Arthur Edward Waite 
Lamps of Western Mysticism 

A truly modern path to the spirit as described by the author of this book does not imply alienation from the demands and requirements of everyday life, but rather enhances man’s ability to live that life more fully, earnestly and fruitfully.This development follows certain definite steps which have as their preliminary goal the harmonizing and balancing of the inner life in terms of objective, ultimate reality. Beyond this, the path opens out to a still higher attainment, culminating in that sublime, conscious oneness with the divine, described in writings of those men and women who have attained at least a first experience of this highest of all goals.This book was written in order to open before us the prospect of this goal, to outline at least the first steps on the path leading to it, and to introduce us to some of the human beings who have achieved noteworthy results in this quest, particularly in the Western World.In simple, straightforward language he outlines the ideals and practice of the spiritual life from the standpoint of the man of the West as he is today, a description entirely free of asceticism and the restrictions of theological dogma.