The Temple of Man (1957)
R. A. Schwaller de Lubicz

Mathematician, mystic, author and Egyptologist Rene Adolphe Schwaller de Lubicz (1887 - 1961) is probably best known for this book of over 1000 pages in which he delivers insights that he, archeologist Clement Robichon and Egyptologist Alexandre Varille developed on the symbolique, science and spirituality of the ancient Egyptians. In Schwaller's words: "The purpose of this book is, first, to show the means of expression used by the Ancients to transmit knowledge, and to supply the evidence for it through the temple of Luxor - an exceptional work that actually represents man - and, second, to present an outline of the doctrine of the Anthropocosmos, the guide to the way of thinking of the sages.'

“There is a sacred science, and for thousands of years countless inquisitive people have sought in vain to penetrate its “secrets.” It is as if they attempted to dig a hole in the sea with an ax. The tool must be of the same nature as the objective to be worked upon. Spirit is found only with spirit, and esoterism is the spiritual aspect of the world, inaccessible to cerebral intelligence. Those who profess to reveal the esoterism of such teachings are charlatans.” --R.A. Schwaller de Lubicz

It was the content related to the 'thinking of sages' that caught my interest. I'm sure it's in there somewhere but, for reasons I note in the previous post, I haven't actually finished this book. Or actually started it. I did read the Introduction, though, and found that all the warnings and tips from those who'd recommended and warned about picking up Schwaller were quite true - it is An Undertaking. It might have to do with reading an English translation of a French author who thought in German. And it most certainly has to do with Schwaller's writing style: this must be about the densest text ever written, certainly the densest I've ever read (now you've been warned). Practically every sentence requires consideration and every paragraph a deep ponder, no doubt the result of the enormous amount of information the authors were attempting to record and communicate. And yet it was a joy, in a way, to discover hundreds of pages of detailed explanations of the ancient Egyptian wisdom traditions. But tempted as I was to continue my journey into its pages, I ultimately postponed further reading of The Temple of Man until I had a better understanding of the changes to my consciousness that had driven me to the book in the first place. In light of the fascinating discoveries that continue to emerge about this ancient culture, I'm very much looking forward returning to this massive work, along with his smaller supplementary texts.

The Temple in Man: Sacred Architecture and the Perfect Man (1949)
R. A. Schwaller de Lubicz

Wanting to introduce the Egyptology community to the controversial ideas he'd developed from his studies of the temple at Luxor, Schwaller published this short book of essays even before he completed his research in 1951. In this book, Schwaller lays out his discoveries that the temple was constructed to represent and teach the physical and spiritual functions of the human body. In eight illustrated chapters, Schwaller summarizes key concepts related to numbers and symbols before reviewing some of the evidence from the covered temple, the 'head' portion of the temple.

“"Man is the individualization of all the functions, affinities, and powers of the Universe ...  Consciousness is the Measure of individualization, rendering actual that which is virtual in the cosmic harmony. Man is the Microcosm, Consciousness is the 'Temple in Man'." --Schwaller de Lubicz, 'Temple in Man'

What I especially enjoyed about this book and some of the videos from the previous post are the random explanations the authors include about some of the common hieroglyphs. No more do I just look at these images and wonder what they all mean but now I can see the meaning behind a (very) few of the familiar symbols, statues and structures - which just makes me more curious about the rest!

If you're looking for an introduction to Schwaller's pivotal work, Temple of Man, and don't want to invest in 10 lbs (literally) of coffee table books, these essays are excellent sampling of his larger work.

Sacred Science: The King of Pharaonic Theocracy (1961)
R. A. Schwaller de Lubicz

Sacred Science is Schwaller's examination of the apparently unique form of governance practiced by the ancient Egyptians, a people who enjoyed a largely peaceful and prosperous civilization for over 3000 years. Instead of a government based strictly on lineage, democratic ideals or religious doctrine, Schwaller contends the culture is structured around a science that's developed by spiritual practices - a sacred science.

"Among those who have thus been led astray, the so-called alchemists of our time are of particular interest to us. They belong neither to the physicists nor to the dreaded "mystics" of pre-Lavoisier times, as they imagine they can identify atomic energy from Spirit, the origin of matter. May these few seekers understand that they must not allow themselves to be deluded by a rational science which is leading the world to disaster; as they willingly let themselves be called utopians, they might as well accept the principle of a sacred science that testifies to a divine science." --Schwaller de Lubicz, 'Sacred Science'

As of this writing, I haven't yet finished the book. I will note that, anxious as I was to get to the 'good stuff' about Egyptian symbols, I was initially disappointed to find Schwaller starts with a look back to some of the key myths and symbols of human history. But it was a helpful grounding and I continued to appreciate the tidbits of esoteric knowledge about familiar Egyptian symbols scattered throughout. As I was reading, I realized I especially enjoy listening to West, Hancock, and Schwaller because of the candidness of their writing. Much of what I've previously encountered about Egypt seemed more intent on maintaining mystery, whereas these fellows are trying to convince and so readily divulge one curious fact after another, all of which is far more compelling than more romantic but less informative explanations. In any case, the book is proving an informative and interesting account of the 'science of transformation' held sacred by the ancient Egyptians.

Serpent in the Sky (1979)
John Anthony West

J.A. West addresses a few areas in this book. First, he summarizes and restates a number of Schwaller's key findings with the intent of making them more accessible to readers reluctant to follow Schwaller's denser descriptions. And second, West's updated the book with new evidence that's emerged since the first publishing and which continues to build the case for a much earlier construction date for the Sphinx.

“Central to all these interlinked themes was that curious irrational, phi, the Golden Section. Schwaller de Lubicz believed that if ancient Egypt possessed knowledge of ultimate causes, that knowledge would be written into their temples not in explicit texts but in harmony, proportion, myth and symbol.” ―John Anthony West

As this is largely a restating of Schwaller's work, there is not much in the way of new information, excepting the data specific to J.A. West's more recent work with the Sphinx. But until I can retire and devote my brain to a reading of The Temple of Man', this book, together with Sacred Science and The Temple in Man, combine to provide a good introduction to many of the pivotal discoveries that drove Schwaller and others to continue exploring the origination and spiritual wisdoms of ancient Egypt.