9 Teachings from The Secret Teachings of All Ages by Manly P. Hall

Last Updated on September 30, 2024 by The Unbounded Thinker

Manly P. Hall’s book, “The Secret Teachings of All Ages,” is a precious gem for anyone fascinated by mystical, occult, and esoteric knowledge. It is an amazing book with illuminating teachings that will make you question conventional history and see the world in a new light. Here are some of these powerful teachings of the book.

Teaching 1. The Difference between Those of Strong Intellect and Weak Intellect

Those of strong intellect stay calm and confident when facing a problem, and they focus on obtaining facts that will enable them to solve the problem. On the other hand, those of weak intellect cannot solve a problem because it overwhelms them. For this reason, those of strong intellect control their destiny while the weak are controlled like sheep.

Teaching 2. The Sphinx was Undoubtedly Erected for Symbolical Purposes

The sphinx symbolized strength and intelligence. Its androgynous nature symbolized the idea that the gods and initiates reached a state of completeness because they possessed positive and negative creative powers.

Teaching 3. The Ancient Perception of Celestial Bodies

The ancients believed that celestial bodies influenced their destinies by participating in human affairs. The Egyptians were highly respected in the ancient past due to their ability to determine how celestial bodies affected the destinies of individuals and nations.

The several ruins of primitive astronomical observatories prove this strong ancient belief in the relationship between celestial bodies and human destiny.

Teaching 4. The Similarities between God and Humans

Both God and humans are made up of two parts: one is spiritual, and the other is material. In God, the spiritual part controls the physical universe. Similarly, in humans, the spiritual part controls the visible material body. Moreover, as the material part of man is within the spirit part, so is the material universe within God’s spirit.

Teaching 5. Music can Heal the Soul and the Body.

Pythagoras used music to heal physical and spiritual diseases. He healed physical diseases by reciting poems or playing specially prepared musical compositions in the presence of sick people, and he used therapeutic music to heal diseases of the soul such as rage and anger.

Teaching 6. Why the Ancients Venerated Animals

The ancients venerated animals because they perceived them as symbols of divine forces that manifest particular aspects of the Divine.  To them, venerating animals was similar to venerating the Divine, which reveals itself through all creatures.

Teaching 7. How Ancient Wisdom Ended Up in the Hands of a Few People

Ancient sorcerers destroyed everything connected to ancient wisdom to prevent the masses from using it to attain spiritual mastery. They forced people who wanted to access this wisdom to join their secret societies, claiming that they would share with them the wisdom only if they became members. However, these sorcerers avoided sharing the knowledge with these new members: they retained control over the spiritual knowledge, while the rest of humanity remained disconnected from it.

Teaching 8. The Four Underlying Premises of Black Magic

Black magic is rooted in these four principles. First, there is an invisible part of the physical universe peopled by spirits. Second, it is possible to contact these spirits through secret procedures of ceremonial magic. Third, it is possible to enter into a contract with these spirits and become their master. Fourth, a sorcerer can only perform true black magic when assisted by a demonic spirit that becomes the sorcerer’s master in his life after death.

Teaching 9. The Seven Primary Causes of Disease

According to hermetic philosophy, there are seven causes of disease. The first is the evil spirits that attach themselves to human beings. The second is the misalignment between an individual’s spiritual and material nature. The third is an abnormal mental attitude. The fourth is karma, the fifth is the movement and features of the heavenly bodies, the sixth is the misuse of bodily organs, and the seventh is the presence of foreign substances in the body.