Six Theosophic Points and Other Writings, Jacob Boehme, Ann Harbor Paperback; The University of Michigan Press. Available at Amazon. For more details click HERE
Although we have done a previous review of Jacob Boehme’s work, The Key, it was felt that a reading and study of this text, by students of deep theosophical study, would be of significant benefit. It can be read alongside HPB’s The Secret Doctrine, especially that of cosmogenesis. As HPB felt that Jacob Boehme was a “nursling of the Nirmanakaya’s, these writings will be found to be a great complement to her work.
The work shares with us Boehme’s inner revelation and vision of the unfolding of cosmos, from within the unground, and the development of the cosmic and microcosmic principles of life and being. From the “Unground” to the manifest, it symbolically represents to the reader the presence of the Divine Mirror out of nature. It unveils the development of the Primal principles, the worlds of the dark fire and nature, the nature of Light, and the sidereal astronomical or cosmic manifestation. It presents a flowing image, or images of how the seven principles of Nature are developed from the unmanifest, through the manifest universal existence. From the Divine Wisdom of the “Virgin” to the manifestation of the principles, colors, sounds, forces, elements, forms, virtues, and minds, all is explained, in their character of both light and darkness, or good and evil.
Much emphasis is given to the expression of the primal and secondary “Will, and wills” that are involved in the different stages of manifestation. It provides to our understanding the nature and development of the properties called “Sulphur, mercury and salt”, and the role they play in the macro as well as micro-cosmic drama. It even speaks to the reader of the natures of the after-death states, once an understanding of his terminology is grasped.
The relationship of man’s soul with Jacob Boehme’s idea of God’s Mystery, as the divine essence, is also spoken of. He expresses his understanding of the life force in darkness, wherein the “devils” exist, what their natures are, as well as how through essences and forms, they use the sidereal or world of man, as well as men, for the fulfillment of their desires. They often do this without mankind even knowing they are being used as vehicles for such expression.
Additional writings on sin, magic and the magical ground of one’s being, as well as the mystery of the “magical will” are presented for study and reflection. Boehme ends this small but profound work, with thoughts on our cognitive brain, its reasonings, and limited senses, and their necessary limitations in understanding and perceiving the workings of the Divine. In other words, how one must leave the self-will and self -desire, to best fit themselves to be wise. The wisdom is the means to overcome the earthly reason with its desires, to bring oneself back into the “divine Ens”, wherein the light, wisdom, tincture, and love of the Eternal Temperament or “God” may be rekindled and known while alive.
There are many more wonderful ideas and expressions explained in this work, which both complement, parallel, and correlate well with much of the wisdom shared by H.P. Blavatsky in her many writings. Even a partial understanding of some of the ideas Boehme’s will shed much additional light on the writings of H.P. Blavatsky.
his edition of Notable Books was compiled by Eugene Jennings.