Showing results by narrator "Matthew Schmitz" in All Categories

One of the best-known Arthurian stories—adapted many times into verse, prose, games, and film. It recounts an adventure undertaken by King Arthur’s famous nephew, Sir Gawain, who is brave and the model of knightly grace. When a mysterious knight in green armor issues a challenge to the Round Table, the gallant Gawain volunteers to do battle for his king, beginning an adventure that explores chivalric tradition, loyalty, and the virtue of forgiveness, as well as alchemical symbolism and the psychological process of individuation.

Brought to you by Altrusian Grace Media and narrated by Matthew Schmitz."Kīmīyā-yi Sa'ādat, English: The Alchemy of Happiness/Contentment, is a book written by Abū Ḥāmid Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad al-Ghazālī, a Persian theologian, philosopher, and prolific Muslim author, often regarded as one of the greatest systematic thinkers and mystics of Islam, in Persian. The Kimiya-yi Sa'ādat was written towards the end of his life shortly before 499 AH/1105 AD.

Manly Palmer Hall (18 March 1901 – 29 August 1990) was a Canadian author, lecturer, astrologer, mystic and Freemason. Over his 70-year career he gave thousands of lectures and published over 150 volumes, of which the best known is The Secret Teachings of All Ages (1928). In 1934 he founded the Philosophical Research Society in Los Angeles. The Initiates Of The Flame - Few realize that even at the present stage of civilization in this world, there are souls who, like the priests of the ancient temples, walk the earth and watch and guard the sacred fires that burn upon the altar of humanity.

The Way of Initiation, by Rudolf Steiner, is a profound exploration of the spiritual path towards self-knowledge and initiation. In this book, Steiner provides a practical guide to spiritual development, drawing upon various esoteric traditions and offering detailed descriptions of the stages of initiation. He emphasizes the importance of cultivating a deep inner life, developing a strong moral character, and engaging in practical service to others as an integral part of the spiritual path.

Along with Aleister Crowley, Madame Blavatsky, and George Gurdjieff, P. D. Ouspensky (1878-1947) was one of the most important and influential figures in the occult movement of the 20th century. His book on the tarot has remained practically unknown since its initial publication in Russia in 1913. Yet, it is an important work presenting a general introduction and Ouspensky’s insights on the 22 cards of the Greater Arcana.

The Ten Principal Upanishads is a version of the Upanishads translated by Irish-poet W. B. Yeats and the Indian-born mendicant-teacher Shri Purohit Swami. The translation process occurred between the two authors throughout the 1930s, where the book was published in 1938. It is one of the final works of W. B. Yeats.

In this controversial book, Kersey Graves presents a historical and comparative analysis of the concept of Satan in various religious traditions. The book explores the origins of the devil figure, tracing its roots in ancient mythologies and religious beliefs. "The Biography of Satan" challenges conventional religious interpretations and sheds light on the diverse and evolving perceptions of evil and temptation throughout human history.

The Frost-Giant’s Daughter, written by Robert E. Howard in 1932, is one of the earliest tales of Conan the Barbarian, set in the mythical Hyborian Age. Originally rejected by Weird Tales magazine during Howard’s lifetime, the story was later published posthumously in 1953 in The Coming of Conan. This tale stands out for its dreamlike quality, blending raw, brutal action with haunting, mythic beauty.

When Dion Fortune wrote Aspects of Occultism, "occultism" was an umbrella word used to describe hidden lore, secret traditions, and arcane knowledge. Today, when the word "occult" is often confused for "cult," and all its negative aspects, Fortune's essays would be better referred to as "esoteric studies."

The Mirror of Alchemy is a short alchemical manual, known in Latin as Speculum Alchemiae. Translated in 1597, it was only the second alchemical text printed in the English language. Long ascribed to Roger Bacon, the work is more likely the product of an anonymous author who wrote between the 13th and the 15th centuries.

Brought to you by Altrusian Grace Media and narrated by Matthew Schmitz. The Madman: His Parables and Poems" by Kahlil Gibran is a poetic collection that delves into profound themes of identity, existence, and the nature of humanity, characteristic of Gibran's literary style in the early 20th century. This work reflects a philosophical exploration of the human condition through parables and poems, imbuing them with spiritual and metaphysical insights. Written during the early modern period, the book brings a unique blend of mystical thought and artistic expression.

Brought to you by Altrusian Grace Media and narrated by Matthew Schmitz. "Applied Magic is a selection of Dion Fortune's writings on the practical applications of magical and esoteric techniques. Everyone has the ability to access the invisible planes of existence a whole kingdom of mind and spirit which cannot be perceived with the physical senses.

Frank Hamel's Human Animals (published in 1915) is an infamous and classic treatise on the mythology and the evidence of hybrid humans. This was one of the first popular works on cryptozoology, and a primer for those interested in the many stories and accounts of lycanthropy and other strange evolutionary paradoxes.

Nostradamus’s The Prophecies presents hundreds of tightly compressed quatrains that fracture time and history into symbolic glimpses of upheaval, power, and ruin. The work avoids narrative order; instead it disperses images of kings, empires, celestial disturbances, plagues, and wars across a fog of allegory, where each vision feels suspended between history and imagination. The language is deliberately opaque—layered with astrological references, classical allusions, and oblique metaphors—forcing the listener to navigate a shifting terrain of potential meanings rather than fixed predictions.

Meditations is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from AD 161 to 180, recording his private notes to himself and ideas on Stoic philosophy. Marcus Aurelius wrote the 12 books of the Meditations in Koine Greek as a source for his own guidance and self-improvement. It is possible that large portions of the work were written at Sirmium, where he spent much time planning military campaigns from 170 to 180.

G. R. S. Mead has issued a translation of the whole body of extant literature, with extended prolegomena, commentary, etc. There is a wide difference of opinion as to the date at which this literature was produced. Mead believes that some of the extant portions of it are at least as early as the earliest Christian writings, while von Christ assigns them to the third Christian century. To affirm that they influenced New Testament usage would be hazardous, but they perhaps throw some light on the direction in which thought was moving in New Testament times.

Neville Goddard’s *The Creative Use of Imagination* presents imagination as the central creative principle in life, emphasizing that every external condition originates in the unseen images held within the mind. He argues that imagination is not fantasy or idle daydreaming, but a disciplined act of inner vision that shapes destiny. The book positions imagination as the very power of God working through the individual, making one’s inner world the blueprint for all external experience.

In the same way, to reach one's khudi or rooh, one needs to go through multiple stages which Iqbal himself went through, a spiritual path which he encourages others to travel. He notes that not all seeds reach the level of fragrance. Many die along the way, incomplete. In the same way, few people could climb this Mount Everest of spirituality—most get consumed along the way by materialism.

Dion Fortune is acknowledged as one of the most knowledgeable and level-headed writers on esoteric matters. In Sane Occultism, she is adamant that magic and occult studies, though often dealing with unseen forces, must still be grounded in reason, and she explains how claims of psychic ability and past lives can, and should, be verified. The book covers a vast swath of topics, from meditation and psychism, through numerology and astrology, to such "black" occult practices as psychic vampirism, blood sacrifice, and other aspects of the Left-Hand Path.

Brought to you by Altrusian Grace Media and narrated by Matthew Schmitz. Sanai's book, The Enclosed Garden of the Truth, a treatise on God and the seekers journey to Him, forms one part of three highly influential early Sufi works. The others being Attar's Conference of the Birds and Rumi's Masnavi. Sanai's work is considered to be the first to use poetry to express religious, spiritual and mystical ideas. Rumi acknowledges both Sanai and Attar as having a major influence on his own poetry and stated 'Attar is the soul and Sanai the two eyes'.