Wisdom Traditions

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Are you aware of or involved with any members of groups that class themselves as Ancient Western Wisdom Traditions? Do you know a lot of Roman Catholic Priests? Would you ever attend a Roman Catholic Mass? Do you believe in reincarnation and if so can you remember anything from your past lives? Have you ever recognised someone from a past life on the first meeting with them in this life and remember the circumstances surrounding the previous lives? Thanks, Angela.

I have known and still know many Roman Catholic priests. I also know many priests in other parts of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

I attend the traditional Roman Catholic Mass of ages, sometimes known as the Old Mass, whenever the opportunity presents itself. Sometimes by invitation; sometimes because I am in proximity to where such a Mass is available.

I do not believe in reincarnation and therefore have not recognised someone from a past life.

I am not involved with any members of groups that might class themselves as "Ancient Western Wisdom Traditions." I have met and invariably still meet in the course of life those who subscribe to one or more such traditions. What you describe as "Ancient Western Wisdom Traditions" is a broad spectrum of spiritual tradition found in Western society. It could also refer to esoteric knowledge collectively pertaining to the Western world, eg alchemy, theosophy, tarot, astrology, Rosicrucianism and ceremonial magic. The Western Tradition has no one source or unifying text, nor does it hold any specific dogma, instead placing emphasis on Gnosis or inner knowledge. Hermetic organisations, neo-pagans and Thelema (the product of Aleister Crowley) persist in practicing modern variants of what is described as traditional Western esoteric philosophies. The Catholic Encyclopedia sums up its origins thus: "Its beginnings have long been a matter of controversy and are still largely a subject of research. The more these origins are studied, the farther they seem to recede in the past." (The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IV: Esotericism and Gnosticism)

Of these systems the Egyptian and Hellenic Mystery religion, the Armenian (known as: Intentional Architecture), the Hebrew Kabbalah, Gnosticism and Hermeticism are generally considered the oldest, though at no stage prior to the 1880s were these doctrines ever synthesised into one whole. Due to their relative geographic restrictions they were regarded very much as separate disciplines. It appears that for the most part the specific teachings were preserved via oral tradition (though not in all cases, eg the Nag Hammadi Library) passed from teacher to initiate.

This "Ancient Western Wisdom Tradition" comprises several major traditions, each one associated with its own landscape and culture. These can be summarised as the Ancient Egyptian, later known as the Hermetic and Alchemical tradition, the Magian or Zoroastrian tradition of Mesopotamia and Persia, the Hebraic or Cabalistic tradition, the Orphic, Pythagorean, Platonic and Neo-platonic traditions of Greece and Rome, the Druidic and Arthurian traditions of Britain, the Celtic traditions of Ireland, Scotland and north-west Europe, the Norse traditions of Scandinavia, and the Esoteric "Christian" or Rosicrucian tradition. All of these are said to have their origins in Atlantis, derived from Enoch, the fabled king of Atlantis and allegedly first of humanity to attain to the highest initiation of all, that of the Messiah. All these wisdom traditions have a basic wisdom in common, which comprises a working knowledge of the Three Great Archetypes of life and their manifestation in the soul world and world of nature. The schools of wisdom were known as mystery schools, for they primarily taught by means of the mysteries, supported by the academies.

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