Head of the Hierophant (Revealer of sacred things) at Eleusis.
2nd or 3rd Century CE, but probably derived from a 4th C. BCE original

SOME RECENT MAJOR UPDATES

*Update May 2007 : New items on Second-hand/Antiquarian page*

*Update May 2007 : Secure Credit Card ordering now available, click here*

*Update July 2002 : Reassure yourself—read our Privacy Policy*

*Update July 2002 : New short-story on the Pythagorean/Platonic sage NUMENIUS (2nd C. AD)
in our short-stories on famous esoteric figures*

Remember : If you're seeking titles you can't find, we do Booksearch — Email me
We also buy books in all our specialist fields.

Chthonios Books : serving the esoteric research community since 1985

Chthonios Books was established in 1985 to provide serious scholarly materials for people doing research into western esoteric traditions. Chthonios is run by Stephen Ronan , and I deal with all your requests and queries myself, so you always get a personal service!

If you’re interested you can browse some background material and a historical approach to these traditions by following these links : Ancient Philosophy and Neoplatonism I Ancient Religion and Paganism I Theurgy I Early Christianity and Gnosticism I Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism I Hermetica and Alchemy I Magic I Mediaeval & Renaissance Esotericism I Esoteric Traditions . These traditions have always provided undercurrents to more orthodox and dominant streams in the west, and are now increasingly recognised as a significant ‘third force’ (the others are Biblical faith and Greek rationality) in western culture.

Secondhand & Antiquarian

You might want to have a look at my Secondhand and Antiquarian listings. And if you can’t find what you’re looking for there, then you can send me a request via email, and I can search for you.
*Update May 2007 : New items on Second-hand/Antiquarian page*

Online translations

If you’ve got a deep interest in the origins of western esotericism, and western spiritual traditions in general, then you might care to take a look at my online translations , where you’ll find translations and analysis of some important foundation texts in these traditions.

For the best New titles in these areas, see below!

The New Books Listings

*Update January 2001 : A new section of Classic Esoteric Reprints listings*

Some Background....
Esoteric research, once a very marginal interest, has been attracting enormous scholarly attention in the last few years. A new generation of scholars are coming to realise that these hitherto despised areas of research are crucial to a full understanding of western religion, philosophy and culture.

The result has been a plethora of publications in all fields, but even for professional scholars, keeping up can be a problem. This is particularly true in our field, because many themes are spread over many subjects which are traditionally considered separate : for instance, a theme like ‘sacred marriage’ occurs in ancient religion, gnosticism, kabbalah, Christian mysticism, alchemy… and so on.

But with the Chthonios New Book listings, you can stay on top by taking advantage of our free listings, which have been acclaimed by scholars and researchers worldwide for the following features :

Find books from scores of publishers worldwide, many small and obscure. You can use our Booklinks to buy your books at local prices (but some are only available through us....)

Our descriptions are more objective than the publisher’s listings, and often much more detailed than listings found elsewhere….

The criteria for inclusion are very strict, and only the best and most essential works in each field are listed. Pinpoint the exact materials you need, and avoid expensive mistakes!

I reckon life’s too short, and books are too expensive, for anyone to have to bother with anything but first-rate materials!

Get yourself down for our Email List (Entitles you to a discount - low volume list, approx. bi-monthly), and you’ll hear about new goodies before they’re up on the Internet. (By the way, we will never reveal your details to anyone else.)

The New Books Catalogue is divided into the following sections :

*Update January 2001 : A new section of Classic Esoteric Reprints listings*

Latest Additions to the New Books Catalogue in all areas
New Titles & CD-ROMS

Full Listings Section One : Mainly non-Christian Traditions
I Ancient Religion & the Mysteries I
I Neoplatonism & Ancient Philosophy I
I Judaism, Jewish Mysticism & Kabbalah I
I Magic, Witchcraft & Demonology I
I General Esotericism & Miscellaneous Works I

Full Listings Section Two : Mainly Christian & Christian-influenced Traditions
I Hermetica, Alchemy & Emblemata (includes Pagan Hermetic traditions) I
I Gnosticism & Early Christianity I
I Medieval & Renaissance Esoteric Traditions (includes Christian Kabbalah) I
I 18^th, 19^th & Early 20^th Century Esoteric Traditions I

If you buy books through us, you’ll find that Chthonios offers low delivery rates for both domestic and international orders.We’ll make sure your order is packed so that it weighs as little as possible (consonant with secure and damage-free shipping).

Coming Soon.…

Translations of crucial ancient and fundamental sources on Esotericism (now available) .…glossary of scholarly esoteric terms.… email booklists (now available!) .…*Update May 2007 : New items on Second-hand/Antiquarian page*….The New Books catalogue (Now online!)….more links to other sites (Updated!)….and more!

Bookmark this page.…

Chthonios was established in 1985 by Stephen Ronan, and operates as a mail-order business from Hastings, UK.
CHTHONIOS BOOKS
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United Kingdom
TEL: (01424) 433302, International (+ 44) 1424 433302

EMAIL: service@esotericism.co.uk

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