The Temple of Hathor, Stonehenge, the Caves of Lascaux and Chauvet, Chartres Cathedral—all these sites once were shrines of ancient wisdom. Yet, 2013 has begun, the Mayan apocalypse did not come, and life’s questions still remain unanswered.
“How many of millennia have we been looking for a path?” the Reverend Ron Moor asked the crowd of 50 Monday evening that attended the opening of the new home for the Minneapolis Lodge of the Theosophical Society of America. In his welcome Monday evening to Spirit United Church, Moor addressed how the wisdom of the ancients continues to provide answers. Backed by a slideshow of ancient religious sites that ranged from the Temple at Philae (dedicated to Isis) to the Great Rift of the Milky Way where “the womb of all matter” was born, his presentation demonstrated people’s recurring fascination with ancient mysteries, the power of archetypes, and his grandmother’s wisdom in asserting that “nothing’s new but what’s been forgotten.”
The Lodge’s theme for this year is “Ancient Mysteries, Ancient Wisdom.” Their February calendar combined with Spirit United’s contains these selected upcoming events:
- “History's Sexiest Goddess or the Most Misunderstood?” (7-9 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 6th) Professor Julia Assante discusses how images of Ishtar were used for her followers’ protection and well-being.
- “Seven Secrets of Time Travel” (7-9 p.m., Monday, Feb. 11th)—Von Braschler leads a mini-workshop to experience time shifts outside normal, fixed time and space.
- “Astrology Round Table” (9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 16th)—Dennis Acrea leads discussions on the stars’ influences on people’s lives.
- “Angels: Mysterious Messengers” (7-9 pm Monday, Feb. 25th)—Time-Life Video relates how people must heed their inner voices to ascertain their departed loved ones watch over them.
Madame Blavatsky‘s “Isis Unveiled” combined a number of themes central to the occult (knowledge that is hidden) including esoteric Christianity to form the basis of the theosophical movement. In recognizing “the in-dwelling spirit of God within ourselves,” Jan Skogstrom, founder of Spirit United, states that through the process of meditation “we encounter the mysteries.” This serendipitous meeting of like forces allows seekers like Ron Moor to ponder whether Jesus, too, was an initiate to the ancient wisdom. The factuality of Christ’s studies matters not as much, however, as people's willingness to make the journey themselves because, as spiritual psychologist Robert Sardello says, “we are all our own teachers.” With the Lodge's library now housed at Spirit United, the church seems an even more congenial place for Minnesota theosophists and esoteric Christians alike to pursue their timeless investigations.
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