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The Path of the Warrior-Mystic: Being a Man in an Age of Chaos
Takes you on a journey to cultivate yourself mentally, physically, and spiritually to become the archetypal Higher Man
• Explores the archetypal and classical male ideal found in ancient societies around the world
• Examines some of the problems facing men in the world today and shares practices to develop yourself in the face of these problems
• Provides techniques for developing your thinking and focus, overcoming fear, relaxing tension in your body, and developing a self-image more appropriate to who you are and aspire to be
Ancient and classical societies have always had an ideal of manhood. In Japan, the samurai cultivated not only the art of the sword but also poetry, calligraphy, and spiritual practice. In Confucianism, the ideal man was the Chun-Tzu (the Higher Man), who cultivated both the arts of war and the arts of peace. And in medieval Europe, the knight lived by the comparable code of chivalry. Such men, considered both warriors and mystics, exempli ed wholeness. Yet today, men exist in a chaotic world without role models, guidance, or a sense of the sacred masculine.
Exploring how to reconnect with the archetypal male ideal and develop the different sides of your being, author Angel Millar offers a journey of self-development to help cultivate yourself as a whole--mentally, physically, and spiritually. He examines some of the problems facing men in the world today--lack of strong friendships, distractingtechnology, constant criticism--and shares practices to develop yourself in the face of these problems. He shares techniques for enhancing your focus, overcoming fear, integrating your shadow, developing inner silence, and creating a self-image more appropriate to who you are and who you aspire to be. He also explores the importance of relaxing tension in your body to help you break free from pattern-induced behavior and self-defeating thoughts embedded through muscle memory.
Examining in uential gures both contemporary and historical like Steve Jobs and Swami Vivekananda, powerful myths from East and West such as the tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight , warrior and brotherhood traditions as well as literature and fine art, this guide will help you discover your inner sacred masculine, a better understanding of the world and your place in it, and ultimately how to become a confident, strong, and dynamic contemporary higher man and a leader in your own life.
• Explores the archetypal and classical male ideal found in ancient societies around the world
• Examines some of the problems facing men in the world today and shares practices to develop yourself in the face of these problems
• Provides techniques for developing your thinking and focus, overcoming fear, relaxing tension in your body, and developing a self-image more appropriate to who you are and aspire to be
Ancient and classical societies have always had an ideal of manhood. In Japan, the samurai cultivated not only the art of the sword but also poetry, calligraphy, and spiritual practice. In Confucianism, the ideal man was the Chun-Tzu (the Higher Man), who cultivated both the arts of war and the arts of peace. And in medieval Europe, the knight lived by the comparable code of chivalry. Such men, considered both warriors and mystics, exempli ed wholeness. Yet today, men exist in a chaotic world without role models, guidance, or a sense of the sacred masculine.
Exploring how to reconnect with the archetypal male ideal and develop the different sides of your being, author Angel Millar offers a journey of self-development to help cultivate yourself as a whole--mentally, physically, and spiritually. He examines some of the problems facing men in the world today--lack of strong friendships, distractingtechnology, constant criticism--and shares practices to develop yourself in the face of these problems. He shares techniques for enhancing your focus, overcoming fear, integrating your shadow, developing inner silence, and creating a self-image more appropriate to who you are and who you aspire to be. He also explores the importance of relaxing tension in your body to help you break free from pattern-induced behavior and self-defeating thoughts embedded through muscle memory.
Examining in uential gures both contemporary and historical like Steve Jobs and Swami Vivekananda, powerful myths from East and West such as the tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight , warrior and brotherhood traditions as well as literature and fine art, this guide will help you discover your inner sacred masculine, a better understanding of the world and your place in it, and ultimately how to become a confident, strong, and dynamic contemporary higher man and a leader in your own life.
240 pages, Paperback
Published November 9, 2021
26 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
About the author
Angel Millar
14 books115 followersAuthor and public speaker Angel Millar was born in a suburb of London, England. He attended Chelsea College and Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, where he developed both his interest in the arts and in spirituality. He later moved to North America, spending several years in Canada. He now lives in New York City.
He is the author of several books on Freemasonry, esotericism, symbolism, and mysticism. His upcoming book is The Three Stages of Initiatic Spirituality: Craftsman, Warrior, Magician (February 2020, Inner Traditions publishing). In it, Millar explores the three archetypes through the world's cultures, both ancient and modern, from shamanism, ancient Greek philosophy, alchemy, and Kabbalah, through Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, the martial arts (of China, Russia, and Persia), to Jungian psychology, the positive thinking movement, and chaos magic.
Designed as a kind of literary initiation, The Three Stages of Initiatic Spirituality: Craftsman, Warrior, Magician is divided into three sections, each with chapters explaining the history, myths, symbolism, rituals, and practices of one of the three archetypes.
In his daily life, Millar does his best to integrate these three archetypes, practicing art and writing (craftsman), martial arts, physical training, and Chi Gong (warrior), and meditation, inner-alchemy, visualization, and positive thinking (magician).
He is the author of several books on Freemasonry, esotericism, symbolism, and mysticism. His upcoming book is The Three Stages of Initiatic Spirituality: Craftsman, Warrior, Magician (February 2020, Inner Traditions publishing). In it, Millar explores the three archetypes through the world's cultures, both ancient and modern, from shamanism, ancient Greek philosophy, alchemy, and Kabbalah, through Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, the martial arts (of China, Russia, and Persia), to Jungian psychology, the positive thinking movement, and chaos magic.
Designed as a kind of literary initiation, The Three Stages of Initiatic Spirituality: Craftsman, Warrior, Magician is divided into three sections, each with chapters explaining the history, myths, symbolism, rituals, and practices of one of the three archetypes.
In his daily life, Millar does his best to integrate these three archetypes, practicing art and writing (craftsman), martial arts, physical training, and Chi Gong (warrior), and meditation, inner-alchemy, visualization, and positive thinking (magician).
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 12, 2021
Lots of great wisdom in here!
“To give up our sense of victimhood may seem an obvious step, but as the Armenian mystic and spiritual teacher G. I. Gurdjieff observed, a person will often give up pleasure, but he will not easily let go of "his suffering. " We see this most obviously in the religious devotee, ideologue, or critic who has renounced normal pleasures yet uses his belief system to justify his hatred of others, which festers over many years. Such an individual has come to see himself as—and finds his importance in being—a victim.”
“Take control of your life. Make things.
Develop your body. Respect the great martial artists and the great poets. When men have nothing that they are passionate about, nothing concrete that they love and find engaging, nothing they can mold with their own hands and through their own sweat, they become fanatics about ideas, ideologies.”
I really enjoyed it and recommend that everyone have a look at this.
“To give up our sense of victimhood may seem an obvious step, but as the Armenian mystic and spiritual teacher G. I. Gurdjieff observed, a person will often give up pleasure, but he will not easily let go of "his suffering. " We see this most obviously in the religious devotee, ideologue, or critic who has renounced normal pleasures yet uses his belief system to justify his hatred of others, which festers over many years. Such an individual has come to see himself as—and finds his importance in being—a victim.”
“Take control of your life. Make things.
Develop your body. Respect the great martial artists and the great poets. When men have nothing that they are passionate about, nothing concrete that they love and find engaging, nothing they can mold with their own hands and through their own sweat, they become fanatics about ideas, ideologies.”
I really enjoyed it and recommend that everyone have a look at this.
August 14, 2022
I personally had really high hopes for this book. I think it’s a great start for those beginning down the path of expanding their spirituality through the masculine. I admire the author for sharing his years of hard earned insights in a condensed book, it gives one a taste of what’s out there and the vast and limitless expanse of the unconscious, the unknown and the universe. To hold life in awe as the grand mystery it is and to celebrate the joy of being alive. Books like this are the antidote to nihilism, they breathe vigor back into the worn out spiritual modalities that no longer speak to the modern man by showing how through growth and mastery one can supersede them.
February 17, 2023
"[Man] is a lukewarm sinner and a tepid saint."
There's a lot to recommend here. Millar diagnoses well the anomie of our present age, and how this aimlessness is reflected in our men. We "go with the flow" to a fault, not committing our hearts and souls to anything. Millar has many good thoughts about the essential task of cultivating both the spirit of the warrior and the creator (or mystic), and how man has trouble with both at the same time. I came away moderately glad I'd read. If nothing else, his prose is inspiring and taps into something primal within.
I did feel like this could have benefited from a greater sense of structure. I regularly found myself asking, "wait, but what's the point of this section?" I felt the book lacked some direction and clarity - at times, it seemed like a random collection of essays or personal thoughts.
Still, kudos to Millar for asking some of the most important, yet rarest, questions. This book is a worthy addition to the path.
There's a lot to recommend here. Millar diagnoses well the anomie of our present age, and how this aimlessness is reflected in our men. We "go with the flow" to a fault, not committing our hearts and souls to anything. Millar has many good thoughts about the essential task of cultivating both the spirit of the warrior and the creator (or mystic), and how man has trouble with both at the same time. I came away moderately glad I'd read. If nothing else, his prose is inspiring and taps into something primal within.
I did feel like this could have benefited from a greater sense of structure. I regularly found myself asking, "wait, but what's the point of this section?" I felt the book lacked some direction and clarity - at times, it seemed like a random collection of essays or personal thoughts.
Still, kudos to Millar for asking some of the most important, yet rarest, questions. This book is a worthy addition to the path.
July 13, 2022
Modern zaman yol bulmayı zorlaştıran bir karmaşa içinde. Geçmişten gelen bilgiyi yadsıyan ama yenisini üretmeyen bir düşünce dünyası içindeyiz. Eski fikirler değersiz gibi gözükse de aslında insan binlerce yıldır değişmedi.
Angel Millar bu bilgelik yapıtlarını alıp günümüz erkeği için pusulalar üretiyor. Sir Gawain ve Yeşil Şövalye ya da İncil'den bilgiler görmek şaşırtıcı değil. Tao, Budizm ve Hindu bilgeliği yanında Japon bilgileri de kitapta yol gösterici olarak verilmiş. İslam bilginleri de var. Türkçesi 70'lerde basılmış Muhammed ibn el Hüseyn el Sülami'nin Kitab al Futuwwah da örnek verilen eserlerden.
Tek kitap hayatınızı değiştirmez ancak bu kitap bir yol açıyor. Bazı kişisel gelişim kitapları gibi değil. Antik zamanlarla günümüz arasında bir köprü kuruyor.
Keşke Türkçeye çevrilse.
Angel Millar bu bilgelik yapıtlarını alıp günümüz erkeği için pusulalar üretiyor. Sir Gawain ve Yeşil Şövalye ya da İncil'den bilgiler görmek şaşırtıcı değil. Tao, Budizm ve Hindu bilgeliği yanında Japon bilgileri de kitapta yol gösterici olarak verilmiş. İslam bilginleri de var. Türkçesi 70'lerde basılmış Muhammed ibn el Hüseyn el Sülami'nin Kitab al Futuwwah da örnek verilen eserlerden.
Tek kitap hayatınızı değiştirmez ancak bu kitap bir yol açıyor. Bazı kişisel gelişim kitapları gibi değil. Antik zamanlarla günümüz arasında bir köprü kuruyor.
Keşke Türkçeye çevrilse.
December 10, 2024
So funny enough. This book gonna be my last book for my original goal of 12 books this year but kept on reading and reading. Now it's my final book of the new goal. Number 36!
This book was a Christmas gift about 2 years ago. Self-help books really aren't my jam, but obviously read this because someone bought it for me. I took the time to try to read it in moments of the year that I wasn't mentally in a great place. Which happened more often than anticipated. The end of the year has been particularly rough, which is why I finally got around to finishing it.
Surprisingly to me, this book helped around those moments. Although it felt like a college course more often than not. In that way, it was very informational. Lots of topics covered, both fiction and nonfiction. Some very helpful moments as well, especially when it talked about breathing exercises or posture. Reminded me that I needed to stay in the moment and not let my mind travel so far.
Overall, it's not too bad. I don't really see myself reading another self-help book, though, unless another one is gifted to me.
This book was a Christmas gift about 2 years ago. Self-help books really aren't my jam, but obviously read this because someone bought it for me. I took the time to try to read it in moments of the year that I wasn't mentally in a great place. Which happened more often than anticipated. The end of the year has been particularly rough, which is why I finally got around to finishing it.
Surprisingly to me, this book helped around those moments. Although it felt like a college course more often than not. In that way, it was very informational. Lots of topics covered, both fiction and nonfiction. Some very helpful moments as well, especially when it talked about breathing exercises or posture. Reminded me that I needed to stay in the moment and not let my mind travel so far.
Overall, it's not too bad. I don't really see myself reading another self-help book, though, unless another one is gifted to me.
January 21, 2024
Sweeping generalizations. I agree with maybe 70% of the thoughts here, but the content itself was butchered by repetitions and biases.
The author struggles to pull together a conclusion that develops from content already shared earlier in the book. He just repeats the same mantras. At times, it appears as if this was meant to be a study of Gawain and the Green Knight.
Editors did not catch the author’s mention of the samurai Miyoto Musashi being a calligrapher no less than three separate times.
The author struggles to pull together a conclusion that develops from content already shared earlier in the book. He just repeats the same mantras. At times, it appears as if this was meant to be a study of Gawain and the Green Knight.
Editors did not catch the author’s mention of the samurai Miyoto Musashi being a calligrapher no less than three separate times.
July 23, 2024
Although not a man, I found value in this work as a wife, mother to an adolescent boy, and as a seeker.
Any mythology used to illustrate a point is given a clear and brief background to help the reader better understand the message, making it an excellent tool regardless of one's knowledge of the esoteric, myth, theology etc.
The weaving in of the legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight throughout the text was beautifully done.
Any mythology used to illustrate a point is given a clear and brief background to help the reader better understand the message, making it an excellent tool regardless of one's knowledge of the esoteric, myth, theology etc.
The weaving in of the legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight throughout the text was beautifully done.
January 7, 2023
The author explores what sacred masculinity looks like in an age of chaos, advocated for men to simultaneously be in touch with their warrior and mystic aspects. It’s more of a philosophy book than anything else, but the author brings up some interesting points ty too consider about what it means to be a man and how to transform one’s relationship with masculinity.
May 29, 2023
The author tried to connect stories or myths of the past with lessons for our lives without much success. Having read other books of the author which a similar style was successfully attempted (and really enjoyed) I would say this was not one of his best books.
April 5, 2022
good read
This wide ranging book addresses many facets of the Path incorporating both mythology and practical advice. This was a useful read.
This wide ranging book addresses many facets of the Path incorporating both mythology and practical advice. This was a useful read.
June 23, 2022
All I can say is that this book is a must read for all men for all ages to come. A meticulous exposition on how to become a man and stay a man.
July 26, 2022
Exactly what our age needs. I have to admit, I'm kinda striving to be the warrior mystic myself, even before I've read this book. And I think every man should.
April 28, 2023
Amazing book
June 30, 2023
Magic and medicine for the soul
April 8, 2025
Loved this book. Was life changing. Set me on a path of better understanding myself.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews