Art and Symbols of the Occult: Images of Power and Wisdom

Art and Symbols of the Occult: Images of Power and Wisdom by James Wasserman. Paperback edition. ISBN: 9780892814152.

This lavishly produced, full-color lexicon of occult imagery draws from the traditions of Alchemy, Astrology, Tarot, Kabbalah, Magic, Tantric Sexuality, and Visionary Art. A provocative chapter on Initiation traces the Western Mysteries from the earliest surviving artwork to that of the present day. Chosen for their intrinsic beauty and powerful symbolism, the illustrations in this book span thousands of years and include images from Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt, as well as later works by great artists and occultists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Hieronymous Bosch, Raymond Lull, Robert Fludd, and Manly P. Hall. All 22 paintings of the medieval alchemical masterpiece Splendor Solis are published here in color for the first time, as are the Tree of Life in the Four Worlds and the Eye of the Mysteries by modern occultist Harry Smith. The exquisite illustrations are accompanied by a lively and thought-pprovoking text on the variousaspects of the Wisdom teachings from which they derive. This book provides an excellent introduction to the timeless and hidden dimensions of occult practice, while stimulating the imagination and the quest for intuitive knowledge. An extensive bibliography of classical occult works complements this unique collection.