MANLY P. HALL

Manly Palmer Hall (March 18, 1901 – August 29, 1990) was a Canadian-born author, lecturer, astrologer, and mystic, best known for his magnum opus The Secret Teachings of All Ages (1928). Over a career spanning seven decades, he became one of the most prolific and influential voices in modern esotericism, delivering thousands of lectures—including two at Carnegie Hall—and publishing more than 150 works.

Born in Peterborough, Ontario, Hall was raised by his mother and grandmother and moved to Los Angeles in 1919. Almost immediately he immersed himself in the study of mysticism, esoteric traditions, and comparative religion. That same year he delivered his first public lecture on reincarnation, beginning a lifelong vocation as a teacher of hidden wisdom. In 1923 he was ordained a minister in the Church of the People in Los Angeles and soon became its permanent pastor.

During the 1920s, Hall authored several early works, including The Initiates of the Flame (1922), The Ways of the Lonely Ones (1922), and The Lost Keys of Freemasonry (1923). With the support of benefactors, he traveled widely through Europe and Asia, deepening his knowledge of ancient philosophies, religions, and initiatory traditions. His synthesis of these studies culminated in The Secret Teachings of All Ages, published when he was only 27 years old. Lavishly illustrated and encyclopedic in scope, the book presented a sweeping survey of Hermetic, Masonic, Qabbalistic, Rosicrucian, and other esoteric traditions, establishing Hall’s reputation as a foremost interpreter of symbolic philosophy.

In 1934 Hall founded the Philosophical Research Society (PRS) in Los Angeles, a nonprofit institution dedicated to the comparative study of religion, philosophy, and science. The PRS housed a research library, publishing house, and lecture hall, becoming a hub for seekers of wisdom from around the world. Hall continued to write and lecture extensively, producing works on Freemasonry, Hermeticism, and esoteric Christianity, while promoting the pursuit of truth and self-knowledge.

Though not initiated into Freemasonry until 1954, decades after publishing The Lost Keys of Freemasonry, Hall was recognized with high honors for his contributions to Masonic scholarship. His lectures and writings remained in demand until his death in 1990. Today, many of his works remain in print, and his recorded talks are widely available.

Manly P. Hall’s legacy endures as one of the 20th century’s most influential interpreters of ancient wisdom, bridging hidden traditions with modern seekers and leaving behind a body of work that continues to inspire students of philosophy, symbolism, and the esoteric arts.