Interior Alchemy: Secrets to Creating Expressive Ambience
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Not your usual decorating, thank goodness!
  • My Favorite "Decorating" book
  • Decorating Eden
  • My new decorating bible
  • Close-to-realistic decorating
Interior Alchemy: Secrets to Creating Expressive Ambience
Rebecca Purcell , and Kathy Walton
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0688148948

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Not your usual decorating, thank goodness!.......2007-09-02

I do NOT have a french or english country estate, so decorating books showing large rooms are not helpful for me. I hate French country decor, with the stupid ugly chickens and everything painted mustard and blue. Pottery Barn, Res Hardware and Crate and Barrel are handy but cookie cutter... This book is not any one of these things and I really love it! Some of the decorating styles, like "Alienated" are a bit too eccentric even for me but I love seeing the ideas taken to completion with out appology. It's not about shabby chic, it's more eccentric than that, like vintage photos of show girls, morrocan lamps and velvet couches... I really hate decorating books where everything is painted flat white, like an apartment, and cutsy little flowers everywhere. Too girly. No punch. This book is using what you love, even if, or especially if, its odd to create atmosphere with attitude. I think this is especially good for people with old houses or apartments, who are good at found art and collage. If your mother was an antique dealer like mine and you have mis matched yet interesting things, there are very useful ideas here. Medieval enthusiasts and goth kids would love this book. People with Magickal households that have unusual things would love this book, as well.

5 out of 5 stars My Favorite "Decorating" book.......2007-06-26

This is more of an analysis of your artistic style than one of those cookie cutter decorating books--every page is amazing. If you are artistic & don't like to follow current trends, you will love the offbeat, quirky ideas. Worth every penny--sequel, please?

4 out of 5 stars Decorating Eden.......2007-02-11

Firstoff the four stars is hard to explain. I want to give this item five. But there is a few things I cannot overlook. However, this book is amazing. It is a decorating eden, filled with wonderous things you should look into and explore. If you look at this book and you think "ack, $$$!! I do not have the money to pull off these styles" you will miss the entire point of the book. The entire book is about doing it yourself, and she does it on a penny. she explains throughout - its possible to get the look and spend a reasonable amount of money. The book is not about buying the most expensive antique. Its about creating. Its about making something yours from junk. Its about hooshing - making it yourself; spending no money. It is a tome of creativity.

The only reason I cannot give it 5 is the one chapter 'Humble' - while the style is visually appealing she seems to forget a few things, like sanitation. The cute little guest cottage is made out of an old large chicken coop, where the walls have sustained beautiful natural water damage. While asthetically pleasing, its mold. Also, chickens carry alot of airborn diseases that if you mess around in their dried feces (like oh say, in a chicken coop) you can inhale and get terrible things like meningitis. (It happened to a friend's brother of mine while he was cleaning out a similar coop to the one she uses. Not something to mess around with. And he was wearing an air filter and construction gear.)
While this chapter can be completely overlooked and ideas still gained from it, it completely ignores hygine and health. But honestly, this shouldn't make you ignore this book. Its a diamond in the rough. No book is perfect, but this - is pretty darn close.

5 out of 5 stars My new decorating bible.......2005-02-03

I adore this book. I found a copy of it mysteriously in my office (I'm a set dresser) and it has completely overhauled my beliefs in decorating. The pictures are feasts for your eyes... There's just so much to look at, all layered so perfectly. I can't wait to create my own lofted bed, my own hooshes, and mysteriously curtained nooks. I feel like I finally fit into a design catagory.

Even if this book doesn't quite mesh as well with your design style, it is still interesting to look at the unique ways of decorating, and the text is lively and quite non-snore inducing (which most decorating books tend to be).

Amazing book. Buy it, you won't be disappointed. It will leave you yearning for another one from the very creative Rebecca Prucell.

5 out of 5 stars Close-to-realistic decorating.......2005-01-05

I have mixed feelings about this book, despite the 5 stars. I don't actually like clutter myself. I take its presence as a sign that somebody needs to tidy up and/or throw a few things out.

Still, whose home is neat and organized all the time? Through great effort, I can get mine to lose that just-been-burglerized look for about 5 minutes a week.

So I was delighted to find Purcell's book, much of which is devoted to making clutter actually look good, a process she refers to as "hooshing."

She also appreciates that few people's household belongings are new, unstained or well-matched.

--which is (IMO) why the rooms in this book bear some resemblance to places people actually live.

The main deviation from TRULY realistic decor derives from the fact that HER piles of clutter consist of things like old globes, brocade samples, hardcover books etc., whereas most people's clutter is stuff like old newspapers and dead plants. But for an interior decorating book, it's close enough.
A Dictionary of Alchemical Imagery
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • workhorse for literary alchemy
  • The Philosopher's Stone
A Dictionary of Alchemical Imagery
Lyndy Abraham
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521000009

Book Description

This dictionary documents alchemical symbolism from the early centuries AD to the late-twentieth century, for use by historians of literary culture, philosophy, science and the visual arts, and readers interested in alchemy and hermeticism. Each entry includes a definition of the symbol, giving the literal (physical) and figurative (spiritual) meanings, an example of the symbol used in alchemical writing, and a quotation from a literary source. There are fifty visual images of graphic woodcuts, copperplate engravings and hand-painted emblems, some reproduced here for the first time.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars workhorse for literary alchemy.......2005-09-21

this book is fun, well written, and detailed. most useful for literary and artistic readings of alchemy, or "comparative religion" type studies, less so for detailed info on the protoscientific aspects (try Lawrence Principe). I'm using this book for a class on alchemy I'm teaching this semester. It's a good way to approach the rich terminology and symbolism, though it can get a bit repetetive as the same idea gets explained in different ways in different articles. Could have better footnotes and cross-referencing, but very useful for the casual reader or beginning student who is just becoming familiar with a confusing and difficult set of terms and images.

5 out of 5 stars The Philosopher's Stone.......2000-04-25

This is a superb book for anyone interested in alchemy. For those interested in alchemy and its connections to literature-- it's even better. The articles are bursting with relevant information and insight into this often perplexing subject matter in an accessible, readable style. A "must have" for anyone interested in alchemy. The only thing I don't like is the price, which may prove prohibitive for some.
Magic and Ritual in the Ancient World (Religions in the Graeco-Roman World)
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Magic and Ritual in the Ancient World (Religions in the Graeco-Roman World)

    Manufacturer: Brill Academic Publishers
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

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    ASIN: 9004116761
    The Magic Flute: Die Zauberflote. an Alchemical Allegory
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Splendid on Mozarts alchemy but how is illumination as such?
    The Magic Flute: Die Zauberflote. an Alchemical Allegory
    M. F. M. Van Den Berk , and M. F. M. Van Den Berk
    Manufacturer: Brill Academic Publishers
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

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    Mozart, Wolfgang AmadeusMozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | Composers | Classical | Musical Genres | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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    ASIN: 9004130993

    Book Description

    This volume demonstrates for the first time that Mozart's opera Die Zauberflöte is an enactment of the alchemical opus magnum, in the form of a chemical wedding. Towards the end of the 18th century, alchemy was still a prominent mystical current within the Order of Freemasons of which Mozart and his librettists were members. The central part focuses on the opera's alchemical structure, whereas the historical and mythological backgrounds are also dealt with extensively. The book comes with 3 CD's offering a rendition of the integral opera, in contrast to the common practice of leaving out major parts of the libretto. The Magic Flute is a fascinating journey of discovery, an initiation into Initiation. With complete original libretto and over 100 pictures.

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Splendid on Mozarts alchemy but how is illumination as such?.......2005-02-26

    Van den Berk is here the forerunner who cuts a path through the thick forest which would otherwise not be viable. Proving anew and definitely that the opera is an 'alchemical' one is what he does, which he is very sure about, and may be proud of. He does so by interpreting the diverse characters, symbols and processes, as well as the totality of them, as illustration of the 'magnum opus', the great work of the alchemists. And this within and from the lives and context not only from the makers of this opera, Mozart and his librettists, members of the 'illuminate' version of Freemasonry. But still more, and this is a really fascinating part of the study, from the history of mythology of which alchemy grew as one branch. So we learn among many other personalities and symbols from Pamina as salt, Tamino as sulphur, and Papageno-Papagena as mercury and hermaphrodite. And not less from the processes of transformation which all these undergo, resulting in the definitive 'chemical' wedding (the sacred marriage), through the phases of nigredo (blackening), albedo (whitening) and rubedo (reddening). Everything is shown in the most convincing details, from classical Greece and old Egypt to the Rosicrucian works of the 16th Century. From Isis and Osiris to Mozarts visit to Pompeji, and the history and meaning of the etchings which accompanied the publication of the opera. With detailed insights into Mozart's membership of Freemasonry, his personal views about what it stood for, and the way this influenced his musical and theatrical creations. With most insightful explanations of 92 very adequate illustrations. So to me indeed this is a monumental work.
    I add hastily that the book is a pleasure to read, because Van den Berk is a master in letting the reader make the discoveries together with him. Although possibly not every part is to any reader of the same interest, it is clear that one enriches oneself very much by following the author throughout the whole book. Particularly if one is also interested in the evidence which proofs the theses of the author. Van den Berk has a strong intuition and at the same time a thorough feeling for scientific and historical proof, and always lets the later support the former.
    And be sure the map he sketches does not contradict the innumerable hard facts for one moment! So I have to conclude that this work offers a lot to many people, not the least many suggestions for further studies in the field, and much inspiration for every reader, also those with a more personal interest in the various subjects, themes and topics related to Mozart's Zauberflöte.
    I wish this book in the hands of many, and thank the makers of it for their inspiration and knowledge, particularly the author himself through which all this value comes through us.

    Now I will continue with some questions which remain to me unsolved. To my opinion the richness of this book cannot be underestimated very much! Although the author is very well aware of many themes there are also aspects which he does not give very much attention. I mean the path of illumination itself.
    To me the experience or realization of illumination is important as well as the path from and to it. I can refer to illumination in the works of Jacob Boehme which have well influenced the authors which according to Van den Berk also inspired Mozart, particularly the famous Oetinger of whom a book was found in Mozarts library with a very interesting part about music! And I can also refer to illumination in the Buddhist tradition. While I experience the book of Van den Berk as 'scientifically' impressive, why does not deal he with the core itself of his subjects - namely the path from and to illumination - that intensively? Of course it is very likely that he does this indirectly so why not also directly?
    But let me first acknowledge some other characteristic of this book which has impressed me very much: the author everywhere adds to his conclusions the way he has found them, and this is very inspiring. It tells us we ourselves could also find what we seek, if using our means in the right way. So the book itself is a splendid illustration of going one way, be it only that of detailed 'scientific' mythological and historical research (including important aspects of human psychology).
    I add another point, which for me touches the core. To me illumination in the Western tradition of alchemy has everything to do with the so called union of the opposites of which the union of the opposite sexes is the most important example, also called 'androgyny' which is an important topic from classical to modern times (see my book on "Androgyny in Christianity, particularly in the works of Jacob Boehme" 1986; extenxive summary in English at http://www1.tip.nl/~t770268/androgsum.html ). As this includes the relation of sexuality and spirituality - the role of the union of the sexes at all levels, even as symbol of spiritual illumination! - it would be important not to forego this tradition and its implications, particularly when the subject is central to it, and to the Zauberflöte it surely is. For example: how is the relation in the opera between sexuality at lower and at higher levels and how has it come through in the course of the reception of the opera?! This is again a core theme Van den Berk's book puts on the scene of our attention, and although he himself does not elaborate upon it very much, it is very important as well and will hopefully be seen by many readers. The relation of sexuality and spirituality is of great importance to the history of the West, not only through the churches, through theology and mysticism, and not only through alternative traditions like Gnosticism and alchemy in which it flourished abundantly, but also in the philosophical presuppositions of Western culture as such. It is not by chance that the theme of the Zauberflöte is a core theme. Whereas it is a great merit of this book of Van den Berk to have proved this with regard to the roots of the Zauberflöte in alchemy and Freemasonry, it would be a great accomplishment if the much broader implications of it - I repeat: a core theme of Western culture - from now on would be elaborated upon more fully. Again: that Van den Berk with his book touches upon such a fundamental theme to our Western culture and spirituality, and so makes possible a more thorough study of the latter, to me is a great advantage and a great merit. It makes even comparisons and discussions with other cultures more near and better possible. Not a small value.
    Design Alchemy
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Great - inspiring and beautiful
    Design Alchemy
    Ashley Hicks , and Allegra Hicks
    Manufacturer: Conran
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

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    ASIN: 184091193X

    Book Description

    Two talented designers combine their creative visions--resulting in a magnificent fusion of classic and contemporary styles. How do they achieve this incredible synthesis of the old and new, something so free-flowing and organic, with vibrant touches of ethnic and modern? Here are their inspirations and philosophy, and an intimate view of their process of creation. Watch Ashley's furniture and Allegra's textiles as they evolve in the studio, and how the couple brings together different elements, balances contrasting features, and introduces color, form, and texture. Finally, see the completed rooms and how they fit the needs of individual clients, from a maisonette in London to a large villa in Turin. The challenges of six problem rooms are analyzed and met. The results: sophisticated, enduring looks for the timeless interior and a unique portrait of a very special partnership.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Great - inspiring and beautiful.......2002-04-11

    A fascinating insight into the methods and influences of this up-and-coming design partnership, introduced by a foreword from actor Jeremy Irons. Her style is free-flowing and organic; his is classically inspired and architectural. Ranges over their complete oeuvre from Allegra's patterned rugs and fabrics to Ashley's jewelry and furniture. With a brief review of historical inspirations (from ancient Pompeii to modern England), fabulous photographs by Bill Batten, and a wealth of practical advice and beautiful images. The text is both down-to-earth and fascinating, with unexpected humorous touches. Thoroughly recommended for any lover of great design.
    Alchemy & Mysticism: The Hermetic Museum (Klotz)
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Great Quality Book
    • Alchemy & Mysticism: The Hermetic Museum
    • Fantastic collection of mystical and alchemical art
    • Short version of the original book
    • I Would Give This 10 Stars If I Could!
    Alchemy & Mysticism: The Hermetic Museum (Klotz)
    Alexander Roob
    Manufacturer: Taschen
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

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    ASIN: 3822815144

    Book Description

    A fantastic journey through the history of esoteric lore: the great work of the alchemists...

    The Hermetic Museum takes its readers on a magical mystery tour spanning an arc from the mediaeval cosmogram and images of Christian mysticism, through the fascinating world of alchemy to the art of the Romantic era. The enigmatic hieroglyphs of cabbalists, Rosicrucians and freemasons are shown to be closely linked with the early scientific illustrations in the fields of medicine, chemistry, optics and colour theory.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Great Quality Book.......2006-12-13

    This book is full of hard to find alchemical art.

    If you try to understand the book you will most likely get lost in the alchemical labyrinth, but you will not regret it.

    5 out of 5 stars Alchemy & Mysticism: The Hermetic Museum .......2006-11-11

    This book is a most excellent read for anyone who has an understanding of Spiritual Alchemy. It is fully illustrated with rare material which is extremely informative. This is a must for anyone who is interested in Spiritual Alchemy. This is so far the very best material on the subject I have seen.

    5 out of 5 stars Fantastic collection of mystical and alchemical art.......2005-10-05

    If you love the esoteric symbolism and art associated with alchemy then you are going to love this book. It is beautifully presented with a nice glossy finish to the pages and the colours are excellently reproduced.

    There are brief bits of text that accompany the drawings/paintings and even though they are brief they can be quite illuminating.

    This book has had pride of place in my collection and I have dipped into it on many occassions. It can be almost meditative looking at these painings and drawings and can broaden your spiritual understanding.

    It is a fine collection of alchemical and mystical paintings and drawings and it is unlikely that you will find such a beautifully presented and exhaustively comprehensive collection anywhere else.

    2 out of 5 stars Short version of the original book.......2005-08-13

    Why do I give this book only 2 stars? I don't agree with the way this book is marketed. Watch out for ordering this book, as there are two books of the same title, author and publisher. What's the difference? One of the books has the word 'icons' on it and has only 192 pages from the original book. The original book has 712 pages. Check that the ISBN's match for what you are after. I made the mistake of buying this book from a site that did not list the page numbers and went off the title, publisher, author and picture on the front cover. Since first writing this review, I have now returned to say that I have the original 712 paged book and am very happy with it. When it comes to a book like this, why settle for second best?

    5 out of 5 stars I Would Give This 10 Stars If I Could!.......2005-02-02

    This has got to be one of the greatest collections of Hermetic, Mystical and Alchemical images between two covers. Many are rare, and many are in full color--and many many are entirely new to me! Paging through this book is a real voyage of discovery. I particularly recommend this book to anyone involved in the creative arts because these images stay with you and resonate in your psyche for days, weeks, months, and years! An incredible purchase for such a low price!
    A Safe and Sustainable World: The Promise Of Ecological Design
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • The Evolution of an Important Ecology Research Organization
    • An Education & Inspiration
    • What can be done and what should/will be done
    A Safe and Sustainable World: The Promise Of Ecological Design
    Nancy Jack Todd
    Manufacturer: Island Press
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

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    ASIN: 1559637781

    Book Description

    In the late sixties, as the world was waking to a need for Earth Day, a pioneering group founded a small non-profit research and education organization they called the New Alchemy Institute. Their aim was to explore the ways a safer and more sustainable world could be created. In the ensuing years, along with scientists, agriculturists, and a host of enthusiastic amateurs and friends, they set out to discover new ways that basic human needs--in the form of food, shelter, and energy--could be met. A Safe and Sustainable World is the story of that journey, as it was and as it continues to be.

    The dynamics and the resilience of the living world were the Institute's model and the inspiration for their research. Central to their efforts then and now is, along with science, a spiritual quest for a more harmonious human role in our planet's future. The results of this work have now entered mainstream science through the emerging discipline of ecological design.

    Nancy Jack Todd not only relates a fascinating journey from lofty ideals through the hard realities encountered in learning how to actually grow food, harness the energy of the sun and wind, and design green architecture. She also introduces us to some of the heroes and mentors who played a vital role in those efforts as well, from Buckminster Fuller to Margaret Mead. The early work of the Institute culminated in the design and building of two bioshelters--large greenhouse-like independent structures called Arks, that provided the setting for much of the research to follow.

    A Safe and Sustainable World demonstrates what has and can be done--it also looks to what must be done to integrate human ingenuity and the four billion or so years of evolutionary intelligence of the natural world into healthy, decentralized, locally dreams hard won--and hope.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars The Evolution of an Important Ecology Research Organization.......2006-07-31

    Nancy Jack Todd eloquently relates the history of her and husband John Todd's New Alchemy Institute (NAI) for ecological design starting in 1969 to the present day incarnation of Ocean Arks International. This book has many photographs and drawings showing systems, buildings both at their research facilities and installations around the world and many of the dedicated people who have worked with the Todd's over the years.

    The original focus of their research was to develop sustainable organic food production, bioremediation, off-grid energy production, and efficient building construction methods for a virtual stand-alone closed-loop system capable of self-sufficiency without any toxic side-effects, especially, effluent. Through trial and error and much research they met their goals and became internationally recognized for the high state of efficiency their various systems achieved. NAI became a successful format and influence for many colleges to replicate on campuses all over the U.S. and abroad.

    Eventually, they turned their focus almost exclusively to natural effluent and pollution remediation techniques developing the "eco-machine" system that utilizes plants, micro-organisms and fish to convert sewage to re-usable water and fish for food production.

    The Todd's contributions to solving many of the world's toughest environmental problems and influence on ecological study cannot be understated, especially in the area of bioremediation. If every municipality, farm, and industrial site in the world were join the ranks of those who have already installed "eco-machine" type water purification systems to clean-up their toxic run-off, a huge chunk of global pollution could be eliminated.

    This book is a must have for all those interested bioremediation and that should be everyone- a clean environment requires it.


    5 out of 5 stars An Education & Inspiration.......2006-03-20

    This book is written for those of us who are not architects or engineers. It illustrates how to live more sustainably on this fragile planet. The process described of incremental learning based on experimenting with small changes over time to find the most efficacious approach to sustainable building, agriculture, food production and zero waste is a lesson in itself. Learning came from doing, carefully recording results, applying lessons learned and improving results. In addition, the book describes how sustainable practices can also be economic engines for new product development and cost reduction.

    I've recently been in Tanzania looking at community development projects and I plan to send this book to several of the people that I met. It's the way to build and live for the future survival of our species.

    5 out of 5 stars What can be done and what should/will be done .......2005-07-06

    Ecological design issues were in the news in the late 1960s, the height of ecological understanding; yet today it remains relatively in the background. A Safe And Sustainable World: The Promise Of Ecological Design provides a personal account of those who set out to discover more sustainable methods of shelter and energy - and comes from research and work of a couple who served as sustainable leaders of ecological design for thousands. What can be done and what should/will be done is discussed in chapters defining elements of success and ecological failure.
    Gardens of the Gods: Myth, Magic and Meaning in Horticulture
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Gardens of the Gods: Myth, Magic and Meaning in Horticulture
      Christopher McIntosh
      Manufacturer: I. B. Tauris
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

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      Similar Items:
      1. Sensations: A Time Travel through Garden History Sensations: A Time Travel through Garden History

      ASIN: 1860647405
      Release Date: 2004-12-23

      Book Description

      Gardens of the Gods reveals the symbolic language of garden design, exploring the gardens of China with their moon gates and im-mortal rocks, the Zen gardens of Japan, and the paradise gardens of Islam. It even looks at Renaissance Italy with their richly mythological imagery, the landscaped parks of England, the gardens of New Harmony in the United States and some striking modern examples of symbolic gardens, including the Tarot Garden of the sculptress Niki de Saint Phalle in Italy. This beautifully illustrated book also includes a chapter with suggestions for creating a 'garden of meaning' and a selected catalog of plants with sym-bolic or mythological associations.
      Jim Dine: The Alchemy of Images
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Jim Dine: The Alchemy of Images
        Marco Livingstone
        Manufacturer: Monacelli
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Hardcover

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        Similar Items:
        1. Jim Dine (Modern Masters Series, Vol. 18) Jim Dine (Modern Masters Series, Vol. 18)
        2. Jim Dine: Some Drawings Jim Dine: Some Drawings
        3. Jim Dine: Aldo et Moi Jim Dine: Aldo et Moi

        ASIN: 1885254792
        Alchemy and Mysticism: Hermetic Museum (Klotz Series)
        Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
        • Alchemy Anyone? Then this is your book!
        • Deserves 6 Stars. Totally freakin awesome!!
        • really great
        • A MUST for anyone studying alchemical imagery
        • An Atlas of Human History
        Alchemy and Mysticism: Hermetic Museum (Klotz Series)
        Alexander Roob
        Manufacturer: Benedikt Taschen Verlag
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

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        Similar Items:
        1. The Emerald Tablet: Alchemy of Personal Transformation The Emerald Tablet: Alchemy of Personal Transformation
        2. The Alchemical Mandala: A Survey of the Mandala in the Western Esoteric Traditions The Alchemical Mandala: A Survey of the Mandala in the Western Esoteric Traditions
        3. Sorcerer's Stone: A Beginner's Guide to Alchemy Sorcerer's Stone: A Beginner's Guide to Alchemy
        4. The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Reader's Edition) The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Reader's Edition)

        ASIN: 382288653X

        Customer Reviews:

        5 out of 5 stars Alchemy Anyone? Then this is your book!.......2007-09-06

        What a wonderful resource! This book offers so many alchemical and hermetic diagrams and illustrations, it's hard to choose where to start. From the musical and mystical illustrations of Robert Fludd, to William Blake, this book has it all.

        Nicely organized by numerous categories such as "Light and Darkness," "Serpent," and "Divine Geometry." The only drawback is that the descriptions for the illustrations are sometimes difficult to understand. I'm not an expert on alchemy, and at times I became a bit frustrated since some of the concepts are not easily grasped.

        But perhaps it is not necessary that just our intellect comprehends these phenomenal drawings since many of the illustrations visually send messages our subconscious minds receive and interpret. For that reason alone, this book is a must-have for anyone seriously interested in learning and experiencing more about alchemy and hermeticism.

        5 out of 5 stars Deserves 6 Stars. Totally freakin awesome!!.......2004-12-26

        All the other reviewers have already said it: this book is absoluteley amazing and the price .. I feel almost guilty paying so little for it. This book is a treasure of the ages. I didn't know much about alchemy when I bought it (though the subject is one that has always interested me.) Reading it was a long, slow, contemplative journey. There's a vast wealth of information there, between the glorious pictures and the intelligent captions, the thoughtful text at the beginning of each section ... It seems alchemy is not merely a materialistic quest for profit by turning cheap metals into gold; the true goal of "philosophical" alchemy was to turn the alchemist himself into spiritual gold, in other words, to obtain enlightenment. It's a quest to find God, and many of its principles cannot be explained in words. Many of its secrets cannot be told except in cryptic hints and mysterious symbols, because discovering the key for yourself is part of the journey. Reading this book feels almost like taking a few steps down that road, and glimpsing from far away the great Light waiting at the end of it ...
        This is definitely a "must read" if you have any interest in metaphysical subjects.

        5 out of 5 stars really great.......2002-01-11

        Everyone else is saying what I would. This book is fantastic. Great illustrations, great captions, great information hard to find elsewhere! Get it!

        5 out of 5 stars A MUST for anyone studying alchemical imagery.......2001-12-07

        This book is fat and loaded with color plates of pretty much every major example of medieval/renaissance alchemical artwork. It seems impossible that such a book would be so inexpensive! As such it is an invaluable reference guide. There are textual explanations of each plate included in the book, some more detailed than others, though the text won't help you understand the emblems or the subtext if you don't already know about it. I would recommend anyone interested in alchemical imagery to visit the Alchemy website (...) and check out anything else online by Adam McLean.

        5 out of 5 stars An Atlas of Human History.......2001-10-22

        Hot off the shelf from some wizard harem this "brickbook" consisting of about a 1000 full-color illustrations on over 700 pages of glossified paper from the Renaissance & Enlightenment eras' for the most part, but going back to the early post-crucfixion days of the prevailing Mystery Religions and into our terrifying millenary day with a few examples of Modernist/Post-Modernist Art such as Duchamp's work & the playwright August Strindberg's cosmological photographic exposures to the night sky; several references to Fulcanelli as well as Theosophical Architectural drawings...around 30 pieces from the AURORA CONSURGENS (14-17th cen./see CGJung's writings) are celebrated herein, they are some of the most intriguing works I have ever seen!; all variety of outtakes from myriad illuminated manuscripts & Medieval incunabula fill these pages; but it is mostly the Renaissance Hermetic texts of the Alchemists and Mystics (hence the title) that is represented in the finest detailed prints; from Anastasius Kircher's beautiful cabalistic diagrams to the mnemonic palaces & Hermetic/Alchemical graphics of Robert Fludd, H.Khunrath, Jacob Bohme, M.Maier...the names go on in a never ending procession of Renaissance & Enlightenment Artistic brilliance. There is no other work ever printed in the last few hundred years, at least that I have ever even heard of mythologized by bibliophiles & collectors or Antiquarians that warrants comparison with such a high-quality work as this is and for such a trifle of a price! For the sheer bulk, much less the quality prints that one gets from Sir Benedikt Taschen's wondrous press (which is unequalled in the Art world!) the price is practically nil as even a lesser book consisting of half the number of the same works would go for 10 times what Mr. taschen's offering it to the world for!...and only Taschen could ever come up with a second volume to match it! I & many others I suppose have fantasized for hundreds of years perhaps for a book like this to be published at under a 1000 dollars say; for it is definitely a luxury item for poorer students & scholars both independent and academic to be able to afford such a sublime effort and product as this, for which I thank Taschen press from the bottom of a bookish passion for all they have done in just the past decade or so. The work defends itself, nay it has no need but only should be championed by anyone who appreciates and admires history itself. This book is a lens by which one can focus in on lost eras whose words cannot be trusted nearly as much as these illustrative works; it's a catalogue of dreams, maps of lost and/or forgotten utopian ideals, charts of spiritual aspirations and records of strange initiations; a massive book of riddles in pictograph, for which the puzzle-subject is one's very own microprosopus-being whose final assembly means heaven reached or paradise achieved; & at the least intellectual delight/enlightenment, & gnosis at best. The artwork is perhaps from the most sublime genre of them all, the human tradition at the heart of all scientific endeavor & religious searching; it is no less than an journey into both inner & outer space, whose realms the artists' believed an iron lung was not necessary in order to explore, and which many mystics & theologians of contemporary times as well as philosophers & scientists of the past are inclined to agree. The book should give "Occulture" a whole new rightful respect for it's rich past filled with sheer artistic brilliance and depth of knowledge, and I need not mention those aspirations which are the highest humankind can ever aspire to in any age that are herein depicted and portrayed in the most profound ways imaginable that many dragons herein seem almost ready to take flight in many a reader's enriched mind...ouroboros, the snake that eats itself revolves furiously and only ceases and stands still when the book is opened so that its admirers may better perceive its classical serpentine symmetry...such is the magic that is just barely contained in this museum catalogue from the deepest recesses of humankind's time here in these terrestrial & celestial spheres in the immense spaces, sublime in all the terror they hold for such miniscule beings, ("Aliens of Universal charity" as Constant said) aspiring to so large a consciousness which is charted in the finest infinitesimal details in this atlas of human history.

        Books:

        1. Interior Design Visual Presentation: A Guide to Graphics, Models & Presentation Techniques, Second Edition
        2. Interior Graphic Standards
        3. Islands and Ancestors: Indigenous Styles of Southeast Asia (African, Asian & Oceanic Art)
        4. Italian Splendor
        5. Jim Tolpin's Table Saw Magic, Second Edition
        6. Julia's Kitchen Wisdom: Essential Techniques and Recipes from a Lifetime of Cooking
        7. Late Victorian Holocausts: El Niño Famines and the Making of the Third World
        8. Little Pea
        9. Living Color: Master Lin Yuns Guide to Feng Shui and the Art of Color
        10. Living In Paris (New Edition) (Living In...)

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