Quest News is produced to introduce you to our staff and faculty and also to pass on exciting information about the upcoming Esoteric Quest Conference. Our next conference will address the life-enhancing spiritual impulses that emerge powerfully in America. We will bring alive the worldviews of Native Americans, 17th Century Alchemists, Freemasons and Founding Fathers, Transcendentalists, early Feminists and Spiritualists. We will also honor numerous 20th Century American writers and artists influenced by esotericism, and celebrate the contemporary, multicultural spiritual explosion. The Quest will be taking place August 24–28, 2009, at The Menla Mountain Retreat Center in Phoenicia, New York, just outside of.
A Message From Ralph White, Conference Director
Dear Friends,
The three months that have passed since our Quest to Samothrace, Istanbul, Greece and Ephesus seem like a long time. So much has happened here in America . Yet as the darkness deepens and the festive season comes upon us, I find myself looking back to our magical island experience with great gratitude. The way the islanders opened their hearts to us on so many levels and the countless memorable moments of our time together are engraved permanently in my heart. I will never forget the unforgettable performance of The Bacchae at the edge of the Aegean, our last evening of Greek dancing in the village of Prophet Elias, the golden, afternoon sun falling on the rocky slopes of Mount Saos above the turquoise waters at the Samothraki Village Hotel, and, of course, the many fine presentations that brought the soul of Greek antiquity alive so vividly.
I feel blessed that the Quest unfolded so magically and that this ancient island proved such a perfect spot for our exploration of the ancient world. It was a further joy that Greek television apparently produced a fine three-hour program inspired by the conference that was seen by well over a million people and that seems to have stimulated a new level of interest in the mysteries of Samothrace in the Greek national consciousness.
Now, as the New Year approaches, the time has come to contemplate next year's Quest. As some of you will remember from our closing circle on Samothrace, I spoke about my sense that the time has come, after seven Esoteric Conferences in Europe, to bring our attention back to America . And I'm sure that many of us feel a new epoch is dawning in this country and that an American Renaissance may be about to unfold after a dark and difficult time (even though we are sliding into economic recession).
With this in mind, we have decided to create An Esoteric Quest for Inner America in Phoenicia , New York (about 25 minutes from Woodstock ) from August 24th to 28th this coming summer in a beautiful, secluded valley in the heart of the Catskills. It's time to take a deep look at those spiritual forces that have infused the American soul and landscape and to contemplate what is best in this country when it its culture and actions are aligned with its authentic nature.
We will look at the gifts of the Iroquois Confederacy and the first American alchemists and Pennsylvanian Rosicrucians; the Masonic circles around the Founding Fathers and the Transcendentalists; the Feminists and Spiritualists of the Nineteenth Century; and the numerous writers, artists and filmmakers in the 20th Century whose work is infused with a profound interest in the esoteric dimensions of reality.
The conference will also focus on America's special role in bringing together all the cultures and spiritual paths of the world. And we will honor the tremendous contribution of African Americans to the open hearted, generous spirit of this country at its best. Lastly, we will look ahead at the new holistic culture that has begun to emerge as Sufism, Buddhism, Vedic traditions and other inner paths become an integral part of our culture.
Click here to find a more complete description of An Esoteric Quest for Inner America - a full brochure will be available in March. I hope it speaks to you and that together next summer we can experience a rich appreciation of the soul qualities of this country and those remarkable figures who have embodied and expressed its gifts of the spirit.
At this time of potential renewal, my hope is that our Quest will make a valuable contribution to the reemergence of America in its wholeness; and that you will join us in the Catskills at Menla Mountain Retreat for a time of deep attunement to the wisdom that lies deep in the American soul.
Ralph White
Conference Director
P.S. Those of you who yearn for warm tropical climes during the dark winter months, we invite you to consider the Open Center's Quest for the Heart of Rastafari: Movement of Jah People, in Negril, Jamaica in early March (http://www.opencenter.org/jamaica/index.html). While this is not an Esoteric Quest per se, it will be an unprecedented exploration of Afro-Caribbean culture and Rastafari as a holistic, indigenous response to the exile produced by the Atlantic Triangle. If you'd like to shake off those winter blues and revel in turquoise waters under vast, cloudless skies, please think about joining us on the Open Center's first tropical Quest.
Please Support The Esoteric Quest
Dear Friends of the Esoteric Quest,
Season's greetings from the New York Open Center. We are writing at this time of holiday cheer to bring memories of our Esoteric Quests before your inner vision and to reflect with you on the nature of these amazing experiences. We think it is true to say that there is nothing quite like our Quests anywhere in the world. They are mining an endless seam of gold and bringing to the surface of consciousness the often forgotten treasures of Western spirituality. From Prague to Granada to Samothrace, we have created a special alchemy composed of scholarship, ambience, art and conviviality that stimulates the imagination and intellect, opens the heart, and lays before us the profound spiritual beauty of the Western Esoteric Tradition.
As we approach the end of the year, we feel deeply grateful that we have been able to create these beautiful events. Each time, spiritual support has materialized in unexpected ways to make the conferences and journeys feasible. We are also aware of the tremendous amount of work that goes into them and the financial challenges of bringing something so rich in spirit and so needed into the contemporary world.
So in this season of good will and generosity of heart, perhaps we can ask you to keep the work of the Esoteric Quests in mind. Any contributions to the Quest Fund will make our work easier and will help us offer scholarships to those in need. A significant number of people were able to come to Samothrace on scholarships thanks to the generosity of donors, and it would be wonderful if even more scholarships were available in 2009. Your support will also help assure the continuity of our mission to bring alive the spiritual history of the West. You can also send tax-deductible donations (made out to New York Open Center ) to:
Esoteric Quest Fund
New York Open Center
83 Spring Street
New York, NY 10012
Warm Regards,
Ralph, Carrie, Andrea and Daniel
The Esoteric Quest Team
The Esoteric Quest is presented by The New York Open Center, a non-profit holistic learning center offering evening events, full-day workshops, ongoing classes, advanced trainings, and graduate degree opportunities.
