Ralph White, Brian Cotnoir & Steve Bass, MA

As a prelude to this year’s Esoteric Quest for the Mysteries and Philosophy of Antiquity, we are offering a series of talks on related themes with special emphasis on the role of alchemy in Byzantine culture and sacred architecture in Ancient Greece.

The Esoteric Quest: From Antiquity to the 21st Century
Ralph White
We begin this series with an overview of the ways in which the esoteric quest has been central to so many cultures throughout the centuries. From ancient Greece through medieval Andalusia to Fifteenth Century Florence and Renaissance Bohemia, the search for the deepest spiritual truths has guided the hearts of many. How has the quest both changed and stayed the same from Ephesus and Samothrace to New York today?
Wednesday, May 14, 8–10pm
08SEC39TA

Byzantine Alchemy and Sympatheia
Brian Cotnoir
Byzantine alchemy is the direct continuation of the Hellenistic tradition both in theory and practice. This talk will explore the contribution of the Byzantines to alchemy’s development with particular emphasis on Sympatheia. This concept began with the Stoics and can be found in On the Sacred Art by the neo-Platonist Proclus. We will read and discuss its implications for both physical alchemy and alchemy as ascent of the soul.
Wednesday, May 21, 8–10pm
08SEC39TB

Mystery Architecture of Ancient Greece
Steve Bass, MA
Building on the heritage of Egyptian and Mesopotamian sacred building traditions, Greek civilization set the tone and pattern for the West. The Greeks synthesized the architectural form of the temple and its associated elements, known as the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian ‘Orders’. In these two presentations architect Steve Bass will explore the concepts of sacred and symbolic geometry as the background for the archetypal Greek architectural forms. These will be illustrated in the context of the Eleusinian and Samothracian mystery religions. Aspects of sacred geography, metrology and observational astronomy will also be related to the architecture of the period.
Part I
Wednesday, May 28, 8–10pm
08SEC39TC
Part II
Wednesday, June 4, 8–10pm
08SEC39TD

A LECTURE SERIES
(3 sessions) Wednesdays,
May 14–June 4, 8–10pm
08SEC39TZ
Members: $75 / Nonmembers: $80 / Individual Sessions: $22
[CLICK TO REGISTER]

For more information on this year's
Esoteric Quest for the Mysteries and Philosophy of Antiquity
on the Island of Samothrace, Greece

Steve Bass, MA, has practiced as an architect in New York City since 1974. He holds a Master of Arts degree from the Royal College of Art, London, where he studied under the direction of Dr. Keith Critchlow, and is visiting assistant professor of architecture at Notre Dame University. A Fellow of the Institute of Classical Architecture, his book, Proportion in Architecture, will be published by W. W. Norton.

Brian Cotnoir is an independent researcher. He has been studying and experimenting with alchemical procedures for 35 years. He is author of The Weiser’s Concise Guide to Alchemy.

Ralph White is co-founder of the New York Open Center and a board member of Sunbridge College. A writer and lecturer on contemporary spiritual, social, and cultural issues, he edited Lapis magazine from 1995 to 2001