, and now as “unknown superiors” declare themselves willing to confidentially communicate the secrets of the seven wise men to the curious researcher in return for payment of a sum corresponding to his “willingness to make sacrifices.” The fool who allows himself to be caught is then, with more or less ridiculous ceremonies, accepted into the league of the artificially “enlightened” and if he does not end up becoming a fool or a swindler himself, as often happens, he leaves society again after a shorter or longer time, poorer in money and self-respect, but richer in an experience gained through disappointed hopes. These claims are by no means based on exaggeration, for we have before us the tangible evidence of their truth.
Also, among such supposed “guides” and “heads” there are some who act in good faith but out of ignorance, deceiving themselves in the process. Here belong some who think they have discovered some little occult secret, such as the long-distance effect of thought, seeing in the astral light, the automatic activity of the astral body during sleep, etc., and now imagine that they have reached the pinnacle of all wisdom and are called to be the sole leaders of mankind, while the experienced know, that with each higher level of knowledge he attains, his previous knowledge seems insignificant to him, and that none is a guide of men to the Divine but he who is called thereto by God Himself, by His voice.
All such societies and associations, have as their main object, whether consciously or unconsciously, is tricking and swindling, find their support in superstition, such that one can create from the illusory self of an individual something great and divine.They do not understand the secret meaning of the biblical verse which says: “He who is the least of you on earth will be the greatest in heaven,” that is, he who is least preoccupied with the idea of his selfhood is most accessible to the realm of divine love and knowledge.[9] But of the unfortunate victims of spiritism, who fancy that the way of knowledge lies in believing the words of a “spirit”-possessed medium, nothing more needs to be said here, for most of such communications either come from that corresponding to one’s own feelings, or from lying spirits parading under false names, or are deceptive dream images, only those who have convinced themselves of them can see that. Also, the blind belief in information of any kind, even if they are true, is by no means Theosophy, but only keeping the door open to a theory.
About such “truth-mongering”, which flourished especially at the end of the last century [1800s] and is now beginning to emerge again, K. von Eckhartshausen [Meister Eckhart] says: “There are more than a million people in the world who are being led by the leash of deceit and cunning; they are mostly known under the name ‘mystical societies.’ A multitude of honest and virtuous people, lured by the belief that they can find truth in these societies, stand in the dark, awaiting light from the darkness. Learn from my experience. I have gone through the various grades of mystical societies and am not ashamed to say that I was one of the dupes. I got to know the best people there; but they were restrained by the hope of finding wisdom there, and were always deceived. ‘Unknown superiors’ wrapped themselves in the mask of virtue to hide their selfish intentions; they hid their wickedness under hieroglyphs and symbols stolen from the ancient sages. The sacred pentagon of the ancients has been shattered, the children of light have become sons of darkness; the edifice of mysteries has sunk, and serpents hide among the ruins. Take the blindfold from your eyes, break the slave chain; seize the torch of reason and illuminate the dark vaults of mysteries.”[10]
There is only one true light which illuminates man in the darkness when he wants to investigate the mysteries of God in nature, namely reason illuminated by divine wisdom, and there is also only one teacher of wisdom, namely this light of the Wisdom which enlightens reason. Nor does anyone come to know this light unless he absorbs it into himself so that it permeates his soul. That being who receives this light is the “angel” in man; the outward man gains only its reflection. Those who are filled with this light are the Masters of Wisdom, and they are not so by their own power, but by the power of Wisdom itself, which is only one but is manifest in them. That is why it is also said: “No one should call himself a “Master’; for only One is your Master, namely Christ (the God-man in us).”[11]
A medieval mystic says of those who are called to be teachers: “But who are they that have hope? To become co-workers in the sanctuary to be filled with the great glory? It is pure, holy, and departed (from self-delusion) souls who are destined for this purpose, and bear the designation of heavenly miracle workers (adepts); because they stand firmly in the great mystery and have attained omniscience through the revelations of wisdom, the great revealer of this secret knowledge and ability, which was practiced before this world and its workings existed.[12]
There is but one light of knowledge of God, and also only one school, in which wisdom itself is the teacher; their classroom is the universe and their method of teaching is experience. The “unknown superior” in this school is the Holy Spirit, that is, the spirit of knowledge which penetrates the soul and is revealed in the heart of man. In this school there is a community of wise men, and what is “occult” about this association consists precisely in the fact that it is not an external, visible association, but a spiritual fraternity whose members, even if they do not know each other personally, all through this common bond of love for good are inextricably linked. In this school there are no articles of faith, but the knowledge of the truth; no authorities to believe in, knowledge itself is authority. There are no “diplomas” there other than those which truth itself issues, putting its seal on everyone who is a living testimony to it. The contributions to be made by the members consist of the good works which everyone does for love of good, in secret, unsolicited and without expectation of reward. Nor can anyone be admitted into this covenant who is not fit for it, and no one who is fit to enter can be refused entry; for the light of wisdom is like the light of the sun, it is free for all, and whoever enters into it will be enlightened by it, but whoever remains in the dark or lights a light in it himself, has only the darkness or his self-made light, but not the light of wisdom. Nor can he come into possession of the true light through any comedy he plays. All of this is extremely simple, but for that very reason it is not understood by anyone who is used to thinking in a complicated way and is therefore unable to form any clear views. They live in their own imaginations and prefer the play acting-out of truth.
The real secret school of occult science is therefore a spiritual community of like-minded souls. An external society is not in itself secret or “occult,” but could at most be called a “hidden society.” Everything “esoteric” ceases to be “esoteric” as soon as it appears externally (exoteric). External associations only have value where external things are concerned, such as in the execution of a great work, why there is a need for cooperation or mutual support. It is then a question not merely of being on the list as a member of the association, but also of being active in it. A true school of wisdom is any association in which works of charity are practiced, and thereby selfishness is counteracted, but whoever joins a so-called “mystical society” in selfish expectation, therein without one’s own spiritual growth and without the unfolding of the divine powers within oneself, by some mumbo-jumbo into the, to be promoted to the realm of truth, is in the paradise of fools and deceives oneself, for self-knowledge is found in no other way than attained through one’s own recognition, and in the end no association is required for this.
We must not combine knowing with knowledge, which consists in the realization of the ideal within ourselves, imagination with experience, the realm of the intellectual with the much higher realm of divine wisdom. Where ideas and scientific things are concerned, instruction, logic and comparison are in place; but where it is a matter of feeling and perceiving the eternal, of one’s own spiritual-divine perception, there all speculation, philosophizing, proof and teaching has no other possible use than to drive away the errors which stand in the way of one’s own perception, and where there are no errors, there need be no correction. That is why one finds many more people among unlearned primitive peoples who understand what is true in nature than among the scholars who cannot overlook the mountains of opinions, conceits and delusions. The knowledge of God cannot be produced artificially, like a theory; to judge what God is, one would have to be greater than God, since the higher can survey and examine the lower, but not the latter the former. But where God himself reveals himself in man, there the divine in man recognizes itself, and no theory or conception is required; just as little as a man standing on the top of a high mountain needs a theory as to what might well be seen up there if one were there. Since he is there himself, he sees it without knowing any theory. So in occult science it is less a question of knowing than of experiencing one’s own inner being; for all knowledge without experience is only a play of the imagination; true knowledge comes only when confirmed by experience.
This is also known to most persons concerned with occult matters, and we betray no secret when we point out that occult development does not lie in a scientific study of theories, or in philosophical speculation, but in the awakening of mystical forces within oneself. Here the so-called yoga exercises, of which there are various types and which are best described in the Bhagavad Gītā, play a major role in India.[13] In Germany, the exercises described by J. Kerning (Krebs), which consist in the internal repetition of certain words, are often in use.[14] In the right place and in the right way, they are undoubtedly useful; but it is very often the case that both teacher and student get a very wrong idea of their purpose, and think that by the thoughtless recitation of formulas and spells one can acquire magical powers and then use them to use for selfish purposes. The “occult development” brought about by this finally leads to the complete development of nonsense. It will therefore be useful to illuminate with the light of reason the various occult practices in use in Europe:
Since man is not God and does not stand above God, all those are also mistaken who, in their own conceit, imagine that it is within their power to generate or create divine powers within themselves. All man can do in his own right, or even through the power bestowed upon him by God, is to control his nature and keep it still, so that the power and spirit of God may come alive in him. Jakob Boehme says: “If you soar even for a moment into that (eternal) where no creature dwells, you will hear what God is speaking. If you control your senses and the will of your selfhood stands still, then the eternal hearing, seeing and speaking will be revealed in you and God will hear and see through you. Your own hearing, willing and seeing prevent you from seeing or hearing God.”[15]
Just as the sun of wisdom can be compared to the moon, the mind of man can be compared to a river. If the water is cloudy or foamy, there will be no clear image of the moon in it. But when it is calm and clear, it appears clear and distinct in the water. Likewise, the Sun of Wisdom can only be reflected in a clear and calm mind, free from passions and desires. But this rest is not attained by doing nothing or by sleeping, but only by self-control, which is not attained by the path of science but only with practice. Michael de Molinos says: “You should know that your soul is the center, dwelling place and kingdom of God. So that the ruler of this realm can rest on the throne of your soul, you should endeavor to keep it clean from guilt and defects, free from fear and passions, desires and ideas, and not lose your inner peace in all temptations and tribulations.”[16]
And to cite a third of the many who have said the same thing, Thomas von Kempen teaches:[17] “Man’s progress consists in devoting himself wholeheartedly to the will of God, not seeking what is his, even in small things, nor in great measure, neither in time nor in eternity.” And finally, the scriptures of the Indians do not teach anything else or better, because their teaching culminates in the words of the Bhagavad Gītā, in which it says: “Whoever is pure in heart and completely devoted to me, resolutely relies on himself and no longer on externals or hears inner voices, has left all that belongs to the senses, has mastered his body and mind, attained freedom and has peace in his heart, he can become one with Brahma. Through this entry into me, he attains my knowledge, my being, my wisdom, my being, my greatness, and is completely in me.”[18]
A thousand other citations could be added if it were necessary to prove what is self-evident to anyone who sees it.
The role which man plays in his “occult practices” is a passive upwards and active downwards movement. He controls his lower nature through the higher nature that becomes conscious in him, and at the same time lets the higher nature come into force in him by not resisting it but striving to absorb the higher. But the four pillars of self-control to be practiced are: belief, renunciation, sacrifice and prayer.
I. Belief.
If the light of God’s wisdom is to reveal itself in man, then above all the existence of this light is essential. With our physical eyes we perceive the existence of sunlight in space and see how the growth of plants thrive under its influence. Nor is it necessary for the plant to have scientific proof of the existence of sunshine in order to grow. It feels him and does not resist him. The rose opens its buds for him, moves towards him and welcomes him, and that is enough. Nor have we any proof of the existence of the Spirit of God in the universe, which would suffice for those who do not recognize it. We cannot see him with our physical eyes, but we can feel him in our souls, and if our hearts open to him, our mind strives towards him, and we do not resist him but absorb him, then that is perfectly sufficient. But the Spirit of God in the universe is the Spirit of truth, which is in us and everywhere, and which becomes the light of knowledge for us if we succeed in recognizing it.
The great Indian worldsage Śaṅkarācharyaa says:
“The first condition for attaining (divine) self-knowledge is the possession of the ability to distinguish the eternal from the ephemeral,”
and Friedrich Rückert says:
“That which thinks on the eternal in me, must be eternal.”
That impression of the Eternal through that which is of a divine nature in ourselves, that sensation which is as reliable as the sensation of the sun’s warmth on the skin, and far more reliable than any scientific proof of the existence of God could possibly be in the absence of the sensation, is belief. It is a quality of the inverted scholars that they reject whatever they cannot understand intellectually, because they do not feel it; although their minds should tell them that if you can’t feel something, you’re much less able to comprehend it. Nor is the mind there to make the sensation dispensable. Spiritual truths are intuitively grasped by reason. Then it is the turn of the intellect to examine what has been felt and discovered. Sensation perceives, and reason then sees whether what is perceived also appears probable to it; but what the mind finds by calculation or inference without sensation is not perception, but only probability.
Belief does not depend on opinions, probabilities and intellectual convictions and has nothing to do with evidence. It is the inward conviction which arises from the inward feeling of the omnipresent spiritual life which is the source of all outward vital activity and appearances. Whoever denies the Holy Spirit denies his own spiritual life, his own feeling for everything which is above animal nature. This spirit is the spirit of knowledge, the absolute love from which all love springs, the light of the Logos from which everything is created, the “World Soul” in the highest sense of the word, symbolically referred to as the “Mother of God,” i.e., the light of truth, from whose womb the “son,” the knowledge in man, is born. Just as the dawn appears in the firmament before the sun rises, so the feeling of the divine spirit (faith) awakens in the heart before the spiritual sun of true knowledge appears in consciousness and illumines the soul. But where the voice of doubt drowns out the voice of truth and the clouds of ignorance and dogmatism veil the twilight light, it remains dark, there is no spiritual life, at most the cold and deceptive moonlight of the spiritless scholarly mind shines, and therefore the Bhagavad Gītā also says: “The doubter perishes.” Whoever rejects every noble and higher impulse because his stupid mind does not understand it, sins against the holy spirit and commits spiritual suicide, which nobody can “forgive.”
Faith is the fire, love is the flame, light is the spirit of knowledge. But the life of faith is the works which it accomplishes out of love in the spirit of wisdom. Spiritual faith is like a plant; it cannot be made, it springs from the seed of self-knowledge in the heart, grows through the power of love, becomes strong through deeds and can ultimately become a mighty tree of knowledge, whose branches penetrate the whole universe. He who has true faith in his heart needs no other master; for he is taught by wisdom itself, which speaks to him through his inner feelings, without loud words being heard; but the knowledge of the unbelieving moves only in the ever-revolving circle of probabilities and changing appearances. They deal in words and phrases, but they do not see the truth.
II. Renunciation.
Where the task is to discover a new theory or probability, or to convince oneself of the possibility of the existence of something one does not know, the mind ignites a candle and seeks by the circuitous routes of logic and deduction to reach the goal; he himself always remains in the dark. But if it is a question of true self-knowledge through the revelation of the absolute truth within oneself, then no other step is required than coming into the light of truth. The spiritual light is everywhere, man does not need to look for it anywhere. He himself is the dark. When he emerges from the darkness, he enters the light. Thus he finds the light by renouncing the dark, the self. All human suffering arises from the darkness of ignorance and the fire of desire. On the other hand, there is no other means that brings salvation and lasting healing than the light of knowledge, which is obtained through renunciation. But by “renunciation” is meant, not inaction, or blind submission to something which cannot be changed, but the abandoning of the lower, whereby one attains the higher; in other words, gaining mastery over oneself.
But which is the I (the “man”) that attains dominion over the “self”? — The animal or the animal-man cannot master himself; he may be restrained from following his instincts by fear of punishment, or induced by hope of instruction to do something for which he lacks the inner drive, but he does not control himself. On the other hand, in the higher consciousness resides the power which can control lower consciousness. Consciousness is the sum of all sensations. The higher consciousness springs from the soul’s feelings of the good, noble, true, and beautiful, and belongs to the inner heavenly man, the “Master”; the personal consciousness springs from the sensual perceptions and base feelings, animal instincts and desires, and belongs to the outward mortal man. The mind itself has no sensation, it only enlightens and enlivens; he can enliven the higher as well as the lower, the heavenly or the infernal region of the soul; spirit is life, soul is substance. There are people who have much mind but are soulless, and others are full of feeling and therefore fanatic but have little mind. A knowledge of the inner Heavenly Man in us, whose dwelling place and unwilling instrument is the personal man, is not attained by any scientific description of it, but rather it is the end purpose of all “occult practices” and of the whole human existence, to know this inner master oneself is to learn by becoming one with it, and to come to God through union with the God-man (Christ) in us. This is why occult science is called “occult” because it pertains only to the life of the heavenly man within us, and it becomes eternally “occult,” i.e., “occult,” to all men, however learned they may be. It remains hidden as long as they feel nothing of an inner spiritual life and do not really recognize the existence of God, who dwells in themselves and in everything.
But to get an idea of the relations of personal consciousness to true God-consciousness, we may regard the Deity in creation (the Logos) as a spiritual sun, from which a ray of light falls upon a clear mirror, and there a sum of sensations forms which represents the I of the heavenly man. In our picture, the reflection falls from this mirror onto a blank metal plate, which represents the inner astral human being, and from this again onto a wall, under which we imagine the outer material human being. Thus we have three images of the sun, each subsequent one being a fainter reflection of the previous higher state of consciousness.[19] No one can actually know anything of which he is not aware, and the renunciation of the occultist thus consists in renouncing the lower feelings and desires, and taking the higher into his consciousness, and letting it manifest in himself. The real self of all men is the immortal Logos himself, and the nearer we come to it, the nearer we come to divine self-knowledge and through it to self-dominion.
The practice of yoga therefore means overcoming our own delusions of self and the delusions arising from it, selfishness, greed, self-conceit, megalomania, ambition, envy, lust for earthly or heavenly possessions, intolerance, etc. All this the yogi accomplishes, not through his personal desire, greed or stubbornness, but by the power of the consciousness of the Higher within him, and the same yoga practice is practiced by every sane person, even if he has never heard the word “yoga” in his life, and to a certain extent he has to do it daily practice, because no one can get through life without self-control. The human-animal will subordinates itself to the human-divine Will and thereby sacrifices itself in it. By this man’s will is not lost but becomes one with his higher Will, and the God-man in man attains dominion over the lower self through this renunciation.
(Sequel follows.)
[Begin: Geheimschulen der Magie und “okkulte Übungen.” Franz Hartmann, M.D. Lotusblüten 11, no. 67 (April 1898), 256-278]
Secret Schools of Magic and “Occult Practices.”
(Continuation.)
This spiritual but quite natural process is found in all religious systems symbolized in all sorts of ways by symbols designed to make people think. Saint George’s victory over the dragon, Archangel Michael’s overcoming of the infernal powers, and many other symbols of the Church remind us of the victory of the spiritual over the material and remind us of the exercise of dominion over the ‘self.’ The Bhagavad Gītī describes this struggle which takes place in the universe as a whole, as well as in every human being striving for perfection. Everywhere, within as well as without, in the spiritual as well as in the material, the light wrestles with the darkness, and where the light is revealed, the darkness disappears.
Man has, depending on the degree of freedom of his will, the power to take part in the battle of light against darkness, or to unite his resistance with that of darkness and fight against the light. But the degree of freedom of will depends on the degree of his knowledge, and this is based on his experience. Through the sufferings which folly causes, it is recognized as folly. Without the knowledge of evil there would be no knowledge of good. So, in a way, evil is the cornerstone of salvation. One arrives at good by overcoming evil. If there were no evil, there would be nothing to overcome and nothing to gain; there would be no escape from eternal ignorance.
Difficult is the struggle, without which there is no lasting rest. The Bhagavad Gītā says: “That which tastes sweet in the beginning tastes bitter in the end, and that which tastes bitter in the beginning produces sweet fruits at the end.” The outer man is the “beast,” the inner man is the “Angel.” Whoever does what pleases the animal is the servant of the animal; he who controls the beast by the power of the angel is the lord of the beast. True Christian humility does not consist in the fact that man lowers himself to the level of an animal and suppresses his higher impulses, but in the recognition of true human dignity, which gives him mastery over animals. In theological seminaries and colleges men are usually taught to identify with their animal nature, and to fear, or at least to pretend to fear, the God which their imagination has created; while the true fear of God consists in being careful not to do anything contrary to God.
The knowledge of the God which arises from renunciation elevates man to that God. Whoever feels the existence of the God feels both the good and the elevated. Such a man cannot be an obscurantist, a sneak, a head hanger, a hypocrite, a misanthrope and a pessimistic fool, because he sees the good in everything. Nor does this “renunciation” mean that one should not take part in any earthly pleasures and always have to draw a long face. Sadness is counted among the “mortal sins” even in the Buddhist religion because it is a denial of goodness and springs from selfishness. The sage lives in and with the world, yet not of it. You can enjoy a monkey comedy without being a monkey yourself. But the pious brat who would like to take part in a monkey comedy and doesn’t dare because he’s afraid of being punished for it is still below the monkey because he’s still too cowardly to be a monkey. Man’s true pride is in recognizing within himself the dignity of humanity and the greatness of the God within; Priestly pride and scholarly arrogance consists in vanity regarding the advantages of one’s own personality. It is false self-consciousness when the ape in man imagines himself to be a “superman” or a god; the true consists in the consciousness of the higher existence which springs from the knowledge of God; in the realization of the power of principle over desire. The Pharisee thinks he is good and knows nothing of God; the sage realizes that everything that appears to be good comes from the source of all good, and he knows nothing of himself. The good belongs to the God-man within man; he is the Lord and Master, the Son of Light, called “Jesus” (the light of the soul) in the Christian religion. Wherever he attains dominion within man, there reigns tranquility and peace and bliss. His kingdom is the heaven within us that we create for him.[20]
III. Sacrifice.
Every renunciation is a sacrifice. Whoever sacrifices his personal self, his lowly possessions, desires and passions to the Higher Self makes the best sacrifice and yet essentially sacrifices nothing; for what he sacrifices is nothing but illusions, and what he receives in return is the Real. Yet this sacrifice is a difficult one, for until man realizes his own true and divine nature, he is nothing but the product of imagination, and therefore an illusion himself. As an illusion, all other illusions are reality for him, just as a dreamer, as long as he is dreaming, does not for a moment doubt the reality of the things he sees in the dream. But just as the human being recognizes upon awakening that his dream images were nothing but dreams, so does the human being who has awakened to true Self-knowledge recognize that his own personality with everything which surrounds it is nothing but a by-product of his dreams on earth.
In order to arrive at this true awakening, it is necessary to shake off that which is preventing it. This includes, above all, self-delusion, greed and the delusion of possession. In reality man has nothing of his own other than that which is a part of his own being; everything else, whether material possessions or theories, are alien things, changeable, borrowed stuff, allotted to this one today and another tomorrow. There is but one true possession, the true, imperishable Self. But it’s no use imagining that everything is just an illusion if you still cling to these illusions. True knowledge is not born out of imagination, but only through deeds. Anyone who gives something which is personally valuable to him with a joyful heart, out of love for the good and for an useful purpose, strengthens himself in the knowledge of the Eternal and the worthlessness of everything transitory in relation to the Immortal.
The size of the sacrifice is not important, but rather the spirit in which it is carried out. The power by which egoism is overcome is love of the good and of charity. Through the sacrifice of love man grows beyond the limits of his selfhood. Also of importance is the frequent repetition of the sacrifice; for the good as well as the evil which man daily accomplishes becomes his habit and his nature. Anyone who sacrifices a small thing every day for a good cause is of more use to himself than someone who suddenly gives away a large sum in order to get rid of a bother. It is easier for those who give up an evil thought or error every day to gain knowledge than for those who memorize the Bible and then fall back into their old error.
Like every thing in the world, charity has its origin in one or more qualities of nature (gunas), which are stupidity (tamas), greed (rajas), or wisdom (sattva). The Bhagavad Gītā says the following about this:
“A sacrifice made senselessly and purposelessly, and without love’s part in it, is made out of foolishness and is of no value.
“A sacrifice made with a view to some advantage or gain, from vanity, from fear of slander, and the like, is from covetousness.
“A sacrifice made without regard to self-interest, for the love of good, and for a purpose which one recognizes as truly useful, is the right sacrifice.”[21]
The Bible says, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Thus, rather than avoiding the opportunity to do a work of love, one should rejoice when an opportunity presents itself. When Gautama Buddha, who as a king’s son had a kingdom at his disposal, went about with the beggar’s bowl, it was not, as is the case with certain mendicant monks, with the intention of gaining something for himself or his order, but to give the people an opportunity to do works of love. Nor did he ask for money, ham, or eggs, but took what was offered, even if it was just a grain of rice or a flower; for he says: “If anyone offers me anything out of love, be it just a leaf, a flower or a drop of water, I accept the offering of the lover.”[22] Whoever does something useful out of love spreads blessings, and the blessing as well as the curse always return to its origin. That is why Scripture also says: “He who possesses great riches and yet neglects to use them to spread blessings is the greatest deceiver; for he cheats himself from his best possessions.”[23]
But where a benevolent hand is ready to open itself, there are already a hundred greedy wolves ready to snatch something under false pretenses. The proverb says: “Where a temple is built for the Divine, the devil builds a chapel next to it.” Anyone who, even if he doesn’t know it, sacrifices in the wrong place, and thus sacrifices to stupidity, creates no blessing. He acts out of love, but without wisdom. His love is blind.
“Without love, an outward work is useless; but what is done out of love, no matter how small and inconspicuous it may be, becomes fruitful through and through.[24] And as with works, so it is with omissions; for even the omission of a work that one could do is an act, and it depends on the spirit in which the omission takes place. An omission which occurs out of selfishness, hatred, etc. strengthens selfishness, etc., in the soul just as much as an act leading to this goal. Through all works and through all omissions which happen in the spirit of love, man sacrifices himself to love. If the sacrifice is made out of love for a creature, then he sacrifices himself to the creature; if it happens out of love for God, then man sacrifices himself to God and thereby comes to the knowledge of his divine nature; for it is written: “Whoever devotes himself to the gods goes to the gods; he who consecrates himself to the heavenly goes to the heavenly. He who consecrates himself to the devils goes to the devils; whoever loves me (love) alone, goes to me.”[25] Therefore the occultist should practice sacrificing his self-love to true love, which is to love neither in self nor in others the personality, but the humanity in all men, and through the love of humanity the divine love arrived.
IV. Prayer
Since man cannot control his lower, transitory self through his own power, because the self is not able to rise above himself, he needs the power of his higher Ego for this, and in order to partake of this power, “Prayer,” which is basically nothing but an elevation of the heart to the highest and a gathering of the will power emanating from the Higher Self. True prayer is not phrases, but deeds. As the soul moves towards the highest, it approaches it and participates in the feeling of it, whereby the consciousness of the highest awakens in itself and the human being is enabled to will, to think and to act in the power of the Higher Self. Thus, through this entering of the earthly consciousness, the higher consciousness is absorbed into the consciousness of the human being and, through frequent practice, becomes his own being. The “normal state” of man does not consist in his animal nature, but only occurs when man has become holy and wise. Without the elevation of the soul and a sense of holiness (purity), even devotion (thinking of the Higher) is mere reverie and prayer itself is worthless. But when the soul rises to divine existence, it is penetrated by the divine spirit and soul and body are filled with the feeling of the high and noble. In true prayer man does not stay on earth and look up at the stars, but he himself climbs up to heaven and takes part in the essence of the sun.
The word “prayer” is related to “give” and means a sacrifice. Whoever surrenders to the divine takes on the nature of the divine. Prayer has nothing in common with selfish entreaties and supplications, for these contribute not to elevation but to degradation. Through prayer man absorbs divine power and thereby increases the power of the divine in his soul; by asking for an answer from an external God, and supplication for the fulfillment of human desires, man demonstrates his vanity, which leads him to believe that he is wiser than God, and can induce God to serve his selfish desires. Also, as is self-evident, the mindless chanting of prayers, magic spells and formulas is of no use, even if it were AUM which the Indians considered sacred, if true feeling is lacking.[26]
Sensation expresses itself through language; Anyone who wants to express outwardly what he feels inwardly does not need to search long for words or rehearse a speech. Just as creation arose from his spirit through the Word of God, so the spirit of man draws his ideas from the depths of his feelings and without seeking them himself, and the intellect gives form to the words. What is the “lost Word,” the loss of which Freemasons mourn, but the God-sensation in the heart from which emanated the form-giving divine power of the Word?[27]
A language without feeling is mindless. Even the most beautiful idioms, if the speaker does not feel the thoughts contained in them, make an impression only on the imagination and not on the mind. It is the spiritual power alone which is conveyed through language, that penetrates from heart to heart. It is not for nothing that people in the various religious systems attach great importance to the utterance of certain words if they do it inwardly, with deep devotion, concentration and from the heart. The Indian strengthens himself inwardly by uttering the word “Rama,” which is an invocation of Vishnu, the all-pervading deity, and basically means the same as “Christ.” The Christian Church recommends invoking the name “Jesus,” the Mohammedan calls to mind Allah the Alone in his memory when he wants to overcome suffering through His power, etc. So there are certain mantrams, devotional forms, or “prayers” in all nations, in which feelings corresponding to certain circumstances are expressed. The external language is secondary; the idea has nothing to do with it, the feeling is everything. So the “Our Father” of the Christians can also be regarded as a collection of mantrams, which are of deep meaning and strengthen the human being inwardly, even if he does not understand the meaning of it, but at least feels it. It is meaningless to the senseless, a degrading beggar to the greedy, but a powerful means of uplifting, edification, and invigoration to one who grasps the spirit of prayer. The first request reminds man of the existence of his heavenly, immortal Self; the second introduces the Soul into its realm; the third fills the mind with its power; the second raises us above the earthly to purity and sanctification, the third opens to us the realm of the knowledge of the Divine; the fourth fills the Soul with divine power, in that the human will merges with the divine Will; in the fourth, the willingness to receive daily more divine nourishment for the Soul is expressed, etc.[28]
Every church which has the Holy Spirit, i.e., in which the spirit of knowledge of truth finds its dwelling, is an “occult school of magic” where that higher knowledge can be attained which is only proper to the inner human being and is therefore “occult” and is out of reach to external pseudo-science. Those churches, societies, schools, etc. on the other hand, those who do not possess the spirit of holy self-knowledge, and therefore have no inward faith, whose aim is self-glorification and self-idolatry, whose motives are filthy self-interest, fear, and covetousness, and whose blind followers, are spiritless enthusiasts, to whom religion is nothing more than daydreams and fantasies based on credulity, which reject the symbols of truth because they do not understand their meaning: These mindless products of darkness clinging to the literal are will-o’-the-wisps, which lure mankind, struggling for knowledge, into the swamps of superstition. The basis of their existence is stupidity, their end is nothing.
Far more dangerous still, for themselves and for all mankind, are the sons of the fire of desire, who possess spirit (intellect) but no sense of good, whose soul is self-conceit and whose dwelling is megalomania. These insubstantial larvae, who wish to make their foolish brains the judge of the mysteries of the god-man, are to be found especially numerous in the so-called mystical societies, whose striving is directed to satisfying scientific curiosity, to acquiring magical powers, and that too are to be used only for “test purposes,” to the detriment of their fellow human beings. These are the schools of “black magic” or “devil art” to which some unknowingly belong. Its basis is passion; its end is hell.[29]
The basis of all true knowledge is realization, which includes both Spirit and Soul. The true occultist knows that Spirit without Soul is insubstantial, and Soul without Spirit has no intelligence. Just as the wind in a cave blows in one hole and out the other without leaving a trace, so the spirit rushes into the human organism and flies out again, unless it finds a resting place in the soul and is fixed by the substance of the soul. Without the sense of truth, all knowledge is mere semblance. Only that knowledge which is felt within ourselves is bound by the soul and becomes part of its being.
Thus, all occult practices are not about empty knowledge, about observations or scientific experiments, but about the growth and enlightenment of the soul. One cannot master thought by thought, imagination by imagination, but only by elevating oneself above everything imaginable and thinkable to the eternal, and this is not done through the power of imagination, but through the power of knowledge of the eternal in the heart of man. There are many steps which the soul must climb on its way to perfection; but each stage signifies its growth and an increase in its greatness, until finally it has become a great soul (mahā-ātma) and has attained that godlikeness which enables it to enter nirvāṇa, i.e., by leaving the self altogether, attaining divine omniscience, merging into divinity, just as the spark of fire in the flame becomes one with light, and becoming one with divinity. At each level it reaches, its field of perception expands and opens up a new realm of feeling and cognition. While the metaphysicians of the West, sunk in rationalism, are striving to remain as they are, dragging the high and the divine down to their base minds and making them serve their selfish purposes, the true worshiper of wisdom, whose mind is in the Light of the East dwells to rise to the divine, to absorb the same and thereby become wise and in the image of God. His “occult exercises” therefore consist above all in the renunciation of the earthly, in the elevation to the divine, and in the final merging of personal consciousness in the consciousness of God, through which man comes to the knowledge of his true divine existence. Friedrich Rückert describes this exercise in the following words:
“Say: I am I! and as you say, feel it too :
In your little I of the great I breath.
Say: I am I! and in you the thought sinks:
I think what I am and I am what I think.
I cannot be distinguished from myself
My being is not from thinking, my thinking is not from being.
I differentiate myself, not to separate myself from myself,
I differ to recognize myself as one.
Then when you’ve lost yourself in thought
Get out of it too and fly above all barriers.
Say: I am I! and who, like me, says, I am me,
Is I like me, how do I differ from him?
I differ, not to part with him,
I differ to recognize us as one.
So is divorced undivided I from I:
All together one, and each one by itself.
A whole in itself, the greatest as well as the smallest,
And the most special at the same time the most general.
God is the great I which thinks itself to be,
His Self so engrossed in every thought
That the thought which has become external,
Only regains consciousness when he says: I am I;
When you think of yourself as eternal thoughts
Of the eternal thinker, to thank him forever.
Therefore only: I am I, say forever, O Brahman,
Because forever : I am I, Brahmā says to you first.”
All of this can perhaps be summed up in the following words:
God is the sole All-Self of all things, the great and true I; man in himself (without the spirit of God) is an apparent self, a nothing. His real self is God, and the knowledge of God is the Spirit of God in him. Nothingness can create nothing out of itself, and all man can do to attain divine wisdom is to live by the power bestowed upon him so that the wisdom of God may be manifest in him. But the wisdom of God consists above all in the fact that he recognizes himself in people and in all things. This self-knowledge is the basis of God’s love in everything; and the supreme and first commandment of the disciple of wisdom can therefore be nothing else other than: “Love and know the unity of God in all His manifestations, and in your neighbor is your own Immortal Self.”
Notes:
[1] Secret Schools of Magic and “Occult Practices” [Geheimschulen der Magie und “okkulte Übungen.” Franz Hartmann, M.D. Lotusblüten 11, no. 66 (March 1898), 161-192; Lotusblüten 11, no. 67 (April 1898), 256-278] {This was reformatted from the original, but with the content unchanged other than fixing minor typos. Translation from the German by Robert Hütwohl, ©2025}
[2] {R.H.—A synopsis of Dr. Franz Hartmann’s article: In the Hall of Ignorance the form controls, and the material side of things has the predominance. Man is there polarized in the personality or lower self. In the Hall of Learning the higher self, or Ego, strives to dominate that form until gradually a point of equilibrium is reached where the man is controlled entirely by neither. Later the Ego controls more and more, until in the Hall of Wisdom it dominates in the three lower worlds, and in increasing degree the inherent divinity assumes the mastery. See: Alice A. Bailey, The Tibetan Master, Djwhal Khul, Initiation, Human and Solar (New York: Lucis Publishing Company, 1922), 11-12.}
[3] {R. H.—There are different levels of magic. True alchemy adheres to higher magic. This level involves the evolution of the soul of man and does not involve itself with sleight of hand and lower form of manipulation of others and taking advantage of the animal kingdom, such as using animals for lab experiments. For insights into higher magic, see the Alice Bailey work of the fifteen rules: A Treatise on White Magic, Lucis Trust. “First Printing, 1934; Tenth Printing, 1970 (First Paperback Edition), Twenty-Second Printing, 2018}
[4] {R.H.—Dr. Hartmann does not mean the God of the fundamentalist, theistic Christians, Jews and Islamists, but that of the Monad, reflected into the light of the Soul or Ātmā-buddhi. Hartmann never indicated God in the theistic sense but sometimes, though rarely, implied the Planetary Logos and the Solar Logos, which are basic theosophical teachings”, since there was, he said, no German word other than to use “God.}
[5] {R.H.—Earliest and modern Theosophy have taught the idea of the One Life, which pervades all Kosmos.}
[6] {R.H.—This wisdom is taught in the highest schools of Buddhism, in Hinduism from a special form of Advaita Vedāta and Theosophy.}
[7] {R.H.—Karl von Eckartshausen [Meister Eckhart]}
[8] “Alchemy” is the science of the divine virtues contained in man.
[9] Compare, Matthew, chapter XXIII.
[10] “Explanations on Magic” Vol. II, p. 205.
[11] Matthew XXIII.
[12] Jane Lead. “Revelation of Revelations.” Leipzig 1892. P. 125. [The Revelation of Revelations, Particularly as an Essay Towards the Unsealing, Opening, and Discovering the Seven Seals, the Seven Thunders, and the New-Jerusalem State. The [sic] which have not hitherto so far been brought forth to light (except to the Spiritual Discerner) to any degree of Satisfaction, as to the understanding of the grand Mystery. Jane Lead. 1683 Now reprinted by John Pratt. London, 1804]
[13] “Yoga,” from yog = to bind, means the union of man with the Divine.
The 6 types of yoga commonly used in India are:
- Mantram-Yoga, self-mastery through the word.
- Haṭha-Yoga, the self-control through the breath.
- Bhakti-Yoga, self-mastery through submission.
- Laya-Yoga, self-mastery through mind mastery.
- Nāḍa-Yoga, self-mastery through the transfer of consciousness.
- Rāja Yoga, the sum and crown of all the foregoing.
[14] J. Kerning, “Keys to the Spirit World.” Stuttgart 1855.
[15] “From the Transcendental Life” I, 1.
[16] “The Spiritual Guide.”
[17] “Imitation of Christ” III, 25, 2.
[18] Chap. XVIII 51-54.
[19] Lotusblüten I. “Lectures on the Bhagavad Gītā.”
[20] The Rosicrucians denoted their order with the four letters above the cross: I.N.R.I., and they translated this as “In Nobis Regnat Jesus,” that is, “Jesus reigns in us” (the Higher Self). — F. Hartmann, In the Pronaos of the Temple.
[21] Chap. XVII, V. 11 and following.
[22] Bhagavad Gītā IX, 26. — It is still the custom today in Buddhist temples to offer flowers before the monument to the Buddha.
[23] Lotusblüten III, page 165.
[24] Kempis III, 15, 1. [Thomas a Kempis (born c. 1380, died July 25, 1471)]
[25] Bhagavad Gītā IX, 25. The animal sacrifices which were offered to the Godhead by some peoples were the outward symbols of the animal instincts and desires which man is to offer up in the fire of love of his higher divine nature.
{“He who consecrates himself to the Shining Ones, goes to the Shining Ones [the Devas].
He who consecrates himself to the Ancestors, goes to the Ancestors [the Pitṛ-s].
He who devotes himself to the larvae, goes to the larvae [elementals or demons].
Whoever loves Me alone goes to Me.” Bhagavad Gītā, IX, 25.}
[26] The Bhagavad Gītā says: “Whoever utters the holy OM, meaning the One Eternal Brahma, and thinks of me, if in this state he leaves his body, he walks the highest path.” (Chap. VIII, v. 14.) — But in order to be able to pronounce this word with the right feeling at the hour of death, the right feeling must be present, which cannot be artificially made at will, but can only be acquired through long practice. Therefore it is also said: “Whoever thinks of Me all his life and never sets his heart on anything else, he is a devout yogī, and for him I am easy to reach.”
[27] Indian religious studies, in agreement with the Bible, teaches that the whole universe came into being through the creative word (the Logos of the Greeks), and explains it thus: There are four distinct realms or states of mind in the universe; namely Parabrahm (Ātmā, the deity, the essence of all being), the Logos (the word, the primal force of all life), the astral world with its various regions, from the heavenly down to the material, and finally the visible physical world. Everything in these came about by the power of the creative word. Correspondingly there are four different levels of speech (Vāch [or Vāk]), viz. the parā, paśyantī, madhyamā and vaikharī forms of it. We can think of the parā-form as the all-consciousness, the all-sensation, the absolute; the paśyantī-form as the mental language within the heart (the conscience); the madhyamā form as the natural language, i.e., as the sum of the thoughts underlying all forms of existence; view the vaikharī form as the externally uttered, the body world. The entire phenomenal world is an expression of the divine thought of creation and the product of the language of nature. The vaikharī form of the divine word is the whole revealed universe, the objective world of forms. (See, “Lotusblüthen” Vol. I: “Three Lectures On the Bhagavad Gītā.”)
[28] See Lotusblüthen. “The Lord’s Prayer,” vol. VI, page 767.
[29] The “hell” of the black magician consists in the violent detachment of the higher principles he has acquired, from his lower ones, after the death of the body and the annihilation of his personality.