It is impossible to sum up in a single sentence what all esoteric groups or schools teach, because there are too many of them and their views are often even contradictory. Some of them are presented below:
Gnosticism teaches that this world is not our true home – that once we see through the illusion and understand our true nature, we will be able to escape from here and return to the spiritual world.
Hermeticism, including astrology, rests on the assumption that the soul and the cosmos are linked in some mysterious way: “As above, so below”.
Freemasonry and some forms of alchemy use symbolic means to help practitioners in their efforts to become better people, with the aim of deepening their virtues and drawing closer to the divine.
Theosophy and its offshoots teach that there are “hidden masters” who guide humanity’s spiritual development. If we wish, we can actively help them in this work.
Spiritualism emphasises direct experience of the afterlife through contact with spirits.
The Fourth Way holds that people normally function like automatons, but can awaken through special practices that shake them out of their usual, mind-numbing habits.
Jungian psychology looks for ways to integrate the various dualities and opposites in the patient’s psyche through the use of myths, dreams and visions.
The most important part of esotericism, however, beyond everything mentioned above, is the desire to explore the unknown, which has led many people over the centuries to search for answers to the questions that trouble them.
First published (Polish original): 25 February 2009. Written by astrologers and esoteric specialists working with our editorial team; edited and translated for HOROSCOP.SPACE. © All rights reserved.
