Academy
for Spiritual Research and Realisation


Ideas
for Orientation

Knowledge
for Learning

Practice
for Inner Growth

Therapies
Healing

Art
As a Way


A Preliminary Draft

The Idea of ars sacra

The idea of ars sacra is to be found in the spirituality of the brotherhood of the Anthonites as it was alive through their 500 years of activity. Their ideas and practice can apply as a direction to the needs of our own time.

ars sacra is simultaneously the Way and the Goal, the unity of the idea and its conversion into practice that leads to the wholeness of our being.

ars sacra as expression is understood in its original meaning. Under it lies the idea that human beings carry as a possibility the complete octave of the sevenfold creation. In other words: we have been provided a similar energy to the one that acts beyond the measurable cosmos. When this asset, which exists in all human beings, is recognised in its full significance it can become the supporting platform of our life towards our perfection as human beings.

ars sacra touches this latent possibility in us. The goal is to arouse this potential in us and to make possible to find a way to realise it in its individual way. This is a creative process which leads at the same time to the recognition of the meaning of life as human beings.

ars sacra is about the whole Way with all its conditions: it begins with awakening the readiness to want to go the Way and includes the development of the given individual abilities. ars sacra communicates the techniques for removing obstacles and the completion.

This process is possible only when we are in tune with the cosmic structure, which makes the study of relevant knowledge necessary. This kind of knowledge has been left behind by spiritual traditions. To realise one‘s hidden potential is the fate of every human being and takes its own individual form. In this original meaning of the concept ars sacra leads us to the art of living in which the expressions are not necessarily making works of art, but daily life itself becomes art.

Self realisation can not be an end in itself, but must be seen in connection with the needs and possibilities of the present time and culture and recognised as an assignment. Art has been really understood in this connection in all great cultures. Thus art was in the deepest meaning of the word holy: it created order, brought healing and peace. Healing took place already in the course of artistic creation. Through the variety of artistic forms of expression the whole human being can be reached and helped.

For this reason the great schools of art have not only transmitted the techniques of art, but particularly knowledge of universal application. These schools were at the same time schools of realisation. The students were guided in recognising their possibilities and developing their abilities to express knowledge in the given frame of art.

This way the experiences of reality were expressed in suitable forms of art and what was recognised was directly transmitted to others. This way of understanding art has in the flow of time become lost to the European culture and this has meant the loss of the key to the knowledge on the basis of which these works of art were created. ars sacra aims at awakening and living this comprehensive understanding of art.

What we have said above includes what Plato called ideas. In the light of the understanding in our time we would speak of cosmic information. This cosmic information plays a significant role in the formation of all forms and in the control of all processes. This cosmic information actualises in the material world cosmically valid structures, coherence and laws. Hence the same ideas and information apply also to us human beings and they rule us in our bodily, psychic and spiritual parts. The cosmic information operates down to our most common daily experiences. They rule our inner processes and the development of our soul. With their help we can create our own world and through it we can take part in the concert of the creation. This way we can become able to fulfill the cosmic assignment given to us as human beings: to unite the created world again with its Creator.

To learn to listen to the symphony of the cosmos,
To recognise it
And tune to it with ones own song:
That is the human assignment
- that is holy art -
ars sacra.

ars sacra Academy
An International Project

ars sacra Academy is independent of all mental/spiritual, religious, therapeutic and artistic directions and Ways. It reaches out to those, who are looking for new impulses that can give their life meaning and make a new orientation possible. The Academy imparts knowledge and offers practice to develop the individual life to its fullness.

Aims:

The knowledge in old works of art is studied and made available for our day. This way art can take its proper place. This aim can only be achieved by rediscovering, studying and practicing the art as a path to realization.

To realize this it is necessary to help to develop three spheres in the human being:

  1. Education and the study of works of art, in which this knowledge is transmitted.
  2. Development of a different way of perception, which makes it possible to establish contact with reality - both with the inner soul and with the material world.
  3. Building the strength, which becomes the strength of realization and to develop the ability to practice what has been recognized in the light of knowledge.

This complex path of individual realization stands at the same time in harmony with the needs of the environment and in the service of the development of future generations.

Methods of work:

The Academy functions on three levels:

1. The study of works of art and art forms and the relevant background of this knowledge, which enables the access to the understanding of these works. The knowledge is transmitted in the framework of lectures and seminars, together with private studies. In the centre of the studies are the art forms of the European culture and their roots in the Middle East. At the same time influences and parallels from other cultures will be taken into consideration.

The objects of the studies are:

  • a. Works of pictorial art
  • b. Music
  • c. Sacred dances
  • d. Writings
  • e. Theatre
  • f. Architecture

Background knowledge includes:

  • a. Understanding the language of pictures
  • b. Basic ideas of Christianity and its roots (Greek philosophy, Judaism an Islam)
  • c. Sacred Geometry
  • d. Astrology as a Cosmological system
  • e. The Enneagram as a cosmic symbol related to the Law of the Octave
  • f. Language studies (Hebrew, Ancient Greek, Arabic)
  • g. Scientific investigation of the energy structures of the human body
  • h. Healing
  • I. Geomancy

2. Art as a path of development of the human potential

Therapeutic work: body, breathing and mental therapy through discussions, individually and in groups. Getting free and loosening blockades, information and conditioning.

Meditative Exercises: a. Breathing and silence
b. Music and Song
c. Calligraphy
d. Sacred Dance
e. Handicrafts
f. Giving form to creative ideas
g. Daily life as meditation

Other details:
· Different themes in the form of lectures
· Sharing the experiences with other participants
· Work in study groups
· Building 2 to 4 year comprehensive Workshop programs, which can be completed side by side with professional life. Example: Astrology course held 2004-2007. Some subjects will be taught in blocks.

3. Public Work
· Arranging public lectures and seminars in a wide basis
· Publication of articles, books, CD’s, videos and audio tapes
· Creation and maintenance of an internet presence
· Publishing
· Taking part in international conferences

4. Hospice
In the style of the Anthonite tradition establishing a Hospice with 2-4 Beds

5. Establishing a school for children
To prepare the next generation for life with new information and structures.

Organisation

International activity. The members of the Academy work each with their own area of responsibility according to a program that has been developed together.

Leadership:

A team of 3-6 persons, who, together with the teachers make the program. Visiting teachers with the right attitude will be also used in teaching special subjects.

Experience:

A group of eight people have gone through a 4-year intensive pioneer work in ars sacra Lebenswerkstatt.

I am deeply thankful remembering the rich experience of sharing the Way.

Agnes Hidveghy
Amden, October 2007