Kabbalah, “a set of esoteric teachings meant to define the inner meaning of both the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) and traditional Rabbanic literature, as well as explain the significance of Jewish religious observances,” is considered to be the “mystical” aspect of Judaism-the practice by which members of the Jewish religion can draw close to and become one with their God.

The word mysticism quite literally means “to see with the eyes closed,” and it represents the quest for divinity, a complete communion with “God” (whoever or whatever they perceive that God to be), or the One, through direct experience, intuition or insight. Mysticism was first introduced to the Western World as the art of “Unknown Knowing” by Dionysius the Areopagite, the judge of the Areopagus and a notable presence in Christian history.

The Egyptians were among the most spiritual of the ancient civilizations, and that spirituality and the essence of Egyptian Magik have spilled over into the Egyptian people of today. The Art of Heka, the ancient Egyptian Magik, has played a huge role in the evolution of the Egyptian culture, and understanding Heka is a vital component in understanding the Egyptian civilization today.

The first question most people ask when they’re talking about mystery schools is, “What on earth is a mystery school?” Let me tell you what it’s not. It’s not a school for would-be detectives. It’s not a weekend mystery retreat where someone dies and you spend the next three days trying to figure out who dunnit, and it’s not a school for witches and warlocks carefully hidden in another dimension.