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"I I don’t derive any satisfaction from a debunking. I really don’t. Discovering the truth is a reward in itself.
Having a knack for getting to the bottom of a thing also helps with maintaining credibility. Historiography is among other things concerned with source criticism. And while I’m not an academically trained historian, I am quite aware that one should strive to consult the primary source as opposed to relying on the word of secondary or even tertiary accounts.
The matter at hand deals with an alleged “three world war” prediction from famed Mason, Scottish Rite Sovereign Grand Commander Albert Pike. William Guy Carr was the key purveyor of the tale which, to me, was suspicious at the least. Off and on I’ve been working at it. And I’ve finally cracked the case."
Save the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica ! The Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica in Amsterdam is one of the most renowned international study collections for scholars of western esotericism, including freemasonry. Unfortunately, the library is under threat of closure and sale by a bank. The OVN Foundation supports the petition to save the library, online at: www.ipetitions.com.... Click on the link for more information on the issue. The petition is an initiative of the Chair for the History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents at the University of Amsterdam, whose students and scholars have been researching the collection of the BPH for more than 10 years. Thank you for your support!
www.librarything.com...
The Occult Underground is a neglected triumph in the history of ideas. Webb's basic thesis, more than ably fleshed out, is that during the Age of Reason (or the era of the rational), there was a massive, surging welling up of a large section of the populace in 19th century Western Europe and United States into a countercurrent of unreason (or an Age of the Irrational) in direct opposition to the perceived tyrannical straightjacket represented by rational thought. A flamboyant army was arrayed against this secular theocracy in the form of the Theosophists, the Synarchists, the Symbolists, the Spiritualists, the Mesmerists, the Christian Scientists, the Martinists, occult orientated Freemasonic orders of many kinds, and utopian orientated millenarian mystics of various persuasions.
www.librarything.com...
Simply, The Occult Establishment is the story of how subversive memes detailed in his prior work, The Occult Underground, became the very fabric of the mainstream.
en.wikipedia.org...
The Thief's Code
Vors consider prisons their true home and have a saying 'The home for angels is heaven and the home for a Vor is prison.' According to Aleksandr Gurov, an expert on the Vory who headed the organized crime units of the Soviet Interior Ministry and the GRU, "unlike the Cosa Nostra the Vory have 'less rules, but more severe rules' [and the] members must have no ties to the government, meaning they cannot serve in the army or cooperate with officials while in prison. They must also have served several jail sentences before they can be considered. They also are not allowed to get married."[1]
Furthermore, according to Michael Schwirtz, "ethnicity has rarely determined whether someone can join the club, and today many members, even those active inside Russia, are from other post-Soviet countries such as Armenia, Ukraine, Georgia, or Chechnya, and are not ethnic Russians."[1]
Under the theoretical code of the vory,[2] a thief must:
Vory may not have emotions
Forsake his relatives: father, mother, brothers, sisters.
Not have a family of his own: no marriage, no children; this does not however, preclude him from having an unlimited number of women.
Never, under any circumstances, have a legitimate job or significant property (i.e. a house), no matter how much difficulty this brings; live only on money obtained through gambling or theft (the word 'theft' as used here describes any criminal activity considered 'legitimate' by the Vory), and rely on lower-level criminals for accommodation. For example, harming or molesting children is strongly frowned upon and may endanger a vor's status and could provoke a more brutal retaliation from one's comrades than from the police. A 'thief in law' is a leadership position (equivalent of General in the army) so direct participation in Arms smuggling and drug trafficking is incompatible with their high status since those crimes are a form of commerce. However receiving tribute from smugglers and drug-dealers or robbing and extorting them is a legitimate activity for a 'thief in law'.[citation needed]
Help other thieves: both by moral and material support, utilizing the commune of thieves.
Rule and arbitrate the criminal world and protect basic needs of criminals' and prisoners according to the extents and priorities set by the thieves' commune (typically in a given prison (prison cell)) or region when not imprisoned)
Keep secret information about the whereabouts of accomplices (i.e. dens, districts, hideouts, safe apartments, etc.).
In unavoidable situations (if a thief is under investigation or is arrested) to take the blame for someone else's crime; this buys the other person time to escape and remain free.[citation needed]
Demand an inquiry and judgement by a council of thieves to resolve disputes in the event of a conflict between oneself and other thieves, or between thieves.
If necessary, participate in such inquiries if called upon.
Punish any offending thief as decided by the judgement of the thieves council.[citation needed]
Not resist carrying out the decision of punishing the offending thief who is found guilty, with punishment determined by the thieves council.[citation needed]
Have good command of the thieves' slang called ("Fenya"), a distinct language spoken by hardcore criminals in Russia and understood by few outsiders. (An equivalent would be for members of the American Crips gang to say: 'Hook me wid da shank cuz' which translates to 'Give me the home-made knife'.)[3]).
Never gamble without being able to cover losses.
Be good at playing card games for money.
Teach the criminal way of life to youth with potential.
Have, if possible, informants from the rank and file of thieves.[citation needed]
Not to lose your reasoning abilities when drunk.
Have nothing to do with the authorities (particularly with the ITU, Correctional Labor Authority), not participate in public activities, nor join any community organizations.
Not to serve in the military or accept any weapons from the government or prison authority (police baton).
Make good on promises given to other thieves.
Never deny his Vor status directly. To the questions like 'Are you a Vor?' or 'Who are you in this life?',[4] Vor should always answer : "Yes (Vor)", even if it is asked by police and videotaped. The latter question phrase is ritual and video footage containing the answer commonly used by the Russian militsiya to illustrate vors arrests in the media.
Originally posted by Extant Taxon
OVN Blog: Save the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica:
Save the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica ! The Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica in Amsterdam is one of the most renowned international study collections for scholars of western esotericism, including freemasonry. Unfortunately, the library is under threat of closure and sale by a bank. The OVN Foundation supports the petition to save the library, online at: www.ipetitions.com.... Click on the link for more information on the issue. The petition is an initiative of the Chair for the History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents at the University of Amsterdam, whose students and scholars have been researching the collection of the BPH for more than 10 years. Thank you for your support!
I've never been there myself but it seems a damn worthy cause to save this living resource of the Western Esoteric Tradition.
Link to website of the library: Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica
Update Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica: core collection transferred
The Ministry of Culture of the Netherlands has transferred the core collection of the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica to the National Library in The Hague. Talks about the fate of the collection as a whole are ongoing. Meanwhile, the online petition to save the collection, initiated by experts in western esotericism at the University of Amsterdam, has been signed by more than 5500 students, researchers and other visitors in less than a month. You can still add your signature!