Quest News is produced to introduce you to our staff and faculty of the Esoteric Quest and 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.
Early Bird Deadline Approaching!
Our early bird deadline is on Monday, June 16th. Take advantage of this discounted price! To register please see www.EsotericQuest.org or call Andrea at 212-219-2527x101.
Conference Call with Esoteric Quest Staff Members
Anyone contemplating joining the Esoteric Quest this year is welcome to join Conference Director, Ralph White, Conference Coordinator, Carrie Wykoff and Registrar Andrea Lomanto for an informal conference call on Tuesday, June 19th at 7:30pm. To join the call, simply dial 1-218-339-7800. Than dial the code: 81761 followed by the # sign. Ralph, Carrie and Andrea will be happy to answer any questions you may have and tell you all they know about our Quest to Greece and Turkey.
Faculty Spotlight
Keith Critchlow is an internationally known lecturer and the author of numerous books including Order in Space and Time Stands Still. A leading expert on sacred architecture and sacred geometry, he is a former professor at the Royal College of Art and is connected to the Temenos Academy and The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts. He is Director of Studies for Kairos. He will be giving both a plenary talk and a workshop at our upcoming conference. We recently caught up with him to ask him a few questions.
What was it that opened you to the beauty of sacred geometry and sacred architecture?
I could say God, because God opens up everyone to everything. Otherwise I would have to say Sergie Kadleigh did when I was a student at the Royal College of Art in the early 1960's.
How did the Greeks embody the principles of sacred geometry in their temples and sanctuaries?
That is a very technical question actually. All human architecture particularly masonry architecture cannot be based on anything else than geometry; both in the part and in the whole. But for the Greeks the order of the Universe was available to us through the study of Number, Geometry, Harmony and Astronomy.
What are the particular spiritual gifts that came from an attunement to Plato's approach to number and geometry?
Number one is the practice of geometry and the perseverance to find the truth.
Can you tell us briefly how these principles of sacred geometry find expression in Islamic Mosques, in The Cathedral of Chartres and other sacred places?
The answer to that is very simple: in the proportions. These proportions invariably relate to the acoustics of the buildings concerned. In other words a temple, a mosque or a cathedral are all mesocosms, which is a bridge between humanity and the larger universe.
Upcoming Events:
Unfortunately due to a scheduling conflict at The Open Center we have to cancel our alumni event that was scheduled for Saturday, June 14th. We will let you know when we can re-schedule.
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
New Greek and Roman Galleries Now Open
The final phase of the reinstallation of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City unparalleled collection of Greek and Roman art is now complete. These stunning new galleries house more than 5,300 objects, some of which have not been on view in decades. For more information please see:
http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/greek_and_roman_art
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, is a non-profit holistic learning center offering evening events, full-day workshops, ongoing classes, advanced trainings, and graduate degree opportunities.