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The House of Life - A School of Practical Hermetic Philosophy and Theurgy Welcome to The House of Life The House of Life is an Aquarian Mystery School dedicated to the service of humanity through the Ageless Wisdom enshrined in the Hermetic Tree of Life. As part of the Western esoteric tradition, the School offers a holistic philosophy of mind, body and spirit which serves to reconnect, reconstruct and renew the individual as a uniquely creative person gifted with innate spiritual qualities and inner wisdom. Although the school takes its name from the Egyptian, Per Ankh, The House of Life, we do not seek to replicate or reproduce an authentic Ancient Egyptian spirituality; there are other Khemetic groups who have undertaken this task with considerable devotion. Instead we draw upon Ancient Egypt as an example of a holistic philosophy and mystical spirituality. Moreover Egypt can be seen as the bedrock of the Western Mystery Tradition through its Platonic, Neo Platonic and Pythagorean influence. The Corpus Hermeticum which revolutionised the intellectual and spiritual climate of fifteenth century Europe was compiled in the first three centuries AD around Alexandria and it clearly draws upon older Egyptian Mystery traditions.
The School uses the Tree of Life to provide an initiatory journey based on three stages of engagement:
Entry into the Mysteries through the Lesser Mysteries
Entry into the priesthood through the Greater Mysteries
Entry into Mystery through the Supreme Mysteries Although the Tree of Life is clearly not Egyptian in form, its method namely the revelatory use of symbols is clearly in harmony with Egyptian consciousness.The Tree of Life serves to inculcate esoteric method: realisation through meditation, the incubation of symbolism, dynamic self-initiation and the rebirth of a new consciousness. Its threefold structure provides the template for a personal journey of reconstruction. Beginning with the Lesser Mysteries, represented in our School by the hieroglyph for house,  the student undertakes the personal process of connecting the intellect (Hod), the creative imagination (Netzach), the personal subconscious (Yesod) and the physical body (Malkuth). This journey commences the work of personal psychotherapy which is directed towards healing the soul and establishes the foundation for engagement in the Greater Mysteries. The emptiness of the hieroglyphic sign for 'house' which represents this phase of the journey signifies the process of personal reconstruction which is required to build the House of the Mysteries. During this period of dynamic gestation, the student undertakes a personal Rite of Rebirth and through the unfolding of self seeks to find the Deity of the Heart. The essential work of the Lesser Mysteries begins the process of regenerating the personality as a vehicle for transpersonal energies. This can only be fully accomplished through the generation of sincere motivation and the aspiration to seek a personal path of service. The Greater Mysteries are represented by the same hieroglyph Per with the addtion of a hieroglyph to represent the presence of the chosen heart deity. This indicates that the student has formed a living relationship with one among the neteru. Through this bond the student becomes closely identified with a god or goddess and takes on the role of priest or priestess to the deity of their heart. This phase is characterised by spiritual flowering in service and creativity.
The Supreme Mysteries are represented by the hieroglyph for the Per Ankh  ; the student is now identified with a transpersonal consciousness. It is here within the Per Ankh that mystical consciousness arises and at this level the School takes on a deeper engagement with Ancient Egyptian spirituality.
It is not our aim to produce armchair occultists who can recite lists of correspondences and wish to follow in the footsteps of a favoured magical personage. Nor is it our aim to fill the student with ‘magical’ practices which initiate only into a specific system and ultimately serve to produce a sense of separation from the wider community. Our aim at all times is to engender a sense of connection and integration with the inner self that links us with the wider context of the world today. The Hermetic tradition with which we have aligned ourselves has always served as a positive catalyst within society; gnosis gives rise to practical results, the keyword is service not self-aggrandisement or esoteric self-indulgence. The instructional material given by the school serves to engage and connect the intellect, the intuition and the imagination. These are the three vital aspects of gnosis. Together meditation, ceremony and study stimulate the intellect, feed the imagination and awaken the intuition thereby opening the heart, the place of soul service. The House of Life seeks to awaken and enhance Life, Consciousness and Creativity. All students are known as Companions.
Fees for The Companion Papers 2008 are currently as follows: The Lesser Mysteries - £67.50 The Greaster Mysteries - £67.50 The Supreme Mysteries - £67.50 all payments may be made via Paypal - Make Payments to
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 For more information see Invitation to The House of Life. For the latest news go here. |
