The 2013 digitization of the vast Hartlib Papers archive highlighted the pressing need for a comprehensive modern study of Samuel Hartlib (1600–1662), a central figure in seventeenth-century intellectual life. Though educated in Eastern Europe, Hartlib spent his adult life in London, where he became a prolific correspondent and chronicler. His Ephemerides, spanning 1634 to 1660, and his extensive correspondence with leading thinkers across Britain and Protestant Europe offer an unparallele...

The alchemist and physician known as Paracelsus (1493–1541) appears to have dwelt in a completely different intellectual world from Sir Isaac Newton (1642–1727). Newton's work lies in the lofty era of the Enlightenment and the modern world, while that of the enigmatic Paracelsus conjures up the superstitious lore of the Dark Ages. The rise of science and the decline of magic unfolded over many generations, and as this fascinating book shows, there existed remarkable elements of continuity ...

It is difficult to say anything on the question of prayer that would be universally applicable, because there are such very different kinds of prayer and they are addressed to beings who differ very widely in evolution.... -Charles Webster Leadbeater  was an influential member of the Theosophical Society, author on occult subjects and co-initiator with J. I. Wedgwood of the Liberal Catholic Church. Originally a priest of the Church of...

The devas are a mighty kingdom of spirits, the next above humanity, just in the same way as the animal kingdom is the next one below it. You may think of them as great and glorious angels, but of course they are of many different kinds, and different degrees of evolution. None of them are so low down as to have physical bodies such as we have.  Charles Webster Leadbeater was an influential member of the Theosophical Society, author on occult subjects and co-init...

We must distinguish carefully between obsession and insanity. The latter is a break in the connection between the ego and his vehicles, while the former is the ousting of the ego by some other entity. Only a weak ego would permit obsession an ego, I mean, who had not much hold upon his vehicles. It is not as a rule true that children are more easily obsessed than adults, because though it is true that the hold of the ego upon its bodies is less strong in childhood, it is also true that the...

In this classic work of clairvoyant investigation first published in 1913, Charles Leadbeater reveals those hidden aspects of the physical world that, once seen, imbue life with greater significance, happiness, and meaning. Normally glimpsed by only a few, these hidden realms consist of the fourth dimension, the higher world, and the plan and purpose of existence. Leadbeater shows how all three influence our daily lives, in a remarkable work of exploration that can be enjoyed by anyone who...

You ask what is the cause of sleep-walking...

Symbology is a very interesting study. To a certain type of mind everything expresses itself in symbols, and to some people they are of the greatest possible help...-Charles Webster Leadbeater was an influential member of the Theosophical Society, author on occult subjects and co-initiator with J. I. Wedgwood of the Liberal Catholic Church.Originally a priest of the Church of England, his interest inspiritualism caused him to end his affiliation with Anglicanism in favour o...

Much of the matter of the astral body is vivified by elemental essence, which is cut off for the time being from the general mass which belongs to the plane, and becomes the man's expression on that plane. This is a living, though not an intelligent essence...

In "Clairvoyance," Charles Webster Leadbeater presents a comprehensive exploration of the theme of spiritual perception through the lens of Theosophy, weaving together philosophical insights, firsthand experiences, and practical guidance. Leadbeater employs a lucid and evocative style that engages readers while introducing complex concepts of astral travel, psychic abilities, and the role of intuition in human experience. This work not only sits firmly within the context of early 20th-cent...

Charles Webster Leadbeater was a former Anglican minister and a clairvoyant who joined the Theosophical Society. He became Presiding Catholic Bishop of the Society. He was a prolific writer of many occult and paranormal books and pamphlets, and one of the most famous is "Man, Visible and Invisible".Originally published in 1903, "Man, Visible and Invisible" is an esoteric classic that examines the invisible bodies of humans, showing how the colours of the aura change with different ...

It is scarcely possible to put into words the appearance presented to clairvoyant vision on the higher planes by the working of this law of karma. It seems as though the man's action built cells or channels stored with energy, through the reactions of which he can be reached by the law of evolution... Charles Webster Leadbeater was an influential member of the Theosophical Society, author on occult subjects and co-initiator with J. I. Wedgwood of the L...