Our References
Here you'll find the books and authors that have inspired our study and development.
Symbolism & the Esoteric
"A feat of scholarship, an act of the imagination, and a tool for contemplation, as well as a work of literature, a reference book that is as indispensable as it is brilliant and learned. Cirlot was a composer, a poet, an art critic, and a champion of modern art whose interest in surrealism helped to bring him the study of symbolism..."
knowthyself.org
Daniel P. & Eduardo M.
"Know Thyself is dedicated to the exploration of the most rewarding task an individual can ever embark on:
The journey to find one's Self."
We learned of this Podcast while researching The Planets. Daniel & Eduardo introduced us to Alice Bailey, and many other helpful resources. This Podcast has become a foundational library within our study of the esoteric.
The 12 Labours of Hercules
Alice A. Bailey
Alice Bailey's The Labours of Hercules is a profound exploration of human growth and spiritual evolution, using the myth of Hercules' twelve labors as an allegory for the soul's journey. The book delves into the symbolic challenges we face in life, offering insights into personal transformation and the pursuit of wisdom. Bailey masterfully connects the ancient tale with astrological and psychological themes, providing readers with a deeper understanding of their own paths.
For anyone seeking inspiration, self-awareness, or a fresh lens through which to view life’s trials and triumphs, this book offers timeless guidance and meaning.
The Secret Teachings of All Ages
Manly P. Hall
This tome, first published in 1928 by a then-27 year old Manly P. Hall, compiles vast "esoteric" or hidden knowledge, religious orders, and other alternative history that helps paint a wider understanding of the forces that shape our current culture and our inherited symbolism. - Whether any of it is true is up to you to determine yet we deem the book worth reading as it offers an unparalleled guide into insights on philosophy, mysticism, and esoteric teaching. This book encourages us to look beyond materialism and to seek truth. Which we like : )
Treat this book like an encyclopedia, take only what is useful.
Recommended Reads
The Four Agreements
Don Miguel Ruiz
Book
The Four Agreements are a philosophy & code of conduct derived from Toltec wisdom and shared by Don Miguel Ruiz that promote personal freedom and happiness by adhering to four principles. These agreements are: Be Impeccable With Your Word, which emphasizes using your words with integrity and avoiding gossip; Don't Take Anything Personally, recognizing that others' actions are reflections of themselves, not you; Don't Make Assumptions, choosing to ask questions and seek truth rather than making assumptions that lead to conflict; and Always Do Your Best, accepting that "your best" can vary daily yet consistently giving your best effort . These principles can help us improve our relationships to life.
The Hero's Journey
Joseph Campbell
Author
Joseph Campbell's central theory is the monomyth, or Hero's Journey, which proposes a universal narrative pattern found across global myths and stories. This pattern, detailed in The Hero with a Thousand Faces, involves a hero embarking on an adventure in a world of supernatural wonder, facing trials to achieve a decisive victory, and then returning to their ordinary world with newfound gifts. The journey is structured in three main stages: Departure, Initiation, and Return, reflecting spiritual and psychological growth.
The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper
Roland Allen
Book
" We see notebooks everywhere we go. But where did these indispensable implements come from? How did they revolutionize our lives? And how can using a notebook help change the way you think? In this wide-ranging history, Roland Allen reveals how the notebook became our most dependable and versatile tool for creative thinking. He tells the notebook stories of Leonardo and Frida Kahlo, Isaac Newton and Marie Curie, and writers from Chaucer to Henry James; shows how Darwin developed his theory of evolution in tiny pocket books and Agatha Christie plotted a hundred murders in scrappy exercise books; and introduces a host of cooks, kings, sailors, fishermen, musicians, engineers, politicians, adventurers, and mathematicians, all of whom used their notebooks as a space to think and in doing so, shaped the modern world." - Amazon Books
Building a Second Brain
Tiago Forte
Book
Forte's process and methods for digital organization are ripe for utilization and for our customization. This book came out in 2022 as we were beginning our own advocacy for personal organization and creative expression, and so it inspired ÓS from an organizational point of view. The book highlights the modern overwhelm of information and offers a method for processing it: C.O.D.E or Capture - Organize, Distill, and Express.
The Book of Awakening
Mark Nepo
Book
The Book of Awakening was introduced to us through our friend Billy Lee Myers whom would bring it with him to read aloud during our morning coffee conversations. The Book of Awakening has a reading for each day of the year; a mix of reflective wisdom, poetry, and the experience of Mark Nepo's personal treatment for Cancer. Each days reading would inspire us on the themes being presented and reminded us consistently how each experience in life has something to teach us.
Original Sin is a Lie
Bob Peck
Book
Our friend Bob Peck wrote this favorite book of ours titled Original Sin is a Lie. "Because it is" he would say, and we would agree. When we first read this book we were inspired to share passages with our family which lead to our happy involvement in the Spanish translation. This book reminds us of the true teaching of Christ as a beautiful message of compassion. Bobs shares the historical context alongside his life's experiences, learning how spirituality is often better found in the warm welcome of a stranger than in institution's or dogmatic belief's. This book is a helpful tool for resolving our own negative experiences with religion, or at least laugh with Bob about it along the way.
How to Change your Mind
Michael Pollan
Book
"A unique and elegant blend of science, memoir, travel writing, history, and medicine, How to Change Your Mind is a triumph of participatory journalism. By turns dazzling and edifying, it is the gripping account of a journey to an exciting and unexpected new frontier in our understanding of the mind, the self, and our place in the world. The true subject of Pollan's "mental travelogue" is not just psychedelic drugs but also the eternal puzzle of human consciousness and how, in a world that offers us both suffering and joy, we can do our best to be fully present and find meaning in our lives." - AB
Bablylonian Star-Lore
Gavin White
Book
"This book presents the idea that the constellation figures as a whole amount to a 'pictorial calendar' that integrates various seasonal festivals - concerned with the mythic life-cycle of the sun, the farming and herding year, the institution of kingship and various rites directed towards the dead - into an elegant system that ultimately represents an archaic image of time itself."