Customer Reviews

Secret Source: The Law of Attraction Is One of Seven Ancient Hermetic Laws: Here Are the Other Six

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The book The Secret Source might at first appear to be a outright criticism of the book The Secret or perhaps a book hoping to sell it's own brand of self help to confused consumers who mistake one title for the other but as good fortune would have it, it's neither. What The Secret Source offers is a highly detailed history of Prosperity Consciousness, the New Thought movement, Alchemy, Rosicrucianism, even Mesmerism and others and how they all can be traced back to Hermetic origins. It gets better though, the true story and recurring trend of Prosperity Consciousness doesn't exist in a historical bubble, the Secret Source shows the interlinked timeline of how it's Hermetic roots are bound within Christian, Judaic and Islamic history as well. The research in this book is highly detailed with all the major players, important texts, and movements laid out. The level of detail presented in this book is commendable and I'm sure in another life D'Aoust and Parfrey were detectives. One of the books strength is it's academic approach rather than being a self help book. Over 100 footnotes are present to site for anyone who would like to follow up with their own investigation. One criticism I would offer, though a very minor one at that, is that the order of some of the information in the early chapters seems to be not as well organized as it could have been for maximum comprehension. There is a lot of dense material to cover in the beginning of the book and for someone not completely acquainted with the subject there are a lot of names and connections to keep straight. Most chapters read like one major epiphany after the other. The authors make amazing connections and trace almost unbelievable timelines of major religious intrigue. I won't spoil it for the potential reader but I think one of my favorite things about this book is when it finally comes to the question of where do Hermetic Laws come from? Every great detective wants to peel away the layers of the onion but what happens when you get to the very last layer? What is the secret source of the secret source? It doesn't matter if you have never read The Secret to enjoy this book. You don't even have to know anything about hermeticism or the occult . Readers that like real life mysteries, history, religious study or anyone remotely curious about the self help trends they see in the media today can fully appreciate this book.

I appreciate honesty and clarity in books about wisdom, both esoteric and "common knowledge." Both D'Aoust and Parfrey provide that honesty here. I felt comfortable that what I was reading was like good journalism, presenting the facts with no bias, leaving me to digest what this information means to me in my particular search. I consider this one of my tools in my search for growth.

The book gives you a agreat history of Hermetic and New Thought, but doesn't really deal with the "other six" laws all that much. Still a very worthwhile read for the history of all we see around us today.

I won't try to add to Kiyoshi Nakazawa's review, which was a very accurate account of how I view the book. Now to the however part - the title basically makes the promise that the book would reveal the other Hermetic Laws. I found plenty of allusions and quotes from various books pertaining to these laws, but they were just that, either allusions to the laws by other authors (historic or current) or archaic statements saying "as above, so below".
The final chapter was the largest disappointment. Basically, I was hoping for some form of reference to the "other six laws", instead we are told that we lack the wisdom and omnipotence to have these laws presented to us. True in many ways, but oh so snobbish in this time of needed change.

Jon

This book was like candy for me. I spent years chasing down Hermetic sources to piece together a mental model of the Hermetic teachings, whereas if I'd found this comprehensive outline when I was a teenager, my research would have been cut out for me.

There are several caveats involved with this book. First of all, it's in need of revision for purely typographical reasons. Also the presentation is a bit scattershot; first it's historical, then thematic, then some admixture of the two with some loss of the thread along the way. And finally there is not a clear relationship drawn between the "Law of Attraction" and its corresponding Hermetic law, nor is there any original interpretation of what the actual meaning of the given Hermetic laws (per the Kybalion) actually mean.

However, please regard the fact that this book is perhaps the only simplified account of the relationships among Hermeticism, New Thought, and Jewish and Christian mysticism. As such it is a work that fills a niche of understanding that is crucial to both practitioners as well as dilettantes of these philosophies.

And the authors write with a sense of humor and candidness that is lacking in books of this subject. I laughed out loud when reading the depiction of Adam Kadmon as a "freakish superhero" of which the angels were jealous.

To be sure, "The Secret" and its concomitant materialism receives the solid thrashing it deserves. These principles are meant for spiritual evolution, not material comfort. Thanks, Maja and Adam!

"The secret source" will give the reader a background on the origins of new thought.; from mesmerists such as Phineaus Quimby; Mary Baker Eddy Christian Science Movement "Church of Christian Science", Emanuel Swendenborg as well as various Rosicrucian organizations and Hermetic brotherhoods. Which pretty much make up the secret. Which isn't a secret at all.

This book adeptly draws parallels between Hermes Trismegistus, Thoth, and Jesus the Christ. The section (five) on the Holy Hermetic Writings which entails teachings on the Emerald Tablet and Holy Grail (very interesting).

A very thought provoking book, which resonates on many different higher levels. It may very well come down to its cover, and judging the book by this alone (no pun intended). The third eye or the "Penal Gland" which is the key to it all.

What a beautiful book! Maja has coauthored a mind-opening history of the Hermetic Laws and presented powerful information in a concise and highly readable work. This book has tied in several questions I have had pertaining to the presence of the Hermetic Teachings in contemporary America.

This book has also lead me to discovering some amazing works that had been previously unknown to me. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is exploring the Law of Attraction, the history of esoteric philosophy, and to everyone who is seeking greater spiritual wisdom.

Thank You Maja & Adam!

Sure, the law of attraction is a Universal Law, but not "THE" law,
and Prosperity Consciousness is nothing new. And neither are without their dangers. The Secret Source traces the seven Hermetic Laws back to ancient Egypt and Greece, showing how they filtered through various religions and into the mainstream consciousness of our modern world. Maja DAoust and Adam Parfrey wade through my favorite cast of characters and themes, including but not limited to the Rosacrucians, the Freemasons, Mesmer, Hermes Trisgmegistus, Thoth, Enochian Magick, the Tetrgrammaton, and much more.

This book presents the actual texts and hidden stories behind the likes of the "Emerald Tablet," and "The Kybalion." The beliefs of the New Thought movement that have given generations of hopeful sustenance to health and wealth seekers throughout time are exposed through the works of Wallace Wattles, Napoleon Hill and the Carnegies.

Not be missed is the chapter entitled "Horny Angelic Beings". Now, before you too excited, I'll warn that you won't be reading a saucy account of Raphael getting it on with the Daughters of Man while the Nephilim videotape. Although personally I must admit I've always been a bit hot for arch angel Zadkiel and his abiltity toss my atomic salad, bringing my molecules into perfected frequency with his song of the violet flame. Sorry readers. I couldn't help myself. After all, Maja is the archetypal sexy librarian of the Philosophical Research Society. PRS and its' amazing library of esoteric manuscripts was founded by Manly P. Hall (sage and author of The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Reader's Edition)), and the society's main mission is to provide thoughtful persons rare access to the depth and breadth of the world's wisdom literature. Parfrey runs Process Media and Feral House, publisher of high-quality books on forbidden topics.

The book; "The Secret Source: The Law of Attraction is One of Seven Ancient Hermetic Laws: Here Are The Other Six" is a book that needed to be written.
I was delighted when I looked it over and found so many images and references that I had pored over as a child and young woman, seeking for a spiritual tradition that could be a counter to fundamentalist Christian dogma. There is a long tradition in the Western world that has existed for thousands of years and I have felt resentful at all the hype and marketing around "The Secret"--as if it is new-- and to treat it as if one person could discover it and market it as their own is an insult to the thousands of years that the Western Esoteric Tradition has been comforting and teaching and assisting people toward a truer life. This is an important and very delightful, timely, and wisely written book. Thank you to the authors for writing it.

This is an excellent book. The Secret is a dangerous book. This book will show you why.

Wishing you happiness.