A panoramic vision of cosmic spiritual ecology achieved through an unusual balance between practical observation, vigorous knowledge of literature and science, and inspired personal insight. The author relates her practice and understanding of the Gurdjieff teaching to international legacies of literature and science, and to the immediate sensory details of her own life.
"The Cathedral" is a novel written by Joris-Karl Huysmans, originally published in French as "La Cathédrale" in 1898. This novel is part of the larger literary movement known as decadence and is a follow-up to Huysmans' earlier work, "Against Nature" ("À rebours"). "The Cathedral" continues to explore themes of decadence, art, and spirituality, but it takes a different narrative approach. The story revolves around the character of Durtal, an author who has previously been the protagonist of Huysmans' works. In this novel, Durtal is researching and writing a book about Gilles de Rais, a 15th-century French nobleman known for his association with Joan of Arc and later for his crimes involving child abduction and murder. This subject matter reflects Durtal's fascination with the darker aspects of history. Durtal also becomes interested in the subject of religious mysticism and decides to spend time at a Trappist monastery in order to explore his spiritual beliefs. As he immerses himself in the austere and contemplative life of the monastery, Durtal grapples with questions of faith, redemption, and the role of art in conveying religious experience. Throughout the novel, Huysmans delves into various philosophical and theological ideas, contrasting the decadent, materialistic world of late 19th-century France with the ascetic, spiritual world of the monastery. "The Cathedral" is a reflection on the complexities of human nature, the search for meaning, and the tension between art and spirituality. In essence, "The Cathedral" is a philosophical and introspective work that explores the intersection of aesthetics, religion, and the human condition. Through Durtal's journey, readers are invited to contemplate the role of art and faith in a world marked by decadence and uncertainty.
Philip Seward travels to the Philippines to investigate the case of a missionary priest imprisoned for murder, where he is drawn into a labyrinth of vice, violence, and corruption where nothing and nobody are what they seem. 'Part Conrad, part Waugh, part Greene, and pure genius' Independent on Sunday 'This is Arditti's most dazzling novel to date because of the scale of his ambition and his triumph in pulling it off' Peter Stanford, Daily Telegraph While working as a missionary priest in the Philippines during the Marcos dictatorship, Julian Tremayne championed the Communist rebels and found himself imprisoned for murder. Now, three decades later, following Julian's death, a cult develops around him, even calling for sainthood. When Philip Seward goes to investigate on behalf of Julian's family, he is drawn into a labyrinth of vice, violence, and corruption where nothing and nobody are what they seem. Enriched by a gallery of engaging characters ranging from priests to prostitutes, GIs to gangsters, and street children to Imelda Marcos, this outstanding novel is at once a gripping psychological thriller, a challenging moral mystery, and an unforgettable voyage into a dark and exotic landscape.
Arguing that what the earth chiefly needs is conscious human cooperation beyond the material realm, this unique, interactive, spiritual perspective on how to save the planet describes ways to communicate with Gaia herself and become her hands, allowing her to use her vast resources to save all the creatures on her surface, including humans. Because people have forgotten how to listen and converse with the goddess, this book purports that she uses natural catastrophes as her "hands," to get humankind's attention. By using the exercises for personal growth, readers can learn to use their emotions, intuition, and feelings rather than intellect and these traumas will be avoided and replaced with joy and companionship.
