The Book of Becoming

The author took up the study of philosophy and shamanism later in life and has been retired from the construction industry since 2010. This books shows that he has put his time to excellent use with a wide-ranging study of some of the most fundamental themes in philosophy as indicated by the subtitle: why there is something rather than nothing – a metaphysics of esoteric consciousness. His point of departure is a deep understanding of the Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus and the way its principles have been worked out. The first part explores the nature and structure of the cosmos and consciousness based on the Hermetic distinction between the subtle and material realms and their interaction. Each chapter helpfully summarises the story so far, which includes the role of the creative vis formatrix or formative principle that is also expressed in the law of attraction where the inside becomes the outside. In this overall process, death plays an important creative role in evolution as the many possible forms of the One are made manifest as co-creation. The universe is a realm of interaction and self-regulation whose bedrock is consciousness. Evolution is a basic form of self-becoming but our challenge is whether we can evolve rapidly enough to resolve the difficulties of our own making. In this respect, the interaction of the subtle and the material as realised by individual human beings is crucial. This opens up the possibility of a concentration of goodness in the creation of a unified planetary environment based on Gaian principles. This in turn depends on how many of us can wake up – in which process this book is an important signpost.