Christian mysticism

[Anonymous No.20298548]

What are some of the essential books on Christian mysticism? I have been falling into the occult trap because of my interest in its mystical aspects, but I see that the occult is not from God, so I would like something Christian instead.

[Anonymous No.20298593]

>>20298548
For the Orthodox: Philokalia
For the Catholic variety: The Cloud of Unknowing
I haven't read it, but /lit/ recs Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey into Christian Hermeticism frequently.

[Anonymous No.20298601]

The Imitation of Christ

[Anonymous No.20298615]

>>20298548
The Dialogue by Catherine of Siena
Divine Mercy in my Soul by Sister Faustina
Jacob Boehme
Everything by Swedenborg

[Anonymous No.20298621]

>>20298593
Good recs

I also recommend the book Wisdom's Children if you are into the occult and want to get into Jacob Bohme and Theosophy

[Anonymous No.20298681]

I’m one of the Tomberg culprits. Definitely read it if you are coming from occultism. For something less dense, Experience of Inner Worlds by Gareth Knight.
On the acquisition of the Holy Spirit, St. Seraphim of Sarov. Really lays out some don’t fuck around, keep it about this type stuff.
I’ve gotten halfway through Interior Castle, St Teresa, a couple times. Read Way of Perfection instead because she defines terminology there that she uses in Castle. Really good and her “but I’m just a stupid old woman” tone cracks me up. She was a big fan of On the Imitation of Christ.
For rosary, Secret of the Rosary and dig through thavmapub site.
Julian of Norwich for blood in sorrowful mysteries and Jesus, meek and humble of heart if you do Sacred Heart.
Kids need help, more later.

[Anonymous No.20298693]

>>20298681
Can you briefly say what you think the value of Tomberg's book is? I've been super curious about it for a long time

[Anonymous No.20298708]

>>20298548
Parsifal.

>Wagner had hoped that Parsifal, the “pinnacle of my achievements,” would “preserve the world’s profoundest secret the truest Christian faith, nay to awaken that faith anew!”
>Cosima: "he talks to me about this trait of the Grail mystery: that the blood becomes wine, so we, strengthened, can turn toward the earth, whereas the transformation of wine to blood draws us away from the earth."
>"For me Christianity has not yet arrived, and I am like the early Christians, awaiting Christ's return."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV-cjP96Se8

[Anonymous No.20298712]

[Anonymous No.20298834]

>>20298548
st john of the cross
st theresa of avalon

[Anonymous No.20298876]

Mirror of Simple Souls

[Anonymous No.20298911]

>>20298548
The Holy Bible

[Anonymous No.20298969]

>>20298693
Look in the archive there was a thread on it this week that went past the bump limit. There was a ton of shit flinging but I left two cents in there. I was late to the party so scroll down.
Tomberg is really masterful. He wrote it at the end of his life so he had seen and read a lot at that point. A lot of occultists look down their noses at Christianity as being simple minded, dumb, lacking sophistication. He covers like everything in that book, always from a really unique perspective and he always drags you straight into the deep end.
I had been praying regularly when I first started reading it but wasn’t totally convinced. I had had some pretty intense experiences but I had also been deep into Buddhism for years and had read plenty of occult stuff so I wasn’t 100% sold intellectually. This book really scratched the intellectual itch and sold me on being Christian. And it’s like whatever topic from occultism that was supposed to be like “bro let me blow your mind,” he would take an image and a verse or two from John and then take it some other place completely. Over and over for 600+ pages.
AND he’s never a dick about it. He *wanted* it to be letters from one anonymous friend to another. Jesus’ parting commandment that we love one another as He loved us—it breaths through the whole book.
Yes, of course you should seek the truth. But you should also learn to love. These are like the two horses pulling the Chariot, Jesus is the charioteer uniting and balancing those principles. Chariot card is 7 = 3 (Trinity) + 4 (solidity) — incarnation, God immanent and transcendent.
If you are standing on the ledge it’s the “do a flip faggot” book. Really excellent.

[Anonymous No.20298978]

Is there any good introduction to mysticism for a skeptic? I want to believe, but it all sounds like crazy nonsense.

[Anonymous No.20299018]

>>20298969
>Chariot card
In tarot? You know the numbering and system behind that was complete nonsense by Mathers and the others, right?

[Anonymous No.20299141]

>>20298978
Practice is the best proof. Books are just books but if you see the footprints of your quarry then you will know it’s not just crazy bullshit.
Rosary is a really good vehicle for daily prayer combined with meditation. The mysteries point you to good parts of the gospels. If you are Orthodox it’s still allowed, mysteries are a little different. They give more structure than just doing reps of the Jesus prayer imho. I haven’t read the Philokalia, my understanding is that you should respectfully leave it be unless you have spiritual guidance.
Once your practice bootstraps a little St. Teresa is really good. St. John of the Cross is on my list, he is supposed to be more rigorous. Teresa is short and has a homey feel.
Magic is self power and takes a strong will. Mysticism is other power and takes humility and obedience.

[Anonymous No.20299168]

>>20299018
I don't recall the numbering being addressed specifically, but he explicitly mentions the fact that there's no proof of tarot existing before the ~15th century. Contrived or not, the arcana are still arcana. It's besides the point, they're used as a tool for philosophical/esoteric/religious contemplation. Hence, "Meditations on the Tarot".

[Anonymous No.20299179]

>>20298681
I totally spaced on the rest of my list between reading bedtime stories and writing that wall of text about Tomberg. I’ll see what I can salvage from my mind.
Oh so one more good thing about Tomberg, really gives you eyes to read the gospels.
Gregory of Nyssa, Life of Moses for neat allegorical reading. The image of perfection is inspiring once you get there.
Lots of authors look at the Lord’s Prayer. St. Teresa does in Way of Perfection. Origen On Prayer also does and is not long. It was good but I didn’t take tons of notes. I want to go back and read it again.
Anyone in this thread read Suso? St. Francis?
Everyone says John is the most mystical gospel but you can get a lot out of the Beatitudes in Matthew (and they kind of map directly onto the planets Mercury through Neptune if you are into that).
Psalms are excellent. Rosary Is an abbreviated psalter (150 Aves). I started saying three Psalms instead of the three “preamble” Aves in honor of this and it makes you analyze the psalm and appreciate the poetry. If you are coming from occultism psalms are white magicky.

[Anonymous No.20299195]

>>20299168
Marseille deck has Roman numerals on major arcana. Wikipedia (final arbiter of consensus reality) has images of cards from 18th c. showing them.

[Anonymous No.20299230]

Last post… there’s this site ccel.org. It has many public domain ebooks including a lot I mentioned.
Oh and read some Father Brown mysteries!
Joy and blessings! Hope we all make it!

[Anonymous No.20299314]

>>20299141
>Practice is the best proof. Books are just books but if you see the footprints of your quarry then you will know it’s not just crazy bullshit.
How can I learn practice if not from books?

>Rosary is a really good vehicle for daily prayer combined with meditation.
Rosary? Isn;'t that just a string of beads?

>The mysteries point you to good parts of the gospels. If you are Orthodox it’s still allowed, mysteries are a little different. They give more structure than just doing reps of the Jesus prayer imho. I haven’t read the Philokalia, my understanding is that you should respectfully leave it be unless you have spiritual guidance.
Once your practice bootstraps a little St. Teresa is really good. St. John of the Cross is on my list, he is supposed to be more rigorous. Teresa is short and has a homey feel.

What does any of that mean?

>Magic is self power and takes a strong will. Mysticism is other power and takes humility and obedience.

Magic is schizo nonsense. Is mysticism any different?

[Anonymous No.20299421]

>>20299314
You’re NGMI, bro. You want to read a bunch of mysticism but you can’t even bring yourself to practice simple prayer, rosary or meditation. These states take years to reach and God won’t dispense mystical experiences to you if you’re testing Him constantly and acting skeptical.

[Anonymous No.20299422]

>>20298621
Kek I’m starting to recognize your posts anon. I finally watched that Platonic Orientalism lecture you shared here a while back and it was excellent.

[Anonymous No.20299515]

>>20299421
I've done plenty of meditation. But it was a waste of time. I've tried prayer, too, and that was even less useful.

The litany against fear has been more useful to me than the lord's prayer.

[Anonymous No.20300349]

I own picrel. It's pretty damn great.

[Anonymous No.20300648]

Cracks in the Great Wall by Charles Upton

[Anonymous No.20300676]

>>20299314
>Magic is schizo nonsense. Is mysticism any different?
Eh, the realm of autosuggestion/hypnosis/mentalism/mnemonics leads off in stranger territory at least. I wouldn't be so quick to shrug it all off as complete nonsense, then again I wouldn't be so quick to claim it's all god's doing like these mystics

[Anonymous No.20301916]

>>20299515
>meditation
>useless
>can't find use in a practice even the most dogmatic materialists admit is immensely useful, if only for the cognitive benefits
Yeah, sorry, you won't gain anything from mysticism. Go read some popsci or a fantasy novel.

[Anonymous No.20302013]

>>20298548
Phenomenology of Spirit

[Anonymous No.20302024]

>>20298712
Based