Tomberg's Meditations, An Esoteric Catholic Tome

[@ty7574]

Keep up the great videos

[@BryanKirch]

Glad you finally got to this book! Great synthesis

[@Laj-t9k]

I love your book reviews. Thanks for posting. Hope you're well.

[@exquofonte]

So glad you read it! I'm just finishing it for the second time. This is the book that opened me up to the esoteric side of Christianity. It's a good gateway to it because it gives the necessary precautions that allow safe passage within the world of the occult. To me one of the most important parts of the book is in 'The Fool' when he explains that Hermeticism has as its goal the *fusion* of intellectuality and spirituality such that it never becomes merely academic nor merely mystical, giving due regard to ineffable religious experience and scholastic argumentation and everything in between

[@Catholic-Perennialist]

@@exquofonte Yes, the safeguards are invaluable. I think this book should be the first stop for anyone disillusioned with exoteric orthodoxy.

[@Scottx-LVX]

I’ve been waiting for this one from you. I like the Morals & Dogma for Catholics comparison. Excellent summary! As someone who has gone through the entire Golden Dawn system, I wholeheartedly agree with the dangers of ego inflation. Regardie and many others have attested to the fact that megalomania is one of the greatest dangers … the Desert Fathers and Carmelites also made a significant point about this. Obviously the later did not relate that to ceremonial magic but I would argue that at a certain level there’s no difference. The problem with magic is that it attempts to actively exalt oneself to Oneness through a series of operations, while mysticism seeks to do that only through purification in a passive manner through prayer, self-mortification and removing the self completely from the equation. Pride therefore is overcome by cooperation with Grace. I would argue that the active path is still only accomplished by Grace. As the vedantists would say, God alone is the Do’er! I’d love to see a review of the Philokalia from you.

[@Catholic-Perennialist]

Sorry it took so long. I hesitated to even give a review last night because my health is so bad. How did you become involved with Golden Dawn? How long did it take for you to complete the system?

[@Scottx-LVX]

@@Catholic-Perennialist Glad you were able to make the post. I hope your health improves and pray for your welfare, brother. Since my teenager years I was drawn to the mystics of the church, yoga and meditation. I fell away from the Church for various reasons in the late 00’s, considered Orthodoxy, then became repulsed by all Christian organizations. I then wandered in some strange cloud of agnostic mysticism. Around that time my attraction to occult orders came about as a sort of climax. My thought process was that I would do what was necessary to prove the supernatural to myself as objectively as possible. This was successful. I joined the OTO for a short time receiving both Minerval and 1° initiations. After a certain point I could not take it seriously anymore. I was initiated as Neophyte in a GD group around 2014 and received my 5=6 Adeptus Minor by the very end of 2019. I am now continuing to work through advanced Rosicrucian material within the 2nd Order of my particular group. Since my 5=6 I was also initiated into a particular Kriya lineage of the original teachings of Lahiri Mahasaya. All of this has brought me more enthusiastically, and intimately, full circle to embrace the Roman Catholic Church.

[@Catholic-Perennialist]

​@@Scottx-LVX I concur, that i too have made the full circle from catholicism, to the occult, back to the Church, realizing that catholicism lacked nothing that I needed, but I was too immature to recognize it.

[@Scottx-LVX]

@ We’re always growing up! My path has become more clarified due to returning to the Church but I haven’t abandoned my “non-authorized” private practices. All intersects and travels towards the Pattern Man, Christ, at and on the Cross.

[@Catholic-Perennialist]

@@Scottx-LVX Agreed. The path of the mystic cannot be governed by a catechism, but the archetypal Christ dwells fully within the Roman Church and I am very content to remain in it.

[@byzantinedeacon]

You probably have seen this but there is a picture floating around the Internet of his book on St JP2's desk.

[@Catholic-Perennialist]

Yes, although some catholics find this very controversial. But Tomberg actually tries quite hard to color within the lines. I think most trads can't conceive of a Catholicism with as much latitude as Tomberg presents.

[@exquofonte]

Apparently before he became Pope, Wojtyla was involved with an anthroposophical group in Poland

[@carlose4314]

Divination is condemned by the Church.

[@Catholic-Perennialist]

@@carlose4314 Joseph possessed a diviner's cup, and the high priests divined using the Urim and Thumim. Gideon divined using a fleece to determine the outcome of a battle. Peter and the other apostles cast lots to choose Matthias as Judas' successor. Yet Tomberg never once suggests using the cards for divining. Seek to understand before you condemn.