According to the author, an occultist-wannabe, the Bible's Psalm 19, studied "in conjunction with comparative texts from neighboring cultures, . . . describes the marriage of the sun to Venus." No matter that Venus is never mentioned in that Psalm! And the Book of Revelation's account of the opening of the seven seals is "in fact a way of talking about the enlivening of the seven [Hindu] chakras." In Eschenbach's Parzifal, a jewel dislodged from Lucifer's crown signals "that humanity would increasingly suffer a loss of vision in the Third Eye, the brow chakra." This is a priori history in which all evidence contrary to one's convictions is ignored. Booth pontificates: we live in "a psychosomatic universe," where we can influence the roll of dice if we wish it hard enough; "all biology is astro-biology." Booth claims for his thesis a list of supporters or acolytes starting in Egypt, India, and Greece and ending with FDR and Francis Crick; there is even a nod toward Lenin. This is as silly a book as ever was. Not recommended.
—David Keymer

An encyclopedic, lavishly illustrated attempt to discern an alternative-belief system in the broad diversity of ancient paganism and mystical offshoots of the major faiths. "Christianity contains a hidden tradition of the gods of the stars and planets," proclaims British publishing executive Booth. While much of this tradition, including biblical allegories, has been denigrated by Mother Church, it has hardly been hidden. The author's mystical guardian institutions include the Christian-associated Freemasons and Rosicrucians, which both arose at the outset of the 18th century from earlier origins; Cabalism on the Hebrew side; and Sufism from Islam. Much of the problem with this roughly chronological narrative is its hazy documentation: Readers must be content with "a friend of mine" or "an initiate I met" as substantiating sources. Likewise, we must accept Booth's own innate ability to peer into antiquity and presume the influence of "mystery schools" on such figures as Plato. He seamlessly moves from reportage to proselytizing, presenting for instance a precise date in the 12th millennium BCE as the moment when matter reached its final solidified state in the progression of existence from pure thought (preceding matter itself) through a "human vegetable" state to the present form. Tracing this progression, Booth cites all kinds of permutations, fairy tales and familiar hippie spiritualist icons along the way. Humankind loses its third eye, can no longer directly interact with spirits and deities, must be content with the stifling restrictions of the scientific method to comprehend creation, etc. One culminating highlight: George Washington, a known Freemason, decrees that the capitalcity be laid out to reflect the geometry of the constellation Virgo, thus inviting "the mother goddess" to participate in determining the future of the United States. Somebody should tell President Bush to please get in touch. As pretentious as it is outlandish, but at least authentically mind-boggling.