Stairway to heaven : Chinese alchemists, Jewish kabbalists, and the art of spiritual transformation /

Independent scholar Levenda (Unholy Alliance: A History of Nazi Involvement with the Occult) has been studying and writing about occult history for more than a decade. Here, he looks deeply into the astrological/astronomical roots of the occult tradition as well as at the related theme of an adept's celestial ascent through seven stages. Central to the narrative are the North Pole Star (Polaris) and those stars around the pole that never set, in particular, the seven stars of the Big Dipper. Scholarly, complex, and reliant on a thorough knowledge of occult history, Levenda's book is not always easy to understand and will not appeal to casual readers. Moreover, longitudinal studies of this sort are open to the charge that the author is selectively choosing favorable elements to include while omitting mention of things that disprove the case. Every culture can be interpreted from widely disparate viewpoints. This study is recommended for academic libraries and public libraries with strong religion collections.--James F. DeRoche, Alexandria, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.