The Peter Philp Library of Western
Esotericism and Global Wisdom Traditions

The Peter Philp Library of Western
Esotericism and Global Wisdom Traditions

The overview paradigm, for The Peter Philp Library of Western Esotericism and Global Wisdom Traditions, was inspired by the 'essential unity of all religions' from Theosophy founder Helena Blavatsky (1831-1891) and Theosophical Society Sanskrit motto 'There is no Religion Higher than Truth'. Philp's view on Western Esotericism is reflected in an essay by the Greek classics, Gnostic scholar and theosophist, G. R. S. Mead (1863-1933). Mead outlined, in his March 1891 essay.* Mead outlines, in his 1891 essay, a broad based overview of the essential perennialism found in the Western Wisdom Traditions, including Greek philosophies of Plato, Pythagorus, pre-Socratics and Noeplatonism, Greek drama, mystery schools, mythology, Gnostic literature and Christian Mysticism, Hermetic philosophy and Alchemy, Jewish Kabbalah, Global Mythology, European folk religions and 'the nature of the soul and states after death'. Mead's view was to complement the study of the translations and promotion of the perennial wisdom from Asia, especially focused on India, which Blavatsky and the Theosophical Society were advocating and spearheading during the 1880's to 90's. Peter Philp, in his decades of perennial wisdom book study and collecting, with his ever growing collection, maintained this theosophic basis as its underlying paradigm and inspiration.
(* "G.R.S.Mead and the Gnostic Quest" p 56)

Peter Philp

Kenneth R. Small curator Perennial Wisdom Resources

SDSU Library Special Collections

Peter Philp

Mythology - Global, Greek, Celtic/Druid/Arthurian, Egyptian

Literature - William Butler Yeats writings and studies, William Blake writings and studies (extensive) and others.

Christianity - New Testament Studies, Gnosticism, Mystical Christianity

Sacred Geometry

Buddhism - Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana studies and texts

Hinduism - Yoga, tantra and Siva writings.

Islam - Koran and Sufi texts and studies. Writings of Ibn Arabi, Avicenna, Rumi, Hafez etc.
(extensive collection of several hundred volumes)

Taoism

Greek philosophy - Plato, Neo-Platonism, Pythagorean studies (extensive collection of several hundred volumes)

Jewish studies - Kabbalah

Symbolism Studies - the Tarot

Linguistics

Art- Color studies and World Religious Art

Archeology of Stone Monuments

Theosophy - Blavatsky, dePurucker, Subba Row, writings.

W.Y. Evans-Wentz - First editions of his four volumes of Tibetan translations

JRR Tolkien writings and studies

Wizards Bookshelf Secret Doctrine Reference Series - quality reprints of 19th century references to Blavatsky's 'Secret Doctrine'.

Ancient Egyptian Religion, Symbolism and History

2020