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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 http://www.esotericquest.org for more information.
Our Website is Live!
Please see www.EsotericQuest.org for our full website for our upcoming conference. Created by Site Optimized, it is a beautiful tool for our upcoming conference and trips to Greece and Turkey.
A few highlights of the website:
On the navigation at the top of the page you have the following options:
Past Conferences which tells you about our other Esoteric Quest conferences and gives you an opportunity to download brochures from them as well. There is also a page with audio from last year’s conference in Granada, Spain.
Presenters features bio’s of all of our speakers.
Schedule will take you to pages explaining our plenary sessions , workshops , evening events , afternoon activities, a sample schedule for the entire conference and a page explaining our conference theme.
About Samothrace allows you to access pages featuring the history of the island , arrival information for the island as well as information about Alexandropoulos (where the ferry to the island leaves from) and general travel info .
Pre and Post Conference Trips features pages for all of our pre and post conference options including our Pre-Conference Walking Tour of the Acropolis and Post Conference Journeys to Mainland Greece, Istanbul and the extension trip to Ephesus, Miletus and Anatolian Coast. On each of these pages are links to itineraries and travel tips.
Register has pages explaining the costs and accommodations and as well will lead you to the registration form for secure online registration.
Under Resources you will find our Quest News Newsletters, helpful links, travel tips, suggested reading and a packing list .
Our Contact page will give you all of the information you need to reach our Registration Manager, Andrea Lomanto. On the bottom of each page is an opportunity to download our full color brochure. Coming soon will be a participant forum which will allow participants and faculty who are attending The Esoteric Quest this year an opportunity to introduce themselves, ask questions and help create community. Please feel free to send a link to our website to all of your friends and contacts.
Upcoming Events at The New York Open Center:
Mysteries of Byzantium and Antiquity
With Ralph White, 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.
The Esoteric Quest: From Antiquity to the 21st Century
Ralph White
We begin this series with an overview of the ways in which the esoteric quest has been central to so many cultures throughout the centuries. From ancient Greece through medieval Andalusia to Fifteenth Century Florence and Renaissance Bohemia, the search for the deepest spiritual truths has guided the hearts of many. How has the quest both changed and stayed the same from Ephesus and Samothrace to New York today?
Wednesday, May 14, 8–10pm
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.
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
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, 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.
Ralph White is co-founder of the New York Open Center and a board member of Sunbridge College. A writer and lecturer on contemporary spiritual, social, and cultural issues, he edited Lapis magazine from 1995 to 2001 and is currently editing Lapis Magazine online.
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
For more information or to register please see: www.OpenCenter.org or call 212-219-2527
Help Us Spread the Word:
Please help us get the word out about our upcoming conference. You can help in the following ways:
Postcards: we have some extra postcards announcing the conference. If you can help us distribute some or know of a good location for them please let us know by writing to: quest@opencenter.org.
List Serves/ Links: Do you know of some good list serves that we should send our information to? Or do you know of a good organization we can link to? Again, please let us know at quest@opencenter.org.
Website: Please send your friends to our website at www.esotericquest.org.
Newsletter: Did you enjoy this newsletter? If so please forward it to a friend
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.
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