Far from its occult connotations, the word esotericism comes from the Greek εισωθεω (eisôthéô, I bring in, to be turned inward). Esotericism allows, above all, self-discovery. It’s a logical progression for someone interested in astrology like me, to eventually take an interest in other esoteric movements. Les Initiés by Jean-Jacques Bedu I’m not actively seeking out esoteric books; they come to me. First with watching a very interesting interview with Jean-Jacques Bedu. I immediately bought his book “Les Initiés”, which portrays about a hundred initiates from the year 1000 to the present day. These men and women come from movements as diverse as they are spread over time: alchemists, hermeticists,…

When I bought mint seeds, the packaging clearly indicated the best time to sow them. I didn’t heed that advice, put the seeds in a pot indoors, and watered them, hoping I’d still get mint out of season, thinking that heat alone would be enough to make them grow. Sure enough, the seeds sprouted, but the plants were too small to eat. I gave up and stopped watering them. Then, just as the instructions said, right before summer, the plants suddenly shot up and gave me more leaves than I needed. By the time I got organized and set a date with friends for a “homemade mojito” night, the leaves…