The Serapeum Journal
Ancient wisdom applied to the needs of today's humanity — a journal published by Alexandria West for two years, in eight issues.
Why the Journal Ended
Though well received and enthusiastically supported, the production of the Serapeum Journal had to come to an end after only two years, producing eight issues. Changes in the technologies concerning the distribution of information necessitated adaptations in how the public may receive that information.
While these changes have not succeeded in the extinction of paper and ink journals, their continued existence has required a rethinking of how a small educational journal reaches its readers today.
The Serapeum Issues
Across its two years of publication, the journal's articles and essays took up a single guiding theme: bringing the wisdom of the past to bear on the questions of the present.
Alexandria West is an educational organization devoted to the study of ancient wisdom and the enduring traditions of the Mediterranean and Near East. Its work centers on library and research resources, special collections, publications, teaching, workshops, seminars, and field trips, all aimed at making the material of the past available and relevant to contemporary readers. Rather than treating ancient sources as relics, the organization presents them as living conversation partners, encouraging sustained inquiry into the spiritual, religious, and philosophical currents that shaped human experience.
The Serapeum Journal was the organization's own periodical, published for two years across eight issues under the theme of ancient wisdom applied to the needs of today's humanity. Each issue explored a distinct area of the tradition through essays, correspondence, and catalogue-style documentation, written for students, researchers, and general readers alike. The journal also offered a venue for course- and library-related discussion, and its pages linked scholarship directly to questions of meaning, purpose, and daily living.
Although the journal was well received and enthusiastically supported, its production ended, and the Serapeum page now serves partly as an archive and an explanation. The stated reasons are practical: shifts in the technologies of information distribution required a rethinking of how the public receives and engages with such material, even though printed journals have not disappeared. What survives is the body of published issues, catalogued and documented online, along with correspondence and related documents that preserve the work for later study.
Across everything it publishes and organizes, Alexandria West emphasizes values that recur throughout its mission: respect for inherent human worth and dignity, compassion, justice, altruism in action, and a commitment to live by one's principles rather than merely profess them. The organization seeks to foster awareness of the truth and meaning found in the ancient traditions, relating them to modern life and to universal human concerns. It also invites participation, welcoming volunteers who share a sincere interest in study, teaching, and public service.
Two Years, Eight Issues
Eight issues were published over a two-year run, each carrying the journal's motto, “Ancient Wisdom Applied to the Needs of Today's Humanity.”
Current Topics
Articles commented on current topics of the day, connecting enduring teachings to the events and concerns of contemporary life.
Life Journeys
Alongside public affairs, the journal carried reflections on individual life journeys and the search for meaning.
End of Print
Production ended as changes in information distribution required new ways for the public to receive the material.
Publication Facts
- 8Issues published in total.
- 2Years of continuous print publication.
- 1Guiding theme: ancient wisdom applied to the needs of today's humanity.
Related Resources
The journal's subjects continue to be supported by Alexandria West's library holdings, study groups, and correspondence courses.
| Area | Description |
|---|---|
| Library Resources | Primary research materials, books, periodicals, and manuscripts preserving ancient and modern wisdom literature. |
| Meetings & Schedule | Classes and discussion groups meeting in Turlock and Modesto, California. |
| Special Collections | Archival materials related to perennialist movements and their founders, including the Geoffrey A. Barborka Archival Collection. |
| Correspondence Courses | Self-paced study courses, including T101 on the fundamental teachings of H. P. Blavatsky. |