Greetings!

For centuries the Western Mysteries were shrouded in secrecy.  Passed from master to apprentice, the teachings survived the ages.  A publication here, a manscript there.  Sometimes even a scroll with a hint to other documents from antiquity.  Techniques for "knowing ones-self" whispered for fear of discovery.  Practitioners of the arts of Theurgy and Thaumaturgy quietly kept the lamp of Knowledge burning through the Dark Ages.  Sounds like Goddess worship doesn't it?  Or could it be the art of Ceremonial Magic?  Rosicrucianism? Perhaps the Theurgy of the Gnostics?  In fact, it is all of them!  

The Rennaissance heralded the beginning of the end of persecution for those that practised a "different" kind of faith.   Like all things human, change took time and even with the so called "Occult Revival" of the 19th Century, it wouldn't be until the latter half of the 20th Century before those of us walking the roads of Inner Knowledge would finally be free from persecution.   In Western NeoPaganism, Goddess worship publicly re-emerged in the 19th century as well,  and gained momentum in the second half of the 20th century with Witchcraft.

Theurgy (from Greek: θεουργία) describes the practice of rituals, sometimes seen as magical in nature, performed with the intention of invoking the action of one or more gods, especially with the goal of uniting with the divine, achieving henosis, and perfecting oneself.    

Thaumaturgy (from the Greek words θαῦμα thaûma, stem thaumat-, meaning "miracle" or "marvel" and ἔργον érgon, meaning "work") is the capability of a saint or magician to work miracles. It is sometimes translated as Wonderworker.

More books have been published on the subjects of Witchcraft, Ceremonial Magic, Theurgy, Masonry, and Gnosticism within the last 50 years than within the last five centuries combined!  Yet these arts continue to keep themselves seperate from each other.  Little do the various practictioners know that they have a common history of persecution, suppression and ultimately triumph over those that sought their suppression and erradication!  Additionally, all five draw upon each other from different time periods.  Cross pollination abounds and is ripe for discovery!  It is our ferverent hope and wish that these seemingly different schools of thought can finally come together and share their common heritage.   

This website has been created as a celebration for the commonality between the followers of the Goddess and those that work towards Gnosis via the Hermetic Arts, Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry as well as the Theurgy of Gnostic Christianity.  It is our hope and intention to to bring these communities on Long Island together through these pages.

We do not claim to "know it all" nor do we claim to be perfect in anyway.  We are sure that we will be wrong from time to time.  Rest assured that we will correct any errors as soon as detected and to the best of our ability, verified.  This is just our understanding of these subjects.  We hope others will join us in bringing the seemingly divergent paths to a concordat of sorts and open dialog leading to the furtherance of all of the paths that comprise the rich Western Mystery Tradition, Pagan and Christian alike.  

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright 2008 Long Island Western Mysteries.  All information is provided as a resource reference only and this website does not endorse anyone or any Organisation.  No copyright infringement is intended.  If we are notified we will be happy to remove any material that is copyright protected.  We apologise in advance if this occurs.