Traditional Forms and Cosmic Cycles

by René Guénon

Traditional Forms and Cosmic Cycles is a wide-ranging collection of articles that delve into traces of ancient, indeed protohistoric, traditions. Although they must remain fragments, as Guénon did not return to many of these themes, it would have been regrettable to leave such fascinating articles buried in old journals, and so this posthumous collection is now offered to Anglophone readers for the first time. The book opens with the key article 'The Doctrine of Cosmic Cycles', followed by two pieces on Atlantis and Hyperborea. Two sections follow, concerned respectively with the Hebrew Tradition and the Egyptian Tradition. The former comprises five articles concerned primarily with the Kabbalah and the Science of Numbers, and the latter includes three articles on Hermes and the Hermetic Tradition. Book reviews are inserted at relevant points.

The book opens with the key article 'The Doctrine of Cosmic Cycles', followed by two pieces on Atlantis and Hyperborea. Two sections follow, concerned respectively with the Hebrew Tradition and the Egyptian Tradition. The former comprises five articles concerned primarily with the Kabbalah and the Science of Numbers, and the latter includes three articles on Hermes and the Hermetic Tradition. Book reviews are inserted at relevant points. To lend the collection coherence, no other spiritual Traditions are here represented. A list of the Collected Writings of Ren Gunon has been provided for those who wish to investigate Gunon's metaphysical expositions on such topics as Christianity, Islam, the Greco-Latin Traditions, Celtism, etc.

Genres: Religion, Philosophy, Metaphysics, Occult, Mythology, Spirituality, History

130 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

René Guénon (1886-1951) was a French author and intellectual who remains an influential figure in the domain of sacred science,traditional studies, symbolism and initiation.

French biography : http://arlesquint.free.fr/rene%20guen...
http://www.index-rene-guenon.org/

Reviews

[Paithan · Rating 1 out of 5]

The title is a lie. This is not a text devoted to explaining cosmic cycles. This is a collection of short texts written by Guenon in which he shoots down the theories and writings of his contemporaries.

He does so in a manner nearly incomprehensible to me. I felt like I was reading something in a language I only half knew.

[Aaron Schuschu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts off talking about kalpas but then drifts off into Kabbalah and Hermeticism and the whole even traditionalists think traditionalists aren’t traditionalist enough, which is par for the course for traditionalism. At least the jab at Evola was intriguing.

[Emin Erdem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Özellikle bu eserdeki kitap eleştirileri sayesinde Guénon'un bakış açısını daha iyi anlayabiliyorsunuz.

[Sumeyye Pa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Farklı yazılardan oluşan bu derlemesi özellikle kitap eleştirileri ve M. Eliade eleştirisi Guenon'u anlamak ve aslında farklı yorumları anlamak için mühim.