The Seeker After Truth Site is well laid out with good graphics. It’s a bit of a mix, some of this and some of that. I couldn’t find any name or even pseudonym for the originator of the site, so I assume it’s a totally anonymous site. But maybe I missed it.

I would say though that the Anulios site is far, far better. In fact, not even in the same league. The main problem with the Seeker After Truth site is that it lacks context.  Where it relies on bits and snippets from published works, forming something of a hodge-podge and all put under the name of “sufi,” the Anulios site makes no such claim, and more importantly, is a “live” work in progress. It doesn’t require much (except for web skills) to cut and paste lots of published material from lots of authors to make a site and throw in some graphics. On the other hand, to expose one’s personal thoughts and issues in searching the deep matters requires a lot of courage.
-----

Whatever we perceive in the world around us tends to reflect who we are and what we care about most deeply, as in the old saying, “When a thief sees a saint, all he sees are his pockets.”

Robert Frager, Heart, Self & Soul, The Sufi Psychology of Growth, Balance and Harmony

you know, i don’t have anything against A.H. Almaas-- i have a few of his books and have sometimes recommended them as above-average to people who are interested in the Enneagram-- but i’ve never been able to figure out how he has managed to use that Octagon symbol for so many years. As far as I can tell, he’s not connected in any way with Idries Shah and the Octagon Press, and they were using that symbol as their logo back from at least 1960, whereas Almaas starts teaching much later.

now, i don’t want to sound like some kind of rigid pedant, but by Almaas using that symbol it seems to me to confuse the issue, because people will think that he is connected with Shah and Octagon (especially since he uses a lot of quote from their books) when, like i said, as far as i can tell, he’s not. And in fact, it seems to me his teachings and school are significantly different. anyway, i always wonder about that.

btw, i found the article about the Malamati on that SAT site very interesting.

Almaas is not the only one to use the Octagon symbol. Obviously Omar Ali Shah did (which seems reasonable) but the notorious Dede from Instituto Alef seems to utilize it with impunity as does the equally colourful ‘new phase’ of La Via.

Btw, I didn’t realize that article on the Malamati was up there - hadn’t checked for a while. I knew Dr Sviri when I was an undergraduate at SOAS - she is very interesting and has done some excellent research.

Just to correct a misrepresentation. The octagon symbol (muthammam) of the fourfold ‘hoo’ used as an imprint by Octagon Press is not utilized - with impunity or otherwise - by the ‘equally colourful “new phase” of La Via’. Instead this school uses its own eighfold ‘naqsh’, and it can be seen on its official websites such as http://www.lifeqp.it.

Idries Shah used to emphasize the importance of getting ones facts straight.

Just to correct a misrepresentation. The octagon symbol (muthammam) of the fourfold ‘hoo’ used as an imprint by Octagon Press is not utilized - with impunity or otherwise - by the ‘equally colourful “new phase” of La Via’. Instead this school uses its own eighfold ‘naqsh’, as can be seen on its official websites such as http://www.lifeqp.it.

A very interesting post as usual, but don’t get too caught up in forms. They will lead you nowhere in the end but confusion. The Sufi path teaches that symbols were used only to focus the mind, and are not ends in themselves. Allah knows the Truth.

I am glad to have found your site as it has acted as a trigger for me.  Thank you.