Transcending into the realm of inner being

MYSTIC MEANS

Trisha Bhattacharya takes a look at various esoteric arts which are increasingly resorted to by people in a stress-filled world.  

Mostly confined to, and understood by an aware inner circle, esoteric arts, provide an access to the mysterious workings of the universe. These esoteric arts, by the use of mystic divinities or symbols, represented on various surfaces; by ritualistic effectuation; and by the practice of certain religious philosophies, act as a conduit between the practical and the spiritual, between materialism and the realm-beyond-materialism.

Fortune telling and its four popular forms, astrology, tarot reading, palm reading and rune reading, find themselves in the clique of disciplines, which make up this pyramid of esoteric arts. Oracle Reading, Wicca, Theurgy, Kabbalah are a few other faces to this polyhedron, in addition to several others. The following passages reveal the essence of some these arts to us.

Interpreting birth charts based on an individual’s birth time, date and place, is the art of astrology. These interpretations are pointers to the characteristics of the person, as well as to some of the events that have or may come to pass in their life. These predictions are gauged by the study of the position of planets, the sun and the moon, during the birth of the person.

Reading selected cards based on specific spreads (layout of cards), from a combination of four suits, chiefly the hearts, cups, swords and pentacles, is known as tarot reading.

These suits, in fact fork into a further segregation of two, the major arcana and the minor arcana, which aide the reader in interpretations, foretelling, and in finding answers to questions the querent may have.

Another form of prophecy similar to tarot reading is Oracle reading. Oracle cards, unlike tarots cards, are theme based, and find expression, based on the maker’s own imagination, the interpreter’s perception and the rendering of the meaning of card spreads. Tarot cards on the other hand, have boundaries, because the number of cards and the divisions are marked, and strictly followed.

Predictions, off the palms of individuals make up the art of palm reading. The life line, the head, the heart and the fate line are some of the major lines on the palms of all individuals. Palmists, judge the happenings in the life of a person, by reading these lines. From the surface of palms, emanate narratives that sometimes are known to be telling of a person’s exact state of mind.

Markings with a magical significance, making an appearance as, engravings or paintings on a number of stones, and other surfaces like glass, and wood, enable the art of rune reading. These markings or runes are characters from an ancient Germanic alphabet. In rune readings, casts are spread that predict paths for individuals to follow, instead of fixed future predictions. Runes are sometimes used for protection and magic.

White magic done with the help of divine forces like angels and saints is theurgy. A magical science and art developed by the disciples of Neo-Platonism in Alexandria, it aims at engendering effects by the intercession of supernatural powers, initiated by the practice of ceremonies and rituals. The purpose of this art originally was to cleanse the lower aspects of the self to achieve higher levels of perfection.

A modern pagan religion and an esoteric art, Wicca, make use of various symbols and signs for achieving their objectives of spreading healing, harmony, creativity and love.
The horned god and the moon goddess are the two main deities in Wicca. Nature and its elements, cycles of nature, lunar phases and the seasons, are important to the practice of this religion. Wiccans believe that their path is not the only path to spirituality, but one of many, and hence, they believe in harming no one.

An ancient Jewish tradition and wisdom, Kabbalah, holds that the universe was created by emanations that came from God. Being undogmatic in nature, it can be practiced along with one’s own religion, offering one profound perceptions into the essence of God, thus, helping one understand the structure of creation, and finding fulfillment henceforth.
Through this communion with the spiritual, esoteric arts, allow one to rise above the humdrum, and aim at transcendence.

Learning these arts can thus, bring about an emotional, mental and spiritual change in an individual’s life, by presenting to them, an improved clarity on the significance of their own presence in the cosmos, and the result of the mechanics-of-the-macrocosm on their lives.

Learned masters of these arts, with years of expertise behind them, are the right channels, to bring about dissemination of knowledge to the student.

Then there are platforms and teachers, who without in-depth knowledge of these arts; conduct classes, for earning money. Such gateways of learning should be avoided. An appropriate master, a true adherent of the art, does not only teach for monetary benefits, but also because they are pure hearted and have grasped the intricacies, and the nature in which these arts can bring about positive change.

Selective universities and institutes across the world hold as units, the study of some of these esoteric arts; these arts are also taught in small certified classes, online and otherwise, the world over. Learning these sacred art forms, without first understanding the consequences-resulting- out-of-practice, is incorrect. Knowing their drawbacks, if any, is therefore, beneficent for the student in the long run. The efficacy of these arts deserve exaltation, only if they and their practitioners bring about healing, harmony, positivity, personal development, without causing harm to anyone.