John Caris
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Teacher, author, and student of human culture Expert

John Caris Quick Facts
- Main Areas
- The Humanities covers everything that humans have done—all the arts and sciences. My focus changes with time. At the moment I am studying Native American culture and spiritual transformation through the ancient science of alchemy.
- Career Focus
- teacher, author, student of human culture
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Article
Spiritual Reflections
The magic mirror offers insight into the meditative art, and following Hermes’ path, we can prepare our mind so that it accurately reflects spiritual energy into the alchemical process. In some ways the mirror is more similar to a lens that allows light through when clean. Because if the lens ...
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Sin - Original and Otherwise
Original sin is a basic tenet in Christian theology. Adam and Eve, our first parents, sinned in the Garden of Eden and were kicked out because of that. Jesus came to save us from that sin and make things right again. The ideas that are contained in the biblical story and form part of the ...
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Musings on Adam and Eve
Over the years I have read all of the Christian Bible, some passages many times. As far as serious study and analysis, I have not yet progressed beyond Genesis 4. Yes, I am still seeking the deeper layers of meaning in the first four chapters of Genesis. It has been an intriguing jou ey, and ...
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Magicians Are Sacred Clowns
Ten years ago I renewed my interest in the magical arts and joined the Society of American Magicians and the International Brotherhood of Magicians. A revitalized appreciation for magic and an opportunity to delve into several intriguing ideas that have, at least for me, a deep and ...
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Thoughts on Cultural Roots
Our knowledge and understanding of human religious and spiritual beliefs should have its roots in the indigenous world view, the cosmic perspective of people still connected directly to the earth and whose cultural ties extended into the distant past. Such knowledge, however, is difficult to ...
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Reflections on Goddess Religion
The renewed interest and critical discussion of the ancient goddess religion open a path to the Perennial Philosophy, a substratum of human culture and consisting of a cluster of ideas, insights, view points, and attitudes about life found in most, if not all, societies. Basic concepts of the ...
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The Eco Twins Have Arrived
The Eco Twins are upon us, forcing us to re-evaluate our attitudes and correct our assumptions. In popular jargon they are at bat in the bottom of the ninth with no outs and the score is at the moment tied. Who are these Twins? They are the ever-present natural powers of ecology and social ...
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Sacred Symbols
Symbols, whether sacred or secular, pervade human culture and are frequently found in the arts. They are keys that open the door to higher consciousness, codes that winnow the kernel from the chaff, seeds that contain hidden knowledge. A symbol is like a tree with branches extending in many ...
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Favorite Quotes & Thoughts from John Caris
Education is the foundation for my life's jou ey, and so I have followed that path, both as a profession and as a means of personal fulfillment. A student and teacher, I have spent many years inspecting the doings and makings of us human beings. In pursuit of knowledge I began studying philosophy, religion, psychology, and literature. Before long I realized that these categories set false barriers, and so I reshaped my quest for understanding by inspecting all the arts and sciences and then extending the search to all human activities, following two main threads: who are we (essence or identity) and why are we here (existence)? The human spirit is expressed in everything that we do. Though cultures can be distinguished by their differences, unde eath flows the human soul. Each culture, then, is one facet reflecting the soul's myriad possibilities. For good or evil, the human spirit is capable of dancing to the cosmic rhythms of life, death, and regeneration. The human world is a miniature of the universe, and if we look carefully, we see the microcosm-macrocosm link.