Quest News is produced to introduce you to our staff and faculty and as well to pass on exciting information about the upcoming Esoteric Quest Conference and Tours. Our main conference will explore The Mysteries and Philosophy of Antiquity looking at the spiritual experience, wisdom and art of Ancient Greece. The conference will be taking place September 3rd-8th on the Island of Samothrace, Greece. The conference will be followed by three optional journeys. Two will go to Turkey and the other journey will take us to Delphi, Eleusis, and other evocative mystery centers of Mainland Greece. Please see www.esotericquest.org for more information.
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Please see www.EsotericQuest.org for our full website for our upcoming conference. Created by Site Optimized www.siteoptimized.com/, it is a beautiful tool for our conference and trips to Greece and Turkey.
Faculty Spotlight
What is it about antiquity that moves you so much?
I’ve been drawn to the Old Gods by instinct for my whole life. As a boy I loved to visit the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. I always ended up in front of a statue of Artemis from Ephesus, which stirred me deeply – I couldn’t, and still can’t, explain precisely why. I would leave offerings of fruit and flowers by the statue, to the janitors’ puzzlement I’m sure! As I matured, this deep ‘call’ from the antique spirits evolved into academic studies, as well as psychological and spiritual journeys. I’ve even found practical applications for some of my rather obscure interests – for example, I led a team that created a ‘healing garden’ for the Burn Unit at Vancouver General Hospital, inspired by the shrine-complex of Asklepios at Epidaurus. The old impulse still guides me. In September it’s leading me to Samothrace and beyond (after the post-conference events wrap up, I’m heading on a pilgrimage to sacred places in Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Egypt). Such directions in life don’t call for explanation, but contemplation.
Who was Iamblichus? And, what was his contribution to ancient wisdom?
Iamblichus was the greatest sage that almost nobody has ever heard of! The reason for this neglect is bad timing. Iamblichus was a pagan philosopher, and he died around 325 AD, just as the Roman Empire was becoming Christianized. His teachings reinvigorated paganism and inspired resistance to Christianity, which landed him in Christians’ bad books; so most of his writings were torched, and generations of Christian scholars mocked him as a degenerate thinker who represented paganism’s exhausted ‘last gasp’. But such is far from the truth. He synthesized insights from the elder traditions – Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Greek – into a profound vision, perhaps the summit of antique wisdom. Ironically, his ideas donned Christian disguise and influenced Catholic views on everything from the pecking-order of angels to the theology of the eucharist. And Ficino’s translation of Iamblichus’ surviving works strongly determined the program of the Hermetic Renaissance in Florence. In the present century we’re again trying to weave fragmentary glimpses of reality into a unified vision. It’s time to study Iamblichus again.
(Note- Leonard has a wonderful article The Teachings of Iamblichus: Between Eros and Anteros at Lapis Magazine online please press here to view it.)
Why do you find Emperors Hadrian and Julian such fascinating figures?
Hadrian inherited the Roman Empire from his cousin at the height of its power. Personally, his life was an esoteric quest. An initiate of the Mysteries of Mithras, Eleusis and Samothrace, he also explored magic and astrology. Hadrian built temples everywhere, including major works at Athens and Ephesus, and the Pantheon in Rome, his masterpiece. The weirdest part of his story was his proclamation of the last new pagan god – his boyfriend Antinous. It was said that Antinous accidentally drowned in the Nile, but I suspect otherwise… Antinous-worship was embraced by the Greeks, and lasted for centuries. Over two hundred years later, Julian became ruler over a shrinking Empire, squeezed on all sides and torn between pagans and Christians. He was a fine general, cultured and devout – some of his writings survive, including the famous “Hymn to King Helios” and “Hymn to the Mother of the Gods”. The teachings of Iamblichus moved him to promote a pagan revival. And, following the pagan teaching that many paths lead to wisdom, he vowed to rebuild Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem for the Jews. But his plans were cut short by an assassin’s blade. He was the last pagan emperor. Life-stories don’t get more fascinating than those of Hadrian and Julian.
You will be joining us on our post conference journey to Ephesus, Didyma and Miletus. Can you tell us about the oracle at Didyma and the significance of the sites we will visit in Southwest Turkey (The Turquoise Coast)?
This is a magical land! Centuries before the classical period, Greece was invaded from the north. Waves of Greek migrants crossed the Aegean to the eastern shores. The Ionian Greeks founded Miletus and Ephesus. Ionians planted colonies around the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Through trading contacts they gained not only wealth, but exposure to the ideas of many cultures. These ideas mingled, resulting in the birth of philosophy. Thales of Miletus, who kicks off every history of philosophy text, announced “All things are full of gods”. Didyma was the site of a massive temple built by the Milesians over a spring sacred to Apollo. When a priestess drank the holy water she could speak in the god’s voice. Didyma’s renown sometimes eclipsed even that of the Delphic oracle. Ephesus was a spiritual beacon throughout antiquity. The Artemision there was the home of the Artemis cult, and one of the Seven Wonders of the World. (It’s also where money began – archaeologists unearthed the world’s oldest dated coins in the temple foundations!) Ephesus was a cradle of Christianity too. One-third of the New Testament books were likely written there, including John’s Gospel and the Book of Revelation. Ionia is a must-visit for every seeker.
(Note- participants from both the post conference journey to Mainland Greece and the post conference journey to Istanbul can come to the Ephesus extension, for more information please press here.
Upcoming Events at The New York Open Center:
Mysteries of Byzantium and Antiquity
With Brian Cotnoir & Steve Bass, MA
As a prelude to this year’s Esoteric Quest for the Mysteries and Philosophy of Antiquity, we are offering a series of talks on related themes with special emphasis on the role of alchemy in Byzantine culture and sacred architecture in Ancient Greece.
Byzantine Alchemy and Sympatheia
Brian Cotnoir
Byzantine alchemy is the direct continuation of the Hellenistic tradition both in theory and practice. This talk will explore the contribution of the Byzantines to alchemy’s development with particular emphasis on Sympatheia. This concept began with the Stoics and can be found in On the Sacred Art by the neo-Platonist Proclus. We will read and discuss its implications for both physical alchemy and alchemy as ascent of the soul.
TONIGHT! Wednesday, May 21, 8–10pm
Mystery Architecture of Ancient Greece
Steve Bass, MA
Building on the heritage of Egyptian and Mesopotamian sacred building traditions, Greek civilization set the tone and pattern for the West. The Greeks synthesized the architectural form of the temple and its associated elements, known as the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian ‘Orders’. In these two presentations architect Steve Bass will explore the concepts of sacred and symbolic geometry as the background for the archetypal Greek architectural forms. These will be illustrated in the context of the Eleusinian and Samothracian mystery religions. Aspects of sacred geography, metrology and observational astronomy will also be related to the architecture of the period.
Wednesday, June 4, 8-10pm
A LECTURE SERIES
Individual Sessions: $22
To register please call 212-219-2527 or click here.
Steve Bass, MA, has practiced as an architect in New York City since 1974. He holds a Master of Arts degree from the Royal College of Art, London, where he studied under the direction of Dr. Keith Critchlow, and is visiting assistant professor of architecture at Notre Dame University. A Fellow of the Institute of Classical Architecture http://www.classicist.org/, his book, Proportion in Architecture, will be published by W. W. Norton.
Brian Cotnoir is an independent researcher. He has been studying and experimenting with alchemical procedures for 35 years. He is author of The Weiser’s Concise Guide to Alchemy.
Esoteric Quest Alumni Gathering
Join us as we gather to share travel stories, catch up and share photos from our past travels! Please feel free to bring food or drink to share.
When: Saturday, June 14th 7:00pm
Where: The NY Open Center, 83 Spring St., NY, NY
Please RSVP- quest@opencenter.org.
Early Bird Deadline for 2008 Esoteric Quest Conference
When: Monday, June 16th, 2008
For more information please call 212-219-2527 x 101 or see www.EsotericQuest.org
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The Esoteric Quest is presented by The New York Open Center, is a non-profit holistic learning center offering evening events, full-day workshops, ongoing classes, advanced trainings, and graduate degree opportunities.