There are numerous books on the occult in a practical, wordy sense but books like this that show the illustrative side are much rarer to come across.Įven if you don't know anything about the occult or don't care to, this book is objectively beautiful. It's not very wordy, but books like this primarily serve an aesthetic purpose as well as acting as a springboard for further research. This fine little book is an absolute treasure trove of esoteric imagery, complete with accompanying quotes and attributions.

My review is of the Bibliotheca Universalis edition that has 500-and-something pages.

Otherwise, I'd suggest some preliminary reading before approaching this. If you are well read in mysticism and the history of alchemy, this is the book for you. We chemical engineers share a common ancestor with phrenologists and palmists - not a very edifying thought! It is interesting to note that mystical ideas about the interconnectedness of mythology, physics, chemistry, biology, psychology and art gave birth to such an unimaginative science. They can only enjoy the beauty of the images, and get some sort of rudimentary understanding, which itself is rewarding enough.Īlchemy is the ancestor of my profession - Chemical Engineering. Those without knowledge of the development of mystical thought and alchemy would not be able to enjoy the wealth of information this book provides.

Alexander Roob does not provide a sequential narrative. This is not a book for the beginner (which I am). The roots of surrealism and many other more recent artistic movements can be found in this treasure trove.This is a magnificent compendium of alchemical symbols and the mystic thought behind them. Each richly illustrated chapter begins with an introduction and quotes from alchemists by specialist Alexander Roob. Even for those with no knowledge of the fascinating history of alchemy, this book is a delight to explore. The enigmatic hieroglyphs of cabalists, Rosicrucians, and freemasons are shown to be closely linked with the early scientific illustrations in the fields of medicine, chemistry, optics, and color theory. The Hermetic Museum takes readers on a magical mystery tour spanning an arc from the medieval cosmogram and images of Christian mysticism, through the fascinating world of alchemy to the art of the Romantic era. From early Christian mystics to the illustrations of William Blake and the Romantics, this collection spans science, philosophy, and otherworldly mystery over the ages. Fables, folklore, and fantasy-this compendium of all things alchemical and mystical gathers centuries of esoteric mythology in the form of writings, drawings, paintings, and prints.

Taschen alchemy and mysticism