This book is both famed in it's own Rosy Crux circles, and at the same time is so little known that there are probably thousands of books that have used it as a reference work (some may not even know that their quotes from other great references are actually taking their inspiration from Hall who dedicated a great deal of his life just to this book's complettion. The earliest editions are nearly three feet tall and come with all 200 illustrations in full color, and it is one of the books I have ever seen that truly can be called a work of art - the traditions of illuninated manuscripts and other post-Christian era occult works. I forewarn the potential reader that this is not an ordinary book. Even getting through a few chapters can take all the concentration a gifted scholar is able to muster. Yet if you take the time to absorb the wealth of knowledge contained herein - you will have a better education in mysticism and the occult than most. Pythagoras and the diatonic scale--Therapeutic music--The music of the spheres--The use of color in symbolism--The colors of the spectrum and the musical scale--Zodiacal and planetary colors.

The origin of alchemical philosophy--Alexander the Great and the talking trees--Nature and art--Alchemical symbolism--The Song of Solomon--The Philosopher's Gold. Plato's Atlantis in the light of modern science-The Myth of the Dying God-The Rite of Tammuz and Ishtar--The Mysteries of Atys and Adonis-The Rites of Sabazius--The Cabiric Mysteries of Samothrace. These are some of the authorized HC reprint editions issued by PRS over the years, any of which are worth buying. I've not seen each edition, but it seems they have color illustrations that are reprinted in b&w in the 1989 pb 'Diamond Jubilee Edition': This book is a philosophical master piece. If you love the secret knowledge passed down via the ancient mystery schools and if you love philosophy then I recommend this book. Not only does Mr. Hall cover every philosopher in the pre-Socratic era and post-Socratic era but he gives a brief description of the philosophy and doctrines they taught. In addition, he covers Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry, alchemy, the Kabbalah, the Qabbalah, The life and teachings of Thoth Hermes Trismegistus, the tarot, the zodiac, the pyramids, cryptology, and Mystic Christianity to name a few. As Hall stated, “The entire theory of the book is diametrically opposed to the modern method of thinking, for it is concerned with subjects openly ridiculed by the sophists of the twentieth century. Its true purpose is to introduce the mind of the reader to a hypothesis of living wholly beyond the pale of materialistic theology, philosophy, or science”. Magazine, New Dawn. "Secret Teachings Reborn: The Mysterious Life of Manly P. Hall | New Dawn: The World's Most Unusual Magazine". www.newdawnmagazine.com . Retrieved 15 June 2017.Hall and his followers went to extreme lengths to keep any rumors or information that could tarnish his image from being publicized, and little is known about his first marriage. On 28 April 1930, Hall married Fay B. deRavenne, who had been his secretary for five years. The marriage was not a happy one; his friends never discussed it, and Hall removed virtually all information about her from his papers following her suicide on 22 February 1941. [3] :55,97 Following a long friendship, on 5 December 1950, Hall married Marie Schweikert Bauer (following her divorce from George Bauer), and the marriage, though stressful, was happier than his first. [10] Marie Schweikert Bauer Hall died April 21, 2005. [3] :120,127,133,278

Horowitz, Mitch (2009). Occult America: The Secret History of How Mysticism Shaped Our Nation. New York: Bantam. ISBN 978-0-553-38515-1.The Rosicrucian mask--Life of William Shakspere--Sir Francis Bacon--The acrostic signatures--The significant number thirty-three--The philosophic death. Hall returned in 1945 for another well-attended lecture at Carnegie Hall, titled: "Plato's Prophecy of Worldwide Democracy." [9] Personal life [ edit ] Hall was born in 1901 in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, [1] to Louise Palmer Hall, a chiropractor and member of the Rosicrucian Fellowship, and William S. Hall, a dentist. [2] Hall is said to have never known his father. [3] In 1919, Hall moved to Los Angeles to reunite with his birth mother who was living in Santa Monica. After moving in with her, he very soon after became drawn to mysticism, esoteric philosophies and their underlying principles. About the Philosophical Research Society". Philosophical Research Society. Archived from the original on 22 September 2008 . Retrieved 7 August 2008.

Primitive astronomical instruments--The equinoxes and solstices--The astrological ages of the world--The circular zodiac of Tentyra--An interpretation of the zodiacal signs--The horoscope of the world. The Eleusinian Mysteries--The Lesser Rites--The Greater Rites--The Orphic Mysteries--The Bacchic Mysteries--The Dionysiac Mysteries. Pythagoras and the School of Crotona--Pythagoric fundamentals--The symmetrical solids--The symbolic aphorisms of Pythagoras--Pythagorean astronomy--Kepler's theory of the universe. The Golden Chain of Homer--Hypatia, the Alexandrian Neo-Platonist--The "divine" Cagliostro--The Comte de St.-Germain--The designing of the American flag--The Declaration of Independence.How did Manly Hall, as a young man, create this masterpiece of contemporary occult reference material? According to Occult America, he went to the local public library to explore the mysteries of the ages, and ended up with the material to make this book. He ended up with a lot of material, which is somewhat haphazardly "organized" in this volume. The materials are at least roughly chronologically organized, starting with ruminations on Atlantis and ancient mysteries and secret societies, looking at the Zodiac, the Hiramic legend, Pythagoras, Thoth Hermes Trismegistus, and Isus, as well as a look at solar worship. Several chapters of the book are devoted to the symbolism of the Pyramid, humankind, and plant and animal worlds, and several more are devoted to Qabbala, the mystery religion of Judaism, as well as a look at Rosicrucian history and doctrine, and alchemy. There are chapters on Bacon that claim him to be the real Shakespeare, as well as chapters on Islam, mystery Christianity, American Indian symbolism, and an ode to the success of heathen mystery religions at infiltrating Christianity and using it as a way of preserving ancient pagan ways in new wineskins. The book contains text, images, and even the occasional copy of ancient texts for curious readers.