Manly P. Hall
Born in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, Manly Palmer Hall lived from 1901 to 1990 as a prominent Canadian writer, lecturer, astrologer, and mystic. After moving to Los Angeles to reunite with his mother, he quickly developed a deep attraction to esoteric philosophies and mysticism. During his lengthy career spanning seven decades, he delivered thousands of lectures, published more than 150 volumes, and served as preacher and permanent pastor for the Church of the People in downtown Los Angeles. His early literary works included pamphlets and books exploring spiritual topics, Freemasonry, and ancient paths.
Financial support from Caroline Lloyd and her daughter allowed Hall to travel across Asia and Europe to examine various regional religions and cultures. While in London during the early thirties, he secured a valuable assortment of rare manuscripts and books on esotericism and alchemy from Sotheby's. Later, in 1934, he established the Philosophical Research Society in Los Angeles. When Caroline Lloyd passed away, her will provided him with a residence, cash, and regular distributions from oil field shares for decades following her death.
His most celebrated publication, released in 1928, was achieved through public funding, advertising, and collaboration with illustrator John Augustus Knapp and printer John Henry Nash. This monumental volume featured vibrant illustrations and essays exploring the hidden spiritual doctrines encoded within ancient rituals, allegories, and symbols. The work aimed to present the greatest knowledge of eras past in a dignified, monumental format rather than cheap, small editions, challenging conventional perspectives on society's spiritual foundations.
Following the wide circulation of his major work, Hall exerted significant influence over the metaphysical movement spreading across the United States. He became widely respected as an interpreter of ancient writings who encouraged readers to explore the inner mysteries of life. For anyone seeking esoteric literature, his writings and the Philosophical Research Society remain foundational pillars of mystical study and occult history.
To avoid a future of war, crime, and bankruptcy, the individual must begin to plan his own destiny, and the best source for the necessary information comes down to us through the writings of the ancients. The greatest knowledge of all time should be available … in a book that would be a monument, not merely a coffin.
We are the gods of the atoms that make up ourselves but we are also the atoms of the gods that make up the universe.
