Ebb and flow of the esoteric traditions

Today while reading a question on a private membership forum, I was reminded that our tradition at one of the low water marks as far as the general history of the esoteric traditions is concerned.

One of the interesting things about the esoteric traditions is that it ebbs and flows. And while I am not sure if is currently ebbing or flowing, I do know that this is one of the times where the esoteric traditions are relatively impoverished. Membership in the mysteries is down, whether you are talking about Freemasonry, Wicca, or esoteric Christianity.

But it is not just the lack of warm bodies that indicate that we are at the lower end of the esoteric tide. The posting that I was reading was about geomancy, and it made reference to the older geomantic texts. I understand the student’s comment because I have seen some of the material that he was referring to. I have also seen some documents that expand upon the technique that he mentioned. Yet, I know that I am one of the few people who have learned anything about this aspect of geomancy in recent years.

The art and science of geomancy has been ebbing for the last sixty years; I know what caused this particular ebb. But it is not just geomancy that is ebbing. The entire esoteric field seems to be getting simpler and less complex all the time. I have some theories about why it is happening, but that is a subject for another time.

What I want to draw your attention to is the very existence of the ebb and flow of information about the mysteries. I want you to think about it--are the esoteric traditions getting stronger or weaker? And does the answer concern you?