Ep377: Gnosis, Initiation, & Esoteric Traditions - Peter Kelly
Peter Kelly is an independent spiritual teacher and author of The Phoenix Birth and The Saturated Breath.
Available on Youtube, iTunes, SoundCloud & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
Peter recalls his troubled childhood, struggles with crime and addiction, imprisonment, and subsequent spiritual quest.
Peter recounts what he describes as a series of powerful spiritual initiations that he believes have led him to the level of adept, how his use and facilitation of ayahuasca trips contributed to his path, and the role that esoteric reading has played in informing his insights.
Peter reveals that he has slept for only 30 minutes a night for most of his life, details childhood astral learning and experiences of gnosis in contact with ascended masters such as Kuthumi, and emphasises the importance of fully embodying spiritual truth.
I also question Peter about his claim to specialise in the “alchemy of the Egyptian Priesthood and Hermetic Traditions, the sacred wisdom of the fire temples of Zoroastrianism, and the Qabalah of the Essene and Mosaic traditions”, among others. I suggest that in doing so he risks misrepresenting both those traditions and his own teachings, and that the use of such terms can lend undue authority and credibility to his work.
00:00 - Intro
01:20 - Peter’s childhood
03:29 - Drugs, alcohol, and crime
04:42 - Prison, rehab, and becoming a father
05:17 - Deep healing work and interest in esoteric wisdom
05:47 - 9 years of intense initiations
06:20 - Reflecting on boyhood
08:05 - Peter has slept 30 minutes a night for most of his life
10:16 - Receiving teaching on the astral plane during childhood
11:05 - Unusual spiritual knowledge
14:14 - Wired but physically drained
14:44 - How much does Peter sleep these days?
15:19 - Connection with ascended masters and spiritual activation at age 6
19:54 - A bodily sense of knowing about Egyptian culture
21:42 - What is gnosis?
23:46 - Deep healing work, ayahuasca, and connection to esoteric teachings
28:53 - Initiations, unlocking parts, and visions
30:19 - Hermeticism and perennialism
31:02 - Peter’s understanding of the Egyptian tradition and alchemy
31:51 - Teaching what comes through
32:22 - How Peter draws on various religious systems in his client work
34:58 - Using the names of traditions to help people understand Peter’s work
38:36 - Peter’s 3 types of learning
40:09 - Peter’s esoteric and religious reading
42:32 - Graham Hancock’s books and linking to the astral plane
43:50 - Reading in archaeology, the occult, Egypt, and Tarot
46:08 - Finding a book that explains a past experience
46:58 - A personal perspective on ancient traditions
48:55 - Ayahuasca, Youtube, and Crowley
53:00 - Youtube became stale
53:42 - Spiritual experiences make sense of esoteric books
56:59 - Gnosis vs intellectual learning about symbols
01:02:28 - More on intellectual absorption and different was of knowing
01:05:58 - Peter reflects on his ayahuasca trips and learning to trust his experience
01:08:26 - Embodying knowledge
01:08:49 - How Peter correlates his experiences to traditions
01:13:46 - Peter’s understanding of the traditions in which he claims to specialise
01:18:32 - Is Peter a specialist in Zoroastrianism and Hermeticism etc?
01:21:23 - Using traditional terminology
01:22:32 - The dangers of using traditional terminology
01:26:18 - Is Peter misrepresenting traditions and his own work?
01:26:52 - Peter reflects on his use of traditional terminology
01:28:14 - Peter Kellyianism
01:30:50 - Dedication to truth, even when it’s uncomfortable to hear
01:32:41 - Communication with Master Kuthumi and other astral teachers
01:38:08 - Peter’s understanding of consciousness
01:39:38 - How Peter became a Western Adept
01:47:16 - Isolation and learning to live in the world
01:52:08 - What triggers Peter’s initiation experiences
01:55:18 - Defining “adeptship”
01:59:42 - How Peter works with clients
02:02:54 - What is a “Western” adept?
02:05:03 - Reflections on esoteric wisdom in today’s world
To find our more about Peter Kelly visit:
Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James.