Map of the Region
A Note to the Reader on the Historical Context
Marco Polo’s Tale of the Assassins
The Papal Charges against the Templars
part one The Qiyama and the Assassins
part two The Mission of the Templars
part three The Teachings of Sinan
part four The Gnosis Spreads West
part five Return to Al-Kaph and Death
part six Suspicion and Surveillance
part seven The Teachings of the Cathars
part eight Initiation and Arrest
part nine The Albigensian Crusades
Afterword
Acknowledgments
Other Books by James Wasserman
James Wasserman (1948-2020) was the author of several books, including The Templars and the Assassins and The Temple of Solomon. A longtime student of the occult and a member of the Ordo Templi Orientis since 1976, he lived in New York City. Keith Stump is a religious scholar and documentary screenwriter who spent many years in the Middle East studying the beliefs, history, and culture of the world’s great monotheistic faiths. Harvey Rochman is an international financier and film producer who envisions global media advancing human consciousness.
“An erudite, gripping novel of one man’s journey, set during the
tumultuous Crusades, where a series of totally unexpected twists
and turns leads to a subsequent initiation process, creating
extraordinary transformative changes, forever altering his
perception of himself, the world, and those around him. This
fascinating account parallels a far greater universal theme--that
of a profound spiritual quest of heart and soul, of timeless wisdom
and raw courage, where definitions and boundaries change, new
doorways open as others close, where peace is valued and challenges
are met, and longstanding cultural ‘mythconceptions’ on both sides
undergo a dramatic metamorphosis--never to be the same again! A
riveting read, the kind you can’t put down . . . a panacea for a
battle weary world.”
*Karen Ralls, Ph.D., The Templars and the Grail*
“James Wasserman has risen to the challenge of the daunting task of
making medieval history, and especially esoteric history,
entertaining and compelling. Things were so very different then,
but some things never change. Wasserman has located the spiritual
Gnosis in relations between a few remarkable Templars and the
survivals of the antique Gnosis in Syria and Languedoc. Templar
Heresy is a story of personal illumination the reader can easily
share because it is clearly, sincerely, and excitingly
expressed.”
*Tobias Churton, author of The Invisible History of the
Rosicrucians*
“Templar Heresy is a unique tale of spiritual growth and
initiation-- words that have been so abused of late they seemingly
have little meaning. In his rescuing of these sacred terms,
Wasserman creates a teaching tool of vital importance. Unlike
similar books, loosely wrapped in a historical veneer or vague
spiritual teachings (often channeled from a past life), Templar
Heresy is rigorous in its spiritual content and historical context.
Readers cannot come away unchanged--as Templar Heresy will teach
you about the past, the present (and possibly give a glimpse of the
future), as well as authentic spiritual initiation. It will also
teach you something about yourself. Readers be warned!”
*Mark Stavish, director of studies for the Institute for Hermetic
Studies*
“Historians struggle to strip away the dark veils of the ancient
days and reveal just a glimpse of the panorama of life in the
distant past. The attempts are frequently pallid portraits of times
that cry out for a rich palette of many tones with the deft hand of
an artist. In Templar Heresy, James Wasserman gives us just such a
vivid portrait of the burgeoning disparate movements of the
medieval Crusades--from the infamous cult of Assassins to the Order
of the Knights Templar. The evolution of the Western esoteric
tradition is revealed as we follow the lives of Sinan the Assassin
and the Templar Roland de Provence through these journeys of
Spiritual Aspiration and Realization, Betrayal and Persecution,
Love and Reconciliation. This is history imbued with the colors of
life that only life can reveal. Templar Heresy is a dramatic tour
de force not to be missed.”
*J. Daniel Gunther, author of Initiation in the Aeon of the
Child*
“Wasserman’s style is delightful. He reminds me of classical French
authors like Alexandre Dumas the younger. Moving straight ahead
with his story, he wastes no time with excessive explanation while
providing a real study of the political circumstances of the
period. This book brings together accurate and insightful
historical investigation with well-written and intuitive
storytelling.”
*Georg Dehn, editor of The Book of Abramelin: A New
Translation*
“Wasserman’s Templar Heresy reads like a colorful and addicting
novel while deconstructing everything you thought you knew about
the Templars and the history of Western civilization. To say that
it offers new and disturbing insights on today’s geopolitical
realities would be a gross understatement. Highly recommended.”
*Lon Milo DuQuette, author of The Key to Solomon’s Key*
“Templar Heresy invites us to consider that a mystical or esoteric
explanation of our own times is the only one that makes any sense.
Wasserman tells the story of the Templars in a fictional way but
also with a sense of the context of the times--there are both real
and invented characters, both real and invented events. There is
magic and mystery and esoteric philosophy; in these pages we see
that Muslims and Christians may have more in common with each other
than we ever realized. Templar Heresy is a treatise on that
struggle between ignorance and knowledge--not just from an
intellectual perspective but from a spiritual one. It forces us to
confront the whole concept of ‘heresy’ and to find that inner
heretic in our own souls.”
*Peter Levenda, author of The Lovecraft Code*
“With the tumult between the West and the Middle East as part of
our daily news cycle, James Wasserman has conjured up a riveting
narrative that is as pertinent to today’s world struggles as it is
a romantic and evocative adventure of a bygone era. Wasserman casts
the adept’s spell, sweeping up the reader onto a magic carpet ride
of Assassins and Templars, heresy and intrigue, rituals, hashish,
initiation, and sexual exploration. The tale explains much about
the cultural cataclysm that marks every aspect of our contemporary
world.”
*Peter Seals (Frater Puck), host of Thelema Now!*
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