Contents
Anna Kingsford was an extraordinary 19th Century woman.
She was one of the first women in Britain to become a medical doctor, edited a feminist newspaper, and served as president of the Theosophical Society.
She knew Helena P. Blatavsky, Eliphas Levi, and many other primary figures in Occult and Esoteric circles of the time.
She was a principled vegetarian and anti-vivisectionist, and opposed foxhunting.
She was considered one of the inspirations for the Golden Dawn, a ritual magic secret society which was one of the sources of modern neo-paganism, although she did not live to join it.
In particular, the equality of the sexes in the Golden Dawn is acknowledged as her contribution.
Anna Kingsford claimed to be in contact with fairies as a child.
As an adult she had channeled visions, both waking and in lucid dreams, in which she tapped esoteric knowledge imparted by angelic beings, travelled in time, and witnessed shamanistic visions of a vast cosmos alive at every scale of creation.
These 'illuminations', as she called them, were exhausting and sometimes terrifying.
Her close collaborator Edward Maitland worked with Kingsford to record her illuminations in this book, published after her death.
Much of the channeled and revealed literature of the 19th Century is surreal fantasy, invented pseudo-histories, or pure free-association.
By contrast, Anna Kingsford's illuminations are consistent, coherent, and display a deep understanding of occult traditions.
Her theology could be described as Gnostic Christian Polytheist.
She had a radical feminist viewpoint which seems fresh even today, one in which a Goddess figure, the 'Sophia' of the Essenes, Gnostics and early Christians has a central role:
For the woman is the crown of man, and the final manifestation of humanity.
She is the nearest to the throne of God, when she shall be revealed.
But the creation of woman is not yet complete: but it shall be complete in the time which is at hand.
All things are thine, O Mother of God: all things are thine, O Thou who risest from the sea; and Thou shalt have dominion over all the worlds.
Kingsford was chronically ill her entire life; she died of complications from pneumonia at the early age of 42, on February 22nd 1888.
Title Page
Table Of Contents
Preface To The Second Edition
Preface To The First Edition
Part The First: Illuminations
Part The First: Illuminations
No. I: Concerning The Three Veils Between Man And God
No. II: Concerning Inspiration and Prophesying
No. III: Concerning The Prophecy Of The Immaculate Conception
No. IV: Concerning Revelation
No. V: Concerning The Interpretation Of The Mystical Scriptures
No. VI: Concerning The Mosaic Cosmogony
No. VII: Concerning The Fall
No. VIII: Concerning The Prophecy Of The Deluge
No. IX: Concerning the Prophecy of the Book of Esther
No. X: Concerning The Prophecy Of The Vision Of Nebuchadnezzar
No. XI: Concerning The Prophecy Of The Time Of The End
No. XII: Concerning The Soul: Its Origin, Nature, And Potentialities
No. XIII: Concerning Persephone, Or The Soul's Descent Into Matter
No. XIV: Concerning The Genius Or Daimon
No. XV: Concerning The 'Powers Of The Air'
No. XVI: Concerning The Devil And Devils
No. XVII: Concerning The Gods
No. XVIII: Concerning The Greek Mysteries
No. XIX: Concerning The Origin Of Evil, And The Tree As The Type Of Creation
No. XX: Concerning The Great Pyramid, And The Initiations Therein
No. XXI: Concerning The 'Man Of Power'
No. XXII: Concerning The 'Work Of Power'
No. XXIII: Concerning Regeneration
No. XXIV: Concerning The Man Regenerate
No. XXV: Concerning The Christ And The Logos
No. XXVI: Concerning The Perfectionment Of The Christ
No. XXVII: Concerning Christian Pantheism
No. XXVIII: Concerning The 'Blood Of Christ'
No. XXIX: Concerning Vicarious Atonement
No. XXX: Concerning Paul And The Disciples Of Jesus
No. XXXI: Concerning The Manichanism Of Paul
No. XXXII: Concerning The Gospels: Their Origin And Composition
No. XXXIII: Concerning The Actual Jesus
No. XXXIV: Concerning The Previous Lives Of Jesus
No. XXXV: Concerning The Holy Family
No. XXXVI: Concerning The Metempsychosis Or Avatr
No. XXXVII: Concerning The on of the Christ
No. Xxxviii: Concerning The Doctrine Of Grace
No. XXXIX: Concerning The 'Four Atmospheres'
No. XL: Concerning The Hereafter
No. XLI: Concerning The True Ego
No. XLII: Concerning God
No. XLIII: Concerning Psyche, Or The Superior Human Soul
No. XLIV: Concerning The Poet, As Type Of The Heavenly Personality
No. XLV: Concerning Psyche
No. XLVI: Concerning Consciousness And Memory In Relation To Personality
No. XLVII: Concerning The Substantial Ego As The True Subject
No. XLVIII: Concerning The Christian Mysteries
No. XLIX: Concerning Dying
No. L: Concerning The One Life: Being A Recapitulation
Part The Second: The Book Of The Mysteries Of God
Part The Second: The Book of the Mysteries of God
'I AM'
No. I: The Credo
No. II: The 'Lord's Prayer'
No. III: Concerning Holy Writ
No. IV: Concerning Sin And Death
No. V: Concerning The 'Great Work,' The Redemption, And The Share Of Christ Jesus Therein
No. VI: Concerning Original Being; Or, 'Before The Beginning'
No. VII: Alpha, Or 'In The Beginning'
No. VIII: Beta, Or Adonai, The Manifestor
No. IX: Gamma, Or The Mystery Of Redemption
No. X: Delta, Or The Mystery Of Generation
No. XI: Epsilon, Or The First Of The Gods
No. XII: Zeta, Or The Second Of The Gods
No. XIII: Eta, Or (mystically) The Third Of The Gods
No. XIV: Theta, Or (mystically) The Fourth Of The Gods
No. XV: Lambda, Or The Last Of The Gods; Being The Secret Of Satan
No. XVI: The Seven Spirits Of God And Their Correspondences
No. XVII: The Mysteries Of The Kingdoms Of The Seven Spheres
Part The Third: Concerning The Divine Image Or The Vision Of Adonai
Part The Third: Concerning The Divine Image Or The Vision Of Adonai
Appendix
Appendix
She was one of the first women in Britain to become a medical doctor, edited a feminist newspaper, and served as president of the Theosophical Society.
She knew Helena P. Blatavsky, Eliphas Levi, and many other primary figures in Occult and Esoteric circles of the time.
She was a principled vegetarian and anti-vivisectionist, and opposed foxhunting.
She was considered one of the inspirations for the Golden Dawn, a ritual magic secret society which was one of the sources of modern neo-paganism, although she did not live to join it.
In particular, the equality of the sexes in the Golden Dawn is acknowledged as her contribution.
Anna Kingsford claimed to be in contact with fairies as a child.
As an adult she had channeled visions, both waking and in lucid dreams, in which she tapped esoteric knowledge imparted by angelic beings, travelled in time, and witnessed shamanistic visions of a vast cosmos alive at every scale of creation.
These 'illuminations', as she called them, were exhausting and sometimes terrifying.
Her close collaborator Edward Maitland worked with Kingsford to record her illuminations in this book, published after her death.
Much of the channeled and revealed literature of the 19th Century is surreal fantasy, invented pseudo-histories, or pure free-association.
By contrast, Anna Kingsford's illuminations are consistent, coherent, and display a deep understanding of occult traditions.
Her theology could be described as Gnostic Christian Polytheist.
She had a radical feminist viewpoint which seems fresh even today, one in which a Goddess figure, the 'Sophia' of the Essenes, Gnostics and early Christians has a central role:
For the woman is the crown of man, and the final manifestation of humanity.
She is the nearest to the throne of God, when she shall be revealed.
But the creation of woman is not yet complete: but it shall be complete in the time which is at hand.
All things are thine, O Mother of God: all things are thine, O Thou who risest from the sea; and Thou shalt have dominion over all the worlds.
Kingsford was chronically ill her entire life; she died of complications from pneumonia at the early age of 42, on February 22nd 1888.
Title Page
Table Of Contents
Preface To The Second Edition
Preface To The First Edition
Part The First: Illuminations
Part The First: Illuminations
No. I: Concerning The Three Veils Between Man And God
No. II: Concerning Inspiration and Prophesying
No. III: Concerning The Prophecy Of The Immaculate Conception
No. IV: Concerning Revelation
No. V: Concerning The Interpretation Of The Mystical Scriptures
No. VI: Concerning The Mosaic Cosmogony
No. VII: Concerning The Fall
No. VIII: Concerning The Prophecy Of The Deluge
No. IX: Concerning the Prophecy of the Book of Esther
No. X: Concerning The Prophecy Of The Vision Of Nebuchadnezzar
No. XI: Concerning The Prophecy Of The Time Of The End
No. XII: Concerning The Soul: Its Origin, Nature, And Potentialities
No. XIII: Concerning Persephone, Or The Soul's Descent Into Matter
No. XIV: Concerning The Genius Or Daimon
No. XV: Concerning The 'Powers Of The Air'
No. XVI: Concerning The Devil And Devils
No. XVII: Concerning The Gods
No. XVIII: Concerning The Greek Mysteries
No. XIX: Concerning The Origin Of Evil, And The Tree As The Type Of Creation
No. XX: Concerning The Great Pyramid, And The Initiations Therein
No. XXI: Concerning The 'Man Of Power'
No. XXII: Concerning The 'Work Of Power'
No. XXIII: Concerning Regeneration
No. XXIV: Concerning The Man Regenerate
No. XXV: Concerning The Christ And The Logos
No. XXVI: Concerning The Perfectionment Of The Christ
No. XXVII: Concerning Christian Pantheism
No. XXVIII: Concerning The 'Blood Of Christ'
No. XXIX: Concerning Vicarious Atonement
No. XXX: Concerning Paul And The Disciples Of Jesus
No. XXXI: Concerning The Manichanism Of Paul
No. XXXII: Concerning The Gospels: Their Origin And Composition
No. XXXIII: Concerning The Actual Jesus
No. XXXIV: Concerning The Previous Lives Of Jesus
No. XXXV: Concerning The Holy Family
No. XXXVI: Concerning The Metempsychosis Or Avatr
No. XXXVII: Concerning The on of the Christ
No. Xxxviii: Concerning The Doctrine Of Grace
No. XXXIX: Concerning The 'Four Atmospheres'
No. XL: Concerning The Hereafter
No. XLI: Concerning The True Ego
No. XLII: Concerning God
No. XLIII: Concerning Psyche, Or The Superior Human Soul
No. XLIV: Concerning The Poet, As Type Of The Heavenly Personality
No. XLV: Concerning Psyche
No. XLVI: Concerning Consciousness And Memory In Relation To Personality
No. XLVII: Concerning The Substantial Ego As The True Subject
No. XLVIII: Concerning The Christian Mysteries
No. XLIX: Concerning Dying
No. L: Concerning The One Life: Being A Recapitulation
Part The Second: The Book Of The Mysteries Of God
Part The Second: The Book of the Mysteries of God
'I AM'
No. I: The Credo
No. II: The 'Lord's Prayer'
No. III: Concerning Holy Writ
No. IV: Concerning Sin And Death
No. V: Concerning The 'Great Work,' The Redemption, And The Share Of Christ Jesus Therein
No. VI: Concerning Original Being; Or, 'Before The Beginning'
No. VII: Alpha, Or 'In The Beginning'
No. VIII: Beta, Or Adonai, The Manifestor
No. IX: Gamma, Or The Mystery Of Redemption
No. X: Delta, Or The Mystery Of Generation
No. XI: Epsilon, Or The First Of The Gods
No. XII: Zeta, Or The Second Of The Gods
No. XIII: Eta, Or (mystically) The Third Of The Gods
No. XIV: Theta, Or (mystically) The Fourth Of The Gods
No. XV: Lambda, Or The Last Of The Gods; Being The Secret Of Satan
No. XVI: The Seven Spirits Of God And Their Correspondences
No. XVII: The Mysteries Of The Kingdoms Of The Seven Spheres
Part The Third: Concerning The Divine Image Or The Vision Of Adonai
Part The Third: Concerning The Divine Image Or The Vision Of Adonai
Appendix
Appendix
